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PODCAST

The Take-Up Podcast

The Lens is now The Take-Up, a new place to gather when the film is over. The format is still the same, only a little refocused. Each episode, film critics Joshua Ray and Andrew Wyatt review new releases, talk pop culture, play absurd film trivia games, and process one film in their special programs. Special guests join with their own selections for series like Queer ‘90s, Cannes Winners, Nora/Nancy, and more!

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

00:59:29

The Secret Agent (with Diane Carson)

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/12/11

Film critic Dr. Diane Carson spills the beans on director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s latest political thriller The Secret Agent! Together with Josh and Andrew, the trio give praise to its pointed commentary on the Fifth Brazilian Republic and darkly comedic portrayal of a political refugee. Featuring a disembodied leg, Carnival, Mendonça's love of cinema, and so many other things, listen in on our hosts gushing over this wild thriller before it drops in theatres this Christmas. Later, they make

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01:05:59

Rushmore (with Max Havey)

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/11/28

Max Havey of STL Magazine shares with Josh and Andrew a film he holds dear, Wes Anderson’s Rushmore! A beloved staple from Anderson’s early stage in his career, the hosts dive into the comedy of this odd coming-of-age tale, Havey’s last-minute Wes Anderson movie rankings, and which one of the three was a Max Fischer in high school. Also expect a couple Graduate comparisons. Then, expect three things to look out for from this week’s One More Thing, including the wild Godzilla movie Destroy All

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01:05:40

The Graduate (with Drew Wendt)

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/11/13

Drew Wendt of Do You Like Apples? has one word to say to Josh and Andrew, just one word: Garfunkel.This week, Drew seduces our hosts into talking about Mike Nichols’ New Hollywood classic The Graduate, a film that appears to defy its reputation as an iconic Boomer comedy. Getting into the nitty gritty of all the power dynamics, WASP-y suburbia, youthful aimlessness, grey morality, and just how catchy "The Sound of Silence" is, the trio dive deep into a movie that leaves them coming away

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01:00:17

Misericordia

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/11/05

Switching things up a bit, Josh and Andrew go to the French countryside with Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia. Featuring an opening French lesson/cameo by Josh’s husband, our hosts get into the intricacies of this dark comedy-thriller, including its observation on relationships, rural France, and “one of the biggest jumpscares of the year”. They have fun talking about a film where everyone in this small town is, to put it lightly, “a little bit gay.” Then, they have One More Thing, recommending the

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00:56:17

Bugonia

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/10/29

After having to skip an episode due to Josh being held captive in Andrew’s basement last week, our hosts can finally have a dialogue over the latest Lanthimos/Stone collab, Bugonia! Diving into the sci-fi (maybe?) thriller, they debate over all the conspiracy theories, politics, the ending, and which Lanthimos movie is worthy of being put in the vault before the green planet is saved. Then they get into One More Thing, bringing up the 1950s Technicolor Knight epic Ivanhoe (starring the always

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01:02:55

Hot Fuzz (with Alex McPherson)

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/10/15

Here comes the Fuzz! Alex McPherson of PoplifeSTL brings in Edgar Wright’s cop comedy Hot Fuzz for Josh and Andrew to take a look and probe their thoughts. Together, the trio discuss the sidesplitting highlights, its nature as a Tony Scott parody/giallo/bromance befitting the Dudes Rock! canon, and if it fits within the guidelines of Copaganda. Along with their differing thoughts on Wright’s movies, you’re in for a debrief that provides the greater good (“the greater good!”) elevating Hot Fuzz’s

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01:11:05

One Battle After Another

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/10/08

Rise and Shine! What Time is It? Well, Comrades Josh and Andrew take a look at PTA’s explosive new thriller One Battle After Another. Together, they praise the film’s views on rebel militias, family, and the current political climate as well as gush over the comedy, the cast, a Support the Girls reunion, the rolling hills, and the Thomas Pynchon of it all. Then they'll have One More Thing about One Battle (and some other things too)!Next week, Alex McPherson returns with his pick for the show,

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01:04:45

Signs (with Billy Rock)

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/10/02

From the moment Billy Rock of Do You Like Apples? watched Signs with his family as a kid, its themes on faith and dedication to genre thrills served as a starting point for his growing interest in films. Twenty years later, Rock brings the M. Night Shyamalan alien thriller to the Take-Up, where Josh and Andrew swing away with their own polarizing thoughts on its intrigue and M. Night’s up-and-down career. Don’t worry, the trio have more to say beyond aliens having a weakness to water and wooden

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01:07:30

The Long Walk

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/09/24

Andrew and Josh marathon through their thoughts on the recent Stephen King adaptation, The Long Walk, going into discussions of King’s long history writing the novel, its connection to the Vietnam War/contemporary times, and its growing Conclave-esque fan reclamation. It turns out this small-scale thriller has more to offer than a depressing time. Then the duo continue their King talk with this week’s One More Thing, going into their picks for the most underrated Stephen King adaptations.Next week,

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01:16:03

Taxi Driver (with Cliff Froehlich)

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/09/17

Buckle up for guest ⁠Cliff Froehlich⁠'s pick, Martin Scorsese's landmark 1976 film ⁠Taxi Driver⁠, with a hall-of-fame performance from Robert DeNiro. The great St. Louis film-scene leader guides Andrew and Josh through his cinematic upbringing in St. Louis and the morally murky streets of Scorsese's scuzzy NYC. Despite all that, do Andrew and Josh think Taxi Driver belongs in the Take-Up's pantheon? After they answer that burning question, they'll recommend One More Thing with

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00:57:03

No Country for Old Men

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/09/10

Gather your bolt pistols and money satchels, friend-os! Andrew’s pick for the film that made him a cinephile is the Coen Brothers’ violent noir/western No Country for Old Men. He and Joshua partake in a ramble about evil, age, philosophy, movie tattoos, and most importantly, which one of them lost the most out of a coin toss (spoiler: it was Andrew). And then stayed tuned as they bring up One More Thing, going into the apocalyptic zoo novel The Island of Lost Things by Emma Sloley and the latest Big

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01:13:31

Far From Heaven

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/09/03

The Take-Up Podcast returns with a spiffy new coat of colors in Todd Haynes' 2002 Douglas Sirk homage Far From Heaven. It's Joshua's pick for building a Take-Up permanent cinema of what made them film-lovers. He and Andrew discuss the Haynes canon, the Sirk canon, and coming out of the "Criterion Closet" in 2002. Alert to fans of stars Julianne Moore, Dennis Haysbert, Dennis Quaid (you exist?), and Viola Davis: your people are praised. Finally, the duo bring up One More Thing with returning favorite

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02:16:43

The Real Best Pictures: Our Tops of 2024

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2025/02/26

On the eve of Academy Awards weekend (which is how we celebrate in this house) The Take-Up pod has its final say on the best films of 2024. Andrew and Joshua countdown(-ish) their favs with an epic two-hour episode (supplementing their website's annual written celebration).They talk some Oscar hopefuls (The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, and, if I'm reading this correctly... The Substance?), festival and critical darlings (Hard Truths, I Saw the TV Glow), and personal hobbyhorses (Luca Guadagnino

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01:06:50

Contemporary Costumes: Follow the Fleet

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2024/10/22

Katherine takes Contemporary Costumes to the high seas with musical classic Follow the Fleet, starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. But before she, Joshua, and Andrew can let themselves go into the costumes and chemistry, the Take-Up brings out spooky season with what’s Now Showing: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Front Room, Red Rooms, and acclaimed documentary The Mother of All Lies. Finally the trio have just One More Thing to say about The Last of Sheila, Gojira, Blake Eckard, and more! Read

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01:07:28

Contemporary Costumes: Why Don't You Play in Hell?

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2024/10/01

After a summer break, the Take-Up falls back into Contemporary Costumes with Andrew's pick, Sion Sono's Why Don't You Play in Hell? Before trying to keep up with with the manic meta-movie, they'll catch up with some recent releases Now Showing: Alien: Romulus, Starve Acre, The Crow, Blink Twice, and Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. Finally, they've all got One More Thing with Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, The Avian Hourglass, and Wim Wenders. Up next is Katharine's classic

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01:02:41

Contemporary Costumes: Josie and the Pussycats (with...

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2024/08/21

Critic and culture writer Brandon Streussnig glams up the pod with his pick Du Jour for the Contemporary Costumes program, 2001's "teen comedy" cult classic Josie and the Pussycats. Before he, Joshua, and Katharine break down all the fashions, all the pr🎯duct pl🎯cement, and all the Parker Posey, Andrew stops by with Now Showing reviews of Cuckoo and Handling the Undead. Finally, there's just One More Thing with Female Prisoner Scorpion, Peter Greenaway, and the Olympics for

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01:12:11

Contemporary Costumes: Crimes of Passion

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2024/08/01

Joshua is dressed to kill with Ken Russell's 1984 Psycho-sexual thriller/satire/melodrama Crimes of Passion, his pick for the new Contemporary Costumes program. Before digging into the Big Performances of Kathleen Turner and Anthony Perkins in full drag(s), he, Katharine, and Andrew are Now Showing yet another crime of passion with Catherine Breillat's latest, Last Summer. Finally, they've all got One More Thing: a new Elaine May biography, an old No Man's Sky, and the old/new of Les

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01:33:15

Queer Classics: Compulsion (1959)

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2024/07/31

For the final episode in the Queer Classics program, Katharine picks the 1959 queer killers story Compulsion, based upon the real-life Leopold and Loeb case. Of course she, Joshua, and Andrew couldn't help but go into the other Leopold and Loeb-inspired films, Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Tom Kalin's Swoon, also covered here. First up is a killer of a different kind in Osgood Perkins' Longlegs. For this Now Showing segment, the Take-Uppers go long (spoilers from 11:45-28:20) on Mr

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01:06:19

Queer Classics: Little Caesar

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2024/07/16

Mother of Mercy, Katie Carter is back guns a-blazin' with her pick for the Queer Classics program, Little Caesar (1931), the landmark gangster picture featuring Edward G. Robinson's breakout performance. Before she schools Katharine and Joshua on queer depictions in the Pre-Code Hollywood era, Andrew appears to review MaXXXine, America, and A Quiet Place: Day One with everyone. Finally, they'll have One More Thing with Burt Reynolds, Siskel & Ebert, and The Projection Booth. Up

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01:20:30

Queer Classics: Orpheus

The Take-Up Podcast ·

2024/07/02

It's a matter of life and death when Andrew picks famed French Renaissance Man Jean Cocteau's Orpheus for his pick in the Queer Classics program. Joshua and Katharine roll on their rubber gloves, paint eyeballs on their eyelids, and join Andrew to jump backwards into the 1950 Orpheus redux. First, they go Inside Out (2) with Disney/Pixar's latest and Kill Your Lover, both of which are Now Showing. All three hosts take the Known 4/IMDb Game challenge with some classic gays before

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