Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Bring Her Back builds to an almost unbearable fever pitch that evokes both Jordan Peele and Alfred Hitchcock. This episode chases down those comparisons to explore the film's fractal, fascinating riffs on the theatrical tradition of "doubling" up actors to play multiple roles within the same production.

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

We have been itching to do this episode FOREVER, and it's finally here! Is the Big Mac a work of art? We explore this provocative question and the million questions that follow. In the same way that a painting exists in a museum, and a movie in a theater, where does the Big Mac exist? When is it a work of art — when it's being made, when it was designed, or when you're actually eating it? Things get even more tricky from there: who made the Big Mac, both literally and functionally? Has this one immaculate burger transcended the bounds of trademark and copyright to occupy the same cultural space as the American flag or the Statue of Liberty? Join us for this bucket list breakdown of that most special of burgers, all the way from the special sauce to the sesame seed bun, on this very special episode of Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie.

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Season Eight finds Diablo IV in a pretty rough place. This episode is a frank discussion of live service grind, difficulty balancing, aggressive monetization, and the limits of class design. In every way, 'Belial Rising' is more and less Diablo IV, and it might just be time to get off the hamster wheel.

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Prepping the notes for this episode was unusually difficult. Cam said that he's never felt this conflicted about a game before. Doom: The Dark Ages lives in the shadow of multiple, inescapable influences — from Halo to Gears of War to God of War and even the other modern Doom sequels — but it's also a great standalone game. After discussing all the unfavorable comparisons that those influences invite, we zoom out to analyze Doom: The Dark Ages on its own terms.

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

How has it taken us five years to do an episode on an Elder Scrolls game? Luckily, the new Oblivion Remaster has arrived to fix all that. Cam reflects on the heroic fantasy ideal, Bethesda's charming jank, the pitfalls of modern gaming, accidental vampirism, and the collaborative wonder of a game that makes the audience feel like they're simultaneously playing, creating, and living the ultimate expression of the fantasy genre.

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

We're diving back into the MCU to analyze Thunderbolts* as an allegorical pandemic-era period piece. This is an unusually personal discussion of mental health, lost time, and the unironic power of friendship.

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Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

What's this? A polarizing story about art and excess starring the Weeknd that is equally self-indulgent and self-loathing? That's right, as the world's foremost defenders of The Idol, we're back to discuss Hurry Up Tomorrow. In this episode, Cam wrestles with Abel's self-sabotaging self-promotion, toys with that ambiguous ending, unpacks an avalanche of influences, and breaks down the uncomfortable, familiar sense of embarrassment he felt while watching this film.

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

What's the best Doom game? Well, that might be a trick question. In this episode, Cam argues that 'The Ancient Gods' — the overlooked two-part expansion to Doom Eternal — might just be the best entry in the franchise. With massive story implications, fascinating gameplay evolutions, and a running length that rivals all the modern mainline entries, The Ancient Gods is a stealth sequel in the proud tradition of Halo: ODST and Gears 5: Hivebusters. Rip, tear, and spread the word!

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Five years after the wildly divisive 'Doom Eternal' was released, Cam has given the game a second chance — and fallen in love with it. This discussion charts his history with the franchise, the frustrations of that first playthrough, and the unique combat rhythm that turned a simple demon killing formula into a wildly addictive white knuckle chess match.

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Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Don't believe the marketing, this body horror remix of Cinderella has a lot more in common with our favorite Jane Austen adaptations than it does with The Substance. Our discussion of The Ugly Stepsister centers around the tragic, almost universal sympathy that the film imbues within the central cast. How does this character focus affect the film's body horror? How is empathy twisted and weaponized throughout the story? How accurate is all of this surreal brutality to the reality of the female experience?

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Feedback & Theories: [email protected]