We're doing something a little bit different from our usual "filmmaker of the month" and taking a deep dive into the Saturday Night Live library of films. To start off we've got our sights set on the absolute best of the bunch, the cream of the crop: The Blues Brothers, featuring stellar performances from Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, and a whole slew of cameos that will put a smile on your face. Prepare to laugh out loud at the excessive police car damage, and groove along to some exceptional music from some exceptional musicians.

To finish up our month of Taika Waititi we talk his most recent film Jojo Rabbit. It's certainly a weird one, but we love it all the same. The acting is superb, the sets and costumes are powerful, and the comedy works well to offset the rather dark subject matter. We have a few quibbles here and there, but overall this one is a must see and we can't recommend it highly enough.We don't really have much of a "Where Have They Been Doing" other than watching more of What We Do in the Shadows. Turns out we covered most of his other films in the previous weeks.

The trajectory continues upward in our month of Taika Waititi as we discuss Hunt for the Wilderpeople. There's a lot to love in this movie and we struggle to come up with any significant complaints. Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rachel House, and frickin' Rhys Darby all give stellar performances, and even the director himself pops in for a bit to play perhaps the worst (or best) priest I've ever seen committed to screen. Wilderpeople also continues the trend of showcasing a New Zealand that's more than just Hobbit holes, although the movie makes a clever LOTR reference that nearly did this shownotes writer in.

Talk about a jump in quality! This week in our Taika Waititi retrospective we discuss Boy, his feature-length follow-up to Eagle vs. Shark set in New Zealand in 1984. It's a story about overcoming grief, growing up, and being there for your family, all told from the point of view of the title character. Taika has a larger role in this film compared to the last and his energetic and comedic touch REALLY work. Could say more, but you should probably just dive into the episode. We also talk Team Thor, Team Thor Part 2, and his Flight of the Concords episode "New Zealand Town," all of which are pretty funny but maybe don't pop in the way we've come to expect from a Taika Waititi venture.

A new month means a new filmmaker, so for this month we're talking Taika. We begin with his feature length debut Eagle Vs. Shark, which at first glance looks like the next Napoleon Dynamite. Instead it's much more down to earth and features characters that are more than just dorky caricatures. Doesn't mean the film is without flaws and we note that were this movie made today it would end quite differently.We also talk Thor Ragnarok, which provides an interesting look at the filmmaker and gives us a little bit of an idea about what to expect for the rest of the month. Boy, oh boy, are we in for a treat.

We end our John Singleton month with Four Brothers, a movie that never quite finds its tone and never really hits its stride. It's a well-directed movie, and the acting is fun across the board, but the script drags the experience down by playing more to caricature than to character. We also discuss his entry in the Fast series: 2 Fast 2 Furious and why despite his obvious skill as a director, he was not right for the job. Toward the end of the podcast we wrap up our thoughts on the month and what we found interesting about his career. There's quite a journey from Boyz in the Hood to Four Brothers.

We take a bit of a turn in our John Singleton retrospective with the film Shaft, not to be confused with Shaft, or the more recent film Shaft. It's a film that features a lot of dirty cops and dirtier criminals and the sum of all these interesting parts leave us feeling uncomfortable. It's a film that features the line "It is my duty to please the booty" along side a frat boy version of Patrick Bateman beating a black man to death and getting away with it. Well, at least until the end of the movie. There's a lot here, and while some of it doesn't quite work, and awhile some of it is tough to watch in 2020, it stands out as another strong piece of filmmaking from John Singleton.

This week in our John Singleton retrospective we're discussing his sophomore film Poetic Justice, starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. There's a lot here to like. In fact, there's a lot here in general. The film doesn't feel nearly as focused as his previous but despite that feels very unique and very personal. The leads do marvelous work here, especially Tupac, and for those of us who are only familiar with him by name it's enough to make us want to look into the rest of his career.We also briefly discuss Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner. It's not good, but John Singleton does what he can and his direction makes you wish that he had been given a Bond or Bourne film instead of this well-directed clunker.

In light of the current political climate we decided it would be best to educate ourselves and expand our perspectives. To do this we chose director John Singleton as our filmmaker this month, who gave us the intense and illuminating Boyz n the Hood. Everything about the film was astounding and took us out of our comfort zone. It was wild seeing the talent at play in front of the camera and behind it. If you haven't seen this film yet, please do so before listening. Join us in widening our perspective.

We survived the month of May and now it's time to say goodbye to our man JT. Well, until we watch another one of his movies that is. Anyway, we decided the best way to end the month was by watching the romantic comedy Friends With Benefits. No...you're thinking of No Strings Attached. This is the other rom-com about two friends deciding to keep their sex casual while ultimately falling in love. It's actually kind of good, until you get to the third act. JT and costar Mila Kunis have chemistry all over the place and it's hard not being charmed by their relationship as it unfolds. A fun and worthwhile watch.We also discuss Trolls and Wonder Wheel, two JT films that couldn't be farther apart on the quality spectrum. Spoiler alert: the animated one is your best bet.

Our month of May takes a bit of a downturn with the film In Time, which just can't seem to make up its mind what movie it wants to be. There are a few solid hooks throughout, but they never really pan out and never get much deeper than surface level. It's quite the frustrating watch, but the cast is strong and our main man JT continues to impress with his charisma and utter watchability, even if he struggles a little as the leading man. Really, we just wished this movie could have picked a path and stuck to it.

Our month of May continues with another winner for good ol' Justin Timberlake: The Social Network, from writer Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher. There's so many things to love about this film, from the standout performances of everyone involved to the masterful score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Obviously, our focus is on JT and his scene-stealing portrayal of Sean Parker, but everything else is just so dang good that we struggle to find much fault in the film.We also talk about some of JT's older SNL sketches and performances for this week's "Where Have They Been Doing" segment.

IT'S GONNA BE MAAAAYYYY! That's right. We're talking about Justin Timberlake in the month of May because we couldn't help ourselves, and like...why not? To start off, we're going to talk about the huge bummer known as Alpha Dog. But don't worry, it's not a bummer because of quality; it's just going to completely and thoroughly bum you out. Justin proves in this film that he's got some serious acting chops and we can't gush about his performance enough.We also briefly discuss his voice work in the Trolls movie, which is pretty awesome and elevates a surprisingly not bad children's animated film. Let's get our May on!

To celebrate our last week of ScarJo month we're discussing perhaps one of the worst of the MCU fare, the film that put Scarlett on our radars and Black Widow in our hearts. That's right, we're talking about Iron Man 2. It...doesn't hold up, but not for lack of trying. You've got Robert Downey Jr. in top form, Sam Rockwell killing it as usual, and Scarlett Johansson kicking ass and taking names. You've even got Mickey Rourke in there hamming it up as the villain and despite having a bit of a mangled role, he manages to make an entrance.We also discuss Ghost World and Jo Jo Rabbit in brief, as well as try to figure out why this month's selections were all over the map quality-wise. It's a great episode that wraps up a really fun month.

Our strange ScarJo retrospective takes a turn for the better as we discuss the Jonathan Glazer film Under the Skin. It's quite a bit different from the other movies of hers we've seen this month and it's a far cry from her more action-heavy roles. The thing is, it works and her performance really makes this thing pop. If anything, the experiential nature of the film loses a bit in the watch from home. We get into that as well as discuss some of the themes that stood out in the movie, so you probably want to hit that play button ASAP.

We continue our trek upward in our month of ScarJo and reach the Luc Besson oddity Lucy, which we didn't mind as much this time around. Sure, there are a lot of flaws in this film and as soon as we start tugging at those loose threads the whole thing falls apart, but ScarJo is good in this, Morgan Freeman is entertaining, and the car chase sequence is rather exciting (even if she could have just flown over all the cars).We also discuss The Avengers briefly, and ScarJo's run as Black Widow. She has fun in the role, but there's a particular scene that's a bit of a sticking point for our hosts. Anyway, there's a lot here so come join us, won't you?

First Rough Night and then Girl With A Pearl Earring. We swear we didn't intend to review two clunkers back to back in our month of ScarJo, but here we are. Truth be told, Girl With A Pearl Earring isn't a bad film and in fact has some really good moments in it. The problem is that everything surrounding those good moments is just...boring. You'll be happy to know, however, that the painting remains a masterpiece.We also briefly discuss The Island, from director Michael Bay, and Sing, from Illumination. There's a lot here, so don't waste another minute and hit play on this bad boy.

A new month means a new subject for our retrospective series, and this month we've chosen ScarJo. That's right. We're following the varied career of Scarlett Johansson. First film on the docket: Rough Night, a movie that tests her comedic acumen and finds her wanting. It's not like her performance is bad, it's just that she has nothing to do and doesn't have any moments that really push her to do anything anyone in the world would consider funny. We had a rough time with Rough Night, folks.

We wrap up our month of Dede Allen with a bit of a flop, and for that Jon apologizes. We're talking The Final Cut, starring Robin Williams, Jim Caviezel, and Mira Sorvino. You would think based off the talent alone that we were in for a treat, but you would be mistaken. The movie is more interested in raising questions than answering them, and after awhile it becomes painfully tedious. Production design is sound, and of course Dede Allen edits the hell out of it.Bryan and Chewie also discuss 1991's The Adams Family, which ended up being way more entertaining and featured some really fun editing.

This week in our Dede Allen retrospective we take a sharp left turn from the tense crime dramas of Bonnie and Clyde and Dog Day Afternoon to the leisurely paced stage musical adaptation of The Wiz. It's quite the shift and the results are...mixed. There's a lot to like here, from the imaginative sets, to the strong choreography and impressive musical numbers. There's also a lot that has us scratching our heads like the rough lighting and that unbearably slow dance number in the middle just before meeting the Wiz. Join us as we attempt to unpack what worked and what didn't for us and enjoy a wholly unique and compelling take on The Wizard of Oz.

Our month of Dede Allen continues as we dive into the film that earned her an Oscar nomination for her powerful editing - Dog Day Afternoon. There are so many amazing things about this film, from Sidney Lumet's masterful direction to Al Pacino's intense performance, but it's Allen's pacing that really shines here for us. She takes a movie with relatively low action and raises the stakes by cutting at just the right time, or in some cases not cutting at all. With so many stand out moments, it was tough to pick a favorite.Jon also had the chance to check out The Missouri Breaks, which caps off this series of movies about criminals nicely, although when the film came out no one was having it. But check it, the film stars Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando (rocking an Irish accent like whoa), Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, and features music by John Williams.Finally, we discuss some fun movies to pair this with and Chewie blows our minds with a startling revelation.

This month we shift gears from the wacky antics of Joe Dante to the potent editing prowess of Dede Allen, and what better way to do this than with the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde, a masterpiece of editing and style that takes its cues from the French New Wave and gives us a sharp and energetic look at the famous duo. Beatty and Dunaway are absolutely iconic and are joined by a fun ensemble including a young Gene Hackman and a young Gene Wilder.Friends, we're in for a treat this coming month!

We bring our month of Joe Dante films to a close with probably one of the weaker films in his arsenal: Burying the Ex. Despite the letdown, there's still a lot to like here. Anton Yelchin, may he rest in peace, brings energy and nuance to a character that's difficult to love, and Alexandra Daddario and Ashley Greene steal the show with characters that are awesome, three-dimensional, and written well. It's the little things that bring the movie down like the brother and some awkward plotting and logic. Is it worth the watch? We give you the scoop.We also discuss Looney Tunes: Back in Action, as well as the "It's A Good Life" segment out of The Twilight Zone movie, both of which are quite fun and really showcase that Dante chaos we've come to enjoy through our month of Dante.What an absolute treat this month has been.

This week we talk about a film that no one really saw: Matinee, starring John Goodman as a William Castle / Alfred Hitchcock hybrid who brings his B-movie "Mant!" to a small theater in Key West, Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. What ensues is a fun, if a bit subdued, romp through B-movie nostalgia featuring the usual Dante players as well as a fun performance from Cathy Moriarty - who you may or may not know as the villain from Casper (1995). There's also a greaser who writes poetry who terrorizes the protagonists dressed up as an ant, and Goodman's monologue about the "first monster movie" provides a wonderful thesis for the film. Are you ready to Dante?

We continue our month of Joe Dante with a look at perhaps one of the zanier films in his filmography - Gremlins 2: The New Batch. There's so much to love here, from the wonderful puppet design to the brilliant and comedic turn from Christopher Lee. Dante even got Chuck Jones to do the intro to the film, which should tell you everything else you need to know.We also briefly discuss his film Small Soldiers and get into some of the hype surrounding that film. There's a lot of discussion packed into this episode so be sure to keep your Mogwai hidden away in a cool, dry place (preferably with Rambo playing on a nearby TV) before settling down to listen to this week's episode.

We've tweaked our podcast formula a bit and are proud to present to you the first episode of "Behind the Hype," which looks back through a filmmaker's career to examine their early or more obscure works. Every month we'll tackle a different filmmaker, covering at least four of their movies. This month we're delving into the career of Joe Dante with his first film Hollywood Boulevard, from 1976. We also briefly discuss the short "French Ventriloquist's Dummy" from the 1987 film Amazon Women on the Moon.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE IIIREVENGE OF THE SITHIt is a time of great rejoicing as we've made it to the last and best episode of the prequel trilogy, and as such have ended our journey through all the Star Wars films. How does this one hold up compared to the others? Well, it looks great, and has one of the best lightsaber fights of the saga. Does it break our heart in other areas? Absolutely.THEME MUSIC COURTESYBRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE IIATTACK OF THE CONESIt's a very confusing time for Padme, coming into her own and embracing the Autassassinophiliac within her. And Anakin is dealing with...stuff. But hey, Kamino is pretty cool, and that third act is quite riveting, and we get to see Yoda do lightsaber fighting. I mean, at the end of the day it's not a TOTAL loss, right? Right?Right?THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE ITHE PHANTOM MENACEIt's a time of great hope, for a new Star Wars approaches after years of nothing but the original trilogy. Fans flock to the theaters in droves to see the origins of Darth Vader...and they get a Trade Federation? Gungans? Committees? Senators? Chancellors? Cool pod race, though. And Ewan Mcgregor really knocks it out of the park as Obi-Wan Kenobi. THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

WE DID IT! We reached our 300th episode! To celebrate this momentous occasion we decided to something completely on-the-nose and unsubtle and review Zack Snyder's 300...which is also on-the-nose and unsubtle! And fun was had by all. Oh, and also Happy Thanksgiving!

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE VIRETURN OF THE JEDIIt's 1983, and fans eagerly line up to see the conclusion to the trilogy, with expectations soaring high. What they get causes some distress. Swashbuckling? Ewoks? Silly humor? Well, yeah. It's the perfect distillation of everything we liked from the first two movies, and quite possibly the best way to end the trilogy. Of course, some additions have been made over the years that have made this chapter difficult to enjoy. Join us as we discuss Return of the Jedi!THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE VTHE EMPIRE STRIKES BACKIt  is a dark time for the rebellion...but a pretty friggin' sweet time for us because we get to talk about The Empire Strikes Back, easily the best Star Wars film ever made. If the last movie captured our imaginations, this one captured our hearts. It cemented our fandom and gave us the best ship in the galaxy: Han and Leia. It also gave us Yoda, Lando Calrissian, Lobot, and perhaps the biggest surprise this side of the galaxy. There's a reason why this one sits at the top of many SW fan lists. So join us, won't you?THEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...STAR WARSEPISODE IVA NEW HOPEIt is a time of great nostalgia! Bryan, Chewie, Jon, and Emily come together to discuss the movie that changed history and made us the geeks we are today. We talk about our first introduction to the movie and what makes it so special to us. We also look ahead to the upcoming Rise of Skywalker in the hope that the final chapter will properly close the saga.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Current Arrow-verse seasonJON - Sleeping BeautiesCHEWIE - Annabelle Comes Home, Pet SemataryEMILY - Stephen UniverseTHEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

Happy Halloween from the good(?) folk over at Silver Shamrock. That's right! We're talking Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, the only entry in the Halloween franchise that doesn't feature the iconic antagonist Michael Myers. And what better time to talk about it than on Halloween itself. Special thanks to Brok from Damage Boost for joining us.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - JokerJON - The Tower of SwallowsCHEWIE - Blade Trinity, Dolemite is my NameBROK - Time Trap, We Were HereTHEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

This week on the podcast Bryan, Chewie, and Jon discuss the delightfully bonkers Japanese Horror Comedy film House, written and directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi with input by his daughter Chigumi. Truly, it's a movie that has to be seen to be believed and it's quite the treat. We recommend going in as blind as you can, and if you haven't seen it before our episode, do so and then resume. We're anxious to talk about it with you!WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Assassins Creed OdysseyJON - Fleabag S1&2CHEWIE - Blade Trinity, DolittleTHEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

This week in our month of horror Bryan takes us back to Camp Crystal Lake to hang out, go for a swim, and get slammed against a tree while hiding in a sleeping bag. That's right, we're talking the super fun Friday the 13th: Part 7: The New Blood and pointing out all the things that make this such a delightful watch. While it may not have the most imaginative kills, its costumes and special effects are on a whole other level.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Titans: Season 2JON - Dead After DarkCHEWIE - Stumptown: 1st 3 EpisodesTHEME MUSIC COURTESY BRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

And now for something completely unexpected: a rape revenge film that is good, actually, and that turns all its tropes on its head. I know, right? We're talking about the 2017 film Revenge, from writer/director Coralie Fargeat. She brings a master filmmaker's touch to an otherwise played out genre and asks us to take a hard look at ourselves. It's quite the film and we do the best we can breaking down everything about it. TRIGGER WARNING for discussions of rape and the rape revenge genre. SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Season Two of TitansJON - Batman Arkham AsylumCHEWIE - It: Chapter 2

This week kicks off our October Horror month in which we watch - you guessed it - horror films. Our criteria this year involved films we either missed, films we wanted to see, or like in the case of the film we picked this week - films that were available. That's right! We're watching 30 Days of Night, a movie with an interesting premise that will have you going "vampires kill me now." It's certainly a rough watch, but we have fun tearing it apart.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Assassins Creed OriginsJON - The Rest of Carnival RowCHEWIE - Swamp Thing, Geekology Training Video About Unruly CatsTHEME MUSIC COURTESYBRADLEY DAVID PARSONS

Hey guys! Due to some technical difficulties we don't have a new episode for you this week, so we thought we would jump in our time travel machine that's suspiciously shaped like a police box and go back to our Batman V. Superman episode, which featured special guests Alex Marshall-Brown and Armond Richards. It was a blast to record and we all managed to survive the brawl between the supes and the bat. See you next week with a new episode!SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar ChildrenJON - CreepCHEWIE - BBC Pride and PrejudiceALEX - Disneyland, Universal, Harry Potter LandARMOND - Lectures of Joseph Campbell, 7 Days to Die

This week on the podcast we discuss Brightburn, a film with a promising and interesting premise, which falls apart in almost every way. Join us as we try to make sense of the decision-making at play and try to find some bright spots in this iffy flick.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - American Ninja WarriorCHEWIE - DownsizingJON - Amy Poehler’s Yes Please

This week on the podcast we trip a little light fantastic - or at least try to - with Mary Poppins Returns, the "just okay" sequel to the 1964 Disney classic. We have SOME nice things to say about the film...promise! It's just that most of the positive things involve Emily Blunt. Anyway, hitch a ride on a kite and come join us for this piece of...entertainment.SHOWNOTES:WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?BRYAN - All of the Child’s Play movies, Seed of ChuckyJON - Veronica Mars: Season 4CHEWIE - The Aeronauts

This week we're all floating down here as we talk about Stephen King's IT, the made-for-tv movie featuring Tim Curry in his iconic role as Pennywise the Clown. Does it hold up? Absolutely not. Did we have fun talking about it? You bet. SHOWNOTES WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? BRYAN - Assassins Creed: Origins JON - Carnival Row: Ep.1-2 CHEWIE - "How ’80s Hollywood and Ronald Reagan fueled each other — and paved the way for Trump" by Alissa Wilkinson for Vox.

This week on the podcast we're talking about Alita: Battle Angel, the film from Robert Rodriguez which was written by James Cameron. It's quite a movie, with some excellent casting choices and a vibrant, lived in world, and we regret that it didn't do better in theaters. Truly, if you didn't see it in theaters, you missed out. SHOWNOTES: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? BRYAN - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood JON - Baptism Of Fire CHEWIE - Parasite

We finally did it. We reached the end of the MCU...or at least our desire to talk about these movies in podcast form. This Endgame in both film and podcast tradition has been a long time coming and we brought back Samantha Garrison from the Sam Wise podcast to help us bring this saga to a close. SHOWNOTES: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? BRYAN - Justice League JON - Veronica Mars CHEWIE - Last Christmas SAM - Mindhunter

This week on the podcast we're talking about SHAZAM! - the latest film in the DCEU and perhaps the most fun of the bunch. Zachary Levi has an absolute blast as the titular hero, and plays well against Mark Strong's villain Silvana. There's a lot to love with this flick and we discuss every bit. SHOWNOTES: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? BRYAN - Parks 'n Rec JON - The Boys CHEWIE - Grimm

This week on the podcast have we got the double feature for you! It's Monty Python's The Meaning of Life and Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, two films which go surprisingly well together and complement each other in some crazy-amusing ways. Let the madness and wonder take a hold as we deal with Dinosaurs and Corporate Pirates. SHOWNOTES: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? BRYAN - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee JON - Futureman CHEWIE - Don’t Let Go, Undone

This week on the podcast our pal Matt Dykes came back to the states from across the pond YET AGAIN to talk about one of his favorite movies of all time: Die Hard. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? BRYAN - Super Sons JON - Dead as a Doornail CHEWIE - Blast off comics, GRIM MATT - None

This week on the podcast we convinced friend of the show Matt Dykes to fly all the way over from the UK to join us for a battle of Tarantino films, and what a battle it was! Long stretches of dialog punctuated by excessive and stylized violence set to really cool music. Yeah, we're all dead...from this awesome battle. SHOWNOTES: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? BRYAN - Young Justice JON - Brooklyn 99 CHEWIE - New Guy SAM - Critical Role C2 MATT - Aquaman