The Brendans celebrate the potential gold for a buncha good movies from 2025 before diving into a full-spoiler (ahem) dissection of Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Is it as awesome as Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later? Will we get another 28... movie with this one sinking at the box office? How on Earth did Foley convince Agnew to watch Ishtar? All this, plus an update on the Carpenter Chronicles and Foley's reaction the Baby Assassins Trilogy.

And remember: Minnesota strong, Black Lives Matter, Trans Rights, fuck ICE, we are a country of immigrants, and there are no illegal residents on stolen land.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (especially his dope piece on Guillermo del Toro's ⁠⁠Frankenstein⁠⁠), and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The Brendans count down their heaviest hitters of the 2025 cinematic experience, from disappointments to surprises to choices that call into question if they aren't just variants of the same guy from different timelines. There's also a spoiler-free report on the new horror film Primate, discussion on why Cate Blanchett is hottest at her most terrifying, and a look ahead to 2026's Most Wanted.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (especially his dope piece on Guillermo del Toro's ⁠Frankenstein⁠), and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The lads welcome John Nicholson back to the show to celebrate the return of Big Jim Cameron to theaters with the hotly-anticipated Avatar: Fire and Ash. We talk first Cameron experiences and the cultural landscape at the time of the original Avatar's release, how Way of Water and Fire and Ash have cemented it as the sci-fi-saga of the 21st century, and why Oona Chaplin's Varang is Mommy. There's also spoiler-free discussion of Stranger Things Season 5, Agnew reflecting on his completed 2025 George A. Romero odyssey, 2026 Movie Resolutions, and more.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can follow John Nicholson on ⁠BlueSky⁠ and ⁠Letterboxd⁠, you can catch Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The lads celebrate the season by connecting with each other and all of you through time and space to suggest good stuff you should watch, because good stuff is dope. We try for a few lesser-known entries into the holiday canon, films that mean something to us personally, so if you need something in your ears in between Die Hard or The Muppet Christmas Carol, we got you covered. Happy trails.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The Brendans are shaken and stirred by the linear passage of time and ostensible miracles of resurrection this week as the lads talk Pierce Brosnan's inaugural adventure as 007 in 1995's Goldeneye, reminisce about Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums, and go six feet under the spoiler-filled foundations of Wake Up Dead Man. There's also chat about Supergirl's new trailer, the long-awaited Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, Marian's reaction to Violent Night (I'm a great dad), and a few recommendations from the catalog of the lamentably late Rob Reiner.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (especially his dope piece on Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein), and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The Brendans are solving mysteries and defying gravities, but not alone! Two very special guests - returning ringer Austin Wilden and longtime friend the show John Nicholson - are on deck to examine why movies like Knives Out, Glass Onion, and Wake Up Dead Man are so consistently electrifying. Then for the main course, we go full spoilers on this year's much-awaited musical follow-up Wicked For Good.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

Recommendations:

Yellow Brick Ramble

Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier

Come From Away

Austin Wilden is on BlueSky and Letterboxd, and John Nicholson is also on BlueSky and Letterboxd - both are dope reads. You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The Brendans are thrilled to be joined in the hunt by Producer Max of the Action for Everyone Podcast (as well as numerous prestigious outlets like Fangoria) to talk monster madness. The lads chew over whether or not Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein was worth the wait and then go on the prowl with Dan Trachtenberg's new blockbuster Predator: Badlands. There's also talk about the new Ethan Coen joint, Predator franchise rankings, and showing your kids John Carpenter's Halloween.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can find Max on Twitter and Bluesky, as well as on Polygon and the always-great Action For Everyone podcast. follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussions of suicide, primarily in relation to horror/fantasy fiction. Be advised.

The Brendans are pleased to welcome Chris Finik, longtime online chap and fellow student of the "School of Movies" podcast, to chat some tasty tasty horror. We talk scary movie sequels that made Big Choices, and go long and spoiler-heavy on Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill's Black Phone 2, as well as some spooky season recommendations for the runup to Halloween.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can (and should) find Chris on Bluesky and School of Movies podcast episodes like "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The Brendans are hip-deep in Halloween shenanigans as we dive into a double-helping of Guillermo del Toro in prep for Frankenstein. Agnew watches Cronos for the first time (spoilers: it's good), and we chew over Crimson Peak for its 10th Anniversary - as well as chatting George Romero's Monkey Shines, the original Amityville Horror, and more.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.

The Brendans convene to join Paul Thomas Anderson in saying "fuck you" to Donald Trump and ICE as we talk One Battle After Another and how it both is and is not the movie the trailers have been selling. We also pay our respects to recently departed film icon Robert Redford by looking how both George A. Romero's Knightriders and Redford's work in Barry Levinson's The Natural recontextualize the legend of King Arthur through 20th century American sports culture. Becuase we're big fucking nerds.

Our Opening/Closing Music is from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Skies of Hope" by RA

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/skies-of-hope

You can follow Foley on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or read his work on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and you can follow Agnew on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cinapse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ occasionally, and wherever you can bloody well find him.