The Review Show

Episode 319. We quick-change into our capes for an episode on Richard Donner's 1978 Superman: The Movie. This has all the classic Superman iconography you know and love, plus a complicated real estate scheme where Lex Luthor wants to sink the California coastline to make a new one. We discuss the strange pacing that makes you wait nearly an hour to see Superman in action, the surprisingly sincere romance (and horniness), Jor-El being a busy dad with two jobs, Midwestern wheat fields, how we expect James Gunn's Superman to emulate this or step away from it, and if we'll ever see a big-screen Superman with a mullet like that one comic from the 1990s.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:42) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Superman: The Movie (13:36) - Housekeeping (20:04) - Spoilers for Superman: The Movie (01:30:17) - Review Show Bingo (01:32:21) - Recommendations (01:49:50) - What we are discussing next episode (01:54:12) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 318. We return to the world of Valiant comics to read the first three volumes of Faith, from writer Jody Houser. Faith has always worked with a superhero team, but now she's setting out on her own to live in sunny Los Angeles and fight crime her own way, while keeping up a day job as a pop culture blogger. We discuss Faith's important role as a plus-size superhero and how the story doesn't need to call attention to how unusual that is, the endless barrage of nerdy references, mid-2010s time capsule moments, befriending your clone, and tips for going to your first comic con.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:22) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Faith Vol. 1-3 (19:22) - Housekeeping (24:59) - Spoilers for Faith Vol. 1-3 (01:17:55) - Review Show Bingo (01:22:01) - Recommendations (01:32:22) - What we are discussing next episode (01:34:32) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 317. We want to believe in this week's episode, a look back at the The X-Files movie from 1998. This movie, sometimes known under the subtitle Fight the Future, was released in theaters between seasons 5 and 6 of the TV show but tells a standalone story. Mulder and Scully are fighting for their careers, their lives, and their connection to each other as they're embroiled in a plot to release an ancient alien virus into the world. We talk about how this movie goes big while staying close to the roots of the show, textbook moves for writing an investigative partnership will-they-won't-they romance, the bees, the grandson with the broken leg, and how this is unique in the history of TV shows being turned into movies.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (01:40) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The X-files Fight the Future (18:44) - Housekeeping (24:06) - Spoilers for The X-files Fight the Future (01:22:36) - Review Show Bingo (01:25:50) - Recommendations (01:48:56) - What we are discussing next episode (01:56:00) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 316. It's a Review Show first as we try to dissect a sketch comedy show with no traditional narrative, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. This show premiered on Netflix in 2019 and made a mark with its focus on absurd escalations to everyday awkward interactions. We discuss how the show reflects a post-pandemic lockdown hyper-awareness of social interaction, the lack of recurring characters, the buff boy contest, Dan Flash shirts, and how Karl Havoc plays better if you know the story of Jim Carrey undergoing CIA torture resistance techniques just to put on his Grinch makeup.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:52) - Non-spoiler thoughts on I Think You Should Leave (15:49) - Housekeeping (21:36) - Spoilers for I Think You Should Leave (01:23:04) - Review Show Bingo (01:26:41) - Recommendations (01:46:07) - What we are discussing next episode (01:50:03) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 315. We watched the 2016 comedy I Was a Teenage Wereskunk, an homage to 1950s B-movies made on a shoestring budget. A teenage boy is sprayed by a magical skunk while he's trying to look at boobs and now he turns into a murderous skunk monster whenever he gets horny. We discuss how the movie is a deft parody of a variety of genres, the tiny house, the sexy pancakes, our new favorite character Deputy Gary, and trying to understand mid-century cultural tropes like beatniks and the Lover's Lane.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:30) - Non-spoiler thoughts on I Was A Teenage Wereskunk (11:43) - Housekeeping (17:53) - Spoilers for I Was A Teenage Wereskunk (01:04:56) - Review Show Bingo (01:09:50) - Recommendations (01:24:53) - What we are discussing next episode (01:27:30) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 314. We pay tribute to the late director David Lynch by watching his 2001 film Mulholland Drive. An aspiring actress finds a mysterious amnesiac woman hiding in her new Hollywood apartment, sparking a close bond between the two women, and a search for truth and identity. We ask whether it's possible to spoil the ending of this inscrutable movie and discuss its origins as a failed TV pilot, clues that don't lead you anywhere, selves within selves, the symbology of the jewelry box, and how many times Patrick Fischler was cast in other movies as an homage to the Winkie's scene.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:42) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Mulholland Drive (18:34) - Housekeeping (23:47) - Spoilers for Mulholland Drive (01:21:25) - Review Show Bingo (01:25:30) - Recommendations (01:47:41) - What we are discussing next episode (01:52:12) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 313. It's finally here: the episode where Kyle makes Melissa watch a Gundam. We watched Mobile Suit Gundam I-III, three movies on Netflix that are abridged compilations of the original 1979 TV show. In a war-torn future, young Amuro Ray finds his way into a mech suit and struggles with the moral conflicts of becoming a soldier losing members of his newfound family. We discuss how Gundam is more about the tragedy of war than it is about pew-pew-pew space fights, characters who are introduced just to die, what purpose the little kids serve in the story, discovering the sadness in your workaholic dad, and how the plot of The Big O sounds cool until you get to the part where the giant robots are named "megadeuces."Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:59) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Mobile Suit Gundam (compilation movies 1-3) (23:58) - Housekeeping (29:44) - Spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam (compilation movies 1-3) (01:15:37) - Review Show Bingo (01:19:30) - Recommendations (01:33:47) - What we are discussing next episode (01:35:22) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 312. We read the first two volumes of the Love Everlasting, from Tom King and Elsa Charretier. This is a psychological horror comic about a woman who finds herself trapped in a series of stereotypical romance stories, never sure when she's really falling in love and when she's just going through the motions trying to get out of this story and escape. We discuss the variety of vintage romance comic tropes, the mysterious cowboy who enforces the rules of this world, finding true love at the end of your life, and comparisons to The Prisoner.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (04:01) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Love Everlasting vol. 1-2 (15:13) - Housekeeping (21:18) - Spoilers for Love Everlasting vol. 1-2 (01:16:49) - Review Show Bingo (01:19:19) - Recommendations (01:33:31) - What we are discussing next episode (01:37:21) - Outro Follow us and join the conversation on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 311. We catch up to the current season of For All Mankind, as the show reaches the 1990s and begins the race for Mars, with a private company launching its own voyage alongside the USA and Russia. We discuss how the show has proven itself adept enough at drama in the early seasons to earn a few wild comedic moments now, having one specific human villain, and spending too much time on setup when we're ready to be introduced to a situation in media res. Kyle demands a sovereign colony on Mars. Melissa just wants Margo and Sergei to kiss again. We get very excited about homages to Lost.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (05:25) - Non-spoiler thoughts on For All Mankind s3-4 (16:30) - Housekeeping (20:40) - Spoilers for For All Mankind s3-4 (01:53:10) - Review Show Bingo (02:00:25) - Recommendations (02:07:02) - What we are discussing next episode (02:08:48) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 310. We watched the first two seasons of For All Mankind, an Apple TV+ drama that looks at an alternate world history where the space race never ended, with each season jumping forward years to see a new era of exploration. We discuss the balance of tense space missions with equally tense interpersonal drama at home, how the show feels sprawling but also limited in only showing us the American or Russian side, breaking narrative rules, surprisingly nuanced supporting characters, and one of the best season finale cliffhangers in TV history.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:44) - Non-spoiler thoughts on For All Mankind s1-2 (18:13) - Housekeeping (23:42) - Spoilers for For All Mankind s1-2 (01:38:31) - Review Show Bingo (01:48:52) - Recommendations (02:00:30) - What we are discussing next episode (02:01:13) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 309. We're talking on Sunshine, and don't it feel good! We watched the sci-fi thriller from director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, about a space mission to launch a nuclear bomb that will revive the dying Sun and save Earth from death by ice age. The mission is thrown into chaos when the crew hears a distress signal from the first ship who attempted this mission and failed under mysterious circumstances. We discuss the cast of breakout stars and how the movie feels like it could be a hit new release this year and not a box office flop from 2007, strange stylistic choices, cosmic horror, a troubling haircut, and just what the 20th Century Fox logo is supposed to be. Is that a building? Can you go inside??Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:28) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Sunshine (16:29) - Housekeeping (20:42) - Spoilers for Sunshine (01:08:12) - Review Show Bingo (01:11:20) - Recommendations (01:22:40) - What we are discussing next episode (01:25:20) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 308. It's an explosive start to 2025 as we watch all of the Bourne franchise: the trilogy of The Bourne Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum, the not-really-a-reboot The Bourne Legacy, and the attempted return to form with Jason Bourne. These movies follow an amnesiac secret agent as he attempts to uncover the corrupt government program that took his memories in exchange for deadly skills. We discuss the context of action cinema in 2002 and how the series adapted to industry changes like cinematic universes, the Matt Damon screen persona, the unique values of the oft-maligned Bourne Legacy, DVD bonus features, the Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Orlando, and how these movies all have the same end credits sequence.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:02) - Non-spoiler thoughts on the Bourne franchise (20:28) - Housekeeping (26:16) - Spoilers for the Bourne movies (01:40:38) - Review Show Bingo (01:49:42) - Recommendations (01:56:55) - What we are discussing next episode (01:58:49) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Kyle and Melissa are here for a chill end-of-year celebration, looking back on our year in podcasting and looking ahead to our 2025 goals. We give out our Review Show awards, play a game of "What the Hell Were We Talking About?", run through our recent cinema experiences, talk about fancy cocktails and fancy mansions, and finally share our thoughts on the weird twist in the otherwise conventional neo-noir show Sugar.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:03) - Welcome (02:17) - Cheers to nine years of The Whatnauts (04:59) - Melissa's holiday parties (09:04) - Have we done anything else for nine years? (13:02) - Break number 1 (13:04) - Kyle's got his pizza (17:36) - Alcoholic slushies and other drinks (27:03) - The mansion tour (37:07) - The Review Show awards (01:21:43) - Break number 2 (01:21:45) - Kyle's got his Old Fashioned (01:24:08) - What the hell were we talking about? (01:42:25) - A quick check in on our fantasy movie draft (01:47:53) - The Cinema Corner (01:55:54) - Spoilers for Sugar (01:57:46) - The Cinema Corner round 2 (02:07:42) - Out of Alcatraz (02:13:41) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 307. In our final Review Show of the year, we rewatched Severance before season two premieres in January! Employees at a shadowy mega-corporation can choose to undergo a "severance" procedure, where their brain is divided between work memories and personal memories. A group of severed employees who know nothing outside of their office start to wonder what the purpose of their work actually is, what their outside lives are like, and what it'll take for them to escape. We discuss the myriad mysteries of the show and how the character motivations are the most compelling secrets of all, Ricken's attempts at philosophy, the seemingly empty company town, new departments we want to see in season two, and Cobel's "Hey Arnold" shrine.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:36) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Severance (17:39) - Housekeeping (22:23) - Spoilers for Severance (01:50:01) - Review Show Bingo (01:54:20) - Recommendations (02:14:49) - What we are discussing next episode (02:19:02) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 306. We watched the 2018 limited series Escape at Dannemora, from director Ben Stiller. In this drama based on true events, two inmates start affairs with a civilian prison employee, and manipulate her to get them the tools they need to break out. We discuss how everything falls apart after the escape, the diegetic soundtrack of 2015 radio pop hits, tiny doll pants, and how a reference to Happy Gilmore has actual thematic resonance to the story.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:08) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Escape at Dannemora (16:42) - Housekeeping (22:41) - Spoilers for Escape at Dannemora (01:18:15) - Review Show Bingo (01:21:28) - Recommendations (01:30:59) - What we are discussing next episode (01:32:23) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 305. They should've sent a poet... instead they got podcasters. We connect with Contact, the 1997 sci-fi drama from director Robert Zemekis, based on a novel from Carl Sagan. Dr. Ellie Arroway has spent her life listening to the stars, and the stars finally have a message for her. Humanity scrambles to decode an alien transmission and determine what to do with this new knowledge, and what it means for their very concept of facts vs. faith. We discuss the story's approachable and universal take on "lowercase f" faith, the eccentric billionaire who lives in a plane, that legendary mirror shot, and the rare sci-fi story that's comforting more than it is cautionary.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:18) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Contact (20:45) - Housekeeping (26:18) - Spoilers for Contact (01:12:32) - Review Show Bingo (01:17:37) - Recommendations (01:31:13) - What we are discussing next episode (01:35:44) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 304. We watched Ti West's horror trilogy of X, Pearl, and Maxxxine. These movies take us from a 1970s adult film shoot turned deadly to a farmgirl's suffocating small town life in 1918 to the neon sleeze of 1980s LA. We discuss the sense of history in each of the films, repeated patterns of aging and feeling trapped and becoming the person you swore you wouldn't become, dual roles and special effects makeup, if character actor Toby Huss has become too well known to just be used for a couple minutes, and screaming at a scarecrow.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (04:46) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The X trilogy (19:32) - Housekeeping (24:25) - Spoilers for The X trilogy (01:18:53) - Review Show Bingo (01:20:34) - Recommendations (01:29:49) - What we are discussing next episode (01:32:00) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 303. We kick off October with a look into DC Comics' dark magic side, reading Paul Dini's run on Zatanna. Our heroine is both a working stage magician and one of the most powerful magical beings in the universe, as she juggles solving supernatural crimes with maintaining her performance schedule. We discuss how Zatanna is more iconic than any actual real world female magicians, the story's sense of place in San Francisco, killer puppets, Brother Night, and the "please, just let me sleep" genre of heroes.Watch the video version of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:13) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Zatanna (18:52) - Housekeeping (24:00) - Spoilers for Zatanna (01:15:56) - Review Show Bingo (01:19:49) - Recommendations (01:32:13) - What we are discussing next episode (01:34:59) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 302. How has Kyle never seen Zodiac? That's the real mystery. Shametember corrects this error as we discuss David Fincher's 2007 true crime thriller. This movie follows the investigation into the Zodiac killer across decades through the perspective of detectives, journalists, and the few survivors of his attacks, all based on real accounts. We discuss the unnerving atmosphere and bizarre side-stories that are just as haunting as the main mystery, the atypical plot structure and pacing, Jake Gyllenhaal looking like a human Muppet, and how we see Fincher continue these themes in his show Mindhunter.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (05:14) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Zodiac (26:14) - Housekeeping (31:18) - Spoilers for Zodiac (01:30:16) - Review Show Bingo (01:35:48) - Recommendations (01:46:20) - What we are discussing next episode (01:49:03) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 301. Shametember kicks off this year with a movie that Melissa has somehow never seen -- 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action, from Joe Dante, the director of the Gremlins films. In this live-action and animation hybrid, Bugs and Daffy join a globe-trotting adventure with an aspiring stuntman who needs to save his action star father from the villainous chairman of Acme. We discuss the frantic plot and non-stop visual gags, celebrity cameos, product placement, Steve Martin's confounding performance, and our desire for a new version of Looney Tunes that's a surreal psychological drama starring Jesse Plemons as Porky Pig. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (05:22) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Looney Tunes: Back In Action (16:24) - Housekeeping (21:08) - Spoilers for Looney Tunes: Back In Action (01:15:38) - Review Show Bingo (01:21:07) - Recommendations (01:37:23) - What we are discussing next episode (01:39:36) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 300! To celebrate our 300th episode, we're breaking our usual episode format to imagine a theme park based on the movies, shows, comics, and audio fiction we've covered in the past 299 episodes. Ideas include: High School Land, a Speed Racer roller coaster, a Mission:Impossible stunt spectacular, a carnival booth that will tell you if you're going to hell or not, a secret chicken restaurant that you can only find if you bribe a newsie, a town of endless parades, and a walkaround Michael Clayton breaking up fights between other characters (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Let the party begin! (47:58) - Housekeeping (52:10) - Back to building our park (01:37:57) - What we are discussing next episode (01:40:47) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 299. We are not numbers! We are free podcasters!! Our topic this episode is the 1967 British sci-fi mystery show The Prisoner. After suddenly resigning from his intelligence bureau, a spy known only as Number 6 is kidnapped and imprisoned in the eerily idyllic Village, where he's challenged with bizarre mind games until he gives up whatever terrible secret made him resign. We discuss the rotating cast of actors playing the Village's leader Number 2, the killer bubble, the mod coastal fashion aesthetic, a truly strange series finale for the ages, the show's place in TV history and its continuing influence, and who we would want to see in the oft-rumored Christopher Nolan adaptation.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (05:22) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The Prisoner (17:51) - Housekeeping (23:38) - Spoilers!! The Prisoner (01:42:06) - Review Show Bingo (01:48:10) - Recommendations (01:55:16) - What we are discussing next episode (01:59:57) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 298. French cinema month concludes with the 1964 musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It's the 1950s in a quaint French town, and young Genvieve is despondent over her boyfriend being sent off to war, and coming to terms with marrying a more sensible man whom she should love but doesn't. We talk about how the movie is sung through in its entirety and defies common musical structure, the vibrant color palette, why Genvieve's mom doesn't just marry the suitor herself if she adores him so much, and how we wish the movie was more about the industry specifics of umbrella design.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:03) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (14:44) - Housekeeping (19:43) - Spoilers!! The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (01:12:59) - Review Show Bingo (01:14:45) - Recommendations (01:25:15) - What we are discussing next episode (01:32:15) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 297. In honor of the Paris Olympics, we're covering French cinema this July, starting with Titane. This is a 2021 horror movie about a woman who has sex with a car and becomes pregnant with a car baby. We discuss how strange the movie is beyond just this initial premise, the murder spree, the dance sequences, and a firefighting brigade made entirely of orphan boys.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:27) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Titane (09:44) - Housekeeping (13:35) - Spoilers!! Titane (01:09:18) - Review Show Bingo (01:13:09) - Recommendations (01:22:12) - What we are discussing next episode (01:24:20) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 296. We continue our tradition of watching a Nic Cage movie every 4th of July weekend, and it's Christmas in July with the 2000 magic realism holiday rom-com The Family Man. Jack Campbell is a successful businessman living a solo jetsetter lifestyle when he's transported to an alternate world where he stayed with his college sweetheart and settled down in the suburbs. We discuss how the story fails to stand out in the catalogue of Christmas movies, the lack of compromise in the family vs. career struggle, the inexplicable and underutilized cowboy father-in-law, actual angel Don Cheadle, and whether or not this was the movie that Kyle vaguely remembers watching someone else watch on an airplane once when he was a kid.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (00:55) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The Family Man (17:30) - Housekeeping (18:25) - Spoilers!! The Family Man (49:23) - Review Show Bingo (50:24) - Recommendations (56:40) - What we are discussing next episode (59:48) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 295. We donned our aprons to talk about the first two seasons of the culinary dark comedy The Bear, in preparation for season three later this month. When a world class chef has to return home to Chicago and take over his late brother's failing sandwich shop, the whole staff struggles to adapt to their personal loss and new professional goals as they work to revamp the restaurant under a punishing deadline. We discuss the show's mix of dread and coziness, the well-rounded peripheral characters, the frenetic editing, a car full of discarded Arby's cups, and how the "Seven Fishes" episode will be studied for decades to come.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:03) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The Bear s1-2 (15:10) - Housekeeping (19:53) - Spoilers!! The Bear s1-2 (01:40:04) - Review Show Bingo (01:43:46) - Recommendations (02:05:41) - What we are discussing next episode (02:11:36) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 294. We chow down on the first two volumes of Chew, the 2009 comic from John Layman and Rob Guillory. Whenever Tony Chu eats something, he gets a psychic impression of its history. He can see where produce was grown or how meat was slaughtered, or if he bites a dead body, he can see that person's last moments. He uses this power as an agent for the FDA, solving bizarre food-related crimes in a world where where chicken has been outlawed and is now treated as an illicit substance. We discuss the nonstop antics, scribbled-in background jokes, the narrative's slow release of info on the deadly bird flu that led to the chicken ban, and character designs modeled after actors from Lost.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (01:20) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Chew vol. 1-2 (10:37) - Housekeeping (14:50) - Spoilers!! Chew vol. 1-2 (01:01:43) - Review Show Bingo (01:05:13) - Recommendations (01:14:58) - What we are discussing next episode (01:16:05) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 293. We run from a bi-plane right into a discussion on Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 thriller North by Northwest! Roger Thornhill is caught up in a web of espionage and danger after he's mistaken for a secret agent, and this humdrum advertising exec has to play the action hero to get out of this conspiracy alive. We share our experiences going to the Fathom Events theatrical screening for this movie's 65th anniversary, its influence on spy stories, the surprising amount of humor, unconvincing makeout scenes, and Kyle's galaxy brain theory about how the main characters are dead at the end of the movie.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:49) - Non-spoiler thoughts on North By Northwest (15:51) - Housekeeping (20:32) - Spoilers!! North By Northwest (01:14:34) - Review Show Bingo (01:18:41) - Recommendations (01:27:09) - What we are discussing next episode (01:30:49) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 292. In preparation for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, we caught up on the trilogy of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). These films act as a prequel to the original 1968 movie, showing how apes gained human intelligence and eventually drove humans out of their civilization. We discuss the sub-genres in each movie, from prison break to political thriller, the impressive mo-cap performances and thoughtful world-building, if a gorilla could really ride a horse, and the "Old Spice" aesthetic of epicness from the late 2000s.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:40) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The Planet of the Apes Trilogy (16:22) - Housekeeping (20:23) - Spoilers!! The Planet of the Apes Trilogy (01:13:15) - Review Show Bingo (01:19:31) - Recommendations (01:27:36) - What we are discussing next episode (01:29:05) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 291. We conclude Apple April by watching season one of the Apple TV+ espionage drama, Slow Horses. MI5 agents who have notorious failures but who aren't incompetent enough to be fired are demoted to Slough House, an outpost where they do menial tasks under the command of the misanthropic Jackson Lamb. This team of misfits has a chance to prove themselves when they stumble upon a kidnapping conspiracy that may have been orchestrated by one of their own M15 bosses. We discuss how the show builds on its ensemble cast and knows exactly when to give you more time with a supporting character, the balance of dumb mistakes with genuine clever spycraft, and a scene where Gary Oldman farts that will make all dads stand up and clap.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (04:05) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Slow Horses s1 (13:52) - Housekeeping (20:04) - Spoilers!! Slow Horses s1 (01:00:49) - Review Show Bingo (01:07:32) - Recommendations (01:15:29) - What we are discussing next episode (01:19:35) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 290. It's Apple April, where we're exploring content from Apple TV+. This week is the first season of Hello Tomorrow!, a 2023 workplace dramedy set in a retro-futuristic world. Jack Billings left his family behind to become a traveling salesman for Brightside, a timeshare development on the moon. When his son unknowingly attends one of his sales seminars, he decides to take the boy under his wing as a new employee, waiting until the right moment to reveal that he's his long-absent father. This isn't Jack's only secret, and the moon might not be the ideal destination he promises. We discuss the show's themes of hard truths vs. gentle lies, what it means to believe in a dream and fake it until you make it, the impressive production design, and robot hands.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (04:03) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Hello Tomorrow! (15:40) - Housekeeping (19:05) - Spoilers!! Hello Tomorrow! (01:20:54) - Review Show Bingo (01:24:15) - Recommendations (01:37:11) - What we are discussing next episode (01:42:26) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 289. We're discussing Jordan Peele's 2019 horror film Us, about a family whose beach house is invaded by horrifying dopplegangers of themselves, after the mother survived an encounter with one of them when she was younger. We discuss the puzzling origin of these doubles and the unnerving abruptness of the movie's ending, dream logic, liminal spaces, and buff nerds.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (01:35) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Us (13:41) - Housekeeping (17:21) - Spoilers!! Us (01:05:04) - Review Show Bingo (01:13:16) - Recommendations (01:21:27) - What we are discussing next episode (01:24:37) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 288. Friend of the show and master of electricity Ignacio Rojas joins us to talk about Weathering With You, a 2019 anime movie from director Makoto Shinkai. 15-year-old Hodaka runs away from home to start a new life in Tokyo, where he meets Hina, another teenager working to support herself and her kid brother. Hina is secretly a "sunshine girl" who can summon the sun and banish clouds, which the two use to earn money during an intensely rainy season, but the power could cost Hina her life. We discuss how this compares to Shinkai's earlier film Your Name, the accurate Tokyo settings down to a real McDonald's, themes of finding your own happiness on an alternate path in life, and your "senpai" being a 10-year-old with two girlfriends.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (07:41) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Weathering With You (16:26) - Housekeeping (21:34) - Spoilers!! Weathering With You (01:08:09) - Review Show Bingo (01:12:30) - Recommendations (01:19:07) - What we are discussing next episode (01:22:00) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 287. We read the 12-issue DC limited series The Human Target, from writer Tom King and artist Greg Smallwood. Christopher Chance is the Human Target, a secret operative you can hire to masquerade as you and take the hits from your enemies. He drinks a poison meant for Lex Luthor and has only 12 days left to live. He's determined to use this time to solve who is behind this assassination attempt, and all signs point to a member of the Justice League International. We discuss how much DC knowledge you need before reading this story, the juxtaposition of classic noir tropes with a bright mid-century art style, and comparisons to the prolific poisoning-based story The Emperor's New Groove.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:01) - Non-spoiler thoughts on The Human Target (15:52) - Housekeeping (20:26) - Spoilers!! The Human Target (01:12:27) - Review Show Bingo (01:15:14) - Recommendations (01:24:35) - What we are covering next episode (01:26:48) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 286. We watched the 1985 detective show Moonlighting, an early "dramedy" and legend in will-they-won't-they romance. After a crooked accountant steals her money, former supermodel Maddie Hayes bets everything on her one remaining business asset, a small detective agency. She teams up with the goofy but effective PI David Addison, and the two bicker and flirt while solving a variety of odd crimes. We discuss the jarring shifts from poignant drama to screwball comedy, the receptionist who answers every phone call in rhyme, David bringing Chester Cheetah energy, romantic soft focus lenses, and a standout Christmas episode.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:13) - - Non-spoiler thoughts on Moonlighting (20:29) - Housekeeping (25:20) - Spoilers!! Moonlighting (01:12:06) - Review Show Bingo (01:19:48) - Recommendations (01:29:44) - What we are discussing next week (01:34:17) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 285. We watched season one of the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai. At the time when baby Mizu was born with blue eyes, all outsiders were banned from Japan and the only white men known to be in the country were heinous criminals. After growing up an outcast, Mizu is now an adult trained in the sword, determined to find and kill those men. We discuss the impressive fight choreography, the surprising amount of blood and sex, horny poetry, and characters with speech impediments.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (04:24) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Blue Eye Samural (15:28) - Housekeeping (21:22) - Spoilers!! Blue Eye Samurai (01:16:06) - Review Show Bingo (01:20:49) - Recommendations (01:26:10) - What we are discussing next week (01:28:24) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 284. The Whatnauts answer the call to discuss all four movies under the Ghostbusters banner: the 1984 original, the 1989 sequel, the 2016 soft remake, and the 2021 "rebootquel" Ghostbusters: Afterlife. We discuss how the franchise has always appealed to children even when it wasn't made for them, how anyone can become a ghostbuster, city pride, spooky paintings, when do homages start to feel repetitive, Stephen King vibes, and what we want to see from the new Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire movie later this year.(00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:54) - Non-spoiler thoughts on the Ghostbusters franchise (16:52) - Housekeeping (21:48) - Spoilers!! The Ghostbusters franchise (01:44:59) - Ignacio joins the party (01:49:45) - Recommendations (01:57:42) - What we are covering next episode (01:59:35) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Join us for the 8th anniversary retrospective, which we've now declared will be called a Grand Prix! Just try to stop us!! Kyle and Melissa gather for our annual pizza awards banquet for favorite Review Show topics, best performances, biggest surprises, and for the first time ever, a two-time Dream Date winner. We also debut a new structure for the Review Show and Captain's Log starting in 2024! Master of electricity Ignacio joins us for a rousing discussion on southern California theme parks, and we name our goals for the year ahead.(00:00) - Intro (00:16) - Welcome and banter (05:53) - What's the deal with "Grand Prix" (08:43) - Review Show awards (51:46) - Housekeeping (56:57) - Changes coming to The Whatnauts (01:11:29) - Ignacio joins the party (01:17:37) - Catching up with Melissa (01:21:24) - Are we board game people? (01:37:57) - Ignacio and Kyle's video games of the year (01:44:05) - Melissa snaps us out of our video game haze (01:51:44) - New segment: What the hell are we talking about? (02:04:20) - Our most anticipated movies and shows of 2024 (02:14:36) - Goals for next year (02:24:12) - Just a few quick interesting stats (02:30:38) - Outro

Episode 283. Happy holidays! We're ending the year by watching a two-part Christmas special from the animated family sitcom Bob's Burgers: season 8 episodes 6 and 7, titled "The Bleakening." When the family's Christmas tree is stolen from a party at their restaurant, Linda and Bob search for the culprit to get their kids' handmade ornaments back, while the kids suspect an anti-Santa known as the "Bleaken," who will prevent them from getting any presents. We discuss Linda's sincere love for the cruddy ornaments, meeting other local business owners in town, and the show's original musical numbers. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (03:32) - Spoiler free thoughts: Bob's Burgers Holiday Special: The Bleakening (s8e6-7) (12:40) - Housekeeping (18:55) - Spoilers!! Bob's Burgers Holiday Special: The Bleakening (s8e6-7) (35:05) - Recommendations (41:53) - Pitching what we cover next week (43:57) - Outro

Episode 282. Somebody stop us! We're talking about the 1994 living cartoon that is The Mask. Stanley Ipkiss is a hapless pushover who discovers a mask that, according to the original DVD packaging, "brings his innermost desires to wild, screaming life!" We discuss the Looney Tunes antics, impossible pajamas, piles of loose cash, the discovery of Cameron Diaz, and the '90s and early 2000s run of pulp stories harkening back to the '30s and '40s. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:43) - Spoiler free thoughts: The Mask (18:52) - Housekeeping (24:13) - Spoilers!! The Mask (01:11:01) - Bingo check in (01:13:28) - Recommendations (01:24:41) - Pitching what we cover next week (01:29:59) - Outro

Episode 281. We conclude our discussion on the original Hellboy comics, covering volumes 10-12, where Hellboy has to finally face his world-changing destiny and pay the ultimate price to stop others from using him in their malevolent plans. We discuss the one-shot stories bringing Hellboy to luchador matches in Mexico and the haunted woods of Appalachia, what the devil looks like if Hellboy has already taken the classic devil look, and how having your heart ripped from your chest generally means that you die. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (01:56) - Spoiler free thoughts: Hellboy vol. 10-12 (08:57) - Housekeeping (14:09) - Spoilers!! Hellboy vol. 10-12 (01:05:05) - Bingo check in (01:05:33) - Recommendations (01:13:25) - Pitching what we cover next week (01:14:51) - Outro

Episode 280. We had an A+ time with this B-movie, Brendan Steere's 2017 bad-on-purpose creature feature The VelociPastor. After priest Doug Jones sees his parents die in a car fire, he travels to China to clear his head, and encounters a mystical artifact that turns him into a velociraptor. He decides to use this power for good, ridding his city of drug dealers and ninjas. We discuss the moments of genuinely interesting film technique, calling a man younger than you "son," our admiration for Carol the sex worker/doctor/lawyer with a heart of gold, and plans for the sequel. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome and banter (02:44) - Spoiler free thoughts: The Velocipastor (10:42) - Housekeeping (15:08) - Spoilers!! The Velocipastor (01:13:54) - Bingo check in (01:15:48) - Recommendations (01:25:38) - Pitching what we cover next week (01:29:16) - Outro

Episode 279. We watched the puzzling 2019 neo-noir film Under the Silver Lake, written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. Sam is an aimless slacker who falls for a cute new neighbor, and after he finds her apartment suddenly vacated, he becomes determined to find the missing girl. A series of cryptic clues leads him through LA's hipster party scene all the way to a conspiracy in the shadowy upper echelons of society. We discuss the detailed codes and easter eggs hidden in the film, Andrew Garfield's wild physical performance, being too horny to fear for your own safety, and adult men drinking milk.Here are the YouTube videos we were referring to in the episode:https://youtu.be/M2ZUJFhZz1s?si=tj-Yhbk6C3Xd6P63https://youtu.be/PKhTETwj9mA?si=Dnpf15aBn6Fza-d_https://youtu.be/ZAiY6Y0fsOI?si=OBBwR3JnYn0gVblC 

Episode 278.  We watched the 1966 Ingmar Bergman film Persona. A young nurse is hired to care for an actress who went mute after a breakdown. The two go to a secluded beach house to recuperate, with the nurse constantly talking in hopes of coaxing her patient out of this psychosomatic state, while the identities of the two women start to blur. We discuss the avant garde imagery, the unnervingly sparse settings, and who that mysterious boy is supposed to represent.

Episode 277. Happy "Helloween" as we continue discussing the adventures of our pal Hellboy, with volumes 7-9 from writer Mike Mignola and new artist Duncan Fegredo. Old foes return to strike at Hellboy, and he learns surprising secrets about the human half of his lineage. We discuss the introduction of mainstream King Arthur mythology into this series based on more obscure folklore, making out with a goat, and crashing on a ghost's couch.

Episode 276. We watched season one of the 2017 Netflix crime thriller Mindhunter, based on true events. In 1977, the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit begins a groundbreaking study into serial killers, traveling the country to interview incarcerated murderers to learn more about their patterns and processes, in the hopes of identifying future killers and stopping them before they start. We discuss the show's own haunting and darkly comedic patterns, making friends with the abyss, and exploding birds.  (00:00) - - Intro (00:04) - - Welcome and banter (04:04) - - Spoiler free thoughts: Mindhunter S1 (15:00) - - Housekeeping (20:19) - - Spoilers!! Mindhunter S1 (01:31:01) - - Bingo check in (01:31:38) - - Recommendations (01:41:03) - - Pitching what we cover next week (01:53:44) - - Outro

Episode 275. We watched the 1998 horror movie The Faculty, from writer Kevin Williamson and director Robert Rodriguez. A mis-matched crew of high school students come together when they suspect their teachers are being taken over by aliens, and they need to use a popular new homebrewed drug to kill the alien queen and save those who have been infected. We discuss the twists on traditional high school archetypes, a very subtle theater kid joke, alluding to sex but not actually seeing it, and standing in a lawn sprinkler.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:04:32 - Spoiler free thoughts: The Faculty 00:16:53 - Housekeeping 00:21:54 - Spoilers!! The Faculty 01:00:53 - Bingo check in 01:01:42 - Recommendations 01:11:50 - Pitching what we cover next week 01:20:31 - OutroThe Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclusive episodes and more. You can find us on Twitter and we would love to have you join us on our Discord server as well.

Episode 274. We watched the 2014 black and white Iranian skateboarding vampire romance A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, from writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour. In the lonely town of Bad City, Iran, a young man working to pay off his father's debt to a local drug dealer encounters a mysterious girl who stalks the city at night, preying upon its oppressors. We discuss the mix of genres from spaghetti western to teen coming-of-age romance, how exciting a very slow scene can be, and how we wish there was even more skateboarding.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:03:16 - Spoiler free thoughts: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 00:15:13 - Housekeeping 00:19:10 - Spoilers!! A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 01:06:13 - Bingo check in 01:07:02 - Recommendations 01:12:21 - Pitching what we cover next week 01:19:25 - OutroThe Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclusive episodes and more. You can find us on Twitter and we would love to have you join us on our Discord server as well.

Episode 273. We're kicking off our annual all-horror October with 2013's Afterlife with Archie comics, from writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla. Jughead's beloved pup Hot Dog has been hit by a car, and when he asks Sabria the Teenage Witch to bring him back to life, he comes back wrong. Hot Dog bites Jughead, starting a zombie apocalypse in Riverdale. Archie, Betty, Veronica, and a crew of other traumatized survivors have to leave their town behind to go look for help. We discuss our limited personal contexts for the 80-year Archie franchise, how this series feels like a rough draft for the Riverdale TV show, and how vampires could fit into all of this.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:03:36 - Spoiler free thoughts: Afterlife with Archie 00:25:07 - Housekeeping 00:30:56 - Spoilers!! Afterlife with Archie 01:19:49 - Bingo check in 01:20:33 - Recommendations 01:28:59 - Pitching what we cover next week 01:37:18 - OutroThe Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclusive episodes and more. You can find us on Twitter and we would love to have you join us on our Discord server as well.

Episode 272. We're continuing our ongoing monthly series reading Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics, talking about volumes 4-6 in this episode. Hellboy continues to deal with arcane magic forces trying to use him to summon an apocalypse, as well as the BPRD treating one of his fellow supernatural beings as a disposable tool instead of a teammate. Fed up with being a pawn in someone else's plans, Hellboy goes off to travel the world on his own, but finds it difficult to escape his past, even at the bottom of the ocean.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:04:45 - Spoiler free thoughts: Hellboy vol. 4-6 00:17:37 - Housekeeping 00:22:18 - Spoilers!! Hellboy vol. 4-6 01:33:29 - Bingo check in 01:34:37 - Recommendations 01:35:30 - Pitching what we cover next week 01:37:54 - OutroThe Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclusive episodes and more. You can find us on Twitter and we would love to have you join us on our Discord server as well.

Episode 271. It's back-to-back Giamatti as we watch 2004's wine nerd movie Sideways! Divorced and depressed Miles takes his buddy Jack on a bachelor's weekend to California wine country. Jack wants to score some action before his wedding, while Miles just wants to lose himself in the pinot noir, struggling to reciprocate the advances of a friendly waitress at a local restaurant he frequents on these trips. As Jack's dalliances bring chaos to their vacation, Miles has to step up to help his friend, and learn to take better care of himself.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:06:37 - Spoiler free thoughts: Sideways 00:23:57 - Housekeeping 00:28:24 - Spoilers!! Sideways 01:14:50 - Bingo check in 01:16:43 - Recommendations 01:28:33 - Pitching what we cover next week 01:38:37 - OutroThe Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specific piece of entertainment that we can cover in a week's time. Every episode, your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa dive into the media of the week (with a spoiler warning!), give recommendations, and take turns pitching the next topic. For one episode a month, we check in with continuing coverage on a longer title, like a full TV series or comics run, and follow it all the way to the end. Join us for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclusive episodes and more. You can find us on Twitter and we would love to have you join us on our Discord server as well.