Nerd Nuptial

Mindhunter Season 2 ReviewAs most of you know, we are huge David Fincher fans and could not wait for season one to drop last year. It was a huge creative success, so we were waiting with bated breath as to how season two would shake out. Season two focused heavily on the Atlanta child murders in the late 70s early 80s and moved away from being interview focused. Was that the right move or should it have been more of the same?Listen to hear our take.

Once Upon a Tim in Hollywood ReviewWe are big Tarantino fans here at Nerd Nuptial but that doesn't mean we're fans of everything he's ever done. "Classic" Tarantino is a mainstay in our household. So when we were walking into the theater for this one, we were hoping for a return to form. Thankfully, we got that and a whole lot more.We start the episode with Fleabag and Stranger Things 3. What did you think of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?

Spider-Man: Far From Home ReviewIn the latest MCU Spider-Man adventure, we travel beyond New York to several different European locations. Parker is still mourning the death of his mentor and struggling with the passing of the torch. The movie asks the question of whether or not Parker can handle it and Parker has no problem reminding the audience that he's only 16.In this episode, we review the strengths and weaknesses of this second solo Spidey outing for the MCU. Does it deliver the joy of Homecoming or does it stretch itself too thin in order to grow the character?

Black Mirror Season 5, Fight Club, and Wonder Woman 5KWe pack a lot of episode in this week trying to make up for lost time. We start the show with how The Girl ran a Wonder Woman themed 5k. Then we move onto how we got to see Fight Club in 35mm at The Music Box downtown (and how it might not ever happen again for anyone due to the Disney buyout).Finally, we review the latest season of Black Mirror. Tekken sex, Polar Bears, Topher Grace, mouthy Alexa. Season 5 has it all.

Live-action Star Wars shows coming to a streaming box near you!"The Mandalorian" and Rogue One Prequel are coming to Disney+ in the near future. The first of their kind and we at Nerd Nuptial are very excited. A rumored third live-action show is coming as well ... but what could it be?In this episode, we discuss what we'd like to see and what we hope they stay away from. Knights of the Old Republic? Rebels prequel? Some completely original? Listen to find out.

Avengers: Endgame ReviewWe're a week late with the rest of the world but hopefully,​ that just gives more people to not get spoiled by our review. We give our spoiler-free​ impressions first and then, of course,​ give a warning before we get into spoiler territory. We loved Infinity War, got tingles when the movie ended, so Endgame had big Thanos sized shoes to fill. Did it live up to the hype or did it fizzle out like Doctor Strange's charisma? Listen to hear our review.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 OverviewDiscovery's second season has now finished and it's time to talk about it! We've been watching with the beginning and there have been some definite improvements since season one. However, this does not mean it's been all roses and sunshine. Kicking off with a bang, "Brother" knocked our socks off. But did it get any better after that? Listen to hear us talk about what worked and what didn't. What was fascinating and what was a waste of time.

The New Joker Film and Batman Celebrates 80 YearsBatman recently turned 80 years old and he is still saving Gotham and putting bad guys behind bars. DC has pulled out all the stops in their celebrations but none so satisfying as releasing the first teaser trailer for Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" movie.Separate​ from the DCEU, this standalone film will explore the origins of this iteration of the Joker as well as the depths of his inevitable madness. Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push. We discuss the trailer, Joker, and the Batman mythos as a whole.

Love, Death + Robots, Arrested Development, and Triple FrontierThis was a great weekend for Netflix releases. It felt like it was almost geared specifically for us. David Fincher produced an anthology series based mostly on animation all centered around love, death, and you guessed it, robots. Arrested Development limps to a finish with season 5 part 2 and Triple Frontier was an extremely surprising breath of fresh air.Listen to hear our thoughts on all three and we absolutely want to hear yours!

Captain Marvel ReviewIn spite of the fanboy neckbeards trying to "review bomb" a film for having an outspoken female lead, Captain Marvel seems to be connecting and finding its audience. We had our reservations on seeing it in the theater because the trailers seemed uninteresting. However, we got to see it opening night and had a great theatrical experience. Listen to our spoiler-free review and more importantly, listen to The Girl talk about how representation matters for her and our little girl.

Oscar Reactions and the Spielberg/Netflix FightLast week we weren't able to record and discuss our Oscar reactions so we're making up for it this week. We also discuss Steven Spielberg's decision to try and implement rules that would disqualify streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, from competing for Academy Awards in their current forms. Is this a symptom of an old man yelling at clouds or does he have a point in trying to protect the theater-going experience?

The Oscars are a week away and we have something to say about itSo many people have given up on the Oscars, let me rephrase, so many people have said they have given up on the Oscars but you know they still check. Even if you don't watch, you check the next day or keep track on Twitter.​ So that's what we're talking about this week. When did we get into the Oscars, when did we stop watching, and what do we think of this year's Best Picture nominees.

The many different cinematic versions of Spider-ManA lot of people have complained that we have just too many versions of Spider-Man on film. Too many dead Uncle Bens and too many "great power" speeches. But we keep going back to the theater for more. So what is the appeal of a cinematic Spidey? Has it only gotten better or worse?In this week's episode, we discuss every iteration of Spider-Man on film and its merits. What's your favorite version?

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 episodes "Brother" and "New Eden"This season of Star Trek: Discovery opened with a bang and it did not disappoint. There was a lot to love about season one but sadly there was a lot to bring you down. They needed that time to find their footing and if these first to episodes are any indication then they have.Listen to hear a Trek fan's perspective as well as a non-Trek fan's perspective. What did you guys think?

Watching the Top Ten episodes of Black Mirror on NetflixIf you search "Top Ten episodes of Black Mirror" on Google, you get tons and tons of opinions but just from one person. On IMDb, they have an aggregated list of the top-rated episodes. This week Tristan and The Girl tried to watch all of them and this episode is them giving you their opinions on each one. Some were story based, others were concept based. They only get spoilery towards the very very end. Listen and let us know which one is your favorite!

What we're looking forward to in 20192019 looks like it could be an amazing year in entertainment. So many fun, interesting, dark, and/or twisted things are being released. Avengers, MIB, Tarantino's new film, the Scorsese epic, and so so much more. Listen to hear what we can't wait to watch.What are you looking forward to?​

Tristan and The Girl pick their top-ten lists for 2018This has been a great year for cinema as well as a great year for genre films. Tristan and The Girl crammed as many 2018 films in as possible in the homestretch. Last year they watched a total of 21 2017 films and this year they upped that number up to 39. They tried to balance enjoyment with technical achievement but which ones won the top spots? Listen and find out.After you listen, check out their complete lists.Tristan's List: https://letterboxd.com/theinsanerobin/list/movies-of-2018-ive-seen-ranked/The Girl's List: https://letterboxd.com/thegirl2011/list/films-of-2018-ive-seen/

We answer your questions on the air for the third time!We've done this type of episode two times before and it gets more and more fun whenever we do it. Listeners sent in questions via Twitter, email, and Facebook. We didn't have time to answer all of them but we tried to get a wide array.In this episode, we discuss the best of 2018, Ripley's first movie, and what movie watching habits get on each other's​ nerves.

Missing Frames: Nerd Nuptial Edition - Boogie NightsWe're stealing the Missing Frames format made famous by THE Shawn Eastridge. The Girl has never seen the modern classic Boogie Nights. So in the episode, we discuss what she knows of the movie, what she expects to see and then we pause the show, watch the film, and the talk about our thoughts. Boogie Nights deals with the world of pornography in the 70s so adult themes are discussed.Make sure to head on over to thenerdparty.com/missingframes and give Shawn a listen.

Can you watch too much of a good thing?We started the show thinking that we were going to talk about how you can fall into a rut watching the same old Christmas movies over and over but we ended up in a different place. We reviewed what we've been watching lately and ended on First Reformed staring Ethan Hawked. As we looked at our film diary of 2018 we realized that not a lot of new material was there and that a lot of rewatches happened. What are we missing out on? What stories are not being heard? Could we be missing our new favorite movie because we're too scared or disinterested in going outside our comfort zone?Listen to hear our thoughts on the matter and to challenge your own entertainment rut.

We finally got a sequel to our beloved The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo! Sort of ... not really.Opening weekend we got to see Sony's follow up to their 2011 release of Dragon Tattoo. Except it was 7 years later and with a different cast and different director so ... hooray? In this episode, we talk what worked and to a larger extent what didn't. Like how Lizbeth shouldn't be Batman or James Bond.We start the show with our review of Outlaw King staring Chris Pine on Netflix. We also feature a Nerd Party exclusive interview with Chris Pine himself.

House of Cards Season 6 ReviewWe are huge House of Cards fans, it was our all-time favorite show. Sadly, we have to emphasize "was". Seasons 1 and 2 contain stellar content. Season 3 was a misstep. Season 4 is one of the best seasons of television ever. Season 5 was a complete waste and here we are at season 6. We all know the drama behind the scenes with season 6 and the exit of the lead. They had to rewrite, reshoot, and remake a lot of the season AND on a shortened timeline. A hard thing to ask of any creative team. Did they pull it off? Listen to hear our thoughts on the show's final bow.

Halloween 2018 reviewWith a franchise that all spawned from one film that premiered in 1978, this new sequel ignores everything but the original. Much like what Neil Blomkamp wanted to do with Aliens, David Gordon Green and Jamie Lee Curtis do with Halloween. 40 years later Michael Myers breaks out of the hospital and goes after Laurie Strode once more. But this time, Laurie is ready. The Girl and Tristan aren't really into horror films but the original Halloween holds a special place in their hearts. Listen as they talk about the franchise and how much fun this current iteration was to watch.

Our Review of First Man with Ryan GoslingWe got to see First Man opening weekend and it was quite the immersive experience (especially when you're forced to sit in the front row). It was interesting to see the director and lead actor team up again since La La Land but did it always hit its mark?On top of our review, we discuss the new media we've been exploring this week including DC's streaming exclusive "Titans", the new season of "Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father", "Death of Superman", and the home release of Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp".

Star Trek, Aquaman, Forever, A Star Is BornWe talk and review a whole bunch this week. Star Trek: Discovery released a new trailer for Season 2 at New York Comic-Con and it introduces the new Spock. Aquaman had a 5 minute extended look released around the same time. "Forever" on Amazon Prime was a pleasant surprise starring Maya Rudolph. We round out the show with Lady Gaga's and Bradley Cooper's smash hit "A Star is Born" remake. Listen to hear us take in all the new and exciting media.

We discuss the Joaquin Phoenix "Joker" news as well as give a spoiler-free review of Netflix's "Maniac"These past few weeks have been pretty exciting in regards to geek news and at the top of that last for us has been the images and video released in regards to the new "Joker" film. We know that Joaquin Phoenix will be our new Joker and that he starts out as "Arthur". The film will be directed by Todd Phillips, the director of the Hangover Trilogy, but don't let that turn you off, lets give him the benefit of the doubt.We end the show with our review of Netflix's "Maniac" which had every episode directed by Cary Fukunaga. This show stared Emma Stone and Jonah Hill and gave a very interesting (yet respectful) look into mental illness and the lengths people will go to find relief.

We celebrate the 25th anniversary of The X-Files, discuss The Girl watching Star Trek, and talk #NerdGoals The day of this episode release is the 25th anniversary of The X-Files. It's absolutely insane that much time has passed and technically the show is still going on; for better or worse. We reminisce about our first memories of the show and how it was the first show we watched together from pilot to finale.Long time listeners will remember that The Girl is not the biggest Star Trek fan but lately it has been her idea to watch some Next Gen. Truly beautiful to behold. We round out the show with our "Nerd Goals". Nerdy things in life we haven't achieved yet or accomplished. Like doing the LOTR walking tour or watching all of AFI's top 100 movies.What are some of your nerd goals? 

We caught up on a lot of television and let you know if these shows are worth giving a shot. Ozark Season 2 with Jason Bateman and Laura Linney dropped this weekend on Netflix and Jack Ryan with John Krasinski from The Office dropped on Amazon Prime. Before that happened, Sharp Objects starring Amy Adams finished its run on HBO. We had to take off last week due to illness but that gave us the chance to catch up and explore all this television and a whole lot more.Take the time to listen to our spoiler-free review of each show. We also do a retro review of Dan Harmon's Community.

Why do we cry for imaginary people? Why does fiction stir our emotions? As nerds, we spend a lot of our personal time invested in people who aren't real. We watch lives unfold that have never been lived. We cry over the deaths of people who have never been born. Why?In this episode, we discuss the times we have been emotionally invested in fictional characters as well as how it can be a powerful stress reliever as well as an unhealthy substitute for life. This conversation takes a lot of twists and turns and you might not guess where it ends up.Have you ever found yourself emotionally invested in fictional characters? 

The Sir Patrick Stewart announced at Star Trek Las Vegas that he is reprising his role of Captain Picard The last time we saw Captain Jean-Luc Picard was in 2002 with Star Trek: Nemesis. That was the last time we visited the 24th century and ever since then, we've only gotten prequels in the franchise. This past weekend, it was announced that we are heading back to that era with old baldy himself: Picard. All that we know is that it will be set 20 years after Nemesis, Picard is no longer a captain, and the events of his life has changed him. Whatever that means.In this episode, we talk about our reactions to this news as well as this current revival culture that we're living in. What do you think of a new Picard series?

We got to see Mission Impossible: Fallout starring Tom Cruise on opening weekend and here is our review! In preparation for the release of Mission Impossible's sixth outing, we marathoned all of the previous ones (except for two because who needs that?). Sitting high at an unbelievable 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, Fallout was a hell of a thrill ride. But before you think we're just going to fawn over it like every single other outlet you've seen in the past week, think again. This movie was a lot of fun but there are some definite things to discuss in terms of cinematography, timing, and above all: runtime. ?What did you guys think of Mission Impossible: Fallout??

Harrison Ford had his 76th birthday recently and Nerd Nuptial wanted to celebrate.Ford was a big influence on both Tristan and The Girl's pop culture lives as well as media tastes. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jack Ryan, Blade Runner, just to name a few. The man owned the box office in the 80s. This week they discuss how they grew up on his movies and what his performances mean to them.They start the show talking about Sharp Objects, It (2017), and A Quiet Place.

We discuss our experience seeing the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play Star Wars: A New Hope Live This week Tristan and The Girl share their experience with seeing Star Wars with a live orchestra for the first time. Tristan fooled The Girl into thinking they were going to a work cocktail party and she was pleasantly surprised. They start the show with listener mail/reviews and discuss how the nerd community brings us together and exposes us to issues we wouldn't otherwise see.

What is the media you HAVE to have before you switch over to Airplane Mode? After taking two weeks off, Nerd Nuptial is back on the airwaves. Tristan was traveling and that screwed up the schedule. However, that did get both of them thinking about what you keep in your nerd wallet on an airplane.As we all know, you have to have your devices in Airplane Mode while in the air. So that means you have to download your books, movies, comics, music, and TV BEFORE that happens. Tristan and The Girl discuss what are the musts before a flight.What do you always have on you when you fly?

We do another "AMA" and talk desert island movies, favorite books, and marriage challengesThis is our one-hundrenth episode! We are so excited to bring you this episode, not only because our listeners are fantastic and made this possible, but because we also get to answer your questions.This is our second "Ask Me Anything" session. You submitted the questions and we answered. We talk about many things including how life has changed now that we're parents, what our "nerd-cation" would be, and what challenges our marriage has faced.We start the episode with our reactions to Arrested Development Season 5 and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 4.

Our review of Disney owned Lucasfilm's second standalone "Solo: A Star Wars Story" After Disney bought Lucasfilm, everyone was scared that we were going to get some watered down versions of that galaxy far far away. That didn't happen right away, we got divisive films but definitely watered down. Once Rogue One dropped, people saw the callbacks as just that, callbacks. A love letter to the fans saying "we paid attention". After Solo came about and there was even more callbacks as well as connectivity, the Disney influence was made clear with a Marvel model of connectivity. After a disappointing box office weekend, people are speculating if it was because of the fan rage after The Last Jedi or because this is a story that nobody asked for. Was this our First Avenger or our Ant-Man? Listen to find out what we think. 

The Merc with a Mouth is back along with our review of Deadpool 2 We loved the first Deadpool and so we were pretty sure that we were going to enjoy the sequel. Even though it took me (Tristan) a second watch to fully get on board, that was the case with this one. Cable was announced to be in the sequel even before the first film was over. Josh Brolin has been working hard this year with Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Sicario 2 coming out later this year. He brings some gravitas to the Deadpool universe and while interesting, might be a little misplaced. If you like the first one then you'll love this one. If you didn't get onboard with Deadpool from the get-go, this won't change your mind. We start the show talking about our first CMX theater experience and how Deadpool was the best testing ground.

Riding High on Infinity War, We Talk Spoilers and the People Who Spoil We enjoyed Infinity War so much that we've been feeling a Marvel high even a week afterward. We did a review last week so we won't be doing that again but it did get us thinking about spoilers. Thankfully, neither one of us got spoiled with Avengers but we know a lot of people who did. What is it about people who do this on purpose? Also, where is the line? Are people too sensitive? Is it worse with our over-connected world? Listen as we swap stories and theories.What was the worst spoiler you ever heard?

Ten years of Marvel has lead us to Avengers: Infinity WarIf you haven't been living under a rock then you have heard about the latest Marvel installment in the MCU: Avengers: Infinity War. It has broken box office records by having the best weekend return ... ever. We saw it opening night and was on the edge of our seats the entire time. The opening of the show is spoiler free and then halfway through the episode, we hit spoiler territory. You will be warned so feel free to listen even if you haven't seen the film.What do you think of the latest Avengers? Where is it on your MCU list?

Isle of Dogs, Lost in Space, and The Greatest Showman ReviewWe had the grand opportunity of finally being able to see Wes Anderson's "Isle of Dogs" now that it is in wide release. There were a lot of disappointed kids in the theater who thought they were going to see a happy go lucky minion-esque comedy. To be honest, that made it even funnier. No subterfuge, this was a great and beautiful film. Listen to our thoughts and to why we thought this was one of the director's better outings.We open the show with our review of Netflix's "Lost in Space" reboot and "The Greatest Showman" on home release.

What would it be like to be famous, married, and working together? A la Blunt/Krasinski The Girl and Tristan often think about what it would be like to work together on a huge project like a movie. When seeing the advertisements for "A Quiet Place", they got a little jealous of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski being able to work together in a creative way. In this episode, they discuss the projects they've worked on together in the past and what it must be like to be married and working. They also talk about what segment of their lives would make of for a great film like "The Big Sick".They open the show with an announcement about the network's current legal situation as well as a GoFundMe to help with it.

We talk season 2 of Westworld, Santa Clarita Diet, and Lemony Snicket's Last week we took some time off in order to finish watching Santa Clarita Diet Season 2 but in that time we were able to watch a few other things. Westworld Season 2 trailer came out, Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events season 2 dropped. That's why we labeled the podcast episode the way we did. Listen to hear our thoughts on all these programs and a whole lot more. We start the episode with a story of how Tristan stapled his hand to a set.

Review of the 2018 film 'Tomb Raider' Lara Croft has been with us in one form or another since 1996. Some of us have grown up on her video games, comics, novels, and sometimes awkward action figures. With 17 console games in the bank with another one on the way, we've had two Angelina Jolie movies and now one Alicia Vikander film. The film currently sits at a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes and is not having the strongest of openings. The critics seem to be split down the middle and it's safe to say that this was not the rejuvenation of the franchise that Warner Bros. was hoping for. Your favorite Nerd Nuptial saw the film over opening weekend and are thankful that they had some free passes.

What constitutes 'hardcore' science fiction and why is it needed? There is great science fiction out the from Metropolis to Blade Runner 2049. But what makes a science fiction film hardcore science fiction? One could argue that the science is more of the cornerstone of the story or that it's more deeply rooted in 'realistic' science. Besides just hardcore sci-fi, we also talk our favorite science fiction films in general and why we're drawn to the genre. We also catch everyone up on what we've been watching.What are some of your favorite hardcore sci-fi films?

A Review of Alex Garland’s “Annihilation”Last week we reviewed the blockbuster and sensation that is Marvel’s Black Panther. This week we are reviewing a much quieter release. Alex Garland’s “Annihilation” has flown mostly under the radar despite its active social media campaign. Paramount sold the international distribution rights to Netflix and that, of course, was not a sign of faith in the project. So what does it mean?Annihilation is a small film masquerading as a larger one and it shows. This is not necessarily a bad thing and the film is full of surprises. This week we discuss the merits and failings of this director's unique take on science fiction.

Black Panther is finally in theaters and here is our take!After a 9-month advertising campaign from Marvel and Disney, the world was finally ready to see Black Panther. A breakout character from Captain America: Civil War, fans wanted more. After limited release, the film had a coveted 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. After only four days of release, the move made 361 million dollars worldwide and dropped only 3% on RT. Regardless of what you thought of the movie, this has made an impact; culturally as well as financially. ?Your favorite Nerd Nuptial is here to take on the King of Wakanda. There is so much to love about this film but did it live up to the hype? Was it even possible to live up to that kind of hype? Listen and find out.?

Super Bowl Movie Trailers and our Altered Carbon ReviewThe Super Bowl has come and gone and no matter who you rooted for, it left some cool movie trailers in its wake. Like the commercials, some were better than others. We go through the list of what came out and gauge interest. The main topic of the episode is Netflix's "Altered Carbon". Based on a novel by Richard K. Morgan, this cyberpunk show asks about when your body isn't your own. While this show overall was quite messy, the concept was interesting enough to finish. Listen to our take on the morality, politics, and social issues of this sci-fi program.

Are we really tired of nostalgia in TV and Film like Vice says?Vice released an article that had the headline: "People are finally getting sick of nostalgia in TV and Movies". The top of the article had a picture of The Last Jedi and Jumanji. Two films that have reached a billion dollars at the box office or at least close to it. Financial success is by no means a measure of quality but it at least shows that "nostalgia fatigue" is really only in the minds of those who feel it and is not with the masses. If you actually read the article, however, it goes on to say that Jumanji is successful nostalgia because it doesn't carry any baggage of the first one like Star Wars and Star Trek. That's what this Nerd Nuptial is about this week. Are we actually tired of nostalgia in our entertainment and what does that even mean? Rehashing old stories or leaving beloved characters alone? 

Mrs. Maisel, American Gods, and 11. 22. 63 With nothing on the horizon except for Black Panther to excite us, we had to look at our existing catalog. Spending more time with Prime, an accidental Starz subscription, and an inevitable Hulu account led us to three shows. Maisel took a few Golden Globes home, American Gods was a Fuller startup, and 11.22.63. brought out the history buff in us both. None of these are exactly current (with a minor exception to Maisel), but if you're anything like us, it takes you awhile to get to what's hip. There are so many hours in the week to binge so here is our review of those shows you will eventually get to.

Star Trek: Discovery Midseason Premiere Review and Upcoming 2018 Film and TVFor Nerd Nuptial, Star Trek: Discovery has just been "OK" and not much else. That is until the midseason finale last year. The episode definitely showed that the show was finding its footing and this latest episode solidified it. That is except for one very key unfortunate trope that was utilized.Before we review Star Trek, we talk about what movies and television shows we are excited to see coming up in 2018.What did you think of the latest Star Trek episode?

We discuss our top ten film list of 2017 as well as our favorite shows 2017 has come and gone and it has been a divisive year for film. Culturally as well as at the box office. Not as many people went to the theater in 2017 but that doesn't mean we were lacking in some damn fine cinema. Both Tristan and The Girl give their lists but they are of course not the same. Listen to hear their reasoning and also to hear what didn't make the cut. Tell us your top films of 2017 by commenting below or going to thenerdparty.com/contact