Othersode #30: Simba Did It Fully Nude / The Lion King 2019

July 29, 2019 The Squad

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Othersode #30: Simba Did It Fully Nude / The Lion King 2019

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the #BookSquad meets todaaaaay! Get your singing voices ready for our discussion of the new Lion King remake. Special guest Said joins us to talk about the visual effects, standout (and not-so-standout) performances, our favorite songs, and storytelling in the Pridelands. Plus we get into some listener feedback on our Black Mirror #othersode and talk about what's on the #BookSquadBlog! Read along with us for the next #bookpisode on Madeline Miller's Circe (August 12). You've still got three days for your contribution to the Adam Cramond Martin Travel Award to be matched in honor of his birthday this month. Head to the link in our notes!

Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!

Ari Aster's Midsommar: Anxiety, Break Ups, and Bad Trips

July 6, 2019 The Squad

Welcome to the Hårga, a commune in Northern Sweden that is at the center of Ari Aster’s sophomore film Midsommar, following his amazing debut film Hereditary (see our thoughts on that movie here). How did the strange and unsettling world of this commune stack up to Aster’s first film? We invited one of our favorite guests (and horror enthusiast/host of the podcast Everything Trying to Kill You) Mary Kay McBrayer to help us work out our feelings about this movie.

So come along, have some hallucinogenic tea, and let’s figure out Midsommar together.

Spoilers to follow.

High School Musical Songs Ranked on How Useful They Will Be for the Wildcats as They Turn 30

June 28, 2019 Todd Osborne

This year marks the 13th anniversary of High School Musical, a Disney Channel Original Movie (or DCOM for those in the know) that sparked the careers of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and ushered in a renaissance for musicals, especially those aimed at teens. While I could write many words about the significance that High School Musical has had in my own life and to the larger pop cultural landscape, instead I am doing something a little more offbeat. I am boppin’ my own beat all the way to the top. As a fellow member of the class of ’08, I feel a special kinship to the HSM kids, and that means that this year (or early next year) Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, and all the rest will be turning 30. And so I am going to rank every song in the High School Musical series based on how useful they will be to the Wildcats (and the rest of us) as they turn the big 3-0.

Child's Play is the Best Episode of Black Mirror: Season 5

June 23, 2019 Emily

When you’re attempting to reboot a franchise that just released a sequel two years prior, you have to make yourself stand out.

So how did 2019’s reboot of the 1988 cult classic Child’s Play manage this? Or did it at all?

Be a Smartie, Go See Booksmart

June 14, 2019 Kelli & Mary

Mary and Kelli saw Booksmart, a new film by Olivia Wilde and had some FEELINGS about it! Spoilers for Booksmart to follow!

Kelli: Helloooo

Mary: Hiiiiii! Today, we are very excited to talk about Booksmart, the directorial debut from Olivia Wilde!! Do you want to introduce us a little?

Kelli: Sure! So, before I saw Booksmart, I heard it described as a cross between Lady Bird and Superbad, and I think that is a fairly accurate description - though it's probably more on the Superbad end of the spectrum. The film stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as Molly and Amy, two "booksmart" best friends who realize, on the last day of their senior year, that while they were studying hard to get into good schools, all of the other kids who were partying and acting like typical teenagers... also got into good schools. Horrified by this knowledge and determined to prove to her peers that she is "fun," Molly (Feldstein) drags Amy (Dever) along with her to have one night of debauchery before they graduate.

Mary: And boy, is it a wild night.

Aladdin Is The Best Disney Live Action Remake Ever (So Far)

June 12, 2019 Emily

As you might remember from my summer movie preview post, I had low expectations going into the live action remake of Disney’s Aladdin. And nonetheless, a lot was pulling me to get to this movie in the theaters: the nostalgia factor cannot be denied (this was an important movie of my childhood of course), the casting looked excellent, the color palate was bright and fun, and most importantly, Raja would be there. I cannot stress this enough. I want a pet tiger.

So, yes, I went to see this movie, but no, I wasn’t expecting to like it at all. Especially since pretty much every Disney live action movie I’ve seen before this has been complete garbage (looking at you Beauty and the Beast). But, friends, I really liked this 2019 adaptation of Aladdin. Maybe I even loved it. So while in all fairness calling Aladdin the best Disney live action adaptation is a VERY LOW BAR, I mean it from the very bottom of my heart. This movie is the best.

But why? Let me break it down for you.

Othersode #26: Sometimes Dad Is Better / Pet Sematary

April 9, 2019 The Squad

Othersode #26: Sometimes Dad Is Better / Pet Sematary

Get unburied with the #BookSquad (and special guest Charlie, Emily’s dad!) as we come back from the dead to talk about the new 2019 film adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. We discuss grief, death and the big changes between the book (and the 1989 film) and the new movie. Plus, you get to learn a little about our childhood pets! Then we dig into some Captain Marvel listener feedback and tell you what’s on the #BookSquadBlog right now. Up next for our #bookpisode: Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi. Read along with us for that and for our next #othersode, where we’ll (probably) hate on Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena.

Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!

Summer Movie Anti-Preview: 10 Summer Movies Most Likely to Suck

March 30, 2019 Emily

We’re a little over a month away from the summer movie season, and you know what that means.

Summer movie trailers are in full swing. As an avid film watcher with OPINIONS, I have already made a lot of decisions about which movies I’m excited to see and which movies are most likely to disappoint. So of course, I am absolutely ready and armed to give you my full on summer movie preview.

But what’s the fun in being positive? We all know summer is the season where studios drop all of their big budget crowd-pleasing movies that will get butts in seats but aren’t likely to be winning any awards. In other words, most of these movies are going to be crap, my dudes. But which ones are the most likely to be terrible and/or disappointing? Well, here are my predictions, from least terrible to most terrible. And… go!