The First Run

Welcome to The First Run 2026 Oscars special! Chris and Matt share their predictions for the big 6 categories: Best Supporting Actress/Actor, Best Actor/Actress, Direction, and Best Picture. You can also review Matt and Chris’ selections for all the other categories as well as they’ve linked their ballots in the show notes. Enjoy and good luck on your Oscars Pool! Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt celebrate their 800th episode by paying tribute to all you brides out there! First up, Jessie Buckley leads Maggie Gyllenhaal’s (let’s say) reinterpreting of the classic Universal horror film, with ‘The Bride!’. Then it’s on to one of Scalzo’s holy grails, ‘Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair’. Has the wait been worth it? And in classic TFR fashion when they break off another hundo, it’s Matt and Chris’ 5 Favorite Films from episodes 701 to 800! Now let’s get this party started! 00:00-23:11: Intro/The Bride! 23:12-35:05: Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair 35:06-45:27: 5 Favorite Films From Episode 701-800 45:28-47:25: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey.

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check out the latest film that should have gone straight to streaming but somehow slipped through, ‘How to Make a Killing’. Does Glen Powell retain his positive position over the Tatum Line? And what happens with a black comedy fails on its central premise? Well, Chris goes from indifferent to angry, thanks to Matt’s prodding. 00:00-21:52: Intro/How To Make A Killing 21:53-26:01: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt venture once more into the breach to assist the always effervescent Sam Rockwell save the future in Gore Verbinski’s ‘Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die’! All that and that’s about it! 00:00-12:33: Intro/Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die 12:34-15:15: Robert Duvall 15:16-18:06: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt call an audible and decide to watch ‘Whistle’, the tale of high schoolers who can't leave well enough alone and being supernaturally punished for it in brutal fashion. A tale as old as time, really. 00:00-16:44: Intro/Whistle 16:45-19:12: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss Sam Raimi’s first horror film since ‘Drag Me To Hell’ from 2009(!) with ‘Send Help’! And that’s it. Actually no, Chris has had a breakthrough with the MCU he’s very excited to share with Matt. And that’s it. For real this time. 00:00-14:38: Intro/Send Help 14:39-18:38: Wonder Man 18:39-20:57: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check out the first true January movie of 2026 with Timur Bekmambetov’s ‘Mercy’, featuring Hollywood’s 4th best Chris (Pratt) and the UK’s best Ferguson (Rebeca). Then, the guys discuss the latest from the bro-iest bros in Hollywood, it’s Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Joe Carnahan’s ‘The Rip’! Matt and Chris wrap it all up with their 5 Favorite Films of 2025! 00:00-12:17: Intro/Mercy 12:18-21:41: The Rip 21:42-37:16: 5 Favorite Films of 2025 37:17-41:26: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, it’s a jumbo-sized program featuring Chris and Matt discussing Nia DiCosta’s ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’. Picking up moments after the previous films, Spike’s adventures in the cursed Scottish Highlands continue as Ralph Fiennes’s Dr. Ian Kelson and the Jimmy’s take center stage. Then 2025 wraps with Park Chan-wook’s ‘No Other Choice’ as Lee Byung-hun’s loss of his job appears to force him to extreme measures to lock up a new job. Matt and Chris then begin the wrap up last year with their Ten Favorite Films of 2025, numbers 10-6! 00:00-15:23: Intro/28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 15:24-25:19: No Other Choice 25:20-38:35: Top 10 Films of 2025: 10-6 38:36-40:47: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey.

This week on The First Run Matt and Chris were supposed to see the latest from Park Chan Wook but that didn't happen because Matt is dedicated enough to drive to NYC to see a movie for you. The nerve. Instead, they catch up with The Mastermind, a tragic comedy of errors masquerading as a heist film. Then, Chris and Matt give you their top 5 most anticipated films of 2026. 00:00-13:34: Intro/The Mastermind 13:35-16:29: Lee Cronin, The Mummy, and Famous Acquaintances 16:30-42:55: Most Anticipated of 2026: 1-5 42:56-45:20: Wrap up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey.

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the theatrical directorial debut of Charlie Poling’s ‘The Plague’. A bunch of punk kids at a waterpolo summer camp encounter something unsettling…themselves. Plus Matt and Chris begin their Top 10 Most Anticipated Films, starting off with numbers 10-6! 00:00-16:12: Intro/The Plague 16:13-32:10: Most Anticipated Films of 2026: 10-6 32:11-34:13: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, the buzz outweighs Chris and Matt's misgivings when they check out the latest from Josh Safdie, ‘Marty Supreme’. Then, because the guys have some kind of a laugh outside of movies for the show, they break down the top 5 other things they enjoyed in 2025. 00:00-16:25: Intro/Marty Supreme 16:26-19:19: RIP MTV 19:20-41:52: 5 Other Things We Enjoyed in 2025 41:53-45:23: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt travel once more to Pandora as the Avatar franchise returns with ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’. This time we’re introduced to a new clan, the Mangkwan. A group of of raiders on the edge of survival willing to do anything to maintain their existence. Just how far, and how long, will they go? Well, I can at least guarantee to you this episode won’t be over 3 hours long. Be lucky to break 30. 00:00-17:01: Intro/Avatar: Fire And Ash 17:02-21:03: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Matt and Chris check out the latest accent from Daniel Craig in Rian Johnson's latest Knives Out mystery, ‘Wake Up Dead Man’. Then Chris will give you his thoughts on the 2025 remake of ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’. Chris and Matt close out the how by spending a little time saying farewell to the late, great Rob Reiner. 00:00-16:24: Wake Up Dead Man 16:25-24:00: Silent Night, Deadly Night 2025 24:01-31:59: In Memoriam: Rob Reiner 32:00-37:19: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the latest by the French husband and wife directing team, Hélène Cattet’s & Bruno Forzani’s ‘Reflection In A Dead Diamond’. Known for the striking visual storytelling style, this time they tackle the euro-spy thrillers. Is it a wonderfully mad mash-up of visuals and narrative? Or unintelligible mess? Plus, Chris shares his thoughts on the proposed Netflix/Warner Bros. merger. And there’s news about a certain impossible to find 4k steelbook. All this, and more! 00:00-10:59: Intro/Reflection In A Dead Diamond 11:00-15:44: Rare Steelbooks, Flesh Of The Gods, et al 15:45-27:20: Netflix & WB Merger 27:21-30:27: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Matt and Chris take a long, dreamy train ride to nowhere, or the answer to everything, with ‘Train Dreams’. Not Train Wars like Chris keeps wanting to call it. 00:00-14:27: Intro/Train Dreams 14:28-30:04: Wrap-up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt venture once more to the 1940’s to watch a legendary Finish warrior dispatch a bunch more baddies in ‘Sisu: Road To Revenge’. Plus it’s the return of Matt’s favorite guest with the 2025 Gift Guide for the Movie Lover in your life! Or just yourself. 00:00-15:05: Intro/ Sisu: Road To Revenge 15:06-29:47: 2025 Holiday Gift Guide 29:48-32:30: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check out the latest from Edgar Wright with ‘The Running Man’, a dystopian film that dares to ask "What would you for $1 billion new bucks?" Also Matt had some technical difficulties with his microphone but it gets better after the intro! 00:00-20:05: Intro/The Running Man 20:06-29:30: Rank ‘Em: Edgar Wright's Films 29:31-31:39: Wrap-Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt delve back into the Predator-verse! On this adventure, we eschew the Predator trope of the hunter villain, for a story about a honor, redemption, and cliche. Then Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, and America’s Sweet heart, Jesse Plemons reunite for the latest off-center cinematic experience with Bugonia! 00:00-14:21: Intro/Predator: Badlands 14:22-24:48 Bugonia 24:49-27:32: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check out the latest from Guillermo the Bull Frankenstein. It gets pretty heated discussing the merits of Mia Goth so you don't want to miss this one! 00:00-14:20: Intro/Frankenstein 14:20-23:52: Miscellany/Wrap Up FindHelp.org Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey

Happy Halloween! This week on The First Run, Matt exercised his veto on musical bio-pics, sorry ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’. Instead it’s the puppy perspective horror film, ‘Good Boy’! Then to keep the Halloween season going, it’s the latest in Shudder’s horror anthology, ‘V/H/S: Halloween’! Chris has some news for Matt that make him a super happy boy too! Then Matt and Chris close out the show where the last 4 watched, Letterboxd style! Finally, if you’re food insecure, check out FindHelp.org for assistance near you. 00:00-11:22: Intro/Good Boy 11:23-29:38: V/H/S: Halloween 29:39-37:32: Wrap Up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-Bey