Sister Cinema

This episode we dip into a very unique genre with 80s cult classics. First up is Heathers, a truly inexplicable and enjoyably dark teen film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Next up we have one of Lindsay's favorite, the John Water's film Hairspray. Enjoy!

This week we celebrate the filmography of one of the greatest gangster-actors of our generation, who for the record is a great actor in general. First we have a childhood favorite of Lindsay's, Corrina, Corrina. A surprisingly sincere look at the best and worst parts of classic 60s Americana, this film really let's the less known soft-side of Liotta shine. Then we talk about his arguably most famous film, Goodfellas. This best-of Scorsese film really gave Liotta the space to shine as the epitome of a gangster and truly set the stage for his long and successful career. Enjoy!

Stemming from western films of past generations, the classic "shoot 'em up" film genre has grow so much in the last few decades. Our first film by John Wood, Hard Boiled, really shows the roots of the gun-centric action-packed films. Then we discuss a more 21st century take on the genre with James McAvoy's breakout action film Wanted. Also starring an always bad ass Angelina Jolie I must add. Enjoy!

Movie magic takes on a different meaning in this episode where we cover the magician genre. First up is the Nolan drama starring Christian Bale & Hugh Jackman as rival magicians in The Prestige. Then we jump back in time to the 1953 film starring real life couple Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis as Bess and Harry Houdini. Enjoy!

It's a tale as old as time - family embarks on a road trip, hijinks ensue, memories are made. This week we're covering the classic storyline of a family road trip. First up with have Are We There Yet starring the one and only Ice Cube. This movie definitely leans in to the classic, lampoon-esque version of this genre in a great way. Then we talk about a very different version of this story in Little Miss Sunshine with an ensemble cast too deep to name here, but they are a huge part of why this indie movie about a family road-trip turned out to be such a success. Enjoy! 

To round out our Oscar journey, we're sharing our predictions for this year's Academy Awards. We share our favorites, who we think the Academy will recognize, and a few snubs. Enjoy!

Part two of our deep dive into Oscar history has arrived. In this episode we cover Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Actress, Best Director and Best Picture. Enjoy!

In preparation for our annual Oscars episode, we're taking a trip down the Academy Award memory lane. In the first of a two part-er, we cover Best Supporting Actress, Actor, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Score and Best Adapted Screenplay. This episode is chock-full of controversy. Enjoy!

In this episode we jump into a most beloved genre: space thrillers. First we have the granddaddy of them, 2001. We can't say this is one of our favorite Stanley Kubrick films, but it's worth reviewing as it really did change the trajectory of space films. Then we have the understated yet masterful Moon starring Sam Rockwell. We're on a bit of a Sam Rockwell kick it would seem, and we're definitely okay with it. Enjoy!

A personal favorite as far as genres go, we're doing con movies! First up we have the Ridley Scott film Matchstick Men starring the oddly perfect duo Nicholas Cage and Sam Rockwell. This film is a unique departure for Scott and the dynamic story and acting really deliver. Then we dig into the OG of con movies, The Sting starring heartthrobs Paul Newman and Robert Redford. This film really set the stage for many of the modern con movies we know and love. Enjoy!

Possibly one of our silliest episode categories to date. Today we are covering some big movies with some famous rumps in them. First we have Troy, a surprisingly well compiled action/drama epic starring Brad Pitt and marketed almost exclusively on the platform that you get to see his tush. Then we have Sex Tape, a classic Jason Segel comedy starring himself alongside the dynamic Cameron Diaz. While there's no shortage of Segel's bum on film, this is the first and only appearance of Diaz's peach on film in her long, successful career. Enjoy! 

Through the new year we lost two screen legends. To celebrate their unique and significant legacies in Hollywood and American culture, we are focusing on a film for each of them. First we have the rom-com The Proposal featuring cute couple Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, but most importantly Betty White infusing the typically boring grandma character with her stunning wit and charm. Then we discuss what Sidney Poitier often called his favorite film he's ever done, the noir crime meets race commentary thriller In The Heat of The Night. Enjoy!

Happy Christmas episode! Please enjoy our deep dive into two feature-length animated Christmas movies. First we have the Robert Zemekis and Tom Hanks collab inspired by the beloved Christmas book, The Polar Express. The we jump into the award-winning Netflix flick, Klaus. Enjoy!

This episode is in celebration of the one and only Stephen Sondheim. His body of work on stage and in films has inspired generations of entertainers, movie makers, and musicians. In this episode we explore Gypsy, Sondheim's first film, based on the life of famous burlesque performer Gypsy Rose. Then we fast-forward to a much darker Sondheim feature in Sweeney Todd. We know, we know. He did West Side Story! Don't worry, if you want to hear more about that listen to our Teen Musicals episode from August 2019. Enjoy!

Double episode drop! We've been off the map for an extra week for vacation, but we're making it up to you. This episode we chat with special guest Kelsey Konlande, the third sister in our sister gang, about 90s teen movies. The late 90s/early 00s was a very unique time in movies for teen story lines across genre types. First we look at the comedy side of things with Can't Hardly Wait, your classic last-chance-to-profess-your-love-to-your-longtime-highschool-crush story line featuring almost every teen actor that was famous at the time. Then we jump to a very, let's say unique, film Cruel Intentions. Starring some big names, this sexy teen thriller really blazed the questionable trail for so many movies that came after it. Enjoy!

Children's fantasy usually makes people think of Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, a.k.a. animated films. But there's a huge chunk of this genre that is live-action, and over the years it's led to some classic, and classically weird, movies. This episode we explore the inexplicable Jim Henson film Labyrinth, starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. This movie is truly as odd as musical muse. Then we have one of Hollywood's most timeless films starring one of it's most iconic actors; Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. Enjoy!

This week's episode explores movies surrounding a very unique culture; that of a kitchen. First we take a look through an animated lens in Ratatouille, an often underrated Pixar film that quite incredibly captures the atmosphere of a kitchen. Then we dig into John Favreau's passion project Chef which provides an endearing look into the challenging world of being a chef in the 21st century. Enjoy!

Creepy kids is a well worn, spooky phenomenon, so when these creepy kids start killing, you have a real recipe for horror. This week we're looking at killer kid movies, starting with the Stephen King adaptation Children of the Corn. Though this movie is a "classic" we're not sure it has that status for good reasons. Then we jump to The Good Son, a film with heart-chilling and warming (respectively) performances from baby Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood. Enjoy this spooktacular episode!

For our first episode of spooky season we're diving down deep into the bowels of hell...the drama! Our first movie is the Sam Raimi film Drag Me To Hell. In true Raimi fashion, it is all things creepy, disgusting, and oddly hilarious. Then we jump into Constantine, a rather underrated film starring Keanu and Rachel Weiss. Considering the subject matter of these two films is deeply similar, it's fun to dissect just how different their tones and styles are. Enjoy!

We're BAAAACK!!! Your health is important so we both needed a break to focus on just that, but we missed this podcast and are so excited to be back. It seemed appropriate to mark our return with another round of sister movies. First we have the disturbing classic What Ever Happened To Baby Jane. The lore attached to the film alone might be enough to spark your interest, but the movie itself packs a punch as well. Then we have the indie sweetheart Sunshine Cleaning, starring possibly our favorite film sister pairing ever, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Need we say more? Enjoy!

Every so often a movie comes out that can only fit into one category: weird! For film lovers, this category is home to some of the worst, but also some of the best films. This week we look at two very, extremely, incredibly weird movies. First is The Lobster; Yorgos Lanthimos' darkly comedic take on what we'll call a dystopian love story. Then we break down the beautifully uncomfortable Swiss Army Man starring Daniel Radcliffe and one of our favorites, Paul Dano. Enjoy!

We're back! Thank you for your patience while one of us went through a very exciting, though time consuming, endeavor. Now back to movies! This week we're discussing two Chinese film stars that crossed over into American cinema and blessed us with martial arts stunt work. We discuss Bruce Lee's last and biggest American film, Enter The Dragon, and the historic addition he made to films (Kung Fu anyone?). Then we discuss The Foreigner, a more recent film in the long line of successful Jackie Chan American movies. Chan's quick rise to fame in American had as much to do with his martial arts skills as it did his passion for making people laugh. Enjoy!

We've got another round of music biopics for this episode, with a focus on hip hop legends. First we have Notorious, laying out the tumultuous rise and tragic fall of one of the greatest rappers of all time, Biggie Smalls. Then we follow N.W.A. in Straight Outta Compton and their unapologetic approach to rap that changed the genre forever. Enjoy!

You can't really talk about black cinema in the 21st century without talking about Tyler Perry. In this episode we discuss two movies from his extensive filmography, Diary of a Mad Black Woman and A Fall From Grace. We also dig into Perry as a creator, artist, and brilliant businessman. Enjoy!

Goodbye snowpocalypse, hello power and water! Now, back to our regularly scheduled program, this week covering Black Documentaries. There are lots to choose from in this category, but we want to give some variety so we chose two very different docs. First we have 13th, Ava DuVernay's deep-dive into the reinvention of black imprisonment from slavery to modern mass incarceration through the 13th amendment. Then we have Black Art, the exploration of significant black artists, their work, and their disproportionately low representation in museums, galleries, and other spaces. Enjoy! 

While we try to make this podcast diverse year-round, we always shine some extra light on black cinema in February and 2021 is no different. For our first episode of Black History Month, we're looking at the films that lead to the first black winners of Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress. First we have Sidney Poitier's winning performance in the passion project Lilies of the Field in 1963. It's an incredible, much deserved achievement that serves as a landmark moment in film history. Then we have the 2001 indie film Monster's Ball that gave us a slew of great performances, but none as powerful as Halle Berry's portrayal of Leticia. Berry won for this performance and herself made history as the first black actress to do so. Enjoy!

We're bringing back a fun theme for this episode: actors that found their way behind the camera as directors. First we have Olivia Wilde's hit teen comedy Booksmart featuring an amazing cast and screenplay. Then we have the brand new One Night in Miami, Regina King's directorial debut featuring some incredible biographical portrayals of civil rights heroes. Enjoy!

Sometimes, as the saying goes, nice guys finish last. While the bad guy winning isn't a common ending, it sure is a thrilling one in cinema. Our first film this week is another stellar (career best you might argue) Jake Gyllenhaal performance as a sociopathic stringer in Nightcrawler. Then we have possibly the most un-Coen-like Coen Brothers movie No Country for Old Men, starring Javier Bardem as the cold-blooded hitman Anton. Very scary bad guys y'all. Enjoy!

If Cats taught us anything, it's that it's not easy to take a Broadway superstar play and bring it to the big screen. But lucky for us it can be done, and be done well. First in this episode we cover 2007s Hairspray, starring too many big names to list. This movie-turned-Broadway-musical-turned-movie again takes advantage of all the special tricks the movie screen offers that the stage doesn't. Then we have Chicago, a personal favorite for both of us. This Oscar-winning powerhouse brought us the unstoppable duo of Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones and we are forever grateful. Enjoy!

Sibling collaborations are a beautiful thing in cinema. There are many famed brother and sister actors, and in this episode we focus on a few of our favorite. First we have the indie cult classic Donnie Darko featuring Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal as siblings. Then we have the witty satire High Fidelity starring John and Joan Cusack. 5-star stars. Would recommend! Enjoy.

For our final episode of the year and of the holiday season, we're covering the classic story of coming home for Christmas. Nothing sets off a Christmas story, especially a romantic comedy, better than a forced return to ones childhood home. First up we have Just Friends, one of Ryan Reynolds' early romantic comedies and a big hit of the early 2000s. Then we have the rambunctious Four Christmases, starring the very unlikely yet likeable couple Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. We also feature an extra surprise movie in this episode. Happy 2020. Thanks for listening and sticking with us through all of the craziness of this year. We're stoked to bring you more awesome movies in 2021!

We're trying something new this episode and focusing on a single movie, one of our favorite modern holiday classics: Ron Howard's How The Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey. Sometimes there's so much to a movie, we need a whole episode to break it down and marvel at it's genius. In our opinion, this is one such movie. We hope you enjoy!

We'd got another less traditional category of holiday movies for ya this week with Christmas Horror. Holiday comedy-horror is a growing genre and we're excited to talk about it for our second episode of the holiday season. First we have Black Christmas, a wonderfully balanced and rather original comedic slasher film. Next is the "twisted fairytale" Krampus, starring a terrifying German folklore storyline and some impeccably placed comedic dialogue. Enjoy!

Put the kids to bed for this holiday episode because we're going R-Rated. Traditional holiday movies are notoriously "feel-good", but sometimes you need a break from all that sweetness. Enter R-Rated holiday movies. This genre is a newer one, with things really taking off thanks to our first film of the episode, Bad Santa starring a great cast and one really horrible Santa (aka Billy Bob Thornton). Our second film, The Night Before, is a cross between the naughty Christmas film and the one-last-crazy-night-with-your-friends story. Starring the trio we never knew we needed - Seth Rogan, Anthony Mackie, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt - this movie brought all the laughs and some surprising feels. Enjoy and happy holidays!

The bra-burning, masculine dressing, femininity void "feminist" is a pretty worn trope. And not that there's anything wrong with that vibe, but it's not the only type of woman that's allowed to be a feminist. In this episode we examine two great female led comedies that show how easily traditional femininity and feminist ideologies can exist within the same character, all while making a hilarious movie. First is the classic 9 to 5 starring a dynamic trio of women who are truly over the patriarchy. Next we have one of the most notable films of our generation, Legally Blonde, starring the pinkest feminist that's ever existed on film. Enjoy! Stay tuned for our Holiday season episodes starting next week.

Hollywood legend Sean Connery passed away recently and in this episode we celebrate his career and large presence in the entertainment industry. Our first movie is one of the many iconic 007 films he starred in, From Russia with Love. Then we jump to his Oscar winning role in The Untouchables. We also talk about a few of his other film appearances along the way. Enjoy!

While we're all burned out on politics in the real world, we thought a fun distraction would be to watch films all about politics! But the high school kind. First up with have Election, a rather edgy movie for it's time starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. Second we have a hallmark movie of our generation and definitely one of the most unique directorial debut films around, Napoleon Dynamite. Enjoy!

The "creature feature" was a staple of drive-ins decades ago, but they're a huge part of horror cinema history. For our last episode of spooky season we take a look at two well known movies from this genre. First we tackle The Mummy, before Brendan Fraser got his hands on it. Then we chat about the unlikely box office hit that still maintains a high pop-culture status, The Blob. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

Spooky season is still going and our Monster of the Week is Killer Truckers. This episode we get to discuss two very different approaches to this classic highway horror genre. First up is Jeepers Creepers with a demonic iteration of the "killer behind the wheel" character and a baby-face Justin Long. Then we have a more traditional approach in Joy Ride featuring some surprisingly amazing cinematography and a not so surprisingly attractive driver. Enjoy!

Week two of spooky season and we have a genre we've long wanted to visit: Evil Aliens. And we have a special guest join us this week to discuss our films. First we have the rogue Tim Burton ensemble cast mayhem that is Mars Attacks! Then we discuss the second film in the long standing Alien franchise, Aliens. And don't worry, we definitely get into which movie is better; Alien or Aliens. Enjoy!

Kicking off our month of spooky episodes, our first "Monster of the Week" is Zombies. Our first zombie movie is the eerie Danny Boyle flick 28 Days Later starring the wonderful Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris and lots of zombies. Then we switch to one of the most unique horror-comedies of the last 20 years, Shaun of the Dead. Enjoy! 

Prison breaks make for a particularly unique style of film, yet our two films this week seem vastly different. First up we have a movie on many must-see lists, The Shawshank Redemption. Then we jump to the equally famous, or infamous, Escape From Alcatraz. This episode is a fun dig (get it?) into all of the small elements that make movies great. Enjoy!

In celebration of the legacy of a true revolutionary hero, we're focusing on all things RBG for this episode. First up we have the scripted drama, On The Basis of Sex, which focuses on Justice Ruth's earlier years in school and as a professor as she learns to challenge the status quo of the law. Then we discuss the RBG documentary, which covers almost the entire span of Ruth's life and her tireless fight for equality for all genders. Enjoy!

It's a hard move to make, but every once in a while a pro-wrestler makes the successful transition to the big screen. For our first featured wrestler-turned-actor, we discuss The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson, specifically in one of his more hilarious films of the decade, Baywatch. Then we jump to arguably the first big celebrity wrestler, Andre The Giant, and his spectacular role in the classic The Princess Bride. This was a real fun one for us so we hope you enjoy!

This week's episode celebrates the late actor Chadwick Boseman, King of Wakanda and a King in our hearts. Our first film, Marshall, centers on one of the many well known cases Thurgood Marshall worked on in his journey to becoming the First Black Supreme Court Justice. Then we discuss one of the most iconic movies of our generation, Black Panther. In our discussion of these fantastic films and Chadwick's incredible talent, we're glad we also get to explore the many heroes of black culture and the subject of equality for the black community. Wakanda forever.

The vampire film genre is huge, so we're breaking it down to those based on books for this episode. First up is Queen of the Damned, based on an Anne Rice novel and honestly, I can't even begin to sum up this movie so you'll just have to listen. Then we have the modern day vampire love story that took the "young adult" market by storm in the early 2000s with Twilight, the first in a series of films based on the Stephanie Meyers novels. Enjoy!

For this episode, we dig a little deeper a very unique genre that has one toe in traditional cinema, and one in musical theatrics. First up is possibly Whoopi Goldberg's (EGOT Queen) most widely known comedic film performance, Sister Act. Mollie and Lindsay very much disagree on this movie so that's always fun. Then we move to the stellar ensemble sensation that launched several people to household name status, Pitch Perfect. Enjoy!

It's full on, run from the blazing sun, can barely put on clothes, summertime. And what could be more summery than summer camp? This week we take a look at two classic summer camp movies. First up is Wet Hot American Summer, a fantastic cult satire starring an alarming number of now very famous actors. Next we have Heavyweights, one of those classic 90's movies about friendship and adolescence that perhaps didn't age all that well, but carries a special nostalgia with it. Enjoy and stay cool!

We love a good biopic, and considering the many conversations being had these days that echo so much of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, we thought it would be fitting to do a deep dive into to of the most iconic Black leaders from that era. First we have Spike Lee's Malcolm X, an epic film giving us so much insight into a complicated man often vilified in history books. Then we jump to Ava DuVernay's Selma, a movie that on it's surface depicts just a single civil rights march, but truly gives a broader, painfully accurate portrayal of America at one of it's lowest moments.  

As we continue to celebrate Pride Month, we decided to look back at a couple of noteworthy additions to queer cinema. First we have the screen adaptation of John Cameron Mitchell's poetic multimedia musical about the turbulent life of an emigrant transgender punk rocker. Then we discuss the well-known big production Philadelphia, starring Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks as they depict one man's fight for his rights in a world of homophobia and HIV/AIDS stigma. Happy Pride. We hope you enjoy.

It's Pride Month everybody so it's time to shine an extra spotlight on LGBTQIA+ cinema. For this episode, we're focusing on queer documentaries. First up we have A Secret Love, the intimate portrait of a lifelong lesbian partnership in that began in the 1940's when the world was a very different place for the queer community. Then we have the fantastic The Life And Death of Marsha P. Johnson, a beautiful documentary celebrating the work the trans community did during the gay rights movement (despite being horribly treated by their own community) and digs deeper into the beautiful life and tragic unsolved death of the icon that is Marsha P. Johnson. Enjoy and Happy Pride!