Spoilerpiece Theatre

Dave met Daniel from France! He was in town on vacation and they bumped into each other at the Coolidge Corner in Brookline. Dave tells that story, and then the guys have a few things to say about Charlottesville, Va., and then they get into the movies. Evan starts things off with THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD (7:53), a movie he describes as “Not as bad as I thought it would be.” The guys head down under to BREAKER MORANT at 20:29, and Dave spends waaaaay too much time talking with a terrible Oz accent. Kris covers Errol Morris’ THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY starting at 30:27. Evan takes they guys on a stroll down Amnesia Lane to CROSSING DELANCEY at 38:15, which is a delightfully sweet romantic comedy from the late 1980s. Finally, Kris and Dave cover Werner Herzog’s AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD at 48:00, which screened on Monday, August 14 in 35mm. Everyone should have access to rep theaters like the Coolidge.

Longtime friend of the show Dede Crimmins joins the guys this week to discuss what they know about the band Foghat. They have so many movies to talk about that they have a hard time figuring out where to begin. Dave goes first with lightning fast “Riedel’s Recaps” of BAD COMPANY (6:25), MENASHE (7:55), and THE BIG SICK (11:44), before Dede shares her top pics from this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival: MY FRIEND DAHMER (14:43), MOHAWK (18:15), and LOWLIFE (19:54). Then she, Dave, and Kris spoilerpiece ANNABELLE: CREATION (24:15), which is so creepy that Kris watched some scenes through his fingers. Next, Dave gives his one-minute take on GOOD TIME (49:41), a movie with Robert Pattinson making the best bad decisions, that he says is one of the best he’s ever seen. Following that, Evan reviews KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES (51:49), a cute spy comedy that he’s surprised more people haven’t seen. Finally, Dave and Kris conclude with WIND RIVER (1:00:17), a procedural about a murder on an Indian reservati

This week Dave admits why he’s way too excited about his car getting detailed, before Kris declares that his beard might be magical. Prior to the week’s main event, the guys serve up a heaping helping of recaps. Evan leads off with a segment of “Crewind,” where he offers his take on PHOENIX (6:06), a film that Dave spoilerpieced many moons ago. After he talks about his reaction to the German film’s incredible ending, he tackles SHINING THROUGH (10:35), the Melanie Griffith picture where she’s a sharp half-Jewish woman who spies on the Germans with Michael Douglas during World War II. Then Dave takes over with “Riedel’s Recaps” of I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE (20:43), a movie he liked more than Evan, who spoilerpieced it earlier this year, and THOR (24:41), which he was not impressed by. Finally, all three gents delve into DETROIT (34:01), Kathryn Bigelow’s chronicle of the brutality and murder at the Algiers Motel during the 1967 Detroit riot. In their commentary, the guys address criticisms lev

This week Dave recounts his unique experience living in Annie Lennox’s old apartment before the guys talk about movies. Then he leads off with a recap of HIS GIRL FRIDAY (5:03), a film he’d seen before, but didn’t remember a thing about, other than it being a prime example of everyone involved with it at the height of their power. Next, the guys cover the week’s big release, ATOMIC BLONDE (13:55), an aggressively okay, hyper-stylized action film with Charlize Theron, where you’re either bored or you know what’s going to happen. You can totally see its big twist coming, unlike the Kevin Costner picture NO WAY OUT, which becomes the subject of a relevant tangent at 22:25. Lastly, Dave wraps things up with his quick thoughts on DUNKIRK (51:17), which he lauds for its flawless direction.

Dave is on vacation, so Charlie Nash joins Evan and Kris to discuss Ed Sheeran’s distracting GAME OF THRONES cameo before they dig into this week’s movies. Before they get into any new ones, Kris shares his most recent experience with ALTERED STATES (4:25), and his invigorating trip to a sensory deprivation chamber that inspired his viewing. Then Charlie and Evan cover GIRLS TRIP (14:23), a comedy that’s way funnier and raunchier than they expected, with many scene-stealing moments by Tiffany Haddish. After that, Kris and Charlie attempt to review VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS (28:26), a colorful Luc Besson sci-fi film that’s bloated, convoluted, and predictable despite its endearing silliness. Finally, all of them tackle Christopher Nolan’s DUNKIRK (48:55), a World War II film that blew them away with its massive scale, pulse-pounding score, and breakneck pacing.  

It’s a heapin’ helpin’ of Spoilerpiece this week, as the guys tackle six movies (!!), and welcome special guest Max Covill! Max writes for Film School Rejects and co-hosts his own podcast, It’s the Pictures. Max gets things a-goin’ with A GHOST STORY (4:15), a movie that stars Casey Affleck as one of the kids from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and Rooney Mara as the woman who loves him. It’s the kind of movie Kris wishes he’d seen, but hasn’t yet. There’s a brief tangent into what makes a horror movie a horror movie (A GHOST STORY is not, FYI) at 12:30, and then Riedel’s Recaps with THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (17:00), one of Clint Eastwood’s least Clint Eastwood-like pictures. Max takes over at 27:15 for WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. Kris tackles THE LOVELESS (41:30), Kathryn Bigelow’s first film as director, and Evan spoilerpieces THE BUBBLE (47:50), a film in which an Israeli man and Palestinian man fall in love and lots of people are unhappy about it. The big ‘un this week is OKJA. Everyone has s

This week the guys discuss their favorite Beach Boys song before they talk movies. They only have one big film to talk about, so they spend some time catching up on others they caught recently. In a segment of “Evan Can Wait” aka “Crewind,” Evan shares his experiences watching CADDYSHACK (6:08) and OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE (14:01) again, as well as his first-time viewing of the romantic OUTSOURCED (20:00). Then Dave recaps his latest time through A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (26:29), where he talks about what it has in common with other Sergio Leone Westerns and samurai films. Lastly, the guys all team up to review SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (33:40), a Marvel superhero outing that they all really enjoy with believable teenagers facing believable troubles.

Before the guys get to their movies, Kris shares a story about an unconventional spice that he accidentally added to a friend’s coffee at the start of this week’s episode. First, Dave covers IT’S US (6:00), a painful, awkward drama with Eliza Coupe that’s one of the strangest relationship movies he has ever seen. Next, Evan reviews THE BIG SICK (15:45), a semi-autobiographical romantic comedy with Kumail Nanjiani that’s funny, sweet, and offers poignant thoughts on familial relationships. After that Dave tackles Sofia Coppola’s THE BEGUILED (28:06), a remake of the 1971 Don Siegel/Clint Eastwood film, where one of the noticeable differences is that Colin Farrell is purposely Irish. To wrap up, all of the guys take on BABY DRIVER (42:40), the latest Edgar Wright action flick, which has a lot less driving than they expected, but some entertaining moments and performances none the less. And in case you're wondering, here are the links to the animation for Dave's Ray Winstone reading "Are You My Mother" and Evan'

This week the guys muse about pugs before they dive into their full slate of movies. First Kris deals with TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT (3:20), a movie that feeds into Marky Mark’s savior complex with a story dating back to medieval times. Beaten, a little bruised, and exhausted by its stupidity, Kris passes the baton to Evan, who tackles the Netflix film WAR MACHINE (19:57), a glacially-paced bore with a strangely stacked cast led by Brad Pitt, and a narrator that doesn’t show up until halfway through the picture. Dave enters the fray next with THE JOURNEY (34:14), a decent Irish drama with light comedy and two leads using very different acting styles. Kris wraps everything up with THE BAD BATCH (46:00), a gritty post-apocalyptic Western with Jason Mamoa, Keanu Reeves, and Jim Carrey?! Before signing off, Evan gives a shout out to Max Covill and John Gilpatrick for having him on their show It’s the Pictures to talk about 80s films and his book.

We begin episode 153 with a brief discussion of annoying T-shirts. Then it’s on to the annoying ROUGH NIGHT (3:35). More like ROUGH MOVIE, AMIRITE? Anyspray, it has Kris saying more than once, “I wish it were funnier.” Then Evan regales Kris and Dave with the truly fucked-up sounding THE BOOK OF HENRY (31:38), a movie that feels as if it’s actually 14 different movies crammed into one. Kris takes us down to the basement for a recap of the creepy HELL HOUSE LLC (43:45), and Dave chomps at the bit to get into 47 METERS DOWN (56:32), a Mandy Moore movie that features some sharks, some blood, and the incomparably not-great Matthew Modine. Stay tuned after the closing credits for extra silliness.

This week the guys surprise themselves by reflecting more on string cheese than any adult probably should. Then Evan delves into “Crewind,” the segment formerly known as “Catching up with Crean,” to share his experience watching CLUELESS (at 5:14) for the first time and rewatching Michael Mann’s HEAT (at 9:24) on blu-ray. After he’s done talking about the loving satire of CLUELESS and the awesome actors he forgot were in HEAT, he cedes the floor to Dave to cover IT COMES AT NIGHT (at 14:35), the sophomore effort by KRISHA director Trey Edward Shults. Dave explains why the film deserves a second and possibly third viewing, even though nothing really comes at night, before Evan and Kris explain why THE MUMMY (at 39:24) doesn’t deserve a single viewing due to its stupidity and failure to launch Universal’s Dark Universe franchise.  

While exploring the etymology of the word "sweater" this week, Evan and Dave learn a little more about Kris than they bargained for. Before the guys get to the week’s new release, they offer fresh takes on films they watched a second time. Dave starts with his thoughts on David Lynch’s TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (at 3:38), which is still longer than it needs to be, but has three powerful set pieces and a bleak narrative where Laura Palmer looks freaked out a lot. Evan is up next, with his insights on FAST FIVE and FURIOUS 6 (at 11:44), two movies that stacked up very differently for him upon second viewing. Then all three guys take on WONDER WOMAN (at 17:50), a picture that’s far better than others in the DCU because it’s funnier, lighter on its feet, and takes itself seriously without going overboard. Their conversation gets slightly heated though, when Evan brings up several gripes he has with it. Wrestling matches are threatened, yet thankfully avoided, brother.  

Hi, kids! Welcome to episode 150 of SPOILERPIECE THEATRE! It’s a totes spesh episode! So special, in fact, that we forgot to mention it was a special episode until the closing credits. In fairness, our brains were so fried this week by the convoluted plots of the movies we watched, we weren’t able to retain any other information. But we were able to discuss the “DuckTales” theme song before Dave launches into his take on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (3:51). Then we get into BAYWATCH (34:13), which everyone saw (even if they all didn’t see each other at the screening). Please make sure you listen after the closing theme song!

After 148 episodes, Evan suddenly airs his distaste for poetry, and in explaining his rationale, he unwittingly realizes the one exception to his rule. Then it’s onward to the week’s movies. First, Dave and Kris go deep on ALIEN: COVENANT (at 6:17), a film that takes the worst ideas of its predecessor PROMETHEUS, and capitalizes on them, by following a group of characters that are morons. Next, Evan covers the Israeli movie THE WEDDING PLAN (at 41:32), where a bride dumped a month before her wedding decides to go ahead with the ceremony anyway—the kind of tale that’s worth watching for its unique story, even though it’s a little slow and long. Evan and Kris close with BUSTER’S MAL HEART (at 53:03), a weird, crazy flick starring MR. ROBOT’s Rami Malek, and a charismatic conspiracy theorist played by DJ Qualls, that has the exact sense of irony that Kris appreciates.

On this week’s episode, the guys stumble onto a question for actor Ken Marino that they never knew they had, while discussing DVD menus. After briefly reviving their time-honored hey-o gag during some pre-show shenanigans, they delve into the week’s movies. First, Kris briefly shares the adrenaline rush he felt watching John Woo’s FACE/OFF (at 5:51) with a very appreciative crowd on the big screen following a Nicolas Cage-themed burlesque show. Next, Dave describes the documentary RISK (at 12:05), which fortunately isn’t from the people who brought you BATTLESHIP. Instead it’s a sparsely narrated chronicle about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with more lawyers on screen than you can count. Lastly, Evan and Kris review the Amy Schumer/Goldie Hawn comedy SNATCHED (at 32:04), an uneven film that pulls back in strange places and doubles down in what the heck ways. As a special treat, stay tuned after the closing for a mini sing along the guys had when they got on the mic this week.

After last week’s audio snafu, the guys make good on their promise to upgrade their recording equipment, but they’re too busy talking about Batman chins to pat themselves on the back for very long at the start of this week’s episode. In other news, both Kris and Evan attended IFFBoston, so they share the highlights of their festival experiences (starting at 5:20), by firing through brief reviews of movies they saw together like FOR AHKEEM, (at 9:42), LA BARRACUDA (at 12:52), and MENASHE (at 18:18), as well as numerous ones they saw separately. After they blast through several short reviews of other films, all three guys review Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (at 40:02), which strangely borrows heavily from STAR TREK V for its plot. This sequel is clunky in the middle for its emphasis on numerous characters’ backstories, but its humor, art direction, and soundtrack are still on point.

Hi everyone! This week there were some major releases, but none of them screened for critics…like, for real. So none of us saw THE CIRCLE or HOW TO BE A LATIN LOVER, and honestly, we’re probably all better off. But we didn’t just sit around with our thumbs up our wazoos. Dave watched all 10 episodes of the Amazon series BOSCH (5:45), Kris saw the new Anne Hathaway/Jason Sudeikis movie COLOSSAL (26:45), and Evan saw most of the Netflix series 13 REASONS WHY (51:30). At 17:49, Kris and Dave go off on a major GOLDEN GIRLS tangent. And words of warning: We had some serious audio problems while recording this episode and you’ll hear some white noise fading in and out of the background starting at about the 35:00 mark (I didn’t write down the exact spot, so that’s a guess). We’re working on getting new recording equipment, so hopefully these audio glitches will soon be a thing of that past, yo. Peace!

This week the guys discuss the narrative differences between Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and film adaptations of her tale at the start of the show. Then Evan reviews Macon Blair’s directorial debut I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE (at 5:01), which has a title that sounds like a Facebook status Kris would have written if it had existed in 1995. Blair borrows stylistic elements from director Jeremy Saulnier, but his film lacks the intensity, excitement, and payoff of Saulnier’s movies. Next Dave spoilerpieces Evan and Kris into never seeing THE PROMISE (at 27:22), which is like PEARL HARBOR with more death, and a less interesting love story. If you’re looking for context or history behind the Armenian genocide depicted in the movie, you won’t find it. Lastly, Kris closes with Ben Wheatley’s FREE FIRE (at 47:30), a short, stylized action flick with an outcome that is not as funny as its set up. Kris talks about how Wheatley seems more interested in color, movement, and brutality than getting you to c

It’s been a while since the guys have done some singing, so they decide to make up for it at the start of the episode. There are just two films on their docket this week—one is animated, and one live action that’s also an action movie. First, Evan reviews YOUR NAME (at 4:00), a touching anime tale about two teenagers who mysteriously start swapping bodies. Dave tries to compare it to other body-swapping films like VICE VERSA and DREAM A LITTLE DREAM with moderate success, while Kris realizes he’s into it for reasons he doesn’t fully understand. Then all three of them set their sights on FATE OF THE FURIOUS (at 20:04), a loud action movie that’s almost unbelievable even by franchise standards, but boy is it still fun to watch, because it surprised them with some of its new tricks with cars.

This week during a conversation about the new Domino's commercials that parody FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF, Dave shares a seemingly small aspect of the movie that really gets under his skin. Next he and Evan review THE ASSIGNMENT (at 7:56), a truly awful film by Walter Hill about a hitman (Michelle Rodriguez) who undergoes forced gender reassignment surgery, and seeks revenge on her mad scientist tormentor (Sigourney Weaver). They pick apart its terrible makeup, its endless exposition, its uninteresting revelations, and its nonsensical plot, which they argue no one could be good in. After that, Kris spoilerpieces ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (at 36:30), a German film he was inspired to watch by Roger Ebert’s “The Great Movies.” He reveals why it’s worth watching, as he describes how the movie’s poignant, complicated love story addresses racism without sensationalizing it.