Nerd Critic

Rian Johnson is four and oh so far, and we don’t expect Knives Out to be his first miss. Join us for some fanboy coverage of this profoundly talented filmmaker’s enviable career. If you don’t love him as much as we do by the end of the episode, or you owe us twenty dollars. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ner...

By now it is clear that Charlie's Angels did NOT win the weekend. Why? Well, we have some ideas. Also, we found ourselves deep in the rabbit hole of why so many movies are just plain OK these days, and some of crucial differences between mediocrity and greatness in storytelling. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visi...

Another historic moment for Nerd Critic -- a re-release! Don’t worry, there’s plenty of spankin’ new content in here, too, but we wanted to revisit our old conversation to help ourselves (and you, dear listener) prepare for Disney’s next billion dollar princess powerhouse. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerd...

Once again, CJ and Jordan come to blows. But this time, we had a guest to feel embarrassed in front of. Sides were taken. Feelings were hurt. In spite of it all, Doctor Sleep was a fascinating study, and it was hard to stop talking when we ran out of time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.c...

If you've spent any time in the last four years NOT being impressed by Mad Max: Fury Road, then SHAME ON YOU. But don't worry, we'll help you get right again. Join us as we nerd out about what is probably the best action movie of the decade. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Terminator: Dark Fate may not have been relevant enough to dominate the box office this year (witness Jordan's sadface), but it certainly inspires a range of fascinating topics for discussion. Join us as we run straight into the warm embrace of living tissue over metal endoskeleton, which turns out to be a not-bad metaphor for this movie. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

In preparation for Doctor Sleep, we tackled its predecessor, one of the most important horror movies of all time. Join us for a conversation about how and why The Shining is still considered by many to be the scariest movie they've ever seen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Black and Blue is a lot like Rudy, who wasn't real good at football, but had so much heart you couldn't help but love him. This movie doesn't deliver a lot of thrills or suspense, but boy does it have heart. In this episode, we dig into why we enjoyed this film so much, and why we think you should, too, despite its obvious weaknesses. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this wit...

Have you ever wanted to completely understand all the Terminator movies? Have you ever wondered how many there even are, and whether there might be a TV show, too? Probably not, but we'll answer all those questions anyway! Consider this episode your complete guide to this famous and troubled franchise. We promise to prepare you to have the best experience possible at the upcoming Terminator: Dark...

CJ and Jordan once again find themselves at odds over the Zombieland sequel. Though they both put up an impressive fight, Jordan reigned it in, because he ALREADY shared ALL of his thoughts on another show called The Next Reel. Go check it out! https://thenextreel.com/film-board/zombieland-double-tap/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...

Is it a zombie movie? Is it an action movie? A comedy? A romance? A bromance? Yes! Jordan's seen it six times, and CJ just saw it for the first time, but they both agree, Zombieland is the best buddy zom-rom-com ever made. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

We can love Will Smith all we want, but Gemini Man was NOT good. We wish it was. But you definitely shouldn’t wait to see it before listening to this episode. Because it’ll be more fun than the movie itself. We’re not being negative, we promise...just honest. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substac...

A month-long competition comes down to this moment: CJ fighting for his life with a challenger who is deeply gifted in Nerd knowledge. Will CJ keep his title? Or will Nerd Critic crown a new Resident Nerd? You’ll have to listen to find out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

If you want to know how to make CJ and Jordan nerd out in a big way, start talking about Will Smith. This was such a fun episode. BONUS -- we were able to arrive at some very insightful (read: baseless) conclusions about his career since 2008. Talking about the Fresh Prince turned out to be the perfect way to kick off the next 100 episodes of Nerd Critic. This is a public episode. If you would lik...

We did it, everybody. One HUNDRED. And what an episode this turned out to be. By popular demand, we invited the venerable Dixon Gaines back to be our guest for this seminal occasion, and he and Jordan fought mightily for CJ's soul. In the end, CJ opted for shared custody and a happily-ever-after. Which, after spending so much time with Joker, was desperately appreciated. This is a public episode....

Abominable didn't do terribly well at the box office, and we have some theories as to why. Join us for a thoughtful conversation about how good stories do and don't get developed, and enjoy a behind-the-scenes anecdote about CJ and Jordan's first conversation about this movie, before either of them had seen it yet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers...

Filmspotting, the definitive cinephile podcast, once ran a poll that asked the question: "What is the best comic book movie adaptation of all time?" The options were A) The Dark Knight, and B) Any other movie. This just about sums up the significance of this film, and we could not be more excited to do a deep dive into an inarguably significant entry into the catalogue of great American movies. An...

We need to talk about Rambo. Like, all of it. First we should give Sly credit for helping to launch an impressive number of giant franchises. Back in 1982, First Blood was a gritty, political action thriller with a surprising amount of heart, but it's getting harder to ignore the way a movie like Last Blood feels in 2019. Special thanks to Aaron Woodall for lending his insights and support as we u...

We know you love to hear us fight, so we brought our knives to this episode. CJ came out swinging with words like "pretentious" and "stop yelling." Jordan mounted a grand defense supported almost entirely by a wildly oversimplified explanation of the movie's primary flaw. But, at the end of the day, we agreed that we both love space movies. And this is a pretty good space movie. This is a public e...

We're back with another Christopher Nolan movie. A lot of people jumped on the plot-hole-central bandwagon back when it came out. But we think that may be an oversimplified explanation of what was wrong with this movie, and also an unfair dismissal of all the things that were so great about it. Jump on in, the conversation's fine! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with ot...

Do you like horror movies? Before you answer that, you should know that CJ didn't think he did until he saw Haunt. We loved this movie, and we think you will, too. That is, if you can stay open minded about disturbing images and inventive slasher gore. If you're still unconvinced, listen to the first part of this episode and see if we can change your mind. This is a public episode. If you would li...

Fight Club made one of the biggest cultural splashes of any movie in the past thirty years. In this episode, we talk about why, and explore whether this late 90s phenomenon holds up under the scrutiny of 2019 sensibilities. Plus, Brad Pitt. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

We looked forward to this for a long time, and we were not disappointed. OK, maybe IT Chapter Two was a little disappointing, but Scott Beck and Bryan Woods were truly excellent guests -- everything we could have hoped for and more. Not only did we unpack IT Chapter Two in a way that left us all feeling a bit wiser, we also got to geek out about how much we loved Haunt (their new movie out TODAY -...

As the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, and with a hotly anticipated sequel clown-dancing its way into theaters, this was a movie we knew we had to cover. CJ even managed to watch it AND survive. Listen as your favorite Nerd Critic duo slather appreciation on and uncover a host of surprising profundities in this wildly popular Stephen King adaptation. Also, look forward to Friday, when w...

If you haven't seen this movie, see if the first part of this episode can't convince you. It's way better and way more fun than anyone had a right to expect. If you HAVE seen it, join us for a conversation about gore as slapstick and the problem of old money. Plus, listen for a pretty sweet announcement. We're excited, and you should be, too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss...