Podcasts about DreamWorks

If you've been sending in auditions and hearing nothing but crickets, this episode is for you. Veteran casting director Mary Lynn Wissner joins Marc Scott to break down what casting pros are really listening for—and what causes them to hit delete in the first five seconds. Mary Lynn has spent more than three decades casting voice over talent for top brands like Disney, DreamWorks, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, and History Channel. In this conversation, she shares audition red flags, commercial trends, and the new rules of self-direction in a world shaped by TikTok, influencers, and even AI. You'll learn: What makes or breaks an audition Why a pretty voice isn't enough anymore How acting and “pre-life” bring authenticity What casting directors actually control The growing impact of UGC on reads Advice for VO talent with a radio background CONNECT WITH MARY LYNN WISSNER

Did you like the episode? Send me a text and let me know!! Host: SkoobGuest: Steven Puri (Motion Picture Executive, Entrepreneur, Founder of The Suka Company)In this inspiring episode, Skoob interviews Steven Puri, a former motion picture executive at Fox and DreamWorks, successful entrepreneur, and founder of The Suka Company. Steven shares actionable insights on achieving flow state, the importance of tenacity over talent, and how to build a productive, fulfilling entrepreneurial journey. The conversation is packed with real-world stories, book recommendations, and practical advice for new and seasoned entrepreneurs alike.Key Topics & Timestamps[00:00] Introduction & Guest WelcomeMeet Steven Puri, his background in Hollywood, and his journey into entrepreneurship.[01:22] Steven's Mission: Helping Entrepreneurs Find FlowSteven discusses his transition from film to helping knowledge workers unlock their potential.[03:45] What is Flow State?The science behind flow, referencing Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book “Flow.”[06:45] Real-Life Flow State ExampleSteven's personal story of losing track of time while working on a flight.[10:00] The Power of Community & AccountabilityHow group support and accountability drive success, with examples from The Suka Company and Pat Flynn's Smart Passive Income community.[14:00] Time Blocking, Chronotype, and Productivity HacksTips on time management, the importance of knowing your chronotype, and stories from Hollywood writers.[19:00] Tenacity Over TalentSteven explains why perseverance is more important than raw talent for long-term success.[22:00] Learning from Failure & the Power of the PostmortemSteven shares his experience with failed startups, the value of reflection, and how setbacks led to new beginnings.[27:00] The Hero's Journey in EntrepreneurshipApplying Joseph Campbell's “Hero's Journey” framework to startups and storytelling.[30:00] Actionable Advice for New EntrepreneursSteven's top tips: Seek out painful problems, validate your ideas, and focus on serving your customers.[33:00] Steven's 6-Month Goals & The Suka CompanyGrowth, retention, and the mission to help more people achieve flow.[35:00] How to Connect with Steven PuriWebsite, email, and free trial offer for The Suka Company's Flow State app.esbootcamp.wearejonesinfor.com Thank you for being a Skoobeliever!! If you have questions about the show or you want to be a guest please contact me at one of these social mediasTwitter......... ..@djskoob2021 Facebook.........Facebook.com/skoobamiInstagram..... instagram.com/uepodcast2021tiktok....... @djskoob2021Email............... Uepodcast2021@gmail.com Skoob at Gettin' Basted Facebook PageAcross The Start Line Facebook Community Find out what one of the four hurdles of stop is affecting you the most!!If you would like to be coached on your entrepreneurial adventure please email me at for a 2 hour free discovery call! This is a $700 free gift to my Skoobelievers!! Contact me Now!! On Twitter @doittodaycoachdoingittodaycoaching@gmailcom

Why did Gucci bin their red carpet for a absurd 30-minute movie? Will a new AI generated movie kill Pixar and Dreamworks? Is Amelia Dimoldenberg Britain's greatest influencer? Richard and Marina review 'The Tiger', the new absurdist movie by Gucci's new creative director 'DENMA'. Is this the worst film of all time, and is all of culture heading in that direction? Chicken Shop Date, the deadpan dating show, turns 10 this year. What is the secret sauce behind the show's success? And finally, a budget animation film is out next year that is produced entirely by OpenAI - the pair argue if this is good, or bad news for Hollywood. Recommendations: Marina: The Dawn Of The Post Literate Society - James Marriott (Substack) / The Rehearsal (Sky) Richard: Freddie Flintoff's Field Of Dreams (iPlayer) Join The Rest Is Entertainment Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus content, ad-free listening, early access to Q&A episodes, access to our newsletter archive, discounted book prices with our partners at Coles Books, early ticket access to live events, and access to our chat community. Sign up directly at therestisentertainment.com The Rest Is Entertainment is proudly presented by Sky. Sky is home to award-winning shows such as The White Lotus, Gangs of London and The Last of Us. Requires relevant Sky TV and third party subscription(s). Broadband recommended min speed: 30 mbps. 18+. UK, CI, IoM only. To find out more and for full terms and conditions please visit Sky.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Video Editor: Adam Thornton Senior Producer: Joey McCarthy Social Producer: Bex Tyrell Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we once again a team of Three! (This is becoming a pattern!) Trent is regrettably absent; but the show must go on! In the theme of Three; we have a Show & Tell Segment that we have each brought in a unique character; and we each compare said character with their Vintage Version; Vs a more modern interpretation.... Plus along with an almost latest-release version of them. A Three-Way Comparison! This was a fun segment to chat to; with some interesting points from the different eras. Then we do a bit of a time stamp on the ep; with our local Adelaide Comic & Toy Fair show only a week away; we discuss what we are potentially hunting for & such. (This will be fun to see if we actually find anything on our Wish-Lists or not!) Then the final segment is rounding out the Patreon Questions! With more fun queries that hopefully allow you all to get to know us a little better; plus how our Plastic Toy Addicted minds work! Enjoy!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our first animated film and we picked a banger with Shrek. Featuring the voices of Michael Meyer, Cameron Diaz and Eddy Murphy, DreamWorks really did something here. Magical Creatures, romance, adventure and a mother fucking dragon??? SOLD. We so have some lingering questions though....How old Shrek and Fiona? What's that age gap? Do age gaps matter when one is a magical creature? 

HardLore is joined by AFI vocalist Davey Havok in person at Brain Dead Studios for part 2 of this landmark episode.The second half of this 4+ hour conversation contains all things AFI from 2003 to present day, starting with their historic launch into the mainstream with their 2003 masterpiece, and many people's gateway to punk, hardcore, etc: "Sing the Sorrow", the nearly impossible task of following it up with the 2006 smash hit "Decemberunderground", the sudden end of the commercial success with "Crash Love", the miracle of "Burials", and all things "Blood Abum", "Bodies" and beyond as we prepare for the arrival of their new album and biggest sonic departure yet, "Silver Bleeds the Black Sun..." via Run For Cover Records.We hope you enjoy part 2 of this incredible conversation and we thank Davey for his time, and Brain Dead for the space.Make up by the great and powerful Leah Carmichael._____________________________Edited by Steven Grise (@iamoneonenineseven)Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf (@marzluf)Thumbnail by Carrie JendrusikHardLore: A Knotfest SeriesJoin the HARDLORE PATREON to watch every single weekly episode early and ad-free, alongside exclusive monthly episodes: https://patreon.com/hardlorepodJoin the HARDLORE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/jA9rppggef Cool links:HardLore Official Website/HardLore Records store: https://hardlorepod.comTry AG1 at DrinkAG1.com/HARDLORE to receive a free 1-year supply of vitamin D and 5 travel packs of AG1. FOLLOW HARDLORE:INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/hardlorepod/TWITTER | https://twitter.com/hardlorepodSPOTIFY | https://spoti.fi/3J1GIrpAPPLE | https://apple.co/3IKBss2 FOLLOW COLIN:INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/colinyovng/ FOLLOW BO:INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/bosxe/TWITTER | https://www.twitter.com/bosxe #HARDLORE #HARDCORE____________________________00:00:00 - Start00:00:42 - Sing The Sorrow00:21:31 - Just Like Heaven MTV Icons Performance00:25:18 - Decemberunderground00:35:54 - Crash Love00:48:19 - Burials01:06:32 - Pardon This Interruption01:08:01 - Writers Block/The Blood Album01:10:57 - Personal Connections With The AFI Audience01:17:13 - Being Knighted by Peter Murphy01:27:03 - Bodies01:32:48 - When Does AFI start writing? / Silver Bleeds The Black Sun...01:39:40 - Writing Lyrics Before Music01:54:28 - Davey's Top 4 HC Records Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everybody knows about the competitive history between this and A Bug's Life, but what does Nostalgia Critic think of DreamWorks' first animated film? Let's take a look at Antz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I sit down with Steven Puri, an Academy Award-winning Hollywood executive turned burnout prevention advocate. Steven's journey from the glittering heights of Hollywood success to discovering profound truths about sustainable achievement is absolutely insightful, and I know his revelations will resonate deeply with so many of you who are pushing hard but feeling like you're not progressing.What struck me most about our conversation was Steven's raw honesty about his experience in the entertainment industry—from the soul-nourishing culture at DreamWorks to the energy-draining environment at Fox that nearly broke him. His story beautifully illustrates something I see with so many of my clients: that invisible exhaustion that comes from pouring your precious life force into work that doesn't align with your values.Here's what you'll discover in this informative episode: ✅ How a chance encounter with a yoga teacher in the middle of an Indian forest became Steven's wake-up call to break free from the burnout cycle and reclaim his authentic path ✅ The surprising science behind "dopamine management" and why understanding your brain's reward system is crucial for avoiding the energy-draining traps of our digital world ✅ Steven's powerful revelation about flow states—those magical moments when time disappears and high-quality work happens effortlessly—and practical techniques you can use to access them consistently ✅ Why the "other thing" principle is essential for creativity, and how giving your executive mind something else to focus on unlocks your subconscious problem-solving abilities ✅ Simple but profound strategies for staying productive without burning out, including the game-changing approach of focusing on just three priorities instead of overwhelming yourself with endless to-do listsWhat I absolutely love about Steven's approach is how he combines his engineering background with deep spiritual wisdom to create practical solutions for modern burnout. His Sukha app and methodology aren't just about working harder—they're about working in harmony with your natural rhythms and energy patterns.https://thesukha.co.  email at steven@thesukha.coGet The Net and the Butterfly by Cabane and Pollack  about breakthrough thinking as mentioned in the episodeShow notes at https://www.breakfreefromtheburnout.comGet your breakthrough quantum call: https://www.scientifichealer.com/quantum Liked this episode? Pay it forward and share it with a friend.Love the show? Write a 5-star review — even one sentence helps us keep bringing you the content you want to hear. More from Dr. Anastasia: Websites: https://www.healersu.com and https://www.scientifichealer.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drachopelas Facebook: https://facebook.com/dranastasiachopelas YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/dranastasiachopelas Some product links on this site are affiliate links, which means we'll earn a small commission for any affiliate purchases you make (at no additional cost to you). We only recommend products that we use and/or personally trust, so you can browse with confidence.

What do Hot Wheels, Disney, Burton, and WWE have in common? They've all had Mark Michaylira driving their brand forward. With two decades of creative leadership behind some of the world's most beloved names, Mark knows how to make work that's not just bold and joyful but rooted in culture—and powerful enough to move business. What You'll Learn in This Episode - How to build authentic brands by starting with humanity and understanding your audience - Why taking creative risks—and even failing—can move brands forward - What it means to create joy and edge in storytelling across very different industries - How Friends Everywhere is rethinking the agency model with cultural insiders and seasoned creators - The role of AI as a creative tool and why transparency matters in its use Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (00:35) Starting with humanity in brand building (03:15) Lessons from Cracker Barrel and Gap missteps (05:55) Leading creative teams through swings and misses (09:30) Creating joy and edge across brands like Hot Wheels, Disney, Burton, and WWE (12:18) The Friends Everywhere model of cultural insiders and seasoned creators (16:38) The role of AI as a creative tool, not a replacement (22:12) Advice for emerging creatives (24:31) The brand that's made Mark smile About Mark Michaylira Mark Michaylira is Creative Director at Friends Everywhere, where he also leads agency growth for the independent partner to visionary teams building beloved brands. He previously led Global Brand Creative for Mattel's vehicle portfolio, including Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Disney Pixar Cars, overseeing disruptive, culture-driven campaigns for some of the world's biggest toy brands. Earlier in his career, he built creative for Burton Snowboards, Disney, WWE, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., and Levi's. With more than two decades of experience across creative direction, brand strategy, experience design, and integrated campaigns, Michaylira has shaped work that blends bold ideas with business impact. He is based in Long Beach, California. What Brand Has Made Mark Smile Recently? Mark shared Bug Assault, a quirky brand that sells salt-powered fly blasters. What made him smile wasn't just the product—it was how the brand solved a real problem with humor, storytelling, and an unexpected creative twist. Their branding struck the right balance of playful and educational, proving that even pest control can be memorable when approached with imagination. Resources & Links Connect with Mark on LinkedIn → Friends Everywhere website → Bug Assault website → Listen & Support the Show Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show. Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode. Sign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips. On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrica Long is a creative strategist and digital showrunner with 12+ years shaping stories, brands, and fanbases at CAA, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, and Netflix. She's worked on Harry Potter, Barbie, American Girl, and UNO, while also championing pay equity and fair creative labor. Today, she runs Studio Jerrica, a TV and Film studio, and Greenlight Yourself, a consultancy helping creators and companies build loyal audiences without Hollywood-sized budgets.

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we are only a team of Three again! Unfortunately Trent is missing; but the show must go on! We kick things off with a few News highlights, including the reveal of the much anticipated Transformers Studio Series 86 - Soundwave! With an impressive Three cassette figures included. But does he live up to expectations? Then chat towards the announcement of the not one, but Two unique sets of LIFE-SIZED Movie Shredder Helmets & accessories! They look so so awesome.... until the price is revealed! Wave 7 of the Super7 Silverhawks is revealed with a very neat line-up of Flashback, Hardware, Melodia & Condor! Then we chat towards our Latest Scores. We each have some pretty awesome goodies too! More Patreon Questions Answered, from deep thought provoking scenarios; to personal choices of Chip flavours! Another really fun episode. Enjoy!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

070 The road to original and impactful work can be long and lonely. The digital age has enabled more freedom, creativity and opportunity, but also epidemic levels of disconnection and distraction. It is estimated that 20 percent of North Americas are involved in some early stage enterprise or work online.  Even more are opting for remote or hybrid work. When we are literally switching screens every 3 minutes new strategies and tools are needed to help us access our potential and do deep work.In this episode of Awake In Relationship I speak with Steve Puri, CEO of The Sukha, a productivity app and community of remote workers to discuss hacks for getting into flow, the creative process and building healthy relationships and teams online and off. Steven draws on insights from a long career as a producer and studio executive at DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox for being more productive and getting to the real work that feeds your soul.If you have been loving what you are hearing on AIR  please rate, review and subscribe to get the latest content fresh to your device.  Sign up for our newsletter at awakeinrelationship.com to learn about upcoming programs and events.Do you have suggestions for guests or feedback on the show?  Send us an email at awakeinrelationshippodcast@gmail.comCredit: Music used in this episode intro by Grand_Project

We've done plenty of top 10 lists before, but this time we're going big with our top 10 animated movies of ALL time! From Disney and Pixar to Dreamworks and anime, nothing's off the table. And trust us, we've got some spicy picks you won't want to miss…❯ Follow Us on the Internet:https://linktr.ee/thenerdiestpodcast❯ Merch:https://thenerdiestpodcast.com❯ YouTube:The Nerdiest Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@thenerdiestpodcastNic With No ‘K' - https://www.youtube.com/@nicwithnokThe Glas Studios - https://www.youtube.com/@TheGlasStudios❯ Twitter:The Nerdiest Podcast - https://twitter.com/NerdiestPodNic - https://twitter.com/NerdiestNicJackson - https://twitter.com/GlasStudios❯ Instagram:The Nerdiest Podcast - https://www.instagram.com/thenerdiestpodcast/Nic - https://www.instagram.com/nic._.barrett/Jackson - https://www.instagram.com/theglasstudios_/

In this week's episode, I take a look back at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Summer 2025. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book #1 in the Ghost Armor series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: FALLSERPENT50 The coupon code is valid through September 15, 2025 (please note the shorter expiration date). So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 267 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is September 5, 2025 and today I'm doing a review roundup of the movies and streaming shows I saw in Summer 2025. Before we do that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing and audiobook projects. First up, this week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book One in the Ghost Armor series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store. That is FALLSERPENT50. This coupon code will be valid through September 15th, 2025 (exactly one week). So if you need a new audiobook to listen to as we head into fall, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing and audiobook projects. I am pleased to report that the rough draft of Blade of Flames, which will be the first book in my new Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series is finished. The rough draft came at about 90,000 words long, which was what I was aiming for. Next up, I will be writing a short story set as sort of a bonus in that plot line called Thunder Hammer and that will be the backstory of one of the characters in Blade of Flames. And when Blade of Flames comes out (which will hopefully be later this September), newsletter subscribers will get a free ebook copy of Thunder Hammer. So this is an excellent time to subscribe to my newsletter. I am also 8,000 words into Cloak of Worlds. At long last, I am coming back to the Cloak Mage series after nearly a year's absence. Longtime listeners will know the reason was that I had five unfinished series and I wanted to spend the summer of 2025 finishing the unfinished ones and focusing up so I will only have three ongoing series at any given time. I'm hoping Blade of Flames will come out before the end of September and Cloak of Worlds before the end of October, and after that I will be able to return to the Rivah series at long last. In audiobook news, recording is finished on Shield of Power. That will be excellently narrated by Brad Wills and hopefully once it gets through processing and quality assurance and everything, it should be showing up on the various audiobook stores before too much longer. Hollis McCarthy is about halfway through the recording of Ghost in the Siege, which was, as you know, the last book in the Ghost Armor series that just came out. And if all goes well, the audiobook should be coming out probably in October once everything is done with recording and quality assurance and all that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and audiobook projects. 00:02:34 Main Topic: Summer 2025 Movie/TV Roundup So without further ado, let's head into our main topic. The end of summer is nigh, which means this time for my summer movie review roundup. As is usual for the summer, I saw a lot of movies, so this will be one of the longer episodes. For some reason I ended up watching a bunch of westerns. As always, the movies are ranked from least favorite to most favorite. The grades of course are totally subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions, impressions, and interpretations. Now on to the movies. First up is the Austin Powers trilogy, the three movies of which came out in 1997, 1999, and 2002. The Austin Powers movies came out just as the Internet really got going in terms of mass adoption, which is likewise why so many Austin Powers and Dr. Evil memes are embedded in online culture. Despite that, I had never really seen any of them all the way through. They've been on in the background on TBS or whatever quite a bit when I visited people, but I've never seen them all. But I happened upon a DVD of the trilogy for $0.25 (USD), so I decided for 25 cents I would give it a go. I would say the movies were funny, albeit not particularly good. Obviously the Austin Powers movies are a parody of the James Bond movies. The movies kind of watch like an extended series of Saturday Night Live skits, only loosely connected, like the skit is what if Dr. Evil had a son named Scott who wasn't impressed with him or another skit was what if a British agent from the ‘60s arrives in the ‘90s and experiences culture clash? What if Dr. Evil didn't understand the concept of inflation and demanded only a million dollars from the United Nations? What if Dr. Evil was actually Austin's brother and they went to school together at Spy Academy? Michael Caine was pretty great as Austin's father. Overall, funny but fairly incoherent. Overall grade: C- Next up is Horrible Bosses, a very dark and very raunchy comedy from about 14 years ago. It came out in 2011. Interestingly, this movie reflects what I think is one of the major crises of the contemporary era, frequent failures of leadership at all levels of society. In the movie Nick, Dale, and Kurt are lifelong friends living in LA and all three of them have truly horrible bosses in their place of employment, ranging from a sociopathic finance director, the company founder's cokehead son, and a boorish dentist with a tendency to sexual harassment. At the bar, they fantasize about killing their horrible bosses and then mutually decide to do something about it. Obviously, they'd all be prime suspects in the murder of their own bosses, but if they killed each other's bosses, that would allow them to establish airtight alibis. However, since Nick, Dale and Kurt are not as bright as they think they are, it all goes hilariously wrong very quickly. Bob Hope has a hilarious cameo. If the best “crude comedies” I've seen are Anchorman, Zoolander, Tropic Thunder, and Dodgeball, and the worst one was MacGruber, I'd say Horrible Bosses lands about in the middle. Overall grade: C Next up is Cowboys and Aliens, which came out in 2011. Now I almost saw this in 2011 when it came out, but I was too busy to go to the theater in July of 2011, so I finally saw it here in 2025 and I would say this was almost a great movie, like the performances were great, the concept was great, the scenery was great, the special effects were great, and the story was packed full of really interesting ideas, but somehow they just didn't coalesce. I'm not entirely sure why. I think upon reflection, it was that the movie is just too overcrowded with too many characters and too many subplots. Anyway, Daniel Craig portrays a man who wakes up with no memory in the Old West, with a mysterious bracelet locked around his wrist. He makes his way to the town of Atonement, and promptly gets arrested because he is apparently a notorious outlaw (which he doesn't remember). While he is locked in jail, space aliens attack the town. The aliens, for unknown reasons, abduct many of the townspeople, and Daniel Craig's character, who is named Jake even if he doesn't remember it, must lead the town's effort to recover their abducted citizens. Harrison's Ford has an excellent performance as this awful cattle baron who nonetheless has virtues of courage and fortitude that you can't help but admire. An excellent performance. That said, the movie was just too packed, and I thought it would work better as a novel. After I watched the movie, it turned out that it was indeed based off a graphic novel. Novels and graphic novels allow for a far more complex story than a movie, and I don't think this movie quite managed to handle the transition from a graphic novel to a film. Overall grade: C Next up is Heads of State, which came out in 2025. This was kind of a stupid movie. However, the fundamental question of any movie, shouted to the audience by Russell Crow in Gladiator is, “are you not entertained?!?” I was thoroughly entertained watching this, so entertained I actually watched it twice. Not everything has to be Shakespeare or a profound meditation on the unresolvable conflicts inherent within human nature. Anyway, John Cena plays Will Derringer, newly elected President of the United States. Idris Elba plays Sam Clark, who has now been the UK Prime Minister for the last six years. Derringer was an action star who parleyed his celebrity into elected office (in the same way Arnold Schwarzenegger did), while Clarke is an army veteran who worked his way up through the UK's political system. Needless to say, the cheerful Derringer and the grim Clarke take an immediate dislike to each other. However, they'll have to team up when Air Force One is shot down, stranding them in eastern Europe. They'll have to make their way home while evading their enemies to unravel the conspiracy that threatens world peace. So half action thriller, half buddy road trip comedy. The premise really doesn't work if you think about it too much for more than thirty seconds, but the movie was funny and I enjoyed it. Jack Quaid really stole his scenes as a crazy but hyper-competent CIA officer. Overall grade: C+ Next up, Captain America: Brave New World, which came out in 2025 and I think this movie ended up on the good side of middling. You can definitely tell it went through a lot of reshoots and retooling, and I suspect the various film industry strikes hit it like a freight train. But we ended up with a reasonably solid superhero thriller. Sam Wilson is now Captain America. He's not superhuman the way Steve Rogers was and doesn't have magic powers or anything, so he kind of fights like the Mandalorian – a very capable fighter who relies on excellent armor. Meanwhile, in the grand American political tradition of failing upward, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who spent years persecuting The Hulk and whose meddling caused the Avengers to disband right before Thanos attacked, has now been elected President. To Wilson's surprise, Ross reaches out and wants him to restart the Avengers. But Ross (as we know) did a lot of shady black ops stuff for years, and one of his projects is coming back to haunt him. Wilson finds himself in the middle of a shadowy conspiracy, and it's up to him to figure out what's going on before it's too late. I was amused that lifelong government apparatchik Ross wanted to restart the Avengers, because when the Avengers had their biggest victory in Avengers: Endgame, they were essentially unsanctioned vigilantes bankrolled by a rogue tech billionaire. Overall grade: B- Next up is Ironheart, which came out in 2025. I'd say Ironheart was about 40% very weird and 60% quite good. It's sort of like the modern version of Dr. Faustus. The show got some flak on the Internet from the crossfire between the usual culture war people, but the key to understanding it is to realize that Riri Williams AKA Ironheart is in fact an antihero who's tottering on the edge of becoming a full-blown supervillain. Like Tony Stark, she's a once-in-a-generation scientific talent, but while she doesn't have Stark's alcohol problems, she's emotionally unstable, immature, ruthless, indifferent to collateral damage and consequences, and suffering from severe PTSD after her best friend and stepfather were killed in a drive-by shooting. This volatile mix gets her thrown out of MIT after her experiments cause too much destruction, and she has to go home to Chicago. To get the funds to keep working on her Iron Man armor, she turns to crime, and falls in with a gang of high-end thieves led by a mysterious figure named Hood. It turns out that Hood has actual magic powers, which both disturbs and fascinates Riri. However, Hood got his magic in a pact with a mysterious dark force. When a job goes bad, Riri gains the enmity of Hood and has to go on the run. It also turns out Hood's dark master has become very interested in Riri, which might be a lot more dangerous for everyone in the long run. Overall, I'd say this is about in the same vein as Agatha All Along, an interesting show constructed around a very morally questionable protagonist. Overall grade: B Next up is A Minecraft movie, which came out in 2024. I have to admit, I've never actually played Minecraft, so I know very little about the game and its ecosystem, only what I've generally absorbed by glancing at the news. That said, I think the movie held together quite well, and wasn't deserving of the general disdain it got in the press. (No doubt the $950 million box office compensated for any hurt feelings.) One of the many downsides of rapid technological change in the last fifty years is that the Boomers and Gen X and the Millennials and Gen Z and Gen Alpha have had such radically different formative experiences in childhood that it's harder to relate to each other. Growing up in the 1980s was a wildly different experience than growing up in the 2010s, and growing up in the 2010s was an even more wildly different experience than growing up in the 1960s. Smartphones and social media were dominant in 2020, barely starting in 2010, and implausible science fiction in 2000 and earlier, and so it was like the different generations grew up on different planets, because in some sense they actually did. (A five-year-old relative of mine just started school, and the descriptions of his school compared to what I remember of school really do sound like different planets entirely.) The Minecraft game and A Minecraft Movie might be one of those generation-locked experiences. Anyway, this has gotten very deep digression for what was essentially a portal-based LitRPG movie. A group of people experiencing various life difficulties in a rural Idaho town get sucked into the Minecraft world through a magic portal. There they must combine forces and learn to work together to master the Minecraft world to save it from an evil sorceress. As always, the fundamental question of any movie is the one that Russell Crowe's character shouted to the audience in Gladiator back in 2000. “Are you not entertained?” I admit I was entertained when watching A Minecraft Movie since it was funny and I recognized a lot of the video game mechanics, even though I've never actually played Minecraft. Like, Castlevania II had a night/day cycle the way Minecraft does, and Castlevania II was forty years ago. But that was another digression! I did enjoy A Minecraft Movie. It was kind of crazy, but it committed to the craziness and maintained a consistent creative vision, and I was entertained. Though I did think it was impressive how Jack Black's agent managed to insist that he sing several different times. Overall grade: B Next up is Back to School, which came out in 1986 and this is one of the better ‘80s comedies I've seen. Rodney Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon, who never went to college and is the wealthy owner of a chain of plus-sized clothing stores. His son Jason is attending Great Lakes University, and after Thornton's unfaithful gold-digging wife leaves him (Thornton is mostly relieved by this development), he decides to go visit his son. He quickly discovers that Jason is flailing at college, and decides to enroll to help out his son. Wacky adventures ensue! I quite enjoyed this. The fictional “Great Lakes University” was largely shot at UW-Madison in Wisconsin, which I found amusing because I spent a lot of time at UW-Madison several decades ago as a temporary IT employee. I liked seeing the characters walk past a place where I'd eat lunch outside when the day was nice, that kind of thing. Also, I'm very familiar with how the sausage gets made in higher ed. There's a scene where the dean is asking why Thornton is qualified to enter college, and then it cuts to the dean cheerfully overseeing the groundbreaking of the new Thornton Melon Hall which Thornton just donated, and I laughed so hard I almost hurt myself, because that is exactly how higher ed works. The movie had some pointless nudity, but it was only a few seconds and no doubt gets cut in network broadcasts. Overall grade: B Next up is Whiskey Galore, which came out in 1949 and this is a comedy set in Scotland during World War II. The villagers living on an isolated island have no whiskey due to wartime rationing. However, when a government ship carrying 50,000 cases of whiskey runs aground near the island, wacky hijinks ensue. I have to admit the first half of the movie was very slow and deliberate, gradually setting up all the pieces for later. Then, once the shipwreck happens, things pick up and the movie gets much funnier. Definitely worth watching both as a good comedy movie and an artifact of its time. A modicum of historical knowledge is required – if you don't know what the Home Guard is, you might have to do some Googling to understand the context of some of the scenes. Regrettably, the version I watched did not have captioning, so I had to pay really close attention to understand what the characters were saying, because some of the accents were very strong. Overall grade: B Next up is Happy Gilmore 2, which came out in 2025. This was dumb and overstuffed with celebrity cameos but thoroughly hilarious and I say this even though it uses one of my least favorite story tropes, namely “hero of previous movie is now a middle age loser.” However, the movie leads into it for comedy. When Happy Gilmore accidentally kills his wife with a line drive, he spirals into alcoholism and despair. But his five children still love him, and when his talented daughter needs tuition for school, Happy attempts to shake off his despair and go back to golf to win the money. But Happy soon stumbles onto a sinister conspiracy led by an evil CEO to transform the game of golf into his own personal profit center. Happy must team up with his old nemesis Shooter McGavin to save golf itself from the evil CEO. Amusingly, as I've said before, the best Adam Sandler movies are almost medieval. In medieval fables, it was common for a clever peasant to outwit pompous lords, corrupt priests, and greedy merchants. The best Adam Sandler protagonist remains an everyman who outwits the modern equivalent of pompous lords and corrupt priests, in this case an evil CEO. Overall grade: B+ Next up is Superman, which came out in 2025 and I thought this was pretty good and very funny at times. I think it caught the essential nature of Superman. Like, Superman should be a Lawful Good character. If he was a Dungeons and Dragons character, he would be a paladin. People on the Internet tend to take the characterization of superheroes seriously to perhaps an unhealthy degree, but it seems the best characterization of Superman is as an earnest, slightly dorky Boy Scout who goes around doing good deeds. The contrast of that good-hearted earnestness with his godlike abilities that would allow him to easily conquer and rule the world is what makes for an interesting character. I also appreciated how the movie dispensed with the overused trope of the Origin Story and just got down to business. In this movie, Lex Luthor is obsessed with destroying Superman and is willing to use both super-advanced technology and engineered geopolitical conflict to do it. Superman, because he's essentially a decent person, doesn't comprehend just how depraved Luthor is, and how far Luthor is willing to go out of petty spite. (Ironically, a billionaire willing to destroy the world out of petty spite is alas, quite realistic). Guy Gardener (“Jerkish Green Lantern”) and the extremely competent and the extremely exasperated Mr. Terrific definitely stole all their scenes. The director of the movie, James Gunn, was quite famously fired from Disney in 2018 for offensive jokes he had made on Twitter back when he was an edgy young filmmaker with an alcohol problem. I suppose Mr. Gunn can rest content knowing that Superman made more money than any Marvel movie released this year. Overall grade: A-   Next up is Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which came out in 1988. This was a very strange movie, but nonetheless, one with an ambitious premise, strong performances, and a strong artistic vision. It's set in post WWII Los Angeles, and “toons” (basically cartoon characters) live and work alongside humans. Private eye Eddie Valiant hates toons since one of them killed his brother five years ago. However, he's hired by the head of a studio who's having trouble with one of his toon actors, Roger Rabbit. Roger's worried his wife Jessica is having an affair, and Valiant obtains pictures of Jessica playing patty cake (not a euphemism, they actually were playing patty cake) with another man. Roger has an emotional breakdown, and soon the other man winds up dead, and Roger insists he's innocent. Valiant and Roger find themselves sucked into a dangerous conspiracy overseen by a ruthless mastermind. This movie was such an interesting cultural artifact. It perfectly follows the structure of a ‘40s film noir movie, but with cartoons, and the dissonance between film noir and the cheerfulness of the toons was embraced and used as a frequently source of comedy. In fact, when the grim and dour Valiant uses the toons' comedy techniques as a tactical improvisation in a moment of mortal peril, it's both hilarious and awesome. Christopher Lloyd's performance as the villainous Judge Doom was amazing. (I don't think it's a spoiler to say that he's villainous, because his character is named Judge Doom and he's literally wearing a black hat.) Like, his performance perfectly captures something monstrous that is trying very hard to pretend to be human and not quite getting it right. And the amount of work it must have taken to make this movie staggers the mind. Nowadays, having live actors interact with cartoon characters is expensive, but not unduly so. It's a frequent technique. You see it all the time in commercials when a housewife is smiling at an animated roll of paper towels or something, and Marvel's essentially been doing it for years. But this was 1988! Computer animation was still a ways off. They had to shoot the movie on analog film, and then hand-draw all the animation and successfully match it to the live film. It wouldn't have worked without the performance of Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant, who plays everything perfectly straight in the same way Michael Caine did in A Muppet Christmas Carol. So kind of a strange movie, but definitely worth watching. And it has both Disney and Warner Brothers animated characters in the same movie, which is something we will never, ever see again. Overall grade: A Next up is K-Pop Demon Hunters, which came out in 2025. Like Who framed Roger Rabbit?, this is a very strange movie, but nonetheless with a clear and focused artistic vision. It is a cultural artifact that provides a fascinating look into a world of which I have no knowledge or interest, namely K-pop bands and their dueling fandoms. Anyway, the plot is that for millennia, female Korean musicians have used the magic of their voices to keep the demons locked away in a demon world. The current incarnation is a three-woman K-Pop group called Huntrix, and they are on the verge of sealing away the demons forever. Naturally, the Demon King doesn't like this, so one of his cleverer minions comes up with a plan. They'll start a Demon K-Pop Boy Band! Disguised as humans, the demon K-Pop group will win away Huntrix's fans, allowing them to breach the barrier and devour the world. However, one of the Huntrix musicians is half-demon, and she starts falling for the lead demon in the boy band, who is handsome and of course has a dark and troubled past. Essentially a musical K-drama follows. I have to admit I know practically nothing about K-Pop groups and their dueling fandoms, other than the fact that they exist. However, this was an interesting movie to watch. The animation was excellent, it did have a focused vision, and there were some funny bits. Overall grade: A Next up is Clarkson's Farm Season Four, which came out in 2025. A long time ago in the ‘90s, I watched the episode of Frasier where Frasier and Niles attempt to open a restaurant and it all goes horribly (yet hilariously) wrong. At the time, I had no money, but I promised myself that I would never invest in a restaurant. Nothing I have seen or learned in the subsequent thirty years has ever changed that decision. Season 4 of Clarkson's Farm is basically Jeremy Clarkson, like Frasier and Niles, attempting to open a restaurant, specifically a British pub. On paper it's a good idea, since Clarkson can provide the pub with food produced from his own farm and other local farmers. However, it's an enormous logistical nightmare, and Clarkson must deal with miles of red tape, contractors, and a ballooning budget, all while trying to keep his farm from going under. An excellent and entertaining documentary into the difficulties of both the farming life and food service. I still don't want to own a restaurant! Overall grade: A Next up is Tombstone, which came out in 1993. The Western genre of fiction is interesting because it's limited to such a very specific period of time and geographical region. Like the “Wild West” period that characterizes the Western genre really only lasted as a historical period from about 1865 to roughly 1890. The Western genre was at its most popular in movies from the 1940s and the 1960s, and I wonder if it declined because cultural and demographic changes made it unpopular to romanticize the Old West the way someone like Walt Disney did at Disneyland with “Frontierland.” Of course, the genre lives on in different forms in grittier Western movies, neo-Westerns like Yellowstone and Longmire, and a lot of the genre's conventions apply really well to science fiction. Everyone talks about Firefly being the first Space Western, but The Mandalorian was much more successful and was basically a Western in space (albeit with occasional visits from Space Wizards). Anyway! After that long-winded introduction, let's talk about Tombstone. When Val Kilmer died earlier this year, the news articles mentioned Tombstone as among his best work, so I decided to give it a watch. The plot centers around Wyatt Earp, played by Kurt Russell, who has decided to give up his career in law enforcement and move to Tombstone, Arizona, a silver mining boomtown, in hopes of making his fortune. However, Tombstone is mostly controlled by the Cowboys outlaw gang, and Earp is inevitably drawn into conflict with them. With the help of his brothers and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer's character), Earp sets out to bring some law and order to Tombstone, whether the Cowboys like it or not. Holliday is in the process of dying from tuberculosis, which makes him a formidable fighter since he knows getting shot will be a less painful and protracted death than the one his illness will bring him. Kilmer plays him as a dissolute, scheming warrior-poet who nonetheless is a very loyal friend. Definitely a classic of the Western genre, and so worth watching. Overall grade: A Next up is Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, the eighth Mission Impossible movie. Of the eight movies, I think the sixth one was the best one, but this one comes in at a close second. It continues on from Dead Reckoning. Ethan Hunt now possesses the key that will unlock the source code of the Entity, the malicious AI (think ChatGPT, but even more obviously evil) that is actively maneuvering the world's nuclear powers into destroying each other so the Entity can rule the remnants of humanity. Unfortunately, the Entity's source code is sitting in a wrecked Russian nuclear sub at the bottom of the Bering Sea. Even more unfortunately, the Entity knows that Hunt has the key and is trying to stop him, even as the Entity's former minion and Hunt's bitter enemy Gabriel seeks to seize control of the Entity for himself. A sense of apocalyptic doom hangs over the movie, which works well to build tension. Once again, the world is doomed, unless Ethan Hunt and his allies can save the day. The tension works extremely well during the movie's underwater sequence, and the final airborne duel between Hunt and Gabriel. I don't know if they're going to make any more Mission Impossible movies after this (they are insanely expensive), but if this is the end, it is a satisfying conclusion for the character of Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Mission Force. Overall grade: A Next up is Deep Cover, which came out in 2025. This is described as a comedy thriller, and I didn't know what to expect when I watched it, but I really enjoyed it. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Kat, a struggling comedy improv teacher living in London. Her best students are Marlon (played by Orlando Bloom), a dedicated character actor who wants to portray gritty realism but keeps getting cast in tacky commercials, and Hugh (played by Nick Mohammed), an awkward IT worker with no social skills whatsoever. One day, the three of them are recruited by Detective Sergeant Billings (played by Sean Bean) of the Metropolitan Police. The Met wants to use improv comedians to do undercover work for minor busts with drug dealers. Since it plays 200 pounds a pop, the trio agrees. Of course, things rapidly spiral out of control, because Kat, Marlon, and Hugh are actually a lot better at improv than they think, and soon they find themselves negotiating with the chief criminals of the London underworld. What follows is a movie that is both very tense and very funny. Kat, Marlon, and Hugh are in way over their heads, and will have to do the best improv of their lives to escape a very grisly fate. Whether Sean Bean dies or not (as is tradition), you will just have to watch the movie and find out. Overall grade: A Next up is Puss in Boots: The Final Wish, which came out in 2022. I don't personally know much about the history of Disney as a corporation, and I don't much care, but I do have several relatives who are very interested in the history of the Disney corporation, and therefore I have picked up some by osmosis. Apparently Disney CEO Michael Eisner forcing out Jeffrey Katzenberg in the 1990s was a very serious mistake, because Katzenberg went on to co-found DreamWorks, which has been Disney's consistent rival for animation for the last thirty years. That's like “CIA Regime Change Blowback” levels of creating your own enemy. Anyway, historical ironies aside, Puss in Boots: The Final Wish was a funny and surprisingly thoughtful animated movie. Puss in Boots is a legendary outlaw and folk hero, but he has used up eight of his nine lives. An ominous bounty hunter who looks like a humanoid wolf begins pursuing him, and the Wolf is able to shrug off the best of Puss In Boots' attacks. Panicked, Puss hides in a retirement home for elderly cats, but then hears rumors of the magical Last Wish. Hoping to use it to get his lives back, Puss In Boots sets off on the quest. It was amusing how Little Jack Horner and Goldilocks and the Three Bears were rival criminal gangs seeking the Last Wish. Overall grade: A Next up is Chicken People, which came out in 2016. A good documentary film gives you a glimpse into an alien world that you would otherwise never visit. In this example, I have absolutely no interest in competitive chicken breeding and will only raise chickens in my backyard if society ever collapses to the level that it becomes necessary for survival. That said, this was a very interesting look into the work of competitive chicken breeding. Apparently, there is an official “American Standard of Perfection” for individual chicken breeds, and the winner of the yearly chicken competition gets the title “Super Grand Champion.” Not Grand Champion, Super Grand Champion! That looks impressive on a resume. It is interesting how chicken breeding is in some sense an elaborate Skinner Box – like you can deliberately set out to breed chickens with the desirable traits on the American Standard of Perfection, but until the chickens are hatched and grow up, you don't know how they're going to turn out, so you need to try again and again and again… Overall grade: A Next up is The Mask of Zoro, which came out in 1998. I saw this in the theatre when it came out 27 years ago, but that was 27 years ago, and I don't have much of a memory of it, save that I liked it. So when I had the chance to watch it again, I did! Anthony Hopkins plays Diego de la Vega, who has the secret identity of Zorro in the final days before Mexico breaks away from the Spanish Empire. With Mexico on the verge of getting its independence, Diego decides to hang up his sword and mask and focus on his beloved wife and daughter. Unfortunately, the military governor Don Montero realizes Diego is Zorro, so has him arrested, kills his wife, and steals his baby daughter to raise as his own. Twenty years later, a bandit named Alejandro loses his brother and best friends to a brutal cavalry commander. It turns out that Montero is returning to California from Spain, and plans to seize control of California as an independent republic (which, of course, will be ruled by him). In the chaos, Diego escapes from prison and encounters a drunken Alejandro, and stops him from a futile attack upon the cavalry commander. He then proposes a pact – Diego will train Alejandro as the next Zorro, and together they can take vengeance upon the men who wronged them. This was a good movie. It was good to see that my taste in movies 27 years ago wasn't terrible. It manages to cram an entire epic plot into only 2 hours and 20 minutes. In some ways it was like a throwback to a ‘40s movie but with modern (for the ‘90s) production values, and some very good swordfights. Overall grade: A Next up is Wick is Pain, which came out in 2025. I've seen all four John Wick movies and enjoyed them thoroughly, though I've never gotten around to any of the spinoffs. Wick is Pain is a documentary about how John Wick went from a doomed indie movie with a $6.5 million hole in its budget to one of the most popular action series of the last few decades. Apparently Keanu Reeves made an offhand joke about how “Wick is pain” and that became the mantra of the cast and crew, because making an action movie that intense really was a painful experience. Definitely worth watching if you enjoyed the John Wick movies or moviemaking in general. Overall grade: A The last movie I saw this summer was Game Night, which came out in 2016. It was a hilarious, if occasionally dark comedy action thriller. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams play Max and Annie Davis, a married couple who are very competitive and enjoy playing games of all kinds. Jason has an unresolved conflict with his brother Brooks, and one night Brooks invites them over for game night, which Max resents. Halfway through the evening, Brooks is kidnapped, with Max and Annie assume is part of the game. However, Brooks really is involved in something shady. Hilarity ensues, and it's up to Max and Annie to rescue Brooks and stay alive in the process. This was really funny, though a bit dark in places. That said, Max and Annie have a loving and supportive marriage, so it was nice to see something like that portrayed on the screen. Though this also leads to some hilarity, like when Annie accidentally shoots Max in the arm. No spoilers, but the punchline to that particular sequence was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Overall grade: A So no A+ movie this time around, but I still saw a bunch of solid movies I enjoyed. One final note, I have to admit, I've really come to respect Adam Sandler as an entertainer, even if his movies and comedy are not always to my taste. He makes what he wants, makes a lot of money, ensures that his friends get paid, and then occasionally takes on a serious role in someone else's movie when he wants to flex some acting muscles. I am not surprised that nearly everyone who's in the original Happy Gilmore who was still alive wanted to come back for Happy Gilmore 2. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show enjoyable and perhaps a guide to some good movies to watch. 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 see you all next week.  

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we are only a team of Three again. Unfortunately Scot is missing; but the show must go on! Keeping in the theme of 'Three' - that's exactly how many topics we have for you this Episode! Starting things off is a healthy chat around our Personal thoughts around: What it takes for a successful Crowdfunding Campaign. With Crowdfunding now the new norm; we review the past, present & future of this unique sales pitch option. Second Topic; is a Fun review of the New Lego Transformers Set - in the Form of Soundwave! Including his companion characters - Laserbeak & Ravage. This set really is impressive and the Sound Option is a welcomed point of difference too! Rounding out our Topics; is: 'State Of The Nation.' This is a Reality Check-in for us; to access our Collecting Journey and take note of our future plans. It turns into a bit of a therapy session, as we each give advise to one-another on assessment of our very addictive Toy Collecting Habits!! This honestly was a really fun episode as we get quite personal; and share a lot of our own distinctive opinions.Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can Hollywood teach us about success, focus, and financial freedom? A lot more than you think. On the latest episode of the Wealth on the Beach Podcast, I sat down with Steven Puri – a Hollywood veteran who worked on Independence Day, DreamWorks, and Fox before becoming a successful tech entrepreneur. In this powerful conversation, Steven reveals: ✅ Why “work smart, not dumb” is the ultimate success mantra ✅ The secret of flow states & how high performers unlock them ✅ Lessons from both Hollywood hits and tech failures ✅ How AI is reshaping the future of work & creativity ✅ Why mastering time is the real path to wealth & freedom This episode is packed with insights you can apply to your business, career, and personal growth today.

On this podcast episode I dive deep with Wesley Stevens, the founder of Vox, Inc. Wes shares his fascinating journey from starting as an intern in the voiceover industry to becoming a highly successful agent. In this episode, explore the evolution of voiceover, the impact of technology on the industry, and what it takes to make it as a voiceover artist today. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the scene, this episode is packed with insights and advice from one of the industry's most experienced agents.   Wes has advocated for talent as a profession since 1994. He started in Columbus, Ohio at a small agency booking variety acts before joining Talent Group, Inc. (TGI) in Los Angeles in 1995 as an assistant. Seven years later, he acquired TGI's voice-over department and launched VOX, Inc. Wes has represented some of the biggest names in film, television, social media and music, alongside brands including Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, Fox, GE, Apple, Dodge, Jaguar and Sprint. His first booking of note was placing David Hyde Pierce in "A Bugs Life," and the journey took him back to Pixar in 2009, when he placed Ed Asner in "Up." Along that road there have been many campaigns, series, films, and fond memories.   Having built the company off the springboard of his specialization in animation and gaming, the company's success led to diversification into celebrity endorsements and innovative deals in hosting, podcasting, AI and other emerging media and technologies. Wes helps talented people create powerful, equitable, and long-term relationships. He thrills at the opportunity to connect the right talented people with each other.   Wes was born in Virginia. He is a military brat, an Eagle Scout and a graduate of the University of Virginia. Wes has run seven full marathons from Honolulu to Florence, Italy. He is very involved with Amazon Conservation Team and with Best Buddies, a global charity promoting the full integration of individuals with intellectual disabilities into mainstream society. He is passionate about creativity in all its expressions. Wes resides in Los Angeles with his husband and two pups.   Want to connect with Wes? You can find him at:   Vox Website: https://voxusa.net/#about Vox IG: https://www.instagram.com/vox_inc_usa/   Want to connect with Justine? You can find her at:    Website: https://empoweredvoicecoach.com/ Email: justine@suchavoice.com IG: @justinereiss And to receive an INTRO TO VOICEOVER webinar email her at justine@suchavoice.com   I hope you enjoy this powerful and inspirational episode just as much as I did!  If you did please leave a review for us!    Check out this recent incredible review of The VoiceOver Pod:   “The Queen, Justine Reiss   This wonderful lady is truly the Queen of our business. Justine is sincere, honest, exhilarating, exuberant, polarizing, and energetic!! You inevitably get caught up in the moment with her enthusiasm and love for the craft!   She and the guests on the podcast have a genuine vibe that you can feel and hear in their voices! As a person, I am honored to have Justine as a mentor and guide as a newcomer to the voice acting industry. She is truly one of the best in what she does!" - Dave Kaleel    Tune in to the full episode on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you like to listen to your podcasts    Thank you for listening!   --   Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voiceover actors here:  bit.ly/3hT7ylz   Want to learn more about voiceover? Check out Justine's introductory webinar here:  https://go.oncehub.com/YoureOnTheAirWithJustine

In this insightful episode of Best in Fest, Leslie LaPage sits down with Sam Goff—creative talent manager at Fourth Wall Management and self-proclaimed “animation activist.” From her early days at DreamWorks and Netflix to teaching animated perspectives at Loyola Marymount and Cal State Long Beach, Sam shares how authentic voices are reshaping the future of animation. She dives into the importance of DEI in storytelling, why projects like K-Pop Demon Hunters succeed where others fall flat, and how marginalized creators can break into the industry through indie projects, web comics, and direct-to-market platforms. Whether you're an aspiring animator, filmmaker, or simply a fan of global stories, this episode reveals why authentic perspectives matter and how they're transforming the entertainment landscape

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; its another News heavy episode; as we take a snap shot of the Crowdfunding that's still in progress from the MOTU Snake Lair & the Star Wars GunShip. Then we look at some teaser images of the Transformers Missing Link Ultra Magnus... We have some questions if it will be as articulated as the previous releases? McFarlane has a new Batmobile on offer for everyone's garage & Blokees Galaxy Version 08 is a has a really neat roster of figures! Will the Figure Obscura: The Jersey Devil, be haunting your neighbourhood? Or is the Marvel releases of Deadpool, Doop & Mysterio sets more your desire? Star Wars Black series announces some long overdue classic figures as well as some Christmas designs that are so bad they are good?!? Then it gets more personal; as we plug our latest Scores! There's certainly a bit of Jealousy in the room - but also some love as Ben surprises Trent with a custom missing accessory. Frank surprises us all with some outstanding Comics - some of which are quite old - plus an awesome plan to display them! Rounding out the ep; its a bit of a round table chat about what we are Reading / Watching / Playing! All this & more - hope you enjoy!!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Unified Brand Podcast, we're joined by Howard Lim — renowned branding expert, business strategist, and author of Authentic Branding. With over 30 years of experience and a client list including Apple, Disney, DreamWorks, and Honda, Howard shares timeless insights on building brands with soul, vision, and long-term clarity.In this episode, we dive into:Why most companies unknowingly outgrow their original brand identityThe three parts of a brand every business must understand: position, identity, and imageHow to design companies from the inside out using Howard's SIM model (Strategy, Implementation, Management)The dangers of fragmented branding and "brand schizophrenia"Why consistent brand DNA is non-negotiable — and how to define yoursCase studies that grew 2000x by applying authentic branding principlesThe real difference between branding, marketing, and advertisingHoward also reveals the origin of his bestselling book Authentic Branding, and offers practical tips you can apply immediately to realign and future-proof your brand.Get the book: Authentic Branding by Howard Lim on AmazonFor Howard's brand assessment offer -  howard@howcreative.com------------------------- If you're a founder or marketer looking to build a brand people genuinely care about, this is a must-listen.

This week we dive into the cursed videotape phenomenon with "The Ring" remake by Gore Verbinski. Spike watched too many Ring movies and fried his brain, but it is all worth it to tell you about how this series evolves and changes over its various copies. We discuss the background to the film, and how it ended up being remade by Dreamworks. We also discuss the aftermath of "The Ring" being successful, and what movies came out of it. After analyzing the plot, we each pair "The Ring" with another movie for a pair of double bills!Thank you so much for listening! Support us at Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DoubleBillChill Created by Spike Alkire & Jake KelleyTheme Song by Breck McGoughFollow us on Instagram: @DoubleBillChillLetterboxd: FartsDomino44

B.D. Dalton sits down with Steven Puri—a battle-tested entrepreneur who's raised over $21 million, and whose career spans iconic film studios like DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox, and Sony. Steven shares his fascinating journey from being the son of two IBM engineers and a “code monkey” in his teens, to working at the intersection of creativity and technology in Hollywood, to founding the Suka Company—a company devoted to helping people maximize productivity and happiness, especially in our new world of remote work.Together, B.D. and Steven dive into actionable strategies for thriving in hybrid and remote work environments, drawing on lessons from both the film and tech industries. They talk about the importance of deep work and flow states, why company culture and vision can't be outsourced, and how leaders can blend in-person and remote collaboration for maximum creativity and productivity. Steven also opens up about his motivation for starting Suka, the art of timeboxing, and what it really takes to make progress on your biggest goals.Whether you're an entrepreneur, remote team leader, or just craving some inspiration for leveling up your productivity, this episode is packed with practical tips, memorable stories, and a healthy dose of good humor. So tune in for some wisdom, some laughs, and maybe even the permission to finally delete those “fat clothes” from your closet!https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-puri/https://www.thesukha.co/

We welcome a local legend and all round swell guy Avon Fox to the show. His wealth of knowledge in all things robots (that AREN'T Transformers) has to be heard to be believed! With museum-level quality and attention to detail, Avon takes us through his collecting journey and his amazing website. Go-Bots, Rock Lords, Train Toys, Zybots and much much more. Learn more about this amazing dude at both the-liberator.net and his own show Screwhead AF Podcast. Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Birthday, Derek!As a special totally surprise gift, we've prepared a huge bowl full of bao and we're watching another DreamWorks Animation movie that Derek has never seen -- 2008's Kung Fu Panda! We talk about rhino nipples, the extremely Jack Blackian panda protagonist Po, the criminally underutilized Furious Five, ways in which this movie could've included much more Tai Lung, and whether or not Kung Fu Panda represents a significant change in DreamWorks Animation's storytelling (but we'll never know, because we're STILL not doing a DreamWorks podcast!)Check out our Special Presentation miniseries featuring non-Pixar movies and television aimed at children and families that include clear, unafraid, and unambiguous depictions of queerness.Part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveDiscordPatreonE-mail us: pixarpodcast@gmail.comDoug on Twitter: @ickybooleyDerek on Twitter: @DerekBGayleTheme song features: “Stasis” by Eagle-Eyed Tiger | Source

With jaw-dropping entries like The Wild Robot and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, DreamWorks continues to show us why it owns the crown in terms of American animation quality. While other studios keep trying to perfect the same digital animation style we've been seeing since the mid-‘90s, the Universal-owned studio has found a way to bridge the hand-drawn look of yesteryear with the sleekness of modern-day computer graphics.

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we finally get around to reviewing the much anticipated Fantastic Four Film! As it has been a few weeks between seeing it, and talking about it here; we decide to go head first in - with no holds back - Full Spoiler Talk! So please be mindful of that. Plus; with all the hype around Comic Book movies; we have a fun discussion around which Film did we think, did it best? Superman or FF4? Then we take a quick look at the latest news - with a pure focus around the three main Crowdfunding projects, all happening right now. The HasLab SnowCat which has actually just wrapped up. Mattel's rather ambitious Snake Lair; with a rather questionable price tag! Plus the other HasLab project, the Star Wars: Gunner Ship! This one looks like it needs a huge boost of backers! Then pivoting back to the Big Screen; we chat about the latest Radical Rewind screening that was: Wayne's World! From numerous Cosplay fun, to the upcoming hype around the Next Feature Film too! Then rounding out the ep; we have a quick chat about the incredible 'Weapons' film that sports a perfect mix of Thriller, Horror & Suspense! This movie has us just buzzing after seeing it! All this & more; enjoy!!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

K-Pop is one of the biggest musical genres around the world right now, but KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang has been into it long before it was cool. Now, her movie isn't just one of the biggest films of the summer – its music also charted near the top of the Billboard Global 200. Maggie Kang speaks with Q guest host Gill Deacon about making female characters who aren't afraid to be goofy, what she learned from working at DreamWorks, and how the song “Golden” from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack was really hard to write.

Today we talk about the 2022 Dreamworks movie "The Bad Guys" in preparation for the second one!

In this episode, we start off with a 4-2-6 breath and then into the world and fascinating mind of a man who worked in visual effects, sold his company, then became a studio senior executive with little companies like Dreamworks and 20th Century Fox, then failing two startups that led him to living in his dharma as founder and CEO of The Sukha Company, helping people with remote work focus and overcome procrastination.This was such an exciting conversation hearing stories of Steven's time in the film industry, the state of the industry, working with cool people, how doing yoga led him to the love of his life and all the incredible things he's up to now. If you're a creative, entrepreneur or work remotely, make sure to check out "The Sukha Company" to make some major leaps in your career and opening up more time for the things you love to do. One love.

"Earn this...earn it." For Episode 370, Brandon and David cover the World War II movie everyone has been asking for this month. Directed by Steven Spielberg, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN became one of the most popular World War II movies of all time 1998. Listen as the duo discuss the real stories that inspired the film, which director almost made the film before Spielberg, how Spielberg and Tom Hanks got involved in the movie by chance, the beginnings of Dreamworks, how they recreated Omaha Beach in Ireland, why the film was one of the biggest surprises at the box office in 1998, and so much more.  Also, don't forget to join our Patreon for more exclusive content: Opening - Weapons and Current Movies -  (00:00:10) Recap of World War II Movies (00:09:23) Intro to Saving Private Ryan (00:13:31) The Real Story Behind the Movie (00:19:19) How Saving Private Ryan Got to Production (00:29:12) Favorite Scenes (00:40:25) On Set Life - (01:15:13) Aftermath: Release and Legacy (01:29:51) What Worked and What Didn't (01:41:07) Film Facts (01:45:52) Awards (01:51:11) Final Questions on the Movie (01:55:14) Wrapping Up the Episode (01:58:34) Contact Us: Facebook: @cinenation Instagram: @cinenationpodcast Twitter/X: @CineNationPod TikTok: @cinenation Letterboxd: CineNation Podcast

Xbox just keeps taking hits, and there is no way to spin it. Sony takes one on the chin too, as their Live Service goals aren't playing out the way they hoped. Plus Blizzard loses Rod, Strauss is the ultimate hype man, and Battlefield is back? Plus Paramount sets its sights on its new future, DC Studios has a plan, Captain Jack Sparrow might be back. Plus Reviews of Black Bag, Twisted Metal Season 2 and the first two episodes of Alien Earth.

Thanks for joining us for part 2 of our favorite theater experiences episode! Rod, Ben, Benedick, Jacob, and Zach continue their journey down memory lane in discussing films from the 2010s, 2000s, and 1990s and how they impacted us. The "Spider-Man" films, movies from Dreamworks and Pixar, "Star Wars" movies, and of course "Avengers: Endgame". Do please enjoy!

S5:E7 Unplugged and Unscripted: Retail Club's AI-First Event Revolution w/ Krystina GustafsonWhat happens when you blend cutting-edge innovation, authentic community, and the brightest minds in retail? You get RetailClub—the AI-first retail event redefining how industry leaders connect, collaborate, and shape the future.In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Krystina Gustafson, co-founder and Chief Content Officer at Retail Club and one of the visionary forces behind RetailClub. Krystina shares the inspiration behind this exclusive retail conference, how it fosters meaningful connections among AI changemakers, and why RetailClub is more than just another event—it's a movement.

Could Ryan Reynolds be confirming that Deadpool will join the Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday? Kristian Harloff, Roxy Striar, and Mike Kalinowski break down the buzz around Reynolds teasing Deadpool in Avengers, possible team-up with Wolverine, and how this could set the stage for Avengers Secret Wars. We also dive into a huge week in movie news: Greta Gerwig's The Chronicles of Narnia movie has officially begun filming — we discuss the cast, filming location, and how Gerwig's unique style could reshape this fantasy franchise. Shrek 5 delayed until June 2027 — what this means for DreamWorks' animated slate, the voice cast return, and the long gap between Shrek films. Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen talk about their Star Wars future — could Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker return for more Disney+ series or big-screen appearances? Noah Centineo eyed to play a young John Rambo — we explore how this potential prequel could work, Stallone's possible involvement, and whether fans even want it. It's all here in today's episode of The Kristian Harloff Show — packed with MCU news, Deadpool speculation, and the biggest updates in movies and TV. #Deadpool #AvengersDoomsday #MCU #AvengersSecretWars #MarvelNews #Shrek5 #Narnia #StarWars #JohnRambo #TheKristianHarloffShow SPONSORS: CAR GURUS: Buy or sell your next car today with Car Gurus at https://www.cargurus.com to make sure your big deal is the best deal! CASH-APP: For a limited time only, new Cash App customers can use our exclusive code to earn some additional cash. For real. Just download Cash App, use our exclusive referral code KRISTIAN in your profile, send $5 to a friend within 14 days, and you'll get $10 dropped right into your account. Terms apply. That's Money. That's Cash App. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Instant Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit https://www.cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Instant Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit https://www.cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Chris Hewish, the President of Xsolla, a payments and merchandising platform for video games. Chris previously held senior roles at Skydance, DreamWorks, and Activision.In our discussion, Chris and I discuss the recent changes to mobile platform payment policy implemented by both Apple and Google as a result of Epic's lawsuits. Among other topics, our conversation covers:The history of off-platform payments on mobile.How interest in off-platform payments has changed as a result of Apple's recent App Store policy updates.The types of products for which off-platform transactions convert best.The "trust premium" that a developer must possess to implement off-platform payments successfully.The most common mistakes developers make with off-platform payments.How conversion rates tend to change with off-platform payments relative to native payments.The best practices for off-platform storefront management.Thanks to the sponsors of this week's episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:INCRMNTAL⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.ContextSDK. ContextSDK uses over 200 smartphone signals to detect a user's real-world context, allowing apps to deliver perfectly timed push notifications and in-app offers.Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact ⁠Marketecture⁠.

1000: From Hollywood mogul to venture capital visionary, Jeffrey Katzenberg's story is one of bold bets, iconic storytelling, and relentless reinvention. In this milestone 1000th episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Katzenberg to reflect on a remarkable career spanning five decades across film, animation, and now AI-driven venture investing. As the founding partner of WndrCo, Katzenberg backs transformative companies like Netomi (conversational AI), Writer (enterprise GenAI), Alembic (causal AI), and Aura (consumer digital safety). But long before that, he shaped global pop culture as President of Paramount Pictures, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, and Co-Founder of DreamWorks SKG and DreamWorks Animation. In this wide-ranging and candid conversation, Katzenberg shares: Why the best ideas are risky and why failure is essential to success How DreamWorks was launched just 8 days after being fired from Disney Leadership lessons from icons like Barry Diller and David Geffen The real story behind building Hollywood's most beloved franchises Why AI is both “prose” and “poetry” and what that means for creativity How WndrCo is scaling category-defining businesses across tech This episode explores 50 years of transformation, from The Lion King to Shrek, from studio boardrooms to Silicon Valley pitch rooms. A must-listen for anyone interested in creativity, leadership, and what it takes to build at scale.

In this week's tech and pop culture roundup, the crew swaps travel tales, dives into toy news, and tries out new gadgets. Hear about a massive indoor amusement park experience, a quirky calendar mash-up, a McDonald's Happy Meal toy line combining pop culture icons, a nostalgic Mac-style USB-C hub, live object recognition from a mobile AI assistant, a hands-on paper airplane STEM kit, and a retro-style college football mobile game. ⸻ Stories & Gadgets Covered Pop Culture & Experiences • Indoor amusement park adventure – Detailed trip report from a multi-level shopping and entertainment complex featuring a Nickelodeon-themed park, roller coasters, character meet-and-greets, a DreamWorks water park, an indoor ski slope, a two-story toy store, mini-golf, and a giant Ferris wheel with skyline views. • Cat Wars calendar – A humorous monthly mash-up of cats and sci-fi themes, sparking debates over AI vs. Photoshop image origins. • McDonald's Happy Meal crossover toys – Upcoming U.S. launch of a 12-figure collaboration between Hello Kitty characters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, sparking collector excitement. • Positive pet stories – A heartwarming charity calendar featuring a wheelchair-using dog, plus a social media find following two canine companions traveling the country in a truck. Gadgets & Tech • Retro Macintosh-style USB-C hub – A Kickstarter device styled after the original Macintosh, designed to sit on top of a Mac mini. Adds a 5-inch 720p display and extra ports (USB-A/C, HDMI, audio, card reader). Can function as a standalone USB-C hub for other devices. • AI visual recognition tool – Live camera mode in a mobile AI assistant app that identifies objects in real time and engages in conversational follow-ups for more detail. • Klutz Big Book of Paper Airplanes – A kid-friendly STEM activity book with 10 airplane designs, 40 sheets of colorful paper, folding instructions, and tips for flight performance. • Retro Bowl College Edition mobile game – An 8/16-bit-style football simulator with both arcade play and team management elements, including a full roster of college programs. AI & Workflow • Practical uses for AI tools, including weekly automated reminders for content performance reviews, recipe generation based on available ingredients, and setting up custom assistants for specific research or monitoring tasks.

As voted on by you guys we take a whole month dedicated to a Dreamworks animated franchise. Fitting that the first animated Dreamworks film we are covering after 5 years of doing this is Shrek. I don't even need to elaborate. It's one of the most popular films of all time and completely changed the game. Follow Billy and Raul on Bluesky @masterofpuns196 and @raulvaderrdz as well as the main show @synspod

Diane and Sean discuss the Dreamworks musical extravaganza, Trolls. Episode music is, "Can't Stop the Feeling!", written by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin,  Shellback (Karl Schuster), performed by Justin Timberlake from the OST.-  Our theme song is by Brushy One String-  Artwork by Marlaine LePage-  Why Do We Own This DVD?  Merch available at Teepublic-  Follow the show on social media:-  BlueSky: WhyDoWeOwnThisDVD-  IG: @whydoweownthisdvd- Tumblr: WhyDoWeOwnThisDVD-  Follow Sean's Plants on IG: @lookitmahplants- Watch Sean be bad at video games on TwitchSupport the show

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we bring you a whole episode dedicated to the 2025 San Diego Comic Con baby!! And boy do we have a BIG episode for ya! (This could just be the LONGEST episode we have ever recorded!) We systematically run through each Manufacturer & attempt to call out all the awesome reveals that has oh so very excited!! - Mattel- Jada- Nacelle- Four Horsemen- Mondo- Neca- Mezco- Super7- Playmates- McFarlane- Hasbro- The Loyal SubjectsPlus we have Birthday Celebrations; round table thoughts of the Con itself & much much more! ENJOY!!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Richard gets to flex his Company of Heroes skills to save Tokyo from Wild Robots! Not to be confused with the DreamWorks hit movie, "The Wild Robot."

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor wrap up July with box office milestones, Comic-Con exclusives, and some major animation developments: Chris Sanders returns to write Lilo & Stitch 2 – After the billion-dollar success of the live-action film, Disney is moving forward with a sequel, with Sanders bringing fresh ideas from the original “Pitch to Stitch.” Inside the “Magic of Disney Animation” revival – A massive reimagining of the former Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney's Hollywood Studios is on the way, with tributes to Mulan, Brother Bear, and hand-drawn classics. Comic-Con highlights – Drew and Jim reflect on activations for Lilo & Stitch, Godzilla at 70, King of the Hill, and more from San Diego. Box office report – Fantastic Four: First Steps opens strong, Jurassic World: Rebirth crosses $700M, and Elio slips out of the Top 10. Animation updates – Warner Bros. finally sets a date for Coyote vs. Acme, DreamWorks teases Bad Guys 2, and Mrs. Claus heads to the big screen in Margie Claus. Plus: Avatar: Seven Havens, Paramount's South Park shocker, and the end of Drew's long-running Light the Fuse podcast. Be Our Guest Vacations Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress. Learn More Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices