Jump to content
🔒 The Earwolf Forums are closed Read more... ×

ManishMathur

Members
  • Content count

    53
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by ManishMathur

  1. ManishMathur

    Episode 140 - My Fair Lady vs. Mary Poppins (w/ Russ Fischer)

    It's really bizarre how much Amy hates La La Land since whenever she talks about musicals and her preference for ambition and messiness-especially with singing ability!!, I'm like "that's La La Land!" oh well just one of those things. Anyway both deserve to be in the Canon for different reasons what a great episode. Voting for MFL because it's the underdog as of this writing. And its feminist themes become clearer on each watch--Eliza's agency and self-worth is striking and Higgins' own blind pomposity and uselessness more appreciably jarring. Mary Poppins on the other hand has little regard for women who aren't Mary Poppins, and seems like an exercise in feminine exceptionalism.
  2. ManishMathur

    Episode 136 - The Best of 2017

    if I never have to hear Devin's voice again I'll be happy. I love this show and I have so much respect for Amy as a critic and podcast host. But I'm not sure I could follow the show if he's staging a comeback. That being said, GET OUT is my vote. One of the most important movies of the year. Striking, unforgettable, iconic. This movie became a phenomenon in multiple ways--box office, cultural relevance, and critical acclaim.
  3. ManishMathur

    Episode 133 - American Psycho (w/ April Wolfe)

    This is the hardest yes for on this show in a while. I don't normally participate in the forums because other posters make my same points far more eloquently than I can. American Psycho is a really special film for me. It comes down to Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner, who found the exact right pitch, the right satiric tone, and the right amount of gruesome violence. Another (male) director might have focused too much on the body horror or fallen into the Scorsese trap of being Too Cool. But Harron and co do what Kathryn Bigelow does--view/critique masculinity through the female gaze and pick holes at the fragile and often hysterical egos that we men burden ourselves with. The ensemble (special shoutout to Samantha Mathis, my favorite performance) is terrific, the look the film is stylishly cold and unappealing, and the dialogue is just rich.
  4. I would not be opposed to Spont being all women all the time
  5. ManishMathur

    Episode 96: THE BAD SEED

    such an easy yes for me. I was both howling with laughter and terrified out of my mind. Nancy Kelly was phenomenal. I think we need more movies like this in the canon. One thing I wanted to bring up is how horror/noir is so linked to melodrama. All these genres make audiences very aware of the camera and the artific, but do so to bring out emotions and character. Melodrama is of the mind and heart, horror is of the body. The Bad Seed really brought both genres to the forefront and brought them together in a very vivid way And to the people who say this movie has no impact--there would be no Babadook without this movie. This movie started the bad seed genre. Also Re-Animator is in the canon.
  6. ManishMathur

    Episode #92: STAND BY ME

    Hmmm. I watched this movie ready to hate it. and I somewhat enjoyed it--even teared up a few times. I'm 27 and watched it for the first time. I don't really think Devin's defense was really strong, though I can appreciate how important this movie is to him. I can't get behind an argument that "this movie really captures what it's like to be 12 year old boy." I mean, I'm not white or straight so this doesn't reflect my childhood at all. I have to say i was rather troubled by Devin's claim that Teddy was not bullying Vern. A common rhetoric, one that often stops boys from reporting bullying, is that the bully is just busting the target's balls and just joking. The bully doesn't get to decide if he's a bully or not. The victim does. So if Vern feels like he's being bullied, then he is even if supposedly the bully thinks he's just busting chops. I didn't see any love or affection from Teddy, or any indication that Vern is secretly loving it. That anyone could watch them and think "not bullying" is astounding. That being said, I think I'm voting yes on this movie. I enjoyed it, and I can clearly see the influence. I mean boy coming of age movies are a dime a dozen these days and I am sure they are all influenced by SBM. I didn't agee with Amy on a lot of points, especially the "everyone has a bad family" criticism. Because then she criticizes the movie because Gordy had a supportive brother and friend. Didn't really make sense for me. Essentially i didn't like either's arguments but still voting yes.
  7. ManishMathur

    The Full Monty vs Magic Mike

    MMXXL is miles better than the first one
  8. ManishMathur

    Hitchcock Versus ideas

    The 39 Steps v. North by Northwest Vertigo v. Psycho Rear Window v. Dial M for Murder
  9. ManishMathur

    Bridesmaids

    I think Bridesmaids is worthy of discussion for the Canon (and should be voted in as well). Historical importance: this is the film that really revved up the discussion about women representation in comedy. It was critically acclaimed, nominated for two Oscars (rare for a women-led comedy) and a major box office success. Bridesmaids' success really solidified not only the power of women audience members at the box office, but also cross-gender appeal. The film's merits: The biggest argument against Bridesmaids is that on a technical level, its visuals are a little flat Kristen Wiig is truly amazing in this movie; she has the rare ability to have a mental breakdown and make it funny, without losing the pathos. Rose Bryne and Melissa McCarthy got national attention. The movie is emotionally rich, telling a too rare love story about female friendships and rivalries.
  10. ManishMathur

    The Harry Potter Films, or at least Prisoner of Azkaban

    Harry Potter should be represented in the Canon. It's a major media franchise that has completely influenced every YA series after it, from Twilight to Hunger Games to Maze Runner to Divergent. Those series are popular, some are even well-regarded with major crossover appeal. Of course, The Canon is a movie podcast, so I don't think it's fair to exclude HP just because the movies are just one part of the fandom. If there were a books version of Canon or an amusement park version, I'd also include HP. I read the books and loved the movies (I subscribe to the idea that books and film are inherently different media so no movie can be a direct translation; of course the movies make some missteps but overall I love them and rewatch them frequently). In the movie series, POA is probably the most visual and ambitious film. My favorite is HBP but I know a lot of people don't like that one. It might be interesting to pit HP agaisnt the other great YA franchise Hunger Games. POA vs. Catching Fire?
  11. ManishMathur

    Episode 86: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

    I also forgot to praise Blake Edwards. This movie has a number of strong directorial choices. My favorite is the long sequence where Holly and Paul do things that they've never done before. Especially where the steal the masks. This movie can be really goofy and infectious to balance the more dramatic elements quite well.
  12. ManishMathur

    Episode 86: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

    I voted yes, because Tiffany's is such an important movie. it deconstructed MPDG decades before those were even a stock character. Sure, Holly is glamorous and fashionable and charming, but the movie also shows her inner life and insecurities (a luxury not afforded to most MPDGs). This is just THE ROLE for Hepburn. It goes beyond iconic It's just legendary. I knew who Hepburn was even before I knew who se was. And the performance surpasses even the iconic image. Hepburn was a true treasure for cinema, and this performance has to be in the canon--even if the movie itself has some issues (like the straight-washing and the racism, both of which are unfortunate but were side effects of straight white privilege and lack of social awareness in Hollywood). I was thinking a lot of about whether I should vote yes for Tiffany's despite the Yunioshi character. I've ben critical of Devin in the past because of his affection for Gunga Din and Temple of Doom, both of which I voted against because of the racism towards Indians. I asked myself whether I was being a hypocrite because this time it's not my culture. And Devin's has a good point in that voting no because of racism is anti-art. But there are two differences between Tiffany's and Temple of Doom/Gunga Din. I genuinely like Tiffany's more, and it's a film I'd revisit more often than than the other two. More importantly, the racism in Tiffany's is hilariously unnecessary and random. It's just out of place for such a sensitive, charming movie. I felt that Gunga Din and Temple of Doom needed that sense of imperialism and white supremacy to work on a narrative level, and that "boys adventure" thing just rubbed me the wrong way. I have a feeling that Mickey Rooney didn't factor into the popularity of this movie. So in other words, I'm voting yes. And I think George Peppard is fine, and his blandness is key. He's exactly the kind of Ken doll that some bored middle aged woman would keep as a plaything.
  13. ManishMathur

    Casablanca - Yeah I Know

    I actually don't want a Gone with the Wind episode. I feel like the hosts are only going to talk about the racism, which reminds me of when they talked about Disney princesses. Like, what else is new? Racism in GWTW is such a well-tread topic it becomes a cliche to point it out
  14. ManishMathur

    Episode 85: BOOGIE NIGHTS vs TWBB

    I voted for Boogie Nights, partially out of solidarity since I think TWBB is going to win. But I think it's a better movie, though TWBB is next level. This was a really difficut choice! Great episode co-hosts! Though I did chuckle at the disagreeing/saying the exact same thing parts
  15. ManishMathur

    Homework: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

    I mean if Re-animator gets in, this has to also
  16. ManishMathur

    Homework: Blood vs Boogie

    didn't you know that stories about men are inherently Important, while stories about women are shrill, niche and redundant?
  17. ManishMathur

    Episode 84: RE-ANIMATOR

    Voting no. I never saw this movie before the weekend and I was intending to vote yes before I heard the episode. Amy made a lot of great points. She totally swung me into the opposite opinion! Devin uses some of the same arguments for genre movies and, while I'm sure Re-Animator is different from Evil Dead II, I don't want this canon to turn into nerd/male friendly movies only. I doubt Devin would fight so hard for "girl" movies that meant a lot to girls 20/30 years ago. We already saw him dismiss 16 Candles and Working Girl, despite obvious evidence that those were influential movies for a generation of women. Re-Animator is a fun movie, really enjoyable. But Amy's right. Fun isn't enough. I didn't see much that elevates this movie to Canon beyond "Devin watched on VCR when he was 10" which got a round of applause for me. It's also a fun game to compare Devin's reasons for liking this movie against his reasons for disliking The Force Awakens. Usually they add up pretty well.
  18. ManishMathur

    identifying with an opposite gender lead

    society devalues femininity so much. People were too quick to hate Sansa, even though she was acting how she was supposed to act and over valued Arya who shunned femininity and exhibited masculine traits and mocked women like Sansa.
  19. ManishMathur

    REQUEST: Almodovar

    Volver, Todo sobre mi madre, Hable con ella, Carne tremula, la ley del deseo, ¡Atame! there are so many good ones to do!
  20. ManishMathur

    Your Indulgence Picks

    Vicky Cristina Barcelona
  21. Insidious Chapters 2 and # are entertaining for me.
  22. ManishMathur

    POLL: Is Devin a Racist?

    I find his defenses of Temple of Doom and Gunga Din troubling, especially since it comes exactly out of that colonial "boys adventure" nonsense. Haven't listened tot he episode yet, however I wouldn't call him a racist. just someone who's locked into their own opinions and experiences.
  23. ManishMathur

    Horror then and now

    *meekly* Insidious...
  24. ManishMathur

    Episode 80: GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES v SOME LIKE IT HOT

    Voting for GPB because a) it's hilarious and very charming, Monroe and Russell kill, and c) I know Some Like It Hot will win so I just want to show some love
  25. ManishMathur

    The Yellow Scarf

    it's the kind of thing that irks me, even if I can't pin down why. It's like people throw the SJW moniker on people or or claim to be tired of outrage culture. It's an easy way to shut someone down with a blanket label and tie a concern to a habit, rather than actal merit. And rarely does this thing happen to men. In general I do think Amy can be too nitpicky, I find the idea of two men using "yellow scarf" as a cute little joke icky.
×