We're back with a light and fun episode about cancer, bureaucracy, and the desperate search for meaning. I'm pretty sure we're gonna find it at the bottom of this next bottle of whisky, stomach pains be damned.

It's that special time of year again! Time for Dixon, John, and Ryan to reflect on all the good and bad media they can squeeze into 365 days. Join us for a roundtable recollection of 2025's highest points and Highest2Lowest points. We've got new categories and a lot of tangents to take you on, so check the charge on your headphones and settle in for a nice batch of afterthoughts to ring in the New Year.

We're not recording episodes as often as we used to, but Dixon saw this 1949 masterpiece from the great Yasujiro Ozu and just had to talk to somebody about it. Ryan and John come along for the ride and attempt to place Ozu in the broader context of post-war and modern day Japanese cinema.

Have you seen Late Spring or other Ozu films? Let us know what you thought. Check our podcast page for ways to engage with us on social media. https://theafterpod.transistor.fm

Special guest Sean joins Dixon and John for one more go as we discuss another round of Recommends and/or Refutes! Sean, as a parent, subs in for Ryan bringing a family friendly mention in addition to The Boy and The Heron (2023), Dixon has David Lynch on the mind and revisits Eraserhead (1977) as a result, and John decided to join the theater going crowds and subject himself to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Don't shoot people. Shoot whiskey.

On this special episode of Afterthoughts-- Dixon, Ryan, and John discuss a variety of short films they watched as part of a recent local Austin short film festival. Special thanks to Hyperreal Film Club, their volunteers, and the filmmakers who participated in the Film Fest --we promise to try and stay on topic as we discuss the shorts from this event.

Even if you're not a resident of Austin, you too can follow these filmmakers' journeys and (potentially) see their shorts. Checkout the info below:

Featured Shorts

• The Event - Hugo De Sousa , Frank Mosley
• Tightly Wound - Shelbey Hadden, Sebastion Bisbal
• Mr. Clown Saves The Town - Aaron Mosmeyer
• Honey & Milk - Dash Donato
• They're Taking My House - Dan Lopez
• Labor + Justice - Sarah Joy Byington of Better Half Pictures
• The Day The Earth Got Free Richard Pryor Photos - Ivan Peycheff
• RACA - Drew Saplin
• Supermarket Affairs - Hang Luong Nguyen

License Credits
Song: Warm Memories
Composer: Keys Of Moon
Website: https://www.youtube.com/c/keysofmoonmusic
License: Creative Commons (BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com

After the conclusion of our Retrospectacular, we kept the mics rolling to capture a signature Dixon rant and review of Robert Zemeckis's latest film. There wasn't another episode we could fit it in, so it's submitted HERE for your enjoyment.