From WXXI news, this is connections.

I'm your guest host Scott Fuchs.

Our connection this hour took place just last week, June 20th, 2025.

That was the summer solstice, which means the official start to summer movie season.

Although that's not quite correct because in Hollywood, the summer movie season starts much earlier.

It used to be Memorial Day weekend was the big summer kickoff, but then blockbusters kept getting earlier release dates.

We'd see hit movies in early May, and recent Marvel films even got a late April release before powering through the summer months on their way to big box office success.

Regardless of your definition of when summer movie season starts, there is no debating that we are currently in the heart of blockbuster months.

While there are blockbusters, we also have summer indie gems already.

We've seen the release of the Tim Robinson comedy friendship, the whimsical The Life of Chuck Celine songs materialist and Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, which features one of the best basketball scenes I've seen in ages thanks to the charms of Bryan Cranston and Tom Hanks in the blockbuster category, we have Mission Impossible.

The Final Reckoning Elio F1 Megane 2.0.

Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman I Know What You Did Last Summer, Fantastic four first steps.

Happy Gilmore to the Naked Gun, Freaky Friday.

You're seeing the pattern here, right?

All remakes and reboots and sequels.

Not a surprise, but our audience is craving original summer stories.

That's what we'll discuss this hour.

I'd like to welcome our guest.

We have Matt Santino, film critic and writer for City Magazine, and Quinn Guy, creator of Western New York Film Critics Association member and bagel dog influencer.

Welcome back.

Thanks for having me.

I'm not going to explain that last anymore.

No, no.

We'll let viewers look that up.

Also joined by Jared Case, curator of film exhibitions for the Triton Theater at the George Eastman Museum.

Welcome, Jared.

Wonderful to see you again for the first time in, like, three days.

Yes.

We ran into each other.

And at 28, years later.

Which we both liked.

We talked about that the last hour.

We won't talk about it much on this one.

Also joined by Jackie McGriff, photographer, founder, director and co-producer for Our Voices project.

Always a pleasure, Jackie.

Yes.

Thank you for having me.

I like your shirt, too.

Star Wars, and of course, Star Wars.

You have the summer tech cluster go head to head.

And joining us by video.

So if you're watching on YouTube, you'll be able to see her.

We can't see her, but you can.

Megan Murphy, social media manager and storyteller for the Anomaly Film Festival.

Welcome, Megan.

Oh, I like that.

I'm just a voice to some people.

Hello.

I hear you always in our heads.

Or we're questioning reality.

Is this her, or are we just hearing stuff?

I don't know.

Excellent.

I love.

Okay, so we have a lot to talk about this hour.

So we're going to try to pack in all the summer movie madness.

Let's start by talking about films that have already released somewhat that we already seen.

We'll start with you, Jared.

Are there any movies that really, really touched you?

Really made you swoon here?

Well, it's interesting that you framed it in a way that, you know, our audience is looking for indie stories, because what what I've responded to recently was, three films that I can strongly recommend that are all playing at the little theater right now.

And then there's also a Wes Anderson film.

Oh.

You weren't a fan.

I mean, it was fine, but, 28 days later, life of Chuck and this are all really great films and in many different ways.

Certainly there is the, tendency to upset expectations, with both life of Chuck and materialists.

And then there's, 28 years later, which is just great to have the Danny Boyle style back.

I mean, it's a bit crazy and a little all over the place, but it's also kind of part of the esthetic of the film, which is really great.

So we can talk about Life of Chuck incessantly if you'd like.

Oh, we, we will.

And if you, if you can see us, if you're watching on, YouTube, you may have seen an eyeroll from that passage, you know, so live with Chuck and we'll get there in a second.

But on our panel right now, if anyone is on letterbox one, please follow us.

But we have two people who gave life of Chuck five stars and one person, Matt, who gave life of Chuck 1.5 stars.

Generous more wasn't that.

This is stars.

Oh, so we'll get there in a second.

But first, I'm going to go to Jackie.

Are there any movies this summer that really.

It was your film.

One that you'd really want to recommend to people.

Listen, I know we talked.

I know y'all talked about it last.

Go for it.

Okay.

Yeah, but I'm sorry I've made this my job.

Go watch centers.

If you haven't already.

It's an incredibly moving film.

It is so, like.

I mean, it's I mean, it's it's something that's relevant.

It's something that, again, I mean, in talking about its relevancy and, you know, it transcends time.

It is it has such a wonderful cast.

The cinematography is incredible.

It'll have you talking about it for weeks, I certainly have.

I like I said, I've made this my life.

I think that I also have a podcast called Representation in Cinema shameless plug, where we have two, episodes actually dedicated to this one that's academic.

And then just one that's just like talking about the film and just having fun.

So if you haven't already seen centers, it's on Prime and it's also on, Max or HBO Max or whatever they're calling themselves these days.

Yeah.

So definitely see that one.

Yeah.

I'm incredibly moved by that film.

I certainly hope that if anyone is listening, I should add context that I work at the little theater.

And we are hoping that we'll be able to play this for a one off screen again sometime.

Don't tell me that if we don't do it.

I think we're hoping to.

These don't always work out.

Matt.

So we know that there are some movies you dislike.

We've.

We never.

Are there any.

Which, movie is that really stood out to you this summer that you've liked so far?

And if there aren't any, that that's fine too.

I rewatched Erin Brockovich, so that was that's been my favorite movie of the year so far.

Sinners is great.

I always look to you for the pronunciation.

I really liked Vulcan.

Oh, Vulcan.

Isadora.

Yeah.

Yes.

I thought that really kind of lingered with me.

I just feel really, like, 28 years later, and I didn't really like the first all that much, so that's interesting.

I just watch them.

So these are not movies that have lived with me.

So I watch the first one knowing that, you know, it's gained in reputation since 2002 or 3, whenever came out.

I thought it was really boring.

I'm not gonna lie.

So the first one was really dull, and then, and then the second one was whatever.

And then I saw the new 120 years later, and I was really.

It was intense and it was moving.

I was unexpectedly really into it.

So I did like that one.

Okay.

I like you recommend recommending Vulcan Isadora?

I like saying it.

It's fun.

I think every time we speak about this movie, I'm like, Scott, how you pronounce it.

But this film is.

I like discovering those gems in the summer, so I like a blockbuster, just like the next person.

We're going to talk about those a lot, but I like going into a theater.

You get the air conditioning and you don't know what to expect.

I did not know much going in.

I knew enough to to market it.

That's my job at the at all.

But it starts off as just these two friends, or maybe not even friends.

Acquaintances.

And they're out in the woods in Michigan, and you can tell that there's something up and they're doing something that seems like it could be a little dangerous, a little sinister.

And then it all culminates in one of the most suspenseful scenes I've seen, like this year.

We have to be a little vague as I think spoiling like spoiling it will ruin it.

But I meant what is there?

Is that your favorite type of summer movie?

When you walk in with no expectations and then it just takes you by surprise because look, I mean, I love a good blockbuster too, but I like a good blockbuster.

And I feel like a lot of the times we go into summer movie season and it's just, you know, like it's like Happy Meal toys for the movies.

And it's just like trying to just sell the product or whatever.

So I like to be surprised, like something like locking the door.

But I mean, it just I mean, it was like Kelly Reichardt movie with like a bad attitude.

And so I like that description.

And so, like, I love Kelly Reichardt.

One of your filmmakers love bad attitudes.

And so but then it lingered with me because it was like became this like morality tale after and so like so while I think like the opening of it is like, I'm like, okay, they're just kind of walking through the woods, whatever.

And then like the thing happens and then it becomes this really lingering like morality tale.

And I thought that made it really effective and took the movie to the next level for me.

And then I kind of sat with it for a while and it lingered with me.

So nice.

Megan, I did not forget about you.

I knew the video chat.

What movie stood out to you this summer?

If there are any, I. I would love to be able to pull out, like, like there's some sort of, like, unheard of jam, right?

I do, but there's no way, as both, a lover of horror films and as an artist, that I can say anything but sinners like you're how it would be a lie.

And I'd be trying to be cool.

And I don't want to be that person.

And when you see something that you're like, I'm going to be thinking about this for the rest of my life, you know, that that that's there, which is, you know, pretty good for a summer movie.

So in our first hour, we dubbed this sinner's summer.

So I think someone's been listening this whole time.

We probably can form a sinners fan club, but please, please join us.

I know that's sounded like a little a little cultish, but it's interesting, Scott, because it feels like inviting us in.

Yeah, exactly.

One of us is that it's a, we're talking about that I would add, you know, earlier in the year, I would add black bag on the list as well.

Another really great film, but we're all talking about films that budgets under $100 million.

So maybe not independent.

Exactly, but they're not these these big investments that studios have been making with the sequels.

As you point out, for the summer.

And it's I think it's also interesting that you put F1 in that, and that it's original, but with Kosinski, isn't it just like a new top Gun, just in race cars and just on the ground?

Yeah, yeah, instead of planes.

Yeah.

So it's what you're saying.

It's from the director of Top Gun Maverick, which was that was like the summer movie to reignite summer movies, which came out a couple years ago.

F1 will that have a similar impact?

Brad Pitt stars in that.

So it has that big name star.

I probably to that it will have the effect because it doesn't have the brand name of Top Gun, and Top Gun two is just an incredible film and that's that's a hard that's a hard standard to reach.

But yeah, what you're saying is really interesting.

And maybe that's why studios, you know, if they're spending these hundreds and hundreds of millions like, well, we want a story that feels safe.

Yeah.

We don't want to take a risk.

But I think centers, which doesn't have a budget nearly as much as any of these other blockbusters, I would assume.

I don't know exactly what its budget is.

But that was a like Ryan Coogler has done franchises and this an original movie, I think has been his biggest hit in a lot of senses.

I don't know if I'll end up being like, make the most amount of money, but I think in terms of, the conversation, I think it'll end up being because it's, it's his it's his passion project.

People can feel that.

People can feel the effort that went behind it.

It's also something.

And when people feel that they go to the movies, I know people who have gone to see it like six times.

And also it's it's something where like when it was out of Imax because, Thunderbolts I think was taking over Imax for a while.

Then when it went back into Imax, I remember someone saying that the am r I looked it up.

Actually, AMC's website crashed the day that it was announced that it was going to be back in Imax.

That's how powerful this film is, is how much it's moved people.

And I'm hoping it does come out in a rerelease.

And I know that people are just going to flock to it because it's it's definitely touched something in a lot of people in some capacity.

It will be back in theaters, especially leading up to the Academy Awards.

Oh for sure.

You know, it better be.

That's a whole other conversation, by the way.

That is a whole nother vision.

But it's one of those that it's made such an impact that there's been rebellious.

It's going to be hard to ignore.

Yes.

No.

Yes.

And it's probably going to be one of the few movies that we're talking about this hour that will get attention from the Oscars.

I mean, maybe, maybe other ones.

And maybe this is a time to go back to the life of Chuck.

So, yeah, if you're listening, I want to call in and let us know what summer movies you are interested in watching.

844295 talk.

Or if you're local.

(585) 263-9994.

Let us know what you think of summer movies.

Life of Chuck.

So we have a clip that we're not going to go to right now, but we'll go to you in a moment.

I, I'll talk a little bit about my experience with this.

I watch it and Little Theater Day, which is June 12th.

So I was really in a good mood watching this film.

It's based on a Stephen King short story, which I have not read.

And it's directed by Mike Flanagan, who is adapted Stephen King before he did Doctor Sleep, of course, did The Haunting of Hill House, which was very popular TV series on Netflix.

So this film is told backwards.

So it starts with act three, which is so mysterious.

And again, as we mentioned, the first hour and of this hour, we don't want to spoil anything as we want people to go see these movies and enjoy them as we did.

So I'll be kind of tight lipped with this, but it starts out very mysterious and you're like, what is happening?

And it kind of culminates in a scene that really took my breath away in a good way.

And then it goes the second act, which I thought was whimsical, maybe involves some dancing.

Who's to say involved a lot of dancing.

And then a third act that was kind of, the heart of it.

So I really adored it.

And I know you did as well.

Jared.

So what?

How did this movie speak to you?

You've seen this multiple times, right?

Yeah, actually, I just came from seeing it a third time.

Oh.

This morning.

Yeah.

Okay, I love that.

I want to make sure to see this many times in theaters as I can.

And I checked the little times there.

It is there this weekend.

But beyond that, you may not have a chance to see it.

And it's actually really well timed because, there's a great jazz drummer, in the film called The Pocket Queen.

So if you are a fan of hers or just want to hear some great jazz drumming, in that middle section, that may have to do with dancing.

But I have a story as well, because, I was I was actually writing this review before Matt interrupted me, this morning.

I saw it for the first time at Toronto last year, and I went out of my way to see it.

But I also like the next film I saw was Hard Truths.

And then I saw two more films that day that I did not like as well.

And so I didn't really have time to sit with it.

But it really is one of those kinds of films that speaks to me that the structure you mentioned, you know, we don't want to get into too much, but it's, it's sort of a memento, like in that you're starting with the end, and this is how mysteries are solved.

This is how narratives are told.

You don't know what the story is until you get to the end.

So as you're unraveling the mystery of Chuck's life, you are going back in time to see how the present influences the future and how the past has influenced the present.

And it all comes together.

But it's also talking about the internal and the external life that we all have.

It's talking about the marriage of art and science.

It's talking about, the relationships and how those, influence us throughout time as well, and how we can sort of.

Reflect on them and see how the this is all sort of a mélange.

Our lives are built of all these sort of moments that that influence each other and dictate which direction we're going to go see.

If I had not already watched it, I you would, I would be so on board with that isolation.

And I like comparing it to memento is it really does have not just the storytelling device of telling it backwards.

I think it has those notes.

Meghan, have you seen life of Chuck?

No, I feel bad.

I do like Mike Flanagan's work, and I'm looking forward to it, but, I mean, I'm sold.

I'm sold this weekend.

Get out there.

I'll get around to it.

It is lying at the little theater that I'll be my shameless plug.

Jackie, have you seen this one?

I have not, I loved that, description.

Jared.

It's still not sold.

But that's fair.

But yeah, I know that sounds that sounds like a lovely story.

So I love hearing, like, other people, I.

Well, I wish it did my heart so much good.

I actually took my wife to see it on Thursday, and she's like, that was a beautiful film.

I was like, yeah, yeah, I was.

So I ended up liking it much more, seeing it outside of the context of the festival that I did within the festival, it is still one of my favorites coming out of the festival, but now it's like, oh yeah, this is this is a Jared film.

Oh, it's like the life of a Scott film.

Yeah.

I like we talked about the last hour, festival brain like you watch sometimes movies debut at a festival and the the reactions are like, oh, wow, this is mind blowing.

This is great.

And sometimes it's just that setting and it turns out to not quite be that.

So it's interesting that your effect was kind of the opposite.

Yeah, that that's how I start my review out on Letterboxd.

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Yes.

Please do.

Dryden is on letter box.

That's what you're saying did.

Yeah.

And myself as well.

Yeah.

But yeah, it's it's that two extremes, like, you know.

Oh, my God, it's so amazing to be, you know, at this early showing of this film with the actors and directors there, and you can really sort of hype you up for that reaction to the film.

Or it's like, yeah, I've seen seven films today and I'm looking at them for work and I'm not sure which ones I'm going to try to pursue or not.

So it's all kind of mush together and you don't have time to sit with it.

Exactly.

All right.

I'm gonna get to you in a second.

Matt, it's.

You've been waiting here patiently.

We do a clip.

I'm going to make you listen to a clip for.

For me.

I do like to hear, like, different perspectives, though.

I think that is one of my favorite things about talking about movies.

Like, I don't want everyone to agree with me, I don't.

I think that would be so boring if everyone just like the same film I did.

So it's nice that there's that much of a different reactions, like five stars versus one and a half.

Like that's wildly different.

And I do get why this film would not work for other isn't like it works for us, but I get why it doesn't.

So this clip, Mark Hamill stars, and I think he gives a wonderful performance.

I don't know if you agree with that or not.

Matt.

But in this he is talking about the power of math.

So I wanted to avoid spoilers if this is from act one, which plays as the last act, I think maybe it's from act two.

I think it's from the act one that plays at the end.

So this is about math.

Let's take a listen.

Math is something else to some math.

Math.

It's called statistics or probability.

It can tell you stuff about your future.

It could tell you for example, you're more likely to be drafted by a major league sports team than that.

Make a real living as a dancer.

The world loves as it truly does, but it needs accountants, so there's much more demand, so there's much more opportunity.

I know that might hurt, but it's the truth.

Math is truth.

It won't lie to you.

It doesn't factor in your preferences.

It's pure that way, math can do a lot of things.

Math can be on.

But it can't lie.

So.

Take another one of those two because chuckle you are good.

You have art in you.

That was Mark Hamill from the Life of Chuck, probably the only summer blockbuster that we'll talk about that talks about math a lot.

So as you could probably, take from that scene, Mark Hamill is talking to his grandson, the titular Chuck, who wants to be a dancer.

He wants to get to dance, and he's kind of persuading him to get into math.

Which I don't think this is a spoiler.

Chuck is an accountant in the film, so it does end up working.

So, Matt, we'll go to you.

You've been very patient.

Thank you.

Life of Chuck.

What did not work for you in this, everything.

This is such a phony, hokey movie.

It's just people just sitting around talking and bumper stickers for two hours, and I just found it such a surface.

The way I wrote about it for city was I just feel it's strange.

So hard, stretches so hard for profundity that I just feel like someone pulled a muscle making this movie.

Like, it's just it's so funny.

Mike Flanagan is healthy.

He is.

He does it stretching.

Do you think this would be one that if you watched it again, your opinion would go up a little?

Are you just like, I'm never watching this again.

I will always I'll give it a shot again.

Sure.

But I just, maybe I start in the wrong environment, which was my living room, and I. Oh, my God, the sound.

When the at the end of that that that first section of the film.

Where do you know what happens?

I don't know what the.

Yeah, yeah.

There's a big thunderous sound maybe, maybe as a, a sign of good faith.

I'll go see it in theaters this weekend.

We got, Yeah, this movie, I just.

When the screener was over, I was like, what?

Like, what was any of that for?

Maybe I was like, I'm maybe like a little bit because, like, I did go to the, you know, school for like writing and ended up in finance.

So, so maybe I just, you know, that speech alone was maybe a little better.

Maybe you dance in the street occasionally, too.

A lot of similar, does it?

Okay.

Jackie and Megan, I'll start with Jackie, and we convince you to watch this.

Are you still.

Are we still, like, kind of lukewarm on this?

No.

I'm gonna say.

Well, I mean, I know it's like a very small piece of the movie, but I'm listening to that quote and going, this is not, first of all, as someone who is an artist and also loves math, by the way, used to do math equations, like for fun.

I'm a super nerd.

And I will say no, I did, I full on oh my God, give me a multiplication table.

I'm ready.

A time at two.

You got me.

But like, I'm like that quote.

I'm like, that's that's not fair to neither math nor nor art one.

But anyway, I'm like I said, it's like a small it's a small clip if you want.

I want to say this if you want a feel good movie, I would say when I.

So when I was last at the little, I saw The Ballad of Wallace Island and that was a really like feel good.

Like touch at your heartstrings kind of thing.

It's now available on Peacock, so if you also haven't seen that, I would highly recommend the film just to give like a short premise.

So it's about this guy who lives on Wallace Island.

He, gets all this money to have his, like, favorite band play, and there's like a little bit of this, like, tension between the two people.

It's a man and a woman who used to be in a in a singing group, that are no longer together, both in a relationship and like, not and just not the bands not together.

And so he invites them and so of course, hilarity and tension ensues.

But it's again, it's the motivation as to why he got them those two to the island is.

And of course, I won't spoil it here, but it's, it's just, again, incredibly heartfelt and it's a feel good film.

Like I walked out of the little theater just going, oh, like that's what I needed.

Yeah, I agree, The Ballad of Wallace Island is such a charming film, and I think that speaks to a little about what we're talking with.

Vulcanized fedora, which two completely opposite movies.

That would be a wild double bill, but like a same, feeling where you're surprised and be like, oh.

That, that was really good.

Like I didn't it's not a film that had a lot of like hyper marketing, but then you watch it, you're like why not.

That was really like smart and clever and charming.

It just leaves you smiling and beaming.

And it was like misery.

If Kathy Bates gave hugs and whacks with such hammers.

Sledgehammers to the feet.

But yeah, I mean, it was a cozy movie.

If that doesn't make someone want to watch The Ballad of Fall, I like misery, but with hug, but with hugs, love and kindness.

You even know what to say to.

And, so we, we to.

Megan.

What do you want to ask Megan about that?

Megan, what are your thoughts on The Ballad of All?

Oh, well, we asked her if she was going to see life again.

That.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Are you going to see the life of Chuck Todd?

We we went on a tangent.

I'm sorry, Mr.. That's okay.

I mean, I like Mike Flanagan, but of course I'm talking more about his horror work, so I don't know.

Also, I find different things comforting.

Like, I thought the substance was a comforting film in many ways, I guess cathartic.

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

Jackie.

No no no no, because we.

Okay.

I'm sorry we had it.

We had a whole podcast about it where we talked about it.

That.

Please go find that with, anomaly.

Yeah.

Anyway.

Sorry.

Continue.

Yeah.

Go.

Oh, no.

No, no, I appreciate that because you can crack me up on that.

But so, I mean, I think I'm coming from a slightly different viewpoint, you know, that I like, I, I'm interested, but I also might be a little like, okay, but like, you know, once that murder happened, Ross was like, go on, Chuck, I guess it depends on who you think the murderer is.

I get, so we do.

We have a call here, an online one from Deborah who, like the portrayal of older people.

So I think this is from The Ballad of Wall of Silence or we'll take a listen here.

Hi, Deborah.

You're live with us.

Hello, I yes, I this is about the life of Chuck.

I went to see the movie because it hit dancing in it and also Fred Astaire.

I always go for the I love it, but I am older so often I'm sort of by older people.

But the mother, the grandmother who, you know, in the story, it's still alive and so wonderful.

And the grandfather too, I think, or the Bobby and Zadie are just such, rich characters.

So I appreciated that.

And I sort of like the metaphor between the life of the world and the universe and the life of every person, and that just the you've got the what is it called?

The you've got the, the world basically in your brain.

That is a world in itself.

And I just thought it was a beautiful movie and the dancing made it just wonderful.

It did make me want to dance up the street and East Avenue, which probably would be a little dangerous.

And I'd say, so, Matt, you're you're three against one here.

Well, I mean, if we take all three of the ratings together and we average them out, it's still a four.

That's not too bad.

So, okay, changing to have stars.

Deborah, thank you so much for calling.

We love the life.

Like, tell all your friends to see it as well.

So, yeah, before we're going to take a short break here in just a moment.

We do have an email, from Michael, who says he has a question for me.

The host, happily watched many movies at the little since 1984.

Does the little have a list of movies that have played there?

So, yeah, you can go to the little.org for all of our movies playing and I also want to take this opportunity.

Jared.

The Triton, there's a great summer movie lineup, too.

We got some new stuff.

We have some repertory titles.

Do you want to give us a little overview of some stuff that is coming up at the Triton?

Sure.

Yeah.

You don't have to go through it all, but whatever, whatever you want to highlight right now and tell people where they can find these these films.

Oh, sure.

Yeah.

If you go to, eastman.org/dryden, you can find all of the films for the next month.

Anyway, we update them every month.

But, the big thing, I guess we were saying that we found out, between the little and the Dryden, that we're playing the same movie at the same time at the end of July.

Pavement's.

About the rock band pavement.

But there.

So the little is going to show it for the entire week, which is fantastic.

More people are going to get to see it.

I just it I've been dropping hints around, but, I just emailed the filmmaker yesterday to confirm, and he has confirmed Alex Ross Perry will be here for our screening of Pavement's on Tuesday, July 29th, and he's going to stick around the next day, to introduce his other new documentary video, Heaven, which is about, home video culture, from the early time up until basically it died, or at least that the VHS died.

It certainly went down, but, it's, a wonderful documentary, and I'm so happy that we're going to have him here for both of those.

The big thing right now that we're still doing is the Kubrick series on Saturdays.

So this Saturday is Barry Lyndon, and we're going to finish up with, Full Metal Jacket on July 12th and on Kubrick's birthday on July 26th.

We're going to have a special 35mm screening of Eyes Wide Shut.

So, those two new movies, the two Alex Ross Perry movies also fit in with our, Rochester premieres, which we're having.

We've got a couple, films in Chinese language, Blue Sun Palace.

Which is actually an American film, but it was filmed by a diasporic, director in New York City and, caught by the tides, which is the new Zhejiang Film.

And there's going to be back to back on ninth and 10th.

The other new film we have is Television Event in August, and that's going to be on the 80th anniversary of the devastation at Hiroshima.

This is about a documentary, again, about the creation and, distribution of the day after the very effective 1983 television movie about, a fictional nuclear disaster happening in the United States and the big uproar that, that, came out of it.

So that's actually, directed by Jeff Daniels.

So, very interesting documentary.

And we're very excited about that.

So hopefully some of it's like Friday got recorded on the website, but as likely as.

Yes, and Alex Ross Perry.

But that's a little breaking news that we have here on connect.

Yeah.

It was the first time we put it out publicly.

Like I said, we've been dropping hints around, but I haven't, you know, felt comfortable to say it until he said yes, actually.

Is that sure that it's exciting and Pavement's is a film and I'm sure that you feel the same way.

We I've had a lot of people ask us, like, we want to see this movie at the little I like the band, I think.

I think that's an exciting it's a really fascinating structure for the documentary as well.

Not the time to talk about it.

Maybe we could come back and just have a postmortem.

Yeah, there's, there's enough to, to to really grab into there.

All right.

So we've been looking back at summer movies that have already come out.

We're gonna in a moment, take a short break, and then we'll talk about looking forward.

What?

Summer movies we're looking forward to.

If you're just joining us again, I'm joined by Matt Santino, City Magazine film writer Jared Case with a drive in theater at the George Eastman Museum.

We have Jackie McGriff of the Our Voices project.

And joining us by video, we have Megan Murphy of Anomaly Film Festival.

We will be back with more summer movie preview right after this break.

I'm Evan Dawson Tuesday on the next connections.

My colleague Patrick Haskin is hosting the program in the first hour, crossing international borders to play the Rochester International Jazz Festival.

We'll talk about artists who have had to travel and whether they think it's still worth it to do so.

And then in the second hour, Brian Wilson's legacy, inviting some local musicians to talk about Brian Wilson.

Patrick Haskin, host Tuesday.

Support for your public radio station comes from our members and from Mary Carey.

Yola center providing education and life skills solutions designed to empower individuals and the families of those with complex disabilities.

Mary Carey, Yola Center Transforming Lives of people with disabilities More at Mary Carey, ola.org.

We are back with a summer movie preview here on connections.

So again, the first half of the show, we talked about what summer movies that we saw that really delighted us, or in some cases maybe we didn't like.

So now let's look ahead.

Let's look at the blockbusters.

I mentioned some in the intro.

We have a lot of sequels.

We have a lot of reboots, we have some original stuff.

There's probably something for everyone.

So let's start with you, Megan's.

You've been very patient at our video call.

What summer movie are you looking forward to?

What's a Megan Murphy movie here for us?

Well, I have several, but, like, I feel like I gotta rep my fellow Megan.

First of all, that we're getting Megan 2.0 for Megan hang together.

Yeah, well, yeah.

No, I have an H. Which is the inhibitor chip.

You're welcome.

Don't worry about it.

But, I guess I, I, I like they're doing the Terminator two thing where, like, hey, this character is really popular and we want to bring it back, but we can't just have a character who, like, kills our protagonist or tries to.

So the idea of like, well, we'll just make her fight a larger threat.

Is it like, super original?

No.

But I love this killer doll that looks like an American Girl doll, but, like, runs on on all fours and pulls ears off.

Like, what's not to love?

And I appreciate that this kind of strange idea has kind of become like enough to have a a sequel and one that's like almost, like, I don't know if I call it a blockbuster, but it's people know who Megan is.

I'm a little disappointed that Akeelah Cooper didn't write it because I think, her work, the first Megan in malignant is wonderfully unhinged.

But, we'll we'll we'll see what happens here.

I just I just want to see her, like, dance and be sassy and.

Yeah.

And rip herself.

Some are killing, you know?

Yeah.

Listen, it's style.

It's style.

Anyone can stab or kill her.

That's, you know, she she cares about what she does.

She has a passion for it.

We like that.

I do go going the Terminator two, route is not a bad idea.

Terminator two I like better than the original Terminator.

I think that's probably the popular opinion.

So?

So maybe they're on to something with just kind of taking that formula for the sequel.

I mean, I do Terminator two is amazing.

And if making 2.0 is anywhere near Terminator two, yeah, I gotta I I'm excited, but I don't want to, like, judge this movie as if it's a movie I've already written in my head.

I gotta let Megan be Megan.

You know, like, let her go where she wants to.

I'm not gonna tell her what to do.

Just because you're a Megan two doesn't mean you could tell Megan without an H what to do.

I know I can't because I am a Megan.

It's the Megan code.

We have to keep to the Megan code.

Jackie, do you have a separate movie that you're looking forward to?

I would say.

Well, okay, I have to.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have opinions about, any any iteration of Superman.

So, like, from.

Okay, I will say this as someone who loves the Christopher Reeve movies, I did enjoy Man of Steel.

I know it wasn't as popular.

It's like trying to go, like, grittier.

I actually liked that.

Yeah.

I will say for this one, I'm liking seeing.

I was hesitant about James Gunn, like taking this on, and I didn't know how to feel about it until, like, I saw of course, I saw more trailers.

And so as new trailers have been coming out and the marketing also to for this a little bit, has, has been funny.

I'm like, I'm liking that they're adding more humor back into it because I felt like that was like, like the original kind of vibe and feel of the Christopher Reeve movies.

I just hope it's not a carbon copy.

Like that's my only thing.

Like I'm I'm looking forward to it.

And seeing this new cast and seeing what they do with this.

Yeah.

So but I just hope it's not a carbon copy like I said.

So we actually do have a clip from Superman.

So it's a from the trailer.

So we can get to that in a second.

But I'll ask our panel, are we are we excited for Superman or are we kind of like superhero it out here Matt as you it's this I mean I'll see it.

So many eye rolls.

But you know what I always forget about video.

You know, it's like I we can't I can't see if Meghan's eye rolling.

No, no, I'm all in for James Gunn.

The fact that Guy Gardner is going to be the Green Lantern.

And for folks who don't know, he's the jerk Green Lantern.

So I'm very jealous I didn't how you take a warm character like Superman and then play him against, like, the most arrogant Green Lantern there is?

Yeah.

All right, let's take a listen to this clip.

Which is from the trailer.

Super man.

The most powerful being on planet Earth.

We finally meet now, as planned.

I'll destroy you.

And of course, that reporter you always do interviews with.

Who raised you as a child.

I'll kill them to.

Who?

I'm.

No matter what you do to me.

Loser.

Your plans will work to wrap it up.

Good luck with that.

So that was a clip from Superman.

So the narration was Nicholas Hoult, who plays.

If you couldn't tell Lex Luthor.

Luther, threatening Superman.

I think one thing that, the commentary on Superman that I've seen is in the past, I think, one of the problems they fall into is super.

He's the Man of Steel.

He's invincible.

All like, how do you make an exciting movie about someone who's just invincible?

And this movie, he in the trailer, I think you could hear a little bit of Superman wheezing and, if you see the visual, he's laying on the ground.

He's bleeding.

So they.

I think it's a little more vulnerable take on Superman.

Which I appreciate.

There is also, which you'll see in one of the trailers.

I don't know if it's this one or the teaser trailer.

There is a super dog.

Which is very exciting.

Jackie the super dog.

Do it.

Anything.

Does that change here?

Does that make you more excited for Superman?

I mean, it doesn't necessarily change anything other than the fact that there.

Yeah, a little bit more like getting closer to the comics and everything like that.

Like I'm like, that's that's the only thing it's doing.

I'm like, whether it had Krypto in there or not, like, that's yeah, that's fine.

So this hour is going by very quickly.

So we'll just keep going.

We could talk about Superman for for longer, but we'll, we'll keep chugging along.

Jared.

Any summer movies that you're really looking forward?

Well, it was interesting because I had put out a list or put it together a list of things that I might be looking forward to and the ones, actually, that I'm most looking forward to are the smaller films.

You know, I'm cautiously optimistic about Superman, but concerned that there's so many reshoots going on.

But Ari Aster's Edington, coming out in July, July 18th.

Yeah, very excited about that because it's Ari Aster, and we've got two other great directors putting out films and August honey don't from Ethan Coen and Spike Lee's highest to lowest, which is, an update, an adaptation of another favorite director of characters.

I was high and low, so looking forward to those ones.

But all three of those are playing at the little ahead, high and low.

It's like the right.

Yes.

So yeah, it's it.

Good.

See?

Yeah.

If you're at the little and tried in the summer and you just hang out and he used to have a downtown cinema.

That's where we like the blockbusters too.

But I think that's really how we both have eateries.

You can stay at a just eat in between the films.

Oh, I do love the little cafe, of course, but, open face at the George Eastman Museum.

I am a huge fan of, Right.

That's what I'm saying.

We're running low on our, like, let me talk about set menus.

So I could ask you what summer movie you're excited for.

But, first we do have, Barbara from bright and, on line one here.

So let's hear for.

Hi, Barbara.

You're on with us.

Hi, there.

I just wanted to remind folks that the, you know, the horror, scene has such deep roots.

My grandparents, Alice Rice and Bert French, were, in a film called The Vampire, from 1913 that the Eastman House has.

And, and they were most famous.

They, they traveled all over the States and all over Europe.

And they were a big sensation at the time because, well, he took he the my grandfather, did the, choreography, but he and she danced in these, various dances that he developed.

And, this one was inspired by a painting called The Vampire from 1897, by Philip Burne-Jones.

And, I just wanted to say, you know, it's not a new thing, but, it has deep roots.

I love that so much.

Thank you for calling in.

Bravo.

We love we love looking, watching some old movies, too in the summer.

Old movies, I love it.

It's at the dirtiest.

You.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I know exactly what she's talking about.

Yeah.

That's amazing.

Well, I'll have to screen it sometime.

Right.

Thank you so much for calling it Barbara.

Sure.

So, yeah.

We're good.

This hour is truly going by very quickly.

I do want to talk about sandwiches, but we.

Well, Matt.

Summer movie.

Give me a, But I don't like summer, but, weapons.

Okay.

Only I've seen the teaser and kind of did that with hands over my eyes, because I don't really want to know anything.

I played the teaser of the first hours of someone's been listened to as well.

They'll have no idea.

I really liked barbarian, so that alone will get me excited for that.

Krieger's next movie.

I think that's his name.

So I'm looking forward to that one.

Okay, I'll just give a little recap of what that's about.

So if those who don't know, basically in the trailer, what they tease is one night, a class from their elementary grade students are young.

And the entire class, they just get up out of their beds, walk out of their house and disappear.

And it's just this one woman's classroom.

It doesn't happen that anything else.

So it's got a very mysterious hook.

And movies like that are tricky because that's a great hook.

And sometimes, like that mystery is so good and you're loving it, but you have to now that ending.

Otherwise it kind of leaves you a little empty.

But I'm very curious.

And I'm bored.

Yeah, my curiosity is peaked on that one, for sure.

So that's why that's my like, my one I'm most anticipating.

Okay, it.

Sorry I erupted.

You.

What else are you looking forward to?

I mean, it looks terrible, but my.

As I get older, nostalgia has taken over my brain.

So, like, I'm totally into freaky, Freaky Friday because the 2003 movie is wonderful.

It looks terrible, but I'm, I just I mean, I'm excited for that because I would like it to be 2003 again.

Like for similar, but Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in I'm in the movie.

The first one is so good.

I have never seen a Naked Gun movie.

And I think Naked Gun looks pretty fun.

And also costarring should be Academy Award winner Pamela Anderson from last year's The Last Show Girl.

So I'm like, I'll support that one for my new favorite actress, Bill Anderson.

I think it's really interesting.

We we've been talking about the sequels and reboots and remakes, but Freaky Friday and The Naked Gun, like, were these really hot properties that, like, people were clamoring for and we have to remake, like, what's your take on this, Matt?

Do you think this is just running out of ideas, or was there some like, reason why?

But I mean, Freaky Friday is pandering to people like me who saw Freaky Friday in 2003 and loved it and still love it because it's a very fun movie.

Yeah.

So yeah, we'll see how it goes.

Doesn't.

But, but I'm there.

I am there like I you said you hadn't seen the Naked Gun movies, and I don't know if our, our panel has, but I watched them very young and I think they're very silly and funny.

And this looks like a similar vibe.

And some of it's probably a little sophomoric humor, but it's it works.

And sometimes you, and it's kind of, I mean, even though it's like a reboot, remake, whatever it is, like, it's kind of nice to see Liam Neeson, like, not in these one word titles like Detour and Retribution and like these generic memory.

Like these, like these, like very generic action movies that he's been making since 2009 whenever taken came out.

So, and he looks I mean, I've chuckled a few times during the trailer, so, if it got a chuckle out of you, that's that's pretty solid.

I give that three eye rolls.

Megan, I'm going to ask you this because, I want to ask you about the new Jurassic World.

Jurassic World rebirth.

So last summer we played Jurassic Park, and anomaly was our community partners.

So now when I think of, the Jurassic Park movies, the Jurassic World movies, my brain kind of goes to the anomaly team, and they're wonderful.

Film festival.

Megan, are you looking forward to another Jurassic World?

I mean, I feel bad, but that was a really nice intro, and I should be all like, yeah, Jurassic World.

But, I, I, I love Jurassic Park, but that's also partly nostalgia, like a big Spielberg blockbuster with these beautiful facts, but also that music and just the wonder, right?

The wonder that's in that first one, right?

Where we're literally where, like, families, like, turns Laura Dern's head, you know, and it's not to a scene of horror or destruction.

It's, oh my God, look at this amazing creature.

Right.

I haven't felt that in the newer ones.

But that's just me, right?

Like, that's just, you know, I, I want everyone to have a good time with dinosaur movies, right?

Because.

Yeah, dinosaur movies.

So, you know, maybe I always feel I have hope for, like, the next one that maybe I'll.

I'll feel that moment again.

Maybe their campaign should be.

Yeah.

Dinosaur movies is.

That's what it is.

I, I just want to watch a dinosaur movie.

Jackie, I'm trying to improve.

T-Rex.

She's perfect.

She's a queen.

You keep trying to make bigger ones, but you can't improve on a classic.

Okay.

I'm fine, thank you.

Keep doing that.

We're like, this dinosaur is even bigger and more dangerous.

But you're right, T-Rex.

Like, what's what's more fearsome than a T-Rex?

Jackie, are you Jurassic World?

In or out?

I'm kind of like where Megan is.

I'm actually kind of where am I?

Which is.

Which is hilarious.

And I say that right next to, like, what I said about, Superman again, cautiously optimistic, however, yeah, the Jurassic World movies just don't capture the same thing for me.

And part of it, yes, is, is to that nostalgia.

But, I will say this because we do not have time to go into this next thing that I'm about to say.

But like, if Hollywood, I don't know, would fund and actually uplift more independent filmmakers and we'd have those original stories that people actually want rather than the sequels and the prequels, and the reboots that Hollywood continues to push.

So but like I said, I don't have time to get into that because I can give you a whole essay, Ted talk all the things.

Anyway, back to you.

I'm kind of here for that.

Well, yeah.

We have three minutes, 2.5 minutes.

Jared.

Jurassic world, is this is this your thing or.

No, a Jurassic that that series is like two for six for me.

So the first one and the third one, and then the rest are no.

But, you know, I've seen the trailer and I'm cautiously optimistic.

I mean, I think the, the cast looks fun and, maybe I'll see it certainly.

So are there any other out of these big reboots or anything?

Is there any movie that you're looking forward to?

That was probably I was going to wrap up is there is there a summer movie that you would that you'd recommend or not recommend, but one that you're looking forward to?

Well, one we haven't talked about much is, F-1, which is another one that's like, could it be.

Yeah, maybe it could be.

Okay.

It did enjoy, Maverick, Top Gun Maverick, but, not much into racing since Days of Thunder.

But, what was it again?

I see it all right.

Jackie, any any summer movies that you that it's like your movie.

You wanna.

You want to talk about it?

Well, we have a couple minutes left.

Let's see.

I'm thinking about going to see the materialists tonight again.

It's just it's purely for Celine song.

Because I trust in her, with past lives.

So we're going to see if it's.

I'm just.

I'm just hoping it's not cliche place to hold on that cliche.

Okay.

Yeah.

See, I'm like, yeah, Celine song I'm seeing for that.

So I should mention material.

This is actually closing Thursday at the end, which is why I'm seeing it tonight, because I.

This Past Lives was my favorite film of 2023.

It wrecked me so good.

And I'm ready to be heard again.

So I'm going to go to.

Let's also, I also because I was just like watching rewatching the series Downton Abbey three is coming out in September, which is technically still summer.

It's still summer, it's still summer.

So yeah, yeah, people, our little theater audience is very excited for for they say it's the last, the final Downton Abbey.

And just, just please, I like I love it, but also.

Okay, cool.

We can move on like it's it's fine, but I'm still going to see it obviously.

Yeah.

So many see so many see.

But the problem is I, I watch them I'm excited for them I it's just fun.

Like you just want to turn your brain off.

It's fine.

It's rich people doing rich things like this.

It's okay.

Whatever.

Yeah.

I watch all the Mission Impossible movies, even though the other one was kind of a bust.

The newer one.

Matt, real quick, what are you looking forward to?

This summer?

I'm not trying to pander to the table.

The two movies I'm looking forward to the most are Eyes Wide Shot at the right and seven at the Little Slow.

And I mean that sincerely in Jumanji, as I screamed in your face in excitement at the movies the other night.

It's a throwback film.

Yeah, I should mention, Eyes Wide Shut 1999 movie.

We're doing a live podcast, movies in a microphone, July 14th at the little Matt is going to be on that pedal.

We're drafting 1999 movies.

I'm going to be obnoxiously competitive.

It's going to be so fun.

So yeah, I think our takeaway go see films at the little The Trident Summer movie preview.

Thank you to my guest, Matt Santino.

Jackie McGrath.

Jared Kate Meghan Murphy via phone.

Thanks for listening in.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Hi, Matt.

Good.

My man.

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