Ticket Stubs

As the year winds down and the calendar flips over, we’re ringing in the New Year with a special bonus episode dedicated to one of our favorite—and most elusive—writers: Thomas Pynchon. In this New Year’s Eve edition of Ticket Stubs, we gather to talk about what Pynchon’s work has meant to us over the years, why his voice remains so singular in modern literature, and how his obsessions with paranoia, the past, and slapstick continue to resonate. From there, we dive into One Battle After Another, the recent adaptation of Vineland from director Paul Thomas Anderson, another favorite of ours. Then, we share our thoughts on Pynchon’s long-awaited new novel, Shadow Ticket, before closing things out by putting our cards on the table with our own personal rankings of his novels. Whether you’re a longtime Pynchon devotee, a curious newcomer, or just looking to close out the year with a little chaos and conspiratorial joy, we hope you’ll spend what's left of 2025, or perhaps even the earliest part of 2026...or actually anytime in the foreseeable (or not?) future...with us. Any and all digressions are welcome when it comes to discussing this artist and his work. And believe me, we take digressions aplenty! As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you listen. Got thoughts or questions? Email us at [email protected].

It’s that time of year again—when we gather by the fire, sip something warm, and queue up… movies that *technically* take place at Christmas. This week, we’re unwrapping two not-quite-but-definitely-set-during-the-holidays classics: Stanley Kubrick’s eerie yuletide odyssey Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and Steven Spielberg’s breezy cat-and-mouse charmer Catch Me If You Can (2002). While neither film is exactly “festive,” both use the holiday season to cast their stories in a glow equal parts melancholic and mischievous. Before diving into our gift-wrap-adjacent double feature, our Blue Plate Special is packed with plenty of cinematic goodies waiting under the tree. We break down the eyebrow-raising possibility of Warner Bros. being sold to either Netflix or Paramount/Skydance—and what such a shake-up could mean for the future of the film industry. We also share our thoughts on several recent releases we’ve caught (Sentimental Value, The History of Sound, Jay Kelly, and Pavements), react to Quentin Tarantino’s recent comments about Paul Dano and 21st-century cinema, relive our theatrical experience seeing Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, and pay tribute to the recent losses of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Jim Ward, Jeff Garcia, Peter Greene, and the legendary Rob Reiner. As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you listen! Got thoughts or questions? Email us at [email protected].

New name, same show! Overlapping Dialogue is now Ticket Stubs—your go-to stop for double features, deep dives, and all things cinema. This week, we’re celebrating Noirvember in style with a pairing that bridges the past and present of the crime genre: John Boorman’s cold-blooded, acid-tinged revenge saga Point Blank (1967) and Steve McQueen’s taut, politically charged heist thriller Widows (2018). Listen as we dissect their hardboiled aesthetics, fractured moral codes, and the surprisingly emotional depths lurking beneath their genre trappings. But first, on this week’s Blue Plate Special, we take a moment to review the brand-new reimagining of The Running Man and share a rundown of upcoming fall releases we're most excited to catch—just in time for awards season. To all our listeners: we’re thankful for your continued support and wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving! As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you listen! Got thoughts or questions? Email us at [email protected].

After a year-long hiatus, Overlapping Dialogue is officially back—ringing in the triple digits with our 101st episode! We ease back into the swing of things with a double feature that pits small-town rage against cosmic emotional reckoning: Martin McDonagh’s bruising Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and Ari Aster’s latest descent into existential dread, the enigmatic and horrific satire of modern life, Eddington (2025). But first, our Blue Plate Special returns with a fresh batch of chatter on the latest film news and releases: we unpack the teaser trailer for Michael, the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic; lament the canceled Ben Solo Star Wars project that might’ve been directed by Steven Soderbergh; and offer capsule reviews of recent releases Roofman, Blue Moon, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, and Bugonia. Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or just now found your way back into the booth, we’re thrilled to be talking movies with you once again. As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you listen! Got thoughts or questions? Email us at [email protected]

On the eve of yet another Academy Awards ceremony, the team here at Overlapping Dialogue is officially closing the book on 2024 with an affectionate look back at the highs, lows, and, above all else, the most memorable moments of the past year in cinema with our second annual Harry Dean Awards! Listen as we break down the defining "Cracker Barrel" performance of the past twelve months, roll our eyes- semi-affectionately, for what it's worth- at the latest work from Robert Zemeckis, decide on the year's best use of Willem Dafoe, crown our Comeback Player of the Year, and celebrate a host of other categories and distinctions, culminating in our picks for Filmmaker(s) and Film of the Year. Who needs the Oscars when you have the only film awards that truly matter? As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you listen! Got thoughts or questions? Email us at [email protected]. https://thebigwblog.wordpress.com/2025/01/25/visions-the-brutalist-is-an-unwieldy-epic-no-actually-it-really-is/