The Pop Break

This is Pod of Doom, a podcast dedicated to the British band Black Sabbath! The hosts of Every Pod You Cast return to discuss all things Sabbath: Justin Mancini of TheCineMaverick.com & Cinema Joes, Chris Mancini, and Randy Allain of Media/Lit will be covering the Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio eras of the metal pioneers.

In the fourth official episode of the season, Chris, Justin, and Randy tackle Sabbath’s underrated (but aptly named) fourth volume. They relish Geezer Butler’s anti-jingoism, contemplate the band’s increasing use of acoustic instrumentation, and debate the merits of stiff piano ballads. And of course, they recommend other artists they’ve been enjoying for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

We Know That It Is Good (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like)

Chris – Supernaut

Justin – St. Vitus Dance

Randy – Changes

Nobody Wants Him (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Chris – Changes

Justin – FX

Randy – Tomorrow’s Dream

Words That Glow (A Favorite Lyric)

Chris – Cornucopia

Justin – Cornucopia

Randy – Cornucopia

Occupy My Brain (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Chris – Under the Sun

Justin – Tomorrow’s Dream

Randy – Laguna Sunrise

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Chris – Score from Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Justin – Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Randy – Saul Williams

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here for a bonus podcast to discuss Bicentennial Man for its 25th anniversary.

Bicentennial Man is a science fiction comedy-drama directed by Chris Columbus and written by Nicholas Kazan. It is based on a novelette by Isaac Asimov, as well as a novel by Asimov and Robert Silverberg. It opened in theaters on December 17, 1999.

The film follows Andrew, an immortal robot (Robin Williams) who first serves the Martin family in a futuristic 2005. Mr. Martin (Sam Neill), who determines that Andrew has human emotions and interests, guides his development. Later, Andrew decides to take on more human attributes, including synthetic skin and organs, with the aid of inventor Rupert Burns (Oliver Platt).

Other characters include Mrs. Martin (Wendy Crewson), the Martins’ daughter Amanda (Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Embeth Davidtz), and Amanda’s granddaughter (also Davidtz).

Bicentennial Man garnered mixed-to-negative reviews, and it bombed at the box office. Robin Williams was nominated for Worst Actor at the Razzies, though the movie was nominated for Best Makeup at the Oscars.

Aaron and Josh talk about the first time they saw Bicentennial Man, its plot, characters, and themes. They also mention its deceptive marketing campaign and how the film stands out in today’s movie landscape.

For more science fiction, you can listen to Aaron and Josh’s Twilight Zone podcast with guest Randy Allain.

Bicentennial Man is available on Prime Video

There’s never a dull moment in the world of anime and Pop Break is diving right into the action! Join anime enthusiasts Amanda Rivas and Josh Sarnecky as they geek out monthly with dedicated experts and special guests on exciting anime news, trending anime in TV and/or movies, and anime recommendations spanning different genres that everyone should be watching. If you are a lifelong anime lover or taking the initial leap into the genre that has something for everyone, this is the podcast for you!

In this episode of Anime x Pop, Amanda and Josh reflect on a busy year of anime in 2024 by revisiting anime previously covered throughout the year to include initial thoughts and updates on whether those thoughts changed after watching more episodes. They share anime they wish they had room to cover on Anime x Pop during 2024 and also give out the first Anime x Pop awards to animes they felt were deserving in categories like Best New Anime, Best Recurring Anime, Best Anime of the Year and more. 

Amanda and Josh take a stroll through the anime content minds to discuss favorite series they’ve been watching recently, including Josh's continued love for Dragonball Daima and Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Season 3, his new recommendation of 365 Days to the Wedding, and Amanda's recommendation of The Most Notorious "Talker" Runs the World's Greatest Clan. All recommendations, except Bleach TYBW which is on Hulu/Disney Plus, are found on Crunchyroll.

In Anime News, they discuss potential updates they are most excited to hear about from this month's Jump Festa including possible release dates for Jujitsu Kaisen Season 3, Spy x Family Season 3, Kaiju No. 8 Season 2, the upcoming Demon Slayer film trilogy, and Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc. Josh was also hoping to hear more about the fate of Dragonball Super given Akira Toriyama's untimely passing.  

Stay tuned next month as Anime x Pop starts off 2025 with Netflix's highly anticipated Sakamoto Days and Solo Leveling Season 2.

Welcome to Saturday Morning Adventures - ThePopBreak.com's audio appreciation for all things animated.

What better way to celebrate the holidays than by talking about the 40th Anniversary of the television debut of Mickey's Christmas Carol. On December 10, 1984, Disney's Oscar-nominated short film adaptation of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol premiered on NBC.

Pop Break's editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin is the host and is joined by special guest Michelle Chapman (Roses & Rejections Podcast) to discuss the special. The two wax poetic about seeing the film for the first time as kids, how the film has aged over the past 40 years, showing the special to their respective children and why this is an elite version of the classic Christmas tale.

They also tangent on how awful the Guy Pearce starring version of the film was and the insidiousness of Cocomelon for some laughs. They also discuss the shorts that have appeared before the film and have a long conversation about all their favorite holiday offerings at Disney World.

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here to talk about The Simpsons for the series’ 35th anniversary. Joining them is Simpsons fan Stefan Thomas, who previously covered Mean Girls with the duo.

The Simpsons is an adult animated sitcom created by Matt Groening, who developed the show with Sam Simon and James L. Brooks. It is based on shorts originating from The Tracy Ullman Show, beginning in 1987. The Simpsons series premiered on FOX on December 17, 1989. 

Now in its 36th season, over 700 episodes of the series have aired. It is the longest running American animated TV show, as well the longest running American scripted primetime series.

The titular family lives in the fictional city of Springfield. It consists of father Homer (Dan Castellaneta), mother Marge (Julie Kavner), son Bart (Nancy Cartwright), daughter Lisa (Yeardley Smith), and baby girl Maggie (Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith). The show is notable for its many celebrity guest voices, including James Earl Jones, Meryl Streep, and Phil Hartman, and Kelsey Grammer. 

The Simpsons is considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time and is credited with starting the adult cartoon boom. In 2007, The Simpsons Movie debuted on the silver screen.

The series has won 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, including multiple for Outstanding Animated Program and many for its voice cast. 

Aaron, Josh, and Stefan discuss their past experiences with The Simpsons before going into its first episode, the Christmas special. They talk about the characters, animation, humor, and legacy of the show. They also discuss when the show started to decline in quality.

For more adult cartoons, you can listen to Josh and Aaron’s podcasts on Family Guy and Futurama.

The Simpsons is streaming on Disney+

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are in off season mode, as The Bachelor and its many spinoffs take the next few weeks off!

This week, DJ and Michelle discuss Netflix's the Ultimatum Episodes 1-5. They go over all of the couples and discuss who they think can make it through this crazy show, and what it says about the people who stick through it. They do a brief recap of this season of the Great British Bake Off, and give Georgie a well deserved apology.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

This week, Allie and Tyler put their private detective hats on for the modern noir thriller “Killer Heat.” Join them as they thirst after Joseph Gordon-Levitt, allow for an appropriate amount of praise for Shailene Woodley and use Richard Madden as a springboard to talk about Tyler’s twin pet peeves. Do they agree with the critics that this movie telegraphed its ending from moment one? Listen and find out!

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

To see more of our hosts, check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider, SYFY and NBC Insider. Find Allie’s work at Parade and Business Insider!

And don't forget to follow us on social media —

Allie: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok

Tyler: Twitter

Not Couple Goals: Instagram and Twitter

Pop Break’s Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus is joined by Editor-in-Chief Bill Bodkin, and TV Columnist Josh Sarnecky to talk about the happenings in television.

Here’s the format of the show:

New Series Spotlight Rewind – Alex, Bill, and Josh check back in on all the series they covered in their New Series Spotlight segment this year to see which shows they actually kept up with and which fell by the wayside.

News Break – Alex, Bill, and Josh discuss the single story that they each believe was the biggest for the world of TV this past year. Bill & Josh both opted with the August’s news that the Amazon, Disney, and NBCUniversal had finalized their television rights deal with the NBA, while Alex handed it over to July’s news that SkyDance had officially agreed to merge with Paramount Global.

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, and Josh check in on the standings for the past year of who won the most months in streaming before giving their own picks for who won the year, where they all agreed that Netflix, Disney Plus, and Peacock had incredible years, but who won the year and who was their most improved streamer? Tune in to find out!

The Beast Series of 2024 – Bill, Josh, and Alex each give their favorite series of the year, and two honorable mentions, which you can check out below!

Finally, the hosts close out 2024 by circling back to their Most Anticipated Series of 2024 from this past January to see how their collective optimism and enthusiasm paid off.

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are in off season mode, as The Bachelor and its many spinoffs take the next few weeks off!

This week Michelle and DJ are joined by Pop Break Editor in Chief, Bill Bodkin, for a preview of the 2024 Great British Bake Off finale. They discuss who they think will win and talk about their favorite bakes and bakers from this season. Finally, they give a quick preview for what will be coming up on Roses and Rejections for the rest of the year.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

This is Pod of Doom, a podcast dedicated to the British band Black Sabbath! The hosts of Every Pod You Cast return to discuss all things Sabbath: Justin Mancini of TheCineMaverick.com & Cinema Joes, Chris Mancini, and Randy Allain of Media/Lit will be covering the Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio eras of the metal pioneers.

In the third official episode of the season, Chris, Justin, and Randy tackle Sabbath’s hard-hitting proto-doom album. They find reason to quote Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, comment on the state of 90s boy bands, and ponder Sabbath as a secret Christian rock band. And of course, they recommend other artists they’ve been enjoying for your listening pleasure.

Host Picks:

We Know That It Is Good (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like)

Chris – Solitude

Justin – Lord of This World

Randy – Children of the Grave

Nobody Wants Him (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Chris – Sweet Leaf (relative to other songs)

Justin – After Forever (some questionable lyrics)

Randy – After Forever (some questionable lyrics)

Words That Glow (A Favorite Lyric)

Chris – Into the Void

Justin – Into the Void

Randy – Into the Void

Occupy My Brain (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Chris – Children of the Grave

Justin – Children of the Grave

Randy – Children of the Grave

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Chris – Naxatras

Justin – Gentle Giant

Randy – O-Town, Ryan Cabrera, LFO