Ep 121: American Fiction

Nate and Ryan talk about 2023’s American Fiction, written and directed by Cord Jefferson and starring Jeffrey Wright. Both Nate and Ryan are big fans of author Percival Everett and his novel Erasure, which American Fiction is adapted from. For that reason, expectations were high for this Academy-Award winning movie. Critics all loved it, and the limited audiences who saw it seemed to as well. So what did Nate and Ryan think?

Share your thoughts on American Fiction, Percival Everett, and anything else you want us to know!

 

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Ep. 116: The ‘Burbs

For our Gap Year T. Hanksgiving, Nate and Ryan watch The ‘Burbs, the 1989 Tom Hanks cult classic directed by Joe Dante. Featuring a stacked cast, including Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, and Corey Feldman, in addition to the man himself, The ‘Burbs is a horror/comedy that kind of befuddled audiences and critics in the late ’80s, but has developed a growing reputation as a prescient criticism of the corrosive power of a humdrum suburban existence. The ‘Burbs showcases the burgeoning realist side of Hanks, but gives plenty of opportunity for over-the-top crazy Hanks to shine through.

Let us know your thoughts on The ‘Burbs!

Links

Roger Ebert’s review of The ‘Burbs

The ‘Burbs at 30: how the cult comedy horror skewered suburbia by Charles Bramesco

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Follow Can We Still Be Friends? on Facebook and Instagram and don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Send us a message anytime.

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Ep. 105: Josie and the Pussycats (Feat. Andrew Johnson)

Nate and Ryan invite long-time friend Andrew Johnson in to discuss 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats, a flop when it was released 21 years ago, but now a film that many are rethinking as its lasting impact is more apparent. Andrew has championed Josie ever since he first saw it in college, and has now brought his campaign to us. From the music, to the fashion, to the razor sharp criticism of corporate tastemakers, people are beginning to realize that Josie and the Pussycats was operating on a level that went over most people’s heads in 2001.

 

Listen to Josie and the Podcats by Maria Lewis and Blake Howard

Read Roger Ebert’s half star review

20 years ago, Josie And The Pussycats flopped, but its soundtrack deserves another listen by Phil Freeman (Stereogum)

Josie & The Pussycats Was Way Too Jerkin’ For Its Time by Anne Cohen (Refinery29)

 

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Ep. 91: Coming to America/Coming 2 America

Nate and Ryan discuss the 1988 Eddie Murphy classic Coming to America and its 2021 sequel, Coming 2 America. The original is held in high regard, but the sequel has received mixed reviews, even by ardent fans of the 1988 smash hit that cemented Eddie Murphy’s place as a comedy superstar. Eddie Murphy brings back as many of those in the original cast as he could, but does he bring the magic of the original back?

What does Coming to America mean to you? Is Coming 2 America a worthy sequel? What’s your favorite Eddie Murphy movie? Let us know!

 

Sources

Clown Princes: Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall on Coming 2 America. New York Times.

How Coming to America Flipped the Script on Eddie Murphy’s Career. Vulture.

Coming 2 America review by Odie Henderson. Rogerebert.com.

Coming 2 America review by Eric Kohn. IndieWire.

Ep 81: Bridget Jones’s Diary

Nate and Ryan watch Bridget Jones’s Diary and discuss their feelings about it, until they turn their critical eyes on themselves. The episode ends up being quite a departure for CWSBF as we realize just how problematic it is that we feel the need to weigh in on movies that aren’t for us. For many people, Bridget Jones’s Diary teaches them to like themselves just the way they are, but what happens when the way we are makes us unbearable f*ckwits?

What are your thoughts on Bridget Jones’s Diary? Let us know!

For perhaps some more informed thoughts on the movie: