The Best Films of 2024

The Strange Harbors Podcast

#Cinema #Amir Touray #Derek Wong #Jeff Zhang #Movies #Pop Culture #Movie Reviews #Nerds #Horror #Science Fiction #Television #Film #Streaming #Jeff Zhang, Derek Wong, & Amir Touray #Film Review #TV Reviews #Geek

35:48

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Danielle D'Agostaro, co-founder and strategic advisor of Alchemist Accelerator and principal partner at WVV Capital. They explore the unique investment thesis behind WVV, a $100 million fund backed by major corporates like Foxconn, Advocate Health, Northwestern Mutual, and Johnson Controls. Danielle shares her journey from aspiring marketer to a leading figure in venture capital and startup acceleration. The conversation delves into how accelerators like Alchemist support startups by providing early-stage funding, strategic advice, and access to vital networks, especially for founders outside Silicon Valley. They discuss the evolving landscape of corporate venture capital, the challenges startups face in today’s market, and the importance of focusing on sustainable customer growth before fundraising. Danielle also offers practical advice for founders on navigating demo days, building connections, and choosing the right accelerator to fit their business needs. The episode closes with reflections on career growth, resilience, and the value of surrounding oneself with visionary thinkers. Listeners gain a comprehensive view of corporate VC, accelerator dynamics, and the startup ecosystem’s current climate. Learn more about Danielle's work with WVV Capital at https://www.wvvcapital.com/ and her work with Alchemist Accelerator at https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/ Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddagostaro1/ Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://finstratmgmt.com/innovators-investors-podcast/ Want to learn more about Kristian Marquez's work? Check out his website at https://finstratmgmt.com…

大约1年之前 1:22:59

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Another year of cinema in the rear view as we count down our personal top tens of 2024. A year that highlighted the limits of accessibility for some of its best films, 2024 gave us the most varied lists we've ever had on the show with showings across all genres. What made Jeff, Derek, and Amir's lists? What were honorable mentions? Tune in and find out.

265集单集

The Strange Harbors Podcast

The Best Films of 2024

The Strange Harbors Podcast

published 大约1年之前

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265集单集

所有剧集

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Caught Stealing" 31:57

5天之前31:57

31:57

Darren Aronofsky follows up his divisive Oscar-winner, The Whale, with a throwback to 90s capers. Caught Stealing is an After Hours pastiche without any ego and a studio potboiler aimed right down the middle of the road, it just happens to star one of the most charismatic casts assembled in 2025. Jeff and Derek discuss the star power of Austin Butler, the few surprises the film has in store, and this strange departure from Aronofsky's typical auteurism. Tune in!…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Alien: Earth" 43:56

14天之前43:56

43:56

Xenomorphs get the prestige television treatment with Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth. Mashing up extraterrestrial horror with corpo-palace intrigue, the eight-episode first season looks to expand the world of the Ridley Scott classic. Does Hawley's acclaimed pedigree with Legion and Fargo hold promise for his new series? We review the first five episodes.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Weapons" 43:14

24天之前43:14

43:14

Zach Cregger follows up his 2022 surprise hit Barbarian with another bout of sneaky horror with Weapons. Centered around a town grappling with a singular classroom of missing children, Cregger's sophomore feature-length film turns a microscope into a Fresnel lens to heat up the rot of an empathy-starved community: safety, routine, and comfort crumbling into dust amidst hidden dangers and inexplicable tragedy. The question is, does it stick the landing? Tune in to our review to find out.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Eddington" 53:20

6 weeks之前53:20

53:20

Leaving Cannes critics perplexed and polarized this spring, Ari Aster's Eddington takes aim at the fabric of the American zeitgeist. Is it the defining finger on the pulse of COVID-abetted brain rot? Or is it as groan-worthy as an "Ari Aster COVID movie" sounds? We discuss the film, Aster's filmography, and the prospect of assembling a political perspective through a fractured, dogshit Internet.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" 1:03:15

7 weeks之前1:03:15

1:03:15

New Earth. Fresh start. The MCU's latest brings Marvel's First Family to the big screen in a retro-futuristic, sci-fi epic. Will a red-hot, A-list cast and a heavy-hitting, non-cloud Galactus finally give The Fantastic Four the movie it deserves? Or will a flagging franchise's recent pain points once again prove that Marvel is running out of steam? Tune in as we review The Fantastic Four: First Steps.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"28 Years Later" 1:03:26

8 weeks之前1:03:26

1:03:26

As Jeff calls it on his Letterboxd review: "A movie of surprisingly gentle compassion but also dudes getting their entire spinal columns hauled out of their neck holes." This week we review the reunion of Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and Anthony Dod Mantle for 28 Years Later, over two decades after 28 Days Later changed the zombie genre forever. We talk about the film's emotional surprises, its misleading trailer, and its franchise future. Tune in!…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Superman" 1:07:10

9 weeks之前1:07:10

1:07:10

James Gunn stewards a new DC Cinematic Universe with the hotly anticipated Superman. Starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, and Edi Gathegi, this new version of the Big Blue Boy Scout attempts to turn over a new leaf for a floundering franchise by taking pages from a rich tapestry of comics. Is it successful? We review the film, rank the silver screen Supermen, and talk about the future of DC at the movies.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Ballerina" and "F1" 51:26

10 weeks之前51:26

51:26

Jeff is on vacation this week, so it's up to Derek and Amir to pull off the rare double feature episode. In a week of dueling popcorn blockbusters, which crowdpleaser — John Wick spinoff Ballerina or racing drama F1 — will reign supreme? We talk Ana De Armas, Brad Pitt, and the highs and lows of both movies.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Materialists" 41:18

11 weeks之前41:18

41:18

Celine Song's followup to 2023's gem Past Lives explores the world of matchmaking through a spin on the classic love triangle. Song turns her signature gentle tension on its head with a take on modern dating and transactional matrimony. Is it successful? Will lightning strike twice for the Oscar-nominated filmmaker? Tune in and find out...…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
What We're Watching, Summer 2025 47:36

13 weeks之前47:36

47:36

This installment of our What We're Watching series is a television catchup episode, where we discuss two big, recent hits — both in their second seasons — that we just haven't had time to cover in full: The Last of Us and The Rehearsal. Both headliners for Max (soon to be HBO Max again), the two series' sophomore seasons take giant swings. Do they connect? Listen to our review now.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" 1:01:20

15 weeks之前1:01:20

1:01:20

Arguably one of the best action franchises of all time comes to a presumed end with Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Somehow, the most divisive entry yet, Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise's latest attempt to save movies as champions of the analog finds Ethan Hunt once again fighting the rogue AI known as The Entity. Are its two barnburner stunt extravaganza's enough to stick the franchise's landing? Find out as we discuss our rankings, fan service, and the quest to preserve the moviegoing experience altogether.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Andor" Season 2 1:04:11

17 weeks之前1:04:11

1:04:11

Critically-acclaimed Andor has returned. Politically sophisticated and emotionally bracing, Tony Gilroy's Star Wars series about the birth of a rebellion has returned for a second and final season. Does it live up to its first season's incredible highs and adult-minded storytelling? We discuss and review the show, its odd release schedule, and where it ranks within the shaky Star Wars canon.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Thunderbolts" 55:56

19 weeks之前55:56

55:56

In 2025, do the MCU doldrums continue, or is Jake Schreier's Thunderbolts a return to form for a flagging superhero universe? Does it rise above its grating marketing to deliver something with actual, emotional honesty? With Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Lewis Pullman at the helm of a misfit gang of anti-heroes, the chances aren't bad. Tune in for our full review.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
2025 Summer Box Office Wager 45:36

20 weeks之前45:36

45:36

It's that time of the year again where we make our friendly bet on the season's box office results. After two years in a row of Amir taking the bag, Derek and Jeff are trying extra hard in 2025 to take down the reigning champ, but will everyone's lists be different enough? Tune in as we predict the winners, losers, and wild cards of the summer.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Sinners" 1:00:46

21 weeks之前1:00:46

1:00:46

Ryan Coogler's Sinners is one of the year's best films: a purposefully messy vampire metaphor just overflowing with passion and ideas, painted across a tapestry of folklore, diegetic blues, and epic horror. It’s why we go to the movies. We discuss its deep roster of incredible performances and its myriad of themes that catapult it beyond standard bloodsucker fare.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"The Pitt" 1:11:46

22 weeks之前1:11:46

1:11:46

On this week's podcast, we review the latest streaming sensation on Max and the spiritual successor to ER, The Pitt. A medical drama like no other, the series prides itself on its realism and its real-time, 15-episode conceit. It just so happens that one of our co-hosts, Dr. Amir Touray, is well-equipped to review the series in a way most of us aren't able to. How accurate is the show? Is this the best new series of 2025? Tune in and find out.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"A Working Man" 36:39

24 weeks之前36:39

36:39

Director David Ayer re-teams with Jason Statham for another professionally titled actioner: A Working Man. Following up last year's The Beekeeper, will the duo recapture the absurd magic of their debut? We review the film and discuss the careers of both Ayer and Statham.

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Daredevil: Born Again" 46:24

25 weeks之前46:24

46:24

For our first television episode of 2025, we review the long-anticipated revival of Marvel's Man Without Fear — Daredevil: Born Again. Is the new series able to find the best version of itself despite extensive reshoots and behind-the-scenes shakeups? Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio slip back into the roles like a pair of comfortable shoes, but is it enough to carry it all? Tune in and find out our thoughts.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Black Bag" 44:27

26 weeks之前44:27

44:27

This week, we review director Steven Soderbergh's second film to be released in as many months. Black Bag sure is steamy — Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett playing married spooks certainly heightens its seductiveness — but its real heat lies in its surprising juxtaposition, honing in on a passionate kernel of loyalty and devotion within a sea of spy-versus-spy cynicism: the ultimate, lean expression of “couple goals.” We talk about its razor-sharp screenplay, riveting performances, and unexpected economy.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Mickey 17" 42:14

27 weeks之前42:14

42:14

It's been six long years since the last Bong Joon-ho film, Parasite, swept through the 2020 Oscars, including the prize of Best Picture. A beloved filmmaker that has brought us both intimate, grounded thrillers as well as propulsive genre yarn, Bong Joon-ho is once again dipping his toe into sci-fi class warfare with Mickey 17. Featuring Robert Pattinson in multiple roles and another "freaky little guy" routine, does Mickey 17 continue the South Korean director's streak of bracing storytelling?…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
The 97th Oscars Recap 45:36

28 weeks之前45:36

45:36

A welcome respite from Jimmy Kimmel's irony-pilled sarcasm, the 97th annual Academy Awards found late-night legend Conan O'Brien in the host chair. Jeff, Derek, and Amir break down the broadcast and the nominees, from the winners to the losers, the graceful to the ugly. We discuss Anora's historic evening, a weird in-memoriam tribute, and the longest acceptance speech in Oscar history.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"The Monkey" 33:02

29 weeks之前33:02

33:02

This week, after a long month of lists, recaps, and Oscar nominated heavy hitters, we lighten the mood with the gory, splatter-filled Stephen King adaptation of The Monkey. Oz Perkins' second film in a year, The Monkey stars both Theo James and Christian Convery in dual roles, Tatiana Maslany, Colin O'Brien, Adam Scott, and Elijah Wood. Does Perkins follow up last summer's Longlegs with a potent mashup of Final Destination and Stephen King? Or does this horror comedy fizzle out?…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"The Brutalist" 59:33

31 weeks之前59:33

59:33

It's incredibly easy to overpraise something like Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist just for its degree of difficulty and the unlikelihood of it even existing, but it’s the real deal: a living Great American Novel plucked from time. We sit down and review the three-and-a-half-hour epic - complete with intermission - and discuss its performances, ambition, and staggering scope.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
"Nickel Boys" 42:17

32 weeks之前42:17

42:17

This week we review RaMell Ross's Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead's novel of the same name. The story of two Black boys who form an unshakeable bond at a segregated reform school in the Jim Crow South, Nickel Boys transcends its first person conceit, its Oscar-bait trappings, and the swerve of its twist ending to deliver a major work of American cinema. Keep an eye on this one.…

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1
The Most Anticipated Films of 2025 49:51

33 weeks之前49:51

49:51

As per tradition, we follow up the best of 2024 with our Most Anticipated Films of 2025 episode as Jeff, Derek, and Amir list what's got them excited going into the new year. Running the gamut of indie gems to the massive blockbusters, tune in to find out what's on our hotlist for 2025!

The Strange Harbors Podcast

1 year之前45:52