Divided Films

It's the end of the world as we know it and we feel fine talking about this week's Divided Film, Don't Look Up. The social commentary in Adam McKay's apocalyptic comedy resonated with audiences, but critics say the satirical messages were predictable and unfocused. Make sure you're looking up when we decide whether Don't Look Up hits its targets.

Divided Films, in the study, with the candlestick. This is just one of the endings to our discussion on Clue! Audiences laughed more often than not throughout this mystery/comedy, but critics wished there was more focus on the mystery. Join us as we shake, rattle, and roll!

Nobody puts Divided Films in a corner! For part two of our Patrick Swayze doubleheader, we're having the time of our lives discussing Dirty Dancing. Critics rolled their eyes at this coming-of-age romance, while audiences swooned at the chemistry between Swayze and Jennifer Grey. With its 35th anniversary approaching, does Dirty Dancing still have the right moves?

This week Divided Films is giving you two episodes for the price of one! We're taking a look at two classic 80s flicks starring that decade's most iconic heartthrob, Patrick Swayze. First, we're discussing the gritty action movie Road House, which annoyed critics with its over-the-top story but pleased audiences who were looking for a rowdy good time. Let's see if Swayze can win us over with his charm like he did with viewers over twenty years ago.

Our next Divided Film is the (sort of) classic animated movie, James and the Giant Peach! Critics hailed this stop motion adventure as an inventive and charming piece of family entertainment. However, audiences did not respond as enthusiastically as they had to other 90s animated films. Let's climb aboard the giant peach and see if it's still fresh since its release 25 years ago!

Our Divided Films heroes are back! JJ and Keith are starting the year discussing the ensemble superhero film Eternals. Audiences found all the familiar beats they enjoyed in previous MCU movies, but critics didn't think the story was as powerful as its lead characters. The fate of the movie-going universe is once again in the hands of our hosts.

 

 

 

We’re wrapping up the year with another bonus episode! Once again, our hosts are going against the grain of popular opinion but this time they’re focusing on Christmas movies. Find out which holiday classics Keith and JJ prefer to skip and which poorly received Christmas films they have a soft spot for. Hopefully, we don’t end up on the naughty list going Against the Grain.

Our last Divided Film of the year is the 2005 adaptation of Rent! Fans of the classic Broadway show were excited to see this rock musical brought to the big screen, but critics wanted a stronger vision from director Chris Columbus. It’s up to us to decide if this musical adaptation gets a pass on last year’s rent.

The holidays are all about getting together, like the ensemble cast of our next Divided Film, The Family Stone! There were plenty of heartfelt performances in this 2005 Christmas dramedy to impress audiences, but critics wished the story had a more consistent tone. Time to revisit this movie of Christmas past…

Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. That’s the lesson of our next Divided Film, Night At The Museum. Critics say this adventure comedy ignored its own lesson by repeating tropes of past family movies, but audiences still had fun watching Ben Stiller get chased around by exhibits magically brought to life. Did we see history repeat itself or was this a timeless classic?