Captive Audience

Hide your contraband and your rock hammer—this week we’re talking about The Shawshank Redemption! Edwin has never seen this cinematic classic from 1994, so naturally we make him watch and react to it. And in this week’s episode we’re joined by friend of the show and Queen of the Discord Kaylah Higgins! We recap the storylines, casting, characters, and story beats in the movie, all while secretly p...

Alex's brother Michael makes his podcast debut to break down one of 2025's most divisive films in Ari Aster's Eddington. A modern western/paranoid thriller/dark comedy that drags it's viewers into the depths of the COVID response & associated culture wars, it's a movie that isn't subtle in it's motives and vibrant in it's expression. Love it or hate it, Eddington is tough to forget and worth bring...

Edwin and Alex dive back into the movies to discuss the beloved 2017 Pixar film Coco. After a discussion about our wider experience with animated movies, we break down the beautiful tale of a Mexican boy's journey into his family's history & the ensuing puddles it turns us into. So grab your guitars, put on some skeleton face paint, and run over the flower bridge to the Land of the Dead to explore...

This week we wrap up one of the biggest movie trilogies of all time in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings adaptation. Jordan and Colin once again join Edwin and Alex to break down the final installment of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece. After revisiting the movie's release in 2003, we discuss: - The most important scenes to us (16:11) - Delightful moments (34:37) - Discussion question roundtable...

This new year we dive into one of the biggest movie trilogies of all time in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings! Jordan and Colin join Edwin and Alex to break down The Two Towers, the second installment from 2002. After hitting on our overall impressions on the film, we discuss: - The most important scenes to us (10:41) - Delightful moments (44:10) - Discussion question roundtable (57:17) All that...

This holiday season we are back to dive into one of the biggest trilogies of all time in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings! Jordan and Colin join Edwin and Alex to break down The Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment from Peter Jackson that kicked it all off in 2001. After discussing our personal backgrounds with the movie and going over the basics we discuss: - The most important scenes...

"I want you to create a show, Pat. Okay? This is going to announce the motherfucking revolution. Make it good. Make it bright. Impress me.” Put on your bathrobe and climb down the tunnel—this week we’re talking about One Battle After Another! We dedicate this week’s episode to Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film that features revolutionaries, martial arts, and some small beers. We talk about the pl...

"It's all true. The bogeyman is real and you found him." This week we take a detour and head towards a creepy house in the boondocks for Rob Zombie's 2003 cult horror movie 'House of 1000 Corpses.' Not only is it spooky season here on MSPC, but Rainn Wilson stars in this contemporary 70's-style snuff film in which four friends find themselves entrapped in a psychotic family's Halloween rituals. Wi...

"You know what's out there? Wind and rain, and some damn big waves, reefs and rocks, sandbars, and enough fog and night to hide it all." Friend of the pod and salty sea captain Jordan is here to make Alex watch the 1996 drama/adventure/coming-of-age/disaster/high school movie White Squall! It's been a long time coming and what a thrill ride it was (or wasn't?) So climb up the rigging, put on your...

Get in the spaceship and hide that baby—this week we’re talking about Fantastic Four! As the next (and last?) chapter in our Superhero Summer series, we dive into the latest entry from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We cover the storyline, casting, and planet-eating villains that go into this movie, highlighting its unique aesthetic. And of course we also get into the molemen, Silver Surfers, and...

Look to the sky and engage your T-circles—this week we’re talking about Superman! We dedicate this week’s episode to James Gunn’s DC superhero spectacular and the newest adaptation of this classic character. We cover the casting, action sequences, comic book elements and a whole lot more over the course of our discussion. And we make sure to hit all of the photon rivers, Mighty Crabjoys, and alien...

Put down the Kurt Vonnegut and put on your helmet, you’re going in at quarterback as we watch Varsity Blues! Alex and Sean have never seen this high school football cult classic from 1999 that is also at the heart of Michael Scott’s movie Monday. We talk about the good, the bad, the insane, the toxic, and the ridiculous that go into this movie, making sure to highlight all of the broken noses, hou...

Be quick—every hour we spend here is years back on earth—this week we’re talking about Interstellar! Sean has never seen this Christopher Nolan classic from 2014, so in a (slightly late) celebration of its tenth year anniversary we launch back into space to revisit it. We record a series of video messages talking about falling books, baseball fields in space, and corn. So much corn. So set your wa...

With Valentine's Day around the corner we head to the streets of Vienna for a magical night in Richard Linklater's Gen X classic Before Sunrise. Sean and Edwin have never had the pleasure of a night out with Jesse and Celine, and we invite you to do the same with us this week. So store your red turtleneck in a locker, give the street poet some pocket change, and talk a bartender into a free bottle...

It’s raining, and a familiar sad song plays on the radio—this week we’re talking about Memories of Murder! Sean and Alex have never seen this cult classic from acclaimed director Bong-Joon Ho, so we fill a photo album with suspects, look people deep in the eyes, and unleash a flurry of flying kicks to track down the killer. So put on your Nices Nikes, don’t wear red, and join for this week’s episo...

Sean and Edwin slink back to 1838 to sink their teeth into Robert Eggers' Nosferatu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We close out 2024 with one of the great 90's classics - True Romance. As Quentin Tarantino's debut script, this 1993 action/romance/comedy didn't quite land in the box office but has gone on to become a beloved classic. So gas up the purple Caddy, steal drugs from your pimp, and bump up the Elvis while we break down True Romance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Sean takes us back to Xanadu in 1941 to watch the (arguably) greatest movie ever made - Citizen Kane. Or is just another old black and white movie? Or is it just a great reason to hear Edwin's old-timey news voice? Either way, it's time to head home for the holidays to find your Rosebud. So buy a struggling newspaper, top off your collection of statues, and fire Mr. Carter while we dive...

We're back with a NOW PLAYING! With the holiday movie season in full swing, we check in to discuss Gladiator 2. From the in-theater experience to the heavy weight of the the original Gladiator, we break down why this movie is (and isn't) a big deal. So grab your shark cages, don your flowing Roman robes, and rub some Coliseum dirt into your hands while we dive into a modern blockbuster. Learn more...

Your lucky numbers have come up—this week we’re talking about Mary and Max! We send a letter to this stop motion classic from 2009 to see if it knows where babies come from, if it has ever been teased, and if we can share a can of condensed milk. So make yourself a chocolate hot dog, turn on the Noblets, and settle in for this week’s episode! Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us at captiveau...

Although Halloween is behind us, it follows Edwin. Which is tough, because he does NOT enjoy horror movies. Lucky for us, we have this podcast! We are headed to the suburbs of Detroit to watch the 2014's It Follows. The movie is a dreadful, tense slow burn that takes a silly-sounding premise and delivers a compelling variation of the genre that sticks in your psyche long after the credits roll (at...

With Halloween on the horizon, we dial up a classic from 1992 with Death Becomes Her starring Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie Hawn. Alex and Edwin are first-time viewers as we go on a campy, CGI-filled ride through castles, lightning, murder, and the walking dead. So grab your spray paint, twist your neck back around, and take a shot of everlasting life as we break down Robert Zemeckis' sur...

Grab your scarf, this week we have a blind date with Movie 43! Neither Edwin, Alex, or Sean have seen this star-studded yet critically panned comedy from 2013, so we’re putting on our superhero costumes and speed dating all the different vignettes. So make some guacamole, turn on the grocery store loudspeaker, and check in to the basketball game for this week’s episode! Have thoughts/comments/s...

This week we're gliding into New York in the cover of darkness to watch John Carpenter's 1981 dystopian adventure Escape From New York. This is a first time viewing for all three of us, and we can't wait to see what awaits us behind the maximum security walls surrounding Manhattan Island. So gas up the cab, put on your eyepatches, and hammer some nails into your bat to join us for this sci-fi/acti...

This week Sean takes us down to the bayou to serve up one of Werner Herzog's more insane and polarizing films - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. A bizarre gumbo of black comedy, rampant drug addiction, crooked cops, and a massive scoop of Nic Cage turned up to 11; it's a ride through the seedy underbelly of New Orleans that is anything but boring. So round up your imaginary iguanas, empty...