From Sky news this is connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Our connection this hour was made in a Las Vegas wedding chapel.

It was made in 1960s New York and in the Land of Oz.

It's also made in Pennsylvania by way of postwar Europe, in the Vatican and in the Jim Crow South.

And it's made with a mysterious serum that promises to make you a younger and better version of yourself.

I'm talking about this year's nominees for Best picture at the Oscars.

The Oscars are Sunday night, Sunday, Sunday to Sunday through this Sunday.

Sunday.

Oh, it's a wonderful night for the Oscars.

Oscar?

Oscar.

Who will win?

Remember that?

Was that Billy Crystal song?

Always.

Anyway.

That's.

I think I should bring him back.

we're going to have some fun this hour, I think.

I hope, having a conversation about the nominations.

It's always a good time, a chance for us to kind of hear from some of the best film buffs in town.

And, we're also going to tell you about what's coming up with, a big party here.

So, Scott Pinkus, how's it going over there at the Little Theater?

Director of communications for the little.

It's been it's a busy time of year.

It's a busy time of year.

It's a wonderful week for the Oscars.

It is Oscar.

Oscar?

You want to sing the song?

I do not.

Oh, no.

I'll pass.

Is.

Is it a wonderful week for a party?

Yeah.

So we have our little, Oscar movie trivia party this Sunday, March 2nd.

so the doors open at four.

You can sign up.

Trivia begins at five.

we have themed food, and then people can stay and watch the Oscars on the big screen.

which, in my opinion, is the best way to watch it.

It's like having these big moments and viewing it with a crowd and hearing those reactions of the cheers and boos.

I think it's just such a memorable experience.

Well, if you want to attend, there you go.

Best party in town, Adam.

Are you going to be there?

I will be there.

Adam Alberto is a projectionist programmer at the little theater.

an outstanding film writer himself.

Director for anomaly, the Rochester genre film festival.

Is that a new name?

Officially for anomaly there.

That is the official title for the film fest.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, which always confuses me, but I always.

You're not alone.

I know I love talking to you, but thank you for being back here.

Thanks for having me, Matt Parson, film critic for City magazine.

He is in a curmudgeonly mood today, appropriately so.

Tell.

Tell people what you see.

That's just my normal mode.

Tell.

Tell the listeners what you said.

Dune two nominated for Best Picture.

Your description of Dune two.

It's just a boring movie about a guy named Paul.

Some.

Not my not my not my cup of saying.

I don't remember the trailer saying a boring movie comes to a boring movie.

Should I put my quote on the poster?

They should.

I don't think it's going to make.

I think it's going to make it.

you said that you liked a lot of performances and not a lot of films.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, well, it's the airing of the grievances with Matt Pass and Tina Ray's specialty.

Rachel Harrison is on the line with us as well.

And author is with us.

Hello, Rachel.

Hello.

Hey, how are you?

A little more optimistic than Matt Santino.

I have to confess something upfront.

I've seen the boring movie about the guy named Paul.

But the only other.

The only other best Picture nominee that I've seen is the substance, which we are doing a screening at the Little on Friday, March 7th.

so I've only seen, like, basically one Oscar movies this year, but I have a lot to say about the substance, and I'm very optimistic about the substance.

Oh, we're going to get there.

Enthusiasm makes up.

There you go.

The rest of the movies that I have, this is probably the year that I've seen the least amount of Best Picture nominees.

I feel like I have seen what's going to win, because I have seen both conclave and a Nora, and I think those are the lead horses.

Is that Matt?

You're nodding.

At least the likelihood is that one of the two will win.

Yeah, those are the two front runners.

Okay.

Yeah.

Adam, one of those two, I think so, will win.

Scott thinks one of those.

I think it'll be one of those two.

Okay.

conclave is a very interesting time because Pope Francis is health.

It's apparently very, very serious.

And we could be not very far away from that scenario.

Again, I thought it was very powerful.

We're going to get to that coming up.

But I'm going to start with Scott pockets.

And I told them were going to have an argument on the air about this.

So last night I watched a Nora and a friend had said, oh, it kind of moves from like, madcap comedy to like a heist movie.

And I'm like, great.

And then I watched it and I'm like, where is any of that?

It was.

It did not feel that way.

yeah.

Look, there's plenty of parts.

I laughed out loud.

and then it got very serious and very grim.

I wouldn't call it like a madcap heist movie.

It was more like a very grim, follow the oligarchs as they.

They dragged this poor woman around looking for the oligarchs, son, knowing that bad things are happening, it felt grim.

It did not, it didn't feel like I expected.

So maybe my issue, Scott, with Nora is I didn't know what I was getting into, and I thought I was misled.

But you liked it.

I it's my favorite of the best picture ones.

And I think my I think expectations are big thing because what I thought going into it is that it would be a grim drama, and I was surprised by it.

And if whoever your friend is that said, it was madcap, I think it gets a little madcap.

It gets a little wacky once the cronies come in.

So the first part is kind of set up as a Cinderella type story in kind of a weird, messed up way.

and then at the midway point, these new characters come in and I think it gets a little madcap and a little and a little zany.

I would even say, and it's it has a lot of comedy, it has humor and absolutely some darker parts to the ending.

Is is entering a pretty low note whenever a movie ends with silent credits, you know, it's a pretty powerful ending.

Yeah.

But I think, yeah, I had a lot of comedy and and I think madcap is a good description.

Okay.

And let me just say, if you haven't seen the film, a Nora Scott's point about some of it's not slapstick at all, but it's, it gets some of the physical comedy is I was laughing out loud during scenes.

I also thought the characters were well acted.

I don't know if they were well drawn, but I thought Mikey Madison was great.

I thought the Russian henchman who becomes kind of I think he's actually nominated.

I don't know his name.

I thought he was outstanding.

and I thought they humanized the henchman.

Typically you've got this.

If you've got an oligarch or like a big, bad, you know, sort of bad character, the henchmen are not real people.

And in this case, you could see their gentleness from the first five minutes that they're in the film.

They're actually trying to resist brutality when stereotypically you'd see a lot of brutality.

So I thought that there was a lot of interesting nuance there.

I just, I mean, like, what else did you love about it sell me on this?

Well, I thought Mikey Madison was like he was going to lead.

I liked her performance.

I did.

So the, the actor that you mentioned that came in is, what's somewhere on my sheet here.

you're a Borisov.

Yeah.

So what's his character came in?

I really like that.

And the kind of.

You hinted at the reasons where I think once the Coronas came in, I was expecting violence.

I'm like, you know, something bad is going to happen.

And.

And like you mentioned, there was that softer side that Dr.

Strange.

And I just thought, I like the journey.

It was so unexpected.

I think usually I like it when a movie surprises me.

and this surprised me in a good way.

I watched it, in a theater, a packed theater on 35 millimeter film.

So it was a really good experience.

I think sometimes that experience can make you either like a movie more or less, depending on how it is.

Well, let's get let's get the rest of the panel's take on it after we hear a clip from a Nora, this is Annie.

So a Nora is, the full name of the lead character played by Mikey Madison.

She goes by Annie.

She is confronting Ivan.

And that is, the Russian oligarchs son who she met.

And when he hired her at a club where she works.

And then, they had this whirlwind week together.

They get married in Vegas.

I'm not giving anything away here.

I think this is well advertised.

And they're preparing to board his family's plane to Las Vegas.

Because the family wants to annul this thing.

Ivan's mother is threatening her after their conversation.

Listen, I'm gonna be your man and talk to me.

What you want me to say?

Okay, I understand that.

Now.

We must go in the plane and fly in Vegas.

Get it?

You get it.

So we're getting a divorce.

You, of course.

Are you stupid?

And thank you for making my last trip to America so fun.

Yeah.

You had fun?

Yeah.

Let's go board the plane now.

No, no, I'm not doing that.

You are getting on this plane and you are getting divorced.

Yeah, we're going to get a horse, but, first I'm getting a lawyer, then I'm going to sue Yvonne and you.

And I'm going to walk away with half because I didn't sign a prenup.

Do that and you'll lose everything.

Any money you may have.

Although I doubt you have much will be gun.

Do you have house?

Do you have a car?

Olga?

In your life and lives of your family and friends.

Everything will be destroyed.

Yeah, that sounds like a comedy to me.

Scott, Lucas and I censoring that censor that I was getting.

Mega man had an amazing job with all the edits there.

What do you start?

Like?

I was like, how are they going to play a clip for any part of that movie?

They're just literally not more than 12 seconds, doesn't it?

Did you enjoy the film?

I did, yeah, it's I wouldn't say it's one of my it's like top of my list of the nominees this year.

But I did really like it.

But I think a lot of that has to do with Mikey Madison.

I think she definitely brings a lot more to that character than is really on the page.

and I just, I think she's fantastic and she makes that movie, even if it does to, to Matt's point, kind of get away from her story as the movie goes on.

but I really liked that sense of sort of what you were talking about, Evan, that I think maybe Family Unit is overstating it, but the way the the, the the henchmen and he sort of come together, because they're all, in the end, kind of pawns to the whims of the oligarchs that are controlling their lives at this point and that sort of binds them together.

And I really liked that, that development and the way that that story played out.

Okay, Matt, Pass and Tina, I like I like the first 45 minutes to an hour of the movie.

It's like the next 10 or 11 hours of the movie that I didn't really care for.

And, because I do think that it kind of gets away from the Nora character in a way that is just not interesting.

So I know, I know, you always say like, you like the scene when the henchmen come in and that scene goes on and, and, a lot of screaming and then more screaming and then more screaming and the more so I'm like, why is this scene 45 minutes?

Can someone yell, cut?

And, so I think the movie does just kind of run out of steam, and there's a lot of movie left after the first 45 minutes or an hour.

I think there is some fun to be had with the like, oh, Pretty Woman by way of after hours of it all.

but yeah, mixed bag for me on that one.

Okay.

Likely though, is it going to win?

I think it will win Best Picture.

It will win.

Do you think it's going to actually I think conclave do you think in a surprised.

Yeah I think it's any conclave okay.

And I kind of think it's going to win.

Although I feel like we've been seeing an aura in conclave.

I do think brutalist has a shot.

We're going to get to brutalist coming up here.

I got to ask I got to ask Rachel about the substance because, you know, this is a different kind of substance is getting like, no run here, though, by the way, Rachel.

Like, it's got no chance.

It's like the it's like the 400 to 1 it here.

for best picture.

But, it is a very different kind of premise here.

You want to take us through how you felt about the substance, Rachel.

Yes.

So I should say I am a horror author.

I love the horror genre.

I'm a huge horror buff.

And so to have a horror movie be nominated for Best Picture, to have it even be nominated feels like a win.

And especially to have, Demi Moore.

Her performance that she's nominated.

Like there's been tons of amazing performances and horror films over the years that have just been overlooked by the Academy.

So the whole horror community is celebrating this, and I find it especially, like, exciting because it a female centered horror story.

The substance is about, fading starlet named Elizabeth Sparkle, who has like a super sized show, I guess you would call it.

And she gets let go on her 50th birthday and, awkward.

The mysterious substance.

And I don't want to give too much away.

For those who haven't seen it, it is a bit.

I tend to get a little squeamish.

So, I did have to watch this one at home so I could heist her, like, life not to get and look away and, you know, make my weird noises.

But, I love this movie so much.

I think it's a really special movie.

And I think it's a, It's just a very exciting moment to have the Academy recognize a genre film.

because there's a lot of incredible work being done in genre, and yet it's still get looks down upon are not taking it seriously.

Well.

So let me just kind of add to Rachel's point there about the squeamishness.

The ringer dubbed this movie the grossest movie to be nominated for Best Picture ever, so I don't know how you measure that, but that's a little bit of a warning there.

I also want to say Rachel is kind of a big deal.

And Scott, you've got to you've got a big deal event coming up here.

Yeah.

So as Rachel mentioned, earlier, we on Friday, March 7th at 7 p.m., we are showing the substance.

Demi Moore is the favorite to win best actress.

So I think it's going to be packed in there.

Then afterwards we are doing a Q&A with Rachel Harrison talking about it.

Our friend, Amy, Adrian's going to be moderating.

It was a filmmaker here in Rochester as well.

it's going to be a fun time.

This movie, I feel, is a great one to watch with an audience because it is bonkers.

Like I can't even describe, like this the places this movie goes, and it is gross in parts.

And that's why it's fun to watch with an audience, because you cringe in unison, you laugh, you kind of maybe a nervous laugh, but it's great to watch with a packed theater, which I think this will be.

Has Demi Moore, won best before Best Actress before?

So this will be a first one.

And she is the front runner here.

Matt.

Pass.

Santino, have you seen this film?

Yes.

And I.

Do you like this thing?

The has any touch?

Either.

This is an example of a performance I like more than the movie.

Okay.

Because I think Demi Moore is really great in this movie.

And if I was a voting member, which I've often said I should be, I agree, I would, I would vote for Demi Moore.

I think she's really good in this movie.

You know, everyone references like the mirror scene when she's taking her makeup off and it's so good.

Like the silent acting is so good in it and the physicality of the performance.

I do think the movie is a little like, I get the point.

Like in it's 2.5 hours and I keep complaining about, length of these movies.

The 3.5 hour one is my favorite.

So it's really about how you use that time.

And I just found, I found the, the substance a little repetitive and punishing after a while.

Okay.

Adam, the substance is my favorite of the nominees this year.

I love it if you get moment, this is the best picture I it just as it's got.

That is just so much fun to watch.

I think, Callie, I forgot the director has such a control of tone.

It is a ridiculous movie, and it is so over the top.

But it it is.

It never stops being entertaining, at least to me.

I say clearly, I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum is Matt.

but yeah, especially watching it with the crowd.

Like the way it sort of builds and builds to this level that your jaw is on the floor, like, this is what's happening right now.

And I just brought me just endless amounts of joy.

And so you got to love horror.

You got to love squeamishness.

And then or if you can tolerate it and you want to see something totally fascinating and different, the event that we've been talking about is next Friday, two Fridays from now, March 7th, 7 p.m. doors open at 630 at the little.

The little does the best events.

They give you great films.

They give you great discussions.

Our friend of the program, Amy Adrian, who's wonderful, will be there moderating.

And you get Rachel Harrison there.

And Rachel, when you look at a film like this, you mentioned how rare it is for horror to get this kind of love, let alone a horror film directed by a woman.

can you just describe what you think the significance of all that is?

I think it's I mean, I think it's huge.

I think to be recognized horror has always been art, but I think that there's a connotation in general that it's lesser than that.

It doesn't have emotional depth, that it doesn't have anything to say, that it's just blood and guts.

And for this movie, to me, it has that.

It has the blood and guts and gore, but it has substance.

It's about what?

And, you know, I relate to it deeply.

It's a story about women and how society treats us as we age, and to see the Academy recognize it as art and recognize the performances as art.

And there's a level of respect there that I feel like people who love horror and people who work in horror have been craving for a really long time.

And also there's something for everyone in the horror genre, and I think this movie kind of proves that it's not just one thing.

It's not just slashers and I love me a slasher, but like, the horror is so much more than that.

And I think the this is shifting it on a more mainstream level.

Rachel, does horror have to have that kind of a, by the way, you know, sort of depth or point to it?

Or can it be great when it is kind of pure entertainment?

Both.

I think both.

But I think having I think in the past it was only thought of is one thing.

And to see that now a wider audience, a broader audience of understanding that you can do different things with it and the Gina that it has more to offer, that you can go and turn the brain off and just watch teenagers get, you know, killed in these crazy, inventive ways.

Or you can sit down and have a movie that offers you that entertainment, but also makes you think, or that you can relate to or that you, you know, love the characters or you understand something about yourself.

You're watching the film.

So, I think horror works on many different levels, and that's what's so beautiful about it.

And that's why so many people love it.

I mean, I have a pretty well understood rule with this panel.

I don't like movies with stabbing.

I think there's too much stabbing.

And general stabbing is very antisocial behavior and makes me feel uncomfortable.

So I feel like I may have to avoid this unless Rachel convince me because you said you're squeamish yourself.

Which is kind of an amazing thing to hear about a horror author.

so make make the case that even people who feel like you do should kind of grit it out because it's worth it.

Here.

So I think you can always look at, you know, when the gross parts are coming and you can always look away.

And I think there is a level of fun of being in the theater and hearing other people go, do you like it's fun to share an experience with people in that way, but they're amazing characters, amazing costumes, the production design, the sets are all so visually stimulating.

It's beautiful to watch as much as there's growth parts, beautiful to watch, amazing performances.

It's funny, it's zany.

I think anyone who sees the movie will get something out of it.

So, as much as it can, it has those deeper layers.

It's also just really fun.

It's a fun time at the movies, and I feel like a lot of times the Oscar movies tend not to be the best picture.

Noms don't tend to be fun.

They tend to be a little bit.

I mean, there's the like, musicals, like a wicked, but generally like, you're not watching the brutalist, like having a grand old time.

And I think the substance offers like, I think you'll have fun watching the substance.

That's my cell.

I mean, that's how I found time.

That's how I felt going into Nora.

I'm like, I'm going to have a grand old time.

Then I was like, no, I didn't, I felt misled.

I know now we've covered all of that.

So, Scott, we got to let Rachel go in a minute.

Here.

do you want to describe for listeners what how big of an event you think this is next Friday, how excited you are for this event coming up here?

Yeah.

So again, Friday, March 7th, tickets at the little Orac, we're showing the substance and then doing a Q&A with Rachel afterward.

I think it's such a big deal that this movie got nominated for Best Picture that Demi Moore might win for Best Actor.

I was like, you will.

Like, I can't stress like, this movie is not, as Rachel was saying, not what you would think of a typical Oscar movie.

It's wild.

And I want to see more movies made like this.

And that's why I'm rooting for it to win.

And rooting for Demi Moore.

Because especially women directed first show is the only woman nominated.

We haven't seen that many women nominated for Best Director in the past few years.

so this is a really big deal that this got five nominations.

and hopefully it wins at least some.

Rachel, before I let you go.

This.

I'm not a film historian, but at least for me, I feel like Get Out was kind of a turning point where you at least as a as my for myself, as a viewer, I went, You really can push some mental buttons here in, in this kind of a genre.

And I'm sure there's a lot more before that that I'm not even thinking of.

And Matt Santino is already nodding, and he's going to scold me on the side at the end of this program here.

But do you think there's been more of this kind of thoughtful filmmaking recently, or is that just my recency bias there?

Rachel I think it's always existed.

I think it's just becoming more mainstream.

And for me, I mean, it's a little bit different because I'm in the the book world.

But I think having more voices brought in and having more diversity and different types of stories being told, I think more mainstream, like people who thought, well, I don't like horror because they only thought of it as one thing.

Our understanding that it can be more you can kind of get out of horror whatever you want.

There is something for everyone.

And so I think it's kind of like a chicken and egg thing where because more people are coming to the genre now, there's more creators who are getting platformed.

And then because of that, they attract more people.

So, kind of builds off each other.

And I think that's why the substance and, and Get out is such a big deal, because they signal to people who aren't like, who don't weren't like well versed in the genre that there could be something appealing for them there.

Rachel Harrison, an author who's coming to Rochester as part of this event here, coming to the little theater, I should say, next Friday.

And, so a lot of great stuff coming up with the little Rachel.

Thanks for taking time for the program.

Great talking to you.

We'll see you at that event next week.

Thank you so much.

Bye.

That's Rachel Harrison.

And before you even go to the little two Fridays from now for the event with the substance, you can go.

This coming Sunday, March 2nd to the Oscar party.

So really, the little is the place to be.

Coming up here, we have huge.

We have popcorn.

Oh, we will have lots of popcorn.

The popcorn is, we know will be plentiful.

It's the best the best popcorn in Rochester.

after we take the only break of the hour, we've got a pile of other clips to share.

Our guests in studio.

Scott, Lucas, Adam, Lou, Beto, Matt, Santino all talking about the Oscar nominees.

We've talked about some of the favorites.

We'll talk about some of the others.

You got a clip from conclave coming up here along with the complete unknown, the brutalist, the real pain.

It's all coming up on connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Wednesday on the next connections.

In our first hour, we talked to libertarians about their thoughts about Doge.

For a long time, libertarians have been calling for cuts to government reducing the size of government.

Is this how they wanted to see it happen?

We'll talk about it then.

In our second hour, a conversation with person centered housing options about the state of homelessness in our region.

Three years into Russia's war in Ukraine, President Trump says he's hopeful an end could be weeks away.

Don't count on it, says Alexander Vindman.

Russia is not going to be satisfied with the level of appeasement that the Trump administration is offering, because Ukrainians are not willing to capitulate.

I'm Mary Louise Kelly, the retired lieutenant colonel and former Trump staffer on Russia, Ukraine and his new book on All Things Considered.

From NPR news.

This afternoon at four.

This is connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Just to make sure we get this out of the way here.

Our guests have talked about what they think will win for Best Picture.

Adam Alberto said.

Wait, you said, you think a Nora will win?

I think I do, yeah.

Okay, but.

But your favorite was the substance, correct?

Yeah.

You think conclave will win?

Your favorite was Nora.

Nora?

You think a Nora is going to win?

Matt Patino?

Yes.

Your favorite was out of what's nominated.

The brutalist.

The brutalist.

Okay, so there's the list there.

I want to listen to a clip from conclave, and I mentioned that it may end up being quite timely if we lose Pope Francis.

He's, he's been very sick.

he's 88 years old.

And the film The conclave is, based on a book, I think, that tells a fictional story about, you know, a real life process, which is what happens when, the college of Cardinals has to choose a new pope.

A lot of the interpersonal wrangling, the politics.

And throughout this film, different secrets get revealed.

There's, you know, different horse trading as different, cardinals try to position themselves as the next pope.

Well, in this scene here, we have Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Laurence, discussing what he wishes for the new pope.

Let's listen.

Let me speak from the heart for a moment.

Saint Paul said, be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

To work together.

To, To grow together.

We must be tolerant.

No one person or faction seeking to dominate another.

I'm speaking to the Ephesians, who were, of course, a mixture of Jews and Gentiles.

Paul reminds us that God's gift to the church is its variety.

It is this variety, this diversity of people and views, which gives our church its strength.

And over the course of many years, in the service of our mother, the church, let me tell you, there is one sin which I have come to fear above all others.

Certainty.

Certainty is the great enemy of unity.

Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance.

Even Christ was not certain at the end.

Do your meal.

Do your meal.

Forgive me.

I abandoned Otto, he cried out in his agony.

At the ninth hour on the cross.

Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt.

If there was only certainty, and no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith.

Let us pray that God will grant us a Pope who doubts in way, and let him grant us a Pope who sins and asks for forgiveness, and who carries on.

It's Ralph Fine, who is nominated for actor in a Leading Role in conclave.

Adam Luto, should he win?

I liked the performance, but I don't think so.

Who's best actor to, Oh, boy.

I think I personally I would pick Colman Domingo.

I think sing, sing.

Yeah.

I really loved sing, Sing, and I wished that, had gotten more attention in the nominations.

But who will win?

I think it's going to be Adrien Brody, which we'll talk about in a second.

Here.

Now, what we just heard from Ralph Fiennes, that powerful two minutes there.

what did you think of the film?

I really like the conclave.

I feel like, that speech makes it the film sound more serious than it is, and it deals with some serious things.

But what I loved about it, it is an and a very silly movie.

I'm not the first person to call it, basically Gossip Girl in the Vatican.

And though because the whole thing is them sort of backstabbing and whispered conversations revealing, you know, sordid paths of, of various contenders to be the next pope.

And it's just, just wildly entertaining, especially watching it with an audience that you can hear, like the gasps and secrets are revealed.

And that that's really what I liked about it is that is this really over-the-top entertaining movie, sort of in, serious sort of cosplay.

It's like it takes itself serious seriously at the surface.

But if you actually, like, pay attention to what's going on, you're like this.

This is ridiculous.

And I love it.

You're nodding over here.

I actually like this one.

Hey, I mean, it's just a bunch of people being messy, messy and gossiping.

And what's not fun about that?

I mean, it's basically like people mean girls because they like.

I mean, there's a scene where they talk about, like, who sits at what table?

And, yeah, I found this.

I found this movie very entertaining.

I think of this movie came out this this is like the best picture of 1996.

Like Miramax would put this out.

I made, like $500 million and it just crossed $100 million, which I thought was worldwide, which I think is kind of a big deal for what it is.

So no, that's what we've.

I like this movie.

Scott Polk is you think this is going to win Best Picture?

I do so and do you think you would have chosen the Nora?

But do you think this would be a still a fitting best picture?

I'd be okay with that.

I thought this was really entertaining.

I love the, Gossip Girl, Vatican City descriptors.

I think that's spot on.

And there was an audible gasp in my theater when I watched it was.

Which is such a fun thing to be in a movie theater and been doing some of the reveals.

Yeah, there was a big reveal at the end.

I wouldn't even say any more, but that that drew such a big gasp.

And we.

This is true.

I swear we had more popcorn spills during this screening and I theorized it's because people were gasping and and like like throwing their popcorn like like popcorn, because it was that.

And I think that's just kind of fun to watch.

And the speech really shows how refined character, Cardinal Lawrence is conflicted throughout the movie, which is interesting.

But yeah, Adam's right.

It's it's such a fun movie.

And I thought the score was electric.

Like, anytime I hear of that, I get so pumped up, I'm like, oh, here we go.

so yeah, I think this would be a fitting win if it does win.

All right.

I want to listen to a clip from The Brutalist, because this is Matt Parson Tino's favorite movie of the year.

A favorite movie on the list?

The nominations.

I mean, do you have a favorite movie of the year that didn't get nominated?

I sure do.

Oh, these guys are sick of me talking about The Last Showgirl starring Pamela Anderson, who the last was the last showgirl.

The last showgirl?

she plays in, a woman of a certain age in, Vegas.

Who is the their shows closing?

And she's kind of confronting that.

I mean, this is what she's been doing for 30 years, and I think it's a beautiful movie.

And Pamela Anderson gave my favorite performance of the year.

So you have Pamela Anderson for best Actress and the Last Showgirl as Best Picture.

I do personally.

Okay.

but if you have to say on the list, you're going with the brutal.

Absolutely.

Before we listen to this clip, set this up for us.

Why is this the best picture?

It's just a whole big meal of a movie.

I mean, it is, you know, I kind of said, you know, substance.

Too long and too long.

I mean, this is a 3.5 hour movie that I've seen twice, and I don't feel the 3.5 hours.

it's just to me, it's like the way I keep describing the brutal.

It's it's the closest I feel like I'm ever going to see a movie in the 1970s.

It just feels like an old fashioned epic, unconstrained by a runtime.

and I just think it's big and beautiful.

And my favorite score of the year.

so yeah, I was just from the jump was completely wrapped up in this movie.

And Adrien Brody plays who?

oh, gosh, Leo.

Laszlo Toth, Laszlo Toth.

so in this scene here and industrialist named Harrison Lee Van Buren is offering the character Laszlo Toth, played by Adrien Brody, the favorite for best actor.

the industrialist is offering him a commission and a place to live.

Let's listen.

It is no coincidence that fate brought us together on the eve of my mother's death.

I'm good at reading the signs.

So I do not know what the Commission intends to talk about the details at home.

But you'll be well compensated.

And also, you'll be given a place here on the property to live and work.

I think that residing here will allow you the time and the space to conceive of it properly.

And your family, should they arrive, they're welcome here to what do you say?

Thank you.

I would like to borrow something and present it to him.

You'd like to win the commission.

All right, you can do that.

It's cold.

Let's return inside.

Oh, come on.

Adrien Brody going to win.

This thing's got puke.

I think he's got a really good shot.

I Timothy salami.

I think it could, as Bobby contender.

Yeah.

For a complete unknown.

who would you choose?

Oh, well, I do.

I agree with Adam.

I do like Colman Domingo a lot.

Think thing.

I think what's underrated, I kind of would like that to get more nominations, but I think I'd be okay with Adrien Brody or Timothee Chalamet.

I did like his performance.

I know some people didn't care for it as much, but I thought he was a great Bob Dylan.

I think singing like Bob Dylan is difficult.

yeah, but Adrien Brody was.

He's a powerhouse in this as well.

Adrien Brody, to me has always been a shapeshifter.

I mean, he was Pat Riley and winning time on HBO, of the 1980s Lakers and his transformation from a ragged, kind of mildly pathetic Pat Riley to the slicked back hair that we know today was amazing.

I, I wanted that series to continue just so I could watch more.

Adrien Brody is he going to win?

I think so, okay.

And did you see the brutalist?

I did okay, and I like that.

It's one of those movies that I respect more than I really loved it.

It left me a little cold.

And I always find it tough to to really get enthusiastic about those movies that, yeah, I was like, this is this is watching it.

You're like, this is a really good movie.

And that's kind of was the end of it for me.

It, 3.5 hours didn't drag.

And a little bit it helps it it has an intermission.

Brady Corbet was, generous to audiences.

And it is the rare over three hour movie that has an intermission.

So you can take a break, stretch your legs, and that that helps.

So that's the brutal was by the way, we got Matt Pass and Tino's choices.

Do you have a Best Actor, that you would choose if you could choose any film?

It's it's Adrien Brody.

It is it's it's a I think he's I think I think it's one of those performances you can't really deny.

Like kind of how I felt about, like, Kelly Murphy last year and Oppenheimer.

Okay.

for you, Adam, forget what's nominated.

What was the best picture of the year or best picture?

challengers.

Yep.

I, I really love that movie, and I it's not really surprising.

I'm, part of the same critic group as Matt.

And that was our group.

It was what we selected for the best picture of the year was challenger is.

It is just a super entertaining movie.

And again, it is great to watch in a theater with a crowd.

And I think I've talked about the movie that I'm having, deja vu, as I'm saying this, but now challengers is amazing, okay?

And best actor, best actress.

You can choose anybody, I didn't blow flash of brilliance.

No.

actor.

Keith Kupfer in a little movie called Ghost Light, I think is just an amazing performance.

And, yeah, a really small movie that I hope more people discover as the years go on.

Because it's it moved me, I think, more than any other movie this year.

Okay.

And Scott Pocus.

wait, wait, wait, we missed the best actress here.

Oh.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Hard Truths, who I thought was going to be nominated.

This she was had a lot of momentum behind her, and I was really happy about that.

She's amazing again.

I feel like I'm just reading our selections for our Western New York Film Critics Association.

yeah.

She was again our winner for actress.

Okay, Scott.

Lucas.

You're up.

Yeah.

So for Best Picture, I have an aura.

Well, it's one of my favorites out of all of them.

there's another one, a documentary called No Other Land.

which is playing this weekend at the little, again, nominated for best documentary feature.

I think it's one of the most powerful movies of the year.

it's from a Palestinian filmmaker, and Israeli journalist as well.

it's just it's one of those where obviously it's a very difficult, hard watch, but I thought, I thought that could have been nominated for Best Picture.

and then one of my favorites, I'm going with a completely wild card one.

But I love an indie sci fi movie, and there's a film that I don't even.

I think it only played festivals, but it's on Netflix and it's called it's What's Inside.

which has it's, just these kind of rich, vein, like young 20 somethings.

They gather at a party and one of their guests brings this mysterious box, and then things get a little wild.

So I like that a lot.

I wouldn't say it's like an Oscar movie, but it was one of my personal favorites.

and I should also mention that the both the brutalist and a complete unknown are also now playing at the little.

So if anyone wants to see them, you can check them out at the little.

And I think the intermission makes a huge difference for the brutalist.

Really does it helps.

It helps it not feel quite as long.

okay.

Well, our colleague Linda maroney, her documentary picks for feature.

No other land.

There you go.

And for the short.

I'm ready.

Warden, those are Linda's picks there.

Okay, so there you go.

and let me just read a little bit of feedback from listeners.

Cathy and Chili says, off topic, but shout out to the little for having the courage to show No Other Land.

Oscar nominated for best documentary when it is having difficulty with access in the United States.

So, a salute from Kathy in Chile for that.

and by the way, that's what I think a place like the little does it, it is not just grabbing onto one viewpoint, it's saying you're going to see different viewpoints from different filmmakers at different times.

And there's times where it might enrage you and there's times where it might inspire you.

And that's what, you know, powerful filmmaking can do, right, Scott?

Focus.

Yeah, I know there land.

previously played at the Witness Palestine Film Festival.

It sold out.

so we brought it back last weekend, and it did so well that we're bringing it back again, February 28th through March 2nd.

And again, highly recommend that.

And all the documentary features we played at the little either part of our one take series or just bringing them to to the, to Rochester.

and I think they're all great picks.

and an email about, Kieran Culkin's performance.

We actually I think we have a clip, don't we?

So okay, so this is one I don't know anything about, guys.

So you're going to have to help me out here.

Kieran Culkin seems to be having, a dramatic moment and both streaming now and on the big screen.

this is from a film called A Real Pain.

Why do you want to describe this a little bit here?

Yeah.

So real pain is great.

So it was written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.

it's these two cousins who, go to Poland to visit.

This will absolutely make you want to visit Poland, by the way.

they're going there.

It's their, grandmother, I think it was who passed away.

So they go to visit her home and kind of go on this, this journey and it's really deals a lot with mental health issues.

so it's kind of deep in that way, but also has some humor.

I love the writing and I thought this was a real gem.

I, I would have liked to see this get a few more Oscar nominations as well.

Well, this is a scene from A Real Pain.

it's a family meal where cousins David and Benji are discussing their grandmother.

You know, grandma never pitted herself.

In fact, she always told me she was grateful for her struggle.

Well, that's just what she endured.

That gave her hope, right?

Yes.

In fact, she used to tell me that, like, you know, first generation immigrants work some, like, menial job.

You know, they drive cabs, they deliver food.

Second generation, they got a good schools, and they become like, you know, a doctor or a lawyer or whatever.

And, the third generation lives in their mother's basement and smoked pot all day.

I mean.

She said that.

I think she was like, just speaking generally about, like, the immigrant experience.

I lived in my mom's basement, and she was just talking about immigrants.

Okay.

That's all.

Yeah.

Kieran Culkin and by the way, was he in the show with Jeremy Strong?

Were they both in.

Yeah.

Succession.

Succession.

So Jeremy Strong also nominated for actor in a Supporting Role Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn, Donald Trump's mentor in The Apprentice.

And also nominated from The Apprentice is Sebastian Stan, who plays Donald Trump.

I haven't seen the film.

Almost watched it last night.

Went with the Nora, as we've discussed, but, I want to see The Apprentice because Sebastian Stan is getting a lot of love for his performance that doesn't seek to be an SNL like caricature of Donald Trump, but it's just an acting performance in a story about Donald Trump's sort of meteoric rise once he latches onto Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong here.

Did you did you see The Apprentice?

I did not, none of you guys.

I've seen that.

Oh I'm sorry Matt, you saw it okay.

And you know I think it's well done.

You know, it's kind of hard to do something like that in today's landscape, but I think it is.

I don't know, it's not a movie I love.

Elaborate on that.

Why do you think because Trump is over overexposed to begin?

Because Trump's overexposed.

You know, a lot of people are like, you know, sick of talking about Trump all the time.

And so I think it is a hard one to to make.

I think it it's not a movie I love.

It's a very obvious, like Frankenstein's monster story.

but I do think for what it is and for being, you know, inherently political movie, it's not that political.

And I think it does it that I think it does that.

Well.

So, it's an okay movie and I think for, I think, tackling the topic, it does pretty good from what I can see.

Matt, it is, a look at Trump in his rise through the 70s and 80s, and it examines how he went from kind of a doddering, kind of a wannabe to a person who feels like he can command the scene, even though he rips off Roy Cohn's motto of life.

You know, his three rules of life are taken straight from Roy Cohn, which are attack, attack, attack.

the third one is always claim victory, even if you've lost, which is interesting.

And the second one was, I think, you know, Never concede, anything.

So.

But when you say a Frankenstein's monster, you're talking about, I say not a political story.

A psychological story.

Yeah, a damaged person.

Yeah.

And like, I mean, that's how they got to be that the title of the movie is pretty playful because of the show.

And also, you know, Roy Cohn, you know, created this person.

I do think, Sebastian Stan is good in the movie.

And I do think, like you said, he kind of sidesteps being like an SNL character.

I think Jeremy Strong is a little more gimmicky in the movie, so I don't really love his performance.

you know, I think he should be nominated for Best Supporting then.

Okay.

Sebastian Stan deserving a nomination, at least for Best Actor.

I'm not mad at it.

He's not one of my personal favorites of the year, so I would much prefer a Keith cut fur and ghost light.

but, Yeah.

Okay.

is this a case?

Guys, where for you?

You didn't get around, and maybe a little bit in the back of your mind was the fatigue the story about, you know, stories about Donald Trump.

Whether you love him or hate him or feel fatiguing right now.

Yeah, absolutely.

I like I'm not really in the mood to watch a Trump movie.

I there's so many movies to watch that, yeah, I've considered it, but I usually go with something else.

Yeah.

Same thing there.

Yeah I agree 100%.

Although I will say, I did love Sebastian Stan and the other movie he had this year called A Different Man.

I thought he was just fantastic in, heard from someone who said that if you're going to see one movie that you feel like you should watch, that will be the most important movie to watch.

It would be nickel Boys.

I've not seen it.

anybody here see Nick?

Boys?

Yeah.

And I really love nickel boys.

I think probably the most, I don't know.

Have you?

It's the only one I haven't seen yet, and I know I like that more than you know it, but, yeah, it's, I mean, really amazing movie and told in a really unique way that I know hasn't worked for everyone because it.

Well, thing is, it's about, boy wrongfully imprisoned, ends up in, reform school and in the Jim Crow South.

Yes.

inspired by a real school that existed.

but the whole story is told, in first person.

So it's you're literally seeing things through his eyes and it shifts through there, adds another character, but you see through each of their eyes, but it's people, you know, talking directly to the camera.

And I know it has been controversial is the right word, but it hasn't worked for everyone because people some people found it.

Distancing is that you're constantly aware of.

You're watching a movie because of that.

But for me, it really drew me in.

and it really for me and I think it's a it's a wonderful, film.

Okay.

Matt Santino, I found it's style and camera work.

I found it as, effective as I did distancing.

So it just kind of made a bit of a uneven watching experience for me.

Do you like the performances in this film?

Yes, yes, especially Andrew Taylor I thought was really remarkable in it.

So you would say you liked the performances more than the film itself?

My theme of the year there is that's for boys.

and in our last three minutes here, I'm going to give each of you a chance to mention anything nominated or not that we didn't get to that.

You think if we are going to take the time, if we can get to the little or if we're going to stream something, if we're going to go see something we don't miss or totally please miss, what would be on the list here?

Scott, do you have one?

Yeah.

So I really like the animated feature film category.

Okay, I'll give a shout out to Flo, which I saw at the anomaly film, but that was going to be my first of all, features a cat that's wandering around, meets a bunch of animals like a lemur.

capybara, post-apocalyptic world.

No humans around the cat reminded me so much of my cat.

Shout out The Great Gatsby.

the cat's name is the Great Gatsby.

The great Gatsby?

Yeah.

so I love flow.

and all the animated ones were good.

I actually really like Wallace and Gromit, but vengeance must follow, too.

It's a hoot.

It's a good time.

That is a crowd pleaser.

Even you watch that one.

Definite certifiable crowd pleaser.

By the way, what do you call The Great Gatsby for short?

I just call her Gatsby, and you know, you have a bunch of nicknames for your for your cats too.

But yeah, just Gatsby.

Just cats.

Yeah.

Okay.

Matt Parson no, it's only up for two awards, but a Real Pain is on Hulu, I think.

And I think people should see that it's 90 95 minutes long and it's I loved that movie.

And, I'm very excited that, Kieran Culkin, you know, there's been a lot of like, oh, he's really the lead, but he's in supporting and people are he's just doing succession all over again.

He's not.

That's kind of a shallow read on the on the performance.

He's really good in the movie.

I'm really excited for him to win on Sunday and it's a really good movie and it's on Hulu.

Okay.

And he's going to win.

Yes, absolutely.

Okay.

you were going to go the your choice guys did.

So I'm going to go in a different direction and pick, two movies that aren't nominated at all.

I saw the TV glow and The People's Joker.

two films this year from trans filmmakers, that were both.

They're both wildly different films, but each unlike anything else I've seen before.

So if you have a chance, I saw the TV glow of people's Joker.

they're fantastic films.

A lot of the The talk this hour has been about the experience of being together and in a theater, seeing some of these films, obviously, you know, the that's the world we live in.

People are going to see plenty of films streaming in their home, but you still have an absolute gem of, just a community landmark.

And yes, we're home for the little.

But this is a great chance for you to kind of have those kinds of experiences.

And there are some films on here, just the descriptions make you want to be in a crowd there.

what's what's going on now with the little that you want people to know about as we close here, Scott.

So we have our Oscar movie trivia party Sunday, March 2nd.

people, can doors open it for trivia?

Starts at five.

We have theme food.

if you like movie puns, all the other meals are based on puns of Best Picture nominees.

and then you can watch the Oscars on the big screen, which I think watching that with a crowd, too is a great experience.

And how about next Friday the seventh?

Yes, we have the substance for screening.

Hopefully after Demi Moore wins Best Actress.

afterward at again March 7th at 7 p.m., we have, horror author Rachel Harrison.

And please check out her books.

she's going to be doing a Q&A after the movie.

Hey, thanks to Rachel Harrison for joining us in the first half hour here.

That is a great get.

That's going to be an awesome event there.

And to all three of you, thank you for bringing a wonderful conversation.

We always love talking films with all of you.

Thank you guys.

Thanks for having us.

I want to send a special thank you.

I think it was Magnus Champlin who left a drawing right in the front of the building here.

He heard me describing.

Member supported public radio.

Member supported public media as the almond croissant of the community.

Because almond croissants are the scientifically, they're the best croissants.

And it's like every day you wake up, you got a beautiful almond croissant delivered to you, and you don't know where it came from.

And then you see one day some some of your neighbors are paying for it.

That's it.

I want you to be a member of public media because we want to keep bringing you the almond croissant.

Magnus, that was awesome to see.

Great stuff from all of us.

Thanks for listening.

We'll talk to you tomorrow.

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