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Close Watch Episode 21: ‘tick, tick… BOOM!’ (feat. Rachel Wagner of Rachel’s Reviews)

Although its sister show Franchise Detours has been trucking along, the feed for Close Watch has been deafening quiet throughout 2024. But fear not, dear listener, the podcast is far from over. In fact, ahead of its triumphant return in 2025, here’s another in our series on movie musicals.

Rachel Wagner of Rachel’s Reviews joins Close Watch to dive into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut tick, tick… BOOM!. We’ll discuss how the 2021 film breaks movie musical conventions, how it cements the legacy of Jonathan Larson, and why Rachel personally connects to its story.

Thanks to its distinct structure and style, tick, tick… BOOM! has captivated fans with its portrayal of artistic ambition and the pressures of creative life. Andrew Garfield’s Oscar-nominated performance as Larson, of course, anchors the film, which serves as a love letter to artists and their process.

If you’re a fan of tick, tick… BOOM! or interested in the plight of the creative process, this episode is a perfect encapsulation of how Miranda and Garfield celebrate Larson’s life and career as well as theater life and artists everywhere. Close Watch will return in 2025 with more movie musicals.

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Franchise Detours Episode 63: ‘X-Men: First Class’ (feat. Kevin the Critic)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was meant to slash open a whole new avenue for the X-Men movie franchise. Yet, despite its commercial performance, the tepid reception ultimately led the series to take another approach: going back to basics with a fresh start on the whole mutant saga.

In hindsight, it might seem like 2011’s X-Men: First Class was always meant to be a prequel to the previous films. But director Matthew Vaughn described it as a reboot of the franchise. So which is it? And ultimately, does it even matter when the resulting superhero adventure is that much fun?

Kevin the Critic joins Franchise Detours as we head back to school for an in-depth chat about X-Men: First Class. We’ll discuss the chemistry between James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, how the story quietly retcons the series, and whether Vaughn deserves another crack at the Marvel mutants.

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Franchise Detours Episode 10: ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ REVIEW

Eighteen years have passed since The Matrix trilogy. Now director Lana Wachowski returns — with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back as Neo and Trinity — with The Matrix Resurrections. And here’s our raw review.

On this episode, Rob weighs in on how this fourth installment in The Matrix franchise stacks up with the previous films, how it builds on what’s come before, where it might lead, and whether it meets his expectations.

SYNOPSIS
Return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more.

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