Introducing ‘The Kick’ — A New Movie Podcast

Still missing “Be Reel”? Well, Chance is launching a new movie pod to fill that hole in your weekly listening diet. “The Kick” will debut on Jan. 31 and unfold in themed miniseries—the first of which is “Superior Sequels.” Every guest is bringing a sequel they consider better than its original film and breaking down […]

Reeled In: “A Quiet Place”

It’s this year’s unexpected horror smash… but is “A Quiet Place” actually good-good? Is the cinematic ingenuity of this pseudo-indie picture enough to overcome some Cloverfield-level world-building? Chance and Noah break down the hokey premise (sound aliens), potentially pro-life politics (or lack thereof), and whether Jim from “The Office” could be a believable father even […]

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! […]

Reeled In: “It”

In this week’s mini-episode, Noah and Chance review and rate the new, smash-hit adaptation of Stephen King’s It. While Noah is almost finished with King’s dictionary-sized 1986 novel, Chance came completely cold to this story about an evil force terrorizing small-town kids in the form of a killer clown. While Noah fills Chance in on the issues director Andrés Muschietti’s […]

Reeled In: “The Beguiled”

On this week’s mini-episode, we’re laid up recovering from Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled.” The Southern Gothic tale of a wounded Union soldier stuck on a Virginia plantation of exclusively women, Coppola’s remake of the 1971 original is an achievement in tension and character dynamics. Still, we argue over its ambition and historical considerations. The first […]

Reeled In: “Arrival”

This week, Noah and Chance saw the artful new alien invasion film “Arrival.” Directed by Denis Villeneuve, it stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner as scientists charged with discovering shell-shaped spacecrafts’ purpose on Earth. That familiar premise led Noah and Chance to argue whether “Arrival” is a relative of movies we’ve seen before or something […]

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Movie Reviews & Reappraisals

Be Reel was a movie reviewing & reappraising podcast hosted by Chance Solem-Pfeifer and Noah Ballard.

We cherished our 8-year run, talking to filmmakers like Gus Van Sant, insulting each other’s taste, and laughing to high heaven.

Chance’s new movie podcast, The Kickcontinues to explore curated sub-genres and movie geekery. Noah is a frequent and beloved guest.

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Reeled In: “Arrival”