Angela Yeager and Bryan Michael host Reel Film Snobs, a bimonthly movie review show that airs on CCTV. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)
The hosts of Reel Film Snobs, a bimonthly movie review show on CCTV, note on their website that “Angela and Bryan may kill each other someday but right now, they’re great television.”
The pair’s partnership began when Angela Yeager and Bryan Michael attended a “Moulin Rouge!” afterparty circa 2001 where people dressed up after seeing the film. She said they immediately started arguing about the movie (she liked it, he didn’t) and someone told them: ‘You guys are so funny you should have your own show.’
Their friend, Melissa Kreutz Gallardo, encouraged them to start a show and took a class at the community television station to start producing it.
Yeager has since taken over production, and more than 500 episodes have aired with the help of a crew of 12 people that meet on Wednesday nights to film the nearly half-hour segment in which Yeager and Michael debate the merits of films both new and old.
“We just had a real love for cinema and love to debate and argue and enjoy it,” Michael said.
“I’ve heard from people that they love to watch to see if we’re going to argue,” Yeager said.
The last movie they remember disagreeing on was “Joker.” Michael gave it four stars; Yeager gave it two and a half.
Michael started out the Oct. 18 episode with a dour prediction for his co-part’s opinion.
“I’m just excited to see how much she hates this film,” he said.
Yeager went on to say that the film’s story, writing and directing fell short. She balked at the idea that the movie was dangerous.
“It’d have to be more interesting to be dangerous,” she said.
Typically, episodes have two to three new movie reviews, and two to three rotating segments like a classic film, foreign film or something that can be found on a streaming service.
The latest episode, which aired on Jan. 11, reviewed “Little Women,” “Uncut Gems,” “Bombshell,” “Cats” and “The Two Popes.”
Both hosts have a list of films they want to watch and have been working through them.
“So we can say we’ve seen everything good that’s supposed to exist,” said Yeager, who works as a communications officer for the Department of Human Services.
Michael said it took Yeager — who studied film while getting her master’s degree at Oregon State University — a long time to like a movie that was just okay. It was an Ashton Kutcher movie, he remembers.
“She goes: ‘I liked it,’” he said. “I fell out of my chair.”
Michael, who works as a funeral director, said he’s not afraid to enjoy a dumb popcorn movie, and said terrible movies make for a good conversation because “I wasted two hours of my life with this stupid movie and so did she.”
Yeager said she watches four to five movies a week.
“It gives me an excuse to keep watching these films,” she said. “There’s always more great cinema coming out.”
Reel Film Snobs past episodes can be found on their website or on YouTube.
