John and Vin are back at it again, this time with a discussion about The Bride! starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. The film was directed and written by Maggie Gyllenhaal and based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, with cinematography by Lawrence Sher, edited by Dylan Tichenor and music by Hildur Guðnadóttir.

• 00:00 - Intro and story concept for The Bride!
• 02:30 - Jessie Buckley's performance(s) in the film
• 04:00 - A confusing story and geography
• 07:30 - Jessie Buckley's "heavy lifting" with a bad script and inconsistent themes
• 09:00 - Christian Bale as Frankenstein
• 10:00 - What is the point? Too much is left out or confusing to make much sense of the story
• 15:00 - Easter eggs and Julianne Hough of Dancing with the Stars
• 15:40 - A multiversal story?
• 17:07 - The potential that was missed in The Bride!
• 19:40 - Joker 2 parallels
• 20:30 - Could Jessie Buckley's Oscar chances for Hamnet be hurt by The Bride!?
• 22:45 - A weird mix and mess of inconsistent themes
• 24:00 - Other 2026 films so far...
• 26:00 - Outro
• 27:25 - Outtakes

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Vin & Drew breakdown the first season of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" from the Game of Thrones universe. They also discuss the state of the franchise overall and what other media adaptations can learn from the success of the show.

Timestamps 00:00 - Intro and spoiler warning 01:36 - Drew and Vin's histories with the Game of Thrones universe 05:15 - Initial impressions of A Knight of Seven Kingdoms in comparison with previous Game of Thrones series and House of the Dragon 08:38 - How would you pitch A Knight of Seven Kingdoms to someone who is not into GOT 10:00 - Excellent character work and writing, including great side characters 17:25 - This is a show that makes them excited about Game of Thrones again, after some of the negative discourse about previous series. 18:10 - Negatives about A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, and the challenge of keeping viewers engaged in what amounts to an anthology series. 21:00 - Still a lot of story to tell about Dunk and Egg for season 2 and beyond. 24:30 - What can House of the Dragon and other GOT spinoffs learn from this new series? 27:00 - A great foundation to work from for future seasons 28:50 - Lessons learned about good book adaptations 31:45 - What can other franchise media (Marvel, DC, Star Wars) take away from what this series did? 33:50 - Final thoughts and rating for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 34:35 - Outro

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In our interview with Stephen Murphy, he discusses his personal journey into the art of cinematography and his distinct vision for the film. Through shadows, darkness, vivid colors, and specific angles and shots, this cinematographer discusses how he shaped key scenes in the film to elicit specific emotions from the audience and what classic horror films influenced some of his work.

Primate (2026) is currently available to rent or buy on digital, with a Blu-ray/DVD release scheduled for April 21, 2026.

Timestamps for our interview with Stephen Murphy about Primate 00:00 - Intro. What is the role of a Director of Photography in films and shows? 02:16 - What is his personal journey into cinematography? 05:30 - What was the overall visual philosophy used in Primate? 07:30 - On homages to past films in the genre in this film. 08:30 - Using light to create suspense instead of "jump scares." 10:50 - The process of setting up the scenes and collaborating with different directors 13:05 - On working on Heart Eyes (2025). 14:00 - The use of color in the visuals in Primate. (such as the pool scenes) 16:15 - Achieving a claustrophobic feel in the film using the lenses and environment. 19:15 - A shot that he's particularly proud of in the film. 19:40- Filming inside the closet 21:50 - What do you hope audiences take away from your work as cinematographer in Primate?

Hosts Vin and John break down Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein, assessing its faithfulness to Mary Shelley’s novel, standout performances (especially Jacob Elordi), and striking production design.

They praise the costumes, music, and Elordi’s soulful turn, but criticize the film’s slow first hour, digital look, uneven pacing, and an ending that doesn’t fully land.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro 01:15 - Intro to Frankenstein, talking about Mary Shelley's novel and what the story is about, as well as other film versions of this classic tale. 06:00 - Frankenstein (2025) film discussion with mild spoilers 08:40 - Jacob Elordi's performance 09:30 - Comparing the book to the 2025 film 11:35 - Positives and negatives about the film, and "the Netflix effect" 16:20 - The Monster's design, costumes and production design 20:30 - The ending and other overall thoughts 25:00 - Outro

Host Brian Kitson speaks with cast members from the North American touring production of Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern, RJ Christian and Cassidy Sledge! In this exclusive interview, these two discuss what drew them to the show and how it blends the elements we know and love of the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) into a stage show!

Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern arrives in Detroit at the Fisher Theatre for one day only! So get your tickets for the Saturday, November 1st performances (2 pm and 7:30 pm) from Broadway in Detroit!

Timestamps for Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern Interview:

00:00 - Intro, Cassidy Sledge and RJ Christian on their introduction to Dungeons & Dragons 02:45 - How they are bringing Dungeons & Dragons to the stage with The Twenty-Sided Tavern 06:30 - Playing with the audience as "the 4th player." 09:10 - How they have prepared for a show that requires a lot of improv 11:50 - Talking about guest stars they've had doing the show and making exciting things happen on stage 16:00 - Keeping on your toes during a performance and other skills needed 18:41 - All audiences can enjoy this show, not just D&D fans. 22:50 - Is it more fun to have a successful mission or one that fails during this show? 28:24 - Outro

Vin and Cam return to talk about season 1 of Alien: Earth and its finale as well as the new Marvel Zombies series, weighing bold ideas against messy execution. They discuss hybrid androids, underused xenomorphs, standout creature concepts, and pacing issues that left both shows leaning on potential rather than payoff.

They also break down Marvel Zombies' highlights along with the lowlights and debate the need for Marvel Studios to go to tighter, more emotional storytelling and better season finales for their shows. They finish up with a quick chat about Peacemaker season 2, which they have already reviews in a previous episode of the podcast.

Alien: Earth (2025) - Created by Noah Hawley - Starring Sydney Chandler, Samuel Blenkin, Timothy Olyphant, Babou Ceesay

Marvel Zombies (2025) - Created by Bryan Andrews & Zeb Wells - Starring Iman Vellani, Elizabeth Olsen, Todd Williams, Simu Liu, Awkwafina

Peacemaker Season 2 (2025) - Created by James Gunn - Starring John Cena, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks

Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 00:40 - Alien: Earth season 1 discussion with spoilers 13:54 - Ranking Alien: Earth with the films 16:10 - Do we want a second season? The state of the Alien franchise right now. 21:10 - Marvel Zombies discussion with spoilers 34:20 - How will Marvel Studios wind up The Multiverse Saga? 39:55 - Should there be a Marvel Zombies season 2? 41:14 - Peacemaker season 2 quick discussion (reviewed in a prior episode) 43:11 - Outro

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Vin and Vic break down the Marvel Zombies franchise, covering the core comics (Marvel Zombies 2005, Dead Days, Marvel Zombies 2, Return) and detailing the infection storyline, and creator Robert Kirkman’s influence.

They share personal reactions, comparing zombies to vampires, discuss the What If... adaptation and MCU tie‑in potential (Secret Wars), assess the TV‑MA animated series, and offer bonus reading and crossover recommendations, including the new Marvel Zombies Red Band miniseries.

A video version of this podcast is available on our YouTube channel @TheCosmicCircus Timestamps 00:00:0 - Intros 00:01:00 - Exploring Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four 00:04:27 - The Council of Reeds 00:07:34 - Modern Meets Classic Villains 00:10:16 - Marvel’s Creative Choices 00:10:47 - Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, and The Coming of Galactus 00:15:20- 60 Years of Fantastic 4 Comics 00:16:18 - The Fantastic 4 in Multimedia 00:27:40- Outros

Vin and John discuss The Old Woman With The Knife, a 2025 South Korean action film about an aging female assassin. They praise the film's visuals, score, performances, and action choreography but note the story's confusing timelines, a late emotional payoff, and an underdeveloped resolution. Overall, they find it stylish and promising, with room for improvement and franchise potential.

John and Vin also discuss their love of action movies like Shaw Bros, Jackie Chan, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and the John Wick franchise.

THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE (2025) - Directed by Min Kyu-dong - Screenplay by Kim Dong-wan & Min Kyu-dong - Based on the novel by Gu Byeong-mo - Starring Lee Hye-young and Kim Sung-cheol

Timestamps 00:00 - Intro

00:52 - Details about The Old Woman with the Knife

03:00 - General thoughts on this movie, comparisons to Ballerina and the John Wick films, as well as other influential films discussed

17:00 - More on the comparisons with the John Wick films

21:34 - Spoilers for The Old Woman with the Knife review discussion

26:00 - Final thoughts on the film. Ideas for stars who might be able to be the American version of the "Old Woman" assassin/killer role, like a female John Wick.

28:21 - Outro and some action movie recommendations

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