The Contenders

The Ghostbusters reboot unleashed a slime monster of online misogyny from its very first trailer. Join the Addington siblings and online backlash expert Dr. Dana Schowalter as they topple the trolls to discover the movie buried underneath. What’s it like to watch four women kick butt while fully clad? Do all the cameos help or hurt the film? And is Kate McKinnon on the verge of becoming a national treasure? Only one way to find out... Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Email Dana: [email protected] Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

The Addington siblings take on Hocus Pocus, which boasts garish production design, bewildering performances, and a nonsensical plot. Plus, a main character who's most definitely a virgin. And somehow, the Addington siblings had never seen it. Can this beloved nostalgia trip cast a spell on our valiant hosts? Or will they be as dead to it as a resurrected zombie? Only one way to find out... Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

The Addington siblings tackle crunched bones, fisticuffs, and a real life MMA fighter in Steven Soderbergh's Haywire, which pits Gina Carano against a rogues gallery of famous Hollywood dudes. She kicks each and every butt! But is that enough for the Addington siblings? Plus, a game that tests Tobin's knowledge of director Steven Soderbergh... and how the heck is Aislinn going to handle another Bill Paxton performance? There's only one way to find out! Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Frozen made $1.5 billion worldwide; spawned sequels, spinoffs, a Broadway show; and has cluttered countless childhood bedrooms with millions of toys. But can it hold up to scrutiny of Aislinn, Tobin, and their special guest (and Disney expert) Josh Devenere? Plus, hear from a member of Frozen's target demographic! Grab your carrots, hitch your reindeer, and join us for a discussion of the Disney juggernaut that's anything but a fixer upper. (See what we did there?!) Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Waitress is a movie that means a lot to Aislinn, and one that Tobin had never seen. Grab a fork and join us as we dig into Adrienne Shelly's vision, Nathan Fillion as a gateway drug, and the brave choices the film makes along the way. Plus, pie! #pieshare Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

How do you send up the spy genre? By blowing out Rose Byrne's hair, making Melissa McCarthy a frickin' badass, and answering the most fundamental question of cinema: can Jason Statham out Jason Statham himself? (The answer: Um, yes... yes he can.) Wrap it all together as a gorgeous, honest-to-goodness action movie, and you have a real winner in Spy! Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Sorry, everybody. Time for a quick break. Tobin and Aislinn will have their stuff together in two weeks on 8/21. Check back then! Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Things we learn in this episode: Keira Knightley gives her floppiest performance, Aislinn can't quite pronounce the title, the turtle was supposed to be a dog, and Sam Rockwell is a chemist. Tobin and Aislinn are joined by film student, friend, and Laggies superfan Corey O'Connell, to break down the low-key charms of this 2014 comedy. Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Corey on Twitter: @quintessencey Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

How badly does Aislinn want to wrangle a cow? Does the dog die? And can the Addington siblings keep it together while recording in-person? Only one way to find out! Join Tobin and Aislinn as they put their heads together (literally) and discuss The Levelling, the first feature film from one of Tobin's very best film school friends, Hope Dickson Leach. Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Dream teams! Diamonds heists! Cate Blanchett's fashion! There's lots going on here, but can this new Ocean's movie steal our hearts? Listen to find out... Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Man buns! Gore! Bugs! Self-surgery! Beer brands! And a survivor-turned-avenging angel! Revenge is a French horror-thriller written and directed by a woman that has it all. (And then some.) Joey loves it! But can he convince Tobin and Aislinn of its worth and charms? Only one way to find out... Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Joey on Twitter: @soulpopped Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Does this feature-length Hunger Games audition tape work on its own terms? Wait, Tobin's seen this movie HOW MANY TIMES? And is THIS where Laura Palmer's been hiding all these years? Join the Addington siblings and CageClub co-founder Mike Manzi as they hunt through the backwoods of rural Missouri in 2010's neo-noir Winter's Bone. Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Mike on Twitter: @the_mikestir Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Immortality! Pasty teens! Abusive relationship patterns! Twilight has got it all! Listen along as the Addington siblings struggle to parse how this slick, handsomely photographed blockbuster gets so much so very, very wrong. Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Does this feel-good movie make it into orbit? How small was its budget, really? And have the zippers on men's pants actually changed that much since 1961? Learn the answers to all these questions (and more!) as the Addington siblings enlist their math- and science-inclined father Jeff to calculate how good Hidden Figures really is. Plus, find out how little we really know about women's contributions to science in our hardest game yet! Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Jeff is not on Twitter! Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

This one covers torture, but was it torture to sit through? Kyle Chandler... James Gandolfini... Chris Pratt... MARK DUPLASS?!?! And how much of the movie did Aislinn actually watch? Find out as we dive into Zero Dark Thirty, 2012's Oscar contender from director Kathryn Bigelow and lead actor Jessica Chastain. Filmmaker and video essayist Ryan McGilloway joins us to break down all the tension of this heart-pounder of a movie! Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Ryan on Twitter: @ryan_mcgilloway Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

How much of a game-changer was this movie for women in front of and behind the camera? Was Sigourney Weaver's Oscar nomination deserved? And can our hosts' bond survive the experience of breaking it all down? Find out, in our most contentious episode yet, as Tobin and Aislinn go toe-to-toe over James Cameron's 1986 action sci-fi classic Aliens. Reel Bad host Nick Jenkins joins us to referee this cage(club) match over one of his all-time favorite films! Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Nick on Twitter: @ngjenkins Reel Bad on Twitter: @reelbadpod Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Who is this movie for? What's the difference between loving and admiring a film? And does everyone have their own personal Oprah? Find all the wisdom in the universe here, as the Addington siblings, along with special guest Shanna Thomas, work through a wide range of feelings about A Wrinkle in Time, reactions to the film, and reactions to the reactions. Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Shanna on Snapchat: Shanna.T21 Shanna on Instagram: ShannaThomas2121 Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

What does it mean to "act" like a dude? Did Justin Bieber model his persona on Amanda Bynes? And who will win the hardest (Shakespearean!) game yet? Find out here as the Addington siblings welcome special guest Nicole Sweeney of Snark Squad and Crash Course fame to grapple with the flawed but funny 2006 film "She's the Man." Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Nicole on Twitter: @Sweeneysays Find more shows: cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Does a movie have to be "big" and "serious" to be consequential? Is Laurie Metcalf the greatest actor of her generation? And what did Tobin and Aislinn really get up to in high school? Learn the answers to all these questions and more as the Addington siblings devote their first bonus episode to one of last year's most talked about directorial debuts, Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird. Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: http://www.cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

CageClub Podcast Network co-founder Joey Lewandowski stops by to help the Addington siblings break down one of the bright spots of 2017. What happens when you let a woman direct a big-budget superhero movie? Why do we underrate Chris Pine as an actor? And how much does Aislinn love the "Fast and Furious" franchise? Find out as we discuss Patty Jenkins' 2017 tour-de-force Wonder Woman. Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Joey on Twitter: @soulpopped Find more shows: http://www.cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Can a woman get confirmed as VP of the USA? Is Jeff Bridges the coolest fictional onscreen president ever? Is Joan Allen a national treasure? And how did they make Sirius Black so uuuuugly? Find the answers to all these questions and more on the inaugural episode of The Contenders, where the Addington siblings tackle Rod Lurie's 2000 political drama "The Contender." Find us on Twitter: @Contenders_Pod On Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheContendersPod On Email: [email protected] Tobin on Twitter: @tobinaddington Aislinn on Twitter: @SassyNerdMT Find more shows: http://www.cageclub.me Music: "Let's Start at the Beginning" by Lee Rosevere Licensed under Creative Commons: CC-BY-SA

Get ready for The Contenders, a bi-weekly podcast about the movies made by and starring women who refuse to play by the rules. Hit subscribe and don't miss an episode beginning February 6, 2018, as siblings Tobin and Aislinn Addington take a close look at movies made by and starring some of the most daring women in film.