All Episodes 2014 - 2024

Just a quick announcement about the show based on the last video's voting.

Here we go again: John Wick 2. (Re-Edited for content, and to remove some outdated information).

We're updating the Movies with Mikey Patreon to FilmJoy. We're expanding the channel with more shows, more rewards, and more JOY! Thank you for supporting art that you love, and the people who make it!!!

After seven years of making Fave Five videos, it's all come down to this--who is the Ultimate Fave? Enjoy the Movies with Mikey Ultimate Movie Tournament in its entirety! Fill out your own bracket here and let us know who your ultimate winner is: http://bit.ly/3mlJFXV

The Ninja Turtles movie is legitimately awesome. A rare children's movie that doesn't treat kid like everything has to be sanitize. Plus the Turtles say bad words sometimes, which is astonishing to any 8 year old.

Ninja turtles II, wildly shifts the tone of the franchise, after backlash from parents' groups, replacing the film's darker, grittier elements with brighter lights, and Vanilla Ice.

Pearl Harbor, may have, per se, created the modern Michael Bay that we know today.

Find out how a movie penned by god-mode writer, Shane Black, and helmed by god-mode action director, John McTiernan could be so grossly overlooked and vastly underappreciated, in Last Action Hero.

The Long Kiss Goodnight is a movie with a true, strong female action hero, easily 20 years ahead of its time. Geena Davis is everything amazing and kills a hell of a lot of bad people along the way.

Ladyhawke, a personal favorite, still kind of maybe holds up after all these years. It's fantastic, despite it's dated imperfections, and everything a modern movie is not, in the best way possible.

An arrogant rich kid who is continually confronted with the realities of what an unbalanced kingdom can do to its population, in arguably the best version of the Robin Hood mythos.

The World's End is film that rewards its audience with deeper meaning upon each subsequent viewing. It's also a masterclass example of nearly every filmmaking discipline. (Plus Simon Pegg tweeted this episode once upon a time so you should watch it)!

After watching the nigh-feverish reaction to the trailers for Jurassic World and Star Wars Episode VII, Mikey weighs in not just on the content of the trailers, but in how we, as fans, choose to process our reactions to them.

A movie that's impossible not to smile at, The Rocketeer! Director Joe Johnston makes a solid "superman" movie where Boba Fett Goes Steam Punk and Fights Fascists.

It pains me how little respect Sunshine has gotten in the grand scheme of Sci-Fi.

The Lost World is a forgotten movie to a lot of people, but not to me. There's so much to love in this movie.

This has been a long time coming, but I’m somewhat chuffed to admit I did this a bit differently than I think a lot of people were expecting. While the episode is a straight up fluffernuttering of The Fifth Element, it does contain a potent twist. This episode is actually about two movies. So the question you need to ask yourself is: Is The Fifth Element a better Die Hard movie than one of the Die Hard movies? Keywords for Search Engine Optimization of the week: Bruce Willis Eats a Helicopter

Have you ever seen Tom Hanks be a kind of bad guy? Well, today is your lucky day, in Road to Perdition!

This episode takes aim at A.I. Artificial Intelligence and tries to lay out a case for why this film is a misunderstood masterpiece. (Spoilers ... I guess.)

By popular vote, the new episode takes on Demolition Man ... with mixed results. I certainly appreciate what this movie has to offer but will the weight of its sin cause it to fall? Only Sly Stallone can guide us through this mush-mouthed pseudo-madness.

Hugo is the meal of the week and it is good. Mikey dives deep on not only one of the greatest films of the last five years, but also the birth of cinema as an art form. This is probably important. Or maybe it isn't? Who really knows?

Here you go! The somewhat trepidatiously anticipated new episode of Movies with Mikey: Cabin in the Woods!

This wasn't a simple task! Back with a brand new episode, and this one goes whole-hog inside of THE FORCE, the magical fairy sparklestuff that makes all of us lift X-Wings using our mind bullets.

Bask in the colorful, editing insanity that is an underrated Edgar Wright classic, Scott Pilgrim. *1980s fingerguns*

Time and music work as metaphors in this beautiful, poignant, and ultimately misunderstood movie, The Fountain.

Obsession is the central theme in David Fincher's brilliant film, Zodiac - a movie defying all traditions of genre, plot structure, and character development.

Who is the real protagonist in Big Trouble in Little China? Find out in this highbrow episode of Film Studies with Michael.

We seek out our better selves in Mad Max: Fury Road

Question all your preconceived notions about everything human with Ex Machina.

Your world is a better place because Star Wars exists!

Don't rank art! Hitchhiker's Guide is an example of how art exists to disseminate joy and emotional support to those who may need it.

A giant robot teaches us the importance of expanding our worldview in, The Iron Giant.

Alfonso Cuaron gives Joss Whedon a leg up on The Avengers, in The Prisoner of Azkaban.

A modern classic is defined, and receives its due, with Galaxy Quest.

Love is key, for all of us, in Interstellar.

Love and comedy goes beyond superficial beauty, and punching down, in the McElroy Brother's YouTube series, Monster Factory.

Mikey's grandiloquent diatribe on movie adaptations with respect to a movie about adaptations, in Adaptation.

It's going down for real, in John Wick.

Cheers to all the underdogs, In Serenity!

A Christopher Nolan film about a non-standard protagonist, in The Dark Knight!

Wes Anderson's plump, subversive, masterpiece, Grand Budapest Hotel.

Miyazaki implores us to learn how to live in harmony, in Princess Mononoke.

Sam Rockwell discovers a dark secret about himself, on the moon.

Love and aliens send Amy Adams in circles, in Arrival.

Catwoman attacks David Spade, in The Emperor's New Groove!

Even superheroes need a family, in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Wolverine gets real, in Logan!

Mikey is Amelie in Amelie!

People are strange when you're a stranger. "ITC Stranger" by MC Frontalot and Baddd Spellah

Get lost in the maze of Pan's Labyrinth

Here we go again: John Wick 2.

Rocky IV - Rocky II = Rocky VII... the math of Creed. Remember, I fight; you fight. That's the deal.

"Fire up the roof!!!" in Hot Fuzz. (For the greater good...)

Mikey digs deep into Dan Trachtenberg's feature debut, 10 Cloverfield Lane. Check out this small movie doing big things!

Mikey asked everyone on Twitter who they would cast as Batman - no restrictions. These are the results!

Patty Jenkins is Rudy, in Wonder Woman!

We've been debating Star Wars since the creation of Star Wars. Mikey explores the cultural and cinematic impact of a film series which quickly became the juggernaut of any film conversation.

We've been debating Star Wars since the creation of Star Wars. So how does George Lucas view Star Wars? What did he intend? Mikey jumps back in, exploring the context that helps shape and color our own views on the world's most influential film franchise.

Marvel Studios sets a perfect example for How to Make a Shared Universe. The MCU is a brilliant patchwork quilt for connecting tonally different characters to larger, shared themes. Watch to find out how Studio Head, Kevin Feige, makes this work!

Is Thor Ragnarok the perfect reboot? Mikey lays out why he sure thinks it is!

What does it take to make the perfect sequel? Mikey lays out his criteria for this thought provoking debate. What movie do YOU think is the prefect sequel? What criteria do you use?

Rian Johnson enters the Star Wars conversation with his 2017 film, The Last Jedi, becoming the second director ever to both write and direct a Star Wars movie. Rey and Kylo Ren continue their journey while questioning the galactic establishment as we know it. Expectations were high - exceeding them for some, while disappointing for others. Still there is a lot to love about this movie, and it's place within the franchise. We have a lot of friends and family who did not enjoy this movie, and that's OK. No one is rebuked; you are loved either way. But let's take a minute to have a friendly chat about Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Animation can do anything, and therefore teach us anything, from bold, formative concepts, to the nuanced philosophical ideas that exist between right and wrong. Featuring references from Sword and the Stone (1963), Winnie the Pooh (1952), Dumbo (1941), Spirited Away (2002), and Grave of the Fireflies (1988). But that's not all... What has animation taught YOU? If you're a YouTuber and want to join in on this community collection, leave a comment below!

Jarhead is an all-star forgotten masterpiece, from 2005. For real, check out this list of winners: thoughtfully directed by Sam Mendes, filmed beautifully by Roger Deakins, using the screenplay by William Broyles Jr., based on the book by Anthony Swofford, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jamie Foxx. The list goes on. These artist bring us up to speed with the struggles of today's soldier in the context of modern war, and the challenges to their mental well-being. The film upset a lot of audiences by engendering an understandable frustration by denying the soldiers on screen what they are trained to do in war, and likewise, subverting our own expectations of what a war movie should be. Not ironically. That's half the point - better empathy for the lasting, real life effects of military service.

Inception (2010) is a spectacular, intellectually dense, sci-fi action heist film, written and directed by Christopher Nolan. #tophno What is the value of ambiguous endings? Often they are attached to media with complex messages intended to carry beyond the final frame, and into conversations. Sometime a piece of art begs us to stop consider which is more important: the question or the answer? Can you remember the first movie that made you ask yourself this question?

Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 zombie comedy written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright, and directed by Wright. Mikey dives deep into one of his personal favorites, and a journey almost four years in the making, comes to an end.

Mikey created a short film to share his story and struggles from 2017. Turning the camera on himself, he walks us through a deeply personal analysis of his journey, and examines how life-threatening challenges have shaped him and his work.

Blade Runner 2049 is a rare kind of sequel that is both brilliant on its own, while improving upon the original film. Too often sequels are little more than weaponized nostalgia. However, Director, Denis Villeneuve, and (cool as hell) DP, Roger Deakins, bring their A++ game to Blade Runner 2049, engendering greater depth to the original Blade Runner (1982), while creating a meaningful follow-up - 35 years later - that raises the bar for both movies.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) is not only the culmination of 18 movies, and a decade's worth of build-up, it also turned out to be one of the most talked about films of the last decade. Not all of it good. While Infinity War has a lot of good moments with character's we've grown to love, there is also endless debate over the MCU's treatment of the film's protagonist, Thanos, and the arguable logic behind his goals. It left some audience members confused, hurt, and disappointed. Mikey explores why so many people had good reasons to feel this way.

The facts are these: Creative powerhouse, Bryan Fuller - known for Dead Like Me (2003), Wonderfalls (2004), Star Trek: Discovery (2017), American Gods (2017), and Hannibal (2013) - once created an endlessly charming, high-level, screwball conceptual murder procedural comedy, entitled Pushing Daisies (2007). Find out why these engaging and affecting silly stories, told in silly ways, still manage to land, after the show's all too short life some nine years, two months, twelve hours, forty-four minutes, and twenty-nine seconds ago.

This episode originally premiered at Scoopfest 2018, in Las Vegas. Fans - that's you! - voted from a list of bad movies, and Mikey would make an episode about that particular garbage inferno. You selected... Batman & Robin (1997), directed by Joel Schumacher, and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, and Alicia Silverstone. This movies might just be simultaneously worse, and significantly better, than you remember. There were so many omens...

Hold on to your broomsticks for Part 1 (of 3) of Mikey's look back across the Harry Potter movie franchise! This documentary series reviews the stories and decisions being made behind the scenes. How time and again what could have exploded into a fiery ball of donkey-sauce resulted in one of the most beloved, and successful, film franchises in movie history. Gather 'round with your wands and witch's hats, and let's all appreciate the monumental effort required to bring Harry Potter to life.

Now boarding at PLatform 9-3/4 for Part 2 (of 3) of Mikey's look back across the Harry Potter movie franchise! This documentary series reviews the stories and decisions being made behind the scenes. How time and again what could have exploded into a fiery ball of donkey-sauce resulted in one of the most beloved, and successful, film franchises in movie history. In this episode, everyone has to face the realities of growing up - characters, cast, filmmakers, and audience. Gather 'round with your wands and witch's hats, and let's all appreciate the monumental effort required to bring Harry Potter to life.

Grab your butter-beer and broomsticks, it's time for Part 3 (of 3) of Mikey's look back across the Harry Potter movie franchise! This documentary series reviews the stories and decisions being made behind the scenes. How time and again what could have exploded into a fiery ball of donkey-sauce resulted in one of the most beloved, and successful, film franchises in movie history. In this episode, the journey's climatic conclusion. Magic is an entertaining metaphor for the human condition. Life is fraught with obstacles, and inevitable sorrows, but it's how we choose to react that makes all the difference. Remember to follow your dreams, even when life seems impossible! Gather 'round with your wands and witch's hats, and let's all appreciate the monumental effort required to bring Harry Potter to life.

Mikey answers some of the most important questions of our time. What does Shrek mean? How did Shrek happen? Let’s get weird.

Mikey takes a nuanced look at Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro’s love letter to the kaiju genre.

Mikey confronts his feelings about James Bond, breaks down some of his favorite -and not so favorite- things about Skyfall and explores the history of the franchise.

Does Scream hold up 22 years later? Mikey examines Scream, the 1996 film directed by Wes Craven that redefined horror.

For Greg. You never really yourself expect to be where you ended up.

With Rise of Skywalker on the horizon, Mikey reflects on Star Wars and how it came to be.

A new year means a new Fave 5 Movies with Mikey! In this episode, Mikey will talk about some of his personal favorite films from 2019.

Stardate 97740.98 - Mikey recounts the history of Star Trek: The Original Series and series creator, Gene Roddenberry.

Stardate 47634.44- Mikey discusses the resurrection of Star Trek after the cancellation of TOS, and examines all 6 of the original films.

Occasionally Mikey talks about not-movies. This time he's putting those 17 years spent working in the game industry to work and talking about what makes The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a Masterpiece.

With a new Dune film on the horizon, Mikey discusses the history of Dune and the challenges of adapting this dense book into film.

Mikey revisits Bill & Ted ahead of their return to the screen in this latest Movies with Mikey--and engages in some light time travel in the process.

Mikey takes you through the (many) layers of Rian Johnson's Knives Out (2019). Warning: We are not responsible for any donut- or donut-related cravings as a result of this episode.

Time to throw some turtle shells and turn up—This MARIOS with Mikey episode gives you the origin story of one of the most iconic characters in all pop culture, from Italian plumber to international icon.

In this special edition of Movies with Mikey, Mikey joins forces with Dan Olson from Folding Ideas to establish the ultimate Christmas movie scoring system. How Christmas is YOUR favorite movie? Score your favorites with these handy versions!

In this episode, Mikey revisits the iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Take a deeper look at the sci-fi genre-defining work and scream into the void with us, one last time this year.

Mikey takes you through his favorite five movies (give or take a TV show and a game or two) that got him through 2020. What were your favorite movies, shows, and games of the year?

What does a PG picture and a Picasso have in common? More than you think! Mikey examines the Wachowski Sisters’ Speed Racer on this episode of Movies with Mikey!

Good morning. We are all burning away slowly, and everything is fine. This episode of Movies with Mikey looks at nihilism through the lens of Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle...and our OWN moving castle.

Grab a Nacho Slurpee and your favorite Wu-Tang album--you're gonna need it. This Movies with Mikey takes a look at the career trajectory of M. Night Shyamalan from student films to The Sixth Sense to Split--with a twist, of course. Special thanks to Siddhant Adlakha on the assist, and be sure to check out the other entries in The Director Project!

Mikey sets his eagle eye on Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), its place within the DCU, and why it's also kinda John Wick?

Hack the planet! Mikey looks at 1995 film Hackers, a punky cybertreat that was was both of and ahead of its time--and not just because Maleficent and Sherlock are in it.

It's Fave Five time, but we're doing something a little different this time. Presenting: The All Time Film Ranking Greatest Best Movie Pokemon Fortnite Spider-Man Elsa Makeup Tutorial Crisis Actors Fave Five Film Movies with Mikey Tournament Tier List!

Which movies make it out of the East Prelims? Will Mikey be able to avoid talking about Star Wars again? How does Emma Stone fare against...Emma Stone? Find out in Part 2 of The Movies with Mikey Ultimate Movie Tournament!

Get ready for some busted brackets! These fights only get harder. Watch along as Mikey further whittles his all-time Fave Five Faves (say THAT five times fast) down to the Final Few™!

New year, new fave five! In this latest, Mikey goes over his favorite movies of 2021 and also shows some love to the ones that didn’t quite make a cut. What were your favorites?

Wake up, Neo---it's a new Movies with Mikey! In this episode, Mikey joins forces with a familiar friend to do a meta commentary on the meta commentary of [Matrix catawampus]. Join us down the rabbit hole, and feed your head thusly.

Original Title: No Day to Die Hard Movies with Mikey returns with a fresh look at the Die Hard franchise via a deep dive (no, not that kind) into the original--an action-packed Christmas movie for all seasons.

Original Title: Rise. Mikey finds closure with Rise of Skywalker and we hope you can too.

Nothing is certain but laundry, taxes, and the Everything Everywhere All at Once Movies with Mikey episode. Michelle Yeoh forever, y'all. ????

In this episode of Movies with Mikey, Mikey turns his essayist eye towards another major Nintendo franchise, Metroid, and investigates the impact of Samus Aran, Super Metroid, and the franchise on video game history. Where does Metroid rank in your Nintendo Big 3 (or 4)?

We've been rewatching Batman: The Animated Series at Filmjoy and Mikey has some thoughts about Beware the Gray Ghost, nostalgia and why Batman lowkey sucks sometimes. Let's unpack them.

Mikey had a lot of favorite movies in 2022 but per the rules of the game made up by an angry Striped Pyjama Squid, there can only be 5 faves. Find out which films make the cut and "what's all this about a squid?" in this episode of Movies with Mikey.

Jordan Peele's masterpiece, Nope, is about exploitation in Hollywood and beyond. In this episode of Movies with Mikey we take a look at this groundbreaking film through the lens of classic Westerns and ask ourselves "What is a bad miracle?"

The mystery of Glass Onion is hiding in plain sight. Mikey peels back the layers of this film and discusses what The Beatles have to do with FTX and why art is dead on this episode of Movies with Mikey.

Everyone loves a good villain and there's no shortage of them in Matt Reeves' 2022 film, The Batman. Mikey discusses The Riddler, Catwoman and The Penguin and the co-dependent relationships Batman has with them in this episode of Movies with Mikey.