[Film & TV Podcast Reviews] Taylor Swift, ‘CHALLENGERS’, ‘HUMANE’ & More

On episode 4, Fresh Fiction‘s Preston Barta and James Cole Clay are here to bring you the latest updates on what’s happening in the world of cinema and television. In addition, they engage in a healthy debate on Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, and conduct an interview with filmmaker Caitlin Cronenberg. So, sit back, relax, and tune in!

This week’s happenings include:

FILM

• CHALLENGERS (25:50-37:37) – Challengers pulses with excellence. Few filmmakers can seamlessly slip into the complex human headspace. It’s as if Luca Guadagnino slams his cinematic racquet over conventional storytelling to fashion a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
• HUMANE (37:37-42:26) – Humane is thought-provoking, intense as hell, and it features one of the most sinister performances in sometime from Enrico Colantoni.
• BOY KILLS THE WORLD (42:26-43:54)
• STEEL MAGNOLIAS (54:44-55:53)
• Scream Factory’s disc releases of THE RING (2002) and THE RING TWO (55:53-1:01:42) – The Ring may not be the one to rule them all, but it still packs a scary punch. | The Ring Two does well by not being a rinse-and-repeat sequel. However, it hangs up on its potential to matter. It also happens to be a grand lesson in bad parenting. Who leaves their kid alone this much?
• SASQUATCH SUNSET revisited (1:01:42-1:03:48)

TV

• PALM ROYALE revisited (43:54-48:43)
• THE BIG DOOR PRIZE Season 2 (48:43-54:01) – The characters’ introspective dialogues, both with themselves and each other, are a constant source of intrigue. It’s akin to being part of a campfire circle, where the discussions are as illuminating as the flickering flames.

INTERVIEWS

• HUMANE director Caitlin Cronenberg (1:04:12-1:18:58) (or you can watch the interview here via Fresh Fiction’s YouTube channel.)