Prestige

Napoleon (2023)

Napoleon is a movie that can’t decide on which story it wants to tell. The storyline of the steamy romance between Napoleon and his Empress Josephine bucks against the scenes of war. The visuals are gorgeous, the story is muddy. What is Ridley Scott trying to tell us, if anything, about this cantankerous emperor?

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In Bruges (2008)

Martin McDonagh, director of Banshees of Inisherin, made his directorial feature debut with this dark comedy. Between the uneasy laughter, watch-between-your-fingers moments, and Catholic guilt, there’s a lot to unpack. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Ferrall play two hit men on a mysterious and fateful trip in Bruges. And it’s a Christmas movie. A miserable, vulgar Christmas movie.
Thank you Michael for commissioning this podcast!

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Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

ngster tales. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, Killers of the Flower Moon depicts the injustices suffered by the indigenous poeples of America through the lens of one family’s maniacal and murderous attempts to steal their rights to oil found on their land.

It’s incredibly well acted and is at times gorgeous to look at, even though its action might unsettle you at times. So… it’s a Scorsese movie. You probably already know if you’ll like this one, but if not, there are a lot worse ways to spend an evening.

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Mean Streets (1973) 50th Anniversary

Jim and A.Ron are diving into one of Martin Scorsese’s earliest films; Mean Streets. It was the Pulp Fiction of its day, it paved the way in pop music soundtracks, and was the foundation of Scorsese’s signature style. A young Robert De Niro stars as a loose cannon getting mixed up in all the wrong kinds of trouble. Get your fix of behind the scenes trivia in this anniversary episode of Bald Move Prestige.

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Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) 20th Anniversary

Get ready for great dialogue, sudden bouts of grayscale, and lots and lots of blood. The Bride’s revenge-rampage is just as epic 20 years later. Jim and A.Ron discuss not only their experiences with the film, but also have behind the scenes stories for the movie nerd inside of you. Keep your shoes securely on and dive into the most Tarentino-y movie to ever exist.

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The Creator (2023)

If you’re a fan of robots, AI, Asimov-ian scifi, this might be the movie for you. Following on the all-too-relevant theme of AI, The Creator tells the story of a future where a large part of the world has embraced augmented humans, and the other hates it. It’s visually arresting and sometimes tonally unbalanced, but it will leave you with plenty to think about. And it was a struggle to get into the theater, so thank Jim and A.Ron for braving the difficulties.

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Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

This atypical romcom is the story of two broken people helping each other. Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper play characters in the throes of their mental illnesses. David O. Russell adapted and directed this project, and JLaw won her first Oscar playing Tiffany. With such a high pedigree in cast and director, it’s no surprise that this film delivers on every front. And yes, it is a Christmas film.

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Dazed and Confused (1993) 30th Anniversary

Not much plot, just vibes. Richard Linklater gives us a look at the teenage years with doses of refreshing honesty, but keep in mind, this movie is still plenty problematic. But maybe that’s the point? Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, and Ben Affleck star in this time capsule of the teenage years. Jim and A.Ron reflect on the cultural shifts between now and the setting of Dazed and Confused.

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Enemy of the State (1998)

There are conspiracy theories to be made out of this movie. From director Tony Scott comes a thriller with more relevance to us now than ever. A big wig in the NSA needs to cover his tracks and Will Smith gets caught in the middle. The fight for privacy will feel familiar and depressing. To distract you from that, there’s a great cat actor. What did this movie get right and what did it get wrong about privacy?
Thank you Andy for commissioning this podcast!

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After Life (1998)

What’s your favorite memory? Would you inhabit it for all eternity? From filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda comes a documentary-style film featuring characters in limbo and given the choice to inhabit a past memory. This film won’t give you clear answers to every question, and that’s part of the intrigue. Watch these characters accept, reject, and reflect as they contemplate their past lives.
Thank you Andy for commissioning this film!

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