BIRD PROTOCOL

What’s good, my fellow birds? This week, we decided to talk about another new film that we both thoroughly enjoyed and do our second power ranking session for a director and filmmaker that we consider to be one of the best working today, David Fincher. Calling all Finch-heads! We both got a chance to see his new film, “The Killer” starring Michael Fassbender and wanted to talk about it. So, hop on over to Netflix and watch the film before today’s episode because we don’t avoid spoilers this time around… then come back and enter the Fincher Zone with us.

Word of “The Killer” has been rattling Hollywood around since 2007 and, finally, it saw a wide release on Netflix this past Friday. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker and based on the French graphic novel series "The Killer" written by Alexis "Matz" Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, this movie was both exactly what we expected and totally not what we were expecting from Fincher’s next offering. It’s a subversive and surprising film that revels in challenging expectations, unreliable narration, portraying subjectivity, and the conflict between tactical precision and unavoidable misstep. It is truly fascinating. And rips. It’s great. Fassbender is awesome. The supporting cast members, specifically Tilda Swinton, are also fantastic. The action and violence are explosive, contrasting with the mechanical restraint of the rest of the film. It’s a comedy of errors done in the way that only Fincher can with a wicked soundtrack. It’s methodical and precise both technically and thematically and somehow it still leaves you with more questions than answers. Is the killer actually good at his job? Is he truly able to remove emotion and forbid empathy? What is his goddamn problem? Why The Smiths? Today, we cover it all.

Then we get into the power rankings of Fincher’s filmography. Surprisingly, we were able to agree on pretty much everything but this leads to some discussion on the various eras of Fincher’s career, the lack of wider respect (outside of cinephiles) towards some of his most underrated films like “Zodiac” and “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”, Fincher’s visual style and cinematic language, modern auteurism, and Otis concedes to PALMREADER that, yes, “The Social Network” is in fact an S-tier film. We love David Fincher and had a lot of fun doing this episode. Tap in and chill to the maximum with us.

We’ll see you next weekend!

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Ayo! Happy belated Halloween, everyone! We’re back with one more spooky season offering and, this time around, we’re hitting one of the all-time CLASSICS of the genre… John Carpenter’s legendary 1978 slasher flick “Halloween”! Before we get into the movie, we recap our Halloween weekend shenanigans including a night uptown with friends and our time at some cool parties. We also discuss Otis’ very specific belated birthday gift to PALMREADER, what we each did on Halloween night, the costumes we saw a lot of this year, Otis’ hosting his comedy show in character, and some more ramblings.

Then, it’s time to talk about pure evil coming home. We dive into “Halloween” and explore the kills, the themes, the soundtrack, The Shape as a killer himself, the film’s legacy, what has aged well and what has aged poorly, the simple complexity of the film, Jamie Lee Curtis, the sequels and remakes, and more. We have a lot of fun dissecting this movie, the slasher genre, and the film’s impact. The plot is pretty straightforward but its innovation and influence cannot be overstated, especially in the context of the era it was released. It’s wild. This movie altered the course of the genre and is one of if not the most profitable independent films of all time. Yes, upon rewatching the movie, we did find that certain things have aged a little poorly and the plot has some holes. Death has come to your little town, Sheriff. He’s been in an asylum since childhood but can somehow drive. Sure lol. And yet, there is so much to love and SO MUCH to talk about packed into a simple 91-minute narrative. We also discuss the original plans to make this series an anthology and explore why "Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch" is what it is. Of course, we take some time to give John Carpenter his flowers and reflect on his legacy and body of work, as well.

We close things out by talking about the excellent new EP from The Alchemist that features him rapping REALLY well (and we love it), the new Year Of The Knife album, the new END album, the new Benny The Butcher and Lil Wayne single, the “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” trailer, how we haven’t had time to play Spider-Man 2, and how the end of the year is only a few weeks away.

That’s the end of the BIRD PROTOCOL Spooky Season for 2023! Thanks for listening! We’ll see you next week.

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It’s the weekend before Halloween and the Bird Boys are getting together to have a seasonal Lazy Bird (now dubbed the Spooky Bird) episode to catch you up on all the stuff they’ve been doing this Halloween season along with what they’ve been listening to, watching, and enjoying.

So, what horror movies have the boys been watching? They talk about terminally wild “Incantation” on Netflix, Otis recaps seeing “The Blair Witch” in the movie theatre and how it further improved the film in his estimations, they both laud William Friedkin’s masterpiece “The Exorcist”, PALMREADER recounts chubby Italian Russell Crowe being a redeeming factor in the “The Pope’s Exorcist”, and more. Plus, the boys make plans to see “Killers Of The Flower Moon”, PALMREADER gives his thoughts on “The Creator” and “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Pt. 1” which leads to a discussion of the art of proper release dates. They also discuss “The Fall Of The House Of Usher” and Mike Flanagan’s career, how PALMREADER is enjoying “Loki” Season 2, and more. 

In the realm of music, the boys talk about the new Blink-182 album “One More Time…” and hail it as a triumphant return to form for the band. They also have some bones to pick with Westside Gunn’s disappointing new album “And Then You Pray For Me” which causes Otis to have a crisis over his perception of WSG. Also, the boys talk about The Alchemist rapping and his latest freestyle “Nothing Is Freestyle” on YouTube, Danny Brown’s upcoming “Quaranta” and his latest single “Tantor”, Lil Wayne’s recent mixtape “Tha Fix Before Tha VI”, That Mexican OT and bringing fun back in rap, YellowStraps, and more.

Also in this episode, Otis recounts when he recently encountered a crowd at a comedy show who just refused to laugh, PALMREADER wonders why people at the gym are afraid to sweat and has a story about people breakdancing in a tiny apartment, the boys discuss the shortcomings of white people parties and the proper amount of Halloween decorations, the “Robot Chicken”-ification of horror film, and more random nonsense.

See you next weekend for the “Halloween” episode!

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Halloween is getting closer and closer which calls for some more spooky season content from your favourite Bird Boys. This week, we wanted to share some seasonal suggestions for all the gamers out there. From cerebral thrillers to isometric zombie survival to horrifying first-person shooters to survival horror classics… there are some really fun and freaky games out there just itching to be played. Join us as we each share five horror video games that we love and YOU should check out.

This week, our goal was simple… we’ve rounded up some suggestions for everyone who wants to test their mettle against a variety of terrifying challenges, gut-wrenching situations, and spooky offerings from various genres. Jump scares, tension, dread, and more await those who heed our suggestions. From space aliens to zombies to hell-spawn demons to weird little ghost girls to monsters in the woods… we’ve assembled a mixed bag of games that we genuinely enjoy and have been freaked out by over the years. Some of the titles we cover in this episode include “Alien: Isolation”, “DOOM 3”, “Alan Wake”, “Until Dawn”, “F.E.A.R”, “Resident Evil”, and a whole lot more.

Which games did we find the scariest? What game was so freaky that couldn’t Otis play? Which classics did we revisit? What surprises await you? You’ll just have to listen to find out. Muahahahaha. Join us next week for our Halloween season Lazy Bird episode. We’ve been watching all sorts of freaky stuff, playing some games, listening to the latest good (and not-so-good) musical releases, and we can’t wait to talk about it all.

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What’s good homies?! We’re here for round two of our Spooky Season series. This week, we’re talking about two claustrophobic creature features from across the pond… it’s the “REC” and “The Descent” double feature pod! Since this is a double feature episode, we will NOT be going deep into the plot and story beats of each movie. Instead, we share what we love (and our nitpicks), discuss the shared themes between the two films, do some comparing and contrasting, and discuss some of the more academic aspects of horror filmmaking. "REC" (2007) is a Spanish found footage horror film directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza about a TV crew having the worst night of broadcasting ever and "The Descent" (2005) is a British horror film about a group of women trying to survive an onslaught of mutant cannibals in an uncharted cave system directed by Neil Marshall.

We kick things off with a brief discussion about the recent updates and DLC for “Cyberpunk 2077”, Otis being in “Robo-mode” lately, PALMREADER being sucked into “Crusader Kings 3” again, and some other ramblings. Then, we jump right into it. In this episode, we talk about what we love about both films, the awesome and smart stylistic and narrative choices of both “The Descent” and “REC”, our favourite scenes, the use of space and lighting in both films, the surprisingly cool cinematography, and what makes both of these horror films evergreen. We also talk about the growth of the horror genre of late and where these films fit in that evolutionary chain, why spelunking is insane and we will never do it, how gender is (or isn’t) used in “The Descent”, the despair in the final scenes of both films and why it rules, getting murked by a demonic zombie WNBA player, finding a realistic reason for characters to keep filming in found footage horror films, Juno and Sarah going ballistic on a gang of crawlers Royal Rumble style, the way both films use space to create claustrophobia, and more.

The aughts are an often maligned period in cinema that has recently had a resurgence of interest and a re-analysis. We are in a golden age of horror thanks to streaming platforms but many of the ideas that are presented and expanded upon now were forged in the fires of the early Modern Horror age. While these films are different types of horror films and about different things, there are some striking similarities and shared themes visible across both. So, we also take some time to unpack how these two films are in conversation with one another. Ultimately, these films are smart and genuinely scary creature features that are REALLY fun to watch. Also in this episode, PALMREADER is sour because he forgot to edit his notes, Otis loves That Mexican OT’s latest album “Lonestar Luchador”, The Alchemist and Earl Sweatshirt’s “VOIR DIRE”, Drake’s new album “For All The Dogs”, an update on Otis’ comedy shows, Nas and Hit-Boy’s “Magic 3” and them being on an all-time run of collaborative albums, and a few more random thoughts.

We’ll be back next week with 5 scary video games that you should check out!

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Welcome to another episode of BIRD PROTOCOL and the start of this year’s Spooky Season series! Join us as we embark on a journey into all things grim and terrifying over the next few weeks and celebrate the Halloween season with your favourite Bird Boys!

We’re kicking the season off with a banger of a band that is, at times, actually scary. Maybe not in the stereotypical and seasonal sense of the word... but we’re talking about a band that will make the un-initiated ask if someone is being murdered when you put them on. They are a truly dark, raw, technical, heavy, influential, and at times, genuinely scary band that absolutely rips. Saddle up, it’s the Converge pod!

Converge was formed in Salem, Massachusetts in the early '90s and has relentlessly pushed the boundaries of hardcore, metalcore, and punk since by crafting a sound that's equal parts brutal, devastating, and beautiful. With an ever-evolving catalog and sound that defies categorization, Converge has inspired countless bands and left an indelible mark on the heavy music scene over the past three decades. From their groundbreaking albums like "Jane Doe", "Axe To Fall", "You Fail Me", and “All We Love We Leave Behind” to their more recent experimentation and collaborations to their striking and original artwork from vocalist Jacob Bannon to their excellent production from guitarist Kurt Ballou to their devastating and poetic lyrics to their electrifying live performances... Converge has carved a path of unrelenting intensity and originality that just has to be respected.

In this episode, we delve into the band's history, explore their many excellent albums, share our experiences with the band, discuss their talent as musicians and artists, unpack their impact as a band and through Deathwish Inc., and more. We love this band. As Otis says, they’re almost - if not totally - perfect. With a cohesive creative direction, a discography with zero misses that is aging like fine wine, a legacy that is deeply ingrained into the history of hardcore, and a willingness to experiment, reinvent, and push boundaries… Converge rules. We also share some personal ramblings about drivers being way more awful since the pandemic, the new movie “No One Will Save You”, shitty self-centered promoters, Otis’ comedy show being renewed for two months, and more. So, whether you're a die-hard Converge fan or just discovering their sonic onslaught, join us this week as we explore the raw emotion, the ferocious riffs, and the relentless spirit that is Converge.

Next week? We’re either covering “REC” or “The Descent”. Watch both and go into absolute freak mode with us.

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Mi Familia, welcome to another episode of BIRD PROTOCOL! Today, we're shifting into high gear as we dive into the turbocharged world of "Fast Five” for PALMREADER’s birthday pick and the end of our unofficial summer blockbuster series. Released in 2011 and directed by Justin Lin, “Fast Five” stars a revved-up ensemble cast including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Jordana Brewster, and Gal Gadot. 

Moving away from the street racing themes of the previous films, “Fast Five" takes us on a white-knuckle journey through the streets of Rio de Janeiro and deliberately shifts the franchise’s focus towards more standard action film tropes and sequences. Don’t worry, though, as there are still tons of cars. They definitely pull out all the stops for what was billed as “one last job”. Yeah, uh huh, sure Vin. Nonetheless, this is probably the pinnacle of the Fast & Furious franchise and we want to talk about it. Our favourite gearhead criminals turn the heist genre into a full-throttle spectacle by combining high-speed chases, mind-blowing stunts, unforgettable one-liners, and… of course… FAMILY. It’s a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. And it has some bald men squaring up and going gorilla mode on one another. Sick.

In this episode, we talk about the film itself and why we love it, why the film’s lack of self-seriousness makes it so much better, meat claps, the practical effects, Vehicular Identification Number Diesel, the late Paul Walker, adding The Rock to the mix, and more. We also break down some of the most insane plot points, brainstorm an idea for a famous bald man fighting game, look back on the “Fast” franchise, discuss The Rock’s baby oil budget, unpack the impact blockbuster filmmaking has on local economies, and a whole lot more. 

Seriously, “Fast Five” is a genuinely well-made action movie that is built on a foundation of practical effects, stunt work, humour, and charm. Sure, it has some potholes and borders on the absurd at times… but turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride. We close things out with a chat about Whensday’s new album “goingnowherefast”, how life finally feels like it is returning to normal, both of us booking some shows, the upcoming spooky season, and some other ramblings. So, buckle up, because we're putting the pedal to the metal. It’s the “Fast Five” episode, baby.

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Ayo! Welcome to another episode of BIRD PROTOCOL! We're diving deep into the underground world of vampirism to explore one of the most iconic superhero franchises that quite frankly doesn’t get the love it deserves. Not only did this franchise save Marvel movies and pave the way for the MCU, but it also helped one of our favourite filmmakers break into the mainstream AND it has Wesley Snipes, Ron Perlman, and Norman Reedus in it. That's right, folks, we're talking about the electrifying 2002 action-horror flick, Guillermo del Toro's 'Blade 2'!

"Blade 2" stars Wesley Snipes as the titular character, Blade, who was based on the vampire-hunting Marvel comic book character of the same name. Snipes was heavily involved in the character's development and the success of the film's version of the character (adding the samurai sword, making him a dhampir, and the dark sci-fi fantasy elements of the film) actually caused Marvel to go back and update the character in the comics. Snipes collaborated with Guillermo del Toro to shape the character's evolution in the sequel and was heavily involved in the film's overall direction as well. Del Toro was given the freedom by the studio to work with the film's writer, David S. Goyer, and Snipes to craft something his own. Lots of his future cinematic language and vision is tucked away in "Blade 2" which makes it quite the re-watch for del Toro fans. Del Toro's unique and artistic approach to storytelling, cultivated by his background with the many monsters and folklore of Spanish filmmaking, gave birth to a film that defied vampire movie conventions. I mean… c'mon! The Reaper Strain? Super Vampires? Hell yeah. 

In this episode, we talk "Blade" as a comic book character, revisit the first "Blade" film, talk about comic book movies before the MCU, and unpack why Del Toro's sequel slaps so hard.  Despite being released in a crowded movie season, "Blade II" performed well at the box office and solidified the franchise's popularity. This set the stage for a disappointing sequel, an MCU reboot, and an often-forgotten television series. We briefly touch on all of those too.

We also explore the choreography of the film's intense fight sequences, the use of CGI, the vampire lore and creature effects that brought the world of "Blade" to life, and the ingenious ways 'Blade II' expanded the boundaries of the vampire sub-genre. The film's unique blend of action, horror, and dark fantasy continues to influence filmmakers and genre enthusiasts. Plus, it just goes so hard... so without further adieu, let's get to it.

“Ooh, so exciting, isn’t it?”

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Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of BIRD PROTOCOL! This week, we attempted to have a regular ol’ Lazy Bird episode but society and the strangeness of the wider world forced our hands. Instead, since we were feeling a little spicy… we somehow revisit a few of our regular rantings and ravings about a variety of topics in this Bizarro Bird world.

To start things off, Otis has a problem with his toilet at home which leads to a discussion about bad landlords. The two recount the many times they had to deal with landlord-related insanity at their old apartment, muse on why bad landlords don't just do their jobs, and PALMREADER recounts having to scoop water out of a friend’s basement in the middle of the night. From there, things spiral as we talk about pumpkin spice coming back early, people who celebrate holidays all year, social media getting worse, main character syndrome, fandoms becoming unhealthy, fishing guys on dating apps, Mark Wahlberg’s social media team (gotta stay prayed up), parasocial relationships and the age of digital isolation, and how most of the internet has become a hellish cesspool.

We also talk about the disturbing trend of people self-diagnosing themselves with mental illnesses for attention and the commodification of mental health, the effects of social media on younger people, capitalism having everyone in a chokehold, personal responsibility waning in society at large, the lack of awareness people have around personal privacy, nuanced discussion being almost dead (at least online), and more. This ultimately leads the boys to discuss the lack of perspective in Western society and our need to push our beliefs on everyone online (and offline) - for better or for worse. Then Otis shares a story about a man who was wild flagrant (and kinda racist) to him at a comedy show and then learns that he had a schizophrenic breakdown from smoking weed. This leads to a discussion about the things people do at shows to comedians and artists that suck. 

Since both of us have been away from social media, coming back to it has stirred up some feelings and thoughts. Sorry. Eventually, though, we do talk about some movies… PALMREADER finally saw “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Across The Spider-Verse” and loved both of them very much. We also discuss the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the scummy things they’ve been doing behind the scenes, why we haven’t done a Marvel movie yet, the strikes in Hollywood, and other related topics. Otis also shares his thoughts on Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move”. We end things out with a few updates, PALMREADER’s message to the homies, and the usual sign-off.

See you next week for a special cottage episode!

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What’s good homies?! It’s your favourite bird boys and we’re back to embark on an exhilarating journey through time, dreams, wormholes, memories, war, magic, and the INVENTION OF THE GODDAMN ATOMIC BOMB. That’s right! It’s time for us to dissect and rank the illustrious filmography of visionary director Christopher Nolan and talk about his latest scientific thriller and biopic, “Oppenheimer”! From mind-bending concepts to cerebral twists to intricate storytelling to huge action set pieces, we'll explore the highs and lows of his filmmaking career and give our Christopher Nolan power rankings later in the episode. 

We start off by sharing some life updates and anecdotes, including some congratulations and a CTE diagnosis, and then hop right into it. First, we review "Oppenheimer”, which we saw together about a week ago, and share our thoughts on everyone’s favourite broken, naked, and possibly communist atomic scientist. Furthermore, we revisit the buzz surrounding the release of this film and unpack the whole “Barbenheimer” meme-turned-reality-turned-cinemas-savior thing. We also talk about what we loved about “Oppenheimer”, revel in the insanely stacked ensemble cast, marvel at the mastery of the technical and practical aspects of the film, praise Nolan’s use of various storylines and perspectives, explore some of the film’s themes, and share our nitpicks and gripes.

Then we get into our tiered ranking of Nolan’s excellent filmography. It winds up coming down to the tiny details and feels kind of like splitting hairs for both of us. We talk through his excellent body of work, revisit some of his heavy hitters, and finally come to somewhat of an agreement. Let’s be honest, Nolan hasn’t really missed, so we’re talking about the best of the best and the… worst of the still really good? Be warned. There will be spoilers for Nolan’s films in this episode. Stop here if you haven’t seen all of them yet!

So, brace yourselves for our raw and unfiltered reactions and takes that might be as blinding as the Trinity Test and as wild as that scene where good ol’ Oppy suits up like he is Batman. Join us as we ask the big question: Does "Oppenheimer" live up to the Nolan legacy and where does it fit in his filmography? It’s another themed episode of BIRD PROTOCOL, baby. Let’s get into it.