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Gone Girl begins our 2nd (Probably) Annual Revenge Month as Rosamund Pike plays a narcissistic sadist who wants vengeance on her lazy, cheating husband. Ben Affleck plays that husband, a very-flawed man who has to deal with tabloid "journalists" as he tries to figure out why his wife is missing...and possibly dead. David Fincher's mystery movie has its faults, but it's well-made (of course) and it shows off the savage determination of Pike's Amy Dunne, especially in the last 20 or 30 minutes. We tried to sort through Gone Girl's confusing climax, although that section also has some of the funniest things you'll see in any thriller. So put on your baseball cap (we didn't even bring up THAT silly Fincher/Affleck stalemate!) and mope your way through a charmed life as two people hate each other, but they find a way to make us enjoy all that in this 580th episode of Have You Ever Seen. WELL, ACTUALLY: the proper pronunciation of Gillian Flynn's first name is a hard G, similar to "gone" and "girl". Also, the editor who typically edits Fincher's movies with Kirk Baxter is Angus Wall, although he didn't help cut this one. Sparkplug Coffee offers Have You Ever Seen listeners a 20% discount if they'll use our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Get in touch with us about this or any other podcast. Our email address is haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. Our Twi-X handles are @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. It's the same handle for Bev on Threads. And we always drop every show on YouTube later on the posting day (@hyesellis). Comment, like and share there and on your podcast app. Write a review, rate us, subscribe. We'd appreciate any or all of that.
This 579th edition of Have You Ever Seen wraps up our 9th Annual Oscar Month on the very day that also happens to be this podcast's 11th anniversary. Jojo Rabbit is one of the funniest movies of recent years and it's also one of the best. The tone is remarkable and it's consistent, especially considering something as deadly serious as Hitler, Nazis and the Holocaust are made so funny here. Credit to writer/director Taika Waititi and his cast for pulling that off. Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell are terrific, but child actors Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie and Archie Yates are the keys. They give some of the best child performances we've ever seen...and they're hilarious when they're not being touching. So goof around with your imaginary friend while learning to care about your real best friend as we tie our own shoes and have a great time discussing Jojo Rabbit. Johannes and his best friends aren't old enough to be coffee drinkers, but if you sip the stuff, then take a look at "sparkplug.coffee". You can nab a 20% discount by using our "HYES" promo code (so add "/hyes" to the address in your browser). Contact us. We're Twi-X people (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis), Bev is on Threads (@bevellisellis) and we have an email address of course (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Our shows also go up on YouTube (@hyesellis). Comment, review, rate, like, subscribe, all that.
Jimmy Stewart wasn't a big star yet when he worked with Frank Capra for the first time in this picture. No matter. You Can't Take It With You belongs to the top-billed Jean Arthur and especially Lionel Barrymore anyway. A word that didn't come up in Ryan's solo show here is "screwball", although this Best Picture winner is clearly working in that genre. The flick just didn't make this fellow laugh. Of course, director Capra won his 3rd Oscar in just 5 years for this effort...and all 3 were screwball comedies. The man was in his element. At least his movie is genial and it's a solid-enough story. So agree with the movie's admirable message while trying to find something in it that might actually make you giggle as this 578th episode of Have You Ever Seen picks through You Can't Take It With You. WELL, ACTUALLY: Anthony Kirby Senior DOES smile before the scene with the harmonicas at the end. He grins when Penny tells Mrs. Kirby that her hobby is silly. Get yourself some groovy beans from Sparkplug Coffee. They will give our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Just use our "HYES" promo code. The place to be is "sparkplug.coffee.hyes". We like to hear from our audience. Email is one way to talk to us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Twi-X is another (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis, which is also the handle Bev uses on Threads). We also post our full episodes on YouTube (@hyesellis). Help us out by rating our show, liking it, reviewing it and subscribing to it.
Oscar Month takes us back to the long-ago past as we talk about the genial one that took home 7 Oscars 8 decades ago. But Going My Way didn't make it easy on us. This fluffery somehow one-upped the Double Indemnity at those Academy Awards. Bing Crosby even won a trophy for his role as a helpful priest, despite having a real-life personality that contrasted with his nice-guy image. Maybe he was a better actor than we thought. In any case, we can understand how a musical comedy would be welcomed during the height of WWII, but is this the epitome of filmmaking in ANY year? Well, we had some fun with Leo McCarey's flick, including speculating about who set the church on fire. We also poked the ribs of the Irish and the Catholic Church. So swing on a star with episode #577 of Have You Ever Seen as a songwriter bonds with wayward youths, lost loves and aging priests. TO BE CLEAR: the James Brown "football guy" who's referred to is not even the legendary Cleveland running back (that's Jim Brown, of course), but the host who used to be a football broadcaster with Fox and seems to be working for CBS now. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors this show. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" for more details. Our "HYES" promo code will set you up with a onetime 20% discount. Want to feed us back? Email is good (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Twi-X is too (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev is on Threads with that same handle. Also, keep up with every show we post on YouTube (@hyesellis). Rate and review us there and on your podcast app. Subscribe, like, comment, share, etc.
It was an Oppenheimer kind of night. Some called the 2024 Academy Awards broadcast a snooze, but the Ellises had a good time watching the show, especially the comedy bits. The Mulaneys, the Cenas, the Spielbergs (yeah!) and especially the Goslings were funny and very entertaining. We also mostly agreed with---or at least respected---the people and the films that were given trophies. So settle in for the 576th episode of Have You Ever Seen as we break down what we thought about the best in 2023's motion pictures in our 2024 Oscars Post-View Show. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors this podcast. You can save 20% off your next order by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Comment on our possibly controversial thoughts you'll hear in this or any other podcast we've done. Our email is haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. On Twi-X, Ryan is @moviefiend51 and Bev is @bevellisellis. She uses that handle on Threads too. Also, hunt for our show on YouTube. Rate, review, comment, subscribe, etc.
Our first Best Picture winner in this year's Oscar Month, The Last Emperor, went 9 for 9 at the awards that year. John Lone, Joan Chen and Peter O'Toole are all solid in the starring roles, but there's something fairly soulless and even a little opaque about this spectacular production...especially for a Bernardo Bertolucci film. Bertolucci and his team were the rare Western filmmakers to be allowed to shoot in The Forbidden City in China, as they told a story about a sheltered child surrounded by devious sycophants. Puyi might be a royal, but his comfortable life is spent in effectively a prison. The biggest problem we couldn't get past with this film, though, is that this was what the Oscars told us was the pinnacle of 1987 filmmaking, even though Broadcast News, Moonstruck, Robocop, Predator and Lethal Weapon were all out that year. So don't you dare try to leave the 575th edition of Have You Ever Seen---not until you get kicked out---as we marvel and moan in equal measure about The Last Emperor. Well, Actually: Maggie Han was born in Rhode Island, but her parents were South Korean. Also, Licence To Kill was released in 1989, not 1987. They can't get Sparkplug Coffee in China, but people in America and Canada can. And if you use our "HYES" promo code, you'll save 20%. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Drop us a line via email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) and/or follow us on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and also look for Bev on Threads (@bevellisellis). Rate, review, subscribe, do all those things on your app, but also hunt us down on the web via YouTube. We post all our shows there. The destination in your browser is @hyesellis.
Surprise! Back in January, Ryan posted a solo show talking about Horse Feathers. Well, here's another unexpected, unpromoted show about a movie star from the early days of cinema. Mary Pickford is a legend for business reasons though as much as she is for her films. She was a producer when not many women were AND she created the United Artists studio with Chaplin, Griffith and Fairbanks. Coquette is not her best-known title, but it DID win her an Oscar. And this early talkie is better than expected, especially considering the dreadful numbers on Rotten Tomatoes. Sound was still wonky in 1929, but this flick didn't suffer badly in that area. It's fairly well-made. Pickford might never come up on Have You Ever Seen again, so the focus in this 574th episode is split between the film itself and Mary P as one of the premiere power players in the first few decades of Hollywood filmmaking. Make your day yummy by buying some Sparkplug Coffee. They give our listeners a onetime 20% discount, if those listeners use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". If you feel inclined to let us know what you think of our talkie efforts, try email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). There's also Twi-x. Ryan is @moviefiend51 on there, while Bev is @bevellisellis (and has the same handle on Threads). We also post our shows on YouTube with a simple graphic accompaniment. That's @hyesellis in your browser. Like us there and/or on your podcast app. Rate, review, subscribe, you know the score.
This is our 9th Oscars Preview Show and this is one of the few times where we don't have too many bad things to say about the nominees. Bev went easier on Oppenheimer than she did last summer after seeing it. We each have nothing but praise for some of the great (downer) films like Anatomy Of A Fall and The Zone Of Interest. At least the Academy didn't overlook funny flicks because 2 gut-busters (Barbie and American Fiction) are up for major awards too. In short though, 2023 was the year of Barbenheimer. Both megahits are likely to win trophies...and one of them is the front-runner for a lot of the big ones. Big hint: a large kaboom. Oppenheimer has been cleaning up at other awards shows, as have actors like Murphy, Stone, Downey and Randolph. They look to be in great shape to take home Oscar gold. We addressed the controversy about Barbie's "snubs" and we talked about a lot of technical categories, but the focus was on the 4 acting categories, the 2 writing categories and of course Best Director and Best Picture. So settle in as we spend a touch over an hour during this 573rd episode of Have You Ever Seen making predictions---and often making jokes---about the upcoming 96th Academy Awards. Well, Actually: With the nod this year, Martin Scorsese has 10 nominations for directing while Steven Spielberg has 9. Also, the Killers Of The Flower Moon song that's nominated is called "Wahzhazhe". Also also, the proper pronunciation of Da'Vine Joy Randolph is "Day-vine", not "Duh-vine". Also also also, both the song and the name of the Bond movie that won Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell an Oscar just a few years ago was "No Time To Die". Sparkplug Coffee is our friendly sponsor. They give Have You Ever Seeners who use our "HYES" promo code a 20% discount. Your destination is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Follow us on Twi-x and you can see what we might have to say on Oscar Night. Bev is @bevellisellis there and also on Threads, while Ryan is @moviefiend51 on Elon's chat site. Email us with comments about the show: haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. And look for our podcasts on YouTube (@hyesellis). Please rate us, review us, like, subscribe, tell people we exist.
Jean-Luc Godard was prolific after he went from reviewing films to making them in the early '60s. He directed a few classics of the French New Wave, many of which are beloved by Sight & Sound voters. In Contempt, bombshell Brigitte Bardot is impossibly beautiful, but she's also quite good at playing passive-aggressive anger. She and the dreamy Italian locations are a treat for the eyes, as her nightmarish scenario finds her being pimped out by her writer husband (Michel Piccoli) to a sleazy American producer (Jack Palance). Contempt is compelling, even if it's far from perfect and the characters aren't very likable. So join us in this 572nd edition of Have You Ever Seen as we wrap up "Love In A Word Month" by digging into the story of a not-so-great husband, a greatly-disappointed wife and The Odyssey in this movie about movies. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors our podcast. Use our "HYES" promo code and score a 20% discount. So it's "sparkplug.coffee.hyes" in your browser. Feedback? We like it. Fire off a message on Twi-x (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or join Bev on Threads (@bevellisellis). Email is good too (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). We also put all of our podcasts from top to tail on YouTube (@hyesellis). Rate us, review us, hit the like and subscribe buttons. We'd appreciate it.
While not a classic, Mogambo has a lot going for it. They took the production to several countries in Africa to get authentic scenery for this passionate love story. Big stars like Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly do the love triangle thing and John Ford (who had just won his 4th Oscar) is their director. And what these legends of cinema made 70+ years ago is fine. It's just far from marvelous. Gable alternates his romantic interest between Gardner & Kelly, which isn't logical. Anyway, Ryan is on his own again in this 571st episode of Have You Ever Seen, so journey to various parts of Africa---when you're not shooting in front of projection screens in the comfort of a studio, that is---as Mogambo gets a reviewin'. Programming note: All The King's Men will not be the episode on March 22nd. What WILL be discussed is still being considered. Sparkplug Coffee can't be acquired in the wilds of Africa, but Canadians and Americans can be all over it. They continue to offer our listeners 20% off if they use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee" and add "/ hyes" to nab that discount. Getting in touch with us is always welcomed...during the last few days of "Love In A Word" Month or anytime. Ryan's Twi-x handle is @moviefiend51. Bev's is @bevellisellis, which is also how you can contact her on Threads. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". And we post all of our shows on YouTube. The browser destination for that is "@hyesellis". Rate and review us there or on your podcast app. Subscribe, like, share...spread the word.
It's President's Day in America, it's Family Day here in Ontario and it's also Black History Month, but it's also "Love In A Word" Month on Have You Ever Seen...and we continue to talk about romantic movies with one-word titles. Sabrina has a tremendous pedigree. Billy Wilder directing Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and William Holden must have been an easy sell to the moneymen 70 years ago. Their romcom is pretty good and it is indeed funny & romantic (at times), but we had trouble buying the love story. Holden is not at his best, while Bogie seems miscast...and also somewhat disinterested. Audrey is about as charming and likable as she always was though, plus Wilder certainly knew what he was doing while making a comedy. Ups, downs. So put on a fancy dress and try to close that big deal to rake in mucho bucks as you hear us gab about Sabrina in our 570th episode. Sparkplug Coffee offers excellent beans to Canadians & Americans. They'll give our listeners who use our "HYES" promo code a one-time 20% discount. Go to "sparkplug.coffee". Want to make comments about our chat...or any of our chats? Do that and also rate, review, subscribe and like any or all of our shows on your podcast app. We also post our episodes on YouTube (@hyesellis), where you can follow, like and give us your thoughts what we've said as well. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com" and our Twi-x handles are @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Bev is also on Threads under @bevellisellis.
Ernst Lubitsch is one of the directors of the classic era who hasn't stayed in people's minds as much as others have. He's not as revered as, say, Billy Wilder...who happens to be a co-writer of Ninotchka. But Ernst had the famous "Lubitsch Touch", where he was able to effortlessly blend jokes and romance with a good story as well as anybody ever has. The hook here is that the always-serious Greta Garbo gets to be funny ("Garbo Laughs"). And she's great in this. She's lovable when she softens, but playing it straight as a stern Russian was her route to comic gold. She and Melvyn Douglas are a wonderful rom-com couple. As for Ninotchka's story, it's all about how capitalism is fun while communism is a dreary, almost-cultlike oppression. Politics has rarely resulted in such mirth. So loosen up and put on your ugly hat as the 569th edition of Have You Ever Seen digs into a classic comedy that's---get this---actually funny. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR: Sig Ruman is German and Alexander Granach was born in what is now Ukraine, while Felix Bressart was born in what was then East Prussia in Germany...but is now Russia. So you could argue that at least he really was Russian. We're sponsored by the capitalists at Sparkplug Coffee. They give our listeners a onetime 20% discount if they just use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee" and add "/ hyes" to enjoy a little savings. You are not bound to secrecy if you want to let us know what you think of our work. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". Our Twi-x handles are @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Bev is also on Threads with that same @. Your messages won't be blacked out by the government. And find our shows on YouTube too. Type "@hyesellis" into your browser and you'll be taken to our home page. Rate, review, like, subscribe and all that in your podcast app and/or on YouTube.
So Woody Allen, huh? One of the most controversial men in show business wasn't always that way...at least not publicly. He made many funny classics back in his salad days. Manhattan is certainly one of them. Woody and Marshall Brickman wrote plenty of great lines and hilarious scenes, plus Gordon Willis' cinematography is fantastic. The story and themes in this complicated love rhombus, however, are at least partially ruined by the director's real-life issues. Ryan's solo show addresses the controversies about Woody's dating life, his marriage to his step-daughter and what he may have done to another step-daughter when she was a child. Yeah, Manhattan wasn't an easy one to review. In any case, this 568th episode in the Have You Ever Seen series has one man trying to figure out how to feel about another man's oddball love life. There's nothing complicated about Sparkplug Coffee. Buy some. You can take advantage of a 20% discount by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee", then add "/ hyes" to the address. This review might inspire you to agree or to strongly disagree. Fire off a Twi-x to Ryan (@moviefiend51) or even throw out an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Bev is contactable too, via a Twi-x (@bevellisellis) and her handle is the same on Threads. Rate our podcast, review it, like it, subscribe to it either in your app or find us on YouTube (@hyesellis) and do those same things there.
All of our February podcasts will be about romantic/passionate films with one-word titles...and we begin "Love In A Word Month" with a chat about Arthur. Steve Gordon's blockbuster comedy was the rare laughy performance that won an Oscar. John Gielgud took it home for what is the funniest role in the movie. Dudley Moore, on the other hand, cackles at every joke he makes when he's drunk, although at least he's actually sweet when he's not playing it blitzed. Liza Minnelli brings a lot of sass to this male-dominated yuckfest as Moore's love interest. She has chemistry with the other 2 guys. It's just that we wish we'd laughed a lot more often and---while the violent climax at the wedding is amusing---the last 5 minutes of the movie are dreadfully unearned. It was a bad ending to what was already a flawed story. So alert the media that our 567th tall glass of Have You Ever Seen is rather critical of Arthur. Chase away your blistering hangover with some Sparkplug Coffee. You'll get a 20% discount by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Interact with us on social media (@moviefiend51 for Ryan and @bevellisellis for Bev on Twi-x, plus Bev is @bevellisellis on Threads), email ("haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com") or by commenting on our YouTube page (@hyesellis). You can rate, like, subscribe to us on the 'Tube and/or on your podcast app.
Steven Soderbergh's debut film is the 4th and final selection in this year's "Month Of Bev". Sex, Lies, And Videotape represents career-best performances by Andie MacDowell and Laura San Giacomo, although it was James Spader who got all the raves for his calm frankness. Peter Gallagher has the least-sympathetic and least-dimensional role of the 4 main characters. People are complex, which is a truth that Soderbergh understood even at this young age. So hit the play button on an antiquated technology that most young people have probably never even seen as our 566th episode is all about a man and several women sitting down to talk about Sex, Lies, And Videotape. WELL, ACTUALLY: it's true that Rocky has a big critical/audience split on Rotten Tomatoes, but Forrest Gump's big split is the opposite...the audiences on that site like it a lot more than critics do. The kinds of explicit conversations people have in this movie would be broached even easier if they all had a cup of coffee. Sparkplug Coffee offers Have You Ever Seen listeners a 20% discount if they use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". We love hearing from you. Twi-x messages are one way (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) while Bev is on Threads (@bevellisellis). Email is an option too (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) and you can comment on our YouTube channel (@hyesellis). Rate, review, like, subscribe on the 'Tube and also on your podcasting app.
Not many movies make decorative artwork a sinister part of the story...but The Picture Of Dorian Gray does. Albert Lewin's handsome adaptation of Oscar Wilde's story about a painting that evolves to show the dark deeds of the lead character while he remains young is a popular concept. It's been remade many times. In this 1945 version, Hurd Hatfield's intentionally soulless performance as Dorian is one of the least-interesting parts of the film. George Sanders gets many caustic lines though and Angela Lansbury is the heart of the movie, even though she's not in it very much. This ranked on AFI's Top 100 Thrills and it's not scary all these decades later, but that doesn't mean there isn't something eerie going on. So stop obsessing about your looks as the 565th doodle of Have You Ever Seen (and another solo show by Ryan) investigates the supernatural goings on in The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Check out our sponsor: Sparkplug Coffee. They continue to offer a onetime 20% discount to anyone who uses our promo code ("HYES"). Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Communicate with Ryan on Twi-x (@moviefiend51) and with Bev on Twi-x (@bevellisellis) or Threads (also @bevellisellis). Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". And we post all our shows on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser), so you can like, rate, review and subscribe to us there and/or on your podcasting app.
Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and the rest of the terrific cast of The Talented Mr. Ripley were all in the middle of a remarkable run of greatness in the late '90s, but this is the thriller that sometimes gets forgotten. Is this Damon's best performance? It's certainly the rare killer he's played...and he's really good at being bad. The boring leech is a top-notch liar...and, oh, there's that ever-fascinating angle where an actor plays a character who has to act. This is Anthony Minghella at his best, both his clever screenplay and his direction. And this is the guy who directed the Oscar juggernaut that was The English Patient. Fun ride. So realize it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody as our 564th European jaunt takes Have You Ever Seen into the sinister world of The Talented Mr. Ripley. The talented purveyors of beans at Sparkplug Coffee offer our audience a 20% discount. Just use our "HYES" promo code. So it's "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Feedback is welcome. Comment, rate, review and subscribe to us on YouTube (@hyesellis). Write an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Look for Bev on Threads @bevellisellis)...or find either of us on Twitter-x (@moviefiend51and @bevellisellis).
Hey, it's a surprise podcast! A little bonus magic here in mid-January. Well, it's been more than 10 years since the Marx Brothers have come up on Have You Ever Seen, so they were due. Norman McLeod's football comedy is just as anarchic as Groucho, Chico and Harpo's other red-letter titles were. Trouble is, most of their zany puns and sight gags come across as "more of the same". They're hitting the same beats with different settings and different character names. So you know what you're getting from the Marx boys (although at least this kind of tomfoolery doesn't necessarily age badly), but was Horse Feathers actually funny? Ryan's monologue in our 563rd podcast tries to answer that question. Sparkplug Coffee isn't nutty like Horse Feathers is. It's a rock-solid product and you can save 20% off your next order by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". If you'd like to speak to us, go to Elon's weirdo site and hit us with a tweet-x (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev is on Threads as well (@bevellisellis). We can be emailed (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). And we post all our shows on YouTube (@hyesellis), so subscribe, like, review, rate and so forth.
Look at us covering one of the whitest movies ever on MLK Day. Well, it's quite a film that happens to be about many compelling things: lying, cheating and masculinity. It's also legitimately funny. Swedish writer/director Ruben Ostlund has made a career out of filming the uncomfortable and he loves to show people who are trying to save face. In Force Majeure, we've got a marriage on the rocks after Johannes Kuhnke fails his family in a crisis, which brings about a bitter conflict with his wife (Lisa Loven Kongsli). So don't be a coward when a lot of snow is rushing your way or when a bus driver is making you uneasy, but feel free to ugly cry in front of your family as the 562nd Have You Ever Seen podcast banters about Force Majeure. Well, Actually: the proper pronunciation of Ostlund's last name DOES seem to be to rhyme the first 3 letters with "frost", not "toast" or "boost". Also, Ostlund has indeed directed a few other films besides his Big Three, including Involuntary and Play. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors us. Use our "HYES" promo code and you will save 20% off your next order. The place to go to is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". We ask that you subscribe to our channel in your app and/or on YouTube (@hyesellis). Comment, rate, like, etc. Our tweet-x handles are @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Bev is @bevellisellis on Threads. And our email is haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com.
Buster Keaton's silent comedies were classics, but they were also action thrillers. He was one of the greatest and gutsiest stuntmen/actors in history. That stuff is phenomenal, so the only real problem with The Navigator is the same as it was in Sherlock Jr last year. Namely, the movie just isn't all that funny. The Navigator's ending sequence has the most laughs and most of the best stunts though. And it helps that Stoneface has chemistry with Kathryn Maguire, who was also his lady love in Sherlock Jr. Here they're in a movie about two pointless, rich people having to fight for their lives while lost at sea. We eventually get into some casual racism, but The Navigator IS a century old. So, instead of dwelling on that, have fun making bad breakfast and then defending your ship from hungry natives as this 561st episode of Have You Ever Seen ambles through The Navigator. For The Record: Monday's episode will be Ruben Ostlund's Force Majeure. Our schedule was changed, so the original throw we recorded was to a movie we'll review later in January, rather than this coming Monday. Buy Sparkplug Coffee! Yeah! Use our "HYES" promo code to save 20% off your very next order. Hit up "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". There are a bunch of ways to contact us. Tweet-x: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Email: haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. Or comment on our YouTube page (@hyesellis). And rate us, write a review and subscribe to us there...or on your podcast app.
We begin the 9th Annual Month Of Bev by chatting about a cult classic that features punks, Reaganomics and odd automobiles. Repo Man was Alex Cox's debut (Sid And Nancy came 2 years later) and it was also very early in Emilio Estevez's film career. The man who would basically stop acting in motion pictures about 15 years later is just okay here. He's joined in this sci-fi/comedy by veteran character actors like Tracey Walter and Harry Dean Stanton. The movie still touches Bev's Gen-X heart, despite a clunky middle section and an unsatisfying ending. This is a weird flick, but you have to admire that everyone involved embraces the weirdness. Well, maybe not Stanton. So drive your Chevy Malibu across the country---no matter what danger the trunk contains---and follow the code as our 560th pieces through Repo Man. To Be Clear...: Gary Oldman's co-star in Sid & Nancy is Chloe Webb (playing Nancy Spungen). Also, Sy Richardson WAS indeed one of the writers of Mario Van Peebles' Posse. Since repo men spend so much of of their day waiting in cars, they could use Sparkplug Coffee. You can snag some of that with a onetime 20% discount. Use our "HYES" promo code to keep bucks in your billfold. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Talk to us with a tweet-x (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Find our show on YouTube (@hyesellis) and comment to your heart's content there. Rate us and subscribe to us there too, but also do all those things on your podcast app.
We're in "let's look back at 2023" mode as we discuss our fave flicks of last year (so far) and also answer listeners' emails, tweets and YouTube comments. It wasn't a great 12 months at the movies, although we still have to see a lot of red-letter titles before we can make a final call on that. The writers' and actors' strikes were huge stories that might have long-lasting effects, but apart from the whopping successes of Barbenheimer, Sound Of Freedom and Taylor Swift's record-destroying concert film, the biggest story of '23 was the massive failure of most of the superhero movies released by Marvel and DC. And then, yes, we dropped some names and (finally!) responded to our loyal listeners who took the time to write to us. This 559th episode of Have You Ever Seen is a tidy 30 minutes, so get cozy on New Year's Day and spend some time with the Ellises as we tell you what we thought of the year that was. Well, Actually: Ryan messed up the names of superhero movies a few times in this episode. Chris Nolan directed Batman Begins, not Batman Returns. Also, he twice referred to the megahit from a few years ago as Spider-Man: Far From Home, when of course it was No Way Home. It's another year, but Sparkplug Coffee continues to offer our fans a 20% discount if they'll just use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Want to get your name mentioned on our podcast sometime in the future? Contact us with an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or a tweet-x (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellils). Rate our show and subscribe, write a review. And do all those things also on YouTube. Our channel there is @hyesellis.
To wrap up our podcasting year with a record-shattering 77th episode, Ryan is once again on a solo mission to review something that's considered a classic. And while it's always a pleasure to see Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, the reason to cover The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer is that it represents our first Shirley Temple (Black) flick. She's one of the title characters---you can guess which one---while Cary plays the other title character in another in his long line of rom-com hits. He was the master of the smiley love stories, especially those in the screwball genre. But is either the comedy or the love story in Irving Reis' light-hearted Oscar-winner particularly convincing though? And did Shirley Temple actually wear bobby sox? That last question isn't answered in this 558th dose of Have You Ever Seen, but a lot of other ones are, as this half-hour monologue breaks down The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer. The year may be over, but you can continue to enjoy a 20% discount from Sparkplug Coffee in 2024, if you use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". And keep on rating, reviewing, commenting, liking, subscribing etc. during these last few days of 2023... and then well into next year. You can do that on YouTube (@hyesellis) or on your podcast app. We haven't yet given up on Mister Musk's side job, so you can tweet-x us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Or just go old school and send an email (haveyoueverseendpodcast@gmail.com).
We post our final podcast of this year about a Christmas movie a day early, even though The Lion In Winter is only tangentially a Christmas movie at all. James Goldman wrote a complex King Lear story based on real people in director Anthony Harvey's authentic, dirty, unkempt Oscar-winner. Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn lead a fabulous cast (well, except for one person), as they fill the movie with sound and fury, although perhaps all the machinations take them back where they started. We took shots at the concept of royalty (then or now) and also the incestuous nature of those who wear silly crowns, but at least The Lion In Winter is engrossing and entertaining about such silliness. So be kind enough to let your spouse out of the hoosegow for the holidays as our 557th jingle bell digs into King Henry II, Eleanor Of Aquitaine and their not-so-loving children. WELL, ACTUALLY: Walter Brennan won 3 Oscars for Best Supporting Actor back in the '30s, so Hepburn was only tying him with her 3rd win for this performance. Snag some beans for Kwanzaa and the New Year and even get yourself a 20% discount by using our "HYES" promo code. That's possible if you click over to Sparkplug Coffee. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". And fire off an email or two (or more) to "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". That or tweet-x us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Rate our podcast on your app, write a review, like, subscribe, all that stuff. And look for us on YouTube. We post every episode (@hyesellis), where you can drop some comments and do those other things there too.
Not only are we reviewing Christmas movies this month, but Trading Places makes for the 2nd of 3 screwball comedies you will be able to find on this channel by the end of December. And like those other two, John Landis' romp tells a good story, but isn't very funny. Dan Aykroyd was established as a star, but Eddie Murphy was just starting his legendary movie career while Jamie Lee Curtis was making a successful transition from horror into comedy. Don Ameche, Ralph Bellamy and plenty of others get chances to shine too in this very watchable comedy. They just didn't make us laugh. This episode isn't all fun and games either because we discussed the offensive content and we talked about Landis' involvement in The Twilight Zone tragedy. So bet a buck on the 556th edition of Have You Ever Seen as rich jerks toy with people's lives just because in the Christmassy blockbuster known as Trading Places. WELL, ACTUALLY: the great R-rated laugh in Coming To America that's discussed at the 15-minute mark is early on in the film before Akeem has fallen in love with Lisa. He's just yelling about how much he loves America before someone curses at him, then he joyfully curses back. Also, Eddie Murphy won the Cecil B DeMille Award at the Golden Globes earlier this year. Also also, Paul Gleason is the VICE Principal in The Breakfast Club. Whether you believe in nature or nurture, you can believe in the quality of Sparkplug Coffee. Buy a bunch and use our "HYES" promo code to save 20% off your next order. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Letting us know what you think of our talks can be done by tweet-exing (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or sending an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). You also can and should comment—not to mention rate, review, subscribe, etc.---on our YouTube page (@hyesellis).
Television marathons helped A Christmas Story become a huge favourite this time of year, but Bob Clark's holiday comedy didn't need to be stuffed down people's throats. It earns the rep of being one of the greatest Christmas movies by being funny and sweet. Jean Shepherd's joyful memories of his own life as a kid growing up about 80 years ago in Indiana offset some of the bad memories, whether it be a furnace or a Farkus. The story is episodic by design, but the running storyline is of course Peter Billingsley's obsession with someone making sure to put a Red Ryder BB gun under the tree. He's ideally cast and pretty good as Ralphie, but Melinda Dillon is terrific as his mother and Darren McGavin is having a ball playing The Old Man. Ryan's solo show triple dog dares you not to shoot your eye out as this 555th episode of Have You Ever Seen breaks down the enduring classic that is A Christmas Story. You can still get some Sparkplug Coffee to put under the tree or in somebody's stocking. Our "HYES" promo code placed in the right box will snag you a 20% discount. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". We appreciate comments, ratings and reviews on our YouTube page (@hyesellis) or through your podcast app. Share our podcast, like it and of course subscribe. You can also email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or rip off a tweet-x (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis).
We're taking a short break from covering Christmas movies by talking about Arthur Penn's The Miracle Worker. Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke are tremendous as the battling teacher and student. Both won Oscars as Bancroft's Anne Sullivan teaches manners and ASL to Duke's deaf and blind Helen Keller. The real Keller was intelligent, stubborn, ferocious and---disabilities or not---also a bit of a jerk. Sullivan pushes back though and DOESN'T have the patience of Job. This is a hard job, especially during their epic 9-minute battle in the dining room. The Miracle Worker is a movie about making connections and they eventually do that...as do we by comparing this difficult girl to our beloved dogs. Forgive us, it's what we know best. So put on some dark glasses and resist the urge to grab food right off people's plates as our 554th water pump of Have You Ever Seen analyzes this biopic about 2 extraordinary women. Sparkplug Coffee is extraordinary too. They will give our listeners a onetime 20% discount if said listeners will use our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". We like feedback. Let us know what you think with an x-tweet (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or an email (haveyoueverseendpodcast@gmail.com). You can also comment on our YouTube page (@hyesellis), but also feel free to rate, subscribe, like and review us there or on your podcast app.
Holy moly, the 553rd ice-fish of Have You Ever Seen kicks off the Christmas season as Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau bring their crabby charm to the title characters. But the 2 comedy legends are only Grumpy Old Men with each other. They're quite sweet to everybody else, especially to each other's kids and---most of all---to the new babe in town, Ann-Margret. The love story between her and the 2 old coots is not an angle we fully believed in, partly because the decades-long feud is is the REAL love story going on here. Darryl Hannah and Kevin Pollak help make this movie work as well as it does because neither the script nor the direction by Donald Petrie are anything special. Still, we laughed, we ho ho ho'ed and we felt the cold in that small Minnesota town. So don't be a putz or a moron, but DO bring your recently-repaired fishing pole to a frozen lake as we give you the ins and the out(take)s of Grumpy Old Men. WELL, ACTUALLY: Bev says in the skinny that John has a heart attack on Christmas Day, but of course that happens on Christmas Eve. Unless the IRS is ready to take your house, you can probably afford Sparkplug Coffee. It'll help to know that a 20% discount will be yours if you use our "HYES" promo code. What's next? Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". We post our podcasts on YouTube, so hunt for @hyesellis in your browser to hear our chats that way. Rate us there (and on your podcast app), review, like, share and subscribe your heart out. Also, follow us while Twixxer still exists (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis), but also feel free to take advantage of the email option (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com).
The early '40s was a hugely successful time for director Howard Hawks and his Ball Of Fire stars, Barbara Stanwyck & Gary Cooper. This isn't their crowning achievement (partly because it just isn't as funny as other comedies each of them made), but it's fun and the love story is certainly enjoyable. Hawks was talented enough to excel at making movies in nearly every genre, but he was always in his element when it came to the laughs. Cooper's typical stiffness works well for this nerdy grammarian too. The great Stanwyck though is a little inconsistent as the title character, who uses Cooper and his friends before falling for him (and for them). The inconsistency might be a script problem more than something Babs is failing to do. But while she was more suited to play a lying schemer in The Lady Eve that same year, she DOES help make this rom-com parable about the 7 dwarfs a screwball time at the movies. Ryan's going solo again in this 552nd yapfest of Have You Ever Seen, kids, so get ready to learn lots of details about a screwball comedy that has remained popular for over 80 years. Sparkplug Coffee, kids! They sponsor us. They'll give you a 20% discount off your next order just by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". As for how to get in touch with us, there's email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). You can tweet-ex too (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). You can also comment on our YouTube page (@hyesellis) because we post all of our podcasts there. Rate, review, like, share, subscribe and all those things to help us get the word out there about our classic-movies chat show.
Even though John Sturges is one of the most underrated directors of all time, remaking Seven Samurai could have turned out to be a big mistake if it failed. Instead, The Magnificent Seven is fun, cool and exciting...and it has a layer of sadness too. Sadness and desperation have been unintentional themes in our movies this month, actually. Still, it's hard not to make your western cool when you've got names like Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Charles Bronson in the cast. Who's your favourite of the Seven? What's your favourite broad gesture by a member of the cast? We discussed those things and we discussed how Mag Seven is revered now, but wasn't the blockbuster that it seems like it should have been when it came out. Perhaps the straightforward "good guy vs bad guy" western was a dying genre in 1960, even though this is similar to the greatest horse-and-gun movies in that it has more complications and angles than it seems at first. So go on location down in Mexico and do the right thing for a bunch of farmers who are just trying to avoid being killed by a bandit's henchman as we present a crackerjack episode here in Have You Ever Seen #551. We like to shout-out our sponsor, Sparkplug Coffee. Use our "HYES" promo code and you'll get a one-time 20% discount. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Drop us a tweet-ex or two. We're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Also, feel free to email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). And check out our YouTube page (@hyesellis). You'll get our episodes in full there. Please rate, review, comment, subscribe and follow all our talky ventures.
