Why does Rob Reiner's Stand By Me still hit so hard after all these years? We break down the 1986 Stephen King adaptation that redefined coming-of-age movies.Josh, Garrett, and David wrap up Rob Reiner month by journeying down the train tracks to discuss Stand By Me. From River Phoenix’s undeniable star power and Corey Feldman's explosive timing to the brutal realities of growing apart from your childhood best friends, we're unpacking why this film is a total gut punch. We also dive into Reiner's ultimate superpowers as a director and play the Letterboxd rating game to see if the community loves this movie as much as we do (spoiler: they really do).Chapters:00:00 - Intro & Rob Reiner Month 03:43 - Box Office Breakdown & Great Movies of 1986 06:41 - First Impressions & Childhood Trauma10:33 - The Real Meaning Behind Finding the Body 14:00 - Boyhood Vulnerability & Father Issues 22:20 - River Phoenix & Corey Feldman's Incredible Performances 28:30 - Poor Vern & His Lost Pennies 30:40 - Rob Reiner's Superpowers as a Director 36:09 - Final Ratings & Reviews38:42 - The Letterboxd Gamesomanysequels.com

Are Netflix's script notes ruining modern movies? We review The Rip, Sam Raimi's Send Help, The Moment, and Peacock's The 'Burbs! We are catching up on what we've been watching this week! Josh, Garrett, and David break down why Send Help brings back the classic Sam Raimi gore , and why Charli XCX's The Moment takes a fascinating meta-approach to the A24 music documentary. We also get heated over the pacing of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's The Rip, debate Peacock's new adaptation of The 'Burbs , and react to the time-traveling trailer for Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie. Finally, David runs down the Valentine's Day box office top 5!somanysequels.com

Did This is Spinal Tap invent the mockumentary as we know it, or just perfect it on the first try?

This week on So Many Sequels, we're continuing Rob Reiner Month by traveling back to 1984 to follow England's loudest band. Josh, Garrett, and David break down how Reiner's directorial debut abandoned a traditional script for genius-level world-building and cast improvisation. We talk iconic cameos (like Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer) , the truth behind "turning it up to 11," and why this film felt like a painfully real documentary to actual rock stars. Plus, find out how it stacked up against the massive box office hits of 1984.

Don't let your podcast app spontaneously combust—hit that subscribe button! Connect with us on social media and join our Discord at SoManySequels.com to chat with fellow movie fans.

Is "You can't handle the truth!" the most iconic line of the 1990s, or is it just the most parodied?. This week, the squad dives into the high-stakes courtroom of Rob Reiner’s 1992 classic, A Few Good Men, to find out if the movie holds up as well as Jack Nicholson’s terrifying performance.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Intro & Rob Reiner Month Update
• 01:43 - What Is A Few Good Men About?
• 02:23 - Box Office Breakdown: $243M Worldwide
• 05:04 - First Watch for the Whole Squad
• 05:43 - "You Can't Handle the Truth" Cultural Impact
• 08:27 - Tom Cruise as Cocky Military Lawyer
• 26:30 - Final Ratings & Reviews (4.5 Stars Across the Board)
• 27:46 - The Ending Twist: Guilty Despite Everything
• 29:57 - Jack Nicholson's Underrated Skull-Pissing Threat
• 30:40 - The Letterboxd Game: David's Direct Hit
• 32:00 - What's Next: This Is Spinal Tap & Stand By Me

Welcome to Season Nine of So Many Sequels! We are kicking off the new year—and "Rob Reiner Month"—with a look at one of the most beloved films of all time: The Princess Bride (1987).

In this episode, we admit where we were wrong ("I was dumb") and break down why this movie’s initial box office struggle didn't stop it from becoming a cult phenomenon. Join us as we analyze Rob Reiner’s authentic direction, the "perfect" sword fight between Westley and Inigo Montoya, and how the film’s framing device changes the entire narrative.

In this episode:

• Why the box office numbers lied about this movie's quality.

• The genius of casting Andre the Giant and Wallace Shawn.

• How the "fairy tale" genre was reinvented with humor.

• Our final ratings on the "Timeless" scale.

In this Season 8 finale of So Many Sequels, Josh, Garrett, and David reflect on an incredible year of film. Garrett champions unexpected picks like the David Attenborough documentary Oceans and the hilarious Keke Palmer/SZA comedy One of Them Days. Josh defends his "predictable" selections including the emotionally resonant Wake Up Dead Man and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. David builds a case for music-driven cinema with K-pop: Demon Hunters, Life of Chuck, and Superman leading his list.The only universal pick? Ryan Coogler's Sinners—a vampire film that transcends horror to explore faith, freedom, and identity. The hosts unpack why this film resonated so deeply and debate whether its pre-horror slow burn was a feature or a flaw.Beyond rankings, the episode delivers fascinating podcast statistics from 2025: 38 movies reviewed spanning 1947 to 2025, John Hughes as the year's most-watched director, and revelations about Jack Black dominating David's viewing and listening habits. The discussion concludes with 2026 resolutions (David wants to watch 150 movies!) and predictions, including Josh's controversial take that Toy Story 5 will redeem the franchise.

We wrap up So Many Santas on So Many Sequels with Miracle on 34th Street (1947), the Christmas classic that starts out as a department store comedy and somehow turns into a straight-up courtroom drama. We talk Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) getting put on the stand, the movie’s surprisingly spicy take on Christmas commercialism, and how everyone around him goes from “aww, cute Santa guy” to “call the authorities” in record time.By the end, it’s less “Ho ho ho” and more “Your Honor, I’d like to call the U.S. Postal Service.” So what’s your verdict—are you buying the magic, or do you need the paperwork to believe? Drop your take in the comments, and subscribe & leave us a review.

It’s the final update of 2025! The So Many Sequels crew empties their holiday watchlists in this jam-packed episode. We break down the craftsmanship of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein on Netflix and argue over whether it should have stayed in theaters longer. Garrett survives a stomach bug to bring us his take on Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (and the scary new Marionette villain). Plus, we discuss the surprising box office numbers for Avatar: Fire and Ash.somanysequels.com