Sitting Around Talking Movies

Oh boy it's Memorial Day weekend. Time to go to the beach or the swimming hole. But wait, the water is still too cold and you don't fit into last year's swimsuit anyway. So why not go to the movies? The movie studios are all ready for you. For example, Disney went and made a live-action remake of "Aladdin." This time it's got Will Smith stepping into the curl-toed slippers of Robin Williams and playing the Genie. And it's directed by Guy Ritchie who did "Lock, Stock and Two Broken Barrels" and the "Sherlock Holmes" movies with Robert Downey Jr. Ah, but can he make a Disney movie? And there's also "Booksmart." It's a teen comedy directed by actress/first time director Olivia Wilde and it's being hailed as the new great teen comedy for our time or something like that. And then there's "Echo in the Canyon." It's a documentary about how the music produced in Larel Canyon California influence a whole generation and even the Beatles. Oh, and there's the new Netflix series "Dead to Me." Why it's enough to make you skip the hot dogs and give us a listen.

There aren't any superhero movies coming out and Memorial Day isn't until next weekend so we've got a grabbag of movies to talk about this week. We start with "The Sun is Also a Star." It's a romance set very much in the present day. It's so timely in fact that one of the characters is about to get deported. And from a romance we go to "Extremely Wicked Shocking Evil and Vile" which is about famed serial killer Ted Bundy and stars Zach Efron. Then Bill McCuddy talks about the Liam Neeson black comedy/action thriller "Cold Pursuit" which is now available on on demand. And to switch gears totally Neil tells us about attending the ABC Upfront. Don't worry, Neil will explain what an "upfront" is if you don't know already. So this week it's an odd assemblage of stuff, and come to think of it, so are we.

With "Avengers: Endgame" breaking box-office records every day it's time for some competition. So here comes "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" (try saying that ten times fast). Lots of people grew up playing Pokemon and it's got plenty of CGI as well as Ryan Reynolds. Sounds like a winner. But is it? And if you're looking for something more literary we've got "Tolkien" starring Nicholas Hoult as the author who gave us "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." Not bookish enough for you? How about "All Is Ture" which stars Kenneth Branagh as his hero, William Shakespeare. Neil has a look at the 3rd season of "A Handmaid's Tale" and we talk about a fascinating article in New York Magazine about Anjelica Huston. And if you're a theater nut, Neil talks about seeing the adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Broadway. We've got something for just about everyone.  

OK, so you've seen "Avengers: Endgame" and much like eating Chinese food you're already hungry for another movie. Well, we've got an interesting selection for you this week. We start with "Long Shot," a romantic comedy starrring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. Yes, we used "romantic" and "Seth Rogen" in the same sentence. Does it work? Then there's the thriller "The Intruder" starring actor and sometimes insurance spokesperson Dennis Quaid. It's been a while since we've seen him on the big screen. And there's the documentary "Ask Dr. Ruth" about the pint-size powerhouse who brought sex therapy to the media. Oh, and there's more, including why you could barely make out what was going on during last Sunday's "Game of Thrones" episode. No need to roll the dice, just listen in.

The "Avengers" are back and this time they mean it. "Avengers: Endgame" is playing in 4,600 theaters at this very minute. It's making tons of money. It's gotten great reviews. Should you brave the crowds and see it? Proving that there's no movie too big to pick apart we discuss this superhero epic without giving too much away. Honest, we tried. Plus we got superhero expert Mike Sargent to help us. Plus Bill Bregoli takes on the new HBO series "Gentleman Jack" which isn't your grandma's costume drama. And Neil talks about the new ABC sitcom"Bless This Mess" starring Lake Bell. Plus there's an overview of the Tribeca Film Festival which is also going on right now. It's more than a normal person needs to know.

Easter and Passover are upon us, so what does Hollywood do? Why put out a horror movie of course. "The Curse of La Lorona" stars Linda Cardellini and is based on Mexican mythology. But is it scary? Bill Bregoli tells you what he thinks. And speaking of scary - Neil Rosen and Bill McCuddy discuss "Charlie Says" which is all about one of the evilest dudes ever: Charlie Manson. Neil talks about watching more of "Fosse / Verdon" and goes on to talk about his favorite biblical movies. And there are some new trailers to talk about including the new one for "Star Wars: Episode 9" and "The Loudest Voice in the Room" which features Russell Crowe as Fox honcho Roger Aisles. So put on your Easter bonnet and give us a listen.

Movies may be our main thing but no one can ignore TV anymore. Especially this week with the season premire of the final season of "Game of Thrones." Could it possibly live up to expectations. Then Bill McCuddy talks about the "Fosse / Verdon," a new show about Broadway legend Bob Fosse starring the multi talented Sam Rockwell. Bill McCuddy's wife Sue talks to Bill Bregoli about the second season premiere of "Killing Eve" which stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. It was intense! There's also the second season of "Barry" to talk about and Bill McCuddy has a facinating documentary called "Hurley" about a racing driver with a secret. The screen may be small but it's a big deal!

Do do do do. Do do do do. That's right, the Twilight Zone is back, and it's on CBS All Access. Neil Rosen got a look and he'll let you know if this latest incarnation featuring Jordan Peele is up to the standard set by the original's creator, Rod Serling. Meanwhile Bill Bregoli discusses "Shazam!" which is the latest DC Comics movie and stars Zachary Levi. And he also got a look at the new "Pet Sematary" which stars JohnLithgow and is based on the Stephen King novel. Bill Mccuddy looks at two streaming movies: "A Vigilante" and "Master Z" which stars the wonderful Michelle Yeoh. You're entering a new dimension. Listen in!

It's said an elephant never forgets. And chances are you remember seeing the Disney animated movie "Dumbo." Now it's the latest classic from Disney to get the live-action treatment thanks to director Tim Burton. "But wait" you say, didn't he do "The Corpse Bride" and all those goth films?" Why yes he did. But is he a good choice for a movie with a flying pachyderm? We'll let you know. Then Bill Bregoli takes on Jordan Peele's horror hit "Us" while Neil and Bill McCuddy talk about "Diane" starring Mary-Kay Place as well as "Hotel Mumbai" with Dev Patel, based on a true story. Oh but there's so much more including "Juliet, Naked" and the new Hulu comedy "Shrill." Take some peanuts along and listen in.

There are no, repeat, no, superhero movies opening this week. Does that mean there aren't any new movies to go see this week? OF COURSE NOT! we've got quite a variety this week starting with "Wonder Park." It's an animated tale of a little girl and her wild imagination, and it's got a powerhouse voice cast including Jennifer Garner, John Oliver (!) and Mathew Broderick. Then we get downright gritty with the live-action drama "The Highwaymen." It's a decidedly different take on the Bonnie and Clyde legend with Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson. For Netflix watchers we've got the action heist movie "Triple Frontier" with Ben Affleck and Oscar Isaac. Enough for you? Then how about "The Hummingbird Project." No, it's not about ornithologists, it's a quirky film with Alexander Skarsgard and Jesse Eisenberg trying take make millions on fiber-optic cable...it's not everyday there's a movie about fiber-optic cable so that's reason enough to give us a listen!

This week you could put on a blindfold, walk into your local megaplex and chances are that no matter which theater you wander into, it'll be showing "Captain Marvel." It's got Oscar winner Brie Larson, Jude Law, Annette Bening and a digitally "de-aged" Samuel L. Jackson (does that hurt?). It's also got '90s music, lots of effects and a cat. Can't go wrong with a cat. It's even directed by a husband and wife team. Plus it's the first Marvel superhero movie with a woman in the lead role. But is it any good? Our friend Mike Sargent, who loves superhero movies, is along to give us his perspective. Then we take a look at Spielberg vs. Netflix. It's not a movie (though it could be), it's Steven Spielberg's beef with the streaming giant. Seems the king of the blockbuster doesn't like that a movie like "Roma" wasn't released in a whole lot of movie theaters. It did however, stream on Netflix where people got to watch it on their tiny home screens - and yet, it still got nominated for Oscars. Is this a legitimate complaint, or is Spielberg out of step with the times? Finally, we take a look at the HBO documentary "Finding Neverland." It's about Michael Jackson and two young men who accuse him of abusing them when they were children. It's controversial but that doesn't stop us from talking about it. So listen in.

Well, it's been an interesting week in showbiz. First we have "Greta," the new thriller from "Crying game" director Neil Jordan starring Isabelle Huppert and Chloe Grace Moretz. Then there's "Apollo 11" a new documentary about NASA's momentous mission to the moon with never-before-seen footage. Space nerds will go for it, but will anybody else? There's James Bond news...does anyone know what a "shatterhand" is? Something you get from playing tennis? Then we get to the Oscars. No host, but lots of celebs, a snub and a few surprises. Oh, and some grumbling too. We'll let you know what we think - and let us know what you think too!

It's time to put on your tux and attach the double-sided tape to your cleavage because the Oscars are this Sunday! We gazed in a crystal ball and found some mushrooms somewhere and we're ready to predict who'll win and who'll be drunk in a fountain at the after-parties. Since you'll probably be in the bathroom when they award the statue for Best Special Effects Editing in a Short Documentary Subject about Dead People we're sticking to the big ones: Acting, directing, screenplays, you know, the ones they'll be putting on commercials the minute the show is over. There are 8 movies up for Best Picture and the competition is fierce. Will it be one in a foreign language or one where all the races get along nicely. Maybe one with a super-hero owned by a major corporation. Listen to us and win the big prize at your office Oscar pool. And Neil will tell you where and when to watch the Talking Movies crew (the good-looking ones anyway) on TV. Oh, and don't forget to listen to us next week when we'll either be gloating or eating our hats.

Chances are several of the movies you've seen weren't playing at your local cinema - they were on Netflix. It's huge and yet no one knows if they even make any money. Still, they're spending a reported $20 million for an Oscar campaign for "Roma." So we take a look at their new Steven Soderbergh movie "High Flying Bird" which looks at the world of sports agents and was shot on an i-phone. Then Bill Bregoli talks about "Derry Girls," a comedy about Catholic school girls in Northern Ireland during the 1990s. We also talk about new DVD releases from Disney and the life and career of the late Albert Finney.

Liam Neeson has a new action film called "Cold Pursuit" but thanks to some controversial comments he's now on the hot seat. We'll take a look on what it means to the sixty-something actor's career. Then Neil and Bill Bregoli discuss the new Rebel Wilson rom-com "Isn't It Romantic" which turns to whole genre on its head. And speaking of romance (and in time for Valentime's Day) we talk about our favorite romance movies. Neil and Bill McCuddy take on the new Netflix series "Russian Doll" and Bill Bregoli tells how he missed the Super Bowl and saw Peter Jackson's new WWI documentary "They Shall Not Grow Old" instead. And finally there's big news about our Oscar special TV shows. So give us a listen!