Grumpy Young Men

Today we’re talking about 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies, a film that has been on Samuel’s watchlist longer than any other. We discuss the incredibly depressing and sad nature of the film, ponder the choices of the main character and how it compares to the real-life story, and wonder why ice cream flavors sometimes have terrible names. Also, why we hate Apple’s filing system. (Recorded April 2nd, 2023.)

This week we’re back with Rant Day VII, our seventh podcast that is full of rants, tangents, and not much else! We cover everything from mp3 files, ethernet cables, plastic wrap, the lack of card tables, the over-hyping, hyper-editing, and much more.   (Recorded March 28th, 2023.)

Today we’re continuing off our discussion of Yojimbo last week with the follow-up film Sanjuro. Topics include Mifune’s continued excellence, the beautiful imagery of the camellia flowers, and the question of whether or not JJ Abrams pioneered 80s nostalgia. Also, why we hate Garageband’s MP3 restrictions. (Recorded March 19th, 2023.)

This week we’re talking about the Kurosawa film Yojimbo, a pivotal film for both the western and samurai genres. We discuss the commanding central performance from Toshiro Mifune, the elegant simplicity of the plot and the setting, and wonder exactly how many ten year olds we could beat up. Also, why we hate working when the time changes. (Recorded March 12, 2023.)

Today we’re talking about The Banshees of Inisherin and closing the book on the 2022 awards season films. We discuss the depressing and dark tone throughout the movie, ponder the visual effects of the severed stumps, and give out our award for Outstanding Performance by a Dog.   Also, why we hate living with cat (hairs). (Recorded March 5th, 2023.)

This week we’re talking about our top ten favorite movie endings. Topics covered include dream sequences, musical numbers, prison escape attempts, bowling pin bludgeoning, “loser dad” songs, and a brief aside about how silly the seven deadly sins are. Also, why we hate streaming PC games to the living room TV. (Recorded February 26th, 2023.)

Today we’re talking Spielberg and his most personal film, The Fabelmans. We discuss the wonderful performances, the smart way this film adapters true-life stories, and we briefly wonder if Steven Spielberg knows his way around a modern computer. Also, why we hate the snow making us feel old. (Recorded February 19th, 2023.)

This week we’re talking about All Quiet on the Western Front, the German-language Netflix production that’s getting a lot of Oscar buzz. We discuss some lukewarm takes for this lukewarm movie, the striking cinematography, and ponder how sometimes war is just throwing a goose with the boys. Also, why we hate winning on a technicality. (Recorded February 14th, 2023.)

Today we’re talking about our favorite art from last year! We recap some of our favorite things that we’ve covered on the podcast before, as well as discuss some of our favorite games, movies, mangas, podcasts, bits of code we wrote, a great essay on the subject of art criticism, and the greatest dance sequence ever put to film. Also, why we hate solving our own problems immediately before asking for help. (Recorded February 6th, 2023.)

This week we’re talking about another one of our favorites from the past year, Robert Egger’s The Northman. We discuss the cold, unflinching style, the mythological and legend-like qualities, and how our experience watching this relates to the Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year. Also, why we hate eating soup with chopsticks. (Recorded January 22nd, 2023.)

Today we’re talking about the greatest whodunit of yesteryear, Netflix’s Glass Onion. We discuss our thoughts on this movie in relation to the first, the extravagant and excellent vacation island aesthetic, and also get confused at the sheer number of actors named Hugh. Also, why we hate the subtitle for this film. (Recorded January 15th, 2023.)

This week we’re making some bold claims about the calendar year, and looking back on all the predictions we made for last year. Join us as we discuss and reflect on house prices, game awards, box office numbers, beloved animated revivals, celebrity death (that we DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN), and much more. Also, why we hate time sensitive sign-ups. (Recorded January 8th, 2023.)

After taking a couple weeks off for the holidays, we’re back with what might very well be our longest episode to date with Avatar: The Way of Water. There’s so much to unpack as we discuss the breathtaking visual splendor, the still somewhat-hackneyed writing, the emotionally powerful third act, and try to figure out where this franchise is going to go from here. Also, why we hate breaking your hand bowling. (Recorded January 1st, 2022.)

This week we’re continuing our conversation on Andor and covering the last six episodes of season one. We discuss all the perfect little details that make this show so amazing, the Narkina 5 arc (which is definitely both our favorites), and the explosive finale that keeps us waiting anxiously for the next season. Also, why we hate being caught up on media. (Recorded December 10th, 2022.) (Also also, we accidentally call Tay Kolma—the banker from Chandrila—Corv this entire episode. So every time we say Corv, we probably mean Tay Kolma.)

Today we are covering the first half of Andor, a Star Wars so that we can both easily say is the best Star Wars thing Disney has made so far. We discuss the arcs in the first six episodes, the intricacies of all the terrifically-written characters, and also just shout Star Wars a bunch. Also, why we hate streaming service glitches. (Recorded December 3rd, 2022.)

This week we’re talking about Netflix’s anime adaptation of Cyberpunk, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. We discuss our favorite aspects of this genre, the cyclical thematic elements, and praise the visual style of the SANDEVISTAAAAAN. Also, why we hate a lack of good internet jokes. (Recorded November 27th, 2022.)

Today we’re finally wrapping up our series on Al Pacino with one of his… well, one of his movies. We discuss the man himself, get in to all the ways this movie is kinda morally corrupt and racist, and also spend too much time talking about The Godfather: Part III. Also, why we hate right movie wrong time. (Recorded November 20th, 2022.)

This week we’re continuing our Godfather coverage with the iconic sequel, The Godfather: Part II. We discuss the terrific tragedies, the fall of Michael Corleone, and ask the most important question: when will T2 Trainspotting get the recognition it deserves? Also, why we hate sleeping in. (Recorded November 13th, 2022.)

Today we’re finally talking about The Godfather, the be-all-end-all of mafia films, 70s cinema, and arguably the greatest film of all-time. We discuss the corruption of Michael Corleone, the messy (but still good) second act, and make a startling comparison to an early 2000s sitcom. Also, why we hate subtitles that don’t match. (Recorded November 6th, 2022.)

This week we’re talking about Denzel Curry’s latest album Melt My Eyez See Your Future. We discuss the thematic elements of the album, the rich and layered music, and also question why The Smell of Death was included. Also, why we hate autoplaying videos. (Recorded October 30th, 2022.)