The Kick

With December all but gone and neither of them having seen CATS, Noah and Chance reflect on the year in film with a series of semi-original accolades. What was their favorite 2019 performance with no awards potential? What movie will be talked about differently in 2029? In the end, we give our Top 10 lists and bid the 2019 movies a fond farewell. Happy new year!

This week, Chance and Noah dare to ask a question posed by many conned, spurned and murdered Patricia Highsmith characters: "Who are you, Tom Ripley?" As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Anthony Minghella’s seminal Matt Damon vehicle "The Talented Mr. Ripley," we seek out the character’s origins in the acclaimed Highsmith novels and the many resulting film adaptations. In addition to the 1999 American hit, we're watching 1977's "The American Friend" (dir. by the great Wim Wenders) and 2002's "Ripley's Game" starring John Malkovich. If you like your con artists with a side of sexual frustration and sun-soaked coasts, press play.

That's no moon... this week, we throw caution to the hot winds of Tatooine and discuss every in-trilogy Star Wars movie, leading up to "The Rise of Skywalker." To keep things not-10-hours-long, the Jedi Council has assigned Noah and Chance a special approach on this show: try to give one fresh(ish) observation on each installment, rate that womp rat, and move on. 8 movies, 16 takes, and 2 white guys talking about Star Wars. "I've got a bad-good feeling about this."

Noah and Chance look back through the spiritual trilogy of GOODFELLAS, CASINO and THE IRISHMAN for the groundbreaking style of Martin Scorsese, the sometimes goofy repetitions of that style, and the shadow history of America created by 10 hours of mafiosos, teamsters and their middlemen. Oh, and Chance's dad—a Vegas craps dealer circa 1978—stops by for a lightning round of questions about “Casino.” THE IRISHMAN is in select theaters now and on Netflix on Nov. 27.

With “Parasite” reaching levels of film geek ubiquity, Chance and Noah took this week to look at the buzzy import and the other essential films of its director, Bong Joon-ho. Notably, it’s also a major milestone for the Be Reel guys: they once swore to never discuss “Snowpiercer” on the podcast because of the unrest it caused their friendship upon its initial release in 2013. “The Host” (2006) rounds out this trio of genre pictures that are not anything what they seem. (**Please note: if you don't want Parasite spoilers, avoid minutes 15 through 36.)

Be Reel is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Start your journey at cca.edu/writingmfa.

Charlie Chaplin lampooning Hitler’s bombast and fragility in “The Great Dictator” (1940) marked one of comedy’s all-time “truth to power” moments. But 80 years after WWII, how best to laugh at fascists when they seldom don the brownshirt? With the release of Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit”—a would-be charming comedy about a Hitler youth whose imaginary friend is der Führer—we’re again asking ourselves why, how, and when skewered Nazis are funny. After reviewing “Jojo,” Chance and Noah duck back to “The Producers” (1967) and “Top Secret!” (1984) to examine how Nazis became a source of irony and camp in pop culture. As always—down with Hitler; all the way down.

As much as people say, "You're your own worst enemy!", it's never been truer than for the protagonists of "Gemini Man" (2019), "Fight Club" (1999) and "Us" (2019). Whether through movie-science cloning, mental illness or oppressive class structures (with a healthy dose of late capitalism in all three), this week, the Be Reel guys are looking at movies that pit protagonists against literal manifestations of themselves. Around the 28-minute mark, Noah and Chance are thrilled to be joined by Brad Pitt devotee and Letterboxd queen Mia Vicino to examine “Fight Club” on its 20th birthday and celebrate “The Year of Pitt.”

It’s a cold, dark place we find ourselves in the space adventure genre, where the themes owe themselves more to therapy couches than astronomy. Today's trio of the new Brad Pitt-starring "Ad Astra" (2019), the challenging and disturbing "High Life" (2019), and the ever-loving "Interstellar" (2014) shuttles the weight of children and fathers into deep space. And speaking of important relationships, Noah and Chance recorded this episode together in Brooklyn! C'mon, that's gotta be enough reasons to press play.

Be Reel is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Learn more at cca.edu/writingmfa.

Nobody tells you about the bonus round after the million-dollar question—the one where we ask, "Why have we obsessed for 70 years over the TV game show in all its inherent fakeness, exploitation, and only a lottery ticket's chance of actually paying the common person their money?" This week, BE REEL is buzzing in, to reappraise "Quiz Show" on its 25th anniversary, "Slumdog Millionaire" one decade after it took home the Oscars' highest honor, and "The Running Man" because it's a very silly movie that clearly set the stage for "American Gladiators." Press play; you might win something!

Be Reel is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Learn more at cca.edu/writingmfa.

Making a great impression on your loved one's parents is hard enough. But then imagine they want to hunt you ("Ready Or Not"), bust you for false crimes ("Meet The Parents") or poison you for seemingly no reason ("Monster In Law"). Then, you've got yourself a matrimonial Be Reel trio of comedic horrors and horrifying comedies. Better be an open bar, at least.

Be Reel is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Learn more today at cca.edu/writingmfa.