Filmspotting – Movie Reviews

Michael Phillips drops in for a look back at the first half of the year in film, including praise for "Showing Up," Nicole Holofcener's "You Hurt My Feelings," "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" and more.  -Top 5 Films of 2023 (So Far) (03:29) -Next Week/Notes (46:16) -Massacre Theatre (55:30) -Top 5 Films of 2023, cont. (01:00:22) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -”Living With the Men of Paul Schrader’s ‘Man in a Room’ Trilogy” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/movies/master-gardener-paul-schrader-joel-edgerton-oscar-isaac-ethan-hawke.html -”Showing Up: A Masterwork About an Artist’s Life” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/showing-up-reviewed-a-masterwork-about-an-artists-life Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Contact us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What seemed like a one-off, late-career masterpiece from ‘70s icon Paul Schrader (2017’s “First Reformed”) has now become a loose series of films about solitary men struggling with past sins. Where does the new MASTER GARDENER rank among the director’s “Man in a Room” trilogy? -Review: “Master Gardener” (04:49) -Review (AK): “BlackBerry” (30:46) -Next Week/Notes (39:03) -Marathon Review: “Sans Soleil” (42:41) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -"Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson discovers what it means to examine the world as she reflects on her profession” https://www.salon.com/2017/10/22/twenty-five-years-of-the-world-on-film/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Contact us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New films from Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, and Wes Anderson may be the auteur-driven must-sees of the summer, but Adam and Josh go deeper for their Top 5 Summer Movie Questions.   -Summer Movie Preview (02:51) -Next Week/Notes, Polls (43:43) -Marathon Review: “Mirror” (56:15) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -“Greta Lee Couldn’t Touch Teo Yoo While Filming Past Lives” https://www.vulture.com/2023/01/sundance-2023-vulture-spot-greta-lee-celine-song.html Sponsor: “L’Immensità” – Now Playing in Select Theaters. More at CinemaMadeinItaly.com. Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Contact us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been six years since the last "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie, and while Josh finds VOL. 3 wildly misguided, Adam will slow-motion strut with the crew. Plus, Draft Day for Killmonger and Thanos.   -Draft: MCU Villains (02:16) -Review: “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” (50:13) -Massacre Theatre (01:10:24) -Chicago Critics Film Fest w/Steve Prokopy (01:13:01) -Doc10 Film Festival / AK on “Subject” (01:20:29) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -Who won the MCU Villains Draft? https://poll.fm/12220581 -MCU Ranked, Adam  https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting/list/ranked-marvel-cinematic-universe/ -MCU Ranked, Josh https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm/list/marvel-cinematic-universe-ranked/ -Chicago Critics Film Festival https://www.chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com/ -Doc10 Film Festival https://www.doc10.org/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Contact us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enigmatic, tortured, funny. It’s the Oscar-winning actor’s best from his '90s breakthrough to his partnerships with Shyamalan, Gray, PTA—and Todd Phillips. -Top 5: Joaquin Phoenix Performances (03:21) -R.I.P. Harry Belafonte (28:00) -Review (JL): “R.M.N.” (30:53) -Review: “Beau Is Afraid” (50:59) -Top 5, cont. (01:18:07) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman (Feb. 2009) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2M6hRfCp0k -”What’s Really Going On In Beau Is Afraid” https://slate.com/culture/2023/04/beau-is-afraid-movie-ending-explained-maybe.html Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Where else you can find us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Goldhaber's "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" shows impressive craft and is fueled by real generational anxiety about the climate crisis, but does his approach answer any questions or just raise new ones? -Review: "How To Blow Up A Pipeline" (03:48) -Review (AK): “Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed” (34:10) -Filmspotting Madness—Best of the ‘60s Champ (48:59) -Marathon: “Ali: Fear Eats The Soul” (01:03:22) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -”Daniel Goldhaber: 5 Genre Movies That Continue To Inspire Me” https://aframe.oscars.org/what-to-watch/post/daniel-goldhaber-5-genre-movies-that-continue-to-inspire-me -Filmspotting Madness https://filmspotting.net/madness -Ebert Interruptus at the Conference on World Affairs https://www.colorado.edu/cwa/attend/cwa-week/2023-schedule -RSVP for the Filmspotting/Interruptus Meetup on April 14 in Boulder https://forms.gle/g94gesMV8Nrpccxu9 Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Where else you can find us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune) joins Adam for reviews of Ben Affleck’s “Air” and more new releases. Plus Adam’s conversation with Kelly Reichardt about her latest starring Michelle Williams, “Showing Up.” -Review: "Air: Courting a Legend" (04:14) -Review: “Paint” (17:32) -Review: “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields” (30:37) -Filmspotting Madness Finals (51:05) -Interview: Kelly Reichardt (01:03:00) -Review: “Showing Up” (01:17:42) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -”Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, & Greed” https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bob-ross-happy-accidents-betrayal-and-greed-movie-review-2021 -Ceramicist Cynthia Lahti https://www.cynthialahti.com/ -Sculpter Michelle Segre http://michellesegre.com/ -Filmspotting Madness https://filmspotting.net/madness -Ebert Interruptus at the Conference on World Affairs https://www.colorado.edu/cwa/attend/cwa-week/2023-schedule -RSVP for the Filmspotting/Interruptus Meetup on April 14 in Boulder https://forms.gle/g94gesMV8Nrpccxu9 Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Where else you can find us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Wick 4's 169-minute run time could be seen as a betrayal of its lean and mean origins or a welcome embrace of its byzantine mythology and increasingly ambitious action set pieces. And maybe a little of both. -Review: "John Wick: Chapter 4" (02:33) -Filmspotting Madness Final 4 (41:20) -Marathon Review: "Imitation of Life" (56:59) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: -How 'John Wick 4' Pulled Off That Incredible Stairwell Scene https://screencrush.com/john-wick-4-stairwell-scene-breakdown/ -Filmspotting Madness https://filmspotting.net/madness -Ebert Interruptus at the Conference on World Affairs, April 12-14 https://www.colorado.edu/cwa/attend/cwa-week/2023-schedule -RSVP for the Filmspotting/Interruptus Meetup on April 14 in Boulder https://forms.gle/g94gesMV8Nrpccxu9 Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Where else you can find us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new book from film writer Kristen Lopez asks, “But Have You Read The Book?” Kristen joins Adam and Josh for a conversation about books they have read—that they also want to see adapted for the big screen. Interview: Kristen Lopez (01:04) Top 5: Books That Should Be Adapted Into Movies (13:51) R.I.P Lance Reddick (55:55) Filmspotting Madness Elite 8 (01:02:42) Top 5, cont. (01:16:07) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: Kristen Lopez https://twitter.com/Journeys_Film But Have You Read the Book? https://www.runningpress.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book/9780762480982/ What book adaptation would you greenlight? https://twitter.com/filmspotting/status/1636138273834774530?s=46&t=WwWE0uwNvZmA2VKUx-mzhA Filmspotting Madness https://filmspotting.net/madness Ebert Interruptus at the Conference on World Affairs, April 12-14 https://www.colorado.edu/cwa/attend/cwa-week/2023-schedule RSVP for the Filmspotting/Interruptus Meetup on April 14 in Boulder https://forms.gle/g94gesMV8Nrpccxu9 Offer: Babbel.com/filmspotting for up to 55% off your subscription. Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Where else you can find us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 years ago, the Coen Brothers followed up their Oscar-winning "Fargo" with a stoned shaggy dog riff on film noir. It bombed at the box office only to become a beloved cult film. Also like their best, everything matters. 'Sacred Cow' Review: "The Big Lebowski" (05:04) 'Brickspotting' Review (JL): "Rodeo" (47:39) Filmspotting Madness Rd. 3 (01:04:34) 'Marathon' Review: "Sansho the Bailiff" (01:27:24) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: Sight & Sound Top 100 (Blindspots) Marathon https://www.filmspotting.net/marathons Filmspotting Madness https://filmspotting.net/madness “Showing Up” Chicago Screening https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/event/showing-up/ Filmspotting Guide to the Archives https://letterboxd.com/wjmclaughlin/list/the-filmspotting-guide-to-the-archives/ Adam’s Coen Bros. Ranked https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting/list/coen-bros-ranked/  Josh’s Coen Bros. Ranked https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm/list/coen-brothers-ranked/ Filmspotting’s Coen Bros. Reviews https://www.filmspotting.net/coens Adam on Blank Check (Millions) https://audioboom.com/posts/8261950-millions-with-adam-kempenaar But Have You Read the Book? https://www.runningpress.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book/9780762480982/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Where else you can find us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It takes a star of great confidence to play opposite the electrifying Jonathan Majors. And while CREED III's Michael B. Jordan is up to the challenge of his rival, can the same be said about the movie itself? Review: "Creed III" (03:02) Review (JL): "Scream VI" (29:23) Filmspotting Madness Rd. 2 (42:17) (Times may not be precise with ads) Resources/Links: Filmspotting Madness https://filmspotting.net/madness Chicago Critics Film Festival https://www.chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net. Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support us: Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop. https://filmspotting.net/shop Where else you can find us: https://twitter.com/filmspotting https://facebook.com/filmspotting https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam and Josh compare Oscar ballots with the Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips, sharing picks for who will win, who should win, and who should have been nominated in the Supporting and Lead Actor and Actress categories (02:49). Then they introduce some of the Rd. 1 matchups in Filmspotting Madness 2023: Best of the 1960s (01:06:34) and announce the lineup for the year's first Filmspotting Marathon - Sight & Sound Top 100 Blind Spots (01:30:33) - before making their choices for Best Director and Best Picture (01:36:49). Time codes may not be precise due to dynamically-inserted ads. Click here to Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in Filmspotting Family bonus content. Learn more about Filmspotting Family benefits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming on the heels of the era-defining “The Godfather” in ’72, the 1973 movie year had a lot to live up to. But if Adam and Josh’s Top 5 of 1973 (02:56) is any indication, it more than delivered. Featuring early-career masterpieces from Terrence Malick, Martin Scorsese and, yes, George Lucas, plus the decade’s most terrifying horror film, influential films from abroad, and so much more, ’73 not only met the standard set a year earlier, but makes a claim as one of the best of the decade. Also on the show, the return of Filmspotting Madness (47:53), which this year has us determining the best film of the ’60s. Then, Adam and Josh share Best of ’73 poll results (01:08:14), before returning to the Top 5 for their final two picks (01:14:18). Time codes may not be precise due to dynamically-inserted ads. Click here to Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in Filmspotting Family bonus content. Learn more about Filmspotting Family benefits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Steven Soderbergh's sly, sexy, and exuberant contribution to the musical genre coming to a close with the release of the third and, presumably, final film in the Magic Mike trilogy, Adam and Josh see the series off with the Top 5 Magic-est Mike Moments (01:15), a celebration of the films' many memorable dance sequences. Plus Josh's review of the new "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (21:47), and Adam's thoughts on "The Integrity of Joseph Chambers (28:15)," the latest from former Brick nominee Robert Machoian ("The Killing of Two Lovers"). They also play some Massacre Theatre (39:50) and weigh in on "Magic Mike's Last Dance" (45:57) – with one considering it a worthy, if lightweight, follow-up to 2015's XXL; the other declaring it quite possibly the worst film Soderbergh has ever made – before sharing their final two Magic-est Mike Moments (59:26). Time codes may not be precise due to dynamically-inserted ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a string of lush, star-filled productions in the ‘50s, Alfred Hitchcock went small(er) and sinister with Psycho, which went on to become Hitchcock's best-known film and one of the most influential films of the last sixty years. For this Sacred Cow deep dive (02:04)—reviewed in anticipation of the upcoming Best of the '60s edition of Filmspotting Madness—Filmspotting considers a picture that remains unnerving and full of mystery even after a half-century of critical analysis. Plus, listeners weigh in on M. Night Shyamalan's hit-and-miss career (52:33), and Adam and Josh turn in their Oscars homework (1:02:08) with thoughts on ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, Andrea Riseborough in TO LESLIE, and Best Documentary Feature nominee NAVALNY. Time codes may not be precise due to dynamically-inserted ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

M. Night Shyamalan is on the short list of big-budget filmmakers who reliably bring original stories to the multiplex, which means that enthusiasm for his new work can be somewhat out of step with his recent track record. But with their Top 5 Shyamalan Moments (01:13), Adam and Josh prove that the director's best work is deserving of close attention. Working with ace collaborators like cinematographers Roger Deakins and Tak Fujimoto, composer James Newton Howard, and actors such as Bruce Willis and Toni Collette, Shyamalan exhibits a gift for patience and craft that - at his best - distinguishes him from his peers. Along with that Top 5, Adam and Josh have an on-air production meeting about next week's Madness '23-inspired show (40:26), shake the dust off for their first Massacre Theatre of the new year (46:21), and share some thoughts on Shyamalan's latest, KNOCK AT THE CABIN (48:59), before returning to the Top 5 (01:07:40). Time codes may not be precise due to dynamically-inserted ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gerwig, Nolan, Wes, Scorsese. The new movie year is full of promise. For their 2023 MOVIE PREVIEW, Adam and Josh look to avoid getting burned by the promise of films that disappear from the movie schedule like desert mirages (will we finally see you this year, Kelly Reichardt's "Showing Up"?) and try to keep their hopes afloat for a year that appears even more IP-heavy than normal (Barbie! Wonka! Spidey! Indy!). Per tradition, the preview takes the form of the Top 5 Questions About the 2023 Movie Year. Plus, Josh submits the new SKINAMARINK for Golden Brick consideration. 1:08 - 2023 Movie Preview 31:58 - Brickspotting (JL): "Skinamarink" 37:09 - Next Week / Notes / Polls 45:17 - 2023 Movie Preview, cont. 1:09:29 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pleasant surprises, notable snubs, and some conflicted feelings about diversity and representation were all part of the conversation for this "Reaction Shot" to the 2023 Oscar nominations. Note: Michelle Yeoh is the first person who identifies as Asian to ever be nominated for best actress; some previously nominated actresses may have hidden their Asian ancestry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Delayed nearly three years by the pandemic, but, in many ways, 18 years in the making, the show's live NYC debut was worth all the waiting. Joined by Slate's Dana Stevens and Griffin Newman from the Blank Check podcast, plus Matt Singer (ScreenCrush) and Alison Willmore (Vulture), formerly of Filmspotting: SVU, Adam and Josh brought the year-end Wrap Party to the stage at Brooklyn's Bell House in front of a packed house. In addition to their picks for opening scene, funniest and most moving moment, best music moment, and scene of the year, the show also features Matt breaking into song, a provocative "Top Gun: Maverick" theory from Alison, and Dana Stevens directing Griffin Newman and "Wicked"'s Jeff Heimbrock in a very special edition of Massacre Theatre. 1:08 - Intro 12:41 - Opening Scenes 28:02 - Moving Scenes 43:09 - Funniest Scenes w/Griffin Newman 1:05:33 - Music Moments w/Alison Willmore and Matt Singer 1:37:48 - 2022 Golden Brick Award 1:41:45 - Scenes of the Year w/Dana Stevens 2:08:16 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the help of regular collaborators Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach leaves the big city - and reality - behind for his ambitious adaptation of Don DeLillo's WHITE NOISE. An absurdist meditation on death nested in a consumerist satire (or vice versa?) that riffs on Elvis, Hitler, car crashes, pharmaceuticals, marriage, and family life, Adam and Josh agree that Baumbach's big swing is a mostly successful one. Also on the show, a revisit of 2017's Top 5 Noah Baumbach Characters (originally paired with "The Meyerowitz Stories") and thoughts on the passing of five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Owen Roizman. 1:08 - Review: "White Noise" 34:58 - Polls / Notes / Owen Roizman 49:44 - Top 5 Noah Baumbach Characters (2017) 1:23:56 - Outro Times may fluctuate due to inserted ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices