The Contrarians

There’s a new Contrarians Series to be embedded within the main feed. This is us letting you know all about it!

Tough times for America as we publish this (at least if you care for your fellow men and women). Does that affect how you experience INDEPENDENCE DAY, a movie that was incredibly silly to begin with? A movie where The United States seems to have above-average leadership and countries all over the world look up to it? How much can nostalgia help or harm when watching Will Smith and the gang save th...

There was a glorious time when you could watch The United States of America save the world in a movie without snickering. INDEPENDENCE DAY is a relic from America’s golden days as Earth’s protectors - a relic that, when inspected with modern eyes, falls ridiculously short of everything a sci-fi adventure should be. Perhaps that’s why it’s only MTV Movie Award in 1997 was for Best Kiss? Listen to A...

Becoming an enduring part of pop culture doesn’t necessarily mean your movie is good. So what’s the verdict on THE BODYGUARD? Is there anything to it beyond that banger of a song and the undeniable chemistry between Costner and Houston? Did it get shortchanged when it only won one MTV Movie Award, or was it deserving of its multiple Razzie nominations? We hash it out in this Real Talk segment! TIM...

You know the song even if you haven’t seen the movie. You know the iconic image too: Kevin Costner carrying Whitney Houston to safety. But did you know THE BODYGUARD is 38% rotten on the Tomatometer? Did you know it was written by the same guy who wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark? Did you know it had six nominations at the 1993 MTV Movie Awards? Listen to Alex & Julio...

You either get on Shakespeare’s wavelength or you don’t. But maybe an extreme approach to The Bard’s stories can help? It’s likely Baz Luhrmann’s ROMEO + JULIET converted many romantics into fans of the play - even if they might not have stuck around for any other Shakespeare pieces. Did this rewatch work its magic on The Contrarians though? Find out in this Real Talk as we discuss the winner of t...

If you’ve ever wondered why 90s kids are SO dramatic about their love lives, you can put the blame on Baz Luhrmann’s ROMEO + JULIET. The overblown modernization of Willy Shakes’ teeny-bopper romance was a big hit with audiences and critics, with a fresh Tomatometer score of 74% - so that means Alex & Julio will take it down a few notches. Gorgeous people reciting antiquated dialogue? Shouldn’t...

Happy 30th anniversary, BATMAN FOREVER! We don’t need The Schumacher Cut to celebrate you - we just need an open mind about where camp sits in the Batman mythos. So, are you Team Carrey or Team Jones? Are you a U2 person or a Seal fan? Where do you place Val Kilmer in the Bruce Wayne rankings? We discuss all that and more in this Real Talk segment! TIMELINE 00:01:26 Black Rubber 00:02:23 Real Talk...

How can anyone hate on the Batman movie responsible for Kiss From a Rose? BATMAN FOREVER may not have won any of its MTV Movie Awards nominations back in 1996, but its legacy turned out to be its ultimate triumph - regardless of what its rotten Tomatometer score says. Listen to Alex & Julio as they revel in the pure 90s vibe of Joel Schumacher’s bat-masterpiece! TIMELINE 00:01:24 Batman Foreve...

Joe Pesci - comedian. Is that a thing? Or is it telling that Marisa Tomei seems to be the most memorable aspect of MY COUSIN VINNY? But whether you love or hate the movie, how wonderful is Fred Gwynn anyway? And will Austin Pendleton ever put on a performance The Contrarians enjoy? And perhaps the biggest question: if you’ve already won an Oscar, haven’t you already “broken through”? All that and...

What do you do after you win an Oscar for playing a scary bloodthirsty mobster? You try to lead a courtroom comedy, of course! That’s how Joe Pesci ended up headlining MY COUSIN VINNY, and that’s how, unsurprisingly, Marisa Tomei stole the movie from him - winning an Oscar for it and, even better, the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance of 1992. Listen to Alex & Julio question Pesci’s...

Could the third time be the charm for Chris Farley on The Contrarians podcast? Infamously, our episodes on Black Sheep and Almost Heroes featured some serious disagreements regarding the comedic talents of Farley and his co-starts. So what happens when we discuss a Farley/Spade vehicle that shaped Alex’s early years? Can Julio resist an avalanche of TOMMY BOY quotes and references? Find out in thi...

Chris Farley movies always underperformed with critics - even the beloved TOMMY BOY, which most regular people would deem the best of them all. So, does the winner of the 1996 MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo deserve its 42% rotten Tomatometer score? Listen to Alex & Julio do their best to defend the first Farley/Spade team-up, while marveling at the high caliber of supporting players in...

Gone are the days when a crowdpleaser like THE FUGITIVE could stand toe-to-toe against films like Schindler’s List and The Piano come awards season but, hey, this is why we love The 90s - arguably Tommy Lee Jones’ decade. However, there’s more to Andrew Davis’ acclaimed thriller than TLJ’s beloved performance, and we’ll discuss it all in this Real Talk segment! A segment led by two people who’ve n...

The Summer of the (MTV) Bangers begins! THE FUGITIVE got Tommy Lee Jones his first and only Oscar but, more importantly, it also took home the Best On-Screen Duo and Best Action Sequence trophies at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards. All that and a 96% Tomatometer score, just for Harrison Ford being chased for two hours? Listen to Alex & Julio pick apart every contrivance in this surprisingly beloved...

Look, we’ll do our best not to dwell on the unfortunate parallels to Hereditary , but they need to be addressed (and yes, we know THE BABADOOK came out first). Thankfully, there’s more to Jennifer Kent’s feature debut than the inevitable comparisons to Ari Aster’s own “I am your motherrrrrr” flick - and we’ll get into all of that in this Real Talk segment! Also, once again: don’t forget to join us...

Most people just say “don’t have kids”. Jennifer Kent shot a whole movie to make her point. And whether THE BABADOOK worked as contraceptive for a whole generation or not, it was certainly effective in boosting Kent’s career and wowing critics and audiences. Listen to Alex & Julio pick apart this brutal tale of pop-up books, senior bingo, and hatred for your own child. Oh, and join us at this...

We've reached the end of the road. We find out where our show's main rivals (Josh Koscheck & Chris Leben) ended up as well as discuss the paths our four finalists (Kenny, Diego, Stephan, and Forrest) took following the finale. We collect our thoughts and experiences from this adventure and ask ourselves "Was this truly  the ultimate?" Want more from the hosts? - Alex and Julio discuss the...

Was anyone asking for the Firefly Family to get a happy ending? Or is the entire Firefly Trilogy a wicked exercise in extreme button-pushing? Once again, we try to figure out what the deal is with Rob Zombie: is there a point to his movies or is he just having fun being disturbing? All this, and more, in this Real Talk segment! Also, once again: don’t forget to join us during this year’s Livestrea...

Much like the return of the Firefly family in 3 FROM HELL, Roberto Zombirelli is back on The Contrarians, against all odds. This is what happens when we hit goals during the Livestream for the Cure! So listen to Alex & Julio do their best to defend this 58% rotten Tomatometer victim, grappling with a wonderfully unhinged Sheri Moon performance and the wildest Clint Howard cameo! Oh, and join u...

What a journey it's been. Now, we make sense of what became of The Ultimate Fighter. Who won the Couture-Liddell showdown?! Want more from the hosts? - Alex and Julio discuss the freshest and most rotten movies on the Tomatometer in every episode of The Contrarians . - STEVE! has opinions all over Bluesky. - Joe talks about all sorts of wrestling related stuff on THE LATE NIGHT GRIN .

If any movie was going to make Alex go easier on Ansel Elgort, a Señor Spielbergo joint would have the best chance to do it. But whether Baby Driver finally wins a Contrarian over or not, there’s a lot more going on in the new WEST SIDE STORY, and we’ll have a serious conversation about it in this Real Talk segment. Listen to find out Julio’s proposed fix to the third act and more! TIMELINE 00:01:...

Steven Spielberg has reached the point in his career where he just makes films for himself. On the road to the ultimate indulgence of directing his own biopic, he stopped to remake one of his favorite movies, and his version of WEST SIDE STORY was Oscar-baity enough to score 91% on the Tomatometer! So listen to Alex & Julio as they lament how a gifted filmmaker wasted his time on an Ansel Elgo...

The road we've taken has brought us to this... The first ever Ultimate Fighter finale. A historic night on Spike TV that saw three fights and one Kevin James. In the Middleweight finals, Diego Sanchez fights Kenny Florian. In the Light Heavyweight finals, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar have a moderately well-known contest. And, in the Main Event, Ken Shamrock returns to the octagon to test up-...

In our last episode before the finale, we get TWO fights! Prior to that, we have to ensure Josh Koscheck is still alive. Sam Hoger enters the cage to face Forrest Griffin while Mike Swick and Stephan Bonnar clash in a Team Green showdown. And, fear not, we get into several lengthy detours regarding Professional Wrestling. Want more from the hosts? - Alex and Julio discuss the freshest and most rot...