I'm Thinking of Spoiling Things

It's Oscar night, and Stephen and Vaughn are here to render their thoughts on the nominees as well as going down the ballot and each selecting their picks for what's going to take home the awards. Listen along as they likely butcher nearly every category, and add up their points at home to find out who will end up having to watch and review something horrendous.

This week on the show it's the latest release from iconic director Steven Soderbergh, Kimi. Stephen and Vaughn explore and discuss their experiences with Soderbergh's vast catalog, from his origins as a director of subdued sexual character studies to his breakout blockbuster hits and Oscar sweeping dramas, and all the perfectly crafted genre exploration in between. After an expansive dive through his oeuvre, it's Kimi, another addition to his collection of hyperspecific genre pieces, this time focused on the onset of an overbearing surveillance state within a world ravaged by COVID. How well does it achieve its aim, and can it successfully integrate two dissonant halves, blending them into a cogent singular piece? Are the Seattle-tinted glasses strong enough for Vaughn to not care either way? Join us and find out.

Leatherface is back, ready to tear up and chew through large groups of unsuspecting entrepreneurs and everyone's living room TV. Stephen and Vaughn cover their experiences with the Texas Chainsaw franchise from Tobe Hooper's 1974 icon and his wild ride of a follow up to the homogeneous train wreck of sequels that follow before diving deep into the latest iteration. How does it stack up against the rest of its recent horror reboot counterparts? Does it take an effective stance on anything it comments on? Can it deliver on the gruesome gore the franchise promises? Join for all this and more, including a special surprise guest, and maybe this week we'll nail that outro.

This week it's Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza, and Calvin joins as our first guest, as an avid supporter of both PTA and his latest venture, an meandering coming of age journey through the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s. We discuss our experiences with PTA, dive into our favorites of his works (and this time we don't leave anything out), and then do our best to dissect and spoil a movie that tries its hardest to make sure nothing happens. In one way or another, PTA has been critical to all our cinephile journeys, but where does Licorice Pizza land among his wider catalogue? Tune in for all that, a secret bonus episode, and our best - or maybe worst - outro yet. Here's hoping we figure it out one day.

It's Abel Ferrara's latest, Zeros and Ones. It is indecipherable and incoherent, and we might just love it. We discuss our familiarity with Ferrara's oeuvre, express our admiration for Ethan Hawke's three performances, and why the film's definitive and impossibly muddled chaos is really its greatest strength. Despite our best efforts, we learn it's an impossible film to spoil, so join us this week on the show. Maybe we'll sell you on this manic adventure of a film, and maybe, just maybe, we'll get the outro right.

This week on the show, it’s Joel Coen’s solo debut, a towering black and white adaptation of Macbeth. With some thoroughly extensive knowledge at the ready, it’s time to dive deep into how faithfully this adaptation of the perennial text translates The Bard’s words to the silver screen. Is it too bleak, lacking some of the essential aspects of its source material, or is it a strong and evocative outing for the single Coen brother attempting to carve out his own unique style? Join Stephen and Vaughn as they delve into that and more, from the lead performances to our favorite character actor cameos. It’s a new year ready to bring lots to spoil, so let’s get started.

This week on the show, Stephen and Vaughn reach an important milestone before diving into House of Gucci, Ridley Scott's slick '80s crime drama, messy atonal disaster, or the funniest film of the year. Depends on who you ask. The guys break down everything from Jared Leto's bewildering performance to personality altering trips to Switzerland, as well as discussing how House of Gucci stands up to Scott's other 2021 release The Last Duel. Have they watched the same 2021 international road trip movie yet? Tune in to find out.

This week Stephen and Vaughn are thinking of spoiling Eternals, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's third of four outings in 2021, and another chapter in the still unfamiliar world of Phase 4. From our past experiences with the MCU as a whole down to individual breakdowns of the ensemble cast of the film, the guys attempt to cover it all. Does Eternals successfully live up to its long awaited hype, or will it rest in the annals of Marvel history as one of the franchise's most ambitious failures?

This week on the show, it's Pablo Larraín's Spencer, and Stephen and Vaughn are both big fans. Come along as we explore the cold and overbearing halls of Sandringham and discuss Larraín's immaculate directorial eye, Kristen Stewart's brilliant performance as Diana Spencer, Jonny Greenwood's beautifully composed score, and much, much more. Join as we delve into whether Spencer has any major missteps within its perfectly focused drama, what's up next for the show, and whether Stephen actually knows what Vaughn has recently reviewed for the site.

Stephen and Vaughn are back, this week to enter the pastel world of Wes Anderson and the French town of Ennui, exploring and spoiling the myriad of stories told within The French Dispatch. Can Anderson deliver another aesthetically precise and resonantly emotional masterpiece, or has the style finally overcome the substance? From a breezy, bicycling jaunt through town to a violent shootout in the streets, where does Anderson's latest succeed in its love letter to journalism and all things French cinema, and where does it fall short? Join us for this and more on all things Anderson this week on the show.