BIRD PROTOCOL

Episode 186: The 2025 Lazy Bird Report

Ayo! We’re back to FINALLY close out our year-in-review series after a brief battle with a stomach flu, some horrible weather, and food court Chinese food! This is the 2025 Lazy Bird Report! So kick back, crack a cold one, and join your favourite Bird Boys as we take a lazy look back on our personal experiences in 2025. From our wings (wins) to our cages (losses) to our eggs (hopes) for this coming year… we cover it all (and then some). If you couldn’t tell from our inconsistency with the pod, last year was a year of immense change in our lives. Thankfully, it was mostly for the better, but it didn’t come without some challenges and creative blocks. In this episode, we share our thoughts on a year that, in the grander sense, was horrible. Ironically, it was pretty dope for us individually and truly great for art/media. Funny how that works, huh?We share some of our highs and lows from 2025 while we take a look at the current nightmare of a world we’re living in, while musing on how we can still find some joy (joymaxxing lol) by disconnecting from the fake and linking up with the real. Sure, there were some heartbreaks (RIP to the boy Tucker), social media companies are trying to make us hate one another, and the world is filled with clowns that piss us off. Still, our personal wins include an upcoming marriage, going to (or continuing) therapy, getting a new job, finding joy in the simple things like reading or being creative, appreciating getting older, valuing friendship and love, moving into new apartments, and a lot more. We discuss how these changes may have stifled our creativity at the time and challenged us as creatives… but also how they might have set us up to have a killer year of creating in 2026.We also discuss the state of the world, social media, politics, and the slow descent into idiocracy and madness that we’re all up against. We suggest ways to improve media literacy, find your joy, disconnect from social media (or at least look at it with a critical eye), get out of the politics-as-wrestling mentality, recognize the death of nuance on the internet, and avoid the influence of the evil billionaires and the trauma addiction that lurks in every post and comment. Our growing distrust in social media and the way people use the internet is a dead horse that we are happy to beat again... because, man, a lot of our problems are currently coming from a bunch of weirdo tech bro billionaires, online trolling, and poisonous algorithms. Plus, Baby Keem dropped an album. Everything is gambling now. We live in a simulation, and the food court chicken is in control! Nonetheless, we hope that 2026 is another year of growth, joy, creativity, and love. And movies. And games. And music. Anyway, thanks for rocking with us. We appreciate ya.See you next week, homies.As always… INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 185: The 2025 Bird Report (Part Three)

Feb 401:55:13Tap to summarize

What’s good, homies! It’s time for one last (official) look back on 2025 with the final instalment of the Bird Report! In this episode, we look back on some of the TV shows released in 2025 and share our favourites and honourable mentions. Much like with movies and music, it was a damn good year for television. Although we missed some shows due to living life and not having enough time, we have a decent list of stuff that we really dug.In this episode, you’ll hear our thoughts (both good and bad) on shows like “Pluribus”, “The Studio”, “Murderbot”, “The Vince Staples Show”, “Andor”, “The Chair Company”, “The Pitt”, “Task”, “The Righteous Gemstones”, “MobLand”, “The Bear”, “The White Lotus”, “Your Friends & Neighbors”, “The Last Of Us”, “Alien: Earth”, “The Rehearsal”, and more. What did you watch in 2025? Did we miss anything major? Let us know in a comment!We end the episode with a bit of reminiscing, but we’ll be back next episode with a deeper look back on 2025 from our own personal perspectives in our Lazy Bird Report. Plus, what we’ve been watching, playing, and listening to in 2026 - including our thoughts on the awesome and under-appreciated “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”. Tap in!As always…INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 184: The 2025 Bird Report (Part Two)

Jan 2902:27:56Tap to summarize

Ayo! We’re back and continuing our quest to discuss our favourite releases of 2025! This week, we’re talking film… and what a BANGER year it was for movies! Join Otis and PALMREADER as they share their ten favourite movies from the past year (plus a whole bunch of honourable mentions).In this episode, we discuss some really great movies from 2025 including “No Other Choice”, “One Battle After Another”, “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You”, “Sentimental Value”, “The Perfect Neighbor”, “Train Dreams”, “28 Years Later”, “Sorry, Baby”, “Eddington”, “Thunderbolts”, “Marty Supreme”, “Sinners”, “Weapons”, “Begonia”, “A House Of Dynamite”, and more. Plus, a whole whack of honourable mentions and stuff we dug (but maybe wasn’t the best). We’ll be back next week with our TV picks, a look back on the year, and a close-out of the 2025 Bird Report.How was your year of watching movies? Let us know in a comment if we missed anything dope! As always…INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 183: The 2025 Bird Report (Part One)

Jan 1402:23:36Tap to summarize

What's good, homies?! Another year has come and gone... and what a year it was for music, movies, video games, and TV! We're back with another year-end summary of all of our personal favourites from 2025. This week, we're covering music and video games (kind of)! So, kick back, relax, and enjoy the first installment of our yearly review.In this episode, we discuss some of our favourite albums of the past year, including releases from The Clipse, Turnstile, Chance The Rapper, Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo, Liquid Mike, JID, Militarie Gun, Aminé, Aitch, Mac Miller, Moving Mountains, The Starting Line, Geese, The Callous Daoboys, Lambrini Girls, Fred Again.., $uicideboy$, and more. Plus, honourable mentions like Bon Iver, Brevin Kim, Bouvé, Dijon, Know Good, Justin Bieber, Totorro, Conway The Machine, MIKE, The Acacia Strain, Angelmaker, Earl Sweatshirt, Ovrkast., Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist, and more.Then we talk a (very) little about what we've played this year. Surprise! It wasn't much. With that being said, there is a lot we still WANT to play, so we discuss what we're itching to try out, some older games we've been revisiting, and the very few new releases we got a chance to enjoy this year.We'll be back in a week or two to discuss the movies and TV we loved from 2025. Let us know if we missed anything that you loved from this past year in a comment below.As always… INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 182: Blink-182

Dec 1101:49:19Tap to summarize

What’s shakin’, homies?! It’s time for another episode of BIRD PROTOCOL. This week, we’re talking about the forefathers of modern pop-punk, Blink-182. You didn’t think we’d miss a chance at talking about one of the most seminal and important bands in our lives AND make a visual joke using the episode title, did you? Absolutely not. Are you crazy? Don’t you know us by now? Anyway, this episode is pretty much us gushing about the band (even though we aren’t so hot on a few of their releases) and serves as our chance to remind everyone how goddamn important, influential, and great the Blink boys were (and still are) at their peak.In this episode, we break down (most of) their career from the highest highs to the lowest lows, talk about our favourite albums and songs, and give them their flowers. This is not completely devoid of criticism, though, because what the hell was up with “Nine”? Yeesh. We briefly touch on their early days and then chronicle their meteoric rise with a three-peat of absolute slappers from the aughts (“Enema Of The State”, “Take Off Your Pants And Jacket’, and “Untitled”). From there, we discuss the rising tension in the band, their multiple hiatuses and line-up changes, and everything that led to a myriad of kinda-sorta-alright to downright boring releases. Then, we discuss the events leading to their reunion and excellent latest release, “One More Time…”. We also take some time to discuss why we personally love them and how Blink has played an irrefutable role in our youth and young manhood (and lives as musicians). This band is deeply important to both of us, as well as a huge number of people all around the world, so even as we tried to adhere to our new rules about length… it just wasn't happening. Blink’s impact is undeniable, their rise to the top is the stuff of legends, and they are just so much fun. We tried to pack as much as we could into the episode, but Otis, being a massive fan, said it best when he points out that we could have done a long-form series on every album, song, triumph, and failure of the band. It’s a genuinely crazy story filled with plane crashes, a cancer diagnosis, UFOs, alcoholism, naked dudes, secret bands, inter-member tension, and a whole lot more. So, tap in with us. It is a good one.We’ll be back in two weeks with our Christmas pick. In the meantime, wish PALMREADER luck at his new job!As always…INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 181: Ford v Ferrari

Dec 301:20:45Tap to summarize

What’s good, homies? It’s time for another episode of BIRD PROTOCOL, and this week, we’re taking you to go like hell at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We’re hitting that sweet spot, 7,000 RPMS, where everything vanishes, and all that's left is a body moving through space and time. That’s right, we’re talking James Mangold’s 2019 biographical sports drama “Ford v Ferrari”, which tells the true story of American automotive designer Carroll Shelby and British driver/engineer Ken Miles as they join forces with the Ford Motor Company to build a revolutionary race car capable of defeating Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. This movie is a slam dunk that both Otis and I neglected upon release, but have since come to adore, so join us as we line up like GT40s and cross the finish line… but this time there’s no technicality to trip us up. We’re all winners.“Ford v Ferrari” is a masterclass in turning something that could easily be a run-of-the-mill sports movie into a well-oiled and rich cinematic experience. From the direction to the performances to the editing to the story beats to the deeper themes of the film to the immaculate and nostalgic Sunday-afternoon-all-star vibe of the movie, this one is near-perfect. Starring Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, and Ray McKinnon, this movie rules. It’s tough to find movies like this that (seemingly) effortlessly pull off real thrills, dynamic action, laughs, excellent writing, beautiful cinematography, and a lot of heart. It also boasts pitch-perfect performances from the cast. Seriously. Not a single bad turn. Damon, Letts, Lucas, Bernthal… all amazing. Bale, especially, delivers a performance unlike anything he’s done before and is so damn charming and funny. Josh Lucas’ Leo Beebe is an all-time pencil-pushing scumbag. Letts as Henry Ford II, is a home run. Damon is back to casually remind you all that he is really that guy. It’s awesome.Nominated for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this movie was a hit with both critics and audiences alike. So, join us this week as we discuss why this movie rules, give it some context and history, talk about what makes it so special, share what we love about it, and a whole lot more. Truthfully, neither of us really cares about racing, but when Ford tells Shelby to go to war, we’re locked in. It’s wonderful. It’s fun. It’s charming. This one is a gush fest. Also in this episode, some clerical updates, a quick discussion on Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein”, and some hints for our 182nd episode next week. As always…INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 180: A House Of Dynamite

Nov 1802:05:13Tap to summarize

A nuclear ICBM is headed toward Chicago. Nobody can figure out who fired it. Nuclear war is on our doorstep. Is this insanity? No, sir. This is BIRD PROTOCOL. This week, we’re chatting about the recently released (and fantastic) apocalyptic political thriller film from none other than the talented and military-obsessed Kathryn Bigelow, “A House Of Dynamite”. This movie rips and is possibly the scariest film released this Halloween season. Tense, fraught, procedural, and full of dread… nuclear war started the minute the missile was launched, and there’s nothing anyone could do about it. Sure, it has some issues. We definitely discuss and litigate them throughout the episode. Nonetheless, we both think this one is a banger, and we can’t wait to chat about it.Starring Rebecca Ferguson (who is truly fantastic, even if her accent slips), Idris Elba, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Anthony Ramos, Tracy Letts (also excellent), and more. “A House Of Dynamite” explores the twenty or so minutes before Chicago is wiped off the map and nuclear proliferation comes to a head through three separate but connected perspectives. The structure allows for more information to be unveiled slowly and the tension to build to a fever pitch. In the end, it doesn’t matter what happens, because it’s gonna be bad, and that’s the point. All it takes for the house of dynamite to blow is a match… doesn’t matter who lights it. Head to your nuclear bunkers ASAP, homies. It’s about to get really real. In this episode, we discuss Bigelow’s direction, the cinematography, the editing, the narrative structure, the performances, and all the other stuff we love about the movie. We also discuss some of the parts that felt comparatively flat. Was Idris the right choice to play the president? Or is his casting an inspired choice? We unpack this in real time. We also have some bones to pick with the wider film audience and open-source film criticism. Some people didn’t like this movie, and we’re here to tell you that they’re wrong. Put down the phone, close the TikTok app, and pay attention. Your one-liner reviews might be funny, but if you didn’t even get the point of the movie (which was very clear, by the way)… it all feels kind of like a waste, no? Also, how could anyone think the ending of this movie is ambiguous? And what’s so weird about a modern president listening to podcasts? We talk about it.We also briefly touch on some of the stuff we’ve seen recently including Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” (apologies Mr. Elordi, PALMREADER wasn’t aware of your game), Joseph Kosinski’s “F1”, Julia Ducournau’s “Titane”, the new season of “The Vince Staples” show, the new hyper-pop inspired Danny Brown album “Stardust”, and more. We’ll see you next week.As always…INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 179: The Exorcist

Nov 401:31:08Tap to summarize

This week, we’re gonna need a young priest and an old priest as we delve into a Spooky Season certified classic, one of the most infamous and influential horror films of all time, and maybe the most culturally important possession movie… “The Exorcist”. This is one of our favourite movies from one of our favourite guys that is filled with technical skill, pure cinema, and stories of a cursed production… and we’re ready to go deep. So, strap in, get your holy water ready, and let’s talk about pure evil.Released in 1973 and directed by William Friedkin, this adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel shocked audiences with its raw, terrifying portrayal of demonic possession. Starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, and Jason Miller, the film follows the convergence of a woman named Chris, her young daughter named Regan, the priests who risk life and limb everything to save a soul, and (you guessed it) The Devil. Considered one of the best horror films of all time (or THE horror film of all time, per Otis), “The Exorcist” was a cultural event, sparking controversy, fainting spells, religious backlash, and debates about good, evil, and the supernatural that still echo today. Not to mention the deep cinematic and cultural legacy left in its wake. Look, this movie did for horror what “2001: A Space Odyssey” did for science fiction. With ten Academy Award nominations (and two wins) and a legacy that shaped modern horror, it is a real ripper. Not to be missed.In this episode, we cover as much as we can about this film without beating a dead horse, and although this movie has been talked about time and time again, we share our thoughts on what it does well, why it is so important, and the legacy of “The Exorcist”. Plus, we discuss the purportedly “cursed” production, some of the technical feats and innovations used in the making of the movie, the insane casting what-ifs, the differences between the film and the book, and why the visual style of William Friedkin elevates this movie to something more. We also talk about the release of this movie, the fervour it created, the controversies surrounding it, etc. Furthermore, we share some of our favourite moments, discuss the scenes that probably blew people’s minds and Max von Sydow’s old-age makeup, and Otis educates PALMREADER on the sequels (most of them are not comparable, but recently there have been some reappraisals).This is one of the pillars of horror film, and we honestly could have spent three hours talking about it. Friedkin, much like Pazuzu, is a demon. If you love horror but haven’t seen this movie… What are you doing? Hopefully, this makes you finally see it, because it rules. The power of Christ compels you!As always…INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 178: The Curse Of The Spooky Birds

Oct 2101:48:03Tap to summarize

Ayo! It’s time for another Spooky Season offering from your favourite Bird Boys, and this week, well… we went to a haunted farm and got scared in real life! So, instead of talking about a specific movie, we decided to do another Spooky Bird episode on a variety of horror and horror-adjacent topics. First things first, though. We start this episode with a recap of our night of frights and friendship at the local Fear Farm Halloween event. From screaming ladies popping out of the ceiling to a tall bone man rubbing PALMREADER’s head to a lady in line openly talking about her sexual proclivities and drug use in line to a crazy beatboxing performance… it was a night of laughs, seasonal scares, and fun. Definitely consider checking out the Fear Farm if you live in the region.Then, we shift gears to discuss a variety of topics related to Horror cinema. Firstly, PALMREADER wants to know why some folklore and mythology haven’t been explored in horror. For example… Why are there no really good, elevated movies about alien abductions, Bigfoot, missing people in the woods, and other creepy and ominous creatures and scenarios? We think there are things that the genre is missing out on, and can’t figure out why nobody has really done them justice. Otis has a stellar idea for how a filmmaker could really make an abduction film horrifying, and PALMREADER reminisces on a TV movie about aliens showing up at a family Thanksgiving that freaked him out as a kid.Then, we discuss one of the major issues plaguing horror films these days… formulaic and shallow over-complication! For some reason, people seem to forget what makes the core kernels of various horror concepts effective and opt for making sequels or films that needlessly riff on an already good idea in dumb ways. Mostly, we take issue with the practice of overcomplicating narratives that has been baked into the standard studio filmmaking formula (especially in sequels) and the lack of organic and thoughtful re-contextualization that you find in some great foreign or independent films like “Let The Right One In”, “Hereditary”, or “Stake Land”. Why couldn't this be done with a bigger budget on one of these lesser-known stories or mythos? Why don’t more filmmakers explore core concepts in a natural, logical, and meaningful way? Why not improve or experiment with the technical aspects of filmmaking as opposed to needlessly complicating or diluting the ideas that are actually scary? In horror, sometimes simple is better, yet that point seems to have been lost somewhere.This leads to a discussion on vampires and werewolves and haunted house movies and why many of them seem to miss the mark on something so simple it should be banger after banger. Otis has been on a werewolf kick lately and has many thoughts. PALMREADER has some issues with the “Conjuring” series and the wider "Conjuring" cinematic world that he uses as a base for his arguments. Later in the episode, we discuss “Heretic” and when non-horror actors make villainous turns in horror or thriller films (much like Hugh Grant as the charming yet insanely evil Mr. Reed). We list some of our favourites and discuss what makes these performances great.Join us for all this, and many other rantings and ravings, in this Spooky Bird episode.INITIATE THE PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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Episode 177: Signs

Oct 1302:08:14Tap to summarize

What is good, homies! Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! We’re kicking off our annual Spooky Season selections with PALMREADER’s belated birthday pick from a very hit-or-miss filmmaker that, whether you like it or not, has been hugely influential to modern cinema. Plus, it’s one of the best alien invasion movies ever, still holds up with moments of pure terror, and somehow still lands the plane even with the glaring plot holes and the overly silly “God’s plan” schtick. Today, we’re talking about M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi horror film, “Signs”.Ok, let’s get this out of the way now. M. Night makes divisive movies. Some of them bang, while some of them are trash, and there’s not really any in-between. We’ve never really discussed him as a filmmaker on the show before, even with his major influence on filmmaking, so we spend a good portion of the start of this episode charting out his career and dissecting exactly what works and what doesn’t when it comes to his filmmaking style. We both agree that, like Zack Snyder, he has a wholly unique filmmaking vision. We also think that he has yet to reach the heights implied by some of his really great films. But why hasn’t he? Is it his fervent adherence to his own creative voice that is holding him back? Or is it a skill issue? Or has he just not found his perfect collaborator? PALMREADER has a theory that his movies are best viewed as cinematic fables or parables, not reflections of true reality, and that by engaging with them as such… well, it makes the viewing experience even better (or at least more palatable). With that being said, he has released some real stinkers. Perhaps it is because he leaned too far into his parable-style filmmaking (like with “The Happening” and “Lady In The Water”)? Or maybe he’s just not built for huge blockbuster films (like with “Avatar” and “After Earth”)? We litigate it and discuss the possibilities in depth.With all that being said, M. Night Shyamalan really has made some heaters, and “Signs” might be his best. It was the last in a trilogy of films that were very well received critically before a decade of decline in M. Night’s career (followed by what some might call a course correction with “The Visit” and the excellent “Split”). This movie is STILL scary - even with all the flaws, religious zest, and heavy-handed allegories. The aliens? Horrifying camouflaged freaks that speak through clicks on a pre-invasion reconnaissance mission? Yeah, no thanks. We all know the scenes… The Brazilian birthday party, the pantry, the monster on the roof, the chase around the house, the corn field… they all still send a shiver down our spine. With an incredible score, excellent cinematography, an absolutely banging poster, and performances that somehow work despite some of the most egregiously silly line readings and dialogue… “Signs” is insanely rewatchable.Look, the movie is about God sending an alien invasion to rekindle a man’s faith (which is the most Old Testament thing ever) and see the divine plan laid out in front of him. It’s SILLY as all hell. Not to mention the fact that Earth is COVERED in water… which hurts the alien invaders (read: maybe demons?)… and yet they still came to drag humanity away? They travel the stars, and they don’t understand doors? WHAT?! The genius of this film, starring (pre-breakdown) Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin, is that it SOMEHOW still works. “Swing away, Merrill.” Hell yeah, dude. Beat that alien to death with a baseball bat. You’re right there, accepting it all, until the credits roll. That’s when you’re like… wait… HUH?! But, following PALMREADER’s thesis on M. Night as a parable filmmaker, it might make sense that in HIS cinematic world (not the real one), this all might be possible.Join us this week as we delve into all of this (and more) in-depth.INITIATE BIRD PROTOCOL!Follow us on Instagram!Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

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All episodes

Episode 186: The 2025 Lazy Bird Report

Episode 185: The 2025 Bird Report (Part Three)

Episode 184: The 2025 Bird Report (Part Two)

Episode 183: The 2025 Bird Report (Part One)

Episode 182: Blink-182

Episode 181: Ford v Ferrari

Episode 180: A House Of Dynamite

Episode 179: The Exorcist

Episode 178: The Curse Of The Spooky Birds

Episode 177: Signs