Movie Go Round

What happens when you put an ancient monster, a ruthless impaler, an 18th-century dandy, and a 19th-century bad boy together in the same apartment? People stop being polite, and start getting real. You also get our “You Did This to Us” pick for this round, What We Do in the Shadows. You guys were sooooo good to us this week! Nicole, David, and Brett had a ball talking about this supernatural takeoff on the house-sharing reality show genre. Come join us!

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David has been using his “Around the World” picks to introduce Brett to quality martial arts films and prepare him for this week’s choice. But really, is there any way to prepare for The Raid? This 2011 movie, made in Indonesia by a Welsh writer/director, took the action and martial arts genres and dialed them up to 11 and beyond. David, Brett, and Nicole had a very excitable time digging into this movie, and hope you guys will be just as excited to listen to our episode.

Next week is You Did This to Us! The movie? You all decided that we'll be watching "What We Do in the Shadows."

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“Future Classics” week is back, and Brett’s proposed film this time was the big 50th anniversary film in the James Bond franchise, "Skyfall." Featuring themes of past sins, death, rebirth, and redemption, this was the emotionally heaviest of the Bond films. Join us as Brett, Nicole, and David dig in to topics such as the return to classic tropes, Javier Bardem’s entrance (with its flirtation and flair for drama), the gorgeous Oscar-nominated cinematography, fortunate casting and disastrous near-casting, and a Komodo dragon’s value as an improvised weapon.

Next week is Around the World! The movie? David's pick is the famous "The Raid: Redemption."

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This round’s “Netflix Roulette” reminds us that this theme provides more just-missed-it movies than big hits or entertaining dreck. An indie rock journalist (played by a slumming-it Toni Collette) is tasked with finding her ex, an elusive musician who released a massively influential album and then disappeared. Join Brett, David, and Nicole as they try to figure out which storyline is supposed to be most important, how Thomas Haden Church and Oliver Platt got talked into showing up, and why we couldn’t have just watched "Eddie and the Cruisers" instead.

Next week is Future Classics! The movie? Brett's pick is the 007 potential-classic, "Skyfall."

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Our new rounds always begin with “New to Two,” and this week Nicole introduced Brett and David to Quentin Tarantino’s third feature film, "Jackie Brown." Featuring some of Tarantino’s signature elements (clever dialogue, loving shots of a woman’s feet, killer music choices) and deviating in equally significant ways (much less blood, a mature romantic element), "Jackie Brown" was only a modest success and one that a lot of fans have missed seeing. Join us as we dig into this low-profile Tarantino, and ask such questions as: Is this a modern blaxploitation movie? How are so many people getting shot in public with no one noticing? And WHAT is the deal with Samuel L. Jackson’s hair?

Next week is Netflix Roulette! The movie? "Lucky Them." ... Lucky us.

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Aw, guys, why? Whyyyyyy? You Did This to Us. You made us watch "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." What did we do wrong? In this Happy Madison production (there’s the first clue this won’t go well), a schlubby single dad who takes his low-end security job too seriously gets caught up in a holiday season heist and has to find a way to save the day. Brett, David, and Nicole had to watch this alleged comedy and found themselves asking questions like, Does the predictable script make this endearing or unbearable? How does this movie manage to be aggressively bland? And does the universe gain anything from this movie existing?

Next week is New to Two! The pick? Nicole chooses "Jackie Brown."

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Hoo, boy. This movie. For this week’s “Around the World,” Nicole chose the French-Belgian horror and coming-of-age film, "Raw" (“Grave” in the original French). David knew to brace himself, but poor Brett had no idea what he was in for. Young Justine arrives at veterinary college, where her sister Alexia is already a student. Alexia encourages Justine to awaken one of her appetites during a hazing ritual, and all the rest, unfortunately, follow suit. We tried not to bite off more than we could chew by keeping the discussion to such questions as, Why is the faculty so blasé about the hazing? What is it about college that makes people change? Is this the way normal siblings act? And is the freakiest part of this movie the horse, the hair, the highway, or the Brazilian wax?

Next week is Paul Blart: Mall Cop! You did it to us! ... Why?

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For Future Classics this week, David asked Nicole and Brett to watch "The Grand Budapest Hotel." This elaborately constructed, nested diorama of a film is populated with some of the best character actors working today, a couple of up-and-comers, and a few just past their leading-role prime. Lobby boy Zero Moustafa, a foreigner to the fictional country of Zubrowka, becomes the apprentice and friend of Gustave H., the fastidious, refined, yet startlingly profane concierge of the Grand Budapest. We dig into this confection with three spoons, chewing over the brilliance of Ralph Fiennes, the symmetry of the cinematography, and the accessibility to non-Wes Anderson fans.

Next week tune in for Around the World. We're watching "RAW."

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We spun the virtual wheel for “Netflix Roulette” and wound up with a movie we had trouble approaching: 2015’s "The Gift." What at first seems like a “creepy guy starts getting too close to the nice couple” thriller begins to take unexpected turns as the wife starts digging into the creepy guy’s past. The tone of the film is odd, and gets darker and more unsettling as it goes along. Join David, Brett, and Nicole as they ponder things like, Is this the most horrifying movie we’ve watched? How does Jason Bateman’s character get his influence? Does the punishment at the end fit the crime? And will we ever look at a monkey the same way again?

Next week is Future Classics. David brings us "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

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In this round’s New to Two, Brett introduced David and Nicole to Clint Eastwood’s last good (possibly great) movie, "Gran Torino," a variation on the “crusty old guy teaches young punk lessons about life and manhood while learning a few things himself” story. We took an admiring look at the film’s craftsmanship, and a harder look at its portrayal of the Hmong culture. Does this movie include the “white savior” trope? What if the protagonist is the one who makes the situation bad in the first place? Was it a good idea to use nonprofessional actors to play the Hmong roles? We dig in deep in this episode!

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