As a coda to our exhaustive study of his show The Dinosaur Hour, we thought it was only fair to discuss John Cleese from when he was at his peak. We consider what it means that FAWLTY TOWERS is Britain's most beloved sitcom, and the incisive commentary about British/American relations in "Waldorf Salad." PLUS: Speaking of British legends, for some reason we get really into discussing Simon Cowell.
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/145077527
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#673 - Virtual Encountering on a Global Scale
In A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING (2016), Tom Hanks is a depressed American businessman trying to find himself in Saudi Arabia. It's the lamest fish-out-of-water self-actualization comedy/drama we've ever tackled! PLUS: We discuss Doug Ford's war on renters in Ontario, and - of course - address the news of Rush Hour 4.
Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus
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PREVIEW - #672 - Happiness Where Are You
A year before American Beauty offered its Oscar-ready glimpse beneath the placid surface of suburbia, Todd Solondz offered a truly unsparing depiction of same with HAPPINESS (1998). We discuss this legendary succès de scandale, and how it makes laughter indistinguishable from horror.
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/144566731
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#671 - The Discreet Charm of the Urban Haute Bourgeoisie
Set in a world of young people and old money, Whit Stillman's METROPOLITAN (1990) offers an affectionate but melancholic view of the elite. We sort through the layers of ambiguity in this charming ode to the "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie." PLUS: A spectre is haunting the world - the spectre of Jeffrey Epstein.
Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus
"Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Israel" by Branko Marcetic - https://jacobin.com/2025/11/trump-epstein-israel-intelligence-blackmail
"The Best Conservative Movies of the Last 25 Years: Metropolitan" by Mark Henrie - https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/3-best-conservative-movies-last-25-years-mark-henrie/
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PREVIEW - #670 - Space Oddity
A few years after Stanley Kubrick envisioned humankind ascending to a new plane with the dawn of space exploration, John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon's proudly low-budget DARK STAR (1974) imagined a working-class space odyssey. In space, no one can hear you feel exploited.
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/670-space-oddity-143962526
A podcast about culture, politics, and our crumbling world. Hosted by Luke Savage and Will Sloan.
Exclusive subscriber-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus/overview
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