Welcome to the final week of How Have We Never Covered... And it's only fitting that the final spot in this tournament go to a sports movie. And a cult teen comedy to boot. That's right, we're discussing Bring It On. Peyton Reed's turn of the millennia cheerleader comedy with a hot young cast. A cheer squad is preparing for their next national championship run when they discover their cheers have all been stolen from a local underprivileged school. With little time left in the season, they try to reinvent themselves and take the honorable road to success. This week, we're discussing the film's approach to race, cultural appropriation and plagiarism, the film's depiction of cheerleaders and the exploitive nature of high school extracurriculars, and much more. 

How Have We Never Covered... continues with Week 3 Winner, Atomic Blonde. The 2017 action spy thriller stars Charlize Theron as an MI6 agent trying to find delicate information. With the John Wick team at the helm, does Atomic Blonde hit the same notes? Or does it get lost in its generic trappings? We discuss! This week, we're analyzing Atomic Blonde and talking all about 80s aeshetics, nostalgia, the male gaze, the possible queering of tropes, and much more. So, join us in our discussion of Atomic Blonde, and join us on Twitter (@Good_Trash) to vote in the final week of How Have We Never Covered...!

How Have We Never Covered Spirited Away?? That's what you're asking us this week, as episode 376 is devoted to week two's champion, the beloved film from Hayao Miyazaki. We explore Spirited Away's run in the week two tournament, and the finals against Booksmart. But, you're not here for that, you're here for the analysis. This week, we dive into the story of Chihiro and the spirit world she finds herself trapped in. This week, as we put Spirited Away on the analysis table, we talk capitalism and consumption, ghost towns, ecological commentaries, the use of what Miyazaki calls "ma" and the slowing of the narrative, and much, much more. Week 3 is currently underway, so go join us on Twitter (@Good_Trash) to make your vote count!

Time Stamps

00:00:30 - Week 2 Breakdown

00:04:39 - Introductions and Synopsis

00:07:52 - Quick Reviews

00:20:01 - Expanding the Syllabus

00:41:25 - Analysis

01:07:05 - Shelf or Trash

01:08:49 - Tournament Talk Week 3

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