Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! We're back for the sixth (!) annual Brekkie Awards, a celebration of the most affecting and transformative art of the year. In this episode, we're announcing winners, shouting out honorable mentions, and applauding Maggie's ability to cheat in almost every category. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Discussion of Crossroads of Ravens, Ch. 1-8 Surprise! We're returning to the wonderful world of chapter-by-chapter fantasy discussions with the latest Witcher novel, Crossroads of Ravens. In this episode, we're exploring the narrative paradox of introducing a character like Preston Holt in the ninth book of the series, young Geralt's illluminating / overlapping Faustian bargains, Sapkowski's tricky relationship with giving his characters "thesis statements," and the strange reputation inflation that happens when a franchise gets too successful. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The grand finale of our 2025 Advent Calendar is finally here, so we thought we'd finally talk about something festive! For this episode, we watched the modern holiday horror classic "Krampus". Topics include: practical / digital creature design, the x-factor of onscreen family dynamics, key cinematic influences, and the existential, dread-inducing, high-pressure shadow of rewatchability that hangs over all holiday films. Merry Christmas! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In this episode, we're doing some very serious analytical work — creating the definitive tier list of all the worst breaches of theater etiquette we've ever witnessed firsthand. The vibes are frantic, the complaints are petty, and spirits are high. Happy Festivus! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! After the recent disappointment of Black Ops 7, Cam went back to 2017's Call of Duty: WWII in the hopes of finding a simple, competently made FPS campaign. Instead, he found the most impressive, immersive, and profound game in the franchise — a largely overlooked modern classic that feels like a minor miracle in the current gaming landscape. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! We try to mention "fun factor" in all of our gaming episodes. It's a mercurial, tricky concept that is too often overlooked in critical analysis. In this episode, we're celebrating an absolute masterpiece of fun — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. Topics include: arcade difficulty, colorful combat, and mechanical variety. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This episode is a post-mortem of the shockingly unenjoyable Terrifier game. We're trying to figure out where it all went wrong, and that question will take us through combat expression, enemy variety, core understanding of the source material, and a brief digression into the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Somehow, this French indie movie is both the best James Bond movie and best Batman / Catwoman movie ever made. In this episode, we're investigating the endless, delirious style of Reflection of a Dead Diamond. Topics include: the art of rug pull revelations, how to balance realism and surrealism, and the enduring cultural influence of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Diablo's latest season is like a box of crayons that has one gloriously beautiful crayon inside of it — but the rest is empty. Functionally, this is a season without a story, and as much as we are adoring the new Paladin class, this episode is ultimately about how alarmed we are by the narrative precedent established by this Season of Divine Intervention. Topics include: difficulty curve, constant bugs, fun factor, the new seasonal powers, underlying systems reworks, the seasonal campaign, a class update about the delightful Paladin, and some existential wrap up questions. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In this episode, we're exploring the calming, focusing, and meditative power of Powerwash Simulator 2, a game that Cam accidentally dumped fifty hours into — and found some measure of inner peace along the way. Topics include: the immortal attraction of color, what makes a great iterative sequel, and the thrill Maggie gets from pretending to farm. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Wake Up Dead Man is far and away the best Knives Out movie, somehow managing to be both a great screwball comedy and an earnest drama about faith. In this episode, we're exploring that dichotomy, and Maggie's hunch that this feels like two movies stitched together. Topics include: the boundless talent of Josh O'Connor, the narrative demotion of Benoit Blanc, and the difficulty of ancillary political satire. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Maggie's journey as a gamer stretches from Baldur's Gate 3 on the PS5 all the way back to clicking away at 'homework games' on the family computer. In this retrospective episode, she's taking us through the top ten titles that define her as a gamer — fascinatingly presented in chronological order. Come for the Barbie shoutouts, stay for the evolution into an ARPG sicko. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In an act of pure self-loathing, Cam attempted to create a list of the ten games that define him as a lifelong gamer. The first draft of that list had a hundred entries. In this episode, we're discussing his final, winnowed-down top ten. Somehow, none of the Halo games made the list, but don't worry, he found a way to fit in almost a dozen honorable mentions. Come for the obligatory Destiny 2 hand-wringing, stay for the wistful memories of Kirby Squeak Squad. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Man Finds Tape is a delightful, dread-inducing puzzlebox that deftly combines the found footage and faux-documentary subgenres of indie horror. In this episode, we explore the film's equally impressive high concepts and lo-fi effects by making enthusiastic comparisons to Hell House, LLC., Smile, and The Poughkeepsie Tapes. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Sisu: Road to Revenge is more than the sum of its parts — and those parts are pretty incredible. This episode is a celebration of what is at once the best John Wick, Mad Max, and Die Hard descendant we've ever seen. Topics include: impossible origin stories, the importance of runtimes, and the marriage of slapstick comedy and deeply sincere drama. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Forget Diablo, forget Path of Exile — Last Epoch might just be the best ARPG on the market. In this episode, we're diving into this nine (!) act campaign to discuss difficulty, art direction, skill trees, quest structure, class variety, fun factor, meta progression, and endgame activities. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Besides being a perfect movie in its own right, Hamnet is also almost a one-to-one restaging of Robert Eggers' The Witch — one of our favorite movies of all time. In this episode, we're running through all the similarities and echoes we noticed, from a shared interest in female folk horror to pivotal exorcisms of oldest sons and impossible, undead finales. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This one's a real head scratcher. Keeper evokes so many of our favorite horror movies — The Witch, Barbarian, The Invitation, The Black Phone — and we love the creative team behind it, but the film just didn't work for us at all. In this episode, we're taking a closer look at the plot, performances, direction, and editing to figure out why. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In this episode, we make the case that Stranger Things is the American Harry Potter — and more specifically, that Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 is strikingly similar to Deathly Hallows Part 1. Echoes include: victorious villains, dramatic camping, the death of innocence, hive mind lieutenants, and pirate radio broadcasts. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Popcorn movies. Fun movies. Entertaining movies. These are the types of films that we take for granted. They're not the types of films that we usually give awards to, but that doesn't mean that they're easy to make. Predator: Badlands is masterfully engaging and relentlessly creative. In this episode, we're exploring the concept of a "fun factor" to find out what made this experience such a hooting, hollering good time. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Does biting satire have to have a nihilistic ending? Do heroic victories undercut commentary about fascism? In this episode, we're taking a look at Edgar Wright's The Running Man, through the lenses of the following films: The Hunger Games, The Long Walk, One Battle After Another, Eddington, Gladiator II, and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Stranger Things is a remarkable medley of genres we love, but is it more than just a collage of pop culture references and influences? In this episode, Cam argues that the show begins as a work of fantasy before evolving into science fiction and settling into the realm of horror. We trace this journey through the following subgenres: high fantasy, urban fantasy, military science fiction, hard sci-fi, dystopian sci-fi, kaiju sci-fi, apocalypse sci-fi, cosmic horror, body horror, Stephen King, haunted house horror, home invasion horror, and slashers. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Black Ops 7 is a fascinating blunder, and a major step backwards for gaming's biggest franchise. In this episode, we're working through the ten best and worst features of the campaign. Topics include: narrative surrealism, the future of the genre, weapon balancing, adaptive difficulty, and the unconscionable absence of a pause button. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! There's so much to love about Terrifier: The ARTcade Game, but after playing through the demo a few times, there's a lot that makes us nervous too. In this episode, we're breaking down all these conflicted reactions. Topics include: signature weapons, enemy variety, hit detection, and the always-important fun factor. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The death of Michael Berzatto is The Bear's inciting incident, but the character remains a regular part of the story through flashbacks and cutaways. What is the narrative effect of these repeated resurrections and deaths? In this episode, we're continuing our exploration of grief art with a discussion of story structure, repetition, memory, and Carmy's frighteningly familiar existential spiral. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Black Phone 2 is an exceedingly strange sequel: shuffling up the narrative prominence of all the central characters, switching horror subgenres, and tossing out the first film's winning formula. These are all admirably big swings for the creative team to take, but the real sticking point for us is the ending, which breaks the cardinal rule of grief art. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! A year after its debut, we're taking an in-depth look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Beneath all the good faith (and bad faith) controversies, there's an interesting, immersive fantasy world here that is worth exploring. Topics include: character customization, combat expression, role playing, conflicting art styles, and the difference between writing good plot and writing good dialogue. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! We're honored to be joined by Hell House LLC creator Stephen Cognetti for this wide-ranging interview celebrating the release of his final film in the franchise. Topics include: ambiguous endings, creative closure, the sequel business, audience expectations, continuing the franchise in a new medium, and fascinating deep dives into the structure and pacing of a good horror movie. Hell House LLC Lineage is available to stream now on Shudder. Happy Halloween! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! For die-hard fans of horror and fantasy like us, Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein might just be the perfect film — and it's also almost certainly the best adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel ever made. In this episode, Cam leads us on a whirlwind tour through the source material's intimate relationship with Doctor Faustus and some of this rendition's most thrilling and thoughtful additions to that proud lineage. We also explore the film's kaleidoscopic structure within the frame of a familiar favorite, analyze Del Toro's sumptuous directorial style, and take a closer look at his (pun intended) Creature design. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In this time traveling episode of Second Breakfast, we're finally tackling the godfather of the slasher genre, John Carpenter's Halloween. We start with a simple question: why is this the best slasher movie? The answer involves gestural structure and a paradoxical approach to pacing. We also get into a spirited debate about the mysterious motive of our beloved Michael Myers. Is he supernatural? Are his crimes random? What roles do sexuality and cultural puritanism play in this story? Finally, we revisit some of the best analysis of the film that we've done over the past five (!) years. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This has gotta be the most entertaining film of the year; a bombastic, aggressively old-school high fantasy adventure full of glorious practical effects and tongue in cheek humor. In this episode, we're exploring the fantasy and horror roots of Deathstalker, the boundless joy of episodic structure, and the delicate balancing act that is required to make a movie this relentlessly entertaining. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Demián Rugna's “When Evil Lurks” is a relentlessly creative and upsetting indie horror film from Argentina. It's also one of the very best possession movies ever made. In this episode, we're using comparisons to Robert Eggers' “The Witch” and Zach Cregger's “Weapons” to analyze the film's folk horror reckoning about children and evil. We also examine the film's paradoxical reliance on excess and restraint by doing close readings of both the most memorable moments of violence and the unnamed monster's ever-evolving creature design. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Destiny: Rising is like a phenomenal cover band of Destiny 2, a spirited revival playing all the hits and reminding you of better times. And with Destiny 2 currently in such a dreadful state, it is genuinely remarkable how well NetEase has curated this game as a greatest hits of everything Bungie has ever done well. Does this spinoff mobile game somehow manage to surpass its namesake? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Him is the most underrated and misunderstood horror movie of the year. In this episode, we're exploring the film's boundless thematic depth and striking visuals to uncover a fascinating inverse Faust theory and an unexpected but bone-deep Kubrick homage. Comparison titles include: Whiplash, Fight Club, Doctor Faustus, Midsommar, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The live service whiplash continues in Diablo IV's tenth season as the game craters back down to earth. Somehow, this season is as dreadful, buggy, frustrating, and meaningless as last season was flawless. In this episode, we're discussing the state of the game, the seasonal campaign, and providing a few class updates — while doing our best to avoid reaching a breaking point with this game. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! How do you end a franchise? It's a question that haunts (and ruins) almost every long-running story that any of us has ever loved, and here's the thing — it might be a trick question. In this episode, we're considering three recent ‘finales' to long-running series (and about a hundred other examples) to see if we can answer this perennial question! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Ask and you shall receive! Here's our analysis of The Long Walk through the evergreen lens of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. This one's got some fascinating remixes: dozens of Faustuses, a rare foregrounding of the lesser demons, and possibly the most unfair Faustian deal we've ever seen put to screen. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! This discussion is all about intensity. The Long Walk is the first movie that Cam has ever seriously considered walking out of, and we're breaking down every element of this film to find out why, from the slasher structure and non-romantic restraint to the empathetic realism and distinctly American contradictions. Comparisons include: The Hunger Games, Mad Max: Fury Road, Inside, The Stranger, Funny Games, It Follows, and Warfare. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In an era full of tired remakes, what do we make of video game remasters? What is gained or lost when a classic from another time is overhauled to suit modern hardware and sensibilities? In this episode, we're investigating Gears of War: Reloaded to find out what (if anything) has been lost in translation, and why this game still feels so revolutionary almost twenty years later. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Rachel Cain's ‘Somnium' is a triumph of indie horror filmmaking and sheer creative willpower, but it's also the most provocative and fascinating exploration of dreams that we've ever seen from the genre. In this episode, we're deep diving into metaphorical dreams, literal dreams, and all the nightmarish ways in which they interact. We're talking symbolic monsters, ambiguous endings, and class consciousness — with just a touch of Faustus thrown in for good measure. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The Conjuring: Last Rites is a long goodbye; it presents a medley of curtain calls, family drama, beautiful directing, and uninspired scares. In this episode we examine the final Ed & Lorraine Conjuring movie from three different perspectives: as a character study, as a horror movie, and as the ending of a beloved horror franchise. Our discussion concludes with a reflection on subjectivity, and its centrality to our discussions about art on the show. Plus, Maggie forgets the word “spin-off” about 17 times. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The Toxic Avenger is unrated, unhinged, and full of heart. In this episode, we're exploring the explosive color work of unrated horror, Toxie's fantastic creature design that harkens back to the body horror roots of the genre, the restlessness of successful on-screen comedy, and the film's folkloric catharsis in the face of cartoonish corruption and cruelty. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Of all the horror franchises, Hell House LLC might have the boldest and most terrifying sequels. In this episode, we're discussing them all, while tracking the unique ways in which they complicate and deepen the franchise's ten-year Faustus meditation. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The fifth and ‘final' Hell House LLC film is out now in theaters, and causing quite a stir. We both loved this movie, and in this episode we are responding to the four most prominent criticisms that have torn through the fandom. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Like most horror movies, The Poughkeepsie Tapes is a mixed bag — in this case, an uneven combination of mockumentary interviews and shaky found footage scares. But Cam's got a wild theory that this movie is actually one of the most vicious and biting satires ever made of the true crime industrial complex and its relationship with the horror genre. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Jimmy and Stiggs is what you get when you throw Evil Dead and Saw in a blender, open the top, splatter it all over a laser tag arena, and then shoot the whole thing into space. This is the most gonzo, full throttle, colorful, and splatter crunch crazy movie we have ever covered on the show. It's an absolutely stunning thrill ride, and a genuinely inspiring monument to indie filmmaking. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! It's time to do a little check-in about the future of the show. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! In a true ‘bucket list' moment, we got to see My Chemical Romance perform the entirety of their masterpiece “The Black Parade” album live on stage. For this marathon episode, we're breaking down all new iconography of the band's “Draag” era, unearthing some provocative connections to The Black Parade, discussing each and every song in the time-traveling setlist, and reflecting on this transcendent, life-affirming artistic experience. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Eddington is a bold, fascinating, ambitious satire, but it's also the film that cements certain patterns within Ari Aster's way of telling stories. In this episode, we're creating a list of four ironclad ‘rules' that appear in each of his movies by revisiting Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid — before finally discussing Eddington. This is a celebration of recurring themes and conceptual escalation across one of the most exciting and restless filmographies of our time. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's — a sudden influx of life-affirming summer blockbusters? In this episode, we're taking a look at both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, to find out why Cam was holding back tears throughout these movies. Topics include: a dozen pointed similarities between these films, our wildly different perspectives & expectations, a bit of backseat editing, comparisons to past inspiring superhero films, the endless importance of romance in storytelling, and a look towards the future of this new trend. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! The Pitt isn't just one of the best shows of the last ten years, it is an astonishing work of horror — an urgent, unflinching, life-affirming tapestry of hope, loss, life, and death. In this episode, we're exploring the story's central ‘real-time' conceit from four distinct angles: passing time, compounding time, lost time, and impending time. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com