This week, Morgan and Gavia revisit an old favorite: Robert Altman's 2001 masterpiece Gosford Park. They admire the film's depiction of interwar Britain; praise its sprawling cast of legendary actors including Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, and Clive Owen; and compare it to the less politically astute "Downton Abbey," also written by screenwriter Julian Fellowes.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss one of 2019's most celebrated movies, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. They give an overview of the film's international success, break down its political subtext, and praise its extraordinary production design and fantastic cast of actors including Song Kang-ho and Park So-dam.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan diverge on Greta Gerwig's new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women. They assess Gerwig's structural changes to the book, compare this iteration of the story to its previous adaptations, and discuss the film's marvelous troupe of actors including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Timothée Chalamet.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia dive into the year's biggest blockbuster catastrophe, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac. They attempt to figure out what the hell went wrong, from an abysmal script to uninspired direction to a dire press tour. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong... and Overinvested is here to survey the damage.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss Todd Solondz's tween indie Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995). They compare it to other films about middle schoolers, praise its depiction of the messy realities of adolescent life, and contextualize it within nineties culture.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the 1999 classic con artist film The Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more. They dive into the film's complicated production history, take stock of Matt Damon's disappointing career, and discuss the film's unusual approach to its slippery protagonist.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss Damon Lindelof's new television adaptation of Alan Moore's classic comic series Watchmen, starring Regina King, Jean Smart, and Tim Blake Nelson. They compare it to Lindelof's previous work, analyze its treatment of politics and race, and contemplate its place in the changing television and superhero landscapes.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia discuss Rian Johnson's new murder mystery Knives Out, starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and many more. They compare the film to the Agatha Christie stories that inspired it, praise its many delicious performances, and break down its progressive political message.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia finally tackle Todd Phillips' gritty comic book origin story Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix as disaffected loner-turned-criminal Arthur Fleck. They discuss the film's relationship to Batman comics and Martin Scorsese films, critique its perturbing treatment of race and mental health issues, and break down Phoenix's much-discussed performance.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia discuss the second installment of Philip Pullman's follow-up trilogy to His Dark Materials, The Secret Commonwealth, which finds Lyra Silvertongue studying at Oxford as a young adult. They discuss the novel's relationship to the earlier books, Pullman's new ideas about daemons, and second-book-in-a-trilogy problems.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan dive into the wild world of The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers' surreal follow-up to The Witch (2015). They break down the film's bold stylistic choices, Eggers' approach to historical accuracy, and wild central performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.
Read MoreIn the second installment of their film festival coverage, Gavia and Morgan discuss more highlights from this year's New York and London Film Festivals, including Céline Sciamma's historical lesbian romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Martin Scorsese's gangster epic The Irishman, Armando Iannucci's adaptation of David Copperfield, and more.
Read MoreIn the first installment of their film festival recap, Gavia and Morgan discuss some of the biggest films at the New York and London Film Festivals this year, including Noah Baumbach's divorce drama Marriage Story, Pedro Almodóvar's autobiographical Pain and Glory, the Judy Garland biopic Judy, and more.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia dive into the best show on television, HBO's Succession. They break down the ethically bankrupt Roy family, discuss the show's treatment of current events and the media, and heap praise upon the show's remarkable ensemble.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia dive into James Gray's space epic Ad Astra, starring Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones. They break down the film's many cinematic influences, discuss the effects of studio interference, and praise its depiction of toxic masculinity.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia discuss September's break-out hit film Hustlers. Topics include the movie's central romance and refreshing depiction of strippers, its vivid evocation of New York c. 2008, and that Jennifer Lopez performance.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan dive into the Wachwoski's underappreciated, instant cult classic Jupiter Ascending. They discuss the film's extraordinary production and costume design, its fairy tale tropes, its initial critical drubbing, and why it may just feature Eddie Redmayne's best performance yet.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the mostly hotly anticipated horror movie of the year, IT Chapter Two. They compare it to the superior It (2017), lament its long run time, and try to figure out where it all went wrong.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia break down the 2012 film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages. They compare the film to other jukebox musicals, assess its box office performance, and — most importantly — discuss what the hell is going on with Tom Cruise.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia cap off the podcast's summer book club with a discussion of Elizabeth Gaskell's Victorian romance North and South. They compare the novel to other nineteenth century marriage novels and evaluate its depiction of the industrial revolution and overwrought male emotions.
Read More