The Kick

By the year 1991, Wes Craven had already solidified his place in the Hollywood "master of horror" pantheon. But for his third act, the "Nightmare on Elm Street" creator began asking, "What's the point of all this slashing?" as he embarked on a series of socially critical and self-reflexive scary movies: "The People Under The Stairs" (1991), "New Nightmare" (1994) and "Scream" (1996). For your Halloween episode, we dive in.

Reflecting on Sept. 11, 2001 twenty years later, we watched three films depicting the post-9/11 psyche at its most charged and wounded. "25th Hour" (2002), "Worth" (2021) and "Reign Over Me" (2007) consider 9/11 from grieving standpoints, but they also tell on themselves, revealing how difficult meaningful reflection actually is, whether from swaggering New Yorkers, bereaved Adam Sandlers, or the lawyers overseeing the Victim Compensation Fund.

Our fraternity of microphones and movie opinions celebrates its 200th episode this month, so we're taking the opportunity to review films about brothers and their criminal gambits. From the thousand-car pileups of "The Blues Brothers" (1980) to the street-crime insanity of "Four Brothers" (2005) to the dapper cons of "The Brothers Bloom" (2008), we tip our caps to the unbreakable bonds and wild squabbles of brotherly love. Happy 200, all.

Before the DM or chatroom, if you wanted to connect with a stranger pseudo-anonymously, you bought a personal ad. This week, we seek three films with classified ads as inciting incidents: “Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985), “Single White Female (1992) and the now 20-year-old “Ghost World” (2001). Romance, murder and vicarious living abound, plus the story of Chance and Noah answering an ad.

It's not even August, and this summer has already smothered the country in multiple record-breaking heatwaves. As with any crisis, we look to the movies for wisdom, catharsis and lunacy. This week, it's three heatwave pictures: "The Seven Year Itch" (1957), "Do The Right Thing" (1989) and Weekend at Bernie's (1989).

In honor of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" turning 50, we’ve constructed a podcast category about bizarro adults and their puzzling worlds. After unpacking the general discomfort of watching candymen, goblin kings and world-builders covet innocent children for mysterious ends, we plunge into the alternate realities of “Willy Wonka” (1971), “Labyrinth” (1986) and “Tomorrowland” (2015).

So says every warden on today's podcast, Alcatraz was the most secure prison ever constructed. Film directors, of course, took that as a challenge and gave us movies about prisoners with dreams too big for the famous San Francisco jail. These famed inmates will try and escape one way or another. We watched "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), "Escape From Alcatraz" (1979) and "The Rock" (1996).

With theaters around the U.S. either open or on that path, we're exploring films that hinge on the theatrical experience, narratively speaking. From “The Last Action Hero” (1993) to “The Majestic” (2001) to “The Blob” (1958), today's episode pays tribute to how films depict movie houses for magical purposes, nostalgic ambiance and self-aware carnage. See you back at the theater soon. We'll be ones toasting ginger ales and Narragansetts.

With one more week until your hosts are fully back in action, please enjoy this episode from our Patreon archives on "The Pelican Brief." We talk John Grisham adaptations, hot Stanley Tucci, whispering Denzel, and much more. Also, if you'd like to join us for this Sunday's "Point Break" watch party, email [email protected] for the link. Cheers!

We're on a short break in May, so please enjoy a bonus episode from our Patreon! This one being a review of 1999’s “The Mummy” which we enjoyed at our March watch party. And if you haven’t checked out the BR Patreon yet, we’d love your support and to spend even more time talking at you about these damn movies: https://www.patreon.com/bereel