23 thoughts on “Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 248: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and The Big Sick (2017) and The House (2017) and Band Aid (2017)”

1. I tend to relate to Andy when it comes to sulerhero films. I casually read comics as a kid, but after the subgenre really started picking up around the time of Spider-Man 3, I stopped following. I do hold a special place in my heart for Spider-Man though, so despite not having seen Civil War or more than one or two MCU movies, I was excited for Homecoming.

   It didn’t let me down either. I’ve really liked both Maguire and Garfield, and I look back on the Raimi films fondly, but I want to be Tom Holland. Ryan made a good point about how Peter Parker isn’t someone the audience wants to be, but I’m the same age as Tom and his Spider-Man is the kind I would fantasize about being if I were a kid. I can’t see that in Garfield or Maguire’s iterations. I wanted to be the Spider-Man I read about in the comics; I didn’t necessarily want to be Tobey Maguire.

   That being said, I’m not complimenting Holland’s Spider-Man because he’s the Spider-Man from the comics put to screen. Honestly, I could care less about the comics. This is a movie, and having not kept up with the MCU or the comics themselves, I viewed the two hours within a vacuum. I just wanted a character I could buy into strictly after seeing what is shown in the film, and this pulled it off. I saw it twice too, once with some friends and once with my nephew, and it was only after the second viewing that I realized I didn’t just like the movie — I adored it.

   The biggest compliment I can give to this movie is that the dialogue and the teen interactions truly do make it feel like a Hughes film. As Jay might say, it was an 80s-type teen comedy with superhero elements. I don’t know if that should be attributed to the young writers credited with the initial story, but I know that the young actors on screen pulled it off. And even if some moments were a little too on the nose, emphasizing great beats that didn’t need to be emphasized (Ferris Bueller playing on the TV and the mask reflection and Tony voiceover in the rubble scene), the heart and the intent was still there.

   This was a 9/10 to me. I really need to revisit Raimi’s movies because I can’t remember any problems my young self had with them but I actually can’t imagine I’d feel as close to them as I do with this one right now.

   Also, The Big Sick would at least be an honourable mention on my worst titles list. I’m dying to see it, but that has nothing to do with the unflattering and awkward name. I’m sure there’s context in the film that will make the title seem less jarring (like Baby Driver) but right now I am uncomfortable.

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2. Hey Guys!

   I wanted to share an idea you could use for show 250. I would love to hear each host review a movie that they did not give a fair chance to or flat out refused to watch. For example Carl should review Bone Tomahawk, Ryan could watch Avatar, Andy should review a dumb comic book movie… Jason you can choose any movie, because you hate the Cinema. 🙂

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   • Sorry, Martin. Episode 250 was recorded a month ago and should be posted about mid-September. You must be new around here. 🙂

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     • (He snarked with much love. MPW is one of my very favorite podcasts. Whenever there is a new episode, it immediately goes straight to the top of my “Must Listen Next” queue.)

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       • Well in that case – maybe this comment will be far enough in the past to make it into a future episode.
         Happy 2018 you guys! Woo!

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3. NOT A COMMENT ON EPISODE 248: Because I haven’t listened to it yet, that’s for tomorrow morning.

   Earlier today I listened to Ep. 247. When I started the episode, as I was running away from the KOA campground where I am currently cheaping out on getting a motel room by renting a Kamping Kabin while attending plays at the Utah Shakespeare Festival with my wife and kids, I looked at the episode run time and thought, “Oh, awesome, this episode is 2:56. That will knock out a big chunk of this run.” Later on, as I was starting down a Forest Service road into Cedar Canyon, the “end of the show” music ramped up in background and I thought, “Wow, has it already been almost three hours?” Nope. Then I thought, “Ha, ha, Ryan is just going to snore ‘on camera,’ for a while. I’ll listen to the whole thing. It will be like the time I let the VHS tape play all the way to the end after the police office knocks over the camera in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” So for the next thirty-ish minutes, as I wound my way down into Cedar Canyon and back toward town, I listened to Ryan snore. And snore. And snore. For those who may be curious, nothing happens at the end. First the snoring just sorta cuts off. Then there are a few microphone crackles, a couple of seconds of fuzz, and blam! The recording stops dead. Not even a snarky postmortem from Jay.

   I briefly wondered what I would say if someone were to approach me, notice the headphones, and say, “Hey, what are you listening to?” “Oh, it’s just a podcast of a guy I know snoring.” GCR is my copilot.

   I gotta say that, though I can see where Andy is coming from, I mostly agree with Jay about the quidditch games in the Harry Potter movies. Booooooring. I feel the same way, times 10, about every second of movie/page of book endured in the presence of the Dursleys. Good. Night. Nurse. I started reading the books in my mid-20s on the recommendation of a girl at work, a year or so before the first movie. A year or so later, when I was briefly trying to impress a different girl, I got her a copy of the first book of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials and told her it was like Harry Potter, only for adults. I did not get very far, needless to say, in what turned out to be an abortive courtship. My wife, who I started chasing around not long after that, was a somewhat engaged reader of the books who became more devoted toward the end of the series, which arrived after we’d been married several years. Despite not really being a huge fan myself, I’ve read all seven books, and and seen all eight movies (including having professionally reviewed the final four), so if GCR does decided to assemble a motley crew for a special episode, then please consider my hand raised.

   On another note to GCR, if you are rooting around for American Revolution films or television that dives in the nitty gritty of the period, then check out “Turn: Washington’s Spies.” It’s an AMC historical drama starring Jamie Bell and there have been four seasons to date and they’re probably available on Netflix. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but I have heard good things. Also, consider Mike Duncan’s podcast series on the history of the American Revolution, which is the second season (I think) of his Revolutions podcast (available for free at the creatively titled RevolutionsPodcast.com) on the great revolutions of recent history. The American Revolution series is 30-odd episodes that are 40-ish minutes apiece in length and it’s great fun. It’s all straight history (just the facts, ma’am), but Duncan is an enormously engaging historical storyteller.

   Loved the review of Baby Driver, which I will probably seek out on Redbox, or possibly in theaters if I can wheedle my wife into going with me.

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4. One of the things I’ve always loved about the Harry Potter novels/movies is the comforting way they mirror the school year with the emphasis on that being prioritized less and less as the characters grow up.

   There is the escape from the Dursley’s with all of the preparations, packing and varying degrees of uncertainty and excitement.

   The meeting of old friends and new. The settling in.

   The first day of classes where the characters quickly learn the school hierarchy and which courses and teachers will be their favorites and which will be their undoing.

   And of course, the first overwhelmingly hormone-driven sporting event which is super important in the scheme, (and where as someone – Andy or Ryan – said, important things happen in relation to the plot.) I also love the development of minor characters such as team captain Oliver Wood, seeker Katie Bell, and school commentator Lee Jordan.

   We are also subjected to the School Dance and the Christmas Break. Are they mundane? Yeah. But so, so, important to the characters, especially when they are young and form the framework of this incredible series.

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5. On a strong recommendation from Jason and /film’s Jeff Cannata, I checked out the Netflix series, Ozark. It stars Jason Bateman (who also directs some episodes) as a guy who launders money for a drug cartel and ends up moving his family to the Ozarks in order to set up a new operation there.

   The pilot episode is AMAZING. I expect that J might say that it reminded him somewhat of the feeling you get from No Escape, about a family in serious danger. I would give the pilot a 10, easily. That good.

   But… it went almost immediately downhill for me after that. Something big happens in the second episode that I found almost laughable in terms of how unbelievable and badly written it is. (In spoilerish code here, everything to do with a suitcase and an island encounter.) And from that point, most things relating to that particular group of characters felt a bit off.

   I did finish the series today, and more or less enjoyed it at different times and in different ways, but I also found some recurring problems with the writing and characters here and there (will elaborate more if this series is discussed more on the show at some point). The final episode was pretty good and I liked a lot of where it went, but also has zero resolution for a couple of major characters (presumably this is intended to have more seasons??). And then I was very disappointed with the actual final ending. Very much a “that’s it??” kind of thing. Again, that probably plays better if there is an assumption of there being more to come, but I’d rather it had a better resolution, regardless. And I’m not inclined, necessarily, to keep following this, based on what it was, so I wanted an “ending ending” here, not just a holdover for another season.

   Still worth seeing, I suppose, for Jason Bateman, as he really makes the perfect kind of person for this character, and he does some great acting work throughout. Anyway, I’d give the pilot a 10, but about a 6 for the rest of it. I’m curious what J thought (or will think) of the rest of it.

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   • Hey Eric! Thanks for the review of Ozark. Sounds like something I’ll be skipping (and what a relief that is – my queue is overwhelming)

     You did a fantastic job on podcast this week. I enjoyed all your input. And you really stuck it out until the bitter end. That’s apparently quite a commitment.

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     • Aw, thanks, Jenifer. I haven’t listened back yet, but I felt much more comfortable than last time I was on. I geuss like anything, it gets easier the more you do it, which explains why Jason and Co. are so damn smoooooth. 🙂

       I remember being pretty tired by the end, though, and feeling like I was struggling with explaining The Big Sick well enough. But what matters is the 10. Wonderful movie.

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       • I will second that, you did a great job Eric. I also love your album Six Feet Over. I battled with addiction and lost two friends to drugs, so I can really relate to the songs.
         I have been listening to it in the car (when I’m not listening to podcasts). You are a really talented musician.

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         • Many thanks for the kind words, Andrew.
           🙂

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   • Eric, I just heard your Weird Alma Podcast with John Dehlin. Awesome stuff.

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     • It was the “you’re dutiful” line that had me laughing for about 30 minutes.

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       • Aw, thanks, Josh. Glad you liked that. Heads up for anyone else, though, that I’d avoid it if you’re a faithful Mormon without a pretty strong tolerance for satire/criticism. Just sayin’.

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6. Atomic Blonde is great. Cool setting (1989 East Germany), great cast (James McAvoy, John Goodman, Toby Jones), excellent action, and Charlize Theron kicking ass all over. Story is typical, trying to recover a stolen list of spies, but the writing and dialogue is good, and there are some twists and turns. Same director as John Wick, and I liked this just a little better than that. This also uses music in some ways that complement the action, so a double feature of this and Baby Driver would be very fun. 8.5

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7. No mentions yet about the new Apes movie? I’ve been waiting to hear J’s take. I loved it. Pacing felt a little bit iffy at times, but mostly I was well along for the ride. Fantastic cinematography and score, and though it is only partly a “war” movie, I loved how it had the feel of something like The Great Escape. 8.5

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8. Hey guys, new to this podcast and the horror movie podcast. Can’t get enough of both. I’m a HUGE movie fan, not just horror. Spider-Man: Homecoming was so amazing. I’m a life long comic book fan and like Jay, Spidey has always been my favorite. I don’t read comics too much these days, but I’ve seen all the comic movies and this might be my favorite next to Ironman 1 and Civil War, so far anyway. I’m a little ashamed I didn’t pick up on the homecoming beat of Spider-Man coming back to the MCU. Michael Keaton, I think should get an Oscar nod, just for the car scene. That scene was some of the best acting I’ve seen on any genre of movie. Tom Holland is the Spider-Man we have been waiting for. I did like the previous 5 movies, but this is by far the best to date. He looks and acts like a dorky kid. Just feels like Peter Parker came right off the page. 9.5 Buying it 1st day
   Also Jay I can’t believe you haven’t watched the Strain. After going back and listening to the Feral Vampires ep of the horror movie podcast, I would have thought it would be a no brainer. Understand if you don’t like watching TV series as much as movies. I strongly recommend it. I’ve seen every episode and am really looking forward to see how the series ends, as season 4 is the final season. I’ve always been a big sucker for anything vampire, yes I’ve seen the Twilight series please don’t block me, especially the more feral vampire movies and tv shows. Been a 10 for me, with the finale to come.
   Also I’ve seen the entire Glow series on Netflix. I loved it. Big fan of Marc Maron and he killed it as Sam in this series. I watched the actual Glow back in the 80’s, so I had a reference point to start with going into this show. I’ve also been a WWE fan off and on over the years, so I was pretty much in the bag going in. It was well acted, with a real life drama on top of the storyline the wrestlers were trying to build for the show. Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, the behind the scenes of actors, auditions, crazy producers, and how an actual wrestling show is produced is fun to watch. 9
   By the way Jay, I’m a fellow Hoosier and I heard that little shot you took at Indy after Ryan’s math fail.

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9. Heads up about a podcast I think you all would enjoy: The Cracked Movie Podcast. I’d listened to the regular Cracked podcast for a long time, and they oftened covered some movie topics, but this is a more focused look at a single film. The first four episodes covered Spielberg (Raiders, ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park), and this month will be Christopher Nolan, starting with The Prestige. I really like how they go through a lot of details on each film; from the production, to the themes, and other miscellaneous interesting things, often with some humor included.

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10. Haven’t heard the full show yet, but I was happy to hear Andy gave Hans Teeuwen (Tay-Wun) a try.
    I’ve been following him for more than 15 years and I love most of his Dutch stuff, but he does tend to get a absurd and extreme sometimes, which might be offputting for some people. I consider myself a fan but even i get very uneasy when he’s humping a chair or talking gibberish for minutes.

    Real Rancour does represent his style well, but isn’t as good as his stuff in Dutch. His word jokes don’t come across as well, his funny accent gets lost too. In older shows he also played more on his piano and did more singing.

    He’s not my favorite Dutch/Flemish comedian but as far as I know he’s one of the only ones (or the only one) trying his luck in English…

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11. Hi Everybody!
    Jason here. I apologize profusely about the MPW release schedule of late…

    I just posted these two messages on MPW’s Twitter:
    MPW listeners: We have 3 eps already recorded. Over the next 2 weeks, we’ll catch up on releases. Eps. 250 and 251 are among our best ever!
    — and —
    Ep 249 – War for…the Apes. Ep 250 – Dunkirk & IMDb Top 250. Ep 251 – Our Top 11-20, Atomic Blonde, A Ghost Story. Ep 252 – The Dark Tower!

    We have been recording the shows. A few of them are long and epic (and filled with profanity to edit, particularly Episode 250, when we review IMDb’s Top 250 list). But I believe they’re worth the wait.

    Look at the sidebar here on the site to see what we’ve already recorded and what’s coming to you over the next two weeks. I plan to be caught up on releases and back on a respectable schedule.

    Most of you have probably already given up on this show, but for those who haven’t, thanks for your patience.

    Sincerely,
    J

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    • Jay,
      This is still my favourite podcast and the one I look forward to more than any other. I am so happy to go to work the day it drops and it makes the day so much more enjoyable.
      I appreciate all the time and effort you put into this podcast.
      I don’t care how long it is between episodes, I just love this podcast. My taste in movies is very much in line with your own and I always take your recommendations seriously (dead seriously). I have seen so many great movies thanks to all of you on this podcast and I hope you keep it up for many years to come (you can never leave Andy).
      Keep up the great work.
      Andrew.

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12. I agree – the podcasts are both entertaining and informative with regards movies.

    How are the podcasts on podcasting coming along?

    Any word on the comedy movie podcasts?

    Don’t forget to plug the we deal in lead podcasts.

    Anyway well done on the mpw podcasts

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