This 2016 Baldies Awards deliberation is on “Best First Run Bald Movie”! Jim and A.Ron watched a LOT of movies in 2016, which were the best? How do we decide on what makes the cut? Is it the quality of the movie, the resulting podcast, or a little of both?
Jim and A.Ron give their thoughts on a terrible, no good, boring film starring Matthew McConaughey, Bryce Dallas Howard, Édgar Ramírez and directed by Stephen Gaghan; Gold. It’s the definition of a mediocre film that half-asses themes that much better films have done very recently, including The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, and The Big Short. We also discuss the upcoming lineup of first run Bald Movies, before getting to the Club only spoiler section. See you in a few weeks for John Wick 2!
A.Ron’s son Mine Dragon swung by the studio over the holiday break to record his thoughts on Star Wars: Rogue One, the infamous “Holiday Special”, and Disney’s latest CGI masterpiece, Moana. Enjoy!
Jim and A.Ron just got back from seeing a little film called Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and are actually kind of divided in their opinion of the film. A.Ron hails it as the best Star Wars this side of Empire, while Jim maintains that it just didn’t feel like Star Wars enough for him. Both agree that it is a darker, more mature look into the universe that’s more known for it’s light-hearted swashbuckling space stories than grittier, grimmer looks at the horrors of war. Please enjoy our spoiler-free review and preview of upcoming movies, but if you want to hear us talk at length about our praise and problems for the film, you’ll have to be a Club Bald Move member.
A.Ron, Cecily, and Mine Dragon checked out the latest installment in the Harry Potter universe, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Reactions were a bit mixed, with A.Ron appreciating the humor and whimsy, but ultimately left cold and confused, while the other two HP fans were of the opinion that it felt like a genuine and fitting piece of Potter-style lore. Please enjoy our spoiler free review of the movie and discussion of upcoming trailers, but if you want the fully leaded Spoiler edition, you’ll have to be a Club Member!
Jim and A.Ron went to see Arrival, starring Amy Addams, Jeremy Renner, and directed by Denis Villeneuve tonight. This is a very hard science fiction story that is told in a very slow, deliberate, and quiet way that might be off putting or tiresome to some. However it contains surprising depth, fascinating ideas, and a powerful emotional payload to those with sufficient patience and interest. Enjoy the spoiler free review and discussion of upcoming movies, but if you want to hear the full cosmic spoiler-filled thoughts you’ll have to be a Club Bald Move Member.
Who can stop Marvel Studios’ continued run of Box Office Domination? Apparently not even the forces of the negaverse or whatever the hell Doctor Strange was fighting in this movie, because A.Ron and Jim (yes, even Jim!) ate it up and saw it in two packed houses this evening. Full to bursting with imaginative ideas and visuals that must be seen to be believed, and even then just barely, Doctor Strange is just relentlessly cool and fun. Benedict Cumberbatch leads a team of A-list Hollywood talent using all of their considerable powers to make you believe this world that is full of crazy baloney ideas and imagery is rock solid and every bit as realized as the real world. If you have even a passing interest in comic book movies or just want to see what the new state of the art in terms of effects work is, go see it on the biggest screen you can find.
What do you get when you take the classic Western remake of an original piece of Japanese film-making art, and add Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Ethan Hawke to the mix? A sum that is less than it’s parts, that’s what. Enjoy our spoiler-free review of the movie and a discussion of upcoming movies and trailers on the house, but if you want to listen to us crack wise on D’Onofrio and Hawke’s accents, you’ll have to be a Club Member to gain access to our full spoiler podcast. Why not join today? It’s quick, easy, and helps support our independent podcasts!
This week’s First Run Bald Movie is Snowden, an Oliver Stone movie about famous/infamous NSA whistleblower/traitor/hero Edward Snowden. We don’t think this is the movie that will change anyone’s minds about the matter, but we do think the topic of privacy, if not Snowden himself, is vital for discussion, and the film is a food springboard for just that. But, does any of this even matter, will any of it make a difference? Enjoy our spoiler free review on us, or join Club Bald Move for a more in depth, wide ranging, and somber discussion of freedom, liberty, and privacy.
It’s rare that a disaster movie comes out that isn’t completely over wrought, or sensationalized, much less one that is wholly positive and uplifting, but Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks at his Tom Hanksiest, is just such a movie. Even our podcast’s automatic pilot system, Jim Jones, was moved by the depiction of the sort of everyday heroism that can save 155 souls, and unite a country in a sense of admiration and gratitude. Plus, we talk crap about new trailers and the unruly elderly audience we enjoyed this film with.