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PODCAST

Midday Movies

Laura Fones and Stephen Frothingham

Welcome to the Midday Movies podcast, provider of fun, funny, and thoughtful media reviews 2-3x a week. Streaming on @radiotacoma101.9 every Tues/Thurs/Sat at 3pm.

tv & film

All Episodes

00:22:49

Ep 196: Is “Anora” the best film of the year? Cannes...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/20

Today we’re reviewing the new Sean Baker film, “Anora” (2024). Winner of the golden palm award (Palme d’Or) at this years Cannes Film Festival, this romantic comedy/drama follows exotic dancer, “Ani”/“Anora” (Mikey Madison) in a Cinderella-esque whirlwind romance with Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), a Russian oligarch’s son. After news of their marriage reaches Ivan’s parents, however, wheels are set in motion that result in Anora’s kidnapping by Armenian henchmen. Part glitter-and-neon streaked romcom and

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00:18:51

Ep 195: Reviewing “Your Monster” Coming-of-Rage...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/19

Today we’re talking about the Sundance-selected indie romcom/horror film, “Your Monster” (2024). Written and directed by Caroline Lindy and based on her semi-autobiographical short film, this movie follows soft-spoken theater actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera) as she recuperates from cancer treatments and comes face-to-face with a terrifying-yet-charming monster living in her closet (Tommy Dewey). With standout performance by Tommy Dewey and Meghann Fahy, this Broadway-steeped coming-of-rage

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00:29:39

Ep 194: “Woman of the Hour” Gives Dating Game Serial...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/14

Today we’re discussing the #1 Netflix streaming film, “Woman of the Hour” (2024). Starring Anna Kendrick in her directorial debut, this movie fictionalizes a very real, very weird moment in 1970s cultural history, the day a prolific serial killer won the “Dating Game” — a popular matchmaking show from the time. What we’re presented with is a fascinating commentary on post-Sexual Revolution gender politics and the brazen social behaviors that men modeled during that era and that women had to slyly

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00:31:01

Ep 193: “Smile 2” and the Horror-Soaked Isolation of...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/13

Today we’re analyzing the most recent entry in the “Smile” horror franchise, “Smile 2” (2024). Helmed once again by writer-director Parker Finn, this “Smile” film dials up the cinematic ambition by following fictional pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) as she mounts a worldwide redemption tour one year after a grievous car accident took the life of her boyfriend (Ray Nicholson) and left her with chronic injuries. Infected with the Smile entity parasite, Skye’s world distorts and unravels as her

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00:24:25

Ep 192: Reviewing “Rumours,” a Surreal Political...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/12

Today we are discussing the newly-released political satire, “Rumours” (2024). Co-directed by beloved Canadian auteur Guy Maddin and starring Cate Blanchett as the Chancellor of Germany, this surreal art house comedy follows the leaders of the world’s top liberal democracies at their annual G-7 Summit. Tasked with collaborating on the eve of an apocalyptic crisis, the leaders of Germany (Blanchett), France (Denis Menochet), Italy (Rolando Ravello), the USA (Charles Dance), the UK (Nikki Amuka-Bird),

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00:27:45

Ep 191: “The Penguin” Expands the DC Universe with...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/07

Today we’re reviewing the wildly popular HBO MAX miniseries, “The Penguin” (2024). A spinoff of the 2022 “The Batman” film and brought to life by veteran producer Lauren LeFranc, this series sees Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oz Cobb (“the penguin”) in a post-disaster Gotham. The seawall has been bombed to bits, there’s a power vacuum in the local crime syndicates, and Sofia Falcone (played gorgeously by Cristin Milioti) has just been released from Arkham Asylum. It’s a story of professional

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00:30:04

Ep 190: “The Franchise” Lampoons Marvel Movies and...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/06

Today we’re reviewing the new HBO MAX comedy series, “The Franchise” (2024). Creatively helmed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, “The Franchise” follows the behind-the-scenes drama of a troubled Marvel movie-esque production called, “Tecto.” With long-suffering First AD Daniel (Himesh Patel) trying to contain the production chaos of an inexperienced indie film director (Daniel Bruhl), clashing actor personalities (Richard E. Grant & Billy Magnussen), shifting corporate priorities (Darren

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00:29:15

Ep 189: Reviewing “Saturday Night,” the Amazing...

Midday Movies ·

2024/11/05

Today we’re reviewing the newly-released Saturday Night Live docudrama, “Saturday Night” (2024). Depicting the 90-minute lead-up to SNL’s inaugural show on October 11, 1975, this Jason Reitman-directed project (“Juno,” “Up in the Air,” “Tully”) used first-person interviews, contemporaneous news articles, and extensive scholarship to construct a gripping account of the birth of America’s unlikeliest comedy institution. With extraordinary impressions of SNL’s iconic first cast, “Saturday Night” gives

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00:27:35

Ep 188: 15 Halloween Movie Recommendations (Crowd...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/31

Today we are celebrating 👻 Halloween 🎃 with 15 recommendations for movies you can watch on this final day of spooky season. We’ve got something for everyone— classics and recent releases, movies to watch with your kids, your girlfriends, your significant others, or your scary movie aficionado friends. From sweet to sexy to big-spooky, this list of recommendations is all you need to build a killer Halloween movie marathon. Let’s get into it!Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow

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00:22:35

Ep 187: “Terrifier 3” Exists & We Watched It (Dir....

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/30

Today we’re discussing the latest release from the B-movie Terrifier franchise, “Terrifier 3” (2024). Having achieved cult status among splatter-fest fans, this slasher movie featuring Art the Clown was written and directed by Damien Leone with a budget of under $2 million. Impressive practical VFX and an admirable performance by David Howard Thornton as the silent killer elevate an anemic script and wooden characters (Lauren LaVera, Antonella Rose, Elliot Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi, etc.). The gore

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00:23:30

Ep 186: Relationship Horror Stories & “It's What's...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/29

Today we are reviewing the Sundance-selected, Netflix-distributed indie horror film, “It’s What’s Inside” (2024). Written and directed by neophyte auteur Greg Jardin and starring eight relative unknowns as our primary cast (Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, and David Thompson), this trippy body-swapping horror film is one of the most impressive freshman projects I’ve seen. Eight college friends reunite on the

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00:22:06

Ep 185: “What We Do In The Shadows” (Creator Jermaine...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/24

Today we are talking about modern masterpiece and comedy mockumentary series, “What We Do In The Shadows” (2019-present). Based on the 2014 Taika Waititi film of the same name and created for television by Jermaine Clement, “What We Do On The Shadows” (FX/Hulu) follows the day-to-day happenings of three traditional vampires (Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Kayvan Novak), their familiar (Harvey Guillen), and one energy vampire (Mark Proksch). Subverting its audience’s expectations for these

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00:18:15

Ep 184: Expert Networking Tips from Our Resident...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/23

Today we’re evaluating expert networking tips from Google’s AI assistant, Gemini. Crowdsourced from a slew of internet articles, we’re using our in-house networking expert to assess the value and specificity of Gemini’s generative AI output. If you’re a jobseeker in this new AI-heavy recruiting market, we believe you’ll find help (and humor!) from this list of 9 networking recommendations. Stephen also shares his #1 street-smarts acquired networking tip, so let’s get into it!Listen to us on your

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00:24:04

Ep 183: “The Wild Robot” is a Solar Punk Fable for...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/22

Today we’re reviewing the recently-released Dreamworks children’s animated film, “The Wild Robot” (2024). Adapted from a book of the same name by Peter Brown, this film is written and directed by Chris Sanders, the screenwriter who brought you “Mulan”, “Lilo & Stitch”, and “How to Train Your Dragon.” This film follows an intelligent helper robot, Roz, who shipwrecks on an uninhabited (by humans) island full of hostile wildlife and must care for an orphaned baby goose — an experience that ultimately

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00:31:11

Ep 182: “Nobody Wants This” is a Better Love Story...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/18

Today we’re discussing the new Netflix #1 streaming series, “Nobody Wants This” (2024). Created by Erin Foster and starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an agnostic relationship podcaster and an unconventionally cool Reform Rabbi who fall in love. Flanked by neurotic family dynamics and competing career concerns, the protagonist couple manages to have the hottest, funniest, and most authentically romantic chemistry I’ve seen in a romcom in a decade. Currently boasting a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and

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00:27:31

Ep 181: “Three-Body Problem” Explores Cosmic...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/16

Today we’re discussing the top Netflix streaming series, “The Three-Body Problem” (2024). This is the first English-language adaptation of the Chinese book series, “Remembrances of Earth’s Past” and was created by former “Game of Thrones” showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (as well as Alexander Woo). Taking us from the violent Cultural Revolution in 20th-century China to an imminent catastrophe in physics in contemporary England, this smart series orbits around questions of science, god,

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00:22:37

Ep 180: “Cult of the Lamb” is Newly Couch Co-Op and...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/15

Today we’re discussing the critically acclaimed roguelike video game, “Cult of the Lamb.” Developed by Massive Monster and rated 10/10 on Steam, this hugely popular crusade and city-builder just released a couch co-op expansion called, “ Unholy Alliance” (2024). With cutesy visuals of woodland animals and an addictive gameplay loop that necessitates combat, resource gathering, and faith-building, “Cult of the Lamb” is an engrossing roguelike game that you can now play with your family and friends

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00:26:11

Ep 179: “Speak No Evil” and the Perils of Being...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/10

Today we're sharing our reflections on the newly-released horror remake, "Speak No Evil" (2024). Based on a 2022 Danish film of the same name and written and directed by James Watkins, this thriller stars James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis as members of two small families that meet on holiday and form a vacation friendship. When one family invites the other to their isolated countryside home, cracks appear in the pleasant veneer of the hosts in a way that portends very real danger. Touching on complex

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00:25:27

Ep 178: “The Substance” Injects Gonzo Horror into...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/09

Today we're discussing the Cannes award-winning horror film, "The Substance" (2024). Written and directed by French auteur Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore as a fading Hollywood celebrity keen to recapture her sparkle, this horror parable centers around a black market procedure that can produce a younger, better, more perfect you in 7-day cycles. What results is a war of attrition between two selves (the other played by Margaret Qualley) that embody the same vices while brutally lampooning

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00:22:22

Ep 177: “Billionaire Island” is “Succession” With...

Midday Movies ·

2024/10/08

Today we're reviewing the recently-released Norwegian limited series, "Billionaire Island." From the showrunners who brought you literally the first Netflix original series ("Lilyhammer" by Anna Bjornstad and Elif Skodvin), this 6-episode series chronicles the cutthroat corporate intrigue of a hostile takeover of one salmon billionaire's family business by ANOTHER salmon billionaire family business. Featured is an incredible, modern female CEO (played by Trine Wiggen) and her family versus a

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297 results

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