River Cities Reader Podcast

May 21, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Obsession,” “Is God Is,” “In the Grey,” and “Marty, Life Is Short”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz discuss film. Why is it that most Star Wars fans and that includes Levora are incapable of ginning up much enthusiasm for The Mandalorian & Grogu? Could it be that the last few franchise films, umm, sucked? Reviewed: * Obsession (dir Curry Barker, starr Michael Johnston, (Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter). * Is God Is (dir Aleshea Harris, starr Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe, Vivica A Fox, and Sterling K Brown). * In the Grey (dir Guy Ritchie, starr Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza González, Kristofer Hivju, Fisher Stevens, and Rosamund Pike). * The Netflix documentary Marty, Life is Short Previewed: * Passenger (dir André Øvredal, starr Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo, and Joseph Lopez). * I Love Boosters (dir Boots Riley, starr Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore). * The Mandalorian & Grogu (dir Jon Favreau, starr Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Jeremy Allen White, and Sigourney Weaver). “Obsession,” “Is God Is,” “In the Grey,” and “Marty, Life Is Short” [https://www.rcreader.com/movies/the-monkeys-pawn-obsession]

May 14, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “The Sheep Detectives,” “Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour Live in 3D,” and “Mortal Kombat II”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz discuss film. Did you know Dave has never watched Dazed and Confused? This news left us floored; and now we don’t know what to do. Perhaps a visit to a screening of the film at The Last Picture House will set us straight and informed. Film in theatres: * The Sheep Detectives (dir Kyle Balda, starr Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson; voice Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein) * The concert film Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (dir James Cameron). * Mortal Kombat II (dir Simon McQuoid, starr Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, and Tati Gabrielle). Film forthcoming: * Obsession (dir Curry Barker, starr Michael Johnston, (Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter). * Is God Is (dir Aleshea Harris, starr Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe, Vivica A Fox, and Sterling K Brown). * In the Grey (dir Guy Ritchie, starr Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza González, Kristofer Hivju, Fisher Stevens, and Rosamund Pike). “The Sheep Detectives,” “Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour Live in 3D,” and “Mortal Kombat II” [https://www.rcreader.com/movies/flocking-awesome-the-sheep-detectives]

May 7, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “Hokum,” “Deep Water,” and “Animal Farm”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz discuss film and whether the forthcoming Billie Eilish concert film will open up a dimensional portal. On screen: * The Devil Wears Prada 2 (dir David Frankel, starr Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux, and Kenneth Branagh). * Hokum (dir Damian McCarthy, starr Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, Brendan Conroy, and Austin Amelio). * Deep Water (dir Renny Harlin, starr Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Kelly Gale, Madeleine West, Kate Fitzpatrick, Molly Belle Wright, Jacqueline Lee Geurts, and Lakota Johnson). * Animal Farm (dir Andy Serkis, voice AS, Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Steve Buscemi, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, and Iman Vellani). Forthcoming: * Mortal Kombat II (dir Simon McQuoid, starr Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, and Tati Gabrielle). * The Sheep Detectives (dir Kyle Balda, starr Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson; voice Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein). * The concert film Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (dir James Cameron). “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “Hokum,” “Deep Water,” and “Animal Farm” [https://www.rcreader.com/movies/dont-let-the-dior-hit-you-devil-wears-prada-2]

April 30, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Michael,” “I Swear,” and “Over Your Dead Body”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz discuss film while Dave expresses strong feelings about the impending release of The Mandalorian & Grogu. Here and now: * Michael (dir Antoine Fuqua, starr Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Krue Valdi, Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo). * I Swear (dir Kirk Jones, starr Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan, and Scott Ellis Watson). * Over Your Dead Body (dir Jorma Taccone, starr Jason Segel, Samara Weaving, Paul Guilfoyle, Keith Jardine, Timothy Olyphant, and Juliette Lewis). Hence and later: * The Devil Wears Prada 2 (dir David Frankel, starr Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux, and Kenneth Branagh). * Animal Farm (dir Andy Serkis, voice AS, Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Steve Buscemi, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, and Iman Vellani). * Deep Water (dir Renny Harlin, starr Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Kelly Gale, Madeleine West, Kate Fitzpatrick, Molly Belle Wright, Jacqueline Lee Geurts, and Lakota Johnson). * Hokum (dir Damian McCarthy, starr Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, Brendan Conroy, and Austin Amelio). “Michael,” “I Swear,” and “Over Your Dead Body” [https://www.rcreader.com/movies/beating-it-michael-i-swear]

April 23, 2026, with Dave and Darren — “Lee Cronin’s the Mummy,” “Normal,” “Lorne,” and “Busboys”

Dave Levora, Darren Pitra, and Mike Schulz review the latest crop of cinema and anticipate those on their way. Also, Schulz discusses why he thinks Busboys might be his least-favorite movie of the Snorin’ Twenties. Who would know more about why Schulz feels this way about Busboys than Schulz himself? In theatres: * The Mummy (dir Lee Cronin, starr Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, and Verónica Falcón). * Normal (dir Derek Kolstad, starr Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, and Lena Headey). * The documentary Lorne (dir Morgan Neville, starr a select amount of SNL talking heads). * Busboys (dir Jonah Feingold, starr David Spade, Theo Von, Tim Dillon, Bobby Lee, Trevor Wallace, Jay Pharoah, Charlotte McKinney, and Chris Elliott). Coming to a theatre near you: * Michael (dir Antoine Fuqua, starr Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Krue Valdi, Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo). * Mother Mary (dir David Lowery, starr Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, FKA Twigs, Atheena Frizzell, Kaia Gerber, Jessica Brown Findlay, Isaura Barbé-Brown, Sian Clifford, and Alba Baptista). * Over Your Dead Body (dir Jorma Taccone, starr Jason Segel, Samara Weaving, Paul Guilfoyle, Keith Jardine, Timothy Olyphant, and Juliette Lewis). * I Swear (dir Kirk Jones, starr Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan, and Scott Ellis Watson). “Lee Cronin’s the Mummy,” “Normal,” “Lorne,” and “Busboys” [https://www.rcreader.com/movies/bringing-the-bandages-back-together-lee-cronins-the-mummy]