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.
All in Comedy
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 96 - The Kid
This week, we watch the oldest film on the list! Charlie Chaplin’s big screen debut. He writes, directs, acts, and composes music for this timeless comedy, which somehow still made us laugh throughout the short run time, despite being nearly 100 years old. The Kid (1921), directed by Charles Chaplin.
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 100 - The Apartment
This week, we watch a pushover accountant let his work superiors use his apartment to sleep with their mistresses. He is also falling for the elevator girl, who is sleeping with his new boss. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are fantastic as the leads, and they guide the story from comedy to drama and back again flawlessly. The Apartment (1960), directed by Billy Wilder.
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.
Episode 105 - 3 Idiots
This week, we watch the Indian film that broke through to Chinese audiences for the first time, with positive messages on education, pressure, choice, marriage, and suicide. This film successfully tackles very serious topics, while remaining funny for its nearly 3 hour runtime. Aamir Khan steals the show as Rancho. All is well! 3 Idiots (2009), directed by Rajkumar Hirani.
BONUS EPISODE - It: Chapter 2
27 years later and Pennywise is back. The second and final act of the It series, this film casts some legitimate movie stars as the older versions of the kids from Chapter 1, and is also tasked with bringing this epic tale to a close - An ending that the readers of the book (as well as characters in this movie) will tell you isn’t very good. The question people will be talking about for years to come is: does this movie close the It saga better than Stephen King’s own words did? It: Chapter 2 (2019), directed by Andy Muschietti.
BONUS EPISODE - It
Fall is here, the season for Halloween and all things horror! We are de-railing from the list once again to prepare for the upcoming It: Chapter 2. We watch the first film this week, which focuses on the younger character story, and brings to screen the same kind of childhood adventure that the film adaptation of Stand By Me captured decades ago, only this time with a murdering clown named Pennywise. It (2017), directed by Andy Muschietti.
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.
BONUS EPISODE - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino has a new movie out, so naturally we all ran to the theater to see it opening week. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are an on-screen duo for the ages, and are all but guaranteed to receive lots of love come awards season for their portrayals of a stuntman/actor buddy duo in 1969 Los Angeles. Once upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), directed by Quentin Tarantino.
Episode 111 - Good Will Hunting
This week, we watch Matt Damon and Ben Affleck become stars. They act the hell out of the script they co-wrote together, and Mini Driver and Robin Williams each give one of their best performances as well. The Boston movie that put Southie on the map. Good Will Hunting (1997), directed by Gus Van Sant.
Episode 112 - Some Like It Hot
This week, we watch what many consider to be the best comedy of all time. Two men witness a mob hit, and to survive being rubbed out themselves, they have to dress up like woman, join an all female band, and accompany them on their trip to Florida. Silliness ensues. Some Like It Hot (1959), directed by Billy Wilder.
Episode 113 - Up
This week, we watch one of the best films in Pixar’s catalog. Dogs talk, a house floats from balloons, and giant birds avoid extinction. Also, this movie contains one of the most heart-wrenching intro’s we’ve ever seen. Up (2009), directed by Pete Doctor.
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.