Four Play

Colors came out in 1988 and was the first film to put the Bloods and Crips on screen by name. It feels cheesy now. It would have felt raw as hell then. Richard Lewis, MonteCristo, and Thorin open the Robert Duvall arc with the movie that crawled so Training Day, The Wire, and End of Watch could run. PrizePicks — Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/FOURPLAY and use code FOURPLAY and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup!

THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021) is often described as abstract, slow, or confusing, but those labels miss what the film is actually doing. Directed by David Lowery, this Arthurian adaptation isn’t a puzzle to be solved, but a moral fable about avoidance and the cost of refusing to grow up. In this episode of Four Play, Richard Lewis, MonteCristo, and Thorin break down why The Green Knight is less concerned with symbolism and mythology than it is with character. Gawain’s journey isn’t about heroism, it’s about procrastination, self-deception, and the terrifying moment when excuses run out. Rather than presenting a traditional fantasy quest, the film strips the genre down to its emotional core. Each encounter tests Gawain not with strength or cleverness, but with honesty and courage, which are virtues he repeatedly fails to embody until the moment that finally matters. Raycon's Essential Open Earbuds are here to help you crush your new year goals! Go to https://buyraycon.com/FOURPLAYOPEN to get 20% off sitewide.

THE OLD MAN & THE GUN (2018) feels less like a typical crime movie and more like a gentle farewell not just to a character, but to an entire Hollywood era. Directed by David Lowery, the film stars Robert Redford as Forrest Tucker, a lifelong bank robber whose crimes are defined not by violence, but by charm, politeness, and an irresistible love of the game. As the final entry in our Robert Redford Arc, this episode explores why THE OLD MAN & THE GUN works as a perfect swan song. The film distills everything that made Redford an icon: effortless charisma, moral ambiguity, romanticism without sentimentality, and a deep understanding of aging, obsession, and identity. What emerges is a crime story with almost no tension and yet carries enormous emotional weight. Lowery shoots the film on Super 16mm, giving it the texture and warmth of a 1970s classic, while Redford delivers one of his most restrained and expressive performances. Paired with a beautifully understated turn from Sissy Spacek, and supported by a stacked cast that includes Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, and Tom Waits, the film becomes a meditation on what it means to keep doing the thing you love even when the world tells you it’s time to stop. Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/FOURPLAY and use code FOURPLAY and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Turn your expensive wireless present into a huge wireless savings future by switching to Mint. Shop Mint Unlimited Plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/FOURPLAY Raycon audio products are up to 20% off this holiday season! Go to https://buyraycon.com/FOURPLAYOPEN to save on Raycon audio products sitewide.

QUIZ SHOW (1994) shouldn’t work on paper: a quiet film about a 1950s game-show scandal, congressional hearings, and a rigged trivia show with no violence, no twist ending, and no flashy hook. And yet Robert Redford turns it into one of the most compelling American dramas of the decade: a deceptively sharp story about class, ambition, performance, and the birth of mass media. Raycon audio products are up to 20% off this holiday season! Go to https://buyraycon.com/FOURPLAYOPEN to save on Raycon audio products sitewide. Order by December 15th guarantee delivery by Christmas because great gifts shouldn’t show up late! Turn your expensive wireless present into a huge wireless savings future by switching to Mint Mobile! Shop Mint Unlimited Plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/FOURPLAY

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most influential works of horror, science fiction, and gothic literature, but does Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited 2025 adaptation succeed in its representation of the novel? In this episode of Four Play, MonteCristo, Thorin, and Richard Lewis dig into why this debate the merits of the films visuals, story, and faithfulness to the original themes. While our hosts may not enjoy the source material, the ideas behind the story could be compelling on film if interpreted properly. However, considering the narrative inconsistencies and the surprising lack of tension, the hosts explore how Frankenstein ends up being a film that has all the pieces but none of the spark that makes the story immortal. Along the way, they talk about the legacy of gothic horror, the challenges of adapting philosophical novels for modern audiences, how del Toro’s filmmaking strengths and weaknesses show through, and why this version feels more like a visual poem than a fully realized narrative. Shop the Into the AM Black Friday Sale! All items are up to 60% off through the 8th of December. This is in addition to the 10% you always save by using our link: https://intotheam.com/LFN Black Friday is around the corner, and Raycon audio products are up to 30% off sitewide! Go to https://buyraycon.com/FOURPLAYOPEN to save on Raycon audio products sitewide. Don’t get them socks. Get them premium wireless for $15/mo. Shop Mint Unlimited Plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/FOURPLAY.

Suspiria is one of the most beautiful and unsettling horror films ever made. Dario Argento’s 1977 masterpiece drenches witchcraft in light and color, turning a simple story about a dance academy into a surreal nightmare of sound, architecture, and occult energy. In this episode, MonteCristo, Thorin, and Richard Lewis close out Four Play’s Occult Horror Arc by examining how Suspiria reshaped the language of horror cinema. From Goblin’s legendary score to Argento’s impossible lighting, they explore why this film’s dreamlike atmosphere endures nearly fifty years later and whether its magic still holds up in 2025. They also discuss the legacy of Italian auteur Dario Argento, the power of color as horror, and how Suspiria’s female hierarchy and dream logic differ from modern horror storytelling. Finally, the hosts announce their next series: the Robert Redford Arc, celebrating the career of one of cinema’s most charismatic and influential figures. Black Friday is around the corner, and Raycon audio products are up to 30% off sitewide! Go to https://www.buyraycon.com/FOURPLAYOPEN to save on Raycon audio products sitewide.

Hereditary marks the rebirth of modern horror with a story where fate, family, and madness collide under the control of unseen forces. Ari Aster’s directorial debut turns grief into tragedy and domestic life into ritual, where every characters fate is inescapable and preordained. With Toni Collette’s raw, unforgettable performance at its center, this film doesn’t ask if evil exists, it simply shows what happens when it wins.

What happens when journalism isn’t about uncovering corruption in boardrooms, but surviving on the front lines of a civil war? Oliver Stone’s Salvador (1986) throws James Woods into the chaos of Central America’s brutal conflict, where photojournalism becomes both a weapon and a death sentence. The hosts dissect how Salvador critiques America’s political interests abroad, captures the moral decay of wartime journalism, and showcases one of Woods’ greatest performances.