Mary Kay

Smooth Talk (1985) | dir. Joyce Chopra

Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill is turning 40 today. Feel old yet ?

Miss Meadows (2014)

Miss Meadows. The first film I'm posting about after literal years. I wanted to get back into doing this for the fun. The original goal may not have been met, but I like this method of watching movies. It helps me focus on what's happening... That said, this movie started interesting and fun and slooowly went downhill. Her entire relationship with the Sheriff? Awkward. So painfully awkward. The writing was not great. Not taking points off for the writing was extremely generous of me. But I had fun watching it, to be fair... that said... ESE: -10/100

50 +2 for immediately CGI squirrel +5 for living your best tap dancing life -10 for creepy-ass dudes harassing women +5 for Miss Meadows attempting politeness in the face of grossness +2 for tiny purse gun +10 for "Toodaloo" post-murder +5 for post-murder tap dance +3 for the quick return of CGI squirrel +3 for Mother Meadows giving bloodstain cleaning advice -10 for only God knowing our destiny +5 for the exception of no one knowing their destiny being best-selling authors +5 for "The truth is relative." +5 for Ava Kolker +5 for Heather thinking corpses look like string cheese -10 for the principal's shitty attitude -5 for new neighbors trying to hook you up with dentist friends +5 for having "no intentions to start domestication training" +10 for saving a toad on the road -10 for constant tap shoes +5 for Heather's healthy skepticism +5 for admitting being wrong -10 for being far too young to hate the world so much +5 for a child being smart enough to see the world for what it is -5 for not finishing her answer to the teachers who invited her for Happy Hour -5 for incredibly awkward exchange with the Sheriff -10 for using your position to find a woman's workplace to ask her on a date +10 for Miss Meadows pointing out that that behavior is illegal -5 for not allowing the Sheriff a turn to ask questions, turning the conversation into an interrogation +5 for not promising not to laugh +5 for wanting to play accordion -5 for tap dancing on grass +5 for the Sheriff's rhythmically challenged dance -10 for awkward post-kiss silence +5 for not living in fear -10 for church service +10 for Katie Holmes's singing +10 for not being Catholic, but enjoying singing in choirs +5 for James Badge Dale -10 for the most awkward sex scene I have ever watched -10 because no... seriously... MOST awkward sex scene due to cackling during the entire event -10 for even worse pillow talk -10 for releasing helium balloons into the sky on purpose +10 for the speech given to the murderer before murdering him +5 for Frank -10 for creepy owner of Frank -5 for another awkward kiss -5 for not exercising safe sex +5 for hopscotch -10 for creepy owner of Frank being a child abuser -10 for marrying Miss Meadows simply because they neglected to have safe sex and now she's pregnant +10 for Jean Smart -10 for creepy owner of Frank having photos he took of Miss Meadows without her knowledge +5 for not veiling her threat +10 for creepy owner of Frank (Skylar) being unexpectedly right -10 for Skylar still being incredibly creepy +5 for telling kids in Sunday school that Jesus wasn't white -20 for DISGUSTING child sexual abuse from a priest +10 for murdering the priest -10 for being sloppy and being caught by Heather -5 for Heather being scary chill about it and keeping Miss Meadows' secret +10 for Mother Meadows having been dead the whole time -10 for the Sheriff being so casual about figuring out Miss Meadows is the vigilante -10 for the dumbest Sheriff -10 for yelling at Miss Meadows when he was so chill about figuring out the truth -20 for Heather being taken by Skylar +10 for Miss Meadows saving Heather +10 for Sheriff saving Miss Meadows +5 for pinning the vigilante shit on Skylar +5 for accordion playing +5 for the hawk at the end -10 for the Katie Holmes cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"

The Big Chill + Soundtrack

(spotify template)

Matt Damon and Mary Kay Place in The Rainmaker (1997). This is Mary's third honorable mention, after Citizen Ruth and Grace is Gone.

The Rainmaker was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is his second honorable mention, after Bram Stoker's Dracula.

282 - Music (Patreon Selects)

On top of all the horrors of the pandemic, let's not forget that that time also gave us cringe cinema directed by Sia. This week, we come to you with another Patreon Selects, where sponsor listener Stuart has tasked us with that very film. Initially shot in 2017, Sia's Music cast Kate Hudson as a troublesome drug dealer tasked with taking over the care of her younger autistic sister, played by Sia protege Maddie Ziegler. The ill-conceived film earned a deserved firestorm of outcry for Sia not casting a neurodivergent performer and the singer's initial dismissive reactions to the controversy, but then earned two shock Golden Globe nominations in the Musical/Comedy categories.

This episode, we unpack all that makes this our presumed worst film we have yet to discuss. We also talk about supporting star Leslie Odom Jr.'s presence in the film in the same season as his dual Oscar nominations for One Night in Miami..., Hudson's newfound music career, and the films that the Globes could have sensibly nominated in Music's place.

Topics also include whatever the hell Mary Kay Place is doing in this movie, Hudson and Odom Jr. in Glass Onion, and the current hideous Globe statue.

The 2020 Academy Awards

The 2020 Golden Globes

Subscribe:

Patreon

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

This is what we call an entrance.

Being John Malkovich (1999) Spike Jonze

January 20th 2024

Film after film: The Rainmaker (dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1997)

The Big Chill (1983). A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends.

Baffled by how many people dislike this one - the cast and the soundtrack alone are pretty magic. Yes, it's flawed and a product of its time, but it's also a lot of fun, with some really delightful dynamics between characters who might be annoying, but are also pretty charming in the hands of the actors. A really fun one to rewatch. 8/10.

📽️ Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

This is one of my mom’s favorite romcoms. I can see why she likes it (hello Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas), but this is not a movie that comes to my mind when I think of my favorite romcoms. Don’t get me wrong, though, I do actually like it. Just not as much as Leap Year or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. There are so many great moments in this movie, but I can’t get over the fact that Reese Witherspoon’s character is annoying to me. Patrick Dempsey’s character, on the other hand, is amazing. Josh Lucas’s is okay, but Patrick Dempsey’s is the best. Anyway, this movie is worth a watch, just expect a lot of fluff and predictability.

Sex/nudity: 2/10 (kissing, sexual innuendoes)

Language: 2/10 (no f-words, other strong language is used infrequently)

Violence: 1/10 (one punch)

Overall rating: 6/10

Mary Kay Place as Loretta Haggers

Happy 75th, Mary Kay Place.

Bad movie I have Captain Ron 1992