We continue our deep dive into Roman historical fiction with the review of Gladiator 2 starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. We discuss what the movie is saying about the people of Rome and the people of today, whether the movie borrows too much from Gladiator, how Rome reminds us of the Dallas Cowboys, all the different animals that could be used to fight humans, movies that have better sequels than originals, and what happens if your boss makes their dog your manager.

We’re back with season six and starting things off with the Academy Award winning, Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Pheonix, Connie Nielsen, and Djimon Hounsou. We discuss the genius of Ridley Scott in historical narrative film making, whether Maximus is ever, really, free, what makes Commodus so crazy, what happens if Maximus had lived, and what happens to the world when good men take a day off. Like, subscribe and share.

It’s a special 2 episodes in 1 week as we discuss heavy spoilers for Venom: The Last Dance starring Tom Hardy and Chiwetel Ejiofor. We talked about whether Sony hates comic book movies, the Venom franchise in retrospect, how this movie does Baron Mordo dirty, whether we will ever see Venom vs Spiderman, how this movie compares to other third films in comic book franchises, and how to make a comic book film fans are happy to see.

This week, we discussed the recently released Killer’s Game, starring Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Ben Kingsley, and Terry Crews. We talk about the connection between wrestling and acting, whether you should date a professional killer, why movies about assassins are so popular, our top five favorite assassin movies and why Mr. Will loves movies with the word “killing” in them so much.

This week, we get in a Halloween vibe (kinda sorta) with Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, N’Bushe Wright, Kris Kristofferson, and Stephen Dorf. We discuss Blade as trendsetting a new style and image for modern vampire movies. Wesley Snipes movie career, the great comedic timing of this film. How this movie influences the Matrix and John Wick while borrowing from Batman. The Black Girl Magic that is N’Bushe Wright and Sanaa Lathan on film, whether this movie needs a sex scene and what would happen if the MCU put this movie out today.

This week we review the 2024 release, Blink Twice, starring Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona and the directorial debut of Zoe Kravitz. We discuss the themes of abuse by men with power, how the movie pulls from incredibly recent events, and debate the message of the ending. We also highlight the cast, the IG/Tik Tok influence, the ASMR experience of watching the film and how we know things are going sideways if Christian Slater is involved.

Major spoilers this week as we reviewed the sequel, Joker Folie a’ Deux starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. We discuss the vision of Todd Philips for this film and whether it is executed. We also break down the movie history of Harley Quinn, what the Joker actually represents, inspirations for the movie and its characters, the sad story of Arthur Fleck, whether there are easter eggs to other Batman films, and how much we actually don’t like musicals.

This week, we review the Michael Mann classic, Heat, featuring an ensemble cast and starring Al Pacino, Robert Dinero, and Val Kilmer. We discuss how the characters and families reflect concepts of pragmatism and pessimism, the interplay between Pacino and Dinero, why we love Val Kilmer’s character in this film, the necessary loud acting of Pacino, the Mt. Rushmore of gangster movies, what happens to the main characters after the film, and how this film is like the perfect slice of NJ pizza.

We celebrate our 50th episode with 2012’s Killing Them Softly, starring Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Scoot McNairy, Richard Jenkins, and Ben Mendelsohn. We talk about the movie as an allegory for the 2008 financial crisis, the crimes of desperate people, how much or how little a life is worth, this movie as a condemnation of the mafia movie, and the difference between a cliffhanger and an ending.

This week we review the 1980’s classic, Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, and Jesse Ventura. We discuss the 80’s movies as a vibe, Schwarzenegger vs Stallone, the best Arnold Schwarzenegger films, the fun of randomly shooting big guns in the jungle, what Predators do when they go on vacation, and who would star in a remake of this movie.

This week we review the movie Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, and Tim Robbins. We discuss corporate malfeasance and responsibility, the real-life story this movie is based on, what makes a person a success, whether this movie should be a documentary, real-life heroes, and who should be held responsible when corporations do harm to people.

As we get closer to the start of the football season, we review the college football classic, The Program, starring James Caan, Omar Epps, Craig Sheffer, Andrew Bryniarski, Duane Davis and Halle Berry. We discuss how this movie has aged, what it would look like in the NIL world of today, the stereotypes in the movie, what conference ESU actually plays in, whether its ever ok to be a side-dude, and what would happen to these characters in the season after.

We kick off Season Five with the 2013 horror movie, The Purge, starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. We discuss whether the Purge makes people violent or stops them from being more violent, what the rules mean for crimes outside of murder, the major therapy the kids are going to need, why these movies are so popular and have created the Purge cinematic universe, what happens the day after the Purge and why Mr. Will isn’t a fan of horror movies.

Major spoilers ahead as we close out Season 4 with the newest Marvel Studios release, Deadpool & Wolverine starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. We discuss the state of the MCU up to this movie (again), the Deadpool movie history, all the cameos in this film, whether the story works as a movie or as a parody of a movie, how much these characters mean to the fans and if this movie delivers fan service or subverts expectations.

This week, we discuss The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, and Winston Duke. We discuss the main themes in the movie, the way the male and female characters are depicted and whether this reflects outdated tropes, if the movie has too much going on for it, whether this movie is a parody of the movie business, give flowers to the cast, and ponder whether the love story would hold up once the cameras stop rolling.

This week, we discuss The Bike Riders starring Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and Austin Butler. We discuss the habits of men from the “greatest generation”, what happens to men that are forgotten by the society they live in, the allure of bad boys, why everyone needs a good villain, whether this movie will be seen differently 5 years from now, and what it means when you own a minivan.

This week, we discuss the latest installment in the Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys 4: Ride or Die, starring Wil Smith and Martin Lawrence. We discuss the history of the franchise, the changing form of masculinity exhibited by Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowry, the stereotypes throughout the film, how the film restores the public images of a few celebrities, what a Bad Boys 5 might look like, and whether Will Smith is going to return to his former Hollywood glory.

This week, we close out our movies about fathers with Boyz n the Hood starring Laurence Fishburn, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Angela Bassett, and Nia Long. We discuss the lasting trauma of gun violence and it being recently identified as a public health crisis. Of course we get into the parenting skills of Furious Styles, the significance of the success of this movie, the love John Singleton had for his community, and how much has changed, for better or worse, since 1991.

This week, we review the coming-of-age story, A Bronx Tale, starring Robert Dinero, Chazz Palimnteri, and Lillo Brancato. We discuss the career of Robert Dinero, the attraction of gangsters, what it means to lead your family as a father, the benefits of wisdom over time, love vs fear and of course, wasted potential vs nobody caring.

This week we reviewed He Got Game, starring Denzel Washington, Ray Allen, and Rosario Dawson. We discuss the themes of absentee fatherhood, survivor’s remorse for those who are able to leave the neighborhood, if this is really a story about domestic abuse, what happens to the characters the years after this movie is over, and the secrets women keep.

This week we review 99 Homes starring Michael Shannon, Andrew Garfield, and Laura Dem. We discuss what happens when a father is not present, how young men will search out and find manhood models for better or worse, the housing crisis of 2008, whether rich people go to jail, who gets blamed when your car gets towed, and the differences between a house and a home.

This week, we review the Denis Villeneuve instant classic, Dune 2, starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, and Christopher Walken. We discuss the themes of family, greed, and belief, the journey of Paul Atreides from boy to man to something else, how prophecies and love lift people up and hold them down, the Black woman death stare, and if anyone is having more fun than Feyd-Rautha.

This week, we review the revenge flick, Monkey Man, written, directed, and starring Dev Patel with Makarand Deshpande, Sikandar Kher, and Sobhita Dhulipala. We discuss the reimagined revenge story, how this movie isn’t quite like a John Wick film, bad guys that deserve their fates, the inculcation of Hindu culture and spirituality into this film, why power corrupts so thoroughly, whether the kid is the avatar of Hanuman and what happens after you bring children to an R-rated movie.

This week, we discuss the stunning and unsettling movie, Civil War, starring Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley. We discuss the possibility of civil war in America, the tonal decisions in the movie, the question of what kind of American you are, if this movie will have a prequel or a sequel, the moviegoer fascination with the collapse of society and make some Wu-Tang Clan references.

This week we kick off season 4 on May the 4th with Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid, Natalie Portman, and Sam Jackson. We discuss the love Star Wars fans have for these moves (us included), how Palpatine is always 50 steps ahead, the complicity of the Jedi in their own destruction, Mace Windu’s revenge plan, the potential of a Darth Vader series, the dangers of secret relationships, and a deep dive into the off-film history of Star Wars mythology.

This week, we close out season 3 with one of the all-time greats, The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburn, Carrie-Ann Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano. We discuss why the Matrix is so impactful, the implications of a potential reboot in the future, if Cypher was right, how this movie set up the 2nd career of Keanu Reeves, philosophical points made in the movie and how they matter today and of course, whether we are actually living in a simulation.

This week we discuss Enter the Dragon, the great Bruce Lee and co-stars John Saxon and Jim Kelly. We discuss how Han is the father to so many styles in so many movies, the history of Black people in the martial arts, our top 5 martial arts movies, how gambling on insect fights is the sign of a problem, the functionality of martial arts are in real classes, and what we would do if we owned an island.

This week we discuss the 2011 movie, Margin Call, which gives a glimpse into the early signs of the economic collapse of 2008. The movie stars Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, and Sam Baker. We discuss the climate of 2008 during the economic crisis, the ideas of “fair play” in the banking industry, how good villains are memorable in movies, whether people should have any loyalty to companies that fire them and if there is really anything that money can’t buy.

This week we discuss 2023’s, The Kill Room, staring Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and Joe Manganiello. We break down the basics of supply and demand in the art world, the bigger fool theory, who gets to define what is art, which kind of criminal you would not want to sit next to on a plane, Sam Jackson’s last, best role, and how long the main characters live after the movie ends.

This week we discuss the 2007 Best Picture winner, No Country for Old Men, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem.  We share our thoughts on the institution of the Academy Awards, the foreshadowing of the main characters' names, and the underlying themes of change, purpose, destiny, and death in the film.  We also discuss what the changing times mean for old men (like us), what we would do with found money and whether evil is winning.

This week we discuss the film, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, starring Matt Czuchry, Jesse Bradford, and Geoff Stults. We compare it to the first Hangover movie, share our thoughts about bachelor parties and strip club etiquette. Then we break down the character arcs and share what this movie has to do with the Greek myth of Narcissus and try to determine if Mr. Will is, in fact, a ghostwriter for this film.

This week we discuss the prescient film, Minority Report starring Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell. We discuss the religious undertones of the film, the question of choice vs predetermination, how this movie is the blueprint for some of the technology we see today, how corporations have probably already collected enough information to predict your every move, our favorite examples of time-travel in movies, and the need to prepare for the inevitable robot takeover…just playing…maybe.

We close out our Black History month movie tribute with Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett. We discuss the history of the movie, the necessity of research beyond the film, question what 2024 would look like if Malcolm had lived, discuss our favorite scenes and share the eulogy so eloquently delivered by Ossie Davis.

This week, we discuss the movie, Bamboozled, starring Damon Wayans, Tommy Davidson, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Mos Def. We discuss the depth of talent of comedians, the financial gains and soul killing pitfalls of selling out, what is Blackness, how the best laid plans can go off the rails, our favorite Spike Lee movies, and whether this movie foreshadows the end of the Chappelle Show.

This week, we discuss the foundational film, Hollywood Shuffle, staring and directed by Robert Townsend. We do a deep dive into the career of Townsend and how he is responsible for writing, directing, and producing many of our favorite films, shows, and specials. We then explore the messages of the movie around the presentation of Black people in film, discuss the value of shame in modern society, whether this movie should be remade with a social media focus, and how movies like Bamboozled and American Fiction are influenced by it.

We’re kicking off season three with a review of Marvel’s Black Panther starring the late, great Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, and Lupita Nyong’o. We discuss the career and impact of Chadwick Boseman, the culture phenomenon of this movie’s release, ponder why Agent Ross couldn’t be a Shield Agent, whether Wakanda would have really risked their country’s leadership on a fist fight, and why this might be the best Black movie of all time.

This week, we breakdown the romantic comedy, Serendipity starring John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, and Kate Beckinsale. We discuss the career of John Cusack, the Underworld movies, how romance works in the age of social media, how the writing of this movie makes heroes out of villains, and what happens to the characters in this movie within a year.

This week we close out 2023 with the movie, New Year’s Eve which features and ensemble cast including Robert Dinero, Halle Berry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashton Kutcher, and Jon Bon Jovi. We discuss the different types of love in this movie, whether you can come back from running out on an engagement, what city has the best bagels and pizza, what is the difference between manipulation and romance and why so many rappers play cops in shows and movies.

This week’s show is a review of the movie biz and the pod in 2023. Yep, we know that everyone is doing this kind of show, but this is a first for Sticky Floors. We cover a bunch of movies while answering 12 questions and give our selections for best movie, best actor, best actress, and movie we are looking forward to in 2024.

This week we continue the Christmas theme and break down the holiday comedy classic, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. We discuss whether or not people behave better during this time of the year, how Clark Griswold is the template for Homer Simpson, holiday traditions and rituals, questions we have about how far a Christmas bonus really goes and reminisce about how different the world was in the 1980s.

This week we discuss the Christmas classic, Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and Reginald VelJohnson. We discuss the early career of Bruce Willis, the riskiness of office Christmas parties, how Die Hard could actually be seen as a comedy, whether office furniture can withstand high powered assault rifle fire and whether this movie is a prequel to The Last Boy Scout and Family Matters.

In this week’s episode we review They Cloned Tyrone starring John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, and Teyonah Parris. We discuss various conspiracy theories, why Kiefer Sutherland is so believable in this film, how Star Wars and Marvel movies may be underutilizing their talent, the run on Popeye’s Chicken sandwiches, and put our Black cards on the line in rapid fire questions.

In this week’s episode we review the movie, State of Play, starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Rachel McAdams. We discuss Ben Affleck as the quintessential wall-street guy or goon in movies, the ensemble cast and great features in this movie, whether or not men revenge cheat, who decides what is important for the public to know, and how real is your truth.

In this week’s show, we break down the graphic novel turned movie, V for Vendetta starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. We discuss the comic book origins of the film, the zeitgeist of 2005 and how the Bush administration, Hurricane Katrina, and the Homeland Security Advisory System. Then we discuss real-life inspirations for the film, the film’s commentary on power and freedom and whether this would be considered a woke movie if it came out in 2023.

In this week's show, the Blerd gloves are off as we break down the MCU movie, The Marvels staring Brie Larson, Teyhonah Parris, and Iman Vellani. We discuss the foreshadowing to future movies, the legacy of Captain Marvel in film and comic books, and who is the audience for this movie. Then we go deep into the MCU phases 4 and 5, rate our favorite movies since Endgame and offer three recommendations to get the MCU back on track.

In this week’s show, we break down the political drama, The Ides of March which stars Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymore Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Marisa Tomei, and George Clooney. Topics include, the influence of HBO projects Primary Colors and As Ohio Goes, the deals politicians cut for votes, whether text messages could have changed the outcome of this movie, the parallels between this movie and the Star Wars franchise, and how you move from being the lil homie to the Big homie.

In the first episode of season 2, Sticky Floors welcomes back Will and breaks down the movie, Lucky Number Slevin. Topics include the careers of Josh Hartnett and Keanu Reeves, Will’s love of gangster movies with disjointed timelines, whether ataraxia is something you can catch, how good cat is the MVP of the movie, why it’s easier to be honest with perfect strangers and CJ’s general disdain for romance in movies.

In this week’s episode, CJ breaks down the movie, Ex-Machina. He discusses the hierarchical dynamics in the film, the acting of Oscar Isaac, an important lesson from the 48 Laws of Power, the dangers of isolation, and the inevitable end of the world courtesy of AI.