Believe it or not, this is the most controversial movie in America: A three-and-a-half-hour-plus gangster epic that’s more about aging than action, starring a trio of septugenarian actors who’ve been semi-effectively de-aged, directed by a genuine legend who’s in hot water because he dared to suggest that superhero movies might not be cinema’s greatest achievement.
It’s “The Irishman,” of course, Martin Scorsese’s brand-new film that, after a brief theatrical run, is now airing in your living room on Netflix (which is why we feel justified in reviewing it on a podcast called “Out of Theaters.” The rest of the movie-watching world is talking about it for various reasons, so this episode, Billy and Will join the discussion, covering the subdued tone, the monumental length, the Oscar-caliber cast and, of course, all that computerized de-aging. Not to spoil things, but though we agree it’s not a perfect film, we do think “The Irishman” is a very, very good one, and we praise it in almost as much obsessive detail as the movie examines the lonely life of the man who (may have) killed Jimmy Hoffa.
Plus, just in time for Christmas shopping, Will recommends the new “Robocop” boxed set from Arrow video, which includes enough bonus features to stop an ED-209. This prompts Billy and Will to heap more praise on the brilliant 1987 sci-fi satire, and, of course, to continue the debate over physical media versus streaming.
Hey, we had to argue about something.
