Reel Film Nerds

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled podcast!  Mike Talent has escaped the clutches of Goldfinger and returned to kick off the next 100 episodes of the Reel Film Nerds!  We are a bit behind on our movies, but this movie really deserved to be reviewed by Mike Talent because of his obsession with horror films.  Today the guys chat mostly about Jordan Peele’s Us.  Bonus topics include Iceland, classic horror films, and The Big Lebowski. Us is an incredible movie especially if you enjoy horror and thriller films.  If you are not a fan of either of those genres you should probably skip this one.  It will literally give you nightmares.  The directing and writing by Jordan Peele were incredible!  The acting especially by Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke was amazing as well.  The story is even better!  It has elements of past horror and sci-fi stories but told in a new unique way.  There are tons of shout outs and homages to past horror and sci-fi films hidden throughout as well.  Jordan Peele is lighting the hor

Wow episode 100!  How do we keep hitting these milestones?  Maybe they aren’t milestones because of how often we record.  Today we have some amazing guests to help celebrate 100 episodes of the Reel Film Nerds Podcast, two-thirds of The Bluemilk Podcast Dirk AKA Drinking and Jacob AKA Hyena Boy.  Mike Talent is still MIA. Rumor is he was captured by Oddjob after trying to steal Goldfinger’s golden girl.  Why The Bluemilk guys you say, are you finally reviewing Star Wars? Sorry to disappoint you but nope. We are reviewing an incredible Star Wars related film though Fanboys.  Bonus Bluemilk topics include Area 51, Kevin Smith, and the never ending nerd war between Star Trek and Star Wars fans. Fanboys is a really incredible film especially if you like Star Wars even a little bit.  If you are a super fan like Jacob, Dirk, and Matt you will enjoy it even more! It is a laugh out loud comedy littered with amazing cameos and actors who clearly are passionate about Star Wars as well.  The cinematography is mediocre,

Welcome boys and girls to a fun and long Reel Film Nerds podcast!  Mr. Mike Talent is not here today. He is out of country fulfilling his obligation for MI6.  Luckily Matt is good at blackmailing people and was able to find a guest host for today, Mr. Mile High Show himself Matt Santos!  The film they attempt to review today is Hondros a documentary on war photographer Chris Hondros. Topics include obviously lots and lots and lots of talk about photojournalism, downing Nyquil, and the Oakland A’s. Both the Matt’s agree Hondros is an incredible doc on an amazing photographer that you can go watch right now on Netflix.  Mr. Mile High Show is not a big fan of movies especially documentaries on photographers but he loved this one. He especially enjoyed the interviews of Chris’s mother about her son growing up with a camera in his hands.  RFN Matt really enjoyed the film as well. He especially liked how the documentary was not just about Chris’ life but 3 of his most impactful images and the stories behind them.

Happy Thursday everyone!! Welcome to a brand spanking new Tributary podcast of the recently released Netflix Original Triple Frontier starring Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, and a Charlie Hunnam.  What an amazing cast for a film let alone a Netflix Original!  Topics today included 2 movies in 1, sequels, and delicious greed. Triple Frontier is a decent movie, well the first half.  The acting is great and the story was interesting but the second half of the movie falls apart quickly especially the story.  Pedro Pascal knocked it out of the park.  He is really getting some great roles recently and stepping up his game.  The set pieces were beautiful and the cinematography was amazing, that makes two movies in a row with amazing cinematography.  Matt thought the first half of the movie was great and the second half was terrible.  Mike was not a huge fan of Ben Affleck’s character or his acting but still thought this was a pretty good movie.  It was entertaining and well produced.  Both of your host’s agree it is wor

Guess what day it is, Tuesday AKA new podcast day!  Our review today is a film that is being overshadowed by Captain Marvel, The Kid based around you guessed it Billy the Kid.  Side topics include why don’t we have more western films today, Old Tucson Studios, and of course Clint Eastwood. The Kid is a mediocre movie at best.  The acting is decent, the sets are great, and the cinematography shines at moments.  Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHann do adequate jobs as Sheriff Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.  They are not their best roles in a film but not horrible either. Chris Pratt as a villain was great except for the lack of appearances.  His character is literally in the film for maybe 15 minutes tops. Both Mike and Matt really would have liked to see what Pratt could do give enough screen time as a villain.  The biggest problem with this film is the story. It is very unique and a different take on a story that has been told several times over but it is not a great. Both Matt and Mike agree if you have already seen

Happy post hump day aka Friday eve?  Anyways today is Thursday which means new podcast day!  Our review is about a film you probably never heard of but stars someone you have The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot starring Sam Elliott.  Outside topics include MTV Unplugged, Letterboxd, and Captain Marvel. The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot is not what you would expect.  It really caught your hosts off guard.  The title comes off as a really fun B movie but it’s not.  This movie is very serious and very sad.  It is not a bad movie but it is not incredible either.  The acting is great especially by Sam Elliott.  The sets and cinematography are breath taking especially the outside shots in Canada and Germany.  The amazing title that throws you for a loop definitely hurt the ratings from your hosts.  Matt enjoyed the movie but did not think it was great.  He gives the film 2.5 out of 5 Reels.  Mike Talent also liked The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot but was stunned by the tone an

What a glorious day!!!  It is our review of the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film of the year, Captain Marvel!  We hope you are as excited as your two hosts’.  The boys stay on point for most of the double sized pod.  Bonus topics include Matt has more movie going issues, Mike really is a hardcore movie nerd, and a bit of comic book history about Captain Marvel including Kelly Sue DeConnick’s infamous run from 2012-2015 that the movie Carol Danvers is mostly based on.  There is no MCU tie because duh this movie is in the MCU!  A heads up though our spoiler section of the podcast starts at the 17 minute mark for those of you that have not seen the film yet. No big surprise here but both the gents enjoyed Captain Marvel very much.  Mike enjoyed it just a touch more.  The acting was great, at times, the soundtrack was great especially if you are a child of the 90’s, and the sets looked pretty dang good too.  The story was decent but the telling of Danvers’ origin story through flashbacks worked at times but

Happy Friday eve everyone!  Today your hosts Mike Talent and Matt crack open a brew and discuss a new Tributary Cast on The Lost City of Z an Amazon Original film.  Special topics include the 2012 film Piranha 3DD, ayahuasca, and sleepy Mike needs to go to bed. The Lost City of Z is a great idea for a film, but a poor execution.  The story really drags on for a full 2 ½ hours.  The scriptwriters really crammed way too much into the film.  The interesting segments of exploring the Amazon were way too short and the political scenes were way too long.  The casting and acting was excellent.  There are some big name actors in this film and they all deliver great performances.  It’s really odd the film drags and feels rushed at the same time.  How is that possible?  Mysterious Mike was very disappointed with this film.  He wanted to see it originally in the theaters in 2017 but did not make it.  He gives the film 3 out of 5 Reels.  Matt thought it was just average.  He felt there was a real missed opportunity to t

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday is NEW PODCAST DAY!  Today Matt and Mike fill a Legacy Cast request from an avid listener and friend of the show BJ one of the hosts’ of our sister pods The Blue Milk Podcast, where they talk about anything and everything Star Wars related and then some.  BJ enjoys torturing Matt and times and I am sure this suggestion was one of those times, he requested 2011’s Green Lantern.  Topics more interesting than this film include the upcoming Prescott based film Wish Man, listener love, and the true potential of the DC Extended Universe. This movie is just rough.  Your hosts do not recommend you spend any time watching it unless you really want to see how far superhero films have come in the past 8 years.  There are moments that are not as horrible as others but for the most part this movie is a hard pass.  Mike Talent enjoyed it more on his second viewing and graciously gives Green Lantern 2 out of 5 Reels.  Matt on the other hand didn’t.  He gives the movie 1 out of 5 Reels. This Thurs

Happy National Chili Day!  Do yourself a favor head down to Phoenix, catch a spring training baseball game, and grab a chili dog.  I know Mike and Matt would if they didn’t have jobs.  Back to the topic at hand, today the boys swim upstream and catch the Netflix original Velvet Buzzsaw.  Bonus annoying topics include snow beer, the art world and who really cares about it, and lastly home viewing experience versus going to a movie theater.  That last topic the guys really went off on bad.  It is an interesting discussion that warrants a listen but if you want to skip it the discussion takes place later towards the end of the pod.    Velvet Buzzsaw is a fun mystery thriller that takes place in a world not many people pay attention to.  The cast is incredible and headlined by Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo.  The blood and gore is a bit over the top at times but hey it is a horror movie, so it’s expected.  The plot and characters of the film are engaging and fantastic.  Velvet Buzzsaw really reminds Mysterious M

Happy National Pistachio Day!  Just digging trying to say something different than happy Tuesday again.  It’s new podcast movie review day too.  Today Matt and Mike review a heartwarming film about wrestling, Fighting with My Family.  Off topics include Mike Talent’s 2020 bid for President, the Academy Awards, and Arizona’s Snowpocalypse 2019. Fighting with My Family is a fun and emotional comedy perfect for a night out with friends.  You don’t have to be a fan of wrestling or even sports to enjoy this movie.  Vince Vaughn and Nick Frost both known for their comedic roles knocked it out of the park with dramatic roles in this film.  The Rock pops in twice adding a bit of levity during very serious moments.  Matt would like to see more wrestling in the film including Paige’s rise through the ranks of NXT eventually winning the NXT Women's Championship belt.  Mike Talent gives Fighting with My Family 3 out of 5 Reels.  He really enjoyed the story especially how different it was.  You do not see many movies abo

Welcome faithful listeners, we are on the downslide of hump day and you know what that means, A NEW REEL FILM NERDS PODCAST!!!  Today the guys review a new Netflix original streaming film, Polar.  It is the second film of the week based on a graphic novel/comic book.  Needless to say, Matt is crazy excited! Extra topics this pod include is Hollywood out of ideas, the Coen brothers, and are there too many superhero movies? Polar is a fun over the top action revenge movie.  It drags a bit in the beginning so much so that Mike almost turned it off.  It quickly picks up in the middle and quickly ramps up all the way to the end of the film.  Polar is very reminiscent of The Raid, John Wick, and Smokin’ Aces all amazing and fun action movies.  This is not a drop everything must-see movie but if you have time to spare you will not be disappointed.  Mysterious Mike Talent and Just Matt agree, they both give Polar 3 out of 5 Reels.       Thanks for tuning in and joining us on our wild ride through cinema.  What do y

First episode of year two from the Reel Film Nerds podcast and man it’s a highly anticipated movie!  Today Mike Talent and Maniac Matt discuss James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez’s latest epic Alita: Battle Angel.  Bonus discussion includes 21st Amendment Brewery, Jennifer Connelly is still super-hot at almost 50, and what exactly is Manga. Alita: Battle Angel is being destroyed by critics and financially at the box office.  Honestly your hosts don’t care.  They both really enjoyed the movie and think you should go see it too.  Is it the perfect movie, no, but it is a hell of a lot of fun!  With that being said it is not for everyone.  If you enjoy action, technology, special effects, robots, or comic books you will enjoy this movie.  Maniac Matt really liked Alita and almost gave it 4.5 Reels, but he let the film stew in his mind for a day and settled on 4 out of 5 Reels.  The biggest issues he had with the film is the just horrible forced love story and the sometimes-rough dialog.  Mike Talent also really e

The time is finally here!  Are you as pumped as we are for this episode?  The first ever Reel Film Nerds Poindexter Awards!  It also happens to be our 1-year anniversary by the way.  Wow a whole year of us chatting about movies, beer, and life.  How is that possible?  Here is your warning, this is our longest podcast ever!  It is an hour and 45 minutes!  The guys really had a blast recording it well eventually recording it.  Mike Talent gave up on trying to get is POS laptop working after 2 hours and grabbed an old desktop to record on.  Lots of beers were consumed in the interim which probably helped with the pod. Here is the run down.  There are 25 total categories for the Poindexter Awards.  The first part of the podcast your host’s fight it out over their picks in 13 different categories and there can only be one winner per category!  Next there are 2 Listeners’ Award categories that all of you voted for well hopefully you voted for.  Batting third are the Individual Awards.  These categories are more p

Welcome everyone!  It is our anniversary week!  Now we promised we would only record one episode this week since it’s a giant show, but we lied.  Mr. Mike Talent and Matt really wanted to watch Taken in a Blizzard and discuss it.  Maybe consider it a bonus episode?  The guys rate and review Liam Neeson’s latest revenge film, Cold Pursuit.  Extra topics today include talking during movies, zapatos, and the infamous Alamo Drafthouse. Cold Pursuit is not what the guys thought it was going to be.  It feels a lot more like Fargo then it does Taken.  It is a revenge film but quickly turns from one story into three stories that intersect in fascinating ways.  The cinematography was just beautiful and as Matt pointed out the homes they use as settings are incredible too.  They are almost characters in their own right.  Is this a must see film in the theaters, nope.  If there are no new movies you want to watch at home and can’t wait for the weekend to see a new film, then sure go ahead and watch it.  Mike Talent fel

Are you as excited as we are?  It’s only a week until our 1 year anniversary and the first ever Poindexter Awards!!!  While we both are forced to wait we have a very fun Legacy Cast for you, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell’s The Other Guys.  Extracurricular topics include Matt’s coworkers, our love of Michael Keaton, and do docudramas do more than entertain? Mike and Matt just love this movie so much so all they did was talk about their favorite parts of it for the entire podcast.  The Other Guys is really underrated.  It is a much better film than the critics say it is.  The jokes and writing are fantastic and the comedic timing is just about perfect.  The action is great especially from a mostly comedic director.  The inclusion of The Rock and Samuel L. Jackson although very brief is an amazing and fun surprise.  Matt gives the film 4 out of 5 Reels.  Mike in that rare occasion has a higher rating than Matt.  He gives The Other Guys 4.5 out of 5 Reels. Don’t forget to go vote for your movie of the year on our

Tuesday is here and that means another incredible podcast review from your besties at the Reel Film Nerds!  Today The Talent and Just Matt talk about one of their favorite Legacy Cast’s Wayne’s World, PARTY TIME!  Bonus topics include sports ball finale, The Talent’s wedding, and Wayne’s World trivia. Wayne’s World is a classic incredible film that you must go watch now.  The story is amazing and extremely relatable at least for Mike and Matt.  The performances are great, the sets are extremely detailed, and the soundtrack oh man the soundtrack is just perfect!  Again, if you can’t tell Matt and Mike really love this movie.  It’s smart, zany, and incredibly fun.  They both give it 4.5 out of 5 Reels.    Thursday your hosts continue the fun and levity with the review of The Other Guys.  Another amazing and fun comedy to put it mildly.  After the past few weeks of tough hard-hitting movies and upcoming award shows both the hosts just needed some good laughs.  Don’t forget to vote for your movie and podcast of

Are you ready for your last pod of the week?  No?  Well here it is anyways.  Today your hosts Mysterious Mike Talent and drunken Matt review a little known film based on a true story, Bomb City.  The movie takes place in a small Texas town between two very different clashing social classes.  Bonus topics today include #OE4Life, SLC Punk, and your hosts’ high school days. Bomb City is a very good film.  The story is extremely compelling and the way it was told was unique and misdirecting.  The acting was not the best by some of the supporting cast but the stars shined brightly.  The scenes were setup well and the sets looked great mostly because they were filmed on location in Texas.  The dance through the story’s timeline was unique and did not always work.  The story though is what really makes this movie great.  Mysterious Mike Talent and dumb drunken Matt both agree that Bomb City deserves 4 out of 5 Reels. The guys are still working out what to watch for next week.  Once again the movie theaters do not

It’s another Tuesday and that means you lucky listeners get another incredible Reel Film Nerds Podcast!  Today your host’s Mike Talent and boring Matt discuss a Netflix Original Film that is nominated for multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture, Roma.  Other topics include Mexico, voting for the Poindexter Awards, and Netflix movies in theaters. Roma is a good stylistic film that has a sad and incomplete story.  It seems to not really having a beginning or an end.  It is not a bad story it is just not compelling.  The film’s cinematography is amazing but writer and director Alfonso Cuarón uses a wide-angle pan shot over and over and over.  It is incredible the first two or three times you see it, but he just does not stop using it.  Mike enjoyed Roma but feels it is just an average film.  He gives it 3 out of 5 Reels.  Matt enjoyed the film more than Mike, but he really did not like the story.  He gives the film 4 out of 5 Reels. On Thursday the guys talk about a film most if not all of you have neve

Welcome everyone!  Hang in there it is almost Friday then you can get out and catch a movie!  Today Mike and Matt review a very dark and thought-provoking film You Were Never Really Here starring Joaquin Phoenix.  Off topics include the Academy Awards, our love of Joaquin Phoenix, and equipment failures again but this time it was Mike! You Were Never Really Here is an incredible film but again it is super dark.  Joaquin Phoenix and Ekaterina Samsonov both did amazing jobs acting. The sound design shocked Matt.  It was so incredible even on his crappy surround sound system he just couldn’t believe it. The cinematography and directing were amazing as well.  This is a must watch film but again here is another warning the subject matter is extremely dark. Matt really likes this film and thinks it should have garnered more viewings and award nominations than it has.  He gives it a great score of 4 out of 5 Reels. Mike also really enjoyed You Were Never Really Here. The darkness and subject matter did put him off