The Kick

Few would call Nicolas Cage a chameleonic actor, but his career is always shapeshifting like no other. On the occasion of Cage playing himself in "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," Chance is joined by fellow Portland film critic Ray Gill Jr. to review the new movie and then by returning champ Andy Crump to break down the last chapter of Cage's career as the icon embraces gravitas and grief in standouts like "Pig" and "Mandy."

Photo: KATALIN VERMES/LIONSGATE

Countless movies capture the exhilaration and horror of high school, but only a select few resurrect those qualities for high school reunions. On this episode, we reminisce on this delightful and harrowing subgenre, featuring “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” (1997), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Central Intelligence” (2016). There's one universal takeaway: even one night of reliving high school sends people off the deep end.

After a 2.5-year hiatus from watching movies in person, your trusty hosts recently took time away from getting sunburned in Miami to catch three new films. This month, we're talking THE OUTFIT, DEEP WATER, and X. But these three titles have something in common beyond their release weekend. After some Oscars jibber-jabber, we talk claustrophobic gangster pictures, Affleck erotic thrillers, chainsaw-less Texas massacres, and the violence of aging.

In the wake of "Death On The Nile," we peer through our spyglass at that classic sub-sub-genre Nautical Murder Mysteries. Along for the pleasure cruise is Mashable illustrator Bob Al-Greene, who's currently working on the first-ever graphic novelization of an Agatha Christie mystery. We talk Poirot, Branagh, and distracting CGI before diving into our other nautical murder mysteries: "Dead Calm" (1989) and "Murder Mystery" (2019). Did the skipper do it? Listen in.

While 2020 kept so many families painfully apart, three acclaimed indies from last year made the opposite case: "Why do I see these people again?" Playing a little 2021 catch-up, Chance and Noah drop by to visit "Spencer," "Shiva Baby," and "The Humans" to explore how families—be they English royalty or middle-class Americans—banter, bristle, covet nostalgia, push buttons, and flirt with genuine horror. But hey, just look at that spread.

To celebrate the 80th birthday of the eternal G.O.A.T., Chance dives deep into Muhammad Ali's cinematic legacy. Morgan Campbell of CBC Sports joins to discuss the unwavering supply of Ali documentaries and films, plus the necessity of preserving context around Ali's life and legacy as an activist athlete. Then, to finish, Chance runs down his three favorite Ali films. Happy birthday, champ.

To close the book on 2021 movies, Chance is joined by Conner Reed (Portland Monthly) to celebrate their favorite films and performances in the following categories: Oregon Feature, Documentary, Foreign Film, Blockbuster, Comedy, Horror, Acting Newcomer, Ensemble, Supporting Performance, Lead Performance, and Top 3 Movies of 2021. Happy new year, all!

One doesn’t simply walk into a “Lord of the Rings” episode—at least not without a 20-year anniversary and amateur Tolkien scholar Brent Rivers on one’s side. On today's blockbuster episode, our fellowship reflects on an all-time great film trilogy, assessing LOTR’s bizarre relationship to star power, how Peter Jackson adapted almost anti-modern novels, and how the trilogy’s approach to franchise filmmaking stands alone.

After many Thanksgivings spent recording supersized Be Reels, we finally do the sensible thing and just cover films about Turkey Day itself. The trio of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987), “Home For The Holidays” (1995) and “The Ice Storm” (1997) explores the great lengths to which families go to gather, despite cornucopias of evidence they shouldn’t. To all those surviving delayed flights and cooking for too many people this year, this one’s for you.

In the debut of a "Guest's Choice" format, Portland writer and film programmer Aaron Colter joins Chance to discuss a pair of '80s movies about New York vampires: "The Hunger" (1983) and "Vampire's Kiss" (1989). The former is Tony Scott's first movie (dark, entrancing, and with David Bowie), while the latter finds Nicolas Cage channeling Nosferatu to ends we still don't understand. Portlanders can see "The Hunger" at Clinton Street Theater on Thursday, Oct. 28 — https://cstpdx.com/schedule.