Talk and Beans

Episode #105 is the final part of our Christmas Spectacular 2022 and is all about one of the most strange and iconic films of the 1980s, Gremlins. Scott and Tom are joined by Justin and there's talk about the film's unique change of tone, it's immoral cast of human characters, if Barney is the best ever dog actor, being shocked by the violence towards the Gremlins and Billy no-mates getting an unnecessary love story. Plus, Tom thinks he might be Gizmo and we wonder if the film could be an origin story for another famous character.

Episode #104 of Talk and Beans is the seventh annual Christmas Special and Part One of our Christmas Spectacular 2022. Scott and Tom are joined this year by Justin to talk about European traditions, celebrating Christmas at the beach, Action Man memories, the trouble with getting a modern games console, experiencing a summer Christmas in Australia and Justin tells us his favourite festive movies, food & music. Plus, another rant about Love Actually and another debate about Bublé.

Episode #103 is the final part of our Halloween Spectacular 2022 and it's all about one of the most iconic parody movies of all time. Scott and Tom are joined by Rob to talk about it's use of early 2000s cultural references, being a parody to a film that's already a homage, the strong opening scenes, if the comedy still holds up, mixed memories of the horror scenes referenced and the Wayans brothers as comedic writers. Plus, starting the Carmen Electra Appreciation Society and sharing the film with friends.

Episode #102 is the first part of our Halloween Spectacular 2022 and is the seventh annual Halloween Special. Scott and Tom are joined by Rob to talk about a scary beauty product, a new way to get costume ideas, if ghostface patrolled Whitechapel, bedtime routines for staying safe, the risk of podcasting about spooky topics and the boys once again become the “Costume Police” with so many inevitable awful fancy dress trends this year. Plus, Scott talks about a recent near death experience, Tom thinks he's the victim of a plague and much more! PS. The intro may sound a little muffled because of wearing masks… oops!

Episode #101 of Talk and Beans is the 2022 Bromance Valentine's Special as Scott and Tom find out from Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott how to be a Role Model. We talk about how weird it is to see child actors swear, the movie being a snapshot of it's time, the presentation of LAIRE and how the film does a good job of making the audience care. Plus, Tom has another loving surprise and Scott passionately explains a beef.

Episode #100 is on all the recent big events from the world of Pro Wrestling. Scott and Tom talk about Seth Rollins being cool again, awful new theme songs, natural new AEW stars, ROH working with IMPACT, Moxley's return, if NXT 2.0 was really necessary, the WrestleMania sign catching fire and the risk of WWE getting caught up in boring, predictable & repetitive booking. Plus, our favourite attires, returns & moments from the Royal Rumble and a celebration of reaching 100 episodes!

Episode #99 is the final part of our Christmas Spectacular 2021 and is all about one of the most popular festive films of the modern era. Scott and Tom talk about Buddy's weird background story, Peter Dinklage's performance, New York being synonymous with Christmas, the film's use of special effects and thoughts on the films musical themes. Plus, why promotional material has ruined the film's spark and the it being a festive favourite for many.

Episode #98 of Talk and Beans is the sixth annual Christmas Special and Part One of our Christmas Spectacular 2021. Scott and Tom are joined this year by Jamie to talk about memories of Scott's childhood stories but from his perspective, experiences from last years Christmas in lockdown, awkward gift misunderstandings, fancy restaurants trying to cash in on the festive period and Tom tells us about the mysterious case of the missing present. Plus, Jamie drops a bombshell about his controversial Christmas dinner and tells us his favourite Christmas songs, films & childhood presents.

Episode #97 is a deep dive into the long awaited return of the Ghostbusters franchise. Scott and Tom discuss the film's Egon centric plot, attempts to fill in the story's 32 year gap, the use of Shandor's Summerville location, reactions to the incredibly emotional moments, believability issues, the film's attempt to establish new characters and the heavy reliance of properties from the original movies. Plus, which nuance character traits were faithfully recreated and which ones didn't make sense.

Episode #96 is a look back at the controversial 2016 attempt to revive the Ghostbusters franchise. Scott and Tom discuss the film's clear identity crisis, it's use of cameos, the fan backlash, great scenes & performances that get overlooked, the hit & miss homages to the originals, problems with the plot, the use of modern CGI/3D effects and the incredible amount of promising jokes that get self sabotaged. Plus, the clear signs of second guessing with noticeable cuts, edits and rumoured use of costly reshoots.

Episode #95 is the final part of our Halloween Spectacular 2021 and is all about the film that revived the slasher genre in the 90s. Scott and Tom are joined by Rob to talk about Scream using horror clichés, it's great use of misdirection, the impactful opening scene, questionable characters, 90s tech nostalgia and debating the film's fine line between possible plot holes & shocking realism. Plus, it's forgotten theme song, use of comedy and a dive into some fan theories.

Episode #94 is the first part of our Halloween Spectacular 2021 and is the sixth annual Halloween Special. Scott and Tom are joined by Rob to talk about the tactics he uses to hide from Trick or Treaters, his beef with certain costumes, how to modernise Frankenstein, Rob's biggest fears, stories about scaring innocent people at Halloween and more spooky number based conspiracy talk. Plus, there's a debate between Scott and Tom about the quality of Buffy as a TV show and which Halloween TV specials are Rob's favourites.

Episode #93 is a deep dive into Ghostbusters II. Scott and Tom discuss the plot's great use of history, the film's extreme 1980's vibe, Rick Moranis shining, deleted scenes that should have been used, Vigo as the bad guy, parallels with the original, storyline holes and why the Ghostbusters shouldn't be taking time off at Christmas. Plus, the great soundtrack features that make up for the less than iconic musical score.

Episode #92 is on all the recent big events from the world of Pro Wrestling. Scott and Tom talk about CM Punk's AEW debut, Becky Lynch's bittersweet return, the new Lesnar/Reigns dynamic, Karrion Kross' weird booking, annoyingly tribal wrestling fans, if NXT needs it's revamp and Edge getting broody. Plus, fantasy booking AEW debuts for Bryan Danielson, Bray Wyatt and Adam Cole.

Episode #91 is on all the big events from this past week in WWE. Scott and Tom talk about who had the best gear, the crowd struggling to get involved, NXT having a different presentation, hilarious Broken Skull Sessions moments, why the HOF was awful, the future of Women’s Wrestling being crowned, awful fan conspiracies and if WWE are lowering Raw after Mania expectations on purpose. Plus, our crazy plans for a WrestleMania in London that involves time travelling tourists and more!

Episode #90 of Talk and Beans is the 2021 Bromance Valentine's Special as Scott and Tom have the time of their lives talking about Dirty Dancing. There's talk about the incredible soundtrack, Hollywood casting older actors, the long list of sub-plots, why a period piece set just 20 years earlier worked better then than it would now, the skill to pull off the teacher/student dynamic as an actor and if the Kellerman's resort is just a posher dance centric version of Center Parcs. Plus, Tom has a surprise and Scott explains why he wants to be a resort manager.

Episode #89 is on the 2021 Royal Rumble and all the big stories from 2020. Scott and Tom talk about Thunderdome returns, the Mysterio family having a sponsorship party, Rumble fashion watch, unexpected fallout from the IIconics split, Christian being IC no. 1 contender for 7 years and a load of nonsense about sexy theme songs and new impressions. Plus, lots to catch up on including Retribution, Old Man 'Taker, Fire play with Orton & The Fiend and much more!

Episode #88 of Talk and Beans is the final part of our Christmas Spectacular 2020. Scott and Tom are joined by Rob to talk about the re-imagined classic that is The Muppet Christmas Carol. We discuss the fantastic performance from Michael Caine, comparisons to other versions of the story, how The Muppets were cast, picking our favourite songs, how we feel about each of the three ghosts and the ways that the film pulls on your heart strings. Plus, there's plenty of ridiculous impressions and talk about a missing scene.

Episode #87 of Talk and Beans is the Christmas Special and Part One of our Christmas Spectacular 2020. Scott and Tom are joined this year by Rob to talk about Christmas as a moody teenager, annoying but useful presents, what celebrations will be like in 2020, being an only child at Christmas, Lynx Africa gift sets, Chocolate innovation and the usual Christmas TV, Films and Songs talk. Plus, We talk about a weird part of Rob's dinner and how he long-term prepares himself for the biggest meal of the year.

Episode #86 is the second part of our Halloween Spectacular 2020 and it's time to celebrate 20 years of Final Destination. Scott and Tom are joined by Steve to talk about if the great premises gets the back story it deserves, how the film makes you paranoid, the cast of horrible unsupportive characters, the impressive plane scene, how modern tech changes the way we look at horror films and sharing our own near death experiences. Plus, We talk about early 2000s fashion and briefly touch on the sequels.

Episode #85 is the first part of our Halloween Spectacular 2020 and is the fifth annual Halloween Special. Scott and Tom are joined by Steve to talk about hiding from Trick or treaters, Halloween games that can't happen in 2020, weird Spider stories and Hypnopompic Hallucinations. Plus, Steve hits the boys with a shocking revelation that they just can't ignore and also explains what does and doesn't scare him.

Episode #84 is a podcasters dream as we get to over analyse, theorise and have a laugh about all things dreamy with our review of Inception. We talk about the use of practical effects, how the film cleverly explained the dream world, the incredible but recycled cast, which theories we believe are true and we create our own dream worlds and pick our totems. Plus, Scott tries to dissect one of his strangest dreams and Tom talks about getting concussed at a birthday party.

Episode #83 is all about the NXT TakeOver that never was…sort of. Scott and Tom talk about the latest episode of NXT TV including the hard hitting 6-woman ladder match, the rumours about Rhea Ripley’s status, NXT’s use of filler and the finale of the DIY story breaking down the highly anticipated match between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. Plus, what’s next for Charlotte in NXT, Shawn Michaels as NXT producer and if it really is “One final beat” for the Black Heart vs Rebel Heart story.

Episode #82 is all about the most unique WrestleMania of all time. Scott and Tom are joined by Dan to talk about both nights of action including the change in format, standout moments, commitment from the talent, Edge's return, Gronk as host, weird thrown together bouts, the bizarre Firefly Fun House match and incredible cinematic Boneyard match. We also share our exclusive chat with Drew McIntyre covering his climb to the top via NXT and the circumstances surrounding the infamous "Chosen one" promo. Plus, If WrestleMania should continue being a two night event, what's next for the hacker storyline and more.

Episode #81 is another wrestling special as we cover the first steps on the road to WrestleMania. Scott and Tom talk about The Imperium impressing, reactions to Alexander Wholfe's scary injury, Andrade's wellness violation, Fluidity of the Women's Royal Rumble, the need to capitalise on an exciting Shayna Baszler, the return of DIY and the interesting booking of the Men's Royal Rumble with two very distinct halves. Plus, Thoughts on all of the surprise entrants, the winners, certain superstars not being included and more.

Episode #80 of Talk and Beans is the final part of our Christmas Spectacular 2019. Scott and Tom are joined by Jack to talk about the unconventional Christmas movie that is Bad Santa. We discuss the over the top nature of the main character, our own Bad Santa experiences, unexpected dark turns in the plot and original casting plans. Plus, Tom and Jack bond over a questionable teenage memory and we discuss how strange the early 2000s was for "edgy" content.

Episode #79 of Talk and Beans is another trip through the Galaxy as Scott and Tom are joined by Steve to talk about The Rise of Skywalker. The boys discuss whether or not the film wrapped up the trilogy in the right way, the benefit of special effects and great fight choreography, Carrie Fischer's final scenes, critics of the modern trilogy and Palpatine already being revealed in the trailer. Plus, Scott and Tom reflect on the old Scott Wars series and Steve learns the meaning behind a film term that's always bugged him.

Episode #78 of Talk and Beans is the Christmas Special and Part One of our Christmas Spectacular 2019. Scott and Tom are joined this year by Jack to talk about more remixed Christmas classics, wanting a Garage Christmas tune, what it's like to celebrate a Birthday on Christmas Day, Jack's weird non-Christmassy picks for favourite song/movie and we also discuss the differences between American and British Christmas traditions. Plus, We talk about why Love Actually is an immoral movie not deserving of Romantic or Christmas Movie status and obsess over Yorkshire Puddings.

Episode #77 is a return to wrestling as we talk about the current state of the industry, if claims that Seth Rollins isn't cool anymore are true, the DX NXT invasion and the not very believable brand allegiances, the growth of NXT and their great surprises, new title designs and the incredible Women's War Games match. Plus, Plenty of questionable impressions and a funny misunderstanding about CM Punk and much more!

Episode #76 of Talk and Beans is part two of our Halloween Spectacular 2019 and is all about Saw 3. Scott and Tom are joined by Jack to talk about how creators came up with the traps, the moral lessons the film tries to use, if the use of flashbacks and multiple narratives hurt the franchise, special effect hits/misses, meeting sequel demands and what to expect from the Chris Rock reboot. Plus, We talk about Saw Theme Park rides and Escape Room experiences.

Episode #75 is the first part of our Halloween Spectacular 2019 and is the fourth annual Halloween Special. Scott and Tom are joined by Jack to talk about why ghosts aren't helpful, Trick or Treating in the East End of London, the lack of decent costume choices for women and two *actual* unexpected and strange incidents happen during recording. Plus, The boys decide to bring parents on to the podcast to back up or debunk childhood ghost stories.

Episode #74 is on the highly anticipated movie from the creators of Breaking Bad, El Camino. The boys give their views on the movie including it's usage of flashbacks, unique marketing material, returns and cameos, the stylistic approach that fans have come to love and if the movie hurts the legacy of the show or if it would have worked better as a series. Plus, the future of Better Call Saul and if there is more room for other Breaking Bad spin-offs and pitching what they could be.

Episode #73 of Talk and Beans is the first in the Not so Fast & Not so Furious series and we begin with The Fast and the Furious. Scott and Tom are joined by first timer Terry and the returning Justin to talk about the film's plot, the impact it had on video games, growing up with the franchise and the time capsule the movie creates with early 2000s fashion, music and CGI. Plus, can one of the co-hosts be convinced by the incredible action scenes and enthusiasm expressed by the other guys on the podcast that the film is worthy of a high rating, despite being underwhelmed by the film's story line.

Episode #72 is the one where we cash in our first ever Money in the Bank episode and talk about our thoughts on who won the two briefcases, the womens division needing more opportunity to grow and the state of wrestling in general with the Wildcard rule, 24/7 Championship, AEW around the corner and more. We also speak to Peyton Royce and Billie Kay of The IIconics about how they met and the frenemy relationship they had whilst growing up together. Plus, Tom is shocked by a change of heart that Scott has had after being caught up in a "Falls count anywhere match" on Raw.

Episode #71 is where we can finally look back on the Game of Thrones finale, Season 8 as a whole and the Series in general. We talk about our thoughts on where each character ended up, the pacing of the final season, notorious editing mistakes, if the season has been unfairly judged compared the previous ones, the outcome of our predictions and reminisce about the things that made us fall in love with the show. Plus, we discuss what sequels, prequels and spin offs we would like to see from the Game of Thrones universe.

Episode #70 is the one that's nearly two years in the making as we take a look at Episode 1 of Game of Thrones Season 8 and make our predictions for who will sit on the throne in the finale. We talk about the parallels between the first ever episode and the final season opener, the use of horror scares, hints of a merciless Dany, getting the Targaryen secret out quickly, the hidden comedy guest star and discuss where the best place to live in the Seven Kingdoms would be. Plus, planning a GoT Christmas special and a ridiculous amount of songs, tangents and impressions including "Now, That's what I call Little Finger" the album.

Episode #69 is our WrestleMania week special. Scott and Tom are joined by Dan to talk about about the biggest week in wrestling with Scott and Dan’s live experiences from New York and Tom’s back perspective from back home including KofiMania, the rumours of a botched finish, Raw after Mania losing it’s spark, Lesnar and Rousey in WWE, Bret Hart getting attacked at the Hall of Fame and Sasha Banks talks about who she would like to face from NXT UK and much more! Plus experiences from the ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard and the subsequent run in from Enzo Amore and Big Cass.

Episode #68 is this years Bromance Valentine's Special and what better way to celebrate than by reminiscing the classic bromantic comedy duo of Wayne and Garth from the iconic Wayne's World. We talk about the things the film taught us growing up, the story behind the legendary Bohemian Rhapsody car scene, wanting to hangout at the Gasworks, the influence the film had on Austin Powers, memorable quotes and break down the Bromcom formula. Plus, Scott has a bit of a thing for Rob Lowe and Tom imagines a world where Prince lets Cassandra join his band.

Episode #67 is our first WWE special of the year as we focus on NXT TakeOver Phoenix & the Royal Rumble. Scott and Tom are joined by Dan to talk about what’s next for the Undisputed Era, Sasha Banks’ old school performance, Ronda Rousey’s first year, Disappointing Dream Matches, fantasy booking the final DIY chapter, the AEW shirt controversy and the Men’s Rumble surprise devaluing the Women’s Rumble. Plus, Scott has a rant about WWE using serious global issues for cheap heat, Tom continues to struggle with an impression and much more!

Episode #66 welcomes you to the New Year in a strongstyle way with a look at this years NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13. Scott and Tom talk about the shows pacing and match length, the effect All Elite Wrestling will have on New Japan, Kenny Omega's future, the year of Zack Sabre Jr., Kushida's entrance, Bullet Club in 2019, Chris Jericho's constant reinventing, Wrestling fashion talk and that moment with Okada's thighs. Plus, Tom struggles with a Jay White impression and much more!

Episode #65 of Talk and Beans is the third and final part of this years Christmas Spectacular and is our highly anticipated Home Alone 3 Review. Scott and Tom try to understand Steve's love for the movie and talk about the professionalism of the bad guys, the new kids performance, unrealistic usage of technology, Alice being too much of a legit badass for a kids movie and the most oblivious dog owners of all time. Plus, Scott and Tom try to give the film a fair shot whilst discuss how much of a hard job it had to follow on from the originals and much more.

Episode #64 of Talk and Beans is the Christmas Special and Part Two of our Christmas Spectacular 2018. Scott and Tom are joined this year by Steve and talk Boxing Day traditions, Memories of Woolworths, Christmas Playlists, being ill over the Festive period, Tom and Steve's annual Christmas activity, Best TV Specials, Listening to a weird Remix of a Christmas Classic and more. Plus, Scott and Tom open their presents for each other on the air and Steve reminisces about his favourite childhood present and the story behind it.

Episode #63 of Talk and Beans is the First Part of our Christmas Spectacular 2018 as we visit the 80s Christmas classic that is “Scrooged”. The boys talk about Bill Murray's performance, possible easter egg homages to other movies, great usage of special effects and the clever plot used to re-tell this classic Dickens story. Plus, Scott and Tom get lost on plenty of unexpected tangents, debate the movie's timeline, it's weird use of music and much more.

Episode #62 is time to focus on the last big wrestling week of the year as the boys give their thoughts on NXT War Games 2 & Survivor Series. Scott and Tom talk about what's next for Becky Lynch, compare NXT & Main Roster match quality/storytelling, how to build for the Four Horsewomen match, Velveteen Dream's potential, if NXT have wasted their greatest ever feud's big payoff, Enzo Amore's run in with security and the amazing Charlotte vs Ronda Rousey match. Plus, Scott tries to hold off on a rant about WWE's ethics for an hour and Tom does some theme song karaoke.

Episode #61 of Talk and Beans is the Third and Final Part of our Halloween Spectacular 2018 as we look to dissect the gorefest that is “Saw 2”. The boys talk about the new characters and each trap used, confusion with the timeline, as well as the ups and downs of the editing/filming style. Plus, Scott and Tom imagine a Saw sequel that involves the cast of EastEnders, find some similarities between Saw and certain classic TV shows and much more.

Episode #60 Talk and Beans is Part Two of our Halloween Spectacular 2018 and is the third annual Halloween Special. Scott and Tom talk about the weird feeling of wanting to be scared, hiding from Trick or Treaters as kids, a weird London ghost story, Inception style dreams, casting their own horror character and discuss some of their biggest fears. Plus, Scott has an accident and Tom talks about his desire to dress up.

Episode #59 of Talk and Beans is Part One of our Halloween Spectacular 2018 as we look at the cult classic that is “An American Werewolf in London”. The boys talk about the film being set in London, it's groundbreaking Make up and Special effects including the transformation scene, the clever soundtrack and David’s weird dreams. Plus, Scott and Tom decide what they would do if they turned into Werewolves and discuss the movies influence on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

Episode #58 of Talk and Beans is the final Batmanathon special as Scott and Tom wrap up the series with The Dark Knight Rises. The boys discuss the iconic Bane voice, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, Batman's timeline in the trilogy, Bruce Wayne's dependency on Alfred and the fantastic American Football Stadium scene. Plus, Missing out on a Christopher Nolan Batman & Robin movie and a conspiracy involving the final scenes of the movie.

Episode #57 is the biggest afterparty of the summer as the boys give their thoughts on NXT Brooklyn 4 & Summerslam. Scott and Tom talk about the risks of some NXT feuds being too long, another Reigns & Lesnar match, Dream matches on the Summerslam card and whats next for both sets of Four Horsewomen. Plus, Scott has a change of heart and Tom tests out a new catchphrase.

Episode #56 of Talk and Beans is the World Cup 2018 recap special. Scott and Tom are joined by Dan to go through their favourite moments, games and goals as well as the importance of V.A.R and how to keep improving it, England’s performance, Neymar’s antics, Gareth Southgate becoming an unexpected hero, the big teams that imploded and looking back on the predictions made on the podcast before the World Cup kicked off. Plus, Dan has a bit of a rant, Tom’s Croatian admiration continues and Scott struggles with the final being so close to England heartbreak.

Episode #55 of Talk and Beans is the sixth Batmanathon special as Scott and Tom enjoy celebrating 10 years since the release of “The Dark Knight”. The boys discuss the classic opening and introduction of The Joker, intense car chases, the great storytelling surrounding Harvey Dent and break down the iconic moments and music from such an influential movie. Plus, The impact of Heath Ledger’s untimely death, reinventing The Joker and much more!