Reel Film Nerds

Welcome to December everyone! Today Mike and Matt hit the ground running for Christmas with the Apple TV Original Spirited starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Extra topics include MCU Phases, family traditions, and musicals. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a classic story that’s been told in many different mediums and in many different languages throughout the years. Spirited is inspired by Dickens’ story but it is really its own story. Spirited is a fun Christmas film with big sets, giant dance numbers, and loads of comedic talent. Ferrell and Reynolds were amazing together but Octavia Spencer was the breakout star. Her character and portrayal were just fantastic. Is Spirited for everyone, no especially not for Matt. It is more adult themed so young kids are out too. If you are looking for a fun new Christmas movie to share with most of the family, Spirited is worth your time. Mike awards the film 4 out of 5 Reels. Matt on the other hand can’t stand musicals, and some of the acting wasn’t so great

We did it! I don’t know how but we did it. The Reel Film Nerds Podcast hit 300 episodes! Of course we are nerds so we are reviewing a classic 300 episode film, 300 directed by Zack Snyder and starring Gerard Butler and Lena Headey. Bonus topics today include Andor is incredible, DCEU VS MCU, and an incredible giveaway to say thank you to our fans. What is not to love about 300? It is an incredible stylized film based on a graphic novel that is inspired by actual historical events. Gerard Butler and Lena Headey are just absolutely perfect in this film. The supporting cast does an amazing job too, especially Michael Fassbender. The cinematography is amazing. The lighting, color palette, and its dramatic style really make 300 a feast for the eyes. If you have not seen 300 you must watch it right away. Mike with a perfect rating gives the Greek war movie 5 out of 5 Reels. Matt dropping his rating down a bit because the CGI didn’t age well gives 300 4 out of 5 Reels.    Next week it's Matt’s pick and he is kicking

Happy Thanksgiving eve everyone! Mike and Matt hope you have a wonderful holiday, eat lots of tasty food, and enjoy some movies with your family. For today’s 299th episode we chat about the Netflix Original All Quiet on the Western Front (2022). Additional topics include 1917, propaganda, and Matt needs some sleep. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) is an incredible story based around true events that took place over 100 years ago. The novel was such a huge hit in 1929 that they made it into a film the next year. The Netflix Original adaptation is an absolute visual feast. Not to dismiss the two other movie versions but with our current technology and the actor’s deep ties to their country and culture, this is the best visual telling of this story to date.  All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) is a must see film. The acting, sets, costumes, and cinematography are all at the peak of their game. Yes it is a gruesome gory film and that is the point. The story is being told in such a brutal way that the reade

Welcome everyone to our last Marvel Cinematic Universe film review of 2022. Today Matt and Mike chat about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever starring Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, and Tenoch Huerta. Bonus topics include Deadpool 3, death, and comic representations. Phase 4 was one of the most difficult MCU Phases to date. TV shows were introduced, the pandemic hit, and internet trolls went to town on Disney.  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a great ending to Phase 4. It is not the strongest film of the phase but it is towards the top. The acting was very good, especially from Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright. It is tough to say goodbye to Chadwick Boseman and his portrayal of Black Panther but director and writer Ryan Coogler did an excellent job. Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as good as the original, no, but it is still a great film especially with the introduction of Namor and his hidden society into the MCU.  Matt and Mike both agree this is a must see film in the theate

The election is over, for now, thank you Lord for no more political ads! Ok let's get to it, welcome to the Reel Film Nerds podcast! Today Mike and Matt chat about a fun unique film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story currently streaming on Roku. Additional weird topics include Rammstein, a new giveaway, and Machete. Weird Al is an artist that is near and dear to your two hosts' hearts. They grew up listening to his music and enjoying his shows and films. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is exactly what we need right now as a society. A fun, goofy, yet strange biopic that stretches the truth just a smidge. Daniel Radcliffe and Evan Rachel Wood act the crap out of this film, seriously. They do such a great job you forget they are acting. There are a ton of laugh out loud moments but sometimes the strangeness of the film takes away from the humor. Both Matt and Mike agree Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a must see and laugh film. Mike really enjoyed this film awarding it 3.5 out of 5 Reels. Matt also enjoyed Weird: The Al

Happy turkey month everyone! For today’s pod we play a bit of catch up with DC’s Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson and Pierce Brosnan. Not antihero topics include pumpkin foods, another incredible giveaway, and Halloween Horror Night mistakes. The Rock does it again. Who knew Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock would be a great fit for an antihero? In Black Adam Johnson does a great job of well not being Dwayne Johnson. He is not his typical sarcastic humorous self. He is very dialed down, almost a cool quiet even and boy does he do a great job. The real bell of the ball though is Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate. A fairly obscure DC character with some incredible powers. Overall Black Adam is an action packed feast for your eyes with a decent story and mostly great acting.  Matt and Mike both agree this film deserves to be viewed on the big screen. Let’s just hope Black Adam helps lead the DC Universe into a more coherent direction and they can make some great films sooner than later. Mike not knowing what to expect real

All good and horror things must come to an end. Today is the end of our 5th Annual Harvest Horror Fest. For our last film we continue our tradition with Friday the 13th Part III. Not hockey mask related topics include dust spots, 3D for 3D sakes, and horror video games. These movies just keep getting worse and worse and that’s hard to do! Friday the 13th Part III was an attempt to bring back 3D into the movie theaters. It might have been fun back in 1982 but it does not translate well today. There is just not a whole lot of substance to the story, the acting is really bad, and they don’t even shoot the film at Crystal Lake! There are bikers for some reason but plenty of blood and beast but what about our 3rd B? Nothing! There is maybe a little side boob but for the 80’s? Really? Side boob only? What a let down.  Your hosts differ a bit on this one. Mike really thought Friday the 13th Part III was a bad movie awarding it only 2 out of 5 Reels. Matt on the other hand thinks this movie is bad-good. Basically the

Happy Horror Wednesday? Ya that kinda works! Today your two hosts Matt and Mike review their third Harvest Horror Fest film of the season Halloween Ends starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, and Rohan Campbell. Bonus topics include taxes, the She Hulk finale is awful, and bathroom breaks. This one is a bit of a shocker for your two hosts. The critics and audience just really do not like Halloween Ends but Mike and Matt really enjoyed it. This is not your typical Halloween film. It has plenty of hack and slash but it also has a really good story. There is romance, moving on after trauma, and a very very satisfying end to Michael Myers. We are really going to try to not spoil this one here so let’s just say this, Mike and Matt think you definitely should see this film especially in theaters. It is way better than the 2021 sequel Halloween Kills, heck it might even be the best film of the modern Halloween trilogy. The guys also agree on their rating awarding Halloween Ends 3.5 out of 5 R

Welcome one and all! This week for our second horror film review of the season Mike and Matt check out the reboot of a classic slasher film, Hellraiser (2022) starring Odessa A’zion and Jamie Clayton. Special topics include a new movie giveaway, metal, and horror reboots. There really isn’t much to say about this film. Hellraiser (2022) was an attempt at creating something a little new and different for the franchise but they only partially succeeded. The story and acting, from the human characters, was just atrocious. Our beloved mythical Cenobites on the other hand were great. The Cenobites had excellent acting with great costumes and makeup but the story as we harp on all the time was just boring. There is plenty of torture, blood, guts, and gore to satisfy most Hellraiser fans but a lot of the deaths take place off camera. That’s an interesting story telling technique that didn’t work for a film like this. It might be that we just really don’t engage with the human characters let alone care when they are

Welcome to October! You know what that means, yes it’s time for our annual Harvest Horror Fest! We kick off our 5th annual event with the 1982 classic Poltergeist (1982) in honor of its 40th anniversary. Bonus topics include Prescott Film Festival was amazing, Star Wars, and movie trivia. What can we say about a film that is as old as your hosts? A lot actually. Poltergeist (1982) is a fun, thrilling, classic jump scare fest with a lot of big names tied to it like Steven Spielberg. The special effects, hokey today, were cutting edge 40 years ago scaring the crap out of viewers. Mike and Matt feel the scariest part of this film is the unknown. you never ever see a visual representation of the poltergeist. You just get hints like sounds, conjured creatures, and a bunch of ghosts but never the actual poltergeist doing the mayhem. Is this film worth a watch, you betcha especially if you have not seen it. It’s classic horror at its finest and you can stream it right now on HBO Max. Mike with a shocking average sco

Hump day is here and you know what that means, a brand new podcast for your ear holes! Today Mike and Matt chat about The Woman King starring Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, and Lashana Lynch. Additional topics today include a new movie giveaway, PSL beer, and the 5th Annual Harvest Horror Fest starts next week! There is a ton of controversy surrounding this film. Your hosts touch on it a bit during the podcast but not a lot. We are here to talk about the movie itself, have fun, and joke around a bit. The Woman King is a great film. There are a lot of inaccuracies but it is a film not a documentary. The filmmakers chose to take liberties with their story and it is a very good story. The Woman King is almost the complete package. Great acting, amazing sets, incredible costumes, and a wonderful story. It is honestly difficult to make a better film. Mike and Matt both agree this is a must see film especially if you can make it to the theaters. They both award The Woman King 4 out of 5 Reels. Next week is the start of

Happy Friday everyone? Yes that’s right you lucky listeners get two pods in one week! Today we have a really special edition of the Reel Film Nerds Podcast. Matt sits down with Matt (no he did not clone himself, or did he?) to interview and chat with Helen Stephenson, the Director of the Yavapai College Film and Media Arts Program and the Executive Director of the Prescott Film Festival. Mr. The Mile High Show, Matt Santos, and your regularly scheduled host Matt Hinshaw ask Helen all kinds of questions mostly about film. Eventually they do get on the topic of the 12th Annual Prescott Film Festival and why you should attend. It is not a typical pod for us but it is a really fun informative pod discussing all kinds of aspects of film, Prescott, and making films in Arizona. Come on out and check out the Prescott Film Festival if you are in the area. There will be screenings, workshops, and socializing events galore. For more information on the Prescott Film Festival visit prescottfilmfestival.com For next week's

We did it everyone! Matt and Mike returned to the theaters to catch a new movie. See How They Run is a meta murder mystery starring Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan. Bonus topics include Spaceballs, iPhone 14, and Nick Cage. Boy does it feel good to get back to the theaters. See How They Run wasn’t the best welcome home film to watch but it wasn’t terrible either. See How They Run is a murder mystery comedy that takes place in 1950’s London. This film is a lot of fun and quite confusing at times. It’s a murder mystery inside a play about a murder mystery play that’s being turn into a film. Got all that? Ya we didn’t either. Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan are excellent and have a huge support cast that builds their character arcs. The cinematography is one of the single best elements of See How They Run other than the twist and turn story.  See How They Run is not a run out and watch film but it is worth a watch when it is available at home. Mike really enjoyed himself and awarded the film 3 out of 5 Reels. Matt

Happy hump day friends and neighbors! For this week’s podcast Mike and Matt chat about a modern Sci-Fi classic Edge of Tomorrow starring Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise. Distracting topics include reading books, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is crap, and modern Sci-Fi. Well here we go again another Legacy film and you know we only pick Legacy films we really like. Edge of Tomorrow is a great modern Sci-Fi film that doesn’t get enough recognition. This is one of the great modern Sci-Fi flicks that’s the complete package. Great story, great acting, and amazing CGI that stands the test of time. It looks as good if not better than most of the CGI today. Tom Cruise knocks it out of the park as a soldier that doesn’t fight but has to learn how quickly. Emily Blunt steals the show as the resident badass killer of alien scum!  If you have not seen Edge of Tomorrow it really is a must watch movie if you are into action and Sci-Fi. Mike and Matt both agree this movie is almost perfect, awarding it 4.5 out of 5 Reels.     For ne

Welcome one and all to another Reel Film Nerds podcast! Today Matt and Mike try to review the 1986 classic Big Trouble in Little China. We failed miserably and instead chatted about National Cinema Day, is comedy dead, and Avatar. Well like we alluded to above Mike and Matt tried to chat about Big Trouble in Little China but they got off topic a bunch. This film inspired some of the off topic discussions so maybe we aren’t completely off?  Big Trouble in Little China is a zany, fun, and hilarious film. It blends so many genres it probably should have its own. Kurt Russell is at his prime in this film, rocking a mullet, playing a truck driver, and kicking some ass. What's not to love? James Hong is hilarious and sinister as our main villain. Can you believe that guy has 454 acting credits to his name? WOW! Big Trouble in Little China is not politically correct and we seriously doubt you could make this film today but dang is it a fun ride. Mike Talent awards the movie 4.5 out of 5 Reels. Matt also really enjoy

Hi everyone! Well we had an interesting week, not just personally but also with the pod. Mike had some massive computer issues so we had to record this review twice. For Episode 286 Matt and Mike chat about the Ron Howard directed Amazon Original Thirteen Lives. Off topics today include $3 movies this Saturday, parents and getting old, and The Office. This is an incredible story based on true events that took place just 4 years ago in Thailand. Thirteen Lives is a really good movie with great acting, technically beautiful cinematography, and incredible directing. What really makes this film amazing though is the story. The amount of work, care, and volunteering that went into saving these young boys is just incredible. What makes it a miracle is the risk everyone took to save them, how they did it, and that all thirteen boys were rescued successfully. A Thai Navy Seal lost his life in the cave and another died of a blood illness after the rescue was complete. Those two lost lives are tragic but it is still ju

Happy Wednesday friends and welcome to our little podcast. For today’s episode we review the new Netflix Original Day Shift starring Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco. Bonus topics today include minivans, Deadpool, and a new incredible giveaway you don’t want to miss. Another week of not going to the theaters but hey at least we are getting new streaming films to review. Day Shift is not an incredible movie but it is a whole lot of fun. This action comedy horror film features Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco as vampire hunters in a very invested LA. The story is decent, the acting is good, but where this film falls flat is the comedy. There is a good amount but just not enough. Shout out to Snoop Dogg for not playing himself in a film and really trying to act. He still needs a lot of work but good job Snoop! Day Shift is not a must watch film but if you are looking for something new on Netflix give it a go. Mike finally back to form gives the movie 2.5 out of 5 Reels. Matt also returns to his kind ways awarding Day Shift

Hello everyone and welcome to another movie review from two big nerds! Today Mike and Matt chat about a movie that should have come out in the theaters, Prey. Not practically invincible aliens include Legion, new RFN drinking game, and Star Wars toys. This is at least two films in a row, maybe more where your hosts were just blown away! Prey is a very good film. Its biggest drawback is that it wasn’t released in the theaters! Prey is a prequel to the Predator series of films, comics, etc. that takes place in the 1700’s. The story is great, the acting is great, especially our lead Amber Midthunder, and the scenery/cinematography is out of this world. Dan Trachtenberg not only knows how to shoot a film he is clearly passionate about Predator(1987) and honors it with this film. Mike and Matt both agree that Prey is a must see film. Mike two weeks in a row awards Prey 4.5 out of 5 Reels. Matt on the other hand awards the flick a still great 3.5 out of 5 Reels. He really wanted it to be on the big screen. Next wee

Happy hump day boys and girls! For today’s podcast, Episode 283, Mike and Matt chat about Davd Leitch’s  latest film Bullet Train starring a ton of people but especially Brad Pitt. Not Pitt topics include a new giveaway, Stranger Things Season 4, and critics suck. What a fitting end or near end to the summer blockbuster season. Bullet Train rocketed out of nowhere and I am glad it did. It is a fun action packed assassin movie with a great story. Did we mention the cast yet? There are so many great actors in this film and even a few surprise cameos we can’t name them all. They did a great job playing to their characters strengths and weaknesses and making us laugh. The way the story was told was stylistic and funny. Very reminiscent of Smoking Aces, Snatch, or even Grosse Pointe Blank. The action scenes and fight choreography are on another level thanks to Director David Leitch’s former career as a stunt double and coordinator.  Mike and Matt both agree this is a must see film especially in the theaters. Matt

Welcome listeners new and old! For Episode #282 the guys sit down and chat about the Russo brother’s latest Netflix Original The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. Bonus topics today include abs, La-Z-Boys, and Man on Fire (2004). Netflix continues to put out big action films to compete with the traditional movie theater type studios. The Gray Man follows many of their leads with being a spy action thriller full of tropes and a lackluster story. This movie is long and drawn out, especially the first half. There are some excellent action sequences but there are also some that just really didn’t need to exist. They did not advance the story at all. It was more of a hey let's see how much money we can spend. Chris Evans as the villain was excellent and unexpected. Ryan Gosling as our hero came across as cold and boring. Is The Gray Man something you should watch, Mike and Matt say maybe. It’s not incredible but how many popcorn action flicks are? They are just a fun time with explosions, danger, and