Join us on the harmonium as we revisit Paul Thomas Anderson’s (not-)musical tragicomedy Punch Drunk Love with Sean Burke (Founding Partner, Whistler Partners). We discuss how Adam Sandler embodies the awkwardness and anxiety of male adolescence, and how Anderson mixes color and sound to create an overwhelming kaleidoscope of social panic, rage and repression, andContinue reading “PUNCH DRUNK LOVE (2002)”
Category Archives: Episodes
IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1993)
Bilge Ebiri (New York Magazine / Vulture) returns to talk with us about this classic nineties Wolfgang Petersen conspiracy thriller that pits an aging Secret Service Agent (Clint Eastwood) against an anarchistic terrorist (John Malkovich) intent on assassinating the President. We reflect on how the movie reflects cautiously on Eastwood’s broad career, regret and secondContinue reading “IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1993)”
THE MUMMY & THE MUMMY RETURNS
The cows journey to Hamunaptra to find some ancient artifacts, and along the way revisit perhaps Brendan Fraser’s most famous works. Laura confesses her love for Brendan Fraser and Justin confesses his love for Arnold Vosloo, and attempts to make the case that the Mummy is a misunderstood villain. The cows enjoy the dual parallelContinue reading “THE MUMMY & THE MUMMY RETURNS”
GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (1997)
Have you ever seen two cows swing through the trees? We talk about Brendan Fraser’s ultimate committed performance as George of the Jungle in this most silly and juvenile and heartfelt movie. We wonder about heroic fools, praise the film’s strategy of giving the central arc to Ursula, and comment on the film’s questionable presuppositionsContinue reading “GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (1997)”
ENCINO MAN (1992)
The cows begin their Frassersance mini-series with this wonderful curio of the 90s, about a pair of high school dorks (Sean Astin and Pauly Shore) who find a frozen caveman (Brendan Fraser) in their backyard. We discuss the film as an adoption story, and explore what parents can learn from the innocence of their children.Continue reading “ENCINO MAN (1992)”
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 plightContinue reading “OFFICE SPACE (1999)”
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 doContinue reading “ROUNDERS (1998)”
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,Continue reading “THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998)”
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 socialContinue reading “ALI (2001)”
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 upContinue reading “TAMPOPO (1985)”
Cows in the Field 