The MacGuffin

If screenings of clips from Star Trek Into Darkness and Fast & Furious 6 weren’t cool enough, we still had two days worth of studio presentations (Disney, Sony, 20th Century Fox, and Lionsgate) at CinemaCon 2013. Generally the presentations went two ways: either the presenters would briefly mention a bunch of projects but not show anything from them and then show more extensive clips from a few select projects, OR they would show brief clips (or trailers) for many different projects.

In honor of the release of Warm Bodies, Spencer and Greg discuss zombie movies.

Spencer and Greg give their DVD rundown for January 15th, 2013. In this episode they discuss Taken 2, Merlin, To Rome With Love, and The Man Who Knew Too Much.

In honor of the release of This Is 40, Spencer and Greg discuss Leslie Mann.

It has been six years since Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris burst onto the film scene after directing the breakout hit Little Miss Sunshine. It was a little indie film that became a surprise hit and charmed people worldwide. I know I have been very eager to see what they would do next, and finally they have quietly resurfaced with their latest project, Ruby Sparks.

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

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.

There are very few filmmakers who can capture the romanticism of a city better than Woody Allen. From his hometown of New York City to London and Paris, Woody knows how to make a beautiful place look even better on film. With his newest project, To Rome With Love (2012), he has yet again given us a gorgeous backdrop, this time centered in the heart of the Italian city. From grand areas like the historic Coliseum to small coffee shops tucked around cobblestone streets, there’s not a shot in the film that isn’t appealing to the eye. And yet, while the visual aesthetic is as good as any film you’d find from Woody, there is an element that is noticeably missing. The magic that made Midnight in Paris (2011) such a success did not transfer to this, resulting in an enjoyable yet lesser Woody Allen effort.

Dark comedies are a fickle bunch. I can imagine this statement is just as true for filmmakers as it is for audiences. There’s a fine line that must be maintained between danger and humor, and as humor is a defense mechanism, it would seem that the two would be ripe for the plucking. Unfortunately, this balance seems to be lost more than it is obtained, especially in films as of recent. I think this problem stems from several issues: 1) what is considered dangerous is in a precarious place at this moment in time. The world has changed. In the past what was considered absurd is now a reality (I’ll get back to this in a moment), and this has led to 2) what is considered risqué is more often than not simply being raunchy these days. Since filmmakers and audiences are confused on what kind of topics are acceptable to approach when it comes to violence, they are turning to humor about sex, something more of us can probably relate to.

Spencer and Brandi look at Jesse Eisenberg’s career in advance of 30 Minutes or Less, tackle Emma Stone for The Help and give their DVD picks of the week.

Spencer and John share their top 10 films for 2010, before closing the show out with their DVD picks of the week.