Be Reel

To celebrate Al Pacino’s 80th birthday, Be Reel zeroes in on one of the acting legend’s favorite archetypes—the ragged police detective. Today, we trace Pacino’s investigative methods all the way from iconic “Serpico” (1973) to controversial “Cruising” (1980) to charged “Sea of Love” (1989) to unimpeachable “Heat” (1995) to perhaps underrated “Insomnia” (2002), all the way to VOD schlock like “Hangman” (2017). It’s a trajectory that reveals Pacino's groundbreaking subtlety transforming into meme-able gravitas and intersects with some of the absolute best directors of the last half-century. Join us; there’s definitely a gold shield in it for you. BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

This week, Chance and Noah decipher the back half of Alex Garland's “Devs.” With the help of sci-fi writer Tochi Onyebuchi, the guys examine the exciting, loose-end-tying, head-scratching, quantum-defying final episodes of the FX on Hulu series. Be Reel gives many thanks to this episode’s sponsors: Podcorn and California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA program. -PODCORN: Explore sponsorship opportunities and start monetizing your podcast by signing up at podcorn.com/podcasters. -California College of the Arts: Start your journey toward a writing MFA at CCA.edu/writingmfa.

For much of the late-20th century, Barbra Streisand was a ubiquitous star of stage, album, and screen. And the EGOT winner’s artistic vision was never clearer than in her three forays into directing, producing and starring in her own movies: "Yentl" (1983), "The Prince of Tides" (1991) and "The Mirror Has Two Faces" (1996). Each film features a touch of Streisand’s cross-medium talents: a little musicality, a little slapstick comedy, a little Judaism and feminism intermingling to define the persona of an underexplored show business icon. BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

It’s Old Rob versus New Rob, Sad Rob versus Not As Sad Rob, Zoë Kravitz versus John Cusack, Brooklyn versus Chicago, and sad music versus sad people on this week’s TV recap. The Be Reel guys take on Hulu’s “High Fidelity” (2020) and compare and contrast it to the other Nick Hornby adaptations they covered last week. Key moments include a debate about cancel culture, the original music on the show and where a S2 could possibly go. Hit it. BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

Welcome to the arrested world of Nick Hornby. In the movie adaptations of his books, you'll find man-children of all stripes, from John Cusack's iconic role in "High Fidelity" (2000), Hugh Grant's lovable cad in "About a Boy" (2002) and Ethan Hawke's loser indie rocker in "Juliet, Naked" (2018). We dive into this overly witty but emotionally stunted category to celebrate and examine the 20th birthday of "High Fidelity" and preview our forthcoming podcast on the Hulu remake starring Zoë Kravitz. Be on the lookout! BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

In March 2015, we started a movie podcast that was a little raw, a little tipsy, a little too much "White House Down." We've kept the pod going these five years and over 500 movie reviews for our friendship, for our relationship to friends and colleagues who listen and for all the tremendous (and even bad-good) films we never would've watched otherwise. We thank you kindly for spending some time with us. If you haven't rated the podcast or told your friend who digs movies about us, well, that's the best gift you can give five years in. All our old episodes live at BeReelPodcast.com and thank you again. Be reel.

With theaters closed indefinitely, today we fully acknowledge streaming as the overlord of the moment. Alex Garland ("Ex Machina," "Annihilation") has a new FX/Hulu show called "Devs," which unravels the mind-bending and violent workings of a quantum computer company. Wanna watch along with us? Episode discussion time stamps below: 0:00 - Show Overview 16:50 - Episode 1 Spoilers 26:00 - Episode 2 38:40 - Episode 3 52:10 - Episode 4 BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

When it comes to contemporary sci-fi, Alex Garland sits at the highest level of Hollywood writers/directors/creators. Whether penning original ideas about humanity’s undoing (“Ex Machina,” “28 Days Later,” “Sunshine”) or adapting bestselling books (“Annihilation,” “Never Let Me Go”) to his own specifications, Garland has had a hand in several of the most intriguing sci-fi and horror films of the past 20 years. This week, Be Reel studies most things Garland, with an emphasis on his screenwriting, leading to our forthcoming recap of his new Hulu/FX show "Devs.” Keep your eyes peeled for that shortly. BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

Before the entire world shut down, there was an extremely good Kelly Reichardt movie ("First Cow") halfway into theaters. Now it's shelved, but our career-spanning look at the American independent stalwart continues. Known for their lived-in detail, complex female leads and incisive social commentary, Reichardt titles like "Wendy and Lucy" (2008), "Meek's Cutoff" (2010) and "Night Moves" (2013) examine the age-old cracks in the Pacific Northwest's rebellious mythology. Of course, the guys also discuss what they've been watching under quarantine and Chance shares a telling bit from his recent interview with Reichardt. BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

Who do you become when no one can see you? Well, today’s Be Reel category doesn’t take a rosy view of how already powerful dudes would use this new superpower. In light of the new "Invisible Man" film starring Elisabeth Moss, we rope in an additional trio of invisible pictures, including "The Invisible Man" (1933), "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" (1992) and "Hollow Man" (2000). BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts‘ Writing MFA program. Learn more about their incredible work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

With the restoration and re-release of Elem Klimov's underappreciated war epic "Come and See," we steel ourselves to revisit the film's famously immersive, brutal, even dangerous portrayal of the WWII Eastern Front. (A child actor's hair literally turned white.) Listen as we dive back into the Russian film’s production history, myth, canonization, and assess the lines between majesty and gratuitousness. BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Learn more about their incredible work at cca.edu/writingmfa.

We lost a great one this month with the passing of Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas at the age of 103. But what made him such an era-defining star in classics like "Spartacus"? That indomitable chin? That triangle torso? No, there’s something deeper and cannier to how the heartthrob-turned-super-producer cemented his own role as a prophet in the mid-century American movie religion. This week, Be Reel looks back at five movies that defined Douglas' career: “Ace in the Hole” (1951), “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952), “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1954), “Paths of Glory” (1957) and “Spartacus” (1960). BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Start your journey with them at cca.edu/writingmfa.

Whether their torment is played for laughs, cold shivers, or #MeToo rage, assistants get a raw deal on screen. This week, as Kitty Green’s incisive new drama “The Assistant” rolls out around the country, Chance and Noah look at the role of assistants in cinema, also revisiting “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) and “Secretary” (2002). They're joined by Daily Beast writer Cassie Da Costa to discuss her writing on "The Assistant" and recount her own experiences with a troubling film industry internship.

After years of cratering in Noah's office Oscar pool, we've dispensed with the official bubbling and brought in a third voice to make sense of Hollywood's biggest (and obtusest) night. "Sweet & Low" author Nick White returns to the program to predict and critique the 2020 favorites. Highlights include Noah's surprise anointing of "The Irishman" for Oscars glory, Chance's historical theories re: "1917," and Nick's fury over the J-Lo / “Hustlers” win that will never be. Be Reel is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Learn more about their wonderful program at CCA.edu/writingmfa.

"Bad Boys, bad boys / whatcha gonna do / whatcha gonna do when we rate and review?" It’s 2020, and Columbia Pictures has dug deep into its intellectual property vault for a 17-year dormant Will Smith franchise with no meaningful reason to continue. Sounds like a job for Noah and Chance. Be Reel is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA Program. Learn more at CCA.edu/writingmfa.

For our first episode of 2020, we're visiting the March family in their seventh turn on the big screen. With a new structure and perhaps all-time best cast, Greta Gerwig's "Little Women" feels revisionist and faithful toward the 1868 story all at once. Then, in search of more context, we review the “Little Women” of 1994 and 1949. From these films, we discuss the Jo March of Winona Ryder and the Amy of Elizabeth Taylor while observing these adaptations sort out their own versions of what Gerwig tried to do in 2019. Be Reel is brought to you by California College of the Arts' Writing MFA program. Learn more at CCA.edu/writingmfa.

With December all but gone and neither of them having seen CATS, Noah and Chance reflect on the year in film with a series of semi-original accolades. What was their favorite 2019 performance with no awards potential? What movie will be talked about differently in 2029? In the end, we give our Top 10 lists and bid the 2019 movies a fond farewell. Happy new year!

This week, Chance and Noah dare to ask a question posed by many conned, spurned and murdered Patricia Highsmith characters: "Who are you, Tom Ripley?" As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Anthony Minghella’s seminal Matt Damon vehicle "The Talented Mr. Ripley," we seek out the character’s origins in the acclaimed Highsmith novels and the many resulting film adaptations. In addition to the 1999 American hit, we're watching 1977's "The American Friend" (dir. by the great Wim Wenders) and 2002's "Ripley's Game" starring John Malkovich. If you like your con artists with a side of sexual frustration and sun-soaked coasts, press play.

That's no moon... this week, we throw caution to the hot winds of Tatooine and discuss every in-trilogy Star Wars movie, leading up to "The Rise of Skywalker." To keep things not-10-hours-long, the Jedi Council has assigned Noah and Chance a special approach on this show: try to give one fresh(ish) observation on each installment, rate that womp rat, and move on. 8 movies, 16 takes, and 2 white guys talking about Star Wars. "I've got a bad-good feeling about this."

Noah and Chance look back through the spiritual trilogy of GOODFELLAS, CASINO and THE IRISHMAN for the groundbreaking style of Martin Scorsese, the sometimes goofy repetitions of that style, and the shadow history of America created by 10 hours of mafiosos, teamsters and their middlemen. Oh, and Chance's dad—a Vegas craps dealer circa 1978—stops by for a lightning round of questions about “Casino.” THE IRISHMAN is in select theaters now and on Netflix on Nov. 27.