Read it and Weep

Like it or not season 4 is still happening. This week we've got three extremely strong topics for you.

The News: Public television in Denmark released a new show about a man with a really long hog. Read more about it in the AV Club and watch all 14 episodes here.

The Homework: We watched the new Pixar movie Soul (2020) and talked about watching animated people die.

The Argument: How much noise would your neighbor have to make for you to ask them to turn it down.

We'd love to know what you think of the format as it evolves PLUS we'd love to hear your suggestions for arguments to have. Drop us a line!

Season 4 is upon us! What a glorious day. We're breaking the show up a bit with a few different segments per episode with slightly different topics. This week we've got:

The News: A discussion about the Warner Bros. decision to go day-and-date with streaming movies on HBO Max.

The Homework: We wished for Wonder Woman 1984 and the Monkey's Paw gave us this crap.

The Argument: Are TV watchers better off than they were 10 years ago?

We'd love to know what you think of the format as it evolves PLUS we'd love to hear your suggestions for arguments to have. Drop us a line!

In our final final episode of the year, Ezra and I sat down for the Meat Buddy voted holiday movie, A Claymation Christmas plus a quick discussion about Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas for good measure. Hope you enjoy.

Become a Meat Buddy to help decide Ezra's fate by going to meatreon.com.

Love Actually Joke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyN9E08vFSY

Story Break Podcast https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/story-break/ (h/t Tom)

Only Connect show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjA9uonZhDQ (h/t Clare)

Everybody's doing a year-end wrap up, but since the year was pretty crap, we each compiled a list of our 10 favorite things WE consumed this year, regardless of what year it was released.

First, a list of the top 10 things Anthony's mind palace thinks he WOULD HAVE enjoyed if they'd actually come out this year as they were supposed to.

10: Spiral

And now his top 10ish list of 2020ish.

Top games

Top things that made me feel good in 2020 from 2020

Top movies from The podcast

Best film I saw this year

Honorable mentions

1. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's album Axiom (Live) is terrific but didn't make the list because he said something stupid about Covid on it.
2. Dapper & Wise coffee out of Portland is incredibly delicious and has free shipping if you order two bags (definitely get one of the Ethiopias). Didn't make the top 10 because it sounds too sales pitchy. They are not (yet) a sponsor.

The three movies from this season of Read it and Weep that have stuck with me the most are

1. Brazil
2. Barry Lyndon
3. Dog Day Afternoon

Top three movies I saw not for this podcast

1. The Handmaiden
2. Cabin in the Woods
3. Onward

Top three not movies but also not Ted Lasso

1. The podcast 99% Invisible, specifically episode #389- Whomst Among Us Has Let The Dogs Out
2. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. What We Do in the Shadows (TV show)

Top one favorite thing of the year of any kind

1. Ted Lasso

1. Twilight Imperium: Prophecy of Kings by Fantasy Flight Games
2. World of Wong Kar-Wai by Wong Kar-Wai, distributed by Janus Films/Criterion Collection
3. Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple
4. ACTION BUTTON REVIEWS DOOM by Tim Rogers
5. I’m thinking of Ending Things by Charlie Kaufman
6. Better Call Saul: Season Five by Vince Gilligan and Co.
7. Lyndsay Ellis by Lyndsay Ellis
8. Hades by Supergiant Games
9. Yellow Magic Orchestra Discography By YMO
10. Under the Skin by Jonathan Glazer

And with that we've come to the end of season three of the podcast! What a condescending journey it's been. We lived. We laughed. We learned. And now it's time for the final exam. I hope you've studied!

Anthony recommends the new David Fincher movie Mank.

Alex watched the Failed Film Festival: Lost in La Mancha (2002), Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s “Island of Dr. Moreau” (2014), and Jodorowsky's Dune (2013).

Hunter (but also very much Anthony) recommends The Leftovers.

Slightly Condescending Film School is back in session with the Robert Redford directed movie about the quiz show scandal of the 1950s. We brought on somebody with insider knowledge to help us out, 4-time Jeopardy Champion Andy Wood (@andytwood)!

• Andy hosts the delightful podcast Probably Science.
• Anthony thinks Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) still holds up.
• Andy recommends The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) and the Frank Zappa doc Zappa (2020).

Hey there! It's our first special bonus episode selected by our Meat Buddies where I get Ezra on the phone and chat with him about a movie he may or may not have watched. And usually, time travel. This week, a fun movie and more surprisingly, a new movie. Enjoy! And become a Meat Buddy to help select these topics by going to meatreon.com.

It's part two of our slog through the Vietnam War and who knew that war could be so contentious! Plus the return of Infrequently Asked Questions.

• Hunter loves the game Getting Over It about a man in a pot climbing a hill
• Anthony referenced Marlon Brando not learning his lines on Godfather
• Anthony referenced Christopher Reeves on Letterman talking about Brando

Some Vietnam books (h/t Daniel)

• When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip
• Sympathy for the Devil by Kent Anderson
• Kill Anything That Moves by Nick Turse

Next up: Quiz Show (1994) and Andy Wood's run on Jeopardy.

It's part one of our slog through the Vietnam War, the payoff of Alex's joke, and a very fun conversation about Finland.

BUY @grantlyon1's new board game of silly insults Curmudgeon!

Alex's feelings on the movie are entirely stolen from this Guardian article by Linh Dinh: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/nov/02/artsfeatures.londonfilmfestival2001

Hunter spent too much money on the Ingmar Bergman Criterion collection

Anthony watched Broadcast News and The Insider

Grant likes The Alienist (CAUTION: NO ALIENS)

Alex recommends Malcolm Gladwell's three episode podcast series about Napalm

Next up: Apocalypse then and now, we're watching Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)

It's part two of our Stargate sponsorship. This time, it's wet! Featuring Phoebe Bottoms who watched... almost the right show.

Hunter likes Longmont Potion Castle's prank calls with Alex Trebek

Hunter also likes the game Geoguessr

Finally talking about the Vietnam War with Apocalypse Now (1979)