The Film Theorists

So last year I helped Leonardo Dicaprio win Best Actor...you're welcome buddy! This year, I'm focusing on someone more important -- YOU GUYS! Today, I'm determined to give you the PERFECT strategy for predicting the Oscars. Because every office has an Academy Award pool, and it's my job to win you some easy cash. So what's the secret -- watching the Golden Globes (which are tonight, btw) and the SAG awards? Not quite. Watch the Golden Globes to laugh at the antics of the drunk celebrities, but when it comes down to it, your strategy should be a bit more sophisticated. Don't worry -- I got you covered!

Out of horror movie sub-genres, slasher films are perhaps the most famous. They are known for creating classic horror tropes like sex, gore, and women running around pants-less. But what started this gory film craze?? In this episode, Kyle slices through seminal slasher flicks to uncover the movie that started it all.

Is the biggest Dark Lord in the Harry Potter series Harry Potter HIMSELF? When you look at the science of Horcrux soul splitting, Voldemort's plan starts to reveal some SHOCKING revelations about Harry's childhood, the battle against He Who Must Not Be Named, and the nature of Harry's soul. We're digging into Potter lore and doing some magic with numbers to find out who the DARKEST Lord actually is!

Today we welcome another member into the hallowed halls of weird YouTube channels that will haunt your dreams - here's POPPY! This innocent, youthful popstar's videos are a bit more than they appear. But what sinister force is actually pulling the strings behind Poppy's messages?

Twists can make or break a movie, and no one knows this better than M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN. His movies are literally judged on the basis of how well he does a plot twist. But why do some twists work better than others? In this episode, Kyle discusses the 3 Types of Twists, using Shyamalan's films to show when they work and when they don't.

Every year, millions of Americans gather in front of their televisions to watch the biggest sporting event of the year: the SUPER BOWL. But it turns out that a huge portion of these people are only watching for the commercials! WHY?! Do they actually get people to buy anything?? In this episode, I prove that these ads DON'T WORK, and reveal how to make the BEST SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS! THANKS to Thomas and Edward for their amazing editing work on this video!

Toy Story is probably the most iconic CGI movie to date, and this is no surprise because it is the first feature film to be animated entirely in CGI. But how the movie came to be is not some one-and-done story. In this episode, Shane reveals the creative obstacles Pixar had to overcome to make their first feature film.

When The Bee Movie and We Are Number One memes exploded on YouTube last year, the Internet proved once and for all how insanely meta it's willing to get for the sake of a great Meme. No one took this farther than the minds of Reddit and Dank Memes, who created the most earth-shattering meme of Meme History. In this episode, I dive into the Ultimate Bee Movie Meme, the one that will outlast us all!

Gotham is full of things that can kill you––the Joker, Penguin, dirty cops, poor infrastructure––You name it! But there’s also the sort of danger with which we’re all familiar, like Disease. MacGregor’s Syndrome, the illness that plagues Mr. Freeze’s wife, is THE disease when it comes to the City of Gotham. This got me thinking: What is the real-world counterpart to MacGregor’s Syndrome and are there any promising treatments or cures? In this episode, I explore as much Batman Lore as I can to find out, and the answer will make your Blood Run Cold!

It's the First Ever Episode of Film Legends with Jacob from Wisecrack! In this episode, Jacob dives into CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR to decide if it fits the criteria to be named a FILM LEGEND! Created by: Jared Bauer, Tommy Cook, Todd Mendeloff & Jacob Salamon Directed by: Tommy Cook Written by: Tommy Cook & Kevin Winzer Narrated by: Jacob Salamon & Kevin Winzer Designed & Edited by: Kim A. Kruse Original Music by: David Krystal Opening Animation by: Danny Rapaport & Luis Vega

It's Oscar season, and the critics are singing their praises for LA LA LAND, a film clearly inspired by the classic MGM musicals. In fact the film seems to be a love letter to MGM's own musical master, Director Vincente Minnelli. In today's episode of Frame by Frame, Kyle show's how LA LA LAND adopted many techniques from Minnelli's classic MGM Musicals.

This is one I wanted to cover 1) because many of you were requesting my thoughts and 2) because I think Pewdiepie's situation can teach us all a lot of things about the nature of comedy and how comedy can be a force for good in the world. And let me reiterate it here, since I'm sure people will jump to conclusions prematurely without watching the video: I support Pewdiepie. I'm a fan of his. I respect and enjoy his work. I agree with his stance on the media and am constantly infuriated by how they manipulate facts and events to generate headlines with no thought or concern for the impact they're having on people. That said, I do think that Pewdipie could have made his "satire" on Fiverr more clear and targeted, thus avoiding this whole mess. This video is just meant to discuss what went wrong and what could be improved in the future! Learning is exciting!

Dragon Ball Z is full of very Distinct (and JACKED) characters, but where does the inspiration for them come from? It turns out that the show's Creator, Akira Toriyama, based most of the characters off of Real people who worked on the show! In this episode, Shane reveals the true individuals behind the characters!

I've been watching THE WALKING DEAD for a while now, and I have to ask: How realistic is it that our beloved protagonists run into so many Violent Maniacs so consistently? It turns out that it's pretty darn realistic. In this episode, I explain why! ALSO: I Interview the show's CREATOR, ROBERT KIRKMAN, who offers Concrete Answers about characters and Future plot points!

Let's face it: THE MATRIX is an amazing movie. But is it a FILM LEGEND? It's full of action, references, and Keanu Reeves, so it very well could be! In this episode, Jacob explores the various aspects of The Matrix to decide if it can in fact contend for the title of Film Legend!

Consider the world of Cars - a world populated by living, breathing, thinking cars, surrounded by evidence of a human society; but with out any actual humans. There are certain theories that posit these Cars are AI and are all that are left after humans left our world behind. But certain things just don't seem to fit. So if they aren't AI then what are they? Prepare to have your mind blown. Many of you have asked me to weigh in on the Pixar timeline theory, consider this my first step.

The FAST & FURIOUS Franchise contains some of the best car chases of all time, but there is so much more to those scenes than the cars. In this episode, Kyle explains the cinematography behind these famous scenes!

LOGAN, you've lived through experimental surgery, countless bullet wounds, an atomic bomb, and EVEN Bodily Disintegration from Jean Grey. But in the end it's your sweet metal exoskeleton that causes your demise? So sad! But there's one little issue - Logan is WRONG! Sure he may be getting poisoned by his metallic upgrade, but in the end, that's not the issue. Then, what's REALLY Killing Logan?! You're about to find out.

As a fan of both ghoulish specters and lignified cell walls I was SO EXCITED for Ghost in the Shell - until I found out that isn't what the title is referring to. Talk about false advertising. But seriously all joking aside, I am actually super excited for this film. I was a big fan of the anime, and am really looking forward to this live action reboot. But all the hype got me thinking about how possible creating "ghosts" actually is. And if so, is it actually worth it? I mean, wouldn't we just want AI? Well, actually maybe not. And we might be closer to realizing this potential than you might think.

Did You Know that NO ONE wanted to touch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?! With zero interest from major production companies, this iconic movie struggled to find funding as an independent film. But even after the movie was greenlit, it was no easy feat to complete the picture!

Film Legends has a new challenger. This week Disney's Finding Nemo is taking the challenge. Chock-full of references, deep meaning, and oh so many Easter Eggs does it have what it takes to take the number 1 spot and earn the title of Film Legend?!

The King is Back! King Kong that is. But where did he come from? I mean he can't just be a relic left over from prehistoric times can he? In fact his origins are much more shrouded than that. And there are certain companies that want to keep it that way. Well today, I'm getting to the bottom of Kong's secret past.

LOGAN is probably the BEST MARVEL MOVIE EVER! And recently, they've announced that it will be released on Blu-ray in Black&White as well as color. Will Logan have the Same Appeal in Blakck & White? In this episode, Kyle explains what makes B&W movies work to Reveal whether or not Logan has what it takes!

MOANA, Disney's newest princess. A strong willed, independent woman, out on adventure. Or is she? There's a lot about Moana that doesn't quite add up. She controls the Sea. Visits the Land of Monsters. She isn't just some typical Polynesian adventurer, no. Moana is more than what she seems!

Film Legends has a new challenger. This week Deadpool is taking the challenge. Chock-full of meta-references, deep meaning, and oh so many forth-wall brakes does it have what it takes to take the number 1 spot and earn the title of Film Legend?!

WESTWORLD is an insanely good show. It manages to create a deluge of mysteries and then solve All of Them! This has made it SO difficult to come up with a Westworld Theory! However, there is one key question that Westworld has yet to answer and about which the Creators only hint: WHERE IS WESTWORLD?! Well after some intense research, I have Found the Answer and can confidently Reveal the location of Delos Inc.'s massive amusement park!

RICK AND MORTY has quickly become one of the most popular Adult Swim series to date, but its history is far less forthright than the show we've all come to love. In this episode, Lee reveals the various cartoons, series, jokes, and characters that grew into Rick and Morty over the course of several years!

If LUKE CAGE has impenetrable skin, and He Does, then there's no realistic way to kill him. OR IS THERE?! Other villains might come up with preposterous methods to destroy him, like, I don't know, using Extraterrestrial Bullets...but I have a better idea! In this episode, I will Prove to You that Luke Cage is actually really EASY TO KILL!

Samurai Jack is Back! And I for one can't wait to see where he is headed next. But where did he come from? In this episode, Kyle explores some of the inspiration that has led to Samurai Jack's creation and abstract art style.

DEADPOOL is known for breaking the fourth wall in both the comics and the movie. In fact, his jokes get so meta that it’s hard to catch them all. Sure, there are the obvious ones where he talks to the camera, but there is so much more than that going on! In this episode, I PROVE that the Deadpool movie contains a HUGE Meta-joke that went entirely unnoticed by all of us…Until Now!

Film Legends has a new challenger! This week, Guardians of the Galaxy is in the hot seat. Does it have what it takes to earn the title of Film Legend?!

Rick and Morty is AWESOME! Between the Rick and Morty VR game and the surprise launch of Rick and Morty Season 3 on April Fool's Day, everyone is ready to get schwifty with Rick and the gang. But while we eagerly await more schezwan sauced adventures, there's a theory that's been brewing in the background, one that hits on one of my other favorite cartoons of all time -- Gravity Falls. Is Rick and Morty a continuation of Gravity Falls? Is a crossover between the Gravity Falls gang and Rick and Morty likely to happen soon? Why would I even think that these two franchises share ANY similarities? Get ready, Theorists, to have this whole Gravity Falls / Rick and Morty puzzle start getting pieced together.