Trash, Art, And The Movies
The podcast that pits arthouse cinema against brainless entertainment—and then declares a victor.

Erin and Paul review two films from director Kathryn Bigelow: the controversial 2012 docudrama ZERO DARK THIRTY, and the 1995 cyberpunk neo-noir STRANGE DAYS. Plus: our quick takes on STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, CAROL, JOY, THE BIG SHORT, and ASH VS. EVIL DEAD.

Direct download: TAATM_171__Zero_Dark_Thirty_vs._Strange_Days.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 4:57pm EDT

Paul and Erin review two films about undercover FBI agents who become dangerously close to the criminals they're observing: Mike Newell's 1997 gangster drama DONNIE BRASCO, starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino; and Kathryn Bigelow's 1991 crime thriller POINT BREAK, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Plus: our quick takes on BROOKLYN, THE FORBIDDEN ROOM, A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS, and LISTEN TO ME MARLON.

Direct download: TAATM_170__Donnie_Brasco_vs._Point_Break.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 10:52pm EDT

Paul and Erin review an all-time sci-fi pop culture landmark, and the foreign-language classic that partly inspired it: George Lucas' 1977 space-opera blockbuster STAR WARS, and Akira Kurosawa's 1958 adventure THE HIDDEN FORTRESS. Plus: our quick takes on THE GOOD DINOSAUR, LEGEND, CREED, BONE TOMAHAWK, and JESSICA JONES.

Direct download: TAATM_169__Star_Wars_vs._The_Hidden_Fortress.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 11:03pm EDT

Erin and Paul review two films about traumatized Vietnam veterans: Hal Ashby's Oscar-winning 1978 drama COMING HOME, starring Jane Fonda and Jon Voight; and Ted Kotcheff's sequel-spawning 1982 action classic FIRST BLOOD, starring Sylvester Stallone. Plus: our quick takes on CREED, TRUMBO, TANGERINE, and DO I SOUND GAY?

Direct download: TAATM_168__Coming_Home_vs._First_Blood.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:04am EDT

Erin and Paul review two very different sung-through foreign-language musicals: Sion Sono's outlandish 2014 Japanese rap-battle gangster epic TOKYO TRIBE; and Jacques Demy's delicate 1964 tearjerker THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. Plus: our quick takes on INSIDE OUT, COMING HOME, SPOTLIGHT, and BLIND.

Direct download: TAATM_167__Tokyo_Tribe_vs._The_Umbrellas_Of_Cherbourg.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:31am EDT

Paul and Erin review two ’90s classics about aimless young men, police intimidation, and urban violence: John Singleton's 1991 melodrama BOYZ N THE HOOD, and Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 drama LA HAINE. Plus: our quick takes on MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, OUR BRAND IS CRISIS, AMERICAN ULTRA, AMOUR FOU, and BEST OF ENEMIES.

Direct download: TAATM_166__Boyz_N_The_Hood_vs._La_Haine.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 12:44am EDT

Erin and Paul review two films about ancient Central and South American civilizations: Mel Gibson's brutal 2006 action epic APOCALYPTO, and the 2000 animated Disney buddy comedy THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE. Plus: our quick takes on Aziz Ansari's TV series MASTER OF NONE, MISS YOU ALREADY, and the John O'Hara novel THE BIG LAUGH. And a trivia showdown!

Direct download: TAATM_165__Apocalypto_vs._The_Emperors_New_Groove.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 9:11pm EDT

Erin and Paul review two classic films about ugly divorces: Ingmar Bergman's 1973 chamber drama SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, starring Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson; and Danny De Vito's 1989 black comedy THE WAR OF THE ROSES, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Plus: our quick takes on BRIDGE OF SPIES, REMEMBER, BACK IN TIME, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1, and CRUEL & UNUSUAL.

Direct download: TAATM_164__Scenes_From_A_Marriage_vs._The_War_Of_The_Roses.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 8:59pm EDT

Erin and Paul review two effects-heavy box-office disappointments from director Peter Jackson: the 1996 horror comedy THE FRIGHTENERS, and the 2009 adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel THE LOVELY BONES. Plus: our quick takes on STEVE JOBS, JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS, GREEN ROOM, RESULTS, and new standup comedy specials from Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Braunger, Anthony Jeselnik, and Amy Schumer.

Direct download: TAATM_163__The_Frighteners_vs._The_Lovely_Bones.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:35am EDT

Paul and Erin review two films about masculinity in crisis, both starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Mike Nichols: the frank 1971 comedy-drama CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, and the upscale 1994 horror film WOLF. Misanthropes or lycanthropes: which will prevail? Plus: our quick takes on Madonna's REBEL HEART tour, PAN, SICARIO, THE FINAL GIRLS, and KNOCK KNOCK.

Direct download: TAATM_162__Carnal_Knowledge_vs._Wolf.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Erin and Paul review two vintage films about Cold War espionage: the 1963 James Bond adventure FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, and the gloomy 1965 John le Carré adaptation THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. Plus: our quick takes on THE WALK, THE MARTIAN, THE LOBSTER, ROOM, and VICTORIA.


Paul and Erin review two films about human beings who enter the world of videogames: Steven Lisberger's 1982 special-effects landmark TRON, and David Cronenberg's 1999 reality-bending sci-fi thriller EXISTENZ. Lightcycles or bioports: which will prevail? Plus: our quick takes on THE GREEN INFERNO, THE THIN MAN, COOTIES, A TOWN, the A GANGSTER, A FESTIVAL episode of DOCUMENTARY NOW!, and MISSISSIPPI GRIND.

Direct download: TAATM_160__Tron_vs._eXistenZ_copy.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:55am EDT

Erin and Paul review two films about repressed, old-timey American towns under attack by imaginary supernatural outside forces: Nicholas Hytner's 1996 film adaptation of Arthur Miller's classic stage play THE CRUCIBLE; and M. Night Shyamalan's much-maligned 2004 parable THE VILLAGE. Mass hysteria or mass deception: which will prevail? 

Plus: our quick takes on THE VISIT, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, WHITE GOD, JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL, and THE OVERNIGHT.

Direct download: TAATM_159__The_Crucible_vs._The_Village.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:02am EDT

Paul and Erin review two films starring Meryl Streep: the 1982 drama SOPHIE'S CHOICE, and the 1994 action thriller THE RIVER WILD. The Pink Palace with Kevin Kline, or white water with Kevin Bacon: which will prevail? Plus, our quick takes on WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS, EDEN, THE END OF THE TOUR, and GOODNIGHT MOMMY.

Direct download: TAATM_158__Sophies_Choice_vs._The_River_Wild.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:39am EDT

Paul and Erin review two underseen films directed by the late, great Wes Craven: the postmodern 1994 NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET sequel NEW NIGHTMARE, and the 1999 Meryl Streep inspirational-teacher drama MUSIC OF THE HEART. Violence directed at children, or violins directed at children: which will prevail? Plus: our quick takes on Z FOR ZACHARIAH, DOPE, LOVE & MERCY, THE WRECKING CREW, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., and QUEEN OF EARTH.

Direct download: TAATM_157__New_Nightmare_vs._Music_Of_The_Heart.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 5:50pm EDT

Erin and Paul sink their teeth into two films about women who can't stop eating men: Ivan Reitman's 1973 Canuxploitation cheapie CANNIBAL GIRLS (starring Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin), and Claire Denis' 2001 erotic horror shocker TROUBLE EVERY DAY (starring Vincent Gallo and Béatrice Dalle). A very hairy Eugene Levy or a very bloody Vincent Gallo: which will prevail? Plus our quick takes on AMERICAN ULTRA, DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, PHOENIX, and THE WOLFPACK.

Direct download: TAATM_156__Cannibal_Girls_vs._Trouble_Every_Day.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 12:09am EDT

Erin and Paul review two films from the mind of hyper-prolific horror writer Stephen King: First: DOLORES CLAIBORNE, Taylor Hackford's 1995 adaptation of King's novel, starring Kathy Bates as a middle-aged woman accused of murdering her tyrannical employer and Jennifer Jason Leigh as her estranged daughter; then, CREEPSHOW, George A. Romero's 1982 horror anthology, featuring five short stories inspired by the gruesome, blackly humourous style popularized in the 1940s and 1950s by EC Comics. Christopher Plummer as a vengeful sheriff, or Leslie Nielsen as a vengeful husband: which will prevail? Plus: our quick takes on STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, JIMMY'S HALL, THE NIGHTMARE, and COP CAR.

Direct download: TAATM_155__Dolores_Claiborne_vs._Creepshow.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:31pm EDT

Makeover!!! Paul and Erin review two films inspired by George Bernard Shaw's classic class satire PYGMALION: the 1964 Lerner & Loewe musical MY FAIR LADY, and the 1999 teen romance SHE'S ALL THAT. "The Ascot Gavotte" or "The Rockafeller Skank": which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on FANTASTIC FOUR, RICKI AND THE FLASH, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION, and WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FIRST DAY OF CAMP.

Direct download: TAATM_154__My_Fair_Lady_vs._Shes_All_That.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 10:11pm EDT

Paul and Erin review two surreal Canadian films about our nation's all-powerful brewing industry: Guy Maddin's 2004 comic melodrama THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD and the endearingly lowbrow 1983 SCTV spinoff STRANGE BREW. Glass legs filled with beer, or a beer bottle with a mouse inside of it: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on THE OVERNIGHT, PAPER TOWNS, MR. HOLMES, and TALES OF THE GRIM SLEEPER.

Direct download: TAATM_153__The_Saddest_Music_In_The_World_vs._Strange_Brew.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 10:51pm EDT

Paul and Erin review two films about high-concept serial killers: David Fincher's rain-drenched 1995 thriller SEVEN, and the campy 1971 Vincent Price cult classic THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES. A head in a box, or a head in a constricting frog mask: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on ANT-MAN, BAAHUBALI, TRAINWRECK, LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY'S "THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU," and THE DEATH OF "SUPERMAN LIVES": WHAT HAPPENED?

Direct download: TAATM_152__Seven_vs._The_Abominable_Dr._Phibes.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 11:41pm EDT

Paul and Erin ogle three movies whose main characters are blue-collar dreamers by day and exotic dancers by night: Steven Soderbergh's 2012 male-stripper drama MAGIC MIKE (and its sequel MAGIC MIKE XXL), and Adrian Lyne's glossy 1983 megahit FLASHDANCE. Male abs or female buttocks: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on SUITE FRANÇAISE, SELF/LESS, OM SHANTI OM, and BALLET 422.

Direct download: TAATM_151__Magic_Mike_and_Magic_Mike_XXL_vs._Flashdance.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 9:22pm EDT

Erin and Paul review two films starring Bette Midler as high-maintenance pop singers: the emotionally raw 1979 drama THE ROSE, and the 1988 chick-flick classic BEACHES. Plus: our quick takes on TERMINATOR GENISYS, AMY, A DEADLY ADOPTION, THE COBBLER, and CREEP.

Direct download: TAATM_150__The_Rose_vs._Beaches.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:22am EDT

Erin and Paul review two films from the flamboyant visual imagination of director Tarsem Singh: the 2006 fable THE FALL, and the 2000 psychological serial-killer thriller THE CELL. A swimming elephant, or a sliced-up horse: which will prevail? Plus: our quick takes on THE VALLEY BELOW, JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL, ADVANTAGEOUS, WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?, and MAGICIAN: THE ASTONISHING LIFE AND WORK OF ORSON WELLES.

Direct download: TAATM_149__The_Fall_vs._The_Cell.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:22am EDT

TAATM #148: Splash vs. The Secret Of Roan Inish

Paul and Erin dive into two cinematic takes on the mermaid myth: Ron Howard's 1984 romantic comedy SPLASH, starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah; and John Sayles' 1994 Irish fantasy THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH. A little boy showing up naked on the beach, or a beautiful blonde showing up naked at the Statue of Liberty: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE, I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, and INSIDE OUT.

Direct download: TAATM_148__Splash_vs._The_Secret_Of_Roan_Inish.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:24am EDT

TAATM #147: Total Recall vs. A Scanner Darkly

Paul and Erin review two films adapted from the mindbending work of sci-fi author Philip K. Dick: the 1990 Paul Verhoeven/Arnold Schwarzenegger action blockbuster TOTAL RECALL, and Richard Linklater's one-of-a-kind 2006 animated exercise in paranoid sci-fi A SCANNER DARKLY. Plus: our quick takes on JURASSIC WORLD, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, SENSE8, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, FRANK SINATRA: ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL, and ORSON WELLES' LAST MOVIE.

Direct download: TAATM_147__Total_Recall_vs._A_Scanner_Darkly.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:27am EDT

TAATM #146: Maggie vs. True Lies

Paul and Erin discuss two films showcasing the full range of Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting talents: the downbeat 2015 zombie drama MAGGIE, and James Cameron's 1994 action/comedy blockbuster TRUE LIES. Jamie Lee Curtis taking off her clothes or Abigail Breslin cutting off her finger: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on LOVE & MERCY, SPY, and ENTOURAGE.

Direct download: TAATM_146__Maggie_vs._True_Lies.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 11:43pm EDT

TAATM #145: Walk The Line vs. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Erin and Paul review two films about iconic American recording artists: James Mangold's 2005 biopic WALK THE LINE, starring Joaquin Phoenix as country-music legend Johnny Cash; and WALK HARD, Jake Kasdan's 2007 spoof starring John C. Reilly as smell-blind singer/songwriter Dewey Cox. Plus: our quick takes on SAN ANDREAS, IRIS, SLOW WEST, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, and ALOHA.

Direct download: TAATM_145__Walk_The_Line_vs._Walk_Hard__The_Dewey_Cox_Story.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:40am EDT

TAATM #144: Zero Motivation vs. Private Benjamin

Erin and Paul review two films about women in the military: Tanya Lavie's Israeli comedy ZERO MOTIVATION, and the 1980 Goldie Hawn vehicle PRIVATE BENJAMIN. Plus: Erin reports on the cinematic highlights of her trip to Chicago, Paul gives his quick takes on WELCOME TO ME and GUNDAY, and Erin gives her lightning-round *super*-quick takes on TOMORROWLAND, SALT OF THE EARTH, PITCH PERFECT 2, GOOD KILL, FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, PHOENIX, and POLTERGEIST.

Direct download: TAATM_144__Zero_Motivation_vs._Private_Benjamin.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:40am EDT

TAATM #143: Ex Machina vs. The Beach

Erin and Paul review two films from the mind of novelist and screenwriter Alex Garland: Garland's seductive new science fiction film EX MACHINA, and Danny Boyle's 2000 adaptation of Garland's cult novel THE BEACH. Turing tests or tourist traps: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on Steven Soderbergh's SOLARIS, Kirby Dick's campus-rape documentary THE HUNTING GROUND, Matthew Vaughn's surprise-hit action film KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, and J.C. Chandor's A MOST VIOLENT YEAR.

Direct download: TAATM_143__Ex_Machina_vs._The_Beach.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:05am EDT

TAATM #142: The Right Stuff vs. The Bonfire Of The Vanities

Paul and Erin review two film adaptations of books by white-suited journalist-turned-novelist Tom Wolfe: Philip Kaufman's semi-satirical 1983 epic THE RIGHT STUFF, and Brian De Palma's overbudget 1990 flop THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES. The demon in the sky, or a Master of the Universe: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA, and SPRING.

Direct download: TAATM_142__The_Right_Stuff_vs._The_Bonfire_Of_The_Vanities.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:37am EDT

TAATM #141: Lancelot Du Lac vs. Monty Python And The Holy Grail

Paul and Erin review two very different takes on the legend of King Arthur: Robert Bresson's austere 1974 drama LANCELOT DU LAC, and the gloriously silly 1975 comedy classic MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. Knights constantly filmed from the waist down, or a knight who gets his arms and legs chopped off: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD, UNFRIENDED, WHILE WE'RE YOUNG, and THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

Direct download: TAATM_141__Lancelot_Du_Lac_vs._Monty_Python_And_The_Holy_Grail.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:06am EDT

TAATM #140: Valley Of The Dolls vs. Requiem For A Dream

Erin and Paul review two films about large groups of characters lapsing into drug addiction: the 1967 film version of Jacqueline Susann's juicy bestseller VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, and Darren Aronofsky's spectacularly depressing 2000 melodrama REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. Plus: our quick takes on the final season of MAD MEN, REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, LOST RIVER, and TRUE STORY.

Direct download: TAATM_140__Valley_Of_The_Dolls_vs._Requiem_For_A_Dream.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:06am EDT

TAATM #139: Boudu Saved From Drowning vs. Down And Out In Beverly Hills

Paul and Erin review two film versions of René Fauchois' 1919 comedy of manners about a wealthy man whose life is turned upside-down when he invites a homeless man into his household after rescuing him from a suicide attempt: Jean Renoir's 1932 classic BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING, starring Michel Simon; and Paul Mazursky's 1986 Hollywood remake, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Nick Nolte, and Bette Midler. Spitting into a first edition of Balzac or pissing into your host's azalea garden: which will prevail? Plus: our quick takes on BROKEN HORSES, NATIONAL GALLERY, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER, FAULTS, BACK ISSUES: THE HUSTLER MAGAZINE STORY, and BLACKHAT.


TAATM #138: Manhunter vs. Red Dragon

Erin and Paul gobble up two film versions of the Thomas Harris novel that introduced the world to the character of Hannibal Lector: Michael Mann's superstylish 1986 serial-killer thriller MANHUNTER, and Brett Ratner's 2002 all-star remake RED DRAGON. Tom Noonan blasting "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" on the stereo, or Ralph Fiennes eating a William Blake painting: which will prevail? Plus: our quick takes on MISS JULIE, GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF, FURIOUS 7, and OLIVE KITTERIDGE.

Direct download: TAATM_138__Manhunter_vs._Red_Dragon.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:39am EDT

TAATM #137: Solaris vs. Event Horizon

Paul and Erin review two films about supernatural goings-on aboard understaffed space stations. First: SOLARIS, Andrei Tarkovsky's cerebral 1972 sci-fi classic about a cosmonaut scientist who encounters a simulacrum of his dead wife while in orbit around a sentient planet; then, EVENT HORIZON, Paul W.S. Anderson's 1997 sci-fi/horror film about a team of astronauts who answer a distress call from a remote starship, only to discover that the ship is empty and possibly possessed by a malevolent force from Hell itself. Drinking liquid oxygen or gouging your eyes out with your bare hands: which will prevail?

Plus our quick takes on CINDERELLA, TV's HANNIBAL, THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, IT FOLLOWS, and ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WIND, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS.

Direct download: TAATM_137__Solaris_vs._Event_Horizon.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 2:20am EDT

TAATM #136: Beyond The Lights vs. The Bodyguard

Erin and Paul review two films about female pop divas, and the men who try to protect them. First: BEYOND THE LIGHTS, Gina Prince-Bythewood's 2014 romantic drama starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a troubled R&B singer and Nate Parker as the handsome cop she falls in love with after he rescues her from a suicide attempt; then, THE BODYGUARD, the 1992 melodrama starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, about a stoic security expert who finds himself falling in love with the Academy Award-nominated singer/actress he is hired to protect from a murderous stalker. A fight at the BET Awards, or an assassination attempt at the Oscars: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on SONG OF THE SEA, THE VOICES, LOVE IS STRANGE, and THE OVERNIGHTERS.

Direct download: TAATM_136__Beyond_The_Lights_vs._The_Bodyguard.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:47am EDT

TAATM #135: Quiz Show vs. The Running Man

Erin and Paul review two films about game shows—one cerebral, one physical, both of them rigged. First: QUIZ SHOW, Robert Redford's 1994 film about the quiz-show scandal of the 1950s, starring Ralph Fiennes as Charles Van Doren, whose string of victories on the program TWENTY-ONE turned out to have been engineered by the show's producers feeding him the answers; then, THE RUNNING MAN, the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, set in a totalitarian future where the most popular show on television is a ruthless AMERICAN GLADIATORS-style competition in which convicted criminals must fight for their lives against outlandishly costumed trained killers. Soundproof isolation booths, or frictionless underground transport tubes: which will prevail?

Plus our quick takes on CHAPPIE, THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, and WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS.

Direct download: TAATM_135__Quiz_Show_vs._The_Running_Man.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 3:24am EDT

TAATM #134: The Defiant Ones vs. Black Mama White Mama

Paul and Erin review two films about prison escapes, racism, and unbreakable chains. First: THE DEFIANT ONES, Stanley Kramer's 1958 classic starring Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier as two escaped convicts—one an angry black man, the other a white racist—attempting to evade the authorities while shackled together at the wrist; then, BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA, Eddie Romero's 1972 sleazefest, set on a corrupt tropical island, starring Pam Grier and Margaret Markov as two shackled-together female convicts who must put aside their mutual hatred of each other when they escape from a women's penitentiary. A special appearance by SPIDER BABY star Lon Chaney Jr., or a special appearance by SPIDER BABY star Sid Haig: which will prevail?

Plus our quick takes on STILL ALICE, FOCUS, WATERLAND, and WILD TALES.

Direct download: TAATM_134__The_Defiant_Ones_vs._Black_Mama_White_Mama.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:33am EDT

TAATM #133: Fifty Shades Of Grey vs. Venus In Fur

Paul and Erin get tied up in an epic discussion of two films about bondage and submission: the new film version of E.L. James' bestselling erotic novel FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, and Roman Polanski's film version of David Ives' play VENUS IN FUR. Plus: our quick takes on THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE DUFF, DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, and DECEPTIVE PRACTICE: THE MYSTERIES AND MENTORS OF RICKY JAY.

Direct download: TAATM_133__Fifty_Shades_Of_Grey_vs._Venus_In_Fur.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 12:37am EDT

TAATM #132: Mr. Turner vs. Big Eyes

Paul and Erin brush up against two recent films about great (and not-so-great) real-life artists. First: MR. TURNER, Mike Leigh's biopic starring Timothy Spall as the 19th-century British landscape artist J.M.W. Turner; then, BIG EYES, Tim Burton's offbeat account of Walter Keane, who rose to fame in the 1960s thanks to his kitschy paintings of mournful children, only to have his creations unmasked as the work of his wife Margaret. A man who refused to acknowledge his own children, or a man who became famous for painting orphans: which will prevail?

Plus: listeners pick the most anomalous auteur films of all time, and our quick takes on KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, IT FOLLOWS, WETLANDS, MOEBIUS, and R100.

Direct download: TAATM_132__Mr._Turner_vs._Big_Eyes.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 1:00am EDT

TAATM #131: Bugsy vs. Bugsy Malone

Paul and Erin review two films about immature gangsters with wacky nicknames. First: BUGSY, Barry Levinson's 1991 biopic starring Warren Beatty as gangster-slash-cockeyed visionary Bugsy Siegel, and Annette Bening as his mistress and eventual business manager; then, BUGSY MALONE, Alan Parker's offbeat 1976 musical gangster spoof, in which Scott Baio and Jodie Foster head up an all-child cast to tell the story of a boxing promoter who winds up in the middle of a turf war between two rival gangs. The Flamingo Hotel or Fat Sam's Grand Slam: which will prevail?

Plus: our quick takes on INHERENT VICE, SEVENTH SON, JUPITER ASCENDING, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, MILIUS, PADDINGTON, and IN HER PLACE.

Direct download: TAATM_131__Bugsy_vs._Bugsy_Malone.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 7:01pm EDT

TAATM #130: Year-End MEGASODE: Top Ten Films Of 2014

Paul and Erin reveal their picks for the year's ten best films, as well as their choices for 2014's best performances, most overrated and underrated movies, and much, much more. BOYHOOD? Bollywood? Which will prevail?

Direct download: TAATM_130__Year-End_MEGASODE__Top_Ten_Films_Of_2014.mp3
Category:TV and Film -- posted at: 11:55pm EDT