After The Hype

This week in our John Singleton retrospective we're discussing his sophomore film Poetic Justice, starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. There's a lot here to like. In fact, there's a lot here in general. The film doesn't feel nearly as focused as his previous but despite that feels very unique and very personal. The leads do marvelous work here, especially Tupac, and for those of us who are only familiar with him by name it's enough to make us want to look into the rest of his career.We also briefly discuss Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner. It's not good, but John Singleton does what he can and his direction makes you wish that he had been given a Bond or Bourne film instead of this well-directed clunker.

In light of the current political climate we decided it would be best to educate ourselves and expand our perspectives. To do this we chose director John Singleton as our filmmaker this month, who gave us the intense and illuminating Boyz n the Hood. Everything about the film was astounding and took us out of our comfort zone. It was wild seeing the talent at play in front of the camera and behind it. If you haven't seen this film yet, please do so before listening. Join us in widening our perspective.

We survived the month of May and now it's time to say goodbye to our man JT. Well, until we watch another one of his movies that is. Anyway, we decided the best way to end the month was by watching the romantic comedy Friends With Benefits. No...you're thinking of No Strings Attached. This is the other rom-com about two friends deciding to keep their sex casual while ultimately falling in love. It's actually kind of good, until you get to the third act. JT and costar Mila Kunis have chemistry all over the place and it's hard not being charmed by their relationship as it unfolds. A fun and worthwhile watch.We also discuss Trolls and Wonder Wheel, two JT films that couldn't be farther apart on the quality spectrum. Spoiler alert: the animated one is your best bet.

Our month of May takes a bit of a downturn with the film In Time, which just can't seem to make up its mind what movie it wants to be. There are a few solid hooks throughout, but they never really pan out and never get much deeper than surface level. It's quite the frustrating watch, but the cast is strong and our main man JT continues to impress with his charisma and utter watchability, even if he struggles a little as the leading man. Really, we just wished this movie could have picked a path and stuck to it.

Our month of May continues with another winner for good ol' Justin Timberlake: The Social Network, from writer Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher. There's so many things to love about this film, from the standout performances of everyone involved to the masterful score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Obviously, our focus is on JT and his scene-stealing portrayal of Sean Parker, but everything else is just so dang good that we struggle to find much fault in the film.We also talk about some of JT's older SNL sketches and performances for this week's "Where Have They Been Doing" segment.

IT'S GONNA BE MAAAAYYYY! That's right. We're talking about Justin Timberlake in the month of May because we couldn't help ourselves, and like...why not? To start off, we're going to talk about the huge bummer known as Alpha Dog. But don't worry, it's not a bummer because of quality; it's just going to completely and thoroughly bum you out. Justin proves in this film that he's got some serious acting chops and we can't gush about his performance enough.We also briefly discuss his voice work in the Trolls movie, which is pretty awesome and elevates a surprisingly not bad children's animated film. Let's get our May on!

To celebrate our last week of ScarJo month we're discussing perhaps one of the worst of the MCU fare, the film that put Scarlett on our radars and Black Widow in our hearts. That's right, we're talking about Iron Man 2. It...doesn't hold up, but not for lack of trying. You've got Robert Downey Jr. in top form, Sam Rockwell killing it as usual, and Scarlett Johansson kicking ass and taking names. You've even got Mickey Rourke in there hamming it up as the villain and despite having a bit of a mangled role, he manages to make an entrance.We also discuss Ghost World and Jo Jo Rabbit in brief, as well as try to figure out why this month's selections were all over the map quality-wise. It's a great episode that wraps up a really fun month.

Our strange ScarJo retrospective takes a turn for the better as we discuss the Jonathan Glazer film Under the Skin. It's quite a bit different from the other movies of hers we've seen this month and it's a far cry from her more action-heavy roles. The thing is, it works and her performance really makes this thing pop. If anything, the experiential nature of the film loses a bit in the watch from home. We get into that as well as discuss some of the themes that stood out in the movie, so you probably want to hit that play button ASAP.

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