Mark As Played

The world can't get enough of comic book movies, even (and perhaps especially) when those movies are kicking them in the nuts. DEADPOOL 2 continued the success of the first film in that everyone had a good old time letting the high school quarterback shove them in the locker... as long as you are in on the joke. We here at MARK AS PLAYED were proudly part of the AV Club in high school, so we think we get it BUT just to make sure we sample two great movie podcasts to help make our case in SHOW ME THE MEANING! and FILM JUNK. And if you aren't sick to your stomach at the end of all this check us out at the links below:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

We make all of our listeners (DOZENS) uncomfortable by talking about the seeming discomfort the online film community has with female sexuality as a topic for comedy with the likes of Melissa McCarthy in LIFE OF THE PARTY and Amy Schumer in... well seemingly anything she does these days. Being a delicate subject and the central premise of our show, we outsource this discussion by riffing on previous episodes from two great podcasts in REEL SPOILERS and MOVIE BS. For further discomfort or maybe some comedic lowlights from our own sex lives, click on these links below:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

ISLE OF DOGS opened to some criticism (we don't yet have the technology to measure how much, let's just say that there were tweets) about director Wes Anderson appropriating other cultures for his latest "comedy." We make a different accusation that the man is appropriating his earlier more successful works and we'd like to see him change things up a bit! Taking our own advice we look to two other great movie podcasts in MOUSTERPIECE CINEMA and CINEMAHOLICS who discuss Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson both managing to subvert expectations while retaining their style over films across different genres. We hope to subvert your expectation of another pitiful MARK AS PLAYED episode which you can find by clicking on the links below:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

We return from the dead... presumably much like a number of characters will do following the events of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. As a movie podcast on movie podcasts, we can't decide for ourselves how best to enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe when we know so much information about the plans for the characters before we even watch the film, so we rely on two other great movie podcasts to help us sort through the white noise of fandom. FILM FALLOUT ponders the outing of the plans of WESTWORLD while over on FRIENDS & FILM they wonder if Disney will steal from one of their crown jewels to aid another in the STAR WARS franchise. Both are great listens but you have to listen to us first at the links below:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

In this terrifying episode, Michael Denniston, host of SOBER CINEMA is forced to confront the words coming from inside his own podcast. Thankfully, he also presents a better listening option than co-host Jario's choice, with a clip from THE NEW FLESH discussing the latest Steven Soderbergh marketing/filmmaking gimmick with his iPhone shot UNSANE. This leads us to a broader discussion about how smaller genre films like the new A QUIET PLACE must announce themselves to the marketplace in an industry hellbent on having event movies on every weekend of the year. You know what else you could do every weekend of the year? Listen to our podcast (repeatedly even! but only if you download it over and over) at the links below:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

As a movie podcast that repackages other great movie podcasts to help illustrate our point on a topic, we know of what we speak when we discuss READY PLAYER ONE and PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING being repackaged ideas with a new coat of paint. The other (better) movie podcasts are MOVIE BS and HOW IS THIS MOVIE? Spoiler alert: we actually keep the complaints on modern cinema light this episode, because to do otherwise would just be repackaging a lot of the same old crap you've already heard from us. Speaking of which, follow us at the links below for more of that crap:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

On this episode we welcome all the hate tweets Film Twitter can muster as they protect Ava DuVernay's critical and box office disaster A WRINKLE IN TIME. This opens up a different approach to something film fans have wrangled with over, particularly over the last year, as we attempt to separate the art from the artist. Can being a fan of a particular filmmaker leave any room for the acceptance of failure? Since we are experts on the particulars of failure, but not so much this movie podcasting business, we turn to two of our favorites in this podcast genre to help illuminate the subject in WE PAID TO SEE THIS and FIX-A-FLICK. Did we mention hate tweets at the top of these stupid show notes? Well here are some links to send that and other forms of communication that aren't tweets (or hate):

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

For the release of READY PLAYER ONE hosts Andrew Pierce of AB FILM REVIEW and Jason Michael of ATLANTIC SCREEN CONNECTION discuss the duality of Steven Spielberg as seen in his industry changing popcorn entertainment and his historical dramas such as the recent THE POST. To do so they also highlight some great podcasts on this master filmmaker in FILM COMMENT and ELECTRIC STREAMS. Listen to our latest at the links below:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights

On this episode we decide to listen to one of the many concerns from Film Twitter that found its way to our official complaint box (@markasplayedpod) and take up the defense of science fiction as a genre. To do so we present Exhibit A: Alex Garland's new box-office bomb ANNIHILATION. And when that doesn't work we turn to two other great movie podcasts to make the case for the health and well-being of this genre, regardless of the reception to this Natalie Portman starring flick. So sit back and listen to us, THE TRUE BROMANCE FILM PODCAST and THE FILM FIND. Everything will be alright cinephiles, just as soon as you hit play and follow at the links below:

Theme music by Josh Nolan

'til the Words Run Out from the album Fair City Lights