We already know what everyone’s seeing this weekend at the theaters, and no, it sadly isn’t Predator: Badlands or The Running Man reboot. No folks, this weekend and the many that follow will belong to Wicked: For Good, the oddly-titled second-half of the stage-to-screen adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. 

Cole talks us through what he liked, what he liked less, what people will point out, and just *how much* we’ll see of *that one character* from the souce material’s original source material. Cole’s Air comparison might be spot on. 

Give today’s episode a listen before or after you see the movie, and get you butt to the theaters this weekend!

Enjoy!

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Visit ⁠⁠TheIndieMagazine.com⁠⁠ for all our reviews, interviews, lists, and coverage throughout the years.

Thanks again for listening!

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“Life in space is impossible…”We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and we’re discussing Gravity (2013). Alfonso Cuaron directed this space disaster movie (if you can even call it that), and it stars Sandra Bullock as the indomitable Dr. Ryan Stone. We discuss what made this one of Madison’s favorite movies, and what makes it a Sacred Text. 

Sacred Texts can be art in any medium that you internalize, reflect upon, and find worth or inspiration through beyond the original presentation. These movies or shows could impact you in a number of ways, and they could be Sacred because they are family touchstones, or because of their impact at a certain time in your life, or indicative of a change in your outlook, or for any number of reasons.

We hope you enjoy our episode today, give the film a watch (linked in our show notes), and then keep an eye out for our next Sacred Text entry next month.

Enjoy!

—

Watch the Sacred Text we discussed today: 

- Gravity (2013) — Rent on VOD.

—

Fan of The Indie Magazine & Podcast? Show your support by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠donating to our podcast and magazine here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every little bit helps us continue to provide reviews, interviews, and industry news with those interested in all things entertainment!

Visit ⁠⁠TheIndieMagazine.com⁠⁠ for all our reviews, interviews, lists, and coverage throughout the years.

Thanks again for listening!

Where does an idea come from? Is writing a sacred experience, or more of a job? What does a career as a writer look like? If you’re looking for answers, look no further than Rob Yescombe!

Rob’s career has taken him from speedily writing international television to writing on major video game titles, and from Netflix and Prime Video releases in the last few years to a beloved mystery game that he recently regained the rights to. 

We discuss process, inspiration, and the daily grind of a working writer. If you’re interested in becoming a screenwriter, games writer, or writing in general, this episode is for you!

Be sure you send today’s episode to anyone looking to learn more about writing, follow and connect with Rob with the links in our show notes, and thanks again for giving it a listen.

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Get in touch with and follow Rob Yescombe: 

- IMDB – Rob Yescombe

- LinkedIn

- Instagram – @robyescombe

- Curtis Brown – Rob Yescombe

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Bio:“Screen Star of Tomorrow 2022 and one of Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch 2023, Rob Yescombe began his career in video games, working on franchises including ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, FAMILY GUY, THE TWILIGHT ZONE and STAR WARS. After writing FARPOINT for Sony (Road to VR's Game of the Year) and RIME (Titanium Game of the Year Nominee), his critically acclaimed VR murder mystery THE INVISIBLE HOURS premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Rob made his transition into writing features with Netflix's OUTSIDE THE WIRE. Starring Anthony Mackie, the film was a worldwide number one on the streaming platform upon its release in 2021.

More recently, Rob wrote the 2024 feature JACKPOT for Amazon Studios. The film stars Awkwafina, John Cena, and Simu Liu; was directed by Paul Feig; and was produced by by Roth/Kirschenbaum (F9, THE GRAY MAN) and Feigco Entertainment (SPY, A SIMPLE FAVOUR).” – via The Curtis Brown Group

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Recent News:

- The Hollywood Reporter: "Screenwriter Rob Yescombe Regains Rights to VR Game ‘The Invisible Hours’"

- Medium: "Rob Yescombe: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker"

- The Filmmakers Podcast: "From Video Games to Filmmaking: Rob Yescombe’s Journey"

—

Fan of The Indie Magazine & Podcast? Show your support by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠donating to our podcast and magazine here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every little bit helps us continue to provide reviews, interviews, and industry news with those interested in all things entertainment!

Visit ⁠⁠TheIndieMagazine.com⁠⁠ for all our reviews, interviews, lists, and coverage throughout the years.

Thanks again for listening!

The final episode of the Halloween season is here! Looking for a spooky cinematic recommendation? Cole takes us through the end of his list, with everything from Bong Joon Ho to Marvel, and Alfred Hitchcock to Steven Spielberg.

We’ve got all of Cole’s recommendations from the month in our show notes, so be sure you check out any of his 2025 recommendations this month.

If you’re a fan of Cole and his watchlist, follow him ⁠on Letterboxd⁠ or ⁠X/Twitter⁠, where you’ll find more of his hot takes, staunchly defended classics, and inspirations.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode, be sure to share it with any fans of horror, Halloween, or spooky movies, and we’ll be back every Friday this month with more from Cole.

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Cole’s 31 Movies of Halloween – 2025:

- Oct. 1: Saw II (2005) – Stream on ⁠Hulu⁠ or VOD⁠.

- Oct. 2: Eraserhead (1977) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or VOD⁠.

- Oct. 3: Sinners (2025) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or VOD.

- Oct. 4: Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – Rent on VOD.

- Oct. 5: The Craft (1996) – Stream on Prime Video or ⁠VOD.

- Oct. 6: Werewolves Within (2021) – Stream on Hulu, Shudder,

We’re back with another podcast in our 31 Days of Halloween Movie series. Cole goes international with his spooky selections this week, from Japanese horror to Italian, and from Barcelona streets to Spanish language time-traveling slashers.

There are some great recommendations this week, so after listening to today’s episode, be sure you head down to the show notes where we’ve linked every movie we discussed thus far.

If you’re a fan of Cole and his watchlist, follow him ⁠on Letterboxd⁠ or ⁠X/Twitter⁠, where you’ll find more of his hot takes, staunchly defended classics, and inspirations.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode, be sure to share it with any fans of horror, Halloween, or spooky movies, and we’ll be back every Friday this month with more from Cole.

—

Cole’s 31 Movies of Halloween – 2025:

- Oct. 1: Saw II (2005) – Stream on ⁠Hulu⁠ or VOD⁠.

- Oct. 2: Eraserhead (1977) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or VOD⁠.

- Oct. 3: Sinners (2025) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or VOD.

- Oct. 4: Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – Rent on VOD.

- Oct. 5: The Craft (1996) – Stream on Prime Video or ⁠VOD.

- Oct. 6: Werewolves Within (2021) – Stream on Hulu, Shudder,

We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and this week we’re discussing the hotly debated and oft misunderstood Sean Penn film, Into the Wild (2007). The story of Chris McCandless, first told by John Krakaur in his novel of the same name, is one of Tristan’s favorite Sacred Texts, and not for the reasons you might expect. If this is a movie you’ve written off or put off, today’s episode is for you!

Sacred Texts can be art in any medium that you internalize, reflect upon, and find worth or inspiration through beyond the original presentation. These movies or shows could impact you in a number of ways, and they could be Sacred because they are family touchstones, or because of their impact at a certain time in your life, or indicative of a change in your outlook, or for any number of reasons.

We hope you enjoy our episode today, give the film a watch (linked below), and then keep an eye out for our next Sacred Text entry next month.

Enjoy!

—

Watch the Sacred Text we discussed today: 

- Into the Wild (2007) — Watch on Philo, FuboTV, MGM+, or rent on VOD.

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About Into the Wild (2007):

“Chris McCandless is an A-grade student and athlete who looks set to rise to the top of society. But this gifted young man decides to leave everything behind and travel to the wildernesses of Alaska. He joins others along the way who teach him what he needs to learn in order to survive and live in the wild.” – JustWatch.com

—

Fan of The Indie Magazine & Podcast? Show your support by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠donating to our podcast and magazine here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every little bit helps us continue to provide reviews, interviews, and industry news with those interested in all things entertainment!

Visit ⁠⁠TheIndieMagazine.com⁠⁠ for all our reviews, interviews, lists, and coverage throughout the years.

Thanks again for listening!

We’re back with another podcast in our 31 Days of Halloween Movie series. We get into terrible product placement, cringeworthy 00’s remakes, a Universal Monster picture worth revisiting, an indie punching above its weight, and more.

There are some great recommendations this week, so after listening to today’s episode, be sure you head down to the show notes where we’ve linked every movie we discussed thus far.

If you’re a fan of Cole and his watchlist, follow him ⁠on Letterboxd⁠ or ⁠X/Twitter⁠, where you’ll find more of his hot takes, staunchly defended classics, and inspirations.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode, be sure to share it with any fans of horror, Halloween, or spooky movies, and we’ll be back every Friday this month with more from Cole.

—

Cole’s 31 Movies of Halloween – 2025:

- Oct. 1: Saw II (2005) – Stream on ⁠Hulu⁠ or VOD⁠.

- Oct. 2: Eraserhead (1977) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or VOD⁠.

- Oct. 3: Sinners (2025) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or VOD.

- Oct. 4: Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – Rent on VOD.

- Oct. 5: The Craft (1996) – Stream on Prime Video or ⁠VOD.

- Oct. 6: Werewolves Within (2021) – Stream on Hulu, Shudder,

We’re back this week with another 31 Days of Halloween Movies, discussing punishing Santas, Linklater-esque witch drama, animated spooky vacations, and a BBC mockumentary so realistic, it got taken to court. 

There are some great recommendations this week, so after listening to today’s episode, be sure you head down to the show notes where we’ve linked every movie we discussed thus far.

If you’re a fan of Cole and his watchlist, follow him ⁠on Letterboxd⁠ or ⁠X/Twitter⁠, where you’ll find more of his hot takes, staunchly defended classics, and inspirations.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode, be sure to share it with any fans of horror, Halloween, or spooky movies, and we’ll be back every Friday this month with more from Cole.

—

Cole’s 31 Movies of Halloween – 2025:

- Oct. 1: Saw II (2005) – Stream on ⁠Hulu⁠ or ⁠your favorite VOD⁠ sites.

- Oct. 2: Eraserhead (1977) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or ⁠your favorite VOD⁠ sites.

- Oct. 3: Sinners (2025) – Stream on ⁠HBO Max⁠ or ⁠your favorite VOD ⁠sites.

- Oct. 4: Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – Rent on VOD.

- Oct. 5: The Craft (1996) – Stream on Prime Video or ⁠your favorite VOD ⁠sites.

- Oct. 6: Werewolves Within (2021) – Stream on Hulu, Shudder,

A new year, a new October, and another 31 Days of Halloween Movies with our longtime friend of the pod and magazine, Cole Wissinger. We start with a little David Lynch on a train, discuss Cole’s love of the Saw franchise and its second entry, and cover Ryan Coogler’s 2025 ‘surprise hit,’ if an award-winning and box-office-smashing director can still have one of those.

Check out our show notes where we’ve linked each movie, and where to stream it.

If you’re a fan of Cole and his watchlist, follow him on Letterboxd or X/Twitter, where you’ll find more of his hot takes, staunchly defended classics, and inspirations.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode, be sure to share it with any fans of horror, Halloween, or spooky movies, and we’ll be back every Friday this month with more from Cole.

—

Cole’s 31 Movies of Halloween – 2025:

- Oct. 1: Saw II (2005) – Stream on Hulu or your favorite VOD sites.

- Oct. 2: Eraserhead (1977) – Stream on HBO Max or your favorite VOD sites.

- Oct. 3: Sinners (2025) – Stream on HBO Max or your favorite VOD sites.

—

Check out Cole's lists from years past on our website:

- Cole's Halloween Movie Marathon: 2018

- Cole's Halloween Movie Marathon: 2019

- Cole's Halloween Movie Marathon: 2020

- Cole's Halloween Movie Marathon: 2021

- Cole's Halloween Movie Marathon: 2023

- Cole’s Halloween Movie Marathon: 2024 (Podcast)

If you want something less scary, check out our article on less spooky movies for the spooky season.

—

Are you starting a podcast of your own? Make life easier and podcasts sound better with Descript. We use Descript to edit the content of our episodes, level volume, cut dead air, and bring audiences the best episode we can deliver.

Try it today with our partner code here.

—

Visit ⁠⁠TheIndieMagazine.com⁠⁠ for all our reviews, interviews, lists, and coverage throughout the years.

—

Fan of The Indie Magazine & Podcast? Show your support by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠donating to our podcast and magazine here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every little bit helps us continue to provide reviews, interviews, and industry news with those interested in all things entertainment!

“One by one, the free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the Ring, but there were some who resisted…”We’re back with our Sacred Texts series, and this week we’re covering a cinematic masterpiece, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). From its take on political power, pastoral themes, heroism and courage, and manliness, there’s a lot to unpack in Madison’s Sacred Text.

Sacred Texts can be art in any medium that you internalize, reflect upon, and find worth or inspiration through beyond the original presentation. These movies or shows could impact you in a number of ways, and they could be Sacred because they are family touchstones, or because of their impact at a certain time in your life, or indicative of a change in your outlook, or for any number of reasons.

In times like this, we pray Galadriel’s prophecy could come to be, and that “...the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all.” May we each find our hobbit spirit, and may we each hold true to the sacred texts that have shaped us.

We hope you enjoy today’s episode, and you’ll find links to the film below, as well as the songs referenced early on. We’ll be back with another Sacred Text entry next month, and another episode next week.

Enjoy!

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Watch the Sacred Text we discussed today: 

- Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001) — Watch on HBO Max.

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Listen to the Tracks we teased today:

- “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin – On Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music

- “Misty Mountain Hop” by Led Zeppelin – On Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music

- “The Wizard” by Black Sabbath – On Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music

- “Rivendell” by Rush – On Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music

- “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” by Leonard Nimoy – On Spotify, YouTube (music video!), or Apple Music

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How to Split up LOTR as a Miniseries: Quora Guide

The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition: 228 minutes)

- Part 1: The Shire and Rivendell (0:00 - 1:15:00)

      - Covers the introduction of the Shire, the fellowship's formation, and the journey to Rivendell.

- Part 2: The Journey Begins (1:15:00 - 2:30:00)

     - From leaving Rivendell to encountering the Mines of Moria, including the battle with the Balrog.

- Part 3: The Breaking of the Fellowship (2:30:00 - 3:48:00)

     - Covers the events in Lothlórien and the breaking of the fellowship at Amon Hen.

—

Fan of The Indie Magazine & Podcast? Show your support by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠donating to our podcast and magazine here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every little bit helps us continue to provide reviews, interviews, and industry news with those interested in all things entertainment!

Visit ⁠⁠TheIndieMagazine.com⁠⁠ for all our reviews, interviews, lists, and coverage throughout the years.

Thanks again for listening.