Filmlosophers

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome back Trenton Brewer and Sacramento cosplayer Marquis Sweat-Keaton to turn on the Walkman and get in the groove on all things Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 (2017). With five mid- and post-credit scenes and the presence of both Tango and Cash (Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell), there’s a lot to love in this sophomore outing from James...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome back frequent guest Hannah Porter to prep for this week’s Marvel Studios release with a fun, feisty review and dissection of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), the MCU gambit that paid big dividends. With the sequel set to make a Milano-sized haul at the box office this weekend, what were the elements of the first film’s success?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, play mad scientist and try to dissect the anatomy of a summer blockbuster while also diving deep into the economics of moviemaking in this special edition report. What traits make a film predisposed for box office success, and how has the influence of foreign markets impacted the moviemaking practices of Hollywood executives? In movie news, we di...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, blow it up (like the record-setting global box office haul) with this week’s review of The Fate of the Furious (2017), starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Charlize Theron, Tyrese, Ludacris, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell and several others. How did the crew fare without Paul Walker, and what did/didn’t work about Dom Torreto’s double-cro...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome long time fan and movie enthusiast Marcus Hunter and Sacramento’s own cosplay extraordinaire Trenton Brewer for this week’s review of Power Rangers (2017). The film reboots the prolific children’s television show from the 1990s with a new take on Jason, Billy, Kimberly, Zach and Trini, and how they come to acquire their powers. Featuring...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome back Val Complex and Nerd Reactor’s Laura Sirikul back to the round table for week’s review of Ghost in the Shell (2017), the controversy-laden anime adaptation directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Scarlett Johansson in the role of an Asian woman who has been transformed into a cyborg and is working for a paramilitary arm of the govern...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, head for stars with this week’s review of Life (2017), the creature feature set aboard the international space station and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds and Rebecca Ferguson. Does the film represent an evolution of the sci-fi monster genre, or does it leave you floating in space awaiting something more? In movie news, we discuss news ab...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, jump from animation to live action adaptation for this week’s review of Beauty and the Beast (2017), the long-anticipated film starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad and Kevin Kline. With a robust cast of VFX characters voiced by Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Emma Thompson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, the fi...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, head to a remote jungle island in the 1970s for this week’s review of Kong: Skull Island (2017), starring Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson. Pretty much everything’s huge in this movie, and several sequences borrowed more from the Universal Studios ride than previous King Kong films. With effects from Industrial Light and Magic an...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome VideoGameBANG! hosts Cory Vincent and David Webb for an in-depth review of Logan (2017), allegedly the last ride of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart in the X-Men film franchise. What worked? What didn’t? And how did we feel about that pre-credits Deadpool teaser? The crew also celebrates ONE FULL YEAR of podcasting - that’s right, we’ve b...

Filmlosopher Chad Riley welcomes back frequent collaborator Hannah Porter to hash through the ups and downs of the 2017 Academy Awards show. Who won, who lost, and who saw that ending coming? Whether you’re in Camp Moonlight or Camp La La Land, you surely felt all the feels. Not to mention all of the subtle and not-so-sly political references, an odd interruption from a group of Hollywood tourists...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome first time guest Mikhail for a star-studded romp through Oscars past and present, with an in-depth comparative analysis of Academy Award and SAG Award winners from the past 16 years. How on-point are the SAG Awards when it comes to predicting Best Actor and Best Actress Oscar winners, and what types of performances tend to feel the love m...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome first time guest Ljan Ordiz and returning DC fan Omar Marroquin for part two of our candid conversation about the “other” franchise: the DCCU. From the established films in the franchise, including Batman vs. Superman (2015) and Suicide Squad (2016), to our predictions about the forthcoming Wonder Woman (2017) and Justice League (2017) fi...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome pop culture writer and critic Kristen Lopez for a spirited review of  Denzel Washington’s Oscar-nominated film, Fences (2016). Co-starring Viola Davis in a powerful dramatic turn, the film is up for multiple Academy Awards on February 26th including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. In movie ne...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, take a calculating look at Oscar contender Hidden Figures (2016), starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe. The film tells the story of three brilliant African-American women who helped renew confidence in NASA at the start of the Space Race by serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history. Hidden Figu...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome Nerd Reactor’s head movie reviewer Mark Pacis for a psychoanalysis of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, Split (2017). Starring James McAvoy, Split digs deep into the psyche of a man with Dissociative Identity Disorder whose multiple personalities are in conflict over the pending arrival of a new persona. The crew also breaks down this yea...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome returning guest host Hannah Porter and our friend John Eick for a fanciful review of Golden Globe-winning La La Land (2016). Directed by Whiplash (2014) runner Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, La La Land brings the nostalgic glamour of classic Hollywood musicals into the modern day with a fetching jazz score to bo...

The Filmlosophers are a Chad short tonight, as Eddie Villanueva is riding solo at the helm, ready to land this ship of awesome conversationalism...oh, and he’s not alone! Along for the ride is first time guest, and die-hard DC fan and aficionado, Omar Marroquin,to get neck deep in discussion about the “other” franchise! We’ll discuss his fandom with DC, and what some of the misconceptions are in t...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, spend the first episode of the new year with Nerd Reactor’s Laura Sirikul to take a trip down memory lane and share their most memorable films of 2016. With some of the biggest box office receipts - and some of the biggest flops - on record, which flicks stood out as particularly impressive? Which ones do we wish we could erase from our memories...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, debate whether Illumination Entertainment’s new film, Sing (2016), hits a high note or falls a bit flat. Sing features a stellar vocal cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson, Tori Kelly and Seth MacFarlane. News items include the death of “Princess Leia” actor Carrie Fisher and a first look at...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley dissect the new Netflix-Legendary release, Spectral (2016). Originally meant for theatrical release, the final cut brings a cinematic visual quality to the original content format through the streaming service. Starring James Badge Dale, Emily Mortimer, Max Martini and Bruce Greenwood, the film follows a team of soldiers and scientists who are bat...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome VideoGameBANG co-host David Webb and Oblivion Comics & Coffee co-owner Laura Benson for a no-holds-barred, spoiler-rich review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). Good guys, bad guys, massive battle sequences and a number of familiar faces left a strong impression on the crew, and we're excited to share our review straight from th...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, delve into the noir-esque critical darling Nocturnal Animals (2016), starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal in a film directed by fashion designer Tom Ford. Featuring supporting turns from Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the film explores themes of love and loss within an intricate storyline that bridges fiction and reality. News items...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, break down the essential building blocks of your favorite holiday films. If making a Christmas movie follows a certain formula, what are the components of that formula (and do your favorite December flicks fit the mold or break it)? News items include an Ocean's 8 (2017) casting announcement and new movie trailer reactions for Cars 3 (2017), Guar...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, kick off holiday season 2016 with a "wish list" of their most anticipated December films in a variety of categories, from comedy and drama to auteur flicks and genre options. Beyond obvious choices like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Assassin's Creed (2016), La La Land (2016) and Sing (2016), did your faves make the cut? News items include...