Nerd Critic

Stargirl misses the point of itself While Julia Hart brought a lovely, grounded aesthetic to the cinematic language, the story, the writing, and much of the acting was quite a disappointment. But hey! We found plenty of things to talk and rant about (as always). Enjoy! 3:00 - Jordan talks about having read the book many years ago 6:50 - Above the line, and some enthusiasm for Julia Hart, and Stargirl being played by actual, successful singer/songwriter Grace VanderWaal 14:20 - The spoiler free review (it's a reach to get to "fine") 19:40 - CJ did the notes! 21:10 - SPOILERS! (Although you shouldn't care.) 27:10 - Jordan basically just steamrolls into criticisms on the back of a compliment CJ tried to give this movie 30:10 - Jordan gets into his MAIN criticism, promises to be brief, and then rants for about 10 minutes on why the movie was an unsuccessful adaptation of the book 40:00 - CJ apologizes for agreeing, then explains the disconnect of stakes that don't feel real 51:00 - Booksmart is a much, much bet

We've been wanting to do this movie for so long. Was it worth the wait? Well, you'll have to listen to find out, won't you? We're so good at sales.Notes:2:00 - On not being alone in front of a computer4:26 - Above the line8:10 - Spoiler free review15:27 - Nerding out with spoilers!24:40 - Leveling some criticism (stay in the balloon!)44:00 - What are we talking about next week? Stargirl on Disney+ (and other stuff coming up)46:00 - A special request: Send us an audio file of you explaining a movie recommendation, and we'll cover it. AND you'll be on the episode, making your case! Other movies referenced:- Theory of Everything (the other Felicity Jones & Eddie Redmayne movie)- Lifeboat- Gravity

Extraction and our 2nd BirthversaryIn this latest Netflix original movie, Chris Hemsworth is a sad god of thunder. While there were serious thematic issues to unpack (and condemn), it was, nonetheless, far better couch fair than we had any right to expect. Plus: a promo for another show! And: a Nerd Critic Birthversary treat!02:00 - Your Brain on Facts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id134791521103:40 - Our conversation about Extraction begins05:20 - Above the line (and particular mention of director Sam Hargrave, an accomplished stunt coordinator)07:40 - Total failure at name pronunciation10:10 - Spoiler free review17:15 - Spoilers ahead! (And lots of nerding out.)30:20 - Thoughts on a rake33:40 - Some criticisms and thematic explorations, including thoughts on the purposes and execution of violence in movies -- "there's no such thing as free mayhem"42:55 - A story made crappier by cynical Hollywood business calculations47:45 - Next week: Aeronauts!48:30 - Our 2nd Birthversary promises51:20 - A fan-ma

The Perks of After Life This is the last week or our experimental format, so we figured we'd earned some title gore. If you're still confused, read on! Oh, and for those of you who make it through the first few minutes of this episode, we'll just leave this right here: https://youtu.be/Juzy2YVQgw8 0:02:42 - Announcement! ...no more TV :( 0:06:00 - Talking about the Universal/AMC/Regal drama 0:11:45 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Netflix) 0:39:40 - After Life (Netflix) 0:57:00 - Coming next week...

We devoted fully two thirds of this episode to breathless admiration of what may be the best-written show in recent history. Can you guess which platform it's NOT on? While it was fun to pillory Jeffrey Katzenberg's exorbitantly expensive and stupidly-named pet project, it was way more fun to talk about HBO's second, and somehow even more amazing season of Succession.

We devoted fully two thirds of this episode to breathless admiration of what may be the best-written show in recent history. Can you guess which platform it's NOT on? While it was fun to pillory Jeffrey Katzenberg's exorbitantly expensive and stupidly-named pet project, it was way more fun to talk about HBO's second, and somehow even more amazing season of Succession. The Atlantic's review of Quibi: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/04/quibi-vast-wasteland/609796/ 0:04:22 - New Recommendations 0:08:00 - Quibi 0:21:04 - The Most Dangerous Game 0:32:54 - Succession Season 2

CJ'S FAVORITE MOVIE. And one of Jordan's favorite TV shows. Yes, it seems like he has a lot of those, but can you blame him? It's PEAK TV, people! Anyway, the point is that CJ only has ONE favorite movie, and it's a dang good one. Watch, listen, love. How's that for a tagline? Yeah okay we'll keep trying. 0:05:45 - New recommendations 0:10:02 - Succession Season 1 0:49:04 - Sing Street

Our conversation about Clue leads us into a surprisingly painstaking exploration of modern comedies, and Atlanta reminds us, once again, of Donald Glover's unrelenting creative genius. It was a good week for streaming. Here's to another.0:04:52 - Recommendations0:11:35 - Clue0:36:43 - Atlanta1:14:00 - Wrapping UpDixon Gaines article about ClueDawes "5 miles away"

If our show had always been about TV, we would have covered The Office long ago. In this time of loneliness and desperation, a great American sitcom (based on an obscure British sitcom) seems like the perfect medicine. PLUS! A crowd-pleasing streamable movie, and one of Jordan's favorite series on Netflix. 0:05:18 - New recommendations 0:13:48 - Fighting with My Family 0:30:00 - The End of the F***ing World 0:55:09 - The Office 1:27:18 - Closing Remarks

It turns out a person can't reasonably plow through 60 episodes of an hourlong drama in a week. This is a learning experience for all of us, OK? You can trust that this week, our streaming assignment for you will be much more manageable. In the meantime, enjoy our best efforts to cover what we saw. And please feel free to skip around using the following table of contents: 00:04:50 - New recommendations! 00:09:07 - "About Time" 00:22:39 - "Community" 00:31:00 - "Breaking Bad" 01:09:55 - Why you should watch "Better Call Saul" 01:16:13 - Closing Remarks

This week, we bring you a long-awaited conversation about a much-ballyhooed TV show. But wait! There's more! Due to the massive disruption in the world of movies and theaters, we are CHANGING THE FORMAT OF OUR SHOW. Until movie theaters reopen, Nerd Critic will now be your best binge-watching companion. Take a listen to this week's special episode to get all the juicy (but still sanitary) details. 0:12:00 - Recommendations 0:18:30 - The Mandalorian 0:30:40 - Bojack Horseman 0:50:10 - Stranger Things 1:01:15 - The Big Sick 1:06:15 - "Challenging" movies 1:21:30 - Closing remarks

This movie came out nine years ago, and boy does it hold us, especially considering certain current anxieties. We start this one off with a PSA about COVID-19, and then give the full Nerd Critic treatment to one of the best disaster movies ever made.

Taika Waititi isn't the first filmmaker to find a way to explore the horrors of Nazi-Germany with the tools of comedy, but he does a fine job of it. And at the heart of the farce is a sincere and grounded story buoyed by pitch perfect performances across the board. We love this movie, and so should you. It's about time we talk about it.

This is the horror movie we've been waiting for, never relying on jump scares or gore, and keeping us on the edge of our seats right up to an exquisitely satisfying conclusion. Even more, it cuts deep into the thematic marrow of domestic abuse and its consequences. See it. And then come join us for a conversation.

Right along with Jordan, who often watches it as a joyful birthday tradition. If you've been hankering for a pure nerd-out episode, this one's for you. We also manage to dig into why this movie works so well despite its insistent lack of depth or narrative resonance.

Everybody loves Mr. Harrison Ford, but not everyone will love the entirely computer generated dog. That's OK! There are some real things to love about this movie, and it is, if nothing else, a fascinating study of the cross-section between live action and animation. In other words, it could have been worse. Oh, friends, it could have been so much worse.

We don't always have guests on our show, but when we do, we get real good ones. Like Davey Morrison! Jordan and CJ were tough sells, but with his humble wisdom, he managed to convince us both of its merits. Jordan reluctantly concedes that Scorsese's a pretty good filmmaker.

We've heard over and over again that you guys love to hear us fight, and we got pretty heated this time. CJ tried to make the case that criticisms against this kind of movie are unfair. You can pretty well imagine how Jordan responded. But you don't need to! You can listen! So do that.

We went live again, and dare we say we improved a bit? You'll have to be the judge. Regardless, we had a great time with some of our bestest fans, and now you can listen to the whole thing without having to see our dumb faces. Podcasting!