A24 On The Rocks

In this 2017 black comedy starring Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson: a couple IRA members look to make a gun deal in 1978 Boston. When one of their underlings appears to have assaulted the cousin of someone in the gun sales gang, the deal goes awry in quick and comedic fashion. Free Fire was directed by Ben Wheatley and executive produced by Martin Scorcese, and it also boasts the world record for longest continuous gun fight in a film at 55 minutes. What will the A24 Rocks crew think of this Quentin Tarantino-esque piece of cinema? Caution: movie spoilers. Intro- 0 to 2:14. Film Discussion- 2:15 to 53:40. Film Ratings- 53:41 to End.

Halloween month happened to line up with an A24 film that is becoming more well-known in horror film circles: The Blackcoat's Daughter. Written and directed by Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins who portrayed Norman Bates in Psycho), The Blackcoat's Daughter is about a girl named Kat (portrayed by Kiernan Shipka) whose parents seemingly forgot to pick her up for winter break from her Catholic boarding school. A fellow student named Rose (portrayed by Lucy Boynton) is dealing with issues of her own when Kat begins getting overtaken by a demonic force. What will the A24 Rocks crew rate this supernatural horror? Intro: 0-2:10. Film Discussion: 2:10-59:00. Film Ratings: 59:00-End. Next five A24 films we're reviewing: 48. Free Fire. 49. The Lovers. 50. The Exception. 51. It Comes At Night. 52. A Ghost Story.

The first film A24 distributed in 2017 was Trespass Against Us, a crime drama starring Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson. Directed by Adam Smith and written by Alastair Siddons: this movie follows a family of British crooks that have set up an RV Park in a field in Gloucestershire, England. Michael Fassbender plays our main character, Chad Cutler, and Brendan Gleeson plays the patriarch of the family, Colby Cutler. After one rough heist and pressure from his wife, Chad comes to a crossroads on if he wants to continue with the family business. How will these movie reviewers debate the 46th film in the A24 catalogue? Caution: movie spoilers. Intro: 0-2:57. Film Discussion: 2:57-56:34. Film Ratings: 56:34-End. The next 5 films we're reviewing: 47. The Blackcoat's Daughter 48. Free Fire 49. The Lovers 50. The Exception 51. It Comes At Night

The A24 rocks crew has finished reviewing the 2016 year of A24 and you know what that means: THE 2016 A24 OSCARS! Seven Oscar Isaac's will be given out tonight for the 2016 year of A24 including: best picture, best director, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, and best screenplay (original or adapted). How this will work is simple... democracy. Each reviewer gets to vote on each category, and whatever nominee gets the most votes will win. They've also invited a special guest of YouTube fame: The Martini Shot (https://www.youtube.com/@themartinishot)! Tune into see who will be green knighted the best in the 2016 year of A24.

A24's last film of 2016 was 20th Century Women, a slice of life drama featuring a star-studded cast that included Annette Benning, Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig (director of Barbie), and Elle Fanning. Writer and Director Mike Mills was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for this film. It revolves around a teenager named Jamie (played by Lucas Jade Zumann), his single mom Dorothea (played by Annette Benning), and their unconventional life in Santa Barbara, California where they live in a charming old house with two other tenants. Taking place in 1979, 20th Century Women features one of the greatest soundtracks in A24 history, using music to juxtapose the generations of each of its characters. What will these A24 film reviewers think of the final film A24 distributed in 2016? Caution: movie spoilers. Next two episodes: Mt. Rushmore of 2013-2016 A24 Films The 2016 A24 Oscars

The A24 rocks crew review their first "creature feature" horror film with The Monster starring Ella Ballentine and Zoe Kazan. The Monster is about a rocky relationship between an alcoholic mom named Kathy and her daughter Lizzy. Kathy must drop Lizzy off at her father's house several hours away, and on this road trip: they get in a car accident and soon find out that what caused the car accident may be a mix between Alien and Godzilla. Through a series of flashbacks, it's revealed how far gone Kathy's alcoholism is. Can this mother and daughter duo defeat a monster and alcoholism? Caution: movie spoilers. 1 more film until The 2016 A24 Oscars: 45. 20th Century Women

In 2016, the Academy Award winning producers of Amy (a previous A24 film about Amy Winehouse) focused their filmmaking prowess on the 90s Britpop band Oasis. Many know Oasis from hits such as Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger, and Champagne Supernova. Others also know them as a dysfunctional band who couldn't make their way out of the tabloids due to feuds between brother's Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher. This documentary focuses on the formation of Oasis and their meteoric rise to stardom. Just as the Amy Winehouse documentary did: this film puts you in the time and place of the band by mostly using found footage, while the interviewees never appear on screen. What did these film reviewers think of the second documentary distributed by A24? Caution: movie spoilers. Two more movies before the 2016 A24 Oscars: 44. The Monster 45. 20th Century Women

In 2016, A24 produced their first full length film in "Moonlight," and it ended up winning three Oscars including Best Picture. Almost no film studio’s win Best Picture with the first movie they produce, but many knew Moonlight was special the day it was released. Written and directed by Barry Jenkins and based off a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney: Moonlight brings us into the world of Little, Chiron, and Black. Little is growing up in poverty in Liberty City, Miami with a single mom (played by Naomie Harris) and a peer group that does not accept him. Juan (played by Mahershala Ali) finds him in an abandoned apartment complex running away from bullies, and quickly becomes the father figure he never had. Many say this beautifully photographed and phenomenally acted arthouse piece was one of the best film's of the last 25 years. Do these ragtag group of Midwestern film reviewers agree? Caution: movie spoilers.

Just in time for July 4th week: today these A24 fans review the 2016 film "American Honey" written and directed by Andrea Arnold. Starring Sasha Lane and Shia LeBeuof: American Honey is about a woman named Star. We drop into her life as she takes care of her half brother and half sister. When Star is getting food at a supermarket: she meets a man named Jake (played by Shia Lebouf) who offers her a job making “$300 a day.” After one rough day at home with her sexually abusive father, Star decides to drop her half brother and sister off with their biological mom at the local Frogwild Saloon before she joins Jake on the road as part of a magazine sales crew. Andrea Arnold was inspired to make this film after reading a 2007 New York Times article written by Ian Urbina about the brutally unregulated industry of door-to-door magazine sales. How will the fleeting scent of patriotism make the A24 Rocks crew discuss this American film? Caution: movie spoilers. Next 4 A24 films we're reviewing before the 2016 A24 Oscars: 42. Moonlight 43. Oasis: Supersonic 44. The Monster 45. 20th Century Women

Morris From America is a 2016 coming-of-age comedy starring Markees Christmas and Craig Robinson (The Office, This Is The End) about an African-American father and son living in a small town in Germany, while the father coaches soccer. Morris deals with being a fish out of water by holding onto his American roots as an avid hip-hop lover, but it isn't before long that he meets a teenage girl named Katrin who pushes him out of his shell. Although the film wasn't commercially successful, it screened at Sundance Film Festival winning a special jury prize, and garnered much critical praise following its release. These A24 fans bring along guest Christopher Para to discuss the comedic and dramatic beats of the movie, while also discussing their own unique stories of partying in strange places inspired by a scene from the film. What will they rate Morris From America? Caution: movie spoilers. Our next five films we're reviewing: 40. The Sea of Trees 41. American Honey 42. Moonlight 43. Oasis: Supersonic 44. The Monster

Equals is a A24 Dystopian Sci-Fi film starring Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart (who was only a few years removed from the Twilight saga) about a post-apocalyptic world where emotions are essentially outlawed. Directed by Drake Doremus and written by Nathan Parker, this film is filled with brutalist architecture and bland tones while asking the question: if we could have no war and have fantastic scientific advances in medicine, would it be worth it to have no emotion? Equals premiered at the Venice International Film Festival before A24 picked it up for distribution. These A24 nerds debate and review Equals while delving into the deep philosophical questions the film asks. Does this introspection lead them to giving it a favorable review? Caution: movie spoilers. Next five A24 films we're reviewing: 38. Into the Forrest 39. Morris from America 40. The Sea of Trees 41. American Honey 42. Moonlight

For the A24 Rocks crew's 35th movie review, they take on the 2016 documentary "De Palma," directed by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow. They also invite fellow postman and world-renowned Brian De Palma expert Ray Neeman onto the podcast, who has seen and lived De Palma's whole filmography. This documentary is an autobiographical look into every single Brian De Palma film (director of Scarface, Carrie, and Mission Impossible), featuring an exclusive and intimate interview with the director himself. De Palma takes you through his films in chronological order and give you inside baseball (a phrase our host Cole can't stand) on how his films were made. Does this documentary live up to the standard Brian De Palma set in his own films? This pride of A24 film nerds discuss and debate it. Caution: movie spoilers. Follow our guest and fellow film lover Ray Neeman on Letterbox: https://letterboxd.com/rdiddy624/.

The Adderall Diaries is a 2016 Crime-Drama based off a autobiographical book by Stephen Elliott. Stephen Elliott is an author struggling with Adderall addiction when he is exposed as a fraud by his own father, the same man who beat him as a child, it isn't long before his life begins to implode. Through flashbacks from Elliott's childhood, we see his troubled adolescence and ponder how Elliott became the masochist he is. Starring James Franco, Amber Heard, Christian Slater, Ed Harris, and Timothee Chalamet: this star-studded ensemble must've thought they were going to strike gold when Franco bought the rights to the novel, only for Elliott to ostracize the movie. Was Elliott in the right? These A24 nerds discuss and give their ratings. Caution: movie spoilers.