The First Run

This week on The First Run, the bois chat about 'CopShop’. Gerard Butler and an almost unrecognizable Frank Grillo glare it up and make threats in this tough guy action-crime film. Then we kick-off the spooky season with ‘The Empty’ Man," a horror film that hits many different genre beats and ends up in a place completely different from where it started. Do we have an undiscovered horror cult clas...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss ‘Cry Macho’, as a now 91 year old Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this neo-Western, but has he aged out of the role?  Then BET presents ‘Karen’.  A horror film for our times?  A misguided cry for action?  Or a camp classic?  There’s the thrilling review of the big releases on Physical Media, fe...

This week on the big show, Chris and Matt discuss James Wan's return to the horror genre, "Malignant." Is this the body horror-Giallo-80's-Euro Horror mash-up that EVERYbody has been clamoring for all these years or is this a case of too many ingredients spoiling the stew? Then our mini-marathon of films with a woman's first name kicks-off with Mary Elizabeth Winsted in "Kate," as MEW Jane Wicks h...

This week on The First Run, Chis and Matt discuss the latest film in the MCU as Phase 4 continues with ‘Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’.  Wait, 10 Rings?  Didn’t we see that in Iron Man 3?  Does Shang-Chi escape its MCU template, or is it just another ride on the same merry-go-around, again?  Then Matt Damon stars in Tom McCarthy’s ‘Stillwater’.  After helming a...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the softest of soft sequels, Nia Dacosta’s ‘Candyman’.  Does this new version live up to the bloody legacy of the first or is this yet another entry in the long line of films that should have been left well enough alone?  Then our Samurai Marathon wraps up with Masaki Kobayashi’s ‘Harakiri’. This is apparently one of the best j...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss ‘Reminiscence’.  Hugh Jackman stars in this sci-fi neo-noir as he looks for the missing wrong woman that captured his heart and then disappeared.  Will he like what he finds?  From the mind of Lisa Joy, one of the creators of HBO’s Westworld.  Chris then shares his thoughts about Rebecca Hall and the horror...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the Ryan Reynolds starred comedy, ‘Free Guy’.  Reynolds plays a NPC who gains sentience and begins to long for something more.  And it’s funny! Right?!?  Then the Samurai Marathon continues with ‘The Tale Of Zatoichi’, the first film in the beloved and long-running series.  After the cinematic hurricanes tha...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt are joined by friend of the show, Sean to breakdown the DCEU’s potential soft reboot with James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’. Has the DCEU found their path forward?  Or is a hard R rated superhero film not exactly the best way to obtain mass appeal?  Then our Samurai Marathon continues with the mashup of the first two films in the classic Lone Wol...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss David Lowery adaptation of a classic 14th century poem of Camelot with ‘The Green Knight’. Dev Patel stars as Gawain on his quest to become a knight and demonstrate all that title’s characteristics.  Then our Samurai Marathon begins with Kihachi Okamoto’s ‘The Sword Of Doom’! A tale of a samurai slipping into not just madness, but someth...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the newest film in the GI Joe cinematic universe, ‘Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins’.  We finally get the story behind the franchise’s most popular character as Henry Golden steps into the role.  So does the franchise finally get on the right track? Or have the rolled snake eyes again…? (sorry) Then it’s M. Knight Shyamalan’s latest,...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the anti-John Wick non-revenge film ‘Pig’, featuring Mr. “Yes, I’ll Do It” Nicholas Cage.  A man who doesn’t know how to say no to any project, sometimes may find the diamond in the rough. Could this be one of those times…?  Then it’s on the Amazon Prime sci-fi actioner, ‘The Tomorrow War’.  Chris Pratt leads a fight...

This week on The First Run, the MCU experience returns for Chris and Matt as they discuss ‘Black Widow’.  After 22 films, 7 of which she is featured, 1 of which she dies, Scarlett Johannsson’s Natasha Romanoff finally gets her own film.  Or does she?  Then our domination by Disney continues with Pixar’s latest, debuting exclusively on Disney+, ‘Luca’.  Sea monsters, kids, Italy...

This week on The First Run, it’s EXTREME-casting.  Tropical storm/Hurricane Elsa is bearing down on Florida and JC of Screenfix is here to once again drive Chris insane. First up, it’s the Twitter thread come to life black comedy road trip epic that is ‘Zola’.  Primarily shot locally here in Tampa, Chris hopes to identify all the local spots and see if this whole thing actually works, bu...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt put the pedal to the metal and discuss the latest film in the fast car go boom franchise with ‘F9: The Fast Saga’.  What shenanigans can Vin and the family get into on behalf of America?  And wait…there’s a long-lost brother?!?  What about “family”?!?  Then it’s on to the monster who-dun-it, ‘Werewolves Within’, fea...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the surprise sequel, ‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’. All your favorites return, Ryan Reynolds, Sam Jackson, & Salma Hayek!  We can only go up from here!  Right…right? [Insert Anakin & Padme meme].  Then it’s on to the sci-fi thriller, ‘Prospect’, featuring First Run Favorite, Pedro Pascal.  He’s a n...

This week on The First Run, Matt takes another week off, sunning in the Riviera.  So The Lady Wan takes pity on Chris and joins him to discuss ‘In The Heights’.  Can a musical save Hollywood, the theatrical experience, and America itself?  Then The Lady Wan and Chris discuss adaption of the hit novel, ‘The Woman In The Window’.  Just how many times can we re...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt spend a couple hours in Chris’s favorite decade, the 80’s.  It’s 1981 specifically Start Me Up, Stop Dragging My Heart Around, Who’s Crying Now are on the radio.  The theaters feature Time Bandits, Escape From New York, The Evil Dead, Stripes.  And some whack job gets possessed and kills his landlord, sparking the trial the shocked America....

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss John Krasinski’s sequel to the surprise horror hit with ‘A Quiet Place Part II’.  This time the Abbott family venture out from their hidden-away home to find any survivors while doing their darndest to be as quiet as possible.  But what if those survivors are no longer good people…?  Then it’s on to Netflix’s ‘The Mit...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt catch up with their old buddy Zack Snyder, fresh of his global smash hit, ‘Justice League’, Snyder returns to his roots with his remake of ‘Aliens’.  Sorry, sorry, ‘Army Of The Dead’.  Teaming with Dave Bautista as the leader of a group infiltrating the zombie held territory that is Las Vegas to pull off a heist that would make Danny Ocean poop...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss ‘Spiral: From The Book of Saw’.  Chris Rock stars and co-wrote this spin-off that breathes new life into a tired franchise by examining police brutality while capitalizing on the opportunity to have Rock and Sam Jackson play a father/son cop duo.  Or maybe it doesn’t do that at all.  Then it’s on to Tyler Sheridan’s latest, ‘Those W...

This week on The First Run, Matt is away, so Chris is joined by his ScreenRun colleague, The Lady Wan , to discuss Guy Ritchie’s and Jason Statham’s latest team-up, the revenge/heist/actioner ‘Wrath Of Man’.  Statham plays a bank truck driver who may be more than he appears.  Expect lots of bodies, blood, and nastiness.  But is it a fun watch?  Then it’s the...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt set ‘em up and knock ‘em down as they discuss this year’s Best International Feature winner at The Oscars, ‘Another Round’.  TFR favorite Mads Mikkelson stars as one of four teachers that experiment with alcohol to improve their lives as they face a mid-life crisis.  Ahhh, sweet, sweet booze.  Then Chris spends 10 minutes or...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt try to discover their arcana and prepare to FIGHT as they discuss the ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot.  Most of your favorites are here.  With the appropriate representation this time!  So do we finally have a TOASTY video game adaptation that’s a FLAWLESS VICTORY?  Or is it just another BRUTALITY?  We’re hoping for a FRIENDSHIP. (Listen,...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt saddle up with some cowhands in the streets of…northern Philadelphia(?!?) in ‘Concrete Cowboy’.  Idris Elba appears along-side Caleb McLaughlin in this family, coming of age drama.  Are horses the key to growth, or is there something deeper going on?  Then the end of our Studio Ghibli Marathon is in sight with our penultimate film, ‘My Neig...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt catch up with the last Best Picture nominee they hadn’t seen.  Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman star in ‘The Father’.  Up for a ton of awards and is slowly becoming the dark horse for its nominations, can the film turn Matt around on his disdain for play adaptations?  Then the Studio Ghibli Marathon continues with ‘Howl...