Podcasts about CGI

Remember Cliffhanger? The movie where the Hero fights gravity, bad guys, and basic OSHA regulations? Starring Sylvester Stallone as a man whose primary skill set is hanging from things dramatically… and John Lithgow as a villain who woke up and chose theatrical villainy. You probably remember mountains. Snow. A helicopter doing things helicopters absolutely should not be doing. And Lithgow is just chewing scenery like he hasn't eaten in days. The plot? Oh, it's simple. Suitcases full of money fall out of the sky, a bunch of criminals decide mountain climbing is now part of their career path, and Stallone spends two hours dangling from things that were never meant to hold a human being. So join us as we head back to the '90s — when action heroes didn't need CGI, villains had accents for no reason, and the solution to every problem was either punching it… shooting it… or letting it fall off a cliff.

I am Rolf Claessen and together with my co-host Ken Suzan I welcome you to Episode 172 of our podcast IP Fridays. Today's interview guests are Co-Founder & CEO of Inception Point AI, Jeanine Whright, and Mark Stignani, who is Partner & Chair of Analytics Practice at Barnes & Thornburg LLP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeaninepercivalwright https://www.linkedin.com/in/markstignani Inception Point AI But before the interview I have news for you: The Unified Patent Court (UPC) ruled on Feb 19, 2026, that specialized insurance can cover security for legal costs. This is vital for firms, as it eases litigation financing and lowers financial hurdles for patent lawsuits by removing the need for high liquid assets to enforce rights at the UPC. On Feb 12, 2026, the WIPO Coordination Committee nominated Daren Tang for a second six-year term as Director General. Tang continues modernizing the global IP system, focusing on SMEs, women, and digital transformation. His confirmation in April is considered certain. An AAFA study from Feb 4 reveals 41% of tested fakes (clothing/shoes) failed safety standards. Many contained toxic chemicals like phthalates, BPA, or lead. The study highlights that counterfeiters increasingly use Meta platforms to sell unsafe imitations directly to consumers. China's CNIPA 2026 report announced a crackdown on bad-faith patent and trademark filings. Beyond better examination quality, the agency will sanction shady IP firms and stop strategies violating “good faith” to make China’s IP system more ethical and innovation-friendly. Now, let's hear the interview with Jeanine Whright and Mark Stignani! How AI Is Rewiring Media & Entertainment: Key Takeaways from Ken Suzan's Conversation with Jeanine Wright and Mark Stignani In this IP Fridays interview, Ken Suzan speaks with two repeat guests who look at the same phenomenon from two angles: Jeanine Wright, Co-Founder & CEO of Inception Point AI, as a builder of AI-native entertainment, and Mark Stignani, Partner and Chair of the Analytics Practice at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, as a lawyer advising clients who are trying to use AI without stepping into a legal (or ethical) crater. What emerges is a clear picture: generative AI is not just “another tool.” It is rapidly becoming the default infrastructure for creative work—while the rules around ownership, consent, and accountability lag behind. 1) What “AI-generated personalities” really are (and why that matters) Jeanine's company is not primarily “cloning” real people. Instead, Inception Point AI creates original, fictional personalities—characters with backstories, ambitions, and evolving arcs—then deploys them into the world as podcast hosts and content creators (and eventually actors and musicians). Her key point: the creative work still starts with humans. Writers and creators define the concept, tone, audience, and story engine. What AI changes is speed, cost, and iteration—and therefore what is economically feasible to produce. 2) The “generative content pipeline” isn't a magic button A recurring misconception Ken raises is the idea that someone “pushes a button” and content pops out. Jeanine explains that real production looks more like a hybrid studio: A creative team defines character, voice, format, and storyline. A technical team builds what she calls an “AI orchestration layer” that combines multiple models and tools. The “stack” differs by format: the workflow for a long-form audio drama is different from a short-form beauty clip. This matters because it reframes AI content not as a single output, but as a pipeline decision: which tools, which data sources, which QA, and which governance steps are used—and where human review happens. 3) The biggest legal questions: origin, liability, ownership, and contracts Mark doesn't name a single “top issue.” He describes a cluster of problems that repeatedly show up in client conversations: Training data and “origin story” Clients keep asking: Can I legally use AI output if the tool was trained on copyrighted works? Even if the output looks new, the unease is about whether the tool's capabilities are built on unlicensed inputs. Liability for unintended harm Mark flags risk from AI content that inadvertently infringes, defames, or carries bias. The legal exposure may not match the creator's intent. Ownership and protectability He points to a big gap: many jurisdictions are still reluctant to grant classic IP rights (copyright or patent-style protection) to purely AI-generated material. That creates uncertainty around whether businesses can truly “own” what they produce. Old contracts weren't written for AI A final, practical point: many agreements—talent contracts, author clauses, data licenses—predate generative AI and simply don't address it. That leads to disputes about scope, permissions, and—crucially—indemnities. 4) Are we at a tipping point? The “gold rush” vs. “next creative era” views Jeanine frames AI as “the world's most powerful creative tool”—comparable to previous step-changes like animation, special effects, and CGI. For her, the strategic implication is simple: creators who learn to use AI well will expand what they can build and test, faster than ever. Mark's metaphor is more cautionary: he calls the moment a “gold rush” where technology is sprinting ahead of law. Courts are getting flooded with foundational disputes, while legislation is fragmented—he notes that states may move faster than federal frameworks, and that labor agreements (e.g., union protections) will be a key pressure point. 5) Democratization: more creators, more niche content, more experimentation One of the most concrete themes is access. Jeanine argues AI will: Lower production barriers for independent filmmakers and storytellers. Reduce the need for “hit-making only” economics that dominate Hollywood. Make micro-audience content commercially viable. Her example is intentionally niche: highly localized, specialized content (like a “pollen report” for many markets) that would never have made financial sense before can now exist—and thrive—because the production cost drops and personalization scales. 6) Likeness, consent, and “digital performers”: what happens when AI resembles a real actor? Ken pushes into a sensitive area: what if someone generates a performance that closely resembles a living actor without consent? Mark outlines the current (imperfect) toolbox—because, as he emphasizes, most laws weren't built for this scenario. He points to practical claims that may come into play in the U.S., such as rights of publicity and false endorsement-type theories, and notes that whether something is parody or “too close” can become a major fault line. Jeanine explains her company's operational approach: They focus on original personalities, designed “from scratch.” They build internal checks to avoid misappropriating known names, likenesses, or recognizable identities. If they ever work with real people, the model would be licensing their likeness/voice. A subtle but important business point also appears here: Jeanine expects AI-native characters themselves to become licensable assets—meaning the entertainment economy may expand to include “celebrity rights” for fully synthetic personalities. 7) Ethics: the real line is “deception,” not “AI vs. human” The ethical core of the conversation is not “AI is bad” or “AI is good.” It's how AI is used—especially whether audiences are misled. Mark highlights several ethical risks: Misuse of tools to manipulate faces and content (“AI slop” and political misuse). Displacement of creative workers without adequate transition support. A concern that AI often optimizes toward “statistical averages,” potentially flattening originality. Jeanine agrees ethics must be designed into the system. She describes regular discussions with an ethicist and emphasizes a principle: transparency. Her company discloses when content or personalities are AI-generated. She argues that if people understand what they're engaging with and choose it knowingly, the ethical problem shifts from “AI exists” to “Are we tricking people?” Mark adds a real-world warning: deepfakes are now credible enough to enable serious fraud—he references a case-like scenario where a synthetic video meeting deceived an employee into authorizing a payment. The point is clear: authenticity and verification are no longer optional. 8) The “dead actor” hypothetical: legal permission vs. moral intent Ken raises a provocative scenario: an actor's estate authorizes an AI-generated new performance, but the actor opposed such technology while alive. Neither guest offers a simplistic answer. Jeanine suggests that even if the estate holds legal rights, a company might choose to avoid such content out of respect and because the ethical “overhang” could damage the storytelling outcome. She also notes the harder question: people who died before today's capabilities may never have been able to meaningfully consent to what AI can now do—raising questions about how we interpret legacy intent. Mark underscores the practical contract problem: many rights are drafted “in perpetuity,” but that doesn't automatically settle the ethical question. 9) Five-year forecast: “AI everywhere,” but audiences may stratify Ken closes with a prediction question: in five years, how much entertainment content will significantly involve AI—and will audiences care? Jeanine predicts AI becomes the default creative layer for most content creation. Mark is slightly more conservative on the percentage, but adds an important nuance: the market will likely stratify. Low-cost, high-volume content may become saturated with AI, while premium segments may emphasize “human-made” as a differentiator—especially if disclosure norms become standard. Bottom line for business leaders and creators This interview lands on a pragmatic conclusion: AI will change how content is made at scale, and the competitive edge will go to teams that combine creative taste, operational discipline, and legal/ethical governance. If you're building, commissioning, or distributing content, the questions you can't dodge anymore are: What's the provenance of the tools and data you rely on? Who is responsible when output harms, infringes, or misleads? What rights can you actually claim in AI-assisted work? Do your contracts and disclosures match the new reality? Ken Suzan: Thank you, Rolf. We have two returning guests to the IP Friday’s podcast. Joining me today is Janine Wright and Mark Stignani. Our topic for discussion, how is AI transforming the media and entertainment industries today? We look at the issues from differing perspectives. A bit about our guests, Janine Wright is a seasoned board member, CEO, global COO and CFO. She’s led organizations from startup to a $475 million plus revenue subsidiary of a public company. She excels in growth strategy, adopting innovative technologies, scaling operations and financial management. Janine is a media and entertainment attorney and trial litigator turned technologist and qualified financial expert. She is the co-founder and CEO of Inception Point AI, a growing company that is paving new ground with AI-generated personalities and content through developing technology and story. Mark Stignani is a partner with Barnes & Thornburg LLP and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the chair of the data analytics department with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, machine learning, cryptocurrency and ESG. Mark combines the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning with his skills as a corporate and IP counsel to deliver unparalleled insights and strategies to his clients. Welcome, Janine and Mark to the IP Friday’s podcast. Jeanine Whright: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me and fun to be back. It feels nostalgic to be here. Ken Suzan: That’s right. And you both were on the program. So it’s fantastic that you’re both back again. So our format, I’m going to ask a question to Janine and or Mark and sometimes to both of you. So that’s going to be how we proceed. Let’s jump right in. Janine, your company creates AI-generated actors. For listeners who may not be familiar, can you briefly explain what that means and what’s now possible that wasn’t even two years ago? Jeanine Whright: Sure. Yeah, we are creating AI-generated personalities. So new characters, new personalities from scratch. We design who these personalities are and will be, how they will evolve. So we give them complex backstories. We give them hopes and dreams and aspirations. We every aspect of them, their families, how they’re going to evolve. And in the same way that, say, you know, Disney designs the character for its next animated feature or, you know, an electronic arts designs a character for its next major video game. We are doing that for these personalities and then we are launching them into the world as podcast hosts, content creators on social platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And even in the future, you know, actors in feature length films, musicians, etc. Ken Suzan: Very fascinating. Mark, from your practice, what’s the single biggest legal question or dispute you’re seeing clients wrestle with when it comes to AI and media creation? Mark Stignani: Well, I think that, you know, it’s not just one thing, it’s like four things. But most of them tend to be kind of the origin story of AI data or AI tools that they use because, you know, but for the use of AI tools trained on copyrighted materials, the tools wouldn’t really exist in their current form. So a lot of my clients are wondering about, you know, can I legally use this output if it’s built upon somebody else’s IP? The second ask, the second flavor of that is really, is there liability being created if I take AI content that inadvertently infringes or defames or biases there? So there’s the whole notion of training bias from the training materials that comes out. The third phase is really, you know, can I really own this? Because much of the world does not really give IP rights into AI-generated inventions, copyrighted materials. It’s still kind of a big razor. Then at the end of the day, you know, if it’s an existing relationship, does my contract even contemplate this? So everything from authors contracts on up to just use of data rights that predate AI. Ken Suzan: And Janine and Mark, a question to both of you. How would you describe where we are right now in the AI revolution in media and entertainment? Are we approaching a tipping point? And if so, what are the things we need to watch for? Jeanine Whright: Yeah, I definitely think that we’re at a phase where people are starting to come to the realization that AI is the world’s most powerful creative tool. But that, you know, storytelling and point of view is what creates demand and audiences. And AI doesn’t threaten or change that. But it does mean that as people evolve in this medium, they’re very likely going to need to adopt, utilize and figure out how to hone their craft with these AI-generated content and these AI-generated toolings. So this is, you know, something that people have done certainly in the past in all sorts of ways in using new tools. And we’ve seen that make a significant change in the industry. So you look at, you know, the dawn of animation as a medium. You look at use of special effects, computer-generated imagery in the likes of Pixar. And this is certainly the next phase of that evolution. But because of the power of the tool and what will become the ubiquity of the tool, I think that it’s pretty revolutionary and all the more necessary for people to figure out how to embrace this as part of their creative process. Ken Suzan: Thank you, Janine. Mark, your thoughts? Mark Stignani: Yeah, I mean, I liken this to historically to like the California gold rush right now, because, you know, the technology is so far outpaced in any of the legal frameworks that are available. And so we’re just trying to shoehorn things in left and right here. So, I mean, the courts are beginning to start to engage with the foundational questions. I don’t think they’re quite there yet. I just noticed Anthropic got sued again by another group of people, big music group, because of the downloaded works they’ve done. I mean, so the courts are, you know, the courts are certainly inundated with, you know, too many of these foundational questions. Legislatively, hard to tell. I mean, federal law, the federal government is not moving uniformly on this other than to let the gold rush continue without much check and balance to it. Whereas states are now probably moving a lot faster. Colorado, Illinois, even Minnesota is attempting to craft legislation and limitations on what you can do with content and where to go with it. So, I mean, the things we need to watch for any of the fair use decisions coming out here, you know, some of the SAG-AFTRA contract clauses. And, you know, again, the federal government, I just, you know, I got a big shrug going as to what they’re actually going to come up with here in the next 90 to 100 days. So, but, you know, I think they’ll be forced into doing something sooner than later. Ken Suzan: Okay, let’s jump into the topic of the rise of generative content pipelines. My first question to Janine. Studios and production companies are now building what some call generative content pipelines. This is where AI systems produce everything from scripts to visual effects to voice performances. What efficiencies and creative possibilities does this unlock for the industry? Jeanine Whright: Yeah, so this is quite a bit of what we do. And if I could help pull the curtain back and explain a little bit. Ken Suzan: That’d be great. Jeanine Whright: Yeah, there’s this assumption that, you know, somebody is just sitting behind a machine pushing a button and an out pops, you know, what it is that we’re producing. There’s actually quite a bit of humans still in the loop in the process. You know, we have my team as creators. The other half of my team is the technologists. And those creators are working largely at what we describe as the the tip of the sphere. So they’re, of course, coming up with the concepts of who are these personalities? What are these personalities, characters, backgrounds going to be a lot of like rich personality development? And then they’re creating like what are the formats? What are the kind of story arcs? What is the kinds of content that this this character wants to tell? And what are the audiences they’re desiring to reach and what’s most going to resonate with them? And then what we built internally is what we refer to as an AI orchestration layer. So that allows us to pull from basically all of the different models and then all of these different really cool AI tools. And put those together in such a way and combine those in such a way that we can have the kind of output that our creative team envisions for what they want it to be. And at the end of the day, what you what the stack looks like for, say, a long form audio drama, like the combination of LLMs that we’re going to use in different parts of scripting and production and, you know, ideating and all of that. And the kinds of tooling that we use to actually make it and get it to sound good and have the kinds of personality characteristics that we want to be in an authentic voice for a podcast is going to be different than the tech stack and the tool stack that we might use for a short form Instagram beauty tip reel. And so there’s a lot of art in being able to pull all of these tools together to get them to do exactly what you want them to do. But I think the second part of your question is just as interesting as the first. I mean, what is what possibilities is this unlocking? So of course you’re finding efficiencies in the creative production process. You can move faster. You can do things were less expensive, perhaps, and you were able to do it before. But on the creator side, I think one thing that hasn’t been talked about enough is how it is really like blown wide the aperture of what creators can do and can envision. Traditionally, you know, Hollywood podcasting, many of these businesses that become big businesses have become hit making businesses where they need to focus on a very narrow of wide gen pop content that they think is going to get tens of millions, hundreds of millions in, you know, fans and dollars in revenue for every piece of content that they make. So the problem with that is, is that it really narrows the kinds of things that ultimately get made, which is why you see things happening in Hollywood, like the Blacklist, which is, you know, this famous list of really exceptional content that remains unpredited, unproduced, or why you see things like, you know, 70 to 80% of the top 100 movies being based on pre-existing IP, right? Because these are such huge bets that you need to feel very confident that you’re going to be able to get big, big audiences and big, big dollars from it. But with AI, and really lowering the barrier to entry, lowering the costs of production and marketing, the experimentation that you can do is really, really phenomenal. So, you know, my creative team, if they have an idea, they make it, you know, they don’t have to wring their hands through like a green lighting process of, you know, should we, shouldn’t we, like we, we can make an experiment with lots of different things, we can do various different versions of something. We can see what would this look like if I placed it in the 1800s, or what if I gave this character an Australian accent, and it’s just the power of being able to have this creative partner that can ideate with you and experiment with you at rocket speed. With the creators that are embracing it, you can see how it is really fun for them to be able to have this wide of a range of possibility. Ken Suzan: Mark, when you hear about these generative pipelines, what are the immediate red flags or concerns that come to mind from a legal standpoint? How about ethics underlying all of this? Well, Mark Stignani: that was not, that’s the number one red flag because I mean, we are seeing not just that in the entertainment industry, but it literally at political levels, and the kind of the phrase, to turn the phrase AI slop being generated, we’re seeing, you know, people’s facial expressions altered. In some cases, we’re seeing AI tools being misused to exploit various groups of individuals and genders and age groups. So I mean, there’s a whole lot of things ethically that people are using AI for that just don’t quite cover it. Especially in the entertainment industry, I mean, we’re looking at a fair amount of displacement of human workers without adequate transition support, devaluation of the creative labor. I mean, the thing though that I’m always from a technical standpoint is AI is simply a statistical average of most everything. So it kind of devalues the benefit of having a human creator, a human contribution to it. That’s the ethical side. But on the legal side, I see chain of title issues. I mean, because these are built on very questionable IP ownership stages, I mean, in most of these tools, there has been some large copying, training and taking of copyrighted materials. Is it transformational? Maybe. But there’s certainly not a chain of title, nor is there permission granted for that training. I mentioned SAG-AFTRA earlier, I think there’s a potential set of union contract aspects to this that if you know many of these agreements and use sub-licenses for authors and actor agreements, they weren’t written with AI in mind. So that’s another red flag. And also I just think in indemnification. So if we ultimately get to a point where groups are liable for using content without previous license, then who’s liable? Is the tool maker the liable group or the actual end user? So those are probably my top four red flags. But I think ethics is probably my biggest place because just because we can do something from an ethical standpoint doesn’t mean we should. Jeanine Wright: Yeah, if I can respond to both of those points. I mean, one from a legal perspective, just to be very clear, I mean, we are always pulling from multiple different models and always pulling from multiple different sources. And we even have data sources that we license or use for single source of truth on certain pieces of information. So we’re always pulling things together from multiple different sources. We also have built into our process, you know, internal QAing and checking to make sure that we’re not misappropriating the name or likeness of any existing known personality or character. We are creating original personalities there. We design their voice from scratch. We design their look from scratch. So we’re not on our personality side, we’re not pulling or even taking inspiration from existing intellectual property that’s already out there in creating these personalities. On the ethical side, I agree. I mean, when we came out of stealth, we came out of stealth in September. There was certainly quite a bit of backlash from folks in my—I previously co-founded a company in the audio space. I mean, there’s been many rounds of layoffs in audio and in many other parts of the entertainment industry. So I’m very sensitive to the feedback around, like, is this job displacement? I mean, I do think that the CEO of NVIDIA said it right when he said, you’re likely not going to lose your job to AI, but you will lose your job to somebody who knows how to use AI. I think these tools are transforming the way that content is made and that the faster that people can embrace this tooling, the more likely they’re going to be having the kinds of roles that they want in, you know, in content creation and storytelling in the future. And we are hiring. I’m hiring AI video creators, AI audio creators. I’m hiring AI developers. So people who are looking for those roles, I mean, please reach out to me, we would love to work with you and we’d love to grow with you. We also take the ethics very seriously. For the last few months or so, I’ve met regularly with an ethicist, we talk about all sorts of issues around, you know, is designing AI-generated people, you know, good for humanity? And what about authenticity and transparency and deception, and how are we in building in this space going to avoid some of the problems that we’ve seen with things like social media and other forms of technology? So we keep that very top of mind and we try to build on our own internal values-based system and, you know, continue to elevate and include the humanity as part of the conversation. Ken Suzan: Thank you, Janine. Janine, some argue that AI content pipelines will level the field for filmmaking, giving independent creators access to tools that were once available only to major studios. Is that the future you envision? Jeanine Wright: I do think that with AI you will see an incredible democratization of access to technology and access to these capabilities. So I do think, you know, rise of independent filmmakers, you won’t have as many people who are sitting on a brilliant idea for the next fantastic script or movie that just cannot get it made because they will be able to with these tools, get something made and out there, at least to get the attention of somebody who could then decide that they want to invest in it at a studio kind of level in the future. The other thing that I think is really interesting is that I think, you know, AI will empower more niche content and more creators who can thrive in micro-communities. So it used to be because of this hit generation business model, everything needed to be made for the masses and a lot of content for niche audiences and micro-communities was neglected because there was just no way to make that content commercially viable. But now, if you can leverage AI—we make a pollen report podcast in 300 markets, you know, nobody would have ever made that before, but it is very valuable information, a very valuable piece of content for people who really care about the pollen in their local community. So there’s all sorts of ways that being able to leverage AI is making it more accessible both to the creator and to the audience that is looking for content that truly resonates with them. Ken Suzan: Mark, let’s talk about the legal landscape right now. If someone creates an AI-generated performance that closely resembles a living actor without their consent, what legal recourse does that actor have? Mark Stignani: Well, I mean, I think we can go back to the OpenAI Scarlett Johansson thing where, you know, if it’s simply—well, the “walks like a duck, quacks like a duck” type of aspect there. You know, I think it’s pretty straightforward that they need to walk it back. I mean, the US doesn’t have moral rights, really, but there’s a public visage right, if you will. And so, one of the things that I find predominantly useful here is that these actors likely have rights of publicity there, we probably have a Lanham Act false endorsement claim, and you know, again, if the performance is not parody, and it’s so close to the original performance, we probably have a copyright discussion. But again, all of these laws predate the use of AI, so we’re going to probably see new sets of law. I mean, we’re probably going to see “resurrection” frameworks, we’ll probably have frameworks for synthetic actors and likenesses, but the rules just aren’t there yet. So, unfortunately, your question is largely predictive versus well-settled at this point. Ken Suzan: Janine, your company works with AI actors. How do you navigate the questions of consent and likeness compensation when creating digital performers? Jeanine Wright: I mean, if we—so first of all, if we were to work with a person who is an existing real-life person or was an existing real-life person, then we would work with them to license their name and likeness or their voice or whatever aspects of it we were going to use in creating content in partnership with them. Not typically our business model; we are, as I said, designing all of our personalities from scratch and making all of our content originally. So, we’ve not had to do that historically. Now, you know, the flip side is: can I license my characters as if they’re similar to living characters? Like will I be able to license the name and likeness and voice of my AI-generated personalities? I think the answer is yes and we’re already starting to do that. Ken Suzan: Let’s just switch gears into ethics and AI because I find this to be a really fascinating issue. I want to look at a hypothetical. And this is to both of you, Janine and Mark: an AI system creates a new performance by a beloved actor who passed away decades ago, and the actor’s estate authorizes it, but the actor was known to have expressed opposition to such technology during their lifetime. Is this ethical? Jeanine Wright: This feels like a Gifts, Wills, and Trusts exam question. Ken Suzan: It sounds like it, that’s right. Jeanine Wright: Throwing me back to my law school days. Exactly. What are your thoughts? It’d be interesting to see like who has the rights there. I mean, I think if you have the legal rights, the question is around, you know, is it ethical to go against what you knew was somebody’s wishes at the time? I guess the honest answer is I don’t know. It would depend a lot on the circumstances of the case. I mean, if we were faced with a situation like that where there was a discrepancy, we would probably move away from doing that content out of respect for the deceased and out of a feeling that, you know, if this person felt strongly against it, then it would be less likely that you could make that storytelling exceptional in some way—it would color it in a way that you wouldn’t want in the outcome. And I feel like there’s—I mean, certainly going forward and it’s already happening—there are plenty of people I think who have name, likeness, and voice rights that they are ready to license that wouldn’t have this overhang. Ken Suzan: Mark, your thoughts? Mark Stignani: Yeah, I mean, again, I have to kind of go back to our property law—the Rule Against Perpetuities. You know, from a property standpoint to AI rights and likenesses—since most of the digital replica contracts that I’ve reviewed generally do talk about things in perpetuity. But if it’s not written down for that actor and the estate is doing this—is it ethical? You know, that is the debate. Jeanine Wright: Well, gold star to you, Mark, for bringing up the Rule Against Perpetuities. There’s another one that I haven’t heard for many years. This is really taking me back to my law school days. Ken Suzan: It’s a throwback. Jeanine Wright: The other thing that’s really interesting is that this technology is really so revolutionary and new that it’s hard to even contemplate now what it is going to be in a decade, much less for people who have passed away to have contemplated what the potential for it could be today. So you could have somebody who is, perhaps, a deceased musician who expressed concerns about digital representations of themselves or digital music while they were alive. But now, the possibility is that you could recreate—certainly I could use my technology to recreate—that musician from scratch in a very detailed way, trained on tons of different available data. Not just like a digital twin or a moving image of them, but to really rebuild their personality from scratch, so that they and their music could be reintroduced to totally new generations in a very respectful and authentic way to them. It’s hard to know, with the understanding that that is possible, whether or not somebody who is deceased today would or would not agree to something like that. I mean, many of them might want, under those circumstances, for their music to live on. These deceased actors and musicians could live forever with the power of AI technology. Mark Stignani: Yeah, I really just kind of go to the whole—is deep-faking a famous actor the best way to preserve them or keep them live? Again, that’s a bit more of an ethical question because the deep fakes are getting good enough right now to create huge problems. Even zoom meetings in Hong Kong where a CFO was on a call with five synthetic actors who all looked like his coworkers and they sent a big check out based upon that. So again, the technology is getting good enough to fool people. Jeanine Wright: I think that’s right, Mark, but I guess I would just highlight the same way that it always has been: the ethical line isn’t AI versus human, the ethical line is about deception. Like, are you deceiving people? And if people know what it is that they’re getting and they’re choosing to engage with it, then I think it isn’t about the power of the technology. In our business, we have elected—not everybody has—but we have elected to be AI transparent. So we tell people when they listen to our show, we include it in our show notes, we include it on our socials. Even when we’re designing our characters to be very photo-realistic, we make an extra point to make sure that people know that this is AI-generated content or an AI personality. Like, our intention is not to deceive and to be candid. From a business model perspective, we don’t need to. I mean, there’s already people who know and understand that it is AI, and AI is different than people. Because it is AI, there’s all sorts of things that you can do with it that you would not be able to do with a real person. You know, we get people who ask us on the podcast side, we get all sorts of crazy funny requests. You know, people who say, “Can I text with this personality? Can I talk to them on the phone? Can they help me cook in the kitchen? Can they sing me Happy Birthday? Can they show up at my Zoom meeting today because I think my boss would love it?” You know, all sorts of different ways that people are wanting to engage with these characters. And now we’re in the process of rolling out real-time personalities so people will be able to engage with our personalities live. It is a totally different way that people are able to engage with content, and people can, as they choose, decide what kind of content they want to engage with. Ken Suzan: Jeanine and Mark, we’re coming to the end of this podcast. I would love to keep talking for hours but we have to stay to our timetable here. Last question: five years from now, what percentage of entertainment content do you predict will involve significant AI generation, and will audiences care about that percentage? Jeanine? Jeanine Wright: I mean, I would say 99.9%. I mean, already you’re seeing—I think YouTube did a survey—that it was like 90% of its top creators said that they’re using AI as material components of their content creation process. So, I think this will be the default way that content is created. And content that is not made with AI, you know, there’ll be special film festivals for non-AI generated content, and that will be a special separate thing than the thing that everybody is doing now. Ken Suzan: Mark, your thoughts? Mark Stignani: Yeah, I go a little lower. I mean, I think Jeanine is right that we’re seeing, especially in the low-quality content creation and like the YouTube shorts and things like that, you know, there’s so much AI being pushed forward that the FTC even acquired an “AI slop” title to it. I do think that disclosure will become normalized, that the industries will be pushed to say when something is AI and what is not. And I think it’s very much like, you know, do you care about quality or not? If you value the human input or the human factor in this, there will be an upper tier where it’s “AI-free” or low AI assistant. I think that it’s going to stratify because the stuff coming through the social media platforms right now—I can’t be on it right now just because there’s so much nonsense. Even my children, who are without much AI training at all, find it just too unbelievable for them. So, I think it will become normalized, but I think that we’re going to see a bunch of tiers. Ken Suzan: Well, Jeanine and Mark, this has been a fantastic discussion of an ever-evolving field in IP law. Thank you to both of you for spending time with us today on the IP Friday’s podcast. Jeanine Wright: Thank you so much for having me. Mark Stignani: Appreciate your time. Thank you again.

MONSTER PARTY WANTS YOU TO LAY BACK AND CUDDLE WITH A GOOD FILM. AND YES, WE MEAN THAT LITERALLY. JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, share a banquet of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films that always give them a case of the warm and fuzzies. Get ready to dig in as we present… MONSTER PARTY'S GENRE COMFORT FOOD!!! The film and TV tastes of the various hosts of MONSTER PARTY are as wide-ranging as the colors of the stars in Starcrash! Between the four of us, we go from high brow to low brow, mainstream to B movie, practical effects to CGI (within reason), and any other cool monster kid viewing we can lay our claws on. But there is a very unique class of cinematic serotonin that, during a stressful time or a lazy afternoon, can unfurrow our brows like a wet compress soaked in Romulan Ale. In this intimate and revelatory episode of MONSTER PARTY,  the guys reveal what special films have the ability to calm their nerves like a dog anxiety vest. But don't expect just the usual easy-on-the-system classics like Forbidden Planet or Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Because for some, comfort can come from killer robots, murderous "children," or even some hills that have eyes. And speaking of which, what's the mystery meat in your comfort food? Joining us for this poo-poo platter of pleasing pictures is a guest making his MONSTER PARTY debut. And it's long overdue! He's not only a knowledgeable genre expert, but also the owner of one of the most amazing collectible stores in the country, BLAST FROM THE PAST! Please welcome… LARRY ROSS! Larry is a wonderful guy, and his shop is located at 3117 West Magnolia Blvd in historic Burbank, California. BLAST FROM THE PAST offers a stunning collection of new and vintage toys, comics, statues, movie posters, artwork, books, cosplay items, clothing, cards, and so much more. The store is also known for hosting a regular stand-up comedy show, as well as a challenging horror trivia night that always packs the house! Oh, and the staff is pretty outstanding as well! LISTEN TO MONSTER PARTY'S GENRE COMFORT FOOD! AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE, GO BACK FOR ANOTHER HELPING!  

Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a Game Boy Advance game based off a hybrid live-action/CGI kids television show. Then stick around for Arctic Eggs, a futuristic physics-based frying game! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be STARSEED PILGRIM — a mysteriously minimalistic puzzle-platforming garden experience! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Saddle up your ostrich (or punch it) for a quick and wacky sequel to the sequel to JUMANJI! After the '90s version was dusted off the shelf for the massive hit JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, 2019's THE NEXT LEVEL was rushed into production. Will excessive character swapping, an infusion of stars and a zoo's worth of CGI beasts be enough to make this one work?Plus, thoughts on RELATIONSHIP GOALS, GOOD FORTUNE, HOW TO MAKE A KILLING, NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE, the TOP MODEL docuseries and more!

You can’t revisit the ‘90s without calling Jonathan Lipnicki! Between Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little, he defined two of the most iconic characters of the decade, and now he’s ready to share some memories with Danielle, Will and Rider. Jonathan talks about launching his acting career at just five years old, learning how to read screenplays (while also learning how to read in general) and the lengths he took to protect his valuable face while playing sports in school. And when looking for Tom Cruise, Jonathan does NOT disappoint. I mean, do you even know about the “Tom Cruise cake?” So catch up with the only actor in Hollywood who co-starred with a CGI mouse AND has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - right here on Pod Meets World!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracey and Sally are back from their break and ready to continue forging a path through Hallmark's 2026 Winter Escape series. Tune in to hear our thoughts on books in suitcases and the first CGI moment that Tracey and Sally can actually support!

Send a text In this episode, first time guest Derek Schlender ("Schlender 5 Productions") joins the podcast. He brings along the movie Dragonheart. Marty and Clif give Derek the movie Rollerball to watch.Season 4 kicks off with a guest, and a double feature that couldn't be more different.Marty and Clif are joined by Derek Schlender to break down two films connected by spectacle, ambition, and wildly different results: Dragonheart (1996) and Rollerball (1975).First up is Dragonheart. Rob Cohen's mid-'90s fantasy epic starring Dennis Quaid and featuring Sean Connery as the voice of Draco, the last dragon. The crew digs into peak-'90s CGI, bad medieval wigs and whether nostalgia is the only thing keeping this cult fantasy afloat. Is it a charming kid's adventure? A tonal mess? A necessary stepping stone between Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings? All of the above?Then it's on to Norman Jewison's Rollerball (1975), a dystopian sports thriller about corporate control, violent spectacle, and individualism crushed under the system. What starts as futuristic world-building turns into a surprisingly talky meditation on power, celebrity, and manufactured entertainment. #TalkingPondo #Dragonheart #Rollerball #FilmPodcast #90sMovies #CultCinema #FantasyFilm #DystopianFilm End of show plug by MartySupport the showFind our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-ZeeMaking Pondo on FacebookX (formerly Twitter):@MakingPondoInstagramMaking Pondo on Letterboxd:Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ PacePhotos by Geoffrey Notkin

We kick things off with the star-studded drama Anniversary. This thriller (starring Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler) explores what happens when a family falls apart just as a mysterious new movement sweeps the country. It's tense, emotional, and it definitely made us think twice about our next family reunion!Fun Flix Fact: Despite the heavy on-screen drama, the cast spent their breaks having high-stakes board game tournaments on set. Apparently, Kyle Chandler is a formidable Monopoly player and kept the bank on lockdown between takes!Next, we're hitting the road for Crime 101, the gritty heist thriller that everyone's talking about. It's a high-octane game of cat-and-mouse between a brilliant jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) and a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) along the Pacific Coast Highway.Fun Flix Fact: This film marks a massive on-screen reunion for Hemsworth and Ruffalo. To prepare for their rivalry, they avoided each other on set for the first few weeks of filming to keep their on-screen tension as authentic as possible!If you're a fan of a good fright, you'll love our review of Whistle. When a group of teenagers discovers an ancient, cursed whistle, they inadvertently summon an entity that hunts anyone who hears its call. It's "don't make a sound" taken to a terrifying new level.Fun Flix Fact: Director Corin Hardy is a legend when it comes to practical effects. He insisted that the "Creature" be played by a physical performer in a custom suit rather than using CGI, meaning the terrified reactions from the young cast are often very, very real!For this week's Anniversary Corner, we're hacking into the mainframe to celebrate 25 years of the slick, stylish Swordfish. Starring Halle Berry, John Travolta, and Hugh Jackman, it's the ultimate early-2000s tech-thriller.Fun Flix Fact: The film's incredible opening explosion was filmed using a "bullet-time" rig featuring 135 different cameras. At the time, it was one of the most expensive and complex practical stunts ever choreographed for a film!And if that's not enough entertainment for you, we've even thrown in new trailers to watch and what you can catch on streaming. Press play for the friendliest film discussions this side of Hollywood! It's all the movies you love, the facts you need, and the banter you crave.Don't miss a single review! Hit that Subscribe button, tell a friend, and join The Flixters family!00:00 Intro 2:22 Shoutouts3:37 Movie News7:08 New on Streaming10:58 New Trailers18:11 Anniversary Corner  20:43 Anniversary Review29:03 Crime 101 Review35:00 Whistle Review42:24 OutroThis episode is proudly sponsored by Zencastr. Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

We continue our journey through the James Bond movies with Pierce Brosnan's Die Another Day (2002) — and somehow, this one turns into one of our most unhinged Bond discussions yet.Between invisible cars, face-swapping villains, ice palaces, CGI wave surfing, and peak early-2000s excess, this episode goes completely off the rails. We talk about why Die Another Day feels like both a celebration and a parody of Bond, where it's insanely fun, where it completely loses the plot, and why this might be the most “early 2000s blockbuster” Bond ever made.

A whispered line changed movie history—but why does it still hit so hard? We dive back into The Sixth Sense and trace the artistry that keeps the fear alive: the red visual motif, breath in the cold, long takes that dare you to blink, and a score that hums beneath the skin instead of shouting cues. We talk about the scenes that branded themselves into our memories—the attic closet panic, the kitchen cupboards, the funeral reveal—and why the opening with Vincent Gray still shocks, even when you can recite the twist.What surprised us most on rewatch is how human the film feels. Haley Joel Osment's quiet courage and Toni Collette's raw worry build a story about belief and loneliness more than jump scares. That car confession, the weight of not being heard, and the way small gestures—statues in a church fort, a shopping cart joyride—add warmth to the chill. We also scrutinize what hasn't aged perfectly, from camcorder crowds to an unlikely classroom blowup, and explain why those moments don't dent the film's control of tone.Along the way, we map the red breadcrumbs, unpack practical effects that outclass dated CGI, and compare this twist's elegance to standouts like The Others and Shutter Island. There's rich trivia too: the box office miracle, the near-cut of “I see dead people,” and how they made that breath real. We end where the film does—on empathy—agreeing that you can spoil a reveal, but you can't spoil a story built on compassion. Hit play to relive the chills, catch new details, and tell us the moment that still gives you goosebumps.If you enjoyed this deep dive, follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review—what detail did you spot on your last rewatch? Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

Join Diandre, CJ, and Josh as we rank the 25 WORST Superhero Movies Of All Time in this hilarious and heated episode. We kick things off with a chaotic round of "Lyrically Correct: 80s Edition" before getting straight into the cinematic disasters that comic book fans wish they could forget.The crew holds nothing back as they roast the biggest flops in history. We break down the disappointment of the Galactus cloud in *Rise of the Silver Surfer*, the controversial CGI in *The Flash*, and the absolute betrayal of *Dragonball Evolution*. The debate gets intense over the fake Mandarin twist in *Iron Man 3*, the "Bat-nipples" in *Batman & Robin*, and the wasted potential of *X-Men Apocalypse*. From Shaq's performance in *Steel* to the confusing plot of *Glass* and the musical elements of *Joker 2*, we cover every cringeworthy moment. Tune in to see which movie earns the shameful title of the number one worst superhero film ever made.#morbiusreview #badcomicmovies #batmanandrobin #dcmoviefails #marveldcflopsCHAPTERS:00:00 - Podcast Intro & Welcome0:22 - Lyrically Correct Game Segment4:19 - Ranking Worst Superhero Movies9:58 - X-Men Apocalypse Movie Review10:47 - Iron Man 3 Critique14:28 - Spider-Man 3 Disappointment15:28 - Howard the Duck (1986)17:05 - Shaq's Steel Movie Review17:55 - Venom Let There Be Carnage19:16 - Batman and Robin (1997)21:35 - TMNT 3 Movie Review22:18 - Morbius Marvel Movie Critique23:51 - Jonah Hex DC Movie25:20 - Thor The Dark World Review28:55 - Turbo A Power Rangers Movie35:45 - Ben Affleck Daredevil Movie39:45 - Joker Folie à Deux Discussion42:20 - Fantastic Four (2015) Review45:35 - Elektra Marvel Movie Review49:00 - M. Night Shyamalan Glass53:06 - Wonder Woman 1984 Critique56:44 - Worst Superhero Movie #158:27 - Worst Superhero Movie #21:00:18 - Worst Superhero Movie #31:02:50 - Recap and Future Episodes1:04:10 - Final Thoughts and Goodbyes1:05:14 - Shili E Segment1:05:30 - Thank You to Listeners1:05:46 - Upcoming Podcast Episodes1:06:00 - Podcast Outro

BAFTA-winning filmmaker Bart Layton (The Imposter, American Animals) joins Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir to discuss his massive new crime thriller, Crime 101 (2026). In this deep-dive interview, Bart reveals how he assembled a powerhouse cast including Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, and Barry Keoghan. We discuss his process for adapting Don Winslow's novella, why he prefers 'character-driven tension' over CGI spectacle, and the technical challenges of filming high-speed car chases on the L.A. freeways.Whether you're a fan of Michael Mann-style thrillers or looking to learn how to bridge the gap between documentary and fiction, this is a masterclass you cannot miss. FOOD FOR THOUGHT documentary out NOW | Watch it FREE HERE. A documentary exploring the rapid growth and uptake of the veganlifestyle around the world. – And if you enjoyed the film, please take amoment to share & rate it on your favourite platforms. Every review& every comment helps us share the film's important message withmore people. Your support makes a difference! Help us out and Subscribe, listen and review us on iTunes, Spotify,or wherever you get your podcasts but more importantly, tell your pals about this podcast. Thank you! PODCAST MERCH Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, on-set water bottles, mugs and more MERCH. https://my-store-11604768.creator-spring.com/   COURSES Want to learn how to finish your film? Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE https://cuttingroom.info/post-production-demystified/   PATREON Big thank you to: Serena Gardner Mark Hammett Lee Hutchings Marli J Monroe Karen Newman Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on filmmaking? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides, and feedback on your film projects!   SUPPORT THE PODCAST Check out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com   CREDITS The Filmmakers Podcast is written and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson Edited by @tobiasvees Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative  Theme Music by John J. Harvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a brief hiatus, the boys are back!With Midjourney v8 expected next week, Drew and Rory zoom out and ask the bigger question: does v8 even matter as much as we think?Because while everyone waits for v8, Kling 3.0 and Seedance 2.0 are raising the bar, Claude Code and Claude Cowork are quietly changing how builders operate, and Claude Agents are turning workflows into autonomous systems.Meanwhile, Higgsfield is melting down in public, Hollywood is panick-maxxing, and creators are realizing that building “skills” inside LLMs might matter more than generating prettier images.This episode breaks down:• Why Midjourney v8's native 2K and edit models matter• Why personalization could be the real differentiator• How Claude Code is quietly enabling operator-level leverage• Why skill-building beats agent hype• What Kling 3.0 and Seedance 2.0 signal about video AI• The real lesson behind Higgsfield's fallout• Why the creative skill gap is widening right nowThis episode moves from Midjourney roadmap analysis to AI workflow engineering to business survival strategy.If you care about Midjourney v8, Claude Agents, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, system prompts, autonomous workflows, or where creative leverage is actually going…This one isn't optional.---⏱️ Midjourney Fast Hour00:00 – Winter chaos & NYC survival03:59 – AI's quantum leap moment06:51 – Radio vs podcasts analogy08:55 – AI series vs Hollywood model10:59 – Game of Thrones AI sequel14:14 – CGI patchwork & filmmaking16:14 – AI replacing exec decisions18:03 – Seedance & model hype19:48 – Midjourney v8 timeline20:15 – Rating party (Round 2 + beyond)23:18 – 2K native resolution talk24:26 – Batch-four replacement25:48 – Edit model improvements26:14 – v8 text rendering progress27:03 – Arbitrary resolution support29:06 – Personalization in v830:36 – Mood boards as leverage32:18 – AI overwhelm & X fatigue34:12 – Claude agents & automation36:04 – “Something is happening”39:45 – AI skill-building strategy45:47 – Pattern matching workflows48:54 – Silicon Valley middle-out50:24 – Claude comedy experiment53:24 – Word clouds & ad thinking55:14 – Hollywood recycling IP58:41 – Marketing narrative engine01:03:57 – Higgsfield controversy01:11:36 – Final thoughts & sign-off

The game is afoot as we rush into this weeks episode as Darren tries very very hard to convince us all he went to see The Housemaid for the plot (he also reads Playboy for the articles) while Lee watches Predator: Badlands, Crime 101 aka Timu Heat and in a moment of blind Valentines day induced terror and panic tries to make a Victoria sponge while missing ingredents, equipment and basic skills... After which icing sugar based disasters leads us on to this weeks film...  A ground breaking moment in CGi history and a painfully 80s movie, the guys don their deer stalkers and stride off down the dark Victorian streets to learn about Young Sherlock Holmes. Media Discussed This Week Crime 101 - Theatrical Release The Housemaid - Theatrical Release (also abandoned in the bushes next to readers wives circa 1989) Predator Badlands - Disney+ Skyrim - PC, Xbox, Playstation, Switch, Digital Watch, Fridge Thermostat Young Sherlock Holmes - VOD rental (YouTube, Apple+, Amazon Prime, Paramount+)  

This week on The VHS Strikes Back, we dive into Erotic Ghost Story (1990), chosen by friend of the show John Hammond — a man clearly unafraid of wandering into the “back shelf” section of the video rental store. Directed by Lam Ngai Kai during the golden age of Hong Kong Category III cinema, this supernatural fantasy blends martial arts, folklore, horror and soft-focus seduction into one uniquely 90s experience.Released at a time when Hong Kong cinema was pushing boundaries with stylised ghost stories and adult-themed genre hybrids, Erotic Ghost Story arrived as part of a wave inspired by the success of films like A Chinese Ghost Story. With elaborate costumes, theatrical lighting, wire-work action and unapologetic late-night cable energy, this is exactly the kind of film you'd discover at 11:47pm with the volume turned suspiciously low. It's mystical. It's chaotic. It's extremely 1990.Trailer Guy Plot SummaryIn a world… where fox spirits walk among us…Three beautiful spirits descend from the mountains with one mission: to experience mortal life. But when a power-hungry sorcerer discovers their presence, desire turns to danger… and temptation awakens forces beyond control.Magic will clash. Loyalties will be tested. Floorboards will creak ominously.This summer… seduction has a supernatural side.Erotic Ghost Story.You were watching it for the kung fu.Fun FactsErotic Ghost Story was released in 1990 during the boom of Hong Kong Category III cinema, the local rating equivalent of adults-only material.The film blends Chinese folklore about fox spirits (huli jing) with martial arts choreography and supernatural horror.Director Lam Ngai Kai became known for stylised fantasy films that leaned heavily into theatrical lighting and elaborate costume design.The movie was part of a wave of sensual supernatural films following the commercial success of romantic fantasy ghost stories in late-80s Hong Kong cinema.Practical wire-work and in-camera effects were used for levitation and fight sequences — no CGI safety net here.The English export title was intentionally provocative to help the film stand out in international VHS markets.Category III films often relied on strong box office from late-night screenings and overseas rental sales.The combination of eroticism and traditional mythology made the film controversial but commercially viable at the time.The film developed a cult following among collectors of 90s Hong Kong fantasy cinema.Its blend of supernatural themes and martial arts action makes it a frequent inclusion in “so-bad-it's-fascinating” VHS-era discussions.Support the ShowIf you enjoy the show and would like to support us, we have a Patreon ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.If you're listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leaving us a 5-star review (and a short comment) really helps more people discover the show. It's quick, free, and makes a huge difference.Referral links also help out the show if you were going to sign up:⁠⁠⁠NordVPN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NordPass⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

All right, you nerds - step into the dripping, wet Deep Dark Lounge, grab a drink and listen to our chat about 1983's "The Deadly Spawn".  This episode is for folks who can enjoy a movie shot on 16mm film, made largely by amateurs on a $25,000 budget in the pre-CGI age, chock-full of fake blood and surprisingly good creature design and practical effects.

Friday means 5-Star Movie Reviews with Andy Peth, and this week delivers a bold triple feature that spans dystopian AI, zombie horror, and anime-inspired revenge. Andy opens with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, a bizarre, near-future warning about artificial intelligence run amok. While Andy praises Sam Rockwell's brilliant, manic performance and stunning CGI payoff, he doesn't hold back on calling out its flaws. Next up is Cold Storage, where a space fungus turns humans into zombies. Andy highlights solid pacing, fun gross-out effects, and a reliable action turn from Liam Neeson, but Andy can't give it 5 stars. Find out why. The hour wraps with Scarlet, a visually striking anime reimagining of Hamlet featuring a warrior princess caught between vengeance and forgiveness. Andy applauds the epic scale, villain, and emotional weight, but criticizes its heavy-handed pacifist messaging and talky middle. This film will spark debates long after the credits have rolled. The result? Which one, if any are worth your time? Andy breaks it all down. Movie Review Timestamps * 13:35 — Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die * 25:56 — Cold Storage * 37:36 — Scarlet HOUR 2 Hour 2 opens with sharp energy as John, Andy, and Richard dive into what went wrong with a Super Bowl that felt more flat than fierce. Was it elite defense—or just an uncompetitive mismatch? And can one brutal game permanently rattle a young quarterback? From there, the conversation pivots into pop culture, Super Bowl commercials, and the bigger question: why does Hollywood feel so uninspired right now? Where did the great romantic comedies go? Why do movies feel longer, heavier, and less fun? Andy argues that weak writing, preachy messaging, and the disappearance of true comedy are draining entertainment of its joy. Then the mood flips. The crew launches into a Valentine's-themed love-song segment packed with movie memories, nostalgia, listener calls, and playful banter. Which songs still hit emotionally? Which movies defined romance for an entire generation? And can classic storytelling—whether in music or film—still connect when modern Hollywood seems to miss the mark? It's funny, opinionated, nostalgic, and unexpectedly revealing. One hour, big questions—about sports, culture, creativity, and what we've lost along the way.

Friday means 5-Star Movie Reviews with Andy Peth, and this week delivers a bold triple feature that spans dystopian AI, zombie horror, and anime-inspired revenge. Andy opens with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, a bizarre, near-future warning about artificial intelligence run amok. While Andy praises Sam Rockwell's brilliant, manic performance and stunning CGI payoff, he doesn't hold back on calling out its flaws. Next up is Cold Storage, where a space fungus turns humans into zombies. Andy highlights solid pacing, fun gross-out effects, and a reliable action turn from Liam Neeson, but Andy can't give it 5 stars. Find out why. The hour wraps with Scarlet, a visually striking anime reimagining of Hamlet featuring a warrior princess caught between vengeance and forgiveness. Andy applauds the epic scale, villain, and emotional weight, but criticizes its heavy-handed pacifist messaging and talky middle. This film will spark debates long after the credits have rolled. The result? Which one, if any are worth your time? Andy breaks it all down. Movie Review Timestamps * 13:35 — Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die * 25:56 — Cold Storage * 37:36 — Scarlet HOUR 2 Hour 2 opens with sharp energy as John, Andy, and Richard dive into what went wrong with a Super Bowl that felt more flat than fierce. Was it elite defense—or just an uncompetitive mismatch? And can one brutal game permanently rattle a young quarterback? From there, the conversation pivots into pop culture, Super Bowl commercials, and the bigger question: why does Hollywood feel so uninspired right now? Where did the great romantic comedies go? Why do movies feel longer, heavier, and less fun? Andy argues that weak writing, preachy messaging, and the disappearance of true comedy are draining entertainment of its joy. Then the mood flips. The crew launches into a Valentine's-themed love-song segment packed with movie memories, nostalgia, listener calls, and playful banter. Which songs still hit emotionally? Which movies defined romance for an entire generation? And can classic storytelling—whether in music or film—still connect when modern Hollywood seems to miss the mark? It's funny, opinionated, nostalgic, and unexpectedly revealing. One hour, big questions—about sports, culture, creativity, and what we've lost along the way.

Sushi dinners with Rachel McAdams on a tropical island? That sounds like heaven to us, so we're not sure what Dylan O'Brien is complaining about in Sam Raimi's new horror comedy, Send Help (2026). On our latest Spooky Tuesday, we're getting to the bottom of it, though, as we revisit our Survivor days, push Teen Wolf on Monica, and break down all that CGI gore. Whether you saw this flick in 4DX 3D or just regular stylez sans piped-in tuna smell, there's no denying that it makes for a fun ride, so join us as we hop on a plane and head out to sea to get our hands dirty.References:Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, and Sam Raimi Break Down a Survival Scene from 'Send Help'Sam Raimi Gushes About How Stephen King Gave Him His First Chance In The Film BusinessSam Raimi On Putting Rachel McAdams And Dylan O'Brien In Brutal Scenarios For 'Send Help'Dylan O'Brien Goes ROGUE Interviewing Send Help Co-Star Rachel McAdamsMean Girls "One Way or Another"Rugrats The Movie (2000) - One Way Or Another

Can spectacle replace substance? Jeff Haecker, Patrick Mason, and Rob Leonardi weigh Thorin's fall and redemption, Bilbo's brave choice with the Arkenstone, and a battle bursting with CGI. Does The Battle of the Five Armies honor Tolkien—or bury his themes beneath excess? The post The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies appeared first on StarQuest Media.

The icy blast of Hoth hits The Commentary Booth as Jamie Apps and Corrina Mabey continue their epic 50th Anniversary Star Wars rewatch with the legendary Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, which is often hailed as the greatest sequel of all time!In this packed episode, Jamie and Corrina dive into the darker, deeper chapter of the saga. They discuss the film's chilling opening on the ice planet, Luke's transformative training with the wise (and mischievous) Yoda, and the game-changing introduction of Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett. Get ready for deep dives into iconic moments like Han Solo's daring Tauntaun rescue to the most famous (and most misquoted) line in cinematic history: “No, I am your father.”The hosts debate the impact of the 2004 CGI alterations, share fascinating behind-the-scenes trivia (like how George Lucas self-financed the film), and unpack the complex character growth of Luke, Han, and Leia. They also reveal their personal ratings and debate where this classic ranks in the original trilogy.Highlights Breakdown:

Brenna and Joe return for week two of our discussion on Percy Jackson's second adventure, with a look at the 2013 film Sea of Monsters.Armed with a new director (Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Thor Freudenthal) and a mostly new adult cast, the film makes the odd decision to change a million little elements from the book.Plus: pitch perfect roles for Nathan Fillion and Stanley Tucci; Logan Lerman's snoozy performance as the titular character; too many fleece resurrections; and discussion of the CGI cyclops eyeballWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Design is about more than just how something looks—it's about how it works for the people using it. On this episode of On Brand, I'm joined by Lee Hoddy, Executive Creative Director at Conran Design Group, to discuss how experience-led design can solve complex brand problems. We'll dive into how he leads multi-disciplinary teams to create meaningful work for global names like Sofitel and AstraZeneca, and why every great brand starts with a deep understanding of human needs, wants, and motivations. What You'll Learn in This Episode - How to map emotional friction points to find the gold in a brand experience - Why the pursuit of human endeavor is the key to branding functional industries like pharma - The reason storytelling acts as a sticky DNA thread across physical and digital touchpoints - How to conduct a multidisciplinary orchestra by surfacing the ambition in every brief - Why original ideas are the only way to escape the sea of sameness in an AI-driven world Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:22) Getting to the heart of human motivations (02:43) Mapping emotional micro-moments (04:54) Humanizing corporate and functional brands (06:39) Using storytelling as a brand DNA thread (10:53) Leading multidisciplinary creative teams (14:35) Creating the Brief 2.0 (17:31) AI and the currency of original ideas (24:14) A brand that made him smile (27:41) Outro About Lee Hoddy Lee Hoddy is the Executive Creative Director at Conran Design Group, where he is responsible for maintaining creative standards and solving brand problems through experience-led design. With a career spanning decades, Lee has lived through major industry shifts, enabling him to lead diverse teams of designers, strategists, and experience experts like a conducted orchestra. He has spearheaded major rebranding programs for global names such as Sofitel, AstraZeneca, and Bicester Motion, always focusing on the deep understanding of human needs to create meaningful, strategically grounded work. What Brand Has Made Lee Smile Recently? Lee recently found joy in the "Venture Beyond" campaign by Hermes, noting its use of evocative illustrations and artisanal craft that respects the audience's intelligence. He also highlighted Apple's "Critter Carol" for its charming, deeply human approach to technology, using puppets and physical craft rather than CGI to celebrate creativity. Resources & Links Check out the Conrad Design Group website. Connect with Lee on LinkedIn. 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. Until next week, I'll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are continuing Black History Month with the film that kick-started the success of Marvel movies in the box office! BLADE (1998) - Wesley Snipes, in a trench coat, killing vampires + 90's fashion (& CGI, lol) = LET'S GOOOO!The VIDEO versions of our episodes can be found on our YouTube - New episodes go up every Monday at Noon Eastern!https://www.youtube.com/@ChainsawGirlsPodYou can support us on our PATREON and receive early, bonus, and extended episodes! (& more!)https://www.patreon.com/chainsawgirlspodWe have our very first Chainsaw Girls t-shirt available!! Click here to get yours!Follow us on our socials!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chainsawgirlspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chainsawgirlspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send a textWhat happens when a beloved pro-am trades its soul for a signature purse? We unpack Pebble Beach's $20M pivot—fewer celebrity swings, more surgical golf—and the ripple effects on how fans connect with the sport. The charm of mis-hits and Bill Murray lore gives way to Sunday fireworks as Scotty Scheffler drops three eagles and Colin Morikawa turns a 20‑minute fairway wait into a stone-cold birdie to win. It's elite theater, but at a cost: the human texture that once made Pebble feel like a shared secret.From there we head to the WM Phoenix Open, where golf's loudest hole thrives on vision, not accident. We break down how WM's rebrand, zero‑waste engineering, and stadium swagger converted a Tiger‑sparked moment into a sustainability lab with half a million attendees as co‑authors. Love the noise or loathe it, the model blends purpose and party in a way the rest of sports keeps trying to copy.We also zoom out to the stories TV tries to force and the ones that earn the frame: Koepka's shadow versus Scheffler's grind, Hideki's late wobble, and why cameras should follow form over fame. Then it's Super Bowl ad psychology, a CGI bear that sticks in your head, halftime culture flashpoints, and the media incentives that keep outrage on a loop. Finally, we look at Olympic calculus through Eileen Gu's choice and celebrate the universal rhythm of fall, rehab, return—the reason moguls, downhill, and even curling keep pulling us back.If you love golf's edge, sports as spectacle, and the real decisions behind the headlines, you'll feel right at home here. Tap play, subscribe for more sharp takes across golf and culture, and tell us: do you miss the pro‑am magic, or is the new Pebble exactly what you want on Sundays?Spotify Apple podcastsAmazon Music all other streaming services

It's the third week of Shitty Remake Month on The Blind Rage Podcast and we're dragging our nails across the chalkboard of horror history with CARRIE (2013), a remake so limp it feels like it was assembled from the rejected scraps of half a dozen teen dramas. Somehow the filmmakers took the volcanic fury of the 1976 original and turned it into a mopey after school special with telekinesis sprinkled on top like sad glitter. The performances drift between robotic and melodramatic, the script stumbles through every beat with the grace of a dropped cafeteria tray, and the so called modernization lands with all the impact of a damp sponge. Even the infamous finale, once a towering moment of terror, fizzles into a CGI laden shrug. The Blind Rage Podcast walks through the rubble of this disasterpiece, picking apart the hollow characterizations, the misguided attempts at edgy relevance, and the baffling creative choices that drain the story of every drop of menace. It is a remake that somehow manages to feel both overproduced and undercooked, leaving behind a perfectly shaped example of how not to revisit a classic.

Welcome to Starfleet Academy, students, we hope you survive the experience!It's the grimdark future of the 32nd century and a bunch of weird, traumatised kids are stuck together having to learn and grow into Starfleet officers! Will the main character be too annoying a main character? How many The O.C. references will Charlie make? How much will Miles lust after an espresso machine? And how delightful are those teachers?Kids These Days brings Holly Hunter and her wayward ward into the orbit of Starfleet Academy, along with Paul Giamatti who Paul Giamattis the hell out of his role. Beta Test gets into some proper Star Trek content: Meetings! Peace talks! Also some teen drama and shonky CGI whales.00:01:56 What Non-Star Trek Thing We've Been Enjoying: Detectorists, Plur1bus00:08:29 Starfleet Academy “Kids These Days”00:52:31 Starfleet Academy “Beta Test”Talking points include: The OC, Blake's 7, Detectorists, Toby Jones would have made a good MODOK, Plur1bus (which is not Polybius), Charlie's lawn is no longer Area X, credit to rexedge.bsky.social for pointing out that Fate of Ophelia would work great in Simlish, The Stranger Things, 80's nostalgia, Rimmer-ness, the wall of references, Paris Gellar, the secret other member of the Gellar family in Friends, Brit Marling's science fiction oeuvre, teen drama ball cancer plots, Charlie would never make it as a barista, psychics who psychic a bit too much, bros, Miles lusts after an espresso machine, the works of Brian David Gilbert, Heated Rivalry, . Oh, and occasionally Star Trek.Casual Trek is by Charlie Etheridge-Nunn and Miles Reid-LobattoMusic by Alfred Etheridge-NunnCasual Trek is a part of the Nerd & Tie Networkhttps://ko-fi.com/casualtrekMiles' blog: http://www.mareidlobatto.wordpress.com Charlie's blog: http://www.fakedtales.com

Welcome to Starfleet Academy, students, we hope you survive the experience! It's the grimdark future of the 32nd century and a bunch of weird, traumatised kids are stuck together having to learn and grow into Starfleet officers! Will the main character be too annoying a main character? How many The O.C. references will Charlie make? How much will Miles lust after an espresso machine? And how delightful are those teachers? Kids These Days brings Holly Hunter and her wayward ward into the orbit of Starfleet Academy, along with Paul Giamatti who Paul Giamattis the hell out of his role. Beta Test gets into some proper Star Trek content: Meetings! Peace talks! Also some teen drama and shonky CGI whales. Timecodes: 00:01:56 What Non-Star Trek Thing We've Been Enjoying: Detectorists, Plur1bus 00:08:29 Starfleet Academy “Kids These Days” 00:52:31 Starfleet Academy “Beta Test” Talking points include: The OC, Blake's 7, Detectorists, Toby Jones would have made a good MODOK, Plur1bus (which is not Polybius), Charlie's lawn is no longer Area X, credit to rexedge.bsky.social for pointing out that Fate of Ophelia would work great in Simlish, The Stranger Things, 80's nostalgia, Rimmer-ness, the wall of references, Paris Gellar, the secret other member of the Gellar family in Friends, Brit Marling's science fiction oeuvre, teen drama ball cancer plots, Charlie would never make it as a barista, psychics who psychic a bit too much, bros, Miles lusts after an espresso machine, the works of Brian David Gilbert, Heated Rivalry, . Oh, and occasionally Star Trek. [ Additional Show Notes ] Music by Alfred Etheridge-Nunn. Read Miles's blog or Charlie's blog. [ Support this show on Ko-fi ] Subscribe to this Podcast: Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidRSSThe post 90. Welcome to Starfleet Academy, B****! first appeared on Nerd & Tie Network.

We love our gadgets, our high-frame-rate gaming, and our crystal-clear Discord calls—but how often do we look under the hood to see who wrote the code? In Episode 139, the Black Nerd Podcast is geek-diving into the "Source Code" of modern life. We're counting down the Top 10 Nerdiest Tech Creations from Black Inventors. This isn't your average history lesson. We're talking about the high-level engineering, mathematical modeling, and "mad scientist" energy that gave us everything from the interchangeable video game cartridge to the 3D holographic tech being used in NASA labs today. If you've ever called yourself a gamer, a coder, or a tech-head, this episode is a tribute to the pioneers who built the playground we play in every single day.Open show: Join Our Patreon: http://patreon.com/vvclifeGrab Some Gear: http://vvcmerch.comGeneral TalkWeekly Recap Sign Up For PatreonBaldur's Gate 3 Session 20 at 8pm!Monday Night Co Op “Green Hell!!The Precious: JS-1: https://amzn.to/3MGQYJHFame: https://a.co/d/02DawUMpJaelyn: https://www.chessnutech.com/collections/robotic-chessboard/products/chessnut-move-advanced-robotic-chessboard-with-plastic-piecesSloan: Commercial #1Main Topic: Key Discussion PointsThe Gaming Genesis: How Jerry Lawson saved us from being stuck with just Pong forever.CGI & Dinosaurs: The "Geometry Engine" that made Jurassic Park possible and changed cinema history.The Math of the Map: Why Gladys West is the reason you never actually get lost (even when your GPS tells you to turn left into a lake).The Lonnie Johnson Paradox: How one man mastered both the Stealth Bomber and the Super Soaker.Riddle Me this: Commercial: #2Games:Project WindlessLeatherfallThe House Always WinsThe Worlds Most Chaoctic TerminalNews: DC/ Marvel Releases of this year.China's new A.I. Generator?TMNT Pizza Store's?Soda Machine DataWhere does time come from?Stolen TV?Comic Of The week:Instagram:  http://instagram.com/blacknerdpodcast  facebook:   http://facebook.com/blacknerdpodcastReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/blacknerdgang/s/uftLsO0Ad9website: http://blacknerdpodcast.comhttp://twitter.com/vvcradio   http://instagram.com/js1thasupplier  http://instagram.com/fameplanbhttp://instagram.com/jaelynaleisehttp://instagram.com/sloan_tempest

Jose (Cupcake) and Mike (TheWildaBeast) go full spoiler on Luc Besson's Dracula (2025) — also known overseas as Dracula: A Love Tale — and buckle up, because this movie is a LOT. In this breakdown episode (156b), they tear into everything: the shameless Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Coppola rip-offs, the cologne-fueled nun-feeding frenzy, kung fu gargoyles doing Black Widow throws, a Zoom-background ballroom dance sequence, the "cocaine bride," and an ending that may or may not set up a sequel nobody asked for. Is it a trainwreck? Absolutely. Is it entertaining? Somehow, yes. This is the ultimate "so bad it's good" group watch — think Hammer Horror meets Tim Burton meets Beauty and the Beast on a bad CGI budget. Don't miss the spoiler-free Episode 156a if you haven't seen the film yet. Like, subscribe, and drop your hot takes in the comments!Link to the previous Episode 156: Luc Besson's Dracula spoiler Free: https://youtu.be/CyIhL4xQYGE - - - - - - - - - -WE ARE WATCH SKIP PLUS!FOLLOW/LIKE/SUBSCRIBE/REVIEW/LOVEEmail us: WatchSkipPlus@gmail.com#Dracula2025 #LucBesson #DraculaReview #MovieReview #SpoilerReview #HorrorMovies #VampireMovie #MovieBreakdown #SoBadItsGood #MoviePodcast #FilmReview2025 #NewMovies2025 #HorrorReview #ChristophWaltz #GothicHorror #CultClassic #WatchSkipPlus #MovieTalk #FilmCommunity #PodcastClips #WeirdMovies #CampyHorror #DraculaALoveTale #BramStoker

It's the end of an era this week, as we close the book on our Valentine's Day tradition. We say goodbye to Bella, Edward, and Jacob, as we watch The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. Join us as we discuss how little Dan retains of these films, the crazy CGI decisions made for Renesmee, and talk about the wild ending. We close out the episode by with a Blind Ranking of classic Rom Coms, just in time for Valentine's Day. Find us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads @TCTAMPod and on TikTok @theycalledthisamovie.Our theme music was written and performed by Dave Katusa. He can be found on Instagram @dkat_productions.

POP 3:Salley Carson says Nick Viall and Natalie Joy privately apologized to Austen Kroll after his tense appearance on The Viall Files, but she believes a public apology is still warranted. The FBI has released surveillance images in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, showing a masked individual outside her Tucson home; a person was detained and released as Savannah Guthrie and her family continue pleading for answers. And in MomTok chaos, Layla Taylor and Mason McWhorter's breakup has already shifted from “no bad blood” to public shade in true TikTok fashion.DEEP DIVE:The Super Bowl reaction somehow became more dramatic than the game itself, so we're unpacking the outrage over Bad Bunny's halftime show, the Facebook think pieces, and why not everything has to be personally curated to your taste. Which brings us directly to Jill Zarin. After posting her own controversial halftime rant, Jill was reportedly fired from E!'s upcoming The Golden Life before it even began filming, and we break down what she said, why the cast had allegedly been warned about controversy, her response after being dropped, and how this feels eerily similar to past contract drama that stalled RHONY Legacy. Plus Andy Cohen's very pointed “Call E!” response.FINAL THOUGHTS:First look at The Bachelorette starring Taylor Frankie Paul! The Barbie box imagery, the MomTok scandal references, the Crocs reveal, the CGI debate, and how this promo stacks up against past leads like Tayshia and Hannah Brown.JOIN THE PATREON: www.patreon.com/MorgansPopTalksYou'll get early & ad-free episodes of Morgan's Pop Talks plus a bonus, longer podcast episode where we talk all things reality TV in one place. Think full episode recaps, breaking news, deeper context, and more unfiltered commentary on everything happening across Bravo, Bachelor Nation, and the wider entertainment world.

What’s that smell? It’s time to sift through the Worst Horror Movies of 2025! Here come the stinkers! It’s time to discuss the Worst Horror movies of 2025. Of course, just like our favorites, our disappointments are highly subjective. You may be surprised to discover that some of the movies we didn’t enjoy have received plaudits from other critics. We have some fun internal disagreements, for sure. We know you love hearing us throw shade on movies. Enjoy the hot takes! This year, we have big hits, well-established franchises, underdeveloped indie films, and even a book. (From Liz, of course.) We watched a record number of films this year, with Eric seeing over 100 and Heather more than 150. So, we have a good sample size to pick from. Also, remember that this subjective list may include movies we had high hopes for and were disappointed to see fall well short of expectations. And then, of course, there are the movies that you watch because of boredom on a Saturday night, and rent a free campy movie, and it really stinks. I regret to say that it happened to me often this year. Hey, it was free! I have a full roster of the movies I saw in 2025 on my favorites list. By the way, if you haven’t listened to our best of 2025 episode, you can listen to it HERE. And remember, most of us thought it was a very good year for horror, so these are the outliers. Some of our opinionated themes this year: Mike: Big directors who should know better, and gave us unlikable characters.Liz: Turned off more movies than she can count this year. Got burned at the festivals.Eric: After watching a record number of horror movies in a year… plot still matters. Here’s our Podcast for the Worst Horror Movies of 2025: Episode 208 If you watch any of these films, you’ve been warned! If you disagree with us, by all means, let us know. Trolls are welcome! (Ahem) Spoiler Alert: Here are our selections Bonus: Here are some other terrible titles that you should avoid if you are browsing through your free Tubi, Netflix, or Amazon choices: (Eric’s list) Version 1.0.0 If you feel like you need to watch a Mickey Mouse Horror, watch Mouseboat Massacre instead. It’s not great, but better than the crap that is Mickey’s Mousetrap. For the better Popeye horror, watch Popeye the Slayer Man instead, which makes a whole lot more sense… even if the Popeye in Popeye’s revenge looks better. A Breed Apart is some of the worst digital animation you will see; it looks like CGI from the 90s. It might qualify as so bad it’s good, but I dunno. MAR.IA isn’t nearly as sexy as the cover suggests. Stay away!

We're going full spoiler mode.

Wonder Man is the rare MCU project that feels like it was written by people who actually understand character, comedy, and theme. It succeeds without leaning on CGI sludge, multiverse homework, or the usual “you must watch 14 other things first” burden. In this episode of Nerd Legion, we break down why Wonder Man works: it's an acting-first show disguised as superhero IP, a behind-the-scenes Hollywood comedy-drama with sharp writing, real performances, and surprisingly thoughtful commentary on craft, ego, and the machine that manufactures “content.” We talk about how the series uses its Marvel connections sparingly (and intelligently), why Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery is the perfect meta-vehicle for the premise, and how Yahya Abdul-Mateen II pulls off the insanely difficult task of playing an actor who has to be convincingly bad at acting, while still being excellent. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stuart Ortiz is a film director, writer, producer and one of the founding members of The Vicious Brothers, the filmmaking duo behind Grave Encounters 1 and 2.Stuart's most recent feature is Strange Harvest, a true-crime–styled, found footage film he wrote and directed.Strange harvest is a serial-killer faux documentary that effectively weaponizes the aesthetics of Netflix true-crime docs by luring you into a false reality with a familiar documentary style then turning up the horror with deeply unsettling imagery that looks and most importantly, feels very real.It's certainly one of the most unflinching and innovative found footage movies in recent years and has earned plenty of special praise for its naturalistic performances, grisly practical effects and overall dread.In this conversation, Stuart and I get into his career history, the making of Strange Harvest and how to execute modern found footage with high impact and a low budget, on today's episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show.Without further ado, here is Strange Harvest Director, Stuart Ortiz.Key TakeawaysEmbrace CGI strategically as a problem solver. A lot of purist horror cinephiles grumble at the use of CGI, and I agree that it shouldn't be overused—but it also shouldn't be avoided, because it can solve colossal problems. The pool scene is a perfect case study: filling an Olympic-sized pool would have required roughly 35,000 gallons of water, which was both budget-killing and ethically questionable during a drought. Instead, Stuart used VFX to build the water and environment, and it wasn't even all that expensive. Use CGI where it's the cleanest solution to a real-world constraint, and save practical effects for what sells the tactile reality.Indie budgeting is often about where you don't spend. Stuart minimized spending on a large crew, expensive cameras, and elaborate lighting because the format called for rough, archival-style imagery and on-the-fly filmmaking. Instead, he spent heavily where failure would be fatal: special FX makeup, which made up about 15–20% of the budget. He knew horror audiences would be especially scrutinizing when it came to effects (and he was right), so he spent disproportionately in that area—and it clearly paid off. Budgeting a movie can be complicated, but Strange Harvest proves that it's important to spend where you'll get the highest return on your investment.Wear more hats than you're used to. Stuart states that it's unrealistic for directors to “just” direct nowadays, especially on micro-budgets. Strange Harvest exists largely because Stuart didn't just direct—he also wrote, edited, and produced the film. On top of that, much of the crew wore multiple hats across the board, which is ultimately how the movie was able to get made. It may not be glamorous, but it's how movies actually get finished.Show NotesMovies and Shows MentionedStrange HarvestGrave EncountersLake MungoThe Poughkeepsie TapesTiger KingThe Blair Witch ProjectGhostbustersGhostbusters 2

Gemini Man—directed by two-time Best Director winner Ang Lee—is a misguided exercise. Filmed in a format almost no theaters could play, Lee's insistence on pushing the technological bounds of cinema did little to help the movie. Instead of revving up the frames per second, Lee would've been better served to revise the script. Full of cliches and tropes, Gemini Man feels like a the retread of a film from the 90s. Considering it came out in 2019, that is not a compliment. Critics were not kind to its plot or the excruciating fully digital version of Will Smith. Turns out the higher the definition, the creepier it looks. Now, sit back, fight back the CGI tears with a Wrenovation IPA from Wren House Brewing, and don't donate your DNA to Clay Varris! The Thunderous Wizard, Chumpzilla, and Bling Blake are planning to clone a better, less sleepy version of McCheese to hang out with! This Week's Segments: Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Meet your match! Lingering Questions – Our favorite movies to feature an actor in dual roles? (29:20) The "Dolly the Sheep" Trivia Challenge – The Thunderous Wizard challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (57:20) Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We kickoff our series dedicated to the late—an exceptionally great—Catherine O'Hara with Dick Tracy! (1:14:36) And, as always, hit us up on Threads, X, Facebook, Bluesky, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids from this week's episode!

Send us a textWe Own the NightFor Season 16 Episode 5, TGTPTU dives deep into what writer-director James Gray considers the conclusion of his NYC crime trilogy WE OWN THE NIGHT (2007) while also starting the first of two planned sizzurp episodes with host Ken sick and sipping on some strong cold medicine. And joining this top to the third temporal pincer™️ pairing is special guest and inveterate bookworm Shannon.   For his third film, and second time being booed at Cannes (Harvey Scissorhands' cut of The Yards being the occasion for his first), Gray after seven years in development had his first financial success with his unique, untrademarked combination of family drama, crime, and Greek tragedy. Together again but reversing roles from The Yards, Mark Wahlberg plays supporting as Cpt Joe Grusinsky while Joaquin Phoenix takes the lead as night club manager Bobby Green/Grusinsky. That slash becomes important as Bobby has adopted his dead mother's surname prior to the start of the movie to distance himself from his brother Joe and their Deputy Chief cop daddy Burt Grusinsky, played by Robert Duvall. When Brother Captain Joe's pursuit of a drug smuggler leads to his family being targeted by the Russian Mob who are also owners of Bobby's club and his surrogate family, Bobby's different last name comes in handy as he goes undercover for the po-po.   Oh, and it's a period piece occurring in the late-80s set in NYC, so cover those squares on your Gray bingo card.   This ep, guest Shannon bumps on overwritten cop dialogue culled from Gray's NYPD ride-alongs; former co-host Jack weighs in off-mic on Gray's best use of CGI for rain during the car chase scene; Ryan suggests this is the last Phoenix role before he became too fussy, and Ken suggests it's the last of Wahlberg actually being interesting while effectively suppressing a cough; Ryan questions the merits of the temporal pincer movement being applied to Gray's filmography; and Thomas considers it his favorite Gray film of the five he's watched.   THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.Email: thegoodthepodandtheugly@gmail.comFacebook: https://m.facebook.com/TGTPTUInstagram: https://instagram.com/thegoodthepodandtheugly?igshid=um92md09kjg0Bluesky: @goodpodugly.bsky.socialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6mI2plrgJu-TB95bbJCW-gLetterboxd (follow us!):Podcast: goodpoduglyKen: Ken KoralRyan: Ryan Tobias

In his attempt to distance himself from the increasingly tedious God's Not Dead franchise, David A.R. White tries out a standard action thriller with the finest washed up actors Hollywood has to offer. It's 2025's A Line of Fire, starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Jason Patric, Katrina Bowden, and Scott Baio. Cash (White) is a retired FBI agent, widower, great dad, fantastic cook, and patriot with amazing hair who everyone likes and is cool. When his former partner is gunned down at a yacht party by GTA Online maniacs on WaveRunners, her niece Jamie (Bowden) retreats to a safe house and calls Cash for help. He takes time out of being the greatest dad and man who's ever lived to save her, gunning down meaty goons with CGI muzzle flashes and computer squibs. Despite being the greatest FBI agent to ever live and smartest man alive, he seems unconcerned that every time he calls his former FBI buddies for help, his plans are thwarted by the homicidal drug cartel. Josef (Patric) knows his every move: casting his chess piece acolytes across the board via Facetime from his Southern California McMansion. Meanwhile, Javier (Gooding Jr.) traipses around his chaste fully-clothed Miami strip club, fielding Zoom calls for his drug empire over the sound of quiet club music. Can Cash save Jamie and his daughters (who are of course kidnapped) in time? Can he trust his former FBI colleagues, such as the Nick Offerman-y Rocco (Tommy Snider) or the fashion homunculus Joan Rycker (Eve Richards, whose acting is so bad it makes me question the order of the universe)? You'll have to listen to find out!

Luc Besson finally made a Dracula movie in 2026… and somehow turned it into a boring, horny, perfume‑addled fever dream instead of a gothic horror classic. In this episode of The Cinema Psychos Show, Brian tears into Dracula (2026) and explains why this shiny new take on the Count feels more like a knockoff of better Dracula films than a bold reinvention. We break down everything that went wrong: Vlad accidentally killing his own wife, God apparently "rewarding" him with vampirism, the unhinged sex‑perfume subplot, cartoonish suicide jumps, rubbery CGI gargoyles, and a tone that ping‑pongs between tragic romance, goofy comedy, and Axe body spray commercial. Brian also digs into Caleb Landry Jones' off‑kilter Dracula, Christoph Waltz on autopilot, and a Danny Elfman score that deserves a much better movie. Along the way, we compare Besson's vision to Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, modern Nosferatu takes, and other adaptations that actually respect the character, and ask the big question: what the hell happened to Luc Besson as a filmmaker? Plus, we dip into some wild online reviews from people who genuinely think this is the best Dracula in years. If you're a horror nerd, Dracula obsessive, or cult cinema sicko who loves hearing a beautiful mess get taken apart scene by scene, you're in the right madhouse. Follow The Cinema Psychos Show on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode, and hit us up on socials or by email to let us know: does Dracula (2026) suck as hard as Brian says… or are you one of the weirdos who actually loves it? CHAPTERS: Does Dracula (2026) Suck? [00:00] Welcome and Solo Episode Today! [00:26] Synopsis of Dracula: A Love Tale [01:17] Criticism of the Film's Production and Direction [04:12] Detailed Breakdown of the Film's Story [08:34] Character Analysis [31:00] Positive Aspects of the Film [35:47] The Argument of Reinterpretation [38:21] Review of Audience Reviews [42:58] Conclusion [50:00] Listen to The Cinema Psychos Show on: Spotify: https://rebrand.ly/0v6eeno Apple: https://rebrand.ly/j5nrkp7  Amazon: https://rebrand.ly/5x5hzng Goodpods: https://rebrand.ly/picstv6 OR LISTEN ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP! https://cinemapsychosshow.com/follow   Follow The Cinema Psychos Show on Socials ❤️‍

In 2009, Disney released The Princess and the Frog, introducing Tiana as their first African-American Disney princess, paving the way for more diverse representation in animation.The CGI animation boom and the disappointing box office returns of the early 2000s had left a scar at Disney, and behind the scenes, there was huge change in the animation department. By 2004, then-CEO Michael Eisner had closed Disney's traditional 2D animation department, convinced that hand-drawn animation was dead.What followed was a corporate coup, with Roy E. Disney leading a campaign to oust Eisner, which worked spectacularly. When Pixar's John Lasseter took over Disney Animation in 2006, his first act was to bring back the very art form Eisner had killed.Lasseter immediately re-hired legendary directors Ron Clements and John Musker, who had left Disney just months earlier after years with projects in development hell following Treasure Planet's failure.Despite the numerous controversies around representing Disney's first Black princess—from changing her name from "Maddy" and her job to avoid slavery connotations, to criticism that she spends only 17 minutes of the film in human form, they ended up with Tiana, one of Disney's most accomplished, hard-working and important princesses, and what was being developed as The Frog Princess became The Princess and the Frog.The film's stunning animation style, represents a heartfelt return to traditional hand-drawn techniques, combined with modern digital artistry to create a visually captivating experience, but as we all know, it didn't last, and The Princess and the Frog became both a creative triumph and a bittersweet swan song for an art form that defined Disney's legacy.Mentioned in this episode: How Disney's Princess and the Frog Has A Problem With Black Males by JoJo Boy Wonder on YouTubeSupport Verbal DioramaLoved this episode? Here's how you can help:⭐ Leave a 5-star review on your podcast app

Send us a textWhat happens when a massive sequel forgets the one thing epics can't live without—emotion? We take a scalpel to Gladiator 2 and dig into why the arena feels quiet even when the crowd is screaming. From a “last free city” setup that strains belief to a retconned bloodline that muddies legacy, the movie races for scale without building the spine that made the original unforgettable.We talk through the action that should define character but doesn't: a rhino fight with no ripple effect, a boat battle staged for fireworks over logic, and CGI creatures that steal attention from the grit that gives gladiator stories weight. Leadership arcs are earned through choices, not titles. If Lucius is meant to inspire, show the moments he protects his own, the beat where he decides to stand, and the speech he actually earns. Without that, set pieces become noise. And the politics? Denzel Washington's Macrinus hints at a master plan, then self-sabotages when a pragmatist would pivot, leaving palace intrigue to the monkey consul gag and a rubber head reveal that play like satire instead of strategy.We also get specific about what would fix it. Trade Rome's vague ideals of “freedom” for concrete stakes—grain routes, aqueduct power, Praetorian numbers—and let tactics shape the fights. Give the final duel a purpose beyond vengeance by tying it to promises made and debts paid. The result wouldn't just be bigger; it would feel truer, the way great epics do when pain, duty, and choice collide.If you enjoy honest breakdowns with jokes sharp enough to cut through bad CGI, hit follow, share with a friend who loved the original, and tell us: what's the one change that would have saved Gladiator 2 for you?Be our friend!Dan: @shakybaconTony: @tonydczechAnd follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT

In episode 2001, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian and producer of the monthly Facial Recognition Comedy show, Pallavi Gunalan, to discuss… Why Was Lindsey Graham Drunk On Fox News Twice Over The Weekend? Nancy Mace Is Not Okay, Philly DA Larry Krasner Is Talking That Sh*t, The Jurassic Park-Themed Super Bowl Ad Really Missed The Point Of Jurassic Park and more! Why Was Lindsey Graham "Drunk" On Fox News Twice Over The Weekend? I’m not going to say Senator Graham is drunk because that would be unprofessional Lindsey Graham was slurring his words again on "Fox News Sunday" this morning...Is he spiraling? Sad! Nancy Mace Is Not Okay: “Something’s broken. The motherboard’s fried. We’re short-circuiting somewhere.” 'A CGI Embalming' — Xfinity's Jurassic Park Super Bowl Ad Features Digitally De-Aged Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum Xfinity’s Jurassic Park advert is a digital de-aging nightmare. So who made it? Jurassic Park Super Bowl commercial's de-aged actors, ranked from least to most bizarre-looking What If Jurassic Park Worked Out Great? Comcast Xfinity’s Super Bowl Ad Takes a Guess Original Jurassic Park Stars Return to Solve the Sci-Fi Masterpiece’s Entire Plot in Seconds for Super Bowl Commercial The Jurassic Park Xfinity Super Bowl Commercial Is A Nostalgia Play Gone Nightmarishly Wrong Nedry Really Wasn't The Jurassic Park Villain You Remember Welcome to Jurassic Park. Now powered by Xfinity. Xfinity hack affects nearly 36 million customers. Here's what to know. Thousands of Comcast workers win $7.5 million settlement in wage and hour lawsuit Judge rejects $7.5M Comcast settlement resolving ‘systemic’ FLSA violations The biggest star of Super Bowl LVII commercials? Nostalgia. Honda 2012 Super Bowl Commercial, Matthew’s Day Off Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Meg Ryan and the allure of ‘nostalgia marketing LISTEN: Deli Kan by Melike ŞahinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis Send Help stars Rachel McAdams as a frumpy but invaluable office worker over looked for promotion by her asshole entitled boss played by Dylan Obrien When she is invited on a sausage fest work trip, the plane crashes and she and her boss are the only survivors on a tropical island She quickly demonstrates her survival knowledge and the power dynamic between her and her boss shifts. Review of Send Help Send Help has been described as a mix between Misery and Cast Away. I'll agree with that and add that it's also a poor man's version of The Triangle of Sadness. Any way you compare it, this is a crowd pleaser. Sam Raimi returns to the horror genre for the first time since Drag Me to Hell. Though this is more on the thriller side of horror, he brings out a lot of the playful and over the top blood and gore that we are used to. Rachel McAdams largely carries the film with her charisma and screen presence. I'll admit, she's largely the reason for me being excited about seeing the film. Dylan O'brien is serviceable, and properly over the top in portraying an entitled asshole. The script by Damian Shannon and Mark Shift is simple, yet plays with the audience's expectations. It is better than I would expect from the guys that worked together before on the Baywatch Movie, Freddy Vs. Jason, and 2009's Friday the 13th reboot. The character development feels a little undercooked, but is there enough to make their motivations understood. This felt like a movie straight out of the 90's/early 2000s. This brand of mid-budget thriller was a dime a dozen back then, and for some reason has fallen by the wayside. I'm hoping that this film, along with films like The Housemaid will start a resurgence in mid budget date night thrillers. Also something I haven't seen since the 90s/early 2000s is this quality of CGI. It wasn't completely terrible, but is was distracting how overused it was. Many shots of the island and it's design felt like I was looking at an obviously designed video game island (X mountains and all). Also, after seeing PRimate successfully pull of great practical effects with a monkey suit, I wondered why they didn't use a puppet for the boar. They could have achieved the same level of boar gore, but make it less cartoony. The film doesn't plumb the depths of the human psyche or explore every facet of the power dynamics in a survival situation, it prefers to keep it pretty surface level in service of moving quickly with the plot. And in my opinion, it works. I had a really good time, and laughed out loud several times at the humor as well as the exploitative gore that Raimi is the expert at bringing. Score 8/10

The Toxic Mom Group Drama continues to heat up on This Week's Pre-Fixe when Hailey Duff is seen out with Ashley Tisdale, and it's announced that the tigers in the upcoming Siegfried & Roy biopic will be CGI, much to Dominick's great chagrin. Then, Awards Correspondent Rebecca Bregman returns to discuss the 2026 Grammy Awards: the fashion, the performances, the winners, and Cher's way-too-long impression of Joe Biden.You can find Rebecca in The Epstein Files.You can find Dom at dommentary.com.You can find Chris at @thechrisderosa.Follow the show at @fixingfamouspeople and on YouTube.Subscribe to the Patreon Fixing Bonus People here.You can GIFT the Patreon to someone here.And listen to FREE Examples of the Patreon Bonus Content here!Or Subscribe to A La Carte Episodes in the Apple Podcast App.Pre-Fixe Ends Around 49:45.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we review and discuss "The Fantastic Four: First Steps". How is this different from the previous versions of the "Fantastic Four". How do we feel about the casting choices? Has the CGI become any better? All of that and more this week on Monoreel Radio. Join the conversation on social media @monoreelradio on all major platforms or send us an email at monoreelradio@gmail.com. For links to anything you heard on the show, visit our website and if you want to experience the Disney magic for yourself, click here to start planning your next vacation.

Matt and Eric dive into the glopfest that is Sam Raimi's DRAG ME TO HELL - a gooey, spewy blast about a young woman who finds herself in the gross clutches of a curse that covers her in all manner of ooze.This episode includes AI-generated content.

AI is quickly changing how product imagery gets created, edited, and personalized in building materials. In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth and Zach talk with Greg Weyman, Founder and Managing Partner at MarketThrive, about how manufacturers are blending AI and CGI to build scalable visual content libraries. Greg shares how these tools are helping brands visualize complex products, cut down lead times, and produce tailored assets for different marketing channels—all while keeping creative costs in check. It's a look at how the product imagery workflow is being reimagined from the ground up.

Ep 730: Ethical Broads PRIVATEWe kick off FOLLOW UP with California's AG sending a cease-and-desist to xAI over Grok generating creepy deepfakes of minors, while regulators finally notice Elon Musk's xAI datacenter illegally running methane turbines in Memphis. The FTC is also appealing its loss in the Meta monopoly case, because apparently breaking up Zuckerberg's data empire is still the hill they want to die on.IN THE NEWS, Washington joins the age-verification-for-porn parade, the UK considers an Australia-style social media ban for kids under 16, and governments everywhere continue demanding your ID before you're allowed to enjoy the internet. OpenAI rolls out age prediction for ChatGPT accounts ahead of a rumored adult mode—though hey, at least you can now group tabs in ChatGPT's Atlas browser. Anthropic rewrites Claude's “constitution” to make it more vibes-based, Nevada moves to block Polymarket because gambling is only legal when the house owns the house, and YouTube promises even more AI features in 2026. Elsewhere, a Swiss suicide pod gets an AI “mental fitness” upgrade, Microsoft's CEO begs AI developers to do something useful before the grid collapses, Musk hunts for a $134 billion payday from OpenAI and Microsoft, and makes yet more Davos predictions about robotaxis and aliens that are absolutely happening this year. On the bright side, A-list creatives push back on AI and Comic-Con bans AI art, buying humans a little more time.MEDIA CANDY finds us slogging through Wish, The Pitt, and the “Mel's Diner in Space” look of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. We confirm 20-year-old CGI wargs still look terrible, get cautiously excited for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and note that Fallout Season 2's weekly drops may not be working for a binge-rotted audience.In APPS & DOODADS, X launches Bluesky-style starter packs—presumably to help you find more Nazis—while ICE becomes one of the most-blocked accounts on Bluesky. Threads edges out X in daily mobile users, proving the “federated future” is just another Zuck app. And yes, we think we know what the Apple AI pin is—and definitely what it isn't.AT THE LIBRARY, we check out The Elements, Jet Tila's 101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die, Half Baked Harvest: Quick & Cozy, and Southern Living's A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen. Scott reports back from a Jim Butcher talk, where we learn Harry Dresden sounds suspiciously like Han Solo.We close with THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, who is juggling five podcasts while reading Going to the Top: The Story of Videopolis, plus teasers for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord and a baffling Masters of the Universe trailer, a rant on what “remastered” even means anymore, a dishwasher follow-up, and the grim news that a lot of snow is coming.Sponsors:DeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.SquareSpace - go to squarespace.com/GRUMPY for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use code GRUMPY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/730Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/LiwVkLKr8CoFOLLOW UPCalifornia AG sends cease and desist to xAI over Grok's explicit deepfakesElon Musk's xAI datacenter generating extra electricity illegally, regulator rulesZuck stuck on Trump's bad side: FTC appeals loss in Meta monopoly caseIN THE NEWSWashington is the latest state pursuing an age verification law for porn sitesThe UK is mulling an Australia-like social media ban for users under 16OpenAI is launching age prediction for ChatGPT accountsYou can now group tabs on OpenAI's ChatGPT Atlas browserAnthropic Updates Claude's 'Constitution,' Just in Case Chatbot Has a ConsciousnessNevada files to block Polymarket from offering ‘unlicensed wagering' in the stateYouTube CEO promises more AI features in 2026Controversial Swiss Suicide Pod Gets an AI-Powered Mental Fitness UpgradeMicrosoft CEO urges AI developers 'to get to a point where we are using this to do something useful,' or 'lose even the social permission...to generate these tokens'Elon Musk is looking for a $134 billion payout from OpenAI and MicrosoftElon Musk Sure Made Lots of Predictions at DavosA-List creatives sign up to fight AI, say it enables 'theft at a grand scale'Comic-Con Bans AI Art After Artist PushbackMEDIA CANDYWishThe PittStar Trek: Starfleet Academy28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'Fallout' Season 2's Weekly Drops May Not Be WorkingAPPS & DOODADSX is also launching Bluesky-like starter packsICE becomes one of the most-blocked accounts on Bluesky after its verificationThreads edges out X in daily mobile users, new data showsI think I know what the Apple pin is, and definitely know what it isn'tApple Developing AirTag-Sized AI Pin With Dual CamerasNot to be outdone by OpenAI, Apple is reportedly developing an AI wearableSiri's iOS 27 upgrade sounds exactly right. Apple's AI pin sounds exactly wrongAT THE LIBRARYThe Elements by John Boyne101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die by Jet TilaHalf Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy: A Cookbook by Tieghan GerardPestleSouthern Living A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen: Adventures in Cooking, Eating, and Living in the New South by Matt MooreTHE DARK SIDE WITH DAVEDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatControl LoopOnly Malware in the BuildingGoing to the Top: The Story of Videopolis—Part OneStar Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord | Official Teaser Trailer | Streaming April 6 on Disney+Masters of The Universe – Official Teaser TrailerCLOSING SHOUT-OUTSClassic-Era Scorpions Bassist Francis Buchholz Dies at 71See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.