The Take-Up

The Take-Up
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The Take-Up is the place to gather when the film is over. Every episode, film critics Andrew Wyatt and Joshua Ray break down one film to decide if it enters the Take-Up's canon of films that reflect the website's ethos: Creator-owned independent online film criticism, based in the Heartland but traveling the world through cinema. Special guests plead the case for for their personal picks, with new releases getting a chance to sit alongside the greats.

  1. 15 JAN

    Resurrection (2025)

    Hear 'Deliriants' Josh and Andrew describe their dream of Bi Gan’s long-awaited follow-up to Long Day's Journey into Night, the arthouse celebration/eulogy to cinema Resurrection. The hosts go into the weeds of the head-scratching metaphor and genre-bending ode to the five senses that is the Chinese wunderkind's epic “porterhouse steak" of a cinematic meal. Throughout, prepare to ask the important questions, such as, “Do your dreams have film cuts?” Next, Josh and Andrew go into One More Thing, recommending Stephen Frears’ Terrance Stamp-starring 80s crime film The Hit and the hidden gems of cult film streaming service Eternal Family. Until next time, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    1h 9m
  2. The Films of 2025 (with Friends of The Take-Up)

    9 JAN

    The Films of 2025 (with Friends of The Take-Up)

    We're putting a big beautiful bold bow on the films of 2025 with a little help from our friends. Joshua talks to previous guests Elliott Collins of MovieFiles and Webster University Film Series Director Pete Timmermann about a few of their favorites from last year, and new-to-the-pod friends Taylor Blake of ZekeFilm.org and filmmaker Stephen Tronicek are on deck to discuss their choices. After that, Producer Ethan and Joshua count down their top 10 films of 2025. Want a preview of the films discussed? Listen to find out who shares the critical love for The Mastermind and Sorry, Baby; and who's stumping for The Naked Gun; The Phoenician Scheme; and Resurrection. Of course, Joshua can't give quit ⁠The Secret Agent⁠, ⁠One Battle After Another⁠, and ⁠Misericordia⁠—all previously covered on the podcast. On next week's episode, Andrew returns to expand upon Bi Gan's latest, the aforementioned mind-trip meta-movie Resurrection. Until then, read on at ⁠thetake-up.com⁠ and follow us @thetakeupstl on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Letterboxd⁠, and ⁠Facebook⁠. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    1h 52m
  3. Suspiria (2018) (with Ethan Tarantella)

    1 JAN

    Suspiria (2018) (with Ethan Tarantella)

    Wishing everyone a happy New Year, Josh and Andrew purify 2026 with fellow contributor/podcast editor/synopsis writer/ZekeFilm writer Ethan Tarantella’s pick, Luca Guadagnino’s remake of Suspiria! Prepare to have your head explode with an extended discussion ranging from the remake’s unrelenting arthouse madness, sociopolitical talk about 70s Berlin, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, witchcraft and dance, fascism, queer theory, acclaimed actor Lutz Ebersdorf, the way Dakota Johnson says “Ohio”, and much, much more. Give your soul to a movie so powerful, overwhelming, and crammed with ideas no wonder it's one of this writer’s favorite movies. Complimenting this episode includes Ethan giving an impromptu Guadagnino ranking (can you guess where After the Hunt is?) and the trio having One More Thing, recommending Kinji Fukasaku’s Black Lizard, Hong Kong gangster film Exiled, along with recent shows The Chair Company, Women Wearing Shoulder Pads, and Haha, You Clowns. Next week, friends of the Take-Up join Josh to discuss the best of 2025! Until then, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    1h 21m
  4. Suspiria (1977) (with Sarah Baraba and Keith Watson)

    25/12/2025

    Suspiria (1977) (with Sarah Baraba and Keith Watson)

    As we here at the Take-Up wish everyone a happy holiday, we bring the gift of Keith Watson’s and Sarah Barabas’ pick of the week and iconic “wallpaper cinema,” Suspiria! As the Arkadin Cinema owners alongside Josh and Andrew wander down the vast candy-lit halls of this witchy giallo, raving over the fairy tale aesthetics, camp quality, dream logic, and how it all makes for a great date movie. Completing this episode is a preview of the Arkadin’s “Weird Canadian” theme for next month, featuring some Cronenberg, Kids in the Hall and upcoming animated documentary Endless Cookie. Plus Josh and Andrew having One More Thing with hit HBO queer hockey drama Heated Rivalry and point-and-click murder mystery game The Séance of Blake Manor.  Next week, Josh and Andrew keep this macabre gift-giving, bringing in fellow Take-Up contributor/podcast editor Ethan Tarantella (you know, the guy who writes these episode synopses?) to discuss his own first kiss with cinema, which just so happens to be Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 remake of Suspiria. Witness your writer come out of the shadows to talk about a film that breaks the nose off of Argento’s original and replaces it with an uglier attack of the senses. Until then, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    1h 4m
  5. The Secret Agent (with Diane Carson)

    11/12/2025

    The Secret Agent (with Diane Carson)

    Film critic Dr. Diane Carson spills the beans on director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s latest political thriller The Secret Agent! Together with Josh and Andrew, the trio give praise to its pointed commentary on the Fifth Brazilian Republic and darkly comedic portrayal of a political refugee. Featuring a disembodied leg, Carnival, Mendonça's love of cinema, and so many other things, listen in on our hosts gushing over this wild thriller before it drops in theatres this Christmas.  Later, they make sure to have One More Thing to say about this year’s film turnout, recommending Bi-Gan’s upcoming sci-fi film Resurrection, last summer’s A24 horror film Bring Her Back, the Cannes Grand-Prix-winning family drama Sentimental Value, and 90’s Iraq period piece The President’s Cake. Speaking of holidays, we here at The Take-Up decided to give our listeners the best fitting yuletide gifts of the season: Dancing! Goblin! The Color Red! Arkadin Cinema & Bar owners Keith Watson and Sarah Barabas come in to discuss their first love of cinema, the Italian horror classic Suspiria. Get cozy by the excessive amount of razor wire and grab a glass of blood-building wine for what will be a fun discussion on everyone’s favorite giallo fairy tale. Until then, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    59 min
  6. Rushmore (with Max Havey)

    28/11/2025

    Rushmore (with Max Havey)

    Max Havey of STL Magazine shares with Josh and Andrew a film he holds dear, Wes Anderson’s Rushmore! A beloved staple from Anderson’s early stage in his career, the hosts dive into the comedy of this odd coming-of-age tale, Havey’s last-minute Wes Anderson movie rankings, and which one of the three was a Max Fischer in high school. Also expect a couple Graduate comparisons. Then, expect three things to look out for from this week’s One More Thing, including the wild Godzilla movie Destroy All Monsters, Vince Gilligan’s new sci-fi series Pluribus, and the “Battle of Seattle” documentary WTO/99. Keep an eye out for next week, where Josh and Andrew get to discuss a favorite from this year’s Cannes, The Secret Agent! As Kleber Mendonça Filho’s political thriller makes its way to St. Louis this Christmas, make sure to listen in on the duo’s take on the acclaimed movie. Until then, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    1h 6m
  7. The Graduate (with Drew Wendt)

    13/11/2025

    The Graduate (with Drew Wendt)

    Drew Wendt of Do You Like Apples? has one word to say to Josh and Andrew, just one word: Garfunkel. This week, Drew seduces our hosts into talking about Mike Nichols’ New Hollywood classic The Graduate, a film that appears to defy its reputation as an iconic Boomer comedy. Getting into the nitty gritty of all the power dynamics, WASP-y suburbia, youthful aimlessness, grey morality, and just how catchy "The Sound of Silence" is, the trio dive deep into a movie that leaves them coming away with new thoughts after every rewatch. Then, they have One More Thing, with the 1980 Roeg psychodrama Bad Timing, (starring Art Garfunkel as himself but if he went into psychology) and Anthony Mann’s police procedural noir (and documentary?) T-Men. Expect no episode next week as Josh and Andrew will be attending SLIFF, but they’ll be back in time for Max Havey’s lesson on the film that made the STL Magazine writer fall in love with movies, Wes Anderson’s Rushmore! In two weeks, make sure to listen in on this  crash course in one of Anderson’s early works. Until then, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    1h 6m
  8. Misericordia

    05/11/2025

    Misericordia

    Switching things up a bit, Josh and Andrew go to the French countryside with Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia. Featuring an opening French lesson/cameo by Josh’s husband, our hosts get into the intricacies of this dark comedy-thriller, including its observation on relationships, rural France, and “one of the biggest jumpscares of the year”. They have fun talking about a film where everyone in this small town is, to put it lightly, “a little bit gay.” Then, they have One More Thing, recommending the new Netflix true crime hit The Perfect Neighbor and Joseph Losey’s 1963 psychodrama The Servant (or “Parasite meets Phantom Thread meets Homoeroticism” according to Jake Cole’s Letterboxd). Next week, say “and here’s to you” for guest Drew Wendt of Do You Like Apples? as he gets Josh and Andrew to talk about the movie that made him interested in film criticism, the 60s classic The Graduate!  Until then, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

    1 hr
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About

The Take-Up is the place to gather when the film is over. Every episode, film critics Andrew Wyatt and Joshua Ray break down one film to decide if it enters the Take-Up's canon of films that reflect the website's ethos: Creator-owned independent online film criticism, based in the Heartland but traveling the world through cinema. Special guests plead the case for for their personal picks, with new releases getting a chance to sit alongside the greats.

Information

  • Creator
    The Take-Up
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Take-Up
  • Show Website
    The Take-Up

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