FINDING DORY, FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF, and THE UNTOUCHABLES on Episode #101

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FINDING DORY hits the minimum bar that Pixar sets. It’s good, but not great.

On this week’s show Dave explains why a certain French filmmaker is just “too French.” Then Kris and Evan dive into FINDING DORY (at 4:50), a film that hits the lowest bar Pixar sets: it makes you laugh and cry at some point. However the movie didn’t make much of a splash with them, which is why they end up in Tangenttown making comparisons to JOE DIRT and TAKEN 2, in between talking about individual scenes that work well. At least a conversation on the use of baby voice leads to a cute Baby Henry story. Next up, the guys discuss FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (at 31:04) because of its recent 30th anniversary. They offer their revisionist take on the movie by revealing why Ferris is an arrogant unsympathetic character in an otherwise objectively funny picture. Evan wraps up by sharing his experience seeing THE UNTOUCHABLES (at 44:50) on the big screen for the first time. It’s a lot bloodier than what he remembers from many afternoon viewings on TNT, but he still enjoys its many exciting scenes, and doesn’t hesitate to describe them using his best Sean Connery impression. Don’t be surprised if some Celebrity Jeopardy SNL references end up in there too.

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THE CONJURING 2, NOW YOU SEE ME 2, TALE OF TALES, and WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY on Episode #100

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A moment between jump scares in THE CONJURING 2.

Spoilerpiece Theatre turns 100 this week, so the guys do something special to thank their fans! Since it’s the 100th episode that also means Dave has finally seen WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY. Does he appreciate it as emphatically as Kris? Find out starting at the 4:00 mark. Next Evan and Kris cover THE CONJURING 2 (at 17:53), a super long James Wan horror movie with a lot of jump scares and a lot of little annoying things that make Evan very angry. After his anger cools, Evan reviews NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (at 42:38), which has some great magic scenes, but a convoluted plot that relies too much on you remembering information from the first movie. Lastly, Kris discusses TALE OF TALES (at 54:54), a messed up Italian anthology film that confuses the heck out of Dave and Evan with its interwoven tales that have no connection. Kris uses the conversation as an opportunity to state his case about why there should be more anthology films and television shows.

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POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING, THE LOBSTER, NEW JACK CITY, and TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY on Episode #99

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Evan’s facial expression during most of POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING

This week Kris reveals an ad campaign that makes him irrationally angry. Then it’s onward to four movies! Dave finally watched TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY (at 4:11), so he’s nervous to talk about with two “D-heads” like Kris and Evan. He shares why it’s objectively not great, while also digging into the parts of it that are fuckin’ hilarious. Evan delivers on a promise as well, by reviewing NEW JACK CITY (at 23:24), which he LOVES for its energy and the way its action scenes are shot. He admits that it’s heavy handed with its messaging and inconsistent in tone, however he lauds it for its important social commentary on race and class. After that Kris jumps in to spoilerpiece THE LOBSTER (at 41:04), which he wasn’t expecting to take him for such a ride. It’s framed, paced, and costumed like an awkward Sundance comedy riffing on Wes Anderson, yet more brutal than unrelenting horror movies. Lastly, Evan concludes with POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING (at 52:25). This movie by The Lonely Island is mostly “eh” with a few jokes that hit and a lot of jokes that miss. Plus, in the realm of showbiz mockumentaries it doesn’t really have anything new to say.

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WEINER and CONFIRMATION on Episode #98

Kerry Washington in CONFIRMATION

Kerry Washington in CONFIRMATION

The sad tale of how Dave broke his middle finger inspires a bizarre horror movie premise on this week’s show. Then Evan’s passing joke about GHOSTBUSTERS leads to a discussion about James Rolfe’s boycott of the new version. Once the guys finish explaining why Rolfe (aka the Angry Video Game Nerd) is wrong, they dig into the political documentary WEINER (at 15:30). All three of them share why this film about Anthony Weiner’s failed run for Mayor of New York City captivated them with its tense interactions and impressed them with its inclusion of his wife Huma Abedin’s perspective. After all their Weiner jokes stop making sense, Evan moves on to cover the HBO movie CONFIRMATION (at 39:34), which chronicles the sexual harassment allegations made against Judge Clarence Thomas during his nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court. Although it feels like too much of a made-for-TV movie, Evan argues that it’s an important story that needs to be told (and seen) since it shares Anita Hill’s perspective and exposes the shady Washington backdoor dealing that actively worked to discredit her. Plus, both Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce are fantastic in it as Hill and Thomas.

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X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, HIGH-RISE, LOUDER THAN BOMBS, and A BIGGER SPLASH on Episode #96

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Oscar Isaac looks like a Power Rangers villain as Apocalypse in X-MEN: APOCALYPSE

Dave has some stern words for Mother Nature on this week’s show, which features returning guest Bob Chipman. Bob leads off with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE or as Dave calls it, “X-MEN: APOCALYPTO.”  In the process, he discusses how Bryan Singer can’t direct an action scene to save his life and how everything good from the last X-MEN movie happens twice in this one so it’s no longer surprising. Next, Bob and Evan discuss Ben Wheatley’s HIGH-RISE, a dystopian concept film where “everything goes to shit” in completely unsubtle ways. Following their review, Dave delivers his commentary on LOUDER THAN BOMBS, a very male movie about the death of a woman that he describes as a Norman Rockwell piece, if Rockwell dropped acid and got mugged. Finally, Evan covers A BIGGER SPLASH, which is more than just a film about yuppies who hang around a pool. He spoilerpieces Bob and Dave into wanting to see the movie by revealing its sharp humor, its complicated drama, and its unanswered mysteries.

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, THE INVITATION, and IFFBoston on Episode #95

Captain America Civil War

The epic fight scene in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Since Dave can’t make it, guest Sam Cohen joins the guys this week to share a traumatic experience he had while camping. Then he and Kris talk about the films they saw at this year’s IFFBoston, which just wrapped up. They start by discussing THE INTERVENTION, an exceptionally funny film that’s predictable, but great to watch because of how it deals with messy emotions. Soon after, they each reveal their top and bottom picks from the festival: THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK, ALWAYS SHINE, BLACK COAT’S DAUGHTER, WEINER, and THE HOLLARS. Following their quick-hit reviews, Evan and Sam spoilerpiece THE INVITATION, a well-directed thriller without much substance in the middle. Kris and Evan close up by spoiling CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR with a review that sounds negative even though they both enjoyed the movie.

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KEANU and FIREWORKS WEDNESDAY on Episode #94

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KEANU stars the most adorable cat of all time. No wonder everyone is fighting over him!

Dave shares songs he has sung with Henry’s name in them, which gives Kris the chance to suggest something extremely clever. After that, Kris reveals his strategy for seeing movies at IFFBoston (also happening this week). Then he quickly follows that up with a segment of “Keepin’ up with the Jensons” where he describes how Evan’s spoilerpiecing of GREEN ROOM allowed him to notice impressive things about its storytelling techniques. Talking about GREEN ROOM’s use of animals lets the guys easily move on to KEANU, the film they all saw this week. KEANU has the cutest fucking cat you’ve ever seen, and it covers comedic territory that has been mined before, although it’s very funny thanks to Key and Peele. Plus it has connections to NEW JACK CITY and George Michael that are hilarious. Finally, Evan wraps up by reviewing the Asghar Farhadi picture FIREWORKS WEDNESDAY. This Iranian drama about the difficulties of marriage was such an engrossing piece, that he struggled to break away from it when he had to leave for work. He finished it later though, and thought it was fantastic, even after it rambled on for a bit.

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GREEN ROOM and ENTOURAGE on Episode #93

Green Room

Patrick Stewart is tremendous as the leader of a white supremacist gang in GREEN ROOM.

Garfield the cat is a beloved character for some, but not for Dave, as you’ll discover in this week’s episode. He has a bone to pick with Garfield’s creator Jim Davis before the show gets underway. After that, the first film on tap is Jeremy Saulnier’s GREEN ROOM, a fucking intense movie about a punk band fighting a group of white supremacists led by Patrick Stewart?! Although Evan is the only one who has seen it, he manages to spoilerpiece Dave and Kris into wanting to watch it ASAP. In discussing this horrifically violent film, the guys diverge into a tangent about other brutal pictures like A SERBIAN FILM, UNFORGIVEN, and brutally long movies like HEAVEN’S GATE. When they get back on track for the week’s second movie, Dave talks about ENTOURAGE, something he watched out of morbid curiosity. Dave shares why it’s a terrible, terrible movie with the dumbest plot he has ever heard in his life. The whole thing has such an effect on him that he even devolves into talking like the guys in the movie. No worries though, the effect isn’t permanent.

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THE JUNGLE BOOK, CRIMINAL, and MILES AHEAD on Episode #92

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Kevin Costner holding a gun between grunts in CRIMINAL.

A game of “What’s in Evan’s pantry?” turns into quite the conversation about hot dogs and Yankee swaps on this week’s episode. Then Dave offers a correction that leads to another fun game, called “What if Robert Altman directed it?” Kris leads things off by talking about THE JUNGLE BOOK, which looks amazing and has a casual charm to it. Plus it has a death that’s on par with LION KING in terms of “oh fuck…” After that, Evan describes CRIMINAL, a film that’s so zany, he can’t get through it without breaking into giggle fits. Between Tommy Lee Jones playing a neurosurgeon and Kevin Costner’s grunting, you’d be laughing too, trust us. Based on Evan’s account, Kris is absolutely spoilerpieced into wanting to see it. Following that silliness, Kris wraps things up with MILES AHEAD, Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic, that’s not really a biopic. Kris had to Google to figure out what was real, but he appreciates how it doesn’t care about sticking to the facts. He just wishes it went a little further with that angle though.

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HARDCORE HENRY, HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS, and “Keepin’ up with the Jensons” on Episode #91

Hardcore-Henry

One of the MANY characters Sharlto Copley plays in HARDCORE HENRY.

This week Kris takes the floor for his very first segment of “Keepin’ up with the Jensons,” where he fills Evan and Dave in on the remainder of HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS, a movie he started to talk about last week. Kris thinks the film is based on a lot of contrivances, but he forgives them because Sally Field is great in it and director Michael Showalter seems to know exactly what to focus on. Following brief baby poop tangent, Kris also shares his take on PEE-WEE’S BIG HOLIDAY. He agrees with Dave and Evan about it, although he spends a little more time comparing and contrasting it with PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, which he also watched. Then the guys dig into HARDCORE HENRY the one movie they all saw this week. Sadly it’s not about Baby Henry, but it is an intense action flick shot entirely in first person. Kris compares it to BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY meets CALL OF DUTY, while Evan says it’s a cross between CRANK and SHOOT EM UP. All three of them admit that it has its entertaining moments and characters (like the ones played by Sharlto Copley), but that there’s only so good it can be given how it’s shot. Finally, they wrap up by delivering a sneak peek of the movies they’ll be talking about next episode. Kris is looking forward to discussing the Don Cheadle/Miles Davis film MILES AHEAD, while Evan is anxious to talk about GREEN ROOM.

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