Critically Important

Summer Blockbuster March Madness: Jaws or E.T.? Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark? Inception or Mad Max: Fury Road? In the style of a March Madness-style bracket, Jason, Mallory Espo pit some of the greatest summer blockbusters ever against each other until they determine a consensus pick for the greatest summer blockbuster of all time. Which movie will emerge as the victor? Listen to find out!The 94th Academy Awards: The gang also discuss this year's Academy Awards, their thoughts on this year's nominees, and who they'd like to see win (also this was recorded last weekend, so there will be no discourse regarding "The Slap." Apologies in advance.

We're back! Yes, we know it's been awhile, but life got in the way for all of us for a bit. But now that things have settled down, we sit down to discuss the latest news in Hollywood, some of the latest shows and movies we've watched that we want to rave about, and play a fun game of "One Gotta Go"!

Going to the Movies Post-COVID: Espo, being the first of the three of us brave enough to return to the cinema post-COVID vaccine, reports of what it was like to go back to the theater for the first time in 15 months, how the experience changed as CDC guidelines were updated and mask mandates were lifted, if he felt safe, and what it felt like to see a film on the big screen after all this time (and if the movies he saw were worth seeing in a theater as opposed to at home).Movie Movie Game: The gang takes time to test their knowledge of movie plots, and their ability to put two film titles together, with a rousing game of Movie Movie Game! And after what appeared to be a runaway victory at the start, it actually ends up going down to the wire at the very end. Who walks away with the win? Listen to find out!Note: if this game sounds like a good time to you, you can pre-order your very own copy of this game (which was created by Joe Bereta of The Valleyfolk) by clicking on the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thevalleyfolk/movie-movie-game-0

THE GREAT SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER TOURNAMENT: To celebrate the (hopeful) arrival of summer movie season (unless COVID decides to wreak havoc on us with a third wave), and the box office success (by pandemic standards) of Godzilla vs. Kong, Jason and Espo are joined by Elise Hernke of Inglorious Baguettes for a tournament like no other. Each have drafted a team of four summer blockbusters, and along with an auto-drafted fourth team, will go head to head for your votes to determine which team will reign supreme. To vote, head over to our Twitter (@CIMoviePodcast) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CriticallyImportantPodcast/) and choose your champion now (well, after you listen to the episode, anyway)!Also be sure to visit the Inglorious Baguette socials!Website: https://ingloriousbaguettes.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingloriousbaguettes/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Inglorious-Baguettes-114397486591520/Twitter: @morebaguettes

The Second Annual Critically Important Awards: The year 2020 was a chaotic, uncertain, frustrating and at times downright depressing one for both the movie industry and life, in general. However, despite the apocalyptic feel that last year often had, it still offered plenty of films and performances for us to enjoy, appreciate and admire. And with our second annual Critically Important Awards, we (and our voters) take the time to recognize the absolute best in film that 2020 had to offer. Did your favorites manage to snag a golden Critic this year? Listen now and find out! Oh, and you also don't want to miss who the gang chose to induct into their Critically Important Hall of Fame this year!

The State of the Movie Industry, Continued: As COVID begins to mutate into new variations and infect people across the globe, the number of cases continue to rise, and studios have continued to postpone their biggest blockbusters as a result, the gang debate what this means for theaters, as well as what their breaking point could possibly be.What We're Watching: As Jason, Mallory and Espo continue to stay at home due to the pandemic, they talk about the movies, shows and videos they've been watching during the first month of 2021, from underwhelming Hollywood films and streaming fare to British comedy panel shows.Critical Court: In the latest edition of Critical Court, Jason and Espo get into a (very) heated and (very) lengthy debate as to who should be called a "king" or "queen" when it comes to the film industry. Or in this particular case, is Michael Bay worthy of being called "king" if one enjoys his work? Or should a higher standard of quality be put on people who are labelled as such? 

Movie Studios and Their Upcoming Film Slates - Now What?: With Warner Bros. announcing that their entire slate of planned 2021 movies will be released day-to-date in both theaters and on HBO Max, and Disney making a slew of content announcements (both film and Disney+ related), Jason, Mallory and Espo discuss if these studios made the right move, and what they mean for the future of movies, movie theaters, and the film industry.Critically Important Game Night!: The gang decides to have their own game night! Thanks to a copy of Cinephiles: A Card Game, they play various games that test their knowledge of movies, films and actors. Who comes out on top? Listen to find out!The Ultimate Christmas Gift: With Christmas right around the corner, Jason, Mallory and Espo describe what movie-themed gift they'd like to find under their Christmas tree this year.

The State of the Movie Industry: As we hit yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we discuss how both movie studios and movie theaters can (hopefully) rebound from prolonged postponements and closings, and what it should do about upcoming blockbusters like Wonder Woman 1984.Things We're Thankful For: 2020 may have been a horrible year for almost everyone, but Jason, Mallory and Espo still found some things that we were thankful for during this crazy, tumultuous time.Critical Court: We're excited to launch a brand new segment  in this month's podcast: Critical Court! In this edition, Mallory makes her case that Matthew McConaughey is an incredibly overrated actor. Espo, in response, makes the case that not only isn't he overrated, but that he's BETTER than Adam Driver! How will Judge Jason rule? Listen and find out!

Tenet  vs. Mulan: Well That Was Anti-Climactic: So after discussing last episode which studio's release strategy would fare better, it appears that the results for both were incredibly underwhelming, to say the least. With this leading to other major tent-pole movies being delayed even further (in most cases to 2021) and theater chains deciding to close back up again due to lack of films to show, we discuss what this means for the movie industry and we think theaters can survive into the new year.Group Consensus - Halloween Movies Edition: After several Group Consensus lists have left us feeling like we've failed as movie fans and podcast hosts, we've attempt to compile yet another list to determine what we think the top 5 Halloween movies of all-time are. From Ghostbusters and Hocus Pocus to The Shining and The Nightmare Before Christmas (again), find out what classic films made the cut (as well as listen to our debate as to what we think makes for a perfect Halloween movie).

R.I.P. To a King: Jason, Mallory and Espo pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, whose passing was first reported the evening before this episode was recorded. They discuss the legacy that he leaves behind, the battle he was facing as he was making some of his biggest and greatest films, and their personal favorite roles from throughout his career.Tenet vs. Mulan: Who Will Come Out on Top?: Two blockbuster movies are finally being released in the U.S. over the next two weeks, and they're taking on two very different approaches: while Tenet will only be released in theaters come Hell or high water, Disney has decided to release Mulan to Disney+ as a premium purchase. The gang discuss these strategies, if they think either of them (or both) will be successful, and if they're finally ready to see a film on the big screen (or not).Favorite Book to Film Adaptations: Debating book to film adaptations has always been a popular discussion among film fans. So to wrap up this episode, the gang discuss some of their favorite adaptations of books and graphic novels that have been released, as well as what they feel makes any book adaptation work.

R.I.P. Summer Movie Season 2020: Jason, Mallory and Espo discuss the latest movie postponements that were announced the day before this episode was recorded, and reflect on what a lack of a summer movie season this year could mean for movie theaters and the movie industry.Pulling Episodes from Streaming - Yes or No?: In light of recent events that have occurred throughout the world regarding BLM, tough conversations are being had, and studios and shows are figuring out the best way to respond. Some shows (and the producers and actors behind them) have recently decided to pull episodes from streaming services that feature blackface, while HBO Max decided to pull Gone With the Wind from their service until a new intro could be recorded that would add historical context to the film. With this in mind, the gang debate what they think of studios pulling these episodes, and if they feel adding disclaimers to the beginning of these programs is a better alternative.What We're Watching: The gang briefly discuss what shows and movies they've been watching while they're all trying to stay at home to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in what is currently a national hot spot.Group Consensus - Movie Musicals: In what surely has to be one of the most heated editions of this segment yet, the gang tries to come up with a group consensus as to what their top 5 movie musicals are...and nearly destroy their collective friendship in the process. In the end, they come up with a list that they're...proud of?

Going Back to the Movies? - Most of the major movie theater chains, including AMC, Regal and Cinemark, are planning to open back up for business in mid-July, just in time for Mulan and Tenet to hit big screens all across the country by the end of the month. And until AMC got absolutely incinerated on social media over their original planned mask policy, most are making wearing masks mandatory. But is that enough to get us to go to the show come next month? And do we think the public in general are ready? And if not, what will studios do with their released movies and planned releases if people don't show up?Problematic Actors and Filmakers: When Do You Stop Watching? - With the news of allegations regarding Ansel Elgort breaking the day before the podcast, we discuss problematic actors and filmmakers, and how allegations affect how we watch past and future movies that are made by and star them.Our Favorite Movies by Black Filmmakers and Actors - The gang discuss their favorite movies created  by and starring black filmmakers, from Spike Lee's filmography and "Friday" to Denzel Washington's many classics and last year's "The Last Black Man in San Francisco."

AMC vs. Universal and the Future of VOD: With the current war of words raging between Universal and AMC (and Regal) over the future of VOD releases and how they can potentially affect the future of movie-going, the gang discusses the viability of releasing new movies on VOD (both temporary and long-term), if releasing more movies online will hurt theaters long-term, and just how many people will be willing to go back to theaters once they begin to open back up.Potential Castings ...True or False: If you're a movie nerd, you've certainly read about actors that have been considered roles, offered roles, rejected roles, or auditioned for them. With the news that Leonardo DiCaprio was almost cast as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Jason reads other potential casting choices to the rest of the gang to guess if it's factual or just a bunch of BS.Group Consensus - Superhero Movies: In yet another round of Group Consensus, the gang tries to come up with the definitive list of top 5 superhero movies of all-time. And let's just say, in the spirit of the AMC vs. Universal battle, it got a little heated...especially when a few unexpected choices made the cut.

Tiger King Dream Cast: Since we wouldn't be doing our duty as a podcast if we didn't discuss the most talked about pop culture phenomenon of 2020, Jason, Mallory, Espo and guest co-host Elise Hernke debate who they'd like to see cast in various roles if Hollywood decides to make a feature film adaptation of Tiger King. Would Michael Keaton or David Spade make a better Joe Exotic? Who can can capture the batshit-crazy insanity of Carole Baskins? And who do we think are shoe-ins for such roles as TV producer Rick Kirkham and campaign manager Joshua Dial? More or Less - The Cost of Movies: Espo walks us through an internet game he found where Jason, Mallory and Elise have to decide, between two movies, which cost more to make. You'll be surprised to hear some of the budgets that some of these classic films did (and didn't) have!2020 Oscars: The gang briefly discuss who they think would deserve Oscar nominations if no further movies were to come out this year. The convo then veers off into what their first post-quarantine restaurant meal will be, as well as the sharing of various celebrity meeting and sighting stories that they have, both good and horrendously awkward.

The Fast Three: To start off the episode, we get to know Ryan by asking him a few rapid fire movie questions.Where Do We Go Now?: During this great time of uncertainty in the movie industry, we discuss what we think will happen to some of the releases that were postponed due to the Coronavirus; if VOD could possibly become the future of movie-going; if we can say "bye-bye" to theatrical windows as we know them; debate how movie theaters will recover in a post COVID-19 world; and discuss which movies should still head to theaters and which would be better off heading to streaming services.Quarantine Recommendations: Jason, Mallory, Espo and Ryan each say what they've been watching during this period of self-distancing, as well as recommend movies and shows that you can watch if you're desperately in need of something to entertain you in this time of isolation.

10 Movies to Know Me: Since this was going viral in the week leading up to this podcast recording, Jason, Mallory and Espo created their own 10 Movies to Know Me lists with films that define them and/or reveal more about who they are.Group Consensus - Romantic Comedies:  Before co-hosting Critically Important, Mallory was a co-creator and co-host of a romantic comedy podcast. So in a nod to her roots, the gang decided to attempt another group consensus list of the top 5 romantic comedies of all-time. How challenging was it? Listen and find out!2020 Movie Preview: 2020 has been slow out of the gate so far, film wise, but the gang is optimistic that this will still be a quality year for movies after breaking down and discussing some of the most anticipating films of 2020.

We weren't content on doing a simple "best of 2019" lists for an end of the year episode. So we're officially proud to announce the launch of the 1st Annual (or hopefully annual, we should say) Critically Important Awards! We sent out ballots to our movie-loving friends and writers that we know (as well as filled out ballots ourselves) and asked them to nominate actors, directors, screenplays and pictures in seven different categories. Once all of the ballots were in, we tabulated the votes and are officially announcing the winners in this episode. Who will take home a coveted Critic™ this year? Listen now to find out!We also discussed some of the trends and highlights that we noticed were happening during 2019, including a wonderful year for women filmmakers, plenty of dad movies being released, a rejection from the movie-going public of most of the year's reboots, and how Netflix and A24 both managed to have banner years.

The Master. Marriage Story. Interstellar. Paddington 2. These are some of the movies that Jason, Mallory, Espo, and The Bucket Up Podcast's Ty Doyle claim are the best of the decade. But who put what on their list? And where do these (and other movies) rank? Listen to this week's episode and find out!Also, on top of the decade's best movies, Mallory, Espo and Ty read off their top 10 favorite TV shows of the 2010s, as well.**Jason recused himself because the only show he's been able to watch consistently this past decade is The Mandolorian. #BabyYoda4Life

The Streaming Wars: With the launch of Disney+ happening since the last episode, we discuss its launch, what we've watched since its debut (and what we hope to watch), and fawn collectively over The Mandalorian. We also discuss how the many streaming service launches that are scheduled over the next 6-8 months will affect the entertainment industry and popular culture, as well as how people will consume movies and TV shows moving forward.What We're Thankful For: There's no way we wouldn't have a pre-Thanksgiving episode and NOT talk about what we're thankful for. From our favorite actors to much-deserved comebacks to movie studios that are just KILLING it, we list off all of the things that make us love going to the movies, particularly in as strong of a year as 2019.The 12 Movies of Christmas: A holiday spin on last episode's "Group Consensus" segment, we each throw some of our favorite Christmas movies into the ring and then, collectively, narrow it down to 12 of our top favorites. We then debate on how they should be ranked, with 1 being the least favorite of the bunch and 12 being the most (because, like the song, you want to have more of the things you love). And trust us, it wasn't easy (in fact it was downright painful at times). And then to further induce pain, Espo sings them to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas song. Because YOLO.

Intro: The podcast begins with a recap of movies that the crew have seen over the past month. In particular, you'll see that Jason and Espo have completely different (and incredibly passionate) opinions on the quality of the eagerly anticipated Joker movie. Careers in Need of a Renaissance: It's all the rage to say that an actor is experiencing a renaissance. From Matthew Mcconaughey in 2013 to Renée Zellweger and Eddie Murphy this year, people love to see a comeback. So we discuss which actors and directors think truly deserve a renaissance of their own.Group Consensus - '90s Soundtracks: When it comes to movie soundtracks, it seems as if the '90s was a golden age for both their quality as well as their popularity. With that in mind, Jason, Mallory and Espo discuss their favorite soundtracks of the decade, with the end goal of coming up with a top 5 list that they can all agree on. And some of their choices are, shall we say, interesting, to say the list.Who Said It - Siskel and Ebert: It can be a blast to read old reviews from decades prior to see if they stand the test of time. With this in mind, and inspired by Jason's recent YouTube wormholes of old Siskel and Ebert shows, he reads quotes from both Siskel and Ebert with the goal of having Espo and Mallory guess which review belongs to which legendary critic. And let's just say that their opinions on such movies as Apocalypse Now, Boogie Nights, Taxi Driver, The Silence of the Lambs and Die Hard are clearly in the minority.

Emotionally Unstable Movies: in our first segment, we talk about movies that gave us a powerful, visceral reaction. Whether they made us laugh, cry, or go into a fit of rage, they absolutely left their mark. For Espo, Silence  invoked a crisis of faith; for Jason, Deep Blue Sea gave him one Hell of a sleepless night; and for Mallory, Bicentennial Man left her a sobbing mess for literal hours.Fall Movie Festival Recap: This year's slate of fall festival movies was absolutely STACKED, and almost all of them managed to live up to people's (sometimes unjustifiably high) expectations. The gang recap these films and discuss their reactions, as well as the potentially blowback Joker may be getting before it's even released wide, and the fact that Jason feels that movie theater chains need to get over their issues with Netflix already.Interrogation: Jason and Mallory FINALLY managed to sift through all 1 million of Espo's movie ratings in Letterboxd (OK, that's an exaggeration, but just a slight one) and came up with a handful of ones that they were suspect about. Among the discussions are if The Blair Witch Project really lived up to the hype it received at the time; if there's really that much of a difference between Rocko's Modern Life and Invader Zim; and why anyone who grew up in the '90s would even dare disrespect The Sandlot. Also, if you want to see their latest reviews and ratings, check out their Letterboxd pages:Jason: https://letterboxd.com/shoffatthemovie/Mallory: https://letterboxd.com/malsie/Espo: https://letterboxd.com/aesposito426/

Intro: The Critically Important crew are joined by the podcast's first guest host, Ty Doyle of The Bucket Up Podcast (http://hyperurl.co/BucketUp). Unfortunately, Mallory was not able to participate in this episode due to a horrible migraine (which are NEVER fun and are ALWAYS the worst), so Ty filled in in her stead. before launching into their planned segments, they discuss the fifth anniversary of Robin Williams' death, the movie choices of one Magic Johnson (spoiler: he's a Green Book fan), and review the last of their Rotten Tomatoes picks from Episode 1 (another spoiler: Jason didn't do so good). Great Expectations: With fall and winter movie season fast approaching, it's time for another segment where Jason, Espo and Ty discuss the latest movie trailers and whether they exceeded, met or fell below their expectations. Trailers discussed in-depth include Greta Gerwig's Little Women, the $200 million dollar "dad movie" The Irishman, the Bonnie and Clyde meets Get Out drama Queen + Slim, the perfect casting of Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Last Christmas (which we hope Emma Thompson will elevate above the standard Christmas movie fare). Fantasy Movie Draft: It's also fantasy football time for sports fans, and since Ty runs a few fantasy leagues of his own (one of which, for full transparency, Jason is a part of), we decided to put our own movie spin on fantasy sports with our very own "fantasy movie draft." We each drafted our dream movie team in a snake draft-style format. Essentially, we each drafted our ideal movie cast if we could make a movie today with an unlimited budget. The "positions" we drafted for include one director; two lead actors; three supporting actors; a "flex" spot (someone who can play either a lead or supporting spot); a "comic relief" actor; two cameo appearences; and two "bench" actors (you know, in case the dreaded "contract dispute" rears its ugly head and an actor drops out). Listen to the podcast to see who we picked; then on Monday, we want YOU to vote for who your favorite team is!

Co-Host Hot Takes: After last week's episode where listeners bared their souls with their hot takes, Jason, Mallory and Espo share some of their own personal hot takes, including a love for the '80s cult classic Earth Girls Are Easy, an opinion that Tropic Thunder couldn't be made in 2019, and a firm belief that Speed Racer is the best movie of all-time (we'll let you guess who loved it enough to make this website: http://bit.ly/sr-best). Problematic Movies: Yes, Jason, Mallory and Espo have movies that they know have obvious problems, but they absolutely love them anyway. So you'll hear the co-hosts discuss the filmographies (and personalities) of Woody Allen and Mel Gibson, the now apparent creepiness of Sixteen Candles, and have one defend the merits of Forrest Gump depsite its growing backlash. Wars Involving Stars^: Jason and Espo have a philosophical difference when it comes to rating movie. Espo does not use half star ratings because he feels it's being too nit-picky, whie Jason does because he feels the half-star system makes for a perfect 1-10 rating scale. However, this means Jason has been historically stingy when it comes to giving movies the perfect 5 star score. So Espo and Mallory try to convince him to give some of his four and a half star movies that extra half star, from Whiplash and Toy Story 4 to Heat, Dunkirk and Schindler's List. And as always, if you want to see their latest reviews and ratings (and which movie Jason actually gave that bump to), check out their Letterboxd pages: Jason: https://letterboxd.com/shoffatthemovie/ Mallory: https://letterboxd.com/malsie/ Espo: https://letterboxd.com/aesposito426/ ^not titled "Star Wars" because we don't want to get sued by the Disney overlords

Hot Takes: The Critically Important podcast team put out the call for movie-related hot takes, and boy did our listeners deliver! Jason, Mallory and Espo debate sift through them all and decided which takes truly are scorching hot, which ones make them physically ill in disgust, and which ones they feel deserve the (mostly functioning) loser's horn audio effect. Fresh or Rotten: The gang then picked s a handful of this summer's most anticipated blockbuster films and debate which ones they feel will be fresh, and which ones will be as rotten as the majority of them have been so far (spoiler: it's not looking good). Interrogation: It's Mallory's turn to get grilled as Jason and Espo question a few of her movie ratings, specifically when it comes to everyone's favorite "so bad it's awesome" film. Also, if you want to see their latest reviews and ratings, check out their Letterboxd pages: Jason: https://letterboxd.com/shoffatthemovie/ Mallory: https://letterboxd.com/malsie/ Espo: https://letterboxd.com/aesposito426/ Final Thoughts: What was supposed to be a quick 5 minute segment after an hour long podcast turned into an almost 20 minute debate on whether The Beach Bum is a good movie or not. If you feel like the McConaughssance is still with us, then this will be your segment!

Great Expectations: The crew discuss recently released trailers and whether or not they managed to raise or lower their expectations for such movies as "Joker," "Always Be My Maybe," and "Sonic the Hedgehog with the Horrible Teeth and Overly Muscular Legs." Interrogation: Mallory and Espo look through the movies that Jason has rated in the Letterboxd app (https://letterboxd.com/) and grill him on some of his more questionable choices (specifically: they DO NOT agree with him when it comes to Les Mis). Jason: https://letterboxd.com/shoffatthemovie/ Mallory: https://letterboxd.com/malsie/ Espo: https://letterboxd.com/aesposito426/ Superhero Movie Performances: Inspired by the news that everyone's favorite sparkling vampire may be our next Caped Crusader, the crew discuss their favorite performances in superhero movies (spoiler: none of them are from Howard the Duck).