Each week, CJ the Nerd and Jordan the Critic dive deep into the biggest movies in the endless ocean of streaming content. As long as we're stuck inside, we'll be your best binging buddies.
Latest Episodes
Taika Waititi isn't the first filmmaker to find a way to explore the horrors of Nazi-Germany with the tools of comedy, but he does a fine job of it. And at the heart of the farce is a sincere and grounded story buoyed by pitch perfect performances across the board. We love this movie, and so should you. It's about time we talk about it.
Read MoreThis is the horror movie we've been waiting for, never relying on jump scares or gore, and keeping us on the edge of our seats right up to an exquisitely satisfying conclusion. Even more, it cuts deep into the thematic marrow of domestic abuse and its consequences. See it. And then come join us for a conversation.
Read MoreRain Johnson is four and oh so far, and we don’t expect Knives Out to be his first miss. Join us for some fanboy coverage of this profoundly talented filmmaker’s enviable career. If you don’t love him as much as we do by the end of the episode, or you owe us twenty dollars.
Read MoreIn preparation for Doctor Sleep, we tackled its predecessor, one of the most important horror movies of all time. Join us for a conversation about how and why The Shining is still considered by many to be the scariest movie they've ever seen.
Read MoreBlack and Blue is a lot like Rudy, who wasn't real good at football, but had so much heart you couldn't help but love him. This movie doesn't deliver a lot of thrills or suspense, but boy does it have heart. In this episode, we dig into why we enjoyed this film so much, and why we think you should, too, despite its obvious weaknesses.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to completely understand all the Terminator movies? Have you ever wondered how many there even are, and whether there might be a TV show, too? Probably not, but we'll answer all those questions anyway! Consider this episode your complete guide to this famous and troubled franchise. We promise to prepare you to have the best experience possible at the upcoming Terminator: Dark Fate.
Read MoreCJ and Jordan once again find themselves at odds over the Zombieland sequel. Though they both put up an impressive fight, Jordan reigned it in, because he ALREADY shared ALL of his thoughts on another show called The Next Reel. Go check it out!
Read MoreIs it a zombie movie? Is it an action movie? A comedy? A romance? A bromance? Yes! Jordan's seen it six times, and CJ just saw it for the first time, but they both agree, Zombieland is the best buddy zom-rom-com ever made.
Read MoreWe can love Will Smith all we want, but Gemini Man was NOT good. We wish it was. But you definitely shouldn’t wait to see it before listening to this episode. Because it’ll be more fun than the movie itself. We’re not being negative, we promise...just honest.
Read MoreIf you want to know how to make CJ and Jordan nerd out in a big way, start talking about Will Smith. This was such a fun episode. BONUS -- we were able to arrive at some very insightful (read: baseless) conclusions about his career since 2008. Talking about the Fresh Prince turned out to be the perfect way to kick off the next 100 episodes of Nerd Critic.
Read MoreWe did it, everybody. One HUNDRED. And what an episode this turned out to be. By popular demand, we invited the venerable Dixon Gaines back to be our guest for this seminal occasion, and he and Jordan fought mightily for CJ's soul. In the end, CJ opted for shared custody and a happily-ever-after. Which, after spending so much time with Joker, was desperately appreciated.
Read MoreFilmspotting, the definitive cinephile podcast, once ran a poll that asked the question: "What is the best comic book movie adaptation of all time?" The options were A) The Dark Knight, and B) Any other movie. This just about sums up the significance of this film, and we could not be more excited to do a deep dive into an inarguably significant entry into the catalogue of great American movies. And if you're looking for some great pre-game conversation about Joker, you could do a lot worse than this episode.
Read MoreWe're back with another Christopher Nolan movie. A lot of people jumped on the plot-hole-central bandwagon back when it came out. But we think that may be an oversimplified explanation of what was wrong with this movie, and also an unfair dismissal of all the things that were so great about it. Jump on in, the conversation's fine!
Read MoreDid you know CJ has seen ALL EIGHT of the Fast and Furious movies MULTIPLE TIMES? Jordan certainly didn’t. But it’s a good thing, because it turns out there’s no one better qualified to nerd out about these movies. Join us for an earnest (if belated) conversation about this singular, cacophonous franchise.
Read MoreOkay, so maybe Disney is just in it for the money. Well of course they are, but... Listen, this is a weirdly complicated thing to unpack, so you're just going to have to hear the whole conversation. (We still really love you, Jon.) ALSO! We have finally, officially rolled out Nerd Critic (to the) Max! Oh, and Marvel announced some interesting things, too. Guys, this is a big episode. Perhaps even fit for a King. (#sorrynotsorry)
This is one of the most beloved sub-franchises in the MCU, which is why we couldn't be more excited to get reeeeeaaal salty. Don't worry, no hate, just a lot of strong opinions and some bold and incorrigible griping, underneath of which is that strong foundation of nerd love that keeps us grounded.
Read MoreYou knew we were going to dive deep into the latest Peter Parker adventure. You DIDN'T know we would be featuring our very first Nerd Critic guest! After eight years of writing with the team behind Conan, and now as the associate editor at DC Universe, Dixon Gaines ( @dixontrotter ) might be the funniest nerd and the nerdiest comedian you’ve ever met. If you don't have as much fun listening to him as we did, then you're probably dead inside.
Read MoreThe best drumming movie ever (and there are a surprising number of drumming movies), the best JK Simmons performance ever, the most outrageous and challenging depiction of a teacher/student relationship ever. Forgive our hyperbole, but we LOVE THIS MOVIE. It’s hard to stay calm about it.
Read MoreAll my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Maybe you love The Beatles. Maybe you love Danny Boyle. Maybe you love Lily James (seriously though, you have to love Lily James). Wherever your affections lay, listen up, we’ve got lots to say.
Read MoreIs Slumdog Millionaire Danny Boyle’s best film? More importantly, is CJ a damned fascist for not having seen it until LAST WEEKEND? We address these questions and more in this week’s Off the Shelf episode!
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