The Take-Up

It's what everyone's been asking for... A two-part, two-hour podcast episode (mostly) about Kelly Reichardt's 2017 anthology "western" Certain Women! Andrew and Josh go long for Andrew's pick in the Sister Kristen program. Certain women are certainly discussed: Laura Dern's consternation, Lilly Gladstone missing in action, Michelle Williams smoking a cigarette, and why Kristen Stewart is everyone's object of affection. Josh brings up Todd Haynes. Andrew brings up the existential crisis of never truly knowing another person. They've gone hog wild here!

In two days, we'll drop the second half of the episode, featuring Now Showing reviews of the latest Scream and John Wick installments and our Top 3 Kelly Reichardt film performances. Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.

Special thanks to Editor Jessica Pierce, Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch, and partners Cinema St. Louis. Theme music by AMP.

We're breaking dawn with guest Dr. Ana Quiring, who picks Twilight for the new Sister Kristen program, celebrating Kristen Stewart and her collaborations with female filmmakers. Ana gives Andrew and Joshua a proper education on everything about Catherine Hardwicke's 2008 Y.A. vampire romance, including its Mormon conservatism, queer interpretations, sparkly aesthetics, Acting, and more! 

Up next will be a full femme ensemble with Andrew's pick of Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women (2017). Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.

Special thanks to Editor Jessica Pierce, Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch, and partners Cinema St. Louis. Theme music by AMP.

It’s a horror-heavy episode when Jessica Scott of WeWhoWalkHere.com joins Joshua and Andrew to talk about You Won’t Be Alone. Before they talk about Andrew’s witchy pick for the Gems of 2022 program, they’ll talk The Outwaters, Attachment, Huesera: The Bone Woman, and the ultimate horror show of Marvel’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. This episode’s game celebrates our favorite Best Supporting Witches. Finally, they’ll all Knock at the Cabin (door) with One More Thing.

Throughout are brief thoughts on M. Night Shyamalan's latest, "his" Apple TV+ show Servant, Skinamarink, Bette Davis' greatness, Sam Raimi's Oz thing, Terrence Malick, graphic novels and graphic romance novels, and more!

Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.

Special thanks to our editor Jessica Pierce, Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch, and partners Cinema St. Louis! Theme music by AMP.

Cinema St. Louis' The Lens is now The Take-Up, a place to gather when the film is over. For our first/twenty-something-th podcast episode, we're processing Claire Denis' Stars at Noon, featuring Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn sweating all over Nicaragua. First, what the heck is The Take-Up? Kayla's back to join Andrew and Joshua to talk about their new adventure in film criticism. After, the guys talk 2023 Oscar nominations, movies in Paris, and HBO's The Last of Us. 

Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook. 

Special thanks to our editor, Jessica Pierce, and our partners at Cinema St. Louis! Theme music by AMP.

Jason Bollinger of the Cinema Spin podcast joins the Lens podcast with his pick for an underrated and underseen film of 2022, the Aubrey Plaza character thriller Emily the Criminal. After getting existentially criminal with Emily and Jason, Andrew and Joshua count down their top ten favorite films of the year and more. Will battle lines be drawn? Will the two critics fulfill early promises for their top spots, or did the onslaught of great year-end films shake things up?

Find out everything everywhere all at once in this super-sized episode? Nope, not quite! We saved one pick for a deep dive. Stay tuned to the next episode when the boys venture to Nicaragua with Margaret Qualley, Denis Johnson, Claire Denis, and Stars at Noon, Joshua's choice for the Gems of 2022 mini-series. 

Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook. Special thanks to our editor, Jessica Pierce. 

Critic Katie Carter gets in front of The Lens to talk about a gem of 2022 and one of her favorites of the year, Strawberry Mansion. Before she joins Andrew and Joshua to dive into the trippy lo-fi love story from Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley, they'll discuss the St. Louis Film Critics Association 2022 award-winners, including Avatar: The Way of Water, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and The Whale. After, it's time for a game of Known Four with some of the award-winning actors of the year! Finally, Andrew and Joshua have One More Thing. 

More gems of 2022 still to come. Next up is CinemaSpin's Jason Bollinger and his pick, the Aubrey Plaza vehicle Emily the Criminal. Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.

Goodbye, 2022! Hello, new mini-series! The Lens is back and focusing on some underseen 2022 films, and for the first episode, guests Drew Wendt and Billy Rock of Do You Like Apples? pick Kogonada's After Yang. Before that, Andrew and Joshua talk Avatar: The Way of Water and She Said. After breaking down the Colin Farrell-starring Yang, Joshua quizzes everyone about A24's highest-grossing films. Finally, One More Thing about God of War: Ragnarök and visiting The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. 

On the next episode, critic Katie Carter choses the whacked-out Strawberry Mansion as her pick for a Gem of 2022. Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.

In this bonus episode, Andrew and Joshua come out of a brief hibernation to talk about a handful of recent releases. First up, Rian Johnson has his "Knives Out" again with "Glass Onion." Then, Luca Guadagnino takes a bloody road trip in "Bones and All." Andrew covers two Netflix streamers: the Florence Pugh-headlining "The Wonder" and Cartoon Saloon's "My Father's Dragon." Joshua spends some time with "The Fabelmans" (or is it the Spielbergs?). Lastly, they talk two more films about family: James Gray's "Armageddon Time" and the A24 release "Aftersun," the debut feature by Charlotte Wells. 

In two weeks, the Lens crew welcomes special guests to kick off the Gems of 2022 mini-series. Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.

In this very special episode, Andrew and Joshua preview #SLIFF31 A.K.A. the 31st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. They really only scratch the surface of the bounty of offerings in the 2022 edition of the fest, including buzzy year-end award hopefuls, international and indie critical darlings, daring docs, and shorts in every color. The SLIFF schedule, tickets, and information on the lineup and special events are now available at cinemastlouis.org.

Before that, Andrew reviews "The Banshes of Inisherin" and "All Jacked Up and Full of Worms." After, stick around for the dueling duo's dual live presentation on Brian De Palma's classic thriller "Sisters," a selection from the year-round Golden Anniversaries film festival. 

The next episode will feature some more Now Showing and Golden Anniversary presentations by special guests!

Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @stlfilmfest on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd and @CinemaStLouis on Facebook.

The Lens is retiring from the Nancy/Nora mini-series with Kayla's pick, Meyers' "The Intern," starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. Andrew, Kayla, and Joshua break down everything about the writer-director's workplace "rom-com," complete with re-casting speculations, personal sleeping attire, and the ethos of girlbossing. Now Showing has Andrew and Joshua gushing over "Decision to Leave" and "Stars at Noon," Kayla's New York Film Festival coverage, and a spotlight on "Piggy." Later, the Known Four game makes a return with some Meyers players, Andrew and Joshua read books, and Kayla watches more Bravo (and "Hocus Pocus," finally). 

On the next episode, Joshua and Andrew preview the upcoming St. Louis International Film Festival (tickets and showtimes here) and present their live Golden Anniversaries discussion of Brian De Palma's "Sisters."

Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.