Welcome to the Film Fury podcast. It's time to analyze movies and get mad or get glad. I'm Alan Zeitlin, an entertainment writer and film critic for more than two decades, and I'm going to take you on a deep dive into the sea of movies. What actors rose to the occasion and who fell flat? From Oppenheimer to Barbie, what film should win Oscar Gold and which should be left in the cold? Who got loved and who got snubbed? What moments will make you feel like you're watching something magical? An ...
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Ep. 27 - Why "The Shawshank Redemption" Is Inspiring featuring Sruli Broocker
30:35
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Based on a Stephen King novella, "The Shawshank Redemption" starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman is on most people's top 25 list of best movies. It tells the story of a man falsely convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Alan and Sruli Brooker discuss a number of intriguing questions. Is hope always a good thing? What does the film say ab…
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Ep. 26 - "Titanic" Debate (featuring Irina Tsukerman)
55:43
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"Titanic" starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, is one of the highest grossing films of all-time. It won the Oscar for Best Picture with James Cameron winning Best Director. Alan, a fan of the blockbuster, talks about the famous film with Irina Tsukerman, a human rights and national security attorney, who has become known for astute politica…
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Ep. 25 - Steve Carell's Brilliance In 'The 40 Year Old Virgin'
24:13
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Alan discusses the famous film with comic Talia Reese. Why was this film such a hit? Carell is handsome enough so why was his character so unsuccessful with women? Are guys who work at TV stores not appealing? they discuss the humor of the film, what it says about attraction and human nature!By Alan Zeitlin
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Ep. 24 - Would You Rather Be Deadpool or Wolverine and How can Robert Downey Jr. Play Dr. Doom? (guest David Merel)
48:46
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Alan discusses "Deadpool vs. Wolverine" starring Ryan Reynolds and Hug Jackman. David Merel, a technology and superhero expert answers whether or not Jackman is too old, whether or not superhero films will save movie theaters, and whether he'd rather be Deadpool or Wolverine. Was the opening scene too gory? Was the villain badass enough? Did anyone…
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Ep. 23 - Spaceballs Revisited: Comedy, Parody, and the Upcoming Sequel
24:14
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Host Alan Zeitlin welcomes special guest Aaron Herman, a marketing consultant and video journalist, to dive into the comedic brilliance of Mel Brooks' 'Spaceballs.' In this episode, they explore why 'Spaceballs' remains a beloved classic, breaking down its clever parody of the Star Wars franchise and its unique brand of humor that has stood the tes…
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Ep. 22 - Are The Great Gatsby Films Really That Great?
46:02
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Robert Redford and Leonardo DiCaprio starred as Jay Gatsby in different film version of based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic. Alan speaks with Gatsby expert and New York City high school instructor David Giunta. Alan and David discuss the good and the bad elements of the films, what the story says about justice and obsession, and why Dasie pick…
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Ep. 21 - Why Clueless Is A Classic and Alicia Silverstone Is Wonderful (With writer and communications expert Shira Weiss)
35:28
35:28
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Alicia Silverstone is best known for depicting Cher Horowitz in the classic "Clueless" co-starring Paul Rudd as her step-brother, Josh. Alan discusses why the film is simple, yet grand. Writer and communications expert Shira Weiss explains what's so good about the film and the two debate some issues and Weiss answers if she ever had a grade changed…
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Ep. 20 - Why The Shining Is My Favorite Movie and Debating Some Theories With a Kubrick expert. (With Professor Nathan Abrams)
55:57
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Alan explains why "The Shining" is so scary and so mesmerizing with great performances by Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duval. From the creepy opening to the famous "redrum" scene, there's a lot to give you nightmares. Professor Nathan Abrams, author of "Kubrick: An Odyssey" discusses some theories of what the film is about from the Holocaust to the at…
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Ep. 19 - Why Midsommar Is A Genius Work of Horror
12:54
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Alan discusses Ari Aster's "Midsommar" about a young woman named Dani(Florence Pugh) who in the wake of a family tragedy clings to a boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor) who doesn't appreciate her. When they go on vacation with some friends to Sweeden, all Hell breaks loose and things that make no sense take place. Christian's friend is creepily flir…
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Ep. 18 - The Top 7 Films of Leonardo DiCaprio
24:12
24:12
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Alan discusses the greatest films of Leonardo DiCaprio. Wheer does "Titanic" rank? How about his scenes with Daniel Day Lewis in "Gangs of New York?" Where does "The Wolf of Wall Street" stack up against "Catch Me If You Can?" Which of his films directed by Martin Scorsese make the list and what's the one time he plays a calculating villain? Take a…
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Ep. 17 - Why The Karate Kid Is A Classic (with Jason Schulman)
23:14
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"The Karate Kid" is an iconic film about a teen who falls in love, gets bullied and wants to show he isn't someone to be messed with. Alan discusses why the film is of of his favorites and discusses whether or not the crane kick was illegal and whether Johnny would beat Daniel in a real life fight with Jason Schulman.…
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Ep. 16 - Why Are People Obsessed With Netflix's "Baby Reindeer?" (with Robby Berman)
38:05
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Alan analyzes the hit Netflix show "Reindeer Baby" featuring Richard Gadd's series that is said to be based on his real experiences of being stalked by a woman who showed up to the bar he worked at. He goes over some of the symbolism and some of the reasons the show is impactful. Tour guide and journalist Robby Berman joins the show to discuss how …
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Ep. 15 - Why 'The First Omen' Is a Perfect Prequel
16:03
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Alan breaks down the new film "The First Omen" and how it perfectly sets up "The Omen" that ran in the 70's. Alan discusses how the new film is well done and how the original was iconic despite one hokey moment and how the new film perhaps pays homage to it. He also discusses why child actors who are good can be so scary.…
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Ep. 14- Will 'Civil War' Be a Case of Art Imitating Life?
23:21
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Alan breaks down the good and the very bad in the new film "Civil War" and how some elements are completely implausible. He looks at why people's reactions to the film are highly political, why the president's character did not get enough screen time and how one scene in the film was excellent. Alan praises some of the acting but bemoans the major …
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Ep. 13 - Why Couldn't the Iron Claw Grab Some Oscar Love? (w/ Jeff Wirtheim)
28:43
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"The Iron Claw" was the second best movie of 2023 but didn't earn a single Oscar nomination. Why not? Was it because there were dark themes like suicide? Was there something against the WWE? Was there a fear of promoting toxic masculinity even though it was actually a cautionary tale? Were Zac Effron's abs CGI? Alan discusses these questions with w…
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Ep. 12 - Does “Dune Part 2” Have One of The Best Villains Ever?
14:41
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Alan marvels at how Austin Butler could go from playing Elvis to the main baddie in “Dune Part 2” as well as Dave Bautista of WWE fame and how Florence Pugh is great here and always needs more screen time. He goes over why Timothee Chalamet is great in the lead as Paul, Zendeya is on point and why the gladiator arena scene is awesome. He also expla…
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Ep. 11 - Can Modesty Sell in Hollywood? A Look at ‘Past Lives’ (with Leah Gottfried)
31:15
31:15
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Not a lot happens in “Past Lives.” And yet it is a small and beautiful film. How was tension created by Celine Song with only one kiss in which the camera pans away and it is dark. Alan speaks with actress, writer and director Leah Gottfried, who crated and starred in the series “Soon By You” about Orthodox Jews on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. They…
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Ep. 10 - Did ‘The Zone of Interest’ Director Have Indecent Intentions? (With Saul Sudin)
26:55
26:55
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Alan again speaks with Saul Sudin and while they agree that “The Zone of Interest” was a failure Alan believes Jonathan Glazer was out to try to use a gimmick to win awards and questions why he focused on building a replica of a Nazi house rather than showing Jews-as the book by Martin Amis does. Saul questions whether or not this is correct, and t…
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Ep. 9 - What’s So Good About ‘The Holdovers?’ (with Saul Sudin)
18:50
18:50
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Alan speaks with filmmaker Saul Sudin about why he was touched by the film and thought it was the best of the 10 nominated for an Oscar. Saul gives an interesting interpretation about family and brings up something most viewers didn’t catch about the beginning and the ending. Saul shows he really knows his stuff. Alan questions if Pual Giamatti’s r…
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Ep. 8 - Oscar Recap: Did a Joke Go Too Far?
19:16
19:16
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Did Jimmy Kimmel go too far with a joke about Robert Downey Jr? Will his jokes about former President Trump come back to haunt him? Some of his jokes were on target and the Oscars had some great moments and some strange ones. Did John Cena want to have that “costume?” Alan goes over how he was right on all of his predictions but one and how it was …
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Ep. 7 - The 'Zone of Interest' Erases Jews Yet Will Win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film
22:26
22:26
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Alan raises hell and is mystified at how the New York Times could correctly call the film a failure, yet the movie received numerous nominations. He mentions that he has interviewed numerous Holocaust survivors, and one said the film was boring and had no educational value. He also rasies the question: "How has the film been nominated for Best Adap…
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Ep. 6 - For Women, Is ’Poor Things’ Liberating, Exploitative or None of The Above? (featuring guest Heather Robinson)
20:46
20:46
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Alan speaks with Heather Robinson, a contributor for the New York Post and JNS about different ways “Poor Things” is being perceived with Emma Stone as Bell Baxter, who for a time in the film becomes a prostitute. They discuss the controversy about several scenes of the film and the impressive nature of Emma Stone’s acting in a role that was quite …
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Ep. 5 - DiCaprio. DeNiro. DeKillers of The Flower Moon.
23:01
23:01
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By Alan Zeitlin
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Ep. 4 - Oscar Predictions (and some Snubs)
20:46
20:46
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Who’s gonna win? Can Lily Gladstone beat out Emma Stone? Will “Oppenheimer” win numerous awards? Does Paul Giamatti have a chance to upset Cillian Murphy? Will Robert Downey Jr. win Best Supporting Actor? Alan also goes over some Oscar snubs, including one film that he thinks was the second best of the year but was shut out in all nominations. He a…
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Projected to win numerous awards, Christopher Nolan’s film stars Irish actor Cillian Murphy as J.Robert Oppenheimer as a man tasked with fathering the nuclear bomb. We go over the performances of Murphy and his unreal eyes, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, whose admiration for Oppenheimer turns to jealousy and anger and we talk about how this fi…
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Ep. 2 - Does Someone Owe Bradley Cooper an Apology?
33:32
33:32
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By Alan Zeitlin
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Ep. 1 - Do People Hate Barbie and Taylor Swift For The Same Reason? (featuring guest Nava Silton)
18:21
18:21
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Alan speaks to Nava Silton, developmental psychologist and professor at Manhattan Marymount College about her impressions on “Barbie” and why it was such a success. Are there similarities between hatred toward Barbie and if there is hatred toward Barbie and Taylor Swift. She also talks about the power of having multiple Kens and Barbies and why she…
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Welcome to the Film Fury podcast. It's time to analyze movies and get mad or get glad. I'm Alan Zeitlin, an entertainment writer and film critic for more than two decades, and I'm going to take you on a deep dive into the sea of movies. What actors rose to the occasion and who fell flat? From Oppenheimer to Barbie, what film should win Oscar Gold a…
…
continue reading