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Goodbye, STRANGER THINGS...

 ...hello, 2026, marks the start of a new year — and the end of an era.

As one of the most influential TV series of the past decade officially comes to a close, The Fixate & Binge Podcastreflects on what made STRANGER THINGS resonate so deeply — this time through a fresh voice that reminds us how and why lifelong fandoms are born.

From there, the conversation turns forward, spotlighting the most anticipated tv shows and films of 2026 — from major returning series and long-awaited new releases to a stacked slate of upcoming horror films and blockbuster events.

It’s an episode about endings and beginnings, fear and excitement, and the stories that connect generations — setting the tone for a year of watching, anticipating, and loving great movies and television.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

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Fifty episodes. Eighteen clips. One unforgettable year.

To close out 2025, The Fixate & Binge Podcast does something a little different.

This special milestone episode brings together 18 standout moments from conversations with filmmakers, actors, writers, producers, critics, and creatives from around the world — moments that stayed with me long after the microphones were turned off.

There’s no narration layered over these clips. No analysis interrupting them. Just the voices — candid, thoughtful, funny, vulnerable — speaking for themselves.

Across these excerpts, you’ll hear stories about:

• The grind and joy of working in film and television
• Creative risks that paid off (and some that almost didn’t)
• The realities of independent filmmaking
• Career breakthroughs, near-misses, and moments of pure serendipity
• Why connection — with an audience, with collaborators, with the work — matters more than ever

This episode is both a thank-you and a time capsule:
to the guests who trusted me with their stories,
and to the listeners who made 2025 the biggest year yet for the podcast.

If you discovered a new film, a new artist, or a new perspective through The Fixate & Binge Podcast this year — I’m deeply grateful.

Here’s to the conversations that defined 2025… and to what’s coming next.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

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In a rare solo episode after ten straight guest interviews, Joe Curdy returns to the mic solo with a full-on Podcast Stew — a wide-ranging, unfiltered mix of film reflection, pop-culture spectacle, and spoiler-free criticism.

The episode opens with reflections on Rob Reiner and his enduring film legacy, using his body of work as a reminder of how cinema can shape memory, comfort, and cultural conversation. From there, the discussion pivots sharply — and unapologetically — to a reaction to a headline-grabbing boxing weekend, breaking down the spectacle, stakes, and shock value of influencer-era fights colliding with real knockout power.

The episode ultimately circles back to the movies, with a spoiler-free deep dive into  James Cameron’s AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, including a full reading of Joe’s Letterboxd review and thoughts on where Cameron’s evolving Avatar saga stands within modern blockbuster filmmaking.

Loose by design but thoughtful throughout, this Podcast Stew captures the energy of a critic thinking out loud — where legacy, spectacle, and cinema all end up in the same bowl.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

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Writer/director Jeff Hupp joins The Fixate & Binge Podcast to discuss his 2025 indie feature BAND ON THE RUN— a heartfelt, DIY road-trip film shot in just eight days that captures a fleeting moment in the late 1990s Detroit Garage Rock scene.

Centered on the rock trio 'Hot Freaks', the film follows drummer Jesse Grant (Matthew Perl) as he rallies his bandmates to chase a last-chance opportunity to play SXSW, hoping to escape the gravitational pull of dead-end jobs and inherited disappointment. What begins as a familiar “band on the road” story becomes something more intimate when Jesse’s paraplegic father (Larry Bagby) joins the journey — grounding the film in a deeply human exploration of ambition, regret, and the fragile bond between parent and child.

In this conversation, Hupp reflects on Detroit’s often-overlooked music history, the realities of ultra-low-budget filmmaking, his own background in advertising, and why Band on the Run is ultimately less about success than the courage to try. 

Drawing inspiration from films like ALMOST FAMOUS and THE COMMITMENTS, the episode celebrates artists who dare to take their shot — even when the odds are stacked against them.

Band on the Run is now streaming on Amazon Prime!

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
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This week on The Fixate & Binge Podcast, Joe sits down with writer/director Freddy Macdonald -- the breakout filmmaker behind the Neo-noir crime caper SEW TORN, which premiered at the 2024 SXSW and went on to debut on streaming giants like Amazon Prime and -- as of December 1, 2025 -- now on Netflix!

Shot on location in the Swiss Alps SEW TORN.  follows introverted seamstress Barbara Duggen (Eve Connelly) as one split-second decision on a quiet mountain road spirals into a clever, triple-threaded narrative. With a structure reminiscent of RUN LOLA RUN,  the film explores how a single moment can unravel in wildly different ways — each with its own consequence.

Joe and Freddy dive deep into:

• 🎬 How a first-time director pulled off a Swiss-set crime thriller!
• 🧵 Crafting the film’s triptych, “wash-rinse-repeat” storytelling style!
• 🎥 Working with Eve Connelly, John Lynch, Calum Worthy, and Caroline Goodall!
• ❄️ Capturing the snowy, small-town noir tone — equal parts FARGO and Swiss fable
• 📈 The surreal journey from festival buzz to a Netflix release!
• ✂️ What Freddy Macdonald is planning next!

Warm, candid, and insightful, this conversation highlights the creativity and determination behind one of the most inventive indie thrillers of the year.

If you loved Sew Torn or you’re fascinated by breakout filmmakers who turn a bold idea into a career-defining debut, this episode is a must-listen.

Streaming now on Netflix.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

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In this episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, host Joe Curdy sits down with writer/director Zoë Eisenberg and starring actress Mitzi Akaha  to unpack their acclaimed 2024 indie film CHAPERONE -- a poignant, quietly powerful coming-of-age story set against the lush, time-suspended backdrop of Hawaiʻi.

Drawing on his own experiences living in Hawaiʻi, Joe explores the film’s deeply human themes from the film: arrested development, identity, the illusion of timelessness in Hawaiʻi and the inevitable drift into adulthood. Mitzi Akaha discusses her nuanced performance as Misha — a 29-year-old woman caught between youth and maturity — while Zoë Eisenberg reflects on crafting a narrative that examines age-gap dynamics, personal agency, and the consequences of refusing to grow up.

The conversation delves into:

• The real Hawaiʻi that inspired the film’s emotional tone
• What makes Misha both sympathetic and flawed
• How the chemistry between Akaha and Laird Akeo shapes the story
• Why CHAPERONE resonates as a modern, culturally specific portrait of coming of age
• What surprising, classic film inspired CHAPERONE the most!

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
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In this episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, host Joe sits down with writer/director Vito Trupiano, actor Shiloh Fernandez, and breakout newcomer Alyx Ruibal to dive deep into their heartfelt 2024 film HELLBENT ON BOOGIE.

They discuss the origins of this unexpectedly tender story, the challenges and joys of making an intimate family drama, and the genuine on-screen chemistry that drives the film. Alyx opens up about portraying Quinn, a character with Autism — an experience rooted in her own lived perspective — while Shiloh shares what drew him to the role of Alan, the well-meaning, rough-edged older brother fighting to help his sister chase her dream.

Vito offers a behind-the-camera look at his filming approach, balancing grit, humor, and emotional honesty in a story that recalls LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE.

With great vibes and even greater heart, this conversation celebrates authenticity, family, and the power of telling stories that matter. HELLBENT ON BOOGIE is now streaming on TUBI, MUBI, and Apple TV.

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

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Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure your seatbelt is fastened and that your seat and tray tables are in the upright position!

This week on The Fixate & Binge Podcast, I’m joined by directors Eli Kooris and Joshua Shaffer, the creative force behind AMERICAN SKYJACKER, a wild and gripping docudrama chronicling Martin McNally’s audacious 1972 skyjacking and the five-day national chase that followed. We dive into the film’s tense reenactments, its interview access to McNally himself, and the jaw-dropping second act set inside Leavenworth Penitentiary.

Eli and Joshua reveal how this story evolved from their award-winning podcast into a long-developed passion project heading to theaters later this year.

Before we jump in, I also share my quick reaction to Guillermo Del Toro's FRANKENSTEIN (2025) on Netflix. 

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

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On this episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, host Joe sits down with acclaimed writer-filmmaker GG HAWKINS and writer-actor MADISON LANESEY to discuss their bold and intimate new film, I REALLY LOVE MY HUSBAND.

Set against the lush backdrop of Panama, the film examines love, honesty, and what it means to truly know your partner -- and yourself. Together, Hawkins and Lanesey share the tory behind crafting a modern exploration of marriage that subverts romantic expectations and dives deep into the complexities of intimacy and self-truth.

With Joe's signature thoughtful commentary and his early review already praising the film's courage and authenticity, this conversation goes beyond plot to explore creative risk, emotional honesty, and the realties of bringing such a raw, personal story to life. 

This is the first in a 2-part podcast -- tune in next week for the concluding 2nd part!

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
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On this episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, host Joe sits down with acclaimed writer-filmmaker GG HAWKINS and writer-actor MADISON LANESEY to discuss their bold and intimate new film, I REALLY LOVE MY HUSBAND.

Set against the lush backdrop of Panama, the film examines love, honesty, and what it means to truly know your partner -- and yourself. Together, Hawkins and Lanesey share the tory behind crafting a modern exploration of marriage that subverts romantic expectations and dives deep into the complexities of intimacy and self-truth.

With Joe's signature thoughtful commentary and his early review already praising the film's courage and authenticity, this conversation goes beyond plot to explore creative risk, emotional honesty, and the realties of bringing such a raw, personal story to life. 

This is the first in a 2-part podcast -- tune in next week for the concluding 2nd part!

Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

Read our Letterboxd reviews at:
https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/

Follow us on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms

Follow us on TikTok at:
https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast