Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr.

In Episode 84 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr. and  Kai Yaniz  hop a ride on the nostalgia wave as the journey back 20 years (!) to the year 1998. It was a simpler time, when our distinguished hosts were mere high school students, and the world had yet to be conquered by perpetual lists and rankings of the so-called "good ol' days." In that spirit, join us as we discuss the theatric...

In Episode 83 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  is joined by Adam Barnard of Screen Fever for an in-depth review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the fifth entry in Universal's Jurassic Park franchise. The series has come a long way since Steven Spielberg's 1993 original film, but even with its legacy intact following two less-than-stellar sequels, no one expected the sequel/reboo...

In Episode 82 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  shares his thoughts on Incredibles 2, the Disney and Pixar sequel the world was waited 14 years for. Then, he opens it up into a broader analysis of Pixar's filmography, the highs and lows of the studio's history and what being a Pixar film means to him. Ever since audiences first burst into Andy's room, the creative team at Pixar has...

In Episode 81 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  and  Kai Yaniz  tie up some loose Riverdale ends with their brief review of the 2001 cult comedy Josie and the Pussycats, based on the Archie Comics title. Then it's into more serious matters, as they address the disparity in the audience and critical response to women and POC in studio films. From Ocean's 8 to Ghostbusters, female-led...

In Episode 80 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  and  Kai Yaniz  take a detour from the world of film to address their recent trip down the Riverdale rabbit hole. The CW transformed the Archie Comics gang into its latest page-to-screen smash in 2017, turning "The Town with Pep" into a dark teen soap opera set in an all-too-seedy small town. Murder mysteries, love triangles, gangland...

In Episode 79 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  shares his thoughts on director Ron Howard's Solo: A Star Wars Story, which sees Alden Ehrenreich slip into Harrison Ford's iconic vest. The film — which features an ensemble supporting cast led by Emilia Clark, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover and Paul Bettany — is the only the second Star Wars anthology film but indicates that fans mig...

In Episode 78 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  takes a long, hard look at Deadpool 2 and whether the Merc with the Mouth actually serves as the perfect opportunity for Fox, Marvel or both (depending on how Disney's acquisition of Fox turns out) to finally launch into the long-rumored top-to-bottom reboot of the convoluted and splintered X-Men film franchise. After all, Ryan Reynold...

In Episode 77 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  considers why director Fede Alvarez and star Jane Levy should reunite for Evil Dead 2, the sequel to their 2013 reboot of the classic horror franchise. With Ash vs. Evil Dead canceled by Starz and the fanbase hungry for more, could Alvarez's follow-up bridge the gap between Bruce Campbell-led TV series and the most recent big-screen in...

In Episode 76 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr. and  Kai Yaniz  take the time to discuss Avengers: Infinity War, the 19th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But this isn't just any Marvel film. Finally, Earth's Mightiest Heroes from across the MCU unite to face the tyrannical power of Thanos. With an epic battle extending into space and beyond, Iron Man, Captain America, T...

In Episode 75 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  and  Kai Yaniz  devote an entire SPOILER-filled episode to review Black Panther, the 18th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the final one to hit theaters before Avengers: Infinity War changes the MCU forever. The film marks the first Marvel Studios film featuring an African-American actor in the lead and is poised to shift the...

In Episode 74 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  and  Freddy Yaniz  pop into the world of Netflix for a discussion of what they've been watching on the ubiquitous streaming service, including principally an in-depth review of surprise sequel The Cloverfield Paradox. Ten years after the franchise started with a found-footage monster movie, the J.J. Abrams-produced space horror show ma...

In Episode 73 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  unpacks the 2018 Academy Award nominations. Will Meryl Streep (The Post) and/or Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread) snag a fourth statuette? Will beloved newcomers like Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) win big? And will Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water be able to fend off Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outsi...

In Episode 72 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  reveals his approach to film criticism, detailing the various criteria that he considers when giving a film a rating of one to five stars. That's right, folks! It's another edition of Let's Talk About SIX!     We’re excited to hear your feedback as the Crooked Table Podcast continues to evolve. As usual, the show does feature explicit...

In Episode 71 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  shares some of his favorite films of 2017. In this second of two parts, he discusses his top ten films of the year, the ones that resonated with him the most. It may have been a crazy year in many ways, but it was an incredible one at the movies. Here are some of the best examples of why. We’re excited to hear your feedback as the Croo...

In Episode 70 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  shares some of his favorite films of 2017. In this first of two parts, he reveals his honorable mentions -- i.e., the films that almost made his top ten of 2017 -- giving them the praise and recognition they deserve. It may have been a crazy year in many ways, but it was an incredible one at the movies. Here are some of the best exampl...

In Episode 69 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  bids farewell to 2017 with reviews of several of the biggest films arriving in theaters this holiday season. Listen in as he shares his thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Coco, The Disaster Artist, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Lady Bird. We’re excited to hear your feedback as the Crooked Table Podcast continues to e...

In Episode 68 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  returns to the DC Extended Universe once more for Justice League, the culmination that brings together some of the biggest heroes from DC Comics. Following the success of Wonder Woman and the divisiveness of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, can director Zack Snyder's latest superheroic epic overcome p...

In Episode 67 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  leaves the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind to delve deep into the DC Multiverse (yeah, we're starting that now). First, he revisits the film that started the franchise with an in-depth review of Zack Snyder's 2013 film Man of Steel before launching into an epic discussion of the entire DC Films slate thus far, all leading up to the hi...

In Episode 66 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  heads over to Asgard for his review of Thor: Ragnarok, the 17th (!) entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and shares his brief thoughts on Sean Baker's The Florida Project. We’re excited to hear your feedback as the Crooked Table Podcast continues to evolve. As usual, the show does feature explicit language and, as such, is best consi...

In Episode 65 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  spends his All Hallow's Eve on a Halloween-timed retrospective of A Nightmare on Elm Street (and its sequels). Wes Craven (RIP) created such an indelible pop cultural icon in Freddy Krueger, and bolstered by Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp's performances and a killer (pun intended) premise, his 1984 classic lives on as one of the...

In Episode 64 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  gushes about the new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and shares his thoughts on Denis Villeneuve's sweeping sci-fi epic Blade Runner 2049. Harrison Ford's shadow is sure to loom large on both films, but will these two sequels live up to the hype? In the case of the latter, let's investigate if Ryan Gosling's turn as the titular re...

In Episode 63 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  finally weighs in on some of September 2017's most heavily discussed films, namely the record-breaking Stephen King adaptation IT, the divisive Darren Aronofsky thriller mother! and the outrageous comic book sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Will Rob fall hook, line and sinker for Aronofsky's allegorical tale? Will he be dying for a...

In Episode 62 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  and  Freddy Yaniz  stroll down the dark alleys of Hell's Kitchen for their long-awaited in-depth discussion of Marvel's The Defenders. Which Marvel Netflix show is their favorite one to date, and how does this team-up miniseries build upon the narrative threads and character journeys set forth in Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and...

In Episode 61 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  shares his reaction to the first two episodes of Amazon's new series The Tick, based on the popular comic book. Then he reviews the new Steven Soderbergh heist comedy Logan Lucky, which sees Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) recruit James Bond (Daniel Craig) to rob a major NASCAR event. Does this stripped-down Ocea...

In Episode 60 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  visits the way-back machine to discuss two phenomena of his youth or, more specifically, the year 1987. As cult classic and perennial Halloween favorite The Monster Squad celebrates 30 years since its initial theatrical release, Disney XD launches its much-anticipated reboot of popular animated series DuckTales ("Woo-oo!"). It's as if...