Lass is More with Josh Lasser
262 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 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.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Meanderings #218: "Our Friend" and Bad Titles
April 06, 2021 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.84 MBThere are any number of things that might stand out to you about this week's podcast episode, one in which we discuss the movie "Our Friend." However, we think it'll be Josh's distress at the movie being named "Our Friend" when there are very good reasons to have it named differently (as you will hear if you listen).
Meanderings #217: "News of the World" and Acknowledging the Truth
March 30, 2021 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.8 MBTom Hanks is incredibly wonderful as the former Captain fighting for the Confederacy, Jefferson Kyle Kidd, in "News of the World." Hanks makes this man (in what is an incredibly well made movie), a defender of all that is good and true and right. He may be a man with demons, but he's a proud former soldier and we watch as he fights for one child. How exactly does this movie not deal with the fact that Kidd went to war for the right to have slaves and is proud that he was a Captain in an ...
Meanderings #216: "The Greatest Show on Earth" that Never was
March 23, 2021 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.15 MBOut next week on Blu-ray is "The Greatest Show on Earth." It is a movie that brings us back to the days of big top circuses. It makes us yearn for the popcorn and the sawdust, the clowns and the trapeze. It is also selling something that never was. We need to be able to see that.
Meanderings #215: Not Quite the Video Store
March 16, 2021 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.62 MBOkay, so streaming services like HBO Max and Netflix aren't quite the video store of old. Browsing through titles is tough, exclusivity makes thing worse, and they're constantly throwing their new movies at you in favor of catalog items. But, that doesn't mean there isn't good stuff to be found... if you look for it.
Episode 57: "'Til Kingdom Come" and an Interesting Alliance
March 09, 2021 13:00 - 21 minutes - 24.9 MBMaya Zinshtein has directed, and Abraham Troen has produced, a new documentary called "'Til Kingdom Come." On today's podcast they both join Josh to talk about the movie and this incredible alliance that has formed between one Israel-based philanthropic organization and Christian Evangelicals in the United States. The two groups may seem far apart, but maybe it is money that makes the world go round.
Episode 56: Tim O'Brien Talks "The War and Peace of Tim O'Brien"
March 02, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 19.6 MBUp today on the podcast we have literary legend Tim O'Brien. For his 2019 book, "Dad's Maybe Book," O'Brien allowed a camera into his house to follow him. Directed by Aaron Matthews, the documentary resulting from this, "The War and Peace of Tim O'Brien" is now out on VOD and the man himself joins us to talk about it.
Meanderings #214: John Hughes Five Movie Collection
February 23, 2021 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.48 MBOut this week on blu-ray is a new John Hughes five movie collection. Aptly titled, "John Hughes 5-Movie Collection," the included titles are: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off;" "She's Having a Baby;" "Pretty in Pink;" "Some Kind of Wonderful;" and "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." We're talking about all of them a little this week, but mostly Steve Martin because "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is the best of the included titles.
Meanderings #214: Factual vs. Emotional Biopics with "Lady Sings the Blues"
February 16, 2021 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.73 MBThere is something to be said for getting the facts of a story right. There is something entirely different to be said for getting the feelings of a story right. Where exactly does "Lady Sings the Blues" end up? Does it hit one of the marks? Does it hit both? And, has the sense of it changed since its initial release?
Meanderings #213: Living Life with "The Little Prince" and "Elizabethtown"
February 09, 2021 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.42 MBIt is all too easy, especially with the pandemic, to forget to look up and see the world around you. We have put life on hold in order to have that life continue. "Elizabethtown" and 2015's "The Little Prince" are now out on Blu-ray and Josh has some distinct thoughts about the journeys in those films and how they relate to our current world. Well, he thinks the thoughts are distinct. You be the judge.
Episode 55: Eliza Schroeder of "Love Sarah"
February 02, 2021 13:00 - 12 minutes - 14.8 MBUp today on the podcast we have Eliza Schroeder, whose new film "Love Sarah" is currently available on VOD. The wide-ranging discussion goes into how the idea for the bakery came about, what it's like to try to film food, how long the characters have lived in her head, and whether or not the bakery in the story would survive COVID-19.
Meanderings #212: Stick with "Court Jester" Skip "Fatman"
January 26, 2021 13:00 - 7 minutes - 8.1 MBGrowing up, it felt like Danny Kaye movies were constantly being aired. Josh avoided them and it was an error he corrects this week as he watches "The Court Jester." On the other hand, he watched plenty of Mel Gibson and makes the mistake of seeing the actor's latest, "Fatman."
Meanderings #211: "The Empty Man" and the Silly Movie
January 19, 2021 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.25 MBThere is, one suspects, something clever buried somewhere within the filmic adaptation of "The Empty Man" graphic novel. The movie has a great look and James Badge Dale is a good actor and there's a lot to chew on in it. But, maybe because of its length or its desire to twist things around or its not wanting to explain anything in any way that makes any sense, it all ends up feeling... well... empty.
Meanderings #210: Not on "Ma Rainey" or "The Midnight Sky"
January 12, 2021 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.83 MBOur intent for this episode was to talk about "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "The Midnight Sky." Instead, Donald Trump, backed by the Republican Party, decided to continue to fan the flames of idiocy and hatred and the Capitol Building was taken over by terrorists. So, we're talking about that instead. For what it's worth, both movies are really good.
Meanderings #209: "Grizzly II: Revenge" and Changing Reality
January 05, 2021 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.37 MB"Grizzly II" was initially shot in the early 1980s. Or, some of it was shot until the money ran out (a producer left the project). In 2018, one of the producers, Suzanne Csikos Nagy, returned to the movie and finished it. That film is out on VOD this week. We admire the effort that must have taken and wonder what it means about returning/reediting projects in general.
Meanderings #208: "Love and Monsters" and Covid
December 29, 2020 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.64 MBOut on Blu-ray and 4K next week is the Dylan O'Brien starring "Love and Monsters." The movie takes place post-apocalypse with mutated monsters now at the top of the food chain. While that isn't quite where we are, the movie does have some things it can teach us about getting by with Covid still ravaging the land.
Meanderings #207: "Collateral" and Great Conversations
December 15, 2020 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.65 MBMichael Mann's "Collateral" is now out on 4K UHD, and it is a movie worth owning. It's worth it for the Tom Cruise-Jamie Foxx conversations alone. It is a stylish, wonderful, affair. Plus, Jamie Foxx gets to hear from Jada Pinkett Smith about what it's like to have a case of the nerves, and we love that.
Meanderings #206: What's in a Name -- "The Godfather, Coda"
December 08, 2020 13:00 - 7 minutes - 8.71 MBToday we're accusing Shakespeare of being wrong -- names matter. Director Francis Ford Coppola may get towards this in the introduction that accompanies the Blu-ray release of a rejiggered version of "The Godfather Part III," now titled, "The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone," but we're going to look a little bit more at movie titles changes, content changes, and what it all means.
Meanderings #205: "New Mutants" and Bad Ideas
December 01, 2020 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.89 MB"New Mutants" finally managed to make it to theaters this year and now it's out on Blu-ray and streaming. Has the wait been worth it? Decidedly not.
Meanderings #204: Racing Forward with "WRC 9" and the PS5
November 24, 2020 13:00 - 8 minutes - 9.48 MBLaunching this November with the PlayStation 5 is "WRC 9: The Official Game." A simulation racing game, "WRC 9" can be brutally difficult while being incredibly gorgeous and, when you succeed, terribly satisfying. We delve into the ins and outs of it all on this week's podcast.
Episode 54: Scott Barber of "The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story"
November 17, 2020 13:00 - 23 minutes - 26.4 MBUp today on the podcast we have Scott Barber, one of the directors of "The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story," which tells of the channel's rise to stardom in the 1980s and 1990s. The documentary manages not just great nostalgic moments, but delves into the process as well and Barber breaks it all down here.
Meanderings #203: "Ben 10" vs. Inertia
October 27, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.47 MBIt may not mean much to you, but the "Ben 10" franchise has been around for well over a decade. So, when the opportunity arrived for Josh to get a DVD of the new "Ben 10 vs. the Universe: The Movie," he jumped at the opportunity. He hadn't seen any of the shows before, but the time had finally come. Why now? What did he think? Will it lead to him watching "The Batchelor?" Listen and find out!
Meanderings #202: We're Choosing "Batman: Death in the Family"
October 20, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.2 MB"Batman: Death in the Family" is a new animated DC adventure which takes a little bit from the "Death in the Family" comic storyline and a little bit from the "Batman: Under the Red Hood" movie and a little bit from "Choose Your Own Adventure" titles in order to craft something that... well, to craft something that you have to craft yourself. Is it worth all the effort? That's what we're talking about today.
Meanderings #201: A Hero in "The Haunting"
October 13, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.73 MBRecently, Josh read "The Haunting of Hill House." Whether he did this because some preternatural force deep within (or perhaps without!) caused him to remember that the Blu-ray of the 1999 adaptation, entitled "The Haunting" was on the way or not, it proved a serendipitous decision. Fate, as they say, has a sense of humor. Hear all about it on today's podcast.
Episode 53: Haroula Rose of "Once Upon a River"
October 06, 2020 12:00 - 12 minutes - 13.8 MBUp this week on the podcast we have writer-director Haroula Rose. She wrote the screenplay (adapting the novel) and directed the new movie, "Once Upon a River." It takes place in the 1970s and follows a Native American teenager in Michigan and she goes searching for her estranged mother. It is also Rose's first feature as a director.
Meanderings #200: A Ricking Good Time
September 22, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.19 MBIf you haven't seen the Adult Swim series, "Rick and Morty," there are plenty of ways to describe it. Off-kilter, scatalogical, disturbing, smart, and deeply funny are all equally true options. The fourth season of the show is now out on Blu-ray and we're going to talk about just what we most enjoy about it.
Meanderings #199: A Delightful "Roman Holiday"
September 15, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.53 MBWe can't be angry at the world all the time, which isn't to say that there aren't great reasons to be angry, just that every once in a while we need to release the building pressure, calm down, and recenter ourselves for the next outrage. Paramount Presents has just issued a new Blu-ray of "Roman Holiday," and that may be exactly what the doctored ordered.
Episode 52: Erik Nelson of "Apocalypse '45"
September 08, 2020 12:00 - 22 minutes - 26 MBOn today's podcast we discuss the new documentary, which can currently be found on the Discovery Channel, "Apocalypse '45." Erik Nelson, the director, is here to tell us about getting the footage, restoring the footage, interviewing service members, and the all-important role of the director.
Meanderings #198: Russell Crowe and the GOP
September 01, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.22 MBA new movie opening in theaters shouldn't be a very big deal, especially when what we're talking about is just a generic movie opening. However, everything in 2020 is a big deal and that's because, just like the title of the movie we're going to talk about today, one of the two major political parties is "Unhinged."
Meanderings #197: A Streaming Pickle
August 25, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.06 MBThere are some films which exist as streaming originals that one can't imagine ever having been released to a theater. This week, we're looking at one of them, "An American Pickle," and contemplating just what makes it non-theatrical, what makes it brilliant, and where those two might overlap.
Meanderings #196: "Jack Ryan" Needs a Comeuppance in Season 2
August 11, 2020 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.03 MBThere are so very many things to like about the Amazon series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan," but that doesn't mean that it is perfect. In this week's episode, we take a look at one of season two's big failings and consider how it might be fixed in season three.
Episode 51: Will Addison of "Easy Does It"
August 04, 2020 12:00 - 17 minutes - 20.1 MB"Easy Does It" is a new film which features a couple of (bad) robbers trying to make their way across the country to what they hope is a fortune out in California. On the podcast, director Will Addison tells us about the price of making the low budget film, why he set it in the 1970s, and just what Linda Hamilton brought to the table before and during filming.
Meanderings #195: Stop. Assess. Correct.
July 28, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 8.98 MBWe do it too irregularly -- stop, assess, and correct. It is, however, one of our greatest strengths. We can all stop what we're doing for a minute, assess whether it was the right course of action, and then correct as needed. Today's podcast looks at HBO's "The Outsider" and the classic comedy, "Airplane!" to provide examples.
Meanderings #194: "Clueless" & "Trolls: World Tour" - Movies Turned to 11
July 21, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.83 MBTurning 25 years old this summer is "Clueless" a (then) modern update to "Emma." It is a movie turned up to 11 but with good cause and great results. On the other side of things is "Trolls: World Tour," a movie turned to 11 presumably because claiming it was turned to 31 would just be silly. One works. One doesn't. Let's discuss.
Meanderings #194: "Clueless" & "Trolls: World Tour"- Movies Turned to 11
July 21, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.83 MBTurning 25 years old this summer is "Clueless" a (then) modern update to "Emma." It is a movie turned up to 11 but with good cause and great results. On the other side of things is "Trolls: World Tour," a movie turned to 11 presumably because claiming it was turned to 31 would just be silly. One works. One doesn't. Let's discuss.
Meanderings #193: A "Ghost" of an Episode
July 14, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.6 MBThe 1990 "classic" (because it's 30 years old) film "Ghost" is arriving in a new Blu-ray release next week. So, this week we're looking at the movie, what it means to pretend that someone isn't there who is, and whether there's a "joke" that goes too far in the film (it does).
Episode 50: Peter Medak on "The Ghost of Peter Sellers"
June 23, 2020 12:00 - 19 minutes - 22.6 MBBack in the 1970s, Peter Medak directed Peter Sellers in "Ghost in the Noonday Sun." The movie never got a theatrical release, arriving years later on videotape and then DVD. Now though, Medak has put together a documentary on his experiences shooting "Ghost" and he's here to tell us all about it.
Meanderings #192: "Urban Cowboy" and "The Hunt"
June 16, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.68 MBIn 1980's "Urban Cowboy" we see John Travolta as a deplorable human being even if they don't use that word. In fact, the movie doesn't really seem to recognize him as such, but he is and the movie is the worse for not knowing it. "The Hunt" does use the word deplorable, but in a totally different context. Like "Urban Cowboy," the movie is brutal, but in completely different fashion. Let's discuss
Meanderings #191: The Joys of Binging a Film Series
June 09, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.4 MBIt is amazing to get to sit down and experience a series of films one right after the other. The highs remain just as high, but the lows are diminished (or maybe raised... or maybe made more shallow). New connections appear, the scope of the work is more obvious, and the breadth of the affair is revealed. This week on the podcast, we are enthralled by the first three phases of the MCU.
Meanderings #190: "The Deer Hunter" and "Escape from L.A."
June 02, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.65 MBWhat we have here is one great movie and one movie that makes you feel great. It's not that "Escape from L.A." is bad in any way, it's just that it's not Michael Cimino's completely gripping "The Deer Hunter." That said, given the choice, Josh would rather watch Snake Plissken do his thing.
Meanderings #189: "The Invisible Man" is fun, but...
May 26, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.54 MBJosh regularly tries not to let little things bother him. And yet, there they are, the little things. They slowly chip away at his sanity. Bit by bit. Piece by piece. They gnaw at him. Sometimes, despite his best efforts, they must be discussed. This week we tackle that all important question: how do we possibly see the breath of the invisible man in "The Invisible Man?"
Meanderings #188: "Flashdance," Tom Cruise, and "Downhill"
May 19, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.85 MBThis week's podcast takes a look at four different movies: "Flashdance," "Days of Thunder," "War of the Worlds" (the Spielberg/Cruise one), and "Downhill." Sure, that's three older films and one newer one or two Tom Cruise films and two not or some other weird bunching, but they kind of all work together. Sort of. Maybe. Why don't you listen and decide for yourself?
Meanderings #187: The Call of the Poor CG Dog
May 12, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.78 MB"The Call of the Wild" is the story of Buck learning to survive in the harsh Alaskan environment. Watching the movie is the story of people attempting to accept this Scooby Doo-like version of Buck interacting with Harrison Ford. It doesn't work.
Meanderings #186: The Jesus Rolls Away From Lebowski
May 05, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.59 MBJesus Quintana is a minor character in "The Big Lebwoski," but he's front and center now in the new John Turturro written & directed (and starring) film, "The Jesus Rolls," which is out on Blu-ray today. So, for this week's podcast, we're going to examine the movie and just what it takes to make a successful spinoff.
Meanderings #185: Consider the Packaging... but not too much
April 28, 2020 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.01 MBThis week on the podcast we look at "The Rhythm Section," "King Creole," "Fatal Attraction," and "To Catch a Thief." All are sporting new Blu-ray editions and all offer up a few words on their cases about what to expect before we ever dig in. Just what are those words and what should they tell us?
Meanderings #184: "Like a Boss" and Morons for Business
April 21, 2020 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.7 MBOnce again we find it impossible to escape the real world by diving into a little bit of fiction. The comedy "Like a Boss" is out on Blu-ray today and it just may offer a connection to the fools who suggest that shutting a business is worse than the death of thousands.
Episode 49: Christian Kane on new Series "Almost Paradise
April 08, 2020 12:00 - 20 minutes - 23.2 MBFilmed entirely in The Philippines, WGN's new show, "Almost Paradise" features actor Christian Kane. Star of shows such as "Leverage" and "The Librarians," Kane stops by the podcast today to tell us stories of days past as well as what we should expect from this new show.
Meanderings #183: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" and the Ending of a Saga
March 31, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.63 MBThe final chapter (allegedly) in The Skywalker Saga, "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker" is now out on Blu-ray. Let's take a minute and discuss how this franchise that has produced so much mediocrity has managed to make people so angry. Is it the great moments getting buried (and there are great moments) or is it something else?
Meanderings #182: Warring Road Trips - "The Wizard" and "1917"
March 24, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.26 MBBoth "The Wizard" and "1917" are out today on Blu-ray and one of these movies is all about placing the audience there with the main characters as they struggle. The other most definitely features a character struggling but is more concerned with how to sell video games than what the struggle means and how it should be approached. Let's discuss.
Episode 48: Chris Vander Kaay and "Spoiler Alert!"
March 17, 2020 12:00 - 15 minutes - 18.1 MBIn "Spoiler Alert!: The Badass Book fo Movie Plots: Why We All Love Hollywood Cliches" Chris Vander Kaay and his fellow authors breakdown 38 different movie genres, telling us the essential elements to each and every one in comedic form. How did the book come about and what movies does Vander Kaay like most? Listen as we discuss it all.
Meanderings #181: "The Ten Commandments" Times Two
March 10, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.47 MBThe 1923 and 1956 versions of "The Ten Commandments," both made by Cecil B. DeMille, are out now in a single Blu-ray set. That gives us the perfect opportunity to discuss a filmmaker getting the opportunity to rework the same source material. So, as that's something we often suggest, let's take a look at how that worked out here.