Peak Viewing

Fences

This week we’re getting in the backyard (or maybe it’s a stage?) and covering the play-to-movie sensation that is 2016’s Fences. In addition to being a directorial effort from Denzel (the first we’ve covered in this miniseries), this also marks the start of his August Wilson adaptations, and his transition into more producing behind the scenes. We get into all that, plus Viola Davis’ astonishing monologues, how niche it can be to actually seek out and experience plays, and the difficulty of finding a new newborn baby.

Flight

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Wait, specifically it’s a plane being flown upside down by a drunk Denzel Washington! That’s right, we’re covering Flight this week, a movie with incredible peaks and valleys. The peak of course being Denzel’s performance and the stunningly authentic portrayal of addiction, and the valleys being… kinda everything else? Other topics discussed include Robert Zemeckis’s shaky 2000s career, Don Cheadle’s scene-stealing performance, and our woeful ignorance of drugs in all forms.

Inside Man

A bank heist! A hostage situation! A man! Inside! 2006’s Inside Man marks the fourth collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, and for the occasion they made an incredibly fun thriller. Is Clive Owen kind of a wet bag? Yes! Is Jodie Foster’s character really cool but ultimately kinda pointless? Also yes! We get into all that plus Spike’s distinctive dolly shots, his New York sensibilities, and the tagline this poster desperately needs.

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Podcast listeners. Peak Viewing podcast listeners. Peak Viewing listeners. You want to turn on this episode and listen to Henry and Samuel discuss the forgotten 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate, starring Denzel Washington. You will listen to their tangents and anecdotes about the brilliant ’62 film, the messed up ’59 book, Pokemon that look like they’re wearing diapers, and their woeful miscalculations of who stars in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Of course, when it’s over you’ll have no memory of ever listening to it…

Training Day

Have you ever had an awful first day on the job? Multiply that experience by a thousand, and you might have something resembling Training Day. This movie might not feature Denzel’s best performance, but is it the performance where he’s having the most fun? What movie has the most realistic portrayal of being high? What’s Henry’s ultimate theory on sleep? When did we stop dual-wielding pistols? What are glue balloons?

Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans? We saw them play this week, and even we barely can. Join us for the fourth episode in our Denzel Washington miniseries as we discuss several hot and controversial topics, including: high school football not being that good, treacly movies like this generally aging terribly, and the subpar naming of Kansas City’s two premier soccer teams. Also, can we solve racism by giving up all our awards?

Crimson Tide

We’re taking control back from Gene Hackman this week with 1995’s Crimson Tide! This tense thriller might be one of the most watchable films we’ve covered so far, but is it even the best submarine movie? Where do all the officers belong on the alignment chart? Should we cover Tony Scott?! All that, plus some shocking implications for our oldest president!

Philadelphia

For the second film in our Denzel Washington miniseries, we’re heading to the streets of Philadelphia. This episode has everything: tangents about wine prices, punny Halloween costumes, where to sit while watching this movie, and our thorny feelings about this ostensibly being a movie made for straight people. Nothing we say is advice!

Malcolm X

What better way to start our next miniseries than with maybe the greatest biopic ever made? Look, nobody needs our opinions on Malcolm X, both the film and the person, but we’re gonna give them to you anyway! Spike Lee is directing his ass off, Denzel Washington is disappearing into his role, and we’re patenting ideas on how to break up long movies (The Popcorn Pause™).

Borderlands

Listen up all you vault hunters, it’s time to travel to Pandora! No, not the moon with blue people, the desert hellscape where that forgettable 2024 movie Borderlands takes place! This might be the ultimate “dead dove do not eat” of bad movies, but Samuel’s here to provide us with all the Borderlands video game knowledge, including all the shocking ways this movie changes major aspects of characters. Plus: our video game movie rankings, and the announcement of our next miniseries!

Uncharted

It’s time for the third and final treasure hunting movie in our video game adaptations series, 2022’s Uncharted. This might be the ultimate forgettable Covid movie, but there’s enough charm here that Henry’s got a theory on the likability behind these actors. Other topics discussed include the optics of treasure hunting, the storytelling shortcuts in this film, and the “honor among thieves” stakes feeling about as serious as a game of Monopoly. This episode is brought to you by Papa John’s.

Detective Pikachu

Get your Sherlock Holmes hat and about five cups of coffee, it’s time for Detective Pikachu! Are the visual effects remarkable in this thing or what? Is Ryan Reynolds shtick painfully bland? Do you have to be a Pokemon fan to enjoy this movie? Is Torchip a thing? All that, plus all the reasons why Henry did not have a peak viewing experience this week.
Here’s the video Samuel recommended at the end!

Tomb Raider

Two weeks ago Angelina Jolie was playing Lara Croft, and this week it’s Alicia Vikander’s turn! The 2018 adaptation of Tomb Raider might be the new barometer for a Just Fine Movie, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about how it relates to the 2013 game, British money sounding made up, proper procedure for stab wounds, and of course, color puzzles.

Hitman (2007)

2007’s Hitman might be the worst video game adaptation we’ve covered so far, but it’s almost unfair to call it a video game adaptation when this film is clearly more inspired by *cough* Bourne *cough* something else. What’s the deal with these inconsistent city title cards? Is Nika the worst female character in cinema history? What makes the Hitman video games the perfect sandbox? All that, plus our recommendations on hitman movies that are actually good.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is probably not the worst video game movie, but it might be the silliest? While covering this semi-forgotten 2001 action movie, we’re counting frames, checking out packages, and discussing Lara Croft’s BBE (Big Batman Energy)! Where’s your head at?!

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

Can you make a movie out of a video game? We’re not fully certain this movie answers that question, but hopefully our miniseries can! At the very least this podcast about the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie (that is far better than the internet would have you think) answers several questions about when Princess Peach was named Peach, if the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs directly hit a dinosaur, and what the worst website on the internet is.

The Man Who Wasn't There

We’re ending part one of our Coen Brothers miniseries with the dour and depressing drama The Man Who Wasn’t There. The good news? Henry was in the mood for it and loved it! The bad news? Samuel was not in the mood for it and was crawling through the seconds! Join us as we talk about Ed Crane being the ultimate poor sonofabitch, the odds that any random piano player is playing Beethoven, and the Political Alignment Chart of the Coen Brothers. Plus: the announcement of our next miniseries!

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This week we’re hiking through the Mississippi bayou on a hare-brained odyssey with O Brother, Where Art Thou? Henry may be constantly on the verge of losing his voice, but that doesn’t stop us from going through this delightful and surreal comedy! Topics covered include all the Odyssey references we can piece together, why the soundtrack here is so nostalgic, and watching this movie via TikTok.

The Big Lebowski

Jeff Bridges in bowling-related dream sequences? John Goodman pointing guns at people and kicking them out of wheelchairs? That’s right, it’s White Russian time! The Big Lebowski is the topic this week, and this cult classic continues the Coen’s winning streak of critically successful movies that capture all of their stylistic elements that people love. Plus: our two counter examples of how to have a peak viewing experience!

Fargo

Are we gonna be talking about Fargo this week? Oh yah, you betcha! What is it about this midwestern crime thriller that broke through into the mainstream? What makes it the Coen brother’s strongest overall film to date? How do you pronounce Buscemi? What are relations like between Minnesota and North Dakota? And most importantly: what kind of sick child is into The Accordion King?