Popcorn Optional: Recent Episodes
Cameron Slanina, Jake Brown, Trevor Allison
Popcorn Optional is here for all your movie needs. Every week we will be reviewing a new movie while also talking trailers, doing a couple segments, and always ending with our content of the week recommendation.
Did you really think we wouldn't do an episode about Zack Snyder's Justice League? It's the directors cut of the century! We had to talk about it at least for a little bit. Ok, at least for an hour. Ok, its an hour and sixteen minutes. But there is way too much to talk about. Listen up!
We back! Kind of. I mean, come on, you didn't think that we would miss the opportunity to talk Star Wars? The sequel trilogy has had its ups and downs depending on who you talk to but now that we have had some time to sit on it, it feels right to weigh in on whether or not the finale to the "Skywalker Saga" was a success. Listen in to our review of Episode IX of Star Wars.
After 102 episodes, our journey has come to an end. There may still be a couple of "post credits" episodes along the way (looking at you The Rise of Skywalker), but we want to end this podcast by talking about our favorite show, The Office. Over 9 seasons this show made us laugh, cry, cringe, and everything in between so what better way close this podcast than to talk about the show that we quoted and referenced more than any other. Listen in as we talk all things The Office as well as what the best movie theater snack, streaming wars, menschiest of Honorable Mensches, and end as always with our content of the week. Enjoy!
When you put Jason Statham and The Rock in a film, there are two ways the movie can go: fun, stupid action or stupid, stupid action. So which one is the newest entry in The Fast & The Furious franchise? Listen in as we review Hobbs & Shaw but before we get to that we talk the Summer Box Office Bet, nominated the 25th Class of Honorable Mensches, and talk a couple of new trailers.
Disney's live-action/computer animated remake of The Lion King has all of the right ingredients for a hit: an established and talented director, one of the most amazing voice casts ever put together, and some of the best computer generated imagery ever seen. So why did this film leave a bad taste in our mouths when the credits rolled? Listen in to hear as Jake and Cameron review the 2019 remake as well as talk all things Comic Con 2019.
Trevor. Jake. Cameron. Stranger Things 3. The three amigos are all together for the first time in almost two months to talk about those good ol' folks from Hawkins, Indiana. Season 1 was perfect. Season 2 had a few missteps but was still great. So where does season 3 fall on the spectrum? Listen in as we breakdown the highs and lows of the season as well as the trailers for IT: Chapter 2, Top Gun: Maverick, and Cats. Yes, Cats. Enjoy!
With Spider-man: Far From Home being the final film of Phase 3 of the MCU, it has a lot to deal with between telling its own story while also wrapping up the franchise post Avengers: Endgame. Listen in as Jake and Trevor breakdown whether this film continues the streak of great Spider-man films after both Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse as well as the new trailer for the live action remake of Mulan and how far each are into Stranger Things 3 so far.
We back! I mean you didn’t really think we would miss the opportunity to to talk about a Pixar film did you? After a quick summer break, Jake and Trevor are here to talk about Toy Story 4. With the success and finality of Toy Story 3, there are a lot of questions about why the studio felt the need to make one more film. So does it further the legacy of the films before it or feel like a weird epilogue on an already perfect trilogy? Listen in as they review Toy Story 4 as well as talk The Office leaving Netflix.
Superbad. The Breakfast Club. Mean Girls. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Booksmart? How does the directorial debut of Olivia Wilde starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein fall in the class of all time great high school films? Listen in as Jake and Cameron review Booksmart as well as the results of the 24th class of Honorable Mensches and a new segment where Jake reads off loglines for upcoming TV shows and Cameron tries to guess if which studio picked them up.
Yeah, he's back, and better then ever! John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum continues what the first two films have started and solidifies the franchise as one of the best action franchises around. Listen in as we breakdown what makes this franchise tick.
Remember our Oscar bet where whoever lost has to watch the winner (loser?) for Worst Picture from the Razzies? Well Jake lost and had to unfortunately watch Holmes & Watson but here is where things get good: Jake has gone above and beyond and recorded a solo review. Just him. Reviewing on the the most panned movies in recent memory. You know it is going to be good so stop what you're doing and listen in now!
It wouldn't be right for us to only review the biggest cinematic event of the 2010s just once right? Yeah thats what we thought which is why we are back for a more in-depth review. Whats it like seeing the movie for a second time? Do problems get worse? Does it still hold the same emotional impact? Listen in for our in-depth review where we also do our 2019 Summer Box Office Movie Draft.
22 movies over 11 years and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it comes done to one film. The culmination of years of storytelling, character arcs, and hype and we are finally here. So how do you wrap up all of these storylines while still giving all of these heroes their moments? Listen in to our review of this once in a generation cinematic experience.
Donald Glover may be one of the most talented artists working today so when he drops a movie suddenly, you drop what you are doing and watch it. With the help of director Hiro Murai and his brother Stephen Glover writing, Guava Island brings a lot of talents to the table in hopes of crafting something that is both timeless and timely. Listen in as we review this film as well as talk Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Disney+.
DC seems to be headed on the right track after the success of Aquaman and the hype behind other upcoming movies like Wonder Woman 1984, so where does Shazam! fit in in all of this? Does it continue the success and build upon the existing universe or does it forge its own path in hopes of independent success? Listen in as we review DC's newest film and also talk the five most important movies to watch before Avengers: Endgame premieres.
Between the hype after Get Out, the hype about this movie from SXSW, and just the general "Jordan Peel is awesome" hype train, Us has a lot to live up to. Peele's sophomore film starring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex is the first great film of 2019 and solidifies Peele as a force to be reckoned with. Listen in to hear our review of what sets this apart from other horror films as well as do another round of Impish or Admirable where we talk about everything from Toy Story 4 to Apple+ to Netflix prices.
What could go wrong with a heist movie written by Mark Boal that stars Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal? Well depending on which half of the movie you watch, the answer could be very little or a whole lot. Listen in as we breakdown this new movie from Netflix as well as nominate the 23rd class of Honorable Mensches.
Captain Marvel is finally here! After years of hype, the 21st film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first with a female lead has finally arrived. Does Marvel break new ground here or does the film fall into the same ground and tropes as previous Marvel films? Listen in as we review the final film before Avengers: Endgame and also play our own game of Impish or admirable inspired by The Office.
Here it is: the Second Annual 10 Years Later Academy Awards! It is that time of year where we look back at the films from 2008 and decide how the Academy Awards' decisions look now that they have had some time to breath. Did they make the right call in giving Slumdog Millionaire Best Picture or where there films not even nominated like The Dark Knight or Wall-E that were more deserving? Listen in as we travel back in time (not literally of course) and try to award the right films.
After 9 years and 3 films, it is time to say good-bye to the world of dragons. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the final and epic conclusion to the trilogy that we have come to love and adore. Listen in as we review this final chapter and also talk the winners and losers of the 91st Academy Awards.
If you have listened to the podcast before then you know that we have very different opinions on James Cameron and his films. Alita: Battle Angel is no different. Listen as we break down the highs and lows of this films as well as break down our most anticipated films of 2019 and as always we end with our content of the week.
The Lego Movie was a surprise hit. The Lego Batman Movie was one of the better Batman movies of all time. The Lego Ninjago movie was a slight misstep but still fun. So where does The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part fall? Is it above the rest or does it set a new low for the franchise? Listen in to our review where we also talk the Academy Awards the the awards that are won't be presented live, nominate the 22nd class of Honorable Mensches, and as always end with our content of the week.
January tends to be a slow month when it comes to new releases which is why we are going back and reviewing one of the 2018 films that we missed. This weeks film is Blindspotting which tells the story of a man, played by Daveed Diggs, who while on probation, begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend played by Rafael Casal. Listen in as we also talk trailers from the Super Bowl.
Another week, another double feature. This time it is back to back 2018 documentaries with Minding the Gap and Three Identical Strangers. Minding the Gap is the directorial debut from Bing Liu about three friends, skateboarding, and the issues that unfold in their lives. Three Identical Strangers tells the story of, well, three strangers who end up finding each other and come to realize they are actually triplets. Both documentaries are powerful stories and some of the best documentaries of 2018. We also get into the highs and lows of the Oscar nominations as well as the SAG awards, nominations for the 21st class of Honorable Mensches, and as always end with our content of the week.
2018 was a fantastic year for movies! We had surprising big budget animations, small indies that everyone fell in love with, movies that reminded us of what is important in life, and everything in between. Listen in as we count down our top 10 films from the past year as well as a few superlatives like what was the most surprising film of 2018.
In one corner we have indie star Thunder Road, the directorial feature film debut of Jim Cummings about a police offer whose life spirals out of control after the passing of his mother. In the other corner we have Academy Award hopeful Won't You Be My Neighbor? about the incredible life and talent that is Fred Roger. Two films enter the ring in an epic battle. Actually, there is no battle. Just us talking about why both of these films are some of the best of 2018! Listen in!
This week we are playing a little catch up on Oscar contenders from earlier in the year and reviewing Lynne Ramsay's newest film You Were Never Really Here starring Joaquin Phoenix. Listen in as we review this film as well as briefly talk frustrations with the Golden Globes, the top 100 shot films of the 20th century according to the American Society of Cinematographers, nominate the 20th class of Honorable Mensches, and as always end with our content of the week.
On part 2 of episode 78 we review the new DCEU film, Aquaman. We have been pretty hard on the DCEU in the past (with the exception of Wonder Woman) but we head into this review with clear eyes and full hearts hoping that this film doesn't lose. Listen in as we talk all things Aquaman from Jason Mamoa to characters hair to charks with laser beams on their heads.
Its a two parter this week to make up for time off over the holiday. On part 1, we review Roma, the new film from Honorable Mensch Alfonso Cuaron, director of Gravity and Children of Men. Listen in as we reivew what Cuaron has called his most personal film to date.
Animation + Spider-man + Miles Morales + Phil Lord and Christopher Miller = One of the best movies of the year. Who would have thought that the creative team behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and The Lego Movie would be able to take one of the most beloved superheroes and make something this visually amazing. Listen in to our review where we also talk the let down of Avengers: Endgame as well as thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi now that it has been out for a year.
For 15 Christmas' now we have got to enjoy Will Ferrell as the always joyful Buddy the Elf. From snowball fights to candied spaghetti to decorations that rival the best of the best, Buddy captures the hope and wonder that surrounds Christmas. Listen in as we review this movie, talk Christmas movies in general and as always, end with our content of the week.
With one of the most impressive casts this year and a director whose last film won Best Picture in 2013, there is a lot of hype for Widows to live up to. Listen in as Jake and Cameron review Steve McQueen's new heist film starring Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Collin Farrell, and many more (see, I told this cast was impressive). The guys also talk the new trailer for the live action/CGI Lion King movie as well as do the trendy thing and run down their favorite film from each year of the decade so far.
We were all fans of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as a movie. It was fun, mysterious, and a pleasure to be back in the Wizarding World. With Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, J.K. Rowling and company look to take the success and aesthetic and once again expand upon this beloved world. So to ask the obvious question, does this sequel once again capture that magic or does this film over complicate this universe? Listen in for our review as well as the nominations for the 19th class of Honorable Mensches and our content of the week.
Bad Robot? WWII? Nazi Zombies? Seems like a pretty killer formula for a movie. So do JJ and folks over at Bad Robot deliver on the goods or does the movie end up being the worst of all the elements? Listen in as Jake and Trevor review this new movie and finish off the episode with content of the week.
The time is here for us to travel back to our childhoods and talk about the magic (you know it had to be used) of the world of Harry Potter. We give our thoughts on each of the movies from the highlights to the cheesy moments, we talk all eight of the original movies and give our thoughts on why this is not only a great story, but one of the best franchises of all time. Listen in and enjoy!
We've been gone for a little bit but thats why we are playing catch-up this week and do two reviews in one episode. First up is First Man, the new film from Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash) starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong. We then transition into Bad Times at the El Royale, the new film from Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods) and whether or not this is a worthy sophomore film for the director. As always, we end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
Who would have ever thought that we would be here with Bradley Cooper directing a movie like A Star Is Born? There is a lot to talk about with this film between the performances from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper to the music to the story to the advertising so listen in as we breakdown why everyone is freaking out about Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut. We also talk about James Gunn being hired to write (and possibly direct) Suicide Squad 2 as well as answer the impossible question of is Netflix really worth it? At the end of it all we put a nice little bow on top of it all with our content of the week.
After the results of our Summer Box Office Bet, Cameron chose to make Jake and Trevor watch Set It Up, the delightful romantic comedy now on Netflix. Listen in as we discuss the key components of a good romantic comedy as well as The Last Jedi vs Russia, Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, nominations for the 17th class of Honorable Mensches, and as always end with our content of the week.
The original Predator film has got everything you could want out of an 1980s action film including Schwarzenegger, intense fights, cheesy one-liners, and an iconic monster. But what worked in the 80s doesn't always work in the 2010s. So with the new Predator lega-sequel, is Shane Black and his cast able to breath new life into this franchise? Listen in for our review as well as our thoughts on Henry Cavill being done playing Superman, the Captain Marvel trailer, the Emmy's, and as always we end with our content of the week.
A couple of times a year a film comes along that seems to spread through culture and when it happens you got to make a trip to see what all the hype is about. Well we are here to report the hype is real and Crazy Rich Asians delivers one heck of a fun time. So what separates this film from other romantic-comedies? Listen in to here our review but before that we talk the Oscar’s cancelling their Popular Film category, play a game of Movie Cast Mad Libs, and as always end with our content of the week.
In an age where movies seem to be following a formula, it is always a breath of fresh air whenever something comes along to breath new air into Hollywood. But does Searching provide more than just a new twist on a similar formula? Listen in as we review this new film from Aneesh Chaganty starring John Cho as well as do a wrap up of the summer box office bet and really the summer box office season as a whole, talk early reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival, and end with our content of the week.
Welcome to the second edition of Ketchup! A member to the Popcorn Optional family where we go back and review classic films that none of us have ever seen. Yes I know, how have we never seen The Godfather? Better late than never right? Listen in as we review the film as well as talk the Bond 25 director shakeup, the Roma trailer, nominate the 17th class of Honorable Mensches, and as always end with our content of the week.
We are taking a week off but decided to repost our Marvel Cinematic Universe Ranked episode in honor of Avengers: Infinity War coming out on blu-ray. We will be back next week with an all new episode!
The Meg, or Megan, as she is fondly referred to on this podcast, is just a friendly shark trying to find her place in the world...until mean old Jason Statham comes in. This harrowing tale about a prehistoric shark raises one simple question, how bad does a movie have to be in order to be good? Listen in as we review this new monster film as well as talk some news including changes to the Academy Awards, cook up some movie hot takes, and as always end with our content of the week.
Middle school is awkward for everyone right? Well if you don't have a perfect memory of how cringy middle school is than you should check out Bo Burnham's new film Eighth Grade that perfectly captures that awkward time in one young girls life. Listen in for our review of this film to find out if Trevor's undying love for high school movies also translates to middle school movies as well as a movie cast mad libs for Top Gun and our content of the week.
We are now at a point now where the Mission: Impossible films are consistently some of the most entertaining big blockbuster films being released. So what exactly makes these films tick? Is it the cast? The action and stunts? All of it? Listen in as we breakdown the newest film in the franchise while also discussing the death of Moviepass, Star Wars Episode 9 cast announcement, Andy Serkis' Mowgli moving to Netflix, nominate the 16th class of Honorable Mensches, and as always end with our content of the week.
It is hard to believe that Die Hard is turning 30 this year. 30 years of Alan Rickman being the best villain, 30 years of Yippee ki-yay, and 30 years of debating whether or not this is a Christmas movie. So listen on in as we travel to Nakatomi Plaza to review Die Hard as well as talk Comic Con news and trailers including Aquaman, Shazam, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Godzilla 2, and Glass, James Gunn being fired from Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, and as always end with our content of the week.
After tons of hype from the Sundance Film Festival back in January, it is finally time for Boots Riley's directorial debut, Sorry to Bother You. Listen in as we review this film as well as talk a couple of casting announcements and trailers, announce our favorite movies of the year so far, do another edition of hot takes, and as always end with our content of the week.
Infinity War sure was a doozy. So how does Marvel decide to follow up their biggest film to date? By making a sequel for their smallest characters (sorry, I had to). Ant-Man and the Wasp is the 20th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but the question is does this film provide a nice palate cleanser or does it feel anti-climactic after Infinity War? Listen in to hear our review as well as a check in on the Summer Box Office Fantasy Bet, a couple of casting announcements, the 15th class of Honorable Mensches, and as always we end with our content of the week.
With Taylor Sheridan (Wind River) returning to once again write the script as well as Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro reprising their roles, does Sicario: Day of the Soldado conjure up the same magic as Sicario or does the film miss the presence of Denis Villenueve, Emily Blunt, and Roger Deakins? Listen in as we review the new sequel as well as hit on Jared Leto playing Morbius, discuss a couple of new trailers, play a game of Movie Cast Mad Libs where Jake and Trevor are given character descriptions and must recast a famous movie, and as always end with our content of the week.
Good? Bad? Illogical? Boring? Who cares? Dinosaurs are one the big screen! But in all seriousness, the reviews for Jurassic World were wildly mixed with everything from people praising it to people not understanding why it even was made in the first place. Will the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom be as polarizing or does this film send audiences back to the 1993 to make us once again feel the same wonder we did when watching Jurassic Park? Listen in as we review Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, do a recap/review of Jurassic World, and also talk the Star Wars story films being put on hold and people trying to remake Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
When The Incredibles came out in 2004, the superhero movie landscape was radically different than it is today. So what happens when Pixar releases a sequel to the beloved movie 14 years later? Listen in as we review the new film from Pixar as well as debut a new segment where we give hot takes on movies!
Ocean's 8 is not a sequel, not a reboot, but more of a rebootquel with familiar names and faces to pair with a new crew and heist. Does this film live up to the legacy of Ocean's 11 or does the series end up missing the style and visual flair of original director, Steven Soderbergh? Listen in as we review the film as well as talk more new trailers (Seriously movie studios?! Why are you releasing so many major trailers back to back?), who is the best actor to ever play Batman and who should be the new Batman, and as always end with our content of the week.
Another week, another anniversary to celebrate. This week we get celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Truman Show, the incredible movie starring Jim Carrey that is more relevant now than ever. Listen in as we review this classic as well as talk Star Wars fandom being out of control, tons of movie trailers including Wreck it Ralph 2, Bumblebee, The LEGO movie: The Second Part, Widows, and Mortal Instruments, nominate the 14th class of Honorable Mensches, and as always end with our content of the week.
Regardless of whether or not Solo: A Star Wars Story should have or needed to be made, it's here, it's in theaters, so lets enjoy it! After all of the behind the scenes drama with the directors switch, does the movie feel like a jumbled mess or does the cast, crew, and origin explanations rise beyond our expectations? Listen in to find out that as we also talk a couple of news items, what is the best order to watch the Star Wars movies, and as always end with our content of the week.
Welcome to our first edition of Ketchup! A new member to the Popcorn Optional family where we go back and review classic films that none of us have ever seen. This week we are kicking things off by celebrating the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Does the film live up to the legacy it has left on the film industry and 50 years of praise or does it fall short? Listen in as we review the film as well as talk the new Predator trailer, directors we would like to see be involved in Star Wars, films that should never be rebooted or remade, and as always end with our content of the week.
Can you really blame studios for being scared to have their films be released the weekend after Avengers: Infinity War? No, but because of the post Infinity War lull in movies, we decided to do a throwback and honor the 25th anniversary of the one of the greatest blockbusters of all time, Jurassic Park. Listen in as we get into what makes this film stand the test of time as well as nominate the 13th class of Honorable Mensches and as always end with our content of the week.
After 10 years and 18 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally reached the point it has been building to for all this time, the release of Avengers: Infinity War. This is the film that they have been setting up for since the post credits scene of 2012's The Avengers and is really the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. Listen in as we review one of the most hyped and anticipated films of the past decade.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has accomplished things that no other film series has ever done before. They have been building towards Avengers: Infinity War for 10 years now and in honor of their accomplishments we are here to rank all 18 films from the MCU so far. Which film is the best? Which one is the worst? Which Phase of the MCU has featured the best films? Listen in as we get into all of these and more!
Who would be the best studio executive? It is time to find out as we do our draft for the summer box office season and see whose films have the highest domestic box office gross. Is Avengers: Infinity War the number one pick? Does anyone draft Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again? Find out on this bonus episode!
The Man. The Honorable Mensch. Wes Anderson is back with a new stop motion animation movie and Jake and Trevor are here to tell you whether or not it lives up to the excellence of his previous movies. We also talk trailers for The Incredibles 2, Ocean's 8, the idea of crowdfunding a movie, and as always end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
Who ever thought that John Krasinski, the lovable Jim Halpert from The Office, would deliver one of the best films of the year so far? Well this week we are here to talk about the greatness of A Quiet Place and why John Krasinski is director to keep an eye on in the years to come. We also talk the new Solo: A Star Wars trailer, The Meg trailer, how in the world The Accountant was the most rented movie of 2017, mention some underrated movies, and as always end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
We had some technical difficulties this week but thanks to Jake being an editing wizard, we are able to bring you some thoughts on Ready Player One, a new edition of The Popcorn Optional Fight Club including the T-800 Terminator, King King, The Joker, and the Master Chief, and as always we end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
This week we get to review the sequel to one of our favorite action of recent years, Pacific Rim: Uprising. With the ground work set by Guillermo del Toro in the 2013 film Pacific Rim, does this film continue that trajectory or end up falling more into the Transformers realm of movies? Hear our review while we also talk Black Panther breaking box office records, Chris Evans leaving Captain America, underrated monster movies, and as always end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
Video game movies in the past do not have a good record of translating well from the console to the big screen. Does the new Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander continue that same trend or carve a new path as a successful video game movie? Listen in to hear Cameron and Trevor's review on the new movie.
We are introducing a new segment as a mini-episode! The new segment is our very own Fight Club where we take characters and debate about which ones would win if they ever faced off. In this episode, we put Wonder Woman vs. Indiana Jones and Lara Croft vs. Darth Vader. The winners of those fights faces off in a championship so listen in to find out who is our very first Fight Club Champion!
This week we review Ava DuVernay's new adaption of Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 novel, A Wrinkle in Time. With a top notch director, all-star cast, and beloved source material, does this film deliver on what all the parts are capable of? We talk just that as well as Kristen Wiig being cast as Cheetah in Wonder Woman 2, Jon Favreau working on the new Star Wars TV show, the Obamas developing content for Netflix, Moviepass tracking our locations, the trailers for The Grinch and Christopher Robin, nominate the 11th class of Honorable Mensches, and end as always with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
In a special Academy Awards episode we get take a look back at the 80th Academy Awards honoring the films from 2007 and re-award the films based on how the films have held up 10 years later. Did No Country for Old Men deserve to win Best Picture? Should Ellen Page have won Best Actress for her role in Juno? We answer these and so much more in this episode while also breaking down the wins and snubs from this past weekends 90th Academy Awards. Listen in and enjoy!
Annihilation is a film that no matter how you feel about it deserves to be talked about simply for all the different ways that you can interpret the meaning of what is on screen. It is a film with layers upon layers waiting to be unfolded and that is what we are here to try and do. Annihilation is the new film from writer and director Alex Garland, based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer, and stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac in a film about a lot of different things. Before we talk Annihilation though we get into what we feel should win at this Sunday's 90th Academy Awards ceremony. Listen in and enjoy!
Our first review of a 2018 movie just so happens to be one of the most hyped movies in recent memory, Black Panther. The 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is directed by Ryan Coogler with an all star cast, including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and Letita Wright. The big question though is after all the hype, praise, and box office records broken, does the film live up to the hype? Listen in to find out just that as well as to hear us talk about the new Incredibles 2 trailer, nominate another class of Honorable Mensches, and end as always with our content of the week.
Another week, another Best Picture nominated film and this week it happens to be Phantom Thread. Does Daniel Day Lewis continue his streak of amazing performances in what might be his last time acting on the big screen? Listen in to find out just that as well as to hear us talk about Joaquin Phoenix playing the Joker, the trailers for Venom, Uncle Drew and Rampage, and as always out content of the week.
Leading up to the Oscars we decided it was time to catch up on some of the Best Picture nominees. This week Jake and Trevor review Steven Spielberg's new film The Post starring Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and a whole cast of other amazing actors and actresses. We also get into Super Bowl movie trailers, which ones were hits and which ones were complete misses, talk about a round of movies we feel are underrated, and end as always with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
We are finally ready. We have watch dozens of films and are now hear to talk about our favorite movies of 2017. We hit what made our lists, what was just on cusp, and what should have never been made. Listen in as we put a stamp on 2017 and move on to 2018!
It is officially Oscar season and with the announcement of the 90th Academy Award nominations, we took time to break down the surprises, snubs, and historical moments from the list of nominees. We also review Craig Gillespie's new film I, Tonya about figure skater Tonya Harding and her relationships with those around her leading up to the 1994 incident with Nancy Kerrigan. We go through our thoughts on the real life events, what the movie is trying to accomplish, and the amazing performances given by everyone involved. Listen in and enjoy!
With all the hype and the amount awards that it has received so far, it was only a matter of time until we got around to reviewing The Shape of Water. From director Guillermo del Toro comes an adult fairytale about an amphibian man and a mute woman falling in love during the Cold War in the early 1960s. So does this film deserve the hype or does this film ultimately fall flat? We also review why 2017 was a good year for movies and as always end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
Hit script after hit script, Aaron Sorkin has delivered some of the most memorable scripts of the past decade and now, he is here with his directorial debut. How does this story about an Olympic skier who ended up running a multi million dollar poker game measure up against past Sorkin scripts? Listen in to hear our review of Molly's Game as well as a conversation about the 2018 Golden Globes, the 9th Class of Honorable Mensches, and our content of the week.
We're back after taking a short break and are here to not only breakdown the surprising sequel Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, but also look forward to our most anticipated movies of 2018. We get into why Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is surprising from the performances to the comedy and also talk about where the movie falls short. Somehow we also managed to squeeze in a little conversation about Netflix's first big budget film Bright at the beginning. Listen in and enjoy!
It is finally here! After two years of waiting, thousands of fan theories and expectations, Rian Johnson delivers one of the most polarizing and shocking films to date. Did the gamble payoff though? Well, we are here to answer just that question and along the way we breakdown most of our favorite moments, analyze the twists, and try to make sense of everything that happens. Listen in and enjoy!
Seeing as we are less than two weeks away from the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we figured it was time to do a deep dive into Star Wars: The Force Awakens and review the film while also theorizing about way more things than we intended to. We also talk Olaf's Frozen Adventure being removed from Coco, the most rented Redbox movies, induct the 8th class of Honorable Mensches, breakdown the Avengers: Infinity War trailer, and end as always with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
This week we review the new Pixar's wonderful new film Coco about family, music, and the adventure of a lifetime. We go through all the ups and downs of the film and also the insane frustration of having to sit through 22 minutes of a mediocre Frozen short film before getting to the feature film. We also get into the Independent Spirit Award nominations, Lady Bird being the highest rated film of all time on Rotten Tomatoes, November results of our Rotten Tomatoes predictions as well as our December predictions, and end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
It's here. The make it or break it film of the DC Cinematic Universe. Did they hit a home run of strike out looking? Listen in to see as we break down the new film from Zach Snyder (and partially from Joss Whedon) starring Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Jason Mamoa, Ray Fisher, and plenty of others at some of the most iconic figures in comic books. We also break down some trailers from the past week including Rampage, The Incredibles 2, A Quiet Place, and a Wrinkle in Time, while ending as always with our content of the week.
What do you get when you mix an all star packed cast with a talented director and a classic, beloved story from Agatha Christie? Well I think we were all surprised by the end result so listen in as we review Murder on the Orient Express directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring way too many talented actors and actresses. We also talk Rian Johnson's new Star Wars trilogy, Blade Runner 2049 losing $80 million at the box office, the 7th edition of Honorable Mensches, The Post trailer, and as always ended with our content of the week.
This week we reviewed the new Marvel Cinematic Universe film directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarok. At 17 films in the MCU, Marvel is bound to run into some problems but despite the usual issues, Taika Waititi manages to inject some of his much needed humor into the third Thor film. We also get into the possible Lord of the Rings tv series, the live action Lion King cast announcement, a whole lot of Disney news including their ban on the LA Times, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and their possible purchase of Fox, all while rounding out the episode with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
It's here! Stranger Things 2! We binge watched the entire second season of Netflix's hit show in order to bring you this episode as soon as possible. Things get strange on this episode as we do everything backwards starting with our content of the week, then our review of Stranger Things 2, and end with Honorable Mensches. You don't want to miss this one as we breakdown this season and whether or not it lived up to the hype of the first season. Listen in and enjoy!
This week, Trevor and Cameron sit down to talk the Only the Brave, the new film from Joseph Kosinski that is based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. We breakdown the accuracy the story, the emotional weight of the performances from Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller, and also get into our varying opinions on the films successes. Trevor also give us his thoughts on Stranger Things season one, we talk the Dora, The Explorer-Michael Bay movie news, guess Rotten Tomatoes' ratings, give our opinions on the Phantom Thread trailer, and end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
Are you one of the millions of people eagerly awaiting season two of Stranger Things? Yeah, us too. We are so ready for the season two to air on October 27th that we decided it was about time for us to review season one. We also talk Netflix spending $8 billion on original content, Star Wars: the Last Jedi, Black Panther, and The New Mutants trailers, and as always end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
Denis Villeneuve + Ryan Gosling + Harrison Ford + Blade Runner = Blade Runner 2049, a visual masterpiece that everyone should see as soon as possible. We also talk Netflix prices, Creed 2, do another edition of Honorable Mensches, Pacific Rim Uprising and Justice League trailers, and end as always with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
In honor of Blade Runner 2049 coming out this Friday, October 6, we decided it was time to review one of the most praised sci-fi movies of all time, Blade Runner. We get into all the specifics on the different versions, why this movie is so loved, and that question on everyone's mind: is Deckard a replicant? We also talk about the DC universe, acknowledge some underrated sci-fi movies, breakdown the trailer for Alex Garland's new film Annihilation, and end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
In honor of the 30th anniversary, this week we are reviewing the classic and beloved film The Princess Bride. Directed by Rob Reiner and starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Peter Falk, and Fred Savage, this film is one that has stood the test of time and continues to be one of the most quoted films. So what makes this movie great and why has it stuck around? We get into that and also talk some film news, nominate some more people for Honorable Mensches, breakdown some trailers, and end with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
For our 20th episode we decided to talk about each of our Top 5 High School movies of all time. There are some surprising choices, some predictable ones, but a lot of fun had along the way. We also talk the JJ Abrams directing Star Wars Episode IX, the trailers for Downsizing and The Disaster Artist, and end as always with our content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
You know those movies that are able to transcend genre and entertain all audiences? It is one of those movies. Directed by Andres Muschietti, It has a fantastic cast all around with a story that will continually draw you in from beginning to end. We also talk a Rotten Tomatoes, underrated movies, trailers, movie grills, and end with out content of the week. Listen in and enjoy!
Taylor Sheridan (writer of Sicario and Hell or High Water) makes his directorial debut in one of our favorite movies of the year so far! Wind River stars Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, and many other fantastic actors and actresses. Honestly, this whole cast is great. We also talk big news from the Star Wars universe, do another class of Honorable Mensches, and give you our content of the week at the end. Listen in and enjoy!
He is back! The man, the myth, the legend, Steven Soderbergh, has come back to the big screen to deliver us his new film Logan Lucky starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, and many more. Before we get to that though, we have a couple news items to talk, debut a new segment of Movie Trivia, and finish it off with our Content of the Week. Listen in and enjoy!
It's August. Which means a slow time in the world of movies. Which also means it's a great time to go back and review one of the best films from this year that we missed. Get Out is the directorial debut from Jordan Peele and stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, and LilRel Howery. We also also talk a couple about a couple pieces of news, how great this summer was for movies, and give our thoughts on some new trailers. Listen in and enjoy!
We've got a packed episode this week! We talk a couple news items from the past week, do a Honorable Mensches segment, breakdown a couple new trailers, and finally review the new Kathryn Bigelow film Detroit starring John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, and Anthony Mackie. Listen in!
This week Trevor and Cameron take a break from big blockbuster films of the summer and review the delightful indie film The Big Sick which is based on the real life romance of the films writers Kumail Nanjiani (who also stars as himself) and Emily V. Gordon. We also run through the upcoming movie calendar and look at some movies that we are excited to see this fall.
Christopher Nolan is back with his new film Dunkirk and we are here with varying opinions on how good it actually is. We will also talk news from Comic Con including Marvel, DC, Stranger Things, and Ready Player One, we debut a new segment called Honorable Mensches, and finish up with our Content of the Week. Listen in, recommend to a friend, and enjoy!
Apes together strong! What a conclusion to the trilogy this turned out to be. This week, we review Matt Reeves' new film War for the Planet of the Apes starring the amazing Andy Serkis as Caesar. We also talk news out of Disney's D23 convention, debut a new segment where we talk about movies that are underrated, and then end with our content of the week that you should check out.
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-man is back! This week we talk our history with Spider-man movies (the good and the bad), and then dig into Marvel and Sony's Spider-man: Homecoming directed by Jon Watts and starring Tom Holland as Spider-man, Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes aka Vulture, and everyone's favorite Avenger Iron Man played by Robert Downy Jr.
B-A-B-Y Baby. What a breath of fresh air this movie was. Listen in as we review Edgar Wright's new film Baby Driver while also talking a couple trailers and our love of Wright's past films.
We saw this movie so you don't have to. We hope that by listening to this episode that you will not make the same mistake we did and spend two and a half hours watching this. Listen in as Jake and Cameron review Transformers: The Last Knight, a movie that they both cannot believe actually got made.
We love Pixar and hope you do too because we ranked all 17 Pixar movies and are running through them. From the highs of the highs (of which there are a lot) to the lows of the lows (Cars 2, which is not unwatchable but is nowhere near as good as the rest of the Pixar filmography), we talk through our combined list to bring you what we think are the best to still-great-but-not-as-highly-ranked Pixar films.
It may come at night but we wish the "it" would have been far more horrifying than what it ended up being. Listen in as we breakdown the highs and lows of Trey Edward Shults' new movie It Comes at Night on this weeks episode of Popcorn Optional.
The DC Cinematic Universe has their first hit on their hands! This week we review director Patty Jenkins' new film Wonder Woman starring the insanely talented Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.
It's a showdown! Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl vs Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (sort of). We review both movies (one we liked, one we didn't. I'll let you guess) and compare them along the way.
This week, we dig deep into our love for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises). We break down everything from our favorite moments to the best actors to even the things we didn't enjoy (looking at you, The Dark Knight Rises).
Week 2 of the summer box office season and we have our first box office bomb of the summer. This week we are reviewing Guy Ritchie's newest film, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and getting into why we think this movie failed.
Join us for our first official review as we breakdown Marvel's 15th film in their cinematic universe, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 directed by James Gunn.
Welcome to Popcorn Optional! To help get to know us, we run through each of our Top 10 movies of all time!