Reel Phonies

You've got the stretchy one, the invisible one, the strong one and the hotshot. But enough about The Incredibles, this week we're talking about Fantastic Four: First Steps. Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby star in a movie that is somehow about molemen, babies, and unfathomable cosmic forces. Is this the best Fantastic Four movie yet?

Superman has launched back onto the silver screen in a big way. Written and directed by the new head honcho of DC films, James Gunn, this film sees an established Superman battling Lex Luthor while saving squirrels, babies, and one unruly super dog. But is this finally the Superman film you've always wanted? (yes!) And is this film better than Transformers? (Also, yes!)

It's got clones, it's got aliens, it's got the crippling effects of capitalism on an intergalactic scale. This week we're talking about Mickey 17, the latest film from Parasite director Bong Joon Ho. Starring Steven Yuen, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, and at least 17 Robert Pattinsons, does this sci-fi satire ring true or does it get lost in space?

Tom Hardy is back for one final(?) turn as Venom. How does this film stack up against the prior two? And are these movies just Godzilla movies in disguise?

In this latest Alien entry (thankfully) not directed by Ridley Scott, a young, desperate crew seek deliverance in an abandoned space station only to find it's not as deserted as they anticipated. This film is both a standalone horror and an homage to the entire Alien franchise but does it accomplish either?

Possibly the most marketed film in human history, Wicked is a star-studded screen adaptation of a beloved Broadway musical. But how does it rank in the pantheon of musical adaptations? Do Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo do justice to these iconic roles? And why do the drum parts kick so much ass?

Almost a decade after Fury Road, George Miller has turned the orange filter back on to tell more tales from the wasteland. Anya Taylor-Joy takes center stage as a young Furiosa battling for survival and freedom from the maniacal Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). But how does this movie stack against the other Mad Max entries? And is it better than its box office performance suggests?

The 90's are back and Cyclops is cool again! Join us as we'll be discussing the first 4 episodes of this modern continuation of the classic 90's show and seeing how it stacks up against other X-Men adaptations.

On November 10, 2023, Marvel released a 100-minute long MCU title that not a single person on Earth saw. This week we are unearthing it from its floppy tomb to see if it really deserved to bomb as hard as it did. 

If you like shows that make you feel stressed out, boy, have we got the thing for you. This week we're talking the first two seasons of The Bear, the critically acclaimed, half-hour drama that makes running a restaurant feel like diffusing bombs. 

Paul Atreides returns in Part 2 of Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic Dune. Most of our favorite cast return (RIP Leto Atreides) and welcome new additions Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Christopher Walken. But how does this sequel hold up compared to its beloved predecessor?

You know that one Spider-Man character that isn't Spider-Man or Venom or MJ or Green Goblin or Gwen Stacy or Doc Ock or J. Jonah Jameson or Spider-Woman or Carnage or Kingpin or Aunt May or Black Cat or Mysterio or Sandman or.....(you get the idea)? Anyway, this is a whole movie about Madame Web for some reason. 

As the most watched television program each year, many studios save their best material for the biggest audience. This year we got trailers for a 90s classic, a beloved musical adaptation, some Ryan Reynolds/Hugh Jackman passion project.

The year is 2008: Marvel is taking a big swing by opening their own movie studio, Chris Nolan's Dark Knight makes a billion dollars, and Eli Manning and the Giants spoil the Patriot's perfect season. But not everything made the front page. We're here to dig up some hidden gems from this year including an overlooked Will Ferrell classic, a star-studded crime drama, and the Wachoski's divisive follow-up to the Matrix.

The success of Emerald Fennell's latest film, Saltburn, proves eating the rich never goes out of style. Starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, this occasionally gross, deeply unsubtle movie skewers the upper crust and probably anyone that's ever been to Oxford.

We're catching up on some December/January news including an announced casting for Abby in the second season of Last of Us, a director/writer reunion for a 28 Days Later sequel, updates on how Tom Cruise is moving the Hollywood machine, and a Jon Favreau directed movie starring helmet-head and baby Yoda.

We didn't think some audio issues should stop you from enjoying our favorites of the last year and the movies we're most excited about in 2024.

Fight Club lovers rejoice! David Fincher is going back to the edgy, cynical well in his newest action thriller, The Killer. Featuring Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, and a considerable amount of The Smith's discography, is this flick pandering to angsty, misanthropic fantasy or does it poke a little fun at its protagonist (and maybe its prospective audience)?

Scott Pilgrim takes it back to 2D in this reinterpretation of the original graphic novel that fleshes out more of its star-studded cast. Featuring tremendously stylish animation and a killer soundtrack, how does this TV series stack up to the highly esteemed Edgar Wright film?

As this 10-year fantasy epic draws to a close, we reflect on some of the highs and lows of the best show about giant monsters eating people. We cover the divisive finale, some of the most memorable moments from the series, and why it absolutely should have ended with a movie. (...we also talk about Spider-Man 3 again)