Filmspotting

Matt and Jordan punch their tickets to an alternate reality to review Ladies First, the new Netflix comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike. They break down the film's (mostly good!) relentless barrage of gags, its terrifyingly plausible marketing pitches, and whether it successfully navigates the edgy tightrope of workplace comedy.
But before they talk Ladies First, they have to talk about leaving the couch. Matt recounts his mind-bending, leaf-in-the-face trip to the Las Vegas Sphere watching The Wizard of Oz, while Jordan counters with an equally dramatic story about his allergy-inflicted screening ofThe Mandalorian and Grogu at his local AMC.
For Rec Seg!, the multiversal madness continues as the duo pairs Ladies First with Jet Li martial arts mayhem and surrealist cinema from Fellini. Plus, a listener writes in looking for a sleek, under-the-radar romantic thriller, prompting two very different caper recommendations. Finally, Producer Sam takes over the board as "Dungeon Master" to premier a brand-new, slow-teasing visual trivia game called Strip Poster. (Ep. #173)
(Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.)
Intro, Wizard of Oz at Sphere, The Mandalorian & Grogu (00:00:00–00:15:05)
Ladies First (00:15:06–00:35:26)
Rec Seg! (00:35:27–00:50:23)
Personalized Recs (00:50:24–01:02:16)
Game (01:02:17–01:16:36)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:16:37–01:29:00)
Notes:
Matt on “The Wizard of Oz” at Sphere
https://screencrush.com/wizard-of-oz-sphere-review/
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive
⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/⁠⁠
Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" comes to bookstores everywhere on October 6th. Pre-Order now! ⁠⁠https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/⁠⁠
The Flop House Podcast: “The One”
https://www.flophousepodcast.com/2025/11/episode-467-the-one-with-michael-shanks/
Feedback: -Email us at [email protected]⁠⁠
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam sits down with legendary actor Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) to discuss his brilliant career and his new starring role in Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend. Then Adam and Josh share their thoughts on the meditative multi-era drama itself, followed by reviews of Alberto Vasquez’s Spanish animated feature Decorado and Olivier Assayas's The Wizard of the Kremlin, which features Jude Law's terrifyingly charismatic portrayal of Vladimir Putin. Plus, Massacre Theatre!
This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
Intro (00:00:00-00:04:34)
Interview: Tony Leung (00:04:35-00:18:33)
Filmspotting Family (00:18:34-00:23:59)
Silent Friend (00:24:00-00:48:25)
Decorado (00:48:26-01:02:23)
The Wizard of the Kremlin (01:02:24-01:10:40)
Massacre Theater (01:10:41- 01:19:31)
Credits/New Releases (01:19:32- 01:23:48)
Note:
-Gary Jules, of course, performs a cover of Tears for Fears' “Mad World” in Donnie Darko.
Links:
-Filmspotting Fest II: June 27-28, 2026
https://www.filmspottingfest.com
-Josh's photo of the holm oak at University of St. Andrews: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYXUjKgjcPt/?img_index=1
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]⁠⁠.
⁠⁠⁠-⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access. https://filmspottingfamily.com
Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting:
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm:
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the timeless, unadorned perfection of early cinematic icons to the textured, battle-tested tactical gear of modern blockbusters, Adam and Josh (and some special guests) share their Top 5 Superhero Costumes and explore what makes a costume truly legendary.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first installment of a semi-regular series, Matt and Jordan take a break from reviewing a single film in order to interrogate an entire streaming platform: the industry juggernaut, Netflix. They dissect it across five crucial categories—library size, playback interface, reliability, originals, and price. The goal? Nothing less than determining the greatest service of all time.

Then for Rec Seg, Jordan attempts to track down a forgotten, star-studded 2020 musical drama buried deep in the Netflix sub-basement, while Matt stakes a claim for Adam Sandler's finest 2020s streaming achievement. Plus, they answer a listener mailbag question with two exceptional, music-centric recommendations currently streaming on Mubi.
(Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:02:23)
The State of Streaming: Netflix (00:02:24-00:43:09)
Rec Seg! (00:43:09-00:57:30)
Personalized Recs: Music Movies on MUBI (00:57:31-01:08:25)
Game: Netflix Capacitor (01:08:26-01:16:13)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:16:14-01:23:09)
Notes:
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive
⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/⁠⁠
Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" comes to bookstores everywhere in October. Pre-Order now!
⁠⁠https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/⁠⁠
Jordan at Foreign Policy Magazine
https://foreignpolicy.com/author/jordan-hoffman/
Matt at ScreenCrush
https://screencrush.com/author/mattsinger/
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]⁠⁠
Follow:
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⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu⁠⁠
⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/superpulse/⁠⁠
⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/jhoffman6/⁠⁠
⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/mattsinger.bsky.social⁠⁠
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 years after its release, Adam and Josh return to the 1950s Waco of Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. They discuss Malick’s bold attempt to voice the divine, mapping the books of Job and Genesis onto his narrative, and his attempt to reconcile the beauty of creation with the reality of suffering. Plus, details about Filmspotting Fest II: 68 Weeks Later, and a new poll that attempts to gauge listeners' enthusiasm for the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu.
This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:03:32)
The Tree of Life at 15 (00:03:33-00:55:50)
Filmspotting Family (00:55:51-01:00:07)
Next Week / Cannes Film Festival (01:00:08-01:04:44)
Polls (01:38:17-01:13:15)
Credits / New Releases (01:13:16-01:17:20)
Correction:
-Adam actually saw The Thin Red Line upon its release in 1998, making it his first Malick. The New World, then, was the first Malick he got.
Links:
-Filmspotting Fest II: June 26-27, 2026
https://www.filmspotting.net/filmspotting-fest
-Jake Cole on The Tree of Life
https://letterboxd.com/jakepcole/film/the-tree-of-life-2011/
-Cannes Film Festival
https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]⁠⁠.
-⁠⁠⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access.
https://filmspottingfamily.com
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting:
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm:
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.