Netflix Book Club

We had a week off, but we are back strong, and what an appropriate pick for it. Episode 65 is Phoenix, a 2014 German film by Christian Petzold. Why, that sounds rather high brow, doesn't it? Well of course it is, as our guest is none other than comedian and actor Matt Burke (@heymattburke). You might remember him from our The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover episode. Phoenix is a debatably noirish post war film about a concentration camp survivor looking for answers and trying to make sense of her life. This is not Ida (OK music played a big role in both and someone commits suicide in both unexpectedly..but..but..), for the record. I make myself laugh a lot in this episode and I rescind that there was more to this film than I first thought. Thanks for listening, please subscribe on iTunes, leave us a comment, share with your friends!

Seventeen years ago I saw this movie in theaters, and I've since thought of it fondly without ever revisiting it. Until now. Courtesy of stand up comic and writer Corey Reppond (@reppocs) episode 64 is science fiction comedy send up of sorts, Galaxy Quest! Tim Allen had just finished Home Improvement, a long ass run on a major network that yielded him a ton of money. And then, love him or hate him or feel apathetic about him - he starred in a really funny movie. Have a listen and watch the movie if you haven't before, and please reach out to let us know what you think @flixbookclub or anywhere you can leave a comment. Subscribe on iTunes, "Like" us on Facebook, by Grabthar's hammer, talk with us about movies!

Episode 63 reunited us again with stand up comedian, photographer and film buff extraordinaire Ryan Brook! He comes on to talk about the very divisive People, Places, Things starring exactly one half of the New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, Jemaine Clement. It's a movie about a sloppy sort of irresponsible dude who is left by the mother of his kids, and where will he take it from there!? This discussion thrived and we arrived at conclusions. Reach out to us @flixbookclub, subscribe on iTunes, catch us next week!

Continuing our theme of foreign tribulations, Netflix Book Club episode 62 is Beasts of No Nation. Stephen sits this one out (you'll notice a lack of in depth knowledge on the actual situations in Africa) so we keep it nice and short. We're joined by Brian Jian (brianjian.com) and Lori Palminteri (@loripalminteri), two good friends and hilarious stand up comedians - seriously check them out. Beasts stars Idris Elba and Abraham Attah and is the first Netflix Original Film, and you know we love Netflix. It shows the story of young Agu trying to survive in a nation plagued by a war that has taken his family from him. Super cheery stuff! Check the movie, listen to the podcast, leave a message at the beep. Next week we talk about People, Places, Things.

You might just learn yourself a thing or two if you check out Episode 61, Winter On Fire: Ukraine's Fight For Freedom! Comedian Joey Giarratano (@YourFriendJoeyG) came on and talked to us about this Netflix Documentary (we love Netflix, you know that, right?) about the crisis in the Ukraine in 2014. If you're an idiot like me, these sort of documentaries are great to make you feel like less of a dumb-dumb and more aware of what's going on in the world. So check it out and listen to the podcast! Subscribe on iTunes, tweet us @flixbookclub, comment!

Netflix Book Club trucks on with Episode 60, The Good, The Bad, The Weird! Full disclosure: this was a canned episode from over a year ago that features KC Arora and Neil Constantine from the early days of NFBC (we may have gone by Crossing Streams or Flix Book Club). We canned it exactly for this purpose - when real life takes too much demand and we can't do our favorite thing, get together with pals and talk movies. Anyway this is streaming right now on Netflix so check it out and listen to our episode! NEXT WEEK: Winter on Fire (Been trying to get this episode out for three weeks so hopefully this times the charm!) Follow on Twitter @flixbookclub, "Like" the official Netflix Book Club Facebook page, and subscribe on iTunes! Thanks!

Episode 59 finally let's Stephen and I get cozy and do one of these things by ourselves. We talked Blade Runner, the sci-fi noir classic by Ridley Scott. Harrison Ford gets pulled outta retirement to hunt down four skin jobs, or replicants - robots who can blend in with humans. It was 1982 and cyberpunk was starting to turn up and William Gibson was getting all Neuromancer'd! Subscribe on iTunes, like the Facebook page, reach out on Twitter @flixbookclub. Next week we talk the Netflix documentary Winter on Fire.

I reckon NFBC episode number 58 is Sling Blade with Billy Bob Thornton, mm-hmm. I reckon you might've seen this movie before, like comedian/director/writer Joe Pontillo (@JoePontillo), our guest today. I reckon you maybe do the voice and have a few laughs over it. But this movie wrecked me. WRECKED ME. I'd never seen it, knew very little about it, and it's stuck with me since. That's it. Listen to the episode to hear us talk about this masterful film written/directed/starring Billy Bob Thornton. This movie basically gives him a pass the rest of his career. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it, then listen. NEXT WEEK we talk sci-fi classic Blade Runner.

While everyone was wetting their pants over Spotlight (a solid film but, C'MAWN, BEST PICTURE?!) me and Netflix Book Club were jawing over a real Boston classic. Episode 57 is Good Will Hunting! Bryan McKenna returns to talk about his FIRST viewing of this Gus Van Sant...dare I say masterpiece? I dare. We also have stand up comedian Tim Krompier sitting in offering a perspective of having seen the movie before "How do ya like DEM apples?!" was integrated into common nomenclature. Click the link, subscribe on iTunes, find us on Stitcher. But most importantly reach out to us! Like the Netflix Book Club Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @flixbookclub, or just leave a comment. Thanks for listening and we'll talk to you next week about Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade!

WHAT YEAR IS IT?! Episode 56 is Turbo Kid! Yes, that weird movie you keep passing while browsing on Netflix! It's a movie obsessed with the 80's, set in 1997, and came out in 2015. It's a post-apocalyptic wasteland, there's no water, yada-yada-yada... Mad Max on BMX bikes. That's really all you need to know. It's super violent and feels awesome. We're joined by OG KC Arora (www.kcarora.com)who is responsible for us viewing this. Get at us in the comment section, hit us up on Twitter @flixbookclub and of course please subscribe on iTunes. Next week we talk Good Will Hunting!

Happy Valentine's Day! Okay we're a little late. Episode 55 is Notting Hill, was recorded on Valentine's Day, and we are joined by walking rom-com-protagonist/stand up comedian Anthony DiDomenico (@comicanthonyd)! Notting Hill is a movie about a a gorgeous American celebrity falling in love with a quiet, underachieving, extremely apologetic Brit. 'Cause it's a fictional story, guys. But it has merit! In fact we all voted to stream it. So check it out, and listen to the podcast! Apologies for our intro getting cut short, but we cover a lot of ground on this episode. Follow on Twitter @flixbookclub, like the Facebook page, subscribe on iTunes! Next week we talk the nostalgic Turbo Kid.

Yo, just look at Cage's face in that picture. Okay, now: We may have strayed from the righteous path, but Episode 54 brings us back in good favor! Neil Constantine (comedian, podcaster, @constantneil) had us watch Nicolas Cage's Left Behind. Based on the book series of the same name, Left Behind has a strange pseudo-super-christian vibe, and tanked at the box office. It got terrible reviews and even the Christians panned it. So of course we watched it then sat around and talked about it. We're sorry. Subscribe on iTunes, catch us on Stitcher, reach out right here or on Twitter @flixbookclub. Special Valentine's Day episode to follow where we talk about Notting Hill.

Episode 53 finally lets Netflix Book Club let her hair down after a few heavy-hearted weeks...To some degree at least. This week we wax on over Sean S. Baker's Tangerine. We're joined by native New Yorker Meg Charlton, who fittingly lent us her LA expertise (she did a short stint out in Tinsel Town before coming to her senses and returning East). There's a lot of cool shit going on with this film! Download and listen to us go off on it, subscribe on iTunes, catch us on Stitcher, follow us on Twitter! @flixbookclub. Thanks for listening in, we'd love to hear what you think. NEXT WEEK: We talk LEFT BEHIND (yeah that Nicolas Cage movie).

Episode 52 concludes our two part Not How to Make a Murderer series. We watch the granddaddy of 'em all, the original crime documentary with real life consequences - The Thin Blue Line. The wonderful John Trueson was our guest this week and are we ever thankful to him for having us watch this. Without a doubt, there is no Making a Murderer series without The Thin Blue Line paving the way. It's tagline even referred to it as "a new kind of movie mystery", never before had people seen something as real and engaging as this. So if you don't have 12 hours to watch the whole HTMAM, you can bang this one out in under two (and it might be way more satisfying). Subscribe on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, reach out to us in anyway you can.

Episode 51 marks the first part of our two part special! Netflix Book Club presents the NOT How to Make a Murderer series! This episode and the next will focus on documentaries in the same vein of How to Make a Murderer, 'cause maybe you don't have 12 hours to kill or maybe you're just that person who can't be into what everyone else is into. We start with The Central Park Five! Our guest this week was stand up comedian Tim Gage, a man who grew up around "old NY" and remembered this case vividly. We have a great conversation about the documentary and misconduct on both sides of the law. Catch Netflix Book Club on Stitcher and iTunes, reach out on Twitter or leave a comment on the Facebook page! Next week we follow up with the original truth in crime documentary, The Thin Blue Line.

50th Episode Special Introduction Blurb!!! Unnecessary Capitalizations!!! Excessive Exclamation Points!!! We'll save anything corny for Episode 100. Ya boy Ryan Brook (follow him on twitter @ryanbrook) pitched our 50th episode pick, a Polish black and white drama. Ida, the titular character, leaves the convent where she studies to become a nun so that she may visit her only relative - an aunt that is about to TURN HER WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. Okay I went a little big towards the end of that description but that's pretty much it. Check out the podcast, subscribe on iTunes, and get at us on twitter @flixbookclub. Thanks for listening. Tell your friends. 50 more on the way.

Episode 49 is brought to us by a very good person, and the movie (documentary) is about a very good person! Rachel O'Hare, the better half of one half of Netflix Book Club had us view Call Me Lucky, a movie highlighting Barry Crimmins! Directed by fellow Boston comedy scene vet Bobcat Goldthwait, Call Me Lucky is a very real story, showing Crimmins' work in comedy, activism, and even politics. This is another movie that's gonna make you want to be a better person, and you'll probably be a better person just for watching. So check it out and listen to the podcast! Or listen to the 'cast if you're not already sold, but subscribe on iTunes and reach out to let us know your thoughts. Next week we talk about the Polish film Ida.

GUYS. EPISODE 48 IS ROAD HOUSE, AND OH MY GOD. First of all big ups to our old cohost turned guest - KC Arora is the man responsible for making us watch and talk about Road House! KC had never seen it, surprising everybody, and neither had I. Stephen refused to acknowledge that it's a favorite of his (hmph), but we got together and talked about it. It's a great episode, 'cause it's a great movie. Head on over to iTunes and give us a review, subscribe, just generally get at us. Next week we return to talk about the gripping documentary Call Me Lucky.

Christmastimeeee is here...Episode 47 is Ernest Saves Christmas. Happy Holidays errybody. Thank you Scott Schendlinger for being on this week. Next week we talk about ROAD HOUSE so be ready.

Fitting for the holidays, episode 46 is Children of the Corn! Picked by our former child-preacher turned podcast guest Zefrey Throwell! This 1984 film spawned one of those weird horror franchises that just seems to keep going (even though the first sequel didn't happen for almost ten years). Originally based on a Stephen King short story, Children of the Corn stars the Terminator lady and some guy who was married to Michelle Pfeiffer. We get into the horrors of super rural areas, how a doctor can be so stupid, and a lot of other really entertaining shit (so entertaining, I'm telling you, seriously). Download the podcast, subscribe on iTunes, and get at us with some opinions! Maybe you have a movie suggestion? Maybe you think you're the one who walks behind the rows? Let us know. Next week as per the holiday we'll be talking about Ernest Saves Christmas. Seriously. See you then.