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Notes From the Back Row: The Substance Inside of You
Jenna & Veronica defy the haters and sign up for a weekly dose of The Substance – listen as they pick apart the strengths and weaknesses of the movie and themselves
Double Feature: Desperate Man Double (Dog Day Afternoon & The Mist)
This double feature is about desperation beyond comprehension; these aren’t films about the about the possibility of a disaster but the fruition of one.
A Third Problem I Haven't Seen: Asteroid City Explained
If we peel back all of the layers of Asteroid City we discover the paradox of the director – specifically, how one can truthfully portray the chaos of the world while still working within film, a medium that itself calls for tight control and planning at every step.
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Singapore Sling
Veronica watched Singapore Sling so you don’t have to, outlining all of the worst parts of this wet and gruesome ride through Greek Tragedy and BDSM.
Adventures In Wonderlands: Problemista, Alice through the Looking Glass & The Rare Blue Apes of Cannibal Isle
Wonderlands and odysseys come in so many forms. Despite how different these three movies are and how different the motives of each character, we can see overlap in how the stories play out: a goal out of reach and a maze with no clear answer.
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Scum (1979)
Empathy just one of the themes of Alan Clarke’s Scum, about England’s notorious Borstal youth detention center. It’s a harrowing watch, here to remind you that these prison systems benefit from society’s ability to look the other way when the truth becomes too uncomfortable to witness.
Double Feature: They're Living East Coast vs West Coast (They Live & They Look Like People)
It’s commonplace now for people to assume some massive conspiracy is going on behind the scenes. They Live and They Look Like People cover similar ground but with two very different tones.
In Fate's Hands: Movies About Creating One's Destiny
A common question among first-year philosophy students, religious types, and stoners is: are we in control of our own destiny? Veronica explores this question through Lisa Frankenstein, She is Conann and The Iron Claw
Drive-Away Dolls Review: All Climax, No Foreplay
It’s clear Coen and Cooke missed their window to ironically straddle the past while still wholeheartedly indulging in their cinematic kinks.
Dan's Top 30 "New To Me" Movies of 2023
Here’s 30 movies that Dan watched in 2023 for the first time and loved to varying degrees.
Veronica's Top Twelve Movies of 2023
Enjoy Veronica’s best new to her list of 2023. Featuring more mainstream than usual movies and yet still chock-full of existential dread, sexual themes and gross humor.
Jenna's Top Ten Movies of 2023
Jenna gets into her favorites of 2023, a year of existential dread, rude awakenings, crushing loneliness, painful anxiety, and meditations on empathy.
Lifestyles of the Rich and Crazy: Saltburn, The House of Yes and Grey Gardens
A look at three different versions of the rich and crazy over the eras to see what we pity, what we covet, and what would ultimately drive us nuts as well.
Notes from the Back Row 2023 Year End Diorama-Rama
Cozy up ‘round the speakers, sip on some egg nog and listen as Back Row discusses all the movies we watched in 2023 – including the good, the bad, and the what-the surprises.
Body Horror Intertwined with Reproductive Healthcare: Rewatching The Fly (1986) & Dead Ringers (1988) Today
While The Fly is implicitly and explicitly about abortion, Dead Ringers takes on the entire sphere of gynecological healthcare – how the patriarchy poisons even a sphere where pregnant people should feel safe and listened to.
Drama Season Recommendations for 2023
Drama Season is that post-Halloween pre-Christmas time of the year where watching hard-hitting dramas just feels right. Here’s some recommendations to get you started.
We Rise, Movies About Revolution: Dumb Money, Bottoms and Lawrence of Arabia
Who else but Back Row would group together Dumb Money, Bottoms and Lawrence of Arabia? Read Veronica’s latest as she makes a compelling argument to the revolutionary connection throughout all three.
Girls Just Wanna Be Weird: A Spotlight on Female-Lead Comedies
The future is female… weirdos. Veronica dives into female-led comedies that don’t back away from the weirdness and the uncomfortable reality of being a woman – including Joy Ride, Please Baby Please and Mod Fuck Explosion.
Misery Breeds Corruption: Paul Negoescu's Men of Deeds
Paul Negoescu's Men of Deeds (2023), is a tale of dubious morality and small town politics as filtered through a darkly comedic sensibility, reminiscent of the films of the Coen Brothers or Milos Forman.
Decade vs Decade: 60s v 80s - Oscar Winners
Dan and Jenna pit pre-1980 movies against post-1980 movies in the latest podcast. In this episode they focus on two slightly controversial Oscar winners: Sundays and Cybele and Ordinary People.