Podcasts about Hobbit

Before the conclusion of the Arc of Evolution, we take a week to dive deep into all the MTG previews we received from MagicCon Amsterdam. There's a ton to be excited about from a Universes Within  perspective as well as The Hobbit coming up in the next month! Join us for a fun and classic-vibe-feeling episode of Commander Cookout. Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Richard and Seth break down a ton of announcement and spoilers from over the past week, discuss how busted The Hobbit look and more!

Welcome to L.E.A.D. Loved, Empowered, and Anointed Disciples. A time we dedicate each year to shining the light specifically on the ladies of our devotion team and putting all the focus on their voices, here on the Daily Nerd Devo.The Hobbit x The Gate x John 10:9Your daily crossover of faith and fandom! Experience daily Biblical encouragement from nerdy Christian podcasters, bloggers, and content creators. Join the Nerd of Godcast community at www.NOGSquad.com

Peter Hambleton is perhaps better known as Glóin in The Hobbit trilogy. But he's ditched the Dwarf costume and put down his axe to do battle with people we pay our rates to, in a new stage comedy called Local Library, opening at Circa next weekend.

This week on Geekstorians, we travel to Middle-earth, not as tourists, but as slightly suspicious historians with a map, a torch, and some concerns about licensing agreements.In 1998, Peter Jackson walked into New Line Cinema with a fantasy epic most of Hollywood considered impossible. What followed became one of cinema's great gambles: three films, shot back-to-back, built in New Zealand by artists, craftspeople, performers, technicians, and people who apparently did not believe sleep was legally required.But this episode is not just about how The Lord of the Rings became a miracle.It's about what happened after the miracle.Because once Middle-earth proved it could be enormous, prestigious, beloved, and wildly profitable, it stopped being only a story. It became territory. A machine. A place where skipped chapters, side roads, appendices, rights deals, and strange little corners of Tolkien's world could all become valuable.From Jackson's impossible pitch, to Weta's handmade craft, to Oscar glory, to The Hobbit, The Rings of Power, and the modern hunt for whatever Middle-earth still has left to give, this is the story of what happens when a beloved world becomes too successful to leave alone.This is Middle-Earth, Inc.For more geeky news, reviews, interviews, and air dates, head to Geektown.co.uk. You can also listen to Geektown Radio, our weekly podcast covering the latest in TV, film, and gaming.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/geektown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dopo aver visto in anteprima mondiale La Mia Anima Ha Fretta, intervistiamo Nicolas Gentile e il regista e sceneggiatore Giuseppe Contarino per raccontare la Contea Gentile, il documentario e le persone che hanno trovato in quel luogo una vera comunità. Parliamo dell'offerta a sei zeri rifiutata da Nicolas, delle difficoltà nel costruire autentiche case Hobbit in Italia, dell'incontro con Peter Jackson, della realizzazione del film e del motivo per cui la Contea non dovrebbe essere una fuga dalla realtà, ma uno strumento per affrontarla. Una conversazione sul tempo, sui sogni che continuiamo a rimandare e sul coraggio necessario per costruire una vita che ci rappresenti davvero. (00:00) Introduzione a Nicolas Gentile e Giuseppe Contarino (02:58) Come è nata la Contea Gentile (05:44) La nascita di La Mia Anima Ha Fretta (10:10) Un documentario sulla comunità, non soltanto su Nicolas (15:00) Come si scrive un documentario (20:05) La Contea come risposta alla vita quotidiana (24:40) L'offerta a sei zeri rifiutata (26:40) Il significato di La Mia Anima Ha Fretta (28:50) Problemi burocratici e affini nella Contea Gentile (37:30) Durata delle riprese e montaggio del documentario (43:05) Cosa penserebbe Tolkien della Contea? (46:33) Gli Anelli del Potere (50:40) La ricerca di una distribuzione (51:25) La proiezione nella Contea Gentile (54:38) L'incontro con Peter Jackson a Cannes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The crew discusses what upcoming sets they are hyped for, and which they think will flop, next weekend's Pro Tour and more!

The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 305Parenting, Great Books, & the Hobbit VerseWelcome to Episode 305 of The Thinklings Podcast!This week the Thinklings announce a new Substack giveaway, share a book recommendation on biblical parenting, reflect on the purpose of education, and conclude with Charlie's “Hobbit verse” from 1 Thessalonians 4, encouraging believers to aspire to a quiet, servant-hearted life.⏱️ Chapters* 0:00 — Welcome & Introduction* 1:33 — Substack Book Giveaway* 2:28 — Announcements & Josh Update* 3:26 — Books & Business* 10:24 — Great Books & Education* 13:37 — Final Meditation (1 Thessalonians 4)

We adive into the latest FAQ update, including rules clarifications, erratas, and all of the buffs and nerfs! Scott AKA The Dunlending War Cry joins the cast to fill in for Ian as we break down all the changes and give our thoughts.Time Stamps: 00:00 Intro 02:06 Rules Manual 18:53 Matched Play Guide26:15 Armies of LotR44:31 Armies of the Hobbit 47:15 Armies of Middle-earth 57:32 Final ThoughtsLinks: Baron of Dice Affiliate: https://baronofdice.com/?ref=intothewestpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IntotheWest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ITWpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intothewestpodcast/ Credits: Music: Music from Youtube Audio library Tavern Loop One by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Bay Bridge Musician: mr. hong (from Audiio) Music: Redline Musician: EnjoyMusic Site: https://enjoymusic.ai

In this episode, Ash and Tilly continue their deep dig into The Hobbit, focusing on the sedentary settlement of Hobbiton! They discuss how nomadic versus settled societies are seen within the archaeological record and Tolkien's works, to get a better archaeological understanding of hobbit-holes! Who knew pantries were a hobbit's equivalent of conspicuous consumption? Links From Foraging to Farming: the 10,000 Year Revolution Timeline of Art History: Jōmon Culture (ca. 10,500–ca. 300 B.C.) Isotopic evidence of breastfeeding and weaning practices in a hunter–gatherer population during the Late/Final Jomon period in eastern Japan Prehistoric Venuses: Symbols of Motherhood or Womanhood? Evidence for the Eastern Agricultural Complex Crops in the Upper Delaware Valley Natufian Culture The APN Awards: The APN Awards - Nominations Open! Contact Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com Instagram: @‌and.my.trowel Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode, go to: https://www.archpodnet.com/trowel/70 ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Store Affiliates Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Josh, Donald, and Louie discuss all things TCGs

We think back to the games we played when we were younger, it was much longer for one of us.

Chris Hikes 26 miles dressed as a Hobbit for charity: https://shorturl.at/6AbHfSocials: https://linktr.ee/lotradhomeOh boy. This is a big one. Join Chris and Becca as they cover the entire history of the kingdom of Arnor. The north kingdom of middle-earth. This mega-episode traces from Elendil to Aragorn, from Elendil landing like Noah after the flood, to its slow, humiliating collapse into three squabbling successor states, and the nine hundred years of decline after that. We cover the Witch-king of Angmar's centuries-long campaign to grind the North-kingdom into dust, the fall of Fornost, and how a nearly-extinct royal line spent a millennium as rangers before producing the King of Gondor. I recommend you do this one in chunks, fam.

Chris talks with Jonathan Geltner about the best (but still flawed) adaptation of The Hobbit. Get ready for...your greatest adventure! Among other things, we discuss: 1:32 — The 1977 NBC broadcast 2:31 — Childhood memories of the cartoon 5:48 — Rankin/Bass as directors 5:58 — Rankin's "no additions" philosophy 6:15 — Top Craft & the Studio Ghibli connection 7:39 — Music & the folk singer-songwriter style 8:11 — Critical reception & Hugo nomination 8:36 — What the adaptation kept vs. omitted 9:00 — Songs as background vs. foreground 12:10 — "Greatest Adventure" as anti-escapist message 20:01 — Fantasy's cultural status in the 1970s 21:59 — The Hobbit's cohesion vs. "episodic" label 25:57 — Bilbo's shifting narrative voice in Mirkwood 27:57 — Mirkwood: the weakest section 32:01 — Omitting Beorn & the Arkenstone's consequences 41:07 — Character designs: what works, what doesn't 46:54 — The Wood Elves' unusual look 51:59 — Star Wars, fantasy, and mainstream credibility 55:29 — Tolkien's "long ago in the quiet of the world" 1:00:53 — Oral storytelling tradition vs. film immersion 1:01:44 — One swap: what would you put back? 1:06:30 — Mental visualization & imaginative experience   To read Jonathan's Substack, click here: https://jonathangeltner.substack.com/ To read my (far less illustrious) Substack, click here: https://pipkinsmiscellany.substack.com/ To buy Jonathan's first book, click here: https://slantbooks.org/books/absolute-music/ To email me, click inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com  

Drop us a note about the podcast. We read a string of Scripture that ties together rest, marriage honor, family blessing, and self-control, then turn Psalm 101 into a practical guide for what we allow into our homes and friendships. We also share quotes from Salmon P. Chase, reflect on culture and education, and end by pointing back to prayer and the gospel as the best help we can offer our nation. • Psalm 127 on God building the house and giving rest • Hebrews 13:4 on honoring marriage and rejecting sexual immorality • Acts 7 on Moses, deliverance, and the danger of idolatry • Psalm 128 on joyful work, family blessing, and fearing the Lord • Proverbs 16 on patience, self-control, and God ruling outcomes • Psalm 101 as a blueprint for integrity and wise companions • Salmon P. Chase on substantial religion, humility, and practical wisdom • Thoughts on Bible courses in schools and Christian heritage claims • Closing prayer and blessing for families and the nation If you are looking for a middle grade fantasy series, kind of like Narnia, The Hobbit, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, if you would check out the countryside series If you enjoy it, if you would leave a review online somewhere, I would be grateful for that Same with the podcast, American Soul and America's Christian Heritage And if you have five or ten dollars to spare a month, that supports the podcast and the writings. There's a link in the show notes where you can set that up Support the showThe American Soul Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribeCountryside Book Serieshttps://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2 America's Christian Heritage Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2622483

Livestreaming as always Monday at 8pm UK time (3pm Eastern)! Join us live as we talk about the 2026 ENnie nominees, D&D Fan Expo postponement, D&D Beyond July Drops, KiwiRPG week 2026, and more! London's D&D Fan Expo 2026 has been postponed until next year You can now buy Beadle & Grimms' Silver Edition of The Horrors Within for $225 D&D Beyond July Drop Updates to D&D Beyond site stability Merryshire Detective Club's blend of Hobbit and Midsomer is incoming New Zealand TTRPG week sale Congratulations to the 2026 ENnie nominees! Ennie judges Time Without Tide Dark Conspiracy EN5ider Magazine 2025 Annual Thank you so much for listening to Morrus' Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk! But we need your help! Reporting the weeks tabletop news via the news site and podcast costs money. Please do consider becoming a Patron at patreon.com/c/morrus and support with a small monthly donation and help to keep it going! As a bonus, you'll get access to our patron only monthly live stream. In this hour we'll have an open Q&A with patrons. We'll answer your questions and give advice on gaming, publishing, or anything else in the TTRPG sphere!

Some conversations feel like catching up with an old friend. And that's exactly what it was like welcoming Katie Cole back to Speaking of Travel. Katie is not only a remarkable singer-songwriter, she's one of the kindest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. From her years touring with the Smashing Pumpkins to performing the iconic music of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit before audiences around the world, she's inspired countless people through both her extraordinary talent and her generous spirit.In this episode, Katie shares the deeply personal journey behind her upcoming album, FOREST, a collection of songs shaped by love, loss, healing, and discovering who we become after life changes us. Her honesty is inspiring and her music stays with you long after the last note. Katie's story is a beautiful reminder that even through life's hardest seasons, hope is never far away."Healing isn't about finding your way back to who you were. It's about learning to love the person you've become." A must listen!

Drop us a note about the podcast. We open with Psalm 127 and confront the lie that nonstop work can secure a home, a family, or a nation without God. We move from prayer and marriage Scripture to American history, military sacrifice, and a blunt challenge about what happens when a culture abandons Christian foundations. • Psalm 127 on anxious labor, rest, and God's protection • A brief report on a UK sexual assault case and sentencing concerns • Prayer for listeners, families, marriages, and the hurting • Proverbs 31 as a standard for character and marriage • Acts 7 with Stephen's retelling from Abraham to Moses • Children as a gift from the Lord, not a burden • Proverbs 16 on gossip, strife, and quiet evil • A DUI death case used to argue about immigration and public safety • Medal of Honor story of Jose Calugas and the reality of combat • Critique of coed deployable units in war and public safety roles • The origin of “In God We Trust” through Salmon P. Chase and Congress Also, if you get a chance, join us over on America's Christian Heritage Podcast. If you would leave a review of that as well, I would appreciate it. If you have five or ten dollars a month you can spare, there's a link in the show notes where you can set that up and that helps both podcasts. If you're looking for a middle grade fantasy series, kind of along the lines of Narnia, The Hobbit, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, if you would check out the first two books in the countryside series, I would be very grateful for that. And if you enjoy them, if you'd leave a review somewhere that helps other people to find them or tell them word of mouth, that's always the best. #ChristianNation#AmericanHeritage#InGodWeTrustSupport the showThe American Soul Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribeCountryside Book Serieshttps://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2 America's Christian Heritage Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2622483

My next door neighbor Josh wrote this totally excellent song about the hobbit, and now all the world may enjoy it!

Peter Jackson is a famous movie director from New Zealand. He is best known for making the amazing "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movies. As a child, Peter loved watching movies and making his own films with a small camera. He worked hard for many years to become a successful director. Peter uses special effects and incredible storytelling to bring magical worlds to life. His movies have won many awards and are loved by people all around the world.

Where were you, when we did our Movie Reviews #62?!
Right here apparently.Sorry that's the tag line for American Graffiti in case everyone didn't get it.
Movin on, 8 movies today 
 1.(Traffic 1971)
Here we have a film by the Famous French director Jacques Tati. I guess Jaques did some amazing and ground breaking films in the 40's 50's and 60's, annnnd then there's this one about people goin on a road trip to promote a vehicle that can do it all, I think, memory is foggy. 
 2.(The Front Page 1974) Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Carol Burnett, and the guy who works for Doc Hopper in the muppet movie star in yet another movie based off of a play.
3.(A Very Natural Thing 1974) This is not a documentary about the early gay liberation front movement in the early 70's, but it is close. Movie has real protest and Pride footage, and you can basically see the meetings and discussions that took place to create the narrative that we see on the screen. Amazing film unburied after all these years.
4. (Between the Lines 1977) Here Jeff Gollum is young and on speed or something. Film takes us through some time with a radical newspaper as it is about to be bought by a major label, can these rads keep their street credit, and will Jeff take a well needed nap.
5. (A Bridge too Far 1977) Oh Mylanta they chucked a lot of dough on the screen, it's like 300 extras parachuting at the same time oh my. We all liked this war movie very much but this is NOT based off of a play, but based off of a war!Almost every male actor working at the time appears in this for at least 30 seconds.
6. (The Hobbit 1977) Don't think you need 7 hours of a blurry cgi mess to tell us what this tells us all. Hobbits are the shit! Love your home, protect your home. Love your friends, protect your friends, AND that war is flipping Stupid and gross!
7. (The Special Olympics 1978) You tube copy of this is astoundingly unwatchable, listen and we'll tell you all about it. It is a shame and should be fixed, because this film is quite worthy of being seen, and not just for Charles Durning fans like us.
8. (Sooner or later 1979) Terrible ending to what I thought was a very charming and campy coming of age film. Gross pervy studio executive strikes again I think. Michael Skye band though!
as always thanks film fans!

Ash and Tilly continue to plan their archaeological survey of The Hobbit, and finally manage to move past the map! Tune in to hear them discuss the importance of lineages in studying history, learn all about what field-walking is, and hear from some unexpected visitors… Other books mentioned: The Patriarchs (Angela Saini) The King's Witches (Katie Foster) Links Asclepius Snake symbology Field Walking Definition Rivers in Prehistory Contact Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com Instagram: @‌and.my.trowel Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode, go to: https://www.archpodnet.com/trowel/69 ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Store Affiliates Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Part 2 of 2In this two-part series, Matt talks with Dr. Louis Markos about C. S. Lewis, his conversion to Christianity, and how his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, influenced his decision to become a believer in Christ. By way of conversation with Tolkien, Lewis came to the conclusion that Christianity was myth that was true. This realization helped Lewis not only make sense of the stories of the past (and the core human longing), but it also had a profound effect upon the books and stories he would go on to write himself. Markos also takes listeners for a deep dive into Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. He shows how they reflect Tolkien's Christian faith and highlights classical virtues. Visit Louis Markos' Amazon Page: link here+++Pre-order Matt's newest book: Sightings and Secrets: ⁠UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown⁠ Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: ⁠www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠www.matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!

Visit our main sponsor, Mana Pool - https://manapool.com/?ref=magicmics   Use the code "MAGICMICS_09Y" at https://www.manatraders.com/    First Pick   Arena Team Officially Has a Union: https://bsky.app/profile/uwotc-official.bsky.social/post/3moyd5joevs2c   Marvel Super Heroes is out   Where are the rest of the cosmetics?!   Spider-Man Update: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/1u7hxmx/spiderman_update_now_live_on_magic_arena/   Gather the Townsfolk   Ron Spears Passes Away: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/1ueek8f/ron_spears_has_passed_away_rest_in_peace/ https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&order=name&q=(game%3Apaper)+(artist%3ARon+artist%3Aspears)+prefer%3Abest https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/remembering-the-life-and-artwork-of-ron-spears   Untold Stories–Liliana: https://bsky.app/profile/darkhorse.com/post/3moljfjeeya2h   Matt Tabak's New Job: https://bsky.app/profile/wotcmatt.bsky.social/post/3moqmq5kpx22d   Desperate Ravings   No Early Access For The Hobbit: https://bsky.app/profile/amytheamazonian.bsky.social/post/3molh5hz7ac2g   Why Final Fantasy Felt Like Magic (But Marvel Doesn't): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXHNOn3l2Sw https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/why-final-fantasy-felt-like-magic-but-marvel-doesn-t   15-Year Anniversary of JtMS and Stoneforge Mystic Bans: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/1ud26r3/15_years_ago_today_jace_and_stoneforge_mystic/   Splash Damage   Game Boy Life Counter: https://www.falktattoos.com/shop/p/magic-life-counter   Cataclysm Arcade Passes $1.4M: https://bsky.app/profile/bdm.bsky.social/post/3mnqrktrvys2u   Mood Swings on Scryfall: https://bsky.app/profile/scryfall.com/post/3mobznbiras24 https://moodswings.scryfall.com/   MTG Zodiac Post: https://bsky.app/profile/magic.wizards.com/post/3movhq764qs2w   The Finisher   The rest of the world, and probably a few people here, are dual-screening Magic Mics with the World Cup. Now, we are not the most soccer-centric talking heads but we have a brain for a different game, so tell me: which Magic Plane would you be rooting for to make a run at the next World Cup if they qualified?

Carl and Dan examine the hero's journey of Andy Burnham. Promoted by Lotus Eater Media Limited, PO Box 4354, Swindon, SN3 9FX, on behalf of Restore Britain, Suite 4, Millennium House, Gapton Hall Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0NL.

PJ talks to Dominic Cullinane about the incredible things at the Lauralynn Picnic Day, a fundraiser for children's hospice, happening 11-7 Sun Jun 21st at the Curraghbeg Nursery & Garden Centre, Ovens Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 1 of 2In this two part series, Matt talks with Dr. Louis Markos about C. S. Lewis, his conversion to Christianity, and how his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, influenced his decision to become a believer in Christ. By way of conversation with Tolkien, Lewis came to the conclusion that Christianity was myth that was true. This realization helped Lewis not only make sense of the stories of the past (and the core human longing), but it also had a profound effect upon the books and stories he would go on to write himself. Markos also takes listeners for a deep dive into Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. He shows how they reflect Tolkien's Christian faith and highlights classical virtues. Visit Louis Markos' Amazon Page: Link here+++Pre-order Matt's newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the UnknownSupport The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmutedMatthew's blog: www.matthewhalsted.substack.comDon't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

Amazon's buy two, get one free book deal is live, and this episode is a fast hit list of what is actually worth stacking in your cart. The rundown moves from page to screen picks like Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and the full Hunger Games run by Suzanne Collins, into BookTok favorites like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, plus the nightstand pile of Fourth Wing and Red Rising that is still waiting to get read.From there it is classics worth revisiting (The Outsiders, Holes, and The Hobbit as the perfect one chapter a night read with kids), a heartfelt nod to Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and the latest from John Green. The comic corner gets real love this week with Absolute Batman Volume One leading DC's current renaissance and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow standing out as a personal favorite of the decade, with the movie adaptation landing soon. The whole thing builds to one top recommendation that the entire friend group is hooked on right now: Dungeon Crawler Carl, the paperbacks included in the deal, the audiobooks worth the Audible promo, and Princess Donut earning her own hand painted figurines.00:00:00 Welcome and the Amazon buy three book deal00:00:13 Page to screen: Project Hail Mary and The Hunger Games00:00:26 BookTok picks and the growing nightstand pile00:00:39 Classics worth revisiting and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah00:00:57 Comic corner: Absolute Batman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow00:01:33 The number one pick: Dungeon Crawler Carl00:02:10 Princess Donut, figurines, and the Audible deal00:02:25 Shop local, used books, and closing thoughtsThe Amazon deal applies to full franchises, not single titles, so you can grab every Hunger Games book in one cart instead of just the first one.BookTok keeps delivering. A Court of Thorns and Roses, Fourth Wing, and Red Rising are the BookTok and nightstand trio worth starting with.The Hobbit is the standout family read, built for one chapter a night with kids.Absolute Batman Volume One is proof DC is in a creative renaissance right now, and the trade collections finally make it easy to follow.Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow carries Saga and Guardians of the Galaxy energy with artwork worth getting tattooed, and it is the source material for the upcoming movie. At seven dollars it is a steal.Dungeon Crawler Carl is the top recommendation of the week, with paperbacks included in the deal and an Audible three months for a dollar promo making the audiobooks an easy entry point.Shopping local is always the first suggestion, and Amazon's used book listings from libraries and Goodwill are a solid budget route, even if they sit outside this particular promo."If you're like me and TikTok will get you buying a book any day of the week, here's some TikTok gold.""It's a renaissance in DC right now, and one of, if not my actual favorite comic books in the last decade.""It's got Saga vibes, kind of Guardians of the Galaxy vibes. There's heart and pain in it, but also just beautiful artwork. Tattoo worthy artwork.""It is my most highly recommended media of everything right now.""If you told me how much I would love a little cat with a tiara on her head. I just want everything for Princess Donut."If you grabbed something off this list or you have a pick we missed, tell us. What is on your nightstand to do list right now, and what should everyone be adding to their cart this week? Send your recommendations and we will read them on the next episode.If this helped you stack a better cart, follow Geek Freaks Headlines, drop a five star review, and share this episode with the reader in your life who needs a new obsession. Tag us with #GeekFreaksHeadlines so we can see what you are reading.Get more geek culture news at https://GeekFreaksPodcast.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/thegeekfreakspodcastThreads: https://threads.net/@geekfreakspodcastPatreon: https://patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast

Madison Daniels joins Natasha on this episode of the Natasha Helfer Podcast. They discuss transitioning out of Mormonism as Madison's soon-to-be published book (releasing June 23, 2026), "Letters to a Young Ex-Mormon" is set to release. You can now pre-order it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Young-Ex-Mormon-Field-Moving/dp/B0GVGS28KP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1J9UJR2YFZAO6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XUKpgyNy_D67b8AZMA9TPaSKCV6qhb7vtNmVK3VKY5MOSoXRpqFiBDNBQUnAMdDSxKcfNQrK443Xo173orvVfnBT8ggsF7AdPvjMnlTZaBk.RXT1uvFRMC0KpOHxAVSXIYj2bvr2j5E1aqoL8uaPIuQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=Letters+to+a+Young+Ex-Mormon&qid=1781723661&sprefix=letters+to+a+young+ex-mormon%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-1   Madison can be found on instagram at: @MDDanielsbooks (https://www.instagram.com/MDDanielsbooks) More about Madison: Madison is a dude living and breathing in the foothills of the Wasatch Front, where he celebrates his birthday four times a year because when you're an adult you can do what you want, and celebration needs no reason. He leads a Hobbit-coded life that revolves around eating great food, drinking all kinds of things, and yapping with anyone who will yap back. During the summer, you can find him gardening, river-guiding, paddleboarding, hiking through the desert, eating popsicles, and grilling with friends in the backyard. During the winter, he lives on soups and baths alone, dreaming of warmer days full of crisp tan lines and blessed barefeet. Madison takes great pride in being his niece's and nephew's favorite uncle, his three sisters' favorite brother, and his parents' favorite Recently, he has been trying to learn to skateboard, which is an extremely brave thing to do for someone over 30.       To help keep this podcast going, please consider donating at natashahelfer.com and share this episode. To watch the video of this podcast, you can subscribe to Natasha's channel on Youtube and follow her professional Facebook page at natashahelfer LCMFT, CST-S. You can find all her cool resources at natashahelfer.com.  The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy. This podcast addresses many topics around mental health and sexuality and may not be suitable for minors. Some topics may elicit a trigger or emotional response so please care for yourself accordingly. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or feelings of Natasha Helfer or the Natasha Helfer Podcast. We provide a platform for open and diverse discussions, and it is important to recognize that different perspectives may be shared. We encourage our listeners to engage in critical thinking and form their own opinions. The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening. And remember: Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services. There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

Yes — you're right. I incorrectly carried over the Episode 300 framing instead of fully rebuilding from the Episode 301 transcript. The 301 file is the Hobbit-types opening, mug giveaway ad, This Is Happiness, and Tim's final meditation on wholehearted love for the Lord.Here's the corrected version:The Thinklings Podcast — Episode 301Hobbit Types, Diner Mugs, and Wholehearted Love for the LordWelcome to Episode 301 of The Thinklings Podcast!This episode begins with the Thinklings choosing what kind of hobbit they would be: cozy hobbit, seven-meals-a-day hobbit, gardening hobbit, adventure hobbit, or party hobbit. After that, there's a quick reminder about the Thinklings Diner Mug giveaway, a Books & Business discussion, and a final meditation from God's Word.⏱️ Timestamps6:43 — Thinklings Diner Mug GiveawayWant to win a Thinklings Diner Mug?Take a picture of yourself with a regular, non-Thinklings mug while looking appropriately sad that it isn't a Thinklings Diner Mug.Post it on Facebook and/or Instagram by July 4.Tag The Thinklings Podcast.Wait in eager anticipation.(Two posts = two entries.)7:32 — Books & Business

Bean and Peat are once again joined by Davinia (Dee) Evans, having talked about Scott Lynch's The Lies Of Locke Lamora last time around. How she represents a new type of fantasy author; her own journey, from taking a copy of The Hobbit from the school library and having dreams of being published by Robert Jordan's publisher (Orbit), to the eventual publication of her Notorious Sorcerer trilogy.... with Orbit. Along the way how Dee's own Notorious Sorcerer evolved from fan fiction, being raised on British comedy such as Monty Python, The Goodies, and Fawlty Towers (despite growing up in the tropics), and how the fantasy market is shifting away from exploration and towards finding the fantastical at home.

In this episode, Tilly and Ash finally delve into the world of The Hobbit, beginning with an overall archaeological survey of the world…or maybe just the map? Tune in to find out all about weird medieval animals, warrior women, and really the star of the episode, Thrór's map. Books mentioned: The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) Links Window to the West: Culture and Environment in the Scottish Gàidhealtachd (information on Scáthach, Warrior of Skye) Birka Warrior Woman Weird Medieval Animals Thrór's Map Contact Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com Instagram: @‌and.my.trowel Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode, go to: https://www.archpodnet.com/trowel/68 ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Store Affiliates Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your favorite cardboard finance team gets you caught on all the Magic the Gathering card price action of the week, including meta updates, cards to watch and detailed chatter about the recent Pro Tour results and the early Marvel/Hobbit previews. Intro/Outro Music by Skylarka

This is the way the series ends, this is the way the series ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper…Join Damla & Elliott this week as they discuss Revolution 9, Whimpy burgers, The Hobbit trilogy and pride. GAZA FUNDRAISER: https://getinvolved.unrwausa.org/campaign/2025-gather-for-gaza/c527096TRANS RESOURCES FOR THE U.K.:Email your MP and reject harmful anti-trans legislation: https://equalrecognition.eaction.org.uk/rejectthecode?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioMindline Trans + helpline: 0300 330 5468Gendered Intelligence: https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/For younger listeners, Mermaids: https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/We love you.NOTES & LINKS:Our NEW podcast, Serving Cinema links:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/servingcinemapodcast?igsh=MTI0N2FqYnI4bGwwbQ==Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@servingcinemapodcast?_t=8qAIy2SWFxQ&_r=1Thank you to our amazing patrons:JasonBeckah Judson-SmithDavid CummingsAnna PlaničkováBecks MicheleBeth McLeodMark KrauseOlivia JordanNortherly KAnnie RoseKarolina AdamskaEvan Bevis-KnowlesHailee ScatoriccoBeth SuessCharlie EgonHeather VMaiReading_BunnyJamie MatthewsOwen ScottKara MTomHannah FeldBuy us a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/comealongpondpodcastSupport us on Patreon for ad-free listening and visuals: https://www.patreon.com/comealongpondCheck out our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@comealongpondpodcastFollow us on Instagram: @comealongpondpodcastEmail us: comealongpondpod@gmail.comStream the podcast on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.Rate us 5 stars on those platforms!Satellite 5 theme provided by JackTheme tune composed by Evan, follow him here: https://instagram.com/evanbevisknowles?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Podcast edited by DamlaProduced by ElliottStay safe every one x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode kicks off with a Kelly fact that sounds completely made up...

Our SUMMER VACATION takes a detour into Middle Earth as we discussed Peter Jackson's interminable Hobbit trilogy: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). Who knows what we talked about (it was a very traumatic episode), but Ethan's wife Catie joins us to discuss behind-the-scenes gossip and Ian McKellen's loose tongue. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or BlueSky at @youretallpod. Follow Ethan on Twitter at @Mathissippi and Devin on Twitter at @stalecooper. Email us at youretallpod@gmail.com.

In 2024, the Atlantic ran a splashy feature titled "The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books." Professors at the Ivy League and at other elite universities reported that their students, among the most credentialed young people in the country, could no longer make their way through a whole book. One Columbia professor described his bewilderment when a student told him she had never once been assigned a full book in high school. At Tikvah we work with hundreds of educators, and they have observed that it's not only the skill of reading that is in decline; it's also the culture around reading, the patience and attention and habits of the mind that really important books demand. That is where Rabbi Mark Gottlieb begins the conversation you are about to hear. Rabbi Gottlieb has been a guest on the Tikvah Podcast before. He is a senior adviser and treasured colleague at Tikvah, and the head of school at the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the most recent Marom conference, the annual Tikvah gathering of Jewish day-school leaders, he sat down with Shilo Brooks for a session called "A Republic of Readers: Why Great Books Make Good Citizens." Dr. Brooks runs the George W. Bush Presidential Center and hosts the Free Press podcast Old School. He is also living proof of the stakes. As he tells it, the great books did not merely educate him. They saved his life. Tikvah does not want simply want to air complaints about how the culture of reading has eroded, but to do something about it. This summer, Tikvah Online Academy is running a series of book-clubs for rising sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, live over Zoom. They will tackle The Hobbit, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Phantom Tollbooth, Tom Sawyer, The Life of Frederick Douglass, and more. Applications are open now at Tikvah.org/TOA. This episode of The Tikvah Podcast is generously sponsored by Ilene and David Siscovick and family. If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of The Tikvah Podcast, we invite you to join the Tikvah Ideas Circle. Visit tikvah.org/circle to learn more and join.

Luke had some uncomfortable experiences during his rideshares in Houston this week. Andrew is getting ready for a two-hour trek to see his doctor in his new East Side offices. They relive the drama around Reggie Jackson and Spike Lee, now that the Knicks are back in the playoffs. And they get the details about a man who calls himself "Roy Donk" as he slings baklava and merch around NYC. Photo: "Glowsticks in the Stade De France" by Richard King

Chris Hikes 26 miles dressed as a Hobbit for charity: https://shorturl.at/6AbHfChris pops in to discuss the nature of evil in Middle-earth. He looks at whether Morgoth was really as chaotic as he seemed. Maybe he was a tool used by Eru to further his ultimate plan.The ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi is discussed. The art of making something more beautiful because of its flaws.Ain't no sunshine without rain, is what he's saying.Come discuss fate, free will, paradise and whether humans 'earned' Numenor.

Download MP3 | Watch Video Episode Full Timestamps: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRRfVGTsj0bL0cIOqDKYBjaw1ss9QvfjaAKebJggp7xDA2uKbAWAcZEVXE__DFf20Eqi8T8AAzNgxLM/pub Announcement: A Tour Of The FGC Retirement Home Mina The Hollower First Impressions! The Ingrid Discourse Real Kojimologists Knew He'd Choose AI, But The Pope Has Spoken State of Play June 2026 Recap Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@CastleSuperBeastArchive Reggie In The Lab Limited-time Plushie only available this month! https://www.makeship.com/products/reggie-in-the-lab-plushie - Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at http://RocketMoney.com/SUPERBEAST - Go to http://buyraycon.com/superbeastOPEN to get 15% off - Take control of your income. Start selling for $1/month at http://shopify.com/superbeast  Docket: State of Play 2026: Wolverine Tokon Rayman Bancho the chef Kemuri - unseen ikumi nakamura Tomb raider legacy of atlantis Lost wild Phantom blade 0 Dune awakening Dynasty warriors 3 remastered No rest for the Wicked Onimusha Way of the Sword Townfall AC8 wings of theve, AC0 the belkan war Stuntman hollywood Ill (phantom pain intro kept going) Control resonant Marathon Runescape dragonwilds Gitaroo man Psyops Onimusha dod Until dawn 2 GoW laufey   Yujirio Hanma in Tekken Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda leaves Bandai Namco just months after Katsuhiro Harada's exit. Micheal Murray and Yasuki Yasuda remain. Harada_TEKKEN: I finally made it to WAFFLE HOUSE. ︀︀The staff are always friendly, and when I asked if they would sell me a menu, they sold me one for $5. ︀︀Next time, I'll be back at 3 a.m. for fight time. Tekken 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 all happen within one year. ︀︀There were six months between Tekken 7 and 8, and two months between 4 and 5. That leaves only four months for Tekken 6 and 7.  ︀︀Destiny 2: Every End is a New Beginning Pope calling a holy crusade on AI: "No algorithm can make war morally acceptable,"  Microsoft shuts down Xbox Copilot AI plans Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees Ingrid released in SF6 Kojima is doing AI stuff "Your Heroes Will Always Let You Down" Yuji Naka wanted to call Billy Hatcher Big Cock  Senna Reveal for 2XKO Virtua Fighter 6 leak trailer Embracer Group will spin-off "Fellowship Entertainment" into new company. IPs under the group include Darksiders, Dead Island, Kingdom Come Deliverance, Metro, Remnant, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Tomb Raider, and many more. BoardGameGeek fires veteran advertising manager for rejecting campaign due to firsthand experiences of demonic possession Quantic Dream has discontinued development of Spellcasters Chronicles. Servers shut down on June 19th. Purchases during early access are eligible for full refund upon request. This was a 3v3 free-to-play game that released in Feb 2026 Your guide to the inaugural 'Steroid Olympics' Star Fox — Overview Trailer — Nintendo Switch 2  

Episode 95 celebrates all things Westmoot, the American gathering of the Tolkien Society held from May 22-24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota! We begin with a reflection on our experience at Westmoot. Then we present our live show from Westmoot, “Disasters, Downfalls, and Dives: Athrabeth Podcast Live” with special guests Clare Moore and Tori Owens. We each chose our favorite disaster to present to the listeners: Daeron, Finrod, Saeros, and Túrin.   Citations Thank you to our guests, Clare Moore and Tori Owens!   Clare can be found on Bsky at @clarelmoore.bsky.social The Big Read dates and information can be found here:  https://erikjampa.substack.com/p/tolkien-society-seminar-and-tolkien?utm_source=publication-search (Accessed May 30, 2026) Learn more about the upcoming volume More Perilous and Fair, with Cami Agan, Clare Moore Dr. Robin A. Reid: https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=mythpro (Accessed May 30, 2026)   Tori can be found on instagram @_toriello, and on Bsky @itstoriello.bsky.social   The Sillymarillion podcast can be found at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sillymarillion/id1571617612 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/thesillymarillion/ On Instagram at @sillymarillions On Bsky at @thesillymarillion.bsky.social   Join the Athrabeth Discord!  https://discord.gg/4rZynfWv3f

In this episode Abby and Vanessa discuss the latest episode of RHOA.  They recap… -Kelli vs. Porsha -K Michelle vs. Porsha -Phaedra and Kelli -Jarvis -Milano di Rouge -Drew's team -Cynthia & Pinky in cahoots -Angela vs. Shamea When you're done listening, please don't forget to check out our ad sponsors. Vionic Shoes: Use code REALMOMS at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. 1 time use only. Fabletics: Shop now at Fabletics.com/realmoms to get 70- 80% off everything when you sign up as a new VIP. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/realmoms Boll and Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/realmoms with code realmoms. Quince: refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to Quince.com/realmoms for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Bask & Lather: Go to baskandlatherco.com and use code REALMOMS for 20% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave McArthur welcomes guest hosts Chris Gragg and Kevin Doyle to discuss the 1974 audiobook version of J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit.

In this week's episode, I take a look at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Spring 2026, and rate them from least to most favorite. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragontiarna series at my Payhip store: DRAGONJUNE The coupon code is valid through June 15, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 305 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May 29th, 2026 and today we'll be discussing my Spring Movie Review Roundup for 2026, where I discuss the movies and streaming shows I watched over the last few months. We will also have Coupon of the Week and a progress 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 Dragontiarna series at my Payhip store. That coupon code is DRAGONJUNE. And as always, you get the coupon code and the links in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through June the 15th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook for this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's move on to my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. As I mentioned last week, Dragon-Mage is out and you can get it at Amazon and Kindle Unlimited and it's doing well, so thank you for that. My next main project is Blade of Thieves and as of this recording, I am on chapter 11 of 25, though that'll probably expand in the final draft, which puts me at 56,000 words in. So I'm almost halfway through. I think probably it's going to be the length of Blade of Wraiths or a little longer, but we'll see. I'm hoping to have it out towards the end of June, but depending on how June goes, that might slip till July. Hopefully we can avoid that. I'm also 5,000 words into Cloak of Frost and that will be my main project once Blade of Thieves is done. I'm hoping to have Cloak of Frost out towards the end of July, but depending on how June goes, it might slip to August. For audiobook projects, Blade of Wraiths is still processing at ACX, though I believe as of right now, you can get it at Google Play, Kobo, Spotify, and my own Payhip store. The other stores should be available within a few weeks. As of right now, I don't actually have any current audiobooks in production, though we have some scheduled for the future. Once Blade of Thieves is finally done, Brad Wills will record that for us. Hollis McCarthy is scheduled to record Cloak of Worlds in June, if all goes well. Leanne Woodward will be recording Dragon-Mage sometime in July, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. Hopefully we'll have new things for you to read and listen to before much longer. 00:02:32 Main Topic: Spring 2026 Movie Review Roundup Now without any further ado, let's move on to our main topic, my Spring 2026 Movie Review Roundup. It's time for the Spring 2026 Movie Review Roundup, where I review the movies and streaming shows I watched over the last few months. As always, they're listed from least favorite to most favorite. The grades are wholly subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions and thoughts. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's go to the movies. First up is Kicking and Screaming, which came out in 2005. This is a family comedy with Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall. Pharrell plays Phil Weston, a mild mannered vitamin store owner and Duvall plays his father, Buck Weston, owner of a successful chain of sports equipment stores. Buck is one of those hyper competitive guys who has to win at everything and Phil has always rolled with it. But when Phil's son is a benchwarmer on the youth soccer team that Buck coaches, Phil's had enough and starts coaching a rival team to get his son into the game and to defeat his father. Along the way, of course, he descends into Will Ferrell style comedic lunacy, but the PG version since this is a PG movie. Mike Ditka was also hilarious as Phil's sidekick and assistant coach. It seemed like an '80s family movie. It was a sort of movie where you could have taken the entire family to the theater in 2005 and everyone would have been at least moderately entertained. Overall Grade: C Next up is the animated Lord of the Rings, which came out in 1978. As I mentioned, this was the animated version of Lord of the Rings from 1978. Extremely ambitious, but I think it's fair to say this landed in ambitious failure territory, but they tried the best they could given the constraints of the technology at the time and the actual available budget. They tried to pack the entirety of the Fellowship of the Ring and the first half of The Two Towers into about two hours and 20 minutes. I'm sorry to say it just didn't work. Like Dune, the Lord of the Rings is one of those books that requires like 10 hours of very expensive filmmaking to pull off properly. That said, I think it is fair to say that this stumbled so that the Peter Jackson live action trilogy could run. Adapting a book (especially a big book) into a movie is a challenge and I don't think this quite got there. Too much was cut out and if you hadn't read the book, you would probably have no idea what was happening or just been confused the entire time. Additionally, the movie relied heavily on rotoscoping and it didn't always quite work. Like the rotoscope Nazgul looked creepy and unsettling, so that worked for them. However, the rotoscoped orcs just looked bad. You know how in live theater stagehands will dress all in black? The orcs kind of looked like that, albeit they're wearing yellow ponchos over their black stagehand outfits, almost like the stagehands were expecting inclement weather backstage. That said, the vocal performances and the music were very good. So an ambitious and admirable failure. As I said, I think the filmmaker's vision exceeded the grasp of their budget and the available technology of the 1970s. Overall Grade: C Next up is Airplane!, which came out in 1980. It was interesting to watch this as a cultural artifact. It had the leisurely pace of an '80s movie, with far more absurdist humor. It was a parody of various airplane disaster movies from the 1970s. It's also interesting that this is remembered as a Leslie Nielsen movie nowadays, though Leslie Nielsen 's character is only a supporting character. For all that he's known for his absurdist humor these days from later movies, Nielsen plays his character stone cold dead straight, which makes him all the funnier, amazingly enough. Some of the jokes in this movie have aged very badly, but it's still worth watching as an interesting and amusing cultural artifact, given how it influenced the entire genre of comedy movies afterwards. There's also the obligatory three seconds of nudity that can get cut on cable TV broadcast. Overall Grade: B- Next up is the Thomas Crown Affair, which came out in 1999. This is an interesting remake of a movie from the 1960s. Pierce Brosnan plays Thomas Crown, a billionaire who has grown bored with his life, so he orchestrates the theft of a priceless Monet painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The heist goes off flawlessly and the museum's insurance company sends out investigator Catherine Banning (played by Renee Russo) to retrieve the painting and avoid a hundred million dollar insurance payout. Banning immediately intuits that Crown is the thief and sets about to find the painting. This investigation is complicated by the fact that Crown and Banning immediately develop a strong attraction and start an affair. It was interesting to watch since neither Crown nor Banning are particularly sympathetic characters. In 2026, the phrase "bored New York billionaire" has much more sinister connotations than it did in 1999 and Banning breaks all kinds of laws and sleeping with her target is not a particularly bright idea. That said, the opening heist was interesting and Crown's final gambit to return the painting was extremely clever and enjoyable to watch. So overall, I like the movie, but there's still way too much nudity. Cable broadcasts are probably like 10 minutes shorter than the actual runtime from cutting it all out. Overall Grade: B- Next up is Whiskey Galore, which came out in 2017 and this is a remake of the original Whiskey Galore from 1949. Honestly, this is exactly the same movie from 1949 that I watched in the Movie Review Roundup for Summer 2025, just updated with modern filmmaking techniques. If the movie makers in the '40s could have done it this way, they would have. Though I would recommend watching the 1949 one first and then the one from 2017. Overall Grade: B Next up is Super Mario Galaxy, which came out in 2026. And I have to admit, it felt a little strange to be the oldest person at the theater watching Super Mario Galaxy, but I've been playing Mario games since before any of these kids were born, so I think I had a right to be there. Anyway, I would say this movie is about 75% as good as the first one. It was a little overpacked and the plot wasn't quite as tight, but it's still fun to watch. The animation was excellent and I enjoyed all the callbacks to the various Mario games and since I haven't actually played all the Mario games (as a reminder, I played no console games of any kind between 1998 and 2019), I'm sure there were quite a few I missed. The plot is that Bowser Jr is coming to rescue his father, Bowser, who's been held captive since the end of the last movie. To power his doomsday weapon, Junior kidnaps Princess Rosalina and Princess Peach goes to rescue her while Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi stay to protect the Mushroom Kingdom. Their separate subplots will end up crossing when Bowser Jr. invades the Mushroom Kingdom to get Bowser. Glen Powell was an excellent choice to voice Fox McCloud. I'd say if you could imagine a movie that the audience would enjoy and the critics would hate, you'd end up with Super Mario Galaxy. Since that appears to be what happened to the tune of $970 million, it appears that metaphor was accurate. Also, to be less glib, "movies you can take your kids to" do serve a valuable social function (in my opinion). Overall Grade: B Next up is the Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, which came out in 2026. This was a comedy with a fun premise. Reggie Dinkins (played by Tracy Morgan) was an elite NFL player who got bounced out of the league for placing bets on himself. Years later, he teams up with an indie filmmaker named Arthur Tobin (played by Daniel Radcliffe), to make a documentary to rehabilitate his image. However, Tobin has his own issues. He has an Oscar, but after the Oscar, he got hired to direct a Marvel movie and cracked under the pressure. He and Reggie have to go on a journey to recover their reputations. I thought this was a pretty funny sitcom. Tracy Morgan is a comedic natural, but Daniel Radcliffe turned out to be an excellent comedic actor as well. He was great in that Weird Al biopic a few years ago and he's very funny in this. Craig Robinson was also great as Jerry Basmati, Reggie's sleazy nemesis. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which came out in 2026. I enjoyed this. It was like three pretty good episodes of The Mandalorian show put together. The end result was an adventure movie that kind of reminded me of the best of 1980s fantasy and sci-fi movies with a lot of creature work and a lot of action scenes. For an extended stretch of the movie, Grogu takes over as the primary protagonist, and given that Grogu is a very expensive puppet, that's an impressive feat. The plot picks up from the end of The Mandalorian show. The Mandalorian and his adopted son Grogu are now working for the New Republic, helping to hunt down Imperial warlords. Mando gets assigned to hunt down in a mysterious Imperial warlord named Commander Coin, but the only people who have information on Coin's location are the Twins, a pair of Hutt crime lords and relatives of Jabba the Hutt from Return of the Jedi. The Twins are willing to give up Coin's location if Mando does a job for them, but as Han Solo could have warned Mando, working for the Hutts is not a good idea. I was surprised that the reviews for this movie were as mixed as they were, but I suspect that's a combination of three social factors: Number one, cumulative ill will towards Disney as a corporation, which has done numerous sketchy things in the 2020s. I think something similar happened with Microsoft and Starfield. Number two, the lingering bad aftertaste of the sequel trilogy and number three, the tendency of the hardcore Star Wars fandom to chronically overthink things. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is the animated Hobbit, which came out in 1977. Peter Jackson's Hobbit Trilogy from the 2010 famously stretched The Hobbit across three movies, which really didn't work and added a bunch of epic battle scenes, which was totally off for what was essentially a children's book. The animated 1977 version of The Hobbit, by contrast, went in a different direction, neatly adapting it down to 70 minutes or so, presumably because animation is very expensive. At the time, this got mixed reviews, but looking back nearly 50 years later, I think we can appreciate it more because of the sheer amount of work that goes into hand-drawn animation. Like computer-based animation is unquestionably a lot of work as well, but hand-drawn animation is on something of a higher level in terms of difficulty, in my opinion. That said, I think this adaptation did a better job of compressing the story down than the animated Lord of the Rings movie I mentioned earlier in this episode. There's also a lot of 1970s style folk singing-like a LOT. I suspect J.R.R. Tolkien would have hated every single adaptation ever made of any of his works (with perhaps the exception of the audiobooks), but he would have approved of the number of songs and poetry in this. Though it was amusing that the high elves in this movie sing in a '70s folk music style. It would be humorous if in the Silmarillion, Earnedil the Mariner had finally crossed the Sundering Seas to reach Valinor and appeal the aid of the Valar against Morgoth and his hordes, only to hear '70 style folk music echoing across the shining hills of the Undying Lands. Anyway, it's definitely worth watching this if you like The Hobbit or old style animation. Overall Grade: A- Next up is House of David Season 2, which came out in 2026. I wrestled with what grade to give this because it used a lot of AI for the big battle scene in episode one and as long time readers and listeners know, I do not generally approve of LLM generated slop. Ironically, I think episode one, the big battle sequence with all the AI, was definitely the weakest point of the entire second season. Everything else was better. That said, all the character drama and interactions and acting were really good, which amusingly shows that while LLM stuff can generate blurry scenes of mounted soldiers charging at night, the real human emotion comes from, well, real human emotion. Anyway, this picks right up from the end of Season 1, right after David kills Goliath, which means it takes place during most of the events with the third quarter of the book of 1 Samuel from the Bible. David becomes one of the chief commanders of King Saul, but David is secretly the anointed king of Israel. Saul's deteriorating mental state becomes threatening to David while Saul's children scheme for position (with the exception of Jonathan, who has accepted that God has chosen David as the next king of Israel) and the Philistines prepare for war against Israel. It is interesting how the show alternates between leaning into the Grimdark aspects of life in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age and avoiding them. Like, constant warfare was a fact of life for a Mesopotamian king around 1000 BC. But the show also shows David as having passionate romantic love for Saul's daughter Michal and in the Bible, David ended up with at least eight wives that we know about (there were likely others) and an unnamed number of concubines. So late Bronze Age/early Iron Age monarchs were not likely to have been in the grips of fervent romantic love. Though based on the Psalms he wrote, David seems to have been a man who definitely was in touch with his emotions and quite possibly he would have passionately loved multiple women at the same time. Anyway, I enjoyed the show. While I am not an expert, I probably have a higher than average level of Old Testament knowledge. So when the show expanded on something from 1 Samuel (such as the role of Doeg, the murderous Edomite shepherd), I could see where they were coming from. Or the subplot where Jonathan falls in love with an Israelite woman since in the Bible, David took care of Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, logically, Jonathan had a wife at some point. Related to that as Saul continues his descent, in a moment of rage in 1 Samuel, he calls Jonathan "the son of a perverse and rebellious woman" and the show has a subplot explaining how Saul came to see Queen Ahinoam as a "perverse and rebellious woman". So I enjoyed this and will definitely watch Season 3 when it comes along. That said, the opening battle with the AI generated battle scenes is still definitely the weakest part of the series, though. Overall Grade: A- Next up is Maul: Shadow Lord, which came out in 2026. And in my opinion, this was pretty good. I think he could call the plot Sith Noir. Maul, desiring vengeance against the Emperor for all the pain he has endured, has decided to rebuild his criminal syndicate (previously destroyed in the Clone Wars) and use it to bring down the Empire. Meanwhile, Captain Lawson, a detective on a minor world, is trying to rebuild his relationship with his teenage son and keep his career afloat. This becomes tricky when a pair of fugitive Jedi fleeing from the Inquisitors turn up on their world. But in the younger of the two Jedi, Maul sees a potential apprentice for himself, one he could corrupt to the dark side. The animation has improved by quantum leaps and bounds since the days of the Clone War show. The lighting and the shadows are excellent. Maul looks spooky and a little uncanny. The lightsaber fights are quick and fluid. No spoilers, but the final episode is absolutely excellent. I also think one of the best things about the Star Wars animation shows is how Maul's character has evolved from simply the cool swordsmen at the end of The Phantom Menace to a sympathetic yet still evil warrior-philosopher, a tragic figure whose every effort always contains the seeds of its own downfall. Overall Grade: A Next up is Emma, which came out in 2020. This is an excellent adaptation of the Jane Austen's novel. Good performances, good cinematography, and it captures the essence of the novel quite well and it's probably a must for Austen fans to see. I don't really have anything negative to say about it, say that it has the three seconds of unnecessary nudity that can be cut in cable broadcasts. Ironically, and quite amusingly, that three seconds of nudity is quite literally the only thing this movie has in common with Airplane!. Overall Grade: A Next up is No Packers, No Life, which came out in 2025. This was a fun documentary about a group of Japanese Green Bay Packers fans. Obviously, there are fairly large cultural and linguistic divides between the United States and Japan, so American football is not hugely popular in Japan. However, the Green Bay Packers are the only community owned team in the NFL to this day and so they're quite a bit more sympathetic than one that's owned by a faceless billionaire. Anyway, an American businessman goes to Japan and stumbles across a Japanese man wearing a Packers jersey at a bar. From there, he learns of a small club called the Japanese Packers Cheering Team that gathered to watch Packers games. This businessman in question happened to be from Wisconsin, so he befriended the Japanese Packers Cheering Team and invited them to Green Bay for a game. The invitation snowballed and so the entire club and their families arrived to watch the game. Sports fandom really isn't one of my interests, so it's always interesting to look at it from the outside. That said, this was an enjoyable documentary about cross-cultural communication at its best. Overall Grade: A Let's close out this episode with my favorite thing I saw in spring 2026, which was Project Hail Mary, which came out in 2026. This is another "science man solves space problem that saves the day with math and science", type science fiction adventure like The Martian, though some new twists on the formula. Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with all the other crew dead and no memory of how he got there. Gradually, he partially remembers and works out that he is part of Project Hail Mary, a last ditch effort to stop Earth's sun from dimming due to an extremophile organism called the Astrophage. Only one other star in Earth's stellar neighborhood was showing no signs of Astrophage infection, so Grace's ship was sent there on a suicide mission to try and recover some means of defeating the Astrophage. While there, he encounters an alien ship with a sole survivor and he slowly works out how to communicate with the alien, who he dubs Rocky. It turns out Rocky's people sent him there on a mission to solve the Astrophage problem as well and together Grace and Rocky try to work out how to save their respective home worlds. Quite enjoyable and worth seeing. At the time I typed this in March of 2026, it was the highest-grossing movie of 2026 and I think it deserved that, though it did eventually get overtaken by Super Mario Galaxy. Overall Grade: A I suppose that was an eclectic range of movies, wasn't it? Interestingly, I actually saw three of them in theaters: Project Hail Mary, Super Mario Galaxy, and The Mandalorian and Grogu, so I went to the theater three times in three months. I think that's the most I've been to the movie theater in a single year in the entirety of the 2020s. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show interesting. 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.  

We are concluding our season on fantasy movies with a major Peter Jackson fantasy movie.  Instead of focusing on the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, we decided to watch the first part of the Hobbit trilogy with THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.  Please send any and all feedback to anotherlookpod@gmail.com.  Please follow us on Instagram @anotherlookpod, and rate/review/subscribe where ever you get your podcasts!   Our next season will be a selection of movies from all of our own personal watchlists!

In this episode of the Hugonauts we're breaking down what truly defines great Young Adult fiction and answering the ultimate question: do these books actually hold up when you read them for the first time as an adult? We look at the core guidelines of YA literature—from exploring the human condition through a young protagonist's eyes to (ideally) teaching profound stuff that resonates beyond teenhood.  We count down the absolute best YA sci-fi books and YA fantasy recommendations. We dive into legendary dystopian hits like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, masterclass sci-fi like Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Red Rising by Pierce Brown, and classic fantasy staples like Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, and C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. But we don't just look at the masterpieces.  We also separate the true YA novels from books that are actually meant for middle-grade kids (like The Giver, Redwall, and The Phantom Tollbooth). Finally, we tackle the controversial "duds" of the genre. Why are massive bestsellers like The Maze Runner, Divergent, and Scythe so incredibly popular, and why did they fall totally flat for us? Grab your reading list and let's find out which books are actually worth your time!  No spoilers anywhere in this episode. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video This episode is sponsored by Memoirs of the End by Vincent Rylan All the books we recommend, plus timestamps: 00:00 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  04:16 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card  07:02 The Chrysalids by John Wyndham  08:55 SPONSOR - Memoirs of the End by Vincent Rylan  09:30 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline  12:54 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff  15:20 Red Rising by Pierce Brown  18:47 Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden  20:15 A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket  22:39 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien  23:56 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman  26:40 The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis  29:10 The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett  31:38 Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin  34:14 The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King  35:14 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman  36:55 Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling  39:10 Redwall by Brian Jacques 41:17  Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien  41:55 The Giver by Lois Lowry  42:41 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster  43:34 Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer  44:40 Cinder by Marissa Meyer  45:56 Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix  46:54 How are these duds so popular?

Long movies with short characters.  We must be back in Middle Earth again!  After 8 years, Peter Jackson brought more Tolkien tales to the big screen and another epic trilogy arrived.  These Hobbit adventures were almost as awesome at the previous Lord of the Rings movies, and some of our old familiar characters show up here, but it's all top-notch action and CGI beasts done properly.  Sweeping music, slashing swordplay and a bad-ass, fire-breathing, trash-talkin' dragon make this a thrilling ride!  Let me guide you (and save you about 8 hours of your time) through all the fun and treasures of the Hobbit trilogy with the high quality dorkiness you've come to expect from Missing Real.  Pretty confident, ain't I?  Maybe my dragon name should be "Smug".  

William Kircher, known for his role as Bifur the dwarf in The Hobbit trilogy, has moved to the country. When not performing overseas, he and jazz singer Nicole Chesterman Kircher are enjoying the rural pace with sheep, chooks, fruit trees and an honesty box at the gate. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:William Kircher and Nicole Chesterman KircherMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week on the pod, Seth and Josh welcome Andy Serkis! Andy talks about growing up in a multicultural family with an Iraqi-Armenian father and British mother, being one of five siblings, and feeling caught between two very different worlds: Middle Eastern adventures and classic British caravan holidays. He also shares incredible stories including spending summers in Baghdad, traveling to places like Syria, Babylon, and Lebanon, and camping under the stars in the desert, his father's narcoleptic tendencies while road tripping, and so much more. Plus, he shares his experiences second-unit directing in The Hobbit trilogy, directing his latest film, Animal Farm, and his upcoming directing venture in The Hunt for Gollum. Watch more Family Trips episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlqYOfxU_jQem4_NRJPM8_wLBrEEQ17B6 Support our sponsors: Yahoo Stress less with Planner from Yahoo mail Fitbod Level up your workout. Join Fitbod today to get your personalized workout plan. Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE for seven days at https://Fitbod.me/trip. Aura Frames For a limited time, listeners can get 25 dollars off their best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://auraframes.com promo code TRIPS. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout! Terms and conditions apply. ------------------------- Family Trips is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Theme song written and performed by Jeff Tweedy. ------------------------- About the Show: Lifelong brothers Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers ask guests to relive childhood memories, unforgettable family trips, and other disasters! New Episodes of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers are available every Tuesday. ------------------------- Executive Producers: Rob Holysz, Jeph Porter, Natalie Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Coordinating Producer: Derek Johnson Video Editor: Josh Windisch Mix & Master: Josh Windisch Episode Artwork: Analise Jorgensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're ringing in the annual Max Fun Drive with special guest Griffin McElroy for a conversation about The Hobbit, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and much more. Become a member today at maximumfun.org/join.  *Follow Griffin on Instagram. *Grab Griffin's latest book, The Stowaway.  *Listen to My Brother My Brother and Me.  *Listen to The Adventure Zone.  *Listen to Wonderful.  *Check out what's new on Bullseye with Jesse Thorn. *Check out more Amazing Spiderman content from Jordan. *Order Jordan's new Web of Venom comic.  *Check out Jordan's comic Predator: Bloodshed. * Order Jordan's new Predator comic: Black, White & Blood! * Order Jordan's new Venom comic! * Donate to Al Otro Lado. * Purchase signed copies of *Youth Group* and *Bubble* from Mission: Comics And Art!   ~ NEW JJGo MERCH ~ Get  Bronto Dino-Merch! Get our ‘Ack Tuah' shirt in the Max Fun store. Grab an ‘Ack Tuah' mug! The Maximum Fun Bookshop! Follow the podcast on Instagram and send us your dank memes! Check out Jesse's thrifted clothing store, Put This On. Follow producer, Jordan Kauwling, on Instagram. Thank you to engineer Gabe Mara! Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joinjjgo