Critically Important

In this latest episode, Jason, Mallory and Espo discuss the most recent movie postponements and the official lack of any summer movie season in 2020; debate their thoughts on shows pulling potentially controversial episodes off of streaming services; share what they've been watching recently while staying home; and get into a surprisingly heated debate as to what their group consensus top 5 musicals are.

As 2020 continues to be one of the most tumultuous years in recent memory, returning guest Ty Doyle (of The Bucket Up podcast) and first-time guest Brian Alexander (of Acaville Radio) join Jason, Mallory and Espo to talk about if they'll feel safe returning to the movies when AMC, Cinemark and Regal (among other chains) open up in mid-July; have a discussion on how much they can separate art from an artist when accusations come to light; and discuss their favorite movies made by (and starring by) black actors and filmmakers.

We've also been holding off on recording our newest episode for the past two weeks in order to give voice to the much more important issues and causes that have been (and deserve to be) advocated for during this time. We at Critically Important believe that black lives matter and fully support those that have been speaking out and giving voice to the movement. For those that haven't donated, and would like resources and/or the names of worthwhile organizations that you can contribute to, see the list below:

Black Lives Matter - https://bit.ly/2V8goBS

NAACP Legal Defense Fund - https://bit.ly/2Nk1apl

Color of Change - https://bit.ly/3fMrq7N

ACLU - https://bit.ly/2Ym9r2i

Other resources and organizations of note: https://nym.ag/3fOn28e

It's clear after nearly two months of quarantine that some people need to simmer down. And that includes AMC and Regal. In this "director's cut" episode of the CI podcast (because what is time now, really?), Jason, Mallory, Espo and special guest Tom Lorenzo discuss what both the continued quarantine and the AMC vs. Universal battle over VOD means for the future of movies. The gang also gets a little heated when ranking what the top 5 greatest superhero movies of all-time are, as well as play a fun game where they guess which potential near-casting choices did and did not happen.

For today's episode, the gang is joined by Elise Hernke of the blog Inglorious Baguettes (https://ingloriousbaguettes.com/)! We discuss who we feel would be our ideal cast for a Hollywood adaptation of the Tiger King docuseries, guess how much different movies cost to make, and talk about some of the different celebrity sightings and meetings that we've had over the years (good and...well, awkward).

To say that things have changed dramatically since our last episode would be a tremendous understatement. Which is why, in what is an incredibly uncertain time for the movie and entertainment industries (and the world as a whole), we've invited Movieweb's Ryan Scott (@ryanscottwrites on Twitter) to help us discuss where movie studios go from here; if VOD is the future and theatrical windows will become a thing of the past; and what we think (and hope) will happen to the movie theater experience once the dust settles. We also all recommend some of our favorite movies and shows to watch if you're looking for entertainment to keep you distracted and occupied during our time of quarantines and self-distancing.

To read Ryan's article on how the movie industry will change forever due to COVID-19, click here: https://bit.ly/3dlOIAZ.

On this episode of the Critically Important Podcast, Jason, Mallory and Espo reveal their lists of movies that define them, as well as attempt to come to a group consensus on the greatest romantic comedies of all-time.

Instead of the usual "best of 2019" podcast, where Jason, Mallory and Espo each read off their lists of favorite movies of the year, they wanted to do something different. So on this episode, they're officially launching the 1st Annual (or hopefully annual, anyway) Critically Important Awards! Also discussed are some of the trends and highlights that they happened to notice last year, as well.

In this year-end episode of the Critically Important podcast, Jason, Mallory, Espo and special guest Ty Doyle (of The Bucket Up Podcast) dive into their top 10 lists of their favorite movies and television shows of the decade. Some will surprise you...and others, let's be real, won't.

In this episode, Jason, Mallory, Espo discuss Disney+ and how the future of streaming looks heading into 2020; talk about the things they're thankful for when it comes to movies; and since next month's episode will most likely revolve around end of year/decade content, we get into a heated debate ranking our favorite Christmas movies of all-time. One that ends in a musical number from Espo (yes, we couldn't believe it, either).

In this episode, Jason, Mallory, and Espo discuss actors and directors who could use a renaissance; debate what the best '90s movie soundtracks are; and see if the ratings of Siskel and Ebert have stood the test of time. And speaking of which, the first Siskel and Ebert-style debate happens to start the podcast as Jason and Espo have WILDLY different opinions about the much-hyped and anticipated Joker.