It’s Episode 300! And we’ve got something very special to celebrate. Join Henry and Samuel as we listen through the very first episode of this podcast. We cringe along at the things that’ve changed and the ways we’ve grown, but also cringe at the things that’ve stayed the same. Also there’s some soundboard shenanigans!

Also, why we hate gift wrapping. (Recorded December 20th, 2021.)

This week we’re going all the way back to Denis Villeneuve’s first movie, August 32nd on Earth. We discuss what the unique title means to us, the interesting shot composition, and our complete shock at some parts of the ending.

Also, why we hate the smoke in Kansas City. (Recorded December 15th, 2021.)

Today we’re reviewing the second season of Barry on HBO. We discuss how the characters have changed between seasons, how the comedy feels more tight and quotable, and we discuss what season three could potentially hold.

Also, a follow-up on posteriors on pastries. (Recorded December 6th, 2021.)

This week we’re continuing our series on Denis Villeneuve’s films with Enemy, where Jake Gyllenhaal plays two men that look exactly like each other. We talk about the color of the movie (yellow), the feel of the movie (sick), and get to the bottom of what the heck those spiders are all about.

Also, why we hate assertive birds. (Recorded November 29th, 2021.)

Today we’re talking about season 1 of Barry, the HBO show about a hitman who just wants to be an actor. We discuss the crazy cast of characters, the sharp balance of comedy and drama, and also wonder why those reporters had so many questions about Kurosawa. 

Also, why we hate the “War on Thanksgiving” crowd. (Recorded November 22nd, 2021.)

This week we’re reviewing the 2013 film Prisoners, and it’s… a lot. We discuss the brilliant performances from our two leads, the unique themes and undertones, and also all of the very strange plot holes because… we have a lot of questions.

Also, why we hate Fight Club Syndrome. (Recorded November 15th, 2021.)

Today we conclude our ranking of the ten greatest films of the 2010s. We debate over what makes it into the top ten, where we rank some of our personal favorites, and come to a pretty clean consensus on the top three or so. Henry also gets the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break some crucial casting news to Samuel.

Also, why we hate feature film sorting on movie database sites. (Recorded November 8th, 2021.)

This week we’re traveling to the desert planet of Arrakis to cover Denis Villeneuve’s latest sci-fi epic, Dune. We talk about everything we loved about this movie, and how a lot of the things it changed from the book made sense for movie format. We also probably get a ton of lore stuff wrong, so that’s fun!

Also, why we hate the mediocre success of sci-fi epics. (Recorded November 1st, 2021.)

(Also also, here’s a link to the essay mentioned around 55 minutes in. It’s really long, but definitely worth the read if you have the time.)

Today on the podcast, we’re creating a list of the ten greatest films of the past decade. Join us as we go through a list of thirtyish potentials, and decide what has truly impacted the both of us, and what needs to unfortunately be left behind.

Also, Henry’s experience carving a pumpkin this year. (Recorded October 25th, 2021.)

This week we’re reviewing Logan, the much-revered superhero film that everyone seems to have forgotten about. We discuss some of this movie’s obvious inspirations, the pretty good performances, and our feelings on this film having seen (practically) no X-Men movies.

Also, why we hate unusual power supply shapes. (Recorded October 18th, 2021.)

Today we’re talking about puzzles, the classic challenges that tickle your brain and make you go “ah-ha!”. Join us as we discuss everything from crosswords, Rubik’s Cubes, and the classic story of five pirates that don’t know how to split up treasure.

Also, why we hate rain delays. (Recorded October 11th, 2021.)

This week we’re talking about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the latest and (in Samuel’s opinion) greatest Marvel movie. We discuss the dynamic action throughout, the fantastic main antagonist, and complain about all the stuff that drags it down (hint: it’s all the normal Marvel stuff).

Also, why we hate new TVs. (Recorded October 4th, 2021.)

Today we’re concluding out lists of top ten TV episodes, by each rattling off our top five. Join us as we talk through ski lodge hi-jinks, devil robot’s hands, German contractors, a singing moose played by Art Garfunkel, and of course, horse funerals.

Also, why we hate that our younger siblings are better at chess than us. (Recorded September 20th, 2021.)

This week we’re talking about Sonic Mania, sometimes regarded as the greatest Sonic game in this century. We discuss the Sonic series as a whole, the questionable gameplay in this game, and posit the age-old question: is Sonic actually good?

Also, why we hate the undefinable genre of Sonic. (Recorded September 20th, 2021.)

Today we’ve each prepared a list of our top ten favorite episodes of television! Join us in this first part as we go through science fiction gates, annoying flies, hospitals that look like sitcoms, depressing stop-motion animation, and, inevitably, anime.

Also, our thoughts on The Matrix Resurrections trailer. (Recorded September 13th, 2021.) 

This week we review the newest addition into Netflix’s Witcher universe, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. We discuss the unoriginal art style, the surprisingly intricate ideas and philosophies within this story, and inevitably get several facts about the Witcher lore incredibly wrong. Don’t write us. 

Also, why we hate creativity-free jokes. (Recorded Sept 6th, 2021.)

Today we are talking all about cars, the 2006 movi—wait, sorry, we’re actually just talking about cars as a subject. Join us as we discuss our favorite kinds of cars, what we like to drive, and we recount some of our own terrifying stories of car accidents and ownership.

Also, why we hate Samuel’s “utter incompetence.” (Recorded August 30th, 2021.)

This week we’re back recording in the same room together! And on top of that, we’re reviewing one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, The Green Knight. We talk about the strange and surreal plot, Samuel’s love of the sound design, and Henry’s fascination with a certain set of characters that appear.

Also, why we hate semi-moving. (Recorded August 16th, 2021.)

Today we’re talking all about writing, covering everything from our writing habits to how and where we honed our writing skills. We discuss writing in academic settings, writing just for fun, and Samuel reveals the strange thing he does with the letter O.

Also, why we hate eating melty ice cream. (Recorded August 2nd, 2021.)

This week we’re reviewing the critically acclaimed Netflix movie Marriage Story. We go through the movie and discuss the excellent acting, the deep and varied characters, and ponder why the son is named after one of our hosts.

Also, why we hate the IMDb page for Marriage Story (and IMDb in general). (Recorded July 26th, 2021.)

Today is the culmination of all of our Bong Joon-ho reviews! Now that we’ve seen each of his films, we go through and rank order them from worst to best, covering everything we liked and disliked about this terrific director’s filmography. 

Also, why we hate when you're washing your hands and you bring your hands together too quickly so the foamy soap splashes and it hits your pants and it looks like you peed your pants. (Recorded July 19th, 2021.)

This week we finish off our Bong Joon-ho review with his 2003 film Memories of Murder. We discuss the nuanced portrayal and development of our two main characters, the dark and existential themes at play, and ponder why this one continues to be one of Bong Joon-ho’s finest.

Also, why we hate the Vin Diesel meme. (Recorded July 13th, 2021.)

Today we discuss the art of collecting, a necessary component of any good hobby. Join us as we cover everything from Samuel’s miniatures, Henry’s un-opened Blu-Rays, the wide world of board games, and some of the more gruesome details of the Deltora series. 

Also, why we hate the new Switch model and Covid supply chain problems. (Recorded July 12th, 2021.)

This week we’re reviewing Okja, Bong Joon-ho’s 2017 film for Netflix about a girl and her super-pig. Between the two of us we have some mixed feelings about this movie, so listen on as we discuss the themes, the characters, our own stances on animal rights, and the dubious portrayal of ALF in this film.

Also, why we hate the Dune headlines. (Recorded June 30th, 2021.)

Today we’re back with our fifth, semi-annual Rant Day, born from the ashes of last week’s lost episode. We rant about tragically losing Samuel’s recording, training, generations, knives, parking, sports stars with guns, and a whole lot more.

(Recorded June 21st, 2021.)

This week we’re back on the Bong Joon-ho review-a-thon, this time talking about his 2009 film Mother. We discuss the stunning cinematography, the captivating whodunit elements, and why we ended up feeling so mixed on this movie’s main characters. 

Also, why we hate our massive Steam libraries. (Recorded May 31st, 2021.)

(CW: there are brief mentions of sexual abuse during the discussion of Sonnie’s Edge and Good Hunting.)

Today we’re reviewing the first “volume” of one of Netflix’s oddest cult favorites, Love, Death & Robots. We go episode by episode and discuss some of the show’s themes, which ones were our favorites, and also this show’s portrayal of women at times because it’s… not great. 

Also, why we hate people’s need to assign blame. (Recorded May 24th, 2021.)

This week we’re covering one of the most unique freeware games out there, Cosmo D’s Off-Peak. We discuss everything that makes this 20-minute game special, including the story, the cast of characters, and the trippy vibe throughout the experience.

Also, why we hate road rage. (Recorded May 18th, 2021.)

Today we’re discussing the end of the pandemic, and specifically what activities we’d like to return to now that Henry and Samuel are both fully vaccinated. Topics include lazy Saturdays, movies theaters, eating at restaurants (and desks?), and some nerdy convention in Chicago.

Also, why we hate the current state of mask wearing. (Recorded May 10th, 2021. So, yeah, it’s a pretty outdated rant.)

This week we’re reviewing what is often regarded as the greatest Batman movie ever made, The Dark Knight. We go over the plot and discuss why some moments are still impactful 13 years later, while also dissecting each character and performance to figure out what this movie is ultimately trying to say. 

Also, why we hate The Dark Knight trilogy’s naming scheme. (Recorded May 3rd, 2021.)

Today we’re discussing our home office setups, and the little improvements we’ve made to make our office spaces just that much more comfortable. We discuss everything from our chairs to our monitors, to our keyboards and mice, and Samuel reveals the terrifying place he keeps his PC. 

Also, why we hate the Oscars. (Recorded April 26th, 2021.)

Links to some of the stuff we discussed:

Henry’s Mouse

Henry’s Keyboard

Henry’s Wireless Headphones

Samuel’s Wireless Headphones

AutoHotkey

Pikatea Macropad

This week the Bong Joon-ho movie we’re reviewing is The Host, his 2006 monster movie hit. We talk about some of our mixed feelings on the movie, compare it to other action and monster films, and Henry has to try and defend a terrible CGI fish creature. 

Also, why we’re happy Discord isn’t being bought. (Recorded April 20th, 2021.)

Today we’re finally reviewing the TV show that everyone was talking about two months ago, WandaVision. We talk about the fun dedication to its sitcom format, the parts of this show that really didn’t work, and repeatedly mention how long the closing credits are (it’s seven minutes).

Also, why we hate Disney Plus’s interface. (Recorded April 12th, 2021.)

This week we’re continuing our review series of all of Bong Joon-ho’s movies, this time with his first feature, Barking Dogs Never Bite. We discuss the copious amount of dog violence, the clever parallels of the two main characters, and dissect why an old lady spitting is so dang funny. 

Also, why we hate the car wash. (Recorded April 6th, 2021.)

Today we’re talking about Geoguessr, the popular browser game where you have to figure out where you are in the world. We discuss the ingenious design of the game, share some of our favorite tips and tricks, and even play a game live at the end of the episode (and we do better than you might think).

Also, why we hate Microsoft buying Discord. (Recorded March 29th, 2021.)

This week we’re kicking off a review series of all of Bong Joon-ho’s movies, starting with his 2013 film Snowpiercer. We discuss the brilliant themes behind this movie, the star-studded cast, and get two bald guys mixed up.

Also, why we hate Loki. (Recorded March 22nd, 2021.)

Today, we’re talking about phones and all the different things they do for us, and we ponder a great question: do they do things better than the objects they replace? Join us as we compare phones to notebooks, flashlights, portable gaming devices, and much more.

Also, why we hate fingertip band-aids. (Recorded March 15th, 2021.)

This week we’re getting into sports! We talk all about the vehicular soccer game Rocket League. We discuss why this game works so well as a casual multiplayer game, go over the significantly worse side modes, and wonder how long it will take to actually get good at aerials. 

Also, why we hate Samuel’s Steam. (Recorded March 8th, 2021.)

In our most tangent-filled episode yet, we discuss weather and seasons. We talk about all four seasons, discuss some of our favorite aspects of weather, and go on many tangents about teeth, lab locations, large bodies of water, and when we’ll actually put a human on Mars.

Also, why we hate cheek biting. (Recorded March 1st, 2021.)

This week we’re talking about Shadow, a Chinese martial arts film from a couple years back. We discuss the brilliant visual style of this movie, the old-school storytelling elements, and make an obvious comparison to a Wii game from 2009.

Also, a new COVID Corner. (Recorded February 22nd, 2021.)

Today we discuss all manner of topic surrounding game controllers. We get into many debates, such as Playstation versus Xbox controller, keyboard and mouse versus controller at all, and Samuel briefly forgets what ring fingers are called. 

Also, why we hate Missouri’s winter weather. (Recorded February 15th, 2021.)

This week we review one of Bruce Lee’s most beloved films, Enter the Dragon. We talk about the terrific martial arts sequences, the cultural impact of this film and its star, and marvel at how truly dated the 1970s look.

Also, why we hate our most downloaded episodes. (Recorded February 8th, 2021.)

Today we are looking back one final time at 2020 to talk about some of our favorite art to come out of that godforsaken year. We cover movies, games, Youtube videos, Magic cards, a “Samuel Hamburger,” and something about bees.

Also, why we hate the name Robinhood. (Recorded February 2nd, 2021.)

Otz speaks Spanish for 1 game | Dead by Daylight

when you slip on a banana peel

Damnation

This week we’re reviewing one of the most popular asymmetric multiplayer games, Dead by Daylight. We discuss all the different mechanics and systems at play, the amount of time we have dedicated to this game in quarantine, and Henry laments that he’ll never be able to do a fast vault.

Also, why we hate the Kansas City Chiefs’ name. (Recorded January 25th, 2021.)

Today we’re talking about the user interfaces we use every day, specifically the ones that make our lives harder. Join us as we rant about game launchers, streaming services, Chess.com, and heap endless praise onto a certain app that rhymes with Miscord.

Also, why we hate apartment deliveries. (Recorded January 18th, 2021.)

We’re back! And we’re talking about one of the most exciting games of the past year, Hades. We discuss the tantalizing gameplay loop, the fun mythological characters, and how this game might cause Samuel to do something he’s never done in a video game before.

Also, why we hate 2020. (Recorded January 11th, 2021.)