Movie Schmovie

There will be no regular show this week, but Ron, Steve, and John will appear as guests on THE MCU’S BLEEDING EDGE’s Youtube channel, to discuss the two-episode premiere of FX’s much-anticipated series Alien: Earth. The live stream starts at 9:35 EST on Wednesday, August 13th, and will be archived later.

Steve’s low-key Required Viewing pick, a naturalistic baseball movie called Eephus, is discussed, as are a couple of new releases in theaters now, Together and The Naked Gun. John also enthuses about the latest books to arrive on his stack, and Steve catches up with recent movies after a few “down weeks.”

There’s nothing Ron, Steve, and John can’t do with a podcast. This week, though, they do precisely three things: talk about Tony Scott’s 1990 racing drama Days of Thunder, talk about the new Fantastic Four movie and what it means for the MCU, and talk about something known as “other stuff.” It’s conversation time!

John’s Required Viewing pick is director Carl Franklin’s 1995 noir thriller Devil in a Blue Dress. The guys discuss the film’s star-making turn from Don Cheadle, the screen presence of Denzel Washington, and why we never got any sequels. Then it’s time to assess the first full trailer for Stranger Things’s anticipated fifth season, as well as other recent news. Finally, Ronald talks about a unique screening of Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary that he just attended.

The guys finally get around to Steve’s Required Viewing pick, Deep Cover, a light British spy spoof not to be confused with the 1992 thriller of the same name starring Lawrence Fishburne (which was covered back in episode 385). Then they all discuss recent things they’ve watched, and the show wraps up with Ron and John enthusing about James Gunn’s new take on Superman.

This is what we used to call a catchup eppy! I guess we still call it that. Anyway, no Required Viewing this week (patience), but the guys scrounge up enough recent stuff to cover, even so. Enjoy!

Is there anything scarier than a clown... in a cornfield? We’re about to find out! This week, Ronald's Required Viewing puts 2025’s Clown in a Cornfield front and center. Is it a new slasher classic or just a really bad dream? We’ll tell you! Then the guys dive into some franchise resurrections, like the much-anticipated Jurassic World: Rebirth and Danny Boyle's return to the zombie apocalypse with 28 Years Later. Tune in for all the movie madness!

John’s Required Viewing pick this week is Superman III, the campy 1983 entry in Christopher Reeve’s classic film series, featuring Richard Pryor as a morally dubious computer programmer. Then the guys run down a few other things they’ve seen, like Celine Song’s The Materialists and the live-action re-do of Lilo & Stitch.

Ron, Steve, and John assess The Assessment—a new-ish sci-fi/psychological thriller picked by Steve for this week’s Required Viewing—before moving on to a few other recent movies and shows, including Ballerina (the action-packed John Wick spinoff) and Wes Anderson’s latest deadpan character study, The Phoenician Scheme.

Join in as we discuss 1990’s The War of the Roses, the new trailer for Noah Hawley‘s Alien: Earth series, and a spoiler-filled conversation around Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

This week on the show, the guys head out to California (where the emotions are BIG) by watching John’s Required Viewing pick, the sprawling and melodramatic Magnolia; then Ron and John check in on Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd’s toxic bromance, Friendship; and finally Steve and John chat in a non-spoiler-y way about how season one of The Studio wrapped up.

Steve’s Required Viewing pick, the brand-new over-the-top action thriller Fight or Flight, asks the question: is this Josh Hartnett’s “John Wick on a plane,” or just another movie where a disgraced federal agent ingests toad venom and kills contract killers with a chainsaw? Then Ron and John try to explain the adrenaline rush of watching Tom Cruise climb around on a biplane in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. And lastly, if you like your Reckonings final, how about your Destinations? Final Destination: Bloodlines resuscitates that durable franchise with a new entry focusing on a family who comes down with a bad case of death. John has a few thoughts.

Ron’s Required Viewing pick, Summer of 69, tries to hide a sweet coming-of-age story in a raunchy teen sex comedy, or maybe it’s the other way around. Listen in to find out how first-time director Jillian Bell did! Then Ron and John get into the emotional highs and lows of Thunderbolts*, the MCU’s surprisingly moody new entry that breathes life into the beleaguered franchise. Also: OTHER THINGS! Just how you like it.

Ron, Steve, and John discuss 1990’s The Hunt for Red October, the new trailer for Zach Cregger‘s Weapons, and Sinners (yes, again)!

Steve’s Required Viewing pick leaves no tears unshed as the guys are emotionally destroyed by The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, a unique Norwegian documentary about online life, coping with illness, and the need for friendship. Then they regroup to share thoughts on other recent things they’ve watched—including more enthusing about Sinners, which John finally caught.

It’s an episode bursting with positive vibes for new movies! What more could you want? Maybe if we said “John reveals something potentially embarrassing from his past,” that would hook you in. The choice is yours. 

John’s Required Viewing pick for this episode is Zucker-Abrams-Zucker’s 1984 spy/Elvis/war spoof, Top Secret!, starring the late, great Val Kilmer in an early, loose-limbed comedic role. After that, Ron gives us the low-down on Drop, the brand-new Blumhouse thriller in theaters now; there’s a survey of some recent trailers for films that the guys are excited about; and finally it’s time to share a few thoughts on the White Lotus season finale.

Steve’s Required Viewing pick is an indie film that straddles a few genres, including horror, sci-fi, and psychological drama. Find out what the guys think! Also get Ron’s take on Flight Risk, a new thriller from Ambassador to Hollywood Mel Gibson in which Mark Wahlberg rocks his most interesting hairline yet!

Ron’s Required Viewing pick this week is 1986’s Howard the Duck, a silly sci-fi adventure torn from the pages of Marvel Comics. After discussing that, the guys dig into a few other things they’ve seen and spend a segment extolling the virtues of Walton Goggins, who is having a moment.

Ron, Steve, and John hop in the car with Samuel L Jackson and Geena Davis to keep tabs on 1996’s The Long Kiss Goodnight, a violent and bombastic neonoir/action/comedy thriller directed by Renny Harlin. Then they break down the other things they’ve watched recently, including Daredevil: Born Again (the latest Disney+ MCU series), and Bong Joon-Ho’s wild and funny sci-fi epic, Mickey 17. And more!