MacGuffin Podcast

155 - The Killer and The Marvels

Back from a long hiatus, we catch up with the much-publicized MCU flop, The Marvels, and David Fincher's Netflix thriller, The Killer. Both hosts talk about what they've been up to while away from their microphones, and for the streaming homework, we discuss the 1947 noir, Out of the Past, starring Robert Michum and Kirk Douglass.  Also, the sound is a bit weird here as some locations were hastily changed. Will sound much better going forward. 

154 - Killers of the Flower Moon

For this week's podcast, we review Martin Scorsese's anticipated crime/western epic, Killers of the Flower Moon. We also recommend horror titles based on common favorites from the genre. And from Shudder, we discuss the low-budget Japanese zombie flick, One Cut of the Dead. 

153 - Totally Killer

This week, we review Totally Killer, Prime Video's original teen-slasher, science fiction comedy. We also discuss monsters we'd like to see more of in the movies. For our streaming homework, we express our emotional responses to the controversial 1981 psychological horror movie, Possession. 

152 - No One Will Save You

This week, we review the Hulu original sci-fi horror film, No One Will Save You, starring Kaitlyn Dever. We also list some spooky movies for folks looking for Halloween-appropriate viewing without getting too scared. For our streaming homework, we discuss the 1988 British horror comedy, The Lair of the White Worm, directed by Ken Russell. 

151 - A Haunting In Venice

For this week's show, we review Kenneth Branagh's third Agatha Christie adaptation, A Haunting in Venice. We also discuss the WGA's gains now that the writer's strike has come to an end, as well as a few other movie news items. For our streaming homework, we review Ang Lee's 1997 domestic drama The Ice Storm, which is now available to watch on HBOMax. 

150 - You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

This week, we reviewed the Netflix original teen comedy You Are So NOT Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. For the streaming homework, we look back at the 2018 comedy Game Night and Keith gets quizzed on what older movies are remakes or originals. 

149 - Gran Turismo

This week, we review the true story of a PlayStation gamer turned real racecar driver, Gran Turismo, starring David Harbour. We also do a fantasy recast of famously miscast film roles throughout the decades. As our streaming homework, we discuss Danny Boyle's 2004 family feature, Millions. 

148 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem

This week, television writer Alec Engerson joins us to discuss the Hollywood guild strikes and their demands. We also review the new animated feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. And for our streaming homework, Alec leads the conversation about Jim Jarmusch's 1999 crime film, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai. 

147 - Oppenheimer

This week, we review Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and the Netflix original sci-fi comedy, They Cloned Tyrone. For our streaming homework, we review the 1977 hockey film, Slap Shot, starring Paul Newman.

146 - Barbie

This week, we review the new Barbie movie, and for the streaming homework, we review the 1994 Hong Kong romantic comedy, Chungking Express. Keith also gives us details about last weekend at San Diego Comic-Con.

145 - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

For this podcast episode, we review the revamped, rebooted Harrison Ford adventure sequel, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We also try to predict the success of the summer's remaining tentpoles, given the year's disappointing box office. For our streaming homework, we discuss the 1989 Oliver Stone classic, Born on the Fourth of July. 

144 - Asteroid City (with Andy Motz)

For this podcast episode, we are joined by independent filmmaker Andy Motz, and we talk all about his first feature-length documentary Masc. We also review the latest film by Wes Anderson, Asteroid City.  Donate to Andy's film project here. 

143 - The Flash

For this podcast episode, we review the DCEU superhero movie, The Flash, starring Ezra Miller. As our streaming homework, we return to the world of DC, with the biographical drama Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. 

142 - Flamin Hot & Transformers Rise of the Beasts

For this episode of the podcast, we review the Hulu original biopic, Flamin Hot, and Keith gives us a solo review of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. We also celebrate Pride month with a review of the 1994 Aussie drag comedy, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. 

141 - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

This episode features our review of the animated superhero sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Cassidy quizzes Keith on his knowledge of celebrity voice performances for other animated classics, and we also discuss the 1981 fantasy cult movie, Dragonslayer. 

140 - Sisu

In this podcast, we review the hyper-violent World War II splatterfest, Sisu. From there, we discuss our favorite movie dogs in movies that aren't about dogs. For our streaming homework, we also review the Netflix documentary Pamela: A Love Story, which chronicles the life and hardships of model and actress Pamela Anderson. 

139 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol3

For this podcast episode, we review James Gunn's MCU sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol: 3. We also list movie selections wherein the whole damn film is the "money-riff." Finally, we discuss Ridley Scott's 1977 feature debut, The Duellists, streaming now on Pluto TV. 

138 - Beau is Afraid

For this week's podcast, we discuss our favorite "mind-freak" movies and we review Ari Aster's latest freak-out, Beau is Afraid. We also discuss the 1997 Spanish psycho-drama, Open Your Eyes. 

137 - Renfield

For this week's podcast, we review the vampire comedy, Renfeild, starring Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult. We also look back at last year's She Said, now streaming on Peacock.  

136 - Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Air

135 - Creed III

For this podcast, we catch up with Creed III, the third installment of the boxing drama starring Michael B. Jordon. Keith also brings to the table a draft segment where we list our favorite movie goons. And for our streaming homework, we review the 1989 Patrick Swayze schlock-fest, Road House. 

134 - Knock at the Cabin

For this podcast, we discuss the highs and lows of director M. Night Shyamalan and review his latest thriller, Knock at the Cabin. We also discuss the 2002 dark comedy Rules of Attraction for our streaming homework. 

133 - Cocaine Bear

For this podcast episode, we review the violent ensemble comedy, Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks. We also tell you which tv shows we'd like to see given a prestige Blu-ray release by the Criterion Collection. At the show's end, we review Takashi Miike's 2017 live-action adaptation of the samurai manga, Blade of the Immortal. 

132 - Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

For this week's episode, we review Marvel's latest science fiction epic, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. We also discuss the prospect of a new Lord of the Rings series of movies. For the streaming homework, we look back at John Singleton's Poetic Justice, starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

131 - You People

For this podcast episode, we celebrate Valentine's Day weekend with reviews of the Netflix original comedy, You People, starring Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy, as well as the 1981 Canadian slasher, My Bloody Valentine. We also give a few suggestions for actors as movie couples we'd like to see. 

130 - Infinity Pool

For this episode of the podcast, we review Brandon Cronenberg's sci-fi thriller, Infinity Pool. We also discuss the 2023 Oscar nominations and make a few predictions. At the end of the show, we review the 2011 psychological drama, Take Shelter, starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. 

129 - M3GAN

For this week's podcast, we review the new Blumhouse horror movie M3GAN, starring Allison Williams and a creepy rubber doll. We also discuss the 1985 Chevy Chase comedy, Fletch, and Keith shares his thoughts on the debut episode of The Last of Us. 

128 - Top Films of 2022

For this podcast episode, we countdown our lists of the top 10 films released in 2022. We also throw in a few honorable mentions and count down our bottom five movies from last year. 

127 - Avatar: The Way of Water & Glass Onion

For this week's episode, we review the long-awaited blockbuster sequel Avatar: The Way of Water by James Cameron and Rian Johnson's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Also, for our streaming homework, we discuss Richard Linklater's animated love letter to 1960s suburban life,  Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood. 

126 - The Fabelmans

This week, we review Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio adaptation for Netflix and Steven Spielberg's semi-auto-biographical film, The Fabelmans. For our streaming homework, we also catch up with David Cronenberg's latest sci-fi horror movie, Crimes of the Future. 

125 - Bones & All

For this podcast episode, we break down Sight and Sound's updated list of the 100 Greatest Films of All Time and add five of our own entries. We also review the new cannibal teen romance, "Bones and All." For the streaming homework, we discuss the 1987 flop, "Ishtar," starring Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty. 

124 - The Menu

Ashlee joins the podcast this week to review the new dark comedy, The Menu, starring Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy. We also reminisce about our days as video store clerks, just before the DVD market bottomed out. Finally, as our streaming homework, we review the 1944 gothic noir, Gaslight. 

123 - Banshees of Inisherin & Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

This week Keith reviews the new Marvel sequel "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Collectively, we review the period dramedy, Banshees of Inisherin, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. As for this episode's streaming homework, we catch up with Baz Lurhman's rock biopic, Elvis. 

122 - Weird: The Al Yankovich Story & Black Adam

In this week's podcast, we list our favorite Weird Al parodies and review his new comedy biopic, Weird: The Al Yankovich Story. Keith also gives us his solo review of the new DC super hero movie Black Adam. For our streaming homework, we review the 1996 family dramedy, The Daytrippers, written and directed by Greg Mottola. 

121 - Halloween Ends & Dario Argento retrospective

This week, we bring on guest Richard Wolley to review the final chapter in David Gordon Green's Halloween reboot trilogy, Halloween Ends. Before that, we also discuss the career highlights of the Italian horror auteur, Dario Argento. Deep cuts include Giallo classics such as Deep Red (1977), Inferno (1980), and Opera (1987). 

120 - Hellraiser (2022)

This week, we review Hulu's reboot of the classic Clive Barker horror film, Hellraiser. We also do a deep dive into the career of the Canadian master of body horror, David Cronenberg, including individual reviews of Rabid (1977), Dead Ringers (1988), and Cosmopolis (2012). 

119 - Barbarian

For this week's episode, we kick off our month-long horror directors' profiles, beginning with the deep cuts of Wes Craven. We also catch up with the recent horror hit, Barbarian, written and directed by Zach Cregger. 

118 - Pearl

For this week's podcast, we review Ti West's follow-up to the horror film X, Pearl, starring Mia Goth. We also discuss a few movie opinion changes we have undergone over the years. As for this week's streaming homework, we talk about the 1997 Japanese animated thriller, Perfect Blue, which is currently listed on Shudder. 

117 - Pinocchio

For this podcast episode, we review Disney's live-action update on their 1940 classic, Pinnochio, starring Tom Hanks. We also discuss the latest movie news, and for our streaming homework, we review the Amazon Prime original romantic comedy, I Want You Back. 

116 - Three Thousand Years of Longing

For this week's episode, we review George Miller's fantasy epic, Three Thousand Years of Longing, starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. We also have a lengthy discussion about what properties since 2000 have garnered the most devoted fandoms. And for our streaming homework, we review the 2015 western/horror hybrid, Bone Tomahawk. 

115 - Beast

In this podcast episode, we review the Idris Elba versus a rogue lion thriller, Beast. We also extensively discuss the best post-peak performances by actors working past their prime. Finally, for the streaming homework, we review the 1963 psychological thriller, Shock Corridor, written and directed by Sam Fuller. 

114 - Prey

For this podcast episode, we discuss all of the movies in the Predator franchise and conclude with a full review of the latest entry, Prey. We also discuss the new Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. And for our streaming homework, we review Hayao Miyazaki's 1984 anime epic, Nausica of the Valley of the Wind. 

113 - The Gray Man

On this week's pod, we review the Netflix action-thriller, The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. We also talk in-depth about the Discover+ HBOMAX merger and the content changes scheduled for the app. Speaking of streaming platforms, for our streaming homework, we review last year's documentary, A Glitch in the Matrix. 

112 - Nope

For this week's episode, we review Jordan Peele's latest science-fiction horror film, Nope. And for our streaming homework, we discuss this year's buzzed-about Hindi action-musical, "RRR." Keith also gives us all the details about his weekend spent at San Diego's 2022 Comic Con.

111 - Thor Love and Thunder

This week, we review the latest saga starring Chris Hemsworth as Marvel's nordic hero in Thor: Love and Thunder. We also suggest our fan casting for a hypothetical live-action Jetsons movie. Lastly, we discuss the 1984 Red Riding Hood-themed horror fairytale, The Company of Wolves, directed by Neil Jordan. 

110 - The Black Phone

For this episode, we review Scott Derrickson's latest horror film, The Black Phone, starring Ethan Hawke. We also talk about movies with especially bad titles. And, from HBOMax, we discuss the 1990 sequel to Chinatown, The Two Jakes. 

109 - Hustle

This week we discuss the best and worst of Adam Sandler's acting/producing career and we review his latest basketball movie, Hustle. For our streaming homework, we talk about the 2012 documentary How to Survive a Plague, which covers the activism around the early years of the AIDS epidemic.   

108 - Top Gun: Maverick

This week, we review the long-awaited action sequel "Top Gun: Maverick," starring Tom Cruise and Miles Teller. We also cover the latest movie news, and for the streaming homework, we discuss James Mangold's 1997 crime-thriller, "Cop Land." 

107 - Men

This week, we review Alex Garland's English countryside nightmare, Men, starring Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear. We also talk about sex scenes in movies that were necessary to the quality of the film. For our streaming homework, we ring in Pride month with the 2015 indie film, Tangerine. 

106 - Firestarter

This week, we review the latest adaptation of Stephen King's sci-fi thriller, Firestarter, starring Zac Efron. We also test Keith's knowledge of films that take place in Seattle. For our streaming homework, we review John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars,  released in 2002.