The Watch-men podcast: Recent Episodes
The Watch-men
On this episode of The Watch-men Podcast, the gang share some more of their recent viewing recommendations. From irreverent sketch comedy, to grim folk horror, to the latest MCU and HBO series’, Matt, Sam and Joyce give plenty of reasons to stay home even as restrictions continue to lift. All this plus a preamble celebrating the 25th anniversary of a sci-fi classic (and 5th anniversary of a Watch-men review classic) and an extended news segment bringing you up to date on all the latest things people are arguing about on #FilmTwitter.
- SPOILER ALERT -
Our Recommendations
Joyce: Loki (TV, superhero, Disney+) Mare of Easttown (TV, drama, HBO/Crave) The Morning Show (TV, drama, Apple TV+) Chocolat (movie, drama, Amazon Prime)
Matt: I Think You Should Leave (TV, comedy, Netflix) Pitch Black (movie, action, iTunes) X2 / X-Men franchise (movies, superhero, Disney+) Highlander (just kidding, please don’t watch this, Amazon Prime)
Sam: Band of Brothers (TV, drama, HBO/Crave) Midsommar / Hereditary (movie, horror, Netflix) Fear Street trilogy (movies, horror, Netflix)
In this episode, The Watch-men throw it back all the way to Los Angeles in the 70s for the 5th anniversary of The Nice Guys. Does this action buddy comedy that stars Russell Crowe as a grizled hired gun and Ryan Gosling as a private detective with a drinking problem hold up? Short answer: yes! Joyce also attempts summarize Cruella but spoils the whole movie instead. Tune in!
On this episode, The Watch-men perform a temporal pincer movement and return to the depths of 2020 to review Christopher Nolan’s time-bending tentpole, Tenet. Did the movie twist our podcast protagonists’ minds into a pretzel or did Joyce, Matt and Sam manage to decipher some fun out of Nolan’s “Nolan-iest” effort to date? Tune in to find out… your future self already has!
Links:
Tenet timeline infographic - https://www.reddit.com/r/tenet/comments/ioq4ac/tenet_infograph_timeline/
The trailer for the killer-lions movie Sam mentions ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGsiY-2CkPU
On this episode, The Watch-men take a trip back to 1980s Hong Kong for a review of Jackie Chan’s stunt-filled action classic Police Story. Matt also discusses his recent watch of First Blood — the first flick in the Rambo series — and the gang chat about the differences between Hong Kong and American ‘80s action movies. Can Matt, Sam and Joyce match Jackie’s speed, creativity and humour with their banter and hot takes? Probably not… but tune in anyways to hear them try!
Links:
For behind-the-scenes breakdowns of great stunts check out the Stuntmen React videos on the Corridor Crew YouTube channel - https://youtube.com/c/corridorcrew
On this week’s episode, the Watch-men crew do their best Netflix algorithm impersonation and recommend a selection of shows they’ve been watching and re-watching during the pandemic. Leave it to Matt, Sam, Joyce and Oumar to fill your watchlists with a wide mix including prestige dramas, searing satires, newly anointed Oscar winners, and trashy TV series’ to chuckle at with friends. Settle in for some Watch-men approved binge-watching before those pesky vaccines take us away from our screens!
Links:
Does the Dog Die? - https://www.doesthedogdie.com
Empire Podcast: Edgar Wright And Quentin Tarantino In Conversation -https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/celebration-cinema-edgar-wright-quentin-tarantino-in/id507987292?i=1000507570831
Steven Yuen looking fineeeee in GQ - https://www.gq.com/story/steven-yeun-april-cover-profile
The Rewatchables Podcast: ‘Dunkirk,’ With Quentin Tarantino, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan - https://www.theringer.com/2019/12/30/21043344/dunkirk-with-quentin-tarantino-sean-fennessey-and-chris-ryan
National Film Board of Canada YouTube channel - https://youtube.com/user/nfb
Our Recommendations:
Joyce - Pushing Daisies (TV series), Minari, Nomadland
Sam - Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Ghost of Peter Sellers (Documentary), Death Proof, The Kid Detective
Oumar - The Sopranos (TV series), Mad Men (TV series)
Matt - What We Do In The Shadows (TV series) Law & Order: Organized Crime (TV series), Love and Monsters
The Watch-men Cinematic Universe expands this week with a new review of the Disney+ series WandaVision and deep dive into all things Marvel. Plus, joining in on the action is our resident superhero super genius Reg! We also find plenty of time to banter about new series Falcon and the Winter Soldier, pick our most anticipated upcoming MCU movies like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and forget all about Loki...oops. For all of your Marvel needs, in the words of DMX, the Watch-men gon’ give it to ya!
Links:
Hip-hop fight chart mentioned by Matt - https://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/the-if-i-fought-this-rapper-would-i-win-chart/
Damian Lewis eulogy for Helen McCrory - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/damian-lewis-on-his-wife-helen-mccrory-ive-never-known-anyone-able-to-enjoy-life-as-much-d7wmp2w3n
‘Friday the 13th’ documentary ‘Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th’ mentioned by Sam - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396421/
Our review of ‘Infernal Affairs’ starring ‘Shang-Chi’ actor Tony Leung - https://soundcloud.com/thewatchmenpodcast/episode-138-infernal-affairs-vs-the-departed
New trailer for ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ - https://youtube.com/watch?v=giWIr7U1deA&feature=share
The age of heroes has returned… that’s right, The Watch-men are back and in full force as Matt, Sam, Joyce and Oumar reunite for one last romp of a review! What Earth-threatening catastrophe could have summoned our mighty team? Nope, not the ongoing global pandemic but a film that may still cause viewers to experience flu-like symptoms, Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Only united will The Watch-men stand a chance against the #SnyderCut, tune in to find out how our heroes fare against this most mythical of movie foes.
Links from episode: Vanity Fair article - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/02/the-true-story-of-justice-league-snyder-cut
It's our favourite time of year! Or, maybe just Joyce's favourite time of year. Regardless, Matt and Joyce are back to make their Oscar picks and talk about some of the contenders. Will Oscar voters see things our way? We'll find out!
Better late than never, Joyce and Matt return to review Star Wars Rise of Skywalker. Critics hated it, fans who hated Last Jedi loved it, but where do the Watchmen sit on this one-month-late to the party review? Cue your favourite Ben Solo shoulder shrug, grab your force-teleported lightsabre and set your expectations to stunned (wait, wrong franchise?) as Watchmen rap about the wars.
What a better way for the Watch-men to end the year with the season finale of The Watchmen! Matt and Joyce review the last episode of Watchmen, their favourite moments in the season and look forward to a new year of more nerdy movies and shows. Happy holidays!
Disney+ has launched and with it, The Mandalorian. How does this latest iteration of Star Wars compare to the movies? What's the Star Wars universe like without the characters that movie goers are so familiar with? And, do Matt and Joyce talk about how cute Baby Yoda is all episode? Listen and find out!
The brand new Watchmen TV series has been out for a few weeks on HBO now. Who watches the Watchmen? Why,the Watch-men, of course! Joyce and Matt chat about the early episodes and reflect a bit on how the show connects with the graphic novel.
Now that we’ve talked about the Jokers, it’s time to talk about JOKER the movie starring Joaquin Phoenix. Matt is back (or was he?) with Matt and Joyce to try figure out what was real and what wasn't in the latest and darkest re-telling of Joker.
Special guest Matt joins the Watch-Men to talk about the jokers throughout the years. Could there be a Jared Leto Joker without Heath Ledger? Or Jack Nicholson without Cesar Romero? The Matts and Joyce discuss all the Jokers leading up to the latest Joaquin Phoenix iteration. Listen and share with us who your favourite Joker is!
Since Jon Snow rode off into the sunset with Tormund (spoilers?) there's been a void once filled with fantasy spectacle and relationship drama. Thanks to Amazon Prime's Carnival Row, our lives are once again full of political intrigue and a jam packed cast led by Orlando Bloom* and Cara Delevingne. Guest Jill joins Matt and Joyce to talk about this new victorian steampunk series and whether or not it will (or should) fill the gap that Game of Thrones left in the genre.
*You may know him from another little fantasy genre movie called Lord of the rings and appearances in the Hobbit trilogy but we don't talk about that.
Stranger Things 3 is out on Netflix with even more nostalgic wacky 80s adventures, Russian mysteries and an extra gory monster. Our Stranger Things correspondent Paul returns to share his thoughts on this latest season and how it compares to its previous chapters. Was it worth the wait into the summer? Will the monsters get scared away by the increasing teenage angst? Listen and find out!
Quentin Tarentino’s 10th film takes us back to the time Bryan Adams got his first real six string: the summer of ’69! Following the story of a struggling actor and his stuntman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood takes a peak at a time in Hollywood when things went all helter skelter. We bring in special guest Stephanie to chat about a movie that is without a doubt stylish and well produced, but not without issues.
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and Joyce and Matt feel fine … because we’re reviewing Amazon Prime’s Good Omens! Is it an angelic masterpiece? Fiendishly good? Or just bad as hell? We talk about the show, the book and struggle a bit to pronounce Gaiman. It’s a real biblical affair on this week’s Watch-men podcast.
Comic-Con has comic-come and comic-gone, and all that’s left are the trailers and nostalgia. We go over a few of the biggest trailers (see below for a list) and also chat about the MCU’s fourth phase.
Spider-man’s back! Now that Endgame has, uh, ended, and Tony Stark is [SPOILERS] RIP, how will our friendly neighborhood Spider-man manage to keep spinning webs without a mentor? By going to Europe, apparently! Our spider-correspondent Matt joins regular Watch-men hosts Joyce and Matt swing through Venice, Prague and London to decide whether or not Jake Gyllenhaal is superhero material, if Peter Parker is the new Iron-Man and where Marvel and superhero movies will go from here.
Undeterred by the fact that the previous iteration of Dark Phoenix Saga, X-Men: Last Stand, was a colossal failure that practically killed the X-Men franchise, 20th Century Fox brings back Last Stand writer Simon Kinberg so he can write, direct and produce a new version of the same story. Can Kinberg prove that Last Stand was a fluke? Does Dark Phoenix finally elevate the X-Men franchise? Lol nope! It bad. Worse than X-Men Apocalypse even. So bad we don’t even know how we filled a whole episode talking about it. Ah well, at least the news section has some interesting stuff. Watch-men!
Blessed with a Wizard’s powers to review movies every time they say the name “Watch-men!”, Joyce and Matt take on the light-hearted DCEU flick Shazam! Does is it indeed stand out as a not-terrible DCEU movie? Was it a missed opportunity to not license the Destiny’s Child song, “Say My Name?” And why is it that some DC cities are fiction and others are real like Philadelphia? Are there no rules? I mean, come on!
Wondering what to watch this summer? There's a lot! In this episode, Matt recounts the horrors of Chernobyl (both in real life and on HBO) and we run down a list of anticipated summer blockbusters for you to consider. Will they be good? Only time (and our review) will tell!
Joyce and Matt go to a far away land where the CGI camels and caravans roam to review Disney's latest live-action remake: Aladdin! We talk about our what it means to have a diverse cast in an otherwise orientalist story, how we felt about all the acting, singing and dancing, and, of course, whether or not we liked Will Smith's version of the genie. Prepare your wishes and hop on your magic carpet for this week's Watch-men podcast.
Our resident Game of Thrones Subject Matter Expert, Tori, guests as Joyce and Matt wrap-up their Game of Thrones season 8 coverage with a deep dive into the finale. Were we as enraged as the rest of the internet? What's missing from the show that could be different in the books? And how did Robyn Arryn turn into such a hottie? We answer these questions and more on this episode of the Watch-men podcast.
It's the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones and...what just happened?! Just when we thought we couldn't be more mad and/or confused about events and character arcs in an episode, The Bells happened. Matt and Joyce attempt to break down the episode, but really, it's just a joint therapy session at this point. Did you enjoy it? Let us know!
Our heroes and anti-heroes prevented the Long Night only to barely survive the latest episode of Game of Thrones. Matt and Joyce are pretty grumpy about this episode. Listen to the latest episode about why this episode made everyone mad (and let us know if you're mad too! @watchmenpodcast)
Check the battle lines and tighten your infinity gauntlets because it's time for the most epic Watch-men episode of them all: an MCU Game of Thrones mashup! That's right, with Endgame in theatres and GoT 8.3 in the books, Joyce and Matt decide to record double-header! In this extra long episode we talk about time travel, characters dying, new characters replacing old characters, diversity, valarian steel and even more time travel. Fun for the whole family, unless your family includes White Walkers or Thanos on this week's Watch-men Podcast! Don't want to spoil/not interested in Endgame? Skip to Game of Thrones at 36:45
Joyce and Matt once again tap into the Weirwood-net to look back on Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2! Was Jaime knighting Brienne a better scene than Jaime's hot tub confession? Why is Tyrion making so many terrible decisions? Is Dany going to become the show's 'villain'? And who the heck will even survive to be on episode 3? All these questions answered plus more insight from our Thrones correspondent Tori on this week's Watch-men podcast!
After months of sneak peek photos and cryptic trailers, Game of Thrones is finally back! We return to Winterfell in a mirror episode to the pilot. It was a Game of Reunions as all our favourite heroes and anti-heroes finally cross paths again. What did you think of Winterfell's newly installed CCTV department? Did this episode strike the right tone? We also have our special Game of Thrones correspondent, Tori, to give us some insights from the books. Listen and find out!
Game of Thrones returns this weekend for its 8th and final season. No time for a 7 season rewatch? Not to worry! Matt and Joyce give you a refresher of pivotal moments and episodes throughout the series that will bring you to speed of important background details and major plot points for the key players still vying for the Iron Throne.
Joyce is back and eager to catch up with Matt on all the nerdy news that's happened in the last month. Among those is...Captain Marvel! Listen in as she and Matt pull no punches and hold no feelings back in their review of the MCU's latest installment.
In order to talk about Peter Jackson's WW1 restoration film, They Shall Not Grow Old, the Watch-men do a little restoration themselves, bringing back OG host Sam! Through modern technology (a phone) Sam is back on the podcast! He and Matt talk about how Peter Jackson used modern technology (more than just a phone), and his personal collection of first world war uniforms and artillery pieces (!!) to bring footage from more than 100 years ago back to life. They also go through the news, catch up a bit and talk about some of their most anticipated movies of 2019. It's a reunion extravaganza on this episode of the Watch-men Podcast!
Happy anniversary to us! Matt and Joyce (plus clips from Sam and Oumar) celebrate the 150th episode of Watch-men. We talk about some of our favourite memories doing the pod and weigh in on the highs and lows from Oscar night. We too were not happy about Green Book pulling off the win...
The countdown to the Oscars continue! Listen to Part 2 of the Watch-men's primer of all the Oscar nominated Best Picture movies. Matt and Joyce have made their Oscar picks, but do you agree with them? See you at the movies!
The countdown is on for the Oscars! Matt and Joyce gives a primer for each Best Picture movie and their chances of taking Oscar home. This week we focus on: BlacKKKsman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Green Book, Roma. Stay tuned for next week as we review The Favourite, Vice, A Star is Born and give our final predictions for the Oscar pool.
Happy awards season! Matt and Joyce discuss the contenders, snubs and surprises from this year's Oscar nominations. Do you agree with the nominations this year? Better yet, have you seen all the movies this year? Have a listen and meet us back here for our Oscars predictions episode after a binge watch of all the Oscar nominees.
This week we have a double Matt(inee!) with special guest Matt joining the Watch-Men conversation about Into the Spider-Verse. We're very excited for this different approach to the Spider-Man lore and even more excited to tell you all about it. Special cameos from comic book expert Reg to tell us about the origins of Into the Spider-Verse and Isaac to explain why the art design was so special.
Have you seen Aquaman? Incredible, right? Just kidding. It's so bad. Matt and Joyce talk about why it's so bad this week on the Watch-Men even though it has just surpassed the 1 Billion dollar mark at the box office. Sam also makes an appearance to review Bird Box - which, after recording this episode, Joyce watched and has decided to never leave her house again. Happy new year!
After a brief hiatus Joyce and Matt are back! We chat about some of the bigger news stories that we missed; Joyce gives her impressions on Mary Poppins Returns, Oumar gives a guest clip to weigh in on Drake's rankings in rap history, and we cap things off with a quick chat about the new Netflix She-Ra reboot. It's a jam packed talk-fest on this week's The Watch-men Podcast!
Like Drago from Rocky 2, Oumar makes his Watch-men return this week as we look at Creed 2. We loved Creed, but how does the Michael B. Jordan punch-em-up fare in a followup without director Ryan Coogler? And will Creed 2 continue to plot out an original story for Adonis, or will it simply re-hash the old Rocky flick? We step into the ring, put our foot into a tire for some reason, and go toe-to-toe with Creed 2 to answer these and other questions on this week's Watch-men podcast!
We're back in the wizarding world! Matt graciously steps aside so that wannabe witches, Joyce, Maura and Michelle can discuss (and geek out) over the return of Newt Scamander and a few new fantastic beasts. Also in need of discussion, how was Jude Law as Dumbledore? And, what's going to happen to Nagini? And, of course, THAT happened. Yes. That. What is that? If you've seen it you'll know! If you want to be spoiled, listen and find out.
Amie joins Matt and Joyce this week to talk about the reimagining of Sabrina Spellman in Chilling adventures of Sabrina. How does it compare to Sabrina the teenage witch? Listen and find out the good, the bad and the weird (sisters) of Netflix's latest original show.
Happy Halloween! Matt and Joyce discuss and recommend a few favourite movies to watch over Halloween, be it spooky, gory or just plain funny. And, we have a cameo from Sam with his own recommendations and a review of the latest Halloween!
We didn't think this day would come, but VENOM is out and so is our review! Matt and Joyce are joined by special guest Matt v2 to discuss if VENOM was really THAT bad (yes), what might have gone wrong and if Tom Hardy really is the hero in the whole lead up to the movie (also yes). Join us! And, let us know if you hear the music that we're hearing too?
This week we're comparing Martin Scorcese's The Departed to its Hong Kong counterpart, "Infernal Affairs". Listen and find out what the Watch-men think of the Hollywood remake and whether or not this should have been the movie that finally won Scorcese his Oscar. (Spoiler alert: no)
A sad episode of the Watch-men Podcast as we bid a fond farewell to Sam, who’s off to warmer but wetter climates in Vancouver. For Sam’s last hurrah we discuss some of our most anticipated fall movies and shows, while Sam reminisces over a few of his fondest Watch-men moments. Bring your tissues, dear listeners, and prepare yourself to hear Sam’s sweet, soothing voice one last time.
There’s something out there, and it ain’t no original property. On this week’s episode, the Watch-men use the latest Predator sequel as a launching point for a discussion on the original alien versus Schwarzenegger flick. Sam, Matt and Joyce also take a closer look at Hollywood’s obsession with remakes and reboots. Prepare to be unsurprised by the long list of nostalgia baiting shows we found that are set to re-make an appearance on a screen near you!
The Watch-Men are back together again! This week is part exploration and part nostalgia as we discuss our favourite movie soundtracks and scores. Did we include your favourites? Tune in and find out!
While Joyce enjoys a post-snap, ash-laden, vacation holiday, Matt and Sam get into the nitty-gritty news and issues of the Hollywood Summer. What are the biggest box office hits and misses? What's the next step for the #metoo movement? Will James Gunn work again? And is Chris Pratt really a bonafide leading man? All this and more on this week's Watch-men Podcast.
The world is in danger again and we're reunited with Ethan Hunte and the IMF crew who are, once again, trying to save the day. The Watch-men podcast review the latest installment in this 2 decade franchise and answer a very important question: was Henry Cavill's mustache integral to the plot?
On this week's episode, the Watch-men play catch up with a review of Incredibles 2 and revisit a decade where smoking was still allowed on airplanes(!) with a look back to 1996's Mission: Impossible.
Comic Con 2018 took place over the weekend in San Diego and the Watch-men are here to recap and review the top trailers which dropped during the celebrations. Plus, Sam, Matt and Joyce also touch on the firing of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn in the news this week.
Comic Con 2018 took place over the weekend in San Diego and the Watch-men are here to recap and review the top trailers which dropped during the celebrations. Plus, Sam, Matt and Joyce also touch on the firing of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn in the news this week.
This week Joyce is joined by special guest, Maura, to have a discussion on the current state of fandom, why it becomes toxic and how we can understand it. Listen as Maura and Joyce try and figure out why fans hate what they love so much and some basic tenets of nerd-dom.
Like a refreshing post meal mint, Ant-Man and the Wasp is Marvel's attempt at a palate cleanser after the calorie rich Infinity Wars. But is the promise of Paul Rudd Paul Rudd-ing and Evangeline Lilly kicking butt with a giant salt shaker enough to win the Watch-men over? Sam, Matt and Joyce discuss on this week's episode.
Matt is back this week! But, wait...Sam is now missing for this episode for the Watch-Men podcast. Is this a Delos conspiracy? Are they actually the same person? Likely not, but these are the types of quandaries that this season of Westworld has us asking. How did Season 2 compare to Season 1? One thing's for sure, there were definitely more violent ends than there were delights. Listen to find out more!
Sam and Joyce are back with bigger and scarier dinosaurs in this week's review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Given that the 2015 reboot of Jurassic Park was met with so much disappointment, we were slightly surprised that, despite reviews, the Watch-Men found it better than expected. Do we recommend this latest installment of the popular dinosaur franchise? Listen and find out!
Sam and Joyce celebrate Jurassic Park's 25th anniversary by looking back at the most iconic moments of this dino blockbuster. How do the Jurassic Park dinosaurs still look so impressive after 25 years? Or, are we clouded by our nostalgia? Listen to your Watch-Men reviewers choose their most memorable moments, what doesn't translate in 2018 and what Sam wanted to be after watching this movie. (Hint: It's not one of the paleontologists) Hold onto your butts!
The Watch-men focus in on a few female features this week. First, Joyce fills us in on how fun Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and co. can be with a look at Ocean's 8. Then, Sam sets his sights on a fierce, female directed splatter-fest with a review of Revenge. And lastly, everyone - including first time guest Shane - get's a chance to tear into Star Wars' fandom with look at what's happening with Kelly Marie Tran and the toxic male fans we all wish would disappear to a galaxy far, far away.
On this episode of the Watch-men podcast, Matt, Sam and Joyce look at Solo, the never asked for but still made anyways Star Wars prequel starring a kid who looks nothing like young Harrison Ford. The odds were never in favour of Disney's and Lucasfilm's latest cash grab... er I mean fun adventure movie(!) being good, but after significant reshoots, director firings and acting lessons, it's a miracle that this movie even made it to theatres. But it did! And the gang is ready to share their thoughts on how it fared, so tune in!
The Merc with a Mouth is back and joins the superhero box office domination of 2018. Did the movie work a second time around? Does it live up to the hype of its long, true-to-character, anti-marketing marketing campaign? Is it better than the original? Or, has it become tedious and predictable? Guest Maura join the Watch-Men to answer those questions, review what worked, what didn't work and discuss our favourite and least favourite parts in this irreverent anti-hero sequel.
Sam, Westworld and the '80s are all back on this episode of the Watch-men podcast! After a brief stint as a vigilante hero in NYC, Sam reunites with Joyce to review Cobra Kai, Youtube Red's new Karate Kid sequel series. Despite never seeing the 1984 Karate Kid, listen to find out how our hosts think the OG cast fares in this 2018 reboot. Speaking of hosts, it's Westworld check-in time! Are we lost in the show's multiple timelines? Are we sure this isn't just a new season of Lost? What do we think of Reddit's favourite fan theories? All these questions plus a few answers to come on the Watch-men podcast.
While Sam is away enjoying vacation with half the tourists thanks to Thanos, Matt and Joyce try to answer one of the most challenging questions this podcast has faced: How charming is The Rock? Is he charming enough to make a bad movie mediocre? Charming enough to make a mediocre movie good? Like gigantic beasts let loose on Chicago, we smash our way through Rampage to get to the bottom of Dwayne Johnson’s charisma
Thanks to Robert Downey Jr, we all got to see Infinity War a week in advance! Listen to Sam, Matt and Joyce break down the major plot points of the movie, what they thought of Thanos as the villain and whether or not this mega, super stuffed, super hero movie succeeded in the end.
Westworld's back with a Season 2 premiere that might be as mysterious, ultra-violent and story-hopping as Season 1. But, they're also casually starting to reveal some of its biggest mysteries. Matt, Sam and future Joyce break down some of the major moments, but it will probably get more complicated from here. It's also time for Infinity Wars! But more importantly, who won the Avengers bracket? Listen and find out.
Jim from The Office brings the Watch-men back together this week, with the gang reuniting for a review of A Quiet Place. The movie finds John Krasinski and his real life wife Emily Blunt silently taking on a world filled with killer sound-sensitive beasties, but how does it's Shyamalan-ian premise hold up? Tune in as Sam, Matt and Joyce dive into a full review and also learn a thing or two about wolverines.
With Sam and Joyce away, Watch-men Walking Dead correspondent and zombie impersonator Mifi joins the show to talk Frankenstein. She and Matt chat about the ways the 200 year-old novel has influenced film and tv, give a quick review of the 1931 Boris Karloff Frankenstein and chat a little bit about The Frankenstein Chronicles streaming on Netflix. Discover why man is the true monster on this week’s The Watch-men podcast!
Ready Player One is in theatres and the Watch-men have plugged into the OASIS (aka into some basic microphones/headphones) to review it. Can the same man who influenced virtually every pop culture reference in this movie's virtual world make something user friendly out of the "fan-service-first" source material? Or will The Beard fall victim to nostalgia overload? Tune in to hear Sam's and Matt's takes on the matter, plus find out which Spielberg character the guys feel most closely connected to.
With Ready Player One hitting theaters later this week, the Watch-men are getting into the back catalogue of its acclaimed director, Steven Spielberg. In honour of “The Beard,” Matt and Sam have queued up two of his very different sci-fi options to re-view, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Minority Report. From a song of mothership tones to 2002 Tom Cruise, there are plenty of out there sci-fi moments to indulge in on this episode!
Jessica Jones, a Watch-men favourite, returns for season 2. Does the show hold up without Killgrave? Has Jessica sunk to a two-dimensional character? We dive as deep as 6 episodes in to answer these questions and more!
This week Matt, Sam and Joyce try to untangle the plot of Netflix Original's Mute and whether it's supposed to be a mystery, film-noir, sci-fi or dystopian genre. This movie set in cyberpunk Berlin is about an Amish man trying to find his missing girlfriend. Director Duncan Jones said that he's been trying to tell this story his entire career. Did it pay off? Listen and find out!
Another year, another Academy Awards to preview! On this episode, the Watch-men bring you their thoughts and picks for which films will walk away winners and losers at the 2018 Oscars. Matt, Sam and Joyce first dive into their favourite smaller categories - visual effects, score and screenplay - before working their way to the bigger fare of actor, actress and director. But that's not all, because they also give a round-up of all the Best Picture nominees before choosing who will take home the biggest prize of the night - their answers may surprise!
The Watch-men are back! Matt, Sam and Joyce are rested and ready to re-deliver their weekly mashup of reviews, news and red hot takes in a sequel they hope is more T2 than Jaws 2. Channeling their inner James Cameron, the Watch-men set their sights on a spectacle-filled first episode back. From two months worth of trailer recaps to a surprise guest visit from an old friend to a full review of Marvel's latest box office hit, Black Panther, it's go big or go home on this episode of the Watch-men 2.0!
It’s a day of lasts on this episode of the Watch-men Podcast. Sam graduates from university and the gang bids farewell to The Gateway and CJSR after 109 episodes recorded on campus. Oh and there’s a review of that little movie called The Last Jedi. Happy holidays everyone! The Watch-men will return in the New Year…
If you’re waiting for finals to finish before catching the latest episode in the Skywalker trilogy, check out this week’s episode for a SPOILER FREE preview of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Sam, Matt and Joyce lay out their bold predictions for whether or not Luke and Leia will meet again, who Rey’s parents are, and most importantly, how many Porgs will appear in the film.
After stealing the show from Matt Murdock in season two of Daredevil, Marvel’s most kill-happy hero landed his own gritty series at Netflix. Matt and Sam chat about The Punisher and predict whether or not punishments will be on the rise in aftermath of binge-watching Jon Bernthal’s ‘killer’ performance as the skull-toting anti-hero. (Spoiler alert: it’s better than Iron Fist).
It’s one of the Watch-men’s least anticipated movies of the year. It’s Justice League. With the success of Wonder Woman behind them, Matt, Sam, Joyce, and Reg hoped DC could get their act together for this superhero team-up flick, but realistically expected the worst because, you know… Zack Snyder. After watching the movie one thing is clear: the only petition the Watch-men want to sign is one which gives Patty Jenkins control of as many DC movies as possible. (Here’s to Zack Snyder moving on to make that Star Wars Seven Samurai Jedi movie instead of Justice League 2).
Murder, masterful acting and a Movember mustache for the ages await the Watch-men aboard Murder on the Orient Express. Kenneth Branagh helms this retelling of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery story, but do his Shakespearean tendencies play nicer with Poirot than they did with Thor? Join Matt, Sam and Joyce as they put on their finest formal wear and head to the dining car… err, the recording studio, to search for clues and present their theories!
With Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel ditches the serious, Shakespearean feel of the first two films and instead goes for something much more… Goldblum-y. Now it’s up to Sam, Matt and Joyce to decide if the switch was a success and if Kiwi comedy director Taika Waititi was able to match the awesomeness of that first teaser trailer. No Bifrost is needed to visit this episode of the Watch-men podcast!
Bigger, badder and with more nostalgia than ever, Stranger Things 2 is out now on Netflix. But will the countless references to James Cameron sequels be enough to win the Watch-men over on their second trip to the upside down? Binge-listen this episode to find out!
Sci-fi, sequels and the 1980s, what more could The Watch-men want? Stranger Things 2 dropped this Friday but before you binge let Sam, Matt and Joyce remind you what happened in the first go around in the upside down. In case that’s not enough, they also re-open last week’s investigation and review the rest of Mindhunter.
Ever wonder how the FBI developed the serial killer profiling techniques that allowed them to determine that Ted Cruz is IN FACT the Zodiac killer? Well, Netflix and David Fincher’s latest collaboration Mindhunter is sure to have all the answers. Tune in as Sam and Matt profile the first few episodes of this ’70s set crime series.
Join the Watch-men as they celebrate their 100th episode by reviewing one of their most anticipated movies of the year, Blade Runner 2049.
Do you have an inexplicable craving for a promotional szechwan dipping sauce you’re too young to have ever tried? Are you cursed to be waaaay smarter than all your friends and family? Have you ever turned yourself into a pickle and had to explain why the in a 10 paragraph Reddit post? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you, like us, are probably Rick and Morty fans. Jon joins the Watch-men to review season 3 on this episode.
With Star Trek: Discovery bringing Trek back to TV, the Watch-men have decided to stay in the ‘80s for a another week to review the series’ most famous film, The Wrath of Khan. Whether you’ve never seen any Trek, just want to relive peak Shatner, or simply want to hear Matt say “Botany Bay? Botany Bay!” in a Russian accent, this episode’s for you!
We’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. The neon lights and Chinese noodle shops of Los Angeles in 2019. We watched a tinfoil unicorn glitter in the dark and realized Deckard is probably a replicant. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain… unless you listen to this episode of the Watch-men podcast.
It’s finally here… What is? It. …It? Ya, you know, It. What’s It? It is It! ...sigh... Anyways, It floated into theatres last weekend to box office breaking numbers and Sam and Vincent have all the insight you’ll need about a film that features a shapeshifting clown who eats children.
Fall has blown into the Watch-men studio and with it Sam's, Matt's, and Joyce’s most anticipated fall movies. But before that, it’s all the best and worst things they watched over the summer!
Gruesome deaths, undead threats, and plenty of incest? That’s a Game of Thrones season finale alright. Matt, Sam, and Joyce break down season 7’s highs and lows and make their picks for overall winners and losers.
Sam rejoins the Watch-men team to review Netflix/Marvel’s long-anticipated street-level superhero team-up show, The Defenders. Plus one of Joyce’s boldest Game of Thrones predictions comes true on this week’s Views from the Seven Kingdoms.
With Sam still away, Matt and Joyce dig into another '90s classic: Hook. Now on Netflix, is this Peter Pan re-telling worth a second watch? Or is it best left in the past? This plus our usual views from the seven on this episode of the Watch-men podcast.
Join us for this special edition episode as Matt and Joyce dive into the phenomenon of fan theories. Why is “R+L=J”? and “they’re in purgatory” important? Has this changed how we watch tv and movies? Listen and find out! Plus, new winners and losers emerge in the Views from the Seven as we recap the latest Game of Thrones episode, the Spoils of War.
The Watch-men pick their weekly Game of Thrones winners and losers during their Views from the Seven Kingdoms before switching gears to review Baby Driver – the critically and commercially popular car chase/heist movie which DOESN’T feature Vin Diesel.
While Harry Styles, Tom Hardy, and Mark Rylance fight on the land, in the air and on the sea in Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece Dunkirk, the battle for Westeros intensifies in episode 2 of Game of Thrones season 7.
Sam, Matt and Joyce host their first segment of ‘Views from the Seven Kingdoms’ as Game of Thrones returns for its seventh season.
Spiderman Homecoming marks the return of Spidey to the Marvel universe. The Watch-men now discuss whether it’s third time’s a charm for this franchise.
Before Game of Thrones returns for its seventh (and penultimate) season this weekend, let The Watch-men to catch you up on all things Westeros. From the resurrection of Jon Snow to the Battle of the Bastards, Matt and Sam look back at all the key moments of season 6 in anticipation of what’s to come in season 7.
It’s an explosive episode this week as Matt and Sam discuss the mayhem surrounding the upcoming “Young Han Solo” Star Wars movie as well as review Michael Bay’s latest montage of robot “Bayhem” in Transformers: The Last Knight.
After checking out the pilot a couple weeks back, The Watch-men return to American Gods for a review of the entire first season. How do the other episodes stack up to the promising first one? Click above to see what Sam, Matt, and Joyce have to say about American Gods season one!
Tom Cruise’s The Mummy – Universal Studios’ first (and maybe last) film in their newly minted “Dark Universe” monster movie franchise – was announced dead on arrival by pretty much everyone. So, Matt, Sam, and Joyce decided to revisit Brendan Fraser’s 1999 version instead!
Join Matt, Sam, and Joyce as they wander into a treacherous no man’s land of Greek gods, Gal Gadot, lassos of truth, and feminist side discussions in the Watch-men’s "female and male only" review of Wonder Woman.
New gods battle the old as the Watch-men clash in their review of Starz’s new fantasy series American Gods. Since none of Sam, Matt, or Joyce have read the Neil Gaiman novel it’s based on, the pilot will have to sell them on whether to worship American Gods or leave it behind.
On this episode, Sam investigates a distress signal of unknown origins, only to discover Ridley Scott’s divisive Alien prequel/Prometheus sequel thingy Alien: Covenant (Synthetics and Xenomorphs and Neomorphs, oh my!). Meanwhile, Matt locks and stocks his two smoking… Excaliburs (?!) as he reviews Guy Ritchie’s cockney King Arthur movie.
On this episode of The Watch-men podcast, Matt, Sam and Joyce discuss a monster movie unlike most. The Anne Hathaway starring Colossal pits self-control against dangerous drinking habits but also giant Kaiju against rampaging robot. Does the unique movie mashup work or end in colossal disappointment? Listen above to find out!
The Guardians of the Galaxy dance their way back into theatres. Can vol. 2 live up to the awesomeness of the first? Is there room for heartfelt father-son moments in a movie otherwise loaded with action? And can anyone resist the cuteness that is baby Groot? Find out in this episode of the Watch-men podcast!
Our resident comic book expert Reg joins the show to chat about the upcoming marvel movies. We make some Guardians of the Galaxy predictions, ponder over a new iteration of our favourite webslinger in Spider-man: Homecoming and learn about all the crazy stuff going on in Thor: Ragnarok.
After producing a few of The Watch-men’s favourite shows in Daredevil and Jessica Jones, Netflix and Marvel hit a rare miss with Iron Fist. Matt, Sam, and Joyce take a look at episode one of this kung fu and boardroom superhero drama and offer a fistfull of thoughts on where the show went right and wrong. (Hint: It’s probably when they decided to add plenty of boardroom drama to a show about kung fu).
While students furiously write exams, the Watch-men indulge in two mind numbing action flicks in another double header episode. First, Sam takes a look at The Fate of the Furious, the latest installment in a franchise which inexplicably turned a Vin Diesel movie about street racing into a billion dollar, eight film series where cars crash into a nuclear submarine. Then Matt decides if Elizabeth Banks' bonkers performance as Rita Rupulsa can elevate the new Power Rangers to be more than a fancy Krispy Kreme ad.
Scarlett Johansson’s controversial manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell hit theatres with resounding thud in its opening weekend, taking in a ghastly $19 million. But don’t be fooled, that disappointment won’t stop Sam, Matt, and Joyce from happily sweep kicking its shaky feet out from under it on this latest episode of The Watch-men Podcast.
Things get deep, man, on this episode of The Watch-men Podcast, as Matt, Sam and Joyce unpack the hidden meanings of life. Wait, I mean, Life. Like, the trashy Alien/Gravity knockoff featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds fighting a space squid… Things get deep, man, on this episode of The Watch-men Podcast, as Matt, Sam and Joyce unpack the hidden meanings of life. Wait, I mean, Life. Like, the trashy Alien/Gravity knockoff featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds fighting a space squid… So, ya, no one unpacked anything from that movie, Sam just talked about how it was mostly bad (except for one part) and then moved the conversation on to an actually good movie, Jordan Peele’s surprise hit thriller, Get Out.
With Sam off fighting giant monsters on a far off island, Matt and Joyce take the podcast reins. This week, we take a look at a movie with dangerous dinosaurs, diving damsels, and dour Damon. It’s The Great Wall! Listen as Joyce and Matt dissect a film so incomprehensible that most of the time is spent trying to figure out the plot. It’s a trip back to ancient China where movies like this, thankfully, didn’t exist, on this week’s The Watch-men Podcast!
Sam watched Kong Skull Island in Edmonton, Alberta. Matt watched Kong Skull Island somewhere in Russia. And Joyce asks questions about the “goodness” of a giant CGI ape. Tune in for movie monsters, Monster Energy drink product placement, and much more!
After 17 years in the role, Hugh Jackman pops his Adamantium claws for the last time as Wolverine in the R-rated superhero western, Logan. On this episode, Matt and Sam question whether the film deserves all the hype it’s been receiving, Reg (you remember Old Man Reg don’t you? It’s been awhile since he’s popped his comic book claws on our show) stops by to tell us why he’s grateful Logan doesn’t replicated its comic book source material Old Man Logan, Joyce goes on a rant about conspiracy theories, and Oumar attempts to have all of us captured and put into the Weapon X Program. It’s a busy show, but you should listen through so you know just how good Patrick Stewart is in this movie.
Keanu Reeves is BACK as un-retired assassin John Wick, to do the exact same thing he did a couple years ago when some thugs stole his car and killed his dog the first time. Luckily, The Watch-men are ALSO BACK to do the same thing they do every week, lining up John Wick: Chapter 2 in our reviewing sights. But can Matt and Sam match Wick’s 80% headshot rate with their fact and hot take accuracy? Find out on this episode! Also, at the end of the show Ashton returns to recap the Oscars and our picks. Surely nothing of note happened worth discussing there…
Once again everyone’s favourite star-studded night of Hollywood self-love is upon us. The Oscars are here, and the Watch-men have come ready with their bold predictions! Join us as Matt, Sam, Joyce, and returning Oscars guest Ashton (who was the only one to watch almost all the major nominated films) make their picks in all the major categories. The stakes are high for the nominated filmmakers, actors, actresses, sound editors, and millions of underpaid VFX workers, but they’re even higher for us as we wait and see who’s picks reign supreme at this year’s Academy Awards.
A new Batman film, but it’s full of jokes? It may seem like something that could only happen in the Phantom Zone, but it’s true! The caped crusader is back, but this time he’s traded in his Snyderous, murderous ways for a utility belt packed with laughs and a fridge full of Lego® lobster thermidor. On this episode, The Watch-men assemble a review for Lego Batman, the sort-of sequel to 2014’s hilarious The Lego Movie. Sam reunites with Matt and Joyce to decide whether this kids movie was too much of a kids movie, if it should even count as a Batman movie, and whether or not the Lego® film universe has already lost its charm. When it comes to enjoying The Watch-men Podcast, all pieces are included and no instructions are required. SMOKE BOMB
The day has come for The Watch-men to say a sorrowful goodbye to the most successful video game franchise of all time: Resident Evil. Sam and Vincent return to the franchise, which they started watching 15 years ago, with their review of The Final Chapter. Does the series go out on a zombie-killing high? Does Milla Jovovich finally defeat the insidious Umbrella Corporation? Does Paul W.S. Anderson continue to say “f**k it” to all logic and continuity? We discuss this, plus give our thoughts on the Resident Evil series as a whole and rank the six films from worst to — I don’t want to say best — so, least worst!
On this episode the Watch-men take a look at two sequel/reboots that the world never asked for but got anyway. First, guest Amie previews the CW’s Riverdale, a new gritty/murdery/sexy revival of Archie (yes from the comics). Then, Sam and Matt pound a Mountain Dew before skydiving, kickflipping, and boat-biking into a review of Vin Diesel’s xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. You know, based on 2002’s oh-so-popular X-TREME action flick. Take a listen as 45 minutes of praise for Donnie Yen ensues on the Watch-men podcast.
It’s the 20th anniversary of Starship Troopers, and upstanding Citizens of the Watch-men Federation, Matt and Sam, want YOU to know why Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi satire is a misunderstood classic. Would you like to know more? We have the hot-takes. We have the bad impressions. And Joyce has the facts. But we need listeners. Listeners like Johnny, who can appreciate bad acting, brain-sucking, and nuke blasting. We need you all. Service guarantees citizenship. Do you have what it takes to be a Citizen of the Watch-men Federation? Simply click play below to start your application. C’mon you apes, you wanna live forever?
What do you get when you combine some of today’s finest actors, a promising director, and one of the most popular video game franchises of all time? The Watch-men are here to tell you, in their review of Assassin’s Creed. Sam, Matt, and Joyce grab their hidden knife blades, throw on their cloaks, and take a leap of faith, hoping this is the video game movie that finally breaks the genre’s long losing streak. We are assassins. Just kidding, we review movies.
From a galaxy far far away, the Watch-men bring you their thoughts on the first stand-alone Star Wars film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Will Matt and Sam go rogue and dislike the Skywalker-less prequel? Listen below to find out!
At this point, we can all agree it hasn’t been the best year for, well, a lot of things. But what about movies and TV, could they escape the Roland Emmerich-scale disaster of 2016? While the Watch-men already determined summer’s big screen blockbusters were mostly a bust, Sam and Matt now turn their attention to all the new shows and films they reviewed in 2016. Along with guest Vincent, the fellas will hand out best and worst prizes in a variety of categories, including: Biggest surprise, Best Soundtrack, Best/Worst Performance, Favourite Director, Favourite Show, and Favourite/Worst Movie. Who will take home the prized “Watchie Awards” this year? Listen in to find out!
We have finally reached the centre of the maze — and it’s bittersweet. HBO’s Westworld wrapped this past Sunday with it’s 90-minute grand finale. As one of The Watch-men Podcast’s most talked about shows ever, we will no doubt miss our weekly dose of all the things we love most: surprise, violence, and Sir Anthony Hopkins monologuing endlessly. But did this epic tale conclude how we predicted? Was the final chapter a fitting close to an otherwise excellent narrative? Hosts (not that kind… we think?) Sam and Matt, along with guest (maybe that kind…) Joyce were in studio to discuss. It had violent ends, but did it delight? Listen in to find out!
With no major releases or season finales to dive into this week, The Watch-men Podcast resorts to a classic filler-episode: the director spotlight! And who more deserving of a spot in said light than one of our favourites, Quentin Tarantino. With a visual style unlike any other, a penchant for profanity, and a glutinous approach to good dialogue, Sam and Matt take a look back at past favs and potential future endeavors for QT. If that wasn’t enough, Joyce came by the studio to offer up some excellent predictions on what to expect during this coming Sunday’s Westworld season finale.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has hit theatres, so now it’s up to The Watch-men to cast their votes on whether or not it is truly fantastic or a No-Mag effort. Harry Potter enthusiast Joyce joins Sam and Matt to see if the film, which is set in New York and features an all new cast, can stand on it’s own — without the help of a certain boy wizard. Sam explores some theories, Joyce squeals repeatedly in delight, and Matt plays catch up after missing every Harry Potter movie but the first one. All this, plus Neale is tasked with uncovering a dark conspiracy in one of his greatest fact-finding missions yet. You won’t want to miss it on this episode of The Watch-men Podcast.
There are days that define your story beyond your life, like the day they reviewed Arrival. The Watch-men take to their posts as Denis Villeneuve’s (Prisoners, Sicario) cerebral sci-fi film, Arrival, touches down in theatres. On this episode, Matt and Sam, along with first-time guest Mitch, explore the wonders and potential shortcomings after their first contact with the flick. For fans of Interstellar and Amy Adams this movie just might be for you, but unless you can see the future, you’d best listen in to find out.
Finally, a Marvel movie that features a boastful braggart of a protagonist who loses everything because of his excessive pride, only to learn the true meaning of power in a moment of humility. Of course we’re talking about the new movie, Iron Man...err I mean... Doctor Strange! Reg joins the show to fill us in on all of Doctor Strange’s comic background and we try to decide whether or not this new hero is a good fit in the MCU!
Welcome to a special re-broadcast of The Watch-men Podcast’s first-ever live episode! In support of CJSR’s Fundrive, your favourite nerd culture connoseuirs sat down last week to raise some $$$ and bring our brand of film facts and analysis to the radio masses. On the episode, Matt and Sam visit the theme-park where everything went wrong — two decades before the same thing happened in Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton’s 1973 film Westworld not only inspired HBO to create their current (and excellent) reinterpretation, but had us laughing, applauding, and saying “was that a real rattlesnake?” as well. For a movie made on little more than pennies, can Yul Brynner, some archaic CGI, and stunt men falling out of windows ensure this movie stands the test of time? The Watch-men are here to tell you.
Ah the Walking Dead. One of the first shows the Watch-men Podcast covered. Now it starts its seventh season after a controversial season six finale. Does this season premiere knock it out of the park? Or does it just beat you over the head with senseless violence and overt gore-porn? Our Walking Dead friend and resident goat / zombie impersonator Mifi returns to the show as we chat about all that happened in the Walking Dead season seven premiere!
Alright you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! You see this? This… is our Army of Darkness episode! It’s a 39-minute pop culture shotgun blast. The Gateway’s top of the line. You can find this in the multimedia department. That’s right, this sweet baby was made at the University of Alberta. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It’s got Sam’s bad jokes, Matt’s bad quotes, and Oumar. That’s right. Listen Watch-men. Listen Watch-men Podcast. You got that? After the Deadite discussion is done, it’s all zombie talk with guest Mifi (who apparently speaks their language). We take a look at the upcoming Walking Dead Season 7 premiere, and offer some bold predictions.
Out of Hell’s Kitchen and into the fire of Harlem… Luke Cage is out now on Netflix! With a new New York locale, and a new perspective, does Netflix have another “Marvel” on it’s hands? The Watch-men are here to tell you. On this episode, Sam, Matt, and guest Reg press play on the pilot, taking a look at the MCU’s first black superhero series. With Daredevil and Jessica Jones as Watch-men favourites, all things point to another win for the streaming service. But will the hip-hop tunes, Biggie Small’s portraits, and barbershop banter enough to merit a binge-watching? Check out our review to find out.
Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? After going through an episode of HBO’s new sci-fi western, Westworld, you just might! Our resident HBO correspondent Joyce returns to the show as we talk about robots, people and a bit of Shakespeare. Is Westworld the new Game of Thrones, or is it merely a simulation of something great and not the real deal? Tune in to find out!
For 50 episodes and 50 weeks, the Watch-men have loyally guided you through the good, the bad, and the ugly of film, TV, and Netflix. This week is no exception. The Hollywood remake monster has reared its head once again, in the form of a film so rebooted it would make Xzibit blush — “I hear you like reboots, so here’s a reboot of a reboot of a reboot” — it’s 2016’s The Magnificent Seven. Based on the 1960 film (which was based on the Japanese masterpiece, Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai), the western starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt will have to answer to the cold, hard, frontier-style review justice of The Watch-men. Can the multicultural rehash match the staying power of the original or should it’s tombstone read “D.O.A.”? Saddle up and find out.
On this episode, The Watch-men have left the warmth of summer behind as they enter the dark depths of the Black Hills Forest in search of something thought only to exist in myth and legend — a good movie. Horror ensues as Sam and guest Vincent find themselves neck deep in a review of Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch — the nearly two-decades-too-late “sequel” to the 1999 found footage classic The Blair Witch Project. Through endless jump scares, shaky cameras, and blaring bass the Watch-men persist, but will they make it out of the woods?
As a summer of crippling cinematic disappointment fades further into well-deserved obscurity, the Watch-men finally turn their attention, hopes, and dreams to a new season — that’s right, fall is here! Bringing with it everything from seasonal genre fare, to Oscar-bait, to 99% of the year’s top dramas, fall audiences will be spoiled for choice over the coming months. To help you decide what should be on your must-see-movies list, Sam highlights a handful of anticipated features, including Watch-men regulars (Rogue One, Doctor Strange), Oscar contenders (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Silence), and possible sleeper hits (Arrival, Blair Witch, La La Land). Meanwhile, Matt helps plan your PVR schedules and perfect your Netflix lists, by recommending some top picks for fall TV — bring on the robot cowboys, CW supers, and British royals! Plus, Neale answers yet another question for the ages: where is that Sliders reboot we’ve all be waiting for?
Summer has come to a close and a new school year is upon us — thankfully putting to rest one of the most tumultuous and downright terrible summer movie seasons in recent memory. But was it all bad? Was there any salvation to be had?The Watch-men do their best Judge Dredd impersonation on this week’s episode, playing Judge, Jury, and Executioner as they recap the best and seek revenge on the worst movies they saw over the last 4 months.
They listened while the Watch-men laid it all down: Skynet, Judgment Day, the history of things to come…
25 years ago, James Cameron brought the Terminator BACK in what would go on to become as one of the greatest movie sequels of all time, Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Today, the Watch-men take on the task of mechanically dissecting the quarter-century-old classic: Do the effects hold up? Is John Connor really just Bart Simpson? Do we know now why we cry?Will our hot-as-molten-metal takes convince you to re-watch T2, or have you saying “hasta la vista, baby” to it? Listen and find out!
Today, The Watch-men tackle a topic more convoluted than a David Goyer script, more scientifically un-sound than a Marvel hero’s origin story and more wildly unpredictable than an episode of “The Walking Dead” — movie box office numbers. It’s Wall Street meets Watch-men as Matt and Sam team up with first-time guest Vincent to try and explain what really goes into those numbers we hear about so frequently. We also take time to look at this summer’s box office wins and event bigger bombs, as well as recap some of the biggest box office hauls and falls of all time. Does the box office rely on fact or fiction? The Watch-men are here to find out!
Nothing cleanses the palate like a good old fashioned Sci-Fi adventure. On this week’s episode of the Watch-men podcast, Sam makes his triumphant return from the upside-down and our guest Paul joins us to discuss the Netflix original series, “Stranger Things”. A clear love letter to the 1980s, “Stranger Things” revolves around a group of kids searching for their lost friend and the appearance of a strange little girl. Does this show’s nostalgia hit all the right notes, or is it just another gimmicky reboot? We’ll tell you what worked and what didn’t on this week’s episode of The Watch-men!
You know, normally we just title our episode the same name as the show or movie we review, but we’re just so tired, you guys. So very, very tired. Don’t watch Suicide Squad. Don’t give them your money. Live blissfully unaware that for seven painful minutes, Jared Leto’s Joker destroys all you love about that character. Also, Reg joins Matt on this week’s episode to thoroughly trash a terrible movie that makes little sense and wastes a pretty good cast. Enjoy!
With Justin Lin now at the helm of the Star Trek franchise, will this new instalment be faster and… uh… furiouser? Star Trek experts Neale and Reg return to the show to chat Star Trek Beyond. Is it really the best of the reboots? Did Simon Pegg’s script hold true to the old Star Trek style? Does Idris Elba’s new villain hold up? We answer these questions and more on this week’s Watch-men podcast!
With the new Ghostbusters reboot out in theatres, Matt and Sam welcome back previous Ghostbusters reviewers Amie and Mifi to talk ghosts and busting in 2016. Did the all-female remake live up to the original? Was it a disaster that ruined childhoods? Or was it just a regular old summer comedy? We sort through all the ectoplasm to give you our ghosty-est takes! Plus, with another San Diego Comic Con in the books, we go through a handful of the new trailers and talk about why we’re finally excited for the upcoming DCU movies. It’s a classic double episode on this week’s The Watch-men podcast!
Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark celebrates its 35th anniversary. Is it still a rocking good time? Or will a re-watch leave you feeling crushed? The Watch-men podcast reviews the Spielberg-Lucas classic and answers this question, plus Sam and Matt break down a few of their favourite scenes and ponder over just how handsome Harrison Ford was back in 1981 (the answer is very). It’s a face-melting, Nazi-hating, snake-tastic episode on this week’s The Watch-men podcast!
It’s been 20 years since Will Smith welcomed “E.T.” to Earth in Roland Emmerich’s White House-exploding alien invasion classic, Independence Day. But, seeing as it’s 2016, the franchise has refused to go quietly into the night. Consequently, the Watch-men are stuck reviewing its decades-too-late sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence. On this episode, the Watch-men lament over a lack of Goldblum, say the phrase “Earth’s molten core” for the first (and probably last) time on the program, and try to answer a number of head-scratching questions – honestly, why couldn’t Liam Hemsworth use his Australian accent? Plus Joyce returns to claim the iron-throne of fact checking while Oumar is off again, possibly recruiting the women of Dorne and Olenna Tyrell to join House Watch-men.
Winter has come! And with it so ends another great season of Game of Thrones. Joyce, our favourite Game of Thrones fan, re-joins the show to discuss all the season 6 happenings. We pick up where we left off at mid-season, talk about our season MVPs, our favourite moments and make some predictions for season 7. Joyce explains the Tower of Joy theory come true, Sam gives major props Lady Mormont and Matt details Arya Stark’s Shakespearean connection. It’s an episode so jam-packed with content you’ll think you were fighting in the battle of the bastards on this week’s The Watch-Men Podcast!
When Sam’s out of town and you need to do a review of the 1984 Ghostbusters, who you gonna call? Amie and Mifi join Matt to discuss the original (or was it?!) Ghostbusters. They discuss the film’s presence in the 80s, what made it such a memorable classic, and how it has endured over the decades. They then turn their attention to the scorching hot controversy surrounding the forthcoming remake and try to figure out why people are so angry about an all-female Ghostbusters. All this plus Neale reading a touching passage from the official Ghostbusters novelization on this week’s The Watch-men Podcast!
The horde has invaded Azeroth! Orcs are pouring through the portal, humans are hopping on their gryphons, and everyone is honing their craft… for war! Duncan Jones’ CGI epic Warcraft is in theatres now. Boasting the strength of perhaps the most successful video game franchise in history, the movie has already made waves in China. Did it live up to the Watch-men standard? Or is it just another casualty of war… craft… ? We break down the plot, look closely at the characters, and try to figure out if Sam has been possessed by a demon the whole time on this week’s The Watch-men podcast!
Louis CK, the biggest name in standup comedy and champion for direct-to-consumer distribution, is the focus of this episode of the Watch-men Podcast. Stephanie returns to the show as we go over some of Louis’ standup success as well as his transition to writer and director of more serious works. All that, plus Matt and Steph take a shot at the popular “what’s this new show about?” game.
X-Men: Apocalypse hit theatres to mediocre reviews and underwhelming box office numbers, but does that mean it’s an apocalypse for the X-men franchise? Neale (who, like Apocalypse, is known by many names) guests as he and Matt give their full “this is a pretty mediocre” movie review. We shed light on the films flaws, its strengths, and Neale even does an acapella version of the 90s X-men cartoon theme. Really!
Has it been five weeks already? Game of Thrones, the without-a-doubt most popular show on television, is at its halfway point, and has not disappointed. Joyce returns to the studio to chat with Matt and Sam about all things direwolf, dragon and door-holding. We go over our pre-season predictions, recap this season’s biggest shockers and speculate about what’s to come. All this, plus a Joyce original show theory, on this week’s The Watch-men Podcast!
Summer is fast approaching, and nothing says good summer times like staying indoors to watch a TV show or a movie. On this week’s show Matt and Sam have your rainy-day viewing covered, as they pitch a few of their favourite movies and shows.
Marvel strikes early in the battle of the summer blockbusters with the release of Captain America: Civil War. Earth’s greatest heroes find themselves pitted against one another in an awe-inspiring, action-packed and emotionally-charged thriller, while the Watch-men all agree that this movie was good and do not punch each other at all. In their super-sized review, the fellas praise new characters Black Panther and Spider-Man, discuss the film’s surprisingly compelling villain and wipe up our drool after Captain America bicep curls a helicopter. Plus, Matt and Sam debate the merits of the inevitable BvS comparisons, Certificate of Random Comic Book Knowledge holder Reg talks about someone with demons for hands — don’t worry, we don’t know WTF he’s talking about either — and Neale pretends to not be sitting RIGHT THERE in the room with us. We loved Civil War, but whose side are you on?
The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling’s tale about a boy growing up amongst animals, is in theatres now. This live-action, CGI-to-the-max movie is getting rave reviews by critics, but what does The Watch-men podcast think? We bring on special guest Amie to chat with us about Kipling’s colonial past, how this movie was made, and give our overall impressions.
The Alien franchise, a film series long known for its stance on the dangers of corporate greed, now has an official day thanks to corporate greed. 20th Century Fox has decided that April 26th is officially Alien day, based on the fact that the alien creature is discovered on a moon named LV-426. The day features some exclusive merch, including a Reebok re-release of the stompers Ripley wore in Alien, the proceeds from which no doubt go to their weapons division. It also gives The Watch-men podcast a reason to dive back into a franchise with some serious peaks and valleys. Our guest Theo joins the show as we discuss what makes the Alien movies so memorable.
Game of Thrones returns this Sunday for its sixth season. Foggy about last season’s details? Fear not! Joyce joins the show as we recap all the season five details: who lost power, who gained power, who was burned at the stake by their father, and who is slowly turning into a stone-person. Then we answer some of our Lord-of-Light-approved burning questions about season six. It’s a long episode, but we promise it won’t drag on, on this week’s The Watch-men podcast.
Another week, another critically panned piece of media to review. Critics piled on the hate for The Walking Dead’s season 6 finale, but does The Watch-men podcast agree? Our zombie-loving friend Mifi comes back on the show to break down the second half of season 6. Should this corpse shamble on, or is it time to put down The Walking Dead for good? Tune in to find out!
Critics have savaged BvS in reviews, but do the Watch-men agree? Reg is back on the show help Matt and Sam break down the strengths and weaknesses of this DC punch-fest. We look closely at Snyder and Goyer’s sometimes confusing plot decisions and often confusing characterizations. We also look forwards, confusingly, to consider what could be coming next in the Justice League movie. All this plus a shout-out to the real best Batman movie in theatres right now, the ‘66 Batman: The Movie, on this week’s The Watch-men Podcast.
All hell has broken loose on this episode of the Watch-men podcast! With Matt out of town, Sam attempts to derail the program with a series of bizarre sound bites and shocking Japanese soda flavour predictions. Fortunately for everyone, long-time friend of the show, Neale, stepped in to tame Sam and bring some order back to the Watch-men studio. Once the dust settles, the boys give all their hot takes on 10 Cloverfield Lane in both spoiler-free and spoiler-y form! All this plus an exploration of the “Clover-verse” and a pitch from Neale on a cinematic universe cross-over that you will have never expected (or wanted so badly)!
Practice your gritty voice and start building that robot-suit because Batman v Superman hits theatres later this month. Our regular comic expert Reg joins the show to answer all the BvS burning questions: What role will Wonder Woman play? Is Lex Luthor really the big baddy in the movie? Did Batman and Superman really meet on a cruise? Why can’t billionaires and aliens just get along? And since we have him in the studio, we break down the latest Captain America 3 trailer too. It’s #TeamCap forever on this week’s The Watch-men Podcast!
Something evil lurks in The Watch-men studio this week and no, it’s not just Oumar. On this, our most educational episode yet, Sam, Matt and guest Stephanie kick it old school (real old school) and discuss historical horror flick, The Witch (a.k.a The VVitch). We play a Witch-themed guessing game, take jabs at director Robert Egger’s commitment to “historical accuracy” and once again praise the acting ability of a goat. Plus, in a special educational segment, we sent our trusted field reporter, Past Matt, to interview expert Amie on Puritan history and family dynamics!
A mashup of the best of 2015 with what might be the worst of 2016, the Watch-men are joined by special guest Dana to recap the good and bad of the Oscars plus the ugly that is Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. First we give you our Oscar surprises, our joy at seeing an old Italian man win best score and our thoughts on Chris Rock. Then we tell you why P&P&Z is an insult to Austen and let you know what to check out instead. Some things should just stay dead this week on the Watch-men podcast!
Roll out the red carpet, it’s The Watch-men’s Guide to the Oscars! On this episode, guest Ashton makes her bid for Best Supporting Watch-men, Sam vies for the coveted Best Adapted Voice award and Matt is honoured with a Lifetime Achievement for his least-butchered pronunciation of Iñárritu. All this and our picks for who will take home the hardware. We have all the answers you’ll need to finally embarrass that token film studies friend who always wins your yearly Oscars pool.
The Merc with a Mouth is in theatres now, smashing box office records as an R-rated (only 14A here in sex and violence loving Alberta!) superhero movie. Why does the movie work? What are its flaws? Is it Ryan Reynolds’ best role ever? The Watch-men put the fourth wall back together again to answer all the burning questions about this irreverent, meta-fictive stab-fest.
With the second half of The Walking Dead’s season six lumbering back to our screens, The Watch-men invite guest Mifi to tear apart the worst and chow down on the best this season has offered so far. Did Glenn’s “death” shock us? Do Morgan’s Aikido ways make sense? Did Enid use a turtle shell opener to eat that turtle? All this and a touching tribute to a beloved character lost – the show’s true G.O.A.T.
Wubalubadubdub! Matt and Sam are joined by resident expert Jon to break down Adult Swim’s flagship show: Rick and Morty. Fully endorsed by Ants in My Eyes Johnson, this show has a looser feel to it, a real improvisational tone. Don’t worry though, things still get knocked into 12th gear! We’ll let you know why the show works so well, no matter what dimension you’re watching from.
The Gateway is bringing Christopher Nolan’s narrative bending noire, Memento back to the big screen for one night only and it’s up to the Watch-men to decide whether it’s just plain confusing or so much more.
From invading dreams with Leo, to exploring wormholes with Matthew, to punching Jokers with Christian, Christopher Nolan has seemingly done it all. The boys take a look back at films worth remembering in a profile of Christopher Nolan.
On this week’s The Watch-men podcast: Suicide Squad has a new poster and a trailer drops right after we finish recording. Comics expert Reg joins the show to give you the details on all the Suicide Squad baddies not named “The Joker.” He hangs around after to join us in a quick review of Netflix’s Jessica Jones. All this, plus a segment where Sam and Reg disappoint Matt through their attempts to guess the synopsis of a few new Netflix shows, none of which star Tom Arnold.
Revenant (N. One who has returned, as if from the dead), Watch-men (N. One who watches movies and does bad impressions). With Matt out of the studio, presumably due to bear attack, Neale stops by to help Sam review Golden Globe winning survival/ revenge drama, The Revenant. They also give their hottest, takiest, takes on a new Batman v Superman TV spot, Marvel’s Infinity Wars and whether or not DiCaprio will finally get his Oscar. No bears or Watch-men were harmed during the making of this episode.
Music via Broke for Free.
On this episode, Matt and Sam make room for one mo’ as comic book expert Reg makes his first visit to the Watch-men haberdashery for a quick lesson on Marvel’s magical hero, Doctor Strange. Later, the boys decide whether Quentin Tarantino’s latest joint, The Hateful Eight, escapes the noose or should be sent to the hangman… to hang! Nothing quite says happy new year like old-timey moustaches, Samuel L. Jackson shouting explicit profanity and, of course, copious brain splatter.
There’s been an awakening. Have we felt it? Han’s is back. Chewie’s back. And more importantly, Sam’s back! The “fully operational” Watch-men podcast gives you the goods on the brand new Star Wars episode VII. It’s a two part episode and the first part is spoiler free! What did we like? What didn’t we like? Should you see it? Listen to find out!
The Force Awakens is mere hours away from hitting theatres. With Sam busy in a galaxy far far away, Neale and Theo join Matt to talk about all the things you should know as your prepare for episode VII. What can we expect from JJ Abrams? How would the movie be different if directed by M. Night Shyamalan? And what’s the deal with that rolling droid thingy? All this plus a startling truth about a movie that Oumar actually watched on this week’s The Watch-men.
IT’S A TRAP! Just kidding, it’s not a trap… and stay out of our synopsis Ackbar! Star Wars celebration month continues on the Watch-men podcast but this time around we’re looking back on episodes IV, V and VI… that’s right, the good ones!
Sam and Matt cleanse their spoiled pallets of any and all things prequel and get back to remembering what made Star Wars great – you know, the story, characters, tone and pretty much everything else that makes a movie good. You want to listen to this podcast… search your feelings, you know it to be true.
It’s Star Wars month! With The Force Awakens only a few weeks away, Sam and Matt discuss the Star Wars prequels. Where did they go wrong? Were there even any good parts? Under what conditions should you watch them? All that plus, for real this time, several Darth Sidious impressions! The only spoiler here is that the prequels are rotten. Get it?
Spectre is in theatres, but did it leave us shaken or stirred? Sam and Matt rap about the latest Bond movie, consider the legacy of the Daniel Craig bond and ponder where the franchise goes from here. All that, plus a forced and terrible Sean Connery impression! Remember, you can listen to the Watch-Men Podcast on iTunes or right here.
Reading week is half over but its not too late to dive into, catch up on or shamelessly binge those pesky shows you just haven’t had the time to watch. Matt and Sam spend this episode pitching some can’t miss shows/flicks to one another. Forget reading, listen to us tell you what to watch this reading week!
Just in time for Guy Fawkes Day. It’s been 410 years since Guy Fawkes tried to blow up parliament and 10 years since the Wachowski siblings tried to blow our minds with their adaptation of the Alan Moore comic V for Vendetta. We talk about how Fawkes went from Catholic conspirator to Anonymous avatar, and share our thoughts on the film V for Vendetta (available on Netflix).
On this episode of the Watch-Men Podcast, Sam and Matt celebrate every horror fan’s most anticipated holiday of the year by cutting into John Carpenter’s seminal, 1978 horror flick of the same namesake, Boxing Day! … just kidding… it’s Halloween! cues spooky synth theme
It’s fall movie hype season. Which movies are on the top of our hype list? We break down our favourites, talk about some of the obvious Oscar bait and discuss the new Star Wars VII trailer that dropped Monday
FEAR the Walking Dead has ended but has it left a bad taste in our mouths? Was the first bite from the newest season of AMC’s original foray into the zombie wasteland, The Walking Dead, worth the wait? Why do people find Zombie-filled texts so easy to digest? We dig into all these delicious topics and more on this, our premiere episode!