Filmspotting

Is Toy Story 5 an inspired reorienting of the venerable Pixar franchise, or a tired rehash? Adam and Josh offer differing takes. Plus, Adam reviews Michael Sarnoski's bleak but intriguing The Death of Robin Hood, Josh recommends Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada, an avant-garde ghost story set in a UK fishing village, and an "evil genius" ‘90s blockbuster poll question. This episode is presented by⁠...

When the fourth Toy Story installment came to theaters in the summer of 2019, Adam invited the Blank Check podcast's Griffin Newman to join him for the Top 5 Toy Story Scenes. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt and Jordan review Netflix’s generically titled but surprisingly witty Office Romance. Co-written by and starring Brett Goldstein alongside JLo, the workplace rom-com rises just above the streaming giant’s usual output by delivering actual jokes, real talent, and a surprising level of NSFW content. Plus, some deep-cut streaming recommendations, this week’s streaming releases, and a new game...

Adam and Josh review Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, praising star Emily Blunt and the impeccably staged action while questioning whether Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp’s spiritual sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind captures the same sense of wonder. Then, Adam (finally) reviews the hit live-action/CGI hybrid The Sheep Detectives, plus Massacre Theatre. This episode is...

In 2020, Adam and Josh used the 45th anniversary of Jaws to Power Rank the Spielberg Decades — from the Close Encounters ’70s to the Lincoln 2010s. With the release of Disclosure Day, the question now is whether it’s already time to do it again and include the 2020s. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.See...

Matt and Jordan review HBO’s Sundance acquisition Miss You Love You. And while Jordan finds it to be a handsome, moving, and well-acted "filmed play", Matt finds too modest and predictable. For Rec Seg, Matt revisits the grueling, ice-cold dread of corporate culture with a 2019 workplace thriller, while Jordan counters with a classic 1982 Sidney Lumet thriller packed with more twists, turns --...

Adam and Josh reach a definitive milestone in Filmspotting’s Dissident Cinema Marathon with Costa-Gavras’s Oscar-winning 1969 masterpiece, Z. A thinly veiled account of a political assassination and subsequent government cover-up in Greece, the film stands as a foundational text for the modern paranoid thriller.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam and Josh catch up with the summer's surprise hit Obsession, the “monkey’s paw” update from YouTube creator turned first-time feature-director Curry Barker. Then, it’s John Carney’s Power Ballad, with Paul Rudd as a down-on-his-luck wedding singer who has a chance encounter with a former boy band star played by Nick Jonas. Plus, poll results and listener feedback on Rudd's best supporting...

From amps cranked up to eleven, to the sweet, soulful harmonies of a dynamic rhythm and blues revival, Adam and Josh count down their Top 5 (Fictional) Movie Bands. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt and Jordan review Netflix's massive true crime tabloid horror hit, The Crash, a direct-to-streaming look at the tragic Mackenzie Sherilla case. Jordan walks away feeling like he needs a shower for his soul, while Matt thanks his lucky stars that social media didn't exist when he was a youngster. For Rec Seg, Matt challenges the "drek" of the true crime genre by recommending an...