Lass is More with Josh Lasser
262 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsFocusing on the media, "Lass is More" sits down with the individuals who make the movies and shows that people are, or will be, talking about. The things we watch are not created in a vacuum, but rather as responses to far larger thoughts and issues. From why someone took a role to what it means to them to where they’re going next, we put the pieces of the puzzle together. The "Lass is More" podcast gets to the core of the issue, offering perspective on both the people involved in a project, and the project itself.
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Episodes
Meanderings #317: "Dumb Money" and Surface Takes
December 19, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.38 MBMillions were captivated a few years ago when a group of Reddit users managed to push GameStop stock to incredible levels, making millions for themselves and taking billions from some hedge funds. As a movie, "Dumb Money" purports to give an inside look at what happened and who was involved. The reality of the work, however, is something rather different.
Meanderings #316: A.I. is Going to Kill us All
December 12, 2023 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.54 MBGareth Edwards "The Creator" is now out on blu-ray and it's a swell movie, one with a great lead performance and some excellent visuals. It is truly smart in the way a lot of it is put together. It doesn't make a difference, we're still going to create AI that kills us all.
Meanderings #315: Questioning "Oppenheimer" and the Father of the Age
December 05, 2023 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.42 MBChristopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" is a brilliant movie. It is a movie that we love. It is a movie filled with excellence. It also has this one thing about it that we simply do not understand, and we've tried. We have really and truly tried. Take a listen and tell us if we're viewing it wrong.
Meanderings #314: Branagh Solves Poirot
November 21, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.12 MBWith the third entry in Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot series, "A Haunting in Venice," the director and star of the franchise has put out his best effort. Slimmed down, darker, and oh so moody, it is the work of someone who is clearly feeling more comfortable with the role(s). Let's discuss...
Meanderings #313: "Greek Wedding" and "Mission: Impossible" and Continuing the Franchise
November 07, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.73 MBThe newest entries for both the "Mission: Impossible" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" franchises are both available on blu-ray and digital now. With one of these ongoing series we see a reinvention and desire to put new things out there. With the other... maybe not. Let's discuss where one succeeds and the other falters.
Meanderings #312: Grim Grinning Ghosts
October 31, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.78 MBHappy Halloween to you! What better day than this is there to discuss Disney's 2023 live action "Haunted Mansion." None. There isn't a better one, so let's jump right in.
Meanderings #311: Following Where the "Strays" Lead
October 17, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.24 MB"Strays" is one of those movies where you're going to know well in advance if you're going to enjoy it. All you have to do is ask yourself one question: do you want to see dogs get high and tell sex jokes? If the answer is yes, "Strays" is the movie for you. If not... it's best you steer clear.
Meanderings #310: "Theater Camp" and the Need for a Counselor
October 10, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.35 MBThere is a great idea at the core of "Theater Camp," a clever notion that gets muddled with too many storylines and a lack of depth to the characters. It is a case where more is less and where the whole may have benefited from trimming one area in order to extend another. It is not bad, it just isn't what it so very clearly could be.
Meanderings #309: "The Boogeyman" and Hard Times
September 26, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.78 MBSo many horror movies offer up people in crisis as the victims. No, not all horror movies, just many. On today's episodes we look at one movie from this year, "The Boogeyman," that does just that and cogitate the reasons why the trope works.
Meanderings #308: "Indiana Jones" and Another Disappointing Sequel
September 19, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.68 MB"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," the fifth entry in the franchise, is now out on digital. The big question with this film, at least the one asked by audiences, seems to be "is it better than the last one?" That is the exact thing we're examining today and what we have to say about it all is... rather disappointing.
Meanderings #307: Perhaps a Little Too "Elemental"
September 12, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.12 MBDo you ever watch something where half of it works so very well and the other half feels, a little, like they just weren't trying that hard? That's the way we feel about "Elemental," Pixar's latest which features a great world, wonderful characters, gorgeous animation, and the most lackluster romance we've seen in a while.
Meanderings #306: "The Little Mermaid" and Big Complications
September 05, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.49 MBNot every podcast ends where you think it might when you begin. Today's episode is a case in point as we discuss the new version of "The Little Mermaid," where it goes right, where it goes wrong, and where it might teach us some things.
Meanderings #305: The Fun-derful World of "Fast X"
August 15, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.25 MBWe will be honest with you, the "Fast and Furious" franchise does not operate in our world. The physics are wrong. The inability for so many people to die is wrong. There is just so much that could not happen. Okay, that may be true, but so what? On today's episode we celebrate "Fast X" for what it is -- insanely fun.
Meanderings #304: "Kandahar" and Good Intentions
August 08, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.63 MBThere is something wonderful in the notion that the new film "Kandahar" (2023) attempts to give us a more nuanced, multi-faceted, look at Afghanistan, the surrounding nations, and the world at large. It is admirable, particularly when we have such a strong tendency to flatten alternate perspectives on the big screen. What doesn't work as well here is the execution. Today we look at both.
Meanderings #303: One Last "Guardians of the Galaxy" Trip
August 01, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.21 MBWith "Volume 3" now out on blu-ray and digital, our time with this version of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" is done. Where do folks end up? Well, we're not possibly going to tell you that, but we are going to offer up some of our thoughts on what works and what doesn't in James Gunn's final entry in the series.
Meanderings #302: Reading Into "Book Club: The Next Chapter"
July 18, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.74 MBUp this week on the podcast, "Book Club: The Next Chapter," which could also be titled "Book Club 2," but isn't. Heck, it could also be titled "Let's Take a Trip to Italy Rather than Making a Great Sequel." There would be truth in all those titles and we're going to explore that a little bit more this week.
Meanderings #301: Getting Blue with "Avatar"
July 04, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.36 MBJames Cameron's "Avatar" is now available in 4K and that makes it the right time to look at the movie once more. But, upon doind so, we find out opinions wholly unchanged. Stellar in some respects, it is a complete disappointment in others. Let's talk.
Meanderings #300: Unseating "Chevalier"
June 27, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.64 MBA not-quite-untold story, "Chevalier" offers up beautiful sets and costumes and a truly charismatic lead performance. But, is that enough to win our hearts and minds or is there something, unfortuntately, missing from the overall tale?
Meanderings #299: Dracula, "Renfield," and Timeless Villainy
June 13, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.39 MBOut now on Blu-ray and digital is the bloody good film, "Renfield." It is not, sadly, bloody great, just bloody good. And yet, it starts off in absolutley brilliant fashion. Where does it go right? Where does it go wrong? Just how deep will your teeth sink in? Listen and find out.
Meanderings #298: Ant-Man, the Wasp, the Quantum Realm, and the Real World
May 02, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.99 MBOut a couple weeks ago on digital and in a couple of weeks on Blu-ray is the third Ant-Man movie, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." It is good enough, surpassing the second film in the series but not as enjoyable as the first. But, what concerns us more this week is the way in which real people's lives are used as fodder for speculation on the direction of a film franchise, and that is what we're going to talk about.
Meanderings #297: The Genius of a Bear Doing Cocaine
April 25, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.01 MBAt first blush, it may seem like a whole lot of silliness, but the truth is that there's a genius to Elizabeth Banks' "Cocaine Bear." It is funny and disgusting and barrels its way through its 90+ minute runtime like a bear high on... well, cocaine.
Meanderings #296: "Avatar: The Way of Water" Drowns Us
April 04, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.19 MBThe new "Avatar" sequel is... a lot. A lot of pretty. A lot of time. A lot of CGI. A lot of effort on all parts. Well, all except for the story. The story is a significant disappointment. The story, which somehow tends to get a pass when the movie is discussed, sinks the whole endeavor. It isn't that the memory fails to be mesmerizing, it's completely astounding on a visual level, it's just doesn't work on a story one.
Meanderings #295: Refusing to bow to "Dragonslayer"
March 28, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.36 MBWe may have a soft spot for epic fantasy and adventure films, but that doesn't mean that we're a complete pushover. This week, with the 1981 film "Dragonslayer" now available on 4K, we find an example of film in the genre that simply does not work for us. What it does do, however, is spark more interest in our continued conversation about power and religion.
Meanderings #294: Listening to "Women Talking"
March 14, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.31 MBThis past weekend, "Women Talking" won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The accolade is well deserved, as the movie is an incredibly powerful one. Dealing with upsetting material, "Women Talking" is distrubing not just for the real events it is based on, but for the truths it shows us about our world. Let's discuss.
Meanderings #293: Powerful Performances and "Devotion"
March 07, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.3 MBSome actors find themselves, at some point in their career, having a moment. Right now, Jonathan Majors is having a moment, one that we hope continues for decades to come; that the moment becomes a long and varied and fascinating career. He not only has two movies in theaters as we release this episode, but one from last year has just arrived on Blu-ray, and that's the one we discuss today, "Devotion."
Meanderings #292: Movies on Movies -- "The Fablemans" and "Empire of Light"
February 21, 2023 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.51 MBCurrently out on Blu-ray is not one, but two different movies that hit theaters last year and deal with, in no small part, movies. Yes, now available are Steven Spielberg's "The Fabelmans" and Sam Mendes' "Empire of Light." While both movies are beautiful to look at, only one touches the soul. Which goes right and which goes wrong? Let's discuss.
Meanderings #291: The Truth or not the Truth, That is "Emily"'s Question
February 14, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.76 MBSometimes it is quite easy to pinpoint what is true and what is a lie. Sometimes it is far more complicated. And perhaps--just perhaps--sometimes it might not matter at all. This week's episode looks at the new film, "Emily," which focuses on the life on Emily Brontë as it may have been but probably wasn't but could have been anyway. Just where is the truth and does it matter if there's a lie?
Meanderings #290: The Past, The Future, Black Panther, and Mickey Mouse
February 07, 2023 13:00 - 7 minutes - 8.29 MBHow do we move from the past to the future? How do we take what has come before, show it reverence (when appropriate), and still manage to create something new and wonderful? This week we're discussing two new Blu-ray releases, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts - Volume 1," that, maybe, help guide us on that path.
Meanderings #289: "Strange World" and the Should-be Normal
January 24, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.08 MBThere are undoubtedly things about the animated film "Strange World" that are, well, strange. However, you and I both know that there is a contigent of people out there who will watch the movie and get upset for bad reasons, that will view strangeness where there ought to be none. How do we think about these things? How do we judge? How do we move forward?
Meanderings #288: The Deliciousness of "The Menu"
January 17, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.11 MBForget the endless drudgery that is "awards season." Forget the hours that pople spend purposefully misunderstanding what is going on and why. Forget the mindless outpouring of "movie news" designed solely to get clicks and foment outrage. Do what we talk about this week -- sit down and watch the truly excellent feast that is "The Menu."
Meanderings #287: "Ticket to Paradise" & "The Banshees of Inisherin" & Clothing
December 20, 2022 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.74 MBFor this final podcast of 2022, we are going to discuss "Amsterdam," at least a little, one last time. That's because this last episode of the year is going to focus on two other comedies that do work -- "Ticket to Paradise," and "The Banshees of Inisherin." What can we learn from them about why they succeed where that other film fails? What if we decided that an answer was in the clothing... or at the very least is divulged by the clothing?
Meanderings #286: "Pulp Fiction," An Undeniable All-Time Great
December 13, 2022 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.83 MBLast time we were on about how the pacing for Amsterdam is just awful, how it fails to allow the jokes to hit, how it has some sort of faux gravitas that makes it deadly dull. You want an example of how to do it right with a film that also came out on 4K last week? Look no further than Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." This week we discuss how it goes right and the one place where it makes a misstep that bothers Josh to this day. Take a listen and enjoy!
Meanderings #285: "Amsterdam," the Weighty Darkly Dramatic Zany Comedy
December 06, 2022 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.34 MBIt may have the best of intentions, but "Amsterdam" is a film which crumbles under its own weight. It is a movie that offers the sense that it desperately wishes to be Important and in pushing for that added weight, that added meaning, that added depth, it undercuts everything that works about the film. Oh, there are most certainly some great aspects to "Amdsterdam," chiefly the performances, but it simply cannot get out of its own way.
Meanderings #284: Staying Small with "Jerry and Marge go Large"
November 22, 2022 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.54 MBNot every movie has to be the biggest and the best, the funniest and most clever, the loudest and most spectacular. It is okay sometimes for a movie to just, you know, be a movie. That is preceisely what we encounter today with the Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening-starring "Jerry and Marge go Large." The now available on Blu-ray and digital comedy is... fine, and that's quite enough.
Meanderings #283: Does "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul." Stray from the Path?
November 15, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.74 MBSome movies make us stop and wonder what exactly it is that we're seeing. This can be either a good thing or it can be a bad thing. With "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul." we're definitely looking at either one or the other. Which? Why? What does/doesn't work about this satire? Only one way to find out -- open your hearts (and ears) to this podcast.
Meanderings #282: "See How They Run" Back to Old Ideas
November 08, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.68 MBOut now on digital is the movie "See How They Run." Rather than being a filmic adaptation of Agatha's Christie long-running play, "The Mousetrap," it is a comedic mystery surrounding a fictional murder taking place near the start of that show's historic run. This leaves Josh with any numerable of imponderables to ponder and ponder he does.
Meanderings #281: The Two Halves of "Barbarian"
November 01, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.9 MBZach Cregger's "Barbarian" plays out as two distinct halves. You might actually think that someone spliced the movie together incorrectly for a minute when the switch takes place. Separately the halves are quite good. Together they're even better.
Meanderings #280: "Love and Thunder" and Weightlessness
September 27, 2022 12:30 - 5 minutes - 6.67 MB"Thor: Love and Thunder" is now out on DVD and Blu-ray and that makes this the perfect time to talk about the fourth entry in the "Thor" saga... or, as we put it, the second best "Thor" movie in the MCU. Thinking of it that way, it is both admirable and a disappointment and it's something we need to look at a little more closely.
Meanderings #279: "Star Trek" I Told You So
September 20, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.48 MBListen, no one wants to be the guy out there saying, "I told you so," but it happens. Well, honestly, maybe Josh doesn't mind being that guy so much. He gets in at least one good one this week as all six original crew "Star Trek" movies have now been released in a 4K boxed set, much like he said would happen last September after the first four got their own boxed set.
Meanderings #278: "Minions: The Rise of Gru" and Stagnation of a Franchise
September 13, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.88 MBOther people out there might be tired of the Minions, with their silly speech and tendency to bash each other on the heads, but not Josh. No, Josh still thoroughly enjoys the little yellow guys. Of course, that's not the same as saying everything is perfect in terms of their second headling feature, "Minions: The Rise of Gru." Let's discuss.
Meanderings #276: The Disappointing Finale that is "Jurassic World: Dominion"
August 23, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.82 MBSome movies don't work. They feel both ill-conceived and ill-executed. After a great start to the franchise and then even a promising opening of this particular trilogy within it, watching the (currently) final film, "Jurassic World: Dominion," feels like a chore. Ascribing motivation is tough, but we have plenty of thoughts about what went on here.
Meanderings #277: The Disappointing Finale that is "Jurassic World: Dominion"
August 23, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.82 MBSome movies don't work. They feel both ill-conceived and ill-executed. After a great start to the franchise and then even a promising opening of this particular trilogy within it, watching the (currently) final film, "Jurassic World: Dominion," feels like a chore. Ascribing motivation is tough, but we have plenty of thoughts about what went on here.
Meanderings #276: The Slowpokes of "Lightyear"
August 09, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.45 MBPixar's "Lightyear" is now out on streaming and will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray in September. As the canon goes, this is meant to be the movie Andy saw that caused him to want a Buzz Lightyear doll in "Toy Story." Andy must have been very undemanding because the characters in "Lightyear" are pretty dim bulbs.
Meanderings #275: What with Find with "The Lost City"
July 26, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.67 MBStarring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, the new film "The Lost City" is rather reminiscent of "Jewel of the Nile," but maybe that's only because we've seen "Jewel of the Nile." Maybe there are a half-dozen (or more) other movies which it echoes... maybe there are a half-dozen (or more) books which it echoes. What do we find when we go in to watch "The Lost City?" Let's discuss.
Meanderings #274: Playing Guinea Pig with "The Bob's Burgers Movie"
July 19, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.71 MBFor a long time we've wondered about how exactly it might hit someone if they dropped into an existing franchise in the middle. Although this has regularly been our rumination with the MCU, the existence of this movie, which is based on the long-running FOX sitcom, gave Josh the opportunity to play guinea pig for our own ideas.
Meanderings #273: "Downton Abbey: A New Era" but Maybe not so Much
July 12, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.93 MBSome things are obligations, but that doesn't mean that they have to feel that way. For instance, Josh may have Covid currently, but that doesn't remove his need to talk to you about the new "Downton Abbey" movie. So, despite a halting voice, he has given it his all this week. On the other hand, he's not convinced that the minds behind "A New Era" did the same when putting this second film together.
Meanderings #272: "Doctor Strange" and the Multiversal Tapestry
June 28, 2022 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.38 MBWith "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" out on digital now and Blu-ray at the end of the month, we have finally hit the moment where we must talk about the film. As with all things MCU, however, it doesn't exist by itself. No, it exists in conversation with a myriad of other projects. How then are we to understand this movie and the series and the larger universe?
Meanderings #271: Mending the "Elden Ring" and our Hearts
June 21, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.19 MBAfter sinking an incredible number of hours into the game "Elden Ring," Josh's adventure with the title has come to a close. As much as he loved the game--and he did--he is sad for it to be done. Where does that leave him? Why does he not wish to just play it again? What is next on his plate?
Meanderings #270: Chasing an "Ambulance"
June 14, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.36 MBOut this week on Blu-ray is Michael Bay's "Ambulance." It is almost the perfect distillation of what we consider to be a Michael Bay film -- it is one big action chase sequence. At the same time though, we are considered about the future of the car chase film... or are we?
Meanderings #269: Slipping Past "Grease 2"
June 07, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.1 MBThere are a group of individuals out there who will tell you that "Grease 2" is the better of the films in the "Grease" series. Those people may be very nice and are certainly entitled to their opinion. They are also, we believe, not correct. Let's discuss.