Pop Break Today

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 say goodbye to 2022 with a film released this year titled “Brazen” starring Alyssa Milano and Sam Page, based on a novel by Nora Roberts. Listen along as they run through the mind-boggling ways a movie about sexy cam girls, small-town murder and pervy Catholic School teens can somehow be this boring.

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

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

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.

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 on their ten month journey to rewatch the ENTIRE Marvel Studios-produced Marvel Cinematic Universe, typically focusing on three or four films from the first four phases of the MCU per episode, reminiscing about their first watches, reflecting on their latest viewings, and considering the wider multiverse ahead!

The reason this podcast came into existence is that our Editor-in-Chief has never finished the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So Alex successfully guided him on his journey to actually finish the MCU over the past year.

This month, with their rewatch concluded, Alex & Bill start off by announcing what Season 2 and beyond of Bill vs. The MCU will look like before giving Bill a chance to bare his soul and expound on the virtues of DisneyPlus’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

After that, buckle up because Alex & Bill pass out 25 awards to help reflect and rejoice over the completion of their epic MCU rewatch. Find out what their favorite films of each phase were, the best official and unofficial trilogies, the most memorable Stan Lee cameos, the most exciting end credit scenes, and which scenes won the Tom’s Tears Award for most emotional moment in the MCU, along with many many others.

Time Codes:

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and all other MCU entries are currently available to stream on Disney+, excluding Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is still available in theaters now, and the Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy, which is available on VOD.

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.

This week, Allie and Tyler are joined by their special guest, actor and co-host of the Ladies Get Action podcast, Rin Olsson. Together, they discuss the 1989 thriller Dead Calm starring Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane and the treacherous dog Benji. Join them as they break down the many sources of peril the people in this movie face such as the lawlessness of the open ocean, unlucky lightning strikes and downright cruel age gaps in film casting.

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

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

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 ninth episode of the podcast, Justin, Luke, Noah, and recurring guest Chris examine the band’s first foray into their so-called “synth era.” They drop literary allusions to Hemingway and Donne, contemplate Neil Peart’s extensive takedown of suburbia, and make favorable comparisons with one album track to Deep Purple’s “Highway Star.” And as always, the hosts recommend more artists for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

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

Chris – Losing It

Justin – Chemistry

Luke – The Analog Kid

Noah – New World Man

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

Chris – Countdown

Justin – Countdown

Luke – The Weapon

Noah – The Weapon

Words of the Profits (A Favorite Lyric)

Chris – Subdivisions

Justin – Losing It

Luke – Losing It

Noah – Digital Man

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

Chris – Digital Man

Justin – The Analog Kid

Luke – Digital Man

Noah – Subdivisions

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Chris – All Them Witches

Justin – Bolt Thrower

Luke – N/A

Noah – Emanuel Ax

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are back. This time they’re discussing The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers for its 20th anniversary.

The Two Towers is the second film in director Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic. It was released on December 18 2002.

The movie continues the story of the previous installment, with Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) forging an uneasy alliance with Gollum (Andy Serkis) on their way to destroy the Ring. Elsewhere, their friends fight the forces of Saruman (Christopher Lee). New characters include King Théoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill), Theoden’s niece Éowyn (Miranda Otto), and the Gondorian ranger Faramir (David Wenham).

The Two Towers was the highest grossing movie of 2002 and garnered near universal acclaim. It was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.

Josh and Aaron talk about the film’s plot and characters, particularly notable changes from the source material that angered some book readers. They also chat about the visual effects and action.

For more Lord of the Rings, you can listen to Aaron and Josh’s podcasts on The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is streaming on HBO Max

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.

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here to chat about Catch Me If You Can for its 20th anniversary.

Catch Me If You Can is a crime comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg. Written by Jeff Nathanson, it is inspired by the life of Frank Abagnale, Jr. The film opened in theaters on December 25, 2002.

The film follows Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a teen who defrauds banks by taking various identities, such as an airline pilot and doctor. Chasing him is FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). Other characters include Frank Abagnale, Sr. (Christopher Walken) and Frank Jr.’s fiancée, Brenda (Amy Adams).

Catch Me If You Can garnered acclaim and was enormously profitable, costing $52 million and making $352 million. John Williams earned an Oscar nomination for Best Score while Christopher Walken netted his own nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Aaron and Josh talk about the plot, performances, and truth of the story before discussing the movie’s place in Spielberg’s illustrious filmography.

For another film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, you can listen to Josh and Aaron’s podcast on Shutter Island.

Catch Me If You Can is streaming on Paramount+

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.

This week, Allie and Tyler tackle some of their biggest fears with the 2022 Paramount+ released movie Significant Other, starring Maika Monroe and Jake Lacy. Come along as they discuss the many “nopes” of going camping, how many red flags are too many and whether anything good has ever been lurking inside a cave. As a bonus, tune in for a story of when Allie sinisterly prank-scared Tyler.

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

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

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 on their ten month journey to rewatch the ENTIRE Marvel Studios-produced Marvel Cinematic Universe, typically focusing on three or four films from the first four phases of the MCU per episode, reminiscing about their first watches, reflecting on their latest viewings, and considering the wider multiverse ahead!

The reason this podcast came into existence is that our Editor-in-Chief has never finished the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So Alex is guiding him on his journey to actually finish the MCU over the next 12 months.

This month, we have reached the end of the line, as we close out our coverage of Phase IV by rewatching She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Werewolf By Night, and, at long last, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Give us a listen to hear about our thoughts on Marvel’s first ever Special Presentation and where we’d like them to go with this format moving forward, whether we think the fourth wall smashing sitcom experiment of She-Hulk was a smart one, and if director Ryan Coogler did the impossible by making a successful sequel to his 2018 sensation Black Panther.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Werewolf By Night are all available to stream on Disney+. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are available in theaters now.