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We review the infamous Zack Snyder’s Justice League and we like it. Actually, I’d say we really like it! Lauren isn’t here to be the party pooper (probably), but myself, Ben and Jon find lots of praise and some insane hyperbole to throw around at this movie. Batflek, Snyder, Leto, we are here for it and we aren’t douchebags about it! No toxic fandom here, just some genuine Snyder fans enjoy some Snyder stuff. If that sounds like your thing, take a listen, we think the Snyder Cut wait was worth it. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (01:00) Star Ratings, So Spoilers..., Performance Prize, Let’s Talk About That Ending... (22:30) But, Why?, The Hot Take Theater, Repeat After Me (41:45) Expert Opinions, The Upgradeables, To Infinity & Beyond?, One Last Pitch... (53:00) @middleofrow #nothe

We wrap up our GenreRama: Love Story series with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This is Ben’s pick but I could have just as easily picked it too. Ben and Lauren are first timers this week, but we all find plenty to appreciate about the film, even if it begrudgingly won some over. High expectations going in, worried expectations going in, and confidence in its greatness collide into a fine discussion on a film that is easy to appreciate no matter where your feelings fall. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less, The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (1:00) Star Ratings, Performance Prize, Let’s Talk About That Ending..., But, Why? (14:00) The Hot Take Theater, Repeat After Me, Expert Opinions (28:30) The Upgradeables, To Infinity & Beyond?, Bonus Rounds/Catch All (38:00) One Last Pitch/Wrap Up to Next Week... (47:00) @middleofrow #nothe

Back with a numbered release of the show, this time for the new-ish release, Promising Young Woman. Emerald Fennell writes and directs a revenge tale starring Carey Mulligan and a bunch of bad men that will keep you talking and pondering the film’s themes long after the credits have rolled. This might be the highest average rating we’ve given a film among the four of us, so I think it is worth checking out and checking in on what we thought! Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less, The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts, Star Ratings (2:00) So Spoilers... (16:00) Performance Prize, Let’s Talk About That Ending... (16:30) But, Why?, The Hot Take Theater, Repeat After Me, Expert Opinions, The Upgradeables, To Infinity & Beyond? (47:30) “Promising Young Men”, Bonus Rounds/Catch All, One Last Pitch/Wrap Up to Next Week... (1:01:00) @middleofrow #nothe

Our third entry into GenreRama: Love Story, this time it’s Zac’s pick with Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain. This epic tale with period and sci-fi fare stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in some of their best roles of their careers, while the film ranks up there with Aronofsky’s best, for me at least. Lauren was on a second watch since the theaters and Ben was coming in with first time trepidation as he always will with Aronofsky after mother! destroyed his soul, but we all range from love to appreciate the film! We talk about the meaning of the ending, whether that was a real monkey (or ape?), and appreciate the low-fi approach Aronofsky takes to this picture. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less, The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (1:00) Star Ratings, Performance Prize, Let’s Talk About That Ending... (16:00) But, Why?, The Hot Take Theater, Repeat After Me, Expert Opinions (29:00) The Upgradeables, To Infinity & Beyond?, Bonus Rounds/Catch All (36:00) One Last Pitch/Wrap Up to Next Week... (51:15) @middleofrow #nothe

We are taking a trip back to the MCU! With the release of WandaVision we have gotten our first MCU content since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. It’s also the MCU’s first official foray into the television space, focusing on two of the Avengers most powerful members Wanda and Vision. Or is it? Well, it is, but it’s more complicated than that. We break down the show in three chunks of episodes before wondering where all of this might lead to. Download. Listen. Enjoy! 0:01:00 Intro to MCU TV 0:05:00 Episodes 1-3 0:19:00 Episodes 4-6 0:46:00 Episodes 7-9 1:08:55 Star Ratings/Performance Prize/Best Scenes/Wrap Up @middleofrow #nothe

We are off to France for our second episode of GenreRama: Love Story, for the film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, A Very Long Engagement. This is a follow up to Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, with that film’s star Audrey Tautou, set around a lost love to WWI. Like a series of vignettes, jumping back and forth through time, the film keeps things moving and fills the story with a ton of likable characters as Tautou searches for the story of her love. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less/The Elevator Pitch/Why This/General Thoughts (1:00) Star Ratings/Performance Prize/Let’s Talk About That Ending... (14:30) But, Why?/The Hot Take Theater/Repeat After Me/Expert Opinions/The Upgradeables/To Infinity & Beyond (26:00) Wrap Up to Next Week... (39:00) @middleofrow #nothe

Today's episode features Amy and Daniel of Future Teens. Future Teens is a self-proclaimed “bummer pop” band hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. They have released two full lengths to date, 2017’s “Hard Feelings” through Take this to Heart Records, and 2019’s “Breakup Season” through Triple Crown Records. Their next release, the EP “Deliberately Alive” will be out March 12th through Take this to Heart Records. They talk about their origin as a band, the writing and recording process of their new EP, and life and music in the time of COVID. I was so grateful for their openness and honesty. Artist Bio: 2020 was poised to be Future Teens’ breakout year. After releasing their sophomore LP Breakup Season, cosplaying as Carly Rae Jepsen, and zeroing on the romantic longing of fans worldwide, the Boston quartet was rising. While such a hard stop was part of every band’s story in 2020, the momentum hadn’t left the group — guitarists/vocalists Amy Hoffman and Daniel Radin, drummer Colby Blauvelt, and bassist Maya Mortman — straying too far from their central heartline. Deliberately Alive, their blustery follow-up EP, is Future Teens at their most explosive and earnest, showcasing a band in between journal volumes. Fans of the band’s confessional tone will hear it ring throughout, regardless of the messenger. When Hoffman’s lead vocalist, you get “Guest Room,” a strutting emo-pop moment where there’s more than just the first of the month living rent-free in their head. Radin’s turn brings “Play Cool,” a vignette of gig life and the fallouts that can occur during a local opener’s set. Both deliver the classic Future Teens formula: open on a slice of East Coast life, sprinkle in some anxiety and self-facing critique, and let the band surge beneath. Winking one-liners characterize both Radin’s “Separated Anxiety,” which crackles the release to life, and Hoffman’s “Bizarre Affection,” featuring a starburst of an intro that disintegrates into another night alone. But as Future Teens knows, there’s an after implied in all of these uneasy, warped presents—make sure you stick around for Future Teens’ latest reimagining of a pop song. This time, it’s Cher’s “Believe.”

We kick off a new GenreRama series, Love Story, with M. Night Shymalan’s The Village. This was Jon’s pick, even if he’s not on the episode, but we talk about M. Night’s career, how The Village could have been great, and search for the love story of it all by the end. Great cast, great premise, why the twists??? Three more Love Story entries to follow, this might be our most upbeat entry. Get ready! Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less, M. Night History Lesson (1:00) The Elevator Pitch, General Thoughts (12:00) Star Ratings, Performance Prize (21:30) Let’s Talk About That Ending..., But, Why? (31:30) The Hot Take Theater, Repeat After Me, Love Story?, Expert Opinions, The Upgradeables (43:00) To Infinity & Beyond?, Bonus Rounds/Catch All, One Last Pitch/Wrap Up to Next Week... (51:30) @middleofrow #nothe

Our last flashback of this chunk to start the year is my pick, the 2011 film, The Skin I Live In. Pedro Almodóvar’s twisted (an understatement) thriller is perverted, expertly crafted, and has some great performances, but could also be perceived as deeply problematic? I can still put the grey areas to the aside and enjoy Almodóvar’s depraved tale, but the rest of the crew isn’t quite there. Listen in to hear what we think and wear you might fall on the The Skin I Live In spectrum. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less, Why “Said Movie”, The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (1:00) Star Ratings, Performance Prize, Let’s Talk About That Ending..., But, Why? (11:30) The Hot Take Theater, Repeat After Me, The Upgradeables, To Infinity & Beyond?, Catch All/Bonus Rounds, One Last Pitch, Wrap Up to Next Week... (38:40) @middleofrow #nothe

Another flashback to 2001, this time for the Denzel Oscar winner, Training Day! Picked by Jon, the rest of the crew doesn’t take the money on this one, as we discuss the possible miscasting of Ethan Hawke and how his character kind or/sort of ruins the movie? Either way, we have a good conversation about what does and doesn’t work here, but it’s interesting looking back on this so-called “classic” and not feeling quite as such. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less, Why Training Day, The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (1:00) Star Ratings, Performance Prize, Let’s Talk About That Ending... (14:00) But, Why?, The Hot Take Theater, Repeat After Me (27:30) Expert Opinions, Would Recommend!, Wrap Up to Next Week... (35:00) @middleofrow #nothe

And we turned to the Snowman Gods and said, “Not Today!” After Jon tried to lose his file at the final moments of the episode, we were able to reclaim it from the depths of an alternate dimension and reassemble it into an episode! The film is the 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko. Directed by Richard Kelly and picked by Ben, we try and come to grips with this movie 20 years later, and I think we all agree we might not be quite as high on it as we were in our younger years. Still, plenty to discuss, Kelly is obviously talented, and it is a shame he hasn’t made anything in a decade; no matter his post Darko track record. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less/The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (1:30) Star Ratings/Performance Prize (22:15) Let’s Talk About That Ending.../But, Why? (28:30) The Hot Take Theater/Repeat After Me/Expert Opinions/The Upgradeables/To Infinity & Beyond?/Would Recommend/Catch All/Bonus Rounds (35:00) One Last Pitch/Wrap Up to Next Week... (44:00) @middleofrow #nothe

Our first flashback of 2021 is to 2011 for David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo! Considered “lesser” Fincher, I don’t really understand how that is? Lauren, who picked the film, would probably agree with me, but Ben and Jon needed some convincing about that film’s greatness. Well, I guess we didn’t really win them over, if only the film had Heather Graham... Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less/Why “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”/General Thoughts (1:30) Star Ratings/Performance Prize (16:00) Let’s Talk About That Ending.../But, Why (26:00) The Hot Take Theater/Repeat After Me (39:00) Expert Opinions/The Upgradeables/To Infinity & Beyond?/Would Recommend!/Bonus Rounds/One Last PitchWrap Up to Next Week... (47:00) @middleofrow #nothe

Our last film released in 2020, Pixar’s Soul! This was a good film to end the calendar year on, as Pixar delivers another great entry into their filmography. Their most adult film yet?, we discuss the many highs among debating which films are Pixar’s lows, all while finding some appreciation for the world in front of us. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less (3:55) The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (6:26) Star Ratings (23:28) So Spoilers? (24:34) Performance Prize (24:45) Let’s Talk About That Ending... (28:45) But, Why? (32:36) The Hot Take Theater/Repeat After Me (36:49) Expert Opinions/The Upgradeables/Pixar Rankings (44:05) To Infinity & Beyond?/The Internet Says.../One Last Pitch (50:30) Wrap Up to Next Week... @middleofrow #nothe

The 10th episode of Middle of the Dial is a conversation with singer and songwriter Sydney Sprague whose debut album “Maybe I will see you at the end of the world” comes out February 26th on Rude Records. At the time of our call she had just released the music video for her second single "Steve", but has since also released the video for her song "Staircase Failure", and the her newest single "Object Permanence". You can watch videos for "Steve" and "Staircase Failure", as well as the one for her first single, "I Refuse to Die", down below. We talked about the process of recording her album, making the video for "I Refuse to Die", and opening some DNC rallies for Cher and Alicia Keys. Listen and enjoy!

One of the only blockbuster releases of 2020 came on Christmas Day, with the release of Wonder Woman 1984. It wasn't great, and we dive into the WTF of it all. A movie with potential that wastes it in a ludicrous final act, we were left wondering, “What the hell happened.” Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less/The Elevator Pitch (3:00) General Thoughts (5:30) Star Ratings/So Spoilers? (19:20) Performance Prize/But, Why? (22:00) Let’s Talk About That Ending.../More But, Why? (36:00) The Hot Take Theater (45:10) Repeat After Me (49:30) Expert Opinions/The Upgradeables (52:00) To Infinity & Beyond?/The Internet Says... (56:00) One Last Pitch/Wrap Up to Next Week... (59:45) @middleofrow #nothe

It’s our Time Capsule episode for 2020! This is the episode where we all pick something we want everyone to remember from the year and save it for posterity’s sake. So take a listen, judge our picks, and listen to us ramble about the year! Download. Listen. Enjoy! 3:00 Jon - Run The Jewels - RTJ4 12:30 Ben - Final Fantasy VII Remake 24:00 Lauren - The Last of Us Part II 39:00 Honorable Mention Catch-Up/Overload!!! 44:45 Zac - David Byrne’s American Utopia 49:30 Predictions For 2021’s Time Capsule: Zac: New Paul Thomas/ Wes Anderson Movie Lauren: Horizons Zero Dawn/God of War Sequels/Julian Baker Ben: Horizon/God of War Sequels Jon: He Was Awake And ?????????? @middleofrow #nothe

The Happiest Season was a holiday release from Hulu around Thanksgiving, but you are getting it in your feed as a holiday treat. We meld the old format with the new, to mixed results, as are our feelings on this movie, a bit mixed. Still, we can all agree, Jane is the best. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less (3:45) The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (6:15) Star Ratings (18:30) Let’s Talk About That Ending... (19:50) Performance Prize/The Hot Take Theater (22:58) Repeat After Me (28:00) The Upgradeables (31:45) To Infinity & Beyond?/One Last Pitch (34:50) Wrap Up to Next Week... @middleofrow #nothe

It’s our wrap up to our first GenreRama Mini-Series, Comedy, with Zac’s pick, Boogie Nights. Somehow, everyone found it as funny as I did. We commiserate over the endless greatness that PTA’s movie delivers. Stacked cast, amazing filmmaking, and endless BDE. GeneRama will return in February with the theme of: Love Story. Download. Listen. Enjoy. The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less (1:00) The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (2:45) Star Ratings/The Hot Take Theater (16:45) Let’s Talk About That Ending.../Performance Prize (27:20) But, Why? (33:00) Repeat After Me (36:00) Expert Opinions (39:00) The Upgradeables/Would Recommend! (40:45) One Last Pitch (46:00) Wrap Up to Next Week... @middleofrow #nothe

It’s episode 3 of our GenreRama mini-series! This week, Ben’s pick for comedy, The Nice Guys! Two newbies to this movie and everyone is in agreement with how great this movie is. Lots of Gosling praise and plenty of lines dropped throughout, as we have a blast recounting the ways this movie is great. An underseen/underappreciated gem from the last few years. Give us a sequel! Download. Listen. Enjoy! The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less (1:00) The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (2:00) Star Ratings/The Hot Take Theater/I’m A Changed Person (11:00) Let’s Talk About That Ending... (12:32) Performance Prize (18:20) But, Why?/Repeat After Me (25:15) Expert Opinions (36:00) The Upgradeables/Would Recommend! (39:00) One Last Pitch (42:24) Wrap Up to Next Week... @middleofrow #nothe

It’s Episode 2 of this inaugural GenreRama: Comedy Edition, this time with Jon’s pick, Superbad. Considered a comedy classic of this century by many, we take a look back and see if it still holds up. We find plenty to discuss and continue to get used to the categories around these new stomping grounds. Download. Listen. Enjoy! The Categories: (Time:Stamp) 8 Words or Less (2:00) The Elevator Pitch/General Thoughts (4:45) Star Ratings (16:00) The Hot Take Theater (17:45) I’m A Changed Person (26:30) Let’s Talk About That Ending... (29:40) Performance Prize (30:30) But, Why? (34:55) Repeat After Me (38:40) Expert Opinions (45:12) The Upgradeables (46:28) Would Recommend! (52:52) Catch All (54:00) One Last Pitch (58:00) Wrap Up to Next Week... @middleofrow #nothe