The Talented Mr. Ripley

Ryan was born quite a long time ago, and he is really old now. Since this is his "birth month", Laura allowed him to pick one of the movies for September, and this felt incredibly "literal".Yes! Sir. Stephen Frears, revered and celebrated British film director, hits it out of the park with this Dame Judi Dench/Bob Hoskins vehicle about "tasteful nudity" in theatre during wartime! With a host of other recognizable faces and a surprising, yet possibly THE BEST REVEAL EVER COMMITTED TO THE SCREEN WE HAVE UNCOVERED ON OUR PODCAST, there's a really, really, REALLY good time to be had with this one.

Alas, we have neared the end of our exclusive "FEMALE" August season, and we've taken this chance to usher in this close with a special guest. Laura and Ryan know next to nothing about the work of John Waters, which is both abhorrent and indicative of our glaring ignorance. That's why we invited Josh, who basically said we should have invited someone else if we wanted to talk about John Waters. Either way, enjoy this deepish dive into FEMALE TROUBLE and the revelation we'll be uncovering far more of his work in the future!

Who knows how far this episode will reach with something like "FEMALE" in the title, huh? Oh, we're only joking, YOU know why. In part 2 of our "August-Where-We-Cover-Films-With-Female-in-The-Title", we're looking at Susan Streitfeld's FEMALE PERVERSIONS. A film of theatrical quality and its own distinct style, it may not appeal to everyone. It may alienate others, and generate wonderment for some. It's hard to argue that the film has something to offer within the scope of exploring woman creatives and voices in cinema. Just watch out for the one-and-only Clancy Brown shine for no more than 3 scenes and basically Philip Seymour Hoffman this!

We're hitting August, and it's all about the FEMALES: which means we're covering films with "FEMALE" in the title. And if you couldn't get enough of individuals assuming someone else's identity in one episode, wait until you get your eyes on SINGLE WHITE FEMALE. Following in the footsteps of THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, we replace opulence and popularity with questionable haircuts. They really test the limits of Bridget Fonda's attraction factor by giving her a haircut similar to Guy Gardner's from SUPERMAN, but you will be surprised how well this hair performs. There's very little to say about this film that hasn't been said already as one of the prime examples of the Erotic Thriller genre. This is a good one!

Many iterations of this character have found their way onto our screens - some great, some not so great. This happens to be one of the good adaptations. Starring a cast of the best-looking people of the 90s: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cate Blanchett.Enjoy this "twisty-turny-journey" from the "Ripliad"!

Now... There is a fair amount of controversy surrounding this film ever since it was first screened at Cannes back in 2003, and I'm not talking about his dated belt. Roger Ebert slated the film. Gallo called him "fat". Ebert did not relent. Gallo cut the film down from 114 mins to 98 mins. Ebert rejoiced, awarded it a 3/4, and seemingly forgot everything Gallo called him. But that isn't really that controversial. I'm talking about what transpired at the end of the movie with Chloë Sevigny, which got everyone so upset.Yeah, if you didn't already know, you're gonna find out and you'll probably hate it. This is a film that had us on the fence for a significant amount of its runtime, and there are some pleasant surprises. Or as "pleasant" as the film allows you to feel.

If there's anything you're bound to enjoy, it's a good fight movie! This doesn't have "FIGHT" in the title, but adopts the more measured and assured term "SELF-DEFENSE". Fighting shouldn't be encouraged or promoted, but looking after yourself should, respectfully.That brings us to Riley Stearns' 2019 black comedy THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE, which follows a "weak" man who gets beaten up, decides to learn to fight, and discovers his inner manliness.As dystopian as this world is presented, I do appreciate the idea of just being able to buy something that is generically named "DOG FOOD" to eliminate the time wasted in having to think about my choices.Before I bore you with how complicated my life is buying dog food, enjoy this film review.

Back in the 1970's in the United Kingdom, there was a sole female Director of a movie. It was an avant-garde, cinematic depiction of the person's stage work and a perfect example of "Panic" Cinema. That film is THE OTHER SIDE OF THE UNDERNEATH.It's a cinematic journey we could not take on our own so we brought back Josh and Kat of Uncomfortable Brunch to bring a bit of academia to the table. We also introduce a new segment that tests Josh's proclivities. In an episode that talks about everything but the film in question, we believe our thought process is accurate.Everything makes sense... eventually.

Ricky, Ricky, Ricky! We're back with our first episode stalwart, Richard Rush!We always knew we were going to return to the world of Rush, this time in his most notable film, THE STUNT MAN. Starring Peter O'Toole, Barbara Hershey, and Steve Railsback, this film tells a tale about a wanted felon who stumbles onto a film set and 'just begins working' as a stuntman, and everyone loves him.As you might expect, there is a lot of 'Rush-isms' in this, for better or worse. But honestly, we wouldn't have it any other way! Remember, King Kong was only 3'6". It was the 'movie magic' that made him tall.

Oh boy. We've found ourselves in a bit of Barney Rubble, eh? However hard we try, we seem to find ourselves back in prison. And in this episode, you can listen to us in "real-time" literally figuring out how many "prison movies" we've already uncovered, and it's alarming.We're back with Mr. Mackenzie after we did YOUNG ADAM all those episodes ago, and it's another pretty bleak and disheartening piece of cinema starring Jack O'Connell in a big bad man prison. Key words here: "Prison Kisses" and you won't be disappointed.Enjoy! (hahah)