The Nextlander Watchcast

We close out our slate of Coens comedies with their 2008 spy thriller farce, Burn After Reading! And joining the crew as we unravel this sordid tale of idiot spycraft is none other than our friend and yours, Austin Walker!CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 177: Burn After Reading (2008)(00:00:16) - Intro.(00:01:02) - Our guest this week is Austin Walker, and our movie is Burn After Reading!(00:05:36) - On the movie's overall tone, it's cynicism, and how it treats its characters.(00:21:14) - How this movie came into the world.(00:29:03) - Break!(00:29:24) - We're back, and it's time to handle the most important political issue of our time: HR violations at the CIA.(00:36:38) - Katie, and the Pfarrers.(00:44:52) - Osborne's explosive memoirs (and exploding marriage).(00:51:32) - Linda arrives, and she wants some work done.(01:00:49) - The discovery of top secret shit.(01:07:22) - The master plan begins.(01:15:56) - We gotta get these two crazy kids together.(01:18:34) - The drop, and the Russians become involved.(01:24:40) - No one ever expects the adult novelty chair, and the fall of Osborne Cox.(01:31:36) - Things escalate, to say the least.(01:36:07) - JK Simmons is here to say what we're all thinking.(01:41:16) - Everyone and everything becomes unwound.(01:57:55) - What did we learn?(02:03:58) - Final thoughts.(02:09:21) - Housekeeping for the remaining May movies.(02:13:01) - Outro.

The process of tearing apart our consumerist childhoods is far from over, as the Watchcast crew digs this week into G.I. Joe: The Movie, another toy commercial in disguise that comes up with some of the most bonkers stuff this franchise ever saw, both for better and for worse.CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 165: G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987)(00:00:18) - Intro.(00:08:47) - A brief history of Government Issue Joe, and our personal fandoms.(00:26:37) - More on the tone of the show, and how that filtered into the movie.(00:30:56) - How this movie came to be, and why it never made it to theaters.(00:39:19) - Talking about our cast (and porno cartoons).(00:51:31) - Are the new grunts as good as the old timers?(00:56:51) - Break!(00:57:40) - We're back and we're already humming this musical number.(01:02:46) - People have had it with Cobra Commander.(01:12:15) - The B.E.T.--no, not that B.E.T.(01:17:16) - Stumbling into Cobra-la.(01:23:46) - Our cavalcade of new stars (toys).(01:40:30) - There's no way Cobra could break in here! And the lore dump to end all lore dumps.(01:57:05) - Falcon gets airdropped into unincorporated Slaughter territory.(02:02:35) - Roadblock and Cobra I Was Once a Commaaaaaannnder escape.(02:09:52) - A sneaking mission to Cobra Island, and it's time to send in the sandworms.(02:16:48) - He's gone into a coma!(02:24:34) - A big dumb battle to end this movie.(02:35:52) - Duke's okay! Somehow!(02:37:57) - Final thoughts.(02:46:46) - Housekeeping for next week's movie: Masters of the Universe!(02:51:31) - Outro.

We've got one more Watchcast for you in 2025, and we're closing out a cursed year the only way we know how: with Gremlins. Join us as we take a trip back to a simpler time when zonked out suburbanites could shrug off the enormous implications of a lifeform like a mogwai in favor of taking cute photos and dumping water all over it.CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 163: Gremlins (1984)(00:00:15) - Intro.(00:05:23) - How we all experienced Gremlins back in the day.(00:09:20) - Some Gremlins 2 comparison chat, and the wild list of names involved in making this movie happen.(00:20:08) - Some production stories and voice cast chat.(00:28:54) - Our remaining cast.(00:42:04) - Break!(00:42:29) - We're back, and it's time to do some shopping in Chinatown.(00:49:54) - Welcome to backlot America.(00:58:12) - Bringing home a Mogwai.(01:02:26) - We told you not to get them wet! It's only been like five minutes!(01:07:28) - You can't even trust a science teacher in this day and age.(01:14:25) - Gross pods, and a number of check-ins with dad.(01:23:02) - We should all be so lucky to have a mother who can dual wield.(01:29:27) - Let's kill off all our minor townspeople right quick.(01:37:37) - Phoebe Cates, everyone. Let's give her a round of applause.(01:40:53) - Burning down the theater.(01:43:06) - Not an amazing finale, but definitely an amazing melting puppet skeleton.(01:46:45) - Once again, suburbanites cannot be trusted to handle unusual wildlife.(01:49:35) - Final thoughts.(01:54:59) - A teaser (not full schedule) for next month's movies.

The Watchcast is back for its final slate of movies in 2025, and this month we're picking whatever strikes our fancy. First up is Alex's pick, a palate cleanser for all the Escape from New York also-rans we've seen this year in the form of actual, honest-to-Snake Escape from New York! Join us as we dive deep into the movie that spawned an iconic character, dozens of rip-offs, and pretty much Hideo Kojima's whole deal.CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 161: Escape from New York (1981)(00:00:15) - Intro.(00:08:18) - How did John Carpenter realize his vision of crime-scorched hellscape New York(00:26:23) - The insane cultural shadow that this movie cast.(00:33:51) - Crime has risen 400%, so New York is a prison now. You don't need to know anything else.(00:41:55) - The President is crashing out.(00:46:40) - Break!(00:47:00) - We're back, and it's time for a quick failed rescue.(00:49:44) - Our first introduction to Snake Plissken.(00:59:55) - Gliding into the Big Apple.(01:03:28) - No matter how bad things get in New York, people will still make time for the theater.(01:07:47) - We've got C.H.U.D.S, and also Kurt Russell's (then) wife.(01:15:36) - Maggie and the Brain.(01:19:09) - Here comes The Duke of New York.(01:23:34) - This is a sneaking mission.(01:27:35) - The Duke wants his damn map, and Brain figures out where the glider is.(01:32:04) - That's Ox Baker's music!(01:39:37) - The mad dash to the World Trade Center, then to the bridge.(01:46:20) - An even madder dash over the wall.(01:48:25) - Snake ain't letting this slide.(01:54:28) - Final thoughts.(01:59:44) - Our remaining films for the month.(02:04:19) - Outro.

Our Turkey month continues unabated! And this week we're visited by several of 125 possible Jet Lis in the profoundly silly 2001 action flick The One! Join us as we talk about Jet Li's various wigs, the finer points of nu-metal, and the tragedy of Jason Statham's American accent.CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 159: The One (2001)(00:00:13) - Intro.(00:03:14) - Now that our nu-metal jokes are mostly out of the way, let's talk about this week's movie: The One!(00:14:11) - A little bit about the production.(00:17:20) - Establishing the multiverses as quickly as we can.(00:25:26) - The first kill (that we see, anyway).(00:30:39) - Here comes Delroy Lindo and Jason Statham's American accent.(00:39:28) - Break!(00:39:47) - We're back, and we're in cop universe now.(00:46:10) - There's only one Jet Li left to kill, and wouldn't you know it he's a nice guy.(00:51:36) - This excruciatingly long MRI bit.(01:00:24) - A great cameo with a considerably less-great joke attached to it.(01:03:03) - Syncing egg timers and splitting the party.(01:11:15) - All these cops milling around, can't find one guy hiding in an attic. (01:13:41) - TK dies, and then it's just a quick stop at the gas station before the final battle.(01:18:38) - Let's have a fight in a sparks factory.(01:24:58) - Back to cop universe, but we have to do one more mistaken identity bit before we go.(01:27:24) - Welcome to bright colors universe, where everybody's happy and your wife isn't dead.(01:29:23) - Meanwhile, let's check in on Yulaw.(01:32:47) - Final thoughts.Final thoughts, and list placements.(01:37:52) - Our movie for next week: Action Jackson!(01:40:33) - Outro.

We're kicking off our third annual Turkey Month with a very bad sci-fi action movie by a person who usually makes pretty enjoyable sci-fi action movies, John Carpenter! Ghosts of Mars is the first movie on this month's roster of dumbass action flicks, and boy howdy, is this one both dumb and ass.CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 157: Ghosts of Mars (2001)(00:00:14) - Intro.(00:01:32) - Kicking off our annual turkey month with John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars!(00:08:52) - How the heck did this movie end up like this?(00:12:06) - An all-star cast, mostly wasted on this.(00:19:57) - Love these cheap models. Love these matte paintings. The rest? Eh...(00:28:00) - Ballard has quite the story, and we meet the team.(00:33:46) - Break!(00:34:09) - We're back, and it's time to meet Desolation (and some other randos).(00:39:25) - Flashbacks on flashbacks on flashbacks.(00:46:43) - Heads on pikes. Heads on pikes!(00:50:22) - Uno, Dos, and Tres.(01:00:43) - The first big shootout.(01:07:42) - Oh good, another flashback!(01:11:56) - A psychedelic alien freakout.(01:15:32) - Big Daddy has a battering ram, and it's time to take off! Or...not?(01:25:32) - A bad train fight, wrapping up the flashbacks, and a TERRIBLE note to end on.(01:32:19) - Final thoughts.(01:36:22) - Housekeeping for next week, and list placements for Ghosts of Mars.(01:42:53) - Outro.

On this week's Watchcast it's all about the horrors of the family variety in Ari Aster's Hereditary! Join us as Brad takes his first trek through the movie's minefield of guilt, grief, and grandma's weird hobbies, while Alex and Vinny ponder how it lands when you know what's coming.CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 155: Hereditary (2018)(00:00:12) - Intro.(00:01:06) - Our film this week: Hereditary!(00:08:58) - On Ari Aster and how this movie got made.(00:14:06) - What's up with Paimon, generally.(00:22:39) - Back to production and cast talk.(00:30:54) - Jumping into the set-up for the movie.(00:38:54) - Annie's eulogy, and getting to know your parents' weird beliefs.(00:44:05) - Establishing the family dynamic, and a big honkin' grief dump.(00:49:41) - Break!(00:50:01) - Charlie gets weird, and Annie dumps a lot of grief.(00:59:54) - An ill-fated night of revelry.(01:10:34) - The accident, and the aftermath.(01:16:40) - Where Alex thinks the movie makes its big transition.(01:28:05) - From car crash art to a car crash of a family dinner.(01:32:52) - Never accept seances from strangers.(01:42:36) - Annie's meltdown has begun.(01:45:23) - Opening a big box of backstory.(01:55:08) - Clean your attics, people!(01:59:12) - How's Annie?(02:02:18) - Not great.(02:06:57) - Is this your king?(02:11:19) - Final thoughts.(02:19:57) - List rankings, and housekeeping for next week's movie: When Evil Lurks!(02:25:36) - Outro.

Our fourth annual Halloween season of the Watchcast has begun! We're kicking off our month of personal horror picks with Alex's choice, the 1978 adaptation of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a deft combo of alien horror and '70s paranoia thriller that features killer mustaches, the youngest Jeff Goldblum you've ever seen, and a very weird dog.CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 153: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)(00:00:27) - Intro.(00:01:58) - Our film this week: Invasion of the Body Snatchers! (The 1978 version)(00:05:27) - Talking about the source novel and the '56 film.(00:09:53) - The San Francisco-ness of this movie, and a little on the folks who made it.(00:15:47) - A brief list of some of the other adaptations.(00:17:51) - A note about the ending.(00:21:02) - Launching into the early goings of the film.(00:31:59) - A health inspector worth rooting for.(00:35:22) - Something shifted overnight.(00:40:15) - Break!(00:40:41) - We're back, and it's time for weird things to happen to our heroes.(00:52:07) - The shit hits the windshield, and we meet some new friends.(01:03:18) - A body is found at the bathhouse, and Elizabeth is nearly turned.(01:16:37) - No one will believe any of this.(01:26:06) - An orgy of human copying.(01:30:30) - Fleeing down the streets of San Francisco.(01:34:47) - The aliens make their mission statement.(01:41:12) - A really, really bad dog, and the pod trade network is up and running.(01:45:27) - We've lost Elizabeth, time to burn it all down.(01:51:57) - The next day...(01:58:18) - Final thoughts, housekeeping for next week, and the lists are finally updated.(02:06:28) - Outro.