Ep. 256: The Northman

This week, Gavia and Morgan debate the virtues of Robert Eggers' latest historical reconstruction, The Northman, which stars Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, a prince who becomes obsessed with revenge after witnessing his uncle (Claes Bang) murder his father (Ethan Hawke). The film also features Nicole Kidman as his mother and Anya Taylor-Joy as a young Russian witch. Topics discussed in this episode include Eggers' obsessive commitment to historical accuracy, whether his humorless and violent take on the revenge plot offers anything new, an appreciation of Nicole Kidman, and more.

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Ep. 255: Our Flag Means Death

This week, Gavia and Morgan dive into the internet television sensation-du-jour, Our Flag Means Death. This pirate comedy stars Rhys Darby as the "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet, a somewhat hapless newcomer to the scene who's living out his midlife crisis through piracy, and Taika Waititi as Blackbeard, the fearsome rogue who's tired of all that marauding... and gets a new lease on life when he meets Stede. Topics include the show's glorious central love story, its refreshingly unremarked-upon queer supporting cast, a stunningly good central performance by Waititi, and how it succeeds and fails in engaging with history.

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Ep. 254: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the classic Star Trek film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a.k.a., The One With the Whales. After rescuing Spock in the previous film, the crew is now faced with the task of saving the world — which they can only do with the help of humpback whales, which takes them back in time to 1980s San Francisco. Topics include this movie's refreshingly chill vibes, Save the Whales, 1980s time travel films, and much more.

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Ep. 253: Rosemary's Baby

This week, Gavia and Morgan tackle a horror classic: Rosemary's Baby, which stars Mia Farrow as a dutiful wife unwittingly carrying the devil's child and John Cassavetes as her self-absorbed husband. Topics discussed in this episode include the film's long influence, its depiction of gaslighting by husbands and doctors, how to talk about a feminist classic directed by a sexual abuser, and more.

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Ep. 252: Deep Water

This week, Gavia and Morgan dive into Deep Water, the long-awaited new film from Adrian Lyne, the master of the erotic thriller. The film stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as an unhappily married couple whose chief occupations include breeding snails and having affairs, respectively. Topics under discussion in this episode include the film's tortured release, its shaky screenplay, and the pleasures of watching a film for grown-ups.

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Ep. 251: Populaire

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the French romantic comedy Populaire, set in the 1950s in the world of competitive speed typing. Topics include the film's relationship to 1950s Hollywood rom-coms, the charms of its stars Romain Duris and Déborah François, and the real-life history of speed typing competitions.

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Ep. 249: Nosferatu & Shadow of the Vampire

This week, Gavia and Morgan celebrate the centennial of F.W. Murnau's masterful adaptation of Dracula, the 1922 film Nosferatu. They discuss the collaborative nature of he project, its influence on later vampire films, its transgressive treatment of sex, and more. They also discuss the 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire, a pulpy reinterpretation of history that stars John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe as the director and star of Nosferatu.

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Ep 248: Pain & Gain

This week, Gavia and Morgan venture into new territory with the 2013 Michael Bay film Pain & Gain, a crime film based on the true story of a misbegotten kidnapping and extortion carried out by a collection of inept criminals played here by Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Anthony Mackie. Topics include the parallel career paths of Wahlberg and Johnson, what exactly constitutes a "Michael Bay movie," the ethics of telling this kind of story about real people, and more.

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Ep. 247: Burning

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the Korean film Burning, directed by Lee Chang-dong and starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, and Jeon Jong-seo. Despite this film's near-universal acclaim, they... didn't like it very much! Topics include the film's uncomfortable depiction of its central female character, its take on class in South Korea, excellent performances from the three lead actors, and more.

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Ep. 246: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

This week, Morgan and Gavia discuss Andrew Dominik's beloved cult western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, starring Brad Pitt as legendary outlaw James and Casey Affleck as the awkward fan who ultimately kills him. Topics include the film's depiction of the American west, its treatment of celebrity and masculinity, career-best work from cinematographer Roger Deakins, and more.

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Ep. 245: In the Heat of the Night

This week, Morgan and Gavia celebrate the life and work of the late Sidney Poitier by diving into his greatest film, Norman Jewison's Academy Award-winning In the Heat of the Night. Poitier stars as a Black, northern detective who is waylaid in a small southern town by a homicide investigation in which he becomes entangled; Rod Steiger co-stars as the town's racist white sheriff. Topics include the film's complicated production history and Academy Awards success, its place in Poitier's career, Steiger's Method performance, and more.

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Ep. 244: What's Up, Doc?

This week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the late Peter Bogdanovich's classic homage to old Hollywood screwball, What's Up, Doc?, starring Ryan O'Neal as a hapless musicologist and Barbra Streisand as the agent of chaos with whom he reluctantly falls in love. Topics include Bogdanovich's life and career, the film's direct relationship to 1930s and 1940s romantic comedies, Streisand's magnetic performance, and much more.

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Ep. 243: The Secret Garden (1993)

This week, Morgan and Gavia revisit childhood favorite The Secret Garden (1993), directed by Agnieszka Holland and adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Topics include the film's refreshingly dark take on its gothic source text, its treatment of Victorian class and imperial politics, Richard Deakins' lustrous cinematography, and much more.

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Ep. 242: Our Top 10 Films of 2021

This week, Morgan and Gavia return to their favorite annual podcast tradition: sharing lists of their top ten films of the year. Selections run the gamut from the big budget — The Matrix Resurrections — to the ultra small — Mexico's Prayers for the Stolen — and everything in-between.

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Ep. 241: The Matrix Resurrections

This week, Gavia and Morgan return to the Matrix with The Matrix Resurrections, Lana Wachowski's long-awaited sequel to the original trilogy. Original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return along with new faces including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, and Neil Patrick Harris. Topics include the film's self-aware skewering of franchise cinema, its visual departures (and connections to) the original films, Reeves' and Moss' powerful performances, and more.

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Ep. 240: Wild Mountain Thyme

This week, Gavia and Morgan watch one of 2020's most poorly received films, John Patrick Shanley's adaptation of his own play Wild Mountain Thyme. Starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan as lifelong neighbors who haven't ever been able to confess their true feelings for each other, the movie is a mystifyingly bad stab at romantic dramedy. Topics include Shanley's cringeworthy script, wooden performances from most members of the cast, the film's embarrassing depiction of Ireland, and more.

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Ep. 239: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This week, Gavia and Morgan celebrate Christmas by revisiting the first installment of the new Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Directed by JJ Abrams and starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and John Boyega, the film kicked off a new era for Star Wars and Disney. Topics include the film's masterful melding of old and new cast members, its brilliant blockbuster screenwriting, its role in the rise of franchise filmmaking, and more.

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Ep. 238: The School Nurse Files

This week, Gavia and Morgan watch the offbeat fantasy k-drama The School Nurse Files, based on Chung Serang's award-winning novel. Starring Jung Yu-mi as a high school nurse who has the power to see auras and "jellies" that manifest people's feelings, the show feels like a teen dramedy and a zany fantasy show rolled into one. Topics include the show's unique tone and approach, lead actress Jung's refreshingly unglamorous performance, Netflix's global business strategy, and more.

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