Episode 34: Total Want of Chin

Here are a few other things to take a look at: 

• Scabies, rabies, Mickey Rooney sugarbabies
• The Victoria and Bertie in the 21st century
• Queen Victoria's appetites

Episode 33: Victoria's Real Secret

This week we watched Judi Dench's first turn as Queen Victoria in the film about her (alleged) affair with her servant John Brown in Mrs. Brown. The plot gave us very little to grab on to, unfortunately, but we had a good time nonetheless. 

• "But I'm a national treasure!"
• Germany is wild
• Scottish twitter is a delight

Episode 32: Vickie and Bertie Forever

Episode 31: Mandl

Hoo boy. Is it hot in here? Or is that just our boo, Mandy Patinkin? 

We're trippin' over our new older bae this week because, whoa, who knew he was a smokestack when he was younger? 

Also national treasure Barbra Streisand really did the damn thing on this movie. Her artistic vision was unfortunately a little less glitz and glam than I personally like in my musicals, but A+ feminist credentials, Yentl. 

Next week: Young Victoria.

Episode 30: Honestly, Amigo!

A few notes from this episode:

• The Duke is a classic example of the gay villain archetype
• We chatted with Nicole. This is why she hates John Leguizamo. I won't investigate further.
• On the other hand, here's why I'll always love him. 
• Ewan and Nicole reminisce 15 years later. 

Episode 29: Calamity By Your Jane

LOL Bill. I'm not going to wear any of the frilly things you want me to wear.

For some reason, the young Sherman sisters were allowed—nay, encouraged— to watch this movie by our allegedly feminist grandmother. Upon closer inspection... it's got some prombles. Namely, it's really racist and misogynistic. But hey, Doris Day's voice is clear as a bell, and she really put some cute mannerisms into this role. Unfortunately, she wasn't given the chance to "stay home and lez out."

Episode 28: Alan Turing, your company's computer guy

A few notes from our discussion this week: 

• "Hello, hello! My name's Terry and I'm a law abider!" 
• The real Joan Clarke
• The real Alan Turing was much cuter than Benzedrine Crinklecut, in my opinion
• Oscar Wilde (who for some BS reason didn't get pardoned until 2017) has gotten lots of lipstick tributes on his tombstone, and I'm here for it. 
• This just about encapsulates how I feel about Ed Sheeran.

Episode 27: Clue, but pissier

A few notes: 

• Ivor Novello was real, and he was spectacular
• In case you were wondering, this is what a Tam O'Shanter looks like
• Kodachrome totally slaps
• Convalesce. It's what we're up to.  Get into it, berb. 

Episode 26: Jack NASTY!

TFW you fall asleep on your feet like a horse. 

This week, Lindsay finally watched this twelve-year old tearjerker starring one of her all-time faves: Heath Ledger. Here are a few things we mentioned in the episode to check out: 

• Read Annie Proulx's short story (the inspiration for the film) here. 
• On the Media's segment about "Hillbilly Humanism" 
• An oral history 10 years after the film's release
• If you haven't listened to S-Town... what are you even doing?

Episode 25: Henry and Eleanor's Large Adult Sons

This week, we blessedly moved past our month of Jane Austen and into the world of the Plantagenet dynasty. With a script and timing that felt Amy-Sherman-Palladino-esque, plus Katharine Hepburn delivering some of the sickest burns we've ever heard, we absolutely loved all 135 minutes of this film. Get into some 1960s Medieval camp with us!

There will be pork in the treetops come morning.

Episode 24: [JANE-UARY] Dense and Densibility

Continuing Jane-uary (IS IT OVER YET?!), this week we watched the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, directed by Ang Lee and starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman. It also happens to star the real-life Mr. Emma Thompson (Greg Wise) as a truly yucky cad, plus Imelda Staunton (sorry boo, someday I'll remember your name the first time), and Hugh Laurie as pretty minor characters. Overall, a pretty good movie, but as always, bogged down by Jane Austen's circuitous plot lines and more than a few tropes we've seen her trot out just in the three weeks we've been doing this. 

Episode 23: [JANE-UARY] Badly done, Emma

This week we were joined by our friend Nicole (who was originally scheduled to talk about Sense and Sensibility next week, but was afraid she wouldn't be able to bear hearing us tear her favorite apart). The 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle Emma was a favorite of Lindsay's in middle school, but when we took a closer look... it leaves a few things to be desired. Specifically: any semblance of chemistry between the two romantic leads. But hey, it's based on the book that inspired Clueless, so it's not all bad. 

[FIRE SALE] Episode 21: She could be a farmer in those clothes

This is the final episode of our 2017 fire sale, and it's another one of our favorite movies: Marie Antoinette. In fact, we love it so much that it was the theme of our joint 16th/21st birthday party in 2007. Honestly so happy to know that our girl Kiki got to live in this candy-colored Rococo Versailles fantasy while filming with her director-of-choice Sofia Coppola. 

[FIRE SALE] Episode 20: Her Proper Functions?

Continuing our fire sale of episodes that we recorded in 2017, we humbly present our recap of one of our actual favorite movies of all time: Elizabeth. It stars the #1 lady of our dreams, the luminous, enchanting, perfect, elegant, husky-voiced (etc) Cate Blanchett. This one has so many great and classic scenes (and BITCH! I love an episodic plot!), but our current favorite is "What?! What-uuuuh? What?!"

[FIRE SALE] Episode 19: Too Much of a Good Thing is WOOOOOONDERFUL

We recorded this episode literal ages ago, but when we realized it had somehow gotten shoved out of the editorial calendar, we knew we had to make it right. This movie is such a good, campy time that it absolutely had to be represented here. 

Episode 22: [JANE-UARY] An Unmitigated Ass

picture of tom cruise's three front teeth

Can't wait to hear more about Reverend Fordyce's opinions about how I should be.

Episode 18: DEAD DOVE, Do Not Eat!

Rounding out Bec the Halls November, we watched The Prestige. This one is honestly just so good and so labyrinthine (hey-o, Bowie pun!). Even though I'd seen it a few times several years ago, there were still some details that surprised me all over again. 

(If it's been a few years since you watched Arrested Development, the title of this episode came from a great visual gag after Buster kills a dove he purchased for an illusion.)

NEXT WEEK: The episode about Behind the Candelabra we recorded several months ago! If you need a refresher, you can check it out on HBOGo. 

Episode 17: A Premise (?)

For the third week of Bec the Halls November, we watched a truly underwhelming film: A Promise. I immediately forgot most of this movie as soon as the credits rolled, because my brain efficiently sloughs off what it doesn't need to think about. 

Episode 16: Blunderbuss Cuttlefish at it again

This is our second David Nichols film and our third Rebecca hall joint, and boy... this is movie just a good-ass time. Catherine Tate serving you the delightful 80s English mom to James McAvoy's college freshman son, Bumblebee Coffeecake in a shocking turn as the collegiate version of every uptight dweeb he's ever played, and Rebecca Hall giving you unreal levels of cool and chic liberal college activist. 

If you haven't treated yourself to a viewing of this charming movie recently (or ever), I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a balm for these trying times. 

Honestly, college boys are such trash and so beneath me it's just insane.

Episode 15: Frosted Nixons

This week we're kicking off Bec the Halls month. To be honest, we filmed this one a whiiiile back, so the order for a few weeks is going to be a little wonky. Bear with us.

At the end of this one, we said the next episode would be Behind the Candelabra. It was the next one we recorded, but it won't be the next one published, ya dig? You're a smart gal, you can handle it. 

Anyway, the actual next movie we'll be discussing is David Nichols' Starter for 10, which is a heck of a good time if you haven't already seen it. Get into it, berb.

Why is our girl Rebecca the only female character in this film? Stay tuned.