The Arniethology presents...

After a funny old year, Ben sits down to tell you about his favourites from 2021 and a handful of films that really should have tried harder. As always, get in touch at: thearniethology@gmail.com Music is 80s by David Szesztay

Things get personal this week, as Ben and Alex follow Oscar winners Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton on their tumultuous relationship and it brings out the reflective side of the Arnietholy chaps. Writer-director Nancy Meyers is a brand unto herself and this isn't a bad example of why studios are so willing to throw tens of millions of dollars at her. Is it funny enough and romantic enough to pass the romcom test though? And just how incredibly hot is Keanu in this? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Ben watched 27 Jackie Chan films in January 2021. Here they are in his ranking order. Send yours to thearniethology@gmail.com

Everything that has a beginning, has an end. And so Alex and Ben have come to the end (for now) of the Matrix franchise. Almost two decades of debate, both attacking and defending these films, has led to this moment. So after all this time and all these rewatches, does The Matrix Revolutions get the Arniethology seal of approval? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

I believe that this episode holds, for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives. Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and a bunch of others are back and Ben and Alex are going big for it. More divisive than its predecessor, the first part of the back-to-back sequels was one of the most hotly anticipated films of its era and left a lot of people scratching their heads. Thankfully, becuase we've always got our finger on the pulse of what's hot, The Arniethology is here to unravel as much as possible and it only took 17 years. If you've got another theory on what's going on, we'd love to hear about it, so please get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com Music is Black Fly by Audionautix.

A return to the world of Sport this week - Keanu is a degenerate gambler who gets sucked into the world of little league coaching in the suprising drama, Hardball. Ben and Alex are not your ideal candidates to walk you through a play-by-play, so there must be something special here to keep them engrossed. Could it be Keanu's performance? Or just the presense of Big Poppa on the soundtrack? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

After a slew of bonus episodes. its the first actual Keanucopia episode of 2021 and to celebrate (?), Keanu has re-teamed with his Devil's Advocate co-star Charlize Theron for romantic drama, Sweet November. This is an odd confection, somewhat confusing for the first half and then, depending on your mindset, either much better or much worse in the second. Ben and Alex don't quite represent the even split on those feelings, but as always, they get into it. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix; get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

One final bonus episode before we get back on track with Keanu fims - this time, a catch up on the emails you've been sending us in recent weeks, then Ben's got a top 20 list of his favourite films from last year and finally a look forward to 2021, as both Alex and Ben pick five films each they're looking forward to this year. Think you can do better? thearniethology@gmail.com wants your suggestions. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix.

Another bonus crossover episode for you to see in the new year - this time we've linked up with Sean Malloy over at 'I Must Break This Podcast' to discuss the hyper-violent final entry (to date) in the Universal Soldier franchise. We big up Scott Adkins, discuss the career of JCVD and summarise the whole UniSol franchise before going deep into this surreal and strange, but impressive direct-to-video action film. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

In place of new Keanu, please ring in the new year with The Good, The Bad and The Remake - go to Netflix, watch Sudden Death and then give this a listen. It's a lot of fun. Music is 'Bring me the West' by phlaala. Contact GBR at goodbadremake@gmail.com

Sam Raimi takes the wheel this week as Alex and Ben open up The Gift from 2000 and see if what's inside is Keanutopia or Keanunopia. A glittering cast including Cate Blanchett, Greg Kinnear, JK Simmons and Katie Holmes makes this a glimpse into a different time in a lot of ways and our man Keanu is playing a bad guy again. Or is he? (He is). This is a mystery thriller with a supernatural edge from a master of spooky thrills. Is that enough to win The Arniethology over? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

There's not much to get excited about for Ben and Alex this week, as the contractual obligation The Watcher is the focus. Reeves is going through the motions, but the always noteworthy James Spader is also in this film. We're mostly just having a laugh on this one, it's that simple. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Its a return to the world of sports this week, as Alex and Ben dive into professional American Football with the comedy The Replacements. Gene Hackman, Jon Favreau, Faison Love and Rhys Ifans are lending support, while Keanu makes such a convincing quarterback (apparently), that he nearly had a change of career. This episode was recorded the week of the US Presidential election and so starts with five minutes of chat about that. Skip forward if you're not interested in our thoughts. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

With The Matrix done and dusted and half of the Keanucopia boxed off, we're taking an interval with a film we've talked about for years, Kevin Costner's "epic" The Postman. Corny lines, weighty ideas, sloppy fights and 180 minutes. If you've never had the pleasure, we recommend this as a unique experience. Music is "80s" by David Szesztay. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

It is The One. We've been talking about the Matrix for weeks, months, maybe years and it's finally time to dive in. As is The Arniethology way, this took us down some strange tangents, so don't come here expecting an analysis of the soundtrack or fashion. We're going down the rabbit hole. This is a film that Alex and Ben have bonded over for two decades - and this is our attempt to explore those conversations. And do Agent Smith impressions. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

The Devil's in the house as Ben and Alex discuss the 1998 legal thriller The Devil's Advocate, which isn't really a legal thriller. It is pretty bonkers though and so the conversation goes to some strange places as The Arniethology grapples with what, if anything, the film is trying to say. Keanu is on top form, perhaps raising his game against Al Pacino and an early, excellent supporting turn from Charlize Theron. This is one of Ben's favourites, but Alex has always been lukewarm about it. Can a rewatch change that? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

It's the time of year to get out your spooky sticks and point them at scary things. And with that awful analogy out of the way, Alex and Ben are here to tell you what they think of some recent horror films, by way of trying to convert Alex... First up is Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man, then - after a brief recap of The Shining - it's onto Mike Flanagan's Doctor Sleep. Finally, Ben quickly recaps Shudder's original production Host; the directorial debut of Rose Glass, this year's Saint Maud (now in cinemas!); and the frankly jaw-dropping Swallow starring Haley Bennett. With the exception of The Shining, these are all spoiler-free. Music is Day of Chaos by Kevin McLeod. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

An oddity in the Keanucopia this week, as Keanu plays second fiddle to Thomas 'The Punisher' Jane in an adaptation of Neil Cassidy's epic letter to Jack Kerouac that helped kick off the Beat generation. Virtually no-one saw this film and, on the surface, it's not hard to see why. But there is plenty to chew on, admire and enjoy here, not least an excellent - if scummy - performance from Keanu. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

After playing such a crucial role in the unfolding Tom Cruise shared universe, Cameron Diaz steps into the timeline once more to tie the Keanucopia to the Cruisiverse. Alongside her is Keanu - giving one of his most grounded performances to date - and the always exciting Vincent D'Onofrio and Delroy Lindo. The film itself has issues as well as surprises, but it led the Arniethology lads to reconsider Keanu's status as a movie star and actor and, for that alone, things in the Keanucopia may never be the same again... Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

A mighty dollop of nostalgia this week as Alex and Ben reminisce about the time in their lives that they became cine-literate, as they travel back to 1996, a year that gave us Heat, Seven, Mission: Impossible and this week's Keanu offering, Chain Reaction. The definition of average, this is a mixed bag as the director's follow up to The Fugitive, so it's perhaps not a surprise that a massive detour into "pet peeve movie cliches" grabs their attention for a few minutes... Music is Black Fky by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

There's a new Bill and Ted film out there - Bill and Ted Face the Music - and Ben and Alex have some thoughts on it. Don't worry if you haven't seen it yet, these are non-spoiler thoughts just to give an idea of whether we enjoyed it. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Keanu returns to period romance with the gentle, warm drama A Walk in the Clouds, a film neither Alex nor Ben have seen before. Given that Speed is the runaway winner of the Keanucopia rankings to date, will a soft hug of a film such as this - never mind one that's selling an idea of fate that appeals to neither of them - have much to offer? Well, the answer, as they say, may surprise you... Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

After the giddy highs of Speed, it's back down to earth with a bump for the oddly televisual techno-thriller, Johnny Mnemonic. Not just Keanu's first foray into sci-fi, but an early adaptation of father of cyberpunk, William Gibson. All the elements were here for something special, but it seems they gave it to the wrong director. There's still fun to be had though. Not least in some of the wild overacting on display... Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

The most hotly anticipated entry to the Keanucopia so far is here: 1994's action classic, Speed. As well as a bus that can't slow down, we get a new kind of Keanu (in only his second action lead role), his first collaboration with Sandra Bullock, a snarling psycho role for Dennis Hopper and Die-Hard-influenced cinematography, staging and editing from Jan De Bont. Alex and Ben both love this film, but not without some reservations. When all the pros and cons are tallied, can this land the top spot in the Keanucopia to date? And yes, there's a brief chat about the ill-fated sequel as well. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

The most hotly anticipated entry to the Keanucopia so far is here: 1994's action classic, Speed. As well as a bus that can't slow down, we get a new kind of Keanu (in only his second action lead role), his first collaboration with Sandra Bullock, a snarling psycho role for Dennis Hopper and Die Hard-influenced cinematography, staging and editing from Jan De Bont. Alex and Ben both love this film, but not without some reservations. When all the pros and cons are tallied, can this land the top spot in the Keanucopia to date? And yes, there's a brief chat about the ill-fated sequel as well. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Keanu takes on arguably his biggest challenge yet, playing Siddartha Gautama, the buddha himself. Is he up to the task? Ben and Alex have some thoughts, naturally, and are unafraid to get side-tracked into a brief discussion about Kevin Costner's The Postman along the way. Really. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Gus Van Sant makes another appearance on the Keanucopia, as his My Own Private Idaho collective join forces with Uma Thurman in the strange, quirky road trip that is Even Cowgirls Get The Blues. First up, Ben and Alex are catching up with some of the recent changes affecting upcoming movies, including the imminent arrival of Bill and Ted Face The Music. Then they try and pick apart exactly what Van Sant was going for here - an even more free-wheeling and star-studded endeavour than Idaho was, but this time with a plainly comedic streak, as Uma Thurman plays a model with the world's biggest thumbs... Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

A first for the Arniethology, as Alex and Ben get stuck into some Shakespeare and they've got some creative notes for the young up-and-comer. A cast that includes Denzel Washington, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Richard Briers, Brian Blessed, Michael Keaton, Imelda Staunton, Kate Beckinsale and Robert Sean Leonard breathes life into Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy and this time, Keanu is the bad guy. But wouldn't this have been better re-cast with Jason Statham and Kathy Bates? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

A change of pace for sure this week, as Alex and Ben get into Alex Winter's directorial effort Freaked, a weird, metatextual satire, wherein the once and future Bill S. Preston plays a deformed actor and Keanu plays a half-man-half-dog hybrid (not a werewolf) called Ortiz. There are laughs to be had and horror to be horrified by and the jury is still out as to whether it's any good or not. It certainly is different though. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com Music is Black Fly by Audionautix.

An Oscar-winning director, a formidable cast, a literary classic and a unique vision are all in the mix this week, as Alex and Ben sink their teeth into Francis Ford Coppola's ambitious adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula from 1992. Ben's been harping on about this one for years and Alex finally sat down to watch it. What does he think of it and how does Keanu fit into proceedings? And then, just for fun, Jo Cardew bobs in to share her history with the film. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Keanu returns to his indie roots this week, as Ben and Alex try and decipher a critical darling of the early 90s independent scene, Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho. A fractured narrative that emerged from multiple sources gives way to a touching story of love and friendship, street hustling and life on the road. And there's a big dollop of Shakespearean dialogue for good measure. Keanu is holding his own against River Phoenix here, but is it to the Arniethology's tastes? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

As teased last week, Ben has joined up with another podcast - The Good, The Bad and The Remake - and their first episode was on Point Break and its 2015 remake. So as a way of launching the series and offering up something that the Arniethologists might enjoy, here is episode 1 of The Good, The Bad and The Remake. Keanucopia music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch with the Arniethology here: thearniethology@gmail.com

It's that time where we get to discuss the second Bill and Ted film and joining us to help make sense of this wild trip is our most special of guests, Adam Stolfo from the Reel Chat podcast in Australia. Adam's been a long-term listener, supporter and friend to the podcast, and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and even an insider story or two. Join the three of us as we try to pick apart the starkly different and darker tone this film goes for, the genius of William "Bill" Sadler as Death and attempt to answer the question: 'Which is better, Bogus Journey or Excellent Adventure?' Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

We've finally arrived at Keanu's first action role - as Johnny Utah in the 1991 surfer-bank-robber-skydivers action thriller Point Break - and, as is tradition when dealing with an action classic with slightly homo-erotic undertones, Ben's sisters (Jo Cardew and Laura Highton) have joined us to discuss Keanu and Patrick Swayze's respective hotness, a thoroughly entertaining supporting cast that includes Gary Busey, John C McGinley and a Red Hot Chili Pepper, the wild pitch this film must have had, the pseudo-philosophy that underpins the action and the conductor of that action, the Oscar-winning Kathryn Bigelow. Music is BlackFly by Audionautix. Get in touch with us here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Back into the unknown this week, with a film neither of us had heard of, let alone seen - the 1990 period comedy-fantasy, Tune In Tomorrow. Keanu heads a cast that includes The Entity's Barbara Hershey and Columbo himself, the late great Peter Falk. The film itself is a combination of romantic drama and bizarre (and sometimes risqué) humour, against a backdrop of a 1950's radio station in a small town and the characters that help keep the serialised drama running. When Peter Falk's provocative writer comes to town, everything gets turned on its head and the results are very entertaining. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

This week, we've got the comedic powerhouses Kevin Kline and Tracey Ullman more-than-ably supported by River Phoenix, William Hurt and, of course, our boy Keanu, in the strange black comedy I Love You To Death from Indiana Jones and Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. While not a complete departure from his usual goofy stoner shtick, Keanu is playing a genuinely entertaining twist on it here. How does he stack up against such formidable pedigree though? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Ron Howard's 1989 bittersweet dramedy is the subject of this week's conversation and it's another chance to reminisce about the golden age of the Steve Martin film. Keanu is arguably playing his finest 80s slacker here, as the idiot with a heart of gold, Tod. Does the funny stuff still make us laugh and does the dramatic stuff still give us chills? You know what to do to find out. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

WARNING: This week's episode is extra sweary and explicit. In talking about the fledgling adventure of comedy duo Bill and Ted, we got into questions concerning some of the adult themes that so often appear in these 80s comedies, such as "What is a 69?" and "Did you spot Freud's drooping corndog?". And it's all in the name of answering the key question: is this film still any good at making us laugh, or is it now just a nostalgic cringe-fest? Stay tuned for the perspective of a youngling from 2020 to balance out our old and jaded views. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix; get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Malkovich. Pfeiffer. Close. Uma. Capaldi. Keanu? Perhaps not as much as we would like, but he's finally played something other than a Broody Stoner Hunk Bro, as we try to pick apart Stephen Frears' multi award-winning period drama, Dangerous Liaisons. There's conspiracy, backsliding, sex, manipulation, love, death and even a strong vein of feminism. But does it tickle The Arniethology's pleasure centre? Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

A return to the original Arniethology for one week only, as the Austrian Oak has a new film out on home release, featuring his Around the World in 80 Days co-star, Jackie Chan. The Iron Mask (AKA Journey to China: Mystery of the Iron Mask) is a Russian-Chinese co-production and features the two megastars in supporting roles, as globe-trotting action fantasy shenanigans take place. Could this be a return to the family-friendly heights of Kindergarten Cop or just another in an increasing line of disappointments for the Arnie fan? Music is 80s Action Movie by Tony Gage; get in touch with us here: thearniethology@gmail.com

An extra short episode this time around, as Alex and Ben are somewhat underwhelmed by a romantic comedy hostage drama, that struggles to be one thing or the other. A pretty great cast gets them through, however, and is perhaps the only reason to see this film. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Before we get to the altogether unheard of and surprising film that is the focus of this week's episode, Ben and Alex have some suggestions for things to watch during the lockdown period (skip the first 13 minutes if you're not interested). Then it's on to director Marisa Silver's Permanent Record, a teen drama (stay with us) that tenderly deals with the impact of a promising high school student's suicide, through the mechanisms of grief, support, structure, empathy and music. More than any film so far in the Keanucopia, if this one has passed you by, give it a watch before you listen to us discuss it - firstly, it's well worth it and secondly, we get spoilery early doors. To top it all off, once the hankies are wrung out, Marisa Silver herself sent us a few words about the film. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Our exploration of the career of Keanu Reeves continues with The Night Before, a John Hughesian teen comedy about two kids who get lost on the way to prom and the journey to try and remember just what happened, before it's too late. Some pretty heavy topics get thrown around, for such a lightweight film, but the road to Bill and Ted is clear after seeing this. Is it a gem or just a stepping stone? Alex and Ben have differing opinions. Music is Black Fly by Audionautix. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

In the words of the great John Wick, "Yeah, I'm thinking we're back". And we're kicking off the Keanu Reeves retrospective - AKA Keanucopia - with the first available film on our list, River's Edge. A dark and strange teen drama, this explores uncomfortable subjects through a less-is-more approach. We've got old favourites - It's Your Numbers - and a whole new set of actor staples to establish, as we set off on a journey to explore this most beloved of movie stars. Music is "Black Fly" by Audionautix Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com and join the conversation at facebook.com/Arniethology

For no reason other than the end of a decade comes but once every, what eight or nine years? Ben and Alex are listing their favourite films of the decade from 2010 to 2019. With two picks a year, this is a 40+ list of the films The Arniethology holds dearest from this most recent decade, along with plenty of mentions for films that came close to making the list and a few major disappointments that deserve extra special mention. Think we're nuts? Let us know at thearniethology@gmail.com Music is "80s" by David Szesztay.

We're back with an interstitial episode, talking about the latest in the Terminator franchise. First, there's a catch-up on the state of the year's films so far, including a rather lacklustre summer season. Then the review starts proper at 16m, as we get into the film many are hailing as the best Terminator film since James "Jim to his friends" Cameron helmed T2 in 1991. Does the Arniethology agree? Well, it takes some spoilerific talk to get into that and spoilers start at 49m30s. Do you agree with our thoughts? Let us know at thearniethology@gmail.com Music is 80s Action Movie by Tony Gage

We've got a special episode for you this time, as we talk through a potted history of the Fast and Furious franchise, before getting into (non-spoilery) chat about the latest entry - and first spin-off - 'Hobbs and Shaw'. We also take a quick look at the trailers for the upcoming Arnie and Cruise films in the shape of 'Terminator: Dark Fate' and 'Top Gun: Maverick', respectively. Finally, there's a look forward and a special announcement about where we're going next. Let us know what you think about any (or all) of it at thearniethology@gmail.com Music is "80s" by David Szesztay.

After a long delay, the final forgotten films of the 80s are upon us. And they look like a long forgotten - and perhaps underseen - Steven Spielberg film and a perhaps underappreciated time travel film in the shapes of 'Always' and 'Millennium', respectively. We're spoiling basic plot points from the off, but major spoilers for Always start @ 22m40s; then we're into Millennium @ 1h12m, with heavy spoilers @ 1h34m30s, before wrapping it all up at 1h52m. As always (see what I did there?), music is "80s" by David Szesztay; contact us at thearniethology@gmail.com

For this week's mini episode, Ben discards the Suspiria remake to focus on the career trajectory of Mr Keanu Reeves, building up to his most satisfying role, that of Mr John Wick. There are no spoilers here, so if you haven't yet seen John Wick 3 AKA Parabellum, fear not - this is all about Keanu. Music is "80s" by David Szesztay. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com

Ben and Alex round out the review of 1988's forgotten films with an ok religious satire and an outstanding survival thriller. First up is the star-studded Pass the Ammo, featuring Tim Curry and a rare leading role for Bill Paxton, causing some Paxton Factor confusion. Then (at 23m), the unduly forgotten action thriller Deadly Pursuit (AKA Shoot to Kill), starring Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley and Clancy Brown - as well as a handful of stunts and twists. Music is "80s" by David Szesztay. Get in touch: thearniethology@gmail.com

Another trifecta of recent releases for recommendation and another phalanx - love that word - of listener recommendations for the weeks ahead. On the docket this week, Ben gives a view on bonkers, artful Nic Cage masterpiece 'Mandy'; Robert Redford's acting swansong, 'The Old Man and The Gun' (directed by David - not John - Lowery); and documentary 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?', detailing the career of the iconic children's presenter Mr Rogers. There's laughter, tears and chainsaws right here, people. What more do you want? Music is "80s" by David Szesztay. Get in touch here: thearniethology@gmail.com