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The SXSW Film and TV Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the world. In a typical year, thousands of fans arrive in downtown Austin, TX to partake in a couple of weeks of great music, technology, and film. For this special episode of The Hollywood Outsider, we take you along for our annual deep dive into the heart of the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival portion, and even further into the films themselves.
Over the course of several days, the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival screened numerous features, TV premieres, many from first-time filmmakers (consisting of World Premieres, North American Premieres, and US Premieres), shorts, virtual reality exhibits, AI advancements, and other works. These films were selected from thousands of overall submissions, and – while we can't see them all – we have a nice sample to share with you of what came out of this stellar lineup of independent and popular films and television series. Over 25 films are on our docket this year, and we review them all (including Death of a Unicorn, Another Simple Favor, Redux Redux, Good Boy, The Rivals of Amziah King, The Studio, Together, Slanted, Shuffle), as well as snippets from panels and a whole lot more!
So sit back and relax. You're about to experience the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival from the comfort of your own home.
Discussed on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider Movie and TV Podcast:
On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we are looking back to a few of our favorite past topics as we prepare for the future this week. Not only are we engaging in several pop culture debates, we also discuss when is it time to end a franchise, and close on our most popular topic of recent times with our John Hughes Movie Battle Royale!
Discussed on this episodeWhat did you think of the 97th Annual Academy Awards?
For this special Oscars 2025 wrap-up, we discuss the events, speeches, and winners of the 97th Annual Academy Awards. Including Conan O'Brien's hosting performance, the tweaking of original songs, what we REALLY thought about Adrien Brody's record-breaking speech. All this and more are up for grabs as we recap this year's Oscars!
The Academy Awards ("Oscars") are the most prestigious awards in filmmaking and showcase some of the greatest talent and work in motion pictures for that running year. The nominees and winners are selected by majority vote from members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ballots are cast by members from within the industry and, in most categories, represent the corresponding branch (ex.: actors nominate actors).
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, not only do we tackle what we love and loathe about the movie watching experience - both in the theater and at home - and our personal preferences, we also discuss a few of our favorite black icons, review My Dead Friend Zoe, and final at the most important conversation of them all: with Amazon now having creative control of the franchise, everyone is preparing for the James Bond Cinematic Universe!
First up, recently it was announced that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson finally agreed to release creative control of the James Bond IP to Amazon, meaning the company can now expand that universe to its heart's content. What does that mean, and why does it matter to us?
Then it's time to settle in and discuss, probably with far too much detail, what we love and loathe about the modern movie watching experience, both in theaters and at home. What is your experience like?
We final our episode with a look at a few upcoming attractions, our review of My Dead Friend Zoe, and a discussion on a few of our favorite black icons.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, these are exciting times we have! Not only do we get so say hello to our new Captain America in his Brave New World, but we also are getting a Goonies sequel, AND we finally have to say goodbye to Cobra Kai. This is a packed episode!
First up, we dive into major movie and TV news with the announcement that it is no longer a rumor, a Goonies sequel is moving forward with Steven Spielberg producing. Plus, He-Man finally gets a plot description and it's essentially the reverse of the 80s version. Finally, Dungeons and Dragons is getting a TV series that is not connected to the Chris Pine movie in any way.
Then we move on to spoiler-free reviews where we discuss our thoughts on two films that release on February 21st: The Unbreakable Boy and Cleaner, as well as Reacher Season 3 which releases on February 20th. There is a ton to watch in theaters and at home these days.
There's still more show after that! Captain America: Brave New World has been unleashed on the world, and boy do we have thoughts! Does Anthony Mackie live up to the shield? Does the villain carry any weight? Is Marvel back on track? These answers and more as we dive into our latest spoilercast.
Last, but certainly not least, Aaron and Troy say goodbye to one of their favorite franchises with Cobra Kai! It has been a bittersweet ride that has finally come to an end, and we have so many thoughts on how it all wrapped up. Was it perfection? Let's find out. If you want to watch the panel Aaron hosted with Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, you will find the link below.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, it's time to answer the question: are romantic comedies dead? Seriously, this was a genre that dominated movie theaters for years, and now they're barely around except for the Hallmark Channel. We discuss not only the idea of how to revive the genre, but also what went wrong with modern romance that made us all fall out of love with love.
Also this week, we play a game where we take a famous quote from a Rom-Com and share why it just doesn't work anymore, as well as reviews of Love Hurts and Heart Eyes. Let's get on with the show!
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, with the news that Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be rebooted on Hulu with Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to her iconic role as she carries a new slayer along her path. As we discuss this development, we all share our ideas for rebooting favorite TV shows for a new generation of viewers.
Also this week, The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer has dropped, and we dive into whether it's enough to get us excited for the remake, M. Night Shyamalan and author Nicholas Sparks are connecting on an odd collaboration, plus The Faculty and The Gunslinger both get remakes.
Lastly, it's time to discuss a few potential recommendations plus reviews of Companion and Green and Gold with Scott Clark of the Packers Fan Podcast and The Gaming Outsider.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we are kicking things off with a breakdown and discussion on Oscars 2025, that's right, the 97th Academy Awards nominations are here! From what should win to what seems to be the actual frontrunner in all of the major categories. Was Emilia Pérez overvalued or are people reacting unfairly? Is Denis Villeneuve ever getting any love? Is Demi Moore a shoe-in or in line for an upset? It's time to dive in to the 2025 Oscar nominations! The 97th Annual Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 2, 2024 on ABC.
Click here for the full list of Oscar nominees.
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're breaking down everything that's getting us excited in television with our 2025 TV Preview! We talk about the most important NEW content coming to television this year with the premiere date, network, and a brief synopsis, AND our favorites returning. Chad Powers, Your Friends and Neighbors, Suits LA, Daredevil: Born Again, Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Rabbit, Paradise, The Last Frontier, The Pitt, IT: Welcome to Derry, Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, The Last of Us, and so many more. Strap on your boots, we're taking a walk into the future!
Also on this episode: spoiler-free review of Wolf Man!
What 2025 TV releases are you most looking forward to?
Discussed on this episodeOn this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're breaking down everything that's getting us excited in film with our 2025 Movie Preview Extravaganza! We talk about all the big movies coming to theaters and streaming this year with their respective release date and a brief synopsis. Blockbusters such as s such as Superman, Jurassic Park: Rebirth, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Wake Up Dead Man, Happy Gilmore 2, as well as plenty of smaller films like Death of a Unicorn and so many more. Last year was full of highlights, but 2025 is looking even more exciting. Let's take a walk into the future!
What 2025 movie releases are you most looking forward to?
Discussed on this episode
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