Thirty years after “Bull Durham,” Kevin Costner remains one of baseball’s most recognizable avatars. Between 1988 and 1999, the square-jawed, iron-armed movie star made three films about the quintessentially American aura of the game: “Field of Dreams,” “Bull Durham,” and “For Love Of The Game.” This week, we’re joined by Houston Chronicle reporter and Astros […]
Author Archives: Chance Solem-Pfeifer
La Femme Espionage
There’s nothing more compelling than an unlikely spy — especially a good femme fatale out of her depth! Noah and Chance gather their best intelligence (read: listening to Marc Maron’s podcast) and are fully authorized to debrief you on Jennifer Lawrence in “Red Sparrow,” Angelina Jolie in “Salt” and Melissa McCarthy in “Spy.” We talk […]
“A Wrinkle In Time”
At my screening of A Wrinkle In Time this week, Ava DuVernay appeared in a clip beforehand to offer a couple words. It was a fairly standard intro. DuVernay asserted her intention in adapting this 1962 YA novel for Disney was to return to a place of childhood wonderment circa age 11 or 12. But then she […]
Our Research Mission Is Still Not What It Seems
Are you a top scientist gearing up to investigate an unexplainable phenomenon at a great distance from home? We warned you in one of our earliest episodes to be careful. The rule still applies as Chance and Noah dissect Alex Garland’s sophomore film “Annihilation,” Netflix’s Super Bowl Hail Mary “The Cloverfield Paradox,” and Paul W.S. […]
Alan Moore Cannot Abide This Podcast
Alan Moore is inarguably among the best regarded comic writers of all time, but he’s also a mystery wrapped in an enigma. His ruminations on caped crusaders, governments, and the anarchy between them have spawned decades of fascinating work. This week, Chance and Noah break down three comic-to-film adaptations in search of the man behind […]
Reeled In: “Black Panther”
Because there aren’t enough opinions out there about Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther,” broken white boys Chance and Noah unpack the political read and narrative construction of this Marvel blockbuster. Is Wakanda a utopia or an acknowledgement of violence’s place in society? Is globalism a responsibility or a danger for a tech- and resource-rich country? Unclear! […]
Do You Believe In Winter Olympic Miracles?! Affirmative.
Let the flags wave, the trumpets sound, and the Pink Eye medication take effect quickly! Chance and Noah are here to represent their podcast at the Winter Olympics of movies past. After some initial thoughts on the 2018 games, your hosts get into Miracle (2004), Cool Runnings (1993), and Eddie The Eagle (2016). They’re all […]
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
It takes two to tango, and Chance and Noah try not to step on each other’s feet in this week’s episode of Be Reel. Your hosts unpack the romances, trials and tropes of dance movie classics and upstarts alike with “Dirty Dancing,” “Save the Last Dance” and “Step Up,” questioning why these movies were made, […]
You’re A Bad Dad, Nicolas Cage
What better way to deconstruct the method to Nicolas Cage’s apparent madness than by looking at telling moments in which he played dads … bad dads! In the newly released “Mom and Dad,” Cage loses his cool and endeavors to murder his children (5:05). Plus, film critic Andy Crump joins our show to discuss why […]
Pop & Doc: It’s My Story
Chance and Noah do a podcast, and you’re going to hear us ROAR! On this week’s episode, we take on pop musicians by unpacking their self-produced documentaries. In Demi Lovato’s “Simply Complicated,” the guys are torn about objectivity and ulterior motives. In Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never,” Chance and Noah spar over whether Bieber is […]