Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Everybody to Kenmure Street, The Samurai and The Prisoner | #1075

7 Aug 2026 · 1 h 27 min · 37 chapters

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In short

FilmSpotting episode #1075 reviews Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Tom Holland, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton) and discusses two other films: the documentary Everybody to Kenmure Street and Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and the Prisoner. The hosts debate what makes Spider-Man “work,” focusing on loneliness/adulthood themes versus MCU sprawl and cameo-driven distractions.

Guests

Josh Larson and Adam Kempinar (hosts). No additional guest interviewees are featured in the provided transcript.

Key claims about Spider-Man

Brand New Day: It succeeds as a heartfelt story about loneliness and transitioning into adulthood, with Peter in his 20s and memories erased (MJ and Ned). The standout action is a thrilling, martial-arts “hand” showdown staged in an atrium. Criticisms include Punisher’s gun-heavy, brutal action and MCU integration that derails the Spider-Man narrative (notably Black Widow bathhouse setup and Hulk visuals). The film’s visual style and intimacy (e.g., shots inside Spider-Man’s mask/eyes) are praised.

Notable examples

Punisher scenes with machine guns; bathhouse scene with Black Widow (Florence Pugh); Hulk cameo/action; upside-down homage shots; Spider-Man’s organic webbing and physical comedy (spider gross-out); villain telepath “weaponizing” New Yorkers. Everybody to Kenmure Street: 2021 Glasgow civil disobedience to protect residents from deportation. The Samurai and the Prisoner: 16th-century Japan story by Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day Introduction

0:45 to 1:36

Introduction to the review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and its box office success.

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day Introduction

3:14 to 4:00

Introduction to the review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and its box office success.

“What kind of a show are you guys putting on here today?”

Comparing Spider-Man Variations

4:00 to 6:00

Discussion on the different portrayals of Spider-Man in various films.

“Later in the show, Josh will discuss a new documentary that would fit in nicely with our current dissident cinema marathon, Everybody to Kenmere Street.”

Character Insights and Emotional Depth

6:00 to 7:30

Exploration of Spider-Man's character traits and emotional struggles across adaptations.

“Yes, to keep things simple, I'm only going to dip a toe into the multiverse.”

Personal Reflections on Spider-Man Films

7:30 to 9:50

Hosts share their personal insights and preferences regarding Spider-Man movies.

“Last week, debating the current film spotting poll, you said that Spider-Man was the definitive Spider-Man movie, even though Into the Spider-Verse might be the better Spider-Man movie.”

Themes in Brand New Day

9:50 to 12:20

Discussion on the themes and emotional arcs presented in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

“What does that mean for the iterations we've seen in these movies?”

Final Thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day

12:20 to 14:00

Wrapping up thoughts and opinions on Spider-Man: Brand New Day and its storytelling.

“Even though I also do think based on the many, many, many, all the caveats you just provided, I think I like this film more than you did.”

Exploring Spider-Man's Character Depth

14:00 to 17:38

The hosts analyze the complexities of Spider-Man's character, focusing on themes of loneliness and adulthood.

“And as we said, that is, we can say, I'm going to trust Matt Singer, having written the book about it, written a book about Spider-Man, that that is something that is core to Spider-Man.”

The MCU's Impact on Spider-Man

17:38 to 20:06

Discussion on how the MCU influences the narrative and character development in the Spider-Man films.

“There was a good new Spider-Man movie that you just started crying.”

The Punisher's Role in the Film

20:06 to 21:58

The hosts critique the portrayal of The Punisher and its effects on the film's tone and action scenes.

“The Punisher, Punisher, depending on the iteration.”
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The Punisher's Role in the Film

22:07 to 23:14

The hosts critique the portrayal of The Punisher and its effects on the film's tone and action scenes.

“Amazon Health AI presents Painful Thoughts.”

The Punisher's Role in the Film

23:27 to 23:52

The hosts critique the portrayal of The Punisher and its effects on the film's tone and action scenes.

“Apple Vacations, where your story starts.”

Critique of Humor and MCU Cameos

23:52 to 28:00

Hosts discuss the comedic elements and MCU cameos in the film, analyzing their effectiveness.

“I'm only responding to how the Punisher functions within this film.”

Comedic Distractions and Cameos in Spider-Man

28:00 to 30:00

Explore the effectiveness of comedic moments and character cameos in the film.

“Spider-Man has to take his clothes off and get in a bath with his mask on.”

Narrative Impact of MCU Characters

30:00 to 32:30

Discuss how MCU characters influence the narrative and emotional depth of the film.

“It could have functioned nicely and been and been the kind of effective cameo that I think it could have been.”

Supporting Cast and Thematic Connections

32:30 to 35:50

Examine the roles of supporting characters and their thematic relevance in the movie.

“more mcu storylines and and more around a very key character but you spoke to this you said that i see how it's connecting to Peter and his story.”

Action Sequences and Visual Effects

35:50 to 37:50

Evaluate the quality of action sequences and visual effects in the film.

“Happen to think it's one of the best MCU films, probably because it's self-contained, like Spider-Man Homecoming largely was.”

Character Development of Spider-Man and MJ

37:50 to 40:00

Analyze the character growth of Spider-Man and MJ, focusing on their dynamics.

“The smart choice he makes is is that he doesn't play Peter as somebody all of a sudden with an edge.”

Physicality and Humor in Performances

40:00 to 42:00

Discuss how physicality and humor enhance the performances in the film.

“This is not Spider-Man goes dark and brooding.”

Spider-Man's Aesthetic and Relationship Dynamics

42:00 to 49:30

Explore the artistic elements and character dynamics in the latest Spider-Man film.

“as the artwork is, it is inherently a series of static panels.”

Film Spotting Family Appreciation and Upcoming Events

51:50 to 56:01

Hear about the Film Spotting family and upcoming events and discussions.

“Adam, let's take a minute to thank the Film Spotting family.”

Introduction to Venting

56:01 to 56:12

Hosts discuss joining the FilmSpotting family as a way to vent.

“That would be too mean of one of the hosts to do that.”

Documentary Overview: Everybody to Kenmure Street

56:13 to 56:27

Introduction to the new documentary and its limited release.

“The new documentary, Everybody to Kenmure Street, just left the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago.”

Film's Civil Disobedience Theme

56:28 to 57:02

Discussion of the film's focus on civil disobedience in Glasgow.

“It's playing in limited release in other theaters around the country.”

Unique Formal Techniques in Documentary

57:03 to 57:58

Exploring the film's unique use of reenactments by actors.

“But I also just want to say first that one of the things we learn early on in this film, that this attempt by the UK home office, effectively ICE, to deport, to seek men upon the occasion, the holiday of Eid.”

Casting Choices and Their Impact

57:59 to 58:29

Hosts discuss the choice of actors and its implications on the narrative.

“Without that act, none of this would have taken place.”

Exploring the Role of Recognizable Faces

58:30 to 59:16

Debate on the effectiveness of using well-known actors in documentaries.

“It has mobile phone footage from the day.”

Community and Collective Action

59:17 to 1:00:44

Discussion on how the film portrays community response and collective action.

“A lot of the time it's done with two people.”

Historical Context in the Documentary

1:00:45 to 1:04:48

Hosts analyze how the film weaves historical footage into its narrative.

“And then I recognize right away from the witch, actually, of course, from the witch and Game of Thrones, I think, potentially to all sorts of stuff.”

Hope and Resistance in Glasgow

1:04:49 to 1:07:05

Discussion on the lasting impact of activism in Glasgow's history.

“And it reminds us that this will remain a continuous struggle.”

Pluralism and Community Celebration

1:07:06 to 1:10:05

Hosts reflect on the celebration of pluralism during the protest.

“way too many governments in the world right now are taking us.”

Exploring Pluralism Through Documentary

1:10:05 to 1:15:41

Learn about the themes of community and pluralism depicted in a documentary on Kenmure Street.

“but also ultimately all caring for each other, which again, the concentric circles of care, that's what we're seeing here.”

The Samurai and the Prisoner

1:16:54 to 1:23:00

Dive into the discussion about Kiyoshi Kurosawa's film and its themes.

“I think at one point, one of the people interviewed was asked, you know, why did they respond this way?”

Massacre Theater and Scene Analysis

1:23:00 to 1:24:05

Join the hosts as they perform a scene from Interstellar, discussing its context.

“and hopefully catch up with more Kurosawa films.”

Massacre Theater Reactions

1:24:05 to 1:26:32

Listeners share their thoughts on the Massacre Theater segment.

“The connections included this being a Nolan movie like the Odyssey, also featuring Matt Damon and both as a man so far from home that it seems he will never make it back.”

Introducing This Week's Massacre Theater

1:26:32 to 1:28:08

The hosts introduce the scene for this week's Massacre Theater segment.

“Our winner is David Kolb from Whitesboro, New York.”

Performing the Scene

1:28:08 to 1:32:06

The hosts perform a scene from a movie, discussing its context.

“The flame sears the nerve ending shut, killing them.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00Adam Kempenaar:This is an iHeart Podcast.

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0:34Josh Larsen:This is Ashley Akinetti from the Ben and Ashley AI Almost I Miss podcast. Did you know that over 70 % of new parents are combo feeding? They're using both breast milk and formula to feed their baby. Whether you're exclusively formula feeding, combo feeding, or just want to back up in the pantry, Bobby is the formula that I trust to deliver safe, complete nutrition to my baby's bottle. Both of my children use Bobby. We love it so much. Had the best experience with this brand. They're incredible. The customer service, what they stand for. Bobby's organic, European-style formulas are crafted with clinically-backed ingredients and designed for easy digestion, just like breast milk.

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2:38Josh Larsen:I hope we get the same delivery crew. Those guys were awesome.

2:41Adam Kempenaar:Agree. Total pros.

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3:14Josh Larsen:What kind of a show are you guys putting on here today? You're not interested in art? No. Now look, we're going to do this thing. We're going to have a conversation. From Chicago, this is Film Spotting. I'm Josh Larson.

3:26Adam Kempenaar:And I'm Adam Kempinar.

3:28Josh Larsen:You don't remember me, but we used to know each other.

3:31Adam Kempenaar:Something bad was going to happen, and the only way to stop it was to make everyone forget about me. because I'm not just Peter Parker. I'm Spider-Man. After a five-year hiatus, Tom Holland's Peter Parker is back in Spider-Man Brand New Day. Movie fans miss their Spidey, Josh.

3:54Josh Larsen:Apparently, Brand New Day had a huge opening weekend at the box office. We've got a review. Plus, thoughts on everybody to Kenmure Street and the Samurai and the Prisoner. That and more ahead on FilmSpotting.

4:13Adam Kempenaar:Welcome to Film Spotting. Later in the show, Josh will discuss a new documentary that would fit in nicely with our current dissident cinema marathon, Everybody to Kenmere Street. It's about a collective act of civil disobedience that took place in a Scottish neighborhood back in 2021. Was this a movie that was being talked about at all while you were in Scotland recently?

4:34Josh Larsen:Oh, hugely. and I intended to go see it, intend to see it in Glasgow where it's set. I think it might have premiered at a festival there, but yeah, the timing didn't work out. Finally did catch it here in Chicago.

4:48Adam Kempenaar:Okay. We will give that a few minutes. You also caught up with the latest from Pulse and Cure director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The 16th century Japan set, The Samurai and the Prisoner is the movie. I've seen your star rating, so I know you're going to recommend it. In fact, I'm going to steal your thunder a little bit here. Your blurb is, plays like something Agatha Christie might have written after binge watching a bunch of Akira Kurosawa. I'm in.

5:13Josh Larsen:I mean, sounds great, right? And it works. It works. This is a really good movie. Yeah, I'll get more into that in a bit.

5:21Adam Kempenaar:Also later in the show, everybody's favorite segment, Massacre Theater. A reminder that Film Spotting is available as a video podcast. You can watch us talk over at youtube.com slash film spotting. Up first, Spider-Man Brand New Day.

5:56Adam Kempenaar:From 2002's Spider-Man up to Brand New Day, we've witnessed 10 standalone Spider-Man films and four very different Spider-Men. Yes, to keep things simple, I'm only going to dip a toe into the multiverse. In the Sam Raimi films, Tobey Maguire carried a palpable sadness, was socially awkward, and constantly overwhelmed by responsibility. He was also deeply sincere. Andrew Garfield was more restless, emotional, and tragically romantic. There were moments watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in preparation for our top five Spider-Man scenes. No, none of those scenes made the cut in which I was sure Garfield was intentionally channeling James, you're tearing me apart, Dean.

6:37Adam Kempenaar:Garfield's Spidey yearns. He also quips a lot. Who can forget a God named Sparkles? Tom Holland's Peter is the most believable as a teenager. He's insecure and unsure, but also the most determined to prove himself and optimistic, at least until this latest MCU installment, which finds him without his girlfriend or best friend and buckling under the pressure of focusing on being Spider-Man full-time. In the animated films, Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore, isn't wrecked with guilt and grief the way his predecessors are, displaying more of an easygoing warmth and confidence as he seeks to fulfill his potential.

7:17Adam Kempenaar:Josh, before seeing Brand New Day, I had never forced myself to consider what exactly I wanted from a Spider-Man movie or a Spider-Man, but my response to the recent entry did prompt an answer. How about you? Last week, debating the current film spotting poll, you said that Spider-Man was the definitive Spider-Man movie, even though Into the Spider-Verse might be the better Spider-Man movie. I don't think you're necessarily upside down out on a ledge with that opinion. So is the earnestness Maguire offers about your ideal web-slinging speed? Or are there DNA strands of all these Spideys that would make the perfect Spider-Man?

7:58Adam Kempenaar:And did Holland, director Destin Daniel Cretton, and Brand New Day design you something close?

8:06Josh Larsen:There's definitely distinguishing characteristics among all of them as you laid out. And I think that's to their credit in as much as each of these movies work as well as they do. I'm glad to see you're still recovering from the shock of how bad Amazing Spider-Man 2 is. It's so bad. It's clearly the worst one, right? It's going to follow you for a long, long time. You know, this is a question I sort of asked myself for our top five Spider-Man scenes list is trying to get a handle on the essence of the character and what I responded to, what I responded to most about it. it was interesting, Adam, since then I listened to movie Deathmatch, the film spotting show pairing Spider-Man 2 against Into the Spider-Verse.

8:50Josh Larsen:And on that episode, Matt Singer spent a lot of time talking about how Peter Parker is so tortured. He's continually wrestling with his identity and trying to balance the job of being a teenager and the job of being Spider-Man and how it just makes him one of the most, he was talking about how Sam Raimi's the streak of sadism and Raimi fit this character, you know, because he's one of the most beleaguered Spider-Man characters. And I thought, huh, that makes a lot of sense, but it's not at all what I really talked about on our list in terms of what I've always responded to, which was we touched on his friendliness and his youth.

9:32Josh Larsen:That this is one of the superheroes who is, for most iterations, a teen. And even as a superhero clad in his costume, someone who the neighborhood knows and feels like they have a relationship with. So I think that's where I lean now to get us to Brand New Day. What does that mean for the iterations we've seen in these movies? and I do think Maguire, I appreciate the friendliness, the earnestness that he has there. What I have always liked about Tom Holland though is that teen aspect that you just touched on and it goes beyond Holland as Peter Parker. It's the movies up until now that were very much teen movies, high school movies.

10:15Josh Larsen:We've touched on this many times. Spider-Man Homecoming was a high school movie first, a Spider-Man movie second. I think that's to its credit and we have something different here with Brand New Day that actually tests my personal appeal to the character. Necessarily, it has to. This is the fourth Holland movie. He can't be a teenager forever. The actor has grown up as has the character. And I was relieved to see that this Spider-Man handles that well. Do I miss the teenager, the high school Peter Parker? I do. But at least the movie embraced and leaned into the reality that this Peter Parker is now in his 20s, facing some of these more angst-ridden questions that Matt Singer talked about and has always liked about the character.

11:05Josh Larsen:Unique to me in your 20s, changing relationships, uncertain futures, particularly what this means for his relationship with MJ, Zendaya here. And the two of them get a lot of scenes together working through this. I joked when I wrote about Brand New Day that it's the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind of Spider-Man movies because, right, it begins with their memories erased. Ned's memory, his friend, and MJ, their memories erased of Peter Parker as Spider-Man. And so that gives a lot of emotional room once he reconnects for them to play out these questions of what it's like to be in your 20s, questions of identity, allegiance, independence.

11:49Josh Larsen:and these moments are nicely played by the two actors. So I think it diverts from what I've always liked about Spider-Man, but does it well enough that I appreciate it. It went that way. Does it mean it's a great Spider-Man movie? Well, we'll get into that and cover some of the other many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many things this movie does maybe in a bit.

12:13Adam Kempenaar:Okay. Okay. We, it sounds like want or like different types of spider men, but ultimately feel the same about what works here. So I love your flexibility, Josh. Okay. Even though I also do think based on the many, many, many, all the caveats you just provided, I think I like this film more than you did. And I want to mention here that I, even though during our top five, I alluded to a scene and picked a scene that Matt Singer in that movie Deathmatch had mentioned from Sam Raimi's Spider -Man 2. I knew that he talked about that scene, but I actually hadn't heard that episode until we were putting the final production touches on that episode over this weekend after I had seen Brand New Day.

13:06Adam Kempenaar:So listening to Matt talk about Spider-Man and Peter Parker and getting into some of the tortured psyche stuff that you were just referencing was incredibly validating for me in terms of my response to Brand New Day. Going through this whole exercise after seeing the film, putting our top five Spider-Man scenes together, looking at my mostly wanting ratings for the three previous Holland movies. I don't think I'm with you that it's a plus that they're high school movies first. Yes, catching up with my lone blind spot, watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where I was reminded of the overly quippy, as I mentioned, comedic sensibility of Garfield's Spider-Man.

13:57Adam Kempenaar:And yes, I look back and found this because I remember getting the emails and they're there from people saying, not necessarily all of our listeners who wrote in loved the movie, but they said, oh, you're wrong, Adam. That's Spider-Man. That's true Spider-Man. That's who he is in the comic book. They got that right. Okay. I didn't love it on screen. I can now report, though, after all of this, I know I know Cretton directed Shang-Chi, too, but it checks out that the guy who made Short Term 12, a pretty heavy movie about counselors at a care unit for at risk teens would make my favorite Spider-Man movie in this series.

14:36Adam Kempenaar:apparently the more the more bergman-esque my spider-man movies are the happier i am i i like my spider-man tortured that's the caveat for my review for anybody listening that's how i like that's how i must prefer my peter parkers more on the sad bastard side with with ramey's mcguire and with Tom Holland here. And as we said, that is, we can say, I'm going to trust Matt Singer, having written the book about it, written a book about Spider-Man, that that is something that is core to Spider-Man. One of the best exchanges in that death match, if you listen to it, where they're talking about Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Verse is when Matt said, I think a reason that he resonates in every form with people is getting back to how frankly miserable he is as a person.

15:29Adam Kempenaar:Part of that is his loneliness. He's a lonely character. And Matt goes on to say, I'm going to paraphrase, that a lot of 13-year-old boys, they read the comic as Matt did, and you connect with this character who is lonely. And the way Matt framed it was, you feel like nobody understands you. You're a weirdo. You're a nerd. You're a dweeb. You're different. This Peter Parker hasn't, like others, hasn't just tried to move on, is trying and failing to move on from MJ, trying to move on from other people in his life. You know, Aunt May is gone here, of course, too, but he's pressed the nuclear button to ensure that they've completely forgotten him, that they don't even know he exists.

16:21Adam Kempenaar:As far as the eternal struggle for Peter Parker and Spider-Man of work-life balance, there's no work-life balance here. It's all work and it's completely destroying him as he's just focused on saving the world. And I thought I thought the central metaphor of Peter rather than undergoing puberty, but transforming into adulthood, this new stage of the spider life cycle. I thought it was really effective and inspired in a way, tying together his mental and physical struggles directly with his DNA, his spider, his spider DNA. Now, there is one major but here that I have a feeling we're going to get to, which is the water this movie has to carry for the MCU.

17:11Adam Kempenaar:But beneath the MCU obligations and superhero spectacle lies something surprisingly heartfelt, a Spider-Man movie about loneliness and the struggle to be an adult. I'm even surprised to say that I not only had a really good time watching Brand New Day, it got a little dusty in the theater a few times. I'm sitting there thinking, what's going on? I'm watching a Spider-Man movie and feeling this way. So yeah, I'm pro brand new day.

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17:37Josh Larsen:I think that's still PTSD from Amazing Spider-Man 2. You were just so relieved. It might be. Set the bar so low. There was a good new Spider-Man movie that you just started crying. It could be, Josh. I understand that. Totally understand. Yeah. Yeah. So we are looking for different things. Um, but like I said, that doesn't mean if a movie does the thing I'm not looking for. Well, I don't, I don't want to recognize that we've got. It's just like, we've got so many brooding, tortured superheroes. And, you know, I think to me, Batman has this corner on lockdown. So a little variation on it, um, a character who offers something completely different.

18:17Josh Larsen:That's why I'm more drawn to the, the teen little bit lighthearted, though still having conflict, Spider-Man. Here, Adam, yes, it is, as you say, the water it has to carry for the MCU, which I've made my deal with the devil from, I don't know, maybe the third entry, that that's part of this. In some ways, I appreciate that. It's very much like the lived experience of reading comic books, where you're always aware of multiple worlds going on around the one storyline you're reading. So I don't hold this against these movies across the board. It is a matter of proportion for me. And honestly, it's a matter of if I am locked into the movie doing something on its own terms with its own narrative quite well, that MCU better get out of the way because your movie does not need it.

19:13Josh Larsen:And then it is nothing less than an intrusion. And I feel that's what we get here on multiple levels. We're going to have to avoid spoilers. We will avoid spoilers. If we decide we want to talk about it near the end of this, maybe I'll save more. Right now, I will just say that this needs to open up another franchise in the Mega Mall of the MCU and not only do that, but spend probably its last third doing it, I feel is pretty egregious. I realize they try to make thematic connections between how that works and Peter's story. I recognize the attempt. I just found it to be incredibly ungainly where all of a sudden, I didn't feel like I was watching a Spider-Man movie at all for quite a bit of time.

20:00Josh Larsen:A non-spoiler thing we can discuss because I'd like to hear how this character registered for you. Punisher. The Punisher, Punisher, depending on the iteration. Here played by Jon Bernthal, has already been in some MCU, showed up on MCU TV shows. I just, this character, I've never really liked. I have seen the 2004 Thomas Jane movie. I'm sorry. I think I did give. I might have given a positive review to in my memory, but the character, I remember it being sadistic and violent. And maybe I've just seen what over 20 years, more of such characters, the proliferation and hijacking of the Punisher character, let's say by segments in American society and really concerning ways.

20:53Josh Larsen:I do understand having seen that original, you know, film and knowing something about the comic book. I understand there's a distinction between how this character was conceived and depicted and how he's used on, I don't know, the really annoying car that probably just cut you off on the freeway and someone gave you the middle finger and they've got the Punisher decal on the back. I understand there's a distinction there. Still, I have become less enthralled with this character over the years. And I think the use here is just brutal. All of a sudden, this Spider-Man movie, which is about agility, dexterity, swinging on webs, comes down to machine guns.

21:33Josh Larsen:And I like to think a moment with an errant bullet is meant to be self-critical in a wry way that's trying to comment on gun violence. I don't think it is, but it made me realize what I have long disliked about The Punisher. And I think it's just a really brutal element that drags down this movie quite a bit. What the hell, Frank? You just hit me with a van! Quit your whimper in. Suit yourself.

22:07Motherfucker. Go home!

22:11Josh Larsen:Amazon Health AI presents Painful Thoughts. Why did I search the internet for answers to my cold sore problem?

22:19Adam Kempenaar:Now I'm stuck down a rabbit hole filled with images of alarmingly graphic sores in various stages of ooze. I can clear my search history, but I can never unsee that. Don't go down the rabbit hole. Amazon Health AI gets you the right care fast. Healthcare just got less painful.

22:41Josh Larsen:This is Ashley Akinetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. Did you know that over 70 % of new parents are combo feeding? They're using both breast milk and formula to feed their baby. Whether you're exclusively formula feeding, combo feeding, or just want to back up in the pantry, Bobby is the formula that I trust to deliver safe, complete nutrition to my baby's bottle. Both of my children use Bobby. We loved it so much. Had the best experience with this brand. They're incredible. If you want to feed with confidence too, head to HiBobby.com, that is Hi, H-I-B-O-B-B-I-E.com to find your baby's new favorite formula.

23:51Adam Kempenaar:Apple Vacations, where your story starts.

24:14Josh Larsen:already there are over 250 reasons to join t-mobile find yours and check availability at t-mobile.com home internet this is according to oculus b test intelligence data second half of 2025 all rates reserved redeem money back guarantee within 30 days of cancellation

24:28Adam Kempenaar:i have no feelings about the punisher in terms of baggage i'm bringing to the film okay which is a great position to be in it similarly is how i feel about honestly the mcu overall and and And the characters, I'll get into this in a second when I talk about how I responded to the water the movie was carrying for the MCU. I'm only responding to how the Punisher functions within this film. Okay. And I would largely agree with you. I give them credit for providing some balance here. And what I mean is I know enough about the Punisher to understand that the character, at least this current iteration that Bernthal has given us in the various whatever series he's done.

25:20Adam Kempenaar:I know enough to understand that he puts the mature in for mature audiences and that they had to be monitoring the number of swear words they could put in his mouth to still get a PG-13 rating that they got here. so where i give them credit is that they inserted him into this world without feeling like he makes absolutely no sense at all like they had to they had to completely sand down his rough edges you know i said peter is a is a bit of a sad bastard here but it's nothing like the pain even here that that bernthal infuses punisher with even when you just look at him so with that said something is just off when punisher when punisher is one of your key comedic figures in the movie when when punisher and and peter part when spider-man's banter when they're their oddball odd couple relationship is giving you some of the the more comedic parts of the movie and and beyond that i i didn't necessarily think that any of the action scenes that that they were in together were

26:34Josh Larsen:highlights of the movie i i he's just shooting guns it's the most unimaginative action you can

26:39Adam Kempenaar:have so yeah yeah i'm with you on that now as far as the other characters we agree on the mcu part but we don't necessarily, I don't know if we see eye to eye on a certain, on a certain element of it. And to go back to what you said, of course, I wouldn't complain about the MCU sprawl unless the MCU sprawl was a distraction from the narrative, especially when the narrative is otherwise for me functioning pretty well. And here again, I'm not invested in the MCU. I'm not anticipating any characters who may or may not appear. I don't know what movies might be coming. So I'm just, I'm just watching this narrative unfold and taking what it gives me.

27:23Adam Kempenaar:And through the first, I don't know what it is, 20 or so minutes of the movie, I'm fully engaged. This is going great. And then Peter says something like, or Spider-Man says something like, I need some information and I think I know who can help me. And that's not the line, but I wish it was a significantly better line. and the next thing you know he's in a bathhouse talking to Florence Pugh's Black Widow I don't know if you found this scene offensive I wouldn't say it was offensive Josh but I will there's a reason why I'm bringing it up I can't say it serves no purpose for the plot he finally I think if I remember it right as he leaves he he gets a word from her that that ends up being important even though he doesn't do anything with it so how important is it but this scene ultimately is there to be kind of a comedic distraction.

28:16Adam Kempenaar:Spider-Man has to take his clothes off and get in a bath with his mask on. And she has a little quip at the end of it. I didn't find it very amusing. And it really is, I assume, otherwise to let us all, let the MCU make sure that we get Black Widow into this movie because she's going to be important to some other MCU movie down the line it's set up and she shows up later in the movie via a laptop and and and it's it's another joke which again doesn't really land and and the last one that i'll give you is another example of course is peter going to let me just jump in there with florence real quick yeah you cried i laughed

28:57Josh Larsen:okay i laughed i thought it was funny him getting in the bath wearing his mask still made me laugh i like her comment about how it speaks to the spider-man character you know he deals in what does she say small baby potato stuff yeah and they handle mine that line this this is see this is a cameo like this from another mcu character if the material is good and takes up 45 seconds to a minute and a half i'm okay with so that didn't bother me it's longer than that

29:27Adam Kempenaar:but i'll give you an example of one that could work that one doesn't work for me one that can work is when Peter goes to see Dr. Professor Bruce Banner, because narratively, the information

29:41Josh Larsen:that he gets from him is hugely important to the story.

29:46Adam Kempenaar:And I was engaged enough at this point that I thought, now this, this is nice. This makes sense. This is nice to see Mark Ruffalo in this movie. And of course he would, of course he would seek out Bruce Banner to get this information. Who else would know this? This isn't shoehorning in anything. But then what is this setting up? We know what is setting up a whole lot of chaos and destruction, some well shot chaos and destruction, but a whole lot of chaos and destruction and probably some other things that are come that are going to come down the road. It could have worked. It could have functioned nicely and been and been the kind of effective cameo that I think it could have been.

30:29Adam Kempenaar:But that's But the first example for me of Black Widow is an example of of a distraction. And then the second one that I'm just describing is then like actually gobbling up narrative by by putting the Hulk in the movie.

30:45Josh Larsen:And we Hulk cinematic technology still has not arrived. I'm sorry. When we get those action scenes, I don't think they're bad, but they still are not as convincing even of other digital characters and effects we get. There's something particularly difficult about Hulk as a visual character that I keep hoping they'll crack. Someday they probably will. Maybe not. Maybe this is just too strange of a visual to ever convincingly depict on screen, but we do end up getting a fair amount of Hulk here too. And, and yeah, I just don't think the visuals are there yet.

31:23Adam Kempenaar:Okay. Last, last little part of the MCU, the last bit, because here again, we're, we see it the same way. We, I think we just disagree slightly, slightly on how effective it is. And we won't, we won't get into spoilers because apparently this is a very protected thing, But it's not protected or it's very well known that Sadie Sink is in this movie. And there is where all this MCU stuff leaves us is it leaves us with at some point or to some extent a compromised movie that's that's trying to do justice to Peter's arc, but also do Marvel business. And even though after this big fight scene happens and there's some resolution, even though it doesn't feel over by any means, you can't help but think I'm speaking for myself, but I have to imagine a lot of people were feeling similarly.

32:16Adam Kempenaar:wait if this is where we're going we still have a lot of story left to get to and and sure enough where we're getting is a lot there's a lot to resolve but also it's very clearly setting up more mcu storylines and and more around a very key character but you spoke to this you said that i see how it's connecting to Peter and his story. I would say beyond that, Josh, the emotional beats, the actual scenes and the way it connects and the performance that that that that actress gives and how she interacts with Tom Holland. I think it's very effective. And I think for all of its sprawl, I think that I think the screenplay is at least quite coherent and it does all connect, even if ultimately it's it's compromised.

33:11Josh Larsen:Yeah, I think she's quite good. I'm going to be delicate here. I think she's quite good in those scenes you're describing. I think the movie earlier asks her to do something and carry a presence that she's not quite as equipped to do. and so it's a performance of two sides for me that gets better or the screenplay gets better perhaps is a different way of looking at it. I'll say that about that character and I just wish maybe the movie hadn't been given over quite so much to that character in certain sentences because as we both said now, thematically it does connect. Interestingly, so Sadie Sink, yes, from Stranger Things, this movie does give a lot of really good supporting tv actors some some juicy supporting roles here trammell tillman from severance mr milchick and severance i thought he has some good scenes it's a thankless part but he carries like enough of a presence to it that um you know what

34:15Adam Kempenaar:you're getting the whole time see that's my like how he gave it to us i won't i won't that's the say that I don't think the movie is trying to fool you at the same time. If everybody sitting in the theater immediately knows what we know about that character, how doesn't Peter Parker slash Spider-Man know? Sure. It's a hole in the movie for me. And, and, and I, I can't help but think then that it's slightly a weakness in Tillman's performance too.

34:51Josh Larsen:It's also a bit of typecasting because on severance he's let's say he's a kindly duplicitous character so it's kind of being carried in now what's not being carried in anything i don't think um from the bear which um you know i finally finished up recently but liza colonsias plays tina in the bear one of the best characters on that on that series and here she's the police commissioner or lead detective and has some nice back and forth with Peter and speaks directly to this workaholic element of the film. I like that they include, I think in each of her scenes, we see her. She's also with her kids, either eating with them or riding the subway with them, which is just speaking to this dynamic of work-life, family-work balance that Peter is struggling and that she's kind of demonstrating.

35:42Josh Larsen:So yeah, it's just interesting that you've got three well-known TV actors popping up here. And the other thing I want to say to this movie's credit, you mentioned Cretton, the director, who did do Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which I really love. Happen to think it's one of the best MCU films, probably because it's self-contained, like Spider-Man Homecoming largely was. Here, the action, you know, I've said what I said about Punisher. Hulk, mileage is going to vary. there is an excellent, and it is also like Shang-Chi, largely martial arts-based, showdown with the hand, this group of villains, adversaries for Spider-Man, basically ninja types in these red robes, and they use swords.

36:27Josh Larsen:And the way that's staged within, it's like a cage match because it's in this atrium where the levels have fencing all along them. I thought that was quite thrilling, inventively staged and also makes use of that Spider-Man DNA changing element. So ties into some of the themes as well. I know people have become, and they are right to feel this way, wearied by MCU action. I think that sequence is one of the standout action films in the series. I was going to say we're completely aligned down to not surprisingly, because it's a pretty common word, the use of the word thrilling in our notes.

37:11Adam Kempenaar:There is a fight sequence and it's that one that's near the end of the film that has to be one of the most thrilling and most memorably shot and edited in all of the MCU. It's that it is that good. And if we're talking about performances, I do have other things I want to praise about this movie. If we're talking about performances, I think this is maybe Holland at his best because he brings he still does get to bring the elements that we associate with him from the other films. But he does get to stretch out a little bit and he doesn't play what what he does well here. The smart choice he makes is is that he doesn't play Peter as somebody all of a sudden with an edge.

37:57Adam Kempenaar:that's never the sense i got he really plays him as someone who's just struggling as someone who who seems to really have depression and and i felt that from from him i also think zendaya josh i'm gonna at some point i'm going to stop beating the dead horse but here one of the trailers maybe the last trailer before brand new day was dune three of course and there's only one shot of her in the entire trailer. And it's it's her making the Zendaya face that filmmakers insist on having her make. And it couldn't have gotten me less excited to see Dune 3. And and so then we go into brand new day and we watch her opposite Holland and she is effortlessly charming.

38:44Adam Kempenaar:She's funny. She has great chemistry with him. And in a scene where she she gets to do some, I suppose, small level, capital A acting and show her darker side, she absolutely delivers. Of course. I'm always amazed that she's really good when she actually gets to play people.

39:05Josh Larsen:It's crazy. It's a chance. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we're on record from challengers to other stuff. She's one of our best working actresses, but you're right about how some filmmakers choose to use her. I can imagine a game of, haven't seen Dune 3, obviously, but based on the other films shot from the Odyssey or shot from Dune. And it's just Zendaya's face and the costuming they also put her in, right? It's like you have to decide which is which. I think it would be harder than you might guess. I think she's great here. She's always given, I mean, that same sort of unpredictability and spark and attitude, but also enough vulnerability that she had in something like Challengers, she's bringing here appropriately.

39:52Josh Larsen:makes the use of quite a few scenes, a good use of quite a few scenes that she and Holland get together. Holland, I agree with everything you said about him, and I would add that he's also still funny. And I think that is key. I think you're right. This is not Spider-Man goes dark and brooding. It doesn't quite go to that Batman territory. It is distinct in that way. And in addition to the bathhouse scene, I like the recurring bit where this is a Peter Parker who's kind of grossed out by spiders. And I think that, you know, the EU and Tom Holland sells those well. And the fact that, you know, this part of the lore being played with here is part of his changes is now the web spinnerets become organic for him rather than mechanical.

40:38Josh Larsen:And the fact that his reaction is to be like utterly grossed out, like he suddenly discovered a bizarre growth on his body. I just think it's, you know, he plays that sort of comedy really well and brings that element to the film as well, which I think is a crucial component of this character.

40:54Adam Kempenaar:I agree. I agree. He is still funny, and the movie also still takes advantage of the element he brings that none of the other ones do, which is his physical agility. There's a lot of physical comedy in this movie, without a doubt. So a couple other things. During the death match, Matt said something that, one other thing that was so in sync with something I loved in this film, And I wonder if you had a similar reaction. There's a there's a part in that exchange in Deathmatch where he's taught he's talking about the video game, the Spider-Man 2 video game. Now I know nothing about any of the Spider-Man video games.

41:32Adam Kempenaar:but Matt says something like it was the first time the game was an open world game where you could swing around as much as you want and you had objectives and places to go but also part of the fun of the game was you could just swing around Manhattan and it looked as best as they could make it at the time and it gave you that feeling of freedom and excitement and fluidity and movement and kinetic energy that the movies have which you could never get and even the greatest Spider-Man comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and John Romita and whoever else as beautiful as the artwork is, it is inherently a series of static panels.

42:05Adam Kempenaar:So I think we touched on this a little bit during our top five, what attracted us to Spider-Man in the first place as a superhero. It doesn't surprise me at all to learn that part of the attraction for many to this video game was, yes, it's a game and there are things you got to get to at some point, things to accomplish and achieve, but you also just get to swing around the city as Spider-Man and just have fun. That's what we all want to do. And so here again about Holland, he's always brought this physical dexterity, this balletic ability that neither McGuire nor Garfield had. And you combine that with, with some genuine grace that the filmmakers here depict with some of the flying scenes, like when Spider-Man is, is swinging, swinging, not flying with swinging with MJ.

42:55Adam Kempenaar:Think about When he's bringing her back and forth, there is a distinct rhythm to the thwip and the swings where it truly feels like they're sharing a dance together. And he's not only trying to take things slow because he's trying to keep her safe and not scare her maybe, but maybe he's also trying to savor every second of this because he doesn't know how many more chances he's going to get to hold her or even spend any time with her. I loved those moments.

43:26Josh Larsen:Well, they're nicely handled too, because their relationship is different. Again, won't spoil it, but the first couple swing, let's say that they do, has a different

43:38Adam Kempenaar:possibility where the second one, there's a different reality now for the relationship.

43:44Josh Larsen:And it's speaking to your observation about rhythms, those are paced differently. They are. And they're performed differently. And I think that is a nice little bit of nuance. I absolutely thought of during those sequences, you know, the Lois Lane and Superman flight from 78 Superman, right? It works along the same lines, which is kind of a nice callbacks. speaking of callbacks did you notice you know doing our spider-man scenes um and you can't say this is a ripoff because these movies have been borrowing from the comics and each other since the beginning but very early on they do grab that upside down shot we both picked from of course across the spider-verse and they have holland sitting upside down with this you know yeah And they even riff on the upside down kiss from 2002 Spider-Man where she Zendaya gives him MJ gives him a half mass kiss.

44:42Josh Larsen:Pulls pulls up the mass to give him a kiss. So I think, you know, again, those homages, let's call them let's call them nice homages.

44:50Adam Kempenaar:Well, I think it's emblematic of something else the movie's doing well, though, that I give Cretton and his team a lot of credit for is that I was really struck by including the effects, but just the overall visual aesthetic is that it looks as good as any of the live action films do, if not better. but they also seem to me josh in some instances subtly to find a way to integrate some of the look and feel of the animated movies in select sequences to give it a heightened realism in a way that for me never really broke the spell like they they give it they they incorporated some of that beauty that all of us go crazy for in the animated films in a way the the live action movies

45:35Josh Larsen:haven't been able to do there's that montage early on of him when we're starting to learn what a workaholic he is and we see him and showdowns with various villains including the hand we get a little teaser of the hand and yeah those are very much framed as you know slow motion or almost freeze frame moving into slow motion that have um an animated aesthetic to them yeah and

45:59Adam Kempenaar:there are shots that you would expect in a good comic book movie like at damage control just before the battle really begins where it's it's in a puddle in the hallway but you see you see spider-man in it as he's arriving shots matter in this movie in a way that i haven't felt as often in in some of the other films there's an intention behind them there's an intention behind moments like at the beginning the the senior describing where he he leaps from that skyscraper the decision and there are more there are more instances like this but putting us inside his mask do you remember that where he's falling and they put us inside the eyeball yeah so it's it's not just sometimes they do that only when it's it's iron man or spider-man or something when he's targeting something and it's just about showing off the technology that's not what it's about here it's about like we're hearing his breathing it's it's it's showing him as as a person behind the mask And that seems important to what this movie is ultimately trying to do.

47:05Yeah.

47:05Josh Larsen:I wondered if that had been done before where it is putting us right again, right next to his eye. It's related to the, his eyes change as the arachnid DNA is changing. So it kind of sets the stage for us to watch his eyes. Yeah. But there's an intimacy there to your point, um, that I don't remember a shot like that in a previous Spider-Man movie. That's why it stood out. Maybe. And also, and related to that, surely other iterations have had, live action iterations have had, when in mask, the eyes narrow. I can't imagine this is the first time they've done it. It might be more that they do it more frequently here than they have before.

47:45Josh Larsen:But it did stand out to me. And I think, again, speaks to this merging, the idea of merging the man behind the mask and the mask. it's not just a rigid mask you know there is a personality and it's Peter Parker's who is expressively responding by narrowing his eyes and the mask shows us that as well that's a nice touch

48:06Adam Kempenaar:last point and this speaks to the benefits of engaging in activities like doing a top five spider-man scenes before you see a movie like this where we talked quite a bit about spider-man's relationship to the people of New York city. And so then I found it so fascinating when there's a scene as he, he, he falls from his apartment and he goes on the sidewalk and a citizen, just someone walking by, it seems says something to him and then says something a little sinister to him. Not a spoiler. we realize that this is really the villain in this film because the villain's a telepath who can who can get into people's heads and it's it's just a guy walking a guy walking by and there's an extended scene whoever that actor is is very good that's a really good conversation and then then that that voice jumps from new yorker to new yorker and and there is something so sinister about weaponizing the people of New York, not just using them as pawns in a battle like lots of villains do in these movies, but actually weaponizing the people of New York against Spider-Man.

49:24Adam Kempenaar:Yeah. Especially in the context of a Spider-Man story. Yep. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I really like that. Spider-Man brand new day is currently playing in wide release. If you see it, or if you have seen it and agree or disagree with our takes, we would love to hear your thoughts. You can email us feedback at filmspotting.net. You can also Send us a voicemail. Send us a clip. Send us a video clip. We'll put it on our YouTube. Email that to feedback at filmspotting.net.

49:53Josh Larsen:Adam, we always talk about the great aspects of seeing movies in theaters. With a crowd, you get the excitement or the fears for a horror movie, the laughs for a comedy, the big picture, of course, obviously. You know what we also get occasionally for movies is people going to see a movie in costume, on theme. And I think Spider-Man movies would make a top five list of films where you're likely to see people in costume. Obviously, you've got Rocky Horror, right? I think maybe something like the Wicked movies people were doing this, definitely for the second installment. Every time I have gone to see a Spider-Man movie, I've seen someone not just in like a t-shirt, but, you know, having some more elaborate elements of the Spider-Man costume from the mask to web slingers of some sort.

50:47Josh Larsen:It's part of the fun of seeing a Spider-Man movie in a theater. Next time you're in a theater to see Brand New Day, check for that, look for that. And you could probably have that experience for free if you're a member of Regal Unlimited. You'd be able to see something like Spider-Man Brand New Day for free because this is the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Right now, Regal is offering film spotting listeners endless movies for less. If you sign up for Regal Unlimited and use our code, filmspot26, then you're going to get 15 % off. This is the only truly limitless movie subscription pass out there because you can see any standard 2D movie anytime.

51:29Josh Larsen:They don't have blackout dates or restrictions. Also with Regal Unlimited, you're going to save on snacks. Members get 10 % off all non-alcoholic concessions. So sign up now in the Regal app. wear that Spider-Man costume if you want. You can find that link in our description or just use the code filmspot26 to receive your discount.

51:59Josh Larsen:Adam, let's take a minute to thank the Film Spotting family. These are the folks who pretty much keep us going. Let us continue to make these shows. This is membership in the Film Spotting family. It really is the largest source of support for the show. So we want to thank this week family member Ryan Jacobs in Charlotte, North Carolina, and also Family Plus member Zach Rothfeld in New York.

52:22Adam Kempenaar:Ryan says that his listenership predates the van in Van Hulgren. Now that's how you know you are OG. 20 years ago, I graduated college with a film studies minor and wanted to continue to listen to intelligent people talk about the kind of movies I like to watch. I have donated to the show many times over the years. I'm sorry it took me so long to join the family. We thank you so much. Ryan, Zach is a relative newbie. He has only been listening since 2017. Random films or filmmakers they love, Josh. Zach is a big fan of Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married. Good movie. Yeah, really good. Ryan is a Jonathan Glazer fan.

53:02Adam Kempenaar:Favorite books about movies or movie making. Mark Harris and his book Pictures at a Revolution. Ryan, for some reason, didn't submit an entry. I don't know what happened here. He didn't answer this part of the questionnaire. Oh, I'm sorry. It just turned out. Thankfully, I have my notes. Oh, okay. Thank you, Ryan. Sam left it out of mine. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Do you want to read it?

53:24Josh Larsen:Thank you, Ryan, for reading Movies Are Prayers, a little book I wrote. I really appreciate that. It's always, you know, it's been a couple years for both of my books, Adam, and this, and earlier this week, for Fear Not, I got a nice note on Facebook. Someone read it over the summer. And yeah, it's always, always makes you feel good. And you're like, oh, those things are still out there. And some people are still reading them. So thank you very much, Ryan. Thank you also, Zach, for your support, for listening to the show. If you want to follow Zach on Letterboxd, as I just did about an hour ago, you can find him at Frothy Rothie.

54:00Josh Larsen:More about joining the Film Spotting family is available at filmspottingfamily.com. Here's what you'll get as a member. Early and ad-free listening. Ad-free listening. That means no ads, right, Adam? Not an ad to be found? Quite literally. Just wanted to make sure. You'll also get a weekly newsletter. You'll get access to the complete film spotting archive. We have a family-only Discord, a message board, where there's lots of great conversation going on. And exclusive opportunities. We're currently running the 20s, 30s madness. tournament. If you're a film spotting family member, you can be part of that right now.

54:41Josh Larsen:We are down to the elite eight, the benefits. They just keep on coming. We haven't even mentioned our monthly bonus shows. July, we did our performances of the year so far list. This month in August, we are going to have a blind spotting conversation. As soon as we can nail down a title that I haven't seen, Sam hasn't seen, and Adam hasn't seen. So we'll be, We'll be getting to that soon. All of this great value at the regular price for a film spotting family membership. But through August 31st, you can get a membership for 20 % off. Just use the code summer. We will link to that in the show notes, or you can go to film spotting family.com and sign up with that code summer for 20 % off.

55:29Adam Kempenaar:Here's another incentive to join the family and be part of that family discord. is that you will see, I'm not sure if you're even aware of this, Josh, you will see that somehow And neither The Passion of Joan of Arc nor Metropolis made the 20s or 30s madness the lead eight. And you can then go into the discord and make fun of everyone who didn't vote for those films.

55:55Josh Larsen:Is this how you've been spending your time?

55:58Adam Kempenaar:No, no, I need a proxy to do that for me. That would be too mean of one of the hosts to do that.

56:03Josh Larsen:Well, if you wanted to vent in such a way, yes, you could do that by joining the FilmSpotting family at FilmSpottingFamily.com.

56:12Adam Kempenaar:It's not the kind of thing you expect to see when you open your curtains in the morning. I started getting these text messages. Right on Kenmure Street. Can people get there now? The new documentary, Everybody to Kenmure Street, just left the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. But it's coming to Iowa City's film scene. It's playing in limited release in other theaters around the country. It's directed by Philippe Bustos Sierra. It premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie is about a 2021 collective act of civil disobedience in a diverse neighborhood on the south side of Glasgow.

56:49Adam Kempenaar:Residents in the area attempted to protect their neighbors from being deported. We did both catch up with this one, Josh. You suggested you saw it first and said, hey, this might be worthy of a golden brick nomination. I want you to tell us why. But I also just want to say first that one of the things we learn early on in this film, that this attempt by the UK home office, effectively ICE, to deport, to seek men upon the occasion, the holiday of Eid. at dawn in the early morning hours is is really thwarted by a man who decides who has the brilliant idea that comes to him to lodge himself under the vehicle and and attach himself to one of the axles or something under the vehicle and make it so that the vehicle simply cannot move and that's what allows all of these people to assemble.

57:55Adam Kempenaar:So tell us about this film and your response to it. Yeah.

57:59Josh Larsen:Without that act, none of this would have taken place. Um, yeah, the golden brick question, you know, the director here has been working for a while. So not necessarily an emerging filmmaker. Felipe Bustosier, I think has a one feature documentary he made before this, as well as a number of shorts. It's to me, it was a formal question. The vision thing we look for in Golden Brick Awards, a unique formal vision, an inspired filmmaking choice. And this is a documentary that has a lot of stuff you would expect. It has mobile phone footage from the day. It has a wide range of interviews for protesters who were there, but it has this inspired conceit to have actors play a few of the crucial figures.

58:49Josh Larsen:And we know this because there will all of a sudden be a shot that's clearly not mobile phone footage. It appears to be sort of within the context of, but it looks a little more staged and the person will turn to the camera and say, this isn't my face, but these are my words. And I think it's crucial because it means they're working from an interview that has been done, but now it's in a reenactment. And I think this happens three times, mostly with two people. A lot of the time it's done with two people. And my question to you, Adam, one of these three people is Van Man, the guy who you said started this by diving under the van and grabbing onto the axle.

59:32Josh Larsen:Did you realize who played Van Man in the moment? Because I did not until I looked at the credits. Immediately. Really?

59:39Adam Kempenaar:Oh, no, maybe maybe it's because Sarah and I not too long ago watched the Emma Thompson series on Apple TV. And so not only is she she an actress I like quite a bit, but she she's very immediately recognizable to me with that white hair. That's kind of spiky.

59:59Josh Larsen:Yeah, that's like, oh, that's interesting. Like a woman with white hair. Interesting choice to play band man. But it wasn't until the credits. I was like, oh, of course, Emma Thompson.

1:00:09Adam Kempenaar:I'm a man, man. And this isn't my face, but these are my words. It's a bold choice. You recognize right away that, okay, they're using, they, they announced it to you, as you said, but you know that it's a, it's a formal technique to say, we're not going to be able to use the actual, for whatever reasons, including potentially legal reasons, we're not going to be able to use the actual, some of the actual people in this scenario. And there's three total. It's an it's an activist who is played by an actress named Kira Lucchesi. And then there's the nurse who's tending to Van Man played by a very prominent Scottish actress, Kate Dickey.

1:00:51Josh Larsen:And then I recognize right away from the witch, actually, of course, from the witch and Game of Thrones, I think, potentially to all sorts of stuff.

1:00:59Adam Kempenaar:Yeah. And then and then Emma Thompson, who's Van Man. So I did recognize Kate Dickey and I definitely recognize Emma Thompson. You know that they're employing this technique and you understand why. It is one of those cases where immediately you're thrown by it if you recognize her. You understand later she's a producer on the film. And I have to think if I'm a documentary filmmaker and I need an actress to portray someone, why wouldn't I use Emma Thompson if I had her at my disposal when she's one of the greatest actresses on the planet? But in the moment, it did throw me. It took me out of it for a second, Josh.

1:01:36Adam Kempenaar:I have to admit, I'm still thinking about the effectiveness of having someone portray, someone recognizable portray that person. At the same time, I think having someone who isn't recognizable portray them, that may have the opposite effect, where you're then very much assuming that there is a certain verisimilitude, and that is Van Man. And that may not work either.

1:02:02Josh Larsen:Can I try to talk you into it? Of course. And I haven't really thought about this a little bit more until now. I should have. What does this choice do? I love the inspired nature of it. But the big question is, okay, is it effective? And if so, how? Obviously, I found it effective. So now I got to figure out how. In terms of casting Thompson, what I think it does, and again, in retrospect for me, because I didn't recognize it in the moment, but it is an echo of the larger idea of continuing between concentric circles of care that I think this documentary depicts. It starts with the van man. And then the next circle are the couple of neighbors who are, you can tell they were on their morning commute.

1:02:46Josh Larsen:They were going to work. Or I think one of the interviewees says school, they've got backpacks, they've got bikes. They all sit down, put their bikes around the van. That's another circle. Then you have more neighbors come out and form the circle on the sidewalk. Then you have a circle, people looking out the windows of their flats on this street, making signs hanging from the windows. And I do think casting Emma Thompson widens that circle because now you say we have one of the most prominent, respected actors, UK actors getting behind this, joining the circle by deciding that I'm going to give not only my producer time to this, but I'm going to give my acting time and I'm going to give my face time.

1:03:34Josh Larsen:Like literal face causes. That's exactly. And so, um, I think to me, maybe that's sort of a, a meta or a, a deeper level. Why the conceit, uh, works in concert with what the movie is trying to do.

1:03:51Adam Kempenaar:I think what I appreciated the most is the way this is an immersive documentary using Glasgow's long history of struggle. Yeah. With a spontaneous act of collective resistance. You get that opening montage. The music is by a Scottish musician named Barry Burns. The song is called Your Sweet Love, and it's six minutes long. And it is this montage using a lot of historical footage and other, you know, some of it is more recent camera footage, TV news type, newsreel type footage showing the history of activism and oppression in Glasgow from the time of slave grown tobacco being imported to the response to George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.

1:04:41Adam Kempenaar:And it immediately grounds us in history. It gives us a sense of the larger these circles, how wide it is, the larger Glaswegian community. And it reminds us that this will remain a continuous struggle. That regardless of how much we know about what happened here at Kenmere Street or what we're going to see play out, that the struggle's not over because one battle was won. And later in the movie then, using, incorporating some of this footage, we get a 10-minute sequence that digs in to that history, starting with the origin of the name Kenmere Street. And I, I really thought, I thought this was such a bold stroke because it's not, it's not like the movie needs it.

1:05:31Adam Kempenaar:You could make the case that the movie could just stay on Kenmere street and it would be more than sufficient. But I thought this context was not only really interesting, but, but crucial to understanding the subtext of this particular scene in, in Pollock shields, understanding the potential for this to be a real powder keg. and i think what's great about it too josh is that it it makes it makes it poignant because one of the neighbors at the end talks about the story of the day like it's a fairy tale even though it's real like it's a fairy tale their kids they have a painting on the wall and their kids say tell us the story at bedtime about the day the baddies came and and this is what what happened And what we learn about going back into the past is that those are stories that still echo today, that they still talk about.

1:06:30Adam Kempenaar:Those are narratives that the people today who lived through it and even the ones who didn't, they talk to the people from the past. They know all those stories and they're passed along. And some of those protests ended well, and some of them didn't. And they draw on them for strength and resilience and for knowledge. And I think what's scary for those in power is that a new tale like this gives people hope that it's not a fairy tale, that it really happened and that it's being told.

1:07:05Josh Larsen:And it casts an alternate vision, I think, is the true power of this documentary is not only looking back on this day, but how this day shows an alternate way forward than the one that way too many governments in the world right now are taking us. I want to come back to that, but to the historical footage point, I think what I did like about it is that we have those two sections, you know, we, because initially that opening one that is very long, the opening montage with all the historical footage, I found a little sprawling and contextless, except for giving me the vague notion of, you know, Glasgow is a city that has a history of, and, and, you know, and be there and knowing its reputation is this, of not putting up with shit, right?

1:07:57Josh Larsen:And especially authority coming down. And so a lot of the historical footage is documenting that. It's the city's reputation. That's all well and good. But I did wonder, not only wanting to know a little bit more about all this footage we're seeing, but I did wonder, are we setting ourselves up for a self-congratulatory, you know, we're a city where these things don't happen story, which would have been felt a little more one-sided, but you do get that second historical section that takes us away from the street. As you said, as you said, could potentially disrupt the rhythm because it's very much a movie about putting us on this street in this day for these hours.

1:08:35Josh Larsen:But it's crucial in the context of the opening montage because it shows us the flip side of Glasgow, where there has been a history of exploitation by the residents of the city and the wealth drawn at the expense of people in other regions of the world. So it kind of balanced that out for me. If you see what I'm saying, it was a little more realistic. Like, yes, we have this history of defiance, and this is a city that is perhaps unique in that way, but we're not perfect. And it speaks to your point about this is not going to be the final battle. So basically, I agree that the historical footage is in there, and ultimately, it's well used.

1:09:14Josh Larsen:On this idea of another vision, and why I did also find this documentary so inspiring, is, as you mentioned, this is happening in Aneed. And on this day, there was a celebration planned at the local mosque. And so they had all this food there, all these activities. And at one point, one of the people associated with the mosque is being interviewed and describes the decision to just move the festival out onto the street, to be part of the protest, to bring the food. And the quote he says, we thought let's make a we-eat celebration of this. And just to see this guy who, first of all, does not look like or dress like what we probably think of as someone who lives in Glasgow, right?

1:09:59Josh Larsen:Just to hear him use the word we is beautiful. And this choice to picture a community that could be very different in many ways, but also ultimately all caring for each other, which again, the concentric circles of care, that's what we're seeing here. And so to bring this festival out onto these streets, combine an Eid celebration with this history of Glasgow protest, using a Scottish phrase like we very naturally, it's just this beautiful picture of pluralism. And the world right now is being directed by fear mongers who, if they were to see something like this, they never will. But an interview like that would absolutely just crumble their brains because they are, not only can they not imagine this, but if they did, it would just make them tremble.

1:10:57Josh Larsen:For what reason? I don't know. I mean, to me, it's beautiful and it shows something hopeful. But what we're seeing in the world is that just thinking about something like that scares people to their very core. and Kenmure Street, this documentary, is just casting a possible real world. It has happened in this time that we're living in. This sort of pluralism can be beautiful and healthy. And I think that's what the documentary ultimately leaves us with in addition to the record of this day.

1:11:31Adam Kempenaar:Along those lines, and I may be ascribing too much meaning to this choice, but that's what we're here for. I, I thought it was interesting that none of the interviews and there are a lot of them, way more than you would normally get in a documentary that features talking heads. There are a lot of people, a lot of faces, and there are a lot of people that only appear once for maybe one line or a couple lines. And we don't get any of them, to my recollection, Josh, ever ID'd. They're in the credits, but there's no on-screen identifier. It doesn't say their name. It doesn't say their occupation. It never says what they do for, you know, what neighborhood they're from or anything, anything like that.

1:12:19Adam Kempenaar:Yeah, some of them, but not always. No, I scanned through the movie again. I didn't see a name for people. So, you know, maybe I missed something. But there there is something that is on point about that for this movie, because it's always a bit of a challenge anyway, for from a practical standpoint for documentary filmmakers, because sometimes they just clutter up the screen aesthetically. Sometimes you only have someone on screen for a brief snippet and there's no time for an ID without it feeling jumpy. And are you going to ID everyone or only some people? And when you return to people, how often are you going to re ID them?

1:12:59Adam Kempenaar:Is it every time or only after so much time has passed and you think the viewers confused here? It actually felt to me like not only a pragmatic choice due to the sheer number of people they interview as the roster keeps expanding because this was such a huge gathering. But also as they want to feature this panoply of faces and voices that are, let's face it, largely anonymous, right? they they talk about each other as neighbors and some are actual neighbors and some recognize each other but for the most part that's not the case at all they they the way they talk about each other as neighbors has a completely different meaning i i feel like the anonymity of the characters here characters in this context actually makes complete sense for this documentary

1:13:52Josh Larsen:There's people there from all different backgrounds. And you're like, actually, there is love here. We put out tables. We thought, let's make a wee Eid celebration out of this. Have tea and biscuits with us.

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1:14:37Josh Larsen:This is Ashley Akinetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. Did you know that over 70 % of new parents are combo feeding? They're using both breast milk and formula to feed their baby. Whether you're exclusively formula feeding, combo feeding, or just want to back up in the pantry, Bobbi is the formula that I trust to deliver safe, complete nutrition to my baby's bottle. Both of my children use Bobbi. We loved it so much, had the best experience with this brand. They're incredible. The customer service, what they stand for, Bobbi's organic, European-style formulas are crafted with clinically backed ingredients and designed for easy digestion, just like breast milk.

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1:16:13Adam Kempenaar:Search your vacation today at AppleVacations.com or through your travel advisor. Apple Vacations, where your story starts.

1:16:22Josh Larsen:How's the new place? Get your Wi-Fi figured out? I got T-Mobile 5G home internet and I'm loving it. It's the fastest 5G home internet. My old provider was so slow. Mine is slow. And only$35 a month. Do I need to try this? Try it for 15 days. Love it or get your money back. I love it already. There are over 250 reasons to join T-Mobile. Find yours and check availability at T-Mobile.com slash home internet. This is according to Oculus Speed Test Intelligence. Date a second half of 2025. All rates reserved. Redeemed money back guarantee within 30 days of cancellation. The neighbor notion is so crucial and it does come up.

1:16:58Josh Larsen:I think at one point, one of the people interviewed was asked, you know, why did they respond this way? And they just shrugged and said, these are our neighbors. Like it was just like, it's a matter of fact. It's practical. it's it's obvious it's a question that doesn't need to be need to be asked and even you know this was a little um aside we don't get a lot from the men who were detained um and i'm trying to recall exactly when this interview takes place i don't think we see his face either but i could be recalling that incorrectly at any rate. The point is, um, one of the police at the time he recalls being asked by one of the police, why is the community coming out for you this way?

1:17:47Josh Larsen:Yeah. Basically, who are you? Right. And the man's response, I'm nobody. I'm normal.

1:17:53Adam Kempenaar:Yeah.

1:17:54Josh Larsen:Again, like it's, it's a self-evident truth that this is what is going on is not how a neighborhood should be, should be operated or, or even immigration or even immigration policy should be enforced. Right. There's just like, it's self-evident to these people that something is deeply amiss in handling things this way. Um, and yeah, so there's just a couple, a couple of, um, you know, you get in documentaries, interviews with people where they, they will say something just everyday folks that hit you with practical wisdom, right? And just hearing them say something that self-evident like that, it's not the words that are maybe the most necessarily eloquent, but they still retain this truthful power to them.

1:18:44Josh Larsen:And there's a lot of that in this documentary.

1:18:47Adam Kempenaar:Everybody, Dakenmear Street is currently playing in limited release. We will add the film to our golden brick page. Also in limited release, The Samurai and the Prisoner. Sounds exciting. Josh, just from the title. It's from director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The director is best known here in the States anyway, for a pair of horror thrillers that came out in the late nineties slash early two thousands, 1997's cure and 2001's pulse. He got back on our radar a couple of years ago with cloud, which showed up on a couple of best of the year list. I believe Alison Wilmore may have had it there on our show.

1:19:24Adam Kempenaar:I know our friend over at letterbox Mitchell, Bopre picked it and sent us a voicemail about it. We have actually discussed perhaps doing our blind spotting bonus show for film spotting family members, giving them a choice between some Kiyoshi Kurosawa films, because I have seen none of them, but you have now seen the samurai and the prisoner. It is set in 16th century Japan, kind of a whodunit. It does seem based on your description. Tell us why it's good.

1:19:56Josh Larsen:Yeah, I have no Kiyoshi Kurosawa context to bring to this. As you said, to my shame, my first film of his, I only know that psychological thrillers slash horror is where cure and pulse are placed, and this is not that. So I gather from the way it's been described, this is a bit of a departure for him. On its own terms, It is intensely compelling as a whodunit. It definitely works that way. The historical setting is just fascinating from the pomp and circumstance given to each of the conversations. And this is mostly a series of conversations, this movie, and the castle exterior and interiors. I think they filmed in temples and castles around Kyoto are part of the movie's grandeur and appeal.

1:20:48Josh Larsen:But really, there's also a fascinating central core to this where the lead, the main character, Lord Murashige Araki, played by Masahiro Motoki, has had a crisis of conscience, we learn, where his first instinct is not to kill. It's no longer to kill as a matter of honor, really, as a samurai. And so he's going against the samurai code by imprisoning the man in the title rather than killing him. And there are a couple of other instances in the film where he chooses a way other than death. And this puts him at odds with tradition. It puts him at odds with the warlord who's laying siege to his castle.

1:21:27Josh Larsen:And it does add this interesting moral dimension to the decisions that Lord Murashige has to make as he's managing this outside threat and then the interior deceit that he encounters when some of these crimes start occurring. So it's a bit of a character study as well. Motoki is incredible here. Wouldn't be surprised if he lands on best performances of the year lists at the end of the year. And yeah, and the mystery is compelling too. There are a couple of things, speaking of end of the year in this movie that I won't go into now, including a sequence, because it might end up as a contender for our wrap party categories.

1:22:06Josh Larsen:the movie overall I think works even though it might tend to get a little talky here and there because as I said these are a bunch of interrogations really to figure out what's going on in the castle all of a sudden Kurosawa will come at you with an intensely inventively staged sequence that kind of snaps you back into attention so yeah this one really delivered obviously makes me curious and eager to watch more of his titles, even if they might be, you know, of a very different vein.

1:22:51Adam Kempenaar:The Samurai and the Prisoner is out in limited release, including in Chicago at the Gene Siskel Film Center. I can't wait to get a chance to see it and hopefully catch up with more Kurosawa films.

1:23:03Josh Larsen:Time now for Massacre Theater. This is where Adam and I perform a scene and you get a chance to win a film spotting prize last time we massacred this scene. You fake all the data. Yes.

1:23:21Josh Larsen:There's no service.

1:23:23Adam Kempenaar:No. I tried to do my duty, Cooper, but I knew the day that I arrived here that this fish had nothing. And I resisted the temptation for years, but I knew that if I just pressed that button, somebody would come and save me. Hey, yes.

1:23:50Josh Larsen:That was Matt Damon and Matthew McConaughey in 2014's Interstellar, written by Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, directed, of course, by Nolan. that massacre was part of our best of the year so far show so why that scene from interstellar

1:24:04Adam Kempenaar:here's matthew aflito in brooklyn new york the scene you massacred was from interstellar i could tell partly from the breathlessness that josh sold through acting although it did sound a little like gollum especially with the elongated s at the end of one of the yeses have we done that have we heard your gollum before a little a little precious in there we had we have to have done gollum you would think. If not, we need to pull that out. The connections included this being a Nolan movie like the Odyssey, also featuring Matt Damon and both as a man so far from home that it seems he will never make it back.

1:24:37Adam Kempenaar:Interstellar is also connected to best of the year so far movie Project Hail Mary as a guy who travels through space to save humankind from nature things.

1:24:47Josh Larsen:All right, you are on it, Matthew. Here's Scott Lentz from San Luis Obispo, California. For other connections, listener poll winner Project Hail Mary has been getting lots of interstellar comps this year, at least in its visuals. And my personal favorite link, Adam's number one movie of the, of 2025. So far Nirvana, the band, the show, the movie prominently features a poster for the dark night to show that Matt and Jay have traveled back to 2008.

1:25:12Adam Kempenaar:Wow. Okay. Yeah. Good catch. Dave Allen in Bonnie Lake, Washington says, Hey guys, I might've only known this was interstellar because I just rewatched it for the recent movie death match episode. good job evoking two out of breath middle-aged dudes it was hard let me tell you method acting i have to say however with all the love in my heart that on the word resisted josh's matt damon seemed to slip into curly from the three stooges which is worse gollum or curly and maybe maybe i

1:25:42Josh Larsen:decided to throw a little curly in there dave well okay i'll never tell i'll never tell you maxwell fletcher has another comment for us he's from new york city your portrayals of out of breath, Damon and McConaughey were so ridiculous in the best way. I'll never be able to watch that scene again without chuckling to myself.

1:26:00Adam Kempenaar:That's what Massacre theater is here for. It is just so ruined scenes that it, it impacts your future viewing of the movie. I think it was Ron Vitale who wrote in and said that I didn't though really throw in any McConaughey like accent. I mean, it was hard, but I didn't really give it any of that Texas twang. You could have. You could have really leaned in and we might have had more entries. Might have had more entries. There wasn't a ton, Josh, but we do have a winner. And you are now going to share that with us. Reach into the Film Spotting hat. Our winner is David Kolb from Whitesboro, New York.

1:26:40Adam Kempenaar:Congratulations, David. Email feedback at filmspotting.net and we will set you up with your very own Film Spotting t-shirt, tote bag, or trial membership to the FilmSpotting family.

1:26:50Josh Larsen:Would the detour so simple? Would the detour so simple? Would the detour so simple? Would the detour so simple? My dear boy, why do you say that? Why do you say twer?

1:27:01Adam Kempenaar:Well, you should say it like I said it. We move on now to this week's edition of Massacre Theatre, and I am going to be totally honest, Josh, before you suggested we do this scene, I was only vaguely aware this movie existed. I think I had heard about it at some point, but I have definitely never seen it. And based on the scene we're about to perform, which don't get me wrong, it's going to be fun. Based on the scene, I don't think I'm ever going to watch it.

1:27:34Josh Larsen:Yeah, I could have told you that. Based on the scene, I'm perplexed that I think I not only saw this and reviewed it, but might have done so positively. I am also perplexed. I want to read it. Have to check the archives on that one. Here's a clue for folks, because this could be a bit of a challenge, but it's appropriate. Spoiler, we're going to spoil our massacre theater scene. I'm tortured in this scene. by this character yes you are it makes sense in the context of it's it's a connection to this show let's say among among other connections to this episode yes that exist in this scene okay any other clues we can give to help people out here i don't think we need to i don't think

1:28:27Adam Kempenaar:so okay uh you are going to start it out so i i i sorry i have to i have to get into character here

1:28:35Josh Larsen:yeah so get angry get really angry i'm gonna give you the actual and action what's the torch for 2000 degrees mick enough to turn steel into butter it won't hurt at first

1:28:57Adam Kempenaar:It's too hot, you see. The flame sears the nerve ending shut, killing them. You'll go into shock and all you'll feel is cold. Isn't science fun, Mickey?

1:29:16Josh Larsen:I don't know shit! you'll smell burning meat and then then it'll hurt i swear i'm telling the truth and scene scene wow very frightening very intimidating my question is how does he how does he know all that is he speaking from personal experience did he just do science research science he was a science teacher in another life I think I don't think that's in that character's lore but well you've seen the movie it's possible

1:29:55Adam Kempenaar:if you know what film we just massacred email the movie's title your name and location he wasn't a cheery teacher the other teachers didn't like him in the lounge much emailed the movie's title your name and location to feedback at filmspotting.net the deadline is Monday August 17th we will select the winner randomly from all the correct entries and announce it in a couple of weeks but if you've seen this movie and you know the scene, you're not a winner. Sorry. Or maybe you are.

1:30:23Josh Larsen:Maybe you are according, according to me. Okay. That's the show, Josh. Mercifully. That is the show. If you want to connect with us on social media, you can find Adam and film spotting at Instagram, Facebook, Letterboxd, YouTube, and blue sky at film spotting. I'm at those places as Larson on film. We are independently produced and listener supported. Please support us by joining the film spotting family at film spotting family.com you can listen early and ad free you also get monthly bonus episodes a weekly newsletter and access to the entire show archive for show t-shirts and other merch go to film spotting.net slash shop in limited release this weekend you can see

1:31:02Adam Kempenaar:the movie josh recommended the samurai and the prisoner out wide eli roth's ice cream man and one night only two strangers callum turner monica barbaro they meet on the one night a year that single people are allowed to have sex. I think that's how it works. Super Troopers 3.

1:31:21Josh Larsen:Have you, like me, seen that trailer about 6 ,000 times? I haven't, actually. Okay. Well, then you're not going to be able to help me because despite all those viewings, I have no idea what the context is here. Is this a social construct? Are we in a dystopia? It doesn't seem dystopian. It seems very like, okay, never mind. Just forget it. We'll move on.

1:31:45Adam Kempenaar:Super Troopers 3 is out. Josh, we go from 2001 to 2018 to this weekend. You can see the third. Be a completist, Josh, and see all of the Super Troopers movies.

1:31:56Josh Larsen:I think I saw the first one.

1:31:57Adam Kempenaar:Really? I'm not sure. Okay. Maybe. Maybe we should do a series. That should be our blind spotting. There you go. Next week in the film spotting feed. We just got an abundance of riches coming to you in the film spotting feed. Sunday, you'll get the final film in our dissident cinema marathon. We're talking about Jafar Panahi's third movie, The Circle, from 2000. Monday, the movie Racket is back. We're coming off a week of movie deathmatch, the first Monday of every month. We're back with Michael and the movie Racket. Guess who he's having on? Everybody loves Slate's Dana Stevens. and they're weighing in on a famous Harry Cohn axiom.

1:32:38Adam Kempenaar:He was the co-founder of Columbia Pictures. And I won't say the quote, I don't have it off the top of my head, but basically he had a famous physical tell when he knew a movie wasn't working for him, Josh. So they're going to get into, and maybe you can share on a future show next week, Josh. Do you have something that kind of gives you an insight into whether or not a movie is working for you? Your eye gets twitchy or something? And that's what it's about.

1:33:03Josh Larsen:So like, I see. So like an actual bodily response.

1:33:07Adam Kempenaar:An actual bodily function that tells you the movie's not working.

1:33:11Josh Larsen:Oh, I mean, as if I wasn't going to listen to the movie racket already. That sounds fascinating. I know. It's going to be a good one. Okay.

1:33:17Adam Kempenaar:Tuesday, Matt Singer and Jordan Hoffman will be back on FilmSpotting SVU, talking brand new day and the state of Spider-Man. And Matt Singer, he wrote the book on Spider-Man. So you want to hear from him. Thursday the next picture show an inspired pairing the Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony paired with Pixar's Ratatouille and then Friday it is our it is our plan to talk about the new the new Jane Schoenbrunn film Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and the new Cold War drama The Brink of War is out as well film spotting is produced by Golden Joe DeSoe and Sam Van

1:33:55Josh Larsen:Halgren. Without Sam and Golden Joe, this show wouldn't go. Our production assistant is Sophie Kempinar. Special thanks to everyone at WBEZ Chicago. More information is available at wbez.org. For Film Spotting, I'm Josh Larson.

1:34:09Adam Kempenaar:And I'm Adam Kempinar. Thanks for listening. This conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

1:34:26Josh Larsen:The Hulu original series Furious is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Starring Emmy Rossum as Alice Black, Furious follows a rookie FBI agent on the hunt for Catherine, played by Lola Petticrew, a mysterious and calculating female serial killer. While Alice upholds justice, Catherine kills for it, terrorizing the rich and powerful men of New York in her pursuit of vengeance. With secrets that change everything, Alice discovers there's a thin line between Hunter and Prey. Watch the Hulu original series, Furious. Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

1:35:04Josh Larsen:Apple Vacations, where your story starts.

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1:35:44Adam Kempenaar:Caroline knew right away he was the man she would spend her life with. But then she got a text that changed everything. The man she loved was a severe sex addict, having affair after affair with so many different women in his cop car while on duty. I implore you to watch Betrayal Dirty Secrets, now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Ugh, hon, the ice cream has turned to soup. I think the fridge is finally dead.

1:36:10Josh Larsen:Hopping on grandappliance.com.

1:36:12Adam Kempenaar:Great idea. They were awesome with the Samsung Ranger microwave we bought last year.

1:36:17Josh Larsen:Oh, they have matching Samsung in stock and next day delivery.

1:36:21Adam Kempenaar:Let me see. Oh, yeah, that looks perfect.

1:36:24Josh Larsen:I hope we get the same delivery crew. Those guys were awesome.

1:36:27Adam Kempenaar:Agree.

1:36:27Josh Larsen:Total pros. Another crisis averted by the team at Grand Appliance, appliance experts since 1930.

From the publisher

After a five-year hiatus, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is back on the big screen with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, this time battling anonymity, a host of nemeses, and some arachnid-related changes. Adam and Josh have a review. Plus thoughts on the new doc Everybody to Kenmure Street and the latest from Pulse and Cloud director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, The Samurai and the Prisoner.    

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.

(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:02:22)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (00:02:23-00:44:22)

Filmspotting Family (00:44:23-00:48:35)

Everybody to Kenmure Street (00:48:36-01:08:32)

The Samurai and the Prisoner (01:08:33-01:12:39)

Massacre Theatre (01:12:40-01:20:03)

Credits / Releases (01:20:04-01:24:02)

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Everybody to Kenmure Street, The Samurai and The PrisonerFilmspotting · 1 h 27 min
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