Episode 245: ‘Black Sea,’ Character Casserole, Johnny Depp

0:00-2:00 – Hi, Jeff’s mom is visiting (him, not the show)
2:00-5:25 – This week’s wide releases went largely unscreened
5:25-15:05 – “Black Sea” review
15:05-20:35 – “The Interview” is coming to Netflix; Jeff is suspicious of everyone’s story; he re-watched “Grand Budapest Hotel”; Eric pretends to listen
20:35-30:50 – QOTW (what should Johnny Depp do?)
30:50-42:25 – Some of the Sundance movies we’re looking forward to
42:25-53:10 – A round of Character Casserole
53:10-56:10 – A little more Sundance pre-talk, then the recap and goodnight

QOTW: What should we do at Sundance (happening now)?

REVIEWS:
“Black Sea” B- 8/10

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Episode 244: ‘Blackhat,’ ‘American Sniper,’ ‘The Wedding Ringer’

0:00-5:00 – Hello, for some reason Gamergate, what if we did traffic reports?
5:00-20:10 – “Blackhat” review
20:10-28:25 – “American Sniper” review
28:25-29:30 – We’ll review “The Wedding Ringer” later in the show
29:30-45:50 – QOTW (remakes but in a different genre)
45:50-50:00 – Sundance is coming up and we are excited to see movies and other critics
50:00-1:07:40 – “The Wedding Ringer” review, as prophesied
1:07:40- Recap, Navy SEALs, the end

QOTW: What should Johnny Depp do?

REVIEWS:
“Blackhat” C- 3/10
“American Sniper” C+ 8/10
“The Wedding Ringer” C- 3/10

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Episode 243: ‘Selma’

0:00-1:50 – Oh hey, how’s it going?
1:50-4:50 – “Taken 3” was kept from critics, so we made up some other stuff instead, then talked about critics in the U.K.
4:50-7:20 – Then we made up some more “Taken”-based stuff, resulting in an unplanned game of Pitch Me
7:20-8:45 – iTunes review
8:45-24:00 – “Selma” review (B.S.-approved!)
24:00-26:55 – Letting everyone know how much you agree with a movie
26:55-41:00 – QOTW (how movies will be different 10 years from now)
41:00-51:15 – A round of Eric & Jeff’s Excellent Adventure
51:15-53:25 – Recap, more blather

QOTW: What movie should be remade but in a different genre? Tell us how it would change the story, who should be in it, etc.

REVIEWS:
“Selma” B+ 10/10

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Episode 242: Our Top Ten Lists

0:00-2:20 – Happy New Year!
2:20-3:30 – iTunes review
3:30-7:25 – It was a good year of movies; pre-top 10 wagering
7:25-47:00 – Our top 10 lists
47:00-53:40 – QOTW: your favorites of 2014
53:40-57:35 – We saw “The Interview”; other things we watched
57:35-59:15 – We’ll do another show next week

QOTW: How will movies be different 10 years from now?

Snider’s list:

10. “Cheap Thrills”
9. “Calvary”
8. “Birdman”
7. “Ernest & Celestine”
6. “The Babadook”
5. “Foxcatcher”
4. “Listen Up Philip”
3 “Boyhood”
2. “Under the Skin”
1. “Whiplash”

Bayer’s list:

10. “The Skeleton Twins”
9. “Fury”
8. “John Wick”
7. “Boyhood”
6. “22 Jump Street”
5. “Birdman”
4. “The Congress”
3. “Selma”
2. “Inherent Vice”
1. “Whiplash”

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Episode 241: ‘Inherent Vice,’ ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘Two Days, One Night,’ ‘Big Eyes,’ ‘Unbroken,’ ‘Belle’

0:00-3:00 – Hello! It’s the day after Christmas! We had a great Christmas, probably
3:00-17:20 – “Inherent Vice” review
17:20-30:10 – “Into the Woods” review
30:10-43:30 – “Two Days, One Night” review, including a Dardennes anecdote from Telluride
43:30-52:35 – “Big Eyes” review
52:35-1:01:40 – “Unbroken” review
1:01:40-1:05:05 – “Belle” review (Bayer only)
1:05:05-1:06:10 – Reminder on QOTW (your 3 favorite movies of 2014). We’re tabulating the results!
1:06:10-1:10:25 – Recap, goodbye, see you next year

QOTW: What were your three (3) favorite movies of 2014?

REVIEWS:
Inherent Vice: B+ 10/10
Into the Woods: B+ 5/10
Two Days, One Night: B+ 9/10
Big Eyes: B- 6/10
Unbroken: B- 7/10
Belle: N/A 9/10

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Episode 240: ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,’ ‘Annie,’ Character Casserole

0:00-3:20 – Hi, howdy, the weather, whatever
3:20-23:30 – “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” review
23:30-24:50 – We had to choose between “Night at the Museum 3” and “Annie”
24:50-35:30 – “Annie” review
35:30-37:00 – Year-end QOTW: what were your three (3) favorite movies of 2014? We’ll tabulate the results for the Jan. 2 show.
37:00-47:45 – A round of Character Casserole
47:45-53:10 – Scar (from “The Lion King”) has a real name; then there’s talk of Hitler and Jeff’s son; if toddlers ruled the world
53:10-57:25 – Recap and more convivial banter, including a Jeff Goldblum anecdote

QOTW: What were your three (3) favorite movies of 2014?

REVIEWS:
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”: C- 7/10
“Annie” C- 7/10

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Episode 239: ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings,’ ‘Top Five’

[NOTE: There’s a slight echo on Eric’s voice on this one. We didn’t know it was being recorded that way, and we couldn’t remove it from the recording after the fact. We’re sorry. You get used to it after a minute.]

0:00-1:50 – Hello! We are your hosts
1:50-13:05 – “Exodus: Gods and Kings” review
13:05-24:40 – “Top Five” review
24:40-26:15 – A sidebar on Aaron Paul
26:15-41:20 – QOTW (other Bible stories to make movies out of)
41:20-42:25 – No QOTW this week
42:25-44:35 – We gotta cut this one short; recap

QOTW: Let’s all brainstorm some Question of the Week topics, eh?

REVIEWS:
“Exodus: Gods and Kings”: C- 5/10
“Top Five”: B 6/10

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Episode 238: ‘Wild,’ ‘The Imitation Game’

0:00-4:30 – Intro, mystery balloons, ideas to make this show as popular as Serial
4:30-7:15 – The vagaries of movie release schedules; a debate over who is more special
7:15-21:00 – “Wild” review (B.S.-approved!)
21:00-33:55 – “The Imitation Game” review, ending in talk of a current trend
33:55-48:00 – QOTW was the Mt. Rushmore of holiday movies. Jeff makes Eric guess what the listeners voted for.
48:00-56:05 – Eric & Jeff’s Excellent Adventure takes us back in time to Dec. 5, 1997
56:05-57:40 – Recap of today’s lessons

QOTW: What other Bible stories should be made into movies? Casting suggestions, etc., welcome.

REVIEWS:
“Wild” B+ 8/10
“The Imitation Game” B- 7/10

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Episode 237: ‘Horrible Bosses 2,’ ‘Penguins of Madagascar,’ Pitch Me

0:00-2:55 – We say hello, talk about milestones
2:55-12:10 – “Horrible Bosses 2” review
12:10-17:10 – “Penguins of Madagascar” review (Snider only)
17:10-29:50 – QOTW (movie families to spend Thanksgiving with)
29:50-36:40 – A round of Pitch Me
36:40-42:35 – Hey, What’d You Watch? (“The Burbs,” “Chef,” “The Boxtrolls”)
42:35-44:15 – Jeff thinks Eric should cover the “Wild” red carpet screening
44:15-46:20 – A summary of today’s lessons

QOTW: We’re choosing the Mt. Rushmore of holiday movies. Tell us your four (4) favorites.

REVIEWS:
“Horrible Bosses 2”            B    6/10
“Penguins of Madagascar” B    n/a

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Episode 236: ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,’ ‘The Theory of Everything,’ ‘Foxcatcher’

0:00-4:00 – Howdy, Jeff puts the bae in Bayer, egg nog
4:00-17:45 – “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” review
17:45-26:00 – “The Theory of Everything” review
26:00-39:00 – “Foxcatcher” review
39:00-52:40 – QOTW (movies that make you hungry or that ruined food for you)
52:40-55:30 – Next week’s QOTW, talk of Thanksgiving traditions, Turkey Bowl, etc.
55:30-1:00:00 – Hey, What’d You Watch? (“Babes in Toyland,” “Gentleman’s Agreement,” Jeff watched a TV cartoon)
1:00:00-1:01:10 – Recap of what we learned today

QOTW: What movie family would you like to spend Thanksgiving with?

REVIEWS:
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” B+ 8/10 (B.S.-approved!)
“The Theory of Everything” B- 8/10
“Foxcatcher” A- 8/10 (B.S.-approved!)

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Episode 235: ‘Dumb and Dumber To,’ ‘Rosewater,’ ‘Force Majeure’

0:00-4:15 – Hello, let’s read an iTunes review
4:15-14:15 – “Dumb and Dumber To” review
14:15-21:45 – “Rosewater” review
21:45-27:15 – “Force Majeure” review
27:15-46:45 – QOTW (sequels to 1994 films), with some talk of Eric’s LDS mission, leading to talk of a new movie called “Missionary”
46:45-51:00 Hey, What’d You Watch? (“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex…,” some “Star Wars” thing), chit-chat, wrap-up, goodbye

QOTW: What movie makes you hungry, and for what? Or alternatively, what movie ruined a particular food for you?

REVIEWS:
“Dumb and Dumber To” C+ 5/10
“Rosewater” B- 7/10
“Force Majeure” B+ 8/10 (B.S.-approved!)

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Episode 234: ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Big Hero 6’

0:00-3:20 – Hello, have a drink
3:20-16:00 – “Interstellar” review
16:00-25:45 – “Big Hero 6” review
25:45-27:05 – Nobody’s in a good mood
27:05-39:50 – QOTW (actors who need their own McConaissance)
39:50-47:40 – We can’t remember a movie title; we give up on the show; Jeff went on a brewery tour
47:40-50:15 – Next week’s QOTW
50:15-51:45 – Hey, What’d You Watch? (“Dumb & Dumber”)
51:45-54:20 – We recap, the show sinks into the ocean

QOTW: Besides “Dumb & Dumber,” what other movie from 1994 (here’s a list) should have a sequel? Feel free to elaborate.

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Episode 233: ‘Nightcrawler,’ ‘Birdman,’ ‘Horns,’ more

0:00-5:30 – Hi, it’s Halloween, Jeff is taking the kid trick-or-treating
5:30-16:20 – “Nightcrawler” review (B.S.-approved!)
16:20-31:05 – “Birdman” review (B.S.-approved!)
31:05-38:10 – “Horns” review
38:10-45:35 – Jeff reviews “Before I Go to Sleep,” “Laggies,” and “White Bird in a Blizzard,” Eric pretends to listen
45:35-55:40 – QOTW (new monsters)
55:40-56:30 – iTunes review
56:30-1:00:10 – Hey, What’d You Watch?
1:00:10-1:02:10 – Recap, goodbye

QOTW: Who’s most in need of a career resurrection (a la Matthew McConaughey), and how would you go about it?

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Episode 232: ‘John Wick,’ ‘Ouija,’ ‘Dear White People,’ Interquel

0:00-5:05 – We say hello, talk about parenting, wonder how Eric could inherit his brother’s children, we call it Daddy Fun Time
5:05-17:00 – “John Wick” review (B.S.-approved!)
17:00-27:40 – “Ouija” review (Bayer only, including a review of the audience)
27:40-31:50 – “Dear White People” review (Bayer only)
31:50-44:05 – QOTW – we tabulated the Horror Mt. Rushmore!
44:05-50:55 – A round of Interquel
50:55-56:45 – A round of “Hey, What’d You Watch?”
56:45-59:10 – “Cute” Dylan stories
59:10-1:00:30 – A summary of what we said

QOTW: Make up a new movie monster, something we’ve never seen before. Interpret “monster” however you like.

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B.S.-approved movies: a master list

If a movie gets an 8 or higher from Jeff Bayer and a B+ or better from Eric D. Snider, it’s certified: B.S.-approved®!

These are all the movies we’ve reviewed so far that qualify for this distinguished honor, with links to the shows whereon we reviewed them.

50/50
127 Hours
About Time
The Adjustment Bureau
All Is Lost
Argo
The Artist
The Avengers
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Being Elmo
Bellflower
Birdman
Black Swan
Blue Jasmine
Blue Ruin
Boyhood
The Cabin in the Woods
Captain Phillips
Catfish
Cheap Thrills
Cloud Atlas
Coherence
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
Crazy Stupid Love
Cyrus
Dallas Buyers Club
The Descendants
Don Jon
Drive
Edge of Tomorrow
The Fighter
Force Majeure
Foxcatcher
Friends with Kids
Get Low
Goon
The Grey
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Haywire
The Help
Her
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1
The Ides of March
The Impossible
Inception
Inherent Vice
Inside Llewyn Davis
Iron Man 3
Jeff, Who Lives at Home
John Wick
Killer Joe
Kill List
The King’s Speech
The LEGO Movie
Liberal Arts
Looper
Like Crazy
Locke
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Midnight in Paris
Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol
Moonrise Kingdom
Mud
The Muppets
Neighbors
Nightcrawler
Obvious Child
The One I Love
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Philomena
Premium Rush
Rabbit Hole
The Raid
Rango
Rust and Bone
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Seven Psychopaths
Short Term 12
Sightseers
Skyfall
Snowpiercer
The Social Network
Spring Breakers
Stories We Tell
Super 8
They Came Together
Toy Story 3
The Tree of Life
True Grit
12 Years a Slave
22 Jump Street
Two Days, One Night
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Wild
Winnie-the-Pooh
Win Win
The Wolf of Wall Street
The World’s End
Your Sister’s Sister
Zero Dark Thirty

Episode 231: ‘Fury,’ ‘Men, Women & Children,’ ‘St. Vincent,’ ‘Listen Up Philip,’ ‘Whiplash’

0:00-3:25 – Howdy; the efforts expended to record the show; you should write us an iTunes review
3:25-14:00 – “Fury” review
14:00-22:00 – “Men, Women & Children” review
22:00-31:00 – “St. Vincent” review
31:00-37:00 – “Listen Up Philip” review
37:00-46:50 – “Whiplash” review
46:50- QOTW (scary non-horror movies)
58:25-1:03:20 – As always, we end with “Hey, What’d You Watch?”
1:03:20-1:04:30 – Recap!

QOTW: We’re compiling the horror Mt. Rushmore. What are your four (4) favorite horror movies? #HorrorMtRushmore

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Episode 230: ‘Alexander and the Terrible Etc.,’ ‘Kill the Messenger,’ ‘The Judge,’ ‘Dracula Untold,’ Pitch Me

0:00-2:20 – Hello, we marvel at how many shows we’ve done
2:20-11:35 – “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day” review
11:35-19:45 – “Kill the Messenger” review
19:45-24:35 – “The Judge” review (Bayer only)
24:35-31:05 – “Dracula Untold” review (Snider only)
31:05-39:15 – QOTW (how many movies you watch in an average month)
39:15-45:45 – A round of Pitch Me
45:45-49:10 – Recap; some upcoming movies are better than these ones

QOTW: What is the scariest movie you’ve seen that wasn’t a horror movie? Like maybe you watched “My Girl” and became terrified of bees. (Suggested by listener Horatio)

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Episode 229: ‘Gone Girl,’ ‘Annabelle,’ Character Casserole

0:00-2:20 – Hello, hi, how are you
2:20-19:40 – “Gone Girl” review
19:40-26:00 – “Annabelle” review (Snider only)
26:00-27:20 – We kind of talk about “The Skeleton Twins”
27:20-41:00 – QOTW (best movie you’ve started watching but never finished)
41:00-52:30 – Character Casserole, with a minor tweak in the movie-choosing process
52:30-54:30 – A summary of today’s lessons

QOTW: In an average month, how many movies do you watch in the theater? And how many at home?

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Episode 228: Fantastic Fest!

0:00-5:50 – Intro; Jeff is still at Fantastic Fest, Eric left a day early; we talk about some movies we liked:
5:50-9:35 – Norwegian dark comedy “In Order of Disappearance”
9:35-12:30 – Teen horror film “It Follows”
12:30-16:20 – Chinese crime comedy “No Man’s Land”
16:20-20:00 – Belgian youth horror “Cub”
20:00-23:30 – Norwegian existential drama “Blind”
23:30-27:10 – “The Astrologer,” a 1975 oddity
27:10-29:15 – “Electric Boogaloo,” a documentary about Cannon Films
29:15-32:10 – “Kung Fu Elliot,” Canadian doc about a would-be martial arts star
32:10-33:20 – “Danger 5” season 2 isn’t as funny as season 1 (which you should watch on Hulu)
33:20-36:15 – Austrian thriller “Goodnight Mommy”
36:15-46:00 QOTW (’80s TV shows to be made into movies); wrap-up and farewell

QOTW: What’s the (supposedly) best movie that you’ve started watching but never finished?

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