The Reel Buffs

It’s not who we are on the inside, but what we do that defines us. And what we are doing for this episode is revisiting the first installment in the Dark Knight trilogy, Batman Begins (2005). Matt and Charlie discuss what they love best about this reboot of the Caped Crusader. Everything from the practical effects to the score hits hard, but is this the best reboot Batman has ever had? And is this...

WE ARE BACK! After a little bit of a hiatus we are back for our first episode of 2025. Since this is the thick of wedding season, we are revisiting the 2005 romcom / buddy comedy Wedding Crashers. This movie is endlessly quotable and always fun to visit, but how does it stack up against its contemporaries of the same year? All this, plus the categories. SOCIALS https://www.instagram.com/thereelbuf...

‘What does Marsellus Wallace look like?’ For our last episode of 2024, and conclusion to our 1995 Oscars discussion, we are doing a deep dive on Quintin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. With a star studded ensemble, sharp writing and a banger of a soundtrack Pulp Fiction is one of the coolest movies ever made. But did Pulp truly get robbed during the Oscars, or did the Academy get it right? SOCIALS https...

“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.” We continue our 1995 Oscars discussion with one of the best Stephen King adaptions to ever grace the big screen, The Shawshank Redemption. Written and directed by Frank Darabont, Shawshank has become one of the most celebrated films of the century, despite it absolutely bombing at the box office. Matt and Charl...

In a Reel Buffs first we are looking at a film that came out this year. To end spooky season we are looking at Chris Nash’s 2024 film In A Violent Nature. In a spoiler heavy episode, special guest Kyle joins us to talk everything slasher and what makes this movie unique. SOCIALS https://www.instagram.com/thereelbuffs/ https://www.threads.net/@thereelbuffs https://www.instagram.com/sir_charles_mac/...

One, two, Freddy’s coming for you. That’s right, in this episode the Buffs are doing a deep dive on Wes Craven’s slasher classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. ANOES is a standout in the slasher subgenre, and it gave us one of the most iconic horror villains of all time. SOCIALS https://www.instagram.com/thereelbuffs/ https://www.threads.net/@thereelbuffs https://www.instagram.com/sir_charles_mac/ htt...

It’s spooky season, and The Reel Buffs are coming in hot with a horror classic that pushed the genre forward. We are of course talking about the 1974 independent exploitation phenomenon, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. This film helped to form what would become the slasher subgenre, and is still revered to this day for being one of the most unsettling films ever created. In this episode the buffs ex...

My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Finally the long promised Forrest Gump episode is here. The Buffs discuss their relationship with one of the most beloved films in cinema history. But is this film worthy of all its high praise or is it just boomer nostalgia porn? The Buffs discuss, plus a new category!

What have we done to each other? In light of recent Ben Affleck tabloid news and the 10th anniversary of this film, The Buffs turn their attention to the 2014 film Gone Girl. Directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the novel of the same name, Gone Girl was a box office success and a cultural phenomenon upon its release. While being a genre film that has mass appeal,...

The Buffs are finally doing a Marvel film…well kind of a Marvel film. Definitely a Marvel character but part of that whole 20th Century Fox Marvel Universe. We’re going all the way back to 2016 to look at our favorite non-hero character, Deadpool. Released in February of 2016 Deadpool broke records on its opening weekend and is one of the most successful R rated films of all time, but does it stil...

Prepare to enter the suck zone. On this episode we are joined by fellow storm chaser Calvin, as we try to wrangle this 1996 disaster film directed by Jan de Bont. Starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, and a stacked supporting cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman and Alan Ruck, Twister is a stand out in the disaster genre. But is this just a product of the 90s where disaster films dominated the box of...

You're fired! This week, the Buff's revisit the 1994 action comedy True Lies. Written and directed by James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. True Lies is a staple of 90s action comedy and still holds up after 30 years. We noticed some common themes with Arnold action movies, and is Harry the worst father / husband that Arnold has portrayed in a movie? Is this the last...

Long live the king! In this episode Matt and Charlie revisit the 1994 Disney animation musical The Lion King . This was released in the middle of the Disney animation renaissance and is considered to be one of the greatest animated films ever, but Disney didn't have high hopes for it at first, as they committed some of their more seasoned animators to another film. Is this the best Disney film of...

Oh what a lovely day! In this episode the Buffs go back to 2015 to look at one of the most ambitious post-apocalyptic action films ever made, Mad Max: Fury Road.  It took 30 years for George Miller to come back to the franchise he started, and it was certainly worth the wait, but we could have had something sooner with a different cast. And despite this film winning 6 Oscars, did it get robbed? Th...

We are drafting! It's draft season, the NFL draft was last month and the NBA and NHL drafts are at the end of June, we figured what better time to do our draft spectacular episode. Join Matt, Charlie and Calvin as they draft their favorite sports films, documentaries and docuseries. Engage with us on socials to determine who had the best draft! SOCIALS https://www.instagram.com/thereelbuffs/ https...

This week we dive into the world of Ron Burgundy and the Channel 4 News Team! In this episode, we’re breaking down the 2004 comedy classic Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.  This may be the most quotable movie of all time as we really struggle to narrow down what our favorite lines are. Is this the best Will Ferrell and Adam McKay comedy of all time? The Buffs discuss all this and do as many...

Bustin' makes us feel good. In this episode the Buffs dive into one of the all time great comedy blockbuster films, Ghostbusters (1984). This film owes a lot to its big ideas guy Dan Akroyd, who's past and belief in the supernatural gave life to this film, but this was a big risk for the studio at the time. Is this the best comedy blockbuster of all time, and more importantly is the comedy blockbu...

On this week's episode specialist guest Calvin fills in for Matt so he and Charlie can review one of their all time favorites, James Cameron's The Terminator.  Released in 1984 The Terminator  was a surprise hit, and it launched Arnold Schwarzenegger to super stauts. Calvin and Charlie talk at length about the production history, the influences, its place in history and some of the casting what if...

In this episode, The Buffs explore the story of Paul Atreides, a young nobleman caught in the midst of an interstellar conflict over the most precious resource in the galaxy, spice. With the fate of his family and people hanging in the balance, Paul embarks on a journey of discovery, destiny, and danger on the alien desert planet of Arrakis. Plus, Matt and Charlie give their takes on the new film!

Nothing is more serious than nuclear annihilation. Lucky for us, Stanley Kubrick took it so seriously that he could do nothing more than mock the people and policies in control of these weapons. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is the work of master filmmaker and satirist Stanley Kubrick, and while this film may be 60 years old, some of the things it looks at ar...

The Super Bowl is coming up! Here at the Reel Buffs we thought what better way to celebrate big game and our love of film by diving into Jim Carrey's 1994 classic, Ace Ventura - Pet Detective . The Buffs have fond memories of this film from their younger years, but does it hold up to our modern sensibilities? We also talk football, and if an Eagles vs Dolphins matchup in the Super Bowl was even a...

For the final episode of teen comedy month here at The Reel Buffs, we take a look at the 1984 John Hughes film Sixteen Candles. The Buffs do not agree on this film, and they discuss what might turn off modern audiences to this film. Is this the worst of the John Hughes teen comedies? Does Molly Ringwald have the best 3 year run of any teen actress ever? Who had the best run out of The Brat Pack? T...

"You go Glen Coco!" In this episode Charlie and Matt, dig into the Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey and directed by Mark Waters. One of the most quotable movies of all time, the buffs discuss some of their favorites and the impact this film had on meme and internet culture. Is this the best teen comedy of all time? The buffs discuss all this and more, plus new categories and the buffs Letterboxd sc...

In this episode The Reel Buffs dive into the beloved Christmas comedy Elf. Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell, Matt and Charlie talk about the importance of this movie not just as a great Christmas film, but the effect it had on 21st century entertainment.

It's Thanksgiving, and since it is the busiest traveling holiday of the year, Matt and Charlie are revisiting the 1987 classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Is this the best Thanksgiving movie of all time? Is this the best John Hughes movie? Listen to the Buffs discuss, plus new categories!