Regular Joes Podcast

As we start 2022 with a clean slate and high hopes for a better times ahead, this week we relive the joys of the holiday season with the Regular Joes annual holiday gift exchange. The Joes are notoriously some of the most difficult people to buy gifts for, so listen in as they tear gift wrap and rustle tissue paper as they try to surprise each other. After the gift giving, they discuss the season finale of Marvel's holiday series, Hawkeye. It's a double shot of holiday fun to start 2022. Happy New Year, and as always, thanks for listening!

Spider-Man No Way Home, the fourth, and most anticipated of the Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings this year is out and … just, Wow! Despite COVID concerns, and the widely predicted demise of the theater industry, the newest Spidey film is breaking box office records. It also seems to be a critical success, winning over both audiences and reviewers. So I guess that is still possible too. With anticipation, and speculation, at an all-time high this film had a high bar to clear, or perhaps swing over. Did it meet the Regular Joes expectations? Seriously, we can't even fake suspense over that question. See the movie, then listen to the podcast, as there will be SPOILERS. In this bonus sized episode (making up for a lost week) there's also the usual Random Topics, a rare instance of Shirt Up, and because you (at least one of you) asked for it a run down of favorite holiday gifts, specials, movies and music. Merry, Merry! Thanks for listening!

Ghostbusters is high up on the Regular Joes list of favorite films. From the very first teaser for Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters Afterlife the Joes have been waiting with varying degrees of optimism about what would ultimately be delivered. After, again, COVID related delays, the film is finally here. To cut to the chase, critics hate it, the Joes love it, and if Ghostbusters holds a special place in your heart you should too. Note: there will be SPOILERS. So maybe watch first, listen later. Next up the team take a look at Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery. Which, somewhat, bizarrely, they also all agree upon. What do they think? Well, there are many different incarnations of Star Trek. If you've been waiting for a Trek series where most of the episodes are devoted to talking about the crew members, and they're significant others, feelings, while the actual mission moves along at sub-impulse speed than this is the one for you. Enjoy! And while they're at it, there's also Random Topics and a Round of What's In The Box. Thanks for listening!

This past week Disney+ launched their fourth live action Marvel Cinematic Universe based show. WandaVision was very good but uneven, Falcon and the Winter Soldier was kind of a meandering, missed opportunity and Loki seemed to be going somewhere . . . but then didn't. So, does Hawkeye finally hit the target? The answer is a clear maybe, sort of, we'll see. Two episodes in opinions are mixed. There's a lot of speculation about what we might see, or want to see. But, as we well know, the powers that be at Disney have their own ideas, and agendas, to pursue. While we are on the MCU subject straggler Dave has finally seen Shang Chi, the second of four Marvel films for 2021. As such it's time for the Regular Joe's to share their SPOILERS thoughts on this Martial Arts / Action-Adventure / superhero origin film. It's two slices of Marvel in one episode, and also Random Topics and a Round of What's In The Box. Thanks for listening!

Once you've done something twenty-five times getting it right should be pretty much a walk in the park. The Eternals, the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe offering may indicate otherwise. Over the last dozen years Marvel has gone back to the well several times to pull relatively obscure characters such as Ant-Man and The Guardians of the Galaxy to elevate them to high profile hits. As one of the later creations of the legendary Jack Kirby (Captain America, The Fantastic Four etc, etc.) The Eternals certainly have the DNA to be a hit. But why does this adaptation seem so, well . . . Meh? The Regular Joes all returned to theaters last week contributing to the box office, if not critical, success of the newest MCU film. Find out why they (even typically drinks the Marvel kool Aid, Tod) fall in line with the near universal indifferent response the film has received. And while they are on the subject of Marvel they run down recent movie and TV series updates from Disney+ Day . . . despite Barry and Dave's repeated efforts to shift the conversation to Star Wars. And while they are at it, there's also Random Topics and a Round of What's In The Box. Thanks for listening!

While there are very few certainties in life, it's pretty darn likely that if there's a Rhode Island Comic Con the Regular Joes will be there. It's also a given that as long as there's a sofa in the Omni Providence lobby the Joes will be making yet another run at their traditional guerrilla talk show. Some years they find many guests, in others it just ends up being a small group of good friends talking about the stuff that inspires, excites and unites them. This year Barry, Dave and Tod are again joined by Brian and Derryl as they discuss who they met, what they found, and why the biggest convention in the littlest state keeps bringing them back . . . even if Carl Weathers is kind of a greedy bastard. Thanks for listening!

The Regular Joes take time out from packing for their (mostly) annual pilgrimage to the Rhode Island Comic Con to check out the recent bumper crop of Trailers and Teasers for, The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, The Beatles: Get Back on Apple +, House of the Dragon coming to HBO, Sandman and Ozark season 3 on Netflix, and over on Amazon Prime, there's The Wheel of Time and The Witcher season 2. And, to quote the late pitchman Billy Mays, "But wait, there's more!" Also, coming soonish to a theater near you, there's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Morbius, Moonfall, Lightyear and The Batman. That's a whole lot to be looking forward to, or maybe not. Find out which of these have ramped up the Joe's expectations and which fail to do the job. Order now and you'll also get Random Topics and a Round of What's In The Box. Additional shipping and handling charges may apply. Thanks for listening!

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune (2021) is the third effort to adapt Frank Herbert's landmark 1965 novel. After the first cinematic attempt 1984 (too compressed) and a later mini-series 2000 (faithful but slow) failed to do justice to the source material a different approach was needed. Is it possible to spoil a 55 year old story? Let's just say the execution this time around was clearly ambitious in regard to production … if not in scope. Halloween is a favorite holiday for the Regular Joe's. This episode they take time out to talk about some of their favorite costumes in the distant, and not too distant past. Successes, failures, and some ideas never fully realized. There's also the usual Random Topics and a round of What's in the Box. Thanks for listening!

After nearly 60 years and 25 (official) movies it's safe to say James Bond films have developed certain expectations. You have a disfigured bad guy with a vague accent, an island base, lots of henchmen, and a global threat. Add in some fast cars, the prerequisite beautiful women, and you start to get the idea that No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's final (he really means it this time) turn as James Bond is just like so many other Bond Films. Only, it's not. Ok, you know how sometimes the Regular Joes say there are SPOILERS and then try to be somewhat circumspect about what happens. Yeah, this is not one of those times. If you have not yet seen No Time To Die, and you want to, you really should do that first. This week the Joes ruminate and reflect on Daniel Craig's 15 year run as Bond, how those films hold up, and where the franchise goes from here. And yes, one last time, there will be *****SPOILERS*****

This week, the Regular Joes take on 3 new series to see if they are worth the effort...Hulu's Y The Last Man, NBC's LaBrea and CBS's Ghosts. Are they welcomed additions to the fall TV line up or destined to be forgotten at the bottom of a California tourist attraction / tar pit? Dave, Barry and Tod let you know what they think, you can let us know what you think. The boys also run down the lengthy list of movies and shows hitting between now and the end of the year to see what they are most excited about. All that, plus the usual Random Topics and a round of What's in the Box. As always, thanks for Listening!