The Twisted Mug Media Network

Only three years after the franchise seemingly ended with Dominion, Jurassic World roared back into theaters this past weekend. Despite a strong box office showing, many critics and audience members seemed disappointed by the film we got, but did it work for us? Stick around until the end to hear our rankings of the entire franchise now that we have reviewed them all as well as our upcoming schedule. We will be back next week with the Francis Ford Coppola-directed classic film, The Conversation starring the late, great Gene Hackman!

It's a dinotastic week here at the Twisted Mug Media Network! Today, we discuss the box office success (?) of Jurassic World Rebirth, along with all of the other news from the weekend at the theaters. In addition to that, we pontificate on the box office potential for The Odyssey following the release of the teaser trailer in theaters, and finally Brendan breaks down the headlines of the week!Come back to the feed for the CTP review of Jurassic World Rebirth very soon!Music: Tiptoe Out the Back by Dan Lebowitz

More like The Day of the Locust, amiright? Tough crowd. The Jurassic franchise that started the requel trend finally loops back around to have the legacy and new characters interact in this third film in the trilogy. Did this relative disappointment financially work for us more than the critics at the time? Come back next week as we tackle the new Rebirth of the Jurassic franchise with Jurassic World: Rebirth!

In this week's episode, we discuss Aaron Sorkin writing and directing a follow-up to 'The Social Network' as well as Denis Villeneuve officially signing to direct the next James Bond film. After that, we review this week's top 10 at the box office. Brendan then breaks down our additional headlines and Ryan gives his thoughts on '28 Years Later', 'F1', and 'Megan 2.0'!

After the first requel had the highest domestic opening weekend up until that point in 2015, Universal green-lit a $400 million+ budgeted sequel to the requel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt again, and returns Colin Trevorrow to the writer's chair, but replaces him with J.A. Bayona for the directing duties. Did the film live up to the incredibly high financial risk? Come back next week as we review the final film in the Jurassic World original trilogy (what a sentence), Jurassic World: Dominion!

UPDATE: We recorded this episode this morning before the Denis Villeneuve announcement dropped, so we will not be discussing that this week, but rest assured we will next episode!It's another week and we're back to talk James Bond, and the box office headlines! We also then wrap up the pod with big updates on The Batman II and other major stories. Music: Tiptoe Out the Back by Dan Lebowitz

The Podcast is open! And so is Jurassic World. The film that opened the requel floodgates in 2015 is the subject of this week's pod, but does it hold up to scrutiny 10 years later? Come back next week as we review the sequel to the requel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom!

We're back with episode two of Babylon & the Box Office! This week we discuss many tidbits of news out of James Gunn and the DCU including a new Superman trailer & what its success or failure could mean for blockbuster filmmaking over the next few years. After that, the weekend box office results! Finally, Brendan reads us additional headlines and Ryan gives his quick thoughts on 'Materialists'. See you back next week for more Hollywood news and Box Office discussion!Music: Tiptoe Out the Back by Dan Lebowitz

Before a fourteen year hiatus, Universal put out a 93-minute bare bones Jurassic Park film in the summer of 2001. Did the short action film work for us? Come back next time as we review one of the biggest requels of all time, Jurassic World!

New Show!Brendan and Ryan begin a new journey covering Hollywood news! This week we discuss the 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' bidding war brewing along with Mia Goth joining the new Star Wars picture. In addition to that, we discuss the weekend of June 6-8 Box Office results and what they mean. Finally, we talk about additional headlines from the past week and Ryan gives his thoughts on the new release films he has seen!Keep your eyes peeled for more CTP and Babylon & the Box Office!Music: Tiptoe Out the Back by Dan Lebowitz

Four years after the magical success of Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg, David Koepp, and Jeff Goldblum return to make a sequel (on a different island for some reason)! Does this oft-overlooked sequel deserve more flowers? Come back next week when we'll discuss the 90-minute Jurassic Park III that brings Sam Neill to the series.

Welcome, to Jurassic Park! After wrapping up one long running franchise returning this summer, we transition to the next on our schedule, Jurassic Park. With Jurassic World: Rebirth hitting the big screen in July, we start with the 1993 classic by Steven Spielberg. Does the film hold up 32 years after its release? Come back next week for The Lost World: Jurassic Park!

Fourteen years after Final Destination 5, the franchise returns to the big screen with Bloodlines. The film opened to stellar reviews from critics as well as $50 million at the box office, but was the film a smash success with us? Come back next week as we start our Jurassic Park series with the Steven Spielberg original!

Two years after the abomination of the franchise was released, New Line and Warner Bros. returned to the Final Destination franchise for what would be the last time for 14 years. Final Destination 5 brought back Tony Todd and, some say, quality filmmaking to the series. Does it hold up for us now? Come back next week for our review of the new film, Final Destination: Bloodlines! The week after that we are starting our tour of Jurassic Park!

Final Destination 4? No, THE Final Destination hit theaters in 2009 while having the largest budget for a film in the franchise. On top of that, the film grossed the most at the box office as well. Despite this, the film only runs 77 minutes not counting credits, and is known as the worst in the series. Is that how we see it? Come back next week for our last review before Bloodlines with Final Destination 5!

Don't get on the rollercoaster! We're back with the third Final Destination picture where the horror comes from an amusement park disaster in a small town. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and DCOM star Ryan Merriman star in this installment of the series which is widely regarded as the best of the series. We'll be back next week with our review of the film that grossed the most of any in the franchise so far, THE Final Destination (aka Final Destination 4)!

Bonus episode! We return to our Alex Garland series from last year with seemingly the director's last time behind the camera for the foreseeable future. Did he go out on a high note with this co-directed almost experimental film? We'll be back on Monday with our review of Final Destination 3!

The survivors of Flight 180 found out the hard way that there's consequences to cheating Death's designs for them in the original film. Now, we find out that those changes caused ripples in Death's plan, and thus, a sequel! Clear Rivers returns to the franchise, as do we, for Final Destination 2! And we'll be back next week for Final Destination.......3! Who would have guessed?! Some time between now and that episode we should also have a bonus review of Alex Garland's new film, Warfare! This will continue our series last year where we reviewed all of his feature films leading up to and including Civil War.

No connecting flights this month, we're going straight to the Final Destination! For the next six weeks the guys will be reviewing one of the most popular horror franchises of the last 25 years! Today we start with the original film from 2000. Next week we will be back on the road for Final Destination 2! Also keep an eye out for a bonus review of Warfare coming in the next few weeks to keep up with our Alex Garland series from last year.

For Ryan's 1952 selection the guys review Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru. A dying man has a chance to do something meaningful with the last months of his life in this film, but did we find it enjoyable in 2025? Come back next week as we begin our Final Destination series with the original film leading up to the new film, Final Destination: Bloodlines!

We're back with Brendan's 1990 pick, Wild at Heart. Conor's love for Nic Cage and Brendan and Ryan's love for David Lynch crosses over here in a big way, but does the movie hold up thirty five years later? We'll be back next week with Ryan's 1952 selection, Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa. Then, on to the Final Destination movies after that!

We're back with a new round of host picks where we put the years 1927 (the start of synched sound sound in feature films) to 2015 (ten years ago) into a random number generator and we all get assigned a year. Conor is up first and he was assigned the year 2005. He proceeded to pick the best Nightmare on Elm Street film, Wes Craven's New Nightma--I mean the Wes Craven 80 minute classic, Red Eye. Does this movie hold up 20 years later? Next week we review Brendan's 1990 selection, Wild at Heart from the late, great David Lynch!

We're back with Conor's physical media pick, Fall (2022). It' life or death stakes in this one when two friends climb a rusty 2,200 foot tower and are stranded when the ladder falls apart after they reach the top. Come back next week for Conor's 2005 pick, Red Eye starring Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams directed by Wes Craven!

After talking about reviewing it for years, we have finally sat down and discussed Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This is Brendan's pick for our physical media picks series, and he is a super fan! Did the movie hold up for all of us fifteen years after its release? Come back next week as we review another Conor movie, 2022's Fall!

Martin Scorsese has been making feature films since 1967, and we have finally sat down and reviewed one of them! We start a three week series where each host selects a disc off their shelf, and we review it. This week, Ryan selected the Netflix exclusive film, The Irishman. While critically acclaimed overall, many had issues with the length and extensive use of CGI de-aging. Did it work for our hosts? Next week we're back with Brendan's pick, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World!

We finally need a pilot! After talking about doing it for weeks, we're here with our review of Flight Risk! Conor was pumped for this one, but did it live up to expectations? Come back next week as we start a fun little series with our review of Martin Scorsese's The Irishman!

NOTE: Brendan's laptop crashed half way through recording the podcast so we had to use the backup audio for the back half. So it won't be our normal audio quality. Sorry!We are down a Conor this week but Brendan and Ryan are here to talk about Oscar hopeful Conclave. Does this thriller set in the Vatican work for us? Come back next episode for our review of Flight Risk finally!

There's something in the water! It's our review of Jaws! We wrap up our look back at 1975 with the "original blockbuster". Does it hold up for our hosts? We'll be back next week with probably an Oscar contender, we need to figure that out. Then Flight Risk soon after!

There's something in the water! It's our review of Jaws! We wrap up our look back at 1975 with the "original blockbuster". Does it hold up for our hosts? We'll be back next week with probably an Oscar contender, we need to figure that out. Then Flight Risk soon after!

It's late summer in Brooklyn and we are sweat-y. We review another Best Picture nominee from 1975, Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon! Come back next week as we wrap up our 1975 series with Jaws!

Conor and Ryan finish their look back at the films of 2024 with their Top 10s! Come back next week as we review Dog Day Afternoon as a part of our 1975 retrospective.

It's January, and you know what that means?! Best of the year time! In this part one, Conor and Ryan go over their awards (not serious) for the year along with a bottom 5 of the year, honorable mentions, and our picks for the 20-11th best films of the year. Come back next time for our Top 10s! NOTE: We recorded and edited this before yesterday's news that The Brutalist used generative AI. So you can add that to the section where I discuss AI in the films that are made today. I would have put Hit Man most likely as my #20 if I learned this prior to recording.

Brendan, Logan, and Ryan chat about losing one of the best to ever do it, David Lynch.

Oops. We forgot to mention this was our 150th episode. Oh well! We continue our 1975 series with the Best Picture winning film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. No 70s series is complete without a Nicholson performance so we made sure to have one. Come back next week when we review one of Conor's favorite films of all time, Dog Day Afternoon!

Note: There was an issue with one of the audio tracks, so we had to use the backup recording for some of the time. It won't sound as good as our normal shows, sorry! That being said, we kick off 2025 with a look back at 50 years ago in 1975. Jeanne Dielman, the best movie of all time according to the 2022 Sight and Sound Critics Poll kicks us off. The three and a half hour film contains very little plot and even less dialogue. What did our hosts think of this classic film? Come back next week as we review One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest..........and maybe have our best of the year pods ready to go! Maybe!

We bring in the new year with Robert Eggers' new imagining of the Dracula classic tale through the lens of the unofficial adaptation from 1922. Did Eggers' vision work for us? Come back next week as we start our look back at the year 1975 with the film that was #1 in the Sight and Sound poll in 2022, Jeanne Dielman!

The Rock, Chris Evans, and Amazon got something for us all this holiday season; Red One! But was it a present or a sack of coal this year? We'll be back next week with our review of Robert Eggers' new reimagining of the 1922 German classic Nosferatu! Then join us in the New Year as we start a look back at the year 1975 for some film's 50th anniversaries.

After delays by the strikes, Challengers slammed its way into theaters this past April to rave reviews and modest, but real, box-office success. Despite not getting any Oscar buzz due to the early release, we are here to give it some flowers at the end of the year. At the end of the podcast we said we'll be reviewing The Brutalist next week, but unfortunately being able to see the film in time for the review will not be possible, so instead we're reviewing...um...Red One? Merry Christmas to no one, I guess.

This whole podcast is a Trap! We're back for Dan's pick in our 2024 wrap-up series, M. Night Shyamalan's Trap. While not a hit with general audiences, did it work for us? We'll be back next week for our last pick in this series, Challengers!

We start our look back on 2024 releases with Conor's pick, The Fall Guy! The Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt romantic action film didn't land at the box office, but did it work for us? Come back next week for Brendan's pick, Trap!

24 years after Best-Picture-Winning film Gladiator hit the screens, 86-year-old Ridley Scott returns to the film that won him a gold statue. Paul Mescal steps into the lead role, and the star-studded supporting cast includes Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal. Did the gap in time cause Scott to lose the juice between films? Come back next week as we start our 2024 picks series with Conor's pick, The Fall Guy! We have a long preamble in this one, so the review itself starts at about a half-hour in.

Are you not entertained?! The crowd was in 2000, when the Ridley Scott directed film won Best Picture at the Oscars. Now, with the new film in theaters this week, we look back to see if we enjoy the original today. Stay tuned to the end of the show where we discuss what we'll be reviewing next after Gladiator II next week!

The Forrest Gump creative team has reunited over thirty years later to bring us Here! And Brendan and Conor wanted to review it so...here...we are. We'll be back with the start to our Gladiator quick series with the original Best Picture winner!

On the eve of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, we here are looking back on to a film that (very briefly) covers the closest in American history, Vice focusing on former VP Dick Cheney. Adam McKay's controversial film still secured eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Did the satirical portrayal of Cheney and the Bush Administration work for us? Come back next week for our review of Here, the new film from Forrest Gump trio Robert Zemeckis, Tom Hanks, and Robin Wright!

Happy Halloween! We're here with a bonus review of Brendan's favorite movie of all time, Haunted Mansion (2023)! We hope you enjoy our review of the second movie adaptation of the theme park ride. We will be back on Monday with our review of Vice, leading up to the US elections on Tuesday...totally not freaking out.

For the first time ever, a podcast solely reviews Vile (2011) for an entire episode (as far as we know)! Why? It's a Conor movie. Did it work for Brendan and Ryan, though? We'll be back on Thursday with a bonus review for Haunted Mansion (2023), and then Vice on Monday next week!

Would It Kill You 2 Smile? Would have been a better title. But instead, Ryan, Brendan, and Conor venture back into theaters to review the #1 movie of the weekend at the box office, Smile 2! The first one was divisive among the hosts, but did this one impress us all? Come back next week when we review the Taylor Sheridan horror movie Vile!

In 2022, Parker Finn's directorial debut made Paramount very happy making over $200 million. Two years later, we're getting a sequel! Which means we have to go back and review the original before we head to theaters this weekend. Come on back next week for our review of Smile 2!

Oh, boy. Joker is back in theaters and people definitely aren't smiling this time. But did it work for us? Come on back next week as we review Smile before covering the new sequel the week after!

Almost 40 years in making, Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis is here! Although I don't think they told anyone it was coming out. We found our way to the theaters and to our mics to review the last film in our Grand Finale series. Did this divisive film work for us? Come back next week as we pick back up with the Joker with Joker: Folie a Deux!

David Lynch's incredible career in theatrical feature filmmaking seemingly came to an end in 2006 with the release of Inland Empire (yes, some consider Twin Peaks: The Return a film). His most experimental film to date, Empire is often listed as one of the most underrated films of all time, but did it work for us? Next week we wrap up our Grand Finale series with Francis Ford Coppola's new epic Megalopolis!