Talking SMAC: Superheroes, Movies, Animation & Comics

Josh pulled a Stitchion Impossible and did a double feature of Lilo & Stitch, as well as Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (Alex only saw the later.) Intro (0:00) Lilo & Stitch (6:15) Cultworthy promo (24:58) Alex is mad and then we go down a bad Smurfs rabbit hole (25:40) Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (32:54) Goodbyes and social media plugs (1:04:56) Please remember to check out the Cultworthy podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

We celebrate 200 episodes of Talking SMAC with a special live recording at our favorite hometown nerd shop: Cataclysm Games and Collectibles! Intro (0:00) Let's meet Doug from Cataclysm Games & Collectibles! (1:32) Hemanstarfox joins the group! (5:14) Kicking things off with an AMA question (6:20) Rocket Racoon vs Legolas (7:01) Marvel Rivals tangent about Jeff the Landshark (8:29) Back to Rocket Racoon vs Legolas (10:50) Lara Croft vs Aloy - One Bow, One Shot battle (15:20) AMA: Joey Fitz question (19:06) Goku vs Omni Man (23:49)* Homer Simpson vs Fred Flintston vs Peter Griffin (27:00) Dennis Nedry (Jurassic Park) vs Boris Grishenko (GoldenEye) - Hacker off (28:18) Engineer-Xeno Hybrid from Alien Romulus vs Human-Xeno Hybrid from Alien Resurrection (32:42) AMA: Slade question (36:11) The Rookie vs Malcolm Reynolds vs Rick Castle vs Guy Gardner - Nathan Fillion character fight (43:10) Xenomorph vs The Death Angel from A Quiet Place (45:27) Stuart Little vs Remy (52:40) Purrgil vs Chitauri Leviathans (Space Whale battle) (55:46) Batman (from Batman Begins) vs V (V for Vendetta movie) (1:04:28) Heel John Cena vs Ruthless Aggression Era John Cena (1:10:21) Did Hemanstarfox lied about his backstory?! (1:13:26) Goodbyes and social media plugs (1:15:38) Please join our Discord and check out our merch store! Special thank yous to Ricki for running our mixer for the live recording.  Also, special shoutouts to our friends who have supported us and teamed up with us throughout the years: Luis, Scotti, Matt and Bepbo (Talking SMAC OGs who helped kick off the podcast) Derek, the creator of our original logo Dan at Casting Views Antonio at The Cultworthy Joey, Tim & Alex at the Game Club Pod Justin at the Movie Wire Cesar at the No on 15 All-Cast Karen and Ann at the Sugar Coated Murder Josh and Amanda at Super Familiar with The Wilsons Liam, Scott and Gregg at I Have Some Notes Slade at Driveway Studios We truly could not have made it this far without your support and friendship. Thank you all, so much!  *Omni Man vs Thanos was suggested in Episode 150, Goku vs Invincible was suggested in episode 74

Josh and Alex bring dream pitches for projects they'd love to bring to life if they had the means Intro (0:00) Casting Views Promo (7:13) *Pitch Meeting disclaimer (8:05) Josh forgot a big nitpick from last week's review (10:25) Alex pitches a ‘House of Leaves' adaptation (11:37) Josh has questions about Alex's pitch (24:58) Casting options? (27:50) Josh pitches his 'Inheritance Cycle' adaptation (32:36) Who would Josh want to animate his series? (42:39) Josh pitches his showrunner if it's not him (46:16) Josh lays out his dream casting (46:58) Social media plugs and good byes (1:07:16) Please remember to check out the Casting Views podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

The MCU machine churns on. Now it's time to see what Marvel's reinterpretation of the Thunderbolts team looks like within their connected universe.  Intro (0:00) 2 Blokes from Blighty promo (7:28) The trailers in front of Thunderbolts* are all over the place (9:19) I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) looks dumb for all the wrong reasons (10:04) Back to the trailers (13:14) Non-spoiler 'Thunderbolts*' time! (15:08) Josh's issues with US Agent (24:31) Non-spoiler resolution (26:20) Is 'Thunderbolts*' a Must-See or Pass? (27:40) Spoiler Discussion (31:42) Jeremy Renner's revelation about why no Hawkeye season 2 (1:10:48) Goodbyes and social media plugs (1:17:45) Please remember to check out the 2 Blokes from Blighty podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex talk about the stuff they're doing away from the pod! Intro (0:00) WrestleMania 41 thoughts (4:17) Alex Hates Movie Runtimes (11:35) Super Familiar with the Wilsons Promo (26:01) What'cha doin? (26:29) Until Dawn movie (27:25) Inheritance Cycle (37:01) Path of Exile 2 (43:47) Frieren: Beyond Journeys End (50:22) Ghosts season 4 (58:05) Goodbyes (1:10:34) Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex have had a lot of stuff they wanted to cover for the pod, so we're gonna blitz review five of them!  Intro (0:22) Sugar Coated Murder Promo (4:10) Accents and good dialects in movies (4:33) Sinners (8:14) I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out On Time (19:46) Solo Leveling (25:31) The Pitt (33:18) Has Alex watched Wicked yet?! (44:34) Daredevil: Born Again (45:13) Tangent: Superman Behind-the-Scenes (46:25) Back to Daredevil: Born Again (52:12) Star Wars Celebration 2025 Discussion (1:04:25) Good byes and social plugs (1:10:08) Please remember to check out the Sugar Coated Murder podcast, and don't forget to join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex are joined by the incredible Hemanstarfox to preview the upcoming WrestleMania event from WWE pitting the heel John Cena against the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE championship as the main event for the two-night wrestling extravaganza!  Intro (0:00) Hemanstarfox is in the house! (0:54) How'd we find ourselves enjoying pro wrestling? (6:00) No On 15! Allcast promo (20:25) Hemanstarfox's take on WrestleMania 41's significance to the pro wrestling industry (24:36) The specter of John Cena over Cody Rhodes (32:47) Does the WWE have an age problem with their superstars? (36:08) Matches that could steal the show at WrestleMania 41 (41:41) The biggest storylines heading into WrestleMania 41 (46:21) Jey Uso vs Gunther and the rise of Jey Uso into the main event picture (57:04) Josh doesn't understand the structure of the championships in WWE (1:01:00) The Anoa'i family could walk away from WrestleMania in great shape (1:02:21) The Women's Championship Triple Threat Match (1:05:26)  WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match (1:09:00) Cody Rhodes defends the Universal Championship against a heel John Cena (1:12:22) Social plugs and goodbyes (1:31:19) Please remember to check out the No On 15! Allcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex are joined by the dynamic duo from the Balcony; Antonio & Justin from Back 2 the Balcony (and The Cultworthy and The Movie Wire) to talk about their impressions of the documentary centered around the creation of A Goofy Movie; Not Just a Goof You can find Back 2 the Balcony on YouTube here You can listen to the Movie Wire and The Cultworthy  You can find the episode of The Cultworthy where a very tired Josh reviews A Goofy Movie with Antonio in a much more in-depth manner here Please, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh is joined by Matt to discuss the implications of the Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and upcoming MCU Spider-Man movie news announced during CinemaCon. They also discuss the Switch 2 announcement.  Intro (0:00) 'Beyond the Spider-Verse' has a release date! (1:30) The next MCU Spider-Man movie has a title and release date! (7:46) The Movie Wire promo (14:57) The biggest thing to remember with any new system announcement (16:10) The Switch 2 Announcement (17:37) Mario Kart World details and thoughts (20:11) Donkey Kong Bananza (24:56) Switch 2 Editions of games (27:23) Confusion surrounding game prices (33:16) Current events affecting pre-orders in the US (39:59) Matt's positive takeaways from the Switch 2 Direct (42:07) Metroid Prime 4 takeaways (51:14) We googled the name, don't worry: The Duskbloods (58:42) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (59:35) Additional announcements we missed (1:05:05) Goodbyes and social media plugs (1:12:23) Please remember to check out the Movie Wire podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Alex and Justin examine the Russo brothers' filmography post-Avengers Endgame to try to figure out if they're true auteurs, or if they just fit really well into the MCU machine. Intro/Josh and the blustery day (0:00) The Popeye slasher film that Justin's already seen (0:53) The Russo brothers pre-MCU filmography (3:46) Game Club Pod promo (9:34) Justin's take on the Russo's MCU entries so far (11:05) Post-Marvel Russo bros projects (13:51) The Russo's blank check return to the MCU (26:07) Do the Russo's really only work within the MCU structure of film-making? (28:14) Goodbyes and social plugs (45:08) Please remember to check out the Game Club Pod podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Marvel showed off some chairs with names on them. We discuss and speculate on the upcoming tentpole movie for Marvel Studios. Please, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

With the release of the Happy Gilmore 2 trailer, Josh and Alex look into some notable comedy legasequels that failed to capture the spirit and humor of their predecessors. Intro (0:00) March Madness tidings be upon thee (0:31)  Episode 200 live recording confirmed at Cataclysm Games & Collectibles! (5:56) Josh is on the 'Goon' episode of I Have Some Notes! (7:12) Casting Views promo (7:51) Support our friend, Cat Stark, and buy her books! (9:25) Happy Gilmore 2 feelings and forecast (10:28) Dumb & Dumber To (18:50) Coming 2 America (21:16) Zoolander 2 (26:02) American Reunion (32:25) Anchorman 2 (33:58) Meet the Parents/Josh doesn't like Ben Stiller (35:58) Talking SMAC's get-rich-quick scheme! (40:53) Spaceballs 2 is coming (42:28) Josh's rivalry with Charlie Berens (56:00) A good comedy legasequel; Bill & Ted Face the Music (59:15) Goodbyes and social media plugs (1:04:42) Please remember to check out the Casting Views podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex celebrate International Women's day by talking about the lastest game from the award-winning Hazelight Studios; Split Fiction Intro/"Lousy Smarch weather" (0:00) Josh clarifies his Mickey 17 review (2:34) Director's Cuts/Streaming services and subscriptions w/ads (4:24) Josh is on the 'Goon' episode of I Have Some Notes! (13:07) Happy belated International Women's Day and strong women in entertainment! (13:57) Cultworthy promo (30:38) Split Fiction review (30:55) Goodbyes and social media plugs (58:57) Please remember to check out the Cultworthy podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex are back again to discuss the newest Bong Joon Ho allegory for class warfare; Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson! Intro/stories about Daylight Savings Time (0:00)  Exciting news for the upcoming 200th episode! (5:48) Josh saw his buddy CJ & wrestling talk (8:56) Check out Josh on the Game Club Pod twitch channel playing Split Fiction (17:18) 2 Blokes from Blighty promo (20:46) Mickey 17 non-spoiler review (21:38) Is Mickey 17 a must-see or a pass? (33:46) Spoiler review (40:34) Talking SMAC's new clickbait endeavor (55:07) Social media plugs and goodbyes! (1:01:35) Please remember to check out the 2 Blokes from Blighty podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh, Alex & Justin draft their top blockbuster prospects for 2025 in the hopes of winning the first-ever Talking SMAC Blockbuster Fantasy Draft Intro(0:00) The 007 franchise sale (2:30) Sugar Coated Murder promo (22:08) THE BLOCKBUSTER FANTASY DRAFT Rules (23:10) Round 1 (26:10) Round 2 (33:18) Round 3 (42:21) Round 4 (54:42) Draft Recap (1:03:21) Social Plugs and Goodbyes (1:04:43) Did you catch all of Alex's James Bond references? "No Time to Die" (0:00:42) "Goldeneye" (26:18) "A View to a Kill" (39:51) "Skyfall" (44:00) "For (Josh's) Eyes Only" (59:33)  "You Only Live Twice" (1:01:10) "Thunderball" (1:03:16) "Quantum of Solace" (1:05:08) "Goldfinger" (1:05:29) "Live and Let Die" (1:06:35) "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1:07:06) Please remember to check out the Sugar Coated Murder podcast, and let us know your favorite things from 2024 by joining our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex had the privilege to speak with writer, Kelli Fitzpatrick about her new book Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers Declassified, as well as Kelli's love of Star Trek and Tabletop RPGs and more!  Intro (0:00) Kelli Fitzpatrick, what'cha doin'? (0:57) How did Kelli come to write this book? (3:35) Keeping the book on point with Carol's adventures and not skewing into fan fiction (5:52) The framing device of the book; Ripley Ryan aka Star (8:36) Did Kelli get to go to the Marvel archives? (10:00) What was Kelli's process in keeping the continuity straight? (11:37) Capturing the voices of our interview subjects (14:52) Alex gets Carol Danvers now (17:30) Josh learned something new about Carol Danvers (22:39) How the book makes a Superman-like character relatable (25:46) Let's learn more about Kelli! (28:55) Maybe the most important question of the night (31:45) Kelli's role in the Star Trek Adventures TTRPG (36:00) Kelli's favorite convention(s) to attend (39:37) Back on topic with Carol Danvers' time with Alpha Flight (42:57) Kelli's favorite look for Carol (44:00) Creating social media posts for the book (46:54) Carol's journey and resilient history with abuse (49:02) One final Trek question (52:04) Josh anoints Kelli into the Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers "Writers who understand Carol Danvers" club (53:48) Was there something in Carol's history that surprised Kelli? (55:23) Alex learns about age gaps (56:22) Kelli's take on Carol's position in Marvel's Civil War II (57:34) Social media plugs and good byes (59:09) Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers Declassified releases on March 4, 2025. You can order the book by clicking here Please remember to check out our Discord as well as our merch store!

After years of delays, strikes and rewrites, we finally get to see Sam Wilson in action on the big screen as Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World. Intro (0:00) Josh was on The Cultworthy to discuss the movie About Time (1:39) Corrections: Josh mixed up Hyperion and The Sentry (5:09) Bob is Bob in Top Gun: Maverick. But Bob is also Bob in Thunderbolts* (7:42) No on 15 All-Cast promo (11:25) *Spoiler Review* of Captain America: Brave New World (12:37) Carl Lumbly is a treasure! (13:41) Did Marvel Studios skip viewing Madame Web? (19:57) Joaquin Torres' Marvel Comics history (24:17) Thoughts on the overall movie before critical analysis (25:38) The movie's not great, but it has a good heart (28:56) What is the ripple effect within the MCU from this movie? (31:27) Giancarlo Esposito's in the movie?! (38:10) Where the movie's pretty thin and repetitive (40:49) Does Sam get his Captain America moment? (44:32) Can Secret Service shoot the Pres, even if he's a Hulk? (48:40) Alex has questions about the cast (49:25) Marvel's lack of post-credit scene payoffs (54:26) Josh reiterates his post-Endgame MCU failings (58:28) Social plugs and goodbyes (1:07:16) Please remember to check out the No On 15! Allcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

The commercial breaks in the Superb Owl offer us a chance to see what's coming down the pipeline for blockbusters. Join Josh as he watches the trailers in real-time and give his impressions.  Intro (0:00) Movie Wire Promo (2:27) Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2:42) Jurassic World: Rebirth (4:55) How to Train Your Dragon remake (12:35) Thunderbolts* (14:42) Fantastic Four: First Steps (20:02) Socials and goodbyes (25:49) Please remember to check out the Movie Wire podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh, Alex & Matt join up with Section 31 to take on the unenviable task of making sense of the Michelle Yeoh vehicle (star craft?) set in the Star Trek universe.  Intro (0:00) Game Club Pod promo (4:33) Why did we decide to review this movie? (It's Matt's fault) (5:38) Philippa Georgiou's Star Trek backstory shenanigans (7:35) Alex's feelings on Section 31 in the Star Trek universe (11:59) Let's talk the "movie" (18:18) Are we supposed to like Philippa Georgiou? (23:35) Josh doesn't know what Augments in Star Trek are (31:18) But Josh does know about Deltans! (36:27) Rachel Garrett's Star Trek heritage (40:56) The twist (spoilers!) (47:57) The guy who can change into anything only does it a few times (54:27) How much did (Cameo appearance) get paid? (1:03:38) What are the cutscenes about? (1:05:12) Is Section 31 a must-see or pass? (1:12:57) Please remember to check out the Game Club Pod podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh, Alex & Matt do their favorite thing; talk about all the fun nerd things they're doing away from the pod! Intro! (0:00) Super Familiar w/the Wilsons promo (4:53) Josh can math (5:21) Josh speedruns his first batch of What'cha Doin's (6:31) Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir season 6 (7:23) Indiana Jones & the Great Circle (8:13) That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (8:38) My Dress-Up Darling (13:28) Metaphor: ReFantazio (17:54) Alex loves (bad) competitive game shows! (24:21) Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 (35:53) Severance season 2 (46:22) Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (56:30) What'cha Gonna Do? Nintendo Switch 2 announcement (1:11:47) Social media plugs and goodbyes! (1:17:23) Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh is joined by the star of the pod, Matt, along with the Lovely Dan from Casting Views to celebrate 15 years of Mass Effect 2 Greetings, Commander (0:00) What is Casting Views? (2:52) How hyped were we for ME2 upon original release? (4:37) The story of Mass Effect 2 (11:47) Preferred ME2 classes and play styles (18:55) The main plot of the game and building your crew (25:33) Favorite ME2 crew member(s) (28:33) Mass Effect controversies (39:26) Bad romance endings? (42:05) Miranda the white whale? (46:05) The final mission (51:43) ME2 DLC (58:10) Social media plugs (1:11:54) Please remember to check out the Casting Views podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex discuss Sony's announcements for the Ghost of Tsushima anime, Helldivers and Horizon: Zero Dawn movies, along with trying to figure out how Sony will not understand the assignment, and pitching their own version of what Sony will produce as a final product, along with some casting and directing choices.  Josh flubs introducing Alex (0:00) When the regional accent comes out in local commercials (1:44) How is Josh still healthy and alive?! (8:59) Josh and Alex share some jokes (11:33) Josh's favorite joke (12:36) Sony's new video game movie announcements (14:34) Ghost of Tsushima anime (17:24) Helldivers movie (26:26) Horizon: Zero Dawn movie (41:23) Social media plugs (1:03:22) Please remember to check out the 2 Blokes from Blighty podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh flies solo as Alex is out sick, but we're looking ahead to our most notable movies, TV shows, video games, comics and more heading into 2025. Intro (0:00) Super Familiar with the Wilsons promo (0:38) 2025 Comics (1:06) 2025 Video Games (4:18) TV/Streaming shows (8:43) 2025 Movies (14:24) Game Club Pod thoughts on A Minecraft Movies (21:13) 2025 Moves cont'd (28:03) Social media plugs (35:58) Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex discuss their favorite and most disappointing movies, TV shows, games and performances of 2024 in our annual SMACademy Awards episode!  Happy New Year! (0:00) Sugar Coated Murder Promo (3:02) Best Movie (4:31) Best Animated Feature (10:25) Best TV/Streaming Show (15:22) Best Video Game (19:40) Favorite Comic (26:08) Favorite Live-Action Movie Character (29:32) Favorite Video Game Character (34:34) Favorite Live-Action TV Character (35:36) That was this year?! (40:38) Biggest Disappointment (43:14) Favorite episode of Talking SMAC (48:08) Listener Comments (53:51) Social media plugs ( Please remember to check out the Sugar Coated Murder podcast, and let us know your favorite things from 2024 by joining our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh took the family to see Disney's Moana 2, Alex—who hasn't seen the movie—asks Josh's thoughts on the animation, story, and music. The ravages of time (1:10) 2 Blokes from Blighty promo (3:49) The brilliance of Joey & Tim (4:40) What is time?! (5:31) Josh's tangents within tangents being! (6:45) Was the theatrical release the right call? (8:19) How was the animation? (9:14) Is Moana 2 a must-see or pass? (11:11) Spoiler talk: Alex asks the big questions (11:42) What role do the Kakamora play? (13:03) What's the plot of Moana 2? (14:03) Where's Tamatoa?! (16:22) Where does the movie's story seams break? (16:46) Are there any good songs in Moana 2? (20:00) The Rock does 'Hamilton' (21:47) Is there sequel bait for a Moana 3? (24:49) How does it compare to Inside Out 2 as an unplanned and unexpected sequel? (26:27) The biggest spoiler for Moana 2 (27:07) Moana's parents still got it! (30:18) Final thoughts (31:13) Let's plug the socials! (33:10) Please remember to check out the 2 Blokes from Blighty podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh, Alex and Matt discuss all the mysteries of the two biggest trailers of December. Are they hyped for a James Gunn superman? Do they like fast zombies? And what does Gremlins 2 have to do with this? Why does Alex bring up Planes, Trains & Automobiles? (1:20) Sonic 3 vs Mufasa (2:02) Matt longs for a good parasocial relationship in his life (join the discord) (6:59) The Movie Wire Show podcast promo (7:15) Ah Christmas. Such as The Star Wars Holiday Special (11:26) 28 Years Later trailer + props to Boots by Kudyard Kipling as performer by Taylor Holmes (22:07) Superman 2025 trailer + what does Superman mean to us (43:34) Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho (47:57) Superman portrayals in other films and shows and Matt gives us homework (1:04:57) Wrap up

Josh and Alex breakdown their thoughts on Kraven the Hunter, and what was Sony thinking about a Spider-man free movie universe with Venom, Carnage, Morbin' time, Madame Web as their only hope. (0:22) Alex's Kraven cameo revealed (2:51) No on 15 promo (4:17) Kraven: what were they thinking + 28 Years Later trailer (8:22) What does Avi Arad actually do (20:20) Has Sony made a good film in the last five years? a breakdown of no, no they have not (28:03) Apple + is great (31:35) Morbius and the 90s Spider-Man the Animated Series (43:25) Not understanding Spider-man's journey or motto (51:16) Smac-Rating on Kraven the Hunter (52:25) The unmade Sony Spider-verse movies (1:01:07) wrap up Please remember to check out the No On 15! Allcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex's journey concludes. The Battle of the Five Armies closes out the Hobbit Trilogy and we will never have to talk about this again, right? Why did we do this to ourselves?  (1:38) War of the Rohirrim & animation styles (4:57) Gandalf was in the Desolation of Smaug, oh right. (7:22) I Hate It, Let's Watch it promo (8:12) Smaug smaugs the city and the good parts (9:50) Tonal whiplash, war flicks, and too much horror in The Hobbit (12:50) Josh hates the word 'Da'  (18:05) Drunk Galadriel (27:11) Thorin Oakenshield: Face-heel-face-heel-heel-face turn (34:00) The Hobbit is more hardcore than Lord of the Rings (41:04) Thranduil is a bad father (46:01) The good moments (54:11) final thoughts (1:01:00) Josh is proud of himself (1:04:39) Smac-rating and wrap up Please remember to check out the i Hate It. Let's Watch It podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex are continuing their journey to "celebrate" the 10-year anniversary of the conclusion of the Hobbit Trilogy with The Desolation of Smaug.  (0:01) Spiders! (3:32) Cultworthy promo (3:52) 2013: Our lives when Smaug came (7:42) A deep dive into Smaug's smaugness (13:45) Broody Legolas (26:16) Pandering and callbacks (30:44) Are Orlando Bloom and Luke Evans the same person (39:15) Downer endings (41:51) Smac-rating and wrap up Please remember to check out the I Hate It. Let's Watch It. podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex are... Celebrating..? 10 years of the Hobbit trilogy releasing in theaters. First on the menu is inarguably the best of the Hobbit Trilogy: An Unexpected Journey. We feel older (1:09) Casting Views promo (5:15) How we felt about An Unexpected Journey in 2012 (5:45) How do we feel about An Unexpected Journey now? (16:20) The Prologue: The Fall of Erebor (19:03) Josh takes the Dwarf name quiz (19:25) The Shire prologue (21:00) The tonal whiplash (24:23) Radagast the Brown (29:12) Is Thorin likable? (39:09) Set ups and punchlines/When are prophecies made? (42:23) An Unexpected thesis statement (45:01) Gandalf's bad at scheming (54:29) Please remember to check out the Casting Views podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh, Alex and Justin (FROM THE MOVIE WIRE PODCAST) discuss the legacy of Gladiator, the issues with Gladiator 2, our love of Denzel Washington, and fawn all over Wicked, while also discussing our love of theater in general (0:21) intro & theater experiences  (6:32) Super Familiar with the Wilson's promo  (7:02) Gladiator 2 & Padding in Peru teaser (9:21) Gladiator 2 full spoilers (13:02) God bless Denzel Washington (33:00) Smac-Rating (34:19) Wicked review! Praise and cheers for Jon M. Cho, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande (1:00:32) Jeff Goldblum love (1:02:11) Act One song frontloaded plays (1:12:13) Smac-Rating Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex are privileged to chat with Diana McCallum, of the From Superheroes Network, about her new book Sex Lives of Superheroes. We dive into her witty exploration of superhero relationships, the behind-the-scenes stories that inspired the book, and how it offers a hilarious deep dive into the sex lives (or lack thereof) for some of our favorite superheroes. (0:27) Welcome to Diana (1:55) What'ca doin', Diana? Fanfiction of 9-1-1 franchise, Bones, and more (6:13) 'Sex lives of superheroes' inspiration and research (15:24) What stays in, what gets left out of the book and personal opinions on Captain America's virginity (29:35) Wolverine's immortal sperm body horror and Loki gives birth to a horse (36:10) What in the MCU do we not want to see adapted? Marvel Zombies, The Ultimates, Spider-Man: Reign, Hydra-Steve/Secret Empire, and vending machines (46:42) Surprises & fun while writing the book (52:22) DC comic/movie speculation, our love of Batman and which Robins we don't like.  (1:05:53) Wrap up Please remember to join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Get ready to close out spooky season with the surprising Wandavision spinoff Agatha All Along series on Disney+.  Josh gets a scam call (0:25) The tangents begin: Inside Man, an underrated heist movie (3:44) Introductions to the episode finally happen (4:48) Movie Wire promo (5:42) Agatha All Along; the show we didn't know we wanted (5:59) Skaar Wars (15:02) Kristen Anderson & Robert Lopez filmography and achievements (17:14) *SPOILERS* How does Agatha All Along fit into the MCU?  (21:11) Please remember to check out the Movie Wire podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Matt break down Venom: The Last Dance, the last(?) chapter in the Sony's lone successful non-Spider-Man Spider-Man franchise. The guys discuss the the franchise as a whole, the impact of Knull in the movie and the fan service moments that stood out most. Is Venom 3 a must-see or pass? Hit that play button and find out!  Intro (0:00) I Hate It. Let's Watch It promo (3:58) Matt likes Riverdale and Josh's most useless fact (4:27) Thoughts and opinions on Venom as a character (6:24) What the Venom franchise means to Talking SMAC (11:29) Venom: The Last Dance Non-Spoiler Review (14:22) Spoiler Review (16:35) Eddie's Bare Foot Subplot (22:13) Juno Temple's in this movie! (25:24) How the Studios Interfere with the Storytelling of the Venom Movies (32:03) Venom 3 is Loaded with Borrowed/Stolen Ideas (33:37) Josh's Theory About Where Sony's Non-Spider-Man Movies are Going (40:11) Josh gets his mind blown by the weekend box office (48:58) There are how many symbiotes in this movie!? (51:57) We finally talk about the hippy family (57:34) That time Venom said "Fu*k it. I gotta dance!" (1:02:15)  The plot is weightless (1:05:26) The finale of Venom 3 (1:07:44) Was Venom: The Last Dance fun? (1:09:46) The SMAC rating: Must-See or Pass? (1:15:31) Let's Get Outta Here! (1:17:01) Please remember to check out the I Hate It. Let's Watch It podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex turn the dial back to the year 2014, a year packed with cinematic gems! From indie classics like Whiplash and Birdman to blockbuster hits like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The LEGO Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy and How to Train Your Dragon 2, we'll dive into the films that defined the year and explore why 2014 remains a standout in modern cinema. You can find the YouTube version of this episode here Please remember to join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Alex & Justin discuss their views on how Hollywood may have learned the wrong lessons from the success of the John Wick franchise. We explore how studios have focused on replicating the stylized violence and action, while overlooking the importance of world-building, character depth, and storytelling that made the John Wick movies stand out.  (0:01) 3-year return of TalkingSmac! (1:38) Cultworthy promo (1:58) Hollywood's history of copycat success: The Matrix, buddy comedies, rom-coms, superheroes, Jason Bourne (4:04) Marvel didn't copy the action, but Extraction, Nobody, Violent Night, and others did. (10:14) Needing emotional connections; Jackie Chan's method of building a fight scene (14:08) Relatability of heroes and losing that connection: Die Hard, etc (21:49) John McTiernan, Shane Black: letting writers have passion for a project (26:00) We need heroes that fail: suffer injuries, lose battles, have problems, and feel vulnerable (33:56) Hopes for Ballerina: Ana De Armas and future movies Please remember to join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Continuing their retrospective on the stacked year in movies that was 2014, Josh & Alex discuss the 10-year anniversary of John Wick, the 2014 action thriller that reinvigorated Keanu Reeves' career. We break down the film's intense choreography, its world-building, and the legacy it created in action cinema. Tune in as we revisit the birth of an iconic franchise (0:01) John Wick returns to theaters, because of Josh (1:49) Casting Views promo (2:22) First impressions of John Wick and Keanu's career between Matrix and John Wick, including Key & Peele's 2016 'Keanu' (8:17) Wick's impressive cast: Michael Nyqvist, Lance Reddick, Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo, Adrianne Palicki, Alfie Allen, Bridget Moynahan, Dean winters (13:17) In which we agree with John Wick, how dare you harm a puppy (20:12) Dean Winter's Mayhem, Flo from Progressive & the Geico Cavemen (23:44) Action sequences galore & world building (33:30) Keanu's speech and 'Something's Got to Give' acting praise (44:00) Does the High Table offer retirement plans? (47:19) Wrap up Please remember to check out the Game Club Pod podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex review The Wild Robot. The adaptation of the beloved children's book by Peter Brown. We explore its stunning animation, story of a robot's journey to survive in the wild, and the emotional themes of nature, technology, and self-discovery. Is it a must-see or pass? Let's find out!  (0:01) Terrible impressions and compound words (3:22) 2 Blokes from Blighty promo discussion (5:39) The Wild Robot impressions and family friendliness in movies + Josh can't count to 4 (13:53) Praise for Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry & the rest of the voice cast (that includes you, Mark Hamill) (18:46) Where's The Wild Robot merch, Dreamworks? We need Brightbill plushies (22:12) Obligatory 'A Goofy Movie' and 'The Three Amigos' references (27:49) Buy physical media, please. SMAC-rating (30:24) Spoilers - while mild, there are spoilers. Love, death, grief in children's movies (36:52) If the Oscars were today.... and Josh hates Shrek (44:45) Alex's gallows humor wish (47:09) Wrap up + what is Tumblr? Please remember to check out the 2 Blokes from Blighty on the Game Club Podcast feed, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh is joined by two special guests; 7Ceez & Justin, to review Transformers One, the first fully animated Transformers feature film since the 1986 classic; Transformers: The Movie. We break down the film's take on the rise of the Cybertron War, the voice performances, and visuals. Tune in for our thoughts on how it stacks up against previous Transformers movies and where it leaves the series moving forward. (2:19) Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast promo (2:46) Our history with the Transformers (11:01) Positive thoughts on the movie (16:011) Further thoughts (21:17) Justin's four-minute rant - no edits  (26:36) Spoiler-filled thoughts (46:21) What do the fans want for sequels? (49:52) Praise for voicework and other things (55:35) SMAC-ratings revealed & a cute story (1:00:03) wrap up Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

On this episode, we discuss the 10-year anniversary of 'Edge of Tomorrow', the 2014 sci-fi classic starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Or is it actually 'Live. Die. Repeat.'? We dive into its innovative action sequences, time-loop concept, and how the fanbase of the film has grown over the decade. Plus, we discuss the manga that influenced the movie and the possibility of a sequel. (1:36) Emily Blunt love and celebrities that suddenly 'pop' for you (5:05) Suger Coated Murders podcast promo (5:42) Is it 'Edge of Tomorrow' or 'Live. Die. Repeat.'? (7:19) Somehow 'Skyfall' and Adele emerge (13:46) The movies it was up against: Godzilla, X-Men: Day of Future Past, Maleficent, The Fault in our Stars (18:18) Does it need a sequel and story speculation (20:13) Tom Cruise acting against type works best (22:23) Groundhog Day differences and how to learn skills in a time loop (24:24) Josh's one issue with the movie (30:58) Powerful scenes and strong female agency (40:02) Constantine 2 is coming!? (44:53) How do 'resets' work? (47:00) The mimic design. What is it? (52:26) Could a Live.Die.Repeat aka Edge of Tomorrow video game work? Please remember to check out the Sugar Coated Murder podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex say Justin's name three times so he transports from The Movie Wire to discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and just a bit of Johnny Dangerously (00:19) Welcome to the show (03:55) Josh will be on Back 2 the Balcony! (05:58) No On 15 promo (07:11) Non-spoilers, plot outline and feelings (08:15) Who is Justin Theroux? (09:54) Non-spoiler deeper impressions (32:20) SMAC-Ratings (36:12) Spoilers (37:55) Josh and Alex go off the deep end while Justin try to walk them back (47:58) In which we try to make sense of the senselessness (49:05) Mike the Headless Chicken  (50:22) Josh tries to steer us back on track (51:48) Musical choices and themes or the lack thereof (1:06:13) Alex and Justin enjoyed the movie (1:15:21) Wrap-up (1:17:46) Justin tempts fate Please remember to check out the No On 15! All-Cast podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store!  You can find Josh's appearance on Back 2 the Balcony

Alex and Justin of The Movie Wire and Back to the Balcony fame discuss hope for Smile 2, Terrifier 3, Hugh Grant's Heretic, the Nosferatu remake, and aggressive kangaroo's in Rippy. (00:14) Movies that got moved: Saw, Exorcist, Friday the 13th (00:54) Justin loved 2024 for horror (4:28) Timecut and Y2k (8:12) Smile 2 and the issue with stretching Youtube shorts into full length movies (17:12) Nosferatu vs Bram Stoker's Dracula and Shadow Of the Vampire (27:08) Terrifier 3 (34:31) Heretic w/ Hugh Grant (39:44) Rippy - Evil Kanagroo! (43:51) Love of bad horror and good horror Please remember to check out the The Movie Wire podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Alex go over some recently seen shows/movies with Daniel Kotnik of Pack-A-Day & Game on Wisconsin  Football talk with Dan (0:40)  Bears double-doink & The Ohio State Buckeyes (6:02)  I Hate It. Let's Watch It promo (8:11) Star Wars: The Acolyte breakdown (8:51) The sexiness of Manny Jacinto and other good things about The Acolyte (21:51) Twister, Twisters, Glen Powell appreciation! (Sorry, Justin) (28:17) Alex's love of bad movies: Super Icyclone, Santa Jaws, Deep Blue Sea, Sharknado (31:43) Rebel Moon: The Director's Cut (39:14) The Three Amigos: One of the greatest movies ever made (44:39) The Drew Carey Show is finally streaming (49:36) Those About to Die (Peacock exclusive; not a sponsor, but could be ;) ) (53:48) Iwan Rheon and Alan Rickman appreciation (57:35) The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (59:40) Wrap up (1:09:08)  Check out Dan's work on Pack-A-Day & Game On Wisconsin Please remember to check out the I Hate It. Let's Watch It podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Antonio of The Cultworthy & Back to the Balcony join Josh and Alex to review Alien: Romulus and discuss the Alien Franchise. They learn so much lore from Antonio! Lastly, somehow Alex forgets to deep dive the Alien RPG which is fantastic. Spaceballs references (0:01) Game Club Pod promo (2:18) Non-spoiler review: thoughts/impressions (3:03) Some thoughts on Prey (17:58) Box Office numbers (24:34) SMAC rating (26:35) SPOILERS from here on out (28:14) The movie's set-up (34:25) Kay's no good, terrible, very bad day (48:51) Antonio's rant! (53:16) How many endings does a movie need (1:01:15) The rant/education continues about movie countdown clocks (1:05:06) They do like the movie/wrap up (1:14:01) Find Josh's appearance on Casting Views Please remember to check out the Cultworthy podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Justin and Alex talk Netflix's: Hate to Love: Nickelback, Sly, and Arnold documentaries, as well as Hulu's Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons Non-Spoiler Ratings/Thoughts (2:44) Super Familiar with the Wilson's Promo (10:04) Nickelback Spoiler review (10:48) Arnold & Sly documentaries review (21:59) Dealing with trauma (32:12) Ending with melancholy (43:23) Justin's dark secret (49:41) Wrap up (50:36) Please remember to check out the Cultworthy podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex speed run the big announcements from D23 2024 Alex did the homework? (1:17) Moana 2 trailer (2:48) Monster Jam (4:24) The Mandalorian & Grogu (6:28) Skeleton Crew (8:38) Frozen on Broadway coming to Disney+ in 2025 (10:37) Hercules on Broadway (16:29) Josh rants 'The Greatest Showman' (16:55) Disney Parks expansions and additions (17:53) All the sequels (25:26) Avatar: Fire & Ash Toy Story 5 (29:22)  Miscellaneous (31:43) Snow White trailer (36:13) Josh's live-action Cinderella rant (39:28) Goodbyes (41:31) Get in on the conversation and join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh & Matt discuss all the movie news, teases, and comic announcements from this year's San Diego Comic Con We play Pokemon Go! (0:01) Super Familiar with the Wilsons promo (2:13) Marvel announcements (2:42) Harrison Ford is having fun/Captain America: Brave New World (3:11) Fantastic Four: First Steps (12:10) Avengers: Doomsday aka Robert Downey Jr's Victor Von Doom (24:48) DC Comics: Penguin, Superman & Lois (34:40) Cliffhangers in entertainment/Star Trek talk (47:49) Anne Rice's Immortal Universe: AMC's Interview with the Vampire & Mayfair Witches (55:48) Star Trek, again (56:46) The Boys (59:54) Massive-Verse No/One (1:06:24) Announcements/News Speedrun (1:11:11) Wrap up (1:19:48) Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store!

Josh and Alex give their reactions to season 2 of the Game of Thrones prequel series; House of the Dragon If you'd like a watch-a-long podcast to listen to that focuses on House of the Dragon, check out Arya Talking to Me? Get in on the conversation and join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh and Alex experience Deadpool & Wolverine, plus discuss cameos and future events NSYNC love (0:01) We made friends! Remake Hot Take Podcast (4:08) Sugar Coated Murder promo (6:03) Non-spoiler thoughts (6:48) Non-spoiler Josh defines what a cameo is (18:27) Non-spoiler ratings (19:55) Spoiler review (22:32) The plot, cameos, and more (36:07) Where do they go from here and other musing (1:07:08) Wrap up (1:20:33) Please remember to check out the Sugar Coated Murder podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Michael Hirsh is interviewed about his biography: Animation Nation: How We Built A Cartoon Empire We experience nervousness (0:01) No on 15 promo (2:16) Meeting Michael Hirsch (3:27) The Caillou question! (5:10) Career beginnings/Star Wars Holiday Special (7:08) Creating vs acquiring a show (16:08) Care Bears love & Important of libraries (17:43) Working with George Lucas (21:06) Tales from the Crypt show, cartoon, and comic (24:31) Hand drawn vs computer animation (26:49) Making 'mature' cartoons and evolving animation (29:10) What drew Michael Hirsch to animation & comic history: comic books and Canadian superheroes: Nelvana, Captain Canuck (37:16) Personal histories (42:18) End of interview chatting (47:21) Watch Star Trek (51:05) Wrap up (52:00) Get your copy of Animation Nation: How We Built a Cartoon Empire here: Amazon Barnes & Noble Follow Michael Hirsch: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561135115040 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/michaelhirshanimation/ Please remember to check out the No On 15! All-Cast podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

Josh, Alex, and Bekkie talk life, movies, and tropes as they interview author Douglas A. Burton about his novel: The Heroine's Labyrinth: Archetypal Designs in Heroine-Led Fiction The Movie Wire podcast promo (1:47) Introductions (2:02) Whatca doing? (2:47) Female driven story design in culture (7:55) Tamara Pierce & Royal Diaries (18:42) Villains (23:37) Our heroine personality test results (28:51) Why would a man write a woman driven story (33:11) Favorite and least favorite tropes (38:04) The Blank Slate trope (41:08) What is the biggest joy of writing (48:22) Alex tries to contribute (51:15) Super heroes as wish fulfillment & anime recommendations (59:31) Star Trek emerges (1:09:21) Inspirations as a writer (1:12:03) John Wick and the 'rules' of the world (1:14:21) Wrap up (1:17:28) You can find more about Douglas and his books on his website Please remember to check out the The Movie Wire podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store!