Movies have the power to give us a pointed view of America, both good and bad. This has always been true. But it may be more important than ever in today’s polarized atmosphere. Writer-director Alex Garland seems to think so, given the theme of his latest movie, titled “Civil War.” On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss Garland’s film, which stars the likes of Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeney as photojournalists covering what is a second American war between the states and the federal government. After that, they move on to the film “La Chimera,” wh ..read more

Some of us enjoy surprises, others not so much. But when it comes to movies, it all depends on what we end up seeing. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss an event they attended on Monday called Screen Unseen. They also talk about a documentary, “Richland,” that is playing at the Magic Lantern, and Nathan regales us with his reaction to the movie “Monkey Man ..read more

Yes, we could spend time reviewing the latest horror flick or romantic comedy. But sometimes we here at Movies 101 lust to talk about something far more, for want of a better term, substantial. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart do just that, delving into their respective personal libraries of favorite films and sharing what we like to call buried, or forgotten, cinematic treasures ..read more

Here at Movies 101, we like to say that we seek out great cinema wherever we can find it. How we define “great,” though is always up for debate. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that defy standard critical summation. The first is Doug Liman’s re-envisioning of the 1989 movie “Road House,” and the second is Rose Glass’ neo-noir “Love Lies Bleeding ..read more

Yes, the "-heimer" half of the "Barbenheimer" conglomerate tallied its share of gold during the recent Oscars broadcast. But the also-rans and near-misses had their night as well. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that were at least mentioned during the broadcast. One, “20 Days in Mariupol,” was named Best Documentary Feature, while the other, “Io Capitano,” was one of the nominees for Best International Feature Film ..read more

One of the most dependable movie genres is science fiction, and the best sci-fi films boast a lot more content than mere Flash Gordon adventure. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two recent films that blend sci-fi with relevant social issues. The first is “Dune: Part Two,” which is Denis Villeneuve’s second contribution to Frank Herbert’s novel saga. And the second is “Spaceman,” the Netflix streamer that features Adam Sandler in yet another dramatic role ..read more

In a year marked by the likes of Barbenheimer, Paul Giamatti’s wall-eyed stare, deadly flowers in Oklahoma and the musical mastery of Leonard Bernstein, it should make for an interesting night on Sunday for the annual Academy Awards fiesta. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart run down their guesses as to who will walk away with Oscar gold versus who they think should win ..read more

When the names of certain filmmakers are mentioned, expectations among movie fans are bound to rise. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss the work of two such filmmakers: Wim Wenders, director of the Oscar-nominated International Feature Film “Perfect Days,” and Ethan Coen—yes, half of the moviemaking duo with brother Joel—this time directing on his own the offbeat comedy noir “Drive-Away Dolls.” They also mention “Rustin,” a biopic that is powered by an Oscar-nominated performance by Coleman Domingo ..read more

The Bee Gees sang about “Night Fever,” but this time of year the main feeling among movie fans is "Oscar fever." On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss still more Oscar nominees, specifically the Live Action and Animated Short Film programs. But before that, they talk about the sumptuous French blend of cuisine and amour titled “The Taste of Things ..read more

We’re still a month away from the Super Bowl for movie fans, which is how Movies 101 typically views the annual Oscars broadcast, so there’s still plenty of time to catch up with the various nominees. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss one of those nominees, the German film “The Teachers’ Lounge,” which is up for Best International Feature Film, and then shift direction to talk about the Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop ..read more