Have You Ever Seen

Michael Clayton was released right in the middle of George Clooney's 15-year run of remarkably successful filmmaking. From 1998 to 2013, the charismatic star--who so often played it best when he played it weary--acted in, directed, wrote and/or produced some of the best projects around. He got money, awards...or both. And in Tony Gilroy's directorial debut, Clooney is intense and he's just terrific as a law firm's "fixer". He's assigned to try to talk down mentally-ill super-lawyer Tom Wilkinson, who's tanking a lawsuit because he discovered wrong-doing by the company he represents. Tilda Swinton won an Oscar for her oddball, yet still restrained performance (restrained for her, at least) as a fixer for that evil-doing company. Gilroy's complex throwback to '70s legal thrillers is one of the very best dramas of the Aughts. So admire some horses and scarf a dozen or more loaves of fresh bread while you fire up the 709th episode of Have You Ever Seen. Be a subscriber of this podcast, but also review the show and assign a tidy 5-star rating. Also, look for me to sometimes write reviews on Letterboxd: RyanHYES. Contact options: email ([email protected]), Twitter (@moviefiend51) and Bluesky (ryan-ellis).

Ealing Studios has an incredible legacy in England's film history, so they were overdue to get a talking-about on Have You Ever Seen. In The Lavender Hill Mob, Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway and a slew of character actors have plenty of fun being gold thieves trying to pull off the perfect crime. A Fish Called Wanda was another classic comedy directed by Charles Crichton, but he was just as sly at directing all these guys back in the '50s too, not going for big and obvious laughs. Soft smiles, not LOLs. His romp is certainly enjoyable though, travelling from England to France to Brazil. So wield an expensive model of the Eiffel Tower as the 708th edition of this podcast that chatters about The Lavender Hill Mob. Offer up some feedback with an email ([email protected]) or a tweet (@moviefiend51) or even a Sky (ryan-ellis on Bluesky). You can also catch up on my written reviews on Letterboxd too: RyanHYES. Rate and review this podcast in your app, but subscribe as well. Then you can't miss non-Monday episodes like this one.

An uplifting and inspirational dramedy seems like a pretty good way to start 2026 on Have You Ever Seen...although emphasize the drama in that portmanteau because this one isn't big on comedy. Frank Capra made a lot of films about social justice, although this has an unfortunately still-relevant message. Gary Cooper plays the title character, a hair-trigger small-towner who goes to New York and is deemed insane for wanting to give the massive fortune he inherited to those who need it more. Cooper isn't stiff here, for once, and it's actually one of the best things he did, playing a volatile lug-nut who falls hard for liar-liar-pants-on-fire Jean Arthur. So don't go silent when the world turns on you. Just check out my 707th podcast which is, one hopes, anything but silent. Well, Actually: Mayo Methot wasn't married to Humphrey Bogart until 2 years after this movie came out. Also, Hart To Hart DID air in 1979, but the show ran most of its episodes in the early '80s. Subscribe to this show about classic movies and also rate & review it. Also, find my page on Letterboxd (RyanHYES). Contact options: Twi-X (@moviefiend51), Bluesky (ryan-ellis) and email ([email protected]).

To wrap up 2025 with the 70th episode of the year (and the 706th show in the history of Have You Ever Seen), it was high time to yap about Tony Scott. Crimson Tide is one of the underrated director's best flicks. His mutiny-on-a-submarine movie stars Gene Hackman as a crass, demanding captain battling his thoughtful, by-the-book executive officer played by Denzel Washington. The often-glaring Denzel and the often-speechifying Hackman are both fantastic...and they're helped by a strong supporting cast that includes a pre-Aragorn Viggo & a pre-Soprano Gandolfini. The tension in this one is as high as it gets, since nuclear war with Russia is at stake. It's just a terrific boat movie. I wish you a hunky dory NYE and I hope you'll spend close to an hour in the last few hours of '25 or in the early days of '26 hearing me rave about Crimson Tide. Subscribe to this show in your podcast app. Review it too. Post a 5-star rating. Also, hunt me down on Letterboxd: RyanHYES. Although act like the characters in the first 20 minutes of this movie and don't rush. We'll get there. Share your own thoughts about my monologues on social media. I'm "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky.

Killer's Kiss was the maestro Stanley Kubrick's second film and it IS amateurish, especially by his incredibly high standards. The technical genius' cast is just okay in this...and they aren't as big and memorable as most of his casts would be in later works. Where's the lowered-brow glare?! Still, Jamie Smith, Irene Kane and Frank Silvera are rock-solid in this thriller about a boxer, a dancer and a gangster. There's ballet and thuggery and mannequins and a few killings in this one too. So with just a few days left in 2025, tune in to check out a fairly brief episode #705 of Have You Ever Seen. If you'd like to drop a line to complain about my continuing audio adventures (although they WILL get better soon!), email me at "[email protected]". On social media, I'm "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky and "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X. Oh, and my page on Letterboxd is "RyanHYES". Subscribe to Have You Ever Seen in your podcasting application, especially now that I'm posting extra content on days OTHER THAN just Mondays. Rate and review the show too.