Aussie and the Scotsman talk movies

School of Rock

This week we review the 2003 comedy film School of Rock directed by Richard Linklater.
The film stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman.
Black plays struggling rock guitarist Dewey Finn, who is fired from his band and subsequently poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.
After witnessing the musical talent of the students, Dewey forms a band of fourth-graders to attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands and use his winnings to pay his rent.
Did this film work because of Jack Black - or was it a ensemble performance?
Could any other actor have played this role? We discuss.
This was one of our early podcasts when we were just starting out - you can tell.
A lot shorter than normal, we don't give it a rating and the Aussie nearly forgets about the trivia segment!
Really fun family movie though and we thoroughly enjoyed watching it. We definately recommend you should watch this one with the family.
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Moonlight

This week we review the 2016 American coming-of-age drama film Moonlight written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.
It stars Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris, and Mahershala Ali and it won the Acaademy Award for best Picture.
For once we agree. The Aussie and the Scotsman are very surprised at this choice of winner.
This movie DID NOT deserve to win best oscar NOR did Mahershala Ali deserve to win best supporting actor..........in our professional opinion of course.
Interesting movie but nothing special for us reviewing here in Australia. Maybe in the States where this is more prevelant in specific communities it resonates better hence the Oscar..
If agreeing wasn't enough you should tune in to hear the Scotsman apologise to the Aussie regarding a movie choice later in the podcast.
Our lowest ratings yet. No need to watch before listening.
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Joker - with Ben King on-set photographer

This week we review the 2019 American psychological thriller film Joker directed by Todd Phillips.
It stars Joaquin Phoenix and provides an alternative origin story for the Joker.
The film follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comedian whose descent into mental illness and nihilism inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles.  
We welcome back Ben King to the studio. Ben is an on-set photographer as well as taking key art shots for movies and TV. Check out our interview with him in an earlier episode.
Ben brings the Joker to us this week with a technically interesting perspective of the film through the lens of someone in the industry. 
Ben kicks off with colourful descriptions of the movie that has the Aussie all aflutter. Words with more than one syllable that both boys struggle to keep up with.
This is a brilliant but dark movie as you would expect. Delving into mental health and abuse.  It is one of Todd Phillips best movies but we ask how did he manage to get it so wrong for the sequel.
 
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The Hangover

This week we discuss the 2009 American comedy film The Hangover directed by Todd Phillips and starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong and Jeffrey Tambor.
It tells the story of Phil Wenneck (Cooper), Stu Price (Helms), Alan Garner (Galifianakis), and Doug Billings (Bartha), who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate Doug's impending marriage.
However, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up with Doug missing and no memory of the previous night's events, and must find the groom before the wedding can take place.
Why does this film resonate so much with the boys?
We discuss which character we would most like to be.
The Aussie goes flat when he hears the the Scotsman's guess. Who do you think it will be?
You either love this movie or hate it - we loved it - and we fanboy and drool over Bradley Cooper.
Lots of impersonations by the Aussie in this one - enjoy . We did!
 
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Good Morning Vietnam

Today we are reviewing the 1987 American war comedy film Good Morning Vietnam directed by Barry Levinson and starring Golden Globe winner Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, JT Walksh and Bruno Kirby.
Set in Saigon in 1965 , during the Vietnam War, the film stars Williams as an Armed Forces Radio Service DJ who proves hugely popular with the troops, but infurates his superiors.
This is Williams at his improvisational best - a movie that is hard to dislike and sad because we lost Robin Williams and his comedic genius too soon.
The Aussie comes out with all the lines in this one and they both agree this is one not to miss.
We have a discussion on news cencorship and as this is one of the first podcasts we ever did it's a little more structured and not quite as fast and loose as our recent ones.
Still we think it's worth a listen as this is another great movie. Gooooooodddddddd Moooooorrrnnninggggg Vietnaaammmmmmm (try saying that without having Robin Williams in your head!)
 
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Remember the Titans

This week we review the 2000 American biographical sports drama film Remember the Titans produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
The screenplay is loosely based on the true story of coach Herman Boone, portrayed by Denzel Washington, and his attempt to integrate the T. C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School) football team in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1971.
Will Patton portrays Bill Yoast, Boone's assistant coach. Real-life athletes Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell are portrayed by Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris, respectively.
If you love sports movies you will love this. Otherwise, according to the Scotsman give it a miss.
Look, anything with Denzel is great, he has great screen presence and knows how to deliver a rousing monologue.
The Aussie as we know loves his sports movies and this was his pick.
This is a movie about racsim and the division in society - set in 1971. 
This was one of our very first podcasts we did back in 2023....and you can tell. 
(Edit note: Sylvester Stallone is in Escape to Victory not The Great Escape). 
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Whiplash

This week we discuss the 2014 American psycholigcal drama music film Whiplash starring Miles Teller and J K Simmons.
Considered one of the best movies of the 2010's this won Simmons every award going.
The Aussie takes over - he hadn't see it but being a movie about excellence in performance and pushing as hard as you can to get the most out of yourself he talks about his own personal experiences as a former sports professional.
The movie focuses on an ambitious music student and aspiring jazz drummer (Teller), who is pushed to his limit by his abusive instructor (Simmons) at the Shaffer Conservatory in New York City.
The Aussie goes through this one in great detail and he tells us some stories about the 10 years he spent training every day until he had to make a decision in his final year of school - prepare for the Olympics or drop it and take a different career path.
Not much arguing here - it is a straightforward recap and discussion of the main themes of this great - and must watch - movie.
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer

This week we review the 2017 absurdist psychological horror thriller film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer directed and co-produced by Yorgos Lanthimos.
It stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, and Bill Camp.
It follows a cardiac surgeon who introduces his family to a teenage boy with a connection to his past, after which they mysteriously begin to fall ill.
This is not one that we expect the Aussie to like, enjoy or even understand which is why the Scotsman wanted him to watch it.
We want him to get to know Barry Keoghan whom the Scotsman loves.
"Absurdist movies" are not his cup of tea, although he "didn't hate it as much as he thought he would".  
We find out that the Aussie does not like Nicole Kidman at all and the movie asks the worst question of all....if you had to pick a child to sacrifice, which one would it be?
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A Bronx Tale with Max

This week we review the 1993 American coming-of-age crime drama film A Bronx Tale directed by and starring Robert De Niro in his directorial debut adapted from Chazz Palminteri's 1989 play of the same name.
It tells the coming-of-age story of an Italian-American boy, Calogero (Lillo Brancato Jr), who, after encountering a local Mafia boss (Palminteri), is torn between the temptations of organized crime and the values of his honest, hardworking father (De Niro), as well as racial tensions in his community.
We welcome back to the podcast the Scotsman's son Max. This a definite watch before you listen. We all loved it.
Robert De Niro playing against type in this gangster movie - but not your typical gangster movie.
The Aussie "absolutely" loved this one but he loses it again  when the Scotsman glosses over the "most divine" part of the film, 'The Door Test Scene; "you don't have a heart and body" he says .
The boys could not be more differernt. The Aussie loves the love scene. The Scotsman loves the bar fight scene. And that in a nutshell is the Aussie and the Scotsman!
Max tells us that "Sonny has mad aura, big up Sonny", which we will have translated one day.
There are a few plot holes don't the film as we discuss. But we can let them pass - it's a film about principles and values and we highly recommend you watch before you listen.
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Zero Dark Thirty

This week we review the 2012 American political action thriller film Zero Dark Thirty directed and produced by Kathryn Bigelow.
The film dramatizes the nearly decade-long international manhunt for Osama bin Laden, leader of the terrorist network Al-Qaeda, after the September 11 attacks.
This search leads to the discovery of his compound in Pakistan and the U.S. military raid where bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011.
Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, a fictional CIA intelligence analyst, with Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Reda Kateb, Mark Strong, James Gandolfini, Kyle Chandler, Chris Pratt, Mark Duplass, Harold Perrineau, and Frank Grillo in supporting roles.
It was nominated in five categories at the 85th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress for Chastain, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Editing, which it won in a tie with Skyfall.
A revolting story from the Aussie at the start kicks us off with a great podcast despite him still bumbling his way through the intro.
We know the plot. We know how it ends. But the journey is incredible.
"Was this our JFK moment" and "do you believe in an eye for an eye" are a couple of the questions from the Aussie this week.
This podcast was recorded in December 2024 and we talk a bit about the Middle East conflict. We talk a lot about Abu Ghraib and Seal Team 6. And the Scotsman recommends two movies they won't review on this podcast but are excellent and stars Mark Duplass from this movie, Paddleton and Biosphere.
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