Bald Move Prestige - Heat (1995)

Special thanks to Freddy C, friend of the pod and one of the heroes from our recent Groundhog Day charity drive, who commissioned the epic 1995 crime thriller, Heat. Directed by Michael Mann and starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, among many, many other notable stars, it features some of the best looking and sounding action ever committed to film, not to mention an inspired mano a mano acting showdown between some of the greatest actors of their generation.

Watching Dead - A Walking Dead Podcast - Season 8b Preview!

Jim and I will be back for the back half of season 8 of AMC’s The Walking Dead.  Whether that is exciting or depressing is very much up to the individual, but it’s a fact, so today we’re previewing the next 8 episodes.  What do we think about Gimple’s promotion?  Is Carl really going to die?  What did we think of the pre-season trailers and marketing?  And who lives and who dies this season?  We contemplate all this and more.  See you Sunday night for the LiveWatch!

Bald Move Pulp - Black Panther (2018)

Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is a great super hero film, and an even better launching point into interesting discussions about the politics of colonialism and liberation.  Starring Chadwick Boseman as the Panther himself, and Michael B. Jordan as the best Marvel villain since Magneto, the movie is a constant challenge to one’s complacency and sense of justice.  Wakanda looks amazing, the cast is fantastic, the world they are building is both visually and philosophically amazing, to the point that one of the films weaknesses is that we were desperate to learn and know more.

Bald Move Prestige - The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)

Thanks to Melonusk for commissioning the 2005 french crime drama, De Battre Mon Cœur S’est Arrêté, or The Beat That My Heart Skipped. It tells the tale of a criminal operating in the lowest levels of French crime that has an unexpected opportunity to follow his dreams of being a concert pianist.  Pulled in two directions by the expectations of his father and his equally demanding, far less criminal piano tutor, director Jacques Audiard (director of Bald Move fave Un Prophète) finds clever ways of increasing the tension between the two paths that lie open to him.  We enjoyed the cyclical themes of father/son, teacher/student, infatuation/love and are once again impressed with Audiard’s storytelling ability, even if Jim questions how much story we’re actually being told.

Looper (2012)

Today’s commissioned podcast is Looper, the 2012 sci-fi action thriller directed by Rian Johnson and starring, Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt.  We have David Babulak to thank for this, as he’s the one who pulled the trigger and made the commission.  This movie is really, really great, thought provoking, well made, and entertaining.  It’s one of those podcasts where we sit back and think about time and space and what it’s like to meet yourself from the future, which is always fun.  It’s not perfect, but it may not be possible to make a better time travel movie that’s this much fun to watch.

Bald Move Prestige - Prisoners (2013)

Special thanks to Hatorian, the commissioner of the various Bald Move FFL divisions, and two time BMFFL champ, once again shows up to claim his prize in the form of a movie commission.  His choice is the 2013 crime thriller, Prisoners, directed by Denis Villeneuve, whom we admire a lot in these parts.  Starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, it’s as much a meditation on ethics and morality as it is a tightly plotted thriller with several twists and turns.  It features confident direction and great performances by all of the leads, and leads to a lot of discussion on vigilantism, the importance of good process, self-reliance, and notions of good and evil.  

Bald Move Pulp - Altered Carbon First Impressions

Jim and A.Ron have seen the first two episodes of Netflix’s new sci-fi film noir series Altered Carbon.  Hundreds of years into the future, the wealthy elite change bodies like we change clothes, and a fallen rebel from a long ago civil war is brought back to life by a rich immortal who wants him to investigate his own “murder”.  Intriguing premise, looks amazing, with fantastic action sequences, but we’re a bit worried that some of the lofty ideas and world building are half baked.  Nothing fatal, which, what does that even mean to a series featuring unlimited lives?  But we’re hoping for some satisfying answers and payoff in the weeks ahead. 

Charity Groundhog Day Marathon!!

We’re watching the 1993 movie Groundhog Day for 24 hours, starting on February 2nd, 2018 @ 12:01AM EST.  

Please support the National Alliance to End Homelessness during our marathon by donating here!  Donating at that link ensures that our goal progress will be tracked properly, and you’ll get an onscreen credit when you give!