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Building Our “Hall of Fame” First 20

Challenge Accepted

Release Date: 09/24/2025

Thank you and Goodbye. show art Thank you and Goodbye.

Challenge Accepted

In this final episode of Challenge Accepted, Frank and Thomas Law reflect on what the show became over three years and 250-plus episodes, and why ending it now feels like the right move. They talk about the grind of weekly reviews, the fun of theme months, the lessons they’re carrying forward, and how the best parts of this podcast will live on through Geek Freaks and what’s next for the network. Thomas also shares where Sick Burn is headed, why the message matters more than the metrics, and how storytelling and vulnerability have become a core part of the work. Timestamps and Topics 00:06...

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Challenge Accepted

Thomas and Frank look back on the movies and TV that defined their 2025, from why Superman hit so hard to how Marvel’s three-film run landed with Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and Captain America: Brave New World. They also talk about the stuff that disappointed them, why TV felt like it “won” this year, and the shows they could not stop thinking about, including IT: Welcome to Derry, Alien: Earth, and Andor. To close it out, they shift into 2026 mode: what’s got them genuinely excited again, which upcoming releases feel like “event” movies, and how they want to evolve Challenge...

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In this solo Thanksgiving episode of Challenge Accepted, Frank breaks down The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen Brothers’ Netflix Western anthology that has quietly become one of his holiday staples. Story by story, he digs into how each vignette wrestles with death, chance, and human nature, from Tim Blake Nelson’s singing gunslinger to Tom Waits’ stubborn prospector and that iconic “First time?” hanging meme. Along the way, Frank talks about why the film feels so cozy despite its bleak themes, how the Coens use digital cinematography to shape tone, and what these stories say...

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On this episode of Challenge Accepted, Thomas welcomes critic and lifelong Ranger fan Becca Peterson (The Critic Buffet) for a fast-paced, fun deep dive into the 1995 feature film. We cover why this movie still hits for ‘90s kids, the charm of Ivan Ooze, the switch to ninja powers and new Zords, and how the film fits into the broader multiverse of Power Rangers stories. Becca brings great trivia, from casting changes to Sentai influences, and shares why the movie’s core message still lands. Timestamps & Topics 00:00 – 01:10 | Cold open, show intro, and guest welcome; Becca’s...

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More Episodes

Thomas and Frank kick off a running series to assemble a living “Hall of Fame” of 100 movies covered on Challenge Accepted. In this first pass, they lock in the opening 20 picks across adventure, animation, sci-fi, horror, and sports drama. Along the way they talk performance standouts, scenes that shaped their taste, and how future rewatches and listener votes could bump titles up or off the board.

Timestamps and Topics

00:03:52 Big Fish and why it still wrecks us in different seasons of life
00:05:07 Hook as 90s Goonies energy and a Robin Williams showcase
00:06:49 Tombstone and the definitive Doc Holliday performance
00:08:13 Raiders of the Lost Ark and the problem of recasting Indy
00:12:52 The Prestige and discovering a top tier Nolan on rewatch
00:14:48 Interstellar nomination and why it grew with repeat viewings
00:17:12 The Shining as prestige horror and a genre pivot point
00:18:23 In Time gets discussed but does not make the cut for now
00:20:00 Across the Spider Verse moves in after a better audio experience
00:22:47 Planes, Trains and Automobiles lands as a comedy essential
00:24:43 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and its surprising emotional weight
00:28:38 Studio Ghibli slot: Spirited Away talk and the case for Kiki’s Delivery Service
00:30:24 Dune: Part Two enters as modern epic sci-fi
00:34:38 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and how the evolving list could reshuffle later
00:36:55 The Empire Strikes Back as the Star Wars representative
00:39:11 Jurassic Park and the marriage of practical and digital effects
00:41:02 The Iron Claw and a note on wrestling stories we will cover next
00:42:52 Superman (1978) closes the 20 with an all time origin story
00:48:27 Wrap up, what is coming next, and how listeners can influence the rankings

The First 20 (Working List)

  • Big Fish

  • Hook

  • Tombstone

  • Raiders of the Lost Ark

  • The Prestige

  • Interstellar

  • The Shining

  • Spider Man: Across the Spider Verse

  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

  • Spirited Away or Kiki’s Delivery Service (Ghibli slot)

  • Dune: Part Two

  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

  • The Empire Strikes Back

  • Jurassic Park

  • The Iron Claw

  • Superman (1978)

  • Plus a few near misses and future candidates

Key Takeaways

  • This is a living list. Titles can move as we review more films and as listeners weigh in.

  • Emotional resonance matters as much as craft, from TMNT’s farmhouse sequence to Big Fish’s generational pull.

  • Genre representatives help keep variety, like Empire for Star Wars and a Ghibli pick for animation.

  • Craft notes: Jurassic Park’s blend of practical and digital still sets the bar, and Vol. 3 sparks a James Gunn redemption chat.

  • Community plan: we will combine Frank’s rankings, Thomas’s rankings, and a listener ballot to shape the master list.

Quotes

  • “The little things are the big things.”

  • “He smashed it, dropped the mic, and went to DC.”

  • “If you see a puddle shake, you’re waiting for the T-Rex.”

Call to Action

Enjoying the Hall of Fame project? Follow, rate, and review the show. Share this episode with a friend who loves movies and tell us what should make the next batch using #ChallengeAcceptedHall.

Links and Resources

All news and episode links are available on our website. That is the source for all news discussed on our podcasts.

Follow Us

Find Challenge Accepted and the Geek Freaks Network on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Twitter, and Patreon.
Hosts: Frank and Thomas.

Listener Questions

What movie should anchor the next five spots, and which of these 20 would you swap out after a rewatch? Send us a voice note or message and we will feature selections in an upcoming Hall of Fame update.

Apple Podcasts Tags: movies, film discussion, movie rankings, sci fi, animation, comedy, horror, action, Geek Freaks Network, Challenge Accepted, Hall of Fame, podcast review, classic films, modern hits