The Rolling Tape

With Telluride wrapping up and Venice getting ready to deliver the Golden Lion, we are now previewing the Toronto International Film Festival. We have five team members who will be in attendance at the 51st edition of TIFF and today we discuss an in-depth look at the TIFF lineup and detail our schedules and priorities for what we want to see and do while in Toronto starting September 10. The lineup features 293 official selection titles, with Opening Night programmed with Siân Heder's Being Heumann.

Listen on Patreon for an extended pre-episode conversation where the team builds their schedules on tiffr.

On this episode:
Cameron Ritter
Nadia Arain
Jacob Diedenhofer
Kasey Dunifer
Evan Miller

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Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

Just mere hours after A24 premiered their major festival venture in Primetime at the Venice International Film Festival, and a surprise screening of You Can See Everything at Telluride, we review their current theatrical release Onslaught. It’s not our first Adam Wingard joint, following up our April 2024 review of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Wingard has escaped the Monsterverse (for now) to return to his action slasher roots.

Onslaught is directed by Adam Wingard and written by Wingard and Simon Barrett. When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter. The film stars Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, and Rebecca Hall.

We review the film and play a mini-game where each contestant guesses the top 24 rated A24 movies on Rotten Tomatoes.

Our pre-episode Patreon exclusive conversation features:

• Artificial World Premiere at NYFF
• Wild Horse Nine Venice reactions
• La Bola Negra & Ink trailers

On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Gabe Lillianthal
Joshua Mbonu 

Support the show

Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon

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Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

There were dogs. There were stars. There were dog stars. We read them. We watched them. And it’s time for our receipts. So welcome back to Read Receipts: A Big Screen Book Club from The Rolling Tape where each month we read a book and watch its onscreen adaptation. This month we read The Dog Stars by Peter Heller and watched the new film The Dog Stars from Ridley Scott. We’ll get into the differences between the two, what worked, what didn’t, and how we feel about this as an adaptation. So, spoilers ahead for both the book and movie.

Today’s episode is starring your host Kasey Dunifer, and returning book club member, Patrick Regal. The book is from 2012, written by Peter Heller. Heller is a novelist from Vermont, who attended the Iowa Writers workshop and has written a good dozen or so books but this is the first big, on-screen adaptation of one of his works.

The 2026 movie, The Dog Stars, is the latest release from director Ridley Scott who is no stranger to adaptations, with Blade Runner and The Martian, among others. The film stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Quallery and Guy Pierce.

On this episode:
Kasey Dunifer
Patrick J. Regal

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Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
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Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

The 78th Emmy Awards are just a couple of weeks away, with the main ceremony airing Monday, September 14, and the Creative Arts Emmys taking place September 5 and 6. Half of The Rolling Tape team will be traveling around the globe between Venice and the Toronto International Film Festival, so we wanted to get one episode out the door before we depart discussing our predictions for what will win at this year's Primetime Emmys.

The last time we talked about the Emmys, we were reacting to the nominations, where shows like Widow's Bay, The Pitt, and DTF St. Louis led the nominations in Comedy, Drama, and Limited or Anthology Series, respectively. The Pitt ultimately led all programs with 25 nominations, followed by Hacks with 24 and Widow's Bay with 19. There were some major surprises along the way, including Cailee Spaeny missing a nomination for Beef and Task failing to receive a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. 

Famed actress and longtime Emmy favorite Mariska Hargitay will host the ceremony, which will air live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14. The ceremony has already generated some controversy, as the Television Academy has moved several categories out of the main primetime telecast and into the Creative Arts ceremonies. Among those are Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, as well as Directing and Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

With all of that in mind, we make our predictions for who will take home the biggest prizes at this year's Emmys.

On this episode:
Paul Rai
Bobbi Miller
Adam Patla
Ethan Dayton

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Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
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Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

Double feature day, The Rolling Tape’s 4-year anniversary, celebrating Dolly Parton, Peter Cullen, and Tim Curry (science fiction double feature anyone?). A lot on the table for this week’s episode as we look back on 4 years and 637 episodes of the podcast. We review two films in theaters, The Dog Stars and Coyote vs. Acme. 

The Dog Stars is directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith, based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller. The film stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce, and follows the survivors of a global flu pandemic. 

Coyote vs. Acme is directed by Dave Green, written by Samy Burch and stars Will Forte, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P. J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi, and John Cena, with Eric Bauza leading the voice cast. The film follows Wile E. Coyote as he enlists a billboard attorney to sue the Acme Corporation for repeatedly selling him faulty products.

Our pre-episode Patreon exclusive conversation features:

• Reflections of 4 years of The Rolling Tape podcast
• Fjord trailer
• Chris Hansen ad purchase ahead of Primetime
• The Social Reckoning trailer live reaction

On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Joshua Mbonu 

Support the show

Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon

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Have questions? Email [email protected]

Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree

Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

In our second Women in Film Spotlight for Ladies Night, we delve into the career of Kelly Reichardt spotlighting two of her films: First Cow and The Mastermind. Both films reflect her unique storytelling style of slow cinema that challenges conventional narratives while exploring profound themes related to the human experience. First Cow transports us to the early 19th century, where a cook and a Chinese immigrant form an unlikely partnership to steal milk from a prized cow while The Mastermind introduces us to a failed architect who, despite having a family and a home, engages in a more ambitious heist of stealing art.

On this episode:
Sara Ciplickas
Claire May Lewis

Support the show

Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon

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Have questions? Email [email protected]

Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree

Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

See our live Fantasy results here on our website.

We're taking a bit of a pause from our ongoing Oscar predictions to revisit the Oscar Contenders Fantasy Draft we started back in April. A group of us drafted films we believed would be major awards contenders, and we accumulate points based on each film's performance at the box office, critics' and audience reception, and the potential precursors and Oscar nominations they'll earn later in the season.

We each started with eight films during our initial draft on April 1. We followed that up with an episode on June 3, where we assessed the fallout from the Cannes Film Festival and how the reception there affected our picks. Some movies had been pushed to next year, so we decided to implement a convoluted system of trades. We dropped certain films we weren't confident in and introduced a system where portions of a film's point performance could be traded as assets in order to upgrade our rosters. We also added an additional film to everyone's draft, bringing each of us up to nine picks. 

This will be our final opportunity to upgrade our teams by drafting a new film and making more trades and exchanges to maximize our potential point values.

Once the drafts are locked, we won't be able to make any further changes. From there, we'll have to face the harsh realities of awards season and see how our picks actually perform. We won't know the final winner until Oscar nomination morning, when the final piece of the puzzle falls into place and we see which films receive nominations and how those nominations affect everyone's scores.

We'll touch base on the status of our picks throughout the season, but today is our last chance to spice things up, make some trades, and cause even more mayhem and headaches for everyone involved.

On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Paul Rai
Gabe Lillianthal
Jacob Diedenhofer

Our teams after the last negotiations:

Gabe:
The Odyssey
Godzilla: Minus Zero
Wild Horse Nine
Disclosure Day
Werwulf
Avengers: Doomsday
Parallel Tales
I Love Boosters
Resident Evil

Danny:
Project Hail Mary
Dune: Part Three
Fjord
Josephine
Club Kid
The Social Reckoning
Fatherland
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Hope

Paul:
Digger
Possible Love
All of a Sudden
La Bola Negra
The Invite
Toy Story 5
Behemoth!
The Debut
Obsession

Jacob:
Paper Tiger 
Saturn Return
The Adventures of Cliff Booth
Michael
Tony
The End of Oak Street
Clarissa
Animals
Wildwood

Support the show

Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon

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Have questions? Email [email protected]

Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree

Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

Instead of stepping inside the Insidious franchise this weekend with Insidious: Out of the Further, we’re switching it up here today because summer is winding down, and also we make the rules here. Rather than our typical review of one movie, we are reviewing four that have stood out to our team over the past couple of months that we have not talked about in-depth on prior review episodes, including Maddie’s Secret, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Tony, and It Ends.

We’ll do this in a speed run format reviewing each in short 15-20 minute sections and wrap up by previewing the fall festivals including Venice, TIFF, and NYFF.

Our pre-episode Patreon exclusive conversation features:

• Whalefall trailer
• Wild Horse Nine Oscar prospects
• Wildwood trailer live reaction

On this episode:
Adam Patla
Danny Jarabek
Joshua Mbonu
Mariana Fabian

Support the show

Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon

Listen Here:
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Have questions? Email [email protected]

Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree

Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

It’s been six years since the idea for It Ends entered writer-director Alex Ullom’s brain. The “hangout horror” film played the festival circuit, where it generated considerable buzz (you can read our team’s review from last year’s Chicago Critics Fest here). It then went on to be one of the first films available on the Letterboxd Video Store. Neon subsequently scooped the film for theatrical release which brings us here. Ullom has dubbed It Ends as “hangout horror,” blending suffocating horror with the heart of a summer coming-of-age story. He joins Adam Patla to discuss the making of the film, conceptualizing the rules of an endless road scenario, and the personality dynamics between the characters in the Jeep.

It Ends is now playing in select cities and playing everywhere August 28th. You can check out our full interview with Alex Ullom here. (SPOILER WARNING FROM 4:20 - 5:48)

Follow our interviewee online:
Alex Ullom Instagram

Follow our interview host:
Adam Patla

Support the show

Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon

Listen Here:
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Have questions? Email [email protected]

Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree

Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

Is it another day of sun? Or is there someone in the crowd on this lovely night, as a city of stars shines bright for those who dare to dream? If that gives you any indication, we're talking about the Oscar-winning musical La La Land, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.

It's a bittersweet romantic tale about two creative artists in Los Angeles who pursue their dreams while falling in love. With the film celebrating its 10th anniversary this week, we're taking a look back at the movie that captured Hollywood's imagination.

La La Land first premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2016, where it received rapturous acclaim. Critics immediately praised the performances from Stone and Gosling, Damien Chazelle's dazzling direction, the catchy original songs and score from Justin Hurwitz, Linus Sandgren's lavish cinematography, the vibrant production design, and the colorful costumes.

The film quickly established itself as the frontrunner throughout the 2016–17 awards season as more and more people fell in love with this dreamlike original movie musical. It paid homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals while bringing a contemporary sensibility to the genre. Its box office reflected that enthusiasm, with the film ultimately grossing approximately $447 million worldwide during its original theatrical run.

Of course, La La Land's legacy doesn't stop there as its awards run has become a piece of infamous Oscar history. But there's no denying that, ten years later, La La Land has left an enormous mark on movie culture from the careers of Stone, Gosling, and Chazelle to the renewed interest in movie musicals, and even the way Oscar envelopes are handled and double-checked before they're opened onstage.

Let's take a look back at La La Land, its legacy, and the cultural phenomenon it became.

On this episode:
Paul Rai
Mariana Fabian
Justin Duggan
Adam Patla
Timmy Lee

Support the show

Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon

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Have questions? Email [email protected]

Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree

Credits:

• Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
• Artwork: Danny Jarabek
• Editor: Danny Jarabek
• Assistant Producer: Evan Miller