Hello. We are still a podcast. And this is yet another attempt to get these things out of the pipeline again. We have Middle of the Row & The Greatest Thing About... for days, and I hope this fall to get more to you all. This release is for The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which I’m timing with TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, as they share a director/writer in…

Another Flashback episode from the time when we still did those on the OG feed. Catching up with Fright Night from 2011, a movie I soured on since I last saw it, but the rest of the pod is standing up for it! Is Charlie a shitty lead character, is Colin Farrell the dreamiest vampire ever, where is the justice for Poots?Download. Listen. Enjoy.The C…

One of many from the archives, essentially, even though this is the first release of the podcast! The Black Phone, I thought was a bad movie, and I think I brought Lauren and Ben down with me along the way? Take a listen for yourself, as we ask a lot of questions about this quite weird, silly and not that scary movie!General Thoughts, Star Ratings,…

What’s this, it’s our podcast! Starting off 2023 (shut up, it’s still January!) Trying to make this a regular thing again (we have been recording), and I’m trying to find the time to get these out. But, as we say goodbye to 2022, it’s time for our Time Capsule episode! Let’s throw some stuff into the dirt for the future...Our Picks!Ben: Cyberpunk: …

Today I am talking with Aisha Sultan. Aisha is a syndicated columnist based at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where they’ve been writing for more than 20 years. Her work focusing on education and parenting has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, CNN, and The Washington Post."Education, Interrupted" is her second documentary, and follows th…

We head back to Netflix to review Jamie Foxx’s latest, Day Shift! No one is terribly bowled over by this vampire flick/John Wick mashup, but we had quite a bit of fun picking it apart. Come for the praise of the fight choreography, stay longer as we try and figure out if this movie makes any damn sense.Download. Listen. Enjoy!The General Thoughts (…

The week we are discussing The Greatest Thing About... Prey! This Predator prequel has nothing to do with previous films outside a couple nods and a Predator showing up, but it’s a fresh take on the format that is overcoming the stink of its previous entry. Taking the film back to the 18th century and giving the film a female lead are a great start…

It’s episode 2 of The Greatest Thing About Podcast... and we are showing off the flexibility of the concept by reviewing a video game; Stray. Stray is an indie release on Playstation and Steam and is a short, but fun, adventure into the mind of a cat. Well, sort of. You definitely get to be a cat, and do many cat things (napping, please), but the g…

Welcome to a new version of our podcast at Middle of the Row; The Greatest Thing About... podcast! We are still going to talk about movies, but also hope to talk more games, tv, while also being able to pick whatever movie we damn well please. We will also be releasing our backlog (it’s big) of Middle of the Row: The Podcast as well, but the plan i…

Goon was a flashback pick from late last year, but it was actually a 2012 release so now it is an actual flashback for the correct year! This was picked by Jon, but he didn’t make this episode, but Ben, Lauren and Zac all really enjoyed chatting about this hockey cult classic. Though, none of us have seen the sequel, so we don’t know if we can reco…

Malignant came out and set the internet on fire for a couple weeks last year, but it didn’t really work for most of our crew...until it did. Zac was on board throughout, but everyone agrees the final act is worth sticking around for. But, we debate a lot! Is the acting good? How intentional is Wan’s vision? Is it scary? Is it a comedy? Watch/listen…

We are back with a flashback from last year, so it flashes back to 2001. Lauren picked Amélie, another Jean-Pierre Jeunet film from her, and its charms seemed to have won newcomer Ben over. Zac and Lauren continued to be big champions of the film, even if he thinks Amélie might be an emotional terrorist. Still, a fun chat and a lot of positive love…

We are back, again, and digging deep into the backlog to hopefully start getting us back to the present. I plan on continuing to jump around in the releases, so bear with us as things might seem super random or super old! This week, we have a fun episode for a bad movie, Reminiscence. You probably forgot about this movie by now, so jump in the memo…

The MCU’s third entry in 2021 was Eternals and we reviewed it when it hit Disney+. Now you can buy it anywhere and wonder what the hell is Zac thinking or just take some enjoyment agreeing with Ben and Lauren on this whole endeavor. We found a lot of common ground on both sides of this coin, but came out liking it and not on quite opposite spectrum…

Just in time for some Oscars nominations, we are releasing our episode on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune! We all love his last film on this podcast, Blade Runner 2049, but we aren’t quite as unanimously positive on his latest. That’s not to say we aren’t positive, but maybe expectations were a little too high? Need to rewatch it? Anyways, lots of praise, …

This week we flashback to the 2001 comedy classic, Wet Hot American Summer. A lot of familiar faces got their start here, the most successful of which is probably the smallest role of the main cast. Who knew! Everyone but Zac hadn’t seen this and I think he has slowly started to convert two more to the cult of Wet Hot!Download. Listen. Enjoy.The Ca…

Welcome to our Time Capsule 2021 Episode. This is where we pick our pop culture object to be stored and to be discovered by later generations, while also previewing the year ahead! Let's get to it!Zac’s Pick: Marvel’s What If... (3:00)Lauren’s Pick: Arcane (12:45)Ben’s Pick: To Your Eternity (18:50)Favorite Predictions for 2022 (24:00)Game Predicti…

Just in time for The Peacemaker, our review of The Suicide Squad! Ben’s since named this his best movie of 21 (bold), while the rest of the crew definitely think it is good! Gunn is having fun and we have fun talking about this latest entry in the DC catalog. Download. Listen. Enjoy.The Categories: (Time:Stamp)8 Words or Less, The Elevator Pitch, W…

We take a look back at Studio Ghibli’s most prestigious entry in their filmography, Spirited Away! This was a Ben pick and let’s just say we aren’t aligned as a group here. We appreciate the animation, the whimsy and some of us wonder what the hell is going on! Come shake your head at Zac is what we are ultimately saying. Download. Listen. Enjoy.Th…

We are back, again, after another delay. We have a lot of backlog from 2021 and those start coming out now! This is a bit of a forgotten Netflix release last year that was actually one of the more interesting titles they have released in the last year or two. We like different things about this one, so I think we all think you should definitely be …

Yes, we still have a podcast and we are finally back with this summer’s Black Widow. Now free to all on Disney+, we timed this perfectly, right? We all love the MCU around here and we all really liked Black Widow. We argue over whom is the best in this film, discuss where we think all of the new characters might go from here as well as try and get …

New Soderbergh with No Sudden Move! Zac’s in, obviously, but the rest of the group is not so moved. Still, they find some common ground over the cast (occasionally), the one-liners (always) and that Matt Damon makes everything better. Soderbergh fans, enjoy; if not, avoid??? Listen and find out.Download. Listen. Enjoy.The Categories: (Time:Stamp)8 …

We got together to discuss the underseen A24/Hulu horror film, False Positive. Created and written by star Ilana Glazer and director John Lee, the film feels a little lost even if it’s heart is in the right place. Should it have been more horror, more comedy, more horror comedy? Do only pregnant families find this funny? Or only more terrifying? Lo…

Pixar’s latest is another fine little gem and that film is Luca. Pixar seems to be moving things a bit out of their comfort zone and it all works out! The house style fades away a bit, the Pixar formula isn’t as prevalent and the film’s runtime is one of the studio's shortest in some time. It might feel a little slight on the surface, but it also s…

Lin-Manuel Miranda is back on the podcast, sort of, an adaptation of his musical In The Heights has made it to the big (and small) screen and we took a look at it for the podcast. Half of us were high on Hamilton, one of us liked this more, and one of us finally made it through one of his works with this film. And we aren’t all on the same page on …

Lauren, Ben and Jon discuss The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and there is no need for any rituals or hexes upon one another. They look back at the series as a whole, even if one of them has seen none of them, discuss body contortions, and more or less enjoy themselves along the way. They also get into whether we need more of this series and h…

A new release from Hulu this week, for Natalie Morales directorial debut, Plan B! This buddy/road trip/high school comedy was full of laughs (for me at least) and ended up helping us delivering my favorite episode in some time. Everyone is here and has varying takes, but we do go off the rails a few time thanks to a particular Prince in this film. …

It’s a barrage of back and forths this week as half the podcast turns their backs on Zack Snyder as we discuss his latest, Army of the Dead! This Netflix film might be Snyder a bit too off the reins, or does the film just not stop to focus on anything, or is this film just too interested in setting up a giant cinematic universe of content for Netfl…

This week we review the indie female arm wrestling comedy, Golden Arm. Starring Happiest Season’s Mary Holland and a strong ensemble, this one had a hard time winning over the crew beyond Zac. They argue whether we should be too hard on such a small movie, find common ground on some of the film’s good bits, and go back and forth on whether this wil…

We take a Zack Snyder inspired flashback to his only original film Sucker Punch! A bomb on multiple levels when it came out, this crew has always shared some appreciation for it, so we decided to revisit it and see how it has stood up over the last ten years. Jon’s back and is a first time viewer, but he falls in line with the rest of the crew as w…

Ben picks The Raid this week for our flashback to “2011” as he tries to convince Zac that he is wrong about this one. He might prove him wrong, but he also loves the film as an action masterpiece. Where does Lauren fall? You’ll have to listen, but we also marvel at the fighting, argue The Raid vs. The Raid 2, and also talk about the very similar fi…

A three person weave on Mortal Kombat leads to a delightful episode where we find things to appreciate (and not) about this film that we run the spectrum on enjoyment. Ben loves dumb fun, Lauren’s happy it’s not the original and Zac wishes the movie was called Kano. That said, come for some nostalgia for the gaming franchise, the first film (Ben at…

We flashback to 2001 to watch the David Lynch mind-fuck, Mulholland Dr. The film was nominated for Best Director, but this podcast can’t find a lot to praise from 2/3 of the party. Zac is on watch number 3, Ben and Lauren are new to the film, and they spend a lot of time trying to wrap their heads around the film and their feelings. Are the actors …

Just in time for the anniversary, we flashback to 2001 for Moulin Rouge! Lauren picks Baz Luhrmann’s masterpiece (my words) which wins over two us by half and me from start to finish. We praise the beautiful cast, the fantastic music and the excellent filmmaking on display, all while dissecting a lot of other movie randomness around the film.Downlo…

We are back, again, after a bit of a delay, with a new release that isn’t new anymore, Godzilla vs. Kong! We are a bit all over the place on this one, and the franchise, while my audio sounds like shit throughout (apologies). The podcast is all over the place as well, as I was unable to wrangle this crew in, still, we find a lot to talk about and s…

We are back, sorry for the delay, but we have our first of our next run of flashbacks, this time to 2011’s Moneyball. The Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill staring feature is a deep dive into the Oakland Athletics revolution of the MLB through the persistence of their GM Billy Beane. It doesn’t sound like a romp, but the movie sings and is an all time great…

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 fando…

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, an…

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 fil…

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…

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 …

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 movin…

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 Al…

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 foll…

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, …

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 in…

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 w…

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 …

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…

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 "…