Episode 266: Can Anything Save Hollywood?

Episode 266: Can Anything Save Hollywood?

On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy discuss whether Hollywood is “on life support,” using the 2026 live-action Moana as an example of expensive, largely shot-for-shot remakes that may lose money after a roughly $100 million opening against a reported $250 million budget. They talk about audience reluctance to go to theaters, weak publicity for upcoming releases like Disney’s original IP “Hexed,” and worries around recent DC box-office performance as new projects like Superman and the R-rated Clayface approach. Mandy praises The Long Walk as a visceral, faithful Stephen King adaptation (with a slightly changed ending) that underperformed theatrically but became #1 on streaming, highlighting the “second look” problem for studios. Brian argues streaming and binge metrics are truncating TV seasons and degrading storytelling, and says spectacle can’t replace character-driven writing that motivates communal moviegoing. 00:00 Is Hollywood Dying 00:37 Moana Live Action Doubts 02:48 Box Office Worries 04:32 The Long Walk Revival 07:38 Second Looks Don’t Pay 12:10 What Gets Us to Theaters 16:05 Streaming Changed Storytelling 21:10 Spectacle vs Story 25:43 Final Thoughts and Sign Off

Episode 265: It's Not All Bad News

On today's podcast, Brian Hatcher and Mandy discuss the rapid digital release of "Supergirl" after a steep 75% second-weekend box office drop, and Brian revisits his mixed feelings about the film, blaming “movie by committee,” multiple cuts, removed material, slow pacing, uneven stakes, and fan-service elements like Lobo that don’t serve the story. They also address how online backlash can shape reception before release, citing criticism of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey over casting Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy. The conversation expands to superhero fatigue, Marvel’s reliance on escalating spectacle and billion-dollar expectations, and the need for stronger storytelling and smaller-budget projects, praising creative successes like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Vox Machina, X-Men ’97, and Godzilla Minus One, plus notable horror projects from YouTube creators. 00:00 Opener 00:30 Supergirl Digital Release 01:37 Review Hesitation 02:49 Movie By Committee 03:17 Lobo Fan Service 04:27 Pacing, Stakes and Plot Holes 07:14 Online Release Fallout 08:33 Odyssey Casting Backlash 10:18 Why Risk Matters 11:53 All Star Cast Tangent 13:32 Ensemble Movies Then Now 15:42 Marvel Fatigue Reality 17:03 Spectacle Versus Story 19:44 Good Geek News 20:25 Low Budget Creativity 21:13 YouTube Horror Breakout 22:05 Studios Must Adapt 24:02 Closing And Sign Off

Episode 264: Anything Happen While We Were Gone?

On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy return after a hiatus and discuss Anthony Head’s passing, Doctor Who’s current uncertainty, and finally critiques "Supergirl" and its poor box office and argues many negative reviews are fueled by online punditry and broader fandom grievances. 00:00 Back In Studio 01:51 Anthony Head Tribute 06:14 Classic Who Wilderness 07:45 Doctor Who Tender News 10:53 IP And Reboot Fears 12:09 Mandy As Showrunner 13:21 Format And Casting Ideas 15:29 Recasting The Doctor 15:55 Ditching Mystery Boxes 16:37 Open Up The Writers 18:15 Doctor Who On Hiatus 19:13 Supergirl Box Office 20:19 Reviews Feel Rigged 23:41 Krypto And The Dog Debate 27:11 Bad Faith Fan Culture 31:25 Episode Wrap Up

Episode 263: Can Hollywood Bring Back The Geeks?

On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy discuss the controversy around Mia Ballard’s horror novel "Shy Girl," which was pulled from UK shelves and had its US release canceled after AI-detection software suggested it was partially AI-written. Ballard denies writing it with AI and blames an editor, while Brian notes AI detectors can be unreliable and the fallout could unfairly end careers and slow traditional publishing. They then pivot to Hollywood’s struggles, debating audience trust, whether Internet critics can admit something “isn’t for them,” and Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum’s claim that viewers were wrong about "She-Hulk" despite low Rotten Tomatoes scores. Brian argues Marvel’s longtime “bigger crossover” strategy is nearing its limit, raising questions about how studios can restore interest without sliding into low-effort, possibly AI-driven mediocrity that turns movies into background noise. 00:00 Can You Get Them Back 00:48 AI Book Scandal 02:53 Detecting AI Writing 04:25 Publishing Slowdown 05:32 Fall Of Hollywood 05:44 What Are You Excited For 07:38 Critics Versus Audiences 09:50 She Hulk Debate 12:00 Marvel Crossover Fatigue 17:33 Making Movies Fun Again 18:38 Mediocrity And AI Fears 20:01 Closing And Sign Off

Episode 262: In The Age of AI

On today's podacest, Brian and Mandy discuss new trailers and franchise news (including Spider-Man: Brand New Day with a Man-Spider storyline, Punisher ties, Wonder Man, Daredevil’s return, Jessica Jones coming back, a live-action Moana, another live-action Scooby-Doo reboot, and a new Lord of the Rings project with Stephen Colbert involved), then dive into artificial intelligence and its impact on creative work and jobs. Brian describes workplace pressure to add AI everywhere, the difficulty of defining ethical boundaries for writers and artists, and concerns about AI being trained on unlicensed work, generating “AI slop,” and improving exponentially. They also cover infrastructure and environmental costs of server farms, rising hardware prices, AI’s ubiquity in search and products, chatbot benefits and harms, and fears that AI will replace apprenticeship pipelines and push entertainment toward mass-produced, homogenized content. 00:00 AI Threat or Revolution 00:38 Spider-Man Trailer Breakdown 01:48 Punisher and Marvel Rumors 02:29 Daredevil and Jessica Jones Return 04:29 Moana Live Action Debate 05:22 Reboots and LOTR News 06:03 AI Ethics for Creators 07:13 Tool vs Cheating 09:20 AI Slop and Rapid Progress 10:38 AlphaGo and Move 37 12:20 AI Beats Most People 12:58 Training Data Ethics 13:43 Server Farms Impact 15:27 Costs and Hardware Crunch 16:29 No Ethical AI Debate 17:02 Chatbots and Mental Health 18:18 AI Everywhere Now 20:22 Jobs and Apprenticeships 23:07 Publishing Slush Piles 25:15 AI Content Flood Future 28:36 Human Creativity at Risk 29:04 Episode Wrap Up