Mission 250 Podcast

This week, we watch the best picture winner that also saw Hilary Swank in win the first Oscar for an actor portraying a boxer. This film follows a determined boxer's rise to the top, as a grizzled old boxing coach learns to respect female boxers, and Morgan Freeman hangs out and does a nice voiceover. This is one to watch before listening. Million Dollar Baby (2004), directed by Clint Eastwood.

This week, we watch the film that took the country of Argentina by storm, smashing all of the box-office records, and earning a Best Foreign Picture nomination in the 2015 Oscars. Comprised of six stories that, according to the director, are "linked by violence, and nothing else", this film lets its characters go far beyond typical socially accepted behavior, and explore what might result if people acted solely on their instincts. Wild Tales (2014), directed by Damian Szifron.

This week, we watch the classic fairy tale where Wesley and Buttercup set out on adventure against two warring kingdoms for true love. Pirates, death machines, murder, revenge, monsters...all in a light hearted tone, and surrounded with universal comedy. The Princess Bride (1987), directed by Rob Reiner.

This week, we watch the epic tale of Judah Ben-Hur, a man who lived at the time of Jesus. Based on the outstandingly popular novel from 1880, and a remake of the 1925 film, this iteration of the tale is distinguished by winning the most Academy Awards in history, and has a number of other records held as well (largest set ever built, etc). Come for the chariot race, and stay for the mind blowing scale. Ben-Hur (1959), directed by William Wyler.

This week, we watch the epic tale of Judah Ben-Hur, a man who lived at the time of Jesus. Based on the outstandingly popular novel from 1880, and a remake of the 1925 film, this iteration of the tale is distinguished by winning the most Academy Awards in history, and has a number of other records held as well (largest set ever built, etc). Come for the chariot race, and stay for the mind blowing scale. Ben-Hur (1959), directed by William Wyler.

This week, we watch the character study disguised as a crime thriller, where Orson Wells flexes his impressive acting chops in a movie he also writes and directs. Drugs, murder, sex, and lots of lying fill this classic noir film, which takes place in a Mexican boarder town, and has two police officers (Charlton Heston and Wells) clashing in an investigation. Touch of Evil (1958), Directed by Orson Wells.

This week, we watch a film where Richard Gere struggles to decide what he loves the most: his own hair, or his adopted puppy. Does the struggle lead to his sudden death? Who's to say. Hachi: A Dog's Tale, directed by Lasse Hallstrome.

This week, we watch the film that brings back dinosaurs in the groundbreaking blockbuster that combines horror, drama, comedy, action, adventure, sci-fi...really, this movie does it all. Now with four films in the franchise (Jurassic World is currently the 4th highest grossing movie of all time), the original still towers over the sequels, with special effects that somehow didn't age a day. Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg.

This week, we celebrate our 50th episode, and go over each one of our top 5 favorite movies, and bottom 3 least favorite movies, of the last 50 we've watched!

This week, we watch the animated classic who's popularity lead to the founding of Studio Ghibli, which went on to make additional milestones in animation like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.