First Watch

The films of 2013 are turning 10 years old this year, and we're celebrating with analysis our ten favorites! In the first of our "Class Of" retrospective series, Cole and Zach take a trip back in time to discuss the year's finest celebrating a decade since their release. Join us for an expansive breakdown of our favorites, Oscars winners, the best performances, characters, scripts, and images of the year! And stay tuned down the road for our 20th, 30th, etc. anniversary episodes on the movies of 2003, 1993, and more later this year!

Bullets, nunchucks, screeching tires, flaming ammunition, and samurai swords. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so why wouldn't the road to heaven be smeared with blood? This week, Cole and Zach return to discuss the good (Pacifiction), the bad (Shazam: Fury of the Gods), and the surprisingly decent (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) before breaking into a discussion of the biggest action movie since MI: Fallout (or arguably Fury Road). Join us as we discuss John Wick's mythic quest for vengeance and debate the series' placement in action Valhalla.

Just as Quantumania's box office star fades, another Jonathan Majors vehicles arrives to save the box office. This week, Cole and Zach are discussing Michael B. Jordan's knockout debut feature, Creed 3 and discuss how the new film and trilogy as a whole are great sports movies, satisfying dramas, and are a sincere antidote to other big budget fare.

The movie gods have blessed us with the gift of two incredible blockbuster theatrical re-releases, so James, Cole and Zach are following up the Titanic episode with a discussion of Ang Lee's wuxia masterpiece, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Tap in for our impassioned discussion of the rich history, choreography, and romance of this modern classic. This episode also includes (spoiler-free!) talk on The Woman King, To Leslie, Living, Return to Seoul, and Guillermo Del Toro's early aughts blockbusters.

This week, to celebrate it's theatrical re-release, James joins Cole and Zach to discuss James Cameron's sweeping, romantic, historical epic, Titanic. In this episode we breakdown the balance of strong emotional tones and images that makes this such an enduring classic. We've also got (spoiler-free!) discussion of the latest Soderbergh effort, Magic Mike's Last Dance as well as 80 For Brady and plenty more to dig into.

This Valentine's, Cole and Zach are joined once again by Morgan to celebrate Quentin Tarantino's nostalgic, warm, hilarious love letter to the city of angels, Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood. Join us as we discuss what makes Tarantino's 9th such a beautiful and moving ode, and one of our favorites of the past decade. This episode we also discuss (spoiler-free!!) the latest M. Night Shyamalan thriller, Knock at the Cabin as well as Brandon Cronenberg's Infinity Pool.

After our big 2022 new release episode, Cole and Zach return to discuss a shared favourite, 2018 Oscar-winner The Favourite directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Join us as we break down what makes this period piece so funny, smart and enduring. Also tune in for our (spoiler-free!) talk on new releases M3GAN, Saint Omer, Shin Ultraman and indie horror smash Skinamarink!

One year ends, another begins, and Cole and Zach celebrate the very best films of the year. From blockbuster titans like Spielberg, Peele and Cameron, to international arthouse darlings Park Chan-wook, Todd Field and Jerzy Skolimowski, we cover it all! Our favorite films, characters, performances and more, all in two spoiler-free hours. Looking to catch up on the best of 2022? Look no further.

It's our last episode of 2022, and to celebrate, Zach and Cole return to Pandora to discuss James Cameron's long awaited The Way of Water. The king of sequels and lord of the blockbuster returns to remind us how exciting, vivid and soaring they can be. We also take some time to discuss (spoiler free!) the latest films from Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Laura Poitras' Golden Lion winner, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.