MovieBuffs Podcast

Join us in this episode of our podcast as we dive deep into the intriguing film "Wake Up Dead Man," directed by Rian Johnson. With an impressive cast led by Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, and Glenn Close, this gripping mystery has garnered a 92% Critics and 93% Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. We explore the film's unique plot, where Detective Benoit Blanc teams up with an earnes...

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an action-packed film directed by Guy Ritchie. Releasing before all the summer blockbusters, this film promises to be a thrilling experience from start to finish. The film is based on the true story of the Special Operations Executive, a secret British organization, during World War II. Founded by Winston Churchill, the group engaged in irregular warfare ag...

Remakes are becoming increasingly common as the movie industry tries to lure moviegoers back to the theaters. However, what makes a good remake? Is it a high fan score? An engaging story? A remake that pays tribute to the original while also adding a fun and creative twist is one way to get the audience to appreciate the effort and want to see more. Unfortunately, the 2024 remake of Road House fai...

Dune: Part Two is in theaters and continues director Denis Villeneuve’s vision of the classic text from Frank Herbert. Paul Atreides joins forces with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against those responsible for House Atreides's downfall. He must choose between his love for Chani and the destiny of the entire universe as he tries to prevent a catastrophic future that only he can pr...

An early 2024 action release that is already causing a stir is Argylle. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, The Kingsmen, & X-Men: First Class), this film follows writer Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) as her spy novels start to become eerily close to the truth. This film features a stacked cast alongside Howard, including Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, John Cena, Sam Rockewell, Bryan Cranston, a...

Holiday movies are a popular genre that brings joy to the season and elicits all the emotions we love. Several holiday movies are released each year, on top of the classics such as Christmas Vacation, Bad Santa, and Love Actually, so how do you choose which ones to watch? In this Rankings episode of the MovieBuffs Podcast, host Tyler Valencia gives three holiday movies he watched for the first tim...

A surprise late 2023 release, Wonka is a fun and refreshing take on Roald Dahl’s material, which centers around Wonka’s first attempts at entering the competitive chocolate market. Starring Timothée Chalamet as the titular character, the movie includes new takes on the classic songs, a fun backstory to the chocolate cartel, and familiar family vibes that we all experienced watching the 1971 classi...

The Marvels is the latest MCU release getting a surprisingly strong amount of criticism. Led by Brie Larson and featuring Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, this installment teams up these three superheroes to stop a Kree revolutionary wanting to repay Captain Marvel for what she believes she did to her home planet. This MCU film, directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman), features quality action sequences...

End-of-the-world thriller movies can be hit or miss, but Leave the World Behind on Netflix is an edge-of-the-seat story that elicits several emotions, including the belief this story could play out in real life. From writer/director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), this story follows a family of four setting out on a vacation away from the busy city and looking to unwind until a strange knock at the door s...

A late 2023 Netflix release, The Killer is David Fincher's latest film, a stylish noir similar to his previous works of art. Starring Michael Fassbender as the film's main character, the killer, this story follows his character as he goes on a revenge tour, which is spared by an early event in the movie. This Instant Reaction episode in the MovieBuffs Podcast is a spoiler-free review of th...

An under-the-radar movie that’s available for consumption is Next Goal Wins. Telling the story of the American Samoa soccer team that famously lost to Australia 31-0, this new Taika Waititi film is fun and heartwarming. Starring Michael Fassbender as Thomas Rongen, this film follows the main character, going from his lowest lows to finding a new home (and family) on the American Samoa island.  One...

Available on Amazon Prime Video, The Covenant is a Guy Ritchie film that might surprise you. Not only does it not include the usual witty Ritchie slang, but it is a US military-based film that leans heavily into the story of the Afghanistan war and the interpreters that help US soldiers. This film did not do too well at the box office, but in its second life on streaming, it might be someone you c...

A late summer release available on Amazon Prime Video is Cassandro, which follows the true story of Cassandro, the ''exotico'' character created by Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso who rose to international stardom. Directed by Roger Ross Williams, this film features themes of overcoming adversity, breaking tradition, and family dysfunction, told through the len...

October is typically a month of new horror releases, but what if you’re not a fan or looking for different types of content? In this episode of the MovieBuffs Podcast, host Tyler goes over three pieces of content you can watch in October. We all spend countless time searching for new series to watch on the hundreds of streaming platforms or scrolling through movie apps; hopefully, this is a new po...

The latest Pixar release that is now available on Disney+ is Elemental. In this Instant Reaction episode of the MovieBuffs Podcast, host Tyler Valencia gives his spoiler-free review of Elemental, talks about Pixar marketing issues, and why people aren’t talking more about Pixar movies. One of the most significant talking points that Tyler brings up is how audiences don’t know much about the Pixar...

An under-the-radar late summer release, The Equalizer 3 is a fun action movie that continues on the story of Robert McCall, an ex-intelligence agent set on helping those in need and settling the score for those unable to. The Equalizer 3 stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning, in a storyline set in Italy filled with mafia ties, terrorism, and a small community that Robert has fallen in love wi...

A welcomed surprise from DC Studios is Blue Beetle. Featuring a primarily Hispanic cast of actors, Blue Beetle focuses on family and culture, which are strongly featured throughout the movie. In the title role, Xolo Mariduena (Cobra Kai) packs a punch as Jaime Reyes and exceeds expectations. This Instant Reaction episode of the MovieBuffs Podcast gives a spoiler(-ish) free review of Blue Beetle an...

If you’re looking for a new show or two, this rankings episode of the MovieBuffs will go over two shows on Apple+ and Max. Rankings episodes in the MovieBuffs Podcast are designed to provide our audience with series that are currently available for viewing and, if you want, binging. Host Tyler Valencia will share details about Trying, Ted Lasso, and C.B. Strike in this episode. At the moment, each...

Not just for racing fans or video gamers, the release of Gran Turismo is a story and cinematic experience that all moviegoers can enjoy. Based on the true story of gamer turned professional race car driver Jann Mardenborough, Gran Turismo follows Jann’s rise through the Nissan driver’s academy and up to his first 24 Hours of Le Mans. Directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium, and Chappie), t...

The Haunted Mansion remake might be a welcome surprise for Disney fans in 2023. This remake brings a fresh story that includes adventure, action, and a lot of fan callbacks to the much beloved Disney ride. Starring LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You), Rosario Dawson (Ashoka), Owen Wilson (Loki), Tiffany Haddish (Night School), and Danny DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia), the Haunted Ma...

Christopher Nolan fans rejoice! Oppenheimer has hit theaters and hit them in a big way. Oppenheimer has exceeded projections with a five-day global box office number that has already surpassed 200 million. Announced in September of 2021 after a studio bidding war had taken place, Oppenheimer is Nolan’s 12th film. Oppenheimer tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in developing the a...

One of the most anticipated and action-packed movies of 2023 is Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. Returning as the titular character, Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise brings his A-game to the latest installment in the Mission Impossible franchise. The first Mission Impossible to have a part one and two, Dead Reckoning, starts a new storyline involving artificial intelligence and the stakes invo...

Indiana Jones Dial of Destiny has been released and is the fifth installment in the property. Following the criticized release of The Crystal Skull, Disney and Lucasfilm returned to the well of nostalgia and tried to hit on the items that made Indiana Jones such a beloved series. Harrison Ford stars as the titular character Dr. Henry Jones Jr., with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, and Mads...

Did you know Ben Affleck is a talented director? His latest release was the movie Air, which highlights the signing of Michael Jordan to the shoe company Nike. At the time, Nike was a small running shoe company that was struggling to sign premier athletes. Also, it was widely believed that Michael Jordan had no desire to sign with Nike. Air shows the turn of events that occur as Sonny Vaccaro pull...

The first of two DC movies set to come out in 2023 is The Flash. Recently released on July 16th and made headlines (good and bad) for its CGI, opening weekend, and cameos. The Flash, which stars Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, and Sasha Calle, packs a punch in the non-stop action department, but why is it underperforming at the box office? That is one topic discussed in the latest episode of the Movi...