Phil At The Movies
For The Love of Movies.Film reviews and cinematic discussions. New episodes every Friday!Follow Phil on:Twitter SubstackInstagram
Why Halloween Kills Is the Ultimate Michael Myers Movie
The journey through Haddonfield continues, and we ask the question: evil dies tonight?!
Returning to the show is frequent guest CHRIS EVANS (Gathering of the Geeks)
to join Phil in discussing the 12th sequel in the Halloween series: HALLOWEEN KILLS.
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Defending Rob Zombie's Halloween II: Brutal, Bold, or Bad
For the love of Halloween movies, we continue our trek through Haddonfield, today discussing arguably the most polarizing film in the Halloween series, Rob Zombie's Halloween II.
Joining the discussion is Jay from Film Strip Podcast to talk and analyze the film.
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch – Underrated or Overrated?
The One without Michael Myers. Now 44 years later, Halloween III is a cult favorite and beloved by many. Today's episode is a deep-dive discussion featuring Patrick and Anton from WHY WASN'T IT BETTER.
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Halloween II (1981): The Perfect Sequel?
Spooky Season begins, and a return to Haddonfield, Illinois. For the next month, the podcast will be covering a different sequel in the legendary Halloween series.
Kicking off the discussion is the original sequel HALLOWEEN II. Joining Phil on the pod today is Anthony from Never Split Up Podcast to talk about this iconic film and whether it still leaves a mark 45 years later!
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<...Special Presentation: Real Survival vs. Hollywood’s ‘Taken’
Today's episode is a deviation from our regular episode the podcast. In covering the film Taken, I spoke with a real-life survivor who shares her personal story to help separate fiction from reality.
Listener discretion is advised, as this episode contains detailed discussions of kidnapping and sexual assault that may be triggering or difficult for some listeners.
If you or someone you know has been affected by abuse or assault, confidential, free support is available 24/7:
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): Call 1-800-656-4673 or chat online at rainn.org.988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call...Reaction to Batman 1989
As part of Batman Day 2026, hear Phil's reaction to seeing Batman (1989) on the big screen for the first time!
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Resident Evil: Does it live up to the hype
Zach Cregger is back with his newest film. RESIDENT EVIL. Does it live up to the hype? Hear Phil's reaction to the latest horror movie.
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Is Buddy an instant horror classic?
An out-of-theater reaction to the new indie-horror film BUDDY. A film that takes the classic setting of a children's TV show à la Barney or Blue's Clues and puts it through the prism of a horror movie. (No spoilers!)
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Flashback Friday: Running Scared (20 years with this cult favorite)
Today's Flashback Back episode covers a 2006 film: Running Scared.
Joining the discussion on this cult film is Matthew Anderson from The Lone Screenplay Nominee Podcast.
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
The Dog Stars: Misfire or Misunderstood
Ridley Scott's latest film is drawing mixed reactions from critics, but where does Phil stand? Out-of-theater reaction to this post-apocalyptic tale. Some spoilers!
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Best Movies of 2026 Ranked: Top 6 (So Far)
A look at the year (so far) in movies. Joining Phil is filmmaker Timothy Rooney, and they will both discuss their TOP 6 FILMS (so far) of the year.
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~ For The Love of Movies
intro/outro credit music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
The End of Oak Street -- OUT OF THEATER REACTION
2026 continues its streak of great movies. Today's episode is an out-of-theater reaction to David Robert Mitchell's new film: THE END OF OAK STREET. (Mild Spoilers).
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~ For The Love of Movies
INTRO CREDIT: Music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Deep Dive: Our obsession with 'Obsession'
At last, Phil covers the most-talked-about horror film of the year: Obsession. Joining the episode are Misty and Kendall from Two Girls One Crypt, who enhance the discussion!
Together, they unpack the horror film that has captivated the world and launched director Curry Barker and star Inde Navarrette into pop culture status. Full spoilers.
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~ For The Love of Movies
INTRO CREDIT: Music by Ievgen...
All 13 Christopher Nolan Films RANKED
Now that The Odyssey has happened, it's time to revisit all 13 Christopher Nolan films and determine an updated ranking.
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~ For The Love of Movies
INTRO CREDIT: Music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Sound Effect by Alex_Kizenkov from Pixabay
Decoding Eyes Wide Shut - Flashback Friday
Party like it's 1999... today Jay Skipworth from Film Strip Podcast returns to talk with Phil about Stanley Kubrick's final film: Eyes Wide Shut. Disclaimer: full spoilers ahead.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
CREDIT: "Say thanks to The_Mountain". Dmitrii Koesnikov courtesy of Pixabay.
Reaction: The Odyssey
The Odyssey is here! My most anctipated film of 2026, does it live up to the hype, does Christopher Nolan deliver? Find out my out-of-theater reaction to the film.
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INTRO CREDIT: Music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
Oppenheimer: Deep Dive - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey concludes with Christopher Nolan's most recent film: Oppenheimer. Joining Phil is Nick (NickFlix Podcast) for a fun discussion on Oppy and hype for The Odyssey, which releases next Friday. Enjoy!
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Tenet: Explained - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues today with Tenet. Chris Evans (Gathering of The Geeks) joins Phil for a fun and inverted discussion on perhaps the Nolan-est of Nolan films. Enjoy!
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The Miracle of Dunkirk - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues with "Dunkirk. Joining Phil for the discussion is Patrick from Why Wasn't It Better podcast. Enjoy!
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Interstellar Explained - The Road To The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues today with Christopher Nolan's space epic "Interstellar". Joining the discussion in Phillip Barker (The Eternal Knight Podcast).
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Follow Phil Barker: here, and on @Unphiltereddd Vero/Instagram/Threads/Bluesky/TikTokFollow Phil here, and here!Subscribe to Phil's Substack! CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/The Dark Knight Rises Explained - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues with the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, "The Dark Knight Rises". Joining the discussion is Anthony Caruso from (Tis The Podcast).
Enjoy!
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Decoding Inception - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues...today with Christopher Nolan's dream-scape heist movie INCEPTION.
Joining the discussion is Phil's friend Ian Hart, who happens to be a big fan of the mind-bending movie.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Inside The Dark Knight - The Road To The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues with arguably Christopher Nolan's most famous and celebrated film: The Dark Knight.
Joining Phil for a deep-dive discussion on the seminal Batman film is Nikko Caruso (The Vigilante 1939, Chicago Indie Critics, and Movie Archer). Enjoy!
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The Prestige Deep Dive - The Road To The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues with "The Prestige". Jay from Film Strip Podcast (Listen to Film Strip Pod) returns to discuss the often-overlooked film from Nolan's filmography.
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Inside Batman Begins - The Road to The Odyssey
Part Three of this continuing series: THE ROAD TO THE ODYSSEY.
Today's Christopher Nolan film: BATMAN BEGINS. Joining the discussion is Nick Zednik of The Vigilante 1939
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"Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Insomnia Explained - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues with INSOMNIA.
The story of a deadly cat-and-mouse game between a detective and a killer, while perpetual daylight throws reality into question. Some spoilers.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Decoding Memento - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey continues with Christopher Nolan's first full-length film: Memento. The story of a man who cannot make new memories while attempting to find his wife's killer.
Joining Phil for the discussion is Lisa from I Love That Movie Podcast!
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Following Explained - The Road to The Odyssey
The Road to The Odyssey begins today! 12 weeks from now, Phil's most anticipated film of the year will be released, and to celebrate, the next 12 episodes will focus on a film by Christopher Nolan.
Today's episode: Following.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Music by: ViraMiller from PixabayLee Cronin's The Mummy Explained
The latest horror rendering from BlumHouse Studios. Let's unwrap Lee Cronin's The Mummy.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Inside The Drama
The new dark rom-com starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson has people talking. Today's episode is a spoiler-free reaction to the film "The Drama".
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Crime 101
A thriller from a bygone era. "Crime 101" is the episode for today's review, enjoy!
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Deep Dive Scream 7 - Spoiler Talk
This episode is sure to be a scream! Anthony from the Never Split Up Podcast returns to discuss Scream 7 (Full Spoilers) as well as rank both the series and Ghostface!
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Project Hail Mary Explained
Sci-fi with radical optimism! Project Hail Mary is the topic for today's episode. Enjoy!
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
undertone
Undertone is the most haunting horror film I've seen in years. Reaction to the latest indie horror film that is sure to have people talking and listening.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The Bride!
Another Frankenstein-inspired tale, and one of the most original takes. The Bride! Stars Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale in an electric romantic and mad-scientist infused monster-mash of a movie.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Scream 7
"Welcome back, Sidney." The 7th installment of the legendary Scream franchise sees Sidney Prescott face her greatest threat when her daughter becomes a target for the latest Ghostface.
Today's episode is SPOILER FREE. Full review and ranking to follow in a later episode next month.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Retrospective Dick Tracy - Flashback Friday
Flashback to 1990.
Today's episode is a review of the cult film "Dick Tracy" starring Warren Beatty and Madonna.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Wuthering Heights Explained
"Wuthering Heights" -- a passionate and tumultuous love story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.
Reaction from Phil to the new film by director Emerald Fennell, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
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CREDIT: "Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Retrospective Scream 4 - Flashback Friday
In the lead-up to SCREAM 7, which releases this month, we're traveling back 15 years to revisit the iconic 4th entry in the slasher franchise. Joining Phil is Anthony DaPuzzo from the Never Split Up Podcast to talk about SCREAM 4.
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For The Love of Movies.
"Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Send Help Explained
Last Friday in January ended on a high note. Sam Raimi and Rachel McAdams say no more. "Send Help" is the review for today's episode.
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For The Love of Movies
"Cloud Dancer " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
