Reelblend

Why Solo Underperformed, Reviewing Kubrick's 2001 in 70mm, & #StarWarsBlend Can we use the "D" word -- disappointment -- when it comes to Solo: A Star Wars Story's box office? This becomes the first major topic of conversation on ReelBlend Episode 23, where co-hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton do a Monday Morning Quarterback analysis of Ron Howard's Star Wars adventure. The movie did fine at the box office, earning an estimated $103 million over the Memorial Day four-day window. But in comparison to other Star Wars movies, and other Summer Blockbuster Tentpoles, it underperformed. The guys discuss why, give their own reviews of the film, and finally reveal their Top 3 Star Wars movies in our #StarWarsBlend segment. ReelBlend #23 wasn't ALL Star Wars talk, though. Jake and Kevin were able to see the 70mm restored print of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it blew their minds. Films fans are going to want to listen to that portion of ReelBlend,

Guest Rob Liefeld (Deadpool Creator/Artist), Deadpool 2 SPOILERS & David Fincher's Best Film Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld joined the guys for a full hour. And if you like the Deadpool movies, Marvel Comics and the MCU, and basically superhero entertainment in general, this one is a CAN'T MISS! Rob Liefeld has been the driving (X)force behind Deadpool since the character's creation in 1990. Rob has endured X-Men: Origins -- Wolverine. He celebrated Tim Miller's proper Deadpool movie in 2016. And he happily pulls back the curtain to share all that he knows about Deadpool 2 in a spoiler-filled conversation with ReelBlend co-hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton! It wasn't all Deadpool, all of the time. Yes, Rob Liefeld is a vast wealth of knowledge on all things comics, we also recruited him for this week's #Blend game. It happened to be the films of David Fincher, so listen in and see where the guys all fell on #FincherBlend! Support this podcast at — https://re

Deadpool 2 Spoiler-free Reviews, Solo: A Star Wars Story Reactions & the Best Godfather Film This week Sean O'Connell (CinemaBlend), Kevin McCarthy (Fox 5 Washington DC) and Jake Hamilton (Fox 32 Chicago) give their SPOILER-FREE reviews of Deadpool 2 (Starring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz), discuss the news of a possible Lando and/or Obi-Wan Star Wars spinoff, give their early impression of Solo: A Star Wars Story, debate which Godfather film is the best, and more. Follow the show on Twitter @ReelBlend Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Childish Gambino's New Music Video, Summer Movie Preview & John Williams Best Score This week's episode is mainly focused on the Summer Movie season, so ReelBlend hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton break the slate down into various categories: Most Anticipated; Least Anticipated; Highest Grossing (not named Avengers: Infinity War); and Indie/Off-the-Radar. The guys kick off with a spirited discussion about the potential Avengers 4 title... and whether they care at all what it's going to be called. From there, conversation switches to Solo: A Star Wars Story -- which Jake and Kevin will see this week when doing the press junket in L.A. And then the guys weigh in on the new Childish Gambino video for "This is America," with Kevin nailing a particularly compelling interpretation of what he thinks Donald Glover is trying to say with the clip. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/bran

Avengers: Infinity War Spoiler Discussion w/ Guest Erik Davis (Fandango) To help us settle a few of these key issues with Infinity War, we called in some help. Erik Davis is the Managing Editor over at Fandango, and a long-time friend of the guys. He knows his stuff when it comes to movies, and especially the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So we asked him on ReelBlend, and he was an awesome guest. Listen to what he has to say. There were a lot of questions Jake Hamilton, Kevin McCarthy and Sean O'Connell wanted to address. What happened to the heroes? What will happen to those who are left? How does Thanos (Josh Brolin) know Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)? Why did Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) give up the Time Stone? After that, it was time for this week's #Blend, and man, was it a hard one. The guys chose Tom Cruise, and debated the seasoned A-Lister's BEST performance. Some of them landed on the same answer. The listeners, who played along using #CruiseBlend on social media, ended up with a

SPOILER-FREE Avengers: Infinity War Reviews & Tarantino's Best Movie Avengers: Infinity War is upon us! The boys were all lucky enough to have seen the film earlier this week, and are here to get you hyped with their spoiler-free discussion of Marvel and perhaps cinema's most ambitious project to date. Sean O'Connell, Jake Hamilton, and Kevin McCarthy discuss the wonderfully surprising success of the films many plot points, and use of character, the humor, heartbreak, and even terror that makes for one heck of a superhero film. Before they get to the biggest movie of the year, they react to the Venom movies full trailer, news of Alden Ehrenreich signing a 3-picture deal as Han Solo. Sean O'Connell joins the show from CinemaCon in Las Vegas and shares details on several pieces of footage he saw from project including Solo, James Wan's Aquaman, Aladdin (starring Will Smith) and more. They also debate whether or not Die Hard with a Vengeance is better than Die Hard. As well as, Quentin Ta

Special Guest Brad Peyton (Rampage & San Andreas Director) & Juicy Infinity War Rumors As it turns out, The Rock + Large-Scale Chaos + Towering CGI Creatures = Box Office Success! Over the weekend, Brad Peyton's Rampage squeaked out a box office win over John Krasinski's terrifying A Quiet Place, becoming the number 1 movie in the U.S. and around the globe. So it thrills us to report that, as part of his victory lap, Peyton hopped on the ReelBlend podcast as a very special guest to discuss shooting Rampage, collaborating with The Rock on their third action adventure, advancing the art of motion-capture, and much more. In addition to our exclusive sit down with Peyton, ReelBlend co-hosts Kevin McCarthy, Jake Hamilton and Sean O'Connell are gearing up for the debut of Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War, which will hit theaters on April 27. Kevin is on his way out to the junket in L.A., and Sean and Jake are seeing it early next week. So this is the final episode that they can

Special Guest Zak Penn (Ready Player One & The Avengers Screenwriter) & Meryl Streep's Best Performance If you've listened to ReelBlend the past few weeks -- and if you haven't, what's wrong with you? -- then you know that we have been strong advocates for Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One. The blockbuster legend was an ideal choice to adapt Ernie Cline's best-selling page-turner, itself a story that's drenched in nostalgia for a pop-culture era that Spielberg helped to create and shape. So when we were given the opportunity to have Ready Player One screenwriter Zak Penn on the show, we jumped... and it led to one of the best movie-geek conversations in ReelBlend history Zak Penn's previous credits include The Avengers, X2: X-Men United, The Incredible Hulk and the classic college comedy PCU. The man knows geek culture. Hell, he has helped establish the type of geek culture that we're all now buying into. So it was a dream to have him on for ReelBlend, where he he

Tom Hank's Best Performance & Sean's Unpopular Lord of the Rings Opinion Tom Hanks is an American treasure. Tom Hanks is a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor. Tom Hanks is freaking Woody, from the beloved Toy Story franchise! But what is Tom Hanks' BEST performance? This is the challenge laid down before the co-hosts of ReelBlend -- Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton. Which Hanks movie did they choose? On this week's episode, the guys also discuss Ready Player One's opening weekend box office, the news that Colin Trevorrow has been hired for Jurassic World 3, and the request by the Russo Brothers for Marvel fans to maintain spoiler silence on social media for Avengers: Infinity War. After, the boys introduce a new segment that likely will become a recurring deal: Unpopular Opinions. For those unaware, Jake, Kevin and Sean maintain a text chain where they're constantly talking in between podcast episodes. In that chain, the guys often state something that

Ready Player One (spoiler-free) Reviews & Netflix vs Theatrical Release (Special Guest: Juan Fernández-Paris) Regular listeners know the familiar voices of co-hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton. But this week, for the first time in ReelBlend history, the trio breaks ground by inviting a guest! Juan Fernández-Paris is the film critic for Wapa America. He's a longtime veteran of the junket circuit, where he has passed hours, days and years geeking out about movies with Sean, Jake and Kevin in cities around the world. And as an ardent supporter of this week's biggest release -- Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One -- we invited him on to provide his insights into Spielberg's latest, and to play along with Coen Brothers Blend! What is Coen Brothers Blend? Well, it's part of an ongoing game that we brought to ReelBlend where we pick a beloved director (or filmmaking team) and then debate their BEST movie. Not our favorite movie by them. Their BEST. And we try to convi

Pacific Rim Uprising, Avengers Box Office, & Scorsese's Best Pacific Rim Uprising is making its way to theaters. So Sean O'Connell, Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy are diving into Steven S. DeKnight's robot-on-monster blockbuster, which Kevin liked, and Sean says is a coming out party for John Boyega as a franchise-carrying leading man. That discussion triggered a debate about the best sequels that came from directors who DIDN'T launch the franchise. How often does a series change hands, and then improve? The guys discuss. Kevin has seen Ready Player One. He even interviewed Steven Spielberg at the Ready Player One junket. He has amazing stories to tell about discussing RPO with Spielberg. And finally, this week -- as part of the ongoing #Blend debate game, the boys tackle the filmography of Martin Scorsese, trying to decide on what his BEST movie is. Not their favorite. Scorsese's BEST. They all have different picks, and they passionately debate why they made their choices. Then, th

Avengers: Infinity War Set Visit & A Wrinkle In Time Reactions It's a brand new day! The AwardsBlend podcast has undergone a change, and what once focused mainly on the Oscar race has expanded its scope. Welcome to ReelBlend! As Kevin McCarthy puts it on social media, "New show name. New logo. Same nerds." Those nerds are Kevin McCarthy, Jake Hamilton, and Sean O'Connell. And in this week's podcast, the trio starts off with a run through the top news stories of the day. Sean is finally able to start talking about his visit to the Avengers: Infinity War set, so Jake and Kevin pepper him with questions. For the final segment of the ReelBlend podcast, Sean, Kevin and Jake bring back the fan-favorite #Blend segment, where they choose a filmmaker ahead of time, then debate the BEST film from that director. This week, the discussion swirled around the films of Stanley Kubrick. And as is always the case, we opened the conversation up to our listeners, who used the hashtag #KubrickBlend to sha

2018 Academy Awards Recap & BIG ANNOUNCEMENT Welcome to Episode 11 of AwardsBlend! The Oscars have finally come, and Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy, and Jake Hamilton are here to discuss. They talk about the shows nearly 4 hour runtime and record-low ratings, Jimmy Kimmel's performance as this year's host, the wins they're most happy about (including THE SHAPE OF WATER for Best Picture & Jordan Peele's GET OUT for Best Original Screenplay), the fact that Roger Deakins finally won, and more! Full list of Oscar Winners Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Final Oscar Predictions & Spielberg's Best Film EVER Welcome to another episode of AwardsBlend! This is our final episode be fore the BIG show, and we couldn't be more excited. Sean O'Connell, Jake Hamilton, and Kevin McCarthy discuss Kevin Smith's recent health scare (wishing him and his the best), go through their picks for who will take home an Academy Award this year, and debate which of Steven Spielberg's films is his definitive best. The process wasn't easy, and we thank everyone who tuned in with their picks using #SpielbergBlend. Enjoy! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Who Could Win "Best Picture" & Black Panther Box Office Reactions Raise your hand if you haven't yet seen Black Panther? No one? Good, then you all can listen to the latest episode of AwardsBlend, where co-hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton kick off their weekly film-geek discussion with a breakdown of Ryan Coogler's Marvel masterwork, then lay out their personal Top 5 Marvel movies to see if Black Panther makes the cut. From there, the guys dive into a discussion on the Best Picture race. With roughly a week to go until the Academy Awards are handed out on March 4, Sean, Jake and Kevin talk about the films that they think still legitimately have a shot at winning Best Picture. Yes, there are nine nominees. But it really only feels like three movies hold out hope of leaving the Oscars with a Best Picture statue tucked under their proverbial arm. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/b

Black Panther Review & Breaking Down "Best Actor/Actress" Nominees This week, we're down a co-host, as Fox 32 Chicago's Jake Hamilton has to deal with a tooth problem. (The way he tells it, he chipped his tooth saving a bevy of adorable puppies, but we're guessing that's an embellishment.) So, AwardsBlend co-hosts Sean O'Connell and Fox 5 DC's Kevin McCarthy hold down the fort, and they kick off their discussion with a spoiler-free review of Ryan Coogler's new Black Panther. AwardsBlend dives into the meat of the Oscar race, and this week, Sean and Kevin analyze the Best Actor and Actress races... to see if they actually are races, at all. While both co-hosts think that Gary Oldman is a lock to win Best Actor for his work as Winston Churchill in Joe Wright's Darkest Hour, they split on Best Actress. Kevin feels like Frances McDormand has Best Actress in the bag for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Sean, on the other hand, thinks that momentum might be shif

Arguing Over Christopher Nolan's Best Film & 'Best Director' Breakdown What is Christopher Nolan's best film? Is it the twisty dream-infiltrating thriller Inception? Or the galaxy-hopping Interstellar? Maybe you'd choose one of his Batman films, or something else entirely? It's a question that the AwardsBlend hosts -- Sean O'Connell, Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy -- tackle in this week's episode of the AwardsBlend podcast. You too can provide input by tweeting at the gang with #NolanBlend, and let us know which you think is his best. This week the guys also weigh in on the first full Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer, as well as the best spots from this weekend's past Super Bowl. The Mission: Impossible -- Fallout trailer gets them talking about Tom Cruise's dedication to this films. For real, who gives more to this audience than Cruise these days? Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.c

Celebrity Encounters & Best Supporting Actress & Actor Breakdown AwardsBlend is your weekly catch-up on all things Oscars as we inch closer and closer to the Academy Awards, which will be held on March 4 this year. Why in March? How come we haven't had this ceremony already? For real, these movies have been in theaters for weeks... even months. It seems like we easily could have had the Oscar ceremony already. The guys -- CinemaBlend Managing Director Sean O'Connell; Fox 5 DC Entertainment Reporter Kevin McCarthy, and; Fox 32 Chicago Entertainment Reporter Jake Hamilton -- weigh in on the current state of the race, and then some. Before they get to the Best Supporting Actor and Actress races, Jake, Kevin and Sean share funny celebrity encounters, stemming from Kevin recently running into John Travolta and instantly peppering him with Face/Off quotes. Because of course. Enjoy! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.co

Oscar Nominations Revealed & SAG Awards Reactions AwardsBlend co-hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton hop behind their microphones this week to talk about the various Oscar nominations, where Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi creature romance The Shape of Water led all contenders with 13 noms, but Jordan Peele's Get Out followed right behind. Peele and his colleague, Greta Gerwig, also made headway as first-time filmmakers who broke into the coveted Best Director race. And we made connections to the Screen Actors Guild Awards winners, who all got Oscar nominations -- so we wonder if that makes them frontrunners in their respective categories. But things really heat up when the guys get into a discussion about beloved cinematographer Roger Deakins, who is nominated for his work on Blade Runner 2049. But he shot it digitally, and the AwardsBlend hosts wonder if the decision to not shoot on film will hurt him in his bid to FINALLY win an Oscar after 13 previous nominations and not one

Critics' Choice Awards & Oscar Predictions This is AwardsBlend, a regular podcast on the CinemaBlend podcast network that is hosted by Managing Director Sean O'Connell Fox 5 Washington D.C. Entertainment Reporter Kevin McCarthy, and Fox 32 Chicago Entertainment Reporter Jake Hamilton. Sean and Kevin start off by talking about the Critics' Choice Awards, an event they were both able to attend (Jake was missed). From there, the show dives into the controversy swirling around a few current awards contenders, from James Franco of The Disaster Artist to the entirety of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Do bad headlines affect a movie or actor's awards chances? The boys discuss. Oh, then they play a really fun game where they take an actual Best Picture winner from the past 10 years and strip away its win, handing the Oscar to the movie that really SHOULD have won in that year. Things get heated! Be sure to check out CinemaBlend for all the entertainment you care about. Support this po