Movie Mind Melt

The Movie Mind Melt crew goes back to Gus Van Sant's early career and one of the first truthful "drug films" in Hollywood cinema history. Drugstore Cowboy is loosely based on a true story about a gang of addicts in Portland who rob pharmacies. It's a poignant look at the opioid epidemic before it was much more focused on in the middle of America. Drugstore Cowboy stars Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, and Heather Graham in some fantastic indie performances. The Movie Mind Melt crew also discusses the superstitions of the film, such as "don't put your hat on the bed." Caution: movie spoilers.

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Intro- 0:00 to 2:46.

Film Discussion- 2:46 to 1:07:41.

Film Ratings/Outro- 1:07:41 to End.

The A24 Rocks crew is two films away from completing their A24 journey, and have landed on one of the most talked about movie's from 2021, Red Rocket. Directed by Sean Baker, Red Rocket focuses on a former adult film star named Mikey (portrayed by Simon Rex) who goes back to his small hometown in Texas, beaten up and down on his luck. He ends up at his estranged wife Lexi's (portrayed by Bree Elrod) house and eventually convinces her to stay, but will Mikey face the realities of his life? Or does a zebra never change its stripes? Caution: movie spoilers.

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Intro- 0:00 to 3:45.

Film Discussion- 3:45 to 1:17:07.

Film Ratings/Outro- 1:17:07 to End.

The Movie Mind Melt crew continues their spooky season journey by reviewing the 2023 film Strange Darling starring Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. In this 70s grindhouse horror film, a serial killer is haunting the Pacific Northwest. Strange Darling unfolds over 6 non-linear chapters, constantly subverting expectations. Written and directed by J.T. Mollner, studios initially didn't like the non-linear storytelling and Willa Fitzgerald's acting chops. Mollner stood pat, though, and after positive reviews from test audiences, it was released. Although it didn't make a ton of money at the box office, it's slowly become a cult classic the past three years. What will the Movie Mind Melt crew think of it? Caution: movie spoilers.

Buy us a coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/moviemindmelt.

Intro- 0:00 to 1:54.

Film Discussion- 1:54 to 1:07:46.

Film Ratings/Outro- 1:07:46 to End.

The Humans was originally a Tony award winning play written by Stephen Karam about a Catholic family from Pennsylvania that meets for Thanksgiving in a New York City apartment. The buzz around the play was so huge, that eventually, Karam got the film adaptation greenlit. Although it was one of the most well-reviewed movies of 2021, it ran under the radar during the awards season, why was that? The A24 Rocks crew goes character by character, dissecting the aesthetic of the film, and why it may not have succeeded as much in 2021. Caution: movie spoilers.

Buy us a coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/moviemindmelt.

Intro- 0:00 to 2:46.

Film Discussion- 2:46 to 1:14:38.

Film Ratings/Outro- 1:14:38 to End.

On the latest Movie Mind Melt, we have one more blind ranking for you to kick off spooky season, and that's our top 16 Stephen King films! Ray invites on daughter Alex for this gruesome affair. Where do the schlocky 80s films land? Where do the non-horror King movies land? How have some Stephen King films aged? And, are the best Stephen King movies the ones that diverted from the novel? We debate all this and more.

Also, Eric has directed a documentary! Watch "The Power of the Newspaper: Detroit in the 1960s" at this link: https://youtu.be/cHzCzTpYbYo?si=lNTUZaXs1GsTpBAM

Buy us a coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/moviemindmelt.

Intro- 0:00 to 3:59.

Blind Ranking Rules- 3:59 to 5:48.

Our Top 16 Stephen King Films- 5:48 to 1:58:59.

Outro- 1:58:59 to End.

In this 2021 Mike Mills film (director of 20th Century Women), Joaquin Phoenix plays a radio journalist named Johnny who is tasked with looking after his nephew Jesse (portrayed by Woody Norman) due to his sister Viv (portrayed by Gabby Hoffman) taking care of her bipolar husband who is having a manic episode. Jesse quickly breaks boundaries with Johnny and tries to get him out of his shell, while also showing him how to see the world through the ears of a child. The A24 Rocks crew loved 20th Century Women, what will they think of C'mon C'mon? Caution: movie spoilers.

Buy us a coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/moviemindmelt

Intro- 0:00 to 3:10.

Film Discussion- 3:10 to 55:39.

Film Ratings/Outro- 55:39 to End.

On the second ever Movie Mind Melt, these film reviewers attempt to blind rank the top 16 films from the 1960s. It was the decade of counter-culture, the transition from Old Hollywood to New Hollywood, a dead president, and an out of control military industrial complex. Ray invites on an old friend who used to be a movie usher with him in Paul, and it creates a group of four people with widely different opinions on what should be in the top four. How will they ever come to a consensus?

Eric will be coming out with a documentary on October 4th called "The Power of the Newspaper: Detroit in the 1960s." Check out the trailer here and don't forget to subscribe to the Firelake Media YouTube channel to watch the film when it drops: https://youtu.be/-P8rUB-2h6A?si=aMUmNpiN4-HRHwu-.

Buy us a coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/moviemindmelt

Intro- 0:00 to 2:38.

What defined 1960s cinema?- 2:38 to 6:40.

Blind Ranking Rules- 6:40 to 8:50.

Our Top 16 Films from the 1960s- 8:50 to 1:30:45.

Honorable Mentions/Outro- 1:30:45 to End.

This week the A24 Rocks crew reviews the first sequel that A24 ever distributed in The Souvenir Part II. Written and directed by Joanna Hogg, The Souvenir Part II picks up where The Souvenir left off, with Julie reeling from the death of her boyfriend Anthony after he overdosed. Julie is still in film school, though, and quickly decides to turn her pain into art. She doesn't exactly have a plan for her film, though, choosing to improvise the project. What will these film reviewers think of this Criterion Collection pick? Caution: movie spoilers.

Buy us a coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/moviemindmelt.

Programming note- there are only 5 A24 films left on our docket for A24 on the Rocks, before we do the 2021 A24 Oscars, and then review Movie Mind Melt films full time in the new year.

Intro- 0:00 to 2:40.

Film Discussion- 2:40 to 1:07:06.

Film Ratings- 1:07:06 to End.

In the inaugural episode of Movie Mind Melt, these film reviewers tackle a movie that literally features heavy maze motifs. Prisoners is a 2013 film directed by Denis Villeneuve, and starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gylenhaal, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, and Maria Bello. It's about two families whose children are abducted and a detective running through mazes to find them. When a suspect named Alex Jones gets released, Keller (played by Hugh Jackman) abducts him, and decides to torture him to get answers. Some cinephiles nowadays seem to believe that this film contains more than what's on the surface. Kevin, Eric, and Ray discuss. Caution: movie spoilers.

https://buymeacoffee.com/moviemindmelt

Intro- 0:00 to 2:36.

Film Discussion- 2:36 to 1:24:05.

Film Ratings/Outro- 1:24:05 to End.

Hey there it’s Eric. You may have noticed we’ve changed our name from A24 on the Rocks. As we’ve discussed in a previous announcement, due to A24 investing in AI and taking billions in venture capital money, we’re changing the idea of our podcast so we’re not a walking billboard for A24. We now introduce you to: Movie Mind Melt, a podcast that reviews films that ask deep and perplexing questions and/or movies that make you say “wtf did I just watch” as soon as the credits roll. Our first film review will be this Wednesday and will be “Prisoners” starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gylenhaal.

We only have a couple more A24 on the Rocks films left to review in the 2021 year of A24 and we’ll still be doing our 2021 A24 Oscars before we make the complete shift to this podcast idea in the new year. We will also keep up our back catalog forever, so you can always go back and listen to our old reviews. We just thought we might as well get people used to the new brand and podcast idea, and we hope it’s still in the same vein of our old podcast, as we will specifically be focusing on mid-budget to low-budget films that may contain some kind of mind fuckery and call for discussion and dissection. So welcome to our Movie Mind Melt era everyone. Thank you for listening.