The NO NOTES Podcast

A spoiler-free sprint through fall’s biggest and best TV shows and movies. Schmear is back—joined by Jesse Aronson —and the two put seven minutes on the clock for a speed-round tour through the season’s standout titles. -TASK (7:36) -The Lowdown (14:18) -The Chair Company (20:51) -Nobody Wants This (27:10) -Pluribus (33:20) -One Battle After Another (41:20) -Bugonia (47:27) They close out with wha...

'Jaws' turns 50 and is back on IMAX screens this weekend! To celebrate, Schmear and Sena Adjei are joined by legendary documentarian Laurent Bouzereau for a deep dive into both 'Jaws' and his new documentary, 'Jaws @ 50' (4:22). They discuss Steven Spielberg ’s PTSD while making the original film, whether Laurent sees any modern equivalents to Spielberg , his favorite scene...

Alex Russell , writer and director of the new psychological drama thriller 'Lurker,' joins the pod! First up, resident FX expert Teddy Kim stops by to vivisect Noah Hawley 's 'Alien: Earth' (3:45). Teddy and Schmear discuss what's working and what's not through the first 3 episodes, assess the performances, and talk about how Episode 3, "Metamorphosis," was a...

Weapons writer and director Zach Cregger , as well as the film’s production designer Tom Hammock , join The SchmearCast ! Before that, Schmear is joined by horror expert Rachel Lydia Barker to review Weapons . They start by discussing Zach Cregger ’s earlier work, Barbarian , before diving into what works and what doesn’t in the new film, assessing the performances, and getting into spoiler territ...

Ari Aster 's latest film, 'Eddington,' is pissing A LOT of people off. But on this episode, Schmear is joined by Karsten Runquist to discuss why they think this Joaquin Phoenix / Pedro Pascal neo-western is so brilliant. They talk about Ari Aster 's career up to this point (14:52) and the brutal reception of 'Eddington' at Cannes (20:37) before diving into the movie's themes, what works, what does...

It’s a bird, it’s a plane—it’s a...divisive new 'Superman' movie? Schmear is joined by Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) and Brock Engi (Movie Talk with Brock) to break down James Gunn ’s much-anticipated ' Superman ,' starring David Corenswet as the Big Blue Boy Scout. They share headline thoughts and discuss the meaning of the Superman character before debating what works and what doesn...

Seems like no one’s talking about Season 4 of ' The Bear .' Schmear is joined by Jesse Aaronson and Lauren Brodauf to unpack why that might be, while also sharing their big-picture thoughts on the season. Then they dive into a full episode-by-episode breakdown, including the Ayo Edebiri -led ' Worms' (33:17) and the big wedding moment in ' Bears,' (52:11) featuring a stando...

Brad Pitt stars in ''F1'—loud, shiny, and fast—but is it a good movie? Schmear and writer/critic—and Formula One expert— Iana Murray rev up to debate Joseph Kosinski’ s ( Top Gun: Maverick ) latest film. They discuss the impact and attraction of the sport before diving into the film, arguing about Brad Pitt ’s star wattage, discussing supporting performances from Kerry Condon , Damson...

The rage virus returns! Danny Boyle and Alex Garland re-team for ’28 Years Later,’ and Schmear hosts Marta Djordjevic (Rewind & Revive) in an in-depth conversation covering everything you need to know about the film.  They first discuss zombie films (7:10) and their significance, then talk through the careers of Boyle and Garland (10:24) before analyzing both ’28 Days’ and ’28 Weeks Later’ (14...

Schmear is rejoined by Alison Sivitz —aka Bald Ann Dowd—to dive into one of the most divisive movies of the year: ' Materialists ,' the new Celine Song rom-com (or is it?) starring Dakota Johnson , Pedro Pascal , and Chris Evans . They discuss the rom-com genre (3:38) , break down what works and what doesn’t (9:48), and discuss the film’s strange and extreme reception (45:57) . Schmear wra...

Schmear is joined by Ezgi Eren , creator of the excellent 11am Saturday questionnaire, for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of moviegoing in 2025. They trace the origins of her newsletter and unpack some of the best responses she’s received—favorite snacks, ideal showtimes—before diving into the electric energy currently powering theatrical culture. Together, they break down what’s working...

New Wes Anderson ! Jesse Armstrong ’s first project since Succession ! And Gen Z’s answer to Girls ? Schmear , Sena Adjei , and Jesse Aaronson dig into all of that. Up first, they discuss Wes Anderson ’s latest, ' The Phoenician Scheme . ' (2:04) They start off talking about how and why Wes is such a lightning rod before diving into their favorite moments in the film and judging the perfor...

Schmear is back from Cannes and ready to debrief.  He watched 16 films — including Eddington , The Phoenician Scheme , and Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident — and breaks them down into four clear categories: plagues (3:26) , politics (9:23) , the personal (13:50) , and the past (22:04) . Then, it’s time for the definitive ranking: all 16 films, worst to best (29:47) . Host: Gabriel Frieber...

It’s the wrap-up of ' Andor' —one of the most accomplished shows of the year and maybe the finest example of IP storytelling to date. Schmear is rejoined by Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) and Dan Monaghan (ReelTakes) to break down episodes 10, 11, and 12: how they function as a bridge to ' Rogue One ,' whether they’re a slight comedown from the explosive highs of episodes 8 and 9, and...

Schmear and Sena Adjei run down the most intriguing titles at Cannes 2025 ahead of their arrival, featuring 'Eddington' , a new Western thriller from Ari Aster ; directorial debuts from Harris Dickinson and Scarlett Johansson ; Schmear ’s dark horse Palme d’Or pick; and, of course, Spike Lee ’s hotly anticipated re-team with Denzel Washington , 'Highest 2 Lowest' . Host: Gabriel Fr...

'Andor' ascends to thrilling new heights with its latest batch of episodes. Schmear is joined by Dan Monaghan of Reel Takes to dive into Season 2, Episodes 7–9: they discuss the slow start and debate the odd inclusion of the force as a theme in episode 7 ( 08:25 ) , unpack the chilling real-world political echoes in the masterfully tense episode 8 ( 21:27 ) , and celebrate the pure excitement of e...

Schmear returns to the post-apocalyptic world of ' The Last of Us ,' joined once again by Sena Adjei to break down episodes 2 through 4 of S2 (1:52) . They unpack that massive E2 shocker, explore why episode 3 left them disappointed, and assess whether the show is back on track after a much-improved episode 4 packed with visceral set pieces and Jeffrey Wright 's compelling new characte...

Episodes 4–6 of ' Andor' S2 deliver masterfully thrilling television, pushing the Tony Gilroy -created series to soaring new heights. Schmear is joined by Sean Byrne (Modern Mythos) and Dan Monaghan (Reel Takes) to break it all down: they unpack the fan reactions to the season’s first batch, dig into the Ghorman-centered arc, and spotlight the standout performances, shifting motivations, a...

The thrilling, deeply layered ' Andor' — arguably the best Star Wars byproduct — returns for a spectacular Season 2. Schmear is joined by Sean Byrne ( Modern Mythos ) to break down what makes this Tony Gilroy -created series so exceptional (3:06) . After touching on the show's development and its ties to ' Rogue One ' (11:04) they dive into the first three episodes: “One Year L...

Ryan Coogler ’s 'Sinners' is one of the best, boldest movies of the year. Schmear and Sena Adjei dive in rapturously, starting with their big-picture impressions and in-theater experiences. They break down Coogler and Michael B. Jordan ’s creative partnership, the film’s development, and then go deep on the filmmaking, performances, standout scenes, and major themes. They wrap with thoughts on the...

'The Last of Us' is BACK...but is it any good? Schmear is joined by Sena Adjei to break down the Pedro Pascal -led series, reflecting on the highs and lows of Season 1 before diving into the S2 premiere, "Future Days." They talk about new cast members like Kaitlyn Dever and Catherine O’Hara , why Sena’s underwhelmed so far, and whether they’re emotionally in for the long haul. Th...

'The Pitt,' which wrapped up last night, is one of the best shows of 2025, and joining the SchmearCast are two of its amazing stars, Gerran Howell (Dennis Whitaker) and Shabana Azeez (Victoria Javadi)!! First up, Jesse Aaronson returns to break down episodes 3 and 4 of 'The Studio.' Schmear and Jesse re-engineer their expectations for the sitcom before diving into "The Note&qu...

'White Lotus' S3 comes to an explosive, divisive close. Schmear and Alison Sivitz ( Bald Ann Dowd ) reunite one last time to break down the action-packed 90-minute finale, “Amor Fati.” Schmear defends the episode overall before the two dive into the twists and turns. Alison makes a bold 180 on Saxon Ratliff, while Schmear praises the fateful, artful Lachlan scene. They unpack the climactic ending...

In ' The White Lotus ’s' penultimate episode, “Killer Instincts,” this roller coaster season barrels ahead with a sharp focus on the nature of violence. Schmear and Alison Sivitz return to break it all down (2:05) —Rick’s cockamamie Bangkok scheme (10:39) , the ladies on the warpath (14:47) , and the monastery misadventure (17:50) . Schmear casts a wary eye on Mook, while Alison unpacks he...

New Seth Rogen Hollywood satire series ' The Studio ' is one of the best and funniest shows of the year. Joining Schmear to help break it down is Jesse Aaronson . The two give their top-line thoughts (3:19) , discuss some of the best and worst examples of the "Hollywood" subgenre on the small screen (10:17) , then assess the incredibly hysterical, smart, and stylish first episode...