Pop Break Today

Welcome to Anchored in Asbury -- a monthly musical interview podcast with artists and creatives about their lives, inspirations and their place in the rich cultural scene of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

In this episode, we step away from the music scene to talk with comedian Angelo Gingerelli. Angelo is not only a comedian, but the co-owner of Ugly Pancake Productions which produces stand-up shows around the Jersey Shore, a published author, a father, husband and a senior staff writer for Pop Break.

Angelo and Bill discuss Angelo's early foray into the Asbury comedy scene and how he ran Comedy on Cookman at The Showroom for years. They also discuss Angelo's philosophy about scene over self, his book about stand-up comedy, the growing Asbury park scene, producing live events, his comedy goals and his biggest accomplishments.

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 dive deeper into the 2021 film “Deadly Illusions” than perhaps anyone else, including those who worked on it. Starring Kristin Davis, Dermot Mulroney and Greer Grammer in a psychosexual love triangle, this movie had all the trappings of a perfect romantic thriller. Join them as they ponder what went wrong from the underwritten script, the strangely not sexy enough sex scenes and the problematic final twist. Were children harmed in the making of this movie? We honestly don’t know!

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

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 just spent the first half of 2023 completing their first season on Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, culminating in Netflix’s The Defenders miniseries.

This month, Marvel has officially entered Phase V of The MCU, the middle phase of the Multiverse Saga, and things have not been going so great for the most successful studio in Hollywood. Since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closed out Phase 4 back in November, Marvel has released two film, delayed a ton of TV shows, and endured an avalanche of negative publicity, from c-suite crises and production delays to casting catastrophes and failures with critics, fans, and at the box office. Bill and Alex will give their big picture thoughts on the State of The MCU (2:20) to help put it all into perspective and truly assess the damage. After that, they will give their in-depth thoughts on the first two releases of Phase V, Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania (54:03) and Guardians of the Galaxy vol. III (1:38:19).
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania is available to stream on Disney+. Guardians of the Galaxy vol. III is available in theaters now.

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are back for their June movie retrospective. This month they’re talking about Man of Steel for its 10th anniversary. Joining them is special guest Daniel Cohen, co-host of the Batman By The Numbers podcast and ardent Man of Steel defender.

Man of Steel is a superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and written David S. Goyer, who developed the story with Christopher Nolan. It an adaptation of the DC Comics character Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film opened in theaters on June 14, 2013.

In the film, Superman (Henry Cavill) battles Krypton’s military leader, General Zod (Michael Shannon). Aiding Superman is Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams). Other characters include his father Jor-El (Russell Crowe), his Earth parents Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane), and Daily Planet Editor-in Chief Perry White (Laurence Fishburne).

Man of Steel polarized critics, many of whom found the film generic, while fans debated Superman’s characterization. The film grossed $668 million worldwide and was the first in a connected universe of DC films, slated to be rebooted in The Flash.

Aaron, Josh, and Dan talk about the first time they saw Man of Steel before going into its plot, characters, action, and legacy. They also briefly discuss their hopes for the new Superman film in development.

For another Superman podcast, you can listen to Josh and Aaron chat about Superman II.

Man of Steel is streaming on Max

Anchored in Asbury, a monthly music interview series, where we talk to artists and creatives about their lives, inspirations and their part in the rich heritage of The Asbury Park music scene.

This episode, your host Bill Bodkin, is joined by two veterans of the Asbury Park music scene -- Brian Erickson (The Extensions, Paper Jets) and Biff Swenson (Yawn Mower, Grasser).

The reason these two rad humans have joined the podcast is because they are bringing back Happy Mondays -- a free weekly show for local bands (and touring acts) to perform in front of the insatiable music fans of Asbury Park -- to The Wonder Bar.

Biff and Brian talk about having the same idea of bringing Happy Mondays back unbeknownst to each other, how much the night means to them, the bands they've booked that you should be keeping an eye out for, their own personal projects and their opinions on the current Asbury scene.

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 Pop Break Music Editor Kat Manos for a deep dive (get it?) into the 2000 movie “What Lies Beneath,” starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Clark Gregg (yes, THAT Clark Gregg). Listen along as they explain the many ways this movie was spoiled for literally everyone, marvel at Ford’s puzzlingly fit dad bod and and wade through the many obvious twists bubbling under the surface. Did we mention Ford’s puzzlingly fit body? 

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.

There is no topic that personifies the title “Batman by the Numbers” more than this rankings episode – the Batman actors.  Yes.  We are ranking all the actors who have donned the cape and cowl.  In what is our biggest rankings discussion since the Batman movies back in our pilot episode, we decided to free up some space in the podcasting cave for some back up.

Daniel is joined by not only Batman by the Numbers regulars Alex Marcus and Bill Bodkin, but by fellow bat fanatics Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy of the Not Couples Podcast, and Pop Break newcomer, Josh Edmunds.  The cave will be full of lively and fun debate as these panel members duke it over Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Will Arnett, and all the rest in this jam-packed episode.

With nine Batman actors to rank, you can bet your bat credit card everyone has their hot-takes fueled up in the Tumbler ready to go.  With five other panelists, will Daniel finally find an ally on Affleck’s Bat performance, or continue to face mock and ridicule for his love of BvS? (probably the latter).  How do the comedic versions of the character (West and Arnett) fare into these rankings?  Does Robert Pattinson make a run at the top only one Bat movie in?  And of course, who will finish #1???

For anyone who loves Batman as much as these six panelists do, and has debated many times with their friends on who the best Batman is, this is a MUST listen to episode. Period.

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 14th episode of the season, Justin, Luke, and Noah take a look at Rush in the mid-90s and early 21st century. They debate the profundity of dream poetry, praise Geddy’s willingness to sing the harshest of vowel sounds, and offer some long overdue advice to the late Aaron Copland. And as always, they recommend more artists for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

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

Justin – Nocturne (from Vapor Trails)

Luke – Peaceable Kingdom (from Vapor Trails)

Noah – Ceiling Unlimited (from Vapor Trails)

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

Justin – Dog Years (from Test for Echo)

Luke – Totem (from Test for Echo)

Noah – Nocturne (one lyric) (from Vapor Trails)

Words of the Profits (A Favorite Lyric)

Justin – Vapor Trail (from Vapor Trails)

Luke – Ghost Rider (from Vapor Trails)

Noah – Vapor Trail (from Vapor Trails)

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

Justin – Limbo (from Test for Echo)

Luke – One Little Victory (from Vapor Trails)

Noah – Driven (from Test for Echo)

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Justin – Tom Barabas

Luke – James Taylor

Noah – Bartók, Bach

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 2022 movie “Out Of The Blue” written and directed by Neil LaBute and starring Diane Kruger, Ray Nicholson and Hank Azaria, although they don’t know why. Join them as they discuss how this movie may as well have taken place in the 30s, how short Ray falls of his famous dad’s charisma and the fine line between homages and ripoffs. If you’re a fan of the word “bucolic,” you’re going to love this one.  

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

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, it’s time for the final installment of Bill & Alex’s coverage of The Defenders Saga as they travel back to August of 2017 to see how the first phase of this entire Defenders experiment came together with the eight part miniseries: The Defenders. 

To help us celebrate the finale of this season of Bill vs. The MCU, we have invited WatchMojo’s Derick McDuff on to the pod. He is currently the host of the film podcast Underrated, where he and his co-hosts discuss underrated films, but he also is the host of an MCU-review podcast called Infinity Stones and Dragon Bones, where he has been keeping up with new installments of Marvel TV and Film since 2018. We’ll get into his experience covering both sides of Marvel and why he chose to invoke the big McGuffin of The Defenders in his show's title.

Alex and Bill also discuss The Marvels’ trailer, Guardians vol. 3 box office, Blade’s delays, Coven of Chaos’ leaks, and more in a 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!

Don’t forget to come back next month when we check back in on the MCU with featured reviews of Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 and take a temperature check on the MCU Phase V, six months on.

The Defenders is available to stream on⁠ Disney+⁠.