Pop Culture with Fanboy and Know-It-All

What's the best way to make a horror movie less scary? Know-It-All shares one of his favorite pro tips of all-time in this regard in the context of Fanboy forcing yet another horror movie on him since it's October and, y'know, "Halloween season" or some garbage like that. This time around the flick in question is a BBC film called HIS HOUSE (available on Netflix) that brings a fresh take to the haunted house segment of the horror movie genre by also tackling pressing issues of social commentary like the cultural assimilation of refugees. Who knew Halloween could provide such an opportunity for thoughtfulness and nuance? Elsewhere, the intrepid duo of Fanboy and Know-It-All dig into their review of director Denis Villeneuve's rendition of DUNE -- a classic 1965 science fiction epic written by Frank Herbert. Sporting incredible new visuals and an ensemble cast to die for, was the new DUNE film able to succeed where the original cinematic version of DUNE (1984) directed by David Lynch could not? You know Fanboy and Know-It-All have thoughts on that and more that they are more than willing to share and overshare with you. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What is the best propaganda film of all time and why is it not actually REEFER MADNESS? Know-It-All and a special guest host filling in for Fanboy (friend of the show and CURRENT GEN podcast co-host Tim Nester) have the answer for you as well as their Top 10 Great Propaganda Movies of All Time ranked list in this here episode. It's what the kids call a "dooby." Errr, "doozy." ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What is the best martial arts scene that you've ever seen? The world of cinema is chock full of fantastic martial arts sequences. Whether martial arts scenes take place inside of martial arts films or superhero flicks, it is easy to see why the diverse fighting styles of myriad martial arts disciplines have long been so popular amongst movie goers. That is one of the reasons Fanboy and Know-It-All knew it was high time that they ranked their favorite martial arts scenes in movies. That and the fact that Marvel's SHANG CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS is dropping in movie theaters everywhere. Fanboy and Know-It-All, in a return to their classic "Riding in Cars with Boys" segment, bring you their very own special deep dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe's explosive martial arts-centric movie, SHANG CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, which stars Simu Liu and Awkwafina. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What movie desperately needs to become a video game? If you ask one of us, you might hear the answers "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" come out of one of our mouths... That's right. Movies based on video games are generally terrible. But what about video games based on movies... ? Yeah, they can be pretty terrible as well. But not always. In the hands of the right video game studio, video games based on preexisting movie IP can be pretty great (we're looking at you, Shadow of Mordor). That's why, to celebrate the release of a pretty decent movie (Free Guy) about a video game that doesn't exist (Free City), Fanboy and Know-It-All decided to do a ranking of the Top Ten Movies That Should Be Video Games. Oh, yeah, we also break down the new Shawn Levy/Ryan Reynold's film: "Free Guy." ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What Olympic event are you drawn to in ways that make no sense? We all know about the sports and athletic competitions that draw all the eye and earballs during the Olympic Games, but what about the ones that keep you up at night? Not because you're terrified, but because you can't stand to miss a solitary, strange moment of the action? Fanboy and Know-It-All tackle the best and most compelling Olympic Events currently in the Olympic Games in order to help you find your new obsession. Also, is Ted Lasso the most likeable television character of all time? We sort of discuss it, but mostly just dig into the show. As one does. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What TV show is the most perfectly cast? That question, posed to us by friend of the show Wes Coburn (@CoburnWesley), animates a passionate debate between Fanboy and Know-It-All as they each bring their respective Top Five Most Perfectly Cast TV Shows of All Time lists to the table. You might be able to guess a few of them that cracked our collective Top 10 Best TV Show Casts Ever rankings, but we're willing to wager there will be a few that surprise -- and maybe even anger -- you as well. Elsewhere, to do Know-It-All's buddy Chris Pratt a favor, Fanboy and Know-It-All dissect Amazon's "The Tomorrow War" and even swap roles with one another for a robust argument over whether or not this new summer sci-fi blockbuster has a message to sell. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What if Michael Scott was a youth pastor? Steve Carell's classic turn as an inept middle manager in NBC's "The Office" may or may not have been on the minds of Jeff Ryan, Arielle Cimino, and Christopher O'Connell when they set out to create their mockumentary feature film called "YouthMin," but no one needs to squint to see why one review of the movie quips that it feels akin to what might have happened if "The Office went to Christian summer camp." Interestingly enough, "YouthMin" is not a "Christian movie" but it was put together as a way for its creators to laugh about the good, the bad, and the weird that they (and many, many, many others) have experienced in Christian youth ministries over the years (especially those who came of age around the turn of the 21st century). "YouthMin" manages to operate, in some respects, as a knowing send-up of Christian camp culture's quirks while also being an homage to the loads of truly good times that were to be had in those settings as well. Fanboy and Know-It-All had the privilege of sitting down with YouthMin co-director and star Jeff Ryan and the film's lead writer, Christopher O'Connell, to talk about the film, what they got into watching during 2020, their own experiences with Christian youth ministry, the surprises and lessons learned from making a mockumentary, and much more. Elsewhere, in a return to Hurts So Good, Fanboy and Know-It-All yuk it up over a terribly good bad movie they watched together that came out in 1972 and starred Jamie Lee Curtis' mom (Janet Leigh): "The Night of the Lepus." ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Sure, Thanos said there'd be no resurrections this time. But he didn't say nothing about no prequels involving time travel and multiverses (multiversi?), so now we have Marvel's LOKI on Disney+. Fanboy and Know-It-All struggle to resist the superhero genre, but they give in to take on LOKI. (Who are we kidding? We don't resist it at all.) Also, SLEEPER ALERT: we watched Netflix's "The Mitchells vs the Machines" and we have thoughts. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Who are the best (read: most evil and loathsome) Disney animated villains of all-time? We'd wager that the list of options is probably longer than you think, and we'd also wager that Cruella De Vil probably crossed your mind when you saw the question because, well, puppy slaughter and all that jazz that adults of 1960s decided to feature in animated children's movies. It's hard to argue against the read that Cruella De Vil is one of Disney's least sympathetic villains, so it seems only fitting that Disney would attempt to make Cruella a sympathetic character. For the kids, right? Emma Stone and Emma Thompson put on a marvelous show in Disney's CRUELLA, but Fanboy and Know-It-All have some hot takes to go along with a smattering of platitudes. As per usual. Inspired by Cruella, Fanboy and Know-It-All decided it was high time the world had access to a definitive ranking of the best Disney animated villains ever. So, as per usual, they made their respective ranked list of the most evil Disney animated villains and argued with one another over them. IMPORTANT: watch/download the in-show-mentioned "Super Mario Bros: The Morton Jankel Cut (VHS Extended Rough Cut 1.0)" at Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/super-mario-bros-1993-the-morton-jankel-cut-extended-vhs("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What are the top 100 greatest movies ever made? And how are they ranked? All legitimate film critics and self-respecting know-it-all cinema aficionados have a list of their Top 100 Films of All-Time. To comemorate their 100th episode, Fanboy and Know-It-All knew it was their duty to create and rank their own definitive list of the best movies ever made. As can be expected with two strong-willed personalities, there are crossovers, surprise picks, and disagreements galore as our intrepid and dynamic duo weave their way through ranking the 100 greatest flicks to ever grace the silver screen. Oh, yeah, and they comisserate about Chick-fil-a sauce and break down a specific NBA milestone that finds Steph Curry alone in the rareified stratosphere with none other than Michael Jordan. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

How does "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" fare on Disney+? Does it hold a candle to "WandaVision"? Is it better or worse in any meaningful ways? Which one is deeper? How does the (presumed) first season of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" continue to set up the next phase(s) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Fanboy and Know-It-All break down all those questions, as well as a few others, in their recap and review of Marvel's "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (Season One?) which is now ready to be binged on Disney+. Sticking with the Marvel theme, the dynamic duo dives into another Hurts So Good segment by subjecting themselves to the 1990 version of "Captain America" in order to determine whether its truly a bad film or if it is just horrifically awful enough to be a hidden gem of a flick. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Who is the worst movie supervillain of all time? If one of us had our 'druthers, someone from Netflix's new Ben Falcone/Melissa McCarthy "superhero" film, Thunder Force, would be on the list. Inspired by the aggressively mediocre film, Fanboy and Know-It-All realized that it was time for the world to have a definitive ranked list of the Top 10 Worst Cinematic Supervillains of All Time. And who better to make said definitive list than Fanboy and Know-It-All? Paired with a review of the painfully poor "Thunder Force" and a pair of highlights in The Most Least Important Thing, we've got a real banger on our hands. And, yeah... we've got Brad Pitt references. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Who is "Aaron Rodgers"? That would be the correct question if the answer was pre-given, Jeopardy!-style, as "This NFL quarterback hails from the Land of Cheese Curds and has filled in as a guest host on Jeopardy!" That's right, Fanboy and Know-It-All discuss Aaron Rodgers' first appearance as a guest host on the classic TV trivia show "Jeopardy!" as the series continues its search for a replacement to the legendary Alex Trebek. Elsewhere, our dynamic duo dives deeper into GODZILLA VS. KONG than anyone should ever dive. Maybe they take monster movies too seriously. Or, considering the fact that they then proceed to tear apart 1969's hilariously bad "Attack of the Monsters" (a.k.a. "Gamera vs. Guiron"), maybe they don't take them seriously enough... Who knows? Maybe they take them exactly the way they should be taken. You decide. Don't let them tell you what you think. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Some movies are begging to be recut. Was 2017's JUSTICE LEAGUE one of those movies? Or is one of the other movies we rank as being the films most in need of being recut more worthy? The 2017 release of JUSTICE LEAGUE generated a lot of attention due to the leaks surrounding the film prior to director Zack Snyder's official departure that came in the wake of a terrible family tragedy. For years, super fans begged for Warner Bros to release the quote-unquote "Snyder Cut." Using 70 million dollars and HBO Max, Warner Bros has done just that. But was it worth all the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut hype in the end... ? Elsewhere, using the controversial topic of recutting movies as a springboard, Fanboy and Know-It-All stir up contention as they argue over what films really do need to be recut and re-released. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What does WandaVision mean for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?? The 9-episode run of WandaVision is officially in the books over on Disney+ and it was chockfull of potential implications for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (also, do we need to start calling it the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse now?). Fanboy and Know-It-All are chockfull with hot takes for what Marvel Studios did with Wanda and Vision in WandaVision. They are also not shy about prognosticating about what WandaVision and the upcoming slate of MCU (MCM?) movies and Disney+ shows all mean for the future of the Marvel superheroes that you know and love (or know and hate, don't let us tell you how you feel). ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Can a bad movie be a great bad movie if it was intentionally made to be a bad movie? In their first foray back into Hurts So Good territory in 2021, Fanboy and Know-It-All get into their worst fight since nearly coming to blows over Brad Pitt and Daniel Day Lewis as they duke it out over whether or not KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (currently available to stream on Netflix at time of publication) deserves to rank on the official Hurts So Good scale for Z-grade cinema. Oh, yeah, and they talk about Chloe Zhao's indie film called NOMADLAND starring Frances McDormand (currently available to stream on Hulu) that might be really good but which will probably-most-likely-almost-definitely get forgotten by the populists when Zhao's Marvel flick (ETERNALS) comes out later in 2021. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

IN FACT, FANBOY WROTE two BOOKS! That's right, on this very special episode of Pop Culture with Fanboy and Know-It-All, we talk about both books that our very own Paul Asay has written and -- as of February 9, 2021 -- published: one he wrote with farmer and former NFL center Jason Brown called "Centered" and one he wrote all on his own called "Beauty in the Browns." Know-It-All grills Fanboy about both books before the intrepid duo decides to rank their Top Five Favorite Books to Re-Read. Like a bunch of nerds. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What was the best entertainment of 2020? Fanboy and Know-It-All dive into the notorious year that was 2020 in order to mine the best and most engaging nuggets of pop culture and entertainment that Two Thousand Twenty had to offer. Not only do your favorite heroes mine these tasty nuggets, though, they also rank them in numerical order from worst of the best to best of the best. Because, science! Elsewhere, the intrepid podcasting duo engages in a spoiler-y discussion about what's going on in the first three episodes of Marvel's "WandaVision" as seen on Disney+. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

There's no time like 2021 to dive into one of 2020's only blockbuster superhero movies. The DCEU's "Wonder Woman 1984" has roped its way into theaters and HBO Max subscriptions across the world and Fanboy and Know-It-All knew it was high time to engage in verbal fisticuffs over it. Elsewhere, with Season Two of The Mandalorian fully released on Disney+, Fanboy and Know-It-All dig into the twists, turns, and Easter Eggs that Jon Favreau and crew decided to pack into the ever-expanding Star Wars universe. AND, HANG ON NOW ... DEADPOOL IS COMING TO THE MCU??("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Chadwick Boseman's last movie performance came in the role of Levee in Netflix's MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM which dropped for the viewing public in December 2020. It's a fascinating film for a variety of reasons other than the fact that it is the last film Boseman will appear in since cancer took his life in summer 2020. As Fanboy and Know-It-All continue their quest to watch all of 2020/2021's "Oscar Bait" movies, they hash out the deep and complex themes of Netflix's MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM (which is based on a stage play written by the former playwright August Wilson). Not to be forgotten, Disney-Pixar released it's own ambitious and music-saturated film on Disney+ in December 2020 in the form of SOUL. Starring the voice talents of Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, SOUL may just be Pixar's most ambitious film to date. Which is saying something when considering the studio has released such emotional heavyweights such as UP, INSIDE OUT, and CARS 2. (Okay, so that last one was a joke. Put down the snarky tweets.) Also, one of us stakes out an inflammatory position on Michael Jordan's legacy in the NBA... ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

A black and white Academy Award contender, MANK, has dropped on Netflix to help close out the year that is 2020. Fanboy and Know-It-All have a lot to say about the film, its chances at the 2021 Oscars, and its place in cinematic history (both as a film and as a commentary on cinematic history itself). Elsewhere, inspired by MANK starring Gary OLDMAN, Fanboy and Know-It-All decide to list, rank, and argue over the best old man characters in cinematic history -- a segment that contains a few unexpected picks... ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Were you unlucky enough to see the Star Wars Holiday Special before George Lucas tried to bury it? Unfortunately for Mr. Lucas and everyone else connected with the making of 1978's Star Wars Holiday Special, it seems that Disney has decided to allow the dumpster fire that is the holiday-themed musical variety show known as the Star Wars Holiday Special to unofficially-yet-basically-officially live on via YouTube. And, in conjunction with the release of The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+ for Holiday 2020, Fanboy and Know-It-All decided it was high time that they do a Hurts So Good for the 1978 travesty that is the Star Wars Holiday Special AND also watch The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+ in order to rank them. It was insanity. Almost literally. So buckle up. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

One silver lining for 2020? Basically all of the Academy Award contenders are (or will soon be) streaming on a OTT device near you. It's been a weird year and the movie awards business has been feeling the weirdness right along with the rest of us. But where the accessibility of award-bait cinema prior to movie awards season is generally pretty spotty in typical years, the shuttering of movie theaters and forced prominence of streaming services in 2020 has led to "Oscar bait" being more accessible to the general public than ever before. Taking advantage of that, Fanboy and Know-It-All are taking it upon themselves to begin working their way through potential contenders for the biggest and brightest movie awards (you know, like the SAG Awards and the BAFTA and the Academy Awards and...) beginning with Netflix's "The Trial of the Chicago 7." They also dive into the third annual Pop Culture with Fanboy and Know-It-All Fantasy Movie Awards Season League Draft. With Fanboy having captured the league crown in year one and Know-It-All doing so in year two, Year Three is already promising to be contentious as rule changes are suggested and rammed through the rules committee on the fly immediately following the draft. Thanks a lot, 2020. (Oh, yeah, did any of you score a PlayStation 5 via preorder or on launch day? Because one of us did.)("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

For your money, what are the best sci-fi TV shows ever made? Odds are, your list and ours don't match up perfectly. Ours certainly didn't and mass chaos ensued. Because sometimes Wrongy McWrongface (aka Fanboy) needs to be put in his place. Especially when he comes in with such a terrible pick at #1. THE NERVE! Oh, yeah, and Season 2 of The Mandalorian has premiered on Disney+ so we argue about both the first episode of Season 2 as well as over the respective opinions Fanboy and Know-It-All have regarding Season 1 of The Mandalorian. It is, as per usual, a whole thing and a third. Possibly even a thing and a half. Maybe. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Never fear, 2020, Adam Sandler and Netflix knew you were dying (undying?) for a new Halloween flick and delivered... something. Frankly, we're still not entirely sure what Hubie Halloween is supposed to be--but we argue about it at length anyway. Elsewhere, to continue exploring Know-It-All's Backlist Hall of Shame, our dynamic duo watched Pan's Labyrinth (also available on Netflix as of October 2020) and Know-It-All makes a strong-yet-contentious case that the film is a horror film in the truest sense of the word. Also: Know-It-All may have just helped arrange the world's greatest TV/YouTube/podcast crossover event in history. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

From a dearth of live sports to an unprecedented cornucopia of live sports, 2020 keeps on giving in weird and unexpected ways. Accordingly, Fanboy and Know-It-All saw it fit to give their terrible opinions about the best movies for four of the most popular team sports in the United States. Elsewhere, uninspired by the first presidential debate of the 2020 matchups between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Fanboy forces Know-It-All to watch James Stewart in Frank Capra's 1939 classic, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Additionally, some brings up Star Wars-inspired kicks and an insane football sequence from "The Last Boy Scout." ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

From a dearth of live sports to an unprecedented cornucopia of live sports, 2020 keeps on giving in weird and unexpected ways. Accordingly, Fanboy and Know-It-All saw it fit to give their terrible opinions about the best movies for four of the most popular team sports in the United States. Elsewhere, uninspired by the first presidential debate of the 2020 matchups between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Fanboy forces Know-It-All to watch James Stewart in Frank Capra's 1939 classic, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Additionally, some brings up Star Wars-inspired kicks and an insane football sequence from "The Last Boy Scout." ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What animal's "superpower" would be the worst for a human being to be saddled with? Inspired by the unique premise of the new Netflix original movie "Project Power," Fanboy and Know-It-All embark on a shudder-worthy exploration of the grottiest "abilities" that animals have which humans should not aspire to have. Oh, yeah, and they review Netflix's "Project Power" too. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What animal's "superpower" would be the worst for a human being to be saddled with? Inspired by the unique premise of the new Netflix original movie "Project Power," Fanboy and Know-It-All embark on a shudder-worthy exploration of the grottiest "abilities" that animals have which humans should not aspire to have. Oh, yeah, and they review Netflix's "Project Power" too. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

AAAAAUUUUGGGHHHH, ALL THE SPOILERZZZZZ. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

AAAAAUUUUGGGHHHH, ALL THE SPOILERZZZZZ. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

A spoiler-free review of Christopher Nolan's "TENET" and a deep dive into our return to movie theaters in a COVID-19 context and what we think it does -- or doesn't -- mean for the future of the medium.("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

A spoiler-free review of Christopher Nolan's "TENET" and a deep dive into our return to movie theaters in a COVID-19 context and what we think it does -- or doesn't -- mean for the future of the medium.("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Could an independent British black comedy film really be the surprise hit of the COVID-19-stricken year that is 2020? "Get Duked!" wants to prove that it could indeed. But, lest it get too much attention after it drops on Amazon Prime on August 28, Fanboy and Know-It-All give ample attention to one of the worst movies of all time: "Plan 9 from Outer Space." Oh, yeah, and they argue over their rankings of the best spy movies ever made. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Could an independent British black comedy film really be the surprise hit of the COVID-19-stricken year that is 2020? "Get Duked!" wants to prove that it could indeed. But, lest it get too much attention after it drops on Amazon Prime on August 28, Fanboy and Know-It-All give ample attention to one of the worst movies of all time: "Plan 9 from Outer Space." Oh, yeah, and they argue over their rankings of the best spy movies ever made. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

DID A SUPERHERO MOVIE SNEAK INTO OUR NETFLIX QUEUES THIS SUMMER AFTER ALL?? Sorry-not-sorry for the all-caps. Maybe we got a little excited or maybe all the sticky candy residue finally built up to an unsustainable level and caused the button to be stuck until we agreed to pause our writing of this episode description and finally clean it off. You pick whichever explanation you want to believe. Annnyyyywaaayyy... we watched Netflix's THE OLD GUARD to help fill the "Summer Superhero Blockbuster" void in our lives. We dive REAL DEEP into the validity of its concept and come to different conclusions on its values. Elsewhere, we talk about young adults discovering Phil Collins and re-launching him to the top of the charts thanks to their YouTube reaction video. Oh, oh, and, AND... we also discuss the fate of the 2020 fall college football season in the wake of breaking news that several major NCAA conferences are canceling/postponing their fall football schedules due to the myriad complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

DID A SUPERHERO MOVIE SNEAK INTO OUR NETFLIX QUEUES THIS SUMMER AFTER ALL?? Sorry-not-sorry for the all-caps. Maybe we got a little excited or maybe all the sticky candy residue finally built up to an unsustainable level and caused the button to be stuck until we agreed to pause our writing of this episode description and finally clean it off. You pick whichever explanation you want to believe. Annnyyyywaaayyy... we watched Netflix's THE OLD GUARD to help fill the "Summer Superhero Blockbuster" void in our lives. We dive REAL DEEP into the validity of its concept and come to different conclusions on its values. Elsewhere, we talk about young adults discovering Phil Collins and re-launching him to the top of the charts thanks to their YouTube reaction video. Oh, oh, and, AND... we also discuss the fate of the 2020 fall college football season in the wake of breaking news that several major NCAA conferences are canceling/postponing their fall football schedules due to the myriad complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What are the best movie scenes to ever find themselves inside a superhero flick? In the absence of new superhero summer blockbusters being released in theaters over the course of the summer of 2020, Fanboy and Know-It-All dug through the archives to review the best superhero movie scenes of all-time so that they could rank them in numerical order for you. Elsewhere, Fanboy puts Know-It-All on blast with a rapid-fire round of twenty superhero-related questions. Oh, prompted by news that Christopher Nolan's TENET will (likely) release in theaters internationally prior to dropping in the U.S., our intrepid duo discuss the future of movie theaters in the United States and abroad in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What are the best movie scenes to ever find themselves inside a superhero flick? In the absence of new superhero summer blockbusters being released in theaters over the course of the summer of 2020, Fanboy and Know-It-All dug through the archives to review the best superhero movie scenes of all-time so that they could rank them in numerical order for you. Elsewhere, Fanboy puts Know-It-All on blast with a rapid-fire round of twenty superhero-related questions. Oh, prompted by news that Christopher Nolan's TENET will (likely) release in theaters internationally prior to dropping in the U.S., our intrepid duo discuss the future of movie theaters in the United States and abroad in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

KING GEORGE IS ON DISNEY+ In, y'know, the filmed version of the "Hamilton" Broadway show. We may not all be able to pack into a crowded theater in New York City, but many of us are finally getting our chance to see the Broadway phenomenon that is Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" musical. Fanboy and Know-It-All have soaked it in (THREE TIMES BETWEEN US) and have some takes to dish out.Elsewhere, inspired by watching "Hamilton" (THREE TIMES BETWEEN US), the intrepid duo decides to rank out a list of the best film adaptations of Broadway shows. Thankfully they don't sing... too much. Also, what's the deal with Taco Bell's new literary magazine? ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

KING GEORGE IS ON DISNEY+ In, y'know, the filmed version of the "Hamilton" Broadway show. We may not all be able to pack into a crowded theater in New York City, but many of us are finally getting our chance to see the Broadway phenomenon that is Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" musical. Fanboy and Know-It-All have soaked it in (THREE TIMES BETWEEN US) and have some takes to dish out.Elsewhere, inspired by watching "Hamilton" (THREE TIMES BETWEEN US), the intrepid duo decides to rank out a list of the best film adaptations of Broadway shows. Thankfully they don't sing... too much. Also, what's the deal with Taco Bell's new literary magazine? ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Will Ferrell is a very funny fellow, right? Right?? Netflix's "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams is tearing up the (Netflix) charts even though it has received decidedly polarized (polarizing?) reviews from critics and users alike. Fanboy and Know-It-All, as you've come to expect by now (we hope), are on the case. Elsewhere, as the COVID-19 sports gap continues to fester, Fanboy and Know-It-All throw together a definitive ranking of obscure sporting competitions that you should definitely start getting caught up on via YouTube. (Except for the one that hasn't been played in thousands of years and involves slaughtering the losing team in a fit of unexplainable victorious genocide.) As per usual, it's a rip-roaring time. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Will Ferrell is a very funny fellow, right? Right?? Netflix's "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams is tearing up the (Netflix) charts even though it has received decidedly polarized (polarizing?) reviews from critics and users alike. Fanboy and Know-It-All, as you've come to expect by now (we hope), are on the case. Elsewhere, as the COVID-19 sports gap continues to fester, Fanboy and Know-It-All throw together a definitive ranking of obscure sporting competitions that you should definitely start getting caught up on via YouTube. (Except for the one that hasn't been played in thousands of years and involves slaughtering the losing team in a fit of unexplainable victorious genocide.) As per usual, it's a rip-roaring time. ("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Storytelling has a powerful way of opening eyes and invading hearts. In this episode, Fanboy and Know-It-All talk about the pieces of popular culture that impacted and expanded their perspectives on the realities of racism in the United States. Elsewhere, Fanboy forced Know-It-All to watch Lawrence of Arabia in all of its Just-Shy-of-Four-Hours glory (self-indulgence?). Thoughts and arguments ensue.("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

Storytelling has a powerful way of opening eyes and invading hearts. In this episode, Fanboy and Know-It-All talk about the pieces of popular culture that impacted and expanded their perspectives on the realities of racism in the United States. Elsewhere, Fanboy forced Know-It-All to watch Lawrence of Arabia in all of its Just-Shy-of-Four-Hours glory (self-indulgence?). Thoughts and arguments ensue.("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

We may not be getting our traditional summer blockbusters, but Amazon Prime has released a smart, understated sci-fi flick that feels as fresh as it does nostalgic. Elsewhere, our intrepid duo takes on another "Hurts So Good" assignment in the form of M. Night Shyamalan's live action take on "Avatar: The Last Airbender."("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

We may not be getting our traditional summer blockbusters, but Amazon Prime has released a smart, understated sci-fi flick that feels as fresh as it does nostalgic. Elsewhere, our intrepid duo takes on another "Hurts So Good" assignment in the form of M. Night Shyamalan's live action take on "Avatar: The Last Airbender."("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

2020 is likely to be a year mostly devoid of the prototypical "summer blockbuster" films many have enjoyed for years. With that in mind, Fanboy and Know-It-All are opening a timebox to the past by drawing a year from an Indiana Jones (replica) fedora and breaking down the Box Office Top 10 from this week of that year.Elsewhere, the dynamic duo introduces a new game they made up called "IMDboss" wherein they compete against one another to guess movies based only on lines from IMDb user reviews.Whoever said losing one's sanity couldn't be fun??("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

2020 is likely to be a year mostly devoid of the prototypical "summer blockbuster" films many have enjoyed for years. With that in mind, Fanboy and Know-It-All are opening a timebox to the past by drawing a year from an Indiana Jones (replica) fedora and breaking down the Box Office Top 10 from this week of that year.Elsewhere, the dynamic duo introduces a new game they made up called "IMDboss" wherein they compete against one another to guess movies based only on lines from IMDb user reviews.Whoever said losing one's sanity couldn't be fun??("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What is the best TV theme song? Studies show there's a theme song for almost every TV show. But which ones are the best? We decided to rank them and create our mutual Top 10--but there was very little mutuality in our arguing. So there's that.Elsewhere, Fanboy and Know-It-All break down NBC's special COVID-19-themed "A Parks and Recreation Special."("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)

What is the best TV theme song? Studies show there's a theme song for almost every TV show. But which ones are the best? We decided to rank them and create our mutual Top 10--but there was very little mutuality in our arguing. So there's that.Elsewhere, Fanboy and Know-It-All break down NBC's special COVID-19-themed "A Parks and Recreation Special."("April Showers" by ProleteR is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives [aka Music Sharing] 3.0 International License.)