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On this week’s Find Your Film podcast, I praised Army of the Dead and The Dry (strong recommends for me). Co-host Bruce Purkey and Eric Holmes were not too thrilled about either, but they each had their own movies to champion!
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Movie disagreements make the world go round, at least for cinephiles. It’s fun hearing different perspectives, and this time out Bruce and Eric were not too thrilled about Army of the Dead. As a huge Zack Snyder fan, I absolutely loved this over this Sin City set zombie epic.
Running at 148 minutes, Army of the Dead felt “bloated” to Eric, but I actually wanted a longer film. Filled with memorable characters (Nora Arnezeder as “The Coyote” was a particular standout), a solid script from Snyder, and adrenaline filled action sequences, the picture was a total home run for me. Bruce found the movie derivative and was not interested in the heist element whatsoever. Now playing in theaters and streaming on Netflix, Army of the Dead is a must see in my book (especially if you are a fan of Snyder’s work).
Eric Bana is such an undervalued actor, and watching The Dry brings that point home to an ultimately stunning effect. Federal Agent Aaron Falk (Bana) returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood buddy Luke. Aaron’s friendship with Luke took a tragic turn when one of their friends, Ellie Duncan, perished years ago by a lake.
Though Luke’s death is considered a suicide (he is also presumably guilty over his wife and child’s shooting), this case may not be as cut and “dry” as it seems. Now in theaters and On Demand, The Dry is a first rate mystery/thriller that immerses viewers into Falk’s life. I absolutely recommend The Dry, but it was not a film that caught the imagination of Eric (Bruce gives the movie a slight recommend).
Eric does a ton of the heavy lifting for the episode, as he reviews Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral, The Battery and Dark Waters. Bruce brings out the week’s biggest surprise as he praised the feature Shadow in the Cloud, a Chloë Grace Moretz feature that is now streaming on Hulu.
Last but not least, Middle Class Film Class podcaster Pete Abeyta recommended Post Tenebras Lux, which Bruce and Eric review to close out the show!
Take a listen to our show on Spotify!
Podcast Episode Timestamp:
1:39 – The Dry whetted my appetite!
6:00 – We review Army of the Dead
25:25 – The Dry immersed me in its atmosphere and storytelling. Did Bruce and Eric feel the same?
37:06 – Angelina Jolie gets fiery (excuse the pun) in Those Who Wish Me Dead and Eric has the review.
41:43 – More Eric Holmes as he reviews Spiral
47:49 – We keep the Holmes train going with The Battery
52:13 – Last but not least, Holmes swims Dark Waters for his final recommendation!
59:33 – Pete Abeyta on Post Tenebras Lux
75:18 – Bruce Purkey on Shadow in the Cloud: “I ate it up with a spoon.”
Take a listen to our podcast on Libsyn: