Episode 85: The Social Network

This week, Morgan and Gavia travel back in time to revisit David Fincher's 2010 biopic of Mark Zuckerberg, "The Social Network." They assess how the film has aged, its near-total divergence from the actual history of Facebook's early years, and Andrew Garfield's Bambi eyes.

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Episode 84: The Phantom Menace

At long last... Gavia and Morgan revisit the first film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, courtesy of a very generous Patreon subscriber. Topics discussed include: the greatness of Liam Neeson, the terribleness of George Lucas' dialogue, and what on earth is going on with Jar Jar Binks.

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Episode 82: Pacific Rim

This week, Gavia and Morgan are joined by culture writer Sulagna Misra for a discussion of Guillermo del Toro's fan favorite blockbuster Pacific Rim. They reflect on the film's success as a smart-dumb blockbuster, its elaborate world building, the mesmerizing woodenness of Charlie Hunnam, and how sequel Pacific Rim: Uprising stacks up to the original.

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Episode 81: Elementary

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss CBS's long-running Sherlock Holmes procedural Elementary, a topic chosen by Patreon subscribers. They compare the show to other Holmes adaptations, express their admiration for its central cast, and bemoan the state of mainstream Hollywood. [This episode focuses on the finale of Elementary's first season.]

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Episode 80: Annihilation

This week, Gavia and Morgan dive into the mesmerizing world of Annihilation, the trippy new science fiction film from director Alex Garland. They discuss the film's frustrating distribution (or lack thereof), how it stacks up against Garland's other work and other science fiction classics, and What It All Means.

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Episode 79, Black Sails, Part I

This week, Gav is joined by guest hosts Elizabeth Minkel and Natasha Simonova for a very special episode about the pirate drama Black Sails. We explore the historical and literary themes of the show, including its similarities to 17th century Revenge Tragedy, and what "historical fiction" actually means. Spoiler warning: We cover all four seasons, so this is mostly aimed at Black Sails fans rather than new viewers!

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Episode 77: Black Panther

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss Marvel's latest hit, the record-breaking Black Panther. Topics include the film's thrilling visuals, its departure from traditional superhero storytelling, its excellent women, and... The Lion King?

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Episode 75: Phantom Thread

This week, Morgan and Gavia dig into Paul Thomas Anderson's sumptuous masterpiece Phantom Thread. They discuss the film's magnificent costumes, its delectable use of food, how it compares to PTA's recent work, the wondrous Vicky Krieps, and the hungry boy.

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Episode 71: The Shape of Water

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss Gavia's favorite film of the year, Guillermo del Toro's new creature feature The Shape of Water. They consider its topical political resonances, its mishmash of genres, how it fits into del Toro's filmography, and Sally Hawkins' luminous performance.

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Episode 70: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

This week, Morgan and Gavia duke it out over Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the latest, divisive installment in the Star Wars universe. Gavia is a fan; Morgan is frustrated. A disturbance in the Force!

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Episode 69: Call Me by Your Name

This week, Morgan and Gavia rhapsodize over Morgan's favorite movie of the year, indie sensation Call Me by Your Name. They compare it to director Luca Guadanigno's previous films, I Am Love and A Bigger Splash, reflect on its universal specificity, the brilliants of actors Timothée Chalamet and Michael Stuhlbarg, that peach scene, and more.

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Episode 68: Justice League

This week, Gavia reports back from DC's disappointing mega-blockbuster Justice League. Morgan refused to see this film on principle, so Gav gives a full report on the film's aesthetic mediocrity, the unfortunate effects of all that reshooting, and what on earth is going on with Ben Affleck.

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Episode 67: The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage

This week, Gavia and Morgan revisit their childhoods with Philip Pullman's new novel La Belle Sauvage, the first installment of his new trilogy The Book of Dust, a companion to His Dark Materials. They discuss this book's relationship to Pullman's earlier trilogy, earnest children, frightening villains, Oxford, and—for some reason—Edmund Spenser's living situation.

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