TJ and Joe review the notable films of 2014 — both the good and the bad. They also run down their favorite and least favorite films. It’s always a lot of fun to look back over the landscape of the year to see what panned out and what did not. Show Notes & Links TJ’s Top Films of 2014 Making a top films of the year list is hard. These things are so subjective, not to mention I have to remember my feelings about the various films I’ve seen this year — and I see lots of films. It’s made somewha...
Dec 31, 2014•1 hr 41 min
And now for the review of the Trilogy based on a book, which is a prequel to the trilogy based on three books! This week, TJ, Joe, and Clark review ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies’. While all three liked it in some ways, some liked it more than others. TJ found significant challenges and issues with the films, while Joe has become a heretic and prefers Peter Jackson’s films to the book (is burning at the stake still allowed?). Clark takes a somewhat more moderate position. Listen in to he...
Dec 24, 2014•2 hr 9 min
One thing is clear, everyone wanted the movie the trailer for ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ promised us, but that was not what was given. TJ, Joe, and Fizz lament the film that could have been, as well as discuss their varying opinions on how bad or not the film is, what could have gone better, Ridley Scott’s contempt for God and more. They also discuss Colbert interviewing Smaug, the ‘Insurgent’ trailer, Hal Rudnik’s interview with James Gunn about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, the trailer for Pixar’s ...
Dec 17, 2014•1 hr 44 min
Joe and TJ are joined for this very special episode of the show by a very special guest — Jim Metzendorf — to discuss one of the great classics of our time, ‘Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back’. No matter what George Lucas has done or continues to do, he did give us this great film and we shall forever be grateful. So tune in to have some great fun and a lot of analysis (and over-analysis as well) of a dearly beloved film. The guys also talk about Roberto Orci leaving the director’s chair for th...
Dec 10, 2014•1 hr 44 min
TJ and Joe didn’t get to watch the movie they wanted to watch because it was in limited release, so they watched ‘Birdman’ instead. And they are glad they did. There’s a lot to chew on with Birdman and TJ and Joe relish in the analysis. Also don’t miss some follow up on ‘The Force Awakens’ trailer, news of the ‘House of Cards’ season 3 premiere date, and Batman vs. Darth Vader. It’s most impressive! Show Notes & Links ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Alternate Trailers I’ve got a little bit of...
Dec 03, 2014•1 hr 24 min
It’s a special bonus episode of The MovieByte Podcast where TJ, Joe, and Clark talk about — actually dissect might be a better word — the first new teaser trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. There’s no shortage of opinions, fun, and just generally geeking out. You won’t want to miss this! Show Notes & Links The ‘Star Wars VII’ Teaser Trailer is HERE!!!! Here it is guys, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer we’ve been waiting all week for. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Photo...
Nov 29, 2014•58 min
TJ and Fizz discuss what’s good and bad about ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1’. As ever, they don’t always see eye to eye, but that will give you, dear listeners, some fun things to chew on. They also discuss the redesign of the MovieByte website, Disney’s live action ‘Cinderella’ trailer (no, really, it’s a thing), the Russos possibly directing ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ parts one and two as opposed to Joss Whedon — which leads to a lot of discussion — and of course what theaters will have ...
Nov 26, 2014•1 hr 47 min
Find out about TJ and Joe’s differing view on ‘Big Hero 6’ — even if they both liked it. TJ liked it a lot more than Joe did it seems. But they can both agree it’s a great film and representative of the good influence John Lasseter is having over at Disney Animation Studio. Also find out about some follow up from last week having to do with Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ sound issues. Other items on the docket include Playmobil coming out with their own toy movie (because they want a piece o...
Nov 19, 2014•1 hr 35 min
Our intrepid podcast explorers are on a journey across the vastness of the movie landscape to see what can be deciphered from Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’. Is it "stellar" or not so much? On this once in a lifetime quest, TJ and Joe are joined by none other than former co-host of the show, Chad Hopkins, to see if they can discover the true meaning behind podcasting and wether they might even be able to bend the fabric of space time enough to affect what happened all the way back at the ver...
Nov 12, 2014•1 hr 46 min
Join TJ, Joe, and Fizz to discuss what is possibly one of the most disturbing films of the year, but also almost certainly one of the most well crafted films of the year too. The guys dive in to the filmmaking craft, David Fincher’s other work, the fantastic acting, Ben Affleck’s career, and much more. Also, what is it that makes this film so disturbing? Well they tackle that too. Also up for discussion, Fizz’s thoughts on Marvel and the upcoming ‘Age of Ultron’ and Phase 3, the ‘Fast and Furiou...
Nov 05, 2014•1 hr 54 min
Find out all you need to know about ‘Kill The Messenger’! Joe was able to see the film even though it was in limited release, and so he breaks it down for us. TJ was not able to see the film because it was not showing anywhere in Nashville. But Joe fills him and you in. Also don’t miss a lot of discussion about the ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ teaser trailer, TJ’s decision to buy an Amazon Fire Stick, and ‘The Hunger Games; Catching Fire’ on Netflix in time for you to get caught up before the next ...
Oct 29, 2014•1 hr 19 min
TJ is back from the dead! Well, it seemed like he was dead anyway. Really he was just very, very sick. But he’s back and together with Joe sets for the review two film to try to catch up for lost time. ‘The Equalizer’ is R rated for a reason — it’s bloody and violent, but it’s not a bad story and probably worthy of your investigation. ‘The Judge’ on the other hand was pretty fantastic. Overall Joe’s not as happy with it as TJ, but they both feel it’s probably worth your time. And there’s lots of...
Oct 22, 2014•1 hr 34 min
TJ wanted to discuss the new ‘Left Behind’ (starring Nicolas Cage), but since he was out sick, Joe Darnell and Michael Minkoff talk about the film and critique Christian arts at large. As the ‘Left Behind’ film’s description put it, “In a moment, the entire planet is plunged into darkness.” This says a lot about how lame the film is. We believe that true Christianity is largely not practiced by artists, and the Church doesn’t appreciate Christains that produce great art. Show Notes & Links M...
Oct 13, 2014•1 hr 7 min
Liam Neeson is back, and he’s got a gun. And he’s taking ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’. Apparently some filmmakers feel like that’s enough for a good film. Joe tends to agree but TJ feels a little differently. Together, they explore why. Also in discussion, Marvel has released plot details for ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, CGI animated footage of Popeye, a ‘Supergirl’ TV series coming soon, and the latest upcoming films and trailers. Show Notes & Links Official Plot Synopsis for ‘Avengers: Age ...
Sep 24, 2014•1 hr 50 min
TJ and Joe talk about food! No, really! That’s because this week, they had the great delight of reviewing the latest offering from Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, and Charlotte Le Bon: ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’. It really is a pretty fantastic film with only a few flaws and well worth seeing — certainly over much of the cruft at theaters the last few weeks. It has a wonderful story, but you might not want to see it while hungry! Also don’t miss discussion about Andrew Garfield and the blam...
Sep 17, 2014•1 hr 45 min
Hang out with TJ and Joe for a discussion of ‘The November Man’ — which both TJ and Joe found to be a pretty poor excuse for a film all things considered. If you like to tune in for the occasional good film bashing session, this may be the podcast for you. But there are also other things that are worth talking about too which they cover at the beginning of the show, such as how ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is raking in the dough, plus how ‘Guardians’ cassette player which Star Lord used isn’t very ...
Sep 11, 2014•1 hr 9 min
Critics don’t like it, it didn’t get good marketing, and it hasn’t made a boatload of money. So now despite all that the question before us, is ‘The Giver’ a good film? Is it worth your time and consideration? Joe and TJ say yes. The film is worth seeing and makes for great discussion. Frankly, Joe and TJ can’t understand why the critics are rating it so poorly. The film is not without its flaws, but what film doesn’t have a few flaws? Also up for discussion, ‘Machete Kills’ Writer will pen the ...
Sep 03, 2014•1 hr 35 min
Cowabunga, dude! The heroes in a half shell are brining you some turtle power this week! Listen in to find out the good and the bad of the Jonathan Liebesman directed ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. TJ was astounded that it wasn’t half bad. Joe was slightly harsher on it but he too liked it better than he thought. Also up for discussion: Marvel vs. DC movie release schedule infographic, a trailer demonstrating the monster that would have been created had Michael Bay directed ‘Up’, the despeciali...
Aug 27, 2014•1 hr 26 min
TJ, Chad, and Joe hop in the time machine and go back to 1999 to review the wonderful and zany ‘Galaxy Quest’. It may be a parody, but it’s one with heart and story, and one which all three enjoyed immensely. Highly recommended. Also up for discussion: the time has come for Chad to leave his full time co-host spot on the podcast due to other responsibilities. But don’t be sad, he’ll still be around. And in film news, Warer Bros. casts Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan the tiger, Robin Williams ...
Aug 21, 2014•1 hr 25 min
Lucy over-promised with it’s trailers, and under-delivered in the theater. That’s the sad truth of it if you want Joe and TJ’s opinion. The ideas were good, but they were only half fleshed out and the film was a bit of a mess, really and that’s really a bummer. Also this week, TJ and Joe spend some time reflecting on the sad news of Robin Williams tragic death. He made many great films over the years that are worth remembering. And then a bit of other film news: everyone involved with ‘Galaxy Qu...
Aug 14, 2014•1 hr 26 min
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is here and it’s awesome! Believe the hype. But first, TJ, Joe, and Fizz go on a retrospective journey on this 100th episode of The MovieByte Podcast! Relive memories and nervousness from the first couple of episodes of the show and have a lot of fun. Also discussed is the news that ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ has moved to a March, 2016 release date, a video essay of ‘Snow Piercer’, Martin Scorsese’s defense of Kodak film, and all things Marvel and Marvel Easte...
Aug 07, 2014•2 hr 13 min
TJ, Joe, and Clark discuss Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final leading role in ‘A Most Wanted Man’. It’s a brilliant performance punctuated by great sadness at the loss of such a great actor. The film is well worth seeing as all three agree. Other topics include Community Season 6 being released to VOD one episode at a time, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ deluxe soundtrack, the ‘Mockingjay Part 1’ Trailer, ‘Ant-Man’, and Pierce Brosnan in the trailer for ‘The November Man’. Show Notes & Links ‘Communi...
Jul 30, 2014•1 hr 42 min
What a wide range of opinions there are on this episode! On the one end of the spectrum you’ve got a 5 star review, and on the other end you’ve got 1/2 star review. Then you’ve got one of the guys who thinks the truth probably lies somewhere just shy of the middle, and another guy who thinks it may lie a bit above the middle. This obviously makes for some interested discussion as you would expect. Also on the docket, ‘Star Wars VII’ supposed plot details, the ‘Kite’ trailer starring Samuel L. Ja...
Jul 22, 2014•1 hr 55 min
Join TJ and Clark to talk about one of the better summer block busters: ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’. Sure, ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ may have been a pretty decent film, but this one far surpasses it. It’s intelligent sci-fi with a lot of emotional resonance and great story telling. Also up for discussion are ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ performing better than initially thought over its lifetime, the trailer for ‘Exodus: Of God’s and Kings’ which is the upcoming film from Ridley Scott, Disney’s...
Jul 16, 2014•1 hr 26 min
Join TJ, Joe, and Clark to discuss what turns out to be a pretty big disappointment for this summer movie season: ‘Earth to Echo’. While the film has a couple of redeeming qualities, its sins were just to great for the film to be much good for anything. This, of course, merits a good deal of discussion. Also in the news, more ‘Star Wars VII’ and Harrison Ford injury talk, ‘Trans4mers’ holding the number 1 spot at the box office, a video essay on what, exactly, constitutes "Bayhem", a gritty Henr...
Jul 09, 2014•1 hr 24 min
This week, TJ, Clark, and Fizz tackle the pure awfulness that is ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’. While we try to tackle things that in general are wonderful and good and likable, it is fun once in a while to do a complete smack-down and that’s what you’re going to get this week. Other topics of interest include ‘Star Wars’ and Harrison Fords injury, ‘Pacific Rim 2’ set for 2017 and an animated ‘Pacific Rim’ series, and Frank Darabont set to direct ‘Snow White and the Huntsman 2’. Show Notes &...
Jul 03, 2014•1 hr 38 min
This week, TJ and Chad travel back in time to 2005 to review what TJ considers to be Michael Bay’s only really good film: ‘The Island’. It seems appropriate since Bay’s latest film ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ will be hitting theaters this weekend. You also won’t want to miss Chad’s thoughts on ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’, some analysis of Young Adult Material and some geeking out about the upcoming ‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay’, Harrison Ford’s injury on the set of ‘Star Wars’, TNG Season 6 ...
Jun 26, 2014•1 hr 17 min
Chad is out of town, and Clark is down with a cold. But never fear, TJ persuaded former co-host and co-founder Joe Darnell to join him to talk about ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’. While TJ has much more love for the film (and the first one) than Joe, it’s a fun conversation about a great film you won’t want to miss. Other topics of discussion: Jon Favreau on ‘Iron Man 4’ possibilities, Marvel Considering Another ‘Hulk’ Film, Elsa now most popular baby name of 2014, A Taste of What’s to Come With ...
Jun 19, 2014•1 hr 36 min
Listen in as Chad and TJ live the same day over, and over, and over, and over. But it’s worth it since the film they are discussing was fantastic. Edge of tomorrow may have been about reseting the day every single time, but it was anything but boring. It was in fact energetic and lively; and a lot of fun. Other topics of fun and discussion include the ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ soundtrack, ‘Pacific Rim 2’, Alamo Drafthouse Banning Google Glass, ‘The Boxtrolls’ trailer, an upcoming ‘Sonic the H...
Jun 12, 2014•1 hr 10 min
Maleficent is not receiving a lot of praise from critics, but Chad and TJ both think this is a little unfair. The film may not be destined for Oscar season or anything, but it was quite a good film and quite an enjoyable experience. Also of interest: set pics from ‘Star Wars VII’ OF THE MILLENNIUM FALCON. Guys, seriously! We’re living in a time when new ‘Star Wars’ is being made. And they’re building a Millennium Falcon Set. Also some casting news in the form of Lupita Nyong’o's and Gwendoline C...
Jun 04, 2014•1 hr 2 min
