2025 had left CatBusRuss joyfully busy this year with "I Dig Crazy Flicks". Busy to the point where he cannot stand the idea that Apple Podcast will claim that the podcast is updated "biweekly". To make sure 2026 starts off well, our host watched one more new (to him) movie and brings back another fun episode from the original "Ninety For Chill dot Com: The Podcast" feed.

The title of this episode seems to suggest an awesome way to start any year. Can you go wrong with a triple-feature that goes from Emily Blunt to Kevin Bacon? Russ has found that he needed all six degrees to make that work out perfectly, but it can be made better with five degrees if you include the 1995 indie-comedy anthology "Four Rooms".

The movies featured in the three degrees of Blunt via two degrees of Bill Nighy are "Wild Target", "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (starring Ryan Reynolds), and "R.I.P.D."

If you need a quality six degrees of Kevin Bacon that includes "Four Rooms", the movies needed would be Bruce Willis & Emily Blunt in "Looper", Blunt & Nighy in "Wild Target", Nighy & Reynolds in "Det. Pikachu", Reynolds & James McAvoy in "Deadpool 2", and McAvoy & Bacon in "X-Men: First Class".

Pardon if the bad movie had been spoiled. Hopefully an appearance from ThePoeticCritic to talk shop will make up for that giveaway.

Jess McCord, co-creator of TTRPG "Skies of Fortune", left GalaxyCon Des Moines's edition of "Ninety For Chill: The Panel" with a suggestion for an anime that best represents the premise of "Ninety For Chill: The Podcast". CatBusRuss had been hearing about "Pompo: The Cinephile" from Jess before he met him in Iowa's capital city. Presuming this film was something that this anime expert was passionate about, how could our host not talk about this flick? We will soon discover that this was not necessarily about passion, but a punchline.

"Pompo" is the story of a movie producer who is more dedicated to giving new talent opportunities than chasing critical awards. Her PA is Gene, a true cinephile who loves to see the finest art made for the silver screen. Because of this passion, she insists that he will direct her script for such a movie. Is Gene up for that task and can he finish it in time for the investors?

The two podcaster admire the concept of this flick, but is it actually good? There is a lot to love about it. As content creators, they both understand the struggle of making a thing, but everything seems to just work out for our protagonists in this world. Jess is left feeling overwhelmed at points with such a brief, all-encompassing look at Western cinema. Russ loves the inside baseball look at what is essentially a love letter to Roger Corman. With these two perspectives, does this film actually work or was it better left as a webcomic?

Regardless of the final consensus for "Pompo", the two know it is the end of the year, and as "critics", their determination of the best films that they saw this year is expected. CatBus declares his "Best Ninety For Chill" of 2025 and Jess offers his favorite films released this year.

Here's hoping this episode of "I Dig Crazy Flicks" is a fun Christmas gift, the ideal way to avoid family interaction if need be.

CatBusRuss did not intend to pull out an episode from the archives, but with the passing of Rob and Michelle Reiner on Sunday (December 14, 2025), he felt it was important to keep them in our minds and in the proper light. Rambling Ronnie and ThePoeticCritic kept their language at a "PG-13" level during this conversation about Reiner's debut feature, so our host hopes that he did not make this a "R" with stating his feeling towards the criminal who is squatting in the White House during the introduction.

For the first time, "NinetyForChill: The #Podcast" has gone international. Rambling Ronnie has come on to discuss one of her favorite comedies and what is unquestionably the most important mockumentary of all time, "This Is Spinal Tap". This was the first R-Rated feature that ThePoeticCritic rented along side her little brother Cool Movies Darth. Needless to say, all parties are excited to tell the world aboot the excellence of this film.

Russ (I) definitely saw this picture before I entered the world of professional wrestling. It was hilarious, if just for picking out the cameos like Billy Crystal as Mort the Mime and the oldest (and perhaps first) Fred Willard appearance that I had ever seen. After entering a showmanship profession, this film is even funnier because it is beyond authentic.

For me, it was not a puppet show where I sustained my most severe documented concussion. It was wrestling during a Christion-promoted boxing expedition. Puppet's would have been an honor.

ThePoeticCritic spent her teens as an amateur actress. Needless to say, she has her tales of nearly falling off balconies because of poor backstage crew. Being trapped like Derek Smalls is something all performers are or will become familiar with.

Rambling Veronica (TPC's Twitter account impressed her since she was using Veronica as an alias), did not happen to have any tales to tell as a performer, but with the sincerity and politeness of Canadians, they all seem to share a common vibe. Provided they are not from Quebec. I am sorry I did not give the listeners a warning about the mocking of Montreal during this podcast.

We all seemed to have been on the same page when it comes to comedy. Ronnie's last episode was about "Monty Python's Life of Brian". Us Stevens children were raised on British comedy. Monty Python was the only MTV we were allowed to watch. With "The New Red Green Show" being Central Illinois's "Red Dwarf" lead in, this podcast seemed destined to happen.

Discussing Monty Python lead us to bring up "The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash". This was Eric Idle's Beetle mock that was produced by Lorne Michaels. When you bring up Lorne Michaels, you bring us "Saturday Night Live" and "SCTV". We end up talking about all of the best Western comedy that was influenced by the British.

By proxy, I guess you can say all of Christopher Guest's mocumentaries are British comedies. He is a British Baron after all.

ThePoeticCritic and Rambling Ronnie are even bigger fans of Guest's directorial efforts than I am. We do get to address and compare and contrast these films. It was kind of a silly part since none of us have seen them all. Ronnie is a big fan of "A Mighty Wind" and TPC seemed to lean towards "Best in Show". One thing is certain, you must give "Waiting for Guffman" a chance.

The feature that CatBusRuss is revisiting was originally titled "3615 code Père Noël", but is also known as "Game Over", and "Hide and Freak". It only feels appropriate to have so many titles when you take into account that the Cannon Group handled the international distribution of this film. The title of "Deadly Games" at least secures it a place on Shudder. That platform can never have too many holiday-themed horror flicks.

This movie was released in 1989, a year before "Home Alone". Director René Manzor stated that he feels John Hughes may have ripped him off, but the film is way too dark to be compared to the Macaulay Culkin star turn. At least that is our host's opinion.

Gregory Carl thinks it is closer to the American blockbuster. It is about a nine year-old who is quick to come up with improvised weaponry to defend him and his grandfather against a deranged Father Christmas. Both Kevin and Thomas live in large houses and you wonder where their parents came up with the money, but that is where the comparisons may end.

Russ thinks this feature answers what if Chris Columbus penned "Home Alone". Just check out the wiki for "Gremlins" to see where our host is coming from. Kevin McCallister did not have to deal with insane, delusional criminals. Joe Pesci can be scary, but we did not find Harry to be murderous. Even worse, Gregory suggests that this film's antagonist may have perverse intentions. Lacking humor to accompany the violence, this maybe what a realistic bout with the Wet Bandits would look like.

To get away from the darkness, CatBusRuss received a Christmas gift from Tubi. After 15 years, Albert Pyun's take on "Bloodsport" has finally made it back to streaming. "Heatseeker" stars two of the most under-appreciated martial artists in cinema, Keith Cooke and Gary Daniels, as two champions heading towards a rematch. What makes this a different kind of fight is that Daniels is being sponsored by a biotechnology corporation trying to prove that it is not enough to be human to become a champion. If you come into this feature after the first act, you will want to see where this story goes. Like most Pyun films, the question becomes, can you stand what you see?

CatBusRuss might need to do some research because this may be the last Merry Mark L. Lester Christmas. Last year, he covered what maybe perhaps his most memorable films, "Showdown in Little Tokyo" and "Commando". Our host is prepping for a 1986 panel to tour the comic cons, so maybe he will get around to watch "Armed and Dangerous" to compare and contrast with "Police Academy 3: Back in Training", but reviewing "Class of 1984" and the "Class of 1999" franchise may address the pinnacle of his filmography.

He did not direct "Class of 1999 II: The Subsitute", but when you compare it to his attempts to become the next Roger Corman, like "Groupie", there is a lot of potential left on the table. It should be accepted as fact, a little more or just some Eric Roberts could elevate them both to B-Movie classics.

Lester is a man who knew his limitations, and these class of movies show that he was a wise director because of it.

CatBusRuss was doing his best to enjoy Chicago TARDIS. ThePoeticCritic has done her best to get him to invest in "Doctor Who", but sixty years of content and everyone having their ideal Time Lord (or Lady), he was very much lost in the Westin of Lombard.

The most fun he had the first day may have been spent in his hotel room watching "A Whisker Away", an anime exclusive on Netflix. A story that investigates the escapism of turning into a cat was not one that they presented to the 17 Doctors. This cartoon harkens back to "The Cat Returns". If that Studio Ghibli feature inspires other Japanese artists, why should the BBC not take a hint?

Pardon the harshness towards the Whovians. Day two ended up offering a lot to amuse our host. The Christopher Eccleston panel was a lot of fun leaving us with the message, "Don't Trust the Wiki." CatBus then got to admire the dedication this fanbase has to keep all their favorite heroes alive in the form of the massive Big Finish Productions panel. If the BBC does not want to spend the cash to make new television episodes, the fans will buy audio stories where the original actors (and their kin) bring back their greatest characters.

Eventually, Russ got to cut loose. There were panels about television shows that lack aliens from Gallifrey and looks at the futures of the DCU and MCU'. The latter panels only had the Stevens siblings and the panelists' podcast co-hosts in the audience, so it allowed the Peoria contingent's voices to be heard, dare dominate the direction of the panels.

And then, there was the "Don't Blink Ball". You cannot complain about a day that ends with a DJ pulling out David Bowie, the heroes of new wave/early emo, and the less angry sounds from Chicago's Wax Trax.

ThePoeticCritic is having a good time at Chicago TARDIS, but CatBusRuss is not quite feeling it. This is indeed a convention DEDICATED to "Doctor Who", and our host is not the target audience.

It is a neurospicy neighborhood. Russ has his eccentricities, but he also has patience and a degree of innate empathy. Make this crowd wait, and this crowd wants their true feelings known. This is a boys of "Big Bang Theory" vibe that brings CatBus comfort in knowing that he does not need to be tested like Sheldon, but taken a back by the stereotypes Hollywood sells.

He found the panel with Jo Martin, the Fugitive Doctor, and supporting actresses Steph de Whalley and Susan Twist to be fun, but he was there to find out what he has seen them in that is not from the BBC. With his sister and her beau leaving him on his own, the challenge became finding the panels that were not too Whovian. When the one half of the panels that did not mention the Time Lord was hosted by two of the organizers, it maybe a fool's errand.

CatBusRuss & ThePoeticCritic did not have a traditional Thanksgiving. If you want to stay at the hotel that is hosting Chicago TARDIS, you gotta check in on the night dedicated to the false narrative of pilgrims and natives. Thus, where are you going to get a meal when all the restaurants are closed? The answer, head to Lombard's AMC Dine In and watch a family flick. For the older Stevens kid, "Wicked for Good". For her little brother, "Predator: Badlands".

Russ would think that a feature involving animal prosecution would earn a PG-13, but his sister explains its PG rating. He is cool with that despite musicals seemingly be an out when it comes to a more restrictive rating. As for the latest Predator movie, making all the bad guys robots kind of takes the fun out of a creature that we know can rip a spine and skull out of a human in a single tug.

The story is about a Yautja runt, so maybe it is for the kids who may only know the term from "Charlotte's Web".

Like most episodes of "I Dig Crazy Flicks" that this brother/sister duo partake in, the two do talk about the state of the movie industry and the excessive amount of trailers you have to endure. The two finished their respective meals before the Nicole Kidman spiel. Perhaps more importantly, the elder of the two does give the younger an idea of what TARDIS will be like. Will be that enough for CatBus to manage a fandom he has no investment in? If not, at least there is a swimming pool on the second floor.

It is Thanksgiving Week, and CatBusRuss is very thankful for the opportunity to interview the writer/director of "Cuisine de la 'Pocalypse", Kyle Weingart. If you want a story about good food in a desolate land, this is a far better tale than the white washing of colonialism's effect on Native Americans.

"Cuisine de la 'Pocalypse" stars Kevin Jack as Chef John. John is an aspiring cook who yearns for fame in a world where all conceivable apocalypses have occurred. But his pursuit of this dream may have just put the newest bastion of civilization, New Missoula, at risk of destruction. If Hollywood learns of this paradise, it will inevitably be overrun with solar-powered homicidal robots, roaming biker gangs, and whatever scum the television industry can come up with. Zombies outside the city limits will be made to look quite quaint.

To save New Missoula, he must go on a quest to stop this dial up transmission. Joining him on this mission are his sister-in-law Laura (Zuzu Weingart), her father and town preacher Wallace (Douglas 'Hurricane' Hall), local celebrity Landeaux (Nelo Butler), and "Hercules" Kevin Sorbo.

Kyle Weingart went to film school, and after a few years serving as PA, returned to Montana to make movies. And the state was happy to help him. Thanks to a Big Sky Film Grant, there was no limit to hokey B-movie special effects he could use. It also helped him secure other established Hollywood actors like Natasha Leggero and Emilio Rivera. What more can one ask for in a sophomore directorial effort?

Russ does his best to ask about the filmmaking process. Where did this idea came from? Is "Iron Chef" comfort television for him? What does he and the film have to say about granola? Our host may even try to pick his guest's brain on what needs to be done to be a successful (and since this film is over 100 minutes) and overly ambitions filmmaker.

The film is worth a purchase on Prime Video, but Kyle would just be happy that you give this film a watch on Tubi. Happy Thanksgiving.

This is the conclusion of CatBusRuss and Gregory Carl's conversation about the most politically-minded movie from The Horror Master John Carpenter, 1988's "They Live". Being a film that stars Rowdy Roddy Piper, these two marks (an underemployed wrestler and a wrestling podcaster) will have their pro-wrestling tangents, but they have paid enough attention to the film to recognize the actor/stuntman legend Al Leong and the use of props from far more renowned films. Let's go bust some Reagan policies.

Russ also suggests how Kevin Smith maybe Generation X's incarnation of Carpenter, at least in terms of directorial style. Our host may have suggested this in the podcast about "Big Trouble in Little China", but its good to run this concept by another cinema aficionado. There may not be many action films in the Jersey guy's filmography, but "Tusk" and "Red State" show he has a grasp on horror. A completed the "Great White North" trilogy is something that CatBus and Greg are hoping for.

Smith is primarily comedic director, so it seems appropriate to attach a review of Carpenter's sci-fi comedy "Memoirs of an Invisible Man". Again we are made to ask, "Is this a Carpenter flick?" Regardless of how Carpenter it is, if he can handle James Woods, surely he can manage divas Chevy Chase and Daryl Hannah.

CatBusRuss is dedicating this week to the film that truly opened him up to the works of "The Horror Master" John Carpenter. This was a frequent post WCW Nitro/Thunder movie back during the Monday Night Wars. Featuring Keith David and Rowdy Roddy Piper, our host does not consider it the best Carpenter flick, but it maybe his favorite. If David had a role in "Big Trouble in Little China", it may not be able to claim that title.

Russ is joined by Gregory Carl. He may not have been the ideal guest because there are a lot of wrestling tangents that come out. This should have been expected since Russ is an underemployed pro-wrestler and Gregory was an aspiring pro-wrestling podcaster. Of course they were going to honor the legend of the Kilted One. If it was not for that, this conversation would probably have been a one a one episode endeavor.

Gregory was Zooming in via a Motorola Stylus phone (This is a conversation from 2022.), so his audio is a little choppy. His points are still made, but our host may not have been able to remove all of his guest's R-rated language. But if its not audible, did it actually get said?

To add a little more Carpenter to the mix, CatBus has finally gotten around to the last film that he directed, "The Ward" from 2010, starring Amber Heard. Our host is sympathetic to this actress after Johnny Depp defamed and essentially blackballed her from Hollywood. Is she enough to carry a film that Carpenter directed, but did not score or pen?

On Thursday, November 20, "I Dig Crazy Flicks" will further investigate what a John Carpenter movie is along with concluding this conversation about "The Live".

CatBusRuss headed to GalaxyCon Des Moines to see if the capital of Iowa could help determine who was the baddest action hero(es) from forty years prior. 1985 was the last year where action movies were celebrated solely for being violent. One liners are fun, but chaos reigned supreme.

Sylvester Stallone may have had the box office with "Rocky IV" and "Rambo: First Blood - Part II", but this may have been the dawning of Arnold Schwarzenegger taking over the action hero crown from Sly. But is there a dark horse?

The Cannon Group may have only survived as long as it did because of their low-budget action flicks. Michael Dudikoff and Chuck Norris bring the martial arts while Charles Bronson returns to the Death Wish franchise.

And to make sure CatBus is not looking over any of the action legends, he reviews Sho Kosugi's fourth ninja film of the eighties, "Pray for Death". After the Golan-Globus replace his with the girl from "Breakin'", he started making hooded assassin flicks just to spite them.

Russ provides a TED Talk energy to this panel. Without having a cohost for the panel, our podcast host talks a lot and goes on some very pertinent tangents. These were the movies that Ronald Reagan loved. Are these movies truly more than right-wing escapism? Is this the machismo that modern male influencers trying to capture?

In the end, was it a good thing that PG-13 action movies would dominate the next 35 years? Are we mature enough as a society to know that these ultra-violent affairs should not be taken seriously?

There is a charm to these films. They are mindless crazy flicks. Please leave your brain at the door.

CatBusRuss originally thought that this week would be a simple #RewindWednesday release, but as he was going through the "NinetyForChill dot Com - The Podcast" archives, he noticed that he had crammed a couple of classics from John Carpenter into the summer of 2022. So every other week this November will be dedicated to "The Horror Master", and this podcast will kick the theme off with what his friends would call his masterpiece, "Big Trouble in Little China".

It is may be safe to say that Russ and his guests Andrew "Baking While Baked" Tiede & "Not a Strong Start's" Jorge Marrero would agree. If not Carpenter's masterpiece, perhaps Kurt Russell's.

Like most Carpenter films, it was under seen upon release. Thankfully, VHS and HBO has made this a must own feature. The film proves the West is fascinated by Eastern culture, so it only seems appropriate for CatBus to attach his review for the children's version of "Big Trouble", "KPop Demon Hunters".

Next week, "I Dig Crazy Flicks" will return to GalaxyCon Des Moines for the second "1985 Action Movie Triple Threat Match". Then the week of November 16 will have two episodes dedicated to the first great starring performance from a pro-wrestler with Roddy Piper in "John Carpenter's They Live".

CatBusRuss & Faydra Black were going to amuse an ATL Comic Convention audience by gushing over the film that features Brandon Lee's final and finest performance, "The Crow". It is safe to believe that neither of them expected a packed room, but as our podcast host arrived after just concluding his first "1985 Action Movie Triple-Threat Match", he was surprised by the turn out. And then a FanX representative told the two that they would be hosting a Q&A with the comic book's creator James O'Barr and stars Bail Ling, Rochelle Davis, and Laurence Mason.

No wonder Bai Ling was insisting to CatBusRuss to ask good questions when he met her the day before.

Ms. Black handled the questions from the audience as Russ tried to seem cool sitting by the guests. Hopefully, he does not embarrass himself too much when he wanted to speak about the soundtrack.

This panel was a love letter to the late Brandon Lee, and the cast and writer speak about how this is THE ONLY "CROW" MOVIE. So, yes. We get to hear about their unified disdain for the 2024 remake. It just does not have the heart of this masterpiece. When you hear everyone's tales of Brandon, be it Brandon insisting to Bai that his dad was a huge movie star in China or borrowing Rochelle's Game Boy, it is clear this property should never have been filmed again.

There is nothing but great stories from this panel, and it might be Russ's greatest honor of 2025 to share the stage with them. Hope you enjoy the episode.

CatBusRuss had a four-movie marathon of sub 100-minute features that he intended to kick off the last week of spooky month. But since he currently has only one retailer to be responsible to, he had time to watch a longer flick or two. Lets just say Ryan Coogler's vision changed that plan. And our host had promised to go back to the Grid while it was still in theaters.

It cannot be the "Ninety For Chill: Discovery of 2025" with its extra 37 minutes, but Russ will be very disappointed in the Academy if "Sinners" does not take home best picture. He needs to see "One Battle After Another", but there are just three too many Oscar winners to tell me that they should receive one more. Never mind that it is 24 minutes longer than Coogler's film while lacking a time-traveling musical number, and, most importantly, anti-Klan vampires.

"TRON: Ares" also lacks the vampires, but a Nine Inch Nails soundtrack and a love for Depeche Mode checks off all the boxes to amuse this CatBus. It does what "TRON: Legacy" forgot to do, play to the nerds. Jared Leto is no Michael Sheen, but he does not mess up, and the geeky fanservice made it a fun two hours. And since it is the son of "TRON" (runtime 1:36), it does qualify to be the NFC D25.

The idea of Jared Leto is scary, but to make sure this bonus episode of "I Dig Crazy Flicks" fits the spooky tone, Russ revisits four movies that he covered in 2022. We will transition to more fun special effects with "Puppet Master (1989)" and then maintain a no budget vibe with emo-vampire flick "Quench (2007)".

And to test your threshold of pain (Let's see how long you last.), the podcast will conclude with movies our host may have misunderstood. He doubts it, but you cannot hate the idea of a Hilary Swank and Idris Elba movie on paper. Not be the religious type, "The Reaping (2007)" may never have been up his alley. On the other hand, Peter Weller possibly portraying the devil, is a premise that you cannot deny the potential. Does "Shadow Hours (2000)" deliver?

CatBusRuss went to GalaxyCon Des Moines to once again preach the gospel of "Ninety For Chill". He is joined by Jess McCord from "Skies of Fortune" to further back his stance that modern movies are just too damn long, and to promote Jess's panel "A24: Horror Goes to the Art House."

It is a fun conversation that celebrates a shared love for cinema, so much so that there is not much space for audience participation. That may have been a bad thing as the Jess proposes that flicks with a runtime between 70 and 100 minutes are not respectable. Why else would there be a lack of Best Picture Oscars for cinematic offerings of the ideal runtime? Russ takes a literary approach to this concept.

Which films get the capital F and which films are spelled with a lowercase F? Perhaps, Russ should have let the audience decide. A note for next time.

If the argument that our host takes on tour has been overplayed, to keep up the spooky month vibes, CatBus watched the highly praised A24 feature "I Saw the TV Glow". This was a challenge for him. He was skeptical having watched Jane Schoenbrun "We're All Going to the World's Fair", and not being overly impressed. How does Schoenbrun's sophomore personal tribute to 90s Nickelodeon fair in comparison?

The past two Octobers have been tough for CatBusRuss. He stands by the concept, "If it's Halloween, it must be Saw", and after the brilliance of "Saw X", it sucks that we are still waiting for the 11th installment to what might currently be the most profitable horror franchise. Our host is hoping that going back to episode three of the original "NinetyForChill dot Com - The Podcast" feed will serve as metaphorical methadone for his Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, and Costas Mandylor cravings.

Russ was joined by @QuidPro_Joe Joe Golwitzer to discuss the best cinematic series that James Wan and Leigh Whannell have gifted us. The two discuss the first eight films in the franchise and its evolution from gory police procedural to the epitome of torture porn. At least for the CatBus, that is a sweet spot for his taste in cinema.

Don't you threat. This podcaster has included reviews of "Saw X" and "Spiral: From the Book of Saw" in this podcast feed. But if you are looking for current movie chatter, CatBusRuss is joined by ThePoeticCritic before we get into John Kramer's world.

Russ's big sister is still maintaining an anti-Disney IP stance and is reveling in the disaster of "TRON: Ares". She hopes this will finally make The House of Mouse go back to work to creating "original" masterpieces instead of efforts to promote theme-park rides. Having participated in a "TRON" panel at Indiana Comic Convention, this is a beloved franchise by at least 40 nerds. If there is anything trashy about the series right now, the two siblings agree it is the idea that Jared Leto can be a box office draw (alongside his music and public attitude...and...).

Speaking of trashy, Russ's older sister manages to scrounge up some Halloween PTSD when she brings up a slow, drawn out, biassed documentary about the man who sold licensed "costumes" that were just a stamped mask and plastic tunic. For the parents and OCD-riddled kids who hated applying excessive makeup, there were Ben Cooper outfits, and "Dressing Up Halloween: The Story of Ben Cooper, Inc." is that celebration.

CatBusRuss went into GalaxyCon St. Louis a little bit on edge. He had the "Ninety For Chill: The Panel" and the third edition of the "1985 Action Movie Triple Threat" to prepare for with a virtual stranger who was crashing at his hotel room in Nix Eclips. Unlike GalaxyCon Des Moines, this podcast host did not have a day to relax, especially when he wanted that groovy autograph from Bruce Campbell. Good thing the man who was Ash Williams was there to verbally slap him in the face to get his head on straight.

It was a bit of a rough trip to get to GalaxyCon. Russ's mind was all over the place and poor hotel service did not help him out. He also may have had too many goals to accomplish. This was the first convention since he started taking "I Dig Crazy Flicks" on the road where he was looking to interact with celebrities.

Managing time was a worry for him. Horrible parking left him in a virtual food desert. If he was not ready to get the most out of all the panels he participated in, this trip may have been a bust. Of course, he is a podcaster, so getting a chance to hear his own voice gave him some comfort.

With the exception of 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm on Sunday, panel room one was the place to be at the America's Convention Center. He tried to be the smartest person without a doctoral thesis at Ruby T. McCoy's panels about the psychology behind "The Boys" and grief with "Calling in Sick Because my Favorite Character Died". CatBus also sat in on a history of "The Addams Family" panel hosted by animation legend Joe Wos. The point is, there was plenty of fun to be had if he would just relax.

Too make sure he got the names straight in regards to everyone who impressed him, CatBus does take a break in the recording to throw in his movie review for Lamberto Bava's "Demons 2". This film was suggested to him from his appearance on Jamie Ray's "Fave Five from Fans" podcast since it was produced and written by his favorite horror auteur, Dario Argento. It is a film that is also "Cinema Shitshow" approved.

CatBusRuss was given the honor to be a panelist at the first GalaxyCon St. Louis. For the second day of the convention, our podcast host is joined by 'Cinema Shitshow's' Nix Eklips to have another go at "Ninety For Chill: The Panel". And this time, they come sporting punch and pie.

Nix dedicated the day to worship at the altar of Bruce Campbell, but the queue was so long that he tried to cut some deals with those stranded in the line to get him some merch. Russ on the other hand was able to finish much of his Christmas shopping, reconnecting with the associate producer of "Galaxy Warriors", and bugging "KPop Demon Hunter's" Danny Chung on behalf of his niece.

And of course, the two podcasters did check out some panels like another installment of the "None of this Matters" podcast and the psychological draw towards "The Boys". CatBus tells his tales of the day while trying to deal with the Cubs efforts in the final game of the NLDS.

Hopefully, the crowd was impressed enough to come to Day 3's "1985 Triple Threat Match". They will need it since it was scheduled in the "let's beat traffic time slot".

It was CatBusRuss's pleasure to be invited to be a panelist on Jess McCord's panel at GalaxyCon Des Moines. The topic of said panel, A24's rich horror movie history and influence. But, perhaps, more importantly, is calling it "elevated horror" a good thing?

One half of the "Skies of Fortune" tabletop, role-playing game team put on quite a presentation, and must have his finger on the pulse of what nerds wants to chat about. The crowd of 40 people is not something a CatBus panel is accustomed to. In other words, if you have issues with the audio from the panel, that and a powerful air conditioning system are to blame.

Jess offers up clips and Joe Bob Briggs commentary to try and do away with the term of elevated horror. Russ is there to defend those who think certain horror movies are high brow, like A24 offerings, when compared to the horror movies that Gen-Xers and Millennials group up with. Our podcast host also offers reasons why arthouse does not equal box office since A24 has yet to distribute a feature that has made over 100 million dollars when other studios are desperate for one billion dollar box offices.

Elevated. Emo. Neuro-Spicy. After this panel, hopefully we can all determine what kind of horror A24 truly offers.