Is a kiss still a kiss? Is a sigh just a sigh? Do the fundamental things, in fact, apply? Join host Kyla as she seeks to answer these questions and more by rewatching and analyzing beloved films with the help of colorful guest commentators. Each episode focuses on a specific film with Kyla and guest discussing their personal analysis thereof. In doing so, they will seek to understand the different values of watching and rewatching media. Do these films hold up? What are they trying to say? And what about them can only be noticed and/or appreciated after multiple viewings? Tune in to find out how these questions and more will be answered each week!
Listen as host Kyla and friend of the pod Shea try to make sense of this very complicated movie! What do we make of the film's presentation of D.C. geography and culture? Are the parts of this film better than the whole? How much would this movie have benefitted from a traditional theatrical release? And what does the concurrent model of a streaming release and a theatrical release mean for the future of cinema? Tune in to find out! Link to article about Taylor Swift stan's IDF tweet: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/taylor-swift-megafan-goes-viral-after-prison-stint-for-dodging-idf-draft-585617
Join host Kyla and special returning guest Shea as they discuss Patty Jenkins's Wonder Woman! What makes this film such a singular and special entry in the super hero origins film canon? Is it fair to classify Patty Jenkins as an auteur? And is Gal Gadot as Diana Prince the best comic book casting decision of all time? Tune in to find out!Link to Gal Gadot interview compilation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5KQPnCokQ4Link to Joss Whedon's Wonder Woman screenplay: https://indiegroundfilms.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/wonder-woman-aug7-07-joss-whedon.pdf
During 2020 host Kyla resolved to watch a film a day. Tune in to hear what her viewing experiences were like during 2020. What was her favorite new release of the year? What was the best older movie she rewatched? And what movies did she have totally new experiences with in 2020 despite having seen them previously? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and a whole host of special guests discuss their favorite Christmas movies and what makes holiday films so special! What makes a movie fall definitively into the "Christmas movie" category? What are the best movies to watch around the holidays? What are the best lines from classic Christmas films? And will we ever get MawMaw on the podcast? Tune in to find out!
Happy Thanksgiving! Listen as host Kyla and special returning guest Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) discuss the greatest Thanksgiving movie of all time, Pieces of April! Why are there so few Thanksgiving films? What are the strengths of Peter Hedges's directorial debut? Will we as a society ever recognize Katie Holmes's talent? Tune in to find out!
Join host Kyla and returning friend of the pod Sara as they discuss Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women! What helps this adaptation stand out amongst all others? How do we feel about Gerwig's decision to tell the story in a nonlinear fashion? Where does this film rank in terms of 2019 theatrical releases for each of us? And how many times can host Kyla mix up the names of Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan despite stanning them both? Tune in to find out!Link to screenplay: https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/little-women-by-greta-gerwig.pdfLink to "Baby Yoda" interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrwG2vTUDA8Link to Greta Gerwig interview about Golden Globes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw_2RiuDTSM
Join host Kyla and special guest Erin as they discuss the seminal southern classic Steel Magnolias! Why does this film appeal so strongly to its target demographic? What does the title paradox reveal about the expectation and reality of being a woman in the American South? What would each central character's enneagram type be? And who has the best and worst accent in this movie? Tune in to find out!
Join host Kyla and special returning guest Ryan for a special Halloween discussion about The Scooby-Doo Project! What makes a good spoof? How does this one television special encapsulate all that was good about Cartoon Network and filmgoing alike at the turn of the millennium? Can Ryan emerge victorious from another round of Scoob-related trivia? Can he turn the trivia tables on host Kyla? And should there be a Scooby Cinematic Universe or Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe? Tune in to find out!*Apologies to all the Saved by the Bell and/or As the Bell Rings super fans out there. Having Mary on the brain while recording caused SBTB to dominate my brain even though the show being referenced was As the Bell Rings.*Link to referenced Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/9nyxz6/in_1999_on_halloween_cartoon_network_released_the/
Join host Kyla and extra special guest MJ as they discuss The Blair Witch Project! What made this film such a phenomenon? What does this film reveal about the importance of promotional campaigns? And what makes this film so rife for spoofs? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and frequent contributor Denise Percival dive deep into the common complaints raised against Attack of the Clones! Why does it rank last on so many saga rankings? What do we make of Hayden Christensen's performance as Anakin Skywalker? And what is Padme's most iconic outfit from this episode? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and first-time Star Wars viewer Gavin discuss The Phantom Menace! What do we make of the common criticisms of this film? What's the experience of watching this film for the first time in 2020 like? Was Gavin shocked and/or impressed by any aspects of the story? And just how much will Gavin roast Kyla for her Natalie Portman/Padme stanning? Tune in to find out!
Join host Kyla in the first installment of our new format of special episodes! In this new episode format, Kyla gives her top ten all-time favorite examples of a given film-related category. In this episode, Kyla discusses her favorite actors, directors, pairings of actors across multiple films and film soundtracks. Going forward, this type of episode will mark major episode milestones. Let us know categories you would like to hear discussed in future episodes!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Ryan discuss the greatest live-action adaptation of the modern cinematic era! How does Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed manage to be such a perfect amalgamation of everything 90s? How does this movie strike the perfect balance of being so bad it's good? And is this the greatest piece of ensemble casting in the past twenty years? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and special returning guests Hagan and Davis seek to figure out which side was right in 2016's Captain America: Civil War! Was Cap right to be wary of government intervention and control? Was Tony right to want to assume some responsibility for the horrors the Avengers had wrought? And did all of the political issues fly out the window when it became clear what had happened to Tony's parents? Tune in to find out!Don't forget to vote on whose team of Avengers you think is best!
Listen as host Kyla, special returning guest Hagan and first-time guest Ananya discuss James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy! What makes this film stand out in the larger MCU canon? How does this film manage to overcome many of the issues of Phase 2? And what's the best song on the soundtrack? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and special returning guest Davis discuss Captain America: The Winter Soldier! Why is this so many people's favorite Marvel movie? What do we make of the political statements this film is making? Does this film disprove any of Martin Scorsese's claims about Marvel? Tune in to find out!Link to Scorsese's NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/opinion/martin-scorsese-marvel.html
Listen as host Kyla and special returning guest Davis discuss Thor: The Dark World! Why do so many people consider this the worst Marvel film? Does it deserve the bad rap? What would Patty Jenkins's version of this film look like? And how do Thor and Jane stack up in our official MCU couple rankings? Tune in to find out!
Join host Kyla and special returning guest Hagan as they discuss The Avengers! Which character has the best intro in this film? Which actor is most inextricably linked with their character? Are Martin Scorsese's criticisms of Marvel unfounded or is there something to them? And is the narrative experiment of the MCU helping or hurting the cinematic landscape? Tune in to hear our answers! Gwyneth Paltrow realizing she was in Spider-Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YamanjCqtQMartin Scorsese's NYT's article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/opinion/martin-scorsese-marvel.htmlNew Yorker piece Kyla quoted: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-narrative-experiment-that-is-the-marvel-cinematic-universe
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Davis discuss Captain America: The First Avenger! Why are the Captain America movies so genre-defying? Are they more enjoyable because they don't merely hit the standard superhero movie beats? And is Peggy Carter the most important supporting character in the MCU? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and special returning guest Hagan discuss Kenneth Branagh's Thor! Does this film benefit from its placement within the larger Marvel saga? How fully is Branagh's creative vision realized? And can Hagan keep Kyla in check when it comes to Natalie Portman's performance? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Caden discuss the original MCU feature Iron Man! What elements are essential for a good superhero origins story? How does this film stand the test of time? And how is this rewatch impacted by the knowledge of how Iron Man's arc within the MCU ends? Tune in to find out!
Join host Kyla and special guest Josh as they discuss the phenomenon that is Hamilton! How is the experience of watching a recording of the show different from listening to the album? How do things such as choreography, lighting and blocking enhance the experience of watching this show? What is the most genius aspect of Lin-Manuel Miranda's writing? Tune in to find out! TikTok that is referenced in episode: https://vm.tiktok.com/JRHg8jK/
Join host Kyla and special guest Brittney as they discuss the cultural phenomenon and hit DCOM High School Musical! Why did this film strike such a chord in an entire generation of viewers? Has the film aged well? And how do we feel about some of the hottest High School Musical hot takes from around the internet? Tune in to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and special returning guest Sara discuss the coming-of-age film The Perks of Being a Wallflower! What makes a film a solid adaptation of a book? What factors are necessary to produce a good coming-of-age film? And why are we all in love with Logan Lerman? Tune in to hear answers to these questions and many more!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Hagan discuss Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Why was this movie such a disappointment for fans of the book? What sequences of the film work well? Where did the filmmaking process go wrong? And what are our hopes for the upcoming Disney+ TV series? Tune in to find out!Super important disclaimer: if you have not read the Percy Jackson and/or Heroes of Olympus books you may want to skip from 6:00 to 58:30. The conversation between those timestamps deals exclusively with book-related content.Secondary disclaimer: I apologize for butchering the pronunciation of Riordan a few times. Like "Brunner" in the movies, I pronounce it different ways at different times for some gods-forsaken reason. I'm sorry Uncle Rick.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATALIE PORTMAN! Welcome to the conclusion of our extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza and our celebration of Natalie Portman's actual birthday! Listen as host Kyla and frequent contributor Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) discuss Natalie Portman's feature-length directorial debut: A Tale of Love and Darkness. What does this film communicate about the notions of compassion, truthfulness and guilt? How do the influences of directors Portman has worked with in the past impact this film? Is there any symmetry between Portman's work as a performer and her work as a director? Tune in to hear answers to these questions and many more!Link to Vanity Fair article on Portman: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/10/natalie-portman-cover-story
Welcome to the penultimate episode of the extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza! Listen as host Kyla and special guest Shea discuss Closer. Why is this film called Closer? What does the movie communicate about the notion of truth? What does it communicate about love and intimacy? How do aspects such as the setting, direction and performances enhance Patrick Marber's brilliant screenplay? And what is the worst hairstyle in this movie? Tune in to hear the answers to these (and many other) questions!Alice's first hairstyle (red): https://weheartit.com/entry/273967138Alice's second hairstyle (brown bob with side bangs): https://www.hotflick.net/pictures/004CLO_Natalie_Portman_032.htmlAlice's third hairstyle (brown bob with straight across bangs): https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/definitive-natalie-portman-movies/closer/Alice's fourth hairstyle (pink bob): https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/photo-gallery/23447822/image/23447849/Closer-2004Alice's fifth hairstyle (blonde wig): https://ew.com/article/2004/11/05/julia-natalie-jude-and-clive-making-closer/Alice's sixth hairstyle (bouncy, natural curls): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376541/mediaviewer/rm2017959681Alice's awful coat: https://gcottraux.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/natalie-portman-closer.jpg
Welcome to yet another installment in our extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza! Listen as host Kyla and frequent contributor Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) discuss the quintessential mom-and-daughter movie Anywhere But Here! What are the central themes of this film? How does this movie manage to feel so lived-in and real? Is this Susan Sarandon's greatest performance to date? Is it Portman's? Tune in to find out!
Welcome to the fifth installment of our extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza! Listen as host Kyla and special guest Mychal discuss The Other Boleyn Girl. Is this movie one of the most underrated of the modern cinematic era? What makes Portman's performance here so memorable? What makes the cinematography so phenomenal? Does a film need to he historically accurate in order to be good? And who has the worst faux British accent in this film? Tune in to find out!
The next installment in our extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza! Listen as host Kyla and special guest Carrie discuss No Strings Attached. How well does this film hit all of the essential romcom beats? How does it manage to subvert the expectations of its genre? Is Emma Kurtzman (of Camp Weehawken) the most complex female romcom protagonist? Tune in to find out! Essential romcom checklist:1. Ridiculously good-looking leads2. Plucky, comic relief best friend(s) who steals the show3. Lead(s) has unconventional relationship with their boss4. The location/city is central to the story5. A memorable soundtrack6. A scene of singing (even though this is not a musical)7. An older, veteran actor who is not particularly known for their work in the romcom genre appears 8. A ridiculous degree of suspension of disbelief is required for the premise to work9. The lead(s) has somewhat of an unusual job10. Most of the presented social life of the lead(s) revolves around work11. An obstacle to the relationship occurs as the couple falls deeply in love12. There is a race against the clock for a romantic reunion13. A line or action during the emotional climax hearkens back to a previous moment of bonding for the central couple
Our third installment in our extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza! Listen as host Kyla and frequent contributor Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) discuss Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium! What makes this movie work well for both children and adults? How is Molly Mahoney like J. Alfred Prufrock? Why for the love of mustard are there never enough hot dog buns? And can Denise stump Kyla in a game of Six Degrees of Natalie Portman? Anything can happen... Tune in to find out!
The second installment of our extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza! Listen as host Kyla and guest Kyle (AKA Kyla's dad) discuss Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! Why does this film work so well as a spoof? What makes it such a hilarious cult classic? And can you really play Six Degrees of Natalie Portman? Tune in to find out!
Welcome to our first episode of our extra special Natalie Portman birth-week extravaganza! Listen as host Kyla and frequent contributor Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) discuss Michael Mann's Heat. Why is this film one of the most beloved among American men? Is this the greatest ensemble cast of the 1990s? And why is this film such an important entry in Natalie Portman's filmography? Listen to find out!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Madison discuss the 2003 romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days! What makes a romcom a romcom? Why does every mom have a crush on Matthew McConaughey? And are our romcom math skills up to snuff? Listen to find out!Essential romcom checklist:1. Ridiculously good-looking leads2. Plucky, comic relief best friend(s) who steals the show3. Lead(s) has unconventional relationship with their boss4. The location/city is central to the story5. A memorable soundtrack6. A scene of singing (even though this is not a musical)7. An older, veteran actor who is not particularly known for their work in the romcom genre appears 8. A ridiculous degree of suspension of disbelief is required for the premise to work9. The lead(s) has somewhat of an unusual job10. Most of the presented social life of the lead(s) revolves around work11. An obstacle to the relationship occurs as the couple falls deeply in love12. There is a race against the clock for a romantic reunion13. A line or action during the emotional climax hearkens back to a previous moment of bonding for the central couple
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Shea discuss Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice! What makes this adaptation of Austen's novel stand out? Did Keira Knightley deserve the Oscar for her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett? And how does Matthew McFadyen's Darcy rank on Shea's scale of Darcy Punch-ability? Tune in to find out!This is part two of our weekend rehashing the Best Actress race from the 78th Academy Awards. For part one, listen to our Walk the Line episode.
Join host Kyla and frequent commentator Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) as they discuss the 2005 musical biopic Walk the Line. What makes this film one of the most successful musical biopics of all time? Is his performance as Johnny Cash the best of Joaquin Phoenix's career? And did Reese Witherspoon truly deserve the Oscar for her portrayal of June? Tune in to find out the answers to these questions and many others! Link to John’s to-do list: http://www.openculture.com/2012/09/johnny_cashs_short_and_personal_to-do_list.htmlThis is also the first of two episodes dedicated to rehashing the 78th Academy Awards. Check out our next episode for further discussion on the subject!
Join host Kyla and extra special guest Mary as they discuss the cult classic Spice World! Think you know your Scary Spice from your Sporty Spice? How about your Two Become One bridge from your Viva Forever chorus? How does this film break all the typical rules of movie making? Is this movie absolutely perfect without really being any good at all? Listen to put your Spice Girls knowledge to the test and find out the answers to all of the above!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Josh discuss Christopher Nolan's Interstellar! What are the most memorable shots from this film? How does Nolan manage to keep such an otherworldly picture so firmly rooted in humanity? Does the commitment to scientific realism detract from the creativity of the film? Listen as Kyla and Josh tackle these questions and many more!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Madison discuss The Sound of Music! What makes this film so beloved? Is this the best movie musical of all time? And what makes The Lonely Goatherd so darn catchy?? Tune in to find the answers to these questions and many more!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Jennifer discuss the romantic comedy You've Got Mail! What makes Nora Ephron movies so special? What makes this such a beloved, comforting film? Is this the first modern romance of the digital age? Listen to hear answers to these questions and many more!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Caden discuss Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on this special May the Fourth Be With You episode! What makes this movie stand out among the prequels? Which deleted scene(s) should have been included? And what is it that actually kills Padmé? Tune in to find out the answers to these questions and many more!Link to deleted scene of Anakin speaking droid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibahqzkwvXk
Join host Kyla and special guest Hagan as they discuss beloved film The Princess Bride! What is the most memorable line from the movie? Why is this film so ingrained in the public consciousness? Does this film feature the best sword fight of all time? Tune in to find out (and to hear Kyla and Hagan get slightly off topic and talk about the MCU... whoops)!
Join host Kyla as she celebrates her birthday by discussing the film that began her love of cinema! Frequent contributor Denise Percival, Kyla's mom, joins in on the gushing. What makes this film so special? How groundbreaking was this cast in 2000? And what's up with those southern accents? Tune in to hear all of these subjects (and so much more) discussed with great love and attention to detail! Natalie Portman discusses chicken-fried chicken: https://youtu.be/NE4AiYQEj-0
Join host Kyla, special guest Sumner and frequent contributor Denise (Kyla's mom) as they discuss Tombstone! What makes this film such a beloved cult classic? Is Val Kilmer's performance as Doc Holliday one of the greatest supporting performances of all time? What is the most memorable line from this film? Tune in to find out!
Join host Kyla and extra special guest Mary Bella as they discuss The Wizard of Oz. Mary Bella feels that this is one of the greatest films of all time and discusses its ability to make people happy. Tune in to hear the discussion and learn about Mary Bella's soft spot for Toto and the horses of Emerald City!
Listen as host Kyla and special guest Shea devolve into a fit of giggles while discussing the Star Wars universe. What started as a discussion of A New Hope quickly became a conversation about the broader saga, but there are still plenty of facts and opinions that pertain to the original film. Does George Lucas understand women? What's the best shot of this film? And why does Shea want to be Jar Jar Binks for a day? Tune in to find out!
Join host Kyla and special guest Denise (Kyla's mom) as they discuss Stanley Donen's Charade! What makes this film the greatest Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made? How special is it to see stars like Grant and Hepburn go toe-to-toe? Does this film feature the wittiest dialogue of all time? Tune in to find out!Vanity Fair article on Thomas Chelminsky: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/01/charade-audrey-hepburn-cary-grant-thomas-chelminsky
Join host Kyla and guest Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) as they discuss A League of Their Own. Is this the greatest sports film ever made? Is Kit Keller actually a great character? Did Dottie drop the ball on purpose? Listen to find out their takes on all the aforementioned and much, much more!
Join host Kyla and guest Denise (AKA Kyla's mom) as they discuss Luc Besson's The Professional. How quickly will this devolve into a conversation about whether or not Natalie Portman's performance in this film is the greatest ever given by a child actor? Tune in to find out! We also give credit where credit is due and acknowledge Gary Oldman's Norman Stansfield as one of the greatest film villains of all time.
Join host Kyla and special guest Sara as they discuss The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), a film that Kyla forced Sara to watch specifically for this episode. Tune in to find out what Sara found most memorable from this film (besides the laugh of Errol Flynn)!Links to Olivia de Havilland's costumes that Sara was looking up: https://images.app.goo.gl/2YLhLeZ6JVZoLbuv8https://images.app.goo.gl/eMHofxLEQQiWV7rz9https://images.app.goo.gl/asvepRx3Bs21ztez9
Join host Kyla and guest Jessica as they discuss their shared love for Gone With the Wind. They discuss their favorite shots from the film, the most memorable costumes and why these actors will always be inextricably linked to these roles. Listen to learn many behind-the-scenes facts about what is quite possibly the greatest film ever made!*Correction* Olivia de Havilland is currently 103. I knew that. I did, however, get her birthday right. It is July 1st.
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