Movie Schmovie

Ron, Steve, and John name ferns, plan murders, and mock the rich as they look back at Elaine May's wry 1971 comedy, A New Leaf. Then it's time for the new cinematic trend of movies about brands/products, with discussions about Ben Affleck's shoe biopic, Air, and Tetris, about the tangled rights issues surrounding the launch of the famous (and famously addicting) game.

Ron, Steve, and John fall in love with inventive rom-com Rye Lane, get heavy with disturbing drama Palm Trees and Power Lines, and shout their mystical catchphrases to access all their analytical superpowers for a discussion of Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

Ron, Steve, and John talk about a bevy of recent releases, including the latest John Wick fightfest and this week's Required Viewing selection, Operation Fortune.

Ron, Steve, and John look back to 2004 to diagnose a British TV show with a cult following, Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. Then Ron and John offer some totally spoiler-free thoughts about much anticipated horror sequel Scream VI, which is in theaters now!

Ron, Steve, and John get back in the ring to defend their Niftiest Podcast title with an unbeatable combo of recent-ish dramas: Australian thriller The Dry (2020), Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut, Creed III, and the emotionally immersive film Return to Seoul.

Join us in The Podcast Realm! Ron, Steve, and John all generally enjoyed the latest MCU entry, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, even as it's seen by many as another step in the franchise's creative decline. What's up? Why is this movie so divisive? Quality control, longterm stakes, Jonathan Majors and more is discussed, all in this ant-sized episode.

Ron picked Ghostwatch, a British mockumentary/found footage/genre experiment from 1992, as this week's Required Viewing. After discussing that, the guys movie on to socially conscious rom-com You People on Netflix, and then a few other things that have been catching their eyes.

For this week's Required Viewing, John picked Francis Ford Coppola's paranoid thriller from 1974, The Conversation, featuring a riveting Gene Hackman performance. Then the guys move on to a movie that's in theaters today: M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin (adapted from the disturbing and engrossing novel, The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay).

This week's Required Viewing segment is devoted to a violent and propulsive French political thriller from last year, Athena. Ron, Steve, and John also chat about Oscar noms and a few other films and streaming series that have crossed their paths recently.

Ron, Steve, and John unearth an obscure little movie called The Godfather for this week's Required Viewing selection, and they recommend you check out this hidden gem! HBO's brand-new video game adaptation, The Last of Us, is also discussed. It's a podcast you can't refuse.