Reel Talk w/ Al the Movie Lion

Reel Digital Media & Consulting Services
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Each episode 3 guests score and grade 3 different films with Al the movie lion. 

  1. Reel Reactions: Oscar Noms 2026

    FEB 11 · BONUS

    Reel Reactions: Oscar Noms 2026

    Two film nerds walk through the 98th Oscar nominations with equal parts love and side-eye, weighing craft against hype, and naming winners, longshots, and head-scratching snubs. We argue for precision editing, textured cinematography, fearless casting, and performances with real arcs, then crown One Battle After Another as the likely Best Picture. • How ten Best Picture slots dilute prestige • Editing as emotion vs spectacle • The Sinners one-shot and its ripple effect • Cinematography that tells story, not just style • Casting as authorship in Marty Supreme • Supporting actress strength vs thin arcs • Penn vs Del Toro in supporting actor • Chalamet’s momentum in lead actor • Directing race logic and Cameron’s snub • Best Picture calculus and why One Battle After Another edges Begonia We’re launching the first-ever Golden Albert Awards the Friday before the Oscars: “Al and his pals have nominated the best of Season One of Reel Talk. Join us when we reveal best plot, best characters and performances, best use of sound, best visual storytelling, and best themes.” Subscribe to Matt on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@mattsomerstein?si=m_GGA4cc9rH8nxSb Support the show

    37 min

  2. FEB 9

    Franchise Foundations 2: Winter Soldier, Babe in the City, and Empire Rated

    Three sequels face the jungle: a grounded MCU spy thriller, a chaotic but charming animal adventure, and a space opera that still stings and soars. We grade plot, performances, visuals, sound, and themes, then tally a franchise scoreboard you won’t forget. • Why Winter Soldier’s spy tone elevates MCU formula • Where the tech escapes strain the grounded stakes • The need for a sharper twist in an espionage frame • Babe’s astounding practical animal work and staging • How classical score and VO glue Babe’s shifting tone • Empire’s iconic sets, duel design, and emotional weight • Yoda’s practical magic and Williams’ defining themes • How sequels peak by deepening character and world • Final grades, averages, and the clear winner Syd's Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/Reel-Talk-s-Syd-the-Cinema-Sloth-Cup-by-PlatinumPlastic/172709570.EJUG5 Southern Lighting & Grip: https://www.southerngrip.com/ Charley's Chicks: https://www.charleyschicks.com/ Abbey White on Instagram @abbeystarr86 If you work for a brand or agency producing content, keep it real by setting up a consultation at www.reeldigital.media to see how your next campaign can come in ahead of schedule and under budget! Follow Platinum Plastic on Redbubble to see all our A+ gear Support the show

    1h 49m

  3. JAN 27

    Music Biopics: 8 Mile, the Doors, and Walk the Line

    We grade three music biopics through story, sound, and theme, bringing in guests who lived the culture and play the music. From Detroit cipher floors to LA arenas to Folsom’s claps, we test whether each film feels like its music and earns its myth. • 8 Mile as a grounded fight film with authentic Detroit texture • Eminem’s circle and Brittany Murphy’s complexity • Visual grit, handheld realism, and on‑beat edits as hip‑hop language • The Doors as trip film: myth, addiction, and 90s maximalist craft • Val Kilmer’s transformation and concert recreations without CGI • Soundtrack saturation vs restraint and what excess communicates • Walk the Line’s Folsom‑to‑Folsom structure as love story • Phoenix and Witherspoon singing and acting at a 10 • Rhythmic sound design, transitions, and period detail • Themes of belonging, privilege, survivor’s guilt, faith, and repair • Final scores: 8 Mile A/90 (guest), B+/79 (host); The Doors A‑ (both); Walk The Line A/85 (guest), A/93 (host) Behind the Scenes: 8 Mile Rap Battles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWKro55JVPk The Roars Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/The-Roars-by-PlatinumPlastic/175106671.IJ6L0 Walk the Lion Merch:  https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Walk-the-Lion-by-PlatinumPlastic/175861227.WFLAH Matt Hackl on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5DAFLwNqasOizWzfA6DC1P?si=qDnlAYEYQ9mVoqJtruISiA The Real World Exit: https://www.youtube.com/@the_real_world_exit Leave a like if you’re enjoying the show and tell us what movies you’d like to hear us score on Reel Talk.  Follow Platinum Plastic on Redbubble for all our Reel Talk merch. Support the show

    1h 42m
  4. A Very 90's Christmas

    JAN 9

    A Very 90's Christmas

    We grade four 90s Christmas films with friends who know their stuff, weighing nostalgia against craft and calling winners, near-misses, and one spectacular lump of coal. Humor, heart, and hard takes on plot holes, perfect scores, and why Die Hard still glows. • Home Alone’s brisk pacing, tonal split, and a key phone logic gap • Joe Pesci’s balance of menace and comedy, Culkin’s star power • John Williams’ score as the film’s secret engine • Muppet Christmas Carol’s practical sets, miniatures, and lighting craft • Michael Caine’s grounded Scrooge, Gonzo and Rizzo’s meta narration • Songs that warm the story without bloating it • Jingle All The Way’s hollow satire, clumsy morals, weak VFX • Casting strength vs thin characters, an unlovable must-have toy • Die Hard’s contained-action blueprint and romantic spine • Rickman vs Willis, glass-as-stakes, crisp holiday sound textures • Final scoreboard and where each film lands for rewatch value Keep it real by setting up a consultation at www.reeldigital.media Follow Platinum Plastic on Redbubble for all our Real Talk merch POST Wrestling: https://www.postwrestling.com/ Christina's Work: https://christinadobre.com/ Lakesha's Work: www.cinefuryproductions.com Support the show

    2h 52m

  5. 12/24/2025

    Adaptation, Barton Fink, And American Fiction | Written About the Screen

    We honor Rob Reiner, then dig into three films that wrestle with voice, identity, and the cost of creating for an audience. We grade Adaptation, Barton Fink, and American Fiction across plot, performance, visuals, sound, and theme, comparing where each film bends and where it holds its line. • adapting form to theme in Adaptation • twin dynamics as creative conflict • third‑act pivots and genre conventions • hotel as psyche in Barton Fink • production design as character • authenticity, market taste, and satire in American Fiction • jazz score as cultural texture • close‑ups that carry emotional weight • integrity vs opportunity without easy answers • final grades and why they differ If you work for a brand or agency producing content, keep it real by setting up a consultation at www.realdigital.media to see how your next campaign can come in ahead of schedule and under budget! Follow Platinum Plastic on Redbubble to see all our A+ gear Matt's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MattSomerstein Øcean's site: https://www.oceanvashtijude.com/ Please leave a 5 star review of the show and thanks for listening! Support the show

    1h 54m

  6. 12/09/2025

    Wrestling On Film, From Beyond The Mat To The Iron Claw To The Wrestler

    Three films pull back the curtain on wrestling’s spectacle and cost, from Beyond the Mat’s quotable grit to The Iron Claw’s family tragedy to The Wrestler’s aching final leap. We weigh authenticity, ethics, performance, and the economics that make pain profitable. • how Beyond the Mat “works” the camera while catching real consequences • Foley’s chair shots vs family fallout, and why the footage still stings • Vince, control, and the line between creative and cruelty • WWE’s late-90s valuation compared with TKO’s multibillion market cap • Iron Claw as generational trauma and the danger of inherited dreams • strong performances vs flat in-ring cinematography and tight budgets • The Wrestler’s noir lens on loneliness, love of the pop, and choice • Rourke and Tomei as parallel performers in exploitative markets • indie tiers, cameos, and how sound sells every bump • final grades for all three films and what the ring takes in return Please leave a nice comment or five-star review and subscribe or Reel Talk is powered by Reel Digital If you work for a brand or agency producing content, keep it real by setting up a consultation at www.reeldigital.media to see how your next campaign can come in ahead of schedule and under budget Follow Platinum Plastic on Redbubble to see all our A+ gear.  Support Brandon Thurston at https://wrestlenomics.com Follow @RosenbergWrestling on YouTube to see SGG and the entire crew https://www.greghydelaw.com/about https://www.youtube.com/@RosenbergWrestling If you haven’t left a review by now, you might as well, and subscribe to the channel on YouTube as well as hit the bell icon to be notified when Real Talk drops! Support the show

    2h 5m
  7. Silver Linings, Planes, Trains, And Knives Out

    11/28/2025

    Silver Linings, Planes, Trains, And Knives Out

    We grade three modern and classic crowd‑pleasers with a Thanksgiving lens, weighing plot, performance, and visual craft while asking what these films say about family, luck, and the American story. A sugar‑sweet guest brings cookies, a director brings fresh eyes, and a comedian brings knives and candied yams. • Silver Linings Playbook as messy romance about mental health and hope • why the middle sags but the parlay and dance stick the landing • Lawrence’s breakout presence against Cooper’s restless drive • camera moves that thrill and distract in equal measure • soundtrack choices that frame trauma and momentum • themes of addiction, superstition, and generational silence • Planes Trains And Automobiles as slow‑build empathy engine • Candy–Martin chemistry balancing annoyance and grace • visual gags that date and delight, with savvy reveals • sound and score as time capsule rather than showpiece • sticktoitiveness, thankfulness, and choosing fellowship • Knives Out as a portrait of privilege, class, and kindness • production design dense with clues and metaphors • metacasting: Bond, Captain America, and the American dream • Anna de Armas grounding a mansion full of big choices • final scoreboard with A‑range winners and honest B’s Keith Kennedy: https://keithkennedy.me/ Matt Somerstein: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwRlAEqZ8QsICJ6NjuY3Z9g If you work for a brand or agency producing content, keep it real by setting up a consultation at www.reeldigital.media. Follow Platinum Plastic on Redbubble for all our Reel Talk merch. Let us know what movies you’d like to hear us score on Reel Talk. Support the show

    1h 47m

  8. 11/21/2025

    Bong Joon Ho: When Corporate Hypocrisy Meets Class Survival

    We grade Okja, Mickey 17, and Parasite across plot, performances, visuals, sound, and theme, calling out where Bong Joon Ho soars and where the gears grind. Expect sharp takes, laughter at the absurd, and a scoreboard that might sting your favorites. • Okja’s tone swings and ethical lines in activist tactics • The Mija–Okja bond as the film’s emotional anchor • The gold-pig finale and lost tension • Mickey 17’s premise vs delivery and identity crisis • Performances: Pattinson’s doubles, Ruffalo’s caricature • Creature design, soundscapes, and world-building • Parasite’s house as character and visual metaphor • Rain, silence, framing, and how class reads on screen • Themes of hypocrisy, survival, and corporate power • Final grades and where each film lands on our scale Please leave a nice comment or five-star review and subscribe to save the life of one magical pig hippo Follow Platinum Plastic on Redbubble to see all our A+ gear FamiliarDesignStudio.com for site and branding help Visit JeremyMcDaniel.com to book him for your next shoot Thank you to JoeBelcastro.com  Let us know what movies you’d like to hear us score on Real Talk Support the show

    1h 43m
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About

Each episode 3 guests score and grade 3 different films with Al the movie lion. 

Information

  • Creator
    Reel Digital Media & Consulting Services
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Reel Talk w/ Al the Movie Lion
  • Show Website
    Reel Talk w/ Al the Movie Lion