A beautifully-animated movie that will probably appeal more to adults than kids. What Works: The visual style is the main draw here, and it is enhanced by an actual theater experience, getting to see all the incredibly nuanced visual details. From the movie’s opening moments—an immense ocean wave sweeping over the audience—it lulls you into a…
Movie Review: Sausage Party
It’s so tough to review a movie that does everything exactly right until the ending, and then blows it. Do you grade the 95% of the movie you really loved or the last 5% you rememebered as the last thing you saw before leaving the theater? What Works: Seth Rogen wanted to make a movie about the stupidity…
Movie Review: “Nerve” Just Might Make You Feel Young Again
Sure, sure, sure, maaaaaybe it would have been nice to post this review back when the movie was in theaters. If you’re into that sort of thing, but why be so predictable as all that? What Works: The movie is about a virtual game of “Dare” (there’s very little truth) where people offer you money to…
Quick Reviews: Race, Eddie the Eagle
Two films about Olympians that—bizarrely—were released back in February, when nobody yet was caring about Rio. Why didn’t the studios release these movies closer to the actual games? A question that may have no answer… Race…Solid, if a little sleepy. Jason Sudekis phones it in as Jesse Owens’ grouchy coach, and you never really see…
Quick Reviews: Finest Hour, Hail Caesar, Barbershop 3
Every now and then, a film slips through the cracks–sometimes I don’t see it, sometimes I don’t want to see it (until later), or sometimes I see it but am just not inspired to write a review until months after a film is relevant–but I catch up with it eventually…If these three have anything in…
Episode 33–We Need to Talk About Islam
In the middle part of our “sacred cows” trilogy, we talk about Islam in what may be our most explosive (pun intended) podcast yet. Trying to get past the phony extremes of both parties, we try to strike a middle-ground between a ridiculous outright ban of Muslims or neocon warmongering and unconvincing liberal denials that the Islamic…
300 at 30: Episode 8–Gyms, Almost as Much Fun as North Korean Prisons
In episode 8 I lay out my love/hate relationships with gyms, minus the love, and talk about faux-inspiration fitness, gym bullies, hamster wheel feel, and what you should aim for…
300 at 30: Episode 7–Kate Moss, Philosopher? Watch Your Back Plato
Was Kate Moss right when she said “being skinny feels better than anything tastes?” Does she deserve a medal for not pretending supermodels eat anything but cigarette smoke? And should Plato, Socrates, and the rest of the greats be nervous about losing their position in the philosophy hall of fame?
300 at 30: Episode 6–The Looking Glass Self
What is the Looking Glass Self? Find out how it affects your weight loss and your life…
300 at 30: Episode 5–“Lawyering” Weight Loss Goals
Do you “lawyer” your New Year’s Resolutions, diet plans, and fitness goals? Find out how to stop (or what the hell I’m talking about if you said “huh?” to the first question).
Episode 32–Are Strict Constitutionalists the American Taliban?
In the first part of our “Sacred Cows” trilogy, we take on Strict Constitutionalists. [Don’t worry, we don’t mean the title literally like they’re actually as violent…discounting Ted “Zodiac Killer” Cruz and his JFK murdering papa.] We ask such burning questions as: does anyone really give a shit about the men’s Olympic events? Why do…
Episode 31–Do Hillary’s Scandals Matter? “The Passion of Hillary”
In this episode, we put Hillary on trial for her various “crimes” and see just how much people really care about Benghazi, “emailgate,” and Hillary’s failure to tip a waitress at brunch. We ponder just what exactly Republicans are hoping to find in Hillary’s emails—like a torrid affair with Joe Biden—and if people really care…
Episode 30–But Seriously, Can Trump Win?
Trying to cut through all the noise we look at the biggest question in the three months between now and election day: “but seriously, does Donald Trump have a shot in hell at becoming President?” We break down where Trump’s support (or lack of) is coming from, why some people associate his name with success,…