The Indie Magazine Podcast

The most beautiful game has produced some fun movies over the years. Tristan and Madison discuss their childhood favorites, ones they can’t stop coming back to, and the potential opening for a truly great soccer movie. We hope you’re enjoying the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and be sure to give some of these movies a watch between games, or after the tournament comes to a close. — Watch the Soccer Movies...

Madison is here with a review of The Invite , a Sundance-darling that delivers all the right emotions, cinematography, and character-first storytelling in a tight 1hr. 47 mins. More than a premise, this film is masterfully directed by Olivia Wilde, and stars Wilde, Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, and Penelope Cruz. Purchased and distributed by A24, the film is now in theaters. Get your tickets to The I...

Madison and Tristan discuss Steven Spielberg’s new film, Disclosure Day (2026), and why Madison believes it’s in Spielberg’s top 15, but maybe not top 5. We get into box office predictions, current sentiments, and expectations, as well as the lore, Spielberg’s fascination with the subject, and how he deals with it in this film. A spiritual successor to Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), mo...

Madison attended an early press screening of Steven Spielberg’s newest film, Disclosure Day , and we’ve got a teaser review ready for you! Get your tickets to Disclosure Day today! — Disclosure Day (2026) : - Visit the Official Website - Get your tickets on AMC , Cinemark , Regal , or Fandango —- Fan of The Indie Magazine & Podcast? Show your support by ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠donating to our podcast and ma...

Coming to you hot today with a look at Steven Spielberg’s filmography: The Good, The Great, and The Ugly. Steven Allan Spielberg set the new standard of blockbusters, he has been an influential director, producer, and force for good in Hollywood for over 60 years, and we’re discussing some of our favorites (and less favorites) from his body of work. The Good : Minority Report (2002), War of the Wo...

We’re breaking down one of the most (if not the most) hotly-anticipated releases this year, Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday .  From sharing an opening weekend with Dune: Part Three to cast concerns, and comic adaptations to cinematic limitations, Madison shines a light on the most important MCU film since Avengers: Endgame . Well, until Avengers: Secret Wars comes out. Let us know in the comments on I...

Madison is here with a review of one of the most intriguing releases of the year thus far, David Lowery’s newest film, Mother Mary . Distributed by A24, Mother Mary is the first of two Anne Hathaway vehicles in a month, with The Devil Wears Prada 2 releasing on May 1st. That said, the two films share little more than Miss Hathaway and fashion. Yet Lowery’s haunting film blurs the lines between mem...

Madison discusses his take on Project Hail Mary , all things Ryan Gosling, product placements, visual and practical effects, and the delicate dance that comes with adapting a popular Sci-Fi novel. Let us know in the comments on Instagram or on Spotify what you thought of the film, and get your tickets if you haven’t yet! — Go see Project Hail Mary : - See it in IMAX  - See it at AMC - Find tickets...

The 98th Academy Awards will air this Sunday, and in prep for the big day, we discuss the nominees for Best Picture. While Madison loved the * neature * of Train Dreams , he was less enthused about F1 being included. While Tristan liked Bugonia , he felt like Jesse Plemmons was snubbed for a Best Actor nom. One by one, we discuss each movie, our thoughts, and the discussions surrounding them. Tune...

It’s been a great year, full of great guests, good movies, TV, and music. There are some exciting prospects for 2026, and we catch up and update fans and listeners of the pod on our plans for the upcoming year. Madison’s got some big news to share about a project he’s been working on this year, Tristan will catch everyone up on what he’s been working on outside of the podcast, and they’ll discuss...

If you're from Vegas, you might already know what's going down... And if you don't yet, you're about to get caught up to speed. Kevin and Rex sit down to dish on First Friday , the potential pitfalls of Indie filmmaking (and not having an accountant), and what Rex has learned throughout it all. They wrap up the episode with a little more of what Rex is working on now, so tune in, b...

Originally aired on 12/25/2023, we're revisiting a fan-favorite for the Christmas season! Kevin Bessey joined us to talk about his favorite Christmas albums and songs, a little about the Christmas Canon, and about the Christmas music he’s recorded in the last few years. Let us know what you've been listening to during the holidays, and we’ll catch up with you one more time before the end o...

We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and we’re discussing Booksmart (2019), Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut that forever changed our very own Madison D. Daniels. Sacred Texts can be art in any medium that you internalize, reflect upon, and find worth or inspiration through beyond the original presentation. These movies or shows could impact you in a number of ways, and they could be Sacred be...

Have you ever sat in a theater, on a plane, or on your couch and thought, “Could I write something good enough to get made?” There’s the idea stage (important), the writing phase (very important), then you reach the pitching  and submitting phase. Enter Seldy Gray. As a creative executive, Seldy works to find the right scripts, screenwriters, talent, and stories that can reach the right audience o...

We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and we’re discussing Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987). One of John Hughes’ finest, not to mention John Candy and Steve Martin, this is a *truly 80’s* flick that deserves a revisit. While the comedy style, jokes, and set pieces might induce some millennial cringe, the deeper story about carrying your grief, dealing with adversity, and having grace for...

We already know what everyone’s seeing this weekend at the theaters, and no, it sadly isn’t Predator: Badlands or The Running Man reboot. No folks, this weekend and the many that follow will belong to Wicked: For Good , the oddly-titled second-half of the stage-to-screen adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.  Cole talks us through what he liked, what he liked le...

“Life in space is impossible…”We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and we’re discussing Gravity (2013). Alfonso Cuaron directed this space disaster movie (if you can even call it that), and it stars Sandra Bullock as the indomitable Dr. Ryan Stone. We discuss what made this one of Madison’s favorite movies, and what makes it a Sacred Text.  Sacred Texts can be art in any medium that you intern...

Where does an idea come from? Is writing a sacred experience, or more of a job? What does a career as a writer look like? If you’re looking for answers, look no further than Rob Yescombe! Rob’s career has taken him from speedily writing international television to writing on major video game titles, and from Netflix and Prime Video releases in the last few years to a beloved mystery game that he r...

The final episode of the Halloween season is here! Looking for a spooky cinematic recommendation? Cole takes us through the end of his list, with everything from Bong Joon Ho to Marvel , and Alfred Hitchcock to Steven Spielberg. We’ve got all of Cole’s recommendations from the month in our show notes, so be sure you check out any of his 2025 recommendations this month. If you’re a fan of Cole and...

We’re back with another podcast in our 31 Days of Halloween Movie series. Cole goes international with his spooky selections this week, from Japanese horror to Italian, and from Barcelona streets to Spanish language time-traveling slashers. There are some great recommendations this week, so after listening to today’s episode, be sure you head down to the show notes where we’ve linked every movie w...

We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and this week we’re discussing the hotly debated and oft misunderstood Sean Penn film, Into the Wild (2007). The story of Chris McCandless, first told by John Krakaur in his novel of the same name, is one of Tristan’s favorite Sacred Texts, and not for the reasons you might expect. If this is a movie you’ve written off or put off, today’s episode is for you...

We’re back with another podcast in our 31 Days of Halloween Movie series. We get into terrible product placement, cringeworthy 00’s remakes, a Universal Monster picture worth revisiting, an indie punching above its weight, and more. There are some great recommendations this week, so after listening to today’s episode, be sure you head down to the show notes where we’ve linked every movie we discus...

We’re back this week with another 31 Days of Halloween Movies, discussing punishing Santas, Linklater-esque witch drama, animated spooky vacations, and a BBC mockumentary so realistic, it got taken to court.  There are some great recommendations this week, so after listening to today’s episode, be sure you head down to the show notes where we’ve linked every movie we discussed thus far. If you’re...

A new year, a new October, and another 31 Days of Halloween Movies with our longtime friend of the pod and magazine, Cole Wissinger. We start with a little David Lynch on a train, discuss Cole’s love of the Saw franchise and its second entry, and cover Ryan Coogler’s 2025 ‘surprise hit,’ if an award-winning and box-office-smashing director can still have one of those. Check out our show notes wher...

“One by one, the free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the Ring, but there were some who resisted…”We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and this week we’re covering a cinematic masterpiece, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). From its take on political power, pastoral themes, heroism and courage, and manliness, there’s a lot to unpack in Madison’s Sacred Text. Sacre...