The Hollywood Outsider

The  SXSW Film and TV Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the world. In a typical year, thousands of fans arrive in downtown Austin, TX to partake in a couple of weeks of great music, technology, and film. For this special episode of The Hollywood Outsider, we take you along for our annual deep dive into SXSW 2023, the heart of the SXSW Film and TV Festival portion, and even further into...

What did you think of the 95th Annual Academy Awards? For this special Oscars 2023 wrap-up, Aaron and Amanda are LIVE from SXSW 2023 to discuss the events, speeches, and winners of the 95th Annual Academy Awards, including a noticeable lack of professional slapping. The Academy Awards (" Oscars ") are the most prestigious awards in filmmaking and showcase some of the greatest talent and work in mo...

Why do we love awful TV characters? YOU just finished its fourth season, and people still LOOOOOOVE Joe. Why though? He's a horrible person who preys on women and murders fairly consistently. What is it about this awful TV characters that we just cannot stop loving? On the flip side, what about those TV leads that are just bad in general? There's a lot to unpack on this episode of The Hollywood Ou...

Why do we love movies where animals are the hunters? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we decide pry into the idea of why do we love watching animals and insects attack our fellow humans? With Cocaine Bear clawing up theaters, it's obvious people still love a good man vs. nature film, so why do we love this topic so much? And what, exactly, are we terrified of? Let's discuss! Also...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it's time to ask the big question: Is Marvel phasing out? Meaning, are they fading as a brand? Are they pumping out too much quantity, are they losing too much quality, what is going on with Marvel these days? Sure, there are still fans who love each and every thing Marvel does, but you have to admit those numbers are shrinking. So the question is...

Why do audiences struggle so much with change to their favorite properties? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we decide to dive deep into a hot button topic: why do audiences struggle so much with change? Think about it, we all have it. Something beloved to us: James Bond, Superman, Peter Parker, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars - whatever it is, there is SOME property we feel should...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we want to know why do audiences love an apocalypse so much? The Last of Us, Walking Dead, Station 11, there are so many TV shows and movies that take place in an apocalyptic scenario these days...but why? We discuss this phenomenon and why we are so in love with this concept, as well as how we think we would fare if it all came true.  And that's...

What are your dream film or TV pairings? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we discuss who we would love to see paired up for a film or TV project. Think Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, Danny Glover and Mel Gibson, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, etc. Those actors who somehow immediately gel despite never seeming to fit off the page. Who are your d...

What are your favorite movie theater memories? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we are kicking things off with a breakdown and discussion on the 2023 Oscar nominations, from what should win to what was obviously "snubbed" in all of the major categories. Then we segue to a walk down memory lane as we barb back-and-forth on our favorite movie theater memories: those times IN a movi...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're breaking down everything that's getting us excited in film with our 2023 Movie Preview Extravaganza!  We talk about all the big movies coming to theaters and streaming this year with their respective release date and a brief synopsis. Flash, Fast X, Little Mermaid, Wonka, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny...

What TV Releases Are You Most Looking Forward to in 2023? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're breaking down everything that's getting us excited in television with our 2023 TV Release Extravaganza!  We talk about over 30 NEW TV shows coming to television this year with the premiere date, network, and a brief synopsis, AND our favorites returning. Strap on your boots, we're tak...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider, we are breaking down our 2023 awards for both film and television. If you haven't listened to our HO Awards before, we do ours a bit different, for example our "actor" category covers all genders, we do not separate it. For TV, cable and streaming all count, it just has to have had at least 3 new episodes in 2022. For movies, VOD and streaming all count....

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it's the Best of 2022 as we assemble our most popular topics of 2022 in ONE episode: Controversy, Multiverses, and 80s Movie Soundtracks! First up, we decided it was time to get a bit controversial and weigh in on a few of our unpopular opinions or theories in entertainment news. Is Wes Anderson vastly overrated? Should Star Wars have ended with R...

On this episode of  The Hollywood Outsider podcast , it's time to head back to Pandora and witness the majestic views of the seas as imagined by James Cameron, as he returns to his biggest movie of all-time with Avatar: The Way of Water !  Aaron and Troy first break down the story and experience as a spoiler-free review, before diving into the spoilers of Jake and Neytiri's burgeoning family who a...

Television has gotten so enormous that is near impossible to stay up-to-date on every TV show airing or streaming today. While we are swimming in the riches of content these days, there are still shows that are simply the BEST at consuming our every waking moment. These are not necessarily the greatest TV shows, but instead bingeable TV shows we are talking about. Your Breaking Bad, The Office, 24...

Every year, we love to celebrate the holiday season with our listeners, and there is no better way to do that than with our annual Holiday Special! It all started 8 years ago with a random idea: we were big fans of holiday specials, yet podcasts seemed to skip over the idea completely. Therefore, we decided we can do whatever we want here at The Hollywood Outsider, so let's create our own traditio...

In recent years, directors Rian Johnson and Kenneth Branagh have revived the murder mystery format in a huge way with their respective franchises beginning with Knives Out and Murder on the Orient Express , respectively. We have discussed how much we all love murder mysteries on the podcast, but WHY do we love them so much? What is it about these puzzle games of murder that drive audiences back fo...

The world is abuzz with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , as director Ryan Coogler was faced with a difficult question after beloved star Chadwick Boseman suddenly passed away: recast or move forward? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we discuss recasting film and television characters throughout the years, and when is the right or wrong time to do so. Or is it ever truly ok to rec...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're talking about politics, and if the excessive and combative nature of the political landscape these days is ruining entertainment. Do you feel there is too much political ideology injected in today's entertainment? Do you remember when no one even discussed politics, where it was a taboo subject? Can you separate politics from your entertainm...

What movies are you most excited for this holiday season? It's time for our Holiday Movie Preview 2022! Every major theatrical and streaming release for the remainder of the year is on tap as we debate the best and worst of the upcoming season.  From Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to Avatar: The Way of Water , and everything in between!  Curious what's worth wa...

As Game of Thrones show runners breathe fire into their first spin-off in House of the Dragon , we're here to discuss all of the comings and goings in the realm during this first season. On this special episode, we take the major happenings over the 20 year period from the show, and discuss what we loved or loathed about our favorite heroes and villains in the Seven Kingdoms. Unlike many podcasts,...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider , it's time to smell what The Rock is cooking up in the DCEU as Black Adam finally hit theaters, and critics and audiences are split down the middle on The Rock's interpretation of the fabled DC Universe villain. We discuss every aspect of the film, including that magnificent cameo.  Also, Zack Parkerson of The Gaming Outsider stops by to discuss The Flash...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're talking about the perfect antihero, what makes one our favorite, and whether we have too many or too little of these characters in entertainment. Antiheroes seem to be the fan-favorites, so what is it about them that we love or connect to so much? Also this week, we discuss Harrison Ford's entrance into the MCU, Amazon bringing NFL to their...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, our Movie Battle Royale returns! If you have never listened before, we take eight finalists from any genre - this time it is horror sequels - and whittle them down until we come to one absolute winner, crowning that film as the greatest to ever exist in its respective genre! There are some fantastic films to choose from here as well, such as: Alie...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it is time to prep for All Hallows' Eve as we take to our own respective graveyards and dig up obscure Halloween movies. Trick r Treat has taken off in recent years, and there are many little unspoken gems like this one to get us all hyped up for the best movie season of the year for horror fans! Take a listen, and rest assured to walk away with a...