The Hollywood Outsider

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it is time to dive headfirst into the Upside Down to decipher everything we just witnessed in Stranger Things Season 4 Volumes 1 and 2 . Did the kids have a sound plan, or did they wage into battle recklessly? Should they have waited another few days to call on Eleven? Hopper and Joyce are reunited, but what is the deal with this Russia storyline?...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we debate timeless movies, iconic TV episodes, and debate villain team-ups in a Battle Royale! Our Movie Battle Royale takes on a new form as each host forms a Suicide Squad of their own, 4 villains teaming up to defeat Thanos. Which combination wins the battle? Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park.  These are some of the first films you t...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, 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 Return of the Jedi? Is E.T. really an allegory for something deeper, perhaps a love story? All of these and more are discussed and probed as The Holl...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, before we review Jurassic World Dominion, we reflect on a bit of lost history: commercials. Remember those? These little nuggets of cinema used to tell us what to buy and consume, and since streaming has taken over, we barely pay them any attention at all. What were your favorite commercials? Also on this episode, we review The Boys Season 3 and H...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, with the recent cancellation of over 40 shows, we are discussing the emotional impact of a series not given a proper ending. Is it even fair to expect studios to deliver an ending to a show no one is watching? Are we, as fans, too entitled when it comes to a canceled series? Also on this episode, we discuss the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial, a...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, with Top Gun: Maverick taking over movie theaters worldwide, we decided to look back at the original for inspiration and devote our topic for the week to 80s movie soundtracks! Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Purple Rain, The Blues Brothers, the list goes on and on and on. What was your favorite soundtrack from the 80s era? Also on this episode, we dive d...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, with Tom Cruise jetting the skies again in Top Gun: Maverick, we decided it was a grand time to revisit the concept of the movie star: what defines the term, and if the movie star era effectually coming to an end. Stars like Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, The Rock, Denzel Washington, etc. have reigned for decades, but times have changed. In a...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we decided to dive a little deeper into the history of movie and TV ratings. Where did they come from, who uses them in modern times, why do they use them? We especially take a look at if we should possibly reevaluate how reliable and seemingly flexibly inconsistent ratings tend to be. It's an in-depth and enlightening discussion on how society lo...

On this episode of  The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we discuss every single aspect - spoilers and all - of the biggest movie of the year thus far, Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness !  Following the events of the Disney+ series WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home where Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) cast a forbidden spell that opened the doorway to the multiverse,...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we discuss annoying TV Tropes. Those little things in modern TV shows that just get under your skin. Maybe it's people never saying goodbye as they hang up, maybe it's something else. Maybe it's production related, maybe it's story related. What are your most annoying TV tropes? Also on this episode, Fast X deals with a little Vin Diva drama as th...

What summer movies are you most looking forward to? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, 2022 has finally arrived at the greatest point of every cinephile's annual indulgence, the Summer movie season! This year we are finally back with blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick, Thor: Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, NOPE, and Bullet Train, and also insightful...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we debate a dish best served cold: REVENGE! Why do we love this concept of avenging the wrongs of the world through violence, especially when we claim to be such a civilized society? We discuss the myriad of revenge films, what our personal favorites are, and dive into the specifics of why so many fans just love to watch another human be treated t...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we take a look at the world of movie and TV heroes. But instead of daring acts of valor, we discuss those heroes who truly aren't very heroic. We're not talking anti-heroes either. Maybe these alleged good guys didn't actually save anyone, or maybe they caused more damage than the villain, or maybe they were constantly bailed out by their friends...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're taking a journey through the multiverse. Specifically, the concept of multiverses as a storytelling device. While many might think this starts and ends with Marvel's recent slate of films including Spider-Man: No Way Home , in fact, multiverses have been around for decades in various forms. As this backdrop of storytelling explodes in popula...

What did you think of the 94th Annual Academy Awards? For this special Oscars 2022 wrap-up, Aaron and Troy discuss the events, speeches, and winners of the 94th Annual Academy Awards, including the slap heard round the world between Will Smith and Chris Rock. The Academy Awards (" Oscars ") are the most prestigious awards in filmmaking and showcase some of the greatest talent and work in motion pi...

The  South by Southwest 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 2022, the heart of the South by Southwest film festival portion, and even fur...

On this compilation episode, we discuss bringing characters back from the dead, cliffhangers in movies, unlikeable yet loveable characters, and weird casting choices. On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're talking about several topics, the first of which is bringing characters back from the dead. And we mean actually, truly, verified dead characters on a TV series or a movie that...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it's time to discuss DC's latest reboot, The Batman! With echoes in tone of films like Klute, The French Connection, Seven, and Zodiac , The Batman stars Robert Battinson – sorry, Pattinson – as billionaire Bruce Wayne. You might have heard that his parents died when he was a child, and his whole life has been consumed with grief and anger over th...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we change course and dedicate the episode a simple topic: "Hollywood, let's just stop..." Insert your own conclusion to that statement. For instance, "Hollywood, Let's just stop remaking every property you can think of", etc. It could be cliches, story points, actors, ideas, awards, whatever. What do YOU think Hollywood and entertainment should ju...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we revisit a topic that simply fails to change much, video game movies. It's been decades since Hollywood began cranking out video game adaptations, but unlike other mediums, movies cannot seem to find that sweet spot that appeals to both gamers and film fans alike. It's rare that Hollywood even approaches a good movie with these properties. So th...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we decided we would come together as a unified group and do the one thing that no one else on the planet seems willing to do anymore: we're going to admit we were WRONG! You know how it is these days, every conversation you have online or with friends on your movie or TV show of choice always ends up with people treating their opinions as facts, a...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we'll be discussing 2022 Oscar nominations, our spoiler-free review of Moonfall , and our main topic this week is ridiculous movie plots that still entertain us.  Also this week: movie and TV news including Reacher getting renewed for a second season, Scream 6 is on the way, the upcoming episode of The Masked Singer which prompted two celebs to wa...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we are discussing impactful TV episodes, those specific shows that affected us directly. Beginning with a pair of twisted tales from The Twilight Zone , through Buffy the Vampire Slayer's addressing of death in The Body , the tragedy of M.A.S.H ., the mistake of fan-service in Moonlighting , to the mind-blowing finale of The Leftovers; there is a...

Jack Reacher is a retired military investigator who simply wants to now live his life however he sees fit. But after a murder is pinned on him and things somehow get even more personal, Reacher sets off for justice by using the little details that matter to find those responsible and – if possible – burn them all to the ground. He's a man who never bluffs, never quits, and he never backs down. On...

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it's time to discuss the future of movies and television. So much has changed over the past few years, from how we consume content to what kind of content we consume. But what does that mean for the future of film and TV, where do we go from here? Holograms? 4DX screenings? More streaming channels, less cable? It's a lengthy discussion on a myriad...