The Kick

Thirty years after "Bull Durham," Kevin Costner remains one of baseball's most recognizable avatars. Between 1988 and 1999, the square-jawed, iron-armed movie star made three films about the quintessentially American aura of the game: "Field of Dreams," "Bull Durham," and "For Love Of The Game." This week, we're joined by Houston Chronicle reporter and Astros beat writer Hunter Atkins to assess Costner's baseball abilities, update Susan Sarandon's "Bull Durham" character, and question whether "Dad, do you wanna have a catch?" is just too much. Happy Opening Day to you and yours.

There's nothing more compelling than an unlikely spy — especially a good femme fatale out of her depth! Noah and Chance gather their best intelligence (read: listening to Marc Maron's podcast) and are fully authorized to debrief you on Jennifer Lawrence in "Red Sparrow," Angelina Jolie in "Salt" and Melissa McCarthy in "Spy."

We talk star power, agency in female-led action movies and why Paul Feig might need to reassess the way he spoofs genres. Much the way Chance recently hoisted razor clams out of the unforgiving Washington coastline, the guys dig at why audiences love some spy movies and pass on others (hint: it might be contemporary Russophobia!). While neither Chance nor Noah have gone to secret government podcasting school to train in the art of auditory manipulation, their love of critiquing is God given. The game is on!

Are you a top scientist gearing up to investigate an unexplainable phenomenon at a great distance from home? We warned you in one of our very early episodes to be careful. The rule still applies as Chance and Noah dissect Alex Garland’s sophomore film "Annihilation," Netflix’s Super Bowl Hail Mary “The Cloverfield Paradox,” and Paul W.S. Anderson’s cult classic “Event Horizon” in this deep dive into sci-fi horror.

Aided by the insights of film critic and biology student Ciara Wardlow, the findings of Be Reel’s research mission feature a bizarre Sam Neill performance, a few surprising thoughts on transgenic mutation, and someone's attempt to categorize all sci-fi films as “Cloverfield” movies. Regardless of who they were going in, Chance and Noah come out of this episode forever changed!

It’s that time again, movie-lovers! The Oscars — aka the Yom Kippur of cinema — are upon us again. It's five hours of network television so the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences can remember its 2017 highs (and lows) and take its own political temperature.

This year, our preview takes the form of Chance chiming in while Noah fills out his office's Oscar ballot. They talk dark horses and snubs while returning to the eternal Oscar pool question: "Do you wanna pick good movies, or do you wanna win?"

Alan Moore is inarguably among the best regarded comic writers of all time, but he’s also a mystery wrapped in an enigma. This week, Chance and Noah break down three comic-to-film adaptations in search of the man behind "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," "V for Vendetta" and "Watchmen." The guys are joined by Jake Dilley (24:10) of St. Louis' Comic HQ store to give a bit of context on Alan Moore and how comic enthusiasts view these adaptations. Then, GQ’s Scott Meslow (48:35) returns to Be Reel to discuss the American political allegory on display in the otherwise very British "V for Vendetta." We may not be super heroes by the traditional standards, but strap on your old utility belt and try to be very, verily vigilant. The game is on!

Because there aren't enough opinions out there about Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther," broken white boys Chance and Noah unpack the political read and narrative construction of this Marvel blockbuster. Is Wakanda a utopia or an acknowledgement of violence's place in society? Is globalism a responsibility or a danger for a tech- and resource-rich country? Unclear! But what is clear is that both guys have a real affection for Michael B. Jordan. Noah can't get over the ancestral plane, and Chance's only point of CGI reference is the Star Wars prequels.

Let the flags wave, the trumpets sound, and the Pink Eye medication take effect quickly! Chance and Noah are here to represent their podcast at the Winter Olympics of movies past. After some initial thoughts on the 2018 games, your hosts get into Miracle (2004), Cool Runnings (1993), and Eddie The Eagle (2016). They're all movies inspired by true underdog stories with the sap, grandstanding, and training montages you'd expect when it's ... [pauses for effect] ... inside what counts. From hockey to bobsledding to ski jumping, we break down all the sports movie cliches and discuss how you can still make an enjoyable film out of an inspirational formula and some weird, weird sports.

It takes two to tango, and Chance and Noah try not to step on each other’s feet in this week’s episode of Be Reel. Your hosts unpack the romances, trials and tropes of dance movie classics and upstarts alike with “Dirty Dancing,” “Save the Last Dance” and “Step Up,” questioning why these movies were made, if boppin’ around in your seat is a litmus test for quality, and why your mom (plus one of your hosts) is obsessed with Patrick Swayze.

Meryl Cates, who's written about dance for The New Yorker and works as a publicist for The Met, edifies us on the legacy of dance films and how realistic and talented these actors are as big screen dancers. And while the guys don’t agree on much this week, nobody puts Be Reel in the ... well, you get it.

What better way to deconstruct the method to Nicolas Cage's apparent madness than by looking at telling moments in which he played dads ... bad dads! In the newly released "Mom and Dad," Cage loses his cool and endeavors to murder his children (5:05). Plus, film critic Andy Crump joins our show to discuss why this new VOD horror outing contains the best Cage freakout in a decade (23:20). In "Matchstick Men," OCD Cage attempts to connect with his estranged daughter by teaching her how to be a con lady (42:25). And speaking of cons, Cage is desperate (sort of) to get back to a daughter he’s never met in the '90s classic "Con Air" (57:00). Prepare yourself for bad impersonations, outrageous claims, and conflicting opinions on a one-of-a-kind film career in this all-Cage episode!

Chance and Noah do a podcast, and you're going to hear us ROAR! On this week's episode, we take on pop musicians by unpacking their self-produced documentaries. In Demi Lovato's "Simply Complicated," the guys are torn about objectivity and ulterior motives. In Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never," Chance and Noah spar over whether Bieber is a talented performer or a symptom of parasitic celebrity culture. Finally, in Katy Perry's "Part of Me," Chance would maybe grab a beer with this surprising acolyte of Alanis Morissette, while Noah can't get over how terrible a husband Russell Brand was. If this genre isn't your cup of tea, sorry not sorry.