Michael and Us

the past is always present - but especially at a Christmas dinner party in Dublin at the turn of the 20th century. We discuss John Huston's THE DEAD (1987), his film adaptation of the great final story from Joyce's Dubliners. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/703-dubliners-154688385

He was one of the biggest recording artists of his time, but it took Hollywood to make him safe for your parents. We discuss the Eminem vehicle 8 MILE (2002), a true landmark of millennial culture. PLUS: Bidding a fond (?) farewell to Robert Mueller. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus For two weeks we're offering HEAVILY DISCOUNTED PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS. Use code 22DE3 to get 50% for your first month.

Is life worth living? That's the question at the core of Abbas Kiarostami's masterpiece TASTE OF CHERRY (1997), which raises another question: is death really such a good option if you'll never again experience the taste of cherries? PLUS: Checking in on the leader of Canada's conservative movement, Pierre Poilievre. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/701-taste-of-153968176

Towards the end of the George W. Bush administration, Fox News tried to create a right-wing equivalent of The Daily Show. It became a legendary failure. To celebrate our 700th episode, we discuss THE 1/2 HOUR NEWS HOUR (2007), a truly foundational piece of right-wing culture. Join us on Patreon for an extra. episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus For two week's we're offering HEAVILY DISCOUNTED PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS for two weeks, beginning Saturday, March 21 from 9am Eastern Standard Time. Use code 22DE3 to get 50% for your first month. Our classic episode on Air America - https://soundcloud.com/michael-and-us/77-left-of-the-dial

Amazon spent $75 million and resurrected Brett Ratner to curry favor with the incoming Trump administration. The result is MELANIA (2026), a highly airbrushed portrait of the First Lady. We watched Melania Trump board limousines and airplanes for 104 gruelling minutes and lived to tell the tale. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/153296412

What is it actually like to live as a manosphere influencer? We discuss LOUIS THEROUX: INSIDE THE MANOSPHERE (2026), in which the veteran British documentary presenter travels to the dark heart of Miami. PLUS: Taking the temperature of the Canadian left. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

The Daily Wire and Adam Carolla teamed up to make a conservative answer to Family Guy and The Simpsons. God help us, we discuss the short-lived right-wing animated show MR. BIRCHUM (2024). God damn this one was rough. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/697-donkey-152831913

As a grotesque war engulfs the Middle East, it's time to look back at how we got here. Will is joined by longtime friend of the show Violet Lucca to discuss END OF EMPIRE (1985), a British documentary series on the fizzling-out of Britain's colonial adventure. We focus on the episodes about Palestine and Iran. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/c/michaelandus End of Empire Chapter 6: Palestine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ziwuaWLy8A End of Empire Chapter 7: Iran - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhCgJElpQEQ

In Yorgos Lanthimos's BUGONIA (2025), an internet-addled conspiracy guy kidnaps a pharmaceutical CEO girlboss, in a story that ultimately asks: is the human race worth saving? PLUS: We discuss the U.S. and Israel's war in Iran, and also interrogate the most pressing issue of our time: has Jim Carrey been killed and replaced by a clone? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/152162364

What would happen if the Christian movie industry tried to make its own Everything Everywhere All at Once? Brother, you don't have to imagine! We discuss Angel Studios' THE SHIFT (2023), starring our favourite actor, Neal McDonough. PLUS: We check Keir Starmer's pulse after last week's UK by-election, and assess the looming Warner/Paramount merger. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus "The Ground Game is Back" by Grace Blakeley - https://substack.com/home/post/p-189343412 "Starmer is Driving Labour to Disaster" by Jon Trickett - https://tribunemag.co.uk/2026/02/starmer-is-driving-labour-to-disaster

In 1968, Frederick Wiseman embedded with the Kansas City Police Department. He emerged with LAW AND ORDER (1969), a sobering portrait of what it meant to "serve and protect" at the dawn of the Nixon era. We mark Frederick Wiseman's passing by discussing one of his quintessential films. PLUS: We check in on our fallen British comrades (ex-)Prince Andrew and Keir Starmer. JOIN US ON PATREON FOR AN EXTRA EPISODE EVERY WEEK - https://www.patreon.com/posts/693-police-state-151400135

Batten down the hatches, because Kevin Sorbo has a son who's even worse than him. We discuss A WAVE OF KINDNESS (2023), a very amateurish vehicle for rising right-wing influencer Braeden Sorbo (and his wretched father) that plumbs new depths even for a Christian movie. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/692-son-of-sorbo-151037135

Energized by Turning Points USA's Kid Rock-led alternative Superbowl Halftime Show, we turn our attention to a slightly more mainstream example of conservative art: Tim Allen's new sitcom SHIFTING GEARS. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus "The Hilarious Decline of MAGA's Brief Cultural Relevance" by Alex Shephard - https://newrepublic.com/article/206276/trump-super-bowl-kid-rock-decline-maga-cultural-relevance

Who says a 23-year-old WASP can't be the long-lost son of an Armenian immigrant family? That's the question asked by the protagonist of Atom Egoyan's debut feature NEXT OF KIN (1984), a moving and sometimes troubling film about identity and class in 1980s Canada. PLUS: We survey the wreckage from Jeff Bezos's Washington Post layoffs. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/690-egoyan-150508725

With Jeffrey Epstein dominating the news, we turn to Clint Eastwood for wisdom and guidance. In ABSOLUTE POWER (1997), cinema's most legendary tough-guy faces his greatest opponents yet: the Clinton Crime Cabal. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus