Filmspotting
Filmspotting
Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).Social links:
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Power Ranking Spielberg Decades | Archive
In 2020, Adam and Josh used the 45th anniversary of Jaws to Power Rank the Spielberg Decades — from the Close Encounters ’70s to the Lincoln 2010s. With the release of Disclosure Day, the question now is whether it’s already time to do it again and include the 2020s.
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HBO’s Miss You Love You Belongs On Stage | SVU
Matt and Jordan review HBO’s Sundance acquisition Miss You Love You. And while Jordan finds it to be a handsome, moving, and well-acted "filmed play", Matt finds too modest and predictable. For Rec Seg, Matt revisits the grueling, ice-cold dread of corporate culture with a 2019 workplace thriller,…
1:35:25
Negative Spaces, Pt. 2 — Backrooms
Backrooms’ journey to the big screen — from anonymous 4chan post to viral creepypasta to mega-popular YouTube series to A24-backed box-office smash — is as unique and unexpected as the film itself. 20-year-old Kane Parsons’ liminal horror hit feels unlike everything else currently happening in the …
1:11:50
Z: Costa-Gavras’s Jolting Anti-Fascist Thriller | Dissident Cinema
Adam and Josh reach a definitive milestone in Filmspotting’s Dissident Cinema Marathon with Costa-Gavras’s Oscar-winning 1969 masterpiece, Z. A thinly veiled account of a political assassination and subsequent government cover-up in Greece, the film stands as a foundational text for the modern para…
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Obsession and Power Ballad: Be Careful What You Wish For | #1068
Adam and Josh catch up with the summer's surprise hit Obsession, the “monkey’s paw” update from YouTube creator turned first-time feature-director Curry Barker. Then, it’s John Carney’s Power Ballad, with Paul Rudd as a down-on-his-luck wedding singer who has a chance encounter with a former boy ba…
1:27:57
Top 5 Movie Bands | Archive
From amps cranked up to eleven, to the sweet, soulful harmonies of a dynamic rhythm and blues revival, Adam and Josh count down their Top 5 (Fictional) Movie Bands. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
37:41
Netflix’s The Crash is an Ethical Sinkhole | SVU
Matt and Jordan review Netflix's massive true crime tabloid horror hit, The Crash, a direct-to-streaming look at the tragic Mackenzie Sherilla case. Jordan walks away feeling like he needs a shower for his soul, while Matt thanks his lucky stars that social media didn't exist when he was a youngste…
1:29:41
No Regrets for Our Youth: Kurosawa’s Bold Post-War Melodrama | Dissident Cinema
Adam and Josh continue Filmspotting’s Dissident Cinema Marathon with Akira Kurosawa’s 1946 drama No Regrets for Our Youth. Released in the immediate aftermath of WWII, the film stands out as a blatantly political entry in Kurosawa's catalog — and notably, his only film featuring a sole female prota…
37:43
Backrooms and Exit 8: Liminality vs. Narrativity | #1067
Adam and Josh step into the uncanny world of eerie, empty spaces to ask whether 2026 is the year of liminal horror. First up: YouTube curiosity turned box office phenom Backrooms. Then, Exit 8, an inspired video game adaptation from Japan that’s equal parts Groundhog Day and The Shining. Plus, Mass…
1:17:52
Top 5 Films of 1987 | Archive
From the manic, diaper-stealing chaos of the American Southwest, to the timeless charm of a classic fairy tale, Adam and Josh count down their Top 5 Films of 1987. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
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