With Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Ethan Hunt yet again prevails over a mission that makes no logical sense, yet thrills us all. And that is our springboard for this week’s topic: Impossibly Impossible Missions. Movies often require a suspension of disbelief, and often times, films with a mission at hand – i.e., a plan that benefits the greater good – require you to physically remove your brain from its holster in order to continue. This week, we’re looking at several missions that we believe c...
Aug 01, 2018•1 hr 51 min
The 2018 San Diego Comic-Con has come to a close, and that means it is time to dive into the biggest news and trailers released at this year’s convention. From DC’s Shazam and Aquaman, to Walking Dead and Doctor Who, to Fantastic Beasts 2 and the Jack Ryan Experience, and so much more – THIS is the podcast for you! That’s not all, though. We also have reviews of The Equalizer 2, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again , and Unfriended: Dark Web. As well as discussing new theatrical and VOD releases, includi...
Jul 25, 2018•2 hr 43 min
A vigilante is any person who takes the law into their own hands to avenge a crime. When you mention the word, a few names immediately pop into mind: Batman, The Bride, Paul Kersey, The Equalizer. Film vaults are stock full of men and women who have been wronged for one reason or another, and chose to journey outside of the law to avenge those wrongs. Yet in the scheme of things, the facts are simple: these people are criminals. This week, we discuss what it is about vigilantes that excite audie...
Jul 17, 2018•1 hr 45 min
The corridors of film and television are filled with choices made for a character that seem either odd or possibly even bold. Who would have thought Heath Ledger's reptilian approach to the Joker would work? Can you believe Disney approved a drunken buffoon as their lead pirate? This week, we explore some of the weirdest or most intriguing character choices in film and television. Those ones that stood out to us as notable. Also this week: Our reviews of Won't You Be My Neighbor and Netflix's Th...
Jul 11, 2018•2 hr 15 min
As we take the week off, here are three of our most popular topics from earlier this year, as well as our review of The First Purge AND major Top Gun 2 news. Also, visit PodcastAwards.com and vote for The HO in People's Choice and TV/Film! First up, from Episode 301 , it's the most emotional relationships on television. We discuss some of those relationships in TV that either broke or healed our aching hearts. Perhaps they filled our cups with joy, or maybe their angst flowed over into our own r...
Jul 04, 2018•1 hr 32 min
Dark River stars Ruth Wilson as Alice, a woman who departed her family ranch in North Yorkshire many years ago. After earning a living as a contracted sheep-shearer, Alice returns home 15 years later upon hearing of the death of her father, Richard (Sean Bean). Her intention is not to mourn, but to claim the family land from her brother Joe (Mark Stanley). Refuting her assertion on the grounds that she abandoned her rights by leaving, Joe and Alice begin a tale of siblings separated by trauma an...
Jul 02, 2018•20 min
Hollywood has been inundated with scandal and sadness for the last long while, therefore this episode, we’re bringing forth the joy! We are going to share some of our favorite stories we’ve found revolving around Hollywood. Possibly a celebrity doing something for a child, a fascinating story behind a production, or a celebrity's personal triumph. This is about sharing some favorite Hollywood behind-the-scenes stories! Also this week: Our review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom , MoviePass vs. ...
Jun 26, 2018•1 hr 46 min
If you remember back in the 80s and 90s, television began the trend of discussing “True Crime” events through dramatizations on shows like Unsolved Mysteries or as docuseries such as Cops. There have always been shows devoted to investigative reporting, yet it seems as though this was the moment when the genre of “True Crime” truly began to percolate. The genre continued to explode, arriving at our current moment with juggernaut docuseries such as Making a Murderer and Evil Genius, and also scri...
Jun 20, 2018•1 hr 32 min
In 1995, Pixar released their first feature-length film, the computer animated classic Toy Story. Soon after, A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2 released in quick succession, with titles continuing to drop annually. The studio revolutionized animation for the modern generation, and in 2006 was purchased by the previous dominator in this arena: Disney. Over the past 20-plus years, Pixar has racked up billions in box office receipts, and even more in memories for movie fans. This week, four of pick our ...
Jun 13, 2018•2 hr 1 min
Yellow Birds stars Alden Ehrenreich and Tye Sheridan as Brandon Bartle and Daniel Murphy, two young men whose bond is strengthened by their tour overseas in Iraq. But as often happens in war, tragedy strikes, and we then watch as Bartle leads us to the pieces of a looming mystery as to what exactly happened overseas. The film also stars Jennifer Anniston and Toni Collette. For this interview, Aaron sits down with director Alexandre Moors to discuss getting his film made, how he ended up with suc...
Jun 11, 2018•20 min
Who doesn’t love a heist?! Over the course of entertainment, one thing has been universally proven to be an absolute certainty: people wanna steal stuff! Ok, we know we shouldn’t, and most of respect the law and our personal freedom enough to never try. But movies and television afford us the opportunity to live vicariously through these outlaws as they proceed to get rich fast and easy. This week, we dive into heist movies and why we love them. We also discuss why it is no one seems to feel too...
Jun 06, 2018•1 hr 47 min
Hunting ISIS follows a group of veteran and civilian volunteers who smuggle themselves into Syria and Iraq to fight against ISIS alongside local militias. Through the eyes of American fighters embedded with the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, and medics supporting a coalition of local forces in Iraq, Hunting ISIS follows these men as they begin the difficult push to retake ISIS’ capital cities. New episodes air Tuesdays at 10PM Eastern on the History Channel. What is most interesting about Hunting...
May 31, 2018•27 min
Have you ever been so excited for a film, you can just about taste the franchise potential? Maybe you left the theater giddier than you expected, or heard word on the internet that there would definitely be more of the world you fell in love with…only to never have it materialize? Our topic this week is Franchises That Never Happened. Shawn Fuller from Horribly Awkward joins us to discuss those films that seemed destined for sequels or continuations of some sort, only to fail to live up to expec...
May 23, 2018•1 hr 56 min
Dystopian Relating to or denoting an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. On this week's podcast, we discuss how we would survive in a dystopian universe. What would your plan be? Are there any films that present this scenario in a completely plausible way? We also take a look at this genre in detail, as in: why do so many people enjoy films about the collapse of society as we know it? Also this week: Lego mov...
May 16, 2018•2 hr 18 min
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both here, so what better time to discuss the evolution of television families? We all remember watching various families on our favorite TV shows, but why did we connect with some over others? What was it about this obviously fictional yet familial bond that, often times, felt more real than our own? This week, we discuss how our beloved TV families have evolved over the years, from safe sitcom messages of the moment, to modern-day issues where it seems every f...
May 09, 2018•1 hr 38 min
With the largest opening in history, everyone is talking about Avengers: Infinity War. So we thought, as we celebrate 10 years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, let’s go back to the beginning and look at how we got here. This week, we discuss all of the films BEFORE Infinity War. We begin with Iron Man, and how Marvel gambled on a risky talent by the name of Robert Downey, Jr. While he is beloved worldwide for his portrayal of Tony Stark, as well as many other projects, he was very much an actor...
May 02, 2018•2 hr 15 min
2018 has finally arrived at the greatest point of every cinemaphile’s annual indulgence, the Summer Movie Season! But with so many films coming out at this time, how is any self-respecting fan supposed to know what to see when there are so many options available? We’re here to help with our latest episode: the Summer Movie Preview! We discuss each month in detail; every major release, as well as our picks of the smaller independent titles. May, June, July, and August all receive their fair due a...
Apr 25, 2018•2 hr 1 min
This year, theaters are being treated to a monkey tearing down a skyscraper, an underwater hero who looks like a grunge rocker, and even Jason Statham quipping at a 70 foot Megalodon shark. In short, these films have plots that are insane. On this podcast, we discuss the very concept of absurdity – can ANY plot work with the right cast and crew? Is it easier to accept a giant gorilla or robot trashing downtown Chicago if you have The Rock or Shia LaBeouf on hand? How crazy is TOO crazy? Also thi...
Apr 18, 2018•1 hr 53 min
Traffik follows Brea (Paula Patton), a journalist recently sidelined due to a distinct lack of immersion into her reporting. The timing could not be better when her boyfriend, John (Omar Epps), whisks her away for a lush romantic hideaway, tucked in the solace of the wilderness. Happenstance meets tragic timing as Brea and John cross paths with a young woman seemingly pleading for help, and a conspicuous biker gang looking for trouble. After an intense encounter at a local gas station, the coupl...
Apr 16, 2018•17 min
40 years ago, television options were vastly different. Three channels, or maybe thirteen depending on where you great up, and not much else. If the President had a speech, your TV night was shot. As time rolled on, our entertainment options continued to gain traction, each decade taking another turn into more content. Once Netflix introduced streaming as a primary option, our choices exploded. By the time 2018 is over, there will have been around 500 scripted television shows on the air. Betwee...
Apr 11, 2018•1 hr 36 min
Very few directors have shaped pop culture, but even fewer could argue against Steven Spielberg as leading that field. From his early days in the 70s, Spielberg has gifted us with so many timeless classics, it has become increasingly difficult to determine which one, of so many wonderful films, is truly THE BEST. Well, this week, we’re going to decide! Eight Spielberg films will enter the ring, each with their own case for the greatest. Could it be Jurassic Park, E.T., Saving Private Ryan, Jaws,...
Apr 04, 2018•2 hr 15 min
With two festivals in three weeks, we have watched a LOT of movies recently. So much that something dawned on us: in all of these journeys of the human spirit, why does the hero never walk away? Think about it, does it make a hero less heroic if they reach a point where it’s just too much for them? Were there moments in a movie or TV show where a hero going forward seemed to be the absolutely wrong choice? Our topic this episode revolves around this very concept of when is it OK for a hero to wa...
Mar 28, 2018•1 hr 23 min
The South by Southwest Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Every year, thousands of fans arrive in downtown Austin, TX to partake in a couple of weeks of great music, technology, and film. For this special episode of The Hollywood Outsider, we take you along for our 5th annual deep dive into the heart of the film festival portion, and even further into the films themselves. Over the course of nine days, the 2018 SXSW Film Festival screened 136 features, consisting of 89 Worl...
Mar 21, 2018•2 hr 16 min
Aaron is joined by Zack Parkerson of Smirk and The Gaming Outsider to discuss the latest iteration of Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander. From thoughts on the Angelina Jolie to the differences from the current game incarnations, this is an episode no Tomb Raider fan should miss! Email topic suggestions or episode reactions to feedback@thehollywoodoutsider.com Please support The Hollywood Outsider and gain immediate access to exclusive bonus content, including a BONUS monthly episode and Bad Mo...
Mar 19, 2018•44 min
Tomb Raider is finally here. A reboot of the Angelina Jolie franchise, many still have no idea that those films and now this new one are based on a very successful video game series. The problem is this: while books have numerous critically and commercially successful films adapted from their works, and comic books have followed suit the last decade, video game adaptations are notoriously deemed poor imitations at best. If not bad, mediocre, and if not mediocre, simply not respected. So the ques...
Mar 14, 2018•1 hr 14 min
ICE follows Maddison Bullock's Bailey Grantham as her father allows a Russian coach to house her with a much wealthier skating partner in Peyton Shaw (Lisa Mihelich). The two women grow up together and become sisters of a sort, and are then forced into the world of competitive ice skating as they lunge towards a limited spot qualifying for the US Olympic team. Of course, there is a major obstacle along the way, which threatens to tear the two competitors and friends apart. For this exclusive int...
Mar 12, 2018•27 min
The Beloit International Film Festival ( BIFF ) takes place annually in the city of Beloit, Wisconsin. Running for 10 days, typically at the end of Feb or the beginning of March, the festival plays 100+ films from over 25 different countries ranging from narrative features, to documentaries, to shorts, and even features a showdown between Illinois and Wisconsin filmmakers. The films screen in a variety of local venues, so not only is a festival where a vast assortment of films can be found, but ...
Mar 07, 2018•2 hr 6 min
For our first Movie Battle Royale of 2018, we decided to climb aboard the Oscar train and look at some of the Best Picture winners of decades past. If you took a single decade, and looked at all 10 winners, which film would stand the test of time to be crowned the greatest film of that respective decade? So, this week, we’re discussion the Best Picture winners of the 1990s. A decade ripe with classics, but only 10 verified winners of The Academy Award’s top prize. Amanda Sink from SMIRK joins us...
Feb 28, 2018•1 hr 58 min
The Lodgers takes place in Ireland in the early 1900s. A family curse holds orphaned twins Rachel (Charlotte Vega) and Edward (Bill Milner) hostage, sectioned off from the outside world as punishment for the mistakes of their long-deceased kin. The rules are simple: be in bed by midnight, allow no one past the gates, and if either of them attempts to escape, the other will be met with a vengeful retribution. There are spirits both within and surrounding the walls of their estate to ensure these ...
Feb 23, 2018•20 min
Every so often, media and internet clickers come along to determine a movie coming out is “important”. Occasionally it’s very true, and other times it’s just an opinion or hype. With Black Panther now in theaters, and the general consensus seeming to be that it is an important film for many, it felt a good time to ask a simple question: When IS a movie important? Both to society, and to us personally. Also this week: Television officially heads to VR via Robert Rodriguez and Darren Aronofsky , F...
Feb 21, 2018•2 hr 11 min
