Podcast
Max, Mike; Movies
Hosted by Max, Mike; Movies · EN
A Weekly Podcast Where We Discuss . . . Movies
39episodes
Episodes
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Episode 353 – Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)
Sep 2901:01:53Tap to summarizeWere you born in a cross-fire hurricane? Did you or any member of your family howl at your ma in the driving rain? Have you been crowned with a spike right through your head? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. Here at the law firm of Max, Mike, & Bumpy, we can help you get the payment you deserve for your difficulties. Others may tell you that it’s all right now, some attorneys may try to convince you that it’s a gas but at Max, Mike, & Bumpy, we know better. In fact, we will school such people with a strap right across their back. We think our client series “Directors in Short Pants” speaks for itself but why not come down to the offices of Max, Mike, & Bumpy and we will give you a free consultation session. Come on down today! At Max, Mike, & Bumpy, we will make your adversaries feel like they’ve been drowned, washed up, and left for dead. Now that’s a gas, gas, gas! Give a listen today! Poll question: what ingredient, if any, do you feel is missing from today’s movies? Leave a comment or call our hotline at 617-398-7266
Transcribe →Episode 352 – The Virgin Suicides (1999)
Sep 2201:05:45Tap to summarizeThis week we plunge along in the mysterious wilderness that is “Directors in Short Pants” with the directorial debut of Sofia “Please Don’t Make Me Act Anymore, Dad!” Coppola. Her freshman effort was “The Virgin Suicides,” perhaps not as popular as some of her later films but one that certainly got talked about. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to come up with a funny blurb this week given this film’s content and underlying theme (spoiler alert: the title of the film is kind of a spoiler itself). While we hope you’ll give a listen to our show, we would like to mention that, regardless of our overall opinion of the movie, both Mike and I would urge you to only watch the movie if you’re in a sound place emotionally. If the darkness of the outside world is getting to you (as it is to me), this is not the sort of “pleasant escape” movie that might help. Just putting that out there. Our show, on the other hand, IS a pleasant escape . . . from quality or talent! Har har! See what I did there? Wakka wakka! Heyooo! . . . Yeah, the movie is kind of a bummer. Poll question: Is there any subject you feel is too delicate, sensitive, or inappropriate to be portrayed in a movie? Leave a comment or call our hotline at 617-398-7266
Transcribe →Episode 351 – Bottle Rocket (1996)
Sep 1501:01:27Tap to summarizeWoowww, it’s another episode of “Directors in Short Pants” again, that’s wild. We’re checking out Wes Anderson’s first effort, “Bottle Rocket.” While this movie is devoid of weird prop shots, the sounds of typewriters, twee costumes, and has a profound lack of either Bill Murray or Tilda Swinton, please believe me when I tell you that this is certainly a Wes Anderson movie. We do get not one, not two, but three Wilson brothers in this. Yes, in addition to Anderson faves Luke and Owen (in their first on-screen appearances), we also get the third Wilson brother, Zeppo. No, wait, that’s wrong . . . Shemp? No, still not right . . . Andrew! That’s it, Andrew Wilson, who went on to do many other movies of some sort or other, I’m sure of it. Put on your beret, listen to some plinking harpsicord music and give a listen. Unrelated, I still think this Saturday Night Live bit that asks the question “what if Wes Anderson made a horror film?” is pretty spot-on. Poll question: what actor, male or female, has done something on or off screen that’s made you just say “no more!” Leave a comment or call our hotline at 617-398-7266
Transcribe →Episode 350 – Jaws (1975)
Sep 801:07:06Tap to summarizeSharks. Fascinating. Terrifying. Humanity has long been fascinated by these ancient predators that come in so many forms. They’ve even earned their own Week on National Geographic! There are Ghost Sharks that terrify, there are Mega Sharks that devour, there are 6-Headed Sharks that have trouble sharing, there are Ouija Sharks that are just confusing. Sometimes these strange beasts merge with other horrors, forming such things as a Sharktopus, a Mummy Shark, or even a Jurassic Shark (or two). There have even been reports of sharks merging with other natural disasters, forming such things as a Sharknado (five times!). But I think it’s safe to say that the movie that launched all of the cinematic classics mentioned above (all of which are real, by the way) is also the movie that became the first Summer Blockbuster and is the perfect choice to round out our series “Summer Blockbusters and Summer Not”: Steven Spielberg’s second-ever cinematic release, “Jaws.” Pull up a floatation barrel, secure yourself in your shark cage and give a listen as your favorite salty old seadogs Max and Mike tell you if it’s safe to go back in the water again. Farewell and adieu, you fair Spanish ladies (and gentlemen). Poll question: When you’re in a bad mood, what movie or what sort of movie do you like to watch, if any, to take you out of it? Write below or call our shark-spotter hotline at 617-398-7266!
Transcribe →Episode 349 – Shadows (1959)
Sep 101:02:35Tap to summarizeFlickering dizzying hypnotic light.The director reaches out to snare your eyes, your mind, your heart.First time. The director despoils the virgin film with his demands.Light and shadows dance.Up is down. Right is wrong.Whatever the director says is truth for those few minutes in a dark theater.Gum clings to your shoe.The film clings to your soul.Shadows. John Cassavetes. Meaning. Meaningless. There is nothing.There is only the film. — “Movies Am Good” by Max Kerowacky Poll question: Is there a director that you really just can’t stand, whose name you see and just go “nope”?
Transcribe →Episode 348 – The Witch (2015)
Aug 1801:01:36Tap to summarizeWe’re plunging ahead with our series “Directors in Short Pants” with Robert Eggers’ first egg-fort (I’m sorry; I’ll leave quietly) “The Witch.” What’s that? You’ve never seen this movie? Well, you must be A WITCH! A WITCH! BURN THEM! BURRRRNNN THEEMMMMMM! *ahem* Anyway, you can clearly see the themes and tropes that Eggers uses throughout his just-starting-out career. You can’t seem them? Only a WITCH WOULDN’T SEE THEM! A WITCH! THEY MUST BE BUUUURRRRRNED! Um, so right, I don’t know about you but this movie had no effect on me whatsoever and anyone it did effect could only BE A WITCH! WITCH! WITCH! WITCHES EVERYWHERE! MY MAIL CARRIER IS A WITCH! THAT POODLE! WITCH!! THAT FRYING PAN! IT’S A WITCH! BURN THEM! BURN EVERYONE! BURN ME! ONLY ANOTHER WITCH WOULD SEE WITCHES EVERYWHERE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Give a listen, won’t you? Don’t make me accuse you of witchcraft! ‘cause I’ll do it! You know I will! Poll question: who is your favorite witch of movie or TV fame? Comment or call our “Witch Accusation Hotline” at 617-398-7266
Transcribe →Episode 347 – Slacker (1990)
Aug 11, 202500:58:29Tap to summarizeYeah, hi, so, y’know, I guess we’re doing a new series, or whatever. Something about famous directors, right, and their first-ever full-length movies and stuff. Or whatever. “Directors in Short Pants” or something, I dunno, none of it really matters. Everything’s set against us, right? It’s all big plots by alien Freemasons and junk, right? So what’s the point of anything? So, we’re starting, I guess, with this guy Richard Linklatter (like that’s a real name, right?) and he did a movie in 1990 called “Slacker,” right, so I guess, ooo, he’s SUCH a big deal and we should just all fall on our knees and worship him and whatever, right? Just because he, you know, DID a thing. So capitalistic. He’s just another guy working for the Man, ok? At least here, Mike and I aren’t being hypocrites, right? I mean, we’ve got podcast, right, so OBVIOUSLY we’re making the world better by talking about movies and stuff, ok? How? Oh, you wanna know how talking about movies makes the world better? Oh man, if you really wanna know, here, you’re gonna need this flowchart I sketched on a Denny’s napkin . . . so, it really starts with the Hollow Earth Theory, ok? And there are like these lizard people who started the Rosicrucians and . . . hey, where you going? C’mon! I got more napkins . . . can I at least bum a smoke? Poll question: What movie have you seen the most times IN A THEATER? Streaming, home video doesn’t count?
Transcribe →Episode 346 – Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Aug 4, 202501:03:44Tap to summarizeSweet Aunt Petunia’s plaid knickers! It’s another in our series “Summer Blockbusters and Summer Not”! And guess what, True Believers (and False Deniers, for that matter), we’re checking out the fourth (or fifth, depending on how you count them) iteration of Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four! Roger Corman set the bar pretty high, I know, but we only hope! So enjoy as Fantasti-Max and Fantasti-Mike regale you on our Fantasti-podcast as to what is Fantasti-great in the movie and what, if anything, Fantasti-sucks! Crack open a cold Fantasti-drink, sit back in your Fantasti-chair and . . . Mike, this is the last time I let you talk me into using one of Marvel’s Fantasi-AIs to “tune things up”! I’m gonna Fanstati-smack you right in your Fantasti-face! Dammit, how do I turn off this Fantasti-filter?! Marvel you can Fantasti-kiss my Fantasti-[fantasti-redacted] you bunch of [fantasti-redacted fantasti-redacted fantasti-redacted] AAAAHHHHHHHHH! Just give a Fantasti-listen, won’t Fantasti-you? Poll question: what summer blockbuster do you remember anticipating most when you were young? Leave a comment or call our Misty Water Colored Memories hotline at 617-398-7266.
Transcribe →Episode 150: The Lone Ranger (2013)
Jul 5, 2021Tap to summarizeWelcome to our sesquicentennial episode! We know big words! And for our 150th, we have a very special episode. That’s right, this time it’s Mike who’s not wearing any pants! Wait, no, please come back! Kidding! Kidding! No, we really do have something special for our latest episode of “Whitewashing,” we have a super-special-awesome seriously-very-cool guest, Dr. Rebecca Pelky of Clarkson University, professor of film studies, author, poet, and member of the Brothertown Indian Nation of Wisconsin. Professor Pelky brings her insights and sharp observations to this movie, particularly to the portrayal of the already-problematic character of Tonto by the VERY problematic Johnny Depp. Give a listen and see what an actual smart person has to say about this movie! Mike and I will be there too. Hi-ho Bumpy! Away! [please note: we had some problems with the audio in this episode but thanks to Mike’s masterful sound engineering, they shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Also, that’s not Max at the end but an incredible simulation] Poll question: what is the first movie you remember seeing in an actual movie theater? Some special bonus material: if you are interested in reading some of Dr. Pelky’s works, and you should be, please check out these links: Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, 3rd Edition: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781493053452/Hiking-Michigan’s-Upper-Peninsula-A-Guide-to-the-Area’s-Greatest-Hikes-Third-Edition Horizon of the Dog Woman: https://bookshop.org/books/horizon-of-the-dog-woman/9781732054264 Through a Red Place (forthcoming September 2021): 2021 Perugia Press Prize Results George Floyd Memorial Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/ Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019 Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/
Transcribe →