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Written and directed by a Vietnam veteran, this film chronicles the horrifying violence Oliver Stone witnessed during his time in the jungle. A script so anti-war, Hollywood refused to make it, and then awarded it with an Oscar for Best Picture (among others). Makes sense. Platoon (1986), directed by Oliver Stone.
This week, we watch the classic Noir that made Humphrey Bogart a star, as well as lay the groundwork for what Crime Drama would be for decades afterwards. Fast talking, cigarette smoking, guns, lies, cheating, murder - all for the rarest of statues. And Bogart gets punched in the neck. The Maltese Falcon (1941), directed by John Huston.
This week, we watch the classic action/thriller that inspired Road Warrior, Duel, Speed, and numerous other vehicle based action films. Four men, in desperate need of money, take on the life-threatening task of driving two trucks full of nitroglycerin across a dangerous mountain pass. The Wages of Fear (1953), directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
This week, we watch the best picture winning film that aims and succeeds to tell the true story of the hard working Boston Globe reporter/editor/writer team that broke the story on pedophile priests in Boston, and the systematic coverup that the Catholic Church provides for those who get caught. A very special guest co-hosts this episode - Kevin Slane, who is an entertainment writer (among other things) at the Boston Globe. Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy.
This week, we watch the amazingly prophetic film that, while being created over 40 years ago, depicts the current day network news situation almost exactly. This movie predicted reality television shows over a decade before they aired, and also satirized news stations selling credibility for ratings before that reality has come to pass. Network, directed by Sidney Lumet.
This week, we watch the animated comedy that tells the tale of a small town bunny moving to Zootopia, a city where all animals can live together without stepping on each other. Also following in Disney tradition, this film introduces a great pop song that you will grow to hate as it plays over and over again in your head. Zootopia, directed by Bryon Howard and Rich Moore.
This week, we watch the unprecedented sequel that pumped blood back into the Max Mad trilogy with a shotgun, the sci-fi/fantasy film that brought an imaginative, cohesive plot to the screen with almost no dialogue, the action movie that received a best picture nomination. With special guest/Mad Max trilogy binger, Tim Brown. WITNESS ME! Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), directed by George Miller.
This week, we watch the block-busting film that paved the way for all buddy movies that came after it. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are a perfect team, as they rob and steal their way across the mid-west. Once a super-posse is assembled to take them down, they attempt an escape to South America. Comedy ensues. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), directed by George Roy Hill.
This week, we watch the mind-bending thriller that begs to be viewed more than once. Leonardo Dicaprio is a detective that is about to blow the lid off of a government conspiracy located within a mental institution on a remote island off the coast of Boston...or so we are lead to believe.! Shutter Island (2010), directed by Martin Scorsese.
This week, we watch the wonderful story of a young French boy and his downward spiral. This timeless and magical film was one of the first of the French New Wave, and the one that brought international attention to the movement. This film hasn't aged a day. The relatable story is as relevant as ever, the acting from a cast of mostly children is incredible, and it looks and sounds amazing. The historical importance of this film can not be overstated. The 400 Blows (1959), directed by Francois Truffaut.
This week, we watch the rare Stephen King adaptation that omits anything supernatural and simply focuses on the characters. Rare also in that it's a film adaptation of one of his books and it isn't terrible. Four kids take a two day trip down the railroad track in search of the body of a dead classmate, and stellar child acting ensues.Stand By Me (1986), directed by Rob Reiner.
This week, we watch the story of the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven, a group of young men and woman who were wrongly accused and imprisoned for the terrorist bombing of a pub. The true story turns into a backdrop for the relationship between one of the four (Daniel Day Lewis) and his father (Pete Postlethwaite), and their time spent together in prison. In the Name of the Father, directed by Jim Sheridan.
This week, we watch the best picture winner about the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York who gets abducted and sold into slavery. This movie is brutal and important, and should be on the short list of films that everyone from this country must see. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'O, and Michael Fassbender all put in career best performances. 12 Years a Slave (2013), directed by Steve McQueen.
This week, we watch the film that is not only largest box office success of Wes Anderson's career so far, but also received a fair number of Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. The cast is stacked, the shots are symmetrical, the effects are a combination of miniatures, stop motion, projected live action on matte paintings - all of the styles we've come to love from Wes. Its might not be the film to turn the nay-sayers, but it certainly gives fans a lot to enjoy. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), directed by Wes Anderson.
This week, we watch the first film of Inarritu's "Trilogy of Death", where three brutal stories are told before and after a car accident. Filled with extreme, realistic violence (most of it involving dogs), it is good knowing before going in that no animals were hurt during the making of this very effective drama. Amores Perros, directed by Alejandro Inarritu.
This week, we watch the best picture winner that also saw Hilary Swank in win the first Oscar for an actor portraying a boxer. This film follows a determined boxer's rise to the top, as a grizzled old boxing coach learns to respect female boxers, and Morgan Freeman hangs out and does a nice voiceover. This is one to watch before listening. Million Dollar Baby (2004), directed by Clint Eastwood.
This week, we watch the film that took the country of Argentina by storm, smashing all of the box-office records, and earning a Best Foreign Picture nomination in the 2015 Oscars. Comprised of six stories that, according to the director, are "linked by violence, and nothing else", this film lets its characters go far beyond typical socially accepted behavior, and explore what might result if people acted solely on their instincts. Wild Tales (2014), directed by Damian Szifron.
