Binge Movies: Rankings and Reviews

EPISODE 195: 2008’s Box Office Countdown (10–6) – Iron, Espionage, Penguins, and Robots (ft. Robert Yaniz Jr. & DW Lundberg) Episode Description: The countdown continues! Jason is joined by returning guests Robert Yaniz Jr. and DW Lundberg to tackle the back half of 2008’s top-grossing movies—where talking animals, malfunctioning robots, and emotionally exhausted spies battled it out for box office supremacy. This batch has it all: MCU beginnings, Pixar magic, Bond reboot blues, and a certain talking lion who just can't catch a break. Films Discussed: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (6) – The animals are back and... still trying to get home. Quantum of Solace (7) – Bond is brooding, brutal, and possibly bored. Iron Man (8) – The movie that launched a universe (and Robert Downey Jr. into legend). WALL·E (9) – A near-silent ode to love, loneliness, and environmental collapse. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (10) – Slightly darker, slightly edgier, but did anyone notice? IN THIS EPISODE: Was Quantum of Solace an artistic casualty of the 2008 writers' strike? How Iron Man became a bigger gamble than anyone remembers. Why WALL·E might be Pixar’s boldest and most bittersweet gamble. Robert, DW, and Jason try to answer the eternal question: "Who actually watched Prince Caspian?" From Armored Avengers to existential robots, the back half of 2008’s top 10 is more influential than you might think.

Episode 142: Season 7 kicks off with one of the most profitable franchises in American film history that not a soul recalls fondly. Polymath Matt F. Basler makes his long-awaited return to rank the Police Academy films!  HOST: Jason Guest: Matt F. Basler Binge Movies comes to you from the last video store in the universe. Store manager Jason and his guests rank and review movies to determine which are most worthy of preservation for all time. At Binge Movies the very strange, deeply analytical, and highly ridiculous meet to make a movie review show unlike any other. Become a Patron Binge Movies Merchandise  Elite Patrons: Heather Sachs Joe Buttice  Pete Nerdrovert  Dan Kawecki

Film critic and author Alonso Duralde joins Jason for a holiday special packed with classic cinema, sharp takes, and seasonal martinis. They dive into Christmas movie traditions, give a festive review of The Thin Man (1934), and talk about the newly expanded edition of Alonso’s essential guide, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas. If you like your holiday cheer classy and movie-obsessed, this one’s for you! Alonso Duralde online: • Podcast: Linoleum Knife • Writing: Breakfast All Day

Warner Bros. will be sold to the highest evil bidder, and a loss of major physical media may be around the corner. Explore the Top 25 Classic Warner Bros. Films every movie fan needs, complete with one-sentence synopses and current 4K, Blu-ray, and Warner Archive availability. From Casablanca to Barry Lyndon, Robin Hood to The Wild Bunch, we break down the essential WB classics from 1930–1990 you must own before streaming erases film history. Perfect for cinephiles, physical media fans, and anyone building a definitive collection.

From the last video store in the universe, we’re diving headfirst into the fleshscape. This is the episode where skin melts, bones twist, metal fuses, and the human form becomes… negotiable. We’re ranking five of the most nightmarish entries the genre has ever produced: 1. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989): Industrial noise. Screaming metal. The body as weapon. 2. Society (1989): The shunting heard ’round the world. 3. Body Melt (1993): Wellness culture taken to its liquifying extreme. 4. Thanatomorphose (2012): Slow, rotting decay as an art-film endurance test. 5. Possessor (2020): Cronenbergian mind/body invasion for the digital age. We break down the gore, the metaphors, the transgressions, and the sheer cinematic audacity of filmmakers who dared to ask, “What if humanity was just… obsolete?” Press play and prepare for mutation. Only one of these atrocities will survive the ranking. Credits Host: Jason Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

INSTANT REACTION: Edgar Wright returns with another flop at the box office, while Glen Powell does his best (?) with another "retread."

INSTANT REACTION: Coming to you from the last video store in the universe, it's Binge Movies. Jason dives into Predator: Badlands, the latest chapter in the Predator saga. Is this return to the hunt a bold new evolution of the franchise or another casualty of nostalgia overload? Expect instant reactions, unfiltered opinions, and deep-cut franchise context—from Predator (1987) to Prey (2022). New Slashers Season: Slashers Season 2 Shop the Show: Limited Run Merch Credits Host: Jason Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

EPISODE 204: First-Time Filmmakers.  Some directors arrive fully formed, kicking down the door with a debut that rewrites the rules. In this episode, we rank the first films from some of cinema’s boldest voices: Charles Laughton’s haunting The Night of the Hunter (1955), Peter Bogdanovich’s Targets (1968), Paul Schrader’s blue-collar nightmare Blue Collar (1978), The Coen Brothers’ breakout Blood Simple (1984), and Philip Ridley’s surreal The Reflecting Skin (1990). Five debuts. Five filmmakers announcing themselves to the world. Which one deserves to be preserved for all time? New Season: Slashers Season 2 Shop the Show: Limited Run Merch Credits Host: Jason Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

Slashers: 1984 (Rebroadcast) Jason from Binge Movies (the B-movie sadist with a VCR full of pain), Megan from Spoilerpiece Theatre (the ever-resilient critic), and Paul from The Countdown (the man barely hanging on) reunite for one of the biggest turning points in horror history — 1984, the year Freddy Krueger was born and the slasher genre reached its fever pitch. This episode’s Blood Pool: Rocktober Blood — Jan 1, 1984 Fatal Games — Jan 1, 1984 Splatter University — Jul 13, 1984 Day of the Reaper — Oct 31, 1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street — Nov 9, 1984 The Initiation — Dec 7, 1984 From this Pool, the hosts fight to the death (or at least to the end of the tape) for: Best Poster/Box Art Best Cult Classic Best Final “Girl” Best Kill Best Overall Film Join the conversation on Letterboxd: slasherspodcast Email: slasherspodcast@gmail.com Series theme: “Shattered” by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Originally aired as part of The Slashers limited series — now revived from the grave for the Binge Movies faithful. And remember… DON’T let them catch you.

SHOCK HORROR: “The Return of the Living Dead Special” (1985–2005) (Color, 2 hrs.) Broadcasting after hours from the last video store in the universe, host Jason rises from Spooktacular retirement to kick off Shock Horror with a full-on graveyard party. Joined by Paul (The Slashers, The Countdown), the boys dig up the entire Return of the Living Dead franchise, from punk rock brain-eaters and doomed romance to the cheap sequels that won’t stay buried. Expect fog machines, local commercials, and more bad decisions than a midnight rental binge. Also Seen On: Slashers Season 2 Shop the Show: Limited Run Merch Previously On: Police Academy Special Credits Host: Jason Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

Instant Reaction: The Black Phone 2 (2025) — Spoiler-Free Review The phone rings again, and Jason from Binge Movies answers with a spoiler-free reaction to The Black Phone 2. Does Scott Derrickson and Blumhouse deliver another chilling hit, or is this sequel just dead air? Quick thoughts on performances, scares, story, and how it deviates from the original.   Credits Host: Jason Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

INSTANT REACTION: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2025) Many critics are calling Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another (2025) a “blockbuster.” But is that really what it is? In this spoiler-free instant reaction, Jason digs into the hype and interrogates whether Anderson has truly delivered his first large-scale crowd-pleaser...or something more complicated. The $175 million action thriller, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland and released by Warner Bros. Pictures, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. It follows an ex-revolutionary forced to rescue his daughter from a corrupt military official, set against a backdrop of revolution, betrayal, and power. Credits Host: Jason Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

Jason, Megan from Spoilerpiece Theatre (the balanced critic), and Paul from The Countdown (the curmudgeon) reunite to continue their descent into the golden age of slashers. This round, they tackle the first wave of 1981’s massive blood-soaked slate. The Blood Pool includes: Home Sweet Home (Jan 1, 1981) – a killer Thanksgiving turkey of a movie to kick off the year. Night School (Jan 7, 1981) – Boston goes giallo with a motorcycle-helmeted killer. My Bloody Valentine (Feb 11, 1981) – Canadian miners dig up one of the genre’s defining entries. The Funhouse (Mar 13, 1981) – Tobe Hooper’s creepy carnival ride from Universal Studios.     Keep the conversation going on Letterboxd: slasherspodcast Drop us a line: slasherspodcast@gmail.com Series theme: Shattered by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio This episode first aired as part of The Slashers limited series — now back in circulation for the true believers. And remember… DON’T let them catch you.

The Slashers: 1980 (Season 1 Rebroadcast) Coming to you from the last video store in the universe, this is The Slashers. Season 1 was originally recorded in 2023, and we’re re-airing it now on this new feed to get you ready for Season 2! Hosted by Jason from Binge Movies, Megan Kerns from Spoilerpiece Theatre, and Paul from The Countdown, The Slashers takes you year by year through the golden era of the slasher film. Each episode, we assemble that year’s Blood Pool — a lineup of slasher movies — and at the end, we hand out awards for: Best Artwork  Best Kill  Best Cult Classic  Best Final Girl  Best Overall Flick 1980 Blood Pool Don’t Answer the Phone! (Feb 29, 1980) Friday the 13th (May 9, 1980) Prom Night (July 18, 1980) Motel Hell (Aug 14, 1980) Schizoid (Sept 1, 1980) Fade to Black (Oct 14, 1980) Maniac (Dec 26, 1980) Some became icons, some became obscurities, but all sharpened the blade for the slasher boom to come. Subscribe to The Slashers feed so you don’t miss Season 2, coming very soon.

EP 202: Top Grossing Movies of 2009, Ranked Part II Few believed Blue Cat People would work, but by the end of the 2000s, it was the biggest movie of all time. Proving once again, you should never bet against Jim Cameron. Jason and Robert Yaniz Jr. (Crooked Table) close out the Top Grossing Movies of the 2000s series with the five biggest hits of 2009. From Gladiator to Avatar, this series has tracked a decade where franchises rose, originality waned, and box office spectacle became Hollywood’s ultimate currency. The Lineup: 5. 2012 4. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 3. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 1. Avatar  Which of these blockbusters deserves preservation in the Vault, and which should be left behind with the aughts? Credits Host: Jason Guest: Robert Yaniz Jr. (Crooked Table) Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

EP #201: 2009, Part II — Conspiracy Season 2009 didn’t just entertain—it reflected a culture already steeped in paranoia and conspiratorial thinking. Jason and Chauncey Telese (La Podfidential) rank five box office giants that, in hindsight, reveal how stories of secret cabals, engineered crises, and “truth” shaped by vibes over facts were already dominating the mainstream. The Lineup: 10. The Hangover (2009) 9. Angels & Demons (2009) 8. Sherlock Holmes (2009) 7. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) 6. Up (2009) What seemed like harmless fun at the time now reads as a cultural preview of the conspiratorial mindset that would escalate throughout the next decade. The conversation also touches on the death of Hulk Hogan, the paranoia baked into Dan Brown’s novels, Ron Howard’s attempt to give pulp a prestige sheen, and Peter Thiel, who secretly bankrolled Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker, a real-world conspiracy that toppled a media empire. Which film deserves preservation in the Vault, and which one feels like prophecy for America’s conspiratorial future? Credits Host: Jason Guest: Chauncey Telese (LA Podfidential) Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies    

EP #200: VHS Summer V–80s Sex Comedies 200 episodes! To mark the milestone, Jason is joined by Clare from W-Rated to rewind to the neon-soaked heyday of 1980s sex comedies. From locker room pranks to ski slope stripteases, these raunchy relics of VHS culture pushed boundaries and buttons. Along the way, friends and fans drop in with special messages to celebrate the journey so far. This week’s lineup: Porky’s (1981) The Last American Virgin (1982) Hardbodies (1984) Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Hot Dog...The Movie (1984) Which film earns a spot in the Vault, and which ones get left in the bargain bin? Credits Host: Jason Guest: Clare (W-Rated) Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

EP #199: John Hughes, Ranked John Hughes gave us the dream of teen freedom, family bonding, and life lessons wrapped in pop hits. But in 2025, do his movies still hold up—or are they time capsules better left sealed? Jason and guest Kristin Battestella (Women InSession; I Think, Therefore I Review) rank five Hughes classics, from road-trip chaos to suburban rebellion, deciding which deserves the Vault…and which buckle under the weight of modern eyes. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) Sixteen Candles (1984) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) She’s Having a Baby (1988) Career Opportunities (1991) Bonus conversations dive into The Great Outdoors, Home Alone, and Some Kind of Wonderful. Credits Host: Jason Guest: Kristin Battestella (Women InSession; I Think, Therefore I Review)  Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

INSTANT REACTION: Seventeen kids vanish at 2:17 a.m., and that’s only the start of the nightmare. Director Zach Cregger (Barbarian) returns with Weapons — a chilling, multi-chapter descent into paranoia and dread. In this spoiler-free instant reaction, we break down the film’s tone, tension, and craft without giving away a single twist. No plot summaries. No safety nets. Just the gut-level verdict from the last video store in the universe. Director: Zach Cregger Starring: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich Genre: Horror / Mystery / Thriller Credits Host: Jason Guest: Evan Crean Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete.  Support: patreon.com/bingemovies Merch: bingemovie.threadless.com

EP #198: VHS Summer V – Val Kilmer Season Premiere VHS Summer returns for its fifth and final installment! Jason is joined by Evan Crean (Spoilerpiece Theater) to rank and review five of Val Kilmer’s most iconic performances. From boy genius to gunslinging legend, Kilmer’s range is on full display in this eclectic lineup: Real Genius (1985) Willow (1988) Thunderheart (1992) Tombstone (1993) Heat (1995) Which film enters the Vault, and which get left out in the summer sun? Credits Host: Jason Guest: Evan Crean Produced by: Binge Movies Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete.  Support: patreon.com/bingemovies