Middlebrow Madness Isabelle Arf and Derek Godin

Recorded on 23 February 2024

Derek must've angered one or another of the Computer Gods, because part of this episode was garbled beyond recognition. But never fear, sports fans! Thanks to Isabelle's considerable skills as an editrix, the seams on the episode are nary audible. So you will hear in the highest fidelity our intrepid hosts debate the pros and cons of your dad's favourite movie, Derek's favorite character actor joke, and of course, the entirety of Isabelle's online bullshit fire sale. We also mention in passing two titans of the American arts who have recently passed. In short, another classic episode!

This week's matchups:
Good Will Hunting v. Dial M for Murder
Saving Private Ryan v. The Terminator

Further reading:
"Everyone Is Beautiful and No One Is Horny" by RS Benedict
"F/X Porn" by David Foster Wallace (via Michael S. Fuchs)

See the bracket [SPOILERS AHEAD]
Drop us a line: middlebrowmadness@gmail.com
Follow the show on Twitter: @middlebrowpod
Follow Isabelle on Bluesky: @lilieswithout
Check out Derek's stuff at derekgodin.com
Join the Middlebrow Madness Discord

Recorded on 24 November 2023

Sports fans, Isabelle brought the thunder with her reading this week, which threatened to swallow this episode whole, so to speak. But as all episodes must, we eventually get to the matter at hand, which in this case includes one of the most whiplash-inducing matchups in the bracket thus far. We also have some metagaming, a lot of fawning over the classics, and a short discussion of what we mean when we call something "good." In short, another classic episode!

This week's matchups:
Toy Story v. The Deer Hunter
Casablanca v. Barry Lyndon

See the bracket [SPOILERS AHEAD]
Drop us a line: middlebrowmadness@gmail.com
Follow the show on Twitter: @middlebrowpod
Follow Isabelle on Bluesky: @lilieswithout
Check out Derek's stuff at derekgodin.com
Join the Middlebrow Madness Discord

Recorded on 15 September 2023

Well that goofball Derek up and forgot to upload the new episode last week, so can chastise him via your medium of choice. Sorry about that! But here it is, one week late but no worse for wear.

Sports fans, we invite you to take a trip back in time with us, a trip back to the fall of 2023, where your intrepid hosts dusted off their microphones and open-source audio software and recorded an episode of this very podcast for the first time in over two years. This is worth noting because we make a few references that place it in that time span (I think Derek literally refers to "2023" as the present within the opening five minutes). It's an episode full of hot takes, celebrity investment regrets, and more skimming the plot of the movies we're covering that usual (we will get better at this, I promise). We also disparage a bunch of sacred cows and fawn over one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching movies of all time. In short, another classic episode!

This week's matchups:
Some Like It Hot v. On the Waterfront
Forrest Gump v. Paris, Texas

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See the bracket [SPOILERS AHEAD]
Drop us a line: middlebrowmadness@gmail.com
Follow the show on Twitter: @middlebrowpod
Follow Isabelle on Bluesky: @lilieswithout
Check out Derek's stuff at derekgodin.com
Join the Middlebrow Madness Discord

tap tap Is this thing on?

Your eyes and ears do not deceive you, sports fans! We are back from our long hibernation, but instead of overwhelming you with takes so hot they break the Scoville scale, our intrepid hosts return with a super-sized life update spectacular, filling you in on the details of what exactly they've been doing with their lives since mid-2021. Spoiler alert: a lot of hobbies were indulged in and a lot of media was consumed. Derek and Isabelle tell stories, recommend art, and go off on tangents. It's like we never left!

The quest for the Greatest Movie of All Time* resumes March 12th.

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See the bracket [SPOILERS AHEAD]
Drop us a line: middlebrowmadness@gmail.com
Follow the show on Twitter: @middlebrowpod
Follow Isabelle on Bluesky: @lilieswithout
Check out Derek's stuff at derekgodin.com
Join the Middlebrow Madness Discord

Now I'm not one for boasting, sports fans, but this one is a corker. We have an instant-classic opening bit, a huge upset (wink), and an all-time difficult opening round matchup pitting two masterpieces that have a surprising amount in common despite the 75 years that separate them. Also Isabelle makes her co-host laugh the hardest he ever laughs, and Derek does a dramatic reading of an old film review of his. In short, another classic episode!

This week's matchups:
Reservoir Dogs v. The Bandit
The Great Dictator v. Mad Max: Fury Road

NOTE: During our discussion on The Great Dictator, Isabelle says that in Nazi Germany "Jewish people were fine with the Nazis" when she meant to say "The Nazis were fine with Jewish people." As ever, the context of the episode clarifies this. We trust your intelligence, dear listener, but we thought we'd point it out anyways just so we're crystal clear.

Kick a few bucks Palestine's way:
iF Charity
Palestine Children's Relief Fund

See the bracket [SPOILERS AHEAD]
Drop us a line: middlebrowmadness@gmail.com
Follow the show on Twitter: @middlebrowpod
Follow Isabelle on Twitter: @spacejamfan
Follow Derek on Twitter: @derek_g
Join the Middlebrow Madness Discord

NOTE: This episode contains discussions of suicide.

Sometimes the Universe gives you a gift, and sometimes that gift is a poisoned chalice. Sports fans, I have to tell you, our second matchup in this episode has no business happening in Round 1. But the Bracket Gods are capricious, and they will do as they please. In between discussing four very good-to-masterful movies, our intrepid hosts take the time to talk about Oddworld, arena football, #WhiteBoySummer, bar bands, and noted Isabelle reclamation project, Renny Harlin. There's even metagaming in this one.; In short, another classic episode!

This week's matchups:
The Apartment v. Mission: Impossible — Fallout
Star Wars v. Jaws

See the bracket [SPOILERS AHEAD]
Drop us a line: middlebrowmadness@gmail.com
Follow the show on Twitter: @middlebrowpod
Follow Isabelle on Twitter: @spacejamfan
Follow Derek on Twitter: @derek_g
Join the Middlebrow Madness Discord