The Long Take Review Jen Sopchockchai Bankard

At the Long Take Review, we have one eye always on the Oscar race. Usually, that means we are looking forward to the upcoming Academy Awards, talking through the race as it happens. But given our collective history of caring about these silly awards, we thought it would be fun to occasionally step back and train our eye on an earlier year in Oscar history. Regular listeners know we frequently talk about what we would change in the current race if we had the power of an Oscar Fairy; we decided to use that magic wand on the past with this Oscar Fairy Flashback, in which we’ll discuss what we would, in hindsight, like to change about the nominees and winners from a chosen year.
To spice up the discussion, P.T. designed a point spending system. Antonio, P.T., Greg, and I each receive 10 points for this round, and carry over any leftover points from the previous Oscar Fairy Flashback if we participated (sorry, Greg). To swap out a nominee in a below-the-line category (the technical and production crew categories as well as speciality film categories like International, Animated, Documentary), we have to spend 1 point; swapping out a nominee in an above-the-line category (screenplay, acting, or directing) requires 2 points; and swapping out a best picture nominee is 3 points. To change the winner within a given category costs double points: so 2 points to change the winner below-the-line, 4 points for above, and 6 points for best picture.
In this episode’s Oscar Fairy Flashback, we go back to the 87th Academy Awards, held on February 22, 2015 and honoring the films of 2014. Some of the big contenders that year were Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Whiplash, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, Boyhood, and Selma. Which nominations and wins hold up? Which make us cringe with embarrassment now? What is Antonio’s big play for which he’s been saving up points? And what is Jen’s hottest movie take, maybe ever? Listen to find out!
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This past weekend, George Miller’s long-awaited follow-up to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) unfortunately became the impetus for headlines about a failing film industry. After the rom com stunt spectacular The Fall Guy underperformed at the box office and then whimpered onto home video much earlier than expected, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has emerged as another big disappointment, opening during a holiday weekend to a measly $32 million domestically. As a result, trade journalists have already begun to question whether the next Mad Max film, which George Miller has referred to as The Wasteland, will even get made now.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, chronicling the life of Imperator Furiosa as she is abducted as a child and becomes embroiled in the harsh realities of The Wasteland. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as a younger version of the character Charlize Theron played in Fury Road, and Chris Hemsworth co-stars as a new character, a kooky war lord named Dementus.
In this episode of The Long Take Review, Antonio, Greg, P.T., and I comprise the full spectrum of reactions to Miller’s latest action epic. We offer theories as to why crowds aren’t rushing movie theaters, share our favorite scenes, discuss what worked and didn’t work for us, and consider how the prequel status of the film influenced its construction and/or our interpretation. Regardless of our feelings on the film, our hearts are full of hope, not hate. Witness us!
You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Image Credit: LA Times
Movies News Update We react to the Cannes Film Festival award winners. 4:10
The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. 16:45
The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? Do you need to have seen any other Mad Max films? We also try to manage expectations about how this film might differ from Fury Road. 24:05
SPOILER MODE What accounts for Furiosa’s low box office numbers? What’s our favorite action scene? Favorite non-action scene? What does this film have to say about Furiosa? About storytelling and history? About hope? How does this film re-contextualize the events of Fury Road? 37:40
The Rhetorical Situation How has the prequel factor influenced the composition and interpretation/reception of this film? 1:40:11
Oscars Watch Does Furiosa have any Oscars potential? What happens when it enters the Thunderdome with Dune: Part Two? 2:01:18
Notes:
No one asked for this, but here’s more information on the Palm Dog awards at Cannes.
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Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw The TV Glow was one of the buzziest titles to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and P.T. and I were very disappointed that it was only available to screen in person. Fortunately, it’s now out and theaters and we were finally able to see what all the fuss was about.
The film follows two teenagers, Maddy and Owen, as they strike up a friendship over a supernatural teenage drama called “The Pink Opaque.” That fictional series strongly evokes shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Goosebumps, ‘Eerie, Indiana,’ Pete and Pete, and even Twin Peaks. To assume that this film is merely a trip down a collective memory lane, however, would be a huge mistake.
In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T. mostly helps me come to terms with the film’s ambiguities as we work our way through what it all means. There’s a lot to unpack, and we relish that task in typical Long Take Review fashion.
You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Image Credit: Rotten Tomatoes
Movies News Update We catch up with The Cannes Film Festival. For which films has our hype increased or decreased? 3:55
The Short Take We each share our general impressions of I Saw The TV Glow. 26:20
The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? What genre best represents it? How should viewers set their expectations about the kind of film this is? 31:18
SPOILER MODE What is this film trying to say? To what extent are this film’s themes universal vs. specific to the trans or queer experience? Why does this film take place in the 90s? 49:00
The Rhetorical Situation How does the mode of exchange alter the consumption and interpretation of popular culture? When does popular culture facilitate identity actualization vs. threaten it? How might nostalgia interfere with…everything? 1:14:20
Oscars Watch Does I Saw The TV Glow have any Oscars potential? 1:39:46
Notes:
P.T. references this Letterboxd review by mesh509 during the episode.
When Jen compares the use of musical performances in this film to Twin Peaks, she is primarily thinking of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return (2017).
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Thirty years after the original Mad Max films — Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2: Road Warrior (1981), and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985) — George Miller wowed critics and Academy voters with Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). The dystopian post-apocalyptic action spectacle won six Oscars, and has earned a spot on countless best of lists for 2015, the decade, and even the century. It stands to reason, then, that many eagerly await the next installment in the franchise: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The prequel film, which premieres at the Cannes Film Festival tomorrow and hits theaters May 23rd, recounts the traumatic past of Fury Road’s most beloved character.
On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I try to pass the time as we impatiently wait for Furiosa by looking back at the entire franchise to date. We recall our initial reactions to all the films (some made as recently as this past weekend!), try to trace common themes and elements across them, and rank them all based on personal preference. We eventually focus in on Fury Road and try to determine what made it so exceptional. Along the way, P.T. shares fascinating behind-the-scenes stories that re-contextualize a lot of what we notice in Miller’s work. The episode concludes with our discussion of early reviews of Furiosa as well as our speculation for it and the summer box office more broadly. Rev your engines and buckle up for another deep dive of an episode!
You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Image Credit: Variety, LA Times, and IMDb
The Mad Max Franchise We each share how we have engaged with the franchise and what our reactions to the different films are. What appeals to us about this franchise? What common themes or elements can we trace across all the films? 4:58
To what extent has the role of women and feminism in these films evolved? 29:59
What context about the production or George Miller’s history can help us understand the franchise better? (There’s more of this throughout the rest of the episode as well.) How are we supposed to think about the original trilogy in relation to Fury Road? 41:46
P.T. asks Jen to guess what happens at the end of Beyond Thunderdome. 54:45
We very quickly rank all four films. 1:14:40
Oscars Watch Why did Fury Road win so many Oscars? Why is it so exceptional? 1:18:01
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Preview How do we think Furiosa will compare to Fury Road? What have early reviews of the film been saying? And what does the success of this film mean for the summer box office? 1:29:50
Show Notes:
The Kyle Buchanan piece from The New York Times that P.T. referred to during the episode.
And here are pieces on early reviews of Furiosa: Screen Rant on Hideo Kojima, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety.
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May the 4th be with you! Just in time for Star Wars Day this year, The Phantom Menace, the 1999 prequel film written and directed by George Lucas, returned to theaters in honor of its 25th anniversary. In those 25 years, the film has been on a tumultuous journey. After its initial release, it withstood harsh reviews from critics and backlash from fans. The more toxic among them harassed actors like Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best. Fast forward to today and the film seems to be beloved by many. In fact, to the surprise of The Hollywood Reporter, The Phantom Menace came in second at the box office this past weekend, beating out Zendaya’s new film, Challengers.
In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I take a trip down memory lane to our initial reactions to and relationship with The Phantom Menace, as well as reflect on our experience seeing the film again in theaters this past weekend. We try to make sense of the public perception of this film over the years, contemplate its broader influence on the history of cinema, share all of our favorites, and end by, of course, discussing what Oscars the epic space opera could have or should have won. Every podcast has a beginning, and it does seem as though this film was a genesis moment for all three of us.
You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Image Credit: StarWars.com
Looking Back at 1999 We each share memories about the first time we saw The Phantom Menace. 3:52
The Legacy of The Phantom Menace How did this film forever change filmmaking? 17:48
Our Re-Release Experience in 2024 We each share our experience seeing The Phantom Menace in theaters this past weekend. What did we notice this time around? 33:45
The Rhetorical Situation Jen pathetically attempts to explain the concept of homosocial male desire from literary theory and how it guided her interpretation of the film. 1:06:53
Our Own (Unsolicited) Notes What would we go back and change about this film if we could? 1:31:55
Our Favs We try (and mostly fail) to name our favorites in a lightning round fshion. Includes favorite character, glup schitto, cringy line of dialogue, Queen Amidala fit, pod racer, Jedi council member, scene, and shot. 1:55:37
Oscars Watch Did this film get nominated for any Oscars? In which categories would we have given it a golden statue? 2:20:15
Show Notes:
This is the TED podcast with Ahmed Best that Greg referred to during the episode.
Jen referred to “Dave Filoni’s transcendent” monologue about how The Duel of the Fates connects to Return of the Jedi. Here’s an IGN article about it. You can also watch the whole thing during the episode of the Disney Gallery about The Mandalorian (on Disney+).
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After a strike-induced 8-month delay, Luca Guadagnino’s psychosexual sports drama, Challengers has finally bounced into theaters. The film follows a tennis coach and her star player husband who find themselves competing against a former friend and lover. A powerhouse trio comprises the cast: household name Zendaya, Mike Faist, who stood out as Riff in West Side Story, and Josh O’Connor, is best known for playing Prince Charles on Netflix’s The Crown. Guadagnino, for those who might not know, directed Oscar-winner Call Me By Your Name (2017), starring Timothee Chalamet. Since Amazon MGM Studios has distribution rights in the U.S., Challengers will likely be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run. 
In this episode of The Long Take Review, Antonio, P.T., and I volley a variety of reactions to and interpretations of the film, which is aggressive and bold in its style yet subtle or ambiguous in its storytelling. Antonio lends his expert knowledge of tennis to our discussion as we assess this as a sports movie, Jen overanalyzes the relationship drama, and P.T. brings a critical eye to the film form and character development. For about 15 seconds there, we were actually podcasting.
You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter
Movies News Update Quentin Tarantino makes a big announcement. 3:35
The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Challengers. 6:16
The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? Do you need to be a tennis fan to enjoy it? Does the marketing of the film set false expectations about how much sex is in it? 13:08
SPOILER MODE What actually happened in that final scene? 26:07
The Rhetorical Situation Jen pathetically attempts to explain the concept of homosocial male desire from literary theory and how it guided her interpretation of the film. 1:02:55
Which character is our favorite/for whom were we rooting during the film? 1:15:24
Oscars Watch Does Challengers have a shot at any Oscar nominations? 1:37:54
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