Episodes
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Wicked (part 1) was released on November 22nd, 2024, based on a popular Broadway musical of the same name that's been on stage since 2003. The musical is also based on a book, which was released in 1995. Wicked follows a similar pattern as the original Wizard of Oz, which started as a book in 1900, then became a stage musical, until becoming a movie in 1939.
Zoe went into this film completely blind - she never heard the music before, seen the play or read the book, didn't know anything about it. She was pleasantly surprised by the story, intrigued by its themes, and found the musical comforting and very enjoyable. A few things to note - its rated PG but Zoe wants you to consider a few things before bringing the whole family, and also the movie is nearly three hours long! Stay tuned for Reel 2 where Zoe dives deeper into the themes of Wicked.
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The Covenant was released in 2023, created by filmmaker Guy Ritchie and starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The film is a fictional story inspired by the real life events between the United States and Afghanistan in 2018. It is a story centered on two characters, Jake Gyllenhaal's character a Master Sergeant in Afghanistan named John Kinley, and his Afghan interpreter named Ahmed. Ahmed and John have a unique relationship, as described in the title: The Covenant.
Zoe found this movie to be moving, powerful, heavy but good and important in many ways and she highly recommends it if you're looking for a movie to stream online. The film can be found on Amazon Prime or elsewhere for rent.
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Missing episodes?
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The box office success of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" has some people asking, "Is Tim Burton Back?" but that begs another question.... where was he? And who is he? If you're wondering these questions, Zoe has answers. In this episode, she breaks down the origins of the iconic film director, his filmography, where "he went" and where he is today with this new film's success.... And you can listen to the spoiler free review of the movie in Reel 1!
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Don't say his name three times! Zoe is reviewing the sequel to a classic 80s Tim Burton film, but this begs some questions, "is the movie as good as the original? Is it necessary for the story progression? Or is it just a nostalgia cash-grab?" Zoe found the film entertaining and middle of the road, but a surprisingly fun theatrical experience. But she warns that this is NOT a family film or film for small kids!
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This time Zoe is shaking things up, starting a brand new segment called "Manic Movie News Monday" where she discusses movie news, trending topics related to the industry, and upcoming releases... in this update, Zoe talks about what's coming soon to theaters (The Wild Robot from Dreamworks, Megapolis from Francis Ford Coppola starring Adam Driver, and the Joker sequel) plus Zoe rants about the Minecraft movie trailer that just dropped and has the internet in uproar....
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In this spoiler-filled review, Zoe discusses the original "A Quiet Place" film and the subsequent films in its franchise (A Quiet Place: Part II & A Quiet Place: Day One). Zoe makes the case these films completely miss the point of the original film which was a family-centered, heart-felt story that had scifi horror elements, instead of being a scifi horror film about a family. There is apparently a difference!
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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Zoe missed it while it was in theaters, so she decided to catch it on streaming: A Quiet Place Day 1. Zoe was super hyped for this film and avoided all the spoilers so she could make up her own mind. A Quiet Place is beloved by her, so she was very curious about the new entry of the franchise. But watching a movie when its recently left theaters means it comes with a heavier cost for renting online, and Zoe paid $20 to stream it. For her, this movie was NOT worth the "ticket price" and she does not recommend it... and she is looking forward to going deeper into spoilers next week.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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Reel 2 is where Zoe gets to talk spoilers about the new movie but in this case, Zoe wanted to open up a conversation about the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe because this new movie (Deadpool & Wolverine) offers a stark contrast to the kinds of movies we've been getting lately... and Zoe isn't talking about the R rating, she means the heartfelt storytelling and character archs.... Also in this discussion, she talks about the recent news that Robert Downey Jr is cast as Dr. Doom, and she does not sugarcoat her feelings about it. It is almost like Deadpool knew Marvel was going to resurrect a beloved character for their money-making purposes.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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In this spoiler-free review, Zoe is talking about the new movie in the Disney Marvel Cinematic Universe: Deadpool & Wolverine. This movie has been hyped as the movie of 2024, but Deadpool is a character full of debauchery and filth with his foul language, sexual references, and bloody violence... will being a "Disney" film change that? Zoe's answer is both yes and no... and this movie surprised her in some ways, while not surprising her in others. One thing is for sure: this is NOT a family film.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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If you listen to Reel 1, you'll get a spoiler free review on the new movie Twisters, where Zoe expressed how surprised she was by the film. She personally loved it, and felt inspired to watch the original 1996 movie Twister, because she vaguely remembered not liking it as a kid. Maybe she was wrong and Twister was a good movie after all.... So, she compares and contrasts the two tornado films in this reel review.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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Don’t judge a movie by its trailer... that's the lesson Zoe is taking away from her viewing of "Twisters". Zoe had one impression of what the film “Twisters” would be like after seeing a recent trailer, that it would be a yew-haw action adventure rom-com involving tornadoes. She was wrong but NOT disappointed. This film is far more real, showcasing the true devastation of tornadoes, and how it impacts communities physically and emotionally... and how you need to "ride your fears."
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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In this spoiler-free reel review, Zoe warns you about this film Bad Boys Ride or Die. She encourages you to NOT spend time and money at the movie theater with this one. It is an obnoxious film with bad editing, poor tasteless humor, and a performance by Will Smith that lacks charm.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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Zoe dives deep into the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the latest installment in the reboot franchise. Zoe is a big fan of the original film Planet of the Apes from 1968, and fell in love with the recent trilogy helmed mostly by Matt Reeves. This new installment comes after what Zoe describes as a perfect trilogy, so how exactly do you follow-up perfection? It is a nearly impossible task, and Zoe said she mostly enjoyed the movie but found some flaws... In this spoiler-filled review, she explains her exact problems with the movie and comparing it to the previous film's execution on characters and social commentary. It's a long rant, thanks for joining!
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In this spoiler-free reel review, Zoe discusses the latest installment to a franchise she loves: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Admittedly, this franchise may be somewhat niche. There are likely two types of audience go-ers: those who love the trilogy and those who haven't seen any of the previous films. So this poses a challenge for the filmmakers, how do they please both types of audience members or do they just choose one of them? Zoe thinks the filmmakers did a good job at solving this problem, but there's another challenge. The protagonist. How can you create a lovable protagonist after following Caesar's journey for three films? Zoe thinks they did a good job trying to solve this problem, but she has overall mixed feelings as a fan of the franchise. She does however recommend the film if 1) you have proper expectations & 2) don't bring your small children!!! CGI apes does NOT equal kid-friendly movie.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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In this spoiler-free reel review, Zoe covers the action-packed film The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. The film is a love letter to the stunt community, filmmaking, and classic action films. That makes a lot of sense because its directed by David Leitch who got his start in Hollywood by being a stunt man and has now directed several big action films. This action film is pretty good but Zoe cautions those bringing younger family members with its drug references and strong language.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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This episode of Reel Review is different. Instead of reviewing a new movie, Zoe is joined with two incredible guests to discuss their new film: Pastor's Kid. The film's director and writer is Benjamin Koppin, who works in L.A. as a commercial producer and independent filmmaker with his wife. The leading actress in the film is played by Courtney Bandeko who loves working in indie-films and has also done a lot of TV shows.
On this podcast episode, they talk with Zoe about their unique faith-based film that is rated R for strong language and themes, but all agree this is actually something a lot of people can resonate and connect with. They talk about the changing Christian filmmaking landscape and the importance of healing in the church.
Pastor's Kid: "In this raw true story of faith and redemption, college student, Riley grapples with her identity after years of abuse and religious hypocrisy. She must face this painful past to find healing."
You can learn more about Ben Koppin's production company on IMDb
And on Instagram @1988.films is where you can learn about his current and new projects.
And you can follow Courtney Bandeko on Instagram click here
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In this Reel 2, Zoe is taking a closer look at the "true story" the movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is based on. It turns out this action-backed and violent rated R film may not be as true to the real life events or heroes as it seems. And sadly, that is true with many films based on "true stories" because there is no standard or expectation for how accurate they are supposed to be... Is this a problem? Is it okay to fudge the facts to make it entertaining? Zoe would argue it isn't okay but what do you think?
...By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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In this spoiler-free reel review, Zoe covers the refreshing and entertaining film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" starring Henry Cavil. Zoe and her husband Sam enjoyed this film but it is definitely for mature audiences with profuse swearing and a glorification of violence. There is one scene which has some nudity from behind, but it is a scene which shows a character how bad these Nazis are, and the scene was done tastefully and purposefully. The film is fast paced and based on the true story of this secret mission to stop the Nazis...
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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This Reel 2 is a deep dive on the recent film, "Monkey Man". If you are looking for a spoiler free review, that was Reel 1 which you can listen to right now. But this episode is dedicated to unpacking
what makes this film stand out in the action genre and the filmmaker behind it all, Dev Patel. Spoilers ahead!
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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In this spoiler-free reel review, Zoe covers the surprising film "Monkey Man" which was written, directed, produced and starring Dev Patel. This film is rated R in every way, from the bloody violence, to language, and nudity, but it is also a heavy film wrestling with a lot of themes like religion and politics, revenge, and the treatment of minorities. It is a difficult film to recommend and depends on you, the movie-goer. For sure, it is a provocative film that is full of heart.
By the way, welcome to Reel Review! This is where Zoe helps answer the question, "Should I see this?" and invites you into a deeper conversation about the story's themes and message. Let us know what movies you want to get the reel review treatment!
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