HollywoodOutsider

Every year, we love to celebrate the holiday season with our listeners, and there is no better way to do that than with our 2025 Holiday Special!

It all started 10 years ago with a random idea: we were big fans of holiday specials, yet podcasts seemed to skip over the idea completely. Therefore, we decided we can do whatever we want here at The Hollywood Outsider, so let's create our own tradition and the Annual Holiday Special was born!

Every year we rekindle the past (and occasionally add a little something new), assembling some of the best moments from our hosts for the most fantastic holiday special ever! Debating what constitutes a Christmas movie and specials we love, what makes for a great Christmas movie, Christmas cliches, and even our Holiday Spirit Movie Battle Royale!

That's not all, oh no. The Christmas spirit kicks into overdrive as we open up and share our personal memories of the holiday season, stories that remind us of Christmas. And no holiday special would be complete without a visit from the big man himself, so get ready for as much St. Nick as legally allowed as Santa Claus drops by the studio to tell us just how naughty or nice we are, all throughout the episode!

With a special game from Amanda, Santa in his sleigh, John's obsession with puppets, Troy's intriguing selection of Holiday Spirit films, Scott's first Christmas Poem, Bad Santa, and a lot of fun for everyone – This is the one podcast you don't want to miss this holiday season!

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, WICKED: FOR GOOD has arrived in theaters to magically conquer the world! Therefore, it's time to grab a broom and fly back to Oz to see how Elphaba and Glinda (or Galinda) wrap up their story. Does Jon Chu's film correct the issues of the second half of the musical? Do the new songs add anything? Are important aspects fleshed out? Do Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande repeat their stellar performances from the first film? Most importantly, does Wicked 2 captivate us the way the original did? Listen as we break down every character in the rousing conclusion to the Wicked franchise.

After challenging the Wizard's totalitarian regime in Oz, Elphaba must grapple with her identity as the "Wicked Witch of the West". Meanwhile, the Wizard has given Glinda the title "Glinda the Good" and a public status as the nation's defender against Elphaba. The two witches must make decisions that seal their fates in this second musical installment. Let's dive in to our Wicked: For Good review and spoilercast!

• (0:00 – 8:27) Spoiler-Free Review - Wicked: For Good
• (8:28 – 46:16) Wicked: For Good Spoilercast
• Click here for our Wicked Spoiler Review
• Click here for more info on our 2026 Alaskan Cruise!
• Listen to our true crime podcast, Inspired By A True Story, now available in your favorite podcast feed!
• Please support The Hollywood Outsider and gain immediate access to bonus content, including Patreon exclusive podcast content like our Bad Movie Night by visiting Patreon.com/ TheHollywoodOutsider

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, let's see if we can make this podcast disappear by wading into the world of magic in movies and TV. David Copperfield, David Blaine, Now You See Me, Harry Potter...wait, does that count? We head into the world of magic to discuss both our fascination with the topic, as well as where it has been done well. Also, should heist movies count in this subgenre?

Also on this episode, Kyle Nolan from NoReruns.net joins us to discuss showrunner trouble at the networks, a V for Vendetta series, Poker Face folds, Apple TVs Pluribus, and Netflix finally gets a jolt of life with Frankenstein.

• (0:00 – 21:20) Opening | Network showrunner trouble, Poker Face folds, Sydney Sweeney drama, V for Vendetta
• (21:21 – 47:32) From the Outside In: Magic in Movies and TV
• (47:33 – 56:29) Review - Now You See Me, Now You Don't

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, with Predator: Badlands offering a completely different kind of film than all previous ones in the series, it's time to discuss when it is time to shake up a franchise. It has been numerous times - James Bond, Fast and Furious, Friday the 13th, Breaking Bad - so when do you know it is time to start shaking up a franchise? Also, what are the best and worst examples?

Also on this episode, we discuss the potential sale of Warner Brothers, Walking Dead celebrates its 15th anniversary, Mummy 4 gets an amazing update, plus reviews of Predator: Badlands and All's Fair.

• (0:00 – 20:05) Opening | The Mummy 4 reunites Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, Warner Brothers is for sale, Walking Dead and They Live anniversaries
• (20:06 – 1:00:51) From the Outside In: Shaking Up A Franchise
• (1:00:52 – 1:09:52) Review - Predator: Badlands

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it's time for our Holiday Movie Preview 2025! Every major theatrical and streaming release for the remainder of the year is on tap as we debate the best and worst of the upcoming season.  From Wicked: For Good, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Wake Up Dead Man, Anaconda, The Housemaid, Song Sung Blue, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, and everything in between!  Curious what's worth watching this holiday season? Then don't miss this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast!

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it’s Halloween, and as we have done in the past for Halloween and Christmas, we like to put out a bit of a compilation of favorite topics or interviews from years past that celebrate these specific holidays. So for Halloween, let's discuss vampires, monsters, demonic possession, and the dos and don'ts of horror movies!

First up, with SINNERS taking a bite out of theaters this year, it felt time to revisit the concept of vampires. Most importantly, are vampires scary? For decades fear of the undead has been a driving force of countless Hollywood movies and TV shows. But are they actually terrifying?

Then we keep the talk going as we dive into the concept of monster movies, specifically what makes for a great one. We also debate what actually constitutes a monster movie – does Jason or Freddy count, and what about werewolves or vampires – and our favorite memories while watching them.

Next up is our Horror Movie Survival Guide! We’re just as sick of characters doing stupid things in horror movies as you are, so we decided to compile a list of all of the Dos and Don’ts of horror flicks. For every DON’T do that we scream at the screen, we’re offering the correct solution of what to DO! It’s time movie characters learned the errors of their ways, and we’re here to teach them!

Finally, we end on demonic possession. Specifically, are demonic possession movies even still scary? Does this notion of an otherworldly force occupying our bodies work in a cynically jaded society? Do your personal beliefs amplify or decrease your fear? It’s an intriguing discussion as we take out the crucifix and take a jab at this topic.

• (0:00 – 16:45) Vampires - Are they still scary?
• (16:46 – 37:34) What makes a monster movie
• (37:35 – 1:08:34) The Horror Movie Survival Guide - Dos and Don'ts of Horror Movies
• (1:08:35 – 1:45:15) Demonic Possession
• Click here for more info on our 2026 Alaskan Cruise!
• Listen to our true crime podcast, Inspired By A True Story, now available in your favorite podcast feed!
• Please support The Hollywood Outsider and gain immediate access to bonus content, including Patreon exclusive podcast content like our Bad Movie Night by visiting Patreon.com/ TheHollywoodOutsider

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, once again streaming networks have cancelled shows and left us with TV cliffhangers, such as Prime's Countdown and Butterfly. Therefore, it's far time we demanded that they stop ending shows that aren't renewed with cliffhangers and give fans story resolutions. But how do we make them pay attention?

Also, Jared Leto isn't a movie star, M. Night Shyamalan shakes his Magic 8 Ball. Plus, reviews of Good Fortune, The Mastermind, The Wilderness, and more!

Click here for more info on our 2026 Alaskan Cruise!

• (0:00 – 18:15) Jared Leto, Stranger Things, Magic 8 Ball
• (18:16 – 40:40) From the Outside In Topic: Stop TV Cliffhangers!
• (40:41 – 46:05) Upcoming Attractions
• (46:06 – 49:17) The Mastermind

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, Apple TV's new series The Last Frontier has arrived, and it prompted a conversation about the impact of filming locations. The locations we have seen on film or TV that prompted us to travel the country or the world and see more of it, and why.

Following that up, we have our review of The Last Frontier, Apple's crime thriller where U.S. Marshall Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke) pursues a group of escaped convicts in an Alaskan wilderness, with Haley Bennett and Alfre Woodard involved to elaborate a potential conspiracy in what brought the plane down in the first place.

Joining us to discuss his new series, is The Last Frontier creator Jon Bokenkamp (The Blacklist) in an interview that discusses why he created a series set in Alaska (along with Richard D'Ovidio), where the show is headed, and much more! 

That's not all! We also have Troy's review of the latest entry into the grid - TRON: ARES!

Click here for more info on our 2026 Alaskan Cruise!

• (0:00 – 33:08) Filming Locations
• (33:09 – 44:49) Review: Tron: Ares | Upcoming Attractions
• (44:50 – 1:09:34) The Last Frontier Review and Interview with Showrunner Jon Bokenkamp
• Click here for more info on our 2026 Alaskan Cruise!
• Listen to our true crime podcast, Inspired By A True Story, now available in your favorite podcast feed!
• Please support The Hollywood Outsider and gain immediate access to bonus content, including Patreon exclusive podcast content like our Bad Movie Night by visiting Patreon.com/ TheHollywoodOutsider

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it's time to again reflect on the past 25 years as we debate the best villains of the 21st century! Sure, there are the standards - Joker, Joffrey, Thanos, Pennywise, Ben Linus - but are they the best of them all? We discuss these and more villains from both film and television in our latest reflection on the past quarter century. 

Also, AI Actors have arrived, and are pissing everyone off. Plus, reviews of The Smashing Machine, Good Boy, Shell, and more!

Click here for more info on our 2026 Alaskan Cruise!

• (0:00 – 09:20) AI Actors and the Emergence of Tilly Norwood
• (09:21 – 1:04:41) From the Outside In Topic: The Best Villains of the 21st Century
• (1:04:42 – 1:09:55) Upcoming Attractions
• (1:09:56 – 1:15:24) Shell

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, there has been a lot of back-and-forth in terms of the relevance of late-night talk shows, especially after the cancellation of Stephen Colbert and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. Therefore, we felt it was apropos to debate the real elephant in the room: are late-night talk shows over, or should they be? Are they still relevant? Does anyone TRULY care what happens to these dinosaurs of television?

Also, movie theaters invested $1.5 billion into renovating theaters, but is that what will bring the audience back? Reviews of Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another and Black Rabbit, and more!

Click here for more info on our 2026 Alaskan Cruise!

• (0:00 – 20:20) Movie and TV News - Movie Theaters Invest $1.5 Billion in Renovations
• (20:21 – 42:29) From the Outside In Topic: Are Late-Night Talk Shows Over?
• (42:30 – 47:30) Upcoming Attractions
• (47:31 – 1:04:44) Reviews - One Battle After Another, Black Rabbit