Pop Break Today

It’s Podwork Angels: The Rush Hour, a podcast dedicated to the Canadian rock band Rush! Justin Mancini of TheCineMaverick.com & Cinema Joes is joined by fellow Cinema Joes podcast host Noah Franc of FrancNoir, as well as Luke Martin, host of Talking the Coda, as they delve into the discography of Canada’s favorite sons, from 1974 to 2012.

In the 12th episode of the season, Justin, Noah, and recurring guest Chris begin their run of talking two albums at a time, detailing the last gasp of Rush in the 1980s. They talk about one guest vocalist’s link to the Steven Universe cartoon, lament Neil Peart’s ill-advised tribute to a certain Chinese mountain, and posit a theory that one song may include a reference to…Harry Truman? And as always, they recommend more artists for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

Limelight (A Song We Think Is Underrated, or Just Really Like)

Chris – Force Ten (from Hold Your Fire)

Justin – Open Secrets (from Hold Your Fire)

Noah – Second Nature (from Hold Your Fire)

Handle with Kid Gloves (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Chris – War Paint (from Presto)

Justin – Tai Shan (from Hold Your Fire)

Noah – Show Don’t Tell (from Presto)

Words of the Profits (A Favorite Lyric)

Chris – Open Secrets (from Hold Your Fire)

Justin – Chain Lightning (from Presto)

Noah – Second Nature (from Hold Your Fire)

Magic Music That Makes Our Morning Mood (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Chris – Scars (from Presto)

Justin – Show Don’t Tell (from Presto)

Noah – Scars (from Presto)

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Chris – Foo Fighters

Justin – Ella Fitzgerald

Noah – Ludwig Göransson

Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

In this episode, Allie and Tyler are joined by special guest, Pop Break allstar and “Star Wars” human encyclopedia Amanda Rivas to discuss the confounding straight-to-dvd erotic thriller “Killing Me Softly,” starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes, written by Kara Lindstrom and directed by Kaige Chen, based on the book by Nicci French. Listen as they muse about how two attractive actors can make sex look so bad, the dos and don’ts of “scarfing” and why you should never trick your partner into hiking a mountain on your wedding day. How much is too much when it comes to telling the police about your sex life? Tune in to find out!

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

To see more of our hosts, check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

And don't forget to follow us on social media —

Allie: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok

Tyler: Twitter

Not Couple Goals: Instagram and Twitter

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts Pop Break Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus and Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin take another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse, with reviews and interviews on the film and television series that may be drawn upon as the MCU dives deeper and deeper into its Multiverse Saga.

After completing their twelve month rewatch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Alex and Bill are fully embracing the ethos of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga with miniseries devoted to all the MCU-adjacent material out there. Currently, the pair are taking a guided tour of the Netflix Defenders-verse, featuring reviews of select seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, along with this universe’s crossover event The Defenders.

This month, Alex and Bill travel back to March 2016 to check back in with our friend at Nelson and Murdoch and discuss Season Two of Daredevil.

They are also joined by former Marvel Comics Writer & Editor Dan “D.G.” Chichester, who spent most of the 90s writing the ongoing Daredevil title including such acclaimed arcs as The Fall of The Kingpin and Fall From Grace, to discuss his history with Daredevil, what he’d like to see in upcoming The MCU series, his thoughts on the politicization of the punisher by the far right, and what the Netflix shows get right (and wrong) in their adaptations of The Punisher and Elektra.

Alex and Bill also unveil the new edition of their monthly segment Miss Minutes Marvel Memo, where they try to cram in a month’s of MCU headlines in five minutes!

If you enjoyed our into with Dan, be sure to check out his free substack!

Don’t forget to come back next month when we’ll be reviewing Luke Cage S1.

Daredevil S2 and Luke Cage S1 are available to stream on Disney+.

Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

In this episode, Allie and Tyler learn about the dangers (or benefits?) of trespassing with the 2022 movie “Private Property,” starring Ashley Benson, Shiloh Fernandez, Logan Miller, Frank Whaley and Jay Pharoah, written and directed by Chadd Harbold, based on the 1960 film of the same name. Listen as they discuss the confusing absence of sexual chemistry, the muddled motivations behind the film’s nefarious plot and whether the word “brunch” is self explanatory. Is it possible to fall in marriage-ruining love in an afternoon? Tune in to find out!

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

To see more of our hosts, check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

And don't forget to follow us on social media —

Allie: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok

Tyler: Twitter

Not Couple Goals: Instagram and Twitter

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are going back to the golden oldies as they talk about The Birds for its 60th anniversary.

The Birds is a horror-thriller film written by Evan Hunter and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is based on the story by Daphne Du Maurier. It opened in theaters on March 28, 1963.

The movie follows a San Francisco socialite named Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), who finds herself besieged by murderous birds in Bodega Bay. Other characters include Melanie’s love interest Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), Mitch’s mother Lydia (Jessica Tandy), Mitch’s sister Cathy (Veronica Cartwright), and Cathy’s teacher Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette).

While the film was a box office success, initial reviews were mixed. Critics today regard it as a seminal horror picture and one of Hitchcock’s best works.

Aaron and Josh go over the plot, characters, effects, and legacy of the film. They also discuss the possibility of a remake and if there is a filmmaker worthy of the title “the new Hitchcock.”

For more classic films, you can listen to Josh and Aaron chat about Bambi and Singin’ in the Rain.

The Birds is streaming on Peacock Premium.

There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman.  No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender.  With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank!  This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters.

Join host Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor and Resident Bat-Maven, as he brings on several guests every month to share his passion for the one and only Dark Knight.  From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned.  Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening.

Welcome to Anchored in Asbury, a monthly music interview podcast that revolves around the rich musical culture of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Each month, host Bill Bodkin (editor-in-chief of ThePopBreak.com) talks with musicians, promoters, and people behind the scenes about their journeys in the music industry and how Asbury Park has been and is such a vital part of it.

The podcast is hosted by Bill Bodkin, editor-in-chief of ThePopBreak.com, who not only has covered the Asbury Park music scene for 19 years but produced and sponsored live shows throughout the city for the past decade.

Hot off the release of his new record The Lyre, Dana Why is February’s guest on Anchored in Asbury.

Dana talks to Bill about the multi-year creation of the record – which is a rich, deep, and emotional story.

Dana Why talks about how his musical roots from childhood to his days with Static Sex and Grasser, to performing with Yawn Mower and Little Hag, and listening to The Wrens’ The Meadowlands helped him develop his wildly unique maximalist, genre-spanning/genre-defying sound.  He also gets very deep about the emotional work that went into the record and how it helped him process heartbreak, depression, anxiety and how making the record centered him -- especially since the record was created during the Trump presidency and COVID.

Dana talks about his evolution as an instrumentalist, producer, engineer and singer as well as a frontman for a live performing band.

It’s Podwork Angels: The Rush Hour, a podcast dedicated to the Canadian rock band Rush! Justin Mancini of TheCineMaverick.com & Cinema Joes is joined by fellow Cinema Joes podcast host Noah Franc of FrancNoir, as well as Luke Martin, host of Talking the Coda, as they delve into the discography of Canada’s favorite sons, from 1974 to 2012.

In the eleventh episode of the season, Justin, Luke, and Noah discuss the apotheosis of Rush’s synth period. They diss nationalism, debate the potency of musical fadeouts, and extol the virtues of a chunky bass guitar. And as always, they recommend more non-Rush artists for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

Limelight (A Song We Think Is Underrated, or Just Really Like)

Chris – Mystic Rhythms

Justin – Grand Designs

Luke – Marathon

Noah – Emotion Detector

Handle with Kid Gloves (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Chris – Marathon (just the chorus)

Justin – N/A

Luke – Mystic Rhythms (just the fadeout)

Noah – Mystic Rhythms (just the fadeout)

Words of the Profits (A Favorite Lyric)

Chris – Grand Designs

Justin – Territories

Luke – Manhattan Project

Noah – Territories

Magic Music That Makes Our Morning Mood (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Chris – The Big Money

Justin – Mystic Rhythms

Luke – Grand Designs

Noah – Territories

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Chris – Incubus

Justin – Dan Fogelberg

Luke – Maxwell

Noah – Eliza Rickman

Not Couple Goals: Valentine (2001)

Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

In this special Valentine’s Day episode, Allie and Tyler are joined by married couple Ryan Lee Gilbert and Tyler Higgins on a double date to dish about the cheesy wannabe slasher/thriller “Valentine” starring Denise Richards, Marley Shelton, David Boreanaz, Katherine Heigl (kinda). Jessica Cauffiel and Jessica Capshaw. Listen as they discuss the unintentional hilarity of the main characters’ apathy towards being stalked by a murder, the odd lack of gore and the haunting rhymes of Scary Gary. Who is the not-so-secret Valentine killer? Tune in to find out!

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on Twitter @ANelRetentive & @TylerMcCarthy and Instagram @ANelRetentive and to check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts Pop Break Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus and Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin take another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse, with reviews and interviews on the film and television series that may be drawn upon as the MCU dives deeper and deeper into its Multiverse Saga.

After completing their twelve month rewatch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Alex and Bill are fully embracing the ethos of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga with miniseries devoted to all the MCU-adjacent material out there. Currently, the pair are taking a guided tour of the Netflix Defenders-verse, featuring reviews of select seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, along with this universe’s crossover event The Defenders.

This month, Alex and Bill are continuing the multiversal phase of their podcast by checking in on 2015’s Jessica Jones S1. They praise Krysten Ritter’s star-making turn as the titular Jessica Jones and the insidiously evil performance by everyone’s favorite Doctor, David Tennant. They also debate the merits of the Will Simpson character and just who’s to blame for him sucking so hard, whether we needed to learn that much about Jeri Hogarth’s divorce, and which of Jessica’s days was the very worst day of them all. 

They are also joined by special guest Tori Preston, Managing Editor of Pajiba.com and host of their TV Podcast Podjiba, to help understand the cultural context around the series when it first debuted, how well its emotional and sexual abuse storylines hold up post #MeToo, and what went wrong with those last two seasons of the series.

Alex and Bill also unveil their new monthly segment Miss Minutes Marvel Memo, where they try to cram in a month’s of MCU headlines in five minutes!

Don’t forget to come back next month when we’ll be reviewing Daredevil S2

Jessica Jones S1 and Daredevil S2 are available to stream on Disney+.