Silver Screen Queens
334 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsMelissa Savage and Katie Molloy met in film class, and haven’t been able to stop talking movies ever since. Each week they watch a movie and review it, stopping to make plenty of nerdy references along the way.
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Episodes
284: Halloween (2018)
October 30, 2018 20:00 - 49 minutes - 23.2 MBFor the ninth episode in the long-running franchise, Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, in a film that is definitely a sequel to the 1978 original, but only kinda sorta a sequel to its seven other sequels. Billed as Laurie’s final* showdown with legendary slasher Michael Myers, we find her isolated from her family (daughter Judy Greer and granddaughter Andi Matichak), and needing to tap reserves of strength and preparation built up over four decades living in fear. ...
283: A Star Is Born (2018)
October 23, 2018 20:00 - 55 minutes - 25.8 MB“From director Bradley Cooper…” proclaimed the (excellent) trailer, and so it is. We had to wait a couple of weeks to see this in Australia, which only gave the hype train time to build up steam. So, does it live up to expectations?
282: Bad Times at the El Royale
October 16, 2018 20:00 - 39 minutes - 18.5 MBA few weeks ago we saw a sexy, neon movie poster, and immediately wanted to know more. Serendipity showed us the trailer, and informed us that this throwback thriller was directed by one of our favourite writer/directors, Drew Goddard, and from that moment on, we were hooked. With an intriguing premise and an innovative storytelling technique, we were very keen to talk about BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.
281: Venom
October 09, 2018 20:00 - 46 minutes - 21.6 MBDon’t mention the Spider-guy is the watchword of this Sony take on one of its Marvel properties. Tom Hardy is inspiringly cast as Eddie Brock/Venom, and joined by some talented and unexpected co-stars in this film by the director of Zombieland.
280: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
October 02, 2018 21:00 - 52 minutes - 24.3 MBIf you spend a lot of time online, you will eventually see a Mr Rogers quote. If you grew up outside of the US, like us, you probably don’t know who that is. Luckily, there’s a new documentary to tell us about his life, and his incredible legacy of kindness and caring.
279: Searching
September 25, 2018 21:00 - 41 minutes - 19.5 MBJohn Cho finally gets a lead worthy of his immense talents, and filmmakers finally succeed in capturing life on the internet, in this tight thriller about a desperate dad with a missing daughter.
278: A Simple Favor
September 18, 2018 21:00 - 44 minutes - 21 MBAnna Kendrick’s small-town mommy vlogger Stephanie meets Blake Lively’s glamorous PR exec Emily through their sons. It’s going great, until Emily disappears, dragging Stephanie into a mystery she’s only too happy to explore.
277: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
September 11, 2018 21:00 - 47 minutes - 22.2 MBThis Netflix movie based on a popular YA novel has been getting some serious buzz, and not just because it serves a multitude of underserved audiences. Cute and fun, it also launched the career of the internet’s newest boyfriend, Noah Centineo, and given the most memorable part of X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, Lana Condor, her first lead.
276: The Meg
September 04, 2018 21:00 - 32 minutes - 15.5 MBIt’s Jason Statham vs Megashark, with a mega budget and a transparent play for the China market. If you like giant shark movies, then this is for you. If you don’t, then I don’t know what to tell you. Check the show notes for some video of Jason Statham’s diving career, as well as one of John Barrowman’s more infamous line readings.
275: Crazy Rich Asians
August 28, 2018 21:00 - 52 minutes - 24.6 MBOne of the most anticipated films of the year, and the first since 1993 to feature a predominantly Asian/Asian-American cast helmed by an Asian-American director, this little rom-com has a lot riding on it’s couture-clad shoulders. Luckily, Michelle Yeoh and Awkwafina are on board.
274: BlacKkKlansman
August 21, 2018 21:00 - 56 minutes - 26.3 MBSpike Lee’s latest offering tells the true story of black detective Ron Stallworth who, in addition to being the only black detective on the Colorado Springs force, successfully infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. Featuring Lee’s signature style, and an important lesson on the power of cinema, it stars charismatic newcomer John David Washington (son of Denzel) and the always-excellent Adam Driver.
273: Blockers
August 14, 2018 21:00 - 35 minutes - 16.8 MBRecorded a few months ago on its cinematic release, a series of big releases, and the likelihood of this becoming a good home watch led us to delay the release of our episode on BLOCKERS, a very 2018 take on the teen prom night sex comedy. Featuring John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz as parents who find out their daughters plan to lose their virginities on prom night, this doesn’t quite go the way you think it will.
272: Mission: Impossible - Fallout
August 07, 2018 21:00 - 50 minutes - 23.5 MBThe sixth film in a 22-year-old franchise is as good a place as any to throw everything at it. Dizzying stunts (done, for the most part, for real), stake-raising action sequences, vehicle chases in exotic locales and a few good actors to make us care. Say what you like about Tom Cruise (goodness knows we have), but he sets a high bar, and brings along some great talent for the ride. Also, Katie is REALLY into Henry Cavill in this movie.
271: The Breaker Upperers
July 31, 2018 21:00 - 33 minutes - 15.9 MBThis New Zealand comedy from Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Been does exactly what it says on the tin: 90 solid minutes of deliciously inappropriate humour about two women who run a business breaking up with people’s partners when they are too cowardly/useless to do so in person. Featuring some of your favourite NZ comedy talent and some behind the scenes help from Taika Waititi, using his power for good, this continues 2018’s run of comedies.
270: Set It Up
July 24, 2018 21:00 - 58 minutes - 27.1 MBThis Netflix rom-com has been generating some buzz, and needing a quiet weekend at home, we gave it a go. Starring promising up-and-comers Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell (listen back to our EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! and HIDDEN FIGURES episodes to hear us singing their praises) and veterans-who-are-also-our-faves Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs, it seems to have hit a nerve with an audience starved of light, bubbly entertainment.
269: Skyscraper
July 17, 2018 21:00 - 47 minutes - 22 MBI don’t know if you guys know this, but The Rock has done his own version of DIE HARD co-starring Neve Campbell. As you know, Silver Screen Queens is your number one source for all things Dwayne, so we have this covered for you all, even though one of us gets quite bad vertigo.
268: Ant-Man and the Wasp
July 10, 2018 21:00 - 40 minutes - 19.2 MBAfter a slightly disappointing but nonetheless charming entrée into the MCU, Ant-Man is back, this time with a fully-fledged Wasp as his sidekick (don’t believe anything Marvel tries to spin, this is Ant-Man 2, not a joint lead). To their credit, the Ant-Man team has made a real effort not to fall into the sexist traps of the first film, and added Randall Park and Michelle Pfeiffer to an already sterling supporting cast.
267: Tag
July 03, 2018 21:00 - 46 minutes - 21.9 MBFive grown men continue a game of tag they’ve been playing for more than 30 years, and somehow it kind of works. 2018 has been the year of middle of the road adult comedy, and maybe that’s just what we need right now.
266: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
June 26, 2018 21:00 - 47 minutes - 22 MBAlong with a lot of people, we didn’t love Jurassic World when it was released in 2015, so we didn’t go into the sequel with a great deal of confidence. In its defence, it has a different director (horror specialist J.A. Bayona) and has ditched some of the more egregious sins of the earlier film (high heels, nasty treatment of women). So, has life, er, found a way?
265: Incredibles 2
June 19, 2018 21:00 - 48 minutes - 22.9 MBThe Incredibles are back, fourteen years later in the real world, but only minutes later for the family. In this instalment, Mrs. Incredible revives Elastagirl for the PR war to restore the legal status of superheroes, which means a role reversal for Mr. Incredible, who becomes primary parent for their three kids. Listen out for a Turbo cameo at 32:03.
264: Ocean’s Eight
June 12, 2018 21:00 - 48 minutes - 22.8 MBWe’ve both been looking forward to this one. One of us because it featured cool ladies doing crime, and one of us because it features the Met Gala and enormous jewels. You’ll never guess which one was which.
263: Tully
June 05, 2018 21:00 - 49 minutes - 23 MBEvery few years, Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman collaborate on a film, and it’s always worth a look. Tully takes a real, unfiltered and funny look at motherhood, and the way it upends women’s lives. Featuring the excellent Charlize Theron in the lead, this is not the film you are expecting, and if you don’t think it’s for you, it absolutely is.
262: Solo: A Star Wars Story
May 29, 2018 21:00 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBSOLO arrives in cinemas after experiencing significant production issues, but early word was good, and so it is that the professionalism and experience of Disney, Lucasfilm and Ron Howard shine through in this fun heist flick. there are some not-unexpected issues with the casting, and some storytelling niggles, but after the downbeat ROGUE ONE, and the disorganised THE LAST JEDI, it’s a welcome addition to the new canon.
261: Deadpool 2
May 22, 2018 21:00 - 48 minutes - 56.7 MBEveryone’s favourite foul-mouthed Canadian is back! Ryan Reynolds’ 10-years-in-the-making passion project became a huge hit in 2016, and now they’re back with more money, that goes into new characters, better CGI, a killer soundtrack and more cool makeup.
260: Mom and Dad
May 15, 2018 21:00 - 46 minutes - 54.7 MBThis cult horror flick starring Nicholas Cage and Selma Blair as parents trying to murder their children has been doing the festival circuit, and we were lucky to catch it, appropriately enough, over Mother’s Day weekend. Featuring a kinetic directorial style, MOM AND DAD is both gory af and surprisingly restrained, while asking some big questions about what it means to become a parent.
259: Rampage
May 08, 2018 21:00 - 52 minutes - 61.4 MB“I will watch whatever nonsense Dwayne is in.” - Roxane Gay, 4 February 2018 In between Easter and Infinity War, The Rock put out a film in which he plays a primatologist who is best friends with an albino gorilla. We tried to resist, but eventually we found ourselves in the cinema with Dwayne and George.
258: Avengers: Infinity War
May 01, 2018 21:00 - 1 hour - 98.7 MBIt’s here! The most ambitious crossover event in history. We have some spoiler free thoughts for you, followed by a discussion of the movie that is in itself almost movie length!
257: A Quiet Place
April 24, 2018 21:00 - 55 minutes - 65.3 MBActor John Krasinski turns his hand to directing with this high concept thriller about a family living in a world where monsters hunt by sound.
256: Love, Simon
April 17, 2018 21:00 - 39 minutes - 46.9 MBWhen we heard there was a gay teen romance from our favourite TV superhero show runner, it created a ‘run, don’t walk’ response here at SSQ HQ. It certainly led to an interesting experience as we watched the film at an LGBTQI community screening with free booze.
255: A Wrinkle in Time
April 10, 2018 21:00 - 36 minutes - 42.9 MBAva DuVernay takes on the classic children’s sci-fi novel, with an assist from Disney, New Zealand and Oprah. It’s had some bad press, and, frankly, we disagree. Charming, colourful adventures with cute kids and smart adults, and a family-friendly message that doesn’t condescend to its tween/teen audience.
254: Ready Player One
April 03, 2018 21:00 - 48 minutes - 29.3 MBThe famous/notorious novel gets the full big-screen treatment in the experienced and talented hands of Steven Spielberg. Being curious nerdy types, we had to give it a go.
253: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
March 27, 2018 20:00 - 55 minutes - 29.8 MBDespite the success of Wonder Woman, this biopic of her creator and his polyamorous family received such a limited cinematic release in Australia that we have been unable to see it until now. Touching on our longstanding interests in Wonder Woman, nerd culture, superheroes, feminism, history and queerness, this film also features the wonderful Luke Evans in the title role, and Rebecca Hall as his spectacular wife, Elizabeth. As you can imagine, it gave us plenty to talk about.
252: Tomb Raider
March 20, 2018 20:00 - 46 minutes - 26.1 MBA few years back we played (and enjoyed) the rebooted Tomb Raider franchise game. Now the gritty, younger version of Lara Croft has found her way to the big screen, played by Alicia Vikander. Can this film overcome the video game movie curse?
251: Annihilation
March 13, 2018 20:00 - 40 minutes - 22.3 MBThe latest film from Alex Garland, based on the sci-fi novel by Jeff Vandermeer, has received really sh*tty distribution treatment, denied a cinematic release outside the US. Luckily, we were able to watch this strange, beautiful and philosophical female-led film on Netflix, where it will hopefully find a receptive audience among fans of esoteric indie fare.
250: Game Night
March 06, 2018 20:00 - 40 minutes - 22.7 MBSome lightness after the Serious Films of Oscar season, as Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman team up for this cute comedy about a super-competitive couple about to have their game night go nuclear. Former Freaks and Geeks actor and HORRIBLE BOSSES writer John Francis Daley co-directs with SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING writer Jonathan Goldstein, with Kyle Chandler and Jesse Plemons in support. Recorded on Sunday afternoon, we also have a short pre-Oscars discussion.
249: Lady Bird
February 27, 2018 20:00 - 39 minutes - 22.8 MBIn the last review we will release prior to the Oscars ceremony, we take a look at one of the contenders: Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut LADY BIRD. Set in 2002, and based on Gerwig’s own life, it definitely hits close to home for us, and we have been waiting impatiently for its Australian release.
247: I, Tonya
February 13, 2018 20:00 - 46 minutes - 26.5 MBA biopic like nothing you’ve ever seen before, based on interviews with the (unreliable) protagonists of one of the biggest sporting scandals of all time. Before she was a punchline, Tonya Harding was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make it in the class-conscious world of figure skating.
246: The Post
February 06, 2018 20:00 - 41 minutes - 23.8 MBThis movie is being advertised by its big names (Streep, Hanks, Spielberg), but don’t think for a minute that the legends are phoning it in. The best Oscar movie to take your parents to, THE POST is also the story of legendary Washington Post owner Katharine Graham, and her editor Ben Bradlee, as they wrestle over the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
245: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
January 30, 2018 20:00 - 39 minutes - 22.5 MBWe weren’t originally going to watch this surprise Christmas hit, but then it became a surprise Christmas hit and, you know, The Rock. Like most people who grew up in the 90s, were were raised on the Robin Williams classic, but we braved it anyway.
244: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
January 23, 2018 20:00 - 45 minutes - 25.5 MBFrances McDormand is once again up for an Oscar for her turn as a mother using any means necessary to get the local police to work harder to solve her daughter’s murder. Sam Rockwell offers sterling support in an ambitious film that takes a compassionate look at bigotry, ableism and cycles of violence.
243: The Greatest Showman
January 16, 2018 20:00 - 37 minutes - 21.6 MBPRO: Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron are back doing a musical! Zendaya! Pasek and Paul! CON: Heavily fictionalised version of the life of a man who did some really bad stuff in his time. Our love of musicals won out on this occasion, and we decided to review the film as presented, but read up on PT Barnum and his life (including slave-owning and exploitation of disabled children) and watch with that in mind.
242: The Shape of Water
January 09, 2018 20:00 - 44 minutes - 25.7 MBOtherwise known as “the Guillermo del Toro fish romance”, The Shape of Water is garnering all sorts of awards season buzz. On New Year’s Eve, we got a little buzzed and went to see it.
241: Call Me By Your Name
January 02, 2018 20:00 - 38 minutes - 22.5 MBThis sweet coming of age gay love story has been generating serious buzz for months, and after waiting impatiently we finally got to see it on Boxing Day. Does it live up to the hype? How many times do we plan to watch it again? Are Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet allergic to shirts?
240: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
December 19, 2017 20:00 - 59 minutes - 33.6 MBIt’s the most wonderful time of the year! Star Wars season! Following the raging success of THE FORCE AWAKENS in 2015, LOOPER director Rian Johnson takes on the legendary franchise with this packed instalment. General Organa has her work cut out for her keeping Poe Dameron in check, while Rey has gone to make a mentor out of the grizzled loner Luke Skywalker. Meanwhile, Finn meets the irrepressible Rose Tico.
239: The Disaster Artist
December 12, 2017 20:00 - 1 hour - 34.4 MB14 years ago, Tommy Wiseau wrote, directed, produced and starred in THE ROOM, widely regarded as the worst film ever made. Now, the multi-talented James Franco directs, produces and stars in the movie about the movie, based on the memoir of Wiseau’s best friend and protegé, Greg Sestero.
238: The Man Who Invented Christmas
December 05, 2017 20:00 - 40 minutes - 23.1 MBA few months back we were attracted by a trailer for a quirky little movie about the writing of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol starring Dan Stevens as the renowned author. We weren’t quite sure what we were getting ourselves in for, but we’re glad we did.
237: The Killing of a Sacred Deer
November 28, 2017 20:00 - 39 minutes - 22.1 MBOne of the early Oscar contenders, this film has been doing the festival rounds for a while and garnered decent critical buzz. We were slightly concerned about its ostensible themes of abuse, and it’s experimental Brechtian vibe, but were intrigued nonetheless.
236: Justice League
November 21, 2017 20:00 - 38 minutes - 22.3 MBAfter the success of WONDER WOMAN, DC brings together its biggest heroes in one picture. After a troubled genesis, the film has been getting bad reviews from critics, but an okay response from audiences. We were looking forward to Wonder Woman and Ezra Miller’s The Flash, so we went in with an open mind.
235: Murder on the Orient Express
November 14, 2017 20:00 - 37 minutes - 21.9 MBFor Katie’s birthday we enjoyed a screening of Kenneth Branagh’s take on the classic Agatha Christie novel about a mysterious group of travellers stranded on a luxurious train journey. Please enjoy our cucumber sandwich- and champagne-fuelled review.