Are You Screening? Podcast

Solo Review

Solo is the start of a brand new world for the Star Wars franchise, and its performance is going to potentially result in a lot of long-term decisions. Though making money at the box office isn't necessarily all Disney is looking at, the film's lack of ability to capitalize on its character isn't going to go over well.
Beyond simply being a specific character title, there's only so much Star Wars in this attempt at Star Wars, because it's largely just a heist movie. Without even the draw of Star Wars staple Jedi, the film has a serious uphill battle.
But, is it worth your time, and does it offer up the thrill ride you might be hoping for? Or, does development hell leave a film in a state that is just too hard to get out of?

Deadpool 2 Review

Expectations were high for the return of Deadpool, even if we had a lot of problems with the first one. Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny that the most politically incorrect superhero has wedged himself into the cultural consciousness, and you had to hope for big things from the second installment.
At this point, the film, and/or its virtues is somewhat irrelevant, because Ryan Reynolds has managed to take the character everywhere and has made for himself a persona that will live long past the potential of the films.
But, is this one worth your time? Tune in and we'll let you know.

Avengers: Infinity War Review

You could hardly have more hype, and at this point the machine simply is what it is, but does the latest Marvel offering win out just because, or despite the fact that, it throws everyone into a big stew?
The opening will surely crush the box office, but we had very mixed thoughts about how well this one worked.
You'll also want to tune in for the first news of our 1984 Challenge, which is going to earn someone over $2,000 worth of Blu-Rays, gifts, and various movie swag.

I Feel Pretty Review

Amy Schumer is having a rough go in theaters, but she continues to move in a positive direction. However much you may be disappointed in any particular film, you get the feeling that she'll get there and you'll want to be around when she does.
"I Feel Pretty" throws a new monkey wrench into the works though, because it wouldn't be surprising for people to find themselves furiously disappointed in this one. Of course, it wouldn't be too surprising for people to not especially care either, and the film doesn't have what it takes to move people from one direction to the other (or, to some better direction).
Tune in and find out just how much this one let us down, or if it did... because one of us still liked it a fair amount.

A Quiet Place & Rampage Reviews

This week brings us two polar opposites in terms of genre (and I suppose volume), and while the hype may have gone in different directions, we had a good time with both of these. And, we didn't have such a great time with either of them. 
A Quiet Place has instantly rocketed its star into a new world of directing possibilities, including a sequel, and Rampage has... not had a very positive reception.
We'll let you know what we think, and you're probably going to be surprised.

Ready Player One Review

It's hard to scare us with a film more than putting out an adaptation of a book that seems unfilmable. Throwing a lot of money and a huge name director at it doesn't actually change that fact, but Ready Player One managed to mostly win us over.
On the other hand, a lot of things were changed, and fans have been responding from every direction. It's one thing, and a necessary one, to change something about a novel to adapt it, but it's quite another to monkey with a story with almost wild abandon.
Tune in to find out what we thought of this one, and to enter to win your very own copy!

Pacific Rim Uprising Review

Managing the dubious distinction of the highest rated movie I utterly hated, the Pacific Rim franchise continues with a new cast, a new director, and precious little we might count as a point.
We agreed that it isn't something we're about to recommend to people, but it had some positives, even if they are barely worth mentioning when put into the whole.
The story of how this film came together would clearly enlighten many about the inner workings of the Hollywood machine as it seems contractual obligations, money pre-paid for sets, FX companies, and potentially a negotiation with craft services all came together to land us a green light decision that somehow made sense on paper.

Tomb Raider/Wrinkle in Time Reviews

Tomb Raider seems like an odd move right now, but does that mean it's an automatic throwaway? It's been a long time since we saw a Croft in theaters, but more importantly, there doesn't seem to be anything swirling in the cultural consciousness that turns this franchise into something that needs another look.
The whys may be mysterious, but it turns out that, for what it is, this is an interesting attempt. Well, one of us thought so anyway.
Tune in to find out what we thought about this and A Wrinkle in Time.

Black Panther Review & Our 'Can't Win' Awards

It's that time of year again, and no, I don't mean it's time for Marvel to take over cinemas again. Black Panther has taken over the box office and it keeps on trucking, but it's time for our own version of movie awards.
Every year we offer up our "Can't Win" Awards, where we try to recognize some of the best in the year's films that really have no chance of getting nominated for any other awards. Whether it's a question of being too genre, too small, or too controversial in subject matter, there are a lot of great films and performances that aren't in the right corner of the arena to have a shot at an award. We try to make sure that they get some extra recognition.

Worst Movies of 2017

There were some surprisingly good movies this year, and seeing indie and genre films push out some clear award hopefuls may give a lot of film fans hope for the future. But! That doesn't mean there weren't a lot of horrible efforts out there as well. In fact, it seems that if you saw the last couple of years as reaching new heights, the scales are still fairly balanced, because the lows are reaching new depths.
We'll let you know our picks for the most dreaded films of the year so that you can make sure to avoid them at all costs.