BFG Podcast #128: 'Napoleon,' 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' and 'Julia'

This week's BFG podcast is a feast for the brain. Michael Washburn engages host Neal Pollack in a discussion of Sandra Newman's provocative and "very raunchy" novel 'Julia', a brilliant and extended riff of the world of Oceania in George Orwell's '1984.' Neal somewhat wondered what Newman was getting at, but Michael found her extension of the world extremely compelling and disturbing, a fresh warning about the dangers of totalitarianism. BFG book club recommends it!

'Napoleon' has finally arrived in theaters, and Stephen Garrett stops by to talk with Neal about the ultimate dad movie. They both really enjoyed the battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo and some of Joaquin Phoenix's campier lines. Stephen would like to see more of the charisma that made Bonaparte so beloved to the French people. Totally fair. But Neal will brook no criticism of Ridley Scott's Napoleon, the movie of the year if not even close to the best movie of the year.

'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' the Hunger Games prequel, took both Neal and contributor Sara Stewart by surprise. They both enjoyed the gritty early days of Panem vibe, both appreciated the good-quality country-style music, and found the performances persuasive. There's a reason it's a hit, though the love story is unconvincing and the act 3 coda goes on a bit too long. Still very much worth watching, just as the show is very much worth listening to.

Enjoy!