The Top 100 Project

Ryan's quest to review at least one movie starring all the actors on the AFI's Top 50 Stars list has been achieved with this one-man-talk about Vittorio De Sica's comic anthology. Sophia Loren was the last one standing. She and "Mar-chell-o", not "Mar-cell-o" Mastroianni star in all 3 chapters of Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow, each time as Italian lovers. The 1st part of the film where they play a horny married couple is definitely the best and funniest segment. The actors have chemistry and the result of this pairing is a blend of the light and the somewhat dark, although this IS intended to be a comedy. It isn't LOL funny, but it's an enjoyable 2 hours...and looking at the gorgeous and brassy Loren for that long is certainly a pleasure. In any case, if you need to know a 60-years-later opinion about Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow in this 590th edition of Have You Ever Seen, then ascoltare to this one. Sparkplug Coffee offers our listeners a 20% discount if they use our "HYES" promo code. The website is "spar

Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra were both tremendous movie stars, but their names haven't come up very often in 11+ years of Have You Ever Seen. So after covering plenty of dark films in recent weeks, Ryan talks alone in this 589th episode about these singers and dancers in their light musical romp. It's glossy and the songs are mostly good, but this Kelly/Donen affair is also silly and easy to mock. The 2 handsome stars---along with Jules Munshin---share the screen with Betty Garrett, Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen. Garrett and Miller play a couple of fast women, who make it crystal clear just how into the guys they are while Kelly spends an entire day trying to romance the harder-to-get Vera-Ellen. And the things they all accomplish in 24 hours! So obsess about a woman you only know from a poster while you're on shore leave in New York as Ryan monologues about On The Town. Get your Sparkplug Coffee and also nab a onetime 20% discount from them by using our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

The early-'30s were a tumultuous time, so it's fitting that we were introduced to violent gangster flicks during that timeframe. The Public Enemy & Howard Hawks' Scarface are both better than Mervyn LeRoy's Little Caesar, but Edward G Robinson's star-making performance is just as iconic as what Cagney & Muni did in their shoot-'em-up crime movies. And this is certainly a memorable film, with the pint-sized killer mowing down anyone who gets in his way. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. plays the Chicago mobster's best friend and while his character isn't as fleshed out as he could be (none of them are in this 80-minute movie, really), it takes dynamic filmmaking and committed performances to make this flick effective at all. So don't you dare squeal or it could get bloody as the 588th podcast that can be found on this channel takes a Ryan-sized look at Little Caesar. We are sponsored by Sparkplug Coffee. Use our "HYES" promo code to get a onetime 20% discount on various coffee products. The website is "sparkplug.

We've only covered Bette Davis twice before now (including the classic All About Eve), but she's nearly as good in Dark Victory as she was in that or in anything else she ever made. Geraldine Fitzgerald does solid work here too, but George Brent, Ronnie Reagan and even Humphrey Bogart just aren't as up to snuff. In any case, Edmund Goulding directs them all through a tragi-drama about a socialite (Davis) who gets a brain tumor, then falls in love with her brain doctor (Brent). And they're both liars. Have any of us been as dishonest as the lovebirds are in this film, especially when the stakes are so high? Well, despite those frustrations, this is a emotional film with a touching ending. Maybe prepare some crying towels...and don't let your prognosis of this 587th episode of Have You Ever Seen be negative as Ryan spends some time monologuing about Dark Victory. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors this show. They offer our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Just use our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee

Tim Burton's dark 1989 take on the billionaire who dresses as a bat came decades after Bob Kane and Bill Finger invented the character. And while Ryan talks a little about the other films in this long-running series (and the '60s TV show), the star of this one-man show is the '89 Batman. Michael Keaton proved the naysayers very wrong in this stylish comic-book adaptation (is he still the best Batman ever?) and Jack Nicholson has a gigantic ball playing the Joker. The rest of the cast nails it too, Prince's songs remain infectious and Danny Elfman's great themes have become legendary. Love it, but Ryan still wisecracked a lot in this 586th edition of Have You Ever Seen (not the 585th as is said in the intro), but that's what happens when you see a movie 10 or 20 times. You love it and love to make fun of it. So stay out of a big-city alley, but DO fly your small plane in front of the moon as we conclude Revenge Month with the one about the tortured vigilante loving a shrieking Kim Basinger and hating a mobster

Our 6th of 7 episodes during this Revenge Month takes us to America's Deep South as we talk about Robert Mitchum making Gregory Peck's life a living hell in Cape Fear. What's more, the convicted rapist threatens the lawyer's family in some of the worst way's a hateful person can. "Rape" is never spoken in the dialogue, but it's a constant theme. Mitchum plays such a clever, sadistic villain. He's one of the most-sinister of anyone on AFI's Heroes & Villains list and he could have ranked even higher on that list than he did. We also talked a lot about the dubious morality in Martin Scorsese's flashy 1991 remake, but the focus of this show is on J. Lee Thompson's tense original. So, counsellors, take dangerous matters into your own hands as this 585th edition of Have You Ever Seen pokes a toe in the river before going off the deep end into Cape Fear. For The Record: the actual Cape Fear is in North Carolina. Also, while Robert De Niro is certainly covered in tattoos in the 1991 version, he doesn't have the

Since this is still Revenge Month, the time has come for a one-Ryan episode about Revenge Of The Nerds. Yes, there are a few controversial scenes where our otherwise-lovable heroes strike back against mean-spirited football players...although what they do to the jocks' snobby cheerleader girlfriends is far worse. But this IS a tacky, sex comedy that was made 40 years ago. Robert Carradine and especially Anthony Edwards are fun and sweet, but it's Carradine's character who---more than once---crosses the line with Julia Montgomery. Still, it's easy to enjoy the spirit and the sincerity of MOST of Jeff Kanew's silly comedy. It's also hard to beat the joyous musical number during the talent show or that inspirational ending. So laugh your obnoxious laugh while you get loaded with your geeky frat brothers as Ryan takes a nostalgia trip to talk about the Tri-Lambs, the Omega-Mus and their tormenters in the 584th podcast you'll find on Have You Ever Seen. Sparkplug Coffee would be great to have in the kitchen of any

Nicolas Cage can't be accused of making safe choices during his 40+ years of acting. He's appeared in his share of crap this century, but he also has plenty of terrific titles on his resume. Mandy is one of the best ones he's ever starred in and it's certainly one of his most unique. Director Panos Cosmatos leads Cage through a phantasmagoric odyssey of pain and brutality. The story takes a while to unfold, but it's fairly simple. After Nic and Andrea Riseborough's tranquility is shattered by some lunatics in a sick cult, he sets out to avenge her vicious and senseless death. Cosmatos (pronounced "Coz-MAW-tos") has only directed 2 films, but this and Beyond The Black Rainbow both have a hypnotic effect. And the violence in this mood piece really stings. So shout your best primal scream before you set out with a crossbow and The Beast during Revenge Month as the 583rd chat on Have You Ever Seen finds us trying to figure out the weird world of Mandy. Before you set out on that kill-crazy rampage, gander at the

Outside of Out Of Sight, it's hard to find a Jennifer Lopez performance that's any better than her work in Hustlers. Her fair-weather friends in this though? Well, except for Keke Palmer, not so much. But J Lo's stunning sex appeal and swagger overwhelm everything else. Lorene Scafaria's Goodfellas-esque execution of the story are pretty snazzy too. She wrote and directed about some not-very-innocent exotic dancers stealing from Wall Street jerks who (legally) stole from others during the financial crisis. Hustlers is fun and kinetic, but we debated if viewers are A-OK with these women being greedy and reckless, even though they claim they're exacting some justice. This is Revenge Month on our channel, so that mentality DOES track. But is any of the stuff in this flick feminist? You'll have to find out in this 582nd edition of Have You Ever Seen. We are sponsored by our longtime buddies at Sparkplug Coffee. Use our "HYES" promo code at checkout and nab a onetime 20% discount. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Th

Blaxploitation movies were very popular with audiences 50 years ago. Jack Hill's Foxy Brown is a classic largely because of Pam Grier, who was not only a staggering beauty with 12/10 sex appeal, but she also plays a badass you could root for. And her sublime performance in Jackie Brown happened largely because of how much QT liked this flick. Ryan's monologue tackles the story, of course, but also speculates about what a modern remake might look like. The possibilities are fascinating. So wear a series of terrific outfits and avenge your boyfriend as this one-man talk---our 581st episode and our second in Revenge Month---takes Have You Ever Seen into the gritty world of Foxy Brown. A programming note: a review of Batman will air on April 29th, while April 19th won't be a talk about Death Wish after all. It will actually be a funny "revenge" movie in that slot. Sparkplug Coffee is our sponsor. They offer our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Use our "HYES" promo code to get that. So it's "sparkplug.coffee/hyes

Gone Girl begins our 2nd (Probably) Annual Revenge Month as Rosamund Pike plays a narcissistic sadist who wants vengeance on her lazy, cheating husband. Ben Affleck plays that husband, a very-flawed man who has to deal with tabloid "journalists" as he tries to figure out why his wife is missing...and possibly dead. David Fincher's mystery movie has its faults, but it's well-made (of course) and it shows off the savage determination of Pike's Amy Dunne, especially in the last 20 or 30 minutes. We tried to sort through Gone Girl's confusing climax, although that section also has some of the funniest things you'll see in any thriller. So put on your baseball cap (we didn't even bring up THAT silly Fincher/Affleck stalemate!) and mope your way through a charmed life as two people hate each other, but they find a way to make us enjoy all that in this 580th episode of Have You Ever Seen. Well, Actually: the proper pronunciation of Gillian Flynn's first name is a hard G, similar to "gone" and "girl". Also, the edito

This 579th edition of Have You Ever Seen wraps up our 9th Annual Oscar Month on the very day that also happens to be this podcast's 11th anniversary. Jojo Rabbit is one of the funniest movies of recent years and it's also one of the best. The tone is remarkable and it's consistent, especially considering something as deadly serious as Hitler, Nazis and the Holocaust are made so funny here. Credit to writer/director Taika Waititi and his cast for pulling that off. Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell are terrific, but child actors Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie and Archie Yates are the keys. They give some of the best child performances we've ever seen...and they're hilarious when they're not being touching. So goof around with your imaginary friend while learning to care about your real best friend as we tie our own shoes and have a great time discussing Jojo Rabbit. Johannes and his best friends aren't old enough to be coffee drinkers, but if you sip the stuff, then take a look at "sparkplug.coffee".

Jimmy Stewart wasn't a big star yet when he worked with Frank Capra for the first time in this picture. No matter. You Can't Take It With You belongs to the top-billed Jean Arthur and especially Lionel Barrymore anyway. A word that didn't come up in Ryan's solo show here is "screwball", although this Best Picture winner is clearly working in that genre. The flick just didn't make this fellow laugh. Of course, director Capra won his 3rd Oscar in just 5 years for this effort...and all 3 were screwball comedies. The man was in his element. At least his movie is genial and it's a solid-enough story. So agree with the movie's admirable message while trying to find something in it that might actually make you giggle as this 578th episode of Have You Ever Seen picks through You Can't Take It With You. Well, Actually: Anthony Kirby Senior DOES smile before the scene with the harmonicas at the end. He grins when Penny tells Mrs. Kirby that her hobby is silly. Get yourself some groovy beans from Sparkplug Coffee. They

Oscar Month takes us back to the long-ago past as we talk about the genial one that took home 7 Oscars 8 decades ago. But Going My Way didn't make it easy on us. This fluffery somehow one-upped the Double Indemnity at those Academy Awards. Bing Crosby even won a trophy for his role as a helpful priest, despite having a real-life personality that contrasted with his nice-guy image. Maybe he was a better actor than we thought. In any case, we can understand how a musical comedy would be welcomed during the height of WWII, but is this the epitome of filmmaking in ANY year? Well, we had some fun with Leo McCarey's flick, including speculating about who set the church on fire. We also poked the ribs of the Irish and the Catholic Church. So swing on a star with episode #577 of Have You Ever Seen as a songwriter bonds with wayward youths, lost loves and aging priests. To Be Clear: the James Brown "football guy" who's referred to is not even the legendary Cleveland running back (that's Jim Brown, of course), but the

It was an Oppenheimer kind of night. Some called the 2024 Academy Awards broadcast a snooze, but the Ellises had a good time watching the show, especially the comedy bits. The Mulaneys, the Cenas, the Spielbergs (yeah!) and especially the Goslings were funny and very entertaining. We also mostly agreed with---or at least respected---the people and the films that were given trophies. So settle in for the 576th episode of Have You Ever Seen as we break down what we thought about the best in 2023's motion pictures in our 2024 Oscars Post-View Show. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors this podcast. You can save 20% off your next order by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Comment on our possibly controversial thoughts you'll hear in this or any other podcast we've done. Our email is haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. On Twi-X, Ryan is @moviefiend51 and Bev is @bevellisellis. She uses that handle on Threads too. Also, hunt for our show on YouTube. Rate, review, comment, subscribe, etc.

Our first Best Picture winner in this year's Oscar Month, The Last Emperor, went 9 for 9 at the awards that year. John Lone, Joan Chen and Peter O'Toole are all solid in the starring roles, but there's something fairly soulless and even a little opaque about this spectacular production...especially for a Bernardo Bertolucci film. Bertolucci and his team were the rare Western filmmakers to be allowed to shoot in The Forbidden City in China, as they told a story about a sheltered child surrounded by devious sycophants. Puyi might be a royal, but his comfortable life is spent in effectively a prison. The biggest problem we couldn't get past with this film, though, is that this was what the Oscars told us was the pinnacle of 1987 filmmaking, even though Broadcast News, Moonstruck, Robocop, Predator and Lethal Weapon were all out that year. So don't you dare try to leave the 575th edition of Have You Ever Seen---not until you get kicked out---as we marvel and moan in equal measure about The Last Emperor. Well, Act

Surprise! Back in January, Ryan posted a solo show talking about Horse Feathers. Well, here's another unexpected, unpromoted show about a movie star from the early days of cinema. Mary Pickford is a legend for business reasons though as much as she is for her films. She was a producer when not many women were AND she created the United Artists studio with Chaplin, Griffith and Fairbanks. Coquette is not her best-known title, but it DID win her an Oscar. And this early talkie is better than expected, especially considering the dreadful numbers on Rotten Tomatoes. Sound was still wonky in 1929, but this flick didn't suffer badly in that area. It's fairly well-made. Pickford might never come up on Have You Ever Seen again, so the focus in this 574th episode is split between the film itself and Mary P as one of the premiere power players in the first few decades of Hollywood filmmaking. Make your day yummy by buying some Sparkplug Coffee. They give our listeners a onetime 20% discount, if those listeners use our

This is our 9th Oscars Preview Show and this is one of the few times where we don't have too many bad things to say about the nominees. Bev went easier on Oppenheimer than she did last summer after seeing it. We each have nothing but praise for some of the great (downer) films like Anatomy Of A Fall and The Zone Of Interest. At least the Academy didn't overlook funny flicks because 2 gut-busters (Barbie and American Fiction) are up for major awards too. In short though, 2023 was the year of Barbenheimer. Both megahits are likely to win trophies...and one of them is the front-runner for a lot of the big ones. Big hint: a large kaboom. Oppenheimer has been cleaning up at other awards shows, as have actors like Murphy, Stone, Downey and Randolph. They look to be in great shape to take home Oscar gold. We addressed the controversy about Barbie's "snubs" and we talked about a lot of technical categories, but the focus was on the 4 acting categories, the 2 writing categories and of course Best Director and Best Pic

Jean-Luc Godard was prolific after he went from reviewing films to making them in the early '60s. He directed a few classics of the French New Wave, many of which are beloved by Sight & Sound voters. In Contempt, bombshell Brigitte Bardot is impossibly beautiful, but she's also quite good at playing passive-aggressive anger. She and the dreamy Italian locations are a treat for the eyes, as her nightmarish scenario finds her being pimped out by her writer husband (Michel Piccoli) to a sleazy American producer (Jack Palance). Contempt is compelling, even if it's far from perfect and the characters aren't very likable. So join us in this 572nd edition of Have You Ever Seen as we wrap up "Love In A Word Month" by digging into the story of a not-so-great husband, a greatly-disappointed wife and The Odyssey in this movie about movies. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors our podcast. Use our "HYES" promo code and score a 20% discount. So it's "sparkplug.coffee.hyes" in your browser. Feedback? We like it. Fire off a messag

While not a classic, Mogambo has a lot going for it. They took the production to several countries in Africa to get authentic scenery for this passionate love story. Big stars like Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly do the love triangle thing and John Ford (who had just won his 4th Oscar) is their director. And what these legends of cinema made 70+ years ago is fine. It's just far from marvelous. Gable alternates his romantic interest between Gardner & Kelly, which isn't logical. Anyway, Ryan is on his own again in this 571st episode of Have You Ever Seen, so journey to various parts of Africa---when you're not shooting in front of projection screens in the comfort of a studio, that is---as Mogambo gets a reviewin'. Programming note: All The King's Men will not be the episode on March 22nd. What WILL be discussed is still being considered. Sparkplug Coffee can't be acquired in the wilds of Africa, but Canadians and Americans can be all over it. They continue to offer our listeners 20% off if they us