Reel Phonies - podcast cover

Reel Phonies

A show where we mix an exuberant enthusiasm for movies and TV with not a lot of actual movie or TV knowledge
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

155 - The Suicide Squad

It's got comedy and gore and Nathan Fillion so it's probably a James Gunn flick. We dive into some of the standout performances, which gags did and didn't work, and grouse about some missed opportunities to make Idris Elba into the star we know he is in our hearts.

Aug 12, 202144 minEp. 155

154 - Dune, Dexter Revival, Marvel's What If...?

This week we're catching up on the latest news including updates on the Dexter revival, Marvel's animated "What If...?" series, new trailers for Ghostbusters, Venom 2, and Dune, and behind the scenes drama at both Marvel and DC.

Aug 06, 20211 hr 6 min

153 - Loki

We are burdened with the glorious purpose of reviewing Marvel's latest TV series, Loki, which combines time-travel hijinks and grand cosmic mysteries with everyone's favorite god of mischief. We dive into the strengths and weaknesses of the show and how it fits into the larger Marvel universe.

Jul 29, 202154 min

152 - Black Widow

The long-awaited Black Widow solo movie is finally here and has proven divisive among our ranks. Is it an action-packed spy flick that feels like classic Marvel? Or is it a sloppy mess that never fully commits to a story? Listen in and decide for yourself! Also, Ian's back! Hurray!

Jul 14, 202151 min

151 - Fast 9 & No Sudden Move

We're pulling double duty this week as we dive into the newest Fast & Furious movie and Steven Soderbergh's latest crime thriller, No Sudden Move.

Jul 08, 202133 min

150! - Criminally Underrated: A Reel Phonies Special

We're using our 150th episode to be a little self-indulgent. This episode features some of our favorite films that are criminally underseen and underrated. If you like this podcast and you like our opinions, you will like these movies. Full list here: Black Cauldron Prince of Egypt The Red Turtle Super The Substitute The Faculty The Ritual Haywire Man of Tai Chi Sunshine Lonesome Dove Gattaca The Winning Season Goon Honorable Mentions: Kingdom of Heaven Wet Hot American Summer Death to Smoochy J...

Jul 01, 202151 min

149 - In the Heights

Before Hamilton turned the world upside down, Lin-Manuel Miranda found his first success with the Broadway adaptation of In the Heights. Directed by John M. Chu, this film adaptation brings life to a small New York City neighborhood with music and dancing.

Jun 24, 202134 min

148 - Bo Burnham: Inside (Comedy Special)

Written, performed, filmed, and edited by Bo Burnham from inside his house over the past year, "Inside" attempts to whittle down the highs, lows, and weird idiosyncrasies of quarantine into a comedic and relatably unhinged combination of songs and performance art.

Jun 16, 202151 min

147 - A Quiet Place Part II

The Quiet Place sequel is finally here and adds more scares, more action, and more Cillian Murphy. It's a family survival story that adds some surprising new facets to its own mythos and existing horror tropes.

Jun 10, 202147 min

146 - Eternals, Venom 2, Highlander Reboot

We're catching up on some of the best news and announcements over the last month including an upcoming Highlander reboot starring Henry Cavill, new animated Batman and Superman series coming to HBOMax, Amazon's acquisition of MGM, and trailers for the Eternals, Venom 2, and more!

May 27, 202155 min

145 - Castlevania (Final Season)

This week we're returning to one of our favorite guilty pleasures to review the final season of Netflix's Castlevania. It's got monsters and gore and cynicism but it's also full of a surprising amount of rich characters and engaging struggles for power and survival. But is it better than Transformers?

May 20, 202136 min

144 - Hidden Gems of 2001

It's 2001: Train releases their only good song, the Ravens win their first Super Bowl, and we are treated to the first installations of both the Harry Potter AND Lord of the Rings franchises. But beneath all the big budget hits are some classics from 2001 that deserve a little more appreciation.

May 14, 202144 min

143 - Invincible

This week we're talking Amazon's animated TV adaptation of Invincible. It's the superhero story about a teenage boy who gets his powers and discovers hero work is not quite what he imagined. It's got a stellar voice cast and a superhero story that was refreshingly original. Just don't watch this with kids!

May 07, 202155 min

142 - The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (The rest of it)

This week we're finishing up Falcon and The Winter Soldier. We talk about what worked, what didn't, how this sets up the Marvel Universe, and why we keep trying to make cowls happen. They're not going to happen.

Apr 29, 202135 min

141 - Obi-Wan TV Show, Space Jam 2, and Fast 9

This week we're catching up on all the big entertainment news we haven't had time to discuss like the Obi-Wan cast announcements, the first trailer for Space Jam 2: The One With LeBron, and the first look at the 9th Fast and Furious movie. Also, Shang-Chi, Black Adam, Indy 5, and more!

Apr 23, 202153 min

140 - Godzilla vs. Kong

It's a literal clash of the titans where two of our favorite monsters punch each other a bunch and also maybe there is a story or whatever. We discuss how to fix the human problems, proper Pensacola representation, and propose a special guest for the next kaiju smackdown.

Apr 15, 202133 min

139 - The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

It's more Marvel TV but less weird this time around. This week we're diving into The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Marvel's new superhero series which combines buddy cop energy, big budget action, and surprisingly poignant questions about how our symbols and icons define us.

Apr 01, 202149 min

138 - Zack Snyder's Justice League

Sometimes the internet wins and we all lose about 4 hours each. We spent 12 collective hours watching Zack Snyder's Justice League and, honestly, it wasn't what we expected. Outside of an absurd runtime, the Snyder cut boasts some genuinely interesting changes and additions worth discussing. And also Jared Leto.

Mar 25, 202156 min

137 - Oscar Noms and Predictions

In these trying times, there is one tradition that we as a people can rely upon to unite us: getting mad at the Oscar nominations. Join us as we discuss the nomination snubs and surprises and predict the winners based on almost no criteria.

Mar 18, 202147 min

136 - Let's Talk About Wandavision...

Marvel's first and weirdest show has reached its conclusion but what does it all mean? We discuss the final third of the show, Easter Eggs, red herrings, loose ends, and how the conclusion of Wandavision impacts the future of the Marvel Universe.

Mar 11, 202158 minEp. 126

135 - March News Roundup

JJ Abrams? Ta-Nehisi Coats? Superman?! Are we playing entertainment news mad libs and no one told me? Join us this week as we dive deep into the newest Superman announcement but also cover Blade, Cruella, Mortal Kombat, Last of Us, and *sigh* The Snyder Cut.

Mar 04, 20211 hr

134 - Judas and the Black Messiah/Earwig and the Witch

It's a double feature this week with the two latest HBOMax releases: Earwig and the Witch and Judas and the Black Messiah. One tells the real life story of the FBI's war with Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and an informant who is caught in the crossfire. The other one is about an orphan with bad hair who never gets better hair. I won't say which is which.

Feb 18, 202135 min

133 - February News Roundup

This week we're catching up on all the noteworthy entertainment news including a Black Panther TV series, Godzilla vs Kong trailer, a Wicked movie, and much more!

Feb 04, 202147 min

132 - One Night in Miami

This week we're taking a look at One Night in Miami, a film adaptation of a stage play based on a real life meeting of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke. It's a compelling and thought-provoking discussion on the responsibility of black influence in America and Regina King's directorial debut.

Jan 28, 202135 min

131 - WandaVision Premier

It's the first Marvel content we've been presented in over a year and it's weird, y'all. Join us as we take a look at the first two episodes of the strange mashup of Marvel superheroes and TV Land that is WandaVision.

Jan 20, 202145 min

130 - Wonder Woman 1984

This week we're tackling Wonder Woman 1984. Is it good? Is it bad? Is rational discourse about its quality even possible at this point? We're going to find out! Join us as we break down the best and the worst of the first superhero blockbuster we've seen in what feels like an eternity.

Jan 14, 202155 min

129 - The Mandalorian: Season 2 - Final Episodes

We're closing out the year by breaking down the last 3 episodes of The Mandalorian: Season 2. From the Robert Rodriguez-directed "The Tragedy" to the climactic finale, we discuss the best and worst that the final episodes have to offer and speculate on the future of the series.

Dec 31, 202056 min

128 - Disney's Big (Content) Dump

Look, we were totally gonna do a Christmas movie episode but Disney dropped so much exciting content this week that we couldn't ignore it. We've got new Star Wars shows, a Guardians of the Galaxy holiday special, Buzz Lightyear movie, Hocus Pocus 2, The Fantastic Four, Hayden Christiansen returning as Vader, and quite literally so much more.

Dec 17, 202056 minEp. 14

127 - Best Pilots (and Best Shows with Bad Pilots)

A good pilot episode should give you a good idea of what the show is going to be about while enticing you to watch the next episode. This week we're talking about shows that hit the ground running and never quit while comparing them to shows that took a little longer to find their footing.

Dec 10, 20201 hr 3 min

126 - Mandalorian and November News Roundup

Ahsoka Tano? Clones? Carl Weathers is good at directing? We've got a lot to catch up on in The Mandalorian! We've also got updates on a potential Spider-Verse with Alfred Molina (Doc Ock), a curious Black Widow announcement, and a potential casting on a new Black Panther.

Dec 03, 202053 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android