In this week's Movie Date podcast, Rafer and Kristen compare notes on their favorite pharmaceutical drug names. They also ask some big questions, including: Does volleyball really need to be seen in 3D? Should Steven Soderbergh retire? And if the only good part of a date is the kissing at the end...is it really a good date? It's all in honor of this week's big releases: "Top Gun 3D," "Side Effects," and "Identity Thief."

February is one of the thinnest months in the movie release schedule. With aging action stars like Sylvester Stallone and not-quite-funny comedies like Movie 43 dominating the big screen. But it’s also a golden time for movie trailers, as the studios try to drum up interest for the big budget movies to come in the summer.

We've spoken with a number of actors, directors, and writers of some of the films nominated for Oscars this year. The Academy Awards will be held Sunday, February 24. In the meantime, you can listen to those interviews here!

John Gatins was here in November to discus "Flight," with the film's director Robert Zemeckis. Gatins wrote the screenplay, which has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Listen to that interview here.  

"Silver Linings Playbook" has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. David O. Russell was on the Lopate Show in January to discuss the film, which he wrote and directed. Listen to that interview here.

"Django Unchained" has been nominated for Best Picture. we spoke with Samuel L. Jackson about his role in the film and his career. Listen to that interview here.

"Argo" is up for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. We spoke with former CIA agent Antonio Mendez, who wrote the book on which the movie is based—listen to that interview here. And Chris Terrio, who wrote the screenplay, is coming on the show Tuesday, February 12. 

The documentary "How to Survive a Plague," about AIDS activists in the early 1980s, has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Director David France was on our show in September, along with activist Peter Staley, who is featured in the film. Listen to that interview here. 

"Searching for Sugarman" is also up for Best Documentary Feature. We spoke with director Malik Bendjelloul and Rodriguez, the subject of the film, in July. Listen to that interview here.

Jon Alpert and Matt O'Neill were here February 8 to discuss "Redeption," which has been nominated for Best Documentary Short. Listen to that interview here.

 

 

Every Friday, The Takeaway’s Movie Date team, Rafer Guzman and Kristen Meinzer, weigh in on the weekend's film releases. This week, there are three: the crime drama “Side Effects,” the vigilante road trip movie “Identity Theft,” and the 3D re-release of the eighties action classic, “Top Gun.”

Movie Date is making a film trailer, with your help! We’ll combine everyone’s lines into one sound-rich, fabulous, studio-quality audio trailer that we'll make available online - and maybe even play on air.

In this week's podcast, Rafer and Kristen play a game of would you rather involving racist hitmen versus zombie kidnappers. Will Rafer choose to be kidnapped? Will Kristen decide on racism? Find out, and along the way, get their thoughts on "Stand Up Guys," "Warm Bodies," and "Bullet to the Head."

Friday is movie day on the Takeaway, when we talk about the weekend’s big releases. This week, there are three: the teen zombie romance, "Warm Bodies"; the Sylvester Stallone buddy shoot-em-up, "Bullet to the Head"; and "Stand up Guys," a crime comedy starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken. and Alan Arkin.

When author and Wesleyan University professor of film studies Jeanine Basinger decided to write a history of marriage at the movies, she remembered that her friends had been so skeptical of her own, back in 1967.

Robyn Hitchcock is best known for his music, both with The Soft Boys and solo, but he also knows quite a bit about the filmmaker he shares a last name with: Alfred Hitchcock. The songwriter reflects on Hitchcock's movies. 

In this week's Movie Date podcast, Rafer and Kristen review "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," and in the process, are forced to explore one of Rafer's least favorite movie themes in recent years: the sibling romance. Other movies discussed this week are "Parker," starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez; and "Movie 43," starring Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Emma Stone, Kate Bosworth, Uma Thurman, and everyone else in Hollywood. Warning to the easily queasy: this podcast includes talk of fecal matter, brother-sister romance, brother-brother romance, misogyny, and menstruation.

David O. Russell talks about his latest film, Silver Linings Playbook, which he wrote and directed, based on the bestselling novel by Matthew Quick. It has been nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Director.

Welcome to the third Movie Date Award Season Dispatch - in which Rafer and Kristen do not talk about award season at all, and instead focus on the strange intersections of politics and performance. Each dispatch is taken from a live interview, led by WNYC's Amy Eddings, and broadcast during All Things Considered on WNYC.

In this week's Movie Date podcast, Rafer responds to one of Kristen's harshest critics - with a giant spoonful of sugar. Rafer and Kristen also give their thoughts on this week's big releases: "Mama," starring Jessica Chastain; "Broken City," starring Russell Crowe, Mark Wahlberg, and Catherine Zeta Jones, and "The Last Stand," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Advanced warning: if you can't stand sincere soft rock, you might want to fast-forward through this week's trivia question.    

The Takeaway's Movie Date team, Rafer Guzman and Kristen Meinzer, weigh in on the week's new releases, which include the former governator, that guy from "Jackass," and Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain.

There are nine states that currently allow third trimester abortions without restriction. And — after the murder of Doctor George Tiller in 2009 — only four doctors in the country perform them. A new documentary, "After Tiller," centers on these doctors, their work, and what they face each day. Lana Wilson is the film’s co-director, along with Martha Shane. Dr. Susan Robinson is one of the four doctors profiled in "After Tiller."

The veteran actor makes his directorial debut with a film about four aging opera singers who stage a concert at their retirement home. Starring Maggie Smith and Tom Courtenay, the film explores friendship, memory and the time that remains.

Welcome to the second of several Movie Date Award Season Dispatches. Each dispatch is taken from a live interview, led by WNYC's Amy Eddings, and broadcast during All Things Considered on WNYC. In this dispatch, Rafer and Kristen share their thoughts on the Golden Globes - from the hosting to the winners to that speech by Lifetime Achievement winner Jodie Foster.