Episode 49: To Infinity War and Beyond...

In this episode: The Patriarch thinks about opening a restaurant, we talk about the 10-year history of the MCU, who we ship with Captain America, false advertising, the Thor Detour, the lack of humanity in superhero movies, and why Hulk loses to Thanos.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice - Review

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is the cinematic equivalent of a nineteen-year-old atheist putting down "Nihilist" as his religious affiliation on his Facebook. Whoa. So edgy, bro. The grimmest superhero movie since The Dark Knight, Batman v. Superman shares much of the earlier film’s cynicism about both God and Man, and like its immediate predecessor, Man of Steel, it overtly embraces theological language and symbolism, playing with the concepts of God, power, and responsibility. It revolves around a distinctly democratic question, one for our times: can we trust God when he has all the power? And if a man has God-like power, how, then, must we treat him? Worship or crucify? Crown with thorns or coronets?

Unfortunately, it handles this question with all the grace of a sledgehammer.

Episode 17: Holy Pilgrim's Podcast, Batman!

We talk about the history of superheroes, American exceptionalism, why we should bring back dueling, the importance of Penny Dreadfuls, the disintegration of heroism, the title of the Patriarch's hypothetical biopic, Dr. Strange director Scott Derrickson, and human beings' desire for a righteous king.

The Incredibles - Review and Expectations

I recently rewatched Brad Bird's The Incredibles, and was left with one impression: that this film was amazing when I first watched it ten years ago...and it's still amazing, if not more so. While in the midst of this revelation, lo and behold if a sequel wasn't announced, to my deep worry.

The thing is, the first film was so close to perfect. It remains one of my favorite Pixar films, a tightly-scripted, beautifully "shot" action movie that has so many truly human relationships that it puts the majority of live-action films to shame. True, it's not a very original premise - family with supernatural abilities attempt to negotiate ordinary life - but never has it been accomplished so convincingly.

It begins like any other superhero story, with excitement and one-liners and spectacular urban destruction. But fifteen years after this comic book world of heroes and villains, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible - alias Bob and Helen Parr - are living in a cramped suburb with three boisterous kids. Bob works for a sleazy insurance company; Helen changes diapers and wearily makes trips to the principal's office. The irony is thick, and extremely effective.