Sitting Around Talking Movies

Movies are like canned cranberry sauce. Definitely manufactured but capable of being sweet or tart, and able to make at least one day a little better. Plus the jiggling is always fun. And now we have this year's crop of Thanksgiving movies. They're quite the seasonal bounty. First we have "Gladiator 2" which stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Connie Neilson. It's been a long time since the first one - how's the sequel? We all saw it and we'll let you know.Then Neil tells us about "Wicked" which is the much anticipated movie version of the Broadway musical which seems destined to last longer than Broadway itself. And for something a bit more adult, Bill Bregoli tells us about "Anora," which is about a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Also for grownups is "September 5" which takes place during the 1972 Munich Olympics, as an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes. And for you streaming fans there's "Blitz" which is the stories of a group of Londoners during the German bombing campaign of the British capital during World War II. We've also got amodern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of West Texas oil rigs called "Landman" starring Billy Bob Thornton and "The Day of the Jackal" which is about an elusive assassin who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. And for music documentary fans there's "Beatles '64" which captures the band's electrifying 1964 US debut amid fan frenzy. So put that can opener down and listen in.

Daylight Savings Time is coming to an end and darkness will be upon us even sooner. But that's OK since there are lots of movies and shows to watch.We start with "Woman of the Hour." It's the directorial debut of Anna Kendrick who also stars in the film as Sheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that, behind the man's gentle facade, he hides a deadly secret.It's based on a true story! Bill Bregoli and Bill McCuddy both saw it and they'll tell you what they think. Neil Rosen, on the other hand, went to some Broadway plays. The first is "Hold on to Me Darling" starring Adam Driver. And he also saw "Left on Tenth" starring Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher. For streaming folks there's the Seth Meyers comedy special "Dad Man Walking" which is about, you guessed it - being a dad. Plus there's the intense drama "Disclaimer" which stars Cate Blanchett as a television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the transgressions of long-respected institutions. And for something less intense there's "It's Florida, Man" which is an irreverent late-night series bringing to life unbelievable tales from Florida. Safer than actually going there. We've also got the Netflix documentary "Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare" and even more. Time's a wastin' so listen in!

Summer's creature features and superheroes have faded away and now it's time for the award show bait to show up. We start with "Conclave" which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini (wow!). Ralph stars as Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, and he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church. It's got lots of Oscar buzz plus an amazing cast. We'll let you know what we think! Then there's "The Apprentice."" which is the story of how a young Donald Trump started his real-estate business in 1970s and '80s New York with the helping hand of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. And speaking of controversial folks, we've also got the new Netflix documentary "Martha" which covers the breadth of an extraordinary life through intimate interviews with Martha Stewart herself, who opened up her personal archives to share never-before-seen photos, letters, and diary entries. For comedy buffs there's "Saturday Night" which tells how on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live way back in1975. There's a whole lot more, so lsten in!

It's officially Fall now. And like your neighbor's zucchinis, we have lots of movies. Some big, some small. First up we've got "Wolfs." It's about two rival fixers who cross paths when they're both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official's misstep. Oh, George Clooney and Brad Pitt are in it. Then there's "My Old Ass." It's a comong of age comedy about how a mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (the up andcoming Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her 39-year-old self - played by no less than Aubrey Plaza. If it's creepy you want we've got "The Substance" in which a fading celebrity played by Demi Moore decides to use a black-market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself. If you're one of the few unfortunates who hasn't seen "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" we'll fill you in on that and it you're into documentaries we'll tell you about "Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos" which is full of firsthand accounts and revelations from the people who brought the groundbreaking series to life. And for animation fans there "The Wild Robot" in which an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose. Oh and there's more including "Rebel Ridge," "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" and "In the Land of Saints and Sinners." We talk a lot in this one so fry up some zucchini and listen in.

If you've been going to movies for a few years you;ve probably realized that August is usually the End of Season Clearance Sale at the movies. Horror flicks, lame comedies, really, they should mark these films down. But this year is very different. Not only are pictures making more money this August than a year ago, but they're making more money than in August 2019 - the year before the pandemic. So we'll start with "It Ends With Us." It's based on a popular novel and stars Blake Lively as Lily, who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. A chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents' relationship. Bill Bregoli watched it in a theater full of women and he'll tell you how they liked it. Then there's "Deadpool & Wolverine" which just about everyone has seen but once again Bill B was the one of us who ventured out to the theater and he'll tell you how that went. Bill B also saw "Twisters" and he explains how it;s different from "Twister" (the one with the cow). Neil went to a theater too, and he caught up with "Fly Me to the Moon." Bill McCuddy went the streaming route and watched the new version of "Presumed Innocent" Starring Jake Gylllenhaal and he'll let you know what he thought. Plus Neil and Bill M talk about the new "Saturday Night Live" movie trailer for longer than the actual trailer, but hey, that's what we do. So listen in!

One thing about staying home in the air conditioning is that you wind up seeing a lot of commercials. And boy have they been advertising our first movie, "Fly Me to the Moon." It stars (in case you've been asleep or in a coma) Scarlett Johanson and Channing Tatum. They're selling it as a "fake the moon mission" movie but it's more than that...and less. Bill Bregoli and Bill McCuddy both saw it and they'll explain. Then there's "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" in which Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter's life is threatened, and works with old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a conspiracy. It's the fourth film in the franchise. Should it be the last? We'll let you know. Neil Rosen lets us know what he thought of the third season of "The Bear" and for you documentary fans there's "Faye" which covers the career of Faye Dunaway. Plus we've got the reality real estate show "Owning Manhattan" and the true crime limited series "Hollywood Con Queen." So listen in!

Even the calendar says it's officially summer now. And in Hollywood that means it's time for sequels and remakes. And before you say "oh please, no more sequels," keep in mind that one of them - "Inside Out 2" is making money like crazy. So obviously people are coming out to see it even though it's a sequel. And even though the original came out nine years ago in 2015, this one follows Riley, now in her teenage years, encountering new emotions. And speaking of animated sequels, here comes "Despicable Me 4" in which Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run. And now there's a TV serial remake of "Presumed Innocent," this time starring Jake Gyllenhaal. It tells the story of a horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys' office when one of its own is suspected of the crime.But if you want something that's not a sequel or a remake we have "Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini" which is a true-crime documentary. It tells how Keith and Sherri Papini's seemingly idyllic life was shattered when Sherri vanishes from their rural California neighborhood, triggering a frenzied search that becomes news around the world. But once Sherri is found, a new nightmare begins. then we've got the drama "Treasure" starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry as a father and daughter who go to visit Poland. And speaking of Poland, we also have "The Thaw" which is a crime series on Max. And then we've got "Brats" which centers on 1980s films starring the 'Brat Pack' and their profound impact on the young stars' lives. That's a lot for one podcast - so listen in!

Summer is pretty much here and so is the season of reconstructing Will Smith's reputation. That's why our first movie is "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" in wwhich Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami's finest are now on the run. Does somebody get slapped? Why yes. Then we looked at the new Max doucmentary "Moviepass, Moviecrash" which explores the company founding and the implosion of the business by outside investors who took over the company, left it bankrupt and under investigation. There's also the second season of "Tokyo Vice" in which a Western journalist working for a publication in Tokyo takes on one of the city's most powerful crime bosses.For those of you looking for an inspirational family film we've got "Young Woman and the Sea" which is the story of competitive swimmer Trudy Ederle, who, in 1926, was the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel.And we look at a filmed version of Chaz Palminteri's one-man play version of "A Bronx Tale" which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. And if it's gritty you're after we've got "The Bikeriders" which features an amazing cast including Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Michael Shannon. So listen in!

So this is the summer movie season, huh? Okay, it seems last year's strikes cut back on how many big "tentpole" (somebody explain that term to me, please) movies or big summer blockbusters. But Hollywood is still putting out some movies they hope will slack our summer movie thirst. First up is 
"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." And you probably know that it's the origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and teamup with Mad Max.Does it live up to the hype? Will it break the Memorial Day weekend box-office record? Bill McCuddy and Bill Bregoli will let you know what they thought of it. There's also "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" which is the latest epic from the storied franchise. If you're into little movies without explosions or special effects there's "Ezra" which stars Bobby Cannavale as comedian Max, who co-parents autistic son Ezra with ex-wife Jenna, played by the ever lovely Rose Byrne. And then there's "Thelma" which stars June Squib as 93-year-old Thelma Post, who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson,so she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Plus there's "Hit Man," coming soon to Netflix, in which a professor moonlighting as a hit man of sorts for his city police department, descends into dangerous, dubious territory when he finds himself attracted to a woman who enlists his services.And speaking of Netflix, there's a new series called "Bodkin" which is about a group of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic Irish town.Then Neil Rosen tells us about seeing the Broadway play "Stereophonic" for a second time. There must be a reason. So listen in!

The calender tells us it's still Spring" but in Hollywood Summer is just getting started. That's why our first film is the big budget action film "The Fall Guy" starring Ryan Gosling as a down-and-out stuntman whi must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend's blockbuster film. Is it too much too soon, or is it not enough? We'll let you know. Then there's Jerry Seinfeld's directorial debut "Unfrosted" which tells how in 1963 Michigan, business rivals Kellogg's and Post competed to create a cake that could change breakfast forever. And for you romance fans there's "The Idea of You" on Amazon. It stars Anne Hathaway as a 40-year-old single mom, who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. Yup, Anne Hathaway is playing moms now. And there's also the controversial "Baby Reindeer" which follows follows writer and performer Richard Gadd's warped relationship with a female stalker and the impact it has on him as he is ultimately forced to face a deep, dark buried trauma. For you "based on a true story types there's "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare from direct Guy Ritchie in which British military recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II. And for mystery buffs there's "Under the Bridge" which stars Lily Gladston and Riley Keough who try and solve the mystery of a murdered teen. Plus, for those of you thinking of coming to New York to see a play or musical on Broadway, we've got a rundown of what's hot and what's not as we head toward the Tony Awards. So listen in!