Cozy Quilt Cinema

High Spirits

Beth and Michelle travel to Ireland and visit the delightfully cluttered and haunted Dromore Castle. We searched the crypts for some emotional discourse and came away with so much gossamer. But a film is not measured in emotion alone, this tale is a fun romp with little consequence for true emotional depths, it simply doesn't have the time. Come for the ghosts, stay for Peter Plunkett and his staff which I think make the movie not only enjoyable but heart warming.

Empire Records

We don't do anything normally, so happy belated or early Rex Manning Day! Beth and Michelle hunt for some fresh beats in the coolest music store in all of Bexley, Delaware. It's 1995 and the music is tight, the weed is wicked and I'm running out of remembered 90s phrasing to shove into a sentence. This cult classic is one of the few times we get a "win" against big box stores but as we know sometimes the win is the battle, not the war. Come for the tunes but stay for the drama and Damn the Man, Save the Empire.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Beth and Michelle bring the Peanut Butter Falcon into the ring and wrestle with their emotional turmoil. This is ultimately a movie about overcoming the bigotries of intellectual disabilities,  living in grief and love in a found family, wrapped in a southern gothic hero's journey. Listen to our discussion, but you should also watch this movie. And I did not, in fact, edit the cats intermittently slow-falling down loose blankets in our studio.

Pretty in Pink

We promo our new podcast, Folkloric
 
Beth and Michelle become entangled in the nostalgia trap with eyes wide open. This iconic film was likely misunderstood by many, even the writer, John Hughes. Lay against the wall on your mattress on the floor, bring up some Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, maybe just the one song that makes you cry. And join us in a conversation about a film that is nuanced in spite of itself. 
I ran across a very interesting and insightful opinion of the film, you should take a look:
GenXWatch - Being Fearless and Wrong about Pretty in Pink

Erin Brockovich

Beth and Michelle tackle the environmental and personal drama, Erin Brockovich. We will tell you about the events that lead to the movies motivation and Erin's journey to become the hero who started out already a hero, trying to keep her children fed. Personal empowerment, civic duty, building a community, holding corporations accountable for their actions, these are all worthy goals. 
Links to things we mentioned:
EPA Superfund Site Search
Vulture Interview Erin Brockovich Q&A

Spaceballs

Beth and Michelle talk about the fur baby they added to their family, Dame Edwina Alice Poe, or "Poe". We discussed  "The Spine" from Steam Powered Giraffe, you can find their link below. Mel Brooks turned 99 this year, Beth shares some facts about his life. The movie Spaceballs isn't really a rich emotional starscape but it has a few solar systems worthy of exploration. Put on your ring, rev up your "Winnenium Falcon" and may the Schwartz be with you.
The band, Steam Powered Giraffe
 
Kitten Poe:

The Birdcage

This comedy hits home for both Beth and Michelle, who learned to love this film at different times in their perspective lives. They sit down and have an emotional and thoughtful discussion about the themes flowing through the movie. It is as funny as it is heart-wrenching, as cringe as it is illuminating, there are many layers to this Birdcage cocktail. 

Drop Dead Fred

Beth and Michelle sit down to a deep discussion about the themes within Drop Dead Fred. We talk about abuse in it's many forms and how this movie may or may not inform our own stances on how to deal with them. We talk about what nuances may have been lost and perhaps gain a better understanding of each other in the process.

My Best Friends Wedding

Beth and Michelle sit down for a romantic movie in which the assumed protagonist doesn't win the man, but manages to win herself. They share their song, "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart, a deeply odd song for a couples song but you don't pick the song, the song picks you. And Beth has a teapot filled with wishin' and hopin' but mostly Earl Grey tea, because it's arguably the best tea.
Link to Balloon Fest '86 as mentioned in the episode:
The Disaster of Balloonfest '86
 

Unedited Special - National Treasure

Beth and Michelle embark on an unedited and crafty adventure with 2004 National Treasure. We get crafty with diamond paintings while Nicholas Cage preemptively steals the Declaration of Independence. Good Trouble is what it's all about, freedom for everyone.
 
Our (un)finished products... that was two hours, it's like making claymation, so tedious!