The Matineecast

Runtime
57 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:34 “What We’re Watching” with Courtney Small

12:14 The New Slang: JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

Thoughts From Your Host…

What’s that thing they say about “best-laid plans”?

This episode was supposed to be a little snack in-between courses. A podcasting amuse-bouche. A “nano-sode” as a clever man once called it. I thought we’d think about what we already said and just add on a few more “also too”s.

Silly me.

Instead, as I should have anticipated, when you get two podcasters together – two podcasters who have been friends for over ten years now – brevity is not in the cards.

So, note to self – when thinking about “a short episode” at this stage of the show, plan on it still clocking-in at close to an hour (and that’s with a healthy chunk edited out!).

That said – I’m happy to be dropping into your feed on an off-week like this to share this conversation. There’s a lot to talk about when you unspool a messy film that tells an intriguing tale about an important topic. Courtney brings the goods and navigates the talk through what the film does well, and where it falls short. At times, it’s a little hard to tell who’s hosting! (One of the beauties of bringing on other hosts)

So I hope you dig what you hear today. I would say more but the next episode is only one week away and I need to start to study-up!

Links Mentioned on Episode 255:

Matineecast 245 where Courtney and I discussed THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

Courtney’s 2018 Reel Asian Film Festival coverage of Cathy Yan’s DEAD PIGS

Changing Reels Podcast episode 68, where Courtney and I discussed Cathy Yan’s BIRDS OF PREY

Courtney’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Runtime
77 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:09 Know Your Enemy: Adrian Wilfred

19:50 The New Slang: NOMADLAND

1:00:31 The Other Side: Adrian and Ryan talk further reading after Chloé Zhao’s new film

Thoughts From Your Host…

Fun fact: Winter months around this space are usually some of the tougher months to endure. By and large, the winter releases are…well…”dodgy”.

I mean how many of you count yourselves big fans of our JUPITER ASCENDING episode? Nobody? How about THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX? Anyone? THE MONUMENTS MEN? Didn’t think so.

Don’t get me wrong – I always sit down to a film hoping to enjoy it on its merits, and I likewise always hope for a good conversation to come of it. But in the winter months, the pickings are slim. Usually.

This year, because of the extended Acadamy Awards qualifying window, the goalposts have shifted a great deal and I get to keep discussions about truly great films going through the winter and early spring months (good thing too, since last year I only got eleven full episodes published!).

It’s a weird feeling – watching the snow swirl outside the window and not feasting on cinematic scraps. I’m certainly enjoying the wider window of quality films to discuss…but already wonder what counter-effect this will bring come spring once Oscar season is officially over!

Oh well – I’ll worry about that when I get there. Meantime, I’ll bask in the afterglow of another fun conversation with a smart and friendly returning guest…and try to forget winters past and episodes dedicated to OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (shudders).

Links Mentioned on Episode 254:

The day after Adrian and I recorded this episode, he was shown in a video of reactions to the film. My dear guest is the first person you see in the clip below, in a black sweater over a white shirt:

NOMADLAND is now playing in theaters and on Hulu. https://t.co/BmGQzDO3V3 #NMDLND pic.twitter.com/AWdi4fOYHM

Our first Matineecast postcard from TIFF 2020, where Kurt Halfyard recounted the experience of seeing NOMADLAND at TIFF’s Ontario Place drive-in cinema.

The scene in Bertolucci’s THE SHELTERING SKY that denotes the difference between tourists and travelers:

Ludovico Einaudi’s beautiful score to NOMADLAND:

The factory machine scene in Charlie Chaplin’s MODERN TIMES:

Adrian’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening. 

Enjoy!

Runtime
87 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:22 Know Your Enemy: Ruby Dhillon

21:13 The New Slang: PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

49:12 Spoiler Section: Discussion of the end of PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

1:07:17 The Other Side: Ruby and Ryan talk further reading after Emerald Fennell’s new film

Thoughts From Your Host…

So how was your weekend?

Did you get to all those chores you wanted to do? Did you catch-up on sleep…maybe watch that buzzy movie that your whole feed has been talking about? Did you overindulge on wings and guacamole yesterday? Lose a bit of money betting against Brady?

The last few days for me have been a bit of a whirlwind.

On Thursday, I got a spot of bad news that wasn’t unexpected but was still quite unfortunate and hard-hitting. This pandemic keeps finding new ways to backhand people across the mouth.

From there, though, the days that followed gave me dose after dose of community, friendship, joy, and support. Oddly enough, it came during a stretch where I really didn’t get a chance to watch any films…but I did get to talk to some other film lovers and bask in their endless amounts of positive energy.

It’s amazing the lift these recorded conversations have given me – both my own show and other people’s. They allow me to forget about bad news for a few hours and feel like myself. Both with longtime acquaintances and brand new ones, it’s amazing what just a little bit of familiarity can do.

So as I take some antacids, and wonder why half of Twitter was disappointed by The Weeknd…allow me to thank these people, and everyone like them for those little doses of normalcy.

Links Mentioned on Episode 253:

The Starlight Drive-In in Stony Creek, ON

The trailer for PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN that sells it…differently:

Frances McDormand’s monologue from THREE BILLBOARDS about culpibility:

Ruby’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening. 

Enjoy!

Runtime
96 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:24 Know Your Enemy: Odie Henderson

25:07 The New Slang: ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

1:08:10 The Other Side: Odie and Ryan talk further reading after Regina King’s new film

Thoughts From Your Host…

This episode reminded me how much I still love this community I’m a part of.

It’s hard to tell sometimes because there are such unseemly tendencies and such uncivil behaviour. There’s the occasional meltdown on Twitter and certainly many people who act terrible towards others.

But the good people in this community will always be good people. They will always be the sort of people who will help with a project, or chat over beer, or talk-up something good they’ve just seen.

What’s more, the true members of the community are always about talking each-other up. They will remember clever things that others in the community said, and they’ll spread the love. I’ve seen it for more than ten years, and I continue to see it now.

Any community can feel off sometimes because of human nature and the tensions they create…but the positive energy of a good community? The cheerleading and the re-enforcement? That’s the heart of it all.

There’s a feeling of community in this episode. My thanks to my guest for lighting the spark, and my thanks to you for tending the flame.

Special Note: As mentioned in this episode’s introduction, The Matineecast has a few new podcasting platforms it calls home. So if you wish, look for this podcast on CastBox, PodChaser, and TuneIn. If there are any podcast apps/platforms that you use that I can likewise add the show to, please let me know!

Links Mentioned on Episode 252:

Odie mentioned a lot of links on this episode, so get comfy folks!

My Blindspot post discussing SHAFT, where Odie and I first emailed

Matineecast 247 discussing AMERICAN UTOPIA

Odie and Keith Ulrich discuss MARRIED TO THE MOB

Siskel & Ebert’s review of STOP MAKING SENSE:

Nick Allen’s piece on Vulture about what did and didn’t happen in ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

Odie’s essay on Regina King on Big Media Vandalism

Odie’s review of ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI for rogerebert.com

Roger Ebert’s review of Spike Lee’s SCHOOL DAZE

Odie’s review of FENCES for rogerebert.com

Slate Movie Club discusses Christopher Nolan’s TENET

Coolidge Corner, where Odie will soon be doing a virtual seminar on SHAFT

Odie’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening. 

Enjoy!

Runtime
87 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

2:25 Know Your Enemy: Britany A. Murphy

23:13 The New Slang: WONDER WOMAN 1984

1:08:50 The Other Side: Britany and Ryan talk further reading after Patty Jenkins’ new film

Thoughts From Your Host…

It’s strange to say this in the midst of times that are still so chaotic…but this episode felt like a bit of a return to normal.

No, really. Once upon a time I would do things like this: I’d learn about someone who shared similar passions on social media. I’d follow their feeds and follow their work, and then eventually I’d reach out and see if they wanted to work together, drink together, or drink together then work together.

It’s been good to me – many of the people becoming other wonderful voices to discuss not just cinema, but life itself. A small handful have even become very close to me and people I’d trust with my life (Not you, Turnbull).

Jokes aside, I’m both very grateful that Britany accepted my invitation and that she’s now a new voice in my ear. She’s very smart and a lot of fun (not to mention local), and like I say – the way we met and started working together suggests that there is still life in this filmloving community yet!

A “return to normal” is a curious desire, because for many “normal” wasn’t all that great in the first place. Even for me now, the virus could disappear tomorrow, and life might never feel “normal” again. However, connections like these, communities like these, friendships like these…they keep me going, keep me creating, and keep me learning.

Here’s to a few more episodes and experiences like this in the weeks and months ahead!

Links Mentioned on Episode 251:

Britany’s review of WONDER WOMAN 1984

Patti Jenkins discusses the original ending for WONDER WOMAN and how WB forced the VFX-heavy smackdown we saw.

Roxana Hadadi’s piece for Pajiba examining the issue of male consent in WW84 and Shonda Rhimes’ “Bridgerton”

Wonder Woman’s theme music, first played in BATMAN v SUPERMAN:

John Murphy’s “Surface of The Sun” from Danny Boyle’s SUNSHINE – used in WW84 as Diana’s first flight theme:

Serge Ibaka rocks a scarf:

Britany’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening. 

Enjoy!

Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

1. Introduction with Andrew Robinson of The Unnamed Movie Podcast
2. “You’re Missing” – Delayed 2020 Films We Miss the Most ( 7:52 )
3. “Wicked as It Seems” – aka “This Was a Film” ( 20:13 )
4. “Sing for The Moment” – 2020 Encapsulated in a Single Film ( 38:47 )
5. “Diamond Dogs” – Andrew and Ryan name their top films of 2020 ( 51:44 ) 6. Andrew and Ryan name their number one films of the year ( 1:26:08 )

The Songs:

Thoughts from your host…

So that was 2020…

We went Onward with Soul…we trekked into the jungle 5 Bloods…we reveled in the presence of Jordan and Hamilton…we listened to the sound of metal and looked for the invisible man…Harley kicked ass and Diana flew through the clouds…we met Shirley and Mank…we spent a day in Palm Springs…again…and again…and again…

If you’ve been around these parts a while, you probably have a feel for what the year-end show goes, format-wise. This year felt like it required something different. I mean, I could have just gathered four people on to a zoom call and done a virtual top five…but that didn’t feel like it would befit the surreal nature of the year we are closing the book on.

So instead, something different – something that is hopefully a one-shot deal, but may return next year depending on how life goes.

That’s really all we can hope for right this moment: That things will begin to improve. It will probably take a while – longer than any of us really want to admit, but just like the days beginning to get longer…our lives are about to slowly start to get better.

Meanwhile, I have to admit that having friends like the one I tapped for today’s episode makes my life pretty good. He’s always been there when I’ve needed him…including at some rather inopportune moments!

I’m blessed to have such friends and blessed to have listeners like you – whoever you are reading this.

So pour yourself a glass of a grown-up beverage, and settle in for a long episode. 2021 is just hours away, and we’re here to bring it in with style.

As mentioned in the intro, if you’re curious about the songs used as bed music, the track list can be found above in the show notes.

Also as mentioned within the intro, if you find the bed music distracting, a music-free version of this episode can be found here.

Links from The Show:

My early explorations into horror where I first encountered the 1990’s version of CANDYMAN

Andrew’s Twitter feed can be found here.You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

The music-free version of the year-end episode. For full show notes including leaving/reading comments, please go to the main post for the episode.

Here’s what’s in store in episode two-hundred-fifty…

Runtime
1 hour 48 minutes

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction with Andrew Robinson of The Unnamed Movie Podcast
2. “You’re Missing” – Delayed 2020 Films We Miss the Most ( 7:52 )
3. “Wicked as It Seems” – aka “This Was a Film” ( 20:13 )
4. “Sing for The Moment” – 2020 Encapsulated in a Single Film ( 38:47 )
5. “Diamond Dogs” – Andrew and Ryan name their top films of 2020 ( 51:44 ) 6. Andrew and Ryan name their number one films of the year ( 1:26:08 )

Runtime
93 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:07 Know Your Enemy: Brian J. Roan

22:24 The New Slang: MANK

1:11:14 The Other Side: Brian and Ryan talk further reading after David Fincher’s new film

Thoughts From Your Host…

This is the last full episode of the year for The Matineecast. We still have the year-end show to come in a little over two weeks, but this is the last time we have a typical three-act show in 2020.

I’ve been able to keep the show going all autumn long – and when I factor-in The Winchester Chronicles, I’ve been able to keep the podcast episodes coming every other week for all of this catastrophe of a year.

So many other things have been a complete crapshoot: work, personal relationships, physical and mental well-being. Seems like every week it’s something new, and very seldom was it “new and good”.

But podcasting?

Somehow…I podcasted. Every other week, on-schedule, new movies and old movies. New friends and old friends.

Every single episode has felt like a victory. Every new alert in my feed another mile I pushed into No Man’s Land. It was another moment where someone came through for me to talk about something inspiring, engaging, and enlightening. It was another moment where I was able to concentrate long enough to map it out, capture it, edit it, and publish it. Considering that this year there have been days where I couldn’t even concentrate on twenty pages of a book (and don’t even get me started on trying to write)…having that much focus is akin to skiing a black diamond run.

I wasn’t sure I could pull it off – neither the summer stop-gap, nor the resumption of the classic Matineecast format in the autumn. Somehow I did. The hits kept coming, the wins piled-up.

So here I sit, at the end of the end of the world somehow feeling the ’27 Yankees.

I’m really not sure what 2021 will hold for this podcast, but I do know that I have it in me to keep pushing it forward. If I start to doubt that, I can just look backward at the ground I’ve already covered!

Thanks for coming along – for 249 episodes, and especially the last ten.

Have a wonderful holiday season, and we’ll talk to you again just before the ball drops for ’21.

Links Mentioned on Episode 249:

The Film Stage episode 410, where Brian & Co. review MANK

Matineecast 152 where Kurt Halfyard & I review The Coen Brothers’ HAIL, CAESAR!

Brian’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening. 

Runtime
92 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

2:51 Know Your Enemy: Ariel Fisher

20:47 The New Slang: HAPPIEST SEASON

1:13:33 The Other Side: Ariel and Ryan talk further reading after Clea DuVall’s new film

Thoughts From Your Host…

I’ve never been a big fan of November.

This is the time of year where mother nature kicks autumn out the bloody door. All of those colours, that warmth, those pumpkin-spiced feelings of harvest?

Gone. Finished. Yesterday’s latte.

Instead, what we are given is thirty days of grey to walk muddy trails and endure shortened days. Straight out of the box – November sucks.

Personally, November has often brought bad news. I don’t know why or how, but over and over I somehow find myself holding the shitty end of the lollipop every single November. This year was no different. Buy me a beer sometime (when we can safely do so) and I’ll get into gory details.

And yet…I always survive.

No matter what November brings, December 1st always arrives, and with it all of the twinkle and joy that December always brings. Mornings become a little easier voices start to call out of the darkness, and I am reminded (to paraphrase the old saying) that November too shall pass.

I mention all of this because I bet you too have your own November. You too have a day, or a month, or even a whole year of your life that you silently dread. Perhaps it’s life in-general right now considering the state of things. A whole year of Novembers that doesn’t seem to be ending soon enough.

My reality is that November always ends. For you too, whatever the gloomy stretch is – I promise it will end. My guest today is actually someone who has seen me through some lousy Novembers, so my hope is that you have someone like her.

Our own Novembers might feel like a lifetime…but we muddle though them eventually.

Thanks for listening – to this show, and to these thoughts. You too have helped me through one more November.

Links Mentioned on Episode 248:

Ariel’s favourite good scene in a bad movie:

Robin Williams’ monologue in GOOD WILL HUNTING:

Roxanne Gay’s Twitter as she watched HAPPIEST SEASON:

This movie… never explains why Abby should give one good goddamn about Harper. Give 5 minutes to back story and cut down on the endless family scenes.— roxane gay (@rgay) November 27, 2020

Ariel’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening. 

Runtime
71 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

1:46 Know Your Enemy: Keisha Howerth

21:13 The New Slang: DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA

52:05 The Other Side: Keisha and Ryan talk further reading after Spike Lee’s new film

Thoughts From Your Host…

This episode comes with a jovial wrapping. My guest and I aren’t giddy per se, but it will be clear to anyone who listens that we were so excited to be meeting for the first time at the beginning of a new era for America.

It’s strange to feel so jovial. The world is still a huge ball of stress. Pandemic cases are climbing rapidly, people aren’t helping themselves or helping others, and that new era in America seems stuck in dry-dock because the previous captain won’t hand over the keys to the boat.

And yet, jovial it is…perhaps because things are so dark that we can begin to see flickers of light. Maybe…possibly…

We’re just seven weeks from the end of this terrible year, folks. It will be trying, it will come with stresses we wanted to be done with, but we can get through them.

Listen to the optimism and hope contained within this episode…and carry it forward for seven more weeks.

Links Mentioned on Episode 247:

Poster for THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK:

Poster for Howard Hughes’ THE OUTLAW:

Trailer for The Ross Brothers’ new documentary about a Las Vegas bar closing down, BLOODY NOSE, EMPTY POCKETS:

CONTEMPORARY COLOR – also starring David Byrne, and also directed by The Ross Brothers – can be found on The Criterion Channel.

Keisha’s Twitter feed can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank you very much for listening.