Vintage Sand

Forgive us our slight post-Oscar delay, dear listeners, but here we are for our eighth annual year-end review show, which we call 2025: Juke Joints and a Few Small Beers in honor of two of the year’s (and perhaps the decade’s or even the century’s) most unforgettable films. This episode represents an exciting step for us as, for the first time, we welcome a guest: the redoubtable Kerry Cowan, brilliant teacher, lifelong film fan, and an old old friend of mine. Looking back at the year in film that was 2025, we noted that this was the first year since we started back in 2018 that we all really had trouble narrowing the field to a top ten. In the past, we’ve often had to stretch for the last couple, ending up with Top 7 or Top 8 lists. This year, as you shall see below and hear within, our problem was what to leave off. In a year of triumphs from sources both expected and unexpected, perhaps the best thing about the year was the return to form of some of our favorite directors: Coogler with "Sinners", PTA with