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FYR 2025 Host & Patron Ratings
December 31, 20250:00Episode

FYR 2025 Host & Patron Ratings

Welcome to our Ratings special. Our review episodes focus on layered discussion and we leave the numerical ratings to our Christmas/End of year Special and now Rotten Tomatoes. Splooshes to all our friends and lovers for your support. Grab a snack and a beverage! We love yas!
KTOti

Hosted by

KT & Oti

Also on
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For Your Reference

KT Speaking
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Show Notes

Welcome to our Ratings special. Our review episodes focus on layered discussion and we leave the numerical ratings to our Christmas/End of year Special and now Rotten Tomatoes. Splooshes to all our friends and lovers for your support. Grab a snack and a beverage! We love yas!

Transcript

Transcript (9,283 words)

Full transcript of FYR 2025 Host & Patron Ratings.

KT: It is another week in the For Your Reference household, and it is the end of another, yeah. Oti, the whole, yeah, it feels that way. Hey.

Oti: Mm.

KT: Uh, 20, 25 friends and lovers has been a time.

Oti: Has,

KT: um, we counted around 29 interviews for this year. Um, we've done looking at this just under 80, uh, reviews or getting to, we're gonna include some at the end, some speed round ones, uh, friends and lovers, but welcome, welcome, welcome. Um, hopefully you are all Well, um, there was a lot of festive Christmas fanfare and cheer in the For Your Reference household. Um, but as we say, every year, sometimes it's not such a great time. Sometimes, you know, I would've said, fuck you too. But I know the list was for, it wouldn't be, uh, For Your Reference any episode if I wasn't referencing Kendrick, friends and lovers, but hopefully in whatever way. There was joy for you, whether it was deliciousness, whether it was, uh, festive themed sweaters, or spending time with people you love and sometimes the people you love the most is yourself. Mm-hmm. Uh, so we, we aren't in Christmas anymore. We're pretty much all the way to New Year's now. Um, but welcome, welcome friends and lovers. Grab a snack, grab a beverage, um, before Rotten Tomatoes. Also Oti. We've got, um, individually approved or Rotten Tomatoes this year. Far.

Oti: Oh, that was this year.

KT: It's been a big year. Um, and I guess while we're capping off, we got Ryan Coogler answered our question at a virtual press conference. Mm-hmm. Milly Alcock, Supergirl, got, um, our, uh, question at a conference as well. We had a couple of junkets. We talked about interviews, Sydney Film Festival. Um, I recommended, uh, a film to my therapist and they enjoyed it with their besties. So, you know. We're kicking goals on all fronts, friends and lovers. It's a great time if you're new to the podcast. We usually didn't even give numerical ratings throughout our podcast, so we would do it at the end of the year, and that's what we're doing now. Obviously you can see the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd. Oti, or I will use it from time to time. But yeah, get comfortable friends and lovers get satiated because for some of you it will be one battle after another. Are you ready, Oti?

Oti: Let's

KT: get it. Hey friends, and delicious cile lovers. Welcome back to the For Your Reference Podcast. You got your hosts, big back, big age, big healing, KT.

Oti: Just Oti

KT: and just is enough.

Oti: Mm-hmm.

KT: My love. Um, welcome, welcome. Like we said before, um, you know, we didn't do it on the socials. I'm not too interested to do it in any other format, aside from our numerical ratings as well as our Splooshies. But do you have any, do you want to give our friends and lovers a top 10 list of the year, top five list of the year, or will that spoil our ratings?

Oti: Oh, the, it's been a big year for movies. I know what I enjoyed the most being at the top is Sinners of course. Of, of course.

KT: So we're done now.

Oti: Yeah, it's all done. No, but it's been a year where we got, we got to see Africa come to the fore with some really amazing cinema. Um, from My Father's Shadow

KT: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Oti: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl with something special. Yeah, yeah.

KT: Bey was just bumping and rubbing shoulders with all the African filmmakers. Don't you know?

Oti: Yeah. Loving it.

KT: What a time.

Oti: What a year.

KT: What a year. It has been. It has been fucking wild. Um, friends and lovers, mommy and daddy apologize because there's been even notably on the timeline, you know, a couple of weeks we, you know, sometimes you have to make dinner yourself, you know? Put something in the microwave, make sure the fork is in there and you'll be fine. Friends and lovers. But we did cover a lot, just reflecting on the year that we've had. Um, the first, we had a little bit of a longer break, uh, in January, and then we came back the week of January 26th. Our international friends and lovers, otherwise known as Survival Day, otherwise known as invasion, uh, into so-called Australia. We always cover a black fella Aboriginal slash Torres Strait Islander tv, uh, show or film. Uh, and I think we're starting off very strong for 2025. Oti? Mm. We have Samson and Delilah. Ooh,

Oti: that was something special. I gave it a 10.

KT: I gave it a 10 as well. Shorty, you are a 10. A 10. Just perfect. Beautiful, gorgeous. You know, it is rare because our schedules get so busy for us to do full reviews, but I'm so glad that one was a full review. Go and check it out, friends and lovers. Mm. Moving on, uh, friends and lovers that, uh, have been day ones or, you know, went backwards and became a day ones. We love you. Thank you so much. Our third episode, Leigh Whannell, Upgrade. So this was a nice call back because I was able to meet the man. Well, we met the man through IMAX the night before at the screening mama. I made it pretty much, and I, you know, I try not to indulge too much, but I was like, hello, our podcast, don't listen to the audio. But we did Upgrade as our third episode. Um, love, love, love. I don't know what the fuck was wrong with people with this movie in particular. Um, we have a whole, uh, you know, we've, we've talked about it already, but, um, my love. Rating, rating, rating. I don't even remember. It's been a while. Do we go you or me, or,

Oti: I think you, I could take this because, uh, this movie touched something in me. It it, it made me, it was so much deeper than what was on the can or what I expected this movie to be. I gave it an eight because I fucking loved it.

KT: You did really love it. And I did. And I'm glad that you loved it.

Oti: Mm.

KT: That's, that's film at the end of the day. I gave it a seven.

Oti: Yeah. You called yourself up before. You pre humble. I, now I wrong with these people.

KT: I am a bit more scrutinous than others. So I feel like a seven was pretty cool.

Oti: Yeah,

KT: it was man movie. I loved

Oti: it. It it was deeper than man movie bar. It's as

KT: allies as No, but it's, I'm not, um, I'm not that episode of Atlanta being a middle-aged white man, uh, in a young man's body. Oh, speaking, speaking of being a, a gorgeous, oh, and shout us in Nicole Kidman. Mm. End of statement. That's the whole podcast. Wrap it up. Friends and lovers. Uh, Babygirl, you, you still haven't found yourself, uh, tingling your loins to watch it yet.

Oti: Yeah.

KT: All right.

Oti: How, how am I supposed to believe? Was it, uh, Antonio Banderas?

KT: Yeah.

Oti: Yeah. Come on now.

KT: Like, why would you

Oti: come on? Like,

KT: literally, unless Benito Bad Bunny was the other option. I don't understand. Yeah. Um, it was a six

Oti: mm

KT: It was a six. I, I personally have qualms.

Oti: Six is comfy. Six is the baseline.

KT: No, but I have qualms whether older or. Not feeling, I'm not saying not attractive, but not feeling as attractive as other women. I don't like when women tear other women down. Oh, personally. Mm. Even in an acting format. Mm. Get out and get yours and flick your bean and have a good time. Friends and lovers. Mm-hmm. I know that's right. Oti.

Oti: Yeah. You don't wanna high five Me? I can. High five with my beans as well.

KT: That's not the chili that we came for. Uh, moving on. Companion baby Huey.

Oti: Oh. Oh. It was a good time at the cinema. I gave it a seven.

KT: I gave it a seven as well. Um, ko you did Not watchko, but I did. Um, I gave it a seven. Mm, this was the live action film. Uh, then we get into our Reference Degustation Friends and Lovers. We finally did Spike Lee, and it was such a tangible, um, timely time to also doing, uh, like to lead up to Sinners was actually quite nice. Shout out to Delroy Lindo. Friends and lovers I've mentioned many times. I am the unofficial, no one asked me campaign manager for the Grammys now, as well as the Oscars for Sinners. So shout out to Delroy Lindo. We need to see, uh, supporting actor nomination. Uh, but before we even get to Delroy Lindo, we are covering the first film that we did in the Reference Degustation and Oti. Brown. Brown. In the best way possible, we have our first patron rating contribution. This is for Do the Right Thing. Uh, this is from Brent. You can guess the rating. Um, but I feel like you'll like it. I guess we'll see. One of my favorite movies of all time, rented it from the video store back in the day when I was a kid, and it opened up my interest in looking into more black films that weren't the normal everyone talked about in brackets, Menace II Society, New Jack City, et cetera. I remember as a little homey sitting there and feeling like I was watching something. You didn't stop me saying, little homie,

Oti: nah, little homie Brent. I thought you were gonna stop me.

KT: Um, and I was watching something that I wasn't supposed to and be feeling all the emotions, laughing, anger, frustration, sadness when it ended. I sat there for a minute in my bedroom and reflected for a while. I grew up in a majority black neighborhood, went to a majority black school, so I never really came across any of the issues in this movie. It's like, who the fuck are these white? And was like, damn. It's really like that out there. Oof. What do you think? Brent rated Do the Right Thing. And also New Jack City. I'm pretty sure I, I was like, we need to cover it once I listen to their podcast episode, but I'm pretty sure he compu contributed to New Jack City, um, last year. So what do you think, Brent rated it?

Oti: 10.

KT: We live amongst Kings Oti 10, so I, I think we know what we rated it, but you go, yeah. 10 all round, tens, tens, tens across the board, friends and lovers. That's how you fucking do it. Mm, mm-hmm. Speaking of doing it and doing it and doing it well, where Jesus came from, the people of color, ah, uh, it worked something up in me, Malcolm X, friends and lovers.

Oti: Oh, nothing short of a tent. And it's one of those movies where growing up, watching it and just. You think that you've seen or I thought we've like starting off, we do the right thing. You've got your peak and then you watch Malcolm X and you're like, damn.

KT: And how the fuck did he get that made? Damn in the studio?

Oti: Mm mm-hmm. He hustled for that.

KT: That was highest. Highest.

Oti: Ugh. I said, highest. Don't even

KT: don. Even. I said high. I said, highest to highest. 'cause we went from 10 to 10. Uh, but friends and lovers, Malcolm X beautiful revolutionary. Like, you know, if you're gonna be about to be about it, stop coddling the middle.

Oti: Mm.

KT: Friends and lovers and the

Oti: interviews he gave, and the press he gave for this movie was, I say revolutionary.

KT: But didn't I tell you? And I said it, and I was very smug in the review, and I wanna be smug again. Didn't I tell you, not many people film at Mecca. Mm. Didn't I tell you that at Hoge? Didn't I tell you that, bro?

Oti: He told me a long time ago.

KT: Friends and lovers, go and check out, uh, our review. Well go and check out Malcolm X if you have time, check out our review. Um, well just watch

Oti: Malcolm X if you haven't.

KT: Yeah, fair?

Oti: Mm.

KT: Run it back.

Oti: Mm.

KT: But tens, tens, uh, moving on. I have my favorites, right? Mm-hmm. From Quentin Jerome Tarantino. It was Jackie Brown. Obviously from Takashi Miike. It was Visitor Q, you know what I mean? Like there was some, I don't wanna like, I I don't mean it in a, um. In a negative way, but they're kind of like B sides where the, I don't care if the score is perfect, I just fucking loved it. Bamboozled was it for me.

Oti: Mm.

KT: I gave it a eight.

Oti: I gave it an eight. I saw where it was going. But

KT: you saw too many similarities in the charcoal season. You gotta

Oti: whisper that, but yeah.

KT: man. Let's run it back to Spike Lee. It was such a great time. Um, and then we captured it off with BlacKkKlansman.

Oti: Ooh. Um, A nine

KT: nine. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Uh, we also got to interview Keke Palmer. Audio only. Check it out on the podcast. Friends and Lovers. One of Them Days.

Oti: Oh, um, nine I think I gave

KT: you Gonna stand on it or? Yeah.

Oti: Might be an 8.5. But Neil Standard a nine.

KT: Oh wow. You know, I just copied what was on Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

Oti: There's some penalties being applied out here.

KT: I gave it a nine.

Oti: Alright.

KT: I really liked it. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a well made. Yeah,

Oti: it was. It was. It was a good, it was a good time.

KT: The Last Journey.

Oti: Oh, I, I, I gave it a seven. I think I was, I was even way more lenient than you were

KT: six. But you know, we, we talked about that, uh, on the podcast. Wolf, Wolf, Wolf. Uppercut. This is, this was

Oti: this year. Farrah. This is

KT: Ving Rhames. This is Ving Rhames. It's like the blind side, but the opposite way.

Oti: Ving Rhames baby, baby boy. Qualed and saved this movie at all. Mm. Geez. I'm five.

KT: Yeah. And I, you, you are very rare in giving out rotten ratings. Mm. Especially when it comes to black lead. Mm. I wouldn't call it a black film. Um, but yeah. This, this was good for you. Yeah. You have credibility in these streets because in what world? Uh, Mickey 17. Can I just, can I go on a, can I, can I get my shit off for a second? Oti,

Oti: when are you not, uh, getting your shit off? Come on, give it to us.

KT: Mickey 17, Weapons, The Bear, no, no one actually cares about watching and consuming and, and not even just analyzing, but actually taking in and letting it drift in your brain before you rot your brain on a social algorithm. No one fucking cares because people made such a big deal about Mickey 17. Now people even forget that it fucking came out. You know what I mean? And it's like, grow up and shut up, then stop, stop asking people about whether they watched it, but you know what I mean?

Oti: I hear it's, it was a flavor of the month for sure. But you

KT: see what I mean? Even you probably forgot,

Oti: uh,

KT: exactly six. Hmm,

Oti: I gave it an eight. I was feeling

KT: You don't even know who you were back then.

Oti: Yeah.

KT: You were going through it. You were Mickey 18. Oh, speaking of going through it, The Last Showgirl, woof, what? A half of the year

Oti: we were going through it in terms of watching, um,

KT: love Pamela Anderson, by the way.

Oti: Love her. But far out that movie infuriated me. I gave it a six.

KT: I gave it a six for the same reason that if you ask me about Brendan Fraser, I will go on my little rant about it. Um, not about Pamela Anderson specifically, but in regards to the film. You only care now 'cause you're not hot anymore. 'cause when you were hot, you didn't care. That's all. Big Boys. This for the Gays a seven. Oh, nice. Wish You Were Here. This is the Julia Stiles.

Oti: Oh, I give you a six.

KT: Generous. You really kept to the ones and twos on that, didn't you? Uh, five. You

Oti: saved the last dance bonus points.

KT: Yeah. Fair. What do they call it? A self insert? Were you imagining yourself next to Julia Stiles?

Oti: I too can roll off a chair like that.

KT: It was, wasn't it Julia Stiles? That was in the second Orphan.

Oti: Yeah.

KT: Woof. Yeah. Can we get her in some other things? Okay. Yeah. Anyway, we love you Julia Stiles. Uh, Every Little Thing documentary I watch, I give it a six. Nice. Woo. Number One on the Call Sheet. I actually aggregated, I don't even know if I said that right. I put together, 'cause they were classified as two separate episodes as opposed to two films on Rotten Tomatoes. But I put the average in, uh, our spreadsheet. So,

Oti: uh, both of us gave it a 9.5.

KT: Yes, we sure did. Hmm. Thank you for reading on behalf of me.

Oti: You're welcome.

KT: You're gonna turn into Mickey Mickey 100 in a second.

Oti: Just being the one on the call sheet fan.

KT: Wow. You know what's number one on the call sheet?

Oti: Mm.

KT: Trans love. How about that? Sure is. She's the He.

Oti: That was a fun, fun movie. It, it, after especially getting a bit of a rough, having a rough couple of weeks in watch watching Wise, it was so refreshing watching. She's, he, I give it a nine.

KT: So did I.

Oti: Mm-hmm.

KT: Um, it's nice. And, and we also make time for independent films as well. Yeah. Oh, well, not necessarily independent, but we do love Mad Men. We have Flow. We have another patron rating. Oh, Oti. Woo. You can probably guess who it is based on, you know, the poster in the film. Julio, it is Julio. Hi Julio. We love you so much, but I think Julio loves this film more than Us. I guess we'll see. Don't want to make you mad by giving a 10 to my second favorite movie of the Ye ha ha ha ha ha. You know what it is, Oti? Mm-hmm. Um, so I'm going to give a 10 to my favorite movie of 2024. I have two black cats and we watched Flow shortly after adopting the youngest Wonderful experience. Oh nice. What do you think Julio rated? Flow

Oti: 10, I guess from that? Yeah. Anything short? Yeah, I

KT: rated it an eight.

Oti: Mm.

KT: But I rate Julio's cats a 10?

Oti: Mm-hmm. 10 round.

KT: Well, 10 to the cats. Oh no, man. This was a rough year. Hey. But we were so busy aligning the schedule. We didn't notice, Oti, Renner.

Oti: Oh, I had a little bit of fun with this until sort of the last act, but man, it was good seeing Malcolm again. What's his name? Frankie Muniz. Yeah,

KT: I remember one of his, uh, like sort of guest star roles after obviously Malcolm in the Middle was an episode on Criminal Minds, friends and Lovers, please continue. I don't know why I'm saying continue. No one's asking. Please request for me to create a Criminal Minds podcast because I'm very deep in Criminal Minds lore. I used to have screenshots when Matthew Gray Gubler did the first directorial episode in my PSP Friends and Lovers. That's not code, that's just dating how old I am.

Oti: I don't know if Criminal Minds lore is the same as Matthew Gray Gubler lore. 'cause if you, if maybe it's something related to Matthew, you'd know, but Criminal Minds not so much ch ch

KT: You just have to remind me you are here before I keep thinking about Matthew Gray Gubler. Um, but what I was gonna say is Frankie Muniz. He had a guest star role in Criminal Minds, and he was obviously the Unsub. 'cause whenever there's a famous person, they're always the unsub, like Blair Undo and s Biff. Mm. Um, but he was like a deranged, uh, comic book, uh, killer. Anyway, wasn't that worth the journey? He was, wasn't the juice worth the squeeze? Friends and Lovers? Uh, Renner, we said six. Yeah. Yeah. Alto Knights. Uh, notably there are some films that Oti didn't have a chance to watch during the media screenings, and it remained that way. Yeah. In his free time. Um, I didn't mind. It. It it was also a double, uh, performance. Mm. I don't think people are gonna rank this over Michael B. Jordan. Um, in, in double sort of performances, I gave it a six. Nice. Ooh. We started doing anime Ref Max's friends and lovers To Be Hero X

Oti: Oh 10.

KT: Still stand by that. 10, 10. Watch Link Click, Friends and Lovers, as well. Uh, Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers.

Oti: The Dual Ruler. Just I give it, I'll give it an eight.

KT: I gave it a nine. Solo Leveling: ReAwakening,

Oti: I give it a nine. I had fun with Solo Leveling this year. Even rewatching the first season was amazing.

KT: I gave it an eight. Uh, Mashle: Magic and Muscles

Oti: love me Some muscles. 10

KT: Love me some magic. 10.

Oti: It's a year of proteins.

KT: Fable.

Oti: 10 10. Oh, if if

KT: I'm scared 'cause I feel like it's not coming back.

Oti: It is coming. It was Hulu, wasn't it? It is coming back. Yeah. You could watch it on Hulu, but Farah, it's one of the Be Better what things we've watched this year. Yeah.

KT: Absolutely. Friends and lovers, this is what everyone came here for. Mm. Come on. Reik. We believe in equality. Oh, Sinners, man. And it's hard to believe that this was back in April. It is actually hard to believe that this was back in April. And I know that we love Sinners a lot. I know that. If it's not anime, that is all I'm talking about aside from Oti is Sinners Online. Um, but there's a continual conversation because first off, all your favorite directors love and they're doing for your consideration screenings as well. Um, Denzel Washington, Delroy Lindo. That was a very nice Q and A we've been seeing going around on YouTube. Um, but that's literally how you do it. It's the same with g and X as well, like the comparisons for singer, songwriters, writer directors. We can go on and on to the break of dawn, friends and lovers, but that's how you have a staying power. You have a campaign around that shit, right? We have our first tally, Oti. Mm, we have like a free signup on Patreon, so I opened it up for the first time. I don't know if we'll do it again, but we've got a tally. I don't know if you wanna give them the whole 10 points or we just have a little gold star next to it, but it's from Andre. Mm. Speaking of Andre, we did, was the pop out this year? No, it was last year. Yeah, last year. Anyway, go check out our episode that we had a pet cemetery. Andre says, one of the best films of the year that came in with massive hype and exceeded it. Coogler and Jordan have left their mark in cinema all while staying true to themselves and the culture.

Oti: Yeah, it was definitely, uh, for Forland. Again,

KT: proud of that. Hey,

Oti: sure. I'm

KT: all right. Oti in the Sunshine Band. Is it,

Oti: is it, this is a 10 all round.

KT: It's a 10,

Oti: yeah.

KT: Can we let Andre give it a 10 too? Yeah. Okay. The, the free ones didn't get a rating, but we're going to say that there's an extra rating there. Uh, no. We've had some 10 so far, but shout outs for Sinners. Then we have Drop. Seven. You also watched it after, but do you wanna give yours? Yeah, I sort of tried it. 7, 7, 6. Yeah. Six. Is it six or seven?

Oti: A six.

KT: Uh, on Swift Horses. Curious about this film? We were requested to screen it as well as interview, and then it was, I was sitting in the launch for Sydney Film Festival. Because we didn't know whether we could release it because it wasn't available in Australia. So I reached out to the studio in Australia and they're like, sorry, there's no release date cut to me sitting at the Sydney Film Festival program launch and I can see what's his name. Oh, don't tell me. Don't tell me. Oh my god. Tall white boy. Oh my God. It's not Timothy. What's his name?

Oti: Not Jebidiah, not Ed, ot.

KT: You know, for damn well four score in 20 years. That man's name is not je. Oh my god. I can see his face. Oh, Lordie.

Oti: There you go. I don't know why I confused. Yeah,

KT: the little fan girls are gonna come after you. Oti. Anyway, but it was real. I was like, hang on a second. That's the movie we literally just watched and did a interview. Four anyway. Um, on Swift Horses, we both watched it. I give it a six

Oti: mm, I give it a seven.

KT: The Correspondent, I gave it a six. Clown in a Cornfield. This is also similar as well. You know what's really cool, friends and lovers, first off, thank you for supporting us all throughout the years. But what's also really cool is like we've established like PR relationships in Australia and I guess given the nature of podcasting, um, we get reached out to, from like us PR as well. This is also another scenario. So we were reached out to, to review Clown in a Cornfield and then I had to reach out to the studio, um, as well to align releases and that sort of thing. So Clown in a Cornfield.

Oti: Uh, it was, it was, it was fun. I give it an eight.

KT: I gave it a eight as well.

Oti: Hmm. He didn't try to be too serious. He didn't take itself too seriously, and he just wanted to have fun.

KT: Speaking of Tina

Oti: and made me feel old,

KT: well, I just talked about having screenshots on my PSP, so, uh, Tina.

Oti: Um, I give it a seven,

KT: six. All right, friends and lovers we're kicking off our Sydney Film Festival reviews, How to Build a Library. This is the Kenyan documentary about the McMillan Library. Mm, now. I know, I know. Come tax season that we, we have to join our taxes. However, however, for that particular financial year, your taxes didn't translate. Your Kenyan uh, tax did not translate over to me. Hmm. Or maybe it did. You can't. Well, you, you can, but if you say that you are reclaiming, decolonizing a library that was owned by, I believe a us an American, like a white man, and then you accept money from the crown to then decolonize it. Like, do I need to call Michael B. Killmonger Jordan or not?

Oti: That's the John How of situations?

KT: Five. It's he, you know, if you were to monitor my blood pressure from to lovers during particular films anyway. Oh, this is nicer. And we're still in Kenya. Shadow Scholars.

Oti: Oh, nine.

KT: Yeah, nine. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. This is the film I recommended to my therapist and they loved the interview and they went and watched the film and really loved it.

Oti: Nice whispering. I gave it a nine.

KT: Yay. You did Yin Yang.

Oti: I gave

KT: it a 10. I love it. I love it. I love it. My Father's Shadow

Oti: nine.

KT: Nine. Loved it. Great. Congrats. Actually, a lot of the films that we, uh, covered as a part of Sydney Film Festival have been garnering a lot of accolades and awards, so congratulations on Yeah, like just

Oti: in that run alone from Shadow Scholars, Guinea Fowl and My Father's Shadow, just, oh, a strong trio should watch

KT: black news terms and conditions. um, we, we've had, we talk about being Degustation wankers, so we've been inside of the restaurant in Opera House, but this was the first time I went to go and watch something, which is really cool. I was supposed to watch a President's Cake as well, but I wasn't able to make it that same day. However, um,

Oti: is it because black news ran late?

KT: You know, the majority white audience would not appreciate that comment.

Oti: They would, they'll laugh at it because we know what they laughed at in One Battle After Another, which we're coming to

KT: Yikes. Hey. Yeah. Got a same with your chest? No, not, not you. Yikes. Mm. Them yikes. Mm-hmm. Oh, but de but no. Yikes. Around here. Love. Love, love, love, love, love to. It Was Just an Accident.

Oti: Oh, 10, 10 10. 10, 10. 10,

KT: 10. Literally. And also my love, one of my favorite days with you.

Oti: Yeah. I think not

KT: just in 2025. Just one of my favorite days with you.

Oti: Yeah. I think that movie alone, I think if, if, if I would take two, I'd take that and sin and just bounce from 2 25.

KT: Yeah. Yeah. It's looking great. I don't know what happened to the first couple of months of 2025, but

Oti: it also shows you how to say with the chest on what sort of One Battle After Another pretended it wanted to say, Hey, It Was Just an Accident just says it. It just shows you how you step in it and how you do it properly. Gusto and all.

KT: Are you the one that broke up, uh, Teyana Taylor and Aaron Pierre, Oti, mind your business, get outta grown folks' business. Uh, but It Was Just an Accident, honestly. And we, we've covered, uh, quite a few Iranian films, uh, on the podcast as well as, um, had some interviews as well. Not to say that we would have any extra sort of cultural understanding, but Wow.

Oti: Wow. And I think it's getting, it's being submitted, uh, as a French film, but Iranian through and through. But we know what, why that is, but Jesus.

KT: But I'm just saying like, I'm not saying you have to like. It Dodge Prison or, you know, have to risk your life to submit, uh, film footage. However, that's why I, I, I would hope that one day Pacific Islander stories can reach that level of urgency, of truth telling.

Oti: Mm.

KT: And I guess that's the kindest way I can say it. In the meantime, we have world Cinema

Oti: and one of the most impactful endings of scene in a movie this year. Woo.

KT: Whoa.

Oti: A a 10 10, 10. Turn around.

KT: Well, it's coming out in cinemas In January, there's gonna be another media screening, and I'm planning on going again. So you're welcome to come along.

Oti: Turning up

KT: Ski Happyend. Uh, I have been singing praises for this film, A nine i I referenced, uh, Do the Right Thing as well. When we did the review Slanted, we both watched,

Oti: uh, seven

KT: seven. Stranger Eyes Singaporean film. I gave it a nine. Haka Party Incident.

Oti: Oh, I'll give it a six.

KT: I gave it a five. If there's a racisms, why is the racisms in the documentary? I don't care that you are like an old grandfather now and you love your grandkids. Fuck off. Mm-hmm. Fuck off. Um, also Squid Game can fuck off.

Oti: Seven,

KT: five, bro. We had such a great sonic ring. Just, just let it

Oti: be, man. Jeez. Sometimes it's fine to just let things be. Oh, he annoyed the hell out of me. I don't even walk. I don't know why I give you the seven. Ah, needs to be lower. Let me actually, I, I'll, I'll do, I'll do a six. Jeez. I'll change it. I'm changing it live. He's changing him live. Well go then. Oh, I cannot, I cannot follow that. It's just too much wrong

KT: Wow. In real time. Friends and lovers. Uh, shout outs to Mistress Dispeller. Oh. 'cause we continued, we took a break doing Squid Game review and then we continued our Sydney Film Festival. Mistress Dispeller is also, um, in the shortlist for the Academy Awards For documentary.

Oti: Yeah. For very, yeah. I didn't know how they caught all that, but I give it an eight.

KT: It was a great documentary.

Oti: It was,

KT: oh, you were making it seem like No, I said as

Oti: in it was quite impressive.

KT: Nine. Orwell, two plus two equals five. I gave an eight because it was well done. And, and even though the populace is behind. Orwell lived a long ass time ago. Friends and lovers and the fact that he's too radical. For some of you motherfuckers isn't a fault of the documentary, so that's why it's an eight. Um, and not less because my frustrations are more with motherfuckers that watch this shit and then they go and be scary and cross the road afterwards. The Marlon Williams documentary seven. Farming the Revolution. I gave it a nine. We didn't get to cover the African Film Festival, uh, aside from interviews this year. Mm. Friends and lovers, however, um, there was a Sudanese documentary that I went to go and watch as well as Farming the Revolution. It is so beautiful and so inherent that art and poetry and music and expression is at the core of all revolutions and, uh, protests because that's where art comes from. And, and that's all I want to say. Mm-hmm. And, and, you know, shout outs to the farmers,

Oti: what needs to be said, how has been said?

KT: Well, I was going to start fucking world leaders or telling world leaders to fuck themselves, but then we'll be, you know, the list is full friends and lovers. Um, there'll be near fucking in my area. I just want them to get fucked. Uh, make it look real. I gave it an eight and then, oh yeah. That was part of Sydney Film Festival as well. How to Train Your Dragon, oh, seven, eight.

Oti: You had fun with Toothless?

KT: I sure did. Uh, no, but it's like, if it is a film that is predominantly for children then for what it is. Yeah. That was a great film. Mm. Shrek hater. I'm gonna create my own Shrek podcast. And you are not allowed to be on it, Oti. M3GAN 2.0.

Oti: I dunno what they did. Seven. And that was even being generous.

KT: Yeah, you are quite generous. And then you take it back, but

Oti: you No, like I was so disappointed with the first version because they tried to cater for everyone and then they script flipped this one to try and. Just do the same thing again. Mm-hmm. I was like, just these people. Nah. 6, 7, 7. I'll stick with it.

KT: 6. 28 Years Later.

Oti: Seven, six. It still didn't know what you wanted, but we are getting a new think.

KT: We're getting a new one. I took too long to put the interest. So we're on the wait list. Uh, friends and lovers, but you know, if, if friends and lovers are so inclined for us to watch it, let us know. We don't usually, we usually do whatever the fuck we want. But you, you're welcome to tell us if you like. Uh, I gave that a six. You gave it a seven? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Final Destination Bloodlines. Rest in peace and power. Tony Todd. Eight. Eight. The Story of Souleymane, you still need to watch it. Mm. Oti. I gave it an eight. Nice. King of the Hill.

Oti: Ah, so much fun. Nine.

KT: I gave it a 10.

Oti: Mm.

KT: I enjoy shit for what it is. Uh, speaking of Superman

Oti: oh

KT: nine nine. That man needs to stop talking.

Oti: They spoke on things.

KT: Corenswet.

Oti: Oh yeah, yeah. Keith

KT: Corenswet. Uh, and then we did another anime, um, Ref Max, Conan the Detective: One-Eyed Flashback.

Oti: It was confusing as hell, but I'll give it a seven.

KT: Gave it a seven. Uh, then we had, there were two Jujutsu Kaisen movies this year. Friends and Lovers. Um, this Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death.

Oti: Ah, got a Love, A good Gojo story. Um, eight.

KT: Eight soundtrack. 10

Oti: mm

KT: Kaiju No. 8,

Oti: 9,

KT: 9.

Oti: Oh, I feel like if we had reviewed it now, I would give it a 10.

KT: Yeah, we'll just redo it in the next season.

Oti: Yeah. Yeah. By a nine for now.

KT: Nine for now.

Oti: I in a nine for, then

KT: well hold onto your Jinky 'cause we are coming into Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Infinity Castle. We have another patron rating. Oti. Ah, this is from Rob. Hi Rob. Uh, it, it's, yeah, it, it's nice to see every now and again. I think we saw Rob at the Superman screening. You. We won't, we won't wanna see Rob for a while after this Oti, by the way. Mm-hmm. Technical Marvel, but structurally subpar. Rob.

Oti: What?

KT: Because he knows we have to fucking read this and he knows we fucking loved it. We, we, we love to hate you. Mm. We hate to love you. The movie would've been so beautiful in a long form, episodic format. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Record Scratch. Rob, do you even watch Demon Slayer? Because I feel like you can't be, anyway, I will read, I will read it against all option, but I will read it. But as a film, we are taken away from the present drama in a critical place. Am IF fing for the next part? Fucking Ain't not Rob. I'll be a bouncer. I'll be a bouncer at the front of the screen. I'll be like, this man is not allowed. And 'cause it's dealing with the upper of uppers. It's gotta be an IMAX visit. Nah, sorry. Sorry Rob, you are not allowed. Do you wanna know what he rated it? Keeping in mind that our, our ratings are very high. He's bringing down our fucking average. He rated it a fucking seven.

Oti: Oh Rob.

KT: And you're doing this on purpose, Rob, because you know how much we love this.

Oti: Oh, Dele was a treat, man.

KT: It was, we'll give you some bad anime to watch and then you come back and give us another reading.

Oti: Oh, the story. I think

KT: he's one of those people that didn't like the backs stories.

Oti: I love the backstory. Give me, give me a good story, man. He is just like, no, but

KT: also referencing, I think Rob also was saying it was slow in the start for Sinners. So maybe he's just not a backstory guy. Mm. But we love you Rob. Mm. I say through gritted teeth. I will be at the screening and I will have my clipboard. Rob. You'll be the only face there. What did you rate Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no? 10. I gave it a 10. What else is there to say? Uh, next film. Weapons. We have another patron rating. Oti. See, see, see, see. Rob knows the films we love. He knows the films we don't love, and he's a wow of the powers that he has and how it fucks with the averages, or at least in his world, it's very strategic with his. Okay, so this is Rob Man. Weapons was such a surprising film and it actually holds up on repeat viewings,

Oti: repeat viewings. How many times have we watched it Rob? 1, 2, 3, 4. Purpose.

KT: The surprise of a horror comedy made with Lynchian sequences of dreamlike, terror and quirky, unassuming. But everyone really knew. Villain in Gladys really stood out for me this year.

Oti: Mm. This is why I felt like they just butchered a good concept in a movie. They overdid it just because they. Wanted to be bloody clever. Oh, we'll just do it seven more times. No, we didn't need it. We did. You didn't need it. It just made it convoluted for nothing.

KT: And while we are here, not specifically about Rob's comment, but like people had such aversion in Sinners to hoodoo, but Gladys was fucking doing her little shit in the, like, she was doing that openly in the suburbia. Mm. So, I don't know. I, I, I think we know why, but, um, but no one really talks about Weapons. Weapons stayed around longer than Mickey 17. Um, but no one really cared. One, it's

Oti: just gone to the back. Go to the back fam.

KT: Well, you know, Rob's gonna keep the viewings alive.

Oti: Mm-hmm.

KT: The Paper,

Oti: oh. Had no reason to love this as much as I did, but I give it an eight

KT: Domhnall Gleeson. Yeah. Also focusing on journalism was a very good callout. Mm mm Oof. The Long Walk. Can I just say Julio had a rating for the Long Walk, but uh, he swapped it, uh, for a later one. But you go,

Oti: I gave it an eight.

KT: And you regret that, don't you? That's too high, isn't it?

Oti: No.

KT: Whatever. Six. Mm-hmm. The Smashing Machine. Smash These.

Oti: Why am I rating so high? Seven.

KT: I know why your ratings are so high, because you go fool me every time I read something and then we get around to Christmas. I gave it a six. Uh, Sorry, Baby. I gave it an eight. Love, love, love Eva Victor. Very nice. Women Wearing Shoulder Pads.

Oti: Ooh, those was quay and fun. Eight

KT: subtitles. Friends and lovers. Embrace the one inch. Eight. Him.

Oti: Six

KT: man.

Oti: Yeah. Six,

KT: six. Jordan Peele, um, apparently has been auditioning for his new, uh, film. Oh, yeah. Tyriq Withers was in the mix. Oh,

Oti: nice.

KT: Um, Jayme Lawson in Sinners is in the mix. Oh,

Oti: nice. Love a good Jayme Lawson.

KT: We love a great Jayme Lawson.

Oti: Mm-hmm.

KT: One Battle After Another, but I'm tired.

Oti: Uh, we covered this in depth in our podcast. I writing an article of a roundup as well, just to cover it all off. Um, giving this a seven, even though I have quals, I still could divorce myself from a, a little bit of the frustrations, but yeah, I think seven is fair enough from my point of view.

KT: Five. Mm-hmm. German was black,

Oti: got a nine.

KT: Why did you sound so black? Dad, do better next time.

Oti: Yeah's report card is here.

KT: I can hear the belt right now. Um, 100 Meters. That was me. I gave it a seven. Bugonia again, Oti, uh, had a chance after the media screening. Chose not to. I gave it a six. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. Friends and lovers. We just saw the Criterion Closet of Rose Byrne and she, you can see that she has a love and respect for comedies, which makes sense. 'cause I think the first time I saw her was in a Seth Rogen movie and I was like, that's a terrible Australian accent. Cut to finding out she's Australian. I think it's just sharp on the ears, like the Australian guy in, um, House as well. Um,

Oti: how, how you surviving with my sharp Australian.

KT: It just goes down smooth, like the Tin Man and The Wiz. Um, but If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, I love, love Rose Byrne. I hope she gets nominations for that as well. Predator: Badlands, shout us to our brother Dimitrius.

Oti: Give it a nine

KT: Eh, I gave it an eight.

Oti: Shut it with a bro. And then,

KT: okay, well, well he was, he was fighting more than the Long Walk, but the Beast didn't mean eight. I gave it an eight as well. Alright, let's do some quick. We re

Oti: needs to be in a lot more stuff, man. Like he, he, he's good.

KT: I just want him in Perry Mason.

Oti: Actually, just give him Perry Mason because every time we

KT: see him he is just a sad man everywhere. So kind of just be a sad man in my show. Yeah,

Oti: he could be sad. Perry Mason. It's one of those shows like just went away because of fucking HBO ruining everything. Perry Mason and Minx

KT: love Minx.

Oti: Yeah.

KT: And they just tried shopping it around and then we found out the other day through watching an Issa Rae interview with Kev on stage. They tried shopping Rap Sh!t around as well.

Oti: Yeah man. You need to become a billionaire so I can fund this shit

KT: right first.

Oti: Yeah.

KT: Uh, now we're doing a roundup, friends and lovers. We didn't get to do a Ref Max. I was hoping we could before the end of the year, we're probably not gonna have time. So just give us your general thoughts and we'll get your ratings. Wicked: For Good. I gave it a nine. I had to go straight off. Ooh.

Oti: Nine.

KT: I loved it. I love it

Oti: is just something else,

KT: literally. And it's also like, um. Wakanda Forever. Like, I enjoyed, like, I know it's like not as Poppy pop as the first Wicked, but I actually really enjoyed The Grounded, you know, it's us against them,

Oti: you know, in the Oscars last year, I was like, Hmm. Before watching Wicked, I was like, oh, Cynthia Erivo? Okay. Yeah. I've had some hype around it and then I watched Wicked and I was like, damn.

KT: Yeah.

Oti: It was meant to be hers.

KT: Like, it's undeniable whether you like musicals or not, whether you are into, you know, poppy pop aesthetics. But it, it's great. Mm. And I think there's a lot of Glinda in the world, and I think there will be Glinda watching the film, not realizing that they are Glinda, they're nice because it, it gives them brownie points, they donate to causes. 'cause it makes them look good. And it's like, bro,

Oti: stop being a Glinda.

KT: Stop being a Glinda. Get with it. Mm-hmm. Uh, Influencer 2. Kurt Harder. Thanks so much for sending the screening as well as IFC, I believe it was

Oti: Influencers was a trip and the fact that we get to, what was it, a year after Thereabouts? Mm-hmm. Geez. I had fun with it. Eight.

KT: Uh, I remembered I wrote pull quotes for this, so, um, I'll do Wicked: For Good at the end. But for Influencers, I have picking up off the highs. In the first film, Kurt finds a way to increase the mania in a twisty turn. All in romp in Influencers. However, sometimes the momentum was too raucous to build out character arcs.

Oti: Mm. Love a good rockers

KT: off your rockers, punk rockers. Uh,

Oti: oh.

KT: Another darling. Hopefully short list, but maybe, uh, you know, there's still another round for nominations.

Oti: I, I just, I'm going to get into kabuki so, so hard.

KT: Mm-hmm. Hey, there was a Yasuke, uh, the black Samurai. You can be the black Kabuki.

Oti: Yeah. I give it a nine.

KT: I gave it a nine as well. Kokuho is an exemplary flagship that introduces audiences to the art form known as Kabuki. The pulse of artistry is alive in Lee Sang-il's masterful lens to real Ys performance of insatiable greed and breathtaking feasts of costuming and makeup. Mm-hmm. And we are ending with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. We have another patron rating, Oti. Hmm. This is from Julio. I think art can and should affect reality. Specifically Wake Up Dead Man gives us a protagonist in Father Judd that tries his best to be a good person and do right by his community, despite the fact that most parishioners are mind washed by a hateful or authority figure. And in the end he finds it within himself to forgive and move on. On the surface, that's a fairytale, but at its heart, it's something we're going to have to confront sooner or later bin late. Um, when some of those hardcore Trump supporters try to rejoin the real world and to see a movie that refuses to give up hope that some of us may be able to heal and heal others. That's pretty powerful. It's a man of the cloth remaining the dignity, uh, reclaiming the dignity and purpose of his vocation.

Oti: Wow,

KT: that's a 10 from Julio.

Oti: Wow.

KT: Yeah. What do you got, Oti.

Oti: Give it a six.

KT: I gave it a seven. Alright, let's reflect on this a little bit. 'cause this is, this is the end of the, uh, episode. Gi, give me your thought, thinkings my love

Oti: on Wake Up Dead Man, or everything we've covered so far.

KT: We're still on Wake Up Dead Man. I'll, I'll give you my pull quote. While you're thinking. The timeliness and quietness of this film is overshadowed by the immense star power that often distracts from its poignancy, intrigue on the surface and messaging beneath Were not cloaked in famous faces.

Oti: I just thought it dragged, man. I thought it dragged in, in, in, in spaces like, could you see the

KT: Trump parallels and it didn't do anything or, yeah, I, I could see the

Oti: parallels, but. Uh, at the end of the day, it has to be compelling as well.

KT: Can I tell you? I didn't.

Oti: Mm,

KT: I was, it was very clear to me. I'm gonna call him Leo Grande. So sorry to this man. But, uh, the only black Irish actor working at the moment, apparently, um, very incel-y like, but I didn't see it as Trump. And maybe like, it makes more sense 'cause Julio is in the US so maybe it felt more tangible. Mm-hmm. Um, I wasn't even thinking about, and I try not to on many days not think about Donald Trump. If I'm being perfectly honest. There are no tariffs that I need to think about for him. Um, I didn't think much about that. I wasn't very engaged with the story in general, even without whether there were Trump tethering or not. Um, I just didn't find it very interesting personally. But again, it was very jarring. And you've said it many times, like we need to have not so many famous faces if that's, and I know Knives Out is like that, but this was different to the other, um, heightened fanfare of the other Knives Out. This was a bit more somber, um, and a bit more reflective as well. But I think what I would also say, I don't think globally, we really reckoned with the pandemic. And, and the ongoing and the long-term effects, not just physically, but also just how jarring it is for us to continue living the way we are living, um, when so many we've lost along the way in, in different sort of instances. So, but you know how there was just a, a general sort of numbness in media when it came to COVID. It's like 2021. If you're gonna do a show about it, like a season about it, fine. But then if they kept doing it, it kind of, it lost its poignancy, I guess is the way to say. So that's my long way of saying maybe, maybe in a different format, maybe with less famous faces, famous faces. Maybe if not after a second term of Donald Trump, maybe I'll be like, oh, okay, this is something to hold onto. But bro. I hope there's hope for the US, but fucking hell man.

Oti: I hope there's hope. But when you watch things like Boys State or even g, was it gal state, Girls State, you're like, fuck. Hell, this was boys was

KT: bad, but Girls State, they didn't even have any funding.

Oti: This. This kids are growing up to be exactly like their parents.

KT: But then you then, then you realize it's not an age thing.

Oti: It's not an age thing. It's it's not, which is, which is wild. Which is, which made me feel as if I was losing hope on the future because I thought, you know what? There's a generation that just, you know, lost it. I'm hoping the kids, you know, have a different way of moving and then you watch things like Boys State and you're like, damn dog.

KT: But you, no, but it's one of those like, as long as you get nothing,

Oti: because

KT: if you get something that means I have less, even though we're all fucking poor at the end of the day.

Oti: Oh, they prefer that. They don't care. They bundle to the ground as long as you are burning as well. And I'm getting a bit scotched.

KT: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I hope there's hope and we love you, Julio. Mm. Uh, yeah. I, I, I think it's like Evanescence wake me up inside, you know, falling off the side of the skyscraper. Yeah. I'm not saying it's a Gal Gadot Imagine video, but it's like, like what are we doing here?

Oti: Yeah. Uh, I'm just glad this year gave us movies that connect, resonate with me and go deeper on, on, on subjects that I care for. Yeah. Um, and I cannot fault that.

KT: I can't fault that either. You know, friends and lovers. We don't usually do this at the end of our ratings. Um, and, you know, maybe it's poetic to leave it on that, uh, reflective note, but I'm going to end it on everything that we've rated that equals. Like that is a high 10 average. We have Samson and Delilah, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, To Be Hero X, Mashle, Fable. See, if you let us do anime, you're gonna have a good time. You'll be eaten. Uh, Sinners. It Was Just an Accident. And I have to put Demon Slayer, uh, Infinity Castle back up here because Rob was wild. You wild. But when you look at that, it has been a great year, friends and lovers,

Oti: great year for cinema and hopefully 2026. All follow suit.

KT: Mm-hmm Hoo. Any last reflections for the year? My love.

Oti: Let's just get through it.

KT: Yeah. Fair. Honestly. Fair. Um, thank you friends and lovers for joining us. We will see you very soon in the new year in 2026. We're very excited. Um, we have two Splooshies awards to record ti. Mm mm-hmm. Um, so it's gonna be as sumptuous delicious time. But thank you everyone that has supported our podcast, We love and appreciate you guys so much. Uh, you know, we just really appreciate being able to share this podcast with you and also. Just run, run it the way we wanna run it and we are gonna run it back all the way. Run

Oti: it, run it, run it, run it, see ya, run it, run it.

KT: I'm trying to figure out if that's Chris Brown or a dance hall.

Oti: Both. Okay. Both of them.

KT: Okay. Uh, have a lovely, uh, 2025 and we'll see you Delicious sexy people in 2026. See y'all. Ah,

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