Down To Watch

This week on DtW, fast drivin', hard crimin' meets robot angst and action! Dan and Raul watched the first eps of Duster and Murderbot, a couple of shows with not a lot in common outside a toy-centric opening intro. Duster is an old school 70s crime series about a seasoned getaway driver played by Sawyer from Lost, teaming up with the first Black female FBI agent as they attempt to prove or disprove that boss Keth David had the Duster driver's brother killed. The pretty straightforward, pulpy yet breezy crime drama stands quite in contrast with Murderbot, the new AppleTV+ book series adaptation where a newly sentient security robot with a perfectly human face attempts to pass off as a perfectly normal functioning security bot, poorly. After the first two eps, it seems as though the self-named Murderbot (played by Alexander Skarsgard with the helmet off) might be finding a place among his hippie space community, though word of his autonomy spreading might endanger this. All in all, a good couple of shows worth finding out about, so have a listen and check em out!

This week on Down to Watch, sometimes the heroes you need are the bad guys you made along the way! Dan and Raul team up with MCU stalwart Jonnie to talk about the latest phase coming to a close with Daredevil: Born Again and Thunderbolts*. These two entries might prove a return to form for the massive franchise or an anomaly on the road to irrelevance as the story of the MCU behind the scenes is as interesting as the one they're telling in the films. Has the House of Mouse wrung all the successful films it can from the House of Ideas, or is this a resurgence the upcoming F4 movie will carry on? Answers within! 

This Week, Down to Watch go from vacation home to vacation home to a galaxy far far away! Dan and Raul start the week's show talking rebellion and spycraft, all while bringing a gravitas to the land of lightsabers, with the return of Andor. Cassian Protagonist is mixing it up with the Empire again and while our hosts don't have a complete grasp of the Star Wars timeline, they definitely know the names of the actors involved! Next up, podcast favorites Steve Carrell and Tina Fey return in The Four Seasons, a miniseries remake of the Alan Alda original film about adult couples figuring it out in their middle age and beyond. While being more grounded than most Fey-produced sitcoms full of cartoonish buffoonery buoyed by sharp comedy, Seasons is more about the feelings you get as the passions dull but the days go on. These two shows are on opposite ends of the universe, genre-wise, but you can count on your intrepid hosts to brave the distance between them!

This week, Down to Watch ventures into the May-est month of the year and returns with a bunch of cool stuff! Dan and Raul each return from their adventures in the television wilds with arms full of real stories about surfers looking for 100 ft waves over several seasons, NBA shooting guards shooting, a couple of Brits who got super murdery, and life as Pee-Wee. On the scripted side, Tina Fey and Steve Carrell follow older couples across various vacations, a security robot who starts thinking about how bored they are, Sawyer from Lost as a 70s getaway driver for the first black lady FBI agent, and more! Tons of returning favorites round out a very fun month, so come take a listen and learn about the (immediate) future of television!!!

Down to Watch lurks in the shadows and stalks the smokey alleyways this week because it's a Mystery Bag show! Dan and Raul got it into their sneaky little heads to surprise the audience and each other with a few films and TV shows they've put away in the last week or so. Dan saw a dramatization about the guy who got too good at Press Your Luck and a series about a guy pretending to be his own twin brother, as well as a guy who has previously been an idiot but now seems to be talking to himself, and possibly the greatest 80's detective/crime noir film is discussed. Raul on the other hand decided to watch a bunch of cartoons but starts off with the story of a dead Kevin Bacon brought back to bounty-hunt demons, before launching into animated mushrooms, pac-men, and, actually would you believe, another demon bounty hunter but this time from video games? All that and more, but no titles in this description, because myssssssssstery!

It's 'upcomings' time again on Down to Watch, so let's see what April's got in store! Firstly, get super excited for some super sad shows that are coming back, from the prophetic Handmaid's Tale to the prescient Black Mirror, though maybe the real harbinger of end times is that Dan's got a cartoon on his list. Raul's got a toon as well, plus trips to hell, fungal apocalypse, questionably moral revolution and Poland! This month sounds like it's all over the place so grab your compass, our guide, and some government cheese!

This week on Down to Watch, two unique takes on a life of crime in Dope Thief and Deli Boys! Dan and Raul watched the first few eps of these new streaming shows to contrast the lives of the title characters and their extrajudicial activities. The eponymous Thief has had a hard road, is finding himself in a dire situation, and by robbing the Dope dealers for money has chosen a dangerous solution. The Boys of the titular Deli meanwhile have lived privileged lives while unaware of their convenience store magnate father's crime-lord aspirations. When the patriarch departs his mortal coil, these two dopes need to keep up with their savvy aunt's tutelage to stay out of jail and in the lap of luxury. No need for legal or criminal puns about watching these shows, just listen to this pod!

This week, Down to Watch has got that Night Fever and the only cure is a Disco Inferno! Dan and Raul finally saw Saturday Night Fever, the film that reinvigorated the Bee Gees careers and launched John Travolta as a movie star, but how could they know it was gonna be a gripping social issues indie film? The driving soundtrack and magnetic lead performance buoy what might otherwise be an overdramatic morality tale, but did SNF dance it's way into the history books legitimately? You should be listenin', yeah!

Turns out this year is gonna have a March as usual, so Down to Watch is  sneaking a peek at the upcoming TV treats! Early in the month, Dan's gotta catch the Oscars and Raul's happy to see the Daredevil series get Born Again. Later, there's comedy in crime family bodegas and Seth Rogen's studio dealings. On the serious side, real cops deal with missing and invisible victims on the streets while fake cops shake down drug dealers despite the bad vibes those kind of hijinks might attract. There's a look back at the elimination of Bin Laden, a look forward to Mulaney taking a crack at live TV, and more! March right over and have a listen!

This week on DtW, the MCU flies too close to the emerging Celestial we never talk about! Dan and Raul ventured into theaters this week to catch the next installment of "Has the MCU gotten itself together yet" and the answer is a resounding: Soon, We Promise. Captain America: Brave New World seems to smash together so many ideas that none of them get the attention they deserve, as this seems to be equal parts Hulk movie, continuation of the Falcon TV show, table setting for the future of the MCU, and tying tons of loose ends while disregarding aspects of the previous installments that didn't work out. Does the stellar acting and action make it worthwhile to catch on the big screen or is Disney hoping you shell out theater money for a lesser outing? Listen up and get smart, like The Leader or whoever the villain of this film is!

The Down to Watch crew dives into the complicated world of David Lynch this week with Blue Velvet! Dan and Raul take a trip through the mind-bending works of one of their favorite filmmakers, spending a little more time on the MacLachlan - Dern - Hopper starring psychosexual mystery thriller that places corny young love in the center of an underworld of drugs, sex, danger, and abuse. Lynch finds his two top muses in the two leads of this cult classic about creeps and killers that operate just under the surface of normal suburban life and puts them through a complicated hell constructed by the maniacal Frank Booth. Dennis Hopper brings to life a legendary villain who functions more like a force of nature than an actual antagonist, existing as deep drug-filled breaths of anger and tears often followed by uncomfortable exclamations and vicious violence. As a shining spot in a fantastic career, Velvet is worth a watch in the modern era, and DtW is happy to spotlight all of Lynch's career in a retrospective episode. Diane, make a note!

Down to Watch rides West this week with a couple of episodes of American Primeval! Dan and Raul watched the first two eps of the Netflix series set in the Manifest Destiny days of America, as a woman and her son race between camps and forts in an attempt to catch up to the family's patriarch (or is he?). After their last shot at a guide out of Fort Bridger, a mountain man raised by natives who turns them down (or does he?), Sara puts her "faith" in some Mormon settlers heading to their Utah settlement. That plan goes South rather than West when a group of natives (or are they?) absolutely massacre the travel party. The mysterious mountain man saves the pair of travelers but a bunch of plots are launched as various groups seek fortune, lost family, and freedom in the Wild West. Does this new look into American expansion amaze and entertain? Your intrepid pod hosts know the answer (or do they?)!

It's the shortest month of the year but Down to Watch found plenty of TV treats to get you through Feb! Dan showed up to the pod with true stories and returning favorites while Raul shipped in a mix of new and off-the-beaten-path picks. We've got docs about taking down black hawks, bad brotherhoods and family burdens. Returning to screens, there's Reacher, some more White Lotus, Cobra Kai ends it's run and SNL celebrates on a "Super" Sunday. Intensity seems to be the key for Prison Cell 211, but also maybe boxers and lady thieves from jolly old-timey England get wild, and the robot named Cassandra is probably bad news. Plenty more than that is waiting for you on the pod and throughout the next month, so check it out! 

This week, DtW watched the next entry into the live-action Dune adaptation with Dune: Prophecy! HBO heard about another prince that was promised and decided they wanted to tell the tale of how the search started in this six episode series. Dan and Raul checked out the first two eps and dip into the greater universe lore as they discuss the story of palace intrigue and military posturing in the new show. Does the fresh look into the distant past of the films pierce their critical holo-shields and hook them into an ensemble epic in the vein of the big Max dramas? Whatever you do, don't ask the thinking machines!

This week on Down to Watch, it's a kickback to the 80s with The Karate Kid! Dan and Raul returned to the source material for the hit series Cobra Kai and the 2010 Jackie Chan remake to see if Daniel-san's tutelage under handyman Mr. Miyagi still holds up after all these years. Iconic lines and enduring images fill this classic coming-of-age story of beating back the bullies with bravery and determination, and performances from established actors and one-hit wonders manage to keep this high-kicking classic from growing stale. Come for the hand-to-hand heroics and blossoming romance and you might find a surprising amount of heart and humor. At the very least, you might get some chores done!

New year, new shows, and Down to Watch is back at it again in 2025! Dan and Raul brush confetti out of their hair and put away their Santa hats to welcome a brisk January on television. Early in the month, we see a number of doc series about living forever or making a killing on the air with Jerry Springer as well as a doc spoof with returning historian Philomena Cunk. Mid-month we're catching up with the split personality cast of Severance and redefining what good cop/bad cop means, alongside a Western that isn't made by Taylor Sheridan and a Japanese drama that might get messy but sure looks cool. Rounding out the month with big dramas around the President's security, a grounded Cold War Soviet sub, and whatever Prime Target might end up being a great start to the year. Listen up and decide for yourself!

Down to Watch is all about a royal rumble this week with Kings of Tupelo! Dan and Raul watched all three episodes of the new Netflix documentary series from the creators of the series Wild Wild Country and from the studio that made Tiger King if the trailers are to be believed. It's easy to see how the shows relate, as the Kings are mostly self-centered monarchs of tiny empires who all end up tied in some way to the star of the show, Kevin Curtis. KC is a wingnut conspiracy theorist who drives everyone around him insane and quickly dismantles his own life before finding himself behind bars for trying to assassinate the US president. This series promised a Mississippi feud that included guns, poison, severed limbs, a lot of network news coverage, and a little dog named Moo Cow. Does it deliver? Better listen to the pod!

The small screen is covered in spycraft at the moment and DtW is sneaking up on a couple of new shows! Dan and Raul combed the monthly TV premieres microfiche to find that most streamers are sending out a spy series or two this season and picked the pilots of The Agency and Black Doves to see if they self-destruct or accomplish their mission. The Agency's A-lister star Michael Fassbender displays the meticulousness of a field agent of a non-murderous sort (so far) as the show displays how a man can balance the clandestine with a love story amidst looming international chaos. Meanwhile, in Kiera Knightly's Black Doves, she's lost her love to mysterious circumstances at the end of a sniper rifle, and she needs the help of old friend Ben Whishaw to get to the revenging for her extramarital paramore. She's also balancing a regular life with this cloak and dagger shenanigans, although she's built a loving family out of a sham marriage that was once deep cover but may end up with her next to the UK Prime Minister. Both shows go hard on the spyjinks, but are they worth watching til the end? This podcast is your secret decoder ring to the truth!

The 'most wonderful time of the year' comes with new TV like any other month, and Down to Watch is unwrapping the upcoming offerings for you! Dan and Raul checked the list twice to make sure they cover all of December, and the DtW Gift Guide is chock full of docs and dramas, with the true stories including Churchill doing war, silly Florida crimes, serious parole boards, and whatever the deal is with Polo. On the dramatic side, we travel to Canada for something Sticky, to the UK for spy vs crime-syndicate action, and return to the worlds of Dexter and Squid Game. Books and games are being adapted to visually striking stories, the Star Wars and DC worlds check in and the Simpsons cross with the NFL in a wild ending to 2024. Come listen to it!

As the year approaches it's festive finality and the warming glow of the living room draws us closer together, Down to Watch has a couple new series to get cozy around. Dan and Raul saw the first episode of Day of the Jackal, a book made and remade into films until finally landing on an Eddie Redmayne led show about an international assassin and MI6 agent on his tail. This one is dripping with style and talent, with plenty of fan buzz after premiering. They also caught the premier of an anticipated oddball show called Interior Chinatown, another book adaptation about a waiter who feels like a background character in a crime drama, with the added hook that the show within a show rules seem to affect his life as well. Spoiler, the shows are worth the conversation and will probably come up again so check this pod out and get in the know! 

This week on Down to Watch... blasphemy on the big screen! Dan and Raul went out to the cinema to see if one Mr. Hugh Grant could summon enough acting chops to pull off the horror in a new horror movie called Heretic. Two young Mormon girls are responding to inquiries made to their church with hopes of growing their ranks when they discover the final name on the list was the last door they should have knocked on. The doors lock, the lights go out and conversation becomes menacing as the host manipulates his victims with mockery of their beliefs and generally chews the entire set as only a legendary British actor could. Did the movie get lost in the speeches or make believers of these podcast hosts? Blueberry pie, that's right!

Down to Watch is sticking to scary for a week longer as the Halloween vibes bleed into November with two new Peacock series: Hysteria and Teacup! Dan and Raul made a trip through the NBC streaming site to see what was up with these new horror-adjacent stories they're serving up and the gore was definitely present in Teacup. There's a trio of families trapped on a farm when a man draws a blue line around the property and anyone who crosses it becomes mulch. Internal drama and a seemingly possessed boy ratchet the tension but there might not be enough meat on the bone, so to speak. Then the guys talk about Hysteria, where the 1980s satanic panic might be the actual demonic presence spreading, but one high school kid is dead set on making things worse while choosing to become a 'Satanist', promoting his sick guitar skills and launching his band into black metal. This show definitely zags when zigging seems par for the course, so it might get very interesting. How interesting? These guys know!

This week DtW is capping spooky season with a cult classic vampire flick full of wild practical effects from 1985, Fright Night! Dan and Raul couldn't let October end without seeking some scary tales and this definitely delivered. This borderline schlock dips into sexy thrillers and TV history with its mix of rear window snooping, lamp-shading old-school horror presenters, and dance floor danger that may hold up better than expected. Is it enough to get past some of the more dated and hokey ideas that come with throwback genre movies? Ask the boys on the pod!

If for whatever reason you wanna take your mind off of the world's troubles this November, Down to Watch has some worthwhile distractions to de-stress or displace that anxiety. Dan and Raul checked out the upcoming schedule and found plenty to fill your TV tray as we head into the holidays. We've got more Yellowstone, a new show from Taylor Sheridan, another look at the assassin, The Jackal, and a series of creepy Creep Tapes. In theaters, we see Jesse and Kieran being real pains, Hugh somehow being scary and Denzel being Denzel in a gladiatorial setting. There are shows made from books, a doc about music, and more! Come get your gifts early! 

This week it's the first two episodes of the sequel series to The Batman and DTW is down to waddle! Dan and Raul both love the new HBO series on Max based on Batman's old school villain The Penguin and Colin Ferrell is a big part of it. The Irishman has tackled what could easily be a throwaway genre cliche with artistic aplomb. The result on paper is a straightforward crime story, but in live action is revealed to be a layered story built around an excellent performance. Ferrell is in good company with solid character actors, new faces, and the titular mother from How I Met Your Mother (Cristin Milioti), but this corner of the DC Universe is all about Oswald Cobb and can absolutely hook you after only two eps. What are the chances we'll see a gas umbrella or a duck boat though???

Another spooky season sneaks up on us and the DtW crew checked out the tricks and treats being handed out all October. The guys catch up on last month's hits and misses before knocking on next month's door and getting a mixed bag of fun size, full-sized, and sharing size! Dan's bag is overflowing with reality and documentary TV like Starting 5, a Netflix look at NBA lives, or This is the Zodiac Speaking, a dive into the mind of a mysterious killer. Raul's bucket of treats is all dramatizations like the criminal boxing world of La Maquina, The Franchise's MCU send-up, and Hysteria inserts read demons into the satanic panic. We got a ton of FBI checking the candy, some Halloween specials and what's so scary about a Teacup? You haven't seen Get Out, have you?

September is getting spooky sooner than expected this week on Down to Watch! Dan and Raul are happy to have Jonnie back as usual and he's got some thoughts on the latest nostalgia sequel in theaters, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The ghost with the most is back and the reception has been mostly positive but it's time to see what DtW thinks about Keaton wigging up again. Of course, no visit from this pod favorite guest is complete without a peek into the MCU and the guys are ready to talk spells, psychics, and scarlet witches because Agatha All Along has arrived to scare up some good old witchy fun with that Disney superhero studio money. Does it add up to the Marvel equivalent of TV magic or are we watching illusions and misdirects? These guys might know!

This week we're Down to Watch a buncha punks! Dan and Raul take a trip back in time with The Decline of Western Civilization, a 1981 doc filmed from within the Los Angeles punk scene as it was cresting on a wave of drugs, violence, art, and energy so potent the LAPD chief at the time forbade the film's screening. Through interviews, gig footage, and crowd interactions, filmmaker Penelope Spheeris managed to capture one of the most authentic portrayals of a musical movement ever seen on film and does it impressively despite such an unwieldy and abstract genre. This pod is a conversation in admiration and fun for sure, but if the documentary sounds interesting, it's free on YouTube!

Time to look ahead to September with the Down to Watch crew as the fall TV season starts to get in gear. Dan and Raul scraped the internet's endless lists to figure out the best in new streaming and even some old-fashioned network shows. There's plenty of real-world drama in docs like Mr. McMahon, Child Star, and American Sports Story, big moments at the Emmys, and more funny news from Roy Wood Jr.  Lot of tough guys coming back, too, from Tulsa Kings to an Old Man and even a Walking Dead. We got Japanese women's wrestling, modern British court drama, Colin Farrell's Penguin, so much Ryan Murphy and was it Agatha All Along!?! Maybe! Better listen! 

Deep into August, the DtW team treks into the 80s with a film that resonates with an audience of a certain age, The NeverEnding Story! Dan and Raul are both interested in the legacy left by one of a few fantasy flicks they remember as formative for their age group and dove into the world of Fantasia. Old-school fantasy story beats mix with ahead-of-their-time tropes like meta-narratives and crossing realities when a bookish kid hides from the world with a stolen book that literally places the reader at the center of the story. Does it hold up? Can it live up to the memory of one host and the expectations of another after a lifetime of hearing about Atreyu and Artax swashbuckling across our imaginations? Is there... an ending??? These guys answer some of those questions, maybe!

Summers in Florida are sweaty and sweltering, so this week, DtW is watching a new Sunshine State series on the TV with the A/C cranked! Dan and Raul caught their old friend Vince Vaughn sneaking around outer Miami in search of clues on Bad Monkey, a sunny murder mystery with the A-Lister as a motormouth detective who's off the force for a litany of reasons. The first two episodes have dropped to more than some acclaim while drawing comparisons to a number of previous shows that might denote a little less quality. So, did AppleTV+ manage to sneak in some quality noir around the fast-talking banter and baby turtle facts, or should this show have been successfully delivered to the gators only a few feet from the highway? Mayhaps the hosts can shine an unconventional streetlight on this!

This week, DtW has a couple of premieres from the TV Premieres ep that stood out to our intrepid hosts. First, Dan and Raul are back into the "A-Lister on TV" trend as Natalie Portman tries out the small screen in a dark drama tying two murders together while Natty Ports' harranged housewife discovers her purpose in Lady in the Lake. A good-looking production filled with quality acting has a few interesting twists, including a narrator who does double duty as one of the victims, but this is a well-worn genre, and star power doesn't guarantee success. On the other hand, a series remake of a fantasy film from the 80s from a Monty Python alum is in no danger of being overwhelmed by mainstream attention, but a cult following for the source material and a snappy script for the whole family might make Time Bandits a show worth recommending. There are so many unique flavors between these two shows that it's something that stands out for anyone! Check it out!

This week, DtW comes to a turning point, a fork stuck in the road, as time passes by and the world watches the Fox Marvel films come to an end with Deadpool & Wolverine! Dan and Raul have Jonnie back to say bye, bye and bye to cameos and references galore as the fourth wall-breaking Merc with a Mouth arrives in a second sequel made for MCU and comic fans alike. In this one, the couple of ramblin men in the title travel across dimensions in a bid to save what the hosts eventually believe is Marvel 10005, his home universe from the TVA, Professor X's in utero twin and a host of other characters from other continuities, franchises and even mediums! Red and Wolvie arrive like a prayer, just when comic book movies need the fans to believe in them again. Does it work? Are they back!?! Did they save the MCU with the power of love!!?!! Listen and find out, bub.

Summer is sliding into home as the sun bears down upon us and Down to Watch has the lineup for your August TV rotation! Dan and Raul are looking for home runs in a month of expected ground outs, and hopefully there's a series that can give you a bit of relief from the hazy heat. Over in the real world, Max is taking a listen to Elizabeth Taylor's Lost Tapes and the New York Times wants to Lie to Fly, while the animated scene has some big franchises trying for triples with Rick & Morty, The Terminator and Batman entries. A month that starts with Good Girls and ends in Kaos, with tons of returning shows worth mentioning, is coming out of the bullpen to save the season! More baseball metaphors!

This week Down to Watch veers off the path of "Essential 80s" for something a little strange and different but nonetheless classic & cult with The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension! Dan and Raul are astounded at the talent level in this esoteric lampshade placed on spy, musical, sci-fi, and romance genres while kinda spoofing serials in general. There's a ton of recognizable faces in this goofy romp from genre films like Doc Brown, Doc Brundle, and the titular Robocop, as well as character actors galore, but the film is filled with sorta-jokes, references to never-seen characters and events, and a decent amount of cultural confusion that doesn't necessarily play as cleanly today. Did our intrepid hosts survive traipsing across genres and comedic sensibilities to arrive at a satisfying film, or is there a reason this never reached the successful film dimension? Can this level of acting talent turn a flighty script and some improv asides into film history? Do aliens call humans monkey boys??? Answers within this pod!

Down to Watch is back in business, and that business is refrigerrr...robotics, actually! Dan and Raul followed Rashida Jones into a tragic mystery centered around the bot-building company Imatech and her late husband's classified research in the new AppleTV+ series Sunny. American ex-pat misanthrope Suzie deals with life in Japan (as well as in a near future where robot helpers abound) after a plane crash has taken the lives of her Japanese engineer husband, Masa, and their young son. As the world around her tries to help assuage her pain with culturally unfamiliar customs, clues begin to drop about Masa's secret life that led to him leaving her with a bespoke AI robot, Sunny. The company is hiding killer robots, her mother-in-law is busy destroying clues, and now the Yakuza is involved? This show is wrapping cool music, bouncy sci-fi concepts, and dark humor around an investigation into grief processing, and we're here to talk about it!

This week, Down to Watch is down but not out in Beverly Hills! Dan, Raul, and Jonnie take a trip to the fancy side of 80s revivals as Eddie Murphy brings back a classic action comedy character in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. All the hosts have seen the original, some more recently than others, and the whole gang is on board for a return to fast talkin', quick thinking Axel as he deals with rich guy villains, flashy cops who sold out and a ton of 80s tropes revisited with a modern mentality. Does the old cast bring back all the chemistry they had in the original, and do the new characters add or remove from the fun of the fantastic first movie and its sequels of arguable quality? If they're laughing funny, sporting dodgy accents, and doin' the Neutron Dance, it's on this pod!

The temp is rising, the BBQs are lit, and new TV shows are hot off the grill and into our living rooms this July! Dan and Raul are checking the summer snacks served by the multitude of streamers who want our hard-earned subscriptions. Among the burgers and dogs awaiting us are spicy new offerings like Natalie Portman's Not Being a Lady in the Lake, Nic Cage and a pair of Longlegs, and Rashida Jones's seeing the 'Sunny' side of a scary situation.  On the animated menu, Kite Man says Hell Yeah to some more adventures; somehow, a show is called Exploding Kittens, and the BBQ links keep coming in Sausage Party: Foodtopia. There's a mess of returning shows, a whole Olympics, more Maxxxine and a really sick party in The Decameron (whatever that is), so come summer with us!

This week, Down to Watch is on summer vacation! Dan and Raul met up IRL with podfriend Hannah to watch the 25th (ish?) anniversary re-release of the German time loop film Run Lola Run. Rebel and indie filmmakers had a resurgence in the 90s, and this kinetic electro-fable still stands among the most lauded German productions ever, with critics, award groups, and a wide cult following on display in theaters over the last few weeks. All three hosts were glad to revisit this film at the Los Angeles staple, Landmark's Nuart Theater, and they have tons to say about it! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

Big franchises collide with indie drama in this week's two-show showdown on Down to Watch! Dan and Raul have been observing the hype around the new Star Wars series The Acolyte with a bit of skepticism after the last few TV tries from the Skywalker clan resulted in a mixed bag at best. The new show might be angering fans and podcast hosts alike early in the first episode as well, but can the pilot turn fan opinions around by the closing credits? But first, there's a show about a missing kid and his dirtbag dad being desperate enough to find them that they enlist the help of an imaginary friend of the child's to delve into a seedy underbelly. Although the premise is familiar, Benedict Cumberbatch's new Eric is far more dour and sinister than the similarly plotted Happy! from a few years back. Boasting proper acting talent, will this show be back on the pod for a season recap? It does have puppets!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

This week, the DtW trip through the 80s film landscape hits a bit of a bumpy road! Dan and Raul watched Firestarter, a 1984 Stephen King adaptation starring a tiny Drew Barrymore alongside plenty of Hollywood talent about a rogue couple and their pyrokinetic daughter on the run from the clandestine sci-fi government organization responsible for all their unnatural talents. Despite the talent on screen and the material's pedigree, this film was torched back in the day, but the cult following it may have garnered since belies a secret classic of the weird and paranoid that gave us titles like Videodrome and Scanners. Or maybe it's just bad; come find out! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

This week on Down to Watch, it's a handy June guidebook for what's going on in TV and in theaters! Dan and Raul find the new TV offerings to be meager so the monthly look forward includes many returning shows and trips to the theater. On the new TV front, there's an NBA scandal, a hyped-up Star Wars series, Jake Gyllenhaal getting into legal limbo, and a look back at the pack full of brats. Out in theaters, the summer starts with a remake of The Crow, a re-release of Run Lola Run, M Night's daughter's first twist vehicle, the first days of A Quiet Place, and a possible hit, man. We also welcome back a mayor, some boys, a bunch of angry dragons, the staff of a tasty sandwich shop, and more! Get out of the hot sun and check 'em out! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

This week, DtW takes a trip to 80s Louisiana to admire the flowers and friendly faces in Steel Magnolias! Dan and Raul continue to complete their education in the cultural classics by watching a movie both remember as very well loved but never got around to watching. With a half dozen powerhouse women playing the cadre of close friends at the center of the film, there was no doubt this would be a showcase of incredible talent, but will the story hold its shape, or is it as dated as a big frizzy do? This definitely isn't Fried Green Tomatoes! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

This week, DtW takes a look at both sides of a sad, scary, and strangely funny story of The Sympathizer! Dan and Raul checked out the Max streaming, HBO-branded adaptation of the darkly comedic novel of the same name, and are both impressed after a few eps. Lead character The Captain walks a frighteningly fine line between soldier, spy, and effective enemy operative as he weaves between his Vietnamese allies on both sides of the confrontation. Peppering in A-Listers in surprising roles at times helps keep the pace bouncy alongside the playful narrator, but is it worth sticking with, or do a few small issues add up to anything serious? Who's to say what side is the right side, It's best to listen and find out! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

DTW is dipping into docs this May with several entries in the upcoming month telling stories that are as strange as they are true! Dan and Raul found they were looking forward to many of the same true tales lined up for the next few weeks, including a look into the life of Muppet inventor Jim Henson, the story of the melodic musical legends The Beach Boys, and an odd but well-documented life in Japan called The Contestant. The oddness continues with a return to hit doc The Jinx, a popular show thought completely told. Scripted TV stays weird with more Outer Range, more multiverse in Dark Matter, some spy stuff, and even movies in this one, so May...be have a listen!? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

In anticipation of the soon-to-be-streaming prequel, The First Omen, this week, DtW flashes back to the original 1976 The Omen! Dan sees it for the first time while Raul revisits a classic he used to watch on constant rotation, with star power in the front and satanic panic pushing it forward. Gregory Peck stars in a familial nightmare with a political tinge, detailing a family's fall after unknowingly adopting the son of Satan. Famous moments from scary movie history were made possible by this nefariously apocalyptic tale, but the fears present here were also fueled by an outsized fear of the devil saturating the culture of the age. Does it still scare and compel, or were these fears and feelings only indicative of 70s American unease? Let's talk about it! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

This week, DtW crawls out to the Prime adaptation of Fallout! Dan and Raul complete the gamer configuration of the show by inviting Jonnie to talk about the first two episodes of a tongue-in-cheek gorefest set in the post-nuclear apocalypse. Lucy is a sheltered vault-dweller encountering the Mad Max-style carnage of the surface world for the first time, Maximus is trying to escape his ineffectiveness as part of a military religion by stealing a suit of robot armor, and The Ghoul has stuck around since pre-war America to give us a modern-day perspective and more Walton Goggins for our TVs. After a few days out, the show has stuck to the game's vibes and continues to get good reviews, so is this another successful adaptation of a game, or is it a bomb with a diminishing half-life? These three brickball aficionados probably know!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

This week, Down to Watch follows a couple of mystery men through their new streaming series! Our DtW hosts start off talking about another take on The Talented Mr. Ripley, this time simply titled Ripley and led by a couple of recognizable BBC faces. The show is set in stark black-and-white Italy and slowly meanders through the crime thriller's story, but is it so thoughtful it forgets to be compelling? A question that can also be asked about the second show covered in this pod is AppleTV+' Sugar, an LA-based crime noir starring Colin Ferrell. Ferell? A new kind of hero, John Sugar, doesn't appear to be as seedy as the story he's in, but will the show's inevitable twist undo the character work done in early episodes? These are questions for Dan and Raul! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

Down to Watch is back this week, dodgin' bunnies and chuckin' eggs to bring you a shower of April television picks to make your spring even more sprung! Dan and Raul brought a basket of green plastic grass, hollow chocolate, and adaptations like Fallout, Ripley, Parasyte, and Dead Boy Detectives. A bunch of spy craft shows are lined up like a pack of peeps, including The Veil, The Sympathizer, and an LA gumshoe story called Sugar, keeping the investigation domestic. Learn what is happening to the thoroughbreds at the race track with the New York Times doc film Broken Horses, what Conan finds while wandering in Conan O'Brien Needs to Go, and what happened back during The Hijacking of Flight 601. Keep your heads dry while waiting for May to bloom with these great picks!   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

This week Netflix dropped a tentpole series with a lot of hype, and DtW is back to tell you about it! Dan and Raul watched the first two episodes of 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of the first book in the Chinese sci-fi series that is beyond popular in China and worldwide. Showrunners/writer/director duo Weiss and Benioff found success and fame helming the groundbreaking Game of Thrones but suffered consequences to their subsequent projects based on fan reactions to the finale they crafted. Does this mean they're ready to burst back on the scene with an equally vast story full of scientific wonder and terror, or does their handling of the GoT ending prove that their stories are rudderless without a source material to draw from? That's a very specific question, and also, there's a Tarly! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message

Down to Watch drops this week with a couple of spring streaming shows with secrets aplenty! Dan and Raul caught a couple of sneaky little shows in their sights with titles that might be misleading. First, AppleTV+ does not have the third season of Manhunt from Spectrum TV, but they do have an adaptation of the book Manhunt that describes the lawful search for John Wilkes Booth. The investigation into Lincoln's assassination is new ground for most viewers and the first two eps get a lot out of the procedural of it all as well as an unexpected emotional element. Next is The Gentlemen, a spiritual sequel to the film of the same name, both from writer-director Guy Ritchie who continues his resurgence after shedding most of his style-over-substance artistic persona. The show follows a new Duke in charge of a surprise weed grow op under his newly bequeathed manor and how his quick wits will serve him well as head of a criminal franchise and a family of aristocratic kooks. Word on the street is positive on both shows, but did these small-screen stories resonate with the DtW crew? Answers within! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/downtopod/message