Overthinking Movies

After years of teases and build ups, from the title being "Superman: Legacy" to just "Superman", James Gunn's reboot of the DCEU to the DCU is here. Does it work on its own as a movie and not just a set up for a universe? Does Gunn's comedy take away from the character? Co-host Alex and I met up in person for the first time in awhile to find out.

Christopher Reeve may be the most iconic in modern pop culture, but George Reeves was the pioneer that created the family-friendly boy scout image of the character on screen that built the way there. But before the Adventures of Superman show, there was a theatrical movie to pitch it! "Superman and the Mole Men" was a 58 minute feature with surprisingly progressive and thoughtful themes for the era. Does it succeed in executing them? Or does its low budget damper its ambitions?

Universal Monster reboots return with Wolf Man, managed by the same team as 2020s The Invisible Man, but this time with a husband and wife team penning the script. Does it capture the same biting commentary on toxic relationships? How are the werewolf special effects? Is it actually an effective horror film? Join co-host Alex and as we protect our own...by any means necessary.

What if the vampire in Nosferatu (1922) was played by a real vampire? Shadow of the Vampire takes this popular myth and uses it as a catalyst for a truly unique and brilliant character study and dark comedy. Willem Defoe, John Malkovich, Cary Elwes star as the eccentric film crew going to any length to make their movie feel real. We discuss this film's significance to the Nosferatu movies of the past, and why it deserves to be held up with them.

And at last we arrive at the newest version of Nosferatu, directed and written by Robert Eggers of The VVitch and The Lighthouse fame. What does his signature style and themes bring to this story that is now 100 years old? How does it compare to past versions? Co-host Alex and I left the theater with a frankly bewildered audience to discuss.

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded back in October back when Alex and I watched it, unlike our previous review of the 1922 that we recorded last week. We repeat some points we made in that episode here because we had not decide to release this one in December at the time. So how do you remake of the most influential and important silent films in German history, as well as film history in general? Ambitious and remarkable director Werner Herzog decided the best route was simply to update and expand what was there, while very much adding his own personality it. How does it compare? What does the new 2024 remake have to live up to?

Disclaimer: Co-host Alex was sick during this recording, so apologizes if he sounds a bit vocally strained, but we both didn't want to wait to cover this after watching it. THE horror film, featuring some of the most iconic imagery in the medium, but how does Nosferatu hold up to a 2024 audience? Does its take on Bram Stoker's novel and its endless adaptations still unnerve?

So, does Revenge of the Sith hold up as the "good" movie of the Prequel trilogy? Well, as Palpatine says: "Good is simply a point of view."

The suffe-uh, the saga continues with Alex and I reviewing the Star Wars film we have the least amount of experience with; Episode II. Often seen as the weakest of the Prequel Trilogy, does it really live up to that title after our experiences with The Phantom Menace?

A rite of passage for movie podcasts it seems, Alex and I decided to give our takes on the first of the Star Wars prequels after not seeing them for nearly twenty years. How has it aged? Is the culture of online hate that has formed around them simply hyperbole? Do the people that say they are better than Disney's sequel trilogy have any validity? We dive into one of the most contentious and most successful Hollywood franchises to find out.