Episode 322 - The Odyssey, Moana, Gail Daughtry, Evil Dead Burn

Kicking things off this week, a literary classic gets the Christopher Nolan treatment.

This is The Odyssey.

The Odyssey Following the conclusion of the devastating Trojan War, King Odysseus of Ithaca, played by Oscar winner Matt Damon, begins a grueling decade-long journey home, only to find his travels interrupted by vengeful gods and a series of life-threatening encounters with mythical creatures.

While he navigates treacherous seas and supernatural threats, his wife Penelope, played by Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, and son Telemachus, played by Tom Holland, remain in Ithaca, struggling to maintain their household against a persistent group of ambitious suitors who occupy the palace and plot to usurp the throne by forcing Penelope to marry one of them.

As Odysseus faces countless obstacles, including the wrath of Poseidon, a terrifying encounter with Cyclops, and the manipulative enchantments of Circe, played by Oscar nominee Samantha Morton, he is forced to endure immense loss and isolation while seeking a path back to his kingdom.

Meanwhile, in Ithaca, Telemachus risks his life to seek information about his father's fate and eventually uncovering the full extent of the betrayal brewing within their home as the suitors grow increasingly aggressive and dangerous.

With Odysseus getting closer to making it home, can he get there before his kingdom is overtaken by the suitors? When I saw the trailer for this, I predicted it would be a see-it.

And I give this film a...

See it! Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan presents this classic story on the grandest, most epic scale he could find.

The Odyssey is exactly the kind of film where every single one of the reported $250 million that it cost to make the film can be seen on the screen and results in having the energy the summer blockbuster season was begging for.

Watching Matt Damon navigate the seas is a breathtaking exercise in amazement as nothing is easy everywhere he turns.

whether he's dealing with angry gods, a nymph played by Oscar winner Charlize Theron, or the general existential dread of being lost at sea for a decade.

It is a gargantuan, bass-pounding, seat-shaking spectacle that manages to make 3,000-year-old Greek drama feel surprisingly relatable and timely.

The cast is essentially a who's who of Hollywood, with Tom Holland's Telemachus trying his best not to lose his mind while his dad is off fighting monsters, Robert Pattinson playing the evil suitor Antinous manages to be delightfully slimy, while the film itself treats Homer's ancient texts with the kind of reverent, big-budget muscle that makes you wonder if Nolan secretly possesses an actual time machine to get those authentic Trojan War vibes.

I will add, though, the director made the choice to use modern dialect and American accents, which has some people griping, but not me.

I think the choice to do this makes a film like this much less stuffy than we would normally find in historical epics.

The production design is so massive that there isn't a scene that goes by without being amazed at the quality of the set design.

Ultimately, this is a masterpiece that proves epic doesn't just mean lots of dudes in tunics shouting at the sky about whatever mission they're on.

It's a grounded, deeply human story about the trauma of trying to get home after a long trip.

You know, something anyone who's ever tried to navigate airport security during the holidays can surely relate to.

But hey, my hometown is not the Troy in this film, but rather Troy, New York.

Maybe next time I go there, I can bypass the airport and just be delivered inside a Trojan horse like they did in this film.

That could be fun.

Nolan has crafted a work of pure, mind-blowing cinema that is as emotionally resonant as it is technically overwhelming.

If you're looking for a reason to head to the theater and get your ears rattled by Ludwig Goransson's thumping score...