Put on your catsuit and your tactical vest, because we’re about to talk about Marvel’s “Black Widow,” which some of us saw in theaters. (And some of us didn’t.) This is a movie delayed from pre-COVID times, it’s the first Marvel movie in the Disney+ era, and it’s set during 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War”—conveniently before the main character dies. With all that, it’s also a film that puts its title heroine at the center of a “Mission: Impossible” style story that’s also, strangely, about a...
Jul 18, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep 573•Transcript available on Metacast Get out your ice skates, baseball bats, kitchen knives, and samurai swords—pretty much any weapon at hand, because we’re watching 2011’s “Attack the Block”! While not officially part of the Cornetto Trilogy, this British alien-invasion film shares a lot of DNA with those movies, and it’s about as close an analog to “Shaun of the Dead” as you’ll find—but with the comedy dial turned down a bit. It features career-making performances by John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker, who went on to become the fac...
Jul 04, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep 572•Transcript available on Metacast Some people read with their eyeballs, and still others talk to their books—we do both! In part two of our three-part survey of novels shortlisted for 2021’s top SF and Fantasy awards, we’re discussing the magic and romance of “The Midnight Bargain” by C.L. Polk, the spooky “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and the murderbotiness of “Network Effect” by Martha Wells. Plus, what else are we reading? Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty and Aleen Simms.
Jun 26, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep 571•Transcript available on Metacast Look, we love the Muppets. But the franchise has been very quiet lately. It’s time to get Muppet movies back on the big screen! And so in this episode, all our panelists pitch new Muppet movies we’d like to see. And along the way they do a bunch of Muppet voices, too, because of course they do. Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Stephen Hackett, Quinn Rose, Moisés Chiullán, Nathan Alderman, David J. Loehr, Monty Ashley and Kelly Guimont.
Jun 20, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep 570•Transcript available on Metacast Back in 2014, we read Helene Wecker’s novel “The Golem and the Jinni,” and we liked it! Little did we know that she was listening to us… and that she would end up as an Incomparable panelist! Now a sequel, “The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni” has arrived! In this special episode, Jason and Helene discuss the first novel, how real life can intrude on a publishing schedule, the value and temptation of research, and how “The Hidden Palace” ultimately came together. Jason Snell wi...
Jun 05, 2021•2 hr 32 min•Ep 569•Transcript available on Metacast Put on your capes because we’re flying into superhero action with season one of Prime Video’s “Invincible,” based on Robert Kirkman’s long-running comic. Before the Spoiler Horn, we’ll tell you why this show is worth watching—and warn you about how it mixes its love of brightly colored superhero imagery and storylines with logical but unrestrained violence and gore. Then we break down some of this adaptation’s interesting story choices and ponder where it might be headed in season two and three....
May 30, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep 568•Transcript available on Metacast We know there are a lot of superhero movies out there. Sometimes it seems like there are so many, it’s as if a random-number generator just assigned pieces of intellectual property to film directors. But where some might despair at this situation, we looked at it as an opportunity to harness the terrible power of the random-number generator and use our own creativity to assign the right directors to the right comic-book film projects. Now listen to our choices and try to tell us that any current...
May 23, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep 567•Transcript available on Metacast Olo! It’s time to discuss an underappreciated superhero movie that’s only become more relevant after a decade full of superhero movies. It’s 2010’s “Megamind,” which transcends being an extrusion from the Dreamworks animation factory (well, except for its pop-music soundtrack) to become something greater. With an all-star cast led by Will Ferrell and Tina Fey, this is a great riff on the Superman mythos and the true meaning of destiny and heroism. Code: It’s great. Jason Snell with Chip Sudderth...
May 15, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep 566•Transcript available on Metacast Our Book Club returns with a new way to approach this year’s SF novel shortlist: we’re reading all the Hugo and Nebula novels in three batches. First up: “Black Sun,” “The City We Became,” and “Piranesi.” Plus: What are we reading? Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty and Aleen Simms.
May 09, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep 565•Transcript available on Metacast Don your winged jetpack and strap on your cybernetic arm, because it’s time to fight over a shield. Marvel’s second Disney+ series, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” picks up the story of two of Captain America’s pals as they confront serious societal issues, the representation of America in the modern age, and a gaggle of super-powered foes. It’s a show that takes some big swings, even if it does get a bit muddled, and we discuss its ambitions, what it gets right, and where it misses the mark...
May 01, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep 564•Transcript available on Metacast Drop the camcorder and whatever you do, don’t run toward the bridge! 2008’s “Cloverfield” mixes giant monsters, post-9/11 reactions to urban destruction, rom-com tropes, “Jaws” style monster hiding, and found footage shaky-cam into an incredibly intense movie experience. Does it matter that the main characters are generic, or does it actually help? Is this a slasher film or more of a smasher film? Why did it kick off a nonsensical franchise of unrelated movies? And if it was made today, how woul...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep 563•Transcript available on Metacast We have reached the end (for now) of Miyazaki Club. So we gather back together to consider why we’re drawn to Hayao Miyazaki’s work, how we define the differences between films as different as “Ponyo” and “Spirited Away,” a list of the director’s favorite things, subs versus dubs, the music of Joe Hisaishi, and which of Miyazaki’s movies we all prefer. Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Aleen Simms and Steve Lutz.
Apr 18, 2021•2 hr 35 min•Ep 562•Transcript available on Metacast After years of Monty telling us we should watch it, we’ve given in. It’s time to discuss 1981 South African karate movie “Kill and Kill Again,” a film featuring many middle-aged men kicking people, as well as a James Bond-style plot about a madman who wants to take over the world via an unusual application of potatoes. We cover strange ties to “CSI: Miami” and “The A-Team,” introduce you to the wonders of Hot Dog and his bag of tricks, weigh the movie’s knowing sexism against its unflinching rac...
Apr 11, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep 561•Transcript available on Metacast In space, all warriors are cold warriors! An ecological disaster leads to the breakup of an enemy empire, but in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” it’s the Klingon moon Praxis subbing in for the Soviet power station Chernobyl. Kirk and company struggle with their animosity toward the Klingons, but we are more concerned with what graduate school Gorkon’s daughter went to, the Klingon guard who carries a box, the one Klingon who laughed at McCoy’s joke, the importance of gaseous anomalies t...
Apr 04, 2021•2 hr 44 min•Ep 560•Transcript available on Metacast Six episodes ago, Jason made Phil mad by suggesting that “Chariots of Fire” and “Amadeus” might not be worthy of their Academy Awards for Best Picture. This episode is Phil’s revenge, as we watch two acclaimed early-80s films and see how well they hold up. They’re both period pieces, but one is set to the electronic sounds of Vangelis and the other to the classical masterpieces of Mozart. Running in slow motion has never looked better, and there’s never been more braying laughter in a film! Jaso...
Mar 27, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep 559•Transcript available on Metacast Shakespeare Club returns! “The Taming of the Shrew” is a Shakespeare play that’s crying out to be adapted for modern audiences, which is why it keeps being adapted—with varying degrees of success. We discuss the play, the unpleasant Franco Zeffirelli 1967 film starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, the film and TV versions of Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate,” the teen rom-com “10 Things I Hate About You,” and even the 1980s TV adaptation on “Moonlighting,” which might be the best of the bunc...
Mar 21, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep 558•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a classic sitcom! It’s a Marvel movie! It’s both! It’s the first Disney+ MCU show, “WandaVision.” And it managed to be a walk through television history while simultaneously being an exploration of the stages of grief. Plus, an android in a turtleneck! We break it all down, from where Wanda and Vision go from here to what Monica Rambeau, Darcy Lewis, and Jimmy Woo should be doing next. Tune in, won’t you? Jason Snell with Kelly Guimont, Dan Moren, Chip Sudderth and Nathan Alderman....
Mar 13, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep 557•Transcript available on Metacast Is this the end of Miyazaki Club? Probably not, but we’ve reached the end of our survey of all the feature films he’s directed with “Porco Rosso,” the story of a pig man, the airplane he loves, the woman he doesn’t feel worthy to love, and the seaplane pirates who terrorize the Adriatic after World War I. There are lots of clouds and planes and boats, as you might expect. Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Moisés Chiullán, Steve Lutz and John Siracusa.
Mar 07, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep 556•Transcript available on Metacast The sixth season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” features dark and unpleasant themes, a painful magic-as-heroin allegory, and creative decisions that manage to be cruel to both the show’s characters and its audience. But there’s also a musical! Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Quinn Rose, Aleen Simms and Jean MacDonald.
Feb 27, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep 555•Transcript available on Metacast We discuss the latest season of Amazon’s “The Expanse,” which separates its main characters for storylines all across the solar system. How well does that approach work? How do Amos and Peaches differ? Why should Alex never be a detective? And do we hate Marco Inaros the appropriate amount? Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Aleen Simms, Chip Sudderth, Jen Burt and Will Wagner.
Feb 21, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep 554•Transcript available on Metacast We’re using our powers over space and time to capriciously right wrongs throughout movie history. That’s right, it’s the Bad Best Picture Draft, in which our panelists will select a Best Picture Oscar winner, take its statuette away, and hand it to a more deserving winner. Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Lisa Schmeiser, David J. Loehr, Shelly Brisbin, Steven Schapansky, Philip Michaels, Monty Ashley and Brian Hamilton.
Feb 14, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep 553•Transcript available on Metacast Miyazaki Club gets weird with “Ponyo,” a story of a fish who gets the taste of human blood, lives in a bucket, can cure all diseases with a lick, and just wants to be human. Also there’s a plot for the sea to sweep away humanity, and the Moon comes perilously close to Earth. But cute! Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Steve Lutz, Aleen Simms and Jean MacDonald.
Feb 07, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep 552•Transcript available on Metacast After a long gap, our Book Club reconvenes, and if they can remember Micaiah Johnson’s “The Space Between Worlds,” they’ll recommend it to you. It’s a story about identity and society set across parallel worlds that are even more similar than they initially appear to be. Also, what else have we read lately? Curl up with a good book and keep an eye out for parallel-universe warlords! Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty and David J. Loehr.
Jan 30, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep 551•Transcript available on Metacast From Canada comes “Letterkenny,” an unlikely comedy series about rural hicks, burnouts, and hockey players that’s hyper-verbal, charmingly prone to a donnybrook, and one of the funniest things we’ve watched recently. Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Lisa Schmeiser, Casey Liss and Don Schaffner .
Jan 25, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep 550•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s fly! Our panel discusses the just-completed third season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” including new characters, future technologies, turbolifts that are bigger on the inside, and how Saru is very much like Poochie. Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Anže Tomić, Erika Ensign, David J. Loehr and James Thomson.
Jan 17, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep 549•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re discussing Pixar’s “Soul,” a film about the meaning of life, but also occasionally a wacky comedy about a talking cat or a dream pirate! But mostly the meaning of life. Watch out for the great Bug Zapper in the sky! Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Chip Sudderth and Jean MacDonald.
Jan 10, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep 548•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time for our annual look back at the year gone by, and what a year it was! Still, we managed to watch, read, and listen to some great stuff this year. As is our custom, our panelists and listeners pick favorite Incomparable episodes and moments. This year, a panelist gets stuck inside a clip, and then Jason has to explain the Skeletor Clip Loop to a first-time Clip Show panelist who is not sure it really exists. It does—and 2021 is the year we fight back. Jason Snell with John Siracusa, Eri...
Jan 01, 2021•2 hr 53 min•Ep 547•Transcript available on Metacast Is this the way? We break down the second season of “The Mandalorian,” which sees our title character struggling with his own identity as a Mandalorian as well as coming to grips with the important task of protecting the child that he’s been caring for. What’s the difference between good and bad fan service? How many different spin-off shows were being set up this season? And we workshop a Baby Yoda sitcom. Jason Snell with Antony Johnston, Dan Moren, James Thomson, Helene Wecker and Kelly Guimo...
Dec 27, 2020•2 hr 32 min•Ep 546•Transcript available on Metacast The Kilmas season reaches its peak with a fantasy film about a fellowship of people small and large who must journey far at the behest of a wizard, carrying something that may lead to the complete destruction of a kingdom. Except the thing isn’t a ring, it’s a baby. It’s 1988’s “Willow,” a charming movie with swords, sorcery, brownies (the bad kind), love potions, cartoonish snowballs, magic acorns, dangerous dragons, and even a magic trick or two. Merry Kilmas, one and all! Jason Snell with Eri...
Dec 20, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep 545•Transcript available on Metacast Kilmas rolls on with Val Kilmer’s first screen role, as the Elvis-like Nick Rivers—who is sent to East Germany and falls into a plot to destroy NATO submarines. But don’t sweat it, this is “Top Secret!”, from the same people who made “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun,” so it’s really all about the jokes. So many jokes. We rave about some, and remain extremely perplexed about others. But you know who makes the whole thing work? Yep, Val Kilmer, that’s who. Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Lisa Schm...
Dec 13, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep 544•Transcript available on Metacast 
