Which film of 2024 has already etched itself into your all-time favorites? Join us as we navigate through the cinematic treasures that have graced our screens so far this year. From the gritty new western by Kevin Costner to the spine-chilling sequel of "A Quiet Place," our first chapter celebrates the year's standout films and the buzz surrounding upcoming releases. We also examine the unexpected success stories like "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" and "Challengers," which have left us eagerly anticipating the rest of the year.
Our conversation then takes an electrifying turn as we delve into Kendrick Lamar's groundbreaking concert film, "The Pop Out: Ken and Friends." Experience the magic of this historic hip-hop event through our eyes, and then ride along as we discuss our dual number five picks: "Inside Out 2" and "The Bike Riders." Discover why "Inside Out 2" has captured our hearts and imaginations with its poignant storytelling and stunning visuals. We also shine a light on "Challengers," featuring a remarkable performance by Zendaya and its innovative take on sports filmmaking.
Prepare to be mesmerized as we dissect the artistic brilliance of "First Omen" and the cultural phenomenon that is "Dune." We share our awe for the intricate details of "First Omen" and its clever cinematography, and then switch gears to celebrate the rewatchability and quotable moments of "Dune," especially highlighting Javier Bardem's stellar performance. Finally, we pay homage to the exceptional cast and technical marvel that is "Dune Part Two," and the sensory delight that is "The Taste of Things." Join us in appreciating these cinematic masterpieces and their potential lasting impact on the film industry.
Which film of 2024 has already etched itself into your all-time favorites? Join us as we navigate through the cinematic treasures that have graced our screens so far this year. From the gritty new western by Kevin Costner to the spine-chilling sequel of "A Quiet Place," our first chapter celebrates the year's standout films and the buzz surrounding upcoming releases. We also examine the unexpected success stories like "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" and "Challengers," which have left us eagerly anticipating the rest of the year.
Our conversation then takes an electrifying turn as we delve into Kendrick Lamar's groundbreaking concert film, "The Pop Out: Ken and Friends." Experience the magic of this historic hip-hop event through our eyes, and then ride along as we discuss our dual number five picks: "Inside Out 2" and "The Bike Riders." Discover why "Inside Out 2" has captured our hearts and imaginations with its poignant storytelling and stunning visuals. We also shine a light on "Challengers," featuring a remarkable performance by Zendaya and its innovative take on sports filmmaking.
Prepare to be mesmerized as we dissect the artistic brilliance of "First Omen" and the cultural phenomenon that is "Dune." We share our awe for the intricate details of "First Omen" and its clever cinematography, and then switch gears to celebrate the rewatchability and quotable moments of "Dune," especially highlighting Javier Bardem's stellar performance. Finally, we pay homage to the exceptional cast and technical marvel that is "Dune Part Two," and the sensory delight that is "The Taste of Things." Join us in appreciating these cinematic masterpieces and their potential lasting impact on the film industry.
how's it? I'm alex macaulay and I'm max fosford, and this is excuse the intermission a discussion show surrounding our favorite films of 2024 so far. It's the end of june. We have six months of releases to unpack and five films each that we want to celebrate for being the year's best. That conversation up next after this break.
Speaker 2:This episode is brought to you by the Seattle Film Society. The Seattle Film Society is a filmmaker run project dedicated to organizing, cultivating and celebrating the region's filmmaking community Through screenings, educational opportunities and community initiatives. Seattle Film Society strives to be a centralizing force for Seattle area filmmakers.
Speaker 1:Their monthly screening event, locals Only, is held at 18th and Union in Seattle's Central District and spotlights local voices in independent filmmaking. Tickets start at $10 and are available seattlefilmsocietycom. Come be a part of the next generation of Seattle filmmaking today. All right, we're back. Max, how are you doing today? We've had a productive morning here. We have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're making moves and doing tests, tests, tech tests. Um, I'm excited.
Speaker 1:I can't believe we're halfway through the year and we're already talking about top fives of 2024 it's kind of insane, yeah, um, and also, too, we're just, we're real flexible now that summer's finally hit.
Speaker 1:First recording congratulations on another year made it, made it out the other side, sanity still intact. Definitely get to practice a little self-care now, something that I'm always preaching to my students, and now I can actually experience some of that for myself. So, yeah, man, early morning pods, lots of golf, and then, yeah, kind of what you alluded to tech test. We were just down at Edison Square.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Really excited about the upcoming live show on July 11th. That's going to be a ton of fun. It's going to be amazing.
Speaker 2:Uh, I can't wait. Uh, again, live show July 11th. What? 1230 to two 30. We we filmed a promo while we were down there. We hooked up our equipment where we're live on the speakers. We're going to be on a stage. Um, it's going to be. Yeah, it's going to be the bright lights and big times we got bright lights and big city. It's all to come away.
Speaker 1:No, I love to have to come away. This is great Close to my house.
Speaker 2:So that's fantastic.
Speaker 1:I love this budding partnership here with Edison square. But yeah, I mean, come down, get a burger at Radnor's really good smash burgers right next door. Um, we're going to be playing movie games. We're going to be doing our Mount Rushmore's. You're going to hear the word letterbox thrown around a lot. Um. So yeah, come down, hang out, spend, spend your lunch break with us, take the afternoon off, take the whole day off.
Speaker 1:Um cause it's going to be a lot of fun. You know, maybe we pop over to church cantina afterwards, I don't know. Just have a day. Come have a day with us.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, please do.
Speaker 1:Okay, so let's let's talk about this year. So far in movies, we're doing our own little mountain Rushmore, plus one here today a top five of 2024. How do you feel and I know that at this time last year we were right on the brink of 2023 exploding do you feel like there's some momentous event that's about to occur? Obviously not to the same levels as barbenheimer last year, but I've seen a lot of chatter out there on instagram, on reddit, of like everyone's excited, really excited, for long legs, a lot of the movies that we talked about a couple of weeks ago. It feels like we're kind of in a holding pattern.
Speaker 2:It's going to be interesting these next couple of weeks just because, yeah, I feel like July is the or yeah, july, july, end of June, july is the meat of the season, right, like this is like we're getting a big western from kevin costner this weekend, we're getting a quiet place movie, uh, this weekend, that's. That's like really taking over the algorithm, because, I guess.
Speaker 2:Jeff nichols was supposed or was almost the director of that film and now he has a film out currently that's going to be competing against that film. You know, we've got. We've got long legs, we've got twisters still to come. And then we have a future best picture winner of 2024. A Marvel movie that you know again is like the hype is real for that too.
Speaker 1:And Wolverine Deadpool. Yeah, wolverine.
Speaker 2:Deadpool and will, yeah, wolverine Deadpool, and will that say you know what is that going to look like? What is that going to do to that group of movies? What is that going to do to the box office? I think we're in the heat of the year. No pun intended, but yeah, I don't know. It'll be interesting to see. I think a lot rides on this next month as far as how good we will look back on this movie year.
Speaker 2:Leading up to this year, I was always saying this is going to be a stinker of a year. I think it's turned out better than I thought. Uh, you know, I liked things like kingdom of the planet of the apes a lot better than I thought I would. Um, and then there's like been some surprises. Like I saw the tv glow or, uh, the dead don't hurt. Uh, you know. You know, I think challengers, you know hit man love lies bleeding, like these are all really like unique movies. Uh, and then, you know, I think there's definitely a surprise favorite, I think on both of our lists uh, that maybe has exceeded and will continue to really last a long time in our movie collections.
Speaker 1:I certainly agree with that. I know exactly what. I know exactly the film you're talking about, a couple others that I just want to give a shout out to that, like these are really serviceable movies that I would have no problem recommending is like the fall guy I thought was totally fine. Um, how to have sex is a really great, important movie. Furiosa I feel like after sitting on that movie for almost a month now, I have no problems with Furiosa. Stop Motion a really good horror film.
Speaker 1:I think that I've been wishing and hoping and trying to kind of manifest 2024 as like a great year for horror. If I was going to pick one genre that I think has done really well so far this year, it is the scary movies that have come out. Because I'm just sort of looking at my list and I don't have I saw the TV glow as high as you do, but like I have it above things like Lovely Dark and Deep Night, swim and Tarot, and then above that is like Abigail, and then you could put Out of Darkness in that category, and then above that is like Abigail, and then you could put out of darkness in that category. Stop motion immaculate, and these are just like every single one of these is just like a little bit more exciting than the next, and we're getting to a really exciting point in the summer where, even before Halloween comes around and like officially spooky season starts, where we're going to get things like Terrifier 3 that are going to be, I think, a little bit more like you know, a couple of years ago, when a Terrifier movie came out maybe not that big of a deal, but in 2024, I think, will really help continue to carry that genre forward, and so I'm really excited.
Speaker 1:I don't really know, aside from from Dune, which of course, we're going to end up talking about here in a little bit, but I'm not really sure what the Oscar movies are so far from this year where, like I'm looking at my list and I'm like, as it stands right now, inside out, two would probably get a best picture nomination, yeah, um, and so that that might be where this year is lacking a little bit just in like the, the real highbrow, critically acclaimed films. I don't think we've gotten too many of those quite yet, um, but but a lot of room for some personal favorites yeah, you know, and on that point of horror, something like late night with the devil and in a violent nature which, have you know, made waves in the indie horror space.
Speaker 2:Like I think, even though maybe my own personal taste going into those, I I thought they were okay and they were fine. I think those are the type of movies that are going to also grow over time and and maybe we look back in a couple of years and be like, okay, no, those, those are actually really interesting horror movies that no one had really done, that kind of format or whatnot before.
Speaker 1:I do think I saw that late night with the devil is already getting like a boutique blueberry release from umbrella or some some kind of.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't be surprised if in a violent nature. I don't know if you've fired that up yet, um, but it is. It is terrence malick makes you know friday the 13th. Like it is a really interesting take on a horror movie.
Speaker 1:Um no, that sounds that. That's wow. What a way to sell a movie to me.
Speaker 2:Yeah I'm not. I think you'll really enjoy it okay, very cool.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, I've been. There are a couple films I wanted to get to for this episode. That was one of them the beast, this new lais, I do film. There's another movie that I wanted to watch before this episode, but I've been grinding away on house of dragon.
Speaker 2:I gave up on that show hot d yeah, some hot d I gave up on it too early a couple of years ago now.
Speaker 1:Whatever, however long it's been, um, but I'm I'm back hooked and I'm trying to catch up for season two. So that's where a lot of my free time has gone. But of course, my life is just full of free time now so we'll get to a lot of these other movies that have already um come out and and make sure.
Speaker 1:I really want to make sure, like right now, how many movies I'm. I'm only in like the high 30s right now for 2024 releases. I definitely want to get that number probably up to like 80 or 90 by the end of the year.
Speaker 1:I'm exactly at 30 um and yeah, I think last year I was around like 73, 75 um, I know at the beginning of the year we both kind of said a movie resolution for the year was maybe to watch less things Um, but at the same time, though, now I'm like I'm really excited about this year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I think the second half of this year is going to be it's, it's exciting, it's always exciting.
Speaker 2:Uh, you know, once you get to this point of the year, it's because, again we've gotten through a lot of the fat we've gotten through a lot of the stuff that we were kind of fearing, um, and now we get to hopefully enjoy some great summer blockbuster stuff. And then and then we get into award award season and like that's always my favorite time, from like September to, you know, january is like that's when I really feel like some of my favorite movies have been coming out For sure.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, let's talk about our favorites from this year so far. We'll start with our number fives. I'll go first, because I, of course, have a little wrinkle in the five spot. I'm cheating on five as well. That's how we do it. Man In the five spot I'm cheating on five as well.
Speaker 1:That's how we do it, man. So this I think I did this on last year's episode as well, with the Weeknd's live concert that was broadcast on HBO Max live from SoFi. It was just a fantastic production. Same vibes right now with the pop out Ken and Friends. This came out just last week, I believe Kendrick and this is the Kendrick Lamar like the public murdering of Drake. Yeah, it was the execution. Um, and so I I mean I just didn't even hesitate. I gave this five stars. It's available to log on letterboxd.
Speaker 1:Um but it was live streamed on Amazon prime and you can find it now on YouTube. I'm sure Prime will get the same broadcast they had live put up on demand on their streaming service. But just a remarkable collection of Los Angeles hip hop artists from our generation, from the current generation, old school artists. They did it at the LA Forum and so a real historic venue. It's right there in Inglewood, california. But by the time Kendrick comes out and he basically does like an hour-long session, an hour-long set to end it I felt like I was watching. Every year I'll try to watch like the Coachella live stream or any of these big music festivals that do a live stream. I mean, I was just like so hyped up, moving around in my living room, like getting all excited. A lot of my favorite hip hop artists are featured on here. Like I went crazy when YG comes out. There's this really cool. Like black hippie reunion with schoolboy Q and all the people that kind of came up with Kendrick there in the 2010s. So a nostalgic watch for me, a really cool.
Speaker 1:It felt like a really important moment for hip hop. Like you had a bunch of old heads there, dr Dre's there. You had a lot of people from just like the Los Angeles community there, who you know are just like part of the culture and also grew up with this music. Like LeBron James is there, russell Westbrook's there, demar DeRozan's there, All these people that either, like, played college basketball and grew up with this movie in Los Angeles or currently play on, you know, professional Los Angeles sports teams. Um, the aforementioned the weekend was there in the crowd, just kind of like all these people coming together for Kendrick, for hip hop, but yes, also for the, the uh the weekend was there, but he wasn't on stage no, because he's he's canada, he's he's toronto.
Speaker 1:So this was really, but you know he's there in support, he's yeah that's cool. That's the other thing too, where it's like that's.
Speaker 1:That's interesting too, because drake's toronto oh, yeah, yeah no I mean, the weekend hasn't been as involved in this kendrick drake beef, but um, he was on that metro boomin mixtape that came out. Um, of course, kind of started all of this, and so he's clearly picked a side and it's Kendrick and that's the other thing. It's just like Kendrick does the diss tracks towards Drake and he plays him like over and over, back to back and the crowd singing along. And if you look at the reviews on Letterboxd for this film, it is hilarious. And for this production, I don't really know what to call.
Speaker 2:it's just, you know, it's a concert video, concert movie hey man uh you know we had, we had a huge concert movie last year too. I I think it's it's part of the canon, it is it's there, um, but they're hilarious.
Speaker 1:It's just like wow. I didn't think that you could put like an execution on on live streaming or whatever, because it is. Uh, it's everything that I already said, but then it is also just such a shot at at drake, which is hilarious. I've never been the biggest drake fan, so, um, if you do like drake's music, you know, no offense or anything like that. I'm sure we can still be great friends, but you probably wouldn't want to watch this because, um, yes, it's for the record.
Speaker 2:Eti is on kendrick's side, we are team kendrick.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, so that's, that's my number five.
Speaker 2:The uh, the pop out canon friends, uh so I feel really strong about my top four. My number five kind of has been switching really honestly, based on like kind of recency bias and new movies. So I I think I, to do it justice, I'm gonna have two movies at my number five oh, okay but again they are the most.
Speaker 2:Two most recent movies I've seen in in theaters, which is inside out 2 and the bike riders, uh, from jeff nichols. Uh, inside out 2, you know we did a whole episode on it. I, I, I still think it's probably the best, definitely the best animated movie that's come out this year and, like you were saying, could it be in the Oscar race for best picture? I think it definitely could. It will be really interesting to see if they do an Inside Out 3, but if they were to end it here, I think it's a perfect one-two punch with the first, inside Out. Again, a great message in it, a poignant message, but also a universal message, not just for one type of person. And beautiful animation, really, really fucking funny. The comedy talent in that is fantastic. So really, really enjoyed.
Speaker 1:Inside out too, it's also like the tyrannosaurus rex of the box office so far this year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I mean it's the winner.
Speaker 1:Dune dune did its thing, of course, but this movie is like approaching barbie level. Domestic numbers like it's gonna go down is probably one of of, if not the most successful film of the 2020 so far, once it's out of theaters.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that's a testament to how good it is. The other movie is the Bike Riders. A very different movie, a very masculine movie, a very dad rock movie Like. It reminded me a lot of Ford versus Ferrari movie. A very dad rock movie like reminded me a lot of ford vs ferrari.
Speaker 2:You know, and that's kind of anytime you do any sort of racing movie or motorcycle movie or whatever you're gonna get that um, it also like had a lot of ties or a lot of nods to uh like something like goodfellas, like, honestly, the first three minutes like it is, it's a complete homage to, to the goodfellas voiceover yeah, totally.
Speaker 2:Um, and I think you know it's about this biker gang, but it's told from the perspective of uh kathy, who is the girlfriend of one of the bikers, and she's doing voiceover through the whole movie and she has a lot. There's a lot in common with the Karen character from Goodfellas and this love triangle, really, of Austin Butler, tom Hardy and Jodie Comer. Tom Hardy is electric, homer. Tom Hardy is electric. That guy is such an exciting performer on screen. I don't care if he's doing a silly voice as long as he doesn't have something covering his face.
Speaker 2:Even when he has a mask on right. He is so cool and so in command when he's on screen in this movie that it's amazing. And he's doing this weird like performative, like his character is performing as Marlon Brando, because there's a scene where he literally is watching the Wild One, which is a Marlon Brando motorcycle movie, and that's what makes him want to start a motorcycle club, and so then he tries to be that character from that movie. It's really layers of weirdness, uh. And then awesome butler. I think awesome butler has like 16 lines in the movie, all vibes. He's just smoldering, just he is just staring at people and looking so distraught.
Speaker 1:And handsome, I'm sure, and handsome yeah.
Speaker 2:Like the most handsome, like there is no biker ever who looked like Austin Butler. But yeah, he does an excellent job at it and when he does speak like because he, he speaks, he doesn't speak a lot. You're just, you're kind of on the edge of your seat, um. And then jody comer, who is also doing a crazy voice, uh, even though it's been reported that like it is like almost spot on to the real kathy character, uh, and from real life, um, um, is is fantastic. She's really really good. Jodi Comer, is she now you know the last her CV now of movies? I mean, she is someone who should be considered maybe every year for for an Oscar. Like, I think she is that good. Yeah, she was nominated for free guy yeah.
Speaker 2:No, she is that good. Yeah, she was nominated for free guy. Yeah, no, she is really. She's really good. Yeah, she's awesome, yeah. So, and you know, jeff nichols movies I don't think it's the best jeff nichols movie. I don't think it's the worst. I I don't think there is a bad jeff nichols movie. Uh, he is such an interesting filmmaker because he is someone who has really operated in like the indie space for so long and it takes a lot of time between projects takes a ton of time.
Speaker 2:He's not a prolific writer he, you know, he, he, but he he is so good at attention to detail in his films and listening to him on interviews or reading about his interviews this past week, it's amazing what they were able to create a 1960s world within this movie and they do it beautifully. Just a beautiful movie. Very adult drama, again, very dad rock. It's very dad rock, but like it's a lot of fun and there's a lot of you know, a lot of dudes, a lot of dudes just showing up for cups of coffee, like norman reedus or michael shannon, of course, boyd holbrook oh um, you know a lot of like.
Speaker 2:It's just, it's just a great time and it captures a really cool culture that I don't think we've seen on screen in a long time.
Speaker 1:Very cool yeah, that's, that's on the list. Once, uh, I have like a week left of of data and then it's like, right, we need to get out to the theaters and catch some of this stuff before it hits on demand, and that's certainly one of them. Okay, my next film, much like my fifth film, is um, it's in the top five in large part to the music and that is challengers. Um, this is my number four, okay, perfect. So, yeah, both of our number fours, I should say too.
Speaker 1:Going back to to um, the pop-up, ken and friends, I feel like in in my 30s here I've I've definitely stopped listening to like contemporary rap, and so I think that's and I, you know, talked a little bit about like there's some nostalgia baked into there, um, but I think it would just be really funny what what the drake and kendrick beef did for hip-hop music and kind of getting quote-unquote like old heads like me back into the genre would just be really funny if that was happening in other um music spaces. Like my favorite artist is probably lana del rey, right, now and if, like lana, just went after taylor swift or somebody?
Speaker 2:billy eilish or billy eilish.
Speaker 1:They're kind of the same sphere totally or lord or somebody just like decided to just throw down. I think that'd be so exciting. I like if glass animals just went after tame and paula or something like these other genres of music that I think I probably like more than hip-hop.
Speaker 1:Now that'd be really funny to see trinaticus going after fucking ludwig, or yeah, exactly exactly would be just really funny to see how society responded to that and and if people would even care the way they do when, when rappers go at each other.
Speaker 1:But I digress because we are talking about um trent, trent resner and atticus ross in large part here with challengers. I have this movie at three and then slipped to four, really by no fault of its own, and that's more to do with another movie that's still to come here on my list. But I think this movie is just. It's such a testament to how, how an exciting and talented filmmaker can continue to show you something new when you think you've seen it all. And now that can be in a sports film, because this is. This film is shot and edited in a way that not very many sports films are approached, and the action in this movie is fantastic and you can read all you want about how well it was, like Zendaya saying well, I very rarely hit an actual tennis ball. All that CGI, it doesn't matter because it looks great, it's not, you know, like you're watching the mighty ducks or whatever.
Speaker 1:And it's obviously a fake hockey puck flying through the air or something like that.
Speaker 1:Like this movie looks so good and so I feel like in the performances are obviously great. But I think what I've come to appreciate about this movie so much is just all the technical effort that went in to making it. Um, and then all the performances. They kind of just they're sublime in a way where, like I think they're actually probably going to be at the end of the year like underappreciated, because I think people will just continue to praise the craft so much, which is great. That's just.
Speaker 2:That's, uh, an indicator of a really well-rounded movie, I feel like, yeah, I think it's really special because it's a three-hander, but each of those characters get a really like awesome moment throughout the film, and I, I agree, I think the performances in this film are some of the best we've seen of the year, and you know whether it's Mike Foss in the in the sauna, that's the one that like really stands out to me. Um, when he's talking to Josh O'Connor's's character and you know talking about like oh I, I don't even think about you or you're, then why are you here?
Speaker 2:you know the performances are stellar, but also on the technical level, it is one of the best it could. It is the best sports movie of the 2020s. Uh, up to this point, right I, I can't even think of another sports movie of the 2020s. Uh, up to this point, right I, I can't even think of another sports movie, cause we don't even really make sports movies anymore.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Um, so to layer it, and I think it's also a really interesting examination of like sex in movies. Right Like I, I was having this conversation with someone the other day. Like you know, the tennis in challengers is a stand in for sex, because we don't show sex in movies anymore.
Speaker 1:Zendaya even has that line when she's talking to the boys at that first party after her, like juniors win or whatever, where she's talking about being locked in with her opponent and for that brief amount of time when you know that that person's operating on the same level as you. Like it euphoric?
Speaker 2:yeah, it's totally an allegory for sex totally, and so I, I think, also historically, we're going to look back at this movie and be like this was a weird, this was a weird time, yeah, when we were, we were shying away from that and I, I, I do hope, I, I think movies have always been a a good space to explore that, that side of humanity, and like I think we need to get back to being comfortable, you know, having sex in our movies. But I think this will be a really interesting piece of history to go back and watch, even just the Luca movies in general and under a microscope.
Speaker 1:Right they always approach sex in a very nuanced way. Yeah, which is so interesting, because all of his films, even suspiria, a lot of suspiria, has to do with sexuality. Yeah, yeah, um, so, challengers, I mean it's, it's right there.
Speaker 2:It's also probably in the best picture race, as, as we stand, I hope today, um I really I hope it didn't come out too early yeah, right you know what, if, what? If challengers was coming out in july like you, that would have been really exciting.
Speaker 1:It would have been. I do think it came out at the right time, though, because we needed it there at the beginning of the spring, that's true, um, but you're right, it does feel, perhaps, like it's maybe fallen out of favor just a little bit, but, but I but I mean so have some of the other films here on our list. Um, and even things that have come out within the last like month.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Um okay, so that was both of our number fours. I'll go to my number three then listen. Number three on my list, number one in my hearts, and we can save it right now.
Speaker 2:I have it at number two, yeah.
Speaker 1:Let's just wait then.
Speaker 2:Okay, uh, my number three, again a movie. I think that would have succeeded more if it had come out during the summer because, uh, and that is Alex Garland's civil war and, again, on a technical level, some of the best sound design I've ever heard in a movie as far as, like warfare sound of sound design I love. I love that we're dropped into this movie I, in the middle of this conflict. I love that there is no really like origin story of it or you know you have to pick a side or anything. It's told through the lens of journalists, so it's very objective.
Speaker 2:Um, I know it got into a lot of trouble with, like, the AI posters that it created or whatever as part of its marketing, but I really think Civil War is like one of the best made movies of the year so far and you know, again, the performances there. There there's a there's a little inconsistency throughout the movie with Kirsten Dunst's character and you know Alex Garland's kind of known for that with his female characters, and so you can, you got to go in with a little bit of grain of salt with that, um, if you want to nitpick, but watching this movie in theaters was still like one of the most like thrilling IMAX watches I've had in a really long time. Um, I can't wait for it to come on physical. It's definitely on the list to to own.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's, it's out there and it's the the 4k steel book which.
Speaker 2:I think I've shown you the cover for already sold out on Amazon.
Speaker 1:Amazing yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So again, I hope a movie that doesn't like fall to the wayside, uh, and you know it, maybe, and I I feel like, because it's so objective, it didn't like set the world on fire like people were saying it was going to um, so yeah, I just love, I love civil war. I can't wait to to fire it at home.
Speaker 1:A summer release would have been really interesting, and I'm just thinking now.
Speaker 2:imagine if this film would have came Fourth of.
Speaker 1:July, well, or even wait till the fall, when the presidential campaigns are really going. That would have been a very interesting time. And then maybe, even though it is a lot less divisive than I think people anticipated, the Nick Offerman character is not as flamboyant as you might expect for a president and something like this or in a film like this. I think even as the movie stands right now, had it come out, like you know, in the fall, people may have responded a little bit stronger to it. But still, maybe that's, maybe that's great.
Speaker 1:Maybe that was intentional because it did just kind of come out in a time in which you could consume it and hopefully I'm sure garland's intention was just to appreciate it for, like what you were saying, the lack of exposition, go into it and like just kind of, uh yeah, with the kirsten dunst and kaylee spaining characters it's, it's interesting. But like just kind of try to see yourself in in the role of somebody like this during one of these times. Because honestly, with all these, with all the action films that come out, whether it is a movie about warfare or not, it's usually kind of hard to try to see yourself in some of those characters. It's a lot easier in a movie like this to to about who would you be, how would you feel, how would you navigate this space. So I think that was probably easier to do with a spring release with this movie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, totally Okay. Well, now it's time for the first omen. Number three for me, number two for you. Yeah, I think this is one of those cases where I'm trying to uphold a little bit of critical integrity, journalistic integrity, whatever you want to call it. I haven't had as much fun watching a movie this year as I have had with the first omen. I haven't seen a movie more than I've seen the first omen. I think I've seen it four times now this year. I mean you're doing Satan's work.
Speaker 1:Just yeah, man talk about just talk about a banger of a film. This is it. This movie goes so hard.
Speaker 2:This is one of those movies that, like I, am so excited to like show people.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Uh, you know, I went over to our friend Andy's house a couple of weeks ago and because they wanted to do a movie night and it was just no question, I was like first omen that's what we're watching because they were like what's what's been good this year? You need to experience first omen. You need to experience our, our girl, uh, tiger getting out of the car free. Yeah, oh, dude that scene getting out of the car and doing the shakes that feels that scene feels like there's something else happening.
Speaker 2:It feels like it should be. It feels like it's cgi, but it's not. I know, I know it's remarkable yeah it's. It's just an amazing, a great, great film and it's so good like especially watching it with people who haven't seen it, like you know the turn or the twist.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know is hidden well enough. The hand, the devil's hand, birthing scene In broad daylight Is way more graphic than I remember, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's not something you see just once either. I love that's one of my favorite thing about the imagery in this movie, where it's subtle but also there was so much intentionality in the directing to where like, and of course, every single frame of every single movie has intention behind it. But this movie really feels like they are just using every single inch of the screen. Yeah, where, like when I re-watched it I think it was my third time was really when I was like okay, I, I'm past the comprehension stage. I understand the twist, the I know what to look for in a sense. But also I can really just start to appreciate all these little moments, like when she's first back in the flat with her roommate and there are just like long holds where the corners of the room are dark and she's seeing things.
Speaker 1:There's no music cues though for a jump scare or anything like that, and it is just so unnerving like this movie really starts to turn up. This goes from like I mean, it has a great great start right, great cold open here, with the priests, um two great actors too, right on screen right away. So it sucks you in with charles dance and ralph einstein, but then it it just kind of like holds at like a low, medium for a minute and then probably about like the 40 minute mark. We are way past like medium high and cooking and I love that about this movie is the pacing I think is about as good as you can do in a horror film, and I know that we both buck on the last like two minutes of the movie the last like minute, and it's so dumb, dumb, but it's honestly one of these.
Speaker 1:I find it like a little more endearing now because I'm just kind of like oh, you thought you had to do this you didn't have to do this, like you had us.
Speaker 2:You know um, but it is you had me a jackal.
Speaker 1:Yes, you had me at the fleshy sack, um in the music. So yeah, I don't know this it's. It's kind of a perfect movie like it's. I know youhy sack in the music. So yeah, I don't know, it's kind of a perfect movie Like it's. I know you put that in your most recent review too, where you were just like I kind of can't find anything wrong with this movie, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think one of my favorite screens or frames of this film and it's such like a like obvious thing, but I I didn't really notice it until the second watch is when, I think, after a lot of like the uh turmoil and conflict has happened, she goes to the, the church altar or whatever and she's praying oh, dude, I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:And we pull out yep and like she's in the mouth of the devil yes, with the candles it's absolutely brilliant because when you first see it, when you first see it you're just like, oh wow, look at all those candles, what, what a what a cool set. But then, like on multiple watches, you're just like, oh my god, that's a face, those are teeth, they're the eyes, like. And you see that face, I believe, on like one of the floor paintings in somebody's room or one of the rooms that you're walking around in.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, it's just that's the attention to detail that I've just come to love about this movie is that it not only operates so well as a horror film but it's it's a really really. So it takes place 1971, rome, and it is such a good period piece and it's really like it's, it's ambitious in its attempt to be a period piece as well. It's not like I mean the movie that it gets compared to. A lot is immaculate and I've seen some R lists that have immaculate above it, others that have first omen in front of immaculate.
Speaker 1:I think it's first omen all the way Is immaculate modern. I think it's first omen all the way Is immaculate modern times. It's modern times, yeah, but in a way that, like you wouldn't necessarily have to make it be, because that's such a confined story where you don't really leave the church in the Montessori that they are at, whereas that would have been easy to do here. Set it in 1971. And basically you just like take away technology and you call it good or whatever. But there are times like when, um, when you first land in Italy and there's this huge sweeping shot of the airport and we're leaving and all the cars and everything like that, just incredible production design.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the costume scene when we go out dancing it's remarkable.
Speaker 1:There's scenes on the streets and then a scene that, like, is so good that I'm so happy they put into the film so that it wasn't just like we're just going to do this once or whatever to try to set you in. But then when, like, the field trip goes back out into the city to the museum and the protesters have their huge demonstration and there's, like you know, nell Tiger free is starting to to like she's hallucinating these tentacles wrapping around her, um, and in these visions and it's smoky because of, like, the grenades that are going off and everything like that, it's, it's, it seems like that where I'm like this is just such a flex right now like the art direction, everything the vision is so good.
Speaker 1:I know we've been praising this movie a lot and this is like this is my big call to action for this, for this podcast. If you haven't seen it, even if you don't like horror films, like, just fire this up. Yeah, it's so good. And it's so good because it actually is scary. Like I understand if you don't like scary movies, but everybody has a scary movie that they like. This could be one of those for you. Yeah, like this is a movie that you don't need to know the backstory, really, of the other Omen films, because it predates all of those. Just go into it, expect a wild. Like this movie. And again here, though, like full disclaimer, this movie was almost rated in C-17. Like, this movie has some wild imagery in it. This movie was almost rated NC 17. Like, this movie has some wild imagery in it. Like, if you want a scary movie, if you want to see how to do a horror film right in 2024, this is this is the one for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and nothing gets taken away by watching it on a TV screen either, like it's still totally works. Yeah, plays really well. Yeah, okay, so that was your number two two.
Speaker 1:It was my number three.
Speaker 1:My number two is dune, which I wouldn't be surprised if that's your number one. That is my number one, I mean again, one that we've talked about a lot a ton. It's really easy to re-watch. Um, it's kind of one that I just put on. You know, it's streaming on max, so it's really fun to have on the. The quotability of this film, I feel like, far exceeds the first one, and that's maybe one of my favorite things about it, is that, like, as you're watching it, there's a bunch of different moments and little like vignettes within the film that you can start to look forward to, not so much because, like, oh, this is a big action set piece or whatever, but just the different interactions with the characters, like Javier Bardem.
Speaker 2:Javier has become that character has become a meme.
Speaker 1:A hundred percent.
Speaker 2:I'm in a group text, uh about you know, we're going on a boy's trip, and someone said something about, like you know, cause we're going to Arizona, it's going to be hot out and it's like I'm just going to wear, you know, a big cloak to cover myself and like, immediately someone says, sends a picture of Javier in this movie. Like he is the one, yeah, as it's written.
Speaker 1:So so so I love it for that. I also love what it's just done, for there's been a lot. It's been interesting. I know you've seen the same videos. We've been sent this video, I think, like in a group chat before, um, but kind of how once upon a time in hollywood nabbed like sydney, sweeney, austin.
Speaker 1:Butler, all these superstars, margaret Qualley, early in their career, and you look at that film and you're like, wow, yeah, of course it's always going to be remembered for Margot Robbie and Leo and Brad Pitt and everything like that. But you look at the young talent and the film. All these people are superstars already. But I still think that in five or 10 more years, when you look back at the cast of Dune 2, you want to talk about like an Avengers movie that isn't a superhero film. Yeah, this is going to be like blowing people's minds that you had Zendaya and Florence Pugh and Timothee Chalamet and Austin Butler and Léa Seydoux all in the same film. Yeah, yeah, that's very true.
Speaker 2:And but then also, like josh roland, all the veterans christopher walken, yep.
Speaker 2:Javier bardem yeah, rebecca ferguson, charlotte rampling, charlotte rampling, yeah, yeah, listen, I don't know if anything's going to come to the scale of what dune dune 2 has been this year and like again, again on the technical side of things, like it's just a remarkable piece of film to especially to experience in an imax or any theater, any huge screen like it is. Like denny is just such a master of creating the world and enveloping you in it and uh, I, I, I, I want something to to challenge it in my number one spot, but I just it's such a thoroughbred right.
Speaker 2:I just don't know, yeah, I just don't know what will.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and and I can't imagine, even if something like long legs, which hopefully does the same thing on a different level, um to me, comes along and and is thought of. Um, you know personally, is like a four and a half or a five star film. The scale and the scope and the accomplishment to pull off something like dune part two is still always going to put it above anything else, like it's in in. It's interesting, because I know that so many people felt that way about oppenheimer last year. Yeah, and it's, I think, why that movie ended up being the favorite over something like barbie or killers of the flower, moon or anything else that came out last year.
Speaker 1:Just because of the accomplishment to to pull off movie Dune part two. And this will always be like, well, looking back at this decade, this will probably be one of the greatest like unanswered questions, like fun things to play with, and we've mentioned it before. But like, had those two films come out in the same year Oppenheimer and Dune part two how would the Academy, how would critics, how would people have stacked them up against each other? Because everything about Dune part two just feels bigger than that movie. Like you said, I think it's, it's just going to be bigger than anything else that we see this year, um, aside from twisters, of course. But it's just, it's gonna be really, really hard to beat.
Speaker 1:It really is twisters, man, I just can't wait for that eight hour pod um, okay, and then the movie that's just held, uh, at the top of my list all year long is the taste of things yeah and this movie is just I. I'm, I feel, another rewatch coming up here, because now it's summertime, I'm in the house a lot.
Speaker 1:I'm cooking three square meals a day, it feels great, not to like just miss lunch six out of seven days a week, Um, cause I'm working through it, but like to be in the kitchen, to be cooking, to have the windows open, sun's flooding in. I mean, you know what time I was up this morning like sun is just pouring in through the house at all hours of the day right now.
Speaker 1:This is the perfect movie for that. Um. I saw a couple other friends review this movie on letterbox recently. They, they, they saw and, most importantly, heard the same things that I heard. That, like this movie puts you not only like in the kitchen, but in the saucepan. It puts you in the pantry. Just like the sounds of this movie, the visuals of things being cooked. It's so remarkable. Juliet binoche she could be a sneaky, but again, now see, this is where this is tough to talk about.
Speaker 1:This is a 2024 movie, because this movie was released in competition for all the awards last year. 2023, yeah, um, but we just didn't get it as an american release until this year. So that's why it's still on my list for this year, but like I don't know in what world, she's not nominated for best actress in this movie. It's just kind of like, besides me, um, because this is a movie that certainly has had its small moment and it's probably just gone. Now, um, at the end of the year, depending on how you know, different uh, critics create their list, it might have another little resurgence when people like, oh, what is this movie. Like I thought this was a release from last year. However, like I thought this was a release from last year, however it gets interpreted, so it's not totally dead and buried.
Speaker 1:I still want to sing its praises because I just think it's one of the most. It's an enjoyable movie. It's also a sad movie, but it's just kind of one of the best, like romantic, adult, romantic love stories, a movie about people's passions. It's just really effective, like on there. And that's kind of the only reason why I have it above dune right now, because, even though the scale and the scope of dune is so great, I feel like, you know, in another world, in another league, in another sport. This movie is doing. It's doing as much as dune is doing, but just like on this estate in france, as opposed to on another planet in outer space.
Speaker 1:You know um so the taste of things is, I I still think, probably the most effective movie that I've seen, from an objective standpoint standpoint as far as like connecting with me emotionally, like the first omen, the most fun that I've had and, I think, the movie that will endure the longest and that I will watch the most from this year dune part two, the best spectacle, the best quote-unquote movie, going experience that I've had this year. But the taste of things, just like, as far as emotionally resonating with me, it's number one right now.
Speaker 2:So there's that thank you, sir um all right.
Speaker 1:We already talked about most of our honorable mentions. Anything else you want to get out there, though I don't have too many more. I'm glad you brought up civil war. I'm glad that was still in your top five, because it's eight for me. I have furiosa at seven, immaculate at six, hitman's right outside the, or it's right at ten.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've got Hitman at nine. You know I can't remember if I talked about the Dead. Don't Hurt, that's a just a straightforward old school western, you know, written and directed by Viggo Mortensen. He also stars in the movie. He also scored the movie. So it's a big passion project for him. By Viggo Mortensen. He also stars in the movie. He also scored the movie. Um, so it's a big passion passion project for him.
Speaker 2:Uh, but, and I guess when I say old fashioned Western, like, it is just very, it is very much a a American Western movie, but it does kind of subvert the Western tropes a bit, um, and I really enjoyed watching that, uh, in theaters. It does kind of subvert the Western tropes a bit and I really enjoyed watching that in theaters. It was great. It was part of a double feature day with In a Violent Nature, which was a really interesting day. But yeah, it's just a great slow burn of a Western and please go again. On the technical level and on the art direction level it's fantastic and Vigo does such a good job at paying attention to detail and making you feel like it is a tactical, physical world that you're watching. Um, so yeah, I would recommend go go check that out.
Speaker 1:Hopefully that's the reputation that 2024 has in a couple of years. Is that, like, this is the year of? Not that there weren't passion projects last year right, because Killers of the Flower, moon, barbie, all those grand movies were, of course, passion projects but this, I feel like, is like the mid-major year for that kind of thing, where these are like if you want to equate it to like college basketball or whatever. This is the year where you get a lot of like 12 seeds that make a lot of noise and have a sweet 16 run.
Speaker 2:Well, I think it's also really interesting that, like a ton of these movies are period pieces, right, like a ton of these movies are are not set in our modern day day, and that I I think that um obsession with trying to reach back in the time machine and make those worlds come alive, it really gives these movies something extra, because everything these days in in our modern world, everything feels so fake and, yeah, you know, performed, whereas a lot of these movies and I think I've said a thousand times on this episode that like just the physicality and the tactical sense of the attention to detail in the art direction and the set direction, um it just gives you something else to appreciate as an audience member.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it just gives you a little something extra to chew on for sure, yeah, well, we're about to get that in a big way.
Speaker 1:Um, so that does it for us this week. Join us next week as we celebrate the new Epic Western horizon colon, an American saga dash, chapter one. Yes, that's all one movie, mr Kevin Costner, the legend himself, kevin.
Speaker 2:Costner.
Speaker 1:He's. I feel like this has been a long time coming right. This is probably everything from. You can say that everything he did in the eighties and the nineties then led into him wanting to make a show like yellowstone with taylor sheridan and driving that to end up being like one of the most successful television shows of the 21st century, and then everything he's then learned from that experience is now translating into what he hopes to be a four-part horror movies yeah, four film franchise insane.
Speaker 1:Um. So we're going to talk about that, that first film, chapter one of horizon, an american saga, and then we will also do a costner batting lineup, which will give us a chance to talk about some of our favorite kevin costner movies. You've slowly been collecting the library preparing to do the work. There's a lot of good stuff in there.
Speaker 1:There's also a lot of long movies he does, he does like a long movie and he's all over the board. I don't, you know you probably know better than I do right now, but I think he's probably stayed away from like the horror genre and science fiction to a certain degree, because of course there's things like water world, water world, the postman.
Speaker 2:I mean he, it's really weird Cause he like he's kind of a weird dude right, he does feel the dreams and dances with wolves, and then he's like now I want to make what the world would look like in a post-apocalyptic sense If we were covered in water or if there was no water or.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know, I'm gonna go make uh, he does dabble in fucking horror too with mr brooks, where he's like, yeah, now I'm gonna be a serial killer he's.
Speaker 2:He is all over the board, he, but at one time he was the most bankable star in Hollywood. Easily.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Uh, so, and and also like kind of a weird, he's like one of these, you know, he's kind of he wanted to be Robert Redford, right, like he was this big actor, huge star, and then he really wanted to also be a filmmaker.
Speaker 2:Um, and you know Bradley Cooper's doing that right now, right, ooh, that's a really good comp. So yeah, it's going to be really interesting to really dive into these movies. I mean I love the Untouchables. The Untouchables is fantastic and I think when he is in someone else's hands, I think he can be used really, really effectively in something like Field of Dreams or the Untouchables. Then when he gets full control, you get stuff like Dances with Wolves, waterworld, the Postman. I mean those are all Kevin Costner productions. So it's going to be really interesting to see American Saga or Horizon Chapter 8.
Speaker 1:I'm excited. One of the better trailers that I'm excited. One of the better trailers that I've seen one of the better trailers that I've watched now, granted, I don't watch a lot of trailers, but Ooh, that's a, that's a heater.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and listen. If anyone's trying to keep the Western alive, oh yeah, it's this man, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I'm just excited because I get an opportunity to clear out and talk about the upside of anger for five minutes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, that's another weird left turn he took.
Speaker 1:Yep, Just like an R-rated rom-com that kind of nobody cared about. But that he's so good.
Speaker 2:He's so good at that.
Speaker 1:It's the same with Joan Allen. Shout out Joan Allen. Okay. So in the meantime, follow Excuse the Intermission on Instagram and the two of us on Letterboxd to track what we're watching between shows. Go into work tomorrow. Put in some PTO for July 11th. Come down to see us at Edison Square.
Speaker 2:Yes, please come join us. It's going to be such a fun time. We're going to be in the red chairs.
Speaker 1:Bringing the studio to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're going to be on stage, we're going to be taking audience. Uh, you know, there you get to write your Mount Rushmore, your top four letterbox. We'll analyze it and we will look at it. We will make fun of you, we will also praise you.
Speaker 1:Might give you my job. Shit Depend on what your four movies are Absolutely Heck you might be more qualified than us, probably. Probably. Um, I just talked about the upside of anger, sheesh. Um, all right, so that that's gonna be really fun, and so we'll next week. We will talk to you next time on eti, where movies still matter.