The Harold and Maudecast

Episode 373 of The Harold and Maudecast, "The Snyder Cut". At long last Zach Snyder's creative vision has arrived on HBO Max. Sarah and Jake do a deep dive on all four hours of the upgraded, redemption version of the Justice League. It's everything we hoped it would be and more. Spoilers abound. For more episodes of The Harold and Maudecast and other great podcasts from The HMC Network visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

The Return of the Harold and Maudecast! Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe are back with a new episode of the podcast, Episode 372: Alien Franchise Retrospective. This episode breaks down and reviews every film in the Alien franchise (chronologically by release) starting with: Alien 1979 Aliens 1986 Alien 3 1992 Alien:Resurrection 1997 Alien vs Predator 2004 Alien vs Predator Requiem 2007 Prometheus 2012 Alien: Covenant 2017 For more episodes of The Harold and Maudecast and other great podcast from the HMC Network visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode of 371 of The Harold and Maudecast, The Boys Season 2 review and the Icelandic TV Series, Trapped Season 1 review. For more episodes of The Harold and Maudecast and other podcasts from The HMC Network visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

Episode 370 "Why You Need Swamp Thing in Your Life and the Best of Comic-Con@Home", Sarah and Jake review the DC original series, Swamp Thing and recap the best panels and news from Comic-Con @ Home. From James Wan (AQUAMAN, THE CONJURING) and creators Gary Dauberman (IT, ANNABELLE)and Mark Verheiden (THE MASK, TIMECOP), comes a live-action adaptation of DC's "Swamp Thing". The 10-part series was canceled after only one episode aired on DC's streaming service, DC Universe. There's much speculation as to why the show was shelved as it currently has a 94% fresh critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has received mostly good reviews from fans. On this episode we get into it all including why it's our pick for what you need to watch RIGHT NOW. Also in this episode, San Diego International Comic-Con, the largest fan convention in the world held it's first virtual con, Comic-Con @ Home. We recap the best panels and all the big news. For more great episodes of The Harold and Maudecast and other podcast series visit thehmcnetwork.com

Episode 369 of The Harold & Maudecast previews Comic-Con @ Home + Reviewing Shudder Exclusives, 5 films now streaming. Hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review the streaming service, Shudder, which features licensed and original horror films. 5 SPOILER FREE reviews of: SUMMER OF 84, THE LODGE, THE HEADHUNTER, BLOOD QUANTUM and MONSTER PARTY, all streaming on Shudder. After 50 years of welcoming hundreds of millions of attendees, San Diego International Comic-Con announced it is going virtual due to the worldwide pandemic. Comic-Con @ Home will take place online, for FREE, July 22-26. Sarah and Jake preview all the virtual panels worth watching, exclusives and information on how to participate. For more great episodes of The Harold and Maudecast and other podcasts visit thehmcnetwork.com

The Harold & Maudecast are back with Episode 368: Live from the Pandemic. On this episode reviews of Netflix Castlevania 3, Why we hate Tiger King, movie reviews of South Korean horror film, FLU, 2011's CONTAGION and DOWNFALL. This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Obrien's Pub and Restaurant in Santa Monica, California - www.obriensla.com Visit www.thehmcnetwork.com for more great podcast episodes and movie and TV news and articles.

The Age of Distraction Podcast is back with Episode 7: The Effects of Coronavirus on Hollywood. Writer/Producer, Sarah Mason along with screenwriters, Warren Lewis (Black Rain) and Stephen Godchaux (Dead Like Me), dive deep into the effects the pandemic is having on Hollywood and how it may change theatrical distribution and production forever. For more episodes of this podcast series and others from The HMC visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 367 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review two of this year's Oscar winning films, 1917 and Best Picture winner, Parasite. 1917, inspired by a story from Director Sam Mendes (Skyfall) grandfather, a WW1 Veteran, follows two soldiers as they make their way across enemy lines in a race against time to deliver a message that will prevent the massacre of 1600 British soldiers, including one of the men's brothers. The film won 3 Oscars including Best Cinematography. 2X Oscar winning Cinematographer, Roger Deakins, pulled off one of the most incredible visual sequence in film history -- sone continuous shot designed to show the realism of being in the trenches with the men fighting. Parasite, from South Korean, Writer/Director, Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer)made Oscar history when it became the first international film to win Best Picture--4 Oscars in total. The film tells the story of a poor family, the Kims, who con their way into the lives of a rich family, the Parks, but all is not what it seems when the Kim's easy entry into the good life is threatened by unforeseen danger. Also in this episode, HBO's The Outsider based on the Stephen King novel. For more episodes, other podcast series and articles visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On this episode of Conversations, hosted by Sarah Mason for The HMC Network, an interview with Josh Mankiewicz, correspondent for Dateline NBC. Groundhog Day 2020 marked 25 years that Correspondent, Josh Mankiewicz has been reporting for "Dateline NBC", "And it went by like that," remarked Mankiewicz. The Emmy-winning, unscripted, investigative series has been integral to the network's programming since its 1992 debut. Mankiewicz joined in 1995. In its 28th season, the show covers stories ranging from mysteries to documentaries and in-depth investigations. Cases involving murders and missing people are frequent topics and have elevated Mankiewicz and his colleagues, Correspondents, Keith Morrison, Andrea Canning, Dennis Murphy and Lester Holt, to super stardom. Read the full article at https://www.thehmcnetwork.com/post/25-years-with-dateline-nbc-interview-with-correspondent-josh-mankiewicz

On Episode 366 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review and dissect the BBC/Netflix original mini series, Dracula. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat (Sherlock)created the series based on the 1897 Bram Stoker book. The series stars Claes Bang (The Square) as Dracula, Dolly Wells (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) as Sister Agatha Van Helsing and John Heffernan as Jonathan Harker (Eye in the Sky). Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to meet his firm's client, Count Dracula, to finalize the purchase of a house in London. Harker quickly finds himself trapped in a terrifying maze-like castle of undead and a blood thirsty vampire whose ambition is to conquer the world. Gatiss and Moffat's new take on the tale begins in Victorian Transylvania and ends with a big twist in a more modern setting--if you're fans of Sherlock, it won't be that unexpected. Many of the characters from the book are reimagined like Sister Agatha...Van Helsing (Wells) who is fantastic as Sherlock to Dracula's Moriarity. We discuss in full -- there will be SPOILERS. For more episodes of The Harold & Maudecast and other popular podcast from The HMC, visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On episode 365 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review Light of My Life, an apocalyptic thriller written, directed and starring Oscar winner, Casey Affleck and Rambo: Last Blood, last chapter in the Rambo franchise starring Sylvester Stallone reprising his title role. In Light of My Life, Casey Affleck stars as a father protecting his daughter in a post pandemic USA. A decade after a plague wiped out almost all women, Dad (Affleck) and daughter Rag (Anna Pniowsky) must travel the country, hiding Rag's identity from many potential dangers. The pace of the film is often deliberate and slow--starting with the opening scene. Stick with it as the performances are worth it and the stakes get higher and more exciting as the film progresses. Affleck proves himself to be a triple threat--as ever his performance elevates any film and his writing and directorial chops though young are impressive and promising. Looking forward to his next move. Justice! In Rambo: Last Blood, John Rambo (Stallone) has seemingly embraced domestic life on a ranch in Arizona with a teenage girl, Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal) and her grandmother (Adriana Barraza) with whom he has developed a familial bond. When Gabrielle goes missing in Mexico, Rambo, aided by investigative reporter Carmen (Paz Vega), must use all his combat skills to punish the cartel members who kidnapped Gabrielle. Like the last installment of Rambo in 2008, this films ups the gore factor putting this franchise almost in the horror genre. The production level has also been upped to a high level under director Adrian Grunberg (Get the Gringo, Apocalypto). Stallone co-wrote the script and story with writers Matthew Cirulnick, Dan Gordon based on characters created by David Morrell. Think Logan not 80s Rambo. This franchise has matured and its a beautiful albeit bloody send off for the character. Justice! Both films now streaming on Amazon and other platforms. For more episodes and other podcast shows visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 364 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review Netflix's original series, The Witcher and the season finale of Watchmen. For more episodes visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On this episode of Conversations with Cooler People than Me on The HMC Network, Sarah Mason and Sergio Pinheiro interview Cinematographer, Mihai Malaimare, about his work on the Golden Globe nominated film, JoJo Rabbit. Visit thehmcnetwork.com for more episodes of this and other podcasts.

On this episode of Conversations with Cooler People than Me, Sarah Mason an Sergio Pinheiro interview Oscar winning composer Michael Giacchino about his score for the Golden Globe nominated film, Jojo Rabbit. Michael Giacchino (pronounced “Juh-key-no”) has composed original scores for the some of the biggest feature films in recent history, including, The Incredibles, War for the Planet of the Apes, Ratatouille, Star Trek, Jurassic World, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Coco. Giacchino's 2009 score for the Pixar hit Up earned him an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, the BAFTA, the Broadcast Film Critics' Choice Award and two GRAMMY® Awards. When writer/director, Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) reached out to Giacchino to score his film Jojo Rabbit, Giacchino was eager to do it. "I didn't know what the film was about but I am a huge fan of his work and how diverse and different it is," said Giacchino. When asked what direction he received Giacchino recounted Waititi saying, "Remember how you made us feel in Up? That's how I want to feel'. Read the full article at https://www.thehmcnetwork.com/post/scoring-jojo-rabbit-interview-with-oscar-winning-composer-michael-giacchino

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the True Field Test podcast brought to you by The HMC Network. True Field Test is a podcast from creatives for creatives -- filmmakers, cinematographers, editors, post production supervisors, and other storytellers putting gear through real-world tests, reviewing products and workflows and talking industry insights, news and forecasts. On this episode filmmaker Sergio Pinheiro will be discussing Anamorphic Lenses for Mirrorless Cameras, the challenges he faces both budgetary and production quality and the new company that may change everything for only $500. Workflow Engineer, Cutter Stevens discusses on the changing landscape of production distribution -- different deliverables for different outlets, where does it need to go, what do we need to budget for YouTube, Amazon, Netflix, theatrical, DCP or IMF, or just ProRes. He delivers solid tips on how to make sure you can cover the cost of distribution at the end of your production. Producer Sarah Mason discusses Award season -- Network TV shut out of the Golden Globes, what does this mean for their future. In a rare move the ASC Cinematography union nominates two women cinematographers for the ASC Awards honors are things really changing? For over 10 years The HMC has been producing award-winning, popular podcasts, digital content and events . Visit The HMC at thehmcnetwork.com for more episodes and other podcasts

On Episode 363 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe take on Disney Plus! Reviews of The Mandalorian and the 90s classic Ron Howard fill, outta the Disney vault, WILLOW. On November 12, 2019 Disney launched its highly anticipated streaming service, Disney Plus. Over 10 million users signed up for the service on its first day--far more than Disney had anticipated. Disney quickly scrambled to fix playback issues, reports of which flooded social media. In addition to the enormous Disney library, now exclusively on the service, The Mandalorian, a spinoff series in the Star Wars saga created by Jon Favreau (IRON MAN, THE JUNGLE BOOK), debuted the day of the launch. The Mandalorian returns Star Wars to its space western origins.  The series stars Pedor Pascal (Game of Thrones) as the title character, Carl Weathers aka Apollo Creed (ROCKY), Nick Nolte, Kyle Pasek, Brendan Wayne, Gina Carano. Jon Favreau writes several episodes and serves as as creator, head writer, showrunner, and co-executive producer, alongside Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson. Prominent directors including Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNORAK) were brought to direct episodes. There are 10 episodes in Season One with a reported total budget of $100 million.  Out of the Disney vault and available exclusively on Disney Plus is the 1988 fantasy/adventure film WILLOW, from Executive Producer George Lucas, Directed by Ron Howard, and starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Kevin Pollack and Rick Overton.  Willow, (Davis) must embark on a treacherous quest after his children find a special baby by the river bank. Pursued by an evil queen and her thugs, Willow must rely on a reluctant swordsman (Kilmer) and others to help him protect the baby.  WILLOW was nominated for two Academy Awards including Sound Effects and Visual Effects. The filmed earned $57 million at the North American box office and over $110 million worldwide. Anticipated to be a blockbuster, its theatrical performance was a disappointment. Word of mouth and a rising cult following helped WILLOW turn a profit due to strong international, home video, and television sales. The film disappeared from streaming and television distribution for years until Disney Plus brought it out of the vault.  For more episodes visit thehmcnetwork.com

On this episode of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe interview Cinematographer, Lawrence Sher, for his work on Joker. Joker marks the sixth film Lawrence Sher has worked with director Todd Phillips. Their successful relationship began with The Hangover and, as you will hear in our interview, has become a critical and valued partnership for both Sher and Phillips. In addition to the Hangover triliogy, Sher's other credits include Godzilla King of the Monsters, Garden State, War Dogs, Father Figures (which he directed) and Kissing Jessica Stein. In this interview Sher discusses how the locations were key to Arthur/Joker's character arc, Joaquin's now iconic performance and his conversations with the actor, some insider info about the infamous scene with Mr Chow in The Hangover and whether or not more Joker in his the works. Read the full article at https://www.thehmcnetwork.com/post/2019/11/14/interview-cinematographer-lawrence-sher-joker

On Episode 362 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review, Joker. Fledgling comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) has been bullied and disregarded his whole life. After an escalating series of abuse and a very public shaming by his comic idol, Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro), Arthur begins a bloody, destructive revolt against society. This dark path he chooses leads him to embrace his alter-ego: "The Joker". Director Todd Phillips' (The Hangover trilogy), take on the DC character is now the highest grossing R rated movie of all time. More Taxi Drive than Dark Knight, Joker unravels the layers of the character, driven by one of the greatest performances in movie history. Phoenix's Joker never diminishes the brilliance of Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson's performances. In his committed, conscientious performance he reminds us that the Joker is one of greatest fictional characters of all time. Please give this man an Oscar. Spoiler Level: Moderate For more episodes and other podcasts including our interview with Joker cinematographer, Lawrence Sher, visit thehmcnetwork.com and sign up for our updates!

Two of the hardest working real-life Avengers in the MCU are Jeffrey Ford, ACE and Matthew Schmidt. They shared Editor credits on four of the films -- Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and worked together on several more MCU films.  The actors and directors take the lions share of the accolades but its these guys who were literally on the front lines, manipulating the tone, pace, and comedic beats, crafting character archs, and storylines. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were shot at the same time often forcing the crew to bounce back and forth relentlessly between films and sequences, juggling constant script changing as they shot, "It was like an extreme sport more than filmmaking," stated Ford.  Read the full article at https://www.thehmcnetwork.com/post/2019/10/30/the-real-life-avengers-behind-endgame

With over 100 film credits, two Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe nods, three Grammy Awards, two Emmy awards and countless other film and music awards, Alan Silvestri has created some of the most iconic film scores in movie history.  Silvestri describes his 35-year collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis like a marriage, "You go through a lot, ups and downs. You develop a shorthand and a trust and then 24 films later. It's amazing." Those 24 films include Forrest Gump, Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Polar Express, Castaway and the upcoming adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches. Read the full article at https://www.thehmcnetwork.com/post/2019/10/30/the-real-life-avengers-behind-endgame

On Episode 361 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review two movies streaming on Netflix, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and In the Tall Grass. Breaking Bad creator, Vince Gilligan writes and directs this follow up to the critically acclaimed series. El Camino takes place immediately following the events in the final episode of Breaking Bad, leaving Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) on the run with a massive police hunt for him underway. Is Walter White dead or alive? That question is answered in the movie, and this podcast.  ​ Also in this episode, In the Tall Grass, a Netflix original horror movie now streaming. The film is based on a novella by Stephen King and Joe Hill, written and directed by Vincenzo Natali, starring Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring, Aquaman). After hearing a young boy's cry for help, a sister and brother venture into a vast field of tall grass in Kansas but soon discover there may be no way out...and that something evil lurks within. Spoiler Level: High for El Camino, Low for In the Tall Grass For more episodes visit thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 360 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review Season 1 of Amazon's new series, Carnival Row, starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. Based on showrunner Travis Beacham's original screenplay, Rycroft Philostrate (Bloom) a human detective and a Vignette, a fairy (Delevingne) rekindle a dangerous affair in a Victorian fantasy world, where the city's uneasy peace collapses when a string of murders reveals an unimaginable monster. Spoiler Level: Moderate Listen to the review and visit https://www.thehmcnetwork.com/post/2019/12/09/beautiful-magic-interview-amazon-carnival-row-crafts-team for Sarah's interviews and article Beautiful Magic: Meet the Artisans Behind Carnival Row with Cinematographer, Chris Seagar, VFX Supervisor, Betsy Patterson and Production Designer, Francois Seguin.

The HMC is launching a new production technology workflow series with The Creative COW and here is a preview - Sony FX-9: The Workflow Review. HMC Executive Producer, Sarah Mason along with Workflow Engineer, Cutter Stevens and Filmmaker, Sergio Pinheiro review the new Sony FX-9 and discuss the potential workflow challenges as well as the state of cinematography and cameras in the age of content. For more podcast episodes visit www.thehmcnetwork.com and www.creativecow.net

It was a long wait (2 years) for fans of the Netflix original series, Mindhunter for Season 2 but it was worth it. David Fincher takes us back into the mind of serial killers, this time some super famous ones, Son of Sam and Charles Manson, focusing predominantly on the Atlanta child murders which paralyzed the city from 1979-1981. On Ep 359 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake take a deep dive into Season 2, detailing and reviewing every episode. Yes, Spoilers. Also in this episode, a preview of the Amazon original series, Carnival Row, starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevigne. Is this Amazon's Game of Thrones?We preview the series and review episode 1. Spoiler level: almost zero. For more episodes of The Harold & Maudecast visit thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 358 of The Harold & Maudecast, Too Bad to Stream? Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review several movies that received Rotten scores and give their take on whether or not they're too bad to stream or worth a watch. HELLBOY, the 2019 reboot starring David Harbour (Stranger Things), DOMINO, directed by Brian de Palma starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, IN COLD PURSUIT starring Liam Neeson and THE PERFECTION starring Allison Williams and Logan Browning. Also our tribute to Rutger Hauer. For more podcasts visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 357 of The Harold & Maudecast, The Boys: Amazon's Must-See Series. Sarah and Jake take a deep dive into the new Amazon series, The Boys. There will be spoilers. Also a review of the film, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, now streaming. For more episodes of The Harold & Maudecast and other podcasts visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

Episode 6 of the Age of Distraction podcast, "Choose Your Player: How Fortnite is Transforming Hollywood." Host Sarah Mason along with screenwriters Warren Lewis (Black Rain) and Stephen Godchaux (Dead Like Me), discuss video games and the impact on Hollywood. The box office has been on the decline with competition from Amazon, Netflix and Hulu but the popular game, Fortnite is more of a threat then any of them. Fortnite creator, Epic Games, claim that the game has over 250 million registered users. Most recently a 16 year old player won $3m dollars in a Fortnite tournament. With those kind of numbers and incentives, how can movies compete? We discuss! For more episodes of Age of Distraction visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 356 of The Harold & Maudecast, co-hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review Quentin Tarantino's 9th film, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. Set in 1969 Hollywood, Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) is an aged-out movie/TV start demoted to playing the Heal in popular TV shows. Cliff Booth (Pitt) is Dalton's longtime stunt double and now driver. If Dalton good just get the attention of his neighbors, Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), the hottest young director in Hollywood and his actress/ingenue wife Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), he could get back in the game. The film is centered on Rick and Cliff's stories, separately and together amidst the backdrop of one of the most horrific crimes in American history, the Manson Murders. Tarantino masterfully wades you through the boredom and melancholy that is Dalton's life trying to hold onto his place in Hollywood. All the while, the tension is building as you cannot stop wondering how Tarantino is going to handle what you know has happened in real life. Will he rewrite history as he did in INGLORIOUS BASTARDS? The ending is worth every mundane moment in the film--not to say it is not entertaining. It is purposeful, as Tarantino always is, in its stillness focusing on the story of these two men with the larger point looming about the changing of the guard. It's impossible to discount the parallels to today's Hollywood; the death of the theater experience and actual film in the wake of streaming and digital. It's a grand FU to those trying to dismiss the genius of those who have come before them. The film is filled with great Quentin-cameos including Michael Madsen, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Tim Roth (who's part was cut) and Luke Perry in his last film appearance. Tarantino's longtime Cinematographer, Robert Richardson adds to the beauty and brilliance of this very thoughtful, surprising and thought-provoking film that you will want to see more than once. SPOILER ALERT! This review and commentary contains them. You've been warned. For more podcast episodes visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

It's the 50th anniversary of San Diego Comic-Con ! Sarah and Jake go through the biggest announcements from SDCC50 and their favorite moments on Episode 355 of The Harold & Maudecast. For more podcast episodes, articles and news visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 354 of the Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake dissect Stranger Things Season 3 (SPOILERS!). The Hawkins kids are growing up, much to the dismay of Chief Hopper ( David Harbour) who is struggling to keep Eleven "El" (Mille Bobbie Brown) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) 3 inches apart. Meanwhile Joyce (Winona Ryder) is busy trying to uncover the secret to the falling refrigerator magnets, Steve (Joe Keery) is scooping ice cream in a sailor uniform with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman's daughter Maya Hawke (who plays Robin), Dustin has a girlfriend! Billy's been invaded by the Mindflayer body snatcher, Lucas and Max are on again off again, nobody wants to play D&D with Will anymore, and Russians have landed in Hawkins, Indiana. We get into it all the awesome details of Season 3 and countdown to Comic-Con's 50th anniversary with some previews of the Hall H panels and ConanCon 2019. For more episodes visit thehmcnetwork.com

For 8 years The Harold & Maudecast has been covering movies, entertainment and fan lifestyle around the globe. Listen to this preview of the popular podcast and visit www.thehmcnetwork.com for more.

Episode 353 of The Harold & Maudecast features Sarah and Jake's guide to Summer 2019 Movies that won't suck (fingers crossed). We go through the list of what's dropping June, July and August and give our picks for ones to go see in the theaters. We also review two movies now streaming, Deadwood: The Movie and Bad Times at the El Royale. It's been a long time coming for Deadwood fans but the feature length film, Deadwood: The movie, gives the award-winning HBO series its badly deserved sunset ride. It's been 10 years since we visited the outpost in South Dakota, now a fully formed town equipped with a telephone and other modern amenities. All the residents (and we mean, all the entire cast re-assembled for the movie), gather to commemorate Dakota's statehood in 1889. Everyone's favorite saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) and Marshal Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant_ clash with now Senator George Hearst (Gerald McRaney). The story doesn't tie up loose threads, per say, rather choosing to move forward with the story as it has been 13 years since the show met its untimely demise. It's a smart choice. Seeing how progress has affected Deadwood and its residents seems fitting. The script, penned by show creator David Milch, is as brilliant as Shakespearean as ever in its tragic brilliance and unapologetic ugliness. We highly recommend this film, must-see for fans of the series. If you haven't seen it, go binge it immediately then watch the film. You have the advantage of being able to see it instantly rather than being left hanging over a decade. All three seasons and Deadwood: The Movie are now streaming on HBO. Bad Times at the El Royale is a mash up of Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None and the film Four Rooms. Set on the Nevada/California border circa 1969, a group of strangers ascend upon the El Royale motel in Tahoe. Each has a secret and a past, unveiled throughout the course of one stormy, violent night. The film is written and directed by Hollywood powerhouse Drew Goddard, (The Martian, World War Z, Daredevil, Lost, Buffy the Vampire, Lost, Cabin in the Woods) and stars Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Fanning, Jon Hamm, Nick Offerman, Cynthia Erivo and Lewis Pullman (Bill Pullman's son) in a breakout role. From the open sequence the film looks both cool and creepy, which is exactly what you want in a mystery. The first half continues to allude with the promise of classic mystery twists and turns. Unfortunately, the introduction of Hemsworth, who is horribly miscast as the Manson-esque psycho killer, re-routes the story in a trite and predictable direction. Still worth watching for the performances, Bridges, Pullman and British actress Erivo who charms with her renditions of Motown classics. Also in this episode, highlights from E3 2019. For more episodes, articles and info visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

Episode 352 of The Harold & Maudecast: Ghost vs John Wick's Dog for the Throne Sarah and Jake review JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM and the much anticipated Game of Thrones Finale. After 8 seasons, millions of memes, cosplay and viewing parties, Game of Thrones has come to an end. The finale episode aired on HBO, Sunday, May 19th breaking records with 19.3m viewers. Lucky for the Showrunners, a plastic water bottle (like its predecessor the Starbuck's cup) managed to out Trend the overwhelming negative reaction to the finale. The finale left many threads untied for the potential spinoffs and prequel that is already in pre-production. We found ourselves amongst those who were less than satisfied with the hectic, deliberate tie-up of this incredible story. But we can back up up every point. Our Game of Thrones finale review is first up on the podcast, John Wick 3 Review Starts @ 43:52. For more movie reviews and our entire We Talk Thrones library, dissecting Seasons 1-8, visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 351 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake dissect Game of Thrones, Ep 805, "The Bells". Oh no she didn't! Yes, she did. If you re-watched every episode of Thrones from 101 to 805, you may have seen this coming but the speed in which they took Daenarys from liberating Mother of Dragons to Madder than her Daddy Queen alarmed a lot of Game of Thrones series fans. The fan series have been meme'ing up the internet for weeks and with every episode proving they are far more interesting then the actual show. The latest being, Arya and the White Horse, is she the bringer of death, will she fulfill the brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes prophecy and kill Dany before she destroys another city? Don't bet on it. Plot lines and character arcs have been dropping like Dothrakis in the dark this season....yet seems to still be many Dothraki left. Hmmm. We get into all of this and more. Also our long overdue review of M. Night Shyamalan's (sorta) sequel to UNBREAKABLE and SPLIT, GLASS, now streaming. For more episodes of The Harold & Maudecast including all of our We talk Throne reviews visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 350 of The Harold & Maudecast, Game of Thrones Episode 804 "The Last of the Starks". Stuff happened in this episode but all anyone can talk about is that dang Starbucks cup. We talk about it all - the endless feast, Jaime's betrayal, Brienne's tears, last words (Dracarys!), the comedy duo of Arya and the Hound, the truth about Jon Snow spreading like wildfire and how much we want Cersei's death to be everything we hoped for, and more. Bonus! What's good on streaming - THE SILENCE, an apocalyptic drama starring Stanley Tucci. Now streaming on Netflix. We discuss. For more podcast episodes and all of our We Talk Thrones eps from Season 1-8. visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

Age of Distraction is a podcast series on The HMC Network hosted by Sarah Mason with screenwriters, Warren Lewis and Stephen Godchaux. We sit down at O'Brien's Irish Pub in Santa Monica and discuss the state of Hollywood in the Age of Distraction and the content revolution. The recent decision by the Academy of Motion Pictures, not to change the eligibility requirements to submit films for the Oscars is a win for Amazon and Netflix but does everyone in Hollywood agree? We discuss this topic and much more in Age of Distraction Part 5: Old Hollywood theatrical distribution vs new streaming platforms. For the entire series visit, www.thehmcnetwork.com/interviews

On Episode 349 of The Harold & Maudecast, Stark vs. Stark! The Battle of Winterfell, the most expensive ($15m) and time consuming (55 nights to shoot) TV episode ever produced, finally aired on HBO. And the end of the MCU master blueprint containing 21 movies over 10 years finally had its theatrical release, becoming the highest grossing opening weekend movie of all time. So which Stark won the high critical bar set by fans of both universes? Listen to the podcast for our grand conclusion. SPOILERS ABOUND - You have been warned. Game of Thrones the Battle of Winterfell - Starts at 1:16 Avengers: Endgame Review - Starts at 43:54 For more movie reviews and episodes of We Talk Thrones, Game of Thrones podcast, visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

You may not be able to unsee Arya disrobing for Gendry, but you can listen to our commentary on Game of Thrones, Ep 802! On Episode 348 of The Harold & Maudecast hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review and recap, Game of Thrones, Episode 802 "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". We hash out every key moment in Episode 802, give some outlandish predictions and fan theories and discuss the hidden meaning to Podrick's campfire song. Also in this episode reviews of THE BATTLE OF JADOTVILLE (a Netflix original) and THE NUMBERS STATION (streaming on Amazon Prime). For more We Talk Thrones and other podcast episodes visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 347 of The Harold & Maudecast, We Talk Thrones is back! Sarah and Jake review Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere from Jon and Daenary's first real date on dragons to a waterfall, Arya's many reunions, Sansa's sense and sensibility over Jon's choices and food supplies, Cersei really really wanted elephants, Bran's staredown with Jaime and every detail in between! Also, Monsterpalooza! The annual Pasadena show doubled in size and was more fun then ever -- Tom Savini, Bruce Campbell, a look inside Frank Darabont's Collection at auction which includes Jack's axe from The Shining, patient zero and bicycle girl original casts from The Walking Dead, the Penitent Man Shall pass head from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, the beating heart from Temple of Doom, Quint's bat from Jaws and more. Also our meeting with Sarah Karloff and Bela Lugosi Jr, Linda Blair and the bed from The Exorcist, incredible makeup. It was an epic affair. For more podcast episodes and other cool stuff from The HMC visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 346 of The Harold & Maudecast hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review the film, Shazam, now in theaters. Q2 2019 Movies - Hellboy, Infinity War Endgame, Godzilla King of the Monsters John Wick 3, Toy Story 4, the 40th anniversary of Life of Brian. Who will live or die in Game of Thrones? Our predictions! For more reviews, articles and podcasts visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 345 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review the Netflix original film, THE HIGHWAYMEN, starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson. Set in 1934, THE HIGHWAYMEN, is the story of former Texas Rangers, Frank Hamer (Costner) and Maney Gault (Harrelson) who are brought in to hunt down infamous bank robbers, Bonnie and Clyde. The film is directed by John Lee Hancock (THE BLINDSIDE), written by John Fusco (HIDALGO, YOUNG GUNS) and co-stars Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch and Kim Dickens. Also in this episode, a recap and review of The Walking Dead Season 9 Finale. For more podcast episodes visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 344 of The Harold & Maudecast hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe talk Netflix domination and review the Netflix original TRIPLE FRONTIER starring Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, and Charlie Hunnam. Chatter segment includes - GREEN BOOK should it or shoulda it have, James Gunn back on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 and rebooting SUICIDE SQUAD. On We Talk Dead segment a recap of The Walking Dead 9.14 "Scars". For more episodes and other cool fan favorite reviews, news and info visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On The Harold & Maudecast Episode 343: ENDGAME EVERYTHING, Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe talk end of eras -- With HBO's Game of Thrones final season beginning April 14th and Marvel's decade long assembly of Avengers assembling for the last time in INFINITY WAR: ENDGAME April 27th, and with The Walking Dead's continuing ratings spiral, we are coming to the end of an epic era for genre fiction screen. So what comes next? What will continue, what should continue and what will we embrace next? We dive into all these questions and more. Also a review of the film, THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIG FOOT, starring Sam Elliott, Ron Livingston, Aidan Turner and Caitlin FitzGerald, written and directed by Robert D. Krzykowski. We talk dead recaps S9.E13 "Chokepoint". For more episodes, reviews and articles visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 342 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review three Netflix Original films, VELVET BUZZSAW, HOLD THE DARK and POLAR. Also in this episode The Walking Dead, Season 9 Midseason Premiere, 909 "Adaptation". For more on these reviews and more podcast episodes visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

Sarah Mason sits down for part 2 of her interview with Pav Grochola, VFX Artist and FX Supervisor for the Oscar nominated animated feature, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. Pav recently won a VES award for his groundbreaking VFX work on the film. He talks about his process, the amazing VFX and animation teams he worked with and the innovative new tool he invented that may change the future of animation. For more information and other podcast episodes visit www.thehmcnetwork.com/interviews

On this episode of The Harold & Maudecast hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review AQUAMAN in theaters and BIRD BOX, now streaming on Netflix. It's been a long time coming since we got our first glimpse of Jason Momoa as AQUAMAN to seeing James Wan's (THE CONJURING) vision play out on the big screen. This origin story is visually thrilling and manages to keep the cheese to a minimum -- let's face it, AQUAMAN was always cheesey. But James Wan does an amazing job world building and staying true to the protector of the deep's comic narratives. Best thing Zack Snyder did for the DCU was to cast Jason Momoa as Aquaman. Momoa was born to play this role and it just makes sense. Alongside him as mom, Nicole Kidman, Queen Atlanna shows her strength right out of the films credits kicking some underwater storm troopers asses. Amber Heard's Mera proves a worthy ass kicker as well though the chemistry between Momoa and Heard was missing. Patrick Wilson plays a mean Orm/Ocean Master and our favorite, who SPOILER alert, may prove the bigger foe in the sequel was Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. Willem Dafoe as Vulko was Aquaman's Obi-Wan and Dolph Lundgren (yes please!) has a bigger role than we expected (thank you!) as Mera's father King Nereus. We unpack all this in more in the podcast. Bonus! BIRD BOX, now streaming on Netflix became the most watched ever when over 45 million accounts streamed the Sandra Bullock horror/thriller over the Christmas break, according to Netflix who never release their stats. Directed by Susan Bier (IN A BETTER WORLD), screenplay adapted by Eric Heisserer from Josh Malerman's novel, BIRD BOX joins A QUIET PLACE in this new niche of apocalyptic horror, this time sight challenged vs. sound. There are unknown creatures who have invaded the world and if you get a good look at them, you're F*CKED! Bullock's character, Malorie who happens to be 8.5 months pregnant, finds her way to a house occupied by a group of other survivors including another 8.5 month pregnant woman Olympia played by Danielle McDonald (PATTI CAKE$). The odd but impressive cast mash up includes, Sarah Paulsen, Trevantes Rhodes Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Machine Gun Kelly, Jacki Weaver and the always cool John Malkovich. BIRD BOX is suspenseful, sporadically really gory, and a bit tragic. It feels a little bit like Season 1 of The Walking Dead, and that ain't bad. Bullock proves she can concur any genre. Hopefully there is a sequel in the works. For more episodes and reviews visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

In Episode 340 of The Harold & Maudecast Sarah and Jake review the Netflix original film, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS. The Coen Brothers take on the Old West with an anthology of six short films that take place in 19th-century post-Civil War era. Each short film is packed with brilliant dialogue, poignancy, humor and violence--everything you would expect from a Coen Brothers movie and more. There are moments of real genius. The cinematography is gorgeous and as always, a hand picked perfect ensemble cast including, Tim Blake Nelson stars as the title character, James Franco, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Tyne Daly, Stephen Root, Saul Rubinek, Clancy Brown, David Krumholz and, Harry Melling aka Dudley from the HARRY POTTER films in an outstanding performance as a master thespian with no arms or legs carted around from town to town in a stage coach by Liam Neeson.  No excuse not to watch this masterpiece. It's free on Netlfix!  Also in this episode We Talk Dead about The Walking Dead Midseason finale.  For more podcast episodes, reviews and more visit thehmcnetwork.com

On this episode of The Harold & Maudecast hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review the Netflix original movie, OUTLAW KING, starring Chris Pine and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, based on the life of Scotland's Robert the Bruce. For more podcast episodes and reviews and articles visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 338 of The Harold & Maudecast, Goodbye Rick Grimes? Sarah and Jake review Andrew Lincoln's last episode on The Walking Dead, or is it his last? Game of Thrones finale dates have yet to be set but the anticipation is growing and fans are dying for any insights and clues to how the HBO version of this epic tale will end. We discuss possibilities and some likely scenarios. Also a look at what's coming up this November in the theaters, John Carpenters legacy and more! For more great podcasts, reviews and articles visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 337 of The Harold & Maudecast, Sarah and Jake review David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's reboot of HALLOWEEN starring Jamie Lee Curtis reviving the role that made her famous 40 years ago. Also in this episode the Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House, based on the Shirley Jackson book and We Talk Dead digs into The Walking Dead, Season 9, Episode 3 "Warning Signs" For more podcast episodes, articles and fan fun visit www.thehmcnetwork.com

On Episode 336 of The Harold & Maudecast hosts Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe review VENOM, THE SISTERS BROTHERS and We Talk Dead is back with a review of The Walking Dead, Season 9 Premiere, "A New Beginning". VENOM stars Tom Hardy in the live action film adaptation of the Marvel character. Eddie Brock (Hardy), a reporter in San Francisco, known for uncovering dirt on powerful corporations, acquires the powers of a symbiote, "Venom". The film co-stars Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed, produced by Columbia Pictures. THE SISTERS BROTHERS is based on the book by Patrick DeWitt, starring and co-produced by John C . Reilly, also starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed and a special cameo by Carol Kane. Directed by Bafta award winning French filmmaker, Jacques Audiard. In 1850s Oregon, a gold prospector is chased by the infamous duo of assassins, the Sisters brothers. The Walking Dead, Episode 901, "A New Beginning" kicks off Andrew Lincoln's last season as Rick Grimes. We break down the episode and forecast what's to come for Season 9. For more film and television reviews and podcasts visit www.thehmcnetwork.com