Reel Fanatics

It's a new retro review! In anticipation of Spike Lee's remake, Jared selects High and Low to continue the unfinished trilogy of Akira Kurosawa retro picks that they started during the pandemic. Michael watches some football-related streaming content. Joe recommends a buzzy Netflix series. Jared champions a new indie horror picture.

Is Luca Guadagnino's sexy tennis romance a win? The Reel Fanatics discuss. Joe recommends a new miniseries. Jared finishes an old miniseries. Michael reflects on twelve seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Alex Garland's new film sparks a civil war on the podcast! Joe revisits a 1980s sci-fi classic, Michael recommends a recent documentary, and Jared champions his favorite film of the year.

Does the second half of Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation fulfill the promise of the first? Jared, Michael, and Joe discuss. The guys also share their reactions to the 96th Oscars telecast. Joe recommends a new neo-noir, Jared discovers a '70s sci-fi curio, and Michael struggles with the work of Robert Bresson.

The 96th Academy Awards are approaching, so Michael, Jared, and Joe analyze the nominees and offer their predictions for the winners.

All is revealed in the shocking conclusion to Michael, Jared, and Joe's reflections on 2023 cinema! The guys divulge films #5-1 from their individual top ten lists, as well as some honorable mentions. Three more guests share their favorites of the year.

That's a wrap on 2023! Michael, Jared, and Joe reflect on the year in cinema and share their #10-6 films from their individual top ten lists. Several guests call in to champion their favorites.

Is she guilty? The guys examine Justine Triet's Palme d'Or-winning Anatomy of a Fall. Jared recommends the new Wim Wenders film. Joe analyzes The Equalizer franchise. Michael discovers two new dark Christmas classics.

On this episode, the guys discuss Cord Jefferson's directorial debut, American Fiction. Michael acknowledges the impressive year of Kristoffer Borgli, Jared recommends an idiosyncratic TV miniseries, and Joe crafts some unusual sports metaphors.

Bradley Cooper's Maestro is the focus of this episode. Also, Jared and Joe recommend two December releases, Michael eliminates some older blind spots, and together they discuss the demise of the cool movie star.

The guys discuss what might be Hayao Miyazaki's final film, The Boy and the Heron. Michael reports on several resolved blind spots, including classic Miyazaki works. Jared recommends two recent theatrical releases. Joe revisits a great Ridley Scott picture.

The buzzy Netflix film May December from indie auteur Todd Haynes is the subject of this episode. Joe revisits some classics while Michael fills in some blind spots. Jared is surprised by one of Joe's comfort movies.

The guys discuss Alexander Payne's The Holdovers. Joe revisits the James Bond franchise. Jared recommends a Norwegian satire. Michael weighs in on a recent release that divided Joe and Jared.

Two masters return with films that seem ideally suited to their styles. How do they fare? Jared and Joe discuss Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, then Michael joins in to analyze David Fincher's The Killer.

Martin Scorsese's long-awaited epic crime drama, Killers of the Flower Moon, has finally arrived! The guys discuss the film in depth. Michael revisits some older Scorsese pictures, while Joe and Jared recommend new movies on VOD.

Michael and Joe share their reactions to the new concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, and Jared reports on the 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival. Joe and Jared discuss Wes Anderson's Roald Dahl Netflix shorts.

In anticipation of David Fincher's The Killer, the guys list their ten favorite films about professional killers. Joe and Jared also recommend some recent releases, while Michael eliminates some 1970s blind spots.

Jared is joined by guest Colin Takasawa to identify the ten best foreign, indie, or avant-garde movies of the year and discuss a handful of other notable titles. 2023 has a lot to offer: confident directorial debuts, gems from young masters, and two films that evoke the work of Stan Brakhage!

It's the time of year for fantasy football drafts, and with that in mind, the guys undertake a sports movie draft! For the most part, Michael, Jared, and Joe all get the films they want. But who ends up with the best roster? Listeners decide! Vote for the draft winner through our Twitter post!

A giant episode to cover the moviegoing event of the summer: Barbenheimer! The guys debate the structure of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and praise the humor of Greta Gerwig's Barbie. Joe recommends a classic sci-fi novel. Jared champions two French language films released earlier this year. Michael addresses the death of William Friedkin.

Michael and Jared discuss the new Indiana Jones film, and Joe calls in to share his thoughts. The guys open the episode by discussing the ongoing WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, the state of the industry, and where it's headed. Michael finishes watching Succession. Jared celebrates the Criterion release of a 1980s cult classic.

Once again, the guys do not see eye to eye on a Wes Anderson picture, and Michael articulates his resistance to the auteur's new movie, Asteroid City. Jared reviews a video game. Joe reads a Pulitzer-winning novel. Michael names his favorite film of the year so far.

The eagerly anticipated Spider-Verse sequel is the topic of this episode, but there isn't unanimous praise for the film among the hosts. Michael explores the work of S. Craig Zahler. Jared champions a Sundance hit. Joe goes literary.

Daniel Goldhaber's eco-terrorism thriller, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, is the topic of the day. Before digging into that film, Jared and Joe disagree on and debate two more recent releases, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Guest Natalie Pohorski joins the guys again to analyze Ari Aster's dark comedy, Beau Is Afraid. Michael revisits two '90s indie classics, while Jared champions two new indie films. Natalie recommends an under-appreciated sports movie, while Joe slams an over-appreciated one.

In this special episode, Michael, Jared, and guest Natalie Pohorski discuss the history and process of making their documentary feature, Beyond Human Nature, which is now available on VOD platforms! Buy or rent it here: https://geni.us/BeyondHumanNature

A supersized episode to celebrate a supersized action film! In the first half of the show, Michael, Jared, and Joe review John Wick: Chapter 4 and discuss how it measures up to the other entries in the franchise. In the second half, the guys share their top five action movies in honor of Joe's father.

Beyond Human Nature, the true crime documentary that Michael, Joe, and Jared have been working on since 2014, finally has a release date!

The guys list upcoming titles that could make 2023 a strong movie year. Jared recommends two restored re-releases. Joe reads Tarantino's new book. Michael catches up on some 2022 films.

The guys share their top tens for a year of many good films but few great ones. Jared champions two obscure Mubi releases. Joe vows to further explore Indian cinema. Michael discovers a new personal political hero.

The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards have been announced, and the guys have opinions! Running through all the nominees also gives Michael, Jared, and Joe the chance to discuss some films not reviewed on the pod, including RRR, Women Talking, All Quiet on the Western Front, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and Living.

The long-awaited sequel to Avatar has finally arrived! Michael, Jared, and Joe discuss their return to Pandora. Joe revisits an older water-centric James Cameron movie. Jared regrets not seeing a certain Italian film before publishing his year-end list.

Michael, Jared, and Joe investigate Rian Johnson's new murder mystery. Jared recommends a related whodunnit. Joe shows off his James Mason impression. Michael talks about transforming from a craft beer guy into a wine connoisseur.

A double-review episode! Michael moderates the debate between Jared and Joe over two recent movies: Luca Guadagnino's Bones and All and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. Joe and Jared each recommend a favorite foreign film of 2022.

The guys discuss Steven Spielberg's memoir movie, The Fabelmans. Jared and Joe recommend some of the year's best docs, while Michael talks about the challenges of making his own independent documentary feature, Beyond Human Nature.

Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin, a tragicomedy of feuding friends, is the topic of this episode. Jared, Michael, and Joe briefly get into their own feud over Kevin Smith. Jared reflects on the series run of Atlanta. Joe champions the latest adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. Michael digs into Russian literature.

A double review episode for two acclaimed films from this year's Cannes competition: Ruben Östlund's Palme-winning Triangle of Sadness and James Gray's Armageddon Time. Jared recommends a buzzy TV series, while Joe talks about his recent audiobook binge.

The guys are eager to discuss the return of director Todd Field with his acclaimed character study, Tár. But first, Michael opines on the state of the fall movie season and the upcoming Oscar race. Joe explores an old horror franchise. Jared recommends a Herzog parody.

Baz Luhrmann returns with an Elvis biopic, and the guys don't agree on the results. Joe recommends a new Netflix series. Jared dives into the work of Atom Egoyan. Michael anticipates the latest Robert McKee book.

The guys examine Andrew Dominik's controversial Marilyn Monroe picture. Jared recommends two new streaming films. Joe discusses Ti West's two films from this year. Michael returns to the work of Woody Allen.

Before his next Mad Max film, George Miller delivers an oddball fantasy romance, and the guys discuss it. Michael, Jared, and Joe reflect on the innovation and influence of the recently departed Jean-Luc Godard. Joe and Jared recommend a new horror film while Michael catches up with an acclaimed TV series from a decade ago.

The guys take a break from film to discuss two recent TV series at opposite ends of their runs: Better Call Saul and The Bear. Warning: This is a spoiler-heavy episode for both shows. The Bear is up first; jump to the 38-minute mark for Better Call Saul.

It's the 10-year anniversary of the podcast! Michael, Jared, and Joe reflect on the past decade of cinema and friendship. Then they celebrate by conducting a film draft from the movies they have reviewed on the pod over the years. Buckle up, it's a long, winding ride!

Jordan Peele's latest film is a sci-fi spectacle that the guys are eager to dissect, but they disagree on its plot logistics. Joe recommends an Irish miniseries with two breakout stars. Jared raves about a metatextual miniseries that addresses a filmmaking consideration Michael identifies. All three cohosts are apprehensive about a Heat sequel.

Beavis & Butt-Head return to the cinema, so the guys discuss the movie, the MTV series, and the comic inspirations for Mike Judge's creation. Michael and Joe bemoan the summer movie season. Jared recommends an early Verhoeven picture.

The body horror master makes his comeback with Crimes of the Future, and Jared and Joe disagree slightly on its merits. Michael joins in to evaluate the 2022 movie year so far. The guys finish the episode by sharing their top five Cronenberg films.

The guys excitedly discuss the revival of Tom Cruise's iconic '80s blockbuster with Top Gun: Maverick. Michael falls in love with Breaking Bad all over again. Jared and Joe talk Under the Banner of Heaven and Atlanta. Michael, Jared, and Joe all reminisce about Madison's defunct arthouse cinemas.

The guys discuss the changing landscapes of film and television, how they are converging, what still sets them apart, the emerging forms of media, the burden of constant consumption, and personal preferences.

Idiosyncratic auteur Robert Eggers ventures to the land of the Vikings for his action epic, and the guys explore that world. Joe revisits The Nice Guys. Jared seconds Joe's recent rec of Severance. Michael catches up with Better Call Saul.

The maximalist indie Everything Everywhere All at Once sparks debate about its meaning for Michael and Joe, but all three hosts agree on the latest Pixar film, Turning Red. Jared recommends two action spectacles. Joe and Michael champion recent TV series.