Reel Fanatics

The guys go on a space adventure with big-budget crowdpleaser Project Hail Mary. Jared recommends an old Italian thriller, Michael revisits a childhood favorite, and Joe champions Michael Mann.

A quarter of a century has passed since 2001, so Michael, Jared, and Joe reflect on that time with a fantasy draft of movies from that year.

Michael, Jared, and Joe discuss the 98th Academy Awards nominees and predict who will win. Note: This conversation was recorded prior to the 79th BAFTAs and 32nd Actor Awards, which would have altered the talking points and Oscars forecast.

Jared, Michael, and Joe reveal their top five films of 2025, share some honorable mentions, and briefly discuss the upcoming Oscars.

Michael, Jared, and Joe are ready to assess the 2025 cinema landscape. Here in Part 1, they offer some reflections on the year and reveal their #10-6 favorite films.

Josh Safdie and Timothée Chalamet team up for an exhilarating sports drama, and the RF guys provide analysis. Michael recommends another sports movie, while Joe champions an international thriller.

We've waited nearly two decades, but it's finally here: the complete Kill Bill saga as one epic film! The guys reflect on Tarantino's action opus and discuss how it holds up today. Also, Jared and Joe recommend old and new movies, while Michael revisits a childhood franchise.

The guys dissect Guillermo del Toro's passion project, Frankenstein. Michael recommends two under-the-radar 2025 films, Joe explores Finnish action cinema, and Jared returns to a maligned flop from last year.

Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone collaborate again on Bugonia, and Michael, Jared, and Joe go down the rabbit hole with them. The guys also respond to questions from a listener email.

Kathryn Bigelow returns with a political thriller, and the guys discuss it in depth. Also, Jared recommends two new indie films, Michael enjoys his recent Criterion purchases, and Joe watches chainsaw-themed entertainment.

Jared discusses the dozen films he watched at this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. Joe recommends a recent Japanese film and revisits some horror classics from John Carpenter. Michael catches up with a horror sequel and a comedy franchise reboot.

Paul Thomas Anderson fans rejoice! The new film has arrived! The guys are joined by returning guest Colin Takasawa to discuss One Battle After Another and how it slides into PTA's oeuvre. But first, Colin and Joe champion a scuzzy NYC thriller, while Michael and Jared reflect on the life and cinema of Robert Redford.

A Spike Lee joint starring Denzel Washington is must-see cinema, so the guys discuss this reimagining of an Akira Kurosawa classic. Michael recommends a baseball documentary, Joe champions a new Stephen King adaptation, and Jared offers a Sidney Lumet drama for people who are excited about One Battle After Another.

As summer comes to a close, Jared and Joe review three final films from the season: Superman, The Naked Gun, and Weapons. Also, Jared reports on a few Peter Greenaway films, while Joe deep-dives into John Woo's oeuvre.

Joe concludes a round of retro reviews with John Frankenheimer's 1966 cult classic, Seconds. Michael finally watches an old animated series, Jared recommends two recent Radiance releases, and Joe presents a Bob Hoskins crime drama double feature.

Ari Aster returns viewers to the pandemic days of summer 2020 with his latest film, Eddington. Michael, Jared, and Joe reflect on that miserable time while they debate this powder keg of a thriller.

Michael continues the current round of retro reviews with Otto Preminger's 1959 courtroom drama, Anatomy of a Murder. Joe revisits a signature Claire Denis picture, while Michael recommends the second season of a Netflix docuseries.

Director Joseph Kosinski and star Brad Pitt team up with Formula One for the summer's big sports movie, so the Reel Fanatics gather to review the tape. Michael, Jared, and Joe also discuss the recent 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century list published by The New York Times.

Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland return to the 28 Days Later franchise, so the Reel Fanatics do, too, for a review of 28 Years Later and reflections on the earlier films. Also, Michael and Jared recommend streaming comedy series, while Joe defends a maligned romantic dramedy.

To celebrate the summer movie season, the Reel Fanatics conduct a fantasy draft of film franchises!

Jared kicks off another round of retro reviews with Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon. Michael champions a new Netflix sketch series, Joe catches up with Andor, and Jared presents a Criterion Channel double feature.

Tom Cruise takes his signature action franchise on one last mission, and the Reel Fanatics are along for the ride! Before the guys discuss the Mission: Impossible closer, Michael and Joe recommend two other films currently in theaters, and Jared endorses three recent TV series.

For his retro review, Jared selects Jacques Becker's 1960 prison break thriller, Le Trou. Joe champions the new Cronenberg film, Jared recommends a Netflix series, and Michael revisits a 30 for 30 doc.

The guys sink their fangs into Ryan Coogler's vampire horror-thriller, Sinners, in this episode. Jared recommends a new physical media release of a Reel Fanatics favorite, Joe revisits Val Kilmer's work in Tombstone, and Michael updates his 2023 top ten with a provocative French film.

For a new retro review, Michael selects one of his favorite docs, Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. by Errol Morris. Joe recommends a recent Criterion Collection release, Michael revisits a Tom Cruise hit, and Jared explores the oeuvre of an overlooked Italian documentarian.

Another round of retro reviews begins with Joe's pick, Truck Turner: a 1974 Blaxploitation crime film starring Isaac Hayes as a badass bounty hunter. Jared recommends a new baseball indie, Joe champions a Netflix miniseries, and Michael finds a Malick movie he loves.

We're only three months into the year, and director Steven Soderbergh already has two theatrical releases. His new spy thriller, Black Bag, is the subject of this episode. Jared, Michael, and Joe also highlight some of their most anticipated movies for the rest of 2025.

Bong's new oddball sci-fi comedy is the topic of the episode, and Michael, Jared, and Joe have differing reactions! Before digging into the film, the guys discuss the 97th Oscars results and telecast.

In reaction to recent comments by Quentin Tarantino, the guys decide to do a fantasy draft of the best movies from 2019. Was it as good of a year as we thought at the time? Jared goes for idiosyncratic favorites, Joe grabs some heavy hitters, and Michael makes a catastrophic mistake late in the game. Let us know who you think won!

Michael, Jared, and Joe react to the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards and offer their predictions for the major categories.

Jared, Michael, and Joe close out the 2024 year in cinema by revealing their individual top five films and then discussing various honorable mentions.

Jared, Michael, and Joe are finally ready to wrap up the previous year of movies. Here in Part 1, the guys reflect on the 2024 cinema landscape and share the #10-6 films from their individual top ten lists.

Michael, Jared, and Joe discuss Brady Corbet's The Brutalist, the buzziest film of the season. Michael champions a Sundance hit, Jared discovers an overlooked foreign film, and Joe recommends a visionary Oscar contender.

James Mangold returns to the music biopic to examine the early career of Bob Dylan. The guys share their reactions to this buzzy picture. Joe recommends a recent horror movie, Jared champions a foreign animated film, and Michael discusses a Dutch thriller that has haunted him for months.

Indie auteur Robert Eggers delivers a new version of the horror classic, Nosferatu! After seeing the film together—a rarity for the RF crew—Michael, Jared, and Joe share their reactions and compare it to other adaptations. Plus, Michael revisits a 2007 masterpiece, Jared recommends an animated family film, and Joe discusses the American giallo of Brian De Palma.

The guys reflect on their history with 2000's Best Picture winner, Gladiator, and then discuss in depth the new sequel, Gladiator II.

The recent release of a new cut of Caligula led Michael to suggest the guys take a look at this infamous film, which results in a lively discussion. Also, Joe soft-recommends a TV miniseries, Jared champions a new indie Christmas movie, and Michael breaks the rules of the recs section.

Indie auteur Sean Baker returns with his Palme d'Or-winning Anora, and the guys are eager to discuss this latest work. Michael checks another major blind spot off his watchlist. Joe revisits a Robert Zemeckis classic. Jared is puzzled by the release strategy for the new Clint Eastwood picture.

The new documentary Made in England, featuring Martin Scorsese, prompts Michael, Jared, and Joe to discuss the films of directors Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, including The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, and particularly The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.

Jared reports on the movies he saw at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October. Joe recommends a recent film from a rising Japanese auteur. Michael explores the work of Buster Keaton.

Megalopolis has finally made its way to theaters, so the guys debate Coppola's likely final work. Also, Jared recommends a new indie flick, Joe revisits an Italian master's semi-autobiographical film, and Michael checks off two more '70s blindspots.

Jared is joined by returning guest Colin Takasawa to pick out the ten best foreign, indie, or avant-garde movies of the year and discuss twenty other notable titles.

The guys kick off another round of retro reviews with one of Joe's favorites, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, a 1970s neo-western from Sam Peckinpah. The discussion evolves into an exploration of Peckinpah's entire oeuvre. Michael also talks about an older beloved western, Joe checks out an unseen Paul Schrader movie, and Jared recommends a recent indie film.

Out of nowhere comes another retro review! The guys take a look at the 1997 Julia Roberts rom-com hit, My Best Friend's Wedding, to see how it holds up today. Plus, Michael and Joe revisit two '70s cult classics, while Jared champions two new indie films.

Marvel expert Kyle Nabilcy returns to the pod to discuss Deadpool & Wolverine and the future of the MCU—especially RDJ's homecoming—with Michael and Jared. Joe calls in to share his reaction to the latest superhero movie, too. And Kyle asks an important question: What happened to John Grisham adaptations?

Michael moderates spoiler-free reviews of MaXXXine and Longlegs by Jared and Joe. Then the guys discuss the trailers for some upcoming horror-thrillers and weigh in on comments made by Paul Schrader about the horror genre.

A combo episode. First, Michael and Jared do a brief review of Pixar's Inside Out 2. Then Joe joins in for a discussion about the current state of movie theaters and where theatrical exhibition and moviegoing are headed. Spoiler alert: the future doesn't look bright!

Richard Linklater's new romantic crime comedy is the topic of the day. Michael catches up on some recent Netflix offerings. Joe finally watches a '90s cult classic. Jared describes a museum video installation piece. The guys argue over whether Hit Man would have been a theatrical box office success.

George Miller expands the story of a Fury Road character for a revenge-fueled prequel, and the guys are excited about it! Jared reports on the Cannes Film Festival, Michael recommends a new Netflix comedy series, and Joe explains his deep love for the Mad Max franchise.