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Marvel’s First Family Stumbles Into the MCU We're suiting up to discuss The Fantastic Four: First Steps , the highly anticipated debut of Marvel’s First Family in the MCU. And after watching it, we can officially say: it’s the greatest Fantastic Four film ever made … which, unfortunately, isn’t saying much. Directed with plenty of style and featuring a plausible (and honestly, kind of cool) take on Galactus , First Steps  has all the right pieces on paper—family dynamics, high-concept cosmic storytelling, and a sleek Marvel Studios polish. But the final product? Well, we left the theater feeling a lot less than fantastic. (Zing!) What Worked in The Fantastic Four: First Steps The style : A bold visual direction that sets this apart from the usual Marvel template. The family angle : For all its flaws, First Steps  at least gets the core Fantastic Four dynamic right. Galactus (sort of) : A version that works within the MCU, even if it won’t silence every fan debate. Where It Fell Flat A rushed story : The film skips over huge portions of the team’s life as heroes, leaving their arcs feeling incomplete. A lackluster second hour : After a promising setup, the back half struggles to balance spectacle and storytelling. Missed opportunities : Great ideas get lost in a script that tries to do too much with too little time. So where does The Fantastic Four: First Steps  land? Somewhere between “finally, a decent take” and “how is Marvel still struggling with these characters?” Listen on your favorite podcast platform! Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links

Up, up, and away! On a special  Now Showing Lite  episode of  Forgotten Cinema , Butler goes solo (Stupid FIeld and his family vacations) to review James Gunn’s  Superman (2025) — the latest big-screen reimagining of one of pop culture’s most enduring heroes. As a lifelong Superman fan, Butler dives deep into what makes this version tick. From its more comic book–faithful tone to standout performances, he explores how Gunn’s vision separates this  Superman  from its predecessors in the ever-crowded superhero landscape. Spoiler-Free Impressions The first half of the episode is completely spoiler-free, making it a safe listen whether you’ve already seen the film or you’re still deciding if it’s worth the trip to the theater. Butler discusses: The film’s tone  – balancing hope and heart with a modern sensibility. Performances  – from the new Man of Steel himself to the supporting cast who help flesh out this world. How it stands out  – why Gunn’s approach feels refreshing compared to other recent superhero blockbusters. Superman Spoilers Ahead: Full Breakdown In the second half of the episode, Butler digs into  spoiler territory , giving his unfiltered thoughts on the film’s plot, character choices, and a third act that, while imperfect, still manages to stick the emotional landing. He also compares this version to previous Superman adaptations — what it borrows, what it discards, and where it breaks new ground. Whether you’re a longtime Superman fan or someone just looking for a compelling superhero story, Butler’s breakdown of  Superman (2025)  will give you plenty to consider. Listen on your favorite podcast platform! Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links

This week on Forgotten Cinema , we revisit one of Steven Spielberg’s most overlooked films, the 2005 historical thriller Munich —and let’s just say, this one lingers long after the credits roll. Starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, and an incredible supporting cast, Munich  dramatizes Israel’s secret response to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. But this isn’t just a revenge thriller — it’s a tense, morally complex exploration of justice, vengeance, and the corrosive cost of violence. Spielberg doesn’t flinch away from the weight of his subject matter, and the result is one of his most thought-provoking works. In this episode, we dive into: Spielberg’s masterful direction  – A filmmaker at the top of his craft, balancing gripping suspense with quiet, devastating moments of humanity. Janusz Kamiński’s cinematography  – Evocative, immersive visuals that pull you into the paranoia and fear surrounding the mission. The film’s moral core  – How Munich  examines the endless cycle of retaliation and whether justice can ever truly be achieved through bloodshed. The cast’s powerhouse performances  – Eric Bana as a man torn between duty and conscience, and Daniel Craig in an early role that hinted at his future Bond persona. We both came away with the same conclusion: Munich  deserves far more recognition than it gets. Thoughtful, haunting, and expertly crafted, it’s a film that challenges audiences to grapple with impossible questions — and that’s exactly what great cinema should do. If you haven’t seen Munich  in years — or if you’ve somehow missed it altogether — now’s the perfect time to revisit it. Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links

Butler is hyped to catch the big fight, but not before Field drops some knowledge on him about many things other than movies. Check out Big Fight , our latest short film, inspired, loosely, on our movie we covered — Judgment Night — last week. Wondering what we thought about Judgment Night . Check out the episode! You can also find us on all podcast platforms. Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links

Forgotten Cinema is saddling up our horses, grabbing our medieval grifting kit, and taking flight back to the mid-90s with DragonHeart (1996) — the fantasy adventure starring Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, and Sean Connery’s unmistakable Scottish growl as Draco the dragon. Directed by Rob Cohen. If you were a kid in the ‘90s, there’s a good chance you caught this one on VHS or cable, and for Butler, DragonHeart  is wrapped in a warm blanket of nostalgia. He still finds a lot to enjoy here: the themes of honor and redemption, the big-hearted humor, and that rare vibe of a family-friendly fantasy film that feels almost extinct today. Field? He was less enchanted. While they both agree the movie has some undeniable charms, it also has plenty of issues. The tone bounces between swashbuckling adventure, tongue-in-cheek comedy, and sincere fairy tale, sometimes in the same scene. David Thewlis’ villain is so cartoonishly evil he feels like he wandered in from a different movie altogether. And the plot is not exactly forged in the fires of narrative consistency. But here’s where they see eye to eye: the score by Randy Edelman is iconic. It’s the kind of soaring, emotional music that’s been recycled in trailers and highlight reels for decades, and honestly? It still gives Butler chills. In this episode, we dig into: Whether DragonHeart  holds up as a piece of family entertainment or feels too uneven for modern audiences. How Sean Connery’s performance somehow manages to give the CGI dragon more personality than half the human characters. The weird tonal blend of buddy comedy, medieval epic, and morality play. And why, despite all the flaws, there’s something undeniably endearing about this oddball relic of ‘90s fantasy filmmaking. So is DragonHeart  a charming adventure or a clunky misfire with a killer soundtrack? Grab your sword, cue up that epic main theme, and join us as we try to find out. Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links

The guys are back trying to make content, but first they try to figure out what could they possibly do next, do they even have the time, and can Field continue to harass Butler through it all. Spoiler: He can. It's our latest short film, Breakaway: If you haven't caught our episode about A History of Violence yet, for which this short film was loosely based upon, fear not, as it is right here! You can also find our show on all podcast platforms! Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links Or check out the original article on our episode for A History of Violence.

This week on Forgotten Cinema , we take an ill-fated shortcut through the industrial wasteland of early ‘90s Chicago with Judgment Night , the 1993 urban thriller starring Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jeremy Piven, Stephen Dorff, and Denis Leary. If you’ve never heard of this one, you’re not alone. Judgment Night  didn’t exactly set the box office on fire when it debuted, but over the years, it’s built a reputation as one of the decade’s most unique, if uneven, thrillers — and for having an absolutely killer soundtrack. The setup is simple: four suburban friends head into the city for a night out. One wrong turn later, they witness a murder and find themselves hunted through a maze of dark alleys and abandoned buildings. It’s a classic cat-and-mouse formula with a lot of promise and, in some ways, the film delivers. We both agree Judgment Night  is a movie with strong bones. The direction is stylish, the atmosphere is tense, and the performances — especially from Estevez and Gooding Jr. — are committed. Even Jeremy Piven finds ways to make his weaselly character memorable. But then there’s Denis Leary, doing his best to play a menacing gang leader but never quite escaping the feeling that he wandered in from a stand-up set. And let’s not forget the script, which leans heavily on contrivances and characters making one questionable decision after another. That said, the movie is never boring. Between the tense chases, the gritty production design, and that now-iconic soundtrack mixing rock and hip hop (seriously, go play some of the songs from the embedded Spotify link), Judgment Night  is the definition of a flawed but fascinating ‘90s relic. So does it hold up today? Is it worth revisiting if you’ve never seen it? Or is it destined to stay in the shadows of better thrillers from the decade? We dig into all of that and more in this week’s episode. Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links

That's right! We're back to making fools of ourselves on the small screen. Why no one has started to pay us for this is wild! Seriously? Don't you like original content!? In our latest short film, Kidnapped, we play homage to the Ron Howard directed film, Ransom, as Field responds accordingly when he discovers Butler has been kidnapped. Enjoy! Hey! Did you forget to watch (or listen) to our Ransom episode from a few weeks ago. No worries! Here you go! Or find us on your favorite podcast portal Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links Or check out the original Ransom blog article !

This week on  Forgotten Cinema , we’re trading the outlandish for the unsettling as we step into the quiet, brutal world of  A History of Violence (2005) , a film that proves David Cronenberg doesn’t need body horror to crawl under your skin. Directed by Cronenberg and starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt,  A History of Violence tells the story of Tom Stall, a small-town diner owner whose past comes crashing violently into his present after he thwarts an attempted robbery. What starts as an act of heroism becomes a slow-motion implosion of identity, family, and the mythology of American decency. For this episode, we're on opposite sides of the booth. Field has long considered this movie as one of his favorite Cronenberg film — yes, even more than  The Fly . He admires its stripped-down storytelling, tight 96-minute runtime, and the way Cronenberg uses sudden, shocking violence to peel back the veneer of normalcy. Butler, however, isn’t quite as sold. While he appreciates the strong performances — especially Mortensen’s calm intensity — he questions whether the film’s impact has dulled over time. Has cinema simply become too desensitized to violence for  A History of Violence   to still feel as shocking as it did in 2005? In this episode, we dig into: Cronenberg’s approach to violence as both spectacle and infection The performances that ground the film’s high-concept themes How the film’s depiction of masculinity and redemption resonates almost 20 years later Whether this adaptation of John Wagner’s graphic novel still feels essential in the era of prestige TV crime dramas It’s a fascinating conversation about a film that straddles the line between thriller, Western, and psychological drama. And while we don’t always agree, we do find common ground in admiring how  A History of Violence  forces you to ask: How well do you ever really know someone? Listen to this week’s episode of Forgotten Cinema wherever you get your podcasts or watch it on YouTube. If you haven’t revisited  A History of Violence  in a while, consider giving it another look—it might feel different in 2024 than it did in 2005. Why You Should Watch  A History of Violence If you’re searching for a smart, unsettling crime thriller that goes beyond the usual tropes,  A History of Violence  is worth your time. Cronenberg’s film is both a lean genre exercise and a deeper exploration of how violence seeps into the fabric of family and community. From its acclaimed performances to its lasting influence, this is a film that continues to spark debate — just ask us. Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links

First-Person Mayhem Meets Big-Screen Mediocrity All good things must come to an end — even a podcast series dedicated to questionable video game movies. This week on  From Console to Screen , we take one final dive into the pixelated abyss with our friend and guest Russ Lyman to talk about  Doom , the 2005 sci-fi action adaptation that dared to ask: What if we made a movie about one of the most influential first-person shooters of all time… but forgot to make it any fun? Starring a pre-mega-stardom Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Karl Urban before he became the internet’s favorite curmudgeon in  The Boys ,  Doom  is a movie with exactly one idea everyone remembers:  that  first-person shooter sequence. You know the one. And yes, we’ll get into whether five minutes of creative camera work can save an entire film from the bargain bin of video game adaptations. Our Doom Discussion Covers... We also break down: Why  Doom ’s monsters, corridors, and pseudo-science just don’t translate to the big screen the way you’d hope. The bizarre character arcs, including The Rock’s turn from tough-guy hero to unhinged villain (spoilers, but… come on, it’s  Doom ). How Karl Urban somehow manages to give this thing a straight face. And whether this movie is actually worse — or slightly more entertaining — than some of the other adaptations we’ve endured in this series ( looking at you, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation ). Mostly, we ask the big question:  Does the first-person scene actually justify everything else? Or is it just a cool gimmick in an otherwise forgettable movie? It’s the end of our limited series, and what better way to wrap it up than with a film that so perfectly embodies everything baffling about video game movies in the 2000s — big names, big guns, and somehow… no sense of fun. Catch the final episode of  From Console to Screen  wherever you get your podcasts or watch it on YouTube. And remember: no matter how bad it gets, at least you don’t have to actually play through  Doom  the movie. Listen on your favorite podcast platform! Spotify  | Apple Podcasts  | Amazon Music  | More Links