OFFICE SPACE (1999)

We are joined this week by special guests Robert and Sheryl Khoo (parents of a co-host of this very podcast) to talk about Mike Judge’s TPS-ridden middle-class satire, Office Space! We talk about our experiences working within soul-crushing bureaucracies, and also the surprising upsides of meetings. We consider the case for Lumbergh and the plight of the middle manager, and wonder whether it is possible to earn a living within a capitalist economy without losing yourself in the process. And we evaluate the movie and Peter Gibbons’ plight with the hindsight of the ongoing computer science boom, which likely would have found programmers like Peter earning millions and sipping Maui Thais on a beach with Milton.

Well, at least I didn’t sleep with Lumbergh!

Peter Gibbons

                 

ROUNDERS (1998)

We sit down at the poker table with Anders Schoubye to discuss perhaps the greatest poker movie ever, confronting our true calling, and what the movie gets right, and wrong, about poker and gambling. Who is team Damon and who is team Teddy KGB? Tune in to find out!

If you had it to do all over again, knowing what would happen, would you make the same choice?

Mike McDermott

                 

THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998)

We are joined by the writer, director, and producer of The Last Days of Disco, Whit Stillman, to talk about his film, his fascination with complex female friendships and group social life generally, as well as the appeal of shaggy, meandering, narratives. Whit regales us with stories that inspired the film, his experience with disco, his days in publishing, and getting to know George Plimpton. If you haven’t seen The Last Days of Disco, you should check it out now! It’s truly a wonderful film and Whit is a hilarious and humble and articulate person. We hope you enjoy this special episode!

There’s something really sexy about Scrooge McDuck.

Alice

                 

ALI (2001)

We get into the ring with Blake Howard (One Heat Minute Productions) to discuss Michael Mann’s incredible biopic of Muhammad Ali. Despite being a major box office failure, we make the case for revisiting this stunning and complex portrayal of the greatest boxer as he transitions from brash fighter to heroic inspiration for a social movement. We explore how Michael Mann and his astounding cast and crew (including a career-defining performance by Will Smith) manage to simultaneously humanize and glorify Ali without glossing over the details of his complex life and relationships. Where does Ali rank on your list of all time biopics??

Free ain’t easy. Free is real. And real’s a motherfucker.

Bundini

                 

TAMPOPO (1985)

Join us for a noodle-filled extravaganza as we dig into Tampopo with Nick Riggle (Philosophy, University of San Diego). We explore the interrelations between film and cuisine, and why ramen makes an ideal subject for a food film combining elements of both high art and (so-called) low art. Our love of Guy Fieri comes up more than once as we wonder about the role of the film’s many zany side vignettes and how they are used to celebrate pure aesthetic values, while Nick unpacks what it is to be awesome and teaches us how to suck just a bit less in life.

Everyone has their own ladder. Some do their best to climb to the top, while others don’t even realize they have a ladder.

Tampopo

                 

INCEPTION (2010)

The cows are joined by author and film critic Tom Shone (The Nolan Variations) to discuss Christopher Nolan’s epic dream-heist blockbuster, Inception. We discuss Nolan’s obsessions with knowledge and self-deception and his ambivalent obsession with fantasy and escapism. We explore the film’s central premise — that the cinematic experience is akin to a shared dream — and how Nolan weaves the premise into the the core of Inception through repetition and intentional plot holes. And we finally close with a celebration of Inception’s oft-overlooked emotional centerpiece — its many-layered ending, which combines reconciliations with goodbyes and renewals of hope.

How can it not matter to you where that train will take you?

Mal

                 

AMADEUS (1984)

The cows are joined by friend Edward Lewis to revisit one of the greatest films of all time, the shortest three hour movie, Milos Foreman’s Amadeus. We witness genius through Salieri’s eyes, marvel at his ability to appreciate and translate the beauty of Mozart’s music to the uninitiated, and resign ourselves to our own mediocrities. We also discuss the relationship between historical accuracy and authenticity, and how it achieves ecstatic truth through fabrication. And we ponder the renewing possibilities of confession and absolution. This movie is not to be missed!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IHptqZiDxc

This was a music I’d never heard. Filled with such longing, such unfulfillable longing, it had me trembling. It seemed to me that I was hearing the voice of God.

Antonio Salieri

                 

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (1996)

The cows are joined by friend Adam Kane to talk about Tom Cruise’s first outing as Ethan Hunt. We discuss what makes spy movies so appealing and fun, and situate the movie in the broader cultural context of the post-Cold War nineties. We explore the weird and wonderful career of Tom Cruise and how he managed to harness Brian DePalma‘s stylistic flourishes to create one of the tightest, most stressful, spy/heist movies ever.

RED LIGHT! GREEN LIGHT!

Ethan Hunt

                 

MIDSOMMAR (2019)

Emily VanDerWerff (Vox) joins us to discuss Ari Aster’s folk horror masterpiece, Midsommar. We discuss how the film subverts folk horror genre tropes to craft a compelling story about the loss of a relationship, self-discovery, and adoption into a new family. Emily articulates a trans reading of the film, and we discuss how it grapples with the challenge of accommodating our desires for individual autonomy alongside our impulse to find acceptance within a community. Bear suits and Taylor Swift also come up.

  • Read Emily’s writing on Midsommar here and here.
  • The Paradox of Tolerance in comic form:

Hi. Hello! There you are! Listen: You can’t speak. You can’t move.

Ulla

                 

TRUE LIES (1994)

The cows revisit True Lies with Van Lathan (The Ringer), discussing how James Cameron inverts the hero’s journey to tell a story about a spy struggling to connect emotionally with his wife and kids while saving the day and causing a lot of mayhem and destruction in the process. Is it the best action comedy of all time? Is it Arnold’s best performance? How does its portrayal of terrorism and American militaristic impunity play today? Tune in to find out!

Battery, Aziz!