The Reel Addicts take flight this week with special guest Mary Antonini (24-Karat Christmas, Yuletide the Knot) for an analysis of Dreamworks' soaring 2010 masterpiece, How To Train Your Dragon.

Join Matt, Jonathan, and Mary as they unpack the film's rich themes, share their collective love for everyone's favorite Night Fury, and explore how legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins helped shape the film's stunning visual language. Plus, Matt finally reveals his dragon-sized skepticism about the franchise's sequels.

Catch How To Train Your Dragon on Max, then join us for a discussion that'll have you believing in dragons!

Directed by Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois Written by Will Davies, Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders (based on the books by Cressida Cowell)

Starring Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig

Opening and Closing Music: Memory Stain 2023 - by Steven F Allen https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/ https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Tis the season for family on The Reel Addicts Podcast! As such, Matt brought the first person who came to mind on as a special guest to help he and Jonathan unpack the 2005 Christmas classic, The Family Stone: His Mom.

Fresh off her fantastic Moonstruck episode earlier this year, Matt's Mom, Diane Warren, brings the matriarchal perspective needed to better understand what makes this film so wonderful. Nothing is safe or sacred as family, romance, sibling struggles, parental roles, and bringing home the new significant other for the holidays are all thrown under the microscope.

If you like to laugh and listen to others laugh, this is the one for you. Happy Holidays to all and thanks for listening!

*As of release, The Family Stone is available to stream for free with subscriptions to either Hulu or Amazon Prime.

Written and Directed by Thomas Bezucha

Starring Diane Keaton, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel McAdams, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes, Elizabeth Reaser, Tyrone Giordano, Brian White, Paul Schneider

Photography by Jonathan Brown

Music Composed by Michael Giacchino

Opening and Closing Music:

Memory Stain 2023 - by Steven F Allen

https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/

https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step away from the mayhem and violence as The Reel Addicts welcome the delightful cinephile extraordinaire Georgina "Gee" Franco for a magical journey through Alfonso Cuarón's enchanting 1995 masterpiece, A Little Princess.

Join Matt, Jonathan, and Gee as they explore the film that helped launch Cuarón's legendary career, diving deep into its spellbinding visual storytelling, timeless themes, and the kind of pure movie magic that reminds us why we fell in love with cinema in the first place. Our special guest brings her infectious enthusiasm and sharp insights to this beloved adaptation that proves every little girl is a princess (and possibly has the fellas tearing up more than once).

Catch A Little Princess streaming on Amazon Prime and other platforms, then come along as we discover why this early Cuarón gem deserves its crown as one of the greatest children's films ever made!

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Written by Richard LaGravenese and Elizabeth Chandler (based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett)

Starring Liesel Matthews, Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, Rusty Schwimmer, Arthur Malet, Vanessa Lee Chester, Errol Sitahal, Heather DeLoach, Taylor Fry, Darcie Bradford, Rachael Bella, Lauren Blumenfeld, Camilla Belle

Photography by Emmanuel Lubezki

Opening and Closing Music: Memory Stain 2023 - by Steven F Allen https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/ https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're closing out our November: Film Feast series with a Matt pick, Peter Greenaway's 1989 masterwork, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. Despite it's difficulty to dig up (it is available on YouTube), this is a must-watch for any fan of cinema.

Alongside our return guest, writer/filmmaker Patrick Connolly, who is back by popular demand, we run the gauntlet of surrealism, misogyny, abuse, greed, power, consumption, and Dante's Inferno as they all pertain to this jewel. Let us take you on the ride - film fans will thank us, casual moviegoers will scratch their heads, and Harry Potter fans will never see the world the same way when we're through!

Written & Directed by Peter Greenaway

Shot by Sacha Vierny

Music Composed by Michael Nyman

Edited by John Wilson

Starring Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Alan Howard, Tim Roth, Ciarán Hinds, Ewan Stewart, Roger Ashton Griffiths, Ron Cook, Liz Smith, Emer Gillespie, Ian Dury, & Paul Russell

Opening and Closing Music:

Memory Stain 2023 - by Steven F Allen

https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/

https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready to dork out with your fork out! Continuing on to the main courses of our film feast, we're diving deep into Peter Jackson's groundbreaking adaptation that launched a thousand cosplay outfits: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).

Join Matt and Jonathan for an episode so it necessitated two guests! They welcome the ultimate Middle-earth power couple, Katie Duennebier and Andrew Hollingworth, for a breakdown that's more loaded than Gandalf's fireworks bag. We'll explore how this film transformed blockbuster cinema, geek culture, and New Zealand tourism in one fell swoop. Expect passionate debates about practical effects, Viggo Mortensen's method acting, and exactly how many Fellowship characters that Andrew can impersonate.

The Fellowship of the Ring is streaming on multiple platforms (free on Max), so grab your elvish wine, prepare your most dramatic Aragorn impression, and join our quest through cinema's most beloved fantasy epic!

Directed by Peter Jackson

Written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson Based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien

Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, Christopher Lee and Andy Serkis

Opening and Closing Music:

Memory Stain 2023 by Steven F Allen

https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/ https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

November continues it's Film Feast theme with a Matt pick: Bob Giraldi's under-seen indie darling, Dinner Rush (2000).

Join the fellas alongside the sensational NYC-bred actor/restauranteur, John Solo, as the three celebrate the accuracy of the film's depiction of old New York, degenerate gambling, and life in a thriving fast-paced restaurant. And for fans of The Bear, an opportunity's never missed to breakdown how Dinner Rush walked so the FX series could run.

You can find Dinner Rush available to stream for free on YouTube and Kanopy amongst other services, so go enjoy the rush, then come hang with us for dessert right here on The Reel Addicts!

Directed by Bob Giraldi

Written by Brian Kalata and Rick Shaughnessy

Starring Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, Kirk Acevedo, Mike McGlone, John Corbett, Vivian Wu, Sandra Bernhart, Lexie Sperduto, Mark Margolis, Summer Phoenix, Ajay Naidu, Jamie Harris, John Rothman, Polly Draper, Alex Corrado, Sophie Comet

Opening and Closing Music:

Memory Stain 2023 - by Steven F Allen

https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/

https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grab a bottle a wine, a big ol' basket of bread, and drape a cloth napkin across your lap because you're in for a feast! Matt and Jonathan continue the Film Feast of November with the 1996 indie hit Big Night. Our hosts are joined by Jonathan's sister, Lisa Wallick, to discuss one of her favorite films and tackle such savory topics as Italian families, great dialogue, the independent cinema scene of the 1990's, family-owned businesses, and a stellar performance by Marc Anthony. This is not one to be missed! SO TUNE IN!

Directed by: Stanley Tucci & Campbell Scott

Starring: Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Isabella Rossellini, Minnie Driver, Ian Holm, Marc Anthony, Allison Janney, Liev Shreiber, Caroline Aaron

Opening and Closing Music:

Memory Stain 2023 - by Steven F Allen

https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/

https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's your pleasure? If it's BDSM-horror-sci-fi-fantasy-demon-gore-erotica, you've come to the right place! Join your infamous hosts, Matt Flynn & Jonathan D'Ambrosio, alongside special guest extraordinaire and friend of the pod, writer/journalist, Veronika Lee, as they dissect the divisive debut from horror master Clive Barker, Hellraiser (1987).

The conversational gauntlet runs from the film, to sexual predilection, to religion, to toxic positivity culture, and so much more. This is an episode your mother won't want you to hear, but that she also might be secretly listening to...don't miss the fun as we celebrate our final film of October: Monster Mash!

Let us know what you think on our social media - @thereeladdictspodcast - or at via e-mail, thereeladdictspodcast@gmail.com!

Written & Directed by Clive Barker

Cast:

Andrew Robinson as Larry

Clare Higgins as Julia

Ashley Lawrence as Kirsty

Sean Chapman as Frank

&

Doug Bradley as Pinhead (AKA: Lead Cenobite)

Opening and Closing Music:

Memory Stain 2023 - by Steven F Allen

https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/

https://soundclick.com/AuDioChosisStevenFAllenAuDioMiRage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.