Episode 294: Episode 294 - Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (1987), Casualties of War (1989)

On the two hundred and ninety-eighth episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are in their dialectical materialism era.Christian, Jericho, and Armando unionize to discuss Boots Riley's wacky capitalism satire, I LOVE BOOSTERS, and pair it with the more subdued 1978 Paul Schrader working class drama, BLUE COLLAR. In the Recently Watched Segment, Jericho runs down a slate of Henry Jaglom films, Armando mentions BACKROOMS and THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (2022), and Christian rounds things off with his remaining Park Chan-wook blindspots. They also chat about which actor is the most likely to be memed from THE ODYSSEY, tease ideas for the upcoming 300th episode, reveal their "quirk-o-meter" tolerances, and wonder whether there's any chance at making a difference from within a corrupt system.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]   

On the two hundred and ninety-seventh episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew wants to believe.Christian and Jericho disclose their spoiler-filled thoughts on Steven Spielberg's latest return to the sci-fi alien genre, DISCLOSURE DAY, and pair it with David Cronenberg's 2025 cautionary tale about the limits of technology vs. human emotion, THE SHROUDS.They also chat about Spike Lee in relation to the New York Knicks championship, late career summations, hacky screenwriting, the power of empathy, and morbid Canadian humor.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]  

On the two hundred and ninety-sixth episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are recording from a liminal space.Christian and Jericho get together to talk about the two latest horror phenoms, Curry Barker's Rod Sterling/Ari Aster riff on modern relationships, OBSESSION, and Kane Parson's surreal liminal experiment, BACKROOMS. Sticking with the theme, KEEPER, HOKUM, and FACES OF DEATH get the Recently Watched treatment along with Christian's polishing off John Carpenter's filmography.They also discuss the current box office, horror trends, mental illness, rape culture, and Grogu being discovered dead in a ditch.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]   

On the two hundred and ninety-fifth episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are in full arthouse goon mode.Christian and Jericho once again break from the mainstream with reviews of Yvonne Rainer's 1974 meditation on domestic issues, FILM ABOUT A WOMAN WHO... and Krzysztof Kieślowski's 1988 riff on REAR WINDOW and male emasculation, A SHORT FILM ABOUT LOVE, for Vol. II of their ongoing "Arthouse Goonies" series.They also chat about the critically acclaimed German film SOUND OF FALLING in the Recently Watched segment, as well as discuss The World Cup, bringing back booing at the multiplex, pretension as emotion, male wish fulfillment fantasies, and how its fascist to claim you fully understand an experimental work of art.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]   

On the two hundred and ninety-fourth episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew journey into the heart of darkness.Christian and Jericho continue their auteurography series on the films of Brian De Palma with reviews of 1987's Prohibition-era gangster smash hit THE UNTOUCHABLES and 1989's somber Vietnam war drama, CASUALTIES OF WAR.They also discuss the upcoming MINIONS & MONSTERS, circle back on LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY, and debate movie theater etiquette, bootlegging, war movie fatigue, and the act of witnessing tragedy.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]  

On the two hundred and ninety-third episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are celebrating African cinema.Christian and Jericho review Akinola Davies Jr.'s critically acclaimed familial drama, MY FATHER'S SHADOW, which they pair with Ousmane Sembène's 1968 gently satirical classic, MANDABI. In the Recently Watched segment, German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger's THE BERLIN TRILOGY and EXIT 8 are discussed.They also debate life's most important questions such as "What is a Lee Cronin?" before delving into father/son bonding, colonialism, fart jokes, and yet another Christian blubbering mess alert.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]   

On the two hundred and ninety-second episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are making shocking confessions.Christian and Jericho go full cringe with an episode titled "We Watch But We Don't Judge", with reviews of Kristoffer Borgli's lightning rod satire, THE DRAMA, and John Cassavetes's 1968 marriage implosion drama, FACES.They also chat about who is the better candidate for outer space exploration, coma genes, Jacob Elord(AI), best animals for playing basketball, moral hypocrisy, and prodding the audience.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]  

On the two hundred and ninety-first episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are feeling claustrophobic inside their podcasting coffins.Christian and Jericho continue their auteurography series on the films of Brian De Palma with reviews of 1984's erotic Hitchcockian thriller BODY DOUBLE and 1986's slapstick gangster comedy WISE GUYS.They also discuss email correspondence subject line "dirtbag cinema", internalized misogyny, the Jake Scully/Jake Sully impotent connection, and fake tropical tans.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]  

On the two hundred and ninetieth episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are experiencing a collective brain attack.Christian, Jericho, and returning guest Mayra Russo get together to review Maggie Gyllenhaal's intersectional reimagining of the Frankenstein myth, THE BRIDE! as well as Barbara Stanwyck's 1933 pre-code feminist drama, BABY FACE. But first, UNDERTONE, PILLION, THE MOMENT, THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER (2025), HEARTBURN (1986), THE BAD GUYS 2 (2025), THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS (1974), and STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) round out the Recently Watched segment.They also discuss the "Oscars curse", embracing cringe, Stanwyck stans, and living in a post subtlety world.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]                               

On the two hundred and eighty-ninth episode of THE THIRD ACT PODCAST, the crew are Sirk-umventing expectations.Christian, Jericho, and Armando return to the films of Douglas Sirk after abandoning an Auteurography series a few years ago to review MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, WRITTEN ON THE WIND, and THE TARNISHED ANGELS for an episode affectionately titled "Sirk-ling Back."They also discuss the current leading man crisis, Discord overlords, hatin' ass bitches, creepy men, and the newly minted "Christian's Crush Corner" segment.Subscribe to Jericho's Substack: symbioticreviews.substack.comKeep in touch with us on Instagram and email us anytime at: [email protected]