254: Ready Player One
Published 4 April 2018 • 48 minutes, 51 seconds
The famous/notorious novel gets the full big-screen treatment in the experienced and talented hands of Steven Spielberg. Being curious nerdy types, we had to give it a go.
Silver Screen Queens
Reviewing movies and the culture that surrounds them.
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253: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
Published 28 March 2018 • 55 minutes, 55 seconds
Despite the success of Wonder Woman, this biopic of her creator and his polyamorous family received such a limited cinematic release in Australia that we have been unable to see it until now. Touching on our longstanding interests in Wonder Woman, nerd culture, superheroes, feminism, history and queerness, this film also features the wonderful Luke Evans in the title role, and Rebecca Hall as his spectacular wife, Elizabeth. As you can imagine, it gave us plenty to talk about.
252: Tomb Raider
Published 21 March 2018 • 46 minutes, 3 seconds
A few years back we played (and enjoyed) the rebooted Tomb Raider franchise game. Now the gritty, younger version of Lara Croft has found her way to the big screen, played by Alicia Vikander. Can this film overcome the video game movie curse?
251: Annihilation
Published 14 March 2018 • 40 minutes, 4 seconds
The latest film from Alex Garland, based on the sci-fi novel by Jeff Vandermeer, has received really sh*tty distribution treatment, denied a cinematic release outside the US. Luckily, we were able to watch this strange, beautiful and philosophical female-led film on Netflix, where it will hopefully find a receptive audience among fans of esoteric indie fare.
250: Game Night
Published 7 March 2018 • 40 minutes, 15 seconds
Some lightness after the Serious Films of Oscar season, as Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman team up for this cute comedy about a super-competitive couple about to have their game night go nuclear. Former Freaks and Geeks actor and HORRIBLE BOSSES writer John Francis Daley co-directs with SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING writer Jonathan Goldstein, with Kyle Chandler and Jesse Plemons in support. Recorded on Sunday afternoon, we also have a short pre-Oscars discussion.
249: Lady Bird
Published 28 February 2018 • 39 minutes, 19 seconds
In the last review we will release prior to the Oscars ceremony, we take a look at one of the contenders: Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut LADY BIRD. Set in 2002, and based on Gerwig’s own life, it definitely hits close to home for us, and we have been waiting impatiently for its Australian release.
247: I, Tonya
Published 14 February 2018 • 46 minutes, 12 seconds
A biopic like nothing you’ve ever seen before, based on interviews with the (unreliable) protagonists of one of the biggest sporting scandals of all time. Before she was a punchline, Tonya Harding was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make it in the class-conscious world of figure skating.
246: The Post
Published 7 February 2018 • 41 minutes, 14 seconds
This movie is being advertised by its big names (Streep, Hanks, Spielberg), but don’t think for a minute that the legends are phoning it in. The best Oscar movie to take your parents to, THE POST is also the story of legendary Washington Post owner Katharine Graham, and her editor Ben Bradlee, as they wrestle over the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
245: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Published 31 January 2018 • 39 minutes, 52 seconds
We weren’t originally going to watch this surprise Christmas hit, but then it became a surprise Christmas hit and, you know, The Rock. Like most people who grew up in the 90s, were were raised on the Robin Williams classic, but we braved it anyway.