Sitting Around Talking Movies

The Summer Clearance Sale at your local theater continues but we've done our best to find some interesting selections for you. First we have "Weapons," the box-office surprise horror movie. It tells what happens when all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. It's got Julia Garner and Josh Brolin. Both Bill Bregoli and Bill McCuddy have different opinions on it. Then there's the long awaited (for some people anyway) sequel "Happy Gilmore2" which NeilRosen will fill us  in on. We also have the thriller "Relay" starring Lily James and Riz Ahmed in which a broker of lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten them breaks his own rules when a new client seeks his protection to stay alive. For documentary fans there's "Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan" which tells how Ed Sullivan broke barriers by booking Black artists on his Sunday ni

It's the time of the yearwhen the weirder stuff comes out. And there's nothing wrong with that after a summer of over hyped high budget extravaganzas. So we start with "The Naked Gun." Like the 80's original, this reboot spoofs police procedurals and more. Plus it's got Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. Bill Bregoli had a beer and watched it and he'll tell you what he thought. Neil Rosen fills us in on the latest "Fantastic Four" movie. There have been others that haven't fared so well. Is the 4th time the charm? We've also got documentaries such as "Sally" which tells how Sally Ride's groundbreaking journey as the first American woman in space concealed a deeply personal story. And "Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Story" which is (ba-dum,ba-dum, ba-dum) all about making "Jaws." Bill McCuddy talks about his golf junket and catching up with "The Devil All The Time" which stars Bill Skarsgard and Tom Holland. And for streaming series we've got  "Untamed" in which Eric Bana tries to solve a murder mystery in Yosemite N

It's our 4th of July episode and boy do we have short fuses! We start with "Jurassic World Rebirth" which an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough. Never mind all that - it's Scarlett Johansson wearing a sweaty tank top in jungle full of dinosaurs. We'll let you know if it's extinct or not. Then we all went and saw "F1: The Movie" (as opposed to "F1: The Broadway Musical) which stars Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver who comes out of retirement to mentor and team up with a younger driver. Does he put his pedal to the metal? And then there's the streaming series "Dept Q" starring Matthew Goode as a former top-rated detective wracked with guilt following an attack that left his partner paralyzed and another policeman dead. We've also got a slew of documentaries starting with "Cold Case: The Tylenol Muders" which explains why you need a chainsaw to open a bottle of pills these days. And there's "Pee-wee As H

The Summer movie season is upon us and your entertainment options are flooding in. We start with "From the World of John Wick: Ballerina" in which Ana De Armas plays an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organization who sets out to seek revenge after her father's death. Is it any good? Does Keanu Reeves show up? Bill Bregoli saw it and he'll let you know. Then we've got "The Life of Chuck" which is based on a Stephen King novella and goes backwards in time. Not weird enough for you? How about the stage musical Neil Rosen saw called "Maby Happy Ending." Neil Rosen raves about it. Neil also raves about "The Four Seasons" series on Netflix though Bill McCuddy disagrees. The two of them do rave about the documentary "Ron Delsner Presents." Neil and Bill M talk about the summer movies they're looking forward to this year. Bill Bregoli on the other hand has been out watching them and will fill you in "Karate Kid: Legends" and "The Fountain of Youth." There's more too, so listen in. 

We do all our own stunts on our podcasts and so does Tom Cruise. That's why we're starting with "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." It's something to do with AI run amok, plus Tom walks on an airplane wing and takes his shirt off a lot. We watched all 2 hours and 49 minutes of it. Did we like it? You'll have to listen. We've also got the latest Marvel movie "Thunderbolts" which may very well help reinvigorate a franchise. Neil (finally) caught up with "Your Friends and Neighbors"  and Bill McCuddy tells us about holding on to something belonging to Gary Cooper. What, pray tell, could that be? Bill M also aught up with a Tom Hardy movie and Bill Bregoli (of course) tells us about a teen sex comedy starring SNL's Chloe Fineman (it's on Hulu) called "Summer of 69." Notice the lack of apostrophe -  it's very telling. Somehow Neil was let back onto Broadway again and he swears he saw "this year's 'Hamilton.'" He also watched a Mathew Perry documentary and read a book about Nora Epron. Where does he find t

The good weather is here but so is pollen, and mosquitos. So you're better off staying indoors and watching something and boy do we have a lot of options for you. First we've got the long awaited sequel "The Accountant 2" in which Ben Affleck returns as Christian Wolff, who applies his brilliant mind and illegal methods to reconstruct the unsolved puzzle of a Treasury chief's murder. We've also got "Queen of the Ring" inspired by the true story of Mldlred Burke, a small town single mother embraces the danger as she dominates America's most masculine sport and becomes the first million dollar female athlete in history. And for those who like quirky movies there's "The Legend of Ochi" in which a shy girl is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when she discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home. And for you gentle humor fans there's "The Ballad of Wallis Island." It's about an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island tri

You probably think of a hammock as that flimsy sheet of cloth you string between two trees. The thing that when you get in it you either look lazy and pretentious or you simply flip over and fall to the ground losing what little dignity you have. Well, this is hammock season in show business. It's the time between the big holiday blockbusters and the big summer action movie blockbusters. Judging by the most recent box-office results people are wise to this and very few people are venturing out to the theaters right now. Maybe they're streaming, who really knows? Nonetheless, we've had a look at some of your entertainment options. We start with "The Studio" which follows a legacy Hollywood movie studio striving to survive in a world where it is increasingly difficult for art and business to live together.So it goes and hires someone played by Seth Rogen. We've all seen it and we'll let you know if it's worth your time, Then there's the controversial live action version of "Snow White" starring Rachel Zegler an

We are now in Daylight SavingsTime and if you're like us, you're missing that hour of sleep you lost last weekend. Some say it's worth it because of the extra sunlight at the end of the day. But most folks would rather watch something entertaining than stare at the sun.So we've got the latest alternatives. We start with "Novocaine" starring Jack Quaid as a mild-mannered bank employee. He's has a rare conition that makes him incapable of feeling physical pain  But when the girl of his dreams is kidnapped, he turns his rare condition into an unexpected advantage in the fight to rescue her. Bill Bregoli will let you know if he liked it. Then there's "I Love You Forever" which is billed as a subversive romantic comedy gone wrong that follows a young woman into and out of an emotionally abusive relationship. Neil Rosen and Bill McCuddy both report what they thought of it. For streaming fans we have The Åre Murders" which is a Swedish mystery series on Netflix we saw. There's also "A Thousand Blows" which comes fro

Our long national nightmare is almost over - The Oscars are finally happening this weekend. They said they were going to happen come hell or high water and Hollywood has had both. As for us, we've boiled entrails and read tea leaves and here is who we think will win what. So go ahead and bet the farm on your Oscar pool at work. Just don't come running to us...

It's cold and you don't want to venture outside. And if you do, you want it to be worth the trip. Luckily we've checked out all your entertainment options. If you're staying inside and streaming we've got "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy." In this one Bridget Jones navigates life as a widow and single mum with the help of her family, friends, and former lover, Daniel. It's on Peacock. On Apple TV+ there's "The Gorge" starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. They play two highly-trained operatives who become close after being sent to protect opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. When an evil emerges, they must work together to survive what lies within. For theater goers there's "Millers in Marriage. Wirter/director Ed Burns tells a tale of three middle-aged married couples coming to grips with universal questions about marriage and fidelity, professional success and failure, and the challenge of finding a second act. For documentary fans we've got "Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius) which focuses on

If you've been paying any attention to the Oscar race you've no doubt heard the controversy surrounding "Emilia Perez" and its nominated star Karla Sofia Gascon. Something to do with tweets, or whatever you call them now that they're on X. It's a fluid situation but we'll add our two cents. Meanwhile Bill Bregoli still insists on watching movies in theaters and he fills us in on "Companion" which stars Sophie Thatcher of "Yellowjackets." It's hard to describe without giving away too much but let's just say it's edgy. Neil Rosen tells a story about going to see Woody Allen play the clarinet and he also caught up with a documentary called "When Jews Were Funny" which was apparently a while ago, but it's on YouTube. Bill McCuddy has also been busy streaming and he fills us in on "Catch Me a Killer" which tells the harrowing story of South Africa's first serial killer profiler. And he's also seen "The Agency" which stars Michel Fassbender as, you guessed it, a spy. But that's not all. We've also got the Apple TV+

It's the time of year when you can let yourself go a little bit since the parties are over and no one will notice if you need a haircut or your roots touched up. That's why our first film is "Wolf Man." It's the latest attempt by Universal Pictures to bring their monster franchises back from the dead. This one stars Julia Garner and Christopher Abbot as a family at a remote farmhouse attacked by an unseen animal, but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognizable. Then we've got "September 5" which takes place during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, as an American sports broadcasting team must adapt to live coverage the Israeli athletes being held hostage by a terrorist group.We've also got "The Last Showgirl" starring none other than Pamela Anderson as a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. And we've got "Joy" which is about 3 trailblazers: a young nurse, a visionary scientist and an innovative s

Go ahead, sing along:"The Order" and "Conclave," "My Old Ass" and WIcked.""The Bikers" and "Skywalkers," plus "Nosferatu.""Coup de Chance" also and "A Complete Unknown"These are a few of our favorite films.Okay, please stop singing. We just thought we'd wrap up 2024 without a formal "Best Of" list. And we also talk about some new releases such as "Babygirl" and "The Fire Inside."So before you start getting causght up in the 2025 films - listen in!

Movies are like canned cranberry sauce. Definitely manufactured but capable of being sweet or tart, and able to make at least one day a little better. Plus the jiggling is always fun. And now we have this year's crop of Thanksgiving movies. They're quite the seasonal bounty. First we have "Gladiator 2" which stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Connie Neilson. It's been a long time since the first one - how's the sequel? We all saw it and we'll let you know.Then Neil tells us about "Wicked" which is the much anticipated movie version of the Broadway musical which seems destined to last longer than Broadway itself. And for something a bit more adult, Bill Bregoli tells us about "Anora," which is about a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Also for grownups is "September 5" which takes place during the 1972 Munich Olym

Daylight Savings Time is coming to an end and darkness will be upon us even sooner. But that's OK since there are lots of movies and shows to watch.We start with "Woman of the Hour." It's the directorial debut of Anna Kendrick who also stars in the film as Sheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that, behind the man's gentle facade, he hides a deadly secret.It's based on a true story! Bill Bregoli and Bill McCuddy both saw it and they'll tell you what they think. Neil Rosen, on the other hand, went to some Broadway plays. The first is "Hold on to Me Darling" starring Adam Driver. And he also saw "Left on Tenth" starring Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher. For streaming folks there's the Seth Meyers comedy special "Dad Man Walking" which is about, you guessed it - being a dad. Plus there's the intense drama "Disclaimer" which stars Cate Blanchett as a television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealin

Summer's creature features and superheroes have faded away and now it's time for the award show bait to show up. We start with "Conclave" which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini (wow!). Ralph stars as Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, and he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church. It's got lots of Oscar buzz plus an amazing cast. We'll let you know what we think! Then there's "The Apprentice."" which is the story of how a young Donald Trump started his real-estate business in 1970s and '80s New York with the helping hand of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. And speaking of controversial folks, we've also got the new Netflix documentary "Martha" which covers the breadth of an extraordinary life through intimate interviews with Martha Stewart herself, who opened up her personal archives to share never-before-seen photos, letters,

It's officially Fall now. And like your neighbor's zucchinis, we have lots of movies. Some big, some small. First up we've got "Wolfs." It's about two rival fixers who cross paths when they're both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official's misstep. Oh, George Clooney and Brad Pitt are in it. Then there's "My Old Ass." It's a comong of age comedy about how a mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (the up andcoming Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her 39-year-old self - played by no less than Aubrey Plaza. If it's creepy you want we've got "The Substance" in which a fading celebrity played by Demi Moore decides to use a black-market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself. If you're one of the few unfortunates who hasn't seen "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" we'll fill you in on that and it you're into documentaries we'll tell you about "Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos" which is full of firsthand accounts and revelations from the peop

If you've been going to movies for a few years you;ve probably realized that August is usually the End of Season Clearance Sale at the movies. Horror flicks, lame comedies, really, they should mark these films down. But this year is very different. Not only are pictures making more money this August than a year ago, but they're making more money than in August 2019 - the year before the pandemic. So we'll start with "It Ends With Us." It's based on a popular novel and stars Blake Lively as Lily, who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. A chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents' relationship. Bill Bregoli watched it in a theater full of women and he'll tell you how they liked it. Then there's "Deadpool & Wolverine" which just about everyone has seen but once again Bill B was the one of us who ventured out to the theater and he'll tell you how that went. Bill B also saw "Twisters" and he explains how it;s d

One thing about staying home in the air conditioning is that you wind up seeing a lot of commercials. And boy have they been advertising our first movie, "Fly Me to the Moon." It stars (in case you've been asleep or in a coma) Scarlett Johanson and Channing Tatum. They're selling it as a "fake the moon mission" movie but it's more than that...and less. Bill Bregoli and Bill McCuddy both saw it and they'll explain. Then there's "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" in which Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter's life is threatened, and works with old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a conspiracy. It's the fourth film in the franchise. Should it be the last? We'll let you know. Neil Rosen lets us know what he thought of the third season of "The Bear" and for you documentary fans there's "Faye" which covers the career of Faye Dunaway. Plus we've got the reality real estate show "Owning Manhattan" and the true crime limited series "Hollywood Con Queen." So listen in!

Even the calendar says it's officially summer now. And in Hollywood that means it's time for sequels and remakes. And before you say "oh please, no more sequels," keep in mind that one of them - "Inside Out 2" is making money like crazy. So obviously people are coming out to see it even though it's a sequel. And even though the original came out nine years ago in 2015, this one follows Riley, now in her teenage years, encountering new emotions. And speaking of animated sequels, here comes "Despicable Me 4" in which Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run. And now there's a TV serial remake of "Presumed Innocent," this time starring Jake Gyllenhaal. It tells the story of a horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys' office when one of its own is suspected of the crime.But if you want something that's not