So it begins. Ben, HT, BJ, and Brad kick off a multi-part series of episodes attempting to narrow down their top 50 movie moments of 2025. To hear the continuation and subsequent conclusion of this conversation, which will be coming out soon, become a paid subscriber at patreon.com/popcultured. If you want to respond to anything we've said, offer any feedback, suggest topics of conversation, or just say hello, you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

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• What we've been Doing:
  • Peter went on the Disney Destiny cruise ship.
  • BJ has successfully grown out her undercut (please clap)
• What we've been Reading:
  • BJ read the entirety of Rachel Reid's Game Changer/Heated Rivalry series of novels.
• What we've been Watching:
  • Peter saw The Matrix at the Cosm and he isn't into the first part of Stranger Things 5.
  • Ben watched Arco and would not recommend a double feature of The Voice of Hind Rajab and Sirat.
  • HT saw Resurrection and is obsessed with Slow Horses.
  • BJ saw Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh and Influencers
• What we've been Eating:
  • BJ wants to know if anyone else has tried hot honey drizzle in place of salad dressing.

For ad-free and exclusive episodes, including our brand new Simpsons rewatch podcast and rankings of Rian Johnson movie characters, Edgar Wright movie moments, and a special upcoming Christmas movie-themed episode, subscribe at patreon.com/popcultured. Hope to see you there!

• What we've been Doing:
  • Jacob ran his third half marathon.
  • Brad has discovered the magic of custom shirts on Amazon
  • HT discovered Las Vegas wasn't for her
  • BJ went to Disneyland & saw Antarctigo Vespucci live
• What we've been Reading:
  • Jacob read Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and The Queen by Nick Cutter.
• What we've been Watching:
  • Jacob watched Wake Up Dead Man.
  • Brad watched The Testament of Ann Lee, Song Sung Blue, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, and Avatar: Fire & Ash
  • HT saw The Housemaid, and Avatar: Fire & Ash
  • Ben watched The Secret Agent.
  • BJ is possessed by Heated Rivalry and rewatched Battle Royale
• What we've been Eating:
  • Brad has come around on Chipotle

If you want to respond to anything we've said, offer any feedback, suggest topics of conversation, or just say hello, you can reach us at [email protected].

There's a better way to listen to this podcast! Visit patreon.com/popcultured, where you can subscribe to hear ad-free episodes you won't hear on this feed. If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach us at [email protected]

• What we've been Doing:

• Jacob got a vasectomy, and yes, he's going to talk about it.

• BJ has been doing JUNKETSSSS

• What we've been Reading:

• Jacob read the fourth Murderbot novella and Stephen King's Later.

• What we've been Watching:

• Ben watched Death By Lightning and Richard Linklater's two 2025 movies, Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.

• Brad watched Jay Kelly, Wake Up Dead Man, and Fackham Hall, Marty Supreme.

• HT watched Wicked for Good, Rental Family, Hamnet, Train Dreams, Dust Bunny, a few episodes of Fallout Season 2.

• BJ watched Female Prisoner Scorpion 1-3, Hamnet, and Kneecap (again) and I'm starting a full series rewatch of The Brady Bunch lol

• What we've been Eating:

• Ben tried Bodyarmor and Nerds Candy Corn.

• Brad tried Snickerdoodle and Cafe Moka Hershey's Kisses, Dunkin's New Cookie Butter Santa Claus, Salted Caramel Lay's Chips, Peppermint Stick KitKat, and is loving the return of Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch.

• BJ is eating everything cranberry at Trader Joe's

• What we've been Playing:

• Brad played the video game Viewfinder

Hey! You can subscribe at patreon.com/popcultured to hear ad-free, exclusive episodes. We recently ranked our top 5 favorite Edgar Wright movie moments, did a Halloween Horror Swap, talked about our favorite "please take me seriously" performances in movie history, plus we have weekly box office discussions and we're about to launch a whole new podcast as well. Join us over there! It's a much better experience!

• What we've been Reading:
• Jacob finally finished all 41 Discworld novels, and is in the final stretch of the George Washington biography.
• HT read The Running Man
• What we've been Watching:
• Ben saw Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films and watched Charlie's Angels for the first time.
• Brad watched Is This Thing On? and started watching St. Denis Medical.
• Jacob watched Peacemaker season 2 and Frankenstein.
• HT watched Wake Up Dead Man, Predator: Badlands, The Running Man, Eternity, Die My Love, and Pluto's Halloween programming turned her onto Carnival of Souls (also a Twilight Zone marathon)
• What we've been Eating:
• Brad tried the Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie, Cookie Butter Chewy Chips Ahoy, Monster Ultra Wild Passion, and the return of Mr. Pibb.
• Jacob wants to briefly sing the praises of Golden Chick.
• What we've been Playing:
• Ben wants to shout out Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair.

If you're not subscribed at Patreon.com/popcultured, you're missing out on ad-free and exclusive episodes you won't hear anywhere else! Come on over, we'd love to have you.

• What we've been Doing:

  • Jacob wants to complain about Las Vegas.

  • Brad went to the Pinball Expo in Chicago

  • HT fangirled to Guillermo del Toro and got a viral moment from Emma Stone

• What we've been Reading:

  • Jacob has been reading George Washington by Ron Chernow.

• What we've been Watching:

  • Ben watched Magnificent Warriors, The History of Sound, Possession, and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

  • Brad watched Bugonia, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, and Downey Wrote That

  • HT watched The Voice of Hind Rajab, Little Amelie or the Character of Rain, and Pluribus.

• What we've been Eating:

  • Jacob thinks Bodyarmor can kill Gatorade.

  • Brad tried Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters, Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Coffee Creamer, Prime Peso Pluma Energy Drink, also just more as a PSA than anything, Cup O' Noodles has Pumpkin Pie and Turkey Dinner flavors.

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• What we've been Doing:

  • Ben turned 40 and visited London, Wales, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

  • BJ went to the "Slasher Soiree," Strange Journey Q&A moderation, and checked out the play BIG BEAR

• What we've been Reading:

  • Ben read The Stand.

• What we've been Watching:

  • Brad watched A House of Dynamite, John Candy: I Like Me, and Ghostwatch

  • HT saw Marty Supreme!!! And other NYFF highlights

  • BJ went to the Black Phone 2 premiere, HAHA, You Clowns, and the 4k restoration of John Woo's The Killer

• What we've been Eating:

  • Brad tried Doritos Collisions tied to Stranger Things, Mountain Dew flavored Trolii gummi worms, Reese's Peanut Butter Oreos, and is enjoying the return of Nerds Candy Corn and Target's Scarecrow Crunch

  • BJ has been eating pica alternatives

Subscribe at patreon.com/popcultured to hear ad-free and exclusive episodes!

• What we've been Doing:

  • Jacob visited Universal Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights, and turned it into a full-fledged theme park vacation and anniversary celebration with his wife.

  • Peter sailed on Star of the Seas where he saw Back to the Future: The Musical. He also experienced Halloween Horror Nights on both coasts.

  • Brad played the lottery

  • HT went to the Venice Film Festival!

  • BJ was on the Corn Telethon!

• What we've been Reading:

  • Jacob read The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. BJ read Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke

  • HT has been listening to an audiobook of Pynchon's Vineland, but doesn't think that's the best way to read this book

• What we've been Watching:

  • Peter watched Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

  • Jacob watched The Roses.

  • Brad watched Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

  • BJ rewatched Risky Business & Shock Treatment, and watched D(e)AD

  • HT's Venice favorites, plus watched Magic Mike's Last Dance and Cool Hand Luke, also saw the Hamilton live recording premiere with special cast appearances

• What we've been Eating:

  • Brad tried Bloom Sparkling Energy Crisp Apple, Pumpkin Spice Latte Hershey's Nuggets, Pumpkin Pie Cow Tales, and Pumpkin Spice Caramel Creams.

  • BJ discovered she likes alcoholic shrubs

Head to patreon.com/popcultured to get access to lots of additional episodes you won't see here. If you want to respond to anything we've said, offer any feedback, suggest topics of conversation, or just say hello, you can reach us at [email protected].

• What we've been Doing:

  • BJ's teen girl movie podcast celebrated 5 years!

• What we've been Reading:

  • BJ re-read The Long Walk

• What we've been Watching:

  • Brad watched Taskmaster season 19 with Jason Mantzoukas

  • Ben watched Eephus and American Sweatshop

  • BJ finished Twisted Metal s2, watched Baby Assassins 3: Nice Days, and PIECES

• What we've been Eating:

  • Brad tried Reese's Oreo Peanut Butter Cups, Fanta Chucky's Punch, Fritos Classic Ranch Corn Chips, Starburst Pops Green Apple

  • BJ is eating yogurt-covered freeze-dried fruits

• What we've been Playing:

  • Brad is officially obsessed with Fortnite

If you're not subscribed over at patreon.com/popcultured, you're missing out on a ton of bonus episodes! Check it out and see if subscribing makes sense for you.

• What we've been Watching:

  • HT finally finished The Bear season 4, watched Kpop Demon Hunters & The Odd Couple

  • Brad watched The Roses, Coherence, KPop Demon Hunters, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) in theaters.

  • Ben watched The Lavender Hill Mob and The Automat.

  • Jacob re-watched Five Nights at Freddy's.

• What we've been Reading:

  • Jacob read Fade In by Michael Piller.

• What we've been Eating:

  • Brad tried the Marshmallow Butterfinger, Little Debbie Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Creme Pies, and Herr's Steakhouse Fried Onion (and Dip) Chips