Patrick R

A hearty "no" from me. I couldn't be happier that I can experience this show without it being tainted by YET ANOTHER SQUARESPACE/LEESA/HARRY'S/WHATEVER AD READ. Any fractional goofs that may spin off of them is not worth the interruption of flow for me. This show is awesome with no ads.

The NTSC/PAL difference is very minor and I think it'd take careful study to tell the two apart. The speed difference is just a single frame per second, if I recall correctly. Same with the difference between the "source" (which is usually either 24 fps film or a digital file simulating 24 fps film) and the home devices. But sometimes in films directors will speed up a song for pacing/editing purposes. Listen to Corona's "Rhythm of the Night" and how it plays at the end of Claire Denis' film Beau Travail for a good example.

I don't know how it's measured, especially because for so many people there's an emotional as well as physical drive to it. But I have to imagine that enough research has been done on sex that it's been codified in some way or another, that there is some set of measurable stats that can figure out where you are on the spectrum of desire. Also, I'm excited to announce my romance novel Spectrum of Desire is coming out in May. Very steamy, but tender and with a cover you won't be ashamed to read on the bus.

Going and watching video of the Matlock opening also ties into another similarity and another part of the obsession, which is staring into the weird 90's post-processing face of David Suchet as the shot holds onto him smiling way longer than it should. I rather like the paperback art deco aesthetic of the rest of the opening sequence, but this part is so so weird. .

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:tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup::tup:

Ah, I see, that makes sense.

Ok, I've actually listened to this episode now and would like to share two things: 1. The email about Poirot I sent in was a weird example of how technology and social networking has mutated my brain, because I debated whether I should send it. Not because I didn't think it'd fit the show but because I had to determine whether, of all the places I could direct those thoughts and observations, it would fit this show the best. I am the host of two podcasts and had a debate about whether I should talk about the Poirot thing on one of them, or send it in to this podcast, or make a new thread on the forum about it, or call in to my favorite radio show The Best Show with Tom Scharpling and talk about it with him. It was just a thing I felt and experienced but the second I had to determine how I would express this thing I felt it became #content, like a card in my hand I had to play strategically. I think this is something I do a lot but often it happens automatically, but this time I put a lot of thought into it and it was a really weird experience. Note: I made the right choice. 2. In the realm of cognitive dissonance and the Jaws ride, one of my favorite things about this dimension we live in is that the now defunct Jaws Ride at Universal Studios Florida (aka the one true Jaws Ride, because apparently at the California one you're on land instead of in a boat? Why*? Who could be scared of Jaws on the land?) has an exact replica that's still in operation at Universal Studios Japan. It's the exact same ride, all the same beats and scares, the same New England coastal town, the same English signage. The only difference is it is in Japan and the tour guide is speaking Japanese (but still acting like she is a resident of Amity, and that the guests are tourists of Amity**) which makes me wonder how it plays over there, and if there is something exotic and attractive about the Martha's Vineyard setting of Jaws to foreign audiences. *Actually, this fascinating article about the disastrous construction and early days of the Jaws ride at Universal makes it clear why someone might just say "Fuck it." and put it on land instead. Best tidbit: Spielberg and his family got stuck on the ride. Hadn't that shark made him suffer enough? **Another layer of reality bending: the premise of the Jaws ride is that you are touring the town in a world where the events of Jaws are real and infamous and have made it a tourist attraction. This can fold into the Murder She Wrote world, I think, given that that town's insane murder rate must also make it a tourist destination for certain kinds of people.

It definitely feels like inclusiveness and dismantling stereotypes is a big goal of Crazy Ex Girlfriend, at least on a casting level. The East Asian man in question is also a Christian, who confides in his priest (also East Asian!) who is a stoner. Also there's a bisexual character and one character gets an abortion so she can stay in law school and it's not a huge dramatic arc. I'd say it's pandering to progressive people, except it's also super good and funny. It might still be pandering to progressive people, whatever, it earns it.

Grand Hotel is an amazing movie, the kind of movie with a big cast and many intersecting storylines that Robert Altman would make famous, except in 1932. Definitely one of the movies that inspired Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, except it's a drama and not a screwball comedy. Much darker and complicated than you'd think from such a lavish production, and the way all the storylines intersect is really impressive. If you are the kind of person who can watch Hollywood movies from the 30's, this is one you definitely need to see.

I was very resistant to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend because all I heard about it during season 1 were the songs, which I thought were all pretty lame. Turns out that A) They work way better in context and though they were what everyone talked about and linked to on social media, they are actually (to me) the least funny part of the show, and everything else is much better and smarter and more nuanced.

Thanks! If you don't mind me asking, how do you feel about Certain Women?

Celebrity is likely bad but I love when Woody Allen does his pastiches and his take on La Dolce Vita is one of my favorites. And it was fun to see Leonardo DeCaprio in crazy shouty mode a year after Titanic when I had always taken that as a new development.

I drink all sorts of things straight because I'm such a fun guy, but I also had my first Nice Rum (though not nearly 50 euros nice, Jesus, are there a lot of extra taxes on liquor in Estonia?) experience not too long ago with Pyrat XO Reserve Rum and enjoyed it quite a bit.

Manchester by the Sea really did a number on me. Fuck, that movie is so amazing.

I turned it off after 15 minutes and I've heard that the real appeal of the movie is the war scenes so maybe it gets awesome, but man, I can't believe such a mediocre sappy melodrama like Hacksaw Ridge lead Hollywood to take Mel Gibson back with open arms. I hope during the Oscar ceremony the camera cuts back to him whenever someone mentions diversity or white supremacy. I hope the host takes advantage of it and just is like "Hey, Mel Gibson, remember when that guy told his girlfriend that he hoped she got raped by a pack of N-words? Haha, boy, the Academy are real hypocritical pieces of shit, aren't they?"

I will grant you that Michael Shannon is kind of incredible in it, and single-handedly saves it from being one of the worst movies of last year.

So I just watched Nocturnal Animals and holy shit, this is an awful awful movie. Tom Ford does not know how to direct. My recommendation is to avoid it at all costs.

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Congrats Nick!

And thank you Jake for putting all that music at the end. I was convinced the episode was done and there was another three and a half minutes of laffs!

It was surprising to hear you talk about Snagglepuss without mentioning him as a gay stereotype. My primary connection to Snagglepuss was always as "the gay Hanna Barbera character", even without knowing he was supposed to work in the theater. And it even sounds like the new Snagglepuss has specified that further into a Tennessee Williams figure. Am I the only one who makes that association?

Jake, when you said all Terminator sequels are bad movies were you lumping Terminator 2 in that camp? Because I don't want to be Mr. Disagrees With Jake About Sequels To Seminal American Sci-Fi Films but Terminator 2 is pretty great. This is a very good podcast and what I'd hope it'd be. Well worth supporting the Patreon to get it ad free.

I am on there as well. Like a lot of social media sites, you need to follow a bunch of people to get the most out of it. Here are some people I'd recommend following for their reviews. Sean Gilman (professional film critic, sees a lot of new releases and is expert in Asian cinema) Michelle (podcaster/experimental musician, good mix of experimental film and new releases) Filipe Furtado (Brazillian critic, watches a LOT of classic/foreign film, very politically minded) Benjamin Nason (critic, good mix of arthouse and action movies) Jason Coffman (film writer, exploitation movie expert, has a frighteningly thorough knowledge of Christian Scare films) pd187 (almost exclusively watches trash, very funny and unexpectedly political reviews) Steve Carlson (writer, horror film expert, writing a book on Shot-On-Video horror films, lots of fascinating reviews from that world) Joe (works at the Alamo Drafthouse, I believe, great reviews well-rounded taste) laird (programmer for the Alamo Drafthouse, sees everything, great reviews) Ira Booker (lot of exploitation films) street (eclectic taste, good writer) matt lynch (video store employee, the greatest action film critic ever, sees every action film, really funny and political and brief reviews) The front page frequently has "featured" reviews, so you can find more people to follow that way as well.