Look, Brian De Palma is still making movies. But yes, they are not the Hollywood productions of his heyday. Was his fall from grace inevitable, and, more importantly, deserved? Is THE BLACK DAHLIA as bad as people say? Or in fact, could THE BLACK DAHLIA be actually as good as we said it was in Contrarians Corner? This Real Talk segment dives into those questions and more! (like a quick read of the official FBI report about the case)

It’s been 17 years since Brian De Palma took a James Ellroy novel, called up emerging superstars Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, and Hillary Swank and said, hey, let’s put on a noir show. Critics hated it, audiences avoided it, and De Palma hasn’t made a major studio film since. Listen to Alex & Julio as they rediscover THE BLACK DAHLIA and try to restore its extremely tarnished reputation. Murder, romance, and wall-to-wall movie people dressed like it’s The 40s: what’s not to love?

With the Contrarians gimmick set aside, this Real Talk segment features a wide range of opinions regarding Nicolas Winding Refn and his work. Longtime listeners know how Alex feels about Drive and The Neon Demon — or at least how he felt before this rewatch. And we’ve hinted to Ryan’s actual Neon Demon feelings fairly strongly. But that’s only half the panel, and that alone already gives us all plenty to argue about. Listen to find out what’s the final verdict on Elle Fanning’s misadventures in L.A.!

Nicolas Winding Refn was in a pretty awkward place after releasing Only God Forgives. The popularity he amassed when he made Drive seemed to implode with the follow-up. So what did he do? He doubled down on the weirdness and released a biting, irreverent satire about the L.A. modeling scene. Listen to Alex & Julio discuss THE NEON DEMON with the help of Ryan & Bartek from the Spit & Polish podcast! Can we collectively succeed in making naysayers understand Winding Refn’s genius?

Once again, we are starting the new year with a Denzel Washington movie. RICOCHET may divide the Contrarians far more than The Bone Collector did, however. How do Alex & Julio truly feel about this hidden gem/stain in Denzel’s filmography? Can at least one of them appreciate the fun trashiness of Steven de Souza’s screenplay? And we all know Kevin Pollak doesn’t know how to die on screen convincingly, but is that annoying or endearing? This and more on this Real Talk segment!

Imagine you are a young Denzel Washington and you just won your first Oscar. How do you show Hollywood you are not a one-hit wonder? Somehow, Denzel thought the answer was to face off against a predictably deranged John Lithgow in a schlocky thriller. And, based on RICOCHET’s fresh Tomatometer score, it worked! Listen to Alex & Julio as they pick apart yet another Steven de Souza extravaganza and marvel at the fact that Denzel didn’t ruin his career with it.

So, as of this posting, it’s basically impossible to stream DROP DEAD GORGEOUS in the U.S. Is that reflective of its quality, its controversial sense of humor, or both? Alex has been enthusiastic about the movie ever since he found out it was on the schedule, but will Julio share that excitement now that we are being serious? And is it easier to navigate the potentially problematic comedic elements when you are not trying to be funny about them? Find out in this Real Talk segment!

Middle America exposed!!! And before the MAGA years, mind you. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t go over particularly well with conservative critics, and so DROP DEAD GORGEOUS’ Tomatometer score is divisive at best. Listen to Alex & Julio as they celebrate the rare mockumentary that’s not a Christopher Guest product: an incisive look at the beauty pageants industry, and a showcase for an all-star cast. There’s even a Batman cameo!

You could make an argument that none of the players involved in JERRY MAGUIRE have ever been better. Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr., Cameron Crowe… forget whatever acclaim they garnered in the future, maybe this rom-sports-com is where they peaked. Or maybe not. Maybe at least one of The Contrarians is too close to this film to judge it objectively. Listen to this Real Talk segment and see who you side with - or who you side against!

Hey, look, it’s Hollywood mega-star Tom Cruise trying to play a regular guy. Wonder if movie critics will fall for it? Of course they did! JERRY MAGUIRE is fresh on the Tomatometer despite being among the worst examples of Cameron Crowe’s mannered dialogue and overproduced soundtracks. Listen to Alex & Julio as they try to figure out what exactly is Jerry so bummed about, and as they refuse to fall for Jonathan Lipnicki’s meme-worthy lines. Oh yeah, and Renée Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. are in this too. Whoop-dee-doo.