Spoilerpiece Theatre

After Evan tells Kris and Dave about his exploding sofa cushions, they delve into the week’s movies. First there’s THE DISASTER ARTIST (6:30), the absolutely wonderful making-of-THE-ROOM movie directed by James Franco and starring Franco as Tommy Wiseau and his brother Dave Franco as Greg Sestero. Then there’s Sean Baker’s THE FLORIDA PROJECT (22:07), which all three guys saw and have lots of opinions about.

On this week's episode, Dave and Kris are still in the process of recovering from various plagues (Apologies for the occasional coughing!), but that doesn't slow them down from getting to the bottom of this week's releases. First up is Kris with an installment of Keepin' Up with the Jensons, revisiting THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (4:50). Rather than rehash the plot, Kris ponders the point of it all, with some unsatisfying conclusions. Next up, Evan walks through ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. (9:24), the new film from NIGHTCRAWLER director Dan Gilroy featuring Denzel Washington and Colin Farrell. It's not necessarily a bad film and it boasts some fine performances, but it ultimately suffers from a terminal case of not having a firm grasp on its own point, leading to an uneven tone and baffling plot twists. Last up is Dave and Kris with COCO (30:09), the new Pixar film guaranteed to make you cry. It's a delight to behold that is gorgeous and heartfelt despite some issues of predictability, and is a welcome addition to

This week our good friend and co-host Kristofer Jenson is sidelined by the plague, so honorary fourth member Sean Burns fills in. He gets things started off (3:40) with a special guest segment, “Burned Out with Sean Burns,” in which he tells Dave and Evan what he thinks of THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. Evan follows things up with IN BETWEEN and KEEP THE CHANGE (8:50), which are showing at the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Then Sean and Dave weigh in on Richard Linklater’s LAST FLAG FLYING (18:00), the spiritual sequel to THE LAST DETAIL. Finally, it’s superhero time as Evan and Dave discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE (28:55) and Sean more or less correctly guesses the plot even though he hasn’t seen it.

Big week at Spoilerpiece! Lotsa movies. Evan fills us in on the Boston Jewish Film Festival (3:45) with the four shorts (JOIN THE CLUB with Ari Graynor, WIG SHOP with Emily Mortimer, BLACK SWELL with Richard Kind, and THE CHOP, about a Jewish butcher who gets a job in halal shop), and one feature (WINTER HUNT) he watched in anticipation of the festival’s run from November 8-20. Dave follows at 17:20 with Frances McDormand in THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, which he characterizes as one of the best films of 2017. Next up is Kris and Dave with Kenneth Branagh’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at 30:00. Lastly, all three guys saw Greta Gerwig’s masterful LADY BIRD and take turns gushing about how much they love it.

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.

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.  

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 his 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.

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.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrsUOmKlAzI

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.

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.

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.  

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).

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.

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 feel

It’s late August at Spoilerpiece! Hells yeah! Even though it’s the g.d. dog days of summer and there’s jack in the way of new releases, we did a new episode and we even found a new movie! Yay! But first, we step into RIEDEL’S RECAPS. Dave takes on the Monkees in HEAD (2:56) and then Edward Zwick’s GLORY (7:15), which spends a lot of time with the white cast members even though it’s about the first black soldiers fighting in the American Civil War. Evan takes over for an installment of CREWIND, featuring his take on the 2005 version of Mel Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS (11:00). We get to a new release with KRIS spoilerpiecing SOME FREAKS (17:25), which is On Demand right now. (Demand it!) Evan and Dave then get into Steven Soderbergh’s feature film return, the glorious LOGAN LUCKY (37:15), which they enjoyed the hell out of. Finally, Kris and Dave hit up AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER (51:24), which is a movie.

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.