In this week's episode, we break down the film The Whale. The film is directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Samuel D. Hunter, and stars Brendan Fraser. The film is an emotional rollercoaster and leaves all of us feeling something. At the movie's core, we tried to determine whether this was a tragedy or a comedy. The result will vary for everyone, but somewhere in the middle, leaving you conflicted. We had a good time working on the film's core theme and concluded that it gravitated toward honesty. The film calls for the characters to be honest with themselves and those closest to them. If you can do that from the heart, your life starts to fit together. As a call to action, I know that we all have something left unsaid to someone important to us, so at the very least, saying something from the heart to someone who matters to you can be a gateway towards something better. Without further preamble, please enjoy this deep dive into The Whale!

In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Brandon Wenzel to discuss the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film was written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Key Huy Quan. We had recorded this conversation earlier in the year, and since then, the film has gone on to be nominated six times for the Golden Globes, winning two of them, one for best actress and one for best actor. I couldn't be more excited for the recognition this film is getting, as I couldn't help but share thoughts on how this film impacted me. At its core, this film is a major step in describing the online experience and how we can be bombarded with anything simultaneously. Life to those online is too much, with no context to put it in its proper place. So please enjoy this deep dive into Everything Everywhere All At Once without further preamble!

In today's episode, we dive deeply into the Netflix anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. We talked about many things that are important to us from the elements of the story, like myth and what they represent in the hero's journey or, rather, a failed hero's journey. On my end of the spectrum, has an interest in technology. We get into wearables and transhumanism and where that all goes. If we continue to play with our technology like we are.

In this episode, we discuss some recent films they have enjoyed and how they contrast with other films that did not meet past expectations. We start the discussion with Top Gun: Maverick and why that film feels like a breath of fresh air compared to other sequels. So many sequels over the last decade lack the essence of what made the originals massive successes that have shaped our culture.

In this episode, Erich and Jordan discuss Matt Reeves' The Batman. We discussed what we enjoyed about different aspects of the film and compared it to its other superhero films. Naturally, we can't escape comparing it to the Nolan trilogy of Batman films. Overall, we enjoyed the movie and looked forward to what comes next for this version of Batman. With that, we pass this off to you. What did you think of the film, and what are you hoping for next?

In this episode, Erich and Jordan discuss the HBO show Euphoria in this episode. We covered themes, techniques, and character movements we enjoyed about the show. We also give our take based on the controversy the show has faced since it deals with mature topics set in high school. We believe that art in any form allows the audience to confront complex issues so that we may develop a better view of how others live or see the world.

In today's episode, I am joined by returning friend and guest Jordan Criss, and as always, we have a great conversation centered around Jordan's interests, film, and TV. Of course, that means it's Oscar season, so we dive into the current controversy around the Oscars. Mainly with Spider-Man: No Way Home not having as many awards as one might expect when it garners over $1 billion at the theaters. From there, we highlight films we are looking forward to this year. We finally closed, discussing our thoughts on the controversy around Euphoria.

The crew sits down to discuss Denis Villeneuve's Dune! We break down the story of the film by combining our unique interests. Jordan brings his love of dialogue and understanding of film. Joe brings his view of psychology and symbolism to the characters and ideas. Finally, Erich brings attention to the technical aspects of the film. Overall, Dune is sci-fi masterfully executed with depth at many levels; you'll find a place for you to enjoy the movie.

Jordan Criss joins us for this conversation, which started with a discussion around The JOKER starring Joaquin Phoenix. We concluded the film is much more of a social commentary than only for entertainment purposes. Jordan gives clear analogies of what he believes the film was trying to accomplish, and for him, it was an unsettling film because of how real it felt. From there, the conversation expanded into questions about our modern world with subjects of friendship, connection, communication, and mental health. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on what we are working on personally. Jordan's latest goal is to be more positive, facilitated by being as present as possible.

In this episode, we are joined by Todd Myrick. Todd was on the show previously, and we covered the first half of his life in a much-abbreviated fashion. In this episode, we are unpacking the last twenty years of growth Todd has had since he turned thirty. The lens at which we use to plot the course of this growth is through a discussion of the film Fight Club. Fight Club was initially released on October 15, 1999, and is based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk. This conversation took place shortly after the twentieth anniversary of the film that is now a cult classic.

In this episode, we are back with a deep dive into the film Ex Machina. Ex Machina was written and directed by Alex Garland and starred by Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander. We discuss the film’s key elements in themes, storytelling, and philosophical questions posed. If you have not watched the movie yet, this is a spoiler warning, and you should watch the movie before listening we cannot recommend the movie enough!

In this episode of the podcast, we discuss Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. We discuss the film’s key themes, storytelling, and design elements.

In this episode of the podcast, we have Joseph Spangler. Joseph is a massive fan of all things films and currently co-runs (along with his very awesome friend Alex) a film discussion Youtube channel named TicketStubs. This love of film ties in perfectly with another of Joseph’s interests: superheroes. Superhero franchises are undoubtedly more popular than ever, and he loves every second of it. One of his proudest accolades as a film and superhero fan is seeing Captain America: The Winter Soldier (his favorite MCU film)... 7 times in theaters.

Erich and Joe sit down to discuss the recent film Annihilation. The first half is spoiler-free so that all listeners can enjoy it, and we give fair warning when we cross into spoiler territory. If you want to remain spoiler-free, watching the movie and returning to finish the episode is highly recommended!

Annihilation is a 2018 British-American science fiction horror film written and directed by Alex Garland, based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. It stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Óscar Isaac. The story follows a group of explorers who enter "The Shimmer," a mysterious quarantined zone of mutating plants and animals caused by an alien presence.