After The Hype

We continue our trek upward in our month of ScarJo and reach the Luc Besson oddity Lucy, which we didn't mind as much this time around. Sure, there are a lot of flaws in this film and as soon as we start tugging at those loose threads the whole thing falls apart, but ScarJo is good in this, Morgan Freeman is entertaining, and the car chase sequence is rather exciting (even if she could have just flown over all the cars).We also discuss The Avengers briefly, and ScarJo's run as Black Widow. She has fun in the role, but there's a particular scene that's a bit of a sticking point for our hosts. Anyway, there's a lot here so come join us, won't you?

First Rough Night and then Girl With A Pearl Earring. We swear we didn't intend to review two clunkers back to back in our month of ScarJo, but here we are. Truth be told, Girl With A Pearl Earring isn't a bad film and in fact has some really good moments in it. The problem is that everything surrounding those good moments is just...boring. You'll be happy to know, however, that the painting remains a masterpiece.We also briefly discuss The Island, from director Michael Bay, and Sing, from Illumination. There's a lot here, so don't waste another minute and hit play on this bad boy.

A new month means a new subject for our retrospective series, and this month we've chosen ScarJo. That's right. We're following the varied career of Scarlett Johansson. First film on the docket: Rough Night, a movie that tests her comedic acumen and finds her wanting. It's not like her performance is bad, it's just that she has nothing to do and doesn't have any moments that really push her to do anything anyone in the world would consider funny. We had a rough time with Rough Night, folks.

We wrap up our month of Dede Allen with a bit of a flop, and for that Jon apologizes. We're talking The Final Cut, starring Robin Williams, Jim Caviezel, and Mira Sorvino. You would think based off the talent alone that we were in for a treat, but you would be mistaken. The movie is more interested in raising questions than answering them, and after awhile it becomes painfully tedious. Production design is sound, and of course Dede Allen edits the hell out of it.Bryan and Chewie also discuss 1991's The Adams Family, which ended up being way more entertaining and featured some really fun editing.

This week in our Dede Allen retrospective we take a sharp left turn from the tense crime dramas of Bonnie and Clyde and Dog Day Afternoon to the leisurely paced stage musical adaptation of The Wiz. It's quite the shift and the results are...mixed. There's a lot to like here, from the imaginative sets, to the strong choreography and impressive musical numbers. There's also a lot that has us scratching our heads like the rough lighting and that unbearably slow dance number in the middle just before meeting the Wiz. Join us as we attempt to unpack what worked and what didn't for us and enjoy a wholly unique and compelling take on The Wizard of Oz.

Our month of Dede Allen continues as we dive into the film that earned her an Oscar nomination for her powerful editing - Dog Day Afternoon. There are so many amazing things about this film, from Sidney Lumet's masterful direction to Al Pacino's intense performance, but it's Allen's pacing that really shines here for us. She takes a movie with relatively low action and raises the stakes by cutting at just the right time, or in some cases not cutting at all. With so many stand out moments, it was tough to pick a favorite.Jon also had the chance to check out The Missouri Breaks, which caps off this series of movies about criminals nicely, although when the film came out no one was having it. But check it, the film stars Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando (rocking an Irish accent like whoa), Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, and features music by John Williams.Finally, we discuss some fun movies to pair this with and Chewie blows our minds with a startling revelation.

This month we shift gears from the wacky antics of Joe Dante to the potent editing prowess of Dede Allen, and what better way to do this than with the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde, a masterpiece of editing and style that takes its cues from the French New Wave and gives us a sharp and energetic look at the famous duo. Beatty and Dunaway are absolutely iconic and are joined by a fun ensemble including a young Gene Hackman and a young Gene Wilder.Friends, we're in for a treat this coming month!

We bring our month of Joe Dante films to a close with probably one of the weaker films in his arsenal: Burying the Ex. Despite the letdown, there's still a lot to like here. Anton Yelchin, may he rest in peace, brings energy and nuance to a character that's difficult to love, and Alexandra Daddario and Ashley Greene steal the show with characters that are awesome, three-dimensional, and written well. It's the little things that bring the movie down like the brother and some awkward plotting and logic. Is it worth the watch? We give you the scoop.We also discuss Looney Tunes: Back in Action, as well as the "It's A Good Life" segment out of The Twilight Zone movie, both of which are quite fun and really showcase that Dante chaos we've come to enjoy through our month of Dante.What an absolute treat this month has been.

This week we talk about a film that no one really saw: Matinee, starring John Goodman as a William Castle / Alfred Hitchcock hybrid who brings his B-movie "Mant!" to a small theater in Key West, Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. What ensues is a fun, if a bit subdued, romp through B-movie nostalgia featuring the usual Dante players as well as a fun performance from Cathy Moriarty - who you may or may not know as the villain from Casper (1995). There's also a greaser who writes poetry who terrorizes the protagonists dressed up as an ant, and Goodman's monologue about the "first monster movie" provides a wonderful thesis for the film. Are you ready to Dante?

We continue our month of Joe Dante with a look at perhaps one of the zanier films in his filmography - Gremlins 2: The New Batch. There's so much to love here, from the wonderful puppet design to the brilliant and comedic turn from Christopher Lee. Dante even got Chuck Jones to do the intro to the film, which should tell you everything else you need to know.We also briefly discuss his film Small Soldiers and get into some of the hype surrounding that film. There's a lot of discussion packed into this episode so be sure to keep your Mogwai hidden away in a cool, dry place (preferably with Rambo playing on a nearby TV) before settling down to listen to this week's episode.

We've tweaked our podcast formula a bit and are proud to present to you the first episode of "Behind the Hype," which looks back through a filmmaker's career to examine their early or more obscure works. Every month we'll tackle a different filmmaker, covering at least four of their movies. This month we're delving into the career of Joe Dante with his first film Hollywood Boulevard, from 1976. We also briefly discuss the short "French Ventriloquist's Dummy" from the 1987 film Amazon Women on the Moon.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE IIIREVENGE OF THE SITHIt is a time of great rejoicing as we've made it to the last and best episode of the prequel trilogy, and as such have ended our journey through all the Star Wars films. How does this one hold up compared to the others? Well, it looks great, and has one of the best lightsaber fights of the saga. Does it break our heart in other areas? Absolutely.THEME MUSIC COURTESYBRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE IIATTACK OF THE CONESIt's a very confusing time for Padme, coming into her own and embracing the Autassassinophiliac within her. And Anakin is dealing with...stuff. But hey, Kamino is pretty cool, and that third act is quite riveting, and we get to see Yoda do lightsaber fighting. I mean, at the end of the day it's not a TOTAL loss, right? Right?Right?THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE ITHE PHANTOM MENACEIt's a time of great hope, for a new Star Wars approaches after years of nothing but the original trilogy. Fans flock to the theaters in droves to see the origins of Darth Vader...and they get a Trade Federation? Gungans? Committees? Senators? Chancellors? Cool pod race, though. And Ewan Mcgregor really knocks it out of the park as Obi-Wan Kenobi. THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

WE DID IT! We reached our 300th episode! To celebrate this momentous occasion we decided to something completely on-the-nose and unsubtle and review Zack Snyder's 300...which is also on-the-nose and unsubtle! And fun was had by all. Oh, and also Happy Thanksgiving!

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE VIRETURN OF THE JEDIIt's 1983, and fans eagerly line up to see the conclusion to the trilogy, with expectations soaring high. What they get causes some distress. Swashbuckling? Ewoks? Silly humor? Well, yeah. It's the perfect distillation of everything we liked from the first two movies, and quite possibly the best way to end the trilogy. Of course, some additions have been made over the years that have made this chapter difficult to enjoy. Join us as we discuss Return of the Jedi!THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE VTHE EMPIRE STRIKES BACKIt  is a dark time for the rebellion...but a pretty friggin' sweet time for us because we get to talk about The Empire Strikes Back, easily the best Star Wars film ever made. If the last movie captured our imaginations, this one captured our hearts. It cemented our fandom and gave us the best ship in the galaxy: Han and Leia. It also gave us Yoda, Lando Calrissian, Lobot, and perhaps the biggest surprise this side of the galaxy. There's a reason why this one sits at the top of many SW fan lists. So join us, won't you?THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE IVA NEW HOPEIt is a time of great nostalgia! Bryan, Chewie, Jon, and Emily come together to discuss the movie that changed history and made us the geeks we are today. We talk about our first introduction to the movie and what makes it so special to us. We also look ahead to the upcoming Rise of Skywalker in the hope that the final chapter will properly close the saga.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Current Arrow-verse seasonJON - Sleeping BeautiesCHEWIE - Annabelle Comes Home, Pet SemataryEMILY - Stephen UniverseTHEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

Happy Halloween from the good(?) folk over at Silver Shamrock. That's right! We're talking Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, the only entry in the Halloween franchise that doesn't feature the iconic antagonist Michael Myers. And what better time to talk about it than on Halloween itself. Special thanks to Brok from Damage Boost for joining us.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - JokerJON - The Tower of SwallowsCHEWIE - Blade Trinity, Dolemite is my NameBROK - Time Trap, We Were HereTHEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

This week on the podcast Bryan, Chewie, and Jon discuss the delightfully bonkers Japanese Horror Comedy film House, written and directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi with input by his daughter Chigumi. Truly, it's a movie that has to be seen to be believed and it's quite the treat. We recommend going in as blind as you can, and if you haven't seen it before our episode, do so and then resume. We're anxious to talk about it with you!WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Assassins Creed OdysseyJON - Fleabag S1&2CHEWIE - Blade Trinity, DolittleTHEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS