This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'Jigsaw' (1962) and talk about...

- Our personal histories and/or prejudices around police procedurals

- The way the setup teases the audience before the crime happens

- Good cop banter

- A somewhat 'ordinary' killer (i.e., not just a crazy serial killer)

- More interest in the chase than the whodunnit

- Making the unglamorous parts of procedure interesting

- The limitations procedurals place on us critics

- When the most relatable thing about any of your characters is them just wanting to go home

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'Scrooge' (1951)

- Our favorite "Christmas Carol"s

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'Beyond Christmas' (1940) and talk about...

- Can this really classify as a Christmas movie?

- The insane pre-existing living arrangement between the characters

- Unexpectedly swapping out your main and supporting characters.

- Everything is tangential

- The litany of bad relationship tropes

- The weird daily routines of rich people (in this movie)

- Some truly bonkers theology

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'Jigsaw' (1962)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into 'The Fugitive Kind' (1960) and talk about...

- Marlon Brando, the GOAT, except for Chris Reeve

- Screenplay that allows itself the room to explore deep relationships

- The depth of the female leads, and Val's mysterious nature

- The character of Carol, what she represents

- Racism and the othering of 'outsiders' in opposition to genuine love

- The layers of symbolism and metaphors

- Connection to the Orpheus myth in the title of the original play

- Ryan talking himself up a rating or two

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: 'Beyond Christmas' (1940)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972) and talk about...

- The uncredited star: The visuals.

- Accelerated level-up frontiersman 101

- When the movie won't let a guy have a good thing, 'cuz *vengeance*.

- Yeah, but is he 'legendary'?

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- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: "The Fugitive Kind" (1960)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into "King's Row" (1942) and talk about...

- Gee, that theme music sounds familiar.

- The 'controversial' book its based on

- Getting the film made to fit into conformity with the Hayes code

- One of the changes works out better

- The kernel of truth in the depiction of "small-towns hiding dark secrets"

- Exposing wounds to sunlight - so to speak, and the lessons that we learn from that

- Ann Sheridan's Randy Monaghan

- Dr. Tower's double tragedy and theme overcoming melodrama

- The ending that soars

- Having hope for the future

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into "Dangerous Crossing" (1953) and talk about...

- *Wanting* to be noir without understanding it.

- (Re)-cycling of plot elements taking priority over character development.

- Red-Herrings galore!

- Nothing much changes, except the man she's with.

- Foghorn accuracy.

- Next week's film: "King's Row" (1942)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into "The Great Dictator" (1940) and talk about...

- Revealing the juvenile nature lurking under the violence of fascist authoritarianism

- Chaplin's passion project: "Hitler must be laughed at"

- Machismo: the ultimate hot air balloon

- Comedic value vs. dramatic value

- Resisting fascism without incurring hatred

- The lesson of false hopes and wanting the bad thing to be over before it actually is

- The effect seeing the final speech had on our expectations

- The comedic "Great Dictator" vs. the dramatic one

- Our Verdict

- Next week's film: "Dangerous Crossing" (1953)

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This week, Justin and Ryan dig into "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" (1965) and talk about...

- A movie crudely spliced together from spare parts at visible seems? That tracks.

- That stubborn habit of mislabeling the character named "Frankenstein"

- What exactly was the need for NASA to make android "Frank" look human...

- and burying the lede of just *having made a functional android*

- Two casts doing different movies, sewn together badly

- Taking random left-turns into "Roman Holiday"

- How much stock footage is too much stock footage?

- When you're an actor who thinks they're in a better movie than they are.

- Dr. Nadir being the best character in the film.

- Odds and ends. Some trivia.

- More hot Vespa-riding action.

- Next week's film: "The Great Dictator" (1940)

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