The MacGuffin

When it comes to Ang Lee, I tend to zig when most people zag. I’m in the minority that was not enchanted by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but also in the minority who enjoyed Hulk. Probably the only instance where I have found myself aligned with popular opinion was on Brokeback Mountain. Whether I have enjoyed his films or not, I have a strong respect for him as a director. And yet his latest film, Life of Pi, somehow almost completely missed my radar. Not only had I never heard of the book—which is very well regarded, I’ve learned—but I only saw the trailer for the film right before I went to see it. Not anticipating this film turned out to be quite a mistake.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Allen and Ed share their top 5 sword fights.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes and from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

Human beings can really suck sometimes. In the case of Burma (also known as Myanmar), there are a lot of human beings that suck really badly. Unfortunately, they’re the ones in charge. Since the military took control in a coup in 1962, Burma has been under the military’s full lock and key. It also has one of the highest and worst counts of human rights violations in the world. Since 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi has been one of the loudest and most important figures in the opposition to Burma’s military rule. In director Luc Besson’s latest film, she is the center of the subject matter. The movie is a biopic that follows her life from a young age, when her father was assassinated for opposing the military rule, to her return to Burma in 1988, when she was approached to lead a new political movement against the military, through her time in house arrest for 15 years.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Allen and Ben share their top 5 martial arts films.

This segment is also available on Stitcher and iTunes. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.