MOVIE MIKE: Movies That Can Only Be Watched on a 2004 Built-In SUV DVD Player + Movie Review: One Battle After Another + Trailer Park: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show (Movie Mike's Movie Podcast)

Episode: Movies That Can Only Be Watched on a 2004 Built-In SUV DVD Player

Date: October 4, 2025
Host: Movie Mike (Mike D.)
Co-host: Kelsey

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Episode Overview

This episode of Movie Mike’s Movie Podcast is a nostalgic deep dive into the peculiar phenomenon of “movies that can only be watched on a 2004 built-in SUV DVD player”—specifically, the types of films that defined road trips and backseat childhoods for a generation raised in the 2000s. Mike and his wife/co-host Kelsey reminisce about the DVD era, dissect what made these movies special, and round out the show with a spoiler-free review of Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film One Battle After Another, plus a Trailer Park segment on the newly revealed The Mandalorian and Grogu movie.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The 2004 Built-In DVD Player Phenomenon

• Fond Memories and Envy: Mike and Kelsey recall the envy of friends who had built-in DVD players in their cars, while most (including them) made do with portable DVD players notorious for poor battery life and skipping discs.
  • “I remember driving on the highway and seeing other people watch movies and I’m like, man, they’re living in the future.” — Mike (04:45)
• Changing Times: The duo notes the era is now nearly extinct thanks to smartphones and streaming, though some minivans and Ubers still carry the torch.
• The DVD Era Business Model: Many of these “car movies” became cult favorites through DVD sales, not box office success—a model largely erased by streaming.
  • “A lot of these movies made their money not from opening weekend or its theatrical run. It was the DVD sales. Because that is something that doesn't exist anymore.” — Mike (08:11)

2. Essential 2000s "Car Movies"

The hosts go through a viral social media thread and their own picks for movies that perfectly fit this nostalgia-fueled category.

Top Picks from the Thread

• The Pacifier (w/ Vin Diesel): Quintessential 2000s family movie; part of a now-rare genre of 'tough guy in kid-friendly comedy.'
  • “There’s an entire genre of these type of movies with Vin Diesel and the Rock.” — Mike (08:31)
• Over the Hedge: Peak 2000s DreamWorks absurdity, lauded for its dumb humor and status as a $5 DVD bin staple.
  • “This is like just peak 2000s to me.” — Mike (09:44)
• Are We There Yet? (w/ Ice Cube): Road trip comedy about road trips—a meta setup for backseat viewing.
• The Game Plan & Tooth Fairy (w/ The Rock): Rock’s foray into the “tough guy in a tutu” family genre, marked by nearly identical poster designs to The Pacifier.
  • “It’s the exact same thing. And that just feels like the 2000s to me.” — Mike (11:02)
• Daddy Day Care & The Haunted Mansion (w/ Eddie Murphy): The heyday of family-friendly Eddie Murphy.
• Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Agent Cody Banks, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Happy Feet, Kicking and Screaming, RV, Kungaroo Jack, Grown Ups, Spy Kids, Stuart Little, Big Fat Liar—all discussed for their cultural relevance, specific memories, and rewatch value.

Running Jokes and Observations

• The formulaic movie posters—plain backgrounds, lead actor + kid + single tagline—are declared extinct.
• Discussion about the generational divide in nostalgia and how today’s teens see 2000s hits the way millennials viewed '80s classics.
• Tangents into pop culture cycles, e.g., the return of Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and reality TV fixtures.

Unexpected Dark Horses

• Mike’s hilarious description of “butt drenching” movies (21:56)—films so anxiety-inducing you sweat through your seat.
• Kelsey’s little brothers’ penguin obsession led to Happy Feet and Madagascar on repeat.

3. Portable DVD Players and Bootleg DVDs in Mexico

• Mike’s Family Roadtrips: Fond, chaotic memories of watching dubbed or shaky-cam bootlegs bought from Mexican flea markets.
  • “You didn’t know because you would just get the DVD… Kind of like a blind box. You don’t know what experience you’re about to walk into.” — Mike (29:51)
• Most Notable Bootlegs: The Passion of the Christ (viewed, guiltily, via camcorder copy in Spanish), Super Size Me, Spider-Man 2 (with missing scenes due to the bootlegger’s bathroom break), Gothika.

4. The Nostalgia of Teacher "Movie Days"

• Movies like Stuart Little and Finding Nemo are remembered as Friday “reward movies” in school—possibly because the teacher was hungover.
  • “Do you ever wonder if those days your teacher put on a movie if they were hungover?” — Kelsey (25:16)
• This revelation provokes laughter and invites listeners (especially former teachers) to chime in.

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Spotlight Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On “butt drenching” movie anxiety:
  • “That’s my favorite way to describe a movie… you get so anxious from it that you start to sweat in your seat at the movies.” — Mike (21:59)
• On embracing your hit role:
  • “If somebody has something that they’re known for, they start to get just inundated with it… but to have a role like that, that is so impactful, you gotta embrace it.” — Mike, on Paul Giamatti’s reaction to fame (27:42)
• Kelsey on telling a unique story:
  • “This is about to be the most unrelatable story I have ever told.” — Kelsey, on seeing her then-boyfriend in the Dancing with the Stars audience (13:00)

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Spoiler-Free Review: One Battle After Another

(Starts 38:39)

Premise & Approach

• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn
• Follows Bob, a faded American revolutionary, as his past collides with the present; mixing action, comedy, and family dynamics.

Mike's Core Takeaways

• Pace & Entertainment Value: Despite nearly three-hour runtime, film moves briskly with few lulls.
  • “As soon as this movie started, all of those concerns went way out the window. Before I knew it, I was an hour into this movie.” — Mike (38:39)
• Action/Comedy Balance: Surprising amount of humor mixed with intense action; reminiscent at times of Pineapple Express or the cat-and-mouse energy of Inglourious Basterds.
• Performances & Direction:
  • Leonardo DiCaprio delivers comedic, slacker energy in an unusual hero role.
  • Benicio del Toro shines and is praised as the film’s true standout—Mike wishes he had more screen time.
  • Sean Penn plays a charismatic, humorous villain evocative of Christoph Waltz.
  • Strong directorial vision with emphasis on authentic locations and the use of non-actors for realism.
• Cinematography & Score: Standout elements. The score is “driving” and always enhances rather than distracts.
  • Mike especially praises the film’s chase sequence in the third act, calling it the best in 10 years, surpassing previous favorites like The Batman (42:10).
• Awards Talk & Criticisms:
  • Expects Oscar nods: Best Director (PTA), Best Supporting Actor (Del Toro), Best Score.
  • DiCaprio likely nominated but not the frontrunner.
  • Not declared a “masterpiece”—but could become one with time.

Final Score:

“I give One Battle After Another a 4.5 out of 5 bathrobes.” — Mike (47:09)

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Trailer Park: The Mandalorian and Grogu

(Segment starts 53:23)

• Discusses the new Star Wars movie announcement, fanbase split, and the shift from Disney+ exclusive to blockbuster event film.
  • “...You made me buy the popcorn bucket. Look at all these extra things you made me buy...” — Mike (56:04)
• Notes on the trailer: shorter runtime, minimal plot details, focus on meme-worthy Grogu moments, and easter eggs (e.g., Jeremy Allen White voicing Jabba’s son, Sigourney Weaver joining cast).
• Critical of the film’s poster font and wary that movie may feel “just like the TV show.”
• Mike’s trust in Jon Favreau to deliver something worthy of the big screen, yet skeptical about whether theatrical release is justified versus more seasons of TV.

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Fun Listener Q&A (1:05:33)

• A listener asks if it helps Mike more to listen via the official feed versus The Bobby Bones Show feed.
  • Mike clarifies: “Wherever you listen, it helps... If you are subscribed [to the actual Movie Mike’s Movie Podcast feed], it means we’re friends, we’re good—like, oh, you’re a ride or die.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Discussion starts: SUV DVD movies nostalgia | 03:15 | | Car movie top picks (“The Pacifier” onward) | 08:29 | | Teachers showing movies = hungover? | 25:16 | | Bootleg portable DVD stories | 29:30 | | One Battle After Another spoiler-free review | 38:39 | | The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer analysis | 53:23 | | Listener questions/closing shout-out | 65:27 |

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Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational, playful, packed with pop culture tangents.
• Hosts weave personal anecdotes with cultural observation, maintaining a “millennial talking to millennials” vibe.
• Frequent callbacks, inside jokes, and casual asides make it feel like a podcast hangout rather than a formal film critique.

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Summary

This episode is a joyful exploration of what made 2000s family movies iconic for kids growing up on road trips with built-in DVD players. The episode’s mix of sharp observation, personal nostalgia, and humor makes it both entertaining and unexpectedly insightful about how movie-watching (and movie-making) has changed. Mike’s spoiler-free review of One Battle After Another offers movie buffs a compelling reason to hit the theaters, and the Trailer Park breakdown sets the stage for the continuing debate over Star Wars’ cinematic versus streaming future.

Notable Quote, Summing Up the Episode's Spirit:
“2004. Things were simpler.” — Mike (33:40)

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This summary covers the episode’s main segments and discussions of cultural context, thematic resonance, and the hosts’ infectious enthusiasm for movies that made their childhood—and might just be the comfort rewatches of the next generation as well.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[B]

Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

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I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

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I'm Danielle Robaix and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and iheart Podcasts where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[A]

Betrayal Weekly is back for season two.

[C]

With brand new stories.

[A]

The detective comes driving up fast and.

[C]

Just like screeches right in the parking lot. I swear I'm not crazy, but I think he poisoned me.

[D]

I feel trapped.

[C]

My breathing changes. I realize, wow, like, he is not a mentor. He's pretty much a monster. But these aren't just stories of destruction. They're stories of survival. I'm gonna tell my story and I'm.

[D]

Gonna hold my head up.

[C]

Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Bridget Armstrong, host of the new podcast the Curse of America's Next Top Model. I've been investigating the real story behind that iconic show. I ended up having anorexia issues, bulimia issues by talking to the models, the producers and the people who profited from it all.

[A]

We basically sold our souls and they got rich. If you were so rooting for saw.

[C]

Her drowning, why don't you help her listen to the curse of America's Next Top model on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Do we really need another podcast with a condescending finance bro trying to tell us how to spend our own money? No, thank you. Instead, check out Brown Ambition. Each week I your host, Mandy Money gives you real talk, real advice with a heavy dose of I feel you, sis. Like on Fridays when I take your questions for the baqa. Whether you're trying to invest for your navigate a toxic workplace. I got you. Listen to Brown ambition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[D]

What's up Everybody, it's snacks from the trapped nerds all October long, we're bringing you the horror. Boogity, boogity, boogity. We kicking off this month with some of my best horror games to keep you terrified. Then we'll be talking about our favorite horror and Halloween movies and figuring out why black people always die first. And it's the return of Tony's horror show side Quests, written and narrated by yours truly. We'll also be doing a full episode reading with comment and we'll cap it off with a horror movie battle royale. Open your free aha Radio app and search Trap Nerds podcast and listen now. Hello and welcome back to Movie Mike's Movie Podcast. I am your host, Movie Mike, joined by my wife and co host, Kelsey. How are you?

[A]

I'm good, I think. I feel like I have a multivitamin stuck in my throat.

[D]

Need a burpee?

[A]

No, thank you, I'm good.

[D]

Let me burp you.

[A]

Well, it's either that or I got an iced latte and I get cinnamon in them. And I think the barista heard like cinnamon challenge. So I think I'm just drinking straight cloves of cinnamon through this.

[D]

We are here to talk about a very specific topic. Movies that can only be watched on a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe built in DVD player.

[A]

Very passionate.

[D]

It is the longest episode title we have ever dove into. But somebody posted this on X and even though it's so specific, we all know exactly what that means. If you grew up in the 2000s.

[A]

I guess I also you didn't have a built in.

[D]

Oh, we'll get into that. We'll get into that. In the movie review we'll be talking about Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle after Another. Was it worth the almost three hour run time? And in the trailer park we will be talking about Mandalorian and Grogu. Is it going to be anything different than the TV show or is it just Disney trying to cash in on another Disney plus show turned to movie, which. Which they do. But thank you for being here. Thank you for being subscribed. Shout out to the Monday morning Movie Crew.

[A]

Thank you.

[D]

And now let's talk movies from the Nashville Podcast Network. This is Movie Mike's Movie Podcast. All right. The topic is movies that can only be watched on a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe's built in DVD player. What were you saying earlier?

[A]

I said I didn't think that you had a built in DVD player.

[D]

We did not have a DVD player. I was envious of Those people because it looks so cool. I remember driving on the highway and seeing other people watch movies and I'm like, man, they're living in the future.

[A]

We got one. When my younger brother was born, the middle brother, 2006, 2007, it was Ford Expedition. I'd had like a portable DVD player as a kid that I watched. But yeah, the age of a built in. In the car.

[D]

It's.

[A]

My younger brother got that.

[D]

It's long gone now though, because it's all phones. I've maybe seen some minivans now that still have built in screens, but it's very. It's a very 2000s thing.

[A]

Listen, I don't hate the luxuries of a minivan. I don't think I ever want to drive a minivan, but I don't hate the luxuries.

[D]

I think I have something selected on my Uber. Whenever we request a ride that we need a bigger vehicle like Uber xl, we always get a minivan.

[A]

A lot of time in New York though, we get a minivan.

[D]

I don't mind it clutch in New.

[A]

York because you don't have time to open a door and you can't open a door into the street or you're gonna get taken out. So the minivan who just pulls up, they just slide it open and off you go.

[D]

It's comfortable. If you were to watch a movie in there, I think it's. It feels like you're in a little movie theater.

[A]

The captain's chairs in the second row.

[D]

I don't hate it.

[A]

I don't hate. I don't hate being in one. I'm gonna drive one. No.

[D]

Yeah. So we never had the built in DVD player, but we had. I had like what you. You were describing the small DVD player that was portable, which I think in the early 2000s those became really popular.

[A]

And they'd skip like a CD.

[D]

Oh man. And I had like the bare minimum one that you could get from Walmart. It wasn't even. It wasn't a Sony, it wasn't a Philips. It was some weird brand that probably existed. It was just. Philip. It was sorny, I think. But the thing I hated about it is the battery life on it was terrible.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

The actual appeal of the portable DVD player was that you could watch it anywhere. But I think for maybe a solid maybe month the battery was good that you could watch it but for the actual runtime of a movie. But after a while it became something that I could only watch if I had it plugged in. So we Would take it on road trips to Mexico, which that's a 16 hour road trip. I could probably watch two movies before it died.

[A]

But that's tragic.

[D]

That is my experience with portable movies that I'm going to get into my list later.

[A]

But I'll be curious to see if any of the ones that my little brother loved are on this because I was 10.

[D]

And 2004, in 2004 I was 13.

[A]

Yeah. So then like 2000, I feel like 2004 to like 2008 were like peak car movie years.

[D]

It was peak DVD years where that doesn't really happen anymore. And I think what we're going to see on this list, it's going to be a movie that couldn't be made today because a lot of these were movies that whenever they came out in theaters, probably weren't the best received whenever it comes to critic scores, whenever it comes to box office performance. But a lot of these movies made their money not from opening weekend or its theatrical run. It was the DVD sales. Because that is something that doesn't exist anymore. Because a movie comes out now in theaters, it doesn't make money, really can't recoup it when it goes to streaming. But back then there was so much money in the physical media sales and we don't have that anymore. So I think that is something that we're going to see here. How a movie can become a cult hit through kind of a delayed people discovering it, which now the delayed is people discovering it on streaming. But now there's just no money in it. But let's get into this list now. All right. The first one that comes up on the thread is the pacifier with Vin Diesel. This is a perfect example of a movie that cannot be made today.

[A]

Listen. Kind of loved that movie.

[D]

There's an entire genre of these type of movies with Vin Diesel and the Rock.

[A]

Don't they hate each other? They do hate each other and they. Yeah, because then the Rock was in like the Tooth Fairy.

[D]

Exactly. So there is this entire. And it's specifically kids movies that we don't really get like this anymore. And I feel really bad for anybody growing up now that won't experience this type of family friendly, not too serious, but just something that's so nostalgic that I don't think we're really having anymore because it's not really profitable like it used to be. So I think this entire list, we're going to see these type of, I don't want to call them B list movies, but just movies. That.

[A]

How dare you.

[D]

You can only appreciate if you were the key demographic when they came out, which I was. And you associate really great memories with because of them just being something that you would watch in the backseat of a headrest. But the Pacifier is first up on the list. Next up is over the hedge from DreamWorks.

[A]

Oh, my God. This was literally my little brother's car movie. Great film. Honestly, kind of hilarious, which the COVID does say laugh out loud funny. I will concur. I need to go back and rewatch it.

[D]

It is so dumb funny. From the same people who brought you Shrek. This is like just peak 2000s to me.

[A]

Love this movie.

[D]

An animated movie about animals that is so ridiculous like this. I remember the trailer being everywhere when this movie came out. This movie says to me, you're going to go to Walmart and see this on the shelves and want to buy it.

[A]

Walmart had a great $5 DVD bin.

[D]

Oh, that was my. I love the $5 DVD bin. When you would just go in, you would scan the things at the top and I would just like to grab my hand and, like, dig all the way to the bottom just to see what would come out. Next up on the list. Are we there yet with Ice Cube?

[A]

Incredible.

[D]

It's also like a road trip movie while you're taking a road trip. See, this is the movie that Ice Cube needs to go back to doing, like the family friendly Ice Cube, which I think he kind of got away.

[A]

From a little bit because they do a sequel. Are we done yet? Not as good.

[D]

Yeah, they did a. I guess he did a run of family friendly films. Maybe you kind of burn out on doing those type of movies, but anything is better than War of the World.

[A]

Yeah. Are we there yet? Is a good one.

[D]

What about the game plan that the rock.

[A]

That's the other one I was thinking of, too. The game plan. Tooth Fairy. To make that up.

[D]

He did do the Tooth Fairy as well. That could be further down. Okay. But the gameplay. If you were looking at the posters here, it's basically the same poster as the Pacifier.

[A]

It is.

[D]

It's the exact same thing. And that just feels like the 2000s to me. It's a white, just plain background. You have the lead and then you have the kid. It looks nostalgic to me.

[A]

It does look nostalgic.

[D]

And how have we gotten so far away from. We can't even do simple movie poster designs like this anymore. Everything is floating heads. Everything just looks like everything's made in Canva. Yeah, we're even just something simple like this that looks like you could go to the movies and see it outside and be enticed to go watch that.

[A]

You would see this poster and want to see it again.

[D]

Exactly. I am all about this with the dog at the bottom. And then you have the tagline, half his size, twice the trouble. And that's the same girl now who was just in the wrong. Paris.

[A]

I was going to say that you took my fact.

[D]

Well, you can take it away.

[A]

No, that's fine.

[D]

Yeah, whenever we watched that, I was like, I'm pretty sure I recognize that kid from something.

[A]

Yeah, she's was a child actress.

[D]

To come out, like, that's so wild. That 20 years ago was 2005. Like, that feels weird.

[A]

That makes me feel old because a.

[D]

Lot of those movies still feel relevant to me. And to think that a kid in high school now, that feels like maybe even not even high school, but like, people in their 20s, that, to them is movies. To us, that came out in the 80s, which felt ancient to us, that is.

[A]

That's.

[D]

I'm gonna keep going.

[A]

Well, it's also like, we're in the time where there's, like, a renaissance of people who were famous in our youth. Like, Hilary Duff's making new music, Lindsay Lohan's back, and I'm like, how are we already on the second run of some of these people?

[D]

We're in the comeback era.

[A]

You know what I saw the other day that also made me feel old?

[D]

What?

[A]

And it was like, it said, no, Dancing with the Stars isn't cool again. You're just now the target demographic.

[D]

Is that true? Because we've been watching that every week.

[A]

Now, which I think we had, like, a little. I mean, after Bobby did it and you, like, lived it, I feel like we were a little like, I can't do Dancing with the Stars.

[D]

I never watch it until I experienced it live.

[A]

I never watched it until he was on it.

[D]

Never saw a single episode. I had no idea how the show really worked up until that season. I didn't know anything about Dancing with the Stars lore. And then I went from knowing nothing about the show to going to every single taping. Well, it was live. Wasn't a taping. Every single taping of every single episode for season 27. And now I think when I watch it, it's kind of like reminiscing on a weird part of my life where I was in the audience, and I know how everything works. It just reminds me of, like, getting there super early, going through security we.

[A]

Were long distance then. So, like, I'd call you while you were. I was walking to my car after works. It was like five o' clock, my time. And then because you'd be getting to the studio, it was weird.

[D]

I started to know the security people there. Everybody was nice to me. I looked forward to finding out where they were going to see us because they always see all the contestants, family and friends and like this all together. So I was always with people that I knew. And then it was cool getting like tagged on social media, like, I see you on tv.

[A]

That was a very weird time. We had just started dating that year and then I'd be like, well, there's my boyfriend in the audience of Dancing with the Stars. I tried telling someone the other day and I was like, this is about to be the most unrelatable story I have ever told. But, yeah, now apparently we're just the target demographic.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Because we're seated every week.

[D]

I'm here for it. I guess we're just the key demographic now.

[A]

And then Robert Irwin, although everyone was. I guess he said something in his, like, what's it called? The packet or whatever they show before the package. Package. And I guess he was like, I wasn't alive in 2000. And everyone was like, oh, oh, yeah.

[D]

It's interesting how that show works is basically they set up each dance while those are running. So not only is it for the TV show, it's also for the stage to be able to move all those pieces. It was cool seeing how fast they can move that because they have like. I think those things are like maybe a minute, maybe 90 seconds. And that entire 90 seconds is spent just getting everything on stage as they need, getting people out of the way and getting the couple set. And then as soon as they are done and they move over to where they accept their scores, they get everything out of the way. So that was always really cool to see how fast they could do that.

[A]

All right, back to the topic at hand.

[D]

Sorry I distracted. Next up on the list, Daddy Daycare.

[A]

Another funny one.

[D]

Eddie Murphy in a family comedy is something he needs to go back to as well.

[A]

Put him in Ice Cube in a family comedy.

[D]

Put them together.

[A]

This was like the Grown Ups era too.

[D]

Yeah, that was also that time.

[A]

It's like Grown Ups, Daddy Daycare. Yeah, all of those, like kind of slapstick comedies.

[D]

Also on the list, the Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy.

[A]

Another good one.

[D]

I wasn't as into this one.

[A]

I loved it.

[D]

You don't really like Halloween movies, though.

[A]

Yeah. But I liked the Haunted Mansion. It was a Disney movie.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

It's not scary.

[D]

That's a. That's a ride. Correct at Disney. Never been to Disney.

[A]

We know you go over this time.

[D]

Unaccompanied minors, man.

[A]

Not the greatest.

[D]

Yeah, I remember this one. Not one that I have really great memories of. Snow Dogs with Cuba Gooding Jr.

[A]

Excellent.

[D]

That is a classic. That feels like a 2004 Chevy ride. Like Mike, Also great about Cheaper by the dozen 2.

[A]

Not as funny as the first one.

[D]

Yeah, I'm more of a Cheaper by the Dozen. But because of you, I love Cheaper.

[A]

By the Dozen one.

[D]

I think that whenever this one came out, it was probably more in the prime time for a dvd.

[A]

Yeah, it also. I feel like that's when sequels were direct to dvd.

[D]

Yeah, the direct to DVD sequel, that just wasn't as good.

[A]

It was like the sequel to DVD pipeline.

[D]

Next up, Agent Cody Banks with Frankie Muniz and Hillary Duff.

[A]

This era was Hillary Duff's time to shine.

[D]

Remember how cool all these people were to us?

[A]

Yeah, she's still cool to me.

[D]

But I mean, like, these people were so unattainable to us as kids. And people now don't have that. They don't struggle with that.

[A]

That's a good point.

[D]

Because to me, Frankie Muniz was, like, the biggest thing on the planet because of movies like this, because of Malcolm in the Middle. But you could only see them in this movie or if they were on.

[A]

The COVID of, like, J14.

[D]

And that was it.

[A]

Wow, that was a good magazine.

[D]

I remember J14 mainly because Tiger beat. Yeah. Because some of the 2000s bands I was into kind of crossed over into, like, big pop culture. So I remember, like, I wanted to see, like, a Blink 182 article, and they just happened to be in J14.

[A]

I was just a basic beast. So I was reading those all the time. Oh, my God. These two.

[D]

Alvin and the Chipmunks and Happy Feet.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Similar to over the Hedge, Happy Feet. More was my youngest brother because he had an obsession with penguins as a child. And then they both liked Alvin and the Chipmunks.

[D]

I remember finding Alvin and the Chipmunks really annoying.

[A]

But I love the movie Alvin Simon Theodore.

[D]

I think it was because of how popular the movie got.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, it did get really popular.

[D]

And they did the Squeak Wall. And then it was just the constant parodying of all the songs that just became. I was too into Alvin and the Chipmunks mania. That it got a little like, I'm so Sick of them.

[A]

Jesse McCartney was one of Trip Monks.

[D]

He was. Who were the other ones? Weren't they all somebody? Let's see that.

[A]

Well, of course they were all someone.

[D]

But like all somebody famous because Jason Lee was the human in it. Yeah. Justin Long was Alvin and then Matthew.

[A]

Greg Goodler from Criminal, he was Simon and then Jesse McCartney was Theodore.

[D]

I know they're all somebody, but I meant the way you said it.

[A]

Weren't they all someone?

[D]

Yeah, sometimes they just get voice actors and it's like they do a really good job, but you don't really know who the name is. I meant that they are all somebody that we would know because they're actors.

[A]

I walk around sometimes still singing that one part of Happy Feet that they. When they did the don't push me. I am close to the little penguin does it Close to the edge. I'm trying not to lose my cool.

[D]

Times were just better whenever Happy Feet was relevant in theaters. Kicking and screaming with Will Ferrell, I feel like this was the start of his downturn a little bit.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Because when he. Whenever he started doing the family friendly comedy recession indicator. Yeah. I feel like he was just trying to cash a check. At this point where I was in the key demographic when this movie came out, I was like in the teen era now. So whenever I saw Will Ferrell starting to do movies like this, I'm like, ah, I don't want him in that. I want him in old school rv.

[A]

You know who loves this movie?

[D]

Who?

[A]

It's a family member of mine. Can you guess?

[D]

People. Yes. Because of the RV people loves. I knew somebody loves this favorite movie.

[A]

We have to watch it at Christmas.

[D]

Whenever I was looking through this list, I'm like, something sticks out to me about RV and it's not that I remember watching it.

[A]

He loves this movie.

[D]

That's hilarious.

[A]

It is a great film. He really likes when they have to empty the septic tank. Yeah, he thinks that part's pretty funny.

[D]

I mean, that part was in the trailer. That part sold me. In the next block, we have Madagascar 2. Escape Africa.

[A]

Escape to Africa.

[D]

I see what they did there. I don't really remember this one. I was never big. Escape Africa to escape to Africa I found Madagascar movies really annoying whenever the. The. Move it, move it, Julian. I couldn't stand Madagascar. I was more of a Disney when it came to Dreamworks movie. I even had to come around to Shrek a little bit because it was so what I was talking about earlier. There was so much Shrek everywhere that it Became annoying.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

I feel like Dreamworks movies were really annoying but really effective. Like they know how to make a kid addicted to something. Yeah. So it was those little music moments that just really annoyed me. So I was never big on Madagascar the penguins. I never really found that funny. I wasn't a big DreamWorks kid.

[A]

Again, the penguins. My little brother went through a penguin obsession. There's the tooth fairy.

[D]

Tooth fairy.

[A]

I knew it.

[D]

Right there at the bottom. A great family comedy.

[A]

You don't get endorsements like that anymore.

[D]

That is my dream. To be a quote like that on a movie poster. But I don't say things like that.

[A]

You don't?

[D]

I. I would never just call something a great family comedy.

[A]

I also don't feel like that sells the movie.

[D]

It really does. And that is my problem with these quotes is whenever you see this, it's something so generic, like astonishing. And it's somebody from like the New York Times. Breathtaking. I wouldn't feel comfortable reviewing a movie like that with something so generic. Like a bold vision. And that's what they want. And if I see that on a poster, it's not going to make me want to go see that movie. I like to say things that are so oddly specific to my experience watching that movie. So maybe my takes on even like a simplified take would not fit well on a poster because they don't like to use butt drenching, which I feel is a movie that induces anxiety. That's my favorite way to describe a movie.

[A]

Excuse me. What?

[D]

Butt drenching.

[A]

But drenching.

[D]

Because you get so anxious from it that you start to sweat in your seat at the movies. And therefore it is a butt drenching movie because by the end of it your butt is drenched in sweat.

[A]

Okay, next movie.

[D]

But that's why I will never be on a poster.

[A]

Kangaroo Jack. Little brother. Loved this one. Also for everyone. I really do have little brothers and they really did love these movies. Not just me. I promise.

[D]

My little brother. Love this.

[A]

We have a 12 and 6, 16 year age gap. So yeah, I did love these as like 12 and 16 year old. But my little brothers were watching them.

[D]

Kangaroo Jack was a little bit of a bait and switch where Kangaroo Jack really wasn't in Kangaroo Jack. That much.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Like this easily could have been like a rated R adult movie.

[A]

I don't know. But the poster gets me.

[D]

Grown ups.

[A]

There we go. I told you.

[D]

You knew grown ups would be on this list. I was kind of a light. A late adapter to the Grownups franchise.

[A]

We watched it again during the pandemic.

[D]

And it maybe that was just a dark time where I needed something stupid and funny. But I finally came around to Grown Ups. I think it was because, like I was mentioning with Will Ferrell earlier, I felt like the Grown Ups franchise were a little bit of the downfall of Adam Sandler making really, really low brow movies that where he got into like, don't mess with the Zohan territory. I was bad, but the first Grownups is great. Like, you still kind of have to be in that mentality of, okay, it's not going to be the Adam Sandler I grew up with.

[A]

It's so funny though.

[D]

But if you're able to turn your br. And you need a movie that is something that'll please the whole family, which is hard to do, which is what Adam Sandler does really well. Grown Ups is where it's at.

[A]

Kind of want to rewatch it.

[D]

There's the three, right? Or is it just two?

[A]

I think it's just two.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

They stopped after two.

[D]

They should make another one. Because it's really just an excuse for Adam Sandler to go out to an island or somewhere.

[A]

No, because it would be like Happy Gilmore and it would just be a.

[D]

Bunch of ads, a bunch of cameos.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I think we're good with two.

[D]

The Spy Next Door with Jackie Chan. I don't really remember this one. No, this was probably one. I saw the trailer too, and never saw it in theaters. Undercover Brother. That's a classic. Although I don't really feel like that fits the category.

[A]

I'm like, that's not a watch in the back of your mom's car in 2004.

[D]

This is.

[A]

Some of these are getting a little too, like.

[D]

Yeah, because they're. This isn't a kids movie at all. Spy Kids, now that's a kids movie. Duh. Robert Rodriguez, like, that is just. That is peak.

[A]

It's an Austin, Texas institution right there.

[D]

If you look back at the CGI though, on the Spy Kids movies, it's crazy to think as kids how high tech we thought these movies were. The now memeable moment whenever he hits like the. The glasses that like zoom in. Those green glasses that like another one keeps appearing. That was so cool to us as kids. And if you go back and watch this ugi, you're like, man. Sharkboy and Lava Girl look pretty bad.

[A]

And that was later to think that a Juni is married to Meghan Trainor child looks just like him. And the Spy Kids we also have.

[D]

Finding Nemo, Which I think not only was that a backseat DVD player movie, that was just an everywhere movie that.

[A]

Was a watch in school.

[D]

I associate that a lot with movies we'd watch in school. I think this whole slide right here is movies I associate with watching in school. Stuart Little.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

With Jonathan Lipnicki. Classic. And that's one that it wasn't a movie we would watch for educational purposes. It was a reward day movie.

[A]

Do you ever look back now, I don't know if I've said this before. Do you ever wonder if those days your teacher put on a movie if they were like, hungover?

[D]

I never thought about that until right now. Because now we are at the age of your teachers.

[A]

Ever went to happy hour and had a little too much fun and had to teach the next day?

[D]

I think that could have been a thing because we were in elementary school in the 2000s.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Where that was probably a little bit more acceptable. Wouldn't happen now. If somebody came in hungover does remind.

[A]

Me of one of my favorite movies. Bad teacher.

[D]

Yeah. But thinking about that now, that could quite honestly be the reason that our teachers would roll out that big cart and turn down the lights. Turn down the lights. And they would just be at their desk grading papers or working on some lesson plan. And we're here watching Stuart Little and Finding Nemo for no apparent reason because there's no more to it. There's nothing.

[A]

They weren't, like, historical. They weren't like English.

[D]

We weren't taking notes on it. There wasn't a test off.

[A]

No arithmetic. If you're a teacher, you don't have to say if you've done it, but if you could let us know. Confirm or deny. Yeah, I'm curious.

[D]

Just throw, like, the shades. Emoji and like, comments.

[A]

Yes. Yes. In. Yeah, just let us know. Just throw the shades.

[D]

Even if you're. Especially if you're, like, not a teacher anymore, like statute limitations. I say liberation.

[A]

Statue of Liberty.

[D]

Statue of Liberty. You could say it after 10 years. According to the Statue of Liberty.

[A]

Is there a Statue of Liberty emoji?

[D]

I don't know.

[A]

Because if that's what I want people to put, there is a Statue of Liberty.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

If you or someone, you know, rolled in the television because you were a little too hungover, please leave a Statue of Liberty emoji.

[D]

Statue of Liberty says 10 years. Big fat liar.

[A]

Paul Giamatti recently rewatched this.

[D]

I did. It's because whenever we watched the holdovers, I was like, maybe. Oh, yeah.

[A]

Because you had A thing against.

[D]

Maybe I was unfair in my hatred towards Paul Giamatti because I have been a long Paul Giamatti hater. Because whenever Sideways came out, I remember him doing an interview where he. He started to get annoyed by people giving him Merlot, which was a big thing in that movie. And he's like, everybody does it. And I think they. They're the first one to do it. And he gets so annoyed by it. And me, I saw that as him being ungrateful for his fame because it just.

[A]

That feels like an easy, like, shtick for the movie.

[D]

And it's like, dude, you were in a movie where that was your thing.

[A]

Got free wine.

[D]

To have somebody who just wanted to do something nice and knows your work and is a fan of your work that you got so annoyed by that. Which I could get that if somebody has something that they're known for, they start to get just inundated with it. Like, I think Jason Biggs from American Pie, anytime there's pie around, like, people are gonna point it out to him. But I think to have a role like that, that is so impactful, you gotta embrace it. And to see him just being kind of annoying about the way he handled it. I always hated him for that.

[A]

It's giving Jacob Elordi in the kissing booth.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Again, like, I get that it could be annoying. Suck it up and smile. It probably bought you some nice things in life.

[D]

It really did. And I think anything you do that is public facing. You have to embrace it. And the minute you start being annoyed by it, maybe it's time not to do it anymore.

[A]

Yeah, it's a good point.

[D]

We'll wrap up with some here. I also have some of my own because I think we're starting seeing some repeats on this list. Taxi with Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon.

[A]

Again, this doesn't feel like.

[D]

Yeah, I think we're getting towards the end here.

[A]

I think people just started putting in their favorite movie from the 2000s. Yeah.

[D]

I came up with my list of not movies that I watched on the Tahoe DVD player because we didn't have one. I have movies that I watched on portable DVD player that we got from the bootleg flea market in Mexico. Because that is what I associate with this time period where we would go to Mexico every Christmas and there was something called the Young Guys, which is essentially like a flea market in Mexico. And it only happened on Thursdays. And we would go and they would sell bootleg DVDs. But these were movies that we got. I Think most. Most. All of them were in Spanish. So they were movies that I watched for the first time in Spanish on a small DVD player.

[A]

So was this someone recording it on their handheld camcorder in the theater and then they put it on a dv.

[D]

Glad you asked that question. Sometimes, yes, it was. And you would hear people coughing. You would see it shake a little bit. Some of them were actual movie files, but they were still in Spanish.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

So it depended. You didn't know because you would just get. You would just get the dvd.

[A]

Kind of feels like a blind box.

[D]

Yeah. Kind of like a blind box. You don't know what experience you're about to walk into, because you would either buy it in a case where they just printed it on just a standard computer printer and, like, slid it in there, or it would just be the actual disc with, like, a label printed on it and that it was just the risk you were running.

[A]

I feel like we have to start with the one your mom feels the most guilty about having the bootleg copy of.

[D]

First up on my list, the Passion of the Christ, which I watched for the first time on a bootleg DVD on a portable DVD player in Mexico.

[A]

In Spanish.

[D]

In Spanish. I think this one was one where somebody went in with a video camera, because I remember it being not completely centered, and at times it would, like, move a little bit and you'd see the seats. But we watched the entire thing on this DVD player, and my mom felt bad about it. She was like, I don't know how I feel about watching a story about Jesus on a bootleg DVD that we probably pay the equivalent of, like, two American dollars for.

[A]

I mean, the money also, like, wasn't going to a church. Think about it. It was going to Hollywood.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

So I actually don't know if the guilt there was warranted, but this is.

[D]

The only time I've watched this movie. So I remember enjoying it. I remember the ending, even though I knew how it was going to end. Spoiler alert. But I remember it really affecting me because I was like, man, to see it.

[A]

Oh, I think everyone. I think. And to be a kid when it came out. Yeah. Reading and seeing is different.

[D]

It's rated R. Yeah. So the brutality of it was something that I wasn't expecting. And I think that's also something that affected my mom a little bit. That scene was just hard for her to watch. And then the whole dilemma of the way we got this dvd, I think she was just like, I can't watch this movie anymore. But that is to me peak watching things on a portable DVD player. I also have Super Size Me, which was the documentary about Morgan Spurlock eating McDonald's for every single meal for a period of time. And what we found out later was that he was also battling alcoholism during this. So a lot of the effects that he attributed to him eating McDonald's all the time from the weight gain, him barfing was not just the food he was eating, but also the fact that he was drinking and not really showing the audience that. Yeah, so that's a weird one to look back on and remember how, but.

[A]

Also don't eat fast food for every every day.

[D]

But it was that I look back on now. Like, man, it just doesn't feel like a valid movie anymore because there were some things going on behind the scenes. So. But rip to him. We also have Spider Man 2, which we actually just went this past weekend to go see in theaters. We saw a 2.1. That one I watched for the first time in Spanish. But I think this one, no, this one was also one that they recorded handheld because I remember, I think there's a scene that was missing whenever I think Doc Ock first goes to attack.

[A]

Peter, they went to the bathroom.

[D]

And I remember not seeing that until later, until I actually watched it on a real dvd. And I was like, man, I missed like a whole 10 minutes of this movie because a guy filming it had to go pee.

[A]

He had to get snacks.

[D]

But I also didn't fully understand all the dialogue in Spanish when I watched this one. So whenever I watch it again in English, it was kind of like watching it for the first time.

[A]

And you've since watched it. Seven million.

[D]

Yeah. Every single. Every single time that I don't have anything to watch, I'm always itching to go watch the Spider man movies.

[A]

You made me buy tickets. The, like, minute they announced it, I.

[D]

Was like, I gotta go see it with new footage. 2.1 Gothika, which was a movie with Halle Berry.

[A]

Oh, that one.

[D]

Which was really weird. And I think that was one that was an actual rip of the file, but that just wasn't really a good movie. But I just remember watching that on that DVD player. And then that's pretty much my entire list.

[A]

Mine were all in the. In the Twitter list.

[D]

What a good time. 2004, things were simpler. But that is the list. I'll come back and I give my spoiler free review of one battle after another. But the humility in knowing that life is his classroom that we should never graduate from is what is going to keep you growing, and that's all that matters. World Mental Health Day is around the corner. And on my podcast, just heal with Dr. J, I dive into what it really means to care for your mind, body, and spirit. From breaking generational patterns to building emotional capacity, healing is a journey, and wholeness is the destination.

[A]

I'm gonna walk away feeling very healed and feeling like, yes, I'm gonna continue.

[D]

My healing journey and I'm gonna get.

[C]

Some keys from you.

[D]

Listen to just heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

We're siblings. Like, you fight, you disagree. It's really hard to be in a relationship.

[D]

You judge.

[B]

You judge each other.

[A]

You lead differently, and we've gotten to that edge. Hey, I'm Simone Boyce, host to the Bright side, and this week I'm joined by Hollywood power sisters Erin and Sarah Foster. They open up about navigating the judginess of Hollywood, dealing with rejection and the pressure of running a business with your sibling. And, yeah, they're spilling the tea on season two of their hit Netflix series. Nobody wants this.

[C]

I feel like the overall consensus was.

[A]

Like, people were just obsessed with this. Will they, won't they?

[C]

Like, that's the thing, right? It's just intoxicating. You want to be able to sustain that for as many seasons, but you also have to, like, marry them off eventually. I don't know what you're season for. You'll marry them off, Erin.

[A]

Well, I don't even know if they're staying together. Sarah, y', all, this conversation is honest, hilarious, and everything you didn't know you needed. This week, listen to the Bright side on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[D]

The Internet is something we make, not just something that happens to us.

[C]

I'm Bridget Todd, host of the tech and culture podcast There are no Girls on the Internet.

[A]

There are no Girls on the Internet is not just about tech. It's about culture and policy and art.

[C]

And expression and how we as humans exist and fit with one another.

[A]

In our new season, I'm talking to people like Anil Dash, an OG entrepreneur.

[C]

And writer who refuses to be cynical about the Internet. I love tech.

[D]

You know, I've been a nerd my.

[C]

Whole life, but it does have to be for something.

[D]

Like, it's not just for its own sake.

[C]

It's a fascinating exploration about the power.

[A]

Of the Internet for both good and bad.

[C]

They use WhatsApp to get the price.

[D]

Of rice at the market that is often 12 hours away.

[A]

They're not going to be like we.

[D]

Don'T like the terms of service, therefore we're not trading rice this season.

[C]

It's an inspiring story that focuses on.

[A]

People as the core building blocks of.

[D]

The Internet Platforms exist because of the regular people on them, and I think that's a real important story to keep repeating.

[C]

I created There are no growth on.

[A]

The Internet because the future belongs to all of us. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Listen to There are no girls on.

[C]

The Internet on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

[A]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[B]

I'm Danielle Robay and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and iHeart podcast where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk, stars and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[C]

Hey sis, what if I could promise you you never had to listen to a condescending finance bro tell you how to manage your money again? Welcome to Brown Ambition. This is the hard part. When you pay down those credit cards. If you haven't gotten to the bottom of why you were racking up credit or turning to credit cards, you may just recreate the same problem. A year from now when you do feel like you are bleeding from these high interest rates, I would start shopping for a debt consolidation loan starting with your local credit union. Shopping around online looking for some online lenders because they tend to have fewer fees and be more affordable. Listen, I am not here to judge. It is so expensive in these streets I 100% can see how in just a few months you can have this much credit card debt and it weighs on you. It's really easy to just like stick your head in the sand. It's nice and dark in the sand. Even if it's scary, it's not going to go away just because you're avoiding it and infected with make it even worse. For more judgment free money advice, listen to Brown ambition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[D]

Let's get into it now. A spoiler Free movie review of One Battle after another starring Leonardo DiCaprio Benicio del Toro. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the movie is about a character named Bob who is an American revolutionary. Takes place at the beginning of the movie in what could some describe as his glory days of being a revolutionary, fighting back against the government, trying to liberate some people, blowing things up. And then it kind of jump cuts to about him 15 years later, has a daughter now, is trying to maintain a normal family dynamic. But then a member from his past, played by Sean Penn, who is the bad guy in this movie, creeps back into his life and suddenly he goes from being kind of a burnt out nobody who just gets stoned all the time, reminiscing on his days as a revolutionary. Suddenly he is back in it. All of his old friends come back together in order to save each other, keep each other from being in some cases taken out, in some cases captured Leonardo DiCaprio on the run the entire time. And that's what makes this movie exciting. Paul Thomas Anderson really hasn't done an action movie like this. He's done really big epic movies like There Will Be Blood. He's done comedy movies like Licorice Pizza. Back in the day was known for movies like Boogie Nights, but this is his first time really stepping into what I feel is his most commercial film. So going into any Paul Thomas Anderson movie, my question is, is it going to warrant the runtime? And I feel like that is a slap in the face to him as a visionary. That us as audiences now, we think about those types of things because we think about how is this going to fit into my day. And maybe just because I'm in my 30s now and I'm like, man, if I go watch a three hour movie, it's gonna take out my entire Friday night. And as soon as this movie started, all of those concerns went way out the window. Before I knew it, I was an hour into this movie. Before I knew it again, we were at the two hour mark. And then it ends up being even though it's listed as 2 hours and 50 minutes, right around 2 and a half hours, this entire movie flew by and that was the sign to me that it's a good movie. I don't have to question his run times anymore. There is so much action from beginning to end as there were so many story lines to follow. Because while you're following Leonardo DiCaprio and his daughter, which I think at the core of this movie, it is a movie about the father and daughter dynamic. So you have things like that going on. You also have Sean Penn's character, who is the villain in this movie, trying to track down Leonardo DiCaprio. His character was very much, to me, giving off Christoph Waltz and Inglourious Basterds. Not as intense, not as Oscar worthy, but that was the cat and mouse dynamic that I needed in this movie that really made me love it. And his character is intense, but also comical, which I think is something that maybe some people aren't expecting from a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, who he does comedy really well. And I did think that this was going to be a little bit more of a visceral action movie, just given the fact that it is about a group of revolutionaries who, at the beginning of the film, do blow up a lot of things. They have a lot of intentions of anarchy and chaos. And I thought that was going to be a little bit more evident throughout the entire film. And while there is a lot of action in it, there's also a lot of comedy in it. So it has this really unique balance going back and forth between the two. I think an R theater, which was a packed theater on a Friday night, there were a lot of laughs. Sometimes I was confused at what people were laughing at because I didn't find it to be as comical as some of the other people in our audience. So maybe there was some things that were going a little bit over my head even. Maybe I'm not smart enough to get some of the jokes. I didn't see it as full on as a comedy as some other people did. To me, it did at moments kind of feel like Pineapple express because Leonardo DiCaprio's character is a stoner. Some could say this is the best action stoner that has ever been created. But in Pineapple Express, Seth Rogen plays a guy named Dale Denton who is a process server. I saw a lot of parallels between Dale Denton and Bob, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, that I was like, this is almost a more serious version of that movie. Because I was thinking it was going to have more of a tone of a There Will Be Blood by Paul Thomas Anderson. The fact that you have one of the best actors of all time, Leonardo DiCaprio, who has that range, who can be a little bit more intense. This was an entirely different look at Leo. He was comical in a Way I wasn't expecting he was a hero at times, but it was almost like Bob wasn't really set up to be a hero. He was set up a little bit more to be the comic relief, to be the dad that did care about his daughter, but also just did not have his life together. And there are moments where you're like, come on, Bob, just get it together. Get out of the bathrobe and be a little bit more heroic. But that's not the story that was being told here. I would think if there was one real hero out of the entire film, it was Benicio Del Toro. Which my only real complaint with this movie is I wanted more of him because I love their dynamic together. Them driving in the car, drinking and driving. Those were the moments that made me feel like it was Seth Rogen and James Franco and Pineapple Express doing dumb things. And it was really cool to see a movie like this on an incredibly vast cinematic level. That vision combined with all the comedic elements and giving me things on screen that I've never seen before. Because while in somebody else's hands, this could have been just another generic action movie. You truly see the vision take shape throughout every scene, having so much intent, all the storylines working together as one. A true cinematic experience that is one that you seek out. Movies like this in your life, and you realize now, maybe more than ever, how much Hollywood right now is a director's game. But you see with the movies that have really impacted audiences this year, Sinners, Weapons, Now One battle after another, I'll even throw highest to lowest in there from Spike Lee. But it's these directors who are standing out more than just ip, in my opinion. I think original stories are alive and well, and they are right here in front of you. So I think that is the direction Hollywood needs to go. Invest more in directors, allow them to make the movies that they want to make, because, boy, this was his most expensive movie ever. And it puts a lot of trust in him to create something that is also going to make money. So that's the line you have to walk. The movie also had a fantastic score that was used so well throughout. You have this theme song almost driving all the action in one battle after another, which the last movie where the score was so evident that it was distracting to me was highest to lowest. And that is an example of when it is used correctly and when I believe it is used incorrectly and highest to lowest, it was so distracting, and it changed the feeling of every single scene because it was so overbearing with this orchestra, it made it feel so lesser than what was actually happening on the screen. But here it added to the intensity. It added to that franticness. It added to that feeling of anxiety, just that chugging all the way throughout the film. A lot of Oscar nominations are going to be thrown out for this movie. I don't think it is one that is going to warrant an automatic win for Leonardo DiCaprio. He'll probably be nominated, but I don't think he is giving Best Actor in this. I think it's because Bob's character doesn't have the greatest amount of range. He does his comedic thing really well throughout and there are moments where Leonardo shines in a way that he never has. But I don't think that warrants a win for Best Actor. I think Benicio Del Toro will get Supporting Actor. If anybody is a clear winner here, I think Paul Thomas Anderson for Best Director and Best Score. Those were the two elements that really stood out to me. Cinematography could also be one where they take home an Oscar because this movie looked beautiful. They filmed a lot of it in California and El Paso. I love every single scene that took place in El Paso. They also use a lot of non actors, which I love it when directors use this because it adds to the level of authenticity where you have somebody like Sean Penn interacting with other people who are not actors. That gives you that taste of the community, a taste of that environment that adds to that sense of realism. One of my favorite examples of this was no country for Old Men where the Coen brothers use a lot of people throughout this small town in Texas as the actual people in that town. Paul Thomas Anderson did the same thing here and it makes those interactions just feel that much more authentic. Chase Infinity was also great as Leonardo DiCaprio's daughter. She was fantastic in Presumed Innocent. I think she is somebody who is going to have a really great career in Hollywood. But my favorite thing about one battle after another is I believe it has the best chase scene in 10 years. Before this, my number one chase scene of the last 10 years was penguin being chased by the Batman with Robert Pattinson and Colin Farrell. But without giving up too much, the chasing in the third act is the best chasing I've seen since. Is it a masterpiece? No, but it's really close. And it's so hard for me to give out a perfect score because right now I believe that a perfect score comes with time. This does feel like a movie that has a great rewatch ability factor. So quite possibly down the line I could look back on this and think, oh, that truly was a masterpiece. But for now, I give one battle after another a 4.5 out of 5 bathrobes. But the humility in knowing that life is this classroom that we should never graduate from is what is going to keep you growing, and that's all that matters. World Mental Health Day is around the corner. And on my podcast, just heal with Dr. J, I dive into what it really means to care for your mind, body, and spirit. From breaking generational patterns to building emotional capacity, healing is a journey, and wholeness is the destination.

[A]

I'm gonna walk away feeling very healed and feeling like, yes, I'm gonna continue, continue my healing journey.

[D]

And I. I'm gonna get some keys from you. Listen to just heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

We're siblings, like, you fight, you disagree. It's really hard to be in a partnership.

[D]

You judge each other. You.

[A]

You lead differently, and we've gotten to that edge. Hey, I'm Simone Boyce, host of the Bright side, and this week, I'm joined by Hollywood power sisters Erin and Sarah Foster. They open up about navigating the judginess of Hollywood, dealing with rejection and the pressure of running a business with your sibling. And, yeah, they're spilling the tea on season two of their hit Netflix series. Nobody wants this.

[C]

I feel like the overall consensus was.

[A]

Like, people were just obsessed with this. Will they, won't they?

[C]

Like, that's the thing, right? It's just intoxicating. You want to be able to sustain that for as many seasons, but you also have to, like, marry them off eventually.

[D]

I don't know.

[C]

You'll marry them off, Erin.

[A]

Well, I don't even know if they're staying together. Sarah, y', all, this conversation is honest, hilarious, and everything you didn't know you needed. This week, listen to the Bright side on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Just like great shoes, great books. Take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters. And you'll never forget, I think any.

[A]

Good romance, it gives me this feeling of, like, butterflies.

[B]

I'm Danielle Robay, and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcasts, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week, I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and e book home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[C]

Hey sis, what if I could promise you you never had to listen to a condescending finance bro tell you how to manage your money again? Welcome to Brown Ambition. This is the hard part when you pay down those credit cards. If you haven't gotten to the bottom of why you were racking up credit or turning to credit cards, you may just recreate the same problem a year from now when you do feel like you are bleeding from these high interest rates. I would start shopping for a debt consolidation loan starting with your local credit union. Shopping around online looking for some online lenders because they tend to have fewer fees and be more affordable. Listen, I am not here to judge. It is so expensive in these streets. I 100% can see how in just a few months you can have this much credit card debt and it weighs on you. It's really easy to just like stick your head in the sand. It's nice and dark in the sand. Even if it's scary, it's not going to go away just because you're avoiding it. And in fact, it may get even worse. For more judgment free money advice, listen to Brown ambition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Your entire identity has been fabricated. Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace. You discover the depths of your mother's illness, the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life, impacting your very legacy. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro and these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets. With over 37 million downloads, we continue to be moved and inspired by our guests and their courageously told stories.

[B]

I can't wait to share 10 powerful.

[D]

New episodes with you.

[B]

Stories of tangled up identities, concealed truths.

[C]

And the way in which family secrets.

[B]

Almost always need to be told.

[C]

I hope you'll join me and my extraordinary guests for this new season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets Season 12 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast podcasts.

[D]

It's time to head down to Movie Mike's Trailer park for the first time in seven years. Star wars why am I saying that weird? I think it's because my dad says it's Star Wars. Star wars is returning to the box office next year. May 22, 2026. We are getting the Mandalorian and Grogu. I feel like the fan base is pretty split on this movie, and I think it's the fans who have been there since day one, maybe not even day one, back in the 70s. It is those people who have a hard time accepting that Star wars has and always will be aimed towards a younger audience, making movies that sell toys and inspiring young people with these stories. That is overall what Star wars has done. If you were a kid when the original trilogy came out, that is probably the best memories you associate with the franchise. That is your baby. If you were a kid in the late 90s, early 2000s, the prequel trilogy, oh, those are your babies. If now you are somebody who just discovered Star wars in the last saga that so many people hate, that's still going to be your baby. And in 10 years, that is what is going to be recognized as some of the best Star wars films. Not right now, because people still hate on it a lot. And I think that's why people are so split on this show. And I call it a show because it has roots on Disney plus. And to those people, I think this feels like just season four of the Mandalorian on the big screen. And we'll get into all the things that Disney has going on right now with their Disney plus model. But I still think the majority of the hate is those people who still want these movies to be the films of their childhood. And it is never going to be like that. But whenever the sequel trilogy came out, that is where I started to go see all of them in theaters and then went back and revisited all the Star wars movies and did a deep dive. It is those movies that were the conduit to me even being able to associate myself with the Star wars fandom. Force Awakens, the Last Jedi, the Rise of Skywalker. I love those movies. And you can't really say that in Star wars culture, it seems, because for the most part, everybody believes that the writing was so terrible. A lot of people hate Rey. I found them to be really enjoyable and that is what got me into the Mandalorian. Because without those movies, I don't think I would have been interested in a show about a character I had no idea about is because of those movies. Whenever the Mandalorian first premiered, I was like, I'm gonna check that out. And to date, it is my favorite of all the Star wars shows because I feel it is the perfect balance of the original trilogy and what it needs to evolve to in order to survive. Season one came out back in 2019, season two came out in 2020, and season three was already a couple of years ago. Came out in 2023 was what I believe to be the weakest of all the seasons. And now it all kind of makes sense because I think that was the bridge to get us to this movie, but I think now it makes sense. The official description of the movie reads, the evil Empire has fallen and the Imperial Warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledging New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter played by Pedro Pascal and his young apprentice Grogu. So Pedro Pascal is returning. Jeremy Allen White is going to play Jabba the Hutt's son, Rada. I believe that's how you pronounce it. Sigourney Weaver is also in this movie. So before we talk about this more and why everybody is so split on this, here's just a little bit of the Mandalorian and Grogu trailer. Impressive.

[A]

Good shot, baby.

[D]

So not a whole lot of dialogue in this trailer. Overall, the trailer is pretty short, under two minutes. I think it's like a minute and a half. You see some fighting, you see a big lizard monster, you see the AT ATS go down, you see the Mandalorian fighting, some people flying. All the things you would expect in a Mandalorian trailer. You do get that first glimpse of Jeremy Allen White voicing Rada, which I think that scene was pretty cool. Aside from that, they're not giving us too many specific details about what is going on, where the Mandalorian is in his journey, where they're trying to break into. You do see Grogu try out a couple of different things, which I think that is probably the most entertaining part of the Mandalorian is just seeing Grogu be cute and do silly little things. Like here you see him trying to use the Force to get a snack. You see him swimming, which I was like, oh man, you got to put the little guy in some water and make him swim. And then you also see what I believe is going to be the GIF or meme worthy moment of Grogu kind of eating some kind of popcorn like snack. It looks like it's in a popcorn tin and he's just munching on it. You kind of heard it in the clip there, but that just Tells me the Mandalorian Grogu is going to have a sick popcorn bucket. I want a Rod of the Hutt popcorn bucket right now. I'm already putting myself on the preorder list for that. I would love something like that of Grogu holding a popcorn bucket. I have to imagine that has to be the tie in now, because I think the thing to have is a cool popcorn bucket in 2025. So definitely in 2026. My main issue with this trailer is it looks exactly like the TV show visually. And I have to think about it because I don't want to be an irrational fan here. Is it that this movie looks just like a TV show, or the TV show looks so good that it looks like a movie? I actually think the TV show looks so good that it looks like a movie. And this just looks. I don't know if they can make it look any better without changing the aesthetic. Because as much as I would love some film grain on this to make it look more like a 70s Star wars film to have that rich, bold look. They filmed this for imax and they wanted to look big. They wanted to look crystal clear. The way they make these shows and Star wars movies is using that big LED screen for a lot of these backgrounds. So I think they have to look a very specific way, because obviously they're not going to some planet outside of this world to film these movies. They're doing it in a studio with a big screen that they could project anything on to give it that depth. But I think that requires a specific kind of camera that you can't really make it look like those practical effects and how they feel in the original trilogy, where everything, most everything, was something tangible. But if you look at how much they spend on seasons of the Mandalorian to make season one cost about 100 to $120 million, which is pretty expensive. Episodes range from about 15 to $20 million alone. That is a small movie budget in itself. And this movie cost about $166 million. So I feel like it's a little bit comparable, adding a little bit there to maybe make it more cinematic, maybe do some things that they haven't done in the TV show. I think that is the issue I'm having with watching this trailer, is that it just doesn't feel as epic to me. And then you have to think about the Disney plus model, which it's also releasing on Memorial Day weekend, the same weekend that this year Lilo and Stitch came out. Lilo and Stitch was initially going to Be a Disney plus series. Not the first time they've done that. Also with Moana 2 was also going to be a Disney plus series. But they put those movies out in theaters and what did they do? They made a lot of money. Lilo and Stitch, highest grossing movie of the year, hitting that billion mark. I think they are trying that again. Because if they are spending so much money on the Mandalorian and the return on investment is okay on Disney, it is a big exclusive for them. Probably a big reason that people subscribe to Disney plus is to watch the Mandalorian. It is that big of a show. But if they could create a movie instead that goes to the box office and brings home $1 billion, that is worth so much more. You create a moment like Lilo and Stitch did this year, where people were filling on the theaters. But do audiences want that from a Star wars film or we already conditioned to watching this at home? I think that is the difference here. Because Moana came out in theaters first came out in theaters again. So that is what we were conditioned to. Same with Lilo and Stitch was a movie back in the day. Came out in theaters. No real difference there. This is a show that only exists on Disney plus if it feels exactly the same, even though it could be great. And I think a lot of people who have a problem with that will still go watch it in theaters and still love it. Even if it's great, people are still gonna say, that was exactly like the TV show that was just season four on the big screen. But you made me pay more money for it. You made me driving my car to the theater. You made me buy the popcorn bucket. Look at all these extra things you made me buy. That is going to be the difference here. And when this movie comes out, it'll be the first Star wars movie in theaters in seven years. How is that going to be received? Because they've had some hits, they've had some misses. Solo didn't do so well. Even though I love Donald Glover as Lando, Rogue One was probably the best out of all those movies. Even though I loved the sequel trilogy. Rogue One is just a fantastic movie on its own. You don't have to know anything else about Star Wars. It is just a great movie. And then the other thing, Pedro Pascal. I feel like his reception among audiences is a little bit different now. I feel like this doesn't have as much of an effect on people's Pedro fatigue because he's not really seen a whole lot. Unless the Mandalorian takes off his helmet. You hear his voice, but he does it so differently that you could honestly disassociate and not realize that you were at a Pedro Pascal movie another time. Because apparently if he doesn't make a movie that comes out in theaters every three months, he like turns back into a pumpkin or something. I don't think that'll be a major issue here. But that is another bit of rumblings that I hear from the split fan base right now. And then it is directed by Jon Favreau, who created the Mandalorian, who is a fantastic director. Obviously we know him for the Iron man movies, for directing those, for being happy. But I kind of feel like the Mandalorian is his baby and I trust him with making something worthy of the big screen. That is going to be epic. Even though everything right now telling me this doesn't feel like it warrants a movie. It almost feels like a meeting. That could have been an email, but I want to be proven wrong. The other really weird thing that I'll critique about this is I hate the font. I am all about a good movie poster font, but I hate the font that the title of the movie is in. It almost looks like a reused font that Disney has already used before. Just the color scheme of it doesn't feel right to me. It doesn't feel like it looks good on the poster. And they did release like a kind of hand drawn, hand painted looking poster that's supposed to look a little bit nostalgic, but I just can't get over the font. These little things that I'm finding that I'm hoping in the end just mean nothing. But the Mandalorian comes out in theaters next year on May 22, 2026. And that was this week's edition of Movie Minds Trailer Park. And that is gonna do it for another episode here of the podcast. But before I go, I gotta give my listener shout out of the week. This week I'm going over to Instagram. I posted a reel for my Zach Kreger interview that I did last week. The director of weapons and I said comment with the hot dog emoji and I will pick somebody as next week's listener shout out of the week. So this week's listener shout out goes to Gina, who commented with four hot dog emojis and said, mike, quick question. Does it help your ratings more if we access your podcast directly on the iHeart app versus accessing it on the BBS link in the app? I try to go to your podcast directly because it seems that would be Better for you Question mark shrugging emoji. Thank you, Gina. First of all for listening to last week's episode, for commenting on the real and for asking that question. Because it's a great question. The answer is wherever you listen, it helps. Doesn't matter if it's directly subscribed to the Booby Mike's Movie podcast feed or if you listen on the Bobby Bone show feed, which I know a lot of people do, it all helps put gas in the car. So wherever you are listening, I don't want to change your habits. What I prefer is that you are subscribed to the actual Movie Mike's Movie podcast feed, whether it be on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, wherever you get your podcast, just because that ensures that you get every single brand new episode. So if you are subscribed there, it means like we're friends, like we're good. Like, oh, you, you're a ride or die. You are in this for the long run. If I put up a bonus episode, you're gonna get that on that feed because sometimes it won't go up on the BBS feed. Because you know, my favorite thing is somebody who posts on Twitter or Instagram listening and it's a screenshot that way I know I see my logo down there, so I love that. But wherever you listen means the world to me no matter how you do it. So appreciate Eugenia for asking that question. Thanks to everybody for listening this week. And until next time, go out and watch good movies and I will talk to you later.

[B]

Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

[A]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[B]

I'm Danielle Robaix and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and iheart Podcast where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[C]

I'm Bridget Armstrong, host of the new podcast the Curse of America's Next Top Model. I've been investigating the real story behind that iconic show, I ended up having anorexia issues, bulimia issues. By talking to the models, the producers, and the people who profited from it.

[A]

All, we basically sold our souls and they got rich. If you were so rooting for her.

[C]

And and saw her drowning, why don't you help her listen to the curse of America's Next Top model on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

Betrayal Weekly is back for season two.

[C]

With brand new stories.

[A]

The detective comes driving up fast and.

[C]

Just like screeches right in the parking lot. I swear I'm not crazy, but I.

[D]

Think he poisoned me. I feel trapped. My breathing changes.

[C]

I realized, wow, like, he is not a mentor. He's pretty much a monster. But these aren't just stories of destruction. They're stories of survival. I'm gonna tell my story and I'm.

[D]

Gonna hold my head up.

[C]

Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[D]

What's up, everybody? It's snacks from the trapped nerds. It's all October long. We're bringing you the horror.

[A]

Boogity, boogity, boogity.

[D]

We kicking off this month with some of my best horro to keep you terrified. Then we'll be talking about our favorite horror and Halloween movies and figuring out why black people always die first. And it's the return of Tony's horror show side Quest, written and narrated by yours truly. We'll also be doing a full episode reading with commentary, and we'll cap it off with a horror movie battle royale. Open your free iHeartRadio app and search Trap Nerds podcast and listen.

[C]

Now, do we really need another podcast with a condescending finance bro trying to tell us how to spend our own money? No, thank you. Instead, check out Brown Ambition. Each week I your host, Mandy Money gives you real talk, real advice with a heavy dose of I feel useless. Like on Fridays when I take your questions for the baqa. Whether you're trying to invest for your future, navigate a toxic workplace, I got you. Listen to Brown ambition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.