Michael and Us

Latest Episodes:

PREVIEW - #409 - The Magic of the Movies Mar 08, 2023

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PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/79746684 We begin with Will setting the record straight on perhaps the most important topic the podcast has ever covered before moving on to a discussion about two showbiz movies of wildly differing quality that both deal in excess: BABYLON (2022) and SHOWGIRLS (1995).

#408 - My Orwell Left or Right Mar 06, 2023

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George Orwell's popularity is at a new high in the post-Trump era, and he's been claimed by both the left and right. We discuss NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR (1984, Michael Radford's feature-film adaptation of Orwell's most famous novel, and try to rescue a self-described socialist from the Dave Rubins of the world. Listen to us discuss Orwell's writing in episode #190 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/190-lion-and-44728064

PREVIEW - #407 - Trust the Fungus Mar 01, 2023

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PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/79406807 We discuss a movie that has, for some unknowable reason, been much-requested by our loyal listeners. Will has seen it many times. Luke had never seen it before. It hails from a very different era of blockbuster filmmaking. Folks... it's SUPER MARIO BROS. (1993).

#406 - I Am Mohsen Makhmalbaf Feb 27, 2023

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Abbas Kiarostami's masterpiece CLOSE-UP (1990) used the true story of a poor man who impersonated a famous filmmaker to meditate on class, identity, and the cinematic apparatus. PLUS: the slow erosion of universal healthcare, and checking in on Fox News post-Trump.

#405 - Empire Records: A Michael & Us Symposium (w/ Meagan Day and Branko Marcetic) Feb 22, 2023

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Some topics are too vast, too vital for us to cover on our own. Today, we address one such topic. We invited Jacobin Magazine's Meagan Day and Branko Marcetic for a roundtable discussion of EMPIRE RECORDS (1995). We proffer some theories about why this attempt to hit the Gen X zeitgeist actually resonated more strongly with millennials, and how its depiction of alt-culture proved life-changing for at least one of the panelists. Our previous symposium on "You've Got Mail" - https://soundcloud.com/michael-and-us/176-youve-got-mail-a-michael-us-symposium-w-meagan-day-and-branko-marcetic Meagan at the Oxford Union - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEnqmgVaOjc&ab_channel=OxfordUnion

PREVIEW - #404 - The Boy in the Bubble Feb 20, 2023

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PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/404-boy-in-78936344 We look back on the prototypical modern viral media phenomenon: the "Balloon Boy" hoax of 2009. After bingeing about 90 minutes' worth of MSNBC coverage, we discuss how the Balloon Boy both presaged and diverged from the sorts of flash-in-the-pan viral sensations that would dominate the next 14 years. PLUS: fiery hot takes on the sudden resignation of Toronto Mayor John Tory.

#403 - Fully Automated Luxury Centrism Feb 15, 2023

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The amateur documentary MY YANG GANG DIARY (2021) gives us opportunity to look back on the presidential candidacy of Andrew Yang. We discuss how the "Not left, not right, but forward" candidate offered a vision of radical centrism. "What Happened to Andrew Yang?" by Akela Lacy - https://theintercept.com/2021/08/15/andrew-yang-new-york-mayor/

PREVIEW - #402 - The State of Disunion Feb 12, 2023

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PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/78564941 On February 7, Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union to a new congress. A little bit was different, and plenty was the same. We discuss Biden post-midterms, the inept Republican response, and do a little spitballing about the future. PLUS: a cancelled movie star who might stay cancelled, and a surprising return to the Beatty Tracyverse.

#401 - Heaven and Earth Feb 08, 2023

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Terrence Malick perfected his now-signature style with his rapturously beautiful second film, DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978). We discuss the film's depiction of hardscrabble American life in the early 20th century, and Malick's holistic view of humanity and nature. PLUS: an alarming update on the state of Canadian media, and the U.S. Congress condemnation of socialism. "On Earth as It Is in Heaven" by Adrian Martin - https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/555-days-of-heaven-on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

PREVIEW - #400 - Amityville Michael & Us - A 400th Episode Spectacular Feb 07, 2023

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PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/400-amityville-78332944 We've reached episode #400, and we're celebrating this auspicious anniversary by revisiting some of our favorite topics. First, we create the definitive canon of the most important movies we've discussed on the show. Then, we stare into the heart of darkness by watching Shawn C. "Coolduder" Phillips' directorial effort AMITYVILLE KAREN (2022), a no-budget horror film that attempts to cash in on the "Karen" phenomenon.

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