Megan and Dave start the show this week by reviewing Jennifer Reeder’s stylized feminist horror film PERPETRATOR (2:50), which follows a teen (Kia McKirnan), with unusual powers pursuing a villain abducting girls at her school. Alicia Silverstone co-stars. Next, we all cover Ellie Foumbi’s thorny thriller OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL (21:18), where a Guinean refugee (Babetida Sadjo) in France has her life turned upside down by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest (Souleyman Sy Savane), whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family. And, in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the 1986 animated cult classic TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE!
LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND, SCRAPPER, and BLUE BEETLE on Episode #476
Megan starts this week’s show with a quick review of Angel Manuel Soto’s entertaining Latinx superhero film BLUE BEETLE (3:22). Next, she and Dave discuss Charlotte Regan’s well-acted drama SCRAPPER (14:47), which follows a 12-year-old girl who connects with her estranged father. Then, we all cover Cory Finley’s grim sci-fi satire LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND (26:54), which involves teens (Asante Blackk and Kylie Rogers) who decide to broadcast their courtship for an extraterrestrial audience, but also a lot more. In this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our alien poll, Robert Wise’s 1951 sci-fi film THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL!
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BRIGHTWOOD and BAD THINGS on Episode #475
This week we start by reviewing Dane Elcar’s compelling sci-fi horror film BRIGHTWOOD (2:23), which follows a troubled couple (Dana Berger and Max Woertendyke) who become trapped in the woods while they’re out for a run. Next, we cover Stewart Thorndike’s frustrating horror movie BAD THINGS (24:19), which follows a group of friends (Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Rad Pereira) who spend a chaotic weekend at the hotel one of them has inherited. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of the late William Friedkin, we talk about his 1977 thriller SORCERER starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, and Francisco Rabal.
APORIA and THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE on Episode #474
This week we start by reviewing Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, and Pierre Leduc’s animated movie, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (1:55), which adapts the popular videogame franchise for the big screen with an all-star cast. Now streaming on Peacock, this one has us pretty divided. Next, we discuss Jared Moshe’s sci-fi film APORIA (22:09), which follows Sophie (Judy Greer), a wife and mother grieving the loss of her husband (Edi Gathegi). Sophie learns about a time-bending machine created by a physicist friend (Payman Maadi) that could restore her former life but using it involves an impossible choice with unforeseen consequences. This is another film that has us divided. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of the late Paul Reubens, we talk about a non-Pee-wee Herman movie with him, Fran Rubel Kuzui’s 1992 action comedy BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry.
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SHORTCOMINGS and WHAT COMES AROUND on Episode #473
This week we start by talking about Amy Redford’s not-so-thrilling thriller WHAT COMES AROUND (1:56), a story about a teenager (Grace Van Dien) who starts dating a much older man (Kyle Gallner) with a disturbing connection to her mother (Summer Phoenix). Then we discuss Randall Park’s directorial debut SHORTCOMINGS (23:00), based on a graphic novel by Adrian Tomine. The film follows Ben (Justin H. Min), a deeply unlikable twentysomething from the Bay Area, as he grumpily navigates interpersonal relationships with his friend Alice (Sherry Cola) and girlfriend Miko (Ally Maki). And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Robert Rodriguez’s 1996 action horror comedy FROM DUSK TILL DAWN starring George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Harvey Keitel, and Quentin Tarantino!
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WAR PONY and THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY on Episode #472
This week it’s all about Indigenous films at Spoilerpiece Theatre. But before we delve into them, Evan pays tribute to his friend, teacher, and writing partner, Dr. Bryan Krull, who passed away very suddenly. He describes how they met, became friends, and decided to team up to write Your ’80s Movie Guide to Better Living, as he expresses his gratitude for their friendship over the years. Moving on to the week’s films, we start by reviewing Gina Gammell and Riley Keough’s emotionally challenging Indigenous drama WAR PONY (3:50), which follows two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Next, we discuss Morrisa Maltz’s tender narrative/documentary hybrid, THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY (26:36), starring co-writer Lily Gladstone as a young woman grieving her grandmother as she travels through the American Midwest and makes her way down to Texas. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our directors’ first film poll, Céline Sciamma’s 2007 queer romance/coming-of-age drama WATER LILIES!
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BARBIE and THEATER CAMP on Episode #471
Dave is off this week, so we (Megan and Evan) tackle the show as a duo. Megan opens by reviewing Greta Gerwig’s vibrant, sharp, and funny film BARBIE (2:32), in which the iconic doll (Margot Robbie) suffers an existential crisis that causes her to question her influence on the world. Next, we both talk about Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s musical mockumentary THEATER CAMP (20:37), which follows the eccentric staff (Gordon, Ben Platt, and Noah Galvin) of a musical theater camp in upstate New York who must team up with the founder’s bro-y son (Jimmy Tatro) to save the camp from financial ruin. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we discuss a Patron’s choice: the 1982 John Milius sword and sorcery epic CONAN THE BARBARIAN, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Earl Jones!
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE and FINAL CUT on Episode #470
This week we start off by reviewing Christopher McQuarrie’s Tom Cruise action vehicle MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE (2:45). As with all MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies, this one brings amazing action and death-defying stunts, but is the story worthy of being told in two parts and is there an actual dead reckoning? You’ll just have to listen and find out. Next, we cover the Michel Hazanavicius horror comedy FINAL CUT (28:08), a French remake of the Japanese film ONE CUT OF THE DEAD. None of us at seen the original, but two of us are fans of this version, and one of us very much isn’t. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we review Gus Van Sant’s 1991 queer drama MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves!
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BIOSPHERE and THE LESSON on Episode #469
We start this week by reviewing Mel Eslyn’s post-apocalyptic dramedy BIOSPHERE (2:01), which stars Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass (who also co-writes) as the last two men on Earth, who learn that they must adapt, quite literally, to save humanity. It has great performances and surprising themes, but we don’t all agree on how well it tackles those themes. Next, we cover Alice Troughton’s thriller, THE LESSON (25:10), which stars Daryl McCormack as a young writer who tutors the son of a famous author (Richard E. Grant) and discovers a dark web of family secrets. We agree that the film’s acting is top-notch, but for two of us, it isn’t thrilling or surprising in any way. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick’s technological thriller MISSING, a follow-up to 2018’s SEARCHING (which we discussed as our AAPI Heritage Month poll winner on a recent Patreon bonus episode!
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EVERY BODY and NIMONA on Episode #468
This week we start off by reviewing Nick Bruno and Troy Quane’s entertaining and moving animated sci-fi action film NIMONA (1:50). The movie, which is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson, follows a futuristic knight (Riz Ahmed) and a mischievous shapeshifting teen (Chloe Grace Moretz) who team up to clear the knight’s name after he’s framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Next, we cover Julie Cohen’s captivating and heartbreaking documentary EVERY BODY (25:22), which chronicles the lives of three intersex individuals who overcame shame, secrecy, and unauthorized surgery to share their stories and advocate for other intersex people around the world. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about the winner of our Pride Month poll, Stephan Elliott’s 1994 queer road trip film THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT!
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