Movie Thoughts

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Random and unvarnished thoughts about movies from an amateur, egg-head movie buff. forager23@gmail.com

Jonathan Hastings


    • Sep 1, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 25m AVG DURATION
    • 33 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Movie Thoughts

    Movie Thoughts, Ep. 28: Oscar Addendum, or, "What About The Godfather?" and "What About Green Book?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2020 10:54


    A mercifully brief addendum to Episode 26 ("Undeserved Oscar Winners"), where I respond to some comments about that episode (and offer some thoughts on the very-much-deserved Oscars for The Godfather movies and The Best Years of Our Lives) and talk about a movie (the Farrelly brother's great Green Book) that I would have talked about in that episode if it hadn't already been a billion hours long.

    My Critical Influences

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2020 31:49


    A discussion of some of the film critics (and other kinds of critics and writers) who have had an influence on my own approach to thinking about and talking about movies.

    Undeserved Oscars

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2020 51:58


    I discuss some of the reasons people like to argue about the Oscars, and focus in on arguments about undeserved winners. I discuss why I think movies such as How Green Was My Valley, Dances with Wolves, and Going My Way, still "deserve" their best picture wins, despite winning over arguably better movies. I also white knight for some movies that aren't quite as good but still strike me as being unfairly targeted as undeserving (like Crash and The Greatest Show on Earth). I still end up not finding too much good to say about Shakespeare in Love, though.

    Two Stylish Vampire Movies from the 1980's

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2020 17:39


    A quick and dirty compare and contrast between The Hunger and Near Dark, two stylish vampire movies from the 1980's, made early in the careers of directors who would go on to achieve great things.

    The 1980's (or Part 2 of My Deconstruction of the Myth of New Hollywood)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2020 50:53


    I attempt to push back against and deconstruct the widely held idea that cinema in the 1980's represented a tragic falling off from the greatness that was cinema in the 1970's. Also, I make fun of Goonies.

    Abnormal Movie Watching

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2020 19:40


    In this one, I talk about the difference between the way normal people watch movies and the way that (some) egg-head movie buffs like myself watch movies. I discuss my thoughts on some beloved-by-me and not-well-liked by most normal people movies, including Howard Hawks' A Song is Born, Michael Mann's Public Enemies, and Hitchcock's Topaz.

    Two Movie Recommendations

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2020 16:06


    In which I go from the ridiculous to the sublime and recommend a couple of movies currently available for streaming.

    Scorsese

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2020 43:52


    A tour through Martin Scorsese’s filmography.

    De Palma Redux

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2020 14:56


    I clarify some of my thoughts on several Brian De Palma movies, and try to explain what’s so great about Blow Out and Mission: Impossible.

    Looking Down on Theatricality

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2020 22:59


    In which I try to answer the question of why some people say that theatricality in movies is a bad thing.

    Three “Making of” Books

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2020 17:27


    I talk about three books that each present a different approach to writing about the making of a movie: The Wah Wah Diaries, Chris Nashawaty’s book on Caddyshack, and the magisterial The Making of Star Wars by J.W. Rinzler.

    The American New Wave

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2020 49:25


    An epic exploration of the question: was there an American New Wave?

    Three Star Movies

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2020 21:08


    An attempt to explore the question: what makes a mediocre movie mediocre?

    Criterion’s Sci-Fi of the 1970s Series

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2020 12:41


    A brief appreciation of some of the movies in the Criterion Channel’s current ‘70s Sci-Fi series.

    True New York Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2020 16:29


    I compare and contrast two relatively recent movies set in New York City and based on true crime cases.

    Brian De Palma Lightning Round

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2020 24:15


    Bonus mini-episode: an off-the-cuff run through of the filmography of one of my favorite filmmakers.

    Better Than

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2020 26:52


    A discussion of the pros and cons of using “who’s the greater director, X or Y?”, as a conversation starter.

    Uncut Gems

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2020 12:23


    A mini-episode on the new Safdie/Sandler movie Uncut Gems.

    1959

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2020 33:16


    I talk about why I think 1959 was such a great year for movies, and share thoughts on some of my favorites.

    How I Made My Best of the Decade List

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2020 25:22


    An overly self-indulgent episode where I share my thoughts on my process of coming up with a best movies of the decade list.

    Owen Gleiberman’s Overrated List

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2019 19:51


    I offer some thoughts on Owen Gleiberman’s Most Overrated Movies of the Decade List.

    My Movie-Watching Year in Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2019 38:07


    I look back over the last year, count up all the movies I watched, and share some thoughts on my favorites.

    Changing My Mind

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2019 27:30


    Some thoughts on the under-reported phenomenon of changing your mind about a movie.

    Some Recent Underrated Movies

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2019 28:56


    In this follow-up to last week’s episode, I talk a little more about some of my favorite recent movies that didn’t get the respect I think they deserved.

    The Die Hard Christmas Controversy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2019 6:26


    Short bonus episode in which I answer the question: is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

    Overrated and Underrated

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2019 32:30


    I opine on the frequent habit of declaring movies overrated or underrated, and offer some examples of my own.

    Star Wars Holiday Special

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2019 30:31


    My take on the 1977 George Lucas movie and all that it has wrought.

    Stop Repeating Yourself

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2019 28:02


    I go on the offensive against people who criticize filmmakers for “repeating themselves”, and I defend Wes Anderson and Hong Sang-soo against these charges.

    Scorsese vs Marvel: Endgame

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2019 22:42


    The second part of my epic deconstruction of the Maestro’s comments about the Marvel Movie Method, in which I attempt to answer the question, “What is Cinema?”

    Scorsese vs. Marvel, Chapter One: Origins

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2019 26:03


    The first of an epic two-part discussion of the Maestro’s critical comments about Marvel movies, in which I provide my own take on the Marvel Movie Method.

    1999

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2019 26:10


    Was 1999 the “best movie year ever”? No. But there were definitely some great movies made that year. In this episode, I talk about a few of my favorites, some well known and others, well, less so.

    Historical Inaccuracy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2019 24:40


    In which, I ramble about how I think that most people who complain about a movie being “historically inaccurate” are full of it (including myself on the occasions when I’ve done so). I talk specifically about In the Name of the Father and The Big Short.

    Joker

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2019 21:32


    For my first episode, I share some thoughts about Todd Phillips’ new movie Joker and the response to it by critics and other movie buffs.

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