Screeners Podcast

It’s taken us many years and what feels like hundreds of movies, but we’ve reached the end of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s culminating in Avengers: Endgame an opus so long it’s spawned a cottage industry of articles designed to tell you when it’s safe to go to the bathroom (https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/25/18515273/avengers-endgame-bathroom-break-scenes). So it’s been released, and it made, like, a billion dollars on opening weekend (not hyperbole (https://www.wired.com/story/avengers-endgame-box-office-totals/)). What Kevin Feige and the rest of us really want to know, though, is whether Chris liked it more than Infinity War. Well, we’re here to put that debate to rest once and for all. Oh, we’re sure the other four Screeners who braved the mobs opening weekend will have some thoughts too, but we’re really here for Chris, right?...right? Anyway, you know where to find us to agree or disagree about the biggest cash cow of all time: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) or Twitt

It’s that time of year again—the episode so chaotic it even draws Josh out of his cave. Or maybe he just likes the gambling aspect of it. Anyway...it’s Summer Movie Wager time! You can check out the rules here (http://www.timetravelreviews.com/smp/Rules.html), but the quick version is that we’ll be ranking 2019 releases from Avengers: Endgame (April 26) through Labor Day by the haul we expect them to bring in from the US/Canada box office. As in any of these contests, most of the fun is in the trash talk, and then the rest of it comes when Chad loses. Tune in for an hour or so of people taking ticket sales way too seriously, and when everyone’s done yelling at each other, head over to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/ScreenersCast/) and give us your own picks! If you want to go the extra mile, you could even participate on another leaderboard (http://www.thesummermoviewager.com/)—we didn’t come up with this tradition, after all. Good luck! Subscribe: iTunes (h

It seems that even the small comic companies want a piece of that sweet reboot action, so now there’s another Hellboy movie. There’s no Ron Perlman, though, and the movie’s current Rotten Tomatoes score sort of reflects that. Or maybe it reflects that it’s not a great film—we don’t know; let’s ask Chris and Daniel about it. They’re the only ones who made it out to see this one (so far), so maybe they can tell the rest of us whether it’s worthwhile. Any other straggler Screeners who see the movie will have to chime in on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/ScreenersCast/), so that’s where you should head now for the rest of the discussion. Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st/TZQF) Web: Home (http://screenerspodcast.com/) | Download (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/15272701-2f5b-4fb3-8

The Screeners are feeling bad about missing their last scheduled recording, so there are two movies on the agenda tonight. First up, an uncharacteristically light movie from the DC Universe about a teenage superhero: Shazam! Can the studio shake its reputation (at least among the Screeners) of overly dour, dull movies, or will they find some way to ruin an otherwise joyful story? And while we’re on the topic, let’s do a quick Top 3 on the DC Universe lineup so far. We can’t wait to find out if Shazam! fares better than the current fan favorite, Batman v Superman. OK, now that the comics are out of our system, time to turn to some checkout-line horror with the new Stephen King adaptation, Pet Sematary. Recent King films have gotten passing marks from our peanut gallery (except for maybe The Dark Tower, but let’s face it; that was a losing battle), so let’s see if this one keeps the streak going. You know what you have to do now—head to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) or Twitter (https://twit

If we say we’re reviewing a horror movie, we’ve probably lost some of you right out of the gate. Josh is usually the first to go. But say “it’s a Jordan Peele horror movie”, and he starts paying attention again. It’s not a sequel to Get Out, but there was something unique about Peele’s voice in his debut feature that leads to high expectations for Us. Chad, Chris, and Daniel made it to the theater on opening weekend, so they’re more than happy to tell you if said expectations were met. Also, Apple had one of their big, fancy events on Monday, and they announced something relevant to our little show here. Apple TV+ and Apple TV Channels, or whatever they’re calling the two different things that they announced together, promise to be game-changers. Either way, it’s a new streaming service (or two of them?), so the Screeners have to weigh in. And you should too! What do you think about Us and Apple’s play for streaming dominance? Let us know on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) and Twitter (http

Welcome to an episode of the Screeners you can play along with at home! There’s not a lot new in the theater this week, so we’re reviewing the latest Netflix release by J.C. Chandor, director of A Most Violent Year. Triple Frontier is a movie about soldiers, but not about the military. Is “guerilla-style heist movie” a genre? It is now; we’re christening it. And just to drive home the point that Triple Frontier isn’t a military movie, our Top 3 for this episode is “military movies”. Don’t ask why; just go with it—and if you haven’t already, add your picks to the list over on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/ScreenersCast/status/1107407704669061120)! See you next time! Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st/TZQF) Web: Home (http://screenerspodcast.com/) | Download (https://aphid.fireside.fm/

Before we get into the mundanity of summarizing the episode that is the show notes’ main reason for existing, we have an exciting announcement: a new guest host is joining the Screeners! It’s been too long since we’ve had a female voice in the group, so we’re happy to welcome April to the group. And now, as promised, from breaking news to something...a little less surprising: our main event this episode is a superhero movie. Captain Marvel does start a female character, though, so at least that makes it semi-unique in the Marvel pantheon. Was it worth its box office haul? Our Top 3 this time (you read right; we’re doing Top 3s again—this episode just keeps on getting better!) is “Amnesia”. You’d think this would mean “movies that feature amnesia”, but who knows how Chris will twist the topic to serve him? Sometimes we think he doesn’t even plan ahead for these and just invents a reason for his pick in real time; it’s actually pretty impressive. OK, enough fun for one episode. Help us welcome April by leaving

It’s been awhile since the Screeners have just, y’know, talked about stuff, but since the Academy Awards, that same Academy has thrown some serious shade (https://news.avclub.com/steven-spielberg-is-gunning-to-make-sure-netflix-never-1833005033) in Netflix’s direction that might affect either their future distribution model or their chances in future awards seasons. So we couldn’t just leave that there. Also on the “now that the Oscars are over” front: it’s officially time to start anticipating next year’s contenders, so let’s hear about the movies the Screeners are most looking forward to in 2019. OK, so Chris might not be picking Best Picture nominees as much as “most explosions” nominees, but what would a podcast be without someone picking the fun movies? Oh, and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is out, demonstrating once more the new legal requirement for sequels to have subtitles. Let’s talk about it anyway. Your turn: what movies are on your must-see list for this year? Let us know over on Fac

There were at least a couple surprises in this year’s Academy Awards, and Chad and Daniel couldn’t wait another day to talk about them or who earned the prestigious year-long bragging rights for this year's prediction pool. And, of course, it's not just the winner of the host pool we'll be announcing -- there's also a Blu-Ray to be sent to the audience member with the best ballot, so tune in to find out who won. And the contest may be over, but the discussion isn't! We don’t just want to hear your picks; we want to hear what you thought about the Academy’s choices. Let us know over on Facbeook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/), and we’ll be back in a week or so with a special announcement! Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st/TZQF) Web: Home (http://screenerspodcast.com/) | Download (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/1527270

Alita: Battle Angel might be one of those Hollywood manga reimaginings that no one really asked for, but which James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez decided to give us anyway. Sure, there are probably fans of the original series, but how many are there, and did they even want this? Chad and Chris may never know the answer to those questions, but they can tell you how the Americanized film turned out. You might think there wouldn’t be much to talk about here, but you’d be mistaken. And while we’re here, why not spend some time on the sequel to the Screeners-approved cartoon/toy mashup, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. We see what they did there with the title, but does the rest of the movie maintain that sort of razor-sharp wit? Tune in to find out. OK, so those reviews might actually show up in reverse order in the episode, but we just felt like mocking Alita was more important to our goal here. Did you see either of these? How wrong was Chris (or Chad; he’s usually wrong too)? Let us know on Facebook (https:/

The Screeners just awarded their best of 2018, and it’s about to be the Academy’s turn (we totally planned the recording schedule that way, btw). You know what that means: Chad, Daniel, and Tyler are going to dish on the Oscars—who’s in the running, who’s not, why that’s such a crime, and why Josh should pay more attention to awards season. OK, so no one cares about that last one, but we figured that if we were going to pretend that people cared about the other three... Just kidding; the Academy Awards are a yearly institution, and they’re surely the deciding factor in certain films getting greenlit or not, so they’re at least worth a Screeners episode. Just don’t tell Chris that Mission Impossible probably won’t win best picture. Have any predictions/rants of your own for this year’s awards lineup? Let us know on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/)! Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4

It’s that time of year again! “What time,” you ask? Well, you could be forgiven for answering “time for the Screeners to finally record another episode” (except by Daniel; he takes these things personally), but what we were going for was “time for a ‘year in review’ episode”. The Screeners—or most of them, plus guest host Tyler—are back once more to share their favorite (and least favorite) cinematic experiences of 2018. Even if the timing isn’t, at least the format of these episodes is consistent: we’ll start off with each host’s top 10 list, round-robin countdown style, then we’ll hit a few bonus questions at the end. It doesn’t sound like much, but it definitely is...trust us. If you make it through the whole thing, head over to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) and add your picks to the mix (we’ll post ours in convenient text form over there too, just to start things off right). Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://p

The Screeners can’t think of any better way to spend the holiday season than some quality family time, a reboot of a beloved musical (which couldn’t possibly fall flat), and a C-list tattooed superhero with a trident. OK, so we’re just playing the hand we’ve been dealt this year. Mary Poppins Returns and Aquaman are here, so that’s what we watched—or, at least, what Chad, Daniel, and Tyler watched. Everyone else was strangely absent for this episode, though we can’t imagine why. Share some holiday cheer over on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) page, and have a great New Year! Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st/TZQF) Web: Home (http://screenerspodcast.com/) | Download (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/15272701-2f5b-4fb3-81f6-b494b321b3f9/c6b88b9d-c844-4299-a83d-7f4c9554abae.mp3) Social: Facebook (https://www.face

Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse is more than just a strangely punctuated and capitalized title; it’s also a new take on the character. With a PG rating, it’s about as family-friendly as superhero movies get, and it’s scoring a lot of style points with critics. Is that enough, though, or should Sony just give up and sell the Spiderman rights back to Marvel Studios so they can fully assimilate him into the money-printing machine? And since this is still technically a Spiderman movie, we sort of have to address the craziness that is the Spiderman film canon. Let’s go ahead and talk about our favorite entries and decide once and for all who wore the Spandex best. Cast your vote on that question and more on the Screeners Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) page, and we’ll see you next time! Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st

OK, we promised we wouldn’t turn the show notes all political, so...Green Book is a movie about two people who become friends, and it’s set in a time period other than the present. We’re not sure if it’s a commentary on anything at all, and we have no idea why it was released this year. Chad and Daniel both saw it, so they’re going to talk about it, and we’re sure neither of them will say anything controversial. It’s a good thing Josh hasn’t seen it yet, because we’re sure he wouldn’t have any opinions about any of these topics either. Also, the Golden Globe nominations (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/movies/golden-globe-nominations.html) have been announced. The Globes are either the most credible or the most boring arbiters of “quality” entertainment, depending whom you ask. They’re happening in January, though, so you might as well let the Screeners’ two biggest award show groupies catch you up on the latest dirt. And once you’ve listened, as always, go to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenersca

The Screeners are back after the holiday craziness (at least, the first holiday craziness of the season) with another sequel double feature. At least Creed II and Ralph Breaks the Internet are from different genres—boxing movies and animated features don’t have a lot in common...or do they? One is the latest in a decades-long franchise that’s become an American classic, and one...is a Disney movie. Both have a name live up to; the first Creed brought the Rocky story alive for a new generation, earning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes in the process, and Wreck-It Ralph was good enough to be featured in one of Kanye West’s psychotic episodes*. Anyway, Chad, Chris, and Daniel (listed in alphabetical order for your convenience) each made it to the theater for at least one of these fine films, so we might as well let them say the rest. Or better yet, let them say a little bit, then go to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) to argue with them. It’ll make Josh feel like he was there too. “What about Melody?”

The Chad and Daniel bonus hour* is back! Judging by box office returns, you may not be all that excited about First Man, but maybe the two Screeners who spend the most time in the theater can convince you otherwise. If not, there’s plenty more to talk about, since they also saw Bad Times at the El Royale recently. They’ll cover that and more in an Oscar-season What We’ve Been Watching segment that’s sure to give you some items for your own list. Speaking of your list, we want to know what you’ve been watching too. Let us know on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/)—you might hear about it on a future episode! * Bonus hours may not last an actual hour...on Earth. Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st/TZQF) Web: Home (http://screenerspodcast.com/) | Download (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/15272701-2f5b-4fb3-81f6-b494

It’s that time again—another incongruous Screeners double feature! One movie’s called A Star is Born, and the main character from the other one was born on a star (Sort of? Maybe?), but that’s where the similarity ends. A Star is Born may be a remake, but Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are getting terrific buzz for their acting. Tom Hardy as Venom, though? Not so much (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/venom-tom-hardy-clearly-thinks-hes-a-comedy-1149683). That said, it’s still a Marvel movie, so at least a couple of the Screeners will see it out of an overwhelming sense of duty. Speaking of duty: Tyler’s back as a guest host because a) we like him, and b) not enough of the Screeners did their job. Everyone give him a warm re-welcome on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/), OK? Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st

It’s (well) past Labor Day now, so we can safely determine that Josh lost the 2018 Box Office Wager. Just kidding; we knew that back in May. Anyway, the final results are in, and the real question here is whether Chad’s prognostications live up to his braggadocio. The Screeners Podcast: Come for the superhero movies, stay for the big words in the show notes. And don’t forget to let us know how your own box office ballot turned out on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/)! Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st/TZQF) Web: Home (http://screenerspodcast.com/) | Download (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/15272701-2f5b-4fb3-81f6-b494b321b3f9/cd68be62-d59c-499b-8f13-3d140eb7aa88.mp3) Social: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/screenerscast/)

Good news, everyone: Spike Lee is back. BlacKkKlansman is one of those movies you really wish wasn’t based so closely on a true story, for so many reasons. An undercover police officer really did infiltrate the KKK in the 1970s, though, and the story only gets better from there. If the pedigree and critical reception weren’t enough to convince you to see it, maybe the Screeners can help. And if the Screeners aren’t enough, maybe special guest host Rob Alderman of 5dollarfilm (https://www.facebook.com/5dollarmovie/) fame will be. If even he isn’t enough, then...OK, you got us. We’re out of options. Head over to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) and tell us about how we let you down. We can take it. Subscribe: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/screeners-podcast/id611609146) | Google Play (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iissyasykzy4aokzsgmcto5xsfe?t=Screeners_Podcast) | Pocket Casts (http://pca.st/TZQF) Web: Home (http://screenerspodcast.com/) | Download (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/