Reel Phonies

The musical sensation that blew up the Broadway scene is now conveniently located on Disney+ to watch comfortably in your PJs. We take a look at Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking and wildly popular musical about about a life of Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers told through a hip hop-inspired soundtrack. But is it as good as it's hyped up to be? And is it better than Michael Bay's Transformers? Let's find out!

After The Matrix took over the world with its surprising synergy of leather, kung fu, and philosophy, many people were disappointed by the two follow-up efforts, The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions. But has history been overly harsh toward these movies? Join us as we revisit both Matrix sequels to see if they really are as bad as we remember or if this is another case of our expectations getting the best of us.

Sure, it got released on VOD but this is the closest to a big movie release we've had in what feels like forever! This week we're looking at Judd Apatow's King of Staten Island, the semi-autobiographical dramedy about a very Pete Davidson-like protagonist trying to get his life together. It's got Bill Burr, Marisa Tomei, and a lot of tattoos. But is it better than Transformers? 

This week we want to look at the movies that left a lasting impact long after we left the theater. We're bringing you milestone movies: cinematic experiences that change the very way you view the world or sometimes yourself. From the first movie twist that broke your trust in storytelling structure all the way to movies that broaden your perspective of the people around you, these are movies that changed you.

Yeah, sure, the internet is all abuzz about the pending release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League. But don't you think Batman needs a break? Maybe Superman can warm the benches for a couple of years? With a rich stockpile of beloved characters, we want to shine the spotlight on some DC heroes that we think deserve a shot at the big screen. Here are a few pitches for the DC movies we think the world needs right now.

It's the end of a millennium, The Matrix has stolen the collective imagination of America (along with a bunch of anime imagery), and Napster has both revolutionized music and royally pissed off Lars Ulrich. This year was such a hugely influential year for movies that even titles that weren't huge successes at the time have gone to become indisputable classics (e.g. Fight Club). We're determined dig even deeper to find some truly underrated and forgotten gems and party like Prince would have wanted us to.

With the announcement of the Snyder Cut of Justice League, we thought it would be a good time to revisit the original "Snyder Cut" - Batman v Superman: The Ultimate Edition. After a critical panning of the theatrical release of BvS, an additional 30 minutes of runtime were added to the "Ultimate" cut to add new storylines, new characters, and additional context. But is this cut really an improvement? And is it better than Transformers?

It's been a little over 2 months since the world pumped the brakes on everything. But do not despair! Even if the theaters aren't open, we've got summer movies that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home! Join us as we walk through the next three months of releases, discuss which films might have been better suited for VOD anyway, and predict which film might be the first to be released in an honest-to-goodness theater. It's Summer Movie Preview - Pandemic Edition!

The final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is out and we've been excited for any excuse to talk about it. Since 2008, this series has been delighting Star Wars fans by taking the bones George Lucas put in place with the prequels and expanding it into a fully-realized mythology of it's own. The final season looks to bring fans more of what they've come to love and put a cherry on top of this beloved series and we can't wait to dive into it with you!

To celebrate our own 100th episode, we're taking a look at some other notable 100th episodes of our favorite TV shows. As a historical benchmark in the TV industry, many series make an extra effort to do something special for #100 and some of them even stick the landing! Thanks for enabling us for the last two years and we will continue to compare all things to Michael Bay's Transformers until Paramount makes us stop!

What is a Jellicle cat? Why are they horrifying human/cat abominations? Who thought this was a good idea? This week we're taking on one of the strangest movies from 2019 in the Tom Hooper film adaptation of the beloved musical "Cats". It's a real trip, y'all, and an experience you are unlikely to forget.

We're going back in time to the year the iPhone became the greatest thing since sliced bread and diving into some movies that deserve a little more love and recognition. From a forgotten Stephen King masterpiece to one of the greatest modern westerns all the way to one of the strangest movies Samuel L. Jackson has ever been in, 2007 had some truly memorable pearls that are worth a second look.

From zombies to nuclear war to maybe even dragons, there are dozens of ways for the world to end and a few great movies about what happens next. Despite the grim subject matter, we've got a good smattering of drama, action, comedy, thrillers, and even a kids movie to distract you from one apocalypse with another one of your choosing.

If you've been hankering for a well-produced fantasy/action series that is both quality content and fun-trashy television, we have got the show for you! This week we're binging Netflix's Castlevania, a TV show based on an early 90s video game that's somehow kind of great? It's got vampires, magic, political intrigue, an A+ voice cast of B-list actors, and a charming mix of inventive stories and haggard, outdated fantasy tropes. It's way more fun than it ought to be and we can't wait to share it with you.

This week we're reminiscing on our 2nd official Con experience! We've got the low-down on the good and the not-as-good panels, the best cosplay, and maybe a chance celebrity encounter. We also got an opportunity to talk to fellow nerds in their natural habitat and get our finger on the pulse of Geekdom. We had a blast at Pensacon this year and we are excited to share it with you!

Join us this week as we break down the latest Hollywood news and rumors including a major shake-up in the Disney power structure, the first look at the Jordan Peele-produced remake of Candyman, and the final trailer for this year's first Marvel movie, Black Widow.

For our inaugural live episode, we're fixing Star Wars! Sure, it's the most beloved franchise of all time but everyone has one or two things they would change about the series. We're tackling the prequels, the sequels, the OT, and the spinoffs to propose concrete, specific changes to improve these legendary films. We also field some audience suggestions at the end for how to make this cherished epic even better.

Have you ever watched a great trailer for a movie and been like "WOOOAAHH!" and then actually saw that movie and were like "meh"? That's what this episode is about! Join us as we traverse through the most egregious teases in movie history of phenomenal 2 and a half minute shorts that dramatically oversell the film they are attached to.

Join us this week as we break down the latest Hollywood news and rumors including a trailer for a Netflix Transformers animated series, the slightly unexpected PG-13 rating for the live-action adaptation of Mulan, and an unofficial look at the Batman costume on set.

The frost is thawing, the flowers are blooming, and everyone is remembering that bugs exist for some reason. This week we're taking a look forward at the next few months to see what notable or interesting releases are coming up between March and the end of May. Studio executives have no idea what belongs in this space so it's a real hodgepodge. We'll look at all films, big and small, and help sort out what is worth watching and, most importantly, what will be better or worse than Transformers.