Oh Brother

Dan and Mike Smith
  • 4.7 (14)
  • Film Reviews
  • Updated Weekly

Real brothers, Reel Talk: Dan & Mike Smith cover film, TV, & artist interviews 🍿📺🎤My brother Mike and I launched the “Oh Brother” podcast in 2020. The show’s primary objective is to share our enthusiasm for film and cinema in an informative and entertaining way. We also enjoy interviewing artists with diverse backgrounds in film and television who work both in front of and behind the scenes. We invite you to join us each week and follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear from you, so email us or text us some fan mail to share your feedback on the show!

  1. 5d ago

    Gena Rowlands & Cassavetes' Opening Night (1977) | Criterion Review

    Message Dan and Mike We're reviewing John Cassavetes' Opening Night (1977), starring Gena Rowlands, as part of our dive into the Criterion box set of five Cassavetes films. This is a filmmaker some call the father of independent cinema, and we get into why he had to finance his own work, act in other people's movies to bankroll his next project, and watch this one bomb so badly on release that the studio pulled it from theaters. We talk through the film's play-within-a-play structure, the way Cassavetes shoots actors slipping in and out of character backstage, and the ambiguity at the center of the story: is the young fan who dies early in the film a real ghost haunting Rowlands' character, or a figment of her imagination as she confronts getting older? We land in different places on that question, and we get into why Cassavetes never spells it out for the audience. We also spend some time on Rowlands herself, tracing one brother's first exposure to her through Gloria back in 1980 without even realizing Cassavetes directed it, and talking about how she and Cassavetes never won a competitive Oscar despite being nominated multiple times between them. Ben Gazzara, Joan Blondell, and a scene-stealing cameo from Peter Falk all come up, along with a tangent on Cassavetes' work with Kubrick-adjacent actors and comparisons to other directors who financed their own films outside the studio system. Before we get into the review, we also talk about our upcoming trip to San Diego Comic-Con, where we'll have press credentials for the first time. We're already deep into schedule chaos trying to figure out how to cover a five-day, eighty-plus-page event as first-timers, so expect a recap episode when we're back. If you've been meaning to start exploring Cassavetes and don't know where to begin, we make the case for Opening Night as an entry point, and let you know the whole five-film Criterion box set is currently half off. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

  2. Jul 8

    Sylvester Stallone's Rocky at 50: The Perfect Underdog Story

    Message Dan and Mike Rocky turns 50 this December, and Sylvester Stallone just turned 80 — so we're marking both with our very first Stallone review. A broke, unknown actor with bit parts in mob films turned down nearly $400,000 from the studio, wrote the script in three days, and sold his own dog to make the one movie he refused to let anyone else star in. We get into the guerrilla filmmaking behind it: a budget under a million dollars, a 28-day shoot, no permits, tarps hauled in to fake the Philadelphia skyline in New York, and a training montage stitched together from footage grabbed wherever they could get it. We talk about the producers mortgaging their homes to finish the film, the choreographers who walked off over how the fights were staged, and Stallone ultimately taking the choreography credit himself. We also cover the film's two Godfather connections through Talia Shire and Joe Spinell, the legacy of Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers, and Burt Young, and how Rocky beat out a stacked 1976 Best Picture field that included Taxi Driver, Network, and All the President's Men. Whether you've seen Rocky fifty times or somehow never seen it, we make the case for why it still holds up as one of the most complete films ever made. Come for the trivia, stay for the argument about whether this is truly a perfect movie. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

  3. Jul 1

    Supergirl (2026) Review — Milly Alcock's DCU Debut Worth Seeing?

    Message Dan and Mike We saw Supergirl opening weekend and couldn't disagree more. Dan's defending it. Mike thinks it's one of the worst films he's seen in years. No fence-sitting — just a real debate about whether Craig Gillespie's DCU origin story actually works. We break down Milly Alcock's performance as Kara Zor-El, the galactic revenge story adapted from Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Jason Momoa's Lobo and what his presence actually adds (or doesn't), villain Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) and whether he lands, the late arrival of the suit, the Krypton lore that's already dividing DC fans, and what David Corenswet's Superman cameo contributes. We also get into the box office disappointment, the mixed critical reception, and whether any of that should change how you feel walking into the theater. Did the DCU get its Supergirl right? Let us know where you stand. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

  4. Jun 24

    Project Hail Mary Review — Ryan Gosling's Best Sci-Fi Yet?

    Message Dan and Mike Four months ago we did a first look on Project Hail Mary and walked away genuinely excited. Now that we've seen it — Dan nearly three times, Mike once — we're ready to give it a full review. Ryan Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a molecular biologist moonlighting as a middle school teacher who wakes up alone in deep space, no memory intact, on what amounts to a suicide mission to save Earth from extinction. The film is dense and ambitious, and once it finds its footing — roughly an hour in when Grace meets the alien life form Rocky — it becomes something pretty special. We talk about what Lord and Miller pulled off here given the scope of the production, Gosling's continued growth as one of the most versatile actors working today, and the inspired work from puppeteer James Ortiz and his team of five (the Rocketeers) in bringing Rocky to life. We also get into the book-to-film changes, the runtime debate (the first cut was reportedly three and a half hours), cinematographer Greig Fraser's contributions, Sandra Hüller's Eva Stratt, and an unexpected Meryl Streep cameo that earns its laughs. We draw comparisons to The Martian, weigh in on the ratings discrepancy between Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and debate whether a sequel is even a good idea. Dan recommends it. Mike calls it a great family film. We both agree it could have been tightened. Project Hail Mary is streaming now on MGM+/Amazon Prime Video and may still be playing in select theaters near you. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

  5. Jun 15

    Cool Hand Luke (1967) Review — Paul Newman, George Kennedy & One of Cinema's Most Quoted Lines

    Message Dan and Mike We finally got Dan in front of Cool Hand Luke for the first time, and this one did not disappoint. The 1967 Stuart Rosenberg film stars Paul Newman as Lucas Jackson — a decorated, easygoing war veteran who ends up on a Florida chain gang and absolutely refuses to be broken. It's a simple premise with a whole lot going on underneath it. We dig into what makes the film work, starting with Paul Newman's performance, which is somehow both understated and completely magnetic. George Kennedy won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dragline — and we get into the wild behind-the-scenes story of how he paid $5,000 out of pocket to a consulting firm just to get his name in front of Oscar voters. It worked. His only Oscar, but it paid dividends for the rest of his career. We also talk about Strother Martin as Captain and Morgan Woodward as Boss Godfrey — a character who says nothing the entire film and still manages to be one of the most menacing screen villains either of us has seen. The supporting cast is stacked with actors who weren't famous yet: Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton, and a young Rance Howard (Ron Howard's father) all make appearances. The conversation covers the film's obvious spiritual imagery — the crucifixion pose after the egg-eating scene, the cross-shaped road in the final aerial shot, the Christ-like arc of Luke's story. We also trace the film's clear influence on what came after it: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, First Blood, The Shawshank Redemption — you can draw a straight line from Cool Hand Luke to all of them. On the craft side, the cinematography by Conrad Hall is remarkable — this is the same DP who later won Oscars for Road to Perdition and American Beauty. And Lalo Schifrin's score, which became so ubiquitous it ended up as the theme for ABC Nightly News, gets its due as well. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. 92 Metacritic. In the Library of Congress. If you haven't seen it, this one's a must. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

  6. Jun 10

    Cape Fear Review — Javier Bardem, Amy Adams & Patrick Wilson (Apple TV+)

    Message Dan and Mike We're two episodes into Apple TV+'s new adaptation of Cape Fear, and we have some thoughts. The series, which dropped its first two episodes on June 5th, stars Javier Bardem as Max Cady, Amy Adams as attorney Anna Bowden, and Patrick Wilson as her husband Tom — a family now living under the shadow of a man they may have wronged. Scorsese and Spielberg are both on board as executive producers, which raises the bar considerably. We came in with full knowledge of the source material. Mike read John D. McDonald's original novel, and both films — the 1962 version with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, and Scorsese's 1991 remake with Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte — are part of the conversation throughout. What we were hoping to see is a reimagining that earns its place alongside those films. What we got, at least in these first two episodes, is something we're still trying to make sense of. The issues start early. Javier Bardem's portrayal of Max Cady lacks the menace that both Mitchum and De Niro brought to the role in very different ways. His introduction at the fundraiser gala — rambling speech, handed the microphone without hesitation, no security in sight — was hard to take seriously. The violence skews gratuitous in a way that feels less like intensity and more like a substitute for it. There are subplots involving the teenage son, an online chat that's clearly not what it seems, and a mysterious masked figure in a green trench coat that we couldn't make heads or tails of. The series also appears to be steering toward a version of events where Max Cady may actually be innocent — which, if true, is a significant departure from everything that makes this story work. We also noticed an Easter egg worth mentioning: Wesley Strick, who wrote the screenplay for the '91 film, shows up in a cameo as an ER doctor. We're essentially split after two episodes — one of us is out, the other is holding on to see what episode three brings. We'll check in again if the series turns things around — and if you don't see another Cape Fear episode on the channel, that's probably your answer. If you've seen the films, read the book, or are watching the series yourself, we want to hear from you — especially if you're a Javier Bardem fan and think he's bringing something to the role we're not seeing yet. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

  7. Jun 3

    The Man Who Wasn't There | Coen Brothers Criterion Review (25th Anniversary)

    Message Dan and Mike We're back with our eighth installment of the Oh Brother Criterion Collection reviews, and this one is our fourth Coen Brothers entry — the 2001 neo-noir masterpiece, The Man Who Wasn't There, celebrating its 25th anniversary. Billy Bob Thornton plays Ed Crane, a laconic small-town barber who speaks little but observes everything. When he discovers his wife Doris is having an affair with her boss Big Dave, Ed hatches a blackmail scheme to fund an investment in a dry cleaning operation — setting off a chain of events that spirals far beyond his control. It's classic Coen Brothers territory: crime, consequence, absurdity, and a richly drawn moral vacuum at the center of it all. We break down the full cast, including Frances McDormand as Doris, James Gandolfini as Big Dave, a scene-stealing Tony Shalhoub as attorney Freddie Riedenschneider, a very young Scarlett Johansson, and the always reliable John Polito. We also dig into Roger Deakins' stunning black-and-white cinematography — shot in color and reprinted in monochrome — and some of the film's most memorable sequences, including a brilliant tracking shot through an apartment hallway, a hubcap rolling down a hillside, and UFO imagery woven throughout Dennis Gassner's production design. On the Criterion side, we cover the full supplement package: the Coen Brothers' commentary track from 2004, a new 2025 interview with the brothers conducted by Megan Abbott, the Roger Deakins interview, and more. We also share our thoughts on whether the 4K upgrade is worth it if you already own the Blu-ray. The Man Who Wasn't There was a box office non-event in its time — roughly $19 million worldwide — but by any other measure it holds up as a quietly remarkable piece of filmmaking. Worth seeking out if you haven't seen it, and worth revisiting if you have. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

  8. May 27

    The Mandalorian and Grogu Review — Was It Worth the 7-Year Wait?

    Message Dan and Mike The first Star Wars film in seven years is finally here, and we're breaking down The Mandalorian and Grogu with a mostly spoiler-free review. Dan saw it opening night, Mike saw it the night before we recorded, and we are not on the same page — which makes for one of our most honest conversations yet. We cover everything: the opening weekend box office, whether the film delivers on years of buildup, how it connects (or doesn't) to the Mandalorian series, the new villain Rotta the Hutt, Sigourney Weaver's role, Pedro Pascal's presence in the film, the missing opening crawl, and what the production budget decisions may have cost the final product. We also get into what this film means for the future of Star Wars on the big screen — including the upcoming Ryan Gosling Starfighter film — and whether Disney and Lucasfilm have a real path forward. If you're a Star Wars fan who just saw the movie and want to hear two brothers who care deeply about this franchise actually dig into it, this is the episode. And if you loved it, we want to hear from you — send us a message using the link in the show notes and make the case. Support the show Oh Brother Podcast: Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)Listen on all podcast platformsSubscribe on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram

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4.7
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Real brothers, Reel Talk: Dan & Mike Smith cover film, TV, & artist interviews 🍿📺🎤My brother Mike and I launched the “Oh Brother” podcast in 2020. The show’s primary objective is to share our enthusiasm for film and cinema in an informative and entertaining way. We also enjoy interviewing artists with diverse backgrounds in film and television who work both in front of and behind the scenes. We invite you to join us each week and follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear from you, so email us or text us some fan mail to share your feedback on the show!

Information

  • Creator
    Dan and Mike Smith
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    272
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Oh Brother
  • Show Website
    Oh Brother

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