Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 508 – “That Was Then: Sideways”

Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in Sideways (2004), directed by Alexander Payne

Gobbledygeek episode 508, “That Was Then: Sideways,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

As they say, don’t drink and podcast, but here Paul and Arlo are talking about 2004’s Sideways for another round of That Was Then. Alexander Payne’s acclaimed dramedy follows alcoholic wine connoisseur Miles as he takes his bonehead best buddy Jack on a road trip through Santa Barbara the week before Jack’s due to get hitched. It is the Fox Searchlight movie, and the boys discuss what that means, how the performances bring forth certain emotional notes in the script’s body, and why somebody could come away from a first viewing not understanding 20 years’ worth of hype. Plus, Arlo goes into uncomfortable detail about his middle school career.

NEXT: enough old movies, let’s talk old(-ish) comics! This month’s Four-Color Flashback sees Eric Sipple joining Paul and Arlo for Si Spurrier and Dylan Burnett’s Weavers.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:45  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:29:46  –  Main Topic
  • 01:35:36  –  Outro / Next

MUSIC

  • “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel, The Stranger (1977)
  • “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell, Blue (1971)

GOBBLEDYCARES

On DVD & Blu-Ray, 6/28/11: ‘Sucker Punch,’ ‘Barney’s Version,’ More

SUCKER PUNCH: Extended Cut (DVD/Blu-ray/Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Combo)

Yep, here it is. This is the film that either destroyed any remnants of geek cred I may ever have had, or proved what a brilliant film viewer I really am. Why, you ask? Because, damn it, I liked this Zack Snyder joint. Ostensibly the story of Baby Doll (Emily Browning), an abused young woman put into an institution by her father and scheduled for a lobotomy, who travels to deeper and deeper levels of consciousness on an anime/video game/comic book-inspired quest to free herself and her fellow inmates. Pretty young things in barely-there clothing battling giant robot samurai, fire-breathing dragons, and steam-powered zombie Nazis. Given only that premise, and taking into account Snyder’s penchant for phantasmagoric, speed-ramped action sequences, this could have been a beautiful but vapid piece of hormone and adrenaline-fueled cinematic trash. But, as I infamously explained here, I believe there is much more to it than that. The Extended Cut features an additional 18 minutes of footage, a picture-in-picture commentary with director Snyder, and has been rated R, up from the theatrical PG-13.  – Paul Smith

(Originally reviewed by Paul, and much less favorably by myself, in “Ladylike.”)

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The Gobbledygeek Guide to the 2011 Spring Movie Season

In this week’s episode, Paul and I discuss 31 different movies opening this spring that we fiund…interesting…for one reason or another, some good, some bad. As promised, here are IMDb links and trailers for each.

February TBA

London Boulevard

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Top 100 Characters in Modern Pop Culture: #90-81

On Friday’s show, Paul and I began our countdown of the Top 100 Characters in Modern Pop Culture. We’ve each got our own lists, and last night we revealed our respective #s 90-81. Be sure to listen to the show for our full run-down, but here are our picks with excerpts of what we said:

#90

PAUL: Tulip O’Hare (Preacher)

She’s a gun-toting, can-take-care-of-herself woman who holds her own against Jesse Custer.

AJ: Margo Channing (All About Eve)

Margo Channing is a great actress, possibly the greatest stage actress of her time. But as one character says, her fault lies in the fact that she knows she’s great.

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