This week, we watch the movie that embodies addiction. Aronofsky has created a portrayal of destructive behaviors that is unmatched in the film world, and it is absolutely painful to watch. Requiem For A Dream (2000), directed by Darren Aronofsky.
BONUS EPISODE - Hamilton
This week, we watch the smash Broadway hit which is now available on Disney+. Winner of multiple Tony awards and star maker of the writer/main actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, this film version of the play captures the original cast back in 2016, and for the first time ever you can watch it from your couch. Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail.
BONUS EPISODE - Your Name.
This week, we watch the highest grossing anime movie of all time, surpassing the 2001 classic Spirited Away. A body-swap movie like you’ve never seen, describing too much of this movies plot would be giving away some of the fun twists along the way. We will say that this movie is beautiful and is worth watching for the animation alone. Your Name., directed by Makoto Shinkai.
Episode 79 - A Clockwork Orange (Part 2)
This week, we continue discussing the controversial masterpiece by Stanley Kubrick. This film has been banned in many places since its release, and wasn’t able to be purchased in England until the year of Kubrick’s death. To this day, it hasn’t lost an ounce of its impact. Lock the living room door so the kids don’t accidentally wander in. A Clockwork Orange (1971), directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Episode 79 - A Clockwork Orange (Part 1)
This week, watch the controversial masterpiece by Stanley Kubrick. This film has been banned in many places since its release, and wasn’t able to be purchased in England until the year of Kubrick’s death. To this day, it hasn’t lost an ounce of its impact. Lock the living room door so the kids don’t accidentally wander in. A Clockwork Orange (1971), directed by Stanley Kubrick.
BONUS EPISODE - PK
This week, we watch the 2014 smash hit (in India/China) that broke all the records for Indian Cinema at the time. Aamir Khan is as comedic as he’s ever been in this hilarious tale of an alien getting stuck on earth. Even if in the last 30 minutes the film becomes a little too preachy for our tastes, this film is totally worth a watch if you’re looking for a good 2 hours of laughs, and can be found on Netflix. PK (2014), directed by Rajkumar Hirani.
Episode 80 - Taxi Driver
This week, we watch Travis Bickle spiral into insanity. Containing one of Robert De Niro’s most casually quoted characters, this film is actually an extremely grim portrait of New York and its inhabitants. And if you’re a fan of Martin Scorsese’s work, this is the film that put him on the map. Taxi Driver (1976), directed by Martin Scorsese.
BONUS EPISODE - Uncut Gems
This week, we watch an under-appreciated film from last year that is, as of today, streaming on Netflix. This movie isn’t on the top 250…but hey, we’re all stuck inside (the responsible ones, anyways - looking at you idiots packing in public pools), and is perfect if you’re looking for fictional stress to overtake your real life stress. Adam Sandler arguably gives his best performance to date, and Kevin Garnett and The Weeknd are written in as themselves in very cool cameos, if you can call it that. Uncut Gems (2019), directed by the Safdie Brothers (Benny and Josh).
BONUS EPISODE - Andhadhun
This week, we start a new format - every other week, we’ll be watching a more recent addition to the top 250 movies of all time list, and we’ll try to make them as easily stream-able for everyone as possible (stuck inside, together!). This week’s movie is currently 185 on the top 250 list, and is streaming on Netflix. If you’re looking for something fun to watch in this new world we live in, strongly consider this comedy/mystery film from India. Andhadhun (2018), directed Sriram Raghavan.
Episode 81 - Double Indemnity
This week, we watch the classic noir that has a “bad guy” as the protagonist for the first time in Hollywood film history. A man finds himself in the positions of both the investigator and the person being investigated in an insurance fraud scheme. Even though the film tells you who is the murderer is within the first five minutes, it manages to keep you guessing until the end. Double Indemnity (1944), directed by Billy Wilder.
Episode 82 - Toy Story 3
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.
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 84 - To Kill a Mockingbird
This week, we watch the sprawling tale of what it was like to be a kid in the rural South in the 30s. This film has some of the best acting in an older film we’ve seen, and the film remains an amazingly moral tale about what it takes to stand up for a cause and defend all human rights equally. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), directed by Robert Mulligan.
Episode 85 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This week, we watch a film that combines romantic drama and science fiction in a very unique way. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet each give their career best performances, bringing dramatic weight into a story that could be classified as fantasy, and making the relationship between Joel and Clementine relatable and heartbreaking. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), directed by Michel Gondry.
Episode 86 - Amadeus
This week, we watch the fictional story about the real musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This film is remembered for its performances and its period piece elements, with real locations throughout the majority of the movie, and ridiculous costumes at every turn. If you can get past his laugh, this one is a classic. Amadeus (1984), directed by Milos Forman.
Episode 87 - Full Metal Jacket
This week, we watch Stanley Kubrick’s take on the Vietnam War. Instead of being a rehash of the ideas explored in the many other war films made by the time of its release, Kubrick focuses on the human aspect of turning men violent. The result is an extremely tense and unpleasant viewing experience that many veterans claim is the closest a film has come to realistically portraying what being sent to war is like. Full Metal Jacket (1987), directed by Stanley Kubrick.
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.
Bonus Episode! Revisiting the IMDB top 250 after over 3 years.
We published our first episode of our filmcast on 10/20/2016. From the start, we froze the IMDB list in time so that we wouldn't have to work from a moving target. But what as changed on the list since then? In this special episode, we review what movies have dropped out (there's some shockers!), what movies have jumped in, and what movies have moved about the most in the list since we started.