Are You Screening? Podcast: Recent Episodes
Marc Eastman/AreYouScreening.com
This week we're catching up more with some republish episodes, and here we're looking at The Brutalist and a couple of others as we were trying to wind up the year.
This week we're finally nailing down our Best of the Year lists, and despite the fact that we say every year is crazy, this one is really nuts when it comes to our lists... at least if you compare them to a lot of other critics.
So much money was dumped into things that were supposed to launch onto everyone's radar this year, and so many of them bombed, were rather awful, or both. So what gets on the list, and how does that compare to titles that won awards?
Tune in to find out and learn about the movies that shined in '24
Plus, we get to Mickey 17, which should have gotten a lot more attention, even if we didn't exactly love it.
We have a few episodes left in our republishing effort and this week we've got Nosferatu.
We kick off taking a shot at Eggers and an interview celebrating the box office success of the film, and then let you in on all the reasons it is mostly underwhelming.
It's that time again, we have to get on to our yearly lists, but before we dive in there, we thought we better touch on the movies we haven't covered, because we don't want people thinking we just didn't see the films that pop up on other people's lists... or that got nominated for things... or won things.
We're checking boxes as fast as we can and running though films this week, and you may be surprised to learn which films we need to highlight (because they probably won't be on our Best List)
Awards season has wrapped with the Oscars, but before we get to a rundown of noteworthy films we haven't covered next week, and our Best of the Year lists the week after, we have to visit a truly underwhelming Marvel film.
Captain America: Brave New World could barely hold our attention, and it seems fitting to get it out of the way before we start talking about good films.
We continue our insane adventure of republishing/catching up with Joker: Folie a Deux, Brothers, and My Old Ass.
It's the strange kick off to the year's film with huge budgets that bombed and a couple of smaller titles that were quite a bit better than expected.
The sequel to the massive hit ought to have made plenty of money, but it had trouble long before it came out, and rightly so.
We'll let you in on these and more... including just some director bashing.
We're continuing our insane republish/catch-up extravaganza with The Instigators & Jackpot!...two movies that, depending on which of us you side with, maybe are at best unnecessary.
We also run through some TV this week, because... at the time... there was a lot we wanted to champion and weren't sure they would get enough attention.
Check out our thoughts and share, like, subscribe, and otherwise trick your friends into listening to us.
We continue our catch up/republish adventures with Deadpool & Wolverine, as wild and screwy a movie as 2024 could manage. We also take a helluva shot at the Olympics and the insanity of events.
As we continue with our catch up/republish episodes, we get to Inside Out 2, one of the best of the year, and the impossible to search IF (Imaginary Friends), and finally Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
It made for a strange episode, because Inside Out 2 was almost indescribably good, but somehow wasn't quite a 10/10, and the other two were passable while filled with flaws that make them potentially annoying.
As we continue to catch up/republish we look at Furiosa and Hitman this week. Two movies that coud hardly be more different, and both a bit disappointing in their own ways.
Furiosa, while serviceable and filled with moments of fun, doesn't live up to the expectations set for it, and Hitman just couldn't seem to get out of its own way and wouldn't commit to a story.
Give a listen for all the details and be sure to subscribe and share.
This week (?) we're bringing you our Can't Win Awards (again... sort of), and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Massive apologies to our fans as many of our episodes over the last six months have been up and down, seemed to be up but weren't really, and have had all sorts of other problems. And, that doesn't even cover some serious delays in publishing.
We'll be catching up rather quickly, so further apologies as we shotgun many episodes from the past few months.
This week we look at The Fall Guy and if there's one overall theme to looking at this one, it's that we were both surprised that it worked out pretty well, despite some goofy moments, AND we were just as much surprised by the extent to which this bears no resemblance to the original show... at all.
Still, it's mostly a fun, popcorn jaunt with some heart and it surely serves its purpose and hasn't really, in our humble opinion, managed reviews that make a lot of sense, by some anyway.
To our fans, some technical and personal difficulties have thrown us for a loop over the summer, and episodes that seemed to be live weren't. Because of this, we'll be pushing out quite a few in fairly rapid succession. Thanks for tuning in, and rest assured we aren't going anywhere.
Two movies that... serve a purpose perhaps, but don't offer much. "Roadhouse" and "Ricky Stanicky" both had more potential, and both can't get out of their own way.
Remember, you can also catch the video version of our podcast now on YouTube.
It's that time again, and as much as it is perhaps unnecessary to rewarn people of the worst movies last year, it's now in a list!
Thankfully, we don't need to overly revisit bad movies, which means we can also bring you a couple of recent Netflix releases, Damsel and Spaceman.
We'll let you know what to stay away from, if you've managed it so far, and who knows what else we'll get up to.
The second part of the Dune extravaganza actually managed to surprise, though it had some flaws and a strange ending. As much as we liked the first installment, there was a lot that could go wrong.
Tune in and find out what we thought about the massive undertaking, why it worked, and why it occasionally didn't.
This week we are taking on the Best of the Year, but it's also our first episode that we are also doing on video.
Things might sound a little strange here and there, and that'll be why. Also, this one got away from us a bit on length, mostly because we had a lot of Honorable Mentions.
It was a wild year to be sure, which made lists both easier and harder, but at the very least ours aren't the same as everyone else's.
Please also check us out on YouTube, and like and subscribe there, etc.
This week we actually just cranked through a lot of films to end the year before next week when we dare to offer you our Best of the Year list.
We hit too many to go over, including such winners as Past Lives and Dream Scenario, and ended up with some of our biggest differences ever, which was really surprising in some cases. This was largely a result of Shane hating everything and me being a sucker... apparently.
Tune in to find out about several movies you need to check out so that you are fully informed (let's say) going into the Best of the Year.
As we run headlong toward our Best of the Year list, and the Can't Win Awards, we're trying like hell to get through as many films as possible... and it only works so well.
This week we finally get to Oppenheimer, which hit us pretty much as we expected... tune into to find out what that means. We're also looking at two real gems of the year, even if we didn't rate one of them that highly, May December and American Fiction.
This week we finally look at Killers of the Flower Moon as we head into our wrap up of as many movies we didn't get to as possible before our Best of the Year list and our "Can't Win" Awards.
Killers didn't really impress us, as is perhaps the case with several of the biggest titles this year, and we'll let you know exactly why.
Also, in a bit of a strange move as we waste time when we have better things to do, we talk about the Oscar snubs and how I unfortunately caused them, or predicted them, or something.
Finally, we're briefly revisiting The Night Agent and only because I mentioned it previously on the show after only watching three episodes.
The Critics Choice Awards happened and it was a great show once again. This week we look over the winners and let you know how we feel about them (and sometimes what I actually voted for), and we review (though rather quickly) The Holdovers and Saltburn.
The Holdovers got Paul Giamatti the win, and as we mentioned in a previous episode, he deserved it, and it was a year with some serious competition.
Saltburn hasn't managed a lot of love, and is becoming famous simply for the talk surrounding a couple of... well, odd, scenes, but the follow up to Promising Young Woman is still quite good... if odd.
You may be expecting our usual, end of year shotgun blast of reviews where we try to hit as many movies as possible each episode, but because this year threw off our ability to get a couple of episodes out - even as we prepare to add video to the mix - we've decided to run through some of the major categories of the Critics' Choice Awards nominations in order to highlight and discuss said nominees that way.
We will get you our take on several of the most noteworthy films that way, and review them "better" later, so at least you have some ideas going into award season.
We are also covering Leave the World Behind this week, though briefly, and mostly for a quick laugh.
In a wildly rare move... sort of, we are only covering one film this week, Poor Things. As usual for the pre-award rush, we've been hyping the fact that we would need to share several movies per episode, but this week... accidentally, we are laser-focused on Yorgos Lanthimos' latest, and this treat with Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Defoe is certainly worthy of our attention... even if it isn't quite the 10/10 I was expecting. It is close though.
This week we are really gearing up for awards season, which seems crazy. Before we get too close to four or five films a week territory, we have a couple of big titles to tackle, and neither of them impressed us much.
The Marvels is getting a wild world of pro and con commentary, but where does it really land, and why? The Killer, which is weirdly, The K__.ller, owing to the graphic novel, is a lot of potential that doesn't really amount to anything as cool as it should have been.
This week we are taking a look at what turns out to be a truly special movie, Five Nights at Freddy's, at least in terms of messing with our ratings.
We're also covering a couple of other films, including Totally Killer.
As much as it may seem absolutely crazy, because we are very serious film critics, Five Nights played havoc with our thoughts about rating movies. So much so that we have been inspired to revisit our show from ages ago where we dive deep into how we come to our ratings. Look for that somewhere around the new year with our yearly lists and awards.
We're avoiding a lot of Halloween this week, but there's still "Haunting" in the title. While horror, or at least horror-ish, titles are moving around the box office rankings, we're looking at A Haunting in Venice, the third effort of a semi-vanity project.... just like in our last show.
Is this one worth your time, or has this gone on too long?
This week, as we move from stellar box office, to the curious case of a winning holiday weekend... to the box office black hole, we're looking at the third installment in the increasingly curious Equalizer franchise.
This one is a vanity project that won't die, and while the first one was... fair enough, it's becoming hard to tell why we ever picked the name in the first place.
Does this one hold up? Is it worth your time? We'll let you know, and we're going to jump into a few other things as well.
The shocking blockbuster that is Barbie has taken the year's box office by storm, and it is at the center of intense debate and... unusual awards talk.
So where does the film land when not merely analyzing the feminist debate within, and how does the film showcase Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, and Ryan Gosling, apart from making a lot of money?
We'll let you know how well this one delivers.
Apologies for the a massive technical failure throwing things off a bit in the episode.
The Impossible team is at it again, sort of, and this time they find themselves up against a whole new kind of enemy. The cultural boogeyman of the decade is AI and there's no reason our Impossible heroes shouldn't jump on the bandwagon.
It's no secret that Cruise uses the franchise to... work out some fantasies, and the question has long been whether or not it all comes together to deliver something that holds up to the first couple of films. We'll let you know where this one lands.
We've also got some bonuses for you, running you through some of your other screening options.
After a bit of a break we are running full steam into massive, tentpole season, although many of them don't seem to be doing quite as well as we might hope.
There was a time that Indiana Jones might have made twice as many movies and the all would have killed, but we aren't exactly in those times, and the question of whether or not a new Indy adventure is worth it is... well, a fairly live question.
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and we have some bonuses to discuss as well.
As we start to hit the big-money releases, we're going to look at the new, animated Spider-Man effort. The first one smashed into the cultural awareness in a way we haven't seen in a while, and there are high hopes for this one, but will it live up to the fascination?
With the potential to become an epic sub-franchise of the superhero genre, this one could be the key. We'll let you know if this one has what it takes.
As we approach some really big titles hitting theaters, we're taking on Sisu and looking at some other titles that may easily get overlooked.
The box office ahead looks to be dominated by a few titles, but the numbers aren't quite reaching expectations and we're going to continue to try to showcase other options... in case Barbie isn't for everyone.
As we move into the summer, and some truly big releases, Fast X hits the scene and the potential puns abound.
Is this one the charm? Do the high revving thrills and surefire excitement have surprises in store? Is this worth watching at all? Even if you haven't seen any of the others?
We will dodge a lot of these questions and many more as we try to wrap our heads around reviewing this one. Or, we'll let you know where we stand after less than positive reviews of the 9th installment.
It's time for more Marvel adventure, but Guardians of the Galaxy isn't quite the same beast after two previous movies and appearances in several other features. This one may focus on a character, giving us our villain, but it seems not to focus on anything.
We'll let you know if you need to get this one and we'll hit up one or two other things as well.
This week we're trying to catch up with three titles - Super Mario Bros, Renfield & Cocaine Bear. It's a wild mix to cover all at once and spans a lot of potential tastes, and unfortunately none of them really wowed us.
We'll let you know if you need to seek any of these out and give you some quick takes on a few other things, like Picard, and the strange way a lot of these titles seem to connect.
As the theatrical window slows a bit, we're looking at some streaming release titles before getting into the late April/May black hole.
A couple of surprises here, odd as they turned out to be, as Tetris and Murder Mystery 2 didn't really turn out the way we thought they would, for good or ill.
This week finds us borderline astonished with Dungeons & Dragons, though I liked it even more than Shane. This may well survive the entire year as the most surprising film of the year. Screwy fun, not too serious, and solid characters turned what could have been a "fan only" snooze into a popcorn hit.
This week we're reviewing John Wick 4 and looking at how it connects (or doesn't) with the entire franchise. Can Keanu's neverending endurance and ability to take punishment spawn a movie on its own? Is a stunning stung/FX highlight reel a story? Is there something wrong with the financial situation worldwide in John Wick's universe?
We'll look at all these questions and more, plus we've got mail!
There's finally a fair number of decent possibilities in (or approaching) theaters, but something about 65 drew us in. Tune in and we'll let you know if this somewhat screwy idea can be made into something exciting, and if Driver can carry things when he's mostly on his own.
Here's a hint, this worked a lot better for one of us than the other.
It's our awards show time again as we give you our picks for the "Can't Win" awards. Our picks to help highlight performances and films that just have no chance of winning "real" awards.
A very interesting selection of movies this year, although I couldn't quite follow my own guidelines and ended up giving a few nods to the same movie, which doesn't spread as much love as I want from this whole idea.
Tune in and find out where we think the underappreciation was felt most strongly last year.
Some technical difficulties pushed us back with this episode, but the wait is over for the Worst Movies of 2022, which I know everyone was looking forward to.
It was an easy year for picking bad movies, but we also give some insights on other worst lists, which confuse us greatly.
We also give our quick take on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which didn't win us over.
It's finally time and despite our best efforts there are still a couple of films that made our lists that we didn't have time to cover throughout the year.
Find out what blew us away and let me tell you, there are some surprises.
As usual, we will also call out those movies that are on everyone else's lists that just aren't actually worthy.
It's our last show to squeeze in everything we can before we hit you with our Best of the Year lists and things get a little dodgy in the rush.
This week we look at Tom Hanks remaking A Man Called Ove in a film that truly Americanizes most of the best notes out of things, and Bill Nighy remaking Kurosawa's Ikiru in a film that is nearly perfect (spoiler warning for next week's list).
We also go back to The Whale and Empire of Light as we try to make sure we mention everything getting awards season attention before revealing our picks for the year.
We continue this week trying to knock out everything we can before the Oscars. We're notoriously bad at that, but we manage a good look at Triangle of Sadness and Tar. Two films that couldn't be less for everybody, but are worth checking out.
Next week we are going to have perhaps our strangest episode ever as we tackle A Man Called Otto, Living, and at least five other films in one show.
This week we take a break from trying to get through every movie of the year before awards, because some awards happened. We'll run through the Critics' Choice Awards winners and discuss the highlights, great wins, and the things we think are a little silly.
We're also going back to Violent Night, to further give a break from awards season, in case anyone missed this whacktastic delight over the holidays.
This week we're catching up with Glass Onion as we try to cover everything as fast as we can with awards looming (and passing). We'll also look at The Pale Blue Eye, a Christian Bale vehicle which bizarrely is going almost completely unnoticed.
As awards close in (and pass by) we're trying to get to as many films as we can, but in all honesty... we're bad at that. This week we had to go back to Glass Onion, because in all the rush we passed by that one in past weeks. The main struggle with this one seems to be between those who think it is better than the original and those that find it not quite as good. Either way, high praise. We'll let you know where we fall on that strange spectrum.
We're also covering The Pale Blue Eye, the Christian Bale vehicle that has gone almost completely unnoticed. The battle of Netflix titles is on and whatever rating they ultimately get, we're going to recommend watching both of them.
The big thing this week is obviously Avatar: The Way of Water and listeners may know that we don't both have the same feelings about Cameron, or Avatar. Is this one worth the mountains of box office cash? Is it worth anything? We'll let you know.
We will also give you a bit of a rundown of the nominations for the Critics' Choice Awards and while I won't exactly give away my voting, it probably isn't to hard to tell where I'm leaning.
As awards season starts truly rocking, with CriticsChoice noms and a lot of critic group and other awards coming out, we're looking this week at some of the (sorry) smaller things out there.
Although, Pinocchio is hitting things pretty hard on the animated front.
Both Bones and All and The Wonder seemed like they were going to get a lot more attention a few months ago, but as the year winds down, they just aren't what people are taking about... but should they be?
Tune in and we'll let you know where this ones ought to be sitting in the list of the year's films.
This week we are diving into awards season with our usual reckless abandon, hoping to cover the films you most need to know about as nominations hit and we close out the year.
Three big titles to cover means we can't give any of them what they might deserve and as far as nominations go, these are films you are going to hear about a lot, but are they really deserving of the hype?
The Fablemans practically got nominated a year ago, She Said seems like it's a lock to get attention just on the subject, and The Banshees of Inisherin is blowing everyone away.
This week is our last bit of normalcy heading into awards season and we're taking this opportunity to cover a couple of films that aren't the biggest releases. For the next two months we will probably be running through several films per week and the smaller things will, as always, not get the attention they deserve.
All Quiet on the Western Front is probably our main pick for films that are going to be overlooked, and while we didn't love Wendell & Wild exactly, it's worth a look.
We also chime in on Strange World, The Banshees of Inisherin, Wednesday, and a lot more.
This week we run through as many possibilities as we can at a time when movies and series utterly bombard us with choice.
Wakanda Forever is the big name, but we'll also cover Enola Homes 2, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and many more. We may not have liked everything, but with Rosaline, Causeway, Inside Man, The Good Nurse, and still more, if you can't find something you'll love, we just can't help you.
It's obviously Black Adam week and there is a lot of talk about the disparity between critical and audience reception as this one takes over the box office.
We'll let you know our take on it, and whether that disparity really even exists, and we're also going to look at a few more films including circling back to Halloween Ends again.
This week we try to take advantage of the lull before Black Adam and catch up on a few things. We'll look at Luckiest Girl Alive, Halloween Ends, The School for Good and Evil, and The Peripheral.
A couple of these are pretty highly recommended, and we have to defend one of them against critics who don't seem to make a lot of sense, though it probably isn't the one you think.
This week we look at Amsterdam, a film with a lot of stars that is taking a lot of heat from critics. Does this star-studded caper deserve the press it's getting, or is the backlash aimed at the writer/director overshadowing the merits... and is it worth seeing in theaters?
We'll let you know what we think, and we'll also look at Marvel's version of a Halloween Special, Werewolf by Night.
Plus, we've got a listener question to address.
This week (after a Covid break) we're hitting Don't Worry Darling, Blonde, and going back for See How They Run.
It turned into a somewhat weird week, especially as Blonde and Don't Worry Darling had similar issues, which doesn't seem like it should be possible.
This week we are catching up due to some technical difficulties so we are not only reviewing 3,000 Years of Longing, but we are hitting a few available on streamers - Me Time, Samaritan, and Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Unfortunately, the oft-mentioned lull in big, theatrical releases hasn't quite been the boon for these smaller affairs we hoped, but 3,000 Years of Longing is an "adventure" we recommend, even if it disappointed.
As we head into an episode in which we will probably be getting to three films - two streamers - we are stuck doing our best with lack of big titles at the box office.
We'll be looking at Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, the twenty-something, rich kid vehicle that finds a bunch of snots throwing a party for a hurricane when the bodies start dropping.
We will also run you through some possibilities at home, including big name series, like House of Dragons, etc.
We're solidly in the lull, so this week we look at the new Netflix film Dayshift and we catch up on Prey, and while neither film is devoid of positives, you really have to be looking for them to get much out of them.
We'll let you know all the details and try to give you a sense of whether or not you're going to like them.
We also give a quick take on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which is potentially a lot of fun, and potentially alienates a lot of Marvel fans.
As we enter a real lull in theatrical releases, Bullet Train hopes to capitalize on a lack of real blockbusters over the next few weeks. We'll let you know if it manages to earn your money, and why we both thought it was awfully close to becoming a classic.
We also look at the Apple+ animated feature, Luck, which we had similar reactions to, and is perhaps aimed at a younger audience than you expect.
Those films and more as we continue to try to showcase streaming options on the horizon.
Nope and The Gray Man are battling for the king of cultural awareness this week, and with Nope having a decent run at the box office while The Gray Man keeps people at home, it's a wild week to be sure.
We'll let you know if you need to catch these, and we're also taking a look at a fascinating documentary, My Old School.
Give us a listen and hit us up at the website with questions for future episodes.
It's Thor week as theaters prepare for a slow August and September and we'll let you know if this one merits breaking away from your favorite streamers. Is it goofy fun, or just goofy?
We're also taking you through upcoming releases and hoping to spotlight a few gems headed your way while giant, blockbuster releases take a bit of a break.
As we get ready for Thor, we're looking at The Black Phone, based on the work of Joe Hill. The unfortunately overlooked film starring Ethan Hawke would have perhaps been better served with an October release, but it's an interesting effort even if we aren't quite in a theatrical market that can deliver for smaller features.
We'll let you know if you need to catch this in theaters, and we'll again give you a rundown of some streaming options.
Pixar lands in theaters again with a curious spin on the idea of a sequel. According to the film's intro, the film that Andy saw which inspired the toy he then got for his birthday is the film you're about to watch.
Thus, this animated sci-fi romp on an alien world has no real connection to the Toy Story films, leaving Pixar free to take off wherever it wants.
It's a strange trip, and focuses on time travel, and we'll let you know if it holds its own among Pixar's efforts.
It's dino week and we're looking at Jurassic World Dominion this week, plus a few other bonuses and we'll let you know about some streaming options.
How does that coming of dinosaurs into the rest of the world play out, and is it, like other films in the franchise, worth seeing on the big screen no matter how good it is?
This week is obviously all about Top Gun Maverick and one verdict that's already in is whether you think it's going to be good or not, you've got to see it on the biggest screen you can.
But, how does it really hold up, and is it something worthwhile only if you can let yourself go to popcorn thrillrides, or is it worth anything more?
As usual, we'll also let you in on some other gems available to stream.
Alex Garland fans have some idea what to expect from his efforts, but it's hard to imagine anyone could really be prepared for Men. Ex Machina was a sci-fi effort with great performances and a lot to say about the world, and Annihilation and Devs were fun, wild rides, even if they weren't perfect. Men is something else altogether.
We'll let you know if you to give Men a chance and we'll also look Rebel Wilson's latest effort, Senior Year, and take a look at a few other gems on streaming services.
We're looking at Firestarter this week, the surprisingly under-marketed King adaptation that seems to be polarizing audiences. Is this one worth the effort, especially if you don't seem to be trying to truly capitalize on it?
We also run through some of your better options to stream like the new release of The Lost City.
This week we look at the latest Marvel adventure, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and we actually manage to diverge in our ratings quite a bit. That's not the norm for Marvel efforts, but one of us really didn't like this one, despite liking Doctor Strange generally, and being a serious fan of WandaVision.
Tune in and we'll let you know if you need to get to this one.
This week we're looking at The Northman, a film of curious budget that hopes to spin something like a Shakespearean take on Norse fable with all the gore and madness one might expecting of a Viking revenge story.
Is this one worth your time? Does the critical appreciation continue following in the wake of The Witch and The Lighthouse? Do you need to see it in theaters? We'll let you know.
This week we are reviewing/celebrating the movie that you really need to go see while it is still in theaters, Everything Everywhere All At Once. At the same time, we aren't actually quite as hot for it as a lot of critics.
We're also running you through a lot of TV/Streaming options that are either hitting now or coming soon to help you get through the next couple of months' worth of theatrical releases, which will give you a few big releases but not much else to take up your time.
This is a strange week as directors go with opposite ends of the career track represented. We have rather opposite efforts as far as the films as well. A hyperkinetic chase/heist film with a wildly "on" Jake Gyllenhaal, and a slower-than-slow burn spy-focused investigation with Thandie Newton and Chris Pine, neither of whom seem able to emote at all.
We'll let you know if you need to catch Ambulance or All the Old Knives, and this week we are also going to give you a quick preview of what's coming up in the next couple of months.
Morbius has, if nothing else, taken the internet by storm, but where does this film really land and is it worth your time? It's actually a tougher question than most would have you believe.
This week we're also looking at the Oscars and comparing the results with the Critics Choice Awards. And, yes, we weigh in on the drama.
Now that awards season is over, and the release of truly big efforts becomes hit or miss as is the spring norm, we're looking at Deepwater. We'll also catch you up on a few other things, which will connect with our upcoming efforts to keep you posted on a lot of streaming possibilities in the near future.
It's finally time, as awards season winds down, for our own version of awards. We try to highlight the overlooked with our awards, where to be eligible for recognition, you have to be a film, or performance, that just won't get nominated for anything else.
We're also covering The Adam Project and Turning Red, two surprisingly good efforts.
The questions of the mind's of our listeners are clearly, "Will Marc get an actual Batman movie this time around?" and, "Will Shane care if it's a Batman movie?" The trailers leave things pretty open for both of those questions, but we'll answer these questions and many more, including, "Can you see anything in this movie?"
Fans will also be expecting our "Can't Win Awards," but we've had to push those back a week, which conveniently puts them right in the award window.
What movies and actors/actresses were overlooked this year, but deserve attention? Tune in next week to find out our answers.
This week we're finally getting to post-awards efforts and catch up with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which everyone has already seen, but more importantly we move on to the Worst Movies of the Year.
In a strange twist, we are also spending a bit of our time calling out other people's worst lists, which hasn't really come up before because it turns out that we simply didn't pay enough attention to them.
Some people, to cut to the chase, don't see enough movies and then voice opinions on what the worst of them are.
We're finally getting out our lists and we kick things off with the Best of the Year. Always, hopefully, curious lists, this year was a decidedly odd one for the world of film.
We'll give you our top 10, and throw out a lot of other movies you should check out if you missed them, and even let you in on some that didn't make our lists despite being on everyone else's.
We're also running through the Academy Award nominations and comparing them to the Critics Choice Awards.
We had a couple of small technical difficulties recording this one, and the unfixable remains of our efforts have resulted in this episode ending rather abruptly.
We're in the final stages of running through everything we can as awards, and our own Best lists, approach. This week we're looking at massive awards contender The Power of the Dog, and giving quick takes on several other films we haven't had a chance to get to yet.
We also look at the latest Matrix film, and a foreign gem in a year overloaded with foreign gems, The Worst Person in the World.
As we approach awards, specifically as we get closer to the CCA which is now in March, we're trying to wrap up 2021 as much possible and get to everything we can. That means a certain amount of shotgunning some films.
Apart from awards, we're also trying to get through anything that slipped through the cracks as we hope to get to our Best and Worst lists within the next two weeks.
This week we're covering Don't Look Up, Being the Ricardos, taking a look back at Belfast again, and more... we'll also chime on Pig again, because we can't remember how detailed we were about it.
It's awards season and this week we're looking at the Critics Choice nominations and how they lined up with my own votes.
We're also reviewing King Richard and The Tender Bar in what is our last week before we just start throwing out movies ten at a time to try to catch up with the end of the year.
As award season approaches, this is the last week that will see us able to keep from covering half a dozen films an episode and we're still giving time to more than one.
The French Dispatch is the main attraction, but we'll be going back over a couple of others (and touching on more). Mainly, tick tick Boom and The Harder They Fall.
We had to catch up a bit this week, but Eternals was obviously the biggest drop. We also give you our take on so many more though, including - Red Notice, Belfast, The Harder They Fall, Army of Thieves, and more.
This week is all about Dune, though we hit a couple of other treats as well, and we'll not only let you know if you need to get to this one, but we look at some of the criticisms other people have as well.
Bond is back, and Daniel Craig finishes up his tenure in the role, but is this one worth it? How does it stack up as a Bond film? We'll let you know, and we'll also take a look at The Green Knight, now on home release, and Halloween Kills, which made a splash at the box office.
This week we're trying to catch up on things before we get to Bond weekend. We'll let you in on some of the latest - like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Old Henry, Cry Macho, and Malignant - but we'll also run through our quick takes on some recent big entries on the small screen. Foundation, La Brea, and more.
It's a big week for us as Shang-Chi manages to get people back in theaters consistently. Is Marvel's continued reign deserved, or are people just showing up because it's Marvel?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time before it hits to stream, and we'll give you quick looks at Kate and Malignant.
I'll also be giving my take on the Emmy's and certain controversy surrounding the awards.
This week we'll let you know just how surprised we were by Free Guy (and whether that was good or bad). We'll also give you some details on other things headed your way, review Reminiscence, look back again at Pig, and much more... well, not that much more.
DC takes another stab at the general idea with "The Suicide Squad," and the results are a mixed bag of brilliant moments, charismatic efforts, and nonsense. Does it amount to something worth watching, or just a frustrating mess?
Tune in and we'll let you know if this one is worth your time.
It's Disney again this week with Jungle Cruise and though we may have had a strange mix of expectations, this one both did and didn't live up to them.
Do you need to rush out to catch this one? We'll let you know. We'll also give some impressions on Pig, the Nicolas Cage effort that has been winning over critics. Can a truffle pig adventure about a hermit living in the woods really be one of the best films of the year?
This week we're looking at a female lead double feature, one of which may or not be a bit camp, the other perhaps could have been more clear on how serious it wants it to be.
Black Widow kicked theaters back into gear and still caused some drama on that front, while Gunpowder Milkshake released streaming and caused its own stir.
Tune in and we'll let you know if you need to catch either of these, even if Shane and I disagree wildly about one of them.
This week action and mayhem square off as we look at F9 and The Tomorrow War, two films that are sure to polarize, as well as cause a lot of forgiving in service to "popcorn" fun.
We also go back to Luca and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and talk about some TV series that are on our radar.
Theater traffic is still running rough but The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is technically the weekend winner. Is it worth checking out, and is it worth a trip to the theater? Does it live up to the first?
We'll let you know, and we'll also give a special shout out to a few shows you don't want to miss, including "Kevin Can F**k Himself."
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It passed A Quiet Place 2 at the box office this week, and we'll give you a rundown on both. We'll also give you a quick take on Loki.
Two "horror" movies in one week and they couldn't be more different, but they are both getting people to theaters. Are they worth your time?
We're trying to get you as caught up with things as we can this week, and we cover Army of the Dead, Wrath of Man, Cruella, and Those Who Wish Me Dead.
It's a strange mix of heist movies, zombies, action, and live-action look at a cartoon world, and it all adds up to a front-runner for best of the year, horrible nonsense, and things that should have been better.
Tune in and we'll let you know which is which.
This week we take another look at The Mitchells vs the Machines, which is a lot of fun, and we review Without Remorse, the latest Tom Clancy effort. Ultimately, Without Remorse isn't particularly bad, but it could have been a lot better.
We also keep looking back at award winners of years past, a project that started out as an idea to give people some ideas of what to look for via streaming services in these theater poor times. Since I turned out that several years didn't have very inspiring nominees, we take a look at some of the best of 2005.
This week we take a look at Mortal Kombat, Stowaway, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and we take another look at some old Oscar winners by way of listener questions.
Is it possible that Mortal Kombat is actually a decent effort? We wouldn't have expected to even entertain the question, but the trailer made us curious. Do things work out? We'll let you know, and if you haven't heard of The Mitchells vs. the Machines yet, you really want to check it out.
Going into the Oscars has thrown everything sideways in this movie season that can't stop trying to tear the industry apart. This week, we talk briefly about Mortal Kombat, which is as weird as you expect, and we catch up on Promising Young Woman.
We also start taking a look back at Oscars past to see just how much these awards mean, especially several years later. Are any of the winners actually good, or still watched? Should any of them have won over the other nominees? The answers may surprise you.
As we enter the final stretch of awards season, this week we're looking at two popcorn flicks that seemingly have no business entering awards talk.
Nobody, the new effort by the screenwriter of John Wick, and a movie that looks to tell a very similar story, and Godzilla vs. Kong, which looks to be a movie that you will like exactly as much as you predict.
We also end up waxing poetic about the state of theatrical releases and where things seem to be headed in the wake of the Arclight closing.
We may be venturing away from awards season, and happily toward theaters moving closer and closer to some serious releases (cross your fingers), but the news of the day is the Snyder Cut, because certain people won't stop talking about it and we might as well join them.
Whether or not a movie is worth your time becomes a very different question when it's four hours long... and you've already seen it, but it turns out that there isn't much need for convincing. For some, you're going to see it whether or not anyone says it's good or bad, for others, the opposite is true.
If you thought it was bad to start, and few thought it was good, can throwing two more hours at it improve things?
We'll let you know.
This week we're going over the Oscar noms and comparing them with the Critics' Choice Awards. The short version is that the Oscars are the CC plus Pinocchio.
We're also covering Judas and the Black Messiah, which we did not love as much as the Oscars, but is still a worthwhile film.
With awards all anyone can talk about, we're running down the Critics' Choice winners leading into the Academy Award nominations, but there are still a lot of things coming out... even if theaters are still hurting.
We'll take a look at Coming 2 America and let you know if it's worth your time, and we'll also throw out some quick impressions of other new releases.
It's that time of year again. That's right. It's our own awards!
The Can't Win Awards were spawned from our hope to give some attention to the movies, actors and actresses, and yes, even screenwriters and directors, who just... let's face it, can't win other awards.
There's too much out there not to highlight the films that just aren't big enough, or are too "genre" to be taken seriously.
Tune in and find out who we thought needed a shout out this year, and a special award, and why Shane decided it was Vast of Night.
Now the fun begins listeners! Sure, the Golden Globes have happened, and other awards are coming up - tune in to Critics' Choice on March 7th - but this week we're headed in the other direction.
The worst movies can be as hard to put on a list as the best, but we make ourselves do it. Did your most hated film make the cut, or are you not putting in the same sort of effort we are and thus didn't even see any of these? Tune in and find out what we just couldn't stand this year.
It's that time, and now that awards are right around the corner, we're giving you our Best Movies of the Year lists. There are a few surprises, and we aren't as moon-eyed over some of the things jockeying for position on everyone else's lists.
Find out what we loved this year, what you need to see, and how we figure our take on things may give some insight into what is going to win Best Picture.
This week, with the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice nominations out, we take a look at the nominations and run through some movies we need to at least mention before awards shows start hitting.
Some of the nominations are a little crazy, some are obvious, and we also wanted to cover a few more of the movies getting a lot of attention before we hit you with our Best of the Year lists.
It's a wild ride, tune in and find out what movies you better be aware of, and which ones we don't actually think are that great despite everyone talking them up.
This week we're reviewing Nomadland and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, but we couldn't let an episode this close to various awards go by without some commentary on the crazy world that is this year in film.
I'll also give some hints on what I'm nominating for the Critics' Choice Awards (nominations revealed on the 8th)... and what I'm not.
We're catching up a little this week, and we're covering The Little Things, but also Wonder Woman, The Midnight Sky, and the Critics Choice Super Awards.
We're actually particularly interested in what people though of the Super Awards, especially with the bigger awards season on the horizon.
We've got some quick reviews of recent and upcoming releases this week, but a listener email sent us down the rabbit hole of revisiting our picks for the best films of last year. That's always a scary trip, but it worked out well.
We tackle Mank, briefly, and Soul, The Midnight Sky, and more.
We're taking a look at Freaky this week as theaters slow to a grinding halt, but we'll also give you a quick review of Hillbilly Elegy before we fully cover it, and we'll be looking at other things you can watch while you wait for films to decide their fates.
We check in this week with Honest Thief and wonder at the extent to which Liam Neeson can pull this one together. A somewhat interesting premise isn't given the script it deserves, but with little available in theaters... well, we'll let you know if this is worth your time.
We're also giving a rundown of some of your non-theater options, including some great films and shows that are hitting on streaming services. There's a lot of good stuff out now or on the way.
As more and more movies get pushed back, options that aren't streaming are harder to come by, leading to the infinite cycle of reasons people aren't in theaters. With that, two titles from Netflix are among the biggest possibilities. Enola Holmes and Hubie Halloween offer very different fare, but at least they're options, and one of them is actually quite good.
As the movie world puts everyone in a strange limbo of theater openings mixed with release date pushback, we head to New Mutants to let you know if daring theaters is worth your time.
A strange, underhyped film that isn't getting a lot of attention post-release, but is it any good?
Tenet finally shows up, but the film that doesn't want you to know what it's about hasn't managed to get people swarming against the pandemic. Is it worth heading to the theater? You can catch the curious case of Bill&Ted returning to the screen decades later at home or in the theater, but is it worth either option?
We'll let you know where to put your money.
This week we're reviewing Project Power, talking industry news, and steeling ourselves for a return to theaters.
We're finally back and trying to catch up. Even a pandemic can only keep us away so long, and we're looking at Eurovision, Palm Springs, and The Old Guard this week, with special bonus ratings for Greyhound.
Spoiler - We recommend them all... except Shane doesn't love Eurovision... because he hates elves.
We're trying to roll through what we can with the lockdown in effect, and we'll cover titles as they are available, and we'll also let you in on TV you don't want to miss since everyone needs anything they can get now.
As the lack of theatrical releases really starts to take a toll on us, we'll be going over some great television that's available, and we'll review Sonic the Hedgehog and The Jesus Rolls.
As we head into the summer, we are going to try to expand our coverage of TV here, while continuing to get you reviews of as many movies as possible.
Our latest social distancing episode covers Extraction, which is pretty surprising, the AMC vs Universal controversy, and a lot more.
We're finally back at it and reviewing Onward, but we're also going to share our experiences with social distancing and the streaming opportunities available to us all these days.
It was a challenge, and between the two of us it probably covers 200 films, but we've made our lists of the Top 20 Movies of the Decade.
In our originally live episode, we take you through our lists, let you know where we think we're crazy, and give you a lot of insights we learned in boiling down a decade into the best on offer. Among other things, we'll let you know some of the most forgotten movies, surprises other people have on their lists, and the movies that we're not putting on ours, no matter how many other people do.
Awards season isn't quite over until we share our own. The "Can't Win" Awards are our own effort to highlight some of the films that aren't getting the attention they deserve. Whether a movie is too niche, too indie, or otherwise just isn't going to get a "real" award, we honor those efforts that go overlooked to one degree or another... well, except Shane, who picks things that got nominated...
As usual, we each pick a winner in the big five - Movie, Director, Screenplay, Actor, and Actress.
Tune in to find some great movies that a lot of people missed last year.
Also, tune in Tuesday for a live show where we tell you our picks for Best Movies of the Decade
Once Oscar season ends, there's usually a lot of room for backlash, but this year a lot of the awards were foregone conclusions... except for Parasite making history. Still, we give you a quick rundown on the winners.
We're also reviewing Birds of Prey, and it's one that, perhaps surprisingly, made for quite a gap in our ratings. Screwball fun, or just hopelessly screwball? We'll let you know.
It could only last so long, and though we tried to draw out talking about good movies as much as possible, at some point we had to get here.
It's a weird year for us, and while that seems true of every year, the worst list left us spoiled for choice.
Not only the worst of the worst, but our lists diverged a fair amount this time around. And, we have a fair number of movies that are on people's best lists.
We haven't been able to cover everything on the show, as usual, but it's time to let you in on the best of the year anyway.
Unusual notes this year - No animated films made it, and unprecedented number of films that are on other people's best list are going to be on our worst lists.
As we close in on the end of award season, we're taking a look at one that not enough people are showering with praise, Little Women. We're also going to run through the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards so that you're up to speed as the Academy Awards grow closer, and so you get some idea where we're heading as our Best Lists also approach.
As the end of the year hits and awards season explodes, we have to take a step back and look the latest in the Star Wars franchise. We may not have gone in with high expectations, but it's hard for anyone to avoid finding some amount of fun in any Star Wars feature... maybe.
We'll give you our take on the wrap to the franchise, and let you know about some other end of year titles you don't want to overlook.
Both movies this week have had topsy turvy rides through the media with people promoting them as strong contenders for awards with brilliant casts, then facing certain amounts of backlash with audiences and critics questioning their status. Both have ultimately survived (to this point) and are critical darlings, though Knives Out isn't exactly running toward a lot of awards.
As we make our way through the minefield that is the end of the year, we'll let you know where we stand on these, and one of them is a film that I think people are going to return to for years to come.
We're on the eve of award season, and the release of several films that are going to dominate nominations. As we gear up to run through dozens of movies in the next few weeks, we're spotlighting a couple that shouldn't be overlooked.
Ford v Ferarri (LeMans '66 everywhere else in the world) is a surprising win, especially for those who aren't drawn to the idea of watching car races for a couple hours, and while we had some problems with the Mr. Rogers effort, it's well worth checking out... though, to be honest, it might not require the theater experience.
As we approach the height of award-bait season, Midway rolls on the scene looking for a war-interested audience. It's a genre that is becoming increasingly niche and efforts that focus on battles need more to draw people in than just an action-packed, historic account of events.
Does Midway have what it takes to get people in seats, and is it worthwhile once they show up?
We'll let you know how this one fared and if you're likely to sing its praises.
We'll also be giving you a rundown of some of the recent TV entries via new streaming services.
We're playing catch-up this week, largely due to a trip to the premiere of The Irishman. We'll be taking a look at that one, Terminator: Dark Fate, Zombieland Double Tap, and Gemini Man so strap in.
We're also going to be giving you a quick run through of the films headed to theaters in November, because there is too much to see.
As a special treat, direct from the post-premiere press conference, Al Pacino tells a story about a weird acting spin when he was at The Actor's Studio and if nothing else, it cracked up Martin Scorsese.
The box office vote is in, and Joker is a winner, but is it because of the hype - positive and negative - or just because the title is going to draw crowds? If the film is, for example, really bad, or actually has nothing to do with the Joker, would it make as much money just because enough people want to find out?
We'll let you know where we landed on this DC adventure, and whether or not it's worth your time.
Slow-paced movies that send big names into space have a pretty good track record, as does writer/director James Gray, but this one looks like it's taking "slow" a lot more seriously. Does that work with... whatever the story is, and can Brad Pitt hold the audience when it doesn't look like he gets a lot of help?
We'll let you know if you need to catch this one immediately or not, and we've got some takes on the Emmy's, as well as a few of our thoughts on Joker.
It's hard to imagine two films that are, in some sense, aiming at horror that are more different in their approach, especially when you consider that both need some explanation just to wrap your head around if they are members of the genre at all.
These are also two films where expectations may lead you down the wrong path to enjoying them, and they are two films that are better than we thought they'd be... for what that's worth.
Tune in and find out our take on these films, and we'll also give you a bit of a rundown of what's headed your way.
Good Boys is a difficult movie to judge by the trailers, because it seems to market itself for those who sneak in. Still, there are some notable comedic names attached to the project and coming-of-age doesn't often go completely wrong.
Tune in and we'll let you know if this one is worth your time. We're also jumping back to The Dead Don't Die, because zombie movies shouldn't get skipped.
The summer is fast abandoning us and it doesn't seem that weird CGI "live action" remakes or Tarantino can save us. As theaters ditch us in their deal with TV to let us have our eyeballs for fall, are either of these movies worth the time?
We'll let you know our thoughts on these two films that a lot of people are hopeful for... whether there's any reason to be or not.
The Spider-Man franchise has to make some odd moves as a continuation of the broader Marvel story, and it's hard to know how that's going to play out going into this one. Beyond that, our new incarnation of the web-slinger has his own hurdles to get past.
Is this one worth your time, and will Gyllenhaal give us a decent villain?
The return to certain franchises is often a longshot, especially when we're looking at large gaps between releases, but Men in Black International takes this to a whole new level. The best-case scenario for expectations seems questionable when you're after a franchise no one has mentioned in a decade.
But, stranger things have turned into solid films. Does this one have anything to pull you in, even if that may only be a small bite of popcorn fun? We'll let you know if this one is worth your time.
The X-Men franchise hasn't had the success one might hope in this era of superhero/comic book films, and heading into Dark Phoenix, fans had to wonder if they were going to get something that was truly following Apocalypse or a branch that looked more like Logan.
We'll let you know if you need to see this one in theaters, or at all, and if it adds life to a franchise that might be looking to reboot.
We're also going to run through a few films heading your way soon, and the odd summer approaching.
We're covering Booksmart this week and with all the social media attention this one is getting you may be planning to fit this one into your schedule. Despite a box office showing that isn't anything to cheer about, critics are loving this one. But, does it live up to the hype it's now getting?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time at all and/or if you need to get to theaters before it gets pushed out by bigger releases.
John Wick was a surprisingly solid effort and pulled in enough fans that we're now on the third film, with the release date for the next installment already confirmed. But, the second film was a little rough and didn't so much end as spend its last half hour hoping to convince you a third was a good idea.
Tune in and we'll let you know if the wait pays off and if John Wick 3 stays true to its own world in order to set the stage for the upcoming TV series focusing on The Continental.
We also couldn't avoid taking a few shots at the Game of Thrones finale, so there's that.
It's the sort of thing that you don't want to let a title get away with, but this Long Shot might just surprise a lot of people. You may not get exactly what you think, based on trailers, but Theron has proven that she can make just about anything work.
Give us a listen, and we'll let you know if you need to get to this one while you have the chance.
It's finally here, and as you may recall, we were split on the last installment of The Avengers. Where will that leave us with this one?
It's probably not that hard to guess.
It's going to be the biggest movie in many years and we'll let you know how many times you need to see it.
It seems like a bizarre move to introduce a character who may be pivotal to Avengers: Endgame a couple of weeks before what is likely to be the biggest blockbuster ever, but is there more going on here than whipping out a new character to resolve our plot, or is this going to end up a rush job with little going for it?
We'll let you know what we think, and you may be a bit surprised by this film that shows off a female star in the Marvel Universe while taking us back in time.
It's everyone's favorite time of year, the day we tear apart all the horrible films the year produced... again... in list form. This was a strange year for films and while our best lists were hard to put together, our worst were especially easy. Well, they weren't easy to order, but there were a lot of bad movies.
We're also going to be addressing some of the fallout from the Oscars this year, which were instantly raked by the critics and fans across the internet, and even more instantly by Spike Lee.
It's that time again, and we're letting you in on our picks for the Best of the Year. Of course, we're also taking a look at Alita: Battle Angel, which surprised us a bit, perhaps both in good and bad ways.
It's been a weird year, and especially when it comes to trying to figure out the best film of the year. While the awards have largely gone to films like Green Book and Roma... we didn't really love those, so tune in and figure out what... well, what you should really be checking out... according to us.
The first Lego Movie took us by surprise, but does the sequel have what it takes to deliver on the expectations we have now?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and we're going to catch you up on some more movies you need to know about as we head into the end of awards season.
We weren't especially looking forward to Glass, which makes it a great week to catch up on some more things as we near the end of awards season. While we both wish we could get behind Shyamalan, and considering that Split was not quite the disappointment we expected, we were glad to have a few more things to look at.
With awards season crashing down around us, we take a break for a warm and fuzzy film, The Upside.
We also take a look at the Critics' Choice Awards, where it looks like things are headed for further awards, and try to catch up on other films.
You might be surprised which way we go with this odd, January release, so don't miss out.
We're trying to catch up with a ton movies as we move further into award season, and this week we're looking at Aquaman, A Star is Born, and more. Plus, we'll look at the insanity that was The Golden Globes, and give our take on the wins that shocked the industry.
We're catching up this week from before the holidays, and since awards season has been especially challenging, we'll be catching up for weeks to come.
This week we zipped through several films, including: The Favourite, Blackkklansman, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and more.
In just a few days we will be back with several more awards hopefuls, and our response to the Golden Globes.
It's a strange mix of films as we head into the mad rush that will soon take over our podcast, and What They Had and Wildlife could hardly be more different undertakings. Still, as we will let you know, there is a certainly similarity to the films, though it isn't a positive.
As we get closer to the end of the year, and the dash to catch things that will be nominated for awards, are these two worth your time?
We'll let you know, and we will talk a little about the Golden Globe nominations.
First Man caused a stir in Toronto, though not on its merits exactly. But, people did seem to like it, for the most part. Bad Times at the El Royale somehow flew under most people's radar, despite an impressive cast.
Are either of these worth your time? We'll let you know, and we'll update you on industry ramblings that catch our fancy.
It's time to once again ask if a Comic movie can pull in viewers who aren't familiar with the subject, and while that effort has seen success, it's a tricky game. Without even a hint of Spider-Man, Venom hopes that people will show up based off its cast and the basic fact that there is a comic out there somewhere... and we like comic movies.
This one is especially tricky, because Venom isn't really a good guy... exactly. Does this one manage to be worth your time? We'll let you know.
You have to love a year with some family-friendly creepiness hitting around Halloween, and Jack Black is taking another swing at the genre, but does The House with the Clock in its Walls deliver?
We'll let you know, and we'll give you a dose of industry news, sneak peeks, and general ramblings.
It's an odd world when Mission Impossible can't take over the box office in a meaningful way... or at all, and it may be that a score of years into a franchise it's hard to find people who care anymore. Unfortunately, there's probably a good reason that potential audiences aren't that excited for another trip down Tom Cruise's action vehicle, though it surprisingly isn't the aging star.
We'll let you know why you should catch or avoid this one.
It was a week that was slow in movies, rocketing with news, and if it wasn't Comic-Con or Guardians of the Galaxy, it was a dozen other things... all of them pulling attention away from The Equalizer 2. You want to hope for great things from Denzel, because you don't expect vanity projects, or money grabs from him, but the first installment didn't exactly scream that we needed more.
The summer caught up with us a bit, which means we've had to put Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Ant-Man and the Wasp together, with The Incredibles 2 thrown into the mix as well.
Oddly enough, our own predictions didn't exactly work out for us for either movie (to one degree or another), and of course that means that our hopes for the future were lifted up, but then quickly dashed.
It's a week of giant creatures and tiny people, and it ought to mean more summer fun that you can handle... but, does it?
The arena of female-focus continuations is a small subset of films, and one that is as riddled with problems as it is championed as a general effort. Ghostbusters, for example, managed little to recommend, despite the fact that many hoped for a film that create a foothold for the future.
Ocean's 8 has a lot going for it on paper, but seems mostly like a movie that is an excuse to capitalize on a franchise. The cast will bring a lot of people in, as will the title, but we'll let you know if this one is worth your time.
Solo is the start of a brand new world for the Star Wars franchise, and its performance is going to potentially result in a lot of long-term decisions. Though making money at the box office isn't necessarily all Disney is looking at, the film's lack of ability to capitalize on its character isn't going to go over well.
Beyond simply being a specific character title, there's only so much Star Wars in this attempt at Star Wars, because it's largely just a heist movie. Without even the draw of Star Wars staple Jedi, the film has a serious uphill battle.
But, is it worth your time, and does it offer up the thrill ride you might be hoping for? Or, does development hell leave a film in a state that is just too hard to get out of?
Expectations were high for the return of Deadpool, even if we had a lot of problems with the first one. Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny that the most politically incorrect superhero has wedged himself into the cultural consciousness, and you had to hope for big things from the second installment.
At this point, the film, and/or its virtues is somewhat irrelevant, because Ryan Reynolds has managed to take the character everywhere and has made for himself a persona that will live long past the potential of the films.
But, is this one worth your time? Tune in and we'll let you know.
You could hardly have more hype, and at this point the machine simply is what it is, but does the latest Marvel offering win out just because, or despite the fact that, it throws everyone into a big stew?
The opening will surely crush the box office, but we had very mixed thoughts about how well this one worked.
You'll also want to tune in for the first news of our 1984 Challenge, which is going to earn someone over $2,000 worth of Blu-Rays, gifts, and various movie swag.
Amy Schumer is having a rough go in theaters, but she continues to move in a positive direction. However much you may be disappointed in any particular film, you get the feeling that she'll get there and you'll want to be around when she does.
"I Feel Pretty" throws a new monkey wrench into the works though, because it wouldn't be surprising for people to find themselves furiously disappointed in this one. Of course, it wouldn't be too surprising for people to not especially care either, and the film doesn't have what it takes to move people from one direction to the other (or, to some better direction).
Tune in and find out just how much this one let us down, or if it did... because one of us still liked it a fair amount.
This week brings us two polar opposites in terms of genre (and I suppose volume), and while the hype may have gone in different directions, we had a good time with both of these. And, we didn't have such a great time with either of them.
A Quiet Place has instantly rocketed its star into a new world of directing possibilities, including a sequel, and Rampage has... not had a very positive reception.
We'll let you know what we think, and you're probably going to be surprised.
It's hard to scare us with a film more than putting out an adaptation of a book that seems unfilmable. Throwing a lot of money and a huge name director at it doesn't actually change that fact, but Ready Player One managed to mostly win us over.
On the other hand, a lot of things were changed, and fans have been responding from every direction. It's one thing, and a necessary one, to change something about a novel to adapt it, but it's quite another to monkey with a story with almost wild abandon.
Tune in to find out what we thought of this one, and to enter to win your very own copy!
Managing the dubious distinction of the highest rated movie I utterly hated, the Pacific Rim franchise continues with a new cast, a new director, and precious little we might count as a point.
We agreed that it isn't something we're about to recommend to people, but it had some positives, even if they are barely worth mentioning when put into the whole.
The story of how this film came together would clearly enlighten many about the inner workings of the Hollywood machine as it seems contractual obligations, money pre-paid for sets, FX companies, and potentially a negotiation with craft services all came together to land us a green light decision that somehow made sense on paper.
Tomb Raider seems like an odd move right now, but does that mean it's an automatic throwaway? It's been a long time since we saw a Croft in theaters, but more importantly, there doesn't seem to be anything swirling in the cultural consciousness that turns this franchise into something that needs another look.
The whys may be mysterious, but it turns out that, for what it is, this is an interesting attempt. Well, one of us thought so anyway.
Tune in to find out what we thought about this and A Wrinkle in Time.
It's that time of year again, and no, I don't mean it's time for Marvel to take over cinemas again. Black Panther has taken over the box office and it keeps on trucking, but it's time for our own version of movie awards.
Every year we offer up our "Can't Win" Awards, where we try to recognize some of the best in the year's films that really have no chance of getting nominated for any other awards. Whether it's a question of being too genre, too small, or too controversial in subject matter, there are a lot of great films and performances that aren't in the right corner of the arena to have a shot at an award. We try to make sure that they get some extra recognition.
There were some surprisingly good movies this year, and seeing indie and genre films push out some clear award hopefuls may give a lot of film fans hope for the future. But! That doesn't mean there weren't a lot of horrible efforts out there as well. In fact, it seems that if you saw the last couple of years as reaching new heights, the scales are still fairly balanced, because the lows are reaching new depths.
We'll let you know our picks for the most dreaded films of the year so that you can make sure to avoid them at all costs.
We usually come pretty close in our ratings, but our lists often end up very different. This year, much to my surprise, things surprised me. As our long-time listeners know, Shane limits himself (mostly) to things we cover on the show, whereas I'm open to everything. Even that didn't make much difference to our lists this year, except that I had a couple I had to throw in the mix.
In the end, we might have put things in different positions, but one movie had our number this year.
As we try to catch up to awards season, we get into stranger and stranger combinations. Darkest Hour has seen Gary Oldman finally getting his due as we head to the Academy Awards, and The Post has turned the award season into one for the books as the paint-by-numbers awards darling has been pretty well shut out.
Meanwhile, since Netflix has turned bonkers fantasy into something everyone is talking about, we threw Bright into the mix as well.
The end of the year makes for odd mixes and you could hardly find two movies that fit worse in a double feature. On the other hand, despite the lack of attention Christmas fare managed this year, The Man Who Invented Christmas is a film that may well catch continued life for years to come.
Meanwhile, Lady Bird has a Golden Globe and it certainly deserves it.
As we catch up with everything this year and prepare for our Best Lists extravaganza, we'll let you know what's still to come for award season and which films need your attention.
It's a weird week of pseudo-biopic films and as award season heats up, these two films are getting attention that you couldn't have predicted six months ago. Both The Disaster Artist and I, Tonya are not only managing a lot of attention for their performances, but they are avoiding a lot of attention you might have expected when it comes to the odd treatment of their respective subjects.
We'll let you know if these need to make it to your list of films you need to see and offer up some more general opinions on the award season this year.
You could hardly have two movies getting award attention that are more different than The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. A wild, sci-fi fairy tale about a mute who befriends a mer-creature, and the story of a woman who is tortured by her daughter's murder and the inability of the local police to provide her with any closure.
Both films are making serious plays as awards season approaches, and both are deserving.
But, are they as good as everyone says, and do you need to get to them as fast as you can? We'll let you know.
Justice League managed to bounce back in its intro in a way that few movies can, but it doesn't seem like it's enough to truly turn the sentiment of the public at large. Wonder Woman won over audiences tremendously, but it seems as though DC still has a problem with where it left Batman and Superman.
Does it up the game, or has much the DC comic effort become the lost wanderings aiming at piles of money that much of the public seems to suspect? We'll let you know, but you probably won't be very surprised.
We're also covering Wonder, a film that turns out to be quite a surprise, even if only in the extent to which it isn't a giant pile of syrup.
Apart from avoiding news at all costs, we're reviewing Murder on the Orient Express this week, and it's a more interesting adventure than you might imagine. The review, that is.
Not simply a time-honored classic, but also a film that seems to defy being remade, Orient Express is a film that has to make you wonder what exactly Branagh has in his bonnet. Of course, we all know that he just wanted to get the money to do Death on the Nile.
At any rate, the movie is a strange feature for many reasons, not least of which is the curious case of no one talking about it for awards. What happened here? We'll let you know.
In a year that has ultimately been rather disappointing, a comic-book hero film that doesn't take itself seriously won over audiences, but is it really any good, or is it just better than the last few months of offerings?
We'll let you in on everything you need to know about Thor: Ragnarok, and the huge surprises that came from Suburbicon and The Foreigner. Two films would be hard-pressed to have a wider gap of expectations and the results probably shocked us more than anything else this year.
Blade Runner 2049 was nerve-wracking for us, and not just because at least one of us love the original. The box-office doesn't reflect the cult status of a film that was truly a game-changer for the sci-fi genre, but the critical response was pretty positive leading up to this one.
Listen in and we'll let you know where this one falls compared to the original, and whether or not it's going to ultimately achieve the same kind of zeitgeist success.
American Made had so much going for it that we found ourselves chomping at the bit, which is somewhat unusual for this kind of "true story" effort, and a lot of what the film delivers should have won us over. Unfortunately, it didn't quite come together in the way we expected and it ultimately left us wanting something more to show up.
We'll let you know if this is the right film for you and whether or not you need to add it to your list, and we'll give you the scoop on industry news and more.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle didn't live up to expectations of the original, and while that one was a lot of fun, it had problems of its own.
There's certainly a fair amount of fun to be had, but Millar doesn't seem to have sequels nailed down.
We'll also cover a lot of the latest new shows you should be checking out from Kevin Probably Saves The World to, surprisingly, Young Sheldon.
It was a very special episode for us this week because while we had some reservations about Aronofsky's latest, we weren't expecting to find a new low in film. We've both been to some low places in the world of cinema, and few of those spaces are occupied by writers and/or directors that also produced films that we loved.
It's certainly a conversation piece, though we have some thoughts on Aronofsky's claim that it is metaphoric/allegoric in nature.
Along with the many reasons to avoid this film, we'll give you some industry news and a look at some more shows head to the small screen this fall.
It would be hard to jam up a week more than this, and in addition to three movies, we're also giving you the scoop on some new TV, including The Orville.
We're overly tied to It, just as we were with The Dark Tower, but this time around our proximity to Derry didn't lead to a disappointment pitfall. Leap! looks like the sleeper animated hit we're rooting for, and Goon just didn't need a sequel.
Tune in to get all the info on these films and find out why you too should love or hate them.
Another strange pairing finds us looking at Logan Lucky and The Glass Castle. Expectations were thrown and hopes were somewhat dashed this week as a pretty screwy adventure ended up not all that bad and a setup for a lot of laughs fell flat.
We'll let you know if you need to get to these and catch you up on industry news.
We're a bit into Stephen King here in Bangor, and The Dark Tower is one of his most popular books and series, which means we were looking forward to this one more than most. On the other hand, we were hesitant for several reasons, not least the production problems the film apparently had.
Did things work out? Is this one worthy of the series it's born from?
Adaptations of King's work are famously rather hit or miss, but this is one that we were really holding out hope for.
We'll let you know if this is worth your time and/or where things went wrong.
Atomic Blonde may not have taken over pop culture in the way that the trailers seemed to hope, but it had a fair number of people excited and a lot of critics think it delivered. We were looking forward to this one more than you might think, for several reasons, and there was talk at one point that we may have a Best List hopeful here.
Did it live up to any of the various expectations? We'll let you know, and we'll chime in on industry news and keep you up on some of the new shows coming your way.
Critics are almost unanimous in their love for Dunkirk and we almost joined them in their praise. Actually, one of us did. But, one of us didn't... exactly.
On the flip side of that, not only were critics ready, willing, and able to take a poke at Valerian, but audiences were just fine with the idea of staying away from it. We split on this one as well, but whether you end up loving or hating the mega-budget, space opera, there's a lot of fun involved.
One way or another, these are two that had people talking, and we let you know... hopefully, where you'll land with your reaction.
In case you weren't aware, it was a bit of a bonkers week, and that doesn't count Comic-Con gear up. We already differed on the previous movies, but we weren't that far apart here. If only...
We'll let you know if you need to see this one in theaters, and we chime in on Doctor Who, The Muppets, and more.
Apes might not be your thing, but there's a lot going on here even you aren't all that certain that Andy Serkis is the next greatest actor ever. I'm not saying he is, by the way.
It was a little rough with Rough Night, and while it definitely had some moments, it left most of the potential just sitting there. It could have been a better film, but it turned out to be mostly a "vacation" effort.
Still, there is some fun to be found there.
We'll let you know everything you need to about this one, and whether or not it might work better for you.
The Dark Universe may be off to a rocky start, even with Tom Cruise, and Universal may have to adjust its theory of pumping money into the franchise it's creating.
But, is it that bad? It's a movie that made some mistakes, and spends too much time on things that are only there so that they can show up in future installments, but there's a lot of fun to be had for those looking for escapism.
Of course, it may also be pretty boring, depending on how you look at things.
We'll let you know if you need to head to this one.
This week we're reviewing Wonder Woman, and DC finally removed some of our fears about the future of the universe. There were some stumbles, but generally, we had a great time with this one, and we're pretty sure most people will as well.
We also give you a rundown of what's coming in June, mainly because there's a lot headed your way this month, and if you only pay attention to the tentpoles, you might miss some gems.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has taken us on a long and winding road since 2003, and the previous installment gave us little to celebrate. Dead Men Tell No Tales isn't as bad, or confused, as that one, but it doesn't pay enough attention to the story and fun involved to get us back to the level of the first two either.
Johnny Depp is still fun to watch, but the life has mostly been drained out of the series. Luckily, this one still manages to be fairly entertaining.
This week made for a unique episode of the show. Two movies and putting our ratings together still wouldn't get you a good movie. King Arthur had a lot of potential, and even some fun moments, but even in theory it was all over the place. Alien: Covenant was an almost surreal experience, though not an unexpected one when looking back on the last film.
Bigger summer features kick off in a strange pairing as we look at The Fate of the Furious and The Circle. It's hard to tell if either of these films need a critic, or get any benefit/hinderance from good/bad reviews, but we'll let you know if they're worth your time.
We'll also give you a rundown of some of the cooler films we caught at Tribeca, and some of them were really good.
The summer gets underway with The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and we'll let you know if you need to make sure to get to this one. Spoiler, it's a lot of fun.
We also take you through some of the films headed your way, and discuss recent industry news, including the wild life of Hellboy.
We're reviewing Going in Style this week as we prepare for Tribeca, and what a curious effort it is. Some favorite actors come together to comment on society through the wild idea of retirees who lose their pensions going after a bank job.
We'll also let you in on some of the latest industry news, keep you in the loop on what's coming up, and otherwise give you some insight into the movie world.
Ghost in the Shell quickly became a film surrounded by controversy, which may have had a lot to do with the box-office for a film with Scarlett Johansson floundering. But, is this one any good, and how does it compare to the anime? We'll let you know if you need to get to this one, and we'll let you in on the usual industry news and other fun stuff.
When news of The Matrix reboot hit us, we were again staggered by Hollywood's inability to come up with something new. Then we realized we were reviewing Kong: Skull Island and Beauty and the Beast.
It's an world of film these days.
You might not be surprised to learn that Kong didn't blow us away, but Beauty and the Beast saw perhaps our biggest difference in ratings ever.
We're taking a look at Logan this week, and you may not be surprised to learn that we were not that far away from each other in our ratings.
It looks to be the final time we'll see either of these actors in these roles, so the question is, do they go out on a big high? They certainly have no problems if the box office can be believed, even if the March record may not last until the end of this March.
We'll let you know if you need to get out to this one. Spoiler alert, you do.
Get Out is crushing word-of-mouth and is already a hit at the box office, especially if you consider the film's price tag. Does it live up to the hype? We'll let you know if you need to get to this one.
We're also covering the Oscars, and the craziness that made up Sunday night, and it's finally time for our annual "Can't Win" awards, where we shine the spotlight on movies and actors who deserve some recognition, but aren't actually among the possible nominees for anyone's awards.
It was a year that didn't make it too difficult to pick the best movies, but the worst is another story. From big name efforts that fell apart, to tentpole films that were too stupid to just go along with, to movies that were trying to be stupid and succeeded, this year had it all.
We'll give you all the details on the movies to keep avoiding at all costs, and we'll probably have time to cover a couple more movies that are still lingering from the end of the year.
We'll try to get to The Founder, Gold, and several others, and we'll give you a preview of what's coming your way.
It's that time of year, and we're finally giving you our Best of the Year lists. This was an unusual year, and we'll take you back through it a bit as we run through our favorites. We'll also give you quick reviews of some of the films we haven't covered yet (because 50 films hit in the last month), and make sure you know which movies you still have to see.
It may seem like this year has been wrapped up with a bow, because the same movies are winning all the awards, and show up on all the lists, but there are a few surprises out there. Our lists generally go a little odd anyway, and we've got to gear up for our own award special in two weeks - The Can't Win Awards, where we honor those movies and people who did great work that just isn't going to get noticed anywhere else
We're technically covering Hidden Figures and Patriot's Day this week, as the remaining films that qualified for 2016 awards trickle into theaters, but we're mostly playing catch up as we lead into our Best and Worst lists starting next week. That means we have a dozen or so films to try to get through, which isn't going to happen, so the show is going to be a mad dash through films.
Moonlight, Passengers, Fences, Lion, and several others will be up for grabs, and since people have been asking what we think is going to happen at the Oscars, we'll have to talk about that as well.
This week we're reviewing Live by Night, but we'll also be catching up with several other films, including some that we're returning to like Rogue One, Passengers, Assassin's Creed, and many more.
We'll also be looking at The Golden Globes and reflect on how they are going to influence the Oscars.
We're leading into our Best and Worst of the year lists, so we're going to giving you a rundown of the last month in film, and the plethora of films that have hit theaters.
It's the biggest weekend of the year, until next week, and Rogue One has finally hit theaters. There's probably no point in reviewing it, but we'll let you know what we thought of the effort to take the franchise into prequel territory again. We'll also try our best to catch you up on what's coming, and the films that will be aiming at awards this year.
Plus, Manchester by the Sea, the film that has Casey Affleck sitting as front-runner for Best Actor after winning the Critics' Choice Award, also opens this weekend and we'll likely try to convince you to get to the film that Affleck described last night on SNL as, "crushingly sad."
The end of the year is fast approaching, which means most of the year's best are about to come out, or just did. This week we'll be looking at La La Land, recent winner of the Critics' Choice Award for Best Picture, A Monster Calls, and probably several more. We'll also be giving you the rundown of said CCAs, and let you know what we voted for that didn't get the win.
It's a busy time, and there are a lot of films to get through, and now we're getting to the point where we really try to sell you on getting to theaters.
It's award season, and with the Critics' Choice Awards nominations out, the race has really begun. That means we'll be going through movies as fast as we can, and this week we have (at least) Hacksaw Ridge, Nocturnal Animals, and Love & Friendship, but we may squeeze a couple more in as well.
Beyond just looking at movies, we'll run through the Critics' Choice Awards nominations quickly, and let you know who we think will/should win when the award show hits on December 11th.
We're reviewing Allied & Rules Don't Apply this week, and we'll give you an initial rundown of the films that are in serious contention this award season.
Two very different movies, both getting a lot of marketing push, but do either of them deliver? More importantly, do you need to see either of them in theaters?
It's a World War II spy flick vs. Warren Beatty in what is possibly a passion project gone wrong. As the season gets into full swing, people are going to be talking about these, and we'll let you know if they're worth your time.
Two highly anticipated movies have hit theaters and people can't stop talking about either of them. Arrival has really surprised audiences and Amy Adams is getting a lot of attention herself. Anything with a connection to Harry Potter obviously has people out, but does this one live up to the franchise expectations, and can J.K. Rowling really deliver when it comes to offering up the screenplay, or does it all work better when someone can adapt her books?
We'll let you know if these are worth your time, and make sure you know which ones you need to make sure you get to for the rest of the year.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back inspired us to wait for Doctor Strange, which is a new one on us. On the positive side, Doctor Strange just came out, and it's the first movie of the end of the year big guns, which means it's time to get excited about movies again.
But, is Doctor Strange worth the time, and your money at the theater?
We may be fast approaching a critical point in both the Marvel film world, and the superhero world in general. You might not have expected it, but this critical point could turn on Doctor Strange, Wonder Woman, and Logan (an apparently odd film with very few mutants involved). Does Doctor Strange give a good feeling about that point? It's a tough call.
Ben Affleck's latest is a little off-kilter, and we'll let you know if The Accountant is worth your time. If nothing else, this is a film that takes a very different look at spy/action, with a lead suffering from autism, but leading a "Jason Bourne" life anyway.
That obviously leads to a lot of things can go wrong, not least Affleck's ability to portray a character that may be hard to get behind, and hard to deliver. Still, some are talking as though this could be the next big surprise.
We'll also run you through some industry news, touch on other films coming your way, and take your questions.
The best-selling novel comes to the screen, but those who have read it know that it's a tricky adaptation. Even without twists and tension, the book largely involves people thinking. Does the adaptation work, and is the result something you need to see in theaters? We'll let you know if this one makes the grade, and whether or not Emily Blunt pulls off acting drunk.
We'll also let you in on some of our thoughts about upcoming films as we get closer and closer to awards season.
It's finally time to see what Tim Burton has in store for us with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and we'll let you know if it's worth your time. This one has Burton written all over it from the outset, but does it all come together, and is it something you need to see in theaters... and, who is this for anyway?
We'll also give you a preview of what's coming your way leading into award season, and make sure you know about some indie titles on the horizon.
We're reviewing The Magnificent Seven this week, and it's a great break from the less-than-stellar offerings that have hit theaters at the end of the summer. A showy cast takes on a classic, but can they make it work, and is it ultimately worth your money?
We'll also take you through the latest industry news, give you a quick rundown of the new Fall show on TV, and we've got a new Critic Takedown for you!
Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks come together to give you the story of Sully, the pilot who landed a plane of a river in New York without serious injury to anyone. Though hailed as a hero, he soon came under scrutiny for his decision not to head to either of two nearby airports. Simulations seem to show that he could have made it, but he sticks by his decision.
It's an interesting story, and Eastwood and Hanks don't really need to prove themselves, but does it all work here, and is it something you need to get to theaters for? We'll let you know, and let you in on the latest industry news, and possibly even have another critic takedown for you. We'll also get in some interview clips with the cast and crew.
The tail end of summer brings us War Dogs. It's a somewhat strange effort for Todd Phillips, but Bradley Cooper is involved, so it seems to make a bit of sense. Based on a true story, two young punks want to get in on the newly-broadened world of arms dealing, but one of them is a little crazy, and neither of them know what they're doing.
Miles Teller and Jonah Hill star, but despite the trailer, this one isn't exactly out for a lot of laughs. Can this team bring this together?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and let you in on industry news, and upcoming films.
Can Suicide Squad save the summer? Another film that people have been looking forward to, and now another comic-book film, Suicide Squad has a chance to wash the bad taste out of the mouths of movie fans, but can the DC/Warner Bros. title match the expectations of those who have been anxiously awaiting this heroless effort?
Much has been made of the production of the film, and that may be a factor in the overall product as well. Some early reviews weren't very positive, but we'll let you know if this one is worth your time.
The end of summer is fast approaching, and we've been disappointed in most of the tentpole films this year. Will Jason Bourne be any different? We have high hopes, but the summer has beat us down. We may be fans of the franchise, but it's been a long time since Matt Damon was in the role, and nothing lasts forever.
Is this one that you need to see in the theaters, or will Summer 2016 break this one apart as well?
We'll let you know if this is worth your time, and share some industry news
It's been a crazy couple of weeks in the movie world, and things are getting weirder all the time as the end of summer approaches.
This week, we'll be looking at Ghostbusters and Star Trek Beyond, two films that had a lot of controversy heading into them. People couldn't stop talking about Ghostbusters, becoming one of the most blasted films ever, long before anyone had even seen a trailer, causing the film and its stars to respond to internet hatred for nearly a year. Does the female-cast Ghostbusters work?
Star Trek Beyond didn't quite have the same problems, but it had people questioning the directing change, and some aren't so positive that the franchise really has anywhere to go.
It's an interesting spot in the summer, with movies hitting that don't have a surefire audience, and/or have had to deal with a lot of active negativity. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is one that didn't seem to build a lot of momentum coming into the release, and we'll let you know if this one is worth your time.
It has a certain amount of name power, especially with Anna Kendrick and Zac Efron, but the trailers weren't particularly impressive. Is this just another film thrown together because a few stars want a vacation, or is there some comedy gold to be found here?
Summer is heating up, but the films we're getting right now don't exactly feel like summer. Independence Day: Resurgence may have the big-budget, action angle covered, but even that one doesn't have the kind of pull you expect. "Big, kid movies," isn't quite what you think of as "summer film," but the movies taking over are just that.
We'll let you know if these are worth your time, and give you our thoughts on what's coming throughout the rest of the summer.
We're giving you the rundown on two films this week, and it's been a strange ride at theaters for both of them. Warcraft is doing solid business, especially internationally, but is getting shredded by critics. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is getting decent reviews, and is overloaded with stars and cameos, but isn't quite raking in the money the way some obviously hoped.
We'll let you know if either of them are worth checking out.
Not only are these two very different genres, they're both efforts that don't have the greatest history. Mockumentaries are sometimes brilliant, but they can go wrong very easily, and video game adaptations have proven to rarely be worth watching.
Are either of these worth your time?
We're going to see how the superheroes continue to shake out this year with a review of X-Men: Apocalypse. It's the year's first superhero film that doesn't focus on people being pissed about collateral damage, and it's a big swing for the X-Men franchise. There's a lot going on, a lot of characters to cover, and even a quick glance at Wolverine. But, is it worth it?
We'll let you know if you need to get to theaters for this one, or if you should spend your money elsewhere.
We'll also let you in on industry news, tell you what's the best option in theaters right now, and otherwise babble about the world of film.
This week (fingers crossed) we're also kicking off our Periscope effort for the show, so you have more ways to catch us.
Shane Black takes a chance on updating a genre with The Nice Guys, and managed to get Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling on board, but is it a film that works well enough that we might actually expand similar offerings soon?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and if you need to catch it in theaters during the superhero bookended release schedule.
We'll also let you in on upcoming releases, news, and much more.
We're reviewing Keanu this week as the pre-summer release schedule turns a little cold in the wake of Captain America. We'll also give you a "sort of" review of Money Monster, and give you a preview of what's coming up.
As a special bonus this week, as television upfronts have hit, we'll give you a quick rundown of the shows that did, and didn't, make it to next year. A lot of your favorites probably aren't coming back, and we'll let you know the score.
It's finally here, and we're reviewing Captain America: Civil War. Few movies have been more anticipated recently, and there has been a lot of speculation about the introduction of new characters, and just how well the "Avengers"/Captain America effort would come together. We'll let you know if this one is going to be worth your time.
We'll also run through some of the latest industry news, and let you know about what else is headed your way.
We're reviewing The Huntsman: Winter's War and The Jungle Book this week. The prelude to some of the biggest titles of the summer, the week doesn't quite have the punch we're going to see in May, but nevertheless some surprising films when it comes to box office. We'll let you know if you need to get to these.
Plus, we'll discuss industry news, upcoming films, and more.
We're taking a look at Kevin Costner's latest, Criminal, which involves transferring a CIA operatives memories into a lifelong criminal's brain in order to prevent a madman from destroying the world. Is this one worth your time, or is it as goofy as it sounds?
We'll also give you the rundown on some industry news, and let you know what's coming your way in theaters. Also, we'll give you a quick review of the new Emma Watson feature, Colonia.
We're taking a look at Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and we'll let you know if the general critical response should mean anything to you. Already widely panned by many, the film's box office take hasn't been thrown off course yet.
Luckily, it's a movie that you have to see, even if you are convinced it's going to be bad, which means there's bound to be another. But, is it worth it?
We'll also let you in on some of the latest industry news, go through some of the upcoming hits to keep on your radar, and more.
We're reviewing the latest in the Divergent series of films, Allegiant, and we're following up our best and worst lists with our own awards, The Can't Win Awards.
We'll let you know if another trip with Shailene Woodley is worth your time, and we'll be showing off our own awards season flair with our Can't Win Awards. We pick the top 5 awards (Film, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay) for movies/actors that gave us something great to watch, but aren't really in the running for nominations for any other awards.
We're reviewing the bizarre not-exactly-sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and we're revealing our Worst Films of 2015 lists.
Cloverfield is getting some interesting reactions, and John Goodman alone is getting a lot of attention, but does this one actually manage to be worth your time? If you saw the original Cloverfield, you might not be sure which way to go.
We'll also bring you some of the latest industry news, and give a preview of what's coming up.
We're going to give you our Best Movies of the Year lists, and run through all the movies you have to make sure don't slip by you. We'll take you through the films we loved most, a lot of honorable mentions, and let you in on why our lists aren't likely to look like everyone else's.
Along the way we'll make sure you know which of these films are going to make it on your own list as well, and we'll probably be forced to talk about the Oscars.
We're reviewing Deadpool this week, and hopefully catching up on a few other titles as we make our way to our best and worst lists.
Ryan Reynolds' anti-comic has been breaking records, and we'll let you know if it's worth the time and all the hype. We'll also take a look at everything that happened last year, just how locked up the Oscars are at this point, and give you some more hints at our best and worst lists. And, don't forget that our own awards are coming up, and unless someone comes up with a better name, they're still the "Can't Win" awards.
It's the final stop before our Best and Worst lists, including Critics' Choice Awards coverage, plus we're covering The 5th Wave.
We're still trying to finalize our lists, and now that the Critics' Choice Awards are over all eyes are on The Oscars. That means we have some movies to try to get to, like Carol, The Big Short, and several others, but we've also got to get to The 5th Wave, especially because - whether ultimately good or not - it surprised us.
We'll be reviewing Joy and Carol, along with a few others as we finish up 2015's coverage. We'll also be giving our thoughts on the Golden Globes, tonight's Critics' Choice Awards, and much more.
With the Globes already done, and the Critics' Choice about to hit, we're right in the heart of award season, and we'll let you know what should have won, what should win, and what it all means for the Oscars.
We're also going to get through as many of the nominated films we haven't had a chance to cover yet, and possibly a few of the hidden gems of the year
This week is all about Star Wars, but there are other movies out there. We'll review Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Sisters, which also opens this week, and we'll try to get to some of the other films jockeying for awards.
It's a big test in Disney's buyout plans, and while the merch alone will make for a good deal over time, whether The Force Awakens can bring back fans or not is going to mean a difference of several billion dollars. We'll let you know if it makes the grade, and why.
We're also going to be starting up a Periscope broadcast of the show this week, because why not kick things off on the biggest movie weekend of the year? Tune in to that live and we'll be able to answer questions.
Marc and Shane start wrapping up the year, and the closer award shows get, the more movies there are to cover each week.
Creed, Concussion, and Black Mass have managed varying degrees of success at the box office, and some nominations, but we'll let you know if you need to check them out, and if they're worthy of whatever attention they've already received.
Boxing, football, and the mob make for an interesting mix, and we may manage to get to even more.
Marc and Shane start their end of year push as award season closes in with Spotlight, Steve Jobs, and as many other movies as they can get to.
It's that time of year, and as everyone starts talking about which movie has the most buzz going into the final countdown of award season, we'll try to get through as many as we can, including some that we didn't cover from earlier in the year.
Spotlight is getting a lot of attention, and Steve Jobs is at least still managing some talk for Fassbender. Over the next few weeks, we'll hit as many films as we can, so you have our take on what's going to happen with awards, and you know which ones you definitely have to fit into your schedule.
Marc and Shane take a look at Victor Frankenstein, and let you know if James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe can make something of the retelling/reimagining of one of the most popular "monster" stories ever.
Despite the theoretic drawing power of the stars, this one hasn't been doing well with critics, and probably won't draw a huge audience considering the competition, but we'll let you know if you should give it a chance.
Marc and Shane review the final installment of The Hunger Games. It may be critic proof at this point, but we'll let you know how the franchise wraps up, and whether the movie series can end as strong as it started.
We'll also run through some of the week's industry news, answer listener questions, and take a look back at some of the year's titles that we haven't covered yet.
Marc and Shane review the latest Bond film, Spectre, and let you know if it lives up to the legend.
They'll also run you through the week's news, answer listener questions, and this week are offering up another Critic Takedown.
The past few Bond films have split our hosts. Can this one bring things back, or is the Bond franchise moving too far outside its own realm?
As we approach award season, we will also probably be offering up short reviews on smaller films and some of the things we couldn't get to throughout the year.
Marc and Shane take a look at Burnt, the new Bradley Cooper film about a chef trying to get back in the game after destroying his own career.
Directed by John Wells (The Company Men, August: Osage County), and written by Steven Knight (Seventh Son, Peaky Blinders), the film takes niche to a new level just in its theory. With Cooper on top of his game, can he deliver the world that is a chef going after a third Michelin star in a way that makes for a movie that can interest those who aren't cuisin fanatics?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and we'll give a rundown of the week's news, and more.
FilmReview.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Bill Murray's latest, Rock the Kasbah. The film looks custom-made for Bill Murray just by watching a few seconds of the trailer (and it is), but it also doesn't exactly look like something solidly comedic, or dramatic, so what Bill Murray do we get exactly?
Barry Levinson isn't quite the name he once was, which makes it more difficult to predict what sort of film this will be, and writer Mitch Glazer doesn't help that much.
We'll let you know if this one is worth the trip to the theater.
We'll also give you a rundown of the week's news, answer listener questions, and more.
FilmReview.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Crimson Peak. Guillermo del Toro is back with something that looks especially creepy, but also has an odd, tension build to it, but is it actually worth your time?
Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, and Jessica Chastain lead an impressive cast in the haunting tale that wants to offer up a house in a supporting role, and it may well be worth watching just to see them. If you fall for the trailers, it looks as though this could be one of the year's best films, but do they really give you a look at what's coming?
We'll let you know if this one is worth the trip to the theater.
We'll also give you a rundown of the week's news, answer listener questions, and more.
FilmReview.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Pan. This one certainly looks intriguing, though taking a classic work and adding a new chapter to the story is always a risky gamble. Joe Wright has certainly worked some interesting titles before, and often by bucking the norms of the cinematic world, but will this version of the classic tale, with flying ships, bizarre landscapes, and Hook as good guy manage to spin a decent yarn?
You'd think this one would be able to wrangle a decent audience just based on being something for younger audiences, but critics haven't been in love so far. Is it worth your time?
We'll also give you a rundown of the week's news, answer listener questions, and more.
FilmReview.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Martian. Can this one possibly live up to the hype? Can Matt Damon still pull off carrying an entire movie? We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and how it compares to the popular novel.
Not only on track to easily take over the box office, this one has been getting critical raves. It's unlikely to be a bomb, but is it as good as critics say?
We'll also give you a rundown of the week's news, answer listener questions, and more.
FilmReview.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Intern. Does De Niro win out in this sappy-looking adventure with Anne Hathaway? We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and whether or not you need to see it in theaters.
We'll also give you a rundown of the week's news, and more.
Marc and Shane review Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and let you know if the series continues in a way that proves relevant. The trailer is a curious creature for this one, largely because it doesn't want to give anything away, so knowing if you want in is even trickier than usual. Do you need to check this one out?
We'll also answer listener questions, share some of the week's news, and maybe even have time for another installment of Critic Takedown.
Marc and Shane review The Visit, and let you know if M. Night Shyamalan is finally making a comeback with this found footage horror effort. M. Night has been on a downswing for quite a while, and even if his last few films found a fan or two, he's practically become a joke in the industry. Can he turn things around
We'll also answer listener questions, share some of the week's news, and maybe even have time for another installment of Critic Takedown.
Marc and Shane review American Ultra, and let you know if this quirky Kristen Stewart/Jesse Eisenberg action comedy is worth your time. The trailers really had us looking forward to this one, but was it just good marketing, or is this your next favorite?
We'll also answer listener questions, share some of the week's news, and maybe even have time for another installment of Critic Takedown.
Fantastic Four has managed to get people talking, and we'll let you know if this one is worth seeing.
We'll also bring you industry news, that we feel is worthy of your attention, answer listener questions, and much more.
This week we're trying to catch up on lost time. We're reviewing Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, going back quickly to Ant-Man, plus we'll look at other recent releases like Paper Towns.
We'll also be answering listener questions, looking at some of the week's big news, and probably flying off on random tangents.
Marc & Shane will be looking at Self/less, and though Ryan Reynolds has a tendency to be a bit up-and-down (and it seems Ben Kingsley will be in anything), we're intrigued. It's a concept.
Will the mind-switching, sci-fi actioner win out? We'll let you know. But! Don't dodge the show just because you already went to see it! We'll let you know what you think as well. It'll be great. Just like always!
We'll also give you all the industry news we find interesting, "important" or not, and we'll answer listener questions, probably play some interview clips, and more. We may even have another Critic Takedown this week!
The official launch of the rebranded podcast, Marc & Shane will taking on Terminator Genisys, and they aren't especially impressed with the excitement the film has managed to cause.
They'll also have some interview clips, and let you in on the latest industry news... assuming anyting is worth it.
BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Ted 2, preview coming attractions, and answer listener questions.
We'll let you know if Ted 2 is worth your time, and/or if it manages to be funny at all. Does it live up to the first one, and does that mean anything anyway?
Brought to you by AreYouScreening.com and FilmReview.com
BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Pixar's latest effort, Inside Out.
The critical acclaim for this one has been through the roof for months, and it's no surprise that people ran to theaters for something by Pixar, but is this one really their best, or are the early reviewers getting carried away? We'll let you know if you need to see this one in theaters, or at all.
We'll also give you a preview of upcoming attractions, and answer listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Jurassic World. It's been decades in the making, and the previews show off some giant dinosaurs, but is this one worth your time, or has the potential been squandered?
We'll let you know if you need to run to theaters, or if this one is a miss. We'll also answer listener questions, and give you a preview of coming attractions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Spy. Melissa McCarthy seems to have people cracking up with this one, and even critics are giving this Paul Feig effort the thumbs up. But, is this one really worth it? We'll let you know if you need to get to a theater, or if you should pass it up.
We'll also answer listener questions, and give you a preview of what's on the horizon.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Tomorrowland.
Is the Disney adventure worth your time, and can George Clooney turn this apparent Disney commercial and world order propaganda film into something that is really an entertaining ride for the whole family?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, and if you need to catch it in theaters.
We'll also be answering listener questions, and giving you a preview of coming attractions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Mad Max: Fury Road. The movie is blowing critics away everywhere, but is it really that good?
Is this a movie everyone needs to see, or is it just for action fans?
We'll let you know if this one deserves the sudden swell in hype, and if Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron deserve attention that breaks out of the genre. We'll also have some interview clips with the stars, and answer listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Hot Pursuit.
Is the downward spiral of female-led comedies continuing, or is Hot Pursuit a lot better than the trailers might imply? Is this one worth your time? Can Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara entertain you for slightly less than 90 minutes?
We'll let you know what's going on with this one, answer listener questions, and give you the scoop on some upcoming films.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Avengers: Age of Ultron.
It's finally here, and we're going to give you the scoop on the movie everyone on Earth is going to see. We'll also be answering listener questions, and sharing some interview clips with the stars.
Tune in and let us tell you all about the year's biggest film, even if you already know whether or not you're going to see it
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Ex Machina and The Age of Adaline.
Ex Machina has been getting some amazing hype going for it, with several critics predicting it will easily be one of the year's best. Will we agree? We're looking forward to this one in a big way. It's hard to even guarantee that we'll be able to get to The Age of Adaline, we're so looking forward to talking about Ex Machina, and predict that it will offer lots to talk about.
We'll also have some interview clips to share, and we'll be answering listener questions. If you have any, get them to us at questions@areyouscreening.com
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Paul Blart Mall Cop 2, and give a preview of summer films.
Is there anything left to do with this Kevin James vehicle? It doesn't seem like there could be, but they made a movie anyway. We'll let you know if there's any point to catching this one.
We'll also give you the rundown on what's coming this summer... beyond just the obvious titles.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard review Woman in Gold.
Is the Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds trip through history worth your time? We'll let you know, and we'll also be talking about Netflix' new show that has everyone talking, Daredevil.
Plus, we'll be answering listener questions, and looking forward to the films that are hitting in the next few weeks.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Furious 7. This is going to be a lively show, as Shane is something of a fan of the series, and Marc can barely remember which ones he's seen. On the other hand, you may not need a lot of help figuring out if you're interested in taking this one on.
We'll also be answering listener questions, giving previews of upcoming films, and sharing interview clips with the cast and crew.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Get Hard. Is this one worth your time, or have Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart hit rock bottom? We'll let you know if this one is worth your time.
We'll also answer listener questions, and give you a preview of what's coming to theaters.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Insurgent.
We're curious to see how the dynamic duo of Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort follow-up their two movie extravaganza from last year. We didn't love Divergent, but we didn't hate it either. Can this one up the game and make the sequel worth your time?
We'll also have some interview clips with the stars, and answer listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Chappie and Run All Night.
Does Neill Blomkamp's latest deliver the goods? Is Liam Neeson's yet-another-action-vehicle worth the time it takes away from thing with Taken in the title?
We'll let you know the score on these, answer listener questions, and give you a look at upcoming films.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Focus. We were pretty hard on Will Smith's last effort, and we aren't sure we're going to like this one any better, but generally we appreciate a good con film.
We'll also give some thoughts on the Academy Awards, answer listener questions, and probably have a few interview clips to share.
It's a rough time of year, most years, is Focus worth your time? Listen in and find out.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Colin Firth, Matthew Vaughn, and Samuel L. Jackson ought to come together to bring you a fantastic Uber-Bond spy film, but we'll let you know if they pull it off.
Is this worth seeing, or should you break down and see 50 Shades?
We'll also answer listener questions, and give you a breakdown of upcoming titles.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Jupiter Ascending.
It's been a long time coming, and it's hard to have high hopes even with the flashy trailers, but we're still holding out for the possibility that we'll be surprised by this one.
We'll let you know if this one is for you, and we'll have some interview clips from the cast and the Wachowskis.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Black or White, Mortdecai, and offer up our 3rd annual Can't Win Awards!
We were forced to miss last week, but we're making it up by showing up on SuperBowl Sunday. We're reviewing Kevin Costner's Black or White, Johnny Depp's Mortdecai, and we're finally getting to our yearly award show.
Our Can't Win Awards, for the uninitiated, are the awards we give out to those who just aren't going to get nominated and/or win any of the "real" awards. The unsung directors, or actors who are in films that aren't going to get noticed.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critics, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, follow up their Best of the Year list with the Worst Movies of the Year!
We'll also be talking about last week's Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Oscar snubs, listener questions, and we may even have time to review a movie, probably Selma, if we still have room to move after all that.
Listen in and find out what you did well to avoid this year!
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Taken 3 and offer up their Best Movie of the Year lists.
We'll let you know if the third time around can possibly turn into something interesting for Liam Neeson's continually aging action hero, and we're going to give you our picks for the best films of the year just before the Critics' Choice Movie Awards hit.
If you're a long-time listener, you know that our lists don't often match up with everyone else's, and we like it that way. Tune in to see if your favorites made our list.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Unbroken, catch up with some more films from 2014 - like Foxcatcher and Boyhood, and share their most anticipated movies coming in 2015 (because a listener asked them to).
We'll let you in on Angelina Jolie's directing effort, and let you know if some more of 2014's films that are getting a lot of attention are really worth your time
We're wrapping up the year in film and reviewing The Imitation Game, Into the Woods, and probably a lot of other things. We'll be talking awards, the best films, the worst films, upcoming shows, and what's hitting in the year ahead.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review a slew of movies coming your way before the end of the year, and talk about the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominations.
We'll be covering at least - Into the Woods, American Sniper, Big Eyes, The Imitation Game, and Birdman, and we'll probably throw in a few more as well.
We'll also be leading in to our best and worst of the year lists, and answer listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Inherent Vice, The Homesman, & Life Partners.
We're kicking off the countdown to award season, and we've got three big movies this week. Inherent Vice is set to stir things up like crazy, and we'll let you know if it's worth all the hype that will certainly be surrounding this one.
We'll also have some interview clips from the cast and crew of these films, and we'll be answering listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Horrible Bosses 2 and Foxcatcher.
Expectations for Horrible Bosses 2 will rightfully be all over the place, but Foxcatcher has managed a lot of interesting reactions from festival screenings. The story might be an odd one, and if you know it, you may wonder if you need a film version of the crazy, but we'll let you know if this one is the must-see critics are describing.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.
It's obviously the thing everyone has been waiting for, and there's no avoiding the box office numbers this one is going to deliver, but is it really worth it? We were impressed with the first two, but is translating the third book into two movies going to work? Or, is this just the beginning of a two movie money grab of the latest franchise that happens to get people in theaters?
We'll let you know if you need to get to this one, and answer listener questions. We'll also keep you up on what's coming your way, and the upcoming award season
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Interstellar, St. Vincent, and Big Hero 6.
It's a busy time for films, and two huge releases hit with Interstellar and Big Hero 6. We'll let you know if these marketing giants are worth your time, and we'll also look at the critical darling, St. Vincent, that has a lot of people talking about Bill Murray's performance.
We'll also answer listener questions, and let you in on our thoughts for upcoming titles.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Nightcrawler and Horns.
The Halloween season is a little different this year, and Jake Gyllenhaal and Daniel Radcliffe not only aren't names you're used to associating with the holiday, but they don't play characters that seem like the run of the mill scarers either.
But, do these movies have anything worth your Halloween money? We'll let you know what we think, answer listener questions, and continue with our preview of all the huge films coming soon.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review John Wick.
Coming out of nowhere, from a screenwriter with very little under his belt, and a director you've never heard of, John Wick has shot out of the gates and landed with an 86% Freshness rating on RottenTomatoes.com. That's a new level of movie-world unexpectedness for the Keanu Reeves actioner.
We'll let you know if this one is as good as the hype it's suddenly getting, share some interview clips with Keanu Reeves, and answer listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Fury. The Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf war film hit this weekend, and we'll let you know if it's worth your time.
This one has been drawing a lot of attention over the last few months, possibly because big war films are getting a little more rare, but it isn't exactly clear from the trailer what you're getting. We'll give you the full scoop, and respond to listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Judge. Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall star in this drama about a son who has to defend his estranged father for murder.
Is this one worth seeing? Critics seem to be all over the map on this one. We'll let you know if you need to head to the theater, and we'll have some interview clips with the stars to share.
We'll also be responding to listener questions, and giving you a quick look at what's coming your way in the next month.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Gone Girl, The Equalizer, and The Boxtrolls.
The Equalizer did well enough, and Gone Girl has everyone talking, but are they worth your time and money to catch at the theater?
We'll also be answering listener questions, and giving a preview of what's coming your way.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review This is Where I Leave You and A Walk Among the Tombstones.
It's an interesting mix this week, and we will also be giving you some quick reviews of upcoming TV shows like, Gotham, Forever, and several others. Plus, we'll have some interview clips to share, and we'll tackle listener questions.
As if that weren't enough, it's already time to gear up for award season, and we'll be letting you in on what's coming your way in the next few months, and which films really need to get on your To Do list
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The November Man and As Above/So Below.
The tail end of the summer seems to be a time that movie studios are giving up on, and that's led to Guardians of the Galaxy picking up week after week of the #1 position. We're closing in on some interesting releases, but what about these two films that aren't exactly killing the box office? Are they worth your time?
We'll let you know, and answer listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Giver, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
We're putting a few together this week to round out a summer show during a summer that seems to be winding down. Are any of these worth your time, and is anything better headed your way?
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA movie critic, Marc Eastman, along with co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Guardians of the Galaxy. We'll not only be letting you know if this one is worth your time, but we'll be giving away a copy of the Blu-Ray as well. You'll have a month to enter, but you have to listen in to know how.
We'll also be sharing some interview clips with the cast, and answering listener questions.
If you've been following us for a while, you know that we've been pretty nervous about this one. Find out if we were right about our expectations.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review Scarlett Johansson's latest, Lucy.
It's stirring up a lot of talk about using 10% of our brains, but isn't doing that well with critics. We'll let you know if this one is worth time, answer listener questions, and give you a preview of what's coming to theaters.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review The Purge: Anarchy.
Can this sequel pull a rabbit out of its hat and spin a micro-budget film into a worthwhile franchise? The first one managed a lot of fans, but will this pay off again, even for them?
We'll let you know if this one is worth your time, answer listener questions, and give you some insights on the next few weeks at the theater.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, will be reviewing Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and giving a glimpse into the next few weeks at theaters.
Is the latest installment of the Apes movies worth your time, and does it live up to the hype, or are the summer blockbusters on a continuing downward slope. We'll give you our take, answer listener questions, and tell you how to spend your money.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review Tammy, and give a preview of what's coming your way for the next few weeks.
Frankly, we don't expect great things from this one, but we're willing to remain open to the idea that it could surprise us.
We'll have some interview clips to share, answer listener questions, and let you know where you should be spending your ticket money as we continue into the heart of the summer.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review Transformers: Age of Extinction and They Came Together.
We'll be letting you know if you need to get to theaters, sharing interview clips, and answering listener questions.
This is going to be an interesting week, as the summer popcorn superstar clashes with, among other things, a rom-com bashing with David Wain directing, and Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler shooting for laughs.
This week we're going back to review The Fault in Our Stars. We'll also be giving our take on the Critics' Choice Television Awards, which aired on the 19th, and covering some indie releases in theaters - We are the Best!, I Am I, and Obvious Child.
A busy week, we'll also be getting to some listener questions, sharing interview clips with the stars of The Fault in Our Stars, and previewing coming attractions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard take on 22 Jump Street this week.
Does this one deserve the kind of critical acclaim it's getting? We may surprise you with our answer. We'll let you know if Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill pull this one off. Hint: We didn't love the first one.
We'll also be playing clips from interviews with cast, and answering listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review Edge of Tomorrow. We'll let you know if you need to get to this one, share some interview clips, and answer listener questions.
Can Tom Cruise pull off Sci-Fi twice in a row? We were big fans of Oblivion, and this one has the extra bonus of being directed by Doug Liman.
It ought to be a recipe for success, but does it work out?
We will also be giving away the Blu-Ray of this one. Tune in now, have the Blu-Ray show up at your door when released!
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review A Million Ways to Die in the West. We'll be giving you all our instant thoughts on the film, sharing some interview clips, and answering listener questions.
Is this one as good as the cast would have you believe? Is the green band trailer as funny as the red band one? Is a review necessary at all?
All these questions and more will be answered. Join in the fun!
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review X-Men Days of Future Past. We'll be giving you our take one of the summer's biggest blockbusters, and let you know if it's worth your time.
We'll also be playing some interview clips with cast and crew, and answering listener questions.
Is this one the next great thing, or is the franchise wearing thin? Join us and share your thoughts with us, either by calling in, or in the chat.
Also, we'll be giving away a copy of the Blu-Ray, but you've got to listen in to win!
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review Godzilla, share some interview clips, and take listener questions.
Already doing surprisingly well with critics, we'll let you know if this one is worth your time and money. Of course, Marc's already in the hot seat going into this one, because he put down the general idea of the film in past weeks. Will he have to eat crow?
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host-extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, look ahead at the weeks and months to come with a summer preview episode.
We'll be giving you our insights into all the films trying to get your money this summer. Which ones are worth your time, and what hidden gems will be making their way to you?
We'll also be answering listener questions, and may have a few interview clips for you.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review the latest comic-book film this week, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 seems to be polarizing critics and audiences.
Does this one live up to the expectations that fans have these days, or is it a big mess of a cashgrab? We'll let you know.
We'll also have some interview clips to share, and we'll be answering some listener questions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review Transcendence, answer listener questions, and give a quick rundown on upcoming films.
It's sort of a slow week in the movie world, unless you're a fan of serious and/or comedic horror, and we took a week off for Easter, so we're catching up with the latest from Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman.
This one hasn't been getting the greatest response from all fronts, but is there more going on here than meets the eye? We'll let you know.
We're reviewing Captain America: TWS and Draft Day this week, and it should make for a great episode. I predict we may have some difference of opinion this week, which apparently our listeners prefer.
We'll also be playing some interview clips with Kevin Costner, Chris Evans, and more, and we will be exploring a new segment of the show that was suggested by listeners - the trailer to movie rating.
We're heading back to Divergent, because technical difficulties threw us a loop last week. We'll be reviewing that one, and sharing interview clips with the stars.
We'll also be reviewing The Grand Budapest Hotel, and we think you're going to like it.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard review Need for Speed.
We'll be covering the film that's sure to take over the box office, answering listener questions, and letting you in on our thoughts on some upcoming films.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, review 300: Rise of an Empire. This one is going to be an interesting effort, because the original film wasn't bad, but was such a specific, stylized effort that continuing the story may be awfully difficult to pull off.
We'll also be responding to listener questions, looking at some upcoming films, and sharing some interview clips with cast and crew from 300: Rise of an Emprie
We'll be taking on Liam Neeson's latest venture into action, Non-Stop. Is this as odd and unmanageable as an action film on a plane seems, or is there something to this one?
We'll also give our final notes on the Oscars. We've predicted and talked about the races quite a bit, but has anything changed as we approach the finish line, and are these races as hard to predict as people say?
And, we're going to be sharing some interview with clips with Neeson and the rest of the cast and crew.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review the new Kevin Costner action vehicle, 3 Days to Kill.
We'll also be playing some interview clips with Costner, answering listener questions, and touching base with the upcoming Oscars.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, along with co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, review RoboCop.
We'll be letting you know if this remake works, and if it's worth your time. We'll also be responding to listener emails, taking questions (that's right, we now have the technology), looking at the Oscars, and probably a lot more.
We may also be playing some interview clips from the cast and crew of RoboCop, assuming anyone has anything interesting to say.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Monuments Men.
After being pushed back more than once, and losing out on the 2013 awards circuit, the Clooney/Damon vehicle with the incredible cast is taking on February and is surrounded by buzz, but is it all it's cracked up to be? We'll let you know.
AreYouScreening.com host, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Ride Along, answer listener questions, and give additional insight into the upcoming Oscars.
Ride Along is taking weekend after weekend, but is that because it's any good, or just because so many other things can't seem to draw audiences? We'll let you know if this one is worth your time.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critics Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard will be sharing their lists of the ten best and worst movies of 2013. Relive the year with us as we let you know what really blew us away, and what made us want to walk out of the theater.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. It's also time for the second annual Can't Win Awards where we hand out our own awards for Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Actor and Actress, choosing among those that, for whatever, have no real chance of taking home any other award this season, but deserve to be recognized anyway.
It's the height of awards season, and before The Critics' Choice Movie Awards airs on the 16th, BFCA member Marc Eastman and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard give their take on the nominations, and their predictions.
We'll also be playing a bit of catch-up, reviewing award darling Her, as well as Lone Survivor, and August: Osage County.
Find out what we think of the upcoming awards shows, and get the full scoop on what we think will win not only the CCMAs, but also the Academy Awards.
AreYouScreening.com host Marc Eastman and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard review The Wolf of Wall Street. This one has been causing a bit of a stir, with a fair number of very positive reviews mixed together with some theaters reporting more people demanding their money back than with any other movie since The Tree of Life.
With Scorsese and DiCaprio in the mix, you know that you're going to get quite a draw, but does this one work, and is it worth your time? We'll let you know, and I have a feeling we might actually have some widely different perspectives on this one.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA film critic Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
We'll also be looking back at a few others that came out recently, including Saving Mr. Banks, and we'll be talking more about the award season in general, and the best movies of the year.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review American Hustle and talk about the awards season.
We'll also be covering the end of the year in general, and make a few predictions.
AreYouScreening.com and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard will be taking on The Hobbit, The Golden Globes nominations, and probably a few other films.
The Desolation of Smaug is getting good reviews (better than the first film), and we'll let you know what's going on there. Is this series going to improve throughout?
Call in or join us in the chat to let us know your thoughts, or ask any questions.
We can (usually) only cover one movie a week, so as we get close to awards season we're going back over the year to hit some of the titles that weren't at the top of our list during their release week. We'll be covering Captain Phillips, 12 Years a Slave, The Bling Ring, and possibly several others (like The Butler, Before Midnight, and more).
This may be the only chance we have for a dedicated, massive catch up episode, so tune in and let us know what you want to hear about, and give us your thoughts on any of these titles, or any others that we haven't covered during the year.
Plus, we'll hopefully have time to let you in on our thoughts about the awards season in general.
It's an odd mix of films this week, and Christian Bale and a snow princess make for odd company. Are these worth your time? We'll let you know. Considering Frozen is managing to hold up against The Hunger Games, you've probably already seen it, and we have something to say about that.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
We'll also have some interview clips with the stars, and we have a couple of interesting announcements, including a podcast-specific giveaway!
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Dallas Buyers Club and The World's End.
We'll see if the hype is worth it for Dallas Buyers Club, and we'll catch up on one we missed that is about to hit on Blu-Ray. It's a drama/comedy double-feature.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Thor: The Dark World.
We're mixed on this one, as we were (somewhat) when it came to the last. Tune in and find out if this one is worth your time.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Ender's Game. Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield hope to turn a book that is basically a magic trick into something entertaining. Do they pull it off? Can it work if you know the trick? We'll let you know if you should head to theaters, and we'll share some interview clips with cast.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Bad Grandpa. Oh, they put together a trailer that made you laugh (or convinced you never to see it), but how does the movie really work out? Tune in and find out what we think... we're a tough sell.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Carrie. We'll be looking at the horror remake, possibly from a unique perspective, and we have some clips from interviews with the cast to share with you. Plus, don't forget that we have a contest running where you could win every movie we review this year!
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Gravity. Find out what we thought of the film that is sweeping the nation, and don't forget that you could win every movie we review this year.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Don Jon, and give you the quick rundown on all the new fall shows. We'll be looking in detail at Joseph Gordon-Levitt's latest starring role and writing/directing debut, sharing some interview clips with him, and giving you our ratings for new fall TV.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Prisoners. We'll be looking at this intense thriller, and playing some clips from a press junket with the Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Family. We'll let you know if yet another De Niro mob vehicle is worth your time. Don't forget, you could win every movie we review this year!
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Riddick. We'll also be playing some interview clips with Vin Diesel and the rest of the cast. Plus, don't forget that you could win a Blu-Ray of every movie we review this year.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Getaway. We also received some listener questions we'll be answering, including a question we got about Joss Whedon's recent comments on some classic films and the potential death of superheroes.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Kick-Ass 2. We're excited for this one, and eager to see how it compares to the first. Join us and share your thoughts on the film.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Elysium. We also check in with Planes and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters... though only one of us may be able to catch them all. Tune in to find out if these are worth your time, and don't forget that you could win the Blu-Ray of every movie we review in 2013!
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Wolverine. I'll spoil it now... I think we liked it. Don't forget you could win every movie we review this year on Blu-Ray! Tune in to find out how.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review R.I.P.D. We'll be taking a look at the wild antics of this battle against the decease, as well as sharing some interview clips with the stars. Don't forget, you could win every movie we review this year! Tune in to find out how.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Pacific Rim.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Lone Ranger. We'll be bringing you our usual insights, along with a couple of interview clips with the cast. Don't forget, you can win every movie we review this year, tune in and find out how.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Monsters University. The last slow week for a while leaves us covering Monsters University, but we'll also be checking in with some of the smaller titles, and what we're looking forward to in the next few months.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review World War Z. The zombies are coming, and we will be taking this one apart with the help of some interview clips with the cast and crew.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Man of Steel. It's our first hugely anticipated film (by us anyway), and we will be sharing several interview clips - Cavill, Adams, Costner, Shannon, and Snyder - along with our review. Join us with your thoughts and questions, and don't forget that you could win every movie we review this year.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review After Earth. Does the Will Smith vehicle hold up? Well, critics haven't loved it yet, and some are calling it the first true bomb of the summer. But, is there anything to M. Night's latest? We'll take a look, plus we'll be talking about some other recent titles, including Room 237 and Violet & Daisy.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Epic and Now You See Me. Join us to discuss the diverse offerings of the last two weeks. It's magic heists and magic creatures. Are either of them worth watching?
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Star Trek Into Darkness and The Great Gatsby. A clash of styles to be sure, but do either of these grand titles win out? Join us and share your thoughts as we take apart these big productions and let you know if they're worth your time. We'll be playing some cast interview clips as well, and don't forget that you could win every movie we review this year.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Iron Man 3. It's the summer kick-off, and we'll be looking at potentially the biggest movie of the year. We'll also be letting you hear from the cast, including Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Kingsley, as we play some interview clips. And, don't forget that you could win every movie we review this year. Tune in to find out how.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Pain & Gain. It's been a while since Michael Bay tried to work comedy into things, and though he may have his haters, this one looks like it could be a lot of fun. Join in and let us know your thoughts, and don't forget you could win every movie we review this year. Tune in to find out how.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Oblivion. It's the hot, sci-fi, Tom Cruise vehicle that everyone has been waiting for... well, maybe. We'll give you our take, and we hope you'll join us with yours. We'll also be playing some interview clips with the stars of the film so you can get their take.
This week, AreYouScreening.com host, along with co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, will be looking at the movies headed your way in the next few months, and letting you know what not to miss. We'll be giving you the scoop on Oblivion, Iron Man 3, Pain & Gain, The Great Gatsby, Star Trek Into Darkness, and many more. We will also give you a rundown on some new to DVD and VOD titles so you know what to check out when the theaterical offerings aren't to your taste.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Evil Dead. As fans, we're both nervous and excited for this one. I have grave doubts (ha) that I'm going to believe the project was worthwhile when all is said and done, but it might be better than a lot of other options. Join us for the discussion, and don't forget that you could win every movie we review this year.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review G.I. Joe: Retaliation. We'll be digging into the new action powerhouse, and playing some interview clips with the stars. Don't forget that you could win every movie we review in 2013. Join us to find out how!
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Croods. We're looking forward to this one, and the suggestion is that it's going to take over the box office. Join us as we review the latest animated adventure, and share some interview clips with the stars of the film.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Join in and talk with us about this one, whether you caught it over the weekend or not. We aren't sure what to expect here, but the curious lack of marketing (before two weeks ago) has us wondering.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Oz the Great and Powerful. We're excited for the one-two punch of these two weeks, and while Jack the Giant Slayer didn't overly impress, it was better than we expected.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Jack the Giant Slayer. If you are looking forward to this one, we can't say we're in your camp. On the other hand, we are pretty interested to see how a couple of our favorite actors (Bill Nighy and Stanley Tucci) fare, and their involvement does make us curious. Along with our review, we'll have some interview clips from the cast and crew.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Beautiful Creatures. We're actually pretty interested in the "other" Valentine's Day offering. Even though it reeks of Twilight-ness, we're intrigued by some of the people they've managed to get on board. But, we want to know why they're on board, so we'll have some interview clips to share with you, so we can get the word straight from the actors.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Side Effects. This psychological thriller is either going to blow us away, or crash and burn, and we're pretty excited to find out which we're getting. Along with our review, we'll be playing some interview clips with the cast, so don't miss it.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Warm Bodies. Hey, it's the beginning of the year people, and the hits just keep coming. We may not be overly impressed with the look of this one, and we don't exactly have high hopes, but it might be fun. Tune in and let us know your thoughts if you catch it.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Hansel and Gretel. The year is kicking off nicely with celebrated actress Jessica Chastain in a really weird horror flick, and now Jeremy Renner coming off a banner year with something that looks like a sequel to The Brothers Grimm. It may be a lot of fun, but I'm not sure we're holding out a lot of hope. Remember, you have a chance to win every movie we review this year. Listen in to find out how.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Zero Dark Thirty and Gangster Squad. It's huge end of year buzz vs. poor critical reception ringing in the new year this week, and we're looking forward to a very fun show. We'll give you a hint, we didn't love Zero Dark Thirty. We'll also be talking a bit about our reaction to the Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Promised Land, and deliver their picks for the Best Movies of the Year. Promised Land is a surprising film, and we can't wait to talk about it. It'll have to be quick though, because we're also going to give you our lists of the Best Movies of the Year, and our own awards for those films/actors that can't get nominated for other awards, but deserve some recognition.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Django Unchained and Promised Land. It's getting down to the wire on the year, and this week we're looking at two strong films that are getting a lot of buzz. Maybe not front-runners for Best Picture, but bound to be on a lot of top ten lists.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review This is 40 and Les Miserables. Two very different efforts, one that is getting lots of award attention, and Judd Apatow's latest comedic venture.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It's the one everybody has been waiting for, and it's sure to pull everyone to theaters... but, is it any good? We'll have some interview clips for you with cast and crew as well.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Hyde Park on Hudson. It's a sleepy week just before the giant push toward the end of the year spectacular, and Bill Murray gets our attention this week. We'll also be covering Deadfall, and we'll be giving our picks for the worst of the year. It's bound to be a good time.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Killing Them Softly. We're looking forward to this one and the fact that no one seems to be talking about it isn't changing our minds. As we close in on end of year, we'll most likely be covering a few titles that we didn't cover throughout the year, and we'll be talking upcoming award voting as well.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Rise of the Guardians. The only question here is, is this one as good as it looks. Set to take over the holiday market of family fare, and with little competition, this is going to be a huge release. We'll also have a report on Anna Karenina, and possibly other surprises.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Lincoln. Coming in so far at a whopping 95% fresh by Top Critics at Rottentomatoes.com, we're excited to see if we think this one lives up to the hype. We'll be sharing some interview clips with the cast and crew, and this is sure to be a fun show.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Skyfall. This week, special guest Frank DeCaro will be joining us to talk about Skyfall, and his book, The Dead Celebrity Cookbook. Movie critic for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for almost seven years, host of his own radio show on Sirius/XM, and star of GSN's I've Got a Secret, Frank has a full plate, including his work authoring several books. Join us to chat about the film, or any of his many ventures.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Wreck-It Ralph. Can an animated, late-year feature about video games sway us? It's been doing pretty good with critics so far. Really, the question is whether or not the kids will love it, and we think we can probably answer that question as well.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Cloud Atlas. We have to tell you right from the start that we may well go over an hour here, so you'll want to also check out the podcast version of the show. I have to imagine that there will be a lot to talk about, and we're looking forward to dissecting this one.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Taken 2. A black hole week finds us finally making our way to Taken 2, which has led the box office two weeks in a row. We'll not only look at the film itself, but we'll be waxing poetic on how it took such a lead against the competition, and we have some interview clips with Liam Neeson to stir things up.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Seven Psychopaths. This star-studded feature looks like a winner, and we have high hopes. On the other hand, this may turn out to be a kind of vanity/vacation project that falls completely flat. Join us and let us know what you think.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Argo. This one has been getting a lot of hype, and we're curious to see if it deserves it. We're both fans of Affleck in the Director's chair, so it should at least deliver a good time.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Frankenweenie. Another shot for Tim Burton this year, and we have high hopes for this one. Of course, we had high hopes for the last one. Tune in to give us your thoughts on this one. It's going to be fun.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Looper. We're finally really excited for a movie, and it doesn't look like this one is going to let us down. We'll also be playing some interview clips with Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Director Rian Johnson.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Dredd 3D. We're looking forward to this one in a way that is somewhat surprising, although Marc doesn't have the greatest hopes. We'll also have another report for areyouscreening.com writer, Christopher Lominac, as he gives us more to digest about the films he caught at TIFF.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Resident Evil: Retribution. We aren't sure what to expect here to be honest, but we're hoping for a little guilty pleasure fun. This far into a series of films, anything could probably happen, and it's either going to be some popcorn entertainment that's worth a night out, or one of the worst things ever. If you caught this one already, join us. We're hoping we can also be joined by one of our writers for a report on the Toronto International Film Festival, but that may have to wait until next week.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review The Possession. We were talked into this one, and now that it has taken over the box office (and we have an excuse to duck The Words), we're going to see if end of summer horror has anything we sink our teeth into. It's time to gear up for a slew of Fall hopefuls, and it turns out that we're in the mood for a bit of a horror break. Join in, and let us know what you thought of this one.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review Lawless. Will we get a good exit to the summer? This one has a lot of people talking, especially with Tom Hardy in theaters so soon after The Dark Knight Rises. I'm not sure of our expectations going into this one, but it looks like fun. We hope to be taking your questions, and we'll be sharing some interview clips with director John Hillcoat, Shia LeBeouf, and Tom Hardy
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, review ParaNorman. Could this be the break out smash of the summer? It's starting to look like it will be. We're looking forward to it, and we'll be adding our unique spin to the critical voice that is largely falling in love with this one. We'll also be playing a couple of clips of interviews with Directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, take on The Bourne Legacy. After last week's Total Recall, which actually left us with a bit of a gap between our final ratings, we're looking forward to seeing what the Bourne franchise can do. We have high hopes that this one can add some overall stars to the summer.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, take on Total Recall. We're both looking forward to this one, and coming off of our show analyzing the summer, we're hoping this one is going to help us get a bit more summer as fall approaches. We'll have a couple of interview clips featuring director Len Wiseman and star Colin Farrell to share, and we think it's going to be a lot of fun this week.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, take on the summer itself. We're taking a break from reviewing for a week, and we're going to revisit a few of our last films, look ahead to what's coming up, and discuss the summer in general. It's been a very strange summer movie season (for us, anyway), with a lot of disappointments. What's going on? We'll give you our take on things, and we wanted to look back at a few titles to get in a few things that didn't make it into our reviews.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, take on The Dark Knight Rises. Probably isn't much to say here, being that it's the most anticipated movie of the summer, and everyone's opinion is likely solidified. We're expanding the show for this one, and we're going to try to also talk about our impressions on this strange summer film season.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire, Shane Leonard, take on Savages. We're backed up a week here, because we had to get to The Amazing Spider-Man, and the Ice Age franchise is the only other thing after our attention, but we're pretty excited to see what Oliver Stone is going to do with the drug trade. We'll have a couple of clips of Oliver Stone sharing his thoughts on the film, largely as jumping off points for us, and we may get around to a clip or two from some of the stars as well. I'm not sure if we're exactly looking forward to this one, but it looks interesting.
AreYouScreening.com host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, along with co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, take on The Amazing Spider-Man. We're both excited and nervous about this one, and the trailers aren't managing to solidify our expectations. I doubt this is the one that will get us to differ greatly in our opinion, but it should be a lot of fun. We'll be including a couple of quick interview soundbites of Andrew Garfield and Director Marc Webb, mostly because we want to see if their sell talk plays out in the film.
Are You Screening? host and BFCA film critic, Marc Eastman, along with co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, take on Ted. The continuing trend of disappointing films is bound to change this week, at least for Marc, because good or not, he has no hopes for this one at all. We'll have at least a couple of interview soundbites this week, because we can't pass up the chance to listen to the actors talk up this film.
Are You Screening? host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, along with co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, take on Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It's been a rough few weeks for us, as films have either disappointed, or thrown us for a complete loop, or both, and odd as it may sound to some, we're really looking forward to this one.
Are You Screening? host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, along with co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, take on Rock of Ages. As always, delivering their instant reaction to the film. Neither of us are especially hopeful going into the Rock Musical with the curious ensemble cast, but you never know.
Are You Screening? host and BFCA critic, Marc Eastman, along with co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard, take on Prometheus. As always, delivering their instant reaction to the film. This one has us on the edge of our seats. Finally, something that has the potential to really blow us away... and possibly even divide us.
Are You Screening? owner and BFCA film critic Marc Eastman, and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard give their instant reaction to Snow White and the Huntsman. Wild as it may look, we're both looking forward to this one, and have high hopes. Join us and see if it lives up to our expectations.
Are You Screening? owner and BFCA critic Marc Eastman, along with co-host Shane Leonard take on Men in Black 3, giving their instant reaction to the film. One of the summer's "cheesier" offerings, we're hoping for a wild ride we can enjoy. Will the third installment, especially after such a long wait, deliver?
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard will be reviewing The Dictator. While not huge fans of Borat or Bruno, it's hard to say we aren't interested to see what this one has to offer. Moving more into the realm of an actual "movie," the fusing of the highly improvisational with something that has a real script should be entertaining. We'll also be playing a couple of interview clips with Sir Ben Kingsley. We also have Are You Screening? writer Christopher Lominac showing up with his take on Battleship.
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard give their semi-instant reaction to Dark Shadows. This week is going to involve a bit of juggling as we celebrate Mother's Day by not taking it over. This looks like a good one, and we will both be disappointed if this doesn't turn out to be a winner. With Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (and a concept that looks hilarious), this should be a very fun ride.
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard give their instant reaction to The Avengers. This is obviously the big one, and now we get to see how well it lives up to the hype. We're looking forward to this one, of course, especially because the true "summer" fare may make for an interesting coversation. Is there something solid behind the flash? We'll let you know.
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard give their instant reaction to The Raven. We're both looking forward to this one, though that doesn't mean we are especially confident that we'll like it. We have to confess of being Cusack fans, and it will be interesting to see what the V for Vendetta director does with this strange twist on history.
We're taking a break from actual reviewing this week as we gear up for some of the huge releases that are fast approaching. We decided that it actually made sense anyway, as it has become more and more apparent that we ought to have a show that we could point to in order to reference our theories on movie ratings. I'm forcing the 5-Star rating system on Shane, and for the first part of the show we're going to be looking at our personal theories for rating films. It's trickier than it may sound, because we apparently have very different views. The next half(ish) of the show will be devoted to letting you in on which films we're going to be covering in the upcoming weeks, and our predictions for them. Tune in and get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in our brains while we're doing all that rambling and rating.
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard give their instant reaction to Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods. We're both filled with mixed emotions and expectations for this feature, and that comes from the unusual mix of the genre, Joss Whedon, and the fact that the film has been on the shelf for two years.
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard give their instant reaction to American Reunion. Episode 3 is the first time we've taken aim at a comedy, and we'll have to see how that fits into the format. We're bound to go off on tangents, because, to be honest, this particular brand of comedy doesn't exactly lend itself to all that much deconstruction, and we've got an hour to fill.
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard give their instant reaction to Wrath of the Titans. It's the usual (ok, this is the second episode) mix of random thoughts and intense film deconstruction. This one promises a bit more spark, as Shane liked it better than the first film (whatever that may turn out to mean), and Marc was less than positive in a wide variety of ways.
Are You Screening? hosts Marc Eastman and Shane Leonard give their instant reaction to The Hunger Games