Based on Corey's Waiting for Guffman (1996), Paul wanted to take a deeper look at people who struggle with being deluded (in so many words). And so... Richard Jewell (2019). Directed by king Clint Eastwood and written by Billy Ray - who brought us the "We Make Movies Better" campaign with Nicole Kidman, Richard Jewell tells the true story of Richard Jewell. He was working as a security guard at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, discovered a bomb on the grounds, saved hundreds of lives, became a hero in the media, and then... The film is packed with amazing performances. Paul Walter Hauser is simply stunning in the title role. The film garnered a fair amount of pushback around its representation of journalist Kathy Scruggs, and there's a lot to discuss there. A great film, and a great episode of PACCTS. Take a listen!

Based on Paul's In the Mood for Love (2000), Corey was swept up into the world of Chinese cuisine and figured, "We need a movie with a great scene in a Chinese restaurant." And so... Waiting for Guffman (1996). Directed by Christopher Guest and co-written by Guest and Eugene Levy, Waiting for Guffman is the mockumentary that kinda started it all. With a Murderers' row of improv performances, infinitely quotable dialogue, and catchy showtunes, Guffman is a brilliant comedy that holds up nearly 30 years later.  What am I telling you for? If you've ever done theatre, someone has made you watch this.

In the Mood for Love (2000) - written, directed, and produced by Wong Kar-wai - takes a loving look back at his parents' generation: Shanghainese professionals who immigrated to Hong Kong following the Revolution. In 2022, In the Mood for Love placed 5th in Sight & Sound's "Greatest Films of All Time" critics' poll, and it's tough to argue with that. Gorgeous art direction, costuming, set design, cinematography...if you have the chance to see this on the big screen, do. With all that said, the film's non-linear storytelling can be a hurdle, and Paul and Corey talk about how and why the film feels more like an improvisation at times than a story. There's a lot to discuss!

So, in this episode, the boys discuss All That Jazz (1979) - Bob Fosse's thinly-veiled fictionalized autobiography. For good and for ill, Bob Fosse, through his art, made a hell of a case for the celebration of the auteur. With All That Jazz, he grapples with the fallout of it. But is this unrelenting examination of his own failures courageous or further manipulation?

Based on Corey's Amsterdam (2022), Paul figured, "Let's keep the FDR-train rolling!" and so he chose Annie (1982). Once again set in 1933, Annie asks the question we thought Paul McCartney had answered, "Can I buy me love?" From the classic right-wing comic strip to the inscrutable decision to have John Huston direct to the Michael-Mann-esque climax to Corey's teenage infatuation with Ann Reinking in Pippin to even (leapin' lizards) Bolsheviks, this episode has it all.

Welcome back to season five of Paul and Corey Cross the Streams! To start things off, Corey chose last year's Amsterdam (2022) - the star-studded, post-canceling-ish film from auteur David O. Russell. Just a baffling, horrid piece of trash. The worst film Paul and Corey have watched yet? Why did Corey choose it? What are Paul's deep thoughts on Tár? You'll have to listen to find out!

This month, *both* Paul and Corey decided to get into the holiday spirit with something Christmas-ish: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). Enjoy!

This (elongated) month, Paul and Corey decided to expand their horizons a bit and talk about Animation: a style of filmmaking they don’t generally watch for good and ill. Paul chose the... content that is The Emoji Movie (2017). Loaded to the brim with cancelled stars and n'er-do-wells, The Emoji Movie may be the most evil thing that Paul and Corey have watched for the podcast. Enjoy!

This month, Paul and Corey decided to expand their horizons a bit and talk about Animation: a style of filmmaking they don’t generally watch for good and ill. This time, Corey chose a stop-motion project written and co-directed by Charlie Kaufman – Anomalisa (2015). Adapted from a play(!) he’d written, Anomalisa is the simple story of a man flying into Cincinnati for a business conference but quickly escalates into an examination of loneliness, desire, alienation, fantasies, and mental illness. There’s a lot to discuss in this one!

This month's theme is an easy one: A Long One and a Short One. Clocking in at a tight 68 minutes, Paul picked the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup (1933). The film was their fifth and final with Paramount before moving on to a new contract with MGM. While the film was greeted with a lukewarm reception from critics and audiences, Duck Soup is today broadly considered their best film and one of the best (albeit idiosyncratic) political satires of American cinema. This episode was a real treat to record.