The Matineecast

Runtime

88 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

4:01 Know Your Enemy with Guest – Hillary Butler

25:26 The New Slang: WICKED

69:45 The Other Side: Hillary and Ryan talk further reading after Jon M. Chu’s film

Thoughts from your host…

As we introduce today’s podcast, my guest and I mention our individual moves from Twitter over to Bluesky:

Hillary’s feed is here – my feed is here.

As the Twitter exodus gained traction, I turned to a dear friend of the show expressing thoughts, concerns, theories, and more. I wondered aloud if we were ever going to get back what we once had, or if that sort of mass instant communication was gone forever.

The dear friend answered my question with a question: Whatever the form of social media communication is – do you need to be on it?

He isn’t asking whether i need to claim my account, stake my username, etc. He’s asking regardless if the community is in one place or scattered across several…is my time better served doing something else than having conversations 300 characters at a time.

Fair question.

Eight or nine years ago, I resolved to start keeping my phone in my pocket a little longer – it turned into me reading more books in one year than I ever had in my life, and was the start of a whole new habit.

I still believe in sharing thoughts, points of view, experiences, and more. I believe that the democratization of publishing is a net positive. However, so much of these short bursts of content add up in ways we don’t truly track (Even though our devices can even do that for us these days).

Case in point; My personal pet peeve is a person saying “I wish I had time to read”. Don’t get me wrong, some people who say this are very busy…but more often than not, these same people will lose hours scrolling, commenting, betting, downvoting, and more.

Is that time better served?

My hope in the move over to the place with bluer skies is that I can spark a few smiles, create a positive space, and share interests. That sort of feed won’t go viral or set the world on fire, but so be it.

To answer my friend’s question, I don’t need to be on it; none of us do.

Links Mentioned on Episode 337:

Matineecast 315 with Hillary’s full Know Your Enemy History

Matineecast 280 where we discuss CYRANO

Penn Jilette discusses magic in the movies for Vanity Fair

Ariana Grande’s MEAN GIRLS-inspired music video for “thank u, next”

Hillary’s BlueSky can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome and thank you very much for listening. 

Enjoy!

Runtime

83 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

4:13 Know Your Enemy with guest Andrew Robinson

23:51 The New Slang: WE LIVE IN TIME

63:10 The Other Side: Andrew and Ryan talk further reading after John Crowley’s new film

Thoughts from your host…

As I sit and write this, my neighbour across the street is putting up their Christmas tree.

I would like to shake my head and say that they are rushing the season, that it’s “too early”…but in reality, Chistmas is just 37 days away! American Thanksgiving is next week, and all-in-all there are a paltry 43 days left in the year.

Where does the time go?

Maybe it’s fitting that I have time on the brain this week considering the film we are here to talk about. It’s a story that is fixated on time, its passage, and trying to make the most of that time we are afforded. It wants us to consider the time as our own and as it pertains to those we care about.

The next few episodes are going to bring on people i care about a lot. These are people I can’t believe I’ve known as long as I have – the same way I can’t believe that Christimas tree is going up.

And yet I have – and yet it is.

Funny the way that goes, ain’t it?

Links Mentioned on Episode 336:

Matineecast 284 with Andrew’s full Know Your Enemy history

Kevin Smith breaks down his films – skip to 27:16 for his thoughts on “Chasing Amy”:

“What’s a Nubian?”:

Brodie and Alyssa compare “battle scars”:

“Do you know what a plethora is?”

Wrapping up TIFF 2024 with Hillary Butler – WE LIVE IN TIME features in the conversation

Florence Pugh makes cocktails and a cheese board:

Our pandemic episode of The Winchester Chronicles where we discuss CERIFIED COPY

Andrew’s Letterboxd can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome and thank you very much for listening. 

Enjoy!

Runtime

72 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:16 Know Your Enemy with guest Keisha Howerth

21:24 The New Slang: ANORA

55:55 The Other Side: Keisha and Ryan talk further reading after Sean Baker’s new film

Thoughts from your host…

For once, we let the reception of a film affect our opinion of a film. I wasn’t sure if we should “go there”, but I did have it in my notes…so when Keisha “went there”, I took it as a sign.

We won’t be making a habit of it.

Elsewhere, these words are being written 48 hours before one of the most historic elections for an American president ever. It’s surreal to think that in less than three days – no matter what happens – I will look back on this feeling and either nod gently at my worry, or not realize how good I had it.

Here’s hoping.

Links Mentioned on Episode 335:

Saoirse Ronan speaketh the truth on Graham Norton:

A clip of Saoirse Ronan on the Graham Norton Show with Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal & Eddie Redmayne is going viral. pic.twitter.com/3AGzCLDn88

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

92 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:58 Know Your Enemy with guest Corey Atad

23:58 The New Slang: THE WILD ROBOT

75:15 The Other Side: Corey and Ryan talk further reading after Chris Sanders’ new film

Thoughts from your host…

A funny thing happened on the way to three-thirty-four.

Just the other day, I was talking to a new listener about my approach to the show and the conversations captured. I mentioned that my hope is to have conversations that endure; discussion less about this scene, that effect, those lines and more about themes, experiences, feelings and the like. The idea is that by talking less about the nuts and bolts of cinema and more about ideas, I can offer listeners something that lasts longer than the few weeks a film is in cinemas.

That very night, I sat down to record this episode…and I’m hard-pressed to think of an episode where we talk less about the film at hand.

Instead, my guest and I spend a lot of the time during the review section talking about the state of animation overall and the legacy of Dreamworks Animation in particular. Know what? I enjoy the change of pace!

We still get into thoughts and impressions from the film, using it as a springboard for a conversation on animation overall is something I was happy to capture this time out. Reflecting on both the medium itself and where this particular company is at in its trajectory is something I am really happy Corey brought to the table this weekend. It allows this show – for once – to expand beyond a single title or genre, and more into where animation is as an artform at this stage of its life.

An unexpected conversation … but one I am really happy we recorded.

Thanks Corey

Links Mentioned on Episode 334:

Corey’s full Know Your History answers are on The Fabelmans episode

Corey’s essay on why he cannot stop watching TENET

The Col Blimp monologue “And this, sir, is the truth” :

The finale of TIN CUP – note, this scene goes on for at least ten minutes before we get to this point:

“The Dreamworks Face: :

The McMichael Gallery where Corey spent an afternoon surrounded by painterly landscapes

Matineecast 124 where we discuss BIG HERO 6

Fleischer Studios’ SUPERMAN & THE MECHANICAL MONSTERS:

Corey’s Substack – Corey Atad XYZ

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

79 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:16 Know Your Enemy with guest Carolyn Mauricette

19:06 The New Slang: THE SUBSTANCE

63:43 The Other Side: Carolyn and Ryan talk further reading after Coralie Fargeat’s new film

Thoughts from your host…

Hello again – Welcome to a new season of cinema and shenanigans!

It feels like so much has happened in the world since we went on break in August, but I won’t recap that now. I will say that I hope all of y’all are keeping safe during these interesting times we are living in.

As for me, I took a moment in the middle of TIFF ahead of the only Midnight Madness film I saw…and I actually mapped-out the entire autumn schedule for the show! Potential films…potential guests…the whole nine yards!

As we start our sixteenth season of the show, I’m way ahead in my planning for the first time in a long time – and it is going to be a fun few months before we close the book on ’24.

When time came to choose a film to come back with, I just knew we’d be starting with this one. And when I knew we were going to start here, I knew precisely who I wanted to have on. There are so many threads in this film to pull on, and even after an hour, I feel like we’re still untangling the knot of former tapestry.

So pour a glass, have a seat, grab a thread and start pulling. Just remember – we are one, and we must respect the schedule

Links Mentioned on Episode 333:

Blood in The Snow Film Festival

The “I am you Mother” scene from HEREDITARY:

Coralie Forgeat’s interview with Letterboxd

Carolyn’s CARRIE postcard

Both my written review and our podcast episode about THE NEON DEMON

Carolyn’s Instagram can be found here. Comments and feedback are welcome and thank you very much for listening. 

Enjoy!

As the sun rises on the seventh day of these moviegoing shenanigans, we pause for a moment to take a breath.

As we do, we must admit things seem…so much more normal than they have been so far this whole decade for this festival. One might be forgiven if they suggested things were “back to before”. That might be true, but it is also not in a lot of ways.

Don’t worry, we touch on that.

Before that though, we invite you to my very favourite part of any film festival – sitting together for a few minutes, ordering a drink or two, and catching up on what we’ve seen.

Take a listen to everything that we talked about after the wine was poured, but before the mac & cheese arrived.

All of Hillary’s TIFF writing can be found at Live For Film

Info on all films – including tickets for screenings can be found at TIFF’s website.

Hillary’s Twitter feed can be found here

You can subscribe to the Matineecast via Apple, Spotify, or RSS

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

94 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

2:08 Know Your Enemy with guest Britany Murphy

28:23 The New Slang: SING SING

62:51 The Other Side: Britany and Ryan talk further reading after Greg Kwedar’s new film

Thoughts from your host…

During the intro of this week’s episode, I talk about the way that time flies. Specifically, I mention that it’s been two whole years since my guest and I did a podcast together…but as I sit here and look at the calendar, I realize that time has flown in a whole other way.

You see, next week, it will mark seventeen years since I started this little space. Back then it was more about writing than recording, but still – I sat, I wrote, I published…no one read. (Some things never change)

But my thoughts were put out into the world…and nothing was the same.

I have met some of the most wonderful people since I first tapped “publish” – people who have shaped me in all sorts of ways and who I wouldn’t be the same without.

Some people I only know from a distance, others who I don’t know as well as I used to…but all have had an impact, and they all came into my life over this stretch of seventeen years that has passed in a blink.

Is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? Hard to say, honestly – but I believe it’s worth noting. Time is a funny thing – we always feel like we have lots of it, or that not that much has passed.

We’re wrong, in both cases. I think I heard that somewhere once…”Ryan is Wrong”.

Thanks for spending some time with me…whether it was a little or a lot; just yesterday or seventeen years back.

I’ve cherished every scond.

Links Mentioned on Episode 332:

Britany’s Know Your Enemy History – Matineecast 292

Matineecast 331 (the second most recent episode!) where we also talked about GRAVITY.

Dre and Pops break down what qualifies as “Black film”

Britany speaking with Colman Domingo and Corey Hawkins and blowing Corey’s mind:

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

78 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:02 Know Your Enemy with guest Andrew James

22:49 The New Slang: TWISTERS

62:20 The Other Side: Andrew and Ryan talk further reading after Lee Isaac Chung’s new film

Thoughts from your host…

Given that we are talking about a big pop blockbuster, I describe this episode as “a cookout”. Well, as fate would happen, Saturday night I actually found myself at a cookout.

Turns out, it was a pretty good metaphor!

There were good conversations had, lots of delicious morsels, jokes that weren’t all that funny but made us laugh pretty hard anyway.

It was a good time catching up with old friends…just like this film and this episode.

Maybe this is what summer is for?

Grab a drink and fix a plate – it’s time for a cookout.

Links Mentioned on Episode 331:

A summary of Andrew’s previous “Know Your Enemy” questions can be heard on Matineecast 279

The Judge’s Game scene from ROUNDERS:

The old “Doctor Joke” in the background of MONSTERS INC (bottom of the big video board) :

Episode 290 where we talked about NOPE

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

78 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:18 Know Your Enemy with guest Robyn Bahr

28:29 The New Slang: THELMA

61:19 The Other Side: Robyn and Ryan talk further reading after Josh Margolin’s new film

Thoughts from your host…

I always get a little giddy when I’m able to bring on a new guest.

Perhaps it’s because I get to ask the classic set of questions…or perhaps it’s some combination “new relationship energy” and “the pink mist”. Is that a thing? Podcasters, do you get this feeling too?

More than anything, it feels like an extension of a little goal I’ve set myself over the last year – to try to arrange more get-together and be more social. It’s actually been reasonably successful, so I might try to extend the goal to the podcast.

After all, if it means I have as much fun as I had today with Robyn, then why wouldn’t I??

Here’s to The Pink Mist!

Links Mentioned on Episode 330:

Matineecast 300 where we discussed MY GIRL

Matineecast 307 where we discussed YOU HURT MY FEELINGS

Matineecast 305 where we discussed BEAU IS AFRAID (This makes two episodes in a row I’m linking back to this episode)

Matineecast 101 where we discussed Nebraska

The Film Stage Podcast where Robyn co-hosts

Robyn’s Tribecca review of SABBATH QUEEN

Oh, and did you think we forgot about young June Squibb? Heaven forbid –

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

72 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction with guest Jim Laczkowski

3:35 The New Slang: KINDS OF KINDNESS

56:38 The Other Side: Jim and Ryan talk further reading after Yorgos Lanthimos’ new film

Thoughts from your host…

Today’s guest and I have recorded a lot of episodes over the years.

We have talked about cerebral films, absurdist films, and animated films (twice!). Our conversations have taken us all over the cinematic map and I, for one, have been proud of all the podcasting postcards we have sent home.

Perhaps what makes me most proud is that even when the films we choose don’t land for us, we always find our way to an interesting discussion over why. Jim has never been the sort of critic who will write off a film with a simple little “It sucks” – he’s much more interested in taking the pieces apart, finding the faulty spring or cog, and even going so far as to pose a hypothesis on why the maker put the part(s) in place.

That’s one of the many things I like about the lad – his interest in thoughtful conversation, be it praise or poisonous. It’s growing increasingly rare in an age not just of thumbs, stars, rotten and fresh…but also of fandom, allegiance, tribalism, and artistic devotion.

Writers like Jim are growing more important in a world that is growing more and more binary. He has the ability to say that something fails “even though”, or succeeds “despite”…and these are very important qualities not just in the world of criticism, but in the world full stop.

What I bring you today is a conversation where my guest and I talk about a film we don’t think works, but we do that by way of a conversation that works incredibly well in large part to the passion and perspective of my wise friend.

Links Mentioned on Episode 329:

The Director’s Club Podcast where the boys discuss 1994 in Music

Matineecast 305 where Jim and I discussed BEAU IS AFRAID

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

Enjoy!