As we head into the final month of 2023, our movie schedule starts to include some of the year’s most highly touted releases. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two of those much-anticipated films: Ridley Scott’s biopic “Napoleon” and Emerald Fennell’s exploration of family and class titled “Saltburn.”

Humans can perform incredible feats. We all know that. Some feats, though, just seem impossible to imagine, much less accomplish. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss “Nyad,” the Netflix feature film about marathon swimmer Diana Nyad’s 2013 swim form Cuba to Key West, Florida—at the tender age of 64. They also talk about its two stars—Annette Bening and Jodie Foster—and list their favorite films of the two actresses.

Movies can and do focus on a variety of things, from settings to themes—but it tends to be character that we movie fans love the most. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that revolve around unique characters: one an exacting prep-school teacher played by Paul Giamatti in the theatrical offering “The Holdovers,” the other a self-aware assassin played by Michael Fassbender in the Netflix streaming feature “The Killer.”

No matter how well you might think you know people, it’s difficult to say you know everything about them. That premise is especially true both for film stars and the characters they play. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that present us with characters who we think we might know, but maybe do not. The first is Elvis Presley, a central figure in Sofia Coppola’s biopic “Priscilla,” while the second is the protagonist of the award-winning French film “Anatomy of a Fall.”

Getting to the truth of a matter isn’t always easy. And the same holds true of a person. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that seek not just to get to a subjective truth but, at least in one case, pair that with a quest for justice. One is “The Burial,” a film based on a real incident that stars Jamie Foxx and and Tommy Lee Jones, while the other is the Errol Morris documentary “The Pigeon Tunnel” that focuses on the novelist John Le Carré.

When humans act like animals, it’s often not a pretty thing to watch—especially when their actions are documented in the movies. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films, both streaming options, that revolve around such scenarios. One is “Reptile,” a murder mystery starring Benicio Del Toro and the other is “The Beasts,” a French/Spanish study of culture clash.

We all have personal definitions of horror, ranging from strange noises in the night to Thanksgiving family gatherings. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of films that explore very different notions of horror. One is the big screen franchise entry “The Exorcist: Believer,” released on the 50th anniversary of the late William Friedkin’s first in what became a staple horror series. The other is the turbulent domestic/business drama “Fair Play.”

Movies that try your imagination can be hit or miss. But when they do hit, they can provide hours of entertainment. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two dives into imaginary worlds—one being the full-length feature “The Creator” and the other a series of short Wes Anderson films adapted from Roald Dahl short stories.

“One good thing about music,” the late Bob Marley once said, “is that when it hits you, you feel no pain.” On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a film that is about as painless a viewing experience as has ever hit the big screen: the re-release of Jonathan Demme’s 1984 music documentary “Stop Making Sense.” They talk about that film, the music of the group featured in it, Talking Heads, and some of their other favorite concert films.

Fright nights at the movies come in many forms, from ravenous sharks to evil paranormal entities to masked assassins wielding knives. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing three films that offer up their own versions of frightful scenarios. First up is the theatrical release “A Haunting in Venice,” followed by two foreign-language streaming selections, Chile’s “El Conde” and France’s “Final Cut.”

On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two documentary streaming options, both of which explore some aspect of real life that most of the rest of us will find somewhat bizarre. The first is the three-part series “Telemarketers,” while the second is a feature film titled “A Life on the Farm.”

After nearly a century of being included in popular cinema mainly as an afterthought, a comic foil or even as a villain, the LGBTQ+ community is finally defining itself on its own terms. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a trio of films featuring LGBTQ+ characters. First up is the American teen comedy “Bottoms,” followed by two foreign efforts: Morocco’s “The Blue Caftan” and England’s “Blue Jean.”

Sometimes even movie fans don’t want to leave the house. That’s the kind of mood that struck Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart this last week, so they turned to their respective streaming services and watched a pair of films that couldn’t be more different to discuss for this week's show. First up is “The Eight Mountains,” a somber Italian-language exploration of a long-term friendship, and following that is the Jennifer Lawrence attempt at comedy titled “No Hard Feelings.”

Even if you’re not a Buddhist, you’re probably familiar with the concept of karma: the belief that anything you say or do, positively or negatively, will affect your future—either in this life or the next. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a pair of films that focus on characters who, through their actions, create their own hellish personal landscapes. First up is "Passages," a film featuring a movie director who can’t control his emotions, followed by the 20th-anniversary release of Chan-wook Park’s "Oldboy," a film that gives new meaning to the notion of long-simmering revenge.

With all the pain and sadness in the world, it’s nice to know that some movies are here to help us forget—if for the moment—our worries and cares. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two films that do mostly that. One is “Theater Camp,” an often-hilarious send-up of a struggling summer camp for would-be thespians, while the other is “Wham!” a Netflix documentary detailing the rise of the duo that was so much a part of the 1980s music landscape.

Diversity is a loaded term nowadays, particularly for those in charge of deciding what to teach in school. But it’s been a boon for Hollywood, particularly most recently for fans of Asian culture. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a pair of films that feature all-Asian casts. One is a blend of rom-com and character study titled “Shortcomings,” while the other is a “Bridesmaids”/“Girls Trip” clone titled “Joy Ride.”

On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two movies whose main characters exhibit bad behavior that reflects their inner conflicts, behavior that only gradually gets explained, if at all. First up is “Dreamin’ Wild,” the based-on-a-real-story of a pair of Eastern Washington musicians, followed by “Amanda,” an Italian-language study of a woman in her mid-20s whose personality seems as stunted as it is brittle.

It’s not often that two films so radically different share the same release date and get classified under a single label. But that’s what happened with “Barbenheimer.” On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing the pair of films that make up “Barbenheimer”—Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

Yes, we’re in the midst of the summer-movie season, which means that the theaters are full of exploding cars and dashing do-gooders. But there’s still room for intimate stories, too. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a pair of films that are small enough to pass right by many movie fans without so much as a murmured response. One is “The Lesson,” a neo-noir involving literary theft, and the other is “L’immensitá,” an Italian-language film starring Penelope Cruz as a mother whose love for her children is the main thing holding her marriage together.

You know you’re square in the summer-movie season when releases from two of the biggest franchises in history are playing in theaters at the same time. On this week’s show, Dan Webster and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing both the latest “Mission: Impossible” offering, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” and the latest “Indiana Jones” release, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”

Even though the glow of the Disney-Pixar partnership has dimmed a bit in recent years, that pairing still represents the pinnacle of American animation. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing the latest Disney-Pixar offering, “Elemental.” Then they’ll explore the whole realm of animated features and divulge their choices for the best animated movies ever made.

As movie fans, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will take a chance on pretty much anything that opens. But it’s always gratifying when they get to see, and review, movies that truly are worth discussing. On this week’s show, they will be tackling two such worthy films. The first is Celine Song’s tale of nostalgia and romance, “Past Lives,” while the second is “Asteroid City,” Wes Anderson’s latest exercise in his trademark brand of quirk.

At one point or another, all of us encounter situations that seem overwhelming. And we tend to ask, can I get through this? On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two films that feature characters facing such trying situations. One is the title character of the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Another is the woman played by former Seinfeld co-star Julie Louis-Dreyfus in Nicole Holofcener’s You Hurt My Feelings.

History is full of stories about men on a mission. These days, however, stories of men are far more likely to highlight women as well. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two films that fit that bill: the latest offering by writer-director Paul Schrader, “Master Gardener,” and by brothers Austin and Meredith Bragg, co-writer-directors of “Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game."

Ever since Steven Spielberg’s ode to the great white shark “Jaws” opened in July 1975, summer has been one of the go-to seasons for the film industry. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing another of Spielberg’s summer blockbusters, 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. And they’ll look back at summers past and offer up their recommendations for best views, plus take a look at what’s coming for summer in 2023.

Now that the seasonal dirge we know as a Northwest Winter has finally faded, it’s time get back outside. But if you’re a movie fan, you can enjoy the sun and your favorite cultural pastime courtesy of any number of streaming services. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two streaming specials. First up is the urban drama “A Thousand and One,” followed by the documentary “Little Richard: I Am Everything.”

Movies come and go, as do those who direct them. But the unfair part about this process is that some filmmakers gain long-lasting fame—even if they don’t necessarily deserve it—while others end up seemingly lost to the ages. On this week’s show, Dan Webster and Nathan Weinbender will be doing their parts to correct the historical record on four filmmakers who they think are underappreciated, especially considering their contributions to the art of cinema.

On this week’s show, Dan Webster and Nathan Weinbender will be discussing Ari Aster’s “Beau Is Afraid” and Cristian Mungiu’s “R.M.N.”

On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” another of Marvel Studio’s popular franchises, and “Showing Up,” another study of human foibles written and directed by Kelly Reichardt.

On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be previewing a couple of upcoming movie events. One is the 49th Seattle International Film Festival, the other is the Garland Theater's 65th anniversary screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Vertigo.”

On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing movies that they like so much they’d be willing to queue them up for a second, maybe even a third time.

On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two films that feature completely different attitudes toward some aspect of love. First up is “Air,” a study of how a single shoe saved the Oregon company symbolized by a swoosh, followed by a tender Hulu romance titled “Rye Lane.”

The motto of Hollywood these days seems to be: if you can’t create something new and original, then just make it louder and longer. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two films that fit the bill perfectly. First up is “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” followed by “John Wick: Chapter Four.”

We’re all familiar with the concept of myth, whether we’re talking about a story involving heroes and their attendant quests, or a popularly accepted tale that masks actual truth. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a pair of movies that are steeped in myth. First up is the Chinese import “Full River Red,” followed by the Hulu drama “Boston Strangler.”

The concept of race is a touchy topic in America. So, too, is family dysfunction. In this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two movies that explore both Black life in America and how family turmoil isn’t confined to any single racial group. First up is the big-screen offering “Creed III,” followed by a streaming choice, titled simply: “Bruiser.” In addition, they’ll offer their reactions to Sunday’s Oscar broadcast.

The Oscars are coming on Sunday, and the question is—as has been true for the past couple of years—will the annual broadcast offer up any surprises? On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be offering up their picks, both who they think will win and who they think should win. They’ll also review one of the Feature Documentary nominees, Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”

Despite the occasional exception, European cinema has always felt different from American cinema. Call what they do more experimental, more serious, more thoughtful, whatever, European filmmakers—the best ones, at least—distinguish themselves by refusing to pander to mainstream tastes. This week Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of European films that are prime examples of the European filmmaking ethos. First up is the Polish-made EO followed by the Belgian-made Close.

He burst upon the mainstream moviemaking scene in 1999 with a thriller called “The Sixth Sense.” Since then, M. Night Shyamalan’s career has had its ups and down. This week Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss Shyamalan’s latest effort, “Knock at the Cabin,” before tackling the Oscar-nominated live-action and animated short films, which are screening at the Magic Lantern.

Actions, as the great philosophers often preached, have consequences. Some are good, some are bad and others … well, any or all of them can make for great cinema. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a trio of films focusing on characters who make decisions and then are forced to endure what comes next. The films are “Resurrection,” “Benediction” and “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.”

Whether we’re referring to a lust for romantic love, an ardent need for acceptance or the simple quest for a peaceful, happy life, desire is a staple movie theme. This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a trio of movies, each of which features characters – in one case real-life people – whose life journey involves one or the other of the afore-mentioned yearnings. Those movies are “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” “Prey” and “The Territory.”

If you were given a choice between serving 10 years in a minimum-security prison or transferring to a far more dangerous facility to complete a mission that might earn you your freedom, which would you choose? This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a based-on-real-events miniseries titled “Black Bird” in which a guy is given that very choice. They also review the Iranian film “Hit the Road.”

There have been many golden eras of cinema. One of the most universally recognized eras, though, is the 1950s. And it was out of that decade that the actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward emerged. This week, Nathan Weinbender, Mary Pat Treuthart and Dan Webster discuss Ethan Hawke’s six-part HBO Max series titled “The Last Movie Stars.” Afterward, we’ll run down some of the married couple’s greatest achievements on screen.

Getting from destination to the next is a staple of existence. And that’s true whether we’re talking about moving literally or figuratively. This week, Mary Pat Treuthart, Nathan Weinbender and Dan Webster discuss two films that represent the two different aspects of movement: “Bullet Train," and “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey a Song.”

Hollywood defines success first and foremost by box-office grosses. But a lot of good films don’t make hardly a mark at the bank. This week, Nathan Weinbender, Mary Pat Treuthart and Dan Webster will discuss three movies that may be small in earnings but are big in quality. First up is the independent feature “Vengeance” followed by the documentary “Fire of Love” and the French-language “My Donkey, My Lover & I.”

It’s no secret that we here at Movies 101 central seek out cinema both in theaters and, increasingly, in the comfort of our own homes. On this week’s show, Nathan Weinbender, Mary Pat Treuthart and Dan Webster will be discussing two films that are playing in area theaters and one that is streaming. First up is the latest from Jordan Peele, simply titled “Nope,” followed by the Spanish-language film “Official Competition” and the Netflix offering “The Gray Man.”

No literary genre is more overheated than that of the steamy Southern gothic. And when you combine the essentials of that genre with a plucky character like author Delia Owens’ Marsh Girl … well, you’re likely to end up with a best-seller. This week, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss Olivia Newman’s adaptation of Owens’ best-selling novel “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Then we’ll tackle a Netflix true-crime documentary titled “Girl in the Picture.”

People think, not unreasonably, of critics as … well, people who complain. They forget that, first and foremost, at heart we movie critics are movie fans. This week, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two movies that movie beyond art and fall mostly in the let’s-just-have-fun category. First up is the newest Marvel feature “Thor: Love and Thunder” followed by the British import “The Phantom of the Open.”

Every week, Nathan Weinbender, Mary Pat Treuthart and Dan Webster discuss movies that usually, but not always, boast some sort of a common theme. This will be one of those "off" weeks. First up, the coming-of-age study “Cha Cha Real Smooth” then the thriller “Kimi” and finally the drama “The Forgiven.”

Opportunists exists in all genres of art. Some are good, some are bad and – all often – some are both. This week, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two movies that features opportunists of the first order. First up is the the big-screen biopic “Elvis” followed by the Netflix sport film “Hustle.”

No art form is more personal than comedy. Just ask the standup comic Chris Rock. This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a couple of comedy studies, both now streaming online. One is the HBO Max two-part documentary “George Carlin’s American Dream,” the other Hulu’s narrative romantic comedy “Fire Island.”

Blockbusters come in all shapes and sizes, from action-packed frenzy to upper-crust fantasy. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films, each a prime example of frenzy and/or fantasy. First up is “Top Gun: Maverick” followed by “Downton Abbey: A New Era.”

Though overly simplistic, our modern view of stage plays is symbolized by the pair of classic memes, one signifying tragedy, the other comedy. This week, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two movies that, at least at first glance, fall fairly easily into one or the other categories. First up is a curious blend of the serious and the horrific titled succinctly “Men.” Following that will be the mostly lighthearted retelling of a serious event titled “The Duke.”