Now and Then Movie Podcast

The Batman (2022) directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz is the subject of todays conversation. A wide ensamble deticvite drama, this is not the typical DC offering of late. Mike and Mike dig in and try to crack the case on whether this version of Batman belongs to be perched atop the highest building in Gotham City or should be cast back into the shadows forever... We discuss wether we thought it was good... This movie also stars such movie starts as Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.

Nobody came out in 2021. Mike and Mike discuss.

Palm Springs is an R-rated comedy and possibly the best thing to come out in 2020. It's about two people stuck in a timeloop at a wedding. Luckily for us those two people are portrayed by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. This is streaming on hulu so you can check it out anytime. I recomend watching it over and over and over again.

The dynamic duo of dudes who watch movies is back in the new year to discuss Disney's Encanto. Mike C is known to be a curmudgeon when it is time to talk animated features. Will this movie finally turn him around?

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the story of seven or so people on trial facing charges surrounding a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and starring Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Grodon-Levitt, Alex Sharp, Yahya Abdul-Mateen and a cast of great actors that you've enjoyed in other films but never learned thier names, this movie is techically very well done. Is that all there is to discuss? Not in the least. Mike and Mike bring you this episode recorded in late September 2020. Here's a time capsule of that unique time in hoistory discussing a movie about another unique time in history.  Enjoy.

Every once in a while a movie comes out that makes you say 'okay'... this is one of those. Madison Lake Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis) has an unknown past and a supernatural present in Malignant. The film creates an immediate bone-chilling intensity, Madison is deeply involved in a series of mysterious murders via a villain that she doesn't know, but that knows her. Mike & Mike discuss their viewing experiences, thoughts, questions, etc.                     

Willy's Wonderland was initially billed as an indoor entertainment center. However, over time it's gained a reputation as a now-defunct dilapidated house of horrors, hovering over the town in which it resides. Nic Cage skids into town and is tasked with restoring Wonderland to its previous glory. Meanwhile, a cast of rebellious teenagers has other plans, as do the building's Animatronic inhabitants. Who wins out, only time will tell. Joined by returning guest Brian Wadsworth, Mike & Mike discuss the mayhem and mechanism of this frighteningly fun film.

On the latest episode of the Now and Then Movie Podcast Mike and Mike explore the numerous twists & turns of the 2020 Leigh Whannell-directed thriller-horror film (which one is it?) The Invisible Man. Starring Elisabeth Moss , as Cecilia Kass, the plot is centered around her fight against an imperceptible foe, one which tests the trust of both friends and family members alike. With a technological science-fiction component, yet a poignant palpable poignancy the film holds you on the edge of your seat. 

We dig into Hotel Artemis, the sleek bad-guy hotel action drama from 2018. It has a lot more going on than you might expect. Mike and Mike get into it. 

We watched the fast-paced and outlandish dark action comedy Guns Akimbo (2019) starring Daniel Radcliff and Samara Weaving. A ton of action and some social comentary. What did Mike and Mike think? You might be surprised.

We watched Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead on Netflix. Tons of interesting things in this movie and  the discussion goes all over the place. Chris and the Mikes disscuss the crazy choices, amazing concepts, big swings and misses in this movie. 

Mike and Mike discuss the 2017 action thriller starring Brittany Snow and Dave Bautista. The movie depicts a seize on American soil. Civilians are in New York are trying to survive an attack by military invaders. These types of movies are common enough but what sets this movie apart is the filmmaking. The steadycam work through the neighborhood and city streets of Brookyn bring you a sense of involvement in the story and bring you in like an omnipresent participant in the story. The fact that the movie is shot as one continuois camera shot is an impresssive. This movie has real "Handmaid's Tale" vibes but neither Mike has seen it at the recording time to make the obvious comparison.   

Chris requested that we watch this Nic Cage "masterpiece" a few times. During the tournament discussion Kevin suggested it so we jumped on it. Kevin returns to discuss Nicolas Cage and ALL OF THE INSANITY of this Panos Cosmatos directed movie. Chris loves it.  How did Mike and Mike feel about it? 

This is a very special episode. We talk movies.  That is the rule. We like sports but thats not what we do on the podcast... however.. in talking about the classic 2014 movie Draft Day we do get a little carried away talking about real football. At least we have a knowledgeable guest on.

Mike Bell joins us to decide which movies advance in our bracket. We also re-litegate the 1st round and for some reason get really into Adam Sandler's legacy. We have some spirted debate as these movies hold special significance for each of us. Can Bell be the voice of reason when Mike Chris and Mike are all on different pages?

64 movies, 32 match ups, 4 guys breaking it all down. Kevin returns to help Mike, Mike and Chris figure out the convoluted system that we created. Turns out it's more of an art than a science. 

We select the field of 64 movies in the 2021 March Movie Madness Tournament for the Now and Then Movie Podcast. Each region is a decade starting with the 1980's, 1990's, 2000's and 2010's. Be sure to listen to see how we decided the movies and then to vote on Twitter and Instagram . And check out Chris's other podcast: Adventure Public Radio 

Mike and Mike break down some of the best movies to watch on Hulu right now. Tons of recommendations in this episode. You are sure to get your moneys worth.

Catch Me If You Can (2002), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken.  A movie like this is a no brainer, high quality movie. Or is it? This one was unexpectedly full of controversial takes and arguments.  Mike, Mike and Chris try to figure it out.

Filmmaker Sara Werner joins us to discuss filmmaking and these genre defining, powerful female lead movies. Spoilers for Blow the Man Down and Promising Young Woman. Sara Werner is an award winning Writer/Director, whose short film sent her to Los Angeles after receiving her MFA in Film Production from the University of Miami. She has a passion for telling stories about characters who are discovering their truth and learning the power of living it. She is currently patiently social distancing while developing her first comic book under the tutelage of comic writing legend Ron Marz. Until then expect projects involving her cat and her girlfriend to be on a phone screen near you!

Mike C is finally convinced to watch an animated movie. And his reaction is not what you might think. We tackle the 2016 film Sing from Illumination. Big stars and big voices drive this movie and we break it all down, including why Mike doesn't typically like watching animated movies.

The Platform (2019) or El hoyo in its original Spanish release is a film where the prison system looks a little different from what we are used to... its two people to a cell, one cell per floor and 2 minutes a day to eat. We compare and contrast the vertical class systems the emerge to the horizontal class system on the train of Snowpiercer, another movie where food is scare and survival is hardest for those at the end of the line. We look at two bleak movies but have fun doing so...

Mike Bell joins us to discuss the last two installments of the Scream movie franchise. If you thought Scream was groundbreaking and all the other movies were trash, you might be surprised by this episode.

After mentioning it in the most recent Christmas film episode, Brian Wadsworth returns for an in-depth  (Deep Dig) discussion of the 2010 Finnish fantasy film Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. It explores an unpredictable alternative take on Santa Claus viewed through an untraditional genre lens. Which genre we try to figure that out.    

2020 was a little different, so we are wrapping up the year with a Christmas movie watch list that is a little off of the beaten path. We get into some of the better watches at this time of year that might not be in your rotation. Mike, Mike, and Chris bring you the definitive definition of what is a  Christmas movie. (Die Hard enters the chat). Enjoy.

Mike, Mike and Chris get into another discussion on movie sequels, when they work, when they don't and why audiences have to wait around forever for a sequel to a movie that they love only to lose interest  once the thing finally comes out. 

We discuss the first 2 movies in the Scream franchise with guest writer, musician and horror movie enthusiast Mike Bell. 

Mike and Mike talk independent films and then are joined by the director of Forbidden Power Paul Kyriazi. Paul talks a lot about the behind the scenes of making movies from financing to picking collaborators and why even though the barriers to making a movie are more manageable than they have ever been, you'd still better love the movie that you are trying to make! Check out Forbidden Power on Amazon

We look at movies that take place in the future and discuss what the future of movies could look like and who we want to see more of in that future. We try out and official 3rd co-host and have a good guest.

Robots come in many forms in movies... but are they friend or foe? Are they here because we built them or because they wanted us to build them? If that is confusing, you have some idea of what you are getting into on this episode as we debate discuss and dissect robots in movies. 

Reboots. Only a select few come out better than the original. Still, they are common and we look at some that workout and some that really missed the mark.  We are joined by guest Brian Wadsworth and he highly endorses the Kinky Ladies Book Club. It's fun. Give it a listen.

Kwab Agyemang from A Brotha's Got Next comes on to help us with the perfect Heist Movie conversation, or at least, it started out that way... We scouted some of the best heist movies in the game, went over the ins and outs of their plans. Ultimately, our guys decide that its the crew that makes or breaks a good heist movie.  You need a great crew and that what we had on this episode.    Check out Kwab's podcast: A Brotha's Got Next  

Mickey Welde joins us and turns us into positive thinkers! We discuss movies that make us feel happy. We each had our own reasons for each movie on our lists and a good time was had by all. This one was recorded a ways back but it all still holds true. Except for the going places part, and the kids are older... anyway ALL of these movies are recommended and should be watched! Negativity was at an all time low during this one, so buckle up and be read to smile. We all need that.  Check out more of Mickey on the Mickey Welde Podcast.

Hartman joins us to figure out the best and worst of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We discuss our favorites in the MCU. Talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe....Wow.

We are joined by Brian Kulak, author, former English teacher and current K-5 principal and more importantly, mentor to one of our two Mikes! We discuss the roles of mentors in films and in real life as well as how educators and writers are portrayed in movies. You can find Brian's book  LEVEL UP LEADERSHIP: ADVANCE YOUR EDUGAME  at https://leveluplead.com  

We are back for Season 4 and predict what movies will look like in a post-Covid world. We also go over some of our old, bad, movie takes.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fun, light-hearted story of a teenager trying to find his place in the world.  He has to navigate high-school, relationships, responsibilities and being a super-hero. He wants to keep his city safe from criminals and villains but he also wants to go to a dance in his high-school gymnasium.  Its a nice departure from the norm while still fitting firmly in the MCU. It also has a real John Hughes thing going on which totally works. We compare that to Suicide Squad which had all the potential in the world of being a fun anti-hero movie.  It wasn't.  It missed the mark in a lot of ways. It was a bummer to think of what might have been...

Mike and Mike offer movie suggestions to each other based on movies that they think the other hasn't seen.  But they watch a lot of movies so these recommendations are a little off of the beaten path.

We all loved certain movies as kids that maybe don't stand the test of time.  But we love them anyway.  We can't even tell they were bad some times. Those movies are a blind spot for us, in a fog of nostalgia. We dive deep and list five or so of the movies that are on our list of movies that we just don't know if they are any good.  But our lists are good, we think.

Two films that are more than they seem on the surface are the focus of this episode. Groundhog Day (1993) almost needs no introduction, but it does need repeat viewings to let the viewer in on how deep the movie runs. About Time (2013) is billed as a comedy but offers s much more than laughs. Get ready to think about life and all the choices that you may regret because these movies are time travel adjacent.

The movie is Arrival (2016) starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forrest Whitaker directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Eric Heisserer.  It's so much more than expected.  It surpasses expectations and transcends the genre.  We liked it.

The Big Sick and The Hero look at what happens when life throws you something unexpected.  And hard. There are no obvious choices in life when dealing with families, culture, expectations, fame, drive, and love.  Then add in sickness. These two films take different looks at these things... different from each other and different than most films.  The Big Sick is a comedy with a surprising amount of heart. Kumail is a comedian and meets his match in Emily, a lovely girl who is perfect for him.  The only problem is that Kumail is expected to abide by an arranged marriage set up by his Pakistani Muslim immigrant parents. And then Emily gets sick. The Hero is a breakout performance by a man that we have adored for decades in Sam Elliott. He plays a Western icon given a potentially life ending diagnosis. Despite very serious premises, each of these films have so much to offer in heart and comedy. Both have amazing supporting casts and are strong contenders for awards.

Subdued.  Avant-garde.  Weird. Maybe words that we could use to describe our two offerings on this episode of Person to Person (2017) and Lemon (2017).   But do we?  These each have star-studded casts full of great actors or comedic geniuses. So what does that add up to?

He's back, and this time its complicated. John Wick is reluctantly brought back into the life of being a gentleman assassin. But I warn you, do not make him angry, you wouldn't like him when he's angry. Hand to hand combat is on full display once again and is not to be missed.  We compare and contrast to The Hitman's Bodyguard. The laughs fly as freely as the bullets do in this one. Its a lighthearted tale of two killers on a road-trip to testify against a war criminal with a few pit-stops to win over their lady-friends.

Get Out and Split. Horrible name of this episode or regular names of two pretty good horror films from 2017? Could be both.  We aren't big horror movie fans as a rule so these two must have had something going on to peak our mutual interest.  Spoiler. They did.  Listen in to find out what we think.

Wonder Woman and Logan. Two superhero films that take risks. We liked them both. Here's why...

Space. Some have called it the final frontier. I call it a scary, dark, deathtrap of a bad idea for a vacation destination.  But hey, its not all about the destination, its about the journey, right? Well, that's what Passengers posits and we have plenty of thoughts on that... Life stars some big name actors and some big time horror in the form of a little space creep called Calvin. Its very unsettling. But our conversations on these two movies is as fun as can be...

We are back for Season 3! We outline some of the things to come this Season and take a look at some of the movie franchises that actually do their best work in the third installment!  We catch up on some of the things that happened in our break and tell you what to watch to enjoy this season of the Now and Then Movie Podcast.    

Summer isn't just for fun. Its also for watching a ton of movies ! But how to choose? Listen to our list of the best Summer movies of all-time excluding the ones we forgot or didn't mention. But seriously, its a good list.  We mention nearly 10 movies each. Almost. Just listen and go re-watch some of the best Summer movies according to us.

Its a coming-of-age story kind of episode, where shoot outs are an essential part of growing up. We review Mud (2012) and Cop Car (2015) where the central stories revolve around young boys stumbling into dangerous conflicts between adults. Both are movies that are worth watching and have stories that we haven't all seen a million times already. Both films have similar hallmarks of being told from the vantage point of children, and stripped down, uncomplicated stories. Each has a star to carry the film, but these films themselves have all they need to be something worthy of your collection and our discussion. You'll watch because of Matthew McConaughey or Kevin Bacon, but leave with some new favorite filmmakers.

We rank some of the all- time best and worst football movies.  In our own special way, we discuss the good, the bad, and other ones. We feel qualified to judge these movies because, well, we have eyes. So kick back and enjoy because there is plenty of time until a real game kicks off!