Criticism Is Dead

Latest Episodes:

Nomadland, Judas and the Black Messiah, and the birth of new stans Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Nomadland, a film about human impermanence, and Judas and the Black Messiah, a betrayal biographical drama.

03:12 Nomadland, streaming on Hulu, follows the uprooted life of a woman who lives out of her van.

29:12 Judas and the Black Messiah, available on HBO Max through March 14, follows the life and eventual death of revolutionary Fred Hampton.

39:26 Plus, cultures notes about how WandaVision is introducing a under-appreciated actors — like Randall Park, Kathryn Hahn, and Teyonah Parris — to a whole new generation of fans. (Here is one of the TikToks, we'll link more in our Substack.)

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to criticismisdead@gmail.com.

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

Minari feat. Inkoo Kang Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

We discuss — and we mean really discuss — Minari, Lee Isaac Chung's new semi-autobiographical film about a Korean American family that moves to rural Arkansas in the 1980s.

Things we touch on: Asian American and immigrant narratives, nature and the land, Korean masculinity and fatherhood, the idea of the "American Dream," and more!!!

We are joined by special guest Inkoo Kang, who is a TV critic for The Hollywood Reporter, a fantastic culture writer, and a great person to follow on Twitter (@inkookang).

Read Inkoo's thoughtful interview with Lee Isaac Chung and her piece on the promise and pitfalls of Asian American reality TV.

And check out her and Daniel Schroeder's limited podcast All About Almodóva‪r‬, about the films of Pedro Almodóvar.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

WandaVision, Malcolm & Marie, and Golden Globe noms Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

We discuss WandaVision and Malcolm & Marie, two "firsts" that have people buzzing for different reasons.

03:22 WandaVision, Disney+'s first Marvel Cinematic Universe-based TV series, is a slow-drip fun watch, even for absolute non-MCU heads like us.

19:01 Malcolm & Marie, Netflix's first big feature film to be entirely created and filmed during the pandemic, is causing a bit of a stir among critics.

38:41 Plus, culture notes about the weird nature of Golden Globe noms, the snub everyone's talking about, and the need to watch better stuff.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

The Dig, Wolfwalkers, and Carey Mulligan vs. critic Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

We discuss The Dig and Wolfwalkers, two films — one Anglo, one Celtic — that look back in time.

04:16 The Dig (2021), new to Netflix, is a reimagination of the true story of the excavation of a 7th-century medieval burial ship of an Anglo-Saxon king.

22:12 Wolfwalkers (2020) is an animated children's film about Irish folklore, family, sisterhood, nature, and the oppressive forces of colonialism and Christianity.

35:16 Plus, culture notes about a truly embarrassing clusterfuck in which Variety threw a freelance critic under the bus because Carey Mulligan took issue with his review of Promising Young Woman.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

Bling Empire, The White Tiger, and feeling the meme bern Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Bling Empire, a reality TV show about having everything, and The White Tiger, a film about having nothing and wanting everything.

01:49 Bling Empire, Netflix's latest glossy smooth-brain content, is, disappointingly, neither particularly crazy rich nor particularly Asian.

18:08 The White Tiger, also new on Netflix, is about what it takes to become a "have" in a cruel system of haves and have-nots.

31:34 Plus, culture notes about the Bernie Sanders mittens meme outrage cycle.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and (unfortunately) Armie Hammer Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Promising Young Woman and Sound of Metal, two films about finding silence after what feels like the end of the world.

04:05 Promising Young Woman, available for rental now and out in theaters soon, is talked about as a revenge fantasy, but it's more about how to sit with the terrible reality that what happened happened.

20:52 Sound of Metal, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is a uniquely immersive look at the experience of losing one's hearing but gaining something else.

32:51 Plus, culture notes about what's going on with the Armie Hammer stuff (sorry).

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

The Flight Attendant, Lupin, and a chemistry crisis Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

We discuss The Flight Attendant, an overly hyped caper, and Lupin, a heist show that deserves all the hype.

02:15 Are we mavericks for opining that The Flight Attendant, HBO Max's buzzy not-limited series, is... not good???

17:50 Netflix's new heist series Lupin, on the other hand, is very good.

26:56 Plus, culture notes about the last time we remember seeing real romantic chemistry on the screen, and what that has to do with recent chatter about the upcoming film Malcolm & Marie.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

Bridgerton, The Wilds, and Ben Affleck photos Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

We discuss horny period drama Bridgerton (2020) and angsty young adult survival series The Wilds (2020).

02:53 Bridgerton, the first big Shondaland x Netflix offering, is the epitome of a guilty pleasure, but its probing of race and relationships leaves much to be desired.

17:28 The Wilds, one of Amazon Prime Video's few Youth Market shows, is both cringe-y and tender in its depiction of teen girls.

26:33 Plus, not one, but TWO culture notes: the first about Ben "Believe in Boston" Affleck and his Dunkin', and the second about TV to look forward to this year maybe???

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

The best movies and TV shows of 2020 (in our opinion) Dec 29, 2020

Show notes

It's our year-end special! We each present our top 5 picks for film and TV, respectively, plus some honorable mentions, making for a grand total of... 10 movies and 16 shows recommended??

02:27 Movies! Including T_, F_ C__, and more.

20:12 TV! Including N_ P, T_ Q' G__, and more.

For the full list written out, check out our Substack — we'll be publishing the newsletter (with extended show notes, other links, etc.) for this episode at 9am ET today.

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to criticismisdead@gmail.com.

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

Love Actually, Carol, and what makes a holiday movie Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

It's our holiday special! We discuss Love Actually (2003) and Carol (2015), two "holiday" "classics" that inspire very different feelings.

01:49 Love Actually, which is available for rent on various places, is long and horny!!

15:23 Carol, streaming on Netflix, is melancholy and gay!!

27:03 Plus, instead of culture notes this week, we play a game guessing the dumb titles of other holiday/Christmas movies.

P.S. Thanks everyone who submitted suggestions for what to watch! Sorry we couldn't discuss all of them, but here are the rest for your perusal/streaming pleasure:

A New York Christmas Wedding
A Christmas Prince
Last Holiday
Trading Places
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special
Disney Family Holiday Singalong
The Revenant
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Ronin
Batman Returns

P.P.S. We're taking next week off, but we'll be back before the New Year to discuss our favorite films and shows of 2020! Feel free to send in your own personal faves!

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes—including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit—subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to criticismisdead@gmail.com.

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

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