Movies, Films & Flix

Quick Thoughts:

1. Between The Dirties (2013), Operation Avalanche (2016), BlackBerry (2023), Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie (2025), and Tony, director/writer Matt Johnson is one of my favorite working directors.
2. I hope Antonio Banderas is nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. His performance is gruff, tender, smart, caring, funny, and likable.
3. You can tell that Johnson loved working with Leo Woodall. The guy takes over the screen whenever he’s around. 
4. Emilia Jones thrives in movies that take place in coastal cities. She is solid in CODA and Tony. 
5. I’ve never been more annoyed to have a shellfish allergy.
6. It knows exactly what it needs to be. 
7. Matt Johnson is on a legit (lobster) roll.
8. Grade – 7.4 Lobster Thermidors out of 10. 

After watching BlackBerry in 2023, I immediately felt the urge to message IFC and ask if there was a way I could interview director Matt Johnson. The ingenuity of the low-budget production was thrilling, and I wanted to learn more about the Toronto-based director. This led me to watch Nirvana the Band the Show, and then catch a special screening of Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie attended by Johnson and Jay McCarol. One of the highlights of watching a lot of films is when you witness an ingeniously crafted film. There’s something thrilling about watching collaborators make smart decisions that lead to a unique experience. Johnson’s winning streak continues with Tony, a well-made biopic that will hopefully earn Antonio Banderas an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Between Johnson, writers Matthew Miller/Todd Bartels/Lou Howe, and star Dominic Sessa knew exactly what they needed to do – and they did it.. Tony focuses on a formative three-month span of chef/writer/TV star Anthony Bourdain’s life, and it is easily Johnson’s most by-the-book film, but it’s done intelligently and with technical craft. You can still see shades of his early work in the close-ups and camera placement, but it’s a more polished and mainstream dish for the millions of people who loved Bourdain. 

The nice thing about this biopic is that it avoids a decades-long story that plays the greatest hits, and instead focuses on an eventful summer in 1975. A summer in which 19-year-old Anthony “Tony” Bourdain lied about winning a writing fellowship and traveled to Cape Cod (Provincetown, MA to be exact) to be near an older classmate named Nancy (Emilia Jones), who spent her summers on the peninsula. After a chaotic first day, which sees Tony lose all his money, drink way too much, and get knocked out by a local cook, he decides to call his impromptu trip off and head back home. When he learns he can’t afford a ferry, he starts washing dishes at the restaurant where he was kicked out of the night prior. The owner/head chef conveniently named Chef (Antonio Banderas) sees something in the little maniac and lets him sleep on his front porch hammock. When Tony runs into Nancy, he lies and says he landed a writing fellowship and is spending his summer in Cape Cod to work on the project. He also claims that his oyster-shucking coworker Sal (Leo Woodall) is a professor overseeing his writing project. Since it’s a coming-of-age film, the lies catch up to him, and the aftermath propels him to attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), in New York City.

During his months on the peninsula, he learns how to cook, does copious drugs, and learns that food can bring people together. Nothing is especially hard for the guy, but he needed to get away from his loving parents (Dagmara Domińczyk, Richard Sommer) so he could get beat up for a summer. Many of his problems are self-inflicted (so many lies), but several people see through his insecurities and see a witty kid who could become something. A lot of things that he comes across during the summer (drugs, kitchen work, community) play a role throughout his life, so it’s fun seeing it visualized on screen. 

One of the most interesting facts that I learned from the press notes is that Johnson was drawn to the project because of Dominic Sessa. Johnson and Sessa met after The Holdovers was released in 2023, and they had an hours-long conversation that ended with the two deciding that they needed to work together. Johnson had never read Bourdain’s book or watched his shows; instead, he was interested in directing Tony so he could work with the young actor. With Sessa and Johnson onboard, the cast quickly filled up with a smorgasbord of legit actors. 

Antonio Banderas (who owns eight restaurants) should get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Chef. He’s funny, warm, tough, likable, and has excellent chemistry with the actors. Johnson directed the film because of Sessa, but it feels like he hands the movie over to Leo Woodall (watch Tuner – it’s good) whenever his chaotic presence is around. Leo’s character Sal is a hard-living maniac who is equal parts charismatic and evil. He never says no to anything, and he seems like he’s always about to get into a bar fight. Filling out the cast is Emilia Jones, who easily matches Sessa’s wits and is so cool that you understand why Tony creates a world of lies so he can be close to her.  

On the technical side, the movie looks and sounds really good. Johnson and DP Patrick Bauman used long lenses to stay in Sessa’s face as he skulked around Cape Cod. Bauman brought in vintage Panavision glass to recreate the feel of a 1975 summer. It also helps that the production shot mostly on location, as the realistic settings work well with Johnson’s documentary vibe. 

Final Thoughts: Watch It. Matt Johnson is on a legit (lobster) roll.

Quick Non-Spoiler Thoughts:

1. Good movie.
2. The lack of multiple CGI smack-em-ups is nice. 
3. The on-location work is appreciated
4. The characters have time to exist and be likable.
5. It’s obvious that everyone involved wanted to create something ambitious. Spider-Man: Brand New Day still fits nicely in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but it also stands apart because of its dedicated to developing characters and relationships. 
6. Director Destin Daniel Cretton is 3-for-3 in the MCU.
7. Grade – 7 out of 10 on the MCU scale. 

One of the reasons why Iron Man (2008) is my favorite MCU film is because it allows Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to exist on his own (16.41 minutes to be exact – read my data article). Throughout the film, Stark is left to his own devices as he tests tech, builds suits, and deals with life after captivity. The film rests on his shoulders, and it kicked off a massive cinematic universe that pulled in billions of dollars and captured the world’s attention. The only other MCU character that could be trusted to exist alone for long periods of time is Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, he has 20.5 minutes of alone time (#1 overall in MCU), and the movie was a tremendous success. Moviegoers loved Holland’s portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and the films work when it’s just Peter (the cast is great too. Props to director Jon Watts). Whether it’s being stuck in a massive warehouse or dealing with Mysterio’s nonsense, the guy can be trusted to hold the screen. After the bombast and game-changing ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s nice that Brand New Day scales things back by focusing on Peter’s self-imposed solitude and the effects of his alienation from the world. 

The film opens strong with a Spider-Man kicking butt montage that’s fueled by the TV on the Radio song “Wolf Like Me” (the segment is easily the best in the Spidey franchise). Peter’s focus on crime fighting has been good for New York City, but bad for the amiable kid, as his body starts changing due to depression and stress. He’s holed himself up in a loft where he spends his days tinkering with equipment and developing more efficient ways to defeat criminals like Scorpion (Michael Mando). The only time he leaves his fortress of solitude is when he visits Aunt May’s grave, or to grab the Little Caesars pizza left at his front door. His social interactions are limited to his phone chats with Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas – super likable) and occasionally bickering with Frank “The Punisher” Castle (Jon Bernthal) when they’re fighting crime. He also follows Ned’s (Jacob Batal0n) TikTok page, where he catches glimpses of MJ (Zendaya) in Ned’s videos that highlight their time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The plot kicks in during a tank chase involving a body-swapping antagonist who has been attacking the NYC-based Department of Damage Control (DODC) facilities. Sharing more wouldn’t be cool, but know that there are several well-executed action scenes and a generous heaping of quiet moments dedicated to developing relationships and characters. 

Between Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wonder Man, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, director Destin Daniel Cretton has proven himself to be a capable director who understands how to play in the big-budget world of the MCU, while still being able to focus on character development (watch Short Term 12). He was originally supposed to direct The Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but was able to pivot to the box office-friendly world of Spider-Man when Kang’s Dynasty collapsed. Shortly after joining the production, the film was delayed for six months, so Holland and Zendaya could work on The Odyssey. The extra time benefited the film as it gave the crew and writers time to tighten the script and focus on ways to take the production outside to real locations.

The nice thing about Tom Holland is that he could’ve coasted on his charm, but he was driven to take Peter Parker into adulthood. Holland cares about the character, and wasn’t satisfied with phoning it in. He pushed for more practical effects, and the streets of Glasgow, Scotland were well-tread during the production. The action scenes push the narrative forward, and it’s refreshing that there aren’t multiple CGI smack-em-ups. 

The nice part about including The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) in the proceedings is that he grounds the action and adds stakes whenever he’s around. Certain characters could smash with him easily, so watching Spider-Man keep him safe while trying not to get flattened works really well. Bernthal and Holland worked together on 2017’s Pilgrimage and 2026’s The Odyssey, and their familiarity pays on-screen dividends as they seem to genuinely like each other. 

The cinematography by Brett Pawlak (Short Term 12, Just Mercy, Wonderman) leans into his indie sensibilities while still maintaining the clean look of an MCU film. His handheld camera work and close-ups of Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, and Tramell Tillman provide intimacy for their characters (They can all hold the screen), and occasionally make audiences forget that they’re watching a massive blockbuster.

Final Thoughts – It’s worth a trip to the theaters.

Quick thoughts:

• Best 2026 coffee pouring.
• Watch Old Henry. I like what director Potsy Ponciroli has been making.
• ELEVATOR FIGHT!!!!!!
• It’s a refreshing experience that forces you to immerse yourself in it. People will love it, or hate it. 
• Ben Foster is on another level. 
• Shailene Woodley is a lot of fun.
• I like big swings. 
• Amar Chadha-Patel, Lionel Boyce, Pablo Schreiber, and Jack White provide solid supporting work
• I’ll give it 7 candy blades out of 10. 

Produced by and starring Alan Ritchson, Motor City is an ambitious revenge film that plays out almost entirely without dialogue. The film took 17 years to develop (people have been talking about this script for a long time) with directors and stars coming and going as they tried to crack the inspired script written by Chad St. John (Peppermint, London Has Fallen). Set in the 1970s and fueled by nonverbal storytelling, needle drops, and a doozy of an elevator fight, Motor City is worth watching on the big screen so you can immerse yourself in the mayhem and bask in the wonderful cinematography by John Matysiak (Old Henry – watch it). Director Potsy Ponciroli (Old Henry – seriously, watch it) interviewed for the directing job years ago and was turned down, but after the director dropped out, Ponciroli grabbed on to the project and saw it to completion (this is a good thing). The end result is a thrilling example of what happens when creatives throw caution to the wind and create an immersive and unique action film that will most likely divide audiences. 

The story focuses on what happens when an ex-Army Ranger named John Miller (Alan Ritchson) is framed for a comically large drug bust on the day he gets engaged to his girlfriend Sophia (Shailene Woodley), and learns that his parole has ended. He’ s put in prison by Savick (Pablo Schreiber), a corrupt detective who also works for local Detroit crime boss Reynolds (Ben Foster). The abusive Reynolds wants revenge because he was embarrassed during an alleyway brawl that happened when John caught Reynolds beating up his then-girlfriend Sophia. John is sent to prison for 25 years and vows to escape when he learns that Reynolds married Sophia and is pumping her full of drugs to keep her compliant and unable to escape his mansion. With the help of his Ranger friends Youngblood (Lionel Boyce) and Singh (Amar Chadha-Patel), John escapes, and it leads to a brutal series of events involving knife fights, homemade explosives, and bloody elevator fights. 

It’s worth mentioning that most of the scenes are told without dialogue, and it’s up to audiences to catch the newspaper clipping, facial cues, and hairstyles that tell the story. It’s not a lot of work, but the film requires audiences to engage and immerse themselves in the world (which won’t work for cell phone-loving audiences or people who need hand-holding). The action is top-notch, and there’s an elevator fight that belongs in the “Elevator Fight Hall of Fame,” but the main draws are the actors. Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster, Shailene Woodley, Lionel Boyce, Amar Chadha-Patel, Pablo Schreiber, Ben McKenzie and Jack White understood their assignments and thrived without dialogue. It’s hard to pick an MVP, but it’s difficult not to give Ben Foster the award because he’s an absolute maniac in the movie. Everything he does is magic, and it’s fun watching him pour coffee, dance in clubs, open presents, stab people, and push his glasses up his nose during a car chase.

Filmed in Patterson, New Jersey, for its old school aesthetic, Motor City is a unique looking film set in a Detroit hellscape (they aren’t going for realism). The cinematography by John Matysiak is wonderful, and he does a fine job of shooting conversations in ways that we can’t hear them. Whether it’s filming John’s parole meeting from outside an office with glass windows, or capturing Woodley yelling at McKenzie from the POV of a piano player (Jack White makes a cameo and was the music supervisor), the shot selection does a fine job of capturing the story without needing dialogue. 

The initial wig work is a bit wonky, but it’s excusable when you learn that Ritchson’s evolving hairstyles help tell a nonverbal story. When it comes to the film’s technical aspects, costume designer Amy Roth (The Mastermind, Motherless Brooklyn) seemed to have a blast coming up with good-looking outfits for the good-looking cast. It’s also fun that Roth seemingly designed all of Ben Foster’s costumes to accentuate his chest hair, which is on full display. 

Final thoughts – Motor City is an ambitious revenge thriller that deserves your attention.

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Mark and Lisa begin their Saw franchise series by talking about the 2004 horror classic Saw. Directed by James Wan, and starring Leigh Whannel, Tobin Bell, Danny Glover, Cary Elwes and a gross bathroom, the movie focuses on what happens when a serial killer (with a god complex) wants to play games. In this episode, they also talk about rushed production schedules, hypocritical villains, and the success of the Saw franchise. Enjoy!

If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!

Quick thoughts:

1. I love it.
2. George MacKay and Callum Turner 
3. Director/writer Mark Jenkin has crafted a wonderful sci-fi film.
4. The 16mm Bolex Camera captures some beautiful images. The blocking, staging and shot selection are inspired.
5. It’s wild that they recorded all the sound in post-production.  The Foley and ADR work are top-notch.
6. Make sure to watch Bait (2019) and Enys Men (2022). 

Between Mad God, Hundreds of Beavers, I Love Boosters, and Rose of Nevada, the 2020s have produced several excellent hand-crafted films created by people who love making movies. There’s something thrilling about watching a filmmaker create unique cinematic experiences that utilizes old-school techniques to create something beautiful. Director/writer/DP/editor Mark Jenkin (Bait, Enys Men, Rose of Nevada  – his Cornish trilogy) has emerged as a filmmaker to watch because of the unique ways he and his collaborators piece together their authentic productions. 

The film opens with a character named Nick (George MacKay) picking up food from a local food bank that is surrounded by closed businesses and abandoned homes. The Cornish fishing village he lives in is surrounded by beauty, but the fishing industry left the village, eliminating jobs and creating a ghost town. Despite the lack of work, Nick lives a happy life with his wife Emily (Mae Voogd) and his daughter. While fixing a leak in his roof, Nick falls through it, creating a large hole that needs to be repaired immediately (it rains a lot in Cornwall). In a good/bad situation, a fishing boat (Rose of Nevada) reappears at the docks after a 30-year absence and is fixed up by its owner, Mike (Edward Rowe), and his friend Tina (Rosalin Eleazar), whose husband disappeared with the boat. Their plans are a bit fishy and mysterious, and the man they hire to captain the boat (Francis Magee) appears to warp time as raindrops defy gravity by rolling up his arms. The third person on the boat crew is Liam (Callum Turner), a homeless traveler who is found sleeping in an abandoned boathouse near the docks. 

The first fishing trip is a success as they pack the boat with fish and return to the docks to get paid. However, Liam and Nick quickly learn that they’ve traveled back 30 years to 1993, where they find a bustling fishing industry and thriving businesses. This is really bad news for Nick, who finds out that his wife and child don’t exist, and he’s mistaken for a man named Luke (who killed himself after the doomed fishing expedition). Things look better for Liam, who is mistaken for a married man named Alan (who disappeared on the journey). Liam doesn’t mind going back in time because he has a wife, kid, and home (which is way better than being homeless). Together, the two navigate their new reality and learn to accept being stuck in the past. It would be a shame to spoil the rest; just know that it involves morning sickness (very funny joke), fishing trips, and acceptance. 

Turner and MacKay had 20-30 seconds per take because the 16mm Bolex Camera could only capture a limited amount of footage while rolling. This meant that their movements were heavily rehearsed as each shot needed to be deliberate and exact. The good news is that despite the deliberateness, the film never feels precious or false. It’s also neat that Jenkin recorded all the sounds in post-production, which must’ve kept him busy as he recorded boat sounds, birds, dialogue, grunting, splashing water, dripping sinks, and thousands of footsteps. The lack of on-set sound recording equipment allowed Jenkin to solely focus on the visuals, which was a smart move because the film is beautiful and patient. 

Like Bait and Enys Men, the deliberate nature won’t be for everyone. However, if you are looking for a hand-crafted experience that explores nostalgia, loss, decay and acceptance, it doesn’t get any better than Rose of Nevada.

The 2026 mid-year random awards are here! We love handing out awards to our favorite 2026 movie moments/performances/props and hope that you enjoy the randomness.

Here are my favorite (not best) films of 2026 so far. Let me know which 2026 movies you love.

My Favorite 2026 Film Award – Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie is hilarious and endlessly entertaining. I love it so much.

Best Shark Gang – The Renny Harlin-directed film Deep Water features a hungry gang of sharks that attack a jet (and its passengers) that crashed in the Pacific Ocean. It’s great. Listen to our Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast episode! 

Best Kitchen Fight – The Forbidden City is one of my favorite films of the year, and it features an all-timer kitchen fight you need to see. 

Best Time Traveling Boat Award – Rose of Nevada is a beautifully shot movie and it features the best time traveling boat of any 2026 film. Watch it!

This Guy Might Be an Immortal Award – The Furious rules, and it provides a great showcase for Brian Le (watch Gladiator Underground now!).

Best Sad Face Made By a Person Under the Influence of a Devious Wish Award – Obsession – Listen, Inde Navarrette deserves Oscar consideration. She is great. 

I Would’ve Sold the Backrooms Furniture in My Store Award – The Backrooms – If I owned a  furniture store, and I discovered a portal in the basement that transported me to a place filled with furniture, I’d take the furniture and sell it. Free inventory!

When “Teacake” Meets Deadly Fungus Award – Cold Storage – Georgina Campbell and Joe “Teacake” Keery are super likable in Cold Storage. Watching them battle fungus put a big smile on my face .

Most Iconic Sweater Worn By a Guy Who Has Worn a Bunch of Iconic Jacket/Sweaters in Movies Award – Project Hail Mary – Ryan Gosling knows how to rock an iconic sweater/jacket. 

Best WWF Wrestler Paper Figures – My Father’s Shadow made me wish I had the patience to create cool hand-drawn WWF (now WWE) wrestling figures. 

Best Driving Up An Escalator Award – I Love Boosters is a thrillingly hand-crafted film that proves director Boots Riley loves cinema. 

Best Party Princess Who is Allergic to Electronics Award – Good Luck, Have Fun. Don’t Die – Haley Lu Richardson (watch Columbus) is wonderful, and she makes for a great party princess who is allergic to electronics. 

Best Easily Transportable Time Machine – Redux Redux is an excellent sci-fi revenge film that features an easily transportable hopping machine that takes the lead character to parallel universes. It looks heavy, but it’s not, and I love it. 

Comfiest Sweater Worn by a Grumpy Guy Who Has Exiled Himself to an Island – Shelter – I love when Jason Statham rocks a sweater and cardigan. 

Most Delicious Food Prepared on a Desert Island Award – Send Help – Sam Raimi is a madman director who thankfully gave Rachel McAdams a fun showcase for her skills. 

Best Slow Dancing Fueled by Morphine Award – 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is one of my favorite films of 2026 (top three), and I appreciate how director Nia DaCosta showcases the dancing in gorgeous wide shots. 

Why Would They Allow an Immortal Guy into a Fighting Tournament Called Mortal Kombat Award? – Mortal Kombat II is absolutely delightful and features several wonderful brawls that end with squishy fatalities. 

Best But Worms Award – Masters of the Universe – Hearing Idris Elba say “but worms?” made me very happy. 

Best Italian Hit Man Who Gets His Face Dunked Into a Bowl of Minestrone Award – Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is another gloriously weird comedy from director David Wain, and it might be the most rewatchable movie of 2026. 

Best Coincidence Award – Tuner is a solid throwback thriller featuring an all-timer coincidence. It doesn’t wreck the movie at all, but it definitely makes you say “that is a gnarly coincidence.”

Best Kitchen Fight During a Restaurant Fight Award – Normal – Director Ben Wheatley + Bob Odenkirk + the Yakuza + a kitchen great = a good time. 

Best Feud Between All You Can Eat Buffet Restaurants Award –  Buffet Infinity is a creative blast of fresh air that has lingered in my memory for months. Watch it!

Best Usage of an Industrial Washing Machine Award – Ready or Not 2: Here I Come – Just when I thought I’d seen all the ways a cultist could be killed, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come came up with a beautiful new way to die. 

Best Worst Foster Parent Award – Thrash is insane and it features some of the worst cinematic foster parents ever. I love it. 

Triple Trauma Award – Killer Whale – TRIPLE TRAUMA! Listen to the DBS podcast episode, and you will understand. 

Best Man in a Suit Riding a Jet Ski Award – Kraken – I’d be happy if all Norwegian creature features featured a man in a suit riding a jet ski. 

Best Caiman Attack Award – The Bluff – More movies should feature crocodiles eating pirates. 

Why Did You Think This Was a Good Idea Award? – The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a fun movie, but there’s a moment on an airplane that still annoys me. 

Best Bludgeoning For a Loaf of Bread Award – The Death of Robin Hood features a guy getting bludgeoned for a loaf of bread. It’s probably the most memorable thing about the movie. 

Best Letterkenny Actor Appearance – Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice – LETTERKENNY! Between Influencers (2025) and Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, I like seeing Dylan Playfair (AKA Reilly) popping up in movies).

Zazie Beetz Rules Award – They Will Kill You – Zazie Beetz is 100% believable in They Will Kill You, and it makes the movie better. 

Best Grumpy Writer Who Has a Bad Night in an Irish Hotel Award – Hokum – Adam Scott needs to play more grumpy writers who get stuck in shifty Irish hotels. 

Never Listen to a Squirrelly Guy Who Sells Homemade Beef Jerky Award – Apex is cool because it’s the rare Netflix film that was filmed outdoors. I like it. The location makes it work. 

Tony Leung Ka-fai is Having a Very Good Action Year Award – Watch Blades of the Guardians and The Shadow’s Edge, they are wonderful. 

Best Gun Fingers Award – The Drama – No spoilers here, watch The Drama!

Seagulls + Great White Shark = Greatness Award – Hoppers – Any movie that features seagulls diving into the ocean to pick up a friendly great white shark is cool with me. 

Yo! This Movie is Going For it Award – Primate goes hard, and it’s a solid example of a well-crafted horror movie that goes for it (and features likable characters). 

Best Insult Aimed at a Pastor Award – Dead Man’s Wire – Bill Skarsgård tells a preacher to “wash his ass,” and it’s very funny. 

Best Low Blow Award – I Swear is an excellent film, and it features the best low blow of any 2025/2026 film. Watching Peter Mullan get hit by Robert Aramayo is pretty great. 

I Think There’s a Good Movie Somewhere In Here But All I Can Think About is How Many F-Bombs Are Being Dropped – The Rip features so many F-bombs that all you can think about is how many F-bombs are being dropped.

Megan Hofmeyer

• Best Lobster Tower – Dracula
• Best Cannibal Assassin (the Barron) – Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
• Best Actor Sent to Save the World (but he left his trunk open) – Mortal Kombat II
• Best Suit While Riding on a Jet Ski – Kraken
• Best Annoyed Spider Wife  (It’s an arrow, Ted) – Hoppers
• Best Weapons:
• I’m going to get the Crossbow – Hokum
• Faith & a flintlock – The Bluff
• Best Cheek Squeezing – Blades of the Guardians 
• Best Celebrity Cookbook: Straightforward Suppers – Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
• Best Tiny Castle Art Studio – The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
• Best Squeaky Leather Apparel Since K-Pop Demon Hunters – Normal
• Best Tuna Salad in a Desk – Send Help
• Best Closing Line of a Movie – I Love Boosters

Aaron Neuwirth – Listen to the Out Now With Aaron and Abe Podcast AND 2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla. 

• Best Potty-Training Device – Toy Story 5
• Best Use of Humans as Marinettes – Jackass: Best and Last
• Best Literal Slugfest – The Mandalorian and Grogu
• Best Sequel to Revive Previously Dead Characters – Mortal Kombat II
• Best Road Trip/Revenge Movie – Is God Is
• Best Use of Chemical Brothers – Apex
• The Touch of the Tuc Award for Best Stanley Tucci Performance – The Devil Wears Prada 2
• The Guy Ritchie Award for Best Dressed Mercenaries – In the Grey
• Best Thriller Reenactment Since 13 Going on 30 – Michael
• Best Dressed Anne Hathaway Movie – Mother Mary
• Best Lee Cronin the Movie – Lee Cronin’s The Mummy
• Best Use of Childhood Mishaps and Trauma as Dinner Conversation – The Drama
• Best Decapitations – They Will Kill You
• Best Avatar Movie of 2026 – Hoppers
• Best Karaoke Scene – tie: Project Hail Mary and Balls Up
• Best Caravan of Bounty Hunters – Blades of the Guardians
• Best 5-Way Action Climax – The Furious
• Best Quest To Go Down One Floor of a Building – Pizza Movie
• Best Wedding Band – Power Ballad
• Best Helicopter Moment (and I don’t mean the vehicle): Tie – The Wrecking Crew and Jackass: Best and Last
• Best Bed and Breakfast: Hokum 

Joey Lewandowski – Listen to the 2 Fast 2 Forever Podcast!

• Coolest Nuns: Disclosure Day
• (Coolest Nuns, NBA Edition: the San Antonio Spurs nuns)
• Soda of the Year: Orbitz
• Best Short: Paper Trail by Don Hertzfeldt
• Worst Title for a Good Movie: Is God Is
• Best DIY Art Project: Duct Taping a Front Door in Obsession
• Best Concert Film: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
• Best Dance Moves, Non-Elvis Edition: Ralph Fiennes in The Bone Temple

Quick Thoughts:

1. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is an immensely likable comedy that’s jam-packed with funny gags, minestrone soup, and phone computers. I love it.
2. Zoey Deutch rules.
3. Slat-Man!
4. More movies need to focus on small-town hairdressers traveling to Los Angeles to hook up with Jon Hamm.
5. Ben Wang, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ken Marino, and John Slattery should exclusively act with each other. They have wonderful chemistry.
6. I’d buy Jennifer Aniston’s cookbook.
7. I like it when it takes a long time to make a long story short.
8. It features the best foot-smashing scene of any 2026 film (so far).

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass tells the age-old story of what happens when a Kansas-based hairdresser named Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) travels to Los Angeles so she can have sex with Jon Hamm. If you’ve ever wanted to see an interpretation of The Wizard of Oz from the mind of writer/director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, They Came Together, Role Models), you’re in luck, because Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass features red shoes, a character named Otto (think about it), and a wicked Italian gangster who uses minestrone soup as a torture device. Also, it has nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz, but it makes me very happy that Wain and co-writer Ken Marino decided to make an Oz-esque film in which John “Slat-Man” Slattery is kicked in the balls. The end product is super likable and might be the most rewatchable movie released this year.

Kicking off in Kansas, Gail is about to get married to her high school crush, Tom Soursap McNoodleman (Michael Cassidy). Things quickly go awry when they attend a cookbook reading at a local bookstore headlined by Jennifer Aniston. After the reading, Gail catches Tom hooking up with Anniston because she’s his celebrity sex pass (It was Tilda Swinton, but Anniston’s charms changed his mind). Distraught over the friendly bookstore fling, Gail and her hairdresser friend Otto fly to Los Angeles so they can attend a convention featuring an appearance by Remy Fontaine (Thomas Lennon), the King of the Whip Curl. When they arrive, the duo visit McDonald’s, drink Starbucks coffee, and visit Psychic Journeys LLC Co-Owner Charlotte Manetti (Kerry Kenney-Silver), who tells Gail she should hook up with Jon Hamm to even the scales in her relationship.

During Gail and Otto’s journey, they meet a CAA junior staffer (Ben Wang), a celebrity photographer (Ken Marino), and a washed-up John “Slat-Man” Slattery. Together, the unlikely squad is almost shot by “Weird Al” Yankovic, and one of them gets their foot obliterated by a door (since it’s a Wain film, the bashing is excessively long). What follows is a journey that involves Italian assassins, swapped suitcases, sick threats, dozens of dead bodies, and a hot air balloon. It’s all very silly, but the actors are totally dedicated to Wain’s absurdity. The film was shot independently, and you can feel the budget being stretched, but the scrappy vibe fits the tone of the scrappy movie. While researching the production, I learned that Wain and Marino wrote the comedy during a seven-day binge-writing session, which feels right because the structure is very loose. However, after decades of writing and directing absurd comedies (with tiny budgets), Wain knows how to organize comedic elements into very funny experiences.

Zoey Deutch (Everybody Wants Some!!, Set It Up) fits perfectly in Wain’s world as she’s down for everything and has perfect comedic timing. Also, it’s nice seeing Ben Wang (The Long Walk, Karate Kid: Legends) and Miles Gutierrez-Riley (Smile 2, Agatha All Along) getting a chance to flex their comedic chops. The MVP of the film is John Slattery, who plays a version of himself who didn’t get any work after Mad Men. Slattery leans into the absurdity and gets a chance to become an action hero when he (and his obvious stunt double) beat up dozens of henchmen in an abandoned film set.

Final thoughts – It will put a big smile on your face. Watch it!