A podcast looking at the mixed, muddled and meh movies throughout film history. Featuring Matt, Cassandra and Jimmy. Contact us at mixedbagcontact@gmail.com
We've reached the end of our Hello Halle series! We're sending her off with this taut psychological thriller 'GOTHIKA' (2003).
After a car crash, a criminal psychologist regains consciousness only to find that she’s a patient in the same mental institution that currently employs her. It seems she’s been accused of murdering her husband—but she has no memory of committing the crime. As she tries to regain her memory and convince her co-workers of her innocence, a vengeful spirit uses her as an earthly pawn, which further convinces everyone of her guilt.
That's all very well but WHO or WHAT is Gothika? Will Robert Downey Jr put on the charm or the smarm and who knew Penélope Cruz is in this?! Not us. Join us for one last time to celebrate Halle in this blue blue BLUE movie!
It's time! It's the film that won Halle Berry her Oscar and we've timed it perfectly to discuss the 95th Oscars. The first and second time a Person of Colour has won Best Actress at the Academy Awards.
With that celebratory but also bleak premise, let's look at the film itself. Releasing in the same year as Swordfish, Monster's Ball (2001) is a completely different kettle of fish:
Set in the southern USA, a racist white man, Hank, falls in love with a black woman named Leticia. Ironically, Hank is a prison guard working on Death Row who executed Leticia’s husband. Hank and Leticia’s inter-racial affair leads to confusion and new ideas for the two unlikely lovers.
Who know that's what Monster's Ball is about? We certainly didn't! But what is the Monster's Ball? What role is Heath Ledger is playing and why is he billed ABOVE Halle in the opening credits? Will we buy this very Oscar-y baity premise or is Billy Bob a flop as Prince Charming at the Ball? Listen in and see for our penultimate episode of Hello Halle!
"You know what the problem with Hollywood is? They make shit. Unbelievable, unremarkable shit." So says Gabriel (John Travolta) in Swordfish (2001), but does this assessment apply to his own movie?
Cast your mind back to June 2001, the hairdos were wild, the pants were leather, the tips were frosted and terrorism and vehicles smashing into buildings were something freely depicted onscreen. 😬
Starring John Travolta with some...questionable facial choices, a baby-faced Hugh Jackman and the star of our miniseries, Halle Berry! In the thick of her capable kickass heroine era, will she actually get something to do or just deliver more bad lines in a sexy but aloof way?
Rogue agent Gabriel Shear is determined to get his mitts on $9 billion stashed in a secret Drug Enforcement Administration account. He wants the cash to fight terrorism, but lacks the computer skills necessary to hack into the government mainframe. Enter Stanley Jobson, a n’er-do-well encryption expert who can log into anything.
Join us as we dive in to see if this is a Swordfish or more of a Spoonfish.
We started with one of Halle Berry's most well-known roles so we thought we'd take a trip back to 1997 to discuss one of Halle's first leading roles, B.A.P.S (1997). And to keep the 1997 train going, we spend the first 20 minutes discussing Titanic: 25th Anniversary so if you're a Jack & Rose-head like we are, be sure to tune in.
Two clueless homegirls move to L.A. to become dancers, but instead find themselves scamming a dying millionaire to eventually become B*A*P*S (Black American Princesses).
How will Halle handle a comedy? How come Martin Landau is in this flick? Is the film deserving of its 15% on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.6!! on Imdb or are the criticism about the stereotypes justified? Find out all this and more in our latest Mixed Bag with Halle Berry.
It's time to take you back to the wild, stylish times of 2002! Random slow mo! Upbeat techno Madonna! Cool waterboarding montages??
It's time to check out Lee Tamahori's Die Another Day, the final entry in the Pierce Brosnan Bonds and our very first new miniseries, 'Hello Halle!'
That's right, over five episodes we're going to be looking back into the films of Halle Berry, Storm herself to celebrate her work and analyse the mixed entries in her filmography.
Up first is one of her biggest films, the film that killed Bond for a time before Daniel Craig brought him back.
Bond takes on a North Korean leader who undergoes DNA replacement procedures that allow him to assume different identities. American agent, Jinx Johnson assists Bond in his attempt to thwart the villain’s plans to exploit a satellite that is powered by solar energy.
Are we throwing this movie into a second sun or are we partial to a bit of ice palace in our shaken not stirred martini?
She's got a point. She's an icon, she is a legend, and she is the moment.
It's M3GAN, bot.
That's right it's the smash hit by kiwi director Gerard Johnstone. Available in cinemas now, the Mixed Bag crew head to the cinema once against to see if this robot is a TikTok flash in the pan or the real deal.
A brilliant toy company roboticist uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to emotionally bond with her newly orphaned niece. But when the doll’s programming works too well, she becomes overprotective of her new friend with terrifying results.
Starring Allison Williams and a bevy of New Zealand talent, join us as we determine if, like friendship, filmmaking has evolved. 🤖
Pop Corner discussions: The Traitors, The Circle, The Appeal, The Hobbit, Where Lies the Water, The Fablemans and Oscar predictions.
We said we were starting 2023 strong so we're recalling our 12th episode Avatar, a whole THREE years ago (we said 2 on the pod whoops) with the long-awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water.
Did James Cameron prove everybody wrong? Well, financially yes. But how does the story hold up? Are we really that jazzed to be back in Pandora?
Shout out to the wonderful folks at Weta Digital for their incredible work, we don't have anything bad to say about their work but does Jake Sully and his family hold our attention for another three hours? Listen in to hear what we thought and let us know your thoughts on our socials.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Happy holidays Baguettes! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day yesterday if you celebrate and are having a well-earned break.
Now that it's Boxing Day, it's the perfect time to kick up your feet and hear our annual tradition of inviting Lucas Neal on to discuss a Christmas movie! This year we're diving back to 2004 for The Polar Express by Robert Zemeckis. Along with our extraordinary baking guest, listen out for an additional surprise appearance somewhere in the podcast!
When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
You know it, you've had nightmares about it but when a movie stars beloved dad of Hollywood Tom Hanks and an extraordinary train who don't need no tracks, surely we've got a ticket to ride to the North Pole?
How many episodes must a podcast release before they cover Bob Dylan?
89 it appears because today we're covering I'm Not There (2007) by Todd Haynes!
Six actors portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.
Is this new approach to a musical biopic a rolling stone or just blowin in the wind? Will the combined talent of Cate Blanchett in drag, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale and Ben Whishaw overpower us? And how come we compare this to Cloud Atlas so often?
All this and more in our latest episode cover the man, the legend, Bobby D. Are you Bobhead?
We're heading back to 2001, the year when Shrek was king and when you could just gather some comedians and get them to do some antics and insane stunts!
That's right it's Rat Race! Starring John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Seth Green, John Lovitz, Kathy Najimy and more.
A Las Vegas casino tycoon entertains his wealthiest high rollers by pitting six ordinary people against each other in a wild dash for $2 million jammed into a locker hundreds of miles away. The only rule in this race is that there are no rules.
A childhood favourite of James and never seen by Matt, what will the Mixed Bag crew think? Experience the Squirrel Lady played by Kathy Bates, an iconic concert performance by the hit band of the year (they're an All Star) and some very questionable jokes, check out Rat Race!
