Boulder Punch Watchparty

"I BET WE WERE FUN."

After six long years of firings, hirings, and Suicide Squadings, James Gunn finally made his last stop at Marvel with the final chapter of his Guardians trilogy. This finale has been hailed as the brightest star in the MCU' darkest hour, but how well does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they continue Phase 5 of the MCUathon with James Gunn's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 3.

OH, BOY.

After directing two relatively lighter affairs, Peyton Reed sought to elevate the next Ant-Man movie to true blockbuster status by making it the launch-point for the Multiverse Saga. Unfortunately, the end result was one of the MCU's most maligned movies of all time. Is there any silver lining, or does the movie truly collapse under its own weight? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they return to the MCUathon and kick off Phase 5 with a movie so bad that they changed course -- ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA!

"A LITTLE GLASS VIAL? I LITTLE GLASS VIAL!"

Ever since she first joined us two years ago, our good friend Darby has requested we watch Repo!: The Genetic Opera for an episode. It's high time we gave her what she wanted. So, come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey as they finish up their Spooktober interlude with a visceral return to musical film with a cult classic -- Darren Lynn Bousman's REPO!: THE GENETIC OPERA!

HAPPY SPOOKTOBER EVERYONE!

Our 200th commentary track is here! To celebrate, we'll be doing a couple films in between the MCUathon to ring in the spooky season. With LAIKA's new film Wildwood releasing later this month, the gang thought it was high time to get Alec hooked on their previous output post-Coraline, and they're starting with the tale of one Norman Babcock! So, how does the film hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they ring in the Halloween season with PARANORMAN!

"SHOW HIM WHO YOU ARE."

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, Ryan Coogler and the rest of the Black Panther team decided to make the sequel about their shared grief over his loss. While the end result has its fair share of criticisms, it's also remembered as one of the strongest stories to come from the current era of the MCU. So, how does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they wrap up Phase 4 of the MCUathon with Ryan Coogler's BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER!

DID YOU KNOW THE '80S WERE A THING?

After Ragnarok seemed to finally make Thor click with audiences and critics, many were excited to see where Waititi's next film with the God of Thunder went. Even more so after the subsequent announcements of Natalie Portman returning as Jane to wield Mjolnir and become the Mighty Thor, as well Christian Bale playing Thor's most popular recent villain -- Gorr the God Butcher. However, what resulted was a garish, tonally confused mess that felt more like a straight-up parody than an adaptation of any of the characters it...

"GO ON RED."

After Spider-Man; No Way Home brought back Tobey, Andrew, and most of their villains from the multiverse, Marvel looked to capitalize off it with it's formerly-releasing-first-but-delayed-due-to-COVID Doctor Strange sequel. What was originally supposed to be more of a horror movie from Scott Derrickson became a more pulpy Sam Raimi romp looking to balance scares and laughs in equal amount, and the end result is a bunch of different ideas fighting for supremacy and screentime. So, how does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they continue Phase 4...

"FALL COLLECTION. IKEA."

Marvel's Phase 4 slate in 2019 promised a lot of radical new directions for the MCU going forward. One of these was Chloé Zhao's Eternals, a massive ensemble piece with ambitious goals, for both the film itself and the wider universe going forward. Upon release, however, the film ended up being the franchise's first critical and commercial dud in nearly a decade, with many citing its bloated length, uninteresting characters, and bland visuals. After nearly five years, is there a diamond underneath all the rough, or was this truly the sign of Marvel's worst years beginning? C...

"YOUR FAMILY NEEDS YOU."

Among Phase 4's initial slate in 2019 was a project based on Shang-Chi, a character with a somewhat culturally insensitive history but one that in recent years had been on the up and up. Featuring a cast of newcomers and big names like Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh, all with a prominent rising director like Destin Daniel Cretton, expectations rose in the lead-up to the film's successful release and reception. So, how does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they continue Phase 4 of the MCUathon with...

THE MULTIVERSE SAGA BEGINS!

After Endgame brought the Infinity Saga to an end and Far From Home set up what was next, the MCU sought to experiment in its next phase. That was until COVID hit and shut everything down, pushing everything back by a year. Streaming shows released out of order and kicked off the next era, leaving this interquel in an odd position once it released in July 2021. For years many have stated that Natasha deserved her own solo movie, but how does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find...

AMAZE, AMAZE, AMAZE!

One of the biggest films of the year thus far without a doubt is Drew Goddard and Lord & Miller's adaptation of Andy Weir's PROJECT HAIL MARY. A commercial and critical success, it's cultivated a massive fanbase and is already in awards talks for this upcoming spring. However, is the movie really all that it's cracked up to be outside of the theater? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey as they take their last look before the MCUathon's return at PROJECT HAIL MARY!

ROBLOX.OOF SOUND EFFECT.

After the success of Superman put James Gunn's DCU into full swing, many were left anticipating Kara Zor-El's solo venture after her brief appearance at the end, especially with it being based on a highly acclaimed book with gorgeous artwork. Several trailers later, it was clear the movie was aiming to be more of a pastiche of Gunn's own work than anything else, and that certainly didn't help it in the box office or the trades. This movie's seen as DC's biggest bomb since The Flash and has been panned across the board...

"IT'S WHAT WE DO."

The end of the Spider-Marathon is here! After the web-head's month-long stint in legal limbo, Sony and Marvel came to a new agreement for his movies. As the third in his trilogy soon became mired by COVID and the potential extinction of theaters, the two studios decided to make this the biggest film yet -- bringing back past villains and Peter Parkers wholesale. While the movie resurrected theaters from the pandemic and received raving reviews and reactions, peoples' feelings on it have waned over time. So, does it still hold up? Before you...

WHAT IS THAT POSTER?

Despite the positive reception, many fans felt Homecoming did a huge disservice to the wall-crawler, hoping the next installment would go deeper into the drama of Peter Parker's life. However, when two drama-filled Avengers films dropped in between, a more light-hearted Vacation-style refresher was put in place as the film saw Peter and friends tour Europe. And again, in spite of the film's positive reception, this was the straw that broke the camel's back for many fans, with others declaring it the worst Spidey movie of all time. Is there any truth to...

NOW LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!

After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 failed to justify Sony going it alone, a deal with Marvel to share a new take on the character for the MCU was soon inked. This eventually led to the web-head's appearance in Civil War, but more importantly, his own movie -- one that promised to be more fun, low-scale, and fully integrated into the house that Feige built. Though it succeeded critically and commercially upon release, many have questioned its integrity as a Peter Parker story in how it tones down the drama, involves characters like Iron...

"LET'S GO CATCH A SPIDER."

After the lukewarm reception to The Amazing Spider-Man, Sony quickly got to work on a sequel that would be bigger, bolder, and more appealing. Racking up Electro, Harry Osborn, Mary Jane (until she was cut), and Rhino, everything but the kitchen sink was thrown into this with the expectation of Dark Knight numbers. Unfortunately, the film failed to make as big of a splash as they wanted, and coupled with the subsequent firing of Andrew Garfield and the infamous hack in 2014, the franchise was rebooted yet again less than a year later...

THE (NOT-SO) UNTOLD STORY BEGINS!

After the shocking public fallout between Sam Raimi and Sony, Spider-Man 4 was no more, and a new reboot was quickly in development and began production by the end of 2010. Starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Marc Webb, this new take on the wall-crawler sought to be darker, grittier, more grounded, and more modern. In the end, what we got was another origin story that felt tired, confused, and unsure of what it wanted to be. So, how does it fare fourteen years later? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find...

"NOW DIG ON THIS!"

After Spider-Man 2's unforeseen levels of success, many wondered where the third entry in this franchise would go. After three years and a bunch of studio interference, people found out -- and they weren't too happy. Sam Raimi's third film chronicling the web-head was panned by critics and audiences, gaining a rare level of infamy, one that in recent years has been heavily contested as people compare it with later comic book films. So, is there any merit to the revision, or does the film still fail to grab hold of the web...

PIZZA TIME!

After the release of the first film, Sam Raimi and the creative team went right back to work for the next Peter Parker adventure. A changing script, troubling pre-production, and Tobey nearly dropping out could not stop this film from reaching its June 2004 release date to sweeping praise. Many to this day insist that this is the best Spider-Man movie of all time, some even insisting it's the best superhero movie of all time, but how well does that hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they continue the...

"YOU KNOW WHO I AM."

With his latest installment on the horizon, it's time for us to go back to our roots and look through the web-head's filmography! Despite one of the most popular superheroes and fictional characters of all time, Spidey's road to the big screen was a rough one, taking nearly twenty years as he hopped between different directors and studios, getting tangled in rights issues, before finally landing at Sony Pictures with Sam Raimi helming the project. What came a few years later would not only be a fantastic film that did the character...

"PART OF THE JOURNEY IS THE END."

The shocking ending of Infinity War left audiences shocked, heartbroken, and in the palm of Marvel's hands as they waited with bated breath for the release of the untitled follow-up. Months later, marketing finally began, promising a definitive ending to the story told throughout the past eleven years. The film released to an even bigger ovation than its predecessor, garnering more praise and momentarily becoming the highest grossing film of all time. So, how does it stand up today? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, Trey, and special guest Helena (@SpiderKnightART...

DESTINY ARRIVES.

It's no exaggeration to say that the third installment in the Avengers saga was one of the most anticipated movies of all time. The teaser trailer's release set the world ablaze in late 2017, and excitement only ramped up until the film hit theaters. What awaited audiences was a generational experience unlike any other in recent memory, ending on the most shocking cliffhanger since The Empire Strikes Back, but does it truly stand the test of time? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, Trey, and special guest Helena (@SpiderKnightART) to find out as they near the end...

"HIGHER, FURTHER, FASTER, BABY!"

As Phase 3 reached its crescendo in 2019, only one piece of the puzzle remained. That being the introduction of Captain Marvel herself, Carol Danvers. Many were excited for her film when it was announced, but as the current culture war as we know it began to take shape after The Last Jedi, her film became the bedrock of extrapolated ragebait and grifting, with Brie Larson herself taking the brunt of it. The film released to general critical success and grossed well over a billion, but how does it hold up today? Come join Brian...

"YOU'RE THE WORLD'S GREATEST GRANDMA."

After Ant-Man 1 surprised audiences and Civil War left him in an uncertain position, many wondered what Scott Lang's next adventure would look like. What they would get in a couple years is something that builds upon the heist aspect from the first film, though many over the years feel the film is a bit bland. So, what do we think? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they continue Phase 3 of the MCUathon with ANT-MAN AND THE WASP!

LONG LIVE THE KING.

Coming out of Civil War, T'Challa's solo adventure was one of Marvel's most anticipated films going forward. That anticipation would coalesce in the form of one of the most successful comic book films of all time, and one of the most beloved from the MCU. So, several years later, how does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Trey, and (a late) Darby to find out as they continue Phase 3 of the MCUathon with Ryan Coogler's BLACK PANTHER!

"HE'S A FRIEND FROM WORK!"

Though the MCU as a whole seemed to thrive, one of its weaker links reception-wise was the Thor franchise. Though the first film captivated audiences enough, The Dark World didn't have nearly enough excitement behind it, and thus the original plan for the third film was taken in an entirely new direction for the third one. What resulted was a loud, bright, colorful entry that critics liked and audiences adored, but how well does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they continue Phase 3 of...

"NEVER BREAK THE CHAIN!"

After Guardians 1 changed the game for the MCU, many wondered what James Gunn would have in store for the sequel. What many could not have predicted was a story that very well might eclipse its predecessor entirely. Time to find out if that still holds. Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey as they continue Phase 3 of the MCUathon with James Gunn's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 2!

"TEACH ME."

Amongst the gallery of heroes, one Marvel character that had been trying to break into Hollywood was the Master of the Mystic Arts himself. Between a low budget pilot-turned-film in the 70's, a direct-to-DVD animated film in 2007, numerous guest appearances in cartoons, as well as multiple film pitches, it seemed like it'd be an eternity. However, the reveal of MCU Phase 3 brought about its official announcement, and two years later Benedict Cumberbatch donned the Cloak of Levitation on the big screen. So, how does it hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to...

UNITED WE STAND. DIVIDED WE FALL.

When Batman v. Superman was on track for the May 6, 2016 release date, Marvel quickly countered it not only by setting Captain America 3 for the same date, but by announcing it would be adapting the infamous Civil War comic that pit Steve and Tony against each other. It ultimately won out, and alongside serving as the introductions for Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther and Tom Holland's Spider-Man, drastically set the stage and everyone's excitement for Phase 3. The question is, though, does it still hold up, or does time make it collapse under its...

ANTS! ANTS!

Before the MCU had taken shape, Edgar Wright started developing a film adaptation of Ant-Man. Eventually it was folded into the MCU, with a 2015 release date planted alongside impressive-looking test footage wowing the press. When the time came to start production, Wright dropped out, and alongside an underwhelming teaser a year later, many thought this would be Marvel's first definitive dud. Thankfully the final film released to mass praise and success, but how does it hold up eleven years later? Come join Brian, Alec, and Trey to find out as they wrap up Phase 2 of...

"NO STRINGS ON ME..."

After the first Avengers movie changed the game forever, everyone wondered what the sequel had in store. Especially when it was revealed that instead of tackling Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, the film would focus on fan-favorite villain Ultron while saving that story for the third film. While met with positive reactions and a similarly successful commercial run, the culmination of Phase 2 has become regarded as more of a bizarre buffer and prelude for Phase 3 rather than a strong story in its own right. Eleven years later, does that still ring true? Tune...

"TAKE MY HAND..."

2014 was a pretty big year for comic book movies. The Winter Soldier got the MCU back on track, Days of Future Past was an awesome movie written and directed by nobody, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 certainly had a lot of money spent on it! What seemed up in the air at the time was the the tale of Peter Quill and his band of misfits, considered to be MCU's biggest gamble and first potential failure at the time. Little did we all know it'd become one of its biggest hits that would cement the...

"'TIL THE END OF THE LINE."

After The Dark World's release, people wondered just where on Earth the MCU was going, especially now knowing that Thanos wouldn't be coming for a while. Many also didn't quite know what to expect from Steve Rogers' next outing. What they were met with was what many consider to this day to be one of the top three films in the entire franchise that changes everything. So, does it still hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they continue Phase 2 of teh MCUathon with CAPTAIN...

MORE LIKE... MORE LIKE THE POOP WORLD... GOTTEM...

After the mostly-positive but still a bit tepid reception to the admittedly-smash-hitting Iron Man 3, 2013 would continue to be a growing pains year for Marvel with the release of the next Thor movie. Having production troubles right out the gate with initial director Patty Jenkins, Alan Taylor stepped up to the plate only to have the movie ripped away from him in post. This has often been referred to as the black sheep of the Infinity Saga, but how bad is it really? Come join Brian and Alec to find...

COMMENCING PHASE 2.

We're back at it with the MCU! After The Avengers' massive success, many wondered where this new franchise (now-dubbed the Marvel Cinematic Universe) would go next, especially with its next film being a new Iron Man entry. What many didn't expect was that 2013 would turn out to be a growing pains year for Marvel Studios, and this film signaled that heavily. Despite its massive success and positive reviews, fans are split to this day on Tony Stark's last solo film. So, what do we think? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out...

"I'LL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING..."

One of the most popular new anime and manga franchises from the past ten years has been Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man, and after three years of waiting the next installment of the animated adaptation has finally been released. The tragic tale of Denji and Reze has been unanimously praised for its storytelling and gorgeous animation, but how does it hold up several months after release? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they take a look at one of last year's most-praised animated films -- CHAINSAW MAN: THE MOVIE...

"READY TO HEAD INTO THE UNKNOWN?"

It has officially been ten years since Alex Hirsch's magnum opus ended, and we figured it was high time to revisit. The final episodes of Dipper and Mabel's coming-of-age story have been universally lauded, but how well do they truly hold up? Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey to find out as they revisit the final episodes of GRAVITY FALLS -- DIPPER AND MABEL VS. THE FUTURE, and all of WEIRDMAGEDDON!

KEPT YOU WAITING, HUH?

The long hiatus is over, and boy oh boy do we have a doozy for you. Five Nights at Freddy's proved to be a heavily divisive adaptation a couple years back, with many hoping for its sequel to go smoother. Needless to say, it's only gotten more divisive. You know what that means. Come join Brian, Alec, Darby, and Trey as they take a look at the latest confusing mess from the mind of Scott Cawthon (Emma Tammi's innocent until further notice), FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S 2!

"IT'S JUST ANOTHER DAY!"

Happy New Year gang! So hard to believe we're already in the late 2020's! To celebrate, it's finally time for another musical track! Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's tale of mental illness and suburban decay lit up Broadway stages in the late 2000's -- even winning a Pulitzer -- but it was the UK's production of it from 2023 to 2024 that truly catapulted it into the mainstream. Probably has to do with the fact that it has an official proshot, but yanno. So, does it live up to the hype? Come join Brian, Alec...

YOUNG, DUMB, AND FULL OF CHRISTMAS.

Happy Holidays everyone! The best way to celebrate is a healthy dose of murder, and who best to help us solve it than our favorite Foghorn Leghorn soundalike! The Knives Out films have become modern classics, and with the new one finally out, it's time for Papa Rian to take us home. So, come celebrate the occasion with Brian, Alec, and Trey as they take a look at Benoit Blanc's most dangerous case yet -- Rian Johnson's WAKE UP DEAD MAN!