Seriously, why would anyone hate this movie? Even if you account for film buffs being horrified by Zhang Yimou’s apparent Hollywoodization, there’s so much in THE GREAT WALL that average audiences would enjoy. Lots of theories in this Real Talk segment, in addition to unabashed praise for the film — and regret for not having supported it when it first opened. Matt Damon’s daughter is wrong on this one!

You’re telling us the director of Hero and House of Flying Daggers made a movie where Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal team-up with the Chinese army to battle aliens at the Great Wall of China… and it somehow wasn’t a smashing success? Was it the man-bun? THE GREAT WALL sports a shameful 35% Tomatometer score, which means Alex & Julio must jump (er-dive) to its rescue. And you get to listen!

Happy Thanksgiving! We continue paying our Livestream For The Cure debt by sitting through EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC and chatting all throughout it. Will this be the lowest point of the franchise? Let’s hope so.

Yes, we eventually get into the inevitable Deckard/Replicant discussion. But there is so much more to talk about when it comes to BLADERUNNER - and with four of us on the panel, you know there will be some clashing opinions in this Real Talk segment! Ridley Scott would be proud (if he cared).

Audiences had it right back in 1982: BLADERUNNER is a boring, confusing neo-noir featuring a barely-awake performance from Harrison Ford. But BLADERUNNER is also proof that if you keep recutting and re-releasing a film, you are likely to fool critics into thinking it was a masterpiece waiting to be discovered. Listen to Alex & Julio - and special guests Ryan & Rachel from Yum Yum Pod - as they navigate the rainy L.A. of an alternate 2019!

We may have to wait a few decades for the tell-all Todd Phillips memoir that finally explains what led to JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX being, well, JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX. But it’s fun to speculate, even though it potentially being a genius prank doesn’t affect the experience of watching it as much as you’d think. Did we at least like it more than the original JOKER? Listen to this Real Talk segment and find out!

We start Year Twelve of the Contrarians with a movie we never thought we’d cover (or watch) - but how can you escape one of the most infamous and puzzling bombs in recent history? Did people really not get how Todd Phillips used JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX to give Hollywood a much-needed middle finger? Did the joke go over critics and audiences’ heads? Listen to Alex & Julio discuss this masterful troll job!

The fourth installment of Fresh Immigrants, Rotten Fascists focuses on the rise and fall of Lonesome Rhodes, as depicted in Elia Kazan’s A FACE IN THE CROWD. The story of a populist media superstar that grows to wield immense influence over the American public? How could that be relevant today? And yes, that’s America’s Grandpa Andy Griffith playing the maniacal Rhodes in his feature film debut.

Thank you for checking this new project out, whether you are a long-time Contrarians fan or someone who’s just trying to listen to people talking positively about immigrants and negatively about fascism. If you have any recommendations for future entries in the series, let us know!

The 90s and their MTV Movie Awards were the focus of many episodes during our eleventh year as Contrarians - will they also dominate our annual awards ceremony? Listen to find out who gets Embries, Hooeys, Ruffalos, Gads, and The Lancaster Dodd Grant!

Happy Halloween! We hit our donations goal at this year’s Livestream For The Cure, which means we are now on the hook to do commentary tracks for all five Exorcist films. Can’t think of a better time to start than now, on Halloween day, so enjoy listening to us talk about William Friedkin’s horror classic - ideally while you watch it!

(Don’t worry, The Embries 2025 should drop this weekend)