2005
This series is over. We’ve covered ‘Love and Basketball,’ ‘Girlfight,’ ‘Lords of Dogtown,’ and ‘Queen of Katwe.’ So what did we think of these four films, what they say about sports, and what they brought to the table?
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We continue our Sports series, in which we’re looking at four films about sports directed by women, with Catherine Hardwicke’s sophomore effort from 2005, ‘Lords of Dogtown.’ Is it more than a biopic? Can we identify with the protagonists? And how’s the skateboarding?
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Does this film hold up as well as Mary Harron’s previous film, American Psycho? How great is Gretchen Mol in this role? And why does this feel too much like a safe, standard biopic instead of more edgy like Harron’s first film, I Shot Andy Warhol, another biopic? Tune in to this week’s episode to get answers to these questions and more!
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Did ‘L’Auberge Espagnole’ need a followup? Why is Xavier so unlikeable? Do the elements that work balance with the elements that don’t?
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Did the stage musical need to have a film remake? How do Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick at creating unique performances? Do Will Ferrell and Uma Thurman belong here? Tune in to this week’s show to find out these answers and more.
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After the box office failure of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and the box office success of Oldboy, Park Chan-Wook wanted to continue with the themes he’d been exploring of revenge but he wasn’t sure what angle to use. That’s when he struck on the idea of having a female protagonist. That, paired with the concept of justified vengeance, gave Park the idea he needed and Lady Vengeance was born. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our series on Park Chan-Wook’s unofficial vengeance trilogy with his 2005 film Lady Vengeance.
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Felicity Huffman received many accolades for her incredible performance in TransAmerica, but an Oscar was not one of them. Looking back at the various nominees, it’s clear that Huffman should have won. But that’s how these things go, right? Reese Witherspoon was great in Walk the Line and was the popular favorite, and that’s probably because Johnny Cash had made quite a resurgence and the movie really struck a chord with people. But it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Huffman still should’ve won. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Transgender series with Duncan Tucker’s 2005 film TransAmerica.
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Most people involved in making Joss Whedon’s 2005 film Serenity acknowledge that it was a near miracle that they got to make it. The TV show upon which it was based, “Firefly,” was canceled before its 14 episodes all aired and it seemed dead. Luckily, the rabid fanbase clamored loud enough and Universal saw that there may be an audience for a continuation of the story after all. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Disease Films series with Whedon’s conclusion of his “Firefly” story, 2005’s Serenity.
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Shane Black was gone from the scene for a decade before his return as not just writer but also director with 2005’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” a comedy crime mystery that unjustly largely flew under everyone’s radar. It was mostly critically acclaimed, but with Warner Bros.’ modest release plans and minimal advertising, it didn’t have much of a chance. And we’re hoping to rectify that. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our Shane Black series with his directorial debut, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.”
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After Stephen Gaghan wrote “Traffic” for Steven Soderbergh, Soderbergh introduced him to Robert Baer’s book “See No Evil,” and Gaghan knew the next complex multi-story film he wanted to write. After years of researching around the world, he brought “Syriana” to the world and, while well received, both critics and audiences alike found it very complicated and confusing. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin our Mystery series with Gaghan’s 2005 film “Syriana.”
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