ThemeAntics Podcast

Bradston and Devonte’ are honored to have a riveting conversation with Gene Kim, creator of the award-winning short film One Last Monster! After getting to know Gene and his background, the guys unpack the influence of Korean culture and history in his work as well as what major themes he utilizes. As always, “Antics” is a fun ride as Gene joins in reverently dissecting themes in KPop Demon Hunter...

Let’s be honest, we all want a pet rock named Rocky after watching this movie. Bradston and Devonte’ are thrilled to share their analysis of the major themes of Project Hail Mary as a hardcore but accessible sci-fi adventure.   While the story is nearly pitch perfect with a feel-good conclusion, the guys still do their thing and unpack alternate story angles that will change the way you see this m...

Bradston is back! The dynamic duo discusses the exciting launch of the Artemis II, its implications on society, and how space travel is in the zeitgeist again. With our pale blue dot in the rear view, the guys embark on a galactic journey to discover the stories that set our eyes on the stars. Strap in!   Website: https://themeanticspodcast.podbean.com/ Email: ThemeAnticsPod@gmail.com Blog: https:...

Think of the most recent video you watched. There's a good chance it was AI generated. Now imagine a world where the next TV episode or movie you watch is AI generated. That kind of world is less fictional and startingly close to reality.  In this episode, Devonte' brings up recent headlines involving the rapid emergence of AI usage in fiction media. He then scrutinizes the application of AI media...

In this solo episode of the podcast, Devonte' examines two time-based pieces of media in the year of their 10th anniversaries: Arrival and 11.22.63 (series) and compares the role of time in each story.  Note for our Listeners: Bradston will be back on the show in the near future! Website: https://themeanticspodcast.podbean.com/   Email: ThemeAnticsPod@gmail.com   Blog: https://medium.com/@themeant...

How much can you remove from something before you change its nature? Bradston and Devonte’ dissect the philosophical Ship of Theseus concept and their personal perspectives.  The rest of the episode is filled with scintillating story ideas that explore how we understand and attempt to manipulate the nature of identity and consciousness. Thinking caps required for this one! Ship of Theseus: a philo...

Tarkovsky does it again! Bradston and Devonte’ react to another lesser-known sci-fi classic that was a real journey to experience. After unpacking the major themes the movie incorporates, the guys discuss their general observations and what it potentially reveals about storytelling in the early 1970s Soviet Union. From the purpose of exploration to where true meaning lies in humanity’s quest for k...

Bradston and Devonte’ are eager to share a piece of their own writing in this “behind the curtain” episode. They participated in a 100-word writing challenge and discussed their thought process for how they approached the challenge.  Writers sharpen writers so the guys also provide insightful feedback for each other’s stories and share which authors have the biggest impact on their writing styles....

In this episode, Bradston and Devonte’ discuss the well-known and controversial (?) novel "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown. The novel also inspired a film adaptation starring Tom Hanks.   Put on your escape room detective cap as the guys navigate this puzzle of an adventure while unpacking notable themes they noticed. They also examine the real-world implications of a story that invokes a plethora...

The Bible is a collection of 66 books with a wide variety of writing styles, themes, and narratives. It is undoubtedly one of the most influential pieces of literature in human history. It's not surprising that so many works of art (fiction and nonfiction) have been based, or loosely based, on its stories. Bradston and Devonte’ discuss a few examples of how stories have used biblical narrative in...

Welcome to another FANtastic episode of ThemeAntics (we had to do it)! Bradston and Devonte’ jump back into the superhero genre as they highlight key themes and moments from the recent theatrical release of Fantastic Four: The First Steps.  The guys also discuss what worked about the movie and its style of storytelling. With comic book characters and multiversal shenanigans galore, the Antics was...

Have Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan cemented their status as this era’s paramount director + leading actor duo? Bradston and Devonte’ believe so!  The guys recently watched another one of 2025’s most impactful movies and unpack the multitude of themes and highlights within the unique story. In a story dense with both lore and new ideas, Antics was loaded with plenty of alternate story potentia...

K-Pop! Demon Hunters! Music! Couch! Masterpiece! Bradston and Devonte’ were recently blown away by the vibrant, electric film, “K-Pop Demon Hunters”; A movie about a trio of K-Pop stars who battle demons (literally and figuratively) as chosen Hunters.  The ThemeAntics band breaks down the movie's references to Korean folklore, the power of music in storytelling, and their favorite themes used thro...

Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. Time will tell if that is the case for recent scientific news of a mysterious bacterium discovered on the Chinese space station, Tiangong. In this episode, Bradston and Devonte’ give their thoughts on the news and what sci-fi themes it reminds them of. The ‘Antics’ discussion is one you don’t want to miss as the guys craft a sprawling, increasingly dense...

Bradston and Devonte’ get around to discussing a show both have been eager to discuss: 3 Body Problem (Netflix version) based on the novel series by Liu Cixin. The guys navigate this sprawling story with plenty of intrigue and mystery and unpack how the show makes good use of multiple sci-fi themes we are all familiar with. This is one of the most thought-provoking stories discussed on the podcast...

Mystery is one of the oldest themes in storytelling. For ages, people have been drawn into tales of murder, theft, and countless other crimes. The hook to the story is almost always the same: Whodunit? In this episode, Bradston and Devonte’ grab their magnifying glasses and notepad to solve the mystery of how these stories enrapture our curiosity and leave a lasting impact …. with bloody footprint...

Waves the height of buildings, winds lighting boats and other vehicles, earthquakes that rip entire cities apart, waterspouts spitting out great white sharks (!). All the carnage we have seen in disaster movies can frighten us, make us in awe of nature’s raw power, and sometimes (uncomfortably) laugh. Bradston and Devonte’ pack their storm chasing gear and venture into the world of fictional and r...

In this episode, Devonte’ and Bradston take on a lesser known Robert De Niro/Martin Scorsese movie: The King of Comedy.  This classic invokes interesting questions about reality, fantasy, ambition, and delusion. The guys examine how the movie incorporates these themes and how they would do it differently!   Timestamps: (00:00:00) - Welcome to ThemeAntics (00:00:48) - Discussing the Story and Theme...

Throw on your thinking caps and jump into a wild (and slightly confusing) ride with Devonte’ and Bradston as they recap the time travel adventure Predestination (2014)!  Watching this movie is highly recommended to fully appreciate the discussion. Devonte’ and Bradston also share ideas on how the movie could have told its mind-bending story differently.   Timestamps: (00:00:00) - Welcome to ThemeA...

We all have movies we keep rewatching, books we enjoy picking back up, reliable TV shows we rewind, and other stories we can't get enough of!  Bradston and Devonte’ share some of their favorite fiction works they often return to. They also discuss why their interest in familiar stories persists over time.   Timestamps: (00:00:00) - Welcome to ThemeAntics (00:00:48) - Introducing the Theme (00:05:4...

After planning a standard episode, Bradston and Devonte’ called an audible to tackle an interesting, recent topic: mysterious drones being spotted in New Jersey and across the US.  The odd occurrences, many of them captured on video, are ripe for storytelling. Bradston and Devonte’ explore possible explanations and craft their own stories for these tantalizing UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon)...

For this special episode, Devonte’ and Bradston take the gloves off and call out specific flaws in storytelling each of them have observed in fiction. Movies, video games, books, TV shows, everything is on the table! To commemorate their first 20 (!) episodes of podcasting, they reflect on how they’ve made it to this point and their vision for the next 20 episodes and beyond. Onward and upward!  T...

After a long and eventful election season, Bradston and Devonte’ kick back and remember some good political stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.  Considering how unhinged real-world politics can be, the ideas the guys piece together in the Antics section may not be as far-fetched as they seem!  Editorial Note: The First Lady that Devonte’ mentioned secretly assumed presidentia...

Devonte’ is back as a new dad! He shares his personal experiences with fatherhood and a time capsule message to his son for the future. Afterwards, Devonte’ and Bradston discuss a variety of stories that have parent-child relationships as a major theme. The two then examine unique ways of telling these stories that allow the audience to think outside the box for how the parent-child dynamic can be...

In this episode, Bradston dives into the world of Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific and influential Science Fiction writers of the 20th century. He discusses the life of Asimov and what solidified him as one of the "Big Three" Sci-fi writers of his era, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur Clarke. Join this journey of robotics, positronics and psyhcohistory as this episode dives into who...