Tag: 2000’s

Aug 01 2019

Episode 135 – Chicago

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ChicagoBill Condon writes the screenplay for this Best Picture winning musical, Chicago! In this debut film for director Rob Marshall, he finds a way to make a musical work for a modern film audience. It doesn’t hurt that Catherine Zeta Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Richard Gere (also John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah) kill their respective roles. We have a new guest as Alexis Callen joins us to talk about the film! She has great insights! Enjoy!

Up next, another Oscar winner, Amadeus!

Chicago (2002)
Chicago poster Rating: 7.2/10 (251,491 votes)
Director: Rob Marshall
Writer: Bill Condon, Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb
Stars: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
Runtime: 113 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Musical
Released: 24 Jan 2003
Plot: Two death-row murderesses develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity, celebrity, and a sleazy lawyer's attention.

Sep 15 2018

Episode 120 – The Producers (2005)

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The Producers (2005)Having just watched The Producers (1967) by Mel Brooks, we follow up by watching The Producers (2005) by Mel Brooks! This musical adaptation of the original film that was not quite a musical once again features “Springtime for Hitler” but it also has a whole lot of other songs along with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, who reprise their roles from the Broadway production. For this episode, Melissa is our noob who has never seen the film before and Barb Lind acts as our expert while Tim misses his first Reel Education podcast!

Next up, we will continue to delve into the Mel Brooks Filmography with Blazing Saddles!

The Producers (2005)
The Producers poster Rating: 6.3/10 (45,365 votes)
Director: Susan Stroman
Writer: Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan
Stars: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman
Runtime: 134 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Musical
Released: 25 Dec 2005
Plot: After putting together another Broadway flop, down-on-his-luck producer Max Bialystock teams up with timid accountant Leo Bloom in a get-rich-quick scheme to put on the world's worst show.

Jul 16 2018

Episode 116 – Ocean’s Eleven

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Ocean's ElevenThis week, we are joined by Heather Rand-McKay to watch Ocean’s Eleven (2001)! But she isn’t our only special guest. Patricia Wick joins us in the movie expert chair! We do take some time to talk about the original Ocean’s 11 (1960) and do our best to discourage anyone who wishes to watch the movie because it is super boring. You might like it, though. We know a few people who do. Maybe that’s you. We watched this version because we like movies that are fun to watch. Go Las Vegas!

Next up, we are going to watch Jurassic Park!

Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Eleven poster Rating: 7.7/10 (658,059 votes)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: George Clayton Johnson, Jack Golden Russell, Harry Brown
Stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts
Runtime: 116 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Released: 07 Dec 2001
Plot: Danny Ocean, a gangster, rounds up a gang of associates to stage a sophisticated and elaborate casino heist which involves robbing three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously during a popular boxing event.

Sep 15 2017

Episode 100 – The Matador

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The MatadorHey there!  We said our 100th episode was going to be Star Wars but it isn’t.  That’s a long story and we’ll tell it to you someday.  Instead, we are joined by Barb Lind to watch The Matador featuring Pierce Brosnan!  Brosnan took on this role shortly after his final Bond film and it is a nearly perfect deconstruction of the Bond persona.  The film also features Greg Kinnear as a perfect foil for Brosnan’s foul mouthed assassin.  The soundtrack is also pretty fantastic.  So we’re sorry about Star Wars but we hope you watch this film because it is delightful!

Next up, we will be watching Casino Royale!

The Matador (2005)
The Matador poster Rating: 6.7/10 (46,974 votes)
Director: Richard Shepard
Writer: Richard Shepard
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis
Runtime: 96 min
Rated: R
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Released: 27 Jan 2006
Plot: A globetrotting hitman and a crestfallen businessman meet in a hotel bar in Mexico City in an encounter that draws them together in a way neither expected.

Aug 01 2017

Episode 98 – Hot Fuzz

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Hot FuzzThis episode, we are following Timothy Dalton from James Bond to the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg comedy Hot Fuzz!  Bob Alberti joins us as our unsuspecting victim.  While he has co-written a play that features a character obsessed with Hot Fuzz, he has, until now, never seen it!  The film is a clever parody and homage to buddy cop movies that is delightfully over the top.  Timothy Dalton seems to be loving his role in this film and the film is packed with many well known British character actors.  You should definitely watch the movie before you listen!

Next up, we will return to James Bond as Pierce Brosnan gets his chance in Goldeneye!

Hot Fuzz (2007)
Hot Fuzz poster Rating: 7.8/10 (557,168 votes)
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg
Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman
Runtime: 121 min
Rated: R
Genre: Action, Comedy, Mystery
Released: 20 Apr 2007
Plot: An overachieving London police sergeant is transferred to a village where the easygoing officers object to his fervor for regulations, all while a string of grisly murders strikes the town.

Jan 02 2017

Episode 84 – Josie and the Pussycats

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Josie and the PussycatsIt is a new year and we celebrate with a ridiculous movie that may not be great but is way better than it had any right to be.  Kelvin Hatle joins us to watch Josie and the Pussycats, a subversive comedy about product placement and corporate greed. It is also exceptionally silly and features an absolutely amazing performance by Parker Posey.  You have probably never watched this movie and while it is surprisingly dated for a film only fifteen years old, it is still a lot better than anyone could have expected.

Our next film will be an entirely different experience as we watch La Dolce Vita!

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Josie and the Pussycats poster Rating: 5.7/10 (26,253 votes)
Director: Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan
Writer: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, Richard Goldwater
Stars: Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson
Runtime: 98 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 11 Apr 2001
Plot: A girl group find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy to deliver subliminal messages through popular music.

May 01 2016

Episode 69 – Grizzly Man

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Grizzly ManIt is time to dive into the works of Werner Herzog with the documentary film Grizzly Man!  Herzog tells the story of naturalist Timothy Treadwell who researched grizzly bears up until one of them decided he looked like a tasty morsel.  Using mostly Treadwell’s old footage, the film is less about his death than it is about the effect his obsession had on himself and those around him.  Pat Wick joins us as stunt Jena even though she has seen the film and Tim has not!

Since we watched one film by Herzog, how about another?  Our next film will be Fitzcarraldo!

Grizzly Man (2005)
Grizzly Man poster Rating: 7.8/10 (63,632 votes)
Director: Werner Herzog
Writer: Werner Herzog
Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog
Runtime: 103 min
Rated: R
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Released: 30 Sep 2005
Plot: A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.

Apr 01 2015

Episode 44 – Persepolis

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PersepolisThis episode, we managed to find another animated film Jena hasn’t seen, which is quite the challenge!  In addition to being only our second animated film, it is also our second foreign language film.  We watched “Persepolis,” which is a phenomenal film about growing up in post revolutionary Iran.  If you are feeling particularly ambitious, we would suggest that this film pairs quite nicely with Argo.

Our next episode will be about the winner of the 2015 Academy Award for Best Picture: Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)!

Persepolis (2007)
Persepolis poster Rating: 8.0/10 (102,920 votes)
Director: Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
Writer: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
Stars: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands
Runtime: 96 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Animation, Biography, Drama
Released: 22 Feb 2008
Plot: A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution.

Nov 01 2014

Episode 34 – A Mighty Wind

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A Mighty WindIn our last episode, we watched a documentary.  This episode, we watched a mockumentary!  We showed Jena a film by a group of gifted comedians who have sort of mastered the genre.  A Mighty Wind is a fabulously funny film about folk music. Created by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, it has a smart approach to the topic and even manages to be poignant every now and again.  It’s one of Tim’s favorite movies.  We hope it will be one of yours as well!

Our next episode will be about The Maltese Falcon!

A Mighty Wind (2003)
A Mighty Wind poster Rating: 7.2/10 (29,900 votes)
Director: Christopher Guest
Writer: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy
Stars: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean
Runtime: 91 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 09 May 2003
Plot: Mockumentary captures the reunion of 1960s folk trio the Folksmen as they prepare for a show at The Town Hall to memorialize a recently deceased concert promoter.

Oct 15 2014

Episode 33 – Man on Wire

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Man on WireFor this episode, we took a look at a genre that has, as yet been untouched by our podcast – the documentary!  We chose the 2009 Oscar winner, Man on Wire. The movie tells the story of one amazing stunt and at the same time, it tells the story of two buildings.  We talk about this film as well as the genre of documentaries in general. The film is streaming on Netflix so we highly recommend checking it out.

Our next episode will be about A Mighty Wind!

Man on Wire (2008)
Man on Wire poster Rating: 7.7/10 (59,935 votes)
Director: James Marsh
Writer: Philippe Petit
Stars: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau
Runtime: 94 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Crime
Released: 29 Aug 2008
Plot: A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".