Spoilerpiece Theatre

It’s Spoilerpiece episode #250! Yay! Thanks for being with us as we reach this sort of arbitrary but still cool milestone! On this week’s show there’s talk of Passover...and then movies! And all three guys have seen the movies on the docket. First, it’s writer-director Laura Steinel's Taylor Schilling-starring FAMILY (5:52), a comedy about a career-focused woman, her niece, and Juggalos. Then it's AVENGERS: ENDGAME (22:26), the final (?) movie in this phase of the Marvel cinematic universe. And yes, we spoil the ever-loving crap out of it. Stay tuned through the closing music to hear a special message from one of our listeners.

This week, Kris and Evan are joined by Nancy Campbell and Brian Tamm of the always spectacular IFFBoston ahead of the annual weeklong festival (April 4 through May 1).  They discuss some of the exciting films, panels, guest appearances, and events of the fest that takes over three of Boston's best theaters: Somerville, Brattle, and Coolidge. It's a celebration of film community, and Nancy and Brian highlight filmmakers from years past who have gone on to helm some of the biggest and best movies of the past decade. Later, we meet back up with Dave, who runs us through his thoughts on LITTLE WOODS (53:38), and we close with Evan's rewatching of THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (1:01:52) ahead of Passover.

Kris has a nasty case of the super plague so guest Kristen Halbert joins Evan and Dave in hating on kale before the movies this week. First Dave describes why watching the Aretha Franklin documentary AMAZING GRACE (3:51) is a spiritual experience. Then Kristen and Evan talk about why LITTLE (11:37) is absolutely hilarious and genuine despite the fact that it borrows from several films about adults turning into the child versions of themselves. Lastly, all three of them join forces for I’M JUST FUCKING WITH YOU (27:45), the latest in Hulu’s INTO THE DARK series, which has them looking for excuses to talk about literally anything else. Tangents ahoy! Also don’t forget to sign up for our Patreon, where you can hear exclusive audio, like this week’s clip of Evan and Dave discussing ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN.

Two new movies on this week's episode: atmospheric horror western THE WIND (3:37) and comedy-superhero flick SHAZAM! (14:21). The former is a bleak commentary on isolation and the fear of nothingness faced by women in the Old West, the latter is a gigglefest that continues DC's upward trend. Check it out!

This week the guys gripe about the MBTA and the weird white cones that have popped up in Evan’s neighborhood – but not for long – because Dave is back in “the studio” and they have a ton of movies to talk about! First, Kris sneaks in a quick review of Tim Burton’s DUMBO (4:15) a movie that tries to tell you what’s fun and fails. Next, Dave and Evan cover JUANITA (7:20) the Netflix film that’s perfectly predictable and nice, although pretty mediocre. After that Dave reviews THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT (15:55), which he describes as two-thirds of a good movie with Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgard. Finally, they arrive at the main event: this year’s coverage of the Boston Underground Film Festival aka BUFF (25:40). Kris and Evan share their thoughts on a plethora of entertaining films including the delightful documentary HAIL SATAN?, the Boomers vs Millennials horror flick TONE-DEAF, the coming-of-age war-musical KANARIE, the queer Giallo slasher KNIFE + HEART, the creepy ghost tale THE NIGHTSHIFTER, and the

What’s the most highly anticipated movie of the year thus far? Probably Jordan Peele’s US, which, luckily, Kris and Evan saw. Yay! (16:50) Plus, Evan and Dave talk about PADDLETON (4:57), a Netflix film starring Mark Duplass and Ray Romano as best friends who like to play a game they invented, eat pizza, and watch kung fu movies. Then one of them is diagnosed with an incurable illness. Our Patreon exclusive audio this week features Evan talking about AWAKENINGS and BREAKING IN, and then everyone gets into a conversation about bad movie poster tagline (maybe this is becoming a theme).

We've been busy at Spoilerpiece! After doing a not-so-deep dive into the power of cocaine in 1980s rap-rock fusions, Evan, Kris, and Dave get down to what they saw this week. First is Dave with Ricky Gervais’ Netflix series “After Life” (2:32). (Note: Dave makes reference to Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST at about the 11:30 mark, but mistakenly calls it THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST which is Martin Scorsese’s hot take on whether Jesus was a hippie.) At 15:47, Evan covers SURVIVING R. KELLY and LEAVING NEVERLAND, two documentaries about accusations of abuse by R. Kelly (the answer’s in the title) and Michael Jackson. We’re not really a podcast for trigger warnings, but it’s heavy, heavy stuff. Lastly, Kris talks about BORDER (36:30), a Swedish movie about a customs agent who can smell fear, and that’s just the beginning. To end things, the guys have a quick discussion about how to tell non-critics whether to see a particular film (45:40).

This week the guys wonder how the heck RoboCop ended up in a KFC commercial before they tackle the two movies on their docket. First, Kris and Evan review CAPTAIN MARVEL (4:35), the Brie Larson superhero flick that’s a pretty mixed bag. Really it’s no worse than any other mediocre Marvel movie, but they take the time to dissect the good things (like the chemistry between Larson and Samuel L. Jackson), as well as the bad things (like its heavy reliance on momentum-killing exposition). Next, Dave, joins in to cover LORDS OF CHAOS (28:57), an in-your-face film about the Norwegian black metal scene and the rise of the band Mayhem, which lived up to its name. That’s all for the regular show – but if you sign up to support us on our Patreon – you’ll also have the chance to hear exclusive audio of us discussing Evan’s double feature of THE FUGITIVE and U.S. MARSHALS, two very different entries in the same franchise.

Friend of the show Charlie Nash returns to Spoilerpiece! This week kicks off with the highs, lows, and low-lows of this year's Oscars (1:39). The show benefited from no host and some deserving folks got some trophies, but unfortunately ended with the worst Best Picture winner in at least a decade. Then, Charlie takes us through CLIMAX (22:15), a true spectacle from Gaspar Noé. It's everything you expect from the French boundary-pusher, condensed into his most compelling -- and least forgiving -- experiment yet. The gang wraps things up with GRETA (31:20), a campy, trashy good time from Neil Jordan starring the immortal Isabelle Huppert.

In this very special bonus episode, Evan talks with Flash Gordon star Sam Jones and filmmaker Lisa Downs about their documentary LIFE AFTER FLASH, which opened the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival. His conversation with Sam about the highs and lows of his career covers a range of topics including the value of forgiveness, what it was like opening himself up on camera, and even his preferred ways to workout. Next, his chat with Lisa covers how she met Sam and decided to do the documentary, the things she learned working on a feature-length doc, and how she snagged her memorable interview with Queen member Brian May. 

This week, Dave recaps POLAR (2:52), clarifying last week's confusion over ARCTIC. Very different films! Next, Evan and Dave recommend DOWN (17:15), an entry in Blumhouse's INTO THE DARK series on Hulu, full of lean, holiday-themed horror flicks. This one is a Valentine's Day creepfest that is well worth your time. Then, Evan and Kris talk HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD (23:28), a fine conclusion to a great family-friendly series.

On this week's show, Evan runs us through his week in festivals: Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Boston Israeli Film Festival (3:43). Then Kris makes the case for why you should take ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL (10:25) seriously and see it this weekend -- prove the pundits wrong! Dave recaps ARCTIC (21:08), a strong film featuring Mads Mikkelsen in a grueling, survivalist role. Kris and Evan then wrap up with HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U and RUSSIAN DOLL (34:25), which arguably have similar plots but take them in radically different -- and both extremely entertaining -- directions.

This week Kris comes up with a compelling concept for a technologically-themed horror film before the guys dig into new releases. For the first movie, he and Evan construct their take on THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART (4:00), an animated sequel that operates the same way as its predecessor, with different degrees of success depending on which of them you ask. Next, Dave and Evan argue about KILLERS WITHIN (17:16), a home invasion horror flick playing at the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, which they are very divided on. Finally, they all review Dan Gilroy’s Netflix feature VELVET BUZZSAW (29:55), a weird art-based horror movie that Evan seems to like for some reason, even though Dave and Kris don’t.  

Because everyone is talking about the Fyre Festival documentaries on Netflix (FYRE) and Hulu (FYRE FRAUD), Kris, Dave, and Evan all dive headlong into the two competing flicks (5:14). Think there isn’t enough Fyre disaster to support two documentaries? Think again! Then it’s onto Adam McKay’s VICE starring Christian Bale as Dick Cheney. Why is it Kris’ nomination as the worst movie to ever receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination? Explanations begin at 26:11. On our exclusive Patreon audio segment this week, we have a chat about how much we love the late Bill Paxton, and whether it’s possible to get the clap in space.

This week's episode kicks off with, what else those effin Oscar nominations (2:17), recognizing outstanding achievement in male mediocrity. There are some deserving nominations -- BLACK PANTHER, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, BLACKKKLANSMAN -- but c'mon already. From there, Kris recaps STAN & OLLIE (11:55), a well-meaning film about Laurel and Hardy in the last year of their joint career. It has some great attributes but never gathers enough momentum to explore the more interesting or entertaining dimensions of its plot. Last up is DESTROYER (21:13), a meandering neo-noir that has some good things going for it but it could have done with a bit -- or a lot -- of streamlining.

This week, Dave fills us in on the two pieces that kept him busy last week: what he's most looking forward to in 2019, and a look at some Oscar-nominated performance in films that premiered at Sundance. Next, Dave and Evan tell us about the woefully unfunny and directionless LAST LAUGH (9:45). Wrapping things up is Evan and Kris with GLASS (26:50), which is not a total waste but fails to effectively channel what was good about either of its predecessors, UNBREAKABLE and SPLIT.

This week we're joined by friend of the show Greg Vellante! Greg kicks things off with a recap of Sean Baker's career. Best known for recent successes like TANGERINE and THE FLORIDA PROJECT, there are some real gems early in his filmography, in particular TAKE OUT (3:57). Stay tuned for Greg's piece in Spectrum Culture! Next up, all three guys spent some time with BANDERSNATCH (18:37), the standalone BLACK MIRROR film where the viewer decides what happens next -- or is it simply the illusion of choice?! Closing out the episode is THE UPSIDE (31:12), which is a very misleading name. There are no upsides to this movie.

Happy New Year Spoilerpiece fans! This week the guys start out by revealing their unconventional New Year’s Eve plans. For films, there are three on the docket, and everyone has seen them, which makes for lively discussion! First, the guys review THE FAVOURITE (4:48), a period piece by Yorgos Lanthimos that Kris and Dave loved, but Evan couldn’t stand. Next they cover IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (17:37), the beautiful Barry Jenkins movie they all agree is fantastic because the theme of love permeates it. Lastly, the guys take on the much-discussed Sandra Bullock Netflix original BIRD BOX (30:17), a tense horror flick with good performances that is stunted by numerous flaws. If all that's not enough, you can also hear exclusive audio of the guys discussing New Year’s Eve movies if you sign up and support them this week on Patreon.

Dave makes his Spoilerpiece return just in time for the last show of 2018! And it’s a fitting too because the guys use the episode to discuss their top 10 films of the year. Dave kicks things off by revealing his picks (5:10) – bold movies like FIRST REFORMED and BLACKKKLANSMAN, as well as documentary selections like WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? and DISTANT SKY - NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS LIVE IN COPENHAGEN. Next. Kris shares his top movies (22:35) – an eclectic mix of films like AT ETERNITY’S GATE, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, and HEREDITARY with a surprise underdog in his #10 slot. Finally, Evan wraps things up with his list (35:27), delving into meaningful stories about race like THE HATE U GIVE and MY NAME IS MYEISHA, in addition to technologically driven tales like SEARCHING and EIGHTH GRADE. For Patrons the guys also recorded a special mini episode on holiday movies, so if you want to hear it be sure to check out the Spoilerpiece Patreon and sign up to support the show!

Welcome! This week, Evan revisits FIRST BLOOD (6:30), a movie with more human tragedy and a societal message than its notoriously jingoistic it's remembered for. Next up, Kris runs us through MARY POPPINS RETURNS (12:31), an unnecessary but nonetheless enjoyable remake/sequel. Last up is AQUAMAN (25:06), the DC Extended Universe's first movie that's only okay.