Through the Lens

Alex and Davis welcome friend of the show Chris Dibias into the studio this week to discuss director Ari Aster's two horror films, Hereditary and Midsommar. The show opens with another light news segment, including the Scream 5 release date being announcing, a "That 70s' Show" sequel and Chris' opinion on Dune. They then break down both Hereditary and Midsommar, discussing some of the films' biggest plot points, plot twists, possible theories and how the two films are different.

Scary Movie Season has begun and Alex and Davis start off the month with a review of two iconic "slasher" films, Scream 1 and Scream 4. This episode begins with a short news segment that includes a House of the Dragon discussion and a review of last year's scary movie episodes. They then dive right into the original Scream, discussing the state of the horror film genre at the time and how the film works as a satire of the genre and the biggest tropes from other slasher films. The review of Scream 4 follows a similar path as both films mirror each other. They wrap up with final thoughts and they will be back next week to watch Hereditary and Midsommar.

For the final episode before scary movie season begins, Alex and Davis bring in friend of the show and host of Compact Discourse, Jack Hart. Before they get into the famous series they have to first go over some movie news from earlier in the week. They talk about Daniel Craig's criticisms of James Bond and his thoughts on creating new characters, new movie trailers and finish up with the announcement of the Mario animated movie cast. After the news they talk about their thoughts on the first three acclaimed Indiana Jones movies and rank them, and then move on to talk about the un-acclaimed movie Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and discuss why it is all of their least favorite.

This week's episode sees Alex and Davis break down Christopher Nolan's latest mind-bending film, Tenet. The show opens with an intro provided by Davis and a packed news segment. They discuss a number of Warner Brothers projects, including the Lost Boys remake, Denis Villeneuve's comments on the MCU and Christopher Nolan's departure from WB. The Tenet debate is less a debate and more an explanation as Alex and Davis share theories and try to answer the biggest questions from Nolan's latest film, with a short discussion on the music as always.

In the newest installment of Through the Lens, Alex and Davis tackle the daunting task of reviewing the iconic Spider-Man trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire. They begin the show by discussing a number of trailers released in the past week, including the Matrix: Resurrections, Hawkeye, and West Side Story. They follow that up with a more serious tribute to the passing of legendary entertainers Michael K. Williams and Norm Macdonald. After the news, they get right into talking about the legendary and sometimes contentious Raimi trilogy. They go over what they like and dislike about each movie, and if the trilogy stands up to the test of time.

Alex and Davis are back on their foreign film expedition as they discuss Best Picture winner Parasite and much more. The show opens with a discussion on the passing of Ed Asner(Carl in Up), CinemaCon news and what makes foreign films so good. Then they break down Parasite, talking about what makes this film standout, from its cast and story to its symbolism and commentary on society. You can follow the show on instagram @through_the_lens_wegl and contact Alex and Davis for any movies you would like them to review.

Alex and Davis tackle the Suicide Squad films(2016 and 2021) in their first episode since May. They opened the show with a news discussion, including the theories and implications from the new Spider-Man trailer. Then they dive right into Suicide Squad 2016, discussing where the movie went wrong, from the incredible hype and marketing to the disjointed mess that hit theaters. The segment on The Suicide Squad 2021 saw more positivity from the duo, including praise for Gunn's unique style and the stellar cast.

For the final episode of the school year, Alex and Davis revise their Top 10 movie list from their inaugural episode. They made some serious changes, including fifteen movies instead of ten. They start the show as usual with some movie news, including a debate on what went wrong with the Oscars this past Sunday. They start off their lists with honorable mentions before going one-by-one listing their (current) favorite movies of all time.

And the Academy Award for Best Picture goes to.... tune in this week to find out which movies should win Best Picture this Sunday at the 93rd annual Oscars. The movies nominated are Trial of the Chicago Seven, Judas and the Black Messiah, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Mank, Minari, Sound of Metal, and The Father. Prior to that discussion Alex and Davis got into yet another discussion about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its perceived lack of variety. You can follow along for updates about the show @Through_the_Lens_wegl on Instagram.

The Academy Award for Best Actress goes to........ tune in this week to find out who Alex and Davis are picking to win Best Actress this year. The nominees for this year are Andra Day in The US vs. Billie Holiday, Viola Davis in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Frances McDormand in Nomadland, Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman and Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman. They also start the show off with an impromptu debate about the best comic book movies to date, and where Spider-Man 2 fits onto that list.