Clearing The Queue

Join us as we explore the CW Vortex with high-powered business executive Doug Warner! Along the way, Alex takes a stroll down the (1988 drama) beach(es), and Matty ponders Jerry "The King" Lawler's true intentions. Plus, we debut two new rival segments - Under A Rock and Under *The* Rock. Dougie's back, alright!

Vlogger enthusiast Mario Grilli makes his debut podcast appearance and brings the guys their biggest challenge yet - a 350 movie queue! In this mind-bending episode, Alex and Matty explore a symbiotic relationship, ultimately rising from the ashes to discover a Razzie Award-winning film the whole family can enjoy. Plus: Paul Rudd's mustache gets even thicker!  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "The Wackness" (2008), "Mr. Nobody" (2009), "Mute" (2018)

Amid a menagerie of stars, Jessica Martins straps on her name tag and glides into the studio with kazoos, foley, and Charo! Later, Matty dons a fake pink mustache and Alex joins the "Carma" police. Happy holidays! QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Pee-wee's Playhouse: Christmas Special" (1988), "Can't Buy Me Love" (1988), "The Sex Changes That Made History" (2015)

Not even Adam Levine and his jet ski penguins can stop Chris Cannavo from making his highly-anticipated CTQ debut. In this Ghibli-esque episode, Chris introduces the guys to Terrestrial Sci-Fi, Hyper-realism, and Godzilla's reproductive system. PLUS: We got worms!  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Tremors 5: Bloodlines" (2015), "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (2007), "The Jungle Book" (2016)

In the inaugural episode of "Clearing the 'Lu," aspiring children's author Amanda Carney provides a scathing rebuttal to her husband's previous appearance on CTQ (Varun & Mike Ep 51). Then, as Amanda begins her ultimate fighter training to survive the zombie apocalypse, Matty accepts that he'll probably be the first to meet his demise. Will Alex be dubbed the Lord of the Fries? Grab your randomly assigned crossbow, cooking pot lid and binoculars find out! PLUS: we look up "Popkin" on urban dictionary, and the result is super gross.  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Battle Royale" (2000), "True Romance" (1993), "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" (2006)

Alert the amphibious squadron: Zach Sherwin is coming out of retirement for one last job! In this vaguely medicinal 2nd anniversary episode, Matty learns whether he's a moderator or an abstainer, while Alex ponder the question "What is a comedy?" Now grab some Milk of Magnesia and get comfortable - it's gonna be a wild ride.  PLUS: The Return of the Hard Sell: SKATWOT! QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004), "She's Gotta Have It" (1986), "The Loving Story" (2011)

Knock Knock! Who's there? The relentlessly charming Ewen and Amrit, hosts of Blond Tips Podcast! The advice experts help Alex and Matty figure out what to do with all their old DVDs, what the statute of limitations on spoilers is, and whether it's ok to continue with the wildly popular American Beauty Bag segment. It's a real Texas Chainstitch Massacre of an episode!  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Brother's Keeper" (1992), "Freakonomics" (2010), "Into the Abyss" (2011)

Live from New York...it's Omolara Heywot-Kumasi! The artist formerly known as Tiberon comes equipped with his own entrance music, his own bag of questions, and his own opinions on Thomas Jane's portrayal of The Punisher.  Alex and Matty can do nothing but sit back and relax, passing snacks between each other on a lazy Susan whilst watching their favorite Barack-Obama-romantic-comedy.  PLUS: What would it take for us to actually see Sharknado?  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead" (2007), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017), "Chasing Coral" (2017)

Get ready for an LA story featuring New Jersey's own Angela Giacchetti! The gang ponders the ethics of the American Beauty bag, admires Paul Rudd's ageless face, and propose another Netflix innovation: the "Queue Import" feature. Then, while Alex piles an impossibly tall stack of tables and chairs, Matty quietly admits that he cried during Lemonade. In the end, we learn that even celebrities have to put on their meat suits one leg at a time.  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Gaga: Five Foot Two" (2017), "The Little Prince" (2015), "The Boss Baby" (2017)

Question: What would it take for CTQ to dedicate an entire episode to the unsung 2015 Chris Rock film "Top Five?" Answer: A chance to dissect the movie with Alex's dad, Certified Public Accountant Bill Popkin, who just so happens to be Top Five's certified number one fan. Come for the father/son bonding and bar-mitzvah memories, stay for Bill's list of his favorite rappers.

Hoo-Hah! After a long hiatus, the guys discuss their homework assignments. Matty gets harpooned by the second-half of Jaws, does his best to practice the "Sheryl Crow Theory of Pop Culture," and finally finds a bio-pic that delivers, while Alex actively recruits for the Walton Goggins fan club and is too distracted by the "Scent of a Woman" orchestral score to appreciate an Oscar-winning performance. (Hoo-hah!) In the end CTQ agrees: you will be moved by "Brigsby Bear." (hoo-hah!)

Pack your bags, it's time to head home for the holidays! Matty and Alex give each other recommendations for which movies to watch while doing puzzles, which to enjoy during earthquakes, which to wait until they can see together, and which to remove from their queues without viewing at all. Along the way, they coin the phrase "Sub-optimus Prime" and decide that Daniel Day-Lewis should really be called "Michael."  PLUS: in the cage match between Alex's Curb Your Enthusiasm mixtape and Matty's Bojack Horseman mixtape, who will emerge victorious? 

We are definitely on a break! Thanksgiving break, that is. CTQ welcomes back Chris "don't call me Chris Ly" Li and first time guest Andrea "my last name was Falk before I married Alex" Popkin for this special episode. The gang sifts through all 10 Friendsgiving episodes in search of the Spirit of Thanksgiving, but will they find it before Matty's "P.C. Police" show up to ruin the fun? Tune in to find out!  PLUS: The Return of the Dirty Paintbrush

It's a family affair when Alex's cousin Sarah shows up to teach him about Italian vowel pronunciation and journalistic integrity. The gang then debates the morality of Netflix's new "Skip Intro" button over a piping hot cup of sad chicken soup for the soul. Later, Matty ponders the utility of human toes. QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Finders Keepers" (2015), "Nobody Speak" (2017), "World's Greatest Dad" (2009)

In this special Halloween episode, we tackle the ultimate "trick or treat" - Nicolas Cage movies. Fan favorite Dan Riley returns to help us figure out which recent Cage film to watch, using the patented CTQ Caginess Quotient. Will we end up with a peanut butter cup, or a razor blade filled apple? Tune in to find out! QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Outcast" (2014), "Next" (2007), "Stolen" (2012)

Grab a baseball bat and have a seat on the regal toilet, it's time for CTQ: The Queuelywed Game! Old friends Varun Sriram and Mike Hill bring their lionlike ferocity onto the show, where Alex warns them, "Don't be a menace to this ratings system while drinking your whiskey in our studio." Later, Varun consoles Matty that while we couldn't get a female president, we WILL get a female "Junior."  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood" (1996), "Super High Me" (2008), "Mac and Devin Go To High School" (2012)

Susan-Kate Heaney returns for CTQ #50 Live - our most whimsical episode yet! Past guests Aaron McLane, Bryan Burgan, Casey Newlin, Chris Ly, Jensen Abler, and Oliver Taylor each take turns giving SK the "hard sell" on which movie she HAS TO watch. After some painful deliberation, questionable interference from Alex & Matty, and a shocking confession, Susan-Kate picks a film that the whole gang views together at the brand new Ingenuity Studios. Grab a Midori sour and join us on our journey! QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Innerspace" (1987), "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil" (2010), "Paris Is Burning" (1990), "Heavyweights" (1995), "Chasing Coral" (1997), "The Trip'" (2010), "Amelie" (2001)

Live from Queens, it's multi-hyphenate Evan Bass! Evan teaches the guys how to circumvent child labor laws, while Matty wrestles with the truth about Hello Kitty. Later, Alex finally answers the age-old question: What is the champagne of comics?  QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Death Note" (2017), "For The Love Of Spock" (2016), "The Beaver" (2011)

It was foolish to think Dane Diliegro could be contained to one single episode of Clearing The Queue. In this bonus ep, Alex referees a basketball game between Dane and Matty, and then the three of them cast a hypothetical Clearing The Queue biopic.  PLUS: Matt's 3-year-old niece tells us what SHE thought of Moana! 

It's time to step into the pants machine with aspiring roller coaster tycoon Dane DiLiegro (who may in fact be two mischievous kids in a trench coat). While Dane attempts to teach the guys how to run a staggered screen, Matty reveals the true meaning of the word hubris. PLUS: Alex tells a little wet lie. QUEUE CONTENDERS: "Moana" (2016), "Rounders" (1998), "The Astronaut Farmer" (2006)