In space, no one can hear you deepfake a dead actor into your movie! We’re joined by Scout Tafoya to talk Alien: Romulus. We discuss the film’s thematic resonances with the Alien franchise, immigration, the fear of undifferentiation, psychoanalytic readings of the alien, human/android relationships, orphans in space, and go on many long rants aboutContinue reading “ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)”
Author Archives: Justin Khoo
ALTERED STATES (1980)
We are joined by Aaron Casias and Carly Gomes of Hit Factory to discuss William Hurt’s first film, Ken Russell’s wild and delirious Altered States! We discuss solipsism, God, losing faith, hallucinogens, academia, and why regressing into an ape form might be many conservatives ultimate fantasy. “I’m a professor of endocrinology at the Harvard Medical School. I’mContinue reading “ALTERED STATES (1980)”
THELMA AND LOUISE (1991)
We sit down with Katey Rich (The Ankler) to discuss Ridley Scott’s macho film about two women’s goodbye middle finger to the patriarchy. We discuss the film’s radical rejection of stereotypical gender norms, the female gaze, women being friends, why Christopher McDonald is the funniest person ever, and whether Brad Pitt robs convenience stores shirtless or clothed.Continue reading “THELMA AND LOUISE (1991)”
THE BLING RING (2013)
Crimewave summer continues with Sofia Coppola’s film about celebrity thieves! We discuss the movie in the context of Coppola’s filmography, her artistic motivations and the creative aspirations of the criminals the movie is about, criminal deniability, and, of course, Leslie Mann! It’s all fun and games until someone gets a reality tv show. You canContinue reading “THE BLING RING (2013)”
SCARFACE (1983)
DePalma, Stone, Pacino, Montana. We are joined by Glenn Kenny (author of The World is Yours: The Story of Scarface) to discuss excess, capitalism, happiness, tigers, sunken bathtubs, cocaine economics, and also the movie Scarface! Is it “Scar-face” or “Scarf-ace”? Who knows! Join us! All I have in this world is my balls and my word and IContinue reading “SCARFACE (1983)”
PUBLIC ENEMIES (2009)
The guys from Die Hard on a Blank are here to kick off CRIMEWAVE SUMMER and talk all things John Dillinger with us! Crime doesn’t pay, but it sure is sexy, ain’t it? We unpack several themes of the film: encroaching modernity, the birth of modern celebrity, looking to the past through the lens ofContinue reading “PUBLIC ENEMIES (2009)”
BULL DURHAM (1988)
Let us all worship at the Church of Baseball! We are joined to talk Bull Durham by Noah Gittell, author of the recent book Baseball: The Movie. We discuss the film’s love of the game, its exploration of life after retirement, parenthood, expiration dating, learning how to breathe out of our eyelids, Annie Savoy’s timeless style,Continue reading “BULL DURHAM (1988)”
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE (2010)
Let’s get it started, in the TUB! We sit down with Mitchell Beaupre (Letterbox’d) to discuss male friendship, regrets, the allure of youth, reliving our best and worst days, the comic genius of Crispin Glover, and what happened in Cincinnati! If that guy doesn’t lose his arm soon, I’m gonna fucking take it from himContinue reading “HOT TUB TIME MACHINE (2010)”
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007)
What’s a moody anti-Western got to do with mythmaking, outlaws, celebrity, bold robbers, parasocial relationships, betrayal, guilt, capitalism, Roger Deakins, Brad Pitt, and Casey Affleck? A lot, it turns out! Join us and Edward Lewis to explore the contours of Andrew Dominik’s retelling of the end of Jesse James’ life. By his own approximation, BobContinue reading “THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007)”
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (2023)
Nicolas Cage has been on a run of making several movies a year for decades now, and Sympathy for the Devil is one of his latest experiments, a pulpy chamber piece road trip mystery suspense film co-starring Joel Kinnaman. We sit down the film’s director Yuval Adler (who also happened to get his PhD inContinue reading “SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (2023)”
Cows in the Field 