River Cities Reader Podcast

River Cities Reader Podcast


February 29, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Drive-Away Dolls” and “Ordinary Angels”

February 29, 2024

Mike Schulz, Dave Levora, and Darren Pitra have a comparatively brisk tête-à-tête. Next week, they’ll be on about the Oscars. And Dune: Part Two.



  • Drive-Away Dolls, directed by Ethan Coen, starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon. Since Ethan had separated professionally from his brother, Joel, their individual works feel like they’re missing something. Since then, we’ve learned some immutable truths: When the two split, it wasn’t just a professional split. They are one being, and they have been halved at an atomic level. And we need to figure out how to fuse them back together before it’s too late and we — can’t.
  • Ordinary Angels, directed by Jon Gunn from a script written by Meg Tilly with Kelly Fremon Craig, starring Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, and Tamala Jones. Swank, back from an interim of seeming inactivity, plays Erin Brokovich. Nice proof of life about the Swankster; other than that, the film’s pretty bland. But at least it wasn’t a hot mess like Drive-Away Dolls.

Concerning previews, there’s just Dune: Part Two (directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux). Just. . . Dune. Surely, that must be more than enough, right?


“Drive-Away Dolls” and “Ordinary Angels”


Dr Stranglehold or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Movie: Predicting the 2024 Academy Award Winners