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PODCAST

Close Up

Thought Plane Media

We get Close Up on a variety of entertainment-- including film, television, and comics. For substantive reviews, history, trivia, lists, and debates.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

53:33

It's Hard to Separate Good Media From Loathsome...

Close Up ·

2025/09/25

Have you ever liked a piece of media where the creator turned out to be a jerk? Did you care? Justin and Joe explore the complexities of supporting bad but talented people.00:00 Intro02:23 The Copium Method09:17 Art Separated From the Creator13:30 Proportional Involvement22:17 There Are More Skeletons in Closets26:50 Criticism and Idealism Can Be Separated42:03 How do WE Feel?WEBSITE: thoughtplane.caJUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin

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104:03

The Best Spiderman Movie Moments | Close Up Episode 150

Close Up ·

2025/09/18

We celebrate Spider-Man with a count-down of our favourite cinematic Spidey moments!00:00 Intro 01:51 I Don't Feel So Good04:43 Peter Tingle07:29 Car Ride With the Vulture17:14 Spider-Man In Color21:04 Cranes of NYC Combine24:24 An Amazing First Rescue26:38 A Sinister Presence32:06 An Attempt at Vengeance35:36 Emo Peter Parker41:34 Spectacular Spider-Man45:16 Depowered Trial By Fire48:31 Peter Loses His Cool50:48 Leap of Faith55:27 I Had a Father01:07:07 The Death of Gwen Stacy01:14:31 My Gift My

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72:41

Wednesday S2 is Surprising and Strange | Close Up...

Close Up ·

2025/09/11

Wednesday S2 maintains an enjoyable tone, and characters, but has more twists and turns than it can properly set up. 00:00 Introduction01:11 Initial Thoughts05:17 Too many Characters11:17 Twisty17:32 Villains + Red Herrings24:25 Acting33:44 The Evil Family39:03 Parent/ Child Relationships46:00 Conspiracy Theories52:24 Technical Stuff57:41 Wednesday Addams01:03:40 Future SeasonsWEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by Joseph Morin and

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62:10

Justin and Joe Face an Unusual Existential Crisis |...

Close Up ·

2025/09/04

Joe and Justin realize that their time on this Earth to consume and create is finite.00:00 The Crisis06:36 Too Much Media Exists11:58 Not Enough Time17:02 Loads of Competition22:38 Lack of Time to Create26:12 Planet of the Beavers32:45 Retribution Isle34:59 Testing Different Mediums42:49 Consuming More Than We Create46:55 Working Hard For Little Reward51:52 Every Piece of Art is a Copy56:57 Wrap-upWEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA

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39:37

Joe Explains the Stupid Yet Pioneering Naked Gun...

Close Up ·

2025/08/27

Joe explains The Naked Gun franchise to Justin-- who's never watched the films. Includes some non-spoiler thoughts on The Naked Gun (4)00:00 Introduction02:10 What is The Naked Gun?08:17 The Comedy12:25 The Writing18:51 The Naked Gun 4 Mini-Review22:10 Themes of Police Over-reach24:54 Question Period30:01 Technical Things + Rankings36:46 Wrap-upWEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin ChurchEdited by Joseph

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51:26

The Sandman S2 Is Spectacular, But Far Too Late |...

Close Up ·

2025/08/21

The Sandman S2 arrives multiple years late to the party. But it's still welcome, to the few of us who care.00:00 Introduction03:01 The Cancellation05:55 Overview10:19 Mysteries of the Endless13:16 Acting, Writing, Themes36:47 The Final Episode40:15 Visual Effects and Colour47:21 Wrap-upWEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin ChurchEdited by Joseph MorinClose Up cover art by Justin Church#sandman

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53:37

What Happened to the Mainstream Coming of Age Film |...

Close Up ·

2025/08/13

Coming of Age films were a huge genre till last decade. Now they're just low-budget slop on Netflix. What happened? *Sorry for the audio glitch at 34:00. Was a recording issue. 00:00 Some history 06:51 Changing Hollywood Film Industry 13:23 The Teenage Experience 30:00 Social Arrested Development 51:58 Wrap-up WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/ Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin Church Edited by Joseph Morin Close Up cover art by Justin

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62:37

Why Big Media Is Cancelling All Your Favourite Stuff...

Close Up ·

2025/08/06

Hollywood is cancelling your favourite shows and movies left and right. What's their problem, and how will it continue to impact you? 01:38 Wheel of Time Cancellation 03:17 TV Seasons Are Too Far Apart 06:00 Faulty Viewing Metrics 09:07 Destroys Audience Trust 13:50 Peter Jackson 18:25 The MCU 23:29 Streamers 26:45 The Creators 35:10 The Gap Between Seasons 39:45 Expectations 50:34 Solutions 57:35 Wrap-up WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA

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55:38

The Fantastic 4 Is Good But Not Great | Close Up...

Close Up ·

2025/07/31

The Fantastic 4: First Steps is getting a lot of hype right now. We liked it... but found the screenplay flawed. 00:00 State of the Fantastic 4 IP 03:18 The Worldbuilding 11:31 Doomsday Theories 16:29 Structure and Dialogue 24:59 Visuals and Filmmaking 30:18 Production Design 37:22 High Stakes 42:04 The Score 43:18 The Family Dynamic 49:41 Stray Thoughts 53:42 Wrap-up WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/ Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin

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72:17

Justin Explains the Competitive World of Squid Game +...

Close Up ·

2025/07/23

Justin and Joe review the latest Superman reboot, by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn! This character is Joe's favorite superhero of all time, so did it live up to his lofty expectations?2:40 Justin's Introduction + Premise 10:11 The Games + Themes 15:27 Antagonists 19:53 Did it Deserve 3 Seasons? 22:35 Are the Games Senseless Violence? 27:23 Core Themes 32:07 Season 3 SPOILER Review 37:03 The Show's Mixed Ending 56:24 Season 3 More Generally 01:02:52 Potential For Season 4 01:10:16

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85:25

Superman is a Hopeful Start to the New DCU | Close Up...

Close Up ·

2025/07/17

Justin and Joe review the latest Superman reboot, by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn! This character is Joe's favorite superhero of all time, so did it live up to his lofty expectations?00:28 DC's History with Crossovers03:34 DC vs Marvel Tones06:15 Overview + David Corenswet16:50 Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane21:10 Nicholas Hoult as Lex luthor25:12 The Justice Gang33:22 The Action + Ultraman42:31 Screenplay01:01:53 Plans for Supergirl01:06:30 Superman Review Wrap-up01:08:50 Box

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71:28

How Toxic Fandoms Undermine The Enjoyment of All |...

Close Up ·

2025/07/12

The state of online fandom is decidednly toxic. Joe and Justin break down the ways in which this toxicity manifests and outline steps to improve the well-being of everybody who considers themselves a "fan". 04:35 A History of Passionate Nerds 11:55 IP Is Inter-generational 18:12 Lack of Understanding Franchise Themes 30:52 Lack of Critical Awareness 42:36 Commodification of Hate 47:28 A Path to Bettering Fandom: Stage 1 53:10 Bettering Fandom Stage 2 01:02:03 Bettering Fandom Stage 3 01:07:33

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36:59

The Gorge Sets a New Benchmark for Digital...

Close Up ·

2025/07/02

Justin (a Director of Photography) explains why The Gorge excels with its digital cinematography, where other films fail!00:00 Introduction02:34 Non-spoiler Review6:07 Top-tier Visual Style11:15 Plot is Overrated14:30 What's in the Gorge?16:12 CGI Should Look Unnatural23:06 Tradition Vs New School31:47 More About the Gorge's Story33:37 Colour Work35:16 Wrap-upWEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin

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32:30

Ballerina Has Strong Action But a Tired Story | Close...

Close Up ·

2025/06/26

Joe reviews "From the World of John Wick: Ballerina". 00:00 Introduction 02:22 The Shadow of John Wick 10:07 Expands the World 12:32 The Twist 14:32 Eve 16:07 Action 21:51 Themes 24:11 Criticism of the Story 28:36 Box Office Woes WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/ Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin Church Edited by Joseph Morin Close Up cover art by Justin Church #ballerina #johnwick #anadearmas #actionfilm #closeup #reviews

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55:17

Audio Fiction is The Most Underrated Type of Media |...

Close Up ·

2025/06/18

Joe and Justin share their love for the too-often ignored world of audio fiction. 01:18 Our Histories With Audio 05:47 Close Up 10:35 Voice Acting 15:11 New Audio Fiction 20:01 The Budget Option 21:19 Not Cool 24:55 The Appeals of the Format 32:33 Thought Plane Media Audios 41:38 Audio Fiction Classics 46:36 Visual Imagination WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin Church Edited by Joseph Morin Close Up

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67:21

Mission Impossible 8 Is An Self Indulgent Victory Lap...

Close Up ·

2025/06/12

Justin and Joe review Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning!00:00 Introduction02:22 MI Expectations07:44 The Classic Series11:17 Bookends to MI 112:51 Luther15:17 The Stunts34:21 The Entity37:34 Combating The Entity42:39 Themes of Individualism45:18 The Franchise's Future1:00:30 Editing1:01:48 Final RankingWEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin ChurchEdited by Joseph MorinClose Up cover art by Justin

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96:22

The Last of Us S2 Makes the Game Look Fantastic...

Close Up ·

2025/06/04

Ryan and Joe review The Last of Us Season 2!00:00 Introduction04:47 That Joel Moment07:56 Season Overview10:54 Episode 614:06 Nuanced Reactions to Gay Characters17:35 The Bella Ramsey Problem19:18 Ellie's Final Kills21:49 The Seraphite Island Scene23:26 The Ellie Problem27:00 Atmosphere29:36 Ellie Is Incompetent30:28 Dina and Joel32:02 Frustrating Writing37:08 A Better Season42:22 Dina the Show Stealer45:21 Jesse47:19 Supporting Cast50:24 Spores53:26 Ellie's Characterization57:44 Action1:01:02

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53:32

Lilo and Stitch (2025) Isn't Disastrous as Expected |...

Close Up ·

2025/05/29

Justin and Joe review the live-action adaptation of Disney's Lilo and Stitch.00:00 Introduction02:15 Close Up04:11 Comparison Games07:12 Nani Overwhelmed10:31 Positive View of Social Work14:02 Living For Yourself16:33 Narrative Bloat19:17 Jumba and Pleakley22:18 Sisterly Bonding25:12 Stitch30:29 Third Act Shenanigans33:14 More Jumba and Pleakley38:29 Challenges of Adaptations48:27 Visual StyleWEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/Recorded by

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73:18

Andor is the BEST Written Star Wars (S2 Review) |...

Close Up ·

2025/05/22

Joe reviews and recaps Star Wars: Andor for Justin! 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Cassian is an Everyman 05:56 The Rebels/ Alliance 09:15 Luthen Rael 13:17 Mon Mothma's Rescue 18:18 Mon Mothma 25:09 Bail Organa 26:55 That One Force User 28:42 Dedra Meero 31:34 Luthen's Ending 35:43 Intensity 38:30 The Ghorman Massascre 47:37 Syril Karn 53:02 Bix 57:00 Andor Legacy 1:02:21 A Lived-in Universe WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/ Recorded by

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56:39

Thunderbolts* Is A Step In the Right Direction |...

Close Up ·

2025/05/15

Justin and Joe review Marvel's Thunderbolts*! 00:00 Introduction 10:57 Exposition 13:26 Government Run Superheroes 15:27 Sentry 21:38 Ending Dream Sequence 23:19 Black Widow 25:54 Mental Health 29:00 Visual Style + Costumes 34:04 Ghost + The Writing 39:32 The New Avengerz 44:42 John Walker 49:58 Humour + Stakes 55:26 Who Is Marvel For? 49:41 Justin's Disney Conspiracy WEBSITE: https://www.thoughtplane.ca/ JUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/jchurchtpm/ Recorded by Joseph Morin and Justin

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155 results

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