The Cold Open Podcast

In the Cold Open Mini #40, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels discuss Zack Snyder’s redemptive Netflix zombie/heist movie Army of the Dead, which might be the most Zack Snyder film ever made–and also his best film by a long shot.

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In the Cold Open Mini #39, the last of our seven pods dissecting Director Zack Snyder’s 4 hour (re)cut version of DC’s The Justice League, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels examine the film’s seventh and final part: Epilogue–A Father Twice Over. In this episode we address the looming cumulative questions: Is the Snyder Cut better than the original (yes, by a long shot)? But even if it’s “better,” does that mean it’s good (ymmv)? And what are the limits of auteurist readings of pre-sold properties? What audience, exactly, is this supposed to be for? Does the epilogue even matter in that will any of the many possible suggested sequels be made? With what end goal in mind was this movie green-lit? Does anyone really like Jared Leto’s Joker or Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor? And, finally, what does its being made for and released primarily on HBO Max mean for the future of the film industry?

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In the Cold Open Mini #38, the sixth of our seven pods dissecting each of part of Director Zack Snyder’s 4 hour (re)cut version of DC’s The Justice League, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels delve into Part 6: “Something Darker.” We discuss a variety of issues, including the movie’s ongoing Superman problems, Snyder’s skill with action sequences and infatuation with corn fields and perpetual magic hours, and Jason Mamoa’s embrace of his inner McConaughey.

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!

In the Cold Open Mini #37, the fifth of our seven pods dissecting each of part of Director Zack Snyder’s 4 hour (re)cut version of DC’s The Justice League, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels delve into Part 5: All the King’s Horses. We discuss a variety of issues, the major ones being the hard, cold fact that the combination of Superman’s unyielding goodness and near invincibility renders him a hard to care about milquetoast character, the contention that Ben Affleck is the best Batman, and our belief that a romantic comedy featuring the star-crossed screwball hijinks of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Affleck’s Batman is the best possible movie that could come out of the DC universe.

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!

In the Cold Open Mini #36, the fourth of our seven pods dissecting each of part of Director Zack Snyder’s 4 hour (re)cut version of DC’s The Justice League, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels examine Part 4: “Change Machine.” We discuss a variety of things, including our thoughts about the ways heavy exposition can slow a movie’s narrative pace to a crawl, our questions about Darkseid’s motivations, or lack thereof, especially as compared to the MCU’s Thanos, and the elephant in the room writ large in this part: our difficulty buying into Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!

In the Cold Open Mini #35, the third of our seven pods dissecting each of part of Director Zack Snyder’s 4 hour (re)cut version of DC’s The Justice League, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels examine Part 3: Beloved Mother, Beloved Son. We discuss a variety of things, including our thoughts about the daddy and mommy issues that apparently haunt all super heroes, the parallels between Ezra Miller’s Flash and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and our suspicion that Jason Mamoa might be acting in a different movie.

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!

In the Cold Open Mini #34, the second of our seven pods discussing each of part of Director Zack Snyder’s 4 hour (re)cut version of DC’s The Justice League, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels examine Part 2: The Age of Heroes. We discuss a variety of things, including our thoughts about Zack Snyder’s love affair with slow motion, the glorious fetishization of Jason Mamoa, and the idea that maybe the movie isn’t as derivative as it initially appears if you believe in the idea that there are no new stories, as evidenced by the narrative similarities between The Justice League and any number of varying literary and cinematic mythos. But can old stories be told in new ways, and, if so, does The Snyder Cut do so? And did humans really think burying a mother box in a shallow grave was a sound idea?

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!

In the Cold Open Mini #33, the first of our seven pods looking at each of part of Director Zack Snyder’s 4 hour (re)cut version of DC’s The Justice League, Kynde Kiefel and Robert Sickels examine Part 1: “Don’t Count On It, Batman.” We discuss a variety of initial responses, including our thoughts about the choice of a 4 x 3 aspect ratio, the excellent use of music throughout, and our questions as concerns where superheroes get their money. Is defending the world from evil a job or a calling???

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!

In The Cold Open Mini #32.2, Robert Sickels and Kathryn Frank rank the top 5 of the more than 60 movies to date that feature Marvel Comics’ characters. This pod includes only one crossover pick and a lot of great discussion about a ton of fantastic movies and their roots in the comics as well their cultural and industrial impact!

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!

https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/the-cold-open-mini-32.2.mp3

In The Cold Open Mini #32.1, Robert Sickels and Kathryn Frank rank the bottom 5 of the more than 60 movies to date that feature Marvel Comics’ characters. This pod includes surprisingly little crossover and a controversial top pick from Kathryn!

The Cold Open Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please rate, review, and subscribe!