Happy Halloween! The trick-or-treaters have gone, there's a little bit of candy left in the bowl, and it's time to settle in for scary movie night, but what to watch? So many horror films out there. Well, it's Cinema Craptaculus to the rescue with a minisode that makes the case for the definitive Halloween film. Hint: it's all in the title.

Steph, John, Steve & Dave put down their phones for screen time with Ice Cube and his (fictional) family! The War of the Worlds has been adapted many times since its first publication in 1898, and each adaptation represented the era in which it was created -- Famously as a radio show in 1938 and the first movie in 1953 when there were national fears of military invasion … then as a Spielberg film in 2005 when there was a national fear of terrorist invasion… And now in 2025 when there’s a national fear of invasion of Privacy! It’s Amazon Prime’s feature length commercial – War of the Worlds!  

Here’s the rapid recap to catch you up!  Ice Cube plays Will Radford, DHS Agent and creepster dad who should have been DOGE’d out of his job, because he spends his day stalking his two estranged children – his pregnant daughter, Faith and his intense Gen-Z-er son Dave. When mysterious meteors crash into the Earth, it’s up to these three plus Faith’s fiancé and Amazon delivery driver, Mark as well as Eva Longoria (whose character’s name I don’t know and I couldn’t quickly see it on Wikipedia, so I’m giving her as much attention as Will gives her in the movie, which is to say close to none) … Anyway, when machines from Mars rise out of the meteor craters, our heroes realize that the aliens are here to chew bubblegum and steal our data…and they are all out of bubblegum. So, in a shameless plot swipe from a totally different alien invasion movie, they have to upload a virus to the alien machines to put an end to the WAR OF THE WORLDS!!!

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Steph, John and Dave are on the hunt for the elusive perfect Cinema Craptaculus movie. The only thing to do is brave the Netflix jungles of the MCU - Sony Edition! Joining us on our cinema safari is Travis Weir (Producer/Editor)! He creates BTS content of such movies as Mad Max: Furiosa, Dune 2 and Poor Things. Now we aim his behind the scenes expertise at our latest prey.

If you’re a movie studio who only has the rights to characters from the Spider-Man comics and yet want to be part of the MCU? What do you do? You make a bunch of movies based on b-list villains like KRAVEN THE HUNTER

Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) was raised to be a hunter, but his true prey is the man who made him—the ruthless Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe) – his father! Dun-Dunn-DUNNN!. Left for dead as a child, Sergei survives with the help of Calypso (Ariana DeBose)and a serum that gave Kraven a supernatural connection to the wild. Now, he’s Kraven the Hunter, a relentless predator on a path of vengeance. Part big game hunter, mostly John Wick with super powers, Kraven clashes with his half-brother Dmitri (Fred Hechinger), a scheming survivalist with ties to the criminal underworld. Their uneasy alliance is tested by deadly foes, including The Foreigner and a monstrous adversary—Rhino—who proves that Kraven isn’t the only apex predator in town.

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Do you believe in reincarnation? Well, TV executives sure do! From Matlock to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it seems like all our favorite TV shows are getting REBOOTED! The Geeks are back in action sussing out which reboots rise to the top and which sink to the bottom in the latest episode of Cinema Craptaculus Presents: The Expanded Universe!

Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @ CinemaCraptaculus
Follow John on Twitter @johnhhford

"Star Monster" by Duncan Neilson, engineered by Drew Canulette.

Steph, Dave, Steve & John ponder - when is a theatrical, not really a theatrical? When it’s a direct to Netflix original movie! That’s right, it’s time to kick the feet up, make some popcorn and get BACK IN ACTION!  

Here’s the rapid recap to catch you up!  

CIA Spies and banter experts Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Fox) are on a mission to recover\ very important…thing. But when they’re mission goes south, they are presumed dead, and they take the opportunity retire and start a family. After 15 years (and two kids who are teens now), the…thing that they were supposed to recover is still….somewhere and their old boss (Kyle Chandler) is looking for the…thing. Look, the thing is like some sort of electronic key that does something, stop asking unnecessary questions. Anyway, with CIA, MI6 and some bad guys who want to use the thing to do bad things, Emily and Matt now have to take their family on an impromptu international adventure with Emily’s estranged mom (Glenn Close) who used to be a British Spy. With the family on the run to find the..thing, Emily and Matt find themselves, say it with me now, BACK IN ACTION!!    

CINEMA CRAPTACULUS – Back for Good!
CRAPTACULUS – Back & it’s aaight. 
UTTER CRAP -  Crap in Action

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Steph, John & Dave settle down to gulp down a massive mug of Netflix Christmas! It’s the live-action, trope-challenging, rom-com with abs of steel and a warm heart wrapped up in a magical scarf! That’s right, it’s time for the Netflix Original HOT FROSTY!

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's the spooky season and Steph, John & Dave serve up their favorite horror movies from the past and the future!!

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Steve Silverman from WORLD GONE GOOD joins Steph, John & Dave to find the good in the Netflix original ATLAS!

Big robots! AI Craziness! And the weight (and the future) of the world is all on J-Lo’s back! It’s the Netflix original, ATLAS!   Here’s the rapid recap to catch you up!

When Atlas (played by J-Lo) was a kid, her mom created an AI Lifeform named Harlan (Simu Liu). Initially programmed to not hurt humans, something goes wrong and Harlan goes AI bat shit as AI is wont to do in the movies! Determined to kill all humans, AI turn on their masters and a war between man and machine begins! Cut to 28 years later, and for some reason, Simu has gone into hiding and Atlas has become an analyst who refuses to let any form of AI into her life, in charge of finding Simu. But General Banks (Sterling  K. Brown) has a plan to take Rangers (people linked to AI Robots) and the war to Simu. Of course the fan hits the AI Powered crap, the plan goes side ways and it’s up to Atlas and an AI robot named Smith with whom she refuses to work to save the world.

WORLD GONE GOOD - Listen Here!

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Steph, John & Dave are on their best behavior as they go old school to welcome in a new Step Father! It’s 1987 and the saying “Father knows best” is not only said, it’s still believed. But in this movie, what father knows best, is deadly – kids, meet your new -  STEP FATHER!  

Here’s the rapid recap to catch you up! After murdering his family, Jerry (Played by LOST’s Terry O’Quinn) marries a recent widow and becomes the stepfather to 16 year old Stephanie.  But Stephanie realizes something creepy is up with the new head of the family.  When she starts digging into his past, the bodies pile up and she realizes that any man can be a father, but it takes a true psychopath to be the STEP FATHER!

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Geeks do what they do best – geek out on the biggest and best TV shows and movies of the summer! From Furiosa to a furious Wolverine and everything in between, it’s a Geek free-for-all on the latest episode of Cinema Craptaculus Presents: The Expanded Universe!

Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @ CinemaCraptaculus
Follow John on Twitter @johnhhford

"Star Monster" by Duncan Neilson, engineered by Drew Canulette.

Tara, Adam and Dave road trip to 2 road houses to play nice, have drink and throwdown with Jake Gyllenhaal and Patrick Swayze!

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Ex-UFC fighter Dalton who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys road house, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems. 

This updated Roadhouse is directed by Doug Limen and premiered on Amazon Prime. And even though it didn’t premiere in theaters like the creators wanted, it did attract 50 million viewers in its first two weekends.  Also starring in this barroom romp is Connor McGregor, Daniela Melchoir and Billy Magnussen    

Plus a movie that PEOPLE ALSO WATCHED – especially the creators of the 2024 Road House remake, because it’s the original Road House! Patrick Swayze plays a renown(?) bouncer who takes a job as a bouncer at a Missouri road house only to discover that this small, southern town paradise is not all it seems!     

Road House was released in 1989 and with Patrick Swayze, stars Sam Elliot and Kelly Lynch. It made a little over 61 million. What is your logline pitch for this
****
Order Tara O’Brien’s book TIPS FOR YOUR LAST YEAR ON EARTH here:
Listen to Adam on Batsh!t here
****
Every month, studios release big-budget features and for every one of those, there are a ton of lesser-known movies you just might love. Join Tara, Adam, & Dave, industry insiders clinging onto the lower rungs of the Hollywood ladder, as they compare a new release to an older, nearly forgotten movie. If you love the big-name, big-budget movies and the little-known movies that you think everybody must see, then you’ll want to get to know what People Also Watched…!
***
People Also Watched theme written & performed by: Brian Ruppenkamp
***
Follow us on twitter/insta @PeopleAlsoWatch
Follow Tara on twitter/insta @TarTarSauce1
Follow Dave on twitter/insta @SuperDaveAwesum
Follow Adam on Insta @UrJester

Steph, John & Dave dive into the past! This year is the 30th anniversary of the movies from… well if you’re doing the math at home or read the podcast title… 1994 – and we’ve chosen 5 of the biggest movies from that year to talk about their impact 30 years later. Talk to the hand if you don’t think it’s fly and all that, home skillet!! As if!   

It’s 1994 you’re going through the newspaper, wondering what movie to see Friday night. You’ve got THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, a prison film that could make even a hardened criminal weep and long for the magic of friendship;  PULP FICTION, which would not just change movie storytelling, but would raise the bar on soundtracks, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE – Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise camping it up as vamps! “And they were ROOMMATES!”… THE CROW, the tragic last film of Brandon Lee as well as the blueprint for every emo story afterwards; and FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, the multi-cast comedy that led us to Love Actually! Booooo!  So check us out because we’re gonna Be Kind and Rewind this baby back to 1994!

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Geeks make their picks for this year’s Academy Awards! Will it be a Barbenheimer or an Oppenbarbie kind of night? Or maybe it will be a night of American Fiction and everyone will feel like Poor Things. Join John HH, Doc, and Smoore for an Oscars Geek-Out as Cinema Craptaculus Presents: The Expanded Universe!

Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @ CinemaCraptaculus
Follow John on Twitter @johnhhford

"Star Monster" by Duncan Neilson, engineered by Drew Canulette.

Cinema Craptaculus presents: People Also Watched

Tara, Adam & Dave dive into an awards frenzy double feature with MAESTRO and a movie people also watched, the 70’s classic ALL THAT JAZZ

First up, it's the Netflix Original that could be called “OSCAR BID”! This limited theatrical release spent a month in theaters before moving to the Netflix Mothership! Directed by Bradley Cooper, and starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, on its limited release Maestro made about ½ million dollars at the box office. But it has won an award already as one of AFI’s Movies of the Year.

Plus a movie that PEOPLE ALSO WATCHED…We’re going from a bio-pic featuring a troubled, creative genius to a semi-autobio-pic featuring a troubled, creative genius with a movie that people also watched – ALL THAT JAZZ! This classic was released on December 20, 1979 – exactly 24 years prior to Maestro landing on Netflix. Starring Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange and Ben Vereen, ALL THAT JAZZ was directed by Bob Fosse and made just over 37 million dollars at the box office. (PERSON) what’s your logline for this movie?
****
Order Tara O’Brien’s book TIPS FOR YOUR LAST YEAR ON EARTH here:
Listen to Adam on Batsh!t here
****
Every month, studios release big-budget features and for every one of those, there are a ton of lesser-known movies you just might love. Join Tara, Adam, & Dave, industry insiders clinging onto the lower rungs of the Hollywood ladder, as they compare a new release to an older, nearly forgotten movie. If you love the big-name, big-budget movies and the little-known movies that you think everybody must see, then you’ll want to get to know what People Also Watched…!
***
People Also Watched theme written & performed by: Brian Ruppenkamp
***
Follow us on twitter/insta @PeopleAlsoWatch
Follow Tara on twitter/insta @TarTarSauce1
Follow Dave on twitter/insta @SuperDaveAwesum
Follow Adam on Insta @UrJester

Steve Silverman (World Gone Good, Drown Town) joins Steph, John & Dave but can he save them as they take on NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU!

There’s no dialogue, there’s no electricity and there’s no peace because NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU! That’s the name of the movie. No One Will Save You.

In this sci-fi, psychologoical thriller, Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) is an anxious, homebody because of a mysterious event in her past that left her the town outcast. Now this lonely, stay-at-home woman finds herself in survival mode, facing off against an alien invasion in the style of Invasion of the Pod People. Armed with sheer grit and an unmatched will to survive, Brynn has to face this extraterrestrial onslaught while facing her past! And when comes to your past, the movie title truly holds up – NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU!


Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This holiday season, Steph, Dave & John switch it up for Christmas! What happens when you cross Freaky Friday with Like Father Like Son and throw in Christmas just for shits and giggles. And don’t forget an extra helping of McG directing and you get the Netflix original - the simply titled FAMILY SWITCH!

FAMILY SWITCH is about the Walker Family as they switch bodies. The mother switches with the daughter, the son switches with the dad and the baby switches with the family dog! And it happens on the night before one of the most important days of everyone’s life – The mom (Jennifer Garner) is supposed to give a big pitch to a big client with a promotion on the line! The Daughter (Emma Myers) is supposed to play in the big soccer tournament with a scholarship on the line! The son (Brady Noon) is meeting with Yale to see if he can get into college a year or two before he graduates! And the Dad (Ed Helms) is going to play the..I don’t know…Christmas Festival? Or something for a chance to be on America’s Got Talent, I think? So the stage is set, the stakes are hight and, oh, did we mention it’s a Christmas movie as well? It’s FAMILY SWITCH!

Follow us on
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy Holidays from the Geeks! It’s the 40th episode, and John HH, Doc, and Smoore offer up some hilarious ideas from your favorite film directors who really need to make a Christmas movie! Listen up Nolan, Scorcese, Fennell, and Tarantino - these are the holiday films we’ve been wishing for! Join us for an Expanded Universe Christmas!

Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @ CinemaCraptaculus
Follow John on Twitter @johnhhford

"Star Monster" by Duncan Neilson, engineered by Drew Canulette.

Stephanie, John & Dave pledge a sorority where they take things slow - Slothlike slow! This is the untrue story of several sorority sisters picked to live in a house and have their lives taken… Where we find out what happens when an adorable sloth with anger issues stops being polite and starts getting real. It’s SLOTHERHOUSE!!!

Here's the rapid recap to catch you up!

Emily Young is a college Senior who will do anything to attain her dream of becoming house president of her Sorority. But standing in her way is current president and mean girl Madison – I think it’s Madison. I didn’t really catch the name of anyone in this movie and all the Sorority sisters basically looked the same to me. So Emily does the one rational thing – she adopts a Sloth in order to win over friends and become president. But does any of that really matter? Because we’re watching a movie called SLOTHERHOUSE. There’s a Sloth, there’s a house and there’s a lot of dead bodies. You’re re-capped!

Follow us on:
Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @cinemacraptaculus

Intro Music: "The Builder" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Geeks go monster mashing as they carve out their best and least favorite trick-or-treat candy, party cocktails, songs, and the popular costumes for 2023. From Taylor Swift attire to lighting candy corn on fire, let’s debate and celebrate with wicked delight by candlelight. It’s a HALLOWEEN extravaganza episode of Cinema Craptaculus Presents: The Expanded Universe!

Twitter @Craptaculus
Instagram @ CinemaCraptaculus
Follow John on Twitter @johnhhford

"Star Monster" by Duncan Neilson, engineered by Drew Canulette.