MOVIE MIKE: The 2025 Mikey Awards + Is Avatar: Fire and Ash Worth 3 Hour and 15 mins? + Trailer Park: The Drama

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show: Movie Mike’s Movie Podcast

Episode: The 2025 Mikey Awards + Is Avatar: Fire and Ash Worth 3 Hours and 15 mins? + Trailer Park: The Drama
Date: December 27, 2025
Host: Movie Mike, with co-host Kelsey

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Episode Overview

This episode is a lively, end-of-year celebration as Movie Mike hosts the first ever Mikey Awards honoring the best (and some worst) of movies in 2025. Alongside co-host and wife Kelsey, Mike sweeps through inventive and fun categories before delivering an in-depth, spoiler-free review of "Avatar: Fire and Ash." The show wraps with an exploration of the trailer for the upcoming film "The Drama" starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, breaking down what’s coming up for both actors.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The First Ever Mikey Awards (Awards Segment)

[03:31–31:20]

• Concept: Mike debuts his own movie awards with tongue-in-cheek and heartfelt categories, ranging from "Best Pop Culture Moment" to the more traditional acting and directing accolades.
• Format: The segment blends fun couple banter, nostalgia, movie theater rituals, and commentary on industry trends, as well as genuine appreciation for the year's cinematic achievements.

Notable Categories, Winners, & Runners-Up

• Best Theater Experience:

  • Winner: Weapons
    • Chosen for the shared experience and energy in the theater.
    • Quote (05:59): “When I look back on my best experiences of the year, that was it... There were moments that everybody kind of gasped at once.” — Movie Mike

• Biggest Disappointment:

  • Winner: The Smashing Machine

    • Boring, underwhelming, and failed to utilize The Rock’s potential.
    • Quote (06:44): “It was so, so boring. I was just waiting for that movie to really hit, for there to be that one moment…” — Movie Mike

  • Runner-up: I Know What You Did Last Summer (nostalgia bait, didn’t deliver)

• Best Pop Culture Moment:

  • Winner: Minecraft’s Chicken Jockey Scene

    • Viral, organic TikTok meme moment.
    • Quote (07:52): "Chicken Jockey is equivalent to 6, 7 to me. And that I don’t understand either one of them." — Kelsey

  • Runner-up: Weapons Running Kid meme

• Best Action Scene:

  • Winner: Chase scene in One Battle After Another
    • Praised for intensity and immersive cinematography.
    • Quote (11:03): "Just visually, it created this... Even though you’re watching a 2D screen, it felt like I was fully in that moment." — Movie Mike

• Committing to the Bit:

  • Winner: Emma Stone (Begonia)
    • Shaved her head on camera for the role.
    • Quote (11:30): “Can you imagine shaving your head for a movie? ... That is next level.” — Movie Mike

• Most Overhated Movie:

  • Winner: The Electric State (Netflix, Millie Bobby Brown & Chris Pratt)
    • Discussed how online hate and bot activity may stifle fair impressions.
    • Conversation extended into digital culture, review bombing, and manufactured narratives.

• Best Shot of the Year:

  • Winner: Flames scene in Sinners (Michael B. Jordan, Miles Canton)

• Best Animal:

  • Winner: Indy, the dog from A Good Boy

• Biggest Cash Grab:

  • Winner: Taylor Swift: The Official Party Life of a Showgirl
    • Noted for endless merch variants and high ticket merchandising.
    • Quote (21:35): “Sometimes I like to call her my capitalist queen.” — Kelsey

• Best Popcorn Bucket:

  • Winner: Stitch from Lilo & Stitch (Regal exclusive)

Main Acting Categories

• Best Supporting Actor:

  • Winner: Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another)
  • Runner-up: Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)

• Best Supporting Actress:

  • Winner: Chase Infinity (One Battle After Another)
  • Runner-up: Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine)

• Best Actor:

  • Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)

    • Both hosts praise DiCaprio for finally deserving an Oscar for this performance.
    • Quote (26:33): “I hope he wins an Oscar for this...I think he deserves an Oscar for this.” — Kelsey

  • Runner-up: Michael B. Jordan (Sinners, played dual roles)

• Best Actress:

  • Winner: Emma Stone (Begonia)
  • Runner-up: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)

• Best Director:

  • Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
  • Runner-up: Zach Kreger (Weapons)

• Best Directorial Debut:

  • Winner: Eva Victor (Sorry Baby)
  • Runner-up: James Sweeney (Twin Lists)

Memorable Banter & Quotes

• “Do you think listeners know how weird you are?” — Kelsey teases Movie Mike over his at-home reenactments of viral memes. [10:25]
• On digital marketing manipulation:
  “We’re all being lied to. ... It’s like digital manipulation and marketing.” — Kelsey [16:24]
• On creativity:
  “If you really break down what a movie is about, there are only so many ways to tell a story... The basis of those stories are kind of the same. The chosen one.” — Movie Mike [18:00]

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In-Depth: Avatar: Fire and Ash Review

[35:25–46:34]

• Is it Worth the Run Time? Mike reviews the third Avatar installment after experiencing its 3 hour and 15 minute runtime, searching for both positives and negatives.
• Theatrical Experience: Strongly advocates for seeing it in theaters; praised the immersive visuals.
  • Quote (36:40): “If you do not see this movie in theaters, you are not seeing it in the right way. I was so blown away at the opening sequence…so immersive.”
• Technical Innovations:
  • “It was the first time I’ve truly felt and seen and witnessed all that movie budget used on screen.” — Movie Mike [37:59]
• Story Issues:
  • Found the second half repetitive and flat, noting the plot is a retread; character motivations thin, particularly compared to earlier films.
  • “If this movie would have been two hours long, I would have left completely satisfied…about the two hour mark, it just started to become a little bit repetitive. I started to lose interest in some of these characters.” — Movie Mike [42:47]
• Final Assessment:
  • Rating: 3.5 out of 5 fire arrows.
  • Mike admires the spectacle but is underwhelmed by storytelling, suspects James Cameron is now more interested in tech than narrative.
  • Memorable Analogy (45:25): “It’s almost like if you go to dinner, you get a really great dish. That first bite you take is amazing. But if you have this giant platter of it that is three hours long, you’re eventually going to get tired of that taste.”

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Movie Mike’s Trailer Park: “The Drama” (Robert Pattinson & Zendaya)

[50:07–60:48]

• Film Details:
  • The Drama stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a newly engaged couple whose relationship is shaken by a dark secret.
  • Directed by Christopher Borgli (Dream Scenario).
• Trailer Breakdown:
  • Described as a "romantic comedy,” but Mike and Kelsey agree it feels more like a dramatic thriller with possible dark twists.
  • Key trailer moment: Tense, awkward photoshoot scene where the tension between the couple is palpable.
  • Quote (52:26): “Let’s do a little warm up so we’re feeling revved up and comfortable for your wedding day.” — Kelsey (reading from trailer)
• Speculation:
  • The couple’s dynamic has potential for real intensity; Mike wonders if Pattinson’s character is a psycho killer, or if there’s just a major secret.
  • Noted that the third act “looks like the most chaotic moment of this movie is going to come in the third act when they actually get married.” — Movie Mike [52:56]
• Upcoming Careers:
  • Both Zendaya and Pattinson have massive 2026 slates (upcoming “Odyssey” by Christopher Nolan, “Dune: Part 3,” new Spider-Man, new Batman—and more).
  • Mike praises their range and the old-school Hollywood mysteriousness Zendaya maintains by being relatively private.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Emma Stone’s Head Shave (Begonia) [11:30]:
  Movie Mike: “Can you imagine shaving your head for a movie? And what you actually see in Begonia is the moment that she shaved her head.”
• On Online Reviews & Bots (Electric State) [14:22]:
  Kelsey: “Do you think that's kind of like this? Like a couple people say it's terrible and then that narrative just spreads?” Movie Mike: "Yes. I have a theory...competing studios do this to downplay other movies and get the negative press."
• On Video-First Filmmaking (Avatar) [45:25]:
  Movie Mike: “If I sold TVs for a living, on every TV screen in my store, I would be playing Avatar: Fire and Ash...this is the way you sell a TV.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Start | End | |-------------------------------------|-----------|-----------| | Mikey Awards Begin | 03:24 | ~31:20 | | Avatar: Fire and Ash Review | 35:25 | 46:34 | | Movie Mike’s Trailer Park: The Drama| 50:07 | 60:48 | | Listener Shout-Out & Outro | 60:53 | 63:12 |

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Tone and Style

The episode is conversational, witty, and packed with playful couple energy. Mike is earnest in his film analysis but never takes himself too seriously, and Kelsey injects humor, pop culture savvy, and good-natured ribbing throughout. The mix of serious insight and lighthearted fun makes the content accessible and engaging to movie buffs and casual listeners alike.

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Summary:

This was an especially entertaining and content-packed episode, perfect for anyone wanting to catch up on 2025’s movie trends, the state of blockbuster cinema, and the upcoming projects of Hollywood’s most in-demand stars. Mike and Kelsey’s perspectives, industry observations, and behind-the-scenes banter ensure that even listeners who missed this year’s films come away feeling informed, amused, and maybe a little nostalgic for a really great night at the movies.

Transcript

[Kelsey]

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[Kelsey]

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[Movie Mike]

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[Kelsey]

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[Movie Mike]

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[Movie Mike]

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?

[Kelsey]

I'm great.

[Movie Mike]

We're gonna do what I call the Mikeys.

[Kelsey]

Okay.

[Movie Mike]

The end of the year awards.

[Kelsey]

Have you ever done these before?

[Movie Mike]

No. I've always wanted to do it. And I'm like, it sounds kind of dumb, but why do I not want to do something dumb on this podcast? Since when do I not want to do something dumb? I have, like, dumb categories, then I have, like, the real categories at the end. Okay, so we'll get into that in the movie review. I'll be talking about Avatar, fire, and Ash, all 3 hours and 15 minutes of it. And what I'm looking forward to is the Avengers Doomsday trailer, where it looks like Captain America's coming back. They're like four different versions of it.

[Kelsey]

Are they showing the trailer before? Yes, Avatar.

[Movie Mike]

And it's like, so we actually have.

[Kelsey]

To be there to watch the trailer?

[Movie Mike]

We do have to be there because there's the one trailer that's showing this week with Chris Evans, and then there are four different ones showing four separate weeks. It'll eventually all get leaked online. But it's kind of like if you want to see it in theaters, you have to go watch Avatar four times.

[Kelsey]

That's 12 hours. That's half a day. We're not watching Avatar more than once with Regal Unlimited.

[Movie Mike]

Technically, we could go just watch the trailer and leave. But again, it'll probably be all on the Internet within a couple of weeks.

[Kelsey]

Okay, next time we go see a movie, what's the next one we'll see, like, Marty Supreme. We go to Avatar. That's showing at the same time we watch the trailers, and then we go over to Marty Supreme.

[Movie Mike]

Exactly.

[Kelsey]

There we go.

[Movie Mike]

In the trailer park, we'll be talking about Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in the.

[Kelsey]

Drama, which I keep pulling the wedding.

[Movie Mike]

But they look great together. We'll talk about that. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being subscribed. Shout out to the Monday morning movie crew. And now let's talk movies from the Nashville Podcast Network. This is Movie Mike's movie podcast. Cue the award show music, which only I can hear because you don't have headphones.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. Earlier you asked me, can you hear that? And I was like, am I supposed to be here or something? Where are you, Voices?

[Movie Mike]

Welcome to the first ever Mikey Awards, where I'm just handing out different categories. This is what I think were the best and some of the worst of the year. I don't think most award shows do that. They hand out awards for the worst, I guess. See, that's why it's a mix of everything. But I want to start it out with what I think was the best theater experience of the year. I'm going to go with weapons. And that's because we all watched it together. It was me, you, and your two younger brothers.

[Kelsey]

Yes. You all forced me to go see this film.

[Movie Mike]

And you hate horror movies. And I made an agreement with you that I would tell you when it was going to be scary so you could look away.

[Kelsey]

Yes. And by look away, you mean literally hide under a jacket, which is what I did.

[Movie Mike]

But I think overall, because of those factors and because of how good the movie was, of keeping me entertained, keeping the suspense going, when I look back on my best experiences of the year, that was it.

[Kelsey]

Okay.

[Movie Mike]

It had all the things that I want out of a summer blockbuster movie where it brought people together. There was that feeling in the theater that even though you're in a room of strangers, you felt this bond because we were all anticipating things. There were moments that everybody kind of gasped at once. And I think that is why I still love going to the movies. That was the best theater experience of the year. Next up, the biggest disappointment. I went with the Smashing Machine just because I thought it was gonna have a little bit more of an impact, be a little bit more dramatic.

[Kelsey]

It was boring.

[Movie Mike]

It was so, so boring. I was just waiting for that movie to really hit, for there to be that one moment that I felt was the rocks kind of shining moment. It was really queued up to be his. Even though he did get nominated for a Golden Globe, I would have liked.

[Kelsey]

To have been punched to sleep for that film.

[Movie Mike]

There was just nothing that entertaining about it. Nothing stood out about his character, which it is based on a real guy. I just think they didn't get the story. They should have made some stuff up, which I know it was pretty accurate to his real life, but it's like.

[Kelsey]

If his life was interesting enough to make a movie, how did that not translate in the film?

[Movie Mike]

My runner up, a biggest disappointment of the year was I know what you did last summer. And I don't know why I convinced myself that that was going to be good, but it was just kind of nostalgia bait. Next up, the best pop culture moment of the Year I went with Minecraft's Chicken Jockey. That was my favorite thing to watch on TikTok, where that scene took a life of its own. And that is something you can't create through marketing. It felt so organic. It made headlines in the news because theaters didn't really embrace it because people were acting too much of a fool.

[Kelsey]

Chicken Jockey is equivalent to 6, 7 to me. And that I don't understand either one of them. And I know that makes me sound so old right now, but that is what I feel.

[Movie Mike]

But there at least is a little bit of lore to Minecraft and the Chicken Jockey.

[Kelsey]

You never explained it and you just walked around the house going, chicken Jockey.

[Movie Mike]

Oh, yeah. You didn't go see this with me, right?

[Kelsey]

No.

[Movie Mike]

Oh, I remember in Denver, I went to go see that movie alone, and there was a family in our usual seat, like you, reserve seats. But it was like a mom and or three, maybe four kids. And I was like, I'm not going to make them move. So I had to go down to the bottom, which I kind of. I don't mind the front row.

[Kelsey]

Do we ever tell the story time that someone was in our seats and we pointed it out to them and they were like, well, there's a lot of other open seats. And I just look at them and I go, okay, go sit in them. Yeah, you're right. There are a lot of other open seats, but I picked these.

[Movie Mike]

A lot of people complain about what movie theaters don't get, right. The reserve seating. I think they need to get more credit for that.

[Kelsey]

Of how so good. Gone are the days I remember going to again, back. Back in ye olde days, there was a theater in Pflugerville, Texas, called Tinseltown, right off the highway. I remember having to get there like 45 minutes before a movie to get the spots you wanted. Now we roll up 15 minutes after the movie started.

[Movie Mike]

After the movie started, after the trailers start. Time, if we can time it out perfect, we show up final trailer hits.

[Kelsey]

We're timing it to get there and not watch any trailers, which at our.

[Movie Mike]

Regal, it's about 25 minutes after it's advertised as starting. Yeah, it's so great. Reserve seating is great.

[Kelsey]

Recliners.

[Movie Mike]

That's what I was going to say. I don't think it is so hard to go back to stadium seating where.

[Kelsey]

The only place we'll do it is the Bell Court.

[Movie Mike]

Yes. Because that's a whole different experience. But there are some Regals that still have stadium seating. And if you get one of Those theaters, you're like, what year is this? This is so uncomfortable.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. Now, I will say at our Regal, seats are a little. The leather's cracked. They're not in the best condition, but they still recline. Yeah. I did see Marty supreme is two and a half hours, so that'll definitely.

[Movie Mike]

Be a. Yeah, you need to recline for two and a half hours.

[Kelsey]

I need to recline for two and a half hours. I will also say the theater we go to with my parents, that theater's on the next level. And then it has the swivel trays to put your snacks in front.

[Movie Mike]

That is pretty next level.

[Kelsey]

Now, if we could get that at Regal, because it's like, you know, I'm laying back, but my drink is in the cup holder and I gotta, like, sit up. Yeah. I think there's this. A Cinemark, and it, like, swivels the tray.

[Movie Mike]

Cinemarks are nice.

[Kelsey]

It's next level.

[Movie Mike]

I used to love Cinemarks in Texas, but we don't really have them here.

[Kelsey]

We don't have any. Yeah, it's not a thing here.

[Movie Mike]

But that was my pop culture Moment of the year Runner up was the weapons running kid for about a week. I loved watching those videos. And then I would do it.

[Kelsey]

Yes.

[Movie Mike]

But that was another good one.

[Kelsey]

Do you think people that listen to this podcast know, like, how weird you are?

[Movie Mike]

No, not a chance.

[Kelsey]

Because I'm just imagining we've already told them you walked around the house going, chicken jockey, and now you're telling me you did the weapons run around the house. And I feel like people are just like, oh.

[Movie Mike]

I mean, the year before that, it was no spot where I went around the whole house doing that all the time. Chicken jockey. That. That went on for a month. That was at least a month minimum.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. I am subject to a lot of these weird whims.

[Movie Mike]

My best action scene of the year goes to the chase scene in one battle after another.

[Kelsey]

Yes.

[Movie Mike]

It was so intense and so powerful. Just the way that they filmed that.

[Kelsey]

The, like, winding road. Yeah. Where it's so good.

[Movie Mike]

Just visually, it created this. Even though you're watching a 2D screen, it felt like I was fully in that moment.

[Kelsey]

It was almost optical illusion. It just, like, felt like you were in it and it, like, simulated motion even though you weren't moving.

[Movie Mike]

My award for committing to the bit is Emma Stone for shaving her head in Begonia.

[Kelsey]

That is a commitment to the bit.

[Movie Mike]

Can you imagine shaving your head for a movie? And what you actually see in Begonia is the Moment that she shaved her head.

[Kelsey]

I mean, she probably got paid multi millions. I'd do that for a couple million.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, she'll probably get an Oscar for it. Yeah, she's gonna get a Mikey for it, but that doesn't really matter. But that is next level. That to me is somebody who takes a role and says, I'm going to give everything I can to this, no matter what it does.

[Kelsey]

That to me is way easier than a physical transformation of having to gain or lose weight, though.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah. Shaving your head. That's.

[Kelsey]

That's one and done.

[Movie Mike]

You go home with that. She had to tell her daughter.

[Kelsey]

Yeah, but it's like, you shave it. That's done, and then it grows back. Gaining or losing weight is like a whole, like, grueling physical process. I'm like, shaving your head. If a movie required me to shave my head or do a physical transformation, shave my head. She has a great shaped head, though.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, that's the thing. She's, like, so stunning that it's almost like she can pull off the shaved head. So it's like, not a big deal.

[Kelsey]

But there's also, like, wigs and stuff.

[Movie Mike]

Which she did wear for a while because she kept it hidden.

[Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Movie Mike]

Should I get the clippers?

[Kelsey]

No, I just got a fresh bob.

[Movie Mike]

Hair looks great, by the way.

[Kelsey]

Thank you.

[Movie Mike]

Next up on my award list, I have the most overhated movie of the year. It is going to the Electric State, which was Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.

[Kelsey]

Oh, the Netflix one.

[Movie Mike]

Yes. Which it's about, like, a futuristic world. Robots. I just feel like a lot of people hated this movie for no reason where Chris Pratt. I think Chris Pratt. I like Millie Bobby Brown, obviously, from Stranger Things. I don't really think she's found her role yet or even what genre she's good at outside of it. She's taken on a lot of movies where I feel it was almost more important that she had the lead role in it than the movie itself.

[Kelsey]

Okay.

[Movie Mike]

That's just how I take, like, some of the things that she's taken on. It's like, I want to be a movie star. I'm going to take these roles that are big. Put me in the title card. But I don't think they necessarily speak to what she is good at yet. I don't think she's found that yet.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. But she's also only, like, 21.

[Movie Mike]

Oh, yeah. She's really.

[Kelsey]

She's got time.

[Movie Mike]

She's. She's going to be fine. But I actually ended up enjoying this Movie where I thought it was one of those things where the narrative was just created so early on that the movie was trash that everybody kind of piled on. And I think it was victim of one of those. It has such a low score on that ratings website that everybody kind of believes it and then just kind of piles on it where even if you did end up enjoying it and came out and said, I actually like that movie, you would feel like you were going to be an outcast.

[Kelsey]

So was it a lot of like online narrative of it being like, this is trash, and then that narrative kind of spreads? It reminds me of, I think Rolling Stone just published it, an article about how all of that hate about Taylor Swift's new album was manufactured by like several bots and then it spread a lot of things. Do you think that's kind of like this? Like a couple people say it's terrible and then that narrative just spreads?

[Movie Mike]

Yes. I have a theory. Kind of what you were saying is that competing studios do this to downplay other movies and get the negative press.

[Kelsey]

Oh, I'm sure. Because algorithms now too. You put a couple of things out there in rapid succession and that's all your algorithm is.

[Movie Mike]

And it's also you and your algorithm will get all the negative reviews before you get any of the positive, because the negative are evoking emotion and getting people in the comments where even if you just watch one of those, you keep getting another video, another video, like right after that, and suddenly you've seen three videos about why the Electric State sucks and you now believe, oh, that's a bad movie. I'm not going to go watch it. I think a lot of movies have been victim to this where maybe they're not the best movie of all time, but they are not worth the amount of hate. And the hate narrative is easier to push than enjoying something kind of on a mid level.

[Kelsey]

It's very interesting.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, I think we get controlled a lot like that.

[Kelsey]

Oh, for sure.

[Movie Mike]

Bots just saying all these things in the comments and then other people responding to bots and then it just increases from there. But I think also with the Marvel and DC feud, I have a feeling that a lot of that stuff was review bombing. I think that was a tactic that they had to. When one movie came out from the other studio, they would review bomb. Either get bought or just get people to say negative things, therefore lessening the brand of the other. I feel like that happens, which is not crazy to think.

[Kelsey]

Yeah, I mean, it's okay. It's not the exact Same thing. But a similar thing I can look at is if you go on Sephora and you look at a product and say it has 4.7 stars, like a thousand reviews. So if you turn off incentivized reviews, you'll find it only has like 10 reviews. But a lot of those people. And I listen, I've. I've signed up so many things online that sometimes I get like, free things for makeup brands and I write a review, but I'm very honest in my review. But that's another way that if you turn off, like, incentivized reviews, you see that, like 10 people have reviewed it and five of them hate the product. But it's like 900 reviews of people who got it for free to write a review and they think, oh, I have to say, I like it.

[Movie Mike]

We're all being lied to.

[Kelsey]

I mean, it's. Yeah, it's like digital manipulation and marketing.

[Movie Mike]

There's also that dead Internet theory where the majority of thing online is either AI or just bots.

[Kelsey]

And we're not.

[Movie Mike]

We're not really interacting with a lot of people. Yeah, that's. That's weird to think about too.

[Kelsey]

I mean, I guess that's why they say, like, get out and have real conversations.

[Movie Mike]

Go touch grass.

[Kelsey]

Go touch grass.

[Movie Mike]

For best shot of the year, I have one of the final moments in Sinners with Michael B. Jordan and Miles Canton where they have like the flames in their face. I think that was the single best image of the year. I don't want to say too much about what happens because it's in the third act. I don't want to spoil it, but if you haven't seen Sinners, I think out of every movie this year had the best cinematography, where there were so many just one shot moments that I feel like I could take a picture of and put them on the wall because they were shot so well.

[Kelsey]

You and my little brother both love that movie.

[Movie Mike]

It was really good visually. The music, the acting, everything about that movie was great. I know a lot of people said it felt like a From Dust Till dawn kind of rip off, but I love both movies. Why would I not want another version of that movie?

[Kelsey]

I was gonna say, in the age.

[Movie Mike]

Of everything being remade, everything's remake being inspired by something. Yeah.

[Kelsey]

Has anyone had an original thought? I also have to say, people, and this is gonna be a hot take. Somebody's gonna go online and say I'm terrible for this and that's fine. People who are complaining about things are not that are not original are also the ones like having AI make them a grocery list. I'm sorry I said it. If you're having chat GPT make you a grocery list. Like, I don't know, not like a meal plan, like that's different, but like a basic grocery list. You're probably also getting mad that an idea is inspired by something else.

[Movie Mike]

Like with songs, people get lawsuits over making a song that sounds similar to another. Four chords. And yeah, there are only so many notes, only so many chords, that eventually you're going to step on another song by just using all those same notes. I think almost the same thing with movies. If you really break down what a movie is about, there are only so many ways to tell a story, like the hero story, the redemption story, that a lot of movies probably are different versions of other movies. If you look at Star wars and you look at Harry Potter, the basis is the basis is the basis. The basis of those stories are kind of the same. The chosen one. Yeah, but people don't really get sued for that unless you straight up steal a script. Which there have been some cases of that of like, oh, that's way too close.

[Kelsey]

It's probably similar to like why some musicians can't listen to a lot of other music because then they're like, did I come up with this on my own? It's the same idea of. I mean, even like, I'll take an example of writing like research papers in grad school. Like, you go and read other published scientific literature and you kind of get the narrative and what's out there and then you write your own. And then at some point you're like, did I come up with this sentence? Or you have read a sentence like two days ago and then you think of it and then you're like, oh, that's a great sentence. I thought of it like, sometimes your brain just doesn't know something. I don't think that all things are necessarily a ripoff. I think they can be inspired by. Also a lot of times people make original movies and they flop.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah.

[Kelsey]

So then it's like, why is anyone creating anything original anymore?

[Movie Mike]

I mean, if you look at this year, people say there aren't original movies anymore. There was some great original movies this year that nobody watched.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. Probably because they don't get the buzz of the ones that have the backing of a big studio, which is movies that are either reboots, sequels, or similar to other things.

[Movie Mike]

And the movies that are getting Happy Meal tie ins aren't necessarily all the original movies. It's the familiar Ones. There's this line that you have to walk of, like what feels familiar and what feels original and like at the same time.

[Kelsey]

What's going to get butts and seats to watch a movie?

[Movie Mike]

All right, my next category. I have best animal and I'm going with Indy from A Good Boy, which was the horror movie from the perspective of the dog.

[Kelsey]

Kind of surprised you didn't go crypto, but I guess Crypto wasn't like a real dog. It was based on James Gunn's dog.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, they use like images of his real dog. CGI dog. This is a real dog. I don't even know what kind of dog. This is a Nova Scotia duck Tolling retriever. It looks like a golden retriever, but cuter. It's like smaller.

[Kelsey]

Can he be an airbud?

[Movie Mike]

It is coming out next summer. Next up I have biggest cash grab. Do you know what it is?

[Kelsey]

What month did it come out in?

[Movie Mike]

I think August. You saw it? It was a one night or maybe two night thing.

[Kelsey]

Hamilton.

[Movie Mike]

No, kind of close in the vein.

[Kelsey]

I don't know.

[Movie Mike]

Taylor Swift, the official party life of a showgirl.

[Kelsey]

Okay, first of all, that came out in October.

[Movie Mike]

Okay, October. Oh, yeah.

[Kelsey]

And you also went to see it. So everything about that statement was incorrect.

[Movie Mike]

What I'm saying you went to see it. I was there and you were there.

[Kelsey]

Okay. I could have guessed if you had the right month. Okay, we need a new producer on this.

[Movie Mike]

I was going up the dough. I forgot that came out on October 3rd.

[Kelsey]

Now you know.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, now I remember. I have that date stuck in my.

[Kelsey]

Head because that's also the day we got engaged and it's Mean Girls day.

[Movie Mike]

It felt hot when that movie came out. But I guess October wasn't that hot.

[Kelsey]

I was set up to not get that answer correct. Yeah, that was a cash grab.

[Movie Mike]

Total cash grab. But it made $50 million globally.

[Kelsey]

Duh.

[Movie Mike]

I feel like she is a master of repurposing everything, which while watching the Disney documentary, I didn't realize how long it had been since she actually toured. Yeah, so now I see why that tour was such a big deal and.

[Kelsey]

She used that money to buy her master's pack. I mean, listen, I. I love Taylor Swift, but I will admit everything is a cash grab. Everything. Sometimes I like to call her my capitalist queen. I've gotten off the train of like 17 vinyl variants, 8, 000 new merch items for every album. It's a lot. It's a lot.

[Movie Mike]

And that is the only reason I felt that was a big Cash grab, where maybe some fans got ripped off a little bit because of the lyric videos, where I thought it was going to be like a full visual element to every single song.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. And some of those are, like, images on loops. Yeah.

[Movie Mike]

Shot with her iPhone.

[Kelsey]

Yes.

[Movie Mike]

And bad backgrounds. The actual documentary part, I thought was cool.

[Kelsey]

There wasn't enough there to build, like, a cinematic event.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah. It was basically like, maybe 20, 30 minutes of that making of that music video and then everything else kind of sprinkled in.

[Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Movie Mike]

But now I just have the fate of Ophelia stuck in my head where I just. I go back to that.

[Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Movie Mike]

That showing.

[Kelsey]

But it's like the docu series is what we really wanted. Yeah.

[Movie Mike]

That is so much better.

[Kelsey]

That's really good.

[Movie Mike]

And that we didn't have to pay money in the theaters for because we.

[Kelsey]

Already paid for Disney Plus.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah. Yeah. Because that wasn't even a thing we could use our Regal Unlimited for because we had to pay.

[Kelsey]

We bought extra tickets, but it was, like a fun event. We went with friends. It was a social thing.

[Movie Mike]

We got a glow stick wristband.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. I mean, we knew it wasn't going to be anything, like, earth shattering.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah. For best popcorn bucket, I have the Lilo and Stitch popcorn bucket, which is the Stitch from Regal that you got me.

[Kelsey]

Yes, I did. I literally went on my lunch break one day and bought it because I was afraid it was going to sell out.

[Movie Mike]

I just have that memory of me coming home and Stitch being on the kitchen counter.

[Kelsey]

No, I hit it in the car. You came home. I hit it in the car. You went to take a shower, and while you were showering, I ran and got it out of the car and I put it on the kitchen counter. And you turned around and, like, saw it out of the corner of your eye. And then you, like, did a double take. And I was like, surprise.

[Movie Mike]

And it. Because it looks so lifelike, it was like Stitch was actually on the kitchen counter because we were going to see it opening night on Friday at, like, 7. And I was like, man, they could possibly sell out before then.

[Kelsey]

And I knew how bad you wanted.

[Movie Mike]

It, and if we would have waited, wouldn't have got it. So best popcorn bucket of the year probably ever. I don't think anything could get better than that.

[Kelsey]

Best wife.

[Movie Mike]

Best wife of the year. Because a lot of them come out and they look cool. But then I think to myself, where am I going to put that?

[Kelsey]

I buy you a lot of, like, random Stitch things.

[Movie Mike]

It's the number one thing you can buy Me that I like no matter what. No matter what it is.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. I bought you a stitch calendar. I bought you a little stitch figure, a stitch ornament. I just buy a lot of stitch things.

[Movie Mike]

We will get to the meat of the awards now. The real ones for best.

[Kelsey]

The vegan meat.

[Movie Mike]

The vegan meats. For best supporting actor, I'm going to go. Benicio del Toro in one battle after another.

[Kelsey]

So good.

[Movie Mike]

He was just hilarious in it. His little dance, whenever he gets pulled over, him having the little small beers. Like everything about his character just felt so genuine to him that nobody else could have played that.

[Kelsey]

Yeah, he was fantastic in that role.

[Movie Mike]

Not only does he win on this award show, but I hope he wins at the big award show, the Golden Globes and the Oscars. My runner up for that was Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein, which is still considered a supporting role. He is up for the Golden Globe, but I think that role for him is cool because he's kind of painted as like. I mean, he's a really good actor, but I don't think he's been given a role where he's had to go through that big of a transformation where not really based on his looks.

[Kelsey]

I was going to say most of his roles, he's just like the attractive.

[Movie Mike]

Good looking guy like in the new Margot Rob. Yeah.

[Kelsey]

Wuthering Heights, Euphoria, Kissing Booth. Like anything he's been in, he's just like tall, attractive man.

[Movie Mike]

Saltburn.

[Kelsey]

Yes.

[Movie Mike]

Forgot about that film, which I can't believe the new season of Euphoria is actually coming out.

[Kelsey]

I know you hypothesized on this podcast that it would never exist.

[Movie Mike]

I didn't think it would ever come out. Even seeing the posters for it, I'm like, man, it's really coming in.

[Kelsey]

Has it really been filmed?

[Movie Mike]

Is it really gonna come out? It looks like we're actually gonna get it. But he was runner up for me for best supporting actress. Also from one battle after another, I have Chase Infinity, who was Leonardo DiCaprio's daughter in that movie.

[Kelsey]

So good.

[Movie Mike]

Breakout star of the year all around Superstar, which is available on MAX now, if you missed that in theaters, for runner up in that category, I have Emily Blunt in the Smashing Machine, which I think she just had the best performance overall in that where if it wouldn't have been for her character, the reason I give her runner up, I wouldn't have had any emotional attachment to anybody at all.

[Kelsey]

Okay.

[Movie Mike]

I think it was her performance that saved that movie that made the Rock better. So if the Rock ever ends up winning any award for that. It's because of her. She made him look better.

[Kelsey]

I'm just thinking about Emily Blunt, and then it just made me remember that Devil wears Prada 2 is coming out next year.

[Movie Mike]

That's true.

[Kelsey]

It's gonna be a great year for movies and TV next year.

[Movie Mike]

A lot of sequels, a lot of number twos for Best Actor. Again, I'm going back to one battle after another. I have Leonardo DiCaprio.

[Kelsey]

I hope he wins an Oscar for this. Like, for all the years he didn't win an Oscar and then he didn't get it till the Revenant. Like, he's done so many incredible roles. I think he deserves an Oscar for this.

[Movie Mike]

I don't think he fully deserved it for the Revenant. I just think the Academy thought it's kind of his time. We've been keeping him from winning this for a long time, that it was more of like, here you go, here's your award now. But out of all his performances, it's not his strongest. That's not even one that I go back and think.

[Kelsey]

I haven't watched it.

[Movie Mike]

Oh, it's good, because I know there's.

[Kelsey]

Something about getting eaten by a bear, and it's too graphic.

[Movie Mike]

He probably should have won for Wolf of Wall street over that Titanic. Yeah. There's so many other iconic roles, Jack, but I think one battle after another will be fully deserved. Just him nailing the Mexican whistle and being able to speak Spanish, which he learned from, like, his landscapers. Perfect. I haven't heard a more authentic portrayal in a movie of this scale before. For runner up, I would go with Michael B. Jordan and Sinners, which he played two characters.

[Kelsey]

Have you watched the actors on actors, Michael B. Jordan and Jesse Plemons yet?

[Movie Mike]

No, I've seen clips of it.

[Kelsey]

We need to watch that. I. It's crazy to think that they both got their start on Friday Night Lights.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, I saw when he was saying that Michael B. Jordan was like the new blood. Oh, no, wait.

[Kelsey]

Yes.

[Movie Mike]

Yes, he was. He came in later, right?

[Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah. I never watched that show, though.

[Kelsey]

But there's been some good pairings.

[Movie Mike]

No.

[Kelsey]

Oh, Friday Night actors on actors.

[Movie Mike]

I do like actors on actors.

[Kelsey]

You never watch Friday Night Lights?

[Movie Mike]

No, not a single episode.

[Kelsey]

And I've watched the Simpsons for you.

[Movie Mike]

I've watched the movie Friday Night Lights. I love the movie. The movie made me want to go back to high school to play football.

[Kelsey]

The TV shows. So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so good.

[Movie Mike]

For best Female actor. I have Emma Stone in Begonia. We were talking about her earlier. Just her commitment. Her character in that movie is so powerful. And I've never hated but also loved a character more at the same time because she plays like a CEO that is not necessarily a good person, not necessarily a bad person, but she makes you feel a lot of things.

[Kelsey]

I would like to see her do some things other than your ghost films though. I think I'd like to see Emma Stone back in like a rom com or just like a regular drama.

[Movie Mike]

Like a La La land.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. Just not as out there as a Yorgos. Like she's done three. I think we. And we take a little break from Yorkos. Let's do a little something else.

[Movie Mike]

That's probably the Max. I feel like he gets amused, stays with them for a while. I think he probably moves on after this. Especially if she wins another Oscar. I think we should. I think. I think they move on after this. For runner up in that category, I have Jesse Buckley and Hamnet.

[Kelsey]

I can't even talk about that performance. It was so stunning, phenomenal. I get on it. I could see either one of them winning an Oscar for that.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, I think it's between them too.

[Kelsey]

Like, Jesse Buckley's performance was so freaking king good.

[Movie Mike]

I think she has the better shot just from the academy on just the strict acting skills.

[Kelsey]

Yes.

[Movie Mike]

But I think overall with when it goes into the movie and everything around it, I think Emma Stone, given her history as well, I could see her winning it over her. For best director, I have Paul Thomas Anderson, also from One Battle after another. Runner up in that category, I have Zach Kreger from Weapons. And finally, best directorial debut, I have Eva Victor for Sorry Baby, which she wrote and directed that movie channel from a lot of personal experience, which this movie is also on hbo. Max, if you haven't seen it, it's about a grad student turned professor who goes through something pretty traumatic. Won't tell you all the details, but it's really powerful. And I just really enjoyed the way she handled the story. And it really felt like somebody pouring out a project that they've probably been thinking about their entire life. Where I feel like you only get that one first movie to really show you everything about you as a director. And I think she nailed it with Sorry Baby.

[Kelsey]

I loved that movie.

[Movie Mike]

Runner up, though I do have the director of Twin Lists who was also starred and wrote and directed that movie.

[Kelsey]

Also a really good one.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah, I think that was also one that came out.

[Kelsey]

It was one I was not expecting to love so much. Knew nothing about it and went in and was like, this is so good.

[Movie Mike]

Yeah. James Sweeney directed and starred in that movie. I knew nothing about it going into it. I think I saw maybe half of the trailer. Kind of went in blind for the most part. I just knew it was about two people meeting in a support group for people who have lost a twin sibling. That's all I really knew. And then it goes almost into a psychological thriller. There's some comedy in there, some. A lot of drama.

[Kelsey]

Yeah. I wasn't expecting some of the ways in which. In which it turned visually.

[Movie Mike]

It also looked good.

[Kelsey]

Yeah, that was one of those that we were just kind of like, all right, we'll go see it. We'll really see anything.

[Movie Mike]

Anything.

[Kelsey]

And then we end up liking a lot of them.

[Movie Mike]

That is the first ever Mikey Awards. All right, Congrats to all the people who won. Even though you'll never know, they'll be.

[Kelsey]

Getting their prize mailed to them.

[Movie Mike]

They'll be mailed to you in 14 business days.

[Big Long]

What's up? It's big long from it's up There podcast. On this episode, we're unpacking the difference between toxic love and a real bond. How so many of us were taught to survive love instead of experiencing it. A lot of men think being solid means being silent. I'm good. I got it. That's the script we memorize before we even know ourselves. Because somewhere along the line, expression got labeled weakness. So now we perform composure while we're falling apart. You share your body, but not a conversation. And that's not intimacy. But what if being a man really means you care enough to communicate? Real love isn't loud. It's consistent. It's the small things, the small check ins, the shared accountability, the honesty that feels awkward but keeps everyone safe. Stop confusing numbness with dependability. We gotta break the cycle and break the pattern. This special episode of It's Up There podcast with Lone brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jules. For the second season in a row, I partnered with T Mobile's Friday night 5G lights powering up hometown football across America. This year, T mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level. The votes are in. And now it's time to crown our $1 million grand prize winner. Congratulations to Derrick's High school in Derrick's, Arkansas, home of the Outlaws and your 2020 5T mobile Friday night 5G lights champion, the Outlaws and their community rallied to help them score a game changing home field upgrade, a Gronk Fitness weight room makeover, an epic 2026 tailgate party and a VIP trip to the SEC Championship game. To every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities. Thank you and to T Mobile for making it all possible. This season may be over, but the story isn't. Stay tuned but for season three in 2026, congratulations again to Derek's High School Outlaws.

[Kelsey]

Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.

[Movie Mike]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Kelsey]

Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th.

[Movie Mike]

Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Kelsey]

Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Becker, Snafeeza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more. Take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.

[Movie Mike]

Let's get into it now. A spoiler free movie review of Avatar, Fire and Ash. Was it worth the over three hour runtime? I sat down and the theater completely packed. Was nice to see so many people come together for a movie I don't know anybody else is excited for. And I think that's how I feel about the Avatar franchise. These movies do really well at the box office, crushing it internationally. But if I went out on the street to try to find one individual fan of Avatar, I don't know that I could do it. Do people just love these movies? In secret, it's kind of like the Weeknd, who was one of the biggest artists on the planet and. But I do not know a single person whose favorite artist is the Weeknd. Where are these people? Maybe if you're a fan of somebody like the Weeknd, even imagine dragons, maybe Nickelback or Avatar, you love these things so much, but you don't feel the need to scream it from the rooftops. You don't feel the need to go on social media and proclaim your love for these types of artists and franchise. But when it comes to who shows up, who puts their butt in the seats, making James Cameron not look like a complete psychopath, spending $400 million to make a movie like this, you are there, you are showing up. You are keeping the movie theaters alive across the world and I commend you for that. But maybe I would just like to run into one another Avatar fan. For me, when the first one came out back in 2009, I thought it was so overhyped. I hated the 3D trend that it created because after Avatar made a splash using that technology, all the movies that followed in the 2010 started doing it. And I hated that trend. It really wasn't until Way of Water came out a few years ago that I understood it and went back, watched the original and I thought, oh, I was missing out a lot on this because I was so focused on the 3D aspects. But they are big, epic movies, big fights, big. Everything about them is epic. That is what James Cameron does so well. Big scores. I loved Way of Water in theaters. So going into this one, I am probably the most excited I have ever been. That being said, the movie did let me down just a little bit. But before I get into the negative, I do want to talk about the positive. Because I sat down in that theater at 7:26pm on a Friday night. I did not leave until 10:35pm is when the credits rolled. That is a long time. I thought Avatar 1 and 2, they warranted that runtime. I was advocating for these movies, saying it really makes a big difference seeing these movies in theaters. Because you hear that a lot. Actors say it all the time. Directors say it all the time. You need to get to the biggest screen possible to take in this movie. And sometimes that's not true. That's just the thing they say. It's a marketing thing. They want you to spend your money to fund their projects, to go see these movies, to allow them to continue to do this. But not every time are these characters are these stories actually enhanced by seeing them on the largest screen possible. When it comes to Avatar, Fire and Ash, if you do not see this movie in theaters, you are not seeing it in the right way. I was so blown away at the opening sequence that my mind was scrambled a little bit. And it is so hard for me to witness anything nowadays that feels like something I haven't experienced. It just doesn't happen to create something that I can ingest in my eyeballs without wearing 3D glasses. Because I didn't see this movie in 3D that felt so immersive. It was kind of like if you go to somebody's house and they don't know they have that weird motion thing on their 4K TV. The first time I ever saw a 4K TV, I was blown away because it looked like a soap opera. Like the person was actually inside the box. It must have been what people felt like back when TV was first created. And they were like scared that the thing was gonna like rush out at them or the waves were gonna come through their tv. The train was gonna come through. That is how I felt the first time I saw 4K TV. I'm like, why are these people so crisp? Why is that motion so weird looking? And I know that's the setting now you can turn off. And if you see somebody with that on their TV now you're like, why are you watching things like this? But when I sat down to watch Fire and Ash, I had that same feeling again. And it felt so weird because it was a little discombobulating. And it took me a few, maybe even 10 minutes to get fully adjusted to it because the action does start out, a lot of it in the air. And I think that is when it's the most evident, where you see these creatures flying across the screen. And there is so much depth, this motion, it is so crisp. And I've never witnessed something in a movie theater that felt more real life than real life. And I think that is something that movies are always trying to emulate. How can we make it feel like this is actually happening before you? This movie felt more HD than anybody sitting or standing right in front of me that I could actually lean out and touch. It is this crazy amount of hyper realism where the first time I've truly felt and seen and witnessed all that movie budget used on screen. And I realized why these movies are so expensive to make, which I've been probably in the behind the scenes of this movie, the most I've been in any movie so far this year. Because I think out of everything, it is the technical aspects that I'm so drawn to, more so than the story itself. When it comes to anything involving Avatar. This one, it really just felt like the best parts of one and the best parts of two rehashed. Where now you have these fire people, you have this new villain who is a pretty good threat, a very psychotic person who wants to see the world burn. But when it comes to the motivations in this movie, the story behind it of Jake and his family, it is the exact same thing from the Way of Water. You have the bad guys trying to capture the good guys and they're just constantly on the run. And it's the same plot point just played out over and over again. Now that doesn't mean it's not entertaining. I just need something different at this point where the first hour I was totally in. If this movie would have been two hours long, I would have left completely satisfied hype. I would have been just so excited about it. Because in those first 60 minutes you get this fast paced action where one thing is happening after another. These really great big battles where these amazing visuals just keep my eye on the screen the entire time. So much color, so much rich action and motion that I was completely drawn into and just completely sucked into this world. Now about the two hour mark, it just started to become a little bit repetitive. I started to lose interest in some of these characters. It felt more comical. Their interactions and people in the theater were excited, clapping at moments. There's a moment going into the third act that feels a little bit triumphant. Fell a little flat for me. But there were other people fully invested in it. So I could see the people who were big fans of this franchise actually get what they wanted out of it. And maybe you do just want the same thing over and over again. I say that as a Marvel and DC fan, where if you break down those movies, Katie is the same thing over and over again. But I think what separates those two is the characters. Where I understand the reason why these characters are the way they are. These movies do so well internationally and you can translate these movies into any language and it makes sense. And I think almost that type of filmmaking, which obviously is to make the most amount of money out of your product, makes me feel just less connected with those characters and it's just not as novel anymore. Whenever back in 2009, seeing this blue creature that's oddly attractive in a weird way because they're wearing no clothing. Aside from this like little piece covering their boobs. Why do these characters even have boobs? And why are they running around in basically nothing? That was a lot more novel back in 2009. Now in 2025, where we've seen this now for over nine hours, we have a part four and a part five on the way. It is a little bit less novel. And I know they're going to change a bit of the format, switching narrators going into 4 and 5, and maybe that'll make it feel a little bit more fresh. Because the way this entire movie was sold to me was the fire and ash elements, which there was a lot of fire and ash. But I was looking for a complete change in the landscape of these movies, where I felt a lot of it went back to the places we've already visited before in the visuals we've already seen. It's almost like if you go to dinner, you get a really great dish. That first bite you take is amazing. But if you have this giant platter of it that is three hours long, you're eventually going to get tired of that taste. No matter how great it was in those first few bites, even the biggest sundae, by the end of it, you get kind of sick of it. And by the end of this movie, I was full. I had a virtual stomachache just because it was so much to take in at once. And for the first time ever in an Avatar movie, maybe in any James Cameron movie, I just felt like it was not worth that three hour and ten minute run time. And I think at his age, in his 70s now, he is somebody who is more interested in the technology aspect of making a movie, even more so than the storytelling. Even though he is somebody who has really great attention to detail, down to the score, down to the movements, down to the lighting, down to everything. But I think hearing him talk about this movie, saying that he doesn't care about practical effects at all, that he hasn't done that since Titanic. He is much more interested in the art of illusion, which that is what he believes that filmmaking is. And I do agree with him on some aspects because when it came to some of the characters, especially the villains, they were straight cornball at times, where I was laughing more at them than I was with them. Felt completely one dimensional in such a 3D movie. And the whole time I was watching Avatar, Fire and Ash, I thought to myself, if I sold TVs for a living on every TV screen in my store, I would be playing Avatar, Fire and Nash. Because I have to imagine this is the way you sell a tv. Look at all these color changes. Look at all this motion. I could imagine going to somebody's house who has a lot of money, has a really big TV and they wanted to show off to me their oled huge sound system to show me how much money they paying for their tv. They are gonna have a field day with these movies, which is all really great. But then you have to think, I wonder how James Cameron feels when somebody is inevitably just gonna watch this on like a tick tock stream or something. Does that throw all of his work just out the window? I think I just have to hold this movie to an entirely different standard with it being one of the most expensive movies ever made and it not living up to my expectations. From one or two for Avatar, Fire and Ash, I give it 3.5 out of five fire arrows.

[Big Long]

What's up? It's big long from it's up there podcast. On this episode we're unpacking the difference between toxic love and a real bond. How so many of us were taught to survive love instead of experiencing it. A lot of men think being solid means being silent. I'm good. I got it. That's the script we memorize before we even know ourselves. Because somewhere along the line expression got labeled weakness. So now we perform composure while we're falling apart. You'll share your body but not a conversation. And that's not intimacy. But what if being a man really means you care enough to communicate? Real love isn't loud, it's consistent. It's the small things. The small check ins, the shared accountability, the honesty that feels awkward but keeps everyone safe. Stop confusing numbness with dependability. We gotta break the cycle and break the pattern. This special episode of It's Up There podcast with lone brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and jules. For the second season in a row, I partnered with T Mobile's Friday night 5G lights powering up hometown football across America. This year, T mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level. The votes are in. And now it's time to crown our $1 million grand prize winner. Congratulations to Derrick's high school and Derrick's Arkansas, home of the Outlaws and your 2025 T mobile Friday night 5G lights champion. The Outlaws and their community rallied to help them score a game changing home field upgrade. A Gronk Fitness Weight Room makeover, an epic 2026 tailgate party and a VIP trip to the SEC Championship game. To every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities. Thank you and to T Mobile for making it all possible. This season may be over, but the story is isn't. Stay tuned for season three in 2026. Congratulations again to Derek's High School Outlaws.

[Kelsey]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.

[Movie Mike]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Kelsey]

Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th.

[Movie Mike]

Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Kelsey]

Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy Tips off January 5th on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Movie Mike]

Max, it's time to head down to.

[Big Long]

Movie Mike's trailer park.

[Movie Mike]

Two actors who I do not get tired of, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson and both of them have a massive 2026 I think could be a banner year for Zendaya, maybe for Robert Pattinson too. They're going to be in a new age 2024 movie coming out next year called the Drama. They play a couple who just got engaged, all geared up for their marriage to have this big wedding and then one of them finds out a dark secret about the other and it throws their life into chaos. It is being described as a romantic comedy, but I tell you, after watching this trailer I don't feel romantic comedy vibes at all. At all. Maybe just a little bit because it is about love. Two people who seemingly love each other even though in this trailer there is a lot of tension. They are getting their pictures taken and the couple is having a real hard time connecting with each other. The photographer is trying to get Them to appear as if they love each other and there is something hiding underneath. And you have to assume when this trailer takes place, when this photo shoot takes place, one of them already knows the secret about the other because they're acting weird. They do not look like they are in love. So by my feel of this trailer doesn't feel like your traditional romantic comedy, which I think that genre has shifted a little bit. Where people associate some of the best romantic comedies with those of the 2000s, where I feel they were the best. Your Matthew McConaughey's all that Era of romantic comedies, I feel they have evolved a little bit because I don't think people want a traditional comedy anymore. So you have to give something a little bit more that you can chew on as the viewer. While the love is at the forefront of this movie, it is all the scenes it cuts to in between that I think is going to give this movie a totally different feeling. Like there's something going on. Did somebody murder somebody? I want to know. But it's called the drama. Before I get into more and also about all the big movies that both Zendaya and Robert Pattinson have coming up next year, here is just a little bit of the drama trailer.

[Kelsey]

Am I sensing some nerves?

[Movie Mike]

Little camera shy?

[Kelsey]

Let's do a little warm up so we're feeling revved up and comfortable for your wedding day. All right, Charlie, move a little closer to your bride to be. What's your favorite thing about Emma? She's beautiful, funny. This is very serious and she has the best laugh. Okay, good, good, Emma. I love that he's caring, understanding, open minded. That's good. Okay, so. So hold on to those thoughts. Just smile naturally how you would smile in life.

[Movie Mike]

So you see them having this photo shoot later. It looks like they are fighting with each other. You hear somebody get slapped there in the trailer. And it looks like the most chaotic moment of this movie is going to come in the third act when they actually get married. Just by my understanding of this trailer and what the movie is about, it looks like it's all gonna build up and you're gonna wonder, at least I hope you are wondering as the viewer, are they gonna get married? Are they going to call it off? But you do see them finally at what appears to be the ceremony at the end. At one point, Robert Pattinson is covered in blood. So is somebody gonna get in a fight? I kind of hope she figures out he's some psycho killer and then she's worried about the well being of her life. Maybe she's going to be his next victim. But I have to imagine it's going to be something a little bit more like, you didn't tell me this about yourself and now I'm questioning everything. I do think they look good together as a couple. Oddly enough, this is coming after me seeing Die My Love, which was almost a similar situation between Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence where they were in a very toxic relationship. They were married with a kid. That one was a little bit more of a fantasy. I feel like this one is going to be a lot more grounded in reality. But I think as a couple, they make sense to me. They look good together. They have Robert Pattinson in these very nerdy glasses. So you have MJ over here from Spider man dating a nerdy version of Bruce Wayne. But I think it works. I think it is believable. And I think them two on screen together is something I wasn't expecting in a romantic comedy like this. And if you look at all the movies they have coming out in 2026 could be a banner year for Zendaya. She has the drama, which this movie is coming out on April 3rd. She is also going to be in Christopher Nolan's the Odyssey, which my hype is starting to build for that movie. Whenever I heard Christopher Nolan was doing the Odyssey and I saw the first glimpse of the trailer look kind of boring to me, I thought, how are you going to make that story interesting? But as I see more and more photos from the set, more posters, more of that starts to roll out. And I'm starting to get a little bit more excited about that one big mythic adventure. She is also going to be in Spider Man. Brand new day, which I cannot wait for that. I think some of the footage leaked online. I don't want to see any of that. I don't want any of that ruined. I don't want to see it until it's the full trailer in all of its glory. Because to me, that is going to be really exciting. She is also going to be in Dune Part 3. That is three massive movies. Well, maybe the drama's not a massive movie, but it's still a noteworthy a 24 movie, but two of the biggest movies of the year. She is going to be in. But then she is going to be in one of the biggest TV events that I thought would never happen. Euphoria season three. That is an amazing run in 2026 for Zendaya. I have to imagine she is so in demand. Has a crazy filming schedule to get all these in within probably two to three years. That is wild. But then you look at Robert Pattinson. He's also going to be in the Odyssey. He is also going to be in Dune Part 3 and he is also going to be in the Drama. Hopefully he is working in there filming for the Batman 2, which that script is freshly done. Hopefully that movie ends up being made before he just doesn't want to do it anymore or maybe gets aged out of the role. So both of these actors are two people who I feel have had different waves in their career where Robert Pattinson obviously was known for Twilight. And I think it took people a really long time to not see him as that. Up to all the way when he did the Batman that I still saw people saying, I can't watch the Batman because I can only see him as Edward Cullen. But he has done so many fantastic movies that I don't even associate him with those movies anymore. And I saw Twilight when it came out in theaters for the first time back in 2008. And I have greatly shifted from his performances in movies like the Lighthouse, in Tenet, in Good Time, in the Batman, obviously in Mickey 17. So many things where he has taken these big risks. He has an amazing skill set as an actor, a fantastic range, I would say at his level has one of the best ranges in Hollywood. And on the other end, Zendaya, I feel the exact same way about which if you look at all those projects she is a part of next year, they are all vastly different. Whether it's on the small screen, which she started out as a Disney kid and then evolved with her major role in the MCU and is now doing movies like Challengers. The drama can really do it all at a major scale. And for anybody working right now, I feel like she still has that classic Hollywood aura where she's not online a whole lot. I don't really know a whole lot about her personal life. I know she is engaged to Tom Holland, but they're not super public. You don't see them posting TikToks together. You'll get the occasional set photo. But I feel like she has that old school Hollywood star energy because she is still so mysterious. She really only comes out for award shows or fashion events. And I think some of that is a little bit important now when it comes to wanting people to go to the theater to pay to see you. If you see some of these people all the time online, they're posting every day, every update going on in their life and you see it, you see them on Podcasts, it's not as much of an event to go pay money to see them in theaters. When it comes to Zendaya, if you want to see her, you have to go in theaters to see her. When it comes to the Rock, which completely just throwing him out there, you see him all the time on the Internet. Why are you gonna go see him in the Smashing Machine? So I think there is a little bit something there when it comes to these actors. Keep them hidden just a little bit, make their appearance noteworthy. I think that does play into the box office. And seeing them together in this trailer, I love the rawness of it. I feel like we're really going to get a great grasp on just their down to the bone acting skills. And I think both of them together is going to make for an incredible ride. I really want to know why Robert Pattinson ends up so bloody. And if they actually end up getting married, it is coming to us from director Christopher Borgli, who also directed Dream Scenario with Nick Cage, which was a movie a lot of people told me they did not like and I had to go watch it for myself. I wasn't able to catch it in theaters, but as soon as it went on streaming I watched it and I still really enjoyed it. I think I would have loved it even more if people didn't tell me how bad it was. But it does kind of give me an idea of Christopher Borgli's mind. And so I think this isn't going to be what everybody is expecting it to, especially if you are a fan of Robert Pattinson and Zendaya's other work. His movies do blend a lot of things that are surreal. They are dark comedy. So I even feel that them billing this as a romantic comedy is going to give people a much different expectation. But I know going into it I am going to see something probably delivered in a way that I haven't before and that is taking a risk that is swinging for the fences. You could have a home run with this or it could be another case of putting two A list actors together and striking out. But again, this movie is coming out next year on April 3, 2026.

[Big Long]

And that was this week's edition of Movie Minds Trailer Park.

[Movie Mike]

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 my YouTube channel, which is YouTube.com mikedistro A comment from my last movie review, which I broke down Five Nights at Freddy's two not only did I break down the movie, I also broke down myself and surprisingly not a whole lot of the young audience that really jumped on me last time returned to bash me for this one. I think for the most part we all agreed that Five Nights at Freddy's 2 was not a great movie. But Robert on YouTube said thank you for saving me from seeing this movie. With so many movies being released, your reviews help me eliminate those not worthy. Appreciate you watching on YouTube Robert, and that is what I tried to do. And I also try not to rip a movie to shreds without telling you who would be a fan of this movie. If I don't like a movie, I usually try to identify who this movie could have been for. Sometimes I know that some things are just not made for me. It was never, no matter how good it was going to connect with me as a person. I think also if you listen to this podcast, you know a little bit of my sensibilities and what I like and what I don't like. So I always try to be upfront with you if I don't like it. But also if you like maybe this other director or this type of actor, why you still might enjoy said film that I am reviewing that week. But when it comes to five nights at Freddy's 2, unless you are a die hard fan of that video game, I don't really think you are going to find much there. Still rooting for Josh Hutchinson, but I appreciate that Robert. I'm always trying to save you guys a little bit of money at least from going to see the not so great movies in theaters and then maybe giving them a shot whenever they come to streaming. So appreciate that. Next week I'll do my top five interviews of 2025 and then later in the week on Kelsey's birthday actually, we'll do a special episode where she breaks down her top 10 books, switch the formats and we'll do her top 10 books of 2025. So thank you for listening and until next time, go out and watch good movies and I will talk to you later.

[Kelsey]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep Apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company at cvs. It matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night, and we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit [e-mail] or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location. Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first.

[Movie Mike]

There the last one.

[Kelsey]

Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes. 10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

[Movie Mike]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Kelsey]

Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th.

[Movie Mike]

Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice. Top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Kelsey]

This is an IHEART podcast. Guaranteed human.