Category: Specials

This week’s episode is indeed very special: it marks the fifth anniversary of my waking up with a throbbing head and a copy of a binding “We Are Doing A Podcast” stapled to my shirt that I had apparently signed as “Maxxx Overdrive.” Mike has assured me many times over the last five years that this is legally binding and sadly I don’t know of any kind of professional whose job it is to interpret contracts or the law. Someone should come up with something like that . . .

But of course, I have no regrets (well, not about this podcast . . . we won’t talk about my unfortunate tattoo) and neither does Mike, during his few lucid moments. Yes, we started this journey on July 5^th, 2018 and Mike tells me that was five years ago and I must believe him because math is hard (both at the beach and other locations). We had all sorts of genuinely terrifying ideas for this week’s show but we decided to spare you all the Lovecraftian horror we had dreamed up and instead decided to modify a suggestion from one of our particularly well-manicured listeners, Dan Schaeffer, and discuss the fifth highest-grossing movie of 2018, our inception year (minus the weird spinning top thingy). And what cinematic classic hit the number five spot that year? Why it was “Deadpool 2,” the highly successful sequel to the first R-rated superhero movie “Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS.” No, wait, it was “Deadpool,” wasn’t it. Yes. That makes more sense. So join us for this romp, five years in the making! And join us for the next five years! And the five years after that! You will never escape us! We are bonded to your soul! Do not fear us! Be one with Max, Mike; Movies. Ia! Ia! MaxMikeMovies fthagn! See, Mike? I told you I’d work in some Lovecraftian horror, but you called me mad! Mad! So who’s mad now??!

Dang. It’s me, isn’t it. Well, this is awkward . . . Oh well, give a listen anyway.

Poll question: what is your favorite film franchise?

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Citizens, we commend you on your fortitude, courage and strength of character: you have stuck with us through all four parts of our commentary about His Royal Batness (sidenote: most people don’t know that was the nickname Prince was originally going to use. It’s true. Trust us. Don’t bother to look it up). In this the FINAL segment of our 200^th episode, we cover the end of the Bale-Nolan trilogy, the thrilling courtroom drama that was “Batman v. Superman” (in a moment, the results of that trial), the surprisingly entertaining “Lego Batman Movie” and the even more surprising, and most recent, incarnation of Batman, played by the pale and somewhat wispy Robert Pattinson. Note for parents: at no point does Mr. Patterson sparkle during his portrayal of Batman. I don’t know about you but I was really worried about that. And then we wrap it all up with a brief discussion of the character of Bartman, sorry, Biffman, wait, Blortman . . . dang it, this has gone on so long I can’t remember who we’re actually talking about . . . Forbushman? No, no, that doesn’t sound right. Anyway, we are so grateful that you’ve stuck around for this Director’s Cut of an episode and we promise that we’ve learned our less and episode 300 will just be a description of an old Chef Boyardee commercial that should last about 20 minutes. But you’ve come this far (we hope) so join us for the grand bat-finale! Pow! Zap! Biff! Conclude!

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

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Well, we hope all our old chums are hanging on to their bat-ropes as we charge ahead into the third part of our 200^th episode (don’t ask me how math works). In this one we move from the last of the Burton-esque Batman movies, including the one that sank the franchise, as well as the much-loved Animated Series and then make a start on the Bale-Nolan Batman revival of the 2000’s. There’s a lot to cover here: we’ve got Jim Carrey as the Riddler, Ahhhhnold as Mr. Freeze (complete with agonizing ice puns), the introduction of Harley Quinn, the introduction of Batman’s gargling-with-hot-gravel voice, and the performance may in fact out-Joker Jack Nicholson. So join us for more Bat-lore and bat-tastic discussion! Batfully!

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

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Holy multi-part-episode! It’s part two of our 200^th episode here at Max, Mike; Movies! It’s still episode 200 and we’re still talking about the Man of Bats; in this segment we’re talking about the Batman’s first animated appearances in such classics as “SuperFriends” (in all it’s many, many . . . MANY incarnations) as well as his team-up with perhaps his greatest ally . . . Scooby-Doo! We’re also covering the return of the Gotham Guy (someone must have called him that at some point) to live-action cinema with the Tim Burton movies of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Grab some bat-popcorn, enjoy some bat-cola, and join us for Chapter Two of our tribute to the many screen-forms of Batman! Alfred! Run me a bat-bath!

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

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What’s this? Our dyspeptic duo has actually produced two hundred episodes? Our Cape-less Crusaders have bivouacked a burgeoning bicentennial of cinematic barbs? Holy milestone! An event like this must have a worthy subject, something grand, something spanning decades, something like . . . a guy who dresses up like a flying Chiroptera and beats up insane snake-clowns! Of course! Yes, we’re taking on the Dark Knight himself: Batman! Which version, you ask? Why, pretty much all of them, of course! In a fit of masochism Mike and I have decided to discuss, converse, and otherwise hobnob about every major screen appearance (well, a lot of them) made by Batman. From the movie serials of the 40’s to the animated series of the 90’s, from Adam West to Michael Keaton to Robert Pattison, no one is immune to our analysis!

Now, there’s a lot to say about this literary/television/cinematic character and by Aunt Harriet’s bloomers, we said a lot of it! So much so that it’s too bat-much for one bat-episode so we’re splitting it up into not one, not two, not three, but four separate bat-episodes. Collect them all! Trade them with your friends! In Chapter One, we cover the Batman movie serials of the 40’s up through the famous/infamous TV show (and movie!) of 1966! Zap! Bow! Bam! Enjoy!

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

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“Poogaloo, the Singing Pangolin” will not be heard tonight so we can bring you the following special presentation, brought to you commercial free and in living (auditory) color.  We’re interrupting our current time-travel series for this extra-ultra-mega-super-lifesize-retcin-free episode where Mike and I partake in a classic piece of Americana: the Drive-In Movie! What with living in this time of modern plague it’s still not safe to go to the movie theaters yet so what could be better than cramming the whole family into an SUV, smuggling in easily-spilled snacks and drinks, hooking a tinny-sounding speaker to your window and watching a massive outdoor screen be attacked by moths? Ah, memories! Well, Mike and I happened to be in the same place at the same time (a sadly rare occurrence) and we took the opportunity to see if this cherished cinematic format still exists (it does!) and what was like now, as neither of us had been to a drive-in in far longer than we care to admit.  So after we all go to the lobby, after we all go to the lobby, after we all go to the lobby . . . dammit, sorry, clamber into the car trunk so we can sneak you in with us [disclaimer: you don’t have to do that anymore; they charge by the car, not by the number of passengers].

Poll question: when was the last time (if ever) that you went to a Drive-In Theater and what did you see?

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

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Great jumping midi-chlorians! We’ve made it all the way to episode 100 of Max, Mike; Movies! Who’d have believed it? Seems like only yesterday we were at episode 34.  They said we’d never make it; they said that we were mad! Mad, I tell you! They said we had to wear pants to the grocery store! Well, who’s wearing pants now, huh? Huh?

As this is an extra special, super-deluxe, chocolate-fudgy episode, we had to do something epic, something massive, something spanning decades, yet so simple and enjoyable that no one could ever, ever disagree about it or have conflicting opinions that would fill countless internet forums, web sites, or endless blogs.  You guessed it, we chose “Star Wars”! (I lobbied for “Twilight” but Mike wouldn’t stop crying and biting himself when I suggested it). But which of the eleven official Star Wars movies could we discuss? How could we choose just one? Well . . . we couldn’t! So, we’re doing ALL OF THEM! That’s right, we’re talking about Star Wars, episodes 1 through 9, as well as “Solo” and “Rogue One.” Man, we must be really good to fit a complete analysis of the entire Skywalker Saga into one hour! Uh . . . well, we’re not actually that good.  This is one of our longest podcasts ever.  I mean EVER.  Like, almost 3 hours long (hey, the movies got progressively longer as they went on, so we’re just honoring them. Yeah, that’s it). You’ll need plenty of roast Porg sandwiches and a big thermos of blue milk for this.  We’ll be trying to discuss as much about all the movies, in context, as we can.  Please note, we’re not going to try to cover the tv shows, animated series, novels, comic books, fanfics, neckties, tattoos, or stained-glass windows.  We’re only Bothans, after all, and many of us died to bring you this podcast.  Well, not really.  

Now, a podcast of this magnitude needs more than just additional time; Mike and I like us some Star Wars-ing, but we’re not experts on the subject, so we found one of the most knowledgeable, reasonable, and well-dressed Star Wars enthusiasts we know: our special guest, Dr. Tyler Hutchinson.  Dr. Hutchinson knows more about Star Wars than Calvin Coolidge put together, and he has very kindly agreed to lend his perspective, his knowledge of the Star Wars Universe, and his elegant vocal stylings to this episode.  Don’t get used to it; next week it’s back to the dull screechings of Max and Mike.  So, don’t go forming any Tyler fan clubs . . . unless we get a piece of the merchandising rights.

And for those of you who don’t want to deal with one huge, choking mass of our ponderous pontificating, Mike has neatly divided this podcast into three downloadable, easy to digest, bite-sized files that you can find here below, on our website.  So, stock up on kyber crystals, light up a death stick, and give a listen to find out if these are the droids you’re looking for!

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

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We interrupt our childhood reminisces for something more timely: our take on this year’s Academy Awards. Yes, we’re right on top of things here at Max, Mike; Movies.  It’s been a mere two weeks since the 92^nd Night the Stars Salute Themselves and we figure things have calmed down enough to offer our own opinions on the Academy’s choices for Best Picture Nominees, as well as what we think of the winner, because goodness knows that what people really want is OUR take on these movies.  Because what do those industry professionals know? No, we know what people want: the ramblings of a couple of movie nerds! Mike and I have watched the Oscars every year for over thirty years, so that qualifies us to  . . . watch it again this year and talk about it! And that’s what we’ll do! Just try and stop us (please don’t try and stop us; it would probably be pretty easy to do so).  So yes, we’re talking about the show itself, the lack of a host (hey, we’re both available next year, Academy! Just sayin’ . . . ), the music, the pageantry, and . . .  what am I forgetting . . . oh, right! The movies! What did we think of the Big Nine? What did we think of the winner? Do we think it’s an honor just to be nominated? Will the orchestra play us off before we finish this episode? Find out!

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Y’know, we’ve been doing this podcast for a while and it occurred to Mike that, hard to believe as it might be, there could be folks out there who might be wondering who we are and why anyone would want to listen to what we say. After I stopped my hysterical laughter at such an absurd notion, I realized that, like the top of his head, Mike has a point. Who are we? Why are our opinions so vitally important? It’s possible that people might actually be interested in a brief summary of what makes us tick and what makes us go “Huygleflamdoof!” (so many, many things make us do that).  So here, at the request of none, is a short, special episode where Mike and I discuss ourselves, our love of movies, and why independent film discussion might actually be something that matters.  Enjoy!

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No, this podcast has not been hijacked, you read that title correctly.  And sadly no, this episode is not just an hour of Mike and I talking about how much we like the animal felis catus (although we do). Strap yourselves in tightly because we went and saw the new “Cats” movie. Yup, that one. “But Max,” you may cry “Why did you and Mike subject yourself to what some people are calling the worst movie of all time?” Well, I invite you to think about what you just said (or rather, what I imagine you just said).  This is us, dig? If someone says “there is no way anyone can sit through this movie,” our response is usually “Challenge accepted!” I’m not proud of this. No one should be.  But we kept hearing about how insanely terrible this adaptation of Dame Andrew Lloyd Weber’s long-running musical was and we felt we owed it to you, our beloved, well-groomed, beautifully dressed listeners.  This movie has a remarkable cast: Ian McKellen, Judy Dench, Idris Elba . . . and the rest! So how bad could it be? Seriously, is it REALLY that bad? We found out, so you don’t have to. So honor our sacrifice and have a listen. And I leave you with the lyrics of that most famous Cats song:
Meow meow meow meow,
Meow meow meow meow,
Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow.
                                — “Meow Mix of the Night”

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