Reel Film Nerds

Welcome everyone to yet another podcast about movies!  Today your hosts’ Matt and Mike discuss a film that came in under the radar this weekend, The Current War: Director’s Cut.  Starring Michael Shannon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, and Nicholas Hoult.  With an incredible cast like that you would think there would be a whole lot of publicity.  Other topics today include Elon Musk, Harvey Weinstein, and the importance of electricity in the modern world. The Current War: Director’s Cut is a historical docudrama about the battle of AC/DC (no, not the band) between Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla.  It is not a bad movie in fact it’s a pretty decent movie it’s just nothing special.  The biggest gripe Mike and Matt both have is the historical aspects of this film and how Tesla was basically a side character when in reality he was a major reason we use AC in our homes and businesses today.  The acting is excellent, the sets are beautiful, and the cinematography is very good but the scrip

Happy Birthday Matt and happy Thursday to everyone else!  Don’t be sad but our Second Annual Harvest Horror Fest is coming to a close but not yet!  This week we have an incredible classic horror B-movie, Killer Klowns from Outer Space!  Not klown related topics include pizza parties, HBO’s new Watchmen show, and Bozo the Clown.   Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a fun horror film that knows exactly what it is and capitalizes on it.  The acting is cheesy, the premise is cheesy, and the sets are cheesy but that is what makes this movie so much fun!  The Klowns are particularly terrifying especially their face/masks. The level of detail and movement that went into them is astounding for 1988.  The real genius of the movie though really shines through in the different sets, weapons, and tools the alien Klowns use from cotton candy cocoons to popcorn guns.  Killer Klowns from Outer Space really hits all the marks for a great, fun, and unique horror film.  Mike Talent, Mr. Horror movie himself, has never seen thi

Welcome listeners both new and old to another fantastical movie review by your loud mouth buddies Mike Talent and Matt Hinshaw.  Today the dismal dynamic duo discuss a sequel 10 years in the making Zombieland: Double Tap.  Not zombie related topics include Jones Soda, Mike’s criminal history, and double features. Zombieland: Double Tap is a fun sequel to a groundbreaking horror comedy that took way too long to come out.  It’s amazing they were able to get the main cast members to reprise their roles after such a long period of time.  Especially since most of them have moved on to bigger and better films winning all kinds of awards to boot! Zomibeland: Double Tap does nothing new to add to the zombie genre or Zombieland world and that is ok.  We get a handful of new characters and places with some of the same old tropes of the previous film.  There are some really fun scenes and really annoying characters that make this just a fun film to enjoy with friends and family.  Is it going to win any awards and jump

Happy Thursday everyone, hang in there the week is almost over.  in the meantime let the horror continue and not just the podcast but the movies we review too!  For our second Harvest Horror Fest review of the season Matt and Mike discuss the 1984 Stephen King classic Children of the Corn.  Extra special topics include The Terminator, South Park, and the streaming wars are really heating up. Children of the Corn is a decent movie today but it is not as scary as your hosts’ thought.  The acting is passable and the script is pretty good but it just does not come off as scary unless you are like Matt and never plan on breeding then all those children are terrifying.  The atmosphere of an empty town in the middle of nowhere is captured very well. The special effects well let’s just say it was the early 80’s and they did the best they could with what they had.  It’s also difficult to watch Linda Hamilton play the victim when in the very same year she battled the first Terminator and won.  Mike the horror lover th

Let the two pods a week continue!  Today Mike and Matt discuss Ang Lee’s newest film starring two Will Smith’s, Gemini Man.  Topics more engaging than this film include Fargo the TV series, bingeing, and two Willy’s! We won’t waste your time reading our show notes like we wasted our time seeing this movie, Gemini Man is not a good film.  It is not horrible but it is not worth the price of admission to a theater.  The script is just flat out awful. Matt thinks it might be because this project has bounced around Hollywood for 10 years ricocheting off of a slew of writers.  Will Smith’s acting is always great especially in both young and old roles.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an incredible actor but she felt under utilized in this film.  Most of the stunts and action sequences were great except one involving a motorcycle, it was complete fantasy to say the least.  The CGI young Will Smith looked great until he started talking.  There was just something really off whenever he talked.  Matt and Mike both agree yo

Thursday is here and that means it’s the start of our second annual Harvest Horror Fest!  This year Matt has given full control over to Mike Talent well he is picking the films we are watching if that’s considered full control.  First up is an incredible sci-fi horror classic that is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year, Alien (1979), directed by the infamous Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver.  Not Alien (the film) related topics include Triple Force Friday, robot juice, and Hastings (R.I.P). Alien is an incredible film that has stood the test of time.  It is still a very scary movie with amazing practical effects especially the Xenomorph.  The cinematography and acting do not disappoint either.  Do you think Harry Dean Stanton ever aged?  The guy always looked the same on film no matter what his age was.  If you have not seen Alien by now you need to buy it or rent it from your favorite online service now!  Mysterious Mike Talent loved Alien and thinks it’s just as good today as the day i

Happy Tuesday everyone?  Yes we are back to two a weeks well at least for the month of October, you know what that means don’t you?  HARVEST HORROR FEST IS HERE! HHF officially kicks off on Thursday but until then you will just have to settle for one of the most controversial films in years, Joker.  Super special topics include PC America, mental illness, and super movie security. Joker is an incredible cinematic achievement but it is not for everyone.  This film is very dark and depressing. It takes a lot of inspiration from Martin Scorsese especially his 1976 film Taxi Driver.  It is not about superheroes or villains.  It is about mental illness and what happens when you push someone too far.  Joker has no more violence than other films currently in the theaters.  The issue your hosts’ think is stirring up the controversy surrounding this film, is that the violence in Joker is more realistic than most action films like Rambo or Hobbs and Shaw.  Joaquin Phoenix gives us another incredible performance possib

A new month and a new Wednesday means a new podcast for your ear holes.  Today Mike and Matt get around to another Legacy Cast this one though is not a request but from Matt’s Legacy list.  Today the hosts take a look back at a Michael Bay masterpiece, according to Mike Talent, 1996’s The Rock.  Bonus topics include Mike won the lottery, we miss watching Sean Connery on the big screen, and violence in movies, music, video games etc. The Rock is a classic 90’s action movie that helped put Michael Bay on the map as one of the best action film directors working today.  Up until The Rock he mostly directed music videos and another little action film you might have heard of Bad Boys.  The Rock is the complete package.  It has incredible acting, amazing action sequences, and a compelling story about a prison inmate no one has ever heard of.  It definitely shows it’s age compared to the modern action film but still holds up pretty well. Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, and Ed Harris bring some of their best acting to t

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s new podcast day!  Today Mike and Matt review the latest Brad Pitt space odyssey Ad Astra written and directed by James Gray.  Incredible additional topics today include The Martian, space pirates, and Matt has a guest spot on Leza Live every Monday on a real radio station Magic 99.1, seriously?     Ad Astra is what we call a true hardcore sci-fi film.  It is jam packed with action, it can drag at times, but the cinematography and acting is incredible!  For the most part it is a pretty great movie with a decent story about an astronaut with daddy issues but not according to Mike Talent.  There are several, and we mean several parts of the film where you have to suspend reality. Both your hosts agree though Brad Pitt's acting was nuanced and incredible.  Clearly 2019 is Brad Pitt’s year for great acting.  Liv Tyler did great and so did Donald Southerland and Tommy Lee Jones for the few seconds they are in the film.  Matt and Mike did not agree on this film at all.  This might

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s new podcast day!  Today Mike and Matt finally get around to watching and chatting about a listener film request.  Today’s request which was requested months ago comes from super-fan Don in Chino Valley, Ariz.  He wanted to hear the nerds take on the 1993 action packed futuristic Sci-Fi film Demolition Man.  Special topics today include Borderlands 3, Moviepass is finally dead, and how do you use the 3 seashells.     The most surprising thing about re-watching Demolition Man after all these years is how accurate it predicted the future we are currently living in.  For instance it predicted voice assistants, video conferencing, and the rise of Taco Bell as the only restaurant in the land!  Demolition Man is not a perfect film but it is a ton of fun, filled with action and a fascinating look into the future.  Wesley Snipes is a force to be reckoned with in this film.  How many actors do you know can successfully play a villain and a hero with the public applauding them for the

Hey kids, clowns, mutants, nerds, or whatever else you might be, welcome to another fantastical podcast review by the Reel Film Nerds (applause).  Today Matt and Mike talk about yet another horror movie, It Chapter Two.  Maybe we should change the name of the pod to the Reel Horror Film Nerds, nah.  Topics today include why are there so many horror films hitting the theaters, HBO’s hit show Barry, and the new season of American Horror Story.  It Chapter Two is a decent continuation of the original 2017 film.  It does not really come off as a sequel like most of the films this past summer.  Here is your fair warning now if you really want to enjoy this film please make sure you watch the original It from 2017 before you head out to the theater.  We cannot emphasize this enough. It Chapter Two relies heavily on your understanding of the original.  The casting was just incredible for It Chapter Two.  The adult versions of the kids we grew to love from 2017 was spot on but no one knocked out of the park as well

Welcome friends to another podcast about movies!  Yes another one….. Anyways today Mysterious Mike and Incredible Matt finally review the coming-of age raunchy comedy Good Boys.  The guys mostly stay on topic until the end of the pod when Mike and Matt really start talking about their childhoods.  Other topics you don’t care about include streaming services are they the next cable companies, drones: reality versus myth, and the Wish Man film. Good Boys is a fun raunchy comedy that is reminiscent of Superbad blended with American Pie.  There is a lot of heart throughout the film and quite a few laughs too.  The recurring theme that works best, even though it is used over and over is the main characters not understanding adult oriented items and phrases.  It is incredibly funny even though the gag is used way too much. The acting was decent especially Keith L. Williams who plays Lucas a kid who is way too honest and nice.  Overall Good Boys is a fun film but you can wait until this one comes out at RedBox or o

Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike what day is it Mike?  HUMP DAY!  Hello fellow nerds and movie buffs and welcome to the continuing saga that is the Reel Film Nerds podcast!  Today Mike (see get the joke reference now?) Talent and Matt review the new horror thriller mystery comedy Ready or Not.  Our way too many bonus topics mostly brought up by Matt include a Gateway to Geekdom recap, death of 20th Century Fox movie productions, and do movie trailers give away too much of the film? Ready or Not is a fun horror comedy that knows exactly what it is and is not afraid to show it.  Samara Weaving does an incredible job as a bride whose wedding night goes terribly wrong!  She also has one of the best blood curdling screams Matt has heard in a long time.  Mike thought the trailer showed too many pivotal moments of the film. Overall your two hosts really enjoyed the film and agree if you are a horror movie or comedy buff don’t skip this one.  Mr. Talent gives Ready or Not a respectable 3 out of 5 Reels.  Matt on t

So we are back on our not regular schedule but we did do some podcasting this week!  Regretfully though Mike Talent slacked off and didn’t make it to the theater so we finally get to do our Tributary review of the South Korean film hosted on Netflix called Revenger.  Can you guess what it’s about, if you said revenge you are right!  Moonlighting topics this week include Josh Brolin, Mike might have revenge issues, and the upcoming Prescott Gateway Mall event Gateway to Geekdom. Revenger is a great martial arts action film with a forgettable story.  It is not an awful story but it is nothing special. The film starts out with a bang, fizzles a bit, and finishes strong.  The action, oh man the action! The fight scenes and choreography are just incredible! One thing that Mike Talent wasn’t a fan of was how the actors switched between Korean and English in a handful of scenes.  Matt personally thinks it was a mistake that was not caught before the final edit. Mike Talent also was not a big fan of the story in thi

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled podcast.  Who are we lying to, we don’t have a schedule! An attempted schedule sure but a regular schedule, nope.  Today your hosts Mike Talent and Matt discuss the highly anticipated horror film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.  Extra topics today include Matt-ism’s, Mike’s suggestions for great modern horror films, and American versus foreign versions of a movie. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was a huge let down to both your hosts.  Matt and Mike read the novels this film is based on as kids and had really high hopes for a fun horror film.  The individual stories that were taken directly from the novels were great! The overarching story that tied all the smaller stories together was boring and lackluster.  The CGI and special effects were amazing, especially the monsters that clearly were influenced by Guillermo del Toro.  If you have a teenager that is interested in the horror genre this is a great first horror film.  Seasoned horror film veterans might want

Happy almost Friday everyone!  Sorry this pod came out later than we typically post but your hosts had a busy week.  The jokes have been made, the off topics were discussed probably too much, and the Reels have been picked for this week’s review of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.  Our copious off topics include Shark Week, The Boys, helicopter physics, and spin-offs. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is not a bad movie but it is nothing special either.  It is exactly what it touts itself as in the trailer. An over the top action film with an incredible villain with some family values sprinkled in.  The chemistry between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason “Badass” Statham is fantastic, especially when they start ripping on each other.  The sets are well done and the cinematography is great but nothing special.  One of the biggest disappointments of the film is the lack of supercars. They had one McLaren 750S driven by Shaw with Hobbs and Hattie squeezed in next to him, ya right.  F

Well we did it, two pods in one week!  Fair warning up front it’s a long one but a good one. Today Mike Talent and Matt discuss Quentin Tarantino’s 9th film according to him, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.  Extra topics include what is feature length, QT’s top 3 films, LaLa and Heather walk out, and sneaking booze into a movie theater.   The hosts are really divided on this film.  They both are massive QT fans. He is an incredible story teller not only in his writing but also his shooting of a film.  Mike really loved Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood from start to finish.  He particularly enjoyed the amazing sets and driving scenes with all the nostalgic incredible automobiles.  Matt on the other hand thought it dragged at the beginning and an hour could easily be cut from this film. They both wanted more of certain scenes and story lines and less of others.  Matt also thinks Margo Robbie got robbed.  She did an incredible job as Sharon Tate but the character was not in the film enough.  Mike gives an above

Welcome boys and girls to your first pod of the week!  That’s right we did it (applause), we recorded two episodes this week!  Your first dose of film nerdery is our review of Chasing Molly our second screener ever, thanks Shelley Pack!  Bonus topics today include: we have a new Facebook Fan Group you should definitely join, Mike Talent is not sleepy for once, and lastly we have a new voicemail number for you to call and complain about us to our faces! Chasing Molly is a fascinating B movie comedy that has tons of potential at times and not so much at others.  There are some really great funny concepts, grapefruiting comes to mind, that could have been explored further and there were scenes that could easily be cut.  The acting was ok throughout most of the film from the stars but a few of the side actors were pretty rough. This is not a must see movie but if you run across it while trying to find something to watch on your Roku or Smart TV it is worth a few laughs to take you away from the pain of reality. 

Welcome podcast listeners to Reel Film Nerds land! Today Mike Talent and Matt discuss a fun summer popcorn flick that definitely will not win any awards, Stuber.  Topics that are not about this movie include 40’s, who actually uses Facetime, and Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con 2019 announcements. Stuber really caught both of your hosts off guard.  It is a very funny film with a dash of heart with underlying tones about relationships.  The action was great but it was shot a bit too tight for some of the scenes according to Matt.  The acting was fantastic. The chemistry between Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani was amazing.  The writing was really good and most of the jokes land well, there are a few that really don’t land too.  The story is not super deep but it was fun, especially for a buddy cop type film. Both of your hosts agree this is well worth a watch but it is not a must see in the theater.  If you are itching to get out of the house you will not be disappointed dropping your hard earned cash on

Hey kids what time is it?  No it’s not Howdy Doody time it’s Reel Film Nerds podcast time!!  Check us out we actually recorded a pod this week despite Matt being crazy busy with the 2019 IFL United Bowl.  Today we talk about Ari Aster’s follow up to his first breakout horror film Hereditary (RFN Episode #23 if you are curious), Midsommar.  Super special crazy impressive off topics include Galaxy’s Edge, cinema drones, we wish we could do this full time, and Drowning Nerd Productions needs a studio. Midsommar is a super creepy cult movie with multiple images that will haunt your dreams for life!  The story starts out with a giant bang and quickly turns into a bore. It is a really long movie but damn is it beautiful.  The cinematography and set design were also masterfully done too bad the story did not match. There are some interesting scenes throughout the film but the overall story was just terrible, at least Matt thought it was.  Mike thought it was ok but nothing compared to Hereditary.  They both agree d