We offer our bonus content for free, but we do encourage and appreciate a small donation of $0.99 as a way to help support the show. Click on the PayPal button below to donate and thanks so much for your support. You can also hear all of our Bonus Content via our mobile apps. See the information at the bottom of the post for more details.
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This week for our Episode 200 InSession Film Podcast: Bonus Content, Matt Neglia from Next Best Picture joins us for another edition of And the Winner Is… where we break down the latest from the Critic’s Choice Awards, the Golden Globes and the SAG nominations. Check it out!
Listen to all of our bonus content on our apps for just a one-time fee! Whether you have an iPhone, Android or Windows phone, our apps are available in many different ways that is convenient for you. With our mobile app, not only can you listen to all of our bonus content, but our main shows and our Extra Film podcasts as well. Click here for more info!
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This weekend on Episode 201, we’ll finally be getting a chance to celebrate the fact that crossed 200 episodes on the show. We have some great guests joining us and it’s going to be a lot of fun as we reflect back on the InSession Film era so far. As part of that celebration, we’ll be talking about the best films we’ve seen since 2013, the year we started this experiment. For our poll this week, it just made sense that we would ask you all the same question.
Now, we understand there are 50-100 options that we could have been included on this list. However, we wanted to focus on the films that we considered to be the best films of that year and also the films that help define that year. For better or worse, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman and The Revenant had a hand in that. So, we get that a lot of you hate those films and would laugh at their inclusion here, but it’s hard to ignore how important they were to their respective years.
With that in mind, what is the best film since 2013 in your mind? Also, there is a write in option if you have something different than what is listed here.
If you’ve ever listened to the InSession Film Podcast, you’ll know we are *huge* fans of director Denis Villeneuve. From Incendies to Sicario to Arrival this year, he’s a director easily batting 1.000 for us. Not only is he perfect at the plate, but he’s knocking out home-runs left and right. So, to hear that he is taking on the Blade Runner sequel is pretty exciting. If you ask us, he’s a director that understands character and how to build understated approach. Simply, he will fit in perfectly in the Blade Runner world.
That said, this post isn’t to rave more about Villeneuve, even though I’m already guilty of that. I want to talk about the cinematographer Roger Deakins, who has worked with Villeneuve before on Sicario and Prisoners. He has created some of the beautiful and riveting cinematography in his career and will no doubt go down as one of the best. The man has been nominated for 13 Oscars with ZERO wins. How in the world is that possible!? Sure, one could argue that maybe in all those losses there was a “more” deserving winner. But one could argue that he did deserve to win on a few of those occasions. Either way, the man has been nominated countless times and needs that gold on his mantle.
After watching the trailer below, how in the world can he be beaten for this work? Surely, there isn’t anything that could possibly beat this correct? Regardless of how the film turns out, the imagery in STUNNING. So, together, join me as we all sing; GIVE ROGER DEAKINS AN OSCAR!
This podcast is brought to you by our awesome listener’s like you! Thank you to all who listen to our Bonus Content and help support the show!
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Jason from the AtlanticSC Podcast joins us to talk Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first anthology film to come from Disney/Lucasfilm which expands the canon of Star Wars outside the saga films. We feature both a non-spoiler review of the movie and a spoiler-filled discussion to help break down what it all means. We were also surprised by the guys at First Time Watchers with a great gift that we unwrap on this week’s show too.
Huge thanks to Jason for joining us this week, who was absolutely perfect for this week’s show. He’s a huge Star Wars fan and one of our biggest supporters, so it was a pleasure to have him featured on this particular episode. As expected, we go a little long again this week, but we are confident you will love the conversation and the depth we go to on Rogue One. Also, the FTW tribute is amazing.
On that note, check out the show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
– Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Movie Review (4:34) Grades
JD: B-
Brendan: C+
Jason: A
– Tribute from First Time Watchers (1:02:35)
If you listen to our show, you know that we are great friends with the First Time Watchers Podcast. Well, they have certainly outdone themselves. As a tribute to our milestone of reaching 200 episodes, they put together a fun montage of our last 100 episodes and it’s the best gift anyone could have given us. It’s really great and we couldn’t thank them enough for doing this. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
– Rogue One SPOILERS (1:38:46)
To round out the show this week, we discussed Rogue One further in fun, spoiler-filled territory to help break down what it all means.
If you want to help support us, there are several ways you can help us and we’d absolutely appreciate it. Every penny goes directly back into supporting the show and we are truly honored and grateful. Thanks for your support and for listening to the InSession Film Podcast!
This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss Christine starring Rebecca Hall and Miss Sloane starring the great Jessica Chastain.
This year has featured some stellar leading female performances, making it one of the richest and deepest category’s this awards season. Chastain and Hall, respectively, make big statements as they add their name into the ring as well. They may get left behind when it’s all said and done, but no doubt that both of them are riveting and deserving of recognition.
On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!
– Christine Movie Review (8:44) Grades
JD: A-
Vince: A
– Miss Sloane Movie Review (46:36) Grades
JD: B
Vince: C
Brendan: B
We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.
To hear this Extra Film episode and everything else we do, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. The mobile app covers all of our main shows, bonus podcast’s and everything else relating to the InSession Film Podcast. Thanks for your wonderful support and listening to our show. It means the world to us!
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Director: Pablo Larraín Writers: Noah Oppenheim Stars: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt
Synopsis: Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband’s historic legacy.
Jackie is a speculative historical drama that seeks to give us a peek into the hypothetical goings on of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the week following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963. The First Lady has taken up temporary residence at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port, MA, where she is visited and interviewed by a journalist working for Life Magazine for an exclusive exposé. Keenly aware of how perception dictates reality, Jackie consents for the interview on the hope that her words will assist the nation in the healing process, but still talks only on condition that she has final say on what gets published and what he must leave out of the article.
Directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín, working in the English language for the first time from an original screenplay by Noah Oppenheim, the events that transpire are delivered in nonlinear fashion, separating from the grief-ridden feelings for occasional flashbacks, offering us occasional glimpses into the past for such memorable public appearances from Mrs. Kennedy, such as the highly viewed CBS television special in 1962, in which she hosts a tour of the White House after making some significant, highly publicized renovations to the interior decor.
A significant portion of the narrative involves Jackie’s exploration in trying to bolster the historical and cultural legacy of her husband’s presidency. After realizing that other presidents that were assassinated while in office, James Garfield and William McKinley, are scarcely remembered by many Americans, she looks toward the one that is most famous, enough to land his visage on two major forms of American currency and more than one national monument, Abraham Lincoln. Using the revered former president as the template, Jackie decides to draw upon the funeral procession for Abraham Lincoln through the capital as the template for what she wants done for Jack. If the American people are touched by what they see, perhaps he will be remembered warmly and fondly by those moved by the fairy tale story that has become their narrative: ‘Camelot’ — a term for JFK’s presidency first used by Jackie after in her post-assassination interview with Life Magazine’s Theodore H. White, inspired from a 1960 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical borne from Arthurian legend.
Not everyone sees it this way, including John’s brother, then Attorney General, Robert Kennedy, who thinks that the country couldn’t endure another tragedy befalling them, and thinks Jackie should shield herself and the kids as much as possible from wide open public spaces. Heedless, she thinks it is important to preserve the dream for the country that her husband had been trying to achieve; Bobby thinks Jack had been killed too soon in his presidency for anyone to remember his accomplishments, especially since many of them (the space program and civil rights progression) will be credited to someone else, now that he’s no longer there. Even such things as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs may be seen as mishandled endeavors if Kennedy’s public image is less than positively idealized in the eyes of American people.
Many of the themes within Jackie deal with such things as the need for having a public persona, even managing and maintaining the illusion for how she deals with her public appearances during her time of grief. For years, she has been groomed for the public spotlight, fully understanding that all of her life, outside of any room she would be in with her family or closest of advisers, would be a veritable theatre stage, where she would be required to give the demure but dedicated performance as the First Lady of the United States. But that role had been, from inception, meant to be a satellite to the main star of the show, President John F. Kennedy, and when that star is no longer available to finish out his role, Jackie decides to do the best she can in giving the production a grand finale worthy of her husband’s memory, and one that will please the audience looking for some shred of a happy ending on which to cling.
A seemingly dauntless Natalie Portman is fantastic in the lead role, offering a breathy voice akin to Marilyn Monroe when speaking for cameras (one may muse about the irony of that), and more assured, less affectatious in her private moments. It does take a scene or two to get used to Portman’s portrayal and accent, which some viewers could initially confuse for a hammy, at least until they go back to watch clips of the real-life Jackie Kennedy, where one can see that Portman has done a remarkable job capturing her speech patterns and demeanor. If it still comes across as artificial, that’s because it’s meant to be — a woman, untrained in dramatic performance, thrust into the public spotlight, having to play a role for a ravenous public that follows her every utterance. Another Oscar nomination for the actress seems a given, raising the level of the performance from one that could have been more of a caricature in lesser hands to one that is ultimately richly presented and emotionally resonant. The multifaceted but enigmatic Jacqueline Kennedy is indeed a challenging role, and Portman rises to the occasion and then some.
Nearly as influential in the overall effect of the piece is the eerie but gripping score from Mica Levi, who came to prominence for her mesmerizing debut score to Under the Skin, striking somber and displaced chords to capture the sad and off-putting mood of the period within the mindset of a grieving widow who sees the need to soldier on in public for the sake of the country. The film is at its best in its off-center presentation of the enigmatic figure as presented by Larraín, only descending back to Earth when narrative devices are used to draw out Jackie’s story, such as the Life Magazine interview, or a visit with a priest in which a good deal of her inner thoughts on the state of her marriage to Jack, are drawn out to piece it all together.
Also striking is the look of the film, featuring a grainy, intimate veneer from Stephane Fontaine, favoring hand-held camerawork and close-ups, with an aspect ratio and soft-edged film stock appropriate for its era. A particular highlight is the recreation of events that utilize the real-life Jackie, such as the tour and the funeral, where we see the authentic Mrs. Kennedy in the long-shots, while replacement recreations are woven seamlessly in featuring Portman for the closer shots. The unnatural effect of the score and photography may prove distancing for some viewers, mainly those unaccustomed to indie film production pedigree, that they might find the presentation disengaging, but for those open to it, they do provide a hypnotic element that can’t be denied, capturing the disorienting effect of Jackie’s internalized, unresolved psychological trauma.
Jackie was also known for her elegant, fashionable look, and that’s certainly a key consideration here, as we see Jackie in her pillbox hat and (now) vintage Chanel. This is important in terms of addressing the public on television, as well as during the aftermath, and is capped off with a symbolic scene in which Jackie’s fashions are in storefront windows everywhere, with the public not only embracing Jackie as a public figure to admire, but also, in its own way, wishing to be more like her.
With more emphasis on impressionism than in faithful recreation, letting the mood and psyche of the Mrs. Kennedy spill out into the mood and psyche of the narrative film itself, Larraín employs a good deal of dramatic license in order to tell his story in order to paint one of the most unknown of widely known figures of the 20th Century in a complex and fascinating light. While the presidency of her husband is seen as a fairy tale come to life, albeit with a very unhappy ending, it is in good part because Jacqueline Kennedy dutifully and faithfully provided one more loving act for her husband, and bestowed upon a shocked and grieving country a potent bit of mythmaking to get them through the darkest of hours.
Overall Grade: A-
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Hear our podcast review on a previous Episode 198:
Happy Rogue One week everyone! This week is very exciting as we’ll be getting the first official Star Wars movie outside the main saga. Rogue One, not only expands the canon of this Universe, but it tells a story that most Star Wars fans have been speculating on for a very long time. Since 1977 to be exact. We’ve all wondered what it took for the Rebels to steal the Death Star plans, an action that clearly infuriated the most powerful Force user in the galaxy, and we’re finally going to get to see that in this film. As far as spin-off’s go, this is one of the better ideas for Disney / Lucasfilm to explore. Additionally to that, Gareth Edwards (the director of Rogue One) has said many times that this film is first and foremost a “war film.” Meaning, we are going to get war action from the ground but within the lore of Star Wars. Are you freaking kidding me? Maybe that doesn’t appeal to you, but I find that endlessly fascinating.
On top of the war aesthetics, we are also going to meet some familiar faces while being introduced to new ones. I don’t expect him to have a big role, but holy crap, Darth Vader is going to be in this movie. Let’s just stop to reflect on that for a second. One of the most iconic characters of all-time, a character we haven’t seen since 1983, is coming back onto the big screen in 2016. Even in a limited role, that gives me chills just thinking about it. However, I like that his role will be limited and that this particular narrative will feature new characters. Jyn Erso looks to be a strong female presence (doesn’t hurt that you cast Felicity Jones either), and if you read Catalyst, you’ll know that her interactions with Orson Krennic will surly be motivated. Both of those characters look great in the trailers and should lend themselves to great drama. One character that is also worth noting here is Saw Gerrera. The thing that’s interesting about Saw, is that he’s the first character to appear in a live-action movie even though he originated from the expanded Star Wars Universe. Saw originally appeared in the Star Wars: Clone Wars TV show, where Obi-Wan and Anakin helped him gain control over his home world during the Clone Wars. So, to see him in this movie is both exciting and hopeful that we’ll see more of that. (Hint: I want an Ahsoka Tano movie!!!)
Let’s talk about this cast. I briefly mentioned Felicity Jones above and while we don’t know much about Jyn herself, Jones is a great actress and will surly bring conviction to this character. Jyn isn’t just handed this significant of a role by accident, there is a reason she is tasked with stealing these plans and I’m curious to see what Jones brings to that. Diego Luna isn’t a name that a ton of people will know, but they will after this weekend. And it’s not just because he’s in this movie, but because his passion for being in this film is palpable. If you’ve paid attention to the marketing campaign for Rogue One, his and Riz Ahmed’s excitement to be a part of this project has been fun to watch. On top of those two, Rogue One features Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker and JAMES EARL JONES (::loses breath::). For all the problems, this film may have, acting will surly not be one of them. And again, let’s not lose sight of that. This franchise, for as much love as we all have for it, has been known to have average to less than average acting at times. So, getting talent of this caliber is refreshing.
If you’re familiar with Rogue One at all, the reasons I mentioned above are probably nothing new to you. So, the last thing I’ll just note here real fast is that this is the first Star Wars film to feature a score from someone other than the great John Williams. However, if you’re going to replace him, you don’t get better than Michael Giacchino, who is arguably the best composer working today in Hollywood. I’m very amped to hear what Giachhino brings to this world. I have no doubt that he will be one of the highlights here.
All of that said, how excited are you for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?
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Here are other films coming out this weekend:
Collateral Beauty
La La Land (expanding)
A Kind of Murder (limited)
Solace (limited)
Neruda (limited)
We offer our bonus content for free, but we do encourage and appreciate a small donation of $0.99 as a way to help support the show. Click on the PayPal button below to donate and thanks so much for your support. You can also hear all of our Bonus Content via our mobile apps. See the information at the bottom of the post for more details.
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This week for our Episode 199 InSession Film Podcast: Bonus Content, Mickey Mouse drops by to brag about his 2016 and DJ Valentine joins us to discuss the new trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and War of the Planet of the Apes. Check it out!
Listen to all of our bonus content on our apps for just a one-time fee! Whether you have an iPhone, Android or Windows phone, our apps are available in many different ways that is convenient for you. With our mobile app, not only can you listen to all of our bonus content, but our main shows and our Extra Film podcasts as well. Click here for more info!
If you don’t want to purchase our bonus content, but still want to support us, there are other you can help us out. Click here for more info.
Happy Rogue One week everyone! If you’re a fan of Star Wars (and who isn’t by now?), this is a fun week for all of us. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is, of course, the first official spin-off movie to expand the canon of the Universe, and if you ask me, that’s really exciting. Using that as inspiration for our poll this week, what Star Wars spinoff movie do you want to see the most?
Some of these options have been confirmed by Disney and others are just theoretical. Either way, we just want to get a feel for what story or character you all want to see more of as it relates to the lore of Star Wars.
ICYMI, on Episode 199, we featured edition of Trailer Talk where we discuss some of the latest movie trailers to hit the web. Specifically, we talked about the new trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and War of the Planet of the Apes. As you can hear in the audio above, we were pretty high on all three of these trailers to various degrees. If these trailers are indicitive of the quality of these movies, next year could be promising. That said, we all loved the trailers for Suicide Squad and look how that turned out. Vice versa, the marketing for Star Trek Beyond was awful and while I personally didn’t care for the movie, most did. So you can never fully tell based off of the marking for these movies. Still, it’s exciting knowing that there is big potential for all three of these movies.
For Spider-Man: Homecoming, it’s particularly interesting because it’s the first big budget movie that is going to be created and distributed by two huge competitors, in Disney/Marvel and Sony. If Spidey hits big, it could set a precedent going forward that could be great for the fans. Maybe this is a one-hit wonder, but maybe the studios will be open to sharing their properties if it makes sense for their characters and stories. There are rumors that Fox wants to reboot the X-Men franchise, so you never know what could happen if Spider-Man kills the box office next summer. I don’t know if I would count on it, but it’s fun to dream.
Speaking of dreaming, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would say that this new iteration of Planet of the Apes would be as great as it when Rise came out a few years ago. However, War is as good as we hope based off of this trailer, this new trilogy of Apes would go down as one of the best trilogies we’ve seen in the last 20-30 years. Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight, Captain America and Jason Bourne have all featured wonderful trilogies in the action and blockbuster world. I would never have guessed after Tim Burton ruined this franchise that we would be saying that Planet of the Apes belongs in that conversation. And honestly, outside Lord of the Rings, this Apes trilogy probably has moved me the most of all those properties. It’s crazy how human and emotional these films are and the great irony is, it’s not the humans I’m connecting with when I watch them.
There were a few other trailer we wanted to talk about but didn’t get to, such as Transformers: The Last Night. By now, we all know what we’re getting with that franchise. If you’re going to go all out though, just embrace the absurdity and run with it. Why not feature Nazi’s and medieval knights in a Transformers movie? Just go for it! Additionally, we wanted to talk about The Mummy, The Circle and Baywatch but ran out of time. Perhaps we’ll get to those in the future.
At any rate, we saw a lot of trailers last week. What did you think of any of them?
Hello again, and welcome to a very special article for me. In my previous review, I covered a part of my childhood (Jumanji) that held a very special place in my heart. This time around, I’ve chosen to do something that I’ve been planning on doing for quite some time and now I’ve actually acted on it. I’m taking it on myself to catch up with those films that EVERYONE has seen. Those films that you hear people talking about and all you can do is smile, nod and throw out the occasional “Oh yeah.” And I’ve started with a Xmas classic (by which I mean it’s on every bloody Xmas and has no real connection to it other than being set around that time, I’m looking at you It’s A Wonderful Life!) that spawned a franchise, Die Hard.
So, my first ever watch of Die Hard comes when I’m 29 years old with a 2.5 month old daughter. I’ve seen The Simpsons, I’ve read articles that talk about the ending of the film, I’ve had many people start talking about it as if I’ve already seen it. However, and this is what really surprised me, I came to realize as I watched the film that I knew maybe 1% of the film. I knew the ending (which I will not spoil in case you also have not seen it yet) and I knew the catchphrase. That’s it. And when I realized that, I tried to think more about why that was the case. There’s a considerable amount of things that happen in this film. People get shot, things blow up, there’s a fast-talking sassy limo driver. And yet, despite all this, nobody seems to talk about that when starting to discuss the film. It’s always Alan Rickman. He’s the guy people like to talk about. Hans Gruber himself. I want to break this tradition. He’s going second. So, here’s my thoughts on Die Hard first. THEN Hans gets his turn.
This film was good. Wait, scratch that. This film was really good. I am not an action film fan overall. The inclusion of the genre “Action” in the description of a film does not make me jump up and down, raring to see it. However, and I think I may not be alone here, I do have a bit of a soft-spot for over-the-top action. The film that just has fun with its premise is the film I tend to enjoy the most (with a few exceptions naturally, I am a hypocrite after all). There is a moment where someone, and I honestly think they didn’t bother to give half the henchmen a name so I can’t tell you his name here, gets his kneecaps exploded. By several bullets. And then, for good measure, he gets his head put through some glass. At that point, I was invested. True, Bruce Willis is great fun to watch (having been a fan of The Fifth Element, I think I now know why he was chosen for that role), it’s fun to hear the amazing technology of the limo now “A VCR!” and the plot is surprisingly strong. But it was the kneecaps that made me really get settled in for the fun. And, unlike a lot of modern action films, it keeps up the pacing wonderfully for the rest of the film.
Ok, I did promise. Now we get to talk about the same thing everyone talks about when discussing this film. Hans Gruber. Or, as I liked to look at him, German Alan Rickman Who Finally Isn’t Drunk Throughout The Film. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Rickman. But even the biggest fan has to admit that he always seems to sound like he’s had a few ales before they call “Action.” This role must have been a LOT of fun to play and I think that lead to one great performance. And I’m not even going to go into it much, because I’m sure you’ve heard it all before. But let’s just say that if I ever were planning a heist of any kind, I’d want at least 2 Grubers on my team. Though just in the planning stage. His kind does seem to attract arch-nemesis’ like nothing else. Suffice to say, Gruber is the second reason you want to watch this film. Kneecaps first, then good ol’ Rickman.
So there we go. My first You Haven’t Seen…?!? I hope you guys enjoyed it. And if you did, I would like to ask a favor; I am in need of another film to follow this one. I have a few in mind, but I want to involve you guys in the decision making process. So, for each one of these I do, I will ask you to suggest “classic” films that EVERYONE has seen. The first person to suggest one I haven’t seen will be the winner. The prize? Why, you’ll have picked the next Y.H.S. article AND get a shout-out. I think you’ll admit it’s a wonderful trophy to be had!
Thank you once more. and here’s to the next one……..
This week on Episode 199 of the InSession Film Podcast, we discussed our favorite movie discoveries of 2016. As we mentioned last week with overlooked movies, each year there are new actors, directors, composers and others in the industry that was a new discovery for us. This category is one of our favorites, as it’s exciting to see how these new game changers alter the course of our movie going experience over the next few years. As for 2016, it was a rich year for new discoveries.
On that note, which movie discoveries would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:
*Keep in mind we have different criteria for our lists as well*
JD
1) Robert Eggers – Director, The Witch
2) Lily Gladstone – Actress, Certain Women
3) Kelly Fremon Craig – Director, The Edge of Seventeen
Brendan
1) Robert Eggers – Director, The Witch
2) Trey Edwards Shultz – Director, Krisha
3) Lily Gladstone – Actress, Certain Women
Phil
1) Robert Eggers – Director, The Witch
2) Chadwich Boseman – Actor, Captain America: Civil War
3) Laika Studios – Kubo and the Two Strings
Honorable Mentions (Combined)
Markees Christmas – Morris From America
Julian Dennison – Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Oakes Fegley – Pete’s Dragon
Daniels – Swiss Army Man
Alden Ehrenreich – Hail, Caesar
Anya Taylor-Joy – The Witch
Anna Rose Holmer – The Fits
Royalty Hightower – The Fits
Agyness Deyn – Sunset Song
Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Trevante Rhodes – Moonlight
Nicolas Pesce – The Eye of My Mother
Grimur Hakonarson – Rams
Tobias Lindholm – A War
Auli’i Rovalho – Moana
Robert Budreau – Born to Be Blue
Johnny Simmons – The Phenom
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo – Sing Street
Ruth Negga – Loving
Andy Hull & Robert McDowell – Swiss Army Man
Leslie Barber – Manchester By the Sea
Alex Somers – Captain Fantastic
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. There are a other great candidates as well, depending on your own criteria and how you define this specific category. That being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Phil Wilson (formally of the Filmbeef Podcast) joins us to review Manchester By the Sea and discuss our favorite discoveries of 2016. We also feature another segment of Trailer Talk, where we dive fully into the new trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming and War of the Planet of the Apes.
Big thanks to Phil for joining us this week! He was a great guest who we thoroughly enjoyed having on the show. On a side note, be sure to stay tuned for Bonus Content later this week, where DJ Valentine will joins us for more MCU discussion in another segment of Nerdin’ Out.
On that note, check out the show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
– Manchester By the Sea Movie Review (5:44) Grades
JD: A
Brendan: A-
– Top 3 Discoveries of 2016 (39:03) As we discussed last week with overlooked movies, each year there are new actors, directors, composers and others in the industry that was a new discovery for us. This category is one of our favorites, as it’s exciting to see how these new game changers alter the course of our movie going experience over the next few years. As for 2016, it was a rich year for new discoveries. On that note, what would be your top 3?
– Trailer Talk (1:22:30)
As mentioned above, we discuss the new trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming and War of the Planet of the Apes.
Main Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story / La La Land
Top 3: N/A
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If you want to help support us, there are several ways you can help us and we’d absolutely appreciate it. Every penny goes directly back into supporting the show and we are truly honored and grateful. Thanks for your support and for listening to the InSession Film Podcast!
This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we review two French films in Dheepan from director Jacques Audiard as well as Things to Come starring Isabelle Huppert.
If you’re not familiar with either of these films, just note that they are films you will want to put on your radar. Dheepan won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, over films such as Carol, The Assassin, Sicario and Youth, all films that we really liked quite a bit. Things to Come is also noteworthy, as it is currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It would also be an Oscar contender, however, France picked a different Huppert film in Elle (that we reviewed on Extra Film here) to represent them next spring.
On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!
– Dheepan Movie Review (5:38) Grades
JD: A
Vince: A-
Brendan: A-
– Things to Come Movie Review (45:15) Grades
JD: A-
Vince: B+
We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.
To hear this Extra Film episode and everything else we do, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. The mobile app covers all of our main shows, bonus podcast’s and everything else relating to the InSession Film Podcast. Thanks for your wonderful support and listening to our show. It means the world to us!
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Oscar season is underway, with plenty of films hoping to make it to Oscar night as nominees and eventual winners. However, there are a few things to remember. First of all, not all Oscar contenders are released at the end of the year. Secondly, films that seemed like surefire winners months ago can lose momentum in a flash (like The Birth of a Nation after controversy and underwhelming reviews sunk its box office), and smaller films can use critical acclaim and passionate campaigns to propel themselves to at least some unexpected nominations. Here are some supposed Oscar longshots that could see Oscar success.
The Lobster for Best Original Screenplay
The Best Original Screenplay category tends to where the more off-kilter critically acclaimed films find success. The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos’ film about a futuristic world in which people are required to find romantic partners or be turned into animals, is probably too strange to contend for Best Picture, but its ingenious concept might land it a spot in the Original Screenplay category. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association recently gave it a win for its screenplay.
Love & Friendship for Best Adapted Screenplay
An adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan”, Love & Friendship was a period comedy and critical success that became a mild sleep hit over the summer. It might not be the most flashy or cutting-edge film, but a well-constructed adaptation from a beloved author could definitely sway Oscar voters.
Jennifer Lawrence For Best Actress
Last year Matt Damon and The Martian received seven Oscar nominations but came home with no wins, including Best Picture and Best Leading Actor. The Martian was last year’s best Sci-Fi movie, and this year’s best Sci-Fi title may go to Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. The four-time Oscar nominee and one-time Best Actress winner will have her fair chance at another nomination, as she plays an astronaut sent into space but wakes up 90 years before she’s supposed to. The Oscars may not favor the Sci-Fi genre, but J-Law always kills it in her films and she’s always an Oscar darling. Don’t be surprised to her her on the red carpet trying to win her second Best Actress award.
Sausage Party for Best Animated Feature
While past Best Animated Feature winners such as Frozen and Shrek are family-friendly and generally wholesome, the raunchy Sausage Party is anything but. It’s a coarse, R-rated comedy which just so happens to be animated. It has also received very positive reviews and already has an Oscar campaign underway. If nominated, Sausage Party could start a new trend of studios releasing animated films designed specifically for adults.
Meryl Streep for Best Actress
You might be wondering: how could Meryl Streep possibly be a longshot? After all, doesn’t it just seem like she’s nominated every single year? While Streep has a record 19 nominations along with three wins, she isn’t a frontrunner for Best Actress for her starring role in Florence Foster Jenkins about a woefully bad opera singer. However, Paramount has a limited re-release of the film planned for December 2. If Florence Foster Jenkins re-enters the minds of voters, Streep might be looking at nomination #20.
Mel Gibson for Best Director
While Gibson’s film Hacksaw Ridge is considered a contender for Best Picture and his star, Andrew Garfield, is considered a contender for Best Actor, Gibson himself isn’t being discussed as a contender. This is likely due to his controversial status for his remarks and actions, but Gibson is a proven director who has won in the past (for Braveheart). If voters can look past Roman Polanski’s past misdeeds, they might do the same for Gibson.
Earlier this year on Extra Film, our good friend Matt Oakes joined us to talk about this year’s Sundance Film Festival. For those that listened to that episode, you’ll know that Manchester By the Sea was the film that Matt highlighted the most. Not only did Matt, once again, predict its Oscar chances, but he even said that Casey Affleck would have a shot at Best Actor. Well, if you’ve been paying attention to Next Best Picture, you’ll know that is certainly a high possibility. Matt’s words has stuck with me all year and I’ve been excited to see the film ever since. And finally, it’s here this weekend.
Manchester By the Sea is coming to us from director Kenneth Lonergan, who only has a few directing credits to his name. He did Margaret back in 2011 and You Can Count On Me way back in 2000, which garnered a few Oscar nominations. To this point, he’s mostly known for his writing. In fact, one of those nominations for You Can Count On Me was Lonergan’s screenplay in the Best Original Screenplay category. Additionally to that, he also wrote the screenplay for Gangs of New York, in which he was nominated at the Oscars for that as well. So, clearly the dude can write pretty well and that has me very excited for this film.
As mentioned above, Casey Affleck is getting a lot of buzz for his performance here. I’m a fan of Affleck and it’s only a matter of time before he gets an Oscar on his mantle. So, the hype surrounding his work in Manchester By the Sea is fun to hear and I believe that it will live up to the bill. Along those same lines, Michelle Williams stars in this film. I’ve been on record of being a *huge* Williams fan as well, especially her work with Kelly Reichardt. There is no doubt that she will have a significant presence in this film, one way or another, and I look forward to see her banter with Affleck.
The thing that rings the loudest is that emotional prowess this film supposedly has. I’m a sucker for emotional stories, especially when highlighted by great acting and focused craftsmanship, something that seems to be defining Manchester By the Sea. In essence, this film seems to be tailored made just for me. At least on paper. Either way, I can’t wait to see and discuss this on Episode 199 this weekend.
Are you excited for Manchester By the Sea?
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Here’s what else to expect this weekend at the box office:
Miss Sloane
Office Christmas Party
La La Land (limited)
The Salesman (limited)
Frank and Lola (limited)
2016 was many things when it came to film. It was a terrible year for summer mainstream movies. It was a fantastic year for indie film. There were surprises. There were big disappointments. But one thing you may not know of, is that it was a great year for first time directors. There were several films that we covered on the show this year by first time directors that no only were good, but also some of the best films we’ve seen this year.
Vote now and leave any additional comments in the comment section below!
This week on Episode 197 of the InSession Film Podcast, we discussed our favorite overlooked movies of 2016. Each year there are overlooked movies that both the general audience, as well as cinephiles, miss out on for one reason or another. For our lists this week, we try to highlight those movies and hopefully provoke people to go out and seek them. If you’re a fan of film, you gotta love this time of year.
On that note, which overlooked movies would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:
*Keep in mind we have different criteria for our lists as well*
JD
1) Gleason
2) Born to Be Blue
3) Morris From America
Brendan
1) Krisha
2) Certain Women
3) Rams
Honorable Mentions (Combined) The Fits, A War, Tower, Love & Friendship, Sunset Song, Our Little Sister, Cafe Society, The Little Prince, April and the Extraordinary World, Don’t Think Twice, Lamb, Miles Ahead, Cemetery of Splendor, The Handmaiden, The Edge of Seventeen, Eye in the Sky
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. There are a ton of other overloooked movies that could make your list, depending on your own criteria and how you define this specific category. That being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we discuss Jackie starring Natalie Portman, which is sure to garner her another Oscar nomination. We also talk about our Top 3 overlooked movies of 2016 and we finish out the show with a new segment we’re calling, Mini Sessions, where we each review a film that we previously missed out on earlier in the year.
No guest this week but we have a lot of fun as we start to ramp up for the end of 2016. Starting every December, we start to take a look at what the year has been like in cinema through various categories. On this week’s show, we discuss some overlooked movies that you’ll want to catch up with if you missed them. If you’re a fan of film, you gotta love this time of year.
On that note, check out the show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
– Jackie Movie Review (10:24) Grades
JD: A
Brendan: A
– Top 3 Overlooked Movies of 2016 (42:02)
Each year there are overlooked movies that both the general audience, as well as cinephiles, miss out on for one reason or another. For our lists this week, we try to highlight those movies and hopefully people will go out and seek them. We promise, you won’t regret it. On that note, what would be your top 3?
– Mini Sessions (1:28:54)
This week on the show, we introduced a new segment where, individually, we discuss movies that we missed out on earlier in the year. Specifically, JD discusses his thoughts on Moonlight after missing that Extra Film a few weeks back, and Brendan talks about Jeff Nichols’ Loving.
If you want to help support us, there are several ways you can help us and we’d absolutely appreciate it. Every penny goes directly back into supporting the show and we are truly honored and grateful. Thanks for your support and for listening to the InSession Film Podcast!
This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss Jeff Nichols 2nd film of 2016 in Loving, starring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton. We also dive into Tom Ford’s latest movie, Nocturnal Animals, starring Amy Adams. Finally, we finish out the show with a mini review of the great documentary, Gleason.
Well, it’s definitely that time of year. As we approach the final month of 2016, the best and brightest films are stepping forward and that is highlighted significantly on this week’s show. If you haven’t seen Loving or Nocturnal Animals, you’ll want to do yourself a favor and hit the theaters this weekend.
On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!
– Loving Movie Review (5:41) Grades
JD: A-
Vince: A
– Nocturnal Animals Movie Review (43:40) Grades
JD: A
Vince: A
We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.
To hear this Extra Film episode and everything else we do, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. The mobile app covers all of our main shows, bonus podcast’s and everything else relating to the InSession Film Podcast. Thanks for your wonderful support and listening to our show. It means the world to us!
[divider]
Help Support The InSession Film Podcast
If you want to help support us, we would greatly appreciate it! For more info, CLICK HERE.
