Heavy is the Crown

Heavy is the Crown

Ep. 36 - The Long Good Friday & Casino This week, we are stepping into the halls of crumbling criminal empires with John Mackenzie’s The Long Good Friday (1980) and Martin Scorsese’s Casino (1995). These films feature protagonists who operate as kings in their own respects, letting their massive egos blind them to the immediate threats right in front of their faces. We look at how Harold Shand’s dream of a legitimized London empire clashes with a political nightmare, and how Sam "Ace" Rothstein’s obsession with total control in Vegas ultimately creates his own downfall. It is a double feature about the illusion of power, the volatility of the underworld, and the high cost of unchecked ambition. Whether it is the rainy streets of London or the blinding neon of the desert, both films show that a king is only as strong as the foundation he ignores. Plus, we dig into the incredible performances from Helen Mirren and Sharon Stone, who serve as the crucial anchors to these men of ambition. 🎬 Movies Discussed The Long Good Friday (1980, Dir. John Mackenzie) Casino (1995, Dir. Martin Scorsese) 🕰️ Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:45 Derek and Jake decide on their Top Scorsese picks 8:42 The Long Good Friday 36:08 Casino 1:05:11 Outro/Closing thoughts 📀 Physical Media Shoutouts @criterioncollection 🔗 Find & Follow PhantasmaCast: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@2certifiedbangers Instagram: https://instagram.com/2certifiedbangers TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@2certifiedbangers Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/phantasmacast/id1745055694 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0eifTBsW1y8CkGQppn81Hp 💬 Join the Conversation Do you prefer the gritty British realism of The Long Good Friday or the maximalist operatic tragedy of Casino? Let us know in the comments. #TheLongGoodFriday #CasinoMovie #MartinScorsese #BritishCinema #NeoNoir ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Allegories & Anchovies

Ep. 35 - Bad Lieutenant & Dragged Across Concrete This week, we are looking at the law of the street with Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant (1992) and S. Craig Zahler’s Dragged Across Concrete (2018). We explore "cops crashing out," looking at how these films handle officers who have completely abandoned the rulebook. Bad Lieutenant serves as a visceral redemption story, suggesting that even the most irredeemable, drug-addled soul can find a moment of spiritual clarity. In contrast, Dragged Across Concrete functions as a pulpy reactionist fantasy. It presents a world of "white persecution" where the line between the badge and the mask is non-existent. We discuss how Zahler frames cops and criminals as two halves of the same coin, locked in a slow-burn cycle of suspicion and violence. 🎬 Movies Discussed Bad Lieutenant (1992, Dir. Abel Ferrara) Dragged Across Concrete (2018, Dir. S. Craig Zahler) 🕰️Chapters 0:00 Intro 2:34 Bad Lieutenant 38:39 Dragged Across Concrete 1:09:08 Conclusion or Final Thoughts Regarding "Morality in Media" 📀 Physical Media Shoutouts @KinoLorber and @Lionsgate 🔗 Find & Follow PhantasmaCast YouTube: youtube.com/@2certifiedbangers Instagram: instagram.com/2certifiedbangers TikTok: tiktok.com/@2certifiedbangers Apple Podcasts: apple.co/phantasmacast Spotify: spoti.fi/phantasmacast 💬 Join the Conversation Does LT actually deserve redemption, or is Zahler's cynical worldview more realistic? Let us know in the comments. #BadLieutenant #DraggedAcrossConcrete #AbelFerrara #SCraigZahler #Cinephile Who is the ultimate "crash out" cop in your opinion? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Noir Guys Finish Lost

This week, we are walking the beat with Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973) and Shane Black’s The Nice Guys (2016). These films represent two sides of the same tarnished coin. We look at Philip Marlowe as a relic of a moral code that simply does not apply to the world anymore. In The Long Goodbye, Marlowe is a ghost in his own life, stumbling through a cynical, hazy L.A. that has no room for his brand of loyalty. Contrast that with The Nice Guys, where our leads are trying to affect change against an overwhelming tide of corporate and political corruption, only to realize the deck is stacked against them. It is a double feature about the failure of the private eye archetype. Whether it is the nihilistic malaise of the 70s or the frantic comedy of a modern action-noir, both films suggest that the truth does not set you free, it just makes you tired. 🎬 Movies Discussed The Long Goodbye (1973, Dir. Robert Altman) The Nice Guys (2016, Dir. Shane Black) 🕰️ Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:45 "95 KFM Home of PhantasmaCast"/Shane Black and Other Musings 10:19 The Long Goodbye 41:55 The Nice Guys 1:10:46 Outro or "Never Trust a Billionaire" 📀 Physical Media Shoutouts @KinoLorber and @WarnerArchive 🔗 Find & Follow PhantasmaCast YouTube: https://youtube.com/@2certifiedbangers Instagram: https://instagram.com/2certifiedbangers TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@2certifiedbangers Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/phantasmacast/id1745055694 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0eifTBsW1y8CkGQppn81Hp 💬 Join the Conversation ☝️ Does Philip Marlowe work better as a ghost in the machine or as a bumbling fixer trying to stay afloat? Let us know in the comments. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The (Meta) Movie Business

This week, we are stepping into the Hollywood house of mirrors with Robert Altman’s The Player (1992) and Spike Jonze’s Adaptation (2002). These aren't just movies about making movies; they are cynical, paranoid love letters to the nightmare of the creative process. We look at how Griffin Mill’s life in The Player becomes the very thriller he is trying to produce, and how Charlie Kaufman literally writes himself into a corner in Adaptation. It is a double feature about the high cost of the "pitch," the absurdity of the studio system, and the paralyzing fear that you might just be a hack. Whether it is a studio executive getting away with murder or a screenwriter having a nervous breakdown on the page, both films suggest that in Hollywood, the story eventually consumes the storyteller. 🎬 Movies Discussed The Player (1992, Dir. Robert Altman) Adaptation (2002, Dir. Spike Jonze) 🕰️ Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:45 Favorite movies "about" movies 11:50 "The Player" (1992) 47:31 "Adaptation." (2002) 1:14:57 (very) Final Thoughts 📀 Physical Media Shoutouts  @criterioncollection  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCAP57cF-FSjJKzzXg7ntPlQ] and  @ShoutFactoryVEVO  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC-oYSv96tFifyD-Lijqs5mw] 🔗 Find & Follow PhantasmaCast YouTube: https://youtube.com/@2certifiedbangers Instagram: https://instagram.com/2certifiedbangers TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@2certifiedbangers Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/phantasmacast/id1745055694 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0eifTBsW1y8CkGQppn81Hp 💬 Join the Conversation Do you prefer the cynical Hollywood satire of The Player or the neurotic self reflection of Adaptation? Let us know in the comments. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Abyss Stares Back

"When you stare into the abyss, does it also stare back?" This week, Jake and Derek are obsessing over the "Auteur Procedural." We are pairing Bong Joon Ho’s 2003 masterpiece Memories of Murder with David Fincher’s 2007 magnum opus Zodiac. Both films are meticulously researched, deeply atmospheric, and focused on the cost of the chase rather than the identity of the killer. We are looking at the nature of obsession through the lens of these intense investigations. These films mirror the fixations of their protagonists in the very way they were made, with David Fincher and Bong Joon Ho displaying an almost clinical level of research and technical precision. It is a look at how a search for the truth can consume everyone involved, from the detectives on the ground to the directors behind the camera. 0:00 Introduction 1:38 2 Certified Questions... 4:37 Content Warning: Films we discuss feature SA and true crimes 10:15 Memories of Murder (2003) 43:22 Zodiac (2007) 1:11:46 Wrap up/Final Thoughts Join the Conversation: Which of these films leaves you feeling more unsettled? Have you picked up the 4K restorations yet? Let us know in the comments! Support the Show: 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/phantasmacast/id1745055694 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0eifTBsW1y8CkGQppn81Hp?si=dc5901c049b3410e 📸 Instagram: @2certifiedbangers 🎥 TikTok: @2certifiedbangers #PhantasmaCast #2CertifiedBangers #ZodiacMovie #MemoriesOfMurder #BongJoonHo #DavidFincher #PhysicalMedia #TrueCrimeCinema ☝️ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.