Episode 300: ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,’ ‘London Has Fallen,’ ‘Zootopia,’ Interquel

0:00 – Hello, it’s our 300th episode, whatever
2:15 – “Whisky Tango Foxtrot” review
16:50 – “London Has Fallen” review, which we definitely recorded at the same time and place as the rest of the show, for sure
26:45 – “Zootopia” review (Snider only)
35:20 – QOTW (minor details that ruined a movie for you)
49:30 – A round of Interquel (“Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Princess Bride”)
55:15 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What movie embarrasses you because of the way it portrays a part of your identity (hometown, subcultures, religion, interests, etc.)?

REVIEWS:
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: B 7/10
London Has Fallen: C 4/10
Zootopia: B+ n/a

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Episode 299: ‘Eddie the Eagle,’ ‘Triple 9,’ ‘Gods of Egypt’

0:00 – Greetings; then Jeff tricks Eric into talking about sports
2:45 – “Eddie the Eagle” review
15:30 – Jeff didn’t see the other movies, but he’s not crying about it
16:30 – “Triple 9” review (Snider only)
20:15 – “Gods of Egypt” review (Snider only)
27:20 – QOTW (movie quotes you use in everyday life)
37:30 – What’d You Watch? (“Oslo, August 31”; “Spaghettiman”)
40:35 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What seemingly small or dumb thing has completely ruined a movie for you? (Ex: the lead actress running from dinosaurs in high heels.)

REVIEWS:
Eddie the Eagle: B+ 7/10
Triple 9: C- n/a
Gods of Egypt: D n/a

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Episode 298: ‘Race,’ Character Casserole

0:00 – Greetings! We talk about our new TVs and Eric’s new sleep apparatus
9:45 – “Race” review
21:45 – “Risen” opens this week but wasn’t screened in Portland; “The Witch” was screened, but scheduled against something else; why don’t distributors like Portland anymore?
23:15 – “The Witch” review (repeat from Fantastic Fest)
28:20 – Eric is at the Oxford (Miss.) Film Festival this weekend
31:30 – It’s almost Oscar time! Here’s how to play Oscar Bowling
37:15 – A new Question of the Week! @MovieBS on Twitter is also discussed
42:30 – Hey, What’d You Watch? (“Horace and Pete”)
47:05 – A round of Character Casserole (“House of Wax,” “Pinocchio,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)
55:25 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What quote from a movie do you use most regularly in everyday speech?

REVIEWS:
Race: B- 5/10
The Witch: B+ 6/10

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Episode 297: ‘Deadpool,’ ‘Zoolander 2,’ ‘How to Be Single,’ ‘Where to Invade Next’

0:00 – Hello
1:25 – iTunes review
3:00 – Our lunch sponsor: “The Little Scary Book,” horror short stories by Kevin Duncan. Just 99¢ on Amazon Kindle!
5:55 – “Deadpool” review
15:15 – “Zoolander 2” review
25:20 – “How to Be Single” review
36:45 – “Where to Invade Next” review
47:00 – QOTW is still on hiatus (thanks for the ideas so far!), but here’s its counterpart, Somebody Asked Us a Thing® (about our rating scales)
53:50 – Recap and goodbye

REVIEWS:
Deadpool: B 7/10
Zoolander 2: C- 4/10
How to Be Single: B- 5/10
Where to Invade Next: B 7/10

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Episode 296: ‘Hail, Caesar!,’ ‘The Choice,’ Pitch Me

0:00 – Intro; Eric’s cat and Jeff’s baby
2:50 – “Hail, Caesar!” review
20:20 – We didn’t see “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies” because it was screening at the same time as “Hail, Caesar!”
22:00 – “The Choice” review (Snider only, and the Sparks Rule is invoked, which means full spoilers)
31:30 – Eric briefly reviews “Fifty Shades of Black” (boo) and “The Boy” (meh?), then relates an anecdote about a bum at the theater
38:30 – QOTW (the Coen Brothers question that nobody was interested in)
42:40 – That Thing Where We Take Questions from Listeners®
47:50 – A round of Pitch Me
55:45 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: We’re putting QOTW on hiatus for a couple of W’s while we think of good Q’s. Do you have any suggestions for good discussion questions? Please send them to us!

REVIEWS:
Hail, Caesar! B 6/10
The Choice: C n/a

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Episode 295: ‘Kung Fu Panda 3,’ ‘Son of Saul,’ ‘The Finest Hours,’ Sundance

0:00 – Eric’s at Sundance; Jeff has a new baby and misses being at Sundance;

3:45 – Our lunch sponsor: “Windswept: My Hair-Raising Adventure,” a picture book written and illustrated by Andy Peterson

5:20 – Jeff has to know what’s going on at the Sundance condo, which leads to an anecdote from the party
8:50 – “Kung Fu Panda 3” review
14:00 – “Son of Saul” review
18:40 – “The Finest Hours” review (Bayer only)
23:40 – Snider’s Sundance report, with specific reference to: “AbracaDeborah”; “Manchester by the Sea,” which Snider hadn’t seen; “The Birth of a Nation”; “The Intervention”; “The Fundamentals of Caring”; “Yoga Hosers”;
plus more anecdotes about our Sundance press pals with a cameo by Sam Fragoso, plus lots of questions from Jeff about people’s hair
41:35 – QOTW (your Oscar votes)
45:05 – A Listener Asked Us Something® about screenwriting
49:35 – Recap, goodbye

QOTW: Give us your remake (casting, story, etc.) of a Coen brothers movie. (Purely hypothetical, of course. No heresy intended.)

REVIEWS:
Kung Fu Panda: C+ 7/10
Son of Saul: B 7/10
Finest Hours: n/a 7/10

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Episode 294: ‘Ride Along 2,’ ‘Moonwalkers,’ ‘Anomalisa’

0:00 – Hello; Jeff’s wife is about to have a baby, so no show next week
4:40 – iTunes review
5:50 – How we chose which movie to see (they were screening at the same time)
6:55 – “Ride Along 2” review
13:40 – “Moonwalkers” review
20:10 – “Anomalisa” review (repeat from “Fantastic Fest”)
25:05 – Eric talks about but doesn’t really review “Boy and the World”
27:30 – QOTW (movies that you are disappointed someone you love loves)
42:55 – David Bowie and Alan Rickman movie tributes
46:20 – Question Time® about how we met and became critics, plus old emails
56:00 – Recap, goodbye

QOTW: What would your votes be for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress at the Oscars? You have to choose from the actual nominees, too.

REVIEWS:
Ride Along 2: C+ 5/10
Moonwalkers: B- 8/10
Anomalisa: B+ 8/10 (B.S.-approved!)

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Episode 293: ‘The Danish Girl,’ ‘Youth,’ miscellaneous movies we caught up with

0:00 – Hello, “The Forest” wasn’t screened for critics
2:10 – Snider’s writing movie reviews for you, the people, via Patreon
4:10 – “The Revenant” is expanding; you can hear old reviews in the archives; it’s easy peasy cheddar cheesy
6:10 – “The Danish Girl” review
13:10 – “Youth” review
18:35 – We caught up with “Straight Outta Compton” and “The Peanuts Movie”
23:00 – Updates on our feelings about “The Hateful Eight”
24:05 – Bayer caught up with “Room,” “99 Homes,” and “Sicario”; “Room” is now retroactively B.S.-approved
28:15 – QOTW (suggestions for movies we, Jeff & Eric, should watch)
40:15 – Here’s a Question/There’s an Answer™ about how the show is different now from when we started, and about a concussion, and about how Snider takes some getting used to
45:40 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What movie are you most disappointed that someone you love loves?

REVIEWS:
The Danish Girl: C 5/10
Youth: B+ 9/10 (B.S.-approved!)

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Episode 292: ‘The Hateful Eight,’ our 2015 Top 10 lists

0:00 – Hello, Happy New Year, how to say “2016,” what to name kids
2:35 – Snider saw “The Hateful Eight” at a showing where Quentin Tarantino showed up
7:05 – “The Hateful Eight” review
16:00 – Our top 10 lists for 2015
40:30 – Snider settled the bet by watching “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” three nights in a row
42:20 – Listener survey: the Mt. Rushmore of 2015
47:15 – QOTW (movies you saw because we recommended them)
53:00 – Questions That We Can Answer® (Jeff’s speech patterns, our shame lists)
58:20 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What movie that you think Jeff and Eric have not seen should they see?

REVIEWS:
The Hateful Eight: B+ 9/10 (B.S.-approved!)

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Episode 291: ‘Joy,’ ‘The Revenant,’ ’45 Years,’ ‘Concussion,’ ‘Point Break,’ ‘Daddy’s Home’

0:00 – Merry Christmas! Et cetera
2:35 – “Joy” review
11:55 – “The Revenant” review
21:10 – “45 Years” review
27:15 – “Concussion” review (Bayer only)
32:20 – “Point Break” (Snider only)
37:25 – “Daddy’s Home” (Bayer only)
41:35 – Your QOTWs reiterated: tell us your 3 favorite movies of 2015; and tell us about movies you saw this year based on our recommendation
42:55 – Questions from Listeners®: advice for would-be film critics
47:35 – Recap and goodbye

REVIEWS:
Joy: C+ 7/10
The Revenant: B 9/10
45 Years: B+ 7/10
Concussion: n/a 8/10
Point Break: D n/a
Daddy’s Home: n/a 5/10

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Episode 290: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘Sisters,’ ‘The Big Short,’ ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip’

0:00 – Greetings to one and all
1:50 – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” review (no, it doesn’t have any spoilers, don’t be stupid)
16:05 – “Sisters” review
25:25 – Bayer has a plan that Snider is convinced won’t happen; Bayer also makes an offer to listeners
27:20 – “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” review (Snider only)
32:10 – “The Big Short” review
40:05 – QOTW (your “Force Awakens” plans)
47:20 – Snider was a target of weaponized spoilers
50:40 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: 1) What are your three favorite movies of 2015? 2) What movie (if any) did you see this year primarily because Jeff and Eric suggested it? (You have two weeks to answer these.)

REVIEWS:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: B+ 8/10 (B.S.-approved!)
Sisters: C+ 5/10
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip: D+ n/a
The Big Short: B+ 9/10 (B.S.-approved!)

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Episode 289: ‘In the Heart of the Sea,’ ‘Carol,’ ‘Krampus,’ Character Casserole

0:00 – Hello! Bayer’s parents are here, and he’s drinking root beer
3:30 – “In the Heart of the Sea” review
15:45 – “Carol” review
25:30 – “Krampus” review (Snider only)
28:45 – QOTW (remaking non-holiday films into holiday films)
37:15 – A round of Hey, Some People Asked Us Stuff
45:40 – A round of Character Casserole
53:40 – Bayer’s unusual plans for seeing “Hateful 8”
55:35 – Wrap-up and goodbye

QOTW: What are your plans for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”?

REVIEWS:
In the Heart of the Sea: C+ 4/10
Carol: A- 9/10 (B.S.-approved!)
Krampus: B n/a

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Episode 288: ‘Legend,’ ‘Chi-Raq’

 

0:00 – Hello; Bayer has a cold; this week’s wide releases weren’t screened for critics
3:55 – “Legend” review delayed by other “Legend”-related nonsense
5:05 – “Legend” review
14:00 – “Chi-Raq” review (Snider only)
21:35 – QOTW (best movie questions)
29:25 – Next week’s QOTW, derailing into a discussion of parades, and a plug for the B.S.-approved list
33:00 – Hey, Ask Us Something
36:40 – What’d You Watch? (“Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” “The Fly,” “I Smile Back”
44:00 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What non-holiday movie could you remake as a holiday movie, and how?

REVIEWS:
Legend B 6/10
Chi-Raq B+ n/a

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Episode 287: ‘Creed,’ ‘The Good Dinosaur,’ ‘Victor Frankenstein,’ ‘By the Sea’

0:00 – Hi, we’re digesting
1:50 – “Creed” review
13:45 – “The Good Dinosaur” review (Snider only)
18:35 – “Victor Frankenstein” review (Snider only)
22:15 – “By the Sea” review (Snider only)
24:40 – QOTW (movie families to spend Thanksgiving with)
31:30 – Someone asks us a question
34:10 – Jeff & Eric’s Excellent Adventure: Thanksgiving 2001, ending with a question from a texter
39:50 – Recap and goodbyes

QOTW: What’s your favorite use of a question in a movie — e.g., “Who is Harry Lime?” in “The Third Man”; “What’s in the box?” in “Seven”?

REVIEWS:
Creed: A- 10/10 (B.S.-approved!)
The Good Dinosaur: B- n/a
Victor Frankenstein: D+ n/a
By the Sea: C- n/a

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Episode 286: ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,’ ‘Trumbo,’ ‘Brooklyn,’ Pitch Me

0:00 – Hello; all the movies were screened at the same time so we couldn’t see them all
2:25 – “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” review
15:45 – “Trumbo” review
26:15 – “Brooklyn” review
32:55 – QOTW (best sitting-around-and-eating scenes)
41:45 – Our new segment, Give It a Rest with Jeff & Eric
44:20 – A round of Pitch Me
54:15 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: Which movie family (or group of characters) would you like to spend Thanksgiving with?

REVIEWS:
Mockingjay: C+ 5/10
Trumbo: B 7/10
Brooklyn: B+ 8/10 (B.S.-approved!)

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Episode 285: ‘Spotlight,’ ‘The 33,’ ‘My All-American,’ ‘Love the Coopers’

0:00 – Intro, an iTunes review
3:05 – “Spotlight” review
16:45 – “The 33” review
24:00 – “My All-American” review
34:40 – “Love the Coopers” review (Snider only)
41:50 – QOTW; also, you should submit questions for Jeff and Eric to answer, because they like talking about themselves
45:05 – Recap, goodbye

QOTW: What’s your favorite scene of people sitting around and eating?

REVIEWS:
Spotlight: A- 9/10 (B.S.-approved!)
The 33: C 4/10
My All-American: C- 3/10
Love the Coopers: C n/a

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Episode 284: ‘SPECTRE,’ ‘Suffragette,’ ‘Miss You Already,’ Character Casserole

0:00 – Hello; we’re not doing celebrity gossip; write us an iTunes review, why don’t you?
2:20 – “SPECTRE” review
14:30 – “Suffragette” review
21:30 – “Miss You Already” review (Bayer only)
24:25 – We didn’t see the Peanuts movie because the screening was on a Sunday, WTF?
25:00 – QOTW (comic strips that should be made into movies)
35:30 – A round of Character Casserole (Rambo, the Sundance Kid, and Alan from “The Hangover”)
46:10 – Next week’s QOTW
47:10 – What’d You Watch? (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”)
50:30 – Recap and goodbye
51:50 – An outtake we cut out because we were sort of embarrassed (though not very, obviously)

QOTW: Please give us suggestions for future Questions of the Week, in particular ones relating to the upcoming holidays.

REVIEWS:
SPECTRE: C+ 7/10
Suffragette: B- 8/10
Miss You Already: n/a 5/10

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Episode 283: ‘Our Brand Is Crisis,’ ‘Burnt,’ ‘Truth,’ ‘Bone Tomahawk,’ ‘Room’

0:00 – Introduction; Dylan turned 3
2:55 – “Our Brand Is Crisis” review
12:30 – “Burnt” review
21:00 – “Truth” review
30:30 – “Bone Tomahawk” review
36:30 – “Room” review (Snider only)
41:15 – QOTW (scariest movie theater moments)
55:50 – Hey, What’d You Watch? (“Grandma,” the Hunger Gameses)
58:55 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What comic strip should be made into a movie?

REVIEWS:
Our Brand Is Crisis: B- 7/10
Burnt: C 7/10
Truth: C+ 7/10
Bone Tomahawk: B 8/10
Room: B+ n/a

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Episode 282: ‘The Last Witch Hunter,’ ‘Rock the Kasbah,’ ‘Jem and the Holograms,’ Pitch Me

0:00 – Howdy; Bayer has a beer; his house is old
3:15 – “The Last Witch Hunter” review
11:25 – “Rock the Kasbah” review
18:00 – “Jem and the Holograms” review (Snider only)
24:45 – It’s a bad week for new movies; more discussion of Eric’s cat’s name
26:20 – QOTW (best use of songs in movies)
41:35 – A round of Pitch Me, ending with a tangent, which is permitted
50:20 – Recap and goodbye

QOTW: What’s your scariest movie moment in a theater?

REVIEWS:
The Last Witch Hunter: D 5/10
Rock the Kasbah: C- 5/10
Jem and the Holograms: C- n/a

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Episode 281: ‘Steve Jobs,’ ‘Crimson Peak,’ ‘Goosebumps,’ ’99 Homes,’ ‘Experimenter,’ ‘Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead’

0:00 – New theme song (by Greg Whitehead) reflects Jeff’s return to Portland; Eric got a cat
5:05 – “Steve Jobs” review
14:55 – “Crimson Peak” review
22:35 – “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon” review (from Sundance)
24:15 – “Experimenter” review (from Sundance)
27:10 – Jeff finds something to be annoyed about
27:50 – “Goosebumps” review (Snider only)
32:15 – “99 Homes” review (Snider only)
36:05 – We chose “Crimson Peak” over “Bridge of Spies”; we’ve missed several big movies
38:10 – QOTW (favorite screenwriters)
51:00 – Recap, parting words, mostly about the films’ titles

QOTW: What is the best use of a song in a movie?

REVIEWS:
Steve Jobs: B+ 9/10 (B.S.-approved!)
Crimson Peak: C+ 5/10
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: B+ 9/10 (B.S.-approved!)
Experimenter: B+ 8/10 (B.S.-approved!)
Goosebumps: C+ n/a
99 Homes: B+ n/a

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