Spoilerpiece Theatre

Things are a bit different this week at Spoilerpiece as technical glitches force us to employ some improvised recording methods, so please excuse any changes in pacing/audio quality! Dave couldn't be here, so Evan and Kris are joined by special guest critic Kristen Halbert of Forces of Geek, who describes some rather unique experiences at Comic-Con. Kris fell short of his goal to watch everything nominated for an Oscar in every category -- 51 out of 59 films -- and gives his thoughts on some of the categories he felt were a bit off (5:23). Then it's on to the main event, A WRINKLE IN TIME (14:02), Ava DuVernay's valiant and heartfelt attempt to adapt the unadaptable and beloved novel by Madeleine L'Engle. All three hosts were touched in some way, and though it occasionally suffers from odd pacing and other issues, it can be quite dazzling and powerful when it works. A definite see!

After some discussion of weather, moods, and major singing in the cold open, the guys get down to tha movies. ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. is the focus of this week’s installment of “Keeping Up with the Jensons” (3:59). (Kris is trying to see all the Oscar nominees before Academy Awards ceremony.) Then Evan regales everyone with his breakdown of MUTE (12:39), Duncan Jones’ new weirdo flick starring Alexander Skarsgård as a mute guy trying to find his girlfriend. Note: Paul Rudd is the heavy in this one. Lastly, Kris and Dave talk about RED SPARROW (27:30), the new Jennifer Lawrence/Francis Lawrence collaboration with an ending you should see coming, but the preview audience was totes surprised.

Hello there! On this week's episode, Evan and Dave run us through quintessential early '90s psycho stalker flick PACIFIC HEIGHTS (5:04) that lets Keaton be Keaton. Next up, Dave unleashes his disdain for the pointless and needlessly infuriating THE LEISURE SEEKER (17:19), which thankfully no one is going to see anyway. Then it's on to Kris, who watched two films nominated for Best Animated Feature, THE BOSS BABY (24:41) and LOVING VINCENT (30:48). He hated one and tolerated the other. Guess which is which -- then flip that guess, and that's the correct answer. Last up is the main event, GAME NIGHT (33:55), which has massively undersold just how funny and exciting it is through awful, horrendous trailers. It's the rarest of all movies: an action-thriller-comedy where all three components work!

It's a one-movie show this week, but boy what a movie! The guys are joined by Cape Cod Times sportswriter and lifelong comics enthusiast Matt Goisman, who gives his view of what makes a worthwhile sports movie before they all jump into the main event. BLACK PANTHER (13:15), Ryan Coogler's mighty impressive statement on the long-term effects of colonialism that asks if it is possible for utopia to exist, should it? And oh yeah, it's a superhero movie to boot. With amazing visuals, rich performances, and thoughtful subtext wrapped in an entertaining package, BLACK PANTHER is one to see whether you're into Marvel movies or not.

This week starts with the guys yakking about the READY PLAYER ONE trailer, since Dave and Evan were forced to watch it twice in one sitting. The rest is about two new pictures coming to theaters. First, Kris reviews FIFTY SHADES FREED (3:41), the final chapter in the franchise, which he says redefines the term “captive audience.” Kris laughs at its batty kidnapping plot and explains how it connects to FIFTY SHADES DARKER, a movie that recently made him subscribe to HBO, just so he didn’t have to buy it on Amazon. Next, Evan and Dave take on Clint Eastwood’s THE 15:17 TO PARIS (29:22), a film so bad it actually makes Evan jealous of Kris. They rail against Eastwood’s decision to use real people instead of actors, its terrible dialogue, and its boring focus on minutiae.

After wondering what kind of person show up to a movie 15 minutes late, the guys get into an oldie-but-goodie kinda week on Spoilerpiece. Evan breaks down PRIVATE BENJAMIN (3:25), a funny feminist-ish Army-ish comedy starring Goldie Hawn as a woman who joins up because she really doesn’t have anything else to do. Then Dave gets into THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (13:27), the Michael Mann-directed Daniel Day-Lewis-starring French and Indian War epic. Technically, BILAL: A NEW BREED OF HERO (23:27) is new to the United States, but it’s been out overseas quite a while. Kris and Evan discuss its flaws (many) and virtues (also many), and how it features stories outside the normal American purview.

Lotsa movies on this week's episode! First up is Dave with MY LEFT FOOT (4:21), the film that arguably sealed Daniel Day-Lewis's reputation as the world's most committed screen actor. Next, Evan runs us through MOONSTRUCK (12:45), a romantic romp with folks who just can't stop getting hit in the eye by amore. Dave then perseveres through his disdain for the MAZE RUNNER series by explaining how it limps along into its third installment, THE DEATH CURE (20:25). Dave and Evan then dive into Academy Award-nominated MUDBOUND (33:08), before Kris and Dave wrap things up with HOSTILES (47:09), two very different movies that confront America's inability to confront its own history of racism and post-traumatic stress disorder.

This week's episode starts with Dave fresh off of MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (6:30), which he saw as part of Coolidge Corner Theatre's series dedicated to Daniel Day-Lewis, "I'm Finished!" It's all over the place with a million plot threads and an impossibly large cast, but boasts a terrific grit and excellent performances. Next up is Kris, who just finished reading Boris Pasternak's DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and rewatched David Lean's adaptation starring Omar Sharif (21:17). Kris wishes he were more impressed with the film after reading the novel, but is he breaking his own rule of separating films from source material by lowering his opinion of a movie he enjoyed? Maybe, and he's the first to admit it. The episode then close things out with a recap of FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (36:42), Angelina Jolie's film about life under the Khmer Rouge. The guys are split -- Dave and Kris enthusiastically in favor, with Evan on the fence as to whether it's a success in its own terms.

Evan is sunning himself on a beach somewhere - or maybe not. But he’s in Florida, which means he’s warmer than Kris and Dave. And that means there’s a special guest filling in, friend-of-the-show Greg Vellante! After a brief discussion about why Greg works seven full days a week, he breaks down the latest Liam-Neeson-kills-people-in-January movie THE COMMUTER (6:03). Kris lets everyone know how’s he’s doing with his Letterboxd account, and then they’re into tha main event: Paul Thomas Anderson’s PHANTOM THREAD, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps. One word of advice: See it on film if you have the opportunity.

After discussing the trailer for the upcoming TRUTH OR DARE and a rumored long-lost Clint Eastwood movie, Evan, Kris, and Dave get down to answering some questions posed by a listener about Quentin Tarantino and rumors of his possible attachment to a new STAR TREK movie (5:00). Then they answer more questions and Kris fills the guys in on his return to letterboxd.com (15:45). Finally, it’s off to the main event, the new Leigh Whannel-written INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY (18:30), and what the hell it all means in the context of the INSIDIOUS series. Stay warm, New England.

Happy almost New Year dear listeners! This week, after Kris reveals the very painful way he thinks Dave can fix a messed up shoulder, Dave agrees with Charlie Nash’s commentary on MOLLY’S GAME (5:26) from the previous episode. Next the guys talk about holiday films (7:35) they watched like A CHRISTMAS STORY, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS and CASABLANCA. Then they move onto their main event (16:00), a deep dive into their ballots for the Boston Online Film Critics Association’s annual awards. The guys each share their top 10 films from the year, while also debating the merits of their favorite performances, directors, screenplays, editing, cinematography and scores, which include work in movies never-before discussed on the show.

This week, friend of the show (and the hosts!) Charlie Nash returns to the guest seat in Dave's absence. The first review of the night is Evan and Charlie with MOLLY'S GAME (3:38), Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut. The famed writer of A FEW GOOD MEN, THE WEST WING, and THE SOCIAL NETWORK, known for his tight and layered dialogue, would have benefited from applying the same discipline to his camerawork and pacing, as a worthwhile story with good performances gets buried under its own weight (and penchant for mansplaining). Next up is Charlie with a captivating recap of CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (28:15), Luca Guadagnino's coming of age tale love story starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer. It boasts lush visuals and a deep exploration of discovering sides of ourselves we neither understand how to express nor contain. Wrapping things up is THE POST (48:44), Steven Spielberg's latest masterpiece -- yes, it really is -- about the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. With a top-notch cast and a clear understanding o

This week Kris, Evan, and Dave are joined by their good friend and fellow BOFCA member Tim Estiloz for a spirited discussion of I, TONYA (5:52), the Tonya Harding biopic with Margot Robbie as figure skater Harding. Tim, a former professional ice skater and current news/film reporter-type, brings a unique perspective to the discussion and offers some insight on the real Harding’s skills. Then the guys get into STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (38:12). Yes, we give everything away (like always), but THE LAST JEDI is so much fun no spoilers could actually spoil it.

We kick off this week's Spoilerpiece with a Crewind -- also known as Evan Can Wait and God Save the Crean -- in which Evan recaps his experiences with LOGAN (eh), BATTLE OF THE SEXES (good), and LAST FLAG FLYING (wow) (4:02, 9:30, 15:29 respectively). Next up is Dave with THE DARKEST HOUR (20:11), in which Gary Oldman portrays Winston Churchill in the earliest days of Britain's involvement in World War II. It's a bit of a recitation of well-established facts, but Oldman doing anything can never be totally boring, making this a mixed bag. Last up is all three guys with Guillermo del Toro's THE SHAPE OF WATER (32:11). If you like del Toro, you know what to expect. If you don't, well, you also know what to expect, only moreso.

After Evan tells Kris and Dave about his exploding sofa cushions, they delve into the week’s movies. First there’s THE DISASTER ARTIST (6:30), the absolutely wonderful making-of-THE-ROOM movie directed by James Franco and starring Franco as Tommy Wiseau and his brother Dave Franco as Greg Sestero. Then there’s Sean Baker’s THE FLORIDA PROJECT (22:07), which all three guys saw and have lots of opinions about.

On this week's episode, Dave and Kris are still in the process of recovering from various plagues (Apologies for the occasional coughing!), but that doesn't slow them down from getting to the bottom of this week's releases. First up is Kris with an installment of Keepin' Up with the Jensons, revisiting THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (4:50). Rather than rehash the plot, Kris ponders the point of it all, with some unsatisfying conclusions. Next up, Evan walks through ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. (9:24), the new film from NIGHTCRAWLER director Dan Gilroy featuring Denzel Washington and Colin Farrell. It's not necessarily a bad film and it boasts some fine performances, but it ultimately suffers from a terminal case of not having a firm grasp on its own point, leading to an uneven tone and baffling plot twists. Last up is Dave and Kris with COCO (30:09), the new Pixar film guaranteed to make you cry. It's a delight to behold that is gorgeous and heartfelt despite some issues of predictability, and is a welcome addition to

This week our good friend and co-host Kristofer Jenson is sidelined by the plague, so honorary fourth member Sean Burns fills in. He gets things started off (3:40) with a special guest segment, “Burned Out with Sean Burns,” in which he tells Dave and Evan what he thinks of THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. Evan follows things up with IN BETWEEN and KEEP THE CHANGE (8:50), which are showing at the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Then Sean and Dave weigh in on Richard Linklater’s LAST FLAG FLYING (18:00), the spiritual sequel to THE LAST DETAIL. Finally, it’s superhero time as Evan and Dave discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE (28:55) and Sean more or less correctly guesses the plot even though he hasn’t seen it.

Big week at Spoilerpiece! Lotsa movies. Evan fills us in on the Boston Jewish Film Festival (3:45) with the four shorts (JOIN THE CLUB with Ari Graynor, WIG SHOP with Emily Mortimer, BLACK SWELL with Richard Kind, and THE CHOP, about a Jewish butcher who gets a job in halal shop), and one feature (WINTER HUNT) he watched in anticipation of the festival’s run from November 8-20. Dave follows at 17:20 with Frances McDormand in THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, which he characterizes as one of the best films of 2017. Next up is Kris and Dave with Kenneth Branagh’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at 30:00. Lastly, all three guys saw Greta Gerwig’s masterful LADY BIRD and take turns gushing about how much they love it.

This week starts with Dave's recap of the all-night Halloween Marathon at Brookline's Coolidge Corner Theatre (2:30) featuring some of the best in classic zombie flicks. Next up, Kris recounts his spooky double feature, LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH and MESSIAH OF EVIL (16:09), both of which are great slices in 1970s weirdness. Dave runs us through THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (28:32) and does not buy into the hype. Dave and Evan team up for LBJ (34:39), the latest take on the president with a complicated legacy. Last up, all three talk about the surprisingly delightful THOR: RAGNAROK (44:37) from Taika Waititi.

This week the guys reminisce about long-gone insults of yesteryear before Kris offers a unique barb of his own design. For the movies, Evan delivers a “Crewind” of G.I. JANE (5:00), the Ridley Scott picture where Demi Moore is a badass Navy SEAL in training trapped in a story that gets a little muddled with conspiracy plots. Next Dave covers TOO FUNNY TO FAIL (17:17), a rollicking documentary on Hulu about the short-lived DANA CARVEY SHOW that explains that the inspiration for some of the show’s best sketches while reflecting on its failure. Then the guys take on SUBURBICON (28:35), a George Clooney film that borrows an old Coen Brothers script, but fails to imitate them effectively. While they chide it for being too heavy-handed and trying to cover too much narrative ground, they can all agree that Oscar Isaac injects much-needed vitality into his brief scenes.