The NO NOTES Podcast

Is ' Blink Twice' all style, or does Zoë Kravitz deliver the goods? Producer Casey Durant joins to break down the seductive new thriller (3:05) . Next, we jet off to Switzerland for a phony ESG conference—butts and glitter included—for an ' Industry' S3 E3 recap with Sena Adjei and Jesse Aaronson (34:39) . Finally, filmmaker Nathan Silver discusses his incredible new film, ' Be...

Fede Alvarez 's new ' Alien Romulus' bared its teeth at the box office, scaring its way to becoming the world's #1 movie. RogerEbert.com critic Isaac Feldberg joins the SchmearCast to discuss the enduring qualities of the ' Alien' franchise (2:03) before he and Schmear climb aboard Romulus to debate what works and what doesn’t in the new Cailee Spaeny -led film (12:03) . Th...

(Posted August 15th) Critic and author Chris Nashawaty drops by to discuss his incredible new Hollywood history book, 'The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982'. Chris delves into the amazing films of that year, including E.T. , Blade Runner , and The Thing , before giving his thoughts on the state of sci-fi in 2024 and his opinions on some of the genre’s b...

The glorious return of Industry , the best show on TV. Sena Adjei returns to the show to help break down what makes the HBO series so special (2:56) , as well as its exciting move to Sunday nights (13:13) , before he and Schmear dive deep into S3 E1 (22:19) . Then critic and author Chris Nashawaty drops by to discuss his incredible new Hollywood history book, 'The Future Was Now: Madmen, Maver...

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is the biggest movie in the world by a wide margin. Is it deserving of all that cash? How can we make sense of its massive success with its low stakes and ironic tone? Sena Adjei returns to the show to help break it all down as he and Schmear rant and rave. They first delve into the state of superhero movies and what Deadpool represents (1:44) before reviewing th...

'Twisters' blew through theaters, shaking up a quiet American box office to the tune of $81 million.  Writer Teddy Kim rejoins the show as he and Schmear dive deep into the tornado (2:00) , discussing what worked and what didn’t within Lee Isaac Chung ’s new Universal blockbuster (14:36) , breaking down Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones’ performances (27:45) , and what the film’s financial...

With the recent releases of ' Longlegs' and ' Maxxxine,' we’re checking in on the state of the horror genre in 2024.  Lucas Murphy joins the show as he and Schmear first dig into the current horror landscape before diving deep into 'Longlegs.' (13:27) They unpack Neon’s genius marketing campaign before reviewing the movie itself and Nic Cage ’s shocking performance. They th...

A watched 'Bear' never boils? Jesse Aaronson returns to the SchmearCast to help assess the back half of the FX series’ third season.  He and Schmear analyze episodes 6–10 before checking in to see if their predictions for the season panned out (43:48) . They then turn their attention to the muted critical and cultural reaction to the new season (49:55) . Are fans turning on 'The Bear?&...

Stations are clean, knives are sharpened; let’s get cooking. On this week’s SchmearCast: an in-depth review and analysis of episodes 1–5 of ‘The Bear’ S3 Jesse Aaronson returns to the show to help break down what is and isn’t working in the new season of one of TV’s best and most beloved shows. He and Schmear wrap up with their big-picture thoughts and predict what they think is in store for the b...

Twin battle in Westeros! Sena Adjei joins the show to break down Season 2 Episode 2 of ‘ House of the Dragon.' (2:09) Does the series remain thrilling, or is it flagging? Then, an appraisal of the new Jeff Nichols ’ film ‘ The Bikeriders ’ starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy , and Jodie Comer (36:22) . One of the best movies of the year, or more style than substance? After that, a refresher for...

First up, The Schmear Hunter ’s thoughts on Episode 1 of the new ‘ House of the Dragon ’ season ( 2:55) . Is the show on the right track, or is it marred by old mistakes? Next, a trip inside the mind for ‘ Inside Out 2 ,’ the biggest movie in the world. Psychiatry resident Dr. Simin Mahaleh joins the show to break down the clever science on display in ‘ Inside Out ,’ (14:29) what works and what do...

Sena Adjei returns to the show to dine through a 3-course TV dinner: ‘ The Acolyte ,’ ‘ Clipped ,’ and a preview of ‘ House of the Dragon. ’ First up, he and The Schmear assess the state of ' Star Wars ' TV and provide some context for Leslye Headland ’s new series ‘ The Acolyte ,’ ( 2:59 ), before diving in and reviewing the show and what their hopes for the series are ( 16:57 ).  They th...

Some are calling the new Glen Powell and Richard Linklater movie Hit Man one of the best films of the year. Jesse Aaronson returns to the show, and he and Schmear discuss where they stand with Powell and Linklater (2:49) , debate the merits of Hit Man (15:10) , and rant and rave about its hyperbolic reception and the current state of movies (22:58) . They then cool off a bit, discussing the compel...

Wrapping up Cannes 2024, discussing Palme d’Or winner 'Anora,' Kevin Costner ’s 'Horizon,' a Donald Trump biopic, and so much more. David Mouriquand , Euronews Culture Editor, returns to the show. He and The Schmear break down the awards handed out and ask a critical question for each recognized film (2:25). Then reviews for buzz-worthy films including ' Anora ,' ' The...

‘ Megalopolis! ’ New Yorgos Lanthimos x Emma Stone collaboration! Anya Taylor Joy as ‘Furiosa!’ We’re a little over halfway through the 77th annual Cannes film festival. Which films are heating up the Croisette, and which are landing with thuds? Joining the SchmearCast is the culture editor of Euronews, David Mouriquand. He and The Schmear cover some of the biggest releases as of yet, and then som...

Filmmaker and YouTube critic Karsten Runquist joins the SchmearCast to dissect the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise (7:19) . They discuss what makes it successful before diving into the brand new release, ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.' (26:49) After that, Karsten and Schmear dive into the enigmatic and fascinating new A24 film ‘I Saw the TV Glow,’ Jane Schoenbrun ’s sophomore feature follo...

It's been awhile since the last "What Schmear 's Watching." Enjoy some quick-hit thoughts on the sensational 'Baby Reindeer' (1:42), the Anne Hathaway romance vehicle 'The Idea of You' (6:44), and a mid-season check-in on 'The Sympathizer' (9:51). Then, Emily Bice joins the show as she and The Schmear celebrate the return of the Max comedy 'Hacks.'...

Luca Guadagnino serves up a sizzling ace of a movie with his new tennis love triangle, 'Challengers.' 'Challengers' screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes stops by to discuss his inspirations for the script, collaborating with Luca Guadagnino , how WWE impacted storytelling, and what he thinks of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross ' soundtrack. Host: Gabriel Frieberg Producer: Pavlo Melnyk M...

Luca Guadagnino serves up a sizzling ace of a movie with his new tennis love triangle, 'Challengers' Jesse Aaronson joins the show, and he and Schmear break down every aspect of the Zendaya -starring film, including the performances, the story, the direction, and that pulse-quickening score (3:47) . They then assess the psychosexual genre, and provide some further recommendations to check...

(Originally posted April 24th) On a very special episode of the SchmearCast, legendary filmmaker Ed Zwick ( Glory, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) discusses his amazing new movie memoir, ‘Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions.’ Teddy Kim helps The Schmear interview Zwick . Together, they discuss Zwick ’s illustrious career, covering what it’s like to work with elite actors like Denzel Washington , how...

On a very special episode of the SchmearCast, legendary filmmaker Ed Zwick ( Glory, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) discusses his amazing new movie memoir, ‘Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions.’ Teddy Kim helps The Schmear interview Zwick . Together, they discuss Zwick ’s illustrious career, covering what it’s like to work with elite actors like Denzel Washington , how to conceive story structure, a...

Sena Adjei returns to the show as he and The Schmear break down Dev Patel , going bananas, in his new revenge thriller ' Monkey Man ,' hailed as the “Indian John Wick" (4:00) They discuss Patel ’s performance in front of and behind the camera, as well as the fiery politics, before suggesting some unsung talent they’d like to see lead their own action thriller (29:00). Next—maybe just...

The episode kicks off with “What Schmear’s Watching” and a brief highlighting of 'We Were the Lucky Ones,' 'Girls State' and 'STEVE! (Martin)' (2:30). Will Iannaconne joins the show to break down the new Netflix series, 'Ripley.' He and The Schmear discuss what makes the Tom Ripley character eternally alluring (7:30) before diving into the unique elements of this pr...

Kicking things off with an in-depth breakdown of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem. Sci-Fi aficionado and Three-Body book-reader Joseph Piaker joins the show as he and The Schmear discuss where the new Benioff and Weiss series succeeds and where it comes up short (2:00) , before digging in to how the show REALLY is doing and if we can expect a Season 2 order (31:00) . We wrap up discussing 3 Body ’s real-l...

Author and ScreenCrush editor and critic Matt Singer joins the show to talk all things ‘Road House.’ He and The Schmear reappraise the 1989 Patrick Swayze -led OG (3:23) and then review the new Jake Gyllenhaal version currently streaming on Prime Video (12:37).  Next, Teddy Kim returns to the show as he and Schmear Hunter provide a spoiler-free primer for the new Netflix series 'The Three-Body...