Halloween Horror Round-up, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER, LBJ, and THOR: RAGNAROK on Episode #173

Chris Hemsworth in THOR: Ragnarok

Chris Hemsworth looking like he’s having a lot less fun than he does in the rest of THOR: RAGNAROK.

This week starts with Dave’s recap of the all-night Halloween Marathon at Brookline’s Coolidge Corner Theatre (2:30) featuring some of the best in classic zombie flicks. Next up, Kris recounts his spooky double feature, LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH and MESSIAH OF EVIL (16:09), both of which are great slices in 1970s weirdness. Dave runs us through THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (28:32) and does not buy into the hype. Dave and Evan team up for LBJ (34:39), the latest take on the president with a complicated legacy. Last up, all three talk about the surprisingly delightful THOR: RAGNAROK (44:37) from Taika Waititi.

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SUBURBICON, TOO FUNNY TO FAIL, and G.I. JANE on Episode #172

Left to right: Julianne Moore as Margaret and Matt Damon as Gardner in SUBURBICON, from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.

Julianne Moore and Matt Damon in SUBURBICON, a movie that would have been better if the Coen Brothers made it in the 80s.

This week the guys reminisce about long-gone insults of yesteryear before Kris offers a unique barb of his own design. For the movies, Evan delivers a “Crewind” of G.I. JANE (5:00), the Ridley Scott picture where Demi Moore is a badass Navy SEAL in training trapped in a story that gets a little muddled with conspiracy plots. Next Dave covers TOO FUNNY TO FAIL (17:17), a rollicking documentary on Hulu about the short-lived DANA CARVEY SHOW that explains that the inspiration for some of the show’s best sketches while reflecting on its failure. Then the guys take on SUBURBICON (28:35), a George Clooney film that borrows an old Coen Brothers script, but fails to imitate them effectively. While they chide it for being too heavy-handed and trying to cover too much narrative ground, they can all agree that Oscar Isaac injects much-needed vitality into his brief scenes.

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ONLY THE BRAVE, BIG MOUTH, and THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE on Episode #171

"Supe" Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) berates Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller) during training in Prescott National Forest in Columbia Pictures' ONLY THE BRAVE, THE TRUE STORY OF THE GRANITE MOUNTAIN HOTSHOTS.

Josh Brolin berates a seemingly eyebrowless Miles Teller in ONLY THE BRAVE.

This episode begins with epic tales of Dave’s film school smoking habits, which were quite epic. Then it’s on to the main event, where Kris tells of his recent Netflix adventures with BIG MOUTH (5:45), the new animated show featuring Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, and a host of guest stars. It cuts deep with the preadolescent awkwardness, but it’s worth your time. Next up is THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE (11:35), an atmospheric, psychological horror film about two friends: one who is having a slow psychotic break where he can’t trust anything he sees or hears, and the other whose entire existence is a facade erected to protect is insecurity. It’s great, and Kris convinces Dave and Evan to see it right away. Last up is ONLY THE BRAVE (32:37) a true-ish story about the Granite Mountain Hotshots, whose heroism deserves a much more thoughtful, intelligent, and coherent movie than the one they got.

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MARSHALL, LUCKY, RAW, and THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE on Episode #170

Chadwick Boseman in MARSHALL.

MARSHALL: another movie that proves Chadwick Boseman should have his own Oscar category for great performances as historical African Americans.

Evan, Kris, and Dave are joined by special guest (and Evan’s fiancee) Shauna Harris! As a practicing attorney, she sits in to expound on MARSHALL (34:06), the new biopic about the first African-American Supreme Court justice (before he was on the Supreme Court) Thurgood Marshall. Before that, Evan and Shauna Crewind to RAW (18:15), the 2016 flick about French-Belgian cannibals, which, we’re not ashamed to say, leads to “Cannibalismpiece Theatre” at 31:09, when the gang names a bunch of let’s-eat-people movies. But to kick things off, Kris relays his feelings about THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (4:23) in a fresh segment of “Keeping up with the Jensons,” and Dave waxes philosophic (not really) about LUCKY (9:48), the last movie Harry Dean Stanton appeared in before his death in September.

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BLADE RUNNER 2049, GERALD’S GAME, DUNE, and the Online New England Film Festival on Episode #169

Ryan Gosling looking to Harrison Ford for answers in BLADE RUNNER 2049.

Ryan Gosling looking to Harrison Ford for answers in BLADE RUNNER 2049.

This week Dave reveals something he feels like he has done right as a parent before any movies are discussed. Since Kris caught VICTORIA AND ABDUL (3:09), he leads off by explaining why Dave is right about it, before expressing some insights of his own. After that, Evan covers the Online New England Film Festival (6:02) by sharing the festival’s award winners and some of his favorite shorts. Next, Dave talks about David Lynch’s DUNE (13:52), raising several questions, including, ‘Who thought it was a good idea to let Toto do the score?’ Following this “Riedel’s Recap,” Kris spoilerpieces the Netflix film GERALD’S GAME (23:08), getting into grisly detail about why it made him want to throw up. Finally, Dave and Evan review the week’s big movie BLADE RUNNER 2049 (44:35) by discussing its atmosphere, aesthetic, and length in comparison to Ridley Scott’s original.

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THE DARK CRYSTAL Tom Cruise Triple Feature (RAIN MAN, DAYS OF THUNDER, AMERICAN MADE), VICTORIA & ABDUL, and BATTLE OF THE SEXES on Episode #168

Tom Cruise in a the cockpit of a plane turning and smiling.

Tom Cruise at his best, smirking his way through AMERICAN MADE.

This week begins with a discussion of bad movies, and why video game adaptations are particularly egregious. Evan then kicks things off with a recap of his experience at Somerville Theatre’s 70mm Festival, featuring THE DARK CRYSTAL (4:47). The Crewind continues with Evan’s “Triple Cruise” where he watched two classics — RAIN MAN (11:30) and the under-recognized DAYS OF THUNDER (15:17), before being joined by Dave to dissect AMERICAN MADE (21:55). The short version: it’s awesome. Dave then Spoilerpieces no one into wanting to see VICTORIA & ABDUL (37:35), the latest example that director Stephen Frears should take it easy on the aristocracy for a while. It’s finely made with a great turn by Eddie Izzard, but totally familiar. Last up, Dave and Kris are excited to talk about the many victories of BATTLE OF THE SEXES (42:02), both in the narrative and the filmmaking. It’s good, funny, thoughtful, and entirely necessary.

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STRONGER, MOTHER! and YEAR BY THE SEA on Episode #167

Tatiana Maslany and Jake Gyllenhaal making a cute couple in STRONGER.

Tatiana Maslany and Jake Gyllenhaal making a cute couple in STRONGER, a more human take on the effects of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

This week the guys talk about the wacky world of Colorado marijuana dispensaries before they delve into three very different movies. Dave and Kris lead off with STRONGER (3:18), the David Gordon Green/Jake Gyllenhaal film about one man’s struggle to overcome the trauma of losing his legs in the Boston Marathon Bombing, while he deals with the pressure of living in the public eye. Then Evan reviews YEAR BY THE SEA (30:38)*, a tale about an older woman who finds herself by moving to Cape Cod. And last, but certainly not least, all three guys discuss MOTHER! (42:49), the polarizing Darren Aronofsky picture that they have completely different opinions about.

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*YEAR BY THE SEA opens in the following Boston-area theaters:

  • West Newton Cinema (West Newton, MA)
  • Dedham Community Theatre (Dedham, MA)
  • Capawock Theatre (Vineyard Haven, MA)
  • Martha’s Vineyard Film Center (Vineyard Haven, MA) (9/27 & 9/28 only)

AMERICAN ASSASSIN, REBEL IN THE RYE, THE WOMEN’S BALCONY, MEMINO, and more on Episode #166

Dylan O'Brien doing god knows what in AMERICAN ASSASSIN.

Dylan O’Brien doing god knows what in AMERICAN ASSASSIN.

We have a bumper crop of movies on this week’s show (have we used that description before?)! First, it’s a bout of RIEDEL’S RECAPS, with James Bridges’ BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (3:57) and John McTiernan’s THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (10:03). Then we’re KEEPING UP WITH THE JENSON’s and his take on MEMINO (14:32) (not to be confused with MEMENTO or former Boston mayor Tom Menino). Evan takes one for the team and watches REBEL IN THE RYE, which is NOT about Rebel Wilson, but J.D. Salinger (27:00). Then it’s THE WOMEN’S BALCONY (36:02), an Israeli film that Evan missed at the Boston Jewish Film Festival but is making up for it now. Lastly, it’s AMERICAN ASSASSIN (42:33), which Kris and Dave saw together against their better judgment (Evan took a pass – kudos to him).

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IT, THE TRIP TO SPAIN, and GOOD BURGER on Episode #165

Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise in IT with a balloon near his head.

Bill Skarsgard is creepy AF as Pennywise in Andy Muschietti’s IT.

This week the guys marvel at technology’s ability to be accidentally stupid before they discuss movies. Kris starts off the show with a segment of “Keepin’ Up with the Jensons” where he describes his experience watching TWIN PEAKS (3:06), before he reviews GOOD BURGER (7:46), a super 90s movie starring Kenan (Thompson) and Kel (Mitchell), he found charming, funny, and very inoffensive. Next, Dave reviews THE TRIP TO SPAIN (19:50), the third installment in Michael Winterbottom’s travel-themed series, which has a lot fewer impressions and very confusing ending. Then the guys arrive at their main event, IT (30:05), the big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s famous novel that’s creative and creepy with a great cast and special effects, even if it does have some flaws. Stay tuned after the credits for a bonus conversation from this week.

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CROWN HEIGHTS, I DO…UNTIL I DON’T, THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE, and REAL GENIUS on Episode #164

Ed Helms and Lake Bell sitting next to each other on the couch with disappointed looks in I DO...UNTIL I DON'T.

Ed Helms and Lake Bell reflecting on their marriage in I DO…UNTIL I DON’T.

This week the guys explore ideas for new expletives that are safe to use around children before they dig into the movies. Since it’s the end of August, there aren’t as many to discuss, although they do have a couple of recaps and two new releases, as well as some fun tangents in between. First, Dave recaps THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE (3:32), a Boston gangster movie from the 70s with Robert Mitchum that was actually shot in the city. Following a tangent on another Boston movie, THE DEPARTED, Evan Crewinds everyone to the 80s with REAL GENIUS (15:08), a cute comedy that causes the guys to wish Val Kilmer could be their college roommate too. Then all three guys review I DO…UNTIL I DON’T (24:36), the disappointing sophomore effort by Lake Bell, which has some sweet moments, and some misguided ideas about documentaries. Lastly, Evan and Dave spoilerpiece CROWN HEIGHTS (43:09), a wrongful conviction film that showcases great performances and makes excellent points about the American criminal justice system, but feels much longer than it should due to its shifting perspectives.

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