Sweet & Condensed: Challengers
Scorecard, Rom-com draft, Red Band Watchlist
Who are our soundtrack nerds out there?
There’s always that one friend in the group (for us it’s Kelly) that brings up the soundtrack/score when you talk about a movie.
It's hard to believe that the dude who wrote this song is one half of the duo that is responsible for some of the most iconic soundtracks in the past fifteen years (including this week's scorecard movie).
Here is what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: Challengers
Temp These Takes: The crew drafts all-star rom-com roles
Watchlist Worthy: We want comics, and we want cussing. Thankfully this trailer delivers both.
This week’s movie - “Challengers”
Letterboxd Description:
Tennis player turned coach Tashi has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him into a world-famous Grand Slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she signs him up for a “Challenger” event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
Best Watched With
Your best friends you may or may not have been in a love triangle with. Tennis fanatics and your work frenemies.
End credit thought
Zendaya carries the cast in what we think is one of her best performances to date, but her costars Josh O’Conner and Mike Faist serve up characters that hold their own across from the one-name star.
As we alluded to in the intro, the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is an absolute banger. The movie starts off with a good amount of immature but endearing humor, but as the characters age and the story progresses, that turns into anxiety (Josh) and anger (New Mexico Drew) by the end.
Tennis players and non-tennis players alike should enjoy the action-packed matches throughout the film. Both the story and the storytelling techniques from Luca Guadagnino held us in thought during the movie and gave us plenty to think about after the movie ended.
Half of us loved the movie, and the other half is pretty sure they hated it. We would still recommend seeing it on the big screen if for nothing more than getting out ahead of the social media hype so you can form your own opinion (you might love it, you might hate it - odds on both). But also, that banging score.
Rom-com draft - Our all-star cast including - female lead, male lead, and best friend/side kick
Kelly - My draft for Male lead would be no other than Flynn Rider. Charming, absolutely hilarious, and most likely obsessed with his female lead. Just the way I like it. My female lead would be the hot and graceful, Ana De Armas. The sidekick in my love affair would be Eddie Kaspbrak. Like…..imagine the banter?! 🧎🏼♀️ Sheeesh. Swoon worthy.
Eric - Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction) and Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You) are in love and their best friend Ted (John Hamm in Bridesmaids) is their permanent third wheel. Right? Right? Anyone? Bueller?
Sarah - Favorite female lead: Kate Hudson in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days. This is one of the greatest rom coms ever created and Kate is a dream in it; Favorite male lead: Jack Black in The Holiday. More Jack Black charm at all times; Favorite side kick: Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. What other best friend/sidekick says, “You killed my father, you son of a bitch!?” Iconic.
Josh - Give me Ryan Gosling from any Rom-Com, especially one's with Emma Stone, as my male lead. Give me Emma Stone from any Rom-Com, especially one's with Ryan Gosling, as my female lead. For my sidekick/best friend role, give me the one and only Sandy Lyle (Philip Seymour Hoffman) from Crocodile Tears in Along Came Polly. Every time this man was on screen, my lungs were burning from laughter. We won't get this Rom-Com in this life, but I'll be the first in line when I get to the other side. RIP PSH 🙏
New Mexico Drew - Female lead - Julia Roberts from My Best Friend's Wedding. Is she a home wrecker? Yes. Does she deserve whatever man she wants in that movie? Yes.
Male lead - Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally. The dude has effortless charm and whit. Not to mention that you can take a still shot of him in each scene and he is a certified style gawd.
Give me Betty White in anything and I'm a happy man. But Betty White in The Proposal? One of the greatest romcom side kicks to bless the silver screen.
What’s your take? Hit Reply or leave a comment below and let us know!
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) directed by Shawn Levy
It’s in vogue to hate on Marvel lately, but Deadpool & Wolverine has all the haters backpedaling. Will it be the movie that saves Marvel? We hope. Will it be the biggest box office movie of the year? Probably.
We do know that we’ve been quoting the first two movies since they came out, Shawn Levy’s needle drops are second to none, and the Mouse House’s first foray into R rated movies should be a violent, raunchy blast.
Letterboxd Description:
Third entry in the “Deadpool” franchise. Plot TBA.
Other movies directed by Shawn Levy:
Free Guy (2021)
Night at the Museum (2006)
Real Steel (2011)
Big Fat Liar (2002)
Three Milk Media Podcasts:
🎙️ Living A Stream: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
🎙️ The Medium Project: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
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DAMN I LOVE ROM COMS