- Silver Screen Podcast - Bad Times at the El Royale Review

Episode 165 - "We might need to work on your sales pitch, son. "The El Royale: no place for a priest"."

Sometimes a film just deserves a little more attention. This week on the Silver Screen Podcast, we're checking into the mysterious El Royale for a review of Drew Goddard's stylish, sprawling and criminally underseen 2018 neo-noir thriller, Bad Times at the El Royale. Joining Michael Wilson are three fantastic guests: regular friend of the show Tobi, Will from Who Gameshows and his own YouTube channel, and first-time guest Carla. With a hotel sitting directly on the California–Nevada border, seven strangers with secrets of their own, and a story that constantly shifts perspective, Bad Times at the El Royale is a film packed with mysteries, moral ambiguity and hidden depths. We discuss its intricate plotting, themes of morality, faith, redemption and identity, and the question at the heart of the film: who actually gets to decide what is right and what is wrong? We also take a closer look at Drew Goddard's direction, the film's striking production design and cinematography, its use of colour and framing, the ingenious one-way mirror sequence, and the decision to shoot Cynthia Erivo's musical performances live on set. And speaking of Cynthia Erivo... there's plenty of love for Darlene Sweet and one of the film's most powerful performances. We discuss the brilliant ensemble cast, the 1960s setting, Michael Giacchino's score, the soundtrack, the film's shifting timelines and perspectives, its third-act problems, its box-office disappointment, and why a movie that came so close to greatness may nevertheless be worth revisiting. And, naturally, we reveal where Bad Times at the El Royale lands on the Silver Screen scoreboard. So check in, choose your side of the line, and whatever you do... Don't trust the mirrors.

Links:

Follow Tobi on BlueSky - @Darksonic.bsky.social

Follow Carla on Instagram - @carlamphotog

Follow Will on YouTube - youtube.com/@WhoGameshows ​

Find Mike and the podcast all over the internet via https://linktr.ee/mikespods

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Music Composed and Performed by Al Trotter

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E-mail us at mwilsonba1982@gmail.com

Created, Hosted and Written by Michael Wilson.

Edited and Produced by Mike Wilson.

"Thank y'all for coming to listen to me tonight. It means a lot to me."