Pivotal Film

NOTE - THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED IN JUNE BUT TOM'S COMPUTER WAS DEAD SO IT IS BEING POSTED NOW CAUSE HIS COMPUTER IS NO LONGER DEAD

Mario, Tom and Andy talk about their favorite films of the first half of 2026. Includes a long conversation about Obsession (45:20).

The Best Movies of 2025, Part One: The Categories by Films, Beers, Talking with Mario and Tom

The Best Movies of 2025, Part Two: The Ten Best Lists by Films, Beers, Talking with Mario and Tom

Train Dreams (4:00), Wake Up Dead Man (11:30), Marty Supreme (22:30), Primate (41:45), the Worst Movies of 2025 (50:15)

The Smashing Machine (3:45), Die, My Love (14:45), Frankenstein (24:45), Bugonia (52:15), The Long Walk (1:12:45), Predator: Badlands (1:30:45), One Battle After Another (1:44:30)

A far. far late episode which was recorded a week before the Switch 2 announcement. Andy and Mario discuss the new Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco album "I Said I Love You First" and Japanese Breakfast album "For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women). Then they discuss some video games with continued Avowed looks and a quick review of Assassin's Creed Shadows. The new movies this week, Novacaine and Black Bag, follow before diving into Mario's #8 of Mass Effect 2 and Andy's #8 of Portal 1 and 2.

Music Credits: DJ Shadow - Rocket Fuel, Dan Deacon - Feel the Lightning, Lauren Mayberry - Something in the Air

A little late on the upload, but Mario and Andy are back for their #9 games. First, they recap the Oscars and maybe moan a bit about the state of film criticism. Then, they review Lady Gaga's new album "Mayhem", talk some more about Obsidian's "Avowed", and Mario shares his thoughts on Tape 1 of Don't Nod's new episodic game "Lost Records" for the director of the original Life is Strange. From there, Andy finally gets to talk about his most anticipated film of 2024 AND 2025 with Bong-Joon Ho's "Mickey 17".

Andy then talks about his number 9, the latest 3D platformer in the Mario series "Super Mario Odyssey" while Mario talks about his number 9, another lost game in 2K's "Spec Ops: The Line".

Music Credits: DJ Shadow - Rocket Fuel, Lady Gaga - Disease, Dan Deacon - Feel the Lightning, Lauren Mayberry - Something in the Air

Mario and Andy are back with their top 10 Pivotal Games. Before then, they review Tate McRae's So Close To What (2:00), Obsidian's new Action RPG Avowed (8:40), and two films Paddington in Peru (27:30) and The Monkey (36:30). Then they dig into their number 10 video games (49:40). Music credits: DJ Shadow - Rocket Fuel, Dan Deacon - Feel the Lightning, and Lauren Mayberry - Something in the Air

Mario and Andy present the continuation of the Pivotal Film Podcast entitled Pivotal. The two of them review the newest television, music, literature, video games, and, yes, film. This episode sees a discussion of FKA Twigs' Exsexua and The Weeknd's Hurry Up Tomorrow in music... Luck Be a Landlord, Sniper Elite: Resistance, and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black in video games... and they finish up with reviews of early year thrillers Companion and Heart Eyes.

Music credits: Rocket Fuel by DJ Shadow (opening), Something in the Air (closing)

Mario Tom and Andy wind down the podcast talking about their 10 favorite movies of 2024