Alternate Ending - Movie Review Podcast

From sleeping amongst the wildlife to building set pieces from scratch, Robin Wright went all in on Land Robin Wright hasn't done many interviews on her new film Land. We know, because we googled like crazy to capture a glimpse of her, in an effort to baseline our conversational expectations.  So why us, we thought?  We're not professional interviewers, by any stretch, and we're not exactly People magazine.  The truth is, our chat with Wright about her directorial debut, Land, will forever remain one of those magical mysteries that make life wild and unpredictable. Leading up to the interview we joked a lot about how we could infuse questions about The Princess Bride and House of Cards, but all the sarcasm flew out the door 15 minutes leading up to our interview. My left arm pit was sweating like crazy, my right eye was rapidly twitching and Rob had started doing the thing he does where he talks more intensely and asks me lots of questions, which only makes my arm pit sweat more. Then, there she was.  Gosh d

The Alternate Ending gang is going to the Sundance Film Festival! Or, anyway, the Sundance Film Festival is coming to us: due to the ongoing public health crisis, the 2021 edition of the fest is going to be conducted entirely online from January 28-February 3, meaning that we don't even have to brave the snowy mountains of Utah to get a peek at the wide world of indie films. We can do it right from the equally snow fields of Wisconsin. But at least we don't have to deal with mountains! Um... Either way, we have a wide assortment of 72 films to pick from, and we're going to spend our next episode  getting ready for the festival by discussing some of the movies we're most excited to see, from new works by major directors to exciting debuts, from gritty documentaries to feverish genre films. Our Sundance 2021 preview will also give us a chance to compare notes on the best way to tackle a film festival in strange times like these. Check out the Sundance schedule! In Worth Mentioning, we cover Monty Python's Life

So we've reached the end of another very normal year, full of very normal movies, and there's only one thing to do: painstakingly sort through all the many, many films available to us, to select our top ten best movies of 2020. Join us as we share notes on our many adventures with streaming, our very few (and genuinely nerve-wracking experiences with post-pandemic movie theaters, and all the time we've had to catch up on great movies from years past. Reliving the last 12 months might sound like the worst decision you could possibly make right now, but with Rob, Carrie, and Tim by your side, we promise it will be... probably still pretty horrible, but at least with dick jokes! Rob: 10. The Climb 9. The Painter and the Thief 8. Boys State 7. Sound of Metal 6. The Invisible Man 5. The Nest 4. Let Him Go 3. Love and Monsters 2. Palm Springs 1. The Trial of the Chicago 7 Carrie: 10. Run 9. Happiest Season 8. The Trial of the Chicago 7 7. Never Rarely Sometimes Always 6. Spontaneous 5. Love and Monsters

Almost as much as Santa Claus and reindeer, you can't have a Christmas movie without some miserable SOB who starts out by humbugging their way through throngs of cheerful celebrants and has, by the end of the second hour, learned the True Meaning of Christmas, whatever it might be in this case. To help our own hearts grow two-and-a-half sizes at the end of this tough year, we're looking at our top five curmudgeons in Christmas movies, the bitter old souls who just need a dew-eyed child, or a festive song, or a kindly old man in a red hat, or a hellfire vision of their own death, to be jolted into feeling peace and goodwill for all humankind. In Worth Mentioning we cover Wild Mountain Thyme, Bad Education, Peppermint and the recent Warner Bros. announcment.

This week's podcast topic comes from Patreon subscriber Jack Chivers, who has asked us to look at our favorite films from the United Kingdom, a national cinema broad enough to include stories about nice people laughing while having tea, crying while having tea, and getting shot by gangsters while having tea. There are films as intimate as a working class romance and as epic in their sprawl as the Harry Potter series, as hilarious as the work of Monty Python and as horrifying as a Carry On sequel. As long as it's from Britain, it's fair game for our list of the Top 5 British films. In Worth Mentioning we cover Hillbilly Elegy, The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two and The Day the Earth Stood Stillthanks to Patron Zev Burrows.

If there's one thing The Nest is not, it's light and breezy. It's heavy and chest tightening and emotionally dense. So naturally, with so much to unpack, our first question for Sean Durkin was if he saw any resemblance between Jude Law and Rob Jarosinski. There was awkward laughter, but no confirmation.    A bit about Sean Durkin Born in Canada (lucky feller), Sean Durkin won his first cinematic accolade at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for his first feature Martha Marcy May Marlene.  His short film, Mary Last Seen, on the same theme as Martha, won the award for best short film at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.  Nearly a decade later, Durkin released his second film, The Nest(which feels a lot more like a sixth or seventh).  The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. On his newest feature The Nest  Like I said, The Nest is pretty gut wrenching, but in a way I haven't felt watching a movie before.  The story follows and Englishman, Rory O'Hara (Jude Law) and his American wife, Alli

I'll admit it, because I'm nothing if not honest, I had no idea who the director of Run, Aneesh Chaganty was by name (I still question how I got roped into this movie podcast thing, but anyway).  But then, I saw that he was the writer/director of Searching, which I really loved and suddenly, the pressure felt a bit greater. Just a bit about Aneesh Chaganty Sometimes you meet people and they just have a presence about them, a magnetic vibe, if you will.  I'm absolutely certain I had a weird grin plastered on my face for the entire entire interview (I won't be playing it back to find out). So this guy's 29. When Chaganty was 23, he made a two minute short film called Seeds.  It quickly became an internet sensation and garnered more than 1 million YouTune views in 24 hours.  Following its success, Chaganty was invited to join the Google 5 team at Google Creative Lab in New York City. He spent two years writing and directing Google commercials.  After working on over 25 short films and videos, Chaganty directed

Freaky Friday the 13th You can't keep a good slasher killer down, so we've got even more Freaky Behind the Scenes coming your way! This time I had the opportunity to sit down with co-screenwriter Michael Kennedy, who notoriously teamed up with director and co-writer Chris Landon in a pitch rehearsal turned creative partnership! We sat down to chat about what it means to write an openly queer character in a slasher movie, some fun sequel ideas, and how it feels to have your debut film suddenly become the only film in the back quarter of 2020. I feel like I already expended most of my Freaky analysis in the blog intro to Chris' interview, so it's time to get a glimpse into my glitzy and glamorous Hollywood lifestyle. I first met Michael in the summer of 2018, when I was brought on to produce Attack of the Queerwolf, the queer horror podcast I ended up co-hosting with Michael, Nay Bever, and Mark Fortin. Before and after recordings we would all talk shop and chat about what was going on in our lives. It was a de

All week, Rob annoyingly wandering around the house talking about our upcoming Let Him Go interview with Thomas Bezucha.  He was using a thick Italian mobster accent and probably mispronouncing his name "Ba-zooooo-ka." By the time we got to the interview, it was so burned in my brain, that there's a fair chance I referred to him as a large rocket launcher weapon. Thomas Bezucha in a nutshell Please, please comment below if you read the above headline and instantly thought about Robin Williams. I need to know, so we can be friends forever. Anyway, Thomas Bezucha is an American screenwriter and film director.  If you don't recognize his name you'll certainly recognize his filmography.  He wrote and directed the films Big Eden (2000), The Family Stone (2005) and Monte Carlo (2011).  He also co-wrote the films The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) and The Good House. Admittedly, I haven't seen any of his earlier films.  I asked Rob not to share, but like in all good relationships, he failed me

I have been extremely lucky in my life as an entertainment personality-type person to have already had the chance to podcast with Chris Landon twice before (most recently about the movie Carrie). Not only is Chris the writer-director of Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, and his new upcoming feature Freaky, co-written with Michael Kennedy, but he’s also one of the most genuinely nice guys working in the industry today. He did nothing to dim that impression when we sat down for this interview where we chat about Freaky, how a pitch rehearsal turned into a full-on partnership, the importance of giving a queer character time to shine, how to turn your home into the perfect Freaky viewing environment, and (definitely most importantly) what we’re watching during quarantine. One thing that we hit on in our discussion is the queer element of Freaky, which is certainly foregrounded: one of the lead characters is a queer teen. But that isn't the only way Freaky, which was writ

Have you ever noticed the pattern of successful entertainment personalities, having experienced some sort of adversity or hardship when they were young? The comedian whose Dad was an abusive jerk.  The actor who was bullied for their acne or their off-brand jeans or their haircut (you know the important stuff that bullies care about).  As a creator, you can control the narrative and ultimately, the outcome for your characters (what should happen).  For Jacob Chase, Come Play, has a message about loneliness, about empathy and about overcoming the qualities in ourselves that challenge us most. A bit about Come Play It's fair to say (I double checked with Jacob Chase) that Come Play is a blend of The Babadook and ET.  Despite the heart-racing jump scares and sweat-inducing practical effects, when the terrifying monster Larry emerges, I kind of wanted to reach out my finger and say "Lar-Ry Phone Home."  In fact, all Larry wants is a friend.  The story centers around a little boy named Oliver (Azhy Robertson) wh

Screen legend Sean Connery passed away on October 31 at the age of 90, and we at Alternate Ending celebrate his career by devoting this podcast to the highlights of his career - the best performances, the best movies, and the most sadly appropriate opportunity Carrie has ever had to put Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade at #1 on her top 5 list. In Worth Mentioning we cover Come Play, Let Him Go and The Dark and the Wicked. Don't forget to fill out our survey for a chance to win a free Prime Video rental! Once you've filled out the survey, just shoot us an email at contact@alternateending.com to let us know.

This week we had the chance to sit down with The Dark and the Wicked producer, Adrienne Biddle.  We talked about the making of the film and our feelings on the movie, but we ended up spending a good chunk of time discussing her path to becoming a film producer.  Schooling, early grunt-jobs, relationship building, the whole thing. It was such an enlightening conversation because I've always wondered what a producer actually does. But before we talk about The Dark and the Wicked Indulge me for a little only somewhat relevant story.  Back in 2008, I was at a wedding (with a date that wasn't Rob) and it was kind of fancy shindig.  The groom, was my then-boyfriend's uncle. He was one of those guys who sometimes acted and sometimes bought and sold sports tickets and sometimes probably sold drugs (who knows). I remember there was a "special guest" coming and everybody was being weird about ensuring this guy and his wife were getting the real VIP treatment.  My job was to ensure my car was void of candy wrappers and

Ten minutes into The True Adventures of Wolfboy, we were triggered.  You see, I usually shut off movies about bullying and Rob is super self-conscious about his body hair (he has the perfect amount of body hair), so when a young kid with hypertrichosis gets verbally abused by some douchebags at a carnival, tensions were high. About The True Adventures of Wolfboy The True Adventures of Wolfboy follows a young boy named Paul (Jaeden Martell) who has hypertrichosis, an affliction which causes you to grow hair, everywhere.  He’s living a somewhat sheltered life with his Dad (Chris Messina), who is encouraging him to face society, but not necessarily pushing him the right ways.  I love the idea that he wants so much for his kid to be strong and feel confident, but his approach really does just feel like he’s throwing him to the wolves (yea, I know what I said).  Desperate to find a place where he doesn’t feel so ostracized, his Dad searches out a boarding school for “unique children”.  In response, Paul runs off i

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Bride of Alternate Ending! Tim and AE contributor Brennan have joined forces for a monthly Patreon show covering everything horror! We’re starting out our run with a special Halloween preview on the main feed dicussing the 1975 cult classic THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW! Topics include unpopular opinions on the live show experience, the largely ignored tributes to 50’s science fiction, whether or not this movie is truly “bad,” and the refractory period of U.S. presidents! For further episodes of this show, join the Alternate Ending Patreon at the $3 tier or above here: https://www.patreon.com/alternateending

Halloween is almost upon us, which means it's time for our annual dive into the spooky and scary. This year, we're going to be blunt and to the point: our top 5 jump scares in movie history. The simplest, most brutal way a filmmaker can give audiences a good wallop, jump scares sometimes get slagged for being too cheap and artless, but used well, they can be one of the most portent tools in the horror director's arsenal. To prove it, we're going to look at our very favorite examples of the form along with a special guest. In Worth Mentioning, we cover Borat 2, The Witches and Synchronic.

Rob and I got into a marital tift the other night because I made the claim that I never lie.  He didn’t agree.  He contests that I omit details in a way that leads people to believe something that isn’t true. That’s not lying right? That’s just a totally healthy need for people to like me.  So, in our interview with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, this plays out something like this, - “I have to tell you, in the first 2 minutes of Synchronic I was totally getting vibes of Midsommar…” and what I was about to say was “THANK GOD it wasn’t like that, because that movie was the WORST” but Moorehead jumped in to let me know that “If I loved Midsommar… I should definitely check out his film “The Endless” to which I replied, “Ooooh… I’ll definitely have to check that out!” But see, I didn’t say what movie or when I would be checking it out…so see? Not a lie. (Edit: It turns out, I've see The Endless...shhh don't tell) A bit about Synchronic Two friends Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) are best frie

The truth is, if I’d known what Cicada was going to be about, I’m not sure I would have watched the film.  I would have read the three sentence synopsis and surmised that it would be too painful, too grueling and that it would break my heart - and it was, and it did.  Though, beyond the stomach-knots and frustrated tears, there is so much beauty and love I would have otherwise missed.  To me, the cliche of having to know pain to know joy is only sometimes true.  There is nothing purposeful or deserving about any of this, which just sort of ends up making me want to go find a few people depicted in this movie and slash their tires, but I digress. Deep Breaths… Let me tell you about Cicada (Disclaimer: I was really hoping to find a Wiki link to the plot synopsis, because a writer I am not.  Also, as a straight, cis, white woman, I’m feeling particularly fraudulent.  That said, Cicada deserves to be represented in the best way. And alas, there isn’t a Wiki page, but it’s important to me that you know about this

When I was in my mid-twenties, I spent my days in a cubical, mindlessly tinkering with the calculator on my desk, figuring out how much I had to save to retire at 40.  Sometimes, I would organize my post-it notes in rainbow color order, and the pens too, if I wasn't too busy.  There was a coffee shop in my building, so every few hours, I'd sucker a co-worker into grabbing a caramel latte with me.  I'm horrified when I look back on these years, I mean, do you have any idea how many calories are in one of those lattes?! Kourtney Bell on the other hand Kourtney Bell knew she wanted to become an actress when she was 7. She developed a plan. She got involved in high school theatre.  Bell compromised with her parents, that she could pursue something in Hollywood, as long as it was agreed to that education was on the life plan. From there, Bell went on to study at the University of Michigan and majored in the arts, while balancing a few acting opportunities.  I'm always so envious of people whose goals are so clearl

If you give me just 2 seconds I'm going to blow your mind.  Love and Monsters is going to be your favorite movie of 2020. There I said it.  Admittedly, it's not mine. But it will be yours.  That's because it's TIED for my favorite movie of the year with Spontaneous. Which, I realize it cheating, but there are no rules around here. First a bit about Michael Matthews… I have no idea how old Michael Matthews is, but what I'm coming to find is that by the time you're making great movies in Hollywood, you're more than likely just-about my age.  I pressure test this by dropping breadcrumbs for them to disclose their favorite movies.  If they say something like, The Machinist, I'm thinking "hmmm good taste, but favorite?"... if they something like (500 Days of Summer), again I'm thinking "Cute, but you're wrong" and if they say Inception, I just assume they're 15 years old and know nothing of cinema and I hang up on them. Or they're Rob. But let me tell you what happened, I dropped my breadcrumb.  Matthews throws