In The Queue - Film Conversations with Andrew and Phil

Episode 378 - Die Hard *Christmas Episode*

[https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/61639/diehard.jpg] ITQ returns to the airwaves with a special episode to pose the question: Is DIE HARD the greatest Christmas movie of all time?  Joining Andrew and Phil is returning champion, Drew!  The three movie nerds discuss why the classic 80's action film still holds up thirty years later.  Here's a hint - the excellent screenplay is a big reason.  This talk ranges from Alan Rickman's bad guy persona, to a production that kept rewriting itself as it went on, and just how earned was it to have Reginald VelJohnson's character kill that villain at the end?  You won't want to miss this episode.

Episode 377 - Naked Lunch *Listener's Choice*

[https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/61639/nakedlunch.jpg] Drew returns to the program to discuss what is undoubtedly the greatest film adaptation of William Burroughs' writing.  NAKED LUNCH is a surreal, inscrutable journey into the world of drug abuse and creative turmoil.  Good thing we have Drew to talk us through it.  The conversation ranges from homoerotic undertones and the warmth of Cronenberg.  Give this podcast a listen!

Episode 376 - Sorry To Bother You

[https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/61639/sorrytobotheryou.jpg] This sci-fi comedy set in alternate Oakland is unlike anything else you've seen.  It's the brainchild of Boots Riley, a hip hop artist who's been dreaming up this film for many years.  The discussion covers the machinations of the film's premise and the metaphor of a "white voice", which the main character Cassius employs in order to prosper at this job.  Great acting all around makes for a solid moviegoing experience.

Episode 375 - Leave No Trace

[https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/61639/lavenotrace.jpg] This is a film that begins as a meditation on living in nature, under the principles support the idea behind the title, and then soon becomes an examination of two people trying to make their way in a bustling city.  LEAVE NO TRACE reminded me of A24's ROOM in an inverse way, but it also recalls certain moments of THE HURT LOCKER.  Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie give very natural performances as the father-daughter who try to cling to each other, although the daughter begins to feel a pull once she reaches Portland.  A wonderful film by Debra Granik.

Episode 374 - The Lure *Listener's Choice*

[https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/61639/thelure.jpg] Agnieszka Smocyńska directs this horror musical mash-up film, the first musical to ever come from the nation of Poland.  It takes place in an alternate 1980s, at a nightclub that hosts two carnivorous singing mermaids.  If you like your movies moody and weird, then this one is for you.  There's nothing quite like it and it's certainly a cinematic experience.  The delightful Leticia joins ITQ to talk about this singular film, a recent addition to the Criterion Collection.