Austin is again joined by Wisecrack's very own: Michael Burns! Join the convo on the movie that explains EVERYTHING that is happening politically right now. We get into where Hypernormlisation originated from, our changing views on the Occupy movement, a Patti Smith-Sam Shepard play - and more! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday…

Today Austin is joined by Wisecrack's very own: Michael Burns! Raymond is out shooting his movie. Join the convo as they get into the commodification of art (both in the film and by the director himself), the concepts of home explored in the epilogue, some "PTA-ish" notes that the film could have used - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING…

Nosferatu. Raymond returns. Henry takes the mic. Join the crew as they talk the merits of this adaptation, the messages around desire and sexuality, viewing this film as a western, and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! https://youtube.com/@wisecrack_2 Follow us on Twitter! @a…

Lisan al-Gaib! Austin and Raymond get into Dune: Part Two this week! How much of this film is aesthetic versus substance? What does it say about power structures in our mythos? Does this film oversimplify revolution? Join us as we ask those questions! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! htt…

Happy New Year! Austin and Raymond get into their best films of 2024. What makes a film a "best" film? Was it your experience of watching the film? The performances? The craft? Because it was made by Sean Baker? And stick around until the end for our best performances of the year! Here are the films we get into! Raymond's Top 5: I Saw the TV Glow F…

Roz! Today we cover The Wild Robot (dir Chris Sanders)! We get into narrative issues that both give this movie colonial undertones and undermine the themes it's trying to explore, the robotic emotional journey it takes the audience on, some philosophy on technology and the hierarchy of life - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREA…

Well, well, well, we finally saw it! This week, we cover Anora (dir Sean Baker)! Join us as we get into Sean bakers process, the performances he got out of his actors, Mikey Madison’s incredible show of force, a little detour into the institution of marriage, that last scene - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday …

We're covering HERETIC (dir Scott Beck, Bryan Woods) today! We're walking right past the shallow religious interpretation of this film, and taking a swing at a more provocative take: this movie is about sex. And does it even do a good job of being about it? Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channe…

On my signal!! Join us for our chat on GLADIATOR II (dir. Ridley Scott). Was this movie worth the wait? And for that matter, who was waiting for it...? We get into why these lega-sequels feel empty, the relevance of Gladiator II within today's sociopolitical situation, how this film served its star-studded cast - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME T…

Autumn: the time of cozy movies and (un)comfortable nostalgia! In this CAGE MATCH episode, we pit The Breakfast Club against Planes, Trains & Automobiles to explore the autumnal film. What makes a film cozy? What is the philosophy behind Thanksgiving (hint: capitalism)? How can we associate John Hughes with Reagan era films? We get into these quest…

The crew is joined by recurring guest Mallory Blair to talk Jonathan Glazer's THE ZONE OF INTEREST! Starting off with the worst take of all time on this film, this conversation ranges from the filmmaking techniques within, similar Holocaust films, materialism and other philosophy lessons, the very obvious comparisons to the events unfolding in Gaza…

The guys cover CIVIL WAR (dir. Alex Garland) on this one, and it gets heated! But does it get heated because the film is hot garbage? Join the guys as they attempt to find out what this movie is trying to say through its vagueness, violence, philosophy, and potential to be a good film. Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday a…

Happy Halloween! Raymond and Austin - and the stream audience - pit 8 Hollywood Slasher Villains against each other to decide who is the ultimate Slasher Champion. We got Michael Myers v Art the Clown, Jason v Norman Bates, Freddy v Leatherface, and Ghostface v Chucky. Who will win? Take a listen! Along the way, we break down archetypes of the horr…

Start your engines! Austin and Raymond jump into FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (dir George Miller). The guys get into the mythos of this installment within the larger franchise, the role of fan service in these cinematic universes, concepts of religion and populism in Mad Max villains, and the decency of the heroes within. Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEA…

Our first cage match! Austin and Raymond have chosen LONGLEGS (dir. Oz Perkins) and THE SUBSTANCE (dir. Coralie Fargeat) to battle it out. Join the crew as they break down these films, from the different ways each director relies on genre expectation, to the iconography within both films - and, of course, a dash of philosophy sprinkled in to cover …

The Pink Opaque! Raymond and Austin are joined by Mallory Blair to talk Jane Schoenbrun's I SAW THE TV GLOW. Listen along as they peel apart the many layers in this film, from the nuanced trans experience of "cracking open the egg" in the character's self-discovery, to the specificity of Schoenbrun's direction, to the philosophical metaphors we can…

For their first episode back, Austin and Raymond are going to be discussing the past summer at the movies, and what the failures and successes of Hollywood can show us about the future of cinema. Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! https://youtube.com/@wisecrack_2 Follow us on Twitter! @aus…

Well folks, this is it. The finale of Show Me the Meaning! Thank you all for tuning in each week to hear us talk movies and philosophy. We hope you learned a thing or two, or at least had a good time. We talk a bit about the film, but we also go down memory lane and talk about the show, from humble beginnings to now. Thanks for listening! Enjoy! Ra…

Check out Storyblocks’ Unlimited All-Access Subscription! Go to https://storyblocks.com/wisecrack Willy. Wonka. Charlie. Chocolate. Capitalism. What more is there to say??? In this chat, we get into the psycadelic tunnel, weird things that capitalist dreams do to us, the pysche of a guy like Wonka, adults ruining everything, the-maybe-allusions-to-…

Robert Pattinson. Shot on Film. Good Time. In this chat, we get into the benefits and philosophy of the film aesthetic, ableism in film, comic actors in darker films - and more! ENJOY! Explore your creativity at http://skillshare.com/SMTM and get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership. Get scared with 30 days of Shudder for free! For all fan…

Check out Storyblocks’ Unlimited All-Access Subscription! Go to https://storyblocks.com/wisecrack Where does this iteration of Batman take the franchise? Does this film take it a step forward? In this chat with Michael Luxemburg, we talk about the shortcomings of this iteration, the spots where it excels, how this movie presents justice, the promis…

Explore your creativity at http://skillshare.com/SMTM and get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership. This was a tough one. Is there a lot to pick off the bone that is The Power of the Dog? Why do we need a revelation in our films? What we get into in this chat is: why does certain stuff resonate? What makes a film force us to lean in? We do…

Check out Storyblocks’ Unlimited All-Access Subscription! Go to https://storyblocks.com/wisecrack Lord of the Plains. Outlaws. In this chat, we get into embodying the mythos of the West and self-mythologizing, this film as a post-western, and, of course, a dash of capitalism - and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore …

Documentary vs narrative film. Deliberately paced cinema. Chloé Zhao cinema. In this one, we get into that doc v. cinema discussion, a little talk on the Safdie brothers, different explorations of the Western Mythos - and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at http://skillshare.com/SMTM and get a free…

Little Miss Sunshine, directed by Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton. Is this a mediocre indie? You know, the one that ends in dance sequences, and sells for an absurd amount at Sundance, and spawns a hundred remakes? OR is it a poignant philosophical study? We get into some Proust, some Neitzsche, some God, the "system" - and more! Enjoy! If you've b…

Did Tarantino rip off City on Fire for this film? Did Wes Craven walk out of the Sundance premiere? In this discussion between Michael and Raymond, we get into the mythos of Tarantino and this film's Sundance release, effective violence in his movies, the purpose of artistic repetition - and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episod…

In this chat, we're joined by Wisecrack regular Ra'Shawn Durell! We get into postmodernism, how the concept of trauma is handled in the film, deconstructionism - and more! Enjoy! If you've been tuning into the livestream on YouTube - first off, we love ya for the support!! Second off, we're going to stop the livestream for a bit. We'll still be pub…

In this revisit, we're joined by Reilly Anspaugh! We talk narrative shark-jumping, the cost of our time from careers to our personal lives, the pressure points on Andy in the film, changes from the source material - and more! Enjoy! Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of Storyblocks’ subscription plans today! Go to http…

In this chat, we get into film as a medium needing to be on the popular side of ideology, this film failing as a satire and a metapor for climate change, the over-rationality of "believe the science!" motto, Amerocentric films - and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at http://skillshare.com/SMTM and…

In this chat, we get into the origins of this script, how this series has evolved in its critique of capitalism, the concepts of The Matrix being misconstrued - and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at http://skillshare.com/SMTM and get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership. Have thoughts? L…

In this chat, we get in to morality lessons within filmmaking, the performances, children playing adults, old Hollywood culture referenced in the film, some of our favorite films of 2021 - and more! Enjoy! This episode is brought to you by Mountain Dew. There are times when you’re looking for something to drink, and you know that only one drink wil…

In this chat, we get into how Spider-Man (and actors who played him) has changed through the iterations, how Marvel handles “event films” vs their smaller stories, fan service, how economic circumstances change each Spider-Man (mens?) story, and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at http://skillshare…

In this episode, we dive into the political-apoliticalness of the film, the intersection of capitalism and gender, the religious undertones - and yes, we get into the Christmas Debate - and more! Enjoy! Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of Storyblocks’ subscription plans today! Go to https://storyblocks.com/wisecrack …

In this chat, we get into what it takes to be great, historically "great" figures, fundamentals vs flash, the intersection of capitalism and individualism in art - and more! Enjoy! Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of Storyblocks’ subscription plans today! Go to https://storyblocks.com/wisecrack Have thoughts? Let us …

In this chat, we get into Adam McKay's subversive career, the timeliness (and continued relevance?) of this film AND the dated material in the show, old reviews that really did not dig the film at release and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at http://skillshare.com/SMTM and get a free trial of Ski…

In this episode, we open up the mailbag to answer YOUR questions that were emailed or called in. We always get too many listener questions than we can handle, so we wanted to kick off the holiday season with a big THANK YOU! We break into questions on Drive-Black Widow-Horror Movies as the last frontier for artistic films-Eternal Sunshine-Alien/Apo…

Another Marvel movie! In this chat, the Wisecrack crew - joined by the one and only Lux - talks Chloe Zhao's ETERNALS (2021). We get into the narrative rhythms of Marvel movies, some comic book history, some Marvel-lore-untangling, the religion-mythology narratives in the film - and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explor…

Join the Wisecrack crew and special guest Thomas Flight as they discuss Wes Anderson's feature film debut BOTTLE ROCKET (1996)! In this chat, we talk auteur theory in filmmaking, breaking down what makes Wes Anderson's movie so "Wes Anderson-y," gunfights in his style, this film as a debut, and more! Enjoy! Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this…

Austin and Raymond are joined by special guest Karsten Runquist for this talk on MARRIAGE STORY (2019) directed by Noah Baumbach! In this chat, we get into the complex mess that is a relationship, breaking apart some of the famous scenes in the film, Noah Baumbach as a filmmaker - and more! Enjoy. Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Expl…

Don't hate us but... we didn't LOVE Dune. In this chat, we get into those *spicy* takes, the cinematic influences that led to this film, themes of imperialism, viewing this film through the lens of our 2021 western eyes, and more! Enjoy! Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of Storyblocks’ subscription plans today! Go to…

Join Austin and Michael in this talk on SQUID GAME (2021) created by Hwang Dong-hyuk! They get into the concepts of indebtedness and liquidity as tools, philosophers both Italian and Korean, little philosophy easter eggs in the show, and more. Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at http://skillshare.com/SMT…

BONUS EPISODE! Join Raymond, Michael, and Amanda as they talk Julia Ducournau's TITANE (2021). This film is... well, it is quite something, and we get into the meaning behind that something! This talk ranges from the symbolism of the vehicle, the intentional omission of structure, and some shop talk on horror. What a way to head into the middle of …

The Wisecrack crew is joined by Reilly Anspaugh to talk Mike Nichols' THE BIRDCAGE (1996)! We get into the context of what dates this film, how comedies are evolving over time, the brilliant performances, typecasts, Mike Nichols being a genius - we haven't done a comedy in a while, and we loved this talk. Enjoy!! Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsorin…

Join the Wisecrack crew as they get into talking NIGHTCRAWLER (2014) directed by Dan Gilroy! The conversation ranges from the unlikely success story of this movie, allegories to the filmmaking process itself, the ethics of filming, well, everything around us, and more! Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at…

The Wisecrack crew discusses Guillermo del Toro's PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006)! Join the talk as we get into magical realism, youth in revolution, practical effects in the movie - and more! Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of Storyblocks’ subscription plans today! Go to https://storyblocks.com/wisecrack Have thoughts? Let …

CLASSIC ALERT! We get into Francis Ford Coppola's all-time classic APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) on this one. Enjoy this wide-ranging talk that goes from Hearts of Darkness (the doc) to the meaning of the Jungle to the wild, weird adventure-horror (both on-screen AND off) this movie takes us on. Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your c…

The Wisecrack crew discusses Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER (2013)! Join the talk as we get into the nitty-gritty capitalism themes, South Korean directors protecting their final cut, what the Engine *really* is, and more! Thanks to the one-and-only Storyblocks for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of Storyblocks’ subscription plans today! Go to h…

The Wisecrack crew discusses David Lowery's THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021). This was a big request from you all, and we were stoked to get into it. We talk about the poem this film was adapted from, the themes of morality within the story, religious allegories and more! Thanks Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! Explore your creativity at http://skill…

The Wisecrack crew discusses Craig Brewer's HUSTLE & FLOW! A host's pick from the one and only Ryan Hailey, this episode gets into moralistic filmmaking, Craig Brewer's inspirations, the Memphis premiere, and more! Thanks Storyblocks for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of Storyblocks’ subscription plans today! Go to https://storyblocks.com/w…

Join the Wisecrack crew as they dissect Paul Thomas Anderson's BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997)! Is this a family movie? Is it a movie about sex, or a movie about our perception of sex? Dive into this conversation where we get into (because how could we avoid it?) Freud, Male Weepies, and the "psychic oppression" in PTA's work. Enjoy! Thanks Skillshare for spo…