With theaters closed indefinitely, today we fully acknowledge streaming as the overlord of the moment. Alex Garland (“Ex Machina,” “Annihilation”) has a new FX/Hulu show called “Devs,” which unravels the mind-bending and violent workings of a quantum computer company. Wanna watch along with us? Episode discussion time stamps below: 0:00 – Show Overview 16:50 – […]
Author Archives: Chance Solem-Pfeifer
How Alex Garland Imagines The World’s End
When it comes to contemporary sci-fi, Alex Garland sits at the highest level of Hollywood writers/directors/creators. Whether penning original ideas about humanity’s undoing (“Ex Machina,” “28 Days Later,” “Sunshine”) or adapting bestselling books (“Annihilation,” “Never Let Me Go”) to his own specifications, Garland has had a hand in several of the most intriguing sci-fi and […]
The Essential Kelly Reichardt
Before the entire world shut down, there was an extremely good Kelly Reichardt movie (“First Cow”) halfway into theaters. Now it’s shelved, but our career-spanning look at the American independent stalwart continues. Known for their lived-in detail, complex female leads and incisive social commentary, Reichardt titles like “Wendy and Lucy” (2008), “Meek’s Cutoff” (2010) and […]
‘The Hunt’ Is The Most Controversial C+ Movie You Will Still Probably Never See
The irony now surrounding The Hunt is something the movie itself could never fathom. Originally slated for release last September, it was famously (if you think film blogs create fame) postponed in the wake of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Trying to turn sour lemons into sour lemonade, the Blumhouse update […]
Invisible Men
Who do you become when no one can see you? Today’s Be Reel category doesn’t take a rosy view of how already powerful dudes would use the power of invisibility. In light of the new “Invisible Man” film starring Elisabeth Moss and directed by Leigh Whannell, we rope in and review an additional trio of […]
‘Come And See’ Is A War Movie Like No Other
With the restoration and re-release of Elem Klimov‘s underappreciated war epic “Come and See,” we steel ourselves to revisit the film’s famously immersive, brutal, even dangerous portrayal of the WWII Eastern Front. (A child actor’s hair literally turned white.) Listen as we dive back into the Russian film’s production history, myth, canonization, and assess the […]
The Defining Roles of Kirk Douglas (1916-2020)
We lost a great one this month with the passing of Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas at the age of 103. But what made him such an era-defining star in classics like “Spartacus“? That indomitable chin? That triangle torso? No, there’s something deeper and cannier to how the heartthrob-turned-super-producer cemented his own role as a prophet […]
The Devil In Prada Is Still The Devil
Whether their torment is played for laughs, cold shivers, or #MeToo rage, assistants get a raw deal on screen. This week, as Kitty Green’s incisive new drama “The Assistant” rolls out around the country, Chance and Noah look at the role of assistants in cinema, also revisiting “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) and “Secretary” (2002). They’re joined […]
‘Birds of Prey’ Wants A Taste Of Real Freedom
It’s not freighted with anywhere near the same ill-gotten pathos, but Birds of Prey is just as convincing an example as Joker as to why you shouldn’t position villains as heroes just for the studio productivity of it. Not because Harley Quinn and Margot Robbie don’t deserve their shot! There’s no reason the fictional character couldn’t be a perverse […]
Predicting, Critiquing and Surviving the 2020 Oscars
After years of cratering in Noah’s office Oscar pool, we’ve dispensed with the official bubbling and brought in a third voice to make sense of Hollywood’s biggest (and obtusest) night. “Sweet & Low” author Nick White returns to the program to predict and critique the 2020 favorites. Highlights include Noah’s surprise anointing of “The Irishman” […]