The Matineecast

Runtime

108 minutes

Up for Discussion

Thoughts from your host…

Have you ever been in a location that hosts an epic event, but you wander through it just before or just after the event happens? There’s an eerie quiet…the space is adorned with celebratory embelishments. Maybe it’s still spotless, or maybe there is litter and empty cups everywhere to be found.

That’s what it feels like to sit here and write the greeting that goes with this post on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday. On one hand, a major cultural event hasn’t happened (as I write)…on the other, the major event is over (as you read).

Maybe something memorable happened – maybe it was just another game. Who knows!? It’s Schrodinger’s Super Bowl right this moment. The festivities both haven’t begun and are long over.

As I mentioned in the intro to this episode, The Oscars are going to be a bit like that for me as well this year thanks to a concert I will be seeing night-of. I wager that it seems like a minor dereliction of duty to be away from my screen on Oscar night…but I’m okay with it. I long ago gave up reacting to moments in real time, and with modern technology and a bit of a late night, I’ll be able to be up on the conversation before I go to bed.

Like tonight’s major sporting event, The Oscars will have happened and be happening for me all at once.

It is – and will be – a surreal feeling…and surrealism is always worth feeling.

One thing I do know for sure and one feeling that is not surreal, is that I’m really lucky to still be able to call Marya my friend and that she’s always so kind when I reach out. There’s a lot of people I met the same time as her that I don’t hear from much anymore…I’m really fortunate that she still takes the time and makes the effort for lil’ ol’ me.

Links from the show:

First and foremost, Marya’s Substack “Cool People Have Feelings Too”. Subscribe, and give some serious thought to a paid subscription.

Matineecast 303 where we discuss Justine Triet’s SIBYL during “The Other Side”

Matineecast 266 where Marya and I review ZOLA, featuring Best Actor nominee Colman Domingo

A YouTube feature on The Great Migration created in association with MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM. Marya produced the feature, and Colman Domingo narrates:

Paul Giamatti at In-N-Out burger after his Golden Globes victory for Best Actor:

Marya’s feature on director Erige Sehiri and her new feature UNDER THE FIG TREE

Thanks for tuning into episode three-hundred-twenty-one.

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

81 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

4:03 Know Your Enemy with Guest – Jolie Featherstone

31:34 The New Slang: ALL OF US STRANGERS

77:58 The Other Side: Jolie and Ryan talk further reading after Andrew Haigh’s film

Thoughts from your host…

You would think after so many years of hosting this podcast, I would become accustomed to the way one years movies spill over into the next years shows. It’s the way it goes – the way it has always gone.

Whether we podcasted about C’MON C’MON, ZERO DARK THIRTY, A SINGLE MAN, PHANTOM THREAD, INHERENT VICE, or others – every year begins by keeping one foot planted in the last.

In some ways, I’m happy to do it since it keeps the circus in town just a little while longer. The clock doesn’t have to strike midnight, last call doesn’t have to arrive…we don’t have to go home and we can stay here.

In other ways, it can be hard to start eating right with a pantry full of Christmas candy.

No, I’m not used to it, and I may never be…but I always make the best of it.

Making the best of it is pretty easy when I have guests like Jolie to call on. Her perspective on films like these end of year holdovers is always so enthusiastic and insightful. She shows up to talk about the smallest titles like we are about to discuss the next great Best Picture Winner. I’m a lucky host to call such a guest my friend.

It’s also pretty easy when the cluster of films that arrives at this time of year are as great as they always are. Why wouldn’t we want to keep going back?

So here we are, almost into February and no remote interest in discussing a 2024 film yet. It’s admittedly strange, but a tradition that I don’t see going away any time soon. Remind me I said that in 2025

Links Mentioned on Episode 320:

Jolie’s favourite good scene in a bad movie:

“What is Death but a door…?” scene in CLOUD ATLAS

Matineecast 182 where Jolie drops by to discuss A GHOST STORY

Jolie’s review of THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE

Jolie’s review of ROADKILL

Jolie’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

4:03 Know Your Enemy with Guest – Brian J Roan

31:34 The New Slang: THE IRON CLAW

77:58 The Other Side: Brian and Ryan talk further reading after Sean Durkin’s film

Thoughts from your host…

The thing about bringing on different guests every episode is that I’m never sure what I will have in-store for you lovely listeners.

Take this episode, for-instance.

I had a rough roadmap sketched-out of where I thought I wanted to take the conversation with talking points and questions and the like…but then, my lovely guest took the wheel and took us in a whole other much more interesting direction.

I’m grateful for such moments, and also for such friends.

Links Mentioned on Episode 319:

Brian’s essay on Terrance Malick’s A HIDDEN LIFE

Matineecast 224 – Where Andrew Robinson and Ryan discuss RAGING BULL

Inkwell Whiskey – Brian’s distillery

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

Enjoy

Runtime
121 minutes

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction with Hillary Butler, Jolie Featherstone and Bob Turnbull
2, THE FIVES (3:20)
3. THE FOURS (19:20)
4. THE THREES (35:18)
5. THE TWOS (51:11)
6. THE ONES (1:14:10)
7. “JURY PRIZES” (1:52:29)

Thoughts from your host…

This time last year I said that I hoped the year ahead brings me back into the shared space of more friends like Hillary, Jolie, and Bob.

Check, check, and check.

I am still finding my way back to some of those spaces and those friends – the circles were broken pretty badly during the height of the crisis. The roads back are opening back up though, slowly but surely.

Interestingly for me, this was a year where I watched less overall.! My first-time-watches were about the same that they were last year, but the rewatches were way down. Find yourself going to more than 30 concerts in a calendar year, and you’ll notice that the screentime drops.

That said, when I find my way back into the world of cinema, I’m still enlightened, inspired, and entertained. That may seem a little obvious, but as time gos on, it often happens that we lose a sense of joy from what once was our passion. Happily, that’s not the case with me – I still feel that rush when the lights dim and the screen glows…even if it’s a bit less often than in the past.

In that spirit of optimism and gratitude, we close the file on another year.

It was a year of deep disruption – but much-needed disruption for the well-being of hardworking writers and actors. It was a year of poor things and past lives; a year of holdovers, bottoms, and passages.

’23 reunited us with Coppola, Gerwig, Nolan, and Scorsese; we found our way back to Indy, Ethan, The Turtles, and The Guardians,

The bitter pill to swallow is that all of that labour unrest may have us looking back next year and feeling the effects (and, to be clear – worth it). If that’s so, we’ll consider 23 the sweet that came before the bitter. Then again, I could be wrong – it’s happened before.

Here’s to 2024 and all of the possibility it brings to all of us. To all of the adventures, concerts, books, cocktails, movies, and memories it will bring

Links from The Show:

Hillary Butler’s Girls on Tops tee featuring Greta Gerwig (Note: That’s not Hillary in the photo) :

Also – the term that Greta used to describe her team’s approach to BARBIE is “Genuine artificiality”, not “Genuine artifice” as I used during the show.

My TIFF 2023 Matineecast postcard with Jolie

Matineecast 261 on TOGETHER TOGETHER

Matineecast 303 on THE FIVE DEVILS

Matineecast 307 on YOU HURT MY FEELINGS

Matineecast 310 on THEATER CAMP

Matineecast 313 on KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Matineecast 316 on THE HOLDOVERS

Jolie’s Twitter feed can be found here. Hillary’s Twitter feed can be found here. Bob’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 and all the best for the new year!

Enjoy!

Runtime

91 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:50 Know Your Enemy with Guest – Robert Daniels

28:40 The New Slang: MAY DECEMBER

70:52 The Other Side: Robert and Ryan talk further reading after Todd Haynes’ film

Thoughts from your host…

In my intro for this episode, I made mention of today’s guest being a wish-come-true.

That was before we started talking.

In the afterglow – as I listened back on our chat and edited it together, I went from wish-come-true to over-the-moon.

This conversation was so much fun, and damn if my guest doesn’t bring so much insight to the table! Heck, without patting myself on the back too much, I even feel like he elevated my game as a host.

It’s the benefit of this show being one where someone different drops by every time. I never quite know what I will learn from my guests – be they longstanding regulars, or new additions to the roster – and what my guests will bring out in me.

It’s a gift; a gift that every one of my guests give me, and this episode’s guest was especially generous.

I’m thankful for these gifts – for the lovely boxes adorned with pretty bows that have been given to me over three hundred times. Each one was the right size, right colour, entirely unexpected and deeply treasured.

Links Mentioned in Episode 317:

Angelica Jade Bastién’s post at Slate about describing films as “camp”

Robert’s feature on Saltburn for rogerebert.com

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

63 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:46 The New Slang: THE HOLDOVERS with Guest Bob Turnbull

49:49 The Other Side: Bob and Ryan talk further reading after Alexander Payne’s film

Thoughts from your host…

Just last week, I introduced my team at work to my podcast. So if anyone from the office is tuning-in today – thanks for making the leap!

When I was a boy, there was one Christmas that was unlike the others. I was eight and a half, and this holiday involved a change in the normal family schedule and found me at home for most of the day instead of making the rounds to the grandparents’ homes.

What I remember the most about that Christmas was that while I played with my new toys in the family room, my mom had tuned a radio to CBC for me. We often had radios on in our house – far more so than the television – and on this Christmas Day, CBC was playing readings of classic stories. There were readings of “A Little Matchstick Girl”, “The Little Mermaid”, and eventually “A Christmas Carol”. I’m showing my age here, but this reading of “The Little Mermaid” preceded the animated Disney film by three whole years.

I bring this up because the first two stories weren’t Christmas tales, and yet the spirit of them suited the holiday well. There was a warmth to them; a tenderness. They weren’t even truly the happiest tales, and yet they kept little Ryan good company on such a happy day.

Today’s film – while certainly more of a “Christmas tale” than those stories – fits the bill. Not always a happy tale, but with warmth and tenderness. It’s the sort of film I would program on December 23rd if I could host a screening, and the sort of story I wish we’d get more of than the umpteenth Hallmark Channel classic.

Little Ryan might not have had the full attention for todays film…but I feel as though he’d have enjoyed knowing that all these years later, these stories would still be there to keep him company during the holidays.

Links Mentioned in Episode 316:

Matineecast 276 where James McNally and I discussed C’MON C’MON

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

88 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

2:35 Know Your Enemy with Guest – Hillary Butler

21:46 The New Slang: THE MARVELS

67:35 The Other Side: Hillary and Ryan talk further reading after Nia DaCosta’s film

Thoughts from your host…

For the most part, we don’t talk about “the bigger films” here on the podcast. For instance, looking at the top ten films at the box office so far this year, we haven’t done an episode on any of them.

Last year? One

The year before? Three.

There’s nothing wrong with these movies (I usually see most of them), it’s just not what interests me for a topic of discussion. As you can see though, occasionally we make exceptions (like today’s ‘things-go-boom’ selection).

For that reason, it surprises me that my guest and I will be talking about a big franchise movie that a lot of people will not see. Not because I feel like a film like todays is essential viewing, but more because it has found itself in this weird overlap of abandonment. Those who don’t like the genre have found a whole new line of ammo to riddle it with thanks to a cover story in an industry outlet that didn’t say a single new piece of information.

Meanwhile a sizeable section of “the fans” are abandoning it because they don’t agree with who and what it represents. They believe that this story doesn’t serve their interests, and have a troubling relationship with the lead actor.

What all of this means is that while this podcast episode is focusing on a “bigger film” in brand, it’s actually a smaller film where interest and exposure are concerned – which is seven kinds of weird. It’s weird because of the specific way in which the venn diagram of disinterest for the film overlaps, but it’s most weird because the film is a truly enjoyable romp. It’s bright, it’d goofy, it’s heartfelt, and it’s a lot of fun.

And yet, for entirely different sets of reasons, both sides of the divide are turning their back on it. This is a real pity – perhaps for no other reason than the fact that it is a decision that is just riddled with baggage.

For those of you who saw the film and who are here to listen – we truly hope you enjoy!

Everyone else? Well…tune in anyway. Perhaps we can convince you.

Links Mentioned in Episode 315:

SECRETARY poster:

Captain Mervel panels written by Kelly Sue DeConnick – “…every little girl flies”:

Matineecast 161 where we talked about GHOSTBUSTERS (2016)

SNL Hall of Fame Podcast where I championed Kristen Wiig

Matineecast 253 where we talked about PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

Trailer for 2005’s EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED:

The Matinee’s reaction to Brie Larson’s 2017 film UNICORN STORE

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

90 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

4:34 Know Your Enemy with Guest – Vanya Garraway

21:33 The New Slang: THE KILLER

57:34 The Other Side: Vanya and Ryan talk further reading after David Fincher’s film

Thoughts from your host…

It’s been a few minutes since I first met a filmgoer here in Toronto. It used to be a monthly thing when the social scene was a little more constant. Likewise when Twitter wasn’t such a dumpster fire.

Those were the days my friends!

However, glimmers of the before times still flicker around town. They come in the form of old friends, friends of friends, or occasionally doing to humble old school “Hi, I’m Ryan. You seem cool, wanna be friends?”

The interesting part about setting up this episode is how Vanya told me that when I reached out to her she (rightfully) did her own vetting by looking at who we both knew and what I had to say for myself in the various channels. I wonder how many of us think about that? About what sort of personality we put out into the world. What happens when you string your tweets together? What do you choose to take photos of and publish in your Insta? If a person was looking at these channels without you knowing – who might they think you are?

Something to think about – and in my case something to be proud of since it brought a great new guest and friend into my orbit.

Links Mentioned in Episode 314:

Vanya’s “Paid in Sweat” screening series at The Revue cinema

David Fincher’s music video for Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie”

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

Enjoy!

Runtime

90 minutes

Show Contents

0:00 Introduction

3:04 Know Your Enemy with Guest – Mike Lane

25:53 The New Slang: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

73:57 The Other Side: Mike and Ryan talk further reading after Martin Scorsese’s film

Thoughts from your host…

Hello again! It’s been a moment, hasn’t it? What was first intended to be a five week break in-between seasons turned into a seven week break…and nowadays, seven weeks might as well be seven years!

I really did intend to be back a lot sooner – usually our “Fall Break” is over by the first Monday in October. This October though, I decided to go see a certain Irish rock band play a concert at a certain round concert venue in a certain Nevada town…and…well…creating a podcast during such shenanigans was going to be a little difficult.

But that’s okay, because it actually set us up nicely to open a new season of shows with a multifaceted new offering by an absolute legend! I dare say that the season wouldn’t have got off to nearly as big of a bang if we’d sat down to discuss DUMB MONEY, THE CREATOR, or A HAUNTING IN VENICE. Nothing against any of those films, of course, but as far as conversation pieces, I don’t think they are in the same class as today’s feature.

But here we are – ready to start a whole new season, crank out five more episodes in 2023, and finish out this unforgettable year with a bang…and it all begins with an epic episode about an epic film.

I’ve truly had a wonderful little break – but the changing colours and nip in the air make it official; it’s time to get the conversation going again.

Thanks for rejoining it.

Links Mentioned in Episode 313:

Dorothy Malone and Humphrey Bogart in The Acme Bookshop scene from THE BIG SLEEP:

My thoughts on the phrase “Masterpiece” from back in 2014

Osage language consultant Christopher Cote voices concerns on the film’s POV at the movie’s Hollywood premiere:

Matineecast Episode 234 where Mike Lane and I talked about Scorsese’s THE IRISHMAN

“Don’t Cry” by Guns N’ Roses – Too slow to be a fast song, too fast to be a slow song:

Sam Adams’ post from Slate breaking down the final scene of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Robbie Robertson’s soundtrack to FLOWER OF THE KILLER MOON:

Matineecast Episode 46 where James McNally and I talked about Clint Eastwood’s J. EDGAR

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

Enjoy!

You didn’t really think we were going to go through an entire film festival and never send a postcard home, did you? Silly rabbits…

Even though it was a protracted TIFF for me, every second of it was time well spent. From the killer slate of films I saw, to being able to bump into old friends, to just feeling a little bit of buzz in the air again – it was all welcome reminders of “the before times”.

That’s not to say that things are perfect down here on Festival Street – far from it, and we dig into thoughts on what’s happening and why within this episode.

So as the sun rises on one final day of moviegoing merriment, take a seat with Jolie and I in the shadow of four festival theatres while we talk about all of the ups and downs of ten whole days at the 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival.

All of Jolie’s TIFF writing can be found at Toronto Film Files

Info on all films – including access to the final day’s in-person screenings can be found at TIFF’s website.

Jolie’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!