Grumpy Young Men

Today we’re talking about Dog Day Afternoon, the sweatiest crime thriller. Topics discussed include the legacy of this film to the real-life events and people involved, the extremely tense back half of this movie, and trying to figure out where it fits in the rest of Al Pacino’s filmography. Also, why we hate phone trees. (Recorded October 23rd, 2022.)

This week we’re talking about Glengarry Glen Ross, a great movie about a not-so-great sales office. We discuss the amazing performances from literally every actor, the stellar straight-up-just-a-play script, and the toxic and demanding nature of sales. Also, why we hate logos on glasses. (Recorded October 19th, 2022.)

Today we’re turning up the heat and talking about… Heat. We discuss Michael Mann’s fantastic (and inspirational) directing, Al Pacino’s varied and captivating performance, Robert De Niro’s massive, massive suit, and much more. Also, why we hate audio mixing and gunshots. (Recorded October 12th, 2022.)

This week we’re talking about the things that bug us in movies: all the worst tropes, cliches, and pet peeves you can imagine. Join us as we discuss everything from a lack of dong, Swiss army scientists, quippy dialogue, “she’s the moon” girls, and much more. Also, why we hate scooping popcorn. (Recorded October 5th, 2022.)

Today we’re talking about Serpico, where Al Pacino plays the real-life lamplighter who exposed corruption in the New York City police force. We discuss the complicated character of Serpico, the incredible 70s style, and where this one fits in the pantheon of “based on a true story” films. Also, why we hate when people ignore questions. (Recorded September 28th, 2022.)

This week we’re continuing our series on Al Pacino with the 2002 film Insomnia. We discuss the two great performances at the center of this movie, the missed opportunities with the setting and style, and question where it fits into the rest of Christopher Nolan’s filmography. Also, why we hate shopping bags. (Recorded September 21st, 2022.)

Today we review one of the most iconic gangster films, Scarface. This is a first-time watch for the both of us, so we discuss how we might have come to this one too late. We also discuss the cheesy dialogue, the insane runtime, and the undeniably wonderful (albeit problematic) performance from Al Pacino. Also, why we hate audio-only GPS. (Recorded September 14th, 2022.)

This week we’re talking about Goodbye, Eri, a manga one-shot from earlier this year. We discuss the beautiful “movie within a movie” structure, what we think literally happened in the third act, and also Henry goes on a very long tangent about The Rehearsal.  Also, why we hate taking care of house plants. (Recorded September 7th, 2022.)

Today we’re talking about The Meyerowitz Stories, Noah Baumbach’s Netflix original from 2017. We discuss the fantastic performances, the unique story structure, and the very strange way this movie makes Henry feel. Also, why we hate autocorrect. (Recorded August 31st, 2022.)

This week we're reviewing Wingspan, the hit game about building beautiful bird biomes. We discuss the satisfying gameplay loop, the relaxing and happy aesthetics, and the bizarre disconnect that we felt between the two.  Also, why we hate WebMD. (Recorded August 26th, 2022.)

Today we’re reviewing the highly-rated but criminally-underseen film City of God. We talk about the fantastic style of storytelling, the incredible editing and sense of place, and come up with a reason to call this movie the “Anti-Expendables”. Also, why we hate the death of HBO Max (aka the Discovery merger/takeover). (Recorded August 17th, 2022.)

This week we’re reviewing the only FBI agent-turned-surfer movie in existence, Point Break. We discuss Bodhi’s questionable philosophy on life, the ultra violence in the second half, and tear apart virtually every part of the writing in this movie. Also, why we hate Google Home speaker pairing. (Recorded August 10th, 2022.)

Today we’re talking about our top five favorite actors. Actors that we don’t necessarily think are the best, but whose work we will always seek out. We discuss everything from classic British actors, voice actors in every new Disney release, Mr. Music, a former child star turned dimension-jumping action star, and much more. Also, why we hate the fluoride varnish painting. (Recorded August 3rd, 2022.) (Also also, brief correction: when discussing Judas and the Black Messiah, Henry says Fred Ward a couple of times, but of course the activist's name was actually Fred Hampton.)

This week we discuss the 1986 follow-up to last week’s film, Aliens. We talk about how the plot of this sequel is essentially the same as the first, complain about the worst doomer character ever written, and try to make sense of the extensive Alien lore beyond these first two films. Also, why we hate getting notifications after you’ve gotten in bed. (Recorded July 27th, 2022.)

Today we’re talking about Alien, the iconic sci-fi horror film from 1979. We discuss the impeccable style throughout the film, the great control of tension, and praise (and ponder) some of the biggest questions this movie sets up.  Also, why we hate apartment parking, (Recorded July 20th, 2022.)

This week we’re reviewing Bad Education, Cory Finley’s sophomore feature starring Hugh Jackman as a corrupt superintendent. We discuss some of our mixed feelings on the character portrayals, praise the film’s airtight script, and go on an extended rant about respect for teachers and the parents that don’t give them any. Also, why we hate rewiring our brains. (Recorded July 15h, 2022.)

Today we’re recapping and reviewing the latest season of Barry, Bill Hader’s deeply dark comedy about a hitman-turned-actor. We dissect all eight episodes and try to unpack why we feel so mixed about this show that is largely made up of arcs and artistic choices we both really enjoy. Also, why we hate cancelling subscriptions. (Recorded July 6th, 2022.)

This week we’re talking about RRR, one of the most insane and entertaining movies we’ve seen recently. We discuss the crazy antics and action sequences, the less-than-stellar romance subplots, and also we sing a big song at the end. Also, why we hate right-of-way hesitation. (Recorded June 29th, 2022.)

Today we’re talking about Top Gun: Maverick, the action-packed sequel that is decades in the making. We talk about the plot’s obvious parallels to Tom Cruise’s career, the messy timeline compared to the first movie, and also write another sequel starring BOB. Also, why we hate the AC being broken. (Recorded June 15th, 2022.) 

The sixth Rant Day is upon us. In this all-rant filled special episode, join us as we talk about camping chairs, error messages, back pain, broken shorts, Woop Slap, and effort inertia. PLUS Henry’s incredibly long trial of ripping a DVD box set. Also, if you wanna avoid the blood story, skip roughly 5:00 to 13:00. (Recorded June 8th, 2022.)