Movies with My DadA podcast where I, film critic Tina Kakadelis, and my dad, Stratis, talk about a movie on the car ride home.
My dad is desperate for feedback! Shoot us, but mostly him, an email at movieswithmydadpod@gmail.com
You can listen to us right here or take us with you on your favorite Podcast app.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Episode 104: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The world lost a truly wonderful spirit this week. We do our best to give Dolly Parton a film tribute by watching The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. It’s hard to explain how a film about Texas sex workers can be turned into a wholesome musical, but that’s the magic of Dolly. There are some great performances throughout, but Charles Durning stands out as the dancing/singing governor of Texas. He almost steals the entire show. Tina gives us all a Dolly history lesson, while Stratis covers the real story this movie is based on. Dolly’s singing and acting were a huge contribution to the world’s happiness, but don’t forget about the free books she gives to kids through her Imagination Library. Dolly, we will miss you.
Music - "New York Big Jazz" by MagikStudio/Jamendo/Adobe Stock
Idiots
Episode 103: Idiots
When a movie has a title like Idiots, you go in wondering if you should even bother to see it. Writer/director Macon Blair wanted to make a comedy about two hapless losers who get hired to transport a delinquent rich kid to rehab. On its face, that seems like a strong premise for all kinds of hijinx, but what we get instead is just not funny, and that’s a real problem for a comedy. To be fair, there were a couple of dudes in the theater who really seemed to enjoy the show, but they may have been operating on a HIGHER plane.
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Tony
Episode 102: Tony
Tony is the superhero origin story for one of the culinary world’s greatest personalities, Anthony Bourdain. Dominic Sessa plays Tony, who spends the two-hour runtime sulking in the corner of every room he enters. He’s a sad, scrawny little guy, and that’s normally all Tina needs to enjoy a film, but this one just doesn’t deliver. Somehow they missed all the charisma and personality that Bourdain's fans know from his many shows and books. Stratis didn’t have much good to say either. We did learn how to shuck an oyster, so that’s something.
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The End of Oak Street
Episode 101: The End of Oak Street
Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor take us back to the ’80s, but then they get flung straight into the Jurassic age in this time-traveling wormhole of a movie. Tina and Stratis discuss the important question of whether dinosaurs are red or white meat and how these weird sci-fi movies are just metaphors for the ills of humanity. Given that this movie had both wormholes and dinosaurs, you would think that would have been enough to pull Stratis in, but he still wanted more, while Tina was totally checked out. How much more does a filmmaker need to make us happy? Oh, yeah, maybe a solid ending wouldn’t hurt. So if you’re in the mood for a Jurassic Park meets Back to the Future movie, maybe go watch them instead.
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One Night Only
Episode 100: One Night Only
This is our one hundredth episode and we couldn’t be happier. If you ask Google AI about this podcast, it says, “Tina provides professional critical insight, while Stratis offers hilariously candid, unfiltered reactions.” Who can argue with an algorithm?
As for this week’s movie, if you’ve ever wondered what a rom com would be like in a dystopian world where sex was illegal except for one day of the year, this one’s for you. One Night Only is a mash-up of Sleepless in Seattle and Logan’s Run, with Fingernails thrown in for some sci-fi techno fun. We have very different opinions about how much of a romantic comedy this is, and at least one of us wanted the lead male actor, Callum Turner, to spend more time learning how to toss a pizza. Let’s see who the true romantic really is!
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Episode 99: Spider-Man: Brand New Day
We’re back in the world of superheroes, and this time we aren’t talking about the Odyssey. Spider-Man: Brand New Day lets us fly through the canyon walls of NYC better than any thrill ride does. Guess which one of us just doesn’t care? It’s Tina, and she spends much of our ride wishing superhero movies would do more than just retell the same old stories. She’s seen it all before and blames Hollywood for not investing enough in unique takes on this genre. And she’s still upset about the last Supergirl movie. Stratis, like the rest of the audience, was just having a great time.
Music - "New York Big Jazz" by MagikStudio/Jamendo/Adobe Stock
Her Private Hell
Episode 98: Her Private Hell
Have you been searching for hours of experimental cinema filled with colorful lights and shadows and not much else? If so, director Nicolas Winding Refn has made the perfect movie for you – Her Private Hell. It’s two hours of confusing artistic cinema with some daddy issues thrown in for fun. Tina tries to explain this “masterpiece” to Stratis, but all he got out of it was his new critic’s slogan: It’s a piece of moving art. He thought that was original, but it’s NOT. The actors and the composer were totally committed to Refn’s vision, making this a textured experience. You’ll have to decide if you’re the right person to enjoy this film, but we definitely had some issues.
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The Odyssey
Episode 97: The Odyssey
The Greeks are back, BABY! Director and writer Christopher Nolan takes on the epic retelling of Homer's The Odyssey, and Stratis is all in. Tina, on the other hand, wasn’t convinced. She thought Nolan didn’t get "freaky" enough with the classic and had some serious notes on casting. Actually, we both had issues with the casting, but we were in total agreement on Agamemnon’s bronze vertebrae helmet. What a work of art. Somebody should get an Oscar for that. Lastly, how did Nolan make a movie about ancient Greeks without putting even one Greek actor somewhere in the epic film?
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The Invite
Episode 96: The Invite
Getting out of the parking lot this week was a bit rough, even after watching a great Olivia Wilde movie - The Invite. The first third of the movie worried Stratis because he thought he’d have to discuss an orgy film with his daughter. Luckily, the movie took a turn midway and he was saved. We moved on to the fact that Wilde directed and starred in this movie and talked a bit about the way actors and directors approach a script. The other actors in this film did a great job, but we had to take a pause to visit Pittsburgh's own, Page’s Dairy Mart, for some soft serve before we finished our conversation.
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Minions & Monsters
Episode 95: Minions & Monsters
How did we celebrate America’s 250th birthday? Fireworks, hot dogs, and a cold beer? NOPE. We saw Minions & Monsters at our local cineplex! Okay, it was only the 3rd of July, but that didn’t help us agree on much. We do think the animator did a great job of taking the Minions back to 1927 Hollywood, complete with callbacks to great actors and movies from that era. And just to spice up this episode, we swing by the Wendy’s drive-through to pick up a couple of Minionion-themed kid's meals. You’re going to get a review of the movie and our food choices this week. Happy Fourth!
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Supergirl
Episode 94: Supergirl
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…we can’t agree on what Supergirl is all about. This is Tina’s favorite type of bummer superhero cinema and nothing like the superheroes of Stratis’ youth. We get into the morality of using human trafficking and dog torture to get the audience emotionally connected to the characters. Tina tries to buy an intergalactic fizz cocktail but ends up being thwarted by the AMC bartender. Let’s just say that superhero movies aren’t simple good-versus-evil stories anymore, so whether you agree with Tina or Stratis, this episode will bring you into our conversation.
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Masters of the Universe
Episode 93: Masters of the Universe
By the power of Grayskull we are transported to the mythical planet of Eternia, home of He-Man. Let’s just say that Masters of the Universe does not bring to mind our ideal vacation spot, but Stratis did manage to take a couple of relaxing naps during the movie. Somehow Tina analyzes He-Man’s gender identity issues while Stratis has flashbacks to his college dorm. Overall, we do a great job of showing off how little we know about the He-Man universe, and this movie didn’t make us want to try to learn more.
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The Sheep Detectives
Episode 92: The Sheep Detectives
If you’re looking for a movie to teach your small children about murder and the horribleness of humanity, then maybe you’ll find it in The Sheep Detectives. If you listen to the voices of the internet, then you’ll think Tina and Stratis are just wrong about this movie. Their hearts were not warmed even a little. Heck, these sheep almost put Stratis to sleep, and even Sir Patrick Stewart could barely keep him awake! Tina did have the fun of sitting next to her nine-year-old cousins and managed to pick up some secondhand enthusiasm for sheep humor.
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Is God Is
Episode 91: Is God Is
Is God Is is a crazy title for a film, but it fits this most unique twin-sisters revenge epic as they try to deal with a horrible childhood. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson play the twin sisters amazingly well, if not a bit too disturbingly, but that’s more Aleshea Harris’ choice since she’s both director and screenwriter. Tina believes the moral of this movie is that love is a thing that can both protect us and can consume us, but Stratis is just left with way too much sadness.
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Tuner
Episode 90: Tuner
Stratis is thrilled that this week’s film doesn’t have any talking sheep or a ridiculous amount of blood and guts. Instead, we’re treated to an actual story with real characters. At least that's what he thought of Tuners. The film takes us into the world of a master piano tuner who also has hyper-sensitive hearing. What else can he do with his super hearing? Crack safes for the mob and fall in love at the same time. Screen legend Dustin Hoffman brings some old-school charm, and we both really enjoyed his performance. One last thing - not sure why but Tina tells us way too much about her ear wax and how it’s held her back from going into the safe cracking profession. Don’t forget that “E-flat is wrong!”
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Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
Episode 89: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
If you want to slog through a galaxy far far away, then maybe you’re a good candidate for the latest Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu. We definitely didn't have the Force with us on this one. Tina spent most of the movie curled up in a ball and Stratis managed to nap through the really loud fight scenes. We both thought the musical score was fantastic and the composer deserved a better movie to work with. We did get to talk about Blade Runner and why Sigourney Weaver hasn't made it to Star Trek yet. At least that's something.
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I Love Boosters
Episode 88: I Love Boosters
The theme of this week’s movie is Fashion Forward Philanthropy, and if that doesn’t make sense to you then you probably need to go see I Love Boosters. Boots Riley’s latest film takes us on a psychedelic ride through Los Angeles while stealing high-fashion clothing. Guess who showed up at the theater wearing an I Love Boosters t-shirt? Tina, so you know she’s all in on Riley’s vision. Stratis, on the other hand, has some mixed opinions. He was all ready to enjoy a madcap, Scooby Doo-like crime caper, just like the one he was promised in the trailer. Instead, he was forced to deal with what Tina called a ‘maximalist, plain, simple colors’ film. Not sure how he’s going to process that! Get ready for a spirited discussion about this movie and how unique films like this ever get made.
Music - "Extra Fries" by The Fly Guy Five/Epidemic Sound
Obsession
Episode 87: Obsession
This week’s movie, Obsession, creates drama for Stratis right from the start. A co-dependency love story is just too much for him to handle. According to him, this film is somehow boring and deeply disturbing at the same time. On the other hand, Tina loved it and would be happy to see it many more times. How are we even related? Our backseat sentient being makes an appearance and comes up with a great pull quote that summarizes the movie nicely - Deeply Upsetting, Done Well. Our advice is that if you’re offered an opportunity to have your one big wish come true, steer clear of making someone fall in love with you. That’s assuming you don’t want a rampage of carnage with gallons of blood spilled everywhere you look. You’ve been warned.
Music - "Extra Fries" by The Fly Guy Five/Epidemic Sound
Mortal Kombat II
Episode 86: Mortal Kombat II
Kombat is this week’s theme and we get right into it over the need for this movie to even exist. Is Mortal Kombat II actually a movie or just a bunch of video game scenes? Tina takes the stand that it’s a fun summer romp, but Stratis isn’t having any of it. Granted, he may have done some napping during important plot points, but he doesn’t think that mattered much. Here’s an Inside Baseball thought - how come the necromancer couldn’t bring this film back from the dead? Let’s just say this might be a hard sell for anyone other than people who are already fans of the franchise. At least Stratis finds a Star Trek connection.
Music - "Extra Fries" by The Fly Guy Five/Epidemic Sound
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Episode 85: The Devil Wears Prada 2
It’s not often that a Meryl Streep movie causes us to have so little enthusiasm, but The Devil Wears Prada 2 is that kind of film. You can’t even blame it on not liking the original, because Tina’s a huge fan and Anne Hathaway will always be Princess of Genovia in her heart. The original’s magic comes from the awfulness of Streep’s character, back when evil bosses could really be evil. Even if they wanted to soften her up for a modern audience, why not criticize the current state of big-media journalism, fast fashion, or even the world of the billionaire class? If you’ve never seen the original, this sequel has nothing to offer you. The rest of you should go in with low expectations. Maybe then you’ll leave more enthused than we are.
Music - "Extra Fries" by The Fly Guy Five/Epidemic Sound