Football, fights and films. We run down the biggest news in the world of pro and college football then analyze the latest UFC cards and preview upcoming MMA events. And we go all in on cinema with reactions to the latest trailers and reviews of new releases. Contributors include Neal Turnage, Jeff C…
We know a lot of cool juniors. You've got Sammy Davis Junior, Robert Downey Jr, Ken Griffey Jr, Dale Earnhart Jr. The sports world has its share of thirds: Robert Griffin III, Marion Barber III, Coach John Thompson the third. But when it comes to Fourths, outside of a handful of monarchs and popes, only one of note comes to mind and that's our guest Miguel Poblete IV. This man's grandfather, dad and brother are also Miguels. Jake was typically the least outspoken of my close college crew, so for some of you, this may be the most you've ever heard him speak in one sitting. Another friend who's not on social media, I'm proud to introduce or reintroduce this amazing dude to you. Let's get into episode 20 with Miguel Poblete the fourth, aka Jake.
We're bringing handsome boy, Charlie Thrower back to life with another round of probing film-related questions. When given the choice of what part of his life he'd like to return to, he identified an opportunity to meet his wife about a decade earlier than he did. That's the kind of answer that merits being brought back. Enjoy!
This week's guest Bobby Tajan is a martial artist, a public servant, a family man, a girl dad, and another member of my Inner Circle - a decades-old group of dudes I'd lay down my life for or start a boy band with. So highly respected professionally and within the community, we've nicknamed him the Godfather. Truly one of the best of us, I hope you enjoy episode 18 with Bobby Tajan.
This week's guest Brian Cortez has experience behind the camera, making a living creating training videos. In college, he even put together a couple of short films, one of which was a sci-fi romp featuring me as the spandex-clad Cosmic Avenger. Good luck scrubbing your brain from that unfortunate mental image. That said, it's time for Episode 17 of Cinema is Life.
Apologies in advance for the horrible audio on my side of the conversation, but I just could not imagine holding this week's guest from you. Laura Hanson Wall is an artist, a masseuse, a housekeeper, a hasher, a karaoke singer, a lover of film and tv, and an all-around awesome person. She brings a unique perspective to the podcast, and I'm sure some of her answers will surprise you. It was a fascinating session for me despite the technical difficulties.
One of the really great things I've gotten from doing this podcast is that it gives me an opportunity to reconnect with old friends or add layers to existing friendships. This week's guest, Otto Hughey, is a man I've known for a long time but have interacted with almost exclusively through my brother as an intermediary. It was awesome getting some one-on-one time with him. Otto is living the dream - a content creator in the video game space, you can catch him on his twitch.tv stream under the handle OHugheyIII. On top of our usual film talk, we chop it up about retail robberies and how pro wrestlers are like method actors. So let's get into it.
This week, personal and professional worlds collide when I bring in Dylandra Holden. Dee is a former coworker of mine and one of the hidden heroes of our company for a number of years. She's since moved on to bigger and better things, but we've kept in touch, and now I'm delighted to share her with all of you. I know you'll enjoy episode 14 of Cinema is Life.
Today I get to catch up with Charlie Thrower. I've known Charlie since my first job bagging groceries for tips in high school. Since then Charlie's turned a passion for photography into a full-on career. From shooting Glamour Shots in the mall to shooting commercials for luxury cars - it's a testament to the axiom “get a job doing what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.” Like me, he's also a mark for pro wrestling, but we try to reign in that talk until the end of the episode for the most part. That said, I hope you enjoy episode 13 of Cinema is Life with Handsome boy Charlie Thrower.
Our first-ever guest, Justin Velasquez, is back from the beyond to tackle a whole new set of movie and life questions. It's a slight deviation from our normal format, but a refreshing change while staying faithful to the spirit of the show. We hope you like it.
This week, Nedie Llamas Recel stops by for bit to catch up and talk movies. Do you have people in your life where every single memory of them is positive? That's Nedie. I've known her and her husband Edmond since college and can say in all sincerity that they are some of the nicest Hokies you could ever come across. We relive some of our time in FASA, the filipino American Student Association, learn about her affection for roller skating, and ruminate on the timelessness of Sean Connery's sex appeal. It's all coming up next on The Cinema is Life.
Today's guest will be a familiar voice to anyone who listened to my previous show, My Favorite F Words, as he was one of the longtime co-hosts. It's Jeff Carleton, author of the novel, The Man in the Garden and writer/producer of his own horror film, The House Behind the Wall. Jeff's a stellar guest and even flips the script at the end and interviews me with some of his own movie questions.
his week's guest is the brilliant Dr. B. Lee Aultman. B is an educator on LGBTQ studies and political science, author of the book The Trans Ordinary, and connoisseur of fine scotch. They also happen to be one of my favorite cousins (not that we play favorites in my family). We have a fun and enlightening conversation that I think really drives home the power of representation in mainstream entertainment.
My wife joins us this week! It was like a mini day-date for us to sit down and chat about movies on a random Thursday. Despite being together for over a decade, I still learned some new things about her. Happy to share those insights with you.
Those of you who followed the My Favorite F Words podcast will already be familiar with this week's guest, Lewis Giles. Gilly never fails to bring the surprises, and he has some doozies in response to our movie questions. Hell, he finds a way to mention Howard the Duck twice in this episode. That's reason enough for why you should check it out.
This week, we've got my ultra-talented brother in the hot seat. Whether it's performing stand-up comedy, taking drone photos, keeping T-Mobile in business or being a kickass dad, Chris is crushing it. You learn a lot about both of us in this episode, which makes sense because we grew up in the same house and are so close in age. It's as in-depth a look at the Turnage boys as you'll get. Enjoy!
The coolest people are born on May 16th - Danny Trejo, Janet Jackson, Pierce Brosnan, Megan Fox, me, and this week's guest Anthony Della Calce. Among the many highlights of this episode is the revelation that Kindergarten Cop was an early source of childhood trauma for this eighth grade math teacher with an affinity for puns.
If you met Richie Amacio back in the day, you probably remember him as a guy who was just good at everything. An athlete, a scholar, universally liked, and the most extroverted (self-described) introvert in history. Fast forward to today, and he's still crushing it. Now he's a family man and a soccer coach, and he rocks an impossibly glorious head of hair that puts all three previous guests and the host to shame.
This week we check in with Tim Morgan Jr. Timmo is a postmaster, a Batman fanatic, and the self-described Culinary Gangster. We had some audio issues in the beginning and had to cut out about 10 minutes of conversation. No biggie. After a quick reset, we hit the ground running for an effortless hour that could have gone twice as long.
Few fictional bromances in can match my real one with Jeremie Halvorson - Jay and Silent Bob, Tango and Cash, Riggs and Murtaugh, Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr, Ace and Gary. My best friend for nearly 30 years, yet some of his movie choices still surprised me. Find out what two movies from Justin's episode last week carry over and what made Jerm afraid to sit on the toilet as a kid. And as mentioned in the show, please support the Blaine Halvorson Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship will be administered by the Rochester Area Foundation and will be awarded to a Kasson Mantorville student. https://rochesteraf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=2716
Our inaugural episode! I'm joined by the most film savvy person I know, Justin Velasquez. He also happens to be one of my closest friends. A movie critic, a Hokie, a foodie, a baller, and a sneaker head. From Godfather II to Orgazmo, this episode has a little of everything.
2020-3-First Foreign Language Best Picture Winner by Neal Turnage
(Audio fixed) Neal, Justin and Chris are back for another round of our favorite topics. We preview the matchup between KC and San Francisco then debunk the ridiculous notion that the McGregor/Cerrone fight was fixed. Then Justin recounts the insane experience that was Cats on the big screen.
Neal and Justin run down the big storylines as college football gets its official start. We discus Conor McGregor's 40+ minute PR stint on ESPN and Justin reviews the recent films, Good Boys and Hide and Seek.
Schedules aligned and we're back for another episode! Justin and Neal talk Marvel's Phase 4 announcements. While both are looking forward to seeing Natalie Portman's take on Thor, Neal's a little underwhelmed that the first Marvel movie fronted by Asians, Shang Chi, is another martial arts focused affair. We also recap UFC 240, which saw Max Holloway retain his Lightweight title against Frankie Edgar and Cris Cyborg get back in the win column against a very game Felicia Spencer.
Neal, Justin and Gilly get into all the things Avengers: Endgame. From how they felt seeing the culmination of over twenty films they actually cared about to what actors/actresses they'd like to see find a way into the MCU. We leave no (Infinity) stone unturned.
Freshman Mekhi Lewis brought Virginia Tech its first NCAA wrestling national championship this week, Hokie basketball is in the Sweet Sixteen, and we're pumped! Gronk called it quits while he still has a few working brain cells. Robert Kraft apologizes for nothing terribly specific. Wonderboy falls to a Superman punch. Us terrifies Justin, and Julianne Moore has still got it at almost 60.
Captain Marvel is out, and not since Wonder Woman has a film showcased this much girl power. We give both a spoiler free review and a bonus spoiler filled discussion in this week's episode. We also try to figure out if Johnny Manziel's wife cheated in a half marathon or is legitimately the fastest human on the planet. Plus the latest fight news and more!
Add prostitution ring to the six Superbowl rings in Robert Kraft's possession. George St Pierre announces his retirement from MMA competition. The Oscars are this weekend and we've got predictions. Plus reviews of Fighting With My Family, Destroyer, Alita Battle Angel and Happy Death Day 2U.
The Alliance of American Football is here to cleanse our palates of that turd of a Superbowl. The UFC is in Melbourne with a last minute replacement main event. Justin details his top ten films of 2018 and the handful just outside the list. We also dig deep on the two documentaries out there on the dumpster Fyre Festival.
Who else is tired of New England in the SuperBowl? No disputing their accomplishments, but it's hard for us to get excited to see more of the same on the NFL's final weekend. We'll be watching more for the commercials and the prop bets. Bellator's heavyweight grand prix tournament ended just like Return of the Jedi. And who would have thought that a Netflix release about a cam girl who gets her identity stolen would be a far superior movie to a theatrical release loaded with stars like Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway?
We're back for our first show of 2019. Neal and Justin ponder who the best QB was who never reached the Superbowl. The UFC moved off FOX and onto ESPN with its first event on Saturday. On it, Henry Cejudo beat back superfight challenger TJ Dillashaw, Donald Cerrone punched his ticket to a possible money fight with McGregor, and former NFL'er Greg Hardy went and got himself disqualified in his debut. Justin wraps things up with reviews of the beautifully shot Roma, If Beale Street Could Talk, and M. Night Shyamalan's Glass.
After a brief hiatus due to the winter crud, we're back with a film review heavy episode. Justin catches us up on seven flicks he's seen since our last outing including Can You Ever Forgive Me, Support The Girls, Boy Erased, The Mule, The Favourite, Vox Lux, and Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. Minor spoilers ahead and a trigger warning for one film regarding school shootings. Also, quick takes on the top NFL and UFC stories this week.
The Redskins make a controversial personnel add. College football saw the offensive extravaganza from the previous week's MNF game between KC and LA and decided to up the ante with a 7 overtime affair from Texas A&M and LSU. Two fighters you remember from the UFC fifteen years ago fought over the weekend. Heavyweight boxing is giving us a matchup we can actually get excited about. Justin reviews Ralph Breaks the Internet, Wildlife, and Green Book.
In our second recording of the night, Justin pops in to talk about that crazy Monday Night Football game, Alex Smith's horrific injury on the 33rd anniversary of Joe Theisman's last game, and a pair of excellent films in Widows and Creed II.
Chris and Neal talk fights in the first of two recordings on the night. We recap the action from UFC Argentina that saw Santiago Ponzinibbio score a faceplant KO over Neil Magny and an emerging star in the debuting Johnny Walker. We then look ahead to the next card in Beijing featuring a surging Curtis Blaydes and a struggling Francis Ngannou. These two fought each other in their first UFC appearances with Ngannou grabbing the W. Fast forward to today and Blaydes hasn't lost since and Ngannou is on a two-fight losing streak.
The Patriots got trolled by some former teammates. Syracuse looking to spoil Notre Dame's playoff hopes. The Korean Zombie was on the wrong end of KO of the Year. Our favorite Stan Lee cameos.
It’s been a couple of weeks since Justin’s been able to join the regular tapings, but as they say in Jurassic Park, life finds a way. We sit down to catch up on seven films that he’s seen over the past few weeks, including Mid-Nineties, Overlord, Bohemian Rhapsody, and The Girl in the Spider’s Web.
Chris and Neal get down on the week's football and fight action. Florida $tate and Virginia Tech are in real danger of having their NCAA leading active bowl streaks snapped. While Patrick Mahomes has captured everyone's imagination, Phillip Rivers is quietly having another outstanding season. Daniel Cormier remained undefeated at heavyweight, soundly defeating the Black Beast in his first title defense. Cowboy Cerrone till take on Mike Perry at UFC Fight night in a battle of former teammates. And Floyd Mayweather pulls another troll job by teasing a fight with RIZIN's Tenshin Nasukawa and then walking it back.
Neal, Gilly and Chris come together this week to preview the upcoming NFL and college football games, hype up the fight between Derrick Lewis and Daniel Cormier, and cringe at the slimy villain of the horror movies 13 Cameras and its sequel, 14 Cameras.
Another film addendum. Justin and Neal sit down on Saturday night to get caught up on the latest movies. This week, we review First Man, Bad Times at the El Royale, Halloween, The Hate You Give, The Old Man and the Gun, and Apostle.
Did you know there was a tradition in wrestling to exchange gear with your opponent after a match? Apparently, that's a thing and Chael Sonnen came away from his beatdown at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko with a sweet track suit. Recaps of the week's football action and a quick review of the Netflix original, Malevolent. Plus, Lewis has some gripes about Tales From Da Hood 2.
Neal, Chris and Lewis break down the week's football action before deep diving into the post-fight brawl after the Khabib/Conor match. Neal gives quick reviews of a couple of streaming horror flicks in Final Girls and Tales from the Hood 2.
Justin got the day off and met up with Neal to talk about the movies he's seen since his last podcast appearance including Venom and A Star is Born
This week's theme is tests. Last week Lewis said his KC Chiefs hadn't been tested. Then they went out and gutted out a tough win in Denver. Neal's Hokies flunked a test they didnt know they were taking when they lost to ODU a few weeks ago but have a chance at a make up exam when Notre Dame comes to Blacksburg. And Conor McGregor faces the toughest test of his mma career when he takes on the undefeated Dagestani, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Chris and Neal start things with some fight chatter around Jon Jones and his reduced doping punishment from USADA after he agreed to assist the agency in future investigations. Justin comes in at the hour mark to talk about White Boy Rick, a movie about a drug dealer who flips and works with the authorities. Sounds like snitching is the way to go, huh? Also, Conor/Khabib, UFC Sao Paulo fallout, Assassination Nation, Mandy and more. We're light on football this week, but it's in there.
The Browns win a game and Lew Gilly returns to the podcast! The planets have aligned. Neal and Lewis spend a couple hours talking about everything from not getting too excited about the Chiefs' hot start to recapping the big boxing match from last week to a critical look at one of this year's most popular films.
I thought hurricane season was over! Recaps of the week's football games and fights as well as a four pack of movie reviews.
The first weekend of college football is in the books and what a fun weekend it was! Upsets and drama ruled the day. Miami's turnover chain couldn't help them against LSU, but they're not the only team with a turnover talisman. The Octagon will feature two title fights on Saturday. Will we see one or more new champions in the UFC? Justin reviews Searching, a film that uses a gimmick to create a very compelling narrative.
The NFL's rap sheet is graduating from domestic disputes to white collar crime. Cleveland LB Mychal Kendricks has been accused of insider trading to the tune of $1.2 million. The college football season is upon us and with it comes our predictions for the playoffs and national championship. Human highlight Justin Gaethje headlined another UFC card, but did anyone watch? Over saturation is real, y'all. And who would have thought that a movie combining adult humor and muppet-style puppets would be this bad?
Neal and Justin are back to talk about the latest goings on in the NFL on and off the field, including the new helmet rule and Baylor's 4'2" wide receiver. We cringe at the news of a UFC fighter's horrific power tool accident. In the film segment, Justin pans Mark Wahlberg's latest in Mile 22.