Mission 250 Podcast

This week, we watch what many consider to be the best comedy of all time. Two men witness a mob hit, and to survive being rubbed out themselves, they have to dress up like woman, join an all female band, and accompany them on their trip to Florida. Silliness ensues. Some Like It Hot (1959), directed by Billy Wilder.

This week, we watch one of the best films in Pixar's catalogue. Dogs talk, a house floats from balloons, giant birds avoid extinction. No words can describe the quality of this film. Up (2009), directed by Pete Doctor.

This week, we watch Clint Eastwood's last Western, and the one that landed him the Oscar for Best Picture. Clint does his usual (and great) scowl and gravel-y whispering, but instead of the violence playing out like in an action movie, it is given a weight that almost flips all his previous genre movies on end. Gene Hackman steals the show, eating up the scenery as Little Bill. Unforgiven (1992), directed by Clint Eastwood.

This week, we watch the classic Noir that takes place in a post World War II Vienna. A man was hit by a car and killed under mysterious circumstances, and his friend won't stop doing his own detective work until he finds out what really happened. Filmed on location in 1948, the bombed out buildings against cobble stone and cavernous sewer tunnels make for an outstanding setting for this classic story type. The Third Man (1949), directed by Carol Reed.

Bonus Episode Time! To welcome the film onto Netflix (starting June 26th) and to attempt to give it all the praise it deserves, we watch Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. This movie blows away all recent animated and superhero films alike. It drips originality and brims with jokes, action, and lovable characters. The creators and animators swing for the fences and succeed throughout.

This week, we watch the first Iranian film to be nominated for Best Foreign Picture at the Academy Awards. The quietest children's movie we've ever seen, it's focus on the simply story of a lost pair of shoes turns out to be a full of lessons on family, poverty, and sacrifice, even in the smallest of things. Children of Heaven (1997), directed by Majid Majidi.

This week, we watch true story of Jake La Motta, one of the toughest boxers to ever step into the ring. With only 9 minutes of boxing in the 2-hour-plus runtime, this film focuses on the rage and jealousy that Jake experienced with his second wife as well as his brother. Robert De Niro's most raw and physically demanding performance. Raging Bull (1980), directed by Martin Scorsese.

This week, we watch the controversial film that depicts the last ten days in Hitlers bunker. Pulling stories from multiple sources and combining them to paint a full picture of what life was like for those involved, hiding underground, knowing that the end is coming. Downfall (2004), directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.

This week, we watch the only action movie that features a scene of a man running across glass in bare feet and also plays repeatedly on Christmas. Jumpstarting a blockbusting film series as well as Bruce Willis' career, this film balances comedy with graphic, violent action in a way that still holds up strongly today, even if the hairstyles don't. Die Hard (1988), directed by John McTiernan.

This week, we watch a film that creates a world inside our minds. Pixar is known for their great ideas, but in this film, they have outdone themselves. Who needs to find a fish when you have an entire world inside your head? Inside Out (2015), directed by Pete Docter.