Joe Rogan Experience Review Podcast

Episode 508 JRE Review of Roger Avary
Host: Adam Thorne
Date: February 24, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Adam Thorne and co-host Brandon dive deep into their review of Joe Rogan’s wild and boundary-pushing conversation with Roger Avary—a filmmaker best known for co-writing Pulp Fiction with Quentin Tarantino. The expectation is to discuss movies, but the review quickly follows Rogan and Avary into rabbit holes ranging from legitimate film critiques to fringe conspiracy theories, all while echoing the chaotic, tangent-filled spirit of the episode itself. The hosts balance admiration and skepticism as they dissect flat earth debates, conspiracy culture, predictive programming in media, and the ongoing fascination (and dread) around topics like Epstein and Pizzagate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Avary’s Surprising Pivot: From Cinema to Conspiracies

Timestamps: 01:59–06:32

• Initial impressions: The hosts expect a movie-centered episode but are thrown by rapid pivots into conspiracy territory.

  • “It went from just movies and just slowly creeped into this territory that was like, what in the world is going on?” (Adam, 02:07)
  • “By the end of it, you’re like, I need to sit somewhere else next week or maybe even drop this class.” (Brandon, 02:36)

• Avary as the Eddie Bravo stand-in:

  • “It was a great episode with Eddie Bravo—I mean Roger Avary. It might as well have been.” (Adam, 01:59)
  • “Even when he was doing the flat earthing, he was more just being an antagonist… almost like devil’s advocate.” (Brandon, 04:08)

• Audience reaction is sharply divided:

  • “Fan reception… it’s either one end of the spectrum or the other. Either best shit ever… or completely mental. Which in England we call that Marmite.” (Adam, 03:32; Brandon, 03:51)

2. Flat Earth, Conspiracies, and Motivations

Timestamps: 05:01–13:13

• Flat earth nostalgia:

  • “It really was Eddie Bravo all over again. What in the world is happening?” (Adam, 05:01)
  • “He was just pushing back… but even Joe is like, ‘Hey man… you actually have some real beliefs in this.’” (Adam, 05:24)

• Skeptical breakdown:

  • The hosts humor Avary’s flat earth banter but repeatedly highlight the logical flaws.
  • “Like, the most insane discovery… the fact that everyone’s lying, that’s the only thing governments agree on?” (Adam, 06:26)
  • “What power and control would they be gaining by just saying it’s round instead of flat?” (Brandon, 06:35)

• On conspiracy radicalization:

  • Referencing Alex Jones and Eddie Bravo’s “don’t trust anything, believe the opposite” mentalities.
  • “That mindset’s a little dangerous. But… it’s such a flawed way to think.” (Adam, 09:06, 09:16)

• Cherry-picking and historical relativism:

  • Lampooning arguments that cite old scientific beliefs (“they said do cocaine for diarrhea”), and mocking flat earther experiments gone wrong (“Curb Your Enthusiasm music”). (Adam, 10:46–13:02)

3. Predictive Programming & Media’s Social Impact

Timestamps: 13:46–19:25

• Predictive programming in entertainment:

  • Adam floats the “Fight Club” example and broader claims about media conditioning audiences.
  • “Do you think that’s a bigger operation to control the public?” (Adam, 13:47)

• Debate on intentionality vs. coincidence:

  • Brandon leans toward coincidence, Adam highlights real desensitization through repeated violent or disturbing imagery, drawing comparisons between American and British TV cultures.
  • “I don’t think he’s wrong. I think it has desensitized people. I don’t think maybe it was…” (Adam, 15:35–19:25)

4. 9/11, Epstein, and the Conspiracy Expansion Pack

Timestamps: 21:46–31:04

• Diving into 9/11 skepticism:

  • “Building Seven—we gotta hit that. We gotta hit it like a plane. Wait, no. Too much?” (Brandon, 24:44)
  • Point out the lack of Pentagon footage, government secrecy, and the usefulness of the event for U.S. policy changes (Patriot Act, wars).
  • “If any group of people could pull off a plan like that, they seem completely unstoppable.” (Brandon, 31:05)

• The Epstein web:

  • Noting the government’s withholding of all Epstein communications around 9/11, and the recurring theme of powerful interests hiding unsettling truths.
  • “This is why we live in caves away from the public, under a rock.” (Brandon, 29:00)
  • “I just want to shove this in there for Epstein. The Epstein files, all Epstein emails before, during and after 911 have been withheld by the government.” (Adam, 28:26)

5. Hollywood, Rituals, and Sacrifices

Timestamps: 33:13–36:25, 46:41–49:44

• Avary’s most shocking claims:
  • Hollywood elites and “sacrifices”; Avery mentions a female pop star who “sacrifices chickens every day.”
  • “There’s a certain female pop star in Hollywood who sacrifices chickens every day for—I’m like, what?” (Adam, 33:13)
  • Discussion about the historical prevalence of ritual sacrifice and the speculative notion that there may be real, present-day equivalents among the power elite.

6. Epstein, Adrenochrome, and the Darkness of Conspiracy

Timestamps: 49:06–50:49

• Sulfuric acid & Epstein’s island:

  • “Epstein ordered 330 gallons of sulfuric acid, like, the day he was indicted… What the heck were they dissolving?” (Brandon, 49:06)

• Gene splicing & monstrous claims:

  • “There’s evidence that they were doing gene splicing as well. They were making, like, Neanderthals…” (Adam, 49:55)

• Research rabbit holes:

  • Adam references JMail as a resource for anyone wanting to look up terminology or code words found in leaked documents.

7. Cinephilia: Trekkies, Star Wars, and Franchise Fails

Timestamps: 36:46–46:41

• Star Trek’s decline and fan outrage:

  • Avary, a huge Trekkie, expressed anger over the “D.I.-ification” and hiring policies of new Star Trek productions.
  • “I don’t want anyone working on this project who likes Star Trek. Disgusting.” (Adam, 38:24)
  • Discussion of The Orville as a spiritual Star Trek successor.

• Halo and Star Wars fumbles:

  • Extended rant on why franchises fail when new creators disregard established canon.
  • “It’s like punching your fans in the balls. That’s what it feels like…” (Adam, 41:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the wild tonal shifts:

  • “It felt like… the weird kid in the film class, and during our conversation, his medication started to wear off.” (Adam, 02:07)

• On conspiracy logic:

  • “What power and control would they be gaining by just saying it’s round instead of flat?” (Brandon, 06:35)

• On predictive programming:

  • “At some point, every sound is going to be made… every premise is going to be touched upon. It’s bound to happen in any art form.” (Adam, 15:35)

• On Hollywood rituals:

  • “There’s a certain female pop star in Hollywood who sacrifices chickens every day for—I’m like, what? Can we focus on that a little more?” (Adam, 33:13)

• Epstein–9/11 connection:

  • “All Epstein emails before, during and after 911 have been withheld by the government.” (Adam, 28:26)

• On Star Trek fandom:

  • “I don’t want anyone working on this project who likes Star Trek. Disgusting.” (Adam, 38:24)

• On modern franchise woes:

  • “It’s like punching your fans in the balls. That’s what it feels like…” (Adam, 41:24)

• On Avary’s relentless conspiracism:

  • “He kept one-upping his conspiracies… there were so many points where it’s like, oh that’s the craziest one he believes in. And then, like, 10 minutes later, ‘Oh nope, that’s the craziest one.’” (Adam, 23:49)

Listener and Host Verdict

• Audience response:

  • “Film nerds loved it; the conspiracy people loved it. ...Brought a lot of people back to the table.” (Brandon, 50:44)
  • “Ran it through the online AI… solid 8.7. I give it a solid 8 out of 10.” (Brandon, 51:45)

• Host endorsement:

  • “I enjoyed it a great deal… nothing boring about it. This was such a beautiful cocktail.” (Adam, 51:42, 46:28)

Useful Timestamps

• 01:59 — Expectation vs. reality: movies to conspiracies
• 05:01–07:25 — Flat earth, devil’s advocate & logical defenses
• 13:46–19:25 — Predictive programming debate
• 21:46–27:42 — 9/11, Building Seven, Pentagon skepticism
• 28:26–31:04 — Epstein, government secrecy
• 33:13–36:25 — Hollywood rituals & pop star claims
• 36:46–46:41 — Star Trek, franchise decline, nerd gripes
• 46:41–49:44 — Coded messages in film, secret Hollywood symbolism
• 49:06–50:49 — Epstein’s sulfuric acid order & bioengineering rumors
• 50:44–52:22 — Listener feedback, episode scoring, and closing thoughts

Final Thoughts

This review episode channels the whirlwind energy of Joe’s chat with Avary, providing an engaging recap equal parts cinephile banter and conspiracy carnival. Adam and Brandon riff, reflect, and laugh their way through the layers of the original JRE, granting listeners both critical context and the sincere fun of conspiracy curiosity—without ever taking themselves too seriously. Whether you dig deep-dive film lore or viral conspiracy breakdowns, this one’s a wild ride.