Author Archives: Justin Khoo

20th CENTURY WOMEN (2016)

We sit down with Chad Perman (Bright Wall / Dark Room) to discuss Mike Mills’ autobiographical love letter to his mom. We discuss how becoming a parent helps you become closer to your own parents, finding ourselves alienated from our own children, empaths, narratives as a source of therapy, and much more! My son wasContinue reading “20th CENTURY WOMEN (2016)”

DEMOLITION MAN (1993)

It’s our first Sly film, so we sit down with Liam Billingham (Die Hard on a Blank) to discuss future politics, the film’s political litmus test, its satire of a conservative’s fever dream of liberal tyranny, masculinity, and more! Not bad! Matter of fact this is the best burger I’ve had in years! John Spartan

RISKY BUSINESS (1983)

We talk with Jay Elliott (Philosophy, Bard College) about RISKY BUSINESS! White boys off the lake, Tom Cruise, sexual anxiety, capitalism, authenticity, Hitchcock, and more! You know, Bill, there’s one thing I learned in all my years. Sometimes you just gotta say, “What the fuck, make your move.” Joel Goodson

MIKEY AND NICKY (1976)

We sit down with Dan Wack (Philosophy, Knox College) to discuss Elaine May’s Mikey and Nicky! We talk gangsters, friendship, honesty, barriers, hangout films, misogyny, character studies, and much more! It’s very hard to talk to a dead person. I have nothing in common. Nicky

NICKEL BOYS (2024)

We welcome back Bilge Ebiri (Vulture / New York Magazine) to discuss RaMell Ross’s 2024 film, Nickel Boys! We talk about the film’s formal stylistic innovations, its focus on interstitial moments, its exploration of different responses to injustice, how it invites us to integrate our own memories and experiences with its narrative, and more! There’s four waysContinue reading “NICKEL BOYS (2024)”

NOSFERATU (2024)

We sit down with Phil Iscove (of Podcast Like It’s…) to discuss Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu! We discuss how the film is Ellen’s story, compare it with the many other versions, sexual liberation and sexual angst, scientific progress and the patriarchy, the beauty in decay, and the film’s dark sense of humor. Professor, my dreams growContinue reading “NOSFERATU (2024)”

GRINCH x3

Merry Christmas to all, including THE GRINCH! We sit down with Emily St. James to discuss all three Grinch movies (How the Grinch Stole Christmas ’66 + ’00, and The Grinch ’18). We inquire about what the Grinch story is all about, whether we really needed a Grinch backstory, what part of speech “Grinch” is,Continue reading “GRINCH x3”

HOME ALONE (1990)

Join us and Dan Harris (Philosophy, CUNY) to discuss HOME ALONE! We consider the film’s permission structure for excusing parental negligence, humoring breaking and entering, the film’s ideological implications about the nuclear family, and what Kevin really thinks he did to his parents. Christmastime begins with the COWS now! This is my house. I haveContinue reading “HOME ALONE (1990)”

GASLIGHT (1944)

We sit down with film historian Joseph McBride to discuss George Cukor’s 1944 film, Gaslight. We discuss Cukor’s reputation among the great studio directors, his skill working with actors, the social and political dimensions of the film, including what makes diagnosing and resisting gaslighting so challenging. I thought you were being polite, you really wanted to seeContinue reading “GASLIGHT (1944)”