This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'The Brain from Planet Arous' (1957) and talk about...

- Can a sci-fi film be less concerned with explaining what the rules are?

- "Is he dead?"

- Fiction's best detective is not Batman, but random nameless small-town sheriff.

- Ridiculously overpowered villain foiled by easily foil-able plot.

- Brain dude doesn't need to possess a human to threaten Earth, but it's fun, so...

- Why our note-taking system should probably incorporate a sarcasm tag

- Why the *dog*?

- Missed potential: Alien-possession couples-therapy

- Even 'good' alien brains are sexist, because 50's

- Is Mystery Mountain *really* that rarely visited?

- Neat concept, but...

- Everybody's wooden - except Steve. And Steve makes up for everyone else

- The women-preparing-food trope

- Does the FBI accept alien possession" as the reason why you're not really a threat any more?

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'The Taming of the Shrew' (1967)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'The Thin Man' (1934) and talk about...

https://tubitv.com/movies/100045809/the-thin-man

- a 'light' noir piece

- Nick and Nora: a couple for the ages

- the smartest guy in the room, sans arrogance

- A *relationship* for the ages

- the amazing popular streak of "The Thin Man" series

- The real-life platonic relationship between the leads

- One-take directors, like Ed Wood, but actually good

- When the couple steals the show from the genre

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'The Brain from Planet Arous' (1957)

https://archive.org/details/brain-from-planet-arous-1957

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'Scrooge' (1951) and talk about...

https://tubitv.com/movies/100011055/scrooge-black-white-version

- Should they have just gone full camp/comedy with this?

- What this version *does* have that others could do better with

- Dickins' own thoughts on "A Christmas Carol"

- We list all the "Christmas Carols" we can think of, and where this one ranks.

- Rating the three ghosts

- Not standing out among its peers.

- Our biggest complaints with the original story.

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'The Thin Man' (1934)

https://tubitv.com/movies/100045809/the-thin-man

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'Jigsaw' (1962) and talk about...

- Our personal histories and/or prejudices around police procedurals

- The way the setup teases the audience before the crime happens

- Good cop banter

- A somewhat 'ordinary' killer (i.e., not just a crazy serial killer)

- More interest in the chase than the whodunnit

- Making the unglamorous parts of procedure interesting

- The limitations procedurals place on us critics

- When the most relatable thing about any of your characters is them just wanting to go home

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'Scrooge' (1951)

- Our favorite "Christmas Carol"s

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'Beyond Christmas' (1940) and talk about...

- Can this really classify as a Christmas movie?

- The insane pre-existing living arrangement between the characters

- Unexpectedly swapping out your main and supporting characters.

- Everything is tangential

- The litany of bad relationship tropes

- The weird daily routines of rich people (in this movie)

- Some truly bonkers theology

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'Jigsaw' (1962)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'The Fugitive Kind' (1960) and talk about...

- Marlon Brando, the GOAT, except for Chris Reeve

- Screenplay that allows itself the room to explore deep relationships

- The depth of the female leads, and Val's mysterious nature

- The character of Carol, what she represents

- Racism and the othering of 'outsiders' in opposition to genuine love

- The layers of symbolism and metaphors

- Connection to the Orpheus myth in the title of the original play

- Ryan talking himself up a rating or two

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'Beyond Christmas' (1940)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972) and talk about...

- The uncredited star: The visuals.

- Accelerated level-up frontiersman 101

- When the movie won't let a guy have a good thing, 'cuz *vengeance*.

- Yeah, but is he 'legendary'?

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- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: "The Fugitive Kind" (1960)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into "King's Row" (1942) and talk about...

- Gee, that theme music sounds familiar.

- The 'controversial' book its based on

- Getting the film made to fit into conformity with the Hayes code

- One of the changes works out better

- The kernel of truth in the depiction of "small-towns hiding dark secrets"

- Exposing wounds to sunlight - so to speak, and the lessons that we learn from that

- Ann Sheridan's Randy Monaghan

- Dr. Tower's double tragedy and theme overcoming melodrama

- The ending that soars

- Having hope for the future

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972)

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