Hold On to Your Butts: A Podcast About Great Franchises that Uhhhhhhhhh Lost Their Way

It all comes down to this.

JD and Paul reach the end of What the Hell Are You? A Rewatch of Everything Predator with Predator: Badlands, and Paul's wife Megan joins them for the final hunt. Dan Trachtenberg makes perhaps the strangest creative decision in the entire franchise: this time, the Predator is our protagonist. Does turning Predator into a sympathetic hero finally push the franchise somewhere new, or does it fundamentally misunderstand what made Predator interesting in the first place?

JD, Paul and Megan debate whether Badlands still feels like Predator, how much franchises need to evolve to survive, what Dan Trachtenberg has added to Yautja culture, whether the movie borrows a little too freely from Dune, Avatar, Star Wars and Alien, and why Weyland-Yutani may ultimately be the most dangerous predator of all. Plus: Dek's bizarre family dynamics, Elle Fanning playing both sides of the synth divide, James Cameron's surprising influence on the ending, Predator callbacks, sick kills, Paul falling asleep during the movie, and the official final ranking of all nine Predator films.

After months of trophy hunts, thermal vision, spine ripping and arguments over whether Predator even has a memorable theme, the season ends here.

JD and Paul take on Predator: Killer of Killers, the animated anthology from Dan Trachtenberg that sends the Predator hunting across centuries of human history.

This time, a Viking warrior, a samurai, and a World War II pilot each face their own Yautja hunter before being brought together for a Predator gladiator battle. JD thinks Killer of Killers contains some of the best and most inventive action in the entire franchise. Paul thinks animation might fundamentally prevent him from caring about any of it. So naturally, things get contentious.

We break down the three stories, the wildly different Predator designs, the new Yautja Codex and language, the film's animation, its historical settings, the samurai showdown, the aerial Predator battle, the final arena sequence, and what Dan Trachtenberg seems to understand about this franchise that so many previous filmmakers didn't.

Subscribe for the final episode of What the Hell Are You? I A Rewatch of Everything Predator.

After six Predator movies, we finally arrive at the one that changed everything.

JD and Paul are joined by Mallory Vining (AudiYOOObooks) to break down Prey (2022), the critically acclaimed reboot that breathed new life into the Predator franchise. We discuss why Naru is one of the series' greatest protagonists, how Dan Trachtenberg returned the franchise to its horror roots, and why smaller stakes and smarter storytelling made for the best Predator film since the original.

The Predator franchise gets another chance...and wastes nearly every advantage it has.

JD and Paul are joined by comedian Andres Becerril to revisit The Predator (2018), Shane Black's expensive, chaotic attempt to transform Predator into a larger science-fiction action franchise. The ingredients looked promising: Shane Black returning to the franchise, a cast featuring Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane and Boyd Holbrook, and an ambitious story designed to expand the mythology.

The Predator franchise gets a second chance.

JD and Paul are joined by comedian Mitch Jones to revisit Predators (2010), the Robert Rodriguez-produced soft reboot that transported the series from the jungles of Earth to an alien hunting preserve. Did this movie succeed where the previous entries stumbled? The crew discusses Adrien Brody's unlikely action hero turn, Walton Goggins stealing scenes, Topher Grace's casting, Predator lore, Robert Rodriguez's original script, the franchise's expanding mythology, and whether Predators deserves more recognition as one of the strongest sequels in the series.

Along the way they debate Predator society, the "Ripley-Verse," comic book canon, Hollywood casting, Bugs Bunny's influence on the English language, and why this movie feels like a return to form.

The Predator series hits what many fans consider its lowest point.

This week, JD and Paul are joined by comedian Ethan Everhart to break down Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), the sequel infamous for being so dark that audiences literally couldn't tell what was happening on screen. The crew dives into Wolf the cleanup Predator, the Predator honor code, behind-the-scenes production stories, practical creature effects, why the movie pretends Vancouver is Gunnison, Colorado, and whether the franchise completely lost its way.

Plus, there's plenty of time for discussions about streaming services, The Godfather, Stephen King, Predator vs. Santa Claus, and a surprising amount of Predator lore.

The ultimate movie crossover finally arrives.

JD and Paul are joined by Ian Silverii (Get More Smarter Podcast, Bighorn Company) to tackle Alien vs. Predator (2004). The film that united two legendary sci-fi monsters after years of comics, rumors, and fan speculation. Was the crossover worth the wait?

We discuss the surprisingly ambitious mythology behind the film, Paul W.S. Anderson's direction, practical vs. digital effects, Predator culture, Alien lore, why the movie went PG-13, and whether AVP deserves more credit than it gets.

Along the way they also debate Predator presidential campaigns, connected cinematic universes before the MCU, DVD commentaries, Blade Runner connections, and which monster would actually be scarier to face. Featuring special guest: 🎙️ Ian Silverii (Get More Smarter Podcast & Bighorn Company)

Predator 2 might be the strangest blockbuster sequel of the 1990s.

JD and Paul are joined by Eric Riley (Graveyard Choir, In The Whale) to discuss Danny Glover's sweaty showdown with the Predator, Gary Busey's alien-hunting government task force, Jamaican Voodoo Posse stereotypes, and the sequel that accidentally created Alien vs. Predator.

Along the way they discuss franchise history, DVD special features, action movie excess, Paul Verhoeven comparisons, Predator lore, and whether Danny Glover only working out for five weeks was enough to save humanity.

A new season of Hold On To Your Butts begins. JD and Paul leave Indiana Jones behind and start their journey through the Predator franchise with the original 1987 classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and one of the most iconic movie monsters ever created.

They discuss whether Predator deserves its reputation as an all-time action masterpiece, why Arnold became the defining action star of the era, the fascinating behind-the-scenes production stories that shaped the film, and whether the franchise has finally found its footing again with the recent movies.

They also spend an alarming amount of time debating Schwarzenegger vs. Stallone, Jesse Ventura's political career, and the eternal mystery: What is a Predator?

The movies are over, but the adventure isn't.

After rewatching every Indiana Jones film, Paul and JD take one final trip into the world of Indy by exploring everything beyond the movies. JD watched the entire Young Indiana Jones Chronicles series, Paul read one of the Indiana Jones novels, and together they discuss whether these forgotten corners of the franchise enrich the character or just complicate him.

They also dive into Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the acclaimed 2024 video game that may have delivered the best Indiana Jones story in decades, before revealing what's next for Hold On to Your Butts. If you've enjoyed our Indiana Jones season, thanks for coming along for the ride.