In this week's episode, we break down the film The Whale. The film is directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Samuel D. Hunter, and stars Brendan Fraser. The film is an emotional rollercoaster and leaves all of us feeling something. At the movie's core, we tried to determine whether this was a tragedy or a comedy. The result will vary for everyone, but somewhere in the middle, leaving you conflicted. We had a good time working on the film's core theme and concluded that it gravitated toward honesty. The film calls for the characters to be honest with themselves and those closest to them. If you can do that from the heart, your life starts to fit together. As a call to action, I know that we all have something left unsaid to someone important to us, so at the very least, saying something from the heart to someone who matters to you can be a gateway towards something better. Without further preamble, please enjoy this deep dive into The Whale!

In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Brandon Wenzel to discuss the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film was written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Key Huy Quan. We had recorded this conversation earlier in the year, and since then, the film has gone on to be nominated six times for the Golden Globes, winning two of them, one for best actress and one for best actor. I couldn't be more excited for the recognition this film is getting, as I couldn't help but share thoughts on how this film impacted me. At its core, this film is a major step in describing the online experience and how we can be bombarded with anything simultaneously. Life to those online is too much, with no context to put it in its proper place. So please enjoy this deep dive into Everything Everywhere All At Once without further preamble!

In this episode, Erich and Jordan discuss Matt Reeves' The Batman. We discussed what we enjoyed about different aspects of the film and compared it to its other superhero films. Naturally, we can't escape comparing it to the Nolan trilogy of Batman films. Overall, we enjoyed the movie and looked forward to what comes next for this version of Batman. With that, we pass this off to you. What did you think of the film, and what are you hoping for next?

The crew sits down to discuss Denis Villeneuve's Dune! We break down the story of the film by combining our unique interests. Jordan brings his love of dialogue and understanding of film. Joe brings his view of psychology and symbolism to the characters and ideas. Finally, Erich brings attention to the technical aspects of the film. Overall, Dune is sci-fi masterfully executed with depth at many levels; you'll find a place for you to enjoy the movie.

In this episode, we are joined by Todd Myrick. Todd was on the show previously, and we covered the first half of his life in a much-abbreviated fashion. In this episode, we are unpacking the last twenty years of growth Todd has had since he turned thirty. The lens at which we use to plot the course of this growth is through a discussion of the film Fight Club. Fight Club was initially released on October 15, 1999, and is based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk. This conversation took place shortly after the twentieth anniversary of the film that is now a cult classic.

In this episode, we are back with a deep dive into the film Ex Machina. Ex Machina was written and directed by Alex Garland and starred by Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander. We discuss the film’s key elements in themes, storytelling, and philosophical questions posed. If you have not watched the movie yet, this is a spoiler warning, and you should watch the movie before listening we cannot recommend the movie enough!

Erich and Joe sit down to discuss the recent film Annihilation. The first half is spoiler-free so that all listeners can enjoy it, and we give fair warning when we cross into spoiler territory. If you want to remain spoiler-free, watching the movie and returning to finish the episode is highly recommended!

Annihilation is a 2018 British-American science fiction horror film written and directed by Alex Garland, based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. It stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Óscar Isaac. The story follows a group of explorers who enter "The Shimmer," a mysterious quarantined zone of mutating plants and animals caused by an alien presence.