The First Run

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss David Harbour’s is John McClane as Santa Claus in ‘Violent Night’.  Santa is forced to confront, or perhaps revel in, his violent past when he becomes the only hope to save a naughty family from some even naughtier thieves on Christmas Eve. Then Cate Blanchette plays the titular ‘Tár’, a conducter on the edge bro. Fighting back against w...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check out the latest feel pretty good but not too good nostalgia fest from Steven Spielberg, ‘The Fabelmans’. Does this semi-autobiographical film give us an earnest peek into the legendary director’s youth and love for cinema?  Or does Matt’s repulsion to biopics continue?  Then it’s on to the classic song and dance duo of Will Ferrell and Ryan...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt take a trip to experience THE exclusive menu provided by ‘The Menu’. Ralph Fiennes is a chef with a secret. Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the customers who may be on to the shenanigans.  And everyone else may just be horrible.  The Shudder brings back the found footage anthology series for another spin.  So fire up those VCR’s, it’s ‘V/H/S/99’....

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt revisit the scientifically magical world of Wakanda with ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’!  T’Challa has passed and to make things worse, Namor arrives in the MCU with his roguish charm and ankle wings to cause problems for our heroes. Then it’s on to the Roku Channel original, ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’. It’s a week of film with colons.  Wi...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt book a trip to a lovely little island off the coast of Ireland (part of a much bigger island) to catch up with the reunion of writer/director Martin McDonagh, Colin Farrell, and Brendan Gleeson before they stop talking to each other forever with ‘The Banshees Of Inisherin’. Then it’s off to South Korea to help solve the mystery of an accident, that may be...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt book a cruise with the rich and decadent to visit the scenic ‘Triangle Of Sadness’! Filled with a Russian oligarchs, Weapons Manufacturers, and possibly the worst of all, Social Media Influencers, is this trip with the 2 & half hour experience? Then as a treat, it’s ‘Werewolf By Night’! Disney+’s Halloween special is a throwback to the classic Univers...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt shout “Shazam!” and The Rock’s passion project ‘Black Adam’ appears in a burst of lightning, ready for our review. Is it the course correction the DCEU has been waiting for?  Then the guys make one last trip to the Quik Stop with ‘Clerks III’.  Kevin Smith revisits the much beloved convenience store in Red Bank, NJ. But can you really go home ag...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt head back to Haddonfield one more time, for now, as the David Gordon Green and Danny McBride helmed Halloween rest comes to an end with, ‘Halloween Ends’.  Is Jamie Lee Curtis’ second run at franchise resetting sequel the best one yet?  Then it’s on to the film Matt has been chomping at the bit to discuss for weeks!  Andrew Dominik’s ‘Blond...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt dive in to the A-Lister stuffed latest from David O. Russell, ‘Amsterdam’. Then we open the LeMarchand box and experience the ickiest of dubious pleasures with Hulu’s ‘Hellraiser’ remake/reboot. But wait there’s more! Our spooky season werewolf marathon continues with ‘Ginger Snaps’, a film that sets out to prove there is truly nothing so terrifying as a...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt decide to deal with our personal trauma head on, via confronting an evil entity that represents said trauma. It’s been the chic thing to do in horror the past few years, but can it be too on the nose, or down the mouth if you will. It’s ‘Smile’’.  Then our Halloween Werewolves Movie Marathon begins with the OG Universal classic, 1941’s ‘The Wolf Man’...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt publicly serve Olivia Wilde with another review of her latest, ‘Don't Worry Darling’. Is it as bad as critics make out to be or is Harry Styles so miscast that not even Florence Pugh and Chris Pine can save it?  Then, we'll open the 80's nostalgia time capsule and pull out a sequel I don't think anyone was asking for with ‘Confess, Fletch’. This one...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt venture back to war time, World War I to be specific, and check in on everyone’s favorite super horny geriatric maniac in her young, formative years.  Ti West and Mia Goth return with ‘Pearl’!  Can a prequel possibly improve upon, or rescue, ‘X’?  Then Matt throws Chris a bone as they discuss the David Bowie Super Documentary, ‘Moonage Dayd...

This week on the First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the latest indie horror darling, ‘Barbarian’.  Is it a Gen Z, ultra-meta Air BnB critique that’s too clever for its own good?  Or is it a surprisingly effective gem?  Your favorite internet uncles will fill you in. Then it’s on to the latest entry in the Tom Hanks does a bad accent canon, the “live-action” Pinocchio. As always, we’l...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt share with you a kindness with their discussion of Adamma Ebo’s ‘Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul’. The dark satire about a mega-church’s fall from grace and attempted comeback featuring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown.  Redemption is guaranteed, right? Then Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth star in a riveting thriller,  ‘Resurrection’. A film that take...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt catch up with another movie Matt has never heard of with George Miller’s (yes, that George Miller) ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’. Tilda Swinton plays a scholar that specializes in storytelling, of legend and myth. She finds a bottle and releases an honest to goodness Jinn, played by the overly handsome DJ Idris Elba. So what wishes will be granted? An...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the return of everyone’s favorite Esther, it’s ‘Orphan: First Kill’. In this prequel to the cult classic, they take a BIG swing, but does it connect? For the hit.  It’s a baseball metaphor.  Then our Malick Marathon continues with its penultimate entry, ‘Night Of The Cups’. Christian Bale stars as a lost man in search of himself. As ther...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt catch up with the latest offering from A24, the post-post-modern murder satire ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’. Someone turns up dead during a friendly game, but who dun it? And does it even matter?  From there it’s on to the Brad Pitt led latest over-saturated action cameo-fest, ‘Bullet Train’. So many stars! So much potential!  So much movie!  The...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt head deep into the frontier as we discuss the latest Predator sequel, ‘Prey’. In this entry, a budding Comanche warrior goes up against one of the fiercest hunters in the universe. Can she take it down? And how much Mary Sue BS does the internet stir up this time? Then our Malick Marathon continues with ‘The Thin Red Line’. Malick’s fictional story during...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check out the first animated feature for A24, it’s ‘Marcel The Shell With Shoes On’. Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp bring their wildly popular shorts to the big screen in a heartwarming tale that hits all the buttons. Perhaps unremarkably so?  Then Matt and Chris get their visual poetry on with ‘Days of Heaven’, the first entry in their Terrence...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss Jordan Peele’s third film, his third number one debut, and the most successful original IP film of the year, ‘Nope’.  After the smash success of ‘Get Out’ and the thrilling, but not quite as good ‘Us’, Peele returns with his take on the alien horror, comedy, social commentary, western, sci-fi, mystery, family drama genre.  Then they guys...

This week on The First Run, Chris is recovering from a particularly nasty bug that prevented him from venturing out to the theaters and has affected his voice. He wants his ravings to be at the crystal clear quality you've come to expect so there is no new episode for this week. But fear not, most loyal listener. Your podcast BFFs are not going to leave you high and dry. For your listening pleasur...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check in on what’s been going on in the ol’ MCU as Phase 4 continues with ‘Thor: Love And Thunder’.  Taika Waititi’s ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is a favorite around these parts and we were anxious to see what was next. Then, HemsFest continues with Joseph Kosinski’s (of Top Gun Maverick fame) reunites with Miles Teller for the paranoia thriller, ‘Spiderhead’.&...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt lace up their Chuck Taylors and head down to the court to shoot some hoops as Adam Sandler returns in the Netflix original, ‘Hustle’. The sports movie is a tried and true genre, but is there enough there to make for compelling viewing? Or is it a clichéd exercise?  Then it’s on to the horror import, ‘You Won’t Be Alone’, that takes a more humanist tu...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt get their spooky time on with the latest from Blumhouse, ‘The Black Phone’. Is it the best horror movie in ages or is that more hyperbole from the desperate fan base of a genre with the lowest bar for entry and yet the highest bar for quality? Your know-it-all internet uncles are here to make the definitive call. Then they dive into the lemarchand box of...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discus the latest content from Disney, it’s ‘Lightyear’, the movie Andy saw that inspired his love for the Buzz Lightyear character and toys! Is it a fitting sorta’ origin for Buzz? And where is poor, poor Tim Allen? Then it’s time for the guys to grow up one more time with the latest coming-of-age film, ‘Cha Chan Real Smooth’. This time, a young man is a...