The Bobby Bones Show: Movie Mike's Movie Podcast (Ep. "Mike Watched The Worst Movie of the Decade…")

Release Date: September 6, 2025
Host: Movie Mike
Guest/Co-Host: Kelsey

Overview

This episode is a packed recap of August's movies, featuring in-depth reviews and commentary from Movie Mike and Kelsey. The conversation spans their best and worst picks for the month, a detailed review of "Caught Stealing" (starring Austin Butler), a primer on the viral trailer for "Good Boy", and reflections on millennial pop culture, TV recommendations, and favorite books.

The episode delivers a mix of honest reactions, banter, culture nostalgia, and some industry insights, all filtered through Movie Mike and Kelsey's conversational tone.

Best & Worst Movies of August

[03:04] Best of August

• Kelsey’s Pick: "Freakier Friday"

  • Lindsay Lohan’s comeback and a "legacy sequel" twist.
  • "Put lilo in everything again. Put her in." (Kelsey, 05:11)
  • Appreciated for its genuine sense of fun and purpose rather than being just a "Disney cash grab".
  • Jamie Lee Curtis reprises as the grandma, with generational body swaps creating "double the freaky."
  • Chad Michael Murray’s continued 2000s heartthrob persona was a source of comedic critique.
  • Rating: 4/5 Telecasters (Kelsey, 07:45)

• Movie Mike’s Pick: "Weapons"

  • Big horror release for 2025 that stands out for plot and execution.
  • Mike detailed attending with family, negotiating the scares for Kelsey.
  • “I gave it a 4.5 out of 5.” (Movie Mike, 08:58)
  • Kelsey, less enthusiastic, gave it a 3/5.

[09:40] Worst of August

• Kelsey's Pick: "My Oxford Year" (Netflix adaptation)

  • Rushed, changes from the book, underdeveloped narrative.
  • "The book was good. The movie… It was just bad." (Kelsey, 10:13)
  • Reinforces team "book to miniseries" over rushed adaptations.
  • Rating: 1.5/5 (Kelsey, 11:50)

• Mike's Pick: "War of the Worlds" (Amazon, starring Ice Cube)

  • Deemed not only worst of August, but likely "worst movie of the decade".
  • Revealed to be a "pandemic Zoom movie" with a flat performance from Ice Cube.
  • “I give it a 0.5 out of 5. It is so bad.” (Movie Mike, 12:51)
  • Heavy product placement—Amazon delivery drivers, gift cards, website use.
  • Discussed the idea that "bad publicity is still publicity"—the film's notoriety generates Amazon buzz despite its quality.
  • “I also think they kind of won, because there were so many forced Amazon ads inside of the movie.” (Movie Mike, 15:04)

August Recap Rapid-Fire Ratings (17:51-26:30)

• Mike saw 13-14 new movies.
• Standouts and quick takes:
  • “The Naked Gun” (theater release): 3.5/5.
  • “Together” (touted as horror of the year, but overtaken by Weapons): 3.5/5.
  • “K Pop Demon Hunters”: 4/5, with a great soundtrack.
  • “The Pickup” (Pete Davidson & Eddie Murphy): Mediocre, 2/5.
  • “Nobody 2”: 4/5.
  • “TMNT” (classic): 5/5, a top ten lifetime favorite.
  • “Relay” (unknown tech-thriller): 3.5/5, "Like a good ham and cheese sandwich."
  • “Night Always Comes” (Netflix, Vanessa Kirby): Strong start, loses its way.
    • “When Julia Fox came in, you're like, oh, here we go.” (Kelsey, 24:16)
    • Recommendation: Try 20 minutes before deciding.
  • “The Map That Leads to You”: Lack of chemistry between leads.
    • Mike: “I just don't feel it. ...I just never felt that connection.”

Spoiler-Free Review: "Caught Stealing" (Austin Butler & Ensemble)

[41:25-49:07] – Deep Dive Review

• Premise:
  • Austin Butler plays a washed-up baseball player-turned-bartender who gets dragged into criminal chaos after agreeing to look after his neighbor’s cat. His character is a die-hard Giants fan, emotionally adrift, and barely holding on to life.
• Direction / Style:
  • Directed by Darren Aronofsky, but "unlike any of those movies" (ref. Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, etc.).
  • Leans realistic; Butler isn’t turned into a superhuman action hero. Action feels "raw."
• Butler’s Performance:
  • “I still don't believe that Austin Butler is some great actor… I just don't get that from him.” (Movie Mike, 45:49)
  • This is Mike’s favorite Butler performance, but low bar.
• Supporting Cast:
  • Bad Bunny (“very threatening, but also very chill”), Action Bronson (“wish there would have been more of him” as Amtrak).
• Nudity / Aronofsky's Touch:
  • “There’s always a lot of nudity scenes in his movies... movies you do not want to sit down and watch with your parents.” (Movie Mike, 44:10)
• Marketing:
  • Trailer only shows first 10 minutes, “didn’t set you up for anything, really.”
• Overall Take:
  • Mike went in with low expectations, found it a surprise, visually interesting, and fun.
• FINAL RATING:
  • "4 out of 5 giants hats." (Movie Mike, 48:57)

Trailer Park: Spotlight on "Good Boy" – The Power of Virality

[52:43-58:09]

• Premise:
  • “A horror movie from the perspective of a dog… his owner is overtaken by supernatural forces.” (Movie Mike, 52:47)
• Viral Success:
  • Trailer hit 1 million+ views in 4 days, prompting an indie to nationwide theatrical release.
  • “Google searches going up over, does the dog in Good Boy live?” (Movie Mike, 53:53)
• Budget/Production:
  • Ultra-low budget, stars the director’s own dog Indy (no CGI).
• Genre Innovation:
  • Compared to experimental horror like “Skinamarink” and “Presents,” hailed for unexpected perspectives.
• Industry Takeaway:
  • Virality can vault small films to big screens, especially in horror.
  • “If you can make something that only you can make...and tell it in a way that only you can tell it, because his relationship with his dog is what makes this movie work.”
• Box Office Outlook:
  • Horror noted for return on small investment.
  • Historical note: “Paranormal Activity was made for only $15,000… went on to make $194 million worldwide.” (Movie Mike, 57:02)
• Release:
  • “Good Boy” opens October 3rd, 2025.

Pop Culture & TV Talk

[28:36-37:27] – Highlights

• TV:
  • Kelsey: “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It's great. I love anything that Amy Sherman Palladino does.”
  • Mike: Finished “Wednesday” (Netflix); dislikes franchises split into “parts.”
• Most-Googled Millennial Pop Culture:
  • Action Movie: “Transformers” (2007)
  • Comedy: “Superbad” (2007)
  • Teen Movie: “Bring It On” (2000) (“These are not spirit fingers. These are spirit fingers.” — Kelsey, 30:35)
  • Kids Show: “Wonder Pets” (Nick Jr.)
  • Sitcom: “Still Standing” – both hosts amused at its selection.
  • Music: Creed (rock), My Chemical Romance (emo), Lil Wayne (rapper), Nelly’s “Country Grammar” (hip-hop).
  • “We will not have Bowling for Soup slander in this house on this podcast.” (Movie Mike, 33:59)
• Millennial Nostalgia:
  • Prom dresses (“zebra print”), snacks (“Yo’s”, a yogurt-covered fruit snack), Seventeen magazine.
  • “I still love a magazine. Like, I used to read alternative press, Thrasher…” (Movie Mike, 35:26)

Book Recommendations

[36:15]

• The Secret History of Audrey James (“Probably one of my favorites of the year.” — Kelsey, 36:25)
• Currently reading:
  • The Book of Lost Hours: Sci-fi, timekeepers, spanning WWII to Cold War eras. (“It’s really good.” — Kelsey, 37:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I made pumpkin muffins this week. I got the pumpkin candles out. I'm thriving.” — Kelsey, 03:08
• “I don't need to feel like somebody's lurking behind me in the theater.” — Kelsey, 08:58
• “It came out on Amazon, was number one for a while…You can do whatever you want making something number one on your own platform.” — Movie Mike, 15:04
• On cold food: “I love vegetables, but if I'm going to eat them, they have to be warm. Like, a cold salad is just my nightmare.” — Movie Mike, 23:05
• “Everything is better warm.” — Movie Mike, 23:45
• On tech-aging movies: “If I were to make a movie, I would not include any kind of technology that would date it…” — Movie Mike, 27:02
• “None of the products are good. They're recommending to me stuff I'd never buy. I'm like, show me something I'll actually buy, and I'd probably click to buy it.” — Kelsey, 17:28 (On Amazon's clickable video ads)
• “I would never go out of my way to eat a cold salad.” — Movie Mike, 23:21

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:04] – Start of Movie Discussion: Best of August
• [09:40] – Worst Movies of August
• [17:51] – August Rapid-Fire Movie Ratings
• [28:36] – TV & Millennial Pop Culture Segment
• [36:05] – Book Recommendations
• [41:25] – “Caught Stealing” Movie Review (Spoiler-Free)
• [52:43] – Trailer Park: “Good Boy” & Viral Horror
• [58:09] – Reflections on Virality, Indie Cinema, and Wrap-Up

Listener Shout-Out

• [58:09]—Joel, member of the "Monday Morning Movie crew", praised the joys of solo moviegoing.
  • “If you've never gone to the movies alone but you wanted to, this is your second sign to go and do that. So thank you, Joel.” — Movie Mike

Tone and Takeaways

The episode is upbeat, irreverent, and snappy—full of pop culture inside jokes, genuine critiques, and infectious nostalgia. Listeners get honest assessments, playful antagonism (especially over the merits of cold sandwiches and millennial status), passionate calls for better book adaptations, and inspiration for filmmakers and moviegoers alike.

Takeaway: Whether you're looking for what to stream, what to avoid, or just want to relive the glory (and the cringe) of millennial pop culture, this episode delivers a breezy-yet-opinionated fan’s guide to August’s biggest movies—and what’s coming next.