Filmspotting

Bill Murray vs. Tilda Swinton... Emma Stone vs. Sam Rockwell... Just a couple of the first-round matchups in Filmspotting Madness, a month-long battle royale to determine Filmspotting Nation’s favorite working actor. Adam and Josh kick off the tournament and share their Top 5: Characters on the Fringe. Plus, a review of BUZZARD, a new indie in which an unruly office temp fights the power while wearing a customized Power Glove. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com and Shutterstock (code FILM315). :00-3:24 - Billboard / Sponsors 3:24-24:38 - Review: "Buzzard" Colleen Green, "TV" 25:45-28:40 - Shutterstock 28:40-35:10 - Notes 35:10-43:01 - Larsen (Doesn't) Rec: "Chappie" 43:01-1:00:12 - Filmspotting Madness Colleen Green, "I Can't Pay Attention" 1:01:24-1:07:23 - Donations 1:07:23-1:47:05 - Top 5: Characters on the Fringe 1:47:05-1:50:06 - Close MUSIC - Colleen Green NOTES - Joel Potrykus's Top 10 Fringe Character Movies (in alphabetical order): Basket Case, Breathless, Buffalo '66, Gummo, Made in Britain, Naked, Pickpocket, Repo Man, Stranger Than Paradise, Taxi Driver LINKS - Josh's review of "Buzzard" - Joel Potrykus at The Music Box - Chicago Critics Film Festival - Filmspotting Madness: Round 1

How do you celebrate 10 years of talking about movies? You talk about the ones you’re embarrassed you’ve never seen, of course. Adam and Josh confess their Top 5 (or 50) Blind Spots. Plus, a review of director David Cronenberg’s latest, MAPS TO THE STARS, and another edition of Brickspotting. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com. :00-3:20 - Billboard / MUBI 3:20-27:25 - Review: "Maps to the Stars" FS Flashback: "Love Lift Us Up..." (2005) 28:42-46:56 - Notes / Massacre Theatre 46:56-1:07:06 - 10th Anniversary Poll FS Flashback: "Terrier Style" (2012) 1:08:34-1:17:03 - Donations / SVU Promo 1:17:03-1:53:47 - Top 5: Blind Spots 1:53:47-1:56:52 - Close / Outtake BONUS - 2015 Preview feedback  CORRECTIONS / NOTES - Josh meant Truffaut, not Godard. - "Videodrome" was actually Cronenberg's fifth feature. - Massacre Theatre winner: Dan O'Hara, Evergreen Park, IL LINKS - Josh on "Maps to the Stars" - "Spock's Voyage Home" - "Wild Canaries" Official Site - Adam on "The Last Five Years" - Sight & Sound's Top 250 - "Movies to Become More Literate" - "85 Films You Need to See..." - Adam's full Blindspotting list - European Union Film Festival

With the release of the new mock documentary WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, about a trio of New Zealand Vampires, Adam and Josh share their Top 5 Mockumentary Moments. Plus, a review of SHADOWS and a few thoughts on the Oscars. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com. :00-2:18 - Billboard / MUBI 2:18-19:53 - Review: "What We Do..." Spinal Tap, "Stonehenge" 20:56-41:47 - Notes / Polls 41:47-55:45 - Top 5: Mockumentary Moments The Folksmen, "A Mighty Wind" 56:55-59:56 - Donations 59:56-1:22:35 - Top 5 cont. 1:22:35-1:26:56 - Close LINKS - Josh on "What We Do..." - The Dissolve on "Real Life" - Orson Welles's last film

Filmspotting continues its look at Satyajit Ray's work with a discussion of their first non-Apu film, 1958's THE MUSIC ROOM. 0-28:20 – Review: "The Music Room" NOTES - Were there really two different guys from Houston named Ben whose feedback was mentioned on the show? Nope... same Ben, which somehow Adam and Josh didn't catch. LINKS - Josh on "The Music Room" - Cinema Revival Festival - Forum reviews of Ray films

Do Adam and Josh's "singular tastes" include an appreciation for the much-hyped adaptation of E.L. James' FIFTY SHADES OF GREY? Join them in the Filmspotting playroom to find out. Plus, the Top 5 Movies We Had To Review and two new recommended movies – SONG OF THE SEA and MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com. :00-3:07 - Billboard / MUBI 3:07-28:06 - Review: "Fifty Shades of Grey" Nikki Lane, "Sleep With a Stranger" 29:04-40:06 - Notes / Massacre Theatre 40:06-47:10 - JL & AK Recommend Nikki Lane, "Right Time" 48:36-56:20 - Donations / SVU 56:20-1:26:38 - Top 5: Movies We Had To Review 1:26:38-1:28:57 - Close MUSIC - Nikki Lane NOTES - MT winner: Matt Peterson LINKS - Josh on "Fifty Shades" - Wally Shawn as Pee-wee Herman - Matt Shepard Is A Friend of Mine - "My Years with Apu" - Cheap Charts

With the divisive "American Sniper" a surprise awards season success, Filmspotting takes a trip back a couple of decades - back to the mythic Old West - for a Sacred Cow review of Clint Eastwood’s Best Picture-winning UNFORGIVEN. Plus, the Chicago Tribune’s Michael Phillips drops by to help us handicap the 2015 OSCARS. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com and Shutterstock (code FILM215). :00-3:05 - Billboard / Sponsors 3:05-44:47 - Sacred Cow: "Unforgiven" Shakey Graves, "Dearly Departed" 45:59-48:59 - Shutterstock 48:59-57:01 - Notes / Polls 57:01-1:10:27 - Oscar Picks Shakey Graves, "Hard Wired" 1:11:36-1:16:33 - Donations 1:16:33-1:45:20 - Oscar Picks, cont. 1:45:20-1:50:09 - Close BONUS - More Oscar picks MUSIC - Shakey Graves LINKS - Josh's review of "Unforgiven" - Dissolve Movie of the Week: "Unforgiven" - "Oscars 2015: Video Evidence"

Adam and Josh close out their look at Satyajit Ray's "Apu Trilogy" – but fortunately not their exploration of Ray's work – with a discussion of THE UNVANQUISHED (1957) and THE WORLD OF APU (1959). 0-33:32 – Review: Unvanquished + World of Apu LINKS - Josh on "The Unvanquished" - Josh on "The World of Apu" - Forum reviews of Ray Marathon films

Holed up in the Canadian Ambassador's residence waiting for Ben Affleck to save them, Josh and Adam share their Top 5 Rescue Scenes. Plus, a review of the Wachowski's latest sci-fi extravaganza (slash absurd future camp classic?) JUPITER ASCENDING, Josh's report from his trip to the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and Adam recommends THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com, Harry's.com (code FILMSPOTTING) and Squarespace (code FILM). :00-3:36 - Sponsors / Billboard 3:36-30:52 - Review: "Jupiter Ascending" alt-J, "Left Hand Free" 32:12-34:01 - Harry's 34:01-46:19 - Notes / Massacre Theatre 46:19-59:00 - Sundance / "Duke of Burgundy" alt-J, "Every Other Freckle" 1:00:23-1:04:01 - Donations / SVU Promo 1:04:01-1:35:06 - Top 5: Rescue Scenes 1:235:06-1:38:42 - Close / Outtake MUSIC - alt-J NOTES - MT winner: Jeff Haynes LINKS - Josh on"Jupiter Ascending" - Josh's 2015 Sundance ranked - Michael Sheen's infamous laugh

BLACKHAT is a bona fide critical and box office bomb... But its director, Michael Mann, made "Thief," "The Insider" and "Heat," so Josh and Adam are reviewing it anyway. Plus, Pt. 2 of Filmspotting's 2015 Movie Preview poses the biggest questions surrounding the upcoming year in cinema... And Adam (tries to) recommend Godard's GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE 3D. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com – get a free month of movies! :00-3:04 - Billboard / MUBI 3:04-31:55 - Review: "Blackhat" Ex Hex, "Don't Wanna Lose" 33:05-47:38 - Notes / Polls 47:38-54:13 - "Goodbye to Language" Ex Hex, "New Kid" 55:08-59:03 - Donations 59:03-1:25:05 - Top 5: 2015 Preview 1:25:05-1:27:24 - Close MUSIC - Ex Hex LINKS - Josh on "Blackhat" -Speed of Causality: Mann's "Blackhat" - On Tour: "Jersey Boys" and "American Sniper" - Brody on "Goodbye to Language" - Stephen's best films of 2014 - Int'l Online Critics Poll Results

Adam and Josh discuss the first film in their (long-awaited) Satyajit Ray Marathon – Ray's breathtaking and heartbreaking 1955 debut, PATHER PANCHALI. 0-22:50 – Review: Pather Panchali LINKS - Josh on "Pather Panchali"

It's a (woefully civil) showdown over Clint Eastwood's AMERICAN SNIPER, plus thoughts on the (woefully misguided) Oscar nominations, and Josh and Adam take their best shot at predicting what will eventually be their favorite films of the new year with their 2015 Movie Preview. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com – get a free month of movies! :00-3:13 - Billboard / Mubi 3:13-27:57 - Review: "American Sniper" Decemberists, "Better Not Wake the Baby" 29:05-48:18 - Oscar Nominations / Notes 48:18-54:54 - Massacre Theatre Decemberists, "Make You Better" 55:50-1:00:34 - Donations / SVU Promo 1:00:34-1:24:24 - Top 5: 2015 Movie Preview 1:24:24-1:27:15 - Close MUSIC - The Decemberists CORRECTIONS - The Untitled Austin Terrence Malick Project doesn't actually star Ben Affleck; but it does star Fassbender AND Gosling! NOTES - MT winner: Katherine Stevens LINKS - Josh on "American Sniper" - Movies.com's 20 Oscar snubs - Ehrlich on Aniston's "Cake"

With the future of humanity depending on them, Josh and Adam recorded this episode from inside a time-traveling telephone booth in order to compile their Top 5 Historic Event Movies. Plus, your hosts have a dream of a biopic that doesn't worshipfully lionize its central character. Does SELMA deliver? This episode is brought to you by Audible and MUBI.com – get a free month of movies! :00-3:04 - Billboard / Audible-Mubi 3:04-30:20 - Review: "Selma" D'Angelo, "The Door" 31:14-33:51 - Audible 33:51-51:10 - Notes / Polls 51:10-58:29 - Adam Recs: "Most Violent Year" D'Angelo, "Back to the Future" 59:24-1:01:59 - Donations / Nerdette 1:01:59-1:34:32 - Top 5: Historic Events 1:34:32-1:37:38 - Close BONUS - Films of the Decade So Far MUSIC - D'Angelo NOTES - Audible rec: Matthew Modine's "Full Metal Jacket Diary" LINKS - Josh's review of "Selma" - Max O'Connell's rules - Best Films of the Decade So Far - More on Best of the Decade

The Oscars are still more than a month away, but Filmspotting's ballots are in for the best performances of 2014. Plus, a review of Mike Leigh's MR TURNER. This episode is brought to you by Shutterstock (code FILM115) and MUBI.com – get a free month of movies! :00-2:30 - Sponsors / Billboard 2:30-25:43 - Review: "Mr. Turner" Jeremy Messersmith, "Ghost" 27:02-28:49 - Shutterstock 28:39-38:32 - Notes / Massacre Theatre 38:32-57:32 - Top 5: Performances of 2014 Jeremy Messersmith, "It's Only Dancing" 58:45-1:09:00 - Donations / SVU Promo 1:09:09-1:33:04 - Performances of 2014, cont. 1:33:04-1:36:17 - Close MUSIC - Jeremy Messersmith NOTES - MT winner: Colin Hinckley LINKS - Ray Marathon Lineup - Josh's review of "Mr. Turner" - The Critical Press - "The Wire" crime scene - Ben's 2014 film montage

Somehow "Left Behind" didn't make the cut in Pt. 1 of Filmspotting's Top 10 Films of 2014. But there are five picks remaining and four critics – including Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune) and Scott Tobias (The Dissolve) – who might just end the suspense for Nic Cage. This episode is brought to you by MUBI.com – get a free month of movies! :00-3:23 - Billboard / Pleasure Town 3:23-46:18 - Top 10 of 2014: #5-3 "Andrew Void," Under the Skin 46:49-47:33 - SVU Promo 47:33-1:24:28 - Top 10 of 2014: #2-1 1:24:28-1:26:28 - Close MUSIC - Scores curated by Sam Smith LINKS - All host and guest picks - Scott Tobias - Scott's "Birdman" review - Michael Phillips - The Tribe - Trailer

- 10-9-8-7-6... It's part one of Filmspotting's Top 10 Films of 2014 countdown, featuring special guests Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune and The Dissolve’s Scott Tobias. Plus, Mr. Brick himself, Rian Johnson, announces the winner of this year’s Golden Brick award. :00-2:28 - Billboard / Donations 2:28-31:15 - Top 10 of 2014: #10-9 "Canto At Gabelmeister's Peak," Grand Budapest... 31:47-45:09 - Polls / Golden Brick Winner "The Rest Of My Life," Mood Indigo 46:19-1:26:21 - Top 10 of 2014: #8-6 1:26:21-1:29:28 - Close MUSIC - Scores curated by Sam Smith BONUS CONTENT - Worst Movies of 2014 LINKS - Michael Phillips - Scott Tobias - Melissa's "Under the Skin" theory - Sam Smith's posters podcast - Slate's 25 Best Podcast Episodes - Golden Bricks Page - Scott on "Wolf of Wall Street"