The Best One Yet — “Paranormal profits”: Horror’s Box Office Record, Starbucks Delivery, Government Shutdown Month Two & K-Pop (Lehman) Hunters

Podcast: The Best One Yet
Hosts: Nick & Jack Studios (Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell)
Date: October 31, 2025
Episode Theme: Business trends with a fun, Halloween twist—how horror movies are scaring up record profits, the second month of the government shutdown and what it really means, Starbucks’ surprising delivery-fueled rebound, and the business costume contest.

Episode Overview

This special Halloween episode dives into three major business stories, each with a fresh and witty take:

1. The horror genre’s unprecedented success at the box office
2. The real economic pain behind the ongoing government shutdown
3. Starbucks’ growth—delivered piping hot (or cold) straight to your door

The hosts also celebrate Halloween with their annual business-themed costume contest (K-Pop Lehman Hunters, anyone?) and keep their trademark playful banter throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Horror Movies Dominate the Box Office (06:07–09:46)

• 2025: Record Year for Horror

  • Horror films have raked in an unprecedented 17.2% of the US box office in 2025, a record high and a 70% increase from last year.
    • “Horror has taken in a record 17.2% of the United States box office this year.” — Nick (07:36)
  • Big horror hits:
    • Black Phone 2 ($27M opening weekend in October)
    • Sinners ($367M, sleeper hit)
    • The Conjuring 9 ($500M, #2 horror movie of all time)
  • Series like Five Nights at Freddy’s and 28 Years Later launch at various times of year—horror is now year-round, not just for Halloween.

• Why is horror blowing up?

  • “Calendar creep”: Horror movies are marketed and released year-round (“like how Home Depot sells those 15-foot skeletons as early as July”).
  • Audience division is fueling growth:
    • Most-hated AND fastest-growing genre: 22% of Americans hate horror (per YouGov), “but viewers give it two thumbs up on Rotten Tomatoes.” — Jack (09:19)
    • This divisiveness itself is the engine of profit, the “divisive dividend”: People love-to-hate horror, and that controversy drives viewership.

• Takeaway

  • “What divides us, also sells.” — Jack (19:34)
  • Divisiveness works as a business strategy (also seen in social media and fashion).

2. Government Shutdown: When Food Stamps Stop (09:53–13:30)

• Backdrop: 31 days and counting

  • The shutdown is now the second-longest in history.
    • 700,000 federal employees working without pay; another 700,000 furloughed.
  • Critical tipping point: SNAP (food stamps) will not be funded after Nov 1—for 42 million low-income Americans.
    • “42 million low income Americans are gonna stop receiving government assistance to buy food.” — Nick (10:43)

• What’s the shutdown really about?

  • Healthcare: Democrats demand Republicans restore $1 trillion in health care funding cut in the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
    • Cuts include stricter Medicaid work requirements and slashed subsidies for people on ACA (“Obamacare”) insurance plans.
    • 24 million Americans who buy their own insurance will lose subsidies, facing an average 26% premium increase next year.
      • “Imagine if your grocery bill rose 26% overnight.” — Jack (12:23)

• Grocery vs. Healthcare Prices

  • Americans spend the same % of budget on groceries as on health care (8%), but health care prices have outpaced groceries 2.5x over the last 15 years.
    • “Health care prices have gone up two and a half times more than grocery prices in the last 15 years.” — Jack (13:06)
  • But because healthcare costs aren’t as visible, people become “numb” (call it “psychonomics”).

• Takeaway

  • The government shutdown’s biggest impact will be hunger AND a looming “shock” in healthcare costs.

3. Starbucks’ Delivery Turnaround (15:31–19:16)

• Starbucks Rebounds

  • First quarter of sales growth (1%) after a nearly two-year slump.
    • “For the first time in nearly two years, Starbucks just announced sales growth.” — Nick (16:11)
  • Context: “Fast-casual recession”—brands like Chipotle, Sweetgreen struggling because young consumers are pulling back.
  • New CEO Brian Niccol formerly of Chipotle is leading the turnaround.

• Starbucks’ secret weapon: Delivery

  • Delivery coffee orders grew 30% last quarter, surpassing $1B for the first time.
    • “Revenue for delivered Starbucks grew 30% last quarter, hitting $1 billion for the first time ever.” — Jack (17:00)
  • Attachment rate (food added to drink orders through delivery) is 40%—bigger ticket sizes per order.

• Tension: Delivery vs. In-Store

  • While delivery is hot, the CEO wants customers to “dwell” in-store—Starbucks prides itself on being a “third place.”
    • But visits longer than 10 minutes dropped 20% last quarter.
      • “Unfortunately, the number of Starbucks visits that lasted longer than 10 minutes fell by nearly 20%.” — Jack (18:42)

• Takeaway

  • Starbucks faces a dilemma: Profitable delivery orders boost the bottom line, but erode its in-store community experience.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Funniest/Cleverest

• Halloween Costumes (01:22–03:16)
  • “K Pop Lehman Hunters, the pop culture superhero. This economy.” — Nick (01:32)
• Audience Engagement: Costume Contest Finalists
  • Gina as a Google office bed bug (“Back to the office — and so are the bugs!”)
  • Amanda as a “dupe diva” (Lululemon lookalike, Kirkland label)
  • Savannah as a “terrifying tariff” (“Nothing scarier than a 30% import tax.”)
  • Betsy as a “double click” (corporate jargon couples’ costume)
  • Joe as an “identity thief” (burglar costume & name tags)

Best Framing of Business Trends

• “The new normal date night: Paranormal Activity 6.” — Nick (07:22)
• “We're numb to the price increase of X-rays, but we are not numb to the price increase of eggs.” — Nick (13:14)
• “Are you ordering delivery because you fondly remember the brand through its store experience? Or does the store have nothing to do with it and the next generation is just ordering coffee, store be damned?” — Jack (19:16)

Important Timestamps for Segments

• Horror’s Box Office Record: 06:07–09:46
• Government Shutdown & Health Care: 09:53–13:30
• Starbucks’ Delivery Boom & Dilemma: 15:31–19:16
• Halloween Costume Contest (Best Business-Themed): 01:22–03:16

Extra Business News (Quick Hits)

• US–China De-Escalation: Trump and Xi meet, pledge more soybean buys, US cuts tariffs by 10%—but similar deals have crumbled before. (20:08–20:35)
• Big Tech Earnings:
  • Amazon stock up 13% (cloud computing)
  • Apple: Huge iPhone 17 cycle
  • Reddit & Coinbase stock beat estimates
• Levi’s New ‘Blue Tab’ Premium Jeans: New line at $300+ a pair (21:16–21:22)

Episode Tone & Style

Nick & Jack infuse their reporting with playful, pop-culture-laced banter, celebrating Halloween, ribbing each other about costumes (“Jamie Dimon is reportedly also a K Pop Lehman Hunter this year”—Nick, 01:36), and using clever business lingo (“profit puppy,” “rom comonomics,” “divisive dividend”). The episode is upbeat, quick, and punchy, making dense business news feel approachable.

Summary Takeaways

• Horror movies are thriving because division drives dollars—a “divisive dividend.”
• The government shutdown’s deepest pain is in health care, with a stealth cost crisis looming for millions.
• Starbucks snaps its slump thanks to delivery coffee runs, but at the cost of its cherished role as a community hub.

For more fun, check their Instagram (@tboypod) for the costume contest and community votes!