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PODCAST

The Long Take Review

Jen Sopchockchai Bankard

Four college professors talk film — providing insight, not assigning homework. thelongtake.substack.com

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

132:28

Hot Takes Summer 2023

The Long Take Review ·

2023/09/26

Before we become engrossed in all the Oscar bait that awaits this fall, Greg, P.T. and I thought it would be fun to give a series of “awards” to movies we watched over the summer. Greg finds every opportunity to talk about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, P.T. tries to backdoor reviews of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and TMNT:Mutant Mayhem, and Jen just wants to give Rocket Raccoon a hug. This one has a lot of laughs, so come join us in celebrating a great summer at the movies

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135:54

Premature Oscar Predictions: Part Two

The Long Take Review ·

2023/09/18

P.T. and I are back to finish up our “way too early” Oscar predictions. Since we last recorded, a lot has happened — reviews from some of the fall film festivals have come in and a few Oscar hopefuls have been pushed to next year. Which films have emerged as early frontrunners? Which might be too weird to appeal to Oscar voters? Which have a better chance during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes (which we support)? And how are our picks from the 2023 movie hype draft doing? We’ve gotten really good at

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132:53

Premature Oscar Predictions: Part One

The Long Take Review ·

2023/08/30

Is it still too early to make Oscar predictions? Yes. Will that stop P.T. and me from making them? Not a chance. After a rundown of what’s slated for all the major film festivals this year and a discussion of their role in the Oscar race, we speculate about nominations in 8 categories: animated feature, international feature, documentary feature, original score, original song, production design, makeup and hairstyling, and visual effects. We also get a little help from Greg , who breaks some bad

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94:08

Theater Camp Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/08/02

Theater Camp, a loving send-up of “theater kid” culture, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to high praise from critics. Months later, Searchlight Picture’s sincere comedy starring Molly Gordon (The Bear) and Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect) quietly released in theaters, overshadowed by Barbenheimer fever. That’s why P.T., Antonio, and I wanted to give this heavily improvised indie film a starring role in this episode. We discuss our own personal connections to theater, debate whether or not this film

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128:54

The Barbenheimer Experience

The Long Take Review ·

2023/07/27

The simultaneous release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, now known as “Barbenheimer,” has quickly become the movie event of the year, sweeping pop culture and breaking all kinds of box office records. We share our takes on each film, put them in conversation with one another, and posit their cultural, political, and film industry significance. Rather than reviewing the two films in succession, we’re embracing the very idea of Barbeheimer with one big conversation about

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154:30

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/07/18

The new Mission: Impossible movie is exclusively in theaters, and Tom Cruise wouldn’t want it any other way. After shining a light on the actor’s strike that began this week and discussing some of the contentious issues in the context of Dead Reckoning Part One, P.T., Greg, and I unpack (and clarify) the dense spy thriller plot, rejoice over our favorite action set pieces, and compare our notes on characters old and new. We’ll be your parachute as you float down from a blockbuster high. Movie News

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157:34

Mission: Impossible - Retrospective Part One (of One)

The Long Take Review ·

2023/07/11

In anticipation of the new Mission: Impossible film, which skydives into theaters this week, P.T. McNiff, who’s been a fan from the beginning, and I, who only just watched five out of six films for the first time, examine the franchise to date. We provide context about Tom Cruise, the origins or the making of the films, the different directors who have chosen to accept these missions, the spy thriller genre, and M:I’s place in action blockbuster filmmaking. After that extensive primer, we share our

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108:08

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/07/04

Buckle up your prop plane seat for our wide-ranging discussion of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. First-time guest, as well as dear friend and colleague, Jim Clements joins P.T., Greg, and me to compare this fifth film to its predecessors, contemplate whether or not anyone under the age of 40 cares about this genre, nerd out about what we liked, pinpoint what didn’t work for us, and daydream about Harrison Ford winning an Oscar someday. We had the widest variety of takes (of all

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136:55

Indiana Jones and the Retrospective of Destiny (or...

The Long Take Review ·

2023/06/29

We are on the precipice of a new Indiana Jones film in theaters, so P.T., Greg, and I *had* to have an episode dedicated to the four preceding films. We share what we love about the character and the franchise, try to figure out what makes Harrison Ford so singular, rank all the films, and parse our expectations for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Grab your fedora and join us on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Image Credit: VarietyIntro and outro music is

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164:02

Asteroid City Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/06/28

It’s a Wes Anderson jubilee! Greg, P.T., and I share our thoughts on the beloved yet polarizing director’s newest film, Asteroid City. We attempt to unpack its dense layers, pulling out themes and connections between the various frame narratives. After a robust discussion, we speculate about the film’s Oscars chances and share our top five Wes Anderson films of all time. I felt privileged to be a part of this conversation; P.T. and Greg shared so much insight, and we were having a good time every

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111:59

Past Lives Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/06/19

Celine Song’s directorial debut, Past Lives, garnered an immense amount of critical praise, with strong (and very early!) Oscar buzz coming out of the Sundance Film Festival in January. Antonio Elefano and I discuss whether the film lives up to the hype, dissect the the themes, and explain how the screenplay redefines romance. The film will play in theaters everywhere starting June 23rd. Movie News Check-In :52The Short Take 16:00The Recommendation Algorithm (Spoiler Free) 26:53SPOILER MODE 36:18The

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105:27

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/06/09

With dazzling animation and a superb screenplay, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the follow-up to Oscar-winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, has performed heroically at the box office. Greg Cass and I try to pinpoint the source of the film’s success, dissect how the creators have seeded themes into the story so effectively, share our favorite scenes and Easter eggs, and much more. Stick around until the end of the recording to learn just how deep a certain cameo’s connection to Spider-Man

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120:00

Doing the Best We Cannes 2023

The Long Take Review ·

2023/06/01

The Cannes Film Festival just wrapped up last weekend, which means we now have the first wave of reactions for several of our most anticipated films of the year. P.T. and I discuss the big award-winners, and then speculate as to which films unofficially won the festival. Get ready for a lot of chatter about Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, and, of course, James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Which films premiering at Cannes have Oscars

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116:51

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/05/11

The Guardians of the Galaxy’s final ride with writer, director, and now co-CEO of DC James Gunn hit theaters this weekend, and to break it all down, P.T. and I recruit host of The Colbycast and MCU expert, Colby Mead. We discuss the impact the ongoing writer’s strike might have on future Marvel productions, what GotG Vol. 3 could mean for the future of Marvel and DC, and how we feel about all the feelings this new film made us feel. Movie News Check-In: 3:01The Short Take (Spoiler Free): 17:20The

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110:22

May the Fourth Be With You 2023

The Long Take Review ·

2023/05/04

We are movie lovers and Oscar prognosticators, but we are also dedicated Star Wars fans. In honor of Star Wars Day (May 4th) 2023, P.T., Greg, and I share our memories of Return of the Jedi as well as our experiences seeing the 1983 film on the big screen during its recent 40th anniversary re-release. We then transition to a discussion of the Star Wars franchise as a whole, especially from a film perspective. Listen for our takes on The Mandalorian Season 3, the recently announced Dave Filoni “event

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98:38

CinemaCon 2023 Hype Meter

The Long Take Review ·

2023/04/30

Is this a sequel, Part Two, or, dare I say, a reboot of our Most Anticipated Movies of 2023 episode? CinemaCon, an industry event that previews upcoming films for the year, revealed new information about many films P.T. and I discussed last week, as well as ones that didn’t make our lists. Which ones are we even more excited for? Which ones have we cooled on? Which ones suddenly have our attention? P.T. and I react to new trailers and reports of exclusive footage.Image Credit: CNNTrailers for films

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124:06

Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

The Long Take Review ·

2023/04/20

Is it too early to predict next year’s Oscars? Probably. Nonetheless, P.T. and I speculate about what upcoming films might become Oscar contenders later in the year. We then draft our top five most anticipated films of 2023. The results may surprise you; they certainly surprised us in a few instances!Movie News Check-In 1:49Potential Oscar Contenders 13:37Movie Draft: Top 5 Most Anticipated 2023 1:08:08Image Credit: DeadlineIntro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic

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84:22

Air Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/04/11

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are together again, this time to tell the story of how Nike signed Michael Jordan and revolutionized sports marketing and fashion with his own shoe line. Greg and I share our thoughts about some big Star Wars film news before we share our overall reactions to “Air,” highlight some of our favorite performances, and try to figure out if this film has enough of a point of view to swish into the Oscars conversation. Movie News Check 1:47The Spoiler-Free Short Take 14:40The

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98:48

John Wick: Chapter 4 Review

The Long Take Review ·

2023/03/29

The latest installment of the franchise based on everyone’s favorite dog lover, John Wick, is out now in theaters. In this episode, P.T. and I catch up on some movie news before we give our spoiler-free reactions to and recommendations for John Wick: Chapter 4. We finish with a more detailed, spoiler-filled breakdown of the film’s themes and highlights, as well as a discussion of its potential Oscar prospects. Movie News Check 1:54Spoiler-Free Reactions and Recommendations 12:32Spoiler Mode

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97:08

Oscars After-Party with Antonio Elefano and P.T. McNiff

The Long Take Review ·

2023/03/15

The Oscars aired this past Sunday; it went as expected in some categories, with a few surprises in others. P.T. McNiff and Antonio Elefano join me to share their reactions to the winners, how their predictions panned out, and what the results might mean for the Oscars in the future. Image Credit: CBSIntro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss

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143 results

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