Shows
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: Make Your Own Luck in JURASSIC PARK"My friend, your luck is about to change."
Steven Spielberg's classic film on dinosaurs allows us to explore the differences in white and black families facing attack from dinosaurs AS WELL as the sexual appeal of Jeff Goldblum as he moved from THE BIG CHILL to THE FLY to here. Stalking Laura Dern. All while Sam Neill gets stuck with two annoying kids.
This film may have had the greatest impact on one host's life decisions. As in don't EVER put yourself in a situation to be around annoying kids. Dinosaurs are okay though. Enjoy!2023-03-1149 min
The Grand GestureSetting Fire to Dating Again in WAITING TO EXHALE"The truth is most men are deaf. They prefer to guess what you need but they don't guess worth shit."
In a film that opens with Whitney Houston of all people lamenting the dating scene and ends with Wesley Snipes being a sad cad at the bar our two hosts are left with a lot of material in WAITING TO EXHALE that ends with an amusing anecdote on the Beyonce and Idris Elba starring OBSESSED... which neither one of us have seen. But we did watch this movie!
Professional podcasters after all. Enjoy!
...2022-10-2137 min
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: Trust and THE BODYGUARDTrust is hard to come by in Gotham...
... and in movie podcast guests. This cold hard fact was reiterated to us when we invited on Jairo of SOBER CINEMA to talk about his favorite human in Mr. Kevin Costner. Our guest has absolute trust in the decency (and indecency) of Mr. Costner which is why he entertains any number of swapping notions with him. Madonna in THE BODYGUARD instead of BODY OF EVIDENCE? Not after she calls Kev a dork in TRUTH OR DARE. Willem Dafoe? Not good looking enough for DANCES WITH WOLVES.
No...2022-10-1541 min
The Grand GestureRash Decisions with Winona Ryder in HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT"Young lovers seek perfection. Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together and of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches."
If one grew up in the 90s those defeated souls could not escape the pop culture wisdom that came out of Winona Ryder's dumb mouth. Thankfully a better cast of Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Bustyn, Lois Smith and Alfre Woodard make up for the slow death march that is Wino Forever.
Also Dermot Mulroney is in this. That seems oddly fitting. Kind of like having Winona superfan Dave Giannini of OFF SCREEN...2022-10-0733 min
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: Wild Life of Gotham and BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA"I like bats."
Kim Basinger finally enters this dorkfest that is Tim Burton's BATMAN and even though we didn't understand why as young men... we knew things were improving.
Unfortunately we still have to survive another Bat-minute with HBO's Arliss as he proves himself an inadequate sidekick to the future love interest in the man in a bat suit... JUST LIKE OUR GUEST Dave Giannini who returns to promote his podcast OFF SCREEN DEATH and all of the crimes he would commit if he had the powers presented in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA. Spoiler alert: watch...2022-09-3054 min
The Grand GestureScouting the Creeps in TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE"What do you say now, jackass? That's known as... trouble with the curve."
While one might not call this throwaway romcom late in Clint Eastwood's career as the ultimate title drop movie... it still manages to annoy one co-host enough to negate any charms Justin Timberlake brings to the table in his pursuit of Amy Adams. Those charms include:
Roleplaying as her brother who makes out with her in a bar fight.
Denied a kiss so he gets naked.
Feels betrayed, throws a tantrum and then plays baseball trivia.
Classic cinema. Enjoy!
Support...2022-09-241h 07
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: A Parade of Fear and UNFORGIVEN"People might be scared."
We return for Batman Day! And since this is sometimes a minute by minute analysis of the defining film of our youth BATMAN (1989) we should know what Batman Day is.
But we don't. In fact we are confused by when it is supposed to happen while getting that it ABSOLUTELY SHOULD.
In celebration we present an episode with returning guest Tangible Teddy to discuss the parade of fear that Gene Hackman and Clint Eastwood bring to a town of sex workers in the Best Picture winner UNFORGIVEN. Enjoy!
2022-09-171h 21
The Grand GestureCo-Parenting Isn't Cool Even with Clooney in ONE FINE DAY"Men like you have made me the woman I am." "All the women I know like you have made me think all women are like you."
Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney sure do a lot of complaining about romantic partners that look like George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer. Meanwhile both hosts, noted child hater Mike and even previously proud father Derek watch this 1996 romcom and come to the conclusion that the kids are to blame.
Not just for Pfeiffer and Clooney not getting down to business quicker.
Not just for all of ONE...2022-07-1838 min
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: The Future of Gotham and BATMAN RETURNS"You ain't got no future, Jack!"
Eckhardt makes a bold bet against Jack Nicholson having a promising career in Gotham and we lament the response to BATMAN RETURNS and what that meant for over a decade for the character in film. Don't worry... it was all worth it to get to Batfleck. But along the way we discuss the MAGA base for The Penguin's mayoral campaign and YET AGAIN... is Michael Keaton too short.
Yes. Yes he is. Enjoy!
Listen on Apple Podcasts/Spotify/Google Podcasts/Amazon Music
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter...2022-06-281h 10
The Grand GestureCelebrating Mother's Day in JUNIOR"Typical. I can't tell you how many times I've heard pregnant women complain: 'I just wish a man could go through this.' You finally do it, and what do you get? Attitude and insults."
Tangible Teddy returns to praise his hero, Danny DeVito, who spoke those wise words after he impregnated Arnold Schwarzenegger in Ivan Reitman's JUNIOR. We attempt similar wise words but mainly spend the better part of this podcast giggling at Arnold's nipples and the demands of one host to see the former Mr. Universe have sex with Emma Thompson while pregnant.
...2022-05-0852 min
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: The Fate of Sidekicks and TERMINATOR 2 JUDGMENT DAY"Don't be writing this stuff in your newspaper, Knox. It'll ruin your already useless reputation."
A minute-by-minute recap of the greatest blockbuster of all time would not be complete without mentioning... HBO's original series ARLISS. However as we will discover in this episode, the true fate of Robert Wuhl's journalist character would be a DC Animated Feature reprising this character that we were annoyed by even as kids. This leads us into another annoying child played by Edward Furlong and the theme of fate as seen in James Cameron's impressive challenger to Tim Burton's classic. Regular guest...2021-12-301h 26
Sober Cinema1996 at the Movies: THE FIRST WIVES CLUBTwenty-five years of Stockard Channing being an unfortunate inspiration.
The hosts of SOBER CINEMA were initially concerned about being two middle-aged men picking on older women... until this box-office hit from 1996 did it for us. But just to cover our bases we brought on the world's biggest Diane Keaton fan in Derek Stewart of THE GRAND GESTURE podcast and unfortunately for him he meets a new superfan of Bette Midler. Also Goldie Hawn. She's done well for herself. She slept with Kurt Russell.
But this isn't an episode about men! It's just 100% male voices. A...2021-12-2939 min
The Grand GestureDay Drinking in THE UPSIDE OF ANGER"Who should I sleep with, Terry? Women like you? Your age? My age? I don't. You know why? 'Cause younger women are nice."
In a strange twist, or perhaps the power of Mike Binder's writing (which you can see in the quote above from THE UPSIDE OF ANGER) that we welcome Kevin Costner super-fan Jairo of MARK AS PLAYED only to see him turn on his hero and agree with the loathsome supporting character played by the writer/director Mr. Binder.
Maybe it's his hatred of Joan Allen. Maybe he is no longer the fan...2021-07-2636 min
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: Decency in Vigilantism and ROBIN HOOD PRINCE OF THIEVES"Decent people shouldn't live here."
Jack Nicholson's Joker was an exclusionary sort and in this episode he forces Kevin Costner and friends to the woods as they plot against perhaps an even more insane villain as played by Alan Rickman.
Though he remains far more likable than Costner. Of course.
And that's saying quite a bit as a certified Kevin Costner expert joins the show with Jairo of MARK AS PLAYED coming on to defend this "classic" (his word) version of Robin Hood and by that he means that he owns an old...2021-07-1552 min
Off Screen DeathThe Last Picture Show (AFI #95)"The scene where Sam imparts his wisdom to young buck Bottoms may be the saddest, loveliest moment in 1970s American cinema. And that's saying something."
Tom Huddleston of Time Out speaks much more elegantly about Sam than we do, but we have more fun. We invite guest Derek Stewart of The Grand Gesture and Your List, My Command to talk about a formative film for him, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW! We talk about a little bit of everything; including the difference between big city and small town living, toxic adults, and our radically different tastes in women. O...2021-06-2759 min
The Grand GestureDo Your Job in THE REMAINS OF THE DAY"We need not a new gadget, but, a revised staff plan, sir."
In which we learn that Anthony Hopkins doesn't believe in toasters... or love before duty, even when he meets Emma Thompson in THE REMAINS OF THE DAY. Our guest is Dave Giannini of OFF SCREEN DEATH who differs from the butler Stevens character by very much believing in gadgets but NOT love.
We mention something along the lines of him being divorced.
Anyway everyone expresses much surprise for the group enthusiasm for such a passionless love story and much gloating is...2021-04-0647 min
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: Relaying a Message to Crime and THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS"I'm Batman."
Those iconic words are still being used by Michael Keaton (and why wouldn't they be) even at college graduations. If you aren't lucky enough to have Batman send you off into adulthood then thankfully you have this podcast as we cruise into the sixth minute of BATMAN '89 and our first horror film in Jonathan Demme's THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. This Academy Award winning film features two equally iconic characters in Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lector and for such a prestigious film we bring on the equivalent podcast icon in Jared Dotson of SOBER...2021-02-1759 min
Sober CinemaSixty Years Later: BUTTERFIELD 8We are joined on this episode by Elizabeth Taylor enthusiast Derek Stewart of THE GRAND GESTURE to discuss sex positive attitudes and overly enthusiastic car chases being a dangerous but titillating combination for the sixty year anniversary of BUTTERFIELD 8. Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on PatreonListen: Apple Podcasts/Podbean/SpotifyFacebook/Instagram/Twitter: @sobercinemaFollow your hosts on Letterboxd for sneak peaks at film criticism GENIUS:Jared @jgdotsonJosh @SoberCinemaMike @projectingfilm2020-12-0230 min
The Grand GestureBatman 1989: The Haunting of the Bat and GHOSTIn BATMAN 1989 we see how the criminal underworld does most of the heavy lifting for our caped crusader (and the actor Michael Keaton) by treating him with the reverence we would later see in regards to Patrick Swayze as the GHOST.Though we aren't totally convinced by the rules of this box-office smash from 1990... nor do we want to see girl on girl action between Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg... we do like the villain of the film.Clearly the only way we will learn is if Super-Ghost Swayze throws pennies at us...2020-11-0442 minThe Grand GestureBatman 1989: Nostalgic Crime and DICK TRACYAs Batman watches and waits for trauma to inflict a new generation during the alley mugging in BATMAN 1989 we discuss exactly which generation Warren Beatty's DICK TRACY is for.Spoiler: not us.So listen in if you have a hatred of moles, the career of Al Pacino, and the disgusting overeating habits of street urchins.Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on PatreonListen on Apple Podcasts/Podbean/SpotifyFacebook/Instagram/Twitter: @grandgesturepodHosts: @daystew Twitter/Letterboxd @projectingfilm Twitter/Letterboxd2020-10-3147 minThe Grand GestureBatman 1989: This Could Be Silly and TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLESAs we are introduced to Gotham City in The Greatest Film of All Time BATMAN, less than a year later we are introduced to another silly comic book based premise that makes an attempt to be taking seriously... and then a human-sized rat weeps in chains and loses your hosts of THE GRAND GESTURE. Thankfully superfan Tangible Teddy is here to weep with Splinter the rat mentor of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.Thankfully...Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on PatreonListen on Apple Podcasts/Podbean...2020-10-2353 minThe Grand GestureBatman 1989: Opening Credits and THE ABYSSIn which we send one previous host to the depths of the ocean in guest Dave Giannini of A PODCAST DIRECTED BY to come discuss the tragedy (maybe too strong of a word here) that is James Cameron's THE ABYSS not being available in a restored physical format.Speaking of restored, new co-host Derek Stewart will spend the next 89 episodes (!) being unimpressed with 89 blockbusters that attempted to fill the shoes of Tim Burton's BATMAN from, you guessed it, 1989. Enjoy our opening credits of the new format for this podcast!Support what we do...2020-10-1844 minThe Grand GestureThe Mystery of a Single Life in DEFINITELY, MAYBETwo married guys reminisce about the single life in the only way that it would be seen as even remotely romantic... by watching a romcom with their respective partners. Our partner for this podcast is guest Tangible Teddy who as one of the world's foremost experts on the long-running sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER is the perfect(ish) guest for our Father's Day episode on the Ryan Reynold starring DEFINITELY, MAYBE. To all the fathers out there... probably should have stayed single and childless. Enjoy!Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on...2020-06-1230 minThe Grand GestureThe Rightness of Origins in STORIES WE TELLAs if the stories we compare ourselves to in romcoms weren't stress inducing enough... how about the real origin of filmmaker Sarah Polley? STORIES WE TELL is a documentary about her mother, her father, her place in the family and the correctness of all of their conflicting versions of their family. Thankfully we have a therapist as a host of this show and the other host has been deemed a "sociopath who podcasts" by said therapist. Good times! Enjoy.Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on PatreonListen on...2020-06-0522 minThe Grand GestureMindful Homewrecking in THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTYTo wrap up our month on mothers at the movies we have to do a bit of homewrecking. And there is no better person to do it than Clint Eastwood as he shows up at Meryl Streep's door with a camera in hand and many notches on his belt. And while so far these show notes have leaned into comfortable sarcasm, prepare yourself dear listener for discomfort as two middle-aged men share their love over this film that they would never admit to seeing before.Thankfully no one listens to this podcast. Enjoy!...2020-05-2939 minThe Grand GestureAge is a Number of Annoyances in HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACKNow we are getting somewhere with our mommy porn month. Not only do we put Angela Bassett in The Meryl Category of acting... but also as an object of desire for short former Broadway musical stars with questionable Jamaican accents. And that's as close as we'll come to saying ANYTHING bad about the great Taye Diggs. Instead we will defend both of these characters from the attacks they face from friends and family over their vacation love affair in the transition to something more sustainable. But do we want a sequel? No... in fact our transition may...2020-05-2356 minThe Grand GestureFood Porn Is Inspiring in JULIE & JULIAWe take a momentary break from our series on mommy porn (though our guest Jairo of MARK AS PLAYED and THE TRUE BROMANCE FILM PODCAST opens with a titillating anecdote on Kevin Costner's real life contribution to this art) to move on to the reason for Instagram: food porn. And since we occasionally talk about movies on this show, our feature film on the subject is JULIE & JULIA where Meryl Streep inspires Amy Adams on a quest to cause pleasurable distraction and agonizing despair.
Which is also the goal of THE GRAND GESTURE. Enjoy!
Support...2020-05-1641 minThe Grand GestureContract Negotiation Kinks in FIFTY SHADES OF GREYAfter last week's episode on BOOK CLUB we are contractually obligated to continue exploring the kinks of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and your hosts find Dakota Johnson pretty, pretty, pretty charming.And that's about it.However we attempt to work through a polite approach to questioning a partner's particular kinks and also find the post-honeymoon phase of sharing a pint of vanilla ice cream to be highly erotic. Enjoy!Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on PatreonListen on iTunes/PodbeanFacebook/Instagram...2020-05-0834 minThe Grand GestureEducation Through Erotica in BOOK CLUBAs two well-read men of a certain age we figured we'd take a break from any part of that to watch some well-read women of a certain age get back to the basics of boning.We really didn't need anything else but BOOK CLUB sweetens the pot by starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen.As mentioned above... all of them are READY TO BONE.And now so are you.Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on PatreonListen on iTunes/Podbean2020-05-0140 minThe Grand GestureLayabout Lovers in EMPIRE RECORDSOn the second part of our expose of love in 90s cinema we "welcome" back Jessi to settle once and all if Rex Manning Day is worth celebrating. Along the way Dave of A PODCAST DIRECTED BY continues to dig his co-host's early grave by basking in his shameful love of EMPIRE RECORDS while Mike would rather be watching RENT.
But not for the right reasons. Enjoy!
Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon
Listen on iTunes/Podbean
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Hosts: Mike...2020-04-2544 minThe Grand GestureCutting the '90s Some Slack in REALITY BITESWith everyone hopefully laying on the couch at home we thought this was the perfect time to check in with our Gen X heroes of REALITY BITES. Jessi joins Dave and Mike to share her thanks that her glory days of dating the likes of Troys (defined here in iconic fashion by Ethan Hawke) are over while one host is insistent upon tough love from Janeane Garofalo being just what Winona Ryder needs (the right host, of course). Then we finish with a list of people one host would like to have sex with (again... the right host). Enjoy!2020-04-0444 minThe Grand GestureBoundaries for Best Friends in THE CABLE GUYOn this episode one host establishes some boundaries with another host (though supporting sex workers is deemed mostly acceptable) while our guest Amanda ‘HardCandiMandi’ Kosowiec of the CINEMA GEEKS podcast joins the show to explain her strategy for social distancing while still getting free cable from THE CABLE GUY. And yet somehow she still ended up on this podcast. Poor choices made by all! Including you, dear listener.
Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon
Listen on iTunes/Podbean
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @grandgesturepod
Hosts: Dave @DaveAGiannini Mike...2020-03-2048 minThe Grand GestureEveryone Hates an Expert in COPYCATOn this episode celebrating the perhaps underrated COPYCAT from 1995 the topics range from the hatred of experts in the age of Trump, teaching your kid that not only will he not be the next Lebron James but he won't even be John Stockton, and the nostalgia for mid 90s screensavers. All of this with our new therapist on the show, Derek Stewart, who was bamboozled into thinking that he'd ever get to talk about an actual romcom. Ha!Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on PatreonListen on iTunes/Podbean2020-03-1552 minThe Grand GestureUndressing for Jane Fonda in BAREFOOT IN THE PARKThis episode was delayed for just the right season for one to take up Robert Redford's grand gesture to Jane Fonda found in the title. Unfortunately like most things in our world at the moment BAREFOOT IN THE PARK would not be looked upon kindly but your favorite podcast producer isn't really in the mood to watch/talk OUTBREAK or CONTAGION. Instead we welcome back the show's new therapist, Derek Stewart, to discuss the pleasures of older women, wife swapping, and taking naps when company comes over. The life lessons one really needs in the time of a worldwide...2020-03-081h 19
The Grand GestureFree Handbags for Friends in GRETAOn this episode we welcome back old friend Derek Stewart to talk about old-ass friends in GRETA. In particular the handbag wielding character played by Isabelle Huppert who crosses many boundaries with Chloe Grace Moretz in this Neil Jordan film. Although your host still sees nothing wrong with having an extensive handbag collection, we still discuss the societal norms of today in the strange courtship that is making new friends at a time when the grave appears to be your next best chance at a lasting connection. Phone calls? Absolutely not. Chewing gum as a weapon, not...2019-05-2544 minThe Grand GestureChris Evans as a Jerk is Still Better Than You in SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLDWeb Bist returns for a little pre-AVENGERS: ENDGAME fawning over Brie Larson and Chris Evans in an earlier comic book adaptation... one with Michael Cera playing the overbearing collector as he fights seven evil exes in SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. Being the gentlemen that we are we don't pick on our exes, just iTunes engineers when they mess up our digital libraries. Based on that previous sentence you can probably gather that we have more in common with the Michael Cera character than Chris Evans. Well that makes you not a very nice person. Click on...2019-04-271h 02The Grand GestureTalking Love to Death in PLAYING BY HEARTOn this episode two grown men share their apparently exclusive love for the late 90s version of CRAZY STUPID LOVE in the Angelina Jolie starring PLAYING BY HEART. Since that might not be sexy enough for somewhat discerning but also very much degenerate podcast listeners we also touch on life after divorce, how the Meg Ryan movie FRENCH KISS is a safe movie for married couples to consume, and Jon Stewart not managing to pass Walter Cronkite in producing arousal. There's a solid half hour of self-loathing from all parties involved in this podcast so enjoy it:...2019-04-211h 03The Grand GestureTop Knots are Signs of the Devil in HELLBOYNot watching the 2019 HELLBOY? GOOD. That gives us a bigger demo to woo with our latest episode on the first film adaptation of the Mike Mignola comic book in the 2004 version by Guillermo del Toro. To do so we welcome our monster movie expert (in that he appeared on our KING KONG episode) Web Bist to discuss the physical appeal of devil horns and top knots. Along the way bald men are both mocked and mourned and we talk a little bit of fisting with Ron Perlman and a little bit of smooching with Selma Blair.2019-04-1340 minThe Grand GestureWitches Don't Shop at Kohl's in SUSPIRIAThis episode, like all the others, does NOT have a sponsor... but it might as well for as often as our guest Derek Stewart brings up shopping at Kohl's in our discussion on the 2018 remake of SUSPIRIA. That's probably better than two dudes debating on the merits on this film's feminism as well as its dance choreography. But since this isn't our first rodeo as movie podcasters we ignore all those problem areas and talk about Tilda Swinton's fake testicles. Stick with what you know-WAIT... just click on these links please:Support what we do...2019-03-021h 08The Grand GestureSexy Surprises Make for a Sad Affleck in CHASING AMYEveryone knows that January is the time when people make a list of their sexual goals for the upcoming year. And as much as our listeners would like to think otherwise (in fact they probably don't want to think about this AT ALL when it comes to the hosts of this podcast) we're no different. The problem with us is that we take our cues from watching way too many movies and for this week's episode that could be trouble as this may be the origin of sad Ben Affleck. CHASING AMY has plenty of bad decisions...2019-01-1344 minThe Grand GestureBest Laid Plans Are Better w/ Julianne Moore in MAGGIE'S PLANTo kick off the new year we are making plans to better our position as one of the top three romcom podcasts in the world by bringing back returning guest Jess of THE GRAND GESTURE! The selected film involves the best laid plans of Greta Gerwig as she seeks to reunite her husband played by Ethan Hawkewith his ex-wife... The Great Julianne Moore. This is a tricky episode but thankfully we have plenty of pickle juice and blame to throw around as we look ahead to becoming the top romcom film podcast with our episode on MAGGIE'S...2019-01-0542 minThe Grand GestureAvoid the Family Holiday Podcast in FOUR CHRISTMASESYou are probably sick of Christmas (and also sick of THE GRAND GESTURE) but how about just one more? Or in our case it's FOUR CHRISTMASES as returning guest Web Bist from our KING KONG episode is in the full holiday spirit for this film from the auteur who previously brought you THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS. Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn were rumored to not much care for each other during the making of this family holiday comedy and the hosts of this show take it as a challenge to match that bickering...2018-12-2653 minThe Grand GestureChristmas is for Collectors in ABOUT A BOYFor part one of our soon to be podcast Christmas classics, WEB BIST of... well many appearances on host Mike's podcasts is back on THE GRAND GESTURE to give his insight into the island living of Hugh Grant's character in ABOUT A BOY. This being a holiday episode and all we get into the the appropriate time to be honest about declaring yourself a happily lecherous man (presumably not at the time you are declining the title of a child's godfather), make up and break ups feeling more honest with a twelve year old boy than Rachel...2018-12-2057 minThe Grand GestureTrapped in a Previously Good Idea in HOME AGAINThe reigning guest champion for most THE GRAND GESTURE appearances, Natasha of THE RAD ASS BITCHES returns to be trapped with us, much as Reese Witherspoon finds herself in an extended and unrequited (at this host Mike rages) one night stand with a younger man in HOME AGAIN. This leads to a discussion about the awkward transition to fun an exciting to platonic and awkward which may very well be the same transition our listeners make as they listen to the real life SINGLE WHITE FEMALE version of this from one host AND baseball as an ill-advised...2018-12-0835 minThe Grand GestureMonsters Are Better in Their Castles in YOUNG ADULTFor what is possibly THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME we present our longest episode of THE GRAND GESTURE for Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman's YOUNG ADULT. To discuss how Charlize Theron's character of Mavis is actually the heroic monster returning to her hometown to demolish boring lives is Allison of NOT YOUR LITTLE LADY. Among the many charms of this particular film we discuss our own experiences living in small towns, strange accusations made at the theater when seeing this film on Christmas Day, and just how damn insulting an email or a song can be...2018-12-021h 01The Grand GestureSometimes Kink-Shaming is Just Good Common Sense in PERMISSIONWe recorded a special Election Night episode where we decided (for the nation) to see other people. And if we can't manage the state of affairs for our country, your unloveable hosts Dave and Mike can at least change the movies we are watching. This episode features a can't miss film starring Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens as a couple looking to expand their sexual experiences while maintaining their relationship and boy why did we think PERMISSION would be a fun pick-me-up?? Mistakes were made and maybe kink-shaming is just good common sense for some people... but...2018-11-1038 minThe Grand GestureEp. 34 - What's Your Number?On this episode we tackle the somewhat indelicate math of romantic partners with guest Natasha of THE RAD ASS BITCHES podcast. Considering that hosts Mike and Dave hate each other, that third voice is very important as one host hates the selected film WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? and Mike hates Dave's hate. Listeners can only hope that this heated debate about a film that received a generally unfavorable response upon release can rival the sexual tension of initially antagonistic neighbors Anna Faris and Chris Evans... but in the end the only thing we all can count on is...2018-11-0440 minThe Grand GestureEp. 33 - TrainwreckAnnnnnnnddddd we're back with a trainwreck of an episode on the Amy Schumer/Bill Hader romcom TRAINWRECK. We're not that creative, however our guest Jess, formerly of JOY SANDWICH and now cursed to forever promote our podcast, finds new ways to derail the best laid plans of our host Dave as he tries to navigate the tricky waters of criticizing anything THE GREAT Bill Hader was ever involved with. Co-host Mike joins in on the criticism, but only of Dave, and as usual demands more sex scenes in his sex comedies.Support what we do...2018-10-2855 minThe Grand GestureEp. 32 - King KongAVENGERS: INFINITY WAR is currently being seen by every set of eyes on the planet, but maybe your ears will give our episode a chance on one of the first big spectacle films, KING KONG. Guest WEB BIST of TRILOGY TALK joins the show to discuss approaching this 1933 classic with 2018 sensibilities, the grabby hands of Mr. Kong, and how it feels to be The Other (Hairer) Man. All of this and and presumably more things that would produce great Fay Wray-like scream from our listeners at the links below:Support what we do with bonus...2018-04-2933 minThe Grand GestureEp. 31 - Your Sister's SisterOn this episode we discuss awkward family moments as seen in the strange love(ish) triangle seen in YOUR SISTER'S SISTER. And to do so our guest Amanda from AMANDA'S PICTURE SHOW A-GO-GO and CULTURE POP A-GO-GO shares her side of family disputes, as they sometimes happen on her very own podcasts. No such family allegiance from your hosts Dave and Mike, though both share one to the great Emily Blunt, while extreme love and hate are reserved for Rosemarie DeWitt and Mark Duplass. We'll let you hit that play button to figure out which host is...2018-04-0540 minThe Grand GestureEp. 30 - The TerminalUnlike Stanley Tucci in THE TERMINAL we have open arms to our guests, and in particular returning guest JASON MICHAEL of ATLANTIC SCREEN CONNECTION (and the upcoming TRILOGY TALK) to talk about a Steven Spielberg film that everyone hates. No, no READY PLAYER ONE (although that should provide a hashtag for this episode's social media promotion @grandgesturepod) but the 2004 Tom Hanks starring romcom. Jason dismisses Catherine Zeta-Jones from this screen romance and focuses on Tucci and Hanks bantering back and forth as the latter takes up residence in the former's airport as a man with no country...2018-03-3156 minThe Grand GestureEp. 29 - Ex MachinaOn this episode we celebrate/lament (so we have all of our Film Twitter bases covered) the release of Alex Garland's latest film ANNIHILATION as well as Alicia Vikander's latest film TOMB RAIDER by looking back to their collaboration in EX MACHINA. This very romantic film tells the story of a young ginger man who one day wins the nerd lottery to go drink, dance, and have speed date challenges under the tutelage of The Great Oscar Isaac. To help us retell this story in podcast form we bring on first time guest EMILY of the DEAD...2018-03-3038 minThe Grand GestureEp. 28 - Sweet Home AlabamaAs promised (threatened?) we get around to SWEET HOME ALABAMA with the only reason to listen to this episode, returning guest ALLISON of the NOT YOUR LITTLE LADY podcast. In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss watching this 2002 romcom hit with outsiders, Hollywood's obsession with portraying the South as a time capsule, and sacred dog burial grounds. But it's not all serious business as eventually we get into a game of Hot or Not with Southern leading men by doing some on-air research with our personal assistant Google. We buy into Josh Lucas in that respect, but do...2018-03-2852 minThe Grand GestureEp. 27 - The Red ShoesFor RED SPARROW we go with an obvious tie-in film in the first of our once a month romance with classic cinema: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1948 film THE RED SHOES. Ballet and the color red, but no spycraft to be found as your hosts Dave and Mike talk about the difference between professional and romantic passion and how podcasts provide more of the latter (episode 100 is just around the corner where your hosts finally answer "will they or won't they?") than the former. Join us as we continue to dance THE GRAND GESTURE format to its...2018-03-1739 minThe Grand GestureEp. 26 - That Awkward MomentWe bring on "The King of Cringe" for THAT AWKWARD MOMENT, something our guest JARED DOTSON of SOBER CINEMA takes issue with. However much to our surprise, he does not take issue with this not so well regarded romcom from 2014 starring Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller as three guys making a pact to navigate single life together after one friend's marriage ends. And while the romances don't particularly work here (except for the one with the great Mackenzie Davis who makes any role work) this boys club movie ends up having its own particular...2018-03-0352 minThe Grand GestureEp. 25 - Who Framed Roger RabbitOn this episode we take a trip back to the late 80s when cartoon rabbits didn't make fun of those with allergies and instead would go on angry drunken heartbroken benders. To do this we need an expert, not in drunken benders, but in that time period. So joining us for the first time is Charlee of WORD TO THE MUTHA, who hosts her own podcast looking back on music from the late 80s/early 90s. Give this episode a listen and feel old with us!Listen on iTunes/PodbeanFacebook/Instagram/Twitter...2018-02-2139 minThe Grand GestureEp. 24 - 13 Going on 30
On this episode we sprinkle a little Mark Ruffalo fairy dust and jump ahead to our fun and flirty thirties with guest EMILY DURKIN of THE ALL NIGHTER MOVIE REVIEW PODCAST for a discussion on 13 GOING ON 30. One host hates Jennifer Garner and is terrible while the other one is incredibly handsome. We also debate the relevance of VH1 to... well, anyone at this point, as well as the levels of cringe for making LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD your personal mantra. Better or worse than a flash mob THRILLER dance? Find out all of this and other...2018-02-1643 minThe Grand GestureEp. 23 - ExcaliburFor Valentine's Day we offer up the legendary gift of EXCALIBUR... but mainly Helen Mirren in all her black magic glory. To do so we welcome an Arthurian legend expert, Josh Dotson of SOBER CINEMA. And when we say "expert" we mean someone who isn't shocked by the criminal ways in which King Arthur is conceived in this John Boorman fever dream of a film. As we recover from that shock we try to chart the many grand gestures seen in this film: the drawing of a sword, the coming of the king, the search for the...2018-02-1442 minThe Grand GestureEp. 22 - Phantom ThreadFor our first new release, Paul Thomas Anderson's PHANTOM THREAD, we bring on a new guest in BEN ZUK from 99 FROM 99 a new movie podcast co-hosted by your lovable country bumpkin Mike. That podcast is presenting 99 episodes on films from 1999, including the great MAGNOLIA. Unlike the poor bastards on that podcast, we don't have to wait to discuss a PTA joint as we spend 38 minutes praising exactly how this great director prepares cinematic asparagus with this strange, sweet, ugly and beautiful love story in what is our favorite film of 2017. Enjoy this interruption in your earbuds with...2018-01-3138 minThe Grand GestureEp. 21 - You've Got MailThe entire point of this podcast has been to force the cynical and generally miserable coastal elite host, Dave, to be brought to the light by the noble and kind host, Mike. And there is perhaps no other film that can accomplish this feat other than Nora Ephron's classic YOU'VE GOT MAIL. But since every great romcom needs an outside voice, we bring on our first returning guest, NATASHA of THE RAD ASS BITCHES, to be our online pen pal and tackle today's most important questions:Are daisies truly the friendliest flower?Was that caviar truly...2018-01-2545 minThe Grand GestureEp. 20 - The American PresidentSince the extent of our research on AARON SORKIN was one of us watching an episode of THE WEST WING and the other pulling up an IMDb tab on this accomplished writer, your hosts bring in a Sorkin expert in JESSE SCHOBER of the FIELD OF SCREAMS podcast. And no, it's not about Sorkin, but Jesse has compiled all of his knowledge on this man into one great speech that is to be found at the end of this show (so you have to listen). Before that though we go back to the good old days of...2018-01-1650 minThe Grand GestureOpen with a Breakup Song in THE LAST FIVE YEARSWe kick off the new year as most people do... by reflecting on the film adaptation of musical THE LAST FIVE YEARS. Since your hosts Mike and Dave have not a musical bone in their body (just very bitter ones) we welcome singer/songwriter JACOB HALLER on from the podcast TELL ME ABOUT YOUR SONG to explain the appeal of this film that opens with a song about heartbreak and closes with a song about heartbreak. Thankfully we are united in our defense of the great ANNA KENDRICK and are also graced by Mr. Haller re-writing one...2018-01-0755 minThe Grand GestureCrying Over Mr. Napkin Head in THE HOLIDAYTake a podcast holiday with us as we provide you with the fantasies of Nancy Meyers as lived out by Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in THE HOLIDAY. Guest Natasha of The Rad Ass Bitches joins the show to debate if Meyers can pull off a more grounded love affair with Jack Black or if she needs the extremely handsome crutch of Jude Law to make her romantic plot take off. When your host Mike can get co-host Dave to shut up long enough about the charms of Mr. Law we also get into a hot or...2017-12-3150 minThe Grand GestureMeet Cute Yourself in LOOPEROn this episode we skip the New Year's resolutions because your hosts Dave and Mike are self-aware enough (just enough) to know that they can't and won't tolerate any self-improvement. Thankfully we have a guest who is actually a decent person in JESSI LAUREN of SEARCH TO FIND YOU to help provide some insight on the particular cold shower of growing up that Joseph Gordon-Levitt finds himself taking in LOOPER. An older version of himself played by Bruce Willis travels back in time on a mission to do some very bad things to save the woman he...2017-12-2945 minThe Grand GestureGhostly Interlopers in CRIMSON PEAKKeeping with the holiday spirit, we keep it all in the family with our latest look at love in Guillermo del Toro's CRIMSON PEAK. And while this may not be as romantic as his new release THE SHAPE OF WATER, this film has JESSICA CHASTAIN. Enough said. Thankfully we have guest ANYA NOVAK (whose work on genre film you can find EVERYWHERE) to say just a few more words about this great film, such as how important are rough hands in a male suitor? What about TOM HIDDLESTON's quick book reviews? Fun and flirty or just cover...2017-12-1835 minThe Grand GestureClash of the Accents in JUNEBUGEven though this may be one of the smaller films selected for this show, we think JUNEBUG has a lot to offer our listeners during the holiday season. Mainly how one would handle the unstoppable enthusiasm of a pregnant Amy Adams. That particular pleasure was shared with our guest Allison of NOT YOUR LITTLE LADY, who brings her own experiences as a lady of the South to this film about a coastal elite meeting her partner's family of North Carolina country bumpkins. Along the way your own hosts, coastal elite Dave and country bumpkin Mike, point fingers...2017-12-1242 minThe Grand GestureHot Tub Time in ABOUT SCHMIDTWe continue our long dreadful march to Christmas with another spirited pick-me-up of a family film in ABOUT SCHMIDT. This Alexander Payne flick stars Jack Nicholson as a man traveling across the country to stop his daughter's wedding to a "nincompoop" who bears a striking resemblance to one of our beloved co-hosts. This was pointed out by our spirited and charming guest TIM COSTA of FIRST TIME WATCHERS who finds himself at a loss on what to do when confronted with a nude Kathy Bates in a hot tub. As usual, your hosts Dave and Mike know...2017-12-0539 minThe Grand GestureAxe Throwing is Romantic and Necessary on TITANICFor our lucky number 13 episode we decide that there's absolutely nothing that can go wrong by taking a trip on TITANIC and to do so we bring in an admitted fan of this film (which is rare on the internet) Peter of PODSTALGIC to discuss if this is The Ultimate Grand Gesture movie and if Leonardo Dicaprio's skills as an alleged thief are more impressive than Kate Winslet's axe wielding prowess. Find out all of this and the best place to have sex on a sinking ship in our latest episode of THE GRAND GESTURE!...2017-12-0240 minThe Grand GestureBeing a Cute Creep for Christmas in ELFFor our first ever Christmas episode we declare our guest WILLIAM LINDUS of the MOVIE BEARS PODCAST to be our very own Christmas movie expert. And although he had not been previously made aware that he would be given this position he does a great job discussing the romantic merits of 2003's much beloved holiday movie ELF starring Will Ferrell. Can creeping up on someone as they shower, even if its just to sing along, be considered a Meet Cute? How about some shopping advice for old dad by selecting for him a nice negligee? Let us...2017-11-3043 minThe Grand GestureSomewhere Between Too Lazy and Too Extra in WONDER BOYSFor a movie on books we had to bring on a guest who has actually read one of those damn things. Megan from the podcast Oh No! Lit Class joins us to discuss the Curtis Hanson film adaptation of the Michael Chabon novel WONDER BOYS. Michael Douglas stars as the ultimate one hit wonder who can't move on, even when his lover who is married to his boss (!) tells him that she is pregnant and that it may be time for them to become Facebook official. Can the great Frances McDormand give this man, and the co-hosts...2017-11-2850 minThe Grand GesturePermanent Vacation Lifestyle in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALLOn this episode we take a trip to get over our previous episodes of love, longing, and heartache with Alyssa of the Hindsight Movie Podcast. Unfortunately for her this podcast trip includes Jason Segal in the nude (usually crying), Mr. Segal having sex (while almost crying), and taking in the sights (while almost dying). Fortunately for you the listener, we don't do any of those things, and discuss the idea of a permanent vacation lifestyle, worst music associated with our own real life romances (Jared Leto tops the Dracula musical easily), and how Bill Hader is the...2017-11-0438 minThe Grand GestureThe Most Depressing Costume Party in THE LOBSTERThis year for Halloween we decide to dress up as THE LOBSTER! And joining us for the most depressing costume party ever is Jess from JOY SANDWICH (of course)! Not only do we discuss which animal would we like to be if given the chance to fail so spectacularly at finding true love, but also how far we would go for love? Lose an eye? A hand to a toaster? Find out all this and many thing you do not want to know as our hosts Dave and Mike brave a dystopian world where Colin Farrell can...2017-10-3153 minThe Grand GestureBreaking Up is a Young Man's Game in BLUE JAYFor our episode on BLUE JAY we stay away from old acquaintances, as we will learn from this film that it can only lead to tears and awkward attempts to rap, so we welcome new guest Kay from THE SERIOUSLY GREY'S PODCAST to discuss this small, little gem of a romance starring Mark Duplass and Our Beloved Sarah Paulson.Were you aware of our love for The Great Sarah Paulson? NO? Then clearly you have not hit that Play button yet. How. Dare. You.Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @grandgesturepodHosts: Dave @pccasestudy...2017-10-2732 minThe Grand GestureDecency Among Gods and Men in WONDER WOMANOn this episode we travel to Paradise Island to ogle a naked Chris Pine... and that's pretty much all we got on one of the biggest box-office and criticially successful films of the year in WONDER WOMAN. Thankfully guest SANDY DEVITO of MOVIEJAWN provides a little more than that (though what could be more important than Chris Pine in the nude?) as we discuss why 2017 was the perfect time for the first feature film adaptation of this particular comic book superhero as compared to the thousands of others hitting theaters every week. From Gal Gadot's mixture of...2017-10-1536 minThe Grand GestureSeeking Perfection in THE AGE OF ADALINEOn this episode we seek perfection with JD Duran of Insession Film and if we can't deliver on that promise, well, Blake Lively can. Unfortunately for her, the perfection of staying the same age in THE AGE OF ADALINE puts a cramp in her love life with the inability to make any lifelong committments for fear of the danger it brings to herself and her loved ones. We debate the pros and cons of awkward family dinners when one has had the good fortune of dating both Harrison Ford and his follicly gifted son and as always with THE...2017-10-1339 minThe Grand GestureForgiving the Spycraft Sins of KNIGHT AND DAYWe decide to do a meet cute, break up, and grand gesture the Tom Cruise way, which involves a plane crash, a car chase, and a motorcycle in a race with the bulls, along with copious amounts of drugs and guns in the 2010 film KNIGHT AND DAY. And yet it still remains adorable. To keep it that way, your lovable scamp of a host Mike recruits fellow Cruise enthusiast, Jason Michael of Atlantic Screen Connection, to "debate" the ethics of this romcom with his curmudgeon coastal elite of a co-host Dave. Of course if that's not strong...2017-09-3036 minThe Grand GestureThe Ryan Gosling Influence in CRAZY, STUPID, LOVEOn this episode we have our own Battle of the Sexes, but we skip the tennis nonsense and stick to what we know best: Ryan Gosling shirtless. In this film, Steve Carell plays a complacent family man whose world is upended when his wife, played by Julianne Moore, asks for a divorce and he finds himself lost, single, and thankfully under the tutelage of Gosling's ladykiller. However both men influence each other which leads to a grand romantic gesture... and our episode with guest Jairo of the True Bromance Film Podcast. We promise, that unlike Gosling, our guest will...2017-09-2947 minThe Grand GestureYoga Pants Awareness in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOKNon of Joy Sandwich joins the podcast in his best Eagles jersey to discuss the merits of a friendly parlay on football and dance competitions for the Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence starring SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. We discuss the value of mental health awareness while wearing yoga pants and also the tonal issues this film could have fallen prey to... while wearing yoga pants.Did I mention that Non looks much better in yoga pants than hosts Mike and Dave? It matters not. This is an audio podcast. You are lucky.Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @grandgesturepod2017-09-1640 minThe Grand GestureHandling Snakes and Romantic Quests in MUDTwo episodes in, we may as well come to terms with the fact that we are on our own podcast island. Thankfully we have Barry from The True Bromance Film Podcast joining us to help us waste away the days not only podcasting, but snake handling, fixing up old boats and discussing the great Jeff Nichols film MUD. This movie introduces us to a group of men from different generations plotting on how to win the objects of their affections which leads us to debate the merit of their pursuits... namely their choice of old fashioned pornography...2017-09-0938 minThe Grand GestureDon't Commit To This in KNOCKED UPTo celebrate the birth of our new podcast, hosts Dave and Mike welcome guest Kristen Lopez of Journeys in Classic Film to get KNOCKED UP. This 2007 film is perfect for the premise of our show (also it's all we've produced at this point) as we discuss the changing response to this movie from both audiences and creators alike. Was Katherine Heigl onto something with this romocom's portrayal of women as the buzzkill to Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd shenanigans? Or do we need to mansplain this genre so we can all go back to a simpler time before Mr...2017-09-0339 min
Original RemakeThe Dark Knight Returns and Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeOn this episode, featured player and our resident horror expert Derek Stewart returns to relive the horror of watching BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. We discuss the film's attempt to present a version of Frank Miller's THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS on the big screen, which was far more successfully done with a straightforward animated adaptation for the home video market.2016-04-0155 minOriginal RemakeThe Ladykillers 1955 and 2004For all of our podcast valentines out there we present A Very Problematic Episode on how to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate your way to success with the ladies. To do so, we of course don't share any actual life experience but take in a double feature of the 1955 LADYKILLERS starring Alec Guinness and the 2004 Coen brothers remake starring Tom Hanks. We look at not only the cultural differences between the English and American versions, but also how the 2004 version would be received in 2016. And of course some Batman and James Bond talk with guest Derek Stewart because... hashtags.2016-02-091h 12Original RemakeEvil Dead 1981 and 2013With the release of the much anticipated ASH VS EVIL DEAD, we decided to go back to the origins of Ash Williams and compare Sam Raimi's 1981 cult classic EVIL DEAD and the Fede Alvarez remake. We are joined again by Derek Stewart of Horror-N-Us.com in this follow up to our Halloween weekend extravaganza.2015-11-011h 12Original RemakeHalloween 1978 and 2007In this episode we celebrate Halloween with... Halloween! John Carpenter's genre defining film faces off against Rob Zombie's remake, and we accuse one of these filmmakers of being the quarterback on the couch. We'll let you guess which one. To find out for sure, listen to our discussion with our horror expert guest Derek Stewart.2015-10-281h 05