SMART-POPcast Episode 3

Episode 3 clocks in at a full hour--with Macabre Stalker!  Get it via the MP3 link above or subscribe!

Sorry about the sound...  Mac's having strange problems with his headset.  We'll get it figured out by next time.

Cast: Thom Stricklin, "Reel Monkey" Sarah Bonilla, "Macabre Stalker" Ray Bonilla

Topics:

• Movie Review: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
• Sarah didn't expect much--she wasn't crazy about Nightmare Before Christmas.  Still, she was unimpressed.  Twelve years after Christmas, can't Burton handle clay better?
• Ray was underwhelmed.  He didn't care for the characters--or the songs.  However, he liked the ironic use of color and liveliness in the "dead world".
• Did Burton rip off Beetlejuice?
• Thom thinks Corpse Bride is more of an Edward Scissorhands derivation.
• He was impressed with the visuals--he didn't think clay could be lit so well.
• Beyond that, there's not much to enjoy.  It's sooo emo...  despite talking so much, it really doesn't say anything.
• Thom suspects Corpse Bride was Burton's chance to work with friends and sell handbags to teenage girls.
• Movie Review: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
• Ray would take it over The Exorcist any day.  But then, Ray doesn't like The Exorcist.
• It was neither an earth-shattering horror or a profound religious movie, but it's worth considering.
• Tom Wilkinson finally redeems himself for In the Bedroom.
• Sarah liked the original approach to Emily's possession--the editing was a letdown, though.
• Exorcism does a good job of allowing the audience to choose what it believes.
• Movie Review: The Longest Yard
• Sarah expected this to be one of Sandler's stinkers, but it was a pleasant surprise.
• Most enjoyable was the supporting cast...  Sandler, Rock, and Reynolds knew when to share the screen with the lesser knowns.
• Make no mistake...  This is a comedy, not a drama, but it has some weight to it.
• Thom agrees: The Longest Yard is a welcome addition to the Adam Sandler line-up.  But it doesn't feel like a typical Sandler flick--nor a typical sports comedy.  (Thank god!)
• Everyone seemed to be having fun, but not at the audience's expense.
• Preview Review: Jarhead
• Keep 'em coming, Sam Mendes!
• Industry News
• Keith Richards jumps ship from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
• Thom's News in Briefs: Japan Tobacco sponsors a smokers-only screening of Sin City.
• About the Podcast
• We're coast to coast baby.  Thom and Phil hail from Arizona, Sarah and Ray from NC.  Joining us soon will be Hargrove (from Illinois), Bachalon (Texas), and perhaps Evan (Burbank, CA)?