What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?

Visit our website, What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?, for lots of videos, pix, links, and extras!Oz: the one that kicked it all off!Before The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Wire, or any of the great shows known as the Television Renaissance, there was Oz. And now, 24 years after it first debuted as HBO's first original drama, the entire series is available on HBO Max!If you have never seen Oz, now is the time! Six full seasons, ready to binge. You'll see so many of your favorite actors on this show; you won't be able to keep count!It's brutalIt's a social commentaryIt's romanceIt's comedyIt's musicalFor Elaine, it's Tim McManusFor Travis, it's Ryan O'ReilyAnd just for shits and giggles, it's Claire Howe!And... Shirley Bellinger(video on our webpage)If you've never seen Oz, lucky you!  If you haven't seen it in decades, go back!  You won't regret it. It was a game-changer.  Still on the fence? Here's a PARTIAL cast list! Come on!!!Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters, George Morfogen, Terry Kinney, Rita Moreno, Harold Perrineau, Eamonn Walker, Luna Lauren Velez, Granville Adams, Tom Mardirosian, BD Wong, Chuck Zito, Scott William Winters, Christopher Meloni, Robert Clohessy, R.E. Rodgers, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Zeljko Ivanek, David Zayas, Anthony Chisholm, Edie Falco, Betty Buckley, Kathryn Erbe, John Lurie, Luis Guzmán, Rick Fox, Mark Margolis, Luke Perry, Tony Musante, Patti LuPone, Joel Grey, Kevin Conway, Edward Herrmann, Method Man, Frederick Koehler, Bobby Cannavale, Peter Criss, Anne Meara, Casey Siemaszko, Jonathan Demme, Gavin MacLeod, Frankie Faison, Roy Thinnes, Joyce Van Patten, Ally Sheedy, Ken Leung, Richard Bright, Eric Roberts, Elaine Stritch, L Cool J, Ben Vereen, Clarke Peters,   Peter Dinklage,

For pix, videos and extras go to our webpage.Everybody's Talkin' ...About Christopher Meloni this week so who are we not to jump on the bandwagon? But we have a few more recommendations too! The One - NetflixOur show recommendations deal with near-future technology and its impact on our personal and romantic lives.  The premise of The One is that scientists develop a DNA match formula that can match anyone who opts in with "the one" true love.  The premise is interesting, and the subplots are too. Would you want to know "the one?"  What if you are already married? The One stars: Hannah Ware, Dimitri Leonidas, Diarmaid Murtagh and Zoë Tapper.Made for Love  HBO MaxIn this series, which is still airing new episodes on HBO, the story centers on a woman married to a reclusive tech mogul who finds out she has been implanted with a chip that "mind melds" a couple, claiming to make them as one. Ray Romano is perfect as the dad with an unusual romantic partner!Made for Love stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Augusto Aguilera and Noma Dumezweni.Christopher MeloniEverybody's been talking for weeks about Chris Meloni's return to the Dick Wolf Law and Order universe and his iconic character, Elliot Stabler with Law and Order: Organized Crime, so we jumped on board. Elaine is a big CM fan, and Travis gained a whole new respect for Chris. Doing this episode inspired us to re-watch Oz, and we are digging it so much that we will devote a whole show to it next week! Listen to the show to hear what we thought of the SVU crossover, and enjoy these pix of Christopher Meloni!Join our Facebook group!

Check out our website TravisandElaine.com for lots of pix, videos, and extras!Actor, writer, producer, director, and all-around badass, Ida Lupino is a Hollywood pioneer. Check out the show to discover this powerhouse woman or learn some things you may not know about her!Actor!Here are a few of our favorite movies starring Ida.High SierraThe Sea WolfThey Drive by NightRoad HouseDirector (writer/producer)The Hitch-Hiker The BigamistAs promised...Though it's not an Ida Lupino movie, since we went off on a tangent about Edmond O'Brien and D.O.A., we're posting the full movie.D.O.A. (Full Movie)  (see our website) 

This week we hit both ends of the spectrum. First an American new show for kids, that grownups will love too, Next, a Brazilian comedy that is most definitely for adults only! Waffles and Mochi - NETFLIXFrom Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground Productions, part of the massive deal between the Obamas and Netflix comes Waffles and Mochi. Create by Erika Thormahlen and Jeremy Konner (Drunk History)It's a sweet journey where two best friends (Michelle Zamora and Piotr Michael) from the Land of Frozen Food travel to the city with a dream of being chefs. After hitching a ride with a food truck, discovering the world of fresh food at a supermarket owned by "Mrs. O" (Michelle Obama. They travel in a magic shopping cart learning about different foods (and lots) more with guests like Common and Jack Black and world-class chefs from around the world. And then there's the music! Our favorite so far is "I'm a Fruit" by Sia.Waffles and Mochi is a show for everybody. Watch it with your kids. Watch it with your grandkids. Watch it alone. Def watch it when you're stoned! (Elaine made a bad rhyme)Hard (HBO MAX)Hard is a fun, sexy Brazilian dramedy currently on HBO MAX.  We couldn't even find an English subtitled trailer, but trust us, it's subtitled on HBO MAX.  Easy 30 minute episodes; it kind of reminds us of Weeds, if the weed was porn. Check it out, don't think too hard about the donkey, and definitely don't Google the Brazilian Donkey show.  Elaine did, and she nearly went blind.  Hard stars Natália Lage, Julio Machado (as the most loveable porn star), Denise Del Vecchio, Fernando Alves Pinto, and Nathália Falcão.Wanna talk TV and movies with us? Join our Facebook Group!!

This week we're talking about the WandaVision finale (just like everyone else) and a tight, sweaty little mystery series, Tell Me Your Secrets. But first…Who's been vaccinated?It seems like a free for all here in California, but we ain't complaining if more people get vaccinated. (Well, maybe a little.)WandaVision  FINALE Disney+Well, knock us over with a feather. We loved WandaVision! As those of you who listen to our podcast or follow us on social media, you're well aware that we are not "superhero people!" With the rare exception, like last year's Joker, we rarely give raves for the massively popular genre, especially the franchises.  The lead cast was great from top to bottom Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and one of our all-time favs, Kathryn Hahn. And the supporting cast was great, too, especially Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, and Evan Peters.Then there's this little earwormAgatha After AllTell Me Your Secrets Prime VideoRecommended to us by a member of our WATAEW Facebook Group, Rick, we were drawn to it because Travis is a big Lily Rabe fan. But, once we started watching, Hamish Linklater and Amy Brenneman really stole the show. The show is a taut mystery that's begging for a season 2. It has a strong supporting cast, including Marque Richardson, Richard Thomas and Emiri Crutchfield, who you may remember as the young narrator of the most recent season of Fargo. Travis recommends:Travis loves Michelle Dockery. This week he recommends two shows (besides Downton) that she starred in, that you may have missed.Good Behavior and Godless. Elaine def agrees, at least about Godless! 

This week we're talking about a show you may have missed on HBO Max, Years and Yearsand the role that won Andra Day the Golden Globe in The United States vs Billie HolidayBut first...After Elaine's rant last week about EDD, she gives an exciting update and advice for anyone with EDD woes. And, we talk about our winners of the Golden Globes polls in our Travis and Elaine Facebook Group. Join us!Years and Years (HBO Max)Years and Years is a six-part by the BBC/HBOlimited series created by Russell T. Davies, who's written both science-fiction like Doctor Who and Torchwood drama like Queer as Folk(UK). Somehow we never watched this excellent show!! The series follows the British Manchester-based Lyons family over 15 years. It looks very familiar to thos who love smart family dramas, but gives a unique view of how global, political, and technological advances impact us all, whether we are paying attention or not. Years and Years stars one of our favorite actors,  Rory Kinnear, and the great Emma Thompson and has a solid supporting cast, including T'Nia Miller, Lydia West, Anne Reid and Maxim Baldry.The United States vs Billie Holiday HULUAndra Day knocks it out of the park in this, her FIRST acting role! Currently, on HULU, the biopic boasts a strong supporting cast including Trevante Rhodes, and Natasha Lyonne.  But what about the true story of the iconic Billie Holiday?  We get into it all and what we really think of Lee Daniels take on the singer and the story.

This week we talk about Nomadland (HULU), Behind Her Eyes (Netflix) a throwback to The Knick (HBO Max.) But first… Elaine got personal about EDD in California, unemployment, and how millions of people have had their accounts frozen and stuck in “pending.” Behind Her Eyes Created by Steve Lightfoot (The Punisher, Hannibal) Behind Her Eyes is a tight little thriller about a young woman involved with her married boss, who then finds herself in a friendship with his lonely, fragile wife, until it’s not.It stars Simona Brown, Eve Hewson, Tom Bateman and we neglected to talk about Robert Aramayo who […] The post S3:Ep3 Nomadland, Behind Her Eyes appeared first on What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?.

See our website for a ton of extras- What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?This week we talk about Nomadland (HULU), Behind Her Eyes (Netflix), a throwback to The Knick (HBO Max.) Behind Her EyesCreated by Steve Lightfoot (The Punisher, Hannibal), Behind Her Eyes is a tight little thriller about a young woman involved with her married boss, who then finds herself in a friendship with his lonely, fragile wife until it's not.It stars Simona Brown, Eve Hewson, Tom Bateman, and we neglected to talk about Robert Aramayo, who is excellent as Rob.  You may know him as young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones or creepy Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. in Mindhunter. He was even in Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals!  We're sorry, Rob. We'll talk about you next week.  Yes, Elaine did guest the ending... believe it not!!NomadlandThis one is definitely an Oscar contender, along with last week's Judas and the Black Messiah.  Yeah, we're getting December caliber movies in February. Thx COVID. Zhao Ting has always used "real people" (non-actors) in her movies, which is no exception. In addition to the Oscar-worthy performances by Frances McDormand as Fern and David Strathairn as David.Nomadland is a hard-hitting modern-day The Grapes of Wrath.  Everyone should be free to live as they choose. But, until our older Americans ALL have that choice, we have failed as a nation. That said, the resilience and dignity displayed by the real-life Nomads is more than admirable, Throwback:  The Knick One of our favorite shows in the last decade is Steven Soderbergh's, The Knick. The entire series is currently available on HBO Max.It boasts a top-notch cast including Clive Owen-, André Holland,  Juliet Rylance.  And to bring it full circle, Eve Hewson (Behind Her Eyes) as the Golden Lotus Queen, Nurse Lucy Elkins.See our website for a ton of extras- What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?

Got to our website for extras!This week we're talking about the film Judas and the Black Messiah and the finales of The Stand and Your Honor. But first, Elaine starts talking about how she went out for a ride last week and how COVID-19 numbers are down, and before ya know it, she was in a full-blown political rant. So buckle up for that.  But political outrage turned out to be a perfect segue into our first topic this week.Judas and the Black Messiah (HBO Max) is the story of the life and events leading up to Black Panther Fred Hampton's death. With knockout performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield and a supporting cast including Jesse Plemons, Martin Sheen, and one of our favorite actors from The Deuce, Dominique Fishback, Judas, and the Black Messiah is a likely shoo-in at Oscar time. The real playersWe learned a lot from this film, even though we thought we knew the history. And, like we always do, after seeing a "based on a true story" movie, we dug a little deeper. Here's a side-by-side featuring the real people next to the actors who portrayed them. (see our site )What the movie doesn't tell you.In the movie, Hampton and O'Neal are played by Kaluuya and Standfield, 31 and 29 years old. Hampton was only 21 years old at the time of his death.  But, what people don't know is that William O'Neal was only 17 years old when the FBI sent him in to infiltrate the Black Panthers. We think this is important and may impact how people judge O'Neal, who took his own life on MLK day after PBS aired his interview on Eyes on the Prize.Hampton's widow and son. Deborah Johnson gave birth shortly after Fred Hampton's death. She was 19 years old. She named the baby Alfred Johnson, but at the age of 10, changed his name to Fred Hampton jr. She changed her name to Akua Njeri.Njeri is still active in the civil rights movement today.  Hampton Jr is Chairman of The Black Panther Party Cubs.  As we mentioned on the show, Fred Jr has a Go Fund Me to help restore his father's childhood home. Check it out here.We promoted The Stand so hard on this podcast. And we try hard not to steer our listeners to anything that we didn't like ourselves. So now we find ourselves in the awkward position of having to say Oooops!!  We're sorry!On the flip side, we were delighted with the Showtime limited series's finale, Your Honor. Some people are calling the finale "poetic justice."  We don't exactly see it that way.  Shakespearean, yes.  Just, Nah! For anyone who gave a couple of episodes and gave up, we say, give it another chance. It pays off!

More stuff > here!One Night in Miami (Prime Video)Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X, Eli Goree as Cassius Clay, Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown, and Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke, One Night in Miami is a fictionalized version of what happened between the four icons in a Miami hotel room on the night Cassius Clay beat Sonny Listen to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World.One Night in Miami gets a ton of buzz as the theatrical directorial debut for Regina King. King is becoming a Hollywood powerhouse in both TV and movies in front of the camera.We're old enough to remember her as Brenda, the little girl on the steps on 227 We've followed her career closely. From Boyz n the Hood, Jerry Maguire to American Crime, and of course Watchmen. As she builds her reputation as a director, she is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Spontaneous EPIXDirected by  Brian Duffield from the novel by  Aaron Starmer, Spontaneous stars Katherine Langford who we last saw in Knives Out-recommended on a previous episode. The strong supporting cast includes Charlie Plummer. Rob Huebel, Piper Perabo play the parents, along with Chelah Horsdal, who we loved as Helen Smith in one of our favorites, The Man in the High Castle.  Riverdale fans will recognize Hayley Law. Much more than a teenage sci-fi story about an exploding senior class, Spontaneous is a black comedy, social commentary, love story, political statement, and coming of age nightmare. We can't recommend it highly enough.

See our website for many extras including updates, pix and videos.We're spotlighting two streaming movies today: The Little Things and The Dig. But first, we want to remind you that if you live in a temperate state, first-run movies are playing at your Drive-In theaters. If you want to keep the Drive In's alive after we defeat COVID-19, make sure you support them now. We've gone to the drive-ins thrice, and we love it! Bring your own food if you like. Bring your own kids if you like! It's something we thought was gone forever. Let's make sure it's not!!Here's an article about the great Drive-In comeback!How the American Drive-In Staged a ComebackThe Little ThingsOne of the first in a series of new releases that Warner Brothers is releasing on HBO Max, The Little Things stars 3 Oscar winners,  Denzel Washington, Rami Malek,  and Jared Leto, and a solid supporting cast,  including Natalie Morales and Chris Bauer.We talk about the dated vibe Elaine got from the movie and how and why it is set in the 1990s. But, Travis was distracted by Denzel's appearance and performance. He thinks Denzel looked and moved in an old guy, frumpy way. Maybe.Or maybe Travis hasn't come to terms with the fact that his man-crush can't stay young forever! Here's a Denzel "through the years" gallery to prove it!!Check out Travis's Shorty about Denzel, here. The DigA complete change of pace, The Dig is a British period drama starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan. It's based on a true story of an archeological dig on a private estate that resulted in one of the most significant discoveries in history. While the historical aspect of the film is fascinating, The Dig is really a story about relationships and how we are remembered when we're gone. The director is Simon Stone, and the supporting cast includes Lily James, who we loved as Lady Rose MacClare on Downton Abbey.The Dig is currently available on Netflix. For more about the real-life dig that went to be known as "Sutton Hoo find." here are a few pix and videos!We also talk about The Office and Santa Clarita Diet in this episode. See our website for many extras including updates, pix and videos.

Go to our site travisandelaine.com for more info and extras. In this episode, we check out Gomorrah, Zero Zero Zero, The History of Horror and Twist. But first... We saw friends!  It was an undertaking between us and another couple who have also been quarantined since March. We devised an elaborate outdoor plan of side gate entry,  20 ft between us, and double masks. It was a gay old time!We even got to see our old pal Ulfie the dog!HBO Max released Season 3 of the Italian hit show Gomorrah this week. They also have Seasons 1 and 2. We've been touting this show for a long time, especially since its star Salvatore Esposito had his U.S. breakout this year in Season 4 of Fargo.We can't recommend this series highly enough. The 3 seasons available now in the U.S. will be followed up by a Season 4, and a 5th and final season will air this year around the world, hopefully here in the states. Gomorrah was created by Leonardo Fasoli, Stefano Bises, and Roberto Saviano (based in his book.)It stars Salvatore Esposito, Marco D'Amore, Fortunato Cerlino, Marco Palvetti, Maria Pia Calzone and Cristiana Dell'Anna.While researching Gomorrah, we discovered that one of our favorite shows last year was ZeroZeroZero. (Amazon Prime) was created by Gomorrah creator Leonardo Fasoli and adapted by the book by Roberto Saviano.The series follows a $60 million cocaine shipment from production to delivery through the eyes of the sellers (the Mexican cartel producing the drug), the brokers (a New Orleans shipping family transporting the coke), and the buyers (the Italian mafia purchasing the shipment). The show is in three languages and boasts an international cast including Andrea Riseborough, Dane DeHaan, and Gabriel Byrne as the American family, Adriano Chiaramida, and Giuseppe De Domenico as the Italian family and  Harold Torres in Mexico, and Tchéky Karyo, Sedina Balde in France.ZeroZeroZero is still available for a binge on Prime.

It's Family Time!This week we were introduced to two extraordinarily trippy, mysterious families in WandaVision and Servant. But first.Congratulations U.S.A.!!! By the time you listen to this week's episode, our long national nightmare will be over! And though it may take us years to clean up the mess, we have hope, the audacity of hope. WandaVisionYes, you read that right. Travis and Elaine dipped our toes into the Marvel Universe! And the water was warm!! Of course, we soon found out that WandaVision is a complete departure from anything Marvel had done before. So?? All we know is that so far, we love it!We won't go into the multiple Easter Eggs that link back to Marvel. Even we know the "Stark" brand is a callback to Ironman etc etc. But, we did love some of the cool little bits from the classic TV that WandaVision is built around.In episode 1We loved the nod to the famous (3) The Dick Van Dyke Show openings. Here's a video (on our website) where Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) falls, sidesteps, and then sidesteps and trips over the ottoman.In episode 2This time around, WandaVision revisits the classic Bewitched!Here is the pilot episode of the original. We set it to cartoon Samantha, flying. (on our website)At the end of WandaVision episode 2, the show goes from black and white to color. In 1966, after 2 seasons in black and white, Bewitched (and nearly everything else on TV) went to "Living Color!"But, what really got us was the dark undertones. The feelings of dread. The Truman Show style pullback at the end of the episodes. If we're lucky, WandaVision will wind up in the realm of David Lynch's Blue Velvet suburbia rather than homage or, worse, a retread of the classic sitcoms. We feel a dark vibe even in the first two episodes and the trailer(s) back it up. We have our fingers crossed for WandaVisioServant We got lucky with this one. And by lucky, I mean we never heard of it until this week when it launched season 2. And even luckier that so far it has us hooked!There are so many twists and turns in this one that we didn't want to spoil any little thing.Let's talk about the cast. We're thrilled to see Lauren Ambrose as meaty a role as Dorothy. She's gone through a long spate of back luck (Torchwood, The X-Files reboot.) We loved her so much in Six Feet Under. We hope to see A LOT more of her moving forward.For more fun content go to travisandelaine.com 

Three and done!We have 2 perfect short binges this week, a true-crime drama, Des, and a remake of a classic film from a classic novel, Black Narcissus. Both are intense dramas with strong performances, dark humor touches.Des - A friendly serial killerNow playing on AMC+ with Prime or Sundance Now with Prime, Des is a three-part true story based on the book Killing for Company by Brian Masters.It stars David Tennet, Daniel Mays, and Jason Watkins.In 1983 Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen is arrested after the discovery of human remains that were blocking a drain near his London home.  Ironically, the plumbing complaints came from Nilsen himself! (and other tenants.)  Upon opening a drain cover at the side of the house, the plumber discovered the drain was packed with a flesh-like substance and numerous small bones of unknown origin. Once the police determined the "flesh-like" substance was, in fact, human flesh, and the little bones were, in fact, human bones, the police questioned Dennis Nilson, who nonchalantly confessed. Chameleon actor David Tennant is chilling and kinda funny as the matter-of-fact Nilson. Nilson was one of the most infamous serial killers in UK history. known as the ‘kindly killer.'  A former cop who spent 5 years murdering young men he met on the streets of Soho from 1978 to 1983. His victims were often homeless or drug-addicted and often grateful for this stranger's apparent generosity.  Nilsen had murdered a total of fifteen men over a period of five years, making him Britain's most prolific serial killer of the time. DCI Peter Jay, a homicide detective, is played by Daniel Mays, who is becoming one of our favs. Keep an eye on Daniel Mays; we think he's about to break out!Black NarcissusCurrently showing (free) on the FX site and available on FX and HULU, Black Narcissus is a 3 part series with a long pedigree. The source material is the controversial 1939 novel by Rumer Godden and adapted by British TV writer Amanda Coe. The new version also sits in the shadow of the classic version by Michael Powell and starring Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar, Sabu, and a very young Jean SimmonsThe new version is more explicit than the 1947 film but sticks close to the original. It stars Gemma Arterton, Alessandro Nivola, Aisling Franciosi, Jim Broadbent and Diana Rigg in her final TV role. Travis likes the limited series better. Elaine prefers the film.  Let us know what you think in our Facebook group!

Bye Bye 2020We still have a long road ahead, but it felt good to put 2020 behind us. It was just the two of us this year (duh), but we did get cookies from Ritchie Cunningham and Oprah, some cool gifts from fam and friends, added new ornaments to the blue tree, and ate and ate and ate!SEE MORE PIX, VIDEO, AND CONTENT ON OUR WEBSITEImpostorsWe watched a LOT of movies. Mostly older movies we had missed the first time around or hadn't seen in a long time. But, we did start binging one show. Imposters! It's "dramedy" about the long con, kind of like The Sting, only not so light and kinda like Grifters, but not so incestuous! Imposters stars Inbar Lavi, Rob Heaps, Parker Young, Marianne Rendón, Stephen Bishop, Katherine LaNasa, Mel Harris, the always great Mary Kay Place, Ray Proscia, and Uma Thurman.But the most exciting surprise for us was a major character, Brian Benben, who plays Max!!!!Both of us were huge Dream On fans, and we were surprised when we looked up Brian Benben; it was barely mentioned. We can't find it anywhere (legally), but we will keep searching and pestering HBO MAX on Twitter.UPDATE: Travis found Season 2: The Second Greatest Story Ever ToldWith David Bowie as a Sir Roland Moorecock. Full episode!! (on our website)Enjoy!  And, if you like Dream On as much as we do, let us know, and we'll keep searching!Hit us up at:Twitter or join our Facebook Group!The StandWe're three episodes in, four by the time you listen to the show.  How do you think they are doing?  This was one of the series we were most excited about all year. We've talked about it in previous episodes and put a huge link at the bottom of every page to help you get a free trial of CBS All Access too.This week we finally dive in and discuss casting, time jumps, and give lots of love to Greg Kinnear! He is a stand out on The Stand!

Please go to our website What Are Travis and Elaine Watching? for heaps of extra content!We having a Blue Christmas... tree!! Finally!  Our bright (and I mean bright) blue Christmas tree arrived, and as promised, here are a few pix of the blinding tree that we took while watching the Holiday Classic, Videodrome.(pix on our website)Says it allZappaWe went into this doc with high expectations, especially Elaine (a huge Zappa), and for the most part, it did not disappoint. We (especially Elaine) had a few complaints, but mostly they were "fan" complaints, like wanting to hear more of her favorite songs. We have had some great conversations with other fans in our family who are also members of our Facebook group. We highly recommend you join us.What Are Travis and Elaine Watching - Chat Group. Bee Gees: Mend A Broken HeartWe went into this doc, now playing on HBO MAX, with no expectations. We were pleasantly surprised. We learned a lot. The most illuminating segment involved the Disco Sucks movement.  We were impressed and saddened, and inspired. We're not the most traditional Holiday Movie watchers, as you can probably gather from our Videodrome tree trimming party.This year we are going to recommend you add Smoke to your holiday viewing list. Not only is it a tremendously overlooked film by Wayne Wang in its own right, but it also ends with one of the best Christmas stories ever.  First, it's told by Auggie (Harvey Keitel) to Paul (William Hurt), then we see it recreated, no dialogue under the end credits while Innocent When You Dream written and performed by Tom Waits plays.  The Beatles: Get Back, a documentary collaboration between the band and filmmaker Peter Jackson, went live on YouTube and Disney Plus on December 21! The film, originally scheduled for release in 2020, faced production delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.Watch on our website.Happy Holidays and Cya next year!

40 Years a PrisonerThis doc, directed by Tommy Oliver and available now on HBO Max.It posts a celeb lineup of producers, including The Roots, Common, and John Legend.40 Years a prisoner tells the sorry of the 1978 police raid on a peaceful group of hippies, mostly young, mostly African American, living in a house in the Powellton Village neighborhood of Philadelphia. In 1978, Philadelphia's mayor and former police commissioner Frank Rizzo ran the city.He tried to starve the group out of its home, preventing food and water from getting into the house using barricades.  He sent in more than 600 cops armed with automatic rifles, armored vehicles, and bulldozers when that failed. Still, the MOVE members refused to "move." They hid in their basement. In response, Rizzo and the PPD pumped 250,000 gallons of water and teargas into the Move house's basement. Ultimately bullets started flying, resulting in the death of police officer James Ramp.Nine adult Move members were dragged out of the house– five men and four women. One, Delbert Africa was savagely beaten by a group of police, his jaw broken by the butt of a rifle. All nine were convicted and sentenced to 30 years to life.Rizzo quotes:“The police will be in there to drag them out by the backs of their necks. They are going to go either the easy or hard way, either standing up or lying down.” “Get the death penalty back, put them in the electric chair, and I'll pull the switch.”But this doc isn't so much about Rizzo or the cops or what happened in 1978 (and the rest of the MOVE story.) This is the story of Mike Africa Jr and his parents Debbie and Mike Sr who were members of The Move Nine who were arrested during that raid on trumped-up charges and convicted before he was born.Mike Jr was born in a jail cell and ow in his early 40's has never spent a moment with his parents outside of prison walls. Also, on HBOMax, Let Them All Talk was not what we were expecting!  We feared it was going to be yet another movie about people of a "certain age," starring some of the greatest actors of their generation reduced to cute or quirky old folks on one last adventure. We were pleasantly surprised by this story by directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Deborah Eisenberg. It boasts a top-notch cast led by Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, and Candice Bergen with a stand out performance by Lucas Hedges. The film also features one of our fav actors from Humans, Gemma Chan.Listen to the show to hear more about this unique, quirky movie and how it was made. 

Make sure to visit our website What Are Travis and Elaine Watching? for lots of pix, videos, and extras!This week we look at the movie Mank, the limited series, Your Honor, the doc Belushi and the S1 finale of The Barrier. But first...We're in lockdown, again.About 14 hours before we recorded this week's show, our county and most of California went back into lockdown. Then, this afternoon (Tues Dec 8) we heard the Emergency Broadcast System sound and it wasn't a test.Just the rest of you we are hanging in for better times in 2021.  Stay in and stay safe. And don't forget to join our Facebook group. What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?  It's good for the laugh we all sorely need! Ushering in the season where the studios give us their Oscar contenders, Mank.  We predict a nom for Gary Oldman and maybe even a best-supporting nom for Amanda Seyfried.As promised, here are the real people side by side with the actors portraying them in Mank.Your HonorThis limited Showtime series has Bryan Cranston breaking bad once again. This time as a judge whose son accidentally kills the son of a crime boss. Clearly, somebody read about John Gotti's son and pitched it.March 18, in 1980, a neighbor of Mafia leader John Gotti accidentally ran over and killed a young son of the mobster in Queens, N.Y., a tragedy that would lead to the unlucky man's disappearance.Investigators ruled the death of 12-year-old Frank Gotti (lower left) an accident, but the driver John Favara, (top) 51, was the target of numerous to death threats and taunts, including having "murderer" spray-painted across his car.The boy's mother, Victoria Gotti, (middle bottom) beat Favara with a baseball bat in his driveway. He did not press charges.Favara vanished on July 28, 1980.The pilot was tight with an especially good opening sequence. The cast is excellent. We'll be keeping an eye on this one and updating over the 10 week run of the show.The Barrier FinaleWe gave our last-ditch effort to get people to check out the Spanish TV series, The Barrier this week.  Just do it!!  We'll be back on your case if it's renewed for s second season.BelushiEven if you think you know it all (like Elaine did) you'll love this doc. The voice-only interviews, the still photos, and animation are top-notch.Ho Ho Ho... it's still 2020We hope you will consider using our links when shopping on Amazon. It helps us pay for hosting and other expenses associated with producing the podcast. Thx!Click the tabs along the top for Amazon and IP Vanish VPN.

Today we'll talk about two of the most anticipated series/season finales, The Undoing and Fargo, and the controversial new Netflix movie with Hillbilly Elegy starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close.But first, Thanksgiving!We cooked a lot. We ate a lot, and we watched a lot of movies! Half of our feast is currently in the freezer and may make a comeback at Christmas. But, while you can overcook and you can overeat, you can never get enough good movies!We did watch one over the Thanksgiving weekend that we hadn't seen before, Knives Out.  We give it our seal of approval. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out for free on Prime.The FinalesThe Undoing Hear what we had to say on the show. I don't even wanna write any more about it!!Fargo A much more satisfying ending with lots of comedy, tragedy, and murderers that made sense! Big kudos to Noah Hawley and the entire cast. Fargo does it again! Here are some of our fav death scenes.MAJOR SPOILERS in the videos below: (see our webpage travisandelaine.com)And then of course...The most bittersweet Easter egg ending.Fun Fact! Glynn Turman, who played Doctor Senator, has had a long and illustrious career. But there was one thing we didn't know! He was married to Aretha Franklin! He even co-wrote with Franklin the song 'I'm Your Speed,' which appeared on her "Almighty Fire" album.Big love to Noah HawleyBesides being the writer behind the upcoming Untitled Star Trek Sequel and Cat's Cradle, he wrote Legion, My Generation, The Unusuals, which he also created along with Fargo, he was Executive Story Editor and then a writer for the TV hit Bones.Oh, and he writes books! (see our website)Hillbilly ElegyThere's been a lot of controversy around this one, and we get into it all.  If you want to read more about D.J. Vance and the controversy around the movie, start here. What Ron Howard's Hillbilly Elegy Adaptation Leaves OutRon Howard left the politics out of it.  And he is taking heat on multiple fronts.

Thanksgiving . Like everybody (we hope), it's just us this year. So being that neither of us couldn't care less about the bird... no bird. We do care about our Italian roots, though!  Elaine is making the escarole soup with little meatballs. Fried up the meatballs and sausage for the "gravy" (go Philly.)  Travis is making  ravioli, Italian stuffing, and shrimp cocktail, or as Donald Sutherland calls it, shrimp "caulktail." Travis is making deviled eggs, and Elaine is making stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. And of course... "We got pie!" (see Toby Huss in Carnavale to get the reference!) Lemon Merangue and Cheesecake, because we also don't care about pumpkins either! Pix to come!Next week we'll go back to regular binging and purging-yeah, The Crown (ouch) and The Undoing and Fargo probably. But it's Thanksgiving weekend and since you are making tiny feasts and have no visitors, movies and revisiting old TV is on the menu. We are going for stuff you may not have seen! And just like our cooking, there is no guarantee of quality.Knock Knock (Netflix)Leap of Faith (Shhudder)An excellent doc about movies, music, art, and the making of The Exorcist.  Is Friedkin a maniac?  You decide!Run  (Hulu)Sarah Paulson is excellent as always and newcomer Kiera Allen is worth a look.Much better choice along the same lines. The Act is also on HULU. Tom of Finland  (HULU)This one is absolutely brilliant, so save it for after dinner and def after the kiddies go to bed.  Tom of Finland's work is in museums such as MoMA, Art Institute of Chicago, LACMA, and his home country's Kiasma. If you want to know more about Touko Laaksonen 'Tom of Finland', check out Tom of Finland Foundation .We love Pekka Strang!We'll keep looking for movies starring Pekka. In the meantime, check our episode... A Sexy Movie... where we talk about Dogs Don't Wear Pants.Deals and ExtrasBlack Friday and Cyber Monday as in full swing, and some of our favorite deals include:CBS All Access free for a month! Use our LINK, and if requested, the code is TURKEY.  This is the best time to give it a trial, not just because you get a full month, but it is the month CBS All Access is dropping The Stand! It expires on November 30th.

This week we are talking about the life and work of our favorite director, Billy Wilder. Listen to our stories and insights on the podcast episode above. In the meantime, here are some fun facts and some of the movies we discuss! And scroll to the bottom for the pix promised!Sunset Blvd. Wilder nailed the dreams and the cruelty of the movie business from the POV of the writer, the has-been star, and the wide-eyed newcomer. There are themes (like agism) that were rarely explored before in film. And oh the characters! Double Indemnity is one of the best Film Noir movies ever and one of the best, if not THE best femme fatale played by Barbara Stanwyck. Walter Neff is probably Fred MacMurray's best role. And let's not forget the great Edward G. RobinsonThe Lost Weekend held the top spot drunk movie, probably 'til Leaving Las Vegas. (unless you count The Days of Wine and Roses) The Apartment - Maybe the best "Rom-Com" ever. Or maybe what they'd call, today, a "dramedy." Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray, The Apartment is funny for sure but goes to some dark places. It's also a great pick for Mad Men fans and anybody loves Fred MacMurray when he is a cad!Stalag 17  Wilder found humor in what was for him the darkest and most life-changing chapter of his life. Guess that's why Hogan's Heroes stole the idea! But it is a ruthless story too. Nazi's get no mercy. Witness For The Prosecution is a "who-done-it," a court drama, and a departure even for Wilder. Starring a director in his own right Charles Laughton, his real-life wife Elsa Lanchester,  Tyrone Power, and Marlene Dietrich.The Seven Year Itch  Wilder was great at creating iconic scenes and this movie features one of the most famous. It's one of Marilyn Monroe's best comedic roles, but Tom Ewell is the real star, reprising his role from the Broadway play. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine again for Irma La Douce. Some Like It Hot. Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Joe E. Brown are at the top of their comedic game, with Marilyn Monroe?

For more content/pix/videos and more go to our website!This week we're talking about the HBO series, The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, and Donald Sutherland. Then we take a look at FX's Fargo S:4, where all shit breaks loose in episode 8. But first...Our long national nightmare is over!!!Congratulations President-Elect Biden and VP- Elect Harris.The Undoing Airing on HBO, one episode per week, which drives Elaine nuts, The Undoing is an old fashioned Who Done It. There is a robust debate in our Facebook Group about who the murderer is. Travis reveals his guess in this episode. Elaine, as usual, thinks everybody is guilty!FargoFargo is turning out, unsurprisingly to be the best thing currently airing on cable right now. Episode 8 is as good as any movie and draws on one of the most classic scenes ever. Special shout outs this week for Timothy Olyphant and Jack Huston. Overall, Jason Schwartzman and Chris Rock are looking to probably be going head to head for an Emmy. And, our boy Salvatore Esposito is killing in his breakout American role. We hope more people will go back and watch Gomorrah after they finish Fargo. Here are some of our favorite moments from Ep8. Then Elaine went down the rabbit holeTell us if you followed where Elaine was going with the Fargo S2/S4 connection. Because FX sure gets it.Join our Facebook Group!

Today we're going to talk about two excellent shows currently showing on Netflix, one everyone is talking about and the other not so much: The Queens Gambit and The Barrier.We hope by the time you listen to this, our great national nightmare is over, but for now, check our webpage for a sample of what went on here on Sunday, 11/01/2020.  Margot and Kenny had their first Halloween! Margot as a Unicorn! Kenny as Sweet Pea! See pix on our website!We have a new Facebook group! On a whim, Elaine decided to create a Facebook group for this podcast. Within an hour, we had 50 very active users and growing fast! Thank you to everyone who joined and supports our show! If you want to get in on the fun, here's a link:Travis and Elaine Chat GroupCan't wait to see you there. Lots of people in our group were talking about The Queen's Gambit on Netflix. We'd already watched the pilot on Friday night; we binged the rest on Saturday but saved the finale for Sunday. It took  27 years to finally get Walter Tevis' 1983 novel to the screen. Originally intended to be a feature film, Heath Ledger was attached to direct in 2008, and Ellen Page was courted to star. We get into the long strange trip to Netflix, plus the exceptional cast. Currently, The Queen's Gambit is the #1 series on Netflix. Maybe, it was worth the wait.If you're interested in the novel,  we have links on our website.The Outstanding CastLed by a star-making performance by Anya Taylor-Joy is a uniquely quiet tale of isolation, genius, and how one girl navigates the world. With the exception of the episodes where her character Beth Harmon is a kid, Taylor-Joy is essentially in every scene. We knew her from The Witch but didn't even recognize her as Casey Cooke from Split and Glass the two movies that followed one of Elaine's favorite movies. Unbreakable.  See pix on our webpageThe supporting cast is solid. Standouts were Bill Camp, Marielle Heller and Thomas Brodie-Sangster. More about them in the episode.For more about the fashion and music in the Queen's Gambit check our webpageThe Barrier  The Barrier - La valla (original title) is a Spanish series currently airing. one episode a week on Netflix. Luckily, if you haven't started watching yet, half the episodes are already up for binging.  Unbelievably, this series was created and filmed before the pandemic because the parallels are stunning. Yeah, it's another near-future dystopian drama, but it's better and more realistic than most. The cast, although mostly unknown to American viewers includes the remarkable real-life mother and daughter, Olivia Molina and Ángela Molina.Hang in there, everybody. Cya on Facebook! Travis and Elaine Chat Group

For our full list plus links, video, and much more, go to travisandelaine.com. Just because the entire year has been a horror show doesn't mean we can't celebrate great horror movies. This week we touch on many of our favorites and focus on William Castle, Stephen King, the films of the 1970s and 1980s, and classics like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist and newer and lesser-known favorites! Click on the name of any movie on this week's blog to buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray!!But first...As promised, here is the picture of Travis that we entered in Joe Bob Briggs' costume contest. Note the Trader Joe's insulated bag!Photos: ElaineShare your costume pix at our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for a chance to win a DVD of Attack of the Giant Leeches(sealed classic collectors series.) The movies, directors, actors, and TV showsSome of Castle's antics, including the Coward's Corner!The House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, Homicidal...For our full list plus links, video, and much more, go to travisandelaine.com.

This week we watched an excellent doc about President Obama's official photographer and an all-star scripted movie about the Chicago 7. But first...We voted!!We cast the most important vote of our lifetimes this Wednesday. We filled in our mail-in ballots, top to bottom. Then we dropped them off at City Hall. We voted about 3 weeks before election day. We subscribed to updates on where our ballots are in the process. We are doing our best to help rid our country of the Trump scourge! Hope you are too. The Way I See ItPete Souza was Chief Official White House Photographer under Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. He is responsible for these and many more iconic images. He is responsible for these and many more iconic images. The documentary features pictures, videos, and stories from the inside from Pete himself. It chronicles his journey from private a-political White House Photographer to social media activist. The Trial of the Chicago 7The story of the infamous trial in the 1960s, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the movie, now playing on Netflix boasts a stellar cast.Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Alex Sharp, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella, Ben Shenkman, Danny Flaherty, John Doman, and Michael Keaton. a Parson, it's a feast of the eyes and well as the ear!! "We're On Our Own: A Virus Song" - MUSIC VIDEO- (NSFW)https://youtu.be/KRWLveJ6xK0

Guilty Pleasures: We're off to Prison!This week the 8th season of the Aussie, soapy, women in prison drama, Wentworth dropped on Netflix and one of our only reality TV indulgences, Love After Lockup / Life After Lockup on WeTV.But first...We have an affiliate deal with Amazon. But, if we don't meet a certain level of engagement, they give us a boot in the ass. We ask you, our listeners, to PLEASE use our links if you are going to shop on Amazon. Costs you nothing means the world to us. We have 90 days to get our numbers up. Next week is Amazon Day: Get ahead of the holidays at deep discounts. WentworthWe have been all-in on Wentworth for 8 seasons. We've already seen all of S:8 and if you are a Ferguson fan, you're in for a treat.  If Wentworth is new to you, think OITNB without the snark.  Wentworth plays it straight. Wentworth is based on the old "women behind bars" soap opera, Prisoner: Cell Block H, but all it really has in common is the original set-up and some character names. Love After LockupOur true guilty pleasure is this reality show that centers around romances between men and women and newly released inmate penpals. Given how overly produced (written and manipulated) this show and all of reality TV is, Love After Lockup has a remarkably high amount of hilariousness and some genuine and touching moments.Photos: Foxtel and WETV 

This week we talk about the two-part series The Comey Rule and Season 4 of Fargo!But first...Get your flu shot! We did.it is more important than ever to get your flu shot. We got ours last week. If you get your shot at CVS Pharmacy in Target, they will give you $5 in store credit at Target. FargoFargo is back for Season 4. FX dropped the first two episodes on Sunday. This year, the story takes place in 1950 Kansas City.  It stars Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman as the heads of rival Italian American and African American crime families and a stellar supporting cast.Jessie BuckleyBen WhishawJack HustonGlynn TurmanTimothy OlyphantWe go into depth about the supporting cast, with special attention to Salvatore Esposito who we have been huge fans of for years. Catch it on FX, or Hulu (the day after.) The Comey RuleThis two-night event is a must-see. It lays out the James Comey (former director of the FBI) and Donald Trump story concisely. You can watch it now in its entirety on Showtime or download the app for your free trial. Jeff Daniels leads the cast as James Comey, Holly Hunter as Sally Yates, Michael Kelly as Andrew McCabe, and Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump. We loved Gleeson's performance but thought the makeup department toned it down a little. Exciting news!Later this Amazon will be releasing the new Borat movie.... stay tuned!                                                        Photo: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic

Lots of videos and extras on our website, travisandelaine.com In this Shorty we look at one of our favorite directors, David Cronenberg.Cronenberg was born in Toronto in 1943. He wrote constantly as a child and had a strong interest in science, botany and lepidopterology, the study of moths, and the 3 superfamilies of butterflies. He first studied in the Honors Science Program and then switched to the Honors Language and Literature program at the University of Toronto, where he developed an interest in film.After making a couple of shorts and a couple of art house films... in 1975: ShiversAnd then in 1977-   RabidRabid caused quite a stir given it's lead was XXX actress Marilyn Chambers. The star of the classic of 70's porn Behind the Green Door was already controversial when it came to light that she was the "wholesome" product model for Ivory Snow.More of our favorite Cronenberg films -Crash.A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. Naked LunchVideodromeCould exposure to the Videodrome be how James Woods lost his mind?Crash.Naked LunchThe Dead ZoneA MUST WATCH before the November 3rd election!The FlyAnd for the love of Jeremy Irons:M. Butterfly and Dead RingersAnd as an actor one of Elaine's favorite Cronenberg performances. To Die ForHope you enjoyed this Shorty. Wanna talk more Cronenberg?  Hit us up on social media! Check out our other Shorties!

Check out our website, for lots of extras. The EmmysIn years past, known for our awards night parties and feasts, we ate on TV trays and watched a paired down show with a paired down menu on paper plates this year. Very 2020. We posted our (partial) ballots last week, and we did pretty well! We were surprised that it was the lowest-rated Emmy's ever. Do people have something better to do?? None the less, we thought it was fun and funny. Schitt's Creek swept the comedy category, winning the first 7 awards in a row. Congrats to Dan Levy and everyone at Schitt's Creek and to Travis, who called it!RatchedAbout 1 AM on Thursday night, we realized that Netflix had probably dropped the whole first season of Ryan Murphy's origin story, Ratched. We were finished by Saturday. As regular listeners know by now, we love Ryan Murphy.Murphy takes on the iconic character from the Ken Kesey novel and Milos Forman film of the same name, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Nurse Ratched. If you like Murphy's other shows, especially AHS Asylum and Hollywood, you'll want to check out Ratched. CriminalNetflix dropped Season 2 of Criminal U.K.The unfortunate folks being interrogated this time around are Sophie Okonedo (Ratched,) Kit Harington in his first TV role since Game of Thrones, Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe), and Kunal Nayyar (Big Bang Theory.)Correction:You'll notice when you listen, Elaine, still dizzy with Murphy boy confusion, will tell ya that Sharon Horgan starred in Episodes. But of course, she meant to say Catastrophe with the amazingly talented and funny Rob Delaney. She is not Tamsin Greig!

Check our website- travisandelaine.com for extras and our Emmy picks.Did you miss us?We took the week off. But we're back with two new shows. We recorded a special episode dedicated to the great Billy Wilder and did a Shorty on another of our favorite directors, David Cronenberg. We also came up with a unique way to hang out with fam during COVID!Fall is here. We're still in the house. Who'da thunk it?? Six months of this shit. At least the new TV season starts. Next week we will probably talk about Ratched, so watch along with us. It premieres on Friday, September 18.Perpetual GraceAnother big winner from Epix, Perpetual Grace, is an offbeat 10 episode series the boasts a stellar cast, including Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook), and Damon Herriman (Mr. Inbetween.) AwayAway is a Netflix family drama with a twist. Mom is on a 3 year trip to Mars. Away boasts good performances from Hilary Swank and Josh Charles and a solid supporting cast including a stand out performance from Mark Ivanir (Barry Homeland.) It's a good binge to occupy the time between Ratched andFargo! The EmmysWe'll be watching on Sunday. Here's a link to Vanity Fair's printable ballot.LIQW9U8Dsd074qSHMxuA

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This week we will talk about Lovecraft Country and War of the Worlds, but first, we want to welcome you to Season 2 of What Are Travis and Elaine Watching. We never thought when we decided to do this simple podcast back in March to keep us sane during quarantine, that we’d still be doing it in September. We’ve done 21 episodes and a few Shorty episodes. We have a lot of fun doing the show and updating this page. We thought it might amuse our friends and family too. But we never expected […] The post S2:E1 Lovecraft Country and War of the Worlds appeared first on What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.This week we will talk about Lovecraft Country and War of the Worlds, but first, we want to welcome you to Season 2 of What Are Travis and Elaine Watching.We never thought when we decided to do this simple podcast back in March to keep us sane during quarantine, that we'd still be doing it in September. We've done 21 episodes and a few Shorty episodes. We have a lot of fun doing the show. We thought it might amuse our friends and family too. But we never expected to build an audience. Today we found out that we are doing better than 50% of all podcasts on our host, Buzzspout, who hosts over 100,000 podcasts. We've also affiliated with Amazon, CBS All Access, Instacart, IP Vanish. New Season. New Theme Song.We've decided to start a new season on WATAEW with a new theme song. As much as we love Bellas Ciao, it was time for something new, and our own Johnny Stromboli stepped up with a new song. He wrote the music and lyrics, sings the vocals, and played all the instruments except the trombone by Nelson Bell.Lovecraft CountryThis highly anticipated HBO series is a mix of monsters, ghosts, and other imaginary creatures and the real-life monsters of hate and racism in the Jim Crow era south in the 1950s. The acting, set designs, and costumes are top-notch. If you are a fan of Lovecraft Jordan Peele and JJ Abrams, this may be the show for you.War of the WorldsThis latest version of H.G. Wells War of the Worlds is an ambitious series produced by Canal, Fox, and Urban Myth Films. It stars Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, In Treatment, Zero Zero Zero,) Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, The Handmaids Tale), and an impressive cast of British and French actors. Unlike recent adaptations, this series centers on the human stories surrounding a catastrophic attack from outer space.

The Power of FilmSmack in the middle of the RNC Convention, we decided to showcase two movies that exemplify the power of storytelling in film to inform our awareness, world view, and, ultimately, our personal politics.Queen and SlimA Bonnie and Clyde for the BLM set? We discuss why this Queen and Slim  talk about other films in this same vein and why they are so important. One of our favorite scenes feature blues legend, Little Freddy King. Queen and Slim is currently streaming on HBO and HBO Now.The Platform The Platform is a Spanish import, now streaming on Netflix. But no movie we've seen recently more adeptly exemplifies our "trickle-down" American way. We need more dystopian allegories like this one, even if it means fewer zombies, but it doesn't, "obvio!"

Check our website for lots of pix, vids and extras!This week, Elaine kicks off the show talking about her first Zoom Baby Shower!And now back to TV....Just like everybody else, we surf Netflix and other apps to see what's trending. We noticed the doc series Fear City: New York vs The Mafia was trending at #2 so we gave it a shot. Listen to this episode to hear what we thought before (or after) you watch.In talking about Fear City, we remembered one of our favorite docs ever and definitely one to watch, The Seven Five. We watched it a few years ago on Netflix but it's currently available on Amazon PrimeWe'll take a dirty cop doc any dayThe 75th Police Precinct in Brooklyn, NY was the deadliest precinct in the country. From 1982-1992 Officer Mike Dowd led a group of corrupt policemen on their own criminal spree.Dowd & his partner Ken Eurell eventually began working with drug kingpin Adam Diaz.Dowd & Diaz spent time in prison ( 12 and 8 years respectively) while Ken Eurell did 2 months. (no spolier?)Where are they now?Since their release from prison, pals in crime, Dowd & Diaz have partnered in a line of cigars called The Seven Five.MikeDowd has a website where he proudly displays pictures from podcast appearances with the likes of Joe Rogen , the ever obnoxious Nick Di Paulo, sporting Dowd 75 teeshirts, needless to say, sold on his website.He teases his Seven Five tanks and tees using his daughter in law's cleavage. And, almost needless to say, he is a big Trump supporter with a special thing for Tomi Lahren, Candace Owens and Don Jr but hasn't figured out that Trump doesn't use the @POTUS account. Oh, and he still hasn't gotten over Hillary.  AdamDiaz is seeking financing for a film about himself, The King Of Brooklyn. Based on this trailer, we wish him good luck with that!

Photo: Deadline.comThe greatest name ever Travis likes to say, "Tatiana... MASLANY" whenever the opportunity arises!Born in Saskatchewan (just like Sister Alice!) 1983, Tatiana is a mix of Austrian, German, Polish, Romanian & Ukrainian. In elementary school, she was in French immersion & her mom taught her German before she learned English. She also speaks some Spanish. Another oh... she's been dancing since she was 4! She moved to Toronto & her career began in 2012 as a regular on Canadian TV & film.The BreakoutIn 2013 her breakout came when she played Sarah Manning in BBC America's series,Orphan Black. Now she didn't just play a character or two or even three. During the show's run, she portrayed a dozen characters, all of whom were her cloned sisters: the bohemian Cosima, soccer mom Alison, the tragic Beth, & Travis' absolute favorite, the damaged, fiercely loyal, Helena.The Clone Sisters Photo: BBCAAwardsBesides winning a slew of Canadian awards, Tatiana also has Critic's Choice & Prime Time Emmy Awards on her shelf. After Orphan Black's run, she did a couple more indys, episodes of Parks & Rec, and showed up in an Andy Samburg video featured on the season 39 finale on Saturday Night Live.And then there's Sister Alice!Tatiana absolutely rocks in the HBO reboot of the classic Perry Mason as the fire & brimstone evangelist Sister "let's raise the dead!" Alice, that further showcases her immense talent.

Perry Mason! This episode is chock full-o SPOILERS, so if you haven't watched S:1 (WTF), then skip this one. We have a Special and a Shorty this week too! Elaine was singing the praises of the original Fred Steiner's Perry Mason theme song from early on. The closer we got to the end of season 1, the more she heard the original theme under the end credit music. In the finale, there was no mistake about it. Steiner's theme was loud and clear under the Terence Blanchard end credits. Blanchard also composed music for a number of Spike Lee movies, including Da 5 Bloods, which we talked about in Episode 11, BlacKKKlansman, and Bamboozled. Check out the original theme f and the end music from the HBO series finale on our page. Steiner also worked on TV shows like Star Trek (TOS), The Twilight Zone (TOS), and Gunsmoke. His film credits include The Night of the Living Dead (1968), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi , and The Color Purple.Our S;2 predictions:Perry Mason (Matthew Rhys), Della Street (Juliet Rylance), and Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) will definitely be back (since they are all in place!!) and Pete Strickland (Shea Whigham) will be working for Hamilton Burger (Justin Kirk) who will move into the D.A, role. With Ennis is out of the way, Detective Holcomb (Eric Lange) may be back, and he may have it in for Paul Drake. D.A. Maynard Barnes is humiliated and pissed off af, but the last we heard from him, he still intended to run for mayor. So we might see the return of Stephen Root, although I think Travis would prefer he devote his time to Barry, and I hope he keeps showing up in Lincoln Project anti-Trump ads! Listen to this episode to hear us argue about the fate of Sister Alice (Tatiana Maslany.)Season 2 may be The Case of the Velvet Claws, the first of the Perry Mason novels by Erle Stanley Gardner and S6: E22 of the original series.

Note - this episode was recorded before we got our new sound equipment. If we mention anything current... it probably isn't so current anymore!In this episode, we talk about the movies we saw as kids that made us the odd couple we are today.In our opinion, most, if not all, of these films, are suitable for your kids, at whatever age you think is appropriate. As kids, our viewing was never controlled or censored, and we believe that's a good thing, but you know your kids best.Our ListsTravisThe Day The Earth Stood StillInvaders From MarsBlackboard JungleA Hard Days NightDouble IndemnityDiaboliqueAdam's RibThe Seven Year ItchElaineAngels With Dirty FacesThe Wizard Of OzCamelotMary PoppinsA Face In The CrowdThe Grapes Of WrathFrankensteinThe Wolf ManTo Kill A MockingbirdThe Great EscapeStalag 17The Boy With Green HairWe could have added so many more...And maybe we will. But these are a good representation of movies we saw before our teenage years that really made an impact and that we still enjoy today, We'd love to hear yours! Hit us up on social media with your childhood favorites and we'll reply!

Fan of the show, and one of our favorite people, Michael, requested we watch the movie 7 Days To Vegas on Prime Video.  Mike is a former Angelino, Vegas resident and pro gambler, so we knew he would like a movie about a poker player who takes a prop bet to walk from L.A. to Vegas.But would we like it?Not only did we like it, but in researching the movie, we fell deep into the Van Patten rabbit hole that continued as a 6 degrees of separation through-line for the entire show. We hope you were able to keep up!The movie stars Vince Van Patten, his brother James Van Patten, his real-life wife Eileen Davidson (soap opera legend and Real Housewife of Beverly Hills), and has a cameo from his brother Nels Van Patten.Vince's dad is the veteran actor Dick Van Patten, his aunt is actress Joyce Van Patten. His uncle is producer/director of Perry Mason, Timothy Van Patten. And his cousin is Talia Balsam, daughter of his Aunt Joyce and the celebrated actor Martin Balsam. Talia is the ex-wife of George Clooney and the current wife of John Slattery, who worked, of course, with Rich Sommer on Mad Men, which we'll get to later.It's more about the prop bet than the poker table7 Days to Vegas is a fun, easy movie about a crazy "prop bet" between a down and out actor and a douche-bag director and the crew of degenerate gamblers they play with. Poker players and gamblers will like it. Anyone who has lived on the fringes of Hollywood will recognize the characters as guys we all know. Vimeo describes it as "an edgy comedy based on the true story of the rise and fall of one of Hollywood's biggest poker games. The names have been changed to protect the guilty."We're not sure how much is true, but we know the bet was real because Vince van Patten was the guy who took the gamble. We know first hand that the depiction of the Hollywood private poker scene is spot on. And we know the Van Patten's have been a gambling family for generations. There's a lot of truth in this movie and in it's characters. It never does reach it's potential in our opinion only because we know people just like the ones in this movie, and they are a rich source for comedy, but 7 Days To Vegas is still worth the ride.If you're looking for a feel-good, (The Hangover for guys over 40) 92-minute break from the crazy, check it out on Prime or Vimeo for rent or free on Tubi and Sling.Big thanks to Mike for the recommendation!

Check out our site, What Are Travis and Elaine Watching for all the pix, videos, links and extras!We watched a lot of smart and sexy TV this week. Peacock launched with it's original series, BRAVE NEW WORLD and Perry Mason turned a corner. But first...Happy Anniversary To Us!This week we went outside!! We went to a Drive-in! In our car! Here are a few pix, as promised! (see our site)The Peacock has landed. BRAVE NEW WORLDThe Peacock Network launched wide on July 15th and the first Peacock Original we checked out was the series Brave New WorldFirst: What is Peacock and how do I get it?The Peacock Network is NBC's streaming app. Get it? Peacock?(see our site)Peacock was soft launched to Comcast customers April 15th and wide, this week. It's available on Xbox One devices, including the Xbox One S and Xbox One X, Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV HD.Peacock is also web browser friendly if you are running recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge, and Safari. You can app Peacock to Android tablets, newer models of Android TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Vizio TVs with SmartCast and Chromecast-enabled devices. On June 20th Peacock became available on Playstation 4. But Hey! What about FireTV and Roku?As of this date, Peacock is not available on the menu for Firestick/TV or Roku. NBC is blaming the streaming platforms, blah blah... who cares. Below you'll find the instructions on how to add Peacock to your device.FireTV/Firestick or RokuGet your Firestick (we highly recommend) or Roku clicking o the images below. (see our site)Is Peacock worth it?See our site for all the details. Brave New WorldWe binged the entire season/series(?) of the Peacock original, Brave New World. Brave New World, is based on Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel but is uncannily current. Made us wonder how the residents of "New London" would have reacted to our current situation!  We think the sound of Soma Pez dispensers would be deafening! Did we like it? Hell yeah!And not just because of the ubiquitous of sex and orgies.See out website What Are Travis and Elaine Watching? for more about BRAVE NEW WORLD, a Perry Mason update and a new song by Johnny Stromboli!

Go to our website What Are Travis and Elaine Watching? for pix, video and extras!This week we stuck with Netflix. We watched a limited Australian series and a doc about a Latinx icon. Then we finished up a classic British comedy series. It's not so different DownUnderStateless is an Australian import based on the true story of schizophrenic/bipolar Australian women, who was lured into a cult and eventually winds up in an immigrant detention camp. It stars Handmaids Tale Yvonne Strahovski, Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America), and Dominic West (The Wire, The Affair.) Set in the Baxter Detention Camp in Australia, it mirrors the mental health issues and a broken immigration system similar to the United States.Then, we totally switched gears ...Mucho Mucho Amor, The Legend of Walter Mercado, is the story of Walter Mercado, a Spanish language TV psychic. Over a decade ago, Mercado disappeared. In this sad, poignant, and sometimes hilarious, feel-good doc, we find out what happened to Mercado and why he holds such a dear spot in the hearts of Latinx millennials. Lin Manuel Miranda fan boys out when he meets Walter!Finally, finished Extras!Whether you've never seen it before or watched it 15 years ago on HBO, it's time to check out Extras on Netflix. Here are a few of our favorite moments.  (avail on our website)

Check out our website What Are Travis and Elaine Watching for pix, videos and links to what we talked about this week. Our July 4th weekend was all BBQ and Binge.  We watched the entire second season of The Twilight Zone on CBS All Access . We think S2 is even better than S1, but of course not as good as TZTOS. We break it down episode by episode (no major spoilers.) Use the link above to get a free trial.  Keep in mind, they have Picard too!! Season 2 boasts a stellar cast, a wealth of cameos and some really scary/funny moments. Hit us up on social media and let us know your favorites.Of course Sunday is for Perry.We're into episode 3, and Perry just keeps getting better! Matthew Rhys and the entire supporting cast had us on the edge of our reclining seats this week. Special shout outs go to John Lithgow whose character, E.B. Jonathan is starting show cracks around the edges when he goes up against Stephen Root's formidable Maynard Barnes and Chris Chalk as Paul Drake. We are beginning to see Perry and Paul align, as we knew they would.Special nod AGAIN to Tatiana Maslany. Sister Alice is shaping up to be a significant character who is surrounded by clues and mystery. We are so impressed, we threw together a little Shorty about Maslany, which we'll drop later in the week. Fans of the old Perry Mason show speak up, and a lot of it ain't pretty.Elaine has been joining online Perry Mason fan groups and many old faithful aren't happy. Did HBO make a mistake in some of it marketing?You asked. We answered.We cut the cord 5+ years ago. Early on, when we still had cable, we were using Roku, which is also a great product because several of the shows we worked were streaming there. But, like most of you, we have an Amazon account, and Firestick works seamlessly with Amazon. It links your Prime Video and even allows you to ask Alexa to play any movie or TV show by simply using your voice when you lose your remote control! There are lots of other reasons we prefer Firestick. If there's anything we didn't cover in this episode, reach out of social media, and we'll talk about it next time.Thanks as always to Johnny Stromboli.We'll be dropping more Shorties soon!

This week we talk about a kinky little Finnish film on Shudder and take a trip down Memory Lane with City of Angels and Perry Mason.Dogs Don't Wear MasksWe found a gem of an erotic drama/comedy with a lot of kink and a lot of heart. Dogs Don't Wear Pants is a 2019 film from Finland directed by J-P Valkeapää. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It's not for everybody, but we think it is brilliant.Penny Dreadful Series? FinaleWhen we recorded this episode (yesterday 6/29), we thought this was the series finale, since it seemed like the stories were wrapped. But we read that John Logan believes there should be a second season. Do we agree? Do you? We broke down what we liked and didn't like about a series we excitedly anticipated in Episode 7. Let's dance!!In Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Natalie Dormer plays four characters. Travis decided. last minute, to give us his preference on which characters where the sexiest… see if your choices line up with his. (if they do, see a doctor- ee)Perry Mason: Episode 2 was even better!We're getting pretty excited about what's in store for Perry, and now Paul, a familiar character for those who were fans of the old series, after watching episode 2. We were also introduced to two new characters, Sister Alice (Tatiana Maslany) and her mother (Lili Taylor), this week, and we were left scratching our heads about precisely the side they are on.Location, Location, LocationPerry Mason uses many iconic LA. locations. Here are some pictures of what we've recognized so far. Listen to this episode for a fun history lesson.Check out our own Johnny Stromboli on SoundcloudWe'll be dropping more Shorties soon!

*Go to our website What Are Travis and Elaine Watching? for pix and video and extras.*The week we're talking about two series currently on Netflix. The first is a hard-boiled noir-y genre-bender from the BBC and takes place in Tokyo and London. The second is a South Koreans 17th-century "sageuk" packed with political intrigue and one of our favorite things, fast zombies!Giri/Haji (Duty/Shame)This BBC series, streaming on Netflix is jam-packed. At its core, it is a story of family. Filmed in Tokyo and London it is a two-language series, about 65% Japanese and 35% English, It stars Takehiro Hira, Yosuke Kubozuka, with a stellar supporting cast including Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire) and Justin Long (He's still not a PC.)There are secret romances, Yakuza gun battles, animation, surprise deaths, junkie prostitutes, and cockney gangsters.It's a coming of age story, a coming-out story, a female road trip story and has a rooftop scene near the finale that you will never see coming.Duty/Shame may be back for a second season. We'd love to see more from these engrossing and unpredictable characters.Kingdom - NetflixKingdom, not be confused with The Last Kingdom, which is also streaming on Netflix, is a Sageuk (Korean period drama) set in the period around 1600, which was a low point in South Korea's Joseon Dynasty. In the wake of Japan's attacks, in this story, a rumor is circulating that the King is dead. But is he? Korean language, so used your Netflix subtitles.Perry MasonWe've been waiting for a year for the new Perry Mason to hit HBO, and it did not disappoint. It's a gritty, Depression-era noir. The original TV show was pretty noir-y too. This is Perry's origin story with a more fleshed out Perry than we have ever seen before. Matthew Rhys, who we love from The Americans, is a down and out Perry, working as a PI in 1930s Los Angeles. We see a few familiar names too, like Della Street and Paul Drake.Perry Mason boasts a stellar cast of familiar faces, including John Lithgow, Juliet Rylance, Shea Whigham, Chris Chalk, Tatiana Maslany (be still Travis's heart,) Gayle Rankin, Veronica Falcon, and Lili Taylor and Gretchen Mol. 

For video clips, trailers and full movies, plus lot's of extras, check us out at travisandelaine.com. After taking the week off for Elaine's graduation, we're back! We talk about being a part of the virtual class of 2020 and then get into what we have been watching in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Dozens of movies and series under the BLM umbrella are being offered, free, across streaming services. See below for an extensive (but partial) list.The Movies and Series We Watched This WeekSelma: Dir: Ava DuVernayThe Oscar winning song from Selma, Glory: John Legend and Common perform at the Academy Awards.13thThe film was written by Ava DuVernay, who wrote and directed Selma (2014), and Spencer Averick. Averick also edited the film. .You can watch on Netflix or  via Youtube.Just MercyDir: Destin Daniel CrettonClick through and choose RENT- the rental amount is $0The movie is also available via most streaming platforms/cable companies.LA92Dir: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. MartinNo V.O., no commentary, no actors. LA92 is simply a compilation of footage and interviews from the riots in Los Angeles. BecomingDir: Nadia HallgrenAn intimate, revealing, uplifting and inspiring look at the life of former First Lady, Michelle Obama.Free on Netflix.Malcolm X and Do The Right ThingDir: Spike Lee If you are new to Spike's movies, we'd suggest you start with She's Gotta Have It and School Daze and work your way through his incomparable body of work.Malcolm X is free on Netflix and Do The Right This available for rental on Prime at a reduced price of $2.99Da 5 BloodsDir: Spike LeeThis week Spike Lee dropped his latest, Da 5 Bloods on Netflix. 8:46 - Dave ChappelleThe internet has been buzzing all week about the video comedian, Dave Chappelle dropped on Youtube.  If you still haven't seen it, check it out below.Our own Johnny Stromboli did a cool little cover of Little Boxes this week.  Check it.We'll be dropping more Shorties soon! 

In this Shorty, Travis talks about his favorite actor, Denzel Washington. From his humble beginnings, his education, charitable work, family, and faith to his big break and his transition from TV to movies, his tremendous box office numbers, and his son, whose career is blowing up.We also talk about Travis's favorite DZ movies, and much more.Travis's Favorite Denzel Washington Movies Go to our website for trailers and clips!And the crooked cop classic, and one of the best movies, ever… Training Day.Go to our website for trailerWe touch briefly on John David Washington, Denzel's son, and his starring role in BlacKKKlansman. But with the second trailer's release for Christopher Nolan's Tenet dropping the day after we recorded this Shorty, we decided to share that here. Like everyone else, we are speculating like crazy about this one. Feel free to share your thoughts about Tenet in our comments, and Elaine might share her theories! We love time travel!Go to our website for trailerTwo Of Denzel Washington's Best Movies Hit Netflix on June 1, finally!First, the tension-packed Inside Man with a stellar supporting cast of some of our favorite actors, including Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, and Willem DeFoe.Go to our website for trailerSecond and so much more apropos to the awful week we have had since the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police and the ensuing protests and lack of national leadership: Malcolm X. This is one of Elaine's favorite movies and well worth a watch or re-watch this week. Go to our website for trailer and clipDenzel: The Good SamaritanThe Los Angeles Police Department called actor Denzel Washington a "good Samaritan" for helping out a distressed man who was caught in a busy intersection, according to the actor's representatives. Source: CNNGo to our website for video!Looking for personalized gifts while ya can't leave the house?You name it. Mike'll engrave it!Consider Mike's Mugs. Email any picture and Mike will be engrave it (no stickers that wear off after a few washes) on a high quality mug. Everything from Mike's is sanitized before shipping. Mike has a wide variety of mugs to choose from in his inventory too. Support small businesses.Use Etsy, or hit us up on our Facebook page and we'll put you in touch.Big thanks as always to our sound elf, Johnny Stromboli.Stay safe. Shelter at home. Listen to your governors… and check out our full length episodes!  

Have you checked out Ryan Murphy's Hollywood yet on Netflix?  We talked about it in our last episode and made special mention of Jim Parsons' stand out performance as lecherous agent/manager, Henry Willson. If you are as curious about the true story of Henry Willson as we were, here's a Shorty where we give you the backstory you didn't see in the limited series!In the series, Willson tells the story of his lost love, actor Junior Durkin. We'd never heard of Durkin, but then, by chance, we were browsing the Criterion Channel (also available on Prime) this week and found a movie called Hell's House. Durkin was third billing to Bette Davis and Pat O'Brien, but he was really the star of the film, and had he had a longer career might have done more of these kids gone wrong movies ala' The Dead End Kids. Durkin did 10 movies between 1930 and 1934. In two, he was credited as Bernard Durkin. In Hell's House, he was credited as Junior Dirken, and by 1934 he was credited in two films as "Trent" Durkin. We don't know, but it seems like a good bet that the change to "Trent" came from the mind of Henry Wilson, who named his stable of actors names like Rock, Troy, Yale, and Tab. Durkin sadly died in a car crash in 1934. He was only 19 years old. If Durkin's death was the catalyst that led to the bitter, drunken trajectory of Willson's life, we'll never know, but we're glad to add Durkin to our gallery of actors you should know. Don't have Criterion Channel or Prime Video? Watch to Hell's House below. (full movie) on our website.

There was a lot more to this great actor than Perry Mason.  Learn everything you never knew about Raymond Burr in our first Shorty!!Check out the videos and extras on our website, What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?

Check out videos, and lots of extras on our website, travisandelaine.comIn this episode, we dig into Ryan Murphy's limited series, Hollywood, now airing on Netflix. Murphy's sexy fairy tale is a "what if" story from the classic era of Hollywood. It's a mix of fact and fiction, and what it was like for the wanna-bees, the has-beens, the mucky-mucks, and muckrakers. Hollywood has an ensemble cast, including a heartbreaking role for Holland Taylor, Dylan McDermott, as an aging Lothario and Jim Parsons as you've have never seen before! The MusicHollywood has a great soundtrack full of songs from the big band and swing era. Refinery29 put together a slideshow called Every Song In Netflix's Hollywood Is A Throwback To The Golden Age Of Movies where you can sample every song featured in the series, and click through to Spotify to listen to the full versions. Did we? Or did we not?We give you an update on whether or not we got tested for COVID-19, and our trip to the no contact carwash. We wrap up the show with a tribute to two great talents that we lost this week, director Lynn Shelton and national comedy treasure, Fred Willard, with a look back on their careers and some personal stories.Elaine's favorite scene from Best in Show.Finally, we introduce our new mini-pods, Shorties!Starting with Raymond Burr, we'll be putting up short 5 to 10 minute stories about stars, big and small from every era of Hollywood and some personalities and juicy stories you may have never heard before. Big thanks as always to Johnny Stromboli!Since we decided to do this show from our dining room table while sheltering at home, Johnny has been helping is with sound and we can't thank him enough. Give him a listen on his Soundcloud page. Check out videos, and lots of extras on our website, travisandelaine.com

This week, Travis is getting shaggy, Elaine live tweets, and gets a special "like." We had a mysterious late night encounter and we watched two shows, created by people you know, that hit us straight in the heart.First, we recommend the hilarious and heartbreaking After Life created by and starring Ricky Gervais.Airing currently on Netflix, After Life is in its second season. Ricky Gervais plays Tony, a recently widowed reporter for a small-town paper who is dealing with grief, depression, and thoughts of suicide. But, yeah, it's a comedy! We're becoming serious Gervais fans. He has a way in his writing and execution that really touches a nerve about hope and compassion without giving us the all too often used religious undertones that you find in American comedy. Gervais is a prolific Tweeter, and we recommend you follow him @rickygervais. Check our episode where we talk about The History of Lying too. In a happy surprise we caught our old pal Ross Owen in a cafe scene in Season 2. Check out Ross and his other great adventures at The Ross Owen Show.The second show we watched this week was the finale of Dispatches From Elsewhere.Jason Segel's passion project, Dispatches From Elsewhere, is a trippy excursion into the lives of four strangers who band together to play a mysterious game where they search for the elusive Clara, who is being held by the menacing Jejune Institute. The entire first season is available on AMC.By the finale, hard-hearted Travis was close to tears! And Travis is you.Based on the DocumentarySegel based Dispatches From Elsewhere on the documentary The Institute. But we recommend you watch the series first. You'll thank us.

On today's show we're talking about the return of Penny Dreadful, The Last Drive In, and going outside for the 2nd time in as many months. Elaine goes outside!For the first time in nearly two months, Elaine ventured farther out than the patio. Here's a few highlights.Elaine wore white. Travis wore yellow. Our former Mayor, Sonny Bono wore a surgical mask and gloves.Penny Dreadful 2.0Penny Dreadful is one of Travis's favorite TV shows in years. His first crush was Eva Green, but it seems he is shifting to Billie Piper on his second watching of the first series. Will Natalie Dormer (The Tudors, Game of Thrones) be next? We both loved Penny Dreadful, and we are excited about the new series that starts tonight (April 26th) on Showtime.The Last Drive In is Back!We are longtime fans of Joe Bob Briggs (John Bloom) and are excited to see the return on his weekly show, The Last Drive-In. Joe Bob was in rare form, and along with Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince), they aired two classic cult horror pictures on S1:E1, Chopping Mall, and Blood Sucking Freaks. We were thrilled to see their guest star Kelli Maroney join them for part one and wrestler, musician and horror superfan Chris Jericho co-host on part two.It was a bonanza of deep trivia, Roger Corman stories from the "erotic thriller" period, but still no mention of Travis's movie(s) (dang), porn stories, and a beautiful tribute to Blood Sucking Freaks director Joel M. Reed who sadly died last week of COVID19. Elaine live-tweeted with the cast, crew, guests, and the #MutantFam for all 5 hours! If you missed it, you can still catch it on Shudder, and if you don't have Shudder, they are still offering a free trial.CORRECTION: In this episode, Elaine gave the wrong Twitter handle for Diana Prince. You can find her @kinky_horror. You can find Joe Bob Briggs @therealjoebob.