Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Emily Nussbaum joins us to explore the roots of reality television. Forget the Real World - reality tv started way earlier than you think. And there's a paradox at the heart of the genre Emily's new book, Cue the Sun, invites us to sit with. We explore everything from Candid Camera to Hell's Kitchen to Love is Blind. W…

If you could take one shot and be younger and hotter would you? Welcome to THE SUBSTANCE, the shocking, provocative new horror movie starring Demi Moore. The gang heads to a dayglo Los Angeles to take on the Patriarchy. But is this film really a scream of rage? Or does it become the very thing it fights?…

What's the best movie to watch at Christmas? What about Easter? Film Critic Abby Olcese's answers might surprise you. In her new book, Films for All Seasons, she explores movies that help us engage the story of the Church year. From Advent to Lent, Easter and Pentecost all the way to All Saints' Day, Abby offers up the most surprising and insightfu…

It's just a wooden puppet. Or a desk bell. They can't hurt us... right? The gang finds themselves in the Irish countryside investigating the murder of a twin (never a good start!) for ODDITY, one of 2024's creepiest films. Do the various kinds of scares add up to something spooky, or is ODDITY too convoluted for its own good?…

Andrea Stewart is back with the first book in a dark new trilogy. Why would she ever decide to write another epic fantasy trilogy? What will she do if TikTok gets banned? And how does she navigate the power she wields as an author? All this and more on the new episode!द्वारा Andrea Stewart, JR. Forasteros, Kathy Khang, Matt Mikalatos

When would you say no? The new film SPEAK NO EVIL asks how far we'll take social niceties, so the gang heads to the British countryside to investigate. We compare the new film to its Danish original and ask what the differences say about our different cultures. Plus: who has the best boundaries in the gang? And who would definitely wind up trapped …

Jason Pargin returns to the show! His latest standalone novel is an uproarious takedown of internet culture. If anyone knows just how insidious social media has become, it's Pargin, who's been on just about every platform that's existed. In spite of all that, he remains shockingly optimistic about the potential we have for meaningful connections. P…

Writer/Director Federico Zampaglione comes to the show to talk about his new Italian horror film THE WELL. Part monster movie, part gothic horror, this creepy, bloody new film stars Lauren LaVera, final girl of the TERRIFIER franchise! JR. talks with Federico about the film's scariest monster, his Italian horror roots, what's so scary about wells a…

S. B. Divya returns to the show to take us on a whirlwind tour of far-future Earth. Her latest novel explores the nature of choice and consent, as well as what it's like to persist in the face of disability. Plus: has she figured out what dark matter is? (No, but wait till you hear about the short story she's working on!) All this and more!…

We're back! Season 13 is the march to episode 400! We get back together to review what we missed this summer - especially all that political turmoil. Then we review a surprising summer movie box office and give you a preview of what's coming up this season. All this and more on the season premier!द्वारा Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros, Matt Mikalatos

It's been almost 40 years since Tim Burton and Michael Keaton introduced us to the ghost with the most, and he's finally back on the big screen. How did Beetlejuice age? How successful is this latest, spooky legasequel? And which of our cohosts realizes on-air that they missed the first 30 minutes of the film?…

In space, no one can hear you scream. But can they hear you podcast? Let's hope so, because the gang is headed to a Weyland-Yutani mining colony in deep space. There's a certain derelict spaceship we need to investigate. How does Fede Alvarez' latest entry in this pod-favorite franchise stack up?द्वारा Amanda Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti, Mo Zahedi, JR. Forasteros

It's finally here! We named GODZILLA MINUS ONE one of our favorite films of 2023, and how that it's streaming everywhere in the US, we're giving it the full DSU treatment. The gang heads back to post-WWII Japan for a reboot unlike any other. What makes a kaiju film good? And why is this one so, so, so great? Buckle up!…

The breakout horror hit of the year has arrived, setting records and earning high marks from critics. So... why is the gang less than impressed? We explore the phenomenon of serial killer movies. What's scary about them? And where does LONGLEGS fit in the psychopath pantheon? Plus: what kind of Cage performance is this?…

The gang heads back in time to investigate one of the great horror trilogies. From 1979 (X) to 1918 (Pearl) to 1985 (MaXXXine), we explore Ti West's provocative, sexy slasher franchise.द्वारा Mo Zahedi, JR. Forasteros, Amanda Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti

Our most divisive episode EVER!द्वारा Mo Zahedi, Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, JR. Forasteros

How far does the apple fall from the tree? M. Night Shyamalan's daughter Ishana has arrived with her first feature film. The gang heads to the woods to investigate!द्वारा Mo Zahedi, Amanda Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros

The gang heads into the woods to investigate one of the most divisive films of the year. IN A VIOLENT NATURE has some thoughts about the classic slasher flick... but is it saying anything new? We find ourselves divided - can we make it out unscathed?!द्वारा Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, JR. Forasteros

It's double the spider terror when the gang heads to an apartment complex overrun by a giant spider. Yes, that's the plot of both STING and INFESTED, but the similarities are mostly superficial. We explore the scares and the spiders in each film and find new ways to be afraid of those eight legged freaks.…

The Planet of the Apes franchise has a strange staying power. With the release of the latest (ninth!) film, we review the long, odd history of the franchise - including its mixed success with social commentary. Then we dive into the new film, which embodies the best and worst tendencies of its predecessors. PLUS: a Planet of the... Kyles?…

What would happen if we reimagined church from the ground up? Jazz musician and pastor Mark Glanville joins us for our second installment of Faith After Church. How has jazz helped Mark totally rethink what Church can look like? We should mention that Mark brought his piano...द्वारा Mark Glanville, Matt Mikalatos, JR. Forasteros

Are we over vampires? Despite several recent lackluster box-office performances by vampire films, ABIGAIL is here to insist there's still some unlife in this genre. The gang heads to a spooky old mansion to investigate. What could go wrong?द्वारा Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, JR. Forasteros

How should we respond to the genocide in Gaza? We explore the complexities of US foreign policy, the origins of Evangelical Zionism and its anti-Semitic nature. What responsibility do we have? What can we do?द्वारा Matt Mikalatos, Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros

Is there a church anywhere in the world where single Christians are flourishing? Why are churches so indifferent - or outright hostile - to the unique struggles and strengths of single Christians? Anna Broadway joins us to share her round-the-globe tour of Christian singledom. PLUS: you won't believe how Anna met Kathy. And there's a certain book a…

Talking heads all over the country are warning we're headed for a second civil war. So is a movie called CIVIL WAR about exactly that a good idea? Kathy and JR. consider how that may be the wrong question as we explore Alex Garland's latest film from A24. What does it have to say about journalism? About politics? About being American? JR.'s article…

What does faith look like when the church fails us? We reflect on our faith journeys - how we've all moved out of the institutional church in different ways. We explore what that has looked like, consider the state of our faith now and imagine what comes next. Join us for part one of a two-part discussion!…

Baghead is the latest Shudder horror feature, so the gang heads to a greasy old pub to check out what's going on in that basement. We take in the obvious similarities to last year's Talk to Me, then explore what sets Baghead apart.द्वारा JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti, Mo Zahedi, Amanda Forasteros

Some say we're living in the age of remakes, reboots and legacequels, but the truth is that we've been retelling stories since that first "Once Upon a Time..." In honor of the release of James, the new retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, we explore why we enjoy retelling stories, what separates the good retellings from the soulless rem…

When a faithful nun becomes pregnant, how could it be anything other than a blessed miracle? The gang heads to Italy to investigate Sydney Sweeney's new nun-sploitation horror film Immaculate. Is it the first pro-choice Catholic horror movie?द्वारा Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros

Why isn't police reform happening? Despite massive waves of sustained protest around the country, policing seems to be stuck. Dr. Daniel Reinhardt, an officer for 20 years, insists the problem is the internal culture of policing. How can we change that? Daniel joins us to explore what ordinary citizens can do to make real, systemic change.…

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the latest installment in franchise, moves the whole gang (no really, like everybody) back to the firehouse in NYC. This time around, they'll face an ancient god hellbent on destroying humanity (but, like, in a different way). The gang wades through Firemasters and mini-Stay-Puffs to evaluate whether this latest install…

The gang heads back to the late 80s with Zelda Williams' directorial debut LISA FRANKENSTEIN. As the Bard wrote, what's in a name? But is this movie Lisa or Frankenstein enough to warrant that title? Does it even matter? Plus, why are we seeing so many feminist Frankenstein movies in the last year?द्वारा Amanda Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros

It's the annual Fascinating Pop Culture Madness tournament. From Prince Harry to the boat-killing Orcas to the best T-Swift Team up, our patented, professionally calibrated bracket leaves nothing to chance. Listen up and get ready to cast your vote in the final game. Who will reign supreme this year? It's up to you! The 2024 Fascinating Pop Culture…

Why are the people with the most power so often the most miserable? Author Naomi Kanakia joins us to reflect on the way oppression hurts everyone - even those who oppress. We also explore the possible limits of found family and what's so great about the so-called Great Books. Naomi's newsletter, Woman of Letters The 2024 Fascinating Pop Culture Mad…

It's the explosive late-night episode you've never seen. LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL takes us back to the Satanic Panic of the late 1970s, to a late-night talk show that features a demon-possessed little girl. The gang explores where this film sits in the history of late-night TV, the Satanic panic and a few of the many, many allusions and references…

Ben Winters returns to the show! He's the creator and executive producer of the hit new CBS show Tracker. He's got oodles of Audible original short novels! And his latest novel, Big Time just dropped! Will Ben reveal the secrets of his prolific career? Is it possible he is releasing something else this year? Just how long ago was the 90s, exactly? …

This weekend is St. Patrick's Day - but beyond the green and the clovers, what is Patrick all about? Host Matt Mikalatos takes us into his new book, Praying with St. Patrick, to discover what wisdom Patrick has to offer for us today!द्वारा Matt Mikalatos, Kathy Khang

Killers of the Flower Moon is getting a lot of attention in awards season - and a lot of praise for its depiction of Native Americans. But Dr. Randy Woodley, Indigenous screenwriter and activist, cautious us against rushing to heap praise upon Martin Scorsese's latest. We welcome Randy to share his experience in the film industry and how he has nav…

The gang is back! In a season premier tradition, we catch up on what we missed on break. Then Matt challenges JR. and Kathy with some slang new and old. And of course, a feral hog update.द्वारा Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros, Matt Mikalatos

It's been quite a year for horror! The gang reviews some of the obvious greats and digs into a few lesser-known gems you really gotta see. Plus, some weirdo categories just for fun! We're going out with a bang!द्वारा JR. Forasteros, Amanda Forasteros, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mo Zahedi

It's the last episode of the season - and the year! On our season finale, we count down our favorite books, movies and more. Plus, we share some of YOUR picks!द्वारा Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros, Matt Mikalatos

Gremlins is a weird little Frankenstein of a movie. It's definitely a Christmas movie, but is it a horror movie? (You'll be shocked which host says it's not.) The gang explores how this film got made, the bits that didn't age so well and why it's still so beloved.द्वारा Mo Zahedi, Amanda Forasteros, JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti

Surrogacy is an act of service for another, one that involves a whole body, and two families. What are the ethics of surrogacy? And why don't our laws reflect the modern science of surrogacy? How can surrogacy be unjust? Dr. Grace Kao joins us to explore the complexity of this act. PLUS: some of our least favorite Christmas traditions! Connect with…

It's a Wonderful Knife is the latest slasher genre mash-up; this time with the "What if I didn't exist?" concept of the Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life. The gang investigates this new holiday horror film. Is it destined to be a classic? Or will we forget about it by Boxing Day? And what if you've never seen the original? classic?…

The surprise hit of December is GODZILLA MINUS ONE, the latest Japanese Godzilla movie. Since we all saw it, we do a spoiler-free reflection on why it's so great - and why you should try to see it if you can! Plus, since Christmas is approaching, we explore some of our Christmas favorites.द्वारा JR. Forasteros, Kathy Khang, Matt Mikalatos

The author of 1 Timothy says he doesn't permits a woman to teach or have authority. He also says women are saved through childbirth. So does that mean women can't preach? Does it mean women can only be saved by having babies? Um... probably not. Dr. Sandra Glahn returns to the show to take us to the ancient city of Ephesus. What do we need to know …

Thanksgiving horror films are few and far between. But that doesn't mean Eli Roth's latest - called Thanksgiving - cuts any corners. The gang dives into this brutal, bloody slasher flick.द्वारा Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros

The Marvels is the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it's been a box office flop. So why do our three co-hosts like it so much? We review the film, including what worked for us and what didn't so much.द्वारा JR. Forasteros, Kathy Khang, Matt Mikalatos

The gang returns to a (new) classic horror anthology series with V/H/S 85, the sixth installment in this series. We dive in, segment by segment, to determine which of these is scary and which put at least one of us to sleep.द्वारा Mo Zahedi, Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros, Amanda Forasteros

For decades, science fiction writers imagined a future where religion had gone extinct. But in M. V. Melcer's new sci-fi thriller REFRACTIONS, religion is alive and... if not exactly well, then thriving. She joins us to explore why religion isn't going anywhere - even as technology continues to advance. PLUS: time-travelling telescopes and more! M.…