WatchIf

Part two of our 2018 rundown.

We're back! This is the first part of our 2018 films round table. In the first part we discuss our opinions re: the most over/underrated films of the year. Jared and Max talk best actor/actress.

This week we discuss Sorry to Bother You. Surreal comedy satire starring Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, and Omari Hardwick. Written and directed by Boots Riley. Recommendations: Will: Paprika (film 2006) dir. Satoshi Kon Max: The Crying of Lot 49 (novella 1966) by Thomas Pynchon Phillip: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (trailer 2018. Yes, not the movie, which isn't out yet, just the trailer)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVDtmouV9kM. Jared: Steal This Album (album 1998)...

This week we talk about upcoming films that we're each excited about and why.

This week’s film is First Reformed. Existential drama starring Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, and Cedric Kyles. Written and directed by Paul Schrader. Reverend Ernst Toller is sad. Watch him be sad for about two hours. Recommendations: Will: Swiss Army Man (film 2016) dirs. Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan. Phillip: Caliphate (podcast 2018) reported by Rukmini Callimachi and Andy Mills. Of Fathers and Sons (film 2017) dir. Talal Derki. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (film 2018) dir. Wim...

This week we discuss Hereditary. Psychological Horror starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne. Written and directed by Ari Aster. This Psychosuperlogicalnatural horror film features mouth sounds, and grandparents that ruin their grandchildren. Recommendations (hard to watch but good): Will: Gummo (film 1997) dir. Harmony Korine Phillip: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (TV series 2014-2018) & Post Traumatic (album 2018) by Mike Shinoda Jared: Blue...

This week we discuss Solo: A Star Wars Story. SciFi Action starring Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clark, and Donald Glover. Written by Jonathan & Lawrence Kasdan. Directed by Ron Howard. This Star Wars prequel is a 2 hour and 15 minute explanation of a throwaway line from the original trilogy. We finally know what it means to “make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.” Recommendations (Franchise Media): Will: Chew (Comic Series 2009-2016) by John Layman and Rob Guillory Max:...

This week, besides missing Phillip, we discuss Tully. A Coming of middle-age Dramedy starring Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, and Ron Livingston. Written by Diablo Cody and Directed by Jason Reitman. Recommendations (Family Themes): Will: Kubo and the Two Strings (film 2016) dir. Travis Knight Max: Manhood for Amateurs (book 2009) by Michael Chabon & Raising Arizona (film 1987) dir. Joel Coen Jared: Trans (album 1982) by Neil Young & Wandering Boy (song 2017) by Randy Newman (from the...

Today we are joined by special guest Joel Roney and discuss You Were Never Really Here. Psychological thriller starring Joaqin Phoenix and Ekiterina Samsonov. Written and directed by Lynne Ramsay based on the book by Jonathan Ames. This documentary sequel to I’m Still Here explores Joaquin Phoenix’s post-acting career as a professional Liam Neeson. Recommendations (something violent): Phillip: Collateral (film 2004) dir. Michael Mann Joel: Bullet (film 1996) dir. Julien Temple & Straw Dogs...

Today we are joined by special guest Cait Bladt and discuss Ready Player One. Cyberpunk SciFi written by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline. Directed by Stephen Spielberg, based on the novel by Ernest Cline. Starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, and Ben Mendelsohn. In 2045, America becomes even more of a late-capitalist hellscape (if you can believe it). Everyone retreats into a cyber reality that is also a capitalist hellspace, but with flashing lights and soaked through with pop-culture nostalgia:...

Today for this Friday the 13th, we discuss Friday the 13th part IV: The Final Chapter, the 1984 Slasher film directed by Joseph Zito and written by Barney Cohen. Starring Kimberly Beck, Peter Barton, Corey Feldman, E. Erich Anderson, and Crispin Glover. A misunderstood zombie goes looking for love in all the wrong places. Corey Feldman gives himself a terrible haircut and somebody throws the poor dog through a window. CHE CHE CHE CHE HAW HAW HAW HAW. Recommendations: Phillip: The Ritual...

This week we discuss Annihilation, the SciFi drama written and directed by Alex Garland. Starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Tuva Novotny.

This week we discuss Black Panther, the Superhero Action movie written by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole. Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, and Danai Gurira. This week we were joined by special guest David Santa Ana. Due to technical difficulties and the fact that he didn't record his own audio, he drops out about halfway through the episode. The recommendations portion of the episode was also cut for this reason.

This week we discuss Phantom Thread the slow-burn drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Vicky Krieps. Recommendations made at the end of the podcast: Will: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (book); Your Name. directed by Makoto Shinkai (movie). Jared: Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, UFOs, Evolution, Shamanism, the Rebirth of the Goddess, and the End of History by Terence McKenna (book);...

We discuss the Oscar Nominees.

This week we discuss Call Me By Your Name, the romance drama written by James Ivory and directed by Luca Guadagnino. Starring Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet.

This week we discuss Lady Bird, the coming-of-age drama written and directed by Greta Gerwig. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, and Beanie Feldstein.

This week we discuss Thor: Ragnarok, the SciFi Action Comedy directed by Taika Waititi. Written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeff Goldblum.