This week’s episode finds Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness in fine form, discussing this year’s Oscar-winning animated feature Flow, how it was made, and why actual cats might be enjoying it! The “Lawsuit of the Week” returns, and it is a rather astounding one involving a once Oscar-nominated filmmaker. Phil and Dean both relate to a recent Substack post by one of Phil’s favorite journalists entitled, “We Are Schrödinger’s Cat”. You will find out why. Dean learns some very cool things about the Helsingør locale where he was married, including about a (rather legendary, though rarely-seen) version of Hamlet entirely shot there and about the World War II “underground railroad” operation run through there! The Scandinavian countries are very much on Phil’s mind. Dean and Phil discuss how high those countries rank on the list of “happiest” countries and how low the USA ranks. Two recent Scandinavian horror films (this past year’s Oscar-nominated The Girl with the Needle and the 2021 supernatural thriller The Innocents) both get reviewed, and the world’s first open-air museum, the Norsk Folkemusuem, gets described. Finally, Phil tips his hat to the success of the just-completed season 3 of “The White Lotus”, while Dean grabs his popcorn and pours his wine and sits down to start season 1!

Who doesn’t love a sequel?! Your friends in broadcasting & podcasting return with part 2 of their celebration of the best in cinema from 2023. If you listened to part 1, you know this is no ordinary “Top Ten” show. Ultimately, dozens of films and just as many topics will get explored. This week the topics include editing, black and white, curated experiences, gender identification, feminism, entertainment and films from a wide variety of filmmakers and genres, including Past Lives, Poor Things, The Holdovers, The Creator, All of Us Strangers and many more.

Phil shares some of his Los Angeles adventures from the past week. Dean shares his latest adventures in painting. Phil celebrates the daily joy of David Lynch reading the weather report. Dean and Phil update on the latest in the battle between two different actors’ union, and on the battle between the Writers Guild and the most powerful agencies in Hollywood. They discuss season 4 of “Fargo” and the work of “X-Files” veteran Daniel Sackheim on “Lovecraft Country”. Phil questions Dean about the comments from comic book legend Alan Moore on the cultural blight that superheroes, superhero comics and superhero movies have become. Several performers and writers get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. Dean and Phil bring back “What We’re Reading” and celebrate their all-time favorite bookstores!