Breakfast All Day movie reviews

Indie film producer Jeff Culotta has had a truly singular path, which ranges from Lawrence Welk to Richard Kelly to Bobcat Goldthwait, and we get to all of it on this week's A La Carte. Jeff discusses growing up in Abilene, Texas, and rebelling against his Air Force colonel father; moving to Austin, where the South by Southwest festival became a huge influence on the path he'd follow; then moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and hooking up with Kelly on "Southland Tales," which he describes as his film school. He talks about wearing many hats as a producer on movies including "World's Greatest Dad," "Bad Words" and the Jimi Hendrix biopic "Jimi: All Is By My Side," as well as the challenges and opportunities of streaming and whether we should take our kids to R-rated movies. (The answer: Maybe …?) I love talking movies with Jeff so this was a blast. Listen and enjoy.

It's a short but semi-sweet week on Breakfast All Day. Christy's out sick so it's just Alonso and Matt, slogging their way through a catch-up review of the terrible film version of "Fantasy Island." On the bright side, though, we also chat about the delightful sequel "A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon," which you can enjoy right now on Netflix. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the latest episodes of "The Outsider" and "McMillions," both of which you can (and should) watch on HBO. Thanks for sticking with us and we'll be back with lots more next week.

Morgan Patterson is a longtime location manager who has worked on such varied films as "Top Gun: Maverick," "Ford v Ferrari," "Iron Man 3," "The Nice Guys" and "Death at a Funeral." He talks all about the juggling his job requires on the latest A La Carte conversation. Morgan discusses growing up in Westchester County north of New York City with parents who were immigrants from South Africa, beginning his career getting hands-on experience doing editing and post-production, starting as a location manager in the Catskills on the 2006 drama "Stephanie Daley" and beginning work in Los Angeles on "Drillbit Taylor." Morgan describes how he scouts based on what's in the script, what goes into modifying a location to make the space work for a shoot and then returning it to its original state, and coordinating with various departments on their needs. And of course I had to ask him about working with Tom Cruise on the upcoming "Top Gun" sequel. His best advice: Knowing how to talk to people is half the job. This was a really interesting one, especially if you're curious about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. Enjoy.

Love is in the air this Valentine's Day weekend, and we're all swooning for the romantic drama "The Photograph" on Breakfast All Day. Christy, Alonso and Matt also review "Downhill," the English-language remake of "Force Majeure," which is a huge disappointment; "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You," the sequel to the charming Netflix hit "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"; and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," one of the best films of 2019 which is now getting a wider theatrical release. And over at our Patreon, we recap episode six of "The Outsider" and we discuss the first two episodes of the six-part docu-series "McMillions," about the fraud surrounding the McDonald's Monopoly game, which is just nuts. (Both are on HBO if you'd like to watch along with us.) This year, for being our valentines, we give you the gift of podcasting. Enjoy.

Spectrum News 1 host Alex Cohen has lived a crazy life, from radio to roller derby and everything in between, and she talks about all of it on the latest A La Carte conversation. Alex discusses growing up in the hills of Los Angeles in the '70s surrounded by parents who taught transcendental meditation, filmmakers and musicians; attending fine arts boarding school with plans to become an actress, followed by stops at Brown University, Portland and Japan; and eventually ending up at NPR, including here in LA at KPCC, as a producer, reporter and anchor. Now, she's a morning show anchor and the host of "Inside the Issues" on Spectrum News 1 as well as a podcast of her own, "SoCal in 17." Christy has known Alex longer than anyone who's been on this podcast, but she had a blast discovering her all over again during this lively and wide-ranging conversation. Hope you enjoy, too.

Get your mallets out and take a swing with us this week on Breakfast All Day. Christy, Matt and Alonso review "Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)," which is a complete blast; "The Lodge," which is moody but perhaps not as effectively creepy as "Goodnight Mommy"; the Netflix documentary "Taylor Swift: Miss Americana," which we all enjoyed way more than we'd expected; and we catch up with "Tyler Perry's A Fall From Grace," which is ... a Tyler Perry movie. Of course, because it's Oscar weekend, we have some wishes and predictions. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the latest episode of HBO's "The Outsider," which keeps getting better. It's an honor just to be nominated, so thanks for listening.

Cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke has had a prolific career, with films including "Safety Not Guaranteed," "Your Sister's Sister," "Laggies" and "The Off Hours." So we had a ton to talk about on the latest A La Carte conversation. Ben discusses growing up in Saranac Lake in far upstate New York, the video store and the boarding school that shaped his early tastes, studying film at Ithaca College, beginning his career as a negative cutter in Seattle and connecting with directors Lynn Shelton and Guy Maddin, with whom he'd go on to work frequently. He also talks about the best advice he ever got, the challenges and opportunities in shooting low-budget movies and what the collaborative process is like with a director. And now Ben has made his own feature directing debut, the hilarious and sweet "Banana Split," coming out this spring. Listen and enjoy!

It's Super Bowl weekend, which is traditionally a pretty quiet time at the movies. The main one opening this week is the Blake Lively action thriller "The Rhythm Section," which Alonso, Matt and Christy review on the latest episode of Breakfast All Day. We also play catch-up with "The Two Popes" because we realized it was the main Oscar nominee we hadn't discussed yet (and you can watch it, as well, on Netflix). And over at our Patreon, we discuss the chilling latest episode of "The Outsider" on HBO. Whip up a batch of queso, invite some friends over and join us.

Vincent Grashaw is a talented and busy filmmaker who's currently in post-production on his third feature, "What Josiah Saw." So it was nice to have a chance to sit down with him for the first time in a while for this A La Carte conversation. Vince discusses growing up in the San Fernando Valley (including the Northridge earthquake), making his own movies and music videos with friends as a teenager, jumping right into the film world out of high school rather than going to college (and the crazy work he did to stay afloat during the lean years), learning who to trust in this business and how his work as a producer on the thrilling, micro-budget "Bellflower" put him on the map in 2011. And of course, he talks about directing his own features, "Coldwater" and "And Then I Go." Christy so admires Vince's vision and work ethic so it was a joy to pick his brain. Hope you find our discussion enlightening, too.

Stylish criminals and ghosts -- as well as a talking monkey who sounds an awful lot like David Lynch -- join us this week on Breakfast All Day. Matt, Alonso and Christy review Guy Ritchie's star-studded crime comedy "The Gentlemen" and the Gothic horror adaptation "The Turning." We also catch up with the haunting Senegalese drama "Atlantics" and a delightfully strange David Lynch short called "What Did Jack Do?" both of which you can watch right now on Netflix (and you should). Over at our Patreon, we recap the latest episode of the excellent HBO series "The Outsider" and we review the latest Off the Menu movie you've chosen for us, the original 1976 "Freaky Friday," which is available through Disney+. Thanks for slogging through January with us!

TV news anchor and reporter Courtney Friel has been sober for over a decade, and she's telling her story in a new book as well as here on Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Courtney discusses getting drunk for the first time at 15, beginning her cocaine use in college, finally going to rehab and how she stays sober, even through some of the hardest times of her life. She also discusses her career in television news which included several years at "Fox News Channel" (and we do talk about "Bombshell") and her work here at KTLA. Her new book, "Tonight at 10: Kicking Booze and Breaking News," chronicles her struggles with substance abuse and the current joys of her alcohol-free life. She also has a podcast of her own, "Keepin' It Friel: Conversations on Recovery," where she talks to her friends about their addiction and sobriety. Christy is so grateful to Courtney for sharing her story — hopefully, you'll find it beneficial, as well.

Robert Downey Jr. talks to the animals in "Dolittle" ... but should he? We're still trying to figure out what we just saw on the latest episode of Breakfast All Day. It's a truly strange film and a bit of a disaster, but not even in an interesting way like "Cats." We also discuss the re-teaming of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in "Bad Boys for Life" (including a brief spoiler talk from 24:46 to 26:47), the gorgeous Japanese anime fantasy "Weathering With You" and "Les Miserables," the French drama that's up for an Oscar for best foreign language film. Along those lines, we also have some thoughts on this week's Academy Award nominations. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the first two episodes of the thrilling HBO series "The Outsider," and we chat about a few new trailers. It's our 100th episode! Christy, Matt and Alonso are so thankful to you for joining us.

Box office guru Paul Dergarabedian is incredibly knowledgable about film, of course, but also a variety of other topics as you'll hear in our wide-ranging Breakfast All Day A La Carte interview. Paul discusses growing up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula with an early love of music, fast cars and — of course — movies, with a rocket-scientist father who was a huge influence. He talks about studying at Cal State Long Beach and USC, getting his start in the business of tracking box office, working with the studios, how analysis has changed over the years and why certain movies are surprise hits or flops. And since Oscar nominations came out today, we discuss awards season and how being a contender or winning can give a movie a boost. We're all over the place on this one but it's a really great conversation. Hope you enjoy.

We are very much in January on Breakfast All Day with reviews of some mediocre-to-terrible films. But Matt, Alonso and Christy also find time to catch up with a couple of movies that came out at the tail end of last year that are worthwhile. We review "Underwater" — which is essentially "Alien" in the ocean — as well as the raunchy R-rated comedy "Like a Boss." We also discuss the death row drama "Just Mercy," which opens nationwide this week, and "Clemency," in which Alfre Woodard does some of her best work yet. Over at our Patreon, we chat about the state of awards season ahead of Monday's Oscar nominations, and we return to Trailer Talk with the latest "Harley Quinn" clip, "A Quiet Place Part II" and "The Woman in the Window." Thanks for diving in with us!

Robin Sax wears many hats, brilliantly and stylishly. She's a lawyer, author, media expert, mediator and clinical therapist, and she talks about all of those varied careers — and how she blends them together now to make a difference in the world — on the latest Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Robin discusses growing up in Los Angeles (she and Christy were born the same year in the same hospital), attending UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine University law school, starting her career as a prosecutor in the LA County District Attorney's office, making the leap into work as a TV legal analyst and making the next leap in her 40s to get her master's degree in social work at USC (which includes traveling to China). Robin has melded all her expertise and experience in her new website, DearCoParent.com, where she helps couples communicate as they're divorcing and co-parenting. Robin is so thoughtful and inspiring, and Christy loved having this time with her. Listen and enjoy, and Happy New Year!

It's a brand new year! So Alonso and Christy are kicking off 2020 with a look back at the 10 best and worst movies of 2019. And since it's also the start of a new decade, we reflect on our favorite films of the 2010s as well as those that didn't quite work out so well. Many of them are so terrible, they absolutely must be experienced. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the state of awards season, including this weekend's Golden Globes and next weekend's LA Film Critics dinner. We're so happy to be starting a new year of Breakfast All Day with all of you. Raise a glass and join us!

Kevin Noel is the senior vice president of production for Sony Pictures Animation. But the story of how he reached that impressive level provides a helpful road map for folks trying to break into the industry on the latest Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Kevin discusses growing up skateboarding and making movies in sleepy Santa Barbara, studying film at San Francisco State University, his early work as an extra and at a talent agency, getting his start in animation and what it takes to produce a massive, computer-generated spectacle like the Oscar-winning "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." He also talks about two new animated series he's working on: "Agent King" for Netflix and the return of "The Boondocks" for HBO Max. Listen and enjoy — and Happy New Year!

We're so happy to be with you one last time before 2019 ends to bring you reviews of two of the year's best films (as well as a follow-up discussion on one of the worst). Alonso, Matt and Christy discuss Greta Gerwig's excellent adaptation of "Little Women" and Sam Mendes' harrowing World War I drama "1917." We also dip our paws back into the continuing saga of "Cats," a movie we'll talk about … now and forever. And over at our Patreon, we wrap up the season finales of "The Mandalorian," "His Dark Materials" and "The Morning Show." We also finally review the movie you guys chose for us, the animated "Klaus" on Netflix. Thanks so much to you all for sticking with us this year, and here's to an even better 2020!

We're so proud of April Wolfe, our former fellow film-critic-turned-screenwriter whose horror movie, "Black Christmas," is in theaters now. April talks with Christy and Alonso about growing up in conservative Grand Rapids, Michigan, her Catholic upbringing and the family bar where she worked, her early horror influences and how she got her start as a writer, the women's wrestling troupe she was in during college and the job-hopping she did before settling in LA to pursue a career in film. And of course she discusses her involvement in the remake of "Black Christmas," which she co-wrote with director Sophia Takal, about sorority sisters fighting the serial killer who's after them. Jump up and down and clap and sing with us! And thanks as always for listening.

It's a week of extravagant and insane spectacles on Breakfast All Day, and we are here for all of it. Alonso, Matt and Christy had way too much fun reviewing the truly bizarre, star-studded musical "Cats" as well as the movie we've all been waiting a lifetime to see, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." We spend a lot of time on this one, since it's theoretically the end of the franchise (or at least this segment of the saga), including an in-depth spoiler discussion starting at the 58-minute mark, so only listen to that part once you've seen the film. In between, we catch up with "In Fabric," a deliciously dark and lurid thriller about a cursed dress. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the tremendous season finale of "Watchmen" and episodes 6 and 7 of "The Mandalorian." (We'll be back early next week to wrap up "The Morning Show" and "His Dark Materials" if you've been following along with our recaps of those shows, too.) Thanks for spending some time with us during the holidays!

Longtime "Extra" TV producer and music correspondent Adam Weissler has interviewed every musician and band imaginable. (He's chatting with Depeche Mode lead singer Dave Gahan in the photo above.) And he was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to discuss his career and his lifelong love of music on this week's Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Adam talks about growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the '80s, how he started his career in journalism at a young age attending concerts and contacting record labels to write about bands, navigating the world of celebrities and publicists and his early discovery of important artists including Fiona Apple, Katy Perry and Norah Jones. He shares lots of fun stories about interviews he's conducted over the years and we swap tales about our toughest interviews. Plus we do a sort of lightning round: first concert, best concert, who he's seen the most, the best place to see a show in Los Angeles and his favorite LA bands. This one was so fun — hope you enjoy.

Mid-December means family-friendly crowd pleasers and thought-provoking awards contenders, and we've got 'em all at Breakfast All Day. Alonso, Matt and Christy review the action sequel "Jumanji: The Next Level," the Fox News drama "Bombshell" and Clint Eastwood's "Richard Jewell," and we catch up with Trey Edward Shults' powerfully-acted "Waves." And over at our Patreon, we recap the latest episodes of "Watchmen" (which was stunning), "The Mandalorian," "The Morning Show" and "His Dark Materials." Also, if you're one of our Patreon subscribers, you can vote on the holiday movie you'd like to see us review. Grab a cup of eggnog and come hang out with us.

Christy's friend for this week's A La Carte interview, actress and writer Jacqueline Mazarella, has had a fascinating path toward her current career. Jackie talks about growing up in suburban New Jersey, studying international affairs at Johns Hopkins University and thinking she wanted to be a lawyer, then making the massive life switch to acting. She discusses getting her start in New York theater, shifting to television including her work as Ms. Morello on "Everybody Hates Chris" and film work including "Jersey Boys," and the thoroughly inappropriate web series she developed and stars in, "The Oversharer." Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed doing this.

The year is winding down but the movies just keep coming here at Breakfast All Day. Christy, Matt and Alonso review the gorgeous drama "Queen & Slim," the weird little sci-fi thriller "Little Joe" and "The Aeronauts," which stars Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne but sadly is not a prequel to "The Theory of Everything." And over at our Patreon, we discuss the latest episodes of "The Mandalorian," "Watchmen," "His Dark Materials" and "The Morning Show." Grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa on this wintry day and come hang out with us.

Filmmaker Adam Egypt Mortimer and Christy are all over the place on this enlightening and entertaining episode of Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Adam discusses growing up in Cambridge, Mass., seeing tragic films at a young age, his New York death metal band, the role of anxiety in his life and art, how he taught himself to make movies and his new horror film, the deeply creepy "Daniel Isn't Real," starring Miles Robbins and Patrick Schwarzenegger. It's in theaters and streamable starting Dec. 6, so go find it! Adam is incredibly smart and thoughtful in discussing the allure of horror and what drives him to tell stories. Listen and enjoy.

We couldn't possibly let you all head into the Thanksgiving holiday without talking about some of the season's big movies, so we recorded a special Monday episode of Breakfast All Day. Matt and Alonso visit Christy this time to catch up with the blockbuster Disney sequel "Frozen II" and the Mr. Rogers drama "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." But we also do an early review of the insane and intense "Uncut Gems" (opening Dec. 12), featuring Adam Sandler's greatest performance yet, and we touch briefly on the excellent "1917," which Alonso and Christy saw over the weekend and we'll have a longer review of closer to its Christmas opening. And over at our Patreon, we discuss the astounding new episode of "Watchmen" as well as the latest on "The Mandalorian" and "The Morning Show." Fill your plate and join us, and have a joyous and delicious holiday week.

Film has been a huge part of Kristopher Gee's life from his earliest days, when he fell in love with "Fantasia" and "Star Wars" as a kid growing up in Vancouver. He's gone on to make it his career, working as a composer, editor and documentarian. Kris talks about getting his start as an extra on movies like "Shoot to Kill," early influences like Jim Henson (and the creepy puppet he'd bring to school) and how he composes film scores and creates sound design. His varied work ranges from helping write the music for the TV series "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" to collaborating with Oscar-winning "Bohemian Rhapsody" editor John Ottman. These days, he brings all those talents and experiences to his current job as a reporter for Spectrum News 1. This A La Carte chat was a lot of fun — plus, he brought pastries! Listen and enjoy.

We're sharpening our witticisms and criticisms for this week's episode of Breakfast All Day. Christy, Alonso and Matt have an early review of Rian Johnson's star-studded whodunit "Knives Out," plus we discuss the well-intentioned but deadly dull environmental drama "Dark Waters" and "21 Bridges," a police thriller that doesn't make the most of Chadwick Boseman and Sienna Miller. And over at our Patreon, we recap the latest episodes of "The Morning Show," "Watchmen" and "His Dark Materials." Get out your magnifying glasses and search for clues with us.

The hilarious and innately gifted Lisa Arch is Christy's guest this week on Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Christy has known Lisa since she was 11 years old and has loved seeing her career as an actress and comedian flourish. They go back to their beginnings together in Woodland Hills, drama classes in junior high and high school, her inspirations and creative process in developing original characters and her work on films including "Legally Blonde" and TV shows like "MADtv," "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Lisa is so quick on her feet and such a genuine blast to chat with, so this conversation was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy, too.

Join us for a spin on this jam-packed week of Breakfast All Day. Matt and Christy review the thrilling racing drama "Ford v Ferrari," Elizabeth Banks' action comedy "Charlie's Angels," Shia LaBeouf's autobiographical and therapeutic "Honey Boy" and "The Report," a star-studded yet somber drama about the use of torture on terror suspects after 9/11. Matt and Alonso also play catch-up with the earnest, old-fashioned war picture "Midway." And over at our Patreon, we've got more television than you can shake a stick at: recaps of the first two episodes of "The Mandalorian" on Disney+ and the latest episodes of "Watchmen," "The Morning Show" and "His Dark Materials." Hop in and hang on.

The amazing Maggie Mackay, executive director of the Vidiots Foundation, is Christy's A La Carte guest this week. Maggie talks about growing up in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City in the '70s and '80s; the video store across the street that was her sanctuary and the place that planted the seeds for her career; getting her start in film at the Sundance Institute; and her longtime work with Film Independent as a programmer and Spirit Awards organizer. And of course, she talks about the new home of Vidiots in Eagle Rock, a movie theater/video store/community space that will be open next fall after nearly 35 years in Santa Monica. Maggie is petite and perky like Christy, so they had a blast chatting with each other. Hope you enjoy, too.

We'll give you our hearts this Christmas and every Christmas here at the Breakfast All Day Podcast. Alonso, Matt and Christy discuss the George Michael-inspired romantic comedy "Last Christmas," which fell shy of our high expectations; "Doctor Sleep," the hit-and-miss sequel to "The Shining"; and the devastating drama "Marriage Story." And over at our Patreon, our plates are full of new TV series. We talk about the first three episodes of "The Morning Show," the premiere of "His Dark Materials" and episode 3 of "Watchmen." Listen and enjoy.

Rick Adams — better known here in Southern California for his "Virtually Rick" segments on Spectrum News 1 — was a complete blast to chat with for this latest A La Carte episode. Rick talks about growing up in an idyllic town in England, playing music and beginning his career in radio, getting his start in television as a host on Nickelodeon in Britain (where he got slimed multiple times a day) and coming to the United States to expand his career. He also discusses the beginnings of the wildly creative stuff he does involving illustrations at The Weather Channel and the inspiration behind his "Virtually Rick" stories, in which he explains complicated topics — from baseball to wildfires to impeachment — by walking around his drawings and bringing them to life in the studio through virtual reality. Rick is so quick-witted and definitely kept Christy on her toes. Listen and enjoy.

We're not saying "Hasta la vista" just yet to the "Terminator" franchise. Christy, Alonso and Matt have a Breakfast All Day review of "Terminator: Dark Fate," as well as Martin Scorsese's gangster epic "The Irishman," which may just be his masterpiece. We also review the Harriet Tubman biopic "Harriet," a movie we wish had taken more chances. And over at our Patreon, we discuss episode 2 of HBO's "Watchmen," which we're loving. It's all treats and no tricks on this Halloween episode. Hope you enjoy.

"Grace and Frankie" writer and executive producer Michael Platt is Christy's A La Carte guest this week, and it was great chatting with him about his eclectic career. He discusses with great honesty his mother's mental illness, and how hours of television served as both a babysitter and an escape for him as a kid growing up in suburban New Jersey. This is also when he realized he was funny, which led to a career in stand-up comedy (with a brief detour following in his father's footsteps as a lawyer). Mike talks about the craft of joke-writing and delivery, writing on "The Howie Mandel Show" and traveling around opening for him, networking as a goalie on Jerry Bruckheimer's celebrity hockey team, his process with his writing partner, and working with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Enjoy, and remember to tip your wait staff.

Longtime reporter, reality TV producer and Emmy winner Tanya McRae has lots of fun stories to tell on this week's Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Tanya talks about growing up in New York City with politically active parents who prepped her for what to do when they got arrested at protests; the challenges of being biracial and 6 feet tall at age 13 in Cambridge, Mass.; beginning her career in television at ABC News (she sent out 200 tapes and resumes — this was 1989!), her work as a producer and casting director on a wide variety of talk shows and reality shows (and the bad behavior she saw) including "Hideous Houses," "Tattoo Rescue: LA" and "I Got Married at Spring Break," and her brief time as an actress on series including "General Hospital." She also discusses the craziness of working at the tabloid TV show "Hard Copy" and her current gig at Spectrum News 1. Tanya is hilarious and thoughtful. Hope you enjoy.

Our plates are fuller than they have been lately for this week's episode of Breakfast All Day. Christy and Alonso visit Matt at his house for a change to discuss five new movies: the sequels "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" and "Zombieland: Double Tap," the surefire awards contenders "Jojo Rabbit" and "The Lighthouse" and the Netflix "Breaking Bad" follow-up "El Camino." Over at our Patreon, we review the October movie our subscribers voted on for us, the Korean thriller "Train to Busan." We also recap this week's (disappointing) penultimate episode of "On Becoming a God in Central Florida" on Showtime. Grab a tiki mug full of something fruity and join us.

Thirty years after they graduated from high school together, screenwriter David T. Wagner and Christy reconnect for the latest A La Carte interview. They go back to the beginning in Woodland Hills, Calif., and how he lived what he calls "a double life" as a child actor, which included being the 1984 "Jr. Star Search" vocal champion and providing the voice of Linus in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." And of course, they discuss the many movies he's co-written, including "Van Wilder" (which put Ryan Reynolds on the map), "On the Line" with Lance Bass and Joey Fatone during peak 'N Sync, and "The Girl Next Door" with Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert. (David also has some fun reading Christy's reviews of his work back to her and making her squirm.) And they explore "Joker" director Todd Phillips' comments about how it's hard to make comedies in what he calls "woke culture." This was a really fun one — hope you enjoy.

You're not seeing things -- there really are multiple Will Smiths in Ang Lee's "Gemini Man," and we review all of them this week on Breakfast All Day. Christy, Alonso and Matt also talk about Bong Joon-ho's exquisite social satire "Parasite," which will probably end up being the best movie of the year. Speaking of international masters, we review Pedro Almodovar's intimate and personal "Pain & Glory." And we finish up with the documentary "Wrinkles the Clown," which is fascinating if a tad problematic. Over at our Patreon, we discuss episode 8 of "On Becoming a God in Central Florida," which is getting nutty in all the best ways. Join our downline and enjoy!

Filmmaker and fellow mom Jamielyn Lippman is Christy's Breakfast All Day A La Carte guest this week — and she's the rare friend outside the critic world who sees as much as Christy does. Jamielyn talks about growing up in a big, close family in suburban Santa Clarita north of Los Angeles, seeing films from a young age with her father, longtime professional baseball manager Tom Gamboa, and following her dad to various ballparks across the country with her siblings. She also discusses moving to Hollywood at 19 to be an actress (and getting her first big-screen credit in "Boogie Nights") and making the transition to directing her own movies, including the documentary "When the Bough Breaks," about postpartum depression, and the horror flick she just finished, "Killer Weekend." We also get extremely detailed about where we like to sit in the theater. This one was lots of fun, so listen and enjoy.

"Joker" is bound to provoke passionate, polarized responses from viewers, and it's definitely done so between the three of us here at Breakfast All Day. Christy, Matt and Alonso review Todd Phillips' dark and gritty comic villain origin story this week. We also talk about "Dolemite Is My Name," which is an absolute blast with a thrilling central performance from Eddie Murphy. And stick around because right afterward, we delve deep into "Joker" spoilers. You have been warned: Don't listen to this part until you've seen the movie! And over at our Patreon, we discuss episodes 5-7 of Showtime's "On Becoming a God in Central Florida" (we're all caught up at this point) as well as some new trailers. So put on a happy face and join us.

Nick Kirgo is one of the loveliest guys Christy knows and one of the most multitalented. He's a guitarist/singer-songwriter/producer-engineer. He's also a great friend of Christy and her family's, so she was thrilled to chat with him about how he does everything he does on the latest A La Carte episode. Nick talks about moving to Los Angeles from New York at age 6 with his family (including his father, writer and humorist George Kirgo), picking up a guitar at 13, his varied early influences (Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Velvet Underground, Aretha Franklin) and beginning his career, which included playing on TV scores with full orchestras in the late '70s and early '80s. Nick also discusses what it feels like to be on stage, turning off the voice of doubt in your head, performing with his adult kids who are also musicians and his main focus now, which is producing and engineering. Nick is so smart and a sweetheart of a guy, so listen and enjoy.

Forget your troubles, come on get happy with us here at the Breakfast All Day Podcast. Christy, Alonso and Matt have a review of the Judy Garland biopic "Judy," with a lead performance from Renee Zellweger that's every bit as terrific as you've heard. We also talk about the latest from DreamWorks Animation, the adorable "Abominable." And we play catch-up with "Rambo: Last Blood," because we sense that you guys were itching to hear what we think about it. Over at our Patreon, we discuss the first four episodes of the Kirsten Dunst drama "On Becoming a God in Central Florida," as well as some trailers and movie news: Spidey's back in the MCU! Swing on by and stick around a while.

Matt Sayles is a brilliant photographer with an inspired eye and a drive to depict his subjects in thought-provoking ways. We talk about his varied career, which includes shooting photos of every A-list star imaginable, on the latest Breakfast All Day A La Carte. Matt discusses growing up in Los Angeles, picking up a camera in high school and honing his talents in creative ways at Stanford University. He discusses some of the favorite famous faces he's shot including Adele, Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan. But recently he's also embarked on a couple of projects to shine a light on people who aren't represented enough in photographs: women of color with great curves and committed couples in artfully intimate moments. And Matt is branching out into directing, including the clip for country star Jana Kramer's "Beautiful Lies." He's so smart and thoughtful and has strong, eye-opening ideas about the importance of inclusion. You're really going to enjoy this one.

Cheerio! The "Downton Abbey" movie is here, and we've broken out our fanciest hats and finest teacups to celebrate at Breakfast All Day. Alonso and Christy review the big-screen version of the beloved TV series -- he's a huge fan, she'd never seen a single episode -- as well as Brad Pitt's sad-people-in-space movie, "Ad Astra." We also discuss a darkly funny indie crime thriller, "Villains." Over at our Patreon, we do our latest Off the Menu review of the 1975 cult classic "Smile" and talk about several new trailers including "Knives Out," which looks fantastic. And we delve into a topic we never thought we'd want to know anything about (and perhaps still don't): Thomas Middleditch's swinger lifestyle. We apologize in advance for the imperfect audio -- we're still learning after all this time. But we are so grateful to you guys for sticking with us! Hope you enjoy.

Bobbi Brown McRae is one of the coolest women Christy knows, and this was clear long before Christy learned that she'd played a Smurf in the Ice Capades. The longtime figure skater, coach, actress and all-around badass discusses her life and career in the latest Breakfast All Day A La Carte episode. Bobbi talks about growing up in Los Angeles in the '60s and '70s, why she loves to perform and how she fought nerves during competition, and the joy she gets from coaching both figure skaters and hockey players. We also take on some serious topics: what can be done to keep young athletes safe from both sexual assault and psychological anxiety in such a high-pressure sport, as well as the body image issues that are so prevalent. Over the past decade, she's forged a side career as an actress in commercials, and she trains actors how to skate for movies and TV. And because we are a film podcast, Bobbi talks about the figure skating movies that get the sport right. Lace 'em up and join us.

Don't be fooled by the rocks that we got. We're still Breakfast All Day from the block. And we were dazzled by Jennifer Lopez's electrifying performance in the true crime drama "Hustlers," although Christy and Alonso had differing levels of enthusiasm for the movie as a whole. We also review "The Goldfinch," the very self-serious film adaptation of the Pulitzer prize-winning novel, and the documentary "Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins," an entertaining and informative look at the trailblazing Texas political writer. And over at our Patreon, we've got some trailer nuggets for you. (We'll review "Smile," the Off the Menu movie you voted for us to watch, next week when Matt is back.) Come check us out on the main stage, and enjoy.

Independent film producer John Lang and Christy have lots of Texas connections in common, so they had a great time reminiscing in this sprawling Breakfast All Day A La Carte interview. John talks about growing up in suburban Dallas during peak '90s Cowboys, studying at the University of Texas where he learned from indie film guru John Pierson, and getting his start on film sets in Los Angeles. He also discusses what he looks for in a new project — his work includes Harry Dean Stanton's final film, "Lucky" — and how streaming has changed the quantity and quality of movies we consume. Lots of good stories and information here, so listen and enjoy.

Like the members of the Losers Club, we're all together again after being away from each for a little while on Breakfast All Day. Alonso, Christy and Matt review the thrilling, sprawling horror sequel "It Chapter Two" and the Korean-American indie drama "Ms. Purple," and we play catch-up with "The Peanut Butter Falcon," since at least a couple of us had seen it and so many of you expressed interest in it. (Thanks for the Instagram feedback!) And over at our Patreon, we discuss several new trailers including "Waves" and "Black Christmas," and Alonso tells us about his time at the Venice Film Festival. Float on over and stay a while.

Dan Shaughnessy is a legendary sportswriter, author and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He's also a really old friend of Christy's, someone she and her family stay with whenever they're in Boston, which they did recently. This time, she also had the pleasure of sitting down with him for a Breakfast All Day A La Carte conversation about his lengthy and storied career. Dan talks about growing up a huge sports fan in small-town Groton, Mass., getting his start in sportswriting, and covering iconic teams for The Boston Globe like the Celtics in the '80s and the Red Sox through their many heartaches and triumphs. After all, he is the author of "The Curse of the Bambino." But Dan also loves movies, so we discuss his favorite baseball films and the ones that really get Boston right (including that tricky accent). This was so much fun, so please enjoy this on-location episode.