Overthinking Movies

It was inevitable; a movie about a second civil war within the US. Terrifying concept to think about, a thrilling set up for a movie. Released by A24, and directed and written by Alex Garland of 28 Days Later, Ex Machina, and Annihilation fame. Kirsten Dunst is already widely praised for her performance in the lead role of war photographer Lee Smith, but can the script balance such a complex and political subject matter?

So what do you do with a sequel to "Godzilla vs Kong"? Put them up against two new monsters of course, but not without some scraping of their own first.

Co-host Alex Ulaky and I were admittedly not too excited for a sequel to another American Godzilla movie, especially after 2023's Japanese Godzilla film, Godzilla Minus One, which was not only better than every American Godzilla movie, but one of the best films of that year.

Still, does Godzilla x Kong offer enough dumb CGI monster action to justify another entry in this middling universe?

At last, we reach the end of the original Godzilla film franchise, dating from 1954 to 1975. It caps off with a two parter against a robot duplicate, the iconic Mechagodzilla. Do these two films serve as a satisfying finale?

Yes, they made another one. The first one actually made a profit, and Tigger is now in the public domain, so literally a year later the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood have returned to seek revenge on Christopher Robin and the people of Ashdown. Can we expect at least a slight improvement over the first? I decided to find out so you won't have to.

Based on a recommendation from a friend, Alex and I checked out a new A24 film from director Rose Glass, in her second major feature; the gritty romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding staring Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, and Ed Harris. A great title for a movie, but is it a great movie?

You know when you have to get that assignment done but it's the night before the due date? But then you fall asleep and all of a sudden it's 2 hours before the due date? That's Godzilla vs Megalon. Well known thanks to its MST3K episode, Alex and I watched the Japanese and English versions fresh and for the first time, and...it's one of the roughest...most slap-dash films in the entire franchise so far. A robot programed to program itself, undersea people who wear togas, and monsters high-fiving is only the beginning of this nightmare.

In the mid-70s, one avant-garde assembled a crew of legendary artists, actors, and musicians to create what he saw as his magnum opus. Despite the money never coming together and the production falling apart, its effects are felt to this day. We take a look at the new Dune movies of course, and also the documentary covering the production of an almost classic.

Based off a character you would only know if you were deep into the Spider-Man comics or obsessively watched the 90s cartoon, Madame Web is the origin of a woman with future vision powers. On its face, this honestly seemed like a decent pitch for a story, not super strength or flight, just knowing what will happen and having to be resourceful to prevent it. While reviews have provided their own future warning to audiences, Alex and I decided to form our own thoughts on the latest entry of the Sony Spider-Manless universe.

Happy Valentine's Day! This time we check out a new romance film that most didn't see! The directorial debut of Zelda Williams (daughter of the beloved Robin), this 1989-set comedy is a parody of both Frankenstein and 80s movie tropes. Did it warm the blizzard-filled hearts of co-host Alex and I? We were curious to find out.

Gigan. Every part of him is a weapon, from his hook hands to his spinning sawblade chest. Can Godzilla and returning buddy Anguirus stop Gigan AND King Ghidorah? Thankfully stock footage from other movies where they win is here to assist them! Join as we untangle this multilayered sci-fi mystery involving monsters made of homework, a Godzilla theme park, and aliens!........again!

United States and Russian astronauts find themselves stranded on the International Space State as nuclear war coats the planet out their window. Suddenly their respective governments say they need to take the I.S.S. for their country by any means "necessary".

An intriguing, topical concept for a sci-fi thriller, but given the careful balancing of nuance and tension it would involve, does it pull it off?

Tina Fey's beloved 2000s comedy-drama returns with a movie adaptation of its successful 2018 musical. How does it compare to the original? What changes does it make in terms of technology and views to fit the modern update and do they work? Co-host Zach Yetter and I dissect the good, the bad, and the fetch.

Just in time for New Years, I take a look at the often forgotten 1979 sequel to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Rudolph's Shiny New Year! It features reincarnation, Benjamin Franklin, a giant buzzard that scared children, and a meditation on gaining confidence in what makes you stand out.

Can Paddington director Paul King's musical Wonka prequel live up to and break through our ingrained cynicism of seeing our childhood favorites dragged out to bait our nostalgia?

While the idea of making a prequel to Willy Wonka sounds the farthest from pure imagination, I decided to pitch my own script if I was forced to write it while cautiously anticipating Paul King's WONKA.

Japanese Godzilla has returned to the big screen, having been held back by the Legendary Pictures films after 2016's Shin Godzilla. How does it hold up to its American and Japanese legacies?

Send feedback and suggestions to overthinkingmoviespodcast@gmail.com

One of the finest entries of the original Godzilla era, featuring easily the most interesting monster Godzilla has encountered yet. Hedorah is pollution incarnate; he brings death and environmental decay to visceral effect, feeds off of smoke stacks, and can even transform to dominate the land, sea, and sky. Can a scientist and his son who has a psychic connection to Godzilla (don't ask) help defeat this threat?

The next Disney animated musical is here! A girl sings about wishing there was more! She has an animal sidekick! How does this one compare to the...sixty-one animated Disney films before it? I dragged my friend and co-host Zach to the theater to find out. Send suggestions for movies, general feedback and topics for us to talk about to overthinkingmoviespodcast@gmail.com Find more episodes on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6mWi9wr8ii7nJUQhfyAA6z Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overthinking-movies/id1553470097?uo=4 Goggle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80YTUyMjgxOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

See the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YpEiyqrn2OY

Holiday horror and action movies are in, and with them comes Eli Roth's Thanksgiving, a slasher film that uses the aesthetics and motifs of the holiday to craft a story mirroring John Carpenter's "Halloween", while taking from the decades of slasher films hence forth. How does it fare? Send suggestions for movies, general feedback and topics for us to talk about to overthinkingmoviespodcast@gmail.com Find more episodes on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6mWi9wr8ii7nJUQhfyAA6z Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overthinking-movies/id1553470097?uo=4 Goggle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80YTUyMjgxOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Another year, another video game franchise taking its stab at Hollywood. However, Five Nights at Freddy's is more than just a video game franchise, it is truly a phenomenon, one that is more beloved by children than any other demographic. True to the franchise, even written by the creator, this is a PG-13 horror film that stretches the limits of the rating with its gore. But is it a good movie outside of being faithful to its source material? Alex and I stumbled through the seas of children head to the theater to find out!

Countless movies and miniseries have been based on the works Stephen King, but very few were actually written by the man himself. Today we have one of the exceptions, the 1985 werewolf thriller Silver Bullet, staring Corey Haim and Gary Busey, directed by Dan Attias (his only feature), and penned by Stephen King himself. How does it fair? How are the werewolf effects? And what makes this one stand out from the big hitters in this sub-genre?

No more than a year and a half after Death on the Nile, director Kenneth Branagh and writer Michael Green are back with another Agatha Christie adaptation, this time based on a more obscure book in her legendary catalog. Given the negative to middling reception of the last two movies, how did this one fair?

Within a year after the release of Destroy All Monsters, one of the most ambitious and beloved films in Toho's monsterverse, we see the release of All Monsters Attack, also helmed by Ishirō Honda. Is it a satisfying follow up even with such a short turn around? Well our multiple past experiences with sequels that come out within a year on this podcast should give you a few clues...

Our second Dracula film of the year is an adaptation of one of the most iconic chapters of the original novel; Dracula's time stowing aboard the Russian ship the Demeter on his way to London. The book keeps the details vague, told only through the diary of a coastguard and the journal of the ship's captain. So the movie seeks to paint in the details.

How does it do? Me and the three other people in my opening weekend theater were interested to find out!

Our first true climax of the Godzilla franchise, 1968's beloved Destroy All Monsters! Which is...well not really about destroying all the monsters...or any really, though it is a great title, and it features nearly every critter no matter how bit their part may be. It also features government alien conspiracies, mind control, moonbases, fire dragons, and more that adds up to one of the most complex narratives yet. Overthinking co-host Alex Ulaky and I do our best to break it down, our brows in a permanent state of furrowing the whole time.

Theatrical, aggressively colorful, ridiculous, infamous yet iconic, the late Joel Schumacher created two Batman films unlike any before or since. In this first ever debate on the podcast, Brandon and Alex duel to prove which film is...not necessary good, but what edges out the other for the least worst to sit through of the franchise.

The episode begins with an objective summary of both films. The real debate begins around 5:03 if you'd like to skip there.

30 years later, Michael Keaton returns to Batman, and we return to see how the Tim Burton-era of the franchise has held up. Is Batman 89 still a classic? Is Batman Returns still its underrated darker brother? Given that this is the longest episode of the podcast to date you might be able to infer which way we lean...

A giant ape had a son, so why not mutant atomic bomb lizards? In the most family-friendly Godzilla entry yet, scientists attempt to create a device to change the weather while Godzilla teaches his son to breathe radiation by stepping on him. He'd better hurry up too, because giant pray mantises roam the island, and something even more sinister awaits bellow the surface. Join co-host Alex Ulaky for Son of Godzilla!

An idea conceived by Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, Renfield is a comedy-action-horror film about Dracula's bug-eating man slave seeking a way out of his immortal toxic relationship. Overthinking co-host Alex Ulaky and I discuss how it fairs, the future of the Universal "monsterverse", and why the Creature from the Black Lagoon deserved his own remake that isn't The Shape of Water.

The first Shazam was a surprise in 2019. A new DC Extended Universe movie that focused on fun over brooding, gloomy, philosophical, self seriousness in a misguided effort to distinguish it from its competitor. This was not only because the movies themselves were poorly executed, but in a world that continues to grow incredibly more bleak, it felt tone deaf to what audiences were looking forward when going to watch movies about people that dress as bats and fly. So Shazam 2, after the usual covid delays, finally drops in theaters to little interest from audiences. How is the movie itself? What does it say about the current state of the DCEU, and will James Gunn's revamp give it the kick it needed a decade ago? Co-host Alex Ulaky and I discussed and theorized for ourselves!

We made it! 50 episodes. I take this time to reflect on the last two years of reviewing movies, what I've noticed in terms of trends and cliches, and how media consumption has improved for better and worse. Thank you if you've followed us to this point, and know that there is so much more to come!

A major Hollywood dinosaur movie without Jurassic in front of it? It's finally happened again, from the writers of A Quiet Place. Set sixty-five (or more accurately sixty-six) million years ago, humans living on other planets crash land on earth when it was still a hostile, reptile-invested world. An intriguing concept, but with half the budget of a Jurassic World movie, can it provide an engaging experience?

In this ursine-filled episode, a bear from a crazy true story, and a bear from a classic children's story that recently entered the public domain, find themselves going mad and ranking up body counts in typical slasher film format. Do they have any merit as films, are they at least entertaining? Co-host Alex Ulaky joins me in this episode blind as he reacts to my impressions.

Insects may be great fodder for horror, but in Toho's monsterverse a giant moth is arguably the purest creature in the canon. How? Why? Where did she come from? And why does she lay giant rainbow-colored chicken eggs? Co-host Alex Ulaky and I find out!

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish came out of nowhere and has captured the hearts of the internet. Is it warranted? And how does it compared to the last time we experienced the Shrek franchise ten years ago?

After taking on aliens and loud ear-piercing noises, Godzilla decides he needs a vacation and takes a nap on an island. Unfortunately, this resort package comes with terrorists building atomic bombs and a giant lobster, so it's time to do some house cleaning in 1966's Ebirah, Horror of the Deep! 

Everyone says Die Hard is a Christmas movie, but what if Die Hard was REALLY a Christmas movie? Violent Night puts Santa Claus up against a gang of mercenaries on a fight for his life. Does its entertainment value live up to its outlandish concept? Overthinking co-host Alex Ulaky joins me to find out.

Happy holidays to all my listeners, and I hope you have a better New Year.

In memory of Kevin Conroy (1955-2022). Voicing a character for over 30 years makes you a cornerstone of multiple generations, and in Conroy's case, his voice is now and forever a part of the some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful Batman media across multiple mediums. On this episode, overthinking co-host (and big Batman fan) Alex Ulaky and I delve into two lesser know pieces of that legacy; the final two animated features Kevin voiced.

It creeps, and leaps, and glides, and slides, and melts your flesh...wait...

Overthinking co-host Alex Ulaky and I take a look at the lesser known remake of the 50s cult horror classic, The Blob, remade by the markers of Shawshank Redemption and the Jim Carrey movie The Mask! How does it compare to the campy original? And how does it compare to other ground breaking 80s remakes like The Thing and The Fly? 

Nostalgia is a powerful spell, and with the release of Hocus Pocus 2, Disney does what they do best, and prey on it. Is Hocus Pocus 2 a worthwhile continuation of its cult hit 1993 original, and does the original even hold up?

AKA Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

Robot women clones, eye-piercing sound design, and aliens in high positions of the Japanese government are just a taste of this Godzilla movie that is tangentially about Godzilla. Co-host Alex Ulaky and I are taken to the limits of how much dumb we can handle in this mind-numbing 94 minutes. 

Jordan Peele's latest horror film goes down a very different route than Get Out or Us, but like those films, it is best to know nothing going in to fully appreciate its mystery. Is it worth a trip to the theater? Co-host Alex Ulaky joins me for the third episode in a row to analyze this very strange story.

In the 29th Marvel Cinematic Universe film in the 5th phase of Disney's 5,000 years of plans for the franchise, Thor searches for his place in the world. Considering the insurmountable amounts of death and suffering Thor has endured in the MCU movies since Ragnarok, the idea of another goofy Thor comedy seems like a curious turn for the character. Does it live up to the comedic and dramatic heights of its predecessor? Overthinking co-host Alex Ulaky and were dragged to theaters to find out!

Another victim of Covid-19 delays, Jurassic World: Dominion has finally dominated worldwide theaters. With an intriguing concept of dinosaurs living alongside people, is it enough to put a satisfying cap on the trilogy? Co-host Alex Ulaky and I hesitantly peeked into theaters to find out. This episode contains bugs, clones, and dinosaurs that can't handle people slightly crouching and reaching out toward them. 

Magic has always been a contentious element in scripted media. Whether because it's hard to convey believably, or how it is commonly used to explain away a story that doesn't make in place of logic. Naturally, adapting Marvel comic's own magic man has been a turbulent process. How was the first attempt in the 1970s, and what did our later Marvel Cinematic Universe movies do to finally make the character a success on-screen? Overthinking co-host Alex Ulaky joins me to hopefully find some answers!

Decades before the Sonic movie trailer would terrify the world...and then periodically became one of the most successful video game movies ever, an animated Sonic movie quietly snuck its way into the back aisle of your local Blockbuster video in 1999. Is that a telltale for the quality of the film, or is it a true reflection of the franchise at its 90s peak?

In this latest installment of Overthinking Movies, two Caucasian men in their late 20s for some reason give their opinions on a cute animated movie about a girl turning into a highly marketable creature.

You've probably heard this tale before. A coming of age story where a character turns into an animal as a metaphor for a part of growing up and self actualization. Turning Red looks to refresh this familiar structure by adding a very personal touch. That being, it's set in 2002, in Toronto, Canada, and has a 13 year old Chinese-Canadian girl as our protagonist. On top of that, the film uses Japanese and American animation as influences on its style. Is it all enough to create a compelling update? 

We did it everyone! We made it to so many Batman movies that in infamous Hollywood tradition we've reached the point where they just add or take away the word "The" before the title to differentiate it. The Final Destination, The Wolverine, Blair Witch. That being said, Batman is a character with a fairly consistent output of good to great content, from comics to movies to shows to games, you generally cannot go wrong with the Dark Knight. So what does The Batman bring new to the table? Is Robert Patterson a good choice to dawn the cowl, and does Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves create a compelling vision that feels distinct from a seemly infinite amount of Gotham Cities in media? Co-host and fellow Bat-fan Alex Ulaky joins me to find out!

Another year of video game adaptations begins with Sony releasing their first stab at the genre, Uncharted. Tom Holland and Mark Walberg star in this Indiana Jones-in-modern-times-action-adventure. What does it have to offer that isn't already done by the AAA budget video games it is based on? How accurate is it to capturing the feel of the games? Let's find out!