Mama Needs a Movie

Anne and Ryan take a bite out of Ryan Coogler's new vampire picture, SINNERS starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell and Delroy Lindo. Coogler wrote and directed this original Southern Gothic horror tale of twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Jordan), returning to the Mississippi Delta to open a juke joint. When their cousin Sammie is recruited to play the blues guitar, a supernatural power is unleashed that attracts darks forces. Coogler's movie is a bold genre mashup of horror, musical, and period drama that has cast a spell on critics and audiences alike, but do Anne and Ryan think SINNERS is to die for? Or do they they think it sucks? Listen as we unpack Coogler's latest, taking diversions into credit sequences, Hallmark movies, oral sex, Black Bag, Robert Eggers, and much, much more!SINNERS is currently in theaters.

Anne gives a brief update on Mama Needs a Movie for the upcoming weeks. Follow our Patreon podcast, ATTENTION MUST BE PAID, at patreon.com/MNAM

We discuss the new romantic comedy, BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY starring Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, and Hugh Grant. Based on the Helen Fielding novel and directed by Michael Morris, this latest chapter of the Bridget Jones saga finds our titular heroine as a widowed single mother, re-entering the dating world with a younger man. Join as we reveal if we're mad about MAD ABOUT THE BOY, calling in some help from Ryan's sister, Carly Layne (a true blue BRIDGET JONES fan) for the definitive rating, and taking diversions into the Academy Awards, Justin Baldoni, Lights Camera Jackson, Amistad, The White Lotus and much, much more!BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY is available to stream with a subscription to Peacock.

Anne and Ryan gestate their takes on the new comedy, KINDA PREGNANT starring Amy Schumer, Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, and Will Forte. Directed by Tyler Spindel and written by Schumer and Julie Paiva, KINDA PREGNANT stars Schumer as a Brooklyn school teacher who fakes a pregnancy for attention. Debuting to the #1 spot on the Netflix charts, KINDA PREGNANT aims to imbue a prenatal comedy with wild irreverence, but does the movie deliver? Check out our discussion that also takes diversions into Super Bowl commercials, Nosferatu, Riverdale, Superman, Miami Vice and much, much more!KINDA PREGNANT is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Anne and Ryan discuss the year's most Oscar-nominated film, Jacques Audiard's musical EMILIA PÉREZ starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez. The film follows a Mexican cartel leader who recruits a lawyer to help her transition into a woman and restart her life as a philanthropist. Drawing both accolades as an inventive, relevant musical and criticism as a tone-deaf overreach into Mexican and trans representation, EMILIA PÉREZ is the most polarizing film of any recent awards season. Join our discussion of Audiard's divisive musical, taking diversions into Justin Baldoni, George Lucas, offensive Tweets, Josh O'Connor, The Reader, Born in East L.A., and much, much more! EMILIA PÉREZ is currently available to stream on Netflix.

In honor of the recently departed David Lynch, Anne and Ryan revisit one of the director's least-celebrated, but most haunting works, LOST HIGHWAY starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Loggia, and Robert Blake. This 1997 neo-noir begins with a married couple receiving a mysterious VHS tape on the doorstep of their Los Angeles home and the rest of the story... is better seen than explained. Join us for a trip down the dark and enigmatic LOST HIGHWAY, as we pay a fond tribute to one of America's irreplaceable artists. LOST HIGHWAY is currently available to stream on The Criterion Channel. 

Anne and Ryan digest the architectural drama, THE BRUTALIST starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, and Joe Alwyn. Directed by Brady Corbet and written by Corbet and Mona Fastvold, THE BRUTALIST follows a fictional Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth (Brody) as he immigrates to America and falls under the patronage of a wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Pearce). A critical hit and Oscar front-runner, THE BRUTALIST is undoubtedly epic in its ambition, length, and use of VistaVision, but is the film as monumental as the hype? Join us for a brutally honest discussion that takes some diversions into Wicked, Babygirl, Dave Eggers, Bradley Cooper, Funny Games, The Godfather, The Fountainhead and much, much more! THE BRUTALIST is currently in theaters.

Anne and Ryan look back on the most memorable 2024 releases in a special year-in-review episode. Brace yourselves for a spoiler-heavy discussion of 2024's most divisive and impactful movies, including THE APPRENTICE, BABYGIRL, BETWEEN THE TEMPLES, CHALLENGERS, A DIFFERENT MAN, HARD TRUTHS, HERE, HOW TO HAVE SEX, LA CHIMERA, MEGALOPOLIS, MY OLD ASS, NICKEL BOYS, QUEER, THE SUBSTANCE, and many more!

Writer/director Alex Kavutskiy returns to the podcast to discuss the new Bob Dylan biopic A COMPLETE UNKNOWN starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and Elle Fanning. James Mangold directs this chronicle of Dylan's early successes, including his quick rise in the New York folk scene, his collaborations with Joan Baez, and controversial choice to go electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. It ain't no use to sit and wonder what we think of this movie, take a listen to our freewheelin' discussion which includes a few diversions into Amadeus, Babygirl, Inside Llewyn Davis, Dune, and much, much more! A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is currently in theaters.

We watched a ton of movies this year, but some of the most exciting ones weren't new. In a special holiday episode, Anne and Ryan discuss a handful of older films that fascinated them in 2024, from first-time discoveries of underseen gems to reexaminations of all-time classics. From noir to gothic horror, from Brando to Bogart, these are some of the film experiences that felt most vital to us in the past year.

Anne and Ryan discuss Luca Guadagnino's new drama QUEER starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, and Lesley Manville. Based on the William S. Burroughs novella of the same name, QUEER follows an American writer living in 1950s Mexico City, pursuing a romance with a recently discharged Navy man. As the pair travel to South America in search of a mysterious drug, the story takes on a dreamlike aura in its depiction of longing and wanderlust. Join us for this discussion of Guadagnino's directorial follow-up to this year's Challengers, as well as diversions into James Bond, AMC theaters, Melancholia, the Babygirl trailer, Black Narcissus, Derek Jeter's gift baskets, Under the Volcano, The Agency and much, much more! QUEER is currently in theaters.

Writer/director/actor Courtney Davis returns to the podcast to discuss the newly-released NIGHTBITCH starring Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy. Marielle Heller directed this adaptation of Rachel Yoder's novel about an artist struggling with the monotony of stay-at-home motherhood. As her frustrations worsen by day, she transforms into a canine at night. Released in time for the holidays, is NIGHTBITCH the feisty underdog of awards season, or is this feminist fable for the dogs? Delve into our discussion of NIGHTBITCH that goes into some off-leash diversions on Miranda July's All Fours, Whole Foods, The Fly, Bob Dylan, Queer, and much, much more! NIGHTBITCH is currently in theaters.

Anne and Ryan enter the arena of discussion for the newly-released epic GLADIATOR II starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Ridley Scott directs this sequel to his Oscar-winning GLADIATOR, which finds Marcus Aurelius's grandson, Lucius (Mescal) captured and enslaved by the Roman General Acacius (Pascal). After an impressive gladiatorial performance, Lucius is recruited by a conniving stable master to win matches for an opportunity at revenge. Timed for Thanksgiving release, GLADIATOR II performed admirably at the box office, but how does this sword and sandal spectacle compete against Scott's original? Join us for an action-packed analysis of GLADIATOR II, along with diversions into Normal People, Jude Law, Déjà Vu, Ralph Finnes, La Chimera, Metallica, Barabbas, Adam Somner, and much, much more! GLADIATOR II is currently in theaters. 

Anne and Ryan discuss JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Todd Phillips directed this follow-up to 2019's stratospherically successful JOKER, which finds Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) confined to Arkham State Hospital and pursuing a romance with the mysterious inmate Lee (Gaga). As Arthur stands trial for his crimes, he mentally escapes the threat of punishment through imagined juke box musical numbers. Critically reviled and box office flop, JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is one of 2024's most high profile failures, but is all the hatred justified? Listen to our takes on JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX, along with diversions into the Arclight, House of Gucci, The Band Wagon, holiday commercialism, Now, Voyager, Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington, and much, much more! JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is currently available for streaming rental and launches on Max on December 12th.

Anne and Ryan discuss Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner, ANORA starring Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn. When Brooklyn stripper Ani (Madison) meets and impulsively weds the mega-wealthy Ivan (Eydelshteyn), a madcap adventure ensues as Ivan's family desperately attempts to annul the marriage. ANORA finds Baker executing his gritty style at a larger and more accessible scale than before, resulting in a near-unanimously praised awards contender. But does Mama Needs a Movie ador-a ANORA, or do we think ANORA is a snore-a? Listen to our discussion of Baker's latest along with with diversions into Woman of the Hour, Milk Money, Last Night in Soho, Kenji Mizoguchi, the Safdie brothers, the Duplass brothers, the Coen brothers, and much, much more! ANORA is currently in theaters.

Anne and Ryan discuss the new released comedy-drama, A REAL PAIN starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Written and directed by Eisenberg, A REAL PAIN follows two estranged cousins on a tour through Poland as they attempt to connect with the memory of their recently deceased grandmother, their cultural heritage, and each other. Featuring a standout performance from Culkin, A REAL PAIN is just the kind of dialogue-driven character study perfect to kick off MNAM's tour of this autumn's most intriguing releases. We hope you'll join us for this discussion that also includes a few detours into the 2024 election results, The Sixth Sense, The Odd Couple, Sunshine, Thomas Jefferson, Unstrung Heroes, Woody Allen and much, much more! A REAL PAIN is currently in theaters.

Our political thriller series comes to an exciting Election Day conclusion with writer and actor Dan Chamberlain (Have I Got News for You) joining to discuss John Frankenheimer's THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and Janet Leigh. Based on Richard Condon's novel, this 1962 classic concerns a Korean War veteran Raymond Shaw (Harvey), who is brainwashed by communists to become an unwilling killer in an international conspiracy. One of the defining films of the Kennedy-era Cold War, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE has earned a reputation as the quintessential political thriller, but can its dark paranoid fantasy possibly outdo the tension of the current political moment? Find out on a special 2024 Election Day episode of Mama Needs a Movie that also takes diversions into The Ghost Writer, James Carville, libertarianism, Brian Wilson, the Nixon Library, Joycelyn Elders, Parade Magazine, Queer, Conclave, and much, much more! THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE is currently streaming for free on Tubi, PlutoTV, Kanopy, Hoopla, and the Roku Channel.

Our political thriller series reaches a fever pitch as writer Jack Allison (author of Kill the Rich) joins to discuss Oliver Stone's JFK starring Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, and many, many more. This 1991 Oscar-nominated drama relitigates the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy through the probing lens of New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (Costner). Overflowing with equal parts historical information and conjecture and expertly edited to achieve an anxiously breathless pace, JFK is the quintessential conspiracy film- but what does that mean in a culture where online political conspiracies currently dominate America's fringes? We'll try to solve the mystery of JFK along with some diversions into the current election, January 6th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Irishman, and much, much more!

As the 2024 election draws near, we can't get enough political thrillers, this week looking at Steven Spielberg's Cold War tale, BRIDGE OF SPIES starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. Scripted by Matt Charman, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, the film tells the true story of James B. Donovan (Hanks), a New York City lawyer called upon to defend a recently arrested spy for the Soviets, Rudolph Abel (Rylance). Donovan develops a surprising respect for his stoic client, eventually fueling his motivation to attempt an historic prisoner exchange in East Germany just as the Berlin Wall is going up. A rare espionage suspense story that's focused more on diplomacy than violence, BRIDGE OF SPIES has garnered a dubious reputation as the quintessential Speilberg/Hanks "Dad movie", but it's time for MAMA to cross this BRIDGE, stopping for a few diversions into Christopher Nolan, The Man Who Knew Too Much, nepo babies, Munich, Henry Fonda, The Great Gatsby, The Negotiator, The White Ribbon, nuclear war and much, much more!

Our season-long Political Thriller obsession continues with Sydney Pollack's THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway. This 1975 suspense classic centers on a CIA researcher who returns from his lunch break to discover his co-workers are murdered and he's on the run for his life. Featuring an unconventional romance between Redford and Dunaway and a villainously scene-stealing turn by Max von Sydow, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR typifies the post-Watergate paranoid thriller as we know it. Join our discussion as we take flight on CONDOR, with occasional diversions into Michael Mann, William Castle, August Wilson, The Conversation, Out of Sight, The Los Angeles Times, and much, much more! THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR is currently available to stream with subscription to Paramount Plus.

Our Political Thriller season continues with writer and actor Jon Millstein joining to discuss the 1985 espionage true story THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN starring Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. Directed by John Schlesinger, the movie tells the fact-based tale of two disillusioned friends who embark on a dangerous hustle selling United States security secrets to the Soviet Union. With a whip smart script by Steven Zaillian (his first-ever produced) and revelatory performances from Hutton and Penn, THE FALCON AND SNOWMAN received decent reviews upon release, but was only a muted box office success. In recent years, FALCON has yet to catch a second wind, but is due for a critical reappraisal. Listen in on our discussion of this underrated espionage classic that takes diversions into Megalopolis, the Vice Presidential debate, Alfred Tennyson, Skibidi Toilet, Levitated Mass, Boss Baby, the Winter Soldier and much, much more! THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN is currently available to stream for free on Hoopla and PlutoTV. 

Our season of political thrillers continues with guest Kayla Bates (host of ScreenVomit) joining to discuss Mary Harron's AMERICAN PSYCHO starring Christian Bale, Chloë Sevigny, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Samanta Mathis and Reese Witherspoon. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, this turn-of-the-millenium satirical thriller delves into the psyche of Patrick Bateman, a status-obsessed investment banker leading a double life as a sadistic serial killer in 1980s Manhattan. Anchored by an audacious performance from Bale, AMERICAN PSYCHO had much to say about Trump-style materialism and dehumanization long before Trump entered the political arena. As both a slyly feminist work and an oft-misinterpreted staple of filmbro canon, it's only grown in esteem as a darkly fascinating film to watch and discuss. Join us as we go nuts for AMERICAN PSYCHO, taking diversions into Blink Twice, The Dark Knight, Serial Mom, Chris Hansen, Gloria Steinem, Caligula, and much, much more! AMERICAN PSYCHO is currently available to stream with subscription to Netflix.

Writer Ally Hord (Late Night with Seth Meyers) joins our Political Thriller series to discuss Alan J. Pakula's 1974 paranoia-fest, THE PARALLAX VIEW starring Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, and Paula Prentiss. Beatty stars as an investigative newspaper reporter uncovering a sinister shadow organization that specializes in political assassination. Released in the wake of several real life political assassinations and the Watergate scandal, THE PARALLAX VIEW typifies the stylish disillusionment of '70s era cinema, soberly shading an outlandish premise with cinematographer Gordon Willis's low-light moodiness. Join us as we contrast our different views on PARALLAX, along with diversions into Donald Trump, Home Improvement, the Burbank airport, The Paper, Harrison Ford, Glenn Close, and much, much more! THE PARALLAX VIEW is currently available to stream for free on Kanopy and PlutoTV. 

Just in time for election season, we're kicking off our Political Thriller series with IN THE LINE OF FIRE starring Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich and Rene Russo. Wolfgang Petersen directed this 1993 suspense actioner about a Secret Service agent trying to thwart a would-be assassin targeting the U.S. President. Upon release, IN THE LINE OF FIRE was a critical and commercial hit, garnering Oscar nominations for Malkovich, screenwriter Jeff Maguire and editor Anne V. Coates. From now until Election Day, Mama Needs a Movie will delve into paranoia-driven political thrillers, starting with this pulse-pounding episode on IN THE LINE OF FIRE which contains the premiere of a new segment, Poetry Corner, the return of Let's Talk Physical, and diversions into Law & Order, the Olympics, Dermot Mulroney, incels, the 2024 election cycle and much, much more! IN THE LINE OF FIRE is available from most streaming rental platforms and can also be streamed with a subscription to MGM+.

Anne and Ryan delve into the drama of the newly released IT ENDS WITH US starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj and Brandon Sklenar. Based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, the movie follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a florist reconciling her father's death, beginning a relationship with a surgeon and reuniting with an old flame. As the story unfolds, darker themes of domestic violence reveal themselves, forcing Lily to make tough decisions about her life moving forward. With the off-camera drama between director Baldoni and the cast threatening to overshadow the film itself, we try to fairly examine the form and function of this modern day melodrama, along with some diversions into Nick Jonas, Douglas Sirk, Parachute, Gena Rowlands and much, much more! IT ENDS WITH US is currently in theaters.

In this unlocked episode of Mama Needs a Movie's Patreon spinoff podcast, ATTENTION MUST BE PAID (patreon.com/MNAM), Anne and Ryan look back at Lynne Ramsay's MORVERN CALLAR, a 2002 Scottish drama anchored by a haunting performance from Samantha Morton that is worthy of far more attention. Traumatized by the suicide of her novelist boyfriend on Christmas morning, Morvern Callar (Morton), submits his last manuscript as her own, then sets out on a trip to Spain with her best friend Lana (Kathleen McDermont). Following Ramsay's acclaimed debut feature, RATCATCHER, and preceding her more widely-recognized WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN and YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE, MORVERN CALLAR is at turns moving, meditative, unsettling, and essential to understanding Ramsay's one-of-a-kind directorial approach. MORVERN CALLAR is available to stream for free on Kanopy or Freevee (with ads), or with subscription to The Criterion Channel or Prime Video.

Anne and Ryan discuss the newly-released disaster sequel, TWISTERS starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell. Lee Isaac Chung (director of 2020's Minari) helms this fresh follow-up to Jan de Bont's 1996 original. TWISTERS follows meteorologist Kate Carter (Jones) as she re-enters the dangerous world of tornado chasing after a tragedy. When Kate meets Tyler (Powell), a hotshot hillbilly with a storm chasing YouTube channel, she is compelled to resume her groundbreaking scientific research into windy weather. Opening to positive reviews and a record box office debut for a natural disaster thriller, TWISTERS has stirred up a lot of attention, but does the movie itself suck, blow, or soar? Batten down the hatches for a breezy discussion of TWISTER that also takes diversions into the Presidential race, Miranda July, Beetlejuice, Armie Hammer, Normal People, White Christmas and much, much more! TWISTERS is currently in theaters.

In anticipation of the soon-to-be-released sequel, Anne and Ryan take a look back at 1996's original TWISTER starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lois Smith, Jeremy Davies, Todd Field and Alan Ruck. Director Jan de Bont's disaster spectacular follows a group of amateur storm chasers across Oklahoma, flirting dangerously close with tornados as old flames Jo (Hunt) and Bill (Paxton) flirt with each other. Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin co-wrote TWISTER, which turned out to be the second highest grossing movie of 1996, stirring up $242 million at the box office. As Lee Isaac Chung's remake touches down this week, we look back at the original that started it all, along with diversions off path into The Bear, Jurassic Park, Outbreak, Nightcrawler, Los Angeles Plays Itself, Longlegs, Daddy Longlegs, and much much more!

Vroom vroom! Writer Eva Anderson returns to the podcast for a joy ride with THE BIKERIDERS starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Mike Faist. Jeff Nichols wrote and directed this pedal-pumping drama based on Danny Lyon's book of the same name. Based on real figures from 1960s Chicago motorcycle scene, THE BIKERIDERS finds the brooding Benny Cross (Butler) torn between his wife Kathy (Comer) and the reluctant leader of the Vandals bike gang, Johnny (Hardy). Listen to Mama Needs a Movie break down the leatheriest movie of summer along with pit stops into Kevin Costner's Horizon, celebrity tattoos, the Playa Vista Cinemark, method acting, The Box, Poolman, Door Holder Number 3, The First Omen and much much more! THE BIKERIDERS is currently in theaters.

Writer/director/actor Courtney Davis returns to the podcast to help us judge Alan J. Pakula's 1990 legal thriller PRESUMED INNOCENT starring Harrison Ford, Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia, Brian Dennehy, Paul Winfield and Greta Scacchi. Based on the best-selling novel by Scott Turow, PRESUMED INNOCENT spins the engrossing tale of a respected prosecutor accused of murdering a colleague. To give away any more of the plot would be a crime in itself. A box office hit upon release, the story has resurfaced in a new adaptation on Apple TV+ starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role. For a movie of highly enjoyable twists and turns (including a still-discussed ending), we highly recommend you see PRESUMED INNOCENT before listening to our spoiler-filled discussion, where we also launch into unrelated sidebars on Casino, Flags of Our Fathers, The Perils of Pauline, Donald Sutherland, Kinds of Kindness, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard's Architectural Digest profile, and much, much more! PRESUMED INNOCENT (1990) is available for digital rental and purchase on most major platforms.

It's raining men on Mama Needs a Movie with our first ever doubleheader review, discussing Richard Linklater's comedy noir HIT MAN and Chris Pine's lighthearted mystery POOLMAN. HIT MAN stars Glen Powell as a mild-mannered philosophy professor Gary Johnson, moonlighting as an undercover fake hit man, who falls for Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who hires him. Debuting to critical praise at the Venice Film Festival, HIT MAN was picked up by Netflix for a straight-to-streaming release. POOLMAN stars Chris Pine as Darren, a good-natured eccentric who lives in a trailer at an apartment complex in Los Angeles. His intense love of the city is put to the test when femme fatale June (DeWanda Wise) draws him into a sordid conspiracy. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, POOLMAN has faced a harsher critical response, but we vow to give Pine's directorial debut a fair shake. HIT MAN is currently available to stream with subscription on Netflix. POOLMAN is currently available for digital rental.

We push the pedal to the metal in our discussion of George Miller's post-apocalyptic actioner, FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke. The fifth installment of Australia's venerable Mad Max series finds a young Furiosa kidnapped by biker warlord Dr. Dementus, and forced to watch her mother be murdered. After growing to adulthood at the Citadel, Furiosa becomes intent on taking revenge on Dementus, setting out on Fury Road where she meets Praetorian Jack. Following 2015's widely praised Mad Max: Fury Road, FURIOSA has opened to favorable reviews but disappointing box office numbers, causing some to wonder if this long-running franchise has finally run out of gas. Join us for a high octane talk of all things FURIOSA, along with some pit stops into The Bikeriders, Mike Faist, Saving Private Ryan, The Cell, The Souvenir, revenge films, aging auteurs, Marlon Brando, and much, much more! FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA is currently in theaters. 

Artist, writer and comedian Raft joins for a discussion of the new romantic comedy, THE IDEA OF YOU starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. Directed by Michael Showalter, this Prime Video release tells the story of Solène (Hathaway), a Silver Lake art gallery owner and divorced mother turning 40 whose accidental Coachella encounter with 24-year-old pop star, Hayes Campbell (Galitzine) leads to a sexy romance. Based on the book by Robinne Lee, THE IDEA OF YOU has garnered buzz for Hathaway's sincere work and the characters' unconventional age pairing, so it's high time for Mama Needs a Movie to weigh in on this modern work of Mom Cinema. Join us as we share some ideas about THE IDEA OF YOU, along with diversions into the Met Gala, celebrity tattoos, theatre kids, Fiona Apple, Quentin Tarantino, My Policeman, Maestro, Glendale, Quibi and much, much more! THE IDEA OF YOU is available to stream on Prime Video.

Anne and Ryan volley points back and forth on Luca Guadagnino's tennis romance, CHALLENGERS starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor. CHALLENGERS is the chronologically jumbled story of two young tennis players, Patrick (O'Connor) and Art (Faist) who meet another pro, Tashi (Zendaya) and are immediately drawn to her. Years later, Tashi has coached one player to numerous titles, while the other fumbles through a career low point, the fate of all three realigning at a Challenger event. Praised for its sexy, kinetic style and score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, CHALLENGERS is shaping up to be one of 2024's most discussed movies. We serve up an aggressive CHALLENGERS discussion along with some out-of-bounds diversions into Shampoo, Out of Sight, The Social Network, West Side Story, body hair, Universal CityWalk, the Americana, and much, much more! CHALLENGERS is currently in theaters.

Actor and podcaster Craig Jorczak (The Oscar Should Have Gone To) joins to discuss the newly released action thriller, MONKEY MAN starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma and Sikandar Kher. The film marks Patel's directorial debut in which he plays Kid, a young man set on taking revenge against the corrupt police chief who murdered his mother. Plagued by injuries sustained during fight training, a harsh mid-pandemic production, and a late withdrawal of Netflix distribution, Patel's first foray behind the camera required a resiliency worthy of his action hero protagonist, but is the film worthy of the blood, sweat and tears that went into it? Join us as we tackle MONKEY MAN with some diversions into Ripley, Letterboxd, John Woo, the Skarsgård siblings, Monster's Ball, Foe, Kenneth Lonergan, movie stars on Broadway, and much, much more! MONKEY MAN is currently playing in theaters.

Director and writer Harrison Atkins (Lace Crater) joins for a discussion of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's rhapsodic 1947 drama, BLACK NARCISSUS starring Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar and Sabu. Based on Rumer Godden's novel, BLACK NARCISSUS tells the story of Anglican nuns establishing a convent on a Himalayan mountaintop. Overwhelmed by the region's natural beauty and their own natural urges, the sisters begin to question their lives as nuns. Shot in stunning Technicolor by cinematographer Jack Cardiff, BLACK NARCISSUS is one of Powell and Pressburger's defining films, a thorny, surprisingly modern work on female devotion, repression, lust and madness. Join Mama Needs a Movie as it gazes into BLACK NARCISSUS, with some diversions into Annihilation, Paris Is Burning, declining horniness, Madeline, Silence, haircuts, Sister Wendy and much, much more! BLACK NARCISSUS is available to stream with subscription to The Criterion Channel or Max, and can be streamed for free on Freevee, Tubi, and The Roku Channel. 

Mama Needs a Movie celebrates 100 episodes of flawless podcasting with a telephone survey of former guests Danny Jelinek, Allan McLeod, Jessica Lee Williamson, Alex Kavutskiy, Courtney Davis, Meghann Murphy, Caramel Nguyen, Jon Millstein, and Rachel Lee Goldenberg.

Anne and Ryan serve up a spicy discussion of Denis Villenueve's DUNE: PART TWO, the second installment of the epic science-fiction saga starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Javiar Bardem. Based on Frank Herbert's classic novel, the film picks up where 2021's DUNE left off: In a distant future, after the fall of the House Atreides, Paul Atreides (Chalamet) and his mother Jessica (Ferguson) travel with the Fremen on the planet of Arrakis. Paul's romance with Chandi (Zendaya) grows as he struggles with visions of a terrible future and an impending war with House Harkonnen. Opening to rave reviews and a strong box office performance, DUNE: PART TWO has already cemented its place as one of 2024's most celebrated releases, but does the film really live up to the hype? Join Mama Needs a Movie down the wormhole of Villenueve's latest, along with diversions into Star Wars, Priscilla, The Last Temptation of Christ, Sydney Sweeney, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and much, much more! DUNE: PART TWO is currently in theaters.

Actor, comedian and playwright John Ross Bowie (Brushstroke) joins to discuss the 1954 animated adaptation of George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM featuring the voices of Gordon Heath and Maurice Denham. Co-directed by John Halas and Joy Batchelor, ANIMAL FARM is a beast fable symbolizing decades of Russian history as an animal uprising on a brutally-maintained farm. Partially funded by the CIA's Office of Policy Coordination, ANIMAL FARM was intended as a covert piece of anti-communist propaganda, but performed poorly at the box office, eventually finding its biggest audience in American classrooms. We delve into this animated oddity in the context of Bowie's new play, BRUSHSTROKE, a Cold War comedy thriller dealing with the CIA's involvement in the modern art movement. Plus, we leave room for some off-topic diversions into The Secret of NIMH, The Green Berets, No Way Out, Mike Leigh, Andy Serkis, Captain America, Captain Phillips and much, much more!ANIMAL FARM is currently streaming for free on Freevee and Tubi.BRUSHSTROKE is currently playing at the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles.Tickets at: https://odysseytheatre.com/tickets/?eid=111850

Actress and writer Meghann Murphy (host of The Oscar Should Have Gone To) joins for a look back at James Cameron's Oscar-winning romance TITANIC starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Billy Zane. Set aboard the ill-fated vessel, the story finds a newly-engaged first class passenger Rose (Winslet) falling for a free-spirited artist (DiCaprio) in third class. Cameron's ambitious epic, (pitched as "Romeo and Juliet on the Titanic"), was a fraught production, racking up a then all-time record budget of $200 million dollars and sparking speculation that it would be a box office disaster. Upon release in December of 1997, TITANIC remained number one at the box office for 15 consecutive weeks, racked up 14 Academy Award nominations, won 11, and launched DiCaprio and Winslet into the ranks of superstardom. Congrats, you've won a ticket aboard the our detailed reassessment of this Valentine's Day staple, along with diversions into Amadeus, May December, Revolutionary Road, Bradley Cooper, Saltburn, Lars von Trier and much, much more!  TITANIC is currently available to stream with subscription to Paramount+

Anne and Ryan discuss Yorgos Lanthimos's gothic comedy POOR THINGS starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. Based on a novel by Alasdair Gray, POOR THINGS tells the fantastical tale of Bella Baxter (Stone), a Victorian era woman resurrected from the dead through a brain transplant. Escaping her constrictive environs with a rapidly maturing mind, Bella experiences an intellectual and sexual awakening traveling throughout London, Lisbon, Alexandria, and Paris. Released at the end of 2023, POOR THINGS received praise for the performances of Stone, Dafoe, Ruffalo, as well as its innovative production design, costumes and musical score. But what will MAMA NEEDS A MOVIE have to say about Lanthimos' twisted variation on Frankenstein? Observe our grisly dissection of POOR THINGS, along with divisions into The Curse, The Man with Two Brains, Yellow Submarine, NYAD, Frankenhooker, Good Time, Bunnicula, and much, much more! POOR THINGS is currently in theaters.

Anne and Ryan look back on their most memorable movie experiences from 2023 in this special year-in-review episode. Buckle up for a spoiler-heavy discussion of 2023 films including: AFIRE, ALL OF US STRANGERS, AMERICAN FICTION, ANATOMY OF A FALL, THE HOLDOVERS, THE IRON CLAW, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, MAY DECEMBER, NAPOLEON, PASSAGES, PAST LIVES, SALTBURN, THE ZONE OF INTEREST, plus first-time watches of older titles like THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT, NO WAY OUT, OUT OF THE BLUE and much, much more!

Our "Alone for the Holidays" series concludes with our final episode of 2023, a discussion of Andrew Dominik's bleak 2012 crime drama KILLING THEM SOFTLY starring Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Richard Jenkins. Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crises, KILLING THEM SOFTLY follows a pair of low-level criminals pulling an opportunistic heist, then switches to the hit man hired to control the fallout. Based on the novel Cogan's Trade by George V. Higgins, KILLING THEM SOFTLY was largely dismissed by audiences upon release as too downbeat, but it's an honest and exhilarating movie of big ideas, expressing with great efficiency and poetry what it means to be alone America. KILLING THEM SOFTLY is currently available to stream for free on PlutoTV or Tubi, or with subscription to Prime Video.

In this special holiday bonus episode, Anne and Ryan have seen MAESTRO and simply must have an emergency discussion of Bradley Cooper's long-gestating 2023 biopic of composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein. Cooper's drama largely focuses on Bernstein's marriage with Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), and the couple's many challenges in the face of Bernstein's success. Enjoy this surprise discussion of MAESTRO that also diverts into Humoresque, TÁR, The Bandwagon, Beavis and Butt-Head, Oppenheimer, Unfaithfully Yours and much much more! MAESTRO is currently available to stream with subscription on Netflix.

Writer and performer Brian Finkelstein returns for our "Alone for the Holidays" film series, discussing Robert Zemeckis's survival tale, CAST AWAY starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. In CAST AWAY, Hanks plays a time-obsessed FedEx employee who survives a plane crash on Christmas Eve, drifting ashore on a deserted island. After years of learning to survive in solitude, he must decide whether to risk his life to return to civilization. CAST AWAY was a box office and critical hit in the year 2000, scoring Hanks an Oscar nomination for his astounding body transformation. Join us for a discussion of CASTAWAY that also drifts toward diversions into The Shawshank Redemption, The Martian, James Cameron, the Sphere in Las Vegas, Octonauts, Charlie Wilson's War and much, much more! CAST AWAY is currently available to stream for free on Tubi.

Musician Owen Ashworth (Advance Base) joins our ongoing "Alone for the Holidays" series with a discussion of JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES starring Delphine Seyrig. At the age of 25, Chantal Akerman wrote and directed this slow-burning Belgian drama depicting the daily chores of a widowed mother in exacting detail. Through a series of static long takes, we become accustomed to Jeanne Dielman's well-worn pattern of cooking, cleaning, caretaking, and sex work- until the pattern breaks down and her behavior grows increasingly erratic. When first screened at Cannes in 1975, JEANNE DIELMAN was met with a mixed reception, but subsequent re-evaluation deemed it a masterpiece of slow cinema. In the 2022 Sight and Sound poll, JEANNE DIELMAN was voted to be the greatest film of all time by critics, and is but one film of many in Akerman's body of work to grow in esteem since her 2015 death. Join us as we try to figure out the deal with DIELMAN, taking a few diversions into Aki Kaurismäki, Cold Mountain, Playtime, Afire, famous filming locations, housecleaning, and much, much more! Check out Owen's music with Advance Base: https://advancebasemusic.com/ Check out Owen's drawings: https://www.instagram.com/ownashworth JEANNE DIELMAN can currently be streamed with subscription to The Criterion Channel or Max.

Our "Alone for the Holidays" season kicks off with writer/director Pat Bishop (This Fool, Corporate) joining to discuss Wim Wenders's 1984 road film, PARIS, TEXAS starring Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, and Dean Stockwell. Scripted by Sam Shepard, the film opens in the Mojave desert where Travis (Stanton) emerges from years of self-imposed isolation. After reuniting with his brother Walt (Stockwell) and son Hunter (Hunter Carson), Travis's complicated past comes into greater focus, spurning another road trip of reconciliation. Featuring vibrant camerawork by Robby Müller and a starkly soulful musical score by Ry Cooder, PARIS, TEXAS was awarded the 1984 Palme d'Or and is now widely considered Stanton's iconic role and Wenders's American masterpiece. Join Mama Needs a Movie on a trip through PARIS, TEXAS that includes pit stops into Twin Peaks, The End of Violence, John Ford, '80s interest rates, Disney+, The Last Temptation of Christ, peep shows, Baywatch and much, much more! PARIS, TEXAS is available to stream with subscription to The Criterion Channel or Max.

Writer and performer Joan Ford returns to the podcast to discuss Mama Needs a Boo-vie's final spooky October selection, Paul Schrader's CAT PEOPLE (1982) starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell and John Heard. This loose remake of Jacques Tourneur's 1942 supernatural classic follows Irina (Kinski) traveling to New Orleans to meet her brother, Paul (McDowell). As incestuous undertones rage between the two, Irina is drawn into an investigation of serial murders, befriending a hotshot zoologist (Heard). This probe eventually leads to a shocking discovery about Irina's family lineage. Upon release, CAT PEOPLE received decent reviews, but proved a box office failure with only later reappraisals fully appreciating its sexy atmosphere and moody Giorgio Moroder synth score. Join us as the claws come out for this discussion of CAT PEOPLE, along with diversions into Five Nights at Freddy's, Doctor Detroit, Body Heat, Deep Blue Sea, Swiss Family Robinson, Mark Wahlberg, Las Vegas zoos, Scorsese on Letterboxd, and much, much more!

Writer Dave Ferguson (The Birthday Boys, I Love You America) braves our October excursion into cinematic scare fare with a discussion of David Cronenberg's 1986 classic THE FLY starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. The Canadian auteur injects his unmistakable brand of body horror into this sci-fi fable of scientist Seth Brundle (Goldblum) whose experiments with matter transport go awry when he mistakenly teleports himself along with a single house fly. THE FLY was a well-reviewed box office hit upon release, solidifying Goldblum and Davis as a brainy (and very tall) screen couple for the '80s and unleashing Cronenberg as a sicko master for the masses. Join us as we merge with THE FLY, taking a few diversions into Vidiots, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, Mel Brooks, bug digestion, Little Monsters, stress dreams, kid Halloween costumes, Axe Body Spray, the Grinch and much, much more! THE FLY is currently available to stream with subscription to Max.

Writer and actor Dan Chamberlain (The Tonight Show) returns to kick off our October "Mama Needs a BOO-vie" fright-fest with Brian De Palma's supernatural classic, CARRIE starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen and John Travolta. This 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's novel follows Carrie White (Spacek), a timid teen who lives under the thumb of high school bullies and her abusive zealot mother, Margaret (Laurie). As her classmates devise a cruel prom night prank, Carrie begins to develop telekinetic powers, leading up to one of horror cinema's most unforgettable climaxes. A box office smash and double Oscar nominee (Spacek and Laurie both received nods), CARRIE solidified De Palma's status as New Hollywood's most audacious stylist, King's bankability as an adaptable author, and telekinesis as a horror movie trend. Join us as we discuss CARRIE with some spooky diversions into Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, H.P. Lovecraft, Freddy Krueger, Blue Steel, The Exorcist, Duets, Sam Elliott, and much, much more! CARRIE is currently available to stream with subscription to Max.

Writer Harper Steele (SNL, Casa de mi Padre, Eurovision) joins to discuss the adventure classic SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON starring John Mills and Dorothy McGuire. Director Ken Annakin helmed Disney's lavish 1960 adaptation of Johann David Wyss's 1812 novel about a family of five shipwrecked on a deserted island. Scavenging the contents of the defunct vessel, the Robinsons manage to build an elaborate tree house and play host to a menagerie of wild animals- but the coziness of their newfound Eden threatens to be corrupted by a looming pirate menace. SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON may have been initally released as an family offering, but its gender dynamics, racial representation and themes of colonization make for a complicated reassessment through a contemporary lens. Listen as we explore the deep roots this film has taken in our own lives, and as we branch out into diversions on Mary Poppins, Freebie and the Bean, dumpster diving, Kurt Russell, living off the grid, and much, much more! SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON is available to stream with subscription to Disney+