2026 Mid Year Review of the Movies

Summary

Laugh with Me – "2026 Mid-Year Review of the Movies"

Host: Jeremy Otoman
Guest: Grant Pearson
Date: July 6, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

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Main Theme and Purpose

This special mid-year episode of Laugh with Me features host and comedian Jeremy Otoman joined by resident movie expert Grant Pearson, revisiting their tradition of reviewing the year’s major cinematic releases before Oscar season. Together, they break down the top movies of the year, the biggest box office surprises, personal favorites, and the absolute “stinkers.” The conversation is peppered with film nerd banter, plenty of jokes, and lively debate, offering insights both for casual viewers and hardcore film fans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vibe Check: Is 2026 a Good Year for Movies?

• Both Jeremy and Grant agree: 2026 has been a strong year at the movies.
  • "It really seems like a good year for just good movies that... you want to watch and maybe even want to see again." — Grant (06:43)
• Less Disasters, More Hits: Unlike typical years, the hosts agree that fewer “throwaway” films were dumped early in the year, and horror in particular is thriving.

2. Top 10 Favorite Movies of the Year (So Far)

(Presented in no strict order — see full film notes and discussion at 09:57–23:21)

Selected Standouts:

• Send Help (Sam Raimi, w/ Rachel McAdams & Dylan O'Brien)
  • "It was fun. I mean, is it a fantastic movie? ...I had fun watching it, and I want to watch it again." — Grant (10:43)
• Project Hail Mary (w/ Ryan Gosling)
  • Potential Oscar contender; Grant predicts Gosling will earn a nomination. (11:32)
• Hoppers (Animated)
  • "I loved it. I saw it in theaters. …It's all over the place… I loved it." — Grant (11:57)
• Hokum (Horror, w/ Adam Scott)
  • "I was tense during most of Hokum." — Grant (13:13)
• Sheep Detectives (Family/Comedy)
  • "It's incredibly funny. It's sad at parts. …It's a comfort movie." — Grant (14:12)
• Undertone (Paranormal Podcast-themed Horror)
  • "It's an immersive movie… Don't be on your phone during it." — Grant (15:44)
• Power Ballad (Paul Rudd & Nick Jonas)
  • Comedy about songwriting, plagiarism, and fading dreams.
• Obsession
  • "It's more like this dread throughout the movie... you're just feeling as things keep on going on." — Grant (19:24)
• Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die (w/ Sam Rockwell) — Time travel, recruiting oddball helpers, plenty of Back to the Future and Terminator vibes.
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
  • "It is incredibly well done. …If you were not a fan of 28 Years Later, I still suggest you check out this one..." — Grant (22:25)

Other Anticipated or Mentioned Films:

• Nirvana the Band: The Movie
• The Invite (w/ Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde)
• Blue Heron
• I Love Boosters (from Boots Riley)

3. The Worst Movies of 2026 (So Far)

(Timestamp: 29:02–46:16)

• Mercy (w/ Chris Pratt)
  • "It's terrible. I don't have a better way to describe it." — Grant (29:31)
• War Machine (Netflix sci-fi with Alan Richardson)
  • "Just a mess of a movie...your generic Netflix movie, except done a little bit worse." — Grant (31:40)
• Masters of the Universe (He-Man reboot)
  • "I've never been a big He-Man fan... It wasn't speaking to me." — Grant (33:39)
• Mortal Kombat 2
• Super Mario Galaxy Movie
  • "They were trying to cram in a bunch of characters into a very loose story. It just didn't do anything for me." — Grant (36:55)
• Scary Movie (new installment)
  • "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed." — Grant (40:00)
• Strangers: Chapter Three, Animated Animal Farm, Psycho Killer
• Others mentioned: The Bride, Michael (polarizing MJ biopic), Winnie the Pooh horror franchise
  • "The first Winnie the Pooh, Blood and Honey was just a piece of trash." — Grant (45:18)

4. Box Office Trends & Audience Tastes

(Timestamp: Throughout; esp. 21:33–22:25, 48:47–50:20)

• Franchise fatigue persists, but original horror/thrillers and inventive indies like Obsession and Back Rooms pull surprising numbers.
• Example: Obsession showed rare week-over-week growth at the box office instead of the usual sharp decline.
• Streaming-first titles like the Winnie the Pooh horror spinoffs are bypassing wider critical scrutiny.

5. Awards Predictions & Performances

(Timestamp: 46:16–51:44)

• Best of the Year Performance: Indy Navarette in Obsession (strong chance in Supporting Actress category)
  • "She carries the movie... but I think supporting is where she ends up falling." — Grant (46:46)
• Other Predicted Nominees: Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary), supporting role in same film, possibly Hoppers for Best Animated Feature.
• Anticipated Oscar contenders still to release: The Odyssey, Wild Horse 9 (w/ Sam Rockwell & John Malkovich).

6. Horror Renaissance

(Timestamp: 55:05–56:57)

• "We're in a renaissance right now of horror." — Jeremy (55:14)
• Citing breakout indie hits, and studios like A24 backing YouTube-born creators, original horror thrives: Back Rooms, Obsession, Primate, Hokum, Undertone all well-received.
• Rise of risk-taking: "There’s a push for new, original voices...not all Scream 7 over and over."

7. The Influence of YouTube & Young Filmmakers

(Timestamp: 57:02–58:12)

• YouTube is a proving ground:
  • "You're getting these YouTubers… creating original ideas... and then you're taking these filmmakers… giving them a little budget and saying, all right, go do something. We'll put it in theaters." — Jeremy (57:06)
• Studios like A24 are backing these creators, sometimes to box office gold or critical raves.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Movie Poster Truths and Lies

• "On the poster for [Mercy], it's got Chris Pratt, like, full riot gear with a gun… He never holds a gun during the movie." — Grant (29:56)
• Comparing to international practices of artists inventing wild, unrelated images for movie posters, discussed with much laughter. (30:29–31:39)

Comparing “Comfort Movies” and Guilty Pleasures

• "It's a comfort movie, so I would highly recommend the Sheep Detectives." — Grant (14:55)

Movie Theater Experiences

• On Undertone: "It's an immersive movie. ...Watch it in the dark, watch it with the best sound you can. Don't be on your phone during it." — Grant (15:44)
• "Have you ever watched a movie with headphones on...with the audio dialed in? ... Might be an interesting way to watch the movie." — Jeremy (16:53)

Franchise Fatigue and Satires

• On Masters of the Universe:
  "In the movie, they're making fun of the names that he gives people... Fisto and... calling himself He-Man. ...I'm glad that it's being called out." — Grant (34:14)
• On Scary Movie:
  "They were saying this is going to be the most offensive movie ever made...and then it wasn't..." — Grant (38:32)

The Room (Cult Movie Experience)

• "It's a five star experience for a half star movie." — Grant (54:37)

The Success of Original Ideas

• "There's that push for new, original voices, doing things, you know, and trying to make movies that are interesting." — Grant (50:41)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Mid-Year Movie Trends Overview: 06:43–09:48
• Top 10 Movies of 2026 (So Far): 09:57–23:21
• Award Predictions & Best Performances: 46:16–51:44
• Worst Movies of 2026 (So Far): 29:02–46:16
• YouTube and Indie Filmmakers' Influence: 57:02–58:12
• Horror’s Big Year: 55:05–56:57
• Cult Movie Commentary ("The Room"): 52:51–54:53

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Summary Table – Top & Bottom Movies

| Favorites | Stinkers | |--------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------| | Send Help | Mercy | | Project Hail Mary | War Machine (Netflix) | | Hoppers (Animated) | Masters of the Universe | | Hokum | Mortal Kombat 2 | | Sheep Detectives | Super Mario Galaxy Movie | | Undertone | Scary Movie (new installment) | | Power Ballad | Strangers: Chapter Three | | Obsession | Animated Animal Farm | | Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die | Psycho Killer | | 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | The Bride (hon. mention) |

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Final Takeaways

• 2026 is shaping up to be a strong and creatively diverse year for movies, especially for horror and original films.
• The industry is welcoming more unconventional voices, with YouTube and indie creators now making a real impact on the box office and critical circles.
• Familiar franchises continue, but the season’s standouts are often the unexpected, low-to-mid budget films with fresh perspectives.
• According to Grant’s predictions, expect to see Obsession, Project Hail Mary, and Hoppers in serious awards contention come Oscar season.
• For those looking for comfort movies, popcorn fun, or future cult classics, 2026 offers plenty to enjoy (and a few to avoid at all costs!).

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Sample of the Podcast’s Signature Tone

"We're here for mid year… It's been a year. I mean, it has been a year of movies. There’s been a lot of great films… There hasn’t been necessarily those just complete disaster movies at the beginning of the year." — Jeremy (06:43)

"It's a five star experience for a half star movie." — Grant, on The Room (54:37)

"If the world won't sing, then let it laugh with me." — Jeremy, podcast theme (02:13, 59:10)

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For more movie breakdowns, laughs, and hot takes, tune into the next episode of Laugh with Me!

Transcript

[Mark Norman]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Ari Chambers]

What's up, fam? It's sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Sam J]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[Mark Norman]

All?

[Sam J]

It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ari Chambers]

And we're the hosts of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from 2gether.

[Sam J]

We're breaking down the biggest headlines, the viral moments and the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports.

[Ari Chambers]

From game changing performances to culture shifting conversations. We'll give you our takes, our debates and a few laughs along the way.

[Sam J]

Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to Everyone watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Hoda Kotb]

Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy101 it's a new podcast hosted by me how to kotb. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting and moving on air chats. Open your free iHeartRadio app search Joy101 and listen now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CBS.

[Chuck]

Hey, this is Chuck from Stuff youf Should Know. And we're submitting our most science y episodes for your peer review with our new Stuff youf Should Know. Doing science playlist out now. You want to know about Occam's Razor? The simplest explanation is usually the right one. We got you covered. Wondered what chaos theory is ever since the first time you saw Jurassic Park. Well, come on down. So distill a nice pot of tea, everybody. Turn down the gas on your Bunsen burner and and slip into your most comfortable lab coat and listen to the stuff you should know Doing science Playlist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Verze]

Paul Verze here and I want to talk to you about Paul's best podcast, Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio. I sit down each week with a special guest and we discuss the absolute best of things.

[Mark Norman]

Pete Davidson.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's that and then there's everything else.

[Mark Norman]

Dude, his whole life has sounded like the first drop of a roller coaster. I mean, I can't even it Paul how crazy it was. It was insane.

[Paul Verze]

Listen to Paul's best podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I'm gonna do my intro.

[Mark Norman]

Okay?

[Jeremy Otoman]

Okay, hit that intro. Go laugh with me when the rent pass you and the car won't start. Laugh with me when the only sponsor is my broken heart we're hanging on this janky stream. Two weird voices in the glow of a. If the world won't sing then let it laugh with me.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Welcome back. It's a brand new episode. This is Laugh With Me, the podcast with Jeremy Otoman.

[Jeremy Otoman]

I'm your host. Jeremy stares at the stats, hands shaking over takeout boxes. Johnny's already mapping hotels on a napkin with greasy crosses. They quit jobs. They kind of hate it. Tell their bosses. Catch the show. Boss just shrugs. Hope it's funny.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And we've got a fantastic mid year movie. Catch up with the fella who knows his movies. Our guest today is a two time guest of the year nominee for Laugh with Me. He is our resident movie expert. You can find his letterboxed at by this vacuum. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the podcast. Grant Pearson.

[Mark Norman]

Thank you. Thank you for having me. And I am definitely here.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You're. You're live.

[Mark Norman]

I'm live. I'm excited to be here. I like doing the pod. Just need to get into town to do it more. Although the last one was over the phone and we could do that. But let's not talk about that.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You ever thought about moving to Omaha just so that you could be on the pod on like a weekly basis?

[Mark Norman]

You know, there's. There's a part of me that always wants to come back to Omaha, but I got. I got the Iowa. Iowa in me now.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah. So that's what she said. I. I did, I did wear my Iowa has bad corn T shirt in honor of you being here today.

[Mark Norman]

Yep, I noticed.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

It's all right.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

No comments from me though.

[Mark Norman]

Nebraska has bad football.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, okay. Let's go. All right, let's. Let's not go there.

[Mark Norman]

I think I just lost some people with that one. No, I, I think Nebraska football is just fine and dandy.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So you said we just lost. Our biggest market is the state of California.

[Mark Norman]

Oh, really?

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yes. Would you like to on those folks as well or you good.

[Mark Norman]

Should I just do the. The anchorman? Yeah, go F yourself. San Diego.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

There you go.

[Mark Norman]

No, I have. No, I have not. California. I need to get out there sometime. I've never been to California.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I'm surprised.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, I should do that. Tour some studios.

[Jeremy Otoman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Do something.

[Sam J]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You're been. Oh, I guess you've been to Disney World.

[Mark Norman]

I've been to Disney World.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I was going to ask if you ever been to Disneyland, but you've been to World, so.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Chuck]

No.

[Mark Norman]

Another never lands. Never. But, but yeah. World we've been a few times.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Universal Studios.

[Mark Norman]

Yep. But not since like the big like crazy rebuild and expansions and all that stuff.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, okay. So no Fast and the Furious roller coasters.

[Mark Norman]

No, we were there when the Harry Potter stuff was, was still newish.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay. And did you get a wand?

[Mark Norman]

No, we did not get a wand. The first of all, I don't need a wand. Secondly, the line for that was insane. It's not. It's like, yeah, we had no desire to stand in line for a wand for that long.

[Sam J]

Okay.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay, that's fair. I went to the Harry Potter like store in Chicago.

[Mark Norman]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And everybody was getting a wand.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, I mean it was things.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, it was pretty wild. The desk, that was the other guy. He was just pushing wands left and right. So yeah, we're here. We're. It's a mid year nor. We always do our Academy Award kind of end of the year wrap with the best and the worst of movies. We're doing a mid point check in at this point because it's, it's been a, it's been a year. I mean it has been a year of movies. It feels like already there's, there's been

[Mark Norman]

a lot of great films that have come out. There's been, there's been some stinkers in there, but it's, it really seems like a good year for just good movies that, that you want to watch and maybe even want to see again. They're just there. There hasn't been necessarily those just complete disaster movies that, that seems to happen sometimes at the beginning of the year.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And that's the thing. If you don't know, the studios tend to throw. Throw away some films top of the year. It's usually where you get, you know, the horror films that, that aren't going to be put out in October. Like they just kind of throw away some stuff. And this year, actually every year you get one or two that kind of pop off. But this year they've said movies are back. And I don't know, I guess they probably say that every year. I mean, kind of like if you're an NBA fan watching All Star Weekend and they're doing the dunk contest, they're either on the NBA like and these are the NBA announcers or they're saying we're back. You know, the dunk contest is back.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, no, the, the beginning of the year so far has just been. Ye. Yeah, it's been solid for movies, for horror in general has been Amazing so far, which we'll get into with favorite films and stuff like that. But I. And you have, you know, send Help and Hokum and Undertone and Primate and Ready or Not to. And they will kill you in Obsession and Back Rooms and just all these movies that are generally well received. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Which you don't get.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Like that long list of movies like that to start a year.

[Mark Norman]

No, especially. Yeah. Horror in general. I mean, the. The worst reviewed movie this year for horror, I think, is Scream 7. And that was a huge hit.

[Jake Brennan]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

I mean, so. So even if it didn't meet the. The critics expectations or the audience expectations, it still was a huge hit for. For the. The franchise made the most worldwide out of any of the movies.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You know what's crazy is that that movie also had the. The backlash. You had people trying to campaign to not go see the movie.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Because of things that had nothing to do with the film itself.

[Mark Norman]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And it still was a monster hit.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, it was huge. So, yeah, it's. Yeah. I think people are excited to get back to the theaters for good stuff, for exciting things. I mean, there's still some stuff in there that is not so great, but I think that there's definitely room for those original stories that always seem to scare the studios anymore. I think that there's room for the franchises as well, as long as they're. There's. They're done well. So I think that there's a. There's a lot of. A lot of positives going on with movies right now.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Well, let's. Let's get into it. What were some. I guess some of your, like, favorite films that you saw so far?

[Mark Norman]

I. I jotted down some Ideas for top 10 movies of the year so far. I don't necessarily. These aren't in any sort of order. These are just. Here's 10 movies that I've really liked so far. I will preface this and say a lot of these are going to be major releases. They're going to be things that people are like, why isn't there a bunch of independent stuff on here? It's just I haven't seen as many of those yet, and those good ones are usually released in the fall and winter. So. So, yeah, we'll start off with. I think one of the early surprises for me was Send help. Yeah. With Rachel McAdams and Dylan O' Brien there, Sam Raimi doing his thing. It was fun. I mean, is it a fantastic movie? I don't know if it's going to win any awards. Anywhere. But it is one of those things where I just. I had fun watching it, and I want to watch it again.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I. I watched that movie knowing people were talking about it.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And didn't realize Sam Raimi had directed this film.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Until I watched it, and then I'm like, this is a Sam Raimi, like, joint. And it 100 was.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, definitely was. Had his. Had his footprints on it. So Project Hail Mary I don't think is a surprise to anyone. That was a just enjoyable time at the movies to. To watch this movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Did you read the book?

[Mark Norman]

I did not read the book.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I've heard. I've seen it on display everywhere. I have not read it.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. But, yeah, I don't have time to read books. I'm watching all the movies.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

That's true.

[Mark Norman]

But no, I think Project Hail Mary is going to be up for awards at the end of the year. I think Ryan Gosling has a definite chance of being nominated for something in there. It was just. Did you see the movie? Yeah. You did? Not yet, but I. I highly recommend.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's all my, like, must watches.

[Sam J]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. One that's gonna surprise people on here. Hoppers. The animated one.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Love that movie. It is from the guys who did We Bear Bears, which I don't know if anybody knows that I'm a fan of.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

We Bear Bears.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. It's that guy. And it's honestly just crazy. The movie is insane. It has. I mean, it's a. It's a family movie, but it's. It's all over the place. And there's just. I loved it. I saw it in theaters. I saw it again. I bought it because I wanted my family to watch it. We could have watched it on Disney plus, but physical media love me. Some physical media. But we watched it. Everybody liked it. Everybody was surprised by it, so.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

But you. You're famously a huge fan of rabbits.

[Mark Norman]

Oh, yeah, Yeah. I love rabbits. You know, I love when they beat up Elmer Fudd. I love when they rap in movies. I don't know if rabbits have ever wrapped in a movie. I don't know. I'm just trying to come up with stuff.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, B. Rabbit.

[Mark Norman]

B. Rabbit. Absolutely. Yeah. That's what I was thinking of.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

He's wrapped.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. Good call out, Hoppers.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

Hokum.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, I just watched that one.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, Hokum was.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Was.

[Mark Norman]

I was. I was tense during most of Hokum. Yes. Like, just trying to, you know, figure out what was going on. And. Yeah, I loved Hokum. I know that. That's a little divisive for some people out there, but I think Hokum was very well done. Adam Scott plays an ass and he does it very well.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yes, he does.

[Mark Norman]

But, yeah, if you're into horror, Hokum is definitely where to go.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I'm not gonna give any spoilers, but if you've watched the movie, like Barbarian.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It flows like that. Yeah. Great. Great movie. I. I left. It was funny because I just watched it and I was waiting for you to get in town so that I could ask some questions, so that I make sure I was on the same page of what the movie was. Was.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And it. Yeah, it's.

[Mark Norman]

There's, there's questions.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It makes you think. Yes, a fun movie.

[Mark Norman]

Next one on here, the Sheep Detectives.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay, so I just heard about this one.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

But I haven't seen it.

[Mark Norman]

It's one of those things where it is incredibly funny. It's sad at parts. It's just one of those things where it was very surprising how good it really was. I mean, Hugh Jackman is in it for just a few minutes, not to spoil. He's the one that. He's the owner of the sheep. He's the. And he dies and the sheep are trying to figure out who killed him.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, so the sheep. Oh, so the title, Sheep Detectives, I mean, that's, that's, that's what it is.

[Paul Verze]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

So the sheep are trying to figure out who killed him and it's. It's a great, great movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Do they figure it out?

[Mark Norman]

I'm not going to tell you.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

That's a spoiler.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, I guess that's fair.

[Mark Norman]

I mean. But yeah, it's. I highly recommend that one especially, you know, it's a family movie as well. It's. It's. Like I said, it's funny, it's heartfelt. It's not going to go on and win any awards later on, but it's one of those things that you definitely will want to watch again at some point. It's a comfort movie, so I would. I would highly recommend the Sheep Detectives. And it was also a surprisingly good at the box office. It's over 60 million, which is pretty good. A movie called the Sheep Detectives? You wouldn't think so.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah. Interesting.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

What was the budget like? Probably like 30.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, it would be, but it wouldn't be that much, you know, far less. No, no, I'm saying it probably be like. Yeah, 30.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Undertone. I loved this one is a lot more. There's people out there that don't like it as much. I thought Undertone was especially watching in the theater with surround sounds and in the dark. And it's. It's an immersive movie. So when you're watching it, watch it in the dark, watch it with the best sound you can. Don't be on your phone during it. There's a lot of stuff going on in Undertone that I. I highly recommend to make sure that you have the right environment while you're watching it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Is this the podcast movie?

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay. Yeah. So if you haven't heard of Undertone, it's a podcaster who does, like, a. Is it about ghosts and stuff?

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, they do paranormal. It's. It's the. It's the. This podcaster and her co host who's in, like, another country or something, and the two of them get on and they explore paranormal things, and they end up with these 10 recordings that are progressively more disturbing.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

And so they go through those throughout the course of the movie, and things start to happen.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Have you ever watched a movie with, like, headphones on? Like, with the. With the audio dialed in?

[Mark Norman]

I haven't, no. That'd be good for that one.

[Jeremy Otoman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I was just thinking. I've never done it either.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

But I was just thinking that might be an interesting way to watch the movie.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, no, that would. That would actually be really cool. Yeah. If you have that option to do it with headphones, but don't watch it on, like, a phone screen.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

Watch it at least on a laptop or desktop screen, if not a bigger.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay. Christopher Nolan.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's not how the movies were meant to be watched.

[Mark Norman]

One on here that is a little bit smaller of a movie, but still excellent. Was Power ballad with Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Nick Jonas.

[Mark Norman]

Nick Jonas is kind of an ass during the movie, and so it's kind of.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

He's also kind of badass in real life.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. But it's about this guy who is in a cover band that plays weddings. He originally had, like, a band back in the day. So Paul Rudd is playing this character who writes all these different songs. He meets up with Nick Jonas, who's a pop star, and they go over some songs, and Nick Jonas ends up stealing one of them, and it becomes a huge hit. And so he's trying to convince everyone that he wrote the song, you know, and Paul Rudd's trying to get credit for it, but isn't getting any credit for it. It's just kind of, you know, it's a comedy, but it's also, you know, very much about this guy who's. Who's obsessed with trying to get people to believe him.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

That's like me telling my family that people listen to this podcast. I'm like, no, this is a big podcast. And they're like, okay, okay, dad.

[Jeremy Otoman]

All right.

[Mark Norman]

Just calm down on that. Go get on your Metamucil and.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Exactly.

[Mark Norman]

But yeah. So power ballad was fun. I liked that one. Next one up before you go on.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Favorite Jonas, who's your favorite brother?

[Mark Norman]

Alec Baldwin.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

There you go. All right, next movie.

[Mark Norman]

Okay. Obsession. I don't think this is going to be a surprise to anyone that it's on the list. It's going to be on everybody's list. It should get some award season love. Especially for Indy Navarette, I think, is her last name. She plays Nikki in the movie and does a phenomenal job having to jump back in the forth through all these different things. And I. Yeah, it was. It's an amazing movie. It's not necessarily, like, super scary.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Right.

[Mark Norman]

There are moments. It has moments, but it's one of those things where it's more like this dread throughout the movie that you're just feeling as things keep on going on and getting worse and which.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's kind of like, oh, I guess it's not the same. But you know, like when you watch the Office and. And you're like, well, some people will say it's not funny. There's not necessarily like, it's not funny, but there's this awkwardness that's so tense that you feel it the whole. And you know, when things are building, it's kind of like that.

[Mark Norman]

But like, what, the dinner party episode of the Office.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Which is one of the most uncomfortable half hours of television ever put out there.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Correct. And this movie is so uncomfortable at times. And the dread of what. What's coming or what could come.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, that.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, it just. That's the scary. Yeah, I get it.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. So, yeah, Obsession on there. Good luck. Have fun. Don't Die with Sam Rockwell did not get the box office love that it deserved. It's about a guy who comes back in time to be able to stop basically computers from taking over. And so he has to recruit these people from a diner. And he has done this dozens of times and tries different combinations of people to try and help him get to stopping the computer over taking everything. I don't know. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's really funny. I. Sam Rockwell is one of the greatest actors that's out there.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, agree.

[Mark Norman]

He Kills it in everything he does. Even things like Poltergeist. He was the highlight of Poltergeist 3, the remake from however many years ago now. Yeah, I. I think that he deserves more awards, more love, more big movies. But he's got, What, Wild Horse 9 coming out this year, which I cannot wait to see.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Wild Horse. What? What? If you haven't seen Wild Horse one through eight, are you gonna.

[Mark Norman]

I think that you'll still get it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So good luck.

[Paul Verze]

Have fun.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Don't die. When you watched it, could you feel the Back to the Future influence there?

[Mark Norman]

There was a little bit in there, but it's a. It's a lot of time travel movies influence in there. You know, there's some Terminator stuff and there's just. There's a lot of different things that. Happy Death Day to day to you.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

To you. That's right. Happy birthday to you.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. You respect. Happy Death Day.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I love Happy Death Day. Yeah. I'm still excited for the third one,

[Mark Norman]

if they ever get around to making it. They keep talking about how it's happening.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I love movies like that.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

They don't take themselves too seriously.

[Mark Norman]

Exact.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's fun.

[Mark Norman]

Yes. And then finally on my top 10 would be 28 years later, the Bone Temple, which I've heard that it's like

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

one of the better 20, 28 days. Like series, like movies.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, like the. The 28 years later itself. A lot of people hated.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yes.

[Mark Norman]

And I think that turned people off from seeing this one. It is a sequel to 28 Years Later. It has same characters in it and stuff like that. It's just. It. It's hard to explain in what ways it's better, but it is incredibly well done. Ralph finds. Just delivers a great performance in there. It deserved a lot more than what it got. It's just. It had such a bad taste in people's mouths from 28 years later that they didn't want to see the Bone Temple. And so now they're potentially making a third one, but it kind of got put on hold. So we'll see what happens there. But yeah, if you were not A fan of 28 Years Later, I still suggest you check out this one because it is one of the better movies of the year.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Do any skeletons come alive?

[Mark Norman]

No skeletons come alive. No skeletons selling their bones for money.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay, what about the Worms?

[Mark Norman]

The Worms for money? Yes. Yes, definitely. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

All right, good.

[Mark Norman]

So there are a bunch of movies I haven't seen yet. There's Nirvana, the Band, the show, the

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Movie, Heard nothing but great things.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, there's a movie called the Invite with Seth Rogen and, yes, Olivia Wilde and maybe Rodrigo.

[Sam J]

Huh?

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Olivia, Rodrigo.

[Mark Norman]

No, I think Olivia Wilde is. Oh, no, not Rodrigo.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

Sorry. But yeah, that one looks great. There's a movie called Blue Heron that I've heard a lot about. About. And then I love Boosters from Boots Riley. I've been wanting to see. I just haven't yet. It was out of theaters very, very quickly, unfortunately.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I love Boosters, which is a spin off of Friday Night Lights, correct?

[Mark Norman]

No, I don't think so. But Friday Night Lights, what a great show.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

What a fantastic movie. And TV show.

[Mark Norman]

And TV show. You know, we should really get our friends to. To watch that show.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Anybody who will listen, I tell them to watch this. And most people do listen.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, some folks, some people just. They get. They lose a bet and they still don't pay up on it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yep. One of these days.

[Mark Norman]

One of these days.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

One of these days.

[Mark Norman]

So, yeah, like I said, lots of great movies this year, but there's also been some stinkers.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah. And we're going to get into it. Some of the worst movies.

[Ari Chambers]

What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Sam J]

Hey, what's up, y'? All? It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ari Chambers]

And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and I heart women's sports because, let's

[Sam J]

be real, women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days.

[Ari Chambers]

The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that they take over your

[Sam J]

entire timeline, and the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week.

[Ari Chambers]

Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports.

[Sam J]

We'll give you our takes, our debates, and probably a few disagreements.

[Ari Chambers]

We'll talk to athletes, celebrate big moments, and get into what's happening on and off the field, court, track, and beyond.

[Sam J]

Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it, because everyone watches women's sports. So if you're already a fan or

[Ari Chambers]

you're just getting into the game, there's a seat for you right here.

[Sam J]

Listen to Everyone Watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, I'm Hoda Kotb, host of the podcast Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb.

[Mark Norman]

Okay.

[Hoda Kotb]

If you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people. Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming.

[Sam J]

I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartum depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety.

[Hoda Kotb]

Olympic champ Shawn Johnson revealed why she had no choice but but to be a gymnast.

[Mark Norman]

There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me. It's given me a belief that we

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

all have one of those treasures inside of us.

[Mark Norman]

We just have to find it.

[Hoda Kotb]

Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sam J]

My first guest is Paris Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerin Samira E. Gracie.

[Mark Norman]

I'm so excited. On a bouncy bed. Do you have surprises? Many surprises.

[Sam J]

Welcome to Suite 305 where the group chat comes to life.

[Hoda Kotb]

What up?

[Mark Norman]

You're the only person I know that loves yellow starbursts.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's lemonade.

[Sam J]

This is suite 305. Listen to suite 305 with Lele Pons as part of my Cultura Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jake Brennan]

I'm Jake Brennan, and on the Disgraceland Podcast I explore the wild lives of rock stars and unbelievable true crime stories from music history. These are the stories you haven't heard, the kind you'll end up telling someone else. Like the time Paul McCartney spent in one of the world's most notorious prisons. Imagine that you're Paul McCartney. It's 1980, you're an ex Beatle, and you're doing time in one of Japan's worst prisons right there alongside Yakuza gangsters. And for a ridiculous charge or the bizarre crime Lady Gaga is accused of. Who is the artist Lady Gaga is being accused of doing the unthinkable to after allegedly stealing her music in style to become famous. And what about that time Blondie's Debbie Harry escaped a serial killer? The man who had given her that ride she barely escaped from was Ted Bundy. Listen to Disgraceland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

podcasts so far of 2026.

[Mark Norman]

Yes. So the worst movies. I'm gonna go ahead and say I don't have as long of A list.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

For this.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

That's good.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. I had to, like, reach for some of these. Okay. So starting off with Mercy with Chris Pratt, it's a guy that has to prove that he didn't kill his wife. And he has like an hour to do it. And this AI judge will decide whether or not he is guilty.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So it's like a new age fugitive.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, sort of thing. And he has to use all the, you know, he has access to every camera and all this stuff to try and figure out who actually killed his wife. And it's just, it's terrible. I don't have a better way to describe it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Is it comparable to to last year's War of the Worlds with Ice Cube?

[Mark Norman]

No, War of the Worlds with Ice Cube is in a level of its own.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

That is a half star movie. I think I gave at least Mercy a star because there was at least, like an idea in there. I don't know if they, they, they could have done something better with it. And my favorite thing is that on the poster for it, it's got Chris Pratt, like, full riot gear with a gun and getting ready to go charge down something. And he never holds a gun during the movie. They just put that on the poster to try and sell it as an action movie. And it's not an action movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Have you. Have you. Do you watch Last week Tonight?

[Mark Norman]

Sometimes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay. He did an episode in this season about. It's in another country. And I. It escapes me. What country? Maybe India. Somewhere in there, there's a town. There's these artists where they, they sell. These artists. They create movie posters to sell.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

To try to get people to come watch the movies.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And they've never seen the movie.

[Mark Norman]

Oh.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And they, they just know what the movie is and who's in it. Maybe. And. And I say maybe because they don't always know. And they'll, you know, create the movie posters with their art on this, like, potato sack. And they'll put things on the poster that have nothing to do with the movie. Like, yeah, you know, it could be, you know, 40 year old virgin and it'll have Steve Carell, like with knives, you know, or something. Like, it's just something wild. Right. And they'll do it to try to sell people to come watch the movie.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And that's it. And that reminded me of that. But that's just not in the movie.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, they entirely just came up with some shit for the poster.

[Sam J]

And.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, yeah. There was a Netflix movie called War Machine. It has nothing to do with the War Machine character from the Marvel series. It's about Alien Attack that's going on. I don't know. I lost track of how many times they made just stupid decisions during the thing. And it's got Alan Richardson in it, who's a reacher on Prime. And it's just a mess of a movie. But it's one of those things that Netflix puts out because it's easy to make and is cheap and people will watch it for whatever reason. So it's just your generic Netflix movie, except done a little bit worse.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I. I watch a Netflix movie knowing it's not going to be great.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Like, I just go into it and I'm like, you know what's on Netflix? It's an original movie. It's a story. The story might interest me. I'm in. But I will say this movie, Little Brother with Eric Andre and John Cena.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

That's on Netflix right now.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's a funny movie.

[Mark Norman]

I've been. I want to see that one.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It is a funny movie.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. No, that's something that I do have a desire to see still, and I haven't. But yeah, Netflix, like a Netflix action movie is usually going to be like a two, two and a half star kind of movie. Like there's Apex that came out this year with Charlize Theron. And why am I blanking on his name? Taryn Edgerton.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Taryn Edgerton. I thought you were going to say Kevin Hart.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, Kevin Hart. This action movie with Charlize Theron. No, which he was in Borderlands. So that's not too crazy because I had Kate Blanchette in it. But we don't need to talk about that one anymore. But ye. But yeah, those are like your two, two and a half star. Yeah. I'll put it on and get distracted on my phone and not worry about it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

A lot of things will blow up.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Like the budget's big in that regard.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And they'll have a big name star. But that the story isn't there one

[Mark Norman]

that I might get some hate for. Masters of the Universe.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I'm shocked by that one.

[Mark Norman]

I've never been a big he man fan and it's like the movie was made for people that are he man fans. So it wasn't speaking to me.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

That's like you go to a Yankees Red Sox game. Awesome. And it comes down to the bottom of the ninth and you get the walk off. But you're a Royals fan. You're like, ah, would have been cool if it was the Royals.

[Mark Norman]

I. I would appreciate that baseball game more because at least I know the lore of baseball.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

True. All right, that's fair.

[Mark Norman]

Whereas, like, in. In the movie, they're making fun of the names that he gives people. You know, there's Fisto and. And calling himself he man. And it's like, yeah, those are all ridiculous names. I'm glad that it's being called out, that it's just. And of course, the other part of it is that it has Jared Leto as Skeletor, and Jared Leto is a American icon, a questionable person.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah. I'm not.

[Jeremy Otoman]

I.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Is he. Is he.

[Sam J]

Is there.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Is there some. I don't know, the. I guess the. The lore there. I. I just know he's. He's an actor that just gets into it.

[Mark Norman]

He gets very into it. But there is. There's some other stuff out there that might make him a little bit less likable.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Is it just because he's one of the top two jokers that's ever been.

[Mark Norman]

Top two jokers. We don't need to get into a Leto argument. I feel like we do this most of the time when we get onto the pod is. Is whether or not. But to be fair, he does a fine job as Skeletor.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

There you go.

[Mark Norman]

I mean, you can't tell that it's him necessarily, because it's a CGI skeleton person, but he does fine for what it is.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Jared Leto, baby.

[Mark Norman]

Mortal Kombat 2. I will own the movie, and I'll probably watch it again. Is it good? No, not at all. It's one of those kind of borderline movies for me. Like, there's not a good story. There's some good action. You know, it's a. It's a good movie to just put on, to have on if you're looking for something that's action in the background.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So the first mortal Kombat in 2020, when it came out, like, on streaming, watch the movie solely because there was so little new stuff.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

When it came out, you know, for free to watch on HBO or whatever, it was like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna watch this. And then I loved it.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And then I wanted more. And they're like, oh, we're gonna make another one. And I was so excited. And then here we are. No one likes it.

[Sam J]

Yeah.

[Paul Verze]

See?

[Mark Norman]

And. And the thing is. And this is probably a spoiler, so spoiler alert. But, like, the big hero of the first movie, that guy, he ends up, like, dying really early in the second movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Well, that just makes no Sense.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. It's like they, they decided they're all in on Johnny Cage. Let's get rid of the guy from the last movie so we can be focusing on Johnny Cage. And it's like, I don't know about that decision. That was kind of weird. But I guess if you're gonna make the stakes real.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Right.

[Mark Norman]

So Super Mario Galaxy movie, you can't

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

have this on your list.

[Mark Norman]

I have it on my list. I just. Is a two star movie for me. It just.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

For the same reason Masters of the Universe is on your list is why

[Mark Norman]

Mario can't be say Mario I love.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Right.

[Mark Norman]

I love you understand the lore. Super Mario World is my favorite video game of all time. And I think that's kind of where it comes in is like I've played Super Mario Galaxy and all kinds of Paper Mario and all those things. And it just seemed like they were trying to cram in a bunch of characters into a very loose story. It just didn't do anything for me. And it's like, you know, I love Donald Glover, but why did he have to voice Yoshi? You know, what was his contribution there?

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

What is Vin Diesel voice Groot?

[Mark Norman]

Exactly. It's just. Well, Vin Diesel is an accomplished voice actor. He was the Iron Giant.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

He. Okay.

[Mark Norman]

I mean, that was one of his early roles.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

So. So you got to give that to him. I do like me some Vin Diesel. I.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Who doesn't?

[Mark Norman]

He makes such bad movies, but I probably own all of them. I don't know. It's. We don't need to get into Vin Diesel either, but we should always get into Vin Diesel. But if you rearrange the letters in his name, it's I end lives.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, really?

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. So that's how Vin Diesel works.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

We should get that tattooed. Do you want to get that tattooed?

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, we'll. We'll book it.

[Jeremy Otoman]

It.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

All right, I'm in. Let's go.

[Mark Norman]

And then I'm not putting this on here because I hate the movie. I'm putting this on here because of the potential the movie had. And that is scary movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh no.

[Mark Norman]

I. I really liked actually the quote story of it. They followed a lot of Scream 5 and Scream 6 stuff and made fun of it. And that was funny. The thing is, is that they were saying they're like, this is going to be the most offensive movie ever made. And. And this is going to. Everybody's going to be mad about all these things. And then it wasn't to me. It's like the jokes that they were trying to do just kind of fell flat and they really didn't push into anything that was too new ground or new territory. It just kind of was one of those things where it's like, yeah, it's a scary movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Well, is it possible too that the way INS wanted to kind of test it a little bit and with some of this stuff, like some of the jokes and then when they come back with another, which they most certainly will. Yeah, it was a huge money maker. Yeah. When they come back with the next one, then maybe they'll push it a little more.

[Mark Norman]

I would hope so. I mean, because. Yeah, they're making another one. They keep talking about making a White

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Chicks too, which that I don't get.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, I don't understand either. But people love that movie somehow. But I think it's the Terry Crews.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's got to be the Terry Crews.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, but yeah, it's. It's one of those things where I just felt like they, they had more potential to do things, you know, I don't need to have. Yeah, I don't know. It's just the potential.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

I'm not mad. I'm disappointed.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, that's almost worse. And it will most likely end up on the Razzie list as well.

[Mark Norman]

Oh, yeah. Yeah, it should.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Good.

[Mark Norman]

There's movies I haven't seen that have horrible reviews and are getting put on those mid year bad movies lists. There's the Bride. I never got a chance to see the Bride. I thought it looked interesting, but apparently it's terrible. Michael. Michael is a divisive one out there for, for people. The critics hated it, the fans loved it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It just appears to be a matter of opinion of, of. Do you care that they don't cover things that you want them to cover in the movie? Which is silly. Like just watch the movie and be entertained or not. But people are getting mad because it's just, you know, a big love fest for Michael.

[Mark Norman]

Yep. But I mean, it's the highest grossing biopic of all time at this point.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh yeah. Internationally this thing's a smash.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, I mean it did really, really well domestically as well. I mean, it's just all together a very huge movie. I just never got around to seeing it because it didn't interest me. That's all that it comes down to is that I. I don't know. I didn't grow up listening to Michael Jackson really. It just wasn't so like a movie about him. Didn't really interest me.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You know, his music from Weird Al Yankovic.

[Mark Norman]

Let's oh, yeah, yeah. Weird Al is. Which. Which, by the way, I will plug Weird Al here. If you've not seen Weird Al live, go see Weird Al live.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Do you think Weird Al needs your plug in order for people to go see him?

[Mark Norman]

I hope so. I hope that I. I can. I can.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You can influence.

[Mark Norman]

Influence people to go there. No, he's. I mean, he's 66 now. He's been doing this for a few years. I don't think he needs me. But he also hasn't put out anything new as far as an album in like 12 years now or something.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So that's his real hair?

[Mark Norman]

I think now. Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

Because it. Like when he's performing live these days, it's. It's pretty gray.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Oh, is it?

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, like when he has promotional stuff. I think they diet for promotional material. Okay.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

But.

[Mark Norman]

Or, you know, color it and post production or whatever. But yeah, when he's performing, it's. It's. It's getting pretty light.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's legit, so interesting.

[Mark Norman]

Let's see the Strangers Chapter three. I didn't see the Strangers chapter one or chapter two, but I've heard chapter three is by far the worst of them.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So I just watched chapter one one.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And I'm dying to watch chapter two. Not because chapter one was good. Chapter one was awful.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So Strangers, the original.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. It's all timer. Yeah, it's. It's creepy movie about Alzheimer.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I could re. Watch that one over and over and be scared every time. Like the tents. It's just the tension.

[Sam J]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Chapter one tries to duplicate that in almost every way.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

But just enough changes. But you know what's coming. Like, the thing is the acting's not good. Like, the acting's trash.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. That's always good.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And I don't know, it's just not a good movie at all. It didn't keep my attention and then. But I'm dying for chapter two because it's. It's a legit cliffhanger. So I need more.

[Mark Norman]

You need to see what happens to these terrible things.

[Jake Brennan]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yes. So I am excited to watch chapter two and three. But. But it's bad, apparently.

[Hoda Kotb]

Bad.

[Mark Norman]

They're talking about putting together all three of them into one, like, master cut.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

If you want to completely waste a day of your life.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. Doing a kill bill. Whole bloody affair, which I did enjoy. Yes. That was fun.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Except the anime part at the end or whatever was kind of dumb.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's like we're just going to add something.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. Let's See Animal Farm. The animated Animal Farm. I don't know if anybody even remembers this being released at this point, but it looks like trash. And. Yes. Yeah. And I'm not gonna see it. Even if it gets nominated for Razzies, I will skip it because it looks just that bad.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Okay.

[Mark Norman]

And then finally, there was a horror movie that came out called Psycho Killer that was sitting at a 0% on rotten tomatoes for a while until it finally got raised to like, a seven. So I have missed that one. But actually, that is one that I want to watch. Because of how astonishingly bad the reviews are, it feels like I have to watch it. Like, a movie that gets like a 30 on rotten tomatoes isn't as enticing to me as a movie that gets a 7% on Rotten Tomatoes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You want to see just for how bad it is.

[Mark Norman]

Exactly. Yeah. Otherwise, you know, it's just those kind of disappointing, once again, movies where it's like, they had potential and they wasted it. This looks like one that they didn't have any potential on and they. They just made a terrible movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Do you watch the, like, the Winnie the Pooh, like, horror universe?

[Mark Norman]

I saw the first two Winnie the Pooh movies. I haven't seen the Peter Pan or the Bambi or any of those.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Popeye.

[Mark Norman]

No.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, they. How do those movies not end up on these lists? That's what I'm wondering. Like, because they are bad.

[Mark Norman]

Because I think the big thing for them is that they get, like, streaming releases rather than theatrical releases, and they fly under the radar because they're not extremely popular. They're just popular enough to continue the universe. And they're so low budget that nobody expects anything out of them.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's a very cult following.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And that's it. Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

No, I mean, to be fair, like, they could end up on the list if I ever got around to watching them, but I just don't have the desire necessarily to. But, like, the first Winnie the Pooh, Blood and Honey was just a. A piece of trash. I don't know if you saw it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, I did.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, it was terrible. The. The costume for Winnie the Pooh was just awful. The second one, they at least improved

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

a little more money.

[Mark Norman]

They had some more money. They improved the effects. They improved the costume a lot. And so they were able to do more. And I can see how that would. But, yeah, the first one is just. Just not even a movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

The first one. Imagine if, like, you and I made a movie movie.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, there you go.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

That's what it would look like. It's exactly what it would look like.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. So those are my ones that either I have not seen and are to be seen or are the worst kind of talked about ones.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Major. I know we kind of went through a little bit. We were talking about some of the movies, but like some of the best performances you've seen from the year. Obviously from Obsession.

[Mark Norman]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

We saw what will be a nominated. I mean, performance.

[Mark Norman]

And the big. The big debate right now is is she best actress or best supporting actress.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Correct. And she has the best shot to win.

[Mark Norman]

In supporting.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

In supporting. Which is why they're saying that even though she's.

[Mark Norman]

She carries the movie, but at the same time, Bear is the main character during the entire movie and it's basically she's. So it makes sense. It makes sense to do supporting. I can see where the argument is for best actress, but I think supporting is where she ends up falling in there.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And you could make the argument that there's. There is the main character. Right. The guy.

[Mark Norman]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And then there's three supporting.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Characters that are the four, you know, core group of friends.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And she falls into that. But it just depends. Honestly, they're trying to push the supporting because that is her best shot to win this thing. That's where the academy will take a chance on a young person who's never been a part of the process.

[Mark Norman]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So that's probably where she falls. But man, she could be nominated for lead.

[Mark Norman]

She could fall in there. I just don't think that. I think that the supporting. Yeah. Is a better fit for her.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

So Ryan Gosling, once again for project Hail Mary. I think that he will get nominated in there and so will can't remember her name. But the supporting actress in there, I think she'll get nominated as well. I completely blanking on her name.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Lena Dunham.

[Mark Norman]

It's not Lena Dunham.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Sure.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. I don't think Lena Dunham was in project Hail Mary.

[Ari Chambers]

Okay.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Never mind.

[Mark Norman]

Trying to think of anything else that's really popped out so far this year as far as actors or actresses. I think that we're still waiting for a lot of those movies in the fall. We're looking for the Odyssey coming out here in a couple of weeks that's gonna just that unless there's something terrible about it, I think that that's going to be one of those Best picture, best actor, best actresses. Actresses.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You think Obsession could fall into best Picture?

[Mark Norman]

I think so.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I think it's got a shot.

[Mark Norman]

I honestly think if they do the full 10 nominations that they can do that. Obsession could fall in there.

[Paul Verze]

How?

[Mark Norman]

Could be. Because it's such a. It's such a story as well. I mean, it was made for so little money. It's made over $200 million at the domestic box office. People are talking about it. It continued to increase its box office for a number of weeks. It just did all these incredible things that it has to be recognized. You know, that's the same kind of thing with Back rooms. I don't think Back rooms is going to get the nominations in there, but it opened to $80 million and has become the highest grossing movie for the studio. You know, it's one of those things where it beat out Marty supreme for highest grossing movie, which is gonna make your son mad.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, he loves Marty Springs. It's like one of his favorite movies ever.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. Des likes it as well. So I. What is it about the younger, the young generation? Love the Tim Chalamet that.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

All right. That's probably what it is.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

The obsession. I mean, for people who don't know when a movie comes out, that's generally 99.9% of the time the peak it receives at the box office.

[Mark Norman]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

In one given weekend and the next weekend the drop off will be half or more.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And then Obsession didn't do that. It kept growing week after week after week after week.

[Sam J]

Week.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's. It's an anomaly.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. It's still a top five movie at the box office.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Which is just insane after this weekend

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

because now it's on streaming.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

But it's number one on stream, on digital, so. Yeah, it's wild.

[Mark Norman]

It's. It's wild. Yeah, it's. It's definitely one of the stories of the year. But I mean, you had these small filmmakers coming out and making, you know, the Obsession and backrooms and even Iron Lung at the beginning of the year. A lot of people are forgetting about that one. It wasn't as big of a box office hit, but it made $40 million from this guy who's a streamer.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah. A lot of money.

[Mark Norman]

I mean, it's there. There's just that push for new, original voices, doing things, you know, and trying to make movies that are interesting.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Which is why your son DEZ is going to continue to make his movies.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

On YouTube.

[Mark Norman]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Pizza crust Studios. Shout out.

[Mark Norman]

Yep. Pizza Crust Studios. Go there. You know, there's things that are coming out later this year. I already mentioned Wild Horse, Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich. It's it. That's going to be one of those award type movies that you're going to see around, trying to think other things that are coming out down the line that are going to be award winners but just have to wait and see what pops.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Minions and Monsters.

[Mark Norman]

Minions and Monsters will probably get a best animated feature. I would prefer Hoppers personally.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Well, Hoppers will be there there.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, Hoppers. Hoppers had better be there. Otherwise I'll be very upset because I. I can see Hopper still laying in my top 10 for the year.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

There's not a new one coming, but I really wish there was another Secret Life of Pets. That's just.

[Mark Norman]

I'm just daydreaming, just daydreaming. Just thinking about what, what could have been.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah,

[Mark Norman]

get Louis CK back.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Louis ck, Kevin Hart. We'll get the whole band back together.

[Mark Norman]

Louis CK released a new special on

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Netflix of all places. Yeah, he's back.

[Mark Norman]

That's so weird.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Isn't it crazy?

[Mark Norman]

That's insane.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So the turnaround from a cancellation is six years?

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, apparently. I wonder if he's gonna try and release his movie now. The. What is it? I love you daddy.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Which was time a little creepy looking, but we understand why now. I wonder if he's gonna try and release that somewhere.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Why not?

[Mark Norman]

Why not? Because it's just sitting. I mean, why not sitting? Yeah, I mean that's the. The same thing with the Room with Bob Odenkirk where it was sitting around for years and now finally is getting a release.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Will that get Razzy love?

[Mark Norman]

I don't know if it'll get Razzie Love. I think it'll just kind of be a thing that's out there.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, I kind of hope that that's the case. Yeah, like it doesn't need to be on because what it is is fun in general.

[Mark Norman]

If you're not familiar with the Room, the Room is one of the worst movies that has ever been made. And a bunch of actors got together, including Bob Odenkirk as the lead role and made a serious version of it in a 12 hour period. So it's a movie that they love that they went and they tried to make it as serious and positive as possible. And it sat around for a while. They made it for charity and it's finally coming out and it's going to be very interesting to see their take on it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's going to be awesome.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, that's what it is. Yes. He's a world like has Greg Sestero from the original movie in it as well.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Is he playing his role?

[Mark Norman]

No, he's playing. I think. I think he's playing Chris R. The drug dealer. Dang it.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It'd be amazing if he re like.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. If he just did his role again. Yeah, yeah. No, it's. Oh, God. I just thought about the sex scenes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Do you think about those often?

[Mark Norman]

They're pretty much imprinted in my mind. I've seen the Room way too many times. For those who don't know, there's some pretty intense sex scenes in those movies and it's just disturbing. And there's a lot of them. There is a lot of them. And it's. Yeah. And there's certain things that just. You don't forget. And that's one of them. You have. You get PTSD after watching it a few times.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You've sold this movie hard.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

People.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, The Room. Go watch it. Hate yourself afterwards. Make sure you watch it with a bunch of people, though. So you can just sit there and look at each other and be like, what the hell is happening? Happening?

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Now that you've on it, what's your letterbox on the Room?

[Mark Norman]

Oh, it's a five star.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

There you go.

[Mark Norman]

I think every time I watch it, I either make it a half star or a five star.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah.

[Mark Norman]

Because the experience of it is so much fun. Especially if you go to see it like in a theater where there's people that. It's. It's a modern rocky horror where you throw stuff around and shout things and it's just a fun experience. So it's a five star experience for a half star movie.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

There you go. Go. Makes sense. Throw football around.

[Mark Norman]

Yes. Throw the football around. Throw the spoons, yell. Just insane things that are going on.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So the first part of 26 has been a movement for horror.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And horror, it tends like, it goes in like waves where you get original ideas and it's back and then you get the retreads, you get the remakes, and then it tends to like kind of pitter off a little bit after that. But yeah, we're. We're in a renaissance right now of horror.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, horror is, is big right now, especially, you know, once again going back to obsession and Back Rooms both being just gigantic hits, you know, and then you, you look at other things that are in there for even smaller movies, like Primate. At the beginning of the year, was it great? No, but it was fun. It was about a monkey that starts killing people.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Who doesn't love monkeys?

[Mark Norman]

Yeah, exactly. But, you know, it was a modest hit. You know, things like Hokum did okay, Undertone Did Okay. But the critical response to him was very, very positive. The audience response was mostly positive. It's one of those things where they're at least coming up with new stories and ideas. It's not all Scream seven over and over and over again. It's not all these sequels. It's a lot of original ideas coming out.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's not Wild Horse Dying.

[Mark Norman]

It's not Wild Horse nine, that's for damn sure. But no, I think that horror is, is experiencing a lot of freshness right now, which is what this. What, what it needed. I mean, there's that whole term of elevated horror that people talk about with Hereditary and Mid Summer and stuff like that. But now I think we're getting into stories that are more accessible to wider audiences and more diverse as well as far as the types of movies that are being made that are under the horror label.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

So the, the world's largest place to watch anything is YouTube.

[Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And you're getting these YouTubers.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

That are, that are creating original ideas and they're putting it on YouTube and they're getting massive views. Which is your test audience.

[Mark Norman]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

And then you're taking these filmmakers on YouTube and you're giving them a little budget and saying, all right, go do something. We'll put it in theaters. I mean, people are going in massive numbers to go see it.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. I mean, that's, that's been. A24 has been doing this for a while now just with. Okay, we're going to find a small filmmaker, give them a little bit of a budget and say, make what you want to do. Just don't spend more than this.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Right.

[Mark Norman]

And giving them the freedom to, to create the movie that they want to create. Does it always work?

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

No, no.

[Mark Norman]

But sometimes it works really, really well. And it's one of those things still that fresh ideas are coming out. You're giving exposure to these young filmmakers. And I, It's. It's important to have that. Nothing against the Spielbergs and stuff out there. Disclosure Day is. But, you know, it's one of those things where, where the, the new voices out there are going to start to take over a lot, lot more.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

You know what was interesting about Disclosure Day, to me, it wasn't necessarily the movie itself.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It was the marketing build up to it with Spielberg doing fun things, trying to gain some, like, publicity to get people to go see his film. Which was something you wouldn't see from.

[Mark Norman]

No.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Somebody like him. No, not at all.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah. I mean, Spielberg isn't. He's a good Sport. Yeah, he's not usually the guy showing up on talk shows and doing carpool, karaoke or whatever types of things.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

Yeah, just randomly showing up at like bars to sing karaoke. Like he. It was just fun.

[Mark Norman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

I don't know. I hope we see more of stuff like that. Yeah, I want to see Christopher Nolan do something like that.

[Mark Norman]

I, you know, I can't say never, but Christopher Nolan doesn't seem like the kind of guy that's gonna.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

He doesn't.

[Paul Verze]

No.

[Mark Norman]

But. Yeah. So those are. Yeah, those are movies.

[Jeremy Otoman]

Rent's past you and the car won't start. Laugh with me when the only sponsor is my broken heart we're hanging on this janky stream Two weird voices in the glow of a screen if the world won't sing then let it laugh with me.

[Ari Chambers]

What's up, fam? It's sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Sam J]

Hey, what's up, y'? All? It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ari Chambers]

And we're the host hosts of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from 2gether.

[Sam J]

We're breaking down the biggest headlines, the viral moments and the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports.

[Ari Chambers]

From game changing performances to culture shifting conversations. We'll give you our takes, our debates, and a few laughs along the way

[Sam J]

because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Hoda Kotb]

Joy is essential and it's also elusive but natural. There's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotbi. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting and moving on air chats. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Joy101 and listen now. Joy101 with Hoda Kotbi is presented by CBS.

[Chuck]

Hey, this is Chuck from Stuff youf Should Know. And we're submitting our most sciency episodes for your peer review with our new

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

stuff you should know.

[Chuck]

Doing science playlist out now you want to know about Occam's Razor? The simplest explanation is usually the right one. We got you covered. Wondered what chaos theory is ever since the first time you saw Jurassic Park. Well, come on down. So distill a nice pot of tea, everybody. Turn down the gas on your Bunsen burner and slip into your most comfortable lab coat and listen to the stuff you should know. Doing science Playlist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Verze]

Paul Verze here, and I want to talk to you about Paul's best podcast, Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio. I sit down each week with a special guest and we discuss the absolute best of things.

[Mark Norman]

Pete Davidson.

[Podcast Host (possibly Jeremy Otoman)]

It's that and then there's everything else.

[Mark Norman]

Dude, his whole life is sounded like the first drop of a roller coaster. Mark Norman. I mean, I can't even tell you, Paul, how crazy it was. It was insane.

[Paul Verze]

Listen to Paul's best podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.