Have you ever wondered whether a famous painting contained a clue to a mystery that, once revealed, would upend the world as we know it? Well, you’re in luck because in this episode we dive into The Da Vinci Code with museum expert and curator Andrea Rosen! We explore the tough questions of whether toContinue reading “THE DA VINCI CODE (2003)”
Author Archives: Justin Khoo
COLLATERAL (2004)
Join us and Katie Walsh (LA Times, Miami Nice) for one night in L.A. as we journey through deserted streets with a meek cabbie dreamer (Jamie Foxx) and his assassin fare (Tom Cruise). We discuss cities and alienation, indecision and action, order and chaos, psychopaths and empaths, coyotes and subways. We gush about Cruise andContinue reading “COLLATERAL (2004)”
THE FIRST ANNUAL BLOBSCARS
Join us for a spoiler-free celebration of the very best films of 2021. We discuss our nominees and winners in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (non-gendered, pick 2), Best Supporting Actor (same thing), Best Score, Best Scene, and Most Overrated. Each film can win in only one category, so the stakesContinue reading “THE FIRST ANNUAL BLOBSCARS”
BASIC INSTINCT (1992)
Join us and Matt Belenky (Movie Talk Podcast) to dive headfirst into Paul Verhoven’s classic 90s erotic thriller! We try to figure out what happened and why, and then explore how the film dissolves boundaries between Sharon Stone / Catherine Trammell and Nick Curran / audience member. We consider the possibility that the film isContinue reading “BASIC INSTINCT (1992)”
TWILIGHT (2008)
What does it mean to say that a movie is so bad it’s good? Is Twilight (2008) such a movie? We sit down with Matt Strohl (Philosophy, University of Montana), author of the new book “Why It’s OK To Love Bad Movies”, to talk about what it means to love and appreciate the beauty ofContinue reading “TWILIGHT (2008)”
THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)
How should we feel about and how should we engage with art made by immoral artists? We consider these questions in the context of The Usual Suspects along with Erich Hatala Matthes (Wellesley), whose new book on the topic (Drawing the Line: What to Do with the Work of Immoral Artists from Museums to theContinue reading “THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)”
SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
Come swing through the streets of Manhattan with us and Sam Adams (Slate) as we discuss Sam Raimi’s melancholic and reflective Spider-Man 2! We talk about the film’s major themes of grief and the burden of heroism, as well as Sam Raimi’s view of humanity as fundamentally decent. We consider the film in light ofContinue reading “SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)”
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021)
It’s time to go back to the Matrix! Join us and David Chalmers (Professor of Philosophy at NYU) to discuss the fourth Matrix film, and distinguish what we like and don’t about its meta- and first-order narrative interpretations. We bring in past and future guest Emily VanDerWerff to provide some broader context about the filmContinue reading “THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021)”
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)
It’s the coldest time of the year, which means we need community more than ever to help us stay warm and remind us of the ongoing project of humanity and our part in it. So consider us the luckiest Peanuts on block, since we get to welcome back Emily VanDerWerff (Vox & Arden Podcast)! WeContinue reading “A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)”
EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)
It’s the holiday season, and what better way to start than with a veritable Christmas classic, Stanley Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut! We sit down with Carly Severn (KQED San Francisco) to discuss noble lies in relationships and society, Tom and Nicole’s challenging (and, ultimately destructive) performances, and the interrelations between power, anonymity, powerlessness,Continue reading “EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)”
Cows in the Field 