Screen Thoughts - Movie & Tv Reviews

From across The Pond: two more quality series from the BBC: ​ First up: Voted Best New Drama of 2016, Doctor Foster. Written and created by the Olivier-winning playwright Mike Bartlett. Starring Suranne Jones (who won a BAFTA for her portrayal) as the doctor who suspects her husband of having an affair. Co-starring Bertie Carvel (as the husband), Tom Taylor (as the son), Thusitha Jayasundera (as the frenemy) and Jodie Comer from Thirteen (as the potential other woman). Available on Netflix. ​ At 15:17: Love, Lies and Records. Starring Ashley Jensen as the overseer of the Leeds Register Office - and the people who spend their workdays registering life's milestones, such as birth, marriage, and death. Available via Acorn TV (the folks who brought us Striking Out and A Place to Call Home). ​ 20:44: In honor of Dr. Foster, this week's #ListofSix: Our 6 Favorite Movies/Series About Women in Marital Crises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Titanic turns 20; Edward Norton on streaming models in conversation with Goldman Sachs; Woody Allen celebrates his 82nd birthday with the release of Wonder Wheel; what would happen if Aaron Sorkin were to reboot The West Wing; Season 2 of The Crown drops December 8 on Netflix. ​ It's then on to two of Netflix' latest offerings: ​ At 12:55: A movie carried by Carey? Hollister reviews Mudbound (starring Carey Mulligan & Mary J. Blige). ​ 18:22: O'Toole binges on the 10-episode offering of Dark, Netflix' first original German series - an atmospheric-supernatural-time-travelly-family drama-psycho thriller. Jawohl! ​ 27:38: In honor of Dark, this week's #ListofSix: Our 6 Favorite Movies About Germany. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An American classic (with a majority non-American cast) turns 75; Hollister revisits Pride and Prejudice (2006); O'Toole reveals which Downton Abbey star performs the audiobook version of Murder on the Orient Express. ​ At 7:35: Leaving last week's meditation on kindness (Wonder) far behind, this week it's all about Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh; starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson (LBJ; The Glass Castle), Lucas Hedges (Lady Bird, Manchester by the Sea) and Sam Rockwell. One of us thought it was a stark but beautiful tale of forgiveness; the other says it left a stain on her soul. ​ 36:23: This week's #ListofSix: Our 6 Favorite Things About Frances McDormand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will there be another season for Last Tango in Halifax? Liar? Hollister celebrates two anniversaries - and revisits Lady Bird. ​ At 9:36: Just in time for Thanksgiving, a meditation on kindness: Wonder, written and directed by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower; Beauty and the Beast). Based on the bestselling novel by R.J. Palacio, founder of the #ChooseKind movement. Starring Jacob Tremblay (Room); Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic, Daveed Diggs, and Mandy Patinkin (Homeland). ​ 28:43: In honor of Thanksgiving, this week's #ListofSix: Gratitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

O'Toole bumps into her favorite celebrity; the 300th episode of Grey's Anatomy; Julianna Margulies returns to the small screen; Hollister weighs in on Kevin Spacey. ​ At 12:48: Oh Canada! Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) is back with Alias Grace. Adapted by Sarah Polley; starring Sarah Gadon (A Royal Night Out; Indignation), Edward Holcroft (London Spy), and Anna Paquin (the first millennial to win an Oscar). ​ 23:23: Glee meets Juno? O'Toole on Lady Bird, written and directed by Greta Gerwig (20th Century Women; Mistress America; Maggie's Plan). Starring Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn), Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts (Indignation; The Lovers), and Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea). ​ 32:00: Hollister on LBJ. Directed by Rob Reiner and starring Woody Harrelson (The Glass Castle). Co-starring Jennifer Jason Leigh (as that other Lady Bird), Bill Pullman (Battle of the Sexes), and Richard Jenkins (The Hollars). ​ 36:54: This week's #ListofSix: Our Six Favorite Presidential Portrayals. Learn more about your a

Prepare for a very special podcast: Hollister shares her one-on-one interview with the legendary, literary Warren Adler - the man who named the Watergate complex in DC. ​ Though he didn't publish his first book until he was 46, Warren Adler has gone on to pen over 50 novels, 12 of which have been optioned by Hollywood (including The War of the Roses, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito; and Random Hearts - starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas; directed by Sydney Pollack). Highlights include: - what books can accomplish that no other art form can - why Sydney Pollack and Harrison Ford weren’t happy when he did “the worst thing I writer could ever do” - the role Dustin Hoffman played in bringing Random Hearts to the big screen - Warren Adler’s Hollywood record - how he’s decided to control his own destiny - the 3 questions fiction writers are always asked - why writers shouldn’t worry about exposing secrets - on how a man who’s been very happily married for 67 years

Saving Private Ryan. Schindler's List. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Phone home: this week it's all about Spielberg. HBO turns its lens on the iconic director in Spielberg; documentary directed by 14x-Emmy winner Susan Lacy. At 16:55: This week's #ListofSix: 6 Fun Facts About (who else?) Steven Spielberg (and his movies). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creative differences on #bringmcleodsback2018; Our Gal Fry Day; The Other Einstein; the Louisville-Hollywood connection. At 6:40: Hollister’s verdict on Marshall, starring Chadwick Boseman as future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Co-starring Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Kate Hudson, and Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey). 12:32: It’s back to the Hamptons International Film Festival for our review of Goodbye Christopher Robin, with guest podcaster Diane Barrett. Directed by Simon Curtis (Woman in Gold); starring Domhnall Gleeson (Brooklyn), Margot Robbie (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot), and Kelly Macdonald. Click here for footage of Margot Robbie from the #HIFF25 Green Room. 32:10 List of Six: Inspired by Goodbye Christopher Robin, Our Favorite Father-Son Movies (where no stuffed bears are co-opted). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cher returns to the Big Screen; a truly triumphant story for spec script writers everywhere; a big reveal in episode 3 of Liar? ​ At 7:00: more original programming from Netflix: Hollister binges on Mindhunter. 10:50: It's back to the 25th annual Hamptons International Film Festival, where we reviewed Breathe with special guest Diane Barrett. Marking the directorial debut of motion capture genius Andy Serkis (who was on hand at the festival). Starring Claire Foy (The Crown) and Andrew Garfield as real-life couple Diana and Robin Cavendish; co-starring Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) (a/k/a Earl of Grantham) as their amazingly inventive friend. ​ 24:17: Inspired by Claire Foy and The Crown, this week's #ListofSix - Our 6 Favorite Royal Portrayals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Screen Thoughts broadcasts from the 25th annual Hamptons International Film Festival, with special guest Diane Barrett. On red carpets; Itzhak Perlman; The Divine Order (“Die göttliche Ordnung”); and women's suffrage. At 7:45: Line judges: listeners did not love-love Hollister’s comments about Emma Stone playing Billie Jean King? 11:50: Hollister and Diane review Earth: One Amazing Day (narrated by Robert Redford), and at 16:02: Fry Day, a short by Laura Moss. 22:16: Mrs. Brown returns as Victoria and Abdul? Directed by Stephen Frears; starring Dame Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, and Adeel Akhtar (The Big Sick); based on the book by Shrabani Basu. 36:03: This week's #ListofSix - 6 Things O’Toole Learned About Dame Julie Andrews, recipient of #HIFF25's lifetime achievement award; featuring a Q&A with festival co-chair Alec Baldwin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the power of distribution; Hugh Hefner; Apple; and Sam Shepard's mother. One of Hollister's favorite movies to be a Broadway musical; This Is Us returns to NBC. ​ At 8:30: A 6-part psychological thriller from across the pond: Liar - starring Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey) and Ioan Gruffudd in a he-said-she-said. ​ 15:10: An Indecent "Decent" Proposal? Oscar winners Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) and Robert Redford (A Walk in the Woods) reteam for a fourth time in Netflix' Our Souls at Night. Directed by Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox); based on the novel by Kent Haruf. Co-starring Iain Armitage (Big Little Lies) and Matthias Schoenaerts (A Bigger Splash). ​ 28:41: Recreating the most watched televised sporting event in US history - or "putting the show back into chauvinism": Battle of the Sexes. Starring Emma Stone (La La Land) as Billie Jean King and Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs. Written by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire); directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; co-starring Alan Cumming (The Good W

Hollister takes Baby Driver for a spin; why JLaw dropped out of The Rosie Project; some very active Downton Abbey alumni; and... is Stephen King putting clowns out of work? ​ More from our literary Hollywood dealmaker: click here for Big Little Lies and 20 More Books on Reese Witherspoon's Must-Read List. ​ At 7:44: A nuanced, soulful, cringe-worthy comedy, or a paean to privilege? Hollister and O'Toole debate Brad's Status, written and directed by Mike White (Beatriz at Dinner); starring Ben Stiller and Austin Abrams as a college-campus-touring father-son duo. ​ 30:48: Inspired by a Screen Thoughts listener, this week's #ListOfSix: 6 Movies People Would Be Surprised to Learn We've Never Seen. Hint: men in ape costumes make the grade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A big night at the Emmys - and comments from our amazing listeners: click here for Apartment Therapy's take on Nancy Meyers' best kitchens. And... the WSJ commissions touchdown dances? Click here to see what La La Land choreographer Mandy Moore came up with - a Charleston for the end zone. ​At 9:00: Joy meets Misery? Darren Aronofsky teams with JLaw (Joy) to bring us his environmentally-inspired Fever Dream: Mother! Co-starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris, and Javier Bardem; with cameos by real-life brothers Domhnall Gleeson (Brooklyn) and Brian Gleeson and a late-stage appearance by Kristen Wiig (The Martian). Hollister & O'Toole weigh in on allegories, architecture, punctuation, and plot enhancers. ​31:28: Inspired by one Mother! of a marketing campaign, this week's #ListOfSix: 6 of the Scariest Scenes We've Ever Seen. Hobbling incident, anyone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wishing all our listeners safe havens; from cancellations to Emmy noms - is it the end of networks? One optimistic trend in 2017’s YTD box office tally. ​9:32: Like Mother, like Daughter? Hollister & O'Toole debate Home Again, written & directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer; produced by romcom powerhouse Nancy Meyers. Starring Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies), Candice Bergen, Lake Bell, Pico Alexander (Indignation), Nat Wolff, Jon Rudnitsky, and Michael Sheen. ​26:02: This week's #ListOfSix - 6 things we love about Nancy Meyers. Cheesecake, anyone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the dangers of bingeing; a plethora of trailers inspired by real-life stories; a Homeland brouhaha; Wonder Woman objectified? ​At 8:38: Love-love? Hollister on how best to train for Battle of the Sexes, starring Emma Stone as tennis - and equal-rights legend - Billie Jean King. 10:34: Back to the future? O'Toole on the stage-to-screen adaptation of Marjorie Prime, a Sundance winner - starring Lois Smith, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins - and Jon Hamm as a hologram (a Holohamm). Play by Jordan Harrison; adapted for the screen by director Michael Almereyda (Experimenter). ​20:05: Flowery praise? Hollister on Tulip Fever. Written by Deborah Moggach (who also wrote the novel) and Tom Stoppard. Starring Oscar winners Alicia Vikander (The Light Between Oceans), Dame Judi Dench, and Christoph Waltz (Spectre). ​25:44: This week's #ListOfSix - swimming against the tide: 6 Panned Movies We Enjoyed. La-di-da. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comments from our listeners; and, New York City, one story at a time: Brandon Stanton's blog sensation and inspiration behind 2 bestselling books, Humans of New York, to air as a video series on Facebook's new Watch platform. ​At 6:52: Calling all Francophiles: O'Toole on The Midwife (Sage femme), a tale about forgiveness, starring the iconic Catherine Deneuve (Persepolis) & Catherine Frot (Marguerite - a French take on Florence Foster Jenkins). Vive le cinéma! 14:50: Hollister flies too close to the sun: Icarus, a doping doco - and winner of a Special Jury Prize at Sundance (after a historic sale, now available on Netflix). Directed by Bryan Fogel (cycling enthusiast and co-creator of the off-Broadway smash hit Jewtopia). ​23:30: In honor of Labor Day, this week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Work-Related Screen Portrayals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shaken, not stirred - on 007 and Hollister's not-quite-undercover in-theater experience. At 5:57: Grim statistics: murder on a Native American reservation: Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) writes and directs Wind River. Starring Jeremy Renner (Arrival), fellow Oscar-nominee Graham Greene, Julia Jones, and Elizabeth Olsen. 24:20: Hollister reports on her sneak preview of Whitney: Can I Be Me, a new documentary by Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal. ​33:48: Divide and conquer: This week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Biopics. O'Toole looks at docos; Hollister at narrative films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's coming and going on the big and small screens - and which role made Dustin Hoffman cry (you might be surprised). ​At 8:24: "I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster." So begins Jeannette Walls' bestselling memoir-turned-movie: The Glass Castle. Starring Oscar-winner Brie Larson (Room), Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts (Gypsy). ​25:33: Bad habits as our birthright? The link between diet and disease examined by the team who brought us Cowspiracy: What the Health, a new documentary on Netflix. ​34:23: Before Hollister & O'Toole run off for some broccoli, this week's #ListOfSix: inspired by The Glass Castle - 6 Big-Screen Father-Daughter Relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guess who's in and what's out on This Is Us; adaptations are no longer a novel-ty for Reese Witherspoon; Will & Grace borrow the sunglasses from Men in Black to make their series finale disappear. ​At 4:58: The Path meets Orange is the New Black? Jessica Biel stars in The Sinner, an 8-part "Whydunit" on USA. Co-starring Bill Pullman as a tortured detective. 10:35: Jessica Biel inspires this week's #BlastFromThePastFilm: Noël Coward's Easy Virtue (2008). ​11:50: Michael Mailer makes his directorial debut with Blind, starring Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore, and Dylan McDermott. ​23:26: O'Toole radiates affection for Nobel Prizes: Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge. 29:20: It's back to murder with this week's #ListOfSix: 6 Compelling Murder Movies - and our premeditated motives for choosing them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Anne Hathaway be Queen? A posthumous close to Garry Marshall's Princess Diaries trilogy? At 2:16: Screen Thoughts pays homage with this week's #ListOfSix: 6 Amazing Things about the late, great, Pulitzer-winning Sam Shepard, who really seemed made of The Right Stuff. ​8:50: Amazon calls on the Mad Men team to turn F. Scott Fitzgerald's last (and unfinished) novel into a 9-part series: The Last Tycoon. Written & created by Billy Ray; cinematography by Danny Moder. Starring Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lily Collins, Dominique McElligott, and Jennifer Beals. 9:24: Amazon's adaptation inspires this week's #BlastFromThePastFilm: Elia Kazan's prior iteration The Last Tycoon (1976); written by Harold Pinter; starring Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum, Jeanne Moreau, and Jack Nicholson. ​30:44: 20 years after her death, a real-life Princess Diaries: Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (HBO). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices