Film Colossus

This week, we discuss the 2023 Oscar winner: The Zone of Interest. Chris is very much in the camp that the film is a modern masterpiece, while Travis…needs some convincing. They discuss sound design, slow cinema, and the film’s ultimate commentary on cultural apathy. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we explore the brazen and bizarre Oscar winner: Poor Things. We react to Yorgos Lanthimos’ drastic changes in aesthetic and discuss how his focus on a single character allows the film to flourish and the ideology to coalesce like never before in his filmography. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we recap the 96th Academy Awards—our favorite moments, the worst moments, and which people should and shouldn’t have taken home the golden statue. We talk a lot about Wikipedia mods. Yes we have complaints about the In Memoriam. And no we still don't like Oppenheimer. Have fun! Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we dive headfirst into what is currently the cinematic event of the century: Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two. We discuss both the good and the bad of this landmark series, with Chris praising Villeneuve’s take on the classic novel and Travis being his usual contrarian self. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we celebrate Dune—no, not that Dune. We’re talking about that old polarizing one that David Lynch directed. We discuss everything that’s keeping 1984’s Dune from achieving Frank Herbert’s ultimate intent with the novel, as well as the idiosyncrasies that allow Lynch’s existential tale about the self to shine in enigmatic, bizarrely beautiful ways. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we navigate through the insane terrain of Oliver Stone’s masterpiece: Any Given Sunday. We observe how perhaps the greatest football movie ever made actually serves as a metaphor for America’s story, for the angst and isolation—and, ultimately, the progression—that results from generational differences and constant change. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we enjoy a double feature from the great horror auteur Ti West: Pearl and X. We debate the effectiveness of Pearl’s warped character study in the first film and explore the depths of the latter’s sociological observations. All in all, it’s a bloody good time! Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we break down one of those movies that continues to confuse people to this day: American Psycho. We show how the movie’s core concepts and satiric approach can help make sense of and contextualize what, on the surface, appears to be an indecipherable movie. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we give our reactions to the 2024 Oscar nominations. Chris is nice and gives praise where praise is due, while Travis mostly complains because the dumb movies he likes don’t get any love from the Academy. Plus we give our predictions for each category! Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we pick apart what’s considered one to be of the most enigmatic movies of all time: Mulholland Drive. Our discussion breaks this classic film down into simple terms, revealing the humanistic underbelly of David Lynch’s cautionary tale about Hollywood and fantasy. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we dive into the most viral movie of 2023: Saltburn. We react to the movie’s most provocative moments and, through a discussion of the film's themes and deeper meaning, debate whether all the hype is warranted. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we count down our favorite (and least favorite) movies of the year. Chris sticks to movies that came out in 2023, while Travis picks the best from everything he watched this year. Get ready for some lively discussions! Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we conclude our first season with yet another Lars von Trier film: The House That Jack Built. We discuss the movie’s meta commentary on using art to improve and define our lives, and how that message functions within what is essentially a serial killer comedy. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we discuss Lars von Trier’s bleak, bizarre film: Melancholia. There’s a strange meta quality to the film that consumes our conversation as we explore how the movie ultimately mirrors the human condition in the face of apocalypse. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we gush over the timeless classic The Princess Bride. Of course the characters and acting are amazing, but more than anything we’re fascinated by the film’s commentary on fairy tales and the ability for stories to transcend and connect generations. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we continue on the Paul Verhoeven train with RoboCop. We run through what makes this satirical masterpiece so great, from its dynamite cast to its incredible special effects to its multifaceted social commentary. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we discuss what was once considered the worst movie ever made: Showgirls. Of course, the film has had a cultural resurgence and earned cult status—and we couldn’t be more thrilled. We dig into what makes this misunderstood classic so great. Check out our website for more great movie deconstructions. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we dig into Ari Aster’s cult film: Midsommar. This episode involves a long-winded discussion of the horror genre and how Aster’s modern techniques both embrace and diverge from the norm. Be warned: one of us really did not like this movie. If you'd like more insight into the deeper meaning of Scream, then check out Chris's explanation. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we discuss the greatest meta horror movie ever made: Scream. We dissect just how deep the film’s meta commentary goes and what its message has to say about the genre, about media, about our individual growth as human beings. If you'd like more insight into the deeper meaning of Scream, then check out Travis's explanation. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, then join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re talking about that movie with the twist: Fight Club. It’s Chris’s favorite movie ever, so this is a special episode. We discuss the depth of the movie’s commentary and how the meta narrative helps the message thrive in a timeless way. If you'd like more insight into the deeper meaning of Fight Club, then check out Chris's explanation. If you'd like to support the show and hear episodes ad-free, join our Patreon! Music by Ross Bugden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.