JustinMoris

As J Mo rapidly approaches (or has perhaps already passed?) 3000 films watched all-time on Letterboxd, it felt fitting to kick off a new year with the story of another man who thought he'd hit the 3000 plateau only for it to be taken away from him on a technicality, as we try to whip ourselves back in to game-shape for 2025 by watching a sports comedy that's a little too light on laughs. It's 2004's Mr. 3000, directed by Charles Stone III, and starring Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, Michael Rispoli, Dondré Whitfield, Paul Sorvino, Chris Noth, Keegan-Michael Key, Dane Cook and Tom Arnold. While the movie never really finds its groove comedically, it's still a charming sports twist on the cocky-hothead-gets-humbled archetype that does a great job of using existing teams, leagues and sports TV shows to make the whole thing feel somewhat real. This is to say nothing of Bernie Mac, who has more than enough charisma to carry this even when the script isn't entirely where it needs to be. Plus: we take a good half-hour off the top of the first show of the new year to countdown our duelling lists of the Top Ten Films of 2024. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening to our discussion, Mr. 3000 is currently free to stream in Canada on Hoopla. Other works discussed in this episode include The Substance, Juror No. 2, Twisters, Will & Harper, Civil War, Longlegs, Hit Man, I Saw The TV Glow, The Wild Robot, The Fall Guy, Conclave, Love Lies Bleeding, La Chimera, Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Challengers, Woman of the Hour, Carry-On, Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, Cuckoo, Red One, Ladder 49 and National Treasure, among countless others. We'll be back next week with a little ADHD-VHS, as Hayley puts her newly-acquired VCR to work watching a movie on tape that is new to her: 1993's The Fugitive, with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, that is currently streaming north of the border on Starz. And later in the month, we'll be circling back to our man Bernie Mac as January's canon consideration is 2001's Ocean's Eleven! Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

For one last time in 2024, we're closing out DePalmber: Part De by opening the vault door and welcoming another of our beloved classics into the podcast canon, this time a bleak noir thriller about a foley artist in the film industry who winds up recording proof of a political murder conspiracy while out grabbing sounds for a new low-end horror picture, and gets swept up into a dark world of intrigue where no one is safe. It's 1981's Blow Out, written and directed by Brian De Palma and starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Jon Lithgow, Dennis Franz, Peter Boyden, John Aquino and Deborah Everton. Like Michael Mann's Thief (released just four months earlier), it feels like a visionary director establishing countless trademark flourishes in an early outing before really hitting their stride as the decade continued. And just like Thief, that early outing may prove to be a high-water mark neither man ever cleared again. Plus: without any theatrical outing to report on to end the year, we're vibing out with hoarfrost and the music of Waxahatchee. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening along to this conversation, and we loved this movie so we strongly recommend you do, Blow Out is currently streaming for free on Tubi (at least in Canada) at the time of publication. Other works discussed in this episode include Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Nosferatu, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Abigail, The Brutalist, The Order, Blue Chips, Air, Hustle, Hoosiers, Moneyball, Glory Road, Miracle, The Way Back, The Holdovers, Knives Out, Glass Onion, Law Abiding Citizen, I Saw the TV Glow, Monkey Man, Biggest Heist Ever, Joker: Folie à Deux, A Christmas Story, Black Christmas, Baby Geniuses, The Karate Dog, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, To Grandmother's House We Go, New York Minute, Scarface, Body Double, Pulp Fiction, Gotti, The Fanatic, Dexter, Conclave, Cliffhanger, Nightcrawler, and Nope among many more. We'll be back next week to kick off 2025 with the Bernie Mac baseball comedy Mr. 3000, to celebrate J Mo crossing the 3000 films watched lifetime milestone at some point in the year that was 2024. That's as good a reason to watch it as any I suppose, and you can find Mr. 3000 streaming for free on Hoopla at the moment. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

MERRY SHAQMAS, EVERYONE! We hit pause on DePalmber: Part De this week and pick up our annual Christmas tradition of exploring the filmography of basketball player / actor Shaquille O'Neal, here making his acting debut in a Nick Nolte-helmed character drama loosely based on notorious college coach Bobby Knight. It's 1994's Blue Chips, directed by William Friedkin, and starring Nolte, Shaq, Mary McDonnell, Ed O'Neill, J.T. Walsh, Alfre Woodard, Penny Hardaway, Anthony C. Hall and Bobby Knight. This was Friedkin's return to the fold after 20 years of banishment at Paramount, following a serious falling out with the studio during the production of (previous episode fodder) Sorcerer, and while the movie is far more of a one-for-us more so than a one-for-you, the prolific director still brings so much more life to the sports drama genre than this sort of thing is typically infused with. Plus, contrary to what we were led to believe from watching Steel last year, Shaq actually can act, and shows star-quality comedy chops and an earnest vulnerability that he would snuff out in later years while leaning into cartoon shtick. Sadly, Blue Chips is not available to stream on Paramount+, or anywhere for that matter, but can be rented for about $5 on YouTube. And it's worth checking out! Other works discussed on this episode include The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Kraven The Hunter, The Producers (2005), The Producers (1967), Young Frankenstein, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Scrooged, Office Christmas Party, It's In the Game: Madden NFL, Ready or Not, Bad Boys: Ride of Die, V/H/S, Hustle and Civil War. We'll be back next week to close out 2024 with our DePalmber: Part De canon consideration, as we put De Palma's 1981 show biz crime thriller under the microscope and finally dedicate an entire episode to John Travolta and Nancy Allen in Blow Out! Blow Out is currently streaming for free (in Canada at least) on the people's streamer, Tubi. Until then, we'll see you at the movies, and a happy Shaqmas to all!!

This week we're auditioning for the role of a lifetime as DePALMBER: PART DE continues with another example of what feels like well-worn territory for our man of the month: an erotic thriller in which a working class man in show business is forced to be an unlikely hero as he becomes entangled in a murder. It's 1984's Body Double, directed, produced, and co-written from a story by Brian De Palma, and starring Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton, Guy Boyd and Dennis Franz. As De Palma's immediate follow-up to Scarface, it's a brazenly bizarre swing on what was surely a blank check opportunity, and we have to admire the effort. Dripping in Hitchcockian influence with a plot that plays like Rear Window and Vertigo at the same time, it's another terrific showcase of that 80s cool De Palma style that would be pillaged decades later in the Grand Theft Auto video games. Plus: J Mo goes knives out on Wicked, having been held hostage by it for nearly three hours. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening to our discussion, Body Double is not currently streaming in Canada but can be rented on YouTube for $5. Other works referenced in this episode include The Producers (2005), Avengers Endgame, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, Doubt, The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Fog (2005), Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Super 8, The Fablemans, West Side Story (2021), Rory Scovel: Religion, Sex & A Few Things In Between, Batman Returns, Batman & Robin, The Game, North by Northwest and Deep Water, among others. We take a quick break from De Palma next week, as our final release before Christmas Day means it's time to celebrate Shaqmas once again! Our annual holiday tradition of covering a selection from the filmography of Shaquille O'Neal continues this year with what is surely the best movie he ever made: 1994's Blue Chips, directed by William Friedkin and co-starring Nick Nolte. And our DePalmber Canon Entry at the end of the month is 1981's Blow Out! Until next week, we'll see you at the movies!!

It's the final month of year, which means it's time again to celebrate the reason for the season and make it another DePalmber to ReMalmber as we fire up another Brian De Palma series, DePALMBER: PART DE, with 1987's The Untouchables, directed by De Palma, written by David Mamet, and starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, Charles Martin Smith, Robert De Niro, Billy Drago and Patricia Clarkson. A 1930s Chicago gangland drama about the prohibition war on Al Capone, it's a quintessential Dad Movie that found second life as a classic video store rental in the decade-plus after its release, and this week J Mo finally catches up with a movie that was the talk of the schoolyard some 25 years ago now. Plus: No trips to the theater to discuss this week, but we look to streaming for an in-depth report on the Taylor Swift / Travis Kelce fanfic Lifetime Original holiday film, Christmas In The Spotlight. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening to our discussion, The Untouchables is currently streaming on Paramount+ at the time of publication. Other works discussed in this episode include Constantine, Sweethearts, When Harry Met Sally..., Kiss The Girls, Our Little Secret, Den of Thieves, Under Paris, Downtown Owl, Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All, American Gangster, Dear Santa, Smile 2, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Josie and the Pussycats, That Thing You Do!, Blow Out, Mission: Impossible, Air Bud, The Departed, Infernal Affairs, and The Naked Gun 33 & 1/3 among others. DePalmber: Part De continues next week with Brian in full erotic thriller mode as we check out 1984's Body Double, which unfortunately at present is not available to stream in Canada but can be rented on YouTube and Cineplex. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

This week, we're fixin' to do somethin' dumber than hell but we're gonna do it anyway, as we close out No-Theme-ber by circling back to the coin-flip best movie of 2007, a gravely serious and barbed-wire-taut neo-western crime thriller that the Coens still manage to sneak an enormous amount of low-key goofy comedy into. It's 2007's No Country For Old Men, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on the book by Cormac McCarthy, and starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Barry Corbin, Beth Grant and Stephen Root. It's Hayley's nomination for November's canon consideration as we use the last Friday of the month to induct another classic into the pod pantheon. Plus: J Mo's trip to Gladiator II has us recounting memorable bad audience behavior from our years of going to the theater. If you'd like to watch this week's movie before listening to our discussion, No Country For Old Men is now streaming on both Amazon Prime and Netflix in Canada at the time of publication. Other works referenced in this episode include Wicked, The Stand (1994), The Stand (2020), Station Eleven, Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Fabelmans, The Holdovers, Transformers One, Jack Reacher, Robin Hood (2010), Abigail, Maximum Overdrive, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Blues Brothers, The Big Lebowski, Grindhouse, There Will Be Blood, Inherent Vice, W. and Deadpool 2 among countless others. We'll be back next week to kick off another theme month as the last month of 2024 sees the return of A DePalmber to ReMalmber! That's right, we're going back to the well for DePalmber: Part De, which begins next Friday with The Untouchables, and continues with Body Double and our December canon entry, Blow Out. (We'll take a quick break from DePalma to celebrate Shaqmas with Shaquille O'Neal in Blue Chips.) Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

This week, as Gladiator II hits the theaters to repeat the same beats of its predecessor and prove that what we do in life truly does echo in eternity, we circle back to the original to cross a movie off of Hayley's list and get her hyped to see some hunks on the IMAX screen. It's 2000's Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Tommy Flanagan and Spencer Treat Clark. A somewhat controversial Best Picture winner at the time, it has remained one of Scott's most celebrated pictures despite hardly being his best. While it may not match the heights of his sci-fi output, it is unquestionably the high-water mark of his Medieval Mode, very much in line with subsequent efforts like Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood and The Last Duel, and is still a hugely entertaining sword-and-sandal revenge epic that lifted its two lead actors to another level of stardom. Plus: We get pissed off about the Coca-Cola AI Christmas commercial. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening along to our discussion, Gladiator is currently streaming (in Canada at least) on both Netflix and Paramount+ at the time of publication. Other works discussed on this episode include Past Lives, Stop Making Sense, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Aliens, In Cold Water: The Shelter Bay Mystery, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, The X-Files (S5E04 "Detour"), Good Bones, Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Holdovers, The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Red One, The Brave Little Toaster, Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Shadow of the Vampire and Crash, among others. We'll be back next week to wrap up No-Theme-ber with our monthly canon consideration, as Hayley's got the keys to the vault this month and is using them to induct the Coen Brothers' 2007 crime classic No Country For Old Men, which is currently streaming north of the border on both Netflix and Amazon Prime. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

This week, we're headed to Harvard Law (what, like it's hard?) as J Mo cashes in a recent thrift store pick-up so we'd have something light and breezy to discuss in the wake of recent events. It's 2001's Legally Blonde, directed by Robert Luketic, and starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Holland Taylor, Jennifer Coolidge, Ali Larter, Osgood Perkins, Raquel Welch and Linda Cardellini. A box office hit that spawned a sequel, a broadway musical (with accompanying talent search reality show), and apparently a forthcoming prequel TV series, and launched its charming lead as a certified household name Movie Star after winning turns in Pleasantville and Election. Plus: both hosts have been to the theatre this week, and have field trips to report on for Conclave and Heretic. And we go deep into overtime after the end credits with a littany of thoughts on the first trailer for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. If you'd like to watch the film before listening along to our discussion, Legally Blonde is currently streaming for free on Tubi in Canada at the time of publication, and is also available via MGM. Other works referenced in this episode include The Saint, I Saw The TV Glow, The Transporter, I Know That Voice, Casa Bonita, Mi Amor!, Martha, Shawshank Redemption, My Old Ass, The Fallout, The Fog, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, A Perfect Circle's album Mer de Noms, cable TV, Longlegs, X-Men, Walk The Line, Walk Hard, Animal House, Cruel Intentions, The Time Machine, Olympus Has Fallen, It's Complicated, American Pie, Barbie, the entire Mission: Impossible series, No Time To Die, The Dark Knight Rises, North by Northwest, Interstellar, The Fast and the Furious franchise, and John Wick among others. We'll be back next week as we've lined up the No-theme-ber schedule to coincide with the release of one of the last anticipated major release of the year. No, not Wicked. We're circling back to 2000's eventual Best Picture winner, Ridley Scott's Gladiator with Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, which can be found streaming north of the border currently on Netflix and Paramount+. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!! Hamburger.

Games? Must we? This week we're leaving Spooktober behind us and kicking off No-Theme-ber with a bang, as King Bob frontman and Roxy Fever host Jackson McDonald returns with our second Hitchcock in just three weeks as he redeems himself by bringing a cross-country spy thriller to the table that set the template for summer thrills for everything that's come after it. Yes, it's 1959's North by Northwest, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Ernest Lehman, and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau. A classic mistaken identity thriller, Hitchcock is recombining story elements from a number of spy films of his past, leaving one final stamp on the genre before turning his focus back to horror. The end result is a movie that has its fingerprints all over not just the Mission: Impossible franchise, but what we expect from blockbuster entertainment period. Plus: Jackson and JMo combine for theatrical field trips to The Wild Robot and Venom 3: The Last Dance, while Hayley's still buzzing over a visit to the Video Stop in Watrous, Saskatchewan. Listen to King Bob's new album, Rookie: linktr.ee/allhailkingbob Other works referenced in this episode include The Birds, The Stand, Longlegs, Us, Shutter Island, Malignant, The Thing, Star Wars, Fargo, High Fidelity, The Black Phone, Invitation to Hell, Casa Bonita Mi Amor, 6 Days to Air, Where We Call Home, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Vertigo, Rear Window, Secret Window, Trap, Koyaanisqatsi, Family Guy, Mad Men, Rope, Charade, Big Trouble in Little China, Total Recall, Hail Caesar!, Burn After Reading, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, The Maltese Falcon, Jaws, Rebecca, and The 39 Steps, among others. We'll be back next week as No-Theme-ber continues with the Steve Martin rom-com Roxanne, famously filmed in Nelson, BC (or at least famously in this part of the world), a selection brought to us by beloved guest Rachel Hadaway, who will be joining us for that one. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

It's the end of Spooktober... nobody trusts anybody now and we're all very tired, as we chill out with the original prince of podcasting RJ MacReady and John Carpenter's frozen freakfest takes its rightful place in the pod pantheon. It's 1982's The Thing, directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David and Donald Moffat. An absolute masterclass in the art of practical make-up and on-camera special effects, it's a movie that still looks outstanding to this day, now 42 years after it hit the screen. Critics hated the film upon its release, accusing Carpenter of only being interested in pushing the limits of technical achievement, and slacking on character and story. While I'd take issue with the latter critique, the former is exactly what has made the movie an enduring favourite. As for its story, this is a scenario so rife with paranoia that it has since gone on to become a successful board game. Sadly, The Thing is not available to stream in Canada at the time of publication, but you can nab it on Blu-ray for $5 most places and it's well worth owning on physical media. Other works discussed in this episode include the Venom franchise, Invaders From Mars, Poltergeist, Transformers, Lover, Stalker, Killer, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, Paranormal Activity 2, Cloverfield, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Poltergeist III, Truth or Dare (2017), Death Becomes Her, Gladiator II, The X-Files, Lost, Severance, Clear and Present Danger, and Escape From New York. We'll be back next week to kick off No-Theme-ber, a lawless month where anything goes, as Roxy Fever's Jackson McDonald returns to the show with a redemption pick from his own collection, and to promote the new King Bob album Rookie available now wherever you get your music. He's making us circle back to Hitchcock with a classic mistaken identity thriller, 1959's North by Northwest, with Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

This week, like the sand-people of Arrakis and Beetlejuice audiences before us, we're afraid of worms (worms!) as guest Rachel Hadaway (of Rachel's Chart Chat on The People Are The Enemy) goes for a steeply inclined stroll with us to breathe the mountain air in beautiful Nelson, Washington as circle back to the coziness of the Steve Martin rom-com. It's 1987's Roxanne, directed by Fred Schepisi, written by Steve Martin, and starring Martin opposite Daryl Hannah, Shelley Duvall, Rick Rossovich, John Kapelos, Fred Willard, Michael J. Pollard, Damon Wayans and of course Nelson, British Columbia, which almost played itself! A landmark 80s film for Canadians seeing their country onscreen, north of the border it seems more beloved for its locations than its clever reworking of Cyrano de Bergerac for a modern context. But this is a funny movie with a romance that works, brought to us from the dusty DVR box of a long-time booster of our show who we were happy to finally bring on! Plus: As we put Halloween season behind us, Justin goes deep on the truly terrible Blade: Trinity. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening along, Roxanne is not currently available to stream in Canada, but can be found on Amazon Prime in America at the time of publication. Other works referenced on this episode include Saturday Night, Challengers, Wicked, Blade, Blade II, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Witches of Eastwick, Practical Magic, V/H/S/94, So I Married An Axe Murderer, A Serious Man, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Reality Show Show, 8 Mile, The Lonely Guy, Review, Police Academy, The Muppet Babies, Set It Up, and Looney Tunes among others. We'll be back next week as No-Theme-ber continues... with what? We don't actually know yet. So keep it locked here to find out. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

This week, Spooktober continues with what is widely regarded as one of the most frightening films of all time, as a British master of cinema scares turns his sights to the skies with an eco-horror story that dares to ask... what if birds were jerks? It's 1963's The Birds, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier, and starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Plechet and a young Veronica Cartwright. Time has not been the kindest to this old girl, as a number of sequences that shocked and frightened audiences back in the day now play as laughably funny a lot of the time. Being a Hitchcock film, there are a handful of transcendently great scenes, but few of them involve dive-bombing birds if we're being honest. I guess you can probably tell we didn't love it. Tune in to hear us justify those feelings! Plus: J Mo's been on a trashy horror kick to get in the Spooky Season mood, and Hayley's got a theatrical field report on the Jason Reitman SNL origin picture Saturday Night. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening us discuss it, The Birds is not currently streaming in Canada at the time of publication, but can likely be rented for free at your nearest public library. Other works discussed in this episode include Scream, Barbarian, Frankie Freako, Psycho Goreman, Hundreds of Beavers, Love and Monsters, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, Friday the 13th Part III, Freddy vs. Jason, Clue, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Breaker High, The Black Phone, They/Them, The Deliverance, The First Purge, The Time Machine (1960), Singin' in the Rain, The Happening, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Mummy (1999), Trap, The Lady in the Water, Old, Shaun of the Dead, and The Mist among others. We'll be back next week to wrap up Spooktober with this month's nomination for canon consideration: John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), an absolute Halloween classic with timeless and immaculate creature make-up and practical effects, not to mention an iconic lead performance from the king of cool himself, Kurt Russell. The Thing is not currently streaming in Canada, which really goes to show how much the streaming dream is dead. But you can find it in discount bins at your local retailer I'm sure. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!

This week, we're checking in to the heartbreak hotel and taking the express checkout to Hell as Spooktober continues with a minor forgotbuster based on a story by Stephen King. It's 2007's 1408, directed by Mikael Håfström, and starring John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Jasmine Jessica Anthony, Tony Shaloub, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Len Cariou. The movie is not nearly scary enough to really leave a lasting impression, but it's not bad either, as its Swedish director injects a good amount of visual flair into a one-location concept, and Cusack is more than capable of carrying the load in what is largely a one-man show. Plus: We've got a mixed bag of theatrical field reports, as our intrepid hosts have combined to see The Wild Robot and Megalopolis! If you'd like to watch the movie before listening along to our discussion, 1408 is currently streaming on Hollywood Suite north of the border at the time this episode was released. You can probably also find it at your local library. Other works discussed in this episode include the Netflix Fear Street trilogy, Who Invited Them?, Late Night With The Devil, V/H/S/2, V/H/S: Viral, Cloverfield, The Blair Witch Project, [·REC], Quarantine, Searching, Paranormal Activity, The Mist, Scream, Talk To Me, Night of the Living Dead, Resident Evil, Dawn of the Dead (2004), 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, Friday the 13th Part 2, The Babadook, Malignant, Barbarian, Terrifier, Star Trek (2009), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Mr. McMahon, Morbius, Poltergeist, The Shining, Room 104, Planet Terror, Death Proof, Halloween (2007), The Devil's Rejects, and Black Sheep. We'll be back next week as Spooktober continues with a well-regarded horror classic from one of the original masters of the genre, as we finally catch up with Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, currently streaming in Canada on Netflix at the time of publication. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!

This week, it's Mel Gibson leading a pack of chickens out of a POW death camp in the British claymation classic, 2000's Chicken Run! That's right, Music Month is over, though discussion does return to music bio-pics before the show is over. Plus: Having just seen Knock At The Cabin, Hayley and Justin get into it about the Shyamalan revival, with The Visit, Old and Knock arguably making him a must-see director again. And J Mo froths at the mouth recalling being held captive on an airplane by a Hugh Grant movie with a premise so boring you'll have to hear it to believe it. At the time of this show's release Chicken Run is available to stream on Crave in Canada, and on Peacock in the United States. If you'd like to watch along before our discussion. And we kind of recommend you do, it was good!

This week on the pod... the wrong kid died! Music Month closes out with one last bio-pic -- the music movie parody that renders all the serious attempts that follow it laughable in how closely they hew to the cartoonish comedy of this brilliant send-up. It's 2007's Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, directed by Jake Kasdan, co-written by Kasdan and Judd Apatow, and starring John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer and Kristen Wiig. It's the perfect capstone for the first month of the podcast, a movie that Hayley has never seen and Justin has watched countless times. If you'd like to watch along with us, the movie is currently streaming free on the CTV app in Canada. We'll be back next week with the British claymation classic Chicken Run.

Justin and Hayley are back to review the film that spawned the entire idea for the podcast, a movie that had been collecting dust on J Mo's shelf for sixteen and a half years without ever having been watched: 2004's Ray, written and directed by Taylor Hackford, and starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington and Regina King, for which Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor. After starting the show last week with an unconventional music bio-pic, Music Month continues this time around with a movie that wallows in convention to such an extent it is often flirting with self-parody. If you want to watch along before you listen to the show, Ray is streaming in Canada on Amazon Prime and Starz at the time of publication, while it can be streamed free in the United States on Tubi. We'll be back again next week with John Landis's The Blues Brothers.

It's the first episode! Hayley and Justin kick off Music Month on the pod with a movie that is sort of a bio-pic, sort of a meditation on the pointlessness of bio-pics in general, and a great excuse to get a ton of great bands together and record some wonderful covers of Bob Dylan's more obscure songs. Yes it's 2007's I'm Not There, the only movie that both of your intrepid hosts had each added to their collections without ever watching. We do our best summarize a rather unsummarizable film, pick our Best Bobs, and fantasy-cast which actors would have made great Dylans. All that plus a general movie chat that ranges from Thor: Love and Thunder to Tenet, and Hayley explains the merits of spoiling yourself for horror movies. Thanks for listening.

The #goodfriends return to talk about a slew of red-hot TV specials from AEW and NXT, TV good enough to outshine actual PPVs. Plus thoughts on Paul Heyman's exit from WWE creative, EVIL's big win in New Japan, and if Bruce Prichard or anyone at WWE is capable of creating a moment as dramatic as we witnessed at NJPW Dominion. The guys also dish on when they would feel comfortable returning to a movie theatre, and share some thoughts ahead of Impact's Slammiversary and WWE's Extreme Rules cards (sorry for the delay, it was my birthday).

UNLOCKED: Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of this horrendous PPV, easily the worst thing we've been forced to watch to date. And to celebrate that history, this special Bonus Marks has been unleashed from behind the paywall. Enjoy! The #goodfriends are back in action for the red hot return of Bonus Marks! We finally dive in to King of the Ring 1995, a punishingly bad pay-per-view that highlights a real low point in wrestling. We hated watching this, so that you may enjoy hearing about it. Also: a live commentary for the tag team main event, Diesel & Bam Bam Bigelow vs Sycho Sid & Tatanka.

The #goodfriends review NXT TakeOver: In Your House, tee up WWE "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" Backlash 2020 and New Japan's return to action with a major tournament, talk the best of Raw and Dynamite and fantasy-book Sony's rollout of the PS5. Weird technical difficulties right at the end of this one, but hey. Enjoy.

The #goodfriends return to talk AEW Double or Nothing and its terrific Stadium Stampede match, plus a crowd back on Raw, Drew Gulak's return to WWE, the Fight Pit's debut on NXT, and Matt Riddle moving on to the main roster.

The #goodfriends are back to tee up Saturday's AEW PPV -- Double or Nothing -- as well as heap praise on a pretty terrific edition of Monday Night Raw this week. Plus they get into it about Drew Gulak's contract status, the ongoing scandal surrounding CZW, who belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of ECW, and J Mo accidentally watched Impact's weekly TV this week.

The #goodfriends are back for thoughts on Money In The Bank, Becky Lynch's pregnancy, Dark Side of the Ring's upcoming Owen Hart episode, the debut of Undertaker: The Last Ride, the future of WWE video games, and much much more as we answer your questions! It's good to be back.

The #goodfriends return to discuss wrestling in isolation, WWE's historic round of cuts, furloughs and layoffs, how different companies are handling the shutdown, and what returning sports can learn from the way wrestling has managed its shows without crowds. Plus a preview for UFC 249, WWE's Money In The Bank, and our belated thoughts on a truly unique WrestleMania.

It's Part II of our 2019 Year In Review as the #goodfriends hand out the hardware to the best and worst that wrestling had to offer last year! Awards handed out in this episode include: Spot of the Year Worst Wrestler of the Year Tweet of the Year 2020 Breakout Performer Hidden Gem of the Year Worst Co-Host Take of the Year Wrestler of the Decade Match of the Year Wrestler of the Year Most Powerful Listener We hope it won't be long until you hear from us again, but thank you for your listenership and support in 2019!

The #goodfriends are back, and it's time to celebrate the BEST and WORST wrestling moments of the year! It's the third annual Top Marks Year In Review, and in Part I of the year-end awards, we hand out the prizes for: Promotion of the Year Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year Tag Team of the Year Worst Feud of the Year PPV of the Year Promo of the Year Worst Promo of the Year Plus a special visit from our dear friend Santa Claus. Part II coming soooooooooon!!!!!!

Better late than never, the #goodfriends talk about an unreal bad finish to Hell In A Cell as WWE booked themselves into a corner they didn't need to put themselves in. Meanwhile, the insanely awful end of the show overshadows a pair of tremendous matches to open the show: Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks, and Daniel Byran & Roman Reigns vs Rowan & Harper, which over-delivered by leaps and bounds. Plus we examine Week 2 of AEW vs NXT, and play another exciting round of Keep It Or Kick It. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH

The Wednesday Night Wars have begun and wrestling has never been more interesting, which means of course that the #goodfriends had to return and talk all about it! Catching up on a wide variety of topics, including NXT's move to television, the many twists and turns of SmackDown's Who's Trying To Kill Roman storyline, corporate sabotage at a New York NJPW show, and a full review of the premiere episode of AEW Dynamite. Your boys are back from hiatus and we couldn't be happier. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

It's the episode that J Mo's laptop didn't want you to hear! Delayed by technical difficulties but hey, it's better late than never, as the #goodfriends return from Toronto with tales of SummerSlam, TakeOver, good hangs, good food, and four nights of wrestling at ScotiaBank Arena in a row.

Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

Podcast ratings are sagging so the network asked us to bring back all your favourite Top Marks hosts from the history of the pod. They're all here! Josh Custodio! Justin Morissette! That's it! That's all of them! The #goodfriends return with toast to the pod, and especially you, the listener, the most important member of the Top Marks family. They also break down the Raw Reunion, and a very eventful SmackDown, give some well-earned kudos to Dolph Ziggler, and answer your mailbag questions! Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

The #goodfriends are back to break down a jam-packed week that featured several nights of G-1 action, Evolve 131, AEW Fight For The Fallen, and WWE Extreme Rules. Can wrestling sustain these kind of weekends outside of WrestleMania? How much is too much? PLUS: We talk CM Punk heading to Starrcast, WWE's Smackville Network special, Finn Balor's coming sabbatical, Bray Wyatt's arrival, and Eric Bischoff's role with WWE. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

The #goodfriends are back to break down another massive week in the world of pro wrestling, as Kevin Owens explodes on SmackDown and Joey Janela has a wild encounter with Enzo Amore at a Blink 182 show. PLUS: We preview a jam-packed weekend full of wrestling as WWE's Extreme Rules 2019 caps off a weekend that also includes AEW Fight For The Fallen, Evolve's 10th anniversary show being streamed on WWE Network, and (locally) ECCW's Ballroom Brawl XII. And J-Mo argues once again that the time is now for a Roman heel turn. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

Everything old is new again as the #goodfriends break down Week 1 of Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff sitting in the driver's seat of WWE TV. Meet the new bosses! Same as the old bosses... Josh and J Mo argue about whether this change is for the better, talk recent superficial changes to Raw and SmackDown's presentation, Undertaker's return to television, briefly preview the G-1, and review AEW's Fyter Fest PPV. PLUS: Hotel Mira bassist Mike Noble rejoins the show for a special double-barrelled edition of Keep It Or Kick It! Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

This week on the show that needed a few days to recover from last weekend, returning champions AUDREY & CHRISTINA from PUCK BUNNIES bring their belts back to the show to talk the NHL Draft, Tyler Myers and the problem with free agency, trading a first round pick for J.T. Miller, and their newfound celebrity status after rubbing shoulders with the NHL media elites and being recognized in the streets. PLUS: The girls go deep into Justin’s astrology chart, and Audrey is dying after one magic night at The Roxy. Follow Audrey on Twitter: @aud_bowlerFollow Christina on Twitter: @floozyesqFollow Puck Bunnies on Twitter: @puckbunnies_pod This show is produced by listeners like you! Support the show at patreon.com/RealGoodShow, where an actual honest to god bonus episode will appear in the next few weeks. Outro Music: “Kids In America”, by Kim Wilde

The #goodfriends are back with some very important news about the future of the pod! But first, Seth Rollins needs to chill on the bad tweets and worse interviews have us begging the Universal Champion to log off! PLUS: We go in-depth on Stomping Grounds, a WWE PPV that left us with plenty to complain about, and briefly tee up AEW Fyter Fest before taking your questions in the listener mailbag. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

The #goodfriends are back to preview this weekend's WWE Stomping Grounds and talk about why they won't be heading down to Tacoma to take it in in person. PLUS: Was Raw really good this week? Or do we all have Stockholm Syndrome and are conditioned to heap praise on WWE TV that does the bare minimum of proper booking? PLUS: Examining Jon Moxley's G1 match-ups in an all keep-it edition of Keep It or Kick It. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

This week on the show that’s all about prospects (except when it's not), the editor-in-chief of Elite Prospects J.D. BURKE returns to the show to talk how the order might fall, the depth of the 2019 class, and which prospects Canucks fans should rejoice or cringe if the team picks at 10th. PLUS: The takeaway lessons of a bad Stanley Cup Final, how we were screwed no matter who won, the late-career utility of Edler and Tanev, and memories of our friend Jason Botchford. Follow J.D. on Twitter: @JDylanBurke This show is produced by listeners like you. Support the show at patreon.com/RealGoodShow. Outro Music: “Kids”, by PUP

The #goodfriends celebrate two full years of Top Marks, recording on the second anniversary of the very first episode. We've come a long way, baby, and we're glad to have you with us. As WWE's weekly TV continues its slide into the ocean, Josh breaks down NJPW's Dominion from this past Sunday and tells J Mo exactly why he should watch it! Meanwhile, Chad Gable's 205 Live debut brought Justin's eyes to that forgotten WWE product, and the Mad Man Morissette makes the case that WWE's Network exclusive content (205, NXT, & NXT UK) makes a better three hour experience for restless Raw viewers. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

This week on the show that may have benefitted from some officiating here and there along the way, SIE MORLEY of Fear The Fin stops by to talk all things San Jose Sharks: their playoff run, the futures of Joe Thornton and Erik Karlsson, and the one weird trick doctors don’t want you to know about how Doug Wilson’s team has remained competitive over two decades. PLUS: Barstool towels, confessing to war crimes, what the heck’s going on with the ECHL’s Kelly Cup trophy, and why no one’s really interested in Blues vs Bruins. Follow Sie on Twitter: @nowyousieme Support the show at www.patreon.com/RealGoodShow — this show is produced by the support of listeners like you. Outro Music: “Consolation Prizes”, by Phoenix

Just like the man formerly known as Dean Ambrose reunited with his good friends Chris and Cody, the #goodfriends have come together to break down a monster week in the world of wrestling. We review the launch of AEW with Double or Nothing, dish on Jon Moxley's tell-all interview with Chris Jericho, and tee up this Sunday's seemingly forgotten NXT TakeOver XXV. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

Against all odds, with the crowd against him, sometimes a man's gotta walk alone. This week that man is J Mo, as he delivers the take the #goodfriends don't want to hear: why Brock Lesnar winning Money In The Bank is good. Josh is upset that the briefcase isn't being used to make a star, while J Mo argues it is! And that star is Seth Rollins. PLUS: Our full review of Money In The Bank, including Bayley's cash-in and a surprisingly strong performance on the mic during the pre-show. We preview AEW's premier event DOUBLE OR NOTHING, and give our thought's on WWE's new 24/7 championship. Also: we're aware that Omega vs Jericho is not for the AEW title. That was a goof-em-up. We apologize. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

This week on the show here to talk about Bose Horvats and Brock Bozo, former Vancouver sports radio producer / host turned international man of mystery MIKE MARTIGNAGO joins the program for an update on what he’s been up to since going off the grid, the grind of trying to live the dream, Francesco Aquilini’s Twitter, Trevor Linden’s redemption, John Weisbrod’s bizarre resumé, the ongoing scandals surrounding Whitecaps FC, a spirited debate on whether sports newsroom employees are allowed to feel joy over positive results, and an inside scoop on Kawhi’s off-season plans. PLUS: Ralph Rantignago shares his experiences with wage theft, and we share memories of our friend Jason Botchford. Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeMartignago Follow Ralph on Twitter: @RalphRantignago Support the show at patreon.com/RealGoodShow Outro Music: “Should’ve Known Better”, by Richard Marx

The #goodfriends are back and finally ready to show you our secret... It's the Money In The Bank 2019 preview show but more than that we're back to condemn Lars Sullivan, praise Sami Zayn's creative control, stand in awe of the new Bray Wyatt, and peek at Twitter for updates on Big E's thirst for Becky Lynch's mom, the search for Stokely's CD player, and Charlotte and Andrade's sex life. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our full catalog of bonus shows is available now, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! The real draw however? $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group, including daily active analysis and your opportunity to compete against the Good Friends in the monthly Top Marks Pick 'Em Challenge. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

This week on the show that gets it to go, it’s a very special episode as a wide array of guests stop in to answer one question: Where were you last night? Writers, podcasters, artists and fans share their perspectives on The Shot — Kawhi Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer beater to keep the Raptors’ playoff hopes alive. Already an iconic highlight in both NBA and Toronto sports history, we break it all down with an examination of the moment. An oral history of The Shot. Joining me to do so are: Sean Woodley, Raptors HQ & Locked On Raptors (0:07:50) Blake Murphy, The Athletic (0:21:23) Max Kerman, Arkells (0:32:53) Andrew Zuber, Yahoo Sports Canada & Sportsfeld (0:40:19) Josh Custodio, bartender & Top Marks (0:53:42) Rob Rousseau, writer & 49th Parahell (1:03:56) Devang Desai, theScore & Open Era (1:28:32) Vyas Saran, Maclean’s & Roxy Fever (1:42:30) Jake Goldsbie, actor & Sportsfeld (1:46:02) Vivek Jacob, Yahoo Sports Canada & Locked On Raptors (2:11:37) Tremendous talents all, and I thank them for their time and stories. If you like the show, please support it at Patreon.com/RealGoodShow. Outro Music: “Compromise”, by Shad

This week on the show that’s still grieving, I reflect a bit on the takeaway lessons of Jason Botchford’s friendship and incredible professional impact, and how I feel changed personally and professionally since his passing. I wanted to put together a tribute show this week collecting stories from people who knew him like I did, and people who knew him better than me. But the timing didn’t feel quite right to do that. I couldn’t bring myself to do it, anyway. Not yet. But I did share my own stories of the man and the way he helped me with CHRIS FABER of CanucksArmy on his podcast, and with his permission have republished that conversation in full with my own introduction. I strongly recommend Faber’s full podcast, talking with Georgia Twiss, myself, Jackson McDonald, J.D. Burke, Harman Dayal, Clay Imoo, Cory Hergott and Ryan Biech. It runs over 5 hours and is as cathartic as it is heart-wrenching. You can find it by searching for Canucks Conversation wherever you get your podcasts. I want to thank Chris for getting me going and allowing me to spill these stories at a time when I did not feel up to talking to anyone about anything. The kid can interview. Find Chris on Twitter: @ChrisFaber39 Outro Music: “Sample in a Jar”, by Phish

Coming to you late after a rough week, the #goodfriends are back with a Top Marks After Dark on a number of topics that have only become more pressing in the days since we recorded. With WWE TV ratings plummeting, we examine why that is in the context of what drives interest in pro sports. Hint: no one wants to watch a bad team! PLUS: Return of the Mox! The man formerly known as Dean Ambrose returns to the indies with an incredible video promo. Why are the indies, whether that's Mox or Joey Janela's work with GCW, able to destroy WWE's production values? Roommate of the show Mike Noble joins us for Question Period. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our retro review of WrestleMania XXX is AVAILABLE NOW, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! And $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group that is positively poppin' off. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

UNLOCKED: Real Good Stuff - 17 - First Annual RGS Canucks Summer Summit (with Jason Botchford) In honour of Botch's memory, I wanted everyone to be able to hear this for free. He was a great talent, and a wonderful friend. We will miss him terribly. ||It's an episode that's been years in the making, and it will not disappoint! JASON BOTCHFORD of The Province Sports, the architect of The Provies himself, joins the Real Good Boys as the inaugural guest in the Real Good Studio to talk (what else) -- the Canucks. We get into it about executives around the league reading Jyrki21's comic strip and thinking he must be a former member of Canucks brass, plus understanding Vancouver as a market, the media beatdown the team took in 2011, Dale Tallon vs the Computer Boys, Kyle Dubas, NHL draft lists, Noah Hanifin, and the probability of the team trading its first round pick. And Botch regales with torturous tales of attending his daughters' dance recitals.|| This episode was released on June 4th, 2018. RIP Jason. We love you.

IT'S EPISODE 100, BABY! Bray Wyatt returns, Kevin Owens reveals his true nature, Bayley starts her ascent with a loss, the Shake-Up continues to make no sense, and The Viking Experience has probably changed names another five times since we recorded. We also reflect on 100 episodes, and what we love about the show. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our retro review of WrestleMania XXX is AVAILABLE NOW, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! And $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group that is positively poppin' off. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod

I've heard of Good Friday, but #GoodFriends Day?? On the third day, Top Marks is risen as we're back to talk the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up, which sucked. That makes for two weeks in a row of bad WWE TV, but how much can we complain after a stellar WrestleMania? Turns out: a lot! The Viking Experience with Erik and Ivar is a disaster, Luke Harper requests his release, and we break down the one thing preventing Bray Wyatt's success that has nothing to do with writing or performance. Support the show at www.patreon.com/TopMarks for access to the donor show, Bonus Marks! Our retro review of WrestleMania XXX is AVAILABLE NOW, with a retro show on Money In The Bank 2011 coming soon! And $5 donors also get access to the exclusive Top Marks Twitter DM chat group that is positively poppin' off. Follow us on Twitter: @TopMarksPod