MacGuffin Podcast

152 - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 2 (w/ guest Mindy Crouchley)

This week we are joined by author and YA fiction enthusiast Mindy Crouchley to review the final installment of the Hunger Games franchise "Mockingjay Part 2." We discuss the film in context to the aftershocks of recent political violence, the deeper themes of YA distopian literature, and weather or not Francis Lawrence should make an "Aliens" film.  Cassidy does a solo review of the Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara romantic-drama "Carol," and for our Netflix homework we also review the 1991 ensemble comedy "Soap Dish," starring Sally Field, Kevin Cline, and Robert Downey Jr. 

Purchase a digital copy of Mindy's own YA novel "Metal Heart" here.

Carol trailer

Mockingjay Part 2 trailer

Soap Dish trailer

151 - Beasts of No Nation

Today we give you two doses of Netflix content with their original narrative feature "Beasts of No Nation," starring Idris Elba, and the 2013 Belgian thriller "The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears." We also weigh in on the news of a "Memento" remake and a possible "Fast and Furious" cinematic universe. 

Beasts of No Nation trailer

Strange Color of Your Body's Tears trailer

150 - Spectre

Because Richard is out this week, friend of the show Alec Engerson joins Cassidy to review the new James Bond film "Spectre," directed by Sam Mendes. We also discuss gender-swapping movie remakes, action choreography, and at the end of the show, for our Netflix Homework, we review the 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film "The Five Venoms."

Spectre trailer

The Five Venoms trailer