Film Reviews
**Criticism Is Dead**

A weekly podcast about the film, TV, and culture we’re consuming and what it all means (if it means anything at all). Hosted by producer and writer Pelin Keskin-Liu and culture writer and critic Jenny G. Zhang.

Latest Episodes:

Mank, Tokyo Girl, and the lifeline that is production photos Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

We discuss Mank (2020), a film set in 1930s-40s Hollywood, and Tokyo Girl (2016), a series set in modern-day Tokyo.

2:00 Mank, streaming on Netflix, is David Fincher's latest movie, made by and for auteurs and film nerds. Depending on who you ask, this may be good or bad. But one thing's undeniable: Amanda Seyfried!

13:31 Tokyo Girl, an older Japanese show available on Amazon Prime Video, is a series of snapshots from the life of a woman trying to have it all in the big city. Aren't we all!

24:46 Plus, cultures notes about how fans are going batshit seeing sneak peeks from shows and films currently in production.

P.S. REQUEST: We're doing a holiday special next week! Please send us your holiday movie recs — the good, the bad, the cheesy — ASAP via the channels listed below. Thank you!!

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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

Ted Lasso, Industry, and the 25 greatest actors Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

We discuss Ted Lasso (2020) and Industry (2020), two series about lone Americans navigating unknown waters across the pond — in one case, a football field, in the other, an investment bank.

02:34 Ted Lasso, one of Apple TV+'s first true word-of-mouth sleeper hits, sits at the intersection of cheesy, surprising, heartwarming, and pure, unadulterated vibes.

17:22 Industry, out on HBO, is like if Skins were a cutthroat, hypercapitalist workplace drama, complete with sex, drugs, and P&Ls.

29:50 Plus, culture notes about an ingeniously controversial "25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century" list from New York Times critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott. Who said criticism was dead??

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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

The Crown, Great British Bake Off, and a special guest Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

We discuss The Crown season 4 (2020), a series about an antiquated British institution, and the Great British Bake Off season 11 (2020), a competition show that may also be an antiquating British institution?

01:27 Season 4 of The Crown, a Netflix series following the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, is about toxic girlboss Margaret Thatcher, the people's princess Diana, and the growing obsoletion of the monarchy in a world that has already progressed past it.

22:05 We have food writer and Eater London associate editor James Hansen on to talk about the Great British Bake Off (available for Americans on Netflix) and how it was maybe never meant to bear all the weight of 2020, just an idea! Check out more of James's work on Eater London and in his food media newsletter In Digestion.

(Just a note we're skipping culture notes this week because we have Too Much Content.)

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 Undoing, Shithouse, and reboots and reunions Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Episode Notes

We discuss The Undoing (2020) and Shithouse (2020), two works about—in a sense—exploring who you are as a person, whether that's a wealthy therapist mentally unraveling or a college freshman missing home.

NOTE: This episode is a bit longer than usual, but very good imho!! Also, we only talk about The Undoing up through episode 3, so feel free to listen without major spoilers.

01:36 The Undoing, an HBO limited series that's currently airing, is the latest in the genre of television exploring the troubled inner and outer workings of rich white women whose seemingly perfect lives are disrupted by tragedy or violence.

15:57 Shithouse, a film made by and starring a majorly talented 23-year-old, is deft, emotionally honest, and painfully relatable in its depiction of college life and feeling like you don't quite fit in.

28:00 Plus, culture notes about a buzzy sneak preview of the Gossip Girl reboot, and the nostalgia-heavy era of remakes, reunions, and remixes.

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 Good Lord Bird, Blood of Zeus, and unavoidable election chat Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

Episode Notes

We discuss The Good Lord Bird (2020), a tragicomic historical fiction miniseries about John Brown, and Blood of Zeus (2020), an adult animation series about another kind of "savior" (read: a hot Greek demigod).

01:45 The Good Lord Bird, a limited series on Showtime set before the Civil War, depicts the messiness of history and the figures who get remembered. (Bonus: It stars Ethan Hawke, who just turned 50, hbd babe!)

12:15 Blood of Zeus, an animated series on Netflix, is basically Greek mythology fanfiction that could've been good, but uhh is not! More importantly: Why aren't there more high-budget Greek mythology epic series à la Game of Thrones?

23:23 Plus, culture notes about the election, including a request to NOT let Ivanka and Jared slink back into society, thank you!!!

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 Queen's Gambit, His House, and stars to "defeat despair" Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Episode Notes

We discuss The Queen's Gambit (2020), a show of high watchability, and His House (2020), a film as scary as it is devastating.

00:30 The Queen's Gambit, a limited series from Netflix, is about trauma, but it is not traumatic. It is full of tropes, but not weighed down by them. It is a reminder that when Netflix gets it right, it's right (yeah whatever we're eating some of our words from last week). Plus, discussion about Jolene, one of the most interesting(?) characters on the show.

13:59 His House, also on Netflix, is the latest film in the current-day genre that roots its horror in real-world pain and atrocities, particularly those experienced by immigrants, Black people, and other survivors of the world's worst cruelties.

23:04 And culture notes about an attempt by the Trump administration to "defeat despair and inspire hope" amid the pandemic by recruiting celebrities for a PSA, resulting in one of the inadvertently funniest assessments of modern celebrity.

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

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

Rebecca, On the Rocks, and toobin a crisp rat Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

We discuss Rebecca (2020) and On the Rocks (2020)—two films, both alike in content (marriage) and watchability (background noise).

00:41 Rebecca, out on Netflix, is the latest, cynical example of how big streaming fare can go wrong.

10:03 On the Rocks, available on Apple TV+, is basically Sofia Coppola for normies. Ouch!

16:37 Plus, culture notes about two famous men and their dumb defenders. In the words of Astead W. Herndon, "don’t take Ls on behalf of someone else currently in the process of L taking." Advice to live by!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes and bonus links, 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

Trailer: Criticism Is Dead Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

Episode Notes

Introducing a new weekly podcast about film, television, and culture, and all the opinions involved therein. Does anything even matter? Who cares! Hosted by Pelin Keskin-Liu and Jenny G. Zhang.

Subscribe now to get this in-demand content wired directly to your brain.

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