Podcast appearances and mentions of Michael Newman

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed breakdown the latest news on their new Skewedcast Episode. 00:00 Summer Game Fest/Xbox Showcase 14:55 Star Trek Strange New Worlds 22:47 Disney buyout of Hulu 29:06 Theme Park News 32:41 SAG tentative agreement

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed preview the upcoming Summer Game shows and review the news in the Predator, Horror, Alien, and Marvel Universes 00:00 News 01:45 Summer game shows 15:30 Predator Killer of Killers 17:10 Alien news 32:53 Marvel missing from SDCC 41:00 Horror News 46:00 Halloween Horror Nights

In this week's episode, I take a look at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Winter and Spring 2025. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebook versions of my anthologies at my Payhip store: JUNE25 The coupon code is valid through June 17, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 252 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May 23rd, 2025, and today we are looking at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Winter and Spring 2025. We missed doing an episode last week for the simple reason that the day before I wanted to record, we had a bad thunderstorm that knocked down large portions of my fence, so my recording time was instead spent on emergency fence repair. However, the situation is under control, so hopefully we'll be back to weekly episodes for the immediate future. And now before we get to our main topics, let's have Coupon of the Week and then a progress update on my current writing projects.   So first up, Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebook version of all my short story anthologies at my Payhip store and that is JUNE25. As always, the coupon code and links will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through June the 17th, 2025, so if you need a new ebook for this summer, we have got you covered.   And now an update on my current writing projects. Ghost in the Corruption is finished. It is publishing right now. In fact, I paused the publishing process to record this and so by the time this episode goes live, hopefully Ghost in the Corruption should be available at all ebook stores. My next main project now that Ghost in the Corruption is done will be Shield of Power and as of this recording I am 15,000 words into it. My secondary projects will be Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest and I'm 97,000 words into that, so hopefully that will come out very shortly after Shield of Power and I'll also be starting Ghost in the Siege, the final book in the Ghost Armor series as another secondary project and I'm currently zero words into that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing projects.   In audiobook news, Ghost in the Assembly (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) is now out and should be available at all the usual audiobook stores so you can listen to that if you are traveling for the summer. Recording of Shield of Battle (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) is underway soon. I believe he's starting it this week, so hopefully we will have another audiobook in the Shield War series for you before too much longer. So that's where I'm at with my current writing projects.   00:02:17 Main Topic: Winter/Spring 2025 Movie Roundup   And now let's move on, without any further ado, to our main topic. Summer is almost upon us, which means it's time for my Winter/Spring 2025 Movie Roundup. As usual, the movies and streaming shows are listed in order for my least favorite to my most favorite. The grades are based upon my own thoughts and opinions and are therefore wholly subjective. With all of that said, let's get to the movies and our first entry is MacGruber, which came out in 2010 and in all honesty, this might be objectively the worst movie I have ever seen. The Saturday Night Live MacGruber sketches are a parody of the old MacGyver action show from the ‘80s. And so the movie is essentially the sketch stretched out to make a parody of an ‘80s action movie. It is aggressively dumb and crude. Its only redeeming feature is that the movie knows it's quite stupid and so leans into the stupidity hard. I'll say this in its favor, MacGruber has no pretensions that is a good movie and does not take itself seriously and then runs away hard with that fact. For that he gets a plus, but nothing else. Overall grade: F+   Next up is Down Periscope, which came out in 1996. Now the fundamental question of any movie is the one Russell Crowe shouted at the audience in Gladiator: “Are you not entertained?” Sadly, I was not entertained with Down Periscope. This wanted to be a parody of Cold War era submarine thrillers like The Hunt for Red October, I say wanted because it didn't really succeed. Kelsey Grammer plays Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge, an unorthodox US Navy officer who wants command of his own nuclear sub, but he's alienated a few admirals, which is not traditionally a path to career advancement in the military. Dodge gets his chance in a Navy wargame where he has to command a diesel sub against nuclear subs. Sometimes parodies are so good that they become an example of the thing they are parodying (Hot Fuzz and Star Trek: Lower Decks are excellent examples of this phenomenon). The trouble is that the movie takes itself too seriously and just isn't all that funny. A few funny bits, true, but not enough of them. In the end, this was dumb funny but didn't resonate with me the way other dumb funny movies like Dodgeball and Tropic Thunder did. Overall grade: D   Next up is Deadpool and Wolverine, which came out in 2024. Unlike Down Periscope, I was entertained with this movie, though both movies reside on the dumb funny spectrum. Deadpool and Wolverine is basically one long meta in-joke/love letter for the last 30 years of superhero movies. If you've seen enough of those movies, you'll find those movies funny, if occasionally rather tasteless. If you haven't seen enough of those movies, Deadpool and Wolverine will just be incomprehensible. The plot is that Wade Wilson AKA Deadpool gets pulled into some Marvel style multiverse nonsense. To save his universe from destruction, he needs to recruit a Wolverine since in his universe, Wolverine died heroically.   In the process, Deadpool stumbles across the worst Wolverine in the multiverse. Together they have to overcome their mutual dislike and attempt to save Deadpool's universe from destruction at the hands of a rogue branch of the Time Variance Authority. This means the movie can bring in a lot of cameos from past Marvel films. Hugh Jackman's performance really carries the movie on its back. Like I said, this movie is essentially one very long Marvel in-joke. I thought it was funny. I definitely think it can't stand on its own without having seen a sufficient number of the other Marvel movies. Overall grade: C   Our next movie is the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which came out in 2024. This is very loosely (with an emphasis on “very”) based on Operation Postmaster during World War II, when British Special Forces seized some Italian ships that had been supplying parts for German U-boats. It was entertaining to watch but it couldn't quite make up its mind tonally if it was a war thriller or a heist movie about Western desperados recruited into a crew. It kind of tried to do both at the same time, which killed the momentum. Like, the first parts of the movie where the protagonists take out a Nazi patrol boat and then free a prisoner from a base were good thriller stuff, but then the plot fused with the heist stuff and really slowed down through the middle forty percent or so. It was also oddly stylized with a lot of spaghetti western-style music that seemed out of place and some stuff just didn't make sense, like at the end after pulling off the mission, the protagonists were all arrested. That just seems bizarre since if anything, Winston Churchill and a lot of the British wartime leadership were enthusiastic about special operations and probably had too much confidence in the effectiveness of covert operations. So I did enjoy watching this, but I can see why it didn't make a lot of money at the box office. Overall Grade: C   Next up is The Gorge, which came out in 2025. This was a peculiar mix of science fiction, romance, and horror. For the romance part, perhaps shooting zombies together is a good idea for a first date. Before I dig into the movie, a brief rant. In one scene, a character is using a chainsaw with no protective gear whatsoever and she's not fighting zombies or anything in a situation where she has to pick up a chainsaw without preparing first. She's trimming branches to pass time. If you're using a chainsaw, at a minimum you want protective eyewear and headphones. Ideally you'd want chainsaw pants as well to reduce the chance of serious injury if you slip and swing the saw into your leg. Since I became a homeowner, I've used a chainsaw a number of times and believe me, you definitely want good eye and ear protection. This has been your public safety announcement for this movie review.   Anyway, loner former sniper Levi is approached by a high ranking intelligence officer giving him a mysterious job. He needs to guard a tower overlooking a mysterious mist-filled gorge for one year. On the other side of the gorge is another tower, guarded by an elite Lithuanian sniper named Drasa. Like Levi, Drasa has a fair bit of emotional damage and they're officially forbidden to communicate. However, they're both lonely and they soon start communicating over the gorge using telescopes and whiteboard messages. Eventually Levi gets emotionally close enough to Drasa to rig a zipline to cross the gorge and speak with her in person.   Unfortunately, it turns out the gorge is full of twisted creatures that storm out and attack and the job of the two snipers is to keep them contained. If Levi and Drasa want to save their lives, they'll need to unravel the dark secret within the gorge. This movie was interesting and I enjoyed watching it, but it falls apart if you think about it too much (or at all). Like the chainsaw thing I ranted about above. The entire movie runs on that sort of logic. That said, I appreciate how the filmmakers were trying something new instead of something like Deadpool and Wolverine. Additionally, this was an Apple+ movie and it's interesting how Apple's approach to streaming is to just make a whole bunch of random stuff that's totally distinct, from Ted Lasso to Mythic Quest to Severance to The Gorge. It's like, “we have more money than most countries, so we're going to make Ted Lasso because we feel like it.” Then again, Apple+ is apparently losing a billion dollars every year, so maybe they'll eventually change their minds about that approach. Overall Grade: B-   Next up is Click, which came out in 2006. Cross It's a Wonderful Life with A Christmas Carol and the comedic style of Adam Sandler and you end up with Click. Basically Sandler plays Michael Newman, a workaholic architect with a demanding boss and increasingly strained relationship with his wife and children due to his workload. In a fit of exasperation with his situation, he goes to Bed Bath and Beyond, where he encounters an eccentric employee named Morty (played entertainingly by Christopher Walken). Morty gives him a remote control that lets him fast forward through time, which Michael then uses to skip the boring and tedious parts of his life, but he overuses the remote and goes too far into the future and sees the disastrous results of his current life choices. Definitely a story used in A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life but effectively told and I was entertained (rather on the crude side, though). Overall Grade: B- Next up is Mr. Deeds, which came out in 2002. This was actually one of Adam Sandler's better movies, in my opinion. It was a remake of the ‘30s movie Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. In this new version, Sandler plays Longfellow Deeds, a popular pizzeria owner in a small New Hampshire town. Unbeknownst to Deeds, his uncle is the owner of a major media mega corporation and when he dies, Deeds is his legal heir. When the company's CEO and chief lawyer arrive at the pizzeria to inform him of this fact, Deeds goes to New York and soon finds himself involved in the CEO's sinister machinations. Yet he happens to rescue an attractive woman from a mugger, but there is more to her than meets the eye. The movie was funny and not as crude, well, not quite as crude as some of Sandler's other stuff. It had good story structure and several great lines, my favorite of which was “he was weak and cowardly and wore far too much cologne.”   Sandler's movies, in a strange way, are often very medieval. Like various medieval fables had a savvy peasant outwitting pompous lords, greedy merchants, and corrupt clergymen. The best Adam Sandler protagonist tends to be a good natured everyman who defeats the modern equivalent of medieval authority figures- evil CEOs, arrogant star athletes, sinister bureaucrats and so forth. Overall Grade: B     Next up is House of David, which came out in 2025 and this is basically the story of King David from the Bible told in the format of an epic fantasy TV series. Like if someone wanted to do an epic fantasy series about Conan the Barbarian, it could follow the same stylistic format as this show. And of course Conan and David followed a similar path from adventurer to king. Anyway, if one were to pick a part of the Bible from which to make a movie or TV series, the story of David would be an excellent choice because David's life was so dramatic that it would hardly require any embellishments in the adaptation. The story is in the Books of First and Second Samuel. King Saul is ruling over the Israelites around 1000 BC or so, but has grown arrogant. Consequently, God instructs the prophet Samuel to inform Saul that the kingdom will be taken away from him and given to another. God then dispatches Samuel to anoint David as the new king of Israel. David is a humble shepherd but then enters Saul's service and undertakes feats of daring, starting with defeating the giant Goliath and leading Saul's troops to victory and battle against Israel's numerous enemies. (The Iron Age Middle East was even less peaceful than it is now.) Eventually, Saul's paranoia and madness gets the best of him and he turns on David, who flees into exile. After Saul and his sons are killed in battle with the Philistines. David returns and becomes the acknowledged king after a short civil war with Saul's surviving sons and followers.   If Saul's fatal flaw was his arrogance of pride, David's seems to have been women. While the story of David and Bathsheba is well known, David nonetheless had eight wives (most of them at the same time) and an unknown but undoubtedly large number of concubines. Naturally David's children from his various wives and concubines did not get along and David was almost deposed due to the conflicts between his children. Unlike Saul and later David's son Solomon, David was willing to repent when a prophet of God informed him of wrongdoing and to be fair to David, monogamy was generally not practiced among Early Iron Age Middle Eastern monarchies and dynastic struggles between brothers from different mothers to seize their father's kingdoms were quite common, but enough historical digression.   Back to the show, which covered David's life up to the death of Goliath. I thought it was quite well done. Good performances, good cinematography, excellent battles, good set design and costuming, and a strong soundtrack. All the actors were good, but I really think the standout performances were Stephen Lang as Samuel, Ali Sulaman is King Saul, Ayelet Zurer as Saul's wife Queen Ahinoam, and Davood Ghadami as David's jerkish (but exasperated and well-intentioned) eldest brother Eliab. Martyn Ford just looks extremely formidable as Goliath. You definitely believe no one in their right mind want to fight this guy.   Making fiction of any kind based on sacred religious texts is often tricky because no matter what you do, someone's going to get mad at you. The show has an extensive disclaimer at the beginning of each episode saying that it is fiction inspired by the Bible. That said, House of David doesn't really alter or deviate from the Biblical account, though it expands upon some things for the sake of storytelling. Queen Ahinoam is only mentioned once in the Bible as the wife of Saul, but she has an expanded role in the show and is shown as the one who essentially introduces Saul to the Witch of Endor. Goliath also gets backstory as one of the “Anakim,” a race of giants that lived in Canaan in ancient times, which is something that is only mentioned in passing in the Old Testament. Overall, I enjoyed the show and I hope it gets a second season.   What's interesting, from a larger perspective, is to see how the wheel of history keeps turning. In the 1950s and the 1960s, Biblical epics were a major film genre. The 10 Commandments and Ben Hur with Charlton Heston are probably the ones best remembered today. Eventually, the genre just sort of ran out of gas, much the way superhero movies were in vogue for about 20 years and began running out of steam around 2023 or so. Like, I enjoyed Thunderbolts (which we're going to talk about in a little bit), but it's not going to make a billion dollars the way Marvel stuff often did in the 2010s. The wheel just keeps turning and perhaps has come back around to the popularity of Biblical epics once more. Overall Grade: A   Next up is Chef, which came out in 2014. I actually saw this back in 2021, but I watched it again recently to refresh my memory and here are my thoughts. I quite liked it. It's about a chef named Carl Casper, who's increasingly unhappy with his work after he gets fired over a Twitter war with a writer who criticized his cooking. Carl is out of options and so he starts a food truck and has to both rediscover his love of cooking and reconnect with his ex-wife and 10-year-old son. In Storytelling: How to Write a Novel (my book about writing), I talked about different kinds of conflict. Carl's conflict is an excellent example of an entirely internal conflict. The critic is an external enemy, but he's basically the inciting incident.   Carl's real enemy is his own internal conflict about art versus commerce and a strained relationship with his son. I recommend the movie. It was rated R for bad language, but there's no nudity or explicit sexual content and honestly, if you've ever worked in a restaurant kitchen or a warehouse, you've heard much worse in terms of language. The movie also has an extremely valuable lesson: stay off social media when you're angry. Overall Grade: A     Next up is Thunderbolts, which came out in 2025 and I thought this was pretty good, both very dark and yet with quite a lot of humor to balance the darkness. Former assassin Yelena Belova has been working as a mercenary for the sinister director of the CIA, Valentina de Fontaine (now there's a villain name if there ever was one). Yelena has grown disillusioned with her life and career and is suffering from increasing depression since she never really dealt with the death of her sister. Valentina promises her one last job, only for Yelena to realize that Valentina decided to dispose of all her freelance contractors at once, which includes US Agent and Ghost (previously seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Antman and the Wasp). In the process of escaping Valentina's trap, Yelena stumbles across a mysterious man who identifies himself as Bob, who has no memory of how he got there, but shows increasingly unusual abilities. Yelena wants to deal with Valentina's betrayal, but it turns out one of Valentina's science projects has gotten out of control and is threatening the world. The movie was well constructed enough that it didn't rely too heavily on previous Marvel continuity. It was there, but you probably wouldn't be lost without it. It almost feels like Marvel looked at the stuff they did the last couple of years and said, okay, a lot of this didn't work, but makes great raw material for new things. It helped that the central conflict was in the end, very human and about the characters, not stopping a generic villain from getting a generic doomsday device. Overall Grade: A   Next up is The Hound of the Baskervilles, which came out in 1988. This is a movie length episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes television series, which had Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson. The plot deals with Sir Henry Baskerville, the American heir to an English manor set in the Windswept moors of Dartmoor. Apparently there's an ancestral curse laid over the Baskerville estate that manifests in the form of a spectral hound. Local rumors hold that the previous holder of the manor, Sir Charles Baskerville, was killed by the ghostly hound and many of the local people fear it. The local physician, Dr. Mortimer, is so worried about the hound that he comes to Sherlock Holmes for help. Holmes, of course, is skeptical of any supernatural explanation and soon becomes worried that an extremely subtle and sinister murderer is stalking Sir Henry.   Jeremy Brett's version of Holmes is, in my opinion, the best portrayal of the character and Edward Hardwicke's version of Watson is a calm, reliable man of action who sensibly takes a very large revolver with him when going into danger. Definitely worth watching, Overall grade: A   Next up is Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which came out in 2024. The 2020s have been a downer of a decade in many ways, but on the plus side, between Super Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog, people have finally figured out how to make good video game movies, so we've got that going for us. Sonic 3 was an excellent kids movie, as were the first two in the trilogy. In this one Sonic is living with Knuckles and Tails under the care of their human friends Tom and Maddy, but then a dark secret emerges. The government has been keeping a Superpowered hedgehog named Shadow in stasis and Shadow has broken out. It's up to Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails to save the day.   Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik is in a funk after his defeat at Sonic's hands in the last movie, but then his long lost grandfather, Gerald Robotnik returns seeking the younger Dr. Robotnik's help in his own sinister plans. Keanu Reeves was great as Shadow (think John Wick if he was a superpowered space hedgehog in a kid's movie). Jim Carrey famously said he would retire from acting unless a golden script came along and apparently that golden script was playing Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his evil grandfather Gerald. To be fair, both the Robotniks were hilarious.   It is amusing that Sonic only exists because in the 1990s, Sega wanted a flagship video game character that won't get them sued by either Nintendo or Disney. It is also amusing that the overall message of the Sonic movies seems to be not to trust the government. Overall Grade: A   Next up is Paddington in Peru, which came out in 2024. This is also an excellent kids' movie. In this installment, Paddington has settled into London with the Brown family and officially become a UK citizen. However, he receives a letter from Peru that his Aunt Lucy has mysteriously disappeared into the jungle. Distraught, Paddington and the Browns set off for Peru at once. Adventures ensue involving mysterious lost treasure, a crazy boat captain, and an order of singing nuns who might not quite be what they appear. Anyway, it's a good kids' movie. I think Paddington 2 was only slightly better because Hugh Grant as the chief villain, crazy actor Phoenix Buchanan, was one of those lightning in the bottle things like Heath Ledger as the Joker in the Dark Knight. Overall Grade: A   Now for the two best things I saw in Winter/Spring 2025. The first of them is Andor Season Two, which came out in 2025. Star Wars kind of has an age range the way Marvel stuff does now. What do I mean by that? In the Marvel comics and some of the TV series like Jessica Jones, they get into some really dark and heavy stuff, very mature themes. The MCU movies can have some darkness to them, but not as much because they're aiming at sort of escapist adventures for the general audience. Then there are kid shows like Spidey and Friends that a relative of mine just loved when he was three. You wouldn't at all feel comfortable showing a 3-year-old Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but Spidey and Friends is just fine.   Star Wars now kind of has that age range to its stuff and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you want to see a dark meditation upon human nature. Sometimes you need something kid friendly to occupy the kids you're babysitting and sometimes you just want to relax and watch Mando and Baby Yoda mow down some space pirates or something. All that said, Andor Season Two is some of the darkest and the best stuff that Star Wars has ever done. It successfully shifts genres from Escapist Pulp Space Fantasy to a gritty Political/Espionage Thriller. We in the audience know that the emperor is a Sith Lord who can use Evil Space Magic and wants to make himself immortal, but that fact is totally irrelevant to the characters. Even though some of the characters are high ranking in their respective organizations, this is essentially a “ground's eye” view of the Rebellion and life under the Empire.   In some ways, this is like Star Wars' version of Wolf Hall (which we're going to talk about shortly), in that we know how it ends already, but the dramatic tension comes from the harrowing emotional journey the characters undertake on the way to their inevitable destinations. Cassian Andor is now working for the nascent Rebellion under the direction of ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael. Mon Mothma is in the Imperial Senate, covertly funneling money to the Rebellion and realizing just how much the Rebellion will require of her before the end. Syril Karn, the ineffective corporate cop from Season One, has fallen in love with the ruthless secret police supervisor Dedra Meero, but he's unaware that Director Krennic has ordered Meero to manufacture a false flag incident on the planet Gorman so the planet can be strip-mined for resources to build the Death Star and Dedra has decided to use Syril to help accomplish it. All the actors do amazing jobs with their roles. Seriously, this series as actors really should get at least one Emmy. Speaking of Director Krennic, Ben Mendelson returns as Orson Krennic, who is one of my favorite least favorite characters, if you get my drift. Krennic is the oily, treacherous middle manager we've all had to deal with or work for at some point in our lives, and Mendelson plays him excellently. He's a great villain, the sort who is ruthless to his underlings and thinks he can manipulate his superiors right up until Darth Vader starts telekinetically choking him. By contrast, the villain Major Partagaz (played by Anton Lesser) is the middle manager we wish we all had - stern but entirely fair, reasonable, and prizes efficiency and good work while despising office drama. Unfortunately, he works for the Empire's secret police, so all those good qualities are in the service of evil and therefore come to naught. Finally, Episode Eight is one of the most astonishing episodes of TV I've ever seen. It successfully captures the horror of an episode of mass violence and simultaneously has several character arcs reach their tumultuous climax and manages to be shockingly graphic without showing in a lot of actual blood. Andor was originally supposed to be five seasons, but then Peak Streaming collapsed, and so the remaining four seasons were compressed down to one. I think that was actually to the show's benefit because it generates some amazing tension and there's not a wasted moment. Overall Grade: A+   Now for the second of my two favorite things I saw, and that would be Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, which came out in 2024, but I actually saw it in 2025. This is a dramatization of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall novels about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, who is King Henry VIII's chief lieutenant during the key years of the English Reformation. The first series came out in 2015, but the nine year gap between this and between the second series and the first series actually works quite well since Thomas Cromwell looks like he ages nine years in a single year (which may be what actually happened given how stressful working for someone like Henry VIII must have been). Anyway, in The Mirror and the Light, Cromwell has successfully arranged the downfall and execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry's previous queen. Though Cromwell is haunted by his actions, Henry still needs a queen to give him a male heir, so he marries Jane Seymour. Cromwell must navigate the deadly politics of the Tudor Court while trying to push his Protestant views of religion, serve his capricious master Henry, fend off rivals for the King's favor, and keep his own head attached to his shoulders in the process. Since Cromwell's mental state is deteriorating due to guilt over Anne's death and the downfall of his former master Cardinal Wolsey and Henry's a fickle and dangerous master at the best of times, this is an enterprise that is doomed to fail. Of course, if you're at all familiar with the history of Henry's reign and the English reformation, you know that Cromwell's story does not have a happy ending. Rather, Wolf Hall is a tragedy about a talented man who didn't walk away from his power until it was too late and he was trapped. Anyway, in my opinion, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light was just excellent. All the performances were superb. Mark Rylance is great as Cromwell and has some excellent “WTF/I'm SO screwed” expressions as Cromwell's situation grows worse and worse. Bernard Hill played the Duke of Norfolk in the first series, but sadly died before Series Two, so Timothy Spall steps in and he does an excellent job of channeling Hill's portrayal of the Duke as an ambitious, crude-humored thug.   Damien Lewis is amazing as Henry VIII and his performance captures Henry's mixture of charisma, extreme vindictiveness, and astonishing self-absorption. The real Henry was known for being extremely charming even to the end of his life, but the charm was mixed with a volcanic temper that worsened as Henry aged and may have been exacerbated by a severe head injury. Lewis's performance can shift from that charm to the deadly fury in a heartbeat. The show rather cleverly portrays Henry's growing obesity and deteriorating health by having Lewis wear a lot of big puffy coats and limp with an impressively regal walking stick.   Overall, I would say this and Andor were the best thing I saw in Winter/Spring 2025. I wouldn't say that Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is an accurate historical reputation. In real life, Cromwell was rather more thuggish and grasping (though far more competent than his rivals and his master) and of necessity the plot simplifies historical events, but it's just a superb historical drama. Overall Grade: A+ As a final note, I should say that of all the 2024 and 2025 movies mentioned here, the only one that actually saw in the theater was Thunderbolts, and I hadn't actually planned to see it in theaters, but a family member unexpectedly bought tickets for it, so I went along. Which I suppose is the movie industry's biggest problem right now. The home viewing experience is often vastly superior to going to the theater. The theater has the big screen and snacks, but at home you can have a pretty nice setup and you can pause whatever you want, go to the bathroom, and you can get snacks for much more cheaply. That's just much more comfortable than the movie theater.   Additionally, going to the theater has the same serious problem as booking a flight in that you're an enclosed space with complete strangers for several hours, which means you're potentially in a trust fall with idiots. All it takes is one person behaving badly or trying to bring their fake service dog to ruin or even cancel a flight, and the theater experience has much of the same problem, especially since the standards for acceptable public behavior have dropped so much from a combination of widespread smartphone adoption and COVID. The difference between the movie industry and the airline industry is that if you absolutely have to get from New York to Los Angeles in a single day, you have no choice but to book a flight and hope for the best. But if you want to see a movie and are willing to exercise some patience, you just have to wait a few months for it to turn up on streaming. I'm not sure how the movie industry can battle that, but sadly, it is much easier to identify problems than to solve them.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe, stay healthy, and see you all next week.

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed break down the new Superman trailer and the latest news from Alien Earth and more. They also discuss the new Final Destination movie, Theme Park News and more on the new Skewedcast. 00:00 Superman Trailer, trailer news 09:00 Final Destinations Bloodlines 16:02 Alien: Earth news / Upcoming TV series 25:17 AMC news 34:45 Amusement Park news

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the latest entertainment news and updates about cancelled projects. 00:00 Phoenix Fan Fusion Announcement 08:09 Sgt Rock cancelled 17:36 Titanfall 3 / Respawn EA layoff 27:35 Blade Runner game cancelled 35:53 4 million oblivion remastered 41:44 Thunderbolts* release / Avengers Doomsday

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the new Predator trailer Thunderbolt*, and The X-Files 00:00 Predator Badlands Preview 14:24 Thunderbolts 18:18 Reboot of X-files

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed preview Star Wars Celebration and the announced return of some big publishers to PAX East. They also discuss the pending look at CinemaCon trailers.

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed recap CinemaCon and discuss the changes in the movie industry. They then discuss the two new Predator films.

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewedand Reviewed discuss the latest entertainment news. 00:00 WonderCon update 06:36 CinemaCon WB news 22:52 GTA VI 29:11 Last of Us 32:14 Marvel / Netflix crossover

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at upcoming movies as well as game news and more. 00:00 News and Reviews 03:00 Most anticipated films of Summer 12:00 Saw Franchise News 32:00 QuakeCon 2025

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Skewed and Reviewed talk the last game, movie, television, and entertainment news on the latest Skewedcast.

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the hottest entertainment news of the week. 01:15 Season 2 Twisted Metal 05:22 Johnny Cage Mortal Kombat 2 reveal 10:32 5th Element Animated 19:09 Friday the 13th stream series 28:33 Sony State of Play 39:02 Southern California theme park news

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Rev. Michael Newman joins host Elizabeth Pittman as the guest to talk about his recently released book with CPH, Faith Notes: A Christ-Centered Survival Kit for Young Men. Mike talks with Elizabeth about the struggles young men face today, from isolation to peer pressure and bullying. He tells listeners how his new book (the companion to Faith Notes: A Christ-Centered Survival Kit for Young Womenby Cassie Moore) contains devotions that point young men to the hope that can only be found in Jesus.   Learn more and get the book at cph.org/faith-notes.  Show NotesAnxiety. Isolation. Bullying. Faced with issues like these, where can teen boys turn? They can turn to God. During the episode, author Mike Newman tells listeners how his book, Faith Notes: A Christ-Centered Survival Kit for Young Men, features nearly 100 devotions on topics like these, pointing youth to God's truth, showing them God's forgiveness and hope, and steering them toward Christ. Devotional topics include anxiety, mistakes, family and home life, purity, relationships, and more. Mike also delves into his experiences as a pastor and father and how these shaped his insight in the book, advice he has for young men who feel disconnected from God, why he chose the format he did for the book, and more. QuestionsHow did your experiences as a pastor and parent shape the topics covered in the book?What are some of the biggest struggles you see young men facing today?The book covers difficult topics like anxiety and pornography—how do you approach these issues with grace and biblical guidance?Why did you choose the format of short reflections with space to write or sketch?How do you hope young men will engage with this book—individually, in small groups, or with mentors?What advice would you give to a young man who feels disconnected from God and struggles to trust in Him?The title calls this a “survival kit”—how does this devotional equip young men to navigate today's world?What feedback have you received from young men, parents, or youth leaders about this book?About the GuestWhen not teaching and writing, Michael W. Newman enjoys running the Texas roads, reading a good book, and spending time with his family. He is husband to Cindy, father to two beautiful daughters, and grandpa to a brood of wonderful grandchildren.

Our new show is here and Justin, Michael and I look at the news of the week. 00:00 Gaming News 02:30 Fantastic 4, Jurassic World Rebirth news 19:58 Sony PS6 rumors

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed discuss the rumor of console exclusives ending and also talk about the rumored movies and shows that will be revealed during the Big Game.

Our latest Skewedcast episode is here and Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed finish their CES recap and preview the Xbox Live showcase. They then discuss the Razzie nominations and news on Doctor Strange and the upcoming Marvel film slate. 00:00 CES 25:25 Xbox Live Showcase 32:44 Razzies 38:20 Marvel News

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed recap their best and worst of 2024 in Movies and Games and look ahead to 2025.

The last episode of 2024 is here and Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the latest entertainment news. 00:00 Intro News 01:09 Star Wars updates 12:45 Switch 2 announcement 21:20 Dead Space 4

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the latest entertainment news. 00:00 News and Updates 01:00 Kraven the Hunter movie news 13:21 Chris Evans Avengers Doomsday 21:29 @ The Movies 2025 30:45 Mandalorian & Grogu Movie News 36:31 Video Game Awards

Gareth Justin and Michael at Skewedand Reviewed look at the latest entertainment news. 00:00 Call of Duty update news/ Game News 04:21 The Thing Remaster release 11:34 Disneyland 70th Anniversary 18:15 Borderlands 4 22:30 Entertainment News 33:46 Daredevil Born Again 37:56 Pirates of the Caribbean reboot

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at news from DC and Marvel as well as movie news and a Portable PS5 Rumors and open with their 2024 Holiday Gift Guide 00:00 Holiday Gift Guide 07:00 Highlander remake 13:17 Box office news 22:24 Latest Marvel news 37:14 DCU updates 45:57 Sony Portable News

Our new show is here and Justin, Michael, and I discuss Alien Earth, Marvel, DC, Box Office, and NBC News 00:00 News and Updates 01:30 Alien Earth and Alien Rogue Incursion 08:55 Comcast splitting off Universal / NBC brands 15:51 Box office news 25:17 Marvel reveals 33:25 DC reveals

Supercharge your startup's strategy! Learn how to effectively set performance targets, use AI tools for initial metrics, and align your team for ultimate market success. Plus, get insights on overcoming budget constraints and staying agile in a competitive landscape.And don't forget! You can crush your marketing strategy with just a few minutes a week by signing up for the StrategyCast Newsletter. You'll receive weekly bursts of marketing tips, clips, resources, and a whole lot more. Visit https://strategycast.com/ for more details.==Let's Break It Down==03:38 Use AI or peers to obtain performance metrics.07:12 Budget allocation based on impact and responsibility.10:35 Plan activities based on capacity and resources available.15:48 Focus on gaining customers, not just transactions.19:47 Refine ideal customer profile for targeted success.23:08 Real-time physical model enhances stakeholder collaboration.24:03 Realign objectives, establish credibility, reassess strategy.27:52 Objective alignment crucial for a cohesive model.==Where You Can Find Us==Website: https://strategycast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategy_cast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategycast==Leave a Review==Hey there, StrategyCast fans!If you've found our tips and tricks on marketing strategies helpful in growing your business, we'd be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover how they can elevate their business game!

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed discuss the news of a new Alien movie and two new Predator films as well as Star Trek News from NYCC, and Marvel and God of War news along with a report of New A.I. Use for Disney. 00:00 News and Reviews 05:24 Alien Romulus sequel announced 21:00 AI updates 23:53 Star Trek News 28:50 Marvel News 37:37 God of War TV series

Thursday Oct 24th, 2024My former radio consultant (now friend) Michael Newman shares his stories - including The Playhouse, Ebro, Mancow, and his thoughts on where radio is heading.Enjoy. The PK and DK Show LINKS!Home/PK and DK PLUS: PKandDK.comDiscord: https://discord.gg/VYhrfqKDY6Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/dailylaughsPROMO CODES!Podium: “PK and DK” for 20% off

Back in August, Newman told People magazine: "This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn't want, but it's brought me wisdom.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

NBA News, NFL News, MLB News, WNBA News, NHL News, CBS's Matlock, Ghosts, Elsbeth, NBC's Happy's Place, Nigth Court, Cartoon Network's Rick & Morty, A Farewell to Fernando Valenzuela, Michael Newman, Mitzi Gaynor, Daniel Hoh & Liam Payne. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/on-the-radar/support

Kyleigh Carpentieri delivers the entertainment news on: - Zayn Malik postponing the U.S. leg of his tour. - Harvey Weinstein being diagnosed with cancer. - Michael Newman's passing.

Hug time limits… Diddy not getting out of jail… Daniel Penny Trial begins… Retrial of Brett Hankison… ALDI Thanksgiving deal… A&W new root beer flavor… TGI Fridays closing stores... www.blazetv.com/jeffy Promo Code: Jeffy40 / $40 off ( as long as it lasts ) chewingthefat@theblaze.com Pizza Hut pop up… Pizza Hut free pizza?... Al Pacino wastes money... Rock Hall of Fame induction ceremony… Who Died Today: Paul Di'Anno 66 /Michael Newman 68… Hard Boiled eggs in the Bum… NBA begins… Tiger and Rory TGL starts in January… Disney finds replacement for Iger?... TWD is back… Joke of The Day… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed Discuss New Cancel Rules For Subscriptions, Horror Movies, And SAG-Aftra Resumes Video Game Talent Talks On A New Skewedcast

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed discuss the news on an Alien Isolation Sequel, Alien RPG Updates, Wicked, and the Top 100 Horror Films That Were recently listed. 00:00 ModMic Uni 2 review 03:22 Alien Isolation 2 announcement 21:05 Alien RPG update 27:45 Universal Pictures Wicked 36:00 Top 100 Horror List of all time

"I takt med at antallet af overlevende og flygtninge fra nazisternes dødslejre svinder bort, er det særligt påtrængende at bekæmpe Holocaust-forvrængninger." Sådan siger Michael Newman, talsmand for en britisk-jødisk menneskerettighedsgruppe. Han er forfærdet over den stærke fremvækst af folk, der udtrykker skepsis over for Holocaust. Tilsyneladende er stadig flere mennesker både i Europa og i USA i tvivl om, hvad der faktisk skete med jøderne under Anden Verdenskrig. Og samtidig er der politisk medvind til partier og politikere, som sår tvivl om nazisternes folkedrab eller placerer skylden for krigsudbruddet hos Winston Churchill og en "jødisk finanselite". Hvad er det historiefaglige belæg for denne Holocaust-fortrængning? Hvad er den politiske hensigt med at benægte eller relativisere seks millioner jøders død? Og hvordan bevidstgør man kommende generationer om, hvad der faktisk skete? Det er nogle af spørgsmålene i Kampen om historien, hvor Adam Holm taler med historiker og lektor ved Københavns Universitet Sofie Lene Bak og historiker og lektor ved Roskilde Universitet Claus Bundgård Christensen. I redaktionen: Nanna Sloth Skardhamar og Clara Faust Spies. Musik: Adi Zukanovic.

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed talk about Thunderbolts*, Robocop Returns, Star Wars And Assassins Creed Delays, And Knott's Scary Farm 00:00 Knotts Scary Farm 04:45 Thunderbolts trailer drop 16:41 Robocop Amazon series 26:13 Star Wars Delays 35:40 Ubisoft cancels Tokyo Game Show/Delays Assassins Creed

Why is it so difficult to "live in the moment"?  So often our mind is either in the past, focused on what didn't work out, who did us wrong, mistakes we've made, or in the future, thinking about our goals, what we're having for dinner later, or something bigger, like worrying about health or finances.  In this second part of the "Going to the Movies" series, we talk about the 2006 film "Click".  In the film, architect Michael Newman gets a universal remote control that controls a lot more than his TV - it controls time.  He uses it at work to cause light-hearted mischief and skip past minor inconveniences, but then starts missing significant milestones and storylines in his family's lives.  In this episode, I talk about the importance of being FULLY engaged in the present - making the most of each moment, loving your family, appreciating the things God has placed in your life. The only way we can be truly present in the moment and not let things steal us from being there is to surrender the past we can't change and trust God with the future that we can't control.  If living in the moment is something you've strived to do better, or if you're looking for ways to be more intentional about living "in the moment", give this week's episode a listen.

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the PS5 with an In-depth Breakdown and discuss entertainment and gaming news on a new Skewedcast. 00:00 News and Reviews 02:55 Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan 08:20 PlayStation 5 Pro 32:10 Halloween Park updates

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed Talk Star Wars and Marvel, Concord Fails To Take Flight And More on A New Skewedcast

Gareth, Justin, and Michael talk the latest news from Jurassic World to the PS5 Pro, Predator Franchise, Theme Parks, and More in their new Skewedcast. 00:00 Intro/News 02:28 Jurassic World: Rebirth 12:28 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 22:33 Predator : Badlands 27:40 PS5 Pro rumors 38:14 Upcoming Horror events

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed discuss Halloween Horror Nights, Gamescom, PAX West, John Wick 5, The Simpsons And A New Streaming Service On A New Skewedcast. 00:00 Universal Studios news and other updates 05:05 Gamescom 2024 15:45 PAX West returning to glory days? 26:08 Hellbreach: Vegas 28:00 Peacock John Wick Series and New John Wick movie in early production 35:18 Chick-fil-A streaming service 40:37 Simpsons news

Gareth and Justin at Skewed and Reviewed start the show with a look at video games, D23, Borderlands, and Doom news from Quakecon. Michael then joins to share his thoughts and the group discusses The negative reception for the Borderlands Movie, Rebel Moon, and Knotts Berry Farm.

Our new show is live and Gareth, Justin, and Michael look at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience, Recap SDCC and discuss Alien and Marvel news from the show. We also Preview Quakecon and talk news about the new version of Battlestar Galactica no longer being in production. 00:00 Convention News and Updates 04:55 SDCC recap / Alien Romulus 17:00 Alien: Rogue Incursion 28:25 Marvel SDCC announcements 41:46 Quakecon 2024 42:50 Battlestar Galactica Reboot

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the latest announcements for San Diego Comic-Con as well as the D233: The Ultimate Fan Experience. They then discuss possible Marvel and Star Wars news that may be announced. 00:00 Intro and News 02:00 SDCC Panels and Sneak Peek 17:40 D23 sneak peek 28:13 Summer Theater bounce back 34:55 Star Wars updates 40:21 SDCC Panel Part 2

Join us for an inspiring episode as we sit down with the dynamic duo, Michael and Basia Newman. This power couple combines their unique talents and experiences to create JerseyStyle, a LifeStyle brand dedicated to helping people live their best lives. Basia Newman, an elementary school teacher turned LifeStyle coach, shares her journey from a Business Administration graduate to an educator and co-CEO. Discover how her positive attitude and resilience have guided her through life's challenges, leading her to empower women and couples to build stronger relationships. Michael Newman, a renowned chef, culinary consultant, and certified life coach, opens up about his path to success. From being a Top 5 Finalist on MasterChef 11 to becoming a certified Matchmaker, Relationship, and Tantra Coach, Michael's story is one of passion and purpose. Hear how his upbringing and experiences have shaped him into the compassionate and genuine person he is today. Together, Michael and Basia share their defining moment—meeting each other in 2010—and how it transformed their lives. Learn about their life coaching practices, future events, and the driving force behind JerseyStyle. Don't miss this episode filled with love, inspiration, and practical advice for a happier, healthier life. For more info on CTM and DT3 Enterprises, visit www.davidtyreEe85.com Follow Catch The Moment Podcast on Instagram: @catchthemomentpodcast

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed discuss the new Superman Costume, The DC Cinematic Universe, SDCC, D23 Expo, The Fantastic Four, Tom Cruise Films and More on the new Skewedcast. 00:00 Intro 03:00 DCU Superman suit photos 11:57 Supergirl filming / DCU discussion 23:20 Fantastic 4 news 34:40 Tom Cruise news

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at some of the bigger news stories of the week from the world of Entertainment. Gamescom, Marvel Vs Capcom, The Boys, Resident Alien, Horror, Movie, Game news, and more as well as House of the Dragon and television as well as news from Disneyland. 00:00 News and Reviews 04:00 Gamescom News 11:00 Marvel vs Capcom 13:00 The Boys review scores 24:00 Resident Alien makes its move 28:00 horror news 49:25 Movie news

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed recap the Xbox Showcase and Ubisoft Forward from Summer Game Fest and discuss the purchase of Alamo Cinemas by Sony. They then break down reports of more issues with the Blade movie and close with a look at upcoming television shows to be excited about for Summer viewing. 00:00 Summer Gamefest News 22:00 Theater/Sony News 40:00 Marvel News 47:00 Upcoming shows to be excited about

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at the big game news as the Summer Game Fest Series Kicks Off and previews what is to come. They also look at Hollywood news and more. 00:00 Intro and News 01:10 Sony State of Play / Summer Gamefest 21:42 Moana 2 Trailer / Pixar reboots 34:14 Knives Out news / Jurassic World 37:00 Movie News

Gareth, Justin, and Michael discuss loads of news from the world of Entertainment on this weeks show. 00:00 News and Reviews 04:04 Blonde Phantom 11:20 Deadpool Wolverine 20:15 Club 33 25:51 Adam Wingard is not to direct the next Godzilla film 34:30 Star Trek Franchise / Dexter 37:14 Pay-per-view The Fall guy

Gareth, Justin, and Michael at Skewed and Reviewed look at several new entertainment stories of the week in movies, games, and television. 00:00 News and Reviews 01:15 Fantastic Four casting news / Marvel 05:56 Ubisoft updates 13:45 TV shows on the horizon 28:00 Dune Prophecy 36:55 John Wick spinoff / Prime

The full Skewedcast crew is back anand breaks down the latest entertainment news. 00:00 News and reviews 01:50 Disney Streaming and Movie news 27:55 Superman Costume/Fast and Furios/Riddick News/William Shatner 39:40 Skeleton Crew update 40:00 Microsoft Studio Closure/Quakecon 2024