The Pop Break

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.

After last week’s incredibly heavy episode, Allie and Tyler are keeping it light with the heist-oriented film The Thomas Crown Affair. Join them as they talk about all the subtle ways Pierce Brosnan had to pretend this character wasn’t similar to James Bond and discuss the weird amount of times Allie watched this with her family. Did Crown make the right call to become a fugitive? Listen and find out

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on Twitter @ANelRetentive & @TylerMcCarthy and Instagram @ANelRetentive and to check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

In this special bonus episode of Bill vs. The MCU, Alex and Bill give their instant reactions to the Avengers: Doomsday trailer while wildly speculating about what Alex might see at Marvel's Hall H panel later this week at San Diego Comic Con 2026!

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!

This month, Josh and Amanda are pleased to dive deep into the world of anime and voice acting with none other than Zeno Robinson, a prolific voiceover artist known for his roles in popular series like My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer. In their chat with Zeno, they explore his journey as a voice actor, the impact of anime on his career, and his latest projects, including the award-winning series The Comic Shop.

Zeno Robinson has become a recognizable name in the anime industry, captivating audiences with his performances. His journey began with a passion for storytelling and a desire to connect with viewers on an emotional level. In their discussion, Zeno reflects on how pivotal moments in anime inspired him to pursue voice acting, including his emotional connection to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Zeno also shares behind-the-scenes insights into the creation of The Comic Shop. He talks about the initial proof of concept, the creative team involved, and how they navigated the challenges of production. Looking ahead, he hints at exciting developments for The Comic Shop, including ways to keep the momentum going while fans await the second season.

There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman.  No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender.  With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank!  This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters.

Join hosts Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor, and Kris Ingersoll, co-host of the Media/Lit podcast, as they bring on several guests every month to share their passion for the one and only Dark Knight.  From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned.  Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening.

On this month’s podcast, we dive back into the DCU and the second live action film in James Gunn’s universe – Supergirl.  It’s no secret this movie has been a massive disappointment from a box office perspective.  That is certainly a topic of discussion in this podcast, but more importantly…how did we like the movie?   

Alex Marcus, Podcasting Director of the Pop Break, returns once again as the Bat Crew review this movie in detail, spoilers and all!  And we’ll just tell you right now, it’s two against one!  Did two people like it, and one disliked it, or was it the other way around?  And who was on which side!

We review this movie in depth: the performances.  The villain.  The story.  The filmmaking.  Where did it go wrong?  Where it went right.  What does this mean for the DCU going forward?  And what will its impact be on the superhero genre (you knew we had to dive into the superhero movie discussion!).

We recorded this podcast the weekend Supergirl came out, and while it’s certainly losing relevance by the day, we hope you'll enjoy this spirited discussion about the film!

Your reality TV besties have arrived! Michelle Chapman and ⁠Mostly Nitpicking⁠’s DJ Chapman are dishing on all the drama, delusion, and occasionally genuine emotion from your favorite dating and competition shows. Love is Blind? Covered. RuPaul's Drag Race? Absolutely. The entire Bachelor franchise and whatever Netflix dropped this week? Honey, they watched it so you don't have to — but honestly, you should watch it too.

Michelle, DJ with special guest Allie Nelson return to talk about the Love Island USA Season 8 Finale. They discuss what they thought of this season and the outcome of who won. They give their critiques of what went well and what could be improved for future season, and look ahead to what can be expected during next month's reunion.

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Aliens.

Aliens is a sci-fi action film directed by James Cameron. It is the sequel to 1979’s Alien. Cameron developed the story with David Giler and Walter Hill and wrote the screenplay. It opened in theaters on July 18, 1986.

In the film, a salvage crew finds Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in stasis 57 years after events of the first movie. Though the higher-ups at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation initially dismiss her story about the deadly xenomorph, one of the representatives, Carter Burke (Paul Reiser), asks Ripley to help rescue colonists on the moon where she first encountered the alien.

Joining them is a group of space marines. Notable marines include Corporal Hicks (Michael Biehn), Private Hudson (Bill Paxton) and Private Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein). Also part of the crew is an android, Bishop (Lance Henriksen). The only survivor they find is a girl called Newt (Carrie Henn). Xenomorphs have overrun the colony.

Aliens opened to positive reviews, though it was too intense for some critics’ liking. It is now considered a classic, just as good as the original, if not better. It was the seventh highest-grossing film at the U.S. box office and made approximately $183 million worldwide. 

Aliens was nominated at the Oscars for Best Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Sound. The film won Best Visual Effects (like the first film) and Best Sound Effects Editing. Weaver’s nomination broke the mold for science fiction roles, often passed up for recognition. 

Aaron had seen Aliens before, but Josh had not. Aaron talks about his first time watching it before the Josh shares his opinion. They talk about the plot, characters, the effects, and parts they thought didn’t hold up. They also discuss its place in the Alien franchise and James Cameron’s filmography.

You can also listen to Aaron and Josh’s podcast with Editor-in-Chief Bill Bodkin on James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day. 

Aliens is available to rent on Prime Video

Your reality TV besties have arrived! Michelle Chapman and ⁠Mostly Nitpicking⁠’s DJ Chapman are dishing on all the drama, delusion, and occasionally genuine emotion from your favorite dating and competition shows. Love is Blind? Covered. RuPaul's Drag Race? Absolutely. The entire Bachelor franchise and whatever Netflix dropped this week? Honey, they watched it so you don't have to — but honestly, you should watch it too.

This week Michelle and DJ return to discuss the latest batch of Love Island USA episodes. With only a week left they discuss who they think the most compatible couples are and who actually has a shot at winning. They wrap up with an update on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and who their favorite queens are now that we're in the semi-finals.

Welcome to TV Break, where Pop Break’s Director of Podcasting 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:

The Best Thing I Saw on TV Last Month  – Alex, Bill, & Josh talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including Prime Video’s Spider-Noir, HBO Max’s House of the Dragon and My Adventures with Superman, AppleTV’s Widow’s Bay and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and Disney Plus’s The Bear, Not Suitable For Work, and X-Men ‘97. 

Newsbreak – This month, they are discussing the news that Comcast plans to spinoff NBCUniversal into a stand alone media corporation, potentially as a first step in a larger media merger.

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, & Josh each selected their top streamer of the month. Josh opted for Peacock on the strength of Love Island, as well as their being the exclusive streaming home of Super Mario Galaxy and Spanish Language World Cup coverage. Alex went all in on Tubi after it’s parent company Fox purchased the to digital TV distributor and a key Tubi rival in the FAST market, Roku. Meanwhile, Bill handed it to Disney Plus after the historically high NBA Finals ratings, new season drops from The Bear and X-Men ‘97, and becoming the exclusive home of Hoppers and Avatar: Fire & Ash!

New Series Spotlight  – This month Alex, Bill, and Josh discuss HBO’s Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, a new series from Barack and Michelle Obama and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David that attempts to answer the question, would the 90 historical kids cartoon Hysteria be better if it starred Larry David. 

Your reality TV besties have arrived! Michelle Chapman and ⁠Mostly Nitpicking⁠’s DJ Chapman are dishing on all the drama, delusion, and occasionally genuine emotion from your favorite dating and competition shows. Love is Blind? Covered. RuPaul's Drag Race? Absolutely. The entire Bachelor franchise and whatever Netflix dropped this week? Honey, they watched it so you don't have to — but honestly, you should watch it too.

This week DJ and Allie return to talk about the latest week of Love Island USA. They discuss all of the drama with movie night and what it means for some couples going forward. They discuss how the men could do a better job of learning to take some L's. Finally, they discuss whether or not it is fair to make people sit on a cake."

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered the first four seasons of Agents of SHIELD, the entire Netflix Defenders Saga, Fox’s X-Men,  Fantastic Four, and Daredevil films, the Blade trilogy, a few Punisher films, Ang Lee’s Hulk, and, most recently, Marvel’s Modern Animation line up of shows.

This month, Alex & Bill kick things off with a quick check in on Spider-Noir, the new Spider-Man live action MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video series starring Nicolas Cage as Ben “The Spider” Reilly. Then, they finally make it back to the MCU after nearly a year away, as they give their thoughts on the latest entries into Marvel’s Phase 6: Wonder Man, Daredevil: Born Again S2, and The Punisher: One Last Kill.

Come back next month for their grand finale of this season of Bill vs. The MCU as the Marvel returns to the big screen with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in theaters everywhere July 31st, 2026!