The Long Take Review

With new “state of the MCU” articles coming out every day, The Marvels enters a precarious discursive climate. And, unfortunately, Nia DaCosta’s superhero team-up space comedy now has the distinction of the lowest grossing opening weekend of any Marvel movie. How much does that reflect the quality of the film, though?

On this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg and I explain why we still had a great time with The Marvels, despite its flaws. We then try to diagnose the MCU’s much-discussed downturn, consider various reasons why The Marvels underperformed at the box office, and geek out about the future of the franchise. Stick around until the end for our takes on flerken biology.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: The actor’s strike has ended! We rejoice. 4:13

The Short Take: Our general impressions of The Marvels. (Spoiler-free.) 20:35

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see The Marvels? To what extent is this film for diehard fans vs. accessible to casual fans? Do you need to have seen Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, or WandaVision before watching The Marvels? (Spoiler-free.) 30:17

SPOILER MODE There’s a mid-credits scene, and we talk about it a lot. Then we go back to focusing on The Marvels. What made it enjoyable? What’s not working or holding it back? 39:27

The Rhetorical Situation: How much does current discourse about the MCU influence fans’ and critics’ reception of The Marvels? What lessons should Marvel take away from this film and what lessons might they (mistakenly) take away? 1:33:30

Image Credit: IGN

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Alexander Payne — the director behind Sideways, The Descendants, Election, Nebraska, and About Schmidt — has a new film out in theaters: The Holdovers. The title refers to a group of boarding school students stuck on campus for the holidays, along with their begrudging chaperone, a hard-nosed history teacher, played by Paul Giamatti. Hilarious and heartfelt shenanigans ensue. Comedian Da’vine Joy Randolph and new discovery Dominic Sessa accompany Giamatti in a trio of smart, funny, and authentic performances. As the runner-up for the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), this Christmas comedy drama already has a lot of Oscar buzz.

On this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I discuss how broad the appeal for this film might be, what we think Payne might be saying about elitism in education, our favorite comedic moments, and small ball vs. big ball bowling.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: The Studios present SAG-AFTRA with a “final” offer. The WGA pushes back their awards ceremony. Greg accidentally attends a cast and crew premiere of The Holdovers. 3:49

The Short Take: Our general impressions of The Holdovers. (Spoiler-free.) 13:04

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see The Holdovers? To what extent is this a “Christmas movie” vs. an awards movie? Plus, we name a slew of films that, if you like them, may indicate that this movie is for you. (Spoiler-free.) 29:59

SPOILER MODE Does The Holdovers really have any spoilers or big reveals, and what does that say about the kind of movie it is? 46:21

The Rhetorical Situation: What does this film have to say about education, race, class, and The Vietnam War? About ethos or character? And what connections can we draw to our own experiences in higher education? 1:31:31

Oscars Watch: Could all three performances garner Oscar nominations? Does this film have a path to Best Picture? 1:56:49

Image Credit: LA Times

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Did she do it? Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall pushes the boundaries of what a movie about a murder can do. This fresh take, executed with precision storytelling, won the biggest prize at the Cannes Film Festival this past May, launching it into the Oscars conversation. It is now out in theaters and will likely stream on Hulu after its theatrical run. In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Antonio, and I work through what we saw in the film, unpack its themes, and draw connections to the teaching of writing. We were lucky Antonio joined us for this one, as he is a lawyer who teaches legal writing.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Quick reviews of Netflix’s Fair Play and M3GAN. Our reaction to the American Fiction trailer and The Bikeriders delay. 4:00

The Short Take: Our general impressions of Anatomy of a Fall. (Spoiler-free.) 10:32

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see this film? To what extent does this film defy certain genre expectations? (Spoiler-free.) 17:25

The Rhetorical Situation: How does this film remind us of teaching rhetoric and argumentation? How should writers/filmmakers and readers/viewers approach complexity and ambiguity? Antonio treats us to “Legal Corner,” in which he compares the French and American legal systems. (Spoiler-free.) 28:29

SPOILER MODE Did she do it? We offer our theories about what really happened, discuss what this film has to say about truth, and contemplate the power of constructing narratives. 48:43

Oscars Watch Whose takes will be overruled in a court of Oscars? France did not select this film for its Oscar bid. Does that make it more or less likely to get nominations? In which categories could this film get nominated? 1:40:46

Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Legendary director and champion of cinema Martin Scorsese adapted David Grann’s 2017 non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, with some significant shifts that have sparked debate amongst a variety of film critics. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, who all give indelible performances. It is currently playing in theaters and will stream on Apple TV+ later this year. In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I enter the discourse about the representation of American history and indigenous peoples, offer our interpretations of the film’s ambiguities, and examine the ethos of our beloved Marty.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Strike updates and another devastating delay. 2:36

The Short Take: Our general impressions of Killers of the Flower Moon. (Spoiler-free.) 11:53

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see this film? What kind of history nerd will enjoy this? (Spoiler-free.) 18:41

SPOILER MODE P.T. and Greg help answer some of my questions about the plot and character motivations, we shout out our favorite performances, unpack the politics surrounding the film, and more. 29:56

The Rhetorical Situation: Martin Scorsese’s ethos. What do we gain from Scorsese being the one who tells this story? What are his limitations? What do we make of the ending of the film? 1:23:49

Oscars Watch Will this film repeat The Irishman’s Oscars performance, with a slew of nominations but no wins? How do we think Lily Gladstone’s decision to campaign in Lead rather than Supporting impacts her and the film’s chances? How does KotFM stack up against Oppenheimer? 1:47:16

Image Credit: LA Times

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Wes Anderson, the director behind The Grand Budapest Hotel and, more recently, Asteroid City, adapted four short stories by Roald Dahl for Netflix: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” “The Swan,” “The Rat Catcher,” and “Poison.” These films feature a troupe of famous faces, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Sir Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade. In this episode, Greg, P.T., and I unpack their meaning, consider them in the context of both Wes Anderson’s filmography and Roald Dahl’s biography, share our favorites, and contemplate the Netflix of it all.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: A strike setback and the Taylor Swift takeover. 3:50

The Short Take: Our general impressions of the set of four films (spoiler-free). 16:31

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see these shorts? What do they have to offer non-“Wessies”? 23:30

SPOILER MODE 31:04

Our Rankings: We count down from 4 to 1, working towards our favorites. Who will zig and who will zag with their picks? 1:06:32

The Rhetorical Situation: A discussion of Netflix, the streaming experience, medium as the method of transmission, and what message we might find in the mediums used by these short films. 1:45:41

Oscars Watch Will one of these get nominated in the short film category? Could that end Wes Anderson’s losing streak at the Oscars? Would we even want that? And how much research did P.T. do on the history of short films at the Oscars? 1:58:14

Image Credit: LA Times

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

P.T., Greg, and I love Star Wars as much as we love movies, so we’re dipping a toe into television waters with a review of the first season of Ahsoka, the new Star Wars series that recently concluded on Disney+. We discuss the extent to which Star Wars animation is a prerequisite, how the series moves forward in light of the tragic loss of actor Ray Stevenson, what this series tells us about the future of Star Wars, and much more.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Some Star Wars and TV news (how novel!). 2:50

SPOILER MODE 12:05

The Short Take: Our general impressions of the series to date. 16:58

What worked well? Our favorite aspects, characters, performances, moments, scenes, etc. 21:27

The Rhetorical Situation: How does a viewer’s values and how they define Star Wars impact their reception of this series? 1:02:48

Listener Questions: Let the wild speculation commence. 1:45:46

Thank you to friends of the show who submitted their questions on Instagram. @mrdaftprawn, @mrsthomaschen, The Wampa’s Lair Podcast, and The ColbyCast

Read Greg’s “Reclaiming “Not My Star Wars’” piece, which we reference several times in this episode, here.

Image Credit: Slash Film

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

This week, Gareth Edwards, the director behind Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, debuted his original science fiction epic, The Creator. P.T., Greg, and I break down what makes the film worth seeing — even dazzling in some respects — while also acknowledging the flaws in the story. The wide-ranging conversation includes AI, the Vietnam War, and a slew of other science fiction films. You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: A huge strike update, plus what else we’ve been watching this week. 1:50

The Short Take: Our general impressions of the film (spoiler-free). 16:58

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see this movie? What other science fiction films might be comparable? 29:30

SPOILER MODE 40:50

The Rhetorical Situation: How does current discourse on AI impact the reception of The Creator? How original is this film really? 1:23:55

Oscars Watch What kind of nominations could The Creator snag? 1:48:09

Image Credit: Variety

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Before we become engrossed in all the Oscar bait that awaits this fall, Greg, P.T. and I thought it would be fun to give a series of “awards” to movies we watched over the summer. Greg finds every opportunity to talk about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, P.T. tries to backdoor reviews of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and TMNT:Mutant Mayhem, and Jen just wants to give Rocket Raccoon a hug. This one has a lot of laughs, so come join us in celebrating a great summer at the movies.

Movies News Check-In 1:50

This Deserved Better 9:55

Most Disappointing 16:43

Franchise Killer 33:38

Franchise Starter 53:19

Favorite Joke 1:09:33

Perfectly Cast But Underrated Actor/Actress 1:14:17

Made Me Want to Go Home and Rethink My Life 1:23:22

Best Stunt/Action Set Piece 1:36:25

Future Cult Classic 1:44:08

Biggest Tearjerker 1:56:32

The episode of The Town that Jen references. In that episode, host Matt Belloni references Box Office Analyst Jeff Bock’s “rule of thumb” that if a movie makes at least $400 million, then there will likely be a sequel.

Image Credit: Deadline/Geek Tyrant/The New York Times/Vulture

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the writers and actors on strike. If listeners would like to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

P.T. and I are back to finish up our “way too early” Oscar predictions. Since we last recorded, a lot has happened — reviews from some of the fall film festivals have come in and a few Oscar hopefuls have been pushed to next year. Which films have emerged as early frontrunners? Which might be too weird to appeal to Oscar voters? Which have a better chance during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes (which we support)? And how are our picks from the 2023 movie hype draft doing? We’ve gotten really good at talking about movies we haven’t seen yet.

Editing 4:29

Cinematography 19:52

Original Screenplay 27:18

Adapted Screenplay 39:19

Supporting Actress 50:17

Supporting Actor 1:05:55

Actress 1:13:03

Actor 1:29:11

Director 1:40:18

Picture 1:52:00

Movie Hype Draft Assessment 2:00:32

Image Credit: Entertainment Weekly

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the writers and actors on strike. If listeners would like to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Is it still too early to make Oscar predictions? Yes. Will that stop P.T. and me from making them? Not a chance. After a rundown of what’s slated for all the major film festivals this year and a discussion of their role in the Oscar race, we speculate about nominations in 8 categories: animated feature, international feature, documentary feature, original score, original song, production design, makeup and hairstyling, and visual effects. We also get a little help from Greg Greg , who breaks some bad news.

Stay tuned for Part Two, in which we discuss the rest of the categories, including all the acting categories and Best Picture!

Movie News Check-In: Box office and strike updates. 2:57

Greg’s News: A very special cameo. 6:42

Fall Film Festival Season: What big film festivals are coming up? And what movies will premiere at them? 17:05

The Rhetorical Situation: What outside factors influence the Oscars race? 44:57

Our Premature, Pre-Festival Oscar Predictions (Part One) 1:00:31

Image Credit: Empire

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the writers and actors on strike. If listeners would like to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. Movie News Check-In music is “Meet Me On the Bridge” by Trio Leo. The Rhetorical Situation music is “Well of Knowledge” by Cercles Nouvelles. Spoiler Mode music is “Thinking of Luther” by The New Fools. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com