For their 97th episode, two turquoise film critics, two teal dads, and two blue-ish school teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan put their swim floaties and performance capture rigs on to debate the highest grossing film of 2022: Avatar: The Way of Water. Coming off of last week's episode on all-time box office kings, our hosts knew the scope of James Cameron's latest epic, but they debate the quality of the personal impact.
Read MoreFor their 96th episode, two feckin' film critics, two feckin' dads, and two feckin' school teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, please welcome to Seattle-based movie afficionado Caless Davis! He joins us during awards seasons to count the remaining fingers on our hands for Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin. This actor's showcase has been impressing critics and awards voters, but it did in impress these three gentlemen. Tune in to find out!
Read MoreFor their 95th episode, two feckin' film critics, two feckin' dads, and two feckin' school teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, please welcome to Seattle-based movie afficionado Caless Davis! He joins us during awards seasons to count the remaining fingers on our hands for Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin. This actor's showcase has been impressing critics and awards voters, but it did in impress these three gentlemen. Tune in to find out!
Read MoreFor better or worse, Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin is an unrelenting emotional tussle of stubbornness among men. Your tolerance level for such behavior will undoubtedly mix feelings and inform your experience. Some will relish in its afflicted dark humor while others will be ready to throw their hands up and beg for the clashing characters to get over themselves. No matter if you are engaged in the tailspin or irked by the whole ordeal, you will find plenty to be impressed with in this pitch black comedy and surefire awards darling.
Read MoreWhen it comes to crime families in movies, any contenders and pretenders that want to be taken seriously are kissing the Corleone ring of “The Godfather” trilogy. That’s not happening with the Cutler clan in Adam Smith’s “Trespass Against Us.” As a mishmash of trailer park trash puffing their chests to operate with supposed principles, they occupy the polar opposite end of the glamorous spectrum of organized crime. Call them an “Irish fugazi,” if you will, complete with their own membership rings and cracks in the hierarchy.
Read MoreEvery winning streak has to end to some time. “Live by Night” will go down as the first “L” in the loss column for Ben Affleck as a film director. After climbing to the top of the mountain with the trio of “Gone Baby Gone,” “The Town,” and the Oscar parade of “Argo,” there was nowhere to go but down, but this newest film is a little more than down.
Read MoreThe ominous meaning of the film's title soaks in quite well. The overwhelming sense of an impending showdown is excellent dramatic fuel to keep this journey taut and interesting. Filmed in County Sligo on the northwestern coast of Ireland, the raw landscape adds to the feeling of isolation and the intimate dynamics of a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone. With that crafted tone, McDonagh's film feels like a religious-tinged western and a good one too. The slow build is excellent and the pay off resonates. If you can find this little film in limited release or on Video On Demand, you'll be well-challenged.
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