A movie review podcast, where we talk about every genre from blockbusters to indie dramas!
Avatar: The Way of Water cracks two billion (!) dollars at the box office - must be culturally relevant in some way, right? Sho brings on Mark Gougeon to discuss that very idea and to review both the return to Pandora, and a return to the (beautifully animated) world of Puss in Boots. Plus, some quick Oscar nomination predictions ahead of the official announcement!
Sho is back (again)! With the awards season beginning to get underway, he gets to some movies seen at TIFF in September, including Martin McDonagh's Banshees of Inisherin, Darren Aronofsky's The Whale - which includes a terrific turn from Brendan Fraser - and Rian Johnson's next installment in the Knives Out series, Glass Onion.
The season finale of Kenobi is out, which means the finale of Sho's Kenobicasts! He gets into the Vader vs. Kenobi fight, and what it means to bridge the prequel trilogy to the original trilogy like this. He discusses the ending to Reva's storyline, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, and a cameo at the end of the show - a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
As the penultimate episode of Kenobi airs, Sho takes a look back at what people are generally looking for out of Star Wars these days, whether it's via TV or movies. In the episode itself, Sho discusses some potential setups for some old EU content - could we get a callback to 2005's graphic novel Star Wars: Visionaries? Plus, was anyone else reminded of The Force Unleashed towards the end?
More Kenobi reaction! Sho gets into the overall reception to the series to-date, and takes a look at some of the wackier scenes from this past episode (including a few action sequences). Plus, some connections to Jedi: Fallen Order!
More Kenobi reaction! Sho discusses the callback to a certain Kiffar Jedi Master, gets more into Reva (and Moses Malone herself), and breaks down what we see and hear from the Dark Lord of the Sith.
With the release of Kenobi - the latest Disney+ entry into the much beloved galaxy far, far away - Sho dives into his love for the franchise and examines the first two episodes. He discusses the work by Deborah Chow, the acting from Ewan McGregor, and gets into some of the creative choices - including one involving the Grand Inquisitor.
Sho is back with a new episode as the summer season begins, and with it comes reviews of the two biggest superhero films of the 2022 - so far, at least! He gets into latest reimagining of The Caped Crusader with The Batman (8:00), and discusses the latest Marvel fare with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (24:52).
Sho is back, and ahead of the Academy Awards - the Oscars - later that evening, he breaks down his picks for the biggest gold statues in Hollywood! Sho gets into a few snubs, and discusses the lack of true upsets at this year's ceremony. Plus, a preview of what's to come later as blockbuster season gets started in April!
Sho rings in 2022 with the help of his old pal Josh Goldberg, as the two take a look at all things Marvel/Disney! They get into the newest Disney+ shows (not strictly movies, but still, we'll say movie-adjacent), and also break down the busy year that was, which included four MCU additions. They also discuss what's to come, including Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness later this year, and what could be on the horizon when it comes to a certain First Family and everyone's favourite group of mutants...
Sho wraps up 2021 with reviews of two massive releases! He gets into Marvel's ambitious, nostalgia-wrapped Spider-Man: No Way Home (3:00), and takes a look at the return of Neo in Lana Wachowski's The Matrix Resurrections (27:50). Happy New Year!
2021 is almost in the bag - wild, right? Sho catches up on a few months worth of major releases, including the much-anticipated Denis Villeneuve sci-fi epic Dune (18:50), and Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond with No Time To Die (28:30). Afterwards, he gets to Pixar's latest offering with Encanto (38:10) and the most recent entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Eternals (49:55). Plus, some rapid-fire, bite-sized reviews to start off with Red Notice, Free Guy, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (5:10).
Sho goes back to take a look at the movies he saw at the 2021 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, for short)! He kicks things off with Kenneth Branagh's very personal 'Belfast' (5:30), and then takes a look at the Canadian portrait of the Toronto suburb of 'Scarborough' (13:20). Afterwards, he examines Edgar Wright's latest film with 'Last Night in Soho' (25:20) and the film adaptation of the Broadway play 'The Humans' (33:54). Plus, a rapid-fire round of reviews for 'France', 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain', and 'The Guilty' (43:31)!
The newly-married Sho gets caught up on some in-studio movies, including the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (5:04), Lisa Joy's directorial debut, Reminiscence (21:00), and the James Gunn sequel offering The Suicide Squad (27:08).
Sho continues through the jampacked summer by tackling three very different movies, starting with Netflix's Gunpowder Milkshake (4:50), The Rock's latest adventure in Jungle Cruise (19:30), and Dev Patel's leap into Arthurian legend with The Green Knight (32:45).
Sho finally makes his way back inside a movie theatre (socially distanced, of course), popcorn and all! After a quick discussion about what going to the movies is really like now, he breaks down the LeBron James-led Space Jam: A New Legacy (6:27), the latest entry in the 'Fast Saga', Fast 9 (22:00), and the latest reboot of the GIJOE franchise, Snake Eyes (37:35).
A jam-packed July gets off to a three movie review start, as Sho takes a look at more streaming service offerings, including Amazon's The Tomorrow War (8:00), Disney's Black Widow (22:00), and HBO Max's No Sudden Move (39:00).
With the summer season finally upon us, Sho kicks things off by giving a few TV recommendations (wait, this is a ~movie~ podcast, right?), and also discusses the latest trailer for Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings (including that incredible music)! Afterwards, Sho gets right into the reviews for Jon M .Chu's big budget musical In The Heights (7:33), and Pixar's latest offering in Luca (20:27).
What does a non-DC Zack Snyder movie look like these days? Does Jason Statham still have action star bonafides? Does Cruella live up to her 101 Dalmatians infamy? Sho tackles all these questions and more (plus a bonus chat about 1997's Drive off the top) in reviews for Snyder's Army of the Dead (8:06), Guy Ritchie's Wrath of Man (25:04), and Disney's latest offering Cruella (36:57).
Sho kicks off the latest episode with some memories about crowd pleasing moments, spurred by a recent rewatch of Marvel's The Avengers (8:00). Afterwards, Sho reviews the indie martial arts action-comedy The Paper Tigers (11:59), and the latest from Sony Animation, The Mitchells vs. The Machines (20:39).
With blockbuster season about to kick off (we hope!), it's time to dive right into the latest action flicks! Sho kicks things off by looking at Bob Odenkirk's first foray into 'old man action' in Nobody (4:43), the latest big-budget adaptation of Mortal Kombat (16:49), and another entry into Tom Clancy's 'Ryanverse', Without Remorse (31:06).
It's been a weird year, which means it's only fitting that the 93rd Academy Awards - i.e. the Oscars 2021 - were weird as well! Sho touches on the unique ceremony, including what worked (intimate setting) and what didn't (no clips for acting nominees?). Plus, a discussion on why putting Best Picture as the final award of the evening is a must, and why getting away from that ultimately ended in chaos.
The annual prediction episode is back! Sho is joined by Quinton Amundson to break down the frontrunners and potential upsets in each category. Afterwards, they wrap with a spirited Best Picture debate on Nomadland and the attention it has garnered so far this awards season. The awards discussion is split up for your listening pleasure as seen below: 5:20 - Original Score, Original Song, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Animated Short, International Feature 20:34 - Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design 25:15 - Sound, Visual Effects, Editing, Animated Feature 34:56 - Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Director 43:50 - Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress 1:07:15 - Best Picture
With the Oscars less than a week away, Sho wraps up the reviews on the Best Picture nominees! We kick things off with Florian Zeller's debut feature The Father (1:57), Aaron Sorkin's historical courtroom drama Trial of the Chicago 7 (12:34), and Emerald Fennell's thriller Promising Young Woman (23:50).
We're catching up on the Best Picture nominees as we get into April! Sho tackles Riz Ahmed's career-best performance in Sound of Metal (3:18), David Fincher's latest in Mank (13:30), and the latest blockbuster to hit theatres/streaming services in Godzilla vs. Kong (25:10). Plus, some - probably entirely unnecessary - day-after musings on the alpha titans' grudge match (35:40)!
With the Oscar Nominations officially out ahead of next month's ceremony, Sho discusses some of the issues (snubs, namely) with the 2021 Nominations so far. Afterwards, he brings on friend and film buff James Mackin to further dissect the year's proceedings (13:59).
We go from one end of the movie spectrum to another in this episode, as Sho discusses Chloe Zhao's highly praised Nomadland (4:04) and Disney Animation's latest creation Raya and the Last Dragon (14:05). Finally, with the Snyder Cut upon us, Sho reviews the four-hour superhero epic, Zack Snyder's Justice League (23:50).
Sho actually lives up to his end of the bargain, and puts out a second episode before the end of February (shocker, I know)! He tackles five films, including the biographical drama Judas and the Black Messiah (3:10), Netflix's Malcolm & Marie (12:00), Amazon Prime's disaster flick Greenland (21:15), the space opera Space Sweepers (28:19), and Lee Isaac Chung's semi-autobiographical Minari (35:42).
The New Year is here, and with it comes a new episode (it's February, I know)! Sho kicks things off by going over some great new TV shows that have been keeping his attention (hello, HBO/Cinemax's Warrior), and also discusses the long career of Christopher Plummer, who passed away at the age of 91 (12:35). Afterwards, Sho gets into DC's Wonder Woman 1984 (16:25), Disney/Pixar's latest in Soul (28:18), and Chadwick Boseman's last film role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (37:08).
With the news coming out of the Disney Investor's Call regarding the House of Mouse's plans for Star Wars and Disney, Sho breaks down some of the announcements (3:07), including how it all ties together across the various cinematic universes. Afterwards, some incendiary comments from directors Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve towards the 2021 HBO Max streaming decision are in the news, and Sho discusses the latest from Warner Bros., and how it affects the film industry going forward (27:45).
We're (almost) into November, so Sho looks back and tackles three streaming movies (despite their limited theatre engagement, certainly) - Sofia Coppola's first outing for Apple in On The Rocks (27:35), and two Netflix offerings, Enola Holmes (10:14) and The Devil All The Time (17:44). Sean Connery, the legend behind James Bond (among many, many roles), also passed away at age 90, so Sho looks back on some of his favourite Connery roles as well (1:30).
Sho tackles two of the most recently released blockbusters, Disney's Premium VOD outing of Mulan (6:25) and Christopher Nolan's latest mind-bender Tenet (18:10), and also offers up a few thoughts on the passing of Chadwick Boseman. TIFF 2020 is in full swing, and Sho also took in some digital screenings of Mads Mikkelsen's Another Round (27:56), Idris Elba's Concrete Cowboy (35:10), and Regina King's directorial debut, One Night in Miami (43:56).
We're still quarantining - kind of - so Sho takes a look back at four new VOD releases in the month of July, including Netflix's The Old Guard (14:50), Kelsey Grammer's B-movie Money Plane (25:41), A24's First Cow (34:04), and Hulu's Palm Springs (43:18). Sho ends things by wrapping up the Best Drama Ever bracket, which culminated in a championship with for The Godfather!
With movie theatres still closed and new movies at a premium, Sho dives into three new releases over the past several weeks, including Spike Lee's latest Da 5 Bloods (13:35), Kenneth Branagh's Artemis Fowl (28:40), and Judd Apatow's King of Staten Island (38:30). Sho also turns back the clock to take a look at Kristen Stewart's thriller Underwater (50:50), and gives an update on the #BestDramaEver Bracket (2:08).
With no movies in sight, Sho busts out the March Madness bracket (in April, of course) to crown the Best Drama Ever! 64 seeds, four conferences, all decided by you, the listener! Sho breaks down how the bracket works, and which films have moved on already in the first ten days (3:47). Afterwards, he gets into AMC vs. NBC Universal's feud over exhibitor rights in the wake of Trolls: World Tour's VOD success (20:25), and some discussion on the recent changes to the Academy Awards (33:22).
Sho takes a look back before and after the Oscars to give some reviews of some of the more notable movies of 2020 thus far, including Guy Ritchie's latest The Gentlemen (5:13), Harley Quinn's adventure Birds of Prey (16:03), the video game adaptation Sonic The Hedgehog (27:45), and the latest action-packed outing for Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Bad Boys For Life (36:42).
Hard to believe, but the 92nd Academy Awards - i.e. Oscars 2020 - are in the books! Sho gets back into the studio for a midnight recording session and touches on the huge, groundbreaking wins by Parasite (2:10), chats Brad Pitt finally winning an Oscar for acting (18:02), and goes around the evening's most memorable moments.
It's time for the annual breakdown of the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars! Sho brings in familiar voice Quinton Amundson to break down the award races that have led to the biggest movie ceremony of the year. The awards discussion is split up for your listening pleasure as seen below: 2:20 -- Documentary, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Makeup/Hairstyling, Costume Design, Production Design 17:22 -- Best Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Visual Effects, Animated Feature, International Feature 38:03 -- Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay
Sho kicks off 2020 by sharing a shortened episode to react to yesterday's nominations to the 92nd Academy Awards, i.e. the Oscars!
It's the end of the Star Wars saga - and of 2019! Sho breaks down the last entry in the main series of Star Wars movies (2:23), including what he thought of a certain character's backstory being revealed. Afterwards, Sho chats with fellow podcasters and Star Wars lovers Mark Gougeon and Chris Morrison (21:08) to discuss TROS, the saga as a whole, some movie rankings, and what - if anything - is next for the franchise.
Sho kicks things off with a look at Netflix's model for streaming services compared with Disney+, and the difference between streaming movies and television (2:55). Afterwards, he dives into the year's best movies, including Scorsese's gangster epic The Irishman (15:08), James Mangold's car racing flick Ford v Ferrari (29:26), and Tom Hanks' latest in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (38:06).
We're back! On the latest episode, Sho breaks down some tidbits from the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (3:07), and then moves right into the reviews. Rob Wong, host at SN590 The FAN in Toronto and of the 'Wong-on-One Podcast', joins Sho in-studio to discuss Parasite (7:55), Bong Joon-ho's potential masterpiece, and the mayhem that unfolds on-screen in different ways. Afterwards, Sho breaks down the controversial-yet-profitable Joker (27:24), and also spends a few minutes on the recent release of Will Smith's latest action turn in Gemini Man (38:55).
It's a busy end to August, as there's some major Hollywood news right as awards season is kicking off! Sho breaks down the latest Sony-Disney squabble, which has culminated in a divorce that leaves Sony with full custody of Spider-Man (1:52), before bringing on frequent collaborator Quinton Amundson to break down both Tarantino's latest entry in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (9:53) and Lulu Wang's indie darling The Farewell (31:11).
Mi familia! Sho delves into the world of the Fast and the Furious franchise, with the latest offering, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (3:07). After the review, Sho takes Hobbs and Shaw and stacks it up against every other movie in the Fast/Furious canon, giving his rankings of the nine films released thus far.
Summer is drawing to a close, and as such, we're finally getting to the late July offerings. One such offering is the annual San Diego Comic-Con, and Sho summarizes the flurry of activity by Marvel Studios as they officially unveiled Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (3:24). Afterwards, Sho delves into the lone movie on the docket today, Disney's remake of The Lion King (19:26).
We're...past the Endgame, now? Sho brings on a familiar guest, friend and podcaster Mark Staniusz (Pod Drop) to answer some burning Spider-Man questions, including: where does this latest adventure rank among all Spidey films, how does Tom Holland stack up against Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, and how good is Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio.
It's a musical episode of 'It's Sho Time' (no, Sho does not sing himself), as we explore the latest silver screen takes on Elton John with Rocketman (2:40) and a 'what-if' look into the whimsical world of the Beatles with Yesterday (13:17).
On the latest episode of 'It's Sho Time', Sho spins up the recording equipment for a quick look into Pixar's latest offering with Toy Story 4 (4:16), and puts on the shades for Men in Black: International (16:04)
With blockbuster season at the mid-way point, Sho takes a look at a couple of trailers and movies alike. We start with some thoughts on the trailer for Frozen 2 (4:21) ahead of the fall release date, before sticking with Disney for their latest live-action adaptation, Aladdin (11:17). Afterwards, Sho takes a look at the King's latest adventure, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (23:51), and wraps things up with FOX's last X-Men entry, Dark Phoenix (34:02).
The summer is upon is, which means that it's time for blockbuster season! To start, Sho takes a look at the immediate reaction from the Cannes debut of Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2:00), which has dominated Twitter ahead of its July release. Afterwards, Sho reviews three summer releases, the romantic comedy Long Shot (10:38), the kid-friendly Detective Pikachu (23:04), and the continuing adventures of the Boogeyman, John Wick 3 (36:04).
It's officially the second biggest movie ever, crossing $2.2bill worldwide, and so we wrap up our coverage of Avengers: Endgame with a conversation with Sportsnet 590 The FAN host/producer Josh Goldberg (2:38). Together with Sho, they discuss the positives and negatives about Endgame, where it ranks all-time in Marvel's pantheon, and what's next for Marvel Studios.