Episode list

In MG's debut episode, Chris, Dan, and Erick compare Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey - a common #1 on on critics' top-ten lists - with Peter Hyams' 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and The Godfather Part II rejuvenated cinema in the 1970s with an intimate yet grand portrait of a family through time that works both as visceral entertainment and as a symbol of America's slow decline. But their influence didn't stop with that decade -- their visionary storytelling became a map for how we approach modern streaming entertainment. The binge worthy epic has become the backbone of dramatic filmmaking today, and these movies' effect can be seen in everything from Netflix' Ozark, to Amazon's The Man in the High Castle, to Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. But don't worry, Martini Giant fans - our 70's love-in isn't just the highfalutin' New Hollywood stuff. We still find time to give a shout-out to Victoria Principal in Earthquake. Because hell yeah.

Bill Murray's Groundhog Day was originally received as yet another light n' clever 90's rom-com, but has since gone on to become a cultural icon in the vein of It's a Wonderful Life as audiences picked up on the deeper layers of this amazingly structured, almost Buddhist life lesson. But don't let this write-up fool you; on the way to all that trippy inner peace, Martini Giant is more than happy to get all hot-buttony about politics, Louis CK, and the use of offensiveness in art. Also in this episode: Thron use the word "ingratiating" as if it's a complement, inadvertently revealing much about his own childhood.

Martini Giant looks at the prescient work of filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, who's amazing first feature District 9 is arguably even more relevant today than it was upon its release. He also directed a sexy Matt Damon as a robo-powered blue-collar worker in Elysium and a sexy Hugh Jackman as an white-collar engineer in Chappie. In addition, listeners might want to Google his YouTube hits Tetra Vaal and Alive in Joburg, as well as the spectacularly inventive collected shorts of Blomkamp's Oats Studios, which star Sigourney Weaver and Dakota Fanning in excellently badass roles. Also of note: Thron offers a lengthy mia culpa about being such a dick about Elysium on Facebook.

In 2018, Netflix launched a frontal assault on the Hollywood system, recruiting not just big stars, but some of the world's most respected writer/directors to helm some incredible new works. The result? Alfonso Cuaron's deeply personal Roma and The Coen Brother's anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs are both up for Oscar gold -- and success will signal a major change in how studio movies are funded, distributed, and experienced, not to mention shake up the concept of what is a 'studio' in the first place. Join Martini Giant as Thron changes his mind, Nichols changes his ice, and Schiele changes the subject in our Oscar extravaganza.

We roll up the red carpet in a special OSCARS POST-MORTEM. For a while it seemed like this year's Academy Awards might collapse under the weight of politics, social media, and tone-deaf choices, but in the end they surprised everyone by delivering a show that was as brisk, well-received, and inoffensive as any they have broadcast. In short: MG takes offense at this. Join us as Nichols goes deep on VFX's relationship to awards, Thron gets angry about a movie he basically didn't see, and Schiele finds a way to make a Lusitania joke feel like a natural part of conversation in this special BONUS EPISODE.

Martini Giant cries its collective face off over Christopher Reeve, ping-pong, and a spilled pint as -- at listeners' request -- we take on time-travel movies. This is the first in a series covering this jam-packed genre, so prepare to get paradoxical with three under-the-radar selections: the weepy/creepy Somewhere in Time, the drinky/thinky Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, and the sentimental/transcendental About Time. Of course our listeners in 2040 know already that this episode is the reason why these three films are even more famous than Back to the Future in the future. It's hard to explain. But basically Schiele turns out to be his own grandpa. Spoiler alert.

MG welcomes its first guest as Chaos Group's Lon Grohs joins us to talk about his favorite film, The Transporter. Jason Statham's breakout as a leading man had a major impact on popcorn movies, influencing the Jason Bourne films, the Taken franchise, and the Fast and the Furious series among countless others. But while it checks all the boxes of a standard Hollywood action-spectacle, it's European roots show in both tone and theme. Was producer Luc Besson having a little more fun with his target audience than he's letting on? MG rips off its shirt, smears oil on its chest, and gets ready to wrestle with the answer.

Fish out of water movies are one of the most well-loved film genres, with Mr. Mom, Enchanted, Back to the Future, and Legally Blonde being perennial favorites. But MG being MG, we've gone slightly obscure with our selections: Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye, with Elliott Gould as a hard-boiled 40's-styled detective in New Age 70's LA, Hal Ashby's Being There, starring Peter Sellers as a childlike gardener who becomes a political guru, and Bill Forsyth's gently brilliant Local Hero, in which Peter Riegert tries to deliver a small Scottish town into the hands of an oil conglomerate. All a little strange, all a little sweet - and all, MG argues, deserve to be new classics.

In 1982, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" auteur Tobe Hooper had the biggest hit of his career with the haunted house classic "Poltergeist" - a film that was written, produced, and some say overshadowed by Steven Spielberg - leading many to suspect that Spielberg himself had actually directed it, but didn't want the shockfest to taint the good-boy image (and possible oscar chances) he earned from the same year's smash "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial." But MG argues differently - that the film is as Hooperesque as it is Spielbergian, and the combo makes for not just one of the best films of the 80s, but one of the best horror movies of all time.

A very special episode of MG as VFX Oscar nominee Joe Farrell joins us to talk about 1971's notorious shocker WAKE IN FRIGHT, often listed as one of the greatest -- and most disturbing -- films of the 70's, and it was based on the novel by our guest's own grandfather. Long thought lost, the picture was rescued from obscurity by its editor, who, after nearly a decade of searching, discovered a pristine copy in Pittsburgh, and was re-released in 2009 to long-deserved acclaim. Though almost 50 years old, the film completely retains its ability to horrify. (WARNING to viewers: this film contains non-simulated animal hunting and killing).

Artist Robh Ruppel is known for his incredible work on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, Love, Death and Robots, as well as his gorgeous art book Graphic L.A , so MG is thrilled to have him in to discuss the most visually-focused of genres: Film Noir. Over the decades, Noir became one of the most influential movements in movies, with big-budget pictures from Blade Runner to Sin City to Detective Pikachu spending millions to replicate its signature vibe. But when it started, these stark visuals were born as creative solutions to low-budget constraints - and Anthony Mann's T-Men is a perfect example: gritty, bleak - and rough in all the right places.

MG welcomes VR mastermind Sally Slade to the podcast to discuss David Cronenberg's Ambien-esque acid trip thriller eXistenZ. Coming out only three weeks after the Wachowski sisters' similarly-themed kick-to-the-Zeitgeist superhit The Matrix, the film failed at the box office, but it has recently been reappraised, being seen by many as both a companion piece to Cronenberg's earlier masterpiece Videodrome, as well as a bizarrely prescient commentary on our current technological life, often playing as if Philip K. Dick had written about XBox Live. How does its mix of comedy and body horror hold up after twenty years? Lube up your bioports and find out.

Cinematographer Ken Stachnik, whose work can be seen in the scary-as-hell thrillers Clown Town and The Toybox, joins MG to talk about one of his great cinematic inspirations: Pam Grier's vengeance-packed, genre-defining hit Coffy. Often cited as the best film of the 1970's 'blaxploitation' movement, Coffy's crossover success changed how Hollywood thought about stardom and subject matter, and Grier's powerful performance set the mold for female action heroes for decades to come. Frank sexuality, hard violence and blunt commentary might make it a rough ride for some viewers, but to MG, this landmark of American cinema is well worth it.

Roman Polanski's genre-defining masterpiece Chinatown is almost inarguably one of the greatest movies ever made: a flawless epic featuring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston all at the top of their game, with a screenplay that is often held up as the best that Hollywood has ever produced - we still feel its influence on modern film, in everything from Blade Runner to Detective Pikachu... but it has also become shorthand for what is now a central problem for film fandom: in the social media era, how do we deal with a great work of art that were made by someone who's done awful things? As you might expect, MG has no shortage of opinions on this.

Mike Hill is known for his amazing concept work in Blade Runner 2049 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, but his incredible breakdowns of how stories work in film are equally impressive. Join us as we get his first impressions on an MG favorite: Michael Cimino's first film, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. This underseen masterpiece is a strange mix of genres - starting as a buddy comedy and ending as a sort of American tragedy - but it features one of Clint Eastwood's best performances, and got Jeff Bridges his second Oscar nomination. Cimino's later films may be more famous (or infamous), but we argue this might be his best.

This week we have a very special guest indeed, as Martini Giant is joined by host Chris Nichols' nine-year-old son Brady. Don't let his age fool you, though. This kid came loaded for bear with some very strong opinions regarding the Steven Spielberg / Tom Cruise team-up, War of the Worlds. In fact he came with a literal notebook filled with critiques - plus a list of jokes - instantly making him the most prepared person, guest or host, ever to be on the show. So come for the adorableness, stay for the startlingly insightful commentary. Also, careful listeners will notice a wholly appropriate lack of actual martinis in this episode.

Having the face of a basset hound and the demeanor of an angry cabbie, Walter Matthau was a born character actor, known best for roles like the sinister Dr. Groeteschiele in Fail-Safe and the double-crossing Hamilton Bartholomew of Cary Grant's Charade. But starting in the 1970's, Matthau managed to turn his Odd Couple act into box office gold, and scored a string of hits that made him America's least-likely leading man. Join us as MG takes on two of his best: 1974's subway-heist classic The Taking of Pelham 123, featuring Robert Shaw of Jaws fame, and 1980's brilliant, underseen, and infinitely watchable comedy Hopscotch.

Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to controversy, and his new film - the nostalgic and star-packed time-machine that is Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood is no exception. Taking on the terrifying Manson murders, the movie casts a fantastic spell that starts off as an easy-going buddy comedy, but slowly descends into darker territory, bringing the director's trademark ultra violence along with it. The historical twist undoubtedly adds extra impact -- but was it too much? Did Tarantino cross the line, or does he hit new heights? MG is dramatically split on this one - and the result is one of the spiciest, most exciting episodes we've ever recorded.

Our pick this week is the little-seen thriller Outland - the movie that made everyone think you explode in space. Sean Connery stars as a middle-aged Marshal trying to make good in a no-good town - and if that sounds like a western, it's because it's based on one - it's High Noon to be precise. But this one trades in its dusters for spacesuits and clay-jug whiskey for poly-dichloric euthimal. Directed by MG favorite Peter Hyams and looking like the spiritual successor to Ridley Scott's Alien, this A+ B-movie is a masterpiece of world building, and features all-time great performance from Frances Stern hagen as the grumpiest doctor in the solar system.

Reality goes out the window as MG takes on a double-dip of unconscious action: 1984's B-movie funhouse Dreamscape vs Christopher Nolan's catnip-for-nerds Inception. And though they were made on opposite ends of the budgetary spectrum, we think that each of these similarly-themed high-concept films has its own charms. For instance, Inception's Oscar-winning VFX are notable for their heavy use of old-school practical trickery, while Dreamscape is one of only three movies in the 1980s to feature both Max Von Sydow and snake-headed bad guys in major roles. So break out your tops, MG fans, and see if they don't stop spinning before our epic-length analysis is through.

After the success of his Oscar-nominated thriller Deliverance, director John Boorman was looking to direct a live-action version of Lord of the Rings - but when that fell through, he went for the next best thing: a post-apocalyptic epic about bored, deathless psychic elites who live under the protection of an almost supernaturally powerful artificial intelligence that monitors global population with the use of a giant floating stone head that descends from the sky to vomit guns upon its army of mindless, speedo-wearing zealots - led, naturally, by a slightly doughy and persistently half-naked Sean Connery. Beat that, Gandalf.

Rom-coms dominated the American box office in the 1990s and early 2000's, and now seem to be making a comeback with hits like Crazy Rich Asians and Netflix's The Kissing Booth. But the genre's roots go back before World War II, and MG charts this arc by comparing two classics: Renée Zellweger's charming, goofy...and slightly regressive Bridget Jones's Diary from 2001, and Katherine Hepburn's snappy, whip-smart...and shockingly progressive adaptation of the play The Philadelphia Story from 1940. Both tackle the trope of a woman making a choice between two possible guys, but in our opinion, only one of these pictures comes up with the right answer.

For Halloween, MG servers up some hand-picked horror. First on the list, Erick brings us the the Canadian creep fest Pin, in which a young man gets a little too attached to a life-sized Visible Man doll; then Dan digs into the 70s classic Don't Look Now, which features more Donald Sutherland nudity than anyone is really prepared for - and to top it all off, there is Chris' choice: the arthouse progenitor of modern torture-porn: Takashi Mike's blood curdling Audition - which tricks you into thinking you are watching a sweet, sad character study about a nice guy and his son - and then locks the door, drugs you up, and breaks out the rubber apron.

Director Neil Huxley joins MG to talk about a personal favorite: the powerful under-the-radar indie Dead Man's Shoes, written and starring Paddy Considine from The World's End and Peaky Blinders, and directed by Shane Meadows of This is England. Family, regret, violence, and brotherhood are all examined in this story of a military man who has returned home to confront the crew of low-rent criminals who abused his brother - but while the setup may seem familiar, nothing plays out the way you expect it to, and what at first seems like straightforward vengeance plot line slowly evolves something much deeper and more meaningful.

MG takes on two films about guys on an inevitable downward slide - each played by actors whose star was on the rise: Bob Fosse's politically incorrect manifestoLenny, stars Dustin Hoffman as the boundary-shattering, fantastically offensive, and deeply troubled comedian Lenny Bruce, and the Safdie Brothers'Good Time, stars the former butt-of-sparkly-YA-vampire-jokes-turned-indie-darling Robert Pattinson. The performances are both incredible, and the films themselves are groundbreaking, radically stylish, and risky narratives for their time - but MG is slightly split on which one really pulls off what it is attempting.

Over the past twenty-four years, Michael Mann's epic crime drama Heat has risen to the status of an American masterpiece, and has influenced a huge range of directors, from Christopher Nolan (the entire opening of The Dark Knight) to Wes Anderson (where Max buys dynamite in the Rushmore). And we love it - hell, you could probably stitch together a complete audio recreation just from Erick and Daniel's quoting it on the podcast... but just because it's a classic doesn't mean this is going to be praise-a-thon. MG dusts it up over casting, length, believability, and whether Pacino's performance might've been made better by adding a little nose candy.

Before hitting the box-office stratosphere with his portrayal ofAnt-Man, Paul Rudd's unique persona - a blend of heartfelt and hilarious - landed him roles in a huge range of movies, from serious indies like Niel LaBute's The Shape of Things to comedies like the Ivan-Reitman-producedI Love You Man. But MG argues that it was in 2001's little-seenThe Chateau where Rudd found his voice. Co-starring Weeds' Romany Malco and directed byOur Idiot Brother's Jesse Peretz, this bizarre gem combines sit-com setups with proto - mumblecore drama in a way that brought out the best in Rudd - and fourteen years later got him the ant-suit.

Before hitting the box-office stratosphere with his portrayal ofAnt-Man, Paul Rudd's unique persona - a blend of heartfelt and hilarious - landed him roles in a huge range of movies, from serious indies like Niel LaBute's The Shape of Things to comedies like the Ivan-Reitman-producedI Love You Man. But MG argues that it was in 2001's little-seenThe Chateau where Rudd found his voice. Co-starring Weeds' Romany Malco and directed byOur Idiot Brother's Jesse Peretz, this bizarre gem combines sit-com setups with proto - mumblecore drama in a way that brought out the best in Rudd - and fourteen years later got him the ant-suit.

Kat Elliott Vanderjagt joins MG to discuss one of her favorites: the British indie MirrorMask, written by Neverwhere's Neil Gaiman and directed by Dave McKean. The two had previously collaborated on the graphic novel 'Violent Cases,' and McKean himself is most famous for the cover art to Gaiman's award-winning comic The Sandman, but MirrorMask was their first foray into film - and at a budget of only 4 million, the result is an amazingly realized mix of live-action and animation that brings McKean's nightmarish visuals to life within a story that serves as a kind of of dry run for Gaiman's later masterpiece, Coraline.