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!

Because Phil is traveling, he and Dean pre-recorded this week’s show on Sunday morning BEFORE the Oscars, so there will be scant little Academy Awards conversation on the episode. Instead, Dean and Phil re-visit some of the more troubling aspects of the legacy of “The X-Files” and examine two other television series: The acclaimed “The Bear” and the divisive season 4 of “Star Trek: Discovery” (including friend of show Luke Y. Thompson’s hilarious review of season 4). Last week’s “Live Event of the Week” gets re-visited thanks to an email from the subject of that segment! We will learn more about the great dancer and teacher Fujima Kansuma and Dean and Phil will ponder the possibility of someday taking a “deep dive” into the art of Kabuki on the show! Two fascinating films get discussed: Wim Wenders’ 1993 Wings of Desire sequel, Faraway, So Close! and the 7th greatest film of all time according to the Sight and Sound Poll, Claire Denis’ 1999 masterpiece Beau Travail (which is having a 25th anniversary re-release). “Celebrity Deaths” includes a bit of a quiz for Dean about a legendary Japanese artist and Canada’s First Lady of Jazz, before a great Italian filmmaker, an influential and controversial British playwright, and a beloved “entertainer” all get their turn in the spotlight.