Josh, Alex & Justin draft their top blockbuster prospects for 2025 in the hopes of winning the first-ever Talking SMAC Blockbuster Fantasy Draft Intro(0:00) The 007 franchise sale (2:30) Sugar Coated Murder promo (22:08) THE BLOCKBUSTER FANTASY DRAFT Rules (23:10) Round 1 (26:10) Round 2 (33:18) Round 3 (42:21) Round 4 (54:42) Draft Recap (1:03:21) Social Plugs and Goodbyes (1:04:43) Did you catch all of Alex's James Bond references? "No Time to Die" (0:00:42) "Goldeneye" (26:18) "A View to ...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 189
Josh & Alex had the privilege to speak with writer, Kelli Fitzpatrick about her new book Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers Declassified , as well as Kelli's love of Star Trek and Tabletop RPGs and more! Intro (0:00) Kelli Fitzpatrick, what'cha doin'? (0:57) How did Kelli come to write this book? (3:35) Keeping the book on point with Carol's adventures and not skewing into fan fiction (5:52) The framing device of the book; Ripley Ryan aka Star (8:36) Did Kelli get to go to the Marvel archives? (1...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 188
After years of delays, strikes and rewrites, we finally get to see Sam Wilson in action on the big screen as Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World . Intro (0:00) Josh was on The Cultworthy to discuss the movie About Time (1:39) Corrections: Josh mixed up Hyperion and The Sentry (5:09) Bob is Bob in Top Gun: Maverick. But Bob is also Bob in Thunderbolts* (7:42) No on 15 All-Cast promo (11:25) *Spoiler Review* of Captain America: Brave New World (12:37) Carl Lumbly is a treasure! (13...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 187
The commercial breaks in the Superb Owl offer us a chance to see what's coming down the pipeline for blockbusters. Join Josh as he watches the trailers in real-time and give his impressions. Intro (0:00) Movie Wire Promo (2:27) Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2:42) Jurassic World: Rebirth (4:55) How to Train Your Dragon remake (12:35) Thunderbolts* (14:42) Fantastic Four: First Steps (20:02) Socials and goodbyes (25:49) Please remember to check out the Movie Wire podcast, join our Dis...
Feb 12, 2025•28 min•Ep. 186
Josh, Alex & Matt join up with Section 31 to take on the unenviable task of making sense of the Michelle Yeoh vehicle (star craft?) set in the Star Trek universe. Intro (0:00) Game Club Pod promo (4:33) Why did we decide to review this movie? (It's Matt's fault) (5:38) Philippa Georgiou's Star Trek backstory shenanigans (7:35) Alex's feelings on Section 31 in the Star Trek universe (11:59) Let's talk the "movie" (18:18) Are we supposed to like Philippa Georgiou? (23:35) Josh doesn't know wha...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 185
Josh, Alex & Matt do their favorite thing; talk about all the fun nerd things they're doing away from the pod! Intro! (0:00) Super Familiar w/the Wilsons promo (4:53) Josh can math (5:21) Josh speedruns his first batch of What'cha Doin's (6:31) Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir season 6 (7:23) Indiana Jones & the Great Circle (8:13) That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (8:38) My Dress-Up Darling (13:28) Metaphor: ReFantazio (17:54) Alex loves (bad) competitive game shows! (2...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 184
Josh is joined by the star of the pod, Matt, along with the Lovely Dan from Casting Views to celebrate 15 years of Mass Effect 2 Greetings, Commander (0:00) What is Casting Views? (2:52) How hyped were we for ME2 upon original release? (4:37) The story of Mass Effect 2 (11:47) Preferred ME2 classes and play styles (18:55) The main plot of the game and building your crew (25:33) Favorite ME2 crew member(s) (28:33) Mass Effect controversies (39:26) Bad romance endings? (42:05) Miranda the white wh...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 183
Josh and Alex discuss Sony's announcements for the Ghost of Tsushima anime, Helldivers and Horizon: Zero Dawn movies, along with trying to figure out how Sony will not understand the assignment, and pitching their own version of what Sony will produce as a final product, along with some casting and directing choices. Josh flubs introducing Alex (0:00) When the regional accent comes out in local commercials (1:44) How is Josh still healthy and alive?! (8:59) Josh and Alex share some jokes (11:33)...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 182
Josh flies solo as Alex is out sick, but we're looking ahead to our most notable movies, TV shows, video games, comics and more heading into 2025. Intro (0:00) Super Familiar with the Wilsons promo (0:38) 2025 Comics (1:06) 2025 Video Games (4:18) TV/Streaming shows (8:43) 2025 Movies (14:24) Game Club Pod thoughts on A Minecraft Movies (21:13) 2025 Moves cont'd (28:03) Social media plugs (35:58) Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check...
Jan 08, 2025•38 min•Ep. 181
Josh and Alex discuss their favorite and most disappointing movies, TV shows, games and performances of 2024 in our annual SMACademy Awards episode! Happy New Year! (0:00) Sugar Coated Murder Promo (3:02) Best Movie (4:31) Best Animated Feature (10:25) Best TV/Streaming Show (15:22) Best Video Game (19:40) Favorite Comic (26:08) Favorite Live-Action Movie Character (29:32) Favorite Video Game Character (34:34) Favorite Live-Action TV Character (35:36) That was this year?! (40:38) Biggest Disappo...
Jan 01, 2025•58 min•Ep. 180
Josh took the family to see Disney’s Moana 2, Alex—who hasn’t seen the movie—asks Josh's thoughts on the animation, story, and music. The ravages of time (1:10) 2 Blokes from Blighty promo (3:49) The brilliance of Joey & Tim (4:40) What is time?! (5:31) Josh's tangents within tangents being! (6:45) Was the theatrical release the right call? (8:19) How was the animation? (9:14) Is Moana 2 a must-see or pass? (11:11) Spoiler talk: Alex asks the big questions (11:42) What role do the Kakamora p...
Dec 29, 2024•36 min•Ep. 176
Josh, Alex and Matt discuss all the mysteries of the two biggest trailers of December. Are they hyped for a James Gunn Superman film? Do they like fast zombies? And what does Gremlins 2 have to do with this? Why does Alex bring up Planes, Trains & Automobiles? (1:20) Sonic 3 vs Mufasa (2:02) Matt longs for a good parasocial relationship in his life (join the discord) (6:59) The Movie Wire Show podcast promo (7:15) Ah Christmas. Such as The Star Wars Holiday Special (11:26) 28 Years Later tra...
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 179
Josh and Alex breakdown their thoughts on Kraven the Hunter, and what was Sony thinking about a Spider-man free movie universe with Venom, Carnage, Morbin' time, Madame Web as their only hope. (0:22) Alex's Kraven cameo revealed (2:51) No on 15 promo (4:17) Kraven: what were they thinking + 28 Years Later trailer (8:22) What does Avi Arad actually do (20:20) Has Sony made a good film in the last five years? a breakdown of no, no they have not (28:03) Apple + is great (31:35) Morbius and the 90s ...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 178
Josh and Alex's journey concludes. The Battle of the Five Armies closes out the Hobbit Trilogy and we will never have to talk about this again, right? Why did we do this to ourselves? (1:38) War of the Rohirrim & animation styles (4:57) Gandalf was in the Desolation of Smaug, oh right. (7:22) I Hate It, Let's Watch it promo (8:12) Smaug smaugs the city and the good parts (9:50) Tonal whiplash, war flicks, and too much horror in The Hobbit (12:50) Josh hates the word 'Da' (18:05) Drunk Galadr...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 177
Josh and Alex are continuing their journey to "celebrate" the 10-year anniversary of the conclusion of the Hobbit Trilogy with The Desolation of Smaug. (0:01) Spiders! (3:32) Cultworthy promo (3:52) 2013: Our lives when Smaug came (7:42) A deep dive into Smaug's smaugness (13:45) Broody Legolas (26:16) Pandering and callbacks (30:44) Are Orlando Bloom and Luke Evans the same person (39:15) Downer endings (41:51) Smac-rating and wrap up Please remember to check out the I Hate It. Let's Watch It. ...
Dec 11, 2024•46 min•Ep. 177
Josh and Alex are... Celebrating..? 10 years of the Hobbit trilogy releasing in theaters. First on the menu is inarguably the best of the Hobbit Trilogy: An Unexpected Journey. We feel older (1:09) Casting Views promo (5:15) How we felt about An Unexpected Journey in 2012 (5:45) How do we feel about An Unexpected Journey now? (16:20) The Prologue: The Fall of Erebor (19:03) Josh takes the Dwarf name quiz (19:25) The Shire prologue (21:00) The tonal whiplash (24:23) Radagast the Brown (29:12) Is ...
Dec 09, 2024•58 min•Ep. 177
Josh, Alex and Justin (FROM THE MOVIE WIRE PODCAST) discuss the legacy of Gladiator, the issues with Gladiator 2, our love of Denzel Washington, and fawn all over Wicked, while also discussing our love of theater in general (0:21) intro & theater experiences (6:32) Super Familiar with the Wilson's promo (7:02) Gladiator 2 & Padding in Peru teaser (9:21) Gladiator 2 full spoilers (13:02) God bless Denzel Washington (33:00) Smac-Rating (34:19) Wicked review! Praise and cheers for Jon M. Ch...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 175
Josh and Alex are privileged to chat with Diana McCallum, of the From Superheroes Network , about her new book Sex Lives of Superheroes . We dive into her witty exploration of superhero relationships, the behind-the-scenes stories that inspired the book, and how it offers a hilarious deep dive into the sex lives (or lack thereof) for some of our favorite superheroes. (0:27) Welcome to Diana (1:55) What'ca doin', Diana? Fanfiction of 9-1-1 franchise, Bones, and more (6:13) 'Sex lives of superhero...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 178
Get ready to close out spooky season with the surprising Wandavision spinoff Agatha All Along series on Disney+. Josh gets a scam call (0:25) The tangents begin: Inside Man, an underrated heist movie (3:44) Introductions to the episode finally happen (4:48) Movie Wire promo (5:42) Agatha All Along; the show we didn't know we wanted (5:59) Skaar Wars (15:02) Kristen Anderson & Robert Lopez filmography and achievements (17:14) *SPOILERS* How does Agatha All Along fit into the MCU? (21:11) Plea...
Nov 06, 2024•51 min•Ep. 172
Josh & Matt break down Venom: The Last Dance, the last(?) chapter in the Sony's lone successful non-Spider-Man Spider-Man franchise. The guys discuss the the franchise as a whole, the impact of Knull in the movie and the fan service moments that stood out most. Is Venom 3 a must-see or pass? Hit that play button and find out! Intro (0:00) I Hate It. Let's Watch It promo (3:58) Matt likes Riverdale and Josh's most useless fact (4:27) Thoughts and opinions on Venom as a character (6:24) What t...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 171
Josh & Alex turn the dial back to the year 2014, a year packed with cinematic gems! From indie classics like Whiplash and Birdman to blockbuster hits like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The LEGO Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy and How to Train Your Dragon 2, we’ll dive into the films that defined the year and explore why 2014 remains a standout in modern cinema. You can find the YouTube version of this episode here Please remember to join our Discord and check out our merch store !...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 170
Alex & Justin discuss their views on how Hollywood may have learned the wrong lessons from the success of the John Wick franchise. We explore how studios have focused on replicating the stylized violence and action, while overlooking the importance of world-building, character depth, and storytelling that made the John Wick movies stand out. (0:01) 3-year return of TalkingSmac! (1:38) Cultworthy promo (1:58) Hollywood's history of copycat success: The Matrix, buddy comedies, rom-coms, superh...
Oct 16, 2024•45 min•Ep. 169
Continuing their retrospective on the stacked year in movies that was 2014, Josh & Alex discuss the 10-year anniversary of John Wick, the 2014 action thriller that reinvigorated Keanu Reeves' career. We break down the film's intense choreography, its world-building, and the legacy it created in action cinema. Tune in as we revisit the birth of an iconic franchise (0:01) John Wick returns to theaters, because of Josh (1:49) Casting Views promo (2:22) First impressions of John Wick and Keanu's...
Oct 09, 2024•49 min•Ep. 168
Josh & Alex review The Wild Robot. The adaptation of the beloved children's book by Peter Brown. We explore its stunning animation, story of a robot's journey to survive in the wild, and the emotional themes of nature, technology, and self-discovery. Is it a must-see or pass? Let's find out! (0:01) Terrible impressions and compound words (3:22) 2 Blokes from Blighty promo discussion (5:39) The Wild Robot impressions and family friendliness in movies + Josh can't count to 4 (13:53) Praise for...
Oct 02, 2024•50 min•Ep. 167
Josh is joined by two special guests; 7Ceez & Justin, to review Transformers One, the first fully animated Transformers feature film since the 1986 classic; Transformers: The Movie. We break down the film’s take on the rise of the Cybertron War, the voice performances, and visuals. Tune in for our thoughts on how it stacks up against previous Transformers movies and where it leaves the series moving forward. (2:19) Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast promo (2:46) Our history with the Tra...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 164
On this episode, we discuss the 10-year anniversary of 'Edge of Tomorrow', the 2014 sci-fi classic starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Or is it actually 'Live. Die. Repeat.'? We dive into its innovative action sequences, time-loop concept, and how the fanbase of the film has grown over the decade. Plus, we discuss the manga that influenced the movie and the possibility of a sequel. (1:36) Emily Blunt love and celebrities that suddenly 'pop' for you (5:05) Sugar Coated Murders podcast promo (5:4...
Sep 18, 2024•59 min•Ep. 165
Josh & Alex say Justin's name three times so he transports from The Movie Wire to discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and just a bit of Johnny Dangerously (00:19) Welcome to the show (03:55) Josh will be on Back 2 the Balcony! (05:58) No On 15 promo (07:11) Non-spoilers, plot outline and feelings (08:15) Who is Justin Theroux? (09:54) Non-spoiler deeper impressions (32:20) SMAC-Ratings (36:12) Spoilers (37:55) Josh and Alex go off the deep end while Justin try to walk them back (47:58) In which ...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 164
Alex and Justin of The Movie Wire and Back to the Balcony fame discuss hope for Smile 2, Terrifier 3, Hugh Grant's Heretic, the Nosferatu remake, and aggressive kangaroo's in Rippy. (00:14) Movies that got moved: Saw, Exorcist, Friday the 13th (00:54) Justin loved 2024 for horror (4:28) Timecut and Y2k (8:12) Smile 2 and the issue with stretching Youtube shorts into full length movies (17:12) Nosferatu vs Bram Stoker's Dracula and Shadow Of the Vampire (27:08) Terrifier 3 (34:31) Heretic w/ Hugh...
Sep 04, 2024•50 min•Ep. 163
Josh & Alex go over some recently seen shows/movies with Daniel Kotnik of Pack-A-Day & Game on Wisconsin Football talk with Dan (0:40) Bears double-doink & The Ohio State Buckeyes (6:02) I Hate It. Let's Watch It promo (8:11) Star Wars: The Acolyte breakdown (8:51) The sexiness of Manny Jacinto and other good things about The Acolyte (21:51) Twister, Twisters, Glen Powell appreciation! (Sorry, Justin) (28:17) Alex's love of bad movies: Super Icyclone, Santa Jaws, Deep Blue Sea, Shark...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 162
Antonio of The Cultworthy & Back to the Balcony join Josh and Alex to review Alien: Romulus and discuss the Alien Franchise. They learn so much lore from Antonio! Lastly, somehow Alex forgets to deep dive the Alien RPG which is fantastic. Spaceballs references (0:01) Game Club Pod promo (2:18) Non-spoiler review: thoughts/impressions (3:03) Some thoughts on Prey (17:58) Box Office numbers (24:34) SMAC rating (26:35) SPOILERS from here on out (28:14) The movie's set-up (34:25) Kay's no good, ...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 161
