Open World Chat

Mark and John go apocalyptic. What's the difference between an apocalypse and a dystopia in TV and film? Do they have to be scary or can they be silly? Cute? Join us for a discussion of the big booms and why we love them.

You ever watch a movie of a particular genre and have it flip genres right in front of you, leaving you wondering what the heck just happened? We have! And we talk about them for an hour! Some are on the bubble, while others make your head explode - and while it could be a recipe for disaster (or at least crappiness), these are the films where it works. Have a listen!

Mark and John break out what the heck fascism is and then find it in Sci-Fi. Who gets it right?

Mark and John look at examples of time travel across a broad range of movies, TV and other fiction to examine it's logic (or - more often - lack thereof) and it's use as a storytelling tool. Have a listen!

Mark and John start of with the grandaddy of all Utopias (that would be "Utopia") and segue into a discussion of our utopian fiction, or just fiction where utopia shows up, even if it's not the star. We may surprise you with some of our choices.

Mark and John review and compare their favorite fight scenes and discuss what it is that makes a fight scene really stick with you (hint: it's not just choreography).

With James Gunn's Superman still in theaters, Mark and John try to understand why the modern Right hates it so much - not just the movie, but the character. Why do they fixate on words like "refugee" in their anti-"woke" hysteria and why is Superman just not Homelander enough for them? 

Mark and John go through a whopping and eclectic list of movies to help you deal with these dark times. They deliver catharsis, escape, inspiration, education and more. It's a long one for sure, but worth it.

Mark and John are joined by Reinhard Denke, co-founder of RNDM ORDR and founder of award-winning  commercial sound-design studio firm Stimmüng to discuss sound in film; what's good, what's bad, and why it's so important.

On the passing of legendary writer and former Marvel Editor-in-Chief, John and Mark discuss his complicated legacy in the 70s, 80s, and beyond. While his impact on comics is unquestionable, some of his decisions, both creatively and editorially, may not have been so noble. We have a no-holds-barred conversation about this well-loved and well-hated leader.... genius or jerk (or both)?

From the mindbending epiphany to the hero's journey, knowing or finding out who you really are (AI? Hero? Simulation?) has always been a big part of genre fiction and Mark and John touch on what could easily be the topic of its own ongoing podcast all by itself. Amazingly we don't mention The Matrix. Oh well. The Matrix too.

Mark and John share their personal favorite, if not the "best" per se, songs from film soundtracks and why. Lots of fun!! 

Mark and John go through the disappointingly large list of films consigned to production hell (and maybe a couple where - so they say - Satan himself joined the production team). Wanta know what the hell (haha) that might mean? Give a listen!

Mark and John wander down the broad and deep history of horror in film and TV to pick out some of their favorite moments, from the more "objectively" scary, to the disturbing, to the crap that freaked us out as kids. I guarantee you we've come up with some you haven't seen (as well as plenty you have, no doubt).

In part 2 of our "directors" series, Mark and John look at great movies from legendary directors that have flown WAY under the radar, and should be viewed immediately!!

Mark and John look at directors who are generally accepted as having a particular masterwork and explain why - no - a DIFFERENT movie is actually their masterpiece and why. Part 1 in our 2 part director series.

Mark and John go full pundit and talk about the current state of elections and democracy in the US. Are our rights safe? Are our systems safe? What policies help us or hinder us? The answers, of course - complicated in the details, but maybe not so much at the end of the day. Join in for a break from our usual fare.

When Jesus turns up in your favorite stories! Mark and John talk about the archetype of the "Christ Figure," and it turns out it pops up everywhere.

The war on DEI is hitting companies like Disney and Warner Brothers and they've have already begun to alter their policies in response. Will this backlash affect our favorite movies, books, and comics?

It's the flip side of last time - this time Mark and John go through a bunch of movies that should never be remade, as well as several that should never have been remade (and the trainwrecks that came of it).

Mark and John throw out some ideas of movies that scream to be remade (in some cases remade again), while also reviewing some remakes that have been made and made well.

Mark and John look at so-dubbed "franchise fatigue" and its cousins superhero fatigue, sequel fatigue, and throw in some multiverse fatigue. We discuss what genre franchises are doing better than others, and why.

One episode after talking about dumb sci-fi, we return to talk about excellent sci fi and fantasy that doesn't get enough love, be it from critics, fanboys, general audiences, or just due to the fog of the passage of time.

Dumb sci fi. The title says it all. Not just bad, not just ill-considered. Dumb. Come on, see if we mention your favorite book or movie We dare ya.

It's the AI era! You want to know how bad it can get? Check out the list of most evil artificial intelligences. Come on and tell us what (who?) we missed, even if some of them are a little obvious (we're looking at you Stanley Kubrick).