Here Are the Nominees revisits a randomly selected Oscar-nominated film from the past. We’ll examine the nominations it received, weigh in on their merit, and see how the film holds up in general today.
The Nominations:
- Best Actor – Richard Dreyfuss
Month: May 2020
Talkie Talk #220: Sonic the Hedgehog / Birds of Prey / The Lovebirds / Blow the Man Down
/
RSS Feed
The Fearsome Foursome returns, threatens to end the podcast in the first 30 seconds, and then proceeds to unleash take after take on recent streaming titles. We touch on some recent news (HBO Max launching, The Snyder Cut actually happening) and then end the podcast for real. End this podcast specifically, not end the podcast in general.
TJ: Sonic the Hedgehog Movie
Chris: Love Island, Survivor
Brent: Birds of Prey, The Half of It
David: The Lovebirds, Crip Camp, Blow the Man Down
Reality Roundup: The Challenge
Breezy on the Streets: HBO Max launching / The Snyder Cut of Justice League actually coming out
What to Watch on VOD: The Vast of Night
>Direct Podcast RSS feed: here!
> Contact: email, Facebook (movies, TV, games), and Twitter!
> Check out The Media By Us Facebook Page too!
> Review us on iTunes, Google Play, or anywhere!
Warning: Some mild language. Some language is picante.
> Intro theme courtesy of The Willow Walkers
> Outro song “Extemporaneous Birth” courtesy of Boo Reefa
Talkie Talk #219: John Henry / Wendy / The Half of It / Survivor Finale
/
RSS Feed
The gang’s all here, here being each in their separate and safe homes. We watched things — some 2020 movies (John Henry, Wendy, The Half of It, and more!) some older movies (check the notes below) and we dish on the finale of Survivor and (spoiler alert) the crowning of King Tony. Listen to us with your ear holes while we listen to you as well (podcasts go both ways, we can hear you).
Chris: John Henry, Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
TJ: The Way Back, Onward, Rope, Underwater, Wendy
David: The Half of It, Out of Africa, Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Playing: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Brent: La La Land, Arrival, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Knives Out, Mad Max: Fury Road, Robin Hood (BBC Series)
Reality Roundup: Survivor
Breezy on the Streets: Taika Waititi’s Star Wars film / Dual Tiger King narratives in pre-production (Nic Cage, Tara Reid, Kate McKinnon, oh my!) / Hamilton coming to Disney+ early / R.I.P. – Fred Willard, Lynn Shelton
What to Watch on VOD: Inheritance / The Lovebirds
>Direct Podcast RSS feed: here!
> Contact: email, Facebook (movies, TV, games), and Twitter!
> Check out The Media By Us Facebook Page too!
> Review us on iTunes, Google Play, or anywhere!
Warning: Some mild language. Some language is picante.
> Intro theme courtesy of The Willow Walkers
> Outro song “Extemporaneous Birth” courtesy of Boo Reefa
Free Fire (2016)
There was a point in time where Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire would have become an instant favorite for me. Around age 21 or so, when a cavalcade of bullets and some cheeky music is all it would take to turn my head, sounds about right. When I was 23, I thought Lucky Number Slevin was pretty brilliant, so there’s no reason why Free Fire wouldn’t have earned my adoration as well.
After all, there’s a lot to like about Free Fire. Starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sharlton Copley, and a bunch of other people you recognize as that guy who was in that thing, it’s a remarkably simple story: One group (Larson, Murphy, et al.) arrives at a warehouse to buy some guns from a dealer (Copley) via a facilitator (Hammer). Due to a personal dispute among henchmen from each side, the deal goes bad and a shootout ensues. And that’s it. That’s the whole movie. Free Fire is a scant 90 minutes, and it’s all about the shootout.
In a way, it’s refreshing. The film starts a little unevenly, establishing characters and subplots that seem forced, and you wonder exactly what sort of rote crime-focused black comedy we’re in store for. After 5 minutes of these characters delivering pre-meeting dialogue, I was nearly ready to opt out of the film altogether. Nothing was natural or painless. But once the movie settles into the long fight, you can relax a little. This isn’t going anywhere else. There aren’t going to be any big storylines that disappoint you later, because there aren’t any at all. In an age where so many movies feel the need to out-twist or out-set piece one another, I came to appreciate the economy of Wheatley’s and co-writer Amy Jump’s story.
Continue reading “Free Fire (2016)”