Anthony and Andrew discuss the themes, story structure, and worldbuilding of animator Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli movies, including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Porco Rosso!

 Anthony and Andrew revisit a key author from their childhoods as they dip into the dark worlds of Roald Dahl, to mark both the release of Wes Anderson's adaptations of Dahl's short stories and the upcoming Wonka movie.

It's time for the annual Storybeater monster episode. This year we're looking at aliens in fiction, where horror and sci-fi intersect, and what fears and anxieties aliens can represent.

Anthony and Andrew discuss the recent series of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and take a look back over the history of the Star Trek franchise, from The Original Series to Lower Decks!

Anthony and Andrew unpack the blockbuster sensation Barbie. It's bright, its breezy, and it's shockingly smart!

Anthony and Andrew check out the latest and last Indiana Jones movie to ask whether there's still life in the adventure genre, what the tropes of an Indiana Jones movie might be, and where there may yet be untapped potential in this fictional world.

 With the 60th anniversary of classic BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who fast approaching, Anthony and Andrew look back at their memories of the original series, the challenges of the modern day revamp, and their hopes for the future of the show.

Anthony and Andrew have a spoiler-filled discussion about Fast X, covering the trouble with Brian, the villain's queer coding, the need for a Johnny Tran resurrection, and what it might say about the franchise that the outlaws have become the in-laws. 

Anthony and Andrew discuss how playing roleplaying games has shaped them as writers and what writers can learn from playing RPGs!

Anthony and Andrew break down the latest and perhaps most successful video game-to-live action adaptation, HBO's The Last of Us, to look at how the source material shapes the story.

Anthony and Andrew assess this year's Academy Award nominees for Best Adapted and Best Original Screenplay, including:

Best Adapted:

All Quiet on the Western Front
Glass Onion
Living
Top Gun: Maverick
Women Talking

Best Original:

The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Tár
Triangle of Sadness

Anthony and Andrew discuss Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig's emerging murder mystery movie series, Knives Out and Glass Onion!