The 2003 Broadway musical "Wicked" has been turned into a movie musical, but the cinematic "Wicked" is just Part I and Part II arrives a year from now. Although HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano agree that the 2-hour, 40-minute run time of Part I is excessive and, indeed, Mike grouses about franchise expansion, they also agree during this podcast episode that this movie has crowd-pleasing appeal. Yes, there is special effects-driven spectacle in Oz, but the movie is really driven by the central performances by Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Marie and Mike also discuss "Gladiator II," a much-belated sequel to the 2000 "Gladiator." Director Ridley Scott is now 87 and yet he brings a youthful vigor to this immersion in decadent imperial Rome. Although our critics agree that "Gladiator II" has some dramatic shortcomings, they concur that there is much to savor in this sword and sandal epic.

As a papal thriller, "Conclave" is a very entertaining film. HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano talk about it during a podcast episode in which they are careful not to reveal any spoilers in the intrigue-laden plot about cardinals gathering at the Vatican to elect a new pope. There are excellent performances by Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and others; and you can't go visually wrong with all of those red-robed cardinals in the foreground and religious artwork in the background. Although the plot twist-fueled story may be borderline-ridiculous at times and the whole film only plumbs the thematic surface, it sure is fun to watch. Marie and Mike also talk about the weepie "We Live in Time," whose romantic pairing of Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield is nearly ruined by a nonlinear editing strategy that is slightly confusing and, in any event, does not enhance our understanding of their characters. There are other films more deserving of your time.

It's daunting to realize that Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice" was released as long ago as 1988, but he now returns to that ghostly material in the aptly titled "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano agree that it's nice to have actors including Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder back again, as well as the visual cleverness one expects from this director. Although Mike is not exactly a fan of such creative recycling and also complains about the film often seeming aimless and desperately busy, he did enjoy this Halloween-appropriate experience. Marie and Mike also talk about "The Substance," in which Demi Moore plays an aging actress who takes a mysterious substance that produces a younger version of herself. Our critics really disagree about this film, because Mike thinks that an intriguing premise is squandered by a lack of logical development while Marie thinks the aging metaphor is well-developed here. Well, as Mike would be likely to point out, audiences have a 140-minute running time and plenty of gross out moments in which to contemplate that premise.