ReelBlend

This week we unfortunately are missing one from our lovely trio of hosts, Jake Hamilton. But as he goes on assignment, and is sure to bring back some lovely stories to share with us next week, Sean and Kevin managed to hold down the fort. Tune in for their spoiler-free reactions to Hereditary (Starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolf, and Milly Shapiro) , breakdowns on this week's crazy amount of trailers, and of course debated Alfred Hitchcock's best work with #HitchcockBlend. Enjoy!

Can we use the "D" word -- disappointment -- when it comes to Solo: A Star Wars Story's box office? This becomes the first major topic of conversation on ReelBlend Episode 23, where co-hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton do a Monday Morning Quarterback analysis of Ron Howard's Star Wars adventure. The movie did fine at the box office, earning an estimated $103 million over the Memorial Day four-day window. But in comparison to other Star Wars movies, and other Summer Blockbuster Tentpoles, it underperformed. The guys discuss why.

Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld joined the guys for a full hour. And if you like the Deadpool movies, Marvel Comics and the MCU, and basically superhero entertainment in general, this one is a CAN'T MISS!

This week the guys give their SPOILER-FREE reviews of Deadpool 2 (Starring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz), discuss the news of a possible Lando and/or Obi-Wan Star Wars spinoff, their early impression of Solo: A Star Wars Story, debate which Godfather film is the best, and more. Enjoy!

This week's episode is mainly focused on the Summer Movie season, so ReelBlend hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton break the slate down into various categories: Most Anticipated; Least Anticipated; Highest Grossing (not named Avengers: Infinity War); and Indie/Off-the-Radar.

To help us settle a few of these key issues with Infinity War, we called in some help. Erik Davis is the Managing Editor over at Fandango, and a long-time friend of the guys. He knows his stuff when it comes to movies, and especially the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So we asked him on ReelBlend, and he was an awesome guest. Listen to what he has to say.

Avengers: Infinity War is upon us! The boys were all lucky enough to have seen the film earlier this week, and are here to get you hyped with their spoiler-free discussion of Marvel's, and perhaps cinema's, most ambitious project to date. Enjoy!

As it turns out, The Rock + Large-Scale Chaos + Towering CGI Creatures = Box Office Success! Over the weekend, Brad Peyton's Rampage squeaked out a box office win over John Krasinski's terrifying A Quiet Place, becoming the number 1 movie in the U.S. and around the globe. So it thrills us to report that, as part of his victory lap, Peyton hopped on the ReelBlend podcast as a very special guest to discuss shooting Rampage, collaborating with The Rock on their third action adventure, advancing the art of motion-capture, and much more.

If you've listened to ReelBlend the past few weeks -- and if you haven't, what's wrong with you? -- then you know that we have been strong advocates for Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One. The blockbuster legend was an ideal choice to adapt Ernie Cline's best-selling page-turner, itself a story that's drenched in nostalgia for a pop-culture era that Spielberg helped to create and shape. So when we were given the opportunity to have Ready Player One screenwriter Zak Penn on the show, we jumped... and it led to one of the best movie-geek conversations in ReelBlend history.

Tom Hanks is an American treasure. Tom Hanks is a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor. Tom Hanks is freaking Woody, from the beloved Toy Story franchise! But what is Tom Hanks' BEST performance? This is the challenge laid down before the co-hosts of ReelBlend -- Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton. Which Hanks movie did they choose?

Regular listeners know the familiar voices of co-hosts Sean O'Connell, Kevin McCarthy and Jake Hamilton. But this week, for the first time in ReelBlend history, the trio breaks ground by inviting a guest! Juan Fernández-Paris is the film critic for Wapa America. He's a longtime veteran of the junket circuit, where he has passed hours, days and years geeking out about movies with Sean, Jake and Kevin in cities around the world. And as an ardent supporter of this week's biggest release -- Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One -- we invited him on to provide his insights into Spielberg's latest, and to play along with Coen Brothers Blend!

Pacific Rim Uprising is making its way to theaters. So Sean O'Connell, Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy are diving into Steven S. DeKnight's robot-on-monster blockbuster, which Kevin liked, and Sean says is a coming out party for John Boyega as a franchise-carrying leading man. That discussion triggered a debate about the best sequels that came from directors who DIDN'T launch the franchise. How often does a series change hands, and then improve? The guys discuss.

It's a brand new day! The AwardsBlend podcast has undergone a change, and what once focused mainly on the Oscar race has expanded its scope. Welcome to ReelBlend! As Kevin McCarthy puts it on social media, "New show name. New logo. Same nerds." Those nerds are McCarthy, Jake Hamilton, and Sean O'Connell. And in this week's podcast, the trio starts off with a run through the top news stories of the day. Sean is finally able to start talking about his visit to the Avengers: Infinity War set, so Jake and Kevin pepper him with questions. But because most set visits are protected by press embargoes, there are still a few things he CAN'T talk about. So, what was he able to share?

Welcome to Episode 11 of AwardsBlend! The Oscars have finally come, and guys are here to discuss. From THE SHAPE OF WATER's big win, to the shows record-low ratings, we have you covered. Enjoy!

Welcome to another episode of AwardsBlend! This is our final episode be fore the BIG show, and we couldn't be more excited. Sean O'Connell, Jake Hamilton, and Kevin McCarthy go through their picks for who will take home an Academy Award this year, and debate which of Steven Spielberg's films is his definitive best. Enjoy!