Monthly Movies Weekly

Don't cry that it's over, smile that it happened. Brian and Mark give a toast to Monthly Movies Weekly for the finale and discuss some of their favorite moments, the podcast origins, and chat about movies they've watched recently.

Star Wars Month comes to a close with Rogue One and Solo, The Star Wars Stories! Brian and Mark discuss how humor plays a big role in these chapters, as well as the inner conflict of both the Rebellion and the Empire. And agree that droids K2-SO and L3-37 steal the show with their motion capture performances. Plus our final thoughts on Star Wars, and an important announcement.

Star Wars Month continues onto the final part of the Skywalker Saga with the Sequel Trilogy: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. Mark and Brian discuss the highs and lows of the trilogy, debate how it could've been improved, and talk about the retconning of several plot points. Tune in to hear their thoughts!

Punch it Chewie! Star Wars Month continues this week as we go back to the beginning with The Original Trilogy. Mark and Brian praise the music, effects and performances. And question some the changes made in the Special Editions. Plus, we pick our favorite ships and try to remember the names of all those bounty hunters. The Force will be with you, always!  

May the Fourth be with you all! A special May 4th episode rings in Star Wars Month. This week we cover the prequel trilogy. Mark and Brian lament the direction these movies take the franchise, discuss the cheesy line delivery and half baked characters, but compliment Amidala/Padme's fashion and the overall world building George Lucas manifests. Get ready to be taken to a galaxy far, far away!

Midde-Earth Month concludes with the Oscar sweeping epic, The Return of the King! Brian praises the opening scenes and can't stop singing the soundtrack. Mark deep-dived the special features for some behind the scenes stories. So hop on your horse (or warg) and prepare for the final battle! For Frodo. 

Middle Earth Month continues with the second part of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Mark and Brian discuss the slowness of this extended edition and the locations of all the characters after the breaking of the fellowship, but both Brian and Mark agree that the final battle sequence still holds up after all this time. Listen to hear the rest of their thoughts!

Middle-Earth month sets out from Rivendell with The Fellowship of the Ring! The one that started it all! Mark and Brian marvel at the mix of practical and digital effects, and realize that they know the characters so well even when there are so many. You won't be droppin' no eaves on this episode, so bring your walking stick cause we are headed for Mount Doom! Subscribe to never miss and episode!

Welcome to Middle Earth Month! This month, Mark and Brian are talking everything Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Up first is the first in the Hobbit Trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The boys talk about the shortcomings of the new trilogy, discuss the effects and overall length, and give compliments to Smaug and certain scenes including Mark's favorite, the Gollum cave scene. Get ready for an unexpected journey!

It's our final episode of Road Trip Month, and it's time to beat the face and do some drag. We're riding in the convertible for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Brian gives Mark some drag queen knowledge, they discuss the great jokes and heart of the film and give out final road trip awards!

Road Movies Month rolls on! This week it's the groundbreaking Ridley Scott film Thelma and Louise. Mark and Brian discuss how a murder would effect their friendship, whether the ending is effective or cut a little short, and wedding songs! Top off the tank and press play, then subscribe to never miss and episode.

Pile in the Volkswagen cause we are going to California this week with Little Miss Sunshine! Road Trip Month continues with everyone's favorite dysfunctional family heading to a child beauty pageant. Mark and Brian discuss the family's dynamic, each character's setback and redemption, and Brian muses on the toxic nature of child beauty pageants. 

Live, Laugh, Llewyn. Its a whole new month here on MMW! In honor of Brian's road trip and relocation to Ohio, we're doing Road Trip Movies and kicking it off with the Cohen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis. Brian and Mark discuss Llewyn's anti-hero qualities, the symbolism of the cat, and the folkiness of the film's music and cinematography.

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return! Brian and Mark finish off Musical Month with the smash 2001 musical, Moulin Rouge! The boys discuss director Baz Luhrmann's unique style, how the editing and cinematography hold up and affect the overall experience, and Brian properly geeks out on one of his favorite films of all time. Plus they give their final awards to some honorary musicals they didn't get to discuss!

Musicals Month jumps to the 80's with the Rock n' Roll/Doo Wop musical Little Shop of Horrors! Mark gets nostalgic for the music, and Brian is blown away by the practical effects. Which ending is better? And why is Bill Murray in this movie? Feed this episode to your brain to find out. Also, we discuss the Oscars and the surprise best picture winner!

The hills are alive...with Monthly Movies Weekly. Musicals month continues with The Sound of Music. Mark and Brian discuss the epic scale of the film, from the sweeping opening to the Austrian shooting locations. We all love Julie Andrews as Maria, but Brian proclaims justice for the Baroness! Subscribe to never miss an episode!

Good morning, good morning! February kicks off Musical Month! First up for Episode 30 is Singin' In The Rain, the iconic Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor led film. Mark and Brian discuss the lasting impact of the film on other musicals, Brian's love/hate relationship of Gene Kelly, and how this ranks as one of the greatest of all time!

Oh, what a day… What a lovely day!Fire up your rig and ride eternal with Mark's number 1 movie of the decade, Mad Max: Fury Road! Brian and Mark wrap up "Best of the Decade" month by breaking down the visuals and action of the movie while also finishing up their top 10 lists, and even fit in a ton of honorable mentions! Valhalla awaits!

Best of the Decade Month continues with Brian's #1 slot, The Social Network. Brian and Mark discuss the lasting relevance of the film, discuss David Fincher's style alongside his collaborations with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and somehow manage to discuss My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade.

"Best of the Decade" month continues! Mark's number 2 is 2018's Annihilation! Brian breaks down the crazy chain of events that lead to the mind-bending finale, while Mark steps inside the shimmer and discovers all the metaphors...so many metaphors! Subscribe and never miss an episode!

After a week off, the boys kick off Best of the Decade Month and discuss their Top 10 favorites of the past decade. Brian's number 2 slot goes to Arrival. Brian and Mark discuss the intricacies of linguistics, the beautiful overarching themes of the movie, and give praise to Amy Adams!

We wrap up our final movie of Kinda Christmas Month with Nancy Meyers's The Holiday. In Episode 25, Brian discusses his fondness for this movie in conjunction with an annual Christmas tradition he has with a friend, and the duo welcome their first on air guest! 

Welcome to the Monthly Movies Weekly Christmas Special! Mark and Brian spend the episode getting into the holiday spirit and discussing some of their favorite Christmas movies of yore.

You're a wizard, Harry! Episode 24 rings in our third of Kinda Christmas Month with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Mark and Brian discuss the beginning of movie franchises, the iconic performances, and Brian pressures Mark to finally read the books. Cue the John Williams score!

Kinda Christmas Month continues with the stop-motion animated classic The Nightmare Before Christmas! Mark and Brian discuss the involvement Tim Burton (or lack of) in the production, the greatness of Danny Elfman and if Oogie Boogie was even necessary. Subscribe to never miss an episode!

It's Kinda Christmas Month! Episode 22 starts us off with Die Hard, the Bruce Willis led 1988 heist movie that may or may not be a Christmas movie. Listen to Mark and Brian discuss the movie's impact on action films, the fluid nature of what qualifies a Christmas film, and decide whether or not it fits in that category!

"Adventure is out there!"Pixar Month concludes with the instant classic, Up. Brian and Mark discuss the local story that inspired the movie, and how Pete Doctor takes that idea to unexpected places. Plus, they rank their favorite Pixar shorts, and which stand-alone film is the best of them all!

Pixar Month continues with Episode 20, WALL•E. Brian and Mark discuss the future of humanity, the effectiveness of the minimal dialogue, and how Amazon may be the downfall of us all. Sound bites © WALLE, Directed by Andrew Stanton, Walt Disney Pictures, 2008

Who's your friend who likes to play?Bing Bong, Bing Bong!This week, Brian and Mark get emotional about Inside Out. It's a return to form for Pixar, and another breakthrough in world-building and voice acting. Which emotion steals the show, and which character brings us to tears! Also, Randy Newman!

New month, new movies! We kick off Pixar Month with A Bug's Life. Brian and Mark discuss how early Pixar movies changed the landscape of animation, comparisons to Antz, and Brian sends Mark into a tizzy with a particularly silly Randy Newman impression. Sound bites © A Bug's Life, Directed by John Lasseter, Walt Disney Pictures, 1998.© The Time of Your Life, by Randy Newman, A Bug's Life Soundtrack, 1998.

You'll float too! Stephen King month concludes with IT! Is IT a masterpiece? Is IT even scary? Mark and Brian discuss the greatness of the book, and whether this adaptation succeeds on its own. Plus, FINAL AWARDS!Sound bites © It, Directed by Andy Muschetti, Warner Bros, 2017.

Get ready dirty birdies! Stephen King month continues with the claustrophobic thriller, Misery! Brian gets nostalgic for cereal box book reports and breaks down the differences between the book and the movie. Mark wonders if King knew something we didn't about modern fandom. Sound bites © Misery, Directed by Rob Reiner, Columbia Pictures, 1990.

Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance.It's Episode 15 of Stephen King Month, and we're talking about the iconic Kubrick adaptation, The Shining! Brian touches on the comparisons to the source material and discusses Stephen King's negative view on the film as a whole while Mark gives insight into the conspiracy theories the film has spawned from the documentary Room 237. Sound bites © The Shining, Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Warner Bros, 1980.

They're all gonna laugh at you! October means spooky season, so we're kicking off a new month, Stephen King Month. Episode 14 covers Carrie, the 1976 Brian De Palma film about our poor prom queen who gets her delicious revenge. Listen to hear comparisons to the 2013 remake and the source novel, and find out some behind the scenes trivia. Sound bites © Carrie, Directed by Brian de Palma, United Artists, 1976. 

It's our final episode in Melissa McCarthy Month, and we're talking about Can You Ever Forgive Me? Episode 13 covers the romanticism of New York City, Melissa's foray into dramatic acting, and Brian's unending love of A Bug's Life. Enjoy our final discussion of Melissa McCarthy, and get ready for next month!

Welcome to Episode 12, our fourth in Melissa McCarthy Month where we're talking about The Boss. Mark and Brian discuss this 2016 release and how they both feel pretty meh about the film. They discuss the highlights, how it could improve, and lament the inability to rent certain movies.

She's shaken, not stirred.It's time for Episode 11, our third episode in Melissa McCarthy Month, and we discuss the movie Spy. The third Paul Feig/Melissa collaboration, this movie takes its heart from spy movies alike. Mark and Brian discuss comparisons to Bond films and compliment the great action sequences throughout the movie.

This week's episode of Melissa McCarthy Month covers The Heat, the second of our Paul Feig/Melissa collaborations. The guys discuss how the movie doesn't hold up as much as they thought and compliment the chemistry between Sandra and Melissa. 

New month, new movies! It's Melissa McCarthy Month, and our first movie is Bridesmaids. Mark and Brian discuss the long lasting appeal of this ensemble comedy, and Brian manages to quote TOO many lines from memory. 

The final episode of Alien Month discusses the recent Alien: Covenant. Brian gives his grievances about how these prequels work within the Alien Universe, Mark talks about his love of Michael Fassbender, and the guys give out their final awards to close out the month!

It's prequel time. This week of Alien Month is all about Prometheus, the first in the proposed trilogy of Alien prequels. The guys discuss where the prequel succeeds and fails and have a wonderful time pronouncing the name "Noomi Rapace".

The second episode of Alien Month is all about Aliens, the James Cameron epic that defined the franchise as much as its predecessor. Mark talks about having seen this first before the original, and Brian discusses how much he loves the practical effects of the movie, particularly during the showdown with the Xenomorph Queen.

In space, no one can hear you podcast. It's Alien Month! The first episode features the movie that started it all, Alien. Brian and Mark go over the history of the Alien franchise and how it's still influencing scifi/horror films today.Sound effects (C) 1994 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Rounding out Highest Grossing Month is the beginning of the 9472904 sequels that are planned, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Mark talks about his love of the franchise and the hopes he has for the future, and Brian considers why this movie doesn't hold up as much as he would have liked.

It was called the Episode of Dreams. And it was...it really was.Episode 3 of Highest Grossing Month is all about everyone's favorite ill-fated love story, Titanic. Brian spends most of the episode geeking out to Mark over his favorite movie as well as discussing the lasting impact of this 90's behemoth. 

In the second episode of Highest Grossing Month, Mark and Brian discuss Avengers: Endgame and how it slipped into the second place spot after a decade of anticipation. The boys discuss how it compares to the other top movies that are exclusively original content and discuss how much longer they'll sell their souls to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The first ever Monthly Movies Weekly! In the inaugural first episode of Highest Grossing Month, Mark and Brian talk about the juggernaut at the top of the list, Avatar. They discuss the spectacle that is Pandora, talk about the "much anticipated" sequels, and muse about how the Na'vi have intercourse.