Episode 209: ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2,’ ‘Blue Ruin,’ Summer Box Office Draft

0:00-2:35 – Introduction, small talk
2:35-5:30 – iTunes review, a call for new theme songs, Fat Albert
5:30-19:45 – “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” review
19:45-23:25 – Eric’s proposal for curtailing the comic book movies, more Spidey talk
23:25-29:05 – “Blue Ruin” review
29:05-35:15 – QOTW (your most anticipated films of the summer)
35:15-49:50 – We choose our movies for the 4th annual summer blockbuster contest. The stakes are high! We don’t know what they are yet, but they are high
49:50-52:35 – Next week’s QOTW, wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What was your most emotional movie moment?

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Episode 208: ‘Brick Mansions,’ Tribeca Film Fest

0:00-7:50 – Introduction; the movies we didn’t see
7:50-22:20 – “Brick Mansions” review
22:20-23:25 – Eric saw “Under the Skin” again
23:25-33:20 – Eric’s Tribeca Film Festival report: “Zero Motivation,” “Night Moves,” “In Your Eyes,” “Intramural”
33:20-46:35 – QOTW (actors and movies you can’t remember the names of or get confused)
46:35-49:10 – Next week’s QOTW and the summer box office contest, plus an uncomfortable silence
49:10-50:40 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What are your two (2) most anticipated movies this summer?

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Episode 207: ‘Transcendence,’ ‘Bears,’ ‘Joe’

0:00-2:45 – Introduction, what Jeff is drinking
2:45-19:05 – “Transcendence” review
19:05-21:35 – “A Haunted House 2” and “Heaven Is for Real” are movies that they didn’t show to critics
21:35-27:10 – “Bears” review (Bayer only)
27:10-29:00 – “The Unknown Known” (Bayer only) and “Joe,” very briefly
29:00-45:00 – QOTW (your biggest movie disagreements)
45:00-49:30 – Blather about Jeff moving to San Diego, dreams, more on “Transcendence,” the upcoming Summer Box Office Challenge
49:30-50:50 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What actor’s name or movie’s title have you had the most trouble remembering correctly?

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Episode 206: ‘Draft Day,’ ‘Rio 2,’ ‘Oculus,’ ‘Under the Skin,’ ‘Jodorowsky’s Dune,’ ‘The Raid 2’

0:00-1:30 – Introduction, quiet voices
1:30-16:45 – “Draft Day” review
16:45-23:00 – “Rio 2” review
23:00-27:30 – “Oculus” review
27:30-37:00 – “Under the Skin” review
37:00-40:40 – “Jodorowsky’s Dune” mini-review
40:40-42:50 – “The Raid 2” mini-review
42:50-54:00 – QOTW (your irrational movie turn-offs)
54:00-56:15 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What was your biggest movie disagreement with a friend?

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Episode 205: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ ‘Noah,’ Pitch Me

0:00-6:30 – Introduction; the croup; it’s the show’s 4th anniversary; there is a gift exchange, kind of; we claim to do other shows besides this one
6:30-18:15 – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” review
18:15-28:10 – “Noah” review
28:10-36:20 – QOTW (heroes you’d like to see in a “vs” movie)
36:20-43:20 – A friendly round of Pitch Me
43:20-46:30 – More croup talk, wrap-up, and goodbyes

QOTW: What are your irrational movie turn-offs (e.g., an actor whose face or voice you can’t stand, a cliche that drives you crazy, etc.)?

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Episode 204: ‘Sabotage,’ ‘Bad Words,’ Character Casserole

0:00-2:15 – Introduction
2:15-16:20 – “Sabotage” review
16:20-24:20 – “Bad Words” review
24:20-30:50 – “Noah” wasn’t screened; “Cesar Chavez” and “Nymphomaniac” are some other movies we also haven’t seen
30:50-39:10 – QOTW (best dramatic moments in comedies)
39:10-45:10 – Next week’s QOTW, with significant digression (a mini-Pitch Me, discussion of canned worms)
45:10-55:30 – A round of Character Casserole
55:30-57:35 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What two heroes would you like to see in a “vs.” movie?

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Episode 203: ‘Divergent,’ ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ ‘Muppets Most Wanted,’ ‘Cheap Thrills,’ ‘Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me’

0:00-3:00 – Introduction, blather
3:00-18:40 – “Divergent” review
18:40-29:35 – “The Grand Budapest Hotel” review
29:35-34:45 – “Muppets Most Wanted” review
34:45-44:50 – “Cheap Thrills” review
44:50-48:10 – “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” review
48:10-1:00:10 – QOTW (what movie you wish was your life)
1:00:10-1:03:00 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What’s your favorite dramatic moment in a comedy?

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Episode 202: ‘Need for Speed,’ ‘Veronica Mars,’ SXSW

0:00-4:40 – Introduction, iTunes review
4:40-19:10 – “Need for Speed” review
19:10-27:50 – “Veronica Mars” review
27:50-1:04:10 – SXSW reviews: “Chef,” “13 Sins,” “Neighbors,” “Joe,” “The Mend,” “Open Windows,” “Stage Fright,” “Premature,” “What We Do in the Shadows”
1:04:10-1:09:20 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW (held over from last week): What movie do you wish was your life? (For extra credit, you can also tell us which movie is currently your life.)

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Episode 201: ‘300: Rise of an Empire,’ ‘Tim’s Vermeer’

0:00-3:50 – Introduction, our lunch sponsor: Crooked Scoreboard, a sports blog!
3:50-17:15 – “300: Rise of an Empire” review
17:15-20:40 – “Tim’s Vermeer” review (Bayer only)
20:40-31:15 – QOTW (movies that changed your mind about an issue)
31:15-37:55 – A li’l SXSW preview
37:55-40:15 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What movie do you wish was your life? (For extra credit, you can also tell us which movie is currently your life.)

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Our Oscar predictions. Play along at home!

Here are our Oscar picks. This is Bayer’s confidence system, where you predict who’s going to win, then arrange your picks in order of how confident you are. Least confident is worth 1 point; most confident is 24. (You’ll notice we’re both positive “Gravity” will win for visual effects.) A perfect score adds up to 300, so it’s like bowling. Exactly like bowling. Make your own picks and score along at home!

SNIDER

24 Visual Effects – “Gravity”
23 Actor – Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”
22 Documentary Short – “The Lady in Number 6”
21 Supporting Actor – Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
20 Makeup & Hairstyling – “Dallas Buyers Club”
19 Supporting Actress – Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
18 Song – “Let It Go,” from “Frozen”
17 Animated Feature – “Frozen”
16 Original Screenplay – “Her”
15 Actress – Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
14 Adapted Screenplay – “12 Years a Slave”
13 Cinematography – “Gravity”
12 Costume Design – “American Hustle”
11 Sound Editing – “Gravity”
10 Sound Mixing – “Gravity”
9 Animated Short – “Get a Horse!”
8 Documentary Feature – “20 Feet from Stardom”
7 Live-Action Short – “Just Before Losing Everything”
6 Picture – “12 Years a Slave”
5 Director – Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
4 Production Design – “The Great Gatsby”
3 Score – “Gravity”
2 Editing – “Captain Phillips”
1 Foreign – “The Broken Circle Breakdown”

BAYER

24 – Best Visual Effects – Gravity
23 – Best Makeup & Hairstyling – Dallas Buyers Club
22 – Best Sound Mixing – Gravity
21 – Best Sound Editing – Gravity
20 – Best Animated Feature – Frozen
19 – Best Adapted Screenplay – 12 Years a Slave
18 – Best Short Film (Animated) – Get a Horse!
17 – Best Cinematography – Gravity
16 – Best Supporting Actor – Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
15 – Best Actress – Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
14 – Best Actor – Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
13 – Best Original Score – Steven Price – Gravity
12 – Best Director – Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
11 – Best Documentary (Short) – The Lady in Number 6
10 – Best Foreign Film – The Great Beauty
09 – Best Film Editing – Gravity
08 – Best Original Song – Let it Go – Frozen
07 – Best Production Design – The Great Gatsby
06 – Best Supporting Actress – Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
05 – Best Documentary – The Act of Killing
04 – Best Picture – 12 Years a Slave
03 – Best Short Film (Live Action) – The Voorman Problem
02 – Best Costume Design – American Hustle
01 – Best Original Screenplay – American Hustle

Episode 200: ‘Non-Stop,’ movies for aliens, and more

0:00-3:15 – Introduction, this week’s sponsor
3:15-5:20 – iTunes review and Jeff’s beer
5:20-20:50 – “Non-Stop” review, plus mentions of “Son of God” and the R-rated “Anchorman 2” cut
20:50-24:30 – Not really a review of “The Wind Rises”
24:30-27:40 – Playing the Oscar game
27:40-37:45 – QOTW (what movie you would show aliens to represent humanity)
37:45-45:40 – Jeff & Eric’s Excellent Adventure: Feb. 28, 1992
45:40-48:35 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: Has a movie ever changed your mind about an issue?

This week’s sponsor: The Ricks family’s GoFundMe campaign for their special-needs sons.

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Episode 199: ‘Pompeii,’ Interquel

0:00-4:25 – Introduction, we have colds, iTunes review
4:25-19:30 – “Pompeii” review
19:30-33:10 – QOTW (movies you own but never watch)
33:10-41:51 – Interquel
41:51-48:10 – Oscar bowling, movies to watch
48:10-49:35 – Wrap-up and goodbyes
49:35-52:35 – Randy Newman’s Title Song from “12 Years a Slave”

QOTW: If there are aliens, and you can send them one movie to represent humanity, what do you choose and why?

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Episode 198: ‘RoboCop,’ ‘Winter’s Tale,’ Pitch Me

0:00-3:40 – Introduction, an announcement
3:40-5:40 – Our lunch sponsor: “Try Not to Burn,” a supernatural thriller by Michael Matula, now on Kindle for $3.99
5:40-16:00 – “RoboCop” review
16:00-37:45 – “Winter’s Tale” review, with many spoilers, and then some commentary on the screening rats
37:45-47:40 – QOTW (your “litmus test” movies)
47:40-56:10 – A round of Pitch Me
56:10-58:20 – Portland International Film Festival is still happening; “The Congress” is good; movie talkers
58:20-1:00:55 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What is the least-watched title in your movie library, and if you never watch it, why do you own it?

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Episode 197: ‘The Lego Movie,’ ‘The Monuments Men,’ PIFF

0:00-5:30 – Introduction, and much discussion of talk shows
5:30-16:30 – “The Lego Movie” review
16:30-28:25 – “The Monuments Men” review
28:25-30:00 – They won’t let anyone see “Vampire Academy”
30:00-34:00 – Portland International Film Festival has begun
34:00-40:15 – QOTW (movies you would change the ending to)
40:15-45:00 – Snider is at the Oxford (Miss.) Film Festival this weekend; also, the ending of “Se7en,” for some reason
45:00-47:10 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What is your “litmus test” movie — the one where if he/she doesn’t like it, it’ll never work between you?

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Episode 196: ‘That Awkward Moment,’ ‘Labor Day’

0:00-3:35 – Introduction, Jeff’s beer
3:35-5:50 – iTunes review, eating paper
5:50-28:40 – “That Awkward Moment” review, in which the Sparks Rule is invoked and the entire plot “spoiled”
28:40-35:30 – “Labor Day” review
35:30-37:10 – The Oscar short films are in some theaters
37:10-40:00 – A stray Sundance film, “Battered Bastards of Baseball”
40:00-53:50 – QOTW (day-to-day activities that could be the plot of an action movie)
53:50-56:10 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What movie would you change the ending to?

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Episode 195: The 2014 Sundance Film Festival

0:00-6:10 – Introduction, we’re at Sundance, the weather was great, etc.
6:10-1:19:00 – Sundance mini-reviews (plus signs are the ones we suggest you remember for later):

  • “Cold in July”
  • “Dear White People”
  • “Infinitely Polar Bear”
  • “Jamie Marks Is Dead”
  • “Life After Beth”
  • “The Skeleton Twins” +
  • “The Sleepwalker”
  • “Whiplash” +
  • “No No: A Dockumentary”
  • “God Help the Girl”
  • “Calvary” +
  • “Hits” +
  • “Laggies”
  • “The Raid 2” +
  • “The Trip to Italy” +
  • “The Voices” +
  • “Wish I Was Here”
  • “Boyhood” +
  • “The Double”
  • “Locke” +
  • “Land Ho!”
  • “Listen Up Philip” +
  • “Obvious Child” +
  • “Ping Pong Summer”
  • “The Babadook” +
  • “Cooties”
  • “The Guest”
  • “What We Do in the Shadows” +

1:19:00-1:20:30 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What day-to-day activity could be the plot of an action movie?

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Episode 194: ‘Ride Along,’ ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,’ Sundance Film Festival

0:00-3:50 – Introduction; we’re at Sundance; whispering
3:50-5:00 – iTunes review
5:00-10:35 – “Ride Along” review
10:35-18:10 – “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” review, including a guest appearance by IndieWire’s Steve Greene
18:10-21:20 – Jeff was at the Critics Choice Awards
21:20-31:50 – Sundance movies so far: “Whiplash,” “Locke,” “The Babadook,” “God’s Pocket”
31:50-35:00 – Miscellaneous Sundance talk
35:00-40:50 – QOTW (your Sundance ideas)
40:50-42:55 – Next QOTW, plus see “Gravity” on the big screen while you still can, plus a guest appearance by The Film Stage’s Raffi Asdourian
42:55-44:15 – Wrap-up and goodbyes

QOTW: What day-to-day activity could be the plot of an action movie?

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