Stuff We’ve Seen

Priscilla and May December: The Fourteen-Year-Old Connection

Priscilla and May December are two films now available to stream or watch on Netflix that share a strange bond. They both involve plotlines that deal with inappropriate relationships between adults and fourteen-year-olds.

This week Jim and Teal take an inside look at Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, about the relationship between Priscilla Presley and Elvis. Jim notes some of the striking similarities between this film and Todd Haynes' May December.

What else? Jim and Teal offer up an alternative holiday classic, the 1961 gritty noir, Blast of Silence.

Finally, Jim and Teal gift each other by watching a film that the other one recommends. Teal watched a film from the BFI 250 list, the amazing The Ascent, and Jim watched this year's independent film, How to Blow Up a Pipeline.

The Holdovers and Plenty of Leftovers

Thanksgiving is over, but it brought moviegoers plenty of leftovers and The Holdovers for viewing. This week Teal and Jim discuss Napoleon, Thanksgiving, The Killer, The Wrath of Becky, The Creator, and Alexander Payne's The Holdovers.

 

Which films deserve second helpings, and which films get tossed out of the fridge? Take a listen and find out!

Stuff We’ve Seen 5th Anniversary Episode Special

Stuff We've Seen hits the five-year mark this month, and to celebrate our 5th anniversary, we decided to take a look back to our humble beginnings. This episode is a remastered, re-edited version of our third podcast episode titled, Revenge of Peter Hyams. In this episode Teal and I continued our obsession with director Peter Hyams, and reviewed Bradley Cooper and Lady Ga Ga's A Star is Born. There's also a brief rant against Bohemian Rhapsody, which I think five years later people are ready to admit was horrible. And lastly, we turned our spotlight on to a hidden gem b-movie called Miracle Mile.

 

If you haven't heard this episode, we hope you enjoy it. If you did hear it back in 2018, then enjoy this upgraded sound version, and chuckle at how we sounded then vs. now. Enjoy!

Jim and Teal Review Killers of the Flower Moon

This week on Stuff We've Seen, Jim and Teal break out of their typical pattern, jump on the mic a week early, and focus on Martin Scorsese's latest offering, Killers of the Flower Moon.

 

Killers of the Flower Moon is epic-sized and a complex look at the Osage Nation murders that occurred in Oklahoma in the early 1920s. Scorsese flips the script on how these procedural suspense films typically play out, giving us a more inside and detailed look at the people plotting the murders. 

 

Have a listen to find out which one likes and respects Killers of the Flower Moon, and which one thinks it could be one of the best films of 2023.

The Sound of Freedom and The Thunder of Genius Marketing

The Sound of Freedom was on of the more unusual sleeper hits at the box office. Jim and Teal finally see the movie, and give their take. And then, Jim and Teal recommend a more satisfying rescue and revenge film, Man on Fire.

 

Also, Jim catches Taylor Swift's Era's Concert film, and recommends a new horror/comedy slasher flick on Amazon Prime, Totally Killer.

Bottoms is Tops

This week Jim and Teal give high recommendations for the new comedy Bottoms, from director Emma Seligman. It's a comedy that does the most important thing right, it's funny.

Not so funny is Jim and Teal's quest to find some great new horror films to watch this season. They come across several duds, including Talk to Me, Heusera: The Bone Woman, Birth/Rebirth, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Who can save them? Well, perhaps a drive-in teen slasher film from the 70s and a surprise little Sci-Fi thriller gem offering from Hulu. 

Out of the Blue Jim and Teal discover a Hidden Gem

Out of the Blue is a little-seen film from 1980. Starring Linda Manz and directed by Dennis Hopper, Out of the Blue gained cult status over the years. Still, it was a difficult film to find outside of a VHS copy kicking around. Thanks to Chloe Sevigny and Natasha Lyonne, the film received a restoration a couple of years ago, and Jim and Teal watched the movie for the first time.

It's dark subject matter, for sure, but Out of the Blue offers amazing performances by Manz and Hopper, who also co-stars. Why should you consider checking it out? Jim and Teal will tell you.

What else? Hopping Vampires from Hong Kong anyone? Jim finds himself quite taken with Criterion Channel's latest offering with a 5-film series focused on those lovable hopping vampires that swept Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s. 

Break out your chicken blood, and your anti-hopping-vampire spells, and get ready for this thrilling, and enlightening episode.

No Hard Feelings Tyrone

After a few weeks off, Jim and Teal return to discuss two film from recent months, the Netflix film, They Cloned Tyrone, and the Jennifer Lawrence comedy, No Hard Feelings.

Barbenheimer: Jim and Teal Take on the Cultural Hit of the Summer

Barbenheimer is more than a mashup word; it's a cultural phenomenon. Jim took the challenge and saw both Oppenheimer and then Barbie. Did he survive? It's a battle of the unruly teens vs. old man Jimmy. Will texting and watching videos during a movie ruin Jim's good time seeing Barbie? You'll have to tune in to find out.

And while Barbie was probably the last film on Teal's radar screen at the beginning of the summer, he too checked out the pop-culture sensation and was surprised by the depth and layers the movie had in store. Right-wing crybabies like Ben Shapiro, beware; this film may contain scenes of intense positivity towards women. Seek your nearest theater exit for safety. 

Jim and Teal are not Afraid of Beau is Afraid

This week Jim and Teal bring on the good films at theaters and streaming this summer with Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, a hidden gem from Norway, Sick of Myself, and Ari Aster's Beau is Afraid. Are Jim and Teal afraid of Ari Aster's three hour fever dream? Of course not. They took it on, and there is a lot to say. Teal finds interesting comparisons to Lindsey Anderson's O Lucky Man, and Jim agrees.

What else? Jim dials up some destiny with the latest Indiana Jones movie, and guess what's currently filming in Jim's state of Vermont? Jim fills Teal in on his excursion to East Corinth, VT to check out the exterior town sets for Beetlejuice 2.

Enjoy!