Dwayne Johnson steps into the awards ring with THE SMASHING MACHINE, but does he have what it takes, does he deliver in his performance?

This week for our feature discussion we review Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, from A24. We discuss “The Rock’s” performance as well as our thoughts on the film and where it places itself this awards season.

Before that though we rejoice in the news that KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR will finally have a theatrical run in December, with new additional footage! QT fans get excited!

PLUS we get two new, exciting trailers for Lynne Ramsey’s DIE MY LOVE, starring Jennifer Lawrence and R. Patts, and PILLION!

Then we round it all off with what we’re into as Miguel gives us his first reactions as he progresses through GHOST OF YOTEI! Does it live up to Ghost of Tsushima?

Ed’s back to his old movies, this time with the 1985 foodie movie, TAMPOPO, and the guys discuss that egg scene! IYKYK

All that makes for a fun-filled discussion. If you’ve seen The Smashing Machine, or played Ghost of Yotei, then hit us up and share your thoughts as well.

Find us on podcast platforms, youtube, like and subscribe on social media and by all means leave a review, and join us next week for more!

The Smashing Machine is a 2025 American biographical sports drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Benny Safdie. It stars Dwayne Johnson as former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, alongside Emily Blunt as Kerr's girlfriend Dawn Staples, with Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Oleksandr Usykin supporting roles. (Wikipedia)

Ghost of Yōtei is a 2025 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is a standalone sequel to the 2020 game Ghost of Tsushima.[1] Set in 1603 in Ezo, Japan, the story follows Atsu, an onna-musha seeking vengeance against the "Yōtei Six" for slaughtering her family sixteen years prior.

Ghost of Yōtei was released for the PlayStation 5 on October 2, 2025 (Wikipedia)

00:00 - Intro

00:31 - Kill Bill - Whole Bloody Affair

9:05 - Die My Love Trailer

14:45 - Pillion Trailer

19:47 - Smashing Machine Review

57:40 - Ghost of Yotei - First Reactions

01:06:55 - Tampopo

This week the nerds celebrate the return of the great Paul Thomas Anderson, bringing his epic new film, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER to the theaters with him!

We’re big fans of (the Master) PTA, and are excited to get into our review of the film. We discuss formats, Leo and the rest of the cast, the action set pieces, that Johnny Greenwood score and more. It’s a fun, deep dive discussion, but beware, it’s spoiler filled.

Then, naturally, we can’t hit the tenth PTA movie without having a good old ranking, and so Ed and Luis give their Top Ten Paul Thomas Anderson movies, and there are a few surprises thrown in there!

Does There Will Be Blood reign above the rest? Or there other champions in the mix?

You’ll have to listen to find out, and if you’re a Paul Thomas Anderson fan like us then share your favorites of his and share your thoughts on One Battle After Another too!

Listen, like and subscribe to our podcast wherever you get you podcasts, check us out on youtube, find us on social media, and tune in next week to hear more!

01:55 - Wolverine Video Game (Marvel)

12:10 - The Mandalorian and Grogu (Star Wars)

22:10 - Wicked For Good Trailer

38:30 - Alien: Earth Review

This week, the crew dives into a mix of fresh trailers, big finales, and personal obsessions!

Trailer Talk kicks off with reactions to Insomniac’s Wolverine, the Wicked for Good trailer, the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu movie, plus first looks at The Chair Company and The Bride.

For our Feature Discussion, we go deep into the Alien Earth season finale — breaking down the shocking ending, the season’s biggest twists, and what it all means moving forward.

Finally, in What We’re Into, everyone shares what’s been keeping them hooked:

• Miguel revisits Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie

• Ed has been enjoying A Few Good Men and the powerful live concert The World of Hans Zimmer

• Stephen is caught up in One Piece (the anime) and Apple TV’s spy drama Slow Horses

• Luis unpacks how social media algorithms shape what we see online

Whether you’re here for superhero hype, sci-fi finales, or just some good recommendations, this episode has something for everyone.

Be sure to like and subscribe and leave a 5 star review on your favorite platforms!

4:00 - iPhone ios26

18:00 - Anaconda Trailer

25:00 - Caught Stealing Review

Jack Black and Paul Rudd are in an Anaconda remake?! We check out the latest trailer drop for the new spin on the slippery serpent thriller, Anaconda! Before that we get a look at the new features of the iOS update from Apple. Is the liquid glass a winner? Does the new format work? PLUS we review the latest film from Darren Aronofsky, Caught Stealing! Does the crime romp indicate a new era for the director?!All that and we get into what we’re into, from Unknown Number on netflix, continuing on with Alien Earth, and Luis finally catches Eddington! It’s a fun time, with some Cutwaters in hand to spice things up a bit. Don’t forget to find us on social media and podcast platforms, watch us on youtube, like, subscribe and by all means, leave us your thoughts!"Caught Stealing is a 2025 American dark comedy crime thriller film[5] produced and directed by Darren Aronofsky from a screenplay written by Charlie Huston, based on his book of the same name. The film stars Austin Butler as a former star baseball player-turned-bartender who unwittingly runs afoul of New York City's criminal underbelly while pet sitting for his neighbor. Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Benito Martínez Ocasio, Griffin Dunne, and Carol Kane appear in supporting roles." - Wikipedia

The Summer is concluded, the movies were seen, but who was the box office champion? And WHO won the 2025 Summer Movie Wager?!WHO WILL TAKE THE TITLE BELT?!This week we declare the winners of both, and dig deep into the summer’s biggest surprises, biggest bombs, and some of our personal favorites!We also welcome back officially regular guest and Summer Movie Wager ‘25 contender, Benjamin Watts! Did Benny take the title and shake things up with the nerds?You’ll have to find out the answers to all by listening or tuning in. Find, follow, like and subscribe to the pod on Youtube and any podcast platform you might prefer.Check out the weekly pod and stay tuned for more!

1. **Lilo & Stitch** — (Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis) — Walt Disney Pictures; Produced by Rideback.

2. **Superman** — (David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced) — DC Studios, Troll Court Entertainment, The Safran Company; Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

3. **Jurassic World: Rebirth** — (Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein) — Universal Pictures/Amblin; part of the Jurassic Park franchise.

4. **The Fantastic Four: First Steps** — (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner) — Marvel Studios.

5. **How to Train Your Dragon** — (Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, etc.) — Universal Pictures; based on DreamWorks Animation’s original film series.

6. **Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning** — (Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett) — Paramount Pictures; produced by Paramount and Skydance.

7. **Thunderbolts\*** — (Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus) — Marvel Studios; distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

8. **F1: The Movie ** ( Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles, Samson Kayo, Callie Cooke, and Abdul Salis) Produced by Apple Studios, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Plan B Entertainment, Monolith Pictures, and Dawn Apollo Films, with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing

9. **Final Destination: Bloodlines** — *(Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger, and Tony Todd, and is produced by New Line Cinema, Practical Pictures, Freshman Year, and Fireside Films, with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing.)

*10. **Weapons** — (Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, etc.) — New Line Cinema + Subconscious + Vertigo Entertainment + BoulderLight Pictures; distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

What’s the best thing to order at Taco Bell you ask? What’s the biggest bang for your buck?

On this week’s pod we try to spice things up a bit with a Taco Bell tasting and ranking, with some of their staple items in play!

Is the Dorito Loco taco all that, or is Miguel just… well, loco. Will the Crunch Wrap Supreme reign… supreme, or is it overhyped?

We discuss all this and more. Plus we get into the latest trailers, calling us into Awards season, with the first looks at Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet and Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind! And we get a glimpse of the triumphant return of Daniel Day-Lewis in the upcoming thriller, Anemone!

Plus we catch up with what we’re into, Including Severance, Alien Earth, and the latest season of Peacemaker!

Its a good, hearty (but not so healthy) discussion, so check it out and share your feedback!

Watch us on youtube, listen to us wherever you find your podcasts and don’t forget to like and subscribe!

43:17 - New trailers (Anemone, Mastermind, Hamnet)

1:08:04 - What We’re Into (Severance and More)

44:40 - Weapons Review

This week the nerds are locked and loaded as they discuss the latest from Zach Creeger - WEAPONS. Does the movie hold up to the hype? The nerds dive in and breakdown what works and what REALLY works in this suspenseful follow up from the director of Barbarian.

Plus Ed and Luis break down the latest episode of FX’s ALIEN: EARTH.

Miguel gets excited for the new game LEGO BATMAN : LEGACY OF THE DARK KNIGHT! And for someone who loves LEGO so much, why does Ed hate the games with such passion??

Of course there is also Trailer talk which actually becomes a deeper dive into why Netflix even bothers releasing movies in theaters.

All of that plus a barrel of laughs so jump in and have a great time. Be sure to like and subscribe and give a 5 star review on your favorite podcast platforms!

“Weapons is a 2025 American mysteryhorror film directed, written, co-produced, and co-composed by Zach Cregger. The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan. Its plot follows the seemingly inexplicable case of seventeen children from the same classroom who mysteriously run away on the same night at the same time, having been apparently abducted by an unseen force.” - Wiki

“LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is an upcoming LEGO-themed action-adventure game developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Games. It is the fifth installment in the Lego Batman video game series, and features an original story, loosely inspired by films and other media from the Batman franchise. Announced at Gamescom in 2025, the game will be released on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X and Series S in 2026.” - Wiki

00:00 - Intro

00:45 - LEGO Batman - Legacy of the Dark Knight

12:30 - Netflix Gives Frankenstein Theatre Release - Netflix Theatre Strategy

28:22 - Ballad of a Small Player Trailer

37:49 - Keeper Trailer

44:40 - Weapons Review

1:23:59 - Punch Drunk Nerd Song

1:31:01 - Alien Earth Season 1 Episode 3

2:22 - Long Trailers Problem + 2 New A24 Trailers

32:21 - Alien Earth Review

In space, no one can hear you podcast!

Unless Alien comes to Earth, which seems to be the case this week as we discuss Noah Hawley’s brand new Hulu original series ALIEN EARTH!

Is the series what this franchise needs? Can it live up to and alongside the original film? The nerds get into a (mostly) spoiler free discussion on the first two episodes, so check out our thoughts on the show so far!

Before we get into that, however, we discuss the latest announcement from AMC theaters, and their efforts to cut down on those lengthy previews before a movie. Are the studios happy? Are audiences? “Fuhkin’ unlikely, bruv!”

We also ponder the question “is A24 releasing too many movies now?”

Probably not, but this week we did get two new trailers from the studio, including the other Safdie brother’s Timothee Chalamet collab MARTY SUPREME and the Rose Byrne psychological comedy, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU!

And lastly, we get into what we’re into, including Final Destination Bloodlines, Appletv, Clair Obscur, and Fortnite birthday parties!

It’s a punchy episode and a good time, so be sure to check out Alien Earth, then check out this episode to hear our thoughts, but also feel free to comment with your own.

Like and subscribe and find us on most podcast platforms, social media or check us out on Youtube to see these beautiful faces!

“Alien: Earth is an American science fiction horror television series created by Noah Hawley. It is the first television series in the Alien franchise and is set two years before the events of the 1979 film Alien. The series stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, and Timothy Olyphant in main roles. Alien: Earth premiered on FX and FX on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+internationally on August 12, 2025.” - Wiki