Episode 366: 'Blink Twice' with Amber Benson

We go into a whole song and dance this week over Tim Burton's new BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE,. with Riley Silverman as our special guest. Then we'll remember (and suggest) some movies that made/would make for pretty bizarre Saturday Morning cartoons.What’s GoodAlonso - Big Ice Cubes™Drea - Ross Taylor’s NYC exhibit, A knowing HistoryRiley - Reading streakIfy - Chris Tucker’s protection of his carITIDICa.) Almodovar’s Latest Wins the Golden Lionb). Happy Gilmore 2 is “Officially In Production”c). James Earl Jones Passes Away at 93Staff PicksDrea - ROBOT DREAMSAlonso - CLOSE YOUR EYESRiley - ELEMENTALIfy - SCREAM  Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum lead an ensemble cast of blissful (and, for a while, blissfully unaware) island-timers in mind- and genre-bending new movie BLINK TWICE.  Amber Benson (filmmaker, writer, and actor) joins us to uncover the secrets of Slater King’s mysterious island. Then we do a movie quiz about actors who’ve dabbled (and then some) in directing.What’s GoodAlonso - general food quality in Italy/EuropeDrea - the Paralympics (and the release of A New York Story!)Amber - pugsIfy - traveling to London for his show at Leicester Square TheatreITIDICTikTok May Be Driving More Folks to TheatersCalifornia Senate Passes a Law Requiring Consent for AI Replicas of Deceased ActorsStaff PicksAlonso - Lover of MenDrea - Rebel Ridge (and A New York Story!)Amber - The Last of SheilaIfy - Skywalkers: A Love StorySlayers: A Buffyverse Story on Audible Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

A book adaptation with cast of leading ladies to die for, three life stories, and only two hours to get it all out! We've got the smart and radiant Shar Jossell (newly elected President of NABJLA!) here with us to fill in the gaps. Then, we pitch some movies of our own, about unexpected celebrities in unexpected places.What’s GoodAlonso - WHAMMY!Drea - Photobook from GidgetShar - Strawberry horchata smoothieIfy - LARP Bar with Amanda Turner in AustinITIDICNow Entering the Streaming Service Arena…Chick-fil-A?Lionsgate Gets Into Trouble With Megalopolis TrailerStaff PicksAlonso - Something NewDrea - Tokyo CowboyShar - Waiting to ExhaleIfy - Caligula: The Ultimate Cut Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

We’re getting into that 2008 headspace with Sean Wang’s narrative feature debut, Dìdi. Then, a not-quite-a-Hotline “call” from Marissa about movies that showcase how media worked in the past.What’s GoodAlonso - a nice, cold mealDrea - her movie to screen in White Bear Lake, MNIfy - meeting Alonso’s nephew at a CommandFestITIDICDespicable Me Director On Idea of Live-action Minions Movie: “God I Hope Not”James Gunn Doubts There Will Be Much Need for Reshoots on his SupermanBorderlands Is Headed to Streaming Like, NowStaff PicksDrea - Eighth GradeAlonso - Close to YouIfy - North Hollywood, mid90sIfy’s FBI Story Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

It’s a thriller. It’s a Josh Hartnett vehicle. It’s…a comedy? But is it the kind of trap you want to fall into, or the kind you want to avoid? Our mileage varies, but one thing is for sure: cinema yappers and movie snitches are both likely to get bonechilling glares from a MaxFilm host. We’ve got culture writer and film critic Fran Hoepfner along for these Shyamal-antics, plus a hotline question about memorable moviegoing experiences.  What’s GoodAlonso - Imane Khelif’s gold medal, but really her cyberbullying lawsuitDrea - Seeing Ify in a short, but really her new movie, A New York Story!Fran - Albero dei Gelati yellow bell pepper gelatoIfy - Gundams survived the big quakeITIDICAt D23, An Announcement about…Nine Inch Nails?Dominic Sessa will play Anthony BourdainJoaquin Phoenix Made an 11th-Hour Exit from the next Todd Haynes FilmStaff PicksAlonso - The StepfatherDrea - Jackpot! (also Virgin Suicides)Fran - Rap WorldIfy - The FacultyAlonso Duralde presents No Time for Love at the Los Feliz 3Fran on LetterboxdLeave us a Hotline message! Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

Colman Domingo does it again, this time alongside a cast of mostly real-life former participants in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing penitentiary. The Boston Globe's Odie Henderson is with us to take a closer look at a film that is, in fact, one of A24's latest. Then, a movie quiz that is much sillier than the film at hand!What’s GoodAlonso - Hollywood Black on MGM+Drea - time with friends in the MidwestOdie - “Blaxploitation, Baby!” Film Festival at Film ForumIfy - Naomi getting into CoraQuestITIDICBritney Spears Biopic Set at UniversalOn Hot Ones, Vince Vaughn Predicts the Return of R-Rated ComediesTom Cruise Rumored to Be Doing a Hollywood Stunt to Mark Handoff of Summer GamesDouble Trouble on LetterboxdStaff PicksAlonso - DaughtersDrea - JockeyOdie - Quiz ShowIfy - Life Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

This week, Ify is reunited with the host of Very Important People, but not dressed as a purple alien this time, AND Alonso gets to meet the star of his favorite Hallmark movie of last year (Round and Round)...and oh hey, it’s the same person, TWISTER superfan Vic Michaelis! It’s all in celebration of some tornado chasin’ (and Glen Powell in the rain in a white t-shirt) in Lee Isaac Chung’s TWISTERS!Then, we get our Hall of Excellence results (Best Time Travel Movie) and we fantasize about our dream 4DX experiences. Ify even predicts some 4DX news about TWISTERS! What’s GoodAlonso -  weaponizing “creepy”Drea - Regional adsIfy - Comic-Con speed runVic - the repartee?Staff PicksDrea - My Old AssAlonso - FayeVic - Twisters, RachelIfy - American HoneyEquality Florida Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

Today we're taking a look at a movie from director Luke Gilford that started out as a book of photographs taken on the Gay Rodeo circuit and became a lot more. It's NATIONAL ANTHEM, with EUROVANGELISTS' own Oscar Montoya as our very special guest! Plus, we're naming favorite instances of drag on film and pitching fresh Westerns that deserve that angel investor capital.What’s GoodAlonso - McConnell’s x See’s Candy Ice Cream CollabDrea - Minnesota State Fair’s “Fried Ranch”Oscar - Platform CrocsIfy - going to the beach (esp Carbon, Zuma)/ “listening to me”Drag Moment Movie MentionsSee them as a Letterboxd List!Sylvia ScarlettSome Like it HotYentlVictor/VictoriaBugs BunnyPort AuthorityRomeo + JulietTo Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie NewmarLegend Cole Escola’s “Our Home Out West”Staff PicksAlonso - Small Town Gay BarDrea - A Quiet Place: Day One (and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe)Oscar - Hellzapoppin’Ify - Boys in the Sand (FYI: NSFW) Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

Listener Harrison gave us a great shortlist of films to choose from this year – a prize Harrison became eligible for by supporting the show at MaximumFun.org/join. We went with Nahnatchka Khan’s slasher comedy from last year, TOTALLY KILLER (starring Kiernan Shipka as a teen who ends up back in time and tries to catch a murderer…before the murderer catches her! That inspires our latest slate of Hall of Excellence nominees: Best Time Travel Movie. (Vote for your winner at facebook.com/groups/maximumfilm before July 29, 2024).What’s GoodAlonso - Not watching the newsDrea - cat ordeal over at lastIfy - WHOOP bandHall of Excellence NomineesAlonso - Time After TimeDrea - Peggy Sue Got MarriedIfy - InterstellarStaff PicksDrea - The Final GirlsAlonso - Let It SnowIfy - The Blackening Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

The third installment of Ti West's maybe-a-trilogy, MaXXXine follows up on the bloody sagas of X and Pearl. And it does so in 1980s LA drag. Writer and critic Sarah Gorr joins us to share her big feelings about it! Then most of us take a Hotline email about introductions to horror for the horror-averse.What’s GoodAlonso: Corpses, Fools and Monsters by Willow Maclay and Caden GardnerDrea: European election reliefSarah: Sister’s first visit to LAIfy: Sundresses, day parties…etcITIDICJohn Cena is Retiring from the WWEToho Will Release My Hero Academia: You’re Next in the USMark Ruffalo Got The Avengers Cast Together to Dub the Film in the Lakota LanguageStaff PicksAlonso - FTADrea - DandelionSarah - Mother, CouchIfy - A Nightmare on Elm StreetSarah’s Letterboxd list, “Horror 101" Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher