Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Stiller

In hour three, a HUGE weekend for College Football in Florida. Crowder tries to spin the Achane injury as a positive? Hoch doesn't think Ben Stiller is a good actor. Studs and Duds from the Miami Dolphins loss to the Chiefs.

Adam and Josh welcome Filmspotting SVU co-host Matt Singer for the Top 5 Comedy Boom Movies. Singer’s new book, “Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever” documents the Frat Pack era of studio comedies that dominated the box office from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s—and gave a generation a lifetime’s worth of movie quotes. Plus, reviews of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil and the new Scottish indie The Incomer. This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off. (Timecodes will not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:02:17) Top 5 Comedy Boom Movies (00:02:18-1:01:58) Filmspotting Family (1:01:59-01:05:34) Top 5, cont. (01:05:35-01:38:31) Polls (01:38:32-01:52:09) Resident Evil (01:52:10-02:23:50) The Incomer (02:23:51-02:27:36) Credits / New Releases (02:27:37-02:32:25) Notes: Matt Singer’s “Funny Business" https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠-⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. ⁠https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/filmspotting⁠ -Adam/Filmspotting ⁠Letterboxd⁠ |⁠ Instagram⁠ |⁠ Facebook⁠ | ⁠Bluesky⁠ -Josh/LarsenOnFilm ⁠Letterboxd⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ |⁠ Facebook⁠ | ⁠BlueskySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It's all the same source. And the source in everything that you do, whether you're taking a photograph or you're playing music or you're acting... is you. It's all you.”I sat down with friend and fellow actor,  Yul Vazquez , this summer, and he blew me away on multiple levels...Not only does he have awesome stories from the seemingly endless amounts of elite films, TV shows and plays he's done over the past decades, but I got to ask him about the fact that he's also an accomplished musician, painter and photographer. With incredible charm and simplicity, he beautifully articulates some philosophies that I've been trying to grasp since this podcast began...So, yes, you'll hear personal stories about  Philip Seymour Hoffman ,  Sam Rockwell ,  Ben Stiller , and many others, but what will really inspire you is this: if, like me, you are drawn to more than just one art form or possess both artistic and entrepreneurial interests, Yul empowers you to trust that your talent and perspective in multiple fields is not a conflict. It's something to embrace and celebrate.And he just lays it all out in such a plain-spoken, cool-as-shit way that you can't help but love him for his honesty, vulnerability and wisdom that he's picked up along his journey. He made me laugh a lot, but he also reminded me that I wasn't wrong when I titled this podcast 10,000 NOs. Here are his words about the crazy journey of a life in show business, "if not the most important of all is, how much can you withstand? What are you made of? What's your mettle? Because if you crumble, you're done."If you're an actor, writer or filmmaker and you think you'd benefit from being part of conversations like this every week with a group of fellow artists, consider joining our Working Actors Community. Find out more by CLICKING HERE.And remember: “failure” is just opportunity in disguise. You can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you. SHOW LINKS:10,000 NOs: THE BOOKSUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTERFOLLOW MATT ON SOCIALBECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

Matt and Eric discuss DAREDEVIL's latest cancelation, RESIDENT EVIL's success, sequels for WORLD WAR Z and GREMLINS, PRIMETIME, THE WEIGHT, and more...

By a miracle, Jenna Phillips Ballard is alive today. After a horrific brain injury and coma, she re-arrived in life as a visionary leader, transformational coach, artist. She is now the founder of I•▲M—a global movement dedicated to helping people embody their highest selves and live in alignment with purpose, prosperity, and love. She began her career in 2006 as a certified personal trainer and mindset coach, working with A-list clients including Ben Stiller, Blink-182, and Saudi Arabian royalty. Quickly becoming one of Los Angeles's most sought-after fitness experts, she was featured on Dr. Phil, The Doctors, KTLA, and Good Morning LaLa Land, with editorial spotlights in Harper's Bazaar, Lucky, Allure, and Madame Figaro. In 2011, Jenna discovered emotional intelligence and somatic healing, igniting a deeper mission to awaken the leaders of the new era. She immersed herself in leadership trainings and transformational coaching, helping top executives and influencers access their highest potential and create legacies rooted in integrity and impact. In 2016, Jenna and her husband, Brad Ballard, co-founded Ascension Leadership Academy (ALA)—a premier emotional intelligence training company that has transformed thousands of lives, helped businesses 10x their growth, and raised over $4MM for charity. Now based in Austin, Jenna continues to mentor high-level leaders, founders, and creators while expanding her I•▲M ecosystem—which includes her transformational book I•▲M Her Now, the I•▲M with Jenna Phillips Ballard podcast, her signature affirmation deck, and a line of intentional lifestyle products. In 2024, Jenna stepped into a lifelong dream and launched her career as a recording artist. Through her pop-EDM fusion of coaching and music, she brings empowerment to every beat—proving that it's never too late to say yes to your biggest calling. Her proudest title, however, is boy mom to Jax and Jett—raising the next generation of conscious, heart-centered men.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

I dagens episode snakker Jakob, Hedda og Noirs eminente nye medlem Helle om deres favoritt duo: nemlig Owen Wilson og Ben Stiller. Gjennom filmene Zoolander (2001), Starsky & Hutch (2004) og Natt på museet (2006) går duoen igjennom intriger og trekanter, men vennskapet overvinner alltid. De har også sett tre rykende ferske kinofilmer.

Dana and Tom with 5x Club member, Sarah Duncan, discuss Zoolander (2001) for its 25th anniversary: written and directed by Ben Stiller with Drake Sather and John Hamberg, cinematography by Barry Peterson, music by David Arnold, editing by Greg Hayden, starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, David Duchovny, Jon Voight, Vince Vaughn, and Justin Theroux.Plot Summary: Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is a not-too-bright supermodel who loses his crown to newcomer Hansel (Owen Wilson). Meanwhile, a scheming designer, Mugatu (Will Ferrell), secretly brainwashes models to carry out assassinations for a shadowy fashion cabal, and recruits the down-on-his-luck Zoolander to kill Malaysia's prime minister. A reporter, Matilda (Christine Taylor), starts digging into the plot. Eventually, Zoolander and Hansel team up to stop Mugatu, fighting through Derek's brainwashing in a final runway showdown to save the day.Guest:Sarah DuncanSister of Tom, Daughter of Dana@thenomadicarchaeologist on IG13x guestChapters:00:12 Introduction and Ambi-Turning02:41 Cast and Background for Zoolander04:54 Welcome Back, Sarah Duncan!05:32 Relationship(s) with Zoolander10:11 Plot Summary for Zoolander11:03 What is Zoolander About?17:55 Did You Know?24:08 What's Happening with Sarah Duncan?27:00 CLP 2.0 - First Reveal - #75-7033:13 Best Performance(s)40:43 Best Scene(s)46:12 Best Line(s)53:56 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy01:00:02 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance01:03:20 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty01:08:48 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness01:14:13 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability01:15:32 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total01:16:50 Remaining Questions for Zoolander01:22:44 Thank You to Sarah and Remaining Thoughts01:23:37 CreditsYou can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/zoolander-2001-ft-sarah-duncanFor the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-listKeywords:Zoolander, movie review, comedy, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, film analysis, character discussion, pop culture, family podcast, movie history, David Bowie, film trivia, comedians, Oscars, movie watching, dinner plans, wine choices, pet antics, college football, JFK series, acting performances charismatic performers, memorable scenes, favorite scenes, hidden performances, technical difficulties, quotes, best lines, film analysis, comedy, movie discussion comedy, film legacy, originality, classic films, rewatchability, humor, character exploration, impact of comedy, timelessness, audience engagement, podcast, movie, movies, film, Owen WilsonRonny Duncan Studios

‘Chad Powers' star Steve Zahn joins the show. Over chilaquiles and a La Brea scramblette, Steve tells me about leaving the Hollywood bubble for rural Kentucky and playing alongside his daughter in the film ‘She Dances.' Plus, we get into his longtime friendship with Ethan Hawke and what it was like getting to be in Ben Stiller's cult classic ‘Reality Bites.' We also get behind-the-scenes with Steve on Hulu's ‘Chad Powers' and HBO Max's ‘White Lotus.' This episode was recorded at First of All in West Hollywood, CA.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For Part 2 of our 3-part series, our producer Tony picks two movies that have us wondering: could these get made today? First we shine the harsh light of 2026 on Alexander Payne's 1996 satire CITIZEN RUTH, a comedy that dares to make a farce out of both sides of the abortion debate. Then it's on to the enlightened era of 2008, where Ben Stiller's TROPIC THUNDER earned an Oscar nomination for a performance in black face—does it still get away with it, and is that even the most offensive part?Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus. Unwatchables Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/unwatchablesDiscord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPodWebsite: https://www.unwatchablespod.com Email: unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com

Reality Bites is an unforgettable Generation X film.  Directed by Ben Stiller and starring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janine Garafalo and Steve Zahn.  The Actors Room highlights the film and all the behind the scenes information.

Topics include:Being former arch-nemeses, cutthroat Pizza Hut auditions, oceanic engineer parents, busking on Santa Monica promenade, childhood fixations on West Side Story and Happy Gilmore, shape-shifting performances, having an out-of-body experience working with Robert Pattinson on the first day of Primetime, Skyler “beaming like a maniac” watching Austin in a top-secret screening of Resident Evil, Lance Oppenheim's deep collaboration, decapitated whale heads, shining Ryan Gosling's shoes, Ben Stiller and Robin Williams helping Skyler ask his girlfriend to prom on set of Night at the Museum, the courage to call Robert De Niro “Bob,” and the joy of taking big weird swings. 

Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay get their frank and beans stuck in their zippers while rushing to talk about one of the funniest movies of all-time, 'There's Something About Mary.' Bombay starts off the episode by recalling a date hookup that got messy on several levels. Then the boys dive into this Farellelly Brothers classic that's jam-packed with standout performances, but it's Matt Dillon's bumbling scumbag private eye Healy who walks away as the MVP. From resuscitating a dog he drugged, to complaining about his "damn Nepalese coins," he's constantly finding the best say-the-wrong-thing humor in his performance. Meanwhile, Cameron Diaz is effervescently stunning, and charming as the eponymous Mary, as she has to ground the film while surrounded by raging lunatics, all while hitting great comedic notes. It's no wonder this film brought out wild aisle-rolling reactions from audiences when it hit theaters in the late '90s and redefined gross out comedy, but still maintaining enough heart and charm. Ben Stiller's starring role is a career-best physical performance, as he convincingly portrays getting his junk wrapped up in his zipper, and fights a dog in one of the funniest uses of a dummy ever caught on camera. That's all without mentioning Chris Elliott's genius comedic timing, and Harland Williams' gonzo 7 Minute Abs cameo. Similar to moviegoers in the '90s, this episode will have you rolling around so much with laughter that you'll be calling everyone "roller pig." 

It’s a blockbuster, fast-paced edition of News It or Lose It on Afternoons with Zweli as Zweli breaks down the biggest upcoming releases across cinema, television, and global pop music! In this episode, Zweli unpacks: HBO's Harry Potter Reboot: The massive announcement that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is set to premiere on Christmas Day. Ariana Grande's Busy Season: Her return to the big screen alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in Focker-In-Law, plus updates on her eternal sunshine era. Dua Lipa Rumors: Whispers of a 2027 Coachella headlining slot and early buzz surrounding her fourth studio album. Tune in for sharp takes, pop culture analysis, and all the Hollywood updates you need to stay in the loop! Spend weekday afternoons with Zweli. He keeps you in the loop with everything from music and movies to sport and pop culture. Hear what the Word on the Street is, test your skills with the high-pressure 6 Out of 6, and get ready to be entertained. Thank you for listening to an Afternoons with Zweli podcast Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 12:00 to 15:00 (SA Time) to Afternoons with Zweli broadcast on 947 https://www.primediaplus.com/station/947 For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/FeeL6wY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/pRBikjo Subscribe to the 947 Weekly Newsletter here https://buff.ly/hf9IuR9 Follow us on social media 947 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/947Joburg/ 947 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@947joburg 947 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/947joburg 947 on X https://x.com/947 947 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@947Joburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a massive pop culture roundup on News It or Lose It on Afternoons with Zweli on 947, bringing you the biggest breaking stories in global music and entertainment! In this episode, Zweli breaks down: Beyoncé’s Major Milestone: Celebrating two decades of her landmark album B-Day with a 20th-anniversary expanded edition featuring remastered tracks and 5 previously unreleased vault songs, including collaborations with Pharrell and Selena. Ariana’s Big Screen Return: Joining Hollywood icons Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in the upcoming comedy Meet the Focker. Miley Cyrus’s Bold New Chapter: The drop of her new lead single Bass Persuades and its stunning music video shot by iconic fashion photographer Mert Alas, leading up to her highly anticipated new album. Tune in to stay ahead of the curve with all the latest pop news, album drops, and Hollywood updates! Spend weekday afternoons with Zweli. He keeps you in the loop with everything from music and movies to sport and pop culture. Hear what the Word on the Street is, test your skills with the high-pressure 6 Out of 6, and get ready to be entertained. Thank you for listening to an Afternoons with Zweli podcast Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 12:00 to 15:00 (SA Time) to Afternoons with Zweli broadcast on 947 https://www.primediaplus.com/station/947 For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/FeeL6wY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/pRBikjo Subscribe to the 947 Weekly Newsletter here https://buff.ly/hf9IuR9 Follow us on social media 947 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/947Joburg/ 947 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@947joburg 947 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/947joburg 947 on X https://x.com/947 947 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@947Joburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opie and Tony P panic about the AI apocalypse, then immediately decide they'd rather become Bugs Bunny. Football gets skipped for Hoobastank, a woman with a foot-long finger steals the show, and a guy eating Chinese buffet until he drops becomes the real hero. OH! Why New York bike helmets look like a bad Ben Stiller movie. Chaotic, filthy, and exactly what Monday needed.Support the Show:https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/PRULKVNHUMQVAAbout Opie Unfiltered:Hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes—co-creator of the legendary Opie and Anthony show—Opie Unfiltered brings raw, unscripted commentary, classic radio lore, and unfiltered comedy featuring Ron the Waiter and regular guests.For fans of classic New York talk radio, unedited comedy, satellite broadcast history, and the original Opie and Anthony era.

We're back, but this time not on our regular nonsense. We have a guest on the podcast for the first time. (We're counting those other two times as guest hosts because Mark wasn't there.) Adam (whom you might know as @galooticus on the social-media-formerly-known-as-Twitter) joins us to discuss his four movie choices. They're all considered to one degree or another Cult Classics, but Adam admits that he mostly chose them in an effort to troll Bob. Joke's on him, though; Bob liked them all well enough. Do beware for SPOILERS! that lurk throughout. Hail to the king, baby.00:00 Podcast and guest intro03:22 Duel13:35 Strange Brew19:07 Max von Sydow25:10 Bob claims Strange Brew is just like Nolan's The Odyssey25:45 Tremors31:59 Sequels to Tremors33:40 Bob is failing to remember Ben Stiller's name36:52 Army of Darkness47:06 Bob's an idiot, that's two totally different people (and Bob was mixing up the names) Duke Henry from Army of Darkness is Richard Grove and Airk the Red from Willow is Gavin O'Herlihy. In his defense...well, no, he's just dumb.52:09 Wrapping up; will Adam return?Intro and Outro music excerpted without alteration other than length and volume from AcidJazz by Kevin McLeod under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license: ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

In this week's episode, I take a look back at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Summer 2026 and rate them. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Armor series at my Payhip store: FALLARMOR The coupon code is valid through September 21, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 319 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is September the 4th, 2026, and today I'm looking back at the movies and streaming shows I watched over Summer 2026. We will also have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Armor series at my Payhip store. That coupon code is FALLARMOR. As always, you can get the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through September 21st, 2026, so if you need a new ebook for this fall, we have got you covered. Now an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report that the rough draft of Blade of Visions is done. It came to 99,000 words. It'd be kind of cool if it came to 100,000, but as I've learned in the 15 years I've been doing this, it's not a good idea to pad things for length. Editing is underway. I'm about 15% through the first pass of edits. I'm working on the cover design, so I'm on good track to have the book out before the end of the month. I also wrote a tie-in short story called Winter Crown and don't forget that [newsletter] subscribers will get a free ebook copy of that short story when Blade of Visions comes out later this month. So this makes a very excellent time to subscribe to my new release newsletter. I am also 12,000 words into Elven-Warlock, which will be the seventh book in the Half-Elven Thief series. Hopefully that will be out in October, if all goes well. In audiobook news, I think Blade of Thieves (as narrated by Brad Wills) and Cloak of Worlds (as narrated by Hollis McCarthy) are now finally available at all the usual audiobook stores, which includes Audible, Apple, Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, Chirp, and all the others. So if you want to listen to those if you are going on a Labor Day road trip, you can check those out. A reminder that Stealth and Spells Online: The Complete LitRPG trilogy (narrated by C.J. McAllister) is also available on Audible, so check that out. That's 32 hours long and that would also cover all your Labor Day travels. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing and audiobook projects. 00:02:22 Main Topic of the Week: Summer 2026 Movie Roundup So let's move on to our main topic this week. Our main topic this week is the Summer 2026 Movie Roundup and I always enjoy doing those. These episodes are a little less serious than some of the other episodes and it's fun to talk about things I enjoyed and that you might enjoy as well. And I did see a lot of new movies this summer. In fact, I went to the actual theater four times for Masters of the Universe, The Odyssey, Spider-Man, and Coyote vs. Acme, which is probably more than I've gone in a single season since before COVID times. So as usual, here are the movies I saw this summer (rated from least favorite to most favorite). The grades are totally subjective and based on nothing but my own thoughts and opinions. First up is The Breadwinner, which came out in 2026. This is basically standup comedian Nate Bargatze's act come to life as a movie. If you've seen Bargatze's standup, his usual routine is to portray himself as the dumb husband and bumbling Girl Dad, which is actually quite clever from a comedic standpoint since you're unlikely to have outraged mobs calling for your head if all you're doing is making fun of yourself. Anyway, Bargatze portrays Nate Wilcox, the best Toyota salesman in Nashville. (Don't worry, this is the first of only many product placement moments.) He lets his wife Kate manage the household and do the bulk of the work with their three daughters. When Kate's invention takes off on Shark Tank, she has to go to South Korea for two weeks to oversee manufacturing, leaving Nate in charge of the kids. Comedic chaos ensues. On the positive side of this movie, I did approve how this movie showed a married couple trying to work through a rough patch and do what's right for their kids and each other in a semi-productive way rather than blowing up their lives over nonsensical trivialities in the style of Eat, Pray, Love. On the downside, there was a lot of product placement, to the point where it at times felt like an extended commercial with bits of plot jammed in between product endorsement. No doubt most of the production budget came from product placement money. Will Forte was funny as an eccentric roofing contractor and Martin Herlihy as a shifty DoorDash employee. Kumail Nanjiani was funny as Nate's rival salesman at the car dealership. So overall, I would say this was blandly amusing and inoffensive with some funny slapstick moments. Overall grade: C- Next up is Supergirl, which came out in 2026. This movie really was sort of a strange combination of John Wick and the human trafficking subplot from 2020's Black Widow. The end result wasn't quite as good as Superman from 2025, alas. I did like this movie's interpretation of Supergirl. Kara Zor-El's departure from Krypton was way more traumatic than Superman's, so she's dealing with her unresolved emotional issues by traveling from planet to planet with red suns and getting hammered since the same yellow sun that gives Kryptonians their superpowers on Earth also keeps them from getting drunk because their bodies process alcohol too efficiently. However, Kara comes to a planet where a girl named Ruthye lives. Ruthye's family has been slaughtered by ruthless brigands yet led by Krem of the Yellow Hills and she's going on a quest for revenge. When Ruthye tries to recruit Kara for the quest, she's not interested, but then Krem steals Kara's spaceship and poisons her dog Krypto. Krem carries the antidote on his person, so now Kara and Ruthye team up to get vengeance on Krem and to heal Krypto. Krem is a nasty piece of work and he and his space gang travel from planet to planet abducting women to be their wives. I think the problem was that Krem was kind of a boring but nasty villain, but he was still boring. He was basically a space thug with too many piercings. Lex Luthor from 2025 Superman, by contrast, was a really interesting villain, this malignant narcissist who knows that his obsession with Superman is over the top, but he's going to act on it anyway. Additionally, I don't think this version of Supergirl is quite capable of being a lead character on her own. She'd make a superb secondary character, but I don't think she could quite carry a movie on her own. And Jason Momoa was pretty good as Lobo. Overall grade: C- Next up is Troy, which came out in 2004. I wanted to see this either before or after I watched The Odyssey this summer and ended up watching it the day before I went to see The Odyssey. I would say this movie was slow and ponderous, but I did enjoy watching it. This is an adaption of The Iliad and has the sort of slow stateliness of epic films from the '60s. It had good performances and good battle scenes. Brian Cox was enjoyable as a scenery chewing Agamemnon and Brad Pitt worked as Achilles. Interestingly, his version of Achilles reminded me of the interpretation of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen from Dune 2 as sort of a violent psychopath with his own twisted sense of honor. Oddly, despite the fact that this was rather a long movie, the ending seems a bit rushed, like we needed to hurry up and get to the Trojan Horse. It was amusing how Achilles' relationship with Patroclus was changed to "cousin" for the modern audience, but Greek views on sexuality would definitely be unpalatable with both right-wing and left-wing versions of the modern mind, which is a good thing because while the Greeks contributed a great deal to the development of civilization, they were into a lot of unsavory stuff. So overall, I would say this was a fun, epic movie, but I think this walked so the 2026 version of The Odyssey could run. Amusing fact: Christopher Nolan was apparently supposed to direct this, but the deal fell through and he got Batman Begins as a consolation prize instead. Overall grade: B- Next up is The Dink, which came out in 2026. This is an Apple TV comedy movie about pickleball of all things. I feel like this was made because some Apple executive got made fun of by some tennis players for playing pickleball and then decided to take revenge through media. Jake Johnson plays Dustin Boyd, a washed up former child tennis star who now works at his father's tennis club. The club has difficulties because of a growing influx of pickleball players who the hardcore tennis players hate. Dustin's father decides to use the club's bylaws to force a duel match to decide the issue, in the grand tradition of wacky comedy stakes. Dustin really wants to play the duel match, but his wrist is injured in an accident. To get his wrist mobility back, the doctor suggested he play some pickleball and Dustin views this as beneath him, but he really wants to play again, so he signs up for pickleball. This ends up being a wacky sports company/buddy movie as Dustin gradually befriends an eccentric older pickleball player. Ed Harris should really do more comedic roles. He was great as Dustin's stern, yet unscrupulous father. I do admire Apple TV's dedication to making random stuff. Overall grade: B- Next up is Green and Gold, which came out in 2025, and this is a melodrama about a farmer and his granddaughter dealing with the grim economic realities of farming. This is set in 1992/1993 era Wisconsin. Buck refuses to modernize his dairy farm in Door County, Wisconsin. His granddaughter Jenny is a talented musician and also a skilled farmer, and Buck wants her to take over the farm one day, but Jenny's ambitions are looking elsewhere. Events come to a head when Jenny realizes that Buck is deeply in debt to the bank, which is about to foreclose on the farm. However, Buck and the chief banker have a personal animosity, so they settle on a bet. If the Green Bay Packers win a Super Bowl title in 1993, the banker will give Buck one more year to turn things around on the farm. Meanwhile, Jenny begins to wonder if her music ambitions might generate the money to save the farm. Of course, if you are familiar with the history of the Packers, you know that they won a Super Bowl in 1996, not 1993. The movie has carried on the back of the very strong performances of its actors. It also has an ambiguously happy ending, as is true with so many things in farming. I like this movie because I've spent a lot of my life in the American Midwest, [and] I did appreciate how it shows the difficulties of the farming life. Also, this is important: a fall from a ladder is a plot point. Ladder safety is important, people! If you are going up a ladder, for heaven's sake don't climb the ladder in high heels like the character in question does. Wear sensible, well-fitting shoes with good soles. A very long time ago, I used to work with a guy who would climb extension ladders in cowboy boots. It is nothing short of the mercy of God that he didn't fall off and shatter half the bones in his body. Overall grade: B Next up is Grumpy Old Men, which came out in 1993. Apparently this is set in Wabasha, Minnesota, which is amusing because filming actually took place in several areas in the Twin Cities in Eastern Minnesota, but not actually in Wabasha. I found that personally amusing because I'm quite familiar with the area and so I recognize several filming locations. Anyway, the movie is about two retirees, Max and John, who are enemies and have been enemies for years, but Max is lonely and wants to get married again, and John is about to lose his house to the IRS due to tax problems. Things come to a head when an attractive literature professor moves across the street and both Max and John take an interest in her and start competing for her affections. However, it turns out that Max and John are actually best friends whose love language happens to be hatred and practical jokes, kind of like Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, but more on them below. This was a good character comedy/drama. It was interesting that the professor was an early version of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, albeit several decades before someone came up with the term. This is worth watching both as a character and comedy drama and a time capsule of the 1990s. Sometimes a movie ages a bit badly (Airplane and the Thomas Crown Affair from the Spring Movie Roundup come to mind), but this didn't. The sequel Grumpier Old Men from 1995 is basically the same movie, but with the characters acting about 20% dumber so a sitcom style plot can happen. Still entertaining, but not as good as the first one, so Grumpier Old Men only gets a B-, but Grumpy Old Men gets a B+. Next up is Masters of the Universe, which came out in 2026. It was amusing to read reviews of this movie because people thought way too hard about a movie that is essentially about battling action figures. Anyway, this was pretty good. It was nice to see a movie about a science fiction property that doesn't actually hate the source material. Basically it's a live action version of the cartoons from the '80s, albeit with somewhat more thoughtful moments. I heard someone suggest that it was close in tone to Thor: Ragnarok, and that seems accurate. The plot is that Skeletor conquers Eternia and 10-year-old Prince Adam is sent with the Sword of Power through a magical portal to Earth to keep him and the sword out of Skeletor's reach. However, Adam loses the sword while passing through the gate and 15 years later is working in human resources. He's still seeking for the sword despite his therapist trying to convince him that it was a trauma-induced fantasy. However, his persistence pays off and he does find the sword. Teela, who is one of the resistance leaders against Skeletor's rule, comes to Earth to find him and bring him back, but Skeletor's minions arrive to claim the sword as well. Adam and Teela escape back to Eternia and it's up to Adam to find a way to use the Sword of Power to become the hero that Eternia needs. Dolph Lundgren's cameo was great. Overall, I would say this is a fun movie to watch, especially if you're a Millennial or Gen Xer who saw the cartoons or the live action movie back in the '80s. Jared Leto has something of an increasingly questionable reputation these days, but he did a good job as Skeletor, played him halfway between the solemn gravitas of the 1987 version and the malevolent comedic cornball of the cartoons. Of course, in my opinion, the Frank Langella version from 1987 is the best version of Skeletor since he placed it with all the seriousness of a Shakespearean villain monologue at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In hindsight, it wasn't terribly surprising that this underperformed at the box office. It felt like it was made for guys my age, not for kids. I would've been comfortable bringing an eight-year-old to see The Mandalorian and Grogu or Super Mario Galaxy, but I would've been less certain bringing a kid that age to see Masters of the Universe. Additionally, it seemed very Marvel in tone, and I think the overall mood of the US these days is less "Marvel Cinematic Universe quips and banter" and more sort of the grimness of The Odyssey, which we'll talk about shortly. Overall grade: B+ Next up is Young Washington, which came out in 2026, a biopic of the early life of George Washington, covering how he more or less accidentally started the French and Indian War and how he recovered his reputation at the Battle of Braddock's Field. To be fair, the international situation at the time meant that someone was going to start the French and Indian War. It just happened to be Washington, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Overall, I liked this. It was reasonably historically accurate, though some of the emotional and family dialogue at times was a bit clunky. Additionally, Washington was portrayed as having revolutionary leanings much earlier in life than he actually did, since when he was a young man, he had no thoughts of being anything but a British subject and officer. That said, some of the most implausible stuff in the movie actually happened in real life. Like if I were to write in a novel that the future president of the United States personally rallied the army's rear guard to save as many men as possible from an ambush, and in the process had two horses shot out from under him and ended up with bullet holes in his hat and coat (all while fighting continuously), you would probably find that a bit implausible, but it actually happened that way. Washington's daring actions during that battle were one of the reasons he was appointed commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, that and there weren't many other colonials with as much experience of military command as Washington. In that vein, the battle scenes were the best part of the movie. They captured the brutality and messiness of 18th Century warfare without being especially graphic. Anyway, I'm glad this is getting a sequel. Maybe we'll end up with a Young Washington Cinematic Universe. Overall grade: B+ Next up is Meet the Parents, which came out in 2000, and this is probably one of the apex forms of cringe comedy. Ben Stiller plays Greg Focker, a nurse who's in love with schoolteacher Pam Burns. Greg wants to marry Pam, but overhears a phone call with her sister where she says her fiancé asked permission of her traditional father first. Greg decides that he's going to ask Pam's father's permission first to get off on the right foot, and so accompanies Pam to her sister's wedding and her parents' house to, as the title says, Meet the Parents. However, Pam's father is the former CIA counterintelligence officer Jack, and he and Greg immediately get on each other's nerves. To make things worse, the airline has lost Greg's luggage. From these two starting premises follow a cascading series of hilarious disasters that accumulate in a septic tank fire on the lawn. I'm not sure, but I think I saw this one in the theaters when it came out in 2000, and I thought it was funny then. With 26 years of additional life experience under the belt, I still think it's pretty funny, though you could still tell that this movie was filmed before 9/11 because if Greg had his airport meltdown seen today, the consequences would've been much worse. Overall grade: B+ Next up is O Brother Where Art Thou, which came out in 2000. This is a very, very, very specific adaptation of The Odyssey directed by the Coen brothers. George Clooney plays Everett, a convict who escapes from a chain gang in Mississippi during the Great Depression. He wants to find a treasure and he recruits fellow convicts Delmar and Peter to assist him. Along the way, Everett and his team encountered 1930s era versions of the Sirens, the cyclops, the blind prophet Tiresias, and other characters and foes from the original Odyssey myth. Everett and his friends end up running a scam where they pretend to be a Christian music group, but as it turns out, they're actually pretty good at singing, so this leads to unexpected hilarity and opportunities. This was also a very funny movie. Imagine The Odyssey is a comedy with a lot of singing set in the Deep South during the Depression, and you're there. If you're a fan of bluegrass music, this is worth watching. If you've seen Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, it's worth watching this just to ponder how the same source material can produce such wildly divergent interpretations. If you don't care about The Odyssey, then this is still a fun movie to watch. Proof: I mentioned to someone that I had seen this and she responded that she both loved the movie and was surprised to learn that he had in fact been inspired by The Odyssey. Overall grade: A- Next up is Hoppers, which came out in 2026. Like most Pixar movies, this was very high concept. Unlike many recent Pixar movies, it wasn't too depressing and didn't disappear up its own tailpipe. In the city of Beaverton, hot tempered girl Mabel bonds with her grandmother in their favorite place, a woodland grove favored by beavers. Years later, Mabel is a biology student under Dr. Fairfax, but is neglecting her studies to face off against her nemesis, the popular yet sketchy Mayor Jerry of Beaverton. Mayor Jerry wants to build an expressway that will wipe out the woodland grove, and he's perfectly within his rights to do it since no animals have been found living there. Since Mabel's grandmother has died, she's unwilling to give up the grove. However, Dr. Fairfax's research might give her a way. Dr. Fairfax has worked out a way to temporarily transfer human consciousness to a robotic beaver capable of speaking to real beavers, much like the plot of Avatar. In a funny scene, Fairfax angrily denies that it's just like Avatar. Mabel gets the idea to use this to convince real beavers to settle in the grove, thereby thwarting Mayor Jerry's plans. This touches off both a wacky yet poignant adventure. The plot was very well structured and it followed the proper rules of story structure, which I've talked about before. Mabel definitely is a protagonist who takes action, but experiences setbacks and problems of her own creation. It was pretty good. I say it was a return to form for Pixar after some of their weaker movies in the 2020s. Overall grade: A Now it's time for my three favorite movies of summer 2026, all of which I actually saw in the theater. First up is Coyote versus Acme, which came out in 2026. This movie had an extra surge of popularity from the fact that Warner Brothers canceled it as a tax write-off, but distributor Ketchup Entertainment revived it. That makes it a plucky underdog since Warner Brothers senior executives are kind of like the apex version of soulless corporate bug men. Like if I wrote characters in my books who acted like Warner Brothers senior executives, people would think I was being didactic and heavy-handed. Anyway, after decades of failures in efforts to capture the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote decides to sue Acme Corporation for its numerous defective products. Coyote teams up with a lazy strip mall lawyer named Kevin Avery, who specializes in getting small settlements from Acme. However, Avery and Coyote end up filing a massive lawsuit against Acme, which means they'll face the full wrath of Acme Corporation, including its ace lawyer Buddy Crane and its ruthless CEO, Foghorn Leghorn. What follows is a comedic courtroom battle as Coyote and Avery try to defeat Acme Corporation, defeat its sinister plans, and Coyote starts to realize that Road Runner might actually be his best friend. Both quite amusing and touching, and I'm glad this was rescued from the tax write-off vault. Overall grade: A Next up is The Odyssey, which came out in 2026. This wasn't quite as good as Oppenheimer in 2023 in my opinion, but it was still very good and very much worth seeing. It was weird that The Odyssey was briefly a football in the never-ending US culture war scrum because the movie isn't really political and doesn't really have a message beyond "war is destructive and bad", which every sensible person would agree with, and a lesser message of "violating the law of morality has unforeseen cascading bad consequences, including the destruction of civilization", which is also quite true and was one of the themes of Oppenheimer. Nolan himself dismissed the controversies as "irrelevant" and "part of the territory" since no one had actually seen the movie yet, and given that The Odyssey has made a billion and a half dollars as of this recording, I think that may have proved his point. I imagine the scrutiny from Batman fans back in the 2010s was way more intense since in the modern era, many people care more deeply about the accuracy of Batman than The Odyssey. I do think the debate over the historical accuracy in The Odyssey is pointless because the Odyssey is myth, not history. The Iliad and The Odyssey are a lot like Arthurian myth in terms of their actual historicity. Even when Arthurian legend was massively popular with English kings and nobles in the late medieval and early modern period (for example, Henry VIII's older brother was named Arthur in imitation of King Arthur), the version of Arthurian myth they celebrated and wished to emulate had virtually no connection to the reality of Britain in the 500s AD and was instead a sort of fantasy version of their own time in the 14th and 15th centuries. By the time The Odyssey was written down, no doubt a similar process was underway. Both The Iliad and The Odyssey and the Arthurian cycle probably have a kernel of historical truth buried underneath the tales of magic swords, sirens, cyclopses, and vengeful witches with magic islands. There likely was a Romano-British warlord who might have been named Arthur (or possibly Ambrosius Aurelianus) who held off the Saxons for a while before he was overwhelmed and killed. Likewise, Heinrich Schliemann was a highly eccentric and very sketchy crazy rich guy, but he did prove that there really was some version of the city of Troy that was destroyed at the end of the Bronze Age. But everything beyond those basic details came from thousands of years of embellishments and flourishes from later poets and writers. So arguing about the historical accuracy of The Odyssey is a bit like arguing if Star Wars portrays faster than light travel in an accurate way. That kind of argument is just missing the point entirely. It's also interesting to see how modern standards clashed with the ancient mindset. You know how I always say that everywhere in the United States is exactly the same right until it really, really isn't? I think ancient people are just like us until they really, really weren't. Like ancient people would have been superstitious to an extent that even the most credulous crystal and aura influencer on TikTok would find horrifying and frequently violent in a way that the most strident self-defense advocate would find shocking. The Odyssey's version of Odysseus feels guilt and remorse over his actions in a way an actual ancient Greek probably wouldn't have, but so what? This is The Odyssey viewed through the lens of the 21st century, just as those English nobles viewed the myth of King Arthur and his knights through the lens of their time. As I mentioned with Troy above, the ancient Greeks were often quite brutal and would celebrate sacking an enemy city. One side note before we get to the movie, I probably found it funnier than I should have how Nolan favorably cited classicist Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey as a source, and Wilson then had an extended and unintentionally comedic multi-article crashout about how much she hated the movie and of course how much she hated the commemorative Trojan Horse popcorn bucket. Apparently Wilson hated the movie so much she's going to do a new translation of The Odyssey, much to her publisher's baffled dismay. No one does offended huffy petulance quite like an academic. Anyway, back to the movie. It follows the familiar story of Odysseus through Christopher Nolan's preference for non-linear storytelling and practical effects. I did think it was interesting how in this interpretation, Odysseus explicitly connected the ruse of the Trojan Horse with the collapse of the Bronze Age and the rise of the Sea Peoples. It's also probably the most supernatural film Nolan has ever done with actual fantasy and supernatural elements as opposed to science fiction like Inception, Tenant, and Interstellar. Odysseus talks to Athena throughout the movie and it's left up to the viewer's interpretation whether or not he's actually talking to Athena or his own guilt-ridden hallucinations. That said, Odysseus encounters a witch with actual magic powers and travels to the underworld to speak with the shades of the dead, so it's entirely possible he's talking to the actual Athena. In this version, as I mentioned, Odysseus is guilt-ridden over the ruse of the Trojan Horse, which is shown as a violation of the sacred hospitality of Zeus's law and as great a crime as the creation of the atomic bomb in Oppenheimer, which of course is similar to Oppenheimer, where Oppenheimer's creation of the atomic bomb is treated similarly. There are also some genuinely scary sequences in the movie. The bit with the underworld is very spooky, the cyclops is actually quite frightening, and the character of Circe reaches the level of scary previously attained by Heath Ledger's version of The Joker in The Dark Knight. If Nolan ever decides he wants to do a horror movie, it will probably be one of the scariest ones ever made. To sum up, The Odyssey has great performances, great spectacle, great cinematography, and great action sequences. As an interesting interpretation of the original myth, definitely worth seeing. I think you can tell it was a great movie because of all the arguments on the Internet about "what does it really mean?" Great art often has that effect. Overall grade: A The final of my three favorite movies of [Summer] 2026 is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which came out in 2026. There's a rumor, and I don't know if it's true or not, that Tom Holland found the experience of working with Christopher Nolan on The Odyssey so eye-opening that he insisted that if they made another Spider-Man movie, it had to have a reason for existing other than "make a lot of money". If this story is true, it clearly worked. Previously, I though the two best Spider-Man movies were Spider-Man 2 from 2004 and Spider-Man: No Way Home from 2021. I must now amend that opinion to say that there are three best Spider-Man movies and Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of the three. It is pretty good. I would've trimmed it here and there, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and is an excellent Spider-Man story that totally captures the essence of the character within a good story. It takes place four years after the events of No Way Home erased everyone's memory that Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Peter has now been crime fighting full time, but it is taking a severe toll on his emotions and personal life that he's deliberately ignoring. Meanwhile, Spider-Man has become the beloved crime fighter of New York, trusted by both the NYPD and the Federal Department of Damage Control, which is a reoccurring frenemy for superheroes from other movies. When someone launches an attack on the headquarters of Damage Control, the director recruits Peter to fight their new enemy, a mysterious figure who uses telepathy to possess people from a distance. Peter is the only one who can sense it thanks to his spider sense, and he's also the only one able to resist the telepath's possession abilities. But despite his resistance to possession, fighting a telepath is a dangerous proposition for someone with as many emotional issues as Peter, and things start to spiral out of control when the telepath starts digging into his life. But there's another lesson Peter has to learn. People (and especially superheroes) who take the federal government at its word tend to regret it. For that matter, ignoring his emotional issues is causing Peter's spider powers to start acting in strange ways. But of course, at the end of the day, Spider-Man always follows his conscience, no matter how high the cost to him personally. Definitely an enjoyable movie. All the scenes with Spider-Man and Punisher were great, and the two of them had a great dynamic together. A few other Marvel Cinematic Universe people show up, but this is probably one of the most standalone movies the MCU has done in a while. Of course, the risk of MCU Continuity Lockout is always there (which is one of the reasons I started writing Half-Eleven Thief in 2023). Overall grade: A So I would say it was a pretty good summer for movies. It's also valuable lessons in not taking the Internet too seriously, which too many people do nowadays. There are all these dedicated analyses on X, Threads, and Reddit in June and May explaining why The Odyssey was going to fail for whatever reason, and instead it made $1.5 billion. So I think that's a good lesson in not taking everything you read on the internet a little too seriously. So that's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show enjoyable. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

The Crew is back with a legendary episode of featuring NBA Champion and New York Knicks sensation, Miles "Deuce" McBride! In this exclusive sit-down, Deuce takes us inside the Knicks' historic championship run, detailing the elite mindset behind that epic 29-point comeback and what it truly feels like to bring a title back to NYC after 53 years. We dive deep into the championship DNA of the locker room, the "X-Factor" mentality that defined the season, and a play-by-play of the legendary rally against the Spurs including OG Anunoby's gravity-defying highlights. Deuce opens up about the unique Knicks culture and the electric energy of playing at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in front of icons like Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, and Ben Stiller. We also trace his journey from being a standout quarterback in Cincinnati to West Virginia hoops and eventually getting drafted by the Knicks, while discussing the mentorship he received from NBA vets like Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker. Get a behind-the-scenes look at NBA life, from the hilarious reality of the team group chat with Josh Hart to Deuce's off-court vibes, including his favorite movies like Training Day, his love for Game of Thrones and Peaky Blinders, and a pre-game playlist heavy on 50 Cent and Tupac. Whether you're a die-hard Knicks fan or just love a great underdog story, this interview is a must-watch for insights into professional basketball, New York sports history, and the life of a champion. Turn $5 into $150 on https://link.prizepicks.com/LME0/CREW A short ingredient list, made in America: https://nickspouches.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt and Eric, bursting with fruit flavor, have a lengthy chat about 1994's REALITY BITES - Ben Stiller's Gen-X time capsule, starring Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke, that doesn't quite know what it wants to be...much like Gen-X?

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor join David and Dana to chat about the Knicks, directing, Tropic Thunder, and failed medical procedures. They also get into Focker-In-Law, The Dink, and Christine's podcast with David Lascher, Hey Dude… The 90s Called! Also, getting ambushed by Tony Robbins on Leno, getting a scene cut from Happy Gilmore 2, and much more.

Jason and Rachel review The Dink on Apple TV, a pickleball comedy that somehow seems to hate pickleball. We get into why the movie isn't very funny, why the pickleball makes no sense, why the cast deserved better, how Andy Roddick and John McEnroe are wasted, why the “dink off” ending is painful, and how a Hallmark movie called Pickleball Christmas somehow did this premise better. Plus: spoon mics in a backyard, Jake Johnson, Ed Harris, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller's gross doctor scene, fake pickleball extras, grunting, May-December weirdness, and the eternal question: who is this movie actually for? Subscribe to Thumb War for movie reviews, TV breakdowns, Patreon chaos, and occasional accidental pickleball advocacy. ️ Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you're enjoying Thumb War Email us: ThumbWarPod@gmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ben Stiller's Zoolander is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and we asked one of our best buddies and recurring guests, Timmy St.Sauver, to talk about it with us. This film has so many quotes and scenes that have stuck around since it came out, it was too much fun rewatching and breaking it down. Enjoy!

In 2008, Ben Stiller made a war movie about people making a war movie, and in doing so, accidentally made one of the more prescient satires of 21st-century Hollywood ego, method acting, and the studio system's addiction to spectacle.Tropic Thunder arrived as a big, dumb action-comedy on the surface and a razor-sharp industry roast underneath, skewering everything from Vietnam war epics to blockbuster bloat to the cult of the "serious actor."Starting life as a Stiller passion project over a decade in development, it was championed by Steven Spielberg, and has an unrivalled mid-2000s ensemble; Stiller, Jack Black, and a nearly unrecognizable Robert Downey Jr., whose performance as a white Australian actor undergoing "pigmentation alteration" surgery to play a Black soldier showcased both his talent and the thin line of satire in Hollywood. It also, ironically, ended up with him getting an Academy Award nomination.Tropic Thunder brilliantly satirizes Hollywood's ridiculousness, especially the extremes actors go for awards, but it remains controversial. Despite its flaws, Tropic Thunder remains a relevant critique of the film industry and its egos, prompting discussions about depictions of race, disability and the evolution of comedic boundaries in cinema.Support Verbal DioramaLoved this episode? Here's how you can help:⭐ Leave a 5-star review on your podcast app

Mark and Erik discuss the 1995 family comedy Heavyweights. Directed by Steven Brill, and starring Ben Stiller, Aaron Schwartz, Kenan Thompson, and an inflatable blob, the movie focuses on what happens when a maniac named Tony Perkis buys a summer camp. In this episode, they also talk about unfortunate movie posters, workout systems, and camp movies. Enjoy!

Moviewallas: One Night Only, The End of Oak Street & Spider-Man: Brand New Day This week on Moviewallas, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi tackle three very different new releases: the high-concept romantic comedy One Night Only, the dinosaur-filled suburban adventure The End of Oak Street, and the latest chapter in Tom Holland's Spider-Man story, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The team also responds to listener feedback about The Odyssey, including the suggestion that Peter Jackson might have been better suited to tell the story across several films. Then it is time for another edition of “I Can't Find Anything to Watch…”, with three streaming recommendations and a bonus pick from a listener. Streaming Picks Margot's Got Money Troubles – Apple TV Rashmi recommends this series starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, and Greg Kinnear. A college dropout and aspiring writer must find a way to support herself and her new baby while facing a rapidly growing pile of bills. The Room Next Door – Netflix Yazdi recommends Pedro Almodóvar's thoughtful drama starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. The film explores friendship, dignity, life, death, and the choices people make when confronting mortality. The Dink – Apple TV Joe recommends this warm-hearted pickleball comedy starring Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Harris, with appearances from Ben Stiller and several familiar faces. It may lovingly mock the sport and its players, but it also delivers a funny and thoroughly enjoyable Friday-night movie. Bonus Pick: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder – Netflix Listener Michelle recommends this binge-worthy mystery series for fans of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. One Night Only In a fictional New York City where premarital sex and public displays of affection are forbidden for all but one night of the year, two people search for love while repeatedly missing, finding, and losing one another over the course of a single evening. Directed by Will Gluck and starring Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro, the film combines a deliberately absurd premise with the familiar pleasures of a romantic comedy. The hosts discuss the unanswered questions raised by its strange dystopian world, whether the premise needed a sharper political edge, and why none of that ultimately matters when the two leads have such appealing chemistry. Stylish, funny, romantic, and considerably more risqué than its sweet nature initially suggests, One Night Only succeeds by making the audience genuinely care about whether its central couple will find their way to each other. The End of Oak Street Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, The End of Oak Street follows a suburban family whose neighborhood is transported somewhere unfamiliar after a mysterious cosmic event. Starring Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and Christian Convery, the film blends family drama, science fiction, horror, and the nostalgic spirit of 1980s Amblin adventures. The team describes it as Jurassic Park in suburbia – hammy, underwritten, occasionally ridiculous, but enormously entertaining. They discuss its impressive creatures, its surprisingly frightening and violent moments, its commitment to genuine danger, and the way it captures the look and atmosphere of films such as Super 8, E.T., and the classic Spielberg productions of the era. It may not be the film that saves cinema, but it is a loud, tense, nostalgic popcorn movie that deserves to be experienced in a theatre. Spider-Man: Brand New Day Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker in the fourth film of this Spider-Man series, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Following the events of the previous film, Peter is living alone in a world where the people closest to him no longer remember who he is. As he continues his life as Spider-Man, the emotional weight of that loneliness begins to shape his choices. The hosts discuss the film's quieter and more melancholic tone, its focus on sacrifice and isolation, the importance of revisiting the previous movies before watching, and whether audiences may be feeling some degree of superhero fatigue. While Yazdi questions the reuse of familiar Marvel villains, Rashmi and Joe respond strongly to the film's emotional core, focused storytelling, and the journey of a Peter Parker forced to ask what a meaningful life looks like when it must be lived alone. The action is polished, but it is the film's heart, relationships, and sense of longing that make Brand New Day stand out. Like, comment, and subscribe for spoiler-light film reviews, streaming recommendations, listener feedback, movie news, and general banter. Send your feedback to: mail@moviewallas.com Hosted by Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi www.moviewallas.com Stay until the end to hear the latest experimental Moviewallas outro. Timestamps 00:00 – Start 00:41 – New Moviewallas Music and Episode 600 04:08 – Listener Feedback on The Odyssey 05:59 – Streaming Picks 06:15 – Margot's Got Money Troubles 06:58 – The Room Next Door 08:33 – The Dink 11:30 – A Good Girl's Guide to Murder 11:53 – One Night Only 25:21 – The End of Oak Street 44:04 – Spider-Man: Brand New Day 56:21 – Closing Thoughts and Outro Music #Moviewallas #OneNightOnly #TheEndOfOakStreet #SpiderManBrandNewDay #SpiderMan #TomHolland #AnneHathaway #EwanMcGregor #MonicaBarbaro #CallumTurner #DestinDanielCretton #MoviePodcast #FilmReviews #StreamingPicks #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime

Welcome to PTBN Pop's Movie Review of The Day! Every weekday we will be reviewing a movie whether it be currently in theaters, featured on streaming or just a film that we hold near and dear to us. On today's episode, Andy Atherton is reviewing “Tropic Thunder” from 2008 starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel & Tom Cruise.

This week, co-host Bella Efstratis is joined by musician, cinephile, and 90s grunge aficionado - and her brother ! - Jack Efstratis.Jack and Bella dive into three films that capture early twenties angst and the 90s grunge scene. From the music itself, to cameos of the bands, to messy angsty relationships, this episode is covering it all.We kick off the theme with Doug Pray's 1996 documentary, Hype!, which examines the Seattle scene as it became the focus of a merging of punk rock, heavy metal, and innovation. Featuring incredible special interviews and in the moment/on the scene footage from live concerts of some of the, now, biggest bands in the world.Next, we dive into Cameron Crowe's lesser-known romcom, Singles, which follows a group of young twenty-somethings trying to navigate romantic relationships and the rules of dating, set against the 90s Seattle grunge scene.Finally, we close out the show with Ben Stiller's debut feature and the ultimate 90s angst movie, Reality Bites. Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn star as a college friend group trying to find their way through careers, relationships, and their own feelings towards each other post-college.This is an episode you won't want to miss. Whether you're a fan of grunge or not, we can all admit to feeling a little lost in our twenties. Let us know what your favorite grunge bands and angsty movies are from the 90s!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Support the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

This week, Andy Carr and Brent Leuthold join me to review the new MCU film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day in a feature review. Then we review the AppleTV pickleball comedy, The Dink in this week's secondary review. We also discuss Indianapolis movie events and recent news involving Paramount+'s Clueless limited series, Spider-Man's record breaking opening weekend, Wonder Man's cancellation, and more. Timestamps Show Start - 00:28 Introducing Andy and Brent - 03:11 Indianapolis Film Events - 12:54 News Before the Reviews - 22:36 Feature Review Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) - 39:33 Spoiler - 1:30:34 Secondary Review The Dink (2026) - 2:09:26 Closing the Ep - 2:25:29 Related Links 'Clueless' Sequel Starring Alicia Silverstone Ordered As Limited Series By Paramount+ 'Wonder Man' Not Returning for Season 2 at Disney+ 'Avengers: Endgame' Directors Congratulate 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' for Breaking Their Opening Weekend Record: 'The Gauntlet Has Been Passed' Christine Taylor Reflects on 'Very Difficult' Separation from Ben Stiller and How They Found Their 'Way Back' to One Another Midwest Film Journal: Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review by Evan Dossey   Follow the IFJA on Letterboxd Brent's Letterboxd Brent's Writing on Awake in the Dark Andy's Letterboxd Andy's Work at Odd Trilogies   My 2026 Podcast and Writing Archive The Gotham Project on Patreon Backhalf Blindspots Project on Patreon BB004 - Targets (1968) & Tower (2016) - Jul 12, 2026 BB005 - On the Waterfront (1954) & Sorcerer (1977) - Jul 18, 2026 BB006 - Brief Encounter (1945) & The Apartment (1960) - Jul 27, 2026   Indianapolis Theaters Alamo Drafthouse Indy Kan-Kan  Living Room Theaters Keystone Art  Flix Brewhouse   Ways to Support Us Support Us on Patreon for Exclusive Content My Criterion Amazon Wish List Official OV Merch Buy Me A Coffee Obsessive Viewer Obsessive Viewer Presents: Anthology Obsessive Viewer Presents: Tower Junkies As Good As It Gets - Linktree   Follow Us on Social Media My Letterboxd | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | TikTok | Tiny's Letterboxd   Mic Info Matt: ElectroVoice RE20 into RØDEcaster Pro II (Firmware: 1.7.3) Andy: Samson Q2U via USB in Riverside Brent: Earthworks ICON Pro in Riverside Episode Homepage: ObsessiveViewer.com/OV512 Next Week on the Podcast OV513 - One Night Only (2026) & The Last House (2026) Next episode reviews subject to (and probably will) change

It’s John Trumbull’s birthday and we’re celebrating by talking about one of his favorite movies, the criminally underrated Zero Effect, starring Ben Stiller and Bill [...]

'90s Nickelodeon kids, this one's for you. Christine Taylor and David Lascher from Hey Dude, The 90s Called are here to talk about shooting Nickelodeon's first live-action show on a real dude ranch and why Hey Dude is better for kids than what's on TV now.  We swap desert-island VHS picks, dig into the most underrated Ben Stiller movie, and Christine actually names the one Ben Stiller film she never wants to watch again. She also drops a completely insane Tom Cruise home-movie story that you have to hear to believe.  —————————————————————— SPONSORS-  **Cedar Ridge Distillery-  Go check out our sponsor and order some whiskey.  http://cedarridgewhiskey.com **K12-  See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential.  Enroll online today at http://K12.com/confused  **. Download the DraftKings Casino app and sign up with code CONFUSED to claim your Flex Spins and experience Cashingo—the feature you can't play anywhere else! **TruDiagnostics- Our listeners can get 20% off at http://TruDiagnostic.com using code CONFUSED at checkout. **NordVPN-  Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to http://nordvpn.com/breakfast to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 additional months on top! It's completely risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee! **PROGRESSIVE- Visit http://progressive.com  **FABLETICS-  Get 80% off everything when you sign up as a VIP! Just head to http://Fabletics.com/confused  **LITTLE SLEEPIES-  If you're expecting or dressing little ones, check out Little Sleeps.  You can visit http://littlesleepies.com and use promo code GOODNIGHT for 10% off of your first order.  **WAYFAIR- Find furniture, decor, and essentials that fit your unique style and budget. http://Wayfair.com   —————————————————————— **Support us at http://patreon.com/confusedbreakfast for bonus weekly episodes, voting on upcoming movies, giving your modern-day ratings on our movies and much more. **Mail us something   The Confused Breakfast PO Box 10016 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-9802 Special thanks to our executive producers- Josh Miller, Starling, Dylan Mick and NicMad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HEADLINES: We detail the claims made on day one of what’s expected to be a months-long trial for Alan Jones. One Nation has refused to allow ABC and The Guardian journalists into a press conference in Victoria. Daniel Morcombe's parents are pushing for a public child sex offender registry to be rolled out nationwide, Drivers in the world's most tolled city, are getting some relief on their toll roads. Ariana Grande is taking an extended break from the public eye once her Eternal Sunshine Tour wraps up. GET IN TOUCHGot a story, news tip-off, feedback or dilemma?Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au SUBSCRIBER GIVEAWAY: The Out Loud hosts have handpicked their all-time favourite reads and one subscriber is winning the entire 12-book stack. Subscribe to Mamamia here to be automatically entered. Already a subscriber? Don't sweat it, you're already in. T&Cs apply. CREDITSHost: Ailish Delaney & Talissa Bazaz Audio Producer: Scott Stronach Group Executive Producer: Charlotte Mortlock, Talissa Bazaz & Georgie Page Check out The Quicky Instagram here and our TikTok here Discover more Mamamia podcasts here Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out here! Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Johnny Spoiler Horror Movie Reactions, the show where you stumble into Johnny Spoiler enthusiastically spoiling the movies he loves.Try MEATZY https://tr.ee/GetMeatzyJohnnyThis episode starts with the latest Home Video Headlines, including Ben Stiller teaming with Mike Judge for Protective Custody on Apple TV+, Pierce Brosnan starring as a legendary werewolf hunter in Wolfland (directed by his son Sean Brosnan), and the latest details on Terrifier 4, which promises Art the Clown's origin story, a New Year's Eve setting, and a final showdown in Hell.Then Johnny celebrates some of his favorite werewolf movies, including The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Silver Bullet, Late Phases, The Wolfman (2010), Werewolves Within, and Werewolves (2020).Tonight's featured horror movie reaction is Brain Dead (1990)—not the Peter Jackson zombie classic, but the psychological sci-fi horror thriller starring Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton. A brilliant neurosurgeon discovers the corporation funding his experiments may also be manipulating his mind. Johnny discusses the film's paranoia, conspiracy themes, and why it's an overlooked cult favorite.The conversation also celebrates the incredible careers of Bill Paxton (Aliens, Near Dark, Twister, Tombstone, Club Dread, Weird Science, Predator 2, and The Vagrant) and Bill Pullman (Lake Placid, Independence Day, While You Were Sleeping, The Sinner, and Spaceballs).Adam asks about Jabberwocky (1977), leading to a discussion of Terry Gilliam and favorites like Time Bandits and The Fisher King.Johnny also shares his reactions to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, discussing its darker tone, crowded roster of villains, the surprising appearance of Jean Grey, Punisher's team-up, Hulk fan service, and where it ranks among the Spider-Man films. Johnny's all-time favorites remain:Spider-Man 2 (Tobey Maguire)Spider-Man: Far From HomeSpider-Man (2002)Plus, a nostalgic look back at classic Spider-Man animation, including Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, the 1990s animated series, the live-action 1970s show, and the wildly entertaining Japanese Spider-Man series.If you're planning an endless summer cookout, don't forget to check out our Meatzy affiliate for premium steaks and proteins delivered to your door.Next episode: The Nature of the Beast (1995) starring Eric Roberts and Lance Henriksen—a tense cat-and-mouse thriller where one traveler may secretly be a serial killer.#JohnnySpoiler #HorrorMovieReactions #BrainDead1990 #BillPullman #BillPaxton #Terrifier4 #ArtTheClown #WerewolfMovies #SpiderMan #MovieReview #HorrorPodcast #CultMovies #MovieNews #HorrorFans #FilmDiscussion

Hey, you! Be a buddy and take our listener survey! It'll help us keep the show great and maybe even...make it better?! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! - Producer Marissa and the MaxFilm Gang *** Is it possible for a sports comedy to fit the formula, but still break the mold? Josh Greenbaum, director of Barb and Starr Go to Vista Del Mar, takes a whack at it with THE DINK, starring Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen. It's streaming now on AppleTV. And we have comedian (and yes, pickleball enthusiast) Jaron Myers with us to discuss! Then we get some pitches together for thoroughly modern movies that wouldn't have made sense a few years (or decades) ago.  What's Good? Alonso - Severin Films' Disco Italiana box set Drea - Bob the Drag Queen recapping Love Island on YouTube Jaron - Big Brother 24-Hour Feed recap podcasts Kevin - SDCC ‘26 (check out Minister FarraComic-Con) ITIDICSony, Alamo Drafthouse, to Reopen Cinerama Dome/Arclight at Long LastComic-Con 2026 – Hits and MissesParamount/WB Merger Paused Until June 2027, Or Court Ruling Staff Picks Drea: Mustache Alonso: Family Plot Jaron: Heavyweights Kevin: Paper Lion PS: Get PHYSICAL MEDIA merch at MaxFunStore.com! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or LetterboxdWithKevin AveryDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

Time for Sports Graffiti! Mason and Ireland dive into College Football and what Curt Cignetti had to say about the BigTen. What is the biggest movie Ben Stiller passed on? What did Myles Garrett have to say about the possibility of Aaron Donald coming back for the Rams? Will the Angels be more active at the trade deadline? Will anyone watch the new season of ‘Hard Knocks'? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is arguably the biggest blockbuster of the summer - Spiderman: Brand New Day starring Tom Holland, Zendaya and the usual cast of Marvel characters! Also Apple TV+ movie ‘The Dink' starring Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris and Ben Stiller.

Late Nights at BlockbusterYou think you're too cool for school…but you aren't. Our newest Late Nights at Blockbuster is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Zoolander. There are admittedly too many quotes but, as always, we don't care. Byers poses the question, is Owen Wilson the Scottie Pippen of Hollywood? As always, we surprise each other by finding a good spiritual metaphor/illustration for a ridiculous movie. Don't be scared when you see the runtime, we have a Ben Stiller draft to end the episode.Intro/Outro music by friend of the podcast Seth Gilbertson. Find more music at iTunes (⁠https://music.apple.com/us/artist/seth-gilbertson/1155231950⁠)and YouTube (⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/sethgilbertson/videos⁠)

Danny Parkins joins Nick Kostos in his weekly spot, talking about having Ben Stiller on his show First Things First.

In this week's episode of the Filmmaker's Podcast, host Dom Lenoir takes the reins while Giles Alderson is away in Bulgaria. We are thrilled to welcome back director Josh Greenbaum for an esteemed "hat trick" third appearance on the show, along with actor and screenwriter Sean Clements. We dive into their new film, The Dink, a pickleball sports comedy that captures the nostalgic magic of late 90s and 2000s filmmaking. While the film brings the laughs, it also tackles universal and relatable themes like parental pressure, coaching aspirations, identity, ego, and pursuing second chances in your 40s. Josh and Sean share their filmmaking process, discussing how to successfully direct non-actors and improvisers, the art of trimming "precious" scenes for the greater good of the movie, and what it was like collaborating with producer Ben Stiller. What We Discuss in This Episode: The Return of Josh Greenbaum: Celebrating Josh's third appearance on the podcast and why he was drawn to The Dink as his next project. The World of Pickleball: Exploring the absurdity, accessibility, and real-life tennis community controversy surrounding the fastest-growing racket sport. Nostalgic Comedy & Themes: Harking back to classic 90s/2000s comedies like Happy Gilmore, Best in Show, Dodgeball, and The Wedding Singer, while exploring universal themes of identity, ego, and parental pressure. Screenwriting Origins: Sean Clements shares his personal journey as a former junior tennis player, his initial resistance to pickleball, and how finding an unlikely community of older players inspired the script. Collaborating with Ben Stiller: How Ben Stiller came on board to produce, his script notes, and how he helped bring former pro tennis player Andy Roddick into the cast. Directing Improvisers & Non-Actors: Josh's philosophy on creating a safe set where actors aren't afraid to fail, letting comedic talents like Aaron Chen ad-lib, and guiding dramatic actors like Ed Harris and non-actors like Andy Roddick to play their roles straight for maximum comedic effect. Kill Your Darlings (What's Good for the Movie): Sean talks about the transition from sitcom writing to feature films and a pivotal note from Josh on shortening a dramatic scene to serve the overall pacing of the film. The Power of Music: Using needle drops (from country music to Britney Spears' "Work Bitch") and score by Dara Taylor to drive character and emotional tone. Summer Filmmaking Advice: Dom's closing thoughts on how filmmakers can balance taking a summer break while prepping development and location scouting for the September autumn rush. Host: Dom Lenoir Guests: Josh Greenbaum & Sean Clements The DINK is our now on APPLE TV #TheDink #JoshGreenbaum #SeanClements #Pickleball #SportsComedy #Filmmaking #Screenwriting #Directing #BenStiller #AppleTV #TheFilmmakersPodcast #IndieFilm #Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood is not trying to stop a monopoly by blocking the Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. It's trying to protect one.If a monopoly means near-complete control over what gets made, promoted, and rewarded, then much of Hollywood and the cultural institutions around it operate under the ideological consensus of the Left and the Democratic Party. Why do the Obamas have a long-running production deal at Netflix? Why do the Emmys consistently elevate late-night hosts whose politics align with that consensus? Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart? Do you think they'd ever nominate Greg Gutfeld, whose show often tops them all in ratings? If that isn't an ideological monopoly, I don't know what is. Why did major awards shows stay silent on Charlie Kirk? Why did so many artists cancel Kennedy Center appearances after its Trump-era changes, and why did multiple acts drop out of America 250 events?David Ellison and Paramount Skydance are attempting something brave and unprecedented: an outside challenge to that consensus. Their roughly $110 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery would give them control of a major studio, HBO/Max, CNN, and a large portfolio of cable and streaming assets. While there has been some resistance to the biggest mergers in recent history, we've never seen anything like #blockthemerger. Meet the new resistance, same as the old resistance. 12 state attorneys general, including California, have sued to block the deal. The Writers Guild of America has filed its own antitrust lawsuit. SAG-AFTRA has publicly opposed the merger, though it has not joined the litigation. Opposition also includes the Future Film Coalition (which leads the #BlockTheMerger campaign), Democracy Defenders Fund, Committee for the First Amendment, Free Press, the International Documentary Association, and the American Economic Liberties Project, among others. More than 5,600 industry figures have signed an open letter against the deal, including Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda, Javier Bardem, Elliot Page, Emma Thompson, Ben Stiller, and Cynthia Nixon.Paramount Skydance has, for now, delayed closing. Can they hold the line under this unprecedented pressure campaign? Hope springs eternal. But you won't read about that point of view in any of the trades. They're a monopoly, too. Most of them are owned by the same entity, Penske Eldridge. Just today, it was announced that the Hollywood Foreign Press, the former owners of the Golden Globes, are suing Jay Penske for $150 million. They are claiming Penske orchestrated their downfall so he could buy the Golden Globes. Jay Penske already owns Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Indiewire, Gold Derby predicting site, Rolling Stone, a virtual monopoly on the awards race from soup to nuts. Gold Derby shapes the nominees, the trades take ads from the studios and the Golden Globes hand out the awards. But wouldn't you know, when Rebecca Keegan wrote a hit piece on me, she did so in the Hollywood Reporter, owned by Penske Eldridge. I was a vocal and prominent critic of Penske's growing monopolistic power on the awards race and one of the few willing to speak out. With one hit piece, the Penske company took out both a competitor for ad money and a pesky nuisance for the brand. That is what you call a monopoly. A Climate of Fear and A Culture of SilenceI found out firsthand how monopolies work in Hollywood when I was canceled in 2024. The day a Hollywood Reporter story labeled me a “MAGA darling,” one studio pulled its ads from my site that day. The last thing they wanted was to be associated with an accused and condemned witch.It was shocking how many of them fell in line in robotic fashion, gripped with fear. The response was swift and uniform. Every writer on my site left to protect their reputations. Friends of fifteen years ended the friendship. My Oscars ticket was revoked. Jane Fonda's Women's Media Center fired me from their annual Oscars report. Screening and party invitations dried up. I was benched on Gold Derby.Worst of all, the lucrative studio ad buys for the Oscars and Emmys vanished. As it all collapsed, I remembered in 2012, an advertising strategist telling me I could be making far more money if I sold the site better. “You have no baggage to speak of,” she'd said.That was true then. I was one of the few independent Oscar sites left, and still am, known around town for being honest to a fault. I stayed independent even as the ad money made life more comfortable for me and my daughter than it had ever been.There was never any question why my career ended in Hollywood: I had been outed as a Trump voter. I was on the wrong side of Hollywood's progressive orthodoxy, and that meant I was finished.How it started…I started Oscarwatch.com as a single mom with a one-year-old baby living in a studio guest house in Van Nuys, California, in 1999. I was an early web pioneer with a 1200-baud modem and a really good idea. I was already catching the attention of publicists and rocking the boat, as all of us amateurs did back then. We were moving fast and breaking things. Traditional media was not ready. The studios weren't either. They were used to having a monopoly on Oscar FYC ads in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, their bread and butter. Until the blogs came along.By 2006, I was starting to make money because my little site had birthed a big bang of other Oscar sites, and by then even the New York Times had an Oscar blogger, the late great David Carr, who called himself the Carpetbagger.David Carr became a mentor of sorts and encouraged me to sell ads for myself, rather than piggyback off bigger sites. I was working three jobs by then: as a horoscope writer under a pseudonym (Laura Wilde), a janitor working my dad's routes because he was a good guy and knew I needed the money, and a freelance film critic.Right around then, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sued me for trademark infringement, and my site was renamed AwardsDaily.com. Now I was cleared to start making real money.David Carr was horrified that I was working as a janitor while the trades were raking in millions on Oscar ads and encouraged me to start sending out RFPs. But I didn't have to, because before long the studios were sending them to me. My site became so influential that I never really had to pitch to them. They all wanted real estate on my site. Who could ever have imagined that? Certainly not me, someone who got online in 1994 back when no one thought you could make money on the internet.One of the first studios that bought ads was Fox Searchlight, an awards subsidiary of Fox. I called it Big Fox and Little Fox, and both advertised on my site. When I got my first $15,000 just to run ads, I was stunned. That was more money than I had ever seen on a check. I was just kind of faking it, pretending I knew what I was doing, but I really didn't.Of course, it was also about promoting films the studio wanted to place in the Oscar race, and that's still what it's about. It's not exactly pay-to-play, but most of the bloggers making money in the Oscar game are grateful and help keep the advertisers' movies prominent. I did too.I barely noticed in 2019 when Disney bought Fox for $71 billion. The Writers Guild objected to the merger, just as they have to the Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros., but there was nowhere near the same amount of public outcry.Trump praised the Disney/Fox merger after having attempted to stop the 2018 merger of AT&T and Time Warner, leading to a trial, but the judge ruled against the Trump administration, and the deal went through. Again, no major public outcry.At some point after 2020, I'd noticed that Disney had stopped advertising on my site. I wrote it off as their shying away from my comments on “gender affirming care” for kids. I'll never know exactly why, but all I do know is that once the merger went through, Fox and Fox Searchlight also stopped advertising. The Paramount/Skydance merger with Warner Bros. is significantly higher and covers more territory than any of the major corporate mergers we've seen as Hollywood reshuffles the deck amid the shift to streaming. Warner Bros. was selling. The only question was whether Netflix or Paramount Skydance would buy it. Both deals would have had the blessing of the Trump administration.But because it's David Ellison and the team that bought CBS, and because Trump is an ally, the Democrats and the Left have turned #BlockTheMerger into another No Kings protest or battle for the “resistance.”After the story about me broke in the Hollywood Reporter, Netflix also stopped advertising. No other studio except Focus Features, an adjunct of Universal, had the courage to run ads on my site. I was now officially blacklisted. Emails to the various studio reps went unanswered.This past year, Paramount bought a modest ad package on my site for the Emmys to celebrate the success of Landman and The Madison. I felt lucky to get it, and it was a sign, at least to me, that Paramount, like Focus Features, was brave enough to take a chance on someone deemed too toxic by the industry.Landman, Taylor Sheridan's Billy Bob Thornton drama, had become one of Paramount+'s biggest hits: its first season averaged 15.8 million viewers in Nielsen's cross-platform ratings and ranked among the top 10 series of the 2024-25 season. Season 2 opened to a Paramount+ record 9.2 million views in its first few days and continued to dominate the streaming charts, at one point leading all multiplatform viewing with more than 14 million. The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, launched as Sheridan's biggest series debut yet, drawing 8 million views in its first 10 days.But unfortunately, #blockthemerger had bled into the awards ecosystem, which remains a closed loop. Sure enough, when the Emmy nominations arrived, the Paramount shows were completely blanked—even Billy Bob Thornton in Landman and Michelle Pfeiffer in The Madison. Kathy Bates was similarly overlooked for Matlock.If Gold Derby shapes the Emmy nominations, and they do, they have to similarly play ball by blacklisting all Paramount Plus's most popular shows, proving to American audiences that the industry does not care about what they want or what they watch. Sheridan has transformed much of the television landscape, thanks to Paramount Plus. If Paramount buys Warner Bros., they won't be creating a monopoly but breaking one up. The Death RattleI know I should walk away from this industry and give up the site that took me 26 years to build. But I just can't do that. I can't let them win. Now that I've walked in the shoes of the other half of the country, I can clearly see why Hollywood's empire is collapsing. If ratings and box office don't matter, neither do audiences. None of this is about artistic freedom or making better movies or television shows. This is the Left flexing its muscle in an attempt to keep all of Hollywood to itself, to push its ideology on the people, to convert them, to indoctrinate them, to “correct them,” everything but entertaining them. Most of all, though, it is about one man: Donald Trump and their failure to stop him, destroy him, kill him, or exile him and his supporters. This is one of the most exciting times to be living through in American history, but you'd never know it by the movies and TV shows Hollywood pumps out. Their monoculture, their one-sided point of view, has choked the life out of Hollywood. If they could make fun of themselves, if they could humanize their fellow Americans, they might be able to tell stories that resonate with everyone. Maybe, just maybe, they would breathe new life into a decaying organism.But they can't risk it. Like the Democrats who don't trust the people with elections, Hollywood doesn't trust them with the culture.Elon Musk spent $44 billion to take Twitter out of the hands of its previous gatekeepers. Ellison is now trying to pry open a crack in the thick shell of Hollywood's product and return more of it to market forces and all of those people Hollywood left behind. // This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe

(0:00) LeBron James signs with 76ers (26:18) Caleb Williams ranked 51st on NFL Top 100, Can Aaron Donald still make an impact? (40:24) Will Mendoza start Week 1?  (45:10) Ben Stiller joins (56:26) How will LeBron fit on the 76ers? (01:10:08) Mahomes to practice in training camp, How can the Patriots avoid a Super Bowl hangover? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this ALN Classic episode, we have Kyle Newacheck - the director of WORKAHOLICS, and one of the founding members of the sketch group MAIL ORDER COMEDY, that later became the show featuring Adam Devine, Blake Anderson & Anders Holm! From Concord, CA, to Orange County, to LA film school, his journey and insights into comedy are some of the best we've heard. Accompany that with stories of directing Ben Stiller and wrestling an alligator in New Orleans, this is a must listen episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Boys get ahold of BEN STILLER to help brainstorm publicity stunts to make The Dink go absolutely insane crazy viral. THE DINK IS OUT THIS FRIDAY ON APPLE TV Get a Hat Pack Hat here! Check out Sean and Hayes’s bonus shows at Patreon.com/HollywoodHandbook Listen and watch on the iHeartRadio App!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen without ads on patreon: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast This week on Dopey! We open the show with a deep dive into Lou Reed's classic junkie anthem "Waiting for the Man" before reading incredible listener stories involving MDMA-assisted therapy, smashing open a safe with an axe for OxyContin, smoking crack in an airplane bathroom, a horrific flesh-eating abscess, and surviving Antabuse mixed with opioids. Then legendary author Jerry Stahl returns for one of the funniest and deepest conversations Dopey has ever had. Jerry shares never-before-heard stories about writing for Twin Peaks, working with David Lynch and Ben Stiller, learning from Hubert Selby Jr., meeting William Burroughs' son, Oprah admitting she loved crack, surviving heroin addiction, and why kindness matters more than bitterness. The conversation ends with Dave pitching Jerry his outrageous action movie idea: Die Hard... at Katz's Delicatessen. PLUS MORE MORE MORE on a brand new yet timeless episode of that good old dopey show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The January 6th MAGA riots that saw thousands of Trump loyalists ransack the Capitol Building will stain the President's legacy and will likely shadow the GOP for decades. The revulsion for Trump has grown to a fever pitch with scores of lawmakers calling for his removal from office. This was always the inevitable end for Donald Trump,  the violence a by product of the lies and divisive rhetoric he used to stoke fear and foment rage. The only surprise is that it took this long to happen. It was a heavy day and hard to watch. So we decided to lighten the mood by reaching out to Ben Stiller. Check out Michael's hilarious conversation with the movie funny man to soothe your soul after so much chaos and insurrection.

Welcome back to The Snack – a lighter serving of Girls Gotta Eat. This week, we're talking about: Ashley's reaction to Rayna moving Dua Lipa's wedding dress + pics Anne Hathaway 's baby announcement Taylor and Travis bachelor/bachelorette parties The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool drama Kraft launches TSA-friendly ranch dressing TV/movie reviews: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Love Island USA (in our listeners' words), Voicemails for Isabelle Headlines: Brooklyn Beckham Doordash drama, Olivia Rodrigo's all-female fest, Keke Palmer and Sean Evans, Ben Stiller is making a Knicks documentary Follow us on Instagram @girlsgottaeatpodcast, Ashley @ashhess, and Rayna @rayna.greenberg. Visit girlsgottaeat.com for more. Thank you to our partners this week: Lola Blankets: Get 40% off select products at lolablankets.com with code GIRLSGOTTAEAT. FP Movement: Shop their full line of activewear http://fpmovement.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, and Howard Beck are back together to close out the NBA Finals, which saw the New York Knicks take the crown back to the Big Apple for the first time in 53 years. What did we learn about Jalen Brunson and building a team around small guards? Did Wemby become a villain throughout this playoff run? What parts of his game does he need to improve? Plus, the guys recount how they got Ben Stiller on the pod the night the Knicks won the title and get into the Real One of the Week! (00:00) - Intro(03:36) - Jalen Brunson and small guards(30:20) - Wemby discussion(58:38) - Mike Brown's coaching arc(1:06:48) - Real One of the Week Hit the mailbag: realonesmailbag@gmail.comHosts: Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, and Howard BeckProducers: Victoria Valencia and Clifford AugustinThe Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines. Buy any two Ferrero Brands and you could win $1 million. Visit GoAllInAndWin.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Opie, Ron the Waiter & Tony P lose their minds as the Knicks end 53 years of pain! Opie's sugar-free cookies taste like hand soap & nursing home regret, Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Swift celebrity row gets roasted, street celebrations turn Astoria into Times Square, emotional dad stories hit hard, and a UFC fighter yells “Michelle Obama is a man!” on the White House lawn. Non-stop laughs, Knicks parade talk & Trump birthday UFC vibes. Classic Opie Radio chaos you can't miss!

The Knicks have finally ended their 53-year championship drought, defeating the Spurs 94–90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to capture the title. Logan Murdock and Howard Beck break down how New York got it done, and Knicks superfan Ben Stiller joins the pod to celebrate and relive the glory of a long-awaited championship. (00:00) Intro (0:44) Knicks Win (06:26) - Jalen Brunson wins finals MVP (38:42) - Wemby discussion (52:41) - Ben Stiller joins the show! Hit the mailbag: realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock and Howard Beck Guest: Ben Stiller Producers: Victoria Valencia and Clifford Augustin The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines Buy any two Ferrero Brands and you could win $1 million. Visit GoAllInAndWin.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike and Kelsey are back for another edition of the Best and Worst movies of the month. They share their picks for June from The Sheep Detectives to Obsession. They also talk about why the month of May was Chaotic for them. Plus, talk about their recent move and if they had to title it the name of a movie…what would it be? In the Movie Review, Mike talks about Backrooms. It’s about a grieving therapist, Dr. Mary Kline, who ventures into a terrifying, labyrinthine alternate dimension after her patient, Clark, mysteriously disappears into it. He shares the origin of the ‘creepy pasta’, the original YouTube video, 20 year old director Kane making history and why he’s excited for a sequel more than this original. In the Trailer Park, Mike talks about Focker-In-Law starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Ariana Grande. He shares why he thinks Ben Stiller is the most underrated comedy star and why he has always thought of Ariana Grande as an actor. New Episodes Every Monday! Watch on YouTube: @MikeDeestro Follow Mike on TikTok: @mikedeestro Follow Mike on Instagram: @mikedeestro Follow Mike on X: @mikedeestro Follow Mike on Letterboxd: @mikedeestro Email: MovieMikeD@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Buh-duh-da-da-da-rah-rah-duh-duh-dun-dun-dun-rap-doo-bow" Yeah, we should probably get to Dan's New York Knicks winning Game 2 over the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Zaslow is offended that the crew (rightfully) accused him of being a Dave Matthews Band fan. That leads Dave to declare a Radiohead album the greatest album of all-time as the show devolves toward being unbearably white. But then, ultimately, we get to Ben Stiller and Dan's New York Knicks. Wait, where is Dan? Is he not here because he was at his team's game last night? Today's cast: Zaslow, Your ol' pal Dave Dameshek, Roy, Jeremy, Mike, and Tony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices