Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Three chapters in, the themes of death and prophecy are only growing deeper and more complicated. In this chapter they swirl together to provoke an intriguingly incomplete echo of Macbeth. Maggie’s also spotted a trend of opposing forces: the North vs the South, the old gods vs the new, the Starks vs the Lannisters, and more. We dive deeper into this idea with a cultural breakdown of pagan and Christian traditions. We also pause to appreciate and analyze the first happy marriage we’ve ever seen in one of these fantasy book discussions.  LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! What do you get when a philosopher, an art historian, and a Greek mythology expert watch Emerald Fennell’s new movie Saltburn? Three radically different but equally passionate experiences. In this episode, we work together to unpack the magic and mystery of this fantastic film. Topics include: the sexual subconscious, the reversal of the Greek hero, the Minotaur in the labyrinth, staggering visual symbolism, and a kaleidoscope of Shakespeare and Marlowe.  LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Who wants to talk about death?? George sure does. Luckily, we are both sickos who just spent a year and a half talking about evil, so this chapter is actually sort of breezy. We’ve got corpses and executions, and a masterfully constructed, intricate tableaux of dead animals that contains prophecies, secrets, and revelations about the Stark family’s tragic and complex future. We close with a discussion on Martin’s style and unique approach to intimate 3rd-person perspective, especially in comparison to Tolkien and Sapkowski. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! We’re tackling another heavyweight horror classic today. Cam’s got a freewheeling theory that starts with Faustus and runs through Jane Austen, Thomas Hobbes, Nietzsche, The Exorcist, and The Dark Knight Returns. We believe that this is a story about the problem of evil, about the endless traumatic tension between the state of nature and the social contract. It’s an enthusiastic discussion of philosophy, paradoxes, parenthood, and the slight of hand magic required to stage a stuffy comedy of manners with the Antichrist sitting in the corner the whole time. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! The day is finally here: our third adventure in long-form literary analysis has begun. The prologue of A Game of Thrones gives you everything you need to fall in love with Westeros: George R. R. Martin’s immediate interest and unmatched skill for worldbuilding, conversational characterization, and a fearless, brutal, relatable preoccupation with death. His characters are afraid, his dramatic stakes are sky high, and we can’t look away. Winter is here. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

This is a preview of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. In this clip, we discuss 1989 (Taylor's Version). To hear the rest of the episode, subscribe to our Patreon here! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! 3,191 pages later, we’ve reached the end of our time with The Witcher. In this series-wide retrospective, we look back at our favorite and wildest running theories, from the problem of evil to the shadow of Yennefer, to the definition of “monster”, femme fatales, butterfly effects, Sapkowski the investigative journalist, structural curveballs, Shakespeare, Tolkien – it’s been two wonderful years of ideas and discussions. We also do little wind-sprint recaps of all eight books, and choose a word to characterize each one. Stay tuned until the very end for our grand official announcement of our next fantasy project, which premiers next Friday. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Remember that feeling you got the first time you watched Dead Poets Society? What about the first time you watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? Now imagine having both of those experiences at the same time. The Holdovers rides an impossibly fine line, to become the most honest and moving comedy drama of the year. In this discussion we’re taking a closer look at the style of humor that makes this film so special, and the immaculate sense of setting that it creates. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of Season of Storms, Ch. 16-Epilogue The final Witcher book goes out with a bang – and by bang, we mean avalanche of echoes, questions, and titanic ideas. Is Season of Storms as a whole an epilogue to the series? Is destiny a metaphysical conspiracy or a matter of individual human nature? Why is Sapkowski dropping loads of early Tolkien references? And most importantly, what does that epilogue really mean? Dreams, illusions, resurrections, legends – we cover all this and more in this beefcake finale. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of Season of Storms, Ch. 9-15 We’ve followed the witcher through short stories and novels, but this final book in the series really feels more like a play. In this middle section of Season of Storms, we’re overwhelmed by echoes that double as callbacks and new moments of insight into Geralt’s character. Sapkowski gives us the new final form of his femme fatale, and swaps his journalist press badge for a degree in comp lit. Mountains of subtext, sexual tension, and scheming wizards await. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla is a period piece biopic. David Fincher’s The Killer is a stylish revenge thriller. But if you look under the hood, these films are playing with exactly the same uncomfortable idea: the shockingly dystopian and dispossessed state of modern America. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! The latest sprawling adventure from Bethesda has reawakened an old feud. Since the days of Fallout 3 back in 2008(!), Cam has been trying his damnedest to fall in love with one of Bethesda’s worlds. On that front, Starfield is a mixed bag. On all fronts, Starfield is a mixed bag. Join Cam and Maggie for a massively conflicted journey through the galaxy. Topics include: exploration, loading screens, art direction, uncanny faces, procedural generation, story pacing, inventory space, combat improvements, combat shortcomings, skill upgrades, quality of life issues, and open world pitfalls. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of Season of Storms, Ch. 1-8 Something has ended. Something is beginning. This final Witcher book is a prequel and a sequel. You could even call it a side-qual – though we would prefer you don’t. Regardless, Sapkowski is back in top form with new structural experiments, echoes of destiny, Dandelion drama, and monsters we’ve never heard of. But there are new wrinkles too: a seductive sorceress whose revolutionary magical practice threatens to destabilize a whole kingdom, the truth about Geralt’s missing witcher swords, and the looming question that hangs over the whole book – is this side story necessary? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! The day has finally arrived. 160 episodes and many months later, we’ve completed the glorious, hysterical, convoluted death march that is 7 seasons of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. This is the ultimate couples’ show, probably the funniest thing we’ve ever watched, and a genuinely fantastic, fun, and addictive work of art. Join us for a walk down memory lane, remembering The Girls’ greatest adventures, disasters, and detours. Get in loser, we’re going to Rosewood. - A Watch the Mike’s Mic video that started it all right here LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Chapter 12 Here it is: the final chapter of The Witcher saga. Yes we’re sad, yes we’re emotional, but we’re also thrilled. This ending is perfect, poignant, surprising, devastating, and revealing. We get our final word on some of our long-standing philosophical grindstones, like the problem of evil, destiny, and non-intervention. Cam’s got a theory about the pointed flashbacks in these last few chapters and their importance for Sapkowski’s notion of heroism. Maggie explores the cyclical nature of time and the empowering humility of prophecy. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Chapter 11 'The Scouring of the Shire' hangs over this chapter like Eeyore's black raincloud. Sapkowski's poignant, hollow homecoming hit us just as hard as Tolkien's did, but we think there's a different point being made here. So much has changed, and so many characters are now reverting to the way they used to be, but is any of it sustainable? This is a provocative, deliberately uncomfortable chapter - and we loved it. Maggie spends some time exploring the chapter's preoccupation with silence and Cam digs into the punishing, iron-clad re-emergence of all our old philosophical touchstones. How is this thing gonna end? LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Diablo IV shouldn’t even be a live service game, but here we are! Cam played through this first season to see what it was all about, and this episode is an exploration of what he and his burly new Druid found out there in Sanctuary. Lots of promise, lots of problems - a proverbial mixed bag. Topics include: story structure, completion incentives, fun factor, seasonal challenges, lackluster rewards, pricing models, and concerns for the future. LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Chapter 10 Holy Woodward and Bernstein, Batman! Journalist Sapkowski is back to doggedly track the butterfly effects following the end of the war and the “Peace” of Cintra. This chapter is a kaleidoscope of perspectives and injustices, and scurrying through it all are dozens of skeevy power players. The new world is full of Dijkstra, and Sapkowski painstakingly documents the objective horror the human survival instinct, and subjective bias of wartime histories. We’ve got observations, callbacks, theories, and ad ash of Shakespeare for good measure. Let’s dig in! LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! We've finally finished Diablo 4, after five months of dungeon crawling, demon hunting, and side questing. This sixth act is quite good, but it is haunted by all the same pitfalls and baffling quality of life downgrades that have made the game so frustrating for us. Our wrap-up discussion begins with the story revelations of this big finale, and then we move into a retrospective of the game as a whole. Topics include: pacing problems, delayed character arcs, padding, future expansions, level grinding, and a final roundtable conversation about our classes. We close with a productive, positive series of suggestions about how Diablo 4 could improve going forward. P.S. Next week Cam's going to be doing a solo episode about Diablo's first ever season, Season of the Malignant, with a brand new Druid character! LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of Lady of the Lake, Chapter 9 In three years of long-form literary analysis, we’ve never encountered a single chapter this dramatic or consequential. The sheer number of deaths and revelations is staggering, but as always, it’s Sapkowski’s ideas that really dazzle us. Maggie chases the threads of destiny and determinism through a hundred new curiosities and contractions, while Cam eulogizes the problem of evil and confronts its unexpected successor.  LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Sir Michael Gambon died last week at the age of 82. In this episode, Cam takes a look back at Gambon’s challenging, underrated, fascinating performance as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series. Topics include: Why was Gambon considered the ‘angry’ Dumbledore? How did this character evolve over the course of eight films? How did Michael Gambon’s performance build on and compliment Richard Harris’ work in Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets? How does the death of an actor change our perception of their performances? Bonus episodes available over on our Patreon LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Ten weeks and $950 million later, we’re finally ready to talk about Oppenheimer. We’ve been hammering and polishing these ideas over the course of three viewings and an unreasonable amount of time listening to the score. Topics include: what do the black and white sequences “mean”? What happened to Jean Tatlock? What changes about the film upon subsequent viewings? And finally, a big ol’ theory from Cam about Oppenheimer, Prometheus, legacy, damnation, and Doctor Faustus. We’re so excited to finally talk about this one. Let’s see how far theory can take us. LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of Lady of the Lake, Chapter 8 The time has come for Sapkowksi to write his version of a sweeping epic fantasy battle – and it’s nothing like whatever you’re expecting. Sapkowski evolves into a war reporter, to lead us through an unending kaleidoscope of tragic perspectives and human atrocities. In doing so, he gives us what feels like his final, most devastating statement yet on the state of nature, the problem of evil, and the essential universality of everyday philosophy. This might be The Witcher’s greatest achievement. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! What if there was a Diablo game with hard-hitting combat, a satisfying skill tree, an easy inventory system, a great map, and a TEN-act campaign? Oh and what if it was free? Path of Exile is almost everything we wanted and didn’t get in Diablo IV, and this episode is Cam’s reflections on the game. Topics covered include: skills, inventory, gameplay, story, and monetization. LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Swamps, snakes, salvation, oh my! Just as the game starts to wind down, it’s finally getting great. This act features real character arcs, new mechanics, compelling loot, dramatic stakes, and hacked off body parts. This is the innovative fantasy horror roleplaying adventure that we’ve been waiting for. Listen to the end to find out what the hell the “Christmas Tree of Whispers” is. Get in loser, we’re going on a quest! LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SecondBreakfastPodcast  We’ve been working on this episode for months. The Idol was transcendent, a whirlwind of traitorous reversals, doomed schemers, a nervously chattering Greek chorus, and a spectacularly haunted lead. But it is also by far the most pilloried and misunderstood mainstream work of art this year, with the media and social media fundamentally (if not deliberately) misconstruing its navigation of sexual agency and the creative process. In this episode, we look at the show and the ridiculous backlash to it in a larger cultural context. Yes, half of this episode is a spirited defense of The Weeknd’s incredible performance as Tedros. The Weeknd was never a bad actor – Tedros was. LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SecondBreakfastPodcast  We’ve been rewatching the Harry Potter movies at Alamo Drafthouse, and Cam developed a theory based on the way Chamber of Secrets teases good and evil versions of Harry. Tom Riddle is the obvious counterpart here, but we think we’ve found another hairier, many-legged, icky version of evil Harry that reveals a great deal about our beloved Hagrid. LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon! Discussion of the Lady of the Lake, Chapter 7 We’re jumping back into the multiverse of madness today, as Ciri races through space and time towards the uncertain end of her legend. Maggie leads us on an art historical journey through unicorns and French tapestries, and Cam takes a closer, second look at the ouroboros: the reoccurring symbol that he now believes is a shorthand representation of Sapkowski’s worldview and analysis of the problem of evil. Also happy birthday to us. Take a look at the unicorn tapestry in question HERE Check out Maggie’s first unicorn deep dive on unicorns back in our discussion on The Time of Contempt, chapter 6  HERE LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Writer, director, and editor Anthony DiBlasi joins us to discuss his horrifying masterpiece, Malum. This movie scared us silly when we saw it back in April, and we’ve been tinkering with these notes ever since. It is an enormous honor to actually be able to sit down with the man behind the curtain and talk through one of the scariest movies we have ever seen. Topics include: thrill ride horror, Faustus echoes, experiential storytelling, metaphorical shotguns, scaring actors, reimagining religious horror, and the challenge of designing horror movies for theatrical and at-home viewing. - Rent Malum [digital] - Buy Malum [4K Blu-Ray] - Buy the Malum Soundtrack [vinyl] LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SecondBreakfastPodcast  In all seriousness, this might be the best animated movie we’ve ever seen. The script is wildly and consistently funny, the turtles are believable and painfully sympathetic, the creature design is out of this world, and the art style – the art style – literally made our jaws drop. Oh and did we mention that this movie about turtles has a Trent Reznor score that goes just as hard as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?? Last but certainly not least, Jackie Chan’s performance as Splinter is one of the most affecting and heartbreaking representations of fatherhood that’s ever made Cam cry (three times) in an Alamo Drafthouse. LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Get bonus episodes on our brand new Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/SecondBreakfastPodcast  Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Chapter 6 In this chapter we get Sapkowski working with two hands tied behind his back – no Geralt, no Ciri, no magic, no combat. But his signature ideas are all here in full force: destiny, free will, the problem of evil, war crimes, survival instincts, and the nagging feeling that humans are inherently and hopelessly selfish. Maggie’s got some observations about the roles of propaganda and isolationism in this military-themed chapter. Cam caught some Tolkien comparisons and riffs that draw some fundamental differences between these two fantasy worlds. We also chase the ghosts of Geralt and Ciri as they race between the lines of this chapter, and Sapkowski sets the table for his endgame. LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories   Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Let’s start with the good news —Tristan is back to chat with us about the next act of Diablo IV. The undercurrent of this episode is the volatility of a game that is so reliant on updates and patches that can wildly alter the gameplay experience. We happened to play this act during the reviled 1.1 patch, which made boss fights and combat feel like - as Cam says during the episode - swimming through peanut butter. Our discussion covers the subsequent patch that fixed things (and actually made the game better than ever), the truly lousy experience we had playing Act Four during the bad times, and the core instability at the heart of Diablo IV. Other topics include: narrative balance and world building, fractal damage modifiers, the tension between world tiers & fun factor, and the tremendous power of legendary drop rates. Get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SecondBreakfastPodcast    LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

For this week’s Summerween, we’re looking at an all-time classic. Jaws is the ultimate summer horror film, but after rewatching it, we also think it takes a quiet tour through some of our favorite horror subgenres. There’s a horror sensibility running through everything here, from the crafty script that overwhelms you with doomed mentors, to the legendary score and paranoid editing. And at the center of it all lies Chief Brody, who strikes us now as an updated George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life, and a shortcut into this film’s similarly glorious anti-capitalist messaging. Last but not least, the shark is terrifying.   [As mentioned in the episode] The word "summerween" is not our invention, but one we've seen used across the internet for various Halloween/autumnal/horror content in the summer months. Maggie first heard the term from allisonpaiges on YouTube, who participates in the Summwerween read-a-thon hosted by gabbyreads and and oliviareadsalatte on YouTube. Credit where credit is due!   Get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SecondBreakfastPodcast    LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is fantastic for so many reasons, but there was one idea that struck us particularly hard, and we couldn’t let it go. Enjoy this solo column-style episode from Cam, wherein he passionately argues that in making this film, Gerwig has delivered us perhaps the best modern adaptation of John Milton’s Paradise Lost in decades. Ryan Gosling’s Ken is the perfect Satan for 2023, and probably not for the reasons you think.  Get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SecondBreakfastPodcast  LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s storiesSend us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

An exciting development has arrived, years in the making. The show is about to change forever, but also – not at all. JOIN THE FUN HERE other links: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories send us your feedback & theories: [email protected]

Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Ch. 5   We’re barreling towards the end of The Witcher saga, and in this chapter we finally get some answers. After we break down revelations about elves, unicorns, the Wild Hunt, and time travel, Cam launches into one of his patented Big Boy Theories – namely, that this chapter is a microcosm and restaging of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, full of telling echoes to Oberon, Titania, Nick Bottom, and a whole bunch of other, pointed references and reversals that keep the runaway surrealism grounded in Sapkowski’s beloved European folklore. Maggie spirits us away into a deep philosophical discussion about determinism, elven kings, and infinite universes. Cam argues passionately for and against free will and determinism. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Hey, remember a couple months ago when we were whining that they didn’t make any good comedy movies anymore?? Well, they must have heard us. This episode runs through five fantastic comedies we’ve seen in the last few months. There’s so much variety and talent here, from ensemble horror comedies, to classic New York rom-coms, action comedies, 2000s sex comedies, and nihilistic COVID-era farces. This one’s a discussion and a celebration. We’ve never been happier to be wrong. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

This year’s Summerween is bringing the pain. As Above, So Below is once again the scariest movie we’ve ever seen, but it’s also been designed in a lab to perfectly appeal to Maggie’s medieval art history background and Cam’s undying fascination with Faustus, Dante, and literary demons. This discussion runs through the uniquely varied style of found footage employed here, which deftly balances the objective and the subjective. We also work through the film’s commitment to interpreting Dante’s vision of the afterlife – and that’s before we get to the catacombs or the creature design. Did we mention this film is terrifying? Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Ch. 4   This chapter of the final Witcher novel is the perfect complement to its predecessor. We continue through a messy, empathetic, nuanced interlude of fantasy, illusion, sexual politics, and self-awareness. We dig deep into Geralt’s subconscious here – Maggie wonders whether his growth has brought him to a place of healthy emotional intelligence, while Cam observes a rather pointed monster metaphor that critiques Geralt’s current and true state. We discuss the complicated relationship between our Witcher and Fringilla, and try to unpack our characters’ many ruminations on destiny. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

At the halfway point of Diablo IV, we reach a crossroads. The narrative work here can be incredible, but more and more the game seems to be prioritizing the uneven gear grind and endgame. This episode explores some of the major tensions at the heart of the game. Maggie advances our ongoing discussion of power fantasies, difficulty scaling, and monotony in light of the tidal wave of boss fights peppered through this act. Some of our class builds have become completely nonfunctional, and in that defeat, we learn a humbling, Dark-Souls-esque lesson about dark fantasy. Tristan questions our new villain, Elias, and makes the case that he is neither narratively compelling nor — by the rules of this world — even in the wrong. This opens us up to a larger conversation about simplistic moral binaries and the lack of ethical complexity in Sanctuary. Cam goes full Faustus fanboy when the giant bloody wolf turns into Mephisto. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Discussion of Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, and Insidious: The Red Door James Wan and Leigh Whannell made the best haunted house horror movie of all time in 2010. Three years later, they made the best horror sequel of all time. And now, ten years later, with Insidious: The Red Door, we have a satisfying, startling, gorgeous finale to what might be the greatest franchise in the genre. This episode discusses the films in turn, and the millions of beautiful ways in which they build upon, complement, challenge, and accent each other. At every turn, these movies feel like passion projects. They’ve got the best creature design of all time, and that’s not even what makes us love them. This is a discussion of three movies. This is a discussion of one movie. This three episodes. This is one episode. This is a celebration of Insidious: The Lambert Family trilogy. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Never let it be said that we here at Second Breakfast refuse to admit our mistakes. They’ve finally gone and done it: they made a great multiverse superhero movie. Not only is the story here thoughtful and refreshingly self-aware, but the art style – or should we say the 1,000 art styles – are deliriously delightful. This is probably the best cinematic experience of 2023. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Ch. 3   At first, this chapter seems like back-to-basics victory lap for our beloved Geralt of Rivia. But as we all know, onions have layers. Sapkowski peels, dices, and pickles this onion/chapter into a slowly unraveling pattern of bad habits and outgrown dynamics. Sexual politics are explored and challenged, Dandelion takes a stand, and Cam gets to drop a Die Hard reference. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

The second act of Diablo IV is full-on heavy metal. We’ve got three-headed beasts, a blood swamp, and a gigantic talking wolf. There are also startling, quiet moments of humanity exploring the Fat Goose Inn and the tragic remains of the Bear Tribe. After working through the story details and surprises, we check in on the progression of our four classes as we start to establish final builds. Ghost enemies push us to a breaking point, difficulty scaling still sucks, and we’ve never made this many poop jokes on the show. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]  

For this second Summerween episode, we’re looking at one of Maggie’s most formative horror movies. Black Swan is a movie we’ve been thinking about for thirteen years - the symbolism is so rich, the performances are so incredibly strong, and its insights into the desperation of the creative process are both profound and ever-evolving. As we return to the movie now, older and wiser(?), we have totally different reads on it than we did in 2010. This episode is a conversation between those perspectives, between us and our younger selves, and between this astounding work of art and its titanic creative lineage. Subscribe to our Substack here: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ Feedback & Theories: [email protected] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5vW27X128PCDOs0RClbPqI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondbreakfastpod/ Cam’s stories: https://www.cameronfucile.com/

Discussion of The Lady of the Lake, Ch. 2 The thing about curveballs is that you can never get used to them. Every time we think we’ve got the reigns of Sapkowski’s story, he does something like this - introducing a second new framing device, making a colossal time jump, spoiling the end of the story, and spending fifty pages discussing bad endings / Arthurian legend. We’ve got commentary, we’ve got questions, and we’ve got some fantastic listener theories to work through. There’s also a new character named Condwiramurs - and more than a few discussions about butter. Let’s get into it! Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Diablo IV is finally here! As we play through the game, we’re going to do a series of diary-style reflections where we reflect on story, gameplay, and progression. In this first act, we adjust to the revamped skill and inventory systems. Cam’s got good news and bad news about the Barbarian and Sorcerer classes, Maggie’s juggling minions with her Necromancer, and Tristan is pirouetting his way through Sanctuary with a Demon-Hunter-inspired Rogue. On the story side, we discuss Lilith’s backstory blood petals, Vigo’s sense of guilt and honor, Neyrelle’s humanity, and the shocking new moral depth of this world. We also dive into the astounding visuals of the cutscenes and the pitfalls of difficulty scaling. Oh and Cam recaps Ralph Ineson’s entire career. We’re big fans. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Flip open your Motorola Razrs and grab an Izze; we’re heading back to 2008 and the “epic fail” that was the Cloverfield apocalypse in Manhattan. Summerween 2023 begins with this 85-minute panic attack that we were lucky enough to see recently on the big screen. We start with a discussion of the horror genre’s association with jump scares, to try to figure out how this film sustains such agonizing tension without using any of the standard tricks. Then we look at the movie’s poisonous, punishing moments of downtime, and the horrific butterfly effect that ripples through the story. Maggie contextualizes the film within American history, and we consider how the concept of catastrophe has evolved throughout the 21st century. Get bonus episodes on Substack: https://secondbreakfastpod.substack.com/ LINKS: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Cam’s stories Feedback & Theories: [email protected]