The Screen Hoppers

By Up Left Media

Join Ian and Michael as they hop from screen to screen catching the movies that shared the cineplex with the biggest hits of all time asking the question, "Did America get it right?"

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FAQs about The Screen Hoppers:

How many episodes does The Screen Hoppers have?

The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.

The Screen Hoppers episodes:

March 10, 2026 The Hunger Games Weekend
The Screen Hoppers are taking the Tribute Train back to 2012 and jumping right into the thick of the Cornucopia with The Hunger Games, Safe House, and The Raid: Redemption.

While The Hunger Games was busy Reaping the youth of Panem for a televised spectacle, Safe House and The Raid: Redemption were teaching us a brutal lesson in tactical irony. We’re breaking down why a Mockingjay in the hand is worth two in the Safehouse—mostly because a CIA "secure" location is a lot easier to crack than a single floor in a Jakarta apartment block.

In this episode, Michael, Ian, and Special Guest Rosie Paige discuss:
The Hunger Games: How Katniss Everdeen wins by refusing to play the "game" on the Capitol's terms, effectively dismantling a government by sabotaging their TV show.
Safe House: The dilemma of the whistleblower—who do you trust? Is it the labeled traitor and "living legend" Tobin Frost, or a system that promises promotion in exchange for your soul?
The Raid: Redemption: A deep dive into the bone-crunching choreography and the terrifying, scene-stealing performance of Yayan Ruhian as Mad Dog.
The 2012 Finish: Why the "Neck Snap" became the ultimate cinematic punctuation mark for survival that year.

Grab your bow, check your corners, and mind the vertebrae—it’s a triple feature where the only thing more dangerous than the villains is the architecture.
an Up Left Media Production
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1h 35min
March 03, 2026 Top Gun Weekend
Michael and Ian are back with season 2!
They are flying back to 1986 and soaring right into the jet wash with Top Gun, Pretty in Pink, and Hannah and Her Sisters.
While Top Gun was flying high, Pretty in Pink and Hannah and Her Sisters were grounding us in a different kind of turbulence.
From the economic hierarchy of a Chicago high school to a mid-life crisis in a Manhattan loft, our hosts drift from the Danger Zone to the Existential Dread Zone.

In this episode, Michael and Ian discuss:
The Macho vs. The Meditative: How Tom Cruise’s need for speed crashes into Woody Allen’s search for the meaning of life.
Team Duckie vs. Team Blane: Deciding if the "right" choice in 1986 still holds up decades later.
Jetwashed in Pink and Tan: Why this specific weekend in May ’86 offered the ultimate spectrum of American cinema—from blockbuster adrenaline to indie angst.

Buckle up, put on your finest thrift-store blazer, and prepare for a debrief on the films that defined a generation. It’s The Screen Hoppers Season 2 premiere.

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an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1h 23min
January 27, 2026 Bonus Episode: 2025 Favorites
Ian and Michael wrap up the first season of The Screen Hoppers with a trip down memory lane. They chat about their favorite movies and discussions from the year of podcasts, revealing their top 5 among the movies they reviewed in 2025.
an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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49min
December 16, 2025 Christmas Special: It's a Wonderful Life & The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Holiday Season is upon us, and Ian and Michael are feeling festive. Instead of competing for movie-picking supremacy, The Screen Hoppers are embracing the Christmas Spirit and gifting each other something special: Christmas movies sure to bring yuletide joy to each other's hearts.
an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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58min
December 02, 2025 Twister vs. The Birdcage & Primal Fear (1996)
It's May of 1996 and TWISTER is tearing through the cineplex on its way to becoming one of the highest grossing movies of all time. Ian thinks moviegoers should have seen THE BIRDCAGE instead, and Michael suggests PRIMAL FEAR. Did America make the right choice, or should they have followed the advice of The Screen Hoppers?
an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1h 10min
November 18, 2025 Bonus Episode: The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Ian is in Disney World, hopping from ride-to ride-instead of screen-to-screen. Inspired by his trip, he and Michael take a peek at one of the early Disney attraction to movie adaptations, 2003's THE HAUNTED MANSION to see if it shares the charm of the ride, or deserves it's ghastly reputation.
an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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48min
November 04, 2025 Saving Private Ryan vs. Armageddon & The Truman Show (1998)
It's 1998 and Steven Spielberg is topping the box office again. This time, with his WWII epic, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Ian and Michael have tickets for a later showing, and have each picked a movie to screen hop in the meantime. Ian decided to spend time with Jim Carrey's Truman Burbank as he questions reality and existence in THE TRUMAN SHOW, while Michael went with Bruce Willis' team of oil drillers trying to ensure the future of Earth's existence in ARMAGEDDON.
an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1h 4min
October 21, 2025 The Conjuring vs RIPD & Pacific Rim (2013)
It's Spooky Season and Ian and Michael are visiting 2013 to see one of the biggest horror hits of all time, James Wan's THE CONJURING. Before settling in for the scares, Ian and Michael are going to spend some time screen hopping to check out a couple of the other movies that are also playing: RIPD and PACIFIC RIM.
an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1h
October 07, 2025 The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King vs. The Cooler & Something's Gotta Give (2003)
It's 2003 and the finale of Peter Jackson's epic LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy is Sold Out. While Ian and Michael wait for a later screening, they kill some time with an unlucky William H Macy in Michael's pick, THE COOLER, and an odd-couple romance between Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in Ian's choice, SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE.
Who picked the better flick? Visit us @SoldOut_Pod on Instagram to vote!
an Up Left Media Production
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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55min
September 23, 2025 Ghostbusters vs. Once Upon a Time in America & Gremlins (1984)
It's the summer of 1984 and Ivan Reitman's genre-bending GHOSTBUSTERS is sold out. So while they wait for an available screening, Ian and Michael spend the day seeing some other movies at the multiplex. Ian picks Sergio Leone's mobster epic, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, and Michael chooses Joe Dante's horror-comedy, GREMLINS.
an Up Left Media Production
upleftmedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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53min

FAQs about The Screen Hoppers:

How many episodes does The Screen Hoppers have?

The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.