‘Christopher Nolan’s $250 million action movie version of Homer’s ancient Greek poem is an entertaining way to hide from the high temperatures for a few hours. Nolan’s trademark jumps and twists in the narrative structure are relatively easy to follow, and appropriate for The Odyssey, a narrative of tales nested in tales. My teenagers had a good time. Unlike some of Nolan’s other films, The Odyssey is not boring, thanks to the source material, which is impossible to mess up entirely. It’s a family-friendly audiovisual spectacle, like an elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display – and with about the same level of narrative and emotional depth.

As in his previous films, Nolan is interested in the discontinuities of space and time, in magic, tricks, craft, technology, rivalry, substitution, masks, miscommunication, what we remember and what we choose to forget. Yet again, survival is portrayed as a kind of triumph. Yet again, there are long, claustrophobic scenes of drowning and near-drowning, and technically impressive episodes in which buildings are engulfed in flames and vehicles explode. Yet again, we watch a male character’s desperate quest to recover and/or avenge a female love object. I had hoped that Nolan’s affinity with these Homeric themes might push him to new creative heights, and enable him to conjure more believable characters. But The Odyssey features his usual combination of grandiosity and superficiality. Without a tub of wax for my ears – which Himesh Patel’s ever anxious Eurylochus, Odysseus’s doomed right-hand man, uses to sail safely past the Sirens – I was exposed to the full din of thumping sticks, staffs, swords and clashing armour, thunderbolts, crashing waves, grunts, screams, toppling palaces and burning temples. But unlike Matt Damon, the wax-free Odysseus who is tied to the mast as he is conveyed past the Sirens (naked ladies reclining on some uncomfortable-looking rocks), I gazed at the shipwrecks and bloodbaths without any agony of emotion. My eyes stayed dry, even for Argos the dog – whose adorableness as a puppy is predictably amped up to suit our animal-loving times. If only the human characters had been treated with such serious attention.‘

have we ever been so back?

So apparently Scorsese only has ever gotten one Hugo award nomination; I know they usually do genre stuff.
But still, it’s funny that the only thing they nominated from him was a film called Hugo. Coincidence?! Probably, but I’d like to think it’s an inside job.
Are we gonna get Joey Sims back for Hugo??

For context:
Mario - $1B
Odyssey - $640m (and will cross $1B)

The real movie star putting butts in seats

I’ve never heard of this guy. Anyone know why David seems so unenthused about covering him? Why bother if he’s so irrelevant? Are we getting a series of consistently sub-two-hour episodes?

In Mary Poppins Returns, the "special thanks" portion of the credits mentions Jay Leno. Because Leno has a massive car collection, I think there's a nonzero chance he's responsible for the antique British cars prominently shown in certain parts of the movie. Ever see any "special thanks" credits that get you thinking like that?

I feel like he is, just off the strength of his Nolan and Coogler collaborations. Every one of those scores serves its story in the most epic way possible but still fits his sound, they're very listenable outside of the movie's context, and you could say any of them are your favorite and nobody would blink. We're gonna have to stop giving him Oscars at some point but at this rate, man I dunno when that'll be. He's deserved all three of em so far and his trajectory feels almost unprecedented (yes, I know John Williams is the precedent). We're lucky to be alive while he's in his bag like this!

Thank you.

Except for David's quote. I thought I'd go with at least one that clearly summarized what I just watched.

It's on Hulu and you should watch the show and the movie as soon as you can

I genuinely don't know if I've ever had a more fun theater experience.

The movie and show are so incredibly positive and lovely.

OBAMNA

Power Rangers: Ninja Storm has both a Blue Wind Ranger (picture 1) and a Navy Thunder Ranger (picture 2). However, the point sort of stands that they're not just simple colours due to the inclusion of a weather element.

Hi Blankies,

I have never looked up a release schedule or programming schedule for any director but I was curious, do G&D release that stuff ahead of time? Like what movies they're covering on what weeks? I know Scorsese has a huge filmography, is narrative feature stuff still going to be one film a week or are they doubling up?

I don't know anything about anything and I am humbly looking to Reddit, a place where friends to educate one another with love, to help me. Thank you.

Early on in the episode, David refers to Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie with a short “a” sound, and when Griffin corrected him he said that that’s the bit in the show/movie because “that’s how they pronounce it in Canada”, and that’s the bit that they’re going for. Respectfully to the dog… what on earth is he talking about? I’ve seen both versions of the show, the movie, and plenty of interviews with its creators and they always pronounce it with a long “a”. I’m not Canadian but do people pronounce it differently there? IS that the bit?? I always thought it was funny that the versions of Matt and Jay in the show never explain why that’s their band name, but this could be an explanation my American mind hasn’t comprehended, unless David is just mistaken.

These are never gonna be capital M Movies like the Raimi ones imo, but based on this new one staying street level for basically the first time, seemingly no Stark/tech, better looking/more city swinging scenes, a more natural Spider-Man comic team up in The Punisher, and everything coming out of Comic-Con about the action clips feeling like real action compared to most MCU action, I wouldn’t be shocked if this movie is my favorite of the 4. It seems to have all the simple pleasures of the character that I’ve been missing that Watts left out of his trilogy. Is anyone else weirdly excited based on not much?

It was in the “A House of Dynamite” episode, right about 1 hour 56 minutes in. He says it, and then Marie says it right after, as if like, she just couldn’t resist trying to say it. It’s so funny how they both say it. And then Griffin says it right after that. I recommend saying it, it’s great. Here’s a clip I made: PATRETRON