Hocus Pocus Double Feature Review

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Get on the haunted nostalgia train as Alison and Brendon rewatch and review the 1993 Disney classic, Hocus Pocus. Come back to the present as they review the sequel that’s been 29 years in the making!

A Disney Studios Retrospective

Alison and Brendon discuss all things Disney Studios. Join them as they talk about their long history with the House of Mouse, from their early beginnings to their complicated relationship with the modern juggernaut, and everything in between.

Meet the Hosts – Officially Welcoming Alison

We officially welcome Alison as a full time host! Get to know a little about all of us as we discuss all our favorites. Movies, directors, actors, guilty pleasures, and more. As always, Alison stresses out about her answers, Parker berates everyone, and Brendon gets pretentious!

Under the Influence: Steven Spielberg

Let’s talk about a terrific titan of cinema, Steven Spielberg. In order to tackle this behemoth the boys bring in their very own dinosaur: Parker’s Dad. Join the crew to discuss the “Golden Age” of Spielberg, his incredible output over the last 50 years, and if he’s dropped off in quality in his later years. […]

Recasting a Modern Lord of the Rings Trilogy

We’re once again joined by Alison to take on a modern remake of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and who we would pick as our cast. Alison gets emotional and struggles to let go of the original cast, Brendon has some terribly studio-friendly picks, and Parker is certain that he has cast the perfect […]

Adaptations

Alison is back with us to discuss adaptations, what makes them good, bad, and how difficult they are to make. We discuss what makes an adaptation good, how loosely the source material can be used, and if there is such a thing as a “spiritual adaptation”. There’s plenty of content in this episode so come […]

Under the Influence: Christopher Nolan

The boys are joined by Sean to discuss his favorite director, Christopher Nolan. Instead of spending the entire episode gushing about Nolan’s films we decided to talk about some of his faults, and how it impacts our enjoyment of his work. Join us as we discuss: intentionally bad sound mixing, the overall misuse (or outright […]

Episode 18: The Legacy of A24

Let’s talk A24’s impact on the industry, and what sort of difference a film’s budget can make. Alison joins us to discuss if mid-budget independent films have a place outside of streaming services in a post-pandemic world.

Episode 17: Under the Influence – Guillermo del Toro

We discuss the influence Guillermo del Toro has had on Parker’s love of movies, and what sets him apart as creative. Brendon tries to ask some pondering questions but ultimately gets distracted by Pacific Rim trivia. Tune in to discover all the pending projects del Toro has ongoing (and will likely never be able to […]

Episode 16: A24 Bros

We’re once again joined by our resident A24 Bro Connor to discuss what makes A24 different from other film studios, and why it has such a massive following. Parker ponders whether the distinction is deserved, and Brendon is surprised about all the films A24 has made.

Episode 15 – Art of the Score

The boys discuss revolutionary film scores, what purpose a film score serves, and their impact on us as people. Parker gets emotional just thinking about the “Up” theme, while Brendon is shocked to silence about Parker’s ability to hum a tune.

Episode 14: Critical Critics

Ratings and reviews, who needs them? In this episode we discuss critics, from the late and great Roger Ebert, to the infamous Armond White. Plus we look at what reviews mean to us, and whether it changes our decision to watch a movie. Finally, Parker gets very upset about the difference between Rotten Tomatoes and […]

Episode 13: Toxic Fandom

The boys discuss toxic fandom, what it is and how to deal with it. Brendon starts having PTSD while we discuss Star Wars, and Parker gets weird about Rick and Morty.

Episode 12: Under the Influence – Kevin Smith

In a new segment we discuss the influence that one creative has had on one of our lives. This month we look at Brendon’s teenage love: Kevin Smith. It’s part career retrospective, part personal stories, but all Kevin Smith.

Episode 11: The Superhero Bubble

People have been writing articles about “The Superhero Bubble” for the last decade, so the boys decided to look into it. Are Superhero films going to go the way of the Western? Have all genres basically stayed the same in terms of popularity? Also there’s a little film school 101 with a quick overview of […]

Episode 10: Anime + Storytelling

Parker has always had a hard time getting into Anime (shows and films), and so he decided to find out why. The boys talk through various cultural differences in the East versus the West, and especially what those differences mean for their practice of storytelling.

Episode 9: Studio Interference

Studios, Producers, and Distributors are constantly blamed for getting in the way of an artist’s “creative vision”, but how true is that really? The boys look at examples where studio interference helped movies to become better, and also where they made the movie significantly worse.

Episode 8: Dangerous Interpretation

People are always saying that “art is subjective”, but what about when someone thinks something that is just plain wrong? From Joker and Taxi Driver to Fight Club and American Psycho, the boys discuss films that people frequently get wrong, and the consequences that can occur.

Episode 7: Nostalgia

Given that every film franchise needs to have some element of nostalgia involved we discuss nostalgia, what it is, why it’s important, and why it doesn’t fill the gaping hole left by the departure of childhood innocence.

Episode 6: Franchise Burnout

Does watching a franchise movie ever burn you out? Are you tired of heroes in capes punching villains also in capes? Are you just fed up with that same old Intergalactic Conflict? Join the fellas as we discuss burnout with big franchises, how to deal with it, and how studios can avoid burning their fans […]

Episode 5: Art of the Trailer

The boys discuss good, bad, and plenty of ugly trailers. Plus we look at how trailers are made, why some of them suck, and those we adore.

Episode 4: Art vs Artist

The boys get serious. We discuss separating problematic people from the art they create. Has Harvey Weinstein’s influence ruined the movies he produced? Should we support the new Fantastic Beasts movie? Why has Mel Gibson been welcomed back into Hollywood? Join us as we wrestle with problems that don’t always have easy answers.

Episode 3: No MCU, No Cinema

The boys discuss what makes a movie “Cinema”, what Martin Scorsese meant, and whether movie theatres would still be in business without the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Episode 2: Attack of the Streamers

We discuss our binge-watching habits during the pandemic, whether we prefer going to the theatre or watching from home, and how Parker’s ADHD impacts his ability to pay attention to what he’s watching.

Episode 1: America’s Sweetheart, Tom Cruise

We talk Tom Cruise and the Academy Awards. Does the king of running on-screen deserve an Oscar? From Born on the Fourth of July to Collateral, we discuss Tom Cruise’s overlooked career and history of award snubs.