Episode 553: One Battle After Another (NO Spoilers!), Remembering Robert Redford, Megadoc, Chain Reactions, The Baltimorons

It's a jam-packed, mid-week episode of our Breakfast All Day podcast. We begin with a super-early, spoiler-free review of "One Battle After Another." Paul Thomas Anderson's latest epic doesn't come out until Sept. 26, but we couldn't wait to talk about it. We'll do a spoiler-free LIVE YouTube chat at Noon Pacific on Tuesday, Sept. 30, so mark your calendars for that. And! Join us before a showing of ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER on opening weekend. We'll be at CinemaWest Beach Cities before the 6pm showing on Friday, Sept. 26. Say hello to us in the lobby bar starting around 530pm, then head into the theater and see the movie on their GIANT screen. Find out more and get tickets here: https://web.cinemawest.com/films/One-Battle-After-Another/HO00000209 Also in this episode, we have reviews of two movies about movies: the documentaries "Megadoc" (about Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis") and "Chain Reactions" (about Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"). We catch up with the charming indie rom-com "The Baltimorons," about an unlikely relationship that develops on Christmas Eve. And we spend some time remembering Robert Redford, who died this week at his Utah home at 89. Words like "legend" and "icon" don't feel like enough in describing Redford's life and career. He was THE movie star. We'll honor him with our Off the Menu poll on our Patreon next month, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for being here! Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter so you don't miss a thing! https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/

We're here to provide a little distraction -- and a positive online community during these weird times -- with the latest episode of our Breakfast All Day podcast. Our first movie isn't exactly escapist fun, though: "The Long Walk," which is one of the better Stephen King adaptations. It's beautifully written and acted but also harrowing to watch, especially now. This may not be the best week to see people getting shot in the head, but this movie is really good otherwise. In theaters. Next up, it's "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues," the painfully unfunny sequel to the 1984 comedy classic "This Is Spinal Tap." It would be impossible to match the brilliance of a movie that invented an entire genre, but this one really doesn't. Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer are all back, along with some major celebrity cameos. In theaters. If you're looking for elegant pleasures, we have "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale." Everyone's lives are in flux in 1930s England, but they look great doing it. And despite their financial woes, they find time to get gussied up for the horse races at Ascot. This tidies up all the stories in satisfying fashion. In theaters. Finally, a lengthy Movie News LIVE!: Early reactions to "One Battle After Another," Emmy Awards on Sunday, "Big Little Lies" season 3 and much more. We tried to keep the politics to a minimum but dipped into some entertainment-adjacent items toward the end. Join us every Friday at Noon Pacific. Thanks for all you do for our community! Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/ Come hang out with us before a showing of "One Battle After Another"! We'll be at CinemaWest Beach Cities before the 6pm show on Friday, Sept. 26. Meet us in the lobby bar at 530pm before seeing the movie on their giant screen. Details and tickets here: https://web.cinemawest.com/films/One-Battle-After-Another/HO00000209 Come see Alonso and Dave at 29 Queer Film Festival in Twentynine Palms, CA! They'll be introducing a 30th anniversary screening of "Showgirls" on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 10:30pm. Tickets available here: https://www.29qff.com/

It's Arthouse Tuesday! Our favorite day of the week. (Although Fridays are pretty cool, too.)  Here's what we have for you on this quick, mid-week pop-in: "The History of Sound," a queer romance set during World War I. Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor co-star as students at a Boston music conservatory who travel New England recording folk songs and falling in love. It's in theaters this weekend, so this is an early review. "Twinless." which we try very hard not to spoil. Writer/director/co-star James Sweeney and Dylan O'Brien play strangers who meet at a support group for twins who've lost a sibling. The less you know about this movie, the better, but trust us when we say that you should see it. Keep an eye (and an ear) out for Friday's episode, when we'll talk about "The Long Walk," "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues," and "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale." Plus Movie News LIVE! See you then. Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/

September's going to be a busy month, we can tell already. We took a week off at the end of the summer but we're coming in hot to start the fall here at Breakfast All Day. Supposedly "The Conjuring: Last Rites" is the final film in the franchise -- it says so right there in the title! -- but nothing ever really ends. This is once again the scariest case Ed and Lorraine Warren have ever taken, something to do with a haunted mirror. You've seen it all before, but Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are committed to the bit as always. In theaters. Then we review both Spike Lee's "Highest 2 Lowest" and Akira Kurosawa's "High and Low," the 1963 film that inspired it. The new one stars Denzel Washington as a music industry titan fighting a kidnapping scheme; Toshiro Mifune played a shoe company executive in the original. They have similar bones but are extremely different in how they tell their stories. The Kurosawa film is one of his greats, and Lee's latest is his most purely entertaining movie in a while. (At least one of us thought so.) You can catch "Highest 2 Lowest" on Apple TV+, while "High and Low" is on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel. Finally, we did a lengthy Movie News LIVE! Lots to talk about with fall festival season beginning, plus new trailers including "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," and the gross use of AI to complete Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons." Join us every Friday at Noon Pacific at our YouTube channel. Thanks for being here! Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/  

We're back from the Labor Day holiday and ready to take on the fall movie season here at Breakfast All Day. But first, we're playing a little catch-up with some end-of-summer movies you should know about. First, it's "Caught Stealing," the latest from Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan," "Requiem for a Dream," "mother!") and perhaps his most accessible film yet. Austin Butler stars as a bartender who gets caught up in in a criminal scheme in late-'90s New York. It's a lark with a dark heart. Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Vincent D'Onofrio and Liev Schreiber co-star. In theaters. Next up is another star-studded movie, "The Roses." You may remember this when it came out in 1989 and was called "The War of the Roses" starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. This time, Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch play a wealthy and successful couple whose marriage is about to collapse under the weight of their ambition and resentment. Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon and Allison Janney co-star. In theaters. Finally, you should definitely check out "Lurker," an indie thriller that expertly explores modern celebrity. Alex Russell ("The Bear," "Beef") makes his writing-directing debut with this story of an up-and-coming pop star (Archie Madekwe) and the canny fan (Théodore Pellerin) who insinuates himself into his inner circle. Lots of twists and deeply uncomfortable moments. In theaters. Save up to 30% on select skillets and dual-handle items all September long with Lodge Cast Iron! Stock up on pieces you'll use to cook delicious, hearty meals throughout the fall and winter: https://lodgecastiron.pxf.io/c/3656599/3247092/23521   (Some links are affiliate links which means if you purchase something, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

Take us with you for one last beach trip before summer ends here at Breakfast All Day. It's sort of an Arthouse Tuesday on a Friday with the mix of movie reviews we have for you. We begin with "Honey Don't," Ethan Coen's second solo outing without brother Joel. We both love the Coens, but we don't really agree on this. Margaret Qualley stars as a lesbian private eye investigating a suspicious car accident in Bakersfield, California. Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans and Charlie Day co-star. In theaters. Next is "Splitsville," which we both loved. It's an indie rom-com focusing on two married couples and their twisted, intertwined lives. The understated meanness is delightful, but there's a vulnerability underneath. Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin star. Covino directed from a script he and Marvin co-wrote. In theaters. Then we turn to the Devo documentary, titled appropriately, "Devo." If you love the '80s new wave band, you'll appreciate this breezy but super informative look at how they came together and created their signature look and sound. Plus the music is so great: Both of us feel lucky to have seen Devo in concert, and you should definitely check them out live if you can. Streaming on Netflix. Finally, it was a lengthy Movie News LIVE!, as we discussed the dismaying state of film journalism. Plus: sing-along "KPop Demon Hunters," Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," and we remember the legendary Terence Stamp, who died this week at 87. Thanks for joining us. * Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/

Eventually, we'll get "Golden" and "Soda Pop" out of our heads. But for now, we're giving into the insanely catchy delights of "KPop Demon Hunters" on Breakfast All Day. The animated Netflix phenomenon is coming to select theaters for one weekend only, Aug. 23-24, for sing-along showings. Find out here if it's playing near you. Until then, you can catch it streaming and catch up with our catch-up review. We also review "Nobody 2," the sequel to the 2021 action comedy "Nobody." Bob Odenkirk returns with his particular set of skills, but all he wants to do is enjoy a quiet vacation with his family. In theaters. We did Movie News LIVE! for a second week in a row. Lots to discuss as always, including the trailer for "Marty Supreme," Park Chan-wook, Tom Cruise and more. Join us on Fridays at Noon Pacific. And finally, it's our "Weapons" LIVE spoiler chat. We're placing this at the end in case you haven't seen the movie yet and don't want to hear us get into it. And we do get into it. Thanks for being here! Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/  

A wide range of reviews, plus we're delighted to be back with movie news, on this week's Breakfast All Day podcast. We begin with a movie that we know so many of you are excited about: "Weapons," writer-director Zach Cregger's follow-up to "Barbarian" from 2022. This is a spoiler-free review, because one of the best parts of "Weapons" is not knowing anything about "Weapons." Just trust us when we tell you it's nuts, and you should see it. We'll have a LIVE spoiler chat at our YouTube channel at Noon Pacific time on Tuesday, Aug. 12, so come back then and we'll get into it. In theaters. Next up is a movie the whole family can see and enjoy: "Freakier Friday," which comes 22 years after "Freaky Friday," which was itself a remake of the 1976 Disney favorite. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are back for more body-swap shenanigans. We laughed a lot more than we expected. The pacing is lively and the cast is game. In theaters. Then we catch up with the documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes," which we missed when it came out because we were both traveling. This is a two-part, five-hour exploration of this enduring musical artist, and it will make you appreciate Joel's songs on a deeper level. So many hits, and the stories behind them are fascinating. Streaming on HBO Max. Finally, it's our first Movie News LIVE! in a long time. Lots to talk about, including "The Wizard of Oz" at Sphere in Las Vegas, "Hamilton" playing in theaters, Dean Cain trying to be an ICE agent and more. We promise to be more consistent with these now that we're both back in town. Thanks to everyone who joined us! * Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/

It's an eclectic week around here at Breakfast All Day with comedies old and new, a little body horror, and a good friend stopping by to share his insights. We begin with "The Naked Gun," a reboot of the classic comedy franchise, based on the brilliantly zany "Police Squad!" series. Liam Neeson stars as the bumbling Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., opposite femme fatale Pamela Anderson. We laughed a lot, and it's only 85 minutes long. In theaters. Next, Tim Grierson steps in to help Christy with a review of "Together." Real-life husband and wife Dave Franco and Alison Brie play a longtime couple exploring their co-dependency when they move to the country. In theaters. Finally, with "Happy Gilmore 2" now streaming on Netflix, we reviewed that AND watched the original "Happy Gilmore" from 1996. Somehow, neither of us had seen this essential Adam Sandler comedy. So you get back-to-back reviews of both movies in the second half of the episode. We promise to return to Movie News LIVE! next Friday. It's been a busy few weeks with travel and deadlines, and we appreciate you being here with us as we're scattered about during the summer. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/

Just a quick pop-in during summer vacation here at Breakfast All Day. But we couldn't leave you hanging without a review of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Christy saw it in Boston, Alonso saw it in Los Angeles, and while there isn't a nation-sized gap in their opinions, they also don't agree on how well it works. The latest blockbuster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Pedro Pescal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Matt Shakman ("WandaVision") directs. It's in theaters this weekend. Will you see it? And for our Patreon subscribers, we wrapped up "Poker Face" season 2, and continued with recaps of "The Bear" and "The Gilded Age." If you're a member of Lunch Date, make sure you join us for our monthly online meet-up, which will be Monday, June 28 at Noon Pacific. More details are available at the Membership tab. Thanks for sharing some of your summer with us! Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/