If anyone can save physical media, it’s the Bey Hive.

In this week’s episode of SPINELESS, Nick and Brennan are joined by Chicago-based critic Cortlyn Kelly for a discussion of Beyoncé’s HOMECOMING, her 2019 concert film depicting the creation of her Coachella set the previous year. They talk concerts in general — including Cortlyn’s own Beyoncé experiences — and the continuing cultural legacy of Beyoncé before breaking down the jaw-dropping athleticism of the Homecoming performances. Plus, Nick introduces a new segment: the 4K Forecast (4Kast?), and Brennan reveals that he has been to a single concert in his lifetime and he will give you $100 if you guess what it was.

Read Cortlyn's writing at RogerEbert.com and The Art Idiot

Listen to Cortlyn's podcast Kaveh and CK's Screening Room

Beyoncé Bowl

The niche of physical media is growing. More and more movies are getting quality releases on the newest and best format, making any film not yet available on 4K disc...SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the 4K treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

On this week's episode of Spineless, Nick and Brennan get lost in the black goop that is Jonathan Glazer's UNDER THE SKIN (2013). We talk about the guerrilla-style approach to the production of the film, the differences between the film and the novel it's based on, and why the haunting visuals deserve a 4K upgrade. What would happen if you got crushed like a Danimals Crush Cup? Would we recognize Scarlett Johnansson out of context? Does an attack from a single rat constitute a "rat attack"? Plus, an in-depth investigation into whether certain "parts" of this film are real.

The Making of Under the Skin

2020 Announcement for TV Spin-Off

Danimals Crush Cup

The niche of physical media is growing. More and more movies are getting quality releases on the newest and best format, making any film not yet available on 4K disc...SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the 4K treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

It's time to play the music, light the lights, and meet the Muppets on this episode of Spineless!

Nick and Brennan are joined by puppeteer Jordan Brownlee (The Muppets Mayhem, The Muppet Show) to talk about everyone's favorite felted friends the Muppets in their first theatrical appearance: The Muppet Movie (1979). Jordan regales us with stories of working with Paul Williams, his time on the upcoming Muppet Show special, and how Animal is our best friend actually. How did Jim Henson make Kermit play the banjo in the middle of a pond? What is Gonzo, and is he from space? What are Dr. Teeth's arms made of? And, of course, mah na mah na.

Watch Jordan's work in The Muppet Show (2026) on February 4th on ABC and Disney+!

Follow Jordan @jordanthevoicesguy

Jordan (as Tiny Squirrel) with Paul Williams on Fox 32 Chicago

Jordan's first Muppet project: Mr. Blue Sky

Test footage from The Muppet Movie

Sweetums and Ruth Buzzi--"Can't Take My Eyes Off of You"

Patrick Willems: The Rise and Fall of Muppet Cinema

The niche of physical media is growing. More and more movies are getting quality releases on the newest and best format, making any film not yet available on 4K disc...SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the 4K treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

Go back to the cluuuuub with Nick, Brennan, and Wow Platinum for this episode of Spineless!

We're kicking off 2026 with a bang by unpacking one of the most notorious flops of the modern era. That's right, folks--it's Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis (2024), and it's the first film we're covering in the new era of Spineless, which is now: The Future Films of 4K! We go into the reasons behind our recent rebrand and what to expect for the future of the show before diving into the fabled production of FFC's grand vision. We also discuss Mike Figgis' illuminating behind-the-scenes documentary Megadoc (2025), which only confirms what we all suspected: Aubrey Plaza is the best part of Megalopolis. Tune in now to hear all about your good friends Sunny Hope and Cesar Catilina, and stay for some bonus content about Marty Supreme just for fun.

Jason Segel picture-eater

Be Kind Rewind's History of Megalopolis

The niche of physical media is growing. More and more movies are getting quality releases on the newest and best format, making any film not yet available on 4K disc...SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the 4K treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

The snow is falling, the carols are ringing, and J.K. Simmons is playing Santa Klaus. It must be Christmastime!

On this episode of Spineless, Nick and Brennan return to Netflix's 2019 animation slate with the modern Christmas classic KLAUS (2019), a heartwarming film about the world's most annoying mailman. Of course, there's general talk about Christmas movies, animation, and Cowgirl Jesse. There's also a small discussion about another certain movie starring J.K. Simmons as a buff Santa, but honestly, not as much as you would expect. Luckily we forgot to mention that director Sergio Pablos invented Despicable Me, so we spared you what was sure to be a lengthy Minions tangent. This will be the last Spineless episode of 2025--we'll see you next year!

Original teaser for Klaus

Director Sergio Pablos on why he made Klaus

Coppola Family Tree Mnemonic

Cars 4

The Grinch is when Christmas comes Out

The Criterion Collection is an ever-growing roster of movies deemed internationally significant on an artistic level. Each new film added to the collection is given a Spine Number, making any film NOT in the collection: SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the Criterion treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

Gobble gobble! On this episode of Spineless, Nick and Brennan get SEASONALLY APPROPRIATE as they discuss John Hughes’ best-aged (changes to air travel notwithstanding) film PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES (1987). They talk deleted scenes, bad 4k restorations, and the career of John Candy, the thought of which definitely does not make Brennan tear up whenever he thinks of it. Plus, Nick and Brennan debate which one of them is closer to having a wife (the answer is exactly who you would think).

Deleted Scenes

Rochester, NY--See Nick in How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical!

The Criterion Collection is an ever-growing roster of movies deemed internationally significant on an artistic level. Each new film added to the collection is given a Spine Number, making any film NOT in the collection: SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the Criterion treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

Ah, my little… Y’know.

Brennan finds himself in the now-familiar situation of being in a Kinney Sandwich where Kinneys are the bread and he is the meat as the Spineless Boys are joined by Macy Kinney, Nick’s newly-anointed sister-in-law, children’s librarian, and Little Women expert to discuss, well…. LITTLE WOMEN (2019). Curl up with a nice blanket as they dive in to the comfiest movie ever made about misogyny, war, and dying from scarlet fever. Plus, Macy unearths an embarrassing incident from Nick’s past and compares Greta Gerwig's adaptation to other versions of Louisa May Alcott's timeless story.

Read Macy's blog here, including her contemporary Little Women review from early 2020 and her review of Little Fillies, a Little Women/My Little Pony crossover event.

The Criterion Collection is an ever-growing roster of movies deemed internationally significant on an artistic level. Each new film added to the collection is given a Spine Number, making any film NOT in the collection: SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the Criterion treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

You won’t believe what Patrick Star (doesn’t) say.

This year's Spine-Chilling month of horror concludes with Karyn Kusama’s 2009 film JENNIFER’S BODY, which exists at the perfect intersection of horror and coming-of-age and accurately depicts the terror of being a teenage girl, the experience of adolescent girlhood (we think). We discuss the career-best performances of Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried and the film's growing status as a cult classic. Plus, a whole lot of past and future career talk — Chris Pratt’s future work as a LEGO, Diablo Cody’s future work on a certain musical about a Cinderella who is bad, and Roger from American Dad having a renowned career as Roger from American Dad.

Karyn Kusama's first feature Girlfight, available on Criterion

Maya Rudolph talking about her Bowflex

The Big Sick joke

Mario Casting Announcement Nintendo Direct

Bill Fagerbakke's line in the Unrated version of the film, cut from the theatrical release

The Criterion Collection is an ever-growing roster of movies deemed internationally significant on an artistic level. Each new film added to the collection is given a Spine Number, making any film NOT in the collection: SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the Criterion treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

It’s Halloween and we’re gonna discuss the scariest idea of all: age gap discourse.

In the first episode of their second annual SPINE-CHILLING MONTH OF HORROR, Nick and Brennan get all Biblical and take on the Antichrist with Richard Donner's 1976 staple of religious horror: THE OMEN. They’ll ask and answer many important questions: Who is our modern Gregory Peck? What would happen if you got rejected by a giraffe? Do you think the dogs in this film were friends with each other on set? It’s all for you, Damien, except for this podcast, which is only for our dear dear beautiful listeners.

The Criterion Collection is an ever-growing roster of movies deemed internationally significant on an artistic level. Each new film added to the collection is given a Spine Number, making any film NOT in the collection: SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the Criterion treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.

Harrison Ford. A one-armed man. Provasic.

These are the ingredients for The Fugitive, Andrew Davis' iconic Chicago-based thriller which became a pillar of 90s cinema. Nick and Brennan welcome to the show Jeremy Marder (manager and programmer at the Music Box Theatre and co-host of Four Stars: A Chicago Film Podcast) to break down Tommy Lee Jones' Oscar-winning performance, the authentic representation of the city, and the impressive adaptation of a boomer hit series. How did they film the literal trainwreck that makes him The Fugitive? What if someone wanted just a quick bite of Dr. Richard Kimble? Who switched the samples in the vestibule? Plus, Jeremy gets to learn about Harrison Ford's biggest role...and his reddest!

Listen to Four Stars: A Chicago Film Podcast

Visit the Music Box Theatre for one of Jeremy's upcoming screenings

Millhouse as The Fugitive

John Mulaney's The Fugitive bit

The Criterion Collection is an ever-growing roster of movies deemed internationally significant on an artistic level. Each new film added to the collection is given a Spine Number, making any film NOT in the collection: SPINELESS. Join Nick and Brennan (your very-favorite SPINELESS BOYS) as they cover the classic and contemporary films they feel are most deserving of the Criterion treatment.

REACH OUT TO THE SPINELESS BOYS:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @spinelessfilms

Letterboxd: @SpinelessFilms

As always, thank you to Joey Johnson for our music and to Sparrow Potter for our artwork.