Charlie Chaplin's The Kid represents the 3rd-oldest movie we've ever reviewed, but it continues to be an accessible story 104 years later. Chaplin adopts Jackie Coogan and they live a life of squalor---and also chicanery---but they ARE happy together. There's genuine affection between these two actors. Coogan's performance was a landmark for child actors while Chaplin was, as always, a comic virtuoso. He's responsible for 6 jobs in one movie, which was typical for him. The biggest bugaboo is that Chaplin's film is more touching than it is funny. Just look at that kid plead for his "dad"! In any case, episode #640 of Have You Ever Seen is another Ryan monologue, so devour one man's thoughts about The Kid.

Check out our sponsor's website: "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Sparkplug gives our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Just use our "HYES" promo code.

Subscribe to our podcast in your app, but also rate and write a review of it.

There are a slew of ways to contact us. Email is one option: [email protected]. Ryan is "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky. Bev is "@bevellisellis" on Twi-X and "bevellisellis" on Bluesky. And look for our show on YouTube (@hyesellis in their search bar). Comment, like and subscribe.

Grizzly Man represents Bev's 2nd movie of choice this month, a documentary about another documentarian as Werner Herzog looks into the troubled life of nature-crusader Timothy Treadwell. He would go into the Alaskan wilderness every summer (often with a girlfriend) and befriend bears, but his hubris and narcissism eventually led where it almost had to: him getting eaten by a hungry bear. His girlfriend died too though, which is the real tragedy because she wasn't asking for it. Did he have a death wish or did he just think the experts had no idea what they were talking about? We dig into the psychology of the subject in Grizzly Man, but also of Herzog himself in this 639th edition of Have You Ever Seen, so pack some bags and get ready to play with foxes and some big, hungry bears.

Well, Actually: the expression that the act of observing something can change it is simply called the "observer effect".

Sparkplug Coffee offers our listeners a 20% discount if they use our "HYES" promo code (onetime only). The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Subscribe to our show in your podcast app, but also rate us and write a review. Do some of those same things on YouTube (@hyesellis in the search bar), but comment all you wish and like the show there.

Social media: Ryan is "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky. Bev is "@bevellisellis" on Twi-X and "bevellisellis on Bluesky. Email: [email protected].

This is the 3rd straight January in which Have You Ever Seen has talked about a Buster Keaton comedy classic. Reviews of most of the man's great silent films are now on this channel, including our podcast about The General that went up nearly 12 years ago. And if this incredible stuntman and stonefaced actor isn't a must-see for serious film buffs, then just who is? Although, while Steamboat Bill Jr. has an effective story and it's exciting and fun, it's just not very funny. And that's a common tale with old movies. In this, Buster's disapproving father wants him---but also DOESN'T want him---to be part of the crew of his riverboat steamer. There's heated competition with a rich guy, who has a daughter that Buster is sweet on. And then came a cyclone, complete with a collapsing house and a gutsy actor standing there underneath it. The last 15 or 20 minutes played during that violent storm make Steamboat Bill Jr entirely worth your time. So cozy up for a Ryan monologue in our 638th edition.

Sparkplug Coffee sponsors this podcast. They offer a 20% discount for those who use our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Rate this podcast in your app. Review our shows. And subscribe! We also give you the YouTube option. Look up @hyesellis on the 'Tube, then like, comment and, of course, subscribe.

Also, talk to us. Social media is an option. Ryan is "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky. Bev is "@bevellisellis" on Twi-X and "bevellisellis" on Bluesky. Our email address is "[email protected]".

The 637th edition of Have You Ever Seen kicks off the 10th Annual Month O' Bev. Joel & Ethan Coen's True Grit was unusual for them, in that it was a blockbuster. It was also nominated for all kinds of awards, including 10 Oscars...something the brothers WERE used to. The cinematography, the production design and the florid language are standouts in this remake of the 1969 western. Jeff Bridges plays it very broad, but he's still pretty good in the role that won John Wayne an Oscar, while Matt Damon...well, we were split on his work. But their teenaged costar, Hailee Steinfeld, made a huge splash in a remarkable debut. This movie belongs to "Sis", who's more than a little determined to get retribution for her pa's death. So mount up as you ride horsies with contemptible allies and we piece our way through the Coen Brothers' True Grit.

Invest some of your Christmas money in Sparkplug Coffee. And then SAVE some money by using our "HYES" promo code to take advantage of our discount code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Did you admire our sand? Well, if you did, rate, review and subscribe to our podcast in your app. Or find us on YouTube (@hyesellis in the search bar).

Hit us with some of your own thoughts about this movie...or others we've reviewed. Our email address is "[email protected]". Our social media stuff is: Ryan "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky while Bev is "@bevellisellis" on Twi-X and "bevellisellis" on Bluesky.

To wrap up the year, Have You Ever Seen episode #636 reviews our first Peter Sellers movie in over 10 years. He was flawlessly funny in Dr. Strangelove (which is the other film we reviewed) and he's note-perfect in Being There too. Hal Ashby had a very-underrated run of greatness in the '70s, directing powerful dramas like Coming Home, but also making truly funny-yet-cynical yuck-fests like Shampoo and this. In Being There, Sellers plays an illiterate gardener who supposedly-intelligent people believe is the wisest man they know. Melvyn Douglas won an Oscar playing a dupe who projects so much onto this blank slate, partly because he's a well-dressed, pleasant, older man. The film is also prescient about presidential politics, with Sellers spouting inoffensive platitudes...and then there's that infamous Jesus imagery at the end. It's quite a ride. So we hope you like to listen as much as Chance/Chauncey likes to watch as the Ellises bid you Happy New Year and present a gab about Being There.

There might be growth in the spring, but don't wait until then to order Sparkplug Coffee. They provide a onetime 20% discount to listeners who use the "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Rate and review this podcast in your app, but also subscribe to us.

And subscribe to, like and comment on the show on YouTube (@hyesellis on the 'Tube). You can also fire off an email ([email protected]). And try us on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or Bluesky (ryan-ellis and bevellisellis).

"Dread" and "frantic" are key words when describing Prisoners, Denis Villeneuve's bleak (but excellent) thriller about how evil people can push others to the darkest of dark sides. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal headline a strong cast. In fact, there are marvelous performances throughout this intense and disturbing drama. Aaron Guzikowski's intricate screenplay is a real highlight here, but Prisoners' complex story comes together because of Villeneuve's excellent direction. So counter-program the lightness of the holiday season by joining Ryan in a solo show as we all become demons during this 635th edition of Have You Ever Seen.

Sparkplug Coffee offers outstanding beans and they also offer our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Use our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Subscribe to our podcast, but also give us a rating and write a review.

We post all our shows on YouTube as well (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment, like and subscribe. Fire off an email to us ([email protected]). And follow us on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis), Threads (@bevellisellis) and Bluesky (ryan-ellis and bevellisellis).

Surprise...it's a bonus episode! Have You Ever Seen #634 is another Ryan solo show. And in it, the monologue is about baseball players, journalists and a lot of liars. Meet John Doe's climax also takes place on Christmas Eve, so Frank Capra's rabble-rouser is timely in that way. It's unfortunate his speech-filled dramedy isn't funnier though, even if it's certainly inspirational. Gary Cooper plays a homeless man who isn't actually suicidal or an idealist, but Barbara Stanwyck had written a newspaper column saying he is...so they run with that lie. Meet John Doe ends up being populist v tycoon (a tycoon who highjacks the movement for his own ends) with a country galvanized by a forgotten man saying all the right things...even if he started out as a fraud. Fire this thing up.

Get your java ready for the present-opening tomorrow...and if you haven't already, start making your coffee of choice Sparkplug Coffee. They offer our listeners a onetime 20% discount by using our "HYES" discount code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Rate and review Have You Ever Seen on your podcast app and subscribe to us.

Find us on social media. Ryan is @moviefiend51 on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky. Bev is @bevellisellis on Twi-X & Threads while she's just "bevellisellis" on Bluesky. Email us with your own extensive thoughts about the films we discuss ([email protected]). And seek our shows out on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment there, like the show and subscribe to it.

With Christmas just a few days away, the 633rd episode on this Have You Ever Seen channel is the right time to talk about one of the funniest holiday movies. The Santa Clause is not just a consistent laugh-getter. It's also touching...and those are 2 good reasons the flick has been so rewatchable. Tim Allen made his film debut in John Pasquin's blockbuster and it's like we said about Galaxy Quest: cast him in the right role and it's hard to think of anyone better. He's the bad dad who's forced into being the jolly man in red...but was it all a set-up? We talk a lot about that. We also talked a lot about The Santa Clause 2, since we watched that a few days later. So bring your broken family together at the holidays, call off your amber alert (not "orange" alert) and use a snow globe to get your dad to come home from work as we have a good old time yapping about The Santa Clause.

Order some Sparkplug Coffee for your New Year's party...or just because it's good and the holidays don't need to determine your drinking options. Our "HYES" promo code will save you 20%. So it's "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Rate and review our podcast and subscribe to it in your app.

Look for us on YouTube. It's "@hyesellis" in your browser. Email us ([email protected]). Fire off some bon mots on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev uses that @ on Threads too, plus no @, but "bevellisellis" on Bluesky. And Ryan is "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were at the height of their careers when they jumped at the chance to work with the great Stanley Kubrick. He hadn't directed a movie in 12 years, then he died before Eyes Wide Shut was even released...so it turned out to be his final film. And it's a long, complex film, which Kubrick took over a year to shoot. It's a sex movie that isn't very sexy...but was that intentional? And even though the centrepiece scene is a ritualistic orgy that leads to threats and possibly murder, was Kubrick actually making a comedy? Whether others find Eyes Wide Shut to be a hoot or not, there are undeniably serious themes like jealousy, infidelity and death. We analyze Kidman & Cruise and their real-life marriage in this 632nd episode too, also addressing the hype and gossip that came out of the legend of Eyes Wide Shut. So strap on a mask on and do a lot of watching during a not-very-erotic orgy as Have You Ever Seen pieces through the infamous Eyes Wide Shut.

If you men only knew you could get a 20% discount off the premium coffee offered by Sparkplug Coffee, well, then you'd take advantage of our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Kindly rate, review and subscribe to our podcast on your app. Find us on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser), where we hope you'll like, comment on the show and subscribe. Email us ([email protected]). And on social media, we're: @moviefiend51 and ryan-ellis for Ryan on Twi-X and Bluesky while Bev is @bevellisellis on Twi-X & Threads, bevellisellis on Bluesky.

Billy Crystal was on a big hot streak in the late '80s and early '90s, topped by this comedy-western blockbuster. Ron Underwood directed City Slickers and did a terrific job balancing the laughs with all the mid-life crises of the 3 main characters. It's a comedy with some sting. What this film does best is connect with middle-aged men who are going through the things that Crystal, Bruno Kirby and Daniel Stern are. Jack Palance though plays a man who knows about that "one thing"...and he was the one who won an Oscar. So ride horses, rope cows and connect with your best buddies on a cattle drive as the 631st edition of Have You Ever Seen yahoos it up for City Slickers.

Sparkplug Coffee sells a sensational bean, which doesn't even require a cattle-spooking portable grinder. Just grind them some other way! And our listeners can acquire a 20% discount by using our "HYES" discount code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Rate and review this podcast, but also subscribe to us.

Say helloooo! Ryan is @moviefiend51 on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky. Bev is "@bevellisellis" Twi-X and Threads and "bevellisellis" on Bluesky. Our email is "[email protected]". And we post all our shows on YouTube. It's "@hyesellis" in your browser. Comment, like and subscribe.

Bev is off for this 630th edition of Have You Ever Seen, so Ryan is in monologue mode talking about The Polar Express. The turn of the century saw Robert Zemeckis direct 3 consecutive motion-capture animated films (2 of which are Christmas movies), which were expensive and, to many viewers, very off-putting with that "uncanny valley" quality of the character's faces. Tom Hanks wore the tight suit to portray a half-dozen characters and he does just as many voices, although he mostly mostly sounds like Tom Hanks playing the conductor and Santa Claus. This (horror?) film is pretty exciting though, with the kids often put in terrifying danger on that train. Zemeckis' long career is also thoroughly analyzed because it's been a "tale of 2 Bobs", comparing the first 20+ years of his career to the last 20. So, Hero Boys and Hero Girls, believe in the artistry while you wonder, as many did, why The Polar Express couldn't be as fun as it is odd.

Well, Actually: Cast Away was overlooked as one of Zemeckis' Top 10 hits, so 5 of his Top 10 films did in fact get released this century.

Save some hot chocolate for a kid and also some Sparkplug Coffee for an adult. Sparkplug offers our listeners a 20% discount (onetime only) just by using our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Rate, review and subscribe to our podcast in your favourite app. Do the same on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser), where you can comment, like and subscribe to our channel.

Contact us on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev is reachable on Threads using that same @. Ryan is "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky and Bev is "bevellisellis". And we're always up for an email ([email protected]).