Mostly Film

Mostly Film
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Friends and film. A perfect pairing. 🤝🏼🎬

  1. 2D AGO

    Take 207: Season 3 Kick Off! Oscar Predictions, Biggest Surprises/Letdowns of 25’, & Our 26’ Roadmap

    🎬 Mostly Film — We’re Back (and We Brought Opinions) After a three-month break, Mostly Film is officially back. This episode is less “normal format” and more welcome back, let’s catch up, here’s where we’ve been and where we’re going. We jump into what we’ve been watching while we were gone. No “best of” pressure, just four movies each that stuck with us for one reason or another during our break. Expect personal picks, lingering vibes, and a few films we can’t stop thinking about. Next up: The biggest surprises and disappointments of 2025. The movies we expected to be “fine” but loved, performances that caught us off guard, and the releases that should have worked but absolutely didn’t. Some takes will hurt. Some will age poorly. That’s the fun. Then it’s time for Oscars talk. No spreadsheets, no deep stats—just vibes. We lock in predictions across the major categories, from acting to directing to Best Picture. We close by laying out the Mostly Film 2026 roadmap—why you should stick around and what we’re excited to dive into next year. Creature Feature Mayhem. Disaster Film Hall of Fame. Deep dives on Nolan, Scorsese, and Christian Bale. And yes, we’re finally taking on the AFI Greatest Films list. It’s a loose, honest reset episode. Thanks for sticking around (or coming back). Next episode, we’re back to the usual chaos.

    1h 22m

  2. 11/08/2025

    Take 206: Crimson Peak & The Shape of Water - Guillermo Del Toro In Review

    🎥 In Review: Guillermo del Toro — Love, Ghosts, and Waterlogged Fairy Tales In the final chapter of our del Toro deep dive, we explore two of his most romantic and haunting visions — Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water — where monsters, mansions, and mermaids all blur into something achingly human. 🩸 The Body: Building the Monster From the bleeding walls of Allerdale Hall to the shimmering glow of a Cold War lab, del Toro crafts living worlds that breathe, ache, and fall in love. We break down how Crimson Peak channels classic Gothic romance through practical effects and handcrafted sets, while The Shape of Water turns Cold War paranoia into a sensual fairy tale of empathy. 💔 The Soul: What the Monster Means Both films reimagine love as rebellion — Edith’s ghosts in Crimson Peak don’t haunt, they warn, and Elisa’s bond with the Amphibian Man transcends language, species, and fear. We discuss how del Toro weaves silence, sensuality, and sorrow into stories that find beauty in the broken and redemption in the monstrous. 🏆 The Legacy: Footprints in the Dark Though Crimson Peak was misunderstood at release, it’s now a Gothic cult favorite, while The Shape of Water swept the Oscars and sealed del Toro’s status as a master storyteller. Together, they mark his evolution from dark fantasist to romantic visionary — proving that even in his strangest worlds, love is the most powerful magic of all. Join us as we close the book on del Toro’s universe — where every ghost has a heart, every monster has a soul, and every story bleeds beauty.

    43 min

  3. 11/06/2025

    Take 205: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Classic Heists

    🎬 Mostly Film This week on Mostly Film, Jonathan and JP unwrap a new batch of trailers, revisit some classics, and wade through the latest in movie madness — from Middle-earth to Chicago crime rings. 🍿 LIST IT or NIX IT From the Jonas Brothers Christmas special to Scream 7, Fackham Hall, and Dead Man’s Wire, the guys decide which trailers make the Letterboxd watchlist and which get left on the cutting room floor. Expect some strong opinions, especially once Crime 101 enters the chat. 🎥 What We’ve Been Watching Jonathan’s keeping it epic with The Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King) and a few of 2025’s buzzy releases like The Lost Bus. JP’s going full genre — mixing crime and horror with Fright Night, An American Werewolf in London, Thief, and Snatch. 🗞️ The News The headlines are as unpredictable as ever: Netflix might buy Warner Bros., Toy Story 5 is reportedly “all about Jessie,” and Taylor Sheridan is jumping from Yellowstone to Call of Duty. Mia Goth’s seeking bear-based revenge in Hey Bear, Jason Statham’s reuniting with Guy Ritchie for Viva La Madness, and Guillermo del Toro’s roasting AI in style (“My concern isn’t artificial intelligence — it’s natural stupidity”). From holiday pop chaos to classic heists and modern monsters, Mostly Film brings you the perfect mix of movie love, low-stakes debates, and cinematic deep dives — one trailer at a time.

    46 min

  4. 11/02/2025

    Take 204: Frankenstein & Pinocchio: Del Toro in Review

    🎥 In Review: Guillermo del Toro — Puppets, Prometheus, and the Pursuit of Humanity This week on In Review: Guillermo del Toro, we close out the series with two of the filmmaker’s most soulful creations — Pinocchio and Frankenstein — stories about life made by human hands, and the heartbreak that follows. 🩻 The Body: Building the MonsterDel Toro trades latex and makeup for wood and stop-motion in Pinocchio, crafting a fascist-era fable where love defies obedience and grief carves its own creation. Then, he resurrects his long-dreamed passion project: Frankenstein, the ultimate story of maker and monster. We explore how del Toro uses animation, gothic design, and mythic scale to explore what happens when the act of creation collides with the fear of imperfection. 💀 The Soul: What the Monster MeansAt their core, both films wrestle with the same question — what does it mean to be alive? Pinocchio redefines the wooden boy’s journey as a lesson in individuality and unconditional love, while Frankenstein gives voice to the forsaken, showing that the real horror isn’t creation… but rejection. We trace how del Toro’s empathy for his monsters turns tragedy into transcendence. 👣 The Legacy: Footprints in the DarkWith Pinocchio, del Toro expanded his universe into the realm of animation and earned one of his most acclaimed films yet. With Frankenstein, he returns to gothic roots to complete a lifelong creative cycle. Together, these stories mark the culmination of his career-long fascination with makers and monsters — from puppets to gods, from the hand that builds to the heart that breaks. Join us as we explore how Guillermo del Toro’s monsters have always been mirrors — not of our fears, but of our longing to be loved.

    21 min

  5. 10/30/2025

    Take 203: A House of Dynamite, The Long Walk, Anemone, The Roses, & Big Bold Beautiful Journey.

    🎬 Mostly Film: This week on Mostly Film, Jonathan and JP are diving into a jam-packed slate of trailers, reviews, and movie news that’s as unpredictable as a Taylor Sheridan plot twist. 🍿 LIST IT or NIX ITThere’s only one trailer on the docket this week — Crime 101 — but it’s got the guys talking all things heist, heat, and Hollywood cool. Is this one headed straight to the Letterboxd watchlist, or getting locked out of the vault entirely? 🎥 What We’ve Been WatchingJonathan’s been on a run through some of 2025’s most intriguing releases — from the explosive Big Bold Beautiful Journey and A House of Dynamite to the haunting Anemone. He also dives back into prestige TV with Oz, Black Sails, and Mare of Easttown (finally).Meanwhile, JP’s been balancing crime and chaos with Blackhat, The Long Walk, and A House of Dynamite (again — consensus incoming?), plus TV time with The Chair Company. 🗞️ The NewsHollywood’s latest round of headlines includes everything from Crash Bandicoot getting an animated series to Johnny Depp haunting your holiday season as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ti West’s dark A Christmas Carol. Guillermo del Toro’s back in the spotlight, swearing off AI (“I’d rather die”) while teasing a Phantom of the Opera reimagining. And if that’s not enough — Margot Robbie might be taking an axe to Wall Street as the lead in Luca Guadagnino’s gender-swapped American Psycho. From practical stunts to preposterous remakes, Mostly Film is your weekly hangout for movie talk that’s part insight, part chaos, and all popcorn.

    54 min

  6. 10/27/2025

    Take 202: Hellboy II and Pacific Rim-Del Toro In Review.

    🎥 In Review: Guillermo del Toro — Myth, Machines, and the Monster’s Heart This week on In Review: Guillermo del Toro, we dive into two of the director’s biggest and boldest creations — Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Pacific Rim — exploring how del Toro evolved from gothic storyteller to full-blown mythmaker. 🩻 The Body: Building the Monster From the faerie kingdoms of Hellboy II to the towering Jaegers of Pacific Rim, del Toro crafts spectacle with soul. We unpack how The Golden Army turned comic-book fantasy into romantic myth — filmed in Budapest, powered by practical effects, and filled with luminous creatures straight from the director’s sketchbook. Then we jump into Pacific Rim, del Toro’s love letter to kaiju and mecha cinema, where every punch between robots and monsters still feels strangely personal. 💀 The Soul: What the Monster Means Both films ask the same haunting question — what makes something human? In Hellboy II, Prince Nuada becomes a tragic prophet of extinction, fighting for a forgotten world while Hellboy wrestles with love, destiny, and fatherhood. In Pacific Rim, connection replaces conflict; empathy becomes literal through the “Drift,” a neural bond that forces two pilots to think — and feel — as one. We explore how del Toro turns myth and machinery into metaphors for compassion, sacrifice, and renewal. 👣 The Legacy: Footprints in the Dark Hellboy II remains one of the most visually imaginative superhero films ever made — its Troll Market sequence alone is a miniature museum of del Toro’s imagination. Pacific Rim, meanwhile, scaled up his heart to blockbuster size, blending Japanese monster tradition with Hollywood emotion. Together, they bridge del Toro’s career from mechanical myth to emotional intimacy, paving the way for Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water. Join us as we chart the rise of a filmmaker who proves that even the biggest monsters — and the biggest movies — can still have a pulse.

    35 min

  7. 10/22/2025

    Take 201 : Cure, Task Finale, & Previewing Some January Releases (Primate, Send Help).

    🎬 Mostly Film: This week on Mostly Film, Jonathan and JP are back to break down the newest trailers, wildest headlines, and everything that’s been lighting up their screens lately — or at least confusing them just enough to keep watching. 🐒 LIST IT or NIX ITWe’re putting ten fresh trailers to the test: Primate, Rebuilding, Send Help, Merrily We Roll Along, The Pout Pout Fish, Young Washington, Stone Cold Fox, Icefall, Not Without Hope, and Wasteman. Will they make the Letterboxd watchlist or get the cold, heartless NIX? 📺 What We’ve Been WatchingJonathan’s been knee-deep in epic storytelling — from Oz and Black Sails to Warrior and the never-ending puzzle of Task. JP’s been balancing the mood with a dose of dark mystery, diving into Cure and keeping up with Slow Horses and The Lowdown. Expect discussions on tone, tension, and the art of sticking with shows that reward patience (or don’t). 🗞️ The NewsIt’s been a busy week in Hollywood, with new projects, industry shifts, and a few eyebrow-raising headlines. The guys round up the biggest stories and share their takes — part insight, part chaos, all film nerd energy. From prestige drama to primates with potential, it’s another week of sharp opinions, questionable takes, and pure love for the movies on Mostly Film.

    44 min

  8. 10/17/2025

    Take 200: Pan’s Labyrinth & The Devil’s Backbone-Del Toro In Review.

    🎥 In Review: Guillermo del Toro This week, the Mostly Film crew dives deep into the beating heart of Guillermo del Toro’s Spanish masterpieces — The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s a journey through haunted orphanages, fascist nightmares, and the fragile courage of children who see truth where adults see only power. 🩻 The Body: Building the Monster We trace del Toro’s evolution from Mimic’s heartbreak to his creative rebirth in Spain. The Devil’s Backbone sets the stage — a ghost story framed by war, where the bomb in the courtyard is as much a symbol as it is a relic. Then comes Pan’s Labyrinth, its spiritual sequel, blending fairy tale and fascism into a seamless vision. We unpack the craftsmanship behind these films — from Guillermo Navarro’s glowing cinematography to del Toro’s camera that moves like memory itself. 💀 The Soul: What the Monster Means For del Toro, monsters are moral mirrors. In The Devil’s Backbone, ghosts linger not for revenge but remembrance — “a tragedy doomed to repeat itself.” In Pan’s Labyrinth, the monsters of fantasy are merciful compared to those of reality. Ofelia’s rebellion becomes a prayer for imagination, for empathy, for survival. We talk Catholic humanism, compassion over dogma, and how del Toro finds holiness in the heart of horror. 👣 The Legacy: Footprints in the Dark These two films didn’t just shape del Toro’s career — they defined his cinematic theology. The Devil’s Backbone earned him critical credibility, Pan’s Labyrinth earned him Oscars, and together they crystallized his belief that “fantasy is not an escape — it’s a way to understand reality.” Their influence echoes through Crimson Peak, The Shape of Water, and the growing field of “Spanish Civil War Gothic.” From haunted courtyards to labyrinths of the soul, we explore how del Toro’s monsters teach us to see — not what’s hiding in the dark, but what’s been there all along.

    35 min
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About

Friends and film. A perfect pairing. 🤝🏼🎬

Information

  • Creator
    Mostly Film
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    208
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mostly Film
  • Show Website
    Mostly Film