Episode 25, February 26th 2012

Coming to you recorded from the HBLB Studios, Jesse and Shaun bring you a new episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? As devoted listeners know and new listeners don't, each week we review the Best Picture Academy Award Winner and top box office earner of the same year to see who was right: the critics or the masses. However, we've come across another movie that has received both acclaims, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (Highbrow and Lowbrow) from the year 2003.

The Lord Of The Ring: The Return Of The King, directed by Peter Jackson, is the third installment of the The Lord Of The Rings franchise, in where Frodo (Elijah Wood) completes the final leg of his journey to destroy the evil ring of power, and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) unites the men of Middle Earth against Sauron. This movie can feel pretty long due to it's arduous running time of 201 minutes ( 3 hours 21 minutes). But that's a part of the magic of the films because it adds to the overall epic feeling, a feeling that really emphasizes the scope and sense of journey Jackson is taking you on. The characters all have their own identities and roles from the comedic and odd couple Gimli, the dwarf, and Legolas, the elf, to the corrupt steward, Denethor. The real breakout star of this film is Sean Astin as Samwise Gangee, the simple hobbit, who goes at great lengths to try and make sure Frodo is taken care of and his quest complete. Another really great aspect of the direction in this film is the way the film illustrates the multiple layers that Tolkien implied in the book; on the surface there is a great battle being waged for a gold ring but also conversely we know that we fight battles against the greed in our own hearts. Technically, this movie is a marvel, from the art direction to the cinematography to the titanic army battles , everything is executed impeccably, each element is a part of the majestic world Peter Jackson created. No doubt you've already seen this movie, but if you're up for the journey again, go ahead and give it another watch and embrace the world of hobbits and brave men.

Hear our full takes on this Highbrow and Lowbrow film by listening to the podcast below or on Itunes. So check it out and let us know what you think.

Bonus Episode: Oscars 2012

Continuing the tradition, Highbrow! Lowbrow? is bringing you a special bonus episode on the 2012 Oscars. Just to reiterate for new listeners, Highrbow! Lowbrow? is a podcast where Jesse and Shaun review the top box office earner and Best Picture Academy Award Winner of the same year to see who was right: the critics or the masses. However, since this is Oscar time, we take a look at the nine Oscar nominees for Best Picture to determine who we think should get the Oscar and who will.

The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, stars Jean Dujardin as a popular silent film star who begins to see his livelihood threatened by the coming of the talkies. This film succeeds on multiple levels using the silent film formula at its best with its fantastic physicality and its heart warming story. This film was a joy to watch and a unique movie going experience that few films have equaled this year.

The Descendants, directed by Alexander Payne, stars George Clooney as Matt King, a land baron whose wife has recently fallen into a coma, trying to keep himself and his daughters together. This movie has a very serene and earthy tone being set in Hawaii and the story is very layered mixing sadness and love in a very touching way. With a strong performance by Clooney and thoughtful direction from Payne, this movie is a frontrunner for the Oscars and deservedly so.

Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, directed by Stephen Daldry, tells the story of young Oskar Schell, played by Thomas Horn, as he goes on a quest through New York trying to find the meaning behind a key his father left. This film really depends on the strength of Thomas Horn and his character, some found him cloying but Shaun thought his mixture of preciousness and autistic sensibility made him relatable and fun to watch. Though this film received fairly poor reviews overall and has a small likelihood of winning the top prize, consider giving it a watch, it's better than it is credited.

The Help, directed by Tate Taylor, stars Emma Stone as a reporter who is trying to get the real story on how the black maids and servants of the south are really treated. This is a heart warming and female empowering movie with strong performances by Emma stone and Viola Davis as the leading black maid. Although this film feels a little bit like filler on the Oscar nominee list, it's a decently strong tale of fighting racism and taking back your dignity.

Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese, is the tale of Hugo Cabret as he tries to find the meaning behind his father's last finding, a robot that harkens a forgotten past. There's a lot of heart and warmth to the story, that Martin Scorsese really tells in a grand cinematic scale. This film has some momentum behind it, but doesn't have that extra something to really make it a Best Picture film.

Midnight In Paris, directed by Woody Allen, stars Owen Wilson as a screenwriter trying to find inspiration in Paris but ends up finding magic and more. This film was a really magical experience that introduced some fantastic characters that were brought to life by Woody Allen's direction. This film may not be the Best Picture, but it's a magnificent piece that showcases Woody Allen direction in a fresh yet familiar way.

Moneyball, directed by Bennett Miller, is the story of Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, as he tries to make reinvigorate the Oakland A's team despite it's fledgling budget. For fans of the game, the wheeling and dealing of Billy and Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill) does show an exciting bit of underdog spirit, but some could argue that the film lacked an emotional core. The first of two Brad Pitt films in the nominees, this film has a lot of fans, but it remains to be seen how this will fair with the other contenders.

The Tree Of Life, directed by Terence Malick, is a spiritual and ambigious film that examines life through the eyes of a 1950's midwestern family and the roles of father and mother in one's life. This film is expansive and sprawling maybe almost to a fault, addressing issues of existence and morality in a uniquely artistic manner and with strong religious overtones. This is the indie/artsy hit that fills a role in the Oscar nominees, but with winning the Palm d'Or at Cannes, this could take home the top prize.

War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg, is the story of a boy and his horse as they endure the tumultuous landscape of England in the First World War. Though this film is shot beautifully and the story is heartwarming, it tends to try one's disbelief as to the length of what people will do to help the horse. It may not seem like this is a frontrunner in the Oscar race, this could be a treat for someone looking for a sincere and hopeful story.

So what Oscar nominee did Jesse and Shaun ultimately pick as their favorite and what movie do they think will win? Check out the latest Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out.

Episode 24 February 2nd, 2012

Highbrow! Lowbrow? is back with a fresh new episode. Every two weeks or so, Jesse and Shaun review the top box office earner and Best Picture Academy Award Winner of the same year to see who was right: the critics or the masses. For this episode, we take a look at two fairly similar films from the year 1964: My Fair Lady (Highbrow) and Mary Poppins (Lowbrow).

My Fair Lady, directed by George Cukor, stars Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle, a common peasant girl, who is taken on by Henry Higgins, a linguistic professor, to be taught correct english and proper manners. Both Jesse and Shaun found this movie disappointing due to its dull atmosphere and unyielding length. Although Hepburn is a strong actress in most rights, this movie doesn't suit her because of her lack of singing ability and her grating cockney accent. While her singing is remedied by the dubbed vocals of Marnie Nixon, the cockney accent which may reflect the intentions of the filmmakers is trying to get through. The general stuffiness and drudgery that surrounds the story (high English society) while being poked at is hard to relate to. The songs lack a certain magic or excitement that really brings someone into the musical atmosphere, maybe too much stage performance and not enough movie magic. The final message of the film isn't really tolerance or growth but rather a begrudging acceptance of each other. This film was too far from our spectrum to really enjoy and the musical elements weren't strong enough to bring us in.

Mary Poppins, directed by Robert Stevenson, stars Julie Andrews as the titular Mary Poppins, a magical nanny who takes care of two impish kids who are being ignored by their workaholic father. They go on a variety of adventures learning about love, life and music with good ole Burt, played by Dick Van Dyke. There is magic abound in this movie from the way Mary Poppins floats in and out of life, to the cartoon lands they visit with penguins and horse races. The songs are certainly catchy although they can be a little overlong and many of the tunes stick with you a while after the film is done. Every character is memorable, even the minor characters from the Naval Captain neighbor to the laughing and giggling Uncle Albert who can't stop floating. Similar to the mixing of live action and animation in Song Of The South, the effect is carried through in Mary Poppins and comes off exceedingly well along with half a dozen other special effects that really create the magic of this movie. Mary Poppins is a childhood classic that stands the test of time, and although not a perfect movie, it still remains fun to watch.

So which film did the Highbrow! Lowbrow? duo end up choosing? The "greatest musical of all time" My Fair Lady or the Disney classic Mary Poppins? Be sure and check out the latest Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out.

Episode 23, January 15th 2012

Welcome to another episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? the podcast where Jesse and Shaun review the Best Picture Academy Award Winner and top box office earner of the same year. We take a fresh look at films new and old to see who was right the critics or the masses. This time, we check out two classic movies from 1975: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Highbrow) and Jaws (Lowbrow).

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, directed by Milos Forman, stars Jack Nicholson as Randall P. McMurphy a prison inmate transferred to a mental hospital who seeks to help the patients rediscover the essence of life they shy away from. Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher, is the head nurse trying to maintain control over the ward as McMurphy threatens chaos. With a slew of recognized names as patients, from Danny Devito to Christopher Lloyd, it's a real bizarre collection of characters. The strength of this movie is in the ongoing battle between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy, McMurphy trying to free them from their placid lifestyle while Ratched uses it to keep them sane. The joy the patients get from McMurphy's presence is really infectious, and one can see a sincere human effect that he has on his fellow patients. However, McMurphy shows a willful ignorance about who and what his friends are really about. Technically, the film offers little innovation; the score doesn't stand out and the cinematography is serviceable. Still, this film brings you into a unique environment with a unique perspective that manages to be entertaining as well as thought provoking.

Jaws, directed by Steven Spielburg, is the classic thriller movie that starred everyone's favorite monster, Jaws, and spurred a deep seated fear of the ocean in many. Chief Martin Brody, played Roy Scheider, is trying to protect the town of Amity from becoming shark food, enlisting the help of geeky oceanist Matt Hooper, played by Richard Deryfus and grizzled old Quint, played by Robert Shaw. There seemed to be several curious elements of the story, but in the end, they added a unique quirk and humor to the story that helped make it classic. Shaun and Jesse where split on Robert Shaw's Quint: Jesse thought it was over the top, but Shaun dug the swarthy seaman. The legend and terror of the shark is masterfully executed, keeping the creature off screen to build up tension, and a magnificent reveal when you finally see the massive horrifying thing. The music in Jaws is classic John Williams fare, full of adventure and undeniably memorable. It's a classic film that redefined monster movies and the scale with which you could tell them.

So which film did Jesse and Shaun prefer? The meaningful and poignant One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Highbrow) or the monster movie of the masses, Jaws (Lowbrow)? Tune in and give us a listen to find out!

Episode 22 December 28th, 2011

Here we are again with another episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? the podcast where Jesse and Shaun review the top box office earner and the Academy Award Best Picture of the same year. Comparing the critical darling and the mass consensus each week, we take a fresh look to see which film we liked more. However, the cinematic epic, 1971's The Godfather won both titles that year, so this time we'll be giving this movie an in depth examination.

The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is the story of the powerful Corleones, a mob family in New York, as power transitions from the respected head of the family Don Vito to his son, Michael. Michael starts out on a more innocent path, but as the responsibilities of the family begin to weigh more on him the more he gets corrupted. The film has a definitive color and lighting scheme giving it a rustic and sincere feel, that really plays to the themes of old Italia and family honor. Speaking of which, family honor and respect stands at the center point of the movie, tying everything together, but bringing a brutal undercurrent to the loyalty it commands. It's through this connection, this responsibility, this love that turns Michael from war hero to mob boss. Though clocking in at 175 minutes (2hours 55 minutes), this movie has a deserved length, an epic film that is deserving of your time and a journey that is worthy to take. All the actors in the film fill their roles spectacularly, bringing real life and uniqueness to the personas that define the family. Al Pacino carries the film admirably, playing Michael's transition subtly but convincingly. Marlon Brando is truly unique as Don Vito Corleone who smart, cunning and brutal, but sincere with the love he has for his family and the respect he commands. The Godfather is a classic film that everyone should watch, if not already have watched, but always deserves another viewing.

Since there was no other movie to compare it to for this episode, we'll yet again advise to watch The Godfather. Be sure to listen to the latest episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow?

Episode 21, December 20th, 2011

Highbrow! Lowbrow? brings another fresh episode of Jesse and Shaun chopping it up about movies. As we do every week, we review the Top Box Office Earner and Best Picture Academy Award Winner of the same year to see who was right: the critics or the masses. This time we aren't going too far back as we look at the year 2001 and its films, A Beautiful Mind (Highbrow) and Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (Lowbrow).

A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard, is an autobiographical story of Nobel Peace Prize winning mathematician John Nash (played by Russell Crowe) who seeks to do something truly great while battling his inner demons. Nash eventually falls in love with Alicia, a former student played by Jennifer Connelly, who stands by her man against all odds. Both Crowe and Connelly have a somewhat difficult time pulling off these roles, Crowe, a manly man, being a nerdy scientist, and Connelly, being a beautiful woman interested in an awkward and somewhat mean mathematician. There are some fascinating twists and turns to the story that really alter how you see John and his interactions with the world, culminating in a poignant ending both tragic and triumphant. The director Ron Howard has been critiqued as manipulative and his stories saccharine, and for the most part, this film had enough quirks to avoid those pratfalls, however occasionally you do feel the film push you in a certain direction. Overall, this was entertaining throughout, a compelling story about an interesting individual aided by Ron Howard's crowd pleasing direction.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, directed by Christopher Colombus, is the 1st installment of the Harry Potter franchise, based off the adventures of Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson) as they learn to become wizards while fighting off the evil forces of Voldemort. This film sets up the tenets of the series, establishing the wizard world and introducing us to the main players of the story. Though some of the cgi effects can feel dated, overall this film has a very fantastic, majestic and epic feel due to the sweeping castle shots, nuanced special effects, and imaginative art direction. We both thought that the acting of Grint and Watson were strong, Watson giving a intelligent female hero and Grint hamming it up just enough. But we disagreed on Radcliffe, Harry Potter himself, where Shaun thought Radcliffe was wooden and awkward, Jesse embraced such traits as a part of his nerdy charm and his growing acceptance of this new world. One of the bigger critiques of the film was that it was overlong, taking too much time to get to the arc of the story, a good 10-20 minutes could have been shaven for a leaner and more focused film. Ultimately, t's a worthy 1st installment for the Harry Potter series, combining elements of fantasy, mystery and honor to tell a magical and epic story.

So what film did we end up siding with? The magical adventures of Harry Potter in Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (Lowbrow) or the tragic trials of John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (Highbrow)? Tune in to the next Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out!

Episode 20 November 23, 2011

Highbrow! Lowbrow? is back from its month hiatus with a fresh new episode, episode 20 breaking our way into a whole new set of podcasts. As always, we review the Academy Award Best Picture Winner and the top box office earner to try and figure out who was right: the critics or the masses. For this episode, we go back to the year 1961 for our selections: Westside Story (Highbrow) and 101 Dalmatians (Lowbrow). We also take a look at the past 10 episodes and make our picks as to what films really made the cut and what films didn't.

West Side Story, directed by Jerome Robbons and Robert Wise, written by Ernest Lehman and Arthur Laurents and with music by Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim, is a modern retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story, set in 1961 New York. Two star struck lovers, Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) are caught between the Sharks and the Jets, two gangs with a vicious rivalry. Also starring are Russ Tamblyn as Griff, leader of the Jets, George Chakris as Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, and Rita Moreno as Anita, girlfriend of Bernardo and best friend to Maria. Although this film had a lot of great moments due to the great song and dance numbers, the two main characters, Tony and Maria, were just unlikable and their songs were bland ballads, the film's greatest fault. The two gangs brought many of the memorable moments of the films with songs such as "Officer Krupke," "Cool" and "Jet Song", but they were hard to take seriously as they fought via dance. Other notable songs were "America" with Rita Moreno delivering a strong performance, and "Tonight" providing a strong ensemble performance leading into the intermission. Despite the movie's flaws and it's unwieldy length, West Side Story remains entertaining and enjoyable because of the exciting dance numbers and catchy tunes.

101 Dalmatians, directed by Clyde Geronimi, is another Disney animated classic, featuring Pongo, a dalmatian, and his girlfriend, Perdita, as they try and rescue 99 other dalmatians from the aptly named Cruella De Vil. Featuring the songs of Mel Leven and the voice talents of Rod Taylor, J. Pat O'Malley, and Betty Lou Gerson. The Disney hit making machine brings catchy tunes, memorable characters, and great stories to this film, continuing it's long standing tradition. The film also benefits from it's brief runtime, a svelte 79 minutes, that keeps the pace well without overdrawing the movie. That's not much else to say except that it's a classic disney film with all the elements that only Disney could execute so well, not to mention a great film for kids.

So what film did we end up choosing: 101 Dalmatians or West Side Story? Tune in and check out the latest episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out. Also stick around to see what we choose for our favorite picks over these past 10 episodes.