Escape Hatch (formerly Dune Pod)

Happy Holidays from our family to you! Hope you are warm and cozy and having fun recharging over the break, while Jason and I take time for ourselves and our families. To keep the home fires burning, we submit this classic Dune Pod episode from 4(!) years ago, covering our very first ever Christmas movie, Die Hard! Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Best of Escape Hatch: Die Hard (00:18:28) Notes an...

It’s our first ever teamup episode featuring the director and producers of Banshee, Your Friends and Neighbors, and Lucky Greg Yaitanes and Jonathan Tropper ! They talk about collaborating on projects for over 12 years, and Jonathan tells us about writing and filming the new movie Star Wars: Starfighter!!! Then since it’s the holidays, we cover Shane Black’s Christmas classic, The Nice Guys. Chapt...

We welcome one of our heroes, The New Yorker’s hard hitting political journalist, Isaac Chotiner . We discuss Sylvester Stallone’s 1985’s revenge fantasy classic, Rambo: First Blood Part II. Did you know it was written by James Cameron? Hear all about this and our take on the implications of late stage American hegemony in this episode. Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:22:19) Rambo...

Jason is on assignment, but have no fear! Taking Seat 1 this week is a legend, the co-host of House of R and author of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios , Joanna Robinson (!!) For her powerhouse return, we continue the journey we started last year and cover Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:18:28) The Two Towers Roundtable (00:24:...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We kick off the holidays by revisiting our journey with the greatest living podcaster, co-host of The Ringer’s House of R , Joanna Robinson ! She joined us last year for The Lord of the RIngs: The Fellowship of the Ring and it instantly became an all time episode. Before that, Jason and I reflect on our Meetup 2025 hangover, and share turkey prep horror stories! And get ready f...

Meetup 2025! Folks flew in from all over the country and we spent a weekend in San Francisco making memories: we saw The Running Man in IMAX, and filmed a LIVE podcast (featuring live performances by many of your favorite voicemailers!) So, DON’T LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE, WATCH IT INSTEAD ! I learned to video edit for you. Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:09:44) The Running Man Roundt...

Jesus wept. It’s the dramatic return of our Scream Queen, Sr. Editor of Fangoria Magazine , Meredith Borders . Meredith is hot off the massive Kickstarter launch of her brand new book, First in Fright: The FANGORIA Compendium ! She guides us as we unlock the puzzle box to open up one of her favorite horror films of all time, Hellraiser! Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:17:46) Hellra...

We recorded this on Election Day 2025, and Jason is FIRED UP about Ezra Klein’s latest essay on how we beat Trump! He goes off on a cogent screed on what Ezra is getting wrong as we start the march to 2026 and 2028. Then, we’re joined by one of the stars of our voicemail segment, our very own Truthsayer, Birria! We discuss Wes Anderson’s breakthrough hit, shot at the very prep school where Birria...

OK! So who wants to hear us talk about gooning?! Also, it’s the return of the co-hosts of the movie prop podcast, The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of , show-runner of House of the Dragon Ryan Condal and the showrunner of Veep, Dave Mandel ! We continue our Classic Hollywood journey with the movie that invented the film noir genre, Humphrey Bogart’s, The Maltese Falcon. Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Ha...

We liquidated all of the assets on our balance sheet based on this movie into our microphones for your listening pleasure. In honor of our movie this week, the 2011 financial meltdown classic starring Jeremy Irons, we also had a fun late stage capitalism discussion around the most recent near apocalyptic financial meltdowns and the impending AI bubble pop! We’re joined by the co-host of the tech m...

Look, this seemed like a good idea. We just forgot how problematic this movie is. BUT, it’s always a great time when the co-host of the X-Ray Vision podcast, the incomparable Rosie Knight joins us! Come along and feel the yearning with us, for Twilight: New Moon! Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:23:00) The Birdcage Roundtable (00:37:24) Your Letters (01:41:32) Notes and Links Check...

Welp, I guess now sitting members of Congress are coming on the pod. We’re joined by the trailblazing, first ever trans representative, Congresswoman Sarah McBride . She talks about the shutdown and how we build a coalition to fight back against this hostile administration. Then we tackle the blockbuster film that changed the conversation around what was allowed for gay characters in popular cultu...

Are you hype for TRON: Ares this weekend? We sure are, but we figured just in case we’d lend a hand to help you get there. WAAAY back in December 2021, we had the co-host of The 70MM podcast, Danny Haas , join us for the Dune Pod Season 4 Finale, TRON: Legacy. Memmmorrrieesss... ANYWAY, it instantly became one of our all time favorite episodes. So, sit back and enjoy Jason and my quick chat about...

This is a special one. First of all, we welcome someone we have looked up to for a long time, a true hero speaking truth to power and calling out the stakes of this moment with clarity and passion: New York Times contributor and prolific voice on TikTok and YouTube , the one and only Jamelle Bouie ! AND, he picked one of the biggest movies we’ve ever covered on the podcast, Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 s...

When the master Paul Thomas Anderson returns with a career defining film, featuring multiple Oscar worthy acting performances by Leo, Sean, Benicio, and Chase, you knew Jason and I were in the premium theatrical format venues to watch on opening weekend. But then, when the instigator of our first ever non-Dune related BONUS Emergency - Civil War (2024) episode, host of the podcast Channels with Pe...

We keep our classic Hollywood streak going (2 weeks in a row!) as I finally watch one of the highest regarded films in history, Billy Wilder’s masterpiece, Sunset Boulevard. And because this movie was a MAJOR touchstone for David Lynch, we welcome our Lynch correspondent, the co-host of the Austin Danger Podcast , McKenzie Wilkes . Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:12:10) Sunset Boul...

Look, there is a LOT going on in this very dangerous world right now, and we are so blessed to have the co-host of Pod Save the World , Ben Rhodes rejoining us to help make sense of it. And as we try and figure out which year is the closest analog to our current moment in history (1932, 1938, 1942 were all potential guesses), we look at things thru the light of a time when America rose to the chal...

MOORRRRTTAAALLLL KKKOOOMMMBBAAAATTTT!!! It’s the return of the writer of Across the Spider-Verse and Beyond the Spider-Verse, Dave Callaham . He gives us more incredible behind the scenes details of making Spider-Verse and writing Mortal Kombat (2021), and then we cover his pick, the 1995 videogame adaptation classic, Mortal Kombat. Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:19:28) Mortal Kom...

BIG EPISODE THIS WEEK. Jason is AWOL, so we called in the co-host of the Cinenauts podcast, ctcher . And digital set designer Timothief ! We go deep DEEEEEP on Gareth Edwards 2023 sci-fi masterclass of production design and cinematography, The Creator! Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:14:00) The Creator Roundtable (00:20:03) Your Letters (01:40:43) Notes and Links Check out Escape H...

Ever feel like everything sucks and you’re going to explode at any minute? Well have we got a picture for you: Billy Friedkin’s 1977 tight wire thriller, Sorcerer! Rejoining us is the Emmy winning producer and director behind Variety’s smash hit show Actors on Actors , Rob Schroeder ! Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:15:25) Sorcerer Roundtable (00:20:38) Your Letters (01:25:10) Note...

After 5 years, and one fateful voicemail from my architect Luke, we finally cover one of Jason’s touchstones, the 1973 biblical banger musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar! Joining us is the co-host of the Austin Danger Podcast , Kev . He turned 33 yesterday. You do the math. Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:18:36) Jesus Christ Superstar Roundtable (00...

I survived 11 years only getting partially spoiled - but not in a way that ruined my viewing - for my first viewing of the thriller masterpiece from David Fincher, Ben Affleck, and Rosamund Pike, 2014’s Gone Girl. Joining us to discuss is the mighty co-host of the X-Ray Vision podcast , Rosie Knight . Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:15:47) Gone Girl Roundtable (00:29:56) Your Lette...

How can you tell we refuse to let go of Andor? Well, I found a way to include a clip of Diego Luna speaking in Spanish in this episode. Plus, we continue our Tony Gilroy journey with The Bourne Supremacy! We are blessed by the return of the Senior Editor of Engadget and co-host of The Filmcast , Devindra Hardawar . Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:14:09) The Bourne Supremacy Roundta...

It’s the return of the 3rd living host of Escape Hatch, co-host of the Twin Vipers podcast, Jonesy Loves Beer . He and Jason talk for about an hour about knives and axes and then we talk about watching my first Pierce Brosnan James Bond movie, Goldeneye! Chapters Introduction (00:00:00) Hatch News (00:21:56) Goldeneye Roundtable (00:42:23) Your Letters (01:46:33) Notes and Links Check out Escape H...

Did you miss us? We’re back with vacation 2025 talk, including New York Meetups, Disney mayhem, the dangers of cross body bags, and adventures in home theater troubleshooting. Then we welcome Former Congressman and Lt. Governor of the great state of New York, Antonio Delgado ! He joins us to tell us why he’s running for Governor of New York, and we finally cover Spike Lee’s 1989’s masterpiece, Do...