BFG Podcast #306: Michael Jackson, Ian McKellen, Anne Hathaway, Their Films and More

Can you feel it? Summer movie season is rumbling down the tracks. And this week BFG Podcast host Neal Pollack puts his ear to the ground for the last major releases before the real blockbusters start.

First up is Michael, the bizarrely popular Michael Jackson biopic that has the world forgetting how weird and sinister late-era Michael Jackson really was. This is a hero’s origin story, from the beginnings of the Jackson 5 up until the near-tragedy of the “Victory” tour. Contributor Gillian Gaar joins Neal in breaking down why she thinks this movie is a flat highlight reel that doesn’t really work, and compares it to other recent popular music biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody and Back in Black. Neal agrees with her mostly but really liked Colman Domingo as Michael’s Machiavellian father, and has to admit the music scenes are pretty good.

Stephen Garrett makes his regular stop to talk about The Devil Wears Prada 2, the sequel to a popular movie from the fashion industry from 20 years ago. Our critics agree that this sequel seems flat and unnecessary and they get very bitchy talking about music and fashion, which is appropriate. Neal did like Justin Theroux as a Jeff Bezos-style billionaire magnate weirdo, and Emily Blunt is also pretty funny in the sequel. But most of the goings-on are pretty annoying.

Neal and Stephen clash on The Christophers, a Steven Soderbergh indie joint about the London art world. Soderbergh, who is 63, claimed to have retired 13 years ago, Ian McKellen is 87 at the end of this month and is not retiring any time soon. They agree that McKellen is wonderful as the lead, a dying 80-something former “Bad Boy” painter, and Neal tries unsuccessfully to persuade Stephen that Michaela Cole is NOT a film actress. They agree to disagree, as they always do.

Enjoy the show!