The Film Thugs Movie Show

Let's say it right off the bat... Ryan Coogler is a bad ass. It is officially undeniable.   The man mad a sequel SERIES to Rocky that represents some of the strongest in the franchise. He killed it with Black Panther, hell... he even started with a bold statement in Fruitvale Station. So... how does he do when he is going fully original. Not just fully original, original elevated genre... that's a period piece... with a lead actor playing twins. Given his track record... it was really just a matter of how much of the cover he was going to tear off the ball.   Well... listen to get our take on how much of that cover was left.

Not sure if you are aware, but this show is hosted by two VERY lapsed catholics. It is also a show hosted by two men with a combined near decade and a half of experience as altar servers. Basically, we have covered all of the services.  Weddings? Yep? Easter? No question. Christmas Eve Midnight Mass? Yep. Christmas Day? Of course? Regular Sunday? Shit... more than I can remember.   So this time out, it's kind of exciting to tackle the biggest show in the Catholic. The Papal Conclave.   Yep. Whenever a Pope shuffles off this mortal coil, or just retires (which, evidently, you can just do) all the Cardinals from around the world gather tougher in The Sistine Chapel and vote until we get a Pope. You know the drill, white smoke, black smoke. Habemus Papam. The whole thing. This movie takes us into the politics and the human drama behind the scenes at this historic event.  So... what do we think?

Saturday Night Live (originally called "Saturday Night," due to American Sportscaster Howard Cosell having a show on CBS called Saturday Night Live.) premiered less than a month and a half after Jim was born. By the time it hit it's real stride in the mid 80's, it had become an institution, and Jim's sports team. Like a sports team, SNL has good and bad seasons. It has super stars and draft busts. It has great seasons with bad episodes, bad seasons with good episodes, bad episodes with good sketches, good episodes with bad sketches....  For this show we went to an actual real life movie theater and watched "Saturday Night," a fictionalization of the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode of Saturday Night Live, directed by Jason Reitman (son of comedy LEGEND Ivan). How well does the movie pull it off? Do they get the characters right? What about Gilda? You're just gonna have to listen to find out.

It is rare for a movie to completely defy description. Yes, we could just talk about what happens in this movie, but... just listen and you'll understand.

We continue our hit streak with some Hitchcock related horror... Oz Perkins, son of Anthony, really knocks it out of the park with this unsettling little gem that is a refreshing entry from a director with an incredible sense of story and tension, and an even better eye.

Seriously. Episode titles have to be 5 characters.    A title so simple that Podbean doesn't recognize it, but GOD DAMN... does it ever deliver on that name.

Is it possible for a movie to overcome "Marvel Fatigue?" We have seen it all, and now the hole multi-verse thing... seriously, it's exhausting.   So, let us see how the boys handle it.

Some movies are just so good that, if you meet someone who dislikes it... you blame them for not liking it, because it cannot possibly be the fault of this wonderful, engaging, dare I say "perfect," movie.   This is one of those movies.

We recently lost one of the greats of screenwriting, Robert Towne. His resume is almost cartoonishly good, and his influence on the craft of screen writing cannot be measured. This week, in addition to discussing the career of Robert Towne, we will be discussing his criminally overlooked, "The Last Detail," starring Jack Nicholson as a career Navy signalman on Shore Patrol escorting a prisoner. Let's see how accurate a movie that was criticized because the characters, "swore like sailors," while playing sailors is.

Actors "trying their hand at directing," tend to have one of three outcomes.  "Yeah... I expected that crap." "Wow, that was pretty good." "Holy shit! What is this person dong next?"   Monkey Man is the third type. The story is lean. The action is brutal. The camerawork is stunning.    Let's see what else there is to say about, "Monkey Man."

Can  a movie really be a movie if it doesn't have a disclaimer specifically stating that no animals, specifically including OXEN, we harmed during the filming?   Let's find out, shall we?

Is this possibly the best Godzilla movie ever made? Probably. Find out why.

How do you make  a completely episodic TV show into a good movie? We have been grappling with this question with VASTLY varying degrees of success. Some are amazing, most are forgettable, some are abhorrent. So... where does The Fall Guy stand? Well... let's find out.

What happens when you have an idea so bad that it simply cannot be told in a movie? Well... evidently, you make two movies.   This time out we take a look at the collection of questionable decisions that is... Rebel Moon.

The Miracle of the Andes is one of the most compelling, terrifying, and awe inspiring stories in human history.  Back in 1994 we got a decent film version of it with, "Alive," which was a powerful, moving, and impactful film that felt like a poignant and realistic depiction of this hell on earth.   Then, "Society of the Snow," came along and elevated the game. Join Clarkson and Jim for an in depth comparison and unabashed favoritism.

This year we decided to let the dust settle a little and then look back at our Best Picture Nominees.  So, that's what we did. We watched all of them in one week. Now, here is what we thought.   Also, Jim screwed up and didn't actually release this two weeks ago, like he thought.

For decades, Dune has kind of been the white whale of science fiction filmmaking. Yeah, the 1984 version was interesting... Children of Dune is.... best not mentioned... Let's take a trip back to Arrakis and see just how well they can pull this off.

Christopher Nolan writing and directing an epic historical biopic about the controversial father of the atomic bomb J. Robert Oppenheimer.  Just saying it lets you know, we are through the looking glass here, people. So, what do we get when one of the most visually interesting, narrative challenging filmmakers, who delivers with a rare level of consistency with one of the most controversial, fascinating, and consequential people who ever lived?    You get a movie with a ton of well earned praise.

I can't think of a film series that we have had a more interesting experience with than the Creed movies. From dismissive, to excited, to completely won over... these three movies did the unimaginable. They made Rocky relevant again. Three movies... Creed was perfect. Creed 2 was amazing. Now, lets see how we fell about the first Rocky movie, without Rocky.

We end our look at the world of wrestling with an actual documentary, made by an actual documentary filmmaker. "Beyond The Mat," well produced, well financed documentary that not only had unprecedented access to the WWF (still a Federation at the time), but had an actual theatrical release (yes, Jim actually saw this in the theater). So, lets close out this chapter in style.

As a filmmaker, what do you do when you are making a rather run of the mill, straight forward vanity profile of a well known figure and, in the middle of making this profile, one of the most epic, insane, and legendary events in the history of that person's field occurs? Do you: A- Switch the focus of your documentary to this insane event and become the first person to fully report on it, thus giving you orignial control of the broader narrative and create a document that would be referenced in everything ever made about this defining moment. B- Use it as a build up to a second documentary that then becomes the original version of the story. C- Just kinda treat it like a thing that happened, kinda tack it on at the end, and then just roll credits.   If you answered "A" or "B," you are not the makers of this movie. Join us as we discuss the most absurd waste of material ever published.

This week, a bizarre tag team combo...   In this corner we have a lifelong wrestling fanatic. A Texas born and raised, bonafide expert in the subject with years of watching, rewatching, reading, rereading, discussing, debating, arguing, fighting, and getting locked in the very same finishing move this movie takes its name from but his big(?) brother. And his partner in crime... A guy who spent from the age of 8 to the age of 12 on a military base in latin America with little access to popular culture, and what access he did have was months later and... shall we say "sporadic," and has almost no knowledge of the sport. And in this corner... A goddamned near impossible to adapt, and absolutely impossible to comprehend tragedy of the most successful Texas wrestling family. A story so dark and tragic, Richard III is telling it to take a knee. That's right... The Iron Claw. Let's has out the good, the bad, and the "WHERE THE FUCK IS CHRIS?" of the whole affair. 

That's right folks... it's time to fasTEN your seatbelts and drive, full throttle into the mouth of familia as we take another spin with Dom and the family.  I could try to explain what happens, but... 

Imagine, "The Pilgrim's Progress," but with a rich, surfing douchebag in the lead?  Ok. Now, if you thought, "That is a fucking terrible idea. Please, leave me alone." You would be correct. You, however, would absolutely not be the producers, writers, director, or stars of "Journey Into Hell."   There isn't really much more to say.

I honestly cannot think of  a sentence that inspires less confidence than, "A Christian horror movie, inspired by 'Saw.'" I can't. Maybe you can. That's cool. Thing is, no matter what you come up with... it cannot make this movie any better. Welcome to the baffling horror (?) movie about a serial... forceful helper. It's hard to explain.  All we can say is, we are sorry.

I would say that it is impossible to think of a movie being more wrong headed and awful than 1986's, "Soul Man," but... remember you are talking to the guys who recorded and published a full reading of, "The Day The Clown Cried." Just listen to ALL THREE PARTS But the simple fact that we have to reference that... nightmare just for context should tell you everything you need to know. So, let's take a look at what happens when you try to help a little too hard.

We have seen some unlikeable protagonists in our time. We suffered Gary, endured LaRusso, and put up with Ferris (sorry, but he is a fucking sociopath)... we thought we'd seen the worst of it. But we forgot about Kaz. Let me try to Joe Bob Briggs this, single sentence style. My Demon Lover is the best romantic comedy about a homeless subway saxophone performer who, due to him being cursed as a teenager, cannot get sexually aroused without turning into a demon, except for all the times he sexually harasses women on the street while somehow falling in love with a tiny pixie lady who falls in love with him immediately after meeting him when he wakes up in a literal pile of trash on the street, starring an actor best known as a terceiary character in a successful TV show made in the late 80s. We watched it... see what we think.

This is one of the most deceiving movies ever marketed.  There ins't much else to say except... if this is a Halloween movie, then Die Hard is 100% a Christmas movie.

In honor of Halloween, Jim and Clarkson watch the only Friday the 13th movie Jim has seen before.   So... let's burn some trash on this All Hallow's Eve!

If you only know the character of Fletch from the Chevy Chase movies, nobody could blame you for that. They were classic 80's comedies. However, I.M. Fletch has a much more storied career. How storied? About 11. Confess, Fletch is 6th in the chronology, but the second book written. Yeah... it's one of those series.   So, how does Jon Hamm do? Listen, and find out.

Sometimes a movie franchise is just one movie... and that's OK.

Since Jim screwed up and launched this on the wrong feed, we figured we would try it again...     It's tough to argue against Superman and Batman as the "Big Two" of superheroes. And, if we are being honest, when it comes to superheroes... Superman is very much THE big guy.   So, let's take a look at the character that gave us the term super hero, and who has always been a ... questionable box office presence.

There are few, if any, characters as iconic as Indiana Jones. For a while, he was as perfect an action hero as you could find.   Then he aged.   Let's take a look at a character who proves that time is, indeed, undefeated.

Acting isn't terribly difficult. It's not easy, and lots of people are really bad at it, but it's hard. I guess that's why so many people take a stab at it.  Join us as we take a look at some of the different results we have gotten when non actors decide to start acting.

There are few characters with the versatility and staying power of Batman. From comic book detective, to campy superhero, to dark knight, the character of Batman has spanned a truly mind blowing spectrum of representation.   So, we take a look at the strange history of the bat.

The future is, indeed, so bright that it is probably not good for you.

Music biopics are a difficult genre because... to put it mildly, musicians are often difficult people. Not surprising. The human psyche isn't really built for international fame. This time out, we take a look at some of our favorite music biopics, and discuss some that really should exist.

After our extensive look at Christian films, we felt the need to stay Fair, and Balanced (TM, C, R).   So... here you go. A look at The Church of Satan and their crusade to... something about a statue.

We continue our discussion of what makes a movie "perfect."

This is a fascinating subjective question.  The beauty of it is how complex and simple it is at the same time. Just hearing the term, "perfect movie," where do you begin, and yes, you obviously know where to begin, and you have a solid defense, and yes... everyone knows Jim is going to mention Whiplash. You just...you know he is.

Because we went deep with Christian movies for a while there why not discuss what the future of that world is going to look like. I mean... we all know the answer is, "not great," right? Like... we ALL know that, right?

It happens all the time. A talented band has one member that just... they just aren't right for the kind of music they really want to make. Normally, this just gets you a mediocre band that could have been better. Sometimes, that band member leaves. This doesn't guarantee a replacement will change things for the better. But what if they did? Welcome to Anthrax's "The Sound Of White Noise," the best case scenario for what happens when a band gets rid of their albatross.

Number two of the big four, and the one with the deepest connections to the biggest. That's right, Dave Mustaine and Megadeth. What happened to them after their big break through. Did they indulge like Metallica, or did they do the only thing that Dave Mustaine can do? Let's find out.

A band having an identity crisis.  This applies to Metallica in so many ways. But, how could it be any other way.  What happens to a band of outsiders, who suddenly become the biggest band on the planet?  Well... evidently, "Load," happens.  Join Clarkson and Jim as they discuss the videos of Metallica's seminal (I hate myself for that joke) "Load." And never forget... no matter what happens, Jim will NEVER remember the damned robot bird.

There are a baffling, and I mean BAFFLING, number of Oscar winners in this movie. Like, it's alarming how inept a film by an Oscar winning director, with 3 Oscar winning actors, and an Oscar winning songwriter can be.  Just, with these people it feels like it should have been... accidentally competent.  Well, listen to us talk about the movie that proved Louis B. Mayer right. Nobody knows nothing.

Remember how indulgent music use to be? We sure do, and we decided to take an in depth look at that with the epic Guns N' Roses video trilogy of: Don't Cry November Rain Estranged   It is a long, very long, incredibly long look at the indulgent days gone by.

Finally, a movie that answers the tough questions... What if terrorist got hold of a time machine and used it to try and assassinate Jesus, prevent the resurrection by bringing his body to the present, thereby erasing Christianity from history? What if the only people who can stop that from happening are a group of scientists that accidentally discovered time travel in less than a month? Can you still get away with an African American character who is essentially a collection of outdated stereotypes. These and many more questions are answered in this episode as we look at Assassins 33 AD.

Thanks to a Patreon request, we finally take a look at possibly the Irish American film. John Ford's, "The Quiet Man," with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. It's funny how much a little bit of introspection can change how you relate with a movie. Seeing the... Irishness of it all is... well, you kinda have to listen.

There are few movies as criminally overlooked and underrated as "Big Night." It's just a minor indie movie from the mid 90's, but it might be flashpoint for modern foodie culture.  All that nonsense aside... its just a good movie. 

Well, sometimes the last minute is kind of awesome. The stars aligned and we were finally able to introduce Nathan to Die Hard. That's right, you are about to hear from someone who had never seen Die Hard before, and we release it on the 31st anniversary of The Battle of Nakatomi Tower. 

It's the holidays, which can only mean one thing... time to subject someone to this "movie." Join us as we blindside the absolute shit out of Clarkson's friend Andrew.