Recommend or Refute | Puppet Master (1989), Megalopolis (2024), and Kneecap (2024)

We're not recording episodes as often as we used to, but Dixon saw this 1949 masterpiece from the great Yasujiro Ozu and just had to talk to somebody about it.  Ryan and John come along for the ride and attempt to place Ozu in the broader context of post-war and modern day Japanese cinema.Have you seen Late Spring or other Ozu films? Let us know what you thought. Check our podcast page for ways to engage with us on social media. https://theafterpod.transistor.fm

Special guest Sean joins Dixon and John for one more go as we discuss another round of Recommends and/or Refutes! Sean, as a parent, subs in for Ryan bringing a family friendly mention in addition to The Boy and The Heron (2023), Dixon has David Lynch on the mind and revisits Eraserhead (1977) as a result, and John decided to join the theater going crowds and subject himself to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Don't shoot people. Shoot whiskey.

On this special episode of Afterthoughts-- Dixon, Ryan, and John discuss a variety of short films they watched as part of a recent local Austin short film festival. Special thanks to Hyperreal Film Club, their volunteers, and the filmmakers who participated in the Film Fest --we promise to try and stay on topic as we discuss the shorts from this event.Even if you're not a resident of Austin, you too can follow these filmmakers' journeys and (potentially) see their shorts. Checkout the info below:Featured ShortsThe Event - Hugo De Sousa , Frank MosleyTightly Wound - Shelbey Hadden, Sebastion Bisbal Mr. Clown Saves The Town - Aaron MosmeyerHoney & Milk - Dash DonatoThey're Taking My House - Dan LopezLabor + Justice - Sarah Joy Byington of Better Half PicturesThe Day The Earth Got Free Richard Pryor Photos - Ivan PeycheffRACA - Drew SaplinSupermarket Affairs - Hang Luong NguyenLicense CreditsSong: Warm MemoriesComposer: Keys Of MoonWebsite: https://www.youtube.com/c/keysofmoonmusicLicense: Creative Commons (BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com

After the conclusion of our Retrospectacular, we kept the mics rolling to capture a signature Dixon rant and review of Robert Zemeckis's latest film. There wasn't another episode we could fit it in, so it's submitted HERE for your enjoyment.

Should aaaaaaauld acquaintance beeeeee forgot,and neeeeeever brought to miiiiiiiiind,Should aaaaaaauld acquaintance beeeeee forgot,aaaaaand aaaaaaauld laaaaaang syyyyyyne.I have no idea what that means, but we're talking about the best and worst movies of 2024!  This is our favorite episode every year, and we'd love to hear about your favorite movies and most hated movies of the year.  Join our Discord and let us know your thoughts!

With Robert Eggers's Nosferatu in theaters, Dixon thought it would only be fitting to revisit Werner Herzog's dream-like send up Nosferatu the Vampyr (1979). John and Ryan are along for the ride on this horse-drawn carriage. Once we get to Dracula's castle all bets are off --or is it Count Orlok's castle? Did you see Eggers's Nosferatu? Let us know what you thought. Check our podcast page for ways to engage with us on social media. https://theafterpod.transistor.fm

Ho ho ho! Join us for a merry Recommend or Refute Christmas Extravaganza! John reviews the Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire old Hollywood classic Holiday Inn (1942), Ryan takes us on a journey through the year in Hallmark and Hallmark-esque Christmas movies, and Dixon accidentally watches a thrilling Christmas heist movie called The Silent Partner (1978).

Through some mail mix up this year, Creators & Guests Michael Dixon - Host John Garcia - Producer Ryan King - Host received a letter to Santa from some kid named Billy. It described the hardships Billy was going through. His family had just moved into a small rental unit above a Sorority house, and little Billy is having a tough time adjusting to his new downstairs neighbors. He even invited one of them up, but he suspects they aren't interested in being friends and just want to use his sister Agnus's rocking chair. Billy's only Christmas wish is for some movie podcast to discuss his favorite holiday classic, Black Christmas. Well we happen to be a movie podcast, so here's an episode dedicated to all the Billys out there.

It's Recommend or Refute time!  Ryan talks about Liar Liar (1997) and Jim Carrey's early career, Dixon reviews the underseen Alfred Hitchcock thriller I Confess (1953), and John takes us on a horrifying journey through his annual month of self-flagellation that he calls Schlocktober.