Movie Date Night

Lauren’s launches our Space themed month with the 2013 blockbuster Gravity. In this minimal cast survival story, we pick apart the physics and gender choices in this film, wondering if the film would have been so impactful had Dr. Ryan Stone been a male instead a female. We critique the pseudo-mansplaning moment in this feminist film, and Lauren opens up with one of her irrational fears. Music is 64 Sunday by http://www.twinmusicom.org/

Greg’s Oscar pick takes us back to the tail end of the 1970s with Kramer vs Kramer staring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. In this drama about divorce and single parenthood, we discuss the difficulties of finding a balance between work and family life, justifying Joanna’s exit with Millennial eyes, late 70’s job salary comparison and Greg offers up the easy solution to everyone’s problem that this movie completely ignores. Music is 64 Sunday by http://www.twinmusicom.org/

Lauren kicks off our Oscar month with 1996’s Sling Blade, which won the Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay. In this tale of a recently released mental patient, trying to find his place in the world after a long absence, we discuss the critical flaws of patient and prisoner release programs, Doyle’s impossible standards for his step-son, surprisingly woke 90’s characters, and this movie’s surprising parallels to Pinocchio. Music is 64 Sunday by Twinsmusic.com

For Greg’s premier pick of 2020 he takes us back to another Hollywood flop with 1967’s Dr. Dolittle starring Rex Harrison. In this tone deaf film about an animal doctor too obsessed with his new hobby, Lauren and Greg contrast this ‘classic’ with the new 2020 Dolittle starring Robert Downey Jr. discuss their concern for young Stubbins Welfare, terrible expositional songs, and the plentiful problems with the Pushmi-Pullyu. Music is 64 Sunday by http://www.twinmusicom.org/

For our first movie of 2020, we go finally visit the film that inspired Movie Date Night, 1995’s Cutthroat Island. While watching this legendary box office flop, Lauren and Greg discuss why this film failed where Pirates of the Caribbean succeeded, terrible map preservation ideas, weird orange filters, awkward family relationships and we ask if a female pirate film can even work. Music is 64 Sunday by http://www.twinmusicom.org/

Lauren and Greg discuss the new movies they saw during the 2019 year, their favorite episodes from Movie Date Night this past year and upcoming films they are looking forward to seeing in 2020. Music is 64 Sunday by http://www.twinmusicom.org/

Greg decided to share an example of a non-holiday classic with 2015’s The Night Before. As we discuss how this flash-in-the-pan movie extraordinarily dates itself and is denied becoming a Christmas classic, we share some of our Christmas traditions from our youths, what makes a good vs. bad Ugly Christmas Sweater and why this movie takes things a Tracy Morgan too far. Music by bensound.com

Lauren’s pick for a lasting Christmas film is 2005’s family drama The Family Stone. As we ride this emotional roller coaster of a film, we further discuss the positive and realistic representation of a deaf character, how Sarah Jessica Parker can’t read people’s vibes, the weird importance placed on a casserole, and we rule on how deserving this film is to be on the shelf with other Christmas films. Music by bensound.com

Greg’s thrilling choice this month is 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016). In this film with a too revealing title, Greg and Lauren discusses tacked on third act twist that takes things too far, bad bunker blueprints, and we deep dive into the likelihood of Howard’s possible motives for his actions. Music by bensound.com

For the month of November, we decide to keep the tension high with our next theme of Suspenseful films and Lauren kicks things off with 2009’s Orphan. In this creepy child film, we discuss why this sub-genre even exists, how this movie expertly represents many motherly fears, whether or not Ester is a sympathetic character, and Greg shares his opinion on who is truly to blame in this film.

Our final entry in our Haunted Trilogy is a double feature in which we cover both the black and white originals for The Haunting and House on Haunted Hill. As we explore these spooky films, we discuss why leaving some mystery in the films is far better than CGI ghosts, we laugh at the awkward voice overs and narrating heads, and Greg explains scientifically why skeletons are super scary. Music by bensound.com

For Greg’s Haunted remake he presents to Lauren The House on Haunted Hill (1999). In this gore and violence infused update, we discuss over the one-use-only theme park thrills, tech savvy ghosts, and story lines that are abandoned in the film’s last 10 minutes for terrible CGI. Music by bensound.com

For October we decided to keep our theme of Old and New and examine a few horror movie remakes. Lauren starts us off with 1999’s The Haunting. In this movie which shares it’s roots with the recent Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, we discuss the unethical practices of Liam Neeson, the impossible and impractical designs of the house, and question not only the rules of the ghosts, but Nell’s interpretations of their backstory. Music by bensound.com

For our second episode of original vs remake, we move from Fantasy to Sci-Fi with Total Recall. In our examination of the Schwarzenegger original and the Farrell remake we talk about all the cool future tech, try to wrap our minds around the villainous Cohagen’s flawed plans, and examine the fundamental flaws with the third act resolutions that would have each caused catastrophic results. Music by bensound.com

This month we are comparing the old with the new through movie remakes. For this double feature, we are examining Clash of the Titans from 1981 and 2010. As we compare these similar yet vastly different interpretations of the myth of Perseus, we discuss Bubo the Iron man Owl, messy plot-lines, the tragedy of Medusa, and we clash with even the title of these movies. Music by bensound.com

For Greg’s Musical number, he chose to take a hard U-turn away from Rent’s Bohemian themes and dive into the capitalist world with How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (1967). In this comedic corporate caper, we see how quickly a man can rise through a company through manipulation, backstabbing and always being hungry for more. We discuss why it’s important to read ahead in your Self-Help guides, strange mid-century office design, Lauren takes her shot at the Patriarchy, and we ask if this movie could be remade in any way or is it stuck in the sexist ’60s. Music by bensound.com

This month we are covering Musicals and Lauren decided we should warm up our vocal cords with 2005’s Rent. As we try to stay in tune in with this tale of New Yorkers living with AIDS, we discuss the difficult transition of stories from Broadway to Hollywood, why Rent is more of a time capsule rather than timeless, White Bohemian privilege and dog murder. Music by bensound.com

We hope you had a chance to restrock your tissues because we have another tear-jerker for you as Greg shows Lauren the Studio Ghibili film, Grave of the Fireflies. IN this tale of a teenage boy trying to care for his young sister in the midst of a war, we discuss why you can't trust distant relatives in times of crisis, how your age really matters in times of war, we address Lauren's dislike for traditionally animated films and try to answer the question 'Who is this movie for?' Music by bensound.com

For this month we are looking to have a good cry with a few tearjerkers and Lauren has decided to go first with Patch Adams. IN this based on a true story about a man bringing humor to a hospital, we discuss the film's several shorthanded plot points and abandoned conflicts, the unappreciated greatness of Monica Potter, and why Greg shouldn't be allowed to see sad films in the theater. Music by bensound.com

For our final cinematic camp out of the Summer, Lauren decided to end the month with the Independent film Camp Takota. In this Youtube Star driven movie, we discover the importance of female friendship over men, a neglected and shy 6 year old, awful stories about Loch Ness monsters that Greg wishes was real, and why you shouldn’t hire people who drunk dial you the night before work starts, especially if that job is a multi-week long commitment that involves childcare. Music by bensound.com