Filmspotting
Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering affable, insightful film analysis since 2005, as noted by the New York Times.
Episodes
Top 5 of 1991 | Archive
The 1991 movie year turns 35 this year. T2, Barton Fink, Boys in the Hood. In 2014, Adam and Josh looked back a mere 23 years for their Top 5 of '91. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Prime’s Carrie Remake Too Much of a Good Thing? | SVU
Stephen King’s Carrie has been adapted for film twice, has endured a sequel and even a Broadway musical, and now Mike Flanagan has brought the writer’s debut novel to the small screen in a limited series for Prime Video. Flanagan is a peerless adapter of King’s work, but does any version of Carrie need to be eight hours? Matt and Jordan discuss. In the Rec Seg, recommendations fo
"Hollywood's like Egypt, full of crumbled pyramids" with Laura Friedman & Ron Falzone | The Movie Racket
Hollywood has been dying for more than a century. At least, that's what people keep saying.This week, Michael Phillips explores one of the industry's favorite prophecies of doom: producer David O. Selznick's famous comparison of Hollywood to ancient Egypt, "full of crumbled pyramids" destined to disappear into the sands.Joining Michael are Rep. Laura Friedman, whose congressional district includes
Digger and Primetime, plus Chicago International Film Fest Preview | #1084
Not everyone hates Digger. The big swing from star Tom Cruise and director Alejandro González Iñárritu was met with chilly box office and hostility from critics, but Adam and Josh (yes, even Iñárritu skeptic Adam!) found lots to like — especially after the film’s bold transition from politically-charged farce into something completely different. Plus,
Trial By Media, Pt. 1 — Sweet Smell of Success
Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime paints problematic TV phenomenon To Catch a Predator — and especially its host, Chris Hansen — as an enterprise fueled by ambition, amorality, and a tenuous grasp of journalistic ethics. Those qualities put us in mind of the cursed collaboration between desperate press agent Sidney Falco and influential columnist J.J. Hunsecker in 1957’s Sweet Sm
Top 5 Tom Cruise Performances | Archive
With Cruise back in ac-tor mode in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Digger, we're sharing our 2017 consideration of the long and storied career of "the last movie star." Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Low-Budget Gumption of Shudder’s Goody Goody | SVU
For the first show of Scare-tober, Jordan and Matt take a look at the Shudder Original Goody Goody, a low-budget home-birth horror tale from first-time feature director Raymond Creamer. For a seasonally appropriate streaming watch, you could do worse. You could also do better, which is why Matt and Jordan use this week’s “Rec Seg” to suggest a couple of titles inspired by Goody G
Halloween ('78) vs. A Nightmare on Elm Street | Movie Death Match
Chris Klimek convenes a showdown between arguably the two most influential slasher films ever made: John Carpenter's "Halloween" and Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street." One helped define the modern slasher, introducing audiences to the silent, implacable force of Michael Myers and transforming suburban streets into sites of terror. The other revitalized the genre six years later with Freddy
The Freshman (1925) with Sean Crosson | Field of Scenes
For the debut episode of their new sport and film podcast, Adam Kempenaar and University of Iowa Journalism and Mass Communication colleague Travis Vogan, PhD, are joined by scholar Seán Crosson, PhD, to discuss Harold Lloyd’s 1925 silent comedy The Freshman. Together, they explore the massive box-office hit’s treatment of masculinity and football, and how the film helped shape
Mulholland Drive at 25, plus If I Go Will They Miss Me and You Had to Be There | #1083
Two weeks after their Pantheon Project review of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, Adam and Josh take on the director’s 2001 mind-bender, Mulholland Drive, to celebrate its 25th anniversary. For a film with a reputation for being impenetrable, they find it surprisingly rich with clues while retaining all of its singular power. Plus, a Golden Brick nomination for If I Go Will They Miss Me, and
Hazard Pay, Pt. 2 — The Weight
There’s a lot to enjoy about The Weight: the tactile 1930s Oregon setting, strong performances from Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, a premise that allows for multiple suspense sequences. But Padraic McKinley’s directorial debut is arguably lacking in thematic heft and visceral grit, particularly when compared to the other film in this pairing. So after considering how The Weight su
Avengers: Endgame | Archive
Ahead of December's Doomsday, Avengers: Endgame is back in theaters. Here's Adam and Josh with their original 2019 review—including spoilers. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Netflix’s Unabomber Is the Worst Law & Order Episode Ever Made | SVU
Starring Russell Crowe and an all-grown-up Jacob Tremblay (“Room” “”Wonder”), Netflix’s Unabomber was a promising title on the fall streaming slate. Unfortunately, director Janus Metz’s exploitative biopic about the notorious domestic terrorist (and manifesto author) comes up well short of expectations. But Matt and Jordan use the film as an excuse to reco
"Be Natural" with Marya E. Gates | The Movie Racket
Film critic and author Marya E. Gates joins Michael to explore perhaps the simplest, most influential direction ever given to an actor: "Be natural."The phrase is associated with pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché, who posted the reminder in her New Jersey studio more than a century ago. As one of cinema's earliest storytellers, Guy-Blaché helped establish film as a distinct art f
Resident Evil and Top 5 Comedy Boom Movies, plus The Incomer | #1082
Adam and Josh welcome Filmspotting SVU co-host Matt Singer for the Top 5 Comedy Boom Movies. Singer’s new book, “Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever” documents the Frat Pack era of studio comedies that dominated the box office from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s—and gave a generation a lifetime’s worth of
Ethan Hawke | Archive
With Ethan Hawke back in theaters in the period adventure The Weight, we're sharing Adam's 2018 interview with the always thoughtful and insightful actor. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Netflix’s Best of the Best is Actually Kind of the Best | SVU
The new Netflix comedy Best of the Best introduced Matt and Jordan to the world of collegiate competitive Bollywood dance, and they left converts: to the dancing, to stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia, and to director Lena Khan’s winning movie (which has a joke-filled script written by comedian Hassan Minhaj and writing partner Prashanth Venkataramanujam). In the Best of the Best
Hazard Pay, Pt. 1 — Sorcerer
Padraic McKinley’s The Weight isn’t a remake ofThe Wages of Fear, though it feels deeply indebted to the H.G. Clouzot classic in its thrilling depiction of a group of outlaws on a near-impossible mission across deadly terrain. William Friedkin’s 1977 cult favorite Sorcerer technically isn’t a Wages remake, either — Friedkin insisted it was his own adaptation of the or
“A picture that stays with you is made up of a hundred or more hidden things” with Alonso Duralde | The Movie Racket
Film critic and author Alonso Duralde joins Michael Phillips to explore a piece of filmmaking wisdom from Vincente Minnelli: that a picture which stays with an audience is built from “a hundred or more hidden things.”Drawing on films ranging from Meet Me in St. Louis, Some Came Running, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, they consider how production d
Featuring: Table Read Podcast | PV & FRANNY - Part 2
PV & FRANNY A girl with a glockenspiel. A boy with a guitar. A high school full of weirdos, mascots who may or may not be unhinged, and a mystery that isn’t what anyone thinks it is. A dead-serious love story… that refuses to behave like one. One flier turns into a band. One band turns into obsession. And before they ever play a real set, everything is already ridiculous. ACT TWO
Blue Velvet at 40: Beneath the Surface | #1081
As David Lynch's Blue Velvet turns 40, Adam and Josh revisit the film that shocked audiences and helped define modern American cinema. Is it Lynch's masterpiece? Plus: Massacre Theatre and Josh’s thoughts on Practical Magic 2 and Paul Greengrass's The Uprising. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just tw
Top 5 David Lynch Scenes | Archive
Blue Velvet turns 40 this month—Adam and Josh have a Sacred Cow review coming later this week—so we're going back to 2014 for our Top 5 David Lynch Scenes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Existential Zones, Pt. 2 — It Ends
Alexander Ullom's It Ends is a daring little piece of microbudget drama about four friends at transition points in their lives, who find themselves in a place where life and death no longer hold any meaning. Whether it’s a film about despair, about the afterlife, about the human condition, or all of the above, is up for discussion this week, as well as how It Ends fits into this current mome
We Can’t Look Away From Netflix’s Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly | SVU
For a few days in the summer of 2024, the world’s attention was focused on Dr. Rachel Gunn — and not for anything good. Gunn, aka “Raygun”, was representing Australia at the Paris Olympics in the inaugural breakdancing competition, when her infamous performance became the subject of mockery, outrage, and even conspiracy theories. That’s the subject of the new Netflix
"All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun" with Rachel Walther | The Movie Racket
Film noir expert Rachel Walther joins Michael Phillips to test a quote commonly attributed to Jean-Luc Godard. But whether it belongs to Godard, Howard Hawks, or someone else entirely, it points to a persistent question about what audiences really want from movies. From Gun Crazy and Double Indemnity to Jackie Brown, No Country for Old Men, and the James Bond franchise, they consider the enduring
Coyote vs. Acme and The Rocky Horror Picture Show | #1080
When Coyote vs. Acme was shelved in 2023 for a corporate tax write-off, the response from film fans was as swift as a roadrunner and as explosive as a pile of TNT. When it was picked up by another distributor (Ketchup Entertainment), the outrage turned to anticipation – justifiably so, say Adam and Josh. Plus, they honor the late Tim Curry with a review of The Rocky Horror Picture Show,
Top 5 Music Docs | Archive
With the new Oasis doc Don't Look Back in Anger coming soon to theaters—and inspiring this month's Movie Death Match (The Last Waltz vs. Stop Making Sense)—we're sharing Adam and Josh's Top 5 Music Docs from 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kenneth Branagh Can’t Rescue Apple TV’s Mayday | SVU
From the writer/directors of Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Apple TV’s Cold War comedy Mayday was a promising title on the 2026 streaming movie calendar. Unfortunately, Matt and Jordan agree that the film isn’t the equal to those earlier films (no thanks to a phoned-in performance from Ryan Reynolds), despite a clever premise and the presence of Kenneth Bra
Existential Zones, Pt. 1 — Solaris (1972)
Alexander Ullom’s feature debut, It Ends, has been billed as a horror movie, but it’s more of an existential exercise wrapped inside a genre premise. That same description could be applied to Solaris, though Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 science-fiction classic takes nearly twice as long to ponder the nature of life in a situation where death has no meaning anymore. So this w
Stop Making Sense vs. The Last Waltz | Movie Death Match
Chris Klimek convenes a battle of the bands between two of the most acclaimed concert films ever made: Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense and Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz. One is a lean, propulsive document of Talking Heads at the height of their powers, transforming a live performance into something theatrical and strangely transcendent. The other is a star-studded farewell to The Band that e
Ridley Scott Draft with Roxana Hadadi and Filipiñana | #1079
With The Dog Stars in theaters, Adam and Josh invited Vulture’s Roxana Hadadi to the show for a Ridley Scott Draft. Picks one and two are easy: Alien or Blade Runner. But what about the third pick? And will divisive Scott films like Prometheus and Kingdom of Heaven get any love? Plus, a Golden Brick nomination for the new Filipiñana, thoughts on the passing of Doll
Blade Runner with Michael Phillips | Archive
With Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars in theaters and our own Ridley Scott Draft (with Vulture's Roxana Hadadi) coming Friday, we're sharing this 2017 Sacred Cow review of Scott's sci-fi classic. Michael Phillips joined Adam and Josh. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri
What Is Hulu’s Desert Warrior and Who Is It For? | SVU
When the story of a movie’s financing and troubled post-production are more compelling than the movie itself, you’ve got problems. And in this case, you’ve got Desert Warrior, a 7th-century, Saudi Arabia-set — and financed — epic starring Anthony Mackie along with Sir Ben Kingsley and Sharlto Copley. Matt and Jordan review the Rupert Wyatt-directed curiosity, and use
The Family That’s Prey Together, Pt. 2 — The End of Oak Street
The Platt family is barely surviving, and that’s before their neighborhood is inexplicably dropped millions of years into the past and overrun by hungry dinosaurs. The End of Oak Street isn’t nearly as concerned with explaining that premise or exploring its characters as it is with facilitating dino mayhem and nostalgia for the films of writer-director David Robert Mitchell&r
"Pictures are for entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union" with Robert Daniels | The Movie Racket
Film critic Robert Daniels (RogerEbert.com, The New York Times) joins Michael Phillips to test one of Hollywood's most enduring bits of studio wisdom, attributed to producer Samuel Goldwyn: "Pictures are for entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union." From I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, High Noon, and The Best Years of Our Lives to Origin, Don't Look Up, and Triangle of Sa
Top 5 Needle Drops (Pt. 2)
Adam and Josh return with guest Rico Gagliano (MUBI Podcast) for Part 2 of their Top 5 Needle Drops. This episode brought to you by Anderson, Linklater, Fincher, and Scorsese. Notes: -The Sigur Rós song “Starálfur” means "staring elf," not "little elf." Josh harmar mistökin. Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net -Ask Us Anything and we mi
Top 5 Needle Drops (Pt. 1) and It Ends | #1078
Rico Gagliano (MUBI Podcast) joins Adam and Josh for the Top 5 Needle Drops, a conversation so robust we split it in half. Plus, the new It Ends earns a Golden Brick nomination, and listeners tell us the best third feature since 2020. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26
The Family That's Prey Together, Pt. 1 — War of the Worlds (2005)
David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street drops an ordinary family into extraordinary circumstances, forcing them to focus all their energy on surviving— and maybe, just maybe, learning to understand each other along the way. That structure, combined with Oak Street’s Spielbergian spectacle, pointed us toward 2005’s War of the Worlds, which fuse
Midnight Run | Archive
In 2023, Adam and Josh took another look at 1988's Midnight Run for its 35th anniversary. The Robert De Niro/Charles Grodin action comedy was an early and somewhat controversial inductee in the Filmspotting Pantheon, a decision they use their conversation to defend. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family
Don’t Say Good Luck and the Evolution of Happy Madison Productions | SVU
Happy Madison Productions is now cranking out movies starring two generations of Sandlers: paterfamilias Adam and daughters Sadie and Sunny. Earlier this year, Sadie starred in Netflix’s college-set Roommates, and now it’s Sunny’s turn in Don’t Say Good Luck, a tear-jerker that pairs family drama with high school musical drama. And it’s a pairing that Matt and Jordan
"The hardest thing in film scoring is to know when to start and when to stop" with author Tim Greiving | The Movie Racket
Film music historian and journalist Tim Greiving, author of John Williams: A Composer's Life, joins Michael Phillips to explore one of the foundational dilemmas of movie music, courtesy of legendary composer Max Steiner: "The hardest thing in scoring is to know when to start and when to stop." From King Kong and The Adventures of Robin Hood to Jaws and Star Wars, Michael and Tim trace the histor
The End of Oak Street, plus Tony and Late Fame | #1077
Is The End of Oak Street the best Spielberg movie of 2026? Or is one of your hosts committing movie heresy? Adam and Josh review David Robert Mitchell's dinosaur-filled family adventure and consider whether there's more on its mind than blockbuster thrills. Plus: thoughts on the Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony, Willem Dafoe in Late Fame, and Adam's conversation with the creators of the Table Read pod
Top 5 Kristen Stewart Scenes | Archive
Kristen Stewart is back in theaters with The Wrong Girls, which is an excuse to share our Top 5 KStew Scenes from 2017. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family. Promo code: summer for 20% off through Aug. 31. "Personal Shopper and the Movies That Haunt Us" Scott, Morris - Great Performances of 2016 Stewart
The Last House and Netflix’s Apocalypse Obsession | SVU
It’s all fine and good to be sealed up in a house with Wagner Moura and Greta Lee, but the longer Netflix’s new The Last House keeps us there, the more time Matt and Jordan have for questions about the why and the how and… is that broccoli you’re growing in the floorboards, Greta? Matt and Jordan also discuss Netflix’s curious fascination with apocalyptic tales. Then
Anyone Can Cook, Pt. 2 — Tony
Matt Johnson’s new biopic Tony sidesteps the infamous Walk Hard trap by narrowing its scope to a single summer that would end up shaping the rest of Anthony Bourdain’s life, but not necessarily defining it. Whether that approach is ultimately satisfying to fans of the late celebrity chef and author is up for debate this week, as we’re once again joined by Vult
"You owe everything to the movie and nothing to the original" with David Kajganich | The Movie Racket
Screenwriter and producer David Kajganich (Suspiria, Bones and All) joins Michael Phillips to test a provocative rule of adaptation from filmmaker Whit Stillman: "You owe everything to the movie and nothing to the original [source]."But what about the opposite approach? As the Coen brothers once joked about adapting Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men: "One of us types into the computer while
Marathon Awards | Dissident Cinema
Adam and Josh share their favorite discoveries, performances, and scenes from the recently completed Dissident Cinema Marathon, which included Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, Kurosawa's No Regrets for Our Youth, and Rossellini’s Rome, Open City. Links:-The Circle Ending Revealed | BFIold.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/1960 -Filmspotting Marathonshttps://www.filmspotting.net/marathonsS
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and The Brink of War | #1076
Jane Schoenbrun’s uncategorizable third feature, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, marks the director as among the most assured and provocative filmmakers of their generation. Adam and Josh agree that it’s the film of the year so far. Plus, other notable third features this decade, listeners pick their favorite Spider-Man movie, and Adam reviews The Brink of War. This episode is pr
Anyone Can Cook, Pt. 1 — Ratatouille
Anthony Bourdain, whose early experience working in a restaurant kitchen is chronicled in the new biopic Tony, once singled out Ratatouille as Hollywood’s best depiction of working in a restaurant kitchen, which is all the invitation we need to revisit Brad Bird’s 2007 Pixar classic. So this week, with the help of Vulture critic Roxana Hadadi, we consider how R
Top 5 Movie Posters | Archive
In 2015, Adam and Josh welcomed poster designer Sam's Myth on the show to talk shop and share their Top 5 Movie Posters. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family. Promo code: summer for 20% off through Aug. 31. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Making Spidey Sense of Brand New Day’s Historic Box Office Haul | SVU
When the author of “Marvel’s Spider-Man: From Amazing to Spectacular” is the co-host of your show, you don’t avoid talking about the new Spidey movie Brand New Day just because it’s not streaming. So Matt and Jordan use the release of the movie to theorize about its massive box office, and to share some related steaming recommendations. Plus, listener requests for an
"If my fanny squirms, it's bad. If my fanny doesn't squirm, it's good" with Dana Stevens | The Movie Racket
What can your body tell you about a movie? According to legendary Columbia Pictures chief Harry Cohn, everything.This week's Movie Racket explores Cohn's infamous rule for separating hits from flops. Joining Michael Phillips is Slate film critic Dana Stevens (Camera Man), who helps unpack what that deceptively simple dictum reveals about audiences, critics, attention spans, and streaming culture.
The Circle: Oppression Is an Endless Loop | Dissident Cinema
For the final film in the Dissident Cinema Marathon, Adam and Josh discuss Jafar Panahi’s formally ingenious 2000 film THE CIRCLE, an unflinching chronicle of Iran’s oppressive treatment of women.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Everybody to Kenmure Street, The Samurai and The Prisoner | #1075
After a five-year hiatus, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is back on the big screen with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, this time battling anonymity, a host of nemeses, and some arachnid-related changes. Adam and Josh have a review. Plus thoughts on the new doc Everybody to Kenmure Street and the latest from Pulse and Cloud director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, The Samurai and the Prisoner. &nb
Top 5 Superhero-Director Combos (We'd Like To See) | Archive
It's been eight years since Adam and Josh did the Top 5 Superhero-Director Combos (We'd Like To See) and still somehow none of their pitches have been given the green light. Maybe that will change with this Archive edition. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family. Promo code: summer for 20% off through August 31
Spider-Man 2 vs. Into the Spider-Verse | Movie Death Match
Chris Klimek presides over a multiversal showdown between two of the most beloved Spider-Man films: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. One is a live-action, early-2000s studio blockbuster that crystallized the modern superhero movie — grounded in practical effects, emotional melodrama, and a deeply human Peter Parker torn between responsibility
Top 5 Spider-Man Scenes | #1074
With the world’s Spidey sense activated by Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Adam and Josh look back at the webslinger’s first 25 years on screen with their Top 5 Spider-Man Scenes. Yes, even Andrew Garfield gets a little love. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15%
Home Sweet Homer, Pt. 2 — The Odyssey | Next Picture Show
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey approaches Homer’s epic from a much more literal vantage point than O Brother Where Art Thou, but that doesn’t mean it’s a dutiful, beat-by-beat adaptation. So this week we’re talking through the ways in which Nolan put his personal stamp on one of the most well-known stories in all of literature, from the film&rsquo
Spider-Man (2002) | Archive
Back in 2022, Adam and Josh gave Sam Raimi's Spider-Man the 20th anniversary Sacred Cow treatment. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Odyssey Fever! | SVU
Jordan and Matt break format - and Zeus’s Law? - for an Odyssey-themed episode, including thoughts on the new blockbuster film, favorite Christopher Nolan films, and streaming recommendations inspired by the Homeric epic. And then a game, which Jordan dubs "My Big Fat Greek Filmspotting Game." The Odyssey (00:00:00–00:23:33) #1 Nolans (00:23:34–00:47:08) Rec Seg: Ody
"A good movie is three good scenes and no bad ones” with Billy Mernit | The Movie Racket
Story analyst Billy Mernit joins Michael Phillips to test one of Hollywood’s most enduring (and slippery) unofficial rules: Howard Hawks’ idea that a good movie is three good scenes and no bad ones.Mernit, an instructor and writer known as the “guru of rom-com,” brings nearly three decades of reading studio scripts and a working knowledge of how films get evaluated before t
The Odyssey: Nolan Makes the Ancient Epic His Own
Is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey a cinematic gift, or is it a Trojan Horse filled with the director’s narrative obsessions? Maybe both. In their review, Adam and Josh talk about the ways Nolan diverges from Homer’s epic tale, and which of the director’s previous films offer the best insight into his latest. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-
Home Sweet Homer, Pt. 1 — O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Next Picture Show
Considering The Odyssey is one of the most famous and influential stories of all time, there had been relatively few attempts to directly translate Homer’s epic poem to the big screen until Christopher Nolan came along to do it at a blockbuster scale. It’s been more common for filmmakers, such as Joel and Ethan Coen, to use it as the loose framework for a flawed hero’s
The Prestige | Archive
As part of 2020’s Christopher Nolan Oeuvre-view, Adam and Josh revisited The Prestige (2006), which – alongside his current The Odyssey – is among the rare Nolans adapted from existing material. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Budget Multi-Verse: Hulu's Redux Redux | SVU
Matt and Jordan give Hulu’s new multiverse revenge thriller Redux Redux a spin, crediting Kevin and Matthew McManus’s film for its low-budget stylishness and its central performance (by another McManus, sister Michaela). Then some Redux-inspired streaming recommendations, answers to a listener request for off-the-grid heist movies, and a game (“Multi-Box Letter-Verse”) host
11 Rules for Box Office Appeal with Amy Nicholson | The Movie Racket
Film critic Amy Nicholson joins host Michael Phillips to test a set of unofficial Hollywood axioms: Preston Sturges’ 11 Rules for Box Office Appeal.Written (or so the story goes) in the early 1940s, the list is equal parts joke and provocation, a series of blunt, sometimes baffling claims about what makes movies work. But taken together, the rules point toward something more coherent: a theo
The Sorrow and the Pity: Dismantling the Gaullist Myth | Dissident Cinema
The Dissident Cinema Marathon continues with Marcel Ophuls’s towering 1969 documentary The Sorrow and the Pity, which challenged the so-called “Gaullist myth” that the French people had largely resisted Nazi occupation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Top 5 Films of 2026 (So Far) | #1073
Adam and Josh take stock of the movie year with their Top 5 Films of 2026 (So Far), making picks that reflect the strength of of the year’s genre offerings, comedies, and intimate dramas. Plus: Massacre Theatre, and Best of ‘26 poll results. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code F
Lady Justice, Pt. 2 — Supergirl | The Next Picture Show
A good chunk of Supergirl’s DNA can be traced back to True Grit by way of the comics miniseries the film is adapting, which is why we paired it with Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2010 version of that story. But as our discussion of Craig Gillespie’s new entry in James Gunn’s revamped DC Universe details, Supergirl often feels less indebted to its space-west
Top 5 Movie Tattoos (That We'd Get) | Archive
For this week's Archive episode, we go back to 2014 for the Top 5 Movie Tattoos (That We'd Get). The "we" being Adam and Josh. 16 years later... no tats yet. But they're sticking by (most) of their picks. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The State of Streaming: Tubi | SVU
Matt and Jordan deep-dive into the free, ad-supported streaming platform Tubi. They evaluate the platform across five distinct categories: library; playback/interface; reliability; originals; and price. Plus, recommended titles to watch on Tubi, and a recommendations for a listener who is looking for a hangout comedy like semi-obscure 2005 comedy. And Producer Sam hosts this week’s game: Tub
"Every film about war ends up being pro-war" with Michael Shannon | The Movie Racket
Welcome to The Movie Racket, a new Filmspotting production hosted by Michael Phillips. Each week, we’ll test a so-called "law" of cinema — a bit of received wisdom about how movies work, or don’t. For our debut episode, actor Michael Shannon joins the show to examine a provocative claim from François Truffaut: that every film about war ends up being pro-war. Is it tru
Fargo: Lies, Myths, and Murder, plus The Invite | #1072
Adam and Josh celebrate Fargo's 30th anniversary with a Pantheon Project review (the show’s longest ever) of the Coen Brothers' career-altering 1996 film. Plus, Olivia Wilde's The Invite, David Wain's Gail Daughtry's Celebrity Sex Pass, and listeners choose the best pair of '90s blockbusters. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that
Miller's Crossing | Archive
This week's archive episode is Adam and Josh's 2018 Sacred Cow review of the Coen Brothers' period gangster film Miller's Crossing. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Little Brother: Chaos Agent vs. Real Estate Agent | SVU
Matt and Jordan review Netflix’s new comedy Little Brother, which stars Eric Andre as a chaos agent who disrupts the life of a tightly wound real estate agent played by John Cena. Hijinx, nudity, and parabolas of urine ensue. Then, in Rec Seg, they offer some related streaming titles, including a musical dramedy about brothers and a classic '70s comedy. Plus, in reply to a listener streaming
Lady Justice, Pt. 1 — True Grit (2010) | The Next Picture Show
The new Supergirl isn’t an outright adaptation of the comic-book miniseries Woman of Tomorrow, but it retains enough of its shape that it evokes that comic’s own source of inspiration, True Grit. Either of the two film adaptations of Charles Portis’ 1968 Western novel about a young girl enlisting a reluctant, drunken hero to help her enact revenge would have p
Inception vs. Interstellar | Movie Death Match
Welcome to the sophomore installment of Movie Death Match. Host Chris Klimek presides as two Christopher Nolan films go head to head in anticipation of The Odyssey. Arguing for Inception is Bilge Ebiri (Vulture), while Abigail James (@popculturescientist) advocates for Interstellar. Which film offers the more emotionally resonant lead performance and better captures Nolan’s vision of time &m
Independence Day at 30: America Saves the Universe | #1071
Adam and Josh celebrate the holiday weekend with a "Blind Cow" review of Independence Day, the #1 movie at the box office back in '96. Thirty summers after its release, Adam catches up with Roland Emmerich's alien-invasion spectacle, and Josh (originally a fan) sees if it holds up. Plus, a summer-themed edition of Massacre Theatre and a recap of last weekend's 2nd annual Filmspotting Fest, which f
Interstellar | Archive
As part of their 2020 Christopher Nolan "Oeuvre-view," Adam and Josh revisited 2014's Interstellar, a film they'd split on six years earlier. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In The Hand of Dante: Pussycats and Purple Prose | SVU
Matt and Jordan check out Julian Schnabel’s In The Hand of Dante, a rare midsummer Netflix prestige picture with a stacked cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Al Pacino, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Jason Momoa, and Martin Scorsese as a bearded medieval sage. Despite the talent and the reliably gorgeous cinematography, Schnabel’s film might be the worst thing Matt and Jordan have had to
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