Spoilerpiece Theatre

Dave had to look after Baby Henry, so BOFCA critic Greg Vellante joins Evan and Kris for this week's episode. After a brief game of "Get to Know Your Guest Host," Greg leads off with BEFORE I FALL (at 7:30), the teenybopper version of GROUNDHOG DAY, which he finds forgettable despite its heart. Next Kris discusses TABLE 19 (15:04), a wedding comedy about nothing in particular that he dubs "stay together porn" for its terrible plot involving couples staying together that shouldn't. After that, Evan and Greg rave about MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI (at 29:42), the touching Oscar-nominated animated film about a group of orphans who form a family. Finally, Greg fully loses his Spoilerpiece virginity by spoiling the heck out of LOGAN (at 42:06), the Wolverine movie that he describes as entertaining, unexpectedly moving, and extremely violent.

This week Evan learns the meaning of the term "hippie lettuce" and the results are mind blowing, well to him anyway. Kris opens with a segment of "Keepin' up with the Jensons" (at 4:40) where he talks about how great the performances in FENCES are and why he didn't mind the Google Earth portions in LION as much as other people. Next, Evan shares his psycho stalker weekend. No he didn't stalk anyone. He just watched THE BOY NEXT DOOR, FATAL ATTRACTION, and SINGLE WHITE FEMALE within two days and dug them all for their unhinged villains and insane plot twists. Lastly, the guys review the horror film GET OUT (at 30:38), Jordan Peele's tremendous directorial debut, which they all had the privilege of seeing. They have so much fun spoilerpiecing their screening's engaged audience, the sense of terrifying dread that Peele creates, and all of the subtle foreshadowing Peele lays down for the frightening events that follow, that they end up running a little longer than usual.

At the show's outset, the guys wonder what a wiki site run by Kris would be like, before they dive into this week's movies. First, Kris regales Dave and Evan with his thoughts on the cinematic implications of the Chinese/American collaboration THE GREAT WALL (at 3:06), an action film with Matt Damon in a non-white savior role that has great creature design, but ultimately is really dumb. Then Evan spoilerpieces FIST FIGHT (at 26:43), a completely nonsensical, failure of a comedy, that has bloopers funnier than its entire hour and a half runtime. Lastly, he and Dave explore I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (at 45:42), the Oscar-nominated documentary that describes what it's like to be black in America through the words of author James Baldwin. The brilliant insights Baldwin reveals really resonate with them intellectually and emotionally, although the documentary's dense content prompts them to recommend more than one viewing, to take in all of its poignant commentary.

Although Boston meteorologists predicted that Snowmageddon would decimate the area this week, the guys were still able to record their episode before disaster struck. The show starts with a first, Kris spoilerpiecing vinyl album covers, before Evan shares his experience watching the touchstone '80s film FLASHDANCE (at 5:20) for the very first time. He agrees that it's crazy he hadn't seen it before, as he discusses how impeccably lit it is, how fantastic its music is, and how sultry its epic dance numbers are under the direction of Adrian Lyne. Next, Dave reviews THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (at 18:10), which is exactly what you think it would be. Will Arnett is perfect as Batman and the movie is chock full of one-liners, but it doesn't quite have the same impact as THE LEGO MOVIE. After that Dave and Kris join forces to review JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (at 26:50), a movie that they both loved, and not just because it fulfilled one of three big criteria for good films declared by Dave's uncle. It compellingly continues mythology established in the first picture without retconning, and features dynamite action scenes, as well as Keanu Reeves speaking multiple languages. Lastly, before they completely wrap, the guys take a moment to thank a fan for her kind email.

While discussing highlights of Billy Joel's musical career on this week's episode, Kris and Dave enlighten Evan about Joel's brief metal period in the band Atilla. Without wasting much time after that, the guys get into the week's movies. First up is Kris, to talk about THE RED TURTLE (at 2:56), one of the shortest spoilerpieces ever, because the sort-of-Studio Ghibli animated film has no dialogue. Kris kind of likes it, although he doesn't know why. However he does know that he feels the emotions of it. Next is Evan, to discuss LION (at 9:08), a drama about an Indian man played by Dev Patel, who decides to search for the family he was separated from as a child. The film's first half is heartbreaking and its last act reaches an emotional conclusion, yet Evan feels like its scenes of Patel searching on Google Earth in the middle really drag the story down. Finally, the guys conclude by gushing about PATERSON (at 23:50), Jim Jarmusch's pleasant, slice-of-life picture about a poet and bus driver played by Adam Driver. They talk about how the movie is about poetry on micro and macro levels, while revealing why it makes you want to sink your teeth into every moment. With a little time left, Dave caps the segment by sharing a brief hilarious encounter he had with Mr. Jarmusch in New York City.

Baby Henry is under the weather, prompting Dave to quarantine himself – so guest Dede Crimmins joins Evan and Kris this week to talk about the '90s and lots of film-related topics. Dede fills the guys in on her latest adventures, which include recording a DVD commentary, and participating on panels at the Arisia science fiction convention. Following some philosophical discussion about horror, Dede shares three movies to look out for this year (at 13:00): RAW, THE BAD BATCH, and COLOSSAL. After that, she and the guys discuss the 2017 Oscar nominations (at 21:52), revealing surprises and disappointments in the major categories. Finally, all three of them review this week's new release GOLD (at 33:50), the Matthew McConaughey gold prospecting movie that Kris describes as AMERICAN HUSTLE on NyQuil. Evan and Dede find it charming for McConaughey's spirited performance as a balding, overweight, drunk, but they admit that they'll probably forget it in a week.

This week Kris excitedly announces the Amazon release of BLOOD OF THE TRIBADES, the sexy lesbian vampire homage to Hammer horror that features him in a villainous role. Before the guys dive into the week's movies, Kris issues a correction to his description of THE BYE BYE MAN at the request of a listener. With corrections and plugs out of the way, Dave steps up to spoilerpiece THE FOUNDER (at 8:41), a chronicle of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) transformed McDonalds from a small fast food chain owned by hardworking brothers (John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman) into a multi-billion-dollar company. Dave shares its unique take on Kroc as a character, revealing how Kroc starts out sympathetic, but becomes an incredible shyster as the film progresses. Then all three guys tackle SPLIT (at 27:16), M. Night Shyamalan's twisty thriller about a group of teenage girls abducted by man with multiple personalities (James McAvoy). The guys marvel at McAvoy's dynamite performance as well as great turns by Betty Buckley and Anya Taylor-Joy, although they find the movie's ending lacking and a little icky. The plus side: Dr. Kris has some ideas for how it could be improved.

Strange things are afoot this week at Spoilerpiece Theatre, and we'll just leave it at that. Kris leads off by reviewing THE BYE BYE MAN (at 3:48), a horror movie where the villain has no goal other than to mess with people until they die, so his dog can eat them. Just like with THE FOREST, Kris almost spoilerpieces Dave into wanting to see it, although thankfully Dave comes to his senses when he realizes how stupid it is. Evan follows with 20TH CENTURY WOMEN (at 26:48), a Mike Mills movie set in 1970s Santa Barbara with good bones, great camerawork, and charming performances, but annoying stream of consciousness storytelling like Mills's film BEGINNERS. Then Kris and Dave wrap up with LIVE BY NIGHT (at 41:39), the Ben Affleck gangster picture where people do a lot of living by day. Sienna Miller blends in, Brendan Gleeson goes too soon, and Chris Messina is the only one who belongs in this story with lots of clothed sex and heavy involvement from the KKK. The guys reveal that it looks great despite being weird, even though they agree that you should probably live by not seeing it.

Dave and Kris are back to start 2017 in style! This week the guys examine their favorite karaoke songs through the lens of 90s front men before they get to the movies. First, Dave shares his experience growing up as a Rush fan (at 6:58), and the sadness he felt watching the documentary RUSH: TIME STAND STILL for the second time. His story reminds Kris of DEATHGASM, an awesome movie about metal kids that he strongly encourages Dave and Evan to see. Next, Kris reviews HIDDEN FIGURES (at 16:50), a charming true story about three African American women working for NASA during the Space Race, which transcends genre tropes. Then the guys arrive at their main event: Martin Scorsese's SILENCE (at 27:46). All three have seen it, so they have a LOT to say about the film's commentary on religion, colonialism, and Christian arrogance through its 17th century tale of Portuguese priests conducting missionary work in Japan. They each have complaints and find the whole thing too long, yet ultimately respect what Scorsese is shooting for.

It's been a rough year, but 2016 has finally come to a close, and not a moment too soon given all of the beloved celebrities who have left us! Unfortunately neither Dave nor Kris could make it for this week's episode, so special guest stars Charlie Nash and Sean Burns join Evan to put the year to bed. They join forces to tear PATRIOTS DAY a new one (at 4:39). All three of them delve into the reasons this Peter Berg/Mark Wahlberg vehicle about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing is insulting to Bostonians — like Walhberg's made up character, its exploitative shots of grisly carnage, its selective focus on victims, and its hard-on for authoritarianism. Not surprisingly, there is an overlap between that segment and the next one, where the guys discuss the Worst Movies of 2016 (at 33:54). Several films come up that have been mentioned on the show before, although the most spirited debate occurs between Charlie and Sean over ARRIVAL and CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, which make them feel very emotions.

So much Spoilerpiecing to do this week! We lead things off with a call from a friend in France, and then we get down to spoiling the snot out of ASSASSIN'S CREED. Evan follows that up with Almodovar's JULIETA, and then Kris uses all his strength to get through PASSENGERS, which sounds like it was an ordeal and a half. Finally, Evan and Dave talk FENCES, Denzel's latest directorial effort (an adaptation of August Wilson's renowned play).

Pee talk takes an unexpected, yet movie-related turn at the start of this week's episode. Once the guys dispense with their bathroom discussion, they move on to the Boston Online Film Critics Association's yearly awards, which were recently announced to the public. The guys quickly walk through their ballots (at 4:37), mentioning their favorite films that didn't win, exploring the nuances of their votes, and teasing movies like FENCES that they look forward to discussing in future episodes. After the awards excitement, Kris reviews COLLATERAL BEAUTY (at 28:00), a picture that sounds like an emo side project, where the filmmakers couldn't decide between making an awards movie or a Christmas movie, so they made both and got something awful. With that out of the way, Dave and Evan take on this week's big release, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (at 44:00), a prequel that doesn't have much in common with other entries in the STAR WARS franchise. It has a diverse cast of skilled actors, deaths with weight, and a director that cares about framing shots, however Dave and Evan don't think it deserves the hype from critics.

You want movies? We've got your movies this week! The episode opens with a segment of "Catching up with Crean," aka "Crewind," where Evan shares his issues with THE HANDMAIDEN (at 6:18) before he covers the sharp Netflix documentary 13TH (at 9:24), which has a well-formed argument about the exploitation of minorities by US lawmakers and the prison industrial complex. After that Evan tackles THE DRESSMAKER (at 13:32), a zany movie that's overstuffed with plot, yet funny and engaging, with one hell of an ending. Starting at 24:00, Kris and Dave provide very brief recaps of several films including THE LITTLE PRINCE, RED TURTLE, THE FITS, DE PALMA, ZOOTOPIA, and MORRIS FROM AMERICA. Once they get tired of recapping, they move on to this week's two main events. Dave shares the excruciating agony that is WHY HIM? (at 32:42), or as he calls it "Why Me?". Then finally, he and Kris review LA LA LAND (at 42:24), a musical with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, which they really disagree about.

This week Kris shares the unusual tale of his 10 year high school reunion. The guys carry their silliness from that story over into their intro, where they ask, you the listener, which 60 Minutes anchor you think they are. It's a good thing they get to the movies, because there are several to cover. Kris starts with a segment of "Keepin' up with the Jensons," where he talks about why he liked SWISS ARMY MAN (at 6:00) more than he expected. Then he and Dave join forces for a recap of HELL OR HIGH WATER (at 18:04), where they joke about the title, discuss the score, and dissect its Western elements. They get to new movies with their review of THE HANDMAIDEN (at 28:09), a three hour movie that flies by due to a layered story and perfect performances, set design, and camerawork. Next, Evan quickly reviews KRISHA (at 42:23), a tough film about a woman spending Thanksgiving with her estranged family that's shot and edited in an unsettling way. Lastly, he and Kris review MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (at 48:32), an effective examination of grief that also reveals how frustrating it is to drive in Massachusetts.

Happy post-Thanksgiving! First, we've got some singing, and then we've got a whole mess o' movies, beginning with Kris' take on Warren Beatty's RULES DON'T APPLY. Then Dave goes through BAD SANTA 2, and Evan wraps things up with Disney's MOANA. And then there's more singing (briefly!).

We've got movies coming out the wazoo this week! First, Dave and Kris tackle the ambitious Harry Potter prequel FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (at 4:00), which tries to cram five movies into one. Much to their annoyance, only three of those five movies are good. Next, Dave explores NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (at 24:56), writer/director/fashion designer Tom Ford's sophomore film. It has two stories about toxic masculinity that don't add up to a whole movie, so during the review Kris develops a new segment called "Dr. Kris, Medicine Man," where he shares how he'd fix the film. Following that segment, Dave offers his brief thoughts on the music documentaries OASIS: SUPERSONIC and RUSH: TIME STAND STILL, which only seem to be for diehard fans. Evan bats cleanup with three more movies from the Boston Jewish Film Festival (at 51:00): the mediocre crime thriller GRAIN OF TRUTH, the emotionally compelling documentary FREEDOM TO MARRY, and the thought-provoking comedy doc THE LAST LAUGH.

On this week's episode, Dave gripes about his record club's inability to send him records he wants, before discussing his burgeoning November beard and his latest Baby Henry story. After the guys get some good laughs in to compensate for their election sadness, Kris gets things going with ARRIVAL (at 6:10), a sci-fi film starring Amy Adams as a linguist that speaks heptapod. Adams plays the same character she always does, but it does some very interesting things Kris doesn't expect and really turns out to be the kind of high concept sci-fi he enjoys. Next, Evan and Dave keep the good movie momentum with their description of LOVING (at 21:26), an emotional drama based on a true story with amazing performances by Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton. Kris follows with his take on MOONLIGHT (at 33:32) a three-party story of a gay man's life that's not revolutionary, but so well-assembled that it kind of is. Evan closes out the show with THE ORIGIN OF VIOLENCE (at 48:36), a French film playing at the Boston Jewish Film Festival that turned out to be more about the Holocaust than he expected, although not in a bad way, since the film uses it to tell a compelling story.

On this week's episode the guys ponder the strange variety of foods available in New York City diners before they dive into movies. Kris kicks everything off with his rundown of HACKSAW RIDGE (at 4:50), Mel Gibson's World War II film about a conscientious objector who volunteers for military service. The first half has a delicate touch, while the second half is standard Mel Gibson, which Kris emphasizes with enthusiasm. Evan jumps in next to talk about The Boston Jewish Film Festival (at 26:57). He comments on four films playing there; two documentaries (DISTURBING THE PEACE and WOMEN IN SINK) and two narrative shorts (AND THEN, VIOLENCE, and JEWISH BLIND DATE). He discusses the things that each do well, and the reasons why they're all worth watching. Dave and Kris close out by recapping the 16th Annual Halloween Horror Movie Marathon at the Coolidge Corner Theatre (at 41:40). They share brief reactions to the films they saw there, which include SCREAM, SCREAM 2, THE FOG, THE HOWLING, CREEPSHOW, and GHOST STORY.

As the guys imagine their dream pets, Kris reveals some horrifying aspects of Venus flytrap ownership at the start of this week's episode. Then Dave jumps into the Tom Hanks/Ron Howard vehicle INFERNO (at 5:24), a movie that contains a surprising amount of swearing (at least according to him). He laments the picture's misuse of Ben Foster, while also wondering aloud why Hanks and Howard continue making rotten films from shit Dan Brown books. Next up is Evan to take on the Jim Jarmusch documentary GIMME DANGER (at 36:10), which chronicles the rise, fall, resurgence, and influence of Iggy and the Stooges. Jarmusch has the right sensibilities and sympathy for its subject, but his toolkit is limited and the experience suffers despite some fascinating insights about Iggy Pop's upbringing and his attitude as musician. Kris closes out the episode with his exploration of the 1994 Academy-Award-Winner BURNT BY THE SUN (at 48:06), a Russian movie by Nikita Mikhalkov that tackles some heavy subject matter, yet still contains a lot of antics and shenanigans. Before ending his segment, Kris teases analysis of the movie's unexpected sequels, which he'll conduct on next week's show.

This week Kris is caught completely off-guard by Evan's response to his Russian joke. Once Kris recovers from shock, he and Dave spoilerpiece JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK (at 5:12), which features Tom Cruise doing a lot of running and making a lot of phone calls. Its plot is rushed, and you can see everything coming, so the guys assure Evan that he didn't miss much. Following tangents on END OF DAYS and as-seen-on-TV products, Evan reviews OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL (at 34:42), the reason he wasn't at JACK REACHER. Unfortunately he didn't do much better since this horror flick is only 2/3 of a good movie. There is genuine tension, production value, and artful shots, but everything falls apart in the final act, when it rushes to a hasty and nonsensical conclusion. Lastly, Evan covers 12 ANGRY MEN (at 52:32), a movie he just got around to seeing. He praises Sidney Lumet's picture for its narrow scope, superb acting, great dialogue, and fantastic blocking. The discussion then opens up to a larger one where the guys talk about other Lumet films they love.

This week Dave recalls a random middle school experience that struck a chord with him for very middle school reasons. Following his hilarious anecdote, the guys all review the Ben Affleck thriller THE ACCOUNTANT (at 4:36), which has good solid killing, a scrappy Anna Kendrick, and a story that's delightfully narrow in scope, however it does fall victim to clunky exposition in its second act. Next, Kris reviews THE DYBBUK (at 45:16), a really good pre-World War II Polish movie in Yiddish about possession and conjuring Satan (which make it so metal). Lastly, Dave covers with the Swedish picture A MAN CALLED OVE (at 55:24), a story you've seen a million times about an old guy with a dead wife. Its characterization of this perpetual grump's interactions with young people and his botched attempts at killing himself are charming in a way that only a non-American filmmaker could pull off.

In this very special episode, the guys welcome their first celebrity guest – actor Robert Davi! Mr. Davi miraculously heard last week's episode, so he is anxious to talk with them about his elevator encounter with Dave, as well as other things he has going on, like his new documentary DAVI'S WAY. After chatting with Mr. Davi, the guys jump into this week's films. Evan leads off with AMANDA KNOX (at 12:22), at Netflix documentary that proves police investigatory techniques are flawed all over the world. Next Dave talks all about THE GREASY STRANGLER (at 20:34), one of the least pleasant experiences he has ever had watching a movie. Then Kris and Dave explore THE BIRTH OF A NATION (at 32:36), a loaded movie with a lot of issues worthy of discussion, including the director's past. Finally, Evan and Dave close with THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (at 58:10), a mediocre thriller that's great for its central female characters and their performances, but disappointing for its narrow focus on baby-related-drama.

A conversation about celebrity encounters on this week's episode leads to an anecdote about Kris's brief run in with James Taylor. Then the guys jump into the one movie they're allowed to talk about: DEEPWATER HORIZON. Since other films they've seen don't come out until next week, Kris and Evan go in-depth with this Peter Berg/Mark Wahlberg disaster flick. The picture's character development is stupid and it doesn't know which plot points should be explained, but it does a good job playing up the enormity of the events, and Mark Wahlberg is solid as an average guy who rises to the occasion in a way that's not annoying. Following that conversation, Dave caps off this short episode with an accidental spoilerpiece of the Bond movie LICENSE TO KILL, as he shares his story of meeting Robert Davi.

This week the guys get in on the game of using three fictional characters to describe themselves. Then Evan and Kris talk about the 70mm and Widescreen Festival at the Somerville Theatre (at 7:04), where they saw TRON and SLEEPING BEAUTY. While discussing how beautiful these films look, they each share new elements that they discovered by watching them on the big screen. After that, Dave provides a "Riedel's Recap" of GREEN ROOM (at 15:56), which offers specific comparisons to Jeremy Saulnier's previous movie BLUE RUIN. Next, Kris delivers a "Keeping up with the Jensons" about DEMON (at 21:32), where he offers a very different take on the picture than Evan. Dave transitions into THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS (at 29:57), a Ron Howard documentary that attempts to whitewash tensions between the band's members. Finally, Kris and Evan close out with QUEEN OF KATWE (at 39:10), a Disney sports movie about chess, which is carried by good humor and cute kids learning about life.

This week Kris shares how he learned to separate reality from movies as a child, before he reveals his reaction to Baz Luhrmann's Netflix show THE GET DOWN (at 4:22). Next Evan talks about the Polish/Israeli horror film DEMON (at 11:11), which has Polish, English, and Yiddish, but no sign language. It's not particular scary, yet Evan still captures Kris's interest anyway with his description of it. Following some tangents about a Jewish themed X-FILES episode and Gary Gulman's stand up, the guys reach their main movie, BLAIR WITCH (at 25:50), which miraculously they have all seen. Evan never saw THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT so he thinks this sequel is okay, but Dave and Kris have, so they share their experiences seeing it for the first time, before they launch into their critique of the new movie, which they find redundant and needlessly confusing.

This week Kris shares the advantages to playing board games with Canadians, before he reviews Clint Eastwood's latest movie SULLY (at 2:38). The mediocre film has a lot in common narratively with Eastwood's last effort AMERICAN SNIPER, especially since the same things work well (a focus on the effects of trauma) and the same things don't (artificially created villains). After Kris explains how the movie ends awkwardly on a joke, Dave delivers a quick "Riedel's Recap" of DON'T BREATHE (at 19:57). Following the segment, Evan describes the coming-of-age film MORRIS FROM AMERICA (at 20:58), which has great music, and features the fantastic Craig Robinson in a rare dramatic role. Finally, the guys arrive at their main event: the '80s horror flick SLEEPAWAY CAMP (at 30:32). They describe its weird flashbacks, its endearing incompetence, and the craziness that runs in its blood as they dig into this time capsule, which 2/3 of them agree is good for what it is. Be sure to stick around post-credits for a completely unrelated bonus story.

Dave is feeling under the weather so fan favorite Dede Crimmins joins Evan and Kris this week. She and Kris lead off by discussing the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival (at 5:02). They share a few of their favorite films, before Dede transitions into COMPLETE UNKNOWN (at 11:41). Dede finds Rachel Weisz's character fascinating in it, but she wishes there was more to the movie's simple plot. Next, Kris talks about how war leaves scars long after hostilities end in THE INNOCENTS (at 21:32), a heavy post-World War II film about rescuing babies. Then Evan and Dede review THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS (at 35:46), a long, slow drama about babies and post-war tensions that also stars Rachel Weisz and features Michael Fassbender as a brooding lighthouse hunk. Dede wraps everything up with MORGAN (at 54:16) a mashup of SPLICE, EX MACHINA, and BLADE RUNNER that has the most wasted cast she has ever seen and an ending that thinks it's clever without actually being clever.

This week Kris reveals what he would do if he had precognitive powers like Christopher Walken in THE DEAD ZONE. After that, he reviews DON'T BREATHE (at 3:28), a horror movie that he was really into for an hour until it disgusted him. Next, Evan explains the intellectually and emotionally engaging documentary THE WITNESS (at 27:21) opening at the Regent Theatre, which follows Kitty Genovese's brother Bill on a decade long journey to investigate her murder. Then Dave lightens things up by spoilerpiecing MAN UP (at 36:06), a charming, if not great romantic comedy where Simon Pegg plays vulnerable and Lake Bell does a convincing British accent. Finally, Evan concludes with INDIGNATION, a 1950s drama that impressed him with its patient camerawork and pleasantly surprised him by going some unexpected places. His description provokes strong reactions from Dave and Kris, who want to see it, but are convinced they'll either love it or hate it.

The show opens this week with a conversation about director Werner Herzog's very unique perspective on life. Following a shout out to one of Dave's favorite YouTubers and a discussion about Evan's book, Your '80s Movie Guide to Better Living, the guys dig into the week's new releases. First up is Kris, who discusses Herzog's documentary LO AND BEHOLD REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD (at 9:09). The filmmaker is more aware of his personal brand, so he features himself prominently in it, but it's still a fascinating piece about the integration between humans and machines. Next, Evan reviews WAR DOGS (at 19:32). Even though it obviously rips off of GOODFELLAS, the movie is worth seeing because it's funny, has great music, and showcases a tremendous lead performance by Jonah Hill. Lastly, Kris concludes with KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (at 36:20), which captivates with its stop motion animation and its take on ancient religion. Every place the characters go in the film and everything they do is enjoyable to watch, even if you're aware the journey that they're on.

On this week's episode a Fine Young Cannibals karaoke session somehow turns into a Weezer takedown, but one fan isn't having it. Dave leads off with WOULD YOU RATHER (at 3:31), a horror movie that's bad, although not bad enough to be super entertaining. At least it has interesting casting, and Jeffrey Combs chowing down on the scenery. After that, Evan talks about the crime drama HELL OR HIGH WATER (at 26:32), which is about brothers played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who rob banks to save their family's home. His rousing description of its tense action, thorough character development, and smart bank-robbing plan spoilerpiece Dave and Kris into really wanting to see it. Lastly, Kris and Evan conclude with PETE'S DRAGON (at 48:20), a cute remake that's touching, but the good kind of touching. Despite its dead parent motif, they spoilerpiece Dave into wanting to see the film with their recap of the dragon's expressiveness, the antagonist's depth, and its overall statement about unconventional families.

Unfortunately Dave needs to leave mid-episode this week due to a minor emergency, but don't worry, he'll be back next time! Before he takes off though, he gets to hear Evan talk about BAD MOMS (at 3:46). Evan describes why this unfunny comedy has a noble message that it stupidly undermines the entire time. He also describes why it can't seem figure out how far to go with its jokes. Following that, Kris reviews the much-anticipated SUICIDE SQUAD (at 22:14). Sadly, he has more good things to say about the burger he ate after the movie than the movie itself. Over the course of his talk, he reveals why he upgraded his review from, "It's stupid, don't see it," to "It's toxic, shun it." Finally Evan and Kris conclude with STRANGER THINGS (at 42:28), the Netflix series that everyone has been talking about. They delve into the show's layered plot, sharing exactly why it resonated with them. And of course, because this is Spoilerpiece Theatre, they dig into some plot holes that got on their nerves in an otherwise tremendous series.

Sean Burns joins Evan and Dave to discuss why Wesley Snipes movies have the best one-liners in their trailers. Since Sean hasn't seen the week's big movie JASON BOURNE (at 3:12), he plays a fun game where he tries to guess its plot while Evan and Dave tell him what he got right. Following some jokes about THE BOURNE LEGACY (or THE BOURNE LAZENBY as Sean calls it), some questions about why we got another Bourne movie, and a tangent on Michael Douglas, Sean covers Woody Allen's CAFÉ SOCIETY (at 34:10). Listeners know that Dave normally hates Woody Allen, however Sean manages to spoilerpiece him into tolerating the movie by sharing how much Allen gives a shit visually in this 1930s outing. After Sean explores its message that "It ain't like it used to be, and it never was," he reviews Sian Heder's TALLULAH (at 48:52), a strong first effort starring Ellen Page and Allison Janney. From there, they all descend into tangents about the Coolidge's upcoming horror movie marathon and differing opinions on various De Palma films (mainly Sean and Dave's).

A conversation about the trailer for XxX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE takes an entirely different turn once the guys start talking about other short videos they'd like to see with Vin Diesel. Then Kris leads off by reviewing STAR TREK BEYOND (at 4:29). Due to a last-minute screening, he is the only one who could see it, but he has good things to say about its story, its characters, and its action scenes between Dave and Evan's jokes about "Captain's Logs." Following a quick Baby Henry story, Evan and Kris discuss ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE (at 28:52). They reveal why they enjoy the movie's absurdist British humor even though they never really watched the show it's based on. Finally, the guys arrive at the episode's main event, where they dig into HEAVEN'S GATE (at 39:00), a film they've promised to take on for a while. They delve into detail about why it's underwritten and overproduced, while still being an amazing spectacle to behold. Their commentary on its phenomenal technical feats and depressing themes add color to this expensive flop that ruined United Artists and marred the late Michael Cimino's career.

This week Kris shares his revolutionary idea for a new mobile game before he and Evan jump right into the new GHOSTBUSTERS (at 3:24). Kris tends to be more negative about it, but Evan also reveals some aspects that don't work for him. They try to take time to talk about the things in it they enjoy though, like the gadgets, the camaraderie between the characters and individually hilarious players like Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. After covering this film about women made by a man, Kris transitions into commentary on CHEVALIER (at 25:52), a Greek movie about men made by a woman. He describes why this "bone dry" comedy is a metaphorical dick joke and tells Evan and Dave why they absolutely need to see it. Next up is Dave to discuss TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU (at 35:00), a Netflix documentary directed by Joe Berlinger. Dave describes why it's a concert movie, while sharing insights from his recent interview with Berlinger. Finally, Evan closes with THE INFILTRATOR (at 49:38), a tense undercover caper with Bryan Cranston. He catches Kris and Dave's interest with his commentary on how the cops are always barely one step ahead of the criminals they're chasing in the picture.

Apparently Erik Estrada doesn't just play a cop on TV anymore. He's one in real life too, as the guys learn in this week's episode. After they speculate about what would happen if Ponch was charged with police brutality, Evan reviews the first movie of the week: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (at 5:48). According to him, this cute animated film, which features an all-star voice cast, is strongest when it's cracking jokes about animal clichés and making you feel genuine danger for its characters, but becomes increasingly predictable as it goes on. Next Kris reveals why FREE STATE OF JONES (at 21:11) is a dry film that turns a story about Reconstruction into a VH1 biography. This conversation leads to a tangent on why GONE WITH THE WIND shouldn't be held in such high regard, before Evan wraps up with THE MAN IN THE WALL (at 42:48), an Israeli thriller that keeps you guessing with its tale of a missing husband and a wife who might have something to do with his disappearance. He eagerly plugs its screening at the Somerville Theatre on July 12 by the Boston Jewish Film Festival and recommends checking it out on Netflix streaming.

Somehow a conversation about moving on this week's show turns into a digression about sippy cups where Evan shares why he needs them. The episode opens with a first ever joint segment of "Riedel's Recaps" and "Keepin' up with the Jensons," where Kris and Dave talk about MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (at 4:26), one of Dave's all-time favorite movies. They fill in some blanks left by Charlie's exploration from the previous episode and use the segment as an opportunity to discuss Robert Altman in general. Then Kris reviews THE BFG (at 18:30), a movie that is neither Disney nor Steven Spielberg's best work, but it does contain very very very good motion capture. After that Dave covers EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS (at 36:22), a talking head documentary that only contains one talking head—Frank Zappa himself. He ends up talking about the Zappa family's recent drama for a bit before Evan wraps up with OUR KIND OF TRAITOR, a bromantic and tedious spy flick featuring Stellan Skarsgard with a BFM (Big Fuckin Mullet) and a silly Russian accent.

This week Evan and Kris explain what "Rick Rolling" is to Charlie Nash, who is filling in for Dave. Then all three of them speculate why they think INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (at 5:28) wasn't screened for the press before its release. After some discussion about Jeff Goldblum, SAN ANDREAS, and Roland Emmerich disaster movies like 2012, they jump into this week's films. First up is Nicolas Winding Refn's THE NEON DEMON (at 13:44), a sick, twisted picture that the guys love, even though it's fucked up and vile in every sense of the word. Their conversation about a particularly jarring scene involving a dead body allows for a convenient transition into Charlie's take on SWISS ARMY MAN (at 50:22), a movie where Paul Dano learns to survive on a desert island with Daniel Radcliffe's farting corpse. Charlie admits that it feels very Sundancey for its story about a nerdy guy trying to get back to a girl, but he is surprised by how much he likes it. Finally, he wraps up with his quick thoughts on MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (at 58:32), which is playing in Boston at the Brattle Theatre. Charlie shares why it's one of his top five westerns of all time, and why Robert Altman's film immerses you in a world that feels lived in.

On this week's show Dave explains why a certain French filmmaker is just "too French." Then Kris and Evan dive into FINDING DORY (at 4:50), a film that hits the lowest bar Pixar sets: it makes you laugh and cry at some point. However the movie didn't make much of a splash with them, which is why they end up in Tangenttown making comparisons to JOE DIRT and TAKEN 2, in between talking about individual scenes that work well. At least a conversation on the use of baby voice leads to a cute Baby Henry story. Next up, the guys discuss FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (at 31:04) because of its recent 30th anniversary. They offer their revisionist take on the movie by revealing why Ferris is an arrogant unsympathetic character in an otherwise objectively funny picture. Evan wraps up by sharing his experience seeing THE UNTOUCHABLES (at 44:50) on the big screen for the first time. It's a lot bloodier than what he remembers from many afternoon viewings on TNT, but he still enjoys its many exciting scenes, and doesn't hesitate to describe them using his best Sean Connery impression. Don't be surprised if some Celebrity Jeopardy SNL references end up in there too.

Spoilerpiece Theatre turns 100 this week, so the guys do something special to thank their fans! Since it's the 100th episode that also means Dave has finally seen WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY. Does he appreciate it as emphatically as Kris? Find out starting at the 4:00 mark. Next Evan and Kris cover THE CONJURING 2 (at 17:53), a super long James Wan horror movie with a lot of jump scares and a lot of little annoying things that make Evan very angry. After his anger cools, Evan reviews NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (at 42:38), which has some great magic scenes, but a convoluted plot that relies too much on you remembering information from the first movie. Lastly, Kris discusses TALE OF TALES (at 54:54), a messed up Italian anthology film that confuses the heck out of Dave and Evan with its interwoven tales that have no connection. Kris uses the conversation as an opportunity to state his case about why there should be more anthology films and television shows.

This week Kris reveals an ad campaign that makes him irrationally angry. Then it's onward to four movies! Dave finally watched TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY (at 4:11), so he's nervous to talk about with two "D-heads" like Kris and Evan. He shares why it's objectively not great, while also digging into the parts of it that are fuckin' hilarious. Evan delivers on a promise as well, by reviewing NEW JACK CITY (at 23:24), which he LOVES for its energy and the way its action scenes are shot. He admits that it's heavy handed with its messaging and inconsistent in tone, however he lauds it for its important social commentary on race and class. After that Kris jumps in to spoilerpiece THE LOBSTER (at 41:04), which he wasn't expecting to take him for such a ride. It's framed, paced, and costumed like an awkward Sundance comedy riffing on Wes Anderson, yet more brutal than unrelenting horror movies. Lastly, Evan concludes with POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING (at 52:25). This movie by The Lonely Island is mostly "eh" with a few jokes that hit and a lot of jokes that miss. Plus, in the realm of showbiz mockumentaries it doesn't really have anything new to say.

The sad tale of how Dave broke his middle finger inspires a bizarre horror movie premise on this week's show. Then Evan's passing joke about GHOSTBUSTERS leads to a discussion about James Rolfe's boycott of the new version. Once the guys finish explaining why Rolfe (aka the Angry Video Game Nerd) is wrong, they dig into the political documentary WEINER (at 15:30). All three of them share why this film about Anthony Weiner's failed run for Mayor of New York City captivated them with its tense interactions and impressed them with its inclusion of his wife Huma Abedin's perspective. After all their Weiner jokes stop making sense, Evan moves on to cover the HBO movie CONFIRMATION (at 39:34), which chronicles the sexual harassment allegations made against Judge Clarence Thomas during his nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court. Although it feels like too much of a made-for-TV movie, Evan argues that it's an important story that needs to be told (and seen) since it shares Anita Hill's perspective and exposes the shady Washington backdoor dealing that actively worked to discredit her. Plus, both Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce are fantastic in it as Hill and Thomas.

Evan's late discovery of a Hall & Oates hotline (719-26-Oates) inspires him and Dave to sing some of the duo's biggest hits at the start of this week's episode. Once they get that out of their system, Kris takes over for the latest installment of "Keepin' up with the Jensons," where he actually defends APOCALYPTO, describes why he didn't hate X-MEN: APOCALYPSE as much as Bob, and reveals how A FIELD IN ENGLAND prepared him for HIGH-RISE's use of overt metaphor. After they're all caught up with Kris, Evan spoilerpieces NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING (at 18:34) by sharing how this well-paced comedy surprisingly tackles racism and sexism between its outrageous pranks and raunchy jokes. Then everyone reviews THE NICE GUYS (at 36:16) by talking about how similar it is to other Shane Black movies like THE LAST BOY SCOUT. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe have excellent chemistry and can both be quite funny in it, although it's a lot of missed opportunities. As Kris says, "Plenty to like, just nothing really to love." Lastly, tune in at 50:18 to find out why past guest Sam Cohen is wrong, and at 56:52 for Kris's very brief review of Jodie Foster's MONEY MONSTER.

Dave has some stern words for Mother Nature on this week's show, which features returning guest Bob Chipman. Bob leads off with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE or as Dave calls it, "X-MEN: APOCALYPTO." In the process, he discusses how Bryan Singer can't direct an action scene to save his life and how everything good from the last X-MEN movie happens twice in this one so it's no longer surprising. Next, Bob and Evan discuss Ben Wheatley's HIGH-RISE, a dystopian concept film where "everything goes to shit" in completely unsubtle ways. Following their review, Dave delivers his commentary on LOUDER THAN BOMBS, a very male movie about the death of a woman that he describes as a Norman Rockwell piece, if Rockwell dropped acid and got mugged. Finally, Evan covers A BIGGER SPLASH, which is more than just a film about yuppies who hang around a pool. He spoilerpieces Bob and Dave into wanting to see the movie by revealing its sharp humor, its complicated drama, and its unanswered mysteries.

Since Dave can't make it, guest Sam Cohen joins the guys this week to share a traumatic experience he had while camping. Then he and Kris talk about the films they saw at this year's IFFBoston, which just wrapped up. They start by discussing THE INTERVENTION, an exceptionally funny film that's predictable, but great to watch because of how it deals with messy emotions. Soon after, they each reveal their top and bottom picks from the festival: THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK, ALWAYS SHINE, BLACK COAT'S DAUGHTER, WEINER, and THE HOLLARS. Following their quick-hit reviews, Evan and Sam spoilerpiece THE INVITATION, a well-directed thriller without much substance in the middle. Kris and Evan close up by spoiling CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR with a review that sounds negative even though they both enjoyed the movie.

Dave shares songs he has sung with Henry's name in them, which gives Kris the chance to suggest something extremely clever. After that, Kris reveals his strategy for seeing movies at IFFBoston (also happening this week). Then he quickly follows that up with a segment of "Keepin' up with the Jensons" where he describes how Evan's spoilerpiecing of GREEN ROOM allowed him to notice impressive things about its storytelling techniques. Talking about GREEN ROOM's use of animals lets the guys easily move on to KEANU, the film they all saw this week. KEANU has the cutest fucking cat you've ever seen, and it covers comedic territory that has been mined before, although it's very funny thanks to Key and Peele. Plus it has connections to NEW JACK CITY and George Michael that are hilarious. Finally, Evan wraps up by reviewing the Asghar Farhadi picture FIREWORKS WEDNESDAY. This Iranian drama about the difficulties of marriage was such an engrossing piece, that he struggled to break away from it when he had to leave for work. He finished it later though, and thought it was fantastic, even after it rambled on for a bit.

Garfield the cat is a beloved character for some, but not for Dave, as you'll discover in this week's episode. He has a bone to pick with Garfield's creator Jim Davis before the show gets underway. After that, the first film on tap is Jeremy Saulnier's GREEN ROOM, a fucking intense movie about a punk band fighting a group of white supremacists led by Patrick Stewart?! Although Evan is the only one who has seen it, he manages to spoilerpiece Dave and Kris into wanting to watch it ASAP. In discussing this horrifically violent film, the guys diverge into a tangent about other brutal pictures like A SERBIAN FILM, UNFORGIVEN, and brutally long movies like HEAVEN'S GATE. When they get back on track for the week's second movie, Dave talks about ENTOURAGE, something he watched out of morbid curiosity. Dave shares why it's a terrible, terrible movie with the dumbest plot he has ever heard in his life. The whole thing has such an effect on him that he even devolves into talking like the guys in the movie. No worries though, the effect isn't permanent.

A game of "What's in Evan's pantry?" turns into quite the conversation about hot dogs and Yankee swaps on this week's episode. Then Dave offers a correction that leads to another fun game, called "What if Robert Altman directed it?" Kris leads things off by talking about THE JUNGLE BOOK, which looks amazing and has a casual charm to it. Plus it has a death that's on par with LION KING in terms of "oh fuck…" After that, Evan describes CRIMINAL, a film that's so zany, he can't get through it without breaking into giggle fits. Between Tommy Lee Jones playing a neurosurgeon and Kevin Costner's grunting, you'd be laughing too, trust us. Based on Evan's account, Kris is absolutely spoilerpieced into wanting to see it. Following that silliness, Kris wraps things up with MILES AHEAD, Don Cheadle's Miles Davis biopic, that's not really a biopic. Kris had to Google to figure out what was real, but he appreciates how it doesn't care about sticking to the facts. He just wishes it went a little further with that angle though.

This week Kris takes the floor for his very first segment of "Keepin' up with the Jensons," where he fills Evan and Dave in on the remainder of HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS, a movie he started to talk about last week. Kris thinks the film is based on a lot of contrivances, but he forgives them because Sally Field is great in it and director Michael Showalter seems to know exactly what to focus on. Following brief baby poop tangent, Kris also shares his take on PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY. He agrees with Dave and Evan about it, although he spends a little more time comparing and contrasting it with PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE, which he also watched. Then the guys dig into HARDCORE HENRY the one movie they all saw this week. Sadly it's not about Baby Henry, but it is an intense action flick shot entirely in first person. Kris compares it to BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY meets CALL OF DUTY, while Evan says it's a cross between CRANK and SHOOT EM UP. All three of them admit that it has its entertaining moments and characters (like the ones played by Sharlto Copley), but that there's only so good it can be given how it's shot. Finally, they wrap up by delivering a sneak peek of the movies they'll be talking about next episode. Kris is looking forward to discussing the Don Cheadle/Miles Davis film MILES AHEAD, while Evan is anxious to talk about GREEN ROOM.

Following a free product plug for one of those mail-in shave clubs, Kris offers a correction from the previous episode. After a few minutes of Dave's thoughts on BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, Evan and Kris talk about EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! Richard Linklater's movie is bro-ey and says the word pussy a lot, but after its first 30-45 minutes both Evan and Kris really started to enjoy it. Next, Kris describes MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, a film starring Michael Shannon that's about a kid who is special. It has people talking obliquely in a car, which annoys Kris, although it does have some really inspired sci-fi elements. The conversation leads to a tangent on Michael Shannon's weird handsomeness, before Dave and Evan dive into PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY, which is basically PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE with a smaller budget, better music, and a less insane director. Still, they both dig its humor and find it hilarious. Finally, Kris wraps up with a half review of HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS, a film he wanted to make a prediction on before seeing the rest. How will it end? Find out in next week's episode!

Dave couldn't make it at the last minute, so frequent guest Charlie Nash steps in to help out this week. After the guys discuss an idea Kris has for a movie, that he definitely shouldn't be the one to write, they delve into the zany short film KUNG FURY. Charlie hasn't seen it, so Kris and Evan convince him to check it out by spoilerpiecing how its hero acquires his kung fu powers. Then it's up to Evan to describe MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2, or as he calls it, MY BIG FAT SEQUEL. He's annoyed by how hypocritical it is, which leads to a tangent about another hypocritical movie: I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY. Once he finishes sharing all the reasons why MBFGW2 wasn't good, all three guys tear into BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. Charlie describes how it looks like shit (dark, murky, and brown) and explains why Batman and Superman are wrong in their worldviews. Evan craps on it too for its poor direction and editing. Kris is no fan either, but he provides interesting context for the movie in relation to comic book storylines and describes the few things he did actually like about it.