The First Run

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt catch up with the 4th film in the new Monster-verse series, and it’s all been building to this.  The Avengers: Endgame of modern Godzilla films is here with Godzilla Vs. Kong.  Massive kaiju fights, poor characterization, loud!  But is it good?  Then the Studio Ghibli Marathon continues with ‘Princess Mononoke’. More woke ideology...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the film that shall not be named.  After years of social media pressure and a streaming service’s need for attention grabbing content, it’s actually a thing. It’s time to breakdown ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’.  After that it’s a review of the DCEU’s next steps, if any. Plus all of the films are ranked.  There’s still ti...

It’s monster week on The First Run! Chris and Matt prepare to do battle, or simply just survive a triumvirate of monster movies.  The first beast unleashed is ‘Psycho Goreman’, a film that has the bacony stink of Canada all over it as a ruthless alien bad ass comes under the thrall of an entirely too bossy tween girl.  Then power couple Milla Jovovich and Paul WS Anderson returns with an...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the sequel to one of the more beloved comedies of the 80’s,’Coming 2 America’.  Can the film possibly recapture what made the original so beloved?  Or is the sequel not only too late, but unwarranted?  Then Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin star in the disaster film, ‘Greenland’.  But when is a disaster film...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt finally leave it all behind and head out to Arkansas to start a new life as farmers and see how the Yi family is doing in ‘Minari’.  Critically acclaimed with some controversy.  Just what we like to hear.  Then after spending some time with a potentially heart-warming family drama, it’s back to New England as I attempt to get Matt confined...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt settle in with a nice, steaming bowl of hot dog soup and checked out two powerful stories about 3 dynamic women dealing with challenges in their own, unique ways.  First up, Chloe Zhao brings us ‘Nomadland’, featuring Frances McDormand.  McDormand plays a person on the outskirts of life, struggling to survive and connect with a world she no long...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss a couple films that may indeed stick with you for a long time to come.  First up, Shaka King tells the story of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his shocking assassination assisted by a member of his organization with ‘Judas And The Black Messiah’.  Then from Chicago to an unnamed English seaside town, we s...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt settle in and wrap themselves up in a comfy blanket that is the Denzel thriller.  This time out its ‘The Little Things’, Denzel plays a semi-retired cop who’s brought back to his former city and dragged into a mystery that reminds him of a case that’s haunted him for years.  Plus Rami Malek and Jared Leto!  Then it’s on to the Irish animate...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt, clearly flush with cash, buy their way into the Sundance Film Festival!  Chris and Matt settle in to the great white, West (?) and checked out ‘Censor’, ‘Eight For Silver’, and ‘Prisoners Of The Ghostland’.  But the fun doesn’t stop there!  Matt also saw ‘John And the Hole’, ‘In the Earth’, ‘Wild Indian’, ‘Strawberry Mansion’, ‘First Date’...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt take head down to southern Florida and spend ‘One Night In Miami’.  Regina King’s adaption of the play brings Malcom X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and James Brown together to tackle the lives and obligations to the struggle.  Can Matt be won over  after expressing last week his disdain for play adaptations?  Then it’s...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt continue their 2020 catch up with a discussion of Emerald Fennell’s ‘Promising Young Woman’, featuring Carey Mulligan and Bo Burnham.  One of Chris’ most anticipated films of last year, Is Promising Young Woman a thin, overly preachy melodrama?  Or an artistic work that demands potentially uncomfortable conversations. Then it’s on to Chadwick Bo...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss Radha Blank’s ‘The 40 Year Old Version’, now on Netflix.  The story of a struggling playwright in New York City as she deals with the loss of her mother, considers selling out, until she is spared by a possible new endeavor.  Then Matt and Chris jet on down to Brazil and visit the small village of Bacarau, where something truly...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt celebrate the New Year with some ‘Soul’ and some Clooney.  First up, Pixar’s latest film ‘Soul’ is live on Disney+ without an additional fee.  Joe Gardner is a middle school music teacher who meets a fortunate not-quite end.  Is he able to force a second chance or is he destined to burn in the pits of hell for all eternity?&n...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss a pair of films about corruption, one potentially full of fun in a time not so long past, and the other being Wonder Woman 1984.  Yep, our banned marathon concludes with Salo. A film with one of the worst reputations ever. Does it live up to its infamy? There will be the short review of the big releases on physical media, featuring the S...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss possibly the greatest double feature of all time.  First up, Disney’s live action adaptation of the classic animated film ‘Mulan’.  Initially available on Disney+ at a premium price of $29.99 on top of the required membership, it’s now included at that base $7/$8 price tag.  Was it worth the wait or were we smart to pocket those $30...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt rock out with their podcast out as they discuss Riz Ahmed and his turn in ‘Sound Of Metal’.  This Amazon Prime original about a drummer quickly losing his hearing and possibly having to give up the life he loves is getting a lot of buzz on the interwebs, but is the film truly Oscar worthy? Then the banned marathon continues with John Waters’ deb...

On this episode of The First Run, it’s true-ish stories week!  Chris and Matt discuss David Fincher’s ‘Mank’.  Fincher’s film focuses on Herman J. Mankiewicz, the screenwriter of what some consider the greatest film ever made, ‘Citizen Kane’.  A brilliant writer and drunk, we ride along with Mank has he traverses the highs and pitfalls of old Hollywood and his own personal demons, w...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt take an oath to tell you the truth, and mostly just the truth, about Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of ‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7’.  Court room dramas are a staple of the drama genre and Sorkin’s scripts are typically filled with those rousing moments.  Is this a winner, or are we all guilty.  Then the Banned Marathon begins with Martin Scorses...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the documentary, ‘Dick Johnson Is Dead’, the first one in quite a while due to Chris’ loose ban on the genre.  Does ‘Dick Johnson Is Dead’ show Chris the error of his ways?  Then it’s on to Sherlock Holmes fanfic ‘Enola Holmes’, that answers the question, what if Sherlock also a younger sister with the ability to move things with her min...

This week on The First Run, it’s all aboard the Train To Busan again!  This time, Chris and Matt visit what’s affectionately known as the ‘Peninsula’.  Just what have those kooky zombies been up to in South Korea all this time?  Then they’re tour of South Korea continues with Netflix’s #Alive.  This time your trapped in your home as zombie hordes overrun you...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt go apartment hunting with their pals from Netflix.  First up is ‘His House’, the story of refugees from war-torn South Sudan area as they try to adapt to a new life in the U.K., while someone… or something may have followed them.  If things don’t work out there, Matt and Chris head on over to LA to see what’s shaking at this ‘1BR’ in t...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss Sofia Coppola’s ‘On The Rocks’, an Apple+ exclusive.  Bill Murray reunites with Coppola, previously working together on the fantastic ‘Lost In Translation’.  In this venture, Rashida Jones and Marlon Wayans join as a couple whose marriage is potentially dissolving.  Murray plays Jones’ father and the two team up to fi...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt catch up with their old pal Borat in ‘Borat Subsequent MovieFilm. This time, Borat is sent to America to present Trump with a gift, his daughter. Or is he…? Does lightning strike twice as we revisit a character whose last film made Chris laugh so hard he cried? Then our makeshift Horror Anthology Movie Marathon carries on with Shudder’s ‘The Mortuary Coll...

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Possessor’. And the emotional toll it took on Chris’ soul. Brandon has an interesting take on an elite assassination team. Then our non-marathon of Horror Anthology Films continues with ‘Scare Me’. A couple of crazy kids hang out in a remote cabin after the power goes and tell each other scary stories and all the fun that ent...