This week, Buzz and Woody are at it again. We watch them try to reunite with Andy for a third time, as Pixar tries to forces those tears out of our heads. Toy Story 3 (2010), directed by Lee Unkrich.
All in Action
Episode 83 - Lawrence of Arabia
This week, we watch the historical epic that not only paved the way for all blockbuster films to come after it, but also one that stands the test of time while being a work of art that will never see an equal. The list of films influenced by this masterpiece is massive, and includes every single Steven Spielberg movie, as seeing this in the theater as a child was the reason he became a director. Lawrence of Arabia (1962), directed by David Lean.
Episode 88 - The Sting
This week, we watch the best picture winning film about two Con-Artists going in together to pull off a huge grift. Those two men happen to be Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The Duo’s on-screen charisma shines yet again, and while it might not be setting out to do anything but entertain, it does so in spades, and amounts to a ride worth taking. The Sting (1973), directed by George Roy Hill.
Episode 93 - Snatch
This week, we watch the Lock, Stock……and Two Smoking Barrels: Part 2. This time with Brad Pitt. It’s probably a good time to make sure your subtitles button works. Snatch (2000), directed by Guy Richie.
Episode 94 - Inglourious Basterds
This week, Tarantino rewrites history for the first time in his action/fantasy tale about Nazi’s screening a film in a movie theater, and the surrounding plans to kill Hitler and his top advisers. Utilizing his powers of dialogue and quick, brutal violence, Quentin weaves together five chapters of tense and hilarious character interactions. And you know something, Utivich? I think this just might be his masterpiece. Inglourious Basterds (2009), directed by Quentin Tarantino.
Episode 95 - Monty Python and The Holy Grail
This week, Monty Python’s classic film clops its way onto our screens, coconuts in hand. This low budget comedy stands the test of time and remains one of the funniest films from start to finish ever made, no matter how many times we watch it. Monty Python and The Holy Grail, directed by Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam.
Episode 97 - LA Confidential
This week, we watch Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce in their first Hollywood roles. Both actors drop their Australian accents for this modern take on the Noir genre. Gone are the hard shadows and silly voices of the genre’s classics, but the numerous locations and plot twists remain. LA Confidential (1997), directed by Curtis Hanson.
Episode 98 - For a Few Dollars More
This week, we watch the second installment in the Man-With-No-Name Trilogy (sandwiched between A Fist Full of Dollars and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly). This film helped Clint Eastwood further catapult himself into stardom, launch a fully fledged international film industry in Italy, and push the boundary of allowable violence in film a few years ahead all across the world, as evidence by it being X rated even with multiple scenes cut and edited down. For a Few Dollars More (1965), directed by Sergio Leone.
BONUS EPISODE - The Irishman
This week, we watch the controversial Netflix best picture hopeful that reunites De Niro and Scorsese, De Niro and Pacino, De Niro and Pesci, De Niro and Keitel… you might want to call it a 3.5 hour reunion tour from Scorsese, but the emotional retrospective weight of the characters makes this one of the most impactful of all his films. The Irishman (2019), directed by Martin Scorsese.
Episode 99 - Rashomon
This week, we watch the film that broke Japanese cinema onto the worlds stage. Revolutionary for its time, its non-linear story telling has influenced not only film, but criminal psychology as well, as lawyers and academics alike have referenced the theories presented here for the past 70 years. Rashomon (1950), directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Episode 101 - Scarface
This week, we watch the story of Tony Montana, a cuban refugee who builds an empire from blood and cocaine. Al Pacino’s performance is memorable, lastingly quotable, and somewhat off the rails. He also sacrificed his nostrils health by snorting large amounts of powdered milk. Scarface (1983), directed by Brian De Palma.
Episode 102 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
This week, we watch the third film in the iconic franchise created by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Harrison Ford embodies the adventurous archaeologist, defeating armies of artifact hungry Nazis with only a leather whip, a pistol, and his trusty hat. Sean Connery cast as Indiana’s father is the best individual decision of the franchise, and John Williams score is as great as the rest of the movie. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), directed by Steven Spielberg.
BONUS EPISODE - Dangal
This week, we watch the highest grossing Indian film ever made. Currently sitting in the top 100 movies of all time, we keep the Aamir Khan train going (star of 3 Idiots and Lagaan) with this epic true-ish story of a father who teaches wrestling to his daughters, and how they made history for women in India. Dangal (2016), directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
Episode 108 - Yojimbo
This week, we watch the film that laid the ground work for the Clint Eastwood spaghetti Westerns, and all the following films that took influence from them. An out-of-work Samurai finds himself in the middle of a violent, two-sided town, where he starts pitting each side against each other for….fun? More of a popcorn film that Kurosawa’s other epic masterpieces, Yojimbo (1961) would be a great starting point for someone looking to get into The Master’s work.
Episode 109 - Batman Beings
This week, Christopher Nolan demonstrates that you can take a comic book character seriously: with some big Hollywood names, a big budget, and an emphasis on visual effects (as opposed to Computer Generated Imagery). Join us as we watch 2005’s Batman Begins: the movie that arguably paved the way for modern super hero movies.
BONUS EPISODE - Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse
Bonus Episode Time! To welcome the film onto Netflix (starting June 26th) and to attempt to give it all the praise it deserves, we watch Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. This movie blows away all recent animated and superhero films alike. It drips originality and brims with jokes, action, and lovable characters. The creators and animators swing for the fences and succeed throughout. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman.
Episode 119 - Die Hard
This week, we watch the only action movie that features a scene of a man running across glass in bare feet and also plays repeatedly on Christmas. Jumpstarting a blockbusting film series as well as Bruce Willis’ career, this film balances comedy with graphic, violent action in a way that still holds up strongly today, even if the hairstyles don’t. Die Hard (1988), directed by John McTiernan.
Episode 121 - The Great Escape
This week, we watch the classic WWII film that takes a tone rarely seen in true stories about war - Silly. This movie has laughs, friendships, drunken parties, and even sympathetic Nazis. And damn if everyone doesn’t look great covered in mud. The Great Escape (1963), directed by John Sturges.