The Screen Mash

In this episode of The Screen Mash Podcast, Barrett and Brad break down the new agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the studios that ended the longest actors strike in Hollywood history. Pay increases, protections against AI, they got it all covered.   Then, they review David Fincher's latest Netflix hitman thriller, The Killer. Barrett and Brad have opposing views on the film and make their case for...

In this episode of The Screen Mash Podcast, Barrett welcomes his friend Talal Dajani, who is the Executive Director of Strategic Analytics and Commercial Partnerships at Sony Pictures Entertainment, within the Data Solutions group. Talal provides some in-depth insight into how studios source and analyze audience data to better understand demand and trends, that directly informs how Sony Pictures m...

It may be fall, but the spirit of summer lives year-round on film. In this episode of The Screen Mash Podcast, Barrett welcomes his good friend Brenden Olson to discuss the subgenre of summer camp movies. From comedy to horror, summer is a ripe setting for all types of stories. Brenden grew up attending and being a counselor at a sleep-away summer camp in the greater Boston area and brings a uniqu...

In this episode of The Screen Mash Podcast, Barrett and Brad discuss the incredible, indelible career of the great Martin Scorsese, as his new film, Killers of The Flower Moon, is set to take cinemas by storm this week.   From Goodfellas to Gangs of New York, they discuss his legacy, impact on the industry, trademark style and his most underrated films.    ➡️ Follow @thescreenmash on Instagram for...

In this episode of The Screen Mash podcast, Barrett and Brad provide an update and some commentary on the WGA/SAG strikes. Then, they dive deep into the premiere of Survivor 45 which kicked off last week. Finally, with Halloween and scary movie season upon us, they go through some horror movies they feel are underrated.    ➡️ Follow @thescreenmash for daily film and TV news, reviews, memes and com...

In this episode of The Screen Mash Podcast, Barrett welcomes his friend and colleague Fatin, who is an elite film and pop culture mind, as well as a super fan of actor Timothée Chalamet. They discuss his films, career, dating life, upcoming projects, and what it is about him that's made him a generational superstar akin to Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh and of course, some essential Timmy C. trivia.    ➡️...

In this episode of The Screen Mash Podcast, Barrett and Brad break down the first 5 episodes of the Star Wars 'Ahsoka' series on Disney+ for a midseason review, which has become a cultural phenomenal after the incredibly exciting episode 5 'Shadow Warrior.' What do they like? What do they love? What could be better? Where is the story going?   Then, they run through the upcoming slate of known Sta...

On this episode of The Screen Mash Podcast, Barrett and Brad break down the very early slate of Oscar contenders. We have a few that have been seen that are the lead contenders currently (Barbie, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Across the Spider-Verse), but many that are still upcoming (Maestro, Dune: Part Two, The Color Purple, Poor Things).    Many of those unseen will make their debut at one of the up...

In this episode of The Screen Mash podcast, Barrett breaks down the recent reports of notable increases of poor behavior among moviegoers as Barbie and Oppenheimer has brought people back to theaters in droves. Most notably, people being more egregious with their phones (scrolling and taking pictures). According to our recent Instagram poll, 61% of respondents said they've noticed an increase in t...

Barrett and Brad discuss the recent box office surge of 2023. Powered by Barbenheimer and new releases like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and The Meg 2: The Trench, the 2023 box office is up 22% compared to last year, among many recent box office records that have been broken. Are movies back?   Plus, with the success of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and TMNT, are we in a new e...

Barrett and Brad talk all things Barbie and Oppenheimer. Starting off by basking in the glow of the recent #Barbehnehimer cultural phenomenon that not only brought movie fans together, but also delivered the 4th highest box-office weekend of all time.   Then, a spoiler-free review/discussion of Barbie and Oppenheimer. They discuss their reactions to each film in detail, without giving away anythin...

Barrett and Brad break down the SAG-AFTRA strike: the sequence of events, the issues at stake (equitable pay for working actors) and myth-busting incorrect perceptions of the situation.    Then, they discuss the release of Tom Cruise's seventh installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Dead Reckoning Part One. Its lead up, opening weekend box-office and critical reception. Brad and Barrett...

Barrett breaks down the recent box office flops of Warner Bros.' The Flash and Disney's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and how many are saying Barbie, Oppenheimer (Barbenheimer) and Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One are Hollywood's last hope to save the theatrical business model for this season.   Franchise fatigue? Superhero fatigue? Critics reactions? There's several compoundi...

Brad and Barrett discuss the rise of A24 as a film studio powerhouse in Hollywood. First a distribution-only company, then pivoting to production, A24 has changed the way Hollywood makes movies.   From fostering new creative talent, to introducing a branded style of visual prowess and strange stories. A24's business and cultural impact story is a fascinating one.   ➡️ Follow @thescreenmash on Inst...

Barrett breaks down one of the biggest gaps in Star Wars canon: where was Ahsoka Tano during the events of the original trilogy? She's become a fan favorite and an iconic character, but one of the biggest elephants in the room is her whereabouts during the events that transpired in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.    Did she just go into hiding? Time travel? There's only...

In this episode of Take Two, Barrett and Brad discuss the 2023 WGA writers strike, which just hit the 6-week mark. Fair pay, streaming disruption, AI, delayed productions, they break it all down.   ➡️ Follow @thescreenmash on Instagram for daily film and TV news, reviews, memes and commentary! 🍿🎬

Barrett breaks down Apple's announcement this week of its new mixed reality (VR + AR) headset with a whopping price tag of $3,500. More specifically, Disney CEO Bob Iger's presence on stage showcasing the exclusive streaming content partnership with Disney+.   What is the upside for Disney? How is this going to change the game for the streaming wars? Would you watch The Mandalorian while feeling l...

Barrett's friend and former colleague Claire Bramel returns to The Screen Mash to break down this insane season of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules. They of course dive deep into #Scandoval that rocked the reality TV world and pop culture, but also discuss how and why they got into the show years ago. They also rank their favorite (and least favorite) people. Then Claire answers Barrett's on-the-spot VPR...

Barrett discusses his recent milestone of rewatching the entire Seinfeld series: 20 rewatches over the course of 20 years. Seinfeld is Barrett's favorite TV comedy of all time and he breaks down what makes Seinfeld so special as a TV show in Hollywood and to him personally.    He references his ranking of all 9 seasons of Seinfeld and his favorite episode in each featured on @thescreenmash Instagr...

Barrett breaks down why he believes Oppenheimer could be the pinnacle film for Christopher Nolan, by obtaining all the core success achievements for a film: being a box-office hit, critically acclaimed and finally winning the elusive Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture.    This all stems from the most recent Oppenheimer trailer that Universal Pictures dropped this week, which Barrett has bee...

In this edition of Take Two, Barrett and Brad break down the upcoming slate of 2023 summer movies: from blockbusters to indie dramas, there’s a lot of content hitting theaters over the next four months. The films are categorized into four themes:  Supersized Sequels, Superhero Showdowns, Dynamic Directors and Outstanding Originals.   From Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, to The Flash...

Barrett shares his top 10 favorite individual tracks from film scores. Music is an essential component to film and there are tons of iconic scores and tracks that Barrett has loved over the years. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, E.T., There Will Be Blood, Luca, and more. Barrett has specific criteria that helped him narrow it down.   As mentioned on the pod, here's a link to Barrett's ever-growing f...

In this edition of Take Two, Barrett and Brad discuss The Super Mario Bros. Movie's eye-popping box-office, which is breaking records left and right; despite tepid reviews from critics and both Barrett and Brad. So why the financial success? Then they discuss Amazon's new intruiging genetics drama, Dead Ringers, starring the lovely and talented Rachel Weisz. Finally, they break down the big stream...

Barrett's wife Jalisa joins the pod to discuss her hilarious indifference to many of the blockbuster movies that Barrett holds near and dear to his heart: Star Wars, Marvel, Batman, Christopher Nolan, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings.   She's been a good sport in putting up with Barrett's endless midnight showings and rewatches over the years. They discuss the dynamics of their relationship's cinemat...

In this episode of Take Two, Barrett and Brad discuss the A24 Netflix revenge dramedy series, BEEF, starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. Then, they review the first surprise and wild reactions from Ari Aster's anticipated mind-trip epic, Beau Is Afraid, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Finally, they break down the first 5 episodes of The Mandalorian season 3: what they like and don't like so far, as well a...