Trash, Art, And The Movies
The podcast that pits arthouse cinema against brainless entertainment—and then declares a victor.
TAATM #111: The Turning Point vs. The Company

Erin and Paul squeeze into their pointe shoes to review two films that take place behind the scenes of major ballet companies. First: THE TURNING POINT, the 1977 soap opera starring Anne Bancroft as an aging ballet star and Shirley MacLaine as her estranged friend who gave up her ballet career to become a wife and mother; then, THE COMPANY, Robert Altman's 2003 fly-on-the-wall docudrama starring Neve Campbell as a promising young dancer with Chicago's Joffrey Ballet Company. Mikhail Baryshnikov in tights or Malcolm McDowell in a yellow scarf: which will prevail?

Plus our quick takes on WISH I WAS HERE, LUCY, CHEF, THE PRETTY ONE, THE SIGNAL, and Karina Longworth's podcast YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS.

Direct download: TAATM_111__The_Turning_Point_vs._The_Company.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 3:09pm EDT

TAATM #110: The Bellboy vs. The King Of Comedy

Paul and Heather review two films featuring every highbrow movie fan's favourite lowbrow comedian, Jerry Lewis. First: THE BELLBOY, Lewis' 1960 comedy about the slapstick misadventures of a hapless employee of the luxurious Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida; then, THE KING OF COMEDY, Martin Scorsese's 1982 dark comedy starring Lewis as a late-night talk-show host and Robert De Niro as an aspiring standup comedian who kidnaps him in order to force the network to put him on the air. Milton Berle playing himself or Tony Randall playing himself: which will prevail?

Plus our quick takes on MELVIN AND HOWARD, LIFE ITSELF, and BIG BAD WOLVES.

Direct download: TAATM_110__The_Bellboy_vs._The_King_Of_Comedy.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:40am EDT

Erin and Paul review two versions of the same story of unfaithful wives, double-crossing hitmen, and bodies that just won't stay dead. First: BLOOD SIMPLE, Joel and Ethan Coen's 1984 debut, starring Dan Hedaya as the owner of a Texas roadhouse who hires a sleazy private eye to kill his wife and her love; then, A WOMAN, A GUN, AND A NOODLE SHOP, director Zhang Yimou's slapstick 2009 remake, which transplants the action to a remote Gobi Desert noodle emporium in feudal China. Ceiling fans or paper fans: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on NURSE 3D, MAN BITES DOG, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, and GAMBIT.

Direct download: TAATM_109__Blood_Simple_vs._A_Woman_A_Gun_And_A_Noodle_Shop.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:15am EDT

TAATM #108: We Are The Best! vs. Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

Heather and Paul review two films that suggest 1982 was a banner year for punk bands made up of young girls. First: WE ARE THE BEST!, Lukas Moodysson's warm-hearted comedy about a trio of school friends and diehard punk fans who refuse to let their lack of musical experience keep them from forming a band; then, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS, director Lou Adler's cult 1982 film starring Diane Lane as a disaffected teenager whose two-toned hairdo, nihilistic attitude, and see-through blouses briefly make her a rock and roll sensation. "Hate the Sport" or "Waste of Time": which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on THEY CAME TOGETHER, THE UNKNOWN KNOWN, and ENEMY... as well as Heather's upcoming directorial debut.


TAATM #107: Maitresse vs. Single White Female

Paul and Erin bring the whip down on two films from director Barbet Schroeder, both about the perils of rashly accepting new roommates into your apartment. First: MAITRESSE, Schroeder's controversial 1975 battle-of-the-sexes drama starring Gerard Depardieu as a small-time thief who embarks on a contentious relationship with a professional dominatrix; then, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, Schroeder's 1992 thriller starring Bridget Fonda as a young woman who takes out an ad for someone to share her apartment, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as the mentally unstable woman who moves in with her, and gradually attempts to assume her identity. A man getting his penis nailed to a board, or a man who gets a high-heeled shoe through his eye: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, THE IMMIGRANT, TIM'S VERMEER, and SOMM.

Direct download: TAATM_107__Maitresse_vs._Single_White_Female.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:30am EDT