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Tom Holland’s third solo outing as Spider-man is the most spoiler-prone movie of the year so we don’t waste much time in our non-spoiler section.

Spider-man: No Way Home

Directed by: Jon Watts
Produced by: Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal
Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
Edited by: Jeffrey Ford, Leigh Folsom Boyd
Cinematography: Mauro Fiore
Music by: Michael Giacchino
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

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With old characters returning in the next Spider-man movie, we go back to the OG movies that started it all. We’re joined once again by our friend Garret as we re-live, re-evaluate, and discuss the Sam Raimi directed, Tobey Maguire-starring films and do a tiny bit of speculating about Spider-man: No Way Home. “OG” of course stands for “original goblin” – and if you thought that joke was bad, when was the last time you watched these movies?

Spider-man trilogy

Directed by: Sam Raimi
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, J. K. Simmons, Rosemary Harris, Cliff Robertson, Bryce Dallas Howard
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

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Tom Hanks plays a violent gang enforcer in 2002’s period crime drama Road to Perdition and he still comes out likable because Hanks.

Road to Perdition

Directed by: Sam Mendes
Produced by: Richard D. Zanuck, Dean Zanuck, Sam Mendes
Screenplay by: David Self
Based on: Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins & Richard Piers Rayner
Edited by: Jill Bilcock
Cinematography: Conrad L. Hall
Music by: Thomas Newman
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig
Distributed by: DreamWorks Pictures

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After a long, unintended hiatus, we’re back!

The seminal movies of our generation are 20 years old this year. Join us as we discuss the film that kicked it all off and changed the way we thought about movies and stories forever. We talk about the impact this film had on us as kids, how it holds up today, and answer the eternal fan question: theatrical or extended?

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Directed by: Peter Jackson
Produced by: Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Tim Sanders
Screenplay by: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Based on: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
Edited by: John Gilbert
Cinematography: Andrew Lesnie
Music by: Howard Shore
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis
Distributed by: New Line Cinema

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WandaVision

Created by: Jac Schaeffer
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, Evan Peters
Composer: Christophe Beck
Executive Producers: Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Matt Shakman, Jac Schaeffer
Original network: Disney+
Original release: 2021

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We discuss season 2 of The Mandalorian, our thoughts on the future of the show, and the future of Star Wars in general.

The Mandalorian (season two)

Created by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Pedro Pascal
Composer: Ludwig Göransson
Executive Producers: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson
Original network: Disney+
Original release: 2020

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We finally do a Christmas episode by discussing not one, but an entire genre of movies. Several emotions were had.

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Everybody’s favorite non-Disney princess finally shows up in Netflix’s drama about the Royal Windsor Family of Great Britain. We discuss the main storylines, themes, and performances of The Crown Season 4.

The Crown (season four)

Created by: Peter Morgan
Starring: Olivia Coleman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, Josh O’Connor, Emma Corrin, Marion Bailey, Erin Doherty, Stephen Boxer, Emerald Fennell
Composer: Martin Phipps
Executive Producers: Peter Morgan, Stephen Daldry, Andy Harries, Phillip Martin, Suzanne Mackie, Matthew Byam-Shaw, Robert Fox, Tanya Seghatchian, Nina Wolarsky, Allie Goss
Original network: Netflix
Original release: November 15, 2020

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For Tomhanksgiving 2020 we watch the ultimate social distancing movie: Cast Away. This year has sucked, but we can all be thankful that we’re not stuck alone on an island with just a volleyball for companionship. So there’s that.

Cast Away

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Produced by: Steve Starkey, Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke
Screenplay by: William Broyles Jr.
Edited by: Arthur Schmidt
Cinematography: Don Burgess
Music by: Alan Silvestri
Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

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Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in the daddest of dad movies. Does it work for non-dad types and/or non-car people?

Ford v Ferrari

Directed by: James Mangold
Produced by: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, James Mangold
Screenplay by: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Jason Keller
Edited by: Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland
Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael
Music by: Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

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It’s October so we’ve dipped a hesitant toe into the realm of (slightly) scary movies. In this episode, we discuss the pseudo-sequel to Cloverfield.

10 Cloverfield Lane

Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Produced by: J. J. Abrams, Lindsey Weber
Screenplay by: Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, Damien Chazelle
Edited by: Stefan Grube
Cinematography: Jeff Cutter
Music by: Bear McCreary
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

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We braved the theater to see Christopher Nolan’s latest spectacle. Was it worth it?

Tenet

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Produced by: Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan
Screenplay by: Christopher Nolan
Edited by: Jennifer Lame
Cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema 
Music by: Ludwig Göransson
Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

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On this episode we discuss the movie that finally got Leo his Oscar. Is Leo really great in it? Oh, and how’s the actual movie?

The Revenant

Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Produced by: Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon, James W. Skotchdopole
Screenplay by: Mark L. Smith, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Based on: The Revenant by Michael Punke
Edited by: Stephen Mirrione
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki
Music by: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

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Our discussion of the classic shark attack movie meanders through talk about the filmmaking, Spielberg’s catalog, and fun debate over a theoretical remake.

Jaws

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Produced by: Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown
Screenplay by: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb
Edited by: Verna Fields
Cinematography: Bill Butler
Music by: John Williams
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
Distributed by: Universal Pictures

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Inception recently turned 10 and since we can’t see Christopher Nolan’s new movie yet, we thought this was the perfect time to revisit Inception… that dream within a dream… within a dream.

Inception

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Produced by: Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan
Screenplay by: Christopher Nolan
Edited by: Lee Smith
Cinematography: Wally Pfister
Music by: Hans Zimmer
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

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If you’re subscribed to our podcast because you want to hear us talk about Gilmore Girls, you’re in luck! We’re doing that again.

If you’re subscribed to our podcast and you’re sick of hearing us talk about Gilmore Girls, you’re in luck! This is the last time we’re going to do that (unless there’s more new episodes in the future)!

If you’re not subscribed, you could do that with the links above! We’d appreciate it.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

Created by: Amy Sherman-Palladino
Starring: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Yanic Truesdale, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann
Composer: Sam Phillips
Executive Producers: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino, Gavin Polone
Original network: Netflix
Original release: 2016

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We discuss Knives Out, Agatha Christie, detective stories, and murder mystery films.

Knives Out

Directed by: Rian Johnson
Produced by: Ram Bergman, Rian Johnson
Screenplay by: Rian Johnson
Edited by: Bob Ducsay
Cinematography: Steve Yedlin
Music by: Nathan Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Christopher Plummer
Distributed by: Lionsgate

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Just Mercy is currently free to watch on a variety of platforms. As we discuss the film, we do our best to grapple with the difficult issue of systematic racial injustice in America. Viewing dramatized versions of real events is not the same as digging into the truth of what really happens in our world, but dramas like this can be a helpful and humanizing starting point.

Just Mercy

Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
Produced by: Gil Netter, Asher Goldstein, Michael B. Jordan
Screenplay by: Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham
Based on: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Edited by: Nat Sanders
Cinematography: Brett Pawlak
Music by: Joel P. West
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

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We watched Gilmore Girls – the rest of it. Join us as we recap our journey through seasons 2 – 7. If you missed it, here’s our discussion of season 1.

Gilmore Girls (Seasons 2  – 7)

Created by: Amy Sherman-Palladino
Starring: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Yanic Truesdale, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann
Composer: Sam Phillips
Executive Producers: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino, Gavin Polone, David S. Rosenthal
Original network: The WB (seasons 2 – 6); The CW (Season 7)
Original release: 2001-2007

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Does this sci-fi classic hold up in 2020? We discuss. Plus – hear Maggie’s reaction to seeing Alien for the first time.

Alien

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Produced by: Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill
Screenplay by: Dan O’Bannon
Edited by: Terry Rawlings
Cinematography: Derek Vanlint
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

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We talk about fandom, Star Trek, and intentionally cheesy comedy in our discussion of the cult classic Galaxy Quest. Also contains gushing about Alan Rickman because he deserves it.

Galaxy Quest

Directed by: Dean Parisot
Produced by: Mark Johnson, Charles Newirth
Screenplay by: David Howard, Robert Gordon
Edited by: Don Zimmerman
Cinematography: Jerzy Zielinski
Music by: David Newman
Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell
Distributed by: DreamWorks Pictures

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We show our ignorance of and love for Britain in this extensive discussion of The Crown’s latest season.

When we recorded this episode Queen Elizabeth II was, in fact, 93. Rather irritatingly, she had a birthday since then making us wrong about yet another thing. Don’t come to us for facts about Britain.

The Crown (season three)

Created by: Peter Morgan
Starring: Olivia Coleman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Daniels, Jason Watkins, Marion Bailey, Erin Doherty, Jane Lapotaire, Charles Dance, Josh O’Connor, Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Maloney, Emerald Fennell, Andrew Buchan
Composer: Martin Phipps
Executive Producers: Peter Morgan, Stephen Daldry, Andy Harries, Phillip Martin, Suzanne Mackie, Matthew Byam-Shaw, Robert Fox, Tanya Seghatchian, Nina Wolarsky, Allie Goss
Original network: Netflix
Original release: November 17, 2019

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We return to our Favorite Movies series with Logan. This is Matt’s pick, but what does Maggie (who has never seen another X-men movie) think of Hugh Jackman’s last performance as Wolverine?

Logan

Directed by: James Mangold
Produced by: Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner
Screenplay by: Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green
Edited by: Michael McCusker, Dirk Westervelt
Cinematography: John Mathieson
Music by: Marco Beltrami
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

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For some reason… we did an episode about James Cameron’s 1997 epic Titanic.

Titanic

Directed by: James Cameron
Produced by: James Cameron, Jon Landau
Written by: James Cameron
Edited by: Conrad Buff, James Cameron, Richard A. Harris
Cinematography: Russell Carpenter
Music by: James Horner
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, David Warner, Bill Paxton
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox

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Continuing in our unintentional mini-series of movies with exclamation points in the title, we talk about DC’s Shazam!

Shazam!

Directed by: David F. Sandberg
Produced by: Peter Safran
Screenplay by: Henry Gayden
Edited by: Michel Aller
Cinematography: Maxime Alexandre
Music by: Benjamin Wallfisch
Starring: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

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And now for something entirely different – an offbeat Coen Brothers comedy set in Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Hail, Caesar!

Directed by: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Produced by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Screenplay by: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Edited by: Roderick Jaynes
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Music by: Carter Burwell
Starring: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum
Distributed by: Universal Pictures

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We’re a little late to the party on HBO’s miniseries Chernobyl, but we’ve seen it now and we discuss it away from the initial hype of its release last year. Is it as good as people have said? Is it historically accurate? Does it matter?

Chernobyl

Created by: Craig Mazin
Written by: Craig Mazin
Directed by: Johan Renck
Starring: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Paul Ritter, Jessie Buckley, Adam Nagaitis, Con O’Neill, Adrian Rawlins, Sam Troughton, Robert Emms, Emily Watson, David Dencik, Mark Lewis Jones, Alan Williams, Alex Ferns, Ralph Ineson, Barry Keoghan, Fares Fares, Michael McElhatton
Composer: Hildur Guðnadóttir
Executive Producers: Craig Mazin, Carolyn Strauss, Jane Featherstone, Johan Renck, Chris Fry
Original network: HBO
Original release: 2019
Number of Episodes: 5

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Baby Yoda gets his due on Popcorn Not Included.

The Mandalorian (season one)

Created by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Pedro Pascal
Composer: Ludwig Göransson
Executive Producers: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson
Original network: Disney+
Original release: 2019

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We discuss the Sam Mendes World War I drama 1917.

1917

Directed by: Sam Mendes
Produced by: Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren, Callum McDougall, Brian Oliver
Written by: Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Caims
Edited by: Lee Smith
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Music by: Thomas Newman
Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch
Distributed by: Universal Pictures

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On this episode we’re discussing… a book? Kinda sorta. It’s the latest adaptation of the literary classic Little Women. And while it’s a mostly straightforward story, this adaptation is a little more complicated than we expected.

Little Women

Directed by: Greta Gerwig
Produced by: Amy Pascal, Denise Di Novi, Robin Swicord
Screenplay by: Greta Gerwig
Based on: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Edited by: Nick Houy
Cinematography: Yorick Le Saux
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

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It’s our longest episode yet as Matt, Maggie, and special guest Melissa each run down their Top 10 Movies of the Decade. Happy New Year and New Decade everyone!

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You know how we normally talk about one movie per episode? Well this time we talked about 38.

We discuss our favorite movies of the decade with our friend Melissa. We went so long that we cut the episode in two. In this part, we run down movies that didn’t quite make the cut. We’ll be back next with our top 10 lists.

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Surprise, surprise! We’re actually covering Star Wars on this show. The “Skywalker Saga” is “finally” “complete”. We give our thoughts on the new movie, the new trilogy, and our wishes/speculation for the future of the franchise.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Directed by: J. J. Abrams
Produced by: Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams, Michelle Rejwan
Written by: J. J. Abrams and Chris Terrio
Edited by: Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube
Cinematography: Dan Mindel
Music by: John Williams
Starring: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, Billy Dee Williams
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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Pull up a chair as we celebrate our first Tomhanksgiving on the podcast with our review of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Matthew Rhys plays a cynical journalist whose life is changed after he meets children’s television show host Fred Rogers played by Tom Hanks.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Directed by: Marielle Heller
Produced by: Youree Henley, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Leah Holzer
Written by: Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster
Based on: “Can You Say… Hero?” by Tom Junod
Edited by: Anne McCabe
Cinematography: Jody Lee Lipes
Music by: Nate Heller
Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

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We finish off the Harry Potter film series. In our longest episode to date we talk about the ending, the series as a whole, and rank the films.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Directed by: David Yates
Produced by: David Heyman, David Barron, J. K. Rowling
Written by: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: Eduardo Serra
Edited by: Mark Day
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendon Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Jason Isaacs, Kelly Macdonald, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures

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There’s new Breaking Bad… sort of. We discuss the new movie that serves as an epilogue to the series.

If you haven’t heard, we did a Breaking Bad episode previously.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Directed by: Vince Gilligan
Produced by: Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Charles Newirth, Vince Gilligan, Aaron Paul
Written by: Vince Gilligan
Cinematography: Marshall Adams
Edited by: Skip Macdonald
Music by: Dave Porter
Starring: Aaron Paul
Production company: Sony Pictures Television

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We’re almost through with our Harry Potter series. Join us as we discuss the penultimate film and Matt makes some terrible predictions about the ending.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

Directed by: David Yates
Produced by: David Heyman, David Barron, J. K. Rowling
Written by: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: Eduardo Serra
Edited by: Mark Day
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendon Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures

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Here’s what we thought of Brad Pitt’s journey to the stars. I still can’t believe this wasn’t based on a novel.

Ad Astra

Directed by: James Gray
Produced by: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, James Gray, Anthony Katagas, Rodrigo Teixeira, Arnon Milchan
Written by: James Gray, Ethan Gross
Edited by: John Axelrad, Lee Haugen
Cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema
Music by: Max Richter
Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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It’s the beginning of the end as we discuss possibly the most funny and most tragic of the Harry Potter series.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Directed by: David Yates
Produced by: David Heyman, David Barron
Written by: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel
Edited by: Mark Day
Music by: Nicholas Hooper
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Julie Walters
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures

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To our utter surprise we find ourselves talking about Gilmore Girls, the show with possibly the most catchy earworm of a theme song we’ve ever heard.

Gilmore Girls (season one)

Created by: Amy Sherman-Palladino
Starring: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Yanic Truesdale, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann
Composer: Sam Phillips
Executive Producers: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino
Original network: The WB
Original release: 2000-2001

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On this episode we discuss Maggie’s favorite Bad Shark Movie and what distinguishes a bad Bad Shark Movie from a good Bad Shark Movie.

Deep Blue Sea

Directed by: Renny Harlin
Produced by: Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Written by: Duncan Kennedy, Donna Powers, Wayne Powers
Cinematography: Stephen F. Urioste
Edited by: Frank J. Urioste, Derek Brechin, Dallas Puett
Music by: Trevor Rabin
Starring: Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Jacqueline McKenzie, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson
Production company: Village Roadshow Pictures
Distributed by: Warner Bros.

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The real villain of the Harry Potter stories finally shows up in the fifth installment of the film series.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Directed by: David Yates
Produced by: David Heyman, David Barron
Written by: Michael Goldenberg
Cinematography: Sławomir Idziak
Edited by: Mark Day
Music by: Nicholas Hooper
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures

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We’re talking about a TV show again! How does Stranger Things 3 or Season 3 or whatever you want to call it measure up to previous seasons?

Stranger Things 3

Created by: The Duffer Brothers
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono
Composer: Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein
Executive Producers: The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, Iain Paterson
Original network: Netflix
Original release: July 4, 2019

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The wizard Olympics comes to Hogwarts, hormones awaken in the students, and a man with no nose arises returns in the forth film of the Harry Potter franchise.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Directed by: Mike Newell
Produced by: David Heyman
Written by: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: Roger Pratt
Edited by: Mick Audsley
Music by: Patrick Doyle
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Robert Pattinson
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures

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We invited our first guest ever on the show, our Toy Story-loving friend Garret, to talk with us about the latest entry in Pixar’s oldest and longest-running series.

Toy Story 4

Directed by: Josh Cooley
Produced by: Jonas Rivera, Mark Nielsen
Written by: Stephany Folsom, Andrew Stanton
Edited by: Axel Geddes
Music by: Randy Newman
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Lori Alan, Joan Cusack
Production company: Pixar Animation Studios
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures

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Many consider this to be the best of the Harry Potter film series, but all Matt can think about is The Office. Don’t worry. We actually do discuss the movie.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Produced by: David Heyman, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe
Written by: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: Michael Seresin
Edited by: Michael Kahn
Music by: John Williams
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

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We discuss one of the greatest war movies of all time – a favorite of us both.

Saving Private Ryan

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Produced by: Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn, Steven Spielberg
Written by: Robert Rodat
Cinematography: Janusz Kamiński
Edited by: Michael Kahn
Music by: John Williams
Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies
Production company: Amblin Entertainment, Mutual Film Company
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

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It’s the classic story of a boy and his sleuthing electric mouse! And also a girl and her extremely delicate psychic duck.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Directed by: Rob Letterman
Produced by: Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Hidenaga Katakami, Don McGowan
Written by: Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly
Cinematography: John Mathieson
Edited by: Mark Sanger, James Thomas
Music by: Henry Jackman
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Greere, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy
Distributed by: Warner Bros.

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We’re back for another year at Hogwarts filled with flying cars, spiders, and frozen people. Oh my.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Directed by: Chris Columbus
Produced by: David Heyman
Written by: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: Roger Pratt
Edited by: Peter Honess
Music by: John Williams
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters
Distributed by: Warner Brothers Pictures

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Avengers: Endgame finishes the story begun in last year’s Infinity War and represents the culmination of all the stories begun 11 years ago with Iron Man. We were surprised how much we liked Infinity War. How does the direct sequel fare?

Avengers: Endgame

Directed by: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo
Produced by: Kevin Feige
Written by: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Cinematography: Trent Opaloch
Edited by: Jeffrey Ford & Matthew Schmidt
Music by: Alan Silvestri
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin
Studio: Marvel Studios
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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We embark on a journey through the Harry Potter film series which Maggie grew up with but Matt has never seen (nor has he read the books).

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Directed by: Chris Columbus
Produced by: David Heyman
Written by: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: John Seale
Edited by: Richard Francis-Bruce
Music by: John Williams
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Ian Hart, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith
Distributed by: Warner Brothers Pictures

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Our favorite movies series continues with Matt’s favorite film: The Prestige.

The Prestige

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Produced by: Emma Thomas, Aaron Ryder, Christopher Nolan
Written by: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Cinematography: Wally Pfister
Edited by: Lee Smith
Music by: David Julyan
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, David Bowie
Production Company: Syncopy
Distributed by: Warner Brothers

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It’s another one of them Marvel movies and this time they even put the company name in the title. That’s brand synergy.

Captain Marvel

Directed by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
Produced by: Kevin Feige
Written by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Edited by: Elliot Graham & Debbie Berman
Music by: Pinar Toprak
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law
Production Company: Marvel Studios
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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We’re starting a sub-series where we cover our favorite movies. Technically we already began this with The LEGO Movie episode (one of Matt’s favorites). Now join us for a discussion of Maggie’s favorite film: the 1994 classic Forrest Gump – which Matt had never seen before!

Forrest Gump

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Produced by: Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, Steve Starkey
Written by: Eric Roth
Based on: Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
Edited by: Arthur Schmidt
Music by: Alan Silvestri
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field
Production Company: Wendy Finerman Productions
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

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It’s been 5 years since the first movie. Is everything still awesome or does the sequel fail to click? The answer to that hackneyed, pun-laden question can be found in yon podcast!

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

Directed by: Mike Mitchell
Produced by: Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Roy Lee, Jinko Gotoh
Written by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Edited by: Clare Knight
Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Maya Rudolph
Production Company: Warner Animation Group

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In 2014 at the beginning of the LEGO movie franchise, everything was awesome. We talk about one of Matt’s favorite movies in preparation for its sequel. Also features a micro-review of The LEGO Batman Movie. This is the beginning of a periodic ongoing series where we’ll talk about some of our favorite movies.

The LEGO Movie

Written & Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Produced by: Dan Lin, Roy Lee
Edited by: David Burrows, Chris McKay
Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh
Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman
Production Company: Warner Animation Group

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This is our first discussion of a documentary on the podcast. They Shall Not Grow Old is a WWI documentary from director Peter Jackson. It features stunningly restored and colorized footage of the 100 year old conflict.

They Shall Not Grow Old

Directed by: Peter Jackson
Produced by: Clare Olssen, Peter Jackson
Edited by: Jabez Olssen
Music by: Plan 9
Production Company: WingNut Films

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The superhero movies just keep on coming, but this one’s pretty special.

For the record, Miles Morales first appeared in comics in 2011 – not 2003 as I mistakenly estimated – so he’s an even newer character than I was thinking.

Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse

Directed by: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
Screenplay by: Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman
Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, John Mulaney, Nicholas Cage, Liev Schreiber
Music by: Daniel Pemberton
Studio: Sony Pictures

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First Man is probably a good movie that we really didn’t have a good time with.

First Man

Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Screenplay by: Josh Singer
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Pablo Schreiber, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler
Music by: Justin Hurwitz
Cinematography: Linus Sandgren
Studio: Universal Pictures

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2018 marks the 10th anniversary of Breaking Bad. We talk at length about the whole show – the characters, the story arcs, and the themes.

Breaking Bad

Created by: Vince Gilligan
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, Laura Fraser, Jesse Plemons
Composer: Dave Porter
Executive Producers: Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, Michelle MacLauren
Original network: AMC
Original release: 2008 – 2013

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It’s been a while! Join us for a discussion of The Meg, bad shark movies, good shark movies, and what makes a good “fun” movie as opposed to a lame one.

The Meg
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Screenplay by: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber
Starring: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis
Music by: Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography: Tom Stern
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

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The 14 year wait is over! So… what did we think of Incredibles 2 after all this time waiting for it? It’s complicated. In our lengthy discussion, we debate the merits and problems of the long-awaited Pixar sequel.

Incredibles 2
Written & Directed: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Helen Hunt, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk, and Catherine Keener
Music: Michael Giacchino
Cinematography: Mahyar Abousaeedi
Studio: Pixar Animation Studios

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Sometimes we talk about TV instead of movies. Well, this is the first time we’ve done that, actually.

Broadchurch is a British crime drama series set in a small town in England. After a local boy is killed, a murder investigation tears apart the titular hamlet of Broadchurch.

We cover Series 1 of 3 on this episode of the podcast. The first half of the episode gives our glowing general impressions while the second half descends into spoiler territory. It’s a really, really strong series and it’s well worth watching so we highly recommend not listening to the second half of the podcast if you haven’t watched the entirety of Series 1.

We’ve seen Incredibles 2 and that should be our next episode.

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Guess what? We talk about old movies too. “Old” in the case meaning from 2004, a fact which I got wrong on the podcast but my wife helpfully corrected. I still can’t believe I got that wrong.

Incredibles 2 is right around the corner so now is the perfect time to revist one of Pixar’s best movies.

The Incredibles
Written & Directed: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Helen Hunt, Jason Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson
Music: Michael Giacchino
Cinematography: Andrew Jimenez, Patrick Lin, Janet Lucroy
Studio: Pixar Animation Studios

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Surprise! We didn’t think we were going to cover this movie, but here we are. The latest and biggest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe broke all kinds of records, but most shockingly we both liked it a lot.

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Hello, internet! Popcorn Not Included is a podcast featuring informal reviews and discussions about movies and television with me and my wife Maggie.

For our inaugural episode we’re talking about the hit horror/suspense film A Quiet Place starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt.