Critically Acclaimed Network

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Critically Acclaimed #127 | The Lovebirds, Blood Machines, Fire (Pozar), Modest Heroes, The Painter and The Thief, Hell Comes to Frogtown May 25, 2020

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CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED has the hottest new movies this week!

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold review Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae rom-com THE LOVEBIRDS (Netflix), the eye-popping sci-fi spectacular BLOOD MACHINES (Shudder), David Lynch's new short FIRE (POZAR) (YouTube), the anime anthology film MODEST HEROES (Netflix), and the unusual new documentary THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF (Hulu)!

And this week on THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED STREAMING CLUB, Bibbs and Witney are forced to revisit the 1988 cult oddity HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN, in which wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper plays the last virile man on Earth, who has to rescue women kidnapped by humanoid frog monsters in order to perpetuate the species!

Is there any way that's actually a good movie? Anyway at all? Let's find out!

The Lovebirds - 1:47 Blood Machines - 18:10 Fire (Pozar) - 31:27 Modest Heroes - 40:37 The Painter and the Thief - 48:33 Hell Comes to Frogtown - 1:01:05

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Star Wars: Episode Zero - Dersu Uzala! May 23, 2020

Show notes

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point!

This week on EPISODE ZERO they explore the gorgeous and contemplative story of DERSU UZALA, a Russian film directed by Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa! This true story about a cartographer who befriends a small, uneducated, but impossibly brave and wise man in the wilds of Siberia was the direct influence for the creation of Yoda, and some of the most iconic moments in STAR WARS. And it may also be the key to unlocking the deeper meaning behind the different planets we visit in the franchise!

Email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.net, so we can read your correspondence and answer YOUR questions in future episodes!

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We've Got Mail #31 | How to Watch Director's Cuts! May 20, 2020

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It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters!

This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about they owe Mighty Man and Yukk an apology, the movies they grew to love, the future of film festivals after the pandemic, how to watch director's cuts, the movie sequels we can't believe are real, and the difference between slasher movie violence and action movie violence!

Email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.net, so we can read your correspondence and answer YOUR questions in future episodes!

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The Iron List #7 | The Best Dystopian Movies Ever! May 19, 2020

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Every month on THE IRON LIST, the Patrons of the Critically Acclaimed Network get to pick a topic for a giant-sized episode! And this month it's a little on the nose, because they picked THE BEST DYSTOPIAN MOVIES EVER!

Join film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold as they highlight the films about sci-fi societies that explore the failures of the past, our anxieties about the present, and our terrors about the future! From well-known classics like METROPOLIS and 1984 to off-the-wall picks like CHERRY 2000 and ROBOT JOX!

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Critically Acclaimed #126 | Scoob!, Capone, Mother's Little Helpers, and Antz! May 18, 2020

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CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED has the biggest new movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold review the animated Hanna-Barbera reboot SCOOB!, the bizarre Tom Hardy/Josh Trank passion project CAPONE and the character drama MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPERS!

And this week on THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED STREAMING CLUB, Bibbs and Witney dig up the third CG-animated film ever made, Dreamworks' bizarre kids movie ANTZ! It was a blockbuster smash when it came out, but without the benefit of historical context, does it still work today?

Fred Willard, Jerry Stiller and Lynn Shelton - 4:05 Scoob! - 14:59 Capone - 47:53 Mother's Little Helpers - 1:04:13 Antz - 1:11:52

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The 4th Annual Canceled Too Soon Awards! May 16, 2020

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The fourth annual CANCELED TOO SOON AWARDS are finally here! Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold highlight the best, the worst and the weirdest failed TV series they've reviewed in the last year, featuring cult classics, forgotten oddities, and missed opportunities aplenty!

Who will win this year's Soonies? There's only one way to find outt: by listening to this mammoth mega-episode!

And don't forget to email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.net, so we can read your correspondence and answer your questions in a future episode! And check out our Amazon Wish List to send us more exciting one season wonders that we can review on the show!

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We've Got Mail #30 | What We Miss Most About Video Stores! May 13, 2020

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It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters!

This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about what they miss most about local video stores, the best films adapted from stage plays, the little moments in movies that amazed us, books should have been adapted by women a long time ago, and why we may need to expand our conversations about a filmmaker's gaze!

Email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.net, so we can read your correspondence and answer YOUR questions in future episodes!

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Critically Acclaimed #125 | The Half of It, Blood Quantum, Bull, Driveways, Clementine, Porno, Arkansas, and Green for Danger! May 11, 2020

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CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED has a metric ton of movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani are reviewing new releases from all over the streaming world, along with a murder mystery classic that'll make any fan of KNIVES OUT happy!

This week on CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, Bibbs and Witney explore the new the amazing LGTBQIA+ rom-com THE HALF OF IT, the First Nation zombie thriller BLOOD QUANTUM, the rodeo drama BULL, the exceptional Brian Dennehy drama DRIVEWAYS, the lesbian coming of age drama CLEMENTINE, the prurient horror-comedy PORNO, and the crime comedy ARKANSAS!

And this week on THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED STREAMING CLUB, Bibbs and Witney explore the excellent but largely forgotten murder mystery GREEN FOR DANGER, now streaming on the Criterion Channel!

Irrfan Khan, John Lafia, Little Richard and Roy Horn - 1:54 The Half of It - 26:35 Blood Quantum - 42:05 Bull - 55:42 Driveways - 1:00:05 Clementine - 1:05:20 Porno - 1:14:06 Arkansas - 1:22:40 Green for Danger - 1:33:55

Email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.net, so we can read your correspondence and answer YOUR questions in future episodes!

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Star Wars: Episode Zero - King Kong! May 09, 2020

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Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point!

This week on EPISODE ZERO they explore the fantastical world of KING KONG, the original 1933 blockbuster action/horror epic that pioneered new visual effects, new techniques in sound design, and an innovative musical score that's still influential today! How did KING KONG break new ground, is it overdue for a reevaluation, and why is it - for better and worse - one of the key precursors to STAR WARS?

Email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.net, so we can read your correspondence and answer YOUR questions in future episodes!

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Canceled Too Soon #186 | FlashForward (2009-2010) May 08, 2020

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Everyone on Earth blacks out at the same time and gets a vision of their own future! It's FLASHFORWARD, a short-lived series that combines OEDIPUS, LOST and 24 to create a distinctive blend of drama, mystery and action, with an all-star cast including Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Gabrielle Union, Dominic Monaghan, Ricky Jay, Courtney B. Vance, Shohreh Aghdashloo and more!

FLASHFORWARD may have been ambitious, but was it really... CANCELED TOO SOON? Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold explore the past and potential future of the series in an all-new episode!

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