Week 1 of How Have We Never Covered... is here as we talk all about The Truman Show, the winner of the first week's tournament. The Truman Show beat out The Prestige in the week one finals. Truman Burbank has been the unknowing subject of a 30 year reality TV series. As he nears his 30th birthday, things begin going awry that begin to create a deeper sense of confusion and doubt within Truman's mind. This week, we're talking all about artifice, the commodification of people, the multiple layers within the film, and the metaphysical nature of Peter Weir's expository work. We hope we did it justice, and we hope that you join us on Twitter to vote for the upcoming films in the marathon.

Time Stamps

00:00:30 - Week 1 Tournament Review

00:07:07 - Introductions

00:08:32 - Synopsis

00:09:19 - Reviews

00:20:52 - Expanding the Syllabus

00:35:53 - Analysis

01:13:16 - Shelf or Trash

01:14:02 - Tournament Talk: Week 2

01:22:44 - Where to Find Us

Ep. 374 of the GenreCast is another Patreon-awarded supporter pick. Our wonderful patreon supporter Bekah has chosen American Mary for us to discuss this week. TW: Assault is a part of the plot and we do discuss it in this episode. It has a certain sentimental value for Dalton, Dustin was excited to revisit it, and Arthur is watching it for the first time. American Mary tells the story of a broke med student looking to find a way to survive the financial strife of school. To do so, she finds herself caught in an underground world of illegal surgeries. This week, our trademark style of movie analysis sees us talking cult cinema, the American dream, representation of counter cultures, the Soska Sisters, the gaze, treatment of sex workers, and much, much more in this special Patreon-awarded episode of the GenreCast over American Mary. 

Time Stamps

00:01:56 - Welcome and Introductions

00:03:23 - Synopsis

00:04:12 - Quick Reviews

00:17:48 - Expanding the Syllabus

00:36:58 - Analysis

01:06:53 - Shelf or Trash

01:09:00 - Social Plugs and Next Week’s Film

Episode 373 of the GenreCast as here, and we're predicting you're gonna like this one. This week, we're taking a look at the 1983 Stephen King adaptation, The Dead Zone. Directed by David Cronenberg and starring Christopher Walken, The Dead Zone is the tragic story of one man forgotten by time. Johnny Smith wakes up from a 5 year coma to experience the world has left him behind, and left him with the power to see events before they happen. This week, we're talking King, Cronenberg, adaptation, and auteurism. The topic of fate, destiny, and the philosophy of our lives comes up. And finally, we talk about the obvious political elements of the film. So, if you wanna see the future, come with us as we talk The Dead Zone. 

TIMESTAMPS

00:01:55 - Welcome and Introductions

00:05:07 - Synopsis

00:06:31 - Quick Reviews

00:21:04 - Expanding the Syllabus

00:32:00 - Analysis

01:07:42 - Shelf or Trash

01:08:26 - Social Plugs and Next Week’s Film

Episode 372 takes us back to the beginnings of one of cinema's greats: Hayao Miyazaki. That's right, this week, we're looking at his feature directorial debut, The Castle of Cagliostro. It's a Lupin III adventure! And what's that? We're doing an anime film by choice? My how we've grown. On this week's episode, we're talking Miyazaki and his through lines, the Goths, Visigoths, Romans and more, politics of sovereign states and much, much more as we bring The Castle of Cagliostro to the film analysis table. Tune in now!

Episode 371 takes us to the edges of sanity as we discuss the 1990 cult favorite Jacob's Ladder. And it's all thanks to our sweet Patreon donor, Brigham. Brigham has been a friend of us and the show since the beginning, and we're always excited to see what he has in store for us. Jacob's Ladder has been in the back of our mind for a long time but never found it's way to the table, but thanks to Patreon and Brigham, it's finally here. In this reality-bending tale, Jacob Singer can no longer tell what is real or what is a dream. We grapple with the loss of the mid-budget studio genre film, the presentation of otherworldly elements, military experiments and the cycles of political leanings in media. So join us as we attempt to climb Jacob's Ladder. 

Welcome back to the wonderful world of Twilight, you beautiful twi-hards! This week, the sparkling dynamic duo is back to discuss their thoughts on the discussion of thoughts had by the cast and director of Twilight. It's a commentary commentary! Erin and Kirsten dig into the deeper, more complex thoughts held by K-Stew and R-Patt and C-Hard(?). So, hit those download and play buttons and join in on the conversation as we fall even further into Twilight. 

Episode 370 of the GenreCast takes us back to 1998 to discuss the OTHER asteroid movie of that year, Deep Impact. Back on Ep. 291, we talked all about Michael Bay's take on the genre, so this week we're talking Mimi Leder and her approach to the disaster film. Deep Impact boasts a star studded lineup, including Tea Leoni, Morgan Freeman, Elijah Wood, James Cromwell, and many more. It's a race against the clock, sort of, as America tries to stop an asteroid from wiping out life on earth. With a similar plot to Armageddon, we discuss what sets Deep Impact apart. We're talking twin movies, nationalism, disaster movies, and much more in our look at Deep Impact.

Episode 369 of the GenreCast sees the gang diving back into the early aughts first attempts at comic book franchises with the lovably forgettable The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This super team-up of literatures biggest heroes (and villains) seems Allan Quartermain, Dr. Jekyll, an Invisible Man, and more join forces to take on a terrorist known as The Phantom. But, is it as silly as it's oft remembered? Or is there something deeper going on? We submerge into the world of LXG to discuss British patriotism, Mina Harker, and the much more interesting movie this could have been. So, join us as we tackle the greatest literary cinematic universe that never was. 

Producer's Note: Dustin's mic goes wonky at about 15 minutes, which changes his sound, this coupled with additional file issues made the edit rougher than normal. But, I think I got everything worked out. 

Are you ready to go all in? We try to understand the cards we've been dealt in the form of Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of Molly's Game. This 2017 drama recounts the true story of Molly Bloom who ran lucrative celebrity poker games on both seaboards. But, as with all good things, it comes to an end—leaving Molly in quite a legal predicament. This week, we're talking all about noted scribe Aaron Sorkin and his first turn as director. We flesh out what makes him tick as a creator while also grappling with Molly as a woman and a character. Pull up a chair and ante up, it's time to play Molly's Game. 

Grab your bow and grab your quiver! This week, we're traveling back to 1991 to look at one of the second biggest movie of the year, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. While Arnie and the T-800 owned the year, Kevin Costner was hot on his heels as the titular Robin Hood. This age old story receives the blockbuster treatment from Kevin Reynolds as Robin seeks to steal from the rich and give to the poor. As we cut to its core, we take a look at the films approach to race, religion, and diversity in the early 90s, we discuss the film's approach to class, as well as the evolution of the character and how it reads today. Finally, we debate the appeal of Kevin Costner. Tune in now! And let us know your thoughts on the show, the movie, or Kevin Costner.