Big Lists

Joe and Greg are back! Its Oscar season and the guys have decided to litigate the 2022 oscars with their old pal Justin Louzon. In this episode they discuss all the big nominations including the years biggest snubs in each category, their favorite films of the year and of course... their least favorite films. All that and MORE

Welcome To Season 2 of Big Lists! In this episode Joe and Greg  are kicking off the new season by discussing the films of the year 2000. As always the two start off by discussing the biggest blockbusters of the year which includes a very poorly aged Mel Gibson rom com. The then move on to discuss this years academy awards winners where they giveth and taketh away some the years biggest winners. They wrap up the episode by diving into their own personal top 5 favorite films of the year. All that and MORE! 

The 2021 Academy Awards are upon us! Joe and Greg welcome back Justin Louzon to discuss this years nominations, what categories they are most excited about  and their favorite films of the year. At the second half of the podcast they discuss a bracket to determine the best low budget best picture winner of all time. All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg welcome back Justin Louzon to discuss films they all discovered during Quarantine. Each of their top five lists include the caveat that every film had to have been released before the pandemic. They discuss directors and writers that they all discovered in the last year before unveiling their lists in the second half of the episode. All that and MORE!

Movie theaters are coming back! As movie theaters begin to open up to limited capacity around the country, Greg and Joe discuss what they love about the theater going experience. They discuss everything from their favorite concession snacks to specific theaters that they love. And then Greg presents a list of his favorite movies that he's seen in a movie theater. All that and MORE!

Happy Valentines Day! Joe and Greg welcome back Katie Needs to the podcast to break down The Rom-Com Movie Bracket that was provided by Rotten Tomatoes. The  group dissects the the bracket while discussing the winners and losers as well as provide some insight as to what actually constitutes a romantic comedy. How can this bracket pit 'Sleepless In Seattle' and 'When Harry Met Sally' against each other in the FIRST ROUND?! Erroneous! Justice for 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall!' All that and MORE!!

Joe and Greg are welcomed by their good friend and immensely talented musician Shareef Keyes from 'Shareef Keyes and The Groove' to discuss music in film and their top 5 favorite movie soundtracks of all time. About half way through the episode the group is joined by Travis Alexander (big lists producer) who couldn't help himself and had to chime in with some of his favorite soundtracks as well!

Joe and Greg are joined by long time contributors Katie Needs and Justin Louzon to discuss the year 1999 in film. This iconic year warranted a 4 person pod and as always they discuss the top box office hits from the year (10:15), the Oscar winners and losers where the group giveth and taketh away some of the big awards given out this year (14:48) and of course everyone reveals their top 5 favorite films of 1999 (42:18)! All that and MORE!

Its a holiday miracle! Joe and Greg welcome back their friends Katie Needs, Chris Reddy and Travis Alexander to the pod to discuss their favorite holiday movies which include some wildly spicy takes as well as some incredibly tender and nostalgic choices. The group then moves on to play movie games such as 'guess that line,' 'name that movie,' and 'build a title.' All that and MORE! Thanks for listening!

Greg and Joe are joined by Justin Louzon to discuss a recent New York Times piece that lists out the top 25 actors of the 21st century (so far).  After dissecting the New York Times piece and giving their reactions the group decides to reveal a list of their own detailing actors and actresses that should or could have been represented.  Some spicy takes in this one!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Greg and Joe welcome back writer/producer Travis Alexander to the podcast to discuss a list of films about Dysfunctional Families to get you all though the holiday weekend. They begin by discussing hollywoods obsession with family dysfunction (2:12). Before diving into the list of films that they chose the group discusses a few honorable mentions that didn't make the cut (9:05). They then dive into the top 8 films that they selected for this list starting at number eight (13:00). They then move on through the rest of the list which includes a film that travis hates with every bone in his body (28:33), a hugely underrated Christmas classic (40:45), the Ron Howard movie that Travis and Greg have been bonding over for 15 years (54:14) and the most enjoyable family dysfunction film of all time (1:12:54). All that and MORE!

Greg and Joe are joined by their good friend Brian Marquis to discuss the films of 1998. As always they discuss the biggest blockbusters of the year, the academy awards winners and snubs as well as their top 5 favorite movies of the year. All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg welcome back their producer and resident horror movie expert, Travis Alexander back to the pod to discuss his recommendations for scary movies to watch as we enter the spooky season. They start off by giving a brief review of Adam Sandler's latest 'Hubie Halloween' that was just released on Netflix (1:14). They then dive into the list of recommendations (12:28) which include a wide array of films across several different streaming platforms including Shudder, Hulu, HBO Max and Criterion Channel.

Greg and Joe welcome filmmaker and film historian Nick Usen to the podcast to discuss his top 5 favorite 'Heist' films of all time. After briefly discussing the heist genre as a whole and the death of the non-attractive character actors in Hollywood, the group dives into the list starting at number five (10:35). As they move through the list they cover a wide range of topics including one of nicks desert island films (23:42), the movie that made James Caan a style icon (33:32) and the greatest Boston film of all time (46:48). All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg welcome one of their best friends and first time guest Laurence Chao to the podcast to talk about the films of 1997. After listing off and briefly discussing all the films that came out in 1997 (3:47) they play a brief word-association game with some of the film titles from the year (11:30). They then dive into the top 5 blockbuster films of 1997 (18:53) which includes an undisputed #1 as well as a few more massive hits. After that put their tuxes on and dive into the Academy Awards where they giveth and taketh away some of the biggest awards of the year (24:28) which includes a stacked best supporting actor category, some glaring omissions in the best actress category and an amazing argument for a Jim Carrey best actor snub. They wrap up the episode by discussing their personal top 5 favorite movies of the year (49:10) which includes a 90’s noir classic, a slept on David Fincher film and PT Anderson's masterpiece. All that and MORE!

Greg and Joe welcome their good friend and resident Disney expert Madeline Barr to the podcast to discuss her top 5 animated (Non Pixar) Disney movies of all time. Maddie first gives us a breakdown of her love for all things Disney (1:33) before diving into a quick review of the new adaptation of Mulan on Disney+ (4:38). Before moving on to Maddie's top 5 list she talks about a few honorable mentions which includes a surprising critique of The Little Mermaid and a few more surprises (14:35). After that the group discusses Maddies list starting at number five (20:43). All that and MORE!

Greg & Joe welcome back writer/producer Travis Alexander to the podcast to discuss the films of 1996. They start off by discussing the movie “Jack” for some reason as well as Travis’ rental movie racket that he had at the age of 10 (4:40). They then list off all the movies that came out in 1996 (7:40) before moving on to discuss the top 5 biggest blockbusters of the year (13:12). As always they pick apart the academy awards where they giveth and taketh away some of the big awards from this year (22:30) which includes a strong defense of Geoffrey Rush’s Oscar win and some glaring omissions for best director. They wrap up the podcast by diving into their personal top 5’s for the year (47:36) which include two films in the disaster movie hall of fame, an Adam Sandler staple, a sports movie classic and an emotional deep dive into Jerry Maguire. All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg welcome back Justin Louzon to the podcast to break down his top 5 favorite Coen Brothers films. They start off by discussing Justin's fascination with the Coen's and why he decided to put this list together (3:55). They then dive into his top 5 which include some controversial picks (11:20). They wrap up the podcast by discussing some big omissions that didn't make the list (56:45). All that and MORE!

In honor of one of the greatest actors of all times birthdays, Joe and Greg dedicate this episode to the incomparable Robert Deniro. They start off by discussing Joe's personal relationship with "Bob" (3:03) and then move on to discuss his upbringing and legendary early career roles (7:42). After that they dive into Deniro's greatest ten year stretch starting in 1990 (17:19) which includes an underrated romantic comedy (27:48), a classic early Leonardo DiCaprio performance (29:52), quite possibly the greatest movie year for any actor ever (39:23), the missteps of the movie "The Fan" (41:28) and "Jackie Brown" Spoilers! (55:00). All that and MUCH MORE!

Greg and Joe welcome back their good pal Tay Sullivan to the podcast to discuss the films of 1995. They start off by listing off all the films that came out in 1995 (3:52) which includes an underrated Jean-Claude Van Damme classic (7:19). The group then moves on to cover the top 5 blockbusters of the year which includes a surprise and delightful number one (8:33). As always they cover the Academy Award winners where they giveth and taketh away some awards (16:30). This years Oscars included a ton of individuals that are currently cancelled from the culture as well as a super stacked and difficult best actress category (24:54). The group then moves on to discuss their personal top 5 favorite films from the year (40:05) which include a bonafide Chris Farley classic (47:45), an Ed Harris performance that can potentially bring all Americans together (1:06:50), the perfect New York City summer movie (1:20:17) and finally the discussion surrounding the greatest crime-drama masterpiece and everyones collective #1 film of 1995 (1:32:22). All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg return from a month long vacation to discuss all the movies they watched while they were away. They start off my discussing a massive come-up for Joe getting a Disney+ login and all the important Marvel movies he missed (5:50). Then Greg turns the clock back and discusses some DVD's he watched during his stay at a cabin in New Hampshire including a Rian Johnson classic and a Wolfgang Peterson acid trip masterpiece (15:01). The hosts then cover a wide range of topics including their favorite Paul Thomas Anderson films (23:20), a review of the Hulu original Palm Springs (29:05) and a documentary recommendation that will fill the Olympic Games void that we are all experiencing this summer (38:50). All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg test out a new format for the podcast by discussing the best 10 year run of one of the greatest American movie stars of all time, Harrison Ford. The begin by discussing how they're going to be structuring this episode and where the idea originated (2:21). Before jumping into the 10 year run they roll the tapes back and give a brief history of Harrison Ford and his origin story (6:53). After listing off every movie during this run from 1980-1990 (14:15) they dive into each individual film and discuss many key details which include a huge career regret from Tom Selleck (25:09), some very controversial takes on the Star Wars franchise (32:43) and a full blown expulsion of a film in Harrison Fords catalogue (46:18). All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg welcome Katie Needs back to the podcast to help them navigate and digest the gauntlet of films that came out in 1994. As always they start things off by discussing the top 5 biggest blockbusters of the year based on box office gross which include a couple of surprises (9:04). Then they move on the discuss the biggest Oscar winners of the year where they retroactively giveth and taketh away which gets a little contentious and includes a slam piece on the film Ed Wood (16:27), a glaring omission in the Best Actress category (27:17) and a nice Lion King vs Quiz Show debate (40:40). Before diving into everyone Top 5 favorite movies of the year Katie briefly touches on what my be the greatest "Kids" movie year of all time (42:56) which ultimately leads to the crew revealing each others 5 favorite films from this year which includes and incredible casting trivia for The Shawshank Redemption (54:05), different cry moment for Forrest Gump (1:00:09), Claire Danes and the crying on screen hall of fame (1:09:40) and Katies hilarious true story of a classic Disney song wedding performance (1:17:10). All that and MUCH MORE!

Joe and Greg welcome their good friend and native New Englander, Pete Shea to the podcast to discuss his top 5 favorite films set in New England. Pete gives the hosts a cliff noted history of the northeast region (2:25) by discussing how localized everything is and what it means to be a "flat-lander." Then they dive into Petes list starting at #5 which includes an incredible Gene Siskel review (9:05). As they move through the rest of the list they unpack a wide array of different topics such as Tim Curry and the on-screen butler Hall of Fame (15:08), Vermont being the West Berlin of the U.S. (23:10), the hardest decision Roger Ebert ever had to make (32:50), the uniqueness of Rhode Island (38:28), the longing for the practical special effects of the 80's (57:00) and Petes #1 movie of all time. All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg dedicate this weeks recommendations podcast to the one and only Spike Lee. They start off the episode by discussing Spike's most recent film 'Da 5 Bloods' (1:00) which is currently streaming on Netflix. Then they dive into their personal top 5 favorite Spike Lee movies (surprisingly agreeing on each film) (12:07) where they cover range of different topics such as two of their favorite Denzel Washington performances (27:22) and a what could have been legendary on screen performance by Kobe Bryant (30:19). All that and MORE! 

Greg and Joe are joined by their good friend and science-fiction aficionado Chris Reddy to discuss his Top 5 favorite Sci-Fi films. They begin the podcast by discussing Chris' connection to the genre (3:40) which includes a hot take on the Austin Powers film series and hollywoods inability to adapt timeless novels (7:03). They dive into the list (9:45) and in doing so cover a wide range of different topics including the fine line between Sci-Fi and Horror genres (15:20), a legendary on screen characters foresight for quarantine procedures (17:05), some not so nice things said about Star Wars (24:08), Michael Jordan's connection to a film on the list (33:25) and the most stylish space suits in film history (50:30). All that and MUCH MORE!

Greg and Joe welcome Justin Louzon on the podcast to present a list of films made by or about people within the LGBTQI+ community. Justin first gives a list of important films that are not on streaming services (3:14), then dives into his top 5 films currently streaming (5:23). During the episode the group discusses an array of different topics like the importance of the Criterion Channel (8:23), a loophole in a streaming choice (24:20) and celebrity encounters while working in the New York City service industry. All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg are doing something new with this shortened podcast by providing the listeners with a list of recommendations for movies to watch going into the weekend. This week is Joe's list and he put together an eclectic mix of film recommendations across multiple streaming platforms. After a brief introduction they dive into Joe's list (2:20) which covers a wide range of topics such as Michael Keaton's actual comeback role (16:15), a slept on Martin Scorsese classic (19:11) and Joe and Greg's obsession with Regina King (32:52). All that and MORE!

Joe and Greg revisit the films of 1993. Before diving into the categories they discuss Macaulay Culkin's grown man career choices by the time he was 12 with such films as The Good Son (6:13). Then they move on to discuss the years biggest blockbusters including two Steven Spielberg films and a surprise Tom Cruise classic (9:05). Then they move on to discuss the years biggest Oscar winners where they take away a few statues from some of their favorite actors (18:18). Then to wrap up the episode they discuss their top 5 favorite movies from the year including one of the all time great movies scores (41:58), an underrated Tom Hanks speech (48:10), quite possibly the most nostalgic top 5 pick made by either host ever (54:50), Val Kilmer's best role (1:04:29) and Harrison Ford's biggest misstep in his career (1:08:52). All that and MORE!

Greg and Joe are joined by their good pal and action movie savant Taylor Sullivan to discuss his list of the top 10 action movies of the 90's by each year. Before jumping into the list Taylor takes the hosts through his reasoning for focusing on the 90's while giving all due respect to the GOAT action movie from 1988. The one and only Die Hard (3:56). After much praise for the film that paved the way the group starts off the list with the number one film of 1990 (7:52). As they move through each year they cover a wide range of topics such as legendary movie helicopter pilots who deserve lifetime achievement awards (16:14), action movie trailers that have aged into spoof sketches (26:20), Steven Seagal's incredibly strong teeth (31:17), setting the record straight on how bad Demolition Man is (40:45), Al Pacino's meth induced characters from the 1990's (56:47), how the movie Daylight shines a light on some questionable engineering design choices for the Holland Tunnel (1:13:17) and some pearls of wisdom for parents with teenagers brought to you by the movie Face/Off (1:24:05). All that and much MORE!

Greg and Joe are joined by their old pal and friendly neighbor from the north Katie Needs to discuss her top 10 favorite romantic comedies of all time. To kick things off Katie discusses her passion for the rom com genre while also presenting her iron clad criteria for rating these films (3:52). Before diving into the top 10 Katie nearly cancels a dated Adam Sandler rom com from the early 2000's (9:00) and then discusses her #10 which includes one of her favorite tropes in the genre that is "maybe your life would be better if you weren't such a dick" (11:25). As they move through the rest of the top 10 the gang covers a wide range of topics including a movie that basically had a red carpet premiere in Rochester, NY in 2003 (24:43), the Taj Mahal of movie parents that is Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci (35:00), Katies STYLE icon Julia Stiles (51:00) and Kids Choice award winner Julia Roberts for her portrayal of a hooker with a heart of gold in a very R-rated movie. All that and MORE.

Greg and Joe are joined by writer/musician Travis Alexander to discuss his top 5 favorite horror movies of all time. To start things off Travis recounts what got him into the horror genre in the first place (2:40). Then after a brief discussion about how traumatizing Bram Stoker's Dracula was at a young age (7:30) the crew dives into Travis' list that starts with a surprising number five (10:35). While listing off the other four films they cover a wide range of topics that involve an out of left field positive review of Rob Zombie's Halloween (29:15), John Carpenters genius as a film composer (31:12), Wes Craven's parody approach to making scary movies (40:10) and Stephen King's wild cocaine abuse before he got sober.

Joe and Greg do a recap and dive into the films of 1992. As always they start off by listing off and discussing the years biggest blockbusters like Aladdin, Home Alone 2 and Lethal Weapon 3 (9:30). Then they move on to picking apart the years biggest Oscar winners like Unforgiven and Scent of a Woman as well as snubs like Malcom X and A Few Good Men (18:15). To round out the episode the two co-hosts list their top 5 favorite films of 1992 including Basic Instinct, My Cousin Vinny and Reservoir Dogs (49:45). At the end of the episode a cameo is made by Greg's girlfriend, Sydney who joins the podcast to discuss her love for Joe's #1 movie of the year - A League of Their Own (1:20:10).

Joe and Greg do a deep dive into the films of the year 1991. As always they start the episode off by listing out the years biggest blockbusters (6:40). Then they move over to talking about the years biggest Oscar winners and biggest snubs (16:20). Then to close out the podcast they each present their top 5 favorite films from 1991 to each other (42:30). Is Greg the founding member of the Barry Levinson Fan Club? Could Matthew Broderick have played the role of Johnny Utah in Point Break? And Joe explains how Silence of the Lambs ultimately taught him the value of not helping strangers. All this and MORE.

Joe and Greg do a deep dive into the films of the year 1990. They start off by listing out the years biggest blockbusters (3:58). Then they move over to talking about the years biggest Oscar winners and biggest snubs (14:30). Then to close out the podcast they each present their top 5 favorite films from 1990 to each other (37:12). Dances with Wolves really beat out Goodfellas for Best Picture and Best Director?! Is The Godfather Part III now underrated? Is Richard Gere every mom's number one heartthrob? Joe and Greg break it all down.