Socially Distanced

The least-liked member of ThePopBreak.com, Ryan DeMarco, joins hosts Al Mannarino and Bill Bodkin to discuss the third installment of the Sea.Hear.Now Music & Arts Festival that took place in Asbury Park, NJ on September 18 and 19. Ryan, Al and Bill talk about the performances that blew them away, how great Billy Idol's band was, attending a massive musical festival after nearly two years of social distancing, who they'd like to see for the 2022 version of the festival and more.

One of the greatest MCU characters of all-time is the subject of the 74th edition of The Socially Distanced Podcast. Pop Break Senior Writer Tom Moore (also of In Their Own League & Moore Reviews) joins hosts Al Mannarino and Bill Bodkin to discuss the 6th episode of What If? -- the animated MCU series streaming every Wednesday on Disney+

They discuss the vocal performances in the episode and how Michael B. Jordan's return to the Killmonger role was vital to the success of the episode. They also talk about the ending and have wildly varying opinions on it. Elsewhere they discuss the Hawkeye trailer which dropped earlier this week as well as drop some key recommendations.

It's the dreaded zombies episode of Marvel's What If...? or IS IT dreaded? Hosts Al Mannarino and Bill Bodkin are joined by Pop Break senior writer and host of the soon-to-debut podcast series 'Wrestling with Mental Health' Michael Dworkis to discuss What If...? Episode 5. They discuss if the zombie-laden episode actually worked or did it fall victim to the fact zombies have become a tired pop culture trope. They talk about the lack of runtime for the episode, the inclusion of the always-amazing Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo and Paul Bettany as well as the Twilight Zone-esque ending and how it'll play into the MCU (if at all).

Outside of What If...? the trio talk about the brand new film from The Wachowskis -- Matrix Resurrection. They talk about their relationship with the film, you'll learn who hasn't seen the original film, and the hopes and fears they have for the new film.

This week Al Mannarino and Bill Bodkin enter the multiverse of madness with special guest and #1 fan of the podcast - Nick Porcaro! This week the guys talk about What If ...? Episode 4 "What if Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" 

In the episode they break down the very uncharacteristic vocal performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, the darkness of the episode, how the episode will impact the MCU going forward (if at all), the art and animation style of the episode as well as the involvement of The Watcher for the first time in the series.

The What If...We Podcasted About What If...? review series continues with a look at the third episode 'What If...The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?" Bill Bodkin flies solo in the host seat as Al Mannarino takes his annual summer holiday from the show. However, he's not alone! It's a double debut as one of Pop Break's longest running writers, Senior Editor Mike Dworkis and Senior Staff Writer (and What If...? Reviewer) Matt Widdis join the show. On the pod, Mike and Matt talk about their history with the comic book series and thoughts on the show so far and then dive into the episode. They talk about the return of Phil Coulson, the ripple effects of this episode in the MCU, the Spider-man: No Way Home trailer, the inclusion of Michael Douglas as a villainous (?) Hank Pym, Loki's role in the series, who will be the frozen Captain America and more!

Another podcast, another chance to talk about a Disney+ series. Yes, the podcast that is definitely not sponsored or acknowledged by Disney, Marvel or Disney+ is backing talking about the latest MCU series streaming on Disney+, What If...?

Hosts Al Mannarino and Bill Bodkin are joined by their friend and multi-time Socially Distanced guest, Ken Grand Pierre (host of The New Exchange with Ken Grand Pierre). In this episode they discuss the first two episodes of the show -- which was adapted from a Marvel comics series -- which explores the questions -- What if Agent Carter Were the First Avenger and What if T'Challa Was Star-Lord? They break down the much talked about artwork for the series, the star-studded vocal cast (and the glaring omissions), the concepts each episode brings forth, long-term impact on the MCU and bittersweet moments of Chadwick Boseman's final turn as T'Challa.

Squad up! The Socially Distanced Podcast is back at the movies. In the 69th episode hosts Al "Rick Flagg" Mannarino and Bill "King Shark" Bodkin are talking about James Gunn's The Suicide Squad -- now streaming on HBO MAX and playing in theaters. However they are not alone. Pop Break Podcast Guru Alex "Please Don't Call Me Amanda Waller Ever" Marcus (he's more akin to Sebastian aka Chrispratt) and Pop Break Social Media gun-for-hire Alisha "Black Guard" Weinberger join the episode to discuss all the glories of the movie and most importantly Nathan Fillion's TDK.

In the episode they discuss the film's box office performance, a potential sequel, the Peacemaker spinoff, Weasel, what parts of TDK actually detach as well as the best and worst members of The Suicide Squad.

We're back from our short break with the old format! Hosts Al Mannarino and Bill Bodkin return for a low-key two-person show focusing on trailers and news. In the "Seriously WTF" segment they look at the releases of F9, Black Widow, Space Jam: Legacy and Jungle Cruise and their box performances and wonder if we can consider any movie released in 2021 a "flop" by pre-pandemic standards. They also look at the conundrum of releasing films in theaters and on streaming platforms and how that will impact the future of theatrical releases.

They then look at the trailer for FX on Hulu's new series Y: The Last Man (premiering in September) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (released in November). They also recommend some great books, movies and shows to watch.

The Socially Distanced Podcast stays in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as they review the latest MCU entry, Black Widow. 

Bill Bodkin hosts the episode and is joined by the unofficial (but really official) hosts of the show, Pop Break Music Editor Kat Manos and former WandaVision resident guest, Cole Rothacker. 

They discuss an article in The Atlantic which theorizes that Black Widow's box office performance is not only hurting movie theaters, but also backfiring on studios due to the simultaneous streaming and theatrical releases. They also dive into the placement of the film within the MCU and how it impacts the stakes of the film.

They shower praise upon the performances of Florence Pugh and David Harbour and look into how this film factors into the future phases of Marvel.

The Socially Distanced Podcast wraps it up its 'Low-Key' Loki Review Series by discussing the announced "season one" finale of Loki, 'For All Time. Always.' Hosts Al Mannarino and Bill Bodkin jump through the sacred timeline and are joined by Pop Break's podcast editor Lucas P. Jones and Pop Break senior writer Ryan DeMarco to discuss the finale. For those who don't now this is a reunion of the News Over Brews podcast -- a show Al, Ryan and Lucas ran in the mid-2010s. In the episode, they discuss the potential of Loki Season 2, the introduction of Jonathan Majors as (who we assume is Kang), the mind-boggling ending and the future of the TVA.