ABC Movies

This week, it's two films valiantly trying to capture the slippery, universal experience of ~~being online~~. It's We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022), and Unfriended (2014).

It's 420! Zone out to two Linklater films: his latest rotoscope cartoon, the '60s nostalgia fest Apollo 10 1/2, and a film you may have seen on VHS 10,000 times, Dazed and Confused.

This week, we're looking at two ~~erotic thrillers~~ !! A much-maligned genre making a small, tentative comeback, in part thanks to this week's movie, Deep Water (2022); we're also talking about one of the genre's foundational texts, 1981's Body Heat.

This week, it's two extremely different movies about almost exactly the same extreme situation: being a 13-year-old girl. It's Turning Red (2022) and Eighth Grade (2018).

This week, we're talking about two philosophical science fiction films made by critics-turned-directors: After Yang (2022, Kogonada), and Alphaville (1965, Jean-Luc Godard).

This week, it's two films nominated for Best Documentary Feature: Summer of Soul (Amir Questlove Thompson, 2021), and Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, 2021; also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best International Feature, a first!). Like all great documentaries, these movies make you ask what a documentary really is, anyway.

This week, we're looking at two films that untangle the messy web of supposedly criminal acts -- A Hero (Asghar Farhadi, 2021) and Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959).

This week, it's two transcendent European movies about Europeans makin' movies: 2021's Bergman Island and 1973's Day For Night.

This week we're looking at a very small category: directorial debuts from actors in which they do not appear as actors. So, we've got The Lost Daughter (2022, Maggie Gyllenhaal), and Night of the Hunter (1955, Charles Laughton).

We're looking back at the best of 2021 -- shows we talked about on the podcast, and those we didn't (one guess which one of us saw more movies lol). Happy New Year!

This time, it's two loose semi-sprawling good-time movies -- Licorice Pizza (2021) and After Hours (1985).

This week, we're talking about Jane Campion's new film, the taught revisionist western The Power of the Dog (2021), and another film about dark psychosexual obsession in the Old West, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.

This week, it's two sides of the same coin: Spener (2021) and The Queen (2006).

This week, it's two (spoiler alert!) very succesful adaptations of supposedly unfilmable nerd-classic books: Dune (2021) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).

This week, we're looking at the most recent movies by what I'm going to say without doing any research is the oldest living actor-director in the world: Clint Eastwood. It's Cry Macho (2021) and Richard Jewell (2019).

This week, we're talking about two movies that get at the nature of what it means to share your life with another person, when that person might not really be a person at all -- I'm Your Man (2021) and Her (2013).

This week, it's two strikingly similar movies from strikingly talented directors: The Card Counter (2021, Paul Schrader) and Hard Eight (1996, Paul Thomas Anderson).

This week, we're doing the record-setting Sundance feel-good movie Coda (2021) and the Amazon feel-bad movie The Sound of Metal (2020). Two movies about music and hearing, this week!

This week, we're talking about The Green Knight (2021) and another big retelling of Arthurian legend, Excalibur (1981). One is definitely way better!

This week, we're looking at two late-period Nic Cage masterpieces: Pig (2021) and Joe (2013)

Two movies about the delusions and danger social media exposes us to, and compels us to submit ourselves to: Zola (2021) and Ingrid Goes West (2017).

This week, we're looking at two very different takes on musicals about life in the city: In the Heights (2021) and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964).

This week, two buddy road films that subvert the genre in some ways and ... not others. It's Plan B (2021) and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004).

This week, we're **back in theaters**! Madness. And we're talking two extremely lighthearted films (lol), 2021's The Killing of Two Lovers and 2011's A Separation.

This week, we're looking at two movies about the quest for musical perfection: new Indian Marathi-language film The Disciple (2020, now on Netflix in the US) and the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis (2013).

Happy belated 420! This week, we're talking about two stoner action movies (or at least one): Nobody (starring Bob Odenkirk, 2021) and Mandy (starring Nicholas Cage, 2018).

This week, it's two small British films that unexpectedly took the Oscars by storm: The Father (2020) and Philomena (2013).

This week, we're deep in the Pikeaverse. It's two movies starring Rosamund Pike: I Care a Lot and A Private War.

This week, it's two movies that just became Oscar-nominated-films: Minari and Judas and the Black Messiah. It's another of our signature awards season catchup episodes!

This week, it's two films about semi-rejecting American capitalism for a life on the road: fresh Golden Globe winner Nomadland (Chloé Zhao, 2021) and Lost in America (Albert Brooks, 1985).

This week, it's two of the many, many films about drinking. First, it's the lovely new full-bodied Danish film Another Round (2020), paired with an insouciant little indie, Smashed (2012).

This week, we're talking two movies looking at long-term friendship: The Climb (2020) and Romi and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997). It's good!

This week, we look at two surprisingly similar stories born from the #MeToo movement: 2020's Promising Young Woman and 2019's Bombshell.

This week, we look back at some of the truly great films released in this truly awful year. Plus: Caleb finally agrees to talk about I'm Thinking of Ending Things!

This week, it's two slice of life films about the UK, (at least partially) dealing with the Black experience there. It's Steve McQueen's Lovers Rock (2020) and Mike Leigh's Secrets and Lies (1996).

This week! It's two movies starring the avatar of upper-middle-class anxiety, Jude Law: The Nest (2020) and I Heart Huckabees (2004).

This week, two movies about families of scammers fooling others and learning about themselves. It's Kajillionaire (2020, Miranda July) and Paper Moon (1973, Peter Bogdanovich).

This week, we talk two new streaming docs, Time and Dick Johnson is Dead, and about the whole idea that suddenly documentaries are huge!

This week, it's two movies about the compromises we seem to have to make to get our creative projects made. It's 2020's Sundance Best Director winner The 40-Year-Old Version (directed by Radha Blank) and 1989's The Big Picture (directed by Christopher Guest).

This week, it's two stories of despair and failure (and Jesus) in the South: The Devil All the Time (2020) & Wise Blood (1979).

This week, it's two films by the totally singular Kelly Reichardt: First Cow (2020) & Wendy and Lucy (2008). Longtime listeners know this one is very emotionally important for the show (especially Chris)!!

This week, it's two movies about inescapable, transmittable horror: She Dies Tomorrow (2020) and It Follows (2014).

This week, we're stuck in a loop! Stuck in a loop. It's Palm Springs (2020) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). We're stuck in loop!

This week, it's two different looks at extremism in film: the drama Young Ahmed (2020, Best Director at 2019 Cannes for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne); and the comedy Four Lions, (2010, Chris Morris).

This week, we're talking about two acclaimed directors' first movies not in their native language. It's Hirokazu Kore-eda's The Truth (2020, French and English), and Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster (2015, English).

This week, it's two (mostly fictional) looks at (totally real) writers as they work on their (also totally real) books: Shirley (2020, Josephine Decker) and American Splendor (2003, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini).

This week, it's two movies about race, America, violence and our own minds -- both from visionary director Spike Lee. They're the new Netflix original Da 5 Bloods (2020) and the stone-cold classic Do The Right Thing (1989).

This week, it's two extremely different looks at life in the biosphere: the documentary Spaceship Earth (2020) and the Pauly Shore vehicle Bio-Dome (1996). Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs, who has a GREAT NEW EP! More info here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week it's two bizarre horror comedies: Deerskin (2020) and Butt Boy (2019). Even better, they're both on independent streaming services, where renting them puts money towards your local arthouse theater. Deerskin is through Virtual Cinemas, and Butt Boy is on the new Alamo Drafthouse streamer, Alamo On Demand. Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs, who has a GREAT NEW EP! More info here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, stay home and relax with these two movies about abortion!  Two very different takes on abortion, and abortion access: the 2020 neo-realist drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always and the 2014 Jenny Slate comedy Obvious Child.  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs, who has a GREAT NEW EP! More info here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, it's two tragic tales of love set in mid-century Asia (at least partially): Alan Yang's Tigertail (2020) and Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000).    Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs, who has a GREAT NEW EP! More info here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we're talking two films where small bands of people have to fend off mysterious, murderous attackers: Bacurau (2020,Kleber Mendonça Filho, Juliano Dornelles dir.) and Assault on Precinct 13 (1976, John Carpenter dir).  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, two movies which are sadly extremely topical: Contagion (2011) and This Is The End (2013). Watch fake people deal with deadly viral outbreaks and the end of the world instead of dealing with it yourself!!c Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, it's two smoldering period romances: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and Call Me By Your Name (2017). Also we have a guest! AOL Build's Ricky Camilleri. Also Chris's mic is a little echoy for some reason, sorry about that!  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, it's two mental illness dramadies co-written by their stars. Wait don't go!! They're actually both pretty interesting: Horse Girl (2020), starring Alison Brie, and Welcome to Me (2014), starring Kristen Wiig. Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, it's two movies about women being victimized by monstrous authorities at work: The Assistant (2020) and Compliance (2012). Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, it's two extremely different takes on filmmaking and filmmakers. First, it's Pedro Almodóvar's 2020 double Oscar nominee Pain & Glory (2019); next, it's Robert Altman's big commercial comeback, the cynical Hollywood thriller The Player (1992).  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we're talking about two movies co-starring Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper where writers struggle to put their lives on the page. It's Little Women (2019) and Adaptation (2002). Plus, we talk to the world's foremost Little Women expert: Chris's Mom!  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, Caleb is so excited about Uncut Gems he basically can't form a coherent sentence. Plus we talk about what's wrong with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and what was right in cinema in the 2010s. Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, funnily accented detectives gather everyone in the drawing room to hear who the real killer is in both Knives Out (Rian Johnson, 2019) and Murder on the Orient Express (Sydney Lumet, 1974).  PLUS, we're giving our recommendations about some of the best stuff on Disney+ !  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, two films that look at the impossibility of human partnership & the inevitability of breakups. Happy holidays! It's Marriage Story (Noah Baumbach, 2019) and Scenes From a Marriage (Ingmar Bergman, 1974).

This week, two movies about love, betrayal, and organized labor: The Irishman (2019) and On The Waterfront (1954).

This week, we've finally gotten to the part of the year when good movies come out, so we're doing TWO new movies! Crazy, I know. It's Robert Egger's The Lighthouse and Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit.   Also discussed on this episode: Asako I & II (2018, Ryusuke Hamaguchi), The Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937), Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder, 1953), Spider Man: Far From Home, and Shazam   Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we're tackling two great films from Director Bong, South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho. Parasite (2019), winner of the Palm d'Or and, and Bong's 2006 American breakthrough, The Host.  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we're talking about the depressingly successful new Todd Phillips movie Joker and the film it more or less directly copied, Martin Scorsese's brilliant 1983 King of Comedy.  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we're talking about One Cut of the Dead (2018), the inventive meta-zombie film that took Japan by storm (and made 1000x its budget), and Dawn of the Dead (1978), the movie that changed our idea of zombies forever.  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, it's two films about the deadly games rich people play: Ready or Not (2019) and The Game (2017). It's the absolute depth of summer, nothing's out, relax in some A/C with us.  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, it's two harrowing movies from women writer/directors about sexual violence: The Nightengale, Jennifer Kent's follow-up to The Babadook; and Revenge, the debut feature from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat. Warning: show contains discussions of these topics.  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week we're talking about Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (2019) and Once Upon a Time in the West (1969). They've got more in common than their names! Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we're talking about two movies featuring character actor Alessandro Nivola. In 2019's The Art of Self Defense, he's a friendly and possibly sinister martial arts sensei; in 2005's Junebug, he's a charming and blank guy who connects his beautiful wife with his mildly provincial family. These are both good movies, guys!    Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, two sorta-Swedish films looking at the dark terror of sharing your life with a loved one. Starting at 30 minutes, you can hear all about the new flower crown relationship horror Midsommar, broken up into special spoiler-free and spoiler-y sections. Before that, the guys talk about 2014's Force Majeure, and get into an extremely spirited disagreement about whether or not it's a comedy. Stop fighting, dads!  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we look at two films about alienation, trust, and growing up in Asia. First is Lulu Wang's The Farewell (2019), a buzzy new movie about truth, lies, and family starring Awkwafina in her first dramatic acting role. Next is Shirkers, a 2018 auto-documentary from Sandi Tan about her life as a teenage rebel filmmaker in Singapore.Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we look at two 3s: John Wick 3 and Toy Story 3. Are they good? What makes a good 3?  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This month, we're looking at two films starring parents & their children: The Souvenir (2019), starring Honor Swinton Byrne and featuring her mother Tilda; and Tucker: The Man and His Dreams starring Jeff Bridges and featuring his dad Lloyd.  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week in a special Cannes episode we're talking two great movies from Cannes. First up is Burning (2018), Lee Chang-dong's moody inequality mystery based on the Haruki Murakami short story "Barn Burning" (not "barnburner" as Chris repeatedly says, incorrectly). Also is Barton Fink (1991), the Cohen Brothers metaphysical Hollywood parable that won so many awards at Cannes they changed the rules!

This week, we're talking about two music movies! There's the new Alex Ross Perry film, Her Smell (2019), a claustrophobic ode to 1990s alterna rock, with an absolutely mindblowing performance from Elizabeth Moss. Also talking Babylon (1980), a film about a reggae soundsystem in London beset by racism, deemed too controversial to release in North America ... until now!  Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

In this 420-adjacent show, we talk about two modern stoner classics: The Beach Bum (2019), Harmonie Korine's ode to wasting away again in margaritaville, and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), a joke-packed Lonely Island pop parody finally starting to get the recognition it deserves.

Hey, guys, just a short note that we're moving to every two weeks and we'll be back the week of the 21st with a new full episode, talking about two high-brow stoner movies: The Beach Bum and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.  See you then! Title music is "Life Story" by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

It's perfect plane movie Juliet, Naked (2018), the career of Rose Byrne, the films of Agnès Varda, and what we're looking forward to in the rest of the year (Uncut Gems to Avengers: Endgame) on this week's show inbetween big proper review shows.  Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, there's a TWIST! Instead of talking about two movies, we're talking about one movie two ways: Jordan Peele's Us (2019). In the first half of the show, we're be having a totally spoiler-free discussion of the film, totally safe to listen to if you haven't seen the movie but still maybe will eventually (we promise!). The second half (starting at 30 minutes) it's a totally spoilery discussion only for cool kids who've seen the movie. This was a fun one!!

We're talking about two movies starring America's Sweetheart (???) Brie Larson: Captain Marvel (2019) and Short Term 12 (2013). It's a real soft cheese fest! One's a huge blockbuster, the other's a tiny indie about a care home for troubled teens: but which is actually best choice for a little Larson charm? PLUS, because Caleb is now living a climbing lifestyle, we talk about Free Solo (2018), and because Chris continues to live a nerd lifestyle, we talk about The Expanse. And because we're trapped in a room together recording the show, we talk about Room (2015) just for a second right at the end.  Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

THIS WEEK we're talking about two movies that take on situations you might actually find yourself in in real life and makes them frankly terrifying. Climax (2018) finds you locked in a warehouse party after taking too many drugs; Krisha (2015) is about going to a family party where you feel on the outs. And they're both genuinely scary!! Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

Chris and Caleb slow it down a bit and talk about some overlooked movies from this year, popstar tragedy Vox Lux (starring Natalie Portman) and competitive actor punishment camp Sisters Brothers (starring John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix). Also, who had a good year last year? FIND OUT WHY DON'T YOU!!!Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week, we're talking about two movies from cinematographer Caleb "Zooey's Dad" Deschanel: Never Look Away (2018) and Killer Joe (2011). One's a high point of the McConaissance, the other's a just-fine three hour German melodrama that was somehow nominated for three Oscars this year. SPEAKING OF OSCARS, we also talk about the one time Deschanel got an Oscar nom for Fly Away Home, the movie where Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin teach a goose how to fly. Life is wild!  lfDE8OZOgIzrYRR5zDPp Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

In this episode, Chris and Caleb talk all about the Oscars, though it's a little confusing because they recorded it before they actually aired, though it's coming out after! Extremely timey-wimey stuff. Also, this week they look at two movies you can stream now: Columbus (2017) and The World is Yours (2018). One is a talky look at discovering yourself through architecture, and the other is a supposedly good French gangster comedy. But which is actually best choice? Find out!

The Oscars are this weekend, which is frankly wild. It's been the craziest Oscar season since everyone had a collective delusion that Crash was a good movie, so instead of making predictions exactly Caleb & Chris talk about their favorite movies nominated this year: The Favourite and Can You Ever Forgive Me. Also the animated shorts! Also Caleb talks about his big crush on Lucas Hedges! Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

This week on Actually Best Choice Movies, Chris and Caleb talk about dueling documentaries released just days apart on the Fyre Festival from competing streaming services Netflix and Hulu. We all know Fyre was a hilariously outlandish scam -- but how are the movies? What's most important in a documentary, emotion, character, presentation of information, or the moral/immoral actions of the filmmakers? Which of these two films on exactly the same topic, released at the same time, is Armageddon, and which is Deep Impact?  Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases

In this episode, it's Amazon vs. Netflix, Mexico vs. Poland, and dog poop vs folk dancing. Chris and Caleb talk about Roma and Cold War, two moody black and white films both nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards. Can Caleb understand Donald Duck? Which Oscar is about the part of filmmaking that "helps you digest lumpy movies" (a totally gross thing Caleb says), and are Polish folk songs actually dope? All this and more revealed on this episode of Actually Best Choice Movies! Title music is Life Story by Kevin Hairs. Learn more here: https://kevinhairs.bandcamp.com/releases