July 18: Biff! Bam! Pow! It's here. It's finally here. The podcast you've been waiting months to hear has arrived... Adam and Matty, wait for it, count down their Top 5 Performances of the Year (So Far) with some help from Steve Prokopy (aka Capone) of Ain't It Cool News. Oh, and the boys squeeze in a couple minutes discussing director Christopher Nolan's latest epic Batman saga, "The Dark Knight," starring Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, and the late Heath Ledger. Will a movie that couldn't possibly live up to its advanced billing do just that? Or will it leave Filmspotting's own Dynamic Duo asking, "Why so serious?"

Tune in next week for a special Spoiler Edition review of "The Dark Knight" with special guest Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre and music by Utah Carol.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **

CONTEST
Congratulations to Re-cast "The Matrix" grand prize winner jdamer83 and runner-up wadetown! Re-cast "Reservoir Dogs" now for a shot at great prizes!



Filmspotting #219
:24-13:57 - Review: "The Dark Knight"
Music: Utah Carol, "Kimberly Smiles"
14:52-18:48 - Voicemails, Polls
18:49-26:51 - Feedback (Hellboy, Teach An Alien, Creatures)
Music: Utah Carol, "Sam's Ranch"
27:20-31:46 - New DVDs, Donations
31:47-35:26 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Dan Krahn)
35:27-53:41 - Top 5 Female Performances
Music: Utah Carol, "The Northern Skies"
54:01-1:01:23 - Contests
1:01:24-1:14:45 - Top 5 Male Performances
1:14:45-1:17:22 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- Check out Steve's interview with "The Fall" director Tarsem here.

- "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day" is actually out on DVD 8/19.

- Saleh Bakri is the actor who is so good in "The Band's Visit" (one of many).

Filmspotting #219 with our review of "The Dark Knight" and Top 5 Performances of the Year (So Far) will be posted by 9 am CT. Thanks for your patience!

July 11: Time to take a Magical Journey of Mystical Wonder as we review one of Matty's most anticipated movies of the year, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," directed by Guillermo ("Pan's Labyrinth") Del Toro. Will Del Toro's Mos Eisley-esque menagerie warm Filmspotting's hearts, or leave them as cold and black as a re-imagined Jabba the Hutt circa "The Phantom Menace"? Plus, in honor of "Hellboy," the boys list their Top 5 Movie Creatures. All the while, back at the lair, Jules Dassin and company have been busy planning the caper of the century, or at least busy creating the template for every heist film ever made, with "Rififi," the third entry in Filmspotting's Classic Heist Marathon.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre and music by The Clientele.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **

CONTEST
Filmspotting and Spout.com invite you to take the red pill and Re-cast "The Matrix" for a chance to win some great American Apparel swag. A 2nd place winner will get "Batman: The Movie" on Blu-Ray DVD.



Filmspotting #218
:24-14:10 - Review: "Hellboy II"
Music: The Clientele, "E.M.P.T.Y."
15:19-20:10 - Voicemail, Polls, Notes
20:11-32:54 - Listener Feedback (WALL-E, Loneliness Movies)
Music: The Clientele, "Impossible"
33:46-37:04 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Ann Enders)
37:05-48:24 - Classic Heist #3: "Rififi"
Music: The Clientele, "Step into the Light"
48:55-55:42 - New DVDs, Donations, Contests
55:43-1:09:15 - Top 5: Creatures
1:09:16-1:11:06 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- Hear Adam on the /Filmcast discussing "Hancock" here... Thanks to /Filmcast's David Chen for his last minute help on getting me the "Dazed and Confused" sound clip for this show!

July 5: This week, in honor of America's celebration of its independence, Filmspotting's resident Yankee Doodles mark the Fourth of July by feting two larger-than-life paragons of the American Way. First up, the lads review Peter Berg's action comedy "Hancock," starring Will Smith as the titular anti-superhero. Then the boys get "Gonzo" with a review of director Alex Gibney's latest documentary chronicling the life and work of America's foremost psychedelic journalist rebel, Hunter S. Thompson. In recognition of Will Smith's storied service as Earth's ambassador to the alien set, Adam and Matty roll out their Top 5 Movies To Teach an Alien About Earth.

Plus, what's more American than getting rich quick? The Classic Heist Marathon heads to the races for a discussion of Stanley Kubrick's classic "The Killing," featuring Sterling Hayden as a small-time hoodlum attempting a daring racetrack heist.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre and music by Dan Bern.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com. **



Filmspotting #216
:24-8:59 - Review: "Hancock"
9:00-17:25 - Review: "Gonzo"
Music: Dan Bern, "New American Language"
18:53-23:28 - Voicemail, Polls, Notes
23:29-32:40 - Listener Feedback (Actor-Director Duos, Loneliness Movies)
Music: Dan Bern, "Albuquerque Lullaby"
33:28-37:20 - New DVDs, Donations
37:21-40:54 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Andy Scheper)
40:55-52:33 - Classic Heist #2: "The Killing"
Music: Dan Bern, "Turning Over"
53:17-57:17 - Filmgaming Contests
57:18-1:08:02 - Top 5: Movies To Teach an Alien...
1:08:03-1:11:39 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- Dan Bern performance information in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids can be found here.

June 27: Alright campers, grab your suitcases, strap grandma to the roof, and hop into the old Griswald family station wagon... we're off to "WALL•E" world. This week Adam and Matty review the latest animated feature from director Andrew Stanton and the creative geniuses at Pixar. Will Disney's little-robot-that-could warm your hosts' cynical hearts, or leave our intrepid duo wishing they had left robots where they belong... in the 1980s, on the scrap heap of history with Johnny #5 and that annoying butler robot from "Rocky IV"?

Plus, Filmspotting goes bully for bullion as our Classic Heist marathon roars to life with the gang from the "The Lavender Hill Mob," an Ealing Studios caper-comedy from 1951 featuring the legendary Alec Guinness.

Also on the show: Matty's Movie Minute takes on Gengis Khan and "Mongol," Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, music by The Nadas and -- inspired by "WALL•E's" solitary protagonist -- our Top 5 Movies About Loneliness.

** Filmspotting is presented by SpoutBlog and the FilmCouch podcast. Find out why The New York Times says, "SpoutBlog's got it all," at blog.spout.com.

Share the Top 5 Movies To Teach An Alien About Earth at filmgaming.spout.com and get a shot at some swanky American Apparel/Spout swag! **

"Matty's Movie Minute" intro written and performed by Joren Cain and Jessica Israels from Valdosta, GA / Outro written and performed by Tom Knight from Ithaca, NY.



Filmspotting #216
:24-13:40 - Review: "WALL•E"
13:41-15:30 - Matty's Movie Minute: "Mongol"
Music: The Nadas, "Pieces on the Ground"
16:25-19:47 - Voicemails, Polls
19:48-31:28 - Listener Feedback (Incredible Hulk, Actor-Director Duos)
Music: The Nadas, "Loser"
32:36-36:00 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Jim Owen)
36:01-43:43 - Classic Heist #1: "The Lavender Hill Mob"
Music: The Nadas, "No Thank You"
44:14-51:26 - New DVDs, Contest, Donations
51:27-53:44 - Carlin/Winston Tributes
53:45-1:05:09 - Top 5: Movies About Loneliness
1:05:10-1:08:36 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- I really hope people don't write in telling us to say it "WALL-e" and not "wall-E".

- Nick from Glasgow correctly notes that I keep suggesting "The Incredible Hulk" is only 90 minutes long when it is really 114. I'd still like to see the 135 minute version Leterrier reportedly turned in originally, but the discrepancy between the original and the 'compromised' cut we ended up with obviously isn't as big. I can't account for where I got the 90 minutes from.

- "Rififi" should be up next in our Classic Heist Marathon, but we said "The Killing" and that's what we'll go with.

- Learn more about Stan Winston here.