The Top 100 Project

Ryan talked alone about the classic slasher flick Halloween on Monday. The solo episode this time gets into the business of one of its offshoots...Friday The 13th. In fact, all 12 of the Fridays are discussed here, so this is not a traditional review of one particular film. Iconic mass murderer Jason Voorhees---and his mother before him---successfully killed people at the cursed Camp Crystal Lake for nearly 30 years...and people kept paying money to see them do it. Even though the first one is a pretty good whodunit, none of these horror shows feel scary anymore...and most of the entries are quite terrible. Yet the unkillable masked maniac endures, almost as an anti-hero. So indulge in a little machete action as you hear about the mute goalie slicing his way through dozens of oblivious teenagers in this 541st edition of Have You Ever Seen. Our bloody-good sponsor is Sparkplug Coffee. They offer our listeners a 20% discount just by using our "HYES" promo code. So type in "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Want to contac

It was nearly a year ago that Ryan monologued about Rob Zombie's Halloween. Well, our 540th episode was an overdue time to monologue about John Carpenter's legendary original. In this one-man show, you'll get a record number of asides, but also some theories that might answer questions that people have had about the movie for the past 45 years. This father of all modern slasher movies is influential because of its style and its themes. It's also beautifully made (especially considering the low budget), the music is classic and Michael Myers was instantly an iconic villain. Although you can't kill the iconic Laurie Strode, just like you can't kill pure evil like Tall Mike. Reviewing the first flick is the focus here, but the entire series is discussed, complete with the slew of reboots and bad sequels. So watch out for stalkers carrying sharp knives as you hear all about Halloween just a few weeks before the scariest day on the entire calendar. Well, Actually: to call David Gordon Green's crappy trilogy a rebo

Our 8th Annual Scary Movie Month has arrived and we kick it off with a film that has several legit frights and some "I'm creeped out in my own basement" staying power. Our 539th episode talks about demonic possession, child endangerment and other weird things. Director James Wan knows how to use jump scares in The Conjuring, but he also knows how to build tension and he really knows how to shoot a horror movie. This Malaysian mogul based his freak-fest on a real story and he cast solid actors like Vera Farmiga and Ron Livingston, but then he had to go and (as he often does) work with...yeah, Patrick Wilson. Lili Taylor and the 5 young actresses who play her daughters are fantastic though. In any case, The Conjuring delivers and it not only became a blockbuster, it inspired an entire horror universe. So whether you crouch menacingly on top of an armoire or playfully clap in the darkness, be prepared to hear us talk about screams and skin-crawls in this 10-year-old ghost story. Well, Actually: A Stir Of Echoes

We covered our first Ozu movie earlier this year and our first Mizoguchi review dropped just 3 days ago, so it was way past time to talk about Federico Fellini. The flamboyant Italian made several classics, but 8½ seems to be the favourite for many fellow filmmakers who've followed in his footsteps. This is about as influential as any movie we've discussed in years. It's a director's dream too (sometimes literally), as it's filled with fantasies (good and bad), self-doubt and anxiety. While we raved about the cast and the technical brilliance of Federico's film, we also got into whether or not the movie is aloof and if the dashing Marcello Mastroianni character is sexist...or if Fellini's movie is. In any case, we both respect 8½ more than we love it. So don't pine for an ideal woman, even if she IS Claudia Cardinale. Just fire up the 538th edition of Have You Ever Seen and see what you think of our take on one of the most-revered flicks ever made. We continue to partner with Sparkplug Coffee. They'll give ou

We're still over a week away from Scary Movie Month, but Ryan is here to monologue about a Japanese ghost story anyway. Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu has long been ranked on many esteemed critics' lists of great films...including the Sight & Sound. And it should be. It's beautifully made and, while it isn't particularly frightening, it's eerie. Ugetsu's story is basically just a love of money & power versus a love of home & family. So get your priorities straight (and listen to your wife!) as the 537th edition of Have You Ever Seen breaks down Mizoguchi's 70-year-old spookfest. How about supporting our sponsor? It's as easy as using our "HYES' promo code on Sparkplug Coffee's website. So when you're ready, go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and you will be rewarded with a savings of 20%. Contact us with a tweet (@moviefiend51 or @bevellisellis) or an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Also, our shows go up on YouTube. Take a look there, but also subscribe, rate, review and all those fun things. It's

Rushmore's got Wes Anderson, Bill Murray and...yeah, Jason Schwartzman. That's a combination that's hit a lot of cinematic home runs and, to many, this was a grand slam. For a second-time filmmaker, this is an undeniably assured movie. Anderson hits a lot of the same character beats here that he does in all his movies and his (team's) production design & costume choices have been called "twee" for well over 20 years now. And that hasn't been a compliment, although we like it, partly for how much heart he brings to everything. Bill worked with Wes for the first time here, which was the beginning of Murray's deadpan acting style. He and Schwartzman obsess over Olivia Williams, so it's a comedy about an immature stalker. Does Schwartzman overdo his over-eagerness though? One of us thinks so. In any case, the 536th episode of Have You Ever Seen suggests you ignore your studies, but join every club you can as we do some dissecting of Rushmore. This classic movies podcast is sponsored by a classic beverage...Sp

While United 93 avoids politics, we sure got political during this 535th episode. But the whole world supposedly changed on this very day 22 years ago and we felt the need to comment on that and what such upheaval has meant to all of our lives. More than 3000 people died during the terrorist attacks on 9/11, but our "civil" society quickly became more divided than ever. As such, we HYES'ers dealt with our complicated feelings about that horrible day, including talking about what "cowardice" and "heroism" really mean. As for the the movie itself, it's dynamite. Paul Greengrass' intense docudrama takes place (mostly) in real time and stars character actors and also people playing themselves. Greengrass uses a shaky cam and a "you are there" verisimilitude to put us in the middle of the mess as the airline passengers fight back against 4 terrorists who are determined to kill. Whatever your politics were then or are now, we can all agree that United 93 is a tremendously effective motion picture about a group of p

Since this 534th episode of Have You Ever Seen hits the airwaves on Labour Day, it felt right to talk about a character who has FOUR different jobs in one movie. Mrs. Doubtfire is a funny film that has...well, to be honest, lost a lot of its comedic zing 30 years on, although the serious scenes still have a lot of emotional sting. This might be the most-personal movie the lovable Robin Williams ever made. He went through not 1 but 2 divorces, he "did voices", he once lived in San Francisco and he probably enjoyed racking up in-character insults at the expense of Mister Perfect Pierce Brosnan. He likely didn't wear elaborate makeup and a body suit to make people believe that he's a stern 60-year-old Englishwoman though. Sally Field doesn't get to have the fun that her "short, furry and funny" co-star does, but she's excellent in the dramatic scenes. So, my dears, avoid a run-by fruiting as Ryan breaks down Chris Columbus' wicked, wicked blockbuster all on his own. For The Record: we've talked in the past about

The Night Of The Hunter is Exhibit A when you talk about films that are revered more now than they were when they came out. To many, this KEEPS getting better every time they see it. We're fans too. Charles Laughton was better known as a clever actor, but this was his directorial debut. For a first-time director, he pulled off a stylish allegory and scary fairy tale that's filled with surreal images. He and his team used light & shadows brilliantly. Now, we didn't love some of the performances and we took issue with the title of the film, although we have a theory about who really is the hunter. There's no questioning Robert Mitchum's work though. This is as vicious a villain as the tough guy ever played. He's a supposed man of god who's really just a violent misogynist who casually kills women...although in this story, he's motivated by money. Run away, kids! Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce have as much screen-time as Mitchum does---although a very-effective Shelley Winters sure doesn't---in this chase

The 532nd edition of Have You Ever Seen talks about a noir that not everyone is aware of, but they should be. Pickup On South Street crackles. Richard Widmark plays a pickpocket, but he remains an anti-hero from the start to the finish...even though crime stories are often about redemption after bad behaviour. He's got (an eventually) loyal "dame" in Jean Peters, he's got a shack right on the river and he's got a friend in sweet informer Thelma Ritter. Samuel Fuller's snappy story has a lot of political subtext, which becomes flat-out text because there are Communists all over this thing. Throw in a couple of vivid punch-ups and some obstinate cops trying to recover a microfilm and you've got a pretty great little thriller. So don't be sore. Just indulge in Ryan's one-man podcast about Fuller's Pickup On South Street. Sparkplug Coffee doesn't need to dunk its product into the drink, but they DO give our customers a 20% discount...if those customers will just use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/

And thus the people who started this podcast to review the AFI's Top 100 Lists have now made a point of talking about the Sight & Sound list. S&S critics ranked Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles in the #1 spot last December, which is the main reason we committed 200 minutes to watch it...let alone decided to review it. Ryan went on a passionate rant about their controversial Top 100, which led to a pretty heated debate about the merits of this lugubrious motion picture and other "women who suffer" films. Not that Jeanne Dielman doesn't find a way to draw you in. Chantal Akerman's feminist look at a widowed mother who lives a dull, repetitive life with her son is Ozu-like in its shot compositions, the unmoving camera and the (very) long takes. We watch process---do we ever---and not much happens as we see Delphine Seyrig go about her routine...until her entire world is rocked. And what causes it to be rocked? Invest a solid hour in our review of an acclaimed example of "slow cinema"

Martin Scorsese is the master director of movies that glamorize scumbag criminals without passing judgement on their terrible behaviour. He's (almost) in Goodfellas territory here, featuring a reprehensible-but-charismatic criminal who's too young for all this power and opportunity to do bad things. Perhaps Marty is also showing us a funny version of his own drug-addled past in The Wolf Of Wall Street and perhaps Leonardo DiCaprio is playing closer to his real self than he had before...or has since. What's for certain is that Leo's Jordan Belfort is addicted to money (well, he admits to THAT) and this 530th edition of Have You Ever Seen addresses that and the other MANY addictions of all these crummy characters. The movie is too long and excessive, but Leo and his penny-stock friends are extremely excessive too. It fits. Kudos to all for making this 3-hour motion picture so consistently entertaining. But also, we WILL judge them and truly, F these people. If you don't do enough drugs to sedate 25 horses, perh

As we "celebrate" the Civic Holiday, Bev takes the week off and Ryan monologues in the 529th episode of Have You Ever Seen. The underrated Hal Ashby always got great performances out of his actors during that incredible run he had in the '70s. In Coming Home, he uses a plethora of classic songs---so many classic songs---to back up his stars' excellent work. Oscar winners Jon Voight and the remarkable Jane Fonda are romantic and sexy together. He's a veteran who returns from Vietnam unable to walk, while Bruce Dern comes back unable to cope. Fonda's married to Dern, but falls for Voight. Triangular problems! This teeth-chatter about Coming Home got quite political about government and war, so perhaps that requires a trigger warning for those who don't agree with the Ellises' liberal views. In any case, if you've got 37 minutes, fire up a podcast about a classic movie that all of us should probably feel obliged to see. Sparkplug Coffee is our sponsor. They offer a 20% discount to any customer who puts our "HYES

If Harrison Ford isn't the most-successful movie star in history, then he's at least on the shortest of shortlists. And he's almost a silent-film actor in The Fugitive, while Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones as his dogged antagonist is positively verbose. Ford gets to play smart, determined and driven to find the one-armed man who killed his wife, despite having a terrible lawyer representing him. Jones is the federal marshal out to find him, who's likewise smart, determined and driven. It's such a credit to The Fugitive that a woman gets murdered, there's medical fraud, friends betray friends and yet Andrew Davis still finds so many ways to make this such a fun film. Let the 528th episode of Have You Ever Seen use not just one arm, but two to unscramble the mystery as we realize it's time to stop running. Well, Actually: Ryan was thinking of Joseph Kosala as the real Chicago cop who plays Ron Dean's detective partner. Also, Dean, IS a Chicagoan, but Richard Riehle (the guard on the prison bus) is not. Also also,

John Garfield didn't even live to see 40, but he DID make several good films in the '40s. In Body And Soul, he's a decent guy who finds himself in a love triangle and makes many bad career decisions. It's the age-old story of a boxer who gets mixed up with the wrong people. Robert Rossen's acclaimed picture isn't remarkably original, but it's a well-made film. The man who directed The Hustler knew what he was doing when it came to putting sports on the silver screen. Ryan's monologue also gets into Rossen's ties to Communism and how he named names to HUAC. Body And Soul's cast and production team had a whole whack of people who leaned red, in fact. So grow a conscience as you fight for your life in this brief 527th one-man podcast. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors us. Go to "sparkplug.coffee.hyes" and shop to your heart's joy, then use our "HYES" promo code to save 20% off your next order. Our podcasts are on YouTube...as of the beginning of this year anyway. Your destination is @hyesellis in your browser. You can s

Bev is not a fan of biopics or of Sean Penn, but even she knows that Gus Van Sant's Milk is a great example of both. Harvey Milk was a passionate, charming, hard-working activist who was gunned down by Dan White just as he was starting his political career, but there WAS some whitewashing of his personal life in this. Still, Penn is so authentic. The movie, which mixes in plenty of real footage, very much is too. Okay, the leading actors aren't gay, but at least the director, writer, producers and many of the background actors are. Maybe that's why---even though it's about politics as much as it is about homosexuality---the film is as lusty as it is. The supporting cast (from Franco to Hirsch to Brolin to Pill to Garber) do admirable work, although Diego Luna has to play an impossibly childish character...and doesn't do it very well. Not even that slip-up can ruin one of the better based-on-a-true-story excursions of the past few decades. So join us in the Castro and give 'em hope as we yap for over an hour i

Everything Everywhere All At Once turned into an unlikely hit last year, then went on to win 7 Oscars just a few months ago. That means it was time for us to cover it because we always review the winner of Best Picture at some point later that summer. Actually, we talked a lot in this episode about many different Oscars shows and we jumped around a lot regarding the plot...which is fitting for a movie about the multiverse. The Daniels' frenetic sci-fi, comedy, action-adventure family drama is a mash-up of jokes, pathos, horror, sincerity and lots of outright silliness. Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu make a terrific mother/daughter combination, while Hsu's alter ego is one of the best villains in recent years. Kwan & Scheinert's 2nd film uses those stars (along with Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan) to explore a slew of ideas...and references many different forms of entertainment in doing that exploring. Still, considering some people have compared this to a Tik Tok video, EEAAO is a fairly simple story a

Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn were a great duo and they made many movies together, but they specialized in romantic comedies. Adam's Rib is a rom-com that does a great job with the rom, but isn't nearly funny enough to be called great at the com. The plot has some problems too. George Cukor's courtroom movie has been acclaimed by nearly everybody, but Ryan took real issue in this solo venture with the way Hepburn defends her client. Still, Cukor and his stars pieced together a well-made movie, even if the laughs are lacking. So don't cry (or pretend to cry) about our 524th Have You Ever Seen podcast, but settle in with your Pinky and hear what one man has to say about Adam's Rib. Well, Actually: Frances McDormand DOES have 4 Oscars just like Hepburn does, but one of those was for producing Nomadland, so it's correct to say she's won 3 Oscars for acting specifically. Classic movies are best enjoyed with classic coffee. And, in a lovely twist of fate, we're sponsored by Sparkplug Coffee. Use our "HYES"

Bullitt is famous for its car chase (an action scene that many movies have tried---and usually failed---to equal or surpass), but this police thriller has got so much more going for it than just that. As for this being called an action film, well, it's actually more of a murder mystery. Steve McQueen is his trademark Mister Cool, but his romance with Jacqueline Bissett also gives him humanity. It's not like the beautiful actress gets to do much more than that though. Bullitt's biggest problem, however, is that there are some confusing plot turns that don't always make sense. All those topics are discussed in Ryan's solo show that focuses on one bad weekend in the heart of San Francisco. The 523rd Have You Ever Seen is a brief one, so lock in for just over a half-hour monologue about Peter Yates' cop classic. Our sponsor is Sparkplug Coffee. They will give you a 20% discount if you use our "HYES" promo code. The destination in your browser is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". To get in touch with us, you've got the Twi

It's become a tradition for us in recent history to cover a disaster film on or near the 4th Of July, so this year's choice is the Auteur Of Explosions, Michael Bay. Armageddon is crass, it has tonal problems, it's edited into incoherence, but, truth is truth, this blockbuster still worked on at least one of us. And we both acknowledge how entertaining it is. Bay's macho, in-your-face filmmaking style seems appropriate for a story about wisecracking oil drillers being asked to become spacemen and then save the planet from an asteroid coming to wipe out all life on the planet. We spent a lot of time mocking the "science", although tension and emotion help soothe SOME of those factual problems. What works best of all though is an eclectic cast, most of whom weren't stars yet (Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Owen Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan). Of course, not even Affleck has ever gotten to be as big as Bruce Willis was then and continued to be for another decade. Oh, and Steve Buscemi! He always makes things better. So