Cass here filling in as the description writer. It would be so very Gen Z of me to just copy and paste the entire script of Bee Movie here in the description field, but I fear we may fuck up the podcast hosting website somehow by doing that. So, here it is, the Renee-sance (or is it Renee-zance?) coming to a close just before we hit our Christmas specials.

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or on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/mixed-bag/id1475762726 

We're kicking off the Renee-ssaince in earnest after our lost episode last time, it's time to visit COLD MOUNTAIN. Directed by Anthony Minghella (The Talented Mr. Ripley, The English Patient) and starring Jude Law, Nicole and our focus of this mini series, Renee Zellweger, will this be a stirring epic or a significant snooze?

In this classic story of love and devotion set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, a wounded Confederate soldier named W.P. Inman deserts his unit and travels across the South, aiming to return to his young wife, Ada, who he left behind to tend their farm. As Inman makes his perilous journey home, Ada struggles to keep their home intact with the assistance of Ruby, a mysterious drifter sent to help her by a kindly neighbor.

Also featuring a murderer's row of supporting actors, will the trio be warmed by the mountain or left cold by its charms?

 

It's the start of a new miniseries, it's time for Period Princess! 👸

It's a new era and what better way to kick it off with the ultimate page turner of 2001, The Other Boleyn Girl adapted into this feature film in 2008. Starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana.

A sumptuous and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in European history: two beautiful sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, driven by their family’s blind ambition, compete for the love of the handsome and passionate King Henry VIII. (Sourced from Letterboxd)

Will this sexy version of the Tutor times work its charms? 

Other texts discussed are Scavengers Reign, Ukyio, Pain and Glory, Inside Out 2, The Mole, The Getaway and Joe Biden and world politics.

"You're gunna need a bigger shark" -Movie Producer

The arrival of the major new talent on the Hollywood scene, the movie that introduced us to the megalodon, the marvel, THE MEG.

Can Jason Statham compete against the inherent star power of this indelible leading lady performance? Have we seen such soulful acting of the eyes since Garbo, since Hepburn?

The movie that made her, we can't stop talking about The Meg. But is the movie housing her up to par? Can Jason, Ruby Rose, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson and Li Bingbing and Masi Oka from Heroes hold their own?

Chomp down on this latest episode and let the hot takes of Matt, Cass and James wash over you...

Don't forget to follow our socials and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Podchaser. Got a recommendation? Wanna come on the pod? Email mixedbagcontact@gmail.com 

A remake of a Hitchcock's classic, will Ben Wheatley's separate the wheat from the chaff?

Starring Armie Hammer and Lily James, check in and see if Matt, James and Cass are saying "damn Danvers!" for this flick.

Follow us on socials, flick up a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser or just tweet about us to your friends! It really helps us get noticed.

Ladies and Gentlemen (and non-binary folk) this is the moment you've waited for.

WOOO-AHHH-OOOH-OOUGH!!

We finally did it. Cass, Matt and James had never seen The Greatest Showman.

Until now.

Don't forget to rate and write a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Twitter (@MixedBagPod), Facebook (MixedBagPod) and Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

This week, we're joined by Ellie Stewart to discuss the 2016 Ghostbusters, starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon!

When there's something mixed And it's a little bit meh. Who you gunna call?

All I have for you is an episode.

TENET.

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Well folks, we've reached the end of the road for the Streepson. And it's a fitting finale with the Robert Altman's final film, 2006's 'A Prairie Home Companion'.

Gracefully accepting a role in the ensemble, Streep has deigned to be equal with the likes of Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C Reilly, Kevin Kline and 00's Lindsay Lohan.

Is this tribute to radio drama just white noise or a love letter to a dying form. (Thank god for podcasts!)

With our rankings of the Streep's Mixed Bag entries, don't miss this final instalment and don't forget to rate and review us.

The Laundromat.

AKA

My not-so-beautiful Laundrette.

The penultimate of the Meryl Mixed season. Check it out on Netflix.

This week we're looking at an iconic Meryl Streep performance and an iconic Mixed Bag Film.Julie and Julia.Meryl is Julia.Amy is Julie.You know the film.Don't forget to rate and write a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Twitter (@MixedBagPod), Facebook (MixedBagPod) and Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request. 

We're back and we're bringing some conspiracy theories with us!

That's right we're doing our second Jonathan Demme flick (purely unintentional) with the 2004 remake The Manchurian Candidate. Featuring Meryl Streep channelling her inner Clinton with a hairdo to match, is this political thriller a Candidate for a bag or will it put us to sleep(er agent). Don't Liev the question unanswered as we find out which Denzel Washington can't have a single proper scene with Streep and how Jeffrey Wright got away with being so big in a close up.

We had a couple small audio tweaks with the new setup but it clears up after 20 minutes in. Please be kind. Oh and don't forget to rate and write a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Twitter (@MixedBagPod), Facebook (MixedBagPod) and Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

 

It's 1989. A dingo has eaten Meryl's baby. She's made a choice, she's out of Africa and silk is now wood. So what's her next move? An adaptation of The Life and Loves of A She-Devil alongside Roseanne Barr who just started her hit TV show the year before.

A black comedy, She-Devil tells the story of Ruth Patchett (Roseanne Barr), a dumpy, overweight housewife, who exacts devilish revenge after her philandering husband leaves her and their children for glamorous, best-selling romance novelist Mary Fisher (Meryl Streep).

Listen in if this is a devious watch or if it's the devil in disguise.

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Cassandra filling in here for James who does the regular captions! Today we're celebrating 🎉 🌈   ᑭŘ𝕀đẸ 爪ｏ𝓝Ⓣｈ  🌈 🎉 here at Mixed Bag so it's time for a queer cinema classic that none of us have seen before.

Vida (Patrick Swayze), Noxima (Wesley Snipes) and Chi Chi (John Leguizamo) are three New York drag queens travelling cross country to the Miss America Drag pageant when they are waylaid in small town USA. Can their fabulousness bring a little joie d'vivre to this sad wee town, or will the locals not take too kindly to realising these three 'career women' have Adam's apples?

In Pop Corner we talk about the Decemberists' As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, Black Country New Road, The Taste of Things, cinema etiquette drama, Ren Faire, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, the Tony Awards, Charli XCX's Brat, Heartbreak Hotel, Bon Iver's classic album Ice [?] and the glory of sound-cancelling headphones.

There's no Mixed Bag this week but instead, we're treating you to an audio drama that Cassandra and James have been working on: Apocalypse Songs.

The five episode series follows a local radio station reporter Amy Louise Chen (Cassandra Tse) investigating the tapes of Clara Wilson (Catherine Gavigan-Binnie), an obscure 1960s musician whose cryptic lyrics seem to have predicted the future. Amy joins forces with Clara’s great-nephew Josh (Dryw McArthur) to investigate the mystery of Clara’s “Apocalypse Songs”.

Directed by James Cain and written by Cassandra Tse, this is the first of five episodes. Be sure to subscribe to Apocalypse Songs on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

We'll be back with some more Meryl Streep Mixed Bags next week. x

Meryl Streep Jonathan Demme Diablo Cody.

Killer combo right? But things were a bit Ricki-ety for Ricki and the Flash (2015) when it first opened and the years haven't been kind. Despite a stacked cast of Meryl, Kevin Kline and Audra McDonald, it's certainly in the mixed area of Meryl oeuvre. The Mixed Bag team sought it out to see if it's the star Ricki always dreams of being of it's just a Flash in the pan.

Make sure to check out Apocalypse Songs on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. The episodes air on July 5th on our feed but it's available to subscribe right now.

Oh and don't forget to rate and write a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Twitter (@MixedBagPod), Facebook (MixedBagPod) and Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

   

It's the first of our Meryl Streep Season and we're kicking it off with a bang with Mamma Mia (2008)

Please consider signing petitions and donating to the Black Lives Matter movement:

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#

And please visit ArmsDown.NZ so they can provide you with useful scripts to let the NZ Police and your local MP know that Aotearoa doesn't want Armed Police Patrols:

https://armsdown.nz/

Pacific people are 3x more likely than Pākehā to be the victims of police violence. Māori are almost 8x more likely. More police with guns in brown neighbourhoods will lead to more police bullets in brown people.

ARMED POLICE PATROLS WILL COMMIT RACIST SHOOTINGS IF WE DON’T STOP THEM.

Welcome to The Village. There are some rules for you to follow:

1. Let Kevin Karn on the podcast for he is good.

2. Do not get too mad at the twists though they annoy.

3. Bag it or biff it. There is no in-between.

Misunderstood masterpiece or infuriating twaddle? M. Night Shyamalan's 2004 'period piece' is counted by some as the beginning of his 'bad patch'. But is The Village something to be avoided? Or can you walk freely through it without fear of monsterous storytelling?

We're joined by our very first international guest Kevin Karn this episode! You might've seen him in 2018's Summer Shakespeare 'The Comedy of Errors' and today he's digging into the movie that left him intrigued and disappointed when he first watched it. Is the same true now?

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"He's a pinball wizard There has got to be a twist A pinball wizard's Got such a supple wrist!"   A boy that witnesses his father being murdered by his stepfather and mother goes deaf, dumb and blind before becoming a pinball wizard and founding a cult.   Yeah, just your average 70s flick. Welcome to 'Tommy' (1975) directed by Ken Russell! Chosen because the Mixed Bag team were desperate to see Ann-Margret movie that actually utilizes her skills, does Ann-Margret make a meal of her performance or is she just floundering about in some beans? (Google Ann-Margret beans if you want a taste of Tommy's mayhem). We'll be going to The Village soon like we promised but right now, enjoy seeing Tommy, hearing Tommy, touching Tommy?? (It's a lyric).

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"Your teacher says take off your robes"

It's the final episode of our 1993 mini season and we're going out with a belt! That's right, it's Sister Act 2, Back in the Habit, starring Whoopi Goldberg and icon of the 90s Lauryn Hill.

Despised by the critics on its release (7% on Rotten Tomatoes), dismissed by some fans and cherished by others, the debate on Sister Act 2 is well and truly mixed. Was Delores donning the robes and inspiring the students of St Francis the right move? Or did the public just want more of Sister Roberts, Sister Mary Patrick, Sister Lazarus and Revered Mother and not these damn kids?

Don't forget to rate and write a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Twitter (@MixedBagPod), Facebook (MixedBagPod) and Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

Ahhh clubs. We've all been in one, but have you ever heard of one with such joy? Or luck?

No, never.

Welcome to The Joy Luck Club by returning director Wayne Wang (Maid in Manhattan) the second in our 1993 mini season. Starring the voice of Mulan herself, Ming-Na Wen, and Adapted from a bestseller by author Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club explores the relationship between Chinese-American women and their Chinese immigrant mothers. There's a lot of stories, there's a lot of trauma. Content warning for this episode.

Grab a chair and join the table for a round of mahjong and let's see how joyful and lucky this club really is.

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All this lockdown making you feel a little grumpy? Let your anxiety and frustration be expressed by two of the best grumps around, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau!

The very first of our '93 picks, Grumpy Old Men was a childhood pick from host James, where John Gustovson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman's (Matthau) whole life is three actions: bicker, argue and fish. That is until a mysterious and zany new neighbour moves in, she zooms around on a snowmobile and has nude busts, it's the Manic Pixie Dream Woman Ariel Traux! (Ann-Margret)

Will the hosts be charmed by the pranks of these twwo geezers as they feud for the love of a woman they barely even bother to know?

NOTE: We repeatedly say the 48 Hour Film Festival screening will be the 9th. It'll be on the 8th at 9:30pm.

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"This is how the world ends, not with a whimper but with a bang."

What does The Rock, Sarah Michelle Gellar, two Sean William Scotts, Justin Timberlake and enough SNL cast members to be a full episode create? Richard Kelly's Southland Tales.

We're joined by the delightful Johnny Crawford, Vice-President of the Film Society to guide us through this labyrinthine plot and immerse us in the then-future 2008 Venice Beach realness.

A huge flop with it's premiere at Cannes in 2006, Southland Tales has been undergoing a reappraisal lately. Is it a masterful black comedy, a ruthless satire of the Bush era, a surreal Lynchian adventure or a weirdly prescient tale of the Trump era, or is it just trash.

Johnny, Cass, Matt and James open the bag to try to discern if Southland Tales has got soul.

Don't forget to rate and write a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Twitter (@MixedBagPod), Facebook (MixedBagPod) and Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

We reached a landmark, 20 episodes! To celebrate we're going to go plant some American flags on planets and wish the legendary Bill Irwin a happy birthday.

That's right, we're off to space! Christopher Nolan's 2014 epic Interstellar was a giant but how many people actually saw it? James certainly didn't and he was a big Nolan fan, why did the worm turn against ol' Chris and why are you calling James a worm? That's rude.

Don't miss hearing the team chat Matt and Matt in this movie, as well as Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Timothée Chalamet, Ellen Burstyn and... TOPHER GRACE??!!

Don't forget to rate us on Apple Podcasts, we got our first one this episode and we're keen to read more!

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It's the year 2000. It's the first 3D animated film from Walt Disney. It's Dinosaur. And it's a very unhinged episode, we had a blast with this one. Plus, we had a special guest drop in briefly, Cass' brother, Nathan!

An orphaned dinosaur raised by lemurs joins an arduous trek to a sancturary after a meteorite shower destroys his family home. (Sourced from Letterboxd)

It's the final of our personal childhood picks and we're rounding it out with Disney's Dinosaur. Who could forget the epic tale of Aladar, his lemurs and his two elderly friends Eema and Baylene? Everyone, it turns out! Well, it's available now on Disney Plus. Why not listen in to hear how Matt, Cass and Jimmy found this journey back, way waaaay back in time?

Yo! You want some papes? 

Welcome to the turn of the century, where we newsies gotta distributes these papes and we're gettin paid nuttin' for 'em! I'm getting angry, and I know my pal Jack Kelly (Christain Bale) is too! I sure hope he starts a revolt so we newsies can unionize, all while dancin our scruffy feet off an' singin' our little lungs out!

A huge Box Office flop, this is the film Disney doesn't want you to see. Starring Christian Bale, Robert Duvall and one of our podcast hosts, James Cain??

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Does your marriage need a little zhoosh? How about solving a murder together? That's what Audrey (Jennifer Aniston) and Nick (Adam Sandler) find themselves doing when Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans) invites them on a luxury cruise ship.

The first of our weekly series starts with Netflix's Murder Mystery so you can watch along and see if you agree. You'll be getting a lot more of the Mixed Bag team as they've suddenly got a lot more time on their hands.

While you know for certain that the Matt, Cass and James will butcher the plot of this movie, does this movie kill their vibe or did it slay them?

Follow us on Facebook (MixedBagPod), Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) and Twitter (@MixedBagPod) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

Take a moment from your real life to step into... the Imaginarium.

It's 2009, Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell hold the same cultural cache, Andrew Garfield goes uncredited on the film's poster and Terry Gilliam hasn't put a Monty Python style foot in his mouth with comments about white men and how they're the real victims.

No, this is a time when there's a duel between a Doctor and a Devil, a travelling circus and we all had broken hearts over an incredible actor called Heath.

We're joined by the awesome Ruby Kemp who has loved this filmed for 10 years. She revisits it today, what did she and the team think? Was it a visual extravaganza or an overstimulating mess?

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2002. It was a different time. Treasure Island? Pff! Forget that, it's a whole damn PLANET, mate!

Joseph Gordon Levitt was hot stuff, fresh off 3rd Rock From The Sun and about to carve out his career as a serious actor, what better teen to take on the iconic role of Jim Hawkins.

Disney was... well, struggling but there was great innovation to be made playing with 2D and 3D animation, did they crack it this time? How long did they spend on human characters or were they just having the time of their life making some dope space aliens?

A distant memory in James' childhood, did this Planet stand the test of time or was this not Treasure but trash?

Find out on this week's Mixed Bag...

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Say listener, you, yes you! You wanna gig, kid? The years 1958 and we've got the scoop of the century! Vernon Hudsucker has gone kaput, kablamo! Who'll take over the company? His righthand man, the cigar chomping Sidney J Mussburger? Or will it be some nobody from the street? Hurry up kid, this story ain't gunna write itself! 

This week we're joined by the incredible Jonny Potts, watching a VHS copy of The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), a Joel & Ethan Coen joint, written by them and their pal Sam Raimi. Have you stumbled across this little known flick starring Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Paul Newman?

If you enjoy Jonny Potts discussing VHS on our pod, you can hear him in more detail in his Fringe Festival show "The Best Show In Town Is At Your Place Every Night", a guided tour of the video shops of Wellington. On from 3-6 March at BATS Theatre 9pm, Jonny is a master storyteller and we can't wait to see what he has in store. https://nz.patronbase.com/_BATS/Productions/JONN/Performances

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It was the summer of 1999 and Freddie Prince Jr was riding the wave of stardom, starring in an incredibly loose adaptation of Pygmalion and My Fair Lady with rising star Rachael Leigh Cook. Featuring the most insane cast of the 90s and three, count 'em, THREE stars of the upcoming Scooby Doo.

Don't be silent on this like Sarah Michelle Gellar's cameo, you've got to see this star studded cast ft Usher, Lil Kim, Kieran Culkin, Gabrielle Union and Academy Award Winner Anna Paquin. Is this film All That or All Talk? Find out right now.

Leave us a review on iTunes and you can follow us on Facebook (MixedBagPod), Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) and Twitter (@MixedBagPod) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

"Eva!" Antonio Banderas roared, bathed in a river of flowing water, dancing freely and celebrating the glory and majesty of María Eva Duarte de Perón. Did Matt, Cass and James feel similarly towards the First Lady of Argentina and this film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita? Does Madonna steal our hearts or only our time? When will Antonio Banderas' Oscar come? Why is Jonathan Price's hairpiece so bad? This massive movie musical was a box office smash, listen in if we're wanting to smash it. 

Leave us a review on iTunes and you can follow us on Facebook (MixedBagPod), Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) and Twitter (@MixedBagPod) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

 

"I See You" That's right, for our first episode of 2020, we're doing one of the biggest films of all time, the one that everyone forgot. Folks, welcome back to Pandora.

 

Matt, Cass and James not only waded into the hyper-blue depths of this 2009 juggernaut, we watched the extended cut, featuring more creatures, more Sigourney and the occasional dodgy CGI shot.

Were the trio charmed by the visit to the Hometree, or were we like Neytiri and we couldn't stop called Jake Sully skxawng (moron)? Listen to find out.

If you liked this episode, please rate us on iTunes. It does wonders for helping this podcast reach new listeners and we might even read some on the podcast!

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"Would you like to see me make the Jellicle choice?" It's here Baguettes. The moment you've been waiting for, you've had your Christmas presents but there's one more waiting for you on your podcast feed. Our thoughts on the horrific Lovcraftian Phantasmagoria CATS (2019) by Tom Hooper. Some of Hollywood's best performers (and Rebel Wilson) star in this nightmare fuel. Don't miss your opportunity to witness it yourself. Our guest, the terrific Patrick Barnes, has seen it twice already!

And remember, a cat is not a dog.

It's part two of our Christmas double with Lucas Neal! Lucas wanted to watch iconic Christmas movie, wholesome and loving with likeable characters and its heart in the right place. Instead we watched The Family Stone.

The plot follows the Christmas holiday misadventures of the Stone family when the eldest son, (Dermot Mulroney), brings his uptight girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker) home with the intention of proposing to her with a cherished heirloom ring. Overwhelmed by the hostile reception, she begs her sister to join her for emotional support, triggering further complications.

Did the team like it or does the teaser poster sum up our thoughts on this movie? 🖕 Listen in to find out and happy holidays Baguettes!

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We're back for a mini quick mix this week! Discussions include Grey's Anatony, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, A Highland Song, Animal Well and Telling Lies.

See you next week for a return to our Childhood Movies!

"Last Christmas, I recommended my pod but the very next day, you unsubscribed away" **SPOILER WARNING** Be warned, we spoil the hell out of Paul Feig's Last Christmas, starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. And we're joined by special guest and Christmas connoisseur Lucas Neal! 

Will A Simple Favour from Tom help Kate appreciate the true power of Christmas? Why does he always dress the same? Can you Name The Six?

We dig into this ode to George Michael, penned by Emma Thompson and her husband Greg as we ask ourselves, why isn't there more rom-coms based around Christmas time?

Don't make this your Last Podcast x 

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta listen to my pod! It's our first ep with a guest and we're going to the World of Spice with Catherine Zulver! What's it like to revisit this camp classic for spice aficionados Cass, Matt and Cat? What does a spice virgin like James think of Ginger, Scary, Posh, Sporty and Baby as well as an irate Richard E. Grant, Roger Moore's pets and creepy alien fans?

Follow us on Facebook (MixedBagPod), Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) and Twitter (@MixedBagPod) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

   

"Tina, pass me the axe." Happy (belated) Halloween, Baguettes. Is there anything more iconic that Faye Dunaway giving it her all as Joan Crawford? Matt, Cass and James didn't know because they had not yet witnessed the mesmerising train wreck that is Mommie Dearest (1981), based on Christina Crawford's tell-all memoir published a year after her mother's death. Find out if they're biffing Crawford and Dunaway or keeping her for good. One things for certain:

NO MORE WIREHANGERS!!

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One big island demands one big episode, we're looking at Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island! Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo as well groomed men of the 50s you just love to ship, these duly appointed federal marshals are gunna smoke out all the nonsense on this isle. Where's Rachel Solando? Why did Michelle Williams book this gig? Why are you all wet, baby? Can James' Halloween pick sway Matt and Cass or is this island getting shuttered up for good?

Follow us on Facebook (MixedBagPod), Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) and Twitter (@MixedBagPod) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

To Infinity and beyond? With Nick and Norah and their playlist? Cass, Matt and James are doubting their chances with this indie mixed bag starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings about one long night of music, love and way too much gross out humour. Will we placing this flick on our nostalgia playlist or is it going the way of the tape and CD, straight into the biff? Follow us on Facebook (MixedBagPod), Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) and Twitter (@MixedBagPod) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

Praise New Yawk, we gotta new ep! That's right, we couldn't resist a J-Lo flick with how much Hustlers is popping off so it's Maid in Manhattan (2002) time! Starring Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes and a ton of great supporting actors. The hustle is real for a maid (in Manhattan), especially when you're a poor, single mum, raising a young Republican. But never fear, a handsome senator-to-be doing the worst American accent might be just around a corner with a dog and Stanley Tucci in tow. Had we already made (in Manhattan) our minds up about this mixed bag? Did we J-Love it? Why isn't Tyler Posey's career bigger? Cause that kid is TALENTED!

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Welcome back! This week we dive into a strange new world where one of the hottest movie stars was a charming, doughboy called Brendan Fraser. Bedazzled (2000) stars Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley, directed by Harold Ramis.

It's the Faust narrative all over again but this time, with SEX! Elliot Richards is a uncool dude that can't find love or friends until he bumps into The Devil, complete in Jessica Rabbit regalia. She offers him seven wishes to make the love of his life, Alison (Frances O'Connor) notice and fall in love with him and all he has to exchange? His soul.

A childhood favourite of James, will the trio be dazzled by The Devil or the flick send it straight to hell?

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This week we're sailing into the cosmos with the Beatles jukebox musical, Across The Universe! Were we charmed by the soulful Sturgess? Did Evan Rachel Wood evan make an impression? Could we "take more" of Taymor's visuals? Listen in to see if Matt, James and Cass want to bag it or biff it.

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 Welcome to our bumper pilot episode of Mixed Bag!

The latest movie podcast to grace your screens, Mixed Bag looks at the mixed, muddled and meh movies throughout film history. Featuring Matt, Cass and Jim.

For our first episode we wanted to go big, and what bigger film than the Oscar winning Tom Hanks vehicle Forrest Gump that took the world by storm in 1994?

Nowadays the sheen has come off Gump and Matt, Cass and Jim open the bag to find out if what's inside is worth bagging or binning. Follow us on Facebook (MixedBagPod), Instagram (@MixedBagPodcast) and Twitter (@MixedBagPod) or email us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com if you have a request.

We're continuing our childhood picks with 1995's Now and Then, starring an absolutely stacked cast including Christina Ricci, Rosie O'Donnell, Demi Moore, Gaby Hoffmann, Thora Birch, Melanie Griffiths, Rita Wilson and Ashleigh Aston Moore. But what is this film? Does it even exist?

Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends – Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta – recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. (Sourced from Letterboxd)

Will this girls version of Stand By Me stand up? How much Now and how much Then are we talking? And when is the return of Ashleigh Aston Moore? All this and more in our latest Mixed Bag! 

It's time for more personal picks from your hosts and James has landed on one fairly lost to time Mouse Hunt (1997). Before Gore Verbinski was documenting pirates in the Caribbean, he was making his debut feature with Nathan Lane and Lee Evans about a pesky mouse that won't go away.

Down-on-their luck brothers, Lars and Ernie Smuntz, aren’t happy with the crumbling old mansion they inherit… until they discover the estate is worth millions. Before they can cash in, they have to rid the house of its single, stubborn occupant—a tiny and tenacious mouse. (Sourced from Letterboxd).

Will this film that distressed young James still have the same effect today? Will Cass and Matt enjoy the slapstick shenanigans or is this a childhood watch that should remain forgotten?

Also featuring an in-depth discussion of the new film Challengers, the song J was trying to reference was the "yeah yeah yeah" one but he forgot words. 

 

Ellie Stewart returns to the podcast with the final part of the trilogy, Ghostbusters, Hook and The Inbetweeners Movie! (2011). Based on the TV show, will this gross out boys comedy be a dream come true or will our opinion be inbetween good and bad?

High school graduation just wouldn’t be complete without an un-chaperoned, uninhibited and unforgettable final holiday. At least that’s what Will, Jay, Simon and Neil think when they book a two-week stay on an exotic Greek island. As their dreams of sun-drenched days and booze-filled nights are left hopelessly unfulfilled, the lads fight their way into the party scene with hilariously humiliating results in this smash hit UK raunchy comedy. (Sourced from Letterboxd).

Don't forget to check out Ellie and Cassandra in Destiny's Cousin: The Reunion Spectacular, on during the New Zealand International Comedy Festival from the 7-9 May! Further info and tickets available at this link: https://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/find-a-show/destinys-cousin-the-reunion-spectacular/

NYAD

Love her or hate her, know her or don't, NYAD (2023) and Diana Nyad herself have been in the news lately with the Academy Award nominations of Annette Benning and Jodie Foster for said film. But who is she? 

Athlete Diana Nyad sets out at 60 to achieve a nearly impossible lifelong dream: to swim from Cuba to Florida across more than 100 miles of open ocean. (Sourced from Letterboxd)

That's right, controversial swimmer and sometime pathological liar Diana Nyad is being covered and whether she swum assisted or unassisted, there's one thing for certain, Annette is giving it her ALL in this performance. From the very first shot she is blazing intensity. But is the movie any good?

Will you need multiple attempts to watch this movie like Diana Nyad needed to swim from Cuba to Florida? How deep can your voice go? And has your mind never been clearer?

It's time.

The foundational text. The Rosetta Stone of Dream Blunt Rotation. The one you've all been waiting for.

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN!

What is there to say. The name speaks for itself. But will provide some context. 

Made in 2011, it's Emily's last rotation (for now) and her scene partner has appeared on the podcast before, Moulin Rouge's Ewen McGregor.

A fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik’s vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert and embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible possible. (Letterboxd)

Did you know Salmon Fishing isn't some bizarre improbable true story, it's just totally made up? It was the debut of author Paul Torday who was aged 60! A big fan of salmon fishing and having lived a life of bureaucracy, he decided to write a comic novel and turned into a smash hit. We'll glad he was able to watch his efforts be turned into a film before his death in 2013. 

See whether this relatively forgotten film is a fish flop or a surprise catch with our latest Mixed Bag.