Using technology to get a second chance at life is one of the  great themes of sci fi, from Frankenstein to Charly to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But sometimes it's the movies themselves that need a second chance!  Tonight we take a look at two films that came with great pedigrees, but somehow failed to find their audience, and ask if they deserve another shot!  First up is George Segal in Micchael Chrichton's The Terminal Man, followed by Matt Damon in Alexander Payne's Downsizing!

Using technology to get a second chance at life is one of the  great themes of sci fi, from Frankenstein to Charly to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But sometimes it's the movies themselves that need a second chance!  Tonight we take a look at two films that came with great pedigrees, but somehow failed to find their audience, and ask if they deserve another shot!  First up is George Segal in Micchael Chrichton's The Terminal Man, followed by Matt Damon in Alexander Payne's Downsizing!

Episode 096: Downsizing & The Terminal Man

Butch Cassidy

Robert Redford and Paul Newman were at the absolute peak of their charms when they teamed up with George Roy Hill for both of the films in tonight's double feature! First up, the duo play out the last days of a profitable friendship in Butch Cassidy &amp; the Sundance Kid, often considered one of the best films of the period, and one of the greatest westerns ever made - then we follow up with the lighter and slighter caper picture The Sting, where they plan a crazy con against a hilariously frustrated Robert Shaw!

Robert Redford and Paul Newman were at the absolute peak of their charms when they teamed up with George Roy Hill for both of the films in tonight's double feature! First up, the duo play out the last days of a profitable friendship in Butch Cassidy &amp; the Sundance Kid, often considered one of the best films of the period, and one of the greatest westerns ever made - then we follow up with the lighter and slighter caper picture The Sting, where they plan a crazy con against a hilariously frustrated Robert Shaw!

Episode 095: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid & The Sting

From infinitely quote-able comedies like The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona to deep character pieces like Inside Llewyn Davis and A Serious Man, the sheer number of classics in the The Coen Brothers' filmography is almost unmatched in American cinema, with barely a single miss in a run of eighteen films.  But even among that incredible list, tonight's films stand out!  First up, a page-boy-haircut-madman hunts Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men, then the unflappable Marge Gunderson solves crimes and eats Arby's in Fargo!

From infinitely quote-able comedies like The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona to deep character pieces like Inside Llewyn Davis and A Serious Man, the sheer number of classics in the The Coen Brothers' filmography is almost unmatched in American cinema, with barely a single miss in a run of eighteen films.  But even among that incredible list, tonight's films stand out!  First up, a page-boy-haircut-madman hunts Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men, then the unflappable Marge Gunderson solves crimes and eats Arby's in Fargo!

Episode 094: Fargo & No Country for Old Men

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are the heaviest of heavy-hitters in Hollywood history, each changing both the nature of the business and the global culture of film multiple times in their storied careers - but the first movies that they made for the studio system were nothing like the blockbusters with which their names became synonymous! Tonight MG takes on a double feature of Spielberg's Sugarland Express with Goldie Hawn from 1974, and Lucas' Boomer-defining landmark American Graffiti from 1973!

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are the heaviest of heavy-hitters in Hollywood history, each changing both the nature of the business and the global culture of film multiple times in their storied careers - but the first movies that they made for the studio system were nothing like the blockbusters with which their names became synonymous! Tonight MG takes on a double feature of Spielberg's Sugarland Express with Goldie Hawn from 1974, and Lucas' Boomer-defining landmark American Graffiti from 1973!

Episode 093: Sugarland Express & American Graffiti

Tonight MG kicks off its series on Originals vs Remakes! Our first matchup: 1997's brutally bleak crime masterpiece Insomnia, starring a sleezy Stellan Skarsgård as a detective who might be worse than the murderer he's chasing down - going up against Christopher Nolan's 2002 stylish remake of the same name! The first is a scrappy, sleek, small-scale Norwegian thriller, and the second is - predictably - a big budget, star-studded Hollywood affair. Tune in and find out if Nolan's follow-up to Memento keeps us up late, or puts us to sleep!

Tonight MG kicks off its series on Originals vs Remakes! Our first matchup: 1997's brutally bleak crime masterpiece Insomnia, starring a sleezy Stellan Skarsgård as a detective who might be worse than the murderer he's chasing down - going up against Christopher Nolan's 2002 stylish remake of the same name! The first is a scrappy, sleek, small-scale Norwegian thriller, and the second is - predictably - a big budget, star-studded Hollywood affair. Tune in and find out if Nolan's follow-up to Memento keeps us up late, or puts us to sleep!

Episode 092: Insomnia (1997) & Insomnia (2002)

It's Chris and Thron's birthdays this week, so for tonight's double feature, they've each picked a film that has, like them, aged inexplicably well! First up, Chris brings us Sergio Leone 's epic reinvention of a classic genre: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Followed by Thron's choice: Michael Mann's feature-length paean to Colin Farrell 's glorious mustache: Miami Vice 2006! So mix up those mojitos, don those sarapes, and join us for a truly Giant celebration!

It's Chris and Thron's birthdays this week, so for tonight's double feature, they've each picked a film that has, like them, aged inexplicably well! First up, Chris brings us Sergio Leone 's epic reinvention of a classic genre: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Followed by Thron's choice: Michael Mann's feature-length paean to Colin Farrell 's glorious mustache: Miami Vice 2006! So mix up those mojitos, don those sarapes, and join us for a truly Giant celebration!

Episode 091: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly & Miami Vice

Tonight MG takes on the first two films by indie director Kogonada - and while they couldn't be more different in terms of subject matter - one set in modern-day Indiana, the other set in a futuristic world and dealing with artificial intelligence - they are equally thoughtful, unusual stories.  First up is Columbus, set in that unlikely architectural Mecca of the midwest, and stars John Cho in a career-best performance as a man dealing with his father's impending death. Next, we have After Yang, in which Colin Farrell wrestles with the meaning of memory in a beautifully sci-fi way!

Tonight MG takes on the first two films by indie director Kogonada - and while they couldn't be more different in terms of subject matter - one set in modern-day Indiana, the other set in a futuristic world and dealing with artificial intelligence - they are equally thoughtful, unusual stories.  First up is Columbus, set in that unlikely architectural Mecca of the midwest, and stars John Cho in a career-best performance as a man dealing with his father's impending death. Next, we have After Yang, in which Colin Farrell wrestles with the meaning of memory in a beautifully sci-fi way!

Episode 090: Columbus & After Yang

Tonight MG takes on a double feature based on two John Irving books, and the results couldn't be more different! First up, things start off beautifully weird with Robin Williams' dramatic breakout The World According to Garp, featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by John Lithgow - but then crash and burn as Rob Lowe and Jodie Foster do their damndest to save the tone-deaf mess of The Hotel New Hampshire!  What went wrong?  Join us as we talk about the difficulties of adaptation, and the risks of too much Wallace Shawn!

Tonight MG takes on a double feature based on two John Irving books, and the results couldn't be more different! First up, things start off beautifully weird with Robin Williams' dramatic breakout The World According to Garp, featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by John Lithgow - but then crash and burn as Rob Lowe and Jodie Foster do their damndest to save the tone-deaf mess of The Hotel New Hampshire!  What went wrong?  Join us as we talk about the difficulties of adaptation, and the risks of too much Wallace Shawn!

Episode 089: The World According to Garp & Hotel New Hampshire

The late, great Douglas Trumbull was known primarily for his groundbreaking visual effects work in films like 2001, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Blade Runner - but he was a visionary director as well, and though he only made a couple of films, their striking imagery and heartfelt messages have become a formative part of many young science fiction fans' lives - especially ours here at MG! Join us tonight as we take a look at his first effort, the cli-fi classic Silent Running, starring Bruce Dern as a spacebound eco-terrorist!

The late, great Douglas Trumbull was known primarily for his groundbreaking visual effects work in films like 2001, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Blade Runner - but he was a visionary director as well, and though he only made a couple of films, their striking imagery and heartfelt messages have become a formative part of many young science fiction fans' lives - especially ours here at MG! Join us tonight as we take a look at his first effort, the cli-fi classic Silent Running, starring Bruce Dern as a spacebound eco-terrorist!

Episode 088: Silent Running

There are few directors like Yorgos Lanthimos, whose strange blend of icy realism and cringe worthy comedy has the power to make the mundane seem nightmarish, and nightmarish things seem horrifyingly mundane...and tonight MG dives into two of his most effective and upsetting works, each starring the director's most put-upon muse, Colin Farrell!  First up, Farrell explains why, if he can't find love, he'd prefer to be The Lobster - and if that's not freaky enough, it's time to get out your blindfolds and load your rifles for The Killing of a Sacred Deer!

There are few directors like Yorgos Lanthimos, whose strange blend of icy realism and cringe worthy comedy has the power to make the mundane seem nightmarish, and nightmarish things seem horrifyingly mundane...and tonight MG dives into two of his most effective and upsetting works, each starring the director's most put-upon muse, Colin Farrell!  First up, Farrell explains why, if he can't find love, he'd prefer to be The Lobster - and if that's not freaky enough, it's time to get out your blindfolds and load your rifles for The Killing of a Sacred Deer!

Episode 087: The Lobster & The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Martini Giant loves movies like you love movies.  Three industry professionals, Chris Nichols, Daniel Thron, and Erick Schilele gather biweekly to talk obsessively about their favorite films, share insider stories on moviemaking, and drink some mighty fine cocktails.  In this podcast, there's no kind of film we don't love, and everything is on the table from Infinity War and A Star is Born to Alphaville and Eraserhead.  So if you like your opinions served up as strong as your drinks, then sidle up to the bar, my friend, and enjoy the expertly mixed, lovingly crafted hot takes of Martini Giant.

After listening to an MG episode, I love to revisit (or visit) these awesome (or terrible) films, and celebrate/cringe/appreciate/understand at a new level.  Also check out Chris’ other podcast, CG Garage - also excellent!

Exceptional Long-Form Movie Podcast

The best movie critique podcast and my favorite podcast. Period. Chris, Dan and Erick have perfect chemistry. It’s like watching Frasier, just better. And if you like this, chances are you will also like Chris’s other podcast, CGGarage.

Unique

Martini Giant

Martini Giant looks at the prescient work of filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, who’s amazing first feature District 9 is arguably even more relevant today than it was upon its release. He also directed a sexy Matt Damon as a robo-powered blue-collar worker in Elysium and a sexy Hugh Jackman as an white-collar engineer in Chappie. In addition, listeners might want to Google his YouTube hits Tetra Vaal and Alive in Joburg, as well as the spectacularly inventive collected shorts of Blomkamp’s Oats Studios, which star Sigourney Weaver and Dakota Fanning in excellently badass roles. Also of note: Thron offers a lengthy mia culpa about being such a dick about Elysium on Facebook.

Martini Giant looks at the prescient work of filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, who’s amazing first feature District 9 is arguably even more relevant today than it was upon its release. He also directed a sexy Matt Damon as a robo-powered blue-collar worker in Elysium and a sexy Hugh Jackman as an white-collar engineer in Chappie. In addition, listeners might want to Google his YouTube hits Tetra Vaal and Alive in Joburg, as well as the spectacularly inventive collected shorts of Blomkamp’s Oats Studios, which star Sigourney Weaver and Dakota Fanning in excellently badass roles. Also of note: Thron offers a lengthy mia culpa about being such a dick about Elysium on Facebook.

Episode 004: Niell Blomkamp films

Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to controversy, and his new film - the nostalgic and star-packed time-machine that is Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood is no exception. Taking on the terrifying Manson murders, the movie casts a fantastic spell that starts off as an easy-going buddy comedy, but slowly descends into darker territory, bringing the director's trademark ultra violence along with it. The historical twist undoubtedly adds extra impact -- but was it too much? Did Tarantino cross the line, or does he hit new heights? MG is dramatically split on this one - and the result is one of the spiciest, most exciting episodes we've ever recorded!

Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to controversy, and his new film - the nostalgic and star-packed time-machine that is Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood is no exception. Taking on the terrifying Manson murders, the movie casts a fantastic spell that starts off as an easy-going buddy comedy, but slowly descends into darker territory, bringing the director's trademark ultra violence along with it. The historical twist undoubtedly adds extra impact -- but was it too much? Did Tarantino cross the line, or does he hit new heights? MG is dramatically split on this one - and the result is one of the spiciest, most exciting episodes we've ever recorded!

Episode 019: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

In 1982, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" auteur Tobe Hooper had the biggest hit of his career with the haunted house classic "Poltergeist" - a film that was written, produced, and some say overshadowed by Steven Spielberg - leading many to suspect that Spielberg himself had actually directed it, but didn't want the shockfest to taint the good-boy image (and possible oscar chances) he earned from the same year's smash "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial." But MG argues differently - that the film is as Hooperesque as it is Spielbergian, and the combo makes for not just one of the best films of the 80s, but one of the best horror movies of all time.

In 1982, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" auteur Tobe Hooper had the biggest hit of his career with the haunted house classic "Poltergeist" - a film that was written, produced, and some say overshadowed by Steven Spielberg - leading many to suspect that Spielberg himself had actually directed it, but didn't want the shockfest to taint the good-boy image (and possible oscar chances) he earned from the same year's smash "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial." But MG argues differently - that the film is as Hooperesque as it is Spielbergian, and the combo makes for not just one of the best films of the 80s, but one of the best horror movies of all time.

Episode 010: Poltergeist

Mike Hill

Mike Hill is known for his amazing concept work in Blade Runner 2049 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, but his incredible breakdowns of how stories work in film are equally impressive. Join us as we get his first impressions on an MG favorite: Michael Cimino's first film, Thunderbolt &amp; Lightfoot. This underseen masterpiece is a strange mix of genres - starting as a buddy comedy and ending as a sort of American tragedy - but it features one of Clint Eastwood's best performances, and got Jeff Bridges his second Oscar nomination. Cimino's later films may be more famous (or infamous), but we argue this might be his best!

Mike Hill is known for his amazing concept work in Blade Runner 2049 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, but his incredible breakdowns of how stories work in film are equally impressive. Join us as we get his first impressions on an MG favorite: Michael Cimino's first film, Thunderbolt &amp; Lightfoot. This underseen masterpiece is a strange mix of genres - starting as a buddy comedy and ending as a sort of American tragedy - but it features one of Clint Eastwood's best performances, and got Jeff Bridges his second Oscar nomination. Cimino's later films may be more famous (or infamous), but we argue this might be his best!

Episode 016: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot with Mike Hill

Bill Murray's Groundhog Day was originally received as yet another light n' clever 90's rom-com, but has since gone on to become a cultural icon in the vein of It's a Wonderful Life as audiences picked up on the deeper layers of this amazingly structured, almost Buddhist life lesson.  But don't let this write-up fool you; on the way to all that trippy inner peace, Martini Giant is more than happy to get all hot-buttony about politics, Louis CK, and the use of offensiveness in art. Also in this episode: Thron use the word "ingratiating" as if it's a complement, inadvertently revealing much about his own childhood.

Bill Murray's Groundhog Day was originally received as yet another light n' clever 90's rom-com, but has since gone on to become a cultural icon in the vein of It's a Wonderful Life as audiences picked up on the deeper layers of this amazingly structured, almost Buddhist life lesson.  But don't let this write-up fool you; on the way to all that trippy inner peace, Martini Giant is more than happy to get all hot-buttony about politics, Louis CK, and the use of offensiveness in art. Also in this episode: Thron use the word "ingratiating" as if it's a complement, inadvertently revealing much about his own childhood.

Episode 003: Groundhog Day

Reality goes out the window as MG takes on a double-dip of unconscious action: 1984's B-movie funhouse Dreamscape vs Christopher Nolan's catnip-for-nerds Inception! And though they were made on opposite ends of the budgetary spectrum, we think that each of these similarly-themed high-concept films has its own charms. For instance, Inception's Oscar-winning VFX are notable for their heavy use of old-school practical trickery, while Dreamscape is one of only three movies in the 1980s to feature both Max Von Sydow and snake-headed bad guys in major roles! So break out your tops, MG fans, and see if they don't stop spinning before our epic-length analysis is through!

Reality goes out the window as MG takes on a double-dip of unconscious action: 1984's B-movie funhouse Dreamscape vs Christopher Nolan's catnip-for-nerds Inception! And though they were made on opposite ends of the budgetary spectrum, we think that each of these similarly-themed high-concept films has its own charms. For instance, Inception's Oscar-winning VFX are notable for their heavy use of old-school practical trickery, while Dreamscape is one of only three movies in the 1980s to feature both Max Von Sydow and snake-headed bad guys in major roles! So break out your tops, MG fans, and see if they don't stop spinning before our epic-length analysis is through!

Episode 021: Dreamscape and Inception

In 2018, Netflix launched a frontal assault on the Hollywood system, recruiting not just big stars, but some of the world's most respected writer/directors to helm some incredible new works. The result? Alfonso Cuaron's deeply personal Roma and The Coen Brother's anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs are both up for Oscar gold -- and success will signal a major change in how studio movies are funded, distributed, and experienced, not to mention shake up the concept of what is a 'studio' in the first place. Join Martini Giant as Thron changes his mind, Nichols changes his ice, and Schiele changes the subject in our Oscar extravaganza.

In 2018, Netflix launched a frontal assault on the Hollywood system, recruiting not just big stars, but some of the world's most respected writer/directors to helm some incredible new works. The result? Alfonso Cuaron's deeply personal Roma and The Coen Brother's anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs are both up for Oscar gold -- and success will signal a major change in how studio movies are funded, distributed, and experienced, not to mention shake up the concept of what is a 'studio' in the first place. Join Martini Giant as Thron changes his mind, Nichols changes his ice, and Schiele changes the subject in our Oscar extravaganza.

Episode 005: Roma & The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Robh Ruppel

Artist Robh Ruppel is known for his incredible work on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, Love, Death &amp; Robots, as well as his gorgeous art book Graphic L.A , so MG is thrilled to have him in to discuss the most visually-focused  of genres: Film Noir.  Over the decades, Noir became one of the most influential movements in movies, with big-budget pictures from Blade Runner to Sin CIty  to Detective Pikachu spending millions to replicate its signature vibe.  But when it started, these stark visuals were born as creative solutions to low-budget constraints - and Anthony Mann's T-Men is a perfect example: gritty, bleak  - and rough in all the right places.

Artist Robh Ruppel is known for his incredible work on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, Love, Death &amp; Robots, as well as his gorgeous art book Graphic L.A , so MG is thrilled to have him in to discuss the most visually-focused  of genres: Film Noir.  Over the decades, Noir became one of the most influential movements in movies, with big-budget pictures from Blade Runner to Sin CIty  to Detective Pikachu spending millions to replicate its signature vibe.  But when it started, these stark visuals were born as creative solutions to low-budget constraints - and Anthony Mann's T-Men is a perfect example: gritty, bleak  - and rough in all the right places.

Episode 012: T-Men with Robh Ruppel

Fish out of water movies are one of the most well-loved film genres, with Mr. Mom, Enchanted, Back to the Future, and Legally Blonde being perennial favorites. But MG being MG, we've gone slightly obscure with our selections: Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye, with Elliott Gould as a hard-boiled 40's-styled detective in New Age 70's LA, Hal Ashby's Being There, starring Peter Sellers as a childlike gardener who becomes a political guru, and Bill Forsyth's gently brilliant Local Hero, in which Peter Riegert tries to deliver a small Scottish town into the hands of an oil conglomerate. All a little strange, all a little sweet - and all, MG argues, deserve to be new classics.

Fish out of water movies are one of the most well-loved film genres, with Mr. Mom, Enchanted, Back to the Future, and Legally Blonde being perennial favorites. But MG being MG, we've gone slightly obscure with our selections: Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye, with Elliott Gould as a hard-boiled 40's-styled detective in New Age 70's LA, Hal Ashby's Being There, starring Peter Sellers as a childlike gardener who becomes a political guru, and Bill Forsyth's gently brilliant Local Hero, in which Peter Riegert tries to deliver a small Scottish town into the hands of an oil conglomerate. All a little strange, all a little sweet - and all, MG argues, deserve to be new classics.

Episode 009: Fish out of Water Movies

Walter Matthau

Having the face of a basset hound and the demeanor of an angry cabbie, Walter Matthau was a born character actor, known best for roles like the sinister Dr. Groeteschele in Fail-Safe and the double-crossing Hamilton Bartholomew of Cary Grant's Charade. But starting in the 1970's, Matthau managed to turn his Odd Couple act into box office gold, and scored a string of hits that made him America's least-likely leading man. Join us as MG takes on two of his best: 1974's subway-heist classic The Taking of Pelham 123, featuring Robert Shaw of Jaws fame, and 1980's brilliant, underseen, and infinitely watchable comedy Hopscotch!

Having the face of a basset hound and the demeanor of an angry cabbie, Walter Matthau was a born character actor, known best for roles like the sinister Dr. Groeteschele in Fail-Safe and the double-crossing Hamilton Bartholomew of Cary Grant's Charade. But starting in the 1970's, Matthau managed to turn his Odd Couple act into box office gold, and scored a string of hits that made him America's least-likely leading man. Join us as MG takes on two of his best: 1974's subway-heist classic The Taking of Pelham 123, featuring Robert Shaw of Jaws fame, and 1980's brilliant, underseen, and infinitely watchable comedy Hopscotch!

Episode 018: Walter Matthau

Brady Nichols

This week we have a very special guest indeed, as Martini Giant is joined by host Chris Nichols' nine-year-old son Brady! Don't let his age fool you, though. This kid came loaded for bear with some very strong opinions regarding the Steven Spielberg / Tom Cruise team-up, War of the Worlds. In fact he came with a literal notebook filled with critiques - plus a list of jokes - instantly making him the most prepared person, guest or host, ever to be on the show. So come for the adorableness, stay for the startlingly insightful commentary. Also, careful listeners will notice a wholly appropriate lack of actual martinis in this episode.

This week we have a very special guest indeed, as Martini Giant is joined by host Chris Nichols' nine-year-old son Brady! Don't let his age fool you, though. This kid came loaded for bear with some very strong opinions regarding the Steven Spielberg / Tom Cruise team-up, War of the Worlds. In fact he came with a literal notebook filled with critiques - plus a list of jokes - instantly making him the most prepared person, guest or host, ever to be on the show. So come for the adorableness, stay for the startlingly insightful commentary. Also, careful listeners will notice a wholly appropriate lack of actual martinis in this episode.

Episode 017: War of the Worlds with Brady Nichols

Our pick this week is the little-seen thriller Outland - the movie that made everyone think you explode in space! Sean Connery stars as a middle-aged Marshal trying to make good in a no-good town - and if that sounds like a western, it's because it's based on one - it's High Noon to be precise. But this one trades in its dusters for spacesuits and clay-jug whiskey for poly-dichloric euthimal. Directed by MG favorite Peter Hyams and looking like the spiritual successor to Ridley Scott's Alien, this A+ B-movie is a masterpiece of worldbuilding, and features all-time great performance from Frances Sternhagen as the grumpiest doctor in the solar system.

Our pick this week is the little-seen thriller Outland - the movie that made everyone think you explode in space! Sean Connery stars as a middle-aged Marshal trying to make good in a no-good town - and if that sounds like a western, it's because it's based on one - it's High Noon to be precise. But this one trades in its dusters for spacesuits and clay-jug whiskey for poly-dichloric euthimal. Directed by MG favorite Peter Hyams and looking like the spiritual successor to Ridley Scott's Alien, this A+ B-movie is a masterpiece of worldbuilding, and features all-time great performance from Frances Sternhagen as the grumpiest doctor in the solar system.

Episode 020: Outland

Bridget Jones

Rom-coms dominated the American box office in the 1990s and early 2000's, and now seem to be making a comeback with hits like Crazy Rich Asians and Netflix's The Kissing Booth.  But the genre's roots go back before World War II, and MG charts this arc by comparing two classics: Renée Zellweger's charming, goofy...and slightly regressive Bridget Jones's Diary from 2001, and Katherine Hepburn's snappy, whip-smart...and shockingly progressive adaptation of the play The Philadelphia Story from 1940.  Both tackle the trope of a woman making a choice between two possible guys, but in our opinion, only one of these pictures comes up with the right answer!

Rom-coms dominated the American box office in the 1990s and early 2000's, and now seem to be making a comeback with hits like Crazy Rich Asians and Netflix's The Kissing Booth.  But the genre's roots go back before World War II, and MG charts this arc by comparing two classics: Renée Zellweger's charming, goofy...and slightly regressive Bridget Jones's Diary from 2001, and Katherine Hepburn's snappy, whip-smart...and shockingly progressive adaptation of the play The Philadelphia Story from 1940.  Both tackle the trope of a woman making a choice between two possible guys, but in our opinion, only one of these pictures comes up with the right answer!

Episode 023: Bridget Jones's Diary & The Philadelphia Story

Agent Xray joins MG to talk about 1974's sci-fi acid-trip Zardoz.  After the success of his Oscar-nominated thriller Deliverance, director John Boorman was looking to direct a live-action version of Lord of the Rings - but when that fell through, he went for the next best thing: a post-apocalyptic epic about bored, deathless psychic elites who live under the protection of an almost supernaturally powerful artificial intelligence that monitors global population with the use of a giant floating stone head that descends from the sky to vomit guns upon its army of mindless, speedo-wearing zealots - led, naturally, by a slightly doughy and persistently half-naked Sean Connery.  Beat that, Gandalf.

Agent Xray joins MG to talk about 1974's sci-fi acid-trip Zardoz.  After the success of his Oscar-nominated thriller Deliverance, director John Boorman was looking to direct a live-action version of Lord of the Rings - but when that fell through, he went for the next best thing: a post-apocalyptic epic about bored, deathless psychic elites who live under the protection of an almost supernaturally powerful artificial intelligence that monitors global population with the use of a giant floating stone head that descends from the sky to vomit guns upon its army of mindless, speedo-wearing zealots - led, naturally, by a slightly doughy and persistently half-naked Sean Connery.  Beat that, Gandalf.

Episode 022: Zardoz with Agent Xray

For Halloween, MG servers up some hand-picked horror! First on the list, Erick brings us the the Canadian creepfest Pin, in which a young man gets a little too attached to a life-sized Visible Man doll; then Dan digs into the 70s classic Don't Look Now, which features more Donald Sutherland nudity than anyone is really prepared for - and to top it all off, there is Chris' choice: the arthouse progenitor of modern torture-porn: Takashi Mike's blood curdling Audition - which tricks you into thinking you are watching a sweet, sad character study about a nice guy and his son - and then locks the door, drugs you up, and breaks out the rubber apron!

For Halloween, MG servers up some hand-picked horror! First on the list, Erick brings us the the Canadian creepfest Pin, in which a young man gets a little too attached to a life-sized Visible Man doll; then Dan digs into the 70s classic Don't Look Now, which features more Donald Sutherland nudity than anyone is really prepared for - and to top it all off, there is Chris' choice: the arthouse progenitor of modern torture-porn: Takashi Mike's blood curdling Audition - which tricks you into thinking you are watching a sweet, sad character study about a nice guy and his son - and then locks the door, drugs you up, and breaks out the rubber apron!

Episode 024: Pin, Don't Look Now, & Audition

Neil Huxley

Director Neil Huxley joins MG to talk about a personal favorite: the powerful under-the-radar indie Dead Man's Shoes, written and starring Paddy Considine from The World's End and Peaky Blinders, and directed by Shane Meadows of This is England. Family, regret, violence, and brotherhood are all examined in this story of a military man who has returned home to confront the crew of low-rent criminals who abused his brother -  but while the setup may seem familiar, nothing plays out the way you expect it to, and what at first seems like straightforward vengeance plotline slowly evolves something much deeper and more meaningful!

Director Neil Huxley joins MG to talk about a personal favorite: the powerful under-the-radar indie Dead Man's Shoes, written and starring Paddy Considine from The World's End and Peaky Blinders, and directed by Shane Meadows of This is England. Family, regret, violence, and brotherhood are all examined in this story of a military man who has returned home to confront the crew of low-rent criminals who abused his brother -  but while the setup may seem familiar, nothing plays out the way you expect it to, and what at first seems like straightforward vengeance plotline slowly evolves something much deeper and more meaningful!

Episode 025: Dead Man's Shoes with Neil Huxley

We roll up the red carpet in a special OSCARS POST-MORTEM!  For a while it seemed like this year's Academy Awards might collapse under the weight of politics, social media, and tone-deaf choices, but in the end they surprised everyone by delivering a show that was as brisk, well-received, and inoffensive as any they have broadcast.  In short: MG takes offense at this. Join us as Nichols goes deep on VFX's relationship to awards, Thron gets angry about a movie he basically didn't see, and Schiele finds a way to make a Lusitania joke feel like a natural part of conversation in this special BONUS EPISODE!

We roll up the red carpet in a special OSCARS POST-MORTEM!  For a while it seemed like this year's Academy Awards might collapse under the weight of politics, social media, and tone-deaf choices, but in the end they surprised everyone by delivering a show that was as brisk, well-received, and inoffensive as any they have broadcast.  In short: MG takes offense at this. Join us as Nichols goes deep on VFX's relationship to awards, Thron gets angry about a movie he basically didn't see, and Schiele finds a way to make a Lusitania joke feel like a natural part of conversation in this special BONUS EPISODE!

Episode 006: Oscars 2019 - A bonus episode!

Roman Polanski's genre-defining masterpiece Chinatown is almost inarguably one of the greatest movies ever made: a flawless epic featuring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston all at the top of their game, with a screenplay that  is often held up as the best that Hollywood has ever produced - we still feel its influence on modern film, in everything from Blade Runner to Detective Pikachu...but it has also become shorthand for what is now a central problem for film fandom: in the social media era, how do we deal with a great work of art that were made by someone who's done awful things? As you might expect, MG has no shortage of opinions on this!

Roman Polanski's genre-defining masterpiece Chinatown is almost inarguably one of the greatest movies ever made: a flawless epic featuring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston all at the top of their game, with a screenplay that  is often held up as the best that Hollywood has ever produced - we still feel its influence on modern film, in everything from Blade Runner to Detective Pikachu...but it has also become shorthand for what is now a central problem for film fandom: in the social media era, how do we deal with a great work of art that were made by someone who's done awful things? As you might expect, MG has no shortage of opinions on this!

Episode 015: Chinatown

Martini Giant cries its collective face off over Christopher Reeve, ping-pong, and a spilled pint as -- at listeners' request -- we take on time-travel movies. This is the first in a series covering this jam-packed genre, so prepare to get paradoxical with three under-the-radar selections: the weepy/creepy Somewhere in Time, the drinky/thinky Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, and the sentimental/transcendental About Time. Of course our listeners in 2040 know already that this episode is the reason why these three films are even more famous than Back to the Future in the future. It’s hard to explain. But basically Schiele turns out to be his own grandpa. Spoiler alert.

Martini Giant cries its collective face off over Christopher Reeve, ping-pong, and a spilled pint as -- at listeners' request -- we take on time-travel movies. This is the first in a series covering this jam-packed genre, so prepare to get paradoxical with three under-the-radar selections: the weepy/creepy Somewhere in Time, the drinky/thinky Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, and the sentimental/transcendental About Time. Of course our listeners in 2040 know already that this episode is the reason why these three films are even more famous than Back to the Future in the future. It’s hard to explain. But basically Schiele turns out to be his own grandpa. Spoiler alert.

Episode 007: Time Travel Movies Part 1

Sally Slade

MG welcomes VR mastermind Sally Slade to the podcast to discuss David Cronenberg's Ambien-esque acid trip thriller eXistenZ. Coming out only three weeks after the Wachowski sisters' similarly-themed kick-to-the-Zeitgeist superhit The Matrix, the film failed at the box office, but it has recently been reappraised, being seen by many as both a companion piece to Cronenberg's earlier masterpiece Videodrome, as well as a bizarrely prescient commentary on our current technological life, often playing as if Philip K. Dick had written about XBox Live. How does its mix of comedy and body horror hold up after twenty years? Lube up your bioports and find out!

MG welcomes VR mastermind Sally Slade to the podcast to discuss David Cronenberg's Ambien-esque acid trip thriller eXistenZ. Coming out only three weeks after the Wachowski sisters' similarly-themed kick-to-the-Zeitgeist superhit The Matrix, the film failed at the box office, but it has recently been reappraised, being seen by many as both a companion piece to Cronenberg's earlier masterpiece Videodrome, as well as a bizarrely prescient commentary on our current technological life, often playing as if Philip K. Dick had written about XBox Live. How does its mix of comedy and body horror hold up after twenty years? Lube up your bioports and find out!

Episode 013: eXistenZ with Sally Slade

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