We finally got around to watching as many 2023 films as we could. We are nailing down which ones were our favorites (or best, or highest regarded by us) and why!!

This week we go back to Arrakis with our special guest Justin Arner (multi-award winning creative producer). We talk about Villeneuve using shot selection for optimal storytelling, Hans Zimmer's overwhelming score and question some of the casting choices.

It's time for the golden statues! We go through who we think will win and who we would want to win in the biggest Oscar categories, and Josh has a golden addition to his shelf.

We dive into Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest, an unconventional holocaust/family movie. The concept, the filmmaking techniques and the haunting sounds of the score and sound design come together with the grounded performances to form a film that is engaging and confrontational.

Cord Jefferson's biting and funny satire/familiy drama is the subject of this week's podcast. We get to see Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Tracy Ellis Ross, and a host of other actors put in great performances with a that know's what it is doing. Once you are in the theater, Jefferson nudges you with humor, anger, outrage and real touching moments.

This week we reflect on the Oscar nominations and celebrate some of the choices while scratching our heads about others. Then we tiptoe into a light critique on Bradley Cooper's new film Maestro (also Oscar nominated!)

Yorgos Lanthimos plus Emma Stone equals another movie you can't look away from. With committed performances from Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo added, this film is both funny and thought-provoking.

We talk about Todd Haynes' new meta movie featuring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore that is loosely based on a true story, how it points out society's voyeuristic tendencies and why audiences will always be interested in stories like this.

Emerald Fennell has returned with a film starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi about the British upper crust and the gaze of the outsider. Was it successful? Was it shocking? We get into it in our new episode.

It's a new Fincher film! We talk about Fassbinder, the sound design, the drop-in performances (including Tilda Swinton), ham hands and Fincher's tenuous relationship with the Oscars.