Movie Schmovie

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.

For the first time since January 2020, Ron, Steve, and John are looking at the last year's films in review, with each providing a list of their personal top ten. It's an exciting time because lists, as we all know, are inherently important, and also because 2022 was a great year for movies. But mostly the list thing.

What exactly are rich assholes doing behind closed doors, when we don't see them out on their yachts or racing hot air balloons? Ron, Steve, and John take a look at a trio of movies that offer possible answers: Brian Yuzna's wild 1989 body horror social satire, Society; Mark Mylod's delectable black comedy with a message, The Menu; and the latest star-studded Benoit Blanc mystery from Rian Johnson, Glass Onion.

In anticipation of the brand-new sequel, Ron, Steve, and John beam their personalities into tall, skinny, hairless cat-people to see what James Cameron's Avatar looks like 13 years later. They also chat about a few other things, like Steven Spielberg's highly personal new film, The Fabelmans, as well as the latest news from the chaos that is the DCU.