Off the Beaten Path

Ed finally got to the cinema to see Young Washington, and Christian and Ed spend some time extolling its qualities as a biopic. It may not have developed legs yet at the box office, but it's probably the one film at the cinema that deserves an extended look. Supergirl has cratered, but that's old news. The big news this week is Moana's disappointing debut. It may sound odd to call a $43 million opening a disappointment, but the cost and expectations attached to Disney's latest live-action remake cast a long shadow over the box office. 

Will Christopher Nolan hit box-office gold with The Odyssey? It certainly has attracted its share of controversy, both in its casting decisions and the choice of adaptation. Christian has seen it and says it's worth watching in the cinema, which sets us off onto a tangent about whether home theaters can suffice with certain movies. That brings us to a discussion of Tom Cruise's new ambitious project, and whether Cruise can flex outside of his highly successful action-film formulas. 

Finally, we take a look at the upcoming sequel to Spaceballs, and whether expectations may be too high. We both point out that the original didn't measure up to Mel Brooks' classics like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, but even Brooks' lesser efforts surpass a lot of what comes to the theater these days. Ed offers an impassioned defense of Dracula: Dead and Loving It, while we point out that the Spaceballs sequel is really intended as both fan service and a sweet tribute to Brooks himself.

Watch it all and join us in the comments!