Ben

BlacKkKlansman · Feb 2025

"You note the double-dolly into the cross-burning, but say it didn’t add much to the story for you."

BlacKkKlansman · Feb 2025

"You highlight the Charlottesville rally footage and real-world Klan imagery as a gut punch ending."

BlacKkKlansman · Feb 2025

"You focus on John David Washington, Adam Driver and Topher Grace – Spike stays behind the camera here."

BlacKkKlansman · Feb 2025

"You talk about the Klan meetings and police conversations as loaded with rants and bigoted tirades."

BlacKkKlansman · Feb 2025

"You call out supposedly decent white colleagues and community members whose racism shows under pressure."

Bamboozled · Feb 2025

"You call out the Delacroix double-dolly as the Spike signature in this film and say it really works."

Bamboozled · Feb 2025

"You talk about minstrel history, reference-doc imagery and how the film exposes media tradition."

Bamboozled · Feb 2025

"You focus on the ensemble but don’t highlight Spike showing up as a performer or central character."

Bamboozled · Feb 2025

"From the network execs to the Mau Mau crew, you mention plenty of sharp, rant-like speechifying."

Bamboozled · Feb 2025

"You talk about liberal TV people and executives who weaponise racism when it’s profitable."

Malcolm X · Feb 2025

"You treat the famous Malcolm march/floating shot as one of the clearest examples of the Spike double-dolly."

Malcolm X · Feb 2025

"You talk about the opening sequence mixing Malcolm’s speech with Rodney King footage and burning flags."

Malcolm X · Feb 2025

"You highlight Spike’s role as Shorty and how present he is on screen alongside Denzel."

Malcolm X · Feb 2025

"There are verbal clashes and rants, but not the choreographed insult chorus style of DTRT."

Malcolm X · Feb 2025

"You mention liberal white figures and institutions that seem supportive before revealing how conditional that support is."

Do The Right Thing · Feb 2025

"You call out the double-dolly shot in DTRT and say it feels really effective for what the story is doing."

Do The Right Thing · Feb 2025

"You don’t point to explicit documentary inserts here – it feels more like a lived-in fiction than mixed-media."

Do The Right Thing · Feb 2025

"You talk about Spike playing Mookie and how central he is to the film’s point of view."

Do The Right Thing · Feb 2025

"You reference the infamous rant montage where different characters hurl slurs straight into the camera."

Do The Right Thing · Feb 2025

"You dig into Sal and the other white characters as ‘not as different as they think’ when their racism surfaces."

Killers of the Flower Moon · Feb 2024

"You read Ernest’s torn loyalties and physical poisoning of Mollie as a twisted self-betrayal."

Killers of the Flower Moon · Feb 2024

"You call Mollie, Ernest and Hale all layered—full of affection, cowardice, love, calculation and betrayal."

Killers of the Flower Moon · Feb 2024

"You notice Scorsese’s small on-stage appearance in the radio epilogue as a meta storyteller cameo."

The Irishman · Feb 2024

"His emotional self-punishment in old age—sitting alone, door ajar—comes up a lot in your chat."

The Irishman · Feb 2024

"You sit with his tenderness toward Hoffa versus the coldness toward his own family as the core tension."

The Irishman · Feb 2024

"You don’t mention a Scorsese cameo, and the film’s tone doesn’t play up that kind of wink."

The Aviator · Feb 2024

"You talk about him punishing himself through isolation, work and compulsions rather than religious shame."

The Aviator · Feb 2024

"You get into his genius, his selfishness and his fragility as equally real parts of him."

The Aviator · Feb 2024

"You don’t mention any director cameo, and it doesn’t stand out in your discussion."

Goodfellas · Feb 2024

"Henry spirals on drugs and paranoia, but you don’t link it to religious guilt or self-punishment."

Goodfellas · Feb 2024

"You dig into Henry, Jimmy and Tommy as fully human monsters—funny, petty, terrifying and pathetic."

Goodfellas · Feb 2024

"You note the cameos are Scorsese’s parents rather than Marty himself this time."

King of Comedy · Feb 2024

"Rupert never really feels guilty or punishes himself for what he does."

King of Comedy · Feb 2024

"You find him more iconic than layered, but still empathise with his need to be seen."

King of Comedy · Feb 2024

"You clock Scorsese’s on-set cameo as the TV director in the control room."

First Love · Feb 2023

"Abuse and exploitation exist but are less explicit and more implied."

First Love · Feb 2023

"Addiction, greed, and corruption drive the antagonists more than the leads."

First Love · Feb 2023

"You point out multiple strong female characters—Julie, Monica—guiding narrative turns."

Ichi the Killer · Feb 2023

"Violence and sexuality are fused; pain becomes sexual gratification for Kakihara."

Ichi the Killer · Feb 2023

"Characters pursue their impulses—pain, fear, domination—to their extreme ends."

Ichi the Killer · Feb 2023

"Women appear in positions of power but ultimately get consumed by the violence around them."

Visitor Q · Feb 2023

"Sex is violent, transactional, or taboo—incest, necrophilia, humiliation."

Visitor Q · Feb 2023

"Characters follow impulses to extreme, shocking conclusions; pure Miike chaos."

Visitor Q · Feb 2023

"You celebrate Keiko’s arc as genuine sexual liberation and power reclamation."

Audition · Feb 2023

"Sex is implied rather than shown; violence stems from trauma and exploitation."

Audition · Feb 2023

"Aoyama’s fantasy and loneliness drive the fake audition and the downfall."

Audition · Feb 2023

"Asami ultimately controls the story, though framed through Aoyama’s male POV."

Audition · Feb 2023

"You mention Visitor Q as the ‘next level’ Miike experience while comparing character dynamics."

Django Unchained – Nuts & Schultz · Feb 2022

"Oti finds the dialogue painful and hurtful given the subject; KT says it is not even hyper-aware, more placeholder writing, and concedes that after six courses Ben wins: the dialogue is terrible."

Django Unchained – Nuts & Schultz · Feb 2022

"Tarantino casts himself again, this time as an Australian; KT admits she missed that he was meant to be Australian, while Oti says giving himself an accent proves Tarantino thinks he can act."

Inglourious Basterds – Miniature Strudel · Feb 2022

"You both say the dialogue never gets in the way here and is the best part; Oti hangs on every word, and you name Kill Bill as the only time it hindered."

Inglourious Basterds – Miniature Strudel · Feb 2022

"You note his brief turn as an already-scalped Nazi with no lines, which Oti calls the right way to do it; KT would rather he skip it unless it adds something, like Taika's priest in Hunt for the Wilderpeople."

Kill Bill – All Bride Out · Feb 2022

"Oti says every word was a hindrance, boring and elementary after the first two courses; KT says the banal observational fun is sucked out, with Budd and Elle Driver the closest it gets."

Kill Bill – All Bride Out · Feb 2022

"KT says thank God you're spared this time: Tarantino is notably not in this one, which for her says it all about roles he doesn't need to be in."

Jackie Brown – Top Grier · Feb 2022

"Oti finds none of the self-aware dialogue here, maybe because it adapts a novel; KT pushes back on Ben's premise, saying dialogue was never the problem, and you agree nothing here was a hindrance."

Jackie Brown – Top Grier · Feb 2022

"Neither of you spotted Tarantino in this one, and KT is relieved he didn't physically insert himself; Oti says even if he passed by, it didn't interfere with the film."

Pulp Fiction – Big Gimpin’ · Feb 2022

"Oti has no dialogue issues at first, but KT flags Christopher Walken's lingering watch speech, which you both find repetitive and low brow, and KT adds the diner's racist chatter about Asian and Mexican people."

Pulp Fiction – Big Gimpin’ · Feb 2022

"You both say he can't act and his big role next to Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta is distracting. Oti thinks he genuinely believes he can and compares it to M. Night Shyamalan in Old."

Reservoir Dogs – Just the Tip · Feb 2022

"Oti says characters trading quotable lines is why he felt blasé and cared about nobody; KT finds the dialogue fun but heartless, then argues the hyper-aware side is part of the charm."

Reservoir Dogs – Just the Tip · Feb 2022

"KT says his cameos add nothing beyond feeding his brand, putting it down to ego and pure indulgence, unlike Taika's fun cameos in his own films."

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – Ricky wicket · Feb 2021

"Oti first calls it met through Ricky and Hec grieving Bella, but KT argues the film is heartfelt rather than deflecting with comedy: they push through the grief and funny things just happen. Oti comes round to KT."

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – Ricky wicket · Feb 2021

"You both say no: KT jokes that unless fantasising about Sam Neill as a pavlova counts, the theme isn't met at all in this film."

Jojo Rabbit – If all Elsa fails · Feb 2021

"Oti says the comedy fell flat and cheated him of a real emotional connection; KT calls the quirky tone a resounding yes but a 'baby no' on the comedy actually helping Jojo through his quandaries."

Jojo Rabbit – If all Elsa fails · Feb 2021

"You give it a full tick through imaginary Hitler himself, and KT recalls Ben saying on Filmbusters that he had no interest in watching the film because of how Hitler is portrayed."

Boy – Regionally flavoured Chuppa tea · Feb 2021

"Oti says it is definitely met: the humour relieves the tension without undercutting it, so it never becomes just a tearjerker. KT says comedy disarms you, unlike Once Were Warriors' trauma all around."

Boy – Regionally flavoured Chuppa tea · Feb 2021

"Oti says Michael Jackson stands for Boy's dreams and aspirations before any disillusionment; KT adds the opening narration about Michael's cool house and monkey best friend, a contrast with the ending."

Thor – Put a Korg in it · Feb 2021

"You agree the tone works, though Oti puts the emotional-beat-then-one-liner habit down to the Marvel formula; KT calls it a perfect marriage of Marvel and Taika and lights up at Korg's Kiwi humour."

Thor – Put a Korg in it · Feb 2021

"KT points to Hitler in Jojo Rabbit as the model, and you agree there's no room for it here: Thor, Odin and Valkyrie are mythic figures that existed before Ragnarok."