Legendary director George Miller joins the show for the release of his latest entry in the Mad Max franchise, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The franchise has been cruising for over four decades, and the filmmaker takes us all the way back to the beginning with memories of early, negative reviews and the cultural wave that eventually grew into what it is today. 

We discuss some obvious, and not-so-obvious, changes to how stunts and special effects shots are made, watching Road Warrior 30 years later, and more.

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Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 5:32 - George Miller Interview
• 36:25 - ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ Review (Spoiler-Free)
• 51:12 - ‘Furiosa’ Spoilers!
• 56:42 - Outro

Director Renny Harlin joins us for a chat about the making of his new film The Strangers: Chapter 1, the first of 3 chapters he shot simultaneously. But that of course is not all. The director has a long history in Hollywood, and we run through some of his notable projects such as Die Hard 2, his Exorcist sequel, and more. 

Next week, we welcome George Miller to the program for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, so be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!  

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Timestamps (approx. only)

00:00:00 - Intro 

00:04:13 - Are smaller films reclaiming the box office?

00:19:07 - ‘Challengers’ Review (Spoiler-Free)

00:29:56 - ‘Challengers’ SPOILERS!

00:38:23 - ‘Deadpool & Wolverine” Trailer Reactions

00:51:50 - Game: Lost In Translation

01:00:15 - Outro

Dune: Part Two's Costume Designer Jacqueline West and Set Designer Patrice Vermette join us to discuss their collaboration with Denis Villeneuve for their return to the world of Arrakis. We get into the types of conversations they have with each other and their director when crafting their respective visual elements for the film including the "big fiasco" caused when shooting Dune 2's gladiator scene on Giedi Prime in infrared. 

Stay tuned, Friday brings another great interview!

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Dune’s Oscar-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser returns to the show with Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker to discuss the making of Dune: Part Two and their collaborations with Denis Villeneuve. We get details on shooting Feyd-Rautha’s introduction on Giedi Prime with infrared lighting, cutting Paul Atreides and Feyd’s final fight, and more. 

Stay tuned. We have more interviews on the making of “Dune: Part Two” coming! 

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Michael Showalter returns to the show to discuss his new film starring Anne Hathaway, “The Idea of You.” He discusses the origins of the film’s story, whether or not it’s inspired by Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde’s relationship, Anne Hathaway would rather you call her Annie, and more. 

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“Challengers,” from writer-director Luca Guadagnino, is our favorite performance from the ever-talented Zendaya, but she isn’t alone. Mike Fast and Josh O’Connor equally deliver to create a three-piece ensemble that propels us through one of the year's most exciting films. In this week’s show, we dive right in with our review, and if you’ve managed to make it out to the theater already, stick around for our brief spoiler-filled section that follows. For those that haven’t, hit pause and see this one as soon as possible. 

Also this week, in light of recent success at the box office, we discuss the nature of the middle-budget feature film and its potential comeback in the industry. Finally, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” dropped the full-length trailer we’ve all been dying to see, and we give our immediate impressions.  

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Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 04:13 - Are smaller films reclaiming the box office?
• 19:07 - ‘Challengers’ Review (Spoiler-Free)
• 29:56 - ‘Challengers’ SPOILERS!
• 38:23 - ‘Deadpool & Wolverine” Trailer Reactions
• 51:50 - Game: Lost In Translation
• 1:00:15 - Outro

The horror genre has been on a box office tear this year with what feels like a new entry hitting theaters every week. Today, we welcome back the director duo known as Radio Silence, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, and Tyler Gillett, to discuss their new vampire flick “Abigail.” After two turns at the wheel of the “Scream” franchise, the two bring a unique spin to their story which follows a group of criminals who find themselves in over their heads after kidnapping a young vampire. 

The film finds inspiration from all the right places including “The Shining” and “From Dusk Til Dawn,” the two share just how important films like that are to their own and more.

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Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 10:17 - ‘Abigail’ Interview | 
• 27:33 - ‘Civil War’ Marks A24’s Best Box Office Opening Weekend
• 34:51 - Scorsese And Spielberg Both Have Some Big Upcoming Pictures
• 43:03 - Review: ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’
• 51:18 - Review: ‘Abigail’
• 57:10 - Outro

Alex Garland is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today and has delivered striking, awe-inspiring cinema as both a writer and director for over two decades. We are honored to welcome Garland on the show to discuss his latest film, Civil War. The cast blew away each of us, as well as the story centered on wartime journalists, and the grace with which the film navigates its controversial narrative through the real world it seems to depict so nearly. 

We discuss designing his set pieces with backstory, how Jesse Plemons joined the cast at the last minute and delivered one of the best performances of the year, and more. He even shares some details on the upcoming 28 Days Later sequel, 28 Years Later. 

After the interview, we give our spoiler-free thoughts on the film, and then dive right into spoilers so if you haven’t made it to the theaters yet, be warned.  

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Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 02:49 - Alex Garland Talks ‘Civil War,’ ’28 Years Later’ and More
• 30:11 - Spoiler-Free’ Civil War’ Review
• 49:48 - ‘Civil War’ Spoilers!
• 1:08:09 - Sean Is At CinemaCon 2024
• 1:20:23 - Outro

What should you watch this summer season? This week, we run through some of the major movie releases hitting theaters, and discuss which have us intrigued, which we remain cautiously optimistic about, and which we are the most excited about. It’s looking to be an impressive year! Both M. Night Shyamalan and daughter Ishana Shyamalan have films headed to theaters, Fede Álvarez appears to be returning a beloved franchise to its roots with “Alien: Romulus,” and “Twisters”…enough said. 

Which film are you most excited about this summer? Head to the YouTube comments and let us know!

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Gabe - @gabeKovacs

Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 6:04 - Summer Movie Preview
• 46:06 - Oscars In Review: Would We Still Give Joaquin The Win For Joker?
• 55:29 - ‘Monkey Man’ Reactions
• 57:23 - Outro

Director Adam Wingard joins us to discuss his new epic monster movie Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The filmmaker takes us through some of his trying experiences on set, making his monsters more relatable, Tom Cruise joining the MonsterVerse, and more. 

After the interview, we review the movie and dive into a spoiler-filled chat on Immaculate. And of course, a Bad Boys trailer couldn’t pass us by without some quick reactions. 

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Follow The Show

ReelBlend - @ReelBlend

Sean - @Sean_OConnell

Jake - @JakesTakes

Kevin - @KevinMcCarthyTV

Gabe - @gabeKovacs

Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 4:19 - Adam Wingard Interview | ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’
• 28:22 - ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Review
• 37:27 - ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ Trailer Reaction
• 46:55 - ‘Immaculate’ SPOILER Review
• 54:48 - PSA: Go See ‘Late Night with The Devil’ 
• 58:12 - Outro