FIRST 35:00: Spoiler-Free Review with our See It/Skip It Verdict

Join Ian and James as we step into a post-Endgame world to see if Brave New World soars as a worthy successor to the Captain America legacy or if it stumbles under the weight of expectation. Does it honour Steve Rogers' past while firmly establishing Sam Wilson as his own Cap, or does it play it too safe without enough bold ambition?

We’ll examine the film’s storytelling—Does it justify its place in the MCU after so much time since Falcon and the Winter Soldier? How does Anthony Mackie fare in his first solo Captain America outing, and does he bring the same leadership and presence as Chris Evans once did? And how does Harrison Ford’s debut as Thunderbolt Ross shake up the Marvel landscape?

We’ll also break down the action and spectacle—Are the fight sequences and choreography on par with the intense, grounded combat of The Winter Soldier? Does Julius Onah bring a fresh visual style to the franchise? Did Marvel choose the right villain to challenge Sam Wilson’s Cap? 

Finally, we’ll debate whether Brave New World stands strong as a new era for the character or if it struggles to break free from Steve Rogers’ shadow. Does the film move the MCU forward in an exciting way, or is it another formulaic installment? 

We’ll tackle all these questions as we dissect the movie and tell you if we think you should SEE IT or SKIP IT!

(Deep Dive begins at 33:05)

"Some podcasts are proud and not plain" Join your favorite TransAtlantic podcasting crew – Ian and Hermes Auslander (Megs, B-Tech Kev & Liam are off learning Pennsylvania Dutch) – as we head to the world of Amish country, undercover cops, and barn-raising in Witness (1985). We’re trading in our Smart Tech polo shirts for traditional Amish garb and diving into our 265th episode as we discuss:

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.

Join Ian from Best Film Ever and Stew from The Stew World Order podcast as we break the BFE format by counting down to chaos at WWE Royal Rumble 2025 from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. We discuss whether the Rumble matches delivered on surprises and storytelling—or if they were just a numbers game. Did WWE make the right call in crowning their Rumble winners? How did the championship matches shake up the road to WrestleMania? We also debate the physics of a luchador dodging an elimination, whether there's a limit on deferred gratification and the Greatest Royal Rumble's hybrid identity as both canon and non-canon. We'll answer all these questions and hand out post-event superlatives celebrating the night's best (and worst).

Catch more of Stew on his own podcast: Stew World Order at

You can also catch him at his website where he writes about all sorts of fun things:

(Deep Dive begins at 27:45)

Check out our partnership with Magic Mind at www.magicmind.com/bfeJAN.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.

This month, we’re stepping into the squared circle to break down the very first Royal Rumble match, which aired on January 24, 1988, on the USA Network. While it wasn’t a pay-per-view event just yet, this historic match laid the foundation for one of WWE’s most beloved annual traditions.

Join Ian and Stew as we revisit the 20-man battle royal that changed wrestling history. Does the original Rumble still hold up today, or does it feel like a rough draft of the chaos to come? Was it a revolutionary concept right out of the gate, or did WWE take a few years to truly perfect the formula?

We’ll examine the match’s key storytelling choices—Did the right man win? How did the pacing and eliminations compare to future Rumbles? Was this truly the best way to showcase future main eventers, or was it just a fun TV special with little long-term impact?

Also, our big burning questions this month: Was Jake Roberts super-over or was it the DDT that was super-over? Does Bret Hart work as a heel? Why would they put Bret in the first ironman slot as a heel.  Also, why book him as a heel in Canada?

We’ll also take a closer look at the match structure and in-ring action—Did the 20-man format feel too small? How did the action flow without entrance music and countdown clocks? Were there standout performances, or was this more about the novelty than match quality? And did WWE miss an opportunity by not putting this on pay-per-view?

Finally, we’ll debate whether this first-ever Rumble is a must-watch piece of wrestling history or if it’s more of a curiosity for hardcore fans. Was it a game-changer at the time, or just another battle royal with a fancy name? 

Happy New Year!  Another bonus episode for your listening enjoyment as we bring you another Reel Roundtable discussion.  Ian, Liam, Megan, and B-Tech Kev look back on the films they've reviewed in 2024 (with a mail-in ballot from Georgia) and have some awards to hand out in the form of The Besties.  Comments, banter, and flat out arguments can be found as we debate the best that we saw in 2024 (A full list of award categories and eligible films are located at the bottom of these notes)

This year we're thrilled to have ballots from ten of our patrons (Hermes Auslander, Richard, Aashrey, Timmy Tim Tim, Ariannah who loves BFE the most, James De Guzman, Andy Dickson, Johnny H's Right Boot, Cheesy and Rev. Bruce) to help determine the winners.

Eligible Films:

Check out our partnership with Magic Mind at www.magicmind.com/bfeJAN

Deep Dive begins at 37:00

Check out our partnership with Magic Mind at www.magicmind.com/bfeJAN.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.

Check out our partnership with Magic Mind at www.magicmind.com/bfeJAN

Deep Dive begins at 33:20

"They're under the ground!" Join your favorite TransAtlantic podcasting crew – Ian and Megs (Liam & B-Tech Kev weren't invited to Perfection) – as we're heading to the Nevada desert to dig into the cult classic monster mayhem of Tremors. We're dodging Graboids and figuring out how to survive in our 262nd episode as we discuss:

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of 'Mistake' by Luckydog.  Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song.  You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

"We're werewolves, not swearwolves!" Join your favorite TransAtlantic podcasting crew – Ian and Megs (Liam & B-Tech Kev weren't invited in) – as we're heading to Wellington, New Zealand, to explore the undead hilarity of What We Do in the Shadows.  We're sharpening our fangs and settling the house chores in our 261st episode as we discuss:

Check out our partnership with Magic Mind at www.magicmind.com/bfeJAN

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of 'Mistake' by Luckydog.  Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song.  You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/

Now you have another reason to get into the summer spirit as we close out 2024! Join your favorite TransAtlantic podcasting crew – Ian, and Megs (we've traded Liam & B-Tech Kev to Detroit) – as we're heading to Northern California to use computers and math to turn the Oakland Athletics into a winning ballclub in Moneyball.  We're joined by Best Friend of the podcast and our star trade deadline acquisition in Ryan Kuketz who picked today's film. We're avoiding jinxes and paying a dollar for Cinnamon Cokes in our 260th episode as we discuss:

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of 'Mistake' by Luckydog.  Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

Also massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song.  You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/