SVU #155: A Ghost Story / Ghostly Movies

Ghosts — not just good for scares! In this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison take a look at A GHOST STORY, David Lowery's exploration of grief, time, and the afterlife as represented by a sheet with two eye holes cut in it. Then they run with the theme to recommend some other good ghost stories, spooky and otherwise, that are currently available to rent or stream right now.

Listeners’ Choice Review

A Ghost Story

Queue Shots: Movies About Ghosts

House on Haunted Hill
Pulse
Ugetsu
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Behind the 8-Ball: 3 New Releases

Alison: Brawl in Cell Block 99 / The Age of Shadows / Super Dark Times
Matt: The Polka King / Capricorn One / Frank

2 Listener Recommendations

Alison: Boy / Shot Caller
Matt: Kill Ratio / Do You Want To See a Dead Body?

1 Random Entry From Our Netflix "My Lists"

Alison: She's Gotta Have It
Matt: Oh, Hello on Broadway

SVU #154: Bright / Will Smith

Orcs, elves, fairies, and racial allegories — on this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison delve into the deceptively muddled waters of BRIGHT, Netflix's first homegrown attempt at a blockbuster. Then, in honor of the film's (human) lead, they look at the hit-laden career of BRIGHT star Will Smith, highlighting titles you can rent or stream right now, from early obscurities to the big successes that may or may not hold up.

Listeners’ Choice Review

Bright

Queue Shots: Will Smithography

Where The Day Takes You
Men in Black
Hancock
Wild Wild West

Behind the 8-Ball: 3 New Releases

Alison: Black Mirror S4 / World of Tomorrow Chapter 2 / A Gray State
Matt: The Godfather Trilogy / All Is Lost / Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

2 Listener Recommendations

Alison: Better Things / They Live
Matt: Landline / The Noah (again)

1 Random Film From Our Netflix "My Lists"

Alison: God of War
Matt: Curse of Chucky

SVU #153: The 2017 SVUvie Awards

2017. It was... quite a year. But at least there were some good films? On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison look back at the past 12 months of movies by way of their annual, unconventional, and highly personal year-end awards. Yes, it's the SVUvies, in which the cinematic year gets broken down by way of categories like "We Didn't Get It," "Best Music Moment," and, of course, "Best Film of 2017." Then Matt and Alison offer up some recommendations of titles that are new to streaming, and a few from SVU listeners.

This episode of Filmspotting: SVU is brought to you by Dropbox and Showstopper.

This Year's SVUvies

Wonderstruck

Call Me By Your Name

Alien: Covenant

The House

The Post

Beatriz at Dinner

The Book of Henry

Detroit

Baby Driver

The Mummy

Good Time

The Florida Project

Logan Lucky

Killing Gunther

Your Name

The Lego Batman Movie

The Villainess

The Disaster Artist

Lady Bird

Okja

Annihilation

Incredibles 2

Behind the 8-Ball: 3 New Releases

Alison: Free In Deed / Dawson City: Frozen Time / Better Watch Out

Matt: Ash vs Evil Dead / Step / Total Recall

2 Listener Recommendations

Alison: Bad Lucky Goat / Rat Film

Matt: Star Treks Deep Space Nine and Voyager / Taxi

1 Random Film From Our Netflix "My Lists"

Alison: Lagaan

Matt: The Twilight Zone

SVU #152: A Very Special Flopspotting Live

Alison gets to take a break this time around as Matt makes his triumphant return by stepping up to the (live) mic for a very special episode recorded on stage at the inaugural Brooklyn Podcast Festival on November 18. Matt is joined by Dan McCoy and Stuart Wellington of The Flop House to create a hideous one-night-only mutant movie-talking creation — Flopspotting: SVU! And, for this momentus occasion, they’ve settled on a feature worthy of the talents of two podcasts — TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT, from one Michael Benjamin Bay.

This episode of Filmspotting: SVU is brought to you by Tribeca Shortlist and Showstopper.

Live! One! Night! Only! Review

Transformers: The Last Knight

SVU #151: Mudbound / Black Female Filmmakers

Eric Kohn of IndieWire and the Screen Talk podcast joins Alison while on the road in the Florida Keys to discuss Dee Rees’ Netflix original MUDBOUND. Matt is still off on paternity leave, so this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit has turned the responsibility for picking the main review to our guest host. In addition to talking Rees’ ensemble period drama, an Oscar contender with an outside chance of making history, Eric and Alison recommend other films directed by black women, some of whom Rees has cited as influences, and all work available to rent or stream.

This episode of Filmspotting: SVU is brought to you by Tribeca Shortlist and Showstopper.

Guest Host’s Choice Review

Mudbound

Queue Shots: Films Directed By Black Women

A Dry White Season
Daughters of the Dust
The Watermelon Woman
Whose Streets?

Behind the 8-Ball: 3 New Releases

Alison: Allied / Search Party / Their Finest
Eric: The Persian Connection / Landline / The Dinner

2 Listener Recommendations

Alison: Patton Oswalt: Annihilation / Neal Brennan: 3 Mics
Eric: Life / Parents

1 Random Film From Our Netflix "My Lists"

Alison: Boys in the Trees
Eric: Narcos

SVU #150: The Meyerowitz Stories / Movies About Grown-up Brothers

David Sims of the Atlantic and the Blank Check podcast joins Alison to talk Noah Baumbach’s latest. While Matt is off on paternity leave, this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit turns the responsibility for picking the main review to our guest host, who opts for the Netflix original movie THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED). Then, in honor of the complicated relationship between the half-siblings played by Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller in the film, they offer up some streaming recs about what happens when brothers grow up.

This episode of Filmspotting: SVU is brought to you by Tribeca Shortlist and Hello Fresh.

Guest Host’s Choice Review

The Meyerowitz Stories

Queue Shots: When Brothers Grow Up

Brother’s Keeper
Basket Case
A History of Violence
Warrior

Behind the 8-Ball: 3 New Releases

Alison: Alias Grace / 11/8/2016 / Reprise
David: Speed Racer / The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford / 42

2 Listener Recommendations

Alison: Father Brown / Krzysztof Kieslowski: I'm So-So
David: Hinterland / Mother

1 Random Film From Our Netflix "My Lists"

Alison: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
David: The Wave