Tag Archives: movies

The Toy Department – Episode 293

  By toyAdmin | March 18, 2022 - 11:47 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 293, Madden and Kolsky touch a little bit on a thrilling Day 1 of the college basketball tournament before moving on to:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (2:50), Sam Kang’s potato problems and just how competitive this season is after just three episodes…
  • Apple TV+’s Ben Stiller-directed show Severance (21:15) and how fascinating it is, both in concept and in execution…
  • Another Apple show, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (28:00) and how it comes together over the first two episodes with an interesting premise and some really good performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Dominique Fishback in particular…
  • Showtime’s based-on-reality SuperPumped (35:55) and how Kolsky’s disgust with the people this show is based on makes it tough for him to enjoy it…
  • The new Paul Thomas Anderson joint Licorice Pizza (47:50), how much fun it was, and why it is so much better than some of the over-celebrated Oscar movies we’ve talked about on past shows…
  • Some Oscars thoughts (58:40) about the nominees and also the changes to the television show, which somehow leads us to Derek’s dissatisfaction with the Atlanta Braves…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:08:35), including: more Top Chef: Houston, along with the Oscar-nominated film CODA on Apple TV+, the new Jake Johnson show Minx on HBO/HBO Max, the new Big Mouth spinoff Human Resources on Netflix, the new erotic thriller Deep Water on Hulu and the new Hulu show The Dropout about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos…

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The Toy Department – Episode 292

  By toyAdmin | March 11, 2022 - 11:07 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 292, Madden and Kolsky briefly address the sad news of the passing of Derek’s dog before brightening everyone’s spirits with:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef: Houston (1:50) and just how high the level of execution appears to be in the early part of the season…
  • HBO’s new Lakers-focused show Winning Time (22:20), how much fun it is and some of the excellent performances in the first episode…
  • The Oscar-nominated Guillermo Del Toro film Nightmare Alley (33:50) and how it sucked both hosts in with a gripping and visually striking noir story…
  • The return of the original Law & Order (41:35) and what makes the OG the best version of the now widely spun-off concept…
  • The new cartoon short series The Boys: Diabolical (49:00) and how it’s more or less exactly what you’d expect and not particularly important for any reason…
  • Homework for next Friday (51:25), including: more Top Chef: Houston, along with the Apple TV+ series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (starring Sam Jackson) and Severance (directed by Ben Stiller), the Oscar-nominated Paul Thomas Anderson film Licorice Pizza and the Showtime show SuperPumped about the battle for Uber…

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The Toy Department – Episode 286

  By toyAdmin | December 17, 2021 - 12:20 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 286, Madden and Kolsky are wrapping up another hideous year in style with a loooong episode, covering:

  • The best, most thoughtful and considered coverage of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (2:05) and arguably the greatest final in the tremendous history of the series…
  • Some thoughts on The Challenge All-Stars 2 (44:20) as the competition (hopefully) heats up heading down the stretch…
  • Best of 2021 lists!!! Madden and Kolsky share their favorites (58:40) from a weird year of pop culture content…
  • Homework for next year (1:31:40) as the boys will reconvene in January, including: Station 11 on HBO Max, the new film The Matrix Resurrections (also on HBO Max), the new Star Wars series The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, the film Being the Ricardos on Amazon Prime and the Apple TV+ movie Swan Song… Happy Holidays everyone!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 285

  By toyAdmin | December 10, 2021 - 1:55 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 285, Madden and Kolsky have far too much to talk about to be “jerking off” in the studios (you’ll get that joke later) so it’s straight on into:

  • A few quick thoughts on musician Jacob Collier (2:10) and how Madden failed to follow the instructions for his homework assignment…
  • An extended debate about the Beatles docu-series Get Back (5:15), exactly what it is and whether it is worth the time for viewers…
  • A very short review of the new Amazon Prime show Harlem (34:00) and how it just isn’t too appealing to either of our hosts…
  • A few thoughts on the debut episode of Landscapers (36:30) and how David Thewliss and Olivia Coleman are enthralling enough to keep an audience watching while the show settles in…
  • A big talk about a BIG episode of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (41:40) and where things stand after the beginning of the final…
  • Some thoughts on the lackluster second season of The Challenge All-Stars (1:03:50) and how the show hasn’t really found its footing in terms of the competition aspect…
  • Homework for next Thursday (1:15:10), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, plus a year-in-review chat to put a cap on 2021…

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The Toy Department – Episode 284

  By toyAdmin | December 3, 2021 - 12:49 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 284, Madden and Kolsky spend a few minutes talking about a musician Kolsky just discovered before getting to:

  • Kevin Hart’s new Netflix series True Story (4:55) and how a lot of good acting is not really enough to save a mediocre plot…
  • The absolutely insane conclusion to Season 2 of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show (20:05) and how this sort of soapy silliness happens on the watch of so many great actors…
  • The new film King Richard (30:45) and how good Will Smith is in Venus and Serena Williams’ tribute to their incredibly unique father…
  • The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (43:55) and just what the major elimination twist will be, plus the unbelievable career of CT and some informal player power rankings as we head into the final…
  • The latest from The Challenge All-Stars 2 (1:02:00), from the lovable insanity of Ayanna to the strange decision-making of Steve after an entertaining trivia challenge…
  • Homework for next Thursday (1:17:55), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, the new Beatles docu-series Get Back, the new Amazon Prime show Harlem, the new HBO show Landscapers and the musician Jacob Collier…

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The Toy Department – Episode 283

  By toyAdmin | November 26, 2021 - 7:17 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 283, Madden and Kolsky talk a little turkey in honor of the recent Thanksgiving holiday before turning their focus to…

  • The new Netflix film Red Notice (6:45) and how it’s a pretty good time despite lacking any sensible plot line…
  • The new Mindy Kaling-produced HBO Max show The Sex Lives of College Girls (11:50) and how both guys like the early returns as it tries to find its footing…
  • The latest HBO Music Box documentary Jagged (18:40) and how convincingly it makes the argument for Alanis Morissette’s great influence on the world of popular rock music…
  • The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (30:20) after a strangely straightforward episode, and where things stand with the finalé lurking just past the next turn…
  • The latest from The Challenge All-Stars (43:55) and the impossibly poor tic-tac-toe strategy displayed by a bunch of 40-somethings…
  • Homework for next Thursday (1:06:00), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, the new film King Richard on HBO Max, Kevin Hart’s new Netflix series True Story and a postseason wrap-up of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show…

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The Toy Department – Episode 282

  By toyAdmin | November 19, 2021 - 12:23 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 282, Madden and Kolsky pushed through the technical difficulties common to olds of their age in order to bring you their thoughts on…

  • The newly Disney+-watchable Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2:35) and how it hits all its marks and ends up a highly enjoyable experience…
  • A brief NFL detour (7:55) to discuss some rookie quarterback play…
  • Paramount+’s big prestige TV swing Mayor of Kingstown (11:50) and whether it delivers on the promise of its cast…
  • The thrilling new HBO Max show Yellowjackets (20:55) and the incredible cast of women executing it…
  • Deep analysis of a top-shelf episode of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (27:20) and who controls the game as it speeds towards the surely imminent final…
  • Episode 2 of this season of The Challenge All-Stars (57:05), the gamut of emotions it runs and how the game is shaping up for the old fogies…
  • Homework for next Thursday (1:15:55), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, HBO’s Music Box documentary Jagged (about Alanis Morrisette), the new Netflix film Red Notice, the new season of The Great on Hulu and The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max…

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The Toy Department – Episode 279

  By toyAdmin | October 28, 2021 - 12:10 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 279, Madden and Kolsky congratulate themselves for managing to record the podcast on schedule before quickly getting down to brass tacks with…

  • The new film Dune on HBO Max (1:20) and how mileage may vary depending on your familiarity with the story…
  • The return of the HBO/Issa Rae series Insecure (14:30) for its final season, and how nice it is to be back in the groove with a show that is founded on being a tremendous vibe…
  • This week’s action on The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (26:45), whether anyone will ever infiltrate the Emerald Cell and whose strategic moves are working the best as the game heads into the home stretch…
  • Homework for next Thursday (1:01:20), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, the new Netflix show Colin in Black & White from Ava Duvernay and Colin Kaepernick, the new season of Love Life on HBO Max, AND the World Series (“Go Braves,” says Derek) AND AND the early NBA season…

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The Toy Department – Episode 278

  By toyAdmin | October 22, 2021 - 1:28 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 278, Madden and Kolsky talk about Derek’s continuing music-based travels before moving on to…

  • The Todd Haynes documentary Velvet Underground on Apple TV+ (2:20) and how it’s not so good that it demands the attention of non-Velvet Underground fans…
  • The return of HBO’s Succession (8:05) and how the show remains impeccable and utterly unique…
  • The new Paramount Plus film Queenpins (11:40) and how it doesn’t quite deliver on its comedic promise…
  • The latest on The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (16:30) and the moves by Ed and Kyle that defined this week’s episode of the game…
  • A few quick sports thoughts with the return of the NBA (35:10) and the continuing MLB Playoffs…
  • Homework for next Thursday (38:10), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, the new film Dune on HBO Max, the return of Issa Rae’s Insecure for its final season, AND the MLB Playoffs AND AND the early NBA season…

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The Toy Department – Episode 263

  By toyAdmin | June 15, 2021 - 11:20 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 263, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly discuss Madden’s challenging recording circumstances before jumping into the week’s content, including:

  • The Michael B. Jordan movie Without Remorse (2:15) and how the Tom Clancy film formula falls a little flat in 2021…
  • The show Startup (9:55), how it is exactly the kind of existing-show-investment that makes sense for Netflix, and should make for a delightful slow-burn binge…
  • The new HBO Max show Starstruck (17:30) and how delightfully charismatic Rose Matafeo is as the lead character…
  • This week’s action on Top Chef: Portland (25:05), arguably the teariest Top Chef ever, and the clear three-way competition developing as we head into the final few episodes…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (49:01), including: more Top Chef in Portland (and probably more NBA Playoffs action), the return of HBO’s Betty (which Kolsky forgot last week), the return of Lil’ Dicky’s FX show Dave, the new Apple TV+ show Physical and the new AMC show Kevin Can F*** Himself… plus, Madden and Kolsky will break down EW’s list of the best Challenge contestants of all time…

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