Comic book superhero summer blockbuster number two is upon us! Believe it or not, this excites some of the Screeners (read: Chad) more than others, but say what you will; Man of Steel is not light on discussion points. Before we get to them, though, there’s that little business of the lightning round.

Microsoft Folds; Is Hollywood Next?

First, injustice rears its ugly head as Josh is forced to respond to Chad and Chris’s 45-minute bonus episode within 60 seconds—which, as we all know, is hardly enough for him to pronounce two five-syllable words and include a dramatic pause to let a bad joke sink in. In fact, he only gets the chance to respond at all because after that episode was recorded, Microsoft caved to cries of foul play from (Luddite) console gamers. There’s more to say about this than will fit in to a normal Jump Cut, so...yeah; you can guess what happens here.

It’s interrupted by some mention of Apple’s recent WWDC proceedings, where they unveiled the new iRecycle workstation and the iOS 7...let’s call it a “prototype”, but the real meat of this episode’s Jump Cuts is spread across the two remaining questions. First, there was the recent panel discussion at USC where Steven Spielberg predicted an implosion of the current theater business model in the not-so-distant future and speculated about what the future might look like after it happens. Will we see $50, $100 ticket prices and consider a trip to the theater the same kind of social affair as a sporting event or a night at the symphony?

Then, as if in response, Paramount announced the “Mega Ticket”, a $50 chance to see World War Z early (because the lines will be sooo long on release day...) and go home with some movie-related swag. Are we witnessing the nascent future before our very eyes, or is this a terrible idea debuting with a worse movie, both of which are doomed to last all of two weeks in theaters?

The British Invasion (of Krypton)

Man of Steel they promised, and Man of Steel they will deliver. The Screeners have a lot to say about the latest installment in this beloved series, and they can’t help but start by comparing it to Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns from 2006 and their expectations for that movie.

We’ve seen a few franchise reboots recently, but we’re willing to tolerate one more for a good cause. Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan (yes, there were other producers, but do they matter?) show us many of the same familiar set pieces, but from an angle only they can. Strap on a cape, or a suit of space armor, or at least draw an S (sorry, “hope symbol”) on your forehead while the Screeners talk everything from camera work to character development and throw in a bit of comic book geekery as icing on the cake.

Oh, and Chad seems to have tired of editing out inside jokes, so if you weren’t at Chris’s bachelor party, um...sorry?

Breaking Through the Noise

This episode’s Cutting Room Floor is a bit of a departure from the norm. This time around, the Screeners watch between the lines of their favorite TV shows to take a look at the ads filling in the cracks between the plot twists.

Since the birth of television broadcasting, commercials have been a necessary evil. Insipid, craven pablum, they lead us onward in an interminable hypnotic march toward a shining beacon of materialistic satiety we forever approach but will never, can never, reach. Other than that, they’re great.

Every once in awhile, though, there’s an ad that stands out from the rest as especially funny, or impactful—touching, even. Often, these are the most insidious, as creating an emotional attachment to a product is the holy grail of the capitalist enterprise, but we’ve dealt with enough tough truths in this section already. On to the ads.

To keep things brief here, we’re just going to list each host and some of the ads they mention, but when you’re done watching, head over to our Facebook page. We’ll have them linked there, and we want to hear from you—either vote for your favorite out of the ones the Screeners have picked, or remind them of a great ad they left out.

Josh:

Audi, “The Challenge”

Old Spice, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

Chris:

Lost, Hanso Foundation

Disney, “I Am A Princess”

Chad:

Sussex Safer Roads, “Embrace Life”

Procter & Gamble, “Best Job”

Melody:

Geico, “Happier Than a Body Builder Directing Traffic”

Geico, “Happier Than Dikembe Mutombo Blocking a Shot”