Filmlosophers

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, are feeling a bit of a power surge with this week’s review of Shazam! (2019). Directed by David F. Sandberg, the film stars Zachary Levi as the titular hero, while Asher Angel plays his human alter ego, Billy Batson. Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer and Djimon Hounsou fill out the primary cast, and there are a number of other standouts waiting in the wings of this mostly family-friendly comic book adaptation.

After all, it’s only on the colorful canvas of a superhero film that you typically find story elements such as America’s foster care system, the seven deadly sins, and larger-than-life preteen heroes in the same mix. The real question, though, is whether that mix is just-right or a little too over-the-top. Listen in to find out our take!

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, fight to stay comfortable in their own skin this week with a review of Jorden Peele’s sophomore film, Us (2019). Written and directed by Peele, who crafted the massively successful and thought-provoking Get Out (2017), Us provides a unique look at into human psychology and plays on the timeless fear of the shadow self by showing characters in active conflict against their own doppelgänger.

Starring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker, Us cements Peele’s status as one of the 21st century’s masters of suspense and emphasizes just how versatile and compelling Nyong’o has become as one of today’s leading performers.

In this bonus episode, we discuss the current state of where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, and what are some of our theories for the future of the franchise. What do you think? Listen in to hear our thoughts!

Stick around and join the conversation as we are barely able to contain ourselves! Pull up a chair, check in with the teacher and prepare for some bonus hilarity in "Extra Credit!"

You can also catch all of our previous episodes at Filmlosophers.com!

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, get a bit sneaky with this week’s review of Captive State (2019). Written and directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film stars John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Machine Gun Kelly, and Vera Farmiga. Its depiction of a world held captive by aggressive, insect-like aliens hews closely to other films within the genre while also attempting to differentiate itself as a think-piece on social stratification and themes of insurgency against an oppressive government.

In a landscape full of enemies both foreign and domestic, what chance does one have to rise up and effect change? And can the audience hang in long enough to care about the outcome? Listen in to find out what we thought of the film...

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, power up for this week’s review of Captain Marvel (2019). With a record-shattering global opening, the last Marvel Cinematic Universe film before Avengers: Endgame (2019) provides an enormous launchpad for the MCU’s new standard-bearer, Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel features one of cinema’s most enjoyable new “buddy cop” duos between Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, while also integrating a star-spanning subplot of warmongering, propaganda and prejudice.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, rally together to deliver this week’s review of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). This franchise-finishing film reunites a voice cast that includes Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, and a new villain played by F. Murray Abraham. As Toothless works out a few new dance moves for the Light Fury he’s suddenly sweet on, his human companion, Hiccup, wrestles with the mantle of leadership...and where does that leave the human-dragon utopia by the final frame? You’ll have to listen to find out.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, break out the cue cards and goodie bags for this year’s Oscars Recap. We’re light on the fashion play-by-play and heavy on the sass as we dive into who won, who deserved to win and whether or not Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee had anything to do with the rise of the Koala Challenge on social media. Honorable mentions go out to Bradley Cooper’s mom, Congressman John Lewis and a sidebar about the review of “Bohemian Rhapsody” we never got around to recording.

The Filmlosophers pick apart the cybernetic workings of the latest film from Director Rober Rodriguez, Alita: Battle Angel (2019). Rodriguez, alongside producer and co-writer James Cameron, set to change the landscape of anime-live action adaptations with their latest cinema offering! The film stars Rosa Salazar as the titular role, alongside the incredible Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley and new-comer Keean Johnson. But does this film measure up to the expectations of anime and film fans, alike? Or will Alita: Battle Angel fall to the wayside much like its predecessors, and become a ghost of its former self?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, host a pop music dance party for this week’s review of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). Mike Mitchell directs off a script from executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who wrote and directed the first film), and the film stars Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, and Will Ferrell reprising their roles from the first film in the series.

With additional characters voiced and/or performed by Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz and Maya Rudolph, the question isn’t whether or not this sequel has enough star power...but is everything still awesome five years later? Visual gags, plot twists and incessant-tunes-that-get-stuck-in-your-head are here in abundance, so let’s get playful!

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, get a little bit shallow with this week’s review of A Star is Born (2018). As the fourth iteration of this particular storyline, the Oscar-nominated film modernizes the tale of an aging and substance-abusing musician who discovers a new talent and helps to launch her professional career. Directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, the film also stars Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, and Sam Elliott.

As one of this year’s most highly publicized awards contenders, A Star is Born has already raked in more than 180 nominations from a variety of sources in multiple categories. It’s also a commercial success, with nearly $208 million in domestic tickets sales. So why didn’t it earn top marks from our team? Listen and find out!