Medium Literate

Practical Magic 2

Almost 30 years after the first movie, the Owens sisters are back... but also somehow it's only about 12 years or so since the events of the first movie, but also it's somehow present day. Look: time in Practical Magic 2 is very confusing, as is the story, as are the character choices. The only magic in this movie is the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, which is thankfully as strong as ever. Everything else is really a mess. Even Lee Pace can't save this movie, which is saying a lot. Monika and Emily discuss the casting, the issues with legacy sequels, the laziness of the writing, the unfortunately impossible to ignore plastic surgery, and, of course, the original Practical Magic. Also, a thorough discussion of the popcorn buckets and cups they put out for this movie. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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Coyote vs. ACME & Finding Emily

SURPRISE! WE ARE FINALLY IN PERSON FOR ONE OF THESE!! Monika and Emily wandered up to the Twin Cities to hang out, watch some youtube videos in an AirBnB, and of course check out the Minnesota State Fair! This week at the movies we cover Coyote vs. Acme, the Looney Tunes courtroom drama that almost never got released, and also Finding Emily, the rom-com that actually remebered to be both rom AND com for once. **SPOILER WARNING FOR COYOTE vs. ACME & FINDING EMILY** Plus: A recap of some of our time together in Minnesota, the 4H llama costume contest, butter princesses, Tweety Bird's gender, and a lot of tangents that spun out of us being giddy about recording in person for the first time. Chapters: 00:00 Minnesota State Fair Recap 11:24 Finding Emily 30:19 Coyote vs. Acme Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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The Dog Stars & It Ends

This week is an Old Man vs. Baby smackdown when we talk about both 88 year old legend Ridley Scott's post-apocalyptic The Dog Stars and Gen Z newcomer Alexander Ullom's existential horror It Ends. We both preferred one over the other by a lot, and it wasn't necessarily the one we would have expected. The post-apocalypse setting also leads to a discussion about movies' brother, TV, Particularly: Paradise on Hulu. Also, a fun announcement about next week's episode! Timestamps: 02:14 It Ends 28:06 The Dog Stars 01:00:11 TV Talk Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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Tony

This week we're taking it back to the summer of 1975 in Provincetown, Massachusetts for Tony, the newest entry into the very-specific-moment-in-the-subject's-life genre of biopics. Emily and Monika are absolutely thrilled to have a reason to talk about Matt Johnson (but let's be honest, they'll always find a reason somehow), and get into the intertwined threads of beauty and the melancholy of this film, Anthony Bourdain as a cultural figure, and sad men. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

The End of Oak Street

Get your running shoes on, we're fleeing from dinosaurs in the suburbs of Michigan with the J.J. Abrams produced, David Robert Michell film The End of Oak Street. Anne Hathaway dares to steal our hearts for a 4th time this year in this thrill ride of a movie and Monika and Emily are beaming with the energy of the "we are so back" vibes around this blockbuster. Monika also takes the show on a 20 minute detour in the beginning of the episode to talk about the screening she went to of the upcoming documentary film Wild Inside, about Flaco the owl. Timestamps: 01:32 Wild Inside 22:24 End of Oak Street Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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One Night Only

The high-concept rom-com that everyone's been referring to as "the sex Purge movie" for the better part of the past year is finally out, and this week we're doing a full dissection. One Night Only has an undeniably strange premise, and we talk all about its logistics, implications, and how it lands in this current climate. We also talk about where the movie succeeds and fails on a rom-com level, and delve into the leads' chemistry (or lack thereof), the abundance of cameos, and the film's confusing point of view. Also, Monika accidentally became a member of The Angel Guild via a mystery movie screening this week and we HAVE to rescue her. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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I Want Your Sex

Gregg Araki's I Want Your Sex stars Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman in a joyful, messy, unpolished sex romp that felt like a breath of fresh air after some very serious movies. We got into the Gregg Araki's film history, discussed how UNSTOPPABLE Olivia Wilde is this year and how Cooper Hoffman is THE "it" boy that we all need to be buying stock in NOW. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

Her Private Hell

This week's conversation about Nicolas Winding Refn's first feature film since The Neon Demon was really an exercise for us in how to discuss a movie that neither of us enjoyed in a way that goes deeper than just listing all the things we didn't like about it. Her Private Hell was made to be divisive, and we found that to be an interesting intention to try to dissect in itself. The whole episode is a real dance of Emily being very mean about it and Monika trying to force us to be smart! Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

The Odyssey

The time has come to have a lighthearted romp through the mediterranean with Odysseus. That's right, this week we're covering Christopher Nolan's take on The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. Join us as we go through the movie beat by beat and talk about the breathtaking spectacle of this movie, performances that are going to stick with us for a long time, and of course give our super smart (college dropout) analysis of how this measures up to the cultural understanding of this foundational text. **THIS IS A FULL SPOILER DISCUSSION OF THE FILM** Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

The Invite

This week we get into The Invite, an impressive four-hander about the nature of relationships both starring and directed by Olivia Wilde. We both loved this movie, and found it ripe for discussion in about a million different directions. There's also a little bit of Evil Dead Burn & Rose of Nevada conversation up top. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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Minions and Monsters

Bello! We are finally able to talk about THE theatrical event of the year: Minions and Monsters! Unsurprisingly, this movie had both Emily and Monika buzzing with excitement. But don't worry there are also some tough questions tackled in this one like "If you bite into a minion, what is the texture?" and "Do the minions have a beauty standard?" In this episode we also manage to cover Jackass: Best and Last (again) and the 2022 showbiz epic Babylon. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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Supergirl & Jackass: Best and Last

This week we saw Supergirl and unfortunately we thought it was Super bad at being a movie. We try to break down why we disliked it so much, and we even have some differing thought paths we each took that ultimately got us to the same conclusion of feeling evil about it. We also touch on Jackass: Best and Last, but because Emily didn't have time to see it before recording (bad Emily, that's a horrible Emily), that's a spoiler free convo and largely about our respective relationships to the Jackass franchise. 03:37 Supergirl 46:28 Jackass Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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2026 Mid Year Check In

This week we're taking a break from new theatrical releases to do a mid year check in on the movies we've actually loved in 2026 so far. Below are the timestamps for the movies discussed: 04:32 Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie 23:01 Send Help 31:25 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 45:32 Documentary: Stolen Kingdom (Rent it today on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/video-store/new-releases/stolen-kingdom/) 49:32 Documentary: Lorne 53:38 Documentary: Listers (Extreme Birdwatching) (Watch Listers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo ) 58:11 Emily Rapid Fire Movie Takes 01:12:25 Upcoming 2026 Movie Hype Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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Disclosure Day

If we learned anything from Disclosure Day it's that revealing the truth is so important, and our truth is that we both absolutely hated this movie. We try to decipher why exactly Steven Spielberg's newest alien movie got under our skin so much, and why it's been so divisive in general. Our conversation is full of spoilers and what SOME might call "rants" about the script, the story, the failed metaphors, the naivety of boomers, the politics, and of course the size discrepancy between all the aliens. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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Masters of the Universe

Neither Monika nor Emily had any relationship to the He-Man character going into this one, and yet we've been genuinely charmed by the Masters of the Universe movie. This week they get into why a campy, slightly homoerotic, two and a half hour fantasy epic about a blonde himbo in a leather harness and his many friends somehow... worked? We know! We're surprised too. We cover a lot in this one, like the surprisingly great fight sequences, Jared Leto being hidden behind a skeleton face (best case Leto scenario really), Alison Brie's witch with a razor sharp bob, the three post credit scenes of a cinematic universe that may never be, and a lot of charming tangents you will definitely all love! Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

I Love Boosters

Filmmaker (And dare we say...Auteur) Boots Riley is back with I Love Boosters, a candy colored surrealist crime caper starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Demi Moore, LaKeith Stanfield and Don Cheadle. This movie was a damn blast but also left both of us with a lot to chew on. Enjoy our full spoiler conversation where the two of us try to figure out how to talk about Marxist theory, teleportation devices, soul sucking demons, and Boots Riley's vision of a Bay Area Looney Toons movie. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

Obsession

Director/writer Curry Barker's first feature film Obsession really split the podcast right down the middle: Monika hated it, and Emily loved it so much she saw it twice. We discuss our very different takeaways from this horror movie about a wish gone wrong, while also discovering some things we actually agree on. **This is a Full Spoiler Conversation** Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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The Sheep Detectives and Hokum

This week we did an extremely normal double feature!! First up is Hokum, a dark Irish folklore horror written and directed by Damian McCarthy and starring Adam Scott. Hokum is part witch story and part "uh oh, the real villain is MAN." They spend the first twenty minutes here before moving on to the main event... (25:09) The Sheep Detectives is a live action talking animal cozy mystery from Amazon MGM, written by Craig Mazin (you know, the Chernobyl and The Last of Us guy?) and directed by Kyle Balda the director of the Minions movies! The Sheep Detectives has an all star cast including Hugh Jackman, Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Braun, Regina Hall, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby, Chris O'Dowd and Bella Ramsey. A gentle vegetarian shepherd is murdered and his sheep decide to solve the crime. It is also, somehow, an incredibly moving meditation on grief. Monika does not like children's media...Monika cried? Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

The Devil Wears Prada 2

This week we're talking about the long awaited buzzy new sequel to the 2006 classic. In the years between, the villain has switched from mean boss to a media landscape run by billionaires, but the clothes are still fun. We also get into our thoughts on basic modern movie theater manners. Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT

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Mother Mary

Mother Mary (A24) had one of the most exciting casts of the year with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. Despite that, Monika and Emily have complicated feelings about this movie. They'll talk about it all! ✅ Having a complicated creative history with someone ✅ A ghost made of red fabric ✅ How the whole movie feels like it was meant to be a stage play What worked? What didn't? What did the ending mean? (please, we're really asking!) Join the conversation with us below: https://www.instagram.com/mediumliterate/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mediumliterate https://www.youtube.com/@MediumLiterate https://www.patreon.com/c/mediumliterate Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/christian-larssen/happy-street License code: B9EXR1D9EIBQLKXT