This week we review Krampus, Trumbo, and continue our countdown to The Force Awakens with The Empire Strikes Back.

WARNING: This episode, while still def in the PG-13 range, contains a bit more language and discussions of some subjects that may not be appropriate for your kids. Sorry, bitches.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Krampus – If the idea is appealing to you of an evil cloven-hoofed Santa demon punishing a family of sociopaths who are like The Griswolds^10, then you might like this movie.  Andy gives it 5/10.

Trumbo – Hollywood’s best writer gets blacklisted, starts writing under other names. The Blacklist and why it was so terrible. The actors in this. Louis CK. Joan Allen. John Goodman. Helen Mirren, Alan Tudyk. ALL amazing. And Bryan Cranston is beyond phenomenal. Andy gives this a 9/10.

The Empire Strikes Back – Andy thinks this is the greatest movie of all time. Adam thinks it’s up there, and it’s the best Star Wars movie. An even weirder movie than Star Wars– it plays backwards.  John Williams. Boba Fett. A strange birdwalk about Ewan Macgregor and Michael Fassbender and their. . . ahhem. . .  Han Solo and the Princess. That Carbon Freeze sequence tho. Willrow Hood!!! Oh, and Lando, I guess.

This week we review Mockingjay Part II, Victor Frankenstein, The Good Dinosaur, and Creed. We continue our countdown to The Force Awakens by talking about the movie that started it all: Star Wars – A New Hope.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Mockingjay Part II – It’s the final Hunger Games movie! Everyone gets a moment to shine. We forget Jennifer Lawrence can actually act. You finally won me over, Josh Hutcherson. Veteran actors Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore all shine. Has too many almost endings — like Return of the King. 7.5 out of 10.

Victor Frankenstein – This cast could read the phone book and it would be entertaining. They should’ve stuck to reading the phone book. More style than substance. Why was this released at Thanksgiving instead of Halloween? 5 out of 10.

The Good Dinosaur – It’s a “A Boy and His Dog” movie. Except with a dinosaur and the dog is a little human. Jaws references. It turns into a Western with Sam Elliot. Sure to be a crowd pleaser but Pixar is usually capable of more than just pretty animation and a good story. We expect more. Andy gave it 8.5 out of 10 and Adam gave it 7 out of 10.

Creed – Watch this review by Scott Stapp of Creed.  It’s a Rocky movie! And almost exactly what you’d expect. Maybe a little long. Maybe too many training montages. But the last few minutes are amazing.

And why we love the original Star Wars.

This week we review Secret in Their Eyes, The Night Before, and Spotlight. Then we begin our countdown to The Force Awakens by talking about all three Star Wars prequels. We also apologize for not seeing Mockingjay Pt 2.  Thanks, Obama!

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Secret in Their Eyes – A counter-terrorism taskforce in LA post 9/11 is shaken by the rape and murder of Julia Roberts’ daughter, and the guy who likely did it slips away for various reasons. 13 years later, still haunted by this, Chiwetel Ejiofor thinks he has tracked him down and they’re going to get him this time. The story unfolds on two tracks, brilliant storytelling, and a great ending. Even better acting. A romantic subplot between Ejiofor and Nicole Kidman. 7.5 out of 10.

The Night Before – a crazy, raunchy comedy from Seth Rogen which includes shenanigans and cameos. Do not take your children to go see this. Fun holiday movie otherwise. 7.5 out of 10.

Spotlight – the true story of how The Boston Globe’s investigative team “Spotlight” uncovered the  truth about the priest sex abuse scandal in Boston. All the acting! The Michael Keaton renaissance. Great script.  Comparisons to All the Presidents Men.

We neither bash on nor are apologists for the Star Wars prequels.  We can point out calmly and rationally what we like and dislike. How the novelizations ruined us. George Lucas needs someone to tell him no.

This week we review The 33,  My All-American, and Love the Coopers. They’re. . .moving pictures! (Barely) Content warning: This episode may contain graphic descriptions of a horrible Christmas movie and includes Christmas music. . . luckily all by Stephen Colbert. Also, if you hate the Texas Longhorns football team. . .or coal mining. . . you have been warned.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Love the Coopers – a Christmas movie about a family. And they’re all “wacky”– no, they’re just awful. And the dog narrates it? 0 stars. 0/10. The worst movie of the year.

My All-American – Plays more like a made-for-tv movie they would show to people to try to recruit them to come to the University of Texas football program. From the writer of Rudy and Hoosiers, so you can guess where this is going. Andy re-enacts the opening scene featuring a doe-eyed reporter from The Daily Texan student newspaper and old coach Aaron Eckhardt in old man makeup. We hate to call your life a cliche, Freddie Steinmark, but. . . Still, not terrible. Just not great. 4/10.

The 33 – True story of the Chilean miners trapped below ground. Should’ve been more heroic, but was mostly just boring. There’s still a few good things in here. 5/10

We don’t have any recommendations, except to go back and listen to last week’s episode. Because James Bond.

This week we review The Peanuts Movie and SPECTRE, plus give our recommendations of other James Bond movies we like even more.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

The Peanuts Movie – It’s certainly a Peanuts film. Totally nail the vibe, the characters, the voices, and even how disconnected a lot of the little vignettes are from one another.  Inclusion of two modern songs is jarring and out of place. Otherwise a lot of fun for folks who like Snoopy and Co. Adam gives it 7/10, Andy gives it 7.5/10 and a more full review here. 

SPECTRE – This is Bond’s 24th outing, and possibly Daniel Craig’s last. Can basically be summed up as: “Not as good as Skyfall.” Andy enjoyed all of the homages to previous Bonds. They basically failed to really develop any of the villains. But dem Bond girls, tho. Adam give it 5/10, Andy gave it 7.5/10 and you can see a more full review here.

Better know a Bond movie:

Adam chose Goldeneye. It was his first Bond movie, plus that epic N64 game! Sean Bean as the villain. Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp.

Andy chose Skyfall because penance– his original review was ho-hum about it, but he blames having had to watch an internet screener on a tiny laptop. But he came around, including it in his top 10 movies of 2012 after seeing it on a big screen multiple times. IMAX. That theme song.

This week we review Burnt, Our Brand is Crisis, and Truth. They’re all a little bit boring, so we recommend better movies of the same type: Wag the Dog and Primary Colors.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Burnt – Bradley Cooper channels Gordon Ramsay, and you would’ve been better watching 2 episodes of Hell’s Kitchen. This is instead like the food it’s about: overwrought and fussy, rather than being bold and powerful. Andy has a more full review here, but [spoiler alert] he gives it a 4/10.

Our Brand is Crisis – In a movie about politics being a fun, contact sport, why you gotta be so boring and uptight? We need more Billy Bob. Spoilers about the ending, but mostly that the ending is awful. Andy’s more full review here, he gives it a 5/10, Adam gives it a 3.5/10.

Truth – If you’re going to call your movie “Truth”, you better bring it. This did not. Don’t cast Robert Redford as Dan Rather. Don’t make a movie about such an interesting event and make it so boring. Don’t take such a talented cast and make them boring. Just don’t. Andy’s more full review here, but he gives this a 3.5/10.

All three of these movies are a little bit boring, so we recommend better movies of the same type: Wag the Dog and Primary Colors,  both of which came out within a year of one another and are both kinda sorta about Bill Clinton era politics.

We review Jem and the Holograms, Rock the Casbah, and Steve Jobs, then Andy presents his favorite Disney Halloween scary movie and Adam presents his favorite funny horror movie.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Jem and the Holograms – Who is this movie for? Not Jem fans. Not the rising generation. Not a bad film, just not a very good one. And not really a Jem movie. And why did it turn into The DaVinci Code and a heist movie for 30 minutes? Andy gives it 5/10

Rock the Casbah – This movie doesn’t know what it is or where it’s going.  Pick a theme and go with it. Bill Murray tries to do some schtick and it’s somewhat entertaining, but not enough to carry the movie — only one or two legitimately funny moments. Adam gives it 4/10, Andy 5.5/10.

Steve Jobs – It’s a Shakespearean Drama in 3 acts– and it’s just like Julius Caesar isn’t the history of Caesar’s death. So very Sorkin-y. Fassbender disappears into the role of Steve Jobs. And Seth Rogan can act! Who knew?!? Adam gives it 9/10, Andy 7.5/10- great movie but maybe not for all audiences.

Andy’s recommendation: Disney!! The Black Hole!!! Scary scientist! Cute robots! SUPER Scary robot! Trippy ending.

Adam’s recommendation: Horror Comedy!! Tucker and Dale vs. Evil! Hillbillies get mistaken for ax murderers, college kids keep accidentally falling into wood chippers, etc. Super gory and also just really funny.

PS– sorry for the lateness of this week’s episode. We both had hell for work.

EHRMAGERD! MAH FERVERITE MOVIES!!! 4 great films this week in Goosebumps, Crimson Peak, Bridge of Spies, and Beasts of No Nation.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Beasts of No Nation – released in theaters and on Netflix the same day, this is a story about child soldiers in Africa starring Idris Elba. Go check it out in a local cinema if you want to cry in a theater, or on Netflix if you want to cry at home. Andy gives it 6.5/10

Bridge of Spies – Tom Hanks in a Spielberg movie written by the Coen Brothers, and it’s some of their best work ever. Our review at Big Shiny Robot every single person gave it a 10/10. Yes. It’s that good.

Goosebumps – Based on the books, this is almost more fun for adults than the kids, it includes all the monsters and stories we love and remember. Jack Black is even restrained! Adam has a more full review here and gives it 8/10

Crimson Peak – Sooooooo cool to look at! Absolutely gorgeous. And then it gets Game of Thrones-y. Andy’s full review is here, he gave it a 8.5/10, and Adam gave it 9/10.

We review the foreclosure Faustian drama “99 Homes” and the Peter Pan Prequel “Pan” along with our recommendation for best alien-themed Halloween movies.

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Pan – a bad prequel that doesn’t do what a prequel is supposed to do. Pan doesn’t even get his powers until the last five minutes. Why are the pirates singing Nirvana? Why is Rooney Mara a native princess? This was five different movies cobbled together and it gives you whiplash. Andy gives it 4/10 and a more full review here.

99 Homes – Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon act the hell out of this movie, but it’s not quite Spider-Man vs General Zod. It’s better.  It’s a little date, but all the performances more than make up for it. Andy gives it 6/10, Adam gives it 8/10 and you can read more here.

Recommendations: This week’s theme is Aliens!!!

Andy – Attack the Block – go watch John Boyega protect his London block from weird glowy-teethy alien monsters. Funny and scary!

Adam – They Live – Mostly we just talk about all the things that ripped off They Live for the last 30 years. Duke Nukem, Devil May Cry, South Park, Futurama . . .

Go vote for this week’s theme: Disney vs. Comedies!

We interview the director and cast members from Evil Dead the Musical, currently playing in Vegas. Get your tickets at  http://evildeadvegas.com/ NOTE: This episode contains all sorts of Evil-Dead-ish talk, including swearsies. NSFW!

Bored as Hell Podcast - This week's episode

| Open Player in New Window

Featuring actual music from the musical! Thanks to Evil Dead the Musical!