The Actor and The Engineer Podcast

In this episode we discuss Steven Spielberg's newest film, sharing our excitement going in and our mixed reactions afterward. We praise Janusz Kaminski's cinematography, several standout shots, solid editing, and strong performances from Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Josh O'Connor, Eve Hewson, and Colin Firth, while getting into the repetitive structure, shaky logic, unclear stakes, and a surprisingly disappointing score that turns out to be by John Williams.

For our "Should Have Seen" series, we explore King Kong's pioneering stop-motion and in-camera compositing techniques, compare them to later VFX innovations, and note moments that feel dated in scripting and representation while emphasizing the film's emotional impact and sympathy for Kong. For Chaplin's Gold Rush, we both admire the film's pristine restoration, large-scale production, and silent-era storytelling conventions.

This week we talk about Project Hail Mary and the film's practical effects blended with CGI, cinematography, production design, performances (especially Ryan Gosling), humor, and strong themes.

We return after an unusually long break to share our top five movies of 2025 and reflect on what a strong theatrical year it was with many of our favorite directors releasing films. Join us for the countdown!
 
00:00 Introduction
02:36 Josh Number 5 - F1
10:10 Paul Number 5 - Train Dreams
13:24 Josh Number 4 - Sinners
13:32 Paul Number 4 - Sentimental Value
20:04 Josh Number 3 - Eddington
28:05 Paul Number 3 and Josh Number 2 - No Other Choice
36:58 Paul Number 2 and Josh Number 1 - One Battle After Another
47:18 Paul Number 1 - Sinners

We run through our Oscars predictions, debating both who will win and who we would vote for across major categories. We highlight Sinners, One Battle After Another, Hamnet, and Sentimental Value throughout.