Best Filmspotting Network Podcasts (2025)

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SVU #167: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping / Ultimate Listener's Choice 1:45:53

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7y ago1:45:53

1:45:53

It's been six (mostly) wonderful years of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, but on this episode, Matt and Alison say goodbye. First, in honor of JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER, which they talked about in their first episode (yup) back in 2012, they take a look at a movie that owes a lot to that documentary — Lonely Island's POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NE…

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SVU #166: It (1990) / Clown Movies 1:09:21

7y ago1:09:21

1:09:21

Remember how when we were kids we battled a nightmare clown terrorizing our small town and devouring children? No? Maybe it was just us then. On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison take a look at the 1990 TV miniseries version of Stephen King's IT, now available on Hulu, and then recommend some other clown movies, sc…

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SVU #165: I, Tonya / Movies (And One TV Show) Involving Ice Skating 1:16:20

7y ago1:16:20

1:16:20

Get your skates straight and put out that cigarette, because on this week's show, Matt and Alison are talking 2017's Tonya Harding biopic I, TONYA, which was recently added to Hulu. Then, inspired by the sport that made Harding famous (before The Incident made her infamous), they recommend some other movies (and one television series) that feature …

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SVU #164: Manhunt / Hong Kong Action Movies 1:05:26

7+ y ago1:05:26

1:05:26

Is John Woo's latest movie a return to form for the director, or something closer to self-parody? On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison debate the merits of MANHUNT, Woo's 2017 thriller, which was recently released as a Netflix original. Then, despite MANHUNT taking place in Japan, they use Woo's place as an influen…

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SVU #163: Thelma / Supernatural Coming of Age Movies 1:18:04

7+ y ago1:18:04

1:18:04

There comes a time when a young girl blossoms into a woman, and sometimes that woman turns out to possess terrifying powers that are some kind of allegory for the female sexuality. On this episode, Matt and Alison take a wander through the genre of the supernatural coming of age story, recommending some titles to rent or stream right now. It's all …

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SVU #162: The Iron Giant / And More Movies Referenced in Ready Player One 1:11:08

7+ y ago1:11:08

1:11:08

"People come to the Oasis for all the things they can do, but they stay for all the things they can be." Presuming, that is, those things are licensable bits of IP. On this episode, Matt and Alison use Steven Spielberg's latest, READY PLAYER ONE, as an excuse to talk about all sorts of movies that turn up in the reference-heavy dystopian adventure,…

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SVU #161: Wild Wild Country / Movies Made By Brothers 1:30:23

7+ y ago1:30:23

1:30:23

On this episode, Matt and Alison talk cults versus communes, xenophobia, sexual liberation, immigration fraud, religious freedom, and also putting beavers into blenders in order to use the resulting goo to taint the water supply. Yes, they're going deep into WILD WILD COUNTRY, Netflix's stranger-than-fiction docuseries about the 1980s clash between…

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SVU #160: The Thin Man / Movies About Drinking 1:29:32

7+ y ago1:29:32

1:29:32

Pour a row of martinis and ready your finest 1930s repartee, because on this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison sample THE THIN MAN, available via TCM's new partnership with FilmStruck. And, in honor of Nick and Nora Charles making constant alcohol consumption look so good, they spend the second half of the episode recom…

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SVU #159: Babylon Berlin / Berlin Movies 1:25:19

7+ y ago1:25:19

1:25:19

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome — in this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison pay a visit to Weimar-era Berlin by way of the German period drama BABYLON BERLIN, co-created by Tom Tykwer and streaming on Netflix. Then they talk about how the city tends to be portrayed on screen, recommending some other Berlin-set titles tha…

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SVU #158: Good Time / Movies That Take Place In One Night 1:28:26

7+ y ago1:28:26

1:28:26

It's no sleep 'til Rego Park, Queens, in this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, in which Matt and Alison consider the uneasy charms of the Safdie brothers' New York set-thriller GOOD TIME, starring Robert Pattinson and currently streaming on Amazon. Then they recommend some other staying-up-all-night movies that are available to rent o…

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SVU #157: On Body and Soul / The Cloverfield Paradox 1:12:32

7+ y ago1:12:32

1:12:32

What is the future for original movies on the world's largest streaming service? In this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison wonder where Netflix is headed as they take longer looks at two recent acquisitions — the Hungarian Best Foreign Language Film nominee ON BODY AND SOUL and the studio-discard-turned-Super-Bowl-stunt…

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SVU #156: Brawl in Cell Block 99 / Neo-Exploitation Films 1:10:21

7+ y ago1:10:21

1:10:21

Sometimes you've got to talk your pain and frustration out — and sometimes you've got to punch a car. In this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison consider a film that tries to do both — S. Craig Zahler's brawny, wry, brutal Vince Vaughn-goes-to-prison drama BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99. Then they offer some recommendations of o…

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SVU #155: A Ghost Story / Ghostly Movies 1:10:56

7+ y ago1:10:56

1:10:56

Ghosts — not just good for scares! In this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison take a look at A GHOST STORY, David Lowery's exploration of grief, time, and the afterlife as represented by a sheet with two eye holes cut in it. Then they run with the theme to recommend some other good ghost stories, spooky and otherwise, th…

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SVU #154: Bright / Will Smith 1:13:11

7+ y ago1:13:11

1:13:11

Orcs, elves, fairies, and racial allegories — on this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison delve into the deceptively muddled waters of BRIGHT, Netflix's first homegrown attempt at a blockbuster. Then, in honor of the film's (human) lead, they look at the hit-laden career of BRIGHT star Will Smith, highlighting titles you …

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SVU #153: The 2017 SVUvie Awards 1:44:14

7+ y ago1:44:14

1:44:14

2017. It was... quite a year. But at least there were some good films? On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison look back at the past 12 months of movies by way of their annual, unconventional, and highly personal year-end awards. Yes, it's the SVUvies, in which the cinematic year gets broken down by way of categories …

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SVU #152: A Very Special Flopspotting Live 1:32:13

7+ y ago1:32:13

1:32:13

Alison gets to take a break this time around as Matt makes his triumphant return by stepping up to the (live) mic for a very special episode recorded on stage at the inaugural Brooklyn Podcast Festival on November 18. Matt is joined by Dan McCoy and Stuart Wellington of The Flop House to create a hideous one-night-only mutant movie-talking creation…

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SVU #151: Mudbound/Black Female Filmmakers 1:08:44

8y ago1:08:44

1:08:44

Eric Kohn of IndieWire and the Screen Talk podcast joins Alison while on the road in the Florida Keys to discuss Dee Rees’ Netflix original MUDBOUND. Matt is still off on paternity leave, so this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit has turned the responsibility for picking the main review to our guest host. In addition to talking Rees’ en…

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SVU #150: The Meyerowitz Stories / Movies About Grown-up Brothers 1:29:10

8y ago1:29:10

1:29:10

While Matt is off on paternity leave, this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit turns the responsibility for picking the main review to our guest host, who opts for the Netflix original movie THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED). Then, in honor of the complicated relationship between the half-siblings played by Adam Sandler and Ben St…

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SVU #149: Raw / College Movies 1:13:19

8y ago1:13:19

1:13:19

Freshmeeeeen! On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison haze each other with drunken parties and rabbit kidneys in preparation for talking Julia Ducournau’s body horror/coming of age movie RAW. Then they reminisce about their long-ago undergrad years with some recs of other college movies and TV series, (mostly) availab…

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SVU #148: The Bad Batch / Cannibalism Movies 1:13:52

8y ago1:13:52

1:13:52

On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison run off to the desert to start their own Keanu Reeves-centric rave cult in preparation for their discussion of Ana Lily Amirpour’s dystopian drama THE BAD BATCH. Then, in honor of THE BAD BATCH’s truly disturbing scenes of human flesh-consumption (set to Ace of Base!), they reco…

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SVU #147: TIFF 2017 / Graduation 1:21:32

8y ago1:21:32

1:21:32

On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison talk moral compromises and modern Romania in their review of Cristian Mungiu’s GRADUATION. Then, having entirely failed to find the time to watch more streaming Romanian New Wave films, as was the original plan, they instead delve into the Toronto International Film Festival. Ye…

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SVU #146: Inside No. 9 / Anthology Shows 1:18:23

8y ago1:18:23

1:18:23

Anthology television series mean you can have a brand new cast and story in each new installment. Alas, when it comes to listening to Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, you’ll have to settle for Matt and Alison every time. On this episode of Filmspotting: SVU, they discuss the British series INSIDE NO. 9, a collection of standalone episodes rangin…

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SVU #145: Death Note / Anime Starter Kit 1:14:49

8y ago1:14:49

1:14:49

Shall we begin? On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison dissect Adam Wingard’s Netflix original movie DEATH NOTE, based on the popular manga and anime series. After despairing at there ever being a great American anime adaptation, they offer up four anime features available to rent or stream at home right now — a kind…

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SVU #144: Hudson Hawk / Vanity Projects 1:30:44

8y ago1:30:44

1:30:44

Would you like to swing on a star? How about listen to Bruce Willis sing pop standards while stealing artifacts? On this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison consider 1991’s notorious HUDSON HAWK and whether it deserves its reputation as an epic disaster. Then they talk vanity projects and what makes a film deserve that de…

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SVU #143: To The Bone / When TV Creators Make Movies 1:24:23

8y ago1:24:23

1:24:23

In the era of Peak TV, it’s become increasingly common to see filmmakers crossing over to work on the small screen. But what about when it’s the other way around? This week, Matt and Alison look at the film debuts of some famous television creators and talk about how well their approach ends up translating. It’s all inspired by their main review, o…

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SVU #142: The Lost City of Z / Movies About Explorers 1:20:42

8y ago1:20:42

1:20:42

To think what people could accomplish, were it not for the pesky families they love! On this episode of the Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit podcast, Matt and Alison talk ambition, sacrifice, and James Gray’s THE LOST CITY OF Z. Then, in honor of Charlie Hunnam’s career-best turn as the dashing Percy Fawcett, they recommend some other movies abou…

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SVU #141: Okja / Multilingual Movies 1:26:55

8y ago1:26:55

1:26:55

What do you call a fictional animal that’s adorable, intelligent, and looks like a giant pig crossed with a hippo? In the world of Bong Joon-ho’s OKJA: lunch. On this episode, Matt and Alison discuss the South Korean director’s continent-crossing, genre-defying Netflix original, and what it signals for the streaming giant’s future in movie-making. …

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SVU #140: Long Strange Trip / Music Docs 1:23:58

8y ago1:23:58

1:23:58

Wo, oh, what we want to know, are you willing to watch a nearly four-hour documentary about the Grateful Dead? Matt and Alison did, and talk all about it on this episode of SVU, which takes on both Amir Bar-lev’s Amazon original doc LONG STRANGE TRIP and the larger question of what makes a music doc worthwhile for audiences beyond the hardcore fans…

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SVU #139: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me / The Tradition of The Beautiful Dead Girl 1:22:25

8y ago1:22:25

1:22:25

With TWIN PEAKS back on the air after 26 years, Matt and Alison start this episode of SVU by taking a look at the film with which TWIN PEAKS last left off — prequel FIRE WALK WITH ME, which was booed at Cannes back in 1992, but has since been reevaluated as a David Lynch classic. Then, in honor of the way FIRE WALK WITH ME gives the spotlight to La…

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SVU #138: The Handmaid’s Tale / Female Cinematographers 1:22:57

8+ y ago1:22:57

1:22:57

Does Hulu’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE deserve the hype it’s been getting as the most frighteningly timely series on streaming? In this episode of SVU, Matt and Alison discuss the new Margaret Atwood adaptation and how it attempts, via its visuals, to depict its horrors as experience rather than spectacle. Then, in honor of the show’s main director, cinem…

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SVU #137: Split / Unconventional Superhero Stories 1:23:01

8+ y ago1:23:01

1:23:01

It’s M. Night Shyamalan’s shared universe and we’re all just living in it in this episode of SVU, in which Matt and Alison debate whether SPLIT is the comeback vehicle it’s been heralded to be for the director, as well as how the movie’s late-revealed connection to another Shyamalan title changes its context. Then they offer up recommendations for …

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SVU #136: The Love Witch / Technicolor Classics 1:17:21

8+ y ago1:17:21

1:17:21

On this episode of SVU, Matt and Alison consider the enchantments of Anna Biller’s retro-styled THE LOVE WITCH, in which Samantha Robinson plays a troubled witch whose romantic escapades have a tendency to turn deadly. Then, inspired by the film’s throwback color saturation, they recommend some Technicolor classics available to rent or stream at ho…

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SVU #135: The Devils / Religious Horror 1:13:10

8+ y ago1:13:10

1:13:10

Ken Russell’s famous/infamous 1971 horror drama THE DEVILS is available to stream for the first time ever, and so on this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison take a look at the film (available in its US cut) and discuss how its provocations hold up. Then, with minimal rending of garments and speaking in demonic voices, th…

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SVU #134: Frailty / Bill Paxton 1:20:46

8+ y ago1:20:46

1:20:46

In honor of the recent passing of Bill Paxton, on this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison look at the career of the actor and filmmaker. In addition to offering up some favorite roles in movies available to rent or stream right now, they do a deeper dive into his 2001 directorial debut FRAILTY, in which Paxton also stars…

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SVU #133: I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore / Amateur Detective Movies 1:23:15

8+ y ago1:23:15

1:23:15

Grab your magnifying glasses and your fake badges — in this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison do some sleuthing into the surprisingly sprawling genre of amateur detective movies. It’s all inspired by their main review of Macon Blair’s I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, in which a lonely, decidedly non-law-enfor…

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SVU #132: The Greasy Strangler / Midnight Movies 1:17:07

8+ y ago1:17:07

1:17:07

In this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison decide, once and for all, which of them is the true hootie tootie disco cutie, as they talk THE GREASY STRANGLER. Then they discuss what makes a midnight movie and offer some midnight movie recs, all available to rent or stream right now. Opening Break: "Manchester By The Sea" /…

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SVU #131: Swiss Army Man / Paul Dano Movies 1:22:46

8+ y ago1:22:46

1:22:46

Can a magical farting corpse also be a metaphor for self-acceptance? In this episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt and Alison discuss whether Swiss Army Man pulls off its attempted combination of body function humor and therapeutic messaging. Then they look at the filmography of one of its stars, Paul Dano, recommending some hi…

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SVU #130: Cameraperson / 2017 Sundance Film Festival 1:11:04

8+ y ago1:11:04

1:11:04

Fresh from Park City, and feeling anything but, Matt and Alison talk the recently concluded Sundance Film Festival on this episode of the Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit podcast — and in particular, why the dominance of Netflix and Amazon means you'll be able to stream some of the fest's most talked-about titles very soon. They also delve into c…

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SVU #129: Under the Shadow / Foreign Horror Films 1:18:37

8+ y ago1:18:37

1:18:37

With no shortage of scary stuff happening on their home turf at the moment, Matt and Alison dedicate this episode of the Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit podcast to some of the more enjoyable sort of horror, all from international sources. After discussion the Iranian UNDER THE SHADOW and its "Babadook"-like qualities, they recommend some other f…

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SVU #128: Café Society / Love Triangle Movies 1:19:26

8+ y ago1:19:26

1:19:26

The Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit podcast kicks off the new year with Matt and Alison trying to take refuge in the nostalgic vision of the past offered in Café Society — but Woody Allen doesn't make this easy. Then they take a look at some other movies featuring love triangles, all available to be streamed or rented right now. Opening Break: "…

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SVU #127: The Lobster / The 2016 SVUvie Awards 1:19:13

8+ y ago1:19:13

1:19:13

It’s that time of year on the Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit podcast in which Matt and Alison come up with arbitrary categories in order to hand out nonexistent prizes to movies that will never hear about them — yes, it’s the 2016 SVUvie Awards. But first, a discussion of The Lobster, as well as that all important question of which animal we’d …

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SVU #126: Creed / Follow-Ups to Breakthrough Sundance Hits 1:25:17

8+ y ago1:25:17

1:25:17

After a year packed with unwanted sequels and underwhelming big-budget studio movies, Matt and Alison take solace in last year’s pop-perfect CREED, then recommend some other second films from Sundance breakout directors that you can stream at home right now. Opening Break: "Demon" "Don’t Think Twice" "The Eyes of My Mother"Listeners Choice Review: …

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SVU #125: Live at Chicago Podcast Festival / The SVUvotron 5000 53:47

9y ago53:47

53:47

In their first ever Chicago live appearance at the first ever Chicago Podcast Festival, Matt and Alison take the stage at Schubas Tavern to recommend some streaming films to go to for a little comfort in tough times. And witness the debut of the awe-inspiring SVUvotron 5000! Opening Break Queue Shots: Cinematic Comfort Food The SVUvotron 5000 Behin…

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SVU #124: The Neon Demon / Notable 2016 Movies Available To Stream 1:20:33

9y ago1:20:33

1:20:33

This week on a new Filmspotting: SVU, Alison and Matt head to Los Angeles, where Nicolas Winding Refn tells a tale of the fashion industry gone mad in THE NEON DEMON. Plus with awards season almost upon us, Matt and Alison catch up with some great movies from 2016 that are already available to rent or stream at home. Learn more about your ad choice…

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SVU #123: 13th / Documentaries By Fiction Filmmakers 1:25:34

9y ago1:25:34

1:25:34

Ava DuVernay may be hard at work on Disney's $100 million "A Wrinkle in Time now, but the first thing she did after directing the Oscar-nominated 2014 Selma was to quietly make 13TH, a documentary about mass incarceration and racial injustice in the U.S. that is painfully timely. This week, Matt and Alison talk about the Netflix original and about …

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SVU #122: Fleabag / Movies That Break The Fourth Wall 1:25:46

9y ago1:25:46

1:25:46

On the new SVU, Matt and Alison review the new Amazon Prime series FLEABAG. And since the show’s main character frequently breaks the fourth wall to talk to viewers, they’re also recommending fourth-wall-breaking movies available to rent or stream at home right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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SVU #121: The Witch / 2016 Toronto Film Festival Highlights 1:23:53

9y ago1:23:53

1:23:53

Matt Singer and Alison Willmore just returned from a week at the Toronto Film Festival, and they're discussing all of the highlights from LA LA LAND to MOONLIGHT. Plus, Alison and Matt break down the arthouse horror hit The Witch, which is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime. Opening Break: Goat / The Shallows Listeners Choice Review: The…

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SVU #120: Amazon Pilot Season / Further Viewing Recommendations 1:25:17

9y ago1:25:17

1:25:17

Matt and Alison took time out from their trip to the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss the offerings from Amazon Prime's latest Pilot Season: THE TICK, JEAN-CLAUDE VAN JOHNSON and I LOVE DICK. Plus, if you like these pilots, they have some other recommendations for films you might enjoy that are available to rent or stream right now. L…

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SVU #119: Weiner / Political Documentaries 1:07:41

9y ago1:07:41

1:07:41

With America in the midst of one of the craziest elections in recent memory, it's the perfect time to watch a political documentary and on the new episode of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, Matt Singer and Alison Willmore recommend some of their favorites that are available right now on rental and streaming. And speaking of crazy elections and …

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SVU #118: The Little Prince / Stop-Motion Animated Movies / Stranger Things Feedback 1:18:13

9y ago1:18:13

1:18:13

Acclaimed at the Cannes Film Festival, and an award winner and huge box office hit in France, THE LITTLE PRINCE was nonetheless dropped by its original U.S. distributor. Instead of a theatrical release, it went straight to Netflix, which is where Matt and Alison watched it for their review on the new episode of SVU. Plus, they recommend other stop-…