Yo Yo Yo, The Binge Crusader Jack Falvey joins Pete as they watch Tim Burtons Batman from 1989. They discuss similarities between this film and The Dark Knight, Michael Keaton’s hair, iconic dialogue, iconic shots, toys, and everything Batman. Sync up or just listen, while we watch Batman. Enjoy!
This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend.
What movie will you see?
American Assassin
After his girlfriends tragic death and the weight of his past, Mitch Rapp gets enlisted by the CIA to train as a black op. Starring in this action flick are Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Taylor Kitsch, Scott Adkins, Charlotte Vega, Sanaa Lathan, and more. Michael Cuesta takes the helm of director. Cuesta has directed 2014’s Kill the Messenger, Roadie, and several episodes of Homeland and Dexter. Don’t be an ass. Go see American Assassin in theaters.
Brad’s Status
Ben Stiller stars as Brad Sloan who takes his son on a college visitation tour and while doing so, runs into old friends that change Brad’s look on his life. Also starring in this dramedy are Austin Abrams, Jenna Fischer, Michael Sheen, Jermaine Clement, Luke Wilson, and more. Mike White is the writer and director of this flick. White has writen The Emoji Movie, Nacho Libre, School of Rock, and Orange County. What’s your status this weekend? Oh, going to check Brad’s Status? Cool.
Mother!
Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem allow strangers to stay in their home. However, their relationship is tested and things are not what they seem. Also starring in this dramatic horror flick are Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, and more. Darren Aronofsky is the writer and director of Mother!. Aronofsky’s last 4 directorial films are Noah, Black Swan, The Wrestler, and The Fountain. Don’t be a mother f’er, go see Mother in theaters this weekend.
This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend.
What movie will you see?
A Ghost Story
First off, this is not a horror movie. A Ghost Story is about a recently deceased husband who is lurking around his wife in a white sheet, but I don’t think she can see him. Starring in this drama romance flick are Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. David Lowery is the writer and director of A Ghost Story. Lowery has directed a ton of shorts, Pete’s Dragon (2016), and is set to direct a live action Peter Pan flick. How many Pan flicks do we need? Anyway, go check out A Ghost Story this weekend.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
This Spider-Man flick takes place several months after the events in Civil War. Tom Holland is back to reprise his Peter Parker/Spider-Man role from Civil War, while the rest of the cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, and more. Jon Watts swings his way into the director’s chair as well as writing the screenplay. Watts has directed 2014’s Clown, and Cop Car. I know everyone will see this movie this weekend. So enjoy.
No Binge listeners. This is not the second part of our Alien Retrospective. For this, a show containing an interview and a few reviews, I thought I would make it its own thing? Is making it its own thing a thing?
Anyway, on this 40 plus minute show I get to interview the beautiful Teri Reeves, one of the stars of the brand new film Black Site Delta, coming to select theaters May 5th and Video On Demand & ITunes on May 9th. Reeves details what it’s like playing in the boy’s club of action movies, and if she would be open to doing a romantic comedy, among other subjects. I would like to thank Reeves for her time, as she was very fun to talk to.
But that’s not all. I also review Get Out, The Founder, talk about the controversial new Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, and give a slight preview to tomorrow’s Alien Retrospective posting. Download below, CS’ers.
This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend and why you should go see them. Which one will you see?
The Founder
Reasons to see this:
This movie is about Ray Kroc, the “founder” of McDonalds. Hungry yet? Ray Kroc is played by Michael Keaton, while other cast members include, Linda Cardellini, Nick Offerman, Patrick Wilson, Laura Dern, and John Carroll Lynch. Directing this biographical drama is John Lee Hancock. Hancock has directed many “based on a true story” movies, such as, The Rookie, The Alamo, and Saving Mr. Banks. Go see The Founder at a theater near a McDonalds.
Split
Reasons to see this:
Shama-lama-ding-dong is back to direct another horror thriller. Split is about 3 girls who get kidnapped by a man who has 24 distinct personalities. This cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), James McAvoy, Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen), Brad William Henke (Orange is the New Black), and more. Shyamalan’s last 4 directorial films are The Happening, The Last Airbender, After Earth, and The Visit. Now, hit the theater with your friends and Split the snacks.
xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Reasons to see this:
The title says it all. Vin Diesel returns as Xander Cage in this action adventure franchise. Samuel L. Jackson also returns, while the other cast includes Donnie Yen (Rogue One), Ruby Rose (Orange is the New Black), Toni Collette, and more. D.J. Caruso directs Vin this time. Caruso’s last 4 directorial films are Disturbia, Eagle Eye, I Am Number Four, and The Disappointments Room. Since Xander is returning, maybe it’s time you return to the theater for some xXx.
Here we are again, Bingers. Time to tackle a franchise for your listening pleasure. Though this time, we will be tackling two at a time. Sort of.
Let me explain where I’m coming from here. For our special lead in to Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, I decided to look at the two characters surrounding it by asking two other guys from the site, who also happen to be huge fans of their respected characters, to come on the Aftertaste and discuss them both at length.
First up, Batman. And doing the honors of dissecting this character with me is the New England Patriots loving, Pulp Fiction addict (cue echo) JACK VALLEY. Listen in as Jackie Boy and I go over each portion of Bats in his media conquering pedestal.
Some of the questions we go over here:
How did Jack become such a big fan of the character?
Just how big WAS Nicholson’s contract to appear in Batman, and why was he paid for movies he wasn’t even in?
How much does the Halle Berry starring Catwoman fit into the DC universe, if at all?
What does Batman ’66 have in common with Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises?
What is Jack’s LEAST favorite characterization of Bruce Wayne?
What is the biggest missed opportunity of Tim Burton’s two directed Batman films?
Who else was paid to NOT be in Batman Returns?
What does Batman & Robin have in common with The Dark Knight Rises?
Is the relationship between Wayne and Gordon in the Nolan films similar to how it was in the comics?
How’s Nolan’s characterization of Scarecrow?
What is the’George Bush Theory’ that surrounds The Dark Knight?
How do we feel Batman Vs Superman Dawn of Justice looks?
So click that little download button on the bottom of this page and get ready for a bat of a good time. Gross.
Welcome to the March 1st edition of Working the Weekend with Luke here at the home of the best podcast in the business, Binge Media. This week, I put an end to my Oscar talk, pay tribute to an iconic character, and finally discuss the best prequel, sequel, and spin-off show on television. So let’s get to it.
If you’re familiar to the site, then you’ve seen how much I’ve written about the Oscars over the past six weeks. There were reviews and criticisms and a fan vote and last Sunday, it was finally showtime. And I’d have to say, all in all, most of the winners were who they were supposed to be. But just so I can finally put my Oscar talk to bed, let’s take a quick recap of what happened last Sunday night.
For the most part, I thought Neil Patrick Harris did a good job hosting. We all knew the opener was going to be a musical number, and I thought it was pretty solid. The Anna Kendrick bonus certainly didn’t hurt either (an excuse to put this picture up again).
I think the only hiccup that NPH really had was the “it takes a lot of balls to wear that dress” joke. I’ve got no problem with the joke itself, but the timing was a little poor after Dana Perry had mentioned her son’s suicide, but I’m actually wondering if he even heard her say that. For one, the music was playing her off of the stage, and he may have been waiting for his cue with the joke already on his mind. But other than that, I thought he was pretty solid.
And let’s get this out of the way. Stop whining people. The right movie won. No, Birdman didn’t have the real-life content of Selma or American Sniper, but it was a better movie. It doesn’t mean that the Academy is racist (do we remember the guilt vote for 12 Years A Slave last year) or that they don’t respect Chris Kyle. The movies just weren’t as good. And I know that there’s still a ton of people that think Boyhood should have won. Seriously, why? I said it before and I’ll say it again. The movie was average. I respect the process, but I just needed more than what was given to me. I know the focus is supposed to be on the boy, but I wanted more of the parents. Maybe that’s the father in me talking, but I thought Ethan Hawke was pretty solid and Patricia Arquette certainly did deserve the statuette she walked away with. The relationship between divorced parents is not an easy one, and I thought this was the only really good part of the movie. Otherwise, I was a little bored.
But not as bored as I was with The Theory of Everything. I think they really missed the boat with this movie. The story of Stephen Hawking is truly a remarkable one, but this was just off. They also didn’t include some very key details about the divorce and his second marriage. Oh, you didn’t know that he married one of his nurses and then divorced her as well? If you’re going to make a biopic, then make it. But don’t tell me that this is a great love story. What was given to me was a movie that was trying to be as good as A Beautiful Mind and failed. With that being said, I do think that Eddie Redmayne did a fantastic job in his portrayal of Hawking. But I must say that I was truly surprised when his name was called for Best Actor. I really thought it was Michael Keaton’s turn and I’m quite certain I’m not alone in that thought. But as usual, he took it like a pro when given the chance to speak when Birdman won Best Picture. “I’m just happy to be here.” Once again, one of Hollywood’s most underrated actors showed why he’s one of the most respected people in Tinseltown. I hope this Keaton resurgence continues. And just make a second Beetlejuice already.
So what was my favorite acceptance speech, you ask? I like the political one. Oh, that could be nearly all of them. But seriously, it was actually a tie for me.
J.K. Simmons is simply amazing and he’s cooler than you. Don’t believe me? Well, Law does. If you missed his article a few weeks ago, check it out HERE. I, too, have been a fan of this guy for a long time and it’s nice to finally see him getting some real recognition. This was easily the biggest lock of Oscar night and as an avid watcher of the Academy Awards, I know that they always start with this category, so I knew he’d be leading things off and he didn’t disappoint. Well done sir.
This was absolutely beautiful. There’s not much more I can say than that.
So to sum up, I’d say that it was a decent Oscar night. I thought every single musical performance was great and they were all so different, but in a good way. Hell, we got to see The Lonely Island perform live and it was awesome (yep, pun intended). Tim McGraw’s performance of the saddest damn song ever written was fantastic, but the right song won. The performance of “Glory” was so moving and powerful. Just ask Chris Pine.
It’s okay Chris. Blockbuster season is right around the corner, so we can finally put the Oscar talk on hold for a while. I’m sure I’ll be back with another series next year.
BETTER CALL SAUL
At some point, this will need its very own article. But with all of my Oscar talk, I haven’t had a free moment to mention Better Call Saul in this column yet. As you can obviously see by my weekly intro, I’m a huge fan of Breaking Bad, so when word got out that there was going to be a Saul Goodman spin-off, I was ecstatic. While most people look to Gus Fring as their favorite secondary character, I was a Saul guy and a Mike guy. So what do I get more of?
I won’t get into spoilers just yet, as I’ll probably do a season one wrap-up once everything has aired, but I’m digging the show thus far. Some people are wanting it to be Breaking Bad, but it’s not, and it’s not supposed to be. Sure, it’s awesome to see some old faces pop up here and there (tell me you didn’t have an “OHHHHHH” moment at the end of the first episode), but this show has to stand on its own two legs and they’re succeeding. It’s great to watch Bob Odenkirk get the chance to do different things with this character. I’m all in with Better Call Saul. I can’t wait to see where this goes. I mean, besides knowing that we’re going here.
RIP LEONARD NIMOY
I’m not going to pretend to be a Star Trek expert. Honestly, I really didn’t even really get into it until the reboot a few years ago. But nobody can deny that Leonard Nimoy is an American icon. Even people that have never watched a single second of any of the movies or series know who Spock is. And from everything I’ve ever read about Nimoy, he seems like a class act. Rest in peace, Leonard Nimoy. You certainly lived long and prospered.
Thoughts or comments on the Oscars, Better Call Saul, or Leonard Nimoy? You can leave them below or follow me on Twitter and tweet @THElukenorris. And don’t forget to check in tomorrow morning for the Bingecast. The guys have been “giggling for 2 days” so I’m sure we’re all in for a treat.
Ladies and gentlemen…welcome to “Working the Weekend with Luke” and my continuing coverage of the Academy Awards. It’s finally Oscar night and I’m here to reveal how the Binge Media fans voted in every single category and to give you my picks in…you guessed it, every single category (even the ones I know absolutely nothing about).
As I said last week, I know Oscar night isn’t for everybody. But it’s always been a great night for me, even when the movies I pick or want to win get the cold shoulder. Or just don’t get nominated (yes, I’m still upset about The Lego Movie). It’s a night that for years I’ve been able to share with the people closest to me and this year will be no exception. But hey, it’s almost showtime, so let’s see how the voting went down. Thanks to all those who participated. And the Oscar goes to…….
BEST PICTURE
Fan vote: Boyhood-50%
My vote: Birdman
I honestly can’t get behind the push for Boyhood in this category. Yes, I know it took twelve years to make and the commitment of the actors and blah, blah, blah. Honestly, I thought the film was good, but not even in the vicinity of great. Birdman, on the other hand, was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. From the writing to the acting to the amazing single shot approach, there really isn’t a race this year to me.
BEST ACTOR
Fan vote: Michael Keaton-60%
My vote: Michael Keaton
It’s time and it’s well deserved. I respect every single nomination in this category this year, but as the only actor who wasn’t an actual person, Keaton just brought it…end of story.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Fan vote: J.K. Simmons-100%
Myvote: J.K. Simmons
The only vote to get 100% and that’s okay with me.
BEST ACTRESS
Fan vote: Julianne Moore-79%
Myvote: Julianne Moore
Probably the biggest lock for Best Actress since 2000.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Fan vote: Patricia Arquette-64%
My vote: Patricia Arquette
Very decent candidates here, but Patricia Arquette really earned this one. Maybe it’s because she stuck with a project for twelve years when not a lot of other opportunities were coming her way, or maybe she was just the glue that really stuck that mediocre movie together.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Fan vote: How to Train Your Dragon 2-64%
My vote: How to Train Your Dragon 2
And the only reason for this vote is to hopefully keep Disney from yet another win. This category is the biggest travesty of this year’s ceremony with the lack of The Lego Movie. But I’m hopeful that the Academy will at least do the right thing and award a really good film.
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Fan vote: Tie: Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel-46% each
My vote: Birdman
Sorry, I gotta go with Birdman on this one. Dug it.
COSTUME DESIGN
Fan vote: The Grand Budapest Hotel-84%
My vote: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Yay! This movie wins something. Apologies for the sarcasm…just not a Wes Anderson guy.
BEST DIRECTOR
Fan vote: Richard Linklater-62%
My vote: Richard Linklater
Although I really believe that this award should go to Alejandro G. Inarritu for Birdman, I think they’ll give it to Linklater. He spent 12 years making a movie and if there’s something that the Academy likes that’s undeserving, it’s 12 years. Oh yeah, I went there.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Fan vote: Citizen Four-58%
My vote: Citizen Four
I’m not going to pretend I’ve seen these, so I’ll go with you guys on this.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Fan vote: The Reaper (La Parka)-44%
Myvote: The Reaper
Same deal. I trust you.
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
Fan vote: Whiplash-54%
My vote: Whiplash
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Fan vote: Ida (Poland)-40%
My vote: Leviathan (Russia)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Fan vote: Guardians of the Galaxy-62%
My vote: Guardians of the Galaxy
Because they have to give this movie at least one Oscar, right? It’s one of the top ten movies of the year for crying out loud.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Fan vote: Interstellar (Hans Zimmer)-39%
My vote: Hans Zimmer
Okay, so Desplat just cancels himself out and The Theory of Everything is going to be completely shut out by my calculations, so I guess that leaves Hans Zimmer. Did the Academy not see Gone Girl when it comes to this category? #justsayin Okay, I apologize for the thirteen year old hashtag, but no Reznor and Ross?
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Fanvote: “Everything is Awesome” (The Lego Movie)-64%
My vote: “Everything is Awesome”
64%. Seriously? Even if you didn’t think this was the best song, at least vote for it just because this was one of the top five movies of the year overall. Shame on you.
ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
Fan vote: The Grand Budapest Hotel-58%
My vote: Interstellar
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Fan vote: A Single Life-33%
My vote: The Bigger Picture
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Fan vote: Tie: Boogaloo and Graham, Butterlamp-44% each
My vote: Boogaloo and Graham
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
Fan vote: Interstellar-73%
My vote: Interstellar
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Fan vote: Whiplash-50%
My vote: Whiplash
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Fan vote: Interstellar-46%
My vote: Guardians of the Galaxy
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Fan vote: Whiplash-40%
My vote: Whiplash
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Fan vote: Birdman-46%
My vote: Birdman
Honestly, I want Birdman to win everything that it possibly can.
And there you have it. I hope everyone enjoys Oscar night and if you’ve got any last minute comments, please feel free to leave them below or follow me on Twitter @THElukenorris. If you’re lucky, I might even live tweet a little bit during the show. Once again, I thank all those who participated in the voting. Keep checking back for updates from Binge Sports and I’ll see you right back here next weekend. Enjoy.
It’s nice to see that logo back, isn’t it? After starting a series on the Oscars a few weeks back, I’m finally back with part two. But I’ve really got nothing to review this week. I’m literally watching my thirteenth movie of the weekend and none of them have anything to do with this year’s Academy Awards. No, I’m seriously watching my thirteenth movie of the weekend as I’m sitting here typing these words right now. I’m not going to call it laziness on the lack of original material this week, but instead…okay, I wanted a lazy weekend. Sue me. I’ve been on my couch for the majority of the past two days, watching the strangest mix of flicks, and just biding my time until tonight in anticipation of the premiere of Better Caul Saul. But I do have something fun for you.
As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, I’m really into the fan vote around here. I usually save it for Binge Sports, but I really do like getting you involved in the things I do around here, and my coverage of the Academy Awards is no different. Therefore, I have taken the time to put together a poll for each category at the Oscars. And yes, I’ve even included the ones that a lot of you don’t really care about, but guys like me pretend that we actually know something about them. I mean, of course I know that the film from Poland is exponentially better than the one from Estonia. But hey, it’s still fun to make a guess anyway. And I was 21 for 24 last year, so I’m just putting that out there for absolutely no reason at all. So just have some fun with it over the next two weeks. And hey, it actually does take time to build 24 polls, so I actually do feel like I worked on something original. And the Oscar goes to?
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
[yop_poll id=”171″]
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
[yop_poll id=”172″]
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[yop_poll id=”173″]
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
[yop_poll id=”174″]
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[yop_poll id=”175″]
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
[yop_poll id=”176″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
[yop_poll id=”177″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
[yop_poll id=”178″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
[yop_poll id=”179″]
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
[yop_poll id=”180″]
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
[yop_poll id=”181″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
[yop_poll id=”182″]
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
[yop_poll id=”183″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
[yop_poll id=”184″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
[yop_poll id=”185″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
[yop_poll id=”186″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
[yop_poll id=”187″]
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
[yop_poll id=”188″]
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
[yop_poll id=”189″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
[yop_poll id=”190″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
[yop_poll id=”191″]
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
[yop_poll id=”192″]
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
[yop_poll id=”193″]
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
[yop_poll id=”194″]
So who’d you vote for and why? Or did you vote for something even though you think something else should win? Let me know below or follow me and tweet @THElukenorris.