Michael and Us

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A podcast about political cinema and our crumbling world. Hosted by Will Sloan and Luke Savage. Exclusive subscriber-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus/overview

Will Sloan and Luke Savage


    • May 29, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 28m AVG DURATION
    • 656 EPISODES

    4.4 from 513 ratings Listeners of Michael and Us that love the show mention: michael moore, citations needed, 4 more years, media analysis, jacobin, 158, left perspective, sloan, hunger games, tom hanks, canadians, bush, luke, latter, comparisons, savage, viewing, cinema, canada, documentaries.


    Ivy Insights

    The Michael and Us podcast is a hilarious and insightful show that combines film criticism, politics, and cultural analysis. Hosted by Luke Savage and Will Sloan, this podcast offers a unique perspective on current events through the lens of movies. While they can come across as snobby at times, dismissing anything that isn't an art house black and white film, their critique is often spot-on. They excel in providing smart political commentary and their reviews of movies are always entertaining.

    One of the best aspects of The Michael and Us podcast is the hosts' great chemistry and their ability to provide informed political and cultural analysis. Their politics are on point, delivering left-wing perspectives with humor and intelligence. They tackle a wide range of topics, from Canadian politics to US current events, offering fresh insights that make you think. Furthermore, their discussions about films are always interesting, whether it's a classic movie or a modern documentary.

    However, one downside of the podcast is that it can sometimes feel a bit too niche in its focus. If you're not particularly interested in film criticism or left-wing politics, then this podcast may not be for you. Additionally, while the hosts' snobbish attitude towards certain types of movies can be humorous at times, it may alienate listeners who have different tastes or preferences.

    In conclusion, The Michael and Us podcast is an excellent blend of humor, intelligent analysis, and cultural commentary. Luke Savage and Will Sloan provide engaging discussions about films, politics, and everything in between. While there are some drawbacks to the podcast's niche focus and occasional snobbishness towards certain films, overall it is an entertaining show that offers unique perspectives on current events. Whether you're a movie lover or a fan of left-wing politics, this podcast is definitely worth checking out.



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    Latest episodes from Michael and Us

    PREVIEW - #626 - Metaquest (w/ Wendy Liu)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 5:47


    At some point in the 15 years since its release, THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) became a historical document. We're joined by our official Silicon Valley correspondent Wendy Liu to discuss why its complicated perspective on startup culture resonated so strongly, and what the passage of time has revealed about people like Zuckerberg. And of course, we get into the Aaron Sorkin of it all. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/130141170

    #625 - Due Process (Newsroom Part 12)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2025 46:49


    When the Twin Towers fell on that September day, who was there to comfort us? In Season 2, Episode 2 of THE NEWSROOM ("The Genoa Tip"), we learn that it was - of course - Will McAvoy. We also learn a little more about his Republican politics in this complicated episode. PLUS: We pay tribute to a fallen superstar of the podcast, and Will explains to Luke what THE ROCK (Michael Bay, 1996) is. JOIN US ON PATREON FOR AN EXTRA EPISODE EVERY WEEK - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Catch up on our coverage of Season 1 of The Newsroom with this handy playlist - https://www.patreon.com/collection/1429433

    PREVIEW - #624 - Twilight of the Dinosaur Hour

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 5:05


    We return to one of our favourite topics: John Cleese's baffling GB News chat show THE DINOSAUR HOUR. In this episode, John and a panel of cranks and reactionaries try to define "woke," and we find that we've entered exactly the right room for an argument. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/624-twilight-of-129612151

    #623 - Occupy Sorkin (Newsroom Part 11)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 52:53


    After a healthy break, we finally return to Aaron Sorkin's THE NEWSROOM. In the first episode of season two ("First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All the Lawyers"), we find Will McAvoy and his team learning of a movement to Occupy Wall Street and debating the ethics of predator drones. PLUS: A roundup of American politics news, including David Hogg, Joe Biden, and a Woodstock for centrists. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Catch up on our coverage of The Newsroom's first season - https://www.patreon.com/collection/1429433 See Luke interview Grace Blakeley at the 2025 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture on May 20 - https://broadbentinstitute.ca/events/2025-ellen-meiksins-wood-lecture/ Subscribe to Luke's Substack - https://www.lukewsavage.com/ Will's book Ed Wood: Made in Hollywood USA - https://orbooks.com/catalog/ed-wood/

    PREVIEW - #622 - Highbrow Anxiety (w/ Alex Ross)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 3:31


    It's time to go dumpster diving in the wreckage of 2010s internet culture! Will is joined by Alex Ross to discuss THE CINEMA SNOB MOVIE (2012), a vehicle for infamous Channel Awesome contributor Brand Jones that takes a stand against highbrow cinephilia. We remember its unique strain of anti-intellectual faux-populism so you don't have to! PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/128722242

    PREVIEW - #621 - Three Jolly Fisherman

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 3:20


    In the suburbs of Toronto in the 1960s, a group home for emotionally troubled youth specialized in a wildly experimental form to treatment. We discuss Allan King's cinéma vérité classic WARRENDALE (1967), in which the camera is nearly as intimate as the therapy. PLUS: Louis Theroux visits Israeli settlers, and why can't Pink Floyd just get along? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/128199756

    #620 - Creation In Pectore

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 64:41


    In last year's Oscar contender CONCLAVE (2024), the election of a new pope at Vatican City becomes a centrist parable for navigating an era of political extremes. PLUS: We recap the strangest Canadian election of the century so far. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Check out Will's book Ed Wood: Made in Hollywood USA - https://orbooks.com/catalog/ed-wood/ Subscribe to Luke's Substack - https://www.lukewsavage.com/ "Conclave, and the liberal abyss," by Reuben of Haringey - https://fromthisbrokenhill.substack.com/p/conclave-and-the-liberal-abyss

    #619 - A Celebration of Specialness

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 58:32


    In the delightful TRUE STORIES (1986), David Byrne offered a whimsical view of the late Reagan era through the lens of a fictional Texas town. We consider the politics - or lack thereof - of Byrne's Warholian gaze on America and Her Problems. PLUS: Checking in Thomas Friedman. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus "David Byrne on True Stories" by Kory Grow - https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/david-byrne-true-stories-interview-754919/ "David Byrne's History Of Avoiding Unions Dates Back To The 1980s" by Daniel Marans - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/david-byrne-history-of-union-avoidance_n_647e6c0fe4b0047ed782e1ad

    PREVIEW - #618 - That Barton Fink Feeling

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2025 3:04


    A socially-conscious East Coast playwright gets a taste of Hollywood in BARTON FINK (1991). We discuss Barton, Madman Mundt, and "the common man." PLUS: One last check-in on the Canadian election. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/127528125

    PREVIEW - #617 - No Country for Little Tramps

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 6:25


    In this solo documentary episode, Will considers the events that led to Charlie Chaplin's political exile from the United States in 1952, and the lessons he offers for the current era of neo-McCarthyism. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/127261077

    #616 - When the Whistle Blows

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 68:20


    Sure, he's incredibly annoying now, but how funny was Ricky Gervais in his prime? We return to our old mandate of interrogating things we liked when we were teenagers by revisiting his acclaimed sitcom EXTRAS and its Christmas Special. PLUS: Did you know that Will wrote a book? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Pre-order Will's book ED WOOD: MADE IN HOLLYWOOD USA - https://orbooks.com/catalog/ed-wood/ While you're there, why not also order Luke's book THE DEAD CENTER? - https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-dead-center/ "The British Monarchy Will Not Survive Late Capitalism — And Harry and Meghan Are Proof" by Luke Savage - https://jacobin.com/2021/03/british-monarchy-neoliberal-age-prince-harry-meghan-markle

    PREVIEW - #615 - Vengeance Must Be Profound

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 3:09


    In LONDON HAS FALLEN (2016), Gerard Butler has to save both the American President AND Great Britain from Middle Eastern terrorists... and ends up killing a lot of people who may or may not be cops! PLUS: Damn, it's a great time to be a Columbia University alum! PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/126894013

    #614 - Record of a Tenement Gentleman

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2025 48:14


    Made in the rubble of postwar Japan, RECORD OF A TENEMENT GENTLEMAN (1947) finds Yasujirō Ozu exploring his familiar preoccupations of family and modernity through a different kind of setting. PLUS: Is the Canadian election a done deal? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    PREVIEW - #613 - The Paucity of Hope

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 6:04


    In the summer of 2016, with a guaranteed Hillary Clinton presidency was on the horizon, the Obama Era enjoyed a premature victory-lap with SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU (2016). Seen nine years later, this Sundance drama about the Obamas' first date has, shall we say, aged poorly. PLUS: Did you know that Elon Musk's family has a (very racist) Canadian connection? PATREON-EXCLUSIV EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/126209063

    #612 - The Classical Work That All of Us Have Done

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2025 61:56


    In 2011, William Shatner directed a documentary where he interviewed all of his fellow Star Trek captains. But the resulting film, THE CAPTAINS (2011), accidentally became the beloved ham's hilarious, revealing, and occasionally moving self-portrait. PLUS: How the Trump tariffs upended Canadian politics. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus The Newsroom: Season 1 - A Michael & Us Playlist - https://www.patreon.com/collection/1429433 TORONTO: See Will introduce VEERANA at the Fox Theatre on Tuesday, April 8 - https://www.foxtheatre.ca/movies/important-cinema-club-masterpiece-classics-veerana/

    PREVIEW - #611 - Technology and Empire

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 7:48


    In a moment when Canada is under existential threat, we look back on a great Canadian thinker who argued that Our Home and Native Land was already an American colony by the mid-20th century. In this special solo episode, Luke discusses George Grant, a self-described conservative who became an icon for the Canadian left, and his 1965 book "Lament for a Nation" PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/125887028

    #610 - The Greater Fool (Newsroom Part 10)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 55:58


    In the SEASON FINALE of our coverage of Aaron Sorkin's THE NEWSROOM, we find the show's many threads continuing, if not coalescing, in Episode 10 ("The Greater Fool"). We assess where the show has taken us so far, and assess the good (not much) and the bad (plenty). Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus "The End of Resistance History" by Charlotte E. Rosen - https://proteanmag.com/2025/01/20/the-end-of-resistance-history/

    PREVIEW - #609 - Gather Ye Rosebuds (Newsroom Part 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 3:10


    What if presidential candidates had to submit to a REAL debate with REAL questions? What if they had to face the most hectoring moderator of all tie? In episode 9 of THE NEWSROOM ("The Blackout Part II: Mock Debate"), Will McAvoy tests out that very idea. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/125384007

    #608 - Freedom Dues

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 47:06


    In THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (1973), a black man hired as a "token" by the CIA uses his training to start a black nationalist uprising. It couldn't be a more apt time to revisit this classic of radical American cinema. PLUS: Who's excited for the Abundance Agenda? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus "On the Legacy and Importance of The Spook Who Sat by the Door" by Robert Daniels - https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/ciff-2024-on-the-legacy-and-importance-of-the-spook-who-sat-by-the-door "Zaslav's Hamptons-Hollywood Vanity Project" by Matthew Belloni - https://puck.news/zaslavs-hamptons-hollywood-vanity-project/ "Leak Reveals Trump's Full Bonkers Plan for the Kennedy Center" - https://www.thedailybeast.com/leak-reveals-trumps-full-bonkers-plan-for-the-kennedy-center/ Luke's interview with Benjamin Teitelbaum - https://www.patreon.com/posts/interview-putins-64721929 "Radical Academics for the Status Quo" by Liza Featherstone - https://jacobin.com/2019/12/radical-academics-judith-butler-kamala-harris-donation

    PREVIEW - #607 - The Passion of Nancy Grace (Newsroom Part 8)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 5:09


    Episode 8 of THE NEWSROOM ("The Blackout, Part 1: Tragedy Porn") finds Aaron Sorkin considering media ethics through lens of three 2011-era scandals of varying magnitude: Anthony Weiner, Casey Anthony, and NSA surveillance. His conclusions find him returning to some pet grievances. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/124709344

    #606 - Sound of Freedom Fries

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 45:52


    From immigration anxieties to "enhanced interrogation" to globalism to elite sex trafficking, TAKEN (2008) is a virtual dictionary of right-wing grievances - including some that weren't even popular yet. We discuss the most entertaining reactionary action movie of its time. PLUS: Mark Carney, Mahmoud Khalil, Mel Gibson, and of course, Donald Trump. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus See Will present VEERANA at the Fox Theatre on April 8 at 9pm - https://www.foxtheatre.ca/movies/important-cinema-club-masterpiece-classics-veerana/ Luke's Substack - https://www.lukewsavage.com/

    PREVIEW - #605 - Fahrenheit 5/11 (Newsroom Part 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 2:28


    We finally arrive at the legendary Bin Laden episode of THE NEWSROOM ("5/11") and discover that surrounding that iconic clip on the airplane is Aaron Sorkin's most revealing meditation yet on what he thinks journalism should be. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/124082719

    #604 - Prestige Slop, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 45:28


    We return to Netflix's political miniseries ZERO DAY to find out what happened to Robert De Niro's Biden-ish ex-president... and discover something startlingly close to a liberal QAnon. PLUS: Well it turns out the U.S./Canada trade war is on! Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus "Is Lenny Bruce Funny?" by Will Sloan - https://hazlitt.net/feature/lenny-bruce-funny

    PREVIEW - #603 - Hail, Coens!

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 3:39


    The Coen Brothers' BURN AFTER READING (2008) offers a jaundiced take on Washington and its institutions at the tail end of the Bush era. We were in a desperate need of a good time, and the Coen Brothers can always be depended on to deliver. PLUS: Chinese blockbusters vs. American blockbusters - who will own this century? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/123667636

    #602 - Prestige Slop

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2025 54:17


    Imagine someone fed the last 10-or-so years of American liberal politics into an A.I. machine and told it to create a Netflix miniseries. Friends... you don't have to imagine. We discuss Robert De Niro in ZERO DAY (2025), the bilge water at the bottom of the prestige-TV. PLUS: Checking in on the Canadian Liberal Party leadership race, and what ever happened to the Garfield Eats guy? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus "The problem with Carney-ism" by Luke Savage - https://www.lukewsavage.com/p/the-problem-with-carney-ism "How TV Became Respectable Without Getting Better" by Matt Christman - https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2017/05/how-tv-became-respectable-without-getting-better "Casual Viewing" by Will Tavlin - https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/

    PREVIEW - #601 - Machine Gun Preacher (w/ Alex Shephard)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 1:27


    What if the makers of the God's Not Dead movies attempted a violent action film that combined John Wick and Taken with a Christian message? Friends, you don't have to imagine. Alex Shephard steps in for Luke on this episode to discuss David A.R. White (aka "Pastor Dave") in BECKMAN (2020). PLUS: What does Jeff Bezos's takeover of the Washington Post opinion section mean for journalism? And how long will the Trump/Musk honeymoon period last? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/123202129

    #600 - The 600th Episode Spectacular

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025 49:32


    When you speak into a microphone for 600 episodes across nine years, you're going to forget a lot of it. So to celebrate a very special anniversary, Will quizzes Luke about some of the most forgotten-about episode in Michael & Us history. Do YOU remember that Jerry Springer starred in a movie?? PLUS: SNL, James Bond, and a brief history of Keith Olbermann. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Will's Substack - https://willsloan.substack.com/ Luke's Substack - https://www.lukewsavage.com/

    PREVIEW - #599 - Olbermanncore Newsroom Part 6wav

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 8:36


    In episode six of THE NEWSROOM ("Bullies"), Aaron Sorkin brings some much-needed shading and complexity to the character of Will McAvoy. But of course, "complexity" and "self-flattery" can sometimes overlap. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/599-newsroom-6

    #598 - We Have Lingered In Puddles of Melted Gremlins

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2025 50:44


    With its Trumpian billionaire presiding over a steamrolling everything-company, Joe Dante's GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990) satirized the 1980s while also predicting the present day. We discuss a classic anti-Spielbergian blockbuster that wasn't. PLUS: Updates on the Canada/U.S. tariff battle, and who are the most readable conservative writers? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    PREVIEW - #597 - Live from Tahrir Square (Newsroom Part 5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 4:22


    The Arab Spring hits THE NEWSROOM in its fifth episode ("Amen"), but once again Aaron Sorkin finds himself more concerned with Will McAvoy's workplace dramas, including a nefarious attempt by the ACN morning show to bring his downfall. PLUS: Was the '60s "the decade where everything changed"? At least one magazine cover believes so! PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/122160705

    #596 - The Union Forever

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 47:25


    Paul Schrader's BLUE COLLAR (1978) follows three struggling auto workers who rob their union office and uncover a world of corruption. It's one of the great films about organized labour because it's one of the great films about solidarity. PLUS: We celebrate Canada's victory in the trade war, and check in on the politics of "Art the Clown." Check out Luke's Substack - https://www.lukewsavage.com/ Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    PREVIEW - #595 - On High in Blue Tomorrows Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 4:39


    David Lynch's most frightening and abrasive movie leads to his most hopeful conclusion. It's part two of our discussion of INLAND EMPIRE (2006). PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/595-on-high-in-2-121440636

    #594 - Guilty Pleasures (Newsroom Part 4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2025 57:53


    Our journey through Aaron Sorkin's THE NEWSROOM arrives at Episode 4 ("I'll Try to Fix You"), in which the power of a conscientiously-run newsroom helps save Gabby Giffords' life, and Will McAvoy takes a courageous stand against gossip in all its forms. The news is overwhelmingly bad right now, so we frankly had a nice time retreating to 2012. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    #593 - On High in Blue Tomorrows (Part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 55:01


    We pay tribute to the late, great David Lynch with a two-part discussion of his strangest, most abrasive, and arguably most innovative feature. We discuss how INLAND EMPIRE (2006) confounded expectations with its low-budget production, free-associative style, and startling use of digital video, and begin to unpacked its multilayered story. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    PREVIEW - #592 - West's Side Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2025 4:57


    We recap the first week-or-so of Trump Era 2.0, and then, because we can all use a larf right now, discuss LOOKWELL (1991), the legendary unsold sitcom pilot starring Adam West and written by Conan O'Brian and Robert Smigel. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/120760912

    PREVIEW - #591 - Facts are the Center (Newsroom Part 3)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 4:54


    In episode three of THE NEWSROOM, "The 112th Congress," Will McAvoy finally runs afoul of the people who really run the network. We discuss what Aaron Sorkin gets right about news media and the people who own it, in addition to all the things he gets wrong. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/591-facts-are-3-120499773

    #590 - Nasty Hero

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2025 59:06


    With the reigning governments in both Canada and the United States spurting their last few dribbles, we're in a bit of a political limbo period... so what better time to watch a bad direct-to-video '80s action movie? We discuss something called NASTY HERO (1987). PLUS: Obama and Trump, the Canadian Liberal Party leadership race, Armond White, and a few words on the passing of David Lynch. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Yes, you can watch NASTY HERO on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_Ry-QtlOEU&t=2113s&ab_channel=HiroyukiTerada%2FDayOffChannel "The Revolution Will Not Be Curated" by Thomas Frank - https://thebaffler.com/salvos/revolution-not-curated-frank

    PREVIEW - #589 - The X Factor (Newsroom Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 4:36


    In the second episode of THE NEWSROOM, MacKenzie lays out her theory of what a quality news broadcast should look like, and Will McAvoy presides over one of the worst broadcasts of his career. It's one of the Sorkinest Sorkin shows we've ever seen - it's "News Night 2.0" PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/589-x-factor-2-120060633

    #588 - Lubrication Theory Simulations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 48:02


    The White House has been destroyed by an earthquake, President Sean Young is trapped under the rubble, and House Speaker Eric Roberts wants to take over America in DC DOWN (2023), a low-budget disaster movie from the most trusted names in entertainment, Tubi and The Asylum. We treated ourselves to a good old-fashioned "good movie movie." PLUS: How seriously should we be taking Trump's threat to annex Canada? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus TORONTO: See Will introduce a screening of Jess Franco's Bloody Moon on January 14, 7pm at the Fox Theatre. Tickets - https://www.foxtheatre.ca/movies/the-important-cinema-club-masterpiece-classics-bloody-moon/ "The failure of Trudeauism" by Luke Savage - https://www.newstatesman.com/author/luke-savage

    PREVIEW - #587 - Action Will Be Taken

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2025 2:19


    When the possibility of positive political change seems so distant, and the stakes are so high, at one point is radical action advisable? This was a question posed by the Earth Liberation Front, the environmental group that became synonymous with "eco-terrorism." We watch the Academy Award-nominated documentary IF A TREE FALLS: THE STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT (2011), which charts the group's rise and fall. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/587-action-will-119515764

    UNLOCKED - #586 - A Newsroom with a View

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 71:13


    On our Patreon, we will be discussing the full run of Aaron Sorkin's THE NEWSROOM. This is the first episode. Join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    PREVIEW - #586 - A Newsroom with a View

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2025 10:50


    Hot on the heels of our magisterial Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip project, we return to the Aaron Sorkin mines with the Sorkiest Sorkin show that ever Sorked. We begin our deep dive into THE NEWSROOM with the pilot episode, "We Just Decided To." PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/119311355

    PREVIEW - #585 - The Fifth Annual Michael & Us Year-in-Review Extravaganza

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2024 2:16


    From Hyde Park on Hudson to Deadpool and Wolverine ... from the corridors around Studio 60 to the streets of Braddock, Pennsylvania ... we bid farewell to 2024 with one last look back at some of the most (and least) memorable things we discussed this year. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/585-fifth-annual-118912478

    #584 - It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Acting)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 61:17


    With a biopic about Bob Dylan about to reach screens, we examined the last time that the Voice Of His Generation attempted to translate his songwriting style to cinema. MASKED AND ANONYMOUS (2003) finds Dylan working through his ambivalent feelings about politics, while also struggling to keep up with a hilariously overqualified cast. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    PREVIEW - #583 - Bad Producer: Port of Call Loch Ness

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 4:44


    The filmmaker who coined the term "ecstatic truth" becomes the subject of a memorable docu-fiction hybrid in INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS (2004), in which Werner Herzog joins forces with Hollywood screenwriter Zak Penn to create a hoax involving the Loch Ness Monster. PLUS: Are these the last days of the Justin Trudeau government? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/583-bad-producer-118175616

    #582 - Pastor Dave for Congress (w/ Alex Shephard)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2024 77:11


    In the latest instalment of the God's Not Dead franchise, Pastor Dave answers a different kind of calling, and takes aim at the barrier between Church and State. We welcome back our friend Alex Shephard, staff writer at The New Republic, to discuss GOD'S NOT DEAD: IN GOD WE TRUST (2024). Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Alex Shephard at The New Republic - https://newrepublic.com/authors/alex-shephard

    PREVIEW - #581 - The Attitude Era

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 3:26


    We all know that WWE founder and ex-CEO Vince McMahon shared a long friendship with Donald Trump, and would you believe that the two men share some stuff in common? We discuss the new Netflix documentary series MR. MCMAHON (2024), an exhaustive chronicle of a man whose "Allegations" tab on Wikipedia could fill a library. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/117741859

    #580 - Memories of Murder

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2024 52:39


    With the failed coup in South Korea still fresh in our memories, we looked at Bong Joon-ho's breakthrough film MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003), a procedural set against the backdrop of martial law. PLUS: From South Korea to France to the streets of Manhattan, the vibes are, shall we say, off. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

    PREVIEW - #579 - Slouching Towards Altamont

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 3:23


    The story goes that the flower-power generation abruptly ended when the Rolling Stones held a free concert at the Altamont Speedway that went disastrously wrong. We revisited GIMME SHELTER (1970) to interrogate the myth. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/117294338

    #578 - Final Offer

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2024 67:57


    The Canadian documentary FINAL OFFER (1985) captures the contentious negotiations between General Motors and the Canadian wing of the United Auto Workers Union. We consider the conditions that allowed a the union triumph against the backdrop of Reagan/Mulroney-era austerity. PLUS: Taking the temperature on Canada's economic "vibe-cession," and what does Trump's tariff threat to Canada actually mean? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Watch FINAL OFFER - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYNwc0KuGTc&ab_channel=NFB "Democratic Elites Embraced the Identity Politics They Decry" by Branko Marcetic - https://jacobin.com/2024/11/democratic-elites-identity-politics-sanders Check out "Shifting Gears: Canadian Autoworkers and the Changing Landscape of Labour Politics" - https://www.ubcpress.ca/shifting-gears Our episode on the Flint Sit-Down Strike - https://www.patreon.com/posts/514-sit-down-sit-101918612

    PREVIEW - #577 - Walker's Immortals

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 3:49


    While Nicaragua was being ravaged by Reagan, Alex Cox used Hollywood money to make a sharp satire of American imperialism. The result, WALKER (1987), may have killed his career... but what a way to go! PLUS: Roger Ebert as the ür-liberal critic. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/116728650

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