In all six episodes preceding this one we planned the spoiler/in depth discussion in advance, but this conversation was so heated we naturally got into it right in the middle of our standard review. The internet is split on Charlie McDowell’s metaphysical/spiritual journey, and so are we. Join us as we go for each other’s throats over our views of what makes a compelling movie.
Dollar Reviews 035: The Discovery
Netflix releases are hit or miss with people, and that is exactly what Charlie McDowell’s The Discovery is for us, undoubtedly culminating in one of our most heated clashes – which is fitting for a film regarding explorations of the afterlife (check the AFDM for uncensored dialogue). Steve also caught Malick’s Song to Song (27:50) and Gremlins 2 (36:00), while I experienced Ubisoft’s social VR game Werewolves Within (43:20), Sly Cooper 2: Band of Thieves (52:08), and binged on Kendrick Lamar, while sharing my latest Goodwill and LEGO hauls.
Debt to Cinema 081: The Fly (1958)
Winding up our remake series is the original Fox adaptation of last week’s Cronenberg masterpiece. Despite the Cinemascope, nice color, and general likeness between the two flicks, we found ourselves mostly unkind to this first outing starring Vincent Price. There’s a lot to be said about the power a remake can have and even more about the nature of sequels here, but this version is sadly, proof re-imaginings can be a good thing.
Two Cents 090: The Kosher Nostra
The episode in which The Academy begins fixing its accountability problem, Samsung makes a big splash with the Galaxy S8, Joss Whedon/Aaron Sorkin superhero rumors, Blumhouse may adapt Five Nights at Freddy’s, I share my breakthrough VR experience with Werewolves Within, Palmer Luckey has left Facebook/Oculus, Venice Film Festival fully embraces virtual reality. Plus the fake Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg script that floated around town, my continued vendetta against Lee Daniels’s Terms of Endearment remake/thoughts on remake culture, and the evolution of Amazon/Twitch programming, especially versus Netflix.
Dollar Reviews 034: Power Rangers
Mighty morphing tentpole franchises invade your ears this week as we open with Saban’s Power Rangers before I jump ship to Kong: Skull Island (45:55). I also give my first impressions of Rocket League’s Dropshot mode (53:35) and brag about my latest thrift store finds (57:47); while Steve caught Jeff Nichols’s Loving (59:03) and the forgotten Paul Walker thriller, Into the Blue (1:04:00).
Debt to Cinema 080: The Fly (1986)
After hearing me mention it so many times in passing, Steve finally got around to catching one of my favorite non-romcoms, which just so happens to be one of the best remakes ever made. Many chalk it up as Cronenberg body horror, or a sci-fi creature feature, but come hear me tell how its truly a flawless tragic romance in disguise #IdBuyThatForADollar
Two Cents 089: Certified Rotten
The week in which I talk about going to a wedding and a finding a pet lizard, mourn two CBs and the many deaths to come, Netflix adds four more Adam Sandler movies, Brett Ratner vs Rotten Tomatoes, Bob Iger’s reign continues at Disney, Sony plots more Spidey, and George R.R. Martin is opening a movie studio. Plus, VR spotlight on the After Solitary documentary, Nomadic joins the VR exhibition industry, Oculus needs to change its stripes, MGM is making the jump to Snapchat, the impending shortened cinematic window, and Disney sits out a lot of things including usage of Mickey Mouse.
Dollar Reviews 033: Cameraperson
After several weeks of self reflection, and the realization that Two Cents can’t exist in its bloated format forever, Steve and I decided to revive our original show with recent streaming titles. Its only fitting that we would return in this way with Kristen Johnson’s docu-memoir, a Criterion Collection addition from last year available on Amazon Prime about how a life of filming documentaries influences the people involved/the inherent manipulation of reality at play. Also, in Penny Thought’s return to DR I caught Father’s Little Dividend (37:45) and some good magazine articles.
Debt to Cinema 079: Father of the Bride (1950)
Spring is in the air, weddings are on the rise, and seeing as how my selection was sandwiched between two by Steve related to remakes, I decided to make the best of it and finally watch the original for one of the better updated classics. Tune in to find out if Spencer Tracy is as bankable in the role I’ve always pictured Steve Martin in the second installment of our remake streak.
Two Cents 088: Feline Like Something Mew
The episode in which I try to keep this show alive by dumping Penny Thoughts back onto Dollar Reviews (and doing that weekly again via streaming titles), I make my first retractions, Superman joins Mission: Impossible, Fandango takes aim at Mondo, and Sony says goodbye to the PS3/hello again to VR as more join the fray. Steve caught up on The Edge of Seventeen, Raw, and 2014’s Beauty and the Beast; while I was enamored by Kedi, pumped out Drake’s More Life, experienced Step Up 3D within PSVR, and finally beat Sly Cooper. More importantly, Sony is making a Venom movie, Warner Bros is rebooting The Matrix, Fox is remaking The Fly, and Netflix is re-sharting pan and scan.
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