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Every year, we love to celebrate the holiday season with our listeners, and there is no better way to do that than with our annual Holiday Special!
It all started 8 years ago with a random idea: we were big fans of holiday specials, yet podcasts seemed to skip over the idea completely. Therefore, we decided we can do whatever we want here at The Hollywood Outsider, so let's create our own tradition and the Annual Holiday Special was born!
Every year we rekindle the past while adding a little something new, and assembling some of the best moments from every host - Aaron, John, Amanda, Brian, Scott, and Justin - for the most fantastic holiday special ever! Debating what constitutes a Christmas movie and specials we love, what makes for a great Christmas movie, Christmas cliches we love, plus new segments where we review Violent Night and bring back Recasting the Classics with a look at how we would remake National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!
That's not all, oh no. The Christmas spirit kicks into overdrive as we open up and share our personal memories of the holiday season, stories that remind us of Christmas. And no holiday special would be complete without a visit from the big man himself, so get ready for as much St. Nick as legally allowed as Santa Claus drops by the studio to tell us just how naughty or nice we are, all throughout the episode!
With a special game from Amanda, Santa in his sleigh, John's obsession with puppets, Scott's first Christmas Poem, and a lot of fun for everyone – This is the one podcast you don't want to miss this holiday season!
In recent years, directors Rian Johnson and Kenneth Branagh have revived the murder mystery format in a huge way with their respective franchises beginning with Knives Out and Murder on the Orient Express, respectively. We have discussed how much we all love murder mysteries on the podcast, but WHY do we love them so much? What is it about these puzzle games of murder that drive audiences back for repeat viewings, long after they have already deduced who the culprit is? We'll find out this week as our topic is what makes for a great murder mystery?
Also on this week's show, we have spoiler-free reviews of Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Adams in Tim Burton's foray into television with Wednesday, plus Rian Johnson's return to the Knives Out franchise with Glass Onion. Furthermore, Quentin Tarantino has been getting a lot of press recently for his comments stating that Marvel actors are not movie stars, but is there truth in his statements? We discuss, and at the end of the podcast, revisit an earlier conversation we had on the end of the movie star era as a whole.
Discussed on this episodeThe world is abuzz with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as director Ryan Coogler was faced with a difficult question after beloved star Chadwick Boseman suddenly passed away: recast or move forward? On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we discuss recasting film and television characters throughout the years, and when is the right or wrong time to do so. Or is it ever truly ok to recast a beloved character? Also this week, we discover an actor's gem through focusing on several rarely discussed films by some of our favorite actors.
After our topic, Troy and Aaron dive into Black Panther: Wakanda Forever! Be forewarned, this is a full-on spoilercast where we discuss all of the details Marvel and director Ryan Coogler decided to go with as they ventured back to Wakanda. Does Letitia Wright carry the film? Is Namor a formidable foe? Should they ultimately have recast King T'Challa? Why the hell isn't the stinger part of the ACTUAL movie?! All of this and more on our Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Spoilercast.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're talking about politics, and if the excessive and combative nature of the political landscape these days is ruining entertainment. Do you feel there is too much political ideology injected in today's entertainment? Do you remember when no one even discussed politics, where it was a taboo subject? Can you separate politics from your entertainment, or are politics ruining entertainment? We discuss it all on this rare episode where we let red and blue into our discussions.
Also this week, HBO unceremoniously cancels Westworld (you can listen to the Beyond Westworld podcast here), Netflix with Ads premieres, reviews of Blamed, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Enola Holmes 2, Till, and I Am A Stalker.
Discussed on this episodeWhat movies are you most excited for this holiday season?
It's time for our Holiday Movie Preview 2022! Every major theatrical and streaming release for the remainder of the year is on tap as we debate the best and worst of the upcoming season. From Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to Avatar: The Way of Water, and everything in between! Curious what's worth watching this holiday season? Then don't miss this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast!
As Game of Thrones show runners breathe fire into their first spin-off in House of the Dragon, we're here to discuss all of the comings and goings in the realm during this first season. On this special episode, we take the major happenings over the 20 year period from the show, and discuss what we loved or loathed about our favorite heroes and villains in the Seven Kingdoms.
Unlike many podcasts, we will not be breaking things down chronologically. Instead, we take on each primary character and the main plot points as the war for the Iron Throne reigns on.
Targaryens, Valeryons, and Hightowers - oh my! The gang is all here, and we're ready to tackle this season in the most cutthroat way possible. Take a listen to our House of the Dragon Reactions Podcast!
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider, it's time to smell what The Rock is cooking up in the DCEU as Black Adam finally hit theaters, and critics and audiences are split down the middle on The Rock's interpretation of the fabled DC Universe villain. We discuss every aspect of the film, including that magnificent cameo.
Also, Zack Parkerson of The Gaming Outsider stops by to discuss The Flash trailer, as he was part of a focus group on the trailer and has enormous insight into what we might see in DC's next franchise wannabe starter starring Ezra Miller.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're talking about the perfect antihero, what makes one our favorite, and whether we have too many or too little of these characters in entertainment. Antiheroes seem to be the fan-favorites, so what is it about them that we love or connect to so much?
Also this week, we discuss Harrison Ford's entrance into the MCU, Amazon bringing NFL to their streaming platform and their Lord of the Rings hit, and good ole' Martin Scorsese complains again. And if you've seen Halloween Ends, Aaron and Amanda share their SPOILER thoughts on the trilogy's conclusion.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, our Movie Battle Royale returns! If you have never listened before, we take eight finalists from any genre - this time it is horror sequels - and whittle them down until we come to one absolute winner, crowning that film as the greatest to ever exist in its respective genre! There are some fantastic films to choose from here as well, such as: Aliens, Hellraiser 2, Blade 2, Evil Dead 2, Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Doctor Sleep, Dawn of the Dead, Army of Darkness, A Quiet Place 2, Scream 4, Friday the 13th: New Blood, and so many more. So many gems, but only ONE winner of The Hollywood Outsider Movie Battle Royale!
Also this week, we discuss Marvel's revolving release dates, Hocus Pocus 2 demonizing children, TJ Miller tossing shade at Ryan Reynolds, Blockbuster nostalgia fading, and our spoiler-free review of Amsterdam. All of this and much more on the latest episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it is time to prep for All Hallows' Eve as we take to our own respective graveyards and dig up obscure Halloween movies. Trick r Treat has taken off in recent years, and there are many little unspoken gems like this one to get us all hyped up for the best movie season of the year for horror fans! Take a listen, and rest assured to walk away with at least a few new Halloween gems to watch this season of the witch.
Also this week, we discuss physical vs. digital media as it once again joins the conversation, digital rights being sold off of our favorite actors, Deadpool 3, and reviews of Smile and Netflix's Blonde. All of this and much more on the latest episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast.
Discussed on this episode
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