Spoilerpiece Theatre

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.

The guys stumble onto their new band name this week before they talk about Evan's vacation to LA, which involved lots of decadent eating. After a Garfield tangent, Evan and Kris ponder why so many people seem to get shot in the back during THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT – Part 1, a story they didn't realize would be told in two parts. Kris then describes how Jeff Daniels is like his character in THE MARTIAN only evil, and about why he's "one of those bad guys who has an adjective." With all the film's issues, Evan shares why he still prefers the series to THE HUNGER GAMES. Following a tangent about westerns, specifically YOUNG GUNS, the episode transitions into Dave and Evan discussing another 80s movie: WORKING GIRL. Evan has no idea how much Dave loves the film, and is totally unprepared for how well Dave can quote it. The two of them enjoy spoilerpiecing it for Kris with talk about Harrison Ford's grimace, its memorable lines, and its portrayal of workplace politics.

Evan is galavanting across California on vacation so friend of the show Sean Burns fills in. That's right! Sean and Dave appear together! And though Sean threatens to set Dave on fire and throw coffee at him, they get on pretty well. On this week's show, the guys talk about 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, which is apparently a sequel to CLOVERFIELD. But it's one of those movies they can't focus on, so there are a million tangents, most notably into Christopher Lambert and FORTRESS. Then it's KNIGHT OF CUPS, yet another movie in which Terrence Malick makes women twirl (sigh). Yeah, yeah, it's hard to be a comedy writer who gets laid a ton. It's a short distance to James Woods tangents, peeps! Yeezus.

This week the guys talk about bread (yeah, that's right, bread) before Evan shares some BIG news. Then Kris starts things off by talking about ZOOTOPIA, a hard-PG Disney film about racism. His commentary leads to an odd tangent about Tom Selleck and a brief tangent on politics. Afterward, he, Dave, and Evan discuss BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, one of their favorite dumb movies. The guys comment on how fast-paced and lean it is with its perfect dialogue, while sharing visual gags and suspect editing they didn't notice in previous viewings. In the process of reviewing it, they delve into BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY and the BILL & TED cartoon too. In the final part of the show, they express their gripes with this year's Oscars. They also get into lengthy discussions about the Best Original Screenplay category by way of EX MACHINA and the Best Original Song category by way of Sam Smith. Speaking of songs, stick around after the closing credits for Dave's fresh take on a Beatles classic.

This week the guys give you the lowdown on their recording equipment, before Kris shares why the atrocious GODS OF EGYPT left him feeling rattled. Part of it has to do with its 120 minutes of confusing plot and Gerard Butler's mysterious decision to use his Scottish accent. The whole experience left Kris too depressed to chide a fellow theatergoer for using his phone during the picture, so he decides to pass the mic. Next Dave and Evan review TRIPLE 9, a movie that with lots of good killin' and great action. Kate Winslet does a terrible Russian accent, the film is overstuffed with plot, and goes along too long, but Woody Harrelson is amazing, even if he could play his role in his sleep. Finally, the guys fulfill their promise from last episode of revisiting Tim Burton's BATMAN. Dave and Evan go over the massive plot holes, continuity errors, and other various things that bother them from their most recent viewing, although they do take some time to talk about what they still love about the movie in spite of those shortcomings.

This week's episode starts out with a conversation about Prince, where Kris gets real life events spoilerpieced. Then after a very brief review of BABES IN TOYLAND, a Janet Jackson tangent, and singing, the guys address some listener questions that arrived via voicemail and email. Along the way, they stumble into tangents about FORREST GUMP, Vin Diesel, and The Brattle Theatre's owl before they move on to the main event: their review of THE WITCH. All three love its ratcheting sense of dread and how it becomes terrifying, bordering on horrifying in its final act. Plus early, Dave admits that there's a moment in it that makes him feel very uncomfortable as a new dad. Following some differentiation between rabbits and hares, and talk of famous last words in the movie, they all laud THE WITCH for its good direction, great recreation of its time period, and excellent detail. In fact, they spend so much time talking about it, that they don't get a chance to explore Tim Burton's BATMAN, which was also on the agenda. Alas, they'll just have to review it in Episode 85, so be sure to watch it in advance as prep.

This week Kris starts out by asking Dave an important question about how he intends to handle swearing around Baby Henry as he gets closer to actually understanding bad words. Then Evan laments how bad comedy sequels are when he discusses ZOOLANDER 2. The movie's jokes about millennials suck and it has dumb mythology, but as a great Kiefer Sutherland, which leads to a Kiefer tangent before Kris and Evan tackle DEADPOOL. Friend of the podcast Sam Cohen didn't care for it, so Evan and Kris start their review of this very funny fourth-wall breaking comic book film by addressing Sam's issues. Following a GAME OF THRONES tangent, Kris spoilerpieces THE CANAL, an excellent Irish horror flick that he says is creepy, scary, and keeps you guessing. Evan wraps up by talking about horror as well with SOUTHBOUND, a horror anthology that's freaky, well-put together, and very cohesive. And in case you missed it in the last episode, we are now on Stitcher, so be sure to subscribe to us there if you don't have iTunes!

Illness strikes and claims Dave yet again, although thankfully frequent guest Dede Crimmins is able to fill in. After discussing workout motivation with the guys, she and Kris talk about the new Coen Brothers movie HAIL, CAESAR! Both she and Kris say it's delight with a lot of plot, but not a lot of story. They talk about how funny it is by summing up its bawdy humor and by comparing Josh Brolin's character to Liz Lemon. This inevitably leads to comparisons between the film and other pictures by the Coens, and at least one good band name. Following a brief diversion into 2016's horror slate where Dede recommends THE BOY (seriously—go see it), everyone tackles PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES. Kris thinks it's a pile of shit where Seth Grahame-Smith did a CTRL+F to replace words with zombies and is annoyed by its pandering, however Dede and Evan don't think it's that bad. Everyone can agree though that the zombies aren't scary, rules about them aren't established, and it doesn't effectively blend Jane Austen's novel with zombies. With the small amount of remaining time, the gang diverges into a tangent on some of their favorite TV.

Dave starts out by sharing good things about his new outlet, which makes his transition into Riedel's Recaps quite easy. This time he offers his take on THE MARTIAN, which he really liked despite some miscasting and misacting. It also scored bonus points because it didn't wake Baby Henry. After a tangent on INTERSTELLAR, Evan jumps in with his opinion about MOJAVE (pronounced MO-JAYVE according to Dave), a movie starring Garrett Hedlund (not Charlie Hunnam) and Oscar Isaac, where pretentious people talk about pretentious things. It's a shitty movie that actually caused Evan to root against its asshole protagonist. Following tangents about THE DEPARTED, EX MACHINA, and STAR TREK IV, the guys discuss their thoughts on #OscarsSoWhite and the new changes the Academy is making to promote diversity (hint: they like them). Finally, Dave and Kris review THE FINEST HOURS, a B-movie with an A-budget, where only three things happen. Even though nothing happened, it was long enough to make Kris regret not peeing beforehand, so that was something.

Dave has a new gig that he's excited to finally share. After he talks a little about it, Evan and Kris spoil the shit out of GOODNIGHT MOMMY, a creepy film that uses space effectively to keep you on edge. Its intense torture scenes made Evan feel like he had to watch something more uplifting when he was done though. Sticking with unsettling movies, Kris describes ROAR, which he describes as "a thing of pure insanity." This plot light picture has lots of cuts and lots of big cats. Although sadly, many cast and crew members were seriously injured in the process of making it. Dave changes the episode's pace by discussing 45 YEARS, a very English, but very good film with Charlotte Rampling about a long marriage that suddenly finds itself on the rocks. Lastly, Evan closes things up by talking about DIRTY GRANDPA, a fucking awful movie that mainly just presents situations for Robert De Niro to be vulgar for no real reason. At least there's good singing in this episode courtesy of Dave.

After a discussion of their favorite unorthodox movie quotes, the guys kick off this week's episode with a conversation about ANOMALISA, a film that neither Kris nor Dave enjoys. Kris describes it as a 60 minute idea in a 90 minute movie, while Dave harps on its unlikable main character and the fact that nothing happens. Dave likes like long movies where nothing happens, but apparently not short ones. Following some general talk about Charlie Kaufman movies, Evan and Kris jump into 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI, a movie that Evan is super fired up to talk about. Not even a shirtless John Krasinski can stop him from ripping into its awful sense of time, complete lack of subtlety, and its brazen celebration of masculinity. A brief interlude on conspiracy theories almost threatens to derail the show, although the guys hold it together so Evan can describe MUSTANG, a French film set in Turkey with a great sense of humor, a strong feminist bent, and a fuck you ending that he really digs.

The guys are back in full force this week to discuss the finer points of linguistics before they review THE REVENANT. Dave considers it his holy grail because it has everything he could hope for: it's long, quiet, not a lot happens, and there's some good killing. Kris and Evan enjoy it as well for its technical prowess, although they never felt plugged into its story. After a CROCODILE DUNDEE 2 reference, Kris transitions to talking about THE FOREST, a terrible horror film that he describes in such vivid detail that he accidentally sells Dave and Evan on seeing it. Then all three delve into another one of Dave's favorite movies: DRINKING BUDDIES. They explore its complicated relationship dynamics and talk more about Joe Swanberg as a filmmaker. Expect to hear a little more about DIGGING FOR FIRE. You've been warned.

Happy New Year from Spoilerpiece! Evan is sick, and since the guys normally record at his place, they decide to do something different. Because a lot of listeners have asked to hear tangents that have been cut or shortened, the guys share their favorite ones from 2015 in this mini episode. First up, is a conversation Kris and Evan had in Episode 65 about Donald Trump that poses an interesting theory about the billionaire. Next is a little story about the time Dave got bacterial meningitis and missed six weeks of work. Finally, Kris introduces some tangents that further explore his burrito obsession. We hope you enjoy the show and look forward to seeing you in 2016!

Merry Christmas from Spoilerpiece! Dave is out sick with a stomach bug, so Kris decides to share his own gross stomach bug experience out of solidarity. He and Evan then talk about the lush visuals and excellent craft in CAROL, a Todd Haynes movie that impressed their colleagues, but underwhelmed both of them with its inert plot. After that they review THE BIG SHORT, an unexpectedly sharp film about the financial crisis made by the same guy who did STEP BROTHERS and the ANCHORMAN movies. They wrap with their extensive thoughts on Quentin Tarantino's latest picture THE HATEFUL EIGHT, a sadistic story that will forever change your perception of the song "Silent Night."

The guys kick off their STAR WARS episode with a Spoilerpiece prequel: the origin story of Kris Jenson's love affair with burritos. Thankfully it's much shorter and funnier than the ones George Lucas did. After that, the guys discuss a very kind email they received from a fan in France. Then they head right into the main event by reviewing STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, a film which miraculously all of them have seen. All three really like it, so they dig in deep to talk about why they think it works so well. Things get pretty spoilerific, so only tune in if you've seen the movie or you can handle it. You've been warned.