More Than a Hot Take

Can YOU hear the music? Or rather, Can you hear the hot takes in this podcast? Tune in for an honest evaluation of the Academy Award darling, Oppenheimer. This movie has it all, dialogue about complex theoretical physics, nazis, an explosion, senate hearings... what more could you want? But for real, this is a movie that Jon and Mikey enjoy very much and went out of their way to see on one of the...

Time to switch it up for our wonderful listening audience. Since we have shifted from weekly to monthly movie reviews we decided to do mid-month episodes that are more conversational where we will discuss some of our favorite (but too niche to review) movies, least favorite movies, genres, directors, etc... Indulge in this first convo on our top 10 movies. Enjoy.

Guess who's back? It's the heroes you deserve, but not the ones you need right now (because honestly, Jesus is the only one who can fix this world but in the meantime until he returns, enjoy the show) it's the More Than a Hot Take Boys back to talk about the most recent big-screen outing of the Caped Crusader, The Batman (2022). It's a wet, gross, grimy, and crime-filled film where...

*taps mic* Is anyone still out there? Oh good! If you're still here, we are incredibly grateful, its been a while. To make some kind of triumphant return I (Jon) have brought you some hot takes, sadly unaccompanied by Mikey. However, to make up for Mikey's absence we have a special, long-time listener, my eldest brother, Sam Andrews. We have a rip-roaring good time discussing the British s...

We are back ladies and gents (but our analytics tell us mostly gents, so each lady gets a more concentrated greeting from us) Don't thank us too much for this reappearance, like Batman we have spent the better part of our days fighting crime so a small break to sit around the mic was in order. This week we watched what is arguably Christopher Nolan's best film, The Dark Knight (cue Hans Zi...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the boys are back in town. or at least, we're back on the pod. It has been a hectic few months but we are back in the saddle to bring you people that sweet sweet podcast content. This week is the start of the dark and twisty superhero craze, Batman Begins. Arguably the greatest origin story movie in movies, Christopher Nolan brings the heat, and Christian Bale brings The...

Back again to the Marvel well, but this time it's a good'n. Mikey and I watched Guardians of the Galaxy vol.1; one of Marvel's most beloved films due to its unique characters and outlandish settings. This seemingly lighthearted jaunt through the galaxy hits on many of the deepest and most impactful human themes, all while packaging them in fun and lovable outcasts. It's got the leg...

He's Back!!! Mikey has returned and is back for a rip-roaring classic Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark! Jon loves it, but Mikey is okay with it. I'll pose it to the listener... Do you like action? Do you like adventure? How about a dashing adventurer and his beautiful sidekick working to stop the nazis in 1936? If you answered yes to any of these questions then Raiders is the movie f...

Back again with Mikey, Jon is joined by yet another distinguished guest, Mr Blake Patton, to discuss the first animated feature on the Pod, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. We had a great conversation discussing the well crafted animation and the deeply felt themes of belonging and purpose, all while enjoy the animated comic book aesthetic and wacky sight gags. This movie is full of heart and humo...

Prepare yourselves to come down the rabbit hole.... The Wheel of Movies picked The Matrix. Jon has been temporarily abadoned by Mikey and is joined by distinguished guests Derek Gahman and returning guest Jospeh Bulsa. The guys talk all things allegory, imagery and the iconic clothing of the seminal postapocalytpic cautionary tale on artificial intelligence. Its a rip-roaring good time. The capabl...

The Wheel spoke last week... and it said we must watch Mad Max: Fury Road. From George Miller, the revolutionary mind behind Babe, Babe 2: Pig in the City and the Happy Feet Duology, comes the mad cap fever dream of an apocalyptic wasteland and those who are (un)lucky enough to have to fight for survival in it. It's a high-octane thrill ride that handles the complexities of men's and women...

This week we had another viewer-recommended film, Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. We are thankful to have another esteemed guest with us, Mr. Ryan Roach, the "Flower Bro" himself joins us to convince us that Interstellar is the greatest film of all time. He is aided by the film's breathtaking visuals, space as you've never imagined, and a score that will knock your socks of...

It's the scariest time of year, that's right - tax season. To celebrate the Wheel of Movies chose the original Halloween. John Carpenter's iconic slasher film inspired dozens of horror movies and film franchises... even though in retrospect not all of its parts hold up as well as others. However, the jumpscares are effective, and the tension that the slow-walking murderman builds still...

This week The Wheel of Movies selected a viewer-recommended beloved classic, Casablanca. Heralded as one of the greatest movies of all time, Casablanca is an excellent clinic in acting, cinematography, and well... everything else. If you haven't seen it before you've seen shadows of it in so many movies and tv shows, so many complicated characters like Rick Blaine, so many conflicted women...

Mikey and Jon listened to another listener request (thanks to the new Wheel of Movies), the delightful character study, Good Will Hunting. If you enjoy Boston Southie geniuses, Pretentious ivy league professors, and romance between a high-class girl and a working-class boy, this is the movie for you. A film with witty writing performed by actors who may have peaked with their performances *cough*...

Its almost spring, and you know what that means... a horror movie. Mikey and Jon watched the 2017 horror remake, IT, thanks to the new Movie Wheel. IT is an actually good adaptation of a Stephen King novel about dealing with trauma, loss, and innocence while trying to survive a murderous clown in a creepy town. It's a serviceable movie with much bigger and better themes than many genuinely scary m...

This week we watched a feature that made Jon all teary-eyed and reminds us that hope is one of the most powerful forces in human life, Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. A tense war film that will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for the rescue of the troops in the face of defeat by the nazis. While lacking in large and complicated character arcs, this movie keeps you rooting for the often name...

We finally did it... we started reviewing the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We started, as one should, with the beginning, The Fellowship of the Ring. What can we say that hasn't already been said? It's apparently perfect narratively and a model for movies on storytelling and a beautiful cinematic display. Every time we watch this movie we always want to go back and watch the other two right after. W...

February keeps the romantic movie coming with this cultural touchstone of romance movies: The Notebook. This movie may be singlehandedly responsible for the worst, most unrealistic romance movies since it was released, not to mention the wildly unrealistic expectations it set for love for both men and women. But... the culmination of the summer fling romance in the dedicated and self-sacrificial r...

The month of romantic movies continues with Mikey and Jon watching a movie that feels like an old-school Hollywood romance/musical: La La Land. The gorgeous locations and almost dreamlike moments make this feel like a period piece that is out of time. The montages of blossoming love and dream chasing will make you reflect on your experiences with romance (even if they were short-lived) and will ta...

This week Mikey and Jon watched another doozy, but a doozy in a bad way; the boys watched the teenage vampire phenomenon, Twilight. At the request of one of our listeners and in the spirit of Valentine's day we subjected ourselves to "romance" between a 100-year-old and a 16-year-old. Needless to say, the dialogue will make your skin crawl (from embarrassment), acting that rivals only a local thea...

The boys watch one of Jon's all-time favorites, Django Unchained (the D is silent) this week. This movie is a doozy; it's a revenge story based on a romance between a slave separated from his wife and the German gentleman who helps him enact his revenge on the slavers that bought her. Quentin Tarantino flexes all of his writing and directing muscles to bring some singular performances from the ent...

In this episode, Mikey and Jon discuss one of the MCU's highlights: Jon Favreau's Iron Man. Join us as we contemplate the serious philosophical inconsistencies in Tony Stark, a man who traded killing millions as a weapons engineer for unintentionally killing millions by taking on a career of destroying cities and planets alongside "earth's mightiest heroes." Oh yeah, we also discuss the vital role...

Mikey and Jon watched a movie that let them dive deep into their fascination with morals and ethical values, the David Fincher film, Se7en. Who would have thought that a movie about gruesome murders that starred Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman would have been a great vehicle for talking about worldview and the ethics of justice and punishment? And if that bores you then there are some action scenes a...

Jon and Mikey watched a certified money maker: Jurassic Park. It is a blockbuster with brains, action, and heart. It's the complete package unless you're Mikey Smith, who is too young and biased to really enjoy this movie. It's a certified classic, everyone should go rewatch it for the great characters, great writing, and (if I'm being honest) to let the inner child who was fascinated with dinosau...