We're trying something different this week: a full post-show breakdown of every episode in the latest season of Black Mirror! Ari Romero is joined by Tudum's Black Mirror expert, Keisha Hatchett, to give you all the nuance, the insider commentary, and the details you might have missed in this incredible new season. Plus commentary from creator & showrunner Charlie Brooker! SPOILER ALERT: We're talking about the new season in detail and revealing key plot points. If you haven't watched yet, and you don't want to know what happens, turn back now! You can watch all seven seasons of Black Mirror now in your personalized virtual theater . Follow Netflix Podcasts and read more about Black Mirror on Tudum.com .…
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Midday Mini Ep 2: “Hot Frosty” (Netflix, 2024) is a Pillar of the Community (Dir. Jerry Ciccoritti)
Manage episode 471227761 series 3541973
Content provided by Laura Fones and Stephen Frothingham, Laura Fones, and Stephen Frothingham. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Laura Fones and Stephen Frothingham, Laura Fones, and Stephen Frothingham or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
WELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES
Today we’re presenting you with another Midday Mini! Please enjoy a super-short, super-fun conversation about “Hot Frosty” — a Hallmark-style Netflix movie with great things to teach you about being a pillar of your community. This movie stars Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Chrishell Stausse, Jo Lo Truglio, and Craig Robinson. It was written by Russell Hainline and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti.
We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here.
Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree
Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!
242 episodes
ShareManage episode 471227761 series 3541973
Content provided by Laura Fones and Stephen Frothingham, Laura Fones, and Stephen Frothingham. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Laura Fones and Stephen Frothingham, Laura Fones, and Stephen Frothingham or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
WELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES
Today we’re presenting you with another Midday Mini! Please enjoy a super-short, super-fun conversation about “Hot Frosty” — a Hallmark-style Netflix movie with great things to teach you about being a pillar of your community. This movie stars Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Chrishell Stausse, Jo Lo Truglio, and Craig Robinson. It was written by Russell Hainline and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti.
We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here.
Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree
Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!
242 episodes
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Midday Movies
1 Mini Ep 4: “Marvel Rivals” (Video Game Review) 6:03
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES On today’s special mini episode we’re discussing the Marvel video game, “Marvel Rivals” — a free-to-player shooter game that is available on all platforms. We talk characters, mechanics, and whether the Hulk can be killed, and by whom. Spend a few minutes with us and the Overwatch-style video game that seems to have replaced Overwatch in popularity. Pick your favorite hero! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 218: “Severance” (Apple TV, 2025) Innies, Outies, and Lumon’s Alternate Office Universe 25:56
25:56 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked25:56
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the Apple TV series and cultural phenomenon, “Severance” (2022-2025). Directed by Ben Stiller and having just completed its second season run, “Severance” is a mind-bendy TV thriller that follows a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. Isolated within the walls of the mysterious and powerful Lumon Pharmaceutical Corporation, this team tries to discover the true meaning of their work and, ultimately, to escape. With a lot to say about love, personhood, and toxic workplace culture, “Severance” is a singular viewing experience. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Mini Ep 3: “Don't Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever” (Netflix Doc, 2025) 8:57
8:57 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked8:57
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re presenting you with another Midday Mini! Here, we discuss the quixotic quest of tech millionaire Bryan Johnson, a man obsessed with reversing his biological age. Founder of Braintree and Blueprint, this former Mormon is heading a health-obsessed cult that champions untested methods of extending human lifespan. Is he a visionary? Is he a charlatan? Is he the famed New Orleans vampire Jacques St. Germain? Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 217: “Snow White” and the Two Philosophies of Power (Disney, 2025) 25:47
25:47 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked25:47
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the Disney live-action remake of the first Disney full-length feature, “Snow White” (2025). Directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler alongside Gal Gadot, this modern “Snow White” contains original music, plot updates, and the compelling battle of philosophies between our stalwart princess and the Evil Queen. Expanding the world more than ever before, audiences will discover a war-weary kingdom, a magical forest, and a band of rebels that come together to oppose a callous (if charismatic) regime. Endearing performances, visually striking production design, and new characters combine in a delightful re-envisioning of Walt Disney’s first classic. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 216: “A Complete Unknown” (2024) Exploring Personal and Political Tumult Thru 1960’s Folk Music 27:06
27:06 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked27:06
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the 2024 Oscar-nominated biopic, “A Complete Unknown.” In it, Bob Dylan is played by Timothee Chalamet as we chart the early rise of Dylan’s career in 1960s New York. An extraordinary time capsule of Cold War highlights, social justice movements, and the American folk music scene, “A Complete Unknown” captures a 1960s that sharply resembles the 2020s. Audiences will thrill at the political tumult, clashing personalities, and beautiful music that made this part of the last century iconic. Equally, young artists will find remarkably practical insight in how to build a creative career when you are — as they say — “A Complete Unknown.” Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 215: “The White Lotus” (2025) Mike White’s Playground of Champagne Problems and Murder🥂 31:12
31:12 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked31:12
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing prestige television series, “The White Lotus” (season 3, 2025). Created, written, and directed by the incomparable Mike White, “White Lotus” is on its third season, with its third collection of luxury vacationers, who have more than a third of life-shattering drama. Taking place in the Thailand White Lotus Hotel (a composite of the Four Seasons and other hotels), we are introduced to a North Carolina family on the brink of legal chaos (Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola), a trio of school friends whose lives are successful but still riven with girlhood insecurities (Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon), and a mismatched age-gap couple that puts the fun in dysfunctional (Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins). Also on staff is a literal K-Pop star (Lalisa Manobal from BLACKPINK). Unforgettable characters, monologues, and locales are the cornerstones of all “White Lotus” seasons, but Season 3 puts even prior ones to shame. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 214: “Mickey 17” (2025, Dir. Bong Joon Ho) Satirical Space Colonization in a Near-Future Dystopia 33:04
33:04 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked33:04
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the new sci-fi satire from famed “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho, “Mickey 17” (2025). Based on the 2022 book, “Mickey7,” this film imagines a future where human printing and consciousness-uploading technology has created a class of worker known as “expendable” — someone who can die and be brought back to life endlessly. The expendable in our story, Mickey Barnes (played by Robert Pattinson), is a member of a space colonization mission headed by an absurd dictatorial figure (played by Mark Ruffalo) and his wife (Toni Collette), and subjected to a strange cult-like culture and endlessly deadly missions until a day of reckoning. Fascinating in its conception and with a cutting take on both oligarchs and western culture at large, “Mickey 17” is a memorable science fiction world on par with “Idiocracy” (2006). Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 213: “Black Bag” (2025) is a Sexy Spy Thriller from Hollywood Legend Steven Soderbergh 27:18
27:18 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked27:18
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the new romantic spy thriller, “Black Bag” (2025). Directed by industry legend Steven Soderbergh, written by industry legend David Koepp, and starring industry legends Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, this story of married high-level British spies set at odds is brilliant, exciting, and visually beautiful. With an extraordinary ensemble cast (Gustaf Skarsgard, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela, and Naomie Harris) that includes an erstwhile James Bond 007, Pierce Brosnan, as well as “Bridgerton” heartthrob Rege-Jean Page, twists and turns and uncertainties abound around six intelligence employees. With precision and clarity, the film explores themes of marriage, loyalty (both national and personal), as well as toxic office politics. It’s enormous fun. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 212: “Captain America: Brave New World” (2025, MCU, ft. Anthony Mackie) 24:14
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the latest addition to the Marvel Captain America franchise, “Captain America: Brave New World” (2025). Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, has now fully accepted the mantle of Captain America and is out fighting for us in the middle of an international incident. We have a new president, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (played by Harrison Ford) and a new powerful element discovered in international waters — Adamantium. Beloved characters find themselves torn between personal efforts to do better and pressures that can often make us worse. Nefarious plots, government secrets, and a collision of the old and new mark “Captain America: Brave New World” and Anthony Mackie’s first foray into full captain. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 211: “Flow” (2024) is the Animated Film that Won Latvia Its 1st Oscar (Dir. Gints Zilbalodis) 21:21
21:21 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked21:21
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the Oscar-winning animated film, “Flow” (2025). Directed by young Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, this multinational movie brought together animators from Latvia, Belgium, and France, was completed entirely in the free-to-use 3D modeling software Blender, and shipped only a few days before its premiere at Cannes Film Festival. The story follows an independent cat whose world is threatened by a massive flood, forcing him to find refuge on a boat populated by a capybara, lemur, secretary bird, and dog. Beautifully rendered and edge-of-your-seat thrilling, “Flow” is in fact the most widely distributed Latvian film in history. Currently streaming on MAX and with an inspiring story behind production, this is perhaps the most personal film of 2024. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Midday Mini Ep 2: “Hot Frosty” (Netflix, 2024) is a Pillar of the Community (Dir. Jerry Ciccoritti) 7:20
7:20 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked7:20
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re presenting you with another Midday Mini! Please enjoy a super-short, super-fun conversation about “Hot Frosty” — a Hallmark-style Netflix movie with great things to teach you about being a pillar of your community. This movie stars Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Chrishell Stausse, Jo Lo Truglio, and Craig Robinson. It was written by Russell Hainline and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 210: “The Monkey” (2025) and Its Stephen King Origins (Wri/Dir Osgood Perkins) 24:09
24:09 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked24:09
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the latest release by horror film auteur, Osgood Perkins, namely “The Monkey” (2025). Starring Theo James as twin brothers haunted by a malicious toy monkey and based on a Stephen King short story of the same name, “The Monkey” tells a tale spanning two generations of fatherless boys. With loads of Stephen King Easter eggs for horror fans and a huge dose of humor, “The Monkey” is a tale of tragic, unthwartable chaos and bravery in the face of the absurd. Plus, a brief cameo by the rider on a pale horse, Death! Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Midday Mini Ep 1: “Companion” (2025, Dir. Drew Hancock) 5:24
5:24 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked5:24
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re sharing a Midday Mini! That means a super-short, super-fun discussion of our key takeaways from the romance-themed thriller, “Companion” (2025). This film stars Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillen, and Rupert Friend. It was written and directed by Drew Hancock, whose previous work is mostly television. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 209: “The Brutalist” (2024) Examines Immigrant Experience and the American Dream (Dir. Corbet) 32:51
32:51 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked32:51
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the Oscar Best Picture nominee, “The Brutalist” (2024). Written and directed by Brady Corbet and starring Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist” narrativizes the disorienting and hostile experience of a Jewish immigrant escaping the cataclysm of World War II. In some ways friendly and hospitable, but in others chillingly marked by contempt, our protagonist-architect navigates an America that is hungry for his talent and deeply uninterested in his personhood. Epic in its runtime, ambition, and technical scale, this film’s haunting depiction of immigrant assimilation is typified by its poster displaying an upside-down Statue of Liberty— an inversion of the American Dream. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 208: “Nickel Boys” (2024) the Reformatory, Sentient POV & the Jim Crow South (Dir. RaMell Ross) 27:19
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re talking about Oscar Best Picture nominee, “Nickel Boys” (2024). Adapted from the 2019 Colson Whitehead novel of the same name and based on the experiences of students at the real-life Dozier School for Boys in Florida, this film shows us the Jim Crow era South literally through the eyes of our protagonists, alongside supplementary archival footage that creates an immersive sense of time and place. Following two boys navigating the titular Nickel Reformatory School, we see the hope of the Civil Rights movement clash with the lived experience of segregation and racial intolerance. Optimistic and human despite its subject matter, “Nickel Boys” highlights a history that we are even now uncovering in the 21st century. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 207: “Dune: Part Two” (2024) The Empire, The Spice, and The Holy War (Dir. Denis Villeneuve) 31:48
31:48 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked31:48
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today, the next stop on our tour of Oscar Best Picture nominees is, “Dune: Part Two” (2024). This is the second adaptation of the classic midcentury sci-fi series by Frank Herbert and it takes us right back to the barren desert of Arrakis, where we left our heroes in “Dune: Part One” in 2021. Expanding the world to include the galactic emperor’s (Christopher Walken) seat of power (including Florence Pugh) and the Harkonnen home world, “Dune: Part Two” is largely concerned with Paul Atreides’ (Timothee Chalamet) rise to Fremen messiah, the messy poli-religious machinations of his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) and crew (Javier Bardem, Zendaya, Josh Brolin), as well as the global consequences of the political assassinations of the first film (embodied by Austin Butler & Dave Bautista). It’s a lot of plot but we’ll keep it spoiler-free. So, join us as we return to the world of “Dune: Part Two.” We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 206: “Wicked” (2024) and the Wonderful World of Oz (Dir. Jon M. Chu) 30:36
30:36 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked30:36
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing our next Oscar Best Picture nominee, “Wicked” (2024). Adapted from the Broadway blockbuster of the same name, which was adapted from the Gregory Maguire book of the same name, which owes its inspiration to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum — a 20th-century American political satirist. It is brought to life by the incomparable Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles of Elphaba, the “Wicked Witch of the West” and Galinda, or “Glinda the Good” — two opposing figures in the Ozian political landscape who just happen to connect deeply. Epic in its musicality, practical sets and effects make this action-adventure MAYBE the most fun Best Picture nominee this year (I think so). Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 205: “Conclave” (2024) is Rich with Papal Procedure and Intrigue (Dir. Edward Berger) 23:46
23:46 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked23:46
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the papal thriller and Oscar Best Picture nominee, “Conclave” (2024). Starring Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, and based on a Robert Harris novel of the same name, “Conclave” is a political thriller that takes viewers inside the secret, sacred world of pope elections. After the death of a beloved pope, cardinals from all over the world fly into the Vatican to be sequestered and elect a new leader of the Catholic Church. There are secrets and intrigue and a bucket of mysteries surrounding the papal candidates — and we get a window into one of the most ancient religious events still in existence today. It’s gorgeous and fascinating — let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 204: “Emilia Pérez” is 2025’s Transformational, Most Oscar-Nominated Film (Dir. Jacques Audiard) 26:14
26:14 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked26:14
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re beginning our review series of OSCAR’s Best Picture Nominees, starting with “Emilia Perez” (2024), the most academy-nominated film this year. With 13 nomination nods including Best Picture, “Emilia Perez” follows the stories of four remarkable Mexican women — one a literal cartel boss (Karla Sofia Gascon), one who is a mother married to the mob (Selena Gomez), one an overqualified underpaid lawyer (Zoe Saldana), and one a survivor of Mexico’s endemic drug violence (Adriana Paz). Based on an opera of the same name (written & directed by Jacques Audiard), this Spanish-language musical helmed by a French writer/director and acted largely by Americans will surprise you in ways unexpected and totally unique. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 203: “The Last Showgirl” (2025) Eulogizes the Lost Vegas of Last Century (Dir. Gia Coppola) 21:26
21:26 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked21:26
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re reviewing the much-anticipated Las Vegas morality tale, “The Last Showgirl” (2025). Directed by Gia Coppola and written by “Good Place” screenwriter Kate Gersten, “The Last Showgirl” stars Pamela Anderson as a professional dancer whose long-running show on the Las Vegas Strip abruptly closes and leaves her reflecting on the last 30 years of her career. With costumes by Bob Mackie and a powerful cast including Marvel Cinematic Universe alum Dave Bautista and Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis, this haunting story of the way times change shines a spotlight on the consequences of our life choices. It also stars Brenda Song (“Dollface”), Billie Lourd (“American Horror Story”), and Kieran Shipka (“Mad Men”, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Spellman”). Aesthetically and emotionally rich, “The Last Showgirl” will challenge you to ask, “What have I lost in my pursuit of glory?” Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 202: “Babygirl” (2024) and the Mixed Blessing of Having It All (Dir. Halina Reijn) 23:03
23:03 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked23:03
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing the transgressive romantic thriller, “Babygirl” (2024). Written and directed by Halina Reijn and starring Nicole Kidman, “Babygirl” follows an aspirational female CEO — who absolutely “has it all” — whose unexpected affair with a male intern (played by Harris Dickinson) sparks an inner exploration that challenges how she has lived her life thus far. Compared to “50 Shades of Grey,” but 1000 shades more evocative and complex, “Babygirl” is a lovingly-constructed fable about one’s public self and one’s inner desires, the expectational clashes between Gen X and Gen Z, and the terror one feels in articulating what you really want. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 201: “Nosferatu” (2024) and the Vampire’s Cinematic Origins (Dir. Robert Eggers) 53:15
53:15 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked53:15
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO SEASON 2 of MIDDAY MOVIES Today we’re discussing Robert Eggers’ vampire thriller, “Nosferatu” (2024). Released over Christmas and with a knockout cast containing Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgard, and Willem Dafoe, this version of Nosferatu is an Eggers passion project more than a decade in the making. Here we discuss the production of this and other versions of the cinematic vampire, the historical context for both Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and the German expressionist alternative, as well as what makes THIS Nosferatu unusually great. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 20: Europe is Weird and Doctor Who is Awesome 36:25
36:25 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked36:25
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We chat about Europe, England and the lovable characters of Doctor Who. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 19: Hunger Games & Holiday Traditions 19:20
19:20 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked19:20
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk about the Hunger Games (original and prequel) as well as classic and evolving holiday traditions. Follow us to show your support for the show. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 18: Cronenberg, Cat Supremacy, and the Rise of Pet Insurance 25:05
25:05 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked25:05
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk about the Cronenbergs, cats, dogs, pets and how pet insurance has developed over time. Follow us to get the latest and greatest podcasts as soon as we make them. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 17: Generational Differences, Imperialism, and Other Super Chill Topics 31:45
31:45 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked31:45
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We chat about generations, imperialism and druids. Follow us to get new episodes as soon as they release. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 16: Daylight Savings, Current Events, and Secrets to a Long Life 34:38
34:38 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked34:38
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk about how it’s midnight at 2pm now, news watching habits and how to live a long life. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 15: Religion, Morality and Ryan Gosling 26:35
26:35 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked26:35
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk about religion, how both Laura and Ryan Gosling were raised Mormon, and some good and bad things you can do to get serotonin. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 14: Relationships, Humor, and Why Hank Doesn't Like My TV Shows 28:02
28:02 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked28:02
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk about relationships and different types of humor, including why close friends disagree with our taste in TV. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 13: Pirates, Bedrest, and American Calvinism 29:15
29:15 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked29:15
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We discuss the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise (Disney, 2003-2017), the importance of bed rest and the cultural consequences of American Calvinism. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 12: What Do Women Want? (Response to the Viral Facebook List) 38:57
38:57 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked38:57
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. In response last week’s episode, which listed bad first date locations (as reported by women on Facebook), we ask the question that is on everyone’s mind, “what do women actually want?”. We also talk about the Red Flags card game (by Grim Rabbit Games) and Kevin Smith’s classic, controversial film “Dogma” (1999). We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 11: First Dates & Red Flags (Viral Facebook List) 36:46
36:46 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked36:46
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk about the viral Facebook list of places to not take women on a first date from fall 2023 and accompanying relationship red flags. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 10: German, 70’s Serial Killers, Ethan Hawke’s Black Phone, and Napoleon (2023) 35:08
35:08 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked35:08
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. Today we cover a grab-bag of topics ranging from German nouns for animals, serial killers in the 1970s, Ethan Hawke as a serial killer in “The Black Phone” and the impending Ridley Scott movie on Napoleon (2023). We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 9: FNAF Five Nights at Freddy’s & Practical VFX 21:16
21:16 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked21:16
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We chat about the book “Cold People” by Tom Rob Smith, the movie adaptation of the popular video game “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2023, directed by Emma Tammi and starring Josh Hutcherson) and practical video effects versus computer generated video effects. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 8: Horror, Horoscopes, and Midnight Mass (Netflix, dir. Mike Flanagan) 22:50
22:50 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked22:50
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk Universal Halloween Horror Nights, Horoscopes and our thoughts on Black Phone and Midnight Mass (Netflix, dir. Mike Flanagan). We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 7: The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix, Dir. Mike Flanagan, Edgar Allen Poe) 34:30
34:30 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked34:30
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We discuss Mike Flanagan's thrilling new show The Fall of the House of Usher based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe and featuring some outstanding talent. We want to know what you think about our podcast! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more!…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 6: The Final Gilmore Girls Discussion 22:56
22:56 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked22:56
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. The third part of our epic three part talk on the Gilmore Girls series. We cover Gilmore Girls: Year in the Life and how it complements and completes the original series. We want to know what you think! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more! We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 5: More Gilmore Girls (and All the Coffee Therein) 36:47
36:47 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked36:47
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. Second part of our fabulous three part talk on the Gilmore Girls series (and a bit of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life) And talk about coffee. So MUCH coffee. We want to know what you think! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more! We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
WELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. First part of our epic three episode discussion of the Gilmore Girls series. We want to know what you think! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more! We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 [Remaster] Ep 3: Imagine If Horses Were Cheap 21:49
21:49 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked21:49
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and material. We talk about Autumn/Winter holidays, coffee, historic chapels, an app for friends, an app for horses and the Metaverse. Also polling goats about the state of America. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more! We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
WELCOME TO THE REMASTER SERIES, where we take the first 20 episodes of your favorite podcast, MIDDAY MUSINGS, and update them with improved audio and additional material. Today we talk about medieval guilds, differences between medieval times and the current age, as well as the changing face of unicorns. Cited sources include lauded medieval folk historian, Eleanor Janega. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more! We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 200: Friendsgiving / Thanksgiving Celebration 🎉 (Love Letter to Our Listeners & What’s Up Next) 19:57
19:57 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked19:57
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday marks the last episode of Midday Musings’ season 1, so we’re celebrating with a Thanksgiving-slash-Friendsgiving episode! We’re sharing what we’re grateful for from this last year of production, shouting out some special listeners and the incredible pod friends we’ve made along the way, as well as sharing what to expect from the season break and the many new goodies we have coming your way. It has been a truly formative experience working for you and with you and we’re DEEPLY EXCITED for what comes next. Let’s get into it! We want to know what you think! Let us know in this brief survey here . Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree Check out our new merch shop here for tees, totes, stickers and more! We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here . #UmbrellaPodcastSpotlight: Dark History Podcast This week, we’re putting the spotlight on the incredible Dark History Podcast ! If you love exploring the sinister and shadowy moments of the past, this is the podcast for you. Each episode dives deep into chilling stories you won’t hear in history class—fascinating, unsettling, and absolutely binge-worthy. Start listening now: Dark History Podcast Discover the full Umbrella Podcast Collective lineup here: www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/umbrella Together, we’re building a community of incredible creators—and helping you find your next favorite show! #DarkHistoryPodcast #PodcastCommunity #UmbrellaPodcastSpotlight #TrueCrime #HistoryNerds #PodcastLife And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast!Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more!Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 199: Reviewing “A Real Pain” (Oscar Nominated, Dir. Jesse Eisenberg, 2024) 31:35
31:35 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked31:35
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedCONTENT WARNING: the Holocaust, WWII, and self-harm Today we’re discussing the Sundance-premiered indie drama, “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures, 2024). Written, directed, and starring Jesse Eisenberg alongside a sparkler-bright performance by Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain” follows odd-couple cousins on a Holocaust tour of Poland to honor their survivor grandmother who recently passed. This small tour group comprised of recent retirees (Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes), a divorcee (Jennifer Grey), a Rwandan genocide survivor (Kurt Egyiawan), and an Oxford scholar (Will Sharpe) play as an audience for the familial clashes and uncomfortable vulnerability of these two men who were once inseparable but seem now irreparably separate. Profound, funny, heart-breaking, and cathartic, “A Real Pain” is a road movie for the ages. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 198: Reviewing “Elevation,” a Monster Movie w/ Mac-N-Cheese & Big Heart (Anthony Mackie, 2024) 24:50
24:50 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked24:50
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing recently-released mountainous monster movie, “Elevation” (Vertical Entertainment, 2024). Produced by Brad Fuller — who brought you all the Purge movies and all the Quiet Place films — and starring Anthony Mackie as one of the survivors of an alien apocalypse 3 years prior, we begin clustered in a 200-person village in the Colorado Rockies, where residents are menaced by unkillable monsters at any elevation lower than 8,000 feet. But necessity leads a group of survivors (Mackie, Morena Baccarin, and Maddie Hasson) to launch a perilous plan to descend 3,000 feet to the city of Boulder for medical supplies and answers. Beautifully acted, narratively thrilling, and set against some of America’s most stunning landscapes, “Elevation” (2024) represents a triumph of the human spirit. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 197: Space Mining with Friends in “Deep Rock Galactic” (Video Game Review) 23:37
23:37 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked23:37
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the 2020s cooperative first person shooter and mining simulator, “Deep Rock Galactic.” Created by Danish games company, Ghost Ship Games, “Deep Rock Galactic” has you playing a dwarf miner on alien planet Hoxxes IV — an environment rich in minerals and hostile wildlife. With four playable classes and nine game modes, you can live out your fantasy of breaking rocks for the pleasure of faceless corporate overlords. The gameplay loop is addictive, with distinct biomes and procedurally generated cave systems that present novelty and challenge. I’ve already sunk 12 hours into this video game and all I want is more — let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here . Umbrella Collective fam, it’s time to get spooky! This week’s featured podcast is Audibly Haunted , the go-to podcast for eerie, real-life hauntings and otherworldly encounters. They deliver every story with suspense and just the right touch of fear! If you’re into dark and mysterious tales, give Audibly Haunted a listen... but maybe not alone in the dark. 🕯️ #FeaturedPodcast #UmbrellaPodcastCollective #AudiblyHaunted #SupportPodcasters #SpookySeason…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 196: “Anora” Seduces, Surprises, and Subverts (Best Picture Nominee, Dir. Sean Baker, 2024) 22:49
22:49 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked22:49
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the new Sean Baker film, “Anora” (2024). Winner of the golden palm award (Palme d’Or) at this years Cannes Film Festival, this romantic comedy/drama follows exotic dancer, “Ani”/“Anora” (Mikey Madison) in a Cinderella-esque whirlwind romance with Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), a Russian oligarch’s son. After news of their marriage reaches Ivan’s parents, however, wheels are set in motion that result in Anora’s kidnapping by Armenian henchmen. Part glitter-and-neon streaked romcom and part Hangover-esque odyssey, this remarkable film is rich with hilarity and heart. You’ll fall in love with every character and with the idiosyncratic twists in plot. It might be my favorite film this year — let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 195: Reviewing “Your Monster” Coming-of-Rage Cinema for Theater Kids (Dir. Caroline Lindy, 2024) 18:51
18:51 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked18:51
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re talking about the Sundance-selected indie romcom/horror film, “Your Monster” (2024). Written and directed by Caroline Lindy and based on her semi-autobiographical short film, this movie follows soft-spoken theater actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera) as she recuperates from cancer treatments and comes face-to-face with a terrifying-yet-charming monster living in her closet (Tommy Dewey). With standout performance by Tommy Dewey and Meghann Fahy, this Broadway-steeped coming-of-rage story is bursting with charm, musical theatre, and well-plotted surprises. This is a real crowd-pleaser and wickedly fun — let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 194: “Woman of the Hour” Gives Dating Game Serial Killer & 1970s Gender Politics (2024, Netflix) 29:39
29:39 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked29:39
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the #1 Netflix streaming film, “Woman of the Hour” (2024). Starring Anna Kendrick in her directorial debut, this movie fictionalizes a very real, very weird moment in 1970s cultural history, the day a prolific serial killer won the “Dating Game” — a popular matchmaking show from the time. What we’re presented with is a fascinating commentary on post-Sexual Revolution gender politics and the brazen social behaviors that men modeled during that era and that women had to slyly outwit. The film is funny, scary, and rich with insight. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners here .…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 193: “Smile 2” and the Terror-Soaked Isolation of Celebrity (Movie Review,2024, dir. Parker Finn) 31:01
31:01 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked31:01
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re analyzing the most recent entry in the “Smile” horror franchise, “Smile 2” (2024). Helmed once again by writer-director Parker Finn, this “Smile” film dials up the cinematic ambition by following fictional pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) as she mounts a worldwide redemption tour one year after a grievous car accident took the life of her boyfriend (Ray Nicholson) and left her with chronic injuries. Infected with the Smile entity parasite, Skye’s world distorts and unravels as her mental health is exploited and her fame-fueled isolation deepens. Beautifully shot, extraordinarily designed, and with a soundtrack that — independent of the film — is an absolute bop, we’re excited to share “Smile 2” with you. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 192: Reviewing “Rumours,” a Surreal Political Satire (Movie Review, 2024, dir. Guy Maddin) 24:25
24:25 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked24:25
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are discussing the newly-released political satire, “Rumours” (2024). Co-directed by beloved Canadian auteur Guy Maddin and starring Cate Blanchett as the Chancellor of Germany, this surreal art house comedy follows the leaders of the world’s top liberal democracies at their annual G-7 Summit. Tasked with collaborating on the eve of an apocalyptic crisis, the leaders of Germany (Blanchett), France (Denis Menochet), Italy (Rolando Ravello), the USA (Charles Dance), the UK (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Japan (Takehiro Hira), and Canada (Roy Dupuis) find themselves alone in the woods beset by mysterious supernatural happenings. The film lampoons global leadership while also writing fan fiction-esque melodrama about those same leaders. It’s a fascinating, confusing, logistically accurate trip through diplomatic summits that sees Canada rising up as the hero. I’ve never seen anything like it — let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 191: “The Penguin” Expands the DC Universe with the Rise of 2 Gotham Crime Bosses (HBO MAX, 2024) 27:45
27:45 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked27:45
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the wildly popular HBO MAX miniseries, “The Penguin” (2024). A spinoff of the 2022 “The Batman” film and brought to life by veteran producer Lauren LeFranc, this series sees Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oz Cobb (“the penguin”) in a post-disaster Gotham. The seawall has been bombed to bits, there’s a power vacuum in the local crime syndicates, and Sofia Falcone (played gorgeously by Cristin Milioti) has just been released from Arkham Asylum. It’s a story of professional ascent, complex protagonists, and all the PTSD. Without question, this is prestige television and one of the finest iterations of a DC property in 15 years. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 190: “The Franchise” Lampoons Marvel Movies and the Superhero Subgenre (HBO/MAX, 2024) 30:04
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the new HBO MAX comedy series, “The Franchise” (2024). Creatively helmed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, “The Franchise” follows the behind-the-scenes drama of a troubled Marvel movie-esque production called, “Tecto.” With long-suffering First AD Daniel (Himesh Patel) trying to contain the production chaos of an inexperienced indie film director (Daniel Bruhl), clashing actor personalities (Richard E. Grant & Billy Magnussen), shifting corporate priorities (Darren Goldstein), and the very real threat of the film being axed, we’re treated to piercing critique of Hollywood’s studio system, the maniacs who make movies, and petering public interest in superhero franchises. It’s an ensemble cast of skilled performers and a total hoot — let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 189: Reviewing “Saturday Night,” the Amazing Origin Story of SNL (Dir. Jason Reitman, 2024) 29:15
29:15 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked29:15
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the newly-released Saturday Night Live docudrama, “Saturday Night” (2024). Depicting the 90-minute lead-up to SNL’s inaugural show on October 11, 1975, this Jason Reitman-directed project (“Juno,” “Up in the Air,” “Tully”) used first-person interviews, contemporaneous news articles, and extensive scholarship to construct a gripping account of the birth of America’s unlikeliest comedy institution. With extraordinary impressions of SNL’s iconic first cast, “Saturday Night” gives hilarious homage to greats like John Belushi (Matt Wood), Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Jane Curtin (Kim Matula), Andy Kaufman (Nicholas Braun), Jim Henson (also Nicholas Braun), and Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle). It’s a must-watch for creatives and comedy fans — let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 188: 15 Halloween Movie Recommendations (Crowd Pleasers & Personal Favs) 27:35
27:35 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked27:35
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are celebrating 👻 Halloween 🎃 with 15 recommendations for movies you can watch on this final day of spooky season. We’ve got something for everyone— classics and recent releases, movies to watch with your kids, your girlfriends, your significant others, or your scary movie aficionado friends. From sweet to sexy to big-spooky, this list of recommendations is all you need to build a killer Halloween movie marathon. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 187: “Terrifier 3” Exists & We Watched It (Dir. Damien Leone, 2024) 22:35
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the latest release from the B-movie Terrifier franchise, “Terrifier 3” (2024). Having achieved cult status among splatter-fest fans, this slasher movie featuring Art the Clown was written and directed by Damien Leone with a budget of under $2 million. Impressive practical VFX and an admirable performance by David Howard Thornton as the silent killer elevate an anemic script and wooden characters (Lauren LaVera, Antonella Rose, Elliot Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi, etc.). The gore is the defining aspect of this film and series, so trigger warning for un-cozy content. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 186: Relationship Horror Stories in “It's What's Inside” (Netflix, 2024) 23:30
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are reviewing the Sundance-selected, Netflix-distributed indie horror film, “It’s What’s Inside” (2024). Written and directed by neophyte auteur Greg Jardin and starring eight relative unknowns as our primary cast (Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, and David Thompson), this trippy body-swapping horror film is one of the most impressive freshman projects I’ve seen. Eight college friends reunite on the night before one friend’s wedding and are introduced to a new party game in the form of experimental Silicon Valley tech. Relationships, identities, and past slights are all aired out once the body-swapping commences — and major twists rock everyone’s lives. Beautifully-constructed, visually inventive, and so stylish, this indie horror is now streaming on Netflix. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 185: “What We Do In The Shadows” (Creator Jermaine Clement, 2019-present) 22:06
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are talking about modern masterpiece and comedy mockumentary series, “What We Do In The Shadows” (2019-present). Based on the 2014 Taika Waititi film of the same name and created for television by Jermaine Clement, “What We Do On The Shadows” (FX/Hulu) follows the day-to-day happenings of three traditional vampires (Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Kayvan Novak), their familiar (Harvey Guillen), and one energy vampire (Mark Proksch). Subverting its audience’s expectations for these supernatural creatures and featuring a carousel of delightful movie monsters as guest stars, “What We Do In The Shadows” is now entering its sixth and final season after establishing itself as a modern masterpiece. Emmy-winning and available to stream on Hulu, this series is a festive and not-at-all scary choice for your Halloween viewing. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 184: Expert Networking Tips from Our Resident Networking Expert (Gemini AI Review) 18:15
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re evaluating expert networking tips from Google’s AI assistant, Gemini. Crowdsourced from a slew of internet articles, we’re using our in-house networking expert to assess the value and specificity of Gemini’s generative AI output. If you’re a jobseeker in this new AI-heavy recruiting market, we believe you’ll find help (and humor!) from this list of 9 networking recommendations. Stephen also shares his #1 street-smarts acquired networking tip, so let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 183: “The Wild Robot” is an Eco-Fable for the Whole Family (Oscar Nom, Dir. Chris Sanders, 2024) 24:04
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the recently-released Dreamworks children’s animated film, “The Wild Robot” (2024). Adapted from a book of the same name by Peter Brown, this film is written and directed by Chris Sanders, the screenwriter who brought you “Mulan”, “Lilo & Stitch”, and “How to Train Your Dragon.” This film follows an intelligent helper robot, Roz, who shipwrecks on an uninhabited (by humans) island full of hostile wildlife and must care for an orphaned baby goose — an experience that ultimately teaches her about family and primal emotion. Employing a cast of phenomenal voice actors like Lupita N’yongo, Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill, and Catherine O’Hara, this beautifully animated sci-fi survival film will have you good-crying for about 90 of its 102-minute run time. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 182: “Nobody Wants This” is a Better Love Story Than “Bridgerton” (Netflix, 2024) 31:11
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the new Netflix #1 streaming series, “Nobody Wants This” (2024). Created by Erin Foster and starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an agnostic relationship podcaster and an unconventionally cool Reform Rabbi who fall in love. Flanked by neurotic family dynamics and competing career concerns, the protagonist couple manages to have the hottest, funniest, and most authentically romantic chemistry I’ve seen in a romcom in a decade. Currently boasting a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and trending on Google, “Nobody Wants This” appears to be something everyone wants. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 181: “Three-Body Problem” Explores Cosmic Questions & China’s Cultural Revolution (Netflix, 2024) 27:31
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the top Netflix streaming series, “The Three-Body Problem” (2024). This is the first English-language adaptation of the Chinese book series, “Remembrances of Earth’s Past” and was created by former “Game of Thrones” showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (as well as Alexander Woo). Taking us from the violent Cultural Revolution in 20th-century China to an imminent catastrophe in physics in contemporary England, this smart series orbits around questions of science, god, and…aliens? Brilliantly constructed, capably acted (featuring Jovan Adepo, Liam Cunningham, Eliza Gonzalez, Jess Hong, Benedict Wong, Marlo Kelly, and Jonathan Pryce), and with layered mysteries at its center, this Netflix series is brain-ticklingly bingeable. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 180: “Cult of the Lamb” is Newly Couch Co-Op and Deeply Addictive (Video Game Review) 22:37
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the critically acclaimed roguelike video game, “Cult of the Lamb.” Developed by Massive Monster and rated 10/10 on Steam, this hugely popular crusade and city-builder just released a couch co-op expansion called, “ Unholy Alliance” (2024). With cutesy visuals of woodland animals and an addictive gameplay loop that necessitates combat, resource gathering, and faith-building, “Cult of the Lamb” is an engrossing roguelike game that you can now play with your family and friends. The plot centers on building a cult following under the patronage of a mysterious chained god and eliminating the Bishops of the violent Old Faith but you’ll be focused on personalizing your religion (for good or evil) and getting as many dungeon buffs as possible. Let’s get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 179: “Speak No Evil” and the Perils of Being Polite to Strangers on Vacation (dir. Watkins, 2024) 26:11
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're sharing our reflections on the newly-released horror remake, "Speak No Evil" (2024). Based on a 2022 Danish film of the same name and written and directed by James Watkins, this thriller stars James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis as members of two small families that meet on holiday and form a vacation friendship. When one family invites the other to their isolated countryside home, cracks appear in the pleasant veneer of the hosts in a way that portends very real danger. Touching on complex couples' dynamics, performative politeness, and the allure of toxic masculinity, this film boasts incredible performances by both its adult and child stars (including Aisling Franciosi, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler, and Dan Hough). Twisty and twisted, this film diverges sharply from the Danish original and creates something wholly new for American audiences. Let's get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 178: “The Substance” Injects Hollywood Horror (Oscar Nominated, Dir. Coralie Fargeat, 2024) 25:27
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing the Cannes award-winning horror film, "The Substance" (2024). Written and directed by French auteur Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore as a fading Hollywood celebrity keen to recapture her sparkle, this horror parable centers around a black market procedure that can produce a younger, better, more perfect you in 7-day cycles. What results is a war of attrition between two selves (the other played by Margaret Qualley) that embody the same vices while brutally lampooning the Hollywood-style beauty culture that fails to prize anything but youth and a narrow archetype of appeal (this idea embodied in the character of Dennis Quaid). Thinky, gorey, and darkly comic, this festival award darling will haunt you long after the credits roll. Let's get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Download Podbeat on the App Store or Google Play Store and follow them on Tiktok.…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 177: “Billionaire Island” is “Succession” With Salmon and I Love It (Netflix, 2024) 22:22
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're reviewing the recently-released Norwegian limited series, "Billionaire Island." From the showrunners who brought you literally the first Netflix original series ("Lilyhammer" by Anna Bjornstad and Elif Skodvin), this 6-episode series chronicles the cutthroat corporate intrigue of a hostile takeover of one salmon billionaire's family business by ANOTHER salmon billionaire family business. Featured is an incredible, modern female CEO (played by Trine Wiggen) and her family versus a traditional, old-fashioned male CEO (played by Svein Roger Karlsen) who used to be her boss. Gems of folk culture alongside rapidly-modernizing social movements flesh out a world with hilariously idiosyncratic characters and hostile corporate plots. It's "Succession" with salmon. Pick a side to root for and let's get into it! Listen to us on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media to stay up to date on upcoming shows and announcements! Instagram Facebook Linktree And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Download Podbeat on the App Store or Google Play Store and follow them on Tiktok.…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 176: Methods for Coping with Anxiety (Chronic & Acute) 27:56
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're sharing methods of coping with anxiety, whether it is a chronic issue or an acute event. Everyone has experience with anxiety, and overcoming it is essential to your quality of life. With the help of redditors, counsellors, and insights from our own mental health journeys, we're talking mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, lifestyle interventions, and more. If you're experiencing anxiety -- acutely or chronically -- this episode is the one for you. Let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 175: Fractious Family Relationships in “The Perfect Couple” (Netflix, 2024) 21:10
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're talking about the Netflix top-streaming miniseries, "The Perfect Couple" (2024). Adapted from a book of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand and brought to the screen by Jenna Lamia and Susanne Bier, this limited series stars Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, and Dakota Fanning. Taking place on idyllic Nantucket Island, this gripping murder-mystery involves a lavish wedding that is over before it begins when a body washes up on the beach and everyone present becomes a suspect. With standout performances by Meghann Fahy and Donna Lynne Champlin, this 6-episode miniseries reveals the cracks in the Winbury family's enviably perfect facade and asks questions that have the power to destroy lives. It's a whodunnit with a cast of who's-who, so let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 174: Three Key Lessons from “Stillness is the Key” (written by Ryan Holiday, 2019) 16:17
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing Ryan Holiday's 2019 book, "Stillness is the Key." A companion book to "The Obstacle is the Way" (2014) and "Ego is the Enemy" (2016, covered on episode 153), this self-development book valorizes the benefits of rest, contemplation, and maintaining your sanity in a consumingly-demanding world. Do you feel that you're never doing enough? Do you push through even when you're burning out? Have you accepted Buddhism and Stoicism as helpful philosophical counterpoints to modern hyperproductivity? Then stillness might be for you -- let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 173: Nothing Says “Corporate Dystopia” Quite Like “Alien: Romulus” (2024, dir. Fede Alvarez) 22:14
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing the newest addition to the Alien franchise, "Alien: Romulus" (Scott Free Productions, 2024). Written and directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez, who directed the iconic 2016 horror film, "Don't Breathe," "Alien: Romulus" follows the journey of five indentured teen workers (Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu) on a Weyland Corp mining colony who are desperate to escape to a planet with sunlight. Their supposed salvation is aboard a derelict space station called Renaissance, where (unbeknownst to the kids) xenomorphs have taken hold. Incredible scripting, performances (particularly David Jonsson), and sci-fi elements define this newest Alien -- which, as always, pits the hopes of humanity against the calculating logic of an intergalactic corporate empire. Let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 172: “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” The Ghostly Sequel 35 Years in the Making (2024, dir. Tim Burton) 17:49
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing the blockbuster film of the fall, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024). Directed by Tim Burton and staffed by returning film icons Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara, this new Beetlejuice film follows the myriad dramas of both its living and death characters -- containing weddings, funerals, and reconciliations beyond the grave. Additional cast members include Jenna Ortega ("Wednesday"), Justin Theroux ("The Leftovers"), Willem Dafoe ("Poor Things"), Monica Bellucci ("Malena"), and Arthur Conti ("House of the Dragon"). With behind-the-scenes talent like Danny Elfman (music), Colleen Atwood (costumes), and Mark Scrunton (production design), this sequel is one of the most visually memorable films of the year. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has been 35 years in the making, so let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 171: Olympian Drama and Modernizing Greek Myth in “Kaos” (2024, Netflix, ft. Jeff Goldblum) 25:36
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing the new Top 10 Netflix streaming show, "Kaos" (2024). Created by Charlie Covell and starring Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, this limited series is a contemporary retelling of Ancient Greek mythology that is darkly comic and epic in scale. Winding between the jealous gods of Olympus, the apartheid state of Minoan Crete/Krete, and the grey bureaucracy of the Underworld, this is the story of how three unwitting humans may bring about a catastrophic ancient prophecy. It's got Zeus (Goldblum), Hera (Janet McTeer), Poseidon (Cliff Curtis), Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), Orpheus (Killian Scott) and Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau), the Fates, the Furies, and anything else a Classics scholar could dream of -- let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 170: Horror, Romance, and the Strange Structure of “Strange Darling” (2024, dir. J.T. Mollner) 21:03
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're doing a spoiler-free review of the mind-bending indie horror film, "Strange Darling" (2024). Winner of the Jury Prize for Best Feature Film (2024 Popcorn Frights Film Festival), written and directed by J.T. Mollner and starring Willa Fitzgerald ("Fall of the House of Usher") and Kyle Gallner ("Smile"), this indie darling premiered last year at Fantastic Fest and hung out for months in distribution limbo because no one could figure out how to market the movie without spoiling its twists. And boy is it twisty -- a cat-and-mouse thriller told out of sequence in bewitching red and blue colors and constantly shifting dynamics. With riveting one-on-one scenes and a storyline that changes chapter-by-chapter, horror fans (and romance fans, I'd say) simply MUST catch this film in theatrical release or on streaming. Let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 169: The Sisyphean Joy of “Hades” (Video Game Review, 2020, Supergiant Games) 21:45
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're talking about the 2020 megahit video game, "Hades" (produced by Supergiant Games). A roguelike hack-and-slash game taking place in the Ancient Greek underworld, you play as Hades' son Zagreus ("Zac"), the prince of the underworld, in a seemingly-impossible quest to fight through the afterlife, back to earth, to be reunited with his birth mother, Persephone. Featuring Olympians, Titans, demigods, and ancient heroes, Hades is a beautifully designed and written game that will offer a Chthonic challenge even to seasoned players. Stephen has spent fifteen hours on it over the last four days, so let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 168: The Sinister Paradise of “Blink Twice” (2024, dir. Zoe Kravitz) 26:35
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're reviewing and analyzing Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut, "Blink Twice" (2024). A psychological thriller taking place largely on a tech billionaire's (played by Channing Tatum) private island paradise, "Blink Twice" is informed by centuries of Greek mythology, themes of trauma and memory, and a delicious twist ending that will leave your jaw on the floor. The film is fleshed out by great performances by many new actors (Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Liz Caribel, Trew Mullen, and Levon Hawke) and some old favorites like Geena Davis, Christian Slater, and Haley Joel Osment. Witty, high concept, and with sharp commentarial bite, "Blink Twice" is a visually gorgeous thriller that's worth more than one watch. Here we share highlights and historical influences -- let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 167: Analyzing Modern Masterpieces — “Fleabag” (Creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Season 2, 2019) 31:11
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're tackling season 2 of the 2010's cult classic, "Fleabag" (created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge). Widely considered the best season of "Fleabag," and still starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and company, series two follows our protagonist getting her life together after the grief-fueled antics of series one. To the backdrop of her sister's (Sian Clifford) professional successes and her father's (Bill Paterson) imminent wedding to an antagonist godmother (Olivia Colman), Fleabag is dismantling her coping mechanisms, bettering her behavior, and falling in love. Religious faith, connection, grief, and restoration are all huge themes in a work that hosts some of the best scenes I've seen on television. Plus, Andrew Scott plays a priest beset by foxes -- and very real human foibles. It's transcendent. Let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 166: 3 Productivity Lessons from “The 12 Week Year” (Wri. Brian P Moran & Michael Lennington) 25:14
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington's goal-setting system, "The 12 Week Year." Aimed at encouraging consistent execution on your annual goals, this system reduces a 12-month year to just 3 months -- dialing up the time pressure, necessity of commitment, and utility of accountability buddies. Simple, non-cult-y, and iterative, Stephen is 4 weeks into his 12 week year and has already lost 8 pounds. Very impressive. If that sounds like something useful to you, pull up a seat, and let's get into it! And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 165: Analyzing Modern Masterpieces — “Fleabag”(Creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Season 1, 2016) 29:29
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing series one of the 2010s British television masterpiece, "Fleabag." Created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this 6-episode series is adapted from Phoebe's successful 2013 theater piece and follows the grief-fueled misadventures of a messy 20-something who has recently lost her closest friend, is navigating complex family drama, and who has a deeply dysfunctional relationship with relationships. Hilarious and heavy, "Fleabag" is a significant entry into the female antihero cannon, tackling issues of human fallibility and the bad things we do when we feel bad. Anticipate pathos and the particularities of British culture -- let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 164: Mad Max Politics and the Mythos of “Furiosa” (2024, dir. George Miller) 25:30
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're analyzing the newest Mad Max film, "Furiosa," now streaming on HBO MAX. Starring Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth, and written and directed by George Miller, "Furiosa" is the most detail-rich Mad Max we've yet seen. Crossing an epic 20 years of history and giving insight into the inner workings of Immortan Joe's vast Wasteland empire, we follow young Furiosa from her kidnapping by raiders, to her imprisonment in Dementus' road warrior gang, to her arrival in the Citadel -- first as a potential wife and then as a Wasteland-ladder-climbing War Boy. It's giving Viola from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and it's wonderful. Epic car chases, a brutal war for resources, and a war buddy romance for the ages are all elements that make this entry into the Mad Max saga unforgettable. Let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 163: Nunsploitation and Religious Hysteria in “Immaculate” (2024, Hulu, ft. Sydney Sweeney) 24:46
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're reviewing the 2024 horror film, "Immaculate," now streaming on Hulu. Starring Sydney Sweeney and taking place in a remote Italian convent, this religion-themed thriller centers on an improbable, seemingly immaculate conception by novice nun Cecilia. But, of course, there are more sinister forces afoot than any divine plan. With delightful side characters (including Benedetta Porcaroli and Simona Tabasco) played by Italian actors you probably haven't seen before, the idyllic countryside hides layers of secrets that include ancient Christ relics and one monk's mysterious biological preoccupations. There's gore if you want it and Ancient Roman catacombs -- so, let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 162: What Are Your 10/10 TV Show Recommendations (including r/AskReddit Contributions) 26:52
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're discussing television shows that we (and the redditors of r/AskReddit) consider to be 10-out-of-10 amazing. Mind-bendy, rewatchable, and much beloved, these shows defined our childhoods, broadened our adult perspectives, or just plain burrowed themselves into our hearts. Are your favorite shows classic anthologies that defined a genre like the original "Twilight Zone"? Or do you prefer cinematic, well-acted series with Shakespearean stakes like "Breaking Bad"? Or are you the sort to snuggle up to rewatchable comfort shows like "30 Rock"? We share our lists and we hope you'll share yours -- let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 161: PNW Ghost Stories — Ghosts at the Museum 26:40
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're talking about some of the ghostly residents of the Pacific Northwest (informed by Margaret Read MacDonald's book, "Ghost Stories from the Pacific Northwest"). Widely considered to be horror-movie-spooky and a nest of cryptids, the PNW is also known for housing a number of jolly ghosts. We're sharing the stories of three such post-human entities, all of whom reside in PNW museums. Are you ready to hear the tale of Grace Ceperley, the grey lady ghost who just wanted her home's proceeds to be used to build a children's playground in Stanley Park? Or the chilling encounters attributed to ceremonial objects at Seattle's Luke Wing Museum? Or, what of the long-suffering public servant who's set up office in historic Smith Tower? Imagine there's a campfire, let's gather around it, and listen to these PNW ghost stories. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 160: The Clockwork Horror of “Cuckoo” (Dir. Tilman Singer, 2024) 21:39
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the newly-released indie horror film, “Cuckoo” (2024). Written and directed by Tilman Singer and starring Hunter Schafer, “Cuckoo” is the most unique horror concept we’ve seen in a while. Set in an isolated resort in the Swiss Alps, with a mysterious billionaire proprietor (played by Dan Stevens), a cutting edge medically facility, and a 10pm curfew everywhere, the eerie and disorienting elements of the film will keep you guessing until the very end. Though high concept, the heart of the film is simple — navigating the difficulties of a blended family and finding connection in the midst of chaos. Join us for an exploration of the clockwork horror of “Cuckoo.” Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 159: Reviewing “Borderlands” with Two Super-Fans (Dir. Eli Roth, 2024) 23:10
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the recently-released video game film, “Borderlands” (2024). Written and directed by Eli Roth, starring Cate Blanchett, and featuring gamers’ most beloved Pandora environments, this film captures so much of the fun associated with the looter-shooter video game series. As avid fans of the Borderlands franchise, Stephen and Laura were delighted to see the anarcho-capitalist, post-apocalyptic Pandora brought to life. Here we saw Academy Award-winners painstakingly craft our favorite characters, production designers bring Sanctuary to vibrant life, and once-maligned Hyperion robots (played by Jack Black) finally grow a spine and assert themselves upon the hostile landscape. Without further ado, let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 158: The Wholesome Horror Inside “Trap” (Dir. M. Night Shyamalan, 2024) 21:55
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing M. Night Shyamalan’s newest film, “Trap” (2024). Starring Josh Hartnett, Haley Mills, and Shyamalan’s own daughter Saleka, this unique thriller is a kind of anti-heist that centers on one serial killer’s attempt to evade capture at a stadium concert venue (while also showing his daughter the time of her life with her favorite pop star). Cleverly constructed, endlessly surprising, and with many lovable side characters, this horror movie is an unexpectedly rich viewing experience. With 30,000 concert-goers, 300 police, and one “Butcher,” who will you be rooting for? Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 157: Reviewing “Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam” (Netflix Doc, 2024) - Part 2 - The Ponzi Scheme 25:11
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are concluding our discussion of the Netflix top 10 docuseries, “Dirty Pop: the Boy Band Scam” (Dir. David Terry Fine). In this part two, we’re discussing the financial crimes side of pop mega-manager Lou Pearlman. From lopsided management contracts with Backstreet Boys and N* SYNC to aeronautics insurance fraud to making an enemy of a high-profile trial lawyer, we lay out the multivariate elements of Lou’s shell game, which amounted to the longest-running Ponzi scheme in American history. Prepare yourself for a tale encompassing the Good Year blimp, a former Nazi airman, a popular financial blogger, and the collective forces of the FBI descending on Bali. Docuseries features testimony from AJ McClean, Howie D, Chris Kirkpatrick, Eric Michael Estrada, Michael Johnson, and Patrick King. This is Lou Pearlman’s final act — so, let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 156: Reviewing “Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam” (Netflix Doc, 2024) - Part 1 - The Bands 22:08
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are discussing the Netflix top 10 docuseries, “Dirty Pop: the Boy Band Scam” (Dir. David Terry Fine). This series follows Lou Pearlman, the “Big Poppa” of pop music managers and creator of mega groups like Backstreet Boys, N*SYNC, and O-Town. Within the glitz and glamour of the Boy Band era, though, is the financially predatory action of the man who made this era of pop music possible. In this part one episode, we discuss the formation of these iconic boy bands, the larger-than-lifestyle that came with being managed by Lou Pearlman, and the behind-the-scenes con that made it all happen. Docuseries features testimony from AJ McClean, Howie D, Chris Kirkpatrick, Eric Michael Estrada, Michael Johnson, and Patrick King. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 155: Cliche Life Advice That Turned Out to Be True (including r/AskReddit contributions) 22:32
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re diving in to life advice cliches that are actually really valuable when you fully ingest their meaning. We’ve all had the, “Ugh that so true!” moment. Alongside contributions from the lovely redditors who populate the r/AskReddit subreddit, we share our own favorite platitudes that only seem to get truer with age. What have you been told makes up a happy life? Are you pouring from an empty cup? And what Japanese concept will help you find your life’s purpose? Join us for some of the best cliches in the business and let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 154: The Childfree vs. Parenthood Debate (Millennial and Boomer Perspectives) 25:54
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing one of the most important questions for Millennials and Gen Z — to have children or be childfree. From our Baby Boomer parents who long to be grandparents to vice presidential candidates obsessed with your personal procreation, child-having is a hot topic. We share our own experience fielding questions about family planning in our thirties as well as reflecting on common family structures from a historical point of view. Whether you’ve got a Post-War nuclear family, a historically common blended family, or simply consider your pets your family, there’s something for everyone in this episode. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 153: Reviewing “Ego Is The Enemy” (Ryan Holiday, 2016) and Processing Generational Rage 22:47
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re on a self-development journey. Between reading Ryan Holiday’s “Ego is the Enemy” (2016) and recognizing undesirable characteristics of our parents in ourselves, it’s time to do some inner excavation and put those insights into action! Is your sense of self fragile or even outdated? Have failures felt crippling even though you know, intellectually, that you have to fail to succeed? And are you out here just trying to shed generational rage? Same. Join us for a discussion of ego and self-compassion. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 152: Returning to “VEEP” (HBO, 2019) for the 2024 Election 20:46
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re sharing our impressions of the critically-acclaimed 2010s HBO comedy, “VEEP” (2012-2019). Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and increasingly relevant as our own US election year starts to take on that show’s plot dimensions, this workplace sitcom of Capital Hill satirizes the uniquely strange and idiosyncratic personalities that are drawn to political power. Never stating party identities, never showing the character of the president, and never concretely solving a problem are just a few brilliant choices that make “VEEP” the well-loved show on everyone’s watchlist this election cycle. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 151: What the Hunger Games Teaches Us About Systemic Dehumanization (by Suzanne Collins) 28:00
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're revisiting the first "Hunger Games" film (2012, dir. Gary Ross), in honor of the recent loss of the first President Snow, actor Donald Sutherland. With new context provided by "A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," we discuss the perfect cruelty and systemic dehumanization of Suzanne Collin's fictional Panem. Using class as a tool of exploitation within Panem's district communities, among districts, and in the Capitol itself, we clarify the ways in which the games dehumanize EVERYONE in Panem society (in different fashions and to differing degrees). Strap in for a tour of 2000s American culture, Mycenean Greece, and Young Adult (YA) dystopia as we tackle the brutal world of the Hunger Games. And if you are listening for a workout, you can Download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 150: The Quiet Horror of “A Quiet Place: Day One” (2024, dir. Michael Sarnoski) 23:01
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're sharing our thoughts on the alien invasion / monster horror film, "A Quiet Place: Day One." Following a late-stage cancer patient (played by Lupita Nyong'o) on what she believes to be her last visit to New York City, all heck breaks loose when an apocalyptic alien invasion lands in Manhattan. Also starring Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou, we get an up-close view of the disaster as Samira weaves through a broken NYC in search of one last pizza slice (I'm not kidding). Though simple in construction, the film is emotionally rich -- showing people organizing after tragedy, bonding through proximity, and uniting around the love of a plot-critical cat named Frodo. Shelter in place, and keep the noise below an audible decibel, as we review. "A Quiet Place: Day One." Let's get into it! And if you are listening for a workout, you can Download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 149: Dream Interpretation, Symbols, and Signs: Home and the Self 25:56
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're returning to the realm of dreams (with our trusty Encyclopedia of Symbols, Signs, and Interpretations). This episode, Laura will be sharing her reoccurring dream motifs and characters. On this episode you'll learn the potential meanings behind your dream location and environments. Did you know that houses often represent the self? -- And that what those houses contain can hold hidden clues about your subconscious. Are you alone in your dreams or with people? Do you feel anxiety or purpose? And what do you keep in the basement of your mind? We explore all this and more -- let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 148: Wizards, Dragons, and Crocodile Dream Interpretation — What Does It Mean? 23:27
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're exploring dreams -- symbols, signs, and interpretations (with an illustrated encyclopedia as our guide). Stephen shares childhood dreams and reoccurring adult nightmares, and we investigate their actual, subconscious meaning. Do dragons symbolize good fortune or ill omens? What is the nature of magic, and specifically of a wizard performing transformation spells on your friends? And did you know there was an honest-to-god crocodile city in Ancient Egypt? All this and more as eastern and western interpretations meet -- let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middaymusingspod/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 147: FBI Agents, Serial Killers, and the Unique Horror of “Longlegs” (Dir. Oz Perkins, 2024) 22:59
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're talking about the serial killer thriller and surprise summer hit, "Longlegs" -- supposedly the scariest movie of the year. A paranormal period piece/FBI procedural that features Nicholas Cage being wacky, we chisel away our favorite elements of this indie horror "masterpiece" and dive into all the unique choices separating this film from others. Is the east coast inherently spooky? Would Hannibal Lecter like Lee Harker? And what was your scariest moment from the first Clinton administration? Grab your favorite life-size doll and let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 146: Late-in-Life Love and Mother/Daughter Dynamics in “A Family Affair” (Netflix, 2024) 21:17
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we're talking about the Netflix top 10 film, "A Family Affair." A rom-com-dram starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King, this movie gives viewers some zany and some heartstring-tugging moments. With meditations on late-in-life love, the evolving mother-daughter relationship as we age, and the legacy of a deceased parent, this film is elevated by its heavy-hitting cast. We also draw parallels to Prime Video's earlier-in-the-year release, "The Idea of You," which also stars an Academy Award winner (Anne Hathaway) and investigates similar themes. We share analysis, cultural commentary, and whether you should stream it. Let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 145: “Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood” - Scooter’s Version (HBO MAX, 2024) 24:26
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are concluding our Midday Musings series on the HBO Max docuseries, "Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood." We will review Scooter's version of events (episode 2 of the series) -- from his role as the "big brother" music manager to Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Kanye West to the Swiftie fan-army fallout he experienced as the buyer of Big Machine Records. Does he deserve all the hate? When two Goliaths fight, does David win? And who among us would be dense enough to insult Taylor Swift on the internet? Find out -- and let's get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 144: “Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood” - Part 2 (HBO MAX, 2024) 24:02
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are back discussing the HBO Max documentary, “Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood” (2024). In this part two, we will dissecting the events post-“Kimye”’s “Famous” drama and post-sale of Taylor Swift’s masters to Scooter Braun’s holding company. This will chart the public battle for ownership rights, Swift’s masterclass response to widespread public backlash, and her ultimate ascent to “The Man” / turbo-capitalist who brought us the economy-breaking Eras Tour. We’re discussing the silence of the Reputation era, the resurgent Lover era, and the results of Taylor’s re-recording of her body of work. The ride is still wild, so please remain seated. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 143: “Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood” - Part 1 (HBO MAX, 2024) 19:48
19:48 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked19:48
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are discussing the HBO Max documentary, “Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood” (2024). This docuseries charts the very personal battle between artist and management team over the ownership of Taylor Swift’s music masters — representing six of the highest selling albums of all time. In this part one, we will be detailing the timeline of events that led to the sale of Swift’s music as well as the sociological context around 2010s celebrity social-media-soaked culture. We’re talking Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, the famous VMA acceptance speech scandal, Instagram wars, and the pre-Reputation era of Taylor Swift’s career. Strap in, listeners, it’s going to be a wild ride! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 142: Analyzing “American Nightmare” (Netflix, 2024) 28:23
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the explosively popular Netflix docuseries, “American Nightmare.” Following the bizarre story — and devastating media aftermath — of a home invasion/kidnapping in Vallejo, CA, we are shown that the real American nightmare is not the crime itself, but the institutional response to victims of that crime. Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn find themselves on the wrong end of local police, FBI, and news media spin despite all attempts to act in good faith. With lots to chew on regarding the justice system and the way Americans stay informed, this documentary will blow you away with its twists, turns, and improbability. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing our friendly northern neighbor, Canada. Having just returned from a 4-day trip to Vancouver, we’ve got loads of cultural commentary and travel advice to share. Did you know there are laws against freeways in Vancouver city limits? Have you any idea the sheer number of weddings Stanley Park can hold? And why is it that in Canada, “Dragons” can own their “Den” but in America, “Sharks” cannot own their “Tank”? It is a puzzler. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Bonus: Salish Sea Feet Discoveries with Rainy Day Rabbit Holes 40:38
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are hosting an excellent episode from the excellent podcast, Rainy Day Rabbit Holes. Enjoy! Join us for a toe-tally intriguing episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes where we dive deep into the baffling phenomenon of the Salish Sea Feet Discoveries! Since 2007, detached human feet have been washing ashore on the coasts of the Salish Sea, leaving both locals and scientists scratching their heads—and their toes. In this gripping episode, we explore the possible explanations behind these mysterious findings, from ocean currents to sneaker buoyancy. We'll also discuss how urban legends and sensational media have contributed to the public's fascination with this ongoing enigma. Don't miss this opportunity to dip your toes into the science and speculation behind one of the Salish Sea's most puzzling mysteries. Whether you're a true crime aficionado or a marine biology buff, this episode is sure to keep you on your toes! You can always find more on our website at www.rainydayrabbitholes.com…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 139: Nerdy Red Flags (Grim Rabbit Games) 22:02
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re unboxing a BRAND NEW expansion of Red Flags Friday (courtesy of our good friend and podcast listener) — with content exclusively for nerds! The Grim Rabbit Game’s romance and date-centered card game is catering to Star Trek and Star Wars fans, as well as the chronically online. With that in mind, our hosts sit down and ask questions about TARDISes, time machines, and Harry Potter, determining whether these terrible dates can be saved by nerdy white flags. Who is your favorite internet pet? Would you date Albus Dumbledore’s unrepentant murderer? Are magical powers enough to overlook an escort mission (on low health)? Join us for this nerd edition of the Red Flags card game! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing top sci-fi tropes in media we love as well as science fiction concepts that spark our imagination. With examples from top sci-fi short stories and Taiwanese novels, we discuss common and uncommon tropes that depict a potential, thought-provoking future. Undersea, skin-obsessed civilizations that have escaped climate catastrophe? Intergalactic civil wars that include high-stakes singing competitions? Aliens sending life-saving messages through an 8-foot tall flamingo? Whether your favorite speculative fiction piece is about utopia (“Brave New World”?) or dystopia (“Hunger Games”), there’s a lot of philosophy hidden in the crevices. We discuss top tropes and top sci-fi hits. Join us! (Authors referenced include Susanne Collins, Steven Moffat, Veronica Roth, Aldous Huxley, Alix E. Harrow, R.F. Kuang, and Catherynne M. Valente.) Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 137: TikTok Star Murders (Peacock, 2024) 24:21
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the content of Peacock’s new true crime documentary, “TikTok Star Murders.” Produced by 50 Cent, this social media documentary follows the tragic, ultimately-fatal relationship roller coaster of TikTok content creator JinnKid (Ali Abulaban) and his wife Ana. Culminating in a shocking double homicide in San Diego’s luxury Spire residences, this true story unfolds through TikTok content and damning private recordings created by the perpetrator himself. A tale of dangerous personality, social media obsession, and deteriorating mental health, viewers will be riveted by such intimate insight into an all too common category of crime. We discuss the material and mental health dangers of social media consumption (and Scarface fandom) and whether TikTok is safe for anyone. Content warning for domestic violence, drug use, and femicide. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 136: More First Date Questions from Relationship Experts (Women’s Health, 2024) 25:14
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedOnce again, we’re sharing some of the “150 Best Questions To Ask On A First Date, According to Relationship Experts” (Women’s Health Magazine, 2024). With insights from Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD., Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, PhD., and Courtney Tracy, LCSW, PsyD, we share even more of the relationship insights and effective first date questions to keep your conversations constructive and free-flowing. Discovering personality markers for new people and easing the social anxiety of initial interactions are just of few of the useful takeaways on this first date advice episode. We combine actionable relationship building tips with a lot of humor and heart, so tune into today’s episode on relation-expert-vetted first date questions! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 135: What’s Your Favorite Type of Horror 22:32
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing our favorite horror motifs from films, television, and games (shoutout to The Recap Rewatch for inspiring a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” rewatch). Whether it’s Ariana Grande wanting to have dinner with Jeffrey Dahmer or Stephen getting spooky with the forest-cabin settings of “Evil Dead” and “Until Dawn,” every horror fan wants their spine tingled. What’s YOUR favorite type of horror? And what does horror allow us to imagine that other genres don’t? Prepare for Summerween with us as we dissect horror themes and have a scream. Join us! And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re digging into some of the top-rated games on user-generated indie game platform Itch.io. Games include “Night of the Consumer,” “Crawler,” “Baby Blues Nightmare,” and more. We discuss the unique game mechanics and themes that indie developers can offer a player that AAA games cannot (due to profit incentive). Whether it’s horror elements or unusual player-insert characters, there’s a world of indie brilliance in the game development space. Join us as we celebrate these small creators and their singular visions on this episode of top itch.io indie games! And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 133: First Date Questions from Relationship Experts (Women’s Health, 2024) 22:24
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re sharing some of the “150 Best Questions To Ask On A First Date, According to Relationship Experts” (Women’s Health Magazine, 2024). With insights from Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD., Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, PhD., and Courtney Tracy, LCSW, PsyD, this list provides listeners with some conversational prompts that serve to invite deeper connections and more interesting conversations. Sharing some of our answers to probing questions and priming any potential daters, this list of first date questions is a ready tool for improving a sometimes awkward first romantic meeting and sometimes it’s just plain old fun. Join us as we delve into the shallow end of the relationship pool and demonstrate how to establish rapport! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 132: Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (Cal Newport, 2019) 21:06
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing Cal Newport’s book, “Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World” and how a reduction in device use might just better our lives. Stephen shares his insights as a recent reader of the self-development / digital discipline book and Laura shares findings from behavioral science studies that reveal clues as to why digital life is so addicting. The goal is increased focus and in Cal Newport’s book he gives his characteristic non-nonsense advice for the modern internet user. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 131: House of the Dragon Season 2 (HBO MAX, 2024) 24:03
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re reviewing the premiere episode of the much-awaited GoT prequel, “House of the Dragon.” Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans reprise their roles as the adult members of the Targaryen and Hightower clans, who last season were poised to clash in civil war. Despite the two year delay between seasons, viewers occupy the immediate aftermath of King Viserys’ death and the succession crisis it creates. Now the children of these two families (the Greens and the Blacks, as fans colloquially know them) exercise an outsized impact on events, and we watch as clashing egos, heartbreaks, and vendettas sleepwalk King’s Landing toward catastrophe. Join us for discussion and analysis of season 2 of HBO MAX’s “House of the Dragon.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 130: Inside Out 2 and the Science of Emotion (Oscar Nominee, Disney/Pixar, 2024) 22:09
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the 2024 sequel to Pixar’s 2015 classic, “Inside Out.” Amy Poehler reprises her role as “Joy,” main character Riley’s primary emotion. Joining the cast is Maya Hawke as “Anxiety,” one of Riley’s new pubescent emotions. In this film, our main character is now 13, going through puberty, leaving middle school, and navigating increasingly complex emotional landscapes. Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness are now joined by Anxiety, Ennui, Envy, and Embarrassment in Riley’s emotional headquarters. We discuss the neuroscience behind the film’s story and relate Riley’s experience of emotion to universal human experiences. Join us for a review and learning session as we muse about “Inside Out 2.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 129: Maxton Hall: The World Between Us (Prime Video, 2024) 23:18
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the internationally popular young adult contemporary romance series, “Maxton Hall: the World Between Us” (streaming on Prime Video). Inspired by the Mona Kasten novel, “Save Me” and starring Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damien Hardung as socioeconomically- and ideologically-opposed students at the elite preparatory school Maxton Hall, viewers are gifted an enemies-to-lovers narrative with rich-versus-poor stakes. Competently constructed and enjoyable, this series is indicative of the larger movement in media to share women’s stories and focus on female gaze narratives that were absent from the zeitgeist just 30 years ago. We discuss the series and what the series means for a shifting media landscape that serves up more to femme demographics than could have been imagined even one generation earlier. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 128: Zombie Survivalism in “Project Zomboid” (Indie Game) 20:43
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing indie zombie survival horror game, “Project Zomboid” (produced and published by The Indie Stone). Originally built as a Sims mod, this hardcore-difficulty game presents its players with 4 available Kentucky environments in which to attempt survival, using more than a dozen player-character types, and personalizing your playthrough further with good and bad traits. Designed to be unwinnable, Project Zomboid challenges players to test their “zombie apocalypse” strategies against impossible odds. How long could you survive? Who’s on your zombie apocalypse team? And what strip of Kentucky state would be best for post apocalypse survival? Available on Steam and beloved by thousands, join us for a survivalism discussion on indie game “Project Zomboid.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 127: Is this a Simulation? Discussing “The Sims” (Video Game Review) 24:08
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the iconic video game series, “The Sims,” where players can simulate buckets of lives and lifestyles in a charming, funny, simulated world peopled with NPC characters, fantasy monsters, and magical environments. This game contains resource and emotional management mechanics as well as commercial actions that players use to advance in the game (and maybe to reflect real physical and emotional systems). What is a game? And what can this game teach you about living a better life? Can a simulation serve as practice for navigating your own reality? And who are you when you play a game where you can be anyone or do anything without consequences? We’ll share how we play the game, how popular streamers play, and what different play styles may communicate about your inner world. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 126: Is It Good To Be The King? Reviewing “Ren Faire” (HBO Max, 2024) 23:48
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re talking about the new HBO Max docuseries, “Ren Faire,” which depicts the King Lear / Succession-esque drama at America’s largest renaissance faire, the Texas Renaissance Festival. Directed by Lance Oppenheimer, we follow the founder/mayor/ “king” of this Renaissance Festival town, named George Coulam, who is preparing to retire to focus on finding a romantic partner. His retirement opens up the highest position at the country’s most profitable festival, and three employees are eyeing the throne. The king’s potential successors include a longtime employer-actor, a former elephant trainer, and a family-financed kettle-corn kingpin. Unusual personalities, high ambitions, and this unique subculture coalesce to create an unforgettable, evocatively-filmed documentary experience. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re talking about the art of joy — where it comes from, how to find it, and whether or not it’s connected to outcome. We’re given scripts to follow and conventions to uphold, but is that recipe one that leads to joy? Will buying everything society tells you to buy make you happy? Did comic book heroes lie to you about what is achievable in the first twenty-five years of your life? And is the culturally-enforced narrative of joy just a complex game meant to pass the time while you toil away creating maximum value for shareholders? Stay tuned to find out! Join us for an earnest discussion of the art of joy from your favorite positivity podcasters. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 124: Puppets and Pain with “Eric” (Netflix, 2024) 22:04
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the new top 10 Netflix miniseries, “Eric,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Blecher III, and Dan Fogler (of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”). Created by Abi Morgan, this is a detective noir that takes place in gritty 1980s-era New York City. Featuring a plot-critical puppet and creeping madness, this family drama is sure to make you go, “Jeeeeezzzz 😬”. We talk family dynamics, broken window theory, and the backdrop of New York’s uniquely apocalyptic 1980s AIDS crisis. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re discussing summer in the Pacific Northwest — we’ve got boats, boards, and buckets of festivals. It’s three long months of joy, togetherness, and not thinking about general elections. What’s your favorite PNW summer activity? How will you and the gang of your choice be taking advantage of the sun madness? Is death or an indeterminate period of suffering the more terrifying prospect? Like the Marvel series, this period of time is marvelous. No Seattle Freeze, every day is a beach day, and the forests boldly beckon. Shoutout to “Welcome to Nightvale” for influencing the tone of this particular podcast episode. Get into the summer swing of things with us — let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 122: Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (and Other Theories) (Netflix, 2024) 26:27
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re talking about the new top 10 Netflix animated series, “Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.” Following the events of “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,” this dinosaur action series is a mystery-slash-roadtrip adventure that brings together the campers of Camp Cretaceous who are being potential pursued by the nefarious forces of InGen. Additionally, we share our favorite prehistoric megafauna and megaflora — with thought to the possible applications of modern dinosaur technology, whether for the benefit of the climate or for entertainment venues. Whether you want a world of CO2-sucking megaferns to cool the planet or the organization of an all-Ankylosaurus soccer team, the possibilities presented in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory are endless. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 121: Soup, Social Systems & StrengthsFinder 23:02
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing soup, social systems, and StrengthsFinder 2.0 (by Don Clifton). Do you have favorite recipes that you return to again and again? Is it easy or difficult for you to connect to new people on the first meeting? What is your top strength according to the corporate-approved personality test StrengthsFinder from Gallup? We discuss breakfast (which can contain protein or a good book), air fryer recipes, and the best food in the world (TM). Nutritional content and how you can use one recipe to cook everything are topics. What’s one skill that you have that you can use to accomplish any task? Are you better at systems or people? Where are your strengths in social situations? Let’s discuss. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 120: Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult (Netflix, 2024) 25:44
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the Netflix top 10 docuseries, “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” (2024, dir. Derek Doneen). In this too-strange-to-be-fiction documentary, TikTok dancers join a management firm (7M) tied to a church (Shekinah church), uncovering disturbing truths about the founder’s (Robert Shinn) sinister agenda. Impacting the families of several viral TikTokers, including the Wilking Sisters, this docuseries takes you through the disturbing 20-year story of serial predator Pastor Robert Shinn and the ongoing legal battle to liberate his clients & adherents. We provide context for Los Angeles entertainment culture and that region’s long history of cults, as well as walking you through some highlights of this remarkable story. If you love TikTok dance videos or are fascinated by LA cult culture, you’ll be riveted by this podcast episode and this Netflix documentary. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 119: Indie Game: “Voices of the Void” (mrdrnose, Itch.io, 2024) 23:05
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are discussing a video game that has been the obsession of the Midday Musings household for over a month, “Voices of the Void.” A free pre-Alpha game available for download on the itch.io PC gaming platform, this SETI simulator/slow horror survival game is created and maintained by one developer, EternityDev (aka Mr.Dr.Nose) and inspired by Signal Simulator, SETI, and the SCP Foundation. With over 23k fans on the “Voices of the Void” Reddit platform, we think it’s worthy of introduction to the wider world. Engrossing, explicitly indie, and reminiscent of so many well-loved internet entities from the current and proto-internet, we are excited to tell you all about the isolated Switzerland SETI station whose weird happenings have had us on the edge of our seats. Available on itch.io, forever in our hearts, join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 118: So Tell Me About Bodkin (Netflix, 2024) 26:31
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the current top 10 Netflix show, “Bodkin,” a many-layered mystery/offbeat comedy starring Will Forte and Siobhan Cullen. Taking place in the small hamlet of Bodkin in modern day Ireland, this series follows an embattled Guardian journalist, young researcher, and American podcaster in pursuit of a cold case mystery surrounding the Samhain festival 20 years earlier. Unique Bodkin personalities, a sinister town culture, and the off-screen unraveling of the main characters’ lives come together to create a show where nothing is as it seems. Our cohosts share their personal impressions of Ireland as well as marking how far the little island (now Europe’s internet capital) has come since 2012. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 117: Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal (2024) Part 2 23:20
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are doing part 2 of 2 on the Netflix’s docuseries, “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal.” We will be concluding our Ashley Madison series with a discussion of an unconventional couple featured in the docuseries, the supposed discretion of user data on the site, the fallout of the 2015 hack, and what influences people to cheat. We discuss the possible reasons that so many Christian couples were impacted by the Ashley Madison hack. We share issues we’ve encountered as a couple in a decade together and advice we’ve received for managing conflict and dissatisfaction. What are the common pitfalls of conventional marriage? How do you confront issues and can this confrontation head infidelity off at the pass? Or is an unconventional type of coupling the answer? Join us for part 2 of 2 on Netflix’s “Ashley Madison” documentary! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 116: Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal (2024) Part 1 25:32
25:32 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked25:32
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing episode 1 of Netflix’s docuseries, “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal.” This is part 1 of 2, where we will be covering the founding of the site (during the 2000s-era dot-com boom), the marketing and monetization model of the product, and two of the most famous people impacted by the 2015 Ashley Madison leak (Nia and Sam Rader). We’re discussing infidelity as a married couple and the pitfalls of traditional marriage that can lead to affair ideation. Join us for the drama, the digital marketing, and a light-hearted reflection of the Ashley Madison phenomenon! Stay for part 2!!! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re talking about cats, rats, and the Met Gala. We answer the questions, how well traveled is the average cat? Why is New York the global center of ambition and pizza rats? And what even is the Met Gala for? Learn fun facts about bacteria-based pandemics vs. viral-based pandemics, and how cats are relevant to both. Reflect with us on the Legend of Pizza Rat, who lives forever in our hearts but also in the nooks and crannies of the New York City subway. And, finally, get a Google-level education on Anna Wintour’s importance to American fashion as well as the dollar-cost of attending the Met Gala. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re talking about taking Grim Rabbits’ card game “Red Flags: the Game of Terrible Dates” into the wild and playing it with friends. What is revealed about people in a 6-person game where not everyone knows each other? What secret superpowers do singles have that relationshipped players lack? How do different people confront different dating scenarios based on personality, experience, and preference? We spent 4 hours playing with 6 people and learned loads (about ourselves and others). Join us as we tell the tale of a real life game of Red Flags! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 113: House-Hungry Millennials & Zillow Gone Wild (2024) 20:29
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re talking about “Zillow Gone Wild” — the new HBO MAX show hosted by Jack McBrayer and featuring the most exciting, wackadoo house listings available across the US. Two house-hungry millennials (our co-hosts) talk Nietzsche, Camus, and Matthew McConaughey in the context of the American housing market, and walk you through the details of a renovated missile silo, a storybook cottage, and an artist-created motor lodge in Las Vegas. Laura gives us a retrospective of the Obama-era missile-silos-for-sale circa 2010 and Stephen talks Disney and miniature staircases. An auto-themed residence that puts Radiator Springs to shame is for sale because the artist responsible has set his sights on creating a whole town. Anyway, it’s wild. Join us for an introduction to Zillow Gone Wild’s contest between unique domestic residences! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re talking about change and how to manage it. Are you always operating at max capacity — and does that make change throw you for a loop? How much obligation is too much obligation? And how can you use fun to supplement your energy around getting things done? Special shout-out to Marc from the BoomBox Music podcast for his insight that running at 80% is the zen way to live. Change is life’s only constant and, as it impacts the Midday Musings household, our co-hosts examine the potential ways a person could confront the demands of a shifting life. In a culture that commends giving 100% all-day everyday, we take twenty minutes to discuss more sustainable ways to live. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re talking about the best, brightest, and most beastly of the animal kingdom! Starting with Stephen’s blind-as-a-bat insights on echolocation, we dovetail into a discussion of which internet animals are most like us (and the people we know). What is the evolutionary story of our favorite aquatic animals? What patriotic animal is not-so-secretly terrifying? Would an elk make a good cult leader? We talk about Stephen’s raw animal magnetism (to other men) and Laura’s tiger-like energy (as long as it’s playing with a ball). Social power, silly tactics, and sonic-based sight are all part of this episode on animals. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re talking about building up motivation when you feel a bit mentally drained. Social exhaustion is very real, and sometimes you need something extra to feel zesty. We share personal strategies for regaining momentum when you’re in a rut. Laura champions the benefit of short-term projects, and we discuss the mental health benefits of being well-rounded. We lay out the differences between the science of success (material wins) and the art of satisfaction (individual wins), and how the combination of the two will quiet the mind. How can you be the Godzilla of your own life? How can you satisfy your brain’s contradictory drives for security and novelty? Is growth necessarily uncomfortable? Advice and experience around mental health challenges is the background of this discussion on self-motivation. Grow with us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 109: Red Flags Friday — A Game of Terrible Dates 24:18
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re celebrating another Red Flags Friday 🚩🚩🚩! Unboxing, once again, Grim Rabbit’s game of terrible dates, we’re investigating two potential dates with one huge white flag and several disruptive red flags. What would you endure if your date allowed you to use their penthouse suite in your favorite city? How much juggling can be tolerated if you can access an endless bag of cheese? Is vigilantism ACTUALLY a white flag (rather than a red flag)? Whether it’s Batman or cheese-man, we’re talking dating dealbreakers and enviable super-qualities. Join us for a thrilling edition of Red Flags Friday! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 108: Nature, Technology, and Human Civilization 22:00
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re talking about nature, technology, and human civilization. Referencing Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden Pond” and History channel’s 2000s-era classic, “Life After People,” we study the Millenial/Gen Z phenomenon of “cottagecore” as a reaction to our vast technological proliferation. What is the nature of nature? How are we like the 19th-century citizens who longed to return to an imagined agrarian utopia? How long would it take ivy, if left un-gardened, to cover the entirety of human civilization? We’re talking the human desire to return to nature, the reclamation of the human world by nature, and what the future looks like if humans and nature form a more symbiotic bond. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 107: Paranormal Activity & Ghost Encounters 21:06
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the paranormal — haunted experiences, ghost-Gnosticism, and whether or not to download an EMF monitor onto your smart phone. Between paranormal circuses and an eternal Halloween, we ask important questions such as “are ghosts real?” “Should we become paranormal investigators as a midlife crisis activity?” and “Why does my mom keep getting haunted?” Stephen and Laura chat about life as a believer versus a skeptic, and whether you should keep a ghost-shaped space open in your heart. Haunted places, ghost photography, and paranormal experiences are discussed in this fun-filled chat. Would you watch a ghost-hunting roadtrip show featuring our comedic co-hosts? Let us know! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re sharing our strategies for staying upbeat in the face of inconvenience and crisis. We’ll discuss keeping perspective on hard days and every day, with a special emphasis on detaching your happiness from external outcomes. Mental health hygiene, finding the benefit in negative situations, and allowing your resilience to carry you through expected and unexpected hurtles are among the topics covered in today’s very special episode of Midday Musings. Join us! And if you are listening for a workout, you can Download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 105: Entertainment Culture and the TikTok Ban 25:30
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing entertainment media — from movies, to television, to theater, to social media. Delving into nostalgic pieces of media (90s-era cartoon/live-action world crossovers a la “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Cool World”) and into the contemporary media space that bleeds analog and digital media, Laura and Stephen chart the differences between eras and cultures (British vs. American entertainment traditions). Juilliard, Shakespeare, and the seriousness of unserious artistic disciplines are lovingly considered. What makes an artist a professional? What does culture have to do with it? Is it better to come from a multi-century tradition of professional theater or from a truly democratic tradition of YouTube and vaudeville? Join us for a sweeping discussion of entertainment history and culture! And if you are listening for a workout, you can Download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing productivity and mindset, with special reference to Cal Newport’s book, “Deep Work.” Our cohosts are talking about routine disruption and how to recover from the light chaos that comes with existing as an adult human in adult society. Focusing on strategies that cultivate deep work and relying on a growth-oriented mindset to help you level up (or just keep up) in modern life, we encourage you to forgive yourself for being distracted and provide suggestions for reducing the distractions that inevitably follow you into adulthood. With heart and humor, we discuss work, growth, and the individual needs of different personalities to reach our productivity goals! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re talking about boundaries — how to set them, what to protect by setting them, and how much space it is reasonable to expect from the establishment of boundaries. The co-hosts’ household is currently the epicenter of a territorial dispute between two domestic predators, informing this conversation around healthy boundaries. How does one create relationships that balance intimacy and distance, when one is so used to creating intimate space? How do you relate to people in a way that is both friendly and self-respectful? What is the difference between intimacy and trauma-dumping? Laura and Stephen are getting vulnerable about why they have difficulty with boundary-setting, and offer thoughts to listeners that might inform their own boundaries. Join us for a fun, heartfelt conversation that references therapy, the arts, and the unique challenges of the human condition! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 102: Dissecting Disney’s “The Lion King” (1994) 21:43
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re talking about our favorite Disney movies — “The Lion King” (1994) specifically! On this rainy/sunny midday, our co-hosts begin with a conversation on skin care that dovetails into “The Little Mermaid” (1989) — Laura’s favorite childhood Disney movie, based thematically on “Doctor Faustus” (by Christopher Marlowe). Stephen’s favorite childhood Disney film is “The Lion King,” based broadly on William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy. Our co-hosts analyze this Disney animated classic through the lens of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” rules of monarchal succession, and zoology. How is Nala like and unlike Ophelia? How is Simba’s journey like and unlike Hamlet’s? Why is Scar even at Pride Rock? Full of fun facts for fans of theater, Disney, and large cats, join us for our first Disney dissection! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 101: Reviewing “Everybody Dance” (2022, dir. Dan Watt) 20:02
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we are honoring a fan request from Dan Watt and reviewing his film festival-selected, Emmy-award winning documentary, “Everybody Dance.” Steaming currently on Freevee and Tubi, “Everybody Dance” follows the 4-month journey of recital preparation for a very unique ballet studio in Agora Hills, CA. Ballet for All Kids is a nonprofit organization run Bonnie Schlachte aimed at supporting neurotypical, neurodivergent, and differently-abled children as they collaboratively learn discipline and dance techniques under the Schlachte method (pioneered by the founding director of BFAK). With patience and pathos, “Everybody Dance” introduces viewers to the teachers and students of the studio as they prepare for the annual BFAK recital and highlight the importance of making arts accessible to every kid. Fans of heartwarming documentaries and the triumph of the human spirit will be edified and entertained by this 90-minute window into BFAK’s inclusive world of dance. Join us!Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more!Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 100: Midday Musings’ 100th Episode Celebration 23:13
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday marks our 100th episode!!! Thank you for being here for 6 months of Midday Musings — and thank you for being here now. Stephen and Laura perform a retrospective of their favorite top 5 episodes from 51-100. From a politically charged episode that champions the 4-day workweek to broad analysis of some of the most intellectually chewy media pieces from the last six months, we’re enumerating pod numbers and content contents. Stephen shares his love of the ancient internet, Laura hypes Bioshock’s world and philosophical influences, and so much more. Join us for a 20-minute celebration of this half-year journey we’ve taken together — and look out for an exciting drop from the Midday Musings instagram account!!! 😘 Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re talking about heaven, hell, and other afterlife options. Stephen shares stories of watching, “Hazbin Hotel,” an adult animated musical that takes place south of the earthly realm. Asking questions about morality and offering answers set to melodic beats, this animated series dovetails our cohosts into a deeper discussion of which afterlife is meant for you. What would be your afterlife job? What theology fits your favorite posthumous aesthetic? How does Laura’s Mormon background influence her ideas about death? With concerns about chairs, snacks, sleeping arrangements, and whether Jesus boxes, we share the pros and cons of purgatory, Christian salvation, Pastafarianism, and Ancient Egyptian dog-gods. Join us for a heavenly 20-minute breakdown of possible posthumous posts! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re talking fun-in-the-sun as summer approaches! Whether it is the beach-y days or bonfire nights, the summer season is a reason to celebrate. We chat about 9pm sunsets, state fairs, camping, and national parks — getting fired up and ready to take on the long, long days. In the PNW, residents take aggressive advantage of these short months of sun. What’s your favorite summertime activity? What, to you, constitutes a “hike” (asking for a friend)? Is the sunshine noticeably improving your mental health? Join us for a fun-filled chats-travaganza about outdoor activities, camping conditions, group plans, beach days, and loooooooong summer nights! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today the sun is out and we’re talking about the cool leisure activities available to you this spring — state fairs and all their attendant pleasures! We’re discussing fair food, artisan crafts, blue ribbon domestic animals, and having a good time. Work hard, leisure hard. We’re sharing our favorite, extreme food options — “food that wouldn’t dare present [themselves] in a restaurant” and our favorite award-seeking 4-H offerings/child’s crafts. “Stardew Valley” and the importance of grange displays are referenced. Carnival rides are braved, despite the risks. And we celebrate the many-splendored farm animals that round out the whole state fair experience. Join us for a spring-themed podcast about one of America’s favorite traditions, the state fair! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing apocalyptic scenarios we’d like to tackle — nuclear wastelands, zombie viruses, alien invasion, climate collapses, and pandemic shutdowns. We share our favorite fictional ends-of-the-world — referencing “Fallout” (2024), “Hunger Games” (by Suzanne Collins), “Station Eleven” (by Emily St. John Mandel), “Severence” (by Ling Ma), “Cold People” (by Tom Rob Smith), “The Leftovers” (2014-2017), and “28 Days Later” (Dir. Danny Boyle, written by Alex Garland). No one wants the world to end (except those pesky apocalypse cults), but which ending is your favorite? And why? What would you be comfortable confronting in a post-civilization context? Whether your favorite apocalypse is biblical or marvelously modern, we’re here for you. Join us for the last podcast you’ll ever need to listen to (just in case)! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 95: Aftermath of A24’s “Civil War” (dir. Alex Garland) 28:19
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re taking a deep look at Alex Garland’s most recent project, “Civil War” (2024, A24 Studios), starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Nick Offerman, and depicting the late stages of a fictitious modern American Civil War. (Special shoutout to Kevin Ryan of the “Tyrants in Training” podcast, who gave us a window into another example of a bad president.) The film, “Civil War,” follows the story of four combat journalists in pursuit of a final interview with the soon-to-be-deposed American president, necessitating travel across the war-torn southeastern states where loyalists and allied insurgent armies clash for control of territory and the civilian cost is evident everywhere. Alex Garland is the author of modern classics such as “28 Days Later,” “Ex Machina,” and “Annihilation,” and “Civil War” is entered into this collection of brilliant speculative fiction with critical and popular acclaim. Stephen (a former member of the military) and Laura (historian and cinephile) provide context, analysis, and additional detail to the chilling film, “Civil War.” Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 94: Analyzing the “Fallout” TV & Game Series 22:45
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the new Prime Video series “Fallout” (2024) —executive-produced by “Westworld” creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — as well as its progenitor video game series, “Fallout” (1997-2019). Our co-hosts have got Uranium fever and are giving props to the series’ breakout stars Walton Goggins (playing “The Ghoul”), Ella Purnell (playing a Vault-born heroine), and Aaron Moten (playing a member of the Brotherhood of Steel) who all represent different moral approaches to life in the Wasteland. Relevant discussions of corpocracy, the romance of America’s Wild West, and the legacy of nuclear disarmament add to a critical analysis of “Fallout”’s themes, characters, and its alternate history of the United States. Crawl out of the fallout alongside us as we celebrate and elucidate this new blockbuster series by Amazon Studios. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 93: Red Flags Friday Featuring Serial Killers & Name Droppers 21:08
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re once again unboxing Grim Rabbit Games’ “Red Flags Card Game” for another thrilling edition of Red Flags Friday. Laura and Stephen introduce each other to appealing potential dates (indicated by White Flags cards) and then proceed to ruin the dating candidate ( with ever-increasing Red Flags cards). This time around, Stephen introduces a potential mate with a powerfully persuasive White Flag and Laura finds out Stephen’s secret fetish — will it matter if these dates are serial killers? Will it matter if they name drop during sex? Is Antarctica too long a commute? Hang out with us over your lunch break as we discover how much is too much when it comes to romantic red flags. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 92: Cultivating Connection with “We're Not Really Strangers” 23:19
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re unboxing the viral card game, “We’re Not Really Strangers,” an interactive way to get to know people on a deeper level. Using three skillfully crafted levels of game questions, “Perception,” “Connection,” and “Reflection,” Laura and Stephen delve into exchanges designed to deepen the connections between people — from strangers to those with relationships that have lasted for years. Our co-hosts learn new things about each other and get vulnerable in the face of “We’re Not Really Strangers’” probing questions. Childhood dreams, sorely-missed memories, and best days are discussed with candor and sensitivity between a couple who has been together for more than a decade. Join us for a revealing game of “We’re Not Really Strangers.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 91: “The Regime” (2024) — Winners, Losers, and Geopolitics in the Finale 31:54
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the final episode of HBO Max’s miniseries “The Regime” (2024), titled “Don’t Yet Rejoice.” Chancellor Elena Vernham’s (played by Kate Winslet) government has fallen to insurgents, Corporal Herbert Zubak (played by Matthias Schoenaerts) is leading them through the back alleys of the capital city, and survival is not assured. Will Tracy’s sweeping 6-episode account of one horrid year in this Central European country terminates with a battle between factions, geopolitical pressures, and the fate of Elena and Zubak hanging tenuously in the balance. Join us for a play-by-play of the thrilling conclusion of “The Regime,” complete with analysis and jokes. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 90: “The Regime” (2024) — Civil War, Denial, and "All Ye Faithful" 23:15
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re breaking down episode 5 of HBO Max’s miniseries, “The Regime” (2024) starring Kate Winslet and created by Will Tracy. It’s six months into the Central European country’s civil unrest and it’s Christmastime in “All Ye Faithful.” Rebels are at the gate, Chancellor Elena is in denial, and the couple’s therapist is on call — Zubak (played by Matthias Schoenaerts) and Vernham are playing house while the country’s power base is reordered. The stakes are high, the players are manic, and the powder keg of Elena’s regime is lit. Join us for analysis and jokes as we count down to the series’ finale of Kate Winslet’s most recent triumph, “The Regime.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re discussing the four-day workweek movement that seeks to give Americans a 32-hour standard work schedule as well as the rash of TV series’ adaptations of popular video games. In praise of this glorious potential future, we discuss the history of the labor movement (which brought us from 6 workdays to 5 in the early 20th century) and how we would spend our additional leisure time. Laura reveals her radical political support of the 3-day workweek and reviews Tim Ferris’s famous self-development tome, “The 4-Hour Workweek.” Is entrepreneurship the answer to reducing work hours? What would you do with 4 weekend days per week? How can you have more fun right now? Join us for a laugh-filled Friday discussion of the most delightful political debate of our time — reducing work hours and increasing leisure time for all Americans! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re discussing health, hygiene, and introducing ease into your life. How have your day-to-day health habits changed since the COVID lockdown? Do you remember the health PSAs from the 20th century? And has the news been scaring you about what in your own kitchen can kill you? We talk personal hygiene preferences and fears, the habit recommendations of James Clear’s self-help book, “Atomic Habits,” and how healthcare fits into our daily lives. Whether your family has religious beliefs that discouraged the use of modern medicine or you just know a Boomer who believes in mind-over-matter, you’ll relate to the wacky American healthcare environment we’re discussing today. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing the British phenomenon in American media — are they villains? Are they romantic leads? Are they action heroes? Discussing everyone from Tom Hiddleston to Cillian Murphy to Trevor Noah, we identify the roles culture allows them to play. Marvel movies and series are referenced, James Bond 007 movies are dissected, and the impact of the Daily Show is discussed with an eye towards the history of the British empire (and everyone they’ve imperialized). It’s the Americans versus the British/British subjects (all in good fun) in this comedy-filled analysis of culture and media. Also, special shoutout to Gerard Butler, Helena Bonham Carter, and Timothee Chalamet as well as reference to Trevor Noah’s book “Born a Crime” and Katie Crouch’s book, “Embassy Wife.” Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re talking about the basis of strong, meaningful friendships — with the backdrop of Mercury Retrograde. How do you square the circle between introverts and extroverts? What facilitates the formation of close relationships with others and what prevents it? How do you find your tribe? We dig in deep and ask whether people-pleasing is secretly sabotaging your social group, what connects people in the loose, self-deterministic adult friendship world, and is there in fact a hidden key to unlocking close relationships. Laura thinks she knows the answer — let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 85: Romance & Rejection on Red Flags Friday 25:17
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedIt’s a very special episode of Midday Musings — Red Flags Friday! We open the box on Grim Rabbit Games’ “Red Flags Card Game” and sort between romantic red flags and white flags in potential mates. What traits entice you enough to overlook serious red flags versus what are absolute dealbreakers? What baggage are you willing to lift? How important is physical attraction? Do you favor power over kindness? We reference Redditor wisdom and personal preferences for a no-holds-barred game of red flags, romance, and rejection. Join us for a Friday filled with fun! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
This Thursday is all about fun! When you’re in a rut and droopy from a lack of fun, what can you do? Laura shares her way-too-intense media consumption (“Quiet on Set,” “Zone of Interest,” and “Fantasticland”) and how it’s impacting her mental health, and Stephen offers the succor of coziness. Listening to your heart, relaxing, and diversifying your activities are all discussed as fun alternatives to the doldrums of productivity culture. Join us for a positive chat about improving the fun in your daily life! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 83: “The Regime” (2024) — Parsing the Politics of “Midnight Feast” 23:50
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re taking no (political) prisoners as we discuss “The Regime’s” (2024, created by Will Tracy) fourth episode, “Midnight Feast” in which the Colonel Zubek (Matthias Schoenaerts) and Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) saga continues. Loyalties are tested and “1984” (George Orwell) is heavily referenced as Hugh Grant makes an appearance on this episode as a centrist alternative to Elena’s madcap authoritarianism. Politics of the heart and the mind are compared as both the country and the country’s leader grow wild — what does the future of the regime hold? Join us to discuss! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 82: “The Regime” (2024) — Unpacking “The Foundling” & “Heroes’ Banquet” 21:19
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we discuss episodes 2 (“The Foundling”) and 3 (“Heroes’ Banquet”) of Will Tracy’s HBO Max series, “The Regime,” starring Kate Winslet. Chancellor Elena Vernham’s saga continues as she embraces folk medicine and populist ideals at the prompting of her unlikely advisor and confidant Corporal Zubek (played by Matthias Schoenaerts). Power displays, family dynamics, and political lunacy are the order of this regime and we’re charting the progress of HBO Max’s limited series from episode 2 (wherein potatoes are steamed and fathers are grilled) to episode 3 (wherein Elena initiates an international incident). With parallels to Rasputin and Putin, Laura and Stephen are ready with commentary. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we’re discussing the stuff of life — optimal sleep strategies, the power of hydration, and solving survival in the modern era. Comparing our Garmin watch “body battery” levels, we commiserate on heavy life demands and suboptimal rest. The television show “Resident Alien” (starring Alan Tudyk) says a human body needs 10 hours of sleep and Laura agrees. How do you sleep that much and that well? Preparation! Additional life strategies are discussed through the lens of “personal supply lines” and we share what we know about living well on limited resources. Special shoutout to “Tank Girl” (1995, dir. Rachel Talalay) for making us appreciate the availability of water. We have fun. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
Today we discuss managing the pressure of unexpected events and family emergencies — how do you cope? What are actions you can take to minimize disruption to your life when curveballs are thrown? This week offered up many challenges and Laura and Stephen had to field them. Whether you choose to prioritize your obligations or abandon them in the face of one big new problem, there are pros and cons. Sharing their strategies and offering up honest reflections, our co-hosts give advice and reiterate advice they’ve been given to make it through both emergencies and day-to-day stresses. Join us for 20 minutes on stress management! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing romantic fiction and reality — inspired by Laura’s week-long battle with Elif Batuman’s novel “The Idiot.” A Pulitzer Prize finalist book about youth and first love, Stephen and Laura are inspired to chat about love interests in literature (shoutout to “Conversations with Friends” by Sally Rooney), and how love works in real life. Assessing romantic “types” and their accompanying “gimmicks,” we’re getting real about romance. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re doing a retrospective on the Bioshock game series — its cultural impact, philosophical influences, and how important it is that the franchise be brought to the small screen (à la “The Last of Us”) immediately. We discuss “Atlas Shrugged” at length (the literary inspiration for Bioshock’s undersea city Rapture) as well as the dangers of dogmatism. Also in the mix are Norse mythology, present day political divides, and Universal Studios. It’s fun! Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 77: Reviewing “Perfect Days” (2023, dir. Wim Wenders) 25:14
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the beautiful, festival-winning Japanese film directed by iconic German director Wim Wenders (“Wings of Desire” & “Paris, Texas”). Starring legendary Japanese actor Koji Yakusho as Tokyo janitor Hirayama, the film charts several weeks of this man’s deliberately plotted existence — containing work, routine, and random daily interactions with members of the community. With charm, humor, and pathos, the film explores the small beauties of daily life — and we share our own cherished routines. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re talking about the differences between school life and work life — expectations, work ethic, and social environment. Sharing stories of our own lives and the lives of those we love, we talk about how to survive and thrive in college and beyond. We discuss the unique underlying engine of American capitalism — work buddies — without whom no good project would ever get done. Whether you’re a student or a corporate cog, there’s something for everyone in this episode of Midday Musings! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing the social benefits of living in a large metropolitan area — from friends who want to crash with you for a big city vacation to the inevitable friend reunions that occur as a result of urban centralization. Groundhogs are less reliable than they were in the 20th century, but at least cherry blossom season is coming. Snakes are maligned but maybe just because they’re pagans. Spiders, bovines, and Saturnalia also make an appearance. We’re covering ancient cities, modern cities, and our stalwart animal buddies in this cozy friendly discussion of big cities and big dreams. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 74: Feelings, Optimism, and Asking for Help 24:18
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedEven Bad B****s can have a bad day — so let’s talk it through. Today we’re discussing how complicated it is to feel and be human. How do you feel and process emotions? Is there value in intellectualizing emotions? How do you approach asking for help? From fictional characters Thanos to Elsa to even ourselves, join us for an earnest discussion on how we deal with big feelings and how big feelings deal with your life. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 73: “The Regime” — Family and Political Dynamics 23:21
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the first episode of creator Will Tracy’s new HBO limited series, “The Regime.” Starring Kate Winslet as Chancellor Elena Vernham in a show helmed by the writer of “The Menu” (2022) and “Succession” (2019-2023), this political spoof takes place in an unnamed Central European country that’s looking to create a commercial relationship with the United States. The first episode, “Victory Day,” introduces us to the strange, funhouse world of Chancellor Vernham’s regime — full of eccentricity, hypochondria, and power dynamics. We recap and analyze the premiere of this new Max miniseries. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 72: Red Flags, White Flags, and Merpersons! 24:17
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re dusting off Grim Rabbit’s Red Flags card game — the game of terrible dates! We’re debating (and ruining?) potential love matches from presidents to merpeople. Join us for a comedic discussion of dating disasters, and determining the difference between red flags and white flags. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing language and food as an entry point to new cultures. Shoutout to Duolingo’s owl mascot, Duo, who is super-passionate (maybe too passionate?) on that subject! We chat about how language is a key and history is baked into traditional cultural dishes. Whether it’s the Chinese alphabet occupying the Korean and Japanese languages or Persian preparations in Indian food, we learn a lot by accessing different cultures from unusual angles. Learn with us! And if you are listening for a workout, you can download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
Today it’s all things horror media — books, movies, and video games. Both Laura and Stephen find a lot of comfort in horror properties, sharing their affinity for the genre and the possible origins of that love. Laura shares her current horror read (“Nestlings” by Nat Cassidy), Stephen talks his favorite horror films, and we discuss the unique catharsis you can only receive from horror media. Join us! And if you are listening for a workout, you can Download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538…
Today we’re talking about what constitutes rest — sometimes it’s active, sometimes it’s passive — and how to create the balance inherent to “living a life.” We share stories of Canada and the elements of our existence that make us feel alive. Further — is there a cultural conspiracy that keeps us from resting? From living? From balancing parts of ourselves in the optimal way? Share your lunch break with us and we’ll figure these things out together. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
We return from international travel with a whole episode on our favorite tree byproduct, books! Shoutouts to tea and Victoria, British Columbia peppered in our conversation on literary fiction, nonfiction, and self development books. The differences between American writers, Russian writing, and French novels are discussed, and we are once more in awe of the practical benefits of the American library card. Get yours at your local library! (Books specifically referenced include “In the Cafe of Lost Youth” by Patrick Modiano, “Lie with Me” by Philippe Besson, “Adjustment Day” by Chuck Palahniuk, “The Woman in Me” by Britney Spears, et al.) Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 67: Matriarchy, Patriarchy, and Religion 25:31
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing matriarchy, patriarchy, and religion. From the wilds of Madagascar to the cathedrals of Florence, we’re discussing animals, people, and the historical “hot girl” practices that reinforced societal codes of behavior in times gone by (and now!) Special shoutout to Leonard Schlain for his amazing interdisciplinary books (“The Alphabet and the Goddess,” et al.) that inspired some of this conversation. Join us for a fun little chat that spans continents, time periods, and cultural perspectives! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re chatting about how differently we all present ourselves in public and private settings — whether the person in question is a celebrity, a citizen, or just little old you. There is also a special shoutout to Duo, the ever-intrusive Duolingo owl. Join us for an episode of conversation and comedy! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 65: Intentionality and the History of the Human Brain 21:12
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing practical tools for your daily life — intentionality, keeping promises to yourself, and the history of the human brain. For those interested in becoming a better human or introducing greater self-regulation into your life, we’re talking mental health, psychology history, and the nature of the bicameral mind. Join us for a sunny snapshot of self-improvement! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today it’s all about video games — video game consoles, video game history, and games that hold a special place in our hearts. From Nintendo 64 to Sega Genesis to PlayStation (everything), we are breaking down our favorite things about the console era, arcade era, and VR eras. Join us for an episode on all things video games! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Are you a creative person? Of course you are! And other people should know it! With examples like Jacques Cousteau, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Jenna Maroney (of “30 Rock”), we discuss the sources of confidence that must be harnessed if you want to be a public creator. Using our own experiences and the experiences of other public creators, we compile an episode that is part conversation and part pep talk. The world needs your work — and we’ll tell you why. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 62: 9 Methods of Seduction from Robert Greene’s “Art of Seduction” 25:44
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedRobert Greene’s famous nonfiction book, “The Art of Seduction” has enjoyed a resurgence of relevance on Instagram and TikTok recently. Creators are evangelizing about the nine different seducer types, and we’re here to discuss it. Using fascinating historical anecdotes, Robert Greene’s book describes distinct personalities and strategies that are ideal for colonizing the hearts and minds of certain seduction “targets” (he says there are 18). Laura and Stephen list the nine types of seducers, their individual attributes, and which seduction types we like or identify with. Is this education or unethical life tips? You decide! Join us for a review of the subjects of Robert Greene’s “The Art of Seduction.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 61: Community and Otherness on Digital Platforms 21:21
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedInternet interaction is one of the dominant ways we relate to each other and it has created different communities whose influence bleeds into the fabric of our physical lives. Is the internet a tool? A utility? A second world? Laura and Stephen discuss the color of the internet, dependency, and how the digital landscape has reformatted the actual landscape of human life. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Whether you’re into Jungian psychology or in spiritual circles, you’ve probably encountered the idea of “shadow work.” Well, Laura has been reading an anxiety-laden book called “Ripe” by Sarah Rose Etter and that is bringing up shadows to work on. Join us as we sort through some of our traumas around work, self, and gender. We’re diving deep, sharing vulnerabilities, and healing together. On this very special lunch break, you’ll learn the origin of the “shadow” (via Carl Jung), perspectives from certain schools of self-development, and where we personally need to deposit/integrate that shadow. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 59: Danish History and “The Promised Land” (2023, dir. Nikolaj Arcel) 21:22
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing the interesting history of Danish democracy, the settlement of the Jutland, the new Mads Mikkelsen film “The Promised Land”, and potatoes! History-heavy, Danish-heavy, and with a heavy appreciation for Mads Mikkelsen, we chat about the unlikely moment that a European king agreed that the aristocracy should be eliminated. Strap in for a fun little frolic through European monarchism and how it all became somewhat democratic. But also, and we cannot stress this enough, POTATOES. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 58: Reasons to Envy Medieval Peasants (and Other History Insights) 21:42
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedDid you know that sweatpants may in fact originate in the Middle Ages? Are you still living the snug life all these years after the pandemic lockdown? Isn’t it funny how the Victorians made us all believe that the Knights Templar was an elite crusading force when they were more like medieval tour guides? Laura gets deep into European history and many of the things we mistakenly believe today — days off, barter economy, and the unique power structures that predated nation-states. Per usual, the Victorians are largely to blame. Today we’re learning and we’re laughing on this episode of Midday Musings. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re discussing privacy across the ages, family structures in earlier eras, and the luxury/lunacy of solitude. Stephen shares some childhood memories and Laura argues in defense of the blended family. Let us illustrate how lucky we are to be living today, with comparisons to life 100 years ago and a fun little syndrome called “Glass Delusion.” From the Dutch drawing rooms of the 1600s to the lonely settlements of 1800s America, we discuss the dangers of isolation—and the joys of contemporary metropolitan living. Join us for an upbeat journey through the idiosyncrasies of history, contemporary city life, and suburban society! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Today we’re chatting about how ubiquitous smart technology has become, how costly that makes everyday objects, and how weirdly that makes us behave toward each other. Fun historical shoutouts to the USSR’s ban of US film “The Grapes of Wrath” and the toaster-fueled mortgage economy of the 1950s. A broad discussion on technological advancement, historical shifts, and human expectations of other humans. From sliced bread to contemporary YouTube content, let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 55: Combatting Winter Grumpiness with Toxic Positivity 21:00
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedThe winter months are hard on everyone — whether it’s experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder or having to interact with people experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder. Laura has had enough of it, and has thoughts to share. Stephen is sympathetic and has Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons and Futurama) perspectives to impart. We discuss our strategies for dealing with winter grumpiness, within and without. Using verve and a little bit of silliness, we argue in defense of toxic positivity and in support of bringing Californian optimism to the wider world. If you’re having a dark winter, brighten up with us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
They say it takes a village, but the US says individualism is king. We’re discussing the challenges of creating community in a country that privileges mobile labor over putting down roots. How do you thrive in the transient, modern world where everyone moves for work, rarely stays in their hometown after schooling, and cannot establish the Old World concept of “the village”? There are many benefits to living in the New World, but community is not among them. So, we chat about the pros and cons of having access to so much upward mobility but very little stable community structures — here’s how to survive (and enjoy?) the landscape of 21st-century urbanism when so many long for the long-ago interconnectivity of rural life. Modern friendships are celebrated and survival tips are shared. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 53: Reviewing “The Zone of Interest” (dir. Jonathan Glazer) 25:06
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re discussing Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-nominated film, “The Zone of Interest.” Starring Sandra Huller and Christian Friedel, this is a Holocaust film unlike any you’ve seen before — one that centers on the family and professional life of Auschwitz’s commandant Rudolph Hoss. Further, because Laura is a Holocaust scholar whose historical focus was Auschwitz’s three interlinked camps (Auschwitz I, Birkenau, and Monowitz), we are able to provide additional historical context for this unique art house film (based on Martin Amis’ book of the same name). This episode bears a mature rating for subject matter, but offers deep information on the film’s setting. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 52: Ancient Memes and the Internet That Was 21:16
21:16 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked21:16
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we go back in time to the age of Geocities sites, MySpace, and can-has-cheeseburger memes. Most of us are digital natives who grew up with a working knowledge of HTML and flash animation — the internet’s earliest forms of user generated content. Nostalgia permeates today’s episode, with its callbacks to web rings and midis, but also communicates the pitfalls of hours-long download times and infectious LimeWire files. Join us for 20 minutes of reminiscing and joking about the ancient internet of the 1990s and 2000s. Leave us a 5-star review if you liked what you heard! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 51: Relationship Red Flags and White Flags — Which are Which? 25:57
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedOnce again, we crack open Grim Rabbit’s Red Flag card game in search of universal relationship truths. Could you tolerate an asexual relationship that has major benefits? Do you know what’s unique about Paris Hilton’s relationship? Is a Paris Hilton reference in a podcast your biggest dealbreaker? Come along with Laura and Stephen on a twenty-five minute journey of fun, frolic, and filtering out flags. Leave us a 5-star review if you liked what you heard! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 50: Midday Musings’ 50th Episode Special 27:54
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe’ve done 50 episodes and are so grateful you’ve listened! Laura and Stephen share their top 5 favorite episodes so far, giving you 10 favorites to listen to if you’re new to the program. It’s all celebrations, jokes, and good vibes on this 50th episode special. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
Will our future be solar punk or cyber punk? Is Artificial Intelligence a gift or a curse? Is karaoke better the Western way or the Eastern way? We look forward with optimism and verve to the changing landscape of human culture. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 48: The Tudor Dynasty & Consequences of Jousting 23:06
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe’re talking the dangers of jousting and the Tudor dynasty in England. Rising up after the War of the Roses, Tudor kings and queens provide England one its most iconic eras of strength and strife. Did a jousting accident turn Henry VIII from a uniquely good monarch into a head-chopping monster? Was it really necessary to burn all those Protestants, Queen “Bloody” Mary? Was Queen Elizabeth I a lot more of a despot than is popularly imagined? And how does Shakespeare fit into it? All this and more in our history-heavy episode of Midday Musings! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 47: Adventures of the Rental Person Who Does Nothing and Virginia City, NV 20:55
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we’re talking about the sharp social insights of Shoji Morimoto by way of his memoir, “Rental Person Who Does Nothing.” Does a human being have inherent value, even when they do nothing? Is it easier to talk to a stranger than it is to talk to a friend? Speaking of strangers, we share some of our favorite stranger encounters from a wild trip to Nevada ghost town, Virginia City — the silver mining town that funded the Union side of America’s Civil War & the birthplace of Mark Twain’s famously funny journalism career. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 46: Adult Friendship and R.F. Kuang's "Yellowface" 21:29
21:29 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked21:29
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedHave you ever read a book cover-to-cover in 24 hours and allowed it to disrupt your whole internal equilibrium? Us too! In this case, it was R. F. Kuang’s recent book, “Yellowface,” whose sharp examination of anxiety, competition, and the strange toxic alchemy of old friendships had Laura all in knots. We talk about adult friendships, the unique challenges of time and unequal status that sometimes disrupt them, and how we can confront these emotionally fraught connections with grace. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 45: Libraries and Artificial Intelligence 23:01
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedBibliophiles and technophiles unite in this episode! We chat at length about the awesome power of having access to both a library card and free-to-use generative AI technology. No gatekeeping here — we’ll share resources, favorite tools, and our hopes for the future of books and multimedia. Take your lunch break with us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 44: Mean Girls (2024) and the Gen Z Effect 25:03
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe’re talking about the new Mean Girls movie-musical, starring Renee Rapp, Angourie Rice, and Auli'i Cravalho. Updated and innovated for the Broadway and Gen Z audience, we share what we liked, what we loved, and how far society has come in 20 years — all through the lens of Mean Girls 2004 & Mean Girls 2024. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 43: Interpreting Dreams and the Power of Social Media 35:03
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we talk about our (literal) dreams and how they are interpreted in light of our life experience. Additionally, we explore the past, present, and future of a world saturated in social media. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 42: International Customs that You Wish We Had in the USA 27:54
27:54 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked27:54
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedLiving in the USA is a unique cultural experience — but don’t you wish we did things a little more like the Europeans or the Japanese? Today we discuss aspects of society that are common in other cultures but not the US, and why we wish we had them. Reddit users, BuzzFeed writers, and our co-hosts share their favorite international customs and why they should be adopted by Americans. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 41: Mother / Daughter Dynamics in Mildred Pierce (2011, dir. Todd Haynes) 20:39
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about Mildred Pierce — the book, the classic film, and specifically the 2011 HBO miniseries from Todd Haynes starring Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce and Evan Rachel Wood. Devastating and beautiful, this work reminds us all to more regularly call our mothers. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
We chat about the most interesting couples from 90 Day Fiancé UK season 2 and whether or not these intercultural relationships will survive a second season. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
This episode we chat about our favorite (and not so favorite) zodiac signs and calendars in the ancient world. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
This episode we talk about the best questions to ask on a first date. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 37: 20 Best First Date Ideas (according to relationship experts) 27:43
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about Today Magazine's 20 best first date ideas Brought to you by relationship experts Elizabeth Earnshaw (co-founder of OURS premarital counseling), Julia Storm (author of "5 Simple Steps to Manifesting Your Life Partner"), and Rachel Zar (couple therapist and ScarletSociety.com expert panelist). Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod…
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Midday Movies
We discuss mental health, birthday expectations and change. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 35: Reality TV, Ghost Fashion, and Pets with Jobs 23:41
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk old timey reality TV, ghost apparel and dogs with jobs. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
We open up the Red Flags card game and share our thoughts on this super fun relationship game. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 33: Top 10 Obsessively Rewatched Christmas Movies 🎥 26:16
26:16 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked26:16
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe review Letterboxd's list of top 10 obsessively rewatched Christmas movies and share our thoughts. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 32: Looking Forward to 2024, Looking Back on 2023 21:49
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about what we enjoyed in 2023 and what we're looking forward to in 2024. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 31: The Boy and the Heron (dir. Miyazaki) 23:17
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about Studio Ghibli's latest (and potentially Hayao Miyazaki's last) film. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree
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Midday Movies
We chat about Christmas in Rome featuring Greg from Mad Men and Gretchen from Mean Girls. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 29: Survivalism and the Zombie Apocalypse 32:17
32:17 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked32:17
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe dive into survival in urban and rural landscapes as well as zombie movies and the zombie apocalypse. Follow us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 28: Goal Setting and New Year’s Resolutions 32:10
32:10 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked32:10
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we chat about systems, goals and ringing in the new year. Follow us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod
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Midday Movies
We get real and dive into generational trauma. Everyone's favorite and chillest topic. Follow us on Instagram @middaymusingspod for more low key conversations.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 26: Hogwarts Legacy and Christmas Faires 32:58
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about the Great Dickens Christmas Faire, video games and how Hogwarts Legacy may end up the best selling game of 2023. Follow us on @middaymusingspod on Insta for more!
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 25: We Talk Board Games and Futuristic Transportation 19:00
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe discuss our love of board games, social interactions and sci-fi transportation.
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Midday Movies
We talk about that woman who was sentenced to fast food work, the justice system and how certain fruits are trying to kill you. Follow us on Instagram (@middaymusingspod) for more of these exhilarating topics.
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Midday Movies
We talk about the summer of women (2023), our culture's obsession with celebrity and the man who wrote The Catcher in the Rye and ghosted.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 22: Death and Southern Charm (Reality TV) 41:23
41:23 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked41:23
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedReality TV! Death! Have I gotten your attention yet? If so, come listen in as we get real and be sure to follow us for more content with range.
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Midday Movies
The holidays are here! Bundle up by the fire, try to avoid the flu and come hang with us for a few.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 20: Strange European Traditions and Doctor Who 36:26
36:26 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked36:26
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe chat about Europe, England and the lovable characters of Doctor Who.
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Midday Movies
We talk about the Hunger Games + classic and evolving holiday traditions. Follow us to show your support for the show.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 18: Cronenberg, Cat Supremacy, and the Rise of Pet Insurance 25:52
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about the Cronenbergs, cats, dogs, pets and how pet insurance has developed over time. Follow us to get the latest and greatest podcasts as soon as we make them.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 17: Gen Z, Imperialism, and Other Super Chill Topics 32:38
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe chat about generations, imperialism and druids. Follow us to get new episodes as soon as they release.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 16: Daylight Savings, Current Events, and Secrets to a Long Life 36:14
36:14 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked36:14
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about how it’s midnight at 2pm now, news watching habits and how to live a long life.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 15: Religion, Morality, and Ryan Gosling 27:35
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about religion, how both Laura and Ryan Gosling were raised Mormon, and some good and bad things you can do to get serotonin.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 14: Relationships, Humor, and Why Doesn’t Hank Like My TV Shows 28:40
28:40 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked28:40
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk about relationships and different types of humor.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 13: Pirates, Bedrest, and Calvinism — Now that’s Entertainment! 29:35
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe discuss the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the importance of bed rest and Calvinism.
We ask the question that is on everyone’s mind, “what do women actually want?”. We also talk about the Red Flags card game and Kevin Smith’s classic, controversial film Dogma.
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Midday Movies
We talk about a viral list of places to not take women on a first date and relationship red flags.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 10: German, Serial Killers, and Napoleon 38:51
38:51 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked38:51
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedToday we cover a grab bag of topics ranging from German nouns, serial killers in the 70s, Ethan Hawke as the villain in Black Phone and the impending Ridley Scott movie on Napoleon.
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Midday Movies
We chat about the book Cold People by Tom Rob Smith, the movie adaptation of the popular video game Five Nights at Freddy’s and practical video effects v. computer generated video effects.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 8: Horror, Horoscopes, and Midnight Mass 25:59
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe talk Universal Halloween Horror Nights, Horoscopes and our thoughts on Black Phone and Midnight Mass.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 7: Unpacking the Fall of the House of Usher (dir. Mike Flanagan) 39:19
39:19 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked39:19
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWe discuss Mike Flanagan's thrilling new show The Fall of the House of Usher based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe and featuring some outstanding talent.
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Midday Movies
The third part of our epic three part talk on the Gilmore Girls series. We cover Gilmore Girls: Year in the Life and how it complements and completes the original series.
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Midday Movies
1 Ep 5: More Gilmore Girls (and All the Coffee Therein) 38:07
38:07 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked38:07
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedSecond part of our fabulous three part talk on the Gilmore Girls series (and a bit of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life) And talk about coffee. So MUCH coffee.
First part of our epic three episode discussion of the Gilmore Girls series.
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Midday Movies
We talk about Autumn/Winter holidays, coffee, historic chapels, an app for friends, an app for horses and the Metaverse. Also polling goats about the state of America.
We look at Roman history through an unusual lens, talk about G. Gordon Liddy, and HP Lovecraft. We also tease an upcoming 3 part series on Gilmore Girls.
Today we talk about medieval guilds, differences between medieval times and current age, and unicorns.
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