Mike, Mike, and Oscar

Part 3 of Boogie Mikes tackles Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, his 3 hour epic drama starring Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Jason Robards, Melora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, and Jeremy Blackman. NON-SPOILER REVIEW OF MAGNOLIA: Production Stories, Reception, Awards & The Tom Cruise Career Checkpoint - 2:01 Roger Ebert’s Take + Non-Spoiler Scri...

We can’t help but enjoy a full episode on The Naked Gun (2025). In non-spoilers, we build up to countdown of the Top 10 Spoofs of all time. Then during the second half spoiler section, we Chris Farley Show recap and recite, literally the entire film beat for hilarious beat, and we are not sorry. It was too much fun. NON-SPOILER REVIEW SECTION OF THE NAKED GUN (2025) Our moviegoing experiences and...

Part 2 of Boogie Mikes is here as we review Paul Thomas Anderson’s second film, Boogie Nights. INTRO - Mike1 demands we leave our pre-show conversation in as a cold open. Mike2 edits it into the episode another way. It’s absurd. - Top of the Show Production History and Reception for Boogie Nights - 6:08 Our Watch Stories - 15:27 Non-Spoiler Story Thoughts + Summary of its Awards Profile - 17:23 Qu...

We review The Fantastic Four: First Steps in this Oscars Profile Film Study. The Non-Spoiler Section builds to an Oscars Lens, where we predict if this movie will get any nominations, and then we discuss the plot in its entirety in our 2nd Half Spoiler Section. NON-SPOILER REVIEW: Which of the Fantastic Four are we? - Top of the Show Place in the MCU Phase 6 and that Kevin Feige interview - 2:56 N...

We discuss the Venice Lineup + our early guesses at who could win some awards. Then we dive into the most humongous What We’re Watching segment in the history of MMO. 54 Separate Films or Television Series are review from Eddington & I Still Know What You Did Last Summer to a Stanley Kubrick double feature to an Arnold triple feature to Final Destination: Bloodlines & Bring Her Back to Elio & Supe...

Mike 1 has returned for this Oscar Race Checkpoint, covering his Hollywood vacation stories, the TIFF Galas & Special Presentations announcements and a fun catch-up on a bunch of incredible trailers from After The Hunt & Bugonia to Project Hail Mary & Downton Abbey to Predator Badlands & Keeper. Top of the Show - Mike 1 Returns! He recaps his vacation, pneumonia & comeback. THE TIFF LINEUP (+++ Mo...

Is the Superman Box Office good enough? Who surprised and who got snubbed for Emmy Noms? How bad was Jurassic World: Rebirth? Plus, a review of The Odyssey trailer on this episode of Oscar Race Checkpoint. INTRO: Status Report on M1, Programming Notes on M2’s Other Appearances - Top BOX OFFICE REPORT: Superman’s 220M Worldwide requires a harsh reassessment - 2:48 AlsoMike’s review of Jurassic Worl...

Kolby Mac returns to review James Gunn’s Superman. It’s a massive film study, a pointed Oscars Profile, and we have the perfect guest for the occasion. NON-SPOILER REVIEW SECTION FOR SUPERMAN: Reception, Box Office, & Our Movie Watching Experiences - 2:37 General Thoughts + Comparing to other James Gunn Films - 10:16 Why “superhero fatigue” is a premise for this story - 15:50 Rewatchability, The S...

We introduce Luis Mendez of The Reel Lounge Podcast and The Mendez Movie Report. Luis and AlsoMike count down their Top 10 Films of the Year (so far). Plus, they discuss their 3 most anticipated films yet to come in 2025, a Midyear Special! Getting to know Luis Mendez - Luis talks about the life of a film critic, the NY Times Top 100 and gives an endorsement for letterboxd. Number 10’s: Great Acti...

This Oscar Race Checkpoint talks about the Academy’s New Invitees, the James Bond Franchises’ next director and casting rumors, upcoming TIFF World Premieres + release updates for potential contenders, and there’s some initial reactions to F1 and M3GAN 2.0 in a Box Office Report. ACADEMY NEWS: New Academy Members & Board of Governors - 1:33 007 NEWS - A Deep Dive into all the News & Casting Rumors...

This is our film study on Superman from 1978 starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder and Marlon Brando. We invent some fun segments for this retrospective, and we end with some speculation on the upcoming James Gunn film. SUPERMAN (1978) RETROSPECTIVE: NON-SPOILER REVIEW The Production Story - 3:11 Reading the Plot/Premise as a 1940’s Newsman - 8:26 The Marlon Brando Award for Most...

We did it! Tom Cruise is getting an honorary Oscar alongside Dolly Parton, Debbie Allan, & Wynn Thomas at the Governors Awards. Plus, we talk Venice Bound Films, AI Rules, great trailers for Springsteen, IKWYDLS & Spaceballs 2 +++ reviews for 28 Years Later, How To Train Your Dragon, and Elio. NEWS: Governors Awards Recipients Announced for Tom Cruise & Dolly Parton - 1:14 Jafar Panahi calls for e...

Hard Eight is a gambler’s gambling movie, a riveting neo-noir and the first episode in our PTA rewatch series, Boogie Mikes. Hard Eight stars John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson and Philip Baker Hall, and it premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival from director Paul Thomas Anderson. NON-SPOILER FILM STUDY OF HARD EIGHT: PTA Bio + Movie Intro - 1:58 Expectations, Historical Signif...

This Oscar Race Checkpoint includes Tribeca stories, takes on the Tonys & WB news + Reviews of Materialists, Ballerina, Final Destination & Phoenician Schemes & Trailers for Lost Bus, Eddington, Oh Hi & The Naked Gun. TRIBECA STORIES: Corner Bistro and the Burger People - 1:28 Josh Gad in A Tree Fell in the Woods - 4:16 Hal & Harper + Smashed - 6:32 Trouble en route to Gotham Burger Social Club, M...

What Is This Episode - Top of Show Introducing The Duke of Bettingham David Long! . SUMMER OSCAR BETS, PART II: Explaining Odds in Gambling (featuring Kalshi Odds) - 4:05 . Lead Actor: Who The Duke Claims Offers the Best ROI- 7:40 Lead Actress: A Conversation of Many “No” Bets - 20:06 Supp Actor: The First Lines of the Season - 28:24 Supp Actress: Maybe the Most Wide Open Category - 37:36 Director...

What Is This Episode - Top of Show Introducing The Duke of Bettingham David Long! . SUMMER BEST PICTURE BETS: Explaining Odds in Gambling - 5:01 . After the Hunt, Sentimental Value - 8:51 Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Small Player - 18:29 Avatar 3, Highest to Lowest, Sinners - 29:00 Frankenstein, The Lost Bus, One Battle, Life of Chuck, Sorry Baby - 35:23 . Bugonia, Pressure - 44:40 BBB Journey, Springst...

We dive deep into analysis of new Oscar Contender Trailers like Wicked: For Good, Frankenstein, Wake Up Dead Man, Kiss of the Spider Woman, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey & more. Plus, we review The Life of Chuck, Dangerous Animals, Mountainhead, Karate Kid: Legends & lots more as well. TRAILER REVIEWS: Wicked: For Good - 2:00 Frankenstein - 8:22 Wake Up, Dead Man - 15:39 Happy Gilmore 2 - 19:27 The...

There’s Cannes Fallout, a new Box Office queen & king with Lilo & Stitch, plus major MCU news with the delay of Avengers: Doomsday. Plus, we review Friendship, The Rehearsal, Bring Her Back, Until Dawn, The Studio, new docs and many new trailers in this Oscar Race Checkpoint. CANNES FALLOUT: Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident Palme sparks international incident - 2:25 Netflix buys Nouvelle Vag...

It’s our 3rd episode on the 2025 Cannes Film Festival as we discuss award winners like It Was Just An Accident and Sentimental Value. Plus, we enjoy awards talk on Highest 2 Lowest, The History of Sound, etc. CANNES FILM FESTIVAL COVERAGE PART III: Palme D’or Winner - It Was Just An Accident - 1:47 Sentimental Value gets a 19? Minute Standing Ovation - 8:06 Recapping other winners like The Secret...

What Is This Episode - Top of Show “IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT” WINS THE PALME D’OR . MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING: OSCARS PROFILE: . Spoiler-Free Review: Scores, Box Office, and the Cruise-ness of It All - 3:21 Why Paramount Doesn’t Need This to Break the Bank - 12:13 Script Thoughts - 14:18 Chaotic, Boring, Mishandled…Amazing - 19:00 . Tom Cruise - 21:42 Ensemble - 24:34 Production Value...

It’s part II of our Cannes Film Festival coverage, and we have a lot of passionate thoughts. You get our reviewing the reviewing, and we keep you up to date on those ovations. Plus, we discuss a half dozen trailers and review a batch of new movies while we’re at it. CANNES PART DEUX: Reviewing the Reviewers Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme - 1:24 Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague - 7:41 Lynn...

What is This Episode? - Top of Show . CANNES IS UNDERWAY: DeNiro Hints at Trump Tariff Unrest - 2:24 Mission Impossible Meh - 11:23 . A “Febrile” Reviewing the Reviewers of the In Competition Films - 16:24 The Best Review of 2025, and What’s with These Pushes? - 28:11 . GOLDEN GLOBES ADD BEST PODCAST - 38:23 . CONTENDER TRAILERS: The Smashing Machine - 45:47 Weapons - 49:51 Highest 2 Lowest Teaser...

It’s the second half of our 100% Accurate Way Too Early Oscars Predictions for 2025/26. In this episode, we discuss the Supportings, Casting, Director, Picture and 12 categories in all! Cinematography - 2:16 Film Editing - 5:07 Animated 9:38 International - 13:09 Documentary - 17:51 Costume Design - 20:24 Production Design - 23:24 Supporting Actor - 29:00 Supporting Actress - 37:24 Casting - 41:17...

It’s Part One of our Way Too Early 2025-26 Oscars Predictions Special, or Guarantees Special as we should have called it. Screenplays, VFX, Sound, Score, Song, the Shorts, yes - The Shorts, Make-up & Hairstyling, plus Lead Actor and Actress are all discussed. Original Screenplay reveals films where we’re heavy + where Vegas leans - 3:07 Adapted Screenplay includes former winners, noms + a UFC cham...

We very much enjoyed Thunderbolts*, and here’s our full film study review treatment. Non-spoilers begins with big discussions on the MCU and its box office trends, and as always, we build to an Oscars Lens. Then we go beat by beat and discuss the plot in the spoiler filled second half. NON-SPOILER REVIEW SECTION: A big discussion of the recent phases of the MCU and their box office - 2:08 The Rece...