Episode 113 – A Most Violent Year

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

On this week’s episode we stand up for our principles as we review J.C. Chandor’s A Most Violent Year. We also talk about the Mitten Movie Project, some recent trailer releases and movie news!

Show Notes:

Introduction
Mitten Movie Project (0:01:32)
Trailer Ticker:
- Fox’s Fantastic Four (0:08:22)
- Netflix’s Daredevil (0:14:33)
- Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer (0:24:10)
- Chan Chan’s Magic Mike XXL (0:26:05)
Film News:
- Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), Tye Sheridan (The Tree of Life), and Alexandra Shipp (Drumline: A New Beat) have joined X-Men: Apocalypse as Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Storm respectively. (0:27:57)
- Creed will be released November 25, 2015. (0:28:38)
- Your new Ghostbusters are Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. (0:31:00)
Review: A Most Violent Year (0:38:07)
- Spoilers Start: (0:49:28)
Outro (1:04:33)

Music and artwork were made for us by @ChonConstantine on twitter.

Follow the show, Willie, Nick, and Alex on twitter.

Give us a call and leave a voicemail at (248) 733-5MFN or (248) 733-5636!

We’re also on Instagram (Username: MFNPodcast) and Vine (search for Midwest Film Nerds Podcast)!

Send comments, feedback, “Food for Thought” questions to feedback(AT)midwestfilmnerds(DOT)com.

You can now listen to us on Stitcher Radio! Download the free app on your Android or iOS devices and search for “Midwest Film Nerds” to find us.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:33 — 35.9MB)

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Tagged with: a most violent year, creed, daredevil, fan4stic, fantastic four, fox, ghostbusters, j.c. chandor, magic mike xxl, mitten movie project, netflix, wet hot american summer, x-men: apocalypse
Posted in Podcast

Our Listeners’ Top 10 films of 2014 and Most Anticipated Films of 2015

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

UPDATE 2/8/2015: Added Nicki’s Top 10 of 2014, Joep’s Top 10 of 2014, and Alasdair’s Best of 2014!

Hey everyone! Now that our most anticipated films of 2015 and our top 10 films of 2014 are out there, we wanted to give you a chance to show us what you loved last year and what you’re looking forward to this year!

As always, thank you to everyone who sent us in a list. It always means a lot to hear from you. Getting feedback or tweets or facebook messages or any kind of interaction with our fans is honestly the best part about doing the podcast. I know that I, Alex, have a hard time keeping things in perspective when I haven’t heard from any listeners in a while. Energy runs low when it feels like nobody’s listening to what we’re putting out there. So once again, thank you for listening and thank you for writing in! On with the lists! Read more ›

Tagged with: 22 jump street, ant-man, avengers, avengers: age of ultron, boyhood, captain america, captain america: the winter soldier, crimson, david steel, dawn of the planet of the apes, edge of tomorrow, entourage, feedback, furious 7, gone girl, guardians of the galaxy, her, hot tub time machine 2, inside out, interstellar, joep, jurassic world, listener, mad max, mad max: fury road, mission impossible 5, most anticipated of 2015, nancy, peak, snowpiercer, spectre, star wars, star wars: the force awakens, terminator, terminator: genysis, the good dinosaur, the grand budapest hotel, the jungle book, the lego movie, the man from UNCLE, the martian, the one i love, tomorrowland, top 10 of 2014, x-men, x-men: days of future past
Posted in Editorial, List

Episode 112 – Our Top 10 Movies of 2014

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

This week the film nerds take a look back at 2014 and discuss their top 10 movies of the year!

Show Notes:

Introduction
Disclaimer Movies (0:01:34)
Top 10
- #10 – #6 (0:04:36)
- #5 – #2 (0:33:26)
- Recap and #1 (0:59:30)
Honorable Mentions (1:13:02)
Worst of 2014 (1:19:16)
Biggest Disappointments of 2014 (1:26:10)
Best Soundtrack and Score of 2014 (1:29:36)
Outro (1:34:34)

Music and artwork were made for us by @mistajon on twitter.

Follow the show, Willie, Nick, and Alex on twitter.

Give us a call and leave a voicemail at (248) 733-5MFN or (248) 733-5636!

We’re also on Instagram (Username: MFNPodcast) and Vine (search for Midwest Film Nerds Podcast)!

Send comments, feedback, “Food for Thought” questions to feedback(AT)midwestfilmnerds(DOT)com.

You can now listen to us on Stitcher Radio! Download the free app on your Android or iOS devices and search for “Midwest Film Nerds” to find us.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:38:09 — 49.9MB)

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Tagged with: alice cooper, and he knows your house, birdman, boyhood, captain america, captain america: the winter soldier, chef, gone girl, guardians of the galaxy, he's back, interstellar, john wick, need for speed, pancakes is ready, the grand budapest hotel, the hundred foot journey, the lego movie, the man behind the mask, top 10 of 2014, transcendence, whiplash
Posted in Podcast

Lance’s Favorite Films From 2014

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

By: Lance

There were 684 movies released this year by Box Office Mojo’s count. Seeing them all is a challenge I am not up for. The vast amount of films shown from January through December is a reason why I don’t always like best-of lists. How can you properly judge the motion picture industry’s output if you’ve only watched a small portion of it?

If you’ve got the fortunate job of writing about film and get to see movies earlier and more frequently than normal folk, then you can compile a list as long as this one before the year’s end. However, how many of you will seek out #45 on that list, Blue Ruin? It’s a good little revenge film, but what kind of prestige does the number 45 hold for most people? Does anyone recall the name of the male who finished 45^th in the Boston Marathon? My guess is, only that guy remembers.

In honor of Chris Rock’s Top Five, which has evaded me seeing it for the past few weeks due to pesky work and canceled plans, I will rank the five films in 2014 that I feel are essential viewing for every filmgoer. This way, you know I really mean it when I label these films “the best” because they are part of a select few. So as not to disregard the other excellent entries from this year, you’ll find them mentioned after the top five in no particular order. I liked every film I discuss here, but to save time (and to go out and catch films like Whiplash and A Most Violent Year before they leave theaters), I won’t bother putting them in an order no one actually cares about.

To paraphrase the late director Mike Nichols (1931-2014), too often do we exit a movie theater and instead of appreciating the hard work that went into making the film, we try to find a place still open where we can eat. This list aims to make you hunger for film, not for food. Read more ›

Tagged with: a most violent year, birdman, blue ruin, boyhood, captain america, captain america: the winter soldier, dawn of the planet of the apes, edge of tomorrow, fargo, foxcatcher, frank, fury, gone girl, guardians of the galaxy, interstellar, john wick, lance, nightcrawler, planet of the apes, snowpiercer, starred up, the babadook, the grand budapest hotel, the guest, the lego movie, top five, true detective, under the skin, whiplash, x-men, x-men: days of future past
Posted in Editorial, List

Episode 111 – American Sniper

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

Does Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper hit its mark? Find out on this week’s episode of the podcast! We also talk about film news and have a little bit of freeform film discussion.

Show Notes:

Introduction
Film News:
- Tom Hardy has left Suicide Squad. (0:01:15)
- In the Heart of the Sea has been pushed from March 15th, 2015 to December 11th, 2015. (0:04:22)
- Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book has been pushed from October 15th, 2015 to April 15th, 2016. (0:05:23)
- The Avatar sequels (2, 3, and 4) have been pushed back a year (2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively). (0:07:22)
Random Discussion (0:14:44)
- January box office discussion. (Blackhat and American Sniper) (0:15:40)
- Alex’s “Disney Conspiracy” or what should be next for Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth. (0:18:50)
- Upcoming horror film news. (0:26:40)
Review: American Sniper (0:29:00)
- Spoilers Start: (0:44:11)
Outro (1:01:00)

Music and artwork were made for us by @mistajon on twitter.

Follow the show, Willie, Nick, and Alex on twitter.

Give us a call and leave a voicemail at (248) 733-5MFN or (248) 733-5636!

We’re also on Instagram (Username: MFNPodcast) and Vine (search for Midwest Film Nerds Podcast)!

Send comments, feedback, “Food for Thought” questions to feedback(AT)midwestfilmnerds(DOT)com.

You can now listen to us on Stitcher Radio! Download the free app on your Android or iOS devices and search for “Midwest Film Nerds” to find us.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:18 — 33.9MB)

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Tagged with: avatar, blackhat, chris hemsworth, clint eastwood, in the heart of the sea, jon favreau, jungle book, robert downey jr., suicide squad, tom hardy
Posted in Podcast

Midwest Game Nerds Podcast Episode 2 – Far Cry 4

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

Should you journey to Kyrat with Far Cry 4? Find out on this week’s episode! We also talk our most anticipated games of 2015 and our best of 2014!

Intro
Top Games of 2014:
- Bryan: Titanfall (Xbox One), Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One), Destiny (Xbox One) (0:01:11)
- Alex: Super Smash Bros. Wii U, Rogue Legacy (PS4), Spelunky (PS4) (0:03:09)
  - Honorable Mention: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4)
- Gojo: Broforce (PC), Final Fantasy X HD Remake (PS3), Earth Defense Force 2025 (Xbox 360) (0:06:05)
  - Honorable Mentions: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4), Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PC), Little Big Planet 3 (PS4), Gauntlet (PC), Fibbage (PS4)
- Jon: Destiny (Xbox One), Grand Theft Auto Online (Xbox One), Infamous: Second Son (0:10:10)
  - Honorable Mentions: Watch_Dogs (PS4)
Most Anticipated Games of 2015
- Gojo: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Multi), Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (Multi), Battlefield: Hardline (Multi), Roller Coaster Tycoon World (PC), Star Wars: Battlefront (Multi) (0:14:03)
- Alex: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Multi), Mortal Kombat X (Multi), Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4), Untitled Zelda Game (Wii U) (0:18:31)
- Bryan: Star Wars: Battlefront (Multi), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Multi), Batman: Arkham Knight (Multi), Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One) (0:21:30)
- Jon: Dying Light (Multi), Dead Island 2 (Multi), The Order: 1886 (PS4), The Division (Multi), Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One) (0:24:36)
Game News:
- A potential leaked roadmap for Destiny DLC surfaced on the interwebs. Do we still care? (0:27:02)
- Awesome Games Done Quick 2015 happened early in January. (0:32:53)
Nick’s Catch Up (0:38:59)
Extended Review:
- Far Cry 4 (0:46:13)
Outro (1:09:51)

Follow the show, Jon, Nick and Alex on twitter.

Send comments, feedback, questions, and game review requests to feedback(AT)midwestgamenerds(DOT)com.

Pardon our dust for the time being while we get http://midwestgamenerds.com up to snuff!

Find us on Steam, PSN, and Xbox Live:

Jon: ChonConstantine
Bryan: ElderGoat
Alex: jondy1703
Gojo: gojosupreme

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:27 — 33.2MB)

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Tagged with: alex, batman, battlefield: hardline, broforce, bryan, destiny, earth defense force, earth defense force 2025, far cry, far cry 4, fibbage, final fantasy, forza horizon 2, gauntlet, gojo, grand theft auto, grand theft auto online, grand theft auto v, jon, little big planet 3, metal gear solid, metal gear solid v: ground zeroes, metal gear solid v: the phantom pain, microsoft, nick, nintendo, octodad: dadliest catch, playstation, playstation 3, playstation 4, rise of the tomb raider, rogue legacy, roller coaster tycoon world, saints row, sony, spelunky, star wars, super smash bros., super smash brothers, titanfall, tomb raider, wii u, xbox, xbox 360, xbox one, zelda
Posted in MGNP, Podcast

Episode 110 – Inherent Vice

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

This week, the film nerds wonder whether or not they actually saw Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice. We also talk about Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer series and more film news!

Show Notes:

Introduction
Film News:
- Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer series has started filming and pretty much everyone is returning! (0:01:04)
- The Netflix Daredevil series premieres on April 10th, 2015. (0:04:54)
- A trailer for Ant-Man has been released. (0:11:32)
- The final Rambo film will be titled Rambo: Last Blood and it will come after Stallone wraps Creed. (0:18:45)
Review: Inherent Vice (0:24:06)
- Spoilers Start: (0:45:50)
Outro (0:59:02)

Music and artwork were made for us by @mistajon on twitter.

Follow the show, Willie, Nick, and Alex on twitter.

Give us a call and leave a voicemail at (248) 733-5MFN or (248) 733-5636!

We’re also on Instagram (Username: MFNPodcast) and Vine (search for Midwest Film Nerds Podcast)!

Send comments, feedback, “Food for Thought” questions to feedback(AT)midwestfilmnerds(DOT)com.

You can now listen to us on Stitcher Radio! Download the free app on your Android or iOS devices and search for “Midwest Film Nerds” to find us.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:30 — 32.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Tagged with: ant-man, creed, daredevil, inherent vice, joaquin phoenix, netflix, paul thomas anderson, rambo, rambo: last blood, wet hot american summer
Posted in Podcast

Midwest Game Nerds Podcast Episode 1 – Destiny

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

On the inaugural episode of the Midwest Game Nerds Podcast we review Destiny as well as give our first impressions of Far Cry 4 and we talk about some game news!

Intro
What We’ve Been Playing:
- Bryan: Grand Theft Auto Online (Xbox One), Destiny (Xbox One)
- Alex: Grand Theft Auto Online (PS4), Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3), Destiny (PS4) (0:02:12)
Game News:
- Did Hideo Kojima announce the release date of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain via t-shirt on the Video Game Awards? (0:03:22)
- The Witcher 3 has been delayed until May 2015. (0:05:56)
- The recent PC port of Final Fantasy VII is coming out on PS4 in 2015. (0:07:04)
- Xbox One outsold PS4 in December. (0:10:35)
First Impressions
- Far Cry 4 (0:14:40)
  - Is Ubisoft spreading themselves too thin? (0:18:56)
  - Are Ubisoft’s games all taking the same shape? (0:21:44)
Extended Review:
- Destiny (0:27:58)
Listener Feedback (0:54:08)
Outro (0:54:44)

Follow the show, Jon, and Alex on twitter.

Send comments, feedback, questions, and game review requests to feedback(AT)midwestgamenerds(DOT)com.

Pardon our dust for the time being while we get http://midwestgamenerds.com up to snuff!

Find us on Steam, PSN, and Xbox Live:

Jon: ChonConstantine
Bryan: ElderGoat
Alex: jondy1703

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:50 — 39.7MB)

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Tagged with: bungie, cd projekt red, destiny, far cry 4, final fantasy vii, grand theft auto, grand theft auto online, gta, gta online, hideo kojima, metal gear solid, metal gear solid v: the phantom pain, playstation 3, playstation 4, ps3, ps4, square enix, the phantom pain, the witcher 3, ubisoft, uncharted, uncharted 3: drake's deception, xbone, xbox one
Posted in MGNP, Podcast

Episode 109 – 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2015

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Alex — 4 Comments ↓

This week the film nerds discuss their 10 most anticipated movies of 2015!

Show Notes:

Introduction
10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2015 (0:01:20)
Honorable Mentions (0:44:09)
Last Year’s Most Anticipated “Scorecard” (0:55:54)
Outro (1:09:32)

Music and artwork were made for us by @mistajon on twitter.

Follow the show, Tim, Willie, Nick, and Alex on twitter.

Give us a call and leave a voicemail at (248) 733-5MFN or (248) 733-5636!

We’re also on Instagram (Username: MFNPodcast) and Vine (search for Midwest Film Nerds Podcast)!

Send comments, feedback, “Food for Thought” questions to feedback(AT)midwestfilmnerds(DOT)com.

You can now listen to us on Stitcher Radio! Download the free app on your Android or iOS devices and search for “Midwest Film Nerds” to find us.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:34 — 34.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Tagged with: 10 most anticipated, alex, ant-man, avengers: age of ultron, blackhat, chappie, crimson peak, friday the 13th, furious 7, icon, in the heart of the sea, jupiter ascending, jurassic world, kingsmen: the secret service, knock knock, krampus, mad max: fury road, maggie, martin scorsese, mission impossible 5, nick, silence, spectre, star wars, star wars episode vii, star wars episode vii: the force awakens, the jungle book, the last witch hunter, the martian, the primary instinct, tim, tomorrowland, willie
Posted in Podcast

Lance’s Top 15 Most Anticipated Films of 2015

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Alex — No Comments ↓

By: Lance

2015: The Year We Make Contact. Actually, it was the year 1997 that Robert Zemeckis made Contact. But in 2015, Zemeckis will again make another live-action film called The Walk. I’m thrilled to learn that Zemeckis is directing films with people set against real backgrounds again after he proved he still had that human touch in 2012’s Flight. I’m also thrilled about all the directors mentioned below getting the chance to make more movies. This is a list mostly comprised of my eagerness to see second, third, fourth and, in the case of Quentin Tarantino, eighth entries from my favorite filmmakers next year. This is not a list containing those huge films that the studios are already expecting all of us to see like Star Wars Episode VII, Jurassic World, etc. Although I will probably catch those flicks in the multiplex too, I don’t actually get overly excited about them as much you’d think. What I truly look for in films I spend my money and time on are bold visions from the most-credited person behind the camera: the director.

So although I know these films are coming out soon and although I can kind of already predict what they’re going to be like given the reputations of each director, I’m still expecting to be completely surprised and blown away like I never saw that film coming.