Bald Move Prestige - The Shining (1980)

Jim and A.Ron check into the Overlook Hotel as we are compelled to podcast on the 1980 Stanley Kubrick psychological-horror masterpiece, “The Shining”. Starring Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall, it’s an incredible combination of beautifully crafted shots, stunning and terrifying visuals and imagery, and Jack Nicholson’s fully insane acting. There is so much to discuss; the film itself, our reactions, Stephen King’s antagonism towards the film, the various theories and documentaries the film has spawned, subliminal messages and hidden meanings, and fine naked ladies with implausible afros. All this and more is discussed, and we felt like we hardly scratched the surface.

Direct - Edgar Wright – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Edgar Wright took a departure from his pasty-white British protagonists, and embarked on a journey of new discovery with a pasty-white Canadian protagonist. This week, we watched the ultra-kinetic coming-of-age video game sim known as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The film is a stage-based, third person brawler with character-driven set pieces and an impressive cast. It’s a mundane epic that punches the highlights out of your hair. Eric and Levi had a great time watching it. Join us next week for The World’s End.

A Prophet (2009)

Special thanks to Frank Cantelmi for pulling the metaphoric trigger to commission a podcast on “A Prophet”, a 2009 French film and Academy Award nominee directed by Jacques Audiard. An intense, beautiful, absorbing look in how a hapless youth is pulled ever deeper into a world of violent crime, Jim and A.Ron compare it favorably to The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Scarface. Yes, really. Thanks again, Frank!

Black Oil and Bee Stings - 1002 – Founder’s Mutation

Episode 1002 entitled “Founder’s Mutation” of the X-Files miniseries is better than the premiere, but not by a wide margin, and would be considered a middling episode back in the day. The boys explore the charms of the episode, and ask what we presume are some of the big questions raised within. We also discuss ratings so far, where we think the series is going, and our hopes for the future. See you next week!

Black Oil and Bee Stings - 1001 – My Struggle

X-Files is back, with episode 1001, “My Struggle”. It was the best of X-Files (cool space ships! Mulder and Scully! Cancer Man!), it was the worst of X-Files (retcons galore, crazy conspiracy word salad monologues, our heroes flip flopping on their skepticism / gullibility). The key was, we were kind of braced for that, so by and large we enjoyed the introduction to the relaunch / reboot for what it was, and are eager to see what they get up to now that the heavy lifting is out of the way. What did you think? We got a wide range of opinions via email and the forums, but we’d love to hear from you using the contact methods below. We’ll be back for the second episode tomorrow, see you then!