Steve & James unpack not only the new Alien: Romulus but all this in the long history of the Alien franchise. We get pretty passionate about these films, come join us in on the discussion

** DEEP DIVE MOVIE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS **

0:00 - Introduction

0:40 - Alien: Romulus was supposed to go direct to streaming

4:26 - Best addition to the franchise since Aliens

6:30 - Alien: Romulus tips its hat to every Alien film

9:10 - Why James doesn’t like re-staging classic lines and scenes

14:10 - Fede Alvarez directing

23:36 - The Alien itself

28:25 - The return of Ian Holm

34: 25 - Set and sound design

37:09 - Our problems with Act 3

48:01 - The first time Steve saw Alien when it was released

49:31 - Is “Alien” a perfect movie

56:08 - Final score for Alien: Romulus

Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman return to their iconic characters and team up not only to stop evil but to create the fanboy film of the year!

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:00 - Introduction

2:02 - A Marvel Disneyland ride “plot”

3:10 - The entire film feels like a “post-credits” sequence

5:10 - The problems with “the Multi-verse”

13:40 - Deadpool & Wolverine’s camaraderie carry the film

17:55 - Our favourite cameos in the film

23:20 - Easter Eggs galore

27:59 - Final Score for “Deadpool & Wolverine”

Based on a true story, Jim Caviezel stars as Tim Ballard, a Homeland Security Officer who, upon discovering a child slavery ring in South America, gathers a group of like-minded allies to see the cabal brought down.

The Evangelical community in America came on in force for this film bringing the gross box office to a quarter of a BILLION $$$$ defying the expectations of a cynical Hollywood...but is it really any good? 

Steve & James weigh in on this polarizing film.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain SPOILERS **

0:00 - Introduction

5:07 - Faith-based community support

9:11 - No one actually talks about the film itself

15:21 - Steve & James disagree about “God’s Children”

17:54 - Is the film really any good??

27:50 - The hurdles for “Sound of Freedom” to get made

32:00 - Films for underrepresented groups

34:43 - Final score for “Sound of Freedom”

Steve & James unpack the latest Mike Flanagan Netflix horror series "The Fall of the House of Usher".

**. Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 

0:00 - Introduction

1:45 - Edgar Allan Poe

4:15 - Is Mike Flanagan the new Stephen King?

8:30 - The casting is GOLD

17:42 - The subtext: choice & consequence

23:15 - Mark Hamill is a brilliant Arthur Pym

28:35 - Rating Mike Flangan’s five Netflix series

34:56 - Final score for “The Fall of the House of Usher”

James liked Gareth Edwards new sci-fi film "The Creator" but Steve found it lacking. Find out why in this episode of ScreenShots. We then move on to Mike Flanagan's new Netflix Halloween release "The Fall of the House of Usher". Along the way we discuss the works of Edgar Allan Poe and launch a new book club!

** Deep Dive does Spoilers** 

0:00 - Introduction

0:43 - Why James doesn't watch many TV shows

3:41 - The Creator

37:13 - The Fall of the House of Usher

1:14:19 - Steve & James start a book club

1:21:20 - H.P. Lovercraft and Cthulhu

James gets a Masterclass lesson in all things Star Trek as fellow film critic and Star Trek aficionado Liz Kerr joins Steve as they swoon over the recent season of Strange New Worlds.

We then move on to discuss the death of famed director William Friedkin, the 50th Anniversary of his iconic film "The Exorcist" and why Steve's Christian Evangelical background meant he never actually saw the film until James made him this week 😂. 

Along the way, we chat about some of the TV we've been watching lately.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

Steve & James look at NPR's recent critique of "Oppenheimer" which highlighted its overly white cast and lack of gay characters. How should today's films be representative and diverse, yet not be held hostage to unrealistic stories or relationships?

We look at some recent summer films and where they succeed or miss on ways forward. 

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

The boys return from a summer hiatus and pour a couple drinks before jumping into a banter on the biggest blockbusters of the season. We unpack the hits (Oppenheimer), the misses (We're looking at you Indy), the insane (Tom Cruise and that train), and of course Pink Patriarchy (Barbie).

Along the way James explains why CGI has gotten worse in the last 15 years and Steve discovers his "tribe" in Ireland. So grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us for our Summer Blockbusters 2023 Comeback Special

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

When Steve learns that James has never seen an episode of "Black Mirror", he goes into action to explain to his friend why he must watch Charlie Brooker's dystopian fuelled anthology series stat! Along the way, Steve reviews the recently dropped Series 6 as well as some of his favorite episodes from past seasons. ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews Contain Spoilers **

Director Cheng Er's espionage noir film set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the 1940s about a group of daring Chinese who set up an underground network to undermine the puppet regime. Starring Tony Leung, Wang Yibo, Zhou Xun, and Huang Lei

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 

3:10 - Complex layers of loyalties & secrets

11:28 - The Hidden Blade’s “long con”

12:55 - Shanghai as a setting

19:45 - Tony Leung

22:19 - Final score for Hidden Blade

Ricardo Darin heads up this historical courtroom drama of a team of young lawyers who seek to prosecute those responsible for the atrocities committed by the military junta in Argentina from 1976-1983. Also starring Peter Lanzani, Alejandra Flechner and Norman Briski.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 

2:00 - Argentina 1985 speaks to 2023

 
6:20 - Rock solid film but missing something?

 
9:50 - The scene that was very personal for Steve

 
17:23 - Final score for Argentina 1985

Writer - director Ruben Ostlund's satirical comedy skewers the rich & entitled when a luxury yacht goes down at seas marooning its passengers on a deserted Island. Starring Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Zlatko Burić, Henrik Dorsin, Vicki Berlin, and Woody Harrelson.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contains spoilers ** 

1:50 - The vomit scene

4:45 - Subverting or reenforcing gender stereotypes?

11:00 - Examining hierarchies

14:00 - The best scene in the film

18:45 - The cast

20:19 - Final score for “Triangle of Sadness”

Hong Kong's Andy Lau joins Mainland action star Wu Jing in the sequel to 2019's blockbuster "The Wandering Earth". Based on the short story by Chinese novelist Liu Cixin of an ambitious plan to save humanity from our dying sun.

Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers

 1:50 - The premise of " The Wandering Earth 2"

10:50 - Story and effects are well balanced

17:04 - Andy Lau makes a welcome addition

21:22 - Are women poorly served in "The Wandering Earth 2"?

24:35 - "The Wandering Earth" would make a great TV series

25:51 - Allegory for climate change

28:36 - Final score for "The Wandering Earth 2"

Todd Field wrote and directed this psychological - drama of a famed maestro (Cate Blanchett) whose power plays and sexual manipulations threaten her position as the first female director of a European orchestra.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

Sight & Sounds Top 100 2022 referenced in episode can be found here: https://decider.com/2022/12/02/2022-sight-and-sound-greatest-films-of-all-time-poll/ 

7:20 - Can we separate “art” from the artist’s character?

13:50 - Surprisingly “chaste” considering the sexual politics and power dynamics

16:07 - Like music, “Tar” relays on your own interpretation

18:42 - The end of “Tar”

26:40 - Final Score for “Tar”

To celebrate reaching the milestone of 100 videos here on Deep Dive Movie Reviews, James and Steve have a discussion around one of the most iconic films in cinema history; Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane"

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews Contain Spoilers ** 

0:00 - Intro

2:40 - Citizen Kane is not your regular crowd pleaser

5:45 - Was Charles Foster Kane “evil”?

10:24 - Citizen Kane took years to finally gain the status its recognised for.

20:30 - Talking the script

27:19 - Orson Wells & Ed Wood

30:00 - Who is this generation’s Orson Wells?

Donnie Yen directs and stars in "Sakra" based on the wuxia novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils". Also starring Chen Yuqi, and Cya Liu.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 

0:00 - Intro

1:02 - Synopsis of “Sakra”

3:30 - Talking Wuxia

6:20 - Too much wire work?

11:20 - Is “Sakra” to generic?

15:30 - The crossover between Wuxia & the Western

20:21 - The female cast in “Sakra”

29:33 - Donnie Yen’s passion project

35:35 - Final score for “Sakra” 

This episode we are joined by special guest Josh Hurtado. A US-based film critic, festival programmer and authority on Indian cinema, Josh's latest venture Potentate Films is helping coordinate the awards campaign for SS Rajamouli's Telugu-language epic RRR.  In our wide ranging discussion, Steve and James talk to him about his passion for the region, his relationship with the filmmaker, and what makes RRR one of the best films of 2022. 

1:02 -Josh's involvement with RRR & Indian cinema

8:39 - "I haven't missed an opening of a Rajamouli film since Eega"

16:12 - Getting RRR viewed by a wider International audience

24:20 - Why Rajamouli's films tend to be received by International audiences

35:40- How Josh was tapped to “become an evangelist” for RRR in North America

46:37- When RRR started appearing on awards lists

54:04- People love what Rajamouli does

Daniel Craig returns as super sleuth Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson's followup to 2019's much lauded whodunit "Knives Out". In "Glass Onion" billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites an eclectic group of friends to his private Island for an elaborate murder mystery party only to discover not everyone sees the murder as a game. Also starring Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contains spoilers **

3:06 - A holiday invoking film

5:07 - The ensemble cast

12:27 - Edward Norton

18:35 - You feel like one of the invited guests as a viewer

22:56 - Final score for “Glass Onion”

James & Steve recap the year of 2022 with their lists of the Top 10 best movies of the last 12 months. What did they miss? Where are they wrong? Drop a comment in the section below

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

2:25 - #10 Best Film

5:50 - #9 Best Film

7:58 - #8 Best Film

10:45 - #7 Best Film

13:14 - #6 Best Film

16:12 - #5 Best Film

18:25 - #4 Best Film

20:25 - #3 Best Film

24:28 - #2 Best Film

27:57 - #1 Best Film

Martin McDonagh reunites Brendan Gleason & Colin Farrell who play two Irishmen living on a remote Island in 1923 and the ensuing impact on themselves and their small community when one abruptly ends their years long friendship. Also starring Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

Jordan Peele's new film NOPE is a genre defying sci-fi / neo - western starring Daniel Kaluuya & Keke Palmer as siblings defending their ranch from an extraterrestrial invader. Also starring Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea, and Keith David.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

2:27 - Why NOPE should be seen on the big screen

4:32 - NOPE is a mash up of genres

9:05 - NOPE is disturbing without being macabre

15:14 - Jupe’s backstory

21:14 - Steve’s critique of character development

33:23 - Jordan Peele brings depth and complexity to the story

36:42 - Final score for NOPE

James Cameron's much anticipated follow up to his 2009 blockbuster, "Avatar: The Way of Water" sees Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family on the run and seeking refuge with a water-borne tribe on the far side of Pandora. Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet also star.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:59 - Visually stunning but…..

7:04 - Characters are flimsily drawn

14:45 - Can we have great visuals AND script?

16:45 - Is there enough story to justify multiple sequels?

21:20 - The lack of humour in “The Way of Water”

31:07 - Final Score for “The Way of Water”

The long-awaited follow-up sequel to Denis Villeneuve' s take on Frank Herbert's "Dune". We look at whether or not this sprawling epic of geo-political intrigue on the faraway planet Arrakis (Dune) lives up to the hype

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Dune Part 1 vs Part 2

9:26 - Are the Harkonens “twisted” enough? 

13:50 - The price paid for focusing on the love story

17:00 - The role of religion in Part 2

20:28 - Humour borders on Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”

27:14 - “The sandworms were great”

29:10 - A “Dune” TV show could rival “Game of Thrones”

30:35 - Final score for Dune: Part Two”

Filmmaking duo Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead's thrilling sci-fi tale of two guys attempting to document a paranormal anomaly in their apartment. Suspicions & paranoia ultimately grow between them which threatens to unravel their relationship and their goal of solving the mystery.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:05 - Film synopsis

4:00 - Chemistry of the actors

7:49 - “A film about ideas”

13:45 - Discussing the “Evangelical Christian” connection

17:28 - One of Steve’s top 10 films of 2022

19:25 - Final score for “Something in the Dirt”

Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film tells the story of 16 yr old Sam Fabelman as he discovers a love of cinema and film making while navigating family trials, anti-semitism, and teenage love. Starring Gabriel Labelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:45 - "The Fabelmans" synopsis

2:38 - Capturing the magic of cinema

8:00 - Would we be interested in Sammy Fabelman if we didn’t know it was Steven Spielberg?

18:00 - "The Fabelmans" as Spielberg’s therapy

21:28 - The Cast

24:26 - The scene with John Ford

27:10 - "Steven Spielberg gave me wonder & joy"

30:15 - Jame’s problem with the cinematography

34:10 - The John Williams score

36:30: Final Score for "The Fabelmans"

Alfred Hitchcock's gothic psychological thriller of an aristocratic widower (Laurence Olivier) who weds a young new bride (Joan Fontain) who doesn't realise the "spirit" of the former wife Rebecca still wafts through the family manor.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:50 - Steve’s background with "Rebecca"

2:43 - "Rebecca" synopsis

7:15 - "Rebecca" in the #METOO era

13:00 - Mrs. Danvers

16:23 - Laurence Olivier and the cast 29:06 - "Rebecca" at the Oscars

Akira Kurosawa's classic film examines the struggles of a terminally ill bureaucrat (Takashi Shimura) who attempts to find some meaning to his life before he dies.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:58 - Synopsis of Ikiru

9:30 - How Kurosowa challenges “group think”

16:20 - The message of “hope” for post war Japan

17:51 - The “hat” as a metaphor for life

21:29 - Was more resolution with the son needed?

24:00 - Technical aspects and production design of “ikiru”

27:05 - Final thoughts on “ikiru”

A new cast assembles for the penultimate season of The Crown and sees Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) dealing with fire at Windsor Castle, the marriage collapse of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a British public that seems much less interested in maintaining a Royal Family.

Also starring Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Jonny Lee Miller, Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:37 - Why the “Yankee” loves “The Crown”

10:52 - James & Steve differ on the “liberties” taken in Season 5

21:46 - Season 5’s take on John Major

25:35 - New cast is top shelf

28:30 - In Season 6 we want more Philip and more gaffs

35:40 - The Hong Kong Handover

38:40 - Final Score for The Crown

Luca Guadagnino's coming of age road trip film features two young lovers...who just happen to be cannibals. Starring Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet and Mark Rylance

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:35 - Film synopsis

2:08 - What we are drinking

4:30 - Does “Bones & All” defile the human soul?

7:17 -  Director Luca Guadagnino goes “all in”

11:54 - The cast of “Bones & All”

23:00 - The ‘80s setting for the film

26:56 - Final score for “Bones & All”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever finds the African nation mourning the loss of their protector (Chadwick Boseman) while rising to the challenge of a new threat posed by the undersea king Namor. Starring Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:09 - Dealing with Chadwick Bosman’s death

6:24 - A Black Panther film with no Black Panther in it

13:09 - The film’s synopsis

20:00 - Lack of a character development arc

24:37 - Do the franchise sub-plots make the film bloated?

29:45 - Costume design excellence

35:13 - Final score for “Wakanda Forever”

During World War 1 a young man enlists in the German Army with the hope of becoming a hero only to find that hope shattered by the reality of war. Edward Berger directs the classic "anti-war" film based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers**

2:00 - More than just a “re-make” of the 1930 film

3:36 - Music and soundtrack

7:38 - Old man’s egos and nationalism

11:24 - “War doesn’t have any heroes”

14:34 - The strong opening sets the stage

22:07 - Final score for “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Roman Polanski's psychological horror starring Mia Farrow as a newly married New Yorker who begins to suspect her cheerful neighbours are part of a satanic cult with designs on her. Also starring John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sydney Blackmer, and Maurice Evans

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:01 - Why Steve had never seen Rosemary’s Baby before

2:58 - Mia Farrow’s iconic role

5:45 - The sense of paranoia Polanski builds

11:30 - Roman Polanski

18:41 - The film as a reflection of American insecurities

Jame's Whale's 1931 horror classic loosely based on Mary Shelly's novel tells the tale of a scientist who learns to reanimate a body constructed of the dead and the havoc that results. Boris Karloff stars as the iconic creature along with Colin Clive and Mae West

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:20 - It’s nothing like the book

9:50 - Does the characters in “Frankenstein” resonate for today’s audience?

11:05 - Boris Karloff’s iconic role

19:05 - Better versions of "Frankenstein"

34:01 - Final thoughts on "Frankenstein"

Tom Holland's classic comedy horror of a teenager who begins to suspect his new next door neighbour is a vampire. When his friends doubt his sanity he is forced to ally with a TV actor who plays a vampire killer.
Starring Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowell

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

4:45 - "Fright Night" maintains the essential “Dracula” structure

7:50 - The nostalgia of "Fright Night"

10:48 - The Hitchcock “Rear Window” element

11:10 - Why Steve thinks Chris Sarandon is one of the best film vampires ever

13:24 - James talks the “sexy bits”

16:47 - Loving the non-CGI special effects

23:29 - Final thought on “Fright Night”

Francis Ford Coppola's seminal gothic horror masterpiece of a vampire lord who travels to London to find his eternal love.

Gary Oldman stars as the titular Count Dracula along with Anthony Hopkins, Wynona Ryder, and Keanu Reeves

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

I2:15 - Comparing Coppola’s film to other Draculas

5:01 - Great cast, well except for…

10:30 - How vampires are portrayed

13:45 - Sexual themes in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

16:20 - Gary Oldman as Dracula

21:20 - Other attempts at “Dracula” rarely measure up

28:00 - Final thoughts on "Bram Stoker's Dracula"

Writer - director Mike Flanagan brings another Halloween tale to Netflix where a group of terminally ill teen-agers cope with their diagnosis by sharing ghost stories to one another while suspecting they themselves may be involved in their own supernatural adventure.

Iman Benson, Adia, Igby Rigney, and Ruth Codd star

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:15 - The Midnight Club’s premise

2:15 - Mike Flanagan is the “thinking man’s” horror writer / director

7:30 - The stories within the story

15:10 - Flanagan is not afraid to take on issues of faith & religion 20: 02 - Does the cast measure up?

24:11 - Iman Benson

30:30 - Differences from the YA source

33:44 - Final score for The Midnight Club

Gone with the Wind is the epic1939 Best Picture winner adapted from a novel by Margaret Mitchell which tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara as she overcomes the trials and tribulations of the American Civil War and its aftermath. A cinematic blockbuster for its time the film continues to wow audiences nearly a century later.

Starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, and Olivia de Havilland

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:47 - James makes a confession

3:17 - GWTW an “anti-war” film?

6:29 - Steve’s history with GWTW

10:15 - How terrible is Scarlett?

16:35 - Southern hospitality

19:56 - Racial elements in GWTW

31:23 - The Cast

34:15 - The 12th Academy Awards

47:01 - Does GWTW stand the test of time?

We do a Deep Dive into Akira Kurosawa's classic film where "Seven Samurai" are hired by a local village to defend them from marauding bandits. Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest films ever made, the film inspired both an American remake (The Magnificent Seven) as well as a young George Lucas while dreaming up a little film idea called "Star Wars".

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contains spoilers **

1:24 - Seven Samurai is a very accessible film

3:33 - Brief synopsis of film

5:40 - Akira Kurosawa

6:40 - Influence of American westerns

13:30 - The Samurai

18:57 - Difference from The Magnificent Seven

33:37 - Seiji Miyaguchi 

39:00 - Final thoughts on Seven Samurai

Ana de Armas portrays the iconic Marilyn Monroe in director Andrew Dominik's fictional take on the tragic life of the starlet. "Blonde" has courted controversy on a number of fronts which include being the first ever NC-17 rating for a Netflix film.

Also starring Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

3:05 -Hard to watch nearly three hours of abuse and sexual assault

7:15 - The first NC-17 rated film on Netflix

9:15 - Ripped from LIFE Magazine

16:30 - Are the people in Marilyn’s life more interesting than she is?

25:35. - Joyce Carol Oats

28:00 - Final Score for “Blonde”

"Don't Worry Darling" is set in the idyllic town of Victory where beautiful people wear beautiful clothes, drive beautiful cars, and enjoy beautiful friends all while sipping martinis at 10:00 am...but all is not as it seems.

Directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

3:36 - “The things in the film I did like”

6:30 - The dots in this movie just don’t connect

12:50 - Addressing the issue of patriarchy?

16:30 - James punctures the film’s internal logic

19:00 - Female empowerment? Hits & Misses

26:47 - "Don’t Worry Darling" as a deconstruction of Evangelical faith

31:20 - The Cast

36:32 - Final Score for “Don’t Worry Darling”

Writer - director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's "Do Revenge" is a smart reimagining of Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" where two aggrieved teenagers (Camila Mendes & Maya Hawke) agree to "do revenge" on each other's respective tormentor.

Also starring Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, and Sarah Michelle Gellar

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contains spoilers **

3:06 - A good teen film?

5:15 - Both a “woke” & “anti-woke” film?

9:34 - “Do Revenge” is very self aware

15:34 - References generations of past films

18:31 - Maya Hawke & Camila Mendes

25:20 - Final score for “Do Revenge”

Frank Capra's 1938 romantic comedy adapted from a Pulitzer prize winning play that focus on the screwball antics that come when the son a family of rich elite becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured but decidedly eccentric family.

Starring Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart and Edward Arnold.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:00 - Intro

1:00 - Premise of the film

6:00 - Better as a stage play?

13:58 - The 11th Academy Awards

21:57 - Does “You Can’t Take It With You stand the test of time?

Louis Koo stars in this Hong Kong science fiction action film about an alien life form that threatens Earth and the power armoured military team he leads to stop it.

Also starring Sean Lau, Carina Lau, Philip Keung, Tse, Kwan-ho, and Nick Cheung

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:01 - Synopsis of "Warriors of Future"

3:04 - A frustrating film?

5:00 - James explains the backstory to WoF

9:15 - Special effects that rival Hollywood

12:51 - James defends WoF from Steve’s criticism

22:01 - Warriors of (the) Future?

26:39 - Final score for Warriors of Future

James & Steve recap the year 2023 with their lists of the Top 10 best movies of the last 12 months. What did they miss? Where are they wrong? Drop a comment in the section below

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

0:00 - Introduction

1:34 - 2023 Honorary Mentions

9:06 - Best Film #10

15:05 - Best Film #9

26:00 - Best Film #8

36:10 - Best Film#7

41:07 - Best Film 6

45:10 - Best Film #5

49:21 - Best Film#4

1:02:48 - Best Film #3

1:12:61 - Best Film #2

1:19:21 - Best Film of 2023!!!

We launch our Asian Classics series with this 2002 Hong Kong thriller directed by Alan Mak & Andrew Lau. A "cat and mouse" game between undercover cop Yan (Tony Leung), imbedded deep within the triads, and Ming (Andy Lau), a triad member who has infiltrated the police force.

Also starring Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Sammi Cheng and Kelly Chen.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:27 - "Infernal Affairs" synopsis

2:35 - Themes of Hong Kong “identity” in the film

10:24 - Fate & Friendship

17:30 - The death of Anthony Wong

19:45 - Comparisons to “The Departed”

27:10 - What happened to Hong Kong cinema?

31:00 - Final thoughts on "Infernal Affairs"

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez head up this whimsical "whodunit" of three "true crime" podcasters who get in over their heads solving real murders in their New York apartment building.

Guest stars include Shirley MacLaine, Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, and Sting.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 

1:30 - The chemistry of the main cast

10:15 - A fun & well developed “caper” to watch

20:10 - Well developed secondary characters?

26:40 - Season 3 tease

30:01 - Final Score for “Only Murders in the Building”

Prashanth Neel's highly successful sequel to 2018's KGF: Chapter 1 finds the crime lord Rocky (Yash) eliminating rivals, expanding his Kolar Gold Fields empire, and ultimately taking on the whole Indian government.

Also starring Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Srinidhi Shetty and Prakash Raj.

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contains spoilers **

0:30 - Response to KGF Ch 1 & RRR reviews

2:45 - KGF 2 changes from KGF 1

6:00 - Is story sacrificed for spectacle ?

13:45 - Reflecting on America’s action films of the 1980s

16:30 - James speculates why Indian audiences responded so well to KGF: Ch 2

19:26 - Production values were quality

21:56 - What do Indian audiences think?

30:00 - Why we struggle with KGF: Chapter 2

35:11 - Final score for KGF: Chapter 2

Paul Muni stars as the 19th-century French author Émile Zola in a film highlighting his crucial role in the Dreyfuss Affair where a French Captain of Jewish heritage is scapegoated for treason in order to protect the reputation of the military.

In addition to winning the Best Picture award at the 10th Academy Awards Paul Muni took home Best Actor and Joseph Schildkraut won for Supporting Actor in his role as the stoic Alfred Dreyfus.

But does "The Life of Emile Zola" stand the test of time?

** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

1:18 - What was the “Dreyfus Affair”?

6:35 - Paul Muni as Emile Zola

8:29 - Emile Zola mirrors injustice of today

10:58 - Self-censorship in "Emile Zola?

11:30 - Why no mention of anti-semitism?

18:17 - The support cast

19:55 - Polarisation in America reflected in film

24:38 - “Emile Zola” at the 10th Academy Awards

27:15 - Does “The Life of Emile Zola” stand the test of time?