Middle of the Row

Hello everyone, this week are reviewing the sequel to The Lego Movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part! Everyone was fans of the first and remain mostly so in this second outing, with some of us even putting this over the original. Everyone is back from Bricksburg with a whole bunch of new faces from the Sistar System. We got more songs, Wyldstyle gets to be a lead, and lots and lots of raptors....

It’s time for another bonus episode, this time for the new big release of Alita: Battle Angel! This Robert Rodriguez directed, James Cameron produced manga adaptation is an action spectacle for anyone with a great lead at its core in Rosa Salazar. Ben and Zac break down the film in this bonus episode, gushing mostly about everything that isn’t the romantic male lead of the film; blegh! Still, a mo...

On this week’s episode we flashback to 1999 for Stanley Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut! I love it, a masterpiece, but.... No one else agrees with me. Sad. Still, we have some interesting conversations about the film and what works, or doesn’t, in it. Nicole Kidman is a god in this movie. Kubrick is masterful at every turn. Cruise is only better in Magnolia? But, you know, the lead isn’t lika...

This week we head to Netflix to review one of their latest new releases, Velvet Buzzsaw! Dan Gilroy reteams with Jake Gyllenhaal, wife Rene Russo and a big ensemble of great actors. A genre exercise, the film is sort of surface level with moments of greatness and I think we all sort of agree on that. It looks great, the cast is great, but why does the film seem so, just, fine? Listen as we try to...

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new podcast! This new podcast will be looking back at the best movies of the last ten years and is handedly titled, The Decade’s Best! The first entry in the series will focus on the 2013 film, Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color. An absolute masterpiece, Grant and I get into the finer points of the film as well as discuss the big picture ideas as we try to unpack...

M. Night Shyamalan is back on the podcast for another week with his Unbreakable and Split follow up Glass! I think it starts off 2019 with a bang, Lauren’s a fan too, Ben and Jon, not so much. Still, A LOT to discuss this episode, especially breaking down the ending(s) and everyone’s takes and interpretations on the craziness. So rewatch the previous films and dive into Glass. Download. Listen. En...

Welcome to another episode of Middle of the Row: The Podcast. This week’s episode is a flashback to 1999’s The Sixth Sense. M. Night Shyamalan’s break out picture had a twist, but does it have more than that? Does it even need that? Is it M. Night’s best film? All things we discuss in the latest episode of the podcast. Download. Listen. Enjoy! 0:01:00 Why The Sixth Sense And General Thoughts 0:04:...

In this bonus episode of Middle of the Row: The Podcast, Jon and Zac discuss Paul Schrader’s First Reformed. Beyond just praising Ethan Hawke for being awesome and Schrader’s script working wonders, the discussion mostly settles on the film’s handling of faith in the film. Jon a church going man and Zac decidedly not, the conversation remains quite respectful, lending itself to the similar discour...

It is our first flashback review of 2019, to 2009, with The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus! Lauren nominated Terry Gilliam’s ill fated Heath Ledger film and she’s not really to sure about it anymore. Jon is a Parnassus virgin and enjoys the film, while Ben and Zac wonder if this should be just a one time only movie. Thanks for coming back to the pod and enjoy 2019 with us! Download. Listen. Enjoy...

This week, the last episode of 2018 (but releasing in 2019), it’s the 2018 Time Capsule! Each of us picks one thing to save in the time capsule and chuck it in there. Will Zac pick a movie? Will Ben pick a meme? Does Lauren choose nothing? Listen to find out! And don’t forget to keep coming back in 2019 as we continue to look back to the previous years (2009 & 1999) and review some of our most ant...

Today's episode is a deep cut of Grant and Jon talking about their favorite tracks from 2018 (as of three months ago anyway). They also gab about their favorite artists, history, Eminem, and whether or not Jon has actually heard of the artists Grant has mentioned. Listen to full versions of the songs in Spotify playlist below and be sure to check both of the individual lists of their favorite musi...

This episode features a LONG overdue conversation I had back in July with the band Mae. We talked about their prevailing vision and purpose as a band and what it looked like to try and accomplish that throughout their tenure, from setting up elaborate stage props with fans in smaller clubs to using virtual reality in the Tower of David in the Middle East. We also talked about their single “5 Light...

Our last review of 2018, and our first full year completed as a podcast, is the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse! We all agree, again, that this one is worth seeing, but we find plenty of discussion about what we thought did and didn’t work for the animated Spider-People adventure. So tune your Spidey-Senses and leap into yet another Spider related dimension with us! Download. Listen. Enjoy!...

This week is our last flashback of 2018, to 2008’s Synecdoche, New York. This was my (Zac) pick and I think I’m the only one he likes this movie! We have some good conversation about the ups and downs of the rest of the crew’s first experience watching this mind bender, but I mostly just laugh at their confusion and pontificate over how amazing this film is. Charlie Kaufman! So head of to Synecdoc...

This week, we flashback to 2008 to discuss Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The film was one of the early Apatow produced films and stands up to this day even if some people might not think the main character does. As loaded of a comedy cast as there has ever been, we pass out some praise to them while wishing the excellent female leads, Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis, had meatier parts for them to elevate...

This week, the podcast looks at the 1998 flashback American History X. Zac is out this week, so Jon leads Lauren and Ben through his pick, which was in his Top 5 films of all time! Will it stay there, find out and listen. The group discusses Norton’s arc, Edward Norton in general and how those hard scenes to watch stack up 20 years later. Download. Listen. Enjoy! 00:30 Overall Impressions 17:00 Ea...

Disney’s Mulan is 20 years old and we flashback to 1998 to see how it stands up to the legacy of Disney Animation of the 90’s. I, again, find myself on an island of opposition, but there is more cold water being thrown on this than praise. We talk about if this is really a girl power movie, maybe an LGBTQ movie, and how to save yourself in an avalanche. So head to animated China with us and weigh...

On this week’s episode, we discuss the new Bad Robot produced, Nazi zombies horror film, Overlord. I am on the outside looking in here, I think it’s terrible, and I wasn’t really convinced otherwise. Still, there is some support here from Ben, Lauren and Jon, and it is worth a listen to see what really stuck out in the film for them. So, strap in and get ready to dodge some bombs, as we discuss Ov...

This week, the boys discuss Suspiria as Lauren is a bit under the weather. While we aren’t all over the moon about it, a range from Zac’s love to Jon’s curiosity, but I think we all enjoyed and appreciated the film. It is a film that isn’t for everyone, surely, but I think it can suck almost any viewer in to its mystery and mood. This might not be easy to recommend, but it is one of the most inter...

On this week’s episode, we all enjoy the new sequel to Halloween! Disregard everything you know and dive into the discussion on the only two films that matter in the franchise anymore; the original and this 2018 sequel. We all like the movie again, SHOCKER!, even if Jon’s audio sounds like he is podcasting while being smothered by Michael Myers with a pillow. Spoilers for the original film through...

Hello and welcome to a special hybrid episode of Middle of the Row and Middle of the Dial. I’m calling it a hybrid episode because I’m talking today to a filmmaker who is additionally a musician. Matt Hinton is a guitarist in the band Luxury and he is also the director of the documentary “Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury”. The film will be screening tomorrow at the St. Louis Intern...

This week we look at Drew Goddard’s latest, Bad Times At The El Royale! Everyone liked it! Zac might have loved it the most if he hadn’t been distracted by unfounded purgatory realities, but all in all, thumbs up from everyone here at the pod. A great cast, great music, great filmmaking; we throw around a lot of praise and avoid a number of Jon audio mishaps. Hopefully you don’t hear those... Anyw...

This episode we flashback to 1998 and discuss the Adam Sandler hit, The Waterboy. Ben elected this film, and is the only one to genuinely like it. Jon musters some support, but Lauren and I come out fighting. Still, we have some interesting talk about the portrayal of Bobby Boucher, Forrest Gump and the rubbing of nipples. Take a listen and see if The Waterboy holds up for you 20 years later... Do...

This week’s episode is another 08 flashback to Frank Miller’s adaptation of Will Eisner’s The Spirit! I sort of get left on an island here, but I think this film got unfairly maligned and, ten years later, deserves another look. Still, not everyone agrees here, and I find myself defending the film like The Spirit defends his city. The rest of the crew isn’t without their fair points, but give the...

Ben and I deliver another bonus episode of the pod, this time discussing the new release Venom! It really is good guys, and not in a so bad it’s good way. I hate that term, nothing you like is bad, something is good about it and we should appreciate that more. Tom Hardy is a treasure, and worth of the price of admission on this new superhero franchise, but the film as a whole knows what Venom is;...