Hey, I gotta make sure everyobody knows that it's the new one, right? What if some dude or gal decides they want to listen to us take apart Raymond Burr as Steve Martin in the hallowed original? Eh? Alright, no, takers, but the year remains. ANYWAY....

It's time the Wages of Cinema returns to take on some GIANT DAMN MONSTERS! We have done many episodes on this - look back in our archives, especially with former co-host Andrew (who sadly couldn't be on this episode) - but now we return to the new WB/Legendary franchise proper. And Jack is joined by not one but two special guests, one being Guest Star Matt Catania, but another making his WoC debut: Mr. Alex Valderana (who you can listen to our interview with on the Local Vocal series, from late 2017). As a massive connosieur of these movies, from *all* the eras, it seemed most fitting and apt to have him on to talk about the newest entry (via director Michael Doughterty, of Krampus and Trick R Treat).

What'd we think? Listen to find out! (Spoilers begin to fight at 35:30 in).

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- trailers are from the original theatrical 1956 release, the *VHS* release from the 90s, and the 2019 one.

Oh my goodness! As it turns out, we have discovered the Pym particles and can manage to travel to time to before we recorded the Endgame episode, hence number 134! Or.... we messed up and skipped an episode number and are going back now to fill in the gap missing. Don't judge us, we're all human! Whadda we look like, John Wick? (If that indeed is his name, sir!)

Although John Wick previously was discussed on the Wages of Cinema (or Jack previously did) - the first one is on episode 48, and possibly part 2 as well somewhere in time - with the third "Chapter", Parabellum, Jack decided to take the occasion to get his co-host, Wifely-Duties Korey, up to speed on the movie series to see the new one. What did we think? Tune in to find out. Oh, and we didn't put a SPOILER warning at the top, but just know it's safe to assume if you haven't seen the movies, and don't want to be spoiled, maybe check them out first. You don't want to have someone with a pencil come to your house or your car or.... oh, just kidding!

- email: [email protected]

- clips from the trailers to John Wick (2014), John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

After the events of Infinity War, we knew we had to come back for part two (well, at any rate, we have this podcast, what else would us four Wagers - Jack, Korey, Andrew and Guest Star Matt - have to do on opening weekend?) How would it turn out after that big fat Thanos snap? How would the characters overcome and have that vengeance part of their name? Could they? And hey, what's Scott Lang doing here?

This is the Endgame, people! All four of the regular group have assembled, so check it out all here (SPOILERS at 22 minutes in).

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- Song: The Beatles "The End"

- Clips: Avengers Endgame Trailer; The Avengers Cartoon

(PS: I know this is episode 135 and where is episode 134? Um... we'll figure it out)

Lou Pearlman, whatever happened to him? Oh (looks at notes) he died in 2016. But why is he suddenly relevant - the Boy Band Manager-Impressario-Svengali who managed to bring together a bunch of kids in Orlando to form two super-mega groups (Backstreet Boys and N'Sync, remember them? Go ask your sister, she'll know, or maybe your brother, too)? Is it only in the midst of a wave of documentaries like Fyre (about the scam Fyre Festival and Billy McFarland) or Leaving Neverland (about Michael Jackson's alleged predation on young boys)? Or does it have something else to say? Maybe it's the ultimate post-Capitalist nightmare cocktail?

Jack and Korey take a look at the new documentary THE BOY BAND CON, which premiered at SxSW and is now on YouTube premium, as well as a "movie" (we should use quotes, right?) for something that Lou Pearlman and his Transcontinental company put together in 2001 called LONGSHOT. Never heard of it? You may find out why in this new episode of the Wages of Cinema (and boy did we pay some today...)

- song clip used is from LFO "Summer Girls" (song owned by... who knows, but this podcast is owned by me)

SPOILERS at 37 1/2 minutes in.

Who is SHAZAM!? Why is SHAZAM?! When is SHAZAM!? But really, why would DC make a movie out of a character who used to be so wholesome and then become somewhat less but still charming in the New 52? Well.... Zack Snyder might be a reason... But anyway, David F Sandberg has delivered the latest comic book offering (which, as chance would have it, some would say is the *second* Captain Marvel movie in theaters out now.... and both with DJIMON HUNSOU?!

Here's out review, featuring the one and only Matthew Catania, aka Guest Star Matt, of https://mattthecatania.wordpress.com

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SPOILERS at 40 mins in.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe just hit 21 films! Woo! What are they gonna do for the big 21! Go out drinking till they pass out? Um... actually, they're just going to, I dunno, finally have a female-protagonist-led movie that helps to tie in the previous and next Avengers movies with an Academy Award winning actress, and that darn cat who... well, we're getting ahead of ourselves just a bit mentioning him (Or her, or maybe multiple cats, we'll see who were the Cat Actors, or Catctors..)

Guest Star Matt (of the Blog https://mattthecatania.wordpress.com) joins us for a record-breaking... we've lost count actually, alongside Jack, "Wifely Duties" Korey and... oh my lord it's ANDREW back yet again (following the Aquaman review) to pick apart the latest MCU offering.

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This is different for us, and yet it is very much in keeping with the ethos of the Wages of Cinema which involves having long-winded and long-winging discussions about film. What makes this episode especially meaningful, however, where we talk about our favorite films of 2018 (and, frankly, the icon image may give one of them away, woops), is the very special guest this week! Jack has invited his Mom for the first time (aka "Motherly Duties Florence"), and she accepted! Listen in as she discusses the films of the year - and, frankly, SPOILS them left and right (so, fair notice, it's almost from the jump) - with the hosts and weighs in (stay tuned for the end where she ranks the best foreign film category at the Oscars)

Intro (public domain) song: Jubilee Stomp by Duke Ellington

Well, is this BEGUILING or what? A new romantic comedy in major release from Hollywood? Whodathunk it that someone would green light (gets a phone call) hold on, we need to get this... 'Uh huh... huh huh... oh I see, right, this is a Meta-textual satire on the romantic comedy genre as a whole and another in a line of films (like I Feel Pretty) deconstructing the image of women on film as empowered figures of self realization... right, gotcha, thanks helpful caller!'

Anyway, Jack and Korey saw Rebel Wilson in ISN'T IT ROMANTIC. Haven't heard of this one? You may want to see it before listening to this (light spoilers throughout), but otherwise, you may be more interested than you were before it started! Which... why not listen to podcasts re: movies for that?

CW: Liam Hemsworth playing saxophone. Just saying.

So... you know how just yesterday we talked about Glass and that had its own particular... ambitions and sense of itself as an auteur-driven work? It turns out, that's not the only star-filled movie out in theaters this January, and the director of the sleeper LOCKE (with Tom Hardy, remember? Sure you do, if not, go watch it, it's really good) Steven Knight managed to bring together Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway into a sordid and twisted neo-noir that will electrify audiences and.....

nah, we're just kidding, this got pushed back from an October release to January. This movie is a spectacle alright. What kind? You have to listen to find out. However, we strongly suggest seeing the movie first - we get into spoilers at 25 minutes in.

UNBREAKABLE! Because Females are Strong As He.... Hey, wait a minute, this isn't Kimmy Schmidt! (That comes out later, a different podcast anyway). No, Jack went to go see the new Masterpiece* by M. Night Shyamalan, and it leads to an in-depth (SPOILER-filled, no time-code, it's spoilers on parade, okay) discussion about this trilogy of movies, including Unbreakable, Split and Glass (Korey has only seen one of these... but she has some theories about what Unbreakable is about for sure!)

(*citation needed)

Song: Blondie's HEART OF GLASS.