Not much plot, just vibes. Richard Linklater gives us a look at the teenage years with doses of refreshing honesty, but keep in mind, this movie is still plenty problematic. But maybe that’s the point? Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, and Ben Affleck star in this time capsule of the teenage years. Jim and A.Ron reflect on the cultural shifts between now and the setting of Dazed and Confused.
Tentacles, spiders, and flying bugs. Oh my! When a mysterious mist rolls into town, a group of people trapped in a grocery store come into conflict with the dangerous creatures outside and the growing tension inside. Sounds crazy? Sure is! But we had plenty of parts of this movie that we really liked. Aside from a bit of the good old horror movie stupidity, it’s an engaging movie. Director Frank Darabont created a new ending that made Stephen King himself jealous, so yeah, it’s pretty dark.
It’s Cristes Mæsse in the Court of King Arthur! Anthony and Carol Parish Jamison cover David Lowery’s 2021 gem: “The Green Knight.” This film explores the intricacies of gift-giving, knighthood, and dirty tricks.
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Welcome to another First Rum Christmas! There’s a chill in the air and a chill in the heart of Ebenezer Scrooge. “Everything is Muppets and it’s glorious”, says A.Ron. Jim premieres his Muppet voice and A.Ron fancies one of the Muppets even before much whisky is consumed. It’s a heartbreaking and heartwarming story, and thanks to the drinks it’s also hilarious.
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Ralphie is back! Peter Billingsley has been peppered across some of your favorite movies throughout the years (look it up!) and now he’s back in Hohman, Indiana. If you enjoyed A Christmas Story (1983), this follow up will have you falling in love with Ralphie and Christmastime all over again. It’s as sweet as a cookie and glows with the warmth of embers in the fireplace.
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Lindsay Lohan returns to the screen in a shiny new Christmas movie with all of your favorite cliches. Watch a trust fund adult go from trope to trope in a delightful addition to the vault of Hallmark movies that you’ve watched already, don’t deny it. Grab your fuzziest blanket and a mug of hot chocolate and settle in for the latest reincarnation of your favorite Christmas movies.
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All December long Jim and A.Ron will be bringing you First Rum Christmas! Settle in because your favorite hosts have an advent calendar of rum and some great Christmas movies to discuss. First up is David Harbour’s action/Xmas flick, Violent Night. With John Wick levels of violence and surprises up every chimney, this movie deserves a way better score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson comes a movie starring Joaquin Phoenix, a troubled ex-soldier, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, a cult leader. Anderson denies that that the cult in question is Scientology, but you watch the movie and try to tell us it isn’t. Amy Adams and Laura Dern also star in Anderson’s favorite movie out of his own catalog. And we wonder, did Tom Cruise ever have to go through this auditing process?
It’s not just a philosophy teacher’s fever dream. Brazil, directed and co-written by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, has a lot to say about technology, bureaucracy, and loss of individual freedom between scenes of intestinal air ducts and suits full of sewage. There’s stuff we did and didn’t like, but I think we can all appreciate seeing Jonathan Pryce in one of his few leading roles. Grab your annotated copy of 1984 and settle in for this light sci-fi, absurdist criticism of society.
Join us as we add another Daniel Day Lewis movie to our podcast, Lincoln directed by Steven Spielberg. Lewis’s Oscar-winning performance was surrounded by a killer cast and historical accuracy. Yes, you read that right. Unlike the beloved Gladiator, Lincoln’s true to life portrayal takes a look at the titular character without the false bravado and vampires of other movies. Listen in as we dissect this masterclass in playing hate-able and lovable characters, creating authenticity in tone, and what it means to closely adhere to realism.