On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, our topic is a timely one. 2026 is the year YouTubers broke into the mainstream. Earlier this year, Markiplier found fantastic success with bringing his YouTube series Iron Lung to cinemas, and now we have a month full of success stories by YouTube and TikTok creators with the back-to-back wins of Obsession's director Curry Barker and Backrooms creator Kane Parsons. So, it begs the question: are YouTubers the next generation of great filmmakers?

Also, this week: Escape from New York a touch of the Zack Snyder, our spoiler-free review of He-Man's return to theaters with Masters of the Universe, whatcha been watching discusses Widow's Bay, Spider-Noir, Ladies First, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and Margot's Got Money Problems. Plus Troy and Aaron dive into their own insane Backrooms theories.

• (0:00 – 18:01) Opening | Escape from New York and Zack Snyder, Taylor Swift and Toy Story 5, Anna Kendrick returns to directing
• (18:02 – 53:50) From the Outside In: Are YouTubers the Next Generation of Great Filmmakers
• (53:51 – 1:04:20) Review: Masters of the Universe
• (1:04:21 – 1:19:24) Whatcha Been Watching - Widow's Bay, Spider-Noir, Ladies First, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and Margot's Got Money Problems
• (1:19:25 – 1:47:22) Spoilercast: Backrooms Theories
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On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, The Mandalorian and Grogu has taken over theaters and it prompted the question: what will it take for us to love Star Wars again? That might seem harsh, but the Force has definitely lost its luster the past few years, especially with so much content diluting our excitement. It's a solid discussion on what we love and loathe about the franchise, and we finish with our review of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Also this week: the Duffers try to explain Stranger Things, nostalgia overload yet again, and more!

• (0:00 – 31:49) The Duffers explain Stranger Things, nostalgia overload, Stephen Colbert says goodbye, milestone anniversaries
• (31:50 – 50:45) Whatcha Been Watching - The Crash, Kevin Hart Roast, Punisher: One Last Kill, Legends
• (50:46 – 1:13:09) From the Outside In: How do we fall in love with Star Wars again?
• (1:13:10– 1:25:05) Review: The Mandalorian and Grogu
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On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, our main topic based on a recent lawsuit from Miami-Dade county officers in regards to the Netflix film, The Rip. That brought us to movie or TV careers that changed our opinions on the actual day-to-day jobs and how entertainment influenced those.

Also this week: Twister turns 30 years old, we review Obsession, and more!

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On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, our main topic is the surge of dark nostalgia invading our TVs these days: Wednesday, Riverdale, now Casper, and on and on. So much of what seemed like fun escapism of our youth is now being morphed into darker, edgier, grittier television that loses much of what we loved about them in the first place.

Also this week: Greta Gerwig scores big with Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, reviews of The Sheep Detectives and Mortal Kombat II, and more!

• (0:00 – 12:24) Netflix toys with Narnia and wide releases, Lively vs Baldoni, Planet of the Apes moves on
• (12:25 – 38:08) From the Outside In: Dark TV Nostalgia
• (38:09 – 42:23) Review: The Sheep Detectives
• (42:24 – 48:54) Review: Mortal Kombat II
• (48:55 – 1:00:52) Whatcha Been Watching - The Devil Wears Prada 2, Man on Fire
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On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, 2026 has finally arrived at the greatest point of every cinephile's annual indulgence, the summer movie season!! This year theaters are trying to kick back into gear with blockbusters like The Odyssey, Toy Story 5, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Mortal Kombat II, The Sheep Detectives, Minions and Monsters, The Breadwinner, Jack Ryan: Ghost War, Masters of the Universe, Disclosure Day, and a whole lot more. But with so many films coming out at this time, how is any self-respecting fan supposed to know what to see when there are so many options available? We're here to help with our 2026 Summer Movie Preview!

We discuss each month in detail and every major and many minor releases. May, June, July, and August all receive their fair due as we elaborate and debate on over 40 titles coming to theaters, as well as those independent and streaming gems to look for.

Grab a pen and paper or your favorite app, because this is one episode you will want to take notes on. THIS is our 2026 Summer Movie Preview!

*Editor's Note: Release dates and titles were based on the schedule as of the date of recording, and are subject to change

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On this week's episode of The Hollywood Outsider, we dive into CinemaCon 2026, have a little fun with random TV, and discuss recent shows Big Mistakes, Testaments, Malcolm in the Middle revival and more!

• (0:00 – 33:45) 2026 CinemaCon - Sony Begs Theaters, Legend of Zelda finishes, Longlegs continues, and more
• (33:46 – 1:16:46) Fun with TV
• (1:16:47 – 1:29:34) Whatcha Been Watching - Malcolm in the Middle, Testaments, Big Mistakes, The Boys Season 5
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On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we shake things up with 10 Shots of Hollywood - ten topics or games revolving around our favorite subject of movies and TV! Book adaptations, do trailers even work anymore, Kill One Keep One, and a lot more on this very entertaining episode of The HO!

Plus, recommendations this week include Darth Maul, The Madison, The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson, and more.

• (0:00 – 1:11:06) 10 Shots of Hollywood - Ten Various Movie or TV Related Topics or Games
• (1:11:07 – 1:23:09) Whatcha Been Watching - Scarpetta, The Madison, Darth Maul, The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson
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The SXSW Film and TV Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the world. In a typical year, thousands of fans arrive in downtown Austin, TX to partake in a couple of weeks of great music, technology, and film. For this special episode of The Hollywood Outsider, we take you along for our annual deep dive into the heart of the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival portion, and even further into the films themselves.

Over the course of several days, the 2026 SXSW Film and TV Festival screened numerous features, TV premieres, many from first-time filmmakers (consisting of World Premieres, North American Premieres, and US Premieres), shorts, virtual reality exhibits, AI advancements, and other works. These films were selected from thousands of overall submissions, and – while we can't see them all – we have a nice sample to share with you of what came out of this stellar lineup of independent and popular films and television series. Over 25 films are on our docket this year, and we review them all (including Ready or Not 2, Family Movie, Phoenix Jones, Rock Springs, Obsession, Stormbound, Normal, They Will Kill You, Chili Finger, Ugly Cry, and more), as well as snippets from panels and a whole lot more!

So sit back and relax. You're about to experience The 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival from the comfort of your own home.

Discussed on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider Movie and TV Podcast:

• Thoughts on the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival
• Reviews of over 25 films, TV episodic premieres, and panels screened at the festival.
• Our personal awards from the festival
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For this special episode, Scott Clark from The Gaming Outsider podcast joins Aaron to breakdown Ryan Gosling's film adaptation of Andy Weir's bestselling novel, Project Hail Mary. The conversation begins spoiler-free before we dive head first into the connections to the book and deviations from the source material. Plus, why the world has fallen in love with Rocky.

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For this special Oscars 2026 wrap-up, we discuss the events, speeches, and winners of the 98th Annual Academy Awards. Including Conan O'Brien's hosting performance, in-memoriam, one battle after another between Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler, and more. All this and more are up for grabs as we recap this year's Oscars!

The Academy Awards ("Oscars") are the most prestigious awards in filmmaking and showcase some of the greatest talent and work in motion pictures for that running year. The nominees and winners are selected by majority vote from members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ballots are cast by members from within the industry and, in most categories, represent the corresponding branch (ex.: actors nominate actors).