Screeners Podcast

...so let’s talk about the past for awhile. Seriously, though, if even CNN thinks it’s news, we should probably at least mention that October 21, 2015 was Back to the Future Day—the day the DeLorean took us to all the way back in 1985. Everything that might have happened in the future has now happened in the past. Think about that for a minute.OK, minute over. We probably shouldn’t have taken our news cues from CNN anyway. Their credentials are...suspect. J-j-jump Cut time!Spielberg and the (Pseudo)science of Rewatchable CinemaThis episode’s short on topics but plenty long on discussion. To foreshadow our main event, we put out some feelers on Facebook to see what your favorite Steven Spielberg movies were. We got some good responses, but you didn’t think the Screeners were going to stay silent, did you? As it turns out, the real question isn’t, “Name a good Spielberg movie,” but rather, “How well can Daniel defend a nearly apocryphal Indiana Jones movie?” Oh, and we also talk about our least favorite Spielbe

It’s a nice round episode number, and all of the Screeners are back on...what are we calling this? “The air”? Sure—they’re all back on the air. It seems that the Facebook audience (that’s y’all!) was plenty interested in the last episode’s discussions, though, so Melody and Josh spend the first few minutes getting caught up on some of your favorite fight scenes. And as promised, here's the undeniable winner.The Jumpiest of CutsAfter that, it’s straight into an extended Jump Cuts section. Chad’s recent viewing of the The Walk and its box office troubles have gotten the five thinking about the history of the box office bomb and asking themselves if there are any that don’t belong on Wikipedia’s list of the biggest flops in history. A preview: Keanu Reeves doesn’t do well.Next, we hear how many movies Chad saw last week, and we get a brief tour of what everyone else has been watching recently. Josh’s answers just might surprise you.The careful reader will have noticed that the last paragraph was short. That was

Although we're missing Melody and Josh from the majority of this episode, Chad, Chris, and Daniel still manage to find something to disagree about, even without Josh here! In this packed episode, we've got some Jump Cuts and our first Oscar Bait review of the year, as well as a very special interview with filmmaker Brett Culp.First up, we look back through film history to talk about our favorite fight scenes. Daniel keeps things current with a couple recent scenes, while Chad and Chris take a more classic approach. Also, Chad finds a way to bring up San Andreas and mock Daniel yet again.And in our next Jump Cut, the Screeners discuss the Fall TV slate and their hopes for new and returning shows. Chad's given up on a favorite, Daniel's excited for some new ones, and Chris manages to STILL talk about Hannibal, despite it being cancelled.Melody and Josh return as we interview filmmaker Brett Culp, the director of Legends of the Knight, about his upcoming project Look to the Sky. Brett discusses the doc

Sadly, Melody’s not around for this episode, but the four guys have promised to try to argue enough to fill her role as the most belligerent Screener. We’ll have one fewer segment than normal for this episode, but there’s plenty of content to make up for it.Past Its Prime (Time)First off, late night TV has a new face in its roster. There have been profiles about Colbert and analysis of the dog-eat-dog comedy world he’s entering, but the Screeners (at least, the ones who still have ‘cords’, since you know how hard it is to watch network TV online...) have politely waited until his show started to pass judgement. It’s been a week, though, so gloves off. Has he changed anything for the better, or is it more of the same?And since that was a reasonably interesting and timely discussion, we decided to let Chris ask a question. We’re not quite sure what happened next, but we remember it was something about physical media and that Josh had to make something up because he’s maybe watched a grand total of one DVD comme

Turns out that Josh made it back safely from wherever he was (against Chad's wishes), so the Screeners have returned with a full complement of hosts, ready to take on the (media-related) issues of the day. After a summer full of blockbusters that at least 2 or 3 of our panel enjoyed, we're in a bit of a summer lull as far as movie releases go, so we're going to do things a little differently this time. Stick with us, though; we're sure *someone* will make it worth your while.This One Weird Trick Will Make People Comment on Your Facebook PageTo start things off easy, the Screeners recap what they've been watching recently, new or not. Pop quiz: What's Chris going to talk about? We'll give you a hint:  It rhymes with "cannibal". Oh, and it has one in it. We think he's seen every episode of that show as many times as a kid raised by TV in the 90's saw every episode of Saved by the Bell. Josh wants to discuss True Detective, but he's the only one who's seen the second season so far. He wanted us to be sure t

Hey, what do you know? We told you that we are going to be more regular … and did we deliver, or did we deliver? Two episodes released in less than a month – we are on a roll!We are missing our favorite host this episode – Josh is away travelling the country, probably visiting all his favorite movie theaters without us. We miss you Josh! But Daniel is back with us for another episode and he manages to throw us a curveball or two.SUMMER FAVORITES AND FAILURESWe have a fun time this episode trying to determine our best and worst of the summer, along with our biggest surprise. Good thing Josh is away this episode because he would never have let us get away with our pick for best film! Ha! That’s what you get for taking a week off, Josh!SECRETS AND SPIES: For your EntertainmentAnother double header this week! Mostly because Melody demanded to review The Gift even though it’s been out for a few weeks. And we couldn’t pass up The Man From U.N.C.L.E, because we just haven’t had enough spy movies lately!We did not ma

Welcome back to another irregularly scheduled episode of the Screeners Podcast! It’s been awhile, but we’ll be better from now on, we promise! C’mon, you can trust us...when have we ever let you down? OK, so there was that one time, but you know we didn’t mean it—wait, no, don’t go; we’re serious this time!Jokes aside, though, this episode marks a new chapter for the Screeners:  We’re adding a new cast member! Introducing new co-hosts makes it easier for at least four Screeners to be available to record a new episode, so everyone wins. Look for us to be adding about 50 more in the coming months; that should keep us nice and regular. Everyone say hi to Daniel!Nothing New Under the SunFor such a long time away, the Screeners have realized they don’t have a lot to talk about. They must’ve been too busy preparing for tonight’s double-header review. The best they can come up with is a couple trailers from Comic-Con: Batman vs. Superman and Suicide Squad. If you haven’t seen them yet, take a couple minutes and

Playing Catch-upSo, yeah, it’s been awhile. Again. The Screeners had the best of intentions, they promise. Somewhere in the past month or so there were at least two episodes that were planned and fell through the cracks. Since Josh actually went to the theater for said episodes (and he really wants you to know that he did his job in all of this), the four have given up on the lightning round this week and instead have opted for a grab bag of “whatcha been watchin’?”.Chris starts the segment off with a review of the most recent season of Game of Thrones...and ends up somewhere else entirely, but we won’t begrudge him his burning passion for network TV. Or maybe we just fed him the GoT topic so we could post this. Next up is Chad, who admits he’s late to the party for once, but loves Silicon Valley all the same. The show’s been a big hit with a majority of the Screeners, actually, and there’s definitely some fun to be had guessing which of the show’s characters may have been modeled after Josh.Since Josh gets a

Have we got a treat for you!OK, lower your expectations a bit; it's not that special...The Screeners got a chance to see Avengers: Age of Ultron on opening weekend—together! It was the first time they were all in a theater together in...well, no one could remember how long, so they decided to sit down and talk about their reactions that very evening. In true Screener style, they waited a week to release the recording, but hey; that's just how they roll.Now, prepare yourself:  An off-the-cuff recording means Josh's pessimism will lack the polish that rewriting his episode notes several times normally gives him, but that just gives Chris the chance to fill that gap with genuine wonder and exuberance, like a child at the first day of space camp. Chad and Melody were there too, but their opinions are of course far too level-headed to make for entertaining notes.OK, enough rambling; enjoy the recording, live-ish from Chad's dining room table. And listen without fear, there are no spoilers from opening night.

The New Era ContinuesChris did such a bang-up job with Jump Cuts last time that we figured we’d just make him the semi-permanent lightning round czar. It’s not the title he wanted, but as we kept trying to tell him, there can be only one Highlander.Anyway, the Screeners were terrified to learn of a change in direction for the next Star Trek movie...or at least, the two Screeners who care were. The other half of them were mildly bemused, and we all know there’s nothing more entertaining in a Jump Cut than mild bemusement.Next up, the Screeners delve into a bit of personal preference with a discussion of what they’d like to see more of in the movies. Josh is left temporarily speechless when he’s told that asking for “more less” doesn’t make sense.And because one human interest piece just isn’t enough for one episode, the four then spend some time talking about a villain (from the medium of their choice) whom they find memorable or especially effective. Turns out that Chris’s secret fear is mixing media and exer

The First Real Lightning Round Ever?The Screeners put Chris in charge of Jump Cuts this week, and for once they're able to keep the discussion brief. Not that we’re saying anything about the level of thought required to answer these particular questions or anything; Josh just happens to have a very succinct opinion about the Apple Watch.Oh yeah, and if you ever wanted to relive precious childhood memories of watching Airwolf, you’ll definitely want to tune in for this segment. That’s right—Airwolf. Only on the Screeners Podcast.Time is a Flat Circle, and Other Overbearing Fairy TalesFor the main event this time, the Screeners have a different kind of double header. First up, they’ve revived an old favorite segment, cleverly rebranding it to something more playful yet in no way more suggestive: “Convince Me to Watch” is now “Made You Look”.Each host has chosen a viewing assignment for one of the others, and they do their best to keep their picks outside the other’s normal wheelhouse. Join the fun as

Art Is Its Own Reward...Unless You Didn't Get NominatedHe sang, he danced, he forced us to watch him in his underwear. Neil Patrick Harris hosted the Oscars this year, and besides his, um, inimitable hosting, the show boasted some unique musical performances, some inexcusable snubs, and 3 and a half hours of self-congratulatory...we mean, we love the Oscars. So very much. That's all we're contractually obligated to say, right? Good. Let's get on with our reviews.The Spy Who Imprinted on MeTonight the Screeners have a double feature in store, and in a surprise turn of events, Josh actually saw one of them! Please, hold your applause. It only makes him stronger.First up, Kingsman: The Secret Service. Part espionage homage, part frat boy comedy, the Screeners have quite a bit to say about this Matthew Vaughn/Colin Firth joint. There's so much fun to be had here that they don't even need a spoiler section to pad the review time—er, dissect the narrative arc and contemplate the directorial choices. Yeah, that's wh

No, we don’t think the audience will—yes, we know the last time was November; we just...oh, hi! We didn’t see you there. We were just talking to our agent. She thinks we should just close up shop and not even let you hear what the Screeners thought of 2014, that you’re not even listening at this point anyway. We’ve been insisting that we have a solemn duty to you, our loyal fans, and that we wouldn’t think of betraying that trust for anything longer than 3 months at a time. We’ll make her see reason yet.Anyway, the Screeners did just get together, they did talk about their favorite movies of 2014 (and some of their least favorite), and they do want you to hear it. Unfortunately, you won’t hear it until after AMPAS renders their opinions moot with that little Sunday night shindig. Fortunately, the Screeners have no shame, and they don’t care. Enjoy!

The Screeners are back with a double-header of unique movies, one a blockbuster of sorts and one...not so much. Before that, though, we have a bit of nostalgia and nerdery to cover in Jump Cuts.Comic books and consolesFirst up, superhero movies. Yes, again. In fact, it seems like we’ll be talking about superhero movies almost constantly for the foreseeable future, since the Marvel and DC universes are collectively pumping out at least 29 of them over the next 6 years. Why stop one short of 30, you ask? We think they’re waiting until Christmas to announce a Valentine’s Day release of The Punisher vs. Cupid. What can we say? They’re running out of characters.Next, though, we have a topic that’s pretty much the opposite of overplayed. Johnny Rockets, the 50’s-themed restaurant chain, is apparently trying to bring back the drive-in theater. The last time we saw one of these was in Into the Furnace, and it didn’t look like a fun place to be. Maybe some drive-through burgers would help that, though. So whaddya say?

That's right - after a (not-so) brief sabbatical, the Screeners are back! You didn't think we'd leave without saying goodbye, did you? Well, Chad might...The Good, Bad, and Meh of Fall TVThe fall TV season is upon us, so why shouldn't it dominate Jump Cuts? The Screeners play fast and loose with the buzzer as they talk about the new shows keeping them on the couch longer this year. While they're on the subject, they might as well also mention which returning shows have kept a spot in their DVRs (or wherever cord-cutters keep their TV queue) and the ones that have outstayed their welcomes.To close out the round, it looks as though Netflix is breaking entertainment ground yet again, and it's ground the movie theaters would prefer to keep, um, unbroken. The sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is being released on the streaming service simultaneously with its theatrical debut, and the theaters are so upset that many are refusing to show it at all. Competition in distribution channels:  A good thing, or

The Screeners are back, this time with heavier hearts than normal, as we have to recap  the life and death of yet another beloved celebrity. Robin Williams was a man with a bullet train for a mind and a mouth to match. Disarming, funny, and by all accounts as wonderful a human being as he was an actor—you’ll be missed, Genie.Sadness, and the Internet Detectives Who Cause ItThe hosts spend the first Jump Cut reliving their favorite memories from Robin’s prolific career—and no, they won’t be paying any attention to the buzzer.We should take this opportunity to also bid farewell to Lauren Bacall. She was a generation or so before (most of) the Screeners, so we don’t have quite the same attachment to her as our parents or grandparents might, but she’s definitely earned a mention. By the way, if you ever get the chance, you should ask Chad, “You do know how to whistle, don’t you?”After the nostalgia, it’s back to the controversy machine that is cable television—or, in this case, premium television. Nic Pizzol

Important news first: Josh is back (for this episode, at least)! He’s taken a break from his new life of juggling childcare, work, and leaning in (dudes are allowed to do that too, right?) to talk about some of the most entertaining news in entertainment right now.Idiocracies, Theocracies, and DictatorshipsFirst off in jump cuts, those wascally wegiswators are at it again, trying to classify anything on the internet that takes up more bandwidth than a Geocities site as a potential terrorist threat. You may have heard about net neutrality from John Oliver, and since it’s kind of a tech thing, normally Josh would only be covering this on the podcast he records inside his head. As you may have figured out, though, this could potentially affect Netflix, so the Screeners are all over it. This should be fun…Next up, we’ve got another Biblical movie coming our way in December. Ridley Scott is taking on Exodus, subtitling it “Gods and Kings”. It looks epic, sure, but will it work? We’re sure Melody will love it, at l

The Screeners continue our summer of movies with reviews of two box office hits: How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Transformers: Age of Extinction. After years of teasing Chris about his love for the Transformers films, will the Screeners be able to have a civil discussion about this long-awaited motion picture event?WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHINGSomehow, in between all the summer movie mayhem, the Screeners have managed to watch some small screen programming as well. Tune in to find out what's on our media radar! (Guess what... Chris finds a way to bring up Hannibal once again!)DOUBLE FEATURE: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR TRANSFORMERIf only those giant robots could be trained... Oh wait! Optimus Prime may or may not discover the secret to doing just that in the fourth installment of the franchise. But first! We must discuss the highly acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon 2. Do the Screeners feel that this sequel lives up to the greatness of the original? Then, Chris finally gets to review M

In this bonus episode, Chad and Chris discuss their impressions of the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo!

Rewriting HistoryThe Screeners welcome summer with a triple play review of three major blockbusters: X-Men Days of Future Past, Maleficent, and Edge of Tomorrow. Interestingly enough, it seems that all three films have a common goal in mind... to rewrite history. Let's see if the Screeners are on board with the rewrites! STRAIGHT TO THE MAIN EVENTNo time for jump cuts this week - we all love to hear ourselves talk too much to make time for a triple header AND a warm up act. So... we begin with the highly praised X-Men Days of Future Past. Does Bryan Singer redeem his last few films with this next installment of the X-Men saga? Or has this franchise descended too far into mediocrity to be salvaged? And most importantly, can Chris handle the implications of this film on future X-Men films, or must he stage a great protest? (Review -  01:36 Spoilers - 14:15)Then we move to the much anticipated retelling of the classic Disney story of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent. Thoug