A.Ron and Jim blow all the doors down on the latest episode of HBO’s The Deuce, “We’re All Beasts”. It provokes a lot of meta discussion about progressive politics, America’s long lost battle against vice, and offensive analogies. We also talk about Eileen’s guerrilla film-making campaign for what looks to be the very watchable Red Hot. Finally, A.Ron reacts to a 70s-era porno!
It’s been three years since Don Draper and Peggy Olson left our televisions, and now Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner is back with something to say? Is it good, is it bad, is it something even worth saying? After seeing 180 minutes of his new series, The Romanoffs, we’re still oddly divided on answering those basic questions. It’s beautiful, and thoughtful, and at times absorbing, but are the disconnected lives of eight (perhaps delusional) offspring of the fallen House Romanov interesting enough to merit our attention? Over the next seven weeks we’ll see what we make of it together!
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As we move out of the studio we’ve been in for the past 2 years, we thought we’d give a quick tour of our technical setup as well as all of the decorations and other stuff you don’t get to see in our usual videos. This space has served us well but the next studio will be bigger, better, and hopefully more professional.
Special thanks to returning commissioner Sean Ray for having us devote a few hours to Oliver Stone’s 1991 political thriller, JFK. The film is a weird duck. In our opinion, the movie is a work of pure flim-flam. However, it’s also one of my favorite movies to watch, because it’s a really well done, and interesting piece of flim-flam that belies it’s crazy long run time and features Oliver Stone using every last ounce of his considerable film-making skill to confuse, beguile and bedazzle his audience. This movie is so star studded that few films are capable of approaching it on acting wattage alone. The sound track by John Williams hits all the right notes, from sweaty, cigarette-hazed and mentally crazed late night conspiracy theories to soaring patriotic hymns. Aside from it being, you know, mostly fiction, we’re also uncomfortable with the Grand Gay Conspiracy angle that’s being pushed. But it also sparks a lot of conversation about conspiracies in general, America’s uncomfortable relationship with Vietnam and the truth, and just why the hell is material related to the JFK assassination still classified, anyway?
Jim and A.Ron went to see Bad Times at the El Royale and give it mixed reviews. Writer/Director Drew Goddard throws a lot of slow, character and dialog driven set pieces at the audience, mixed up and out of order, until finishing the movie with a spasm of violence and action. Jim enjoyed the performances and the movie held his interest throughout, whereas I thought the ending didn’t do enough to justify the other two hours, and thought a lot of the characters were pretty thin for a dialog and character driven movie. But the film is stylish and slick enough that perhaps you’ll be able to forgive it’s flaws?
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Cecily and A.Ron open up the mailbag and consider feedback for the latest episode of FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse, “Boy Wonder”.
Cecily and A.Ron have declared Condition BANGER for this episode of FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse, “Boy Wonder”. This episode has some solid horror and creepy visuals and themes, smartly builds upon the show’s existing Witch lore, we continue to be amused by the oppressed Warlocks, and we get more Lily Rabe and more STEVIE NICKS! We love Stevie Nicks. But we also ask, what exactly is she doing here? Like, in universe, Stevie Nicks is a witch. Who’s only power seems to be enrapturing Lily Rabe. Perhaps that’s enough. I mean, it’s better than Coco’s amazing gluten power. Don’t forget to email us, and we’ll be back Friday for FEEDBACK!
Jim and A.Ron have mixed reviews for AMC’s Better Call Saul’s season four finale, “Winner”. We’re a house divided as to whether “Winner” did enough to justify this season’s at times uneven pacing and anti-climactic storytelling. Still, neither of us think the season was bad by any stretch, and this episode has tons of great scenes; the end of Mike and Werner’s working relationship, Kim coming to the realization that she’s just another in a long line of Jimmy’s suckers, Jimmy breaking down in his Esteem at the fundamental injustice he feels he faces in society. Whether it all adds up to a compelling whole is a question everyone has to answer for themselves. Regardless, we’ll be back next week to wrap things up and entertain counter arguments and theories for what territory Saul will be treading next. See you then!
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Watch us record the podcast, including all the sound checks, flubs, and riveting research breaks that you’ve always wished you could see… Hey, at least you can hear the podcast before anyone else.