Superhero Cinephiles

Perry Constantine and Derrick Ferguson (Host Emeritus)

Author and comic book fan Perry Constantine is your guide into the world of superhero film and TV! In each episode, Perry and a guest tackle a different movie or TV show and go into detail about what works and what doesn't, trying to focus on the stuff they enjoy as opposed to ranting about the stuff they hate.

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322 episodes
Updated Sunday

Episodes322

Newest first

Mar 15, 2021 · 2 hr 15 min
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Now that WandaVision is complete, we revisit the film that introduced the Vision and Scarlet Witch. We talk about why even though many consider it the redheaded stepchild of the Avengers films, we both love it. We praise James Spader's underrated performance, discuss how Hawkeye is the glue of the Avengers, and explain why we think Aaron Taylor Johnson is a superior Quicksilver to Evan Peters. And yes, we do address the Black Widow/Hulk stuff that set the internet on fire once upon a time.
Mar 8, 2021 · 1 hr 56 min
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
With the Snyder Cut release upon us, we look back at the Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman and find it's still pretty much as terrible as the theatrical cut. From everyone in this movie being a total asshole to the plot holes and the head-scratchingly bizarre portrayal of Lex Luthor, the only real bright spots are Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons, and Gal Gadot.
Mar 1, 2021 · 1 hr 18 min
Batman Ninja
Batman Ninja is an anime take on the Dark Knight in feudal Japan and it was met with near-universal acclaim. We did not feel the same. While there were things we liked about the movie, ultimately it felt like a lot of poor storytelling by people who have never read a Batman comic matched with some pretty visuals.
Feb 22, 2021 · 1 hr 54 min
Blade II
Our black superhero spotlight ends on a high note when we watch Guillermo Del Toro's pitch-perfect Blade II. There's not a lot we don't discuss, from the wonderful direction to the performances with special emphasis on Snipes, Perlman, and Kristofferson, and why Marvel can't seem to make Blade work in the comics. All this, plus we talk about the ongoing saga of the Joss Whedon abuse allegations and Gina Carano being fired.
Feb 15, 2021 · 1 hr 47 min
Steel
Yeah, you read that right. We're actually watching Steel, the 1997 film that makes Batman & Robin seem like The Dark Knight. And it's every bit as bad as we remember. From how Shaq is the least intimidating guy in this movie, to the floppy rubber suit, and the most stereotypical black kid ever, all of it will feel our wrath.
Feb 8, 2021 · 1 hr 31 min
Project Power
Our black superhero spotlight continues as we watch Project Power, the recent superhero film from Netflix. There's a new drug on the streets of New Orleans called Power, which gives users superhuman abilities for five minutes. Although billed as a Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie, the real star is Dominique Fishback's performance as aspiring rap artist Robin. Plus, we talk about Zack Snyder's recent absurd statement denying the toxicity of his fandom and gush over episodes 4-5 of WandaVision.
Feb 1, 2021 · 1 hr 30 min
Sleight
Our annual spotlight on black superhero movies returns by spotlighting a black superhero movie you've probably never heard of. Perry and Derrick discuss 2016's Sleight, which has shades of Unbreakable and some truly memorable performances, including a side of Dulé Hill that surprised them both.
Jan 25, 2021 · 1 hr 49 min
Wonder Woman 1984
Wonder Woman 1984 has debuted on HBO Max and we can't really understand why Patty Jenkins would set this in the 80s and then not really use the era to her advantage. We also have comments about Pedro Pascal's Trumpian Maxwell Lord and critiques about a bunch of choices made in this movie. But it's not all bad—we've got some positive thoughts about the performances, particularly Chris Pine and Kristen Wiig.
Jan 18, 2021 · 1 hr 56 min
Deadpool 2
In a belated Christmas gift, Derrick picked Deadpool 2 for this week. We talk about why we think this is an improvement on the first film, address the issue of fridging Vanessa, and praise the character interactions. On another note, we also discuss the current controversy over the Punisher's logo. Now when can we get Zazie Beetz in a Domino movie?
Dec 28, 2020 · 2 hr 3 min
Deadpool (REBROADCAST)
We had some unexpected technical difficulties this week so we weren't able to record a new episode. Instead, since our next movie is Deadpool 2, we decided to rebroadcast episode 9 where we covered the first Deadpool movie. Enjoy and we'll be back soon with our episode on Deadpool 2!
Dec 21, 2020 · 1 hr 41 min
The Death of Superman Lives
For our first documentary, we talk about The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened. For those who don't know, an adaptation of The Death of Superman story called Superman Lives was supposed to be directed by Tim Burton and feature Nicolas Cage, but after a long and torturous production, the plug was pulled. This documentary goes into the movie's development process, featuring interviews with the crew and never-before-seen footage. And one thing is for certain: the movie would have been a trainwreck, but one that we wish we could have seen!
Dec 14, 2020 · 2 hr 50 min
The Avengers (live commentary)
Our 50th podcast episode and first video episode! We watch The Avengers together and provide commentary as we go. Cue up the movie and watch along with us!
Dec 7, 2020 · 2 hr 4 min
Iron Man
With our big fiftieth episode just around the corner, we chose to watch the movie that started the MCU and helped reinvigorate the superhero genre—2008's Iron Man! Looking back, we reflect on how much of a surprise some of the casting choices were and how nobody expected Iron Man to be the lynchpin of the Marvel Universe.
Nov 30, 2020 · 1 hr 37 min
The New Mutants
With all the delays and reshoots, Josh Boone's New Mutants may be the most cursed superhero movie to date. But now that it's finally on VOD, we gave it a watch and found it to be better than we expected, though not without its flaws. On the good, there's the cast of young actors (particularly Anya Taylor-Joy) and on the bad, there are some questionable story choices and the baffling decision to use Cecilia Reyes as someone the character never looked or acted like. Plus: why we're over Christopher Nolan.
Nov 23, 2020 · 1 hr 39 min
Chronicle
Want a good movie to pair with Brightburn? Derrick's got the perfect suggestion for you—2012's Chronicle, the movie that launched Michael B. Jordan to the top of people's watchlist. We take out our frustrations on the "found footage" technique, explain why Max Landis is a piece of shit, and wonder just how suits watched this movie and then said, "Josh Trank is the perfect choice for Fantastic Four."
Nov 16, 2020 · 1 hr 40 min
Justice League
After spending many digressions in past episodes talking about it, we finally sit down and watch Justice League. Despite being a movie that pretty much satisfied no one, there are still things we found to like—such as (most) of the cast and the action scenes. But we also go into the things where it missed the mark.
Nov 9, 2020 · 1 hr 42 min
Kick-Ass
In this episode, we discuss the very funny, very entertaining, very over-the-top Kick-Ass! They talk about their thoughts on Mark Millar adaptations in general, rave about the performances (especially Nicolas Cage and Mark Strong), and discuss how this movie takes you from the mundane to the insane without you even realizing it.
Nov 2, 2020 · 1 hr 35 min
Brightburn
Just a little after Halloween, we've got a horror-themed superhero movie for you to check out. What if Superman wasn't a wholesome farmboy but instead a twisted little bastard? That's the concept behind Brightburn, the movie we discuss. We gush over Elizabeth Banks, talk about the way this movie blends the horror and superhero genres together, and pontificate on why we don't see more horror-themed superhero movies.
Oct 26, 2020 · 1 hr 39 min
The Incredible Hulk
A couple of episodes ago, we talked Ang Lee’s Hulk. So what better choice this week than its successor, the 2008 semi-sequel The Incredible Hulk? We compare it to Lee’s version, talk about the things that set it apart, and about how it’s the redheaded step-child of the MCU. Also: we react to the news that Jared Leto is returning as the Joker in Snyder’s Justice League. And we have…thoughts.
Oct 19, 2020 · 1 hr 49 min
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is probably the only superhero movie that everyone loves, even Derrick (who doesn't really like Spider-Man). We talk about the wonderful voice acting, the stellar animation, the seemingly simple yet actually complex storytelling, and about how this is a movie people will watch over and over again.