Professional Appreciators: Recent Episodes
Andrew Drake
WATCH HERE: https://youtube.com/c/WhyItsGreat There are more movies now than ever before. With blockbusters, streaming originals, and movies you've never heard of come Oscar season, it can be overwhelming to keep up. That's what we're here for! Evan and Andrew are regular movie fans with professional equipment, recommending and reviewing the movies that are worth your time.
The movies are back, baby! Defying all odds and trends, Christopher Nolan's three hour long drama about a physicist became the biggest movie of the year. How is that possible? Why is everyone showing up for this film? Listen as the Appreciators break down the themes and best moments of Oppenheimer.
The movies are back! Somehow, against all odds, Nolan found a way to make a three hour long movie about a physicist the biggest and most talked about movie of the year. Listen as we break down the themes of this great film.
The weekend of Barbenheimer has come and gone, and it was everything we ever could have asked for. Your Appreciators, Evan and Andrew, wanted to give each movie their own discussion. First up is the (apparently) scandalous Barbie. Not only is it one of the funniest movies we've seen in recent memory, it's also got a lot of thematic depth to it. Listen as we break it all down for you--everything from its similarties to the Garden of Eden and that Matchbox Twenty cover.
The end of May saw the end of three great TV shows. It honestly felt like the world was ending. But instead of feeding our sadness, we want to break down these shows. Did they all stick the landing? Which finale was the best? Which show will have the greatest legacy? Press play and fine out!
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now out in theaters....and it's pretty good! But every new installment of the MCU fails to live up to the visual artistry of other action franchises. Who is doing action the best right now? Let's talk it out!
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/HFwQ945vPbE The episode where we breakdown why White Lotus season 2 is off to a great start and other random October leftovers.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/iCOHkM5OTl0 Like its predecessors, Halloween Ends is a mixed bag. Some people love it for it's narrative innovation while just as many people hate it for its lack of Michael Myers. So which is it? Is it good or bad? Are you pro Michael Myers having a sidekick or not? Listen as we defend Halloween ends and explain why we walked away enjoying the movie.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/lxWtJwXpaTk We are back! Your favorite movie appreciators are kicking off the spooky season with a discussion on one of the most popular horror movies of the last decade. Ever since its release in 2018, Hereditary has been heralded as one of the most disturbing and scariest films. But is it? Listen as Evan and Andrew break down the merits of Hereditary and what scares them most in movies.
It's no secret Game of Thrones was written as a response to the good vs evil binary of Lord of the Rings. But for all of the differences in these two franchises both of their new shows have a lot in common. But which is better?
Prey and the Black Phone are the two most hyped-up horror movies of the summer. But do they live up to the hype? Listen as Evan and Andrew break down the the strengths and (gasp!) weaknesses of the films.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/n2wIXKgw1RQ From 2008 to now, we as fans have been treated to 14 amazing years of television (and one film). In melancholic fashion, Saul's finale was a war between the two sides of our favorite fictional lawyer. Jimmy's conclusion reminds us that it's our choices that define us, and it's never too late to make the right one. But did the creators make the best choices with this ending? Is it one of the best endings of TV history? Listen as Evan and Andrew break down what made the Better Call Saul final great.
On the first ever Professional Appreciators Q&A episode, Evan and Andrew talk about their movie origin stories, dream podcast guests, favorite B-Movies, and much more! You can watch the episode on our Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/whyitsgreat
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/VrWUmvawj-Q Jordan Peele's "Nope" is finally here! If you like looking in the clouds for strange objects and meta critiques about Hollywood and the human impulse to consume spectacle then this is the movie for you! There is SO much to talk about, so don't waste any more time reading this description. Listen as Evan and Andrew breakdown all the ideas and themes of Nope (with slight spoilers). BECOME A PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/whyitsgreat
Appreciators, wake up! Evan and Andrew are back from their unintended hiatus to break down all the strange things that have happened in Hawkins. Is season 4 as good as the hype? What are Evan and Andrew's Vecna songs? And what impressions can Andrew do? All this and more!
Andrew has gone solo! Well, at least for this episode. While Evan was away on vacation, Andrew decided to argue why he believes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the best Marvel movie. It may not be the most popular, but it does suceed where most Marvel movies fail. Please listen to the full episode before writing any hate mail! Check it out!
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/8RBzFnRrgvk Cinema has been saved! Tom Cruise continues his mission to save the movie theater experience by delivering yet another visceral action movie where the stunts are authentic and gripping. Top Gun: Maverick has everything you'd want in a summer blockbuster: fast planes, motorcycles, mustaches, beautiful people sweating nonstop, and Kenny Loggins jams! Listen as Evan and Andrew break down what makes this movie one of the best of the year.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/6RnhR1LXkWc Severance is one of the best shows of 2022, and Evan finally watched enough episodes to talk about it. Why is everyone raving about Apple's latest show, and what makes it so relevant? Listen as the Professional Appreciators break down the best parts of Severance.
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's...Tom Cruise hanging from a plane?! On this audio exclusive episode, Evan and Andrew break down how Tom Cruise seperates himself from every other action star working today (and at the age of 59!). No one commits to the real action on screen quite like Cruise. In a time where it's becoming more and more obvious when an actor was inserted into a scene digitally, Tom Cruise is taking cinema back 100 years to make movies in spirit of Buster Keaton. Why is this so important? You're going to have to press play to find out!
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/tLrHubOCna0 The Night Blade Rules! Are you a fan of Viking revenge films that are vaguely similar to Hamlet and The Lion King? If not, do you even have a pulse? Listen as Evan and Andrew break down the new Robert Eggers film, The Northman, and why it's worth seeing on the biggest screen possible.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/N6nqMKxEu0c Better Call Saul might be the only prequel to a popular story that is done well. Not only is it a good prequel to Breaking Bad, it might be (now's the time to clutch your pearls) BETTER. Hear us out before reporting us to the podcast police! For the Professional Appreciators, the difference lies with the protagonsists. And Better Call Saul might have the edge...
WATCH: https://youtu.be/0G_NbMP0A9o Don't hit send on that angry comment just yet! Comic book movies are great! We love them. But maybe there's a problem when Morbius, a movie both fans and critics hated, was the only successful movie over the weekend. Why are audiences only watching comic book movies? Why are studios refusing to make anything else? Don't worry, you can trust the Professional Appreciators to give you a fair and nuanced breakdown on one of the interenet's most contested debates.
WATCH video here: https://youtu.be/J1gyRSI20mg Between Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock, Coda winning best picture, and Zack Snyder's Justice League beating every Marvel movie for Best Film Moment, viewers were all left wondering the same question: what was that? Don't worry, the Professional Appreciators are here to help you sort through all the madness.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/W0ROzqIsGHw For the first time ever, The Professional Appreciators are talking about TV! Evan and Andrew are asking the important question: Is Euphoria good? Why is everyone talking about it? Who else is better to answer this question other than two white guys with a podcast?
WATCH: https://youtu.be/eLeO0cV9lqI Sometimes sequels are better than the original: The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight, Troll 2, etc. And for the first time the Professional Appreciators are making a sequel! This is the second part of our breakdown of The Batman--a three hour long slow burn and beautifully shot crime procedural everyone can't stop talking about. Listen as Evan and Andrew breakdown what this new iteration of the world's greatest detective gets right.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/fDuM33u5evY Vengeance has arrived! After years of waiting, we can finally watch the latest Batman iteration on the big screen. But does it live up to the hype? Check out our full discussion on The Batman and how it stacks up to our expectations and previous versions of the character.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/rDZ4Lq0JQqU The internet has finally agreed on something: the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie isn't any good. But could the internet be wrong? (Gasp!) And speaking of disasters...hear the humerous/humiliating story of how Evan rescued Andrew from getting his car stuck in the mud. All this and more on the latest episode of Professional Appreciators!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/SOeOziaKV-c For this Valentine's Day, we are discussing the best and most romantic stories ever put to film. And no, despite what Evan says, Terminator does not make the cut.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/JfRvej7Sxek There are some questions that will be debated forever. Is Coke better than Pepsi? Are Marvel Movies theme park rides? Why can't you ever find a printer that works consistently? And finally, is Batman V Superman a good movie? Listen as Evan and Andrew discuss the movies they believe are better than the hate they received upon release.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/CHQC6VAUg-0 News broke that The Batman will be nearly 3 hours long. This begs the question: are long movies bad? If so, why are movies getting so long? Or are they? Maybe a movie's length doesn't directly affect its quality. Your trusted Professional Appreciators also continue their streak of starting the podcast discussing the movie Heat with the news of Heat 2 (the novel).
WATCH: https://youtu.be/E12IyA62AhE New year, new movies. Will 2022 see more people return to the theater? How many new streaming services will we get? Can they squeeze any more Spider-Men into one movie? We don't know. But we do know this: there are a TON of promising movies on the calendar this year! Don't worry, the Professional Appreciators are here to help you highlight which movies you should not miss!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/NqQWWhHYy58 2021 was a great year for films. But only 5 can have the honor of making Evan and Andrew's top 5 list. Did the major motion picture "Heat" make the cut? No, it came out in 1995. But if it came out in 2021 then it would have 100% made the list! If you want to know which movies fell into those coveted spots then you're going to have to stop reading this and press play.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/U9xzQsu5sHY We are going back to the Matrix! Watch Evan and Andrew explain why they think Resurrections is a worthy sequel despite the mixed fan reactions. Also, stay tuned for Evan and Andrew's first disagreement brought to you by Don't Look Up.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Sl6OoAdCxDs Every year at this time our social media feeds our flooded with people emphatically stating that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. But what about Lethal Weapon? Why isn't anyone claiming it as their favorite Christmas movie? And what if it's more of a holiday movie than Die Hard? All this and more on the latest episode of Professional Appreciators!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/PfXyzY_J7-4 What's the movie genre that is constantly being made that no one ever talks about? That's right, it's the "based on a true story" genre. Evan and Andrew discuss their favorite films from this genre and also nominate a true story that they believe would make an amazing movie. All this and more on the latest episode of Professional Appreciators!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/HIR-JN4KvHY A truck full of nitroglycerin is transported across the unstable South American terrain by four criminals; Werner Herzog gets a team of people to carry a boat over a mountain; An old man rides a lawn mower across the U.S. to see his sick brother. What do these traveling feats have in common? They're all the plots of the best movies you've never seen! Evan and Andrew give you a guide to the best hidden gems and overlooked films.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/aH9qL1LXQC0 What are the greatest movie moments of all time? Evan and Andrew have no idea...But they do know what their favorite moments are! Here they discuss the opening to Blue Velvet, the shoot out in Heat, and the best way to reheat leftover garlic bread. All this and more!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/4etI-n153bI Evan and Andrew review and discuss all things Dune. Is Dune any good? Do you have to be familiar with the book to enjoy it? What's up with the name Duncan Idaho? All this and more on the latest episode of Professional Appreciators!
The pilot episode of Professional Appreciators. Evan and Andrew find their footing talking about the best content that came out in October 2021. Is Midnight Mass the best thing Mike Flanagan has made? Is Halloween Kills worth your time? Can James Bond read? All this and more!