Be Reel

In 1995, "Toy Story" set the gold ... well, polyurethane standard for toys springing to life in film. But it's not an uncommon concept. From "Ted" to "Annabelle," it's not hard to see what's cute, creepy, or ironically crass about playthings suddenly speaking in adult voices. On this week's show, we watch and review three Toy Tales (they're off-brand toy stories), including "Child's Play" (1988), "Small Soldiers" (1998), and "The Indian In The Cupboard" (1995). At the 22-minute mark, Noah swings by the Play Kids toy store in his Brooklyn neighborhood to ask owner Shelley Kramer about the undying fantasy of toys coming alive and whether she thinks that's ever happened in her store. Follow us on Twitter @bereelpod.

Given "Mad Max: Fury Road," the Fast franchise, and now "Atomic Blonde," Charlize Theron seems dead set on spending her forties as an action star. But the South African actor has been working across genres for two decades, stealing scenes, elevating co-stars, and portraying complicated, sharp-edged characters with tumultuous internal lives. On today's show, we discuss three of Theron's boldest anti-heroine roles: "Atomic Blonde" (2017), "Young Adult" (2011), and "Monster" (2003). With help from film critic and Theron devotee Oktay Ege Kozak, we dig into the career of one of the most interesting movie stars of our time. Read Kozak's list of Theron's best performances here: http://bit.ly/therontop10

With the film world abuzz about "Dunkirk" this week, we paired the new war epic from Christopher Nolan with two other military rescue films: "Behind Enemy Lines" and "Black Hawk Down." After Noah shares the story of his transcendental evening with Phish, we dig into "Dunkirk" and argue over whether Nolan's manipulation of time is a gag or a successful bit of orchestration. At 25 minutes, we're joined by Nolan superfan and friend of the pod Joe Kozal, who lays down a "Proposal" about where the auteur is at in his prestigious career. We parachute "Behind Enemy Lines" at 37 minutes, wondering if Owen Wilson sprinting a whole bunch qualifies as a dramatic performance. Plus, an old friend of Chance's sends in a great Owen impression. We wrap up around 50 minutes with "Black Hawk Down," discussing the Ridley Scott film's confusing international politics and two dozen recognizable actors. Find Chance's written review of "Dunkirk" and all other episodes of the show at bereelpodcast.com.

A lot's happened since they've been out: families befriended, families hoodwinked, families pressing murder charges. This week, we watch over the eerie, difficult-to-pull-off genre of coma movies, including The Big Sick (2017), While You Were Sleeping (1995), and Reversal Of Fortune (1990).  We begin with the new autobiographical comedy from Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon, The Big Sick. Noah and author/client Nick White saw the movie together in New York last month, so Nick digs into The Big Sick on our air, discussing the film's take on conservative families, guilt, confronting who you are, and how it all resonates alongside his new novel. Then, your hosts rate The Big Sick and work through Noah's skepticism.  At 38 minutes, they move onto While You Were Sleeping, an early Sandra Bullock rom-com that everyone seems to have seen just once. There could be a reason for that: memorable premise, haphazard movie. Then, at the 53-minute mark, we send this episode to bed with a discussion of the little-remembe

They may be aces behind wheels, sharks in pressed uniforms, and imps tiptoeing up to jewelry boxes, but are they even old enough to vote? This week, Noah and Chance try not to be taken for fools by prodigious teenage crook movies. They begin a bit divided on the surprise summer hit BABY DRIVER, about an iPod-toting getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) trying to survive a few final heists. A bit after the 20-minute mark, they discuss Sofia Coppola for the second straight week, but this time it's THE BLING RING, a docu-realist portrait of spoiled Hollywood youth. What on earth is this movie trying to tell us? And at 40 minutes, we suit up with Steven Spielberg's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. A favorite of both your hosts, this movie arguably marks the end of effortless-era Spielberg. We also unpack the symbiotic obsession of '60s conman Frank Abignale Jr. and his FBI pursuer. These some are some cute kids; watch your wallets.

On this week’s mini-episode, we’re laid up recovering from Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled.” The Southern Gothic tale of a wounded Union soldier stuck on a Virginia plantation of exclusively women, Coppola’s remake of the 1971 original is an achievement in tension and character dynamics. Still, we argue over its ambition and historical considerations. The first 15 or so minutes of today’s show are spoiler-free. Find all our shows at bereelpodcast.com.

By happenstance or by hijacking, we tackle three films this week in which getting from A to B goes horribly wrong. We start with 1974's "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three," our first example of the triangle formed among helpless passengers, a mysterious invader, and the everyman hero who tries to intervene. At 18 minutes, we hop aboard a similar movie that's about twice as long and twice as fast (at least over 50 mph). It's 1994's "Speed," and we discuss what would be different if Tom Cruise played the role of Officer Travern instead of Keanu Reeves. Lastly, we revisit the Miracle On The Hudson with 2016's "Sully." Only in Clint Eastwood's version of events, airline suits and talk show hosts are the bad guys. Nothing to do now but hang on.

Ramp up the violence and turn down the storytelling; it's Part Two of our Alien franchise reappraisal! This week, we pick up with "Alien 3" and analyze why it's so fit for reclamation from fans and cinephiles alike. At the 24-minute mark, Chance is joined by the hosts of the Alien universe podcast "Perfect Organism." Jaime Prater and Ryan Zeid discuss why the narrative hardship of "Alien 3" appeals to them and why the cutesy self-awareness of "Alien: Resurrection" certainly does not. At 44 minutes, your hosts jump back into "Resurrection" and consider whether creative gore is enough to merit a "bad-good" rating. Finally, at 59 minutes, Noah and Chance debate whether the fact that "Alien Vs. Predator" is better than you might think is actually a good thing. It's six more hours of aliens and a lifetime of images you can't un-see! Listen to our guests' wonderful podcast here: https://perfectorganism.podbean.com/

The Alien franchise’s five-decade journey has crossed genres, intersected the careers of preeminent filmmakers and wavered wildly from classic to culty to catastrophic. With the recent release of the disturbing and philosophical “Alien: Covenant,” we set out to reappraise all the chest-bursting and face-hugging in Part One of our franchise retrospective: 2:02 - Noah and Chance give some franchise background, and Noah wonders why “Covenant” is two movies. 14:15 - Vulture’s Kevin Lincoln joins the show to discuss what contemporary franchises can learn from the villainous android David. 29:10 - Chance stands up for the headiness of “Covenant” and Noah makes a superb “Frasier” comparison. 38:00 - The New Republic’s Josephine Livingstone stops by to assess the role of androids in the franchise and their centrality to the new film. 54:10 - Your hosts try to identify if there’s anything wrong at all with 1979’s “Alien.” 1:04:20 - A disagreement ensues about whether “Aliens” deserves classic status like its p

A statue of Rocky Balboa looms over most people’s visions of boxing and boxing films alike, but that hasn’t stopped contemporary filmmakers from mining the gritty world of professional pugilism for its comeback stories and unlikely heroes. On this week’s show, we watched three such films, starting with "Chuck," the new biographical film about Chuck Wepner, the club fighter who largely inspired the Rocky story when he lasted 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali in 1975. "Chuck" director Philippe Falardeau guests on the program, talking with Chance about Wepner’s rare comedic and charming persona in the world of boxing and what it was like to cast for iconic figures like Stallone and Ali. At the 30-minute mark, Chance and Noah meet the 2016 film "Bleed For This" at the center of the ring to discuss the vanity and traditionalism that goes into making a stock Hollywood boxing drama. At the 43-minute mark, they reappraise 2010’s "The Fighter" and have somewhat different thoughts on the merits of David O. Russell’s shifty

In the wake of 4/20, Chance and Noah try to fan away the smoke around the genre of stoner movies. They start with 1998’s HALF BAKED, which is to say, they start out frustrated. Then, Chance’s city doesn't need a special day to celebrate marijuana, but it has been 20 years since Portland produced the forgotten ‘90s slacker film BONGWATER. Chance met up with writer Jay Horton to discuss his Willamette Week feature on the cult film that wasn't (which stars Luke Wilson, Brittany Murphy, and Jack Black, among others). Around the 23-minute mark, hear Jay describe incinerating decrepit houses for movies and what the star-studded cast got up to while filming in Portland. After a Noah theory on how the latest Taco Bell commercial connects to this genre’s gender politics, your hosts round things out with a review of 2001’s HOW HIGH. Method Man and Redman burn more than a few down, and almost the Harvard campus too. How high indeed.

On this week's show, fateful duffle bags turn desperate people into unstable people. It's all based on the release of Netflix's new film WIN IT ALL, which stars Jake Johnson as a gambling addict with one job to do — don't open that bag an old acquaintance left at his apartment. After reviewing Joe Swanberg's WIN IT ALL, we transition to A SIMPLE PLAN (1998) at 21:40, in which Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton try not to freak out about finding $4 million or about how much their movie resembles FARGO. At the 35 minutes, we wrap up with MONEY FOR NOTHING (1993) and discuss how the movie's star-studded cast can't make up for its rickety tone. Just think of what we could do with a podcast about this much money! Our lives are changed forever!

Disney's recent streak of reimagining its animated classics has been stylish, sometimes transformative, and a bit uncanny. But the films also look a bit like a sign that reads "Just leave your $400 million here, America." This week, we're discussing the remakes that Disney is reanimating in the style of live action, even though CGI is still the dominant tool at work. We begin with the new and relatively faithful Beauty & The Beast remake before looking back at the Glenn Close-starring 101 Dalmatians (at the 20-minute mark). Then at 34 minutes, we examine how last year's Jungle Book remake tried to have and eat every cake available in the kids' movie/comic book playbook. Also, our show has a new name, but all else remains the same! Find all the old episodes at bereelpodcast.com.

Spike Lee turning 60 this week gives us ample reason to reflect on the pioneering American filmmaker. With the help of two guest scholars, Chance and Noah revisit three of the writer-director's collaborations with Denzel Washington. 5:00 - Chance interviews veteran critic and author David Sterritt to set the table for discussing Spike Lee's legacy and status as an American icon. 20:00 - Your hosts review 1990's MO BETTER BLUES, which features a fresher-than-fresh Denzel Washington making and destroying his life with jazz. 33:55 - We move to 1998's HE GOT GAME to discuss a movie starring NBA legend Ray Allen and which is "trying to be The Natural for basketball." 47:00 - University of Vermont film professor Todd McGowan talks to Chance about Spike Lee's work through the lens of "excess" and why INSIDE MAN (2006) might be his best work. 1:01:30 - Noah and Chance wrap up with a skirmish over whether INSIDE MAN is ruined by its prolonged twist ending.

Where in the present day can you find the stakes of high society match-making or puritanical persecution? Try high school. This week, we're discussing high school comedies that find their roots in canonical English literature. Chance starts the show in conversation with novelist JoAnna Novak, whose forthcoming book I MUST HAVE YOU explores the voices of '90s teenagers and briefly riffs on CLUELESS. At 25:40, Noah and Chance weigh in on how CLUELESS manages to be both of its time and quite aware of that fact. At 37:30, your hosts review 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, arguing the merits of Julia Stiles, the virtues of plastic pants, and what the movie does with its TAMING OF THE SHREW plot. At 51 minutes, they jump to this decade and wrap up with EASY A, wondering if high schoolers today are really so Hawthorne-ian about sexual politics. Have fun, and may we please remind you it does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty. *JoAnna's novel is out May 9 via Skyhorse. Buy it here: http://skyhorsepublishing.com/tit

On today’s mini-episode, Noah and Chance discuss the new horror film GET OUT. It’s the directorial debut from Jordan Peele (of Key & Peele), in which a young black man visits his white girlfriend’s well-to-do parents for the first time. Creeps of a racial nature ensue. In addition to the impeccable script and scenic creativity, we discuss how the current number one movie in America has a field day with audience expectations. First half spoiler-free, second half with spoilers. Dig in.

Replete with trivia, rants, and some self-examination of why we care despite knowing we shouldn’t … it’s our 2017 Oscars episode. Topics of discussion include: 1:30 - Why is it we watch the Oscars again? 5:35 - The grassroots earning and staying power of “Moonlight” 9:00 - Good or bad, “Hell Or High Water” is a strange nominee 13:15 - Where is the blockbusting Best Picture nominee from 2016? 18:00 - Which Oscar entry will wear the worst over time? 22:50 - Why are the acting categories are divided in idiotic ways? 28:00 - Inventing new awards for children and acting specialists 30:35 - Chance & Noah make their picks Follow @bereelguys on Twitter for some jokes this Sunday evening. You can at least count on jokes.

With Michael Douglas' sexy trilogy of FATAL ATTRACTION (1987), BASIC INSTINCT(1992) and DISCLOSURE (1994), American pop noir hit a real hot streak about 25 years back. This week, we discuss the genre hybrid that introduces a flawed Douglas protagonist to his match/demise in the femme fatale's of Glenn Close, Sharon Stone and Demi Moore. On an episode that's real steamy and just as political, we've got a guest to boot. 3:35 - FATAL ATTRACTION, and how Glenn Close wins and loses big 20:35 - Can this podcast handle BASIC INSTINCT? 28:05 - Birth Movies Death writer Jacob Knight guests as our Verhoeven scholar 50:54 - DISCLOSURE won't let you ignore its reactionary politics

Happy Super Bowl Week to you. And yet, do you find the corporate carnival distracts from you from the fundamentals of football? Erodes the glory from what's really just young people beating the living daylights out of each other? Maybe high school football films are more in your playbook. We kick off this week's episode with VARSITY BLUES (1999), the first of three films about small towns where football is religion. At 18:15, it's on to REMEMBER THE TITANS (2000) and the Disney-fication of breaking players' egos until they aren't racist anymore. At 31:40, before there were clear eyes and full hearts, there was Billy Bob Thornton trying to carry 2004's FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. Email us at bereelguys.com to tell us which 32-year-old actor played the most convincing high schooler.

Even if you don't know the Kasdan family, you undoubtedly know their work. New Hollywood titan Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplays for EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. In the last 15 years, his sons Jake and Jon have taken up the family trade. This week, we watch their first major films to develop a theory of the family. To start, BODY HEAT (1981) is an early and electric take on the erotic thriller with two '80s stars in their primes. At 20:20, ORANGE COUNTY (2002) has slapstick energy, but what else? At 30:37, we conclude with IN THE LAND OF WOMEN (2007), a movie that's a little painful for Noah to reappraise.