Movies 101

With the exception of those of us who no longer welcome birthdays, most people love anniversaries. But when it comes to movies, anniversaries give us the opportunity to remember great cinema and the directors who make it. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two such directors, Akira Kurosawa, whose film “Ran” is enjoying the 40th anniversary of its release this month, and Steven Spielberg, whose 1975 film “Jaws” is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

From time to time we all encounter difficult people. And while they may have reasons for their troubled temperaments, that doesn't make them any easier to deal with. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that feature problematic characters. First up is “Bring Her Back,” a horror offering starring Sally Hawkins, followed by “Mountainhead,” a streaming feature focusing on badly behaved billionaires.

Stephen King once declared that: “Any fool with steady hands and a working set of lungs can build up a house of cards and then blow it down, but it takes a genius to make people laugh.” On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss the very nature of comedy as they talk about two productions, one being the biographical 2-part streaming series on the late Paul Reubens titled “Pee-wee as Himself,” and the big-screen dark comedy “Friendship.”

For those at Movies 101 headquarters, it's good to be back together. Dan Webster and co-host Mary Pat Treuthart have been out of the country for the past few weeks, and the third member of the team, co-host Nathan Weinbender, has been lurking in dark Seattle theaters watching as many Seattle International Film Festival movies as he could. So for this week's show, Dan, Nathan, and Mary Pat first discuss Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Following that, however, Nathan regales everyone with thrilling tales of his SIFF 2025 shenanigans.

In the past, we've referred to them as "buried treasures" among other descriptors, but by whatever name, we mean movies—and sometimes streaming miniseries—that we consider well worth checking out. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a selection of movies—and the writer-directors who made them—that they've enjoyed over the years, and that they think our listeners might enjoy as well.

It's been a tough 2025 for movie fans, what with the passing of some of cinema's great talents. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart offer their thoughts on two of those lost talents, the visionary director David Lynch and the Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman.

If one of the points of art is to explore all facets of life, then it follows that art must explore the nature of death as well. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss three movies that tell stories involving death. The first is “The Shrouds,” David Cronenberg's latest delving into death and dying. The second is “Havoc,” a Netflix crime saga written and directed by Gareth Edwards. And lastly “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” an African streaming feature written and directed by the Zambian-Welsh filmmaker Rungano Nyoni.

Sometimes you go to the movies to be challenged. Sometimes you go to be educated. Mostly, though, you go to be entertained. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that are, each in its own way, examples of pure entertainment—while, at the same time, offering up other qualities as well. Specifically “The Wedding Banquet,” writer-director Andrew Ahn's remake of the 1993 Ang Lee film, and the streaming baseball feature “Eephus.”

Nothing gives a movie narrative more energy than a plot involving conflict. And it doesn't matter whether that conflict involves real people or fictional characters. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that represent the two sides of that equation: "Warfare" is a film based on an actual U.S. military operation in 2006, while "Sinners" features a face-off between twin brothers and a supernatural evil.

On this week's show, co-host Nathan Weinbender regales Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart, and anyone else willing to listen with tales of his recent trek to New Orleans to snack on beignets and feast on a menu of horror films at the Overlook Film Festival. They also discuss the independent film “Sacramento,” which opened in Spokane last week.

It used to be that the very best of cinema could be found only on the screens of a movie theater. Clearly though, that is no longer the case. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two cinematic efforts that are examples of what can be done given a bit of directing skill and the power of superior acting. The first is a four-part Netflix limited miniseries out of England titled "Adolescence," and the second is the latest entertainment from Steven Soderbergh, titled "Black Bag."

As anyone who is a regular listener to Movies 101 knows, co-hosts Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart are inveterate movie fans. They spend each week discussing what they've seen, and often agree—though not always. And that may be true this week as they do something just a bit different. Yes, they discuss a specific movie, namely the British import “The Penguin Lessons,” starring Steve Coogan. After that, though, they take a look at the upcoming summer movie season and lay out what they're most excited, if anything, about seeing—such summer schedules being, as they traditionally are, full of sequels, remakes and movies that feature either superheroes or exploding cars. And sometimes both.

As much as most of us who love film are fans of American-made cinema, we also open our hearts to work from the rest of the world. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two non-American-made films—one from Canada, titled “Universal Language,” and the other from Italy, titled “Parthenope.”

In its third decade of existence, the Spokane International Film Festival continues to prove that there is an appetite for quality film in our fair city. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart preview this year's festival, which began March 7th and ran through the 9th. They also have a few words to say about the recent Oscars broadcast.

Nothing excites the film industry more than the prospect of winning an Oscar. And we'll discover who the 2025 recipients of the gold-plated statuette will be on Sunday. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart preview the annual Academy Awards broadcast, which will be carried both on ABC and the streaming service Hulu, beginning at 4 PM Pacific Daylight Time.

Here at Movies 101 headquarters, we always seek out as many Academy-Award-nominated films as we can in advance of the annual broadcast, which will be held March 2 on ABC and Hulu. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a trio of films—“Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat,” “Sugarcane” and “No Other Land”—each of which is in contention for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar.

We all have our favorite filmmakers whose work we'll seek out every time they release a new movie. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a trio of movies—at least two of which are considered, by many, the work of master filmmakers. The first is “Hard Truths,” the latest by UK writer-director Mike Leigh. They follow that with “Presence,” directed by Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh. And they finish with “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof.

Whether it's because they open too late in the year or because they just don't have enough clout to warrant a wide release, many of any year's best films arrive late… if they arrive at all. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two late arrivals that deserve to be listed among the very best films that 2024 had to offer. The first is “Nickel Boys,” a drama about two young men confined to a Florida reform school, and the second is “September 5,” which tells the story of the ABC Sports team that covered the terrorist attack during the 1972 Olympic Games.

There are few things rabid movie fans love more than film festivals. And in recent years, the three musketeers of Movies 101 have attended a number of them. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a film that is playing at the Magic Lantern Theatre, “All We Imagine As Light.” Then, Dan and Mary Pat run down how they fared attending last week's 36th Annual Palm Springs (California) International Film Festival.

It's that time of year again—when movie critics all over the country feel the need to compile a list of what they consider to be the best of what they watched over the previous 365 days. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart, and Nathan Weinbender discuss their respective choices for their favorite films of 2024.

And so the year 2024 closes out, which leave us here at Movies 101 to celebrate that fact by reviewing a final three films. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a trio of films that feature complex and/or familiar characters, in one case a study of real-life celebrity, in another a woman confronted by her sexual desires, and in a third a remake of a classic creature feature. The first is James Mangold's “A Complete Unknown,” the second is Halina Reijn's “Babygirl,” and the third is Robert Eggers' remake of the vampire flick “Nosferatu.”

We're approaching the end of the year, the time when movie producers are releasing the last few potential award-winners. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss one such candidate: the Golden Globe-nominated animated film "Flow." They pair that with Paul Schrader's adaptation of Russell Banks' novel "Foregone," which Schrader retitled "Oh, Canada"—and which was among the slate of critically acclaimed films at May's Cannes Film Festival.

On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films featuring actors who take on challenging roles that, at least in one case, is far different than what the actor is best known for. First up is “Queer,” starring Daniel Craig, followed by “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie.

Most of the basic themes that face movie protagonists tend to be situations that meld anxiety with a sense of purpose. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that key on characters who, when facing something or someone, have to dig deep to figure out what to do. Those films are Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the Broadway musical “Wicked” and the latest from director Cint Eastwood, “Juror #2.”

As any parent knows, raising children can be a rewarding, but often challenging, process. And many a movie has been made documenting that very truth. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss three movies that, each in its own way, tackles what joys and pains face both sides of the adult-child relationship. Said films are the blockbuster “Gladiator II,” the streaming feature “In the Summers” and the Netflix documentary “Daughters.”

We here at Movies 101 central try always to find themes that bind the films we review. Sometimes, though, our attempts are thwarted—and that's the case for this week's show, in which Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that are fully independent of one another. Said films are the psychologically complex buddy study “A Real Pain” and the musical crime saga “Emilia Pérez.”

Life, as we all know, can be a struggle. The key to peace, if not necessarily happiness, comes from how you deal with it. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a trio of films exploring characters and the struggles confronting them. The films are Sean Baker's “Anora,” Steve McQueen's “Blitz” and the Irish feature “Small Things Like These.”

Time, Einstein told us, is relative. And that's a perspective that most of us bear in mind as each hour, each minute and even each second passes by. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of movies in which time, and reactions to its passing, play a large role. The movies are the religious suspense study “Conclave” and the aptly titled love story “We Live in Time.”

In 1975, a show titled “Saturday Night” debuted on the NBC television network. And so began what would turn out to be a 50-year run of a comedy show few thought would last a season. On this week's show, Dan Webster and Nathan Weinbender discuss Jason Reitman's narrative capturing of that first night of “SNL,” as well as the documentary “Will & Harper,” and the streaming offering “Lee,” starring Kate Winslet.

Life struggles can be debilitating, which is why they tend to make for scintillating movie plotlines. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that key on personal struggles. The first is “The Outrun,” which stars the Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, while the second is the sister set-to titled “His Three Daughters.”

Like life itself, movies always seem to come down to a question of character. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that offer up characters who end up questioning their very selves. The first is “Joker: Folie à Deux,” while the second is “A Different Man.”

On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that roll over boundaries as if they were so much roadkill—Francis Ford Coppola's reach into the fantastic titled “Megalopolis” and French-born filmmaker Coralie Fargeat's feminist study “The Substance.”

If Hollywood is known for anything, it's that it reeks with glamor, especially as personified by its more notable movie queens. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two streaming documentaries that explore the lives and careers of two such stars: Elizabeth Taylor and Faye Dunaway. They also list their choices for their favorite film performances of both.

Far from Hollywood, any number of independent filmmakers continue to ply their trade, making movies that range from high-intensity action-adventures to slow, meditative explorations of everyday life. On this week's show, Dan Webster and Nathan Weinbender discuss a couple of movies that are nothing if not independent, in both spirit and execution. First up is the theatrical release “Good One,” followed by the Netflix streamer “Rebel Ridge.”

On this week's show, Dan Webster and Nathan Weinbender discuss two films designed to give us night chills—one a long-awaited sequel to the 1988 comedy-horror exercise “Beetlejuice,” the other a delving into the mind of a serial killer, titled “Strange Darling.”

On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss favorites and hidden gems from 1999, one of the greatest years for 20th-century film.

In the world of movies, the genre of crime covers a wide range of themes and tones, from comic-mystery murder to the travails of those locked up for the acts they have committed. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two such films that, though loosely linked through the theme of crime, couldn't be more different in tone—Zoë Kravitz's idiosyncratic murder mystery “Blink Twice” and Greg Kwedar's men-behind-bars saga titled “Sing Sing.”

On this week's show Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that, each in its own way, deals with some aspect of characters coming of age. The first is titled, simply, "Kneecap" and the second is titled the equally succinct "Dìdi."

Like all art forms, the object of a film is—or at least should be—to hold an audience's attention. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that, each in its own particular way, tries to do exactly that. The first is the offbeat exercise in existential horror, “Cuckoo,” while the second is a film about the chance relationship between a young woman and an older cab driver titled “Daddio.”

We're all prey to our emotions, whether we're talking about pangs of fear, the warmth of connection or the angst of loss. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two movies that take their audiences on a virtual road trip through a maze of emotions—the latest from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, titled “Trap,” and the Oscar-nominated animated film from 2023, “Robot Dreams.”

We're well into the summer-movie season, and the blockbusters just keep coming. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two of those summer-movie specials, “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Twisters.”

Who among us, when as a child, didn't at least once feel chills run down our spine as we walked alone, at night, along some dark hallway? On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of movies that are designed to re-create that feeling. The first is “MaXXXine,” the third installment in writer-director Ti West's so-called “X” series. The other is “Longlegs,” a film by Oz Perkins that stars Nicolas Cage as a kind of demonic serial killer.

As everyone knows, or should know, the 1960s comprised a decade full of tempestuous energy and a drive toward social change. As captured by the movies, though, it lives on in our minds more as an idea than anything resembling reality. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two movies that are set in the 1960s. The first is the space-race romantic comedy “Fly Me to the Moon” and the second is the engine-driven drama “The Bikeriders.”

On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two surreal movies that delve into the complexities of life. The first is “Kinds of Kindness,” the latest from the Greek-born filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos. And the second is “Janet Planet,” the debut feature film from playwright Annie Baker.

It's been 50 years since the film “Chinatown” was released, and yet it still remains one of the best crime sagas every splashed across a big screen. Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss the qualities of “Chinatown,” which are many, and add to that a general discussion about those responsible for it.

On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss three movies that attempt to tell stories about the inner workings of our personal lives. One is the intrepid grandma study “Thelma,” one is the theater-as-therapy exploration “Ghostlight” and one is the who-is-the-real-person project “Hit Man.”

Imagination, if not entertaining actual fantasy, is a standard moviemaking staple. The question always is, does it work? On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a trio of movies that, each in its own distinctive way, explore the realms of imaginative fantasy—some, as always, better than others. The films are the theatrical releases “Inside Out 2” and “Tuesday,” followed by the streaming documentary “Brats.”

The summer movie season is in high gear, as you can tell from all the noises of crashing cars and gunshots emanating from your local multiplex. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss three films that are currently in release—the first being “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the second being George Miller's prequel “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” and the third being the re-release of Tom Tykwer's imaginative and energetic action film “Run Lola Run.”

Most movie fans may mourn what seems to be the slow demise of theaters. But these days missing some new release at your local multiplex doesn't necessarily mean missing out. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two recent releases that are now available for online streaming, namely “The Fall Guy” and “Sasquatch Sunset.”

We all have favorite movies, the kind that we can slip into as if they were a favorite pair of shoes. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart share with you some of what they're calling their "comfort movies"—the kinds of films that they go to over and over again.

The old saw is that opposites attract, though that notion doesn't necessarily hold true for the movies we watch. On this week's show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two movies, both streaming documentaries, that couldn't be more different. The first is “Spermworld,” which delves into the unregulated world of sperm donating, while the second is “Girls State,” a follow-up to the 2020 film “Boys State.”