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Close Up

by Thought Plane Media

We get Close Up on a variety of entertainment-- including film, television, and comics. For substantive reviews, history, trivia, lists, and debates.

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Episodes

  1. The Social Reckoning Fails To Have A Point | Close Up E183

    Justin and Joe review The Social Reckoning. 00:00 Movie Says Nothing 08:21 Regulatory Oversight 14:46 Three Perspectives 20:25 How It Could Be Fixed 24:10 Conversation Starter 32:41 Some Good Things 33:50 To A Higher Standard 38:42 Filmmaking 41:38 Some More Good 44:38 The Social Media Problem...

  2. Neon Genesis Evangelion Is Brilliant... And Also Terrible | Retro Review

    Justin and Joe review Neon Genesis: Evangelion. 00:00 Overview 01:82 Shinji Is Pathetic 05:52 Nonsensical Story 15:08 The End of Evangelion 20:46 Rebuild Movies Overview 27:47 Rebuild 3 34:06 Franchise Themes 37:32 Action 44:12 Visual Style 46:49 More Themes 53:48 Rankings 01:03:18 Final Rankings...

  3. ZERO CONTEXT REACTION | Neon Genesis E26 | The Beast That Shouted I at the Heart of the World

    Joe blind-reacts to the famously confusing series finale of Neon Genesis: Evangelion. This is a watch/ listen-along format, with sporadic commentary. So pull up the episode and follow along! 01:10 Episode Starts 23:24 Joe's Review

  4. Grave of the Fireflies Could Not Make Joe Cry | Retro Review

    Justin and Joe review Grave of the Fireflies. 00:00 Overview 01:02 Frustrating 06:36 About Regret 09:42 Struggling to Empathize 13:33 Technical Aspects 15:37 This Is A Kid's Movie 18:26 What Makes A Tragedy? 22:51 Wartime 25:55 Expressiveness 28:10 Emotional Intelligence 32:46 Rare Presentations…

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  5. Better Your DnD Sessions with Basic Game Theory (GNS)

    Joe and Justin learn how to become more effective game masters of TTRPGs with some basic game theory., 00:00 GNS Theory Overview 11:38 Where Does DnD Lean 17:15 Narrative TTRPGs 23:08 Situationist TTRPGs 30:12 How It Helps Players 34:41 DnD Is a Gateway Drug 41:33 The Problem With Narrative 47:06...

  6. House of the Dragon S3 is Terrific... Sometimes | What's New?

    Ryan and Joe review House of the Dragon S3. *Apologies for Joe's subpar audio. There was a technical glitch while recording. This was the best he could manage to fix it in the edit. 00:00 Intro 05:55 Real Problems With S3 08:47 Undermining Deaths 11:42 Too Many Characters 18:01 Poor Halaena 24:24...

  7. Spider-Man Brand New Day Is a Spectacular Spidey Film | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Spider-Man: Brand New Day. 00:00 Overview 06:16 Classic Marvel 09:55 Flashbacks 13:34 Pacing 16:31 Themes 32:45 Stylization 35:55 Brings Out Inner Child 37:09 The Hulk 44:17 Humour 46:19 Ned and MJ 57:42 Tom Holland is the Best Spider-Man 01:05:31 Effects Work 01:07:33...

  8. The Odyssey Is Tremendous and May Be Nolan's Best | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. 00:00 First Impressions 04:26 Greek Gods 11:46 The Cyclops Scene 18:34 Odysseus 29:50 Penelope 33:05 Robert Pattinson 35:50 John Leguizamo 36:42 Immersion 41:08 Editing 46:03 Thematic and Narrative Payoffs 54:06 Telemachus 59:05 Length…

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  9. The Legend of Vox Machina S4 Has Fantastic Quality | What's New?

    Justin, Joe, and special guest star Ryan Walker review The Legend of Vox Machina S4. 00:00 Expectations 03:02 Cliffhanger Finale 05:00 Animation 08:14 Fractured Team Spirit 14:18 Lack of Communication 20:09 The Whispered One 23:18 Taryon Darrington 28:01 Pike 32:51 The Power of Faith 35:40 Great...

  10. Spider Noir is Both an Outstanding Noir AND Spider Man Story | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Spider-Noir. 00:00 Sony Has a Win 02:17 Colour Choices 05:37 Filmmaking Craft 08:53 VFX 17:39 Characters 21:28 An Original But Classic Spidey Story 28:38 The Spider 33:31 Supporting Cast 37:42 Stray Thoughts 44:05 Final Rankings WEBSITE: thoughtplane.ca JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA...

  11. Maul: Shadow Lord Is a Wonderful Victory for Lucasfilm | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Maul: Shadow Lord. 00:00 Introduction 02:10 Technically Exceptional 06:14 Action 13:52 Score 14:47 What Era Is This? 17:06 Joe Being Petty 24:25 Characterizations 28:28 Moral Grays + The Final Fight 33:41 Sith Are Emotional 35:12 Working Around Canon 41:39 Pacing and Energy...

  12. Invincible S4 Takes a Small Decline In Quality | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Invincible S4. 00:00 Introduction 02:31 Diminished Returns 07:06 Repeated Sins 09:24 Burden of Responsibility 12:39 Guardians of the Globe 16:41 Zoe 20:06 General Writing 25:58 The Action 28:56 Thragg 32:55 Speculation for S5 36:07 Ethical Dilemmas 37:47 Redemption 42:56…

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  13. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is Frustratingly Simplistic | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. 00:00 Introduction 01:26 Nintendo Cinematic Universe 06:06 Animation 07:51 Bad Writing 16:12 Early Final Rankings 19:51 Stray Thoughts 22:24 Themes 26:18 Ratings, For Real WEBSITE: thoughtplane.ca JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA...

  14. Project Hail Mary is Something Spectacular | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Project Hail Mary. 00:00 Introduction 01:06 The VFX 06:14 Visual Style 10:10 Hard Sci-Fi 14:51 Adaptation 17:36 Character Development 20:07 Rocket Fuel 22:16 Music and Sound 23:38 Length and Pacing 27:38 Broad Appeal 34:35 Some Stray Thoughts 39:09 Final Thoughts WEBSITE:...

  15. Beastars Stumbles Right to the Finish Line | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Beastars Season 3 Part 2 00:00 Our Backgrounds on Beastars 02:52 The Ending Sucked 09:23 The Black Market 11:20 More That Bugged Us 15:44 Technical Issues 18:28 Why the Lower Quality? 21:03 Some Positives 26:59 Stray Thoughts 34:12 The Animation Style 39:27 Final Rankings...

  16. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is Amazing | What's New?

    Ryan and Joe review A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S1. 00:00 Intro 03:18 George R.R Martin 06:07 Egg 12:25 Writing and Tone 18:04 A Knight Who Remembered His Vows 24:36 World Politics 31:05 Ser Arlan of Pennytree 34:13 Baelor Targaryen 39:26 Supporting Characters 44:31 The Ending 47:58 Is Dunk a...

  17. The Greatest Character Introductions in Star Wars | List

    Justin and Joe count down the top character introductions in the Star Wars Franchise (Movies/ TV)! 00:00 Honourable Mentions 05:57 Cassian Andor 08:38 Anakin Skywalker/ Darth Vader 12:44 Darth Sidious 14:57 Asajj Ventress 17:42 Fives and Echo 20:28 Yoda 23:48 General Grievous 27:03 Han Solo 30:30...

  18. Fallout S2 is Irresistibly Weird | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Fallout Season 2. 00:00 Our Backgrounds on Fallout 01:41 Overview + Thaddeus 05:32 Supermutants and Lore 08:03 The Enclave 12:29 House 13:52 Pacing Issues 16:26 Maximus 20:02 Season 3 Setup 21:26 The NCR 24:41 Some of the Writing and Arcs 29:27 Production Design 34:45…

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  19. The Mighty Nein is a Remarkable New Animated Series Which Left Us Wanting More | What's New?

    Justin, Joe, and special guest star Ryan Walker review The Mighty Nein Season 1. 00:00 Introduction 02:06 Preconceived Notions 05:15 Keeping Old and New Fans Invested 07:29 Voice Acting 10:16 vs Vox Machina 16:33 Into the Characters 24:19 Animation 28:13 The Villains 35:44 Fjord 41:05 Beau and…

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  20. Stranger Things S5 Was Too Long For Its Story | What's New?

    Justin and Joe review Stranger Things 5. 00:00 Overview on the Series 04:01 Bloated Cast 10:00 Pacing Issues 13:31 New Lore 15:53 Parents Trusting Children 18:56 Will Byers 28:19 Inconsistent Writing 33:31 Technical Aspects 37:37 The Mind Flayer Twist 38:58 Character Arcs 42:24 The Military 47:46...

  21. Revealing the Meaning of Christmas (Through 52 Holiday Films) | Leisure List

    Justin and Joe review 52 holiday films (which they've never seen), then use them to discover the meaning of Christmas. 00:00 Intro 01:27 Reviews 01:03:04 Rom Com Lessons 01:05:18 Communication and Vulnerability 01:07:57 Family and Community 01:11:47 Save Relationship With Your Father 01:14:41...

  22. Online Artistry Was Killed By Its Own Ruthless Mediums | General Discussion

    Breaking into internet artistry is next to impossible, thanks to a series of decisions and trends which de-incentivized creativity. 00:00 Our General Dissatisfaction 02:05 Greed Swallowed Internet Individualism 05:35 Clickbait Equals Revenue 08:15 Shilling For Ads 13:56 Maximizing Ad Revenue…

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  23. Head Canon Is Great For YOU But Otherwise Terrible | Close Up Episode 162

    Every fan of every fandom eventually comes across the concept of "Head Canon", whether or not they realize. Is it a useful coping mechanism or a pathetic fantasy? 00:00 Protects the Good Vibes 04:36 It's Silly 05:59 Honour the Creator's Intentions 10:45 Ignoring Hard Emotions 16:03 Sometimes Good...

  24. Zootopia 2 is Actually a Quality Sequel | What's New? | Close Up Episode 161

    Justin and Joe review Zootopia 2. 00:00 Surprising Adult Appeal 02:48 Side Characters 05:54 Nick and Judy 10:03 Follow the Snake 12:49 Animation 15:58 Presentation and Writing 21:57 Score 22:50 Action 25:25 Wrap-up WEBSITE: thoughtplane.ca JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA…

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  25. The Best (Subjective) Friendships in Entertainment | List | Close Up Episode 160

    Justin and Joe celebrate their "Friendaversary" by going over their favourite friendships from some of their favourite entertainment! 00:00 Intro 01:20 Commander Sheppard and Garrus Vakarian 02:07 Woody and Buzz Lightyear 04:18 Chuck Bartowski and Morgan Grimes 06:17 Oliver Queen and John Diggle...

  26. The Witcher S4 Is Simplified But Good | What's New? | Close Up Episode 159

    Justin and Joe review The Witcher S4. 00:00 Overview 03:41 Comparisons to S3 05:42 Themes 09:26 Villains 17:10 Ciri and The Rats 22:27 The Action 27:42 Lower Production Values 34:24 Stunt Performers 36:19 Some of the Writing 41:00 Liam Hemsworth 44:52 Wrap-up WEBSITE: thoughtplane.ca JUSTIN'S...

  27. First Impressions of The Witcher S4 | What's New? | Close Up Episode 158

    Justin and Joe review the first few episodes of The Witcher S4, and complain about Netflix's marketing strategies. 00:00 Hemsworth vs Cavill 06:34 Improved Writing 12:32 Action 13:57 No Marketing 21:58 Decline of Fantasy TV 26:45 The Rats 31:13 The Streaming Wars 35:55 Wrap-up WEBSITE:...

  28. Tron: Ares Is Better Than Its Predecessors | Review | Close Up Episode 157

    Justin and Joe review Tron: Ares! 00:00 Overview 04:12 Jared Leto 07:24 The Action 17:55 Production Design 19:46 Where Is Tron 24:16 Box Office Woes 25:46 Some Subtle Details 27:08 NIN Soundtrack 28:48 The Screenplay 42:56 The 3-D 47:26 Wrap-up WEBSITE: thoughtplane.ca JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA...

  29. Spirited Away Is More Horrific Than It Seems | Review

    Joe watches his first ever Studio Ghibli film! 00:00 Pacing and Length 05:07 Anime in Our Childhoods 08:00 Excellent Animation Craft 12:28 Dark Themes and Horror 18:32 Character Development 21:28 Colour Theory 25:51 Stray Thoughts 32:46 Wrap-up WEBSITE: thoughtplane.ca JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA...

  30. Neon Genesis Is Uncommonly Fascinating | Justin Explains

    Justin explains the basics of Neon Genesis: Evangelion to Joe! 00:00 Controversies + Overview 08:06 Emotional Grounding 12:46 What is the Titular Neon Genesis 15:26 The Rebuild Movies 25:00 The Meta Narrative 31:03 The Average Instalment 33:56 Other Themes 39:53 Wrap-up WEBSITE: thoughtplane.ca...

  31. Frieren is a Remarkable and Uplifting Story | Close Up Episode 154

    Joe watched his first anime! Frieren was an exceptional experience, with fine artistic crafting in all regards. 00:00 Introduction 02:40 Animation 07:49 Frieren's Memories 12:47 Themes 24:16 Frieren's Flaws 27:41 Tone and Storytelling 33:16 Speculation on the Future 34:12 The Score 37:29 Wrap-up...

  32. Justin Explains Demon Slayer's Wondrous World | Close Up E153

    Justin explains Demon Slayer to somebody who doesn't watch anime! 00:00 Introduction 01:51 Overall Concept 06:38 The Complex Demons 09:08 Demon Slaying 11:14 Movies 17:45 The Road To Its Ending 20:27 The Demon Slayer Corps 22:19 Writing and Action 26:56 Supporting Cast 30:43 Allegories 35:37...

  33. The Summer Hikaru Died Has Powerful Emotional Depth | Close Up Episode 152

    Justin kicks off "Anime October" with his review of "The Summer Hikaru Died", while Joe picks his brain with questions. 00:00 Introduction 01:31 Overall Story Thoughts 10:11 Themes and Storytelling 18:05 Ending and Payoff 20:50 Pacing 22:16 Lore 26:44 Emotional Maturity 29:09 Animation 31:46...

  34. Good Media Is Hard to Separate From Loathsome Creators | Close Up Episode 151

    Have you ever liked a piece of media where the creator turned out to be a jerk? Did you care? Justin and Joe explore the complexities of supporting bad but talented people. 00:00 Intro 02:23 The Copium Method 09:17 Art Separated From the Creator 13:30 Proportional Involvement 22:17 There Are More...

  35. The Best Spiderman Movie Moments | Close Up Episode 150

    We celebrate Spider-Man with a count-down of our favourite cinematic Spidey moments! 00:00 Intro 01:51 I Don't Feel So Good 04:43 Peter Tingle 07:29 Car Ride With the Vulture 17:14 Spider-Man In Color 21:04 Cranes of NYC Combine 24:24 An Amazing First Rescue 26:38 A Sinister Presence 32:06 An...

  36. Wednesday S2 is Surprising and Strange | Close Up Episode 149

    Wednesday S2 maintains an enjoyable tone, and characters, but has more twists and turns than it can properly set up. 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Initial Thoughts 05:17 Too many Characters 11:17 Twisty 17:32 Villains + Red Herrings 24:25 Acting 33:44 The Evil Family 39:03 Parent/ Child Relationships...

  37. Justin and Joe Face an Unusual Existential Crisis | Close Up E148

    Joe and Justin realize that their time on this Earth to consume and create is finite. 00:00 The Crisis 06:36 Too Much Media Exists 11:58 Not Enough Time 17:02 Loads of Competition 22:38 Lack of Time to Create 26:12 Planet of the Beavers 32:45 Retribution Isle 34:59 Testing Different Mediums 42:49...

  38. Joe Explains the Stupid Yet Pioneering Naked Gun Franchise | Close Up E147

    Joe explains The Naked Gun franchise to Justin-- who's never watched the films. Includes some non-spoiler thoughts on The Naked Gun (4) 00:00 Introduction 02:10 What is The Naked Gun? 08:17 The Comedy 12:25 The Writing 18:51 The Naked Gun 4 Mini-Review 22:10 Themes of Police Over-reach 24:54...

  39. The Sandman S2 Is Spectacular, But Far Too Late | Close Up Episode 146

    The Sandman S2 arrives multiple years late to the party. But it's still welcome, to the few of us who care. 00:00 Introduction 03:01 The Cancellation 05:55 Overview 10:19 Mysteries of the Endless 13:16 Acting, Writing, Themes 36:47 The Final Episode 40:15 Visual Effects and Colour 47:21 Wrap-up...

  40. What Happened to the Mainstream Coming of Age Film | Close Up Episode 145

    Coming of Age films were a huge genre till last decade. Now they're just low-budget slop on Netflix. What happened? *Sorry for the audio glitch at 34:00. Was a recording issue. 00:00 Some history 06:51 Changing Hollywood Film Industry 13:23 The Teenage Experience 30:00 Social Arrested Development...

  41. Why Big Media Is Cancelling All Your Favourite Stuff | Close Up Episode 144

    Hollywood is cancelling your favourite shows and movies left and right. What's their problem, and how will it continue to impact you? 01:38 Wheel of Time Cancellation 03:17 TV Seasons Are Too Far Apart 06:00 Faulty Viewing Metrics 09:07 Destroys Audience Trust 13:50 Peter Jackson 18:25 The MCU...

  42. The Fantastic 4 Is Good But Not Great | Close Up Episode 143

    The Fantastic 4: First Steps is getting a lot of hype right now. We liked it... but found the screenplay flawed. 00:00 State of the Fantastic 4 IP 03:18 The Worldbuilding 11:31 Doomsday Theories 16:29 Structure and Dialogue 24:59 Visuals and Filmmaking 30:18 Production Design 37:22 High Stakes...

  43. Justin Explains the Competitive World of Squid Game + S3 Review | Close Up E142

    Justin and Joe review the latest Superman reboot, by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn! This character is Joe's favorite superhero of all time, so did it live up to his lofty expectations? 2:40 Justin's Introduction + Premise 10:11 The Games + Themes 15:27 Antagonists 19:53 Did it…

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  44. Superman is a Hopeful Start to the New DCU | Close Up Episode 141

    Justin and Joe review the latest Superman reboot, by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn! This character is Joe's favorite superhero of all time, so did it live up to his lofty expectations? 00:28 DC's History with Crossovers 03:34 DC vs Marvel Tones 06:15 Overview + David Corenswet 16:50...

  45. How Toxic Fandoms Undermine The Enjoyment of All | Close Up E140

    The state of online fandom is decidednly toxic. Joe and Justin break down the ways in which this toxicity manifests and outline steps to improve the well-being of everybody who considers themselves a "fan". 04:35 A History of Passionate Nerds 11:55 IP Is Inter-generational 18:12 Lack of...

  46. The Gorge Sets a New Benchmark for Digital Cinematography | Close Up Episode 139

    Justin (a Director of Photography) explains why The Gorge excels with its digital cinematography, where other films fail! 00:00 Introduction 02:34 Non-spoiler Review 6:07 Top-tier Visual Style 11:15 Plot is Overrated 14:30 What's in the Gorge? 16:12 CGI Should Look Unnatural 23:06 Tradition Vs…

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  47. Ballerina Has Strong Action But a Tired Story | Close Up Episode 138

    Joe reviews "From the World of John Wick: Ballerina". 00:00 Introduction 02:22 The Shadow of John Wick 10:07 Expands the World 12:32 The Twist 14:32 Eve 16:07 Action 21:51 Themes 24:11 Criticism of the Story 28:36 Box Office Woes WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA...

  48. Audio Fiction is The Most Underrated Type of Media | Close Up E137

    Joe and Justin share their love for the too-often ignored world of audio fiction. 01:18 Our Histories With Audio 05:47 Close Up 10:35 Voice Acting 15:11 New Audio Fiction 20:01 The Budget Option 21:19 Not Cool 24:55 The Appeals of the Format 32:33 Thought Plane Media Audios 41:38 Audio Fiction...

  49. Mission Impossible 8 Is An Self Indulgent Victory Lap | Close Up Episode 136

    Justin and Joe review Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning! 00:00 Introduction 02:22 MI Expectations 07:44 The Classic Series 11:17 Bookends to MI 1 12:51 Luther 15:17 The Stunts 34:21 The Entity 37:34 Combating The Entity 42:39 Themes of Individualism 45:18 The Franchise's Future 1:00:30 Editing...

  50. The Last of Us S2 Makes the Game Look Fantastic (Feat. Ryan Walker) | Close Up E135

    Ryan and Joe review The Last of Us Season 2! 00:00 Introduction 04:47 That Joel Moment 07:56 Season Overview 10:54 Episode 6 14:06 Nuanced Reactions to Gay Characters 17:35 The Bella Ramsey Problem 19:18 Ellie's Final Kills 21:49 The Seraphite Island Scene 23:26 The Ellie Problem 27:00 Atmosphere...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

We get Close Up on a variety of entertainment-- including film, television, and comics. For substantive reviews, history, trivia, lists, and debates.

HOSTED BY

Thought Plane Media

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Close Up have?

Close Up currently has 187 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

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We get Close Up on a variety of entertainment-- including film, television, and comics. For substantive reviews, history, trivia, lists, and debates.

How often does Close Up release new episodes?

Close Up publishes regularly with 187 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

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