Episode 146 - Shane (1953) & Logan (2017)
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James Mangold loves westerns - in fact, his own remake of 3:10 to Yuma is arguably even better than the original. So when decided to take on his first franchise superhero movie, he knew exactly what film to use as a guide! Tonight MG compares his X-men saga Logan with the classic that brought him inspiration: Geoge Stevens' foundational western, Shane!
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Episode 145 - Mean Streets (1973) & The Public Enemy (1931)
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With Goodfellas, Casino, Killers of the Flower Moon, and many more, Martin Scorsese has changed the course of the crime genre multiple times - and with each reinvention, has inspired a new generation of filmmakers. But what are the crime movies that inspired him? Tonight we compare his breakout hit - Mean Streets - to one of his all-time favorites: Jimmy Cagney's gritty melodrama The Public Enemy!
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Episode 144 - Winter Kills (1979) & Cutter’s Way (1981)
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The Big Lebowski and True Grit have cemented Jeff Bridges' position as one of the greatest character actors in the history of film. But early in his career, he took some wild swings as he tried to figure out what kind of roles fit him best! Tonight we look at two of his strangest, most interesting choices - a pair of imperfect but intense thrillers that no ingénue would dare take on today: Cutter's Way and Winter Kills!
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Episode 143 - Civil War (2024)
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Alex Garland has always been on the forefront of sci-fi - exploring the future of technology in Devs, reinventing the zombie genre with 28 Days Later, questioning our basic identity Annihilation, and debating the nature of consciousness in the MG favorite Ex Machina. But his latest might be his most relevant and upsetting work yet - and certainly his biggest. Join us for his unnerving vision of Civil War!
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Episode 142 - Raging Bull (1980) & The Iron Claw (2023)
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Whether it's wrestling or boxing, nothing conveys the brutality of the ring like film does - from Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight to Darren Aaronofsky's The Wrestler. But few have ever made it more terrifyingly tactile than Scorsese did with Raging Bull - and even fewer have made it more emotional than Sean Durkin's The Iron Claw! So join MG tonight as we take a look at these knockouts!
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Episode 141 - The Player (1992) & Hail Caesar (2016)
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The list of Hollywood movies that roast Hollywood excess is a long one, with bona fide classics like Sunset Boulevard at the top of many critics all-time lists, and scrappy indies like The Big Picture throwing tomatoes from the cheap seats. But for our money, you'd be hard-pressed to find a one-two punch better than tonight's double feature: the Coen Brothers' love letter Hail Caesar! and Robert Altman's poison-penned The Player!
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Episode 140 - Going Places (1974) & Eureka (1983)
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It's Chris' and Daniel's birthdays, so get ready to clutch some pearls! Tonight we have a hand-picked double feature that's both obscure and offensive! First up, if you thought Get Out Your Handkerchiefs was going to get us canceled, wait till you see Gérard Depardieu in Going Places! After that - if you're still watching - get set for the inappropriate, insane mess of Gene Hackman's Eureka!
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Episode 139 - Swiss Army Man (2016) & Poor Things (2023)
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Prior to Everything Everywhere All at Once, the Oscars tended toward stately, serious picks. But now we see stranger and more daring fare creeping in - so tonight MG looks at how the Daniels' started clearing this path with their beautifully low-budget epic Swiss Army Man; and look at where it's led us - Emma Stone's Oscar win for her role as the wild Bella Baxter in Poor Things!
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Episode 138 - Raising Arizona (1987)
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By now, we're used to the Coen Brothers' penchant for goofy comedy, from the musical massacre in Buster Scruggs to the suggestive Navy dance number in Hail Caesar. But Blood Simple, their debut film, had been a grim, Sundance-friendly noir - so in 1987, no one suspected their sophomore effort would turn out to be a slapstick classic! Join MG as we take on Raising Arizona!
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Episode 137 - Westworld (1973) & Ex Machina (2014)
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AI's surprising growth has many people feeling nervous about the future - so tonight MG takes a look at two of the best in a long line of cautionary tales about renegade robots! First up, Alex Garland's Ex Machina, about a very strange and dangerous Turing test - followed by the groundbreaking original version of Westworld from Michael Chricton, the master of theme-parks-gone-wrong!
info_outlineClint Eastwood has directed over 40 feature films, and is now working on what he says will be his last movie, called Juror No. 2 with Nicholas Holt and Toni Collette. So to celebrate, Erick, Chris, and Daniel have chosen three films apiece to serve to celebrate his towering and incredibly varied career. There are, of course, a couple of classics - but also a few picks might be new to many listeners! Come join Martini Giant in wishing this master a happy 93nd birthday!