Cinema Misfits, Episode 82: Dallas Buyers Club, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Philomena

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man reviews six films in ninety seconds.

Dallas Buyers Club.  First Anne Hathaway lost 25 pounds to be in Les Miserables, and now Matthew McConaughey loses even more weight for his role in Dallas Buyers Club.  In the future, Academy members won’t vote for best actor but will hold a weigh-in, and whoever comes in lowest will take the Oscar.

Inside Llewyn Davis.  Even though critics seem to love Inside Llewyn Davis, fans of folk music probably haven’t been this outraged since Dylan went “electric” at the Newport Folk Festival.

Philomena.  This is the story of a woman who was forced by a convent to sign away the parental rights to her young son, and of her 50 year search to find him.  You know, sometimes it seems like it takes that long to find a decent movie at the local multiplex, but if you go to see this film, both your search, and Philomena’s, will have a happy ending.

Thanks for listening! We’ll be back in three weeks.

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Cinema Misfits, Episode 81: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Out of the Furnace, and Rush

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man reviews six films in 90 seconds.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  While not quite a bullseye, Catching Fire is far from being a “bouncer.”  In this segment, Katarina Aguilar joins the Misfits to discuss the film adaptation of the second book in The Hunger Games series.

Out of the Furnace.  It’s less about revenge and bare-knuckle fighting than it is about Christian Bale stoically emoting.

Rush.  Ron Howard’s new film is a flag to flag winner.  Great story, great characters, and great racing action from beginning to end.

Thanks for listening! We’ll be back in three weeks.

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Cinema Misfits Podcast, Episode 80: Nebraska, The Book Theif, and Frozen

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man reviews six films in ninety seconds.

Nebraska.  Even though Nebraska is in black and white, most things in life aren’t–except maybe the Misfits opinions about Alexander Payne’s new film.  Two of them loved it, and two of them hated it.

The Book Thief.  This quote from Flaubert could be used as the tag line for The Book Thief:  Do not read to amuse yourself, or for the purpose of instruction.  No, read in order to live.

Cinema Misfits Podcast, Episode 79: Thor: The Dark World, Enders’ Game, and 12 Years a Slave

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man reviews six films in ninety seconds!

Thor: The Dark World.  Hollywood has its own version of the Asgardian Convergence.  Every so often the availability of A-list actors aligns with a confused script, two hundred million dollars, and a green light, resulting in a blockbuster motion picture.  Portals open at movie theaters all over the world, and huge amounts of money are sucked into the studio coffers.

Ender’s Game.  Given the success of this film, it’s not likely to end here, and that’s a good thing—both for fans of the book and movie-goers.

Cinema Misfits Podcast, Episode 78: Escape Plan, The Counselor, and About Time

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man reviews six films in ninety seconds.

Escape Plan.  Even though Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone can get out of a high-tech prison that’s sealed off from the world in an enormous cargo ship, they are unable to escape from the Misfits’ enthusiasm for their new film.

The Counselor.  Forget about legal counsel, maybe Ridley Scott should have consulted with a different writer than Cormac McCarthy before making his latest movie.

Bonus Twofer Somali Pirates Episode: Captain Phillips and A Hijacking

Captain Phillips and A Hijacking are as different in execution as they are similar in subject matter.  Captain Phillips, although presented in a straightforward, almost documentary style, still embraces many of the Hollywood conventions in terms of character and structure.  A Hijacking, on the other hand, presents a more fragmented, dispassionate story, the moments of repressed fear and anger resulting in a steady, building, cumulative intensity, which is both involving and sometimes frustrating for a viewer.  The Misfits weigh the pros and cons of these two filmmaking approaches, and also ask the question, “Who is the captain?” and wonder, “Does anyone really want to be the captain?”

Thanks for listening! We’ll be back in three weeks.

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Cinema Misfits Podcast, Episode 77: Carrie, Room 237, and Gravity

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man reviews six films in ninety seconds.

Carrie.  Watching the remake of Carrie is a bit like being locked in a closet with a bunch of dull people for ninety minutes.

Room 237.  If Stanley Kubrick had wanted to make room 237 in The Shining really scary, he would have filled it with film critics and conspiracy-theory nuts arguing about the meaning of his film.

Cinema Misfits, Bonus Halloween Episode: Exorcist II: The Heretic, Jaws 2, and Psycho II

The Exorcist, Jaws, and Psycho.  Each one of these films spawned a sequel, bastard offspring that, for the most part, the creators of the original versions refused to have anything to do with.  In this Bonus Halloween Episode, the Misfits take a second look at Exorcist II: The Heretic, Jaws 2,  and Psycho II, and find that while these are flawed films, lost in the shadows cast by their predecessors, they do have their own small ambitions and marginal successes.  They are also, in many cases, unintentionally laugh-out-loud funny.

Thanks for listening! We’ll be back in three weeks.

Subscribe at iTunes!

Cinema Misfits Podcast, Episode 76: The Spectacular Now, The World’s End, The Butler, and Oscar Predictions

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man reviews six films in ninety seconds.

The Spectacular Now.  For the Misfits, it wasn’t all that spectacular–then, now, or later.

The World’s End.  If the world’s got to end, this isn’t such a bad way to go:  beer, robots, and laughs.

Cinema Misfits Podcast, Episode 75: 2 Guns, The Sapphires, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and Elysiumn

6 ‘n 90!  Da Man does six reviews in ninety seconds.

2 Guns.  It has all the elements found in a Tarantino film: a crazy diner scene, a non-linear timeline, and a couple of bickering anti-heroes exchanging clever quips.  Unfortunately, what it doesn’t have is Quentin Tarantino.

The Sapphires.  This film is a lot like a cover version of a classic American hit performed by a foreign band.  Just different enough to be interesting, and while not particularly original, makes up for it with a lot of energy and heart.