Not Playing with Lex and Dan

And now for something completely different. Rebel spy Dan Moren and reckless criminal-turned-freedom-fighter Lex Friedman take a break from the story of the Skywalker clan to watch 2016’s Rogue One, the first of the standalone anthology movies set in the Star Wars universe.

Hot topics include why droids are programmed with people-like personalities, why the Death Star flaws come in two separate parts, the convincing performance of Governor Tarkin, and hey, Jimmy Smits is back!

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

"Rogue One"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

And with this, we conclude eating our vegetables for this special third of Not Playing covering the Star Wars saga. Dark Lord of the Sith Dan Moren and his apprentice Lex Friedman watch the final installment of the prequels, 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, allowing them to at last move onward and upward.

Hot topics include the complete absurdity of Anakin’s fall to the dark side, the frustrating nature of putting Padmé on a shelf, and, wait, is that Jimmy Smits again?

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We return to a galaxy far, far away, a slightly less long time ago for the second installment of our epic third season, covering the entire Star Wars saga. Supreme Chancellor Dan Moren guides Senator Lex Friedman through the 2002 soporific bore film, Attack of the Clones.

Hot topics for this episode include telling the difference between clones and droids, a horrendously unconvincing love story, why CGI Yoda is an offense to all right-minded people, and who the hell Jimmy Smits is playing.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

"Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

You’re not seeing things! We’re back with a very special season three of Not Playing with Lex and Dan. Right on schedule, as we promised. Go about your business. Move along.

Regular listeners of the show know that among the most egregious holes in Lex’s movie-watching history are most of the Star Wars saga, so in season three, we’re out to correct that oversight. Join Jedi Master Dan Moren as he takes padawan Lex under his wing and shepherds him through the entire eight (soon to be nine) movie saga.

Hot topics for this debut episode, which covers the 1999 travesty installment, The Phantom Menace, include what to do about really uncomfortable portrayals of aliens, why some droids can’t speak English, whether or not Queen Amidala is currently Natalie Portman, and what the hell planet we’re on now.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Special guest John Siracusa takes time out of his busy operating-system review schedule to join Lex and Dan for Not Playing’s season two finale. Neither John nor your regular hosts had ever seen Scarface. We fixed that.

Of course, Siracusa’s known for being hypercritical. Will Oliver Stone’s script, Brian De Palma’s directing, and Al Pacino’s acting be enough to impress him, or will Scarface need to say hello to John’s little friend: grudging disdain?

Hot topics include what makes a gangster movie successful, random characters who suddenly become the center of attention during the climactic conclusion, and man, is Michelle Pfeiffer beautiful.

Want to support the show? You can stream along from Amazon and give us a kickback at the same time, or if you prefer iTunes, we roll that way too.

You may be wondering when season three of Not Playing will kick off. We’re wondering that, too, and we’ll decide soon! Stay tuned to the site and our Twitter feed for more info.

"Scarface"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren with John Siracusa.

As with every episode of Not Playing, there are two versions of the podcast. In the regular episode, we discuss what we know about the film before we watch, and then share our reactions immediately after the credits roll.

There’s also the Commentary Track, where we still discuss what we know about the film before we start watching it. Then, we provide a real-time commentary track on the film as it unfolds—and you can tag along. We’ll tell you when to press Play.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We missed you, too.

We took a few weeks off, but then we felt that longing, that need to once again share the joy of watching a movie most everyone has seen, but that at least one of us hasn’t.

In this case, Dan introduced Lex to 1992’s Sneakers, which Lex repeatedly attempted to confuse with the Angelina Jolie starrer Hackers. Sneakers is not Hackers, as Dan patiently explained to Lex. Repeatedly. For a movie about cryptography and hacking, Sneakers holds up surprisingly well.

Hot topics include Lex’s confusion between Robert Redford and Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley’s New Jersey accent or lack thereof, and stock characters.

Support the show by watching Sneakers via Amazon streaming, or by grabbing the movie from iTunes. And, as always, we’d love it if you left us a review.

"Sneakers"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

As with every episode of Not Playing, there are two versions of the podcast. In the regular episode, we discuss what we know about the film before we watch, and then share our reactions immediately after the credits roll.

There’s also the Commentary Track, where we still discuss what we know about the film before we start watching it. Then, we provide a real-time commentary track on the film as it unfolds—and you can tag along. We’ll tell you when to press Play.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

ABC: Always Be ‘Casting.

Lex didn’t know how big a David Mamet fan Dan was; he just knew that Dan hadn’t seen Glengarry Glen Ross, and that was an oversight only Not Playing could fix.

So put that coffee down and listen in as Dan experiences the Jack Lemmon / Al Pacino / Kevin Spacey / Ed Harris / Alec Baldwin / Alan Arkin film for the first time.

Hot topics include whether all sales people are really like this, similarities between Mamet and Aaron Sorkin, and enjoying a movie where there’s no one in particular to root for.

We suggest that after you watch (and listen), you follow it up with a viewing of Alec Baldwin delivering his famous Glengarry speech on Saturday Night Live—while motivating Santa’s elves.

It’s true; Glengarry Glen Ross is streaming on Netflix. But if you aren’t a Netflix member, and/or you want to help support the podcast, feel free to stream it from Amazon or iTunes instead.

"Glengarry Glen Ross"

Hosts Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

As with every episode of Not Playing, there are two versions of the podcast. In the regular episode, we discuss what we know about the film before we watch, and then share our reactions immediately after the credits roll.

There’s also the Commentary Track, where we still discuss what we know about the film before we start watching it. Then, we provide a real-time commentary track on the film as it unfolds—and you can tag along. We’ll tell you when to press Play.

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.