FS #225: Vicky Cristina Barcelona / Heist Marathon Awards / Top 5 Canadian Films

August 29: Matty couldn't complete his big post-production task -- writing the clever show description that goes here -- before jetting off to scenic Wyoming, a mythic land without computers or the Internet. And since he's the creative one... This week, please enjoy our review of Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," starring Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and Javier Bardem. Plus, we hand out "The Stephies," our Classic Heist Marathon Awards, and look forward to next week's Toronto International Film Festival with a countdown of our Top 5 Canadian Films.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, a Spout.com Telluride Film Festival Preview and new music by Touch and Go Records artists Calexico, The Uglysuit and The New Year.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **



Filmspotting #225
:24-15:11 - Review: "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Music: Calexico
16:13-20:34 - Voicemail, Poll
20:35-31:42 - Feedback (Tropic Thunder, Man on Wire)
Music: The Uglysuit
32:05-35:06 - Telluride Preview
35:07-38:26 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Matt Rhodes)
38:27-47:31 - Heist Marathon Awards
Music: The New Year
48:26-54:21 - New DVDs, Donations, Contest
54:22-1:09:54 - Top 5: Canadian Films
1:09:55-1:13:18 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- Check out photos from the Chicago Meetup on Filmspotting's Facebook page! Thanks to Sandor Weisz for the great pics.

- It's Chris Messina not Doug from "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Thanks to Thevoid99.

- Toronto Meetup information can be found here!

- Congrats to our buddy Matt Singer from IFC News!

FS #224: Hamlet 2 / Steve Coogan Interview / Top 5 Screen Teachers

August 22: "Bueller? Bueller?" Class is in session this week as Matty and Adam offer up a dialectic deconstruction of "Hamlet 2," director Andrew Fleming's 2008 Sundance sensation spoofing our collectively beloved "inspirational teacher" genre.

As an added bonus, Adam sits down for a conversation with "Hamlet 2" star Steve Coogan to ask him exactly how sexy Jesus really is and why he feels the need to rock us. Plus, the boys also find themselves inspired enough to list their Top 5 Screen Teachers. How high will Tom Berenger's turn as Jon Shale in "The Substitute" rank? Attendance is mandatory to find out...

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, and new music by Conor Oberst.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **

CONTEST
PBS does Star Wars... Play now at filmgaming.spout.com for a shot at great prizes!



Filmspotting #224
:24-14:10 - Review: "Hamlet 2"
Music: Conor Oberst, "Get-Well-Cards"
15:19-18:19 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Mike Johnson)
18:20-38:14 - Interview: Steve Coogan
Music: Conor Oberst, "Cape Canaveral"
39:07-43:46 - Voicemail, Polls
43:47-57:08 - Feedback (Pineapple, On The Run)
Music: Conor Oberst, "Sausalito"
57:34-1:02:26 - New DVDs, Donations, Contest
1:02:27-1:14:06 - Top 5: Screen Teachers
1:14:07-1:17:36 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- "The Recruiter" is also currently playing on HBO.

- Yes, Matty got the titles of his inspirational, inner-city teach dramas mixed up when announcing his #1 pick.

- Yes, Matty also called actor Robert Donat "Richard" Donat. Thanks to Josh Spiegel in Glendale, AZ for catching the mistake.

FS #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / The Getaway / Top 5 Movies About Movies

August 15: Max Fischer: "Were you in the sh*t?" / Herman Blume: "Yeah, I was in the sh*t." As you can probably imagine, Adam and Matty have never been anywhere near the sh*t, which puts them in good company with the protagonists of Ben Stiller's latest Hollywood-war-movie parody "Tropic Thunder." Your hosts attempt to "take that hill" and wring out some much needed summer laughs alongside Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, and Kirk Lazarus. Plus, tying in with "Thunder's" movie-within-a-movie-within-a-movie conceit, Filmspotting counts down its Top 5 Movies About Movies (Redux).

Plus, the final movie in the Filmspotting Classic Heist Marathon, "The Getaway," and the lads find time to work in a review of the new documentary "Man on Wire," chronicling Philipe Petit's 1974 "artistic crime of the century" when he walked a tightrope strung between the World Trade Center towers.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, Matty's Movie Minute and music by Akron/Family.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **

CONTEST
PBS does Star Wars... Play now at filmgaming.spout.com for a shot at great prizes!



Filmspotting #223
:24-12:10 - Review: "Tropic Thunder"
12:11-18:30 - Review: "Man on Wire"
Music: Akron/Family, "I'll Be On the Water"
18:31-23:39 - Voicemail, Notes, Polls
23:40-32:09 - Feedback (Swan Songs)
Music: Akron/Family, "Shoes"
32:32-35:00 - Contest Winners
35:01-39:16 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Bjorn van der Voo)
39:17-53:12 - Heist #6: "The Getaway"
Music: Akron/Family, "Don't Be Afraid..."
53:38-59:22 - New DVDs, Donations, Contest
59:23-1:01:30 - Matty's Movie Minute
1:01:29-1:10:33 - Top 5: Movies About Movies
1:11:34-1:13:20 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- For those of you who have seen "Man on Wire," no, the connection to heist movies wasn't lost on us... we just didn't get to squeeze it in. Hopefully it will come up on a later show.

- Orson Welles's character in "Transformers" was actually Unicron. Well, duh.

- We held off on the Cassavetes Marathon because unless you own the Criterion Five Films collection, the movies are almost all impossible to find on DVD.

- Yes, Matty deliberately refers to Divine as "she" and not "he" out of respect for his/her lifestyle choice. Or something like that.

- Yes, it sounds like Matty says Mike 'Judd' during Massacre Theatre... He's well aware that it's actually Mike Judge.

FS #222: Pineapple Express / Le Cercle Rouge / Top 5 'On The Run' Movies

August 8: Here's the thing about the film industry, man, are you listening, because, here's the thing, I'm just saying there's not enough movies, there's not enough movies, man, like "Pineapple Express." You know why? Do you know why? Because they're afraid. The industry is scared. The government, man. I'm telling you. Of the truth. Which is why I am so glad this week Adam and Matty are reviewing the latest smoke-filled venture from Team Apatow and director David Gordon Green, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen.

Plus, Adam and Matty (who always bring the truth) will hit the road in their rented Renaults to give you their Top 5 'On The Run' Movies and pause long enough for a hot-box review of the penultimate entry in Le Filmspotting's Classic Heist Marathon, "Le Cercle Rouge," directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring the incomparable Alain Delon.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre and music by Richard Buckner.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **

CONTEST
Cast the villain in Batman 3 now for a shot at great prizes!



Filmspotting #222
:24-14:24 - Review: "Pineapple Express"
Music: Richard Buckner, "A Chance Counsel"
15:11-20:05 - Voicemail, Notes, Polls
21:46-36:04 - Feedback (Movies So Far, American Teen)
Music: Richard Buckner, "Straight"
36:48-41:09 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Carrie Cook)
41:10-51:23 - Heist #5: "Le Cercle Rouge"
Music: Richard Buckner, "Her"
52:00-56:20 - New DVDs, Donations, Contest
56:37-1:08:33 - Top 5: 'On The Run' Movies
1:08:34-1:11:11 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- Nick and Nora? A stoner duo? Sometimes Matty likes to test me to see if I'm listening. I failed.

- Filmspotting-led discussion of "Forever Never Anywhere" on Aug. 20. Details here!

- Matt Singer's comments on "The Dark Knight," his #2 film of the year: "Enjoyed your second discussion with Phillips about this movie; I think what makes me appreciate it even more than I did when I saw it (in IMAX, which at times is downright stunning) is how much fun it is to debate and to hear others debate it. To me, it doesn't matter whether Batman is George W. Bush or not -- the fact that we can have that debate tells you exactly the amount of skill and thought that went into crafting the film. Come to think of it, making movies that keep you talking about them long after you've seen them (MEMENTO, THE PRESTIGE) may be one of Nolan's greatest skills."

- I knew we'd get through our review of "Le Circle Rouge" and forget to mention at least one of the other great performances. Sorry, Yves Montand.

FS #221: American Teen / The Italian Job / Top 5 Swan Songs

August 1: Glory days... while Adam and Matty may share common Midwestern roots, turns out they enjoyed quite disparate high school experiences. One of your hosts was (and still is) a dashingly handsome former class President, coasting through life; for the other, high school left him a neurotic and brooding mound of bitterness. Perhaps not surprisingly then, your in-house Zac and Screech offer (violently) differing takes on Nanette Burstein's new documentary focusing on five small-town Indiana seniors, "American Teen."

Plus, the Filmspotting Classic Heist marathon rolls on in style with Michael Caine, Noel Coward and Benny Hill singing "Rule Britannia" behind the wheels of their 1968 Mini-Coopers in "The Italian Job." Finally, in honor of Heath Ledger's latest turn as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," the lads list their Top 5 Swan Songs.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre and music by Sea Ray.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **

CONTEST
Cast the villain in Batman 3 now for a shot at great prizes!



Filmspotting #221
:24-14:12 - Review: "American Teen"
Music: Sea Ray, "Nicholas Ray"
14:59-20:05 - Voicemail, Notes, Polls
20:06-31:34 - Feedback (Dark Knight)
Music: Sea Ray, "Revelry"
32:05-35:29 - New Contest
35:30-39:44 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Se Young Kang)
39:45-48:23 - Heist #4: "The Italian Job"
Music: Sea Ray, "Swear To Your Face"
48:45-53:36 - New DVDs, Donations, Winners
53:37-1:06:00 - Top 5: Swan Songs
1:06:01-1:08:29 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- The non-dashingly handsome host would like to note that his high school experience was actually pretty pleasant; he came out of the womb neurotic and brooding.

- For all the families listening, note that two of the Top 5 movie clips contain a bit of swearing -- around the 55 and 60 minute marks.

- I figured out what Matty was referring to when discussing the 'superimposed' text messages in "American Teen." Yes, there is at least one instance where Burstein basically captions for us what is appearing on somebody's cell phone. Matty's implication seemed to be that Burstein was making the content of the message up or being dishonest in some way, and I didn't see it that way.

- Don't ask me what Harvey Dent's "transmission" is.

- Apologies to Isaac McKeithen from Auburn, AL who gave us the scene from "The Prestige" we announced the winner of on episode #220. We had two chances to give him his due credit and failed. Sorry!

- More apologies... to listener and former message board mod Alex Knesnik. He bought me "Giant" as a birthday present last year so I didn't need to Tivo it and I definitely should have watched it by now!

- My research on Richard Farnsworth was terrible. He DID get nominated for "The Straight Story" and for "Comes a Horseman" but did NOT win Best Supporting Actor for the latter.

- Also expanding to more screens this weekend... the movie we reviewed in the first segment, "American Teen"!