The Sundae Presents

Ciara gets to show Dean a film for the first time in months, and it's a big one: John Schlesinger's multi-Oscar-winning Midnight Cowboy. They talk about disability, poverty and sexuality, its satire of Andy Warhol's Factory and how dumb Joe Buck is.

For our third Halloween Spooktacular, Dean shows Ciara one of the most iconic horror films of their adolescence: Saw. They talk about how it riffs on and/or rips off Se7en, the strange politics of John Kramer, and the shadow of the real torture of the Bush administration.

After months of broken promises and outright lies, it's here: Ciara and Dean finally dig into Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. They talk about the origin of the titular band, its religious epic structure, and why Jack Black swore to never write another film.

In the first of two more guest episodes, Ciara and Dean are joined by Dr. David Clare to discuss the Farrelly brothers' lost child, Outside Providence. They talk about its odd place in their filmography, its portrayal of Irish-American identity, and how much Gabriel Mann looks like James Spader in Pretty in Pink.

It's another emergency episode from our top secret vault! Dean finally got around to watching Top Gun: Maverick, so Ciara finally got to grill him about it. They talk about the original film, the death of the film star and how Tom Cruise saved cinema.

Ciara takes Dean back to 1946 with The Best Years of Our Lives, William Wyler's kitchen sink epic about soldiers returning from World War II. They talk about Harold Russell's double-Oscar-winning performance as Homer Parrish, Gregg Toland's groundbreaking deep focus cinematography and why Ayn Rand tried to complain about the film in Congress.

It's The Long Goodbye, and it happens every day! Dean turns the tables on Ciara and shows her a classic seventies film widely considered among the greatest ever made, Robert Altman's neo-noir classic, starring Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe. They talk about its portrayal of post-Manson L.A., the many iterations of its title song and the security guard's amazing celebrity impressions.

The lads kick off season three with a classic rom-com as Ciara makes Dean watch James L. Brooks' As Good As It Gets. They talk about What It Gets Right About Mental Illness, the finer details of Jack Nicholson's performance and whether Melvin should have got the girl.

For the finale of Love at Worst Sight, Ciara showed Dean the (theatrical release of the) sole horror film by one-of-a-kind sexsploitation director Doris Wishman: A Night to Dismember. They talk about how she cobbled it together after the original cut was lost (and found), the purity (and perversity) of its auteurist vision and Wishman's place within (and outside) the history of cinema.

It's part three of Love at Worst Sight, so Dean showed Ciara a legendary bit of trash: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? They talk about some fun stories from its production, the naive artistry of its best parts and whether the main character is the worst boyfriend of all time.

In the second episode of Love at Worst Sight, Ciara finally makes Dean watch Elaine May's iconic comic flop Ishtar. They talk about its legendarily troubled production, how it became a punchline and why it deserves to be reclaimed.

In the first episode of their new miniseries, Love at Worst Sight, Dean puts Ciara through the ordeal of M. Night Shyamalan's infamous flop The Happening. They talk about whether it's funny, whether it's meant to be funny, and how it could possibly have ended up like that.

For the first time ever, we have a guest! Darren Mooney of The Escapist and The 250 joined the pod to show Ciara and Dean a film neither of them had seen: Michael Mann's 2006 big-screen adaptation of Miami Vice. They talk about Colin Farrell's accent, Jamie Foxx fleeing the set mid-production and why a Miami Vice film barely takes place in Miami.

A year after Whedon v Snyder, it's another "versus" episode: Dean brought Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Ciara brought its US remake The Magnificent Seven. They look at how each film examines the cultural figures of the samurai and cowboy, what changed in adaptation (and what didn't), and how much craic they are.

It's an emergency episode! (Though maybe not released on an emergency schedule.) Ciara watched Zack Snyder's 2009 film adaptation of Watchmen, so she and Dean recorded an episode about it. They talk about the assassination of JFK, whether Rorschach is cool and the absence of a squid.

Happy holidays! For our second Christmas Special, Dean showed Ciara that timeless seasonal classic, Lynne Ramsay's 2002 suicide drama Morvern Callar. They talked about how funny it is, whether the main character is a psychopath and if it's even a Christmas film.

For the last regular episode of the year, Ciara showed Dean one of her first favourite films, Best Picture winner Kramer vs. Kramer. They talk about whether it's balanced, whether it's antifeminist and which of the characters Dean wanted to kill at various points.

Dean follows through on his longstanding threat to make Ciara watch a Harmony Korine film, the 2012 black comedy (?) crime drama (?) Spring Breakers. They talk about its grotesque visual excess, James Franco's repulsive performance and whether the whole film is just a big joke.

It's our second annual Halloween Spooktacular, so Ciara showed Dean the most appropriate movie possible, John Carpenter's 1978 slasher masterpiece Halloween. They talk about its genre-defining visual style, its iconic kills and whether Dr. Loomis is the worst psychiatrist in the history of cinema.

Ciara goes "full Dean" by showing him the controversial 80s racism drama White Dog. They talk about its bleak ending, Birth of a Nation, and why the studio sold it up the river.

We have a film emergency! Dean watched The Deer Hunter, so he and Ciara recorded a bonus episode. They talk about its portrayal of Russian-American identity, the controversial Russian roulette sequence, and how much its director loved lying.

Dean shows Ciara his favourite film from 1994, Neil Jordan’s gay vampire fantasia Interview with the Vampire. They talk about how gay it is, the complexities of vampires as metaphors and Tom Cruise’s electric performance as Lestat.

Ciara shows Dean the polarising first Star Trek film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. They talk about why it's nicknamed The Slow-Motion Picture, whether Kirk and Spock are boyfriends, and the beauty of its abstract special effects.

Dean shows Ciara his actual favourite film of all time, Terry Gilliam's 1985 dystopian sci-fi comedy Brazil. They talk about its infamously tumultuous production, its nonideological dictatorship and its retrofuturist aesthetic.

Ciara finally shows Dean one of the most absurd films he's never seen: Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen's musical classic Singin' in the Rain. They talk about the history of the movie musical, how funny Donald O'Connor is and whether or not the main characters are in a throuple.

In their first ever bonus episode, Ciara and Dean continue discussing the Bourne Trilogy because, frankly, there's a lot to say about the Bourne Trilogy. Whenever the Bourne Trilogy isn't on screen, people should be asking: where's the Bourne Trilogy? They talk about mass surveillance, MKUltra and how much Paul Greengrass loves handheld cameras.

In a rare role-reversal, Dean shows Ciara a popular mainstream film she has bizarrely never seen: The Bourne Identity, starring Matt Damon. They talk about its difficult production, how evil the CIA is, and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Ciara hits Dean with another classic horror double bill as he watches James Whale's Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. They talk about the censorship of the first film, the queer themes of the second and ask: who's the real monster anyway? (It's Dr. Frankenstein.)

It's a return to normalcy as Dean once again makes Ciara watch some film you've never heard of that he watched on a whim: Marco Bellocchio's 1965 film debut Fists in the Pocket. They talk about its complex portrayal of disability, ambiguously amoral characters and mad incest vibes.

Ciara and Dean each brought a film this episode, but also... the same film? For our first (proper) double episode, Ciara made Dean watch the Whedon Cut of Justice League, and Dean made Ciara watch the Snyder Cut. They talk about corporate heartlessness, the inherent silliness of superheroes and Batman getting old. They also laugh at the bad guy a lot.

For our first Christmas Spectacular, Ciara helps Dean rid himself of one of his most grievous shames: never having seen It's a Wonderful Life. They talk about its view of capitalism, the brilliance of its final act and whether there's even such a thing as corny.

In a shocking twist, Dean shows Ciara a film widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time: Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru. They talk about its humour and humanism, Kurosawa's influences and how the main character's son is a complete piece of shit.

Dean shows Ciara a film released after they met instead of before they were born: the 2014 Kristen Wiig vehicle Welcome to Me. They talk about the positive thinking movement, Wiig’s career arc and why Oprah sucks.

Ciara makes Dean watch one of her actual favourite films, Dog Day Afternoon. They talk about sexuality and gender, optimism and the Attica prison massacre.

Dean shows Ciara D.W. Griffith’s 1920 silent melodrama Way Down East. They talk about its weird Christian feminism, silent film acting and sleepy kitties.

Ciara makes Dean watch Good Will Hunting for the first time. They talk about class, toilet humour, and whether Ben Affleck is a good actor. 

Dean shows Ciara his favourite film released in his lifetime: the Wachowski Sisters’ 2008 children’s action blockbuster Speed Racer. They talk about digital effects, sensory overload and whether blockbusters can be anti-capitalist.

Ciara makes Dean watch only his third Alfred Hitchcock film, the 1958 classic Vertigo. They talk about cops, pretty colours, and Dean's aversion to films made between 1934 and 1967. 

Dean makes Ciara watch the Wim Wenders movie Wings of Desire for the first time. They talk about war, peace, and Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls.

In the inaugural episode of The Sundae Presents, Ciara makes Dean watch the Steven Spielberg classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the first time. They talk about drunken empathy, Jesus parallels, and penis breath.