Spoilerpiece Theatre

We RARELY make mistakes on Spoilerpiece, but when we do, we don’t cower or deny it. WE OWN IT, MAN. So we start off episode 202 with a correction (2:59) regarding our DEADPOOL 2 segment from episode 201. Then it’s “Keeping Up with the Jensons” because Kris saw SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (4:39)! Next it’s new movie time. Dave fills Kris and Evan in on Paul Schrader’s FIRST REFORMED (7:25), Evan gives everyone the skinny on BYE BYE GERMANY (17:05), and Dave spoilerpieces one of the saddest movies he’s ever seen, ON CHESIL BEACH (26:53). Finally, Kris and Dave talk about Michael Mann’s THIEF (37:20), which they both saw for the first time. And if you love the show, don’t forget to join our Patreon! Go to the Patreon website and search for “Spoilerpiece.” Kisses!

Here we are at episode 201, kids! We made it! Evan kicks the show off with a Crewind of GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT (3:04), a 1947 film about anti-Semitism starring Gregory Peck. Kris follows up with DEADPOOL 2 (11:14), a movie that Kris feels differently about from most critics. Then Dave and Evan go into DISOBEDIENCE (26:19), director Sebastian Lelio’s English-language debut starring Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola, about, as New Order might say, a bizarre love triangle. Finally, Evan and Dave get into SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (36:07). Who liked it? Who didn’t? By the way, there are tangents aplenty in this episode.

Hey everybody! It’s the 200th episode of Spoilerpiece Theatre! You may have noticed some different music at the opening to commemorate it. We also recorded on Kris’s birthday, so the opening muzak is doubly significant! We kick things off with an episode of KEEPING UP WITH THE JENSONS covering THE LOST BOYS (3:20). Following a spirited discussion of whether garlic works on these vampires a brief recap of Jason Patrick movies, the guys move on to BREAKING IN (13:00), a.k.a. GABRIELLE UNION KILLS SOME DUDES WHO THREATEN HER CHILDREN, which only Dave saw. (Note: This movie is super violent, and notice how Dave gets all the violent movies?) Next is Evan with LU OVER THE WALL (25:37), a weird mermaid tale that he struggled to watch (and Kris takes a detour to Tangent Street so he can talk about THE LURE, another mermaid movie). Finally, all three hosts saw the Melissa McCarthy vehicle LIFE OF THE PARTY (36:15).

This week, Evan runs us through his experiences with the best of IFFBoston (4:18) -- EIGHTH GRADE, WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?, many great docs. But it's the not-so-best -- THIRD MURDER -- that intrigues Kris with its strange premise and stranger name. Kris then gushes about his experience hosting the Q and A for the new Agnostic Front documentary THE GODFATHERS OF HARDCORE (22:57). Then Dave and Kris try and fail to run out of nice things to say about TULLY (29:38) which is a damn good movie. This Diablo Cody-Jason Reitman team-up starring Charlize Theron and Mackenzie Davis is making news for its controversial depiction of mental health, but as a mature yet funny statement about reconciling your past self with your present reality, especially after having children.

It’s a hot week o’ movies over at Spoilerpiece. First we head into a Crewind segment, and Evan fills Kris and Dave in on his recent viewings of INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (3:58), which he’s seen a million times, and MARATHON MAN (6:33), which is his first viewing. Then we keep up with the Jensons for a brief talk about SUPER TROOPERS 2 (14:41), and Riedel has a recap with the Joaquin Phoenix thriller YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (20:07). Question: Is the title of this Phoenix movie a reference to I’M NOT HERE? Let us know! Finally, Kris and Dave fill Evan in on the big new release of the week: AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (28:56). How does it stack up against other recent Marvel movies? Don’t forget to check out our Patreon where you can get all kinds of goodies for being a totes rad patron.

On this week's episode, Kris and Evan are joined by Nancy Campbell, Program Director for IFFBoston and staff manager for the legendary Coolidge Corner Theatre. IFFBoston begins next week (!!), so after a brief discussion of a repertory series inspired by R. Lee Ermey, the three discuss the fest's history, highlights, and much, much more. If you're familiar with IFFBoston, get a behind the scenes glimpse at one of Boston's greatest gatherings of cinephiles. If this is the first you're hearing about it, give a listen and learn more at iffboston.org.

This week's episode begins with another installment of Keepin' Up with the Jensons (2:43), in which Kris dives into his cinematic weekend with three very different movies that he recommends nonetheless: THE DEATH OF STALIN, CREEP 2, and HAPPY DEATH DAY. Then it's Dave with LEAN ON PETE (16:51), a very well made sad-animal-sad-people saga about a runaway teen with nothing but his horse. Then it's back to Kris with RAMPAGE (27:40), another movie about the bond between beast and man, this time between a monster gorilla and The Rock as they battle obstinate military men, evil corporations, and the other monsters they produced. It's as good as this movie can conceivably be, and really, what else can you ask for? Closing out this episode is TRUTH OR DARE (43:20), yet another risky endeavor from Blumhouse that capitalizes on a clever story and terrific cast to make its flaws of secondary concern so the audience can just focus on having a good time.

On this week's show, three good movies with nary a stinker among them! First up is Dave with FINDING YOUR FEET (3:31), a totally predictable, utterly cliche English comedy-drama that will nonetheless reel you in with its sincerity. Next up, Dave and Kris dig into THE INSULT (19:26), this year's Best Picture nominee from Lebanon, a film in which a minor dispute between a Christian mechanic and a Palestinian engineer in Beirut threatens to reopen wounds of the Civil War. It boasts phenomenal performances and a raw emotional core that carry it past some conventional narrative choices. Last up is A QUIET PLACE (37:58), John Krasinski's new horror film in which a family's only hope of survival is to remain completely silent among monsters who hunt by sound. It's tense from the very first moments, genuinely inventive with its premise, and utterly gripping.

There’s a lot of show this week on Spoilerpiece. First, Dave updates everyone on CHRONOLOGICAL COENS (4:05). Then Kris and Evan share their experiences covering lots of movies at the Boston Underground Film Festival (5:58), beginning with MY NAME IS MYEISHA (9:00), and followed by PIN CUSHION (13:36), THE QUEEN OF HOLLYWOOD BLVD (15:30), LET THE CORPSES TAN (18:32), THE RANGER (21:58), TOP KNOT DETECTIVE (27:47), MEXMAN (28:40), REVENGE (30:05),  TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID (30:54), and BAD MANNERS (31:49), the only movie Kris and Evan reeeeeeeally disagree on. Dave gives a quick rundown of the new IMAX movies PANDAS (35:00). Finally, it’s Steven Spielberg’s big-ass adaptation of READY PLAYER ONE (36:33). There’s serious ‘80s regression during this section, kids. Thanks to our patrons! Some exclusive audio from this episode will be out by Saturday!

Hey gang! It’s a big week on Spoilerpiece! Before our awesome theme music kicks in, Evan, Kris, and Dave have a big announcement about the new Spoilerpiece Patreon! (Cue music…) But before launching into this week’s flicks, Dave asks that you please please PRETTY GODDAMN PLEASE go to his Twitter page and vote for “Chronological Coens” or “Chronological Cronenberg” (3:37). And yes, that means he’ll watch the Coen brothers’ movies from BLOOD SIMPLE to HAIL CAESAR! or STEREO to MAPS OF THE STARS, depending on which you choose, dear listeners. Poll closes at roughly 5 p.m. ET Friday, March 23, 2018. As for the big movies this week, it’s Steven Soderbergh’s UNSANE (9:38), which Kris and Dave more or less agree on with one important difference. Then everyone talks PACIFIC RIM UPRISING (35:03), the next chapter in the PACIFIC RIM series. Plus, Kris and Evan talk a little bit about the upcoming Boston Underground Film Festival (31:06)! Stay tuned after the closing music for (very) brief silliness.

Hello from snowy Boston, MA! This week's show begins with the very solid VERONICA (3:40), a horror movie from Paco Plaza, director of REC. It's on Netflix now and people are buzzing about its atmosphere and terrifying set pieces. They're mostly right, according to Kris, except that the scares stop halfway through once you become invested in the story in its own right. Next up, Dave saw 7 DAYS IN ENTEBBE (21:54), a new thriller based on a true story involving Israel, Uganda, and a hijacked plane. Despite a few interesting side characters, there's nothing keeping ENTEBBE in the air. Last up is TOMB RAIDER (33:08), starring Alicia Vikander in the role of Lara Croft. She's great, as are other members of the cast, but the movie around her is not for its go-nowhere plot, strange self-contradictions, and pointlessly preposterous twist.

Things are a bit different this week at Spoilerpiece as technical glitches force us to employ some improvised recording methods, so please excuse any changes in pacing/audio quality! Dave couldn't be here, so Evan and Kris are joined by special guest critic Kristen Halbert of Forces of Geek, who describes some rather unique experiences at Comic-Con. Kris fell short of his goal to watch everything nominated for an Oscar in every category -- 51 out of 59 films -- and gives his thoughts on some of the categories he felt were a bit off (5:23). Then it's on to the main event, A WRINKLE IN TIME (14:02), Ava DuVernay's valiant and heartfelt attempt to adapt the unadaptable and beloved novel by Madeleine L'Engle. All three hosts were touched in some way, and though it occasionally suffers from odd pacing and other issues, it can be quite dazzling and powerful when it works. A definite see!

After some discussion of weather, moods, and major singing in the cold open, the guys get down to tha movies. ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. is the focus of this week’s installment of “Keeping Up with the Jensons” (3:59). (Kris is trying to see all the Oscar nominees before Academy Awards ceremony.) Then Evan regales everyone with his breakdown of MUTE (12:39), Duncan Jones’ new weirdo flick starring Alexander Skarsgård as a mute guy trying to find his girlfriend. Note: Paul Rudd is the heavy in this one. Lastly, Kris and Dave talk about RED SPARROW (27:30), the new Jennifer Lawrence/Francis Lawrence collaboration with an ending you should see coming, but the preview audience was totes surprised.

Hello there! On this week's episode, Evan and Dave run us through quintessential early '90s psycho stalker flick PACIFIC HEIGHTS (5:04) that lets Keaton be Keaton. Next up, Dave unleashes his disdain for the pointless and needlessly infuriating THE LEISURE SEEKER (17:19), which thankfully no one is going to see anyway. Then it's on to Kris, who watched two films nominated for Best Animated Feature, THE BOSS BABY (24:41) and LOVING VINCENT (30:48). He hated one and tolerated the other. Guess which is which -- then flip that guess, and that's the correct answer. Last up is the main event, GAME NIGHT (33:55), which has massively undersold just how funny and exciting it is through awful, horrendous trailers. It's the rarest of all movies: an action-thriller-comedy where all three components work!

It's a one-movie show this week, but boy what a movie! The guys are joined by Cape Cod Times sportswriter and lifelong comics enthusiast Matt Goisman, who gives his view of what makes a worthwhile sports movie before they all jump into the main event. BLACK PANTHER (13:15), Ryan Coogler's mighty impressive statement on the long-term effects of colonialism that asks if it is possible for utopia to exist, should it? And oh yeah, it's a superhero movie to boot. With amazing visuals, rich performances, and thoughtful subtext wrapped in an entertaining package, BLACK PANTHER is one to see whether you're into Marvel movies or not.

This week starts with the guys yakking about the READY PLAYER ONE trailer, since Dave and Evan were forced to watch it twice in one sitting. The rest is about two new pictures coming to theaters. First, Kris reviews FIFTY SHADES FREED (3:41), the final chapter in the franchise, which he says redefines the term “captive audience.” Kris laughs at its batty kidnapping plot and explains how it connects to FIFTY SHADES DARKER, a movie that recently made him subscribe to HBO, just so he didn’t have to buy it on Amazon. Next, Evan and Dave take on Clint Eastwood’s THE 15:17 TO PARIS (29:22), a film so bad it actually makes Evan jealous of Kris. They rail against Eastwood’s decision to use real people instead of actors, its terrible dialogue, and its boring focus on minutiae.

After wondering what kind of person show up to a movie 15 minutes late, the guys get into an oldie-but-goodie kinda week on Spoilerpiece. Evan breaks down PRIVATE BENJAMIN (3:25), a funny feminist-ish Army-ish comedy starring Goldie Hawn as a woman who joins up because she really doesn’t have anything else to do. Then Dave gets into THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (13:27), the Michael Mann-directed Daniel Day-Lewis-starring French and Indian War epic. Technically, BILAL: A NEW BREED OF HERO (23:27) is new to the United States, but it’s been out overseas quite a while. Kris and Evan discuss its flaws (many) and virtues (also many), and how it features stories outside the normal American purview.

Lotsa movies on this week's episode! First up is Dave with MY LEFT FOOT (4:21), the film that arguably sealed Daniel Day-Lewis's reputation as the world's most committed screen actor. Next, Evan runs us through MOONSTRUCK (12:45), a romantic romp with folks who just can't stop getting hit in the eye by amore. Dave then perseveres through his disdain for the MAZE RUNNER series by explaining how it limps along into its third installment, THE DEATH CURE (20:25). Dave and Evan then dive into Academy Award-nominated MUDBOUND (33:08), before Kris and Dave wrap things up with HOSTILES (47:09), two very different movies that confront America's inability to confront its own history of racism and post-traumatic stress disorder.

This week's episode starts with Dave fresh off of MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (6:30), which he saw as part of Coolidge Corner Theatre's series dedicated to Daniel Day-Lewis, "I'm Finished!" It's all over the place with a million plot threads and an impossibly large cast, but boasts a terrific grit and excellent performances. Next up is Kris, who just finished reading Boris Pasternak's DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and rewatched David Lean's adaptation starring Omar Sharif (21:17). Kris wishes he were more impressed with the film after reading the novel, but is he breaking his own rule of separating films from source material by lowering his opinion of a movie he enjoyed? Maybe, and he's the first to admit it. The episode then close things out with a recap of FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (36:42), Angelina Jolie's film about life under the Khmer Rouge. The guys are split -- Dave and Kris enthusiastically in favor, with Evan on the fence as to whether it's a success in its own terms.

Evan is sunning himself on a beach somewhere - or maybe not. But he’s in Florida, which means he’s warmer than Kris and Dave. And that means there’s a special guest filling in, friend-of-the-show Greg Vellante! After a brief discussion about why Greg works seven full days a week, he breaks down the latest Liam-Neeson-kills-people-in-January movie THE COMMUTER (6:03). Kris lets everyone know how’s he’s doing with his Letterboxd account, and then they’re into tha main event: Paul Thomas Anderson’s PHANTOM THREAD, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps. One word of advice: See it on film if you have the opportunity.