I'm Thinking of Spoiling Things – Details, episodes & analysis

On the internet, two months might as well be decades, which officially makes this podcast an I'm Thinking of Spoiling Things legacy sequel. Therefore, we have ensured that this episode will please every kind of Spoiling Things fan, and the episode is packed full of references to past episodes for listeners with a keen ear. Though certainly a controversial decision in many circles, per the suggestion of podcast creator Stephen, we have decided to resurrect the performance of The Grab Bag of Recent Releases using experimental deepfake technology*, allowing us to imitate what that segment felt like in Season 1 while maintaining key discussion points about movies that have come out since the segment was eliminated. Fans of episode 14 will be overjoyed to hear callbacks to past discussions about Pixar as Stephen and Vaughn chat about Inside Out 2, and Austin Butler stans who have been stuck listening to our Dune: Part Two episode on repeat will find updated Butlerpinions as the guys discuss The Bikeriders. The Beast, previously slated to get its own dedicated episode, has been squeezed awkwardly into the middle of the podcast to appease recent listeners who were disappointed in the lack of conclusion to that cancelled episode. For those looking for an authentic Spoiling Things experience, the bulk of this show has been produced with in-camera practical effects, and the discussion on Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus creates a chilling atmosphere reminiscent of the show's finest episodes. Finally, worry not - for the niche subset of listeners who have been vocal supporters of nonsensical diatribes from the hosts about completely unrelated topics, the third act of this podcast hinges entirely on these references, an abominable lurching beast made up of silly antics. If this podcast performs well enough on opening weekend, investors may just greenlight another entry into this legacy reboot series, so be sure to tune in.

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

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Vaughn on Step Printed, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The STACKs, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

*To be perfectly clear, this podcast has never and will never use any form of artificial intelligence/machine learning to create any part of our show, unless Stephen isn't real and has been lying to me for several years. It's unlikely but I can't rule it out.

Where do we go, we who wander this film podcast wasteland, in search of our better episodes? Spoiling Things has a new home on Step Printed, and Stephen and Vaughn reopen everyone's favorite bar and grill at the peak of the Citadel to talk about every fortress of film on the horizon. The First Fortress, led by warlord Alex Garland, whose expert extrapolation of the American political landscape has granted us the revelation of twee folk music over lo-fi montages of the east coast. The Second Fortress, led by the great Dr. George Miller, who has created a utopia of pristine franchise filmmaking and expanded it with effortless brilliance. The Third Fortress, led by former podcast guest* Luca Guadagnino, who crafted the year's most pulse-pounding thrill ride set to the exhilarating tune of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' driving synths. The Fourth Fortress, led by legendary American filmmaker Richard Linklater, updating and reinventing the romcom and the neo-noir with endless charm. Civil War, Furiosa, Challengers, Hit Man, and two delirious co-hosts this week on the show.

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on Step Printed, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The STACKs, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

We here at The Twin Geeks know this is heartbreaking new for our most dedicated fans, but the Thin Lizzy podcast has been cancelled. Stephen and Vaughn are now back to talking about recent releases, and are contractually obligated to stay on topic at all times. The consequences will be dire if there are any points at which they write and recite lengthy parodies of LL Cool J music, continually restart their recordings, or recommend movies they don’t like very much. On this episode, where the fate of the podcast hangs in the balance, the guys talk Extraction 2, also known as Tyler Rake 2, and discuss the merits of fake oners, ripping off Uncharted 2, and ripping a guy’s hand in half. They also talk Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Stephen’s most anticipated film of the year. How are the Transformers doing? Will Bumblebee ever die? Is that Pete Davidson? Then, they get back in the driver’s seat (both of them) to gear up once again for Gran Turismo, and share all of the latest updates on Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming high octane masterpiece. Finally, it’s Facebook influencer Paul Schrader’s latest, Master Gardener, as well as Schrader’s wider catalogue as both writer and director. Find out what the guys think, get a new batch of recommendations, and send your thoughts, questions, and comments in to be discussed next time.

Timestamps:

Grab Bag of Recent Releases (Extraction 2, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) | 3:00

Gear Up For Gran Turismo | 49:00

Paul Schrader & Master Gardener | 54:00

Recommendations | 1:24:00

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Welcome to Dino's Bar and Grill, where Stephen and Vaughn have finally made it to the same recording slot to join forces and talk about cinema, diving into whatever releases they've both managed to get their eyes on. It's been a while, so the guys spend an extended intro kicking back and catching up, covering all kinds of important updates such as the lyrics to Thin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town," issuing a wise warning to prevent a very niche subset of listeners from putting themselves in the position of playing Unicron The Planet Eater, reveal the one hidden trick that actors DON'T want you to know, and so much more. Then, they jump into two new films steeped in the corporate dilution of cinematic energy, from the executive worship of Flamin' Hot to the soulless, unaffected uncanny valley of The Little Mermaid. Is this letting on too much about how they feel about these films? Does anyone read these? Send in an email if you read these. thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com. Anyway, after the films, the guys read more listener mail, from predictions about future remakes to a descent into madness as they create a tier list of every Cheeto product. The boys are back in town.

Timestamps:

Flamin' Hot | 9:20

The Little Mermaid | 27:20

Listener Mail | 59:00

Recommendations | 1:43:00

Check out the incoherent Cheetos Tier List here.

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

This week, Vaughn returns from his pilgrimage to Boston for the Motern Extravaganza, only Stephen got lost looking for him, so until he finds his way back home, Vaughn brings on a couple of guests to talk about some of the newest releases. First, friend of the show BrazyBen makes his first appearance on the podcast to discuss Shin Kamen Rider, an all out tokusatsu throwback from master director Hideaki Anno, and the guys dive into their experiences with the recent Shin films, tokusatsu as a genre, and some of their favorite Kamen Rider content. Later, returning guest Jack joins to talk Fast X and Across the Spider-Verse, both films that serve as a starting point for a multi-film journey that are both wildly different experiences with wildly different responses. We respond to listener mail, discuss a multiverse of multiverses, Vaughn tells the story of how a Jackie Chan film became part of one of the most stressful days of his life, and offer some recommendations from our most recent watches.

Timestamps:

Shin Kamen Rider with Ben | 0:45

Fast X with Jack | 48:45

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse with Jack | 1:03:00

Listener Mail | 1:27:00

Recommendations | 1:38:30

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

While Vaughn hits the road to experience the breathtaking majesty of Boston Johnny in person, Stephen invites frequently mentioned, now first time guest Emma on to the show to discuss the latest in both theatrical and home releases. As it goes with the often frustrating staggering of US and UK releases, Stephen finally gets a chance to view and discuss Sisu and Beau is Afraid, with varied and eye-opening results that will shock audiences who have become familiar with the previous episode's views on these films. Stephen and Emma discuss Jenny From The Block's latest cinematic endeavors with Netflix's The Mother before finishing up a veritable odyssey of parenthood cinema with Kelly Fremon Craig's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Before we sign off, of course, there's no time to miss a segment, so Stephen gears up once again for our most anticipated release of the year, questions from the audience are answered, and recent viewings are offered as recommendations for the keen and attentive listener to explore on their own time. Enjoy the show, it's a good one! I might have missed the recording but I still have to write these descriptions.

Timestamps:

Grab Bag of Recent Releases (Sisu, Beau Is Afraid, The Mother) | 2:00

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret | 29:30

Gear Up For Gran Turismo | 1:01:50

Listener Mail | 1:06:30

Recommendations | 1:13:00

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Join us... as we return for another episode packed with spoils, surprises, and so much more! It's another horror triple feature this week as we dive into a Dracula spinoff, the latest in the long running genre of exorcism cinema, and the return of everyone's favorite campy demon gorefest. We also take our first look at the brand new Gran Turismo trailer for a live reaction, Stephen offers another option to punch up the film, we discuss the current state of DTV cinema, and we dig through our diaries to find another round of fresh recommendations to offer.

Timestamps:

Grab Bag of Recent Releases (Renfield, The Pope's Exorcist) | 2:30

Gear Up For Gran Turismo | 33:50

Evil Dead Rise | 48:40

Listener Mail | 1:08:45

Recommendations | 1:15:20

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Set the charge and light the fuse, this week the guys find themselves on an explosive odyssey through a towering pile of new films to discuss, from Ari Aster's anxiety fever nightmare Beau Is Afraid to bubblegum indie romance Rye Lane, leading into Daniel Goldhaber's razor sharp thriller How To Blow Up A Pipeline. We contemplate dissecting Renfield minute by minute, discuss Vaughn's five day binge of trips to the theater to check out as many new releases as possible (these films may be covered again in the future), pitch a concept for James Cameron's Gran Turismos, dig into the spellbinding tension of How To Blow Up A Pipeline, respond to both fascinating and thought-provoking listener mail, and as always, offer a new round of recommendations plucked from our favorite recent watches.

Timestamps:

Grab Bag of Recent Releases (Beau Is Afraid, Polite Society, Evil Dead Rise, Sisu, Tetris, Rye Lane) | 2:35

Gear Up For Gran Turismo | 37:45

How To Blow Up A Pipeline | 44:30

Listener Mail | 1:07:30

Recommendations | 1:21:00

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Supposedly back on something of a schedule, Stephen and Vaughn return to cover a packed two weeks of new releases to tear into. Beloved childhood memories twisted into disturbingly abysmal slashers, the hazy monotony of routine splattered onto expressive celluloid, deception checks and improvised worldbuilding visualized on the big screen, and a couple of plumbers on a mission to tighten up all the loose pipes in Brooklyn. Join us as we have a miserable time listening to terrible content in an effort to glean any usable and loosely tangential information relating to a thinly constructed segment we've committed to doing for several months, dive down the rabbit hole of a potential mystery involving Stephen's blinds, break new ground in podcast firsts, and cover a sweeping range of discussion surrounding how people are responding to the Mario Brothers returning to the silver screen.

Timestamps:

Grab Bag of Recent Releases (Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey, Enys Men, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) | 2:35

Gear Up For Gran Turismo | 39:30

The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 49:00

Recommendations | 1:22:00

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

We might be late but we won't miss the party, the Spoilers are back to dig into everything John Wick, joined by returning guest and friend of the show Jack. As action fans, as martial arts fans, and as Keanu fans, we're all excited to dig into the stunning, globe-trotting triumph that is Chapter 4. Before that, with new releases in full swing for 2023, we've got a grab bag with the latest in drug animal cinema and the greatest in slasher satire reboot sequels, with a mix of opinions all around on just how successful either of them are. For the main event it's all John Wick, all the time, diving through a rich history of uprooting American action cinema and shifting thoughts on the franchise as a whole over the years, we piece through each of the sequels before arriving at Chapter 4, from a referential match cut to a maybe not so definitive ending. Then we gear up once again for the cinematic event of the year, Vaughn continues to play a game he doesn't like, and Stephen once again forgets to find a recommendation ahead of time. Be seeing you, listeners.

Timestamps:

Grab Bag of Recent Releases (Cocaine Bear, Scream VI) | 2:45

John Wick: Chapter 4 | 24:30

Gear Up For Gran Turismo | 1:20:15

Recommendations | 1:29:15

Have a question, a comment, or just want to say hello? Send us a message at thinkingofspoiling@gmail.com.

Follow us:

Vaughn on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

Stephen on The Twin Geeks, Letterboxd, and Twitter.