Do you know what we've missed the most since the pandemic started? Going and just seeing a movie in the theater! We may have been to a few, but the full-blown movie experience is a thing hosts Andy Farnsworth and KellieAnn Halvorsen are excited to get back to as the COVID pandemic starts to wane. Today they are joined by a guest who is lucky enough to have never really stopped that experience, Megaplex’s Jeff Whipple, our favorite PR person for our favorite theater chain, and sponsor of our show; Megaplex Theatres. In this first monthly special, Jeff discusses the magic of the movie theater, lessons they have learned during the pandemic, the love of their supportive audiences, and of course all the great movies, anniversary screenings, and more MegaExperiences that the Megaplex has in store for this May.  What MegaExperiences are we talking about? How about Free screenings of all eight of the "Fast and Furious" films leading up to the premiere of F9 for MyMegaRewards members, continued discounted popcorn and pop refills for your 2020 MegaTub and MegaMug through 2021, the Kids Summer Movie Pass 2021, multiple movies that are finally being released after major delays, and special anniversary screenings of classic films like Mission Impossible and Fried Green Tomatoes.  Are you ready to go back to the movies? Because we are!

In this minisode, host Andy Farnsworth reviews two films making their big debuts on streaming platforms this weekend for home audience; “Tom Clancy's Without Remorse” & “The Mitchells vs. the Machines.”  One is bringing some hilarious, family fun to your home screen, while the other is a rated R for violence feature that fans of the action/mystery genre and fans of Tom Clancy’s novels will probably enjoy. In “Without Remorse” from Paramount Pictures and Amazon Studios, we finally meet a character from author Tom Clancy’s action thriller world, Senior Chief John Kelly played by rising action star Michael B. Jordan who happened to be the highlight of the pretty standard action flick. In Netflix's “Mitchells v Machines,” is a uniquely animated family-road trip film that happens to take place amid a robot-apocalypse, originally titled “Connected” before its delayed release, households will be able to connect to one another with the family-friendly comedy of the film. Fan Effect is sponsored by Megaplex Theatres, Utah's premiere movie entertainment company.

In this minisode, host Andy Farnsworth reviews the latest video game turned silver screen movie “Mortal Kombat.” The groundbreaking arcade game has transformed a lot over the past 30 years, and already has had two films based on the franchise, but this R-rated modern version really capitalizes on the violent visuals and a multitude of hidden easter eggs for fans of the game. In this review, Andy breaks down the story, pros-and-cons, and what parents should know before giving their teens permission to see the nearly NC-17 rated film.  Fan Effect is sponsored by Megaplex Theatres, Utah's premiere movie entertainment company.

Have you ever wanted to come face-to-face with a tyrannosaurus rex? From April 23-May 9, 2021, at the USANA Health Sciences Amphitheatre in West Valley City, you will get a chance. Well, Bumper-to-bumper at least. When Jurassic Quest’s Drive-Thru dinosaur safari rolls, or roars, into town! Families, fans, and pint-sized paleontologists alike will enjoy the audio tour featuring more than 70 moving and life-like dinosaurs, as well as a 50-foot long Megalodon. Today, Host KellieAnn Halvorsen is joined by Dino-Wrangler Dino Dustin to talk about Jurassic Quest Drive-Thru! Tickets for Jurassic Quest are just $49 per vehicle (8 people or less) and available only at www.jurassicquest.com.  Fan Effect is sponsored by Megaplex Theatres, Utah's premiere movie entertainment company.

In this minisode, host Andy Farnsworth reviews the larger than life ‘Godzilla Vs Kong. ’ These two titular titans face each other once more in this epic movie in their cinematic Monsterverse. Audiences get another larger-than-life battle between the two, and this time it looks just like you would imagine. If the reason you’re watching this movie in the first place is the massive monster fights, boy, does this movie deliver! Particularly if you are watching on the big screen.

In this minisode, host Andy Farnsworth reviews Benedict Cumberbatch’s “The Courier” and ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League.’ It’s been said that “the door of history turns on small hinges,” and that is nowhere more evident than the story told in “The Courier,” a true story about an English businessman who gets caught up in the world of espionage during the Cold War in the 1960s. Not a reboot, not a reimagining, not a prequel or sequel, but an actual, “let’s-do-this-again-with-the-same-cast-and-footage-and-make-it-better-this-time.”  And yet that’s precisely what has happened for fans of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the other DC Comic superheroes of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” streaming now on HBO Max.

When you sell 250,000,000 of your books, it's hard to believe you can stay relatively anonymous.  But Jeff Kinney, author of the mega-popular "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series of books and movies, manages to pull off that feat--for the most part. In this episode, Kinney joins Fan Effect  host Andy Farnsworth to talk about his best-selling kids' books about a "wimpy" junior high student, including the newest entry, "Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories."  They also talk about why he doesn't put his own picture in his books, seeing his books adapted into movies, and a bit about an animated series coming this year to DisneyPlus.

In this minisode, host Andy Farnsworth reviews Disney’s latest release, ‘Raya And The Last Dragon’ on KSL-TV. In the midst of the (hopefully) waning pandemic, Disney is bringing their latest animated feature to both the movie theaters and their DisneyPlus streaming service as a premium purchase. The feature mixes several genres and styles, and It’s, no surprise, heavily influenced by Southeast Asian culture. The family film is rated PG and something the whole family can enjoy.  The big question seems to be, “Do I take my kids to the theater yet?  Or do we spend the $30 fee and watch it on Disney Plus at home?”

American actor and musician, Henry Thomas, best known for his breakout role as Elliott in Steven Spielberg’s film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, is the next big guest announcement coming to FanX 2021 this September! FanX founder and producer Dan Farr joins host Andy Farnsworth to discuss the big news and the excitement surrounding the upcoming event, which might include a fun contest suggested by Andy and bonus virtual content than previous cons. While the 2020 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, tickets are available for 2021 at fanxsaltlake.com, purchase early for the best discount.

It is official, FanX 2021 has announced their first big guests for the Salt Lake Comic Convention this September. While the global pandemic postponed the 2020 event, FanX founder and producer Dan Farr is excitedly planning a party like no other this year! He joins host Andy Farnsworth to dive into the universe of the announced guests, discusses the fun of working with celebrities, and all you need to know to finally get your con on in 2021.