Let's Watch 2 Movies

Is it worse than Green Book, the movie with which it's paired? Yes. Is it even worse than The Departed? Again, yes. Could this be the worst film that Let's Watch 2 Movies' hosts have ever watched for this show? Yes, it is. The 2004 Oscar winner, Crash, should not be watched by anyone. Maddy and Mary Ellen watched it. This... is their story. Shout-out to our brand new $5+ backers via patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies: KJ, Chris McCollister, Chloe Thomas, and Amy La! Special thanks as well to our loyal, ongoing $5+ backers: Adrian, Burhan Ali, Claire B, Jeremy Banks, Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Bethany, Soren Bliefnick, Samuel Bryant, Heather Buist, Emma Burton, John Calsbeek, Sean Cassity, Omar Castellon, Frank Chilese, Paul Collins, Justin Cousson, Pam D, Maximilian Gaß, Hbomb, Hwan, Callum Kerr-Edwards, Josh Link, Trent Maudier, Patrick Meany, Michiakig, Chris Moyer, Carl Noren, Shoshana Packman, Adam Page, Michelle Phelps, Quinn, Mink Rose, RSS, Kyle Ruiz, Shaun, shay, Sydney Shuster, Dan Spritz, Nino Tarantino, Thomas, Dan Thurston, Toby, Josiane TR, Tommy Volkevics, Matthew Walden, Aaron Walker, Esther Weidauer, Greg Weise, and Lilith White.

Green Book should not exist. And yet, it does, and it's nominated for a whole bunch of Oscars this year. You know what else got nominated for an Oscar and won it? Crash! These movies are supposed to be about overcoming racism but it turns out they just perpetuate it, and also, they are bad movies. You don't need to watch Green Book, but you might want to know what the heck happens in it, as well as the actual story of Don Shirley's life (which is not contained in this movie), so here you go. CITATIONS: Maurice Shirley's account: https://www.blackenterprise.com/don-shirley-the-green-book-family-blasts-movie/ Edwin Shirley III's account (among others): https://shadowandact.com/the-real-donald-shirley-green-book-hollywood-swallowed-whole Carol Shirley Kimble's account: https://www.bet.com/celebrities/news/2018/11/21/dr--don-shirley-s-family-says-green-book-is-full-of-lies.html Nick Vallelonga claiming "everything in the film is true": https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a25737971/don-shirley-green-book-movie-true-story-accuracy/ Nick Vallelonga re: Shirley's sexuality: http://time.com/5453443/true-story-behind-green-book-movie/ Shout-out to our brand new $5+ backers via patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies: Bethany, Nino Tarantino, and Omar Castellon! Special thanks as well to our loyal, ongoing $5+ backers: Adrian, AHackFraud, Burhan Ali, Claire B, Jeremy Banks, Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Soren Bliefnick, Samuel Bryant, Heather Buist, Emma Burton, John Calsbeek, Sean Cassity, Frank Chilese, Paul Collins, Justin Cousson, Pam D, Maximilian Gaß, Hbomb, Hwan, Callum Kerr-Edwards, Josh Link, Trent Maudier, Patrick Meany, Michiakig, Chris Moyer, Carl Noren, Shoshana Packman, Adam Page, Michelle Phelps, Quinn, Mink Rose, RSS, Kyle Ruiz, Shaun, shay, Sydney Shuster, Dan Spritz, Thomas, Dan Thurston, Toby, Josiane TR, Tommy Volkevics, Matthew Walden, Aaron Walker, Esther Weidauer, Greg Weise and Lilith White

Compared to Venom, Upgrade is a downgrade. Maddy and Mary Ellen watch Logan Marshall-Green do his best Tom Hardy impression in this 2018 cyberpunk thriller full of twists and unfortunate anti-climaxes. This movie is a dark mirror of Venom, all about trusting no one rather than making friends. If only Upgrade actually wanted to engage with any of the disturbing ideas that it introduces, like its drone-packed police state, or military veterans getting used as the tech industry's guinea pigs. Instead, we have a movie that's full of cool fight scenes and not much else. It's great fodder for jokes, though. Enjoy! Shout-out to our loyal, ongoing $5+ backers via patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies: Adrian, AHackFraud, Burhan Ali, Claire B, Jeremy Banks, Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Soren Bliefnick, Samuel Bryant, Heather Buist, Emma Burton, John Calsbeek, Sean Cassity, Frank Chilese, Paul Collins, Justin Cousson, Pam D, Maximilian Gaß, Hbomb, Hwan, Callum Kerr-Edwards, Josh Link, Trent Maudier, Patrick Meany, Michiakig, Chris Moyer, Carl Noren, Shoshana Packman, Adam Page, Michelle Phelps, Quinn, Mink Rose, RSS, Kyle Ruiz, Shaun, shay, Sydney Shuster, Dan Spritz, Thomas, Dan Thurston, Toby, Josiane TR, Tommy Volkevics, Matthew Walden, Aaron Walker, Esther Weidauer, Greg Weise and Lilith White

Like a couple alien symbiotes crash-landing onto this lovely little planet, Maddy and Mary Ellen have returned to take over your mind, body, and soul with a new pairing: Venom and Upgrade. These are two 2018 movies about men overtaken by powerful non-human beings that force them to fight in ways they don't want. In addition to being a superhero/action flick, Venom also happens to be a romantic comedy, a mystery/thriller, a buddy movie, and also every other genre. It's good, it's bad, it's all of the above. We loved it. And we're glad to be back, thanks! Shout-out to our brand new $5+ backers via patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies: Heather Buist, Adrian, Shaun, Josh Link, Hbomb, Justin Cousson and Trent Maudier! Special thanks as well to the rest of our $5+ loyal standbys: AHackFraud, Burhan Ali, Claire B, Jeremy Banks, Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Soren Bliefnick, Samuel Bryant, Emma Burton, John Calsbeek, Sean Cassity, Frank Chilese, Paul Collins, Pam D, Maximilian Gaß, Hwan, Callum Kerr-Edwards, Patrick Meany, Michiakig, Chris Moyer, Carl Noren, Shoshana Packman, Adam Page, Michelle Phelps, Quinn, Mink Rose, RSS, Kyle Ruiz, shay, Sydney Shuster, Dan Spritz, Thomas, Dan Thurston, Toby, Josiane TR, Tommy Volkevics, Matthew Walden, Aaron Walker, Esther Weidauer, Greg Weise and Lilith White

Maddy and Mary Ellen enjoyed Logan, but it can't compare to Children Of Men. Okay, actually it can compare to Children Of Men, since comparing those two movies is exactly what we set out to do here, but suffice it to say that Children Of Men does a lot very well. Logan does, too, but Children Of Men's haunting pacifist message and portrayal of grief, parenthood, and sacrificing yourself for someone else hangs together in just the right way. It also helps that the sacrifices in this movie don't feel like they're only twisting the knife, and instead are about characters making deliberate choices to be there for one another. We don't have a guest this time around, so we're back to our usual carefree and lengthy dissection of smart cinematography, depictions of male violence, and encouraging our listeners to eat the rich. It's part of a balanced breakfast. Shout-out to our brand new $5+ backers via patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies: Burhan Ali, Greg Weise, Shay and Patrick Meany! Special thanks as well to the rest of our $5+ loyal standbys: AHackFraud, Claire B, Jeremy Banks, Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Soren Bliefnick, Samuel Bryant, Emma Burton, John Calsbeek, Sean Cassity, Frank Chilese, Paul Collins, Pam D, Maximilian Gaß, Hwan, Callum Kerr-Edwards, Michiakig, Chris Moyer, Carl Noren, Shoshana Packman, Adam Page, Michelle Phelps, Quinn, Mink Rose, RSS, Kyle Ruiz, Sydney Shuster, Dan Spritz, Thomas, Dan Thurston, Toby, Josiane TR, Tommy Volkevics, Matthew Walden, Aaron Walker, Esther Weidauer, and Lilith White!! HOORAYYYY

When you think of the 2017 movie Logan, you immediately also think of comedian and podcaster Paul F. Tompkins. Obviously! Maddy and Mary Ellen chose the pairing of Logan and Children of Men, and through the magic of the internet, they soon learned that Paul loves the movie Logan and that he wanted to come on our show to share his thoughts. Also, he has heard of our show. This all actually happened, and luckily, we recorded it. Barely. We'd like to give a shout-out to our new $5+ Patreon supporters (via patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies), who are: Dan Spritz, Esther Weidauer, Frank Chilese, Kyle Ruiz, Hwan, Tommy Volkevics, Josiane TR, Samuel Bryant, Matthew Walden and Sydney Shuster. Hooray!! Here are our continuing $5+ backers, whom we also appreciate: Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Soren Bliefnick, John Calsbeek, Mink Rose, Jeremy Banks, Maximilian Gaß, Sean Cassity, Michelle Phelps, Thomas, Adam Page, AHackFraud, RSS, Paul Collins, Chris Moyer, Aaron Walker, Pam D, Callum Kerr-Edwards, Emma Burton, Carl Noren, Claire B, Michiakig, Shoshana Packman, Dan Thurston, Toby, Quinn, and Lilith White. Thank you!!!!

Continuing our pairing of movies about burning down the institutions that failed us, and the idea of human lives being more important than said crappy institutions, Maddy and Mary Ellen follow up Thor: Ragnarok with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. People were mad about this movie, so we're going to settle this debate once and for all. The movie is good! The flashbacks are good! You shouldn't want to hear about Snoke's backstory, or whatever! There's sex jeans involved, and it just gets weird, okay? Anyway, join us on this episode which is almost an hour longer than the movie itself, during which we don't even get to the spoiler tag until over an hour in. Why is our show like this? Because it's perfect in every way, and we won't change a thing. You're welcome. We have a Patreon at patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies! One of the rewards includes shout-outs to backers at the $5+ tier. Here are our brand new backers as of this episode: Claire B, Michiakig, Shoshana Packman, PRS, Dan Thurston, Toby, Quinn, and Lilith White. Here are the rest of our faithfuls: Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Soren Bliefnick, John Calsbeek, Mink Rose, Jeremy Banks, Maximilian Gaß, Sean Cassity, Michelle Phelps, Thomas, Adam Page, AHackFraud, RSS, Kyle Sliva, Paul Collins, Chris Moyer, Aaron Walker, Pam D, Callum Kerr-Edwards, slimesiren, Emma Burton, and Carl Noren. THANK YOU!!! We appreciate your support.

Maddy and Mary Ellen kick off their next pairing, Thor: Ragnarok and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, two big franchise tentpoles of late 2017 about colonialism, burning down the troubled trappings of an empire, and rebuilding anew with your collection of snarky revolutionary pals. We started with Thor: Ragnarok, a movie that truly has someone for eeeveryone to crush on. Oh, and good news for longtime listeners: THIS HULK FUCKS. If this is your first episode and you have no idea what that means, we're sorry, and also, go back and listen to the Hulk eps. We have a brand new Patreon of our very own at patreon.com/letswatchtwomovies! One of the rewards includes shout-outs to backers at the $5+ tier, so here are the lovely folks we'd like to mention: Rebecca Bennett, Timothy Bennett, Soren Bliefnick, John Calsbeek, Mink Rose, Jeremy Banks, Maximilian Gaß, Sean Cassity, Michelle Phelps, Thomas, Adam Page, AHackFraud, RSS, Kyle Sliva, Paul Collins, Chris Moyer, Aaron Walker, Pam D, Callum Kerr-Edwards, slimesiren, Emma Burton, and Carl Noren. THANK YOU!!! We appreciate your support. Follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, alissacaliente and MIDImyers!

After pairing The Departed and Good Will Hunting, Maddy and Mary Ellen settle in for some emails from fans about those eps. But also, we're still catching up on our massive email backlog, so we kick off the ep by reading a thoughtful email from last year about The Big Sick and immigrant experiences. Then we duel with the many men who sent us polite emails in defense of The Thing, and we try to be just as polite in response (Mary Ellen succeeds; Maddy doesn't and she's sorry, sort of). There are also multiple reprisals of "Trailer Talk," because mostly, we've just been watching trailers. Lastly, here are the links that Ramesh sent us in his email about The Big Sick: http://www.redbrick.me/comment/a-secret-double-life-for-young-british-asians/ http://www.browngirlmagazine.com/2016/10/my-story-of-living-a-double-life-indian-and-american/ http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/childrens-research-centre/sites/www.open.ac.uk.researchprojects.childrens-research-centre/files/files/ecms/web-content/ahmad.pdf Follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, alissacaliente and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

[This track got re-uploaded because Maddy messed up the audio spacing slightly before. If you have the other version, please delete it and listen to this one. Thanks/apologies!] After watching The Departed, we never believed we could fall in love with any man again. Fictional or otherwise. But somehow, Good Will Hunting has achieved the impossible and softened our hearts. The second movie in our Boston Boys pairing made us get choked up for all the right reasons. It turns out that Maddy and Mary Ellen can watch and enjoy a movie about dudes, dad-like figures, violent tendencies, and fraternal support networks if it's also a nuanced story about the difficulties of overcoming trauma and figuring out what the heck you want to do with your life. There's not a rat in this movie. There are still "your mom" jokes. But they're funny this time! Somehow! Follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, alissacaliente and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

The Departed made Maddy and Mary Ellen cry, but not in a "wow, what a poignant fable of our times" type of way. More in like the "we've completely lost it now and we're laughing but we're also crying" way. Like the toy plane moment in the 50 Shades of Grey episode, combined with the unmoored alienation of Batman v Superman, supplemented by the low roar of anger that comes with the knowledge that this movie won not one, not two, not three, but FOUR Academy Awards in 2006. The Departed is a dude movie that everyone has since forgotten about, and with good reason. It's too homophobic to be as homoerotic as we want it to be, but we do our damnedest, because shipping Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen is the only thing we have left to hang onto anymore. Next week, we pair The Departed with a far more famous Boston movie that also stars Matt Damon... Good Will Hunting! Hopefully we won't be as angry about that one. Follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, alissacaliente and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Maddy and Mary Ellen have been getting a lot of email from listeners since the show started in 2016, and we almost never read it. What if we actually... read it? Just, every now and then? And also shoot the shit about what we're watching? We're thinking about doing more of these mini-episodes featuring mail from you, the listeners, plus some bonus reflections from us about movies, shows, and games we're into right now. What do you think about this mini-episode? Tell us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com. We might even read your email on a future ep, at this rate. Follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Compared to Heathers, Mean Girls had no bite. Maddy and Mary Ellen revisit the 1988 classic satire of high school politics and rediscover its timeless lessons about revenge, violence, and whether life can ever really feel "fair" when you're a teen. This movie navigates abuse dynamics and high school murderers, which hits a little too close to home, but this movie doesn't shy away from those topics--so, neither do we. Also we compare Christian Slater's character in this movie to the Joker a lot. Because, you know. It's us. Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Mean Girls remains a fixture and a fascination for Maddy and Mary Ellen's generation, but in the years since the movie came out, we've all come to love the so-called "mean girls." But the actual movie doesn't love them and instead encourages us to cheer for Janis Ian, the bitter outcast who is definitely not a lesbian. How well does that story hold up? Not super well, according to us. In this episode, we take aim at Tina Fey Feminism, the girls who bullied us when we were young, and the paternalistic shadow that Aaron Samuels casts upon this film. Next week: HEATHERS!! Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Love actually isn't all around, at least when it comes to how Mary Ellen and Maddy feel about this movie. Who knew that Die Hard would stack up so well in this Christmas-themed pairing? Listen to your intrepid co-hosts dissect one of the most influential post-9/11 romantic comedies, featuring a ton of characters who can't seem to stop pushing each others' boundaries. This movie was problematic in 2003, to be sure, but in 2017, it sure is a trip into hell. Speaking of hell, we've also decided that this movie is a reflection of Hans Gruber's eternal torment, following the events of Die Hard. Let us make our case! This episode is really long, but do we even need to say that anymore? That's just how we roll. Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Well, the weather outside is frightful, and Maddy and Mary Ellen have chosen two appropriately Christmas-y movies in honor of December: Die Hard and Love Actually! Our co-hosts managed to enjoy Die Hard even though we hate cops, which should serve as an indicator of how good this movie is. We still take plenty of moments to point out this movie's outdated views on gender, race, and police overreach. Also, remember when people really hated journalists? Good thing those attitudes got left back in 1988! Lastly, it turns out that Bruce Willis is a great actor. Who knew? Next week: Love Actually, a Christmas movie that also has Alan Rickman in it!!! Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Maddy and Mary Ellen revisit their shared childhood nightmare, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a movie so popular that it demolished The Thing's chances at success. Maddy explains why the alt-universe 1982 version of herself would have preferred E.T. to The Thing, whereas Mary Ellen's alt-universe 1982 self didn't see either movie. Our 2017 selves have now seen both of these movies, and while we understand why audiences didn't care for The Thing, we still don't get why E.T. became a massive cultural phenomenon. Also, we talk about Stranger Things a lot in this episode, which seems only fitting for our The Thing/E.T. pairing, given the widespread influences that these two movies have had on pop culture to this day. Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Happy belated Halloween! Maddy and Mary Ellen celebrate the holiday by pairing two scary movies from the summer of 1982: The Thing and E.T., in that order. Now, you might be thinking, "Is E.T. scary?" Of course it is! What's more, E.T. may have destroyed The Thing's chance at success, or at least that's what John Carpenter thinks. For some reason, audiences in 1982 wanted to watch a movie about a diminutive interstellar visitor who befriends children, as opposed to an alien abomination who can mimic other life forms, but only after destroying them. It's either friendship or flamethrowers, around here! There's no in between when it comes to alien life. Maddy and Mary Ellen try their best to give The Thing a fair shake, unlike audiences in 1982, but the movie's nihilism and hopelessness still make it a tough sell from our 2017 perspective. The worst part is MacReady's hat. The best part is MacReady's hat. Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

This week, Mary Ellen guested on Maddy's other podcast, The Mutant Ages! We reviewed the X-Men movie along with our mutual friend and fellow Atomic Blue host, Ryan. We hope you'll check out the episode for some fun movie discussion: https://soundcloud.com/themutantages/episode-15-x-men-2000 This preview clip is an excerpt that didn't make it into the final cut of the episode, in which the three co-hosts don't discuss X-Men... but instead, the movie Unfriended. Happy HalloweeEEeEEn!

Maddy and Mary Ellen return, after a slightly longer wait than usual, to compare Obvious Child to The Big Sick! These two delightful romcoms both star comedians and share themes of communication and real-feeling experiences. But how realistic ARE these movies? Get ready for us to take straight men to task for not living up to the standards set by Kumail Nanjiani and Jake Lacy. But before all that, we kick off the pod by advocating abstinence and introducing our new show, the Pause Podcast. This sure is another episode of Let's Watch 2 Movies! Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Maddy and Mary Ellen return with a new pairing: two romcoms about two comedians, starting with The Big Sick this week and Obvious Child next week. We loved this movie, and we spend a long time telling you why in this episode, but we also point to some of the criticisms written about it. One article that we refer to in the episode is Imran Siddiquee's "Why Are Brown Men So Infatuated With White Women Onscreen?" (https://www.buzzfeed.com/imransiddiquee/why-are-brown-men-so-infatuated-with-white-women-onscreen?utm_term=.nhW7Mv9aa#.gsnaVXWLL). Give that a read! Then circle back and listen to the rest of our analysis on how this movie navigates themes of forgiveness, learning how to communicate, and saying goodbye forever (but maybe not forever). P.S. Maddy's audio is kinda staticky at a couple points in this episode, and she did her best to edit around it. She should probably not have bought a used audio mixer on Amazon, but it was cheaper. Forgive us our empty wallets? Thanks

For the first time in the history of this podcast, Maddy and Mary Ellen will NOT be discussing a movie (let alone two movies) in this week's episode. In honor of their 25th episode, they dive into a Q&A with the show's listeners, with one another, and with one of the podcast's most notable detractors: Mary Ellen's father. Strap in for never-before-revealed details about the actual name we wanted to call our podcast, the other movie podcast that we've had a secret beef with this entire time, plus a ton of movie recommendations, shout-outs to everyone ever, stories about bad first dates, and more personal information than your co-hosts have ever shared about themselves on this show before. Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

After last week's foray through The Cabin In The Woods, Maddy and Mary Ellen settle in to compare it with The Final Girls, a 2015 meta horror movie that also features five increasingly self-aware teens... plus five other teens who are stock horror movie foils. The Final Girls keeps it simple by navigating the virgin/whore dichotomy, the inherent limitations of the "final girl" narrative, and not much else. Unlike The Cabin In The Woods, The Final Girls doesn't bite off more than it can chew. It's not Maddy and Mary Ellen's favorite movie of all time, but our intrepid co-hosts still think this movie hangs together a bit better than The Cabin In The Woods did. Oh... and please don't get it mixed up with that other 2015 movie called Final Girl. That movie looks bad. Email us feedback at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Maddy and Mary Ellen watched The Cabin in the Woods, and they deem it to be... fine. The movie's got a couple funny bits, a couple scary bits, and a couple satirical bits, but not quite enough of each of these to make this movie a comedy, a horror, or a satire. It's kind of like this joke about the Black Eyed Peas from The Office (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiI4lvRbLkU), which we refer to in the episode, for some reason. We do realize this movie means a lot to people, though, so in spite of not quite seeing the appeal, we put on our analysis hats and talk about horror movie tropes and the larger metaphor in the film about Hollywood movie execs, directors, and the ancient beings (a.k.a. moviegoers) that allegedly strike fear in Hollywood's heart. Next week, we pair this movie with another meta-commentary on horror movies: The Final Girls! Email us feedback at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Much like Batman v Superman, Captain America: Civil War feels stuck in 2016. Remember a year ago, when Steve Rogers' mistrust of institutions made sense but it still seemed like he was taking it a bit too far? Now it's 2017, and Maddy and Mary Ellen can totally see his side. We just want to run away with our brainwashed boyfriend Bucky and escape all of this. This episode is long. Do we need to keep saying that? Anyway, tune in as Maddy spends way too much time talking about all the Avengers comics she has read, and Mary Ellen talks about the tiny personal moments in this film that make it more emotionally accessible than Batman v Superman. Lastly, here's the essay that Maddy mentions during an aside in the episode: https://sublimezoo.com/2016/05/17/black-fictional-lives-matter-too-black-pain-black-death-civil-war/ Email us feedback at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

In 2016, two superhero movies hit cinemas: one from DC and one from Marvel. Both featured ensemble casts and questions about how the government should legislate superpowers. We're talking about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Captain America: Civil War. It's only been a year, but these movies already feel dated as heck. First up, Maddy and Mary Ellen look at DC's gritty take on Batman and Superman's showdown, featuring too many dream sequences, ableist side plots, and spurious definitions of masculinity. We watched the Ultimate edition, which purports to make more sense than the theatrical cut, but we don't see how. Next week: Civil War! Email us feedback at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo, maryellenmurr and MIDImyers! Lastly, please consider tipping us via Patreon: http://patreon.com/atomicblueproductions

Swiss Army Man, also known as The Harry Potter Farting Corpse Movie, might seem like an unusual pairing for Mad Max: Fury Road. But this movie is also about a man lost in the wilderness seeking something to live for... or someone. And that someone is Mr. Harry Potter Farting Corpse. But seriously though, there's a lot more to this movie than jokes about bodily functions. It's also about death (mostly suicide), figuring out what it is to be alive, and falling in love. Maddy and Mary Ellen talked about this movie for three hours, so there's gotta be something to it, right? Email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter at letswatchtwo!

At long last, Mary Ellen and Maddy have reached the end of their three-part meditation on the merits of Mad Max: Fury Road. Also, our apologies for Maddy's audio quality lowering a bit for a brief section near the beginning of this episode. Thanks for your patience on that. Also for your patience regarding the fact that we just put out three episodes about only one movie. In the conclusion of LW2M's trio of Fury Road eps, Maddy and Mary Ellen discuss Max and Furiosa's chemistry, the hero worship of dictators (both in fiction and the real world), George Miller's criticism of machismo, the meaning behind the movie's final title card, and the fact that Mad Max: Fury Road is good. It's good! IT'S A GOOD MOVIE. We repeat that, several times, just to be sure you all got it. Next week: Swiss Army Man!!

Maddy and Mary Ellen continue on their three-part journey through Fury Road, as the pathway turns from sand to swamp for our heroes. We watch as Max and Furiosa grow into their parental roles for the weird family of escapees from Immortan Joe's oppressive influence. Mary Ellen coins the term "Dad Max" to describe this phenomenon. More comparisons to Handmaid's Tale also ensue, as well as comparisons to The Hunger Games. You know what comparison doesn't come up? Swiss Army Man. Not yet, anyway. But we'll get to it eventually, we promise! Next week: the third and final part of our Mad Max: Fury Road trilogy. Stay tuned... Until then, feel free to follow us @ letswatchtwo on Twitter and email us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com!

For the first time in the history of this podcast, Maddy and Mary Ellen watched a movie whose greatness cannot be contained in just one episode. It can't even be contained in two episodes. For better or worse, the intrepid co-hosts of Let's Watch 2 Movies will be delivering a trinity of episodes about the cinematic masterpiece that is Mad Max: Fury Road. After that, they'll finally reach the movie with which they've paired it, which is Swiss Army Man. In this episode, we cite this video by Lindsay Ellis called "Planting and Payoff - Featuring Mad Max: Fury Road" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLLGN7zv-3k), as well as this post about how the movie's center-of-frame technique humanizes its characters (http://fandomsandfeminism.tumblr.com/post/121507326334/bonehandledknife-doctorscienceknowsfandom). Thanks for bearing with us as we detail every last facial expression that passes over Tom Hardy's illustrious visage.

Maddy and Mary Ellen wrap up their misandrist pairing of Gone Girl and Hard Candy by reminding everyone that Ellen Page is a great actress. Content warning for, like, every single thing in this movie though. If you don't think you can handle watching a story about pedophilia, rape, torture, murder, emotional manipulation, and [list goes on indefinitely], then feel free to enjoy our detailed recap and analysis of the film... as well as our take on how the real protagonist of Hard Candy is that one Nighthawks cafe worker. What a twist!

Complicated female villains? That's our shit! Gone Girl and Hard Candy have been controversial with critics, but not so much with us... although we can certainly understand why these movies weren't a hit with everyone. Maddy and Mary Ellen kick off the pairing with a deep dive into Gone Girl, gender roles, marriage stereotypes, and the scourge of spermjacking that's haunted our society for generations.

It's been a while since Maddy and Mary Ellen got to watch a movie they actually enjoyed, huh? This week, our co-hosts compare The VVitch with Ex Machina, Alex Garland's thriller about robots, consciousness, and gender roles. Plus there's that great scene where Oscar Isaac and Sonoya Mizuno dance around. During the episode, Maddy shouts out this essay by J.A. Micheline about the movie's themes, which contains a lot of spoilers (much like this episode): http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/05/21/ex-machina-a-white-feminist-parable-for-our-time/

Episode 13 seems like an appropriate time to watch something spooooookyyyy. How about The Witch (usually styled as The VVitch), a horror movie often hailed as a feminist masterpiece? Unfortunately, Mary Ellen and Maddy aren't sure that interpretation of the movie holds up on scrutiny, but this movie still has some great performances. Especially from Black Phillip. Oh, also, this was our first long-distance recording, so it's not as high-quality as it could be, but next week it'll sound a lot better because we figured out a better way to do it. Next week: EX MACHINA!

After last week's three-hour episode about The Dark Knight, this week's two-hour episode of analysis of The Prestige seems downright reasonable in length, doesn't it? Thank goodness for that, since Mary Ellen and Maddy had to watch both of these movies and record both episodes in one week, due to the way scheduling worked out. This was TOO MUCH NOLAN, folks. Don't try this at home. Anyway, now's a good time to subscribe if you haven't yet; our hosts aren't entirely sure when their next episode will be out, but once it is, you know you won't want to miss it!

WE'RE BACK. After spending several weeks in Marvel jail, Mary Ellen and Maddy return to podcasting to address the blood feud that has haunted the entire run of this show: NOLANNN. Our hosts have chosen to analyze The Dark Knight and The Prestige, in that order. Anyway, did you all know that The Dark Knight is a really long movie? This podcast episode is even longer! We're not sorry. (Okay, we're a little sorry. Listen to it in chunks, or something.) Your reward for making it to the end of the episode will be getting to hear Mary Ellen and Maddy lose their minds over the difference (or lack thereof) between the hero Gotham deserves and the hero Gotham needs. Lastly, we refer to this Clickhole parody video analysis of The Dark Knight roughly 600 times in this episode, so you should probably watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaVG4xIwMQw

This episode starts out innocently enough, with Mary Ellen and Maddy comparing Eric Bana's 2003 turn at the Hulk to Edward Norton's later attempt in 2008, in The Incredible Hulk. However, about halfway in, the episode goes completely off the rails as Maddy and Mary Ellen debate why this movie won't let the Hulk have sex. This episode is an abomination, loaded with two different Hulk serums. That's actually a reference to the 2008 Hulk movie, and it's just as gross as it sounds.

Happy Hulkidays and a Hulky New Year! The 2000s brought us not one, but two Hulk movies--and both of them were deemed unsatisfactory. But why? We must use scientific research to find out. And also magic, and our feelings. Mary Ellen and Maddy kick this pairing off with a very giggly analysis of Eric Bana's attempt at the character in the 2003 film Hulk, directed by Ang Lee. This movie....... is funny. And it's not supposed to be. Whoops.

After last week's divisive episode about Birdman, you'll be relieved to hear that Maddy and Mary Ellen both actually enjoyed the movie this week. Been a while since that happened, huh? Our two co-hosts opine about social media, fame, mental illness, art, and Michael Fassbender's biceps in their lengthy analysis of Frank. At the top of the show, they also read some listener mail about The Big Lebowski. As always, you can share your thoughts and fan-art with us at letswatchtwomovies@gmail.com — and let us know if you want us to, like, get a Twitter or a Tumblr or something.

Get ready for a SHOWDOWN, because Mary Ellen and Maddy do not see eye to eye when it comes to Birdman. This episode marks the start of another two-movie pairing, with the theme of art and mental illness. They've chosen Birdman and Frank, two movies about those themes, as well as movies about the process of creating art and dealing with the response to it. Sometimes, that response isn't good. That's definitely been the case with Birdman, a notoriously divisive movie. Strap in, folks, because this is our longest ep yet.

This episode lacks its usual energetic verve, because Maddy and Mary Ellen were emotionally exhausted by this movie. We blame THE DUDE. And all of the dudes of the world! After watching The Shawshank Redemption, our co-hosts watched The Big Lebowski, and they didn't care for it. Mary Ellen and Maddy have tried, valiantly, to understand men. Have they succeeded? This episode brings us to our answer: a resounding "no."

After taking a week off to decompress from the results of the U.S. presidential election, Maddy and Mary Ellen have returned to watch two dude-centric movies: The Shawshank Redemption and The Big Lebowski. They start out with Shawshank in this week's episode and do their very best to understand men.

It's Election Day here in the States, which means Maddy and Mary Ellen wanted to give you something to do today. Why not listen to two women lose it over a toy plane? As a counterpart to Twilight, Mary Ellen and Maddy watched 50 Shades of Grey. There are a lot of laughs, but also, a lot of serious discussion of abusive relationships, the world of fanfiction, "problematic" fantasies, and... okay, we do mention the election, but only once. It'll go by quick, we promise.

Maddy and Mary Ellen have two new movies on the docket once again, and this time, they're starting out with one of the most notorious romances of our generation: Twilight. Strap in for some analysis of "problematic" female fantasies, folks, because they'll be pairing this movie with 50 Shades of Grey next week!

In the second episode of Let's Watch 2 Movies, Mary Ellen and Maddy continue the journey they began in the pilot episode with The Neon Demon by choosing Black Swan, another psychological thriller about female competition. Except, spoiler alert, they like this movie way better.

Welcome to the pilot episode of Let's Watch 2 Movies, a podcast hosted by Mary Ellen Murray and Maddy Myers. For their first pair of episodes, Mary Ellen and Maddy watched The Neon Demon and Black Swan; tune in next week to hear the second half of their journey. To support the show, check out patreon.com/atomicblueproductions!