Practical Magic

We are Cruising through November this month as we take a look at some of the big swings in Tom Cruise's career - but first we need to look at the final piece of his starmaking 80s run, Tony Scott's 1990 NASCAR movie Days of Thunder. Join in as we discuss the beginnings of Cruise's relationship with costar Nicole Kidman, the wild producing team of Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, the inevitable comparisons to F1, and the many abandoned gestures towards making this simple movie more complex. Plus: Why didn't Harry (Robert Duvall) want that guy's death investigated? Why was the movie so much more expensive than Top Gun? And, most importantly, which characters will return for Days of Thunder 2 in 2028? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Interview with the Vampire (1994)-----------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"Fast Cars, Fast Women, Slow Producers: Days of Thunder" (Spy Magazine)"How Days of Thunder Changed Hollywood" (Slate)"How One Movie Killed the 1980s" by Patrick Willems (YouTube)"Thunder Fails to Strike Drivers" (Florida Today)"Scientology Doc Going Clear Claims the Church Split Up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman" (The Daily Beast)-----------------------------------------------------Check out our past episodes on Tom Cruise:Risky BusinessTop GunRain ManMission: ImpossibleJerry MaguireEyes Wide ShutMission: Impossible IIIThe MummyTop Gun: Maverick

We're closing out our month of ghost romances with one about a woman who's not quite dead as a comatose Reese Witherspoon links up with sad widower Mark Ruffalo in Mark Waters's 2005 romcom Just Like Heaven. Join in as we discuss the movie's puzzling ghost rules, Ruffalo's terrific physical performance, our favorite minor characters, and Hershey (2026). Plus: What is Elizabeth's (Witherspoon) plan? Did she get her promotion at the end? What's the most pleasant production company logo? And, most importantly, what is the medical power of true love's kiss? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Days of Thunder (1990)------------------------------------------------------Roger Ebert's three-star reviewOlivia Wilde interview on Prestige Junkie about The Invite

It's time for the ghostiest of ghost romances, Neil Jordan's misbegotten 1988 comedy High Spirits, starring Steve Guttenberg, Daryl Hannah, Peter O'Toole, Beverly D'Angelo, and Liam Neeson. Join in as we discuss the film's befuddling ghost rules, Anton Furst's incredible production design, and the inexorable march of Halloween into late summer. Plus: Why would the guests ever stay at this terrible hotel? Why would Sharon (D'Angelo) want to get with Martin (Neeson)? And is the hotel even saved from bankruptcy at the movie's end? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Just Like Heaven (2005)

We're continuing our study of romances involving dead people with a look at the reincarnation romance of Vincente Minelli's 1964 flop Goodbye Charlie! Join in as we discuss stars Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds, cinematic amnesia, the rules of reincarnation, and a delightful supporting turn by Ellen Burstyn. Plus: What specifically is the movie trying to lampoon? Is it aware of how oddly sex- and queer-positive it is? Why does Charlie (Reynolds) pretend to be his own widow despite being in debt? And, most importantly, did Bruce (Pat Boone) murder his mother? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: High Spirits (1988)------------------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Bosley Crowther's review in the New York TimesMovies and Money by David Puttnam (2000)

We're kicking off October with a look at the romance of Griffin Dunne's 1998 cult classic Practical Magic, a movie that's mostly about Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as witch sisters. Join in as we discuss the incredible production design, Kidman's 90s, the film's questionably successful tonal balance, and Dunne's unseen director's cut. Plus: Did a witch curse the film's production? How long does it take to travel from Massachusetts to Tucson? Has this Arizona cop gone rogue? And, most importantly, why did Maria Owens curse her own family? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Goodbye Charlie (1964)-------------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Roger Ebert's two-star review2017 interview with Griffin Dunne about Practical Magic (Vulture)2023 interview with Griffin Dunne (Vanity Fair)"Stockard Channing Answers Every Question We Have about Practical Magic" (Vulture)"Practical Magic Director's Cut Details" (Collider)Architectural Digest piece on the houseInterview with original composer Michael Nyman (soundtrack.net)

We're heralding the start of the spooky season with a look at Leigh Whannel's 2020 version of The Invisible Man, starring Elisabeth Moss as a woman stalked by her inventor ex-boyfriend. Join in as we discuss the March 2020 box office, the villain's overly complicated plan, and our favorite movie moments of 2026 so far. Plus: What are the applications of Invisible Man technology? Does the suit also make users physically stronger? And why would they let James (Aldis Hodge) participate in C's (Moss's) police interrogation? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Practical Magic (1998)--------------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Interview with Director Leigh Whannel in The Hollywood Reporter"The Very Bright Future of Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss" (Vulture)"'I Don't Take Acting that Seriously. I'm a Valley Girl:' Elisabeth Moss on Life after Mad Men" (The Guardian)"Universal's Monsterverse in Peril as Top Producers Exit" (The Hollywood Reporter)"The Invisible Man was Never Considered Part of the Dark Universe, Leigh Whannel Reveals" (CinemaBlend)

We're continuing our ongoing look at all of the The Mummy movies by looking at Lee Cronin's 2026 horror film, Lee Cronin's The Mummy. Join in as we discuss Cronin's stated and unstated influences, shoddy archaeology, witchy how-to videos, and the movie's thematically muddled ending.Plus: Why isn't this movie just about the detective? How robust is Albuquerque's Egyptology scene? Why is Lee Cronin's name in the title of this movie? And, most importantly, is this even a mummy movie? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The Invisible Man (2020)--------------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"The Mummy Filmmaker Lee Cronin Talks the Original Ending and Screening Mistruths" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Lee Cronin on his 'Unique' R-Rated Unraveling of The Mummy and Why Jason Blum Suggested He Put His Name in the Title" (Variety)"Inside Lee Cronin's The Mummy: False Rumors, Real Grief, and the Scariest Monster of His Career" (IndieWire)"Director Lee Cronin Says His Mummy Movie is One Part Poltergeist and One Part Se7en" (IGN)

We have a lot of questions about the romance, and a lot more about the world of Doug Liman's 2005 action comedy sensation. Join in as we discuss the Brad Pitt / Angelina Jolie affair, the movie's gender politics, and private assassination companies. Plus: How did the Smiths build separate weapons vaults without noticing one another's? Why is the first half of this movie so dull? Is Keith David just running Charlie's Angels? And, once again, how do private assassin companies even work? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)--------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"What Was Brangelina?" (Vulture)"Brad Pitt is Fooling You" (Vulture)"Killer Sex - Hot Tales of Brad and Angelina from the Set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (New York Post)"Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and the Tabloid Drama behind Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (Entertainment Weekly)"Doug Liman Hopes his Wild Loop Means a Hit with Edge of Tomorrow" (Los Angeles Times)"Regency Saves its Marriage" (Variety)"A Monday with Brad Pitt" (Esquire)"Two More of Brad Pitt's Kids want to Ditch his Surname" (CNN)

Wilkommen to a new episode of We Love the Love as we examine the tangled romance of Bob Fosse's classic 1972 adaptation of Cabaret, starring Liza Minelli and Michael York! Join in as we discuss the changes the film made from the stage musical, the 1972 Oscars, and Mr. Landauer's sofa. Plus: Why was the show called Cabaret instead of Welcome to Berlin? Why hasn't this movie gotten a better restoration? And is Brian (York) actually doing any work on his PhD? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)----------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona (1988)Cabaret in the AFI CatalogPauline Kael's review in the New Yorker"The Untold History of Cabaret: Revived and Kicking" (Vanity Fair)"Cabaret: Bob Fosse Classic Gets Restoration for 40th Anniversary" (Huffington Post)

We welcome #FiFiFierce back to the show - and back in time to the 1870s - to discuss one of her favorite movies, Thomas Vinterberg's 2015 adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd. Join in as we discuss stars Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts, love geometry, engagement pianos, and cinematic sheep. Plus: What exactly is a Danish handshake? Did Troy desert the army? How many churches are in this small town? And, very simply, why do we keep having to go to a summary of the novel to understand what's going on? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Cabaret (1972)------------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:David Edelstein's review in VultureMatthias Schoneaerts profile in Entertainment Weekly"Thomas Vinterberg Narrates a Scene" (New York Times)"Thomas Vinterberg: 'It's always been me-me-me-me - until now'" (The Guardian)FCINO - Carly Fiorina "Demon Sheep" ad (YouTube)"Carly Fiorina Sings at Ted Cruz Rally" (CBS on YouTube)"Meryl Streep and Costars Attract Backlash over Suffragette T-shirt Slogan" (The Guardian)