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New Insanity Check episode! After a bit of a delay due to the Toronto Film Festival, Kriss is back with guest Justin to talk about all the crazy things that have happened in the world. The most important thing that's happen though is: Popeyes ran out of chicken sandwiches. But never fear, they have a solution for all of you just dying to have that sandwhich: BYOB. Bring.Your.Own.Bun. Yeah...they're gonna sell you a box of chicken tenders and tell you to make your own damn sandwich. Don't let me catch any of you doing this.

Anyway, we got a lot to cover, from more ways to die in Australia to Trump vs Bolton. There's a lot here so give it a listen.

Topics:

* Six Weeks for Spicy - Popeyes says to bring your own bun if you want a chicken sandwich

* More ways to die in Australia 

* Pulling a Ben Carson - Ben Carson has perfected the art of failing upward

* What has Trump done now?

* Nothing wrong with inviting the Taliban to Camp David the week of 9/11

* When you're too crazy/stupid for John Bolton....

* NOAA-Gate

* Yes...Biden and Bernie are too old to be President

* Great Moments in White Privilege

* Felicity Huffman gets hardtime (14 days)

* Do You Even Sci-Fi Bro?

* Can't believe I have to say this but: Don't let your company microchip you

Guest: Justin

* ThreeFifsPodcast.com

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Freaks Intends to Making You Second Guess Yourself

Synopsis: Kept locked inside the house by her father, 7-year-old Chloe lives in fear and fascination of the outside world, where Abnormals create a constant threat – or so she believes. When a mysterious stranger offers her a glimpse of what’s really happening outside, Chloe soon finds that while the truth isn’t so simple, the danger is very real.

STARRING: 

Lexy Kolker / Emile Hirsch / Bruce Dern / Grace Park / Amanda Crew

WRITTEN/DIRECTED 

Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky

RUN TIME 

100 mins

RELEASE DATE 

September 13, 2019

 

Brandon decided that he needed to mess with our minds this time around. With no hint of story direction, he dropped Freaks on Ro and Kriss. Writer/Director duo Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky's feature film debut creates a universe that feels like it needs far, far more movies. Shortly into the film, the story feels like a "family on the run" story with a Father and daughter attempting to hide in plain sight but just as you settle in, things go sideways right before things get dark. Trust and believe there are twist and unexpected turns that take sci-fi to a refreshing place. 

Listen to the crew chat and then go watch it Freaks for yourself. 

Freaks is a sci-fi thriller wholly unique even as certain elements come together to represent something familiar. The chemistry between all the characters is convincing and makes every second just that much more captivating. It's so convincing Ro, Brandon, and Kriss argued over whether or not they'd just watched yet another child with serious sociopathic tendencies or if everything that happened just demonstrates why not telling people what the hell is going on will always lead to murder and mayhem (we're really here for it either way). 

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Let's get this out of the way first: Hustlers is fun, entertaining and is Jennifer Lopez's best film work in years. Confident, Command-Attention-When-She-Walks-in-the-Room Jennifer Lopez is always the best Jennifer Lopez and that's on full display in Hustlers. Lopez's Romona isn't the main character in this story but she's the one that commands the most attention. Lopez eats her time on screen and by the end you'll be wishing for even more of her character. 

On the surface, Hustlers is everything you'd expect from a movie based off the viral New York Magazine article about a group of women scamming men who worked on wall street. For the most part the men are scum, and so as the movie goes on you don't feel too terribly bad when they get drugged and their corporate cards maxed out. The film takes the position of being a "women's empowerment" film with these group of strip club workers banding together to take money from evil men to better their lives. And while there's certainly nothing wrong with that (No one should feel sorry for these men), it feels like it short changes the real story. This wasn't a group of Robin Hoods who stole from the rich to give the poor. This was a group of savvy women who formed a criminal empire and ran one of the most successful criminal empires in New York that in the end, saw most of them not serve any real jail time. It feels as if this film was made to be a bit safe because studio executives didn't think the world was ready to see a movie about crime bosses that were not just women, but sex workers.

Another place where this film faulters is with its perspective of an unreliable narrator without showing the audience that they're unreliable. Constance Wu is directed to play Destiny as a naive woman who just wanted to make some money to take care of her family. The movie tries to present it as if Destiny was swept up in the aura of Romona (Lopez) and was dragged into a life of scamming and crime. By the time the credits roll, one can't help but think that only half the story was told and that what we just witnessed was the safest version meant to make Destiny look good. Hustlers feels like there's a more interesting story with more details lurking under the surface.

Hustlers is fun and entertaining. Jennifer Lopez clearly had the time of her life and this might be the best role she's ever played (Let's slow down on Oscar talk folks. Not even close). This will be enough film for most but others will leave wishing this film had been a bit more bold and a little less safe.

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The NFL is back and we are covering every bit of drama along the way. Rich Fann from PWTorch is with us this week, so of course we pop a little bit of bubbly talking AEW, but we also talk Serena, Big Baller Brand Scams, Tennessee is 0-2, and Antonio Brown is crazy like a fox.

Guest: Rich Fann - @Rich_Fann

 

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IT Chapter Two Makes a Swift Return to Derry

IT Chapter Two is back and the wait to see how it all ends is over. Right from the beginning, director Andy Muschietti drops the audience back into the atmospheric Derry with an unsettlingly sequence that sets a dark tone. This dynamic opening merely hints at the twists, turns, quips, and mayhem to come for the remaining 2 hours and 49 minutes. It's twenty-seven years later and the Loser's Club made a pledge they're going to need to keep because the boogeyman is back with a vengeance (punny I know).

(L-r) BILL HADER as Richie Tozier, JESSICA CHASTAIN as Beverly Marsh, JAMES MCAVOY as Bill Denbrough, JAMES RANSONE as Eddie Kaspbrak, ISAIAH MUSTAFA as Mike Hanlon, and JAY RYAN as Ben Hascomb

This second installment takes pains to quickly reacquaint the audience with the main characters and then draw them back to Derry. For purposes of cohesiveness between the two films, this makes sense. But from a storytelling perspective, the truncated glimpse into their lives doesn't fully establish a connection. Adult Bill (James McAvoy), Beverly (Jessica Chastain), Eddie (James Ransone), Richie (Bill Hader), Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), and Stanley (Andy Bean) needed deeper development to balance with their child counterparts.

JEREMY RAY TAYLOR as young Ben Hascomb, JACK DYLAN GRAZER as young Eddie Kaspbrak, SOPHIA LILLIS as young Beverly Marsh, WYATT OLEFF as young Stanley Uris, JAEDEN MARTELL as young Bill Denbrough, FINN WOLFHARD as young Richie Tozier and CHOSEN JACOBS as young Mike Hanlon

Under Delivering on the Plot's Momentum 

The majority of the film capitalizes on flashbacks and uses a short (and at times unnecessary) scavenger hunt through Derry to set the stage for the big showdown and allows needed memories to unfold. But, these flashbacks once again put the emotional heavy-lifting on the shoulders of the pre-teen versions of this crew. It makes for intense, and at turns, hilarious encounters with IT and the supernatural landmines seeded throughout Derry. The downside to this tactic is the rhythm to certain encounters started to become predictable and the resultant story felt more than a little haphazard.

Chapter Two gets dark quickly

The story direction for the second installment unveils more sinister Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). Skarsgård once again proves himself worthy of the Pennywise mantle with every word and onscreen moment. This time around, Pennywise is murderous and fully invested in the mind games that are his stock and trade. These moments are dark and twisted in good ways. Although Skarsgård brings his A-game, there are times, however, that the action around him feels forced and out of sync with the needs of the story. You'll laugh more than you thought, recognize some hat-tips to the Stephen King universe along the way and wish for a better explanation of IT's motivations even after the credits roll. 

BILL SKARSGÅRD as Pennywise in New Line Cinema’s horror thriller "IT CHAPTER TWO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

But overall, the tenor of Chapter Two is a great foil for Chapter One, it's very enjoyable, albeit not as scary as hoped for by some of the MTR crew (we know, we go problems), and creative use of the source material. Not everything lives up to the promise of Chapter One but as far as mainstream horror movies go this one is still a good bet. 

IT Chapter Two may be flawed but it's still a solid take across both films and a well-done conclusion to the story Muschietti set out to tell. 

Kriss, Phenom, and Ro had thoughts, feelings and "what-ifs" all over the place in their spoiler-free chat. 

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We're back with another Character Corner short. This time Dpalm & Kriss are doing a short update on their favorite Flash: Wally West. Wally has been through so much. Is DC finally prepared to give Wally West the respect he deserves? Maybe but of course without putting him through the ringer again. We pick up with Wally's return to the DC Universe with Rebirth and go through Heroes in Crisis and talk about what might be on the horizon for the red headed speedster. You can check out our original Character Corner on Wally here.

Issues:

* DC Universe Rebirth

* Titans Rebirth

* Titans

* The Return of Wally West

* Flash

* Flash War

* Flash Annual 1

* Flash 47 - 50

* Flash #51 - The Life Story of Wally West

* Heroes in Crisis

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We work on Labor Day! The latest edition of my favorite tradition is now live as my dad and I look at all the big news around the sports world, from Black Girl Magic on the tennis court to big players say no thanks to the NFL and the return of college football. Welcome back you perfect, horrible, wonderful monster.

Guest: My Dad

 

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Let's just start by being clear, Joi and Ro are always here for a David Oyelowo film (even if they mess up his last name when recording exhausted) and believe folks need to support Don't Let Go. 

Don't Let Go is a psychological police procedural (with a side of the supernatural) about an LAPD Detective Jack Radcliff (David Oyelowo) who finds Ashley (Storm Reid), his favorite niece, and her parents murdered in what appears to be a murder/suicide. After finding their bodies, Jack justifiably falls apart and beings to drink his pain away. But just as he settles into wallow in grief, he receives a phone call from a two-weeks-ago Ashley that sets him a mission to rewrite the timeline and save her if he can. 

David Oyelowo stars as Jack Radcliff and Storm Reid as his niece Ashely Radcliff in DON’T LET GO

Writer/Director Jacob Arron Estes builds this time-bending story on a simple premise...maybe too simple. It's clear relatively early on this story doesn't expect to make you work for it. What elevates this from some of the others in this horror sub-genre is David Oyelowo's rock-solid performance as a cop frantic to save a life. So while the ride doesn't take any unpredictable turns there's plenty to interest you staying until it's over. Oyelowo elevates some pretty basic dialogue (clearly not modified to fit) and adds emotion and intensity. 

Don't Let Go Could've Been Totally Gripping

Relying on muddy, visuals to support its muted tone does little to enhance the tonal quality of the story but works well as a backdrop to helping audiences to visualize the temporal changes as they occur.  Don't Let Go tells a solid story with some interesting thrills and fun-to-figure-out twists and turns. But, the story needs more layers of professional and personal entanglement. The film needs more from Garret Radcliff's POV (Bryan Tyree Henry). Seeing how he'd got himself tangled up matters. Plus, that visual information tied to Ashley's role could've compensated for some of the weakness in this script. 

Brian Tyree Henry and Shinelle Azoroh star as Garret and Susan Radcliff in DON’T LET GO,Credit: Lacey Terrell / Universal Pictures

And again, more of the Radcliff family dynamic with Oyelowo at the center might've deepened both the drama and the emotional connection to the characters. Without them, the overall pace tends to drag in places resulting in a, too-long run time.  

Never Leave Tools In The Box 

The supporting cast lead by Storm Reid's Ashley all step up and bring nuance and angst to otherwise standard characters. Oyelowo and Reid have excellent chemistry. But, under-utilizing great actors like Brian Tyre Henry and Byron Mann stand as seriously missed opportunities. Director Estes leaned heavily on the Bobby character (Mykelit Williamson) to do too much heavy lifting in this plot. 

Mykelti Williamson stars as Bobby Owens in DON’T LET GO

He could've easily capitalized on the animosity between Oyelowo's character and Byron Mann's Detective Lee, to add mystery to the premise.

April Grace stars as Sgt. Julia Rodriguez and Byron Mann as Sgt. Roger Martin in DON’T LET GO

Had this story provided details and reasons as to why this pair could connect across space and time, the suspense and sci-fi elements it sorely needed, Don't Let Go may well have given Frequency a run for its money. Leaving that aspect unexplained undercut the suspense a bit and left parts of the story sorely underdeveloped. It's not a fatal flaw but it does disappoint. 

Don't Let Go is an interesting time-thriller with a workable story (just don't think too hard) with some emotional beats that will pull you in and keep you watching. 

Ro and Joi agree this film would've been better served by muddying the waters in their spoile...

Return to the land of Thra with Netflix Original series, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. 

For newcomers to the world of Jim Henson's puppetry, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to the cult classic movie, The Dark Crystal. For many, The Dark Crystal is a movie that traumatized and then shaped your horror movie baseline. Brace, because Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance fully realizes the promise of the original with epic storytelling and its focus on the macabre and magical.

Age of Resistance begins its story fifty years before the events in The Dark Crystal. The Skeksis are Lords of the Crystal and reign supreme over all the beings of Thra. The Lords of the Crystal have a special relationship with the seven Gelfling clans. This is an atmospheric dark fantasy populated by strange, captivating if frequently disturbing creatures brought to life with masterful puppetry. The CG and physical sets coupled with the attention to detail, and judicious hat-tips to the original look and feel, once again demonstrate the technical brilliance that is the true legacy of Jim Henson. 

It isn't necessary to have seen the original film to fall into the immersive world of Thra or invest in the epic journey of Age of Resistance. But, if you are an OG Dark Crystal fan, then this series definitely sets the stage to not only fill in the blanks in the storyline but expand your vision of the world of Thra as a whole. 

Age of Resistance is Not Here to Protect Delicate Sensibilities

Think long and hard before sharing it with children under the age of ten (seven if they're precocious). This is a quest that follows three Gelfling and those that rally to their cause. There's murder (LOTS of murder), betrayal, death-defying treks across the planet, unlikely friendships and character-defining choices to be made. The Gelfling live likes of (mostly) unknowing subjugation to the Skeksis. Unbeknownst to them, and the original protector of the Crystal of Truth Augraha, the Skeksis have perverted the power of the crystal in pursuit of immortality. Once discovered, it becomes a race against time to call the Gelfling clans to arms in order to rebel against the coming darkness. This is a grown-up premise brought to epic life with skillful storytelling that unfolds across ten (Ro's still convinced it only needed eight) episodes.

There are a few pacing hiccups and story glitches along the way that keep this from being a perfect bardic tale but overall Age of Resistance puts on a show (pun intended) very worth the watch for new fans and old. 

Ro and Brandon sat down for a spoiler-free chat about Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and its amazing voice cast. There'll be a short spoiler discussion (to come) for premium fans. 

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Hot on the heels of #PodcastWeek, the sports world went crazy. Some would say insane. That's why it was the perfect time to have on MTR's Editor In Chief Kriss on this week, as the show takes us from the soccer pitch to the octagon and from the squared circle to training camp. Come see where we land on everything you've been arguing about for the past 2 weeks!

Guest: Kriss - @insanityreport

 

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