Recommend or Refute | The Master (2012), The Toy (1982), & Citizen Kane (1941)

Recommend or Refute | The Master (2012), The Toy (1982), & Citizen Kane (1941)

We're back with another Recommend or Refute conversation.  John finally decides to watch a good movie and is blown away by Paul Thomas Anderson's epic character piece The Master (2012), Ryan goes dumpster diving with Richard Pryor in The Toy (1982), and Dixon tackles one of cinema's all-time greats with Orson Welles' debut film Citizen Kane (1941).  Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and join us.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

On the heels of our Disclosure Day (2026) episode, we're taking another slice of the Spielberg pie as we dissect his Kubrick-inspired sci-fi film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).  Is it an overlooked masterpiece deserving of reassessment, or is it a fractured mess that doesn't quite work?

Recommend or Refute | A Different Man (2024), The Toy Story Saga, I Love Booster (2026), & Spider-Noir (2026)

We're down a host this week, but we threw in an extra movie to make it up to you.  John's in the mood for offbeat indie comedies with A Different Man (2024), Aaron Schimberg's dark exploration of identity and disability, and I Love Boosters (2026), Boots Riley's surreal exposé of capitalism in the fashion industry.  Dixon's skewing more mainstream with Toy Story 1-4 (1995-2019), and the Nicolas Cage Marvel television show Spider-Noir (2026).

Disclosure Day (2026)

It's not often that we bring so many new movies to the podcast for Recommend or Refute or main discussions, but here we are. The new Steven Spielberg film is loose and somehow it's getting positive reviews. Clocking in at almost 2.5 hours, Disclosure Day (2026) is Spielberg's take on what's required to get the truth out into the universe, but is it truly Spielberg's best film in 20 years (according to certain outlets)?  Dixon and John don't have much nice to say about it. Are they just being haters? With a special guest sitting in, what afterthoughts will be disclosed? You'll just to have to listen to find out.

Recommend or Refute | Anaconda (2025), Backrooms (2026), The Death of Robin Hood (2026)

We have quite a contemporary collection of choices to present on this episode of Recommend or Refute. Ryan decided to conjure up a snakes on a plane by watching last year's Anaconda (2025) as his in-flight feature. Dixon ventured into the directorial debut of liminal space aficionado Kane Parsons as he maps out his thoughts on Backrooms (2026), and John shares his impressions of Michael Sarnoski's meditation on myth and legacy with The Death of Robin Hood (2026).