The Fixate & Binge Podcast

Send us a text

Tired of the kids sitting around the house during the Thanksgiving & Christmas Break holidays? Fed up with extended family who have overstayed their welcomes? Bored with endless college and NFL football games? Cash-strapped after another Christmas shopping season?

This week's episode appeals to the couch-potato in all of us -- with an essential list of 30 Holiday Films to keep you, your loved ones, bored kids, and extended family pre-occupied until the New Year drops and we all put 2024 in the rearview for good!

From family friendly holiday films, to adult comedies and critically acclaimed cinema classics, don't miss this essential list of the best 30 films to wile away the time. 

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

With our post-election hangovers bringing on a new winter of discontent, former graduate school colleague and all-around comedy raconteur, Dr. Bob Beshere stops by the podcast to express his love for Taika Waititi's brilliant and hilarious WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, now in its final season.

Joe and Bob reminisce about their time studying overseas, Shakespeare, and just what Bob has been doing for the past 21 years other than fighting crime in the city all night.

Joe also shares first-reaction reviews from his Letterboxd page on two films that are currently screening: THE SUBSTANCE and A24's HERETIC.

This is one you do not want to miss!

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

It was the best of  times, it was the worst of times --

Need a break from all the divisive politics during this contentious US election?

Me too.

Let's discuss kung fu movies from the 1970s. Here's a list of my 10 favorite films!

THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (1978)
FIVE DEADLY VENOMS (1978)
ONE-ARMED BOXER (1972)
MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (1976)
CRIPPLED AVENGERS (1978)
THE INVINCIBLE ARMOUR (1977)
DRUNKEN MASTER (1978)
SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW (1978)
EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN (1977)
FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH (1972)

Tune in to see how I ranked them and why these 10 kung fu films are required viewing for anyone who has a love for martial arts action films! Their legacy is still influencing action films today...

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

In celebration of Rotten Tomatoes' 25-year anniversary (1999 to 2024), top critics were recently approached by the site to put together a list of the TOP 25 FILMS.

While their list was commendable, there were several critical omissions that in my opinion invalidate it. (No films were selected between the years 2002 to 2005; and only one female director's work was selected out of the 25 film directors of which some director's work was listed more than once!). 

Are we really just going to sit idly by and let the Statler & Waldorfs of the cinema declare that no Pixar film or Wes Anderson film in a quarter of a century is worthy of inclusion here? 

I have compiled my own list that I feel is more inclusive and more encompassing when it comes to the diverse array of film work over the past quarter century because I passionately feel that we’ve been given better examples of cinema in the past 25 years that were ignored by this coterie of critics for Rotten Tomatoes. 

They were wrong. 

Here’s my list.

Please enjoy.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

Welcome to a special episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast -- with my special guest, Jeanette Flannery from the United Kingdom who has selected her three favorite American Horror films to discuss. Not to be outdone, Joe has in turn selected his favorite three British Horror films of his own for discussion!

So tune in -- if you DARE -- to hear about:

THE WICKER MAN (1973) Starring Edward Woodard, Christopher Guest, Diane Client, Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald
THE CANDYMAN (1992) Starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkely, DeJuan Guy
28 DAYS LATER (2002) Starring Cillian Murphy, Brenden Gleeson, Naomi Harris, Christopher Eccleston
SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Penelope Wilton, Kate Ashfield, Dylan Moran, Peter Serafinowicz, Lucy Davis, Bill Nighy
TRICK R TREAT (2007) Starring Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Samm Todd

Have a happy Halloween!

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

Welcome back to The Fixate & Binge Podcast, for the final episode of a new 10-part series on underappreciated films.

Spanning over 55 -years of forgotten Hollywood gems, this is the last part of the 10-part series hosted by Joe where he discusses in depth his selection of five films that are worth rewatching or even viewing for the first time!

Part 10 of this 10-part series the following films are reviewed:

SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (2012) Starring Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Olga Kurylenko
DREDD (2012) Starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thurlby, Lena Headey
A HIDDEN LIFE (2019) Starring August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Bruno Ganz
TOGO (2019) Starring Willem Dafoe, Mackey the Dog
THE INNOCENTS (2021) Starring Rakel Lenora Petersen Flotum, Alva Brynsmo Ramstad, Sam Ashraf

Tune in next week for a special guest from the United Kingdom for all things Halloween! You don't want to miss it!

The hope of this podcast is to engender a greater appreciation of the magic of moviemaking and how far the film industry has come in the preceding decades.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

Welcome back to The Fixate & Binge Podcast, for the penultimate episode of a new 10-part series on underappreciated films.

Spanning over 55 -years of forgotten Hollywood gems, join Joe for every episode as he discusses in depth his selection of five films that are worth rewatching or even viewing for the first time!

Part 9 of this 10-part series the following films are reviewed:

SHOOT 'EM UP (2007) Starring Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci
ROCKNROLLA (2008) Starring Gerard Butler, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Thandiwe Newton, Mark Strong, Tom Wilkinson, Ludacris, Toby Kebbell, Jeremy Piven
FOUR LIONS (2010) Starring Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, Adeel Akhtar, Nigel Lindsay, Craig Parkinson
13 ASSASSINS (2010) Starring Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya
TYRANNOSAUR (2011) Starring Peter Mullin, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan 

Joe also offers a concise and spoiler-free reaction to the new docuseries on Netflix, MR. McMAHON, which explores the meteoric rise of the World Wrestling Entertainment sports industry, helmed by the morally flawed but always entertaining impresario Vince McMahon. This podcast also offers an honest reaction to what went wrong for the 2024 prequel to Roman Polanski's 1968 horror masterpiece ROSEMARY'S BABY, titled APARTMENT 7A, starring Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest. 

The hope of this podcast is to engender a greater appreciation of the magic of moviemaking and how far the film industry has come in the preceding decades.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

Welcome back to The Fixate & Binge Podcast, for the seventh episode of a new 10-part series on underappreciated films.

Spanning over 55 -years of forgotten Hollywood gems, join Joe for every episode as he discusses in depth his selection of five films that are worth rewatching or even viewing for the first time!

Part 8 of this 10-part series the following films are reviewed:

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002) Starring Sam Rockwell, Julia Roberts, George Clooney
THE BLIND SWORDSMAN: ZATOICHI (2003) Starring Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano
DEAD MAN'S SHOES (2004) Starring Paddy Considine, Toby Kebbell
LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN (2006) Starring Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tuck, Lucy Lui
TELL NO ONE (2006) Starring François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jean Rochefort, Guillaume Canet,

Joe Also provides a spoiler-free impression on the meaning of Yorgos Lanthimos' latest film KINDS OF KINDNESS that you won't want to miss!

The hope of this podcast is to engender a greater appreciation of the magic of moviemaking and how far the film industry has come in the preceding decades.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

Welcome back to The Fixate & Binge Podcast, for the seventh episode of a new 10-part series on underappreciated films.

Spanning over 55 -years of forgotten Hollywood gems, join Joe for every episode as he discusses in depth his selection of five films that are worth rewatching or even viewing for the first time!

Part 7 of this 10-part series the following films are reviewed:

NARC (2002) Starring Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Busta Rhymes
DEATH TO SMOOCHY (2002) Starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Jon Stewart
PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (2002) Starring Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman
WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD (2002) Starring Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, Michael Jeter, Luis Guzman, George Clooney
REIGN OF FIRE (2002) Starring Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Gerard Butler, Izabella Scorupco

Joe also tackles the controversial decision by producers of FX/Hulu's award-winning series of THE BEAR to keep submitting it for the Emmys in the "comedy" categories and why this is subverting the notion of what television comedy is. 

The hope of this podcast is to engender a greater appreciation of the magic of moviemaking and how far the film industry has come in the preceding decades.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/

Send us a text

Welcome back to The Fixate & Binge Podcast, for the sixth episode of a new 10-part series on underappreciated films.

Spanning over 55 -years of forgotten Hollywood gems, join Joe for every episode as he discusses in depth his selection of five films that are worth rewatching or even viewing for the first time!

Part 6 of this 10-part series the following films are reviewed:

THE 13TH WARRIOR (1999) Starring Antonio Banderas, Omar Sharif
DANCER IN THE DARK (2000) Starring Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse
BILLY ELLIOT (2000) Starring Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Gary Lewi
SEXY BEAST (2000) Starring Sir Ben Kingsley, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane
FRAILTY (2001) Starring Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe

Joe also gives **SPOILER-FREE** reactions to SPEAK NO EVIL -- Apple TV's SLOW HORSES (now in its 4th brilliant season) and the new BAD MONKEY series.

The hope of this podcast is to engender a greater appreciation of the magic of moviemaking and how far the film industry has come in the preceding decades.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast

Visit our website at:
https://fixateandbingepodcast.com/