Dear listeners, As 2018 is nearly gone, we’re here with our top 10 favorite films of the year. Consider this our year-end episode substitute: you might even find a squabble or two in the lists below. Overall, it’s been a good year for movies and our podcast alike. If you didn’t hear the big news, […]
Author Archives: Chance Solem-Pfeifer
2018 Was a Strange Year for Comedy Movies
On this episode of Be Reel, Chance and Noah look at major studios, small indies, and streaming services to figure out just what audiences responded to (and didn’t) from comedies in 2018 and what filmmakers did to stand out in a genre plagued by cliches. (Spoiler: It’s not by making “I Feel Pretty,” which Noah […]
The Essential William Goldman
Listeners! This week, we’re talking about the work of the recently deceased screenwriting legend William Goldman: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride, and All The President’s Men. It’s also our first episode in an ongoing collaboration with ThePlaylist.net. All episodes will still live on this website on the Be Reel podcast feed, but we’ll be […]
Bonnies Wanted; Clydes Need Not Apply
Have you ever found yourself out of a job? Dead criminal husband? Recently out of prison and looking for a quick payday? Well, gather up your girlfriends and rob a bank/gala/corrupt politician’s coffers! That’s the premise that links our three films today: “Widows,” “Set It Off” and “Ocean’s Eight.” Aided by podcast favorite and Hollywood […]
“The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs”
What did you stream this weekend, partner? Well, the guys on Be Reel saddled up and saw the new Coen Bros movie, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, an anthology film set upon a very Coen Bros frontier. We’ve got a singing sharp shooter, a mumbling and lucky-as-hell prospector, and a stagecoach bound for hell. Chance […]
Heroes From Hell
What connects indie comic book movie adaptations from the ‘90s and early ‘00s? Why they’re all about demons, of course! Today, Chance and Noah dissect the gross, weird, often incoherent tendencies of 1994’s “The Shadow,” 1997’s “Spawn” and 2004’s “Hellboy” in a round-up of the lesser-known Hollywood superheroes. Joining the guys to add superhero context […]
“Wildlife”
When the guys heard about Paul Dano’s directorial debut, “Wildlife,” they both admitted to pre-judging it as good-bad: a period piece, a troubled marriage, a child bearing witness to fighting. But much like the characters on screen, the film revealed itself to be much more nuanced than they had imagined. Today, we dive deep into […]
The Horror Of John Carpenter
At these dark times (read: Halloween, not the burning hellscape of our democracy, come on!) we look to the “Prince of Darkness” himself for frights and insights into the state of horror. This week, Chance and Noah watch and review John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” “The Fog” and “The Thing.” We’re joined by Andy Crump and Niela Orr […]
The State Of The YA Adaptation
Forget John Hughes and Freddie Prinze, Jr.! 2018 was a watershed year for high school movies as Hollywood has turned to best-selling YA novels to inform the future of “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Sixteen Candles.” In this episode, Chance and Noah apply their maybe too lofty standards to “The Hate U Give,” […]
“A Star Is Born”
In this special in-person episode recorded in a hotel room in Lincoln, Nebraska, Chance and Noah reunite to watch and review “A Star is Born.” The guys discuss everything from the film’s portrayal of pop music, what it means to be a songwriter, why the hell Dave Chappelle is in this movie, and how Bradley […]