Pop Break Today

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.

As 2023 comes to an end, so does potentially the DCEU as we know it!  In what has been bookmarked as the last produced film of the DCEU/Snyderverse, Daniel and crew review and discuss the sequel to the highest grossing DC film of all time, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.  Spoiler Alert!Daniel is joined by podcast editor of the pop break, Alex Marcus, as well as co-host of the Not Couple Goals podcast, Allie Nelson, making her second appearance on pod!  The three delve deep into the ocean discussing all things Aquaman, including its underwhelming box office.  But despite that, did we like the film??  Well, it’s varying degrees of “eh,” but which of our panelists called it the worst movie in the DCEU?!?!?!  You’ll have to listen to find out!

Aside from the quality of the movie, the bat crew revisit what they thought about the first film from 2018, chat on where Patrick Wilson’s Orm ranks among other DCEU villains, and Jason Momoa’s legacy as Aquaman.But as this is the last Batman by the Numbers podcast of 2023, that’s not at all!  Moving beyond Aquaman, the crew discuss the future of DC on film, and whether Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is truly the last movie of the Snyderverse.  They chat on which actors have the best chance at making a return, if any, and determine just how much pressure there is on James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy in 2025. Are we optimistic?  Pessimistic?  Medium??

Listen right here for a jam-packed Aquaman/DC-centric episode!  If you love DC on film talk, you can’t miss this one!

AEW Tony Khan spoke to the media on Thursday, December 28th to discuss AEW Worlds End which airs Saturday, December 30th at 8 PM EST on Bleacher Report. On the call, Tony Khan discussed Daniel Garcia, The Devil, The Continental Classic, AEW Women’s Division, and more! Check out a full rundown of question topics below and don’t forget to check back to Pop Break Today for more coverage of wrestling, music, movies, comics, and more!

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 tackle the 2023 Netflix Original movie “Fair Play” starring Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich and written and directed by Chloe Domont. Join them as they not-so-delicately dive into the very delicate male ego at the heart of this movie and fawn over perhaps the best final line in any thriller they’ve done so far. Can this redeem Ehrenreich for “Solo”? Listen and 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, SYFY and NBC Insider. Find Allie’s work 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

Welcome to “Pop Break Goes to Washington” where host Allison Lips is joined by a special guest to discuss the historical significance and impact of a political film. Allison and her guests discuss how politics is portrayed in each film. While this podcast focuses on the American political system, it does make a few forays outside of the United States. 

For our fifth episode, Allison and Tyler McCarthy from the Not Couple Goals Podcast discuss Wag the Dog and how it has aged. Tyler McCarthy has also guested on Socially Distanced and Batman By The Numbers podcasts. When he’s not recording for the Pop-Break, Tyler is an entertainment journalist and critic for various NBCUniversal brands and formerly specialized in writing about the intersection of politics and entertainment. 

As for Wag the Dog, unless you are in politics, the film got lost in the shuffle of the 1997 box office. In a year where Titanic, a movie starring Mr. Bean, and Men in Black were the top grossing movies, it was easy to overlook this dark political satire. 

Join Allison and Tyler as they discuss this Dustin Hoffman and Robert Dinero film’s prescience and why historical events after Wag the Dog’s release has made us see the film in a different light.

AEW and Ring of Honor owner and head of creative Tony Khan spoke to the media on Tuesday, December 12th to discuss Ring of Honor Final Battle which airs Friday, December 15th at 8 PM EST exclusively on Honor Club. On the call, Tony Khan discussed Athena vs Billie Starkz, TV Rights, Tony Khan’s vision for ROH, and more!

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠ Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠ and⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and they spent most of 2023 covering Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, and the first four seasons of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.

Now it is finally time again to check in with the MCU Phase V. That’s right, Bill & Alex are covering the Disney Plus original series Secret Invasion and Loki S2 and the theatrical film The Marvels. 

If you are looking for larger commentary on the “is the MCU over?” discourse that has been going viral online recently, you won’t find it here, as the guys focus their attentions exclusively to these three projects this month. However, if you would like to hear more on the bigger picture, past guest Derick McDuff had Alex on his podcast Infinity Stone & Dragon Bones last month talking about just that, and you can subscribe to Bill’s Socially Distanced podcast, where he has covered Marvel fatigue headlines and episode by episode deep dives with his co-hosts and special guests on a weekly basis.

Secret Invasion & Loki S2 are available to stream on⁠ Disney+⁠. The Marvels is available in theaters now.

WWE Hall of Famer and head of NXT “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels met with the media to discuss the company’s upcoming PPV Deadline which airs on Saturday, December 9th live from the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, CT.  On the call, Shawn Michaels discusses Wes Lee’s Injury, Nikita Lyons, CM Punk, The NIL, and more.

This month Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are talking about Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail for their 30th and 25th anniversaries, respectively. 

Both romantic comedies pair Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and both are directed and co-written by Nora Ephron. 

Sleepless in Seattle follows widower Sam Baldwin (Hanks), whose son (Ross Malinger) enters him in a call-in radio program to find him a new wife. Annie Reed (Ryan) becomes obsessed with Sam, despite her engagement. Inspired by An Affair to Remember, Annie asks Sam to meet at top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. Sleepless in Seattle opened in theaters on June 25, 1993.

You’ve Got Mail is a loose remake of The Shop Around the Corner. It centers on a feud between Kathleen Kelly (Ryan), a small bookstore owner, and Joe Fox (Hanks), whose family owns a large bookstore chain. Unbeknownst to them, they are anonymous pen pals online. The film opened in theaters on December 18, 1998.

Both films were financial successes, grossing 227.9 million and $250 million, respectively. Sleepless in Seattle earned Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. You’ve Got Mail, while not as beloved, was generally well-received.

Aaron and Josh talk about their familiarity with romantic comedies, how they came across each film, plus the plots and performances. They also discuss the chances of Hanks and Ryan teaming up again.

For more Tom Hanks movies, listen to Josh and Aaron’s podcasts on Saving Private Ryan and Cloud Atlas.

Sleepless in Seattle is available on Prime Video. You’ve Got Mail is available on Tubi.

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 squeeze in a wonderfully trashy Tyler Perry movie before Thanksgiving with “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor” starring Jurnee Smollett, Lance Gross and Robbie Jones. Join them as they defend Kim Kardashian’s stunt casting, struggle with the many ways Perry deserves both praise and derision and generally just act in ways the characters in this movie would damn them to Hell for. Is it a movie or an epic battle between righteousness and the literal Devil? Listen and 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, SYFY and NBC Insider. Find Allie’s work 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

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.

We’re back with another rankings episode!  Last year, the panel ranked the Bat allies we’ve seen in movies, but now the crew rank who they want to see join Batman in his fight against crime that we have NOT seen yet in a live action film.  We’ve got all the iconic Robins on the table, but that’s not all!  If you’re a diehard comic book fan, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.  We go deep into the Batman rolodex on this one.  Daniel had to do a lot of Wikipedia reading for this one.

To help Daniel out, he brought in a couple comic book experts.  We’ve got frequent contributor and podcast editor of the popbreak.com, Alex Marcus, and making his triumphant return, not seen since Episode 2 of this podcast, it’s co-host of the Blerd Watchers Podcast, Marshall Stevensen!

This is a lively discussion as the panel jump around all corners of Batman’s history, discussing who they most want to see in a film, debating all the Robins, how much they value Batman Beyond, and discuss the pros and cons of such characters as Stephanie Brown, Kate Kane, Jean Paul Valley, and Luke Fox.  Like I said, we got some deep cuts on this one!

Also, if you ever wanted to get the definitive HARVEY BULLOCK discussion in a podcast, this is it.  We promise, this is the most in-depth Harvey Bullock debate you will ever hear on the internet, as Daniel nearly loses his mind on this episode.  Who will stand tall as the #1 ranked Batman ally we most want to see on film, find out who got last (it’s a shocker, trust us), find out why Ace the Dog was sadly excluded from the list, and listen to Marshall and Alex absolutely pile on Daniel’s pitch for a gritty Nightwing movie.

It's a jam-packed, comics filled rankings episode.  You DO NOT want to miss this one!