Rogue Auteurs

Jake and Chad discuss Andrew Haigh's moving and devastating All of Us Strangers. They delve into its incredible performances--particularly from Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal and discuss why it did not get the Oscar nominations it deserved.

Our annual "If We Picked the Winners" episode where we choose OUR picks for ten of the Oscar categories. With the Oscars on March 10, Jake and Chad reveal who they would choose as winners if they had a vote.

Jake and Chad hit the niche but fun topic of "favorite end-credits songs." What makes a great song for the final moments of a movie or the first moments of the credits, when the viewers are contemplating what they just saw? We discuss it!

Jake, Eric, Chad, and Jordan Hadfield discuss Todd Haynes' campy but effective May December and discuss how funny it is supposed to be and how Todd Haynes pulls off its tricky tone.

Eric, Jake, Chad, and Jordan Hadfield discuss the movies that they hope get nominated for Oscars this year. We normally called this episode our "Memo to the Academy," but it really is what we hope and wish will happen in some of the categories. The Oscar noms come out on January 23, 2024.

Jake, Eric, and Chad explore and review Celine Song's Past Lives, one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2023 so far, considering what makes it great and its similarities to Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy.

Jake, Eric, and Chad rank all 11 movies of director Wes Anderson. They also discuss Asteroid City in a little more depth, as it just became available to stream.

They also muse about the classic battle of style vs. substance.

Jake, Eric, and Chad share their favorite Westerns of all-time and briefly examine what makes a Western.

Eric, Jake, and Chad review Across the Spider-Verse and discuss what makes it so much better than other comic book and superhero movies. Also, what are they hoping to see from Beyond the Spider-Verse?

Jake and Chad each pick five movies that you can (and should!) stream during Pride Month. They both reveal what these movies have meant to them and why they are worthy candidates for you to check out at ANY TIME, but especially during Pride Month in June.

Jake, Eric, and Chad decide who they would pick to win in the biggest 8 categories of the Academy Awards. In the tradition of Siskel and Ebert, the gentlemen say who they would declare the winners if they had that kind of power. The Oscars are on Sunday, March 12.

The best day of the YEAR! Eric, Jake, and Chad share their favorite movies of 2022. They also share multiple friends' and family members' favorite movies of the year. 

Jake and Chad discuss Charlotte Wells' AFTERSUN and its subtle beauty. They also give a wish list of things they hope (or pray) will be nominated for Oscars this year.

Jake, Eric, Chad, and Jordan Hadfield all discuss Damien Chazelle's latest movie BABYLON, specifically looking at what makes the movie so divisive and considering where it falls in a ranking of Chazelle's movies.

Eric, Chad, and special guest Jordan Hadfield discuss Knives Out and its Netflix sequel (of a sort) Glass Onion. Specifically, who gives the best performance out of both movies, which of the two movies is better, and what they would like to see in the third Benoit Blanc film.

***AUDIO QUALITY WARNING*** The sound quality of this episode is below par. We apologize for our recording trouble. We hope you will still listen to the episode and have some fun with us.

Jake, Chad, and special guest Kresten Erickson talk about Taika Waititi. What are his strengths as a director? Does he have any weaknesses? Why is he so ubiquitous? They also give their top 3 favorite Waititi-directed movies.

Eric, Jake, and Chad discuss the career of famed cinematographer Roger Deakins and reflect on what makes him great.

Jake, Eric, and Chad discuss the power of the Before Trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight). Why do they work? Why do they resonate? Do they solidify Linklater's legacy? Also, can you actually rank these three movies when they are so inextricably connected? They also ruminate on the connection to Linklater's filmmaking opus, Boyhood.

Jake, Eric, Chad, and special guest and incredible human Kolton Nielsen talk about the phenomenon that is Top Gun: Maverick. They discuss how good the movie ACTUALLY is related to the way people talk about it. How much of the love stems from nostalgia and how much for the pristine and incredible cinematography. Also, are theaters finally actually back?

Jake, Eric, Chad, and special guest Kolton Nielsen discuss the appeal and Oscar possibilities of the Daniels' EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. What made it "pop"? They also discuss the return of Ke Huy Quan, as well as the comic booky aspects of the movie. It's a good time.

Our favorite episode of the year: celebrating movies by picking our top 10 favorites of 2021.

In which Jakes continues to root for "making it weird."

In which Eric continues to be hard to pin down.

In which Chad continues to argue for cutting "the naked giants."

The Oscar nominations are announced on February 8th. This is our annual episode where we give some "suggestions" for nominations that we feel have been unfairly overlooked. Some of the movies that get mentioned: The Green Knight, Candyman, The Last Duel, Dune, Spencer.

Eric, Jake, and Chad rank Villeneuve's movies, starting with Incendies and ending with Dune. They discuss what makes him great and how hard it was to rank someone who has zero bad movies.

Jake and Eric catch up on some good stuff they have seen, such as Encanto, The Power of the Dog, Last Night in Soho, etc. Chad jumps in to share quick thoughts on West Side Story and Sing 2.

Chad discusses the impact and effectiveness of Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut. Also, Chad does a little bit of singing. So hold on to your hats. Andrew Garfield is sensational and Chad is not.

Chad reviews and discusses Edgar Wright's latest Last Night in Soho, starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy.

Chad discusses the article he wrote two years ago on medium.com about movies he watches that make him thankful for life and family and friends. These are not "Thanksgiving movies" in any literal sense, but movies that remind him to be grateful and gracious and nostalgic for the little things. Happy Thanksgiving!

Chad discusses Wes Anderson's newest movie, The French Dispatch. Do Anderson's movies keep audiences at an emotional distance? Does it matter? Where does Dispatch stack up--generally speaking--with the rest of Anderson's oeuvre? Is there any downfall to watching incredible actresses and actors do Wes Anderson? 

Chad reviews Reinaldo Marcus Green's King Richard right as he walks out of the theater. Does the movie transcend sports movie cliches and tropes? Does it matter? How is Will Smith? Will you cry as much as Chad did? (Doubtful.)

Chad reviews Netflix's new Western, The Harder They Fall. Spoiler alert: You should watch it ASAP.

Eric, Jake, and Chad revisit many of the ideas they first discussed in their "Horror Movies" episode from 2016. Today, they start out talking about the newest Halloween sequel, Halloween Kills. They muse on why so many movies have been made in the Halloween series. Next, they talk about what makes a classic "Halloween season" movie. This includes a discussion of the movies they love to watch during the month of October. All of this is tinged with Chad's fear of scary movies and Jake and Eric's amusement at that fact.

Eric, Jake, and Chad convene to discuss what they like about comic book/super-hero movies. They also rank each of their top 10 favorite in the genre. 

In which Chad gets a little mean-spirited. This was one of our favorite episodes to record EVER. 

Eric, Jake, and Chad reveal movies that they use to judge other people. Though there is a lot of judginess in this episode, it also reveals a lot about our hosts' proclivities and inner monologues. :)

Chad and his two oldest kids chat about their initial reactions to M. Night Shyamalan's OLD. The audio is a little rough, since the car's Bluetooth took over unannounced!

Jake, Eric, and Chad catch up on the new and old movies and TV shows they have seen, including Cruella, In the Heights, Fast 9, Black Widow, Loki, Schmigadoon, and Hacks. They discuss the sameness of the MCU and the excitement of Suicide Squad maybe breaking the superhero doldrums.

Jake and Chad reveal their picks in ten Oscar categories--who they would choose if they had the power.

Eric, Jake, and Chad reveal their 10 favorite movies of 2020 -- including all the movies that are eligible for the Oscars as part of the 2020 slate. They also briefly discuss the things about the Oscar nominations that brought them sadness and the things about the Oscar nominations that brought them joy. It was a very different year for cinema, so take some time to listen to those movies that persevered through the pandemic to become the best of the year.

In July 2016, in the 6th full episode of the Rogue Auteurs podcast, Chad unveiled his "Actor Spectrum," borne of a teacher's aide's humorous question about her responsibility. Here, almost five full years later, Jake, Chad, and Eric all talk about the Actor Spectrum, trying to find representative actors and actresses for various levels of bad to great acting. It's fun and it's long. Listen during your commute and help us celebrate our five-year anniversary!

Jake and Chad count down their favorite directors of all time. They also check back in briefly with Promising Young Woman, including some awesome thoughts from Hailey Plautz, a listener and friend who recently saw it and offered us a female perspective.

Jake, Eric, and Chad masked up and went to the theater to see Emerald Fennell's darkly comic PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, starring Carey Mulligan. Then they sat down to talk about that, but mostly to talk about the movies they have seen since season 3 ended. The movies include TENET, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, MANK, the SMALL AXE ANTHOLOGY, SOUL, HAPPIEST SEASON, WONDER WOMAN 1984, ON THE ROCKS, THE MIDNIGHT SKY, NEWS OF THE WORLD, MULAN, and THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND. So take a listen and let us know what you think.

Eric, Jake, and Chad talk about the phenomenon of Hamilton, specifically in reference to its premiere on Disney Plus, as well as their feelings about its impact. They address the question of if ANY stage play will EVER have the wide-ranging and massive influence Hamilton did and does.

In which Chad is embarrassed for remembering an important scene incorrectly. But, more importantly: Jake, Eric, and Chad discuss Hulu's PALM SPRINGS! It's funny and charming and perfectly calibrated for the Coronavirus era, even though it was made before that.

Chad and Jake count down their favorite literary adaptations, focusing on what makes a movie adaptation work and what makes it effective.

Jake, Eric, and Chad have a thoughtful discussion about Spike Lee's 1989 cinematic classic Do the Right Thing, specifically looking at its continued relevance and examination of complex themes. They also discuss Lee's brand-new Netflix drama Da 5 Bloods and consider its relevance to the present moment in the United States.

Though there are a few audio issues, Jake, Eric, and Chad reveal their favorite movies that are based on real events. They consider what makes those movies great and why.

Jake, Eric, Chad, and special guest Daniel Potter discuss the enduring appeal of the Coens' slacker comedy The Big Lebowski, including its best lines and moments, as well as where it fits in the Coens' filmography.

Eric, Jake, and Chad rank their favorite songs from movies that are not musicals. Jake and Chad stick with songs written for and performed in movies, even though those movies are not traditional musicals. Eric just ranks favorite performances of songs in movies with no real restrictions. It is a rollicking good time!

Jake, Eric, and Chad discuss Cameron Crowe's sports agent-romantic comedy Jerry Maguire, considering its appeal, the performances of its stars, and its genre. Jake discusses his experience seeing it for the first time 24 years after its release, and everyone praises Cameron Crowe's writing.

Jake, Eric, and Chad reveal their 10 favorite sports movies, but focus on discussing the top 5 and why they resonate with them. They first discuss what makes a "sports movie" and what makes a "great" sports movie, as well as movies that didn't quite make the cut.