Author Archives: Spoilerpiece

08.06.21
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ANNETTE, JOHN AND THE HOLE, and PRAY AWAY on Episode #369

Adam Driver wears a motorcycle helmet as he's about to kiss Marion Cotillard in the movie Annette

ANNETTE is bizarre and ambitious, but also grating as a musical

This week we start by discussing Kristine Stolakis’s compelling Netflix documentary PRAY AWAY (1:33), which chronicles the “pray the gay away” movement and forces its former leaders to confront the damage it did to the LGBTQ+ community. Next, we cover Pascual Sisto’s frustrating and listless film JOHN AND THE HOLE (21:14), about a boy who holds his family (Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Ehle, and Taissa Farmiga) captive in a hole. We wrap up with Leos Carax’s bizarre and grating musical ANNETTE (35:14), starring Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, and Simon Helberg (or as two of us know him, that guy from THE BIG BANG THEORY). And in our Patreon exclusive audio, we travel back to 1941 to talk about the Preston Sturges comedy SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake! 

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.

07.30.21
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JUNGLE CRUISE, NINE DAYS, and FEAR STREET: PART THREE – 1666 on Episode #368

Dwayne Johnson is Frank and Emily Blunt is Lily in Disney's JUNGLE CRUISE.

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are fun to watch, but don’t have much chemistry in JUNGLE CRUISE

What if souls had to interview to be born? That’s the premise of the first film on our docket this week, Edson Oda’s moving drama NINE DAYS (1:59), starring Winston Duke and Zazie Beetz. Next, we review FEAR STREET: Part Three – 1666 (16:14), the satisfying conclusion to Leigh Janiak’s Netflix horror trilogy, which we’ve really enjoyed discussing over the past two episodes. We wrap up with Jaume Collet-Serra’s JUNGLE CRUISE (37:18), the latest Disney ride turned movie starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson that borrows too heavily from other adventure films, including some of Disney’s. And on this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we discuss the winner of our video game movie poll: the 2006 Christophe Gans film SILENT HILL! 

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.

07.23.21
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FEAR STREET: PART TWO – 1978, OLD, SETTLERS, GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE, and Our 7th Anniversary on Episode #367

Emily Rudd and Sadie Sink stand facing each other mid-argument in the movie in FEAR STREET: PART TWO - 1978

Emily Rudd and Sadie Sink play sisters constantly at odds in FEAR STREET: PART TWO – 1978

Spoilerpiece celebrates its 7th anniversary this week! After we all offer a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years, Megan leads off with a review of M. Night Shyamalan’s OLD (5:52), a horror movie about people aging rapidly, which is exactly what we expected in the worst way. Next, we talk about Navot Papushado’s GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE (17:44), a stylized Netflix action film with a stacked cast (Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett, and Michelle Yeoh), that isn’t used to its fullest. After that, we dig into SETTLERS (33:47), Wyatt Rockefeller’s brutal sci-fi Western that we struggled through. We wrap up with FEAR STREET: Part Two – 1978 (44:04), the second film in Leigh Janiak’s Netflix horror trilogy, which we were all excited to see (it doesn’t disappoint). And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Robert Luketic’s 2001 rom-com LEGALLY BLONDE starring Reese Witherspoon! We have a blast talking about this movie, which recently marked its 20th anniversary.

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.

07.16.21
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FEAR STREET: PART ONE – 1994, NO ORDINARY MAN, and ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN on Episode #366

Maya Hawke crawls away screaming while a killer wearing a skull mask grabs onto her in Leigh Janiak's FEAR STREET: PART ONE - 1994.

FEAR STREET: PART ONE – 1994 offers great homage to 90s slasher movies

Brace yourselves for moving documentaries and Netflix horror this week! First, we discuss NO ORDINARY MAN (2:14), Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt’s emotional documentary about trans jazz musician Billy Tipton, which features insightful commentary about the trans experience, and seeks to reclaim Tipton’s life story for the trans community. We continue on in documentary territory with Morgan Neville’s ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN (18:57), a haunting examination of the famous chef/television host’s life, addictions, and loneliness that also beautifully honors his legacy. Last but not least, we dig into FEAR STREET: PART ONE – 1994 (41:39), the fun first installment in Leigh Janiak’s Netflix horror trilogy, which is based on R.L. Stine’s famous book series and stars Kiana Medeira, Olivia Scott Welch, and Benjamin Flores Jr. And in this week’s Patreon bonus audio, we talk about Nora Ephron’s 1998 rom-com YOU’VE GOT MAIL, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks!

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.

07.09.21
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NO SUDDEN MOVE, FALSE POSITIVE, and THE ICE ROAD on Episode #365

Don Cheadle talks on the phone from a phone book while Benicio del Toro waits anxiously outside it in the movie No Sudden MoveIn this week’s edition of “We Should Have Known Better,” we cover Liam Neeson’s latest Old Man Neeson actioner, THE ICE ROAD (3:05), this year’s early winner of the “It Wants to be ‘The Wages of Fear’ or even ‘Sorcerer’ but it’s Really Just a Turd” award. Perhaps that’s harsh, but as scary as Canadian ice roads are in April, even scarier is the prospect of a movie filled with half-baked ideas, crummy special effects, and a villain who has more lives than the Energizer bunny. It’s just wretched. But man, was it fun to talk about! Next is FALSE POSITIVE (19:12), which star Ilana Glazer wrote with its director, John Lee. Who doesn’t love pregnancy horror? (Actually, one of us loves pregnancy horror, but sadly, not this film.) In this case, two of us. As Dave puts it, this is a movie that offsets each good idea it has with a bad one. But one of us liked it! (And though he didn’t mention it in the episode, Dave likes Pierce Brosnan’s beard.) Lastly, it’s NO SUDDEN MOVE (40:20), the new Steven Soderbergh thriller starring lots of his favorite people, including Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro. It has a little bit of everything, and screenwriter Ed Solomon is a loooong way from Bill & Ted. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.

07.02.21
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BLACK WIDOW, THE TOMORROW WAR, and THE FOREVER PURGE on Episode #364

Scarlett Johansson squints into the distance as wreckage smolders around her in the movie Black Widow
We were excited to see Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow’s long-overdue standalone film.

Kicking things off this week, we review Everardo Gout’s THE FOREVER PURGE (5:58), the latest entry in the PURGE franchise! It stars Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, and Josh Lucas. Megan and Dave discuss its relevance to recent American political events and why they really dug its political commentary. Next, we all talk about Chris McKay’s long and disappointing sci-fi flick THE TOMORROW WAR (23:54), which has decent action, but a lot of bad writing and acting (especially from Chris Pratt). We wrap up with Cate Shortland’s much anticipated movie BLACK WIDOW (40:48), starring Scarlett Johansson in the second female-led superhero film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of us loved it, but two of us had some mixed feelings about its performances and pacing. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we tackle Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody’s 2009 horror comedy JENNIFER’S BODY! 

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.

06.25.21
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F9: THE FAST SAGA, WEREWOLVES WITHIN, I CARRY YOU WITH ME, and ZOLA on Episode #363

Vin Diesel drives while Michelle Rodriguez holds onto a hook on the passenger side in the movie F9

Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez living life a quarter mile at a time in F9

This week, we kick off by reviewing ZOLA (2:15), Janicza Bravo’s road trip-crime drama-dark comedy starring Taylour Paige and Riley Keough, which is based on a viral series of tweets. Next, we cover I CARRY YOU WITH ME (17:48), Heidi Ewing’s beautifully moving queer hybrid narrative/documentary film about an aspiring chef (Armando Espitia) who leaves his love (Christian Vazquez) in Mexico for a better life in New York City, but must make serious sacrifices along the way. Then we talk about F9: THE FAST SAGA (34:10), Justin Lin’s latest entry in the FAST & FURIOUS franchise, which is ridiculous but a lot of fun and finally makes good on a long-running fan prediction. Finally, we wrap up with WEREWOLVES WITHIN (49:02), Josh Ruben’s horror comedy mystery starring Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub, about eccentric townsfolk trying to figure out which one of them may be a werewolf. And in this week’s Patreon bonus audio, we talk about the winner of our LGBTQIA+ poll, Desiree Akhavan’s 2018 film THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST!  

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.

06.18.21
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LUCA, LES NÔTRES, and PLAN B on Episode #362

Disney Pixar's LUCA, an animated film about two boy sea monsters

This week, we review our second Natalie Morales film of the year, PLAN B (1:54), a hilarious road trip comedy on Hulu about best friends (Kuhoo Verma and Victoria Moroles) trying to track down emergency contraception in middle America. Next, we discuss LES NÔTRES (24:38), Jeanne Leblanc’s difficult to watch yet excellent French Canadian drama about a pregnant teen (Émilie Bierre), which prompts us to issue a trigger warning about the sexual abuse depicted in the film. Then we cover Pixar’s LUCA (45:55), Enrico Casarosa’s animated Italian adventure-fantasy on Disney+ about sea monsters (Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer) who enter the world of humans and find friendship along the way. As part of our conversation, we delve into whether we also feel like movie is a queer allegory or queer love story, like others have interpreted. And on this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Theodore Witcher’s 1997 romance LOVE JONES, starring Nia Long and Larenz Tate, in honor of Black Music Appreciation Month!

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com

06.11.21
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IN THE HEIGHTS, HOLLER, CAVEAT, and THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES on Episode #361

Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera in film In the Heights

On this week’s show, we open with THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES (2:28), a wild, quirky, and charming animated movie, written and directed by Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, featuring a regular ol’ American family struggling to save humanity from a robot apocalypse. It’s a hoot. Next up is CAVEAT (18:12), Damian Mc Carthy’s eerie and unsettling Irish horror film that says, “Oh, you’re not afraid of rabbits? Get a load of this shit” (Dave watched it in broad daylight if that tells you anything). Then there’s HOLLER (34:36), an excellent drama written and directed by Nicole Riegel, about a high school senior (Jessica Barden) who joins a sleekly scummy scrap metal crew while trying to decide whether she’s going to stay in her hit-by-hard-times Ohio hometown or go to college. Finally, we wrap up with IN THE HEIGHTS (45:28), the long-awaited adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ musical, with a screenplay by Hudes directed by Jon M. Chu. One of us loved it, one of us enjoyed moments, and one of us was kind of “eh.” Free scoop of ice cream if you guess correctly! And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about one of Megan’s favorite sci-fi films, Douglas Trumbull’s SILENT RUNNING, starring a young and super intense Bruce Dern. It’s a first-timer for Evan and Dave.

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com

06.04.21
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ARMY OF THE DEAD, UNDINE, CHANGING THE GAME, and THE AMUSEMENT PARK on Episode #360

Dave Bautista in Zack Snyder's zombie heist film ARMY OF THE DEAD

This week, we open by discussing George A. Romero’s recently restored long-lost film, THE AMUSEMENT PARK (2:21), an extremely unsettling commentary on aging and ageism. Next, we review CHANGING THE GAME (13:01), Michael Barnett’s compelling Hulu documentary about trans athletes in the U.S. Then we dig into UNDINE (27:48), Christian Petzold’s moving and tragic modern fairy tale, starring Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski. We wrap up with Zack Snyder’s Netflix zombie heist film ARMY OF THE DEAD (39:38), starring Dave Bautista leading an ensemble cast, which offers us plenty of bones to pick. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about a Patron’s choice, Miloš Forman’s 1996 film THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT!

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com