Podcasts about Mary Sue

If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guest this week is Singaporean rapper-producer Mary Sue. We spoke about Bugonia,  No Other Choice, the Singaporean movie theater experience, the work of Stephen Chow, Kanye West, and Earl Sweatshirt, how his time in the army led to him making music in earnest, honoring his heritage and putting his own spin on hip-hop, and the creative process behind several of his project, particularly Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword and the bloomcycle-produced EP Unintended Self Expressions From Selling Reflections On The Internet. Come fuck with us. Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Unintended Self Expressions From Selling Reflections On The Internet is available exclusively on Bandcamp. Head to Sue's Bandcamp page to cop both. Follow Mary Sue on Instagram (@sweetmarysue) and Twitter (@marysueraps).  Reel Notes stands in solidarity with American immigrants against ICE and the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund,  The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. Protest, fight back, and fuck the system.  My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), Letterboxd (@CineMasai), and subscribe to my weekly Nu Musique Friday newsletter to stay tapped in to all things Dylan Green.  Follow Hearing Things at hearingthings.co or @hearingthingsco on all social platforms.   

William Wyler's sweeping historical epic Ben-Hur is one of the OG blockbusters. It took home Best Picture for the 1959 Academy Awards, along with 12 other statues--making it one of the most awarded and beloved dramas of all time.This week, Earth's Mightiest Critics look at the story of Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a Jewish prince who is betrayed and forced into slavery. His winding journey of vengeance and redemption lands him front and center with the most significant event in human history.Join us for a spoilerific look at Charlton, chariots, and the changing nature of blockbusters. We also make a case for this being a perfect film, and take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Ben-Hur (1959) trailer.Pick up the new Ben-Hur 4K UHD from Warner Bros.As mentioned in the show, Warner Bros also released a new 4K of All the President's Men! Check the disc out here.And listen to Ian and Don Shanahan's "Reelpolitik" review of the film from few years ago.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

On this episode, Pete and Julie are joined by Mary Sue Rogers, a legend and pioneer in global HR, payroll, and workforce transformation!  From her early days modernizing payroll systems to senior leadership roles at IBM, Talent2, and Ascender, Mary Sue shares a rare, long-view perspective on how payroll evolved from a compliance function into the operational backbone of today's global workforce. The conversation spans Asia-Pacific payroll complexity, multinational compliance, board-level risk oversight, and why paying people accurately is foundational to employee experience. Mary Sue also offers sharp insight into AI's real impact on HR, the growing role of payroll as an extension of government compliance, and what CHROs must prioritize as organizations head into an uncertain 2026. Connect with Mary Sue: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogersmarysue Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 X: @HRPayroll2_0  X: @PeteTiliakos  X: @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0  WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners': https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain' and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/

This week, Earth's Mightiest critics bust out the fainting couches for a robust, rivalrous review of Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights!Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie star in the latest big-screen interpretation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel, which unleashed relentless humiliation, misery, and revenge upon the literary world. Or, as the film's marketing calls it, "The Greatest Love Story of All Time"!The film topped its opening weekend's box office, despite mixed critics' reviews and scathing commentary by fans of the novel. But are audiences really past the point of caring if movies are faithful to their source material? And is this a more troubling sign of a lack of media literacy--and actual literacy?Both sides square off in a dynamic duel of defenders and detractors!Join us for a hot and bothered (mostly bothered) look at the latest IP smash-and-grab masquerading as an adaptation! We'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats! Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Wuthering Heights (2026) trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

This Valentine's Day, Ian and Jeff explore the darker side of a comedy classic, His Girl Friday!Howard Hawks' uproarious and influential rom-com centers on Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), a former newspaper reporter who clashes with her ex-publisher/ex-husband, Walter Burns (Cary Grant) over a breaking story. She's supposed to marry an insurance salesman (Ralph Bellamy), but gets tempted into covering a political conflict involving the pending execution of a cop killer (John Qualen).His Girl Friday takes place over a rapid-talking, action-packed 12 hours, during which Hildy and Walter re-evaluate their rocky relationship. The question is: should they be together?In this unusual look at a beloved, iconic film, the guys dig beneath the laughs to get at the heart of two characters who may not have one--caught in a business and a system too corrupt for anyone's good.They also compare His Girl Friday to Lewis Milestone's The Front Page, which came out in 1931 and was the inspiration for Hawks' gender-swapped comedy!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the His Girl Friday (1940) trailer.Pick up Criterion's recent 4K release of His Girl Friday (which includes a newly restored version of 1931's The Front Page!).Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Politics? In MY One Piece? Sounds fake, but we figured we'd check with Kat Abughazaleh, a former journalist and current Congressional candidate for Illinois District Il-09. We also ask her about her relationship with fiction, the necessity of protest and political activism, and the role of One Piece in the current cultural climate. Apolitically. Featuring special guests GolferGareBear (TikTok sensation) Kirsten Carey (vocalist and guitarist for Throwaway, and writer at The Mary Sue, Polygon and many others) and Dr. Raylene Bentlin (Cultural Anthropologist and One Piece scholar)! SUBSCRIBE TO US ON PATREON! We've opened up a BRAND NEW “Sticker of the Month Club” tier on Patreon that entitles you to a patron-exclusive sticker of one of our amazing episode images every month! You also get access to ad-free episodes and our 800+ episode archive, our exclusive series 4'ced to Watch 4Kids with Steve & Alex, our full-length film OPPJapan, exclusive episodes with our special guests and a lot more. 00:00:00 Intro;00:05:22 Interview with Kat Abughazaleh;00:55:47 To Be Continued…! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Count Dracula has survived such formidable filmmaking foes as Francis Ford Coppola, Dario Argento, and David Eggers. But will he shrink in fear at the might of...Luc Besson?Jacob Landry-Jones is the latest to don the cape and fangs in this umpteenth retelling of the debonair undead Drac. Could this be the definitive version--or a slightly different rehash with goofier looking makeup effects?Join us as we hang garlic and debate whether or not it's time to stake all future adaptations of Bram Stoker's classic novel!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Dracula (2026) trailer.As mentioned in the show, you can enjoy a half-decade of Hammer Films discussions, starting with our "Hammerland" Playlist.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Politics? In MY One Piece? Sounds fake, but we figured we'd check with Kat Abughazaleh, a former journalist and current Congressional candidate for Illinois District Il-09. We also ask her about her relationship with fiction, the necessity of protest and political activism, and the role of One Piece in the current cultural climate. Apolitically. Featuring special guests GolferGareBear (TikTok sensation) Kirsten Carey (vocalist and guitarist for Throwaway, and writer at The Mary Sue, Polygon and many others) and Dr. Raylene Bentlin (Cultural Anthropologist and One Piece scholar)! SUBSCRIBE TO US ON PATREON! We've opened up a BRAND NEW “Sticker of the Month Club” tier on Patreon that entitles you to a patron-exclusive sticker of one of our amazing episode images every month! You also get access to ad-free episodes and our 800+ episode archive, our exclusive series 4'ced to Watch 4Kids with Steve & Alex, our full-length film OPPJapan, exclusive episodes with our special guests and a lot more. 00:00:00 Intro;00:05:22 Interview with Kat Abughazaleh;00:55:47 To Be Continued…! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earth's Mightiest Critics are sending up smoke signals for Sam Raimi's latest horror/comedy, Send Help! Rachel McAdams stars as Linda, a corporate executive-in-waiting who finds herself trapped on a desert island with a wounded Brad (Dylan O'Brien), who was recently appointed to the position she'd been promised. During the next several weeks, the duo alternates between teaming up and terrorizing each other, as diminishing hopes for escape reduce them to a savage, primal state.Is this the second coming of Misery, or just gore-coated misandry?Join us as we look at the good, the bad, and the truly ugly from the director of The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Send Help (2026) trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

One of the best things to come out of rap's rising global influence over the few decades is the proliferation of the art form in different cultures across the globe. Where artists can infuse their own influences into their take on the genre. Today's guest, mary sue, is a Singapore-native who has thoroughly impressed me in recent years with a wicked degree of musical diversity, working on any kind of soundscape under the sun, with the likes of bloomcycle, pyschedelic ensemble, The Clementi Sound Appreciation Club, along with a calm lyrical delivery that is ripe with thoughtful perspective. mary sue had a big 2025, first by dropping the stellar Porcelain Shield Paper Sword, and then finishing the year off with a collaborative EP with bloomcycle. In this episode, we discuss the Singapore hip-hop scene, his unique sound, and the creative approach behind his two impressive records of 2025. This guest is one of the brightest, rising stars in the indie rap space right now… you do not want to miss this. The Plug (0:49). The Interview (2:26) Singapore's hip-hop scene (4:29). The Mary Sue sound (17:51). The writing approach for Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword (24:20). The live instrumentation sound of Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword (38:10). The theme of Unintended Self Expressions from Selling Reflections on the Internet (43:12). The psychedelic sound of USESRI from bloomcycle (51:25). Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (54:42). Buy/stream USESRI here: https://sweetmarysue.bandcamp.com/album/unintended-self-expressions-from-selling-reflections-on-the-internet  Follow mary sue on Twitter here: https://x.com/marysueraps  Follow mary sue on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sweetmarysue/  Edited by: Alyssa Rodriguez Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING -- Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/ Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast  Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Today, we resume our conversation with Ken and Mary Sue Grein as they recount the events surrounding their son Jacob's unexpected passing in 2019, the way their family was gathered together, and the profound sense of God's presence in those hours. They speak honestly about shock, sorrow, and the weight of saying goodbye, while also sharing moments of comfort, reassurance, and hope that met them in the midst of deep grief.We also explore what the long road of loving and losing Jacob has taught them—about surrender, about living with unanswered questions, and about allowing grief to unfold without rushing it. Ken and Mary Sue offer gentle wisdom for grieving parents, encouraging listeners to feel what they feel, to take grief one day at a time, and to trust that God meets us even when the pain doesn't quickly resolve.As the conversation continues, they reflect on Jacob's ongoing legacy and the calling they felt to share his story through their book and beyond. Jacob's life, they remind us, continues to speak—pointing others toward faith, compassion, and the enduring truth that every life is worth living.Click HERE to listen to Part One of our conversation.  Social Media links for the Greins:Facebook -  Jacob's Story the Book ( https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579352574360)Instagram - JacobGreinStory (https://www.instagram.com/jacobgreinstory/)YouTube - @JacobGreinStory (https://www.youtube.com/@JacobGreinStory)TikTok - @jacobgreinstorywebsite - jacobalifeworthliving.comI would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.) ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

Earth's Mightiest Critics use their natural intelligence to review a movie about artificial intelligence--which is lacking in basic intelligence!In Mercy, Chris Pratt stars as Chris Raven (not making that up), a detective accused of killing his wife. He is put on trial by an AI judge (Rebecca Ferguson), and has 90 minutes to clear his name.Join us as we draft a minority report and prepare to prosecute this bizarre cinematic thought-crime!Also, Ian addresses an issue with the comments section.Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Mercy (2026) trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Send us a textFreedom doesn't always announce itself with trumpets. Sometimes it looks like a quiet walk past an optometrist's office, a cab ride that feels like a lifetime, and a choice that will cost you every family tie the group controls. We're marking Claire's 21st anniversary of leaving Scientology's International Headquarters—a date that, by eerie symmetry, lands on the 40th anniversary of L. Ron Hubbard's death, a milestone the organization still avoids acknowledging.We open up about the machinery that makes leaving feel like a sin: disconnection policies that weaponize love, “blows and recoveries” that rename escapes and kidnapping attempts as internal metrics, and the secret “door welded shut” approach to anyone fleeing Int Base. From forced divorces inside RTC to the Hole's coercive environment, we lay out how language, policy, and fear knit together into a durable cage. We also map the institution's obsession with rewriting history—editing Mary Sue, Nibs, and long-time insiders out of films and lectures to sanitize the past—while highlighting the independent sources that preserved the record, from Sarge's accounts in Going Clear to meticulous journalism.There's a tactical layer too. We break down how protests were anticipated and neutralized, how thought-stopping turns curiosity into a trigger, and why even a well-meaning conversation with declared SPs can implode a young member's standing overnight. For anyone on the fence, this is our harm-reduction guide: understand the risks before you engage, and know that questions have consequences in high-control systems. We also talk about healing—adrenal exhaustion, the simple miracle of sleep, and the way health returns when chronic stress recedes—because life after control isn't theoretical; it's better.If this story resonates, share it with someone who needs a map, subscribe for future deep dives into cult tactics and recovery, and leave a review so more people can find it. Your voice helps others find their way out.Support the showBFG Store - http://blownforgood-shop.fourthwall.com/Blown For Good on Audible - https://www.amazon.com/Blown-for-Good-Marc-Headley-audiobook/dp/B07GC6ZKGQ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Blown For Good Website: http://blownforgood.com/PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2131160 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blown-for-good-behind-the-iron-curtain-of-scientology/id1671284503 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2131160.rss YOUTUBE PLAYLISTS: Spy Files Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWtJfniWLwq4cA-e...

Today I'm joined by Ken and Mary Sue Grein as they begin sharing the story of their son Jacob—a story that would shape their family, their faith, and their understanding of what gives a life meaning.Our conversation takes us into the early years of Jacob's life, including his fragile beginning, a prolonged hospital journey, and the realities of raising a child with significant disabilities. Ken and Mary Sue reflect on the emotional and practical challenges they faced, as well as the unexpected joy and purpose they discovered along the way.They talk about Jacob's personality, his love for people, his unique way of communicating, and the quiet ways he ministered to others. Ken and Mary Sue also share how their questions, grief, and uncertainty gradually gave way to trust—and how Jacob became a teacher in their home, shaping their hearts and their perspective.  In next week's episode, Ken and Mary Sue will continue sharing Jacob's story—walking us through the day his earthly journey came to an end, the sacred moments that followed, and the way God has met them in grief, healing, and hope. They'll also reflect on what Jacob's life and legacy continue to teach them, and how his story is still reaching others today, so be sure to come back next week!Social Media links for the Greins:Facebook -  Jacob's Story the Book ( https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579352574360)Instagram - JacobGreinStory (https://www.instagram.com/jacobgreinstory/)YouTube - @JacobGreinStory (https://www.youtube.com/@JacobGreinStory)TikTok - @jacobgreinstorywebsite - jacobalifeworthliving.com websiteI would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.) ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

Believe it or not, Earth's Mightiest Critics aren't ready to rage at 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple!In contrast to Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later (which came out a mere six months ago) series newcomer Nia DaCosta provides the world's-end mania and weirdness promised by the previous film's trailer! It's hard to believe both movies were written by the same person (Alex Garland).We won't give anything away, story-wise, ahead of the roundtable--except to say that the track suit-wearing "Jimmy" gang is nowhere near as lame as they appeared to be at the end of the last film.Also, Ralph Fiennes deserves an Oscar nomination.Join us for a positively infectious look at one of 2026's best films so far (no joke). We'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) trailer.Catch up with our 28 Years Later roundtable from last June.Read David's review of The Bone Temple at Keeping it Reel.Check out Keeping It Reel's "Top Ten Films of 2025" list.And read Ian's debut as a Movies & TV freelance writer for CBR (talking about a possible path for Tales from the Crypt to return to TV)!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Nerdrotic beat the official Star Trek YouTube channel's broadcast of Starfleet Academy with a Spock action figure sitting in a chair to prove a point. Now a journalist at The Mary Sue is absolutely FROTHING that this "dudebro" dare make HER Star Trek look bad. Envy much?Watch the podcast episodes on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify.CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles.Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://more.clownfishtv.com/On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTVOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvgOn Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

Earth's Mightiest Critics walk into a bar...and raise it!This week we look at Bradley Cooper's latest dramedy, Is This Thing On?, in which a New Yorker named Alex (Will Arnette) stumbles into a new stand-up comedy career while navigating a complicated divorce.In addition to reviewing this critically acclaimed new film from Cooper (who's proving just as capable a writer/director as an actor), we'll also talk about some of our favorite stand-up comics and the serious effects their jokes had on our lives.Join us as we laugh 'til we cry and perfect our crowd work with your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Is This Thing On? (2025) trailer.As mentioned in the show, one of the panel's favorite modern standup comics is Jim Gaffigan. Here are a couple of flashbacks to Ian's interviews with the masterful observational comic:Being Frank InterviewAmerican DreamerSupport all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Today we're taking a peek into One Piece Magazine Vol. 20 with Sam Leach (Anime Recap host), Kirsten Carey (vocalist and guitarist for Throwaway, writer at The Mary Sue, Polygon and many others) and special guest Stephen Paul (translator for One Piece in Shonen Jump & Manga Plus)! SUBSCRIBE TO US ON PATREON! We've opened up a BRAND NEW “Sticker of the Month Club” tier on Patreon that entitles you to a patron-exclusive sticker of one of our amazing episode images every month! You also get access to ad-free episodes and our 800+ episode archive, our exclusive series 4'ced to Watch 4Kids with Steve & Alex, our full-length film OPPJapan, exclusive episodes with our special guests and a lot more. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:11:14 One Piece Magazine Vol. 20;02:13:21 To Be Continued…! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earth's Mightiest Critics ring in the New Year with the escapism of economic uncertainty!Park Chan-wook's latest film, No Other Choice centers on Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) who has been out of work for several years. In a desperate attempt to eliminate job market competition, he concocts a darkly brilliant plan. It's no secret that Ian is not the biggest Park fan (who else on planet Earth thinks the remake of Oldboy is better than the original?!).The question, then, is can this critically acclaimed new slice of dramatic social commentary--and the rest of the EMC's very best arguments--turn things around?Join us as we seek truth, gainful employment, and airtight alibis. We'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the No Other Choice (2025) trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

2025 has finally come to a close, and the year has brought us plenty of wonderful movies, tv shows, music, comics, and video games. To celebrate, TJ Zwarych, Jam, and Damon Gray of Agents of Fandom are joined by Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue to draft our favorite projects of 2025! Come hang out live and share in the chat what your top choices are from the past year.Check out https://www.agentsoffandom.com for the latest TV and Movie reviews!

Lights! Camera! Diggler!Earth's Mightiest Critics close out 2025 with a look at Paul Thomas Anderson's classic 1997 drama, Boogie Nights! Mark Wahlberg stars as Eddie Adams, a young California dishwasher who gets lured into the glamorous, sinister world of 1970s adult entertainment. His found family includes legendary mogul Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds), Jack's matronly muse, Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), and fellow performer Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly).Together, they build a new hard-core franchise while struggling against the unrelenting winds of drugs, video tape, and societal backlash.It's also a (really messed up) New Year's movie! AND a reminder of PTA's roots, as we prepare for the likely Awards sweep of his latest film, One Battle After Another.Join us for a free-wheeling Pre-NYE party, where we'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Boogie Nights (1997) trailer.As mentioned in the show, Ian had a couple of run-ins with Boogie Nights star Thomas Jane at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. Presented here is the two-part "The Thomas Jane Affair":Part OnePart TwoPick up Warner Bros' recently released 4K UHD of Boogie Nights.In case you missed it: check out EMC's roundtable review of One Battle After Another from earlier this year.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

No, don't rush, Loki, they're not going anywhere. We're rounding off a very One Piece 2025 with OPP contributors Jill & Ken, Kirsten Carey (vocalist and guitarist for Throwaway, writer at The Mary Sue, Polygon and many others) and special guest Stephen Paul (translator for One Piece in Shonen Jump & Manga Plus)! We also have our Piece Together segment, where we take your questions, comments, and theories! ⁠Episode 900⁠ is coming soon, and we're streaming it LIVE for charity! Join us on YouTube on January 4th for a Manga Recap, arc rankings, and more! SUBSCRIBE TO US ON PATREON! We've opened up a BRAND NEW “Sticker of the Month Club” tier on Patreon that entitles you to a patron-exclusive sticker of one of our amazing episode images every month! You also get access to ad-free episodes and our 800+ episode archive, our exclusive series 4'ced to Watch 4Kids with Steve & Alex, our full-length film OPPJapan, exclusive episodes with our special guests and a lot more. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:10:51 2025 OPP Recap;01:57:14 Piece Together & To Be Continued…! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I sat down with Ken and Mary Sue Grein knowing their story would be heavy. I didn't expect it to steady me the way it did. They were just 22 years old when their son Jacob was born with severe medical complications. Within days, doctors told them he wouldn't live long and encouraged them to let him die. Ken and Mary Sue refused. They chose life, even though no one could tell them what that life would require. Jacob lived 37 years. (READ HIS STORY HERE) In our conversation, they speak candidly about what those decades held: long hospital stays, countless surgeries, daily caregiving, isolation, anger, and exhaustion. They don't sanitize any of it. But they also don't frame Jacob's life as a tragedy. What comes through instead is clarity, gratitude, and a hard-won conviction that a difficult life does not have to be a bad one. They talk about how caregiving reshaped their marriage, formed their other children, and rewired their own hearts. Disability didn't fracture their family. It refined it. Their children grew up compassionate, responsible, and unafraid of suffering. Jacob himself, despite profound limitations, lived with joy, affection, and gratitude, fully present in the life of his family. As a longtime caregiver myself, much of what they shared felt familiar: the loneliness, the way support fades, the daily choice between bitterness and gratitude. But what stayed with me most was their quiet insistence that every life is worth living, even when it arrives wrapped in fear, limitation, and unanswered questions. This is not a conversation about pretending suffering is good. It's about refusing to let suffering be the final word. Ken and Mary Sue didn't just care for their son. They learned how to live faithfully in the middle of what could not be fixed, and that is a lesson every caregiver needs. ___________________ Caregiving's Hard. Don't Do Alone! Get the New Book: A Caregiver's Companion - Scriptures, Hymns, and Forty Years of Insights for Life's Toughest Role

Christmas came early for Earth's Mightiest Critics, and we're here to share the love a roundtable preview review of Song Sung Blue!Craig Brewer's latest music-infused drama stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as a Milwaukee-based Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder. Based on a 2008 documentary of the same name, this narrative biopic centers on the married couple's rise and fall--and examines lives lived in a spotlight that is also, oddly, a shadow.Join us as we get in tune and establish a rhythm for discussing this Awards Season (ahem) diamond in the rough!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Song Sung Blue (2025) trailer.And catch up with our previous review of 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Earth's Mightiest Critics re-ignite the age-old debate: Do people actually care about Avatar?Following the death of their eldest son, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) find themselves caring for Spider (Jake Champion), the human son of evil-military-leader-turned-evil-Na'vi-warrior Myles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Meanwhile, Quaritch discovers the volcano-dwelling Ash tribe, headed by Varang (Oona Chaplin), whose obsession with war and the dark arts gives a chilling edge to the invading military's deadly artillery.And there's a bunch of other semi-interesting stuff that's hastily abandoned for the hour-plus Act Three death-and-destruction montage...In this spoilerific roundtable review of the third film in James Cameron's bafflingly successful trilogy, Fire and Ash, the gang digs into why the (arguably) best and (arguably) final entry may be the strongest, and why that may not be enough to save it from a legacy of, "Hey, remember those big blue alien movies?"Also, the EMC talks about Cameron's bizarre Anti-AI public service announcement they saw ahead of the early-December press screening.Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) trailer.And catch up with our previous review of 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

There's a mystery afoot: Why can't Earth's Mightiest Critics stop reviewing Netflix movies?(Maybe because there are just too many of them to ignore!)This week, we're back talking about Rian Johnson's latest installment in his Benoit Blanc franchise, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery! Daniel Craig returns as the sly Southern sleuth, as he's roped into investigating a strange death inside a church. The number of suspects and twists are about as ungodly as the crime, and the clock is ticking!This third chapter in the Knives Out saga has been praised as perhaps the best one yet. But can someone (Ian) who didn't care for the first film and didn't bother with the second (2022's Glass Onion) finally appreciate this outrageous ensemble Whodunnit series--or will Wake Up Dead Man lull him to sleep?Join us as we sleuth our way through the mystery of this saga's popularity--and take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Wake Up Dead Man is now streaming on Netflix!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Wake Up Dead Man (2025) trailer. As mentioned in the show, Ian watched the latest episode of Fr. Edward Looney's podcast, featuring an interview with Wake Up Dead Man Catholic consultant Fr. Scott Bailey.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

What does it really look like to raise a child when doctors say he won't survive?In this episode of Your Biggest Breakthrough, Ken and Mary Sue Grein share the deeply personal story of raising their son, Jacob Grein, over the course of 37 years. Born six weeks premature, Jacob faced severe medical complications, physical disabilities, deafness, and ongoing health challenges that required constant care from the day he entered the world.Ken and Mary Sue open up about the realities of parenting a medically fragile child—the fear, exhaustion, faith struggles, marriage pressures, and the daily decisions to keep going when answers didn't come easily. They reflect on the moments when they had to surrender outcomes to God, redefine what healing and success truly meant, and learn to live with hope amidst long-term caregiving.This episode isn't about a quick miracle. It's about faith lived out over decades, love that never wavers, and a son whose life profoundly shaped his family in lasting ways.If you're a parent walking a difficult road, a caregiver feeling unseen, or someone wrestling with unanswered prayers, Jacob's story—and his parents' journey—will encourage you to keep going, one day at a time.Chapters:[00:00] Podcast Preview[01:30] Topic and Guest Introduction[03:25] Jacob Grein's Traumatic Premature Birth[04:35] Surrendering Jacob's Life to God[06:54] Doctors Give Jacob Six Months to Live[09:50] Learning to Live Moment by Moment[11:40] Bringing Jacob Home After 137 Days in NICU[13:50] Discovering That Jacob is Deaf[15:14] How Jacob's Illness Tested Their Marriage[18:21] Years of Surgeries and Setbacks[20:32] Raising Other Children While Caring for Jacob[22:00] Accepting Jacob's Disabilities[23:53] Caregiving as a Lifelong Calling[26:14] How Jacob Became Their Greatest Teacher[27:53] New Definition of Success and Purpose[28:30] Jacob's Joy Despite Suffering[33:04] Losing Jacob After 37 Years[36:44] Healing After Caregiving Ends[39:13] Why Jacob's Story Brings Hope to Others[40:50] Where to Find Jacob's Story BookResources mentioned:Get Your Copy of Jacob's StoryWebsiteYouTubeInstagramFacebookGuest's bio and social handles:Kenneth and Mary Sue Grein have been married for over four decades and are the parents of four children: Jacob, Hannah, Luke, and Grace. Their love story began at Rockmont College in Denver, Colorado, where they met during freshman orientation in 1977.
Ken, a former college basketball player and lifelong contractor, grew up on his family's farm in Brighton, Colorado, where he learned the values of hard work and perseverance that would serve him throughout Jacob's medical journey. Mary Sue, a gifted pianist and devoted mother, became Jacob's primary caregiver and fiercest advocate, developing an expertise in medical terminology and special needs care that few parents possess.Together, they navigated 37 years of medical challenges, hospital stays, and daily caregiving while raising three other children and maintaining their faith through the darkest moments. Their experience as parents of a child with multiple disabilities taught them profound lessons about love, resilience, and finding joy in the smallest victories. The...

Ian admits defeat...and talks about the recently released Supergirl trailer.Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Supergirl (2026) trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Yep, we're back with another look at a sappy Netflix Awards Season movie--and it's a vanity project about movie stars, no less! Or is there far more to Jay Kelly than one might think?George Clooney stars as the titular alliterative doppelganger, a mega-successful Hollywood actor facing an identity crisis on the eve of a career tribute in Tuscany. His harried manager (Adam Sandler) and publicist (Laura Dern) can't keep up with Jay's erratic behavior and ramblings about memories that have somehow bled into his waking hours. Add to that two estranged daughters and a life lived as other people, and you have the perfect Noah Baumbach (While We're Young, Marriage Story) film.Join us for a look at a spoilerific look at a surprisingly introspective film, and take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Oh, and because the studio that's distributing Jay Kelly happens to be Netflix, we may devote some time catching up on the flurry of recent news!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Jay Kelly (2025) trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Who says Awards Season has to be a dreary time at the movies, full of biopics and downer dramas? A24 has just the antidote to the perennial prestige pity pictures: David Freyne's new romantic comedy, Eternity! In this film's version of the afterlife, recently departed souls have one week to decide which themed paradise they want to spend eternity in. Turns out Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) has another tough choice to make: which of her dead husbands does she pick to be her forever partner? Larry (Miles Teller) was her husband and father to her children for 65 years. But her first spouse, Luke (Callum Turner), a dreamy military man who died in the Korean War, has waited decades to be reunited with her.If this bizarre premise (which also includes afterlife advocates and a special hallway where the dead can look in on their previous lives) sounds familiar, it should: Eternity is a thruple version of Albert Brooks' 1991 film, Defending Your Life.For guest host Cati Glidewell, this is a welcome update of an all-time-great comedy. For Ian, it's a shabby and insulting imitation. And in this episode, these intrepid critics will dig into Eternity in spoilerific detail to determine whether it will stand the test of time...or be banished to the purgatory of half-baked movie ideas!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Eternity (2025) trailer.Bonus! Flashback to our "Late Screening" review of Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Awards season may be driving Earth's Mightiest Critics loco, but we're moving full steam ahead with Clint Bentley's Train Dreams!Joel Edgerton stars as Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker adjusting to change in early 20th Century America. This adaptation of Denis Johnson's novella has been compared to the work of Terrence Malick. But does that mean its an artful, easygoing meditation on life--or pretentious celluloid Ambien? Join us as we forge a path to the answers in spoilerific detail, AND take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Train Dreams is now streaming on Netflix!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Train Dreams (2025) trailer.As mentioned in the show, Joe Engleman of the Chicago Reader wrote an enlightening review of Train Dreams--which formed the backbone of this conversation. Read it here! Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Celebrate "Emerald Friday" with Earth's Mightiest Critics and a downright wicked review of Wicked Part 2! Jon M. Chu's sequel is an even bigger box office smash than last year's reimagining of the hit Broadway musical. But now that Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) has defied gravity and struck out on her own against the shady Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), will her struggles prove to be as engaging as the Odd Couple antics with Galinda (Ariana Grande) from the first film? Or is Wicked: For Good's intersecting with The Wizard of Oz the beginning of the end for audience interest?Join us for a gravity-defying good time as we talk spoilers and take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Wicked: For Good (2025) trailer.Catch up with last year's KtS roundtable review of Wicked: Part 1!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Issue #729: Happy Doomsgiving!Download Directly From iTunesNOW on SPOTIFY!Joey, Steve, and Bob gather 'round the table on a special Thanksgiving Eve edition of the Talking Comics podcast. And what are we most thankful for? Well, Ryan North and RB Silva's One World Under Doom of course and finally getting a satisfying, meaningful, moving ending to a big comics event. It's been a while L O L. Lots of comics, another Running Man take down, and some Thanksgiving shenanigans round out this week's episode. Also, Aaron does indeed show up for a hot second before the computers get in the way; you weren't hallucinating!Comics talked this week: Strange Tales #2, Harley Quinn x Elvira #2, Captain America #5, One World Under Doom #9,Marian Heretic #1-2, Mary Sue #1-2, Anzuelo OGN, Hello, Sunshine OGN, Everything Dead & Dying #3, and Red Book #2The Comic Book Podcast is brought to you by Talking Comics (www.talkingcomicbooks.com). The podcast is hosted by Steve Seigh, Bob Reyer, Joey Braccino, Aaron Amos, John Burkle, and Bronwyn Kelly-Seigh who weekly dissect everything comics-related, from breaking news to new releases. Our Instagram handle is @TalkingComicsPodcast and you can email us at podcast@talkingcomicbooks.com.

On this week's episode of The One Piece Podcast we go through One Piece Chapter 1166 “New Stories” with friend of the show Ken O'Connor, Kirsten Carey (vocalist and guitarist for Throwaway, writer at The Mary Sue, Polygon and many others) and special guests Stephen Paul (translator for One Piece in Shonen Jump & Manga Plus) and GolferGareBear (TikTok sensation)! We also have an Anime Recap of Episode 1150 “Get the Ship Moving! The Iron Giant Activates” with Sam and Ken, and our Piece Together segment, where we take your questions, comments, and theories! SUBSCRIBE TO US ON PATREON! We've opened up a BRAND NEW “Sticker of the Month Club” tier on Patreon that entitles you to a patron-exclusive sticker of one of our amazing episode images every month! You also get access to ad-free episodes and our 800+ episode archive, our exclusive series 4'ced to Watch 4Kids with Steve & Alex, our full-length film OPPJapan, exclusive episodes with our special guests and a lot more. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:07:31 Manga Recap: Chapter 1166;01:33:26 Anime Recap: Episode 1150;01:48:52 Piece Together;02:17:44 Trivia & To Be Continued…! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025 has been the year of Stephen King movie adaptations, and Earth's Mightiest Critics are here to chase down a consensus on Edgar Wright's The Running Man!Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, a desperate, down-on-his luck father and husband living in an urban dystopian hellscape. He signs up to compete in the titular game show, which will pit him against everyone in America bent on keeping him from winning a billion-dollar prize.This version is markedly different from the 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. But does it actually show fidelity to King's harrowing tale of loneliness and poverty in a world gone mad--or merely use the premise as window-dressing for an absurd and over-long cartoon? And, if that's the case, does Wright pull it off?Join us as we lace up and take off after a spoilerific evaluation. We also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Running Man (2025) trailer.Enjoy this flashback to Ian and David Fowlie's review of the original Running ManN from 1987! As mentioned in the episode, Mark interviewed actor Patrick Miller, who appeared in another Stephen King movie, Maximum Overdrive!For Ian's takes on the Hammer Frankenstein films (referenced in the episode), check out his reviews with Aaron Christensen of Horror 101 w/ Dr. AC in our "Hammerland" series!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Is Glen Powell becoming the biggest movie star in Hollywood? Join TJ Zwarych of Agents of Fandom, Klein Felt of The Direct, and Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue to discuss Edgar Wright's adaptation of the Steven King novel, The Running Man! Come hang out as we discuss our review of the film, and compare it to the book and the original film with Arnold Schwarzenegger. PLUS stay tuned as we draft who we think are the world's biggest movie stars.(00:00:00) Intro(00:03:00) Whatcha Watchin? - The OC, Stranger Things(00:11:00) The Running Man Spoiler-Free Reactions(00:18:00) What Game Show Would You Choose to be On?(00:26:00) Comparing the Running Man Adaptations(00:29:00) The Running Man Ending Explained(00:36:00) Is Glen Powell Among the World's Biggest Movie Stars?(00:47:00) Highlights From The Running Man Movie(01:01:00) Movie Star Draft - Who are the World's Biggest Movie Stars?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/agents-of-fandom--5479222/support.

Today's very exciting episode of Fic Clique welcomes author Meghan Fitzmartin as a guest! Listen to us discuss Meghan's upcoming comic, delve into her fandom history and her work as an author, and discuss "Search for the Lost Ones (Guardians of Light)" by fanfiction.net user Jensfire. This was a super fun episode to record with our first guest that wasn't already our friend, and we dove deep into sexism and misogyny in fandom/fanfiction, the stories and fandoms that shaped us in our teenage years, and the importance of horniness in our stories. Meghan's comic Mary Sue is out now in comic book stores and you can find her on Bluesky at megfitz89.bsky.social and on Tumblr at megfitz89.

Earth's Mightiest Critics come alive with an electrifying roundtable review of Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein!The legendary genre director of Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, and Crimson Peak returns with a sprawling adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic sci-fi/horror novel, which follows a scientist's (Oscar Isaac) obsession with creating life from nothingness. The result is a hulking, animated monstrosity (Jacob Elordi) whose terrifying visage masks a lonely, searching human soul. But Victor Frankenstein's meddling in the natural order sets tragedies in motion that will set creature against creator in a pursuit spanning years and continents!Del Toro has called Shelley his "first love". Is this cinematic ode to her work a bursting, heartfelt opus--or a shambling patchwork of other interpretations?Join us as we piece together the definitive discussion on Del Toro's dream project! We also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Frankenstein (2025) trailer.For Ian's takes on the Hammer Frankenstein films (referenced in the episode), check out his reviews with Aaron Christensen of Horror 101 w/ Dr. AC in our "Hammerland" series!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Earth's Mightiest Critics have scoured the galaxy for a worthy Predator sequel.Will Badlands prove a worthy trophy? Co-writer/director Dan Trachtenberg follows up Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers with a future-set adventure involving the unlikely pairing of a young Yautja warrior-in-training and a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic. Together, they must traverse a hostile alien world in search of the ultimate kill--without falling victim to the monster themselves!The new sequel has garnered enough positive buzz to paper over early concerns about dodgy Predator makeup, a gore-restricting PG-13 rating, and an irksome performance by Elle Fanning. But now that Badlands has been unleashed on the world...is it actually one of the series' best entries?Join us as we hunt down an answer to the question, "Is the Predator franchise dead--or just getting started?" We'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Predator: Badlands (2025) trailer.And if you're in Chicago on Wednesday, November 12, swing by the Davis Theatre to see Cati Glidewell's performance in the short film "Script Tease"--as part of the Windie City Film Fest! Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

The Shepherd is excited to be part of "The Critter Campaign," a unique way for American families to take part in World Missions by purchasing needed farm animals and supplies for needy families in Asia and Africa. Bishop Daniel leads GFA World, and he is Mike's guest in the first segment. Also, talks with Ken and Mary Sue Grein as they tell their story about their son Jacob, and finally a visit from Janice Woody from the long-running children's outreach known as The Orlando Children's Church.

Earth's Mightiest Critics survived Spooky Season and are charging headlong into one of Awards Season's buzziest films!Bugonia is writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos' third feature in three years, all of which have been collaborations with actress Emma Stone. In this bizarre dark comedy, a no-nonsense CEO (Stone) is kidnapped by two conspiracy-obsessed brothers (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis), who believe she is the harbinger of an extraterrestrial invasion.Also, bees are involved...somehow.Join us for a spoilerific, "hive-and-mighty" roundtable review--where we break through the hype and take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Bugonia (2025) trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Happy November 5! This week, V and Emily are joined by special guest, Supernatural writer Meghan Fitzmartin, who gives us the skinny on what it was like from the other side of the curtain on November 5, 2020, and who tells us all about her new fandom-centric comic book, Mary Sue (available now from BOOM! Box). Misha Collins' silly vocal choices, Russian autocrats shipping Destiel, and the omegaverse galore. Plus, lots of discussion of needing characters to just KISS already! Promo Codes Aim High Brooch Designs - For 25% off any order on Aim High Brooch Designs on Etsy, including a custom brooch, bag charm, keychain, or magnet design, use the promo code TWIFH. This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at @thisweekinfandomhistory You can support the show via our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thisweekinfandomhistory.  If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via our website. Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!

Earth's Mightiest Critics get "Stuckmannized" with a roundtable review of Shelby Oaks!OG YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann makes his feature debut with a horror movie about a woman's desperate search for her long-lost sister. The quest becomes an obsession upon realizing that the imaginary demon from their childhood may have been real.The film debuted at 2024's Fantasia International Film Fest and, after some retooling under the guidance of horror producer extraordinaire, Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck), Shelby Oaks recently opened in wide release under the Neon banner.How does this found footage-inspired throwback play in the modern horror marketplace? Is there more merit to Shelby Oaks than the novelty of its creator's journey from online critic to studio-backed artiste? Most important of all: is it scary?Join us as we determine if Shelby Oaks is the hottest piece of undiscovered cinema real estate around--or if genre fans should gun it past the exit.We also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!As part of Scare-a-Thon 2025, this episode will benefit the International Rescue Committee, so please share with your fiends and family--and get involved with IRC here!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Shelby Oaks (2025) trailer.Speaking of Horror 101 w/ Dr. AC, this week's profile of horror podcasters features...Ian! Catch it here!Ian also joined Mike Crowley on the YPA Reviews podcast to discuss "Movies That Make us Grateful"!Cati recently stopped by the CinemaJaw Podcast to talk about the "Best Horror Movies of the 2000's". Check it out!And as mentioned in the show, Cati just got back from some INCREDIBLE horror conventions. Learn more about them and mark your calendars for 2026!Nightmares Film Festival Telluride Horror ShowAnd if you're in Chicago on Wednesday, November 12, swing by the Davis Theatre to see Cati's performance in the short film "Script Tease"--as part of the Windy City Film Fest!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Our October piece is part essay/part excerpt: Meghan Fitzmartin, who's written for DC Comics, Supernatural, and many other fan-favorite properties, has published an indie comic, Mary Sue, about—you guessed it!—a fanfiction writer. While the essay is a standalone text you should be able to listen to just fine here, we highly recommend heading over to the piece itself to see excerpts from Mary Sue's first issue! "Reclaiming the Mary Sue" by Meghan Fitzmartin. My new comic interrogates the continued bias against Mary Sues—and brings one life. Read the whole piece: https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/reclaiming-the-mary-sue/

On today's episode, we welcome comic writer Meghan Fitzmartin to the show to chat with us about her new comic Mary Sue, life on a boat, the best in British grease food, Nightwing's bodacious buttocks, and much more. Follow Meghan on Instagram!Check out Meghan's website for the latest news. Buy Meghan's Mary Sue comic !Celebrate Bullseye's 25th Anniversary.Order Jordan's new Predator comic: Black, White & Blood!Pre-order Jordan's new Venom comic!Donate to Al Otro Lado.Buy signed copies of *Youth Group* and *Bubble* from Mission: Comics And Art!~ NEW JJGo MERCH ~Cast your vote for your favorite dinosaur now through Oct 30 with new limited-edition Dino-Merch!Get our new ‘Ack Tuah' shirt in the Max Fun store.Grab an ‘Ack Tuah' mug!The Maximum Fun Bookshop!Follow the podcast on Instagram and send us your dank memes!Check out Jesse's thrifted clothing store, Put This On.Follow beloved former producer, Steven Ray Morris, on Instagram.Follow new producer, Jordan Kauwling, on Instagram.Listen to See Jurassic Right!

Bust out the coffee and No-Doz, and get ready to stay up late with Earth's Mightiest Critics!The entire Nightmare on Elm Street series recently made its 4K debut, and we're gearing up for a triple-feature roundtable review of the "Dream Warriors Trilogy". Parts 3, 4, and 5 of the fiendish Freddy franchise centers on the few remaining sleep-deprived Springwood teens whose nocturnal hours are haunted by an undead killer with a wit as sharp as his single metal glove.From the hospital to the high school, from a nunnery to ninety-miles-an-hour nightmares, this intricately connected saga captures the horror juggernaut at its peak popularity--and chronicles its rapid decline. Join us for a sweater-sportin', spoilerific celebration of the unkillable Krueger--and the fierce final girls who loved to beat him!We'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!And because it's Scary Season, Kicking the Seat has teamed once again with Horror 101 with Dr. AC to help out a worthy cause! We'll donate all SuperChat proceeds from our Dream Warriors Trilogy livestream to this year's Scare-a-Thon partner, the International Rescue Committee!You can learn more, get involved, here!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the A Nightmare on Elm Street 4K Collection trailer: https://youtu.be/jshAQETajAo?si=bx94m_PJt_JI9s9_You can pick up the Nightmare on Elm Street 4K Collection now, courtesy of Warner Bros. https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/nightmare-elm-street-7-film-collectionThe Scare-a-Thon continues on Kicking the Seat, with these chilling upcoming livestreams:Accademia Giallo: The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (10/26 at 2pm CST)Shelby Oaks (10/29 at 8pm CST)As mentioned in the show, Ian recently appeared on Mark's Spoiler Room Podcast to discuss A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors! Also, Bryan found this crazy Instagram Reel of rapping Horror icons, called "Straight Outta Springwood"!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.Enter The Giallo Room with Bryan Martinez…if you dare!And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

This week its just Vargas and Mike. We'll talk about what we're feeling FOMO about from NYCC, along with a heap of first issues. Aside from the books in the title we'll talk Iron & Frost, Sinister's Six, Rogue Storm, Marian Heretic, Mary Sue, and Hector Plasm!

Featured Extras returns with a look at Warner Bros' recently released 4K UHD of F1: THE MOVIE!Joseph Kosinski's blockbuster racing film was a much bigger hit overseas than domestically, but one of the year's best movies is now on home video--bringing with it a handful of fascinating special features.Ian has assembled a crack pit crew to talk about the various making-of segments, centering on the exciting practical-effects innovations that helped bring the film to life!Note: There was an issue with Ian's microphone while recording the segment, so there's a "talking into the room" quality to his audio.Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:kickseat.comXLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the F1: The Movie (2025) trailer.You can pick up F1: The Movie on 4K UHD, courtesy of Warner Bros! Watch Earth's Mightiest Critics' full roundtable review of F1: The Movie! Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

This episode offers everything you've ever wanted to know about The Lion King and then some. It's basically a free Shakespeare class. Plus, why music makes you feel certain ways and the Mary Sue character in the new Star Wars movies. Enjoy!

This week, our friends Jordan Morris and Meghan Fitzmartin join Dave for Riverdale musicals, New Yorker cartoon captioning, and some good ol fashioned comic book knowledge bidding.Meghan Fitzmartin would like to plug Mary Sue and recommends Marian Heretic, both out October 8thJordan Morris would like to plug Predator Black White and Blood 4, Venom 252, and recommends Celebrity Family FeudAnd finally Dave is on Bluesky! Find us on Instagram and BlueskyWritten by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts, recorded remotely over Zoom and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher.Join the MaxFun fam:maximumfun.org/join