Have You Ever Seen

Ryan Ellis & Bev Ellis

We were "The Top 100 Project". Now we're this. And "we" are Ryan and Bev Ellis, two married Canadians who review (mostly) classic movies (sometimes humorously) every Monday morning. read less
TV & FilmTV & Film
Film ReviewsFilm Reviews
Film HistoryFilm History

Episodes

The Straight Story
4d ago
The Straight Story
Nice and uplifting movies like The Straight Story are a welcome sight in a world that's evermore cynical and meanspirited. David Lynch, a man known for sex and violence, was an usual choice to direct a real-life story about an elderly man riding his lawnmower across state lines just so he could visit his ailing brother. Still, despite some wonky acting from some of the non-professional actors, this is one of the director's finest film. Sissy Spacek is pretty great in her limited screen time as Richard Farnsworth's daughter, while Farnsworth's last performance is probably his BEST performance. He's just remarkable, playing a thoughtful man who's near the end of his life. His often-watery eyes have often inspired one of us to have watery eyes watching this film. So spend some quiet time looking up at the stars as you slowly motor across the heartland while our 623rd podcast glides through the G-rated loveliness of The Straight Story. Well, Actually: to clarify what the Salon reviewer Charles Taylor wrote about this movie, he said "it's as wonderfully strange as anything Lynch has done". Preparing for a long road trip across the midwest? Buy some Sparkplug Coffee! They give our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Just our "HYES" promo code. So it's "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Rate and review our podcast on your app. Look for our shows on YouTube. The address in your browser should be "@hyesellis". Comment, like and subscribe to our channel. We're also on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev is on Threads with that same handle. And hit us with an email or two (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com).
The Blair Witch Project
30-10-2024
The Blair Witch Project
Even though The Blair Witch Project didn't invent the genre, it's probably the best-known and the biggest hit of all the found footage movies. The online marketing campaign was especially revolutionary. It's a shame that Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez never hit these heights again as writers or directors, but they got so much mileage out of their made-up story, considering it was mostly improvised by the then-unknown Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams. The unresolved mystery takes a lot of heat for its ambiguity, yet Ryan's one-man show talks about how haunting the whole thing still feels 25 years later. This 621st edition of Have You Ever Seen also talks a lot about who or what might have caused these 3 to disappear. So face the wall on this penultimate day of both October and of Scary Movie Month as this episode tries to figure out the horrific deal in The Blair Witch Project. Additional note: both the fake documentary "The Curse Of The Blair Witch" and the 2016 "Blair Witch" have been rewatched since recording this podcast. The "doc" is indeed very effective and even quite eerie. And while the 2016 sequel has its moments, Adam Wingard is WAY too reliant on jump scares and loud shock moments to bother building the dread the original Blair Witch did. Sparkplug Coffee sponsors Have You Ever Seen. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and use that "HYES" promo code to save 20% off your next order. Say some things to us on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev goes by that handle on Threads as well. Or email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Rate and review us in your podcast app. And look for these things on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). You can comment all you like, subscribe to the show and hit the thumbs up.
The Amityville Horror
29-10-2024
The Amityville Horror
Halloween Week = extra episodes! Ryan talks by himself here about the 1979 Amityville Horror...and a little about the other Amityville flicks too...all of which are based on a horrific real-life tragedy that led to a (possibly made-up) haunting in that same house. James Brolin and Margot Kidder play newlyweds who move into a place on Long Island with her 3 kids, then it starts messing with all of them...especially Brolin's mind. Chairs rock on their own, furious flies fill a room, fathers get mad and walls bleed...but will the Lutzes listen to what Rod Steiger heard early on and "GET OUT"? In any case, for God's sake, download the 620th edition of Have You Ever Seen as Stuart Rosenberg's fairly-effective horror show is discussed in fairly humorous detail. If you can't sleep in your new house, you might as well start pounding coffee and get some wood-splittin' done. We are sponsored by Sparkplug Coffee and they offer fractured families (and everyone else) a 20% discount just by putting our "HYES" promo code into the right place. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Share your own thoughts about the Amityville franchise. We will see what you say on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and Bev can be reached on Threads under that same @. Or email us at "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". Also, look for our episodes on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment in the space provided, hit the "like" button and subscribe, so you'll see all that we post on the 'Tube. Also, write up a pleasant review and give us a rating on your podcast app.
Creature From The Black Lagoon
21-10-2024
Creature From The Black Lagoon
Most of our choices so far in this year's Scary Movie Month haven't been all that goosebump-inducing. Creature From The Black Lagoon isn't very frightening either, but Jack Arnold's film WAS influential, especially on Guillermo Del Toro and his Oscar-winning The Shape Of Water. The Gill Man in this 1954 Universal Monster flick might look corny now in his creature suit, but the underwater shots the crew got and the stunts they all did down there remain impressive. The most-famous scene is, of course, when the creature yearns for Julie/a Adams as she swims on the surface. Ah, the loneliness of the outcast. But while the title character is violent, you could also say that he's provoked. There's a lot of "bad guy" blame to go around...to Gill AND to the Richards, Carlson & Denning. So set sail on the Rita with our 618th podcast in your ears as we discuss the soggy doings in Creature From The Black Lagoon. Well, Actually: the pronunciation of Ricou Browning DOES seem to be "Rico". Also, the 1975 and 2005 King Kong films should have been called "remakes", not "sequels". Also also, Arthur Ross wrote "The Creature WALKS Among Us", not "The Creature Among Us". Check out Sparkplug Coffee and use our "HYES" promo code to get a onetime 20% discount. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Contact us! Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". On Twi-X, we're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Bev can be found on Threads with that same handle. Rate and review us on your podcast app. And look for our shows on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment, like and subscribe.
Young Frankenstein
14-10-2024
Young Frankenstein
This is our 31 days of films that have chills & thrills, but Have You Ever Seen's 3rd posting in Scary Movie Month (and our 616th episode overall) is far more funny than it is frightening. Just like Shaun Of The Dead last week, much mirth results from nitwits dealing with reanimated corpses. Mel Brooks' beloved blockbuster is a satire of the classic Universal monster story and he's got his co-writer Gene Wilder leading a fantastic cast. Gene is a riot himself in one of Ryan's Top 10 fave comedies, even if Young Frankenstein turned out to be A LITTLE less of a grin-fest than it's been in the past. The comic highlights remain some of the most-hilarious of all time though, particularly the blind man, "Puttin' On The Ritz" and just about everything Marty Feldman and Madeleine Kahn do. So play some violin to calm Peter Boyle's savage beast as you gulp down this super-duper-like-Gary-Cooper monologue about Young Frankenstein. Holiday or not, you can order from our sponsor, Sparkplug Coffee. Enjoy some with your leftover turkey! Our "HYES" promo code will save you 20% off your next order. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) with your own thoughts about this film or any other we've reviewed. We're reachable on Twi-X too (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis...she uses that @ on Threads as well). And our podcasts always go up on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment, like, subscribe. Oh, and we'd love a rating and a review on your podcast app.
Under The Skin
23-09-2024
Under The Skin
Scarlett Johansson playing a cold, indifferent alien probably wasn't something her fans expected from her. She was an A-lister who was a key figure in all those Marvel movies, but here she was in Under The Skin, the only actor of note in a detached art film. The movie star even gets nude a lot in her role as a succubus who learns how to feel empathy. Jonathan Glazer's strangest film to date is Kubrickian (and Lynchian) in its style and also its themes of gender roles, sexual assault...and even meat-eating. So Under The Skin isn't perfect, but there are shots that really stay with you. Plus, it's interesting...and we mean that in a good way. This 612th podcast on the Have You Ever Seen channel tries to figure out what's going on in Glazer's 3rd motion picture (perhaps unsuccessfully), so tell us if you think we're onto something...or if ou think we're way off. Well, Actually: Gemma Arterton's first name is in fact pronounced with a hard "J" sound, not a soft "G" sound. Assuming YOU are able to eat cake at a diner, why not add some Sparkplug Coffee to your dessert? They give our listeners a 20% discount when our "HYES" promo code is plugged into the right box. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Share your own theories about this unique film. Email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com), hit us with some tweets on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis...same @ for Bev on Threads) and give us a rating on your podcast app. Review our show too. Oh, and go to @hyesellis in your browser to find our show on YouTube. You can comment all you like, plus you can hit us with a thumbs up. And don't forget to subscribe there and on your app.
Boyhood
09-09-2024
Boyhood
Some film shoots (like the one for Apocalypse Now) seem to last 12 years, but here's a movie with a production schedule that was DELIBERATELY that long. Although gimmick aside, Boyhood is Richard Linklater's lauded attempt to show the slow growth of a fractured family, with the focus on Ellar Coltrane going from 6 to 18. Linklater's daughter Lorelei plays Coltrane's older sister and their divorced parents are Ethan Hawke & Patricia Arquette. The adults are terrific---Arquette won an Oscar for her work as the put-upon mom who keeps finding romance with bad men---but the kids just aren't the actors that she and Hawke are. In any case, it's fascinating to see this arc in a family's life and the (mostly white) people they meet along the way. Our impressions of the exploits of the Evans clan down in Texas is the 609th chat on the Have You Ever Seen podcast channel, so snap some pictures and see what we thought of Boyhood. Well, Actually: Jean-Pierre Leaud repeatedly played "Antoine Doinel" in Francois Truffaut movies. Also, Mason Senior becomes an "insurance actuary", not an "insurance actuarial". Go bowling with your kids, take them camping and then take them out for Sparkplug Coffee. Or have it sent to your house. And also use our "HYES" promo code to save 20%. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". You can email us at "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". Send us some of your movie thoughts on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or to Bev on Threads (also @bevellisellis). Check out our show on YouTube. The address in your browser is @hyesellis (or click "Have You Ever Seen" into the YouTube search bar) and don't forget to subscribe to us. Like the show, leave a comment. And also rate and review our 'cast in your app.
Dead Poets Society
06-09-2024
Dead Poets Society
Ryan's first Friday show in 3 months tries to be extraordinary and also to seize a day or two in this monologue about Dead Poets Society. Robin Williams' performance as an inspirational poetry teacher at a posh prep school was up for an Oscar, but some critics thought his impressions of famous people was out of place. He IS funny, but his serious scenes are far more effective ("thank you, boys, thank you"). Robert Sean Leonard, a very-young Ethan Hawke and others are taught to think for themselves and to yawp barbarically in Dead Poets Society. They also learn about friendship, love and loyalty. Those topics and so many more come up in this 608th edition of Have You Ever Seen. So lock in for a ramble about an emotional melodrama where the boys learn a lot more about Walt Whitman than anyone thought possible. Sparkplug Coffee contributes a verse to the world of great beans. They give our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Just use our "HYES" promo code to get that. The website is "sparkplug.coffee", then add "/hyes" to that to get that discount. Also, say hi to us. We have accounts on Twi-X. Ryan is @moviefiend51 and Bev is @bevellisellis, plus she uses that I.D. on Threads. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". We also fire up our shows on YouTube. The address in your browser should be "@hyesellis"...or type "Have You Ever Seen" into YouTube's search bar. Comment about, subscribe to and like the show, then rate and review us on your podcast app.
Oppenheimer
26-08-2024
Oppenheimer
2023 was the year of Barbenheimer, but it was the movie about serious science that went on to win 7 Academy Awards this past spring. Oppenheimer was also an absolute blockbuster, which is par for Christopher Nolan's course. He always just goes around making monster hits that also get critical acclaim. Although while the spectacle in this film wowed millions of people last summer, one of us hated it from the start and the other has mixed feelings about it...and about Nolan's filmmaking style in general. We talked about the issues of communism and treason, not to mention the morality of dropping nuclear bombs on people. Cillian Murphy won an Oscar for playing a man smart enough to create this weapon, but then has guilt about it. Our 606th episode also spends plenty of time yapping about the work of Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Oscar-winner Robert Downey Jr, and many of the others in this enormous cast. So don't throw a genius under several busses for your own petty reasons as Have You Ever Seen gets into the real-life world of Doc Opp and his band of brilliant brothers. While theory will take you only so far, there's nothing theoretical about checking out Sparkplug Coffee. Buying their products will reward your tongue and your belly. Use our "HYES" promo code (onetime only) and snag a 20% discount. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Say hi to us with a message via email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or a Twi-X type thing (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev also uses that @ on Threads. And since we post all our shows on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser), you can comment, like and subscribe there. And do some rating and reviewing in your podcast app.
Run Lola Run
19-08-2024
Run Lola Run
Franka Potente never became a bonafide movie star after Run Lola Run, but her intensely iconic work in this breakout movie remains awesome 25 years later. Tom Tykwer has had a solid career of his own since writing and directing this video-game-esque flick with the butterfly-effect gimmick. He and future collaborators the Wachowskis were making some of the coolest movies around back then, taking advantage of new technologies, narrative devices and editing techniques. In truth, while Tykwer clearly loves Potente, he doesn't do so right by Moritz Bleibtreu's Manni (and the first part of the man's last name rhymes with "tribe" by the way, not "leeb"). Bleibtreu is a whiny screw-up who needs his dedicated girlfriend to save his life by racing around Germany for 20 minutes to come up with a small fortune. Lather, rinse, repeat. So go ahead and scream so shrilly that you'll break glass as we yap about Run Lola Run in the 605th edition of Have You Ever Seen. Order a whole bunch of stuff from Sparkplug Coffee. They offer our listeners a onetime 20% discount just by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Contact us in a variety of ways. We're Twi-X people, sort of (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and Bev uses that same @ on Threads. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". And look for our podcast on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). You can subscribe there, but also comment and give us a thumbs up. And don't forget to review us and certainly rate us on your podcast app.