Episodes
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PREVIEW - #754 - Red Herrings
At the behest of our Superdelegate Patreon tier, we discuss CLUE (1985), and discover the Communism is the red herring. PLUS: Recapping the elections in Toronto and Brazil. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus/posts/754-red-herrings-173794154
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#753 - A Long, Directionless Walk
Luke tests out the APPLE VISION PRO and it leads us on a long discussion of the many ills (and even some of the upsides) of our emerging techno pseudo-utopia. PLUS: On the return of Sacha Baron Cohen, and on the coming Toronto mayoral election. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week -...
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PREVIEW - #752 - Don't Mess With You Don't Mess With the Zohan
At long last, we discuss one of the most popular American liberal Zionist movies of all time, Adam Sandler's YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (2008)... and discover a movie that is actually about leaving Israel behind! PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE -...
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#751 - Sorbo: Special Ops
After a run of highbrow content, we're right back in the muck! We treated ourselves to the ridiculous Christian hostage thriller FORGIVEN (2016), starring Kevin Sorbo as a police negotiator dealing with a kidnapping at a church. PLUS: The hosts disagree sharply over whether or not Shane Gillis is...
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UNLOCKED - #750 - Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw (w/ William Andrews)
In the early 1970s, Japanese New Wave auteur Masao Adachi travelled to Lebanon, joined the Japanese Red Army, and chronicled the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in his film RED ARMY/PLFO: DECLARATION OF WORLD WAR (1971). And when the PLFO was designated a terrorist organization,...
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#749 - No One Remembers
On public space, the death of cinema, cruising in Taipei, and Tsai Ming-liang's masterpiece GOODBYE, DRAGON INN (2003). PLUS: How many DIGGERs is a CEO payout worth? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://patreon.com/michaelandus Check out the Michael & Us website and…
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PREVIEW - #748 - The Great White Hope
With Sylvester Stallone back in the news, we felt it was time to consider a movie that has become not just a consensus classic, but also a piece of American folklore, ROCKY (1976). What does this movie tell us about ourselves? Will, a lifelong Rocky fan, and Luke, who only just saw his first…
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#747 - The Money Monster Bump
Eight years after the start of the Great Recession, and mere months before a certain New York real estate mogul ascended to the presidency, several of Hollywood's most elite liberals made a cinematic response to the financial crisis. We discuss Jodie Foster's MONEY MONSTER (2016), starring George...
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PREVIEW - #746 - Chicken Cannon Fodder
We continue our patriotic streak by finally tackling one of the true Canadian cultural institutions of our childhoods. In the days of the monoculture, they defined Canadian political satire. And to many, they were a little bit lame. But today we ask: can we reclaim THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FARCE?...
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#745 - The Bear Necessities
With Luke returning from a week in the Algonquin wilderness, we discuss another great Canadian outdoorsman, Troy Hurtubise. We discuss the cult documentary PROJECT GRIZZLY (1996), about one man's quixotic journey to create a big metal suit that withstand a bear attack. PLUS: On the…
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#744 - Talkin' Homer, Morgan and the Straw
Shortly before he was unceremoniously cancelled, Morgan Spurlock (y'all remember him?) directed a documentary about the legendary Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat." Sort of. We discuss SPRINGFIELD OF DREAMS: THE LEGEND OF HOMER SIMPSON (2017). PLUS: It was the best of times, it was the worst of...
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PREVIEW - #743 - They Covet Our Freedom
We mark the quarter-century anniversary of 9/11 by watching the Adam Sandler film REIGN OVER ME (2007), a movie that proves that there's nothing Hollywood can't turn into grist for the mill. PLUS: Thoughts on the legacy of the late Gloria Steinem. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE -...
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#742 - Raised Eyebrows
In 1967, the creator of the modern conservative movement welcomed one of the most beloved comedians of all time to debate whether the world is fundamentally funny or tragic. The results may surprise you. We discuss William F. Buckley vs. Groucho Marx on FIRING LINE. Join us on Patreon for an…
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PREVIEW - #741 - Gentlemanly Means Must Be Pursued
In 2004, the nominees for both American political parties attended the same Ivy League secret society. For years, whispers and conspiracy theories have followed Yale's "Skull & Bones." But whatever goes on in there, it's probably less funny than what's in THE SKULLS (2000). PATREON-EXCLUSIVE...
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#740 - Zabriskie Point
One of Europe's most revered filmmakers travels to America to make a movie about the times. But instead, he makes a movie out of time. We discuss Michelangelo Antonioni's legendary film maudit, ZABRISKIE POINT (1970) Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week -...
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#739 - House of Slop
A few years after "hope and change" curdled, HOUSE OF CARDS offered a cynic's guide to the Beltway circa Obama's first term. We finally discuss a cultural phenomenon that reality would soon hopelessly outpace. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://patreon.com/michaelandus...
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PREVIEW - #738 - Odysseus and Telemachus's Excellent Adventure
We turn our attention to a bona fide cultural phenomenon and ask: where do Homer's The Odyssey and Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY (2026) intersect and diverge? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus/posts/738-odysseus-and-167166546
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#737 - Michael & Us 360°
Like Anderson Cooper before us, we catch up on the news! We discuss the ups and downs of the recent senate primaries in the U.S. PLUS: What do Alex Jones and Goop have in common? And the unlikely story of the world's greatest Jerry Lewis impersonator. TORONTO: Join us at the Toronto premiere of...
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PREVIEW - #736 - The Larry Crowne Spectacular
When the financial crisis hit and Americans were losing their homes, one movie had the courage to suggest: have you considered going to community college and dating Julia Roberts? We discuss LARRY CROWNE (2011), a rare directorial offering from Tom Hanks. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE -...
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#735 - Smells Like NC-17 Spirit
Did you know that a private, monopolistic, unaccountable, and socially conservative organization has free reign to define the limits of artistic expression in the United States? We discuss Kirby Dick's expose of the MPAA and its ratings system, THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (2006), and how (and how...
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#733 - I've Never Been to Philadelphia
To sustain the illusion of America, you need to compartmentalize or deny a lot of violence. We discuss David Cronenberg's existentialist masterpiece A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005). PLUS: We mark the passing of the so-called "Godfather of the New Right," Jim Goad. Join us on Patreon for an extra...
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PREVIEW - #732 - A Bicycle for the Mind
So beyond being the famous turtleneck guy, what exactly did Steve Jobs do during his long tenure at Apple? According to Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle's STEVE JOBS (2015), he did... everything and nothing. We discuss a Great Man biopic from a writer who truly believes in Great Men.…
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#731 - Are You Havin' a Laugh?
From back in an era when Ricky Gervais was widely considered funny, he cashed all his chips on a New Atheism-themed studio comedy built around an incoherent premise. We dig up THE INVENTION OF LYING (2009) just to bury it again. PLUS: Reporting from the smoky-aired hellscape that is Southwestern...
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PREVIEW - #730 - The Malaise of Modernity
Jacques Tati rebuilt Paris from the ground up - and bankrupted himself in the process - to make his masterpiece PLAYTIME (1967), a gentle satire of ultra-modern postwar France that has a certain affection for what it's satirizing. We discuss the film that couldn't quite kill Monsieur Hulot....
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#729 - Washington Heights
Like 'em or not, Angel Studios have emerged as the only explicitly right-of-centre movie company that knows what movies look like. But does their new historical drama YOUNG WASHINGTON (2026) meet that minimum standard of quality? We marked America's 250th birthday by heading to our local…
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#728 - Sex, Lies, and LLCs
The very same year as Parasite, one of Hollywood's most accomplished filmmakers tried to take on the corrupt financial system, with less-than-spectacular results. We discuss Steven Soderbergh's answer to the Panama Papers scandal, THE LAUNDROMAT (2019). Join us on Patreon for an extra episode…
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PREVIEW - #727 - Uwe Unchained
One of the most popular movies on the streaming channels this week is a low-budget, far-right action movie starring a disgraced actor and directed by one of worst filmmakers of all time. We ask the question: does anyone actually like Uwe Boll's CITIZEN VIGILANTE (2026)? PLUS: Is a left-wing Tea...
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#726 - Crystal Head Triple Herkimer Diamond Filtered Newfoundland Deep Aquifer Vodka (w/ Chris Berube)
If you want to know if we're alone in the universe, who ya gonna call? We welcome back longtime friend of the show Chris Berube to discuss DAN AYKROYD UNPLUGGED ON UFOS (2005), a documentary that is, incredibly, not a bit. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week -...
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PREVIEW - #725 - Artificially Unintelligible
We catch up on the news - including the long-awaited ouster of Keir Starmer in the U.K., the slow death of the CBC in Canada, and the DSA victories in New York. Then, Will offers a report on the Cinema Shift Festival, an event ominously described as "Canada's First Curated AI Narrative Film...
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#724 - Refuse to Lose
At the long-awaited behest of our Superdelegate patron tier, we look back one of the landmarks of 2000s-era Indie Twee, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006)... and find a film that embodies that Second-Term Bush Era like few others. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week -...
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PREVIEW - #723 - Accept No Substitutes (w/ Adam Johnson)
It's the late 1990s, and your kids are being terrorized by the greatest menace to ever hit the schoolyard... steroids. We welcome Adam Johnson (of the Citations Needed podcast) to walk us through THE SUBSTITUTE 3: WINNER TAKES ALL (1999), the third entry in the beloved direct-to-video action...
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#722 - Negative Buzz
Across this podcast's long existence, we have attempted to give you a magisterial study of the art and politics of the 2000s. And no comprehensive study of that time would be complete without Jerry Seinfeld's BEE MOVIE (2007). So here, friends, is what happens when the worker bees of the world...
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PREVIEW - #721 - A Tedious Mediocre Slog
After 25 years of conservative political dominance, the indie black comedy THE LAST SUPPER (1996) asked: should liberals just try killing their political opponents? We drive our DeLorean back to the '90s and analyze a very particular moment in Gen-X political comedy. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE -...
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#720 - Hanging Chads
In the year 2000, Al Gore conceded a presidential election he won to George W. Bush in attempt to save the legitimacy of American institutions. Safe to say he succeeded in that goal. We discuss Jay Roach's RECOUNT (2008), a star-studded dramatization of the stolen election that kicked off the New...
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PREVIEW - #719 - Grogu's On First
In about 10 short years, Star Wars has gone from Hollywood's top franchise to a summer box office also-ran. We checked out STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (2026) to try to understand the decline. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/160203437
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#718 - Would That It Were So Simple
Like all empires, the Hollywood studio system had its decadent stage. We discuss Joel and Ethan Coen's HAIL, CAESAR! (2016), which pits an idealogue for the Hollywood studio system against a cabal of communist writers. PLUS: We discuss The Fall of the House of Colbert, and a hot new Washington…
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PREVIEW - #717 - Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie the Pod
As a Toronto-based podcast, we are duty-bound to cover Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol's NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE (2025). We travel back to 2008 the discuss one of the most requested movies in our show's history. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE -...
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#716 - The Roger Ebert Mystery Box Episode
We keep bringing up the beloved American film critic Roger Ebert over and over again, and we've decided it's time to finally exorcise this demon. Before we put Roger in the penalty box for a while, we're going to put our accumulated knowledge to good use and play a long-threatened game: The Roger...
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#715 - Failure to Communicate (w/ Josh Lewis)
One of the pillars of the cursed "Everything is Connected" trend of the 2000s, Alejandro González Iñárritu's BABEL (2006) offers a de-politicized look at our global village. Josh Lewis (of Sleazoids podcast fame) fills in for Luke to discuss one very heavy exampe of White Elephant Art. Join us on...
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PREVIEW - #714 - Pulp Friction
After too long a drought, we return to the writing of Armond White, the legendarily contrarian conservative film critic (currently with the National Review) whose writing has texture like no one else's. We focus on his recent defense of Pete Hegseth via Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. PLUS: Is...
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#713 - Downsize This
A year into the Great Recession, one film was brave enough to ask, "But what about the corporate consultants?" We discuss Jason Reitman's onetime critical darling UP IN THE AIR (2009), a film that invites us to have sympathy for the downsizers. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week -...
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PREVIEW - #712 - Perfect Blue (w/ Talking Simpsons)
In a special collaboration with Bob Mackey and Henry Gilbert of the Talking Simpsons and What A Cartoon! podcasts, we discuss Satoshi Kon's PERFECT BLUE (1997), the anime classic that imagined a world in which obsessive fan culture stoked by the internet leads to the dissolution of one J-pop…
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#711 - Beast of Burden
He's the first YouTube billionaire, and he did it by being more algorithm than man. We discuss Mr. Beast, and the new flesh. PLUS: There's a hot new content creator on the block, and his name is... Bob Dylan? Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week…
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PREVIEW - #710 - An Eephus Pitch
Spring has sprung, which means we're talkin' softball. After briefly ruminating on the beauty of the game, and checking the pulse of our beloved Jays, we discuss one of the best baseball movies of recent (or any) years: EEPHUS (2024), a very funny meditation on friendship, tradition, and the...
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#709 - Symbols of the Sacred Feminine
We once again travel back to the dark heart of the Bush era by discussing one of the biggest cultural events of the 2000s. Ron Howard's THE DA VINCI CODE (2006) adapted Dan Brown's turgid bestseller into an even more turgid blockbuster. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week -...
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#708 - You Own Personal Pontiff
We recap a contentious week between the Trump Administration and the Vatican before moving on to discuss our own true lord and savior, Snake Plissken. At the request of our Superdelegate patron tier, we discuss John Carpenter's immortal tribute to da greatest city in da world, ESCAPE FROM NEW…
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PREVIEW - #707 - The Chinese Restaurant
Alright what are we talking about today? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/707-chinese-155905797
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#706 - Mother Teresa Conga Line
No era hits like the late-late-late-Clinton Era. We discuss the shameless Oscar bait that didn't catch anything, PAY IT FORWARD (2000), in which a precocious boy creates a pyramid scheme for kindness. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus…
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PREVIEW - #705 - Filling the Intangible With the Tangible
In the tumultuous election cycle of 2019-2020, Alexandra Pelosi once again travelled the country to take Uncle Sam's temperature. So far, so typical. But the movie she emerged with, AMERICAN SELFIE: ONE NATION SHOOTS HERSELF (2020), ended up being her darkest, bleakest vision yet. PLUS: Luke…
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#704 - That's Not a Podcast...
At the height of the Reagan Era, a simple man from abroad came to the heart of liberal America and reminded New Yorkers of traditional values. He also had trouble figuring out how a bidet worked. Folks, it's the CROCODILE DUNDEE (1986) episode. PLUS: Stephen Marche on AI, and Avi Lewis wins the…
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