Ranking the Fargo Seasons

It’s funny to think about how weird and stupid this show sounded before it ever aired. Noah Hawley seems pretty dumb. He writes bad novels. He made a movie nobody liked or cared about. He writes his dialogue like he’s an essayist but he has nothing to say. At least nothing notable or interesting. But he somehow has made some fun seasons of television shows. Whatever else, it’s probably where he should concentrate his time.

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Marvel Mondays: Echo Series Review

Marvel’s first ‘Spotlight’ series is confused about what it’s trying to be, feeling like it has a hand tied behind its back despite there definitely being a good show in there somewhere.

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5 Takeaways from Re-Watching X-Men [2000]

X-Men is one of the most important films for me personally. It was the beginning of me recognizing differences in quality and style in the movies.

I may have not been able to express it at the time, but part of the 11-year-old me understood that it was better watching Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in this movie than whatever shlock they were putting out for kids. Something about the pacing, color choices, and general tone that I on some level understood to be more advanced.

X-Men was the first DVD I ever owned. It was baby Michael’s first movie. And after all these years, I stand by it as a quality film. I feel no need to separate my personally history with the film and pretend like that has not shaped my appreciation of it. Instead, I embrace that. The X-Men and X-Men were a big part of my childhood, and they have been an even bigger part of exploring what I like and appreciate about movies ever since. The films have perhaps been even more important for helping me understand what I do NOT like about movies. The X-Men films are, if nothing else, hit or miss. Anyway, here are my five big takeaways from rewatching the film in honor of the website’s podcast series finale.

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Marvel Mondays: Ranking the ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Episodes

The first season of What If…? was one of the worst things Marvel have produced for the MCU, but they were already committed to this second season so here we are. Some people will tell you it’s Actually Good this time. I disagree!

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The Reel World Podcasting Finale

The Detroit Pistons: Catch the Fever!

Nearly 8 years ago Mike & Matt dropped their first ever podcast reviewing X-Men. Since then Reel World podcasting grew and added more shows and hosts, but it’s now finally time to bring things to an end… of sorts.

We wouldn’t think of a more appropriate finale than to have the original hosts re-reviewing their first movie, and looking at how dramatically different superhero movies (and just blockbuster movies in general) have changed over the years.

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Ben & Matt’s Marvellous Journey – Episode 43: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (aka The End)

Hey wait a minute, Guardians 3 wasn’t the first MCU project of 2023, and it’s not 2024 yet! Why is there a new episode of Marvellous Journey?

Well imaginary listener who is unrealistically invested on our sporadic podcast, the answer is we’re kiiiind of bringing the show to an end and decided to go out on a high note. We did still discuss the rest of the 2023 films and shows but in a lightning-round fashion.

So for probably the last time lets discuss the villains, the ending and who the final entries on the All-Marvel List are as our beloved space-faring scumbags wave farewell and James Gunn heads over to DC.

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Pantheon Plus: The Iron Claw

It’s the series finale of Pantheon Plus. Jerome and Brian decide to go back to the well and discuss what brought them together in the first place: pro wrestling.

They discuss a brand new release, a movie that purports to cover the tragedy of the Von Erich family. They also reveal their future plans as they exit The Reel World and venture out on their own. 

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Ranking the Richard Kelly Films

To grow up in the early-to-mid 2000s and to care at all about watching movies meant to be very aware of Donnie Darko. It was a film that had such a hold on so many budding cinephiles much in the way that Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith had on so, so many of us. I was too cool for Donnie Darko though and felt as though “I saw through it.”

And so I ignored Richard Kelly films for almost two decades. I was vaguely aware of Southland Tales‘ troubled released. Something about the Cannes debut going badly, it eventually being reclaimed, etc. It is a story we have heard so much before that my teenaged indifference to Donnie Darko caused me to not care too much about the specifics of Southland Tales opinions, and I never even heard of The Box until recently.

The opportunity in 2023 to see Richard Kelly speak (at a screening of The Box) though seemed like an occasion to finally give Kelly’s films an honest appraisal as an adult.

I am delighted to report back that I have such a deep fondness for them. The key to Kelly’s films are their sincerity. You watch these films, and their high concepts are never approached at a safe distance. Kelly goes all in and asks the audience to trust him that it will be worth it. There is no ironic detachment. You get the sense watching these films that total emotional investment will be rewarded. It is a feeling that has been all-to-missing in too many big films in recent years.

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Untitled BoJack Horseman Project: Episode 7

BoJack’s turned his life around and has finally found happiness and we’re sure that won’t immediately implode causing him to lose everything and everyone near and dear to him. No way!

We debate if ‘The View from Halfway Down’ deserves its litany of plaudits, discuss how well they ‘landed the plane’ and wonder what the show might have looked like if they’d gotten two full seasons as originally planned.

Plus a whole portion on the Community movie, obviously!

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