Do You Like Apples: Your Neighborhood Podcast

The young guys had their fun the last few weeks. Kane Parsons and Curry Barker have brought amazing energy into the film world and it is time for Steven Spielberg to ride their coat tails.

Disclosure Day premieres this weekend and Drew/Billy are gearing up for that release by drafting Steven Spielberg movies. This iconic director seems to be going back to his wheelhouse with a mix of Close Encounters of the Third Kind with his 2000's sci-fi stretch of A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, and War of the Worlds.

First though, Drew and Billy discuss the box office success of Backrooms and Obsession. Is it a sign of a new trend or is it a fad that will die quickly? Steven Spielberg will almost certainly be the king of the box office this weekend, but it is hard to ignore the parallels between his disruption of the movie business with Jaws and what is happening right now.

After this episode you will we able to vote on who won... but only on our newsletter! Our paid subscribers will have an extra opportunity to vote this Thursday (06/11) AND next Tuesday (06/16). The rest of you will only be able to vote THIS Friday (06/12).

Hosts: Billy Rock and Drew Wendt
Intro music by Ryan Jenkins

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Backrooms and Obsession have taken the movie world by storm. Directors Kane Parsons (Backrooms) and Curry Barker (Obsession) are both under 27 years old and both made their names known online using Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok before they were given the opportunity to show what they had on the big screen.

These cheap budgets into massive successes have Drew and Billy wondering if this is just a blip in the radar or a sign of the next era of Hollywood. Obsession uses traditional scares with a younger voice to breathe life into the horror genre. And Backrooms creates an atmosphere that allows any audience member to insert their own experience into the confusing and disorienting setting.

Today we also use this momentum of these massive successes to usher in the new era of Do You Like Apples. It doesn't seem like much is changing, but we are now "Do You Like Apples: Your Neighborhood Podcast." Simply said... Movies are the gateway. Proximity is your value.

Thank you for listening and stay tuned on everything Do You Like Apples: Your Neighborhood Podcast with all of the resources below.

Hosts: Billy Rock and Drew Wendt
Intro music by Ryan Jenkins

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You have your syllabus. Now you have your summer watching list.

Drew and Billy go through the entire summer movie schedule — May 1st through August 31st — and break down our most anticipated movie coming to theaters (Sorry Cliff Booth, seems like you're staying on Netflix). The big ones. The epic ones. The ones that will have packed houses and goosebump moments you can only get on a giant screen.

But big movies aren't for everyone, and every massive release has a smaller, quieter alternative dropping the same weekend. The same week Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters, indie and queer cinema icon Gregg Araki releases I Want Your Sex.

We hope you can handle the heat of this episode, but once the heat of the summer becomes unbearable and you need an escape, remember this episode and go see some movies. Every weekend has something waiting for you.

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Hosts: Billy Rock and Drew Wendt
Intro music by Ryan Jenkins

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If you missed our last episode we created a movie syllabus for you all. One of the units is called "Anne Hathaback"... get it? Like Anne Hathaway, but Hathaback?

One of the movies is Serenity, a notorious bomb that is heralded as one of the great misses of the 21st century. Billy has never seen this movie. Drew is riding the ship with amazing prompts and reactions to Billy as this crazy story unfolds. Thank you for joining us for this amazing watch-a-long. We press play at 10:39

Hosts: Drew Wendt and Billy Rock

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Welcome to Do You Like Apples 1000! An intro class to all things movies.

This week on Do You Like Apples, Drew and Billy provide 10 themes with three movies in each — by the end of the class you will have watched 30 movies.

Listen to hear how we grouped all of these together, why we picked these movies, and tease how these movies will tie into future newsletters or podcast episodes.

Hosts: Drew Wendt and Billy Rock

Intro music by Ryan Jenkins

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Check all movies out on Letterboxd:

Billy Budd (1962)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Ponyo (2008)

Paterson (2016)

True Lies (1994)

The American President (1995)

La Chimera (2023)

Rififi (1955)

Le cercle rouge (1970)

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Babe: Pig in the City (1998)

The Visit (2015)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Serenity (2019)

Eileen (2023)

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

The Italian Job (1969)

Primer (2004)

Coherence (2013)

Monsters (2010)

The Wolf Man (1941)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Fire Island (2022)

Emma. (2020)

Project Chili's is over! It is time to focus solely on the epic, charming, funny, and emotional box office hit, Project Hail Mary. This movie stars Ryan Gosling, a space rock creature named Rocky voiced and puppeteered by James Ortiz, and Sandra Hüller. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

This is a solo effort this week, in solidarity with Ryan Gosling! Billy Rock gives his quick 18 minute thoughts of Project Hail Mary.

Is it a classic? How does Ryan Gosling's performance as a stranded person compare to the likes of Matt Damon in The Martian, Tom Hanks in Cast Away, or even Tom Hardy in Locke? Find out what Billy thinks about that and more!

Hosts: Billy Rock and Drew Wendt

Intro music by Ryan Jenkins

We have a March Madness bracket happening to try and decide what is the best, Best Picture winner of the last 16 years. Subscribe to our newsletter and vote there!

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Project Hail Mary comes out wide EVERYWHERE on March 20th and Project Chilis is happening March 21st. So to gear up for an unforgettable weekend we are talking all things space movies.

Not our favorites, but ones we love in three separate categories. Lift Off (small and indie), Amongst the Stars (mid-budget), and Intergalactic (Epic, massive scale, and massive budget).

Plus, we open the episode with a conversation about what 2025 movies, Oscar winner or otherwise, will have the longest lasting legacy. Welcome back to Do You Like Apples!

Hosted by Billy Rock and Drew Wendt

Intro music by Ryan Jenkins

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It’s finally here — the Super Bowl for film nerds: Oscars night.

This week on Do You Like Apples, Drew and Billy preview the entire ceremony and make their predictions for the Top 8 categories. Is Timmy’s stock falling at the worst possible moment? Will Sean Penn light up a dart inside the Dolby Theatre? And did the critical and box office failure of The Bride have any awards-season consequences for Jessie Buckley’s legendary run? Let’s break it all down.

To start the show, we talk about how Harrison Ford accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award at SAG this year, it got us thinking: some of the most iconic actors in Hollywood history never win an Oscar. Which current legends, established stars, and young risers could end up in that same camp? Or has the idea of becoming a true Hollywood “legend” disappeared entirely?

Finally, we check in on #ProjectChilis. With the Oscars behind us, the focus now turns fully to Do You Like Apples’ first major event and online campaign. Screenings are already scheduled in St. Louis and Phoenix, but this event can happen anywhere.

For the full #ProjectChilis lore, check out our Instagram or TikTok.

Want to host a screening? RSVP and we’ll create a custom graphic for you to post online.

Hosts: Billy Rock and Drew WendtI

ntro Music: Ryan Jenkins

We’re back with a classic early-year movie episode of Do You Like Apples.

The blockbusters haven’t quite arrived, the Oscars are around the corner, and our movie brains are spiraling in all directions.

First, we pay tribute to the late, great Robert Duvall — using his career as a jumping-off point to talk about our favorite “comfort faces” in Hollywood. The actors who just make a movie better by showing up.

Then we dive into “Dumpuary.” A movie season that’s supposed to be full of duds… but in this century has actually delivered major hits, Oscar players, and some critical darlings. We also talk about two current releases in the mix — Send Help and Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie — and where they fall in the ever-evolving reputation of early-year movies.

Finally, we introduce our first official event: #ProjectChilis.

It all stems from an embarrassing college moment for Billy — and we’re attempting to correct history. The plan? A screening of Project Hail Mary followed immediately by Chili’s. March 21st. Cinema. Chili's. Redemption.

For details on how to join us, head to our Instagram⁠ and TikTok

Hosted by Billy Rock and Drew Wendt

Intro music by Ryan Jenkins

Project Chili's:

- What is Project Chili's?

- RSVP to Project Chili's using this form and we will create a custom graphic for you to go on your social media

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Drew and Billy, 3 years before Do You Like Apples was created, experienced the most controversial Oscars up to that point. #OscarsSoWhite took over the industry leading to wide reform within The Academy for years to come.

In this 10 years later Drew and Billy discuss this phenomenon, how Chris Rock handled the controversy in his opening monologue/set the stage for his own slap, and react to the winners, losers, and snubbed nominees from this Oscars. Like any year there are many great movies, but this year is defined by plenty of things other than the quality of the films. Leading to fascinating look back at a watershed moment for films most prestigious awards show.

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