Yada yada something about can't pick your family, but you can pick your nose. We let "yada" do a lot of the heavy lifting around here! Russ and Jared are reminding you all that when you're here at ITMT, you're family, as they get into the trailer for A Family Affair (2024), starring best-friends-of-the-pod, Zac Efron and Joey King, as well as Nicol…

Pop culture references are a fun way to build on a character, setting, and world within your story. Yet too many references can ruin your reader's suspension of disbelief. So, where's the line? How much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim reflect on how they used pop culture references in their first works and the lessons they've learned.…

Russ and Jared are generally on good terms with the devil, but this movie is really putting that to the test! The guys are spelunking to the deepest depths of cinema trash to finish The Devil Below (2021), starring Alicia Sanz, Adan Canto, Will Patton, Zach Avery, Chinaza Uche, Jonathan Sadowski, Jesse LaTourette, and William Mark McCullough. Stay …

They say the devil you know is better than the devil you don't... but what they don't tell you is that The Devil Below is much worse than either of those other devils! Russ and Jared are sinking to a new low with The Devil Below (2021), starring Alicia Sanz, Adan Canto, Will Patton, Zach Avery, Chinaza Uche, Jonathan Sadowski, Jesse LaTourette, and…

No, your phone screen hasn't been mysteriously reversed, don't worry! We just flipped the title around a little, same great Trailer Trash as always. And speaking of "same great Trailer Trash," Russ and Jared are back in their wheelhouse with a terrible horror flick, The Devil Below (2021), starring Alicia Sanz, Adan Canto, Will Patton, Zach Avery, …

What's in a name? Character names can allow readers to peer into and gather insight into what makes them tick. Does your protagonist need an epic name? How about your villains or secondary characters? Russ and Tim get into naming characters in this episode and dive into their own naming experiences and missteps in early drafts.…

Well this is embarrassing... Darren, The Episode Management Intern, seems to have forgotten to post the most important episode in ITMT history... Episode 300! 🥳🍻✨🎊 Russ and Jared have a firm "no apologies" policy, so instead of apologizing they want you to know that Darren has been formally banished to the ITMT Character VOID, from whence none have…

299 let's gooooo! Russ and Jared are rising up to bring you the scene-by-scene breakdown of 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro, Jack O'Connell, Andrew Tiernan, and Igal Naor. This CGI slow-mo fest waits for no one, enjoy it and stay tuned fo…

Symbolism is yet another tool in the author's toolkit for enhancing a story. Whether it be big-picture themes, character behaviors, or a setting, symbolism is a great way to enrich a reader's experience. In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how they applied symbolism to their stories and lessons learned.…

This! Is! A podcast!!! Russ and Jared are firing up a very special movie to usher in their 300th episode! The guys are talking about 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro, Jack O'Connell, Andrew Tiernan, and Igal Naor. Did you ever wonder what …

We've got a 415-3 in progress! Despite Russ and Jared's best efforts to tone down their rhetoric, they're getting a little too fired up about 211 (2018), starring Nicolas Cage, his son, Weston Cage, Dwayne Cameron, Sophie Skelton, Michael Rainey Jr., Cory Hardrict, Ori Pfeffer, and Alexandra Dinu. Stay tuned next week for an all new Trailer Trash a…

What's better than a heist movie? You tell us, we're not your supervisor! Russ and Jared are breaking down 211 (2018), starring Nicolas Cage, his son, Weston Cage, Dwayne Cameron, Sophie Skelton, Michael Rainey Jr., Cory Hardrict, Ori Pfeffer, and Alexandra Dinu. There's a lot of setup in the first half of this movie and the guys are having a field…

Everybody's favorite best-friend-of-the-pod, Nic Cage, is back with a vengeance! The guys are breaking down the trailer for his recent flop, 211 (2018), starring the aforementioned Nicolas Cage, his son, Weston Cage, Dwayne Cameron, Sophie Skelton, Michael Rainey Jr., Cory Hardrict, Ori Pfeffer, and Alexandra Dinu. You won't want to miss this Trail…

Backstory is essential to establishing who your characters are and the decisions they'll make in your story, but how much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss backstory, how they approached it for their first novels, and how they plan on using it in their new works.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

What's not to love about a part 2 full of laughs and random torture facts that are also somewhat love-themed? What a bizarre sentence. Anyway, here's the finale of Love Again (2023), starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion (yes, really), Sofia Barclay, Russell Tovey, Lydia West, and Nick Jonas. Stay tuned for an all-new Trailer Tra…

Why love once when you can love, actually? Wait, wrong episode. The guys are loving again (there we go) with Love Again (2023), starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion (yes, really), Sofia Barclay, Russell Tovey, Lydia West, and Nick Jonas. Stay tuned for part 2 on Thursday!By Russ Capasso and Jared DeLuca

Love love love love love! Russ and Jared can't get enough of the stuff! That's why they're heading back to the land of rom coms to bring you Love Again (2023), starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion (yes, really), Sofia Barclay, Russell Tovey, Lydia West, and Nick Jonas (for two minutes). Is this movie going to be exactly like P.S…

Writing your first novel is hard, but is writing a second novel any easier? In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how to plan a new project, when to stop researching and start writing, and why their approaches have changed since completing their first works.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

The zomboys are back, baby! Russ and Jared are careening through part 2 now that the movie has ditched horror in favor of pure comedy. The guys are finishing up Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017), starring Sophie Skelton, Jeff Gum, Johnathon Schaech, Marcus Vanco, Lillian Blankenship, Ulyana Chan, Mark Rhino Smith, and Shari Watson. Half of this epi…

Grrraaahhh... Braaaains! This week, Russ and Jared are feasting on Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017), starring Sophie Skelton, Jeff Gum, Johnathon Schaech, Marcus Vanco, Lillian Blankenship, Ulyana Chan, Mark Rhino Smith, and Shari Watson. Groooan... So much gnarly guts and mindless mayhem. The guys gnash their teeth over plot holes, eat up the ter…

If you've been craving a classic ITMT double colon title (it's been a few weeks), you're in luck! Russ and Jared are getting back to the gore with this cursed George Romero remake, Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017), starring Sophie Skelton, Jeff Gum, Johnathon Schaech, Marcus Vanco, Lillian Blankenship, Ulyana Chan, Mark Rhino Smith, Shari Watson, …

Knock, knock... no, we won't do that to you. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss writing with humor, how they approach it in their works, the different types of humor authors can use, and when to use it.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

We last left Russ and Jared discussing the walk-and-talk in the rain with our hero and the lady from The Facts of Life and things were getting serious. The guys are wrapping up A Nice Girl Like You (2020), starring Lucy Hale, Leonidas Gulaptis, Mindy Cohn, Adhir Kalyan, Jackie Cruz, and Stephen Friedrich. Tune in for random violin facts and lots of…

What's a nice person like you doing with a podcast like this? Listening to Russ and Jared break down terrible movies every week, no doubt! The guys are playing not-so-nice with A Nice Girl Like You (2020), starring Lucy Hale, Leonidas Gulaptis, Mindy Cohn, Adhir Kalyan, Jackie Cruz, and Stephen Friedrich. Tune in for Hollywood Pitches, Fast Facts, …

In this episode, Russ and Tim are joined by Michael Bahler, a New Jersey-based writer whose short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Glimmer Train, Nerve, and many others, including the Brooklyn Rail. He joins us to chat about the publishing industry, writing short stories, and his jump from short to long-form writing.…

Russ and Jared are back with a new trailer and right at home in romantic comedy territory! The guys are talking about A Nice Girl Like You (2020), starring Lucy Hale, Leonidas Gulaptis, Mindy Cohn, Adhir Kalyan, Jackie Cruz, and Stephen Friedrich. Tune in for a sexy good time (you'll see), and stay tuned for the full, scene-by-scene breakdown next …

When we left Russ and Jared, they were discussing the "laundry list" of tools that our hero needs in order to do surgery on John (drill). Time for the guys to conclude Saw III (2006), starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Leigh Whannell, and Mpho Koaho. Tune in for plenty more torture facts…

Open up the Book of Saw and it turns out there's a lot of subpar stories to share. Russ and Jared are diving headfirst into a pit of needles with this listener request for Saw III (2006), starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Leigh Whannell, and Mpho Koaho. The guys are ranking traps, shari…

Have you ever read a book and thought the end wasn't particularly satisfying? Well, you're not alone! In this episode, Russ and Tim explore common Act III pitfalls, why they can make your final act fall flat, and how to avoid them.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Never say we've never done anything for you, our beloved listeners! Russ and Jared are back this week with a VERY SPECIAL FAN REQUEST! Big shout out to Ciara for making us do Saw III (2006), starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Leigh Whannell, and Mpho Koaho. Are the boys going to be a cou…

Part 2 plus part 2 equals 4. Divide by 2 again to get to 2 happy podcasters! Russ and Jared aren't happy about the movie really, but rather the joy of talking about what enemy-of-the-pod, Zack Snyder, should have done differently. The guys are wrapping up Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024), starring Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Michiel …

Come for the wildly long and unclearly punctuated titles, stay for the buddy banter you can't just find on any other dozens of podcasts! Russ and Jared are rebelling against logic and watching the sequel to one of their most-hated movies from last year. It's time for Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024), starring Sofia Boutella, Djimon Houns…

Why are scene transitions important? Not ony to they ground the reader in POV, setting, and time. They can change mood and create pacing that keeps a reader engaged. In this episode Russ and Tim get into their own approaches to scene transitions and if they were intentional from the start.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Dark days indeed! Russ and Jared are revisiting one of their favorite franchises... Star Wars! Just kidding, it's the Star Wars ripoff universe of Rebel Moon as they dive into the sequel, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024), starring Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Michiel Huisman, Ed Skrein, Bae Doona, Anthony Hopkins, Staz Nair, Elise Duf…

Russ and Jared are on fire! Not baking in the Texas sun fortunately, but on fire with the jokes. If you like to be entertained, this part 2 is for you. The guys are making a deal with the devil to finish Rattlesnake (2019), starring Carmen Ejogo, Appy Pratt, Theo Rossi, Emma Greenwell, Debrianna Mansini, Bruce Davis, and Joy Jacobson. Tune in to fi…

Do you like "unthinkable" deals with the devil? Or like medium unthinkable? Actually pretty thinkable if you think about it... Regardless of what you think you're thinking about in terms of unthinkableness (unthinkablosity?), Russ and Jared are here to do your thinking for you and give you plenty of random Texas facts while they do it! The guys are…

50th episode! We made it! Russ and Tim do a pulse check on their projects, how far they've come, and the path ahead. Here's to fifty more!By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

What's that sound? Must be the pile of babies nearby playing with rattles... Or... It's a snake! Russ and Jared are slithering through the trailer for Rattlesnake (2019), starring Carmen Ejogo, Appy Pratt, Theo Rossi, Emma Greenwell, Debrianna Mansini, Bruce Davis, and Joy Jacobson. Tune in to finally understand Jared's alleged face blindness and m…

When we last left Russ and Jared, they were talking about our heroes getting kicked out of the resort in Mexico and being banished to the scary hotel. The guys are wrapping up Desperados (2020), starring Nasim Pedrad, Anna Camp, Sarah Burns, Lamorne Morris, Robbie Amell, Izzy Diaz, Jessica Chaffin, and Rodrigo Franco. Stay tuned for an all-new movi…

Desperate for more ITMT shenanigans? Your wait is over! Russ and Jared are here to fulfill your every dream as they get right into Desperados (2020), starring Nasim Pedrad, Anna Camp, Sarah Burns, Lamorne Morris, Robbie Amell, Izzy Diaz, Jessica Chaffin, and Rodrigo Franco. Tune in for your favorite segments and weekly dose of good time, and stay t…

Structure is a good thing, right? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss chapter structure and how a well-structured chapter can impact pacing and tension and influence the reader to keep turning pages.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Russ and Jared are going to beautiful Mexico! Not in real life, but virtually with you all! And isn't that better than standing in line for airport security? The guys are flying through the trailer for Desperados (2020), starring Nasim Pedrad, Anna Camp, Sarah Burns, Lamorne Morris, Robbie Amell, Izzy Diaz, Jessica Chaffin, and Rodrigo Franco. Stay…

When we last left Russ and Jared, they were doing a cliffhanger with the restaurant scene where the heroes were taking a snack break and a mysterious waiter made a suspicious phone call... That's right! The guys are about to finish True Memoirs of an International Assassin (2016), starring Kevin James, Zulay Henao, Maurice Compte, Kim Coates, Andre…

Look! Up there! In The Cloud™! It's your old pals, Russ and Jared, here to take you on an adventure of international intrigue and delight! The guys are diving out of a helicopter (better odds of survival) and into True Memoirs of an International Assassin (2016), starring Kevin James, Zulay Henao, Maurice Compte, Kim Coates, Andrew Howard, Ron Rifk…

What's better than a book (buy HOST by Russ Capasso wherever you buy books)? A movie about a person writing a book! You guessed it, Russ and Jared are talking about the trailer for True Memoirs of an International Assassin (2016), starring Kevin James, Zulay Henao, Maurice Compte, Kim Coates, Andrew Howard, Ron Rifkin, Rob Riggle, Leonard Earl Howz…

Are video games art? What elevates a video game narrative to make it memorable? Will Russ and Tim ever stop playing and get back to writing their second novels? In this special video game-themed episode, we tackle these questions and more.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Russ and Jared are back to bring you the thrilling conclusion to Pain Hustlers (2023), starring Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O'Hara, Chloe Coleman, Andy Garcia, Brian d'Arcy James, Jay Duplass, and Amit Shah. There will be chaos and FBI raids, some accent work and social commentary, big pharma losses (kinda), and more! Stay tuned for a brand…

Bring on the pain! Russ and Jared are getting right down to business, the big business of pain, with Pain Hustlers (2023), starring Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O'Hara, Chloe Coleman, Andy Garcia, Brian d'Arcy James, Jay Duplass, and Amit Shah. Will big pharma win again? Will the guys make Fast Facts not fast? Does anyone go to prison? Answe…

Russ and Jared have been hustling since they were rascally young pharmaceutical salesmen (editor note: they were not). And now you too can enjoy the fast-paced world of pharmaceutical sales by listening to this episode for the low, low price of $4.99 (editor note: it's free)! The guys are talking about the trailer for Pain Hustlers (2023), starring…

Author Geoffrey Morrison joins us again for a great chat about his new nonfiction book, Budget Travel for Dummies. We discuss his move from fiction to nonfiction, hostels, deadlines, editing, and more.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney