Random Acts of Cinema

Each week friends Mike and Charlie have Randy (the random number generator) select a film for them to watch from the Criterion Collection. Then they discuss and review it for your listening pleasure. It’s a podcast about the love of film, expanding horizons, painstakingly cataloging the duration of every long take, and friendship.

326 - Metropolitan (1990) 12/30/2025

326 - Metropolitan (1990) Finally, a movie comes along with the guts to ask the question: can you be a Fourierist AND a Vebleninian at the same time? Explore this question and more at the Manhattan debutante ball season after parties of Whit Stillman’s career defining entrée about class, love, and pretentious discussion topics. *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Juan Bustillo Oro’s Dos Monjes (1934). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/39563415

575 - The Killing (1956) 12/22/2025

575 - The Killing (1956) Kubrick is on the podcast! Or at least one of his films was finally randomly selected for the first time. And he gives us a self-produced, time-zagging, bracingly-funny, bloody, homage-satire of hard-boiled noir. *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan (1990). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/39501245

1000 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) 12/15/2025

1000 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) We return once more to the Godzilla Showa-era films with Jun Fukuda’s 1974 introduction of some kind of a… Robo-Godzilla! I think that’s what they call it. And some aliens. Oh, and there’s a new surprise secret monster called King Caesar also. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing (1956). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/39414900

92 - Fiend Without A Face (1958) 12/11/2025

92 - Fiend Without A Face (1958) Director Arthur Crabtree delves into the late 1950’s world of atomic, Cold War, body-snatching paranoia except that he kind of… doesn’t? Honestly this Canada-set, B-movie, Sci-fi, creature flick feels more like a proto-Cronenberg film where it really counts. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Jun Fukuda’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/39372750

340 - Koko: A Talking Gorilla (1978) 12/01/2025

340 - Koko: A Talking Gorilla (1978) Researchers at Stanford University conducted a decades-long experiment wherein Koko, a female gorilla, was taught American Sign Language. The findings and the ethics of this experiment were then (and remain today) controversial. Director Barbet Schroeder captures intimate footage of Koko, scholars, and her caretakers, leaving the viewer to be charmed by Koko and come to their own conclusions about whether a gorilla can and should be taught how to converse at a high level with humans. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Arthur Crabtree’s Fiend Without A Face (1958). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/39216415

904 - Election (1999) 11/25/2025

904 - Election (1999) American masculinity is fully skewered. Finally. Actually, I guess everyone is skewered is Alexander Payne’s black-hearted comedy about a Midwest American high School student… election. Opinions are divided on this one. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Barbet Schroeder’s Koko: A Talking Gorilla (1978). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/39159105

147 - In The Mood For Love (2002) 11/17/2025

147 - In The Mood For Love (2002) Wong Kar Wai brings us - way back - to lovelorn Hong Kong. Upon discovering that their spouses are having an affair with with one another, two neighbors strike up a sad acquaintance that soon blossoms into an unrequited affair of their own. Of course, this makes no sense because who would ever cheat on Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung? But that’s not really the point. The point is cigarette smoke and silk dresses. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Alexander Payne’s Election (1999). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/39059925

LD59 - The Wizard of Oz (1939) 11/10/2025

LD59 - The Wizard of Oz (1939) I don’t think we’re in the standard spine numbers anymore, Toto… Because we’re returning to the Laser Disc collection with this all-timer. Are we doing this in honor of the upcoming release of the second Wicked movie? No. No we are not. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38977975

79 - W.C. Fields: 6 Short Films (1915-1933) 11/04/2025

79 - W.C. Fields: 6 Short Films (1915-1933) The most accurate description of this episode is that we review 6 Short Films starring W.C. Fields. The idea is that he’s arrogant jerk. That’s pretty much it. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz (1939). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38902075

982 - Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) 10/27/2025

982 - Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. 3 months before this, in an act of desperate love, a sex-reassignment surgery was planned and subsequently botched. And a punk/drag icon was born. John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig croons, screams, and stage-banters her way into our hearts. Don't let the fact that this is TECHNICALLY a rock opera (ugh) dissuade you from putting on your foam wig and experiencing this all-time indie classic. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing W.C. Fields - 6 Short Films (1933). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38789245

667 - Seconds (1966) 10/20/2025

667 - Seconds (1966) Frankenhiemer returns to podcast with a… weird art film? Sort of. All of the paranoia, threatened masculinity, mid-century gloss, and decaying middle-class domesticity of The Manchurian Candidate remain, but the potboiler-thriller plot is replaced with… vibes. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38647400

1277 - Born In Flames (1983) 10/14/2025

1277 - Born In Flames (1983) Director Lizzie Borden dares to imagine a world in which promised egalitarian reform is achieved, just not for women. Women from all backgrounds, walks of life, and lifestyles debate, struggle, and eventually unite to fight against male repression in this documentary-style dystopian action/drama. If that doesn’t sell this movie to you, then how about this? 1980s, queer, punk, radical feminist, New York City. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing John Frankenheimer’s Seconds (1966). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38580810

651 - Badlands (1973) 10/06/2025

651 - Badlands (1973) Our odd run of road movies continues with a classic from an American master. Terrence Mallick turns the couple-on-a-crime-spree sub genre into a deadpan fairy-tale with stirring visuals, iconic performances, and a meditative tone. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Lizzie Borden's Born in Flames (1983). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38478975

41 - Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) 10/01/2025

41 - Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) We return to Monte Hellman’s examination of American masculinity with a James Taylor and Dennis Wilson-starring road movie. Two nearly silent racers ramble across the American southwest, acquiring a disreputable father-figure, a notably underage girl, and a supporting cast of American weirdos. Vroom. Also join us for a bonus follow-up discussion now that Mike has finally watched Highest To Lowest (2025)! Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Terrence Malick’s Badlands (1973). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38418940

24 - High and Low (1963) 09/23/2025

24 - High and Low (1963) In honor of Spike Lee’s… interesting… new adaptation, we return to the surprisingly satisfying sub genre of Akira-Kurosawa-crime-thriller with his two-movies-for-the-price-of-one kidnapping procedural. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Monte Hellman’s Two-Lane Blacktop (1971). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38323500

106 - Coup de Torchon (1981) 09/15/2025

106 - Coup de Torchon (1981) Bertrand Tavernier builds a lushly realized foundation around which to topple the poisonous heart of European colonialism. Whether our hapless police chief chooses deliberate inaction, working towards everyone’s best interests, or succumbing to his own selfish impulses, everything and everyone around him rots due to the fundamental moral corruption of racism. But, like, its a comedy. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low (1963). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38209475

679 - The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) 09/09/2025

679 - The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) Edo Japan. A town swarming with warring yakuza. And one detached, unstoppable blind swordsman caught in the middle. And Tate. Don’t forget about Tate. The legend of Tate starts here. Kenji Misumi brings Zatoichi to the screen, with beautiful staging, and soapy twists and turns. Long-time guest Max joins us to put it all into a historical perspective and to make an exciting podcast announcement! Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Bertrand Tavernier’s Coup de Torchon (1981). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38138315

1115 - Adoption (1975) 09/01/2025

1115 - Adoption (1975) Hungarian director Marta Meszaros adds unprecedented depth, humanity, and a whole other meaning to the question asked in countless groan-worthy bumper stickers: “Who adopted who?” A lonely middle-aged widow is picked by a teenage girl from a nearby state-run home for children as a kindred spirit and unlikely ally. Identities like mother, daughter, friend, sister, confident, and advocate are intentionally and unintentionally tried on for size as both struggle against the constrictive demands of the well-meaning, but institutionally-bound men in their lives. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Kinjji Misumi’s The Tale of Zatoichi (1962). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/38038675

1204 - Trainspotting (1996) 08/26/2025

1204 - Trainspotting (1996) Poverty. Betrayal. Heroin. Death. But, like in a really funny and clever sort of way that’s just a real pleasure to watch. Spend some time with some of your best Scottish friends! Director Danny Boyle fully inhabits, then redefines 90s cinema, in this groundbreaking international phenomenon. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Marta Meszaros‘ Adoption (1975). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37956405

912 - An Actor’s Revenge (1963) 08/18/2025

912 - An Actor’s Revenge (1963) Kon Ichikawa sumptuous remake of an Edo-period revenge tale is magnified by lush camerawork, stirring performances, a jazzy soundtrack, and a fascinatingly unexpected exploration of gender, sexuality, and identity. The Kabuki actor Yukinojo performs and lives as a woman, breaks the hearts of all around him (men and women alike), and deftly schemes to enact vengeance on the men who destroyed her family. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting (1996). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37867045

22 - Summertime (1955) 08/11/2025

22 - Summertime (1955) How Kate got her groove back… could be an alternate title to David Lean’s Katherine Hepburn-starring romance set in the canals of mid-century Venice. An aging single American lady, looking for a little bit of culture and beauty, discovers far more than just a bit of Murano glass in this visual stunner… By which I mean that she finds no-strings-attached sex with hot Italian dudes. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Kon Ichikawa’s An Actor’s Revenge(1962). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37755440

Friedkin Fill-in! - Jade (1995) 08/05/2025

Friedkin Fill-in! - Jade (1995) Feast your ears on a special release of the Patreon-only hit podcast Are You Friedkin Kidding Me? where your intrepid hosts (plus Alexandra!) watch the films of William Friedkin. This episode…. The poster, wherein a lady is sitting upon the face of a gentleman, says it all. But you may as well also know that it features a thrillingly slow car chase through the city of San Francisco (which is kind of a character in this film, if you think about it.) Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing David Lean’s Summertime (1955). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37677705

Friedkin Fill-In! - The Guardian (1990) 07/28/2025

Friedkin Fill-In! - The Guardian (1990) Feast your ears on a special release of the Patreon-only hit podcast Are You Friedkin Kidding Me? where your intrepid hosts (plus Alexandra!) watch the films of William Friedkin. This episode…. Well it’s only his timeless 1990s erotic/thriller/horror masterpiece The Guardian! You’ll never look at Los Angeles architecture the same way ever again! Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing David Lean’s Summertime (1955). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37579380

1194 - Freaks (1932) 07/21/2025

1194 - Freaks (1932) Fresh off of his iconic career topping Dracula, director Tod Browning returns to his roots with a domestic drama/crime film cast almost entirely with side-show performers with little-to-no screen acting experience. The viewers are asked - and very much confronted with the question of - who are the REAL freaks? Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing David Lean’s Summertime (1955). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37425170

887 - Lost In America (1985) 07/14/2025

887 - Lost In America (1985) Director/Writer/Star Albert Brooks reawakens an early shared film trauma of your two loyal hosts. Can this Uber-Boomer satire of drop-out idealists living in Reagan's America be salvaged? Might it even be... good? Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Tod Browning’s Freaks (1932). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37387430

7th Annual Rando Awards 07/08/2025

7th Annual Rando Awards Now that another season of Random Acts of Cinema has passed, Hollywood can finally take a moment to catch its breath before it must prepare another year of potential delights for us to mercilessly tear to shreds. Well, not really. It’s just Rando Awards season, where your hosts reflect on and recognize the greatest things we saw in the Criterion Collection this year. Join us! Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! It you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Albert Brooks’ Lost In America (1985). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37329670

1018 - Paris is Burning (1990) 06/30/2025

1018 - Paris is Burning (1990) We are joined this week by Dan Connell for a lively discussion as the thriving, dynamic 1980s New York Ball Room scene is revealed to an unsuspecting world in Jennie Livingston’s groundbreaking documentary. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! Next week you are cordially invited to attend next week’s 7th Annual Rando Awards! /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37222565

613 - Summer Interlude (1951) 06/23/2025

613 - Summer Interlude (1951) Bergman takes us on a journey into the past, to revisit youthful summer love. But don’t worry: this is all seen through the memory of an emotionally detached beauty left unable to find meaningful emotional attachments following a pointless tragedy. But, maybe it does all of this in an uplifting way? Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning (1990). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37117910

875 - Mysterious Object at Noon (2000) 06/16/2025

875 - Mysterious Object at Noon (2000) Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul weaves a mind-bending 'exquisite corpse'-style tale with sequences narrated by documentary subjects, theatrical troupes, group interviews, cinematic recreations, talk show hosts and more all found within the context of modern Thai city and country life. The trajectory and style of the story swings wildly between formats and genres limited only by the imaginations and tastes of these diverse contributors. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Ingmar Bergman's Summer Interlude (1951). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/37027670

996 - The Circus (1928) 06/09/2025

996 - The Circus (1928) Lions! Tightropes! Clowns! Charlie Chaplin’s last true silent film brings the big top to the big screen. Hijinks ensue. Join the Random Acts of Cinema Discord server ! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be discussing and reviewing Apichatpong Weerasethakul‘s Mysterious Objects at Noon (2000). /episode/index/show/randomactsofcinema/id/36924125

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