We’re back with an all-new episode and a discussion of two films about gun violence in America.
This week’s new release, Chi-Raq, is a modern adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata and centers on gang violence in Chicago. We discuss writer/director Spike Lee’s newest alongside Steve James’ 2011 documentary The Interrupters, which follows a group of violence interrupters protecting their Chicago community from the seemingly inescapable violence.
Intro (Start – 1:43)
Chi-Raq (1:43 – 31:05)
The Interrupters (31:06 – 1:04:49)
Closing (1:04:49 – End)
Let us know what you thought of this week’s double feature, and you just might be featured on our next episode! Email us at thispodcastisnotyetrated@gmail.com, tweet us @stillnotrated, or message us on Facebook. We’ll be back in two weeks with a discussion of J.J. Abrams’ highly-anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and George Lucas’ first feature film THX 1138.
Happy Hanukkah to all of our listeners celebrating… And remember to watch some movies!
So often a trailer is released and no one says much of it except, “I’d see it,” or “Eh, not interested.” So rarely are trailers actually reviewed.
…until now! We, the good people of This Podcast Is Not Yet Rated, strive to bring you the best movie reviews possible – current releases and classics alike. In an effort to be ahead of the curve, we’re so excited to begin reviewing new movie trailers. Our inaugural trailer is Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Jenny’s Trailer Review
Admittedly, I haven’t seen Man of Steel and I’ve only seen one Batman movie (The Dark Knight). Superhero movies aren’t necessarily my go-to genre. I watch them but they’re never my first choice.
My first impression of this film is that it features quite a few actors that I admire (professionally or visually, if you know what I mean). I’m not quite sure why creators of superhero films tend to swap out the actors so frequently (see: Spider-Man’s Tobey Maguire and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield, and now Batman’s Christian Bale and Ben Affleck). If someone could explain this to me, it would be much appreciated (#please and #thankyou). Ben Affleck is a great talent, and I especially enjoyed his performances in Gone Girl and Argo, but it’s confusing when actors are swapped in and out in a short period of time (The Dark Knight Rises only came out in 2012!).
Also, inquiring minds do wonder… Why is Jesse Eisenberg so enthusiastic (Is he supposed to be funny? Crazy?). Why does five-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams only appear for 3 seconds? I think I just saw a sleeping Michael Shannon for half a second..? Is the world always on fire? Does Wonder Woman not talk?
I’m sure I will see this film and my questions will all be answered, but this trailer feels very average. The cast is intriguing enough to get my bum in a movie theater, but the story doesn’t feel too compelling.
** (out of ****)
Gavin’s Trailer Review
I am not a comic book movie person. I enjoyed Batman Begins and large parts of The Dark Knight, but The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel bored me to tears. By the same token, the Marvel films are positively sleep-inducing and impossible to comprehend if you don’t have a PhD in Tesseract Studies.
It’s with this skepticism that I approach Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. For the most part, the trailer piqued my interest. The scale of the production and the unique, controlled tone are noteworthy. Like Man of Steel, this film appears to have its fair share of generic alien creatures, but it balances that with what looks to be interesting performance from Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther with hair.
Indeed, the cast that director Zack Snyder has assembled is impressive: Jeremy Irons, Ezra Miller, Scoot McNairy, and Ben Affleck, are some of the most interesting actors around. Even Eisenberg seems to be trying, so on a performance level, this movie might just deliver the goods.
However, I am troubled by what appears to be the continued marginalization of Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Adams is an actress who can make even the laziest films (Big Eyes, American Hustle) seem worthwhile, and her under-utilization in Man of Steel was one of my biggest issues with that movie. Judging purely by her short scene in the trailer, it doesn’t appear that Snyder and screenwriters David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio (Academy Award-winner for the terrific Argo) have figured out how to write a compelling female character. The three men appear to have put all their eggs in the Gal Godot as Wonder Woman basket, and I’ll be interested to see how that decision pans out.
** 1/2 (out of ****)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens nationwide on March 25.
We have plenty to be thankful for this week. And because we love our listeners so much (and also because we’ve just seen so many movies lately), we have a new double feature to discuss!
This week’s episode kicks off with Carol, the new Todd Haynes film that follows two women falling in love during an era of repression. We discuss the film and Cate Blanchett’s and Rooney Mara’s performances in conjunction with Blue Is the Warmest Color, the modern classic that follows a young woman coming of age in France and discovering herself through love and loss.
Intro (Start – 2:27) Carol (2:27 – 40:51) Blue Is the Warmest Color (40:52 – 1:12:19)
Closing (1:12:19 – End)
What did you think of this week’s double feature? Email us at thispodcastisnotyetrated@gmail.com, tweet us @stillnotrated, or message us on Facebook – you just might be featured on our next episode! We’ll be back in two weeks with a discussion of Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq and Steve James’ 2011 documentary The Interrupters.
Can’t get enough? Good, because we’re back with another new episode and a discussion of TWO new releases!
The first film, Brooklyn, centers in on a young Irish immigrant coming of age in New York. We discuss Nick Hornby’s beautiful screenplay and the changing definition of home. We paired Brooklyn with another new release focused on the immigrant experience and what it means to be an American, Frederick Wiseman’s In Jackson Heights. Believe it or not, this touching portrait of a Queens neighborhood marks Wiseman’s 40th documentary effort.
Intro (Start – 6:42)
Brooklyn (6:43 – 35:20)
In Jackson Heights (35:21 – 1:03:58)
Closing (1:03:59 – End)
As always, drop us a line if you get a chance to see these movies, or if you have any thoughts on next week’s films Carol and Blue Is the Warmest Color. Email us at thispodcastisnotyetrated@gmail.com, tweet us @stillnotrated, or message us on Facebook, and we promise to respond as soon as we can.
We’re back with our brand new format and a discussion of two great films that examine the art of investigative journalism.
This week’s new release, Spotlight, centers on the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team and its investigation of sexual abuse against children by Catholic clergy within the Boston archdiocese. We discuss writer/director Tom McCarthy’s newest in conjunction with the cinematic classic All the President’s Men, which follows famed Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they work to expose the Nixon administration’s involvement in the Watergate scandal.
We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the episode and the new format of our show. Thoughts, comments, or concerns? Drop us a line! Email us at thispodcastisnotyetrated@gmail.com, tweet us @stillnotrated, or message us on Facebook. We respond to anything and everything, and your thoughts might just be featured on the next episode.
Or, at least, the new Gaspar Noé film Love, a 3D erotic melodrama with plenty to say on the subject of sex, love, and so much more.
Intro (Start – 1:29)
Love (1:30 – 46:13)
Closing (46:14 – End)
Whether you agree or disagree with our takes, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the film, our review, or the show in general. We’re still very much in the early days of the reboot, so any and all feedback is welcome! Have your voice heard and drop us a line at thispodcastisnotyetrated@gmail.com, send us a message on Facebook, or tweet @stillnotrated.
We’re back! Did you miss us? (Yonah, we already know your answer.)
It’s been a little over 5 years since we first started the podcast, so we figured now is the perfect time to come back with a special episode covering the 53rd New York Film Festival.
Here’s a preview of some of the films you can expect to hear about:
0:00 Intro
1:29 New York Film Festival Overview
5:11 Top 5 Lists
39:44 Honorable Mentions
49:18 Least Favorites
55:07 Steve Jobs
56:55 In Jackson Heights
58:19 Field of Vision: New Episodic Nonfiction
1:08:39 Convergence
1:16:57 Parting Shots
1:21:46 Conclusion
We’re very excited to be back in the podcasting game. We’re looking to revamp the show and would love some feedback from our listeners, new and old. Drop us a line at thispodcastisnotyetrated@gmail.com, send us a message on Facebook, or tweet @stillnotrated.
This Podcast Is Not Yet Rated 