Load Bearing Beams: A Movie Podcast
Matt and Laci dive deep into a different movie every week. Whether it’s a great movie, a terrible movie, or somewhere in between—we unpack the history behind its production and the people who made it, then discuss, review, and make fun of the movie itself. Why do we call it a Load Bearing Beam? Because it's a movie you love so much that it holds up the foundation of the very structure that is you. Laci Roth and Matt Stokes are a married couple that needs to find stuff to watch together. On this show, they take a look at movies loved by one but unseen, disliked, or forgotten by the other. With open hearts but exhausted and cynical minds, they will get to the bottom of whether or not the movies they love so much are actually good.
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Nickelodeon’s Doug (Patreon Preview)
09/22/2025
Nickelodeon’s Doug (Patreon Preview)
Matt has assembled his friends Wade Hymel and Patrick Perot to do a deep dive into Nickelodeon's Doug—specifically, the episodes "Doug Can't Dance" and "Doug's Garage Band." In this free preview from the longer premium episode (available on Patreon: , Matt, Wade, and Patrick explore the long history of the TV show and of Doug himself, both before, during, and after his show on Nickelodeon. Created by Jim Jinkins, Doug is a show that looks great, sounds even better, and its humor and sensibilities have aged beautifully. We chart the history of Doug himself—his long pre-series life as a character Jinkins used an avatar for himself to process his world; as a pitchman for Florida grapefruit juice and the USA TV network; and then as the star of one of the three original Nicktoons. Then, in a very unique situation, Doug switched networks and was given a mild retooling to make it more radical and extreme for the late '90s as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning lineup of children's programming on ABC. Catch the full episode on Patreon: Source: "You Don't Know Doug" by Mathew Klickstein | Vulture (2012) -
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172. Charlie’s Angels (2000)
09/19/2025
172. Charlie’s Angels (2000)
The year is 2000. You are a 12-year-old boy. You spend your days watching Total Request Live and hoping they’ll man up and play “Stellar” by Incubus. You spend an inordinate amount of time choosing the coolest song lyrics to leave as your AOL Instant Messenger away message. And you head out to the cinematorium to see three women kick ass in Charlie’s Angels. You like it a lot, but you have difficulty explaining why. Well, revisiting it 25 years later, it’s actually pretty easy to see why: It’s kind of just a straightforward, fun, slightly silly action movie. In Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz, you have three extremely likable and charismatic performances. And, in the biggest shocker of all, the much-maligned McG is able to direct some fairly competent action sequences. Who knew? Next week: Dennis the Menace (1993) Bonus videos: Review of the new Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk: Review of FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue: Watching The Godfather with a 14-year-old: Time stamps: 00:04:08 — Opening thoughts on Charlie’s Angels 00:19:15 — History segment: The 1970s Charlie’s Angels TV show and the advent of “Jiggle Television”; the movie’s development with Drew Barrymore as producer and the hiring of McG; the “complicated legacy” of the 2000 movie as the 2019 reboot movie starring Kristen Stewart came out and was then poorly received 00:43:00 — Movie discussion 01:59:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: "The Complicated Legacy of the 2000 Charlie’s Angels" by Ashley Spencer | Vanity Fair (2019) - “Drew Barrymore: I Need to Be the Person to Rescue Myself in Life” by Alyssa Bailey | Elle (2016) - “Bill Murray says 'Charlie's Angels' director 'deserves to die'” by Chris Nashawaty | Entertainment Weekly (2009) - "Post-Godzilla: Broad Sony agenda shows there's life after lizard" by Dan Cox & Benedict Carver | Variety (1998) - Review of 'Charlie's Angels' by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (2000) - “Charlie's timeless angels: Women who transformed television” by David Usborne | The Independent (2006) - "Elizabeth Banks Thinks This Interview Is Dangerous for Her" by David Marchese | The New York Times (2022) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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171. FernGully: The Last Rainforest
09/12/2025
171. FernGully: The Last Rainforest
They thought they were making a movie that would save the environment and destroy extractive industries. Instead, they made a generation of millennials horny as hell for cartoon trees. FernGully: The Last Rainforest is a fascinating mid-budget animated film that presents a mighty counterweight to the Disney behemoth of the early 1990s: Modest in scope, budget-level pop songs, and an anti-capitalist message Disney would never allow (unless James Cameron does it). And it’s not a great movie, but it’s very good, and the animation is extremely impressive. And everyone jokes that Avatar lifts the story of FernGully…. But man, it really seems like Avatar has seen FernGully. Or maybe it’s just that there are so few anti-capitalist movies made by Hollywood studios that the few that exist all seem to resemble each other. Also: Seriously you guys, there is some legitimately horny stuff going on in this movie. Avatar also seems inspired by that part. Next week: Charlie’s Angels (2000) Bonus video: Matt reviews the 1980s Yugoslavian animated film The Elm-Chanted Forest. Watch it on YouTube: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:02:23 — Welcome to “season three” of Load Bearing Beams 00:05:50 — Opening thoughts on FernGully 00:21:32 — History segment: Producer Wayne Young and his wife Diana steward the FernGully project; animation lifer Bill Kroyer directs; Robin Williams’s hiring creates a feud with Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg 00:39:27 — Movie discussion 01:17:42 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: "FernGully at 25: How an Upstart Disney Rival Created a Millennial Silent Spring" by Chantel Tattoli | Vanity Fair (2017) - "Ferngully an enchantment" by Jamie Portman | The Calgary Herald (1992) - "Robin Williams's Change of Life" by Jesse Kornbluth | New York Magazine (1993) - “Technological Threat” (Bill Kroyer’s 1988 animated short) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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Final Thoughts on The Rock + Answering Listener Questions!
09/05/2025
Final Thoughts on The Rock + Answering Listener Questions!
We weren’t expecting this miniseries on Dwayne Johnson to be so relevant, but as he debuted his “new look” at the Venice Film Festival and began his awards season campaign, Laci and Matt react to the news of the week and unpack his public comments. Johnson reflected on his own career with many of the thoughts we’ve had as we’ve gone through his filmography. Is he sincere about it, or just being a good politician trying to win an award? Does he mean it when he says he was ready to pivot to “serious acting” or he was forced to by having so many consecutive box office failures? And is Emily Blunt really his best friend? Does it matter? We take the new information and give our concluding thoughts on the acting career of The Rock, and then rank the nine movies we covered during the summer. And then, we answer some mailbag questions, including: Fuck/Marry/Kill: The duck who shows her tits in Howard the Duck, tiny Dwayne Johnson in Tooth Fairy, and the Thanksgiving turkey from Spider-Man? What relationship from any movie sums up our relationship? Is there a movie that strikes both of us in such a way that we connect over it? What are some underrated movie sequels? What makes us passionate about movies and TV? What movie makes us fight? The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Next week: FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992). Bonus video: Matt does a deep dive into Tower of Terror (1997), the made-for-TV movie starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst and based on the Disney theme park ride English-language: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 01:00 — Dwayne Johnson at the Venice Film Festival 34:38 — Ranking the Summer of Rock movies 37:02 — Mailbag Sources: “Dwayne Johnson Gets Choked Up Discussing ‘The Smashing Machine’ in Venice” by Patrick Brzeski | The Hollywood Reporter (2025) - "Dwayne Johnson Uncontrollably Sobs as ‘The Smashing Machine’ Gets 15-Minute Venice Standing Ovation and Generates Oscar Buzz" by Rebecca Rubin & Ramin Setoodeh | Variety (2025) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (). "Summer of Rock" theme song credits:Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds
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170. Jungle Cruise (Summer of Rock)
08/29/2025
170. Jungle Cruise (Summer of Rock)
This is the end, beautiful friends. We conclude the Summer of Rock with the much-better-than-I-remembered Jungle Cruise, a movie we abruptly pivoted to covering after trying to watch Black Adam and giving up out of boredom. We cover the history of movies based on theme parks, the rocky production of Jungle Cruise, its unfortunate failure at the box office, and then we go through the movie itself, trying to figure out if this is one of The Rock’s better late-career performances or if he’s being carried entirely by Emily Blunt. The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Next week: We’ll have a shorter bonus episode to wrap up the Summer of Rock, and we’ll answer a few mailbag questions. Our next proper episode will be September 12, 2025, about FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992). Bonus video: Matt does a deep dive into Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, the 1989 English-language anime: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:02:59 — Wrapping up the Summer of Rock (sort of) 00:15:40 — General thoughts on Jungle Cruise 00:22:45 — History segment, part 1: The Jungle Cruise Disney theme park attraction and the craze of adapting theme park rides into movies 00:37:50 — History segment, part 2: the production and COVID-hampered release of Jungle Cruise; the production gets attention for featuring Disney’s “first” “openly gay” character 00:58:40 — History segment, part 3: The Rock’s movie career after Jungle Cruise: Red Notice, Black Adam, Red One, and The Smashing Machine 01:16:00 — In-depth movie discussion 02:10:50 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Disney's 'Jungle Cruise' Movie Coming Out Scene with Gay Character ... But Avoids the Key Word” | TMZ (2018) - “Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans’ $200M+ Christmas Action Movie ‘Red One’ Opens To $34M: Is It A Bomb Or A Streamer’s Rounding Error?” by Anthony D'Alessandro | Deadline (2024) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - https://youtu.be/dvRY72jNIEE “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: @wadealready Follow TJ on Instagram: @baresoundstwitaj Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social
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169. Hobbs & Shaw (Summer of Rock)
08/22/2025
169. Hobbs & Shaw (Summer of Rock)
They went and made a dang spin-off to the Fast & Furious franchise, and it made a ton of money, and there's no chance it'll ever get a sequel because no one liked it. Especially not Matt. Matt is utterly miserable talking about Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), but Laci's able to help him get through it by diving in to all the messy drama surrounding Dwayne Johnson's feud with Vin Diesel that led to Luke Hobbs getting exiled from the main Fast & Furious series of movies. Next week: Jungle Cruise (2021) The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! — Time stamps: 00:02:20 — General thoughts on how The Rock is evolving, his chemistry with Jason Statham, and broad reactions to Hobbs & Shaw 00:22:10 — History segment, part 1: Career overview of Jason Statham and director David Leitch 00:31:30 — History segment, part 2: The feud between The Rock and Vin Diesel 01:03:35 — In-depth movie discussion 02:13:40 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Inside The Rock and Vin Diesel's 'Fast 8' Feud: 'Tension Has Been Building for Months,' Says Source” by Mike Miller | People (2016) - “Vin Diesel talks Rock feud: 'In my house, he's Uncle Dwayne'” by Bryan Alexander | USA Today (2017) - “Vin Diesel Is 53 and Still Shifting Up” by Ryan D'Agostino | Men’s Health (2021) - “Dwayne Johnson Lets Down His Guard” by Chris Heath | Vanity Fair (2021) - “Dwayne Johnson reflects on his record-breaking year, becoming the tequila king and whether he’ll run for the White House” by Chloe Melas | CNN (2021) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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168. Baywatch (with Caleb Hogan) (Summer of Rock)
08/15/2025
168. Baywatch (with Caleb Hogan) (Summer of Rock)
There were big expectations in 2017 for the Baywatch movie. 21 Jump Street had shown that raunchy, irreverent takes on cheesy '80s and '90s TV shows could earn bofo box office, and with the dual star power of Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, it looked as if Baywatch couldn't miss. But critics hated it and the movie was a flop at the box office, canceling Paramount’s big plans for a Baywatch Cinematic Universe. So, what happened? And is the movie really as bad as its reputation? What does this movie think it is? Is it a raunchy R-rated comedy that wants to mock its source material? Or is it a loving tribute to the most-watched series in the world in the 1990s? It’s… kind of neither. Does The Rock make any sense in the lead role of Lieutenant Mitch Buchanan, or has he fully entered the “most boring actor in every movie he’s in” portion of his career? Why does the movie suddenly start working as a surprisingly functional comedy when The Rock inexplicably disappears from the movie for 25 minutes and Efron takes over as the lead? Join Laci, Matt, and our official Zac Efron correspondent Caleb for a spirited debate about a movie we’re actually pretty divided on. Plus a deep dive into the history of Baywatch and an in-depth look at Dwayne Johnson’s extended business empire. The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Bonus video: Matt takes us through movies (like Baywatch) that explicitly promise a sequel and then never end up getting a sequel: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:04:03 — Our personal histories with Baywatch the TV series AND the movie 00:17:55 — History segment, part 1: The creation of Baywatch (the TV series), and its unlikely rise to become the most-watched show in the world 00:30:30 — History segment, part 2: The production of Baywatch (the movie) under director Seth Gordon 00:47:45 — History segment, part 3: An in-depth look at Dwayne Johnson’s business empire, insatiable appetite to own the world, potential presidential ambitions, and relationship with Vince McMahon 01:11:20 — Discussing the 2017 Baywatch movie at length 02:41:10 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “The Drive (and Despair) of The Rock: Dwayne Johnson on His Depression, Decision to Fire Agents and Paul Walker’s Death” by Stephen Galloway | Hollywood Reporter (2014) - “Dwayne Johnson lets his guard down” by Chris Heath | Vanity Fair (2021) - “How ‘Baywatch’ Went From an Early Belly Flop to the Big Screen” by Chris Lee | New York Times (2017) - (reprinted in the Austin American-Statesman: “The Inside Story Behind Baywatch, The TV Phenomena That Owned The '90s” by Brian Boone | Looper (2023) - “‘Baywatch’ Origin Story: How One Lifeguard Turned His Dream Into A Hassle That Paid Hoff” by Michael Schneider | IndieWire (2017) - “How ‘Pirates’ & ‘Baywatch’ Are Casualties Of Summer Franchise Fatigue At The Domestic B.O.” by Anthony D'Alessandro & Anita Busch | Deadline (2017) - “Dwayne Johnson once fired his agents because they didn't agree he could be bigger than Will Smith and George Clooney. Now his movies have made more money than theirs.” by Ayomikun Adekaiyero | Business Insider (2024) - “Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson bemoans 'woke culture,' declines to endorse presidential candidate” by Naledi Ushe | USA Today (2024) - "Boss of the Beach: For 40 years, the city’s lifeguard corps has been mired in controversy, and for 40 years it’s been run by one man: Peter Stein" by David Gauvey Herbert | New York Magazine (2020) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
08/08/2025
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
We're off for the week but here's an extensive chunk from our premium episode to tide you over till then. It's a spoiler-filled discussion of The Fantastic Four: First Steps with our guests Neophyte Reviews and Screentime Kota. The Summer of Rock resumes in one week with an episode about Baywatch (2017)! Another MCU movie has arrived, and Matt’s being a real Ebeneezer Scrooge about it. Neophyte Reviews and Screen Time Kota join the show to try to convince him not to be such a grump and to welcome things like light and joy into his heart. And so, we have for you a spoiler-filled discussion of Matt Shakman’s THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, in which an angry mob tries to steal a baby. (Matt’s on the mob’s side.) Meanwhile, Kota fills several chalkboards with equations to demonstrate the multiverses upon multiverse contained within this movie, and Neo explains the most powerful being in all of existence: Franklin. Follow Neophyte Reviews: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@neophyte_reviews Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neophyte_reviews/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@neophyte_reviews Follow Screen Time Kota: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@screentimekota Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/screen_time_kota/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenTimeKota
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167. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Summer of Rock)
08/01/2025
167. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Summer of Rock)
Sony made a sequel to Jumanji, that sad Robin Williams movie from the ‘90s, 22 years later? And it made a billion dollars? And everyone liked it?? It’s true. And as a result, every time a movie studio makes a questionable legacy sequel this is why. They’re telling themselves: “It worked with Jumanji.” It’s why Disney is putting out a Tron movie this year. Well, the thing is, the movie needs to be good! And Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle IS good. It’s a very likable and winning comedy. It’s just kind of a lackluster blockbuster. But what a fun cast! The Rock is once again able to have fun playing a guy who feels very awkward looking like The Rock. Kevin Hart is very funny, Karen Gillan kicks ass, and Jack Black gives maybe his best ever performance. Nick Jonas is also here. And this movie has us asking the big questions. What makes you you and me me? Are our personalities completely predetermined? Do NPCs have a right to privacy? If you’re popular in high school, will you be popular for the rest of your life? And are dicks just the tits of the man? There’s also an unexpected 10-minute Blade Runner digression. The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:02:45 — Our personal histories with Jumanji and its haphazard franchise 00:15:25 — History segment: Jumanji the book by Chris Van Allsburg; the original Joe Johnston movie starring Robin Williams; and the long path to the 2017 sequel directed by Jake Kasdan 00:33:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:43:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “How Producer Matt Tolmach & Sony Revived The ‘Jumanji’ Franchise 22 Years After The Original” by Anthony D’Alessandro | Deadline (2017) - “Jumanji Overtakes Spider-Man as Sony's Biggest Domestic Box Office Release Ever” by Michael Domanico | IGN (2018) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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166. Pain & Gain (Summer of Rock)
07/25/2025
166. Pain & Gain (Summer of Rock)
Pain & Gain is Michael Bay’s magnum opus, a razor-sharp dissection of the American id. This movie has it all: Con artistry, prosperity gospel, and drugs, drugs, drugs! It also features career-best performances of Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Anthony Mackie, and it’s easily Bay’s best movie. Indeed, it’s a look at an alternate career for Johnson where he could play interesting, complicated, vulnerable characters like he does in this movie. Instead, he made a bunch of movies with big cars and/or gorillas. Still, Pain & Gain is an absolute blast and we had a great time breaking it down, marveling at how much fun it is and how well it predicted what America would feel like in 2025. Next week: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Bonus video: Families in movies are always eating breakfast together, but nobody in real life actually does that, right? Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:12:07 — Our personal histories with Pain & Gain and Michael Bay 00:27:08 — History segment: The Rock returns to WWE from 2011-2013 for two matches against John Cena; Michael Bay’s relationship with the American military; the real-life Sun Gym Gang 00:42:43 — In-depth movie discussion 01:51:42 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Pain & Gain” by Pete Collins | The Miami New Times (1999) - “Pain & Gain: Where the Real-Life Sun Gym Gang Characters Are Now” by Francisco Alvarado | The Miami New Times (2013) - “‘Pain & Gain’ killers spared from death by Miami juries. They’ll still spend life in prison” by Charles Rabin | The Miami Herald (2024) - “MICHAEL BAY - Understanding A True American Auteur (PART 1)” by Patrick H. Willems | YouTube (2019) - “MICHAEL BAY - Understanding A True American Auteur (PART 2)” by Patrick H. Willems | YouTube (2019) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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165. Fast Five (Summer of Rock)
07/18/2025
165. Fast Five (Summer of Rock)
Laci and Matt hop in a go-fast car and head for Rio de Janeiro to join up with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), and their whole extended family, as they attempt the heist of the century. All while trying to evade federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), the deadliest agent you’ll find in Hillary Clinton’s State Department. We discover how fascinating Vin Diesel is for Laci, who has had startlingly little exposure to the man of the vast empire he controls. We try to figure out what it is he does well… because it’s hard to say what it is, there’s just something about him. Honestly, that’s true for Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Tyrese Gibson as well. It’s not that they’re captivating actors. They just have a certain quality that you can’t help but love. We also get into the history of the Fast & Furious series and the strange journey it took to becoming a Star Wars-level international blockbuster franchise. Time stamps: 00:14:24 — Our personal histories with the Fast & Furious franchise 00:30:55 — History segment: The history of the Fast & Furious franchise; director Justin Lin; on the weekend of Fast Five’s release, Dwayne Johnson Tweets the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed 00:49:55 — In-depth movie discussion 02:02:15 — Final thoughts and star ratings Next week: Pain & Gain (2013) The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Bonus video: Matt reviews Planet 51 (2009), the bonkers science fiction family film that was Dwayne Johnson’s first animated movie: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get extra episodes! Sources: “'Fast Five' Will Transition Franchise From Street Racing To Future Full Of Heist Action” by Nikki Finke | Deadline (2011) - “How Paul Walker nearly quit the ‘Furious’ franchise” by Amy Kaufman | Los Angeles Times (2015) - “The remarkable evolution of the Fast and Furious movie franchise” by Zach Harper | CBS Sports (2015) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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Jurassic Park (with In Love With Horror) (Summer of Spielberg Re-Release)
07/11/2025
Jurassic Park (with In Love With Horror) (Summer of Spielberg Re-Release)
It is with heavy hearts that we have to push back our release schedule one week. Actually, no, our hearts are light and full of joy. A new baby has been added to House Stokes in the form of past guest Elliott (from the Home Alone 2 episode) and his lovely wife having a baby. Said baby was just very inconsiderate in arriving at precisely the time we were set to record our Fast Five episode. So, it'll be here in a week. All will be well. In the meantime, we're flashing back to last summer when it was the Summer of Spielberg, and we're giving you one of our most popular episodes, the Jurassic Park episode featuring AJ and Kristie from the In Love With Horror podcast. The Summer of Spielberg continues as Laci and Matt were able to buckle their seatbelts in time for their helicopter to land on Isla Nublar, where they meet up with AJ & Kristie from the In Love With Horror podcast to talk about Jurassic Park (1993). The four team up for a rollicking podcast so good it’ll have you shouting “Hello John!” at total strangers. First of all, this famous action/horror/sci-fi/disaster epic has like 50 incredible lines of dialogue! So we just spend some time saying these lines at each other. But eventually we get into it, talking about the history of Michael Crichton’s novel and its adaptation by Steven Spielberg. Then we take a close look at the movie, wondering just how bad of a boss John Hammond must be and what exactly is the nature of his relationship with Ian Malcolm. Also, apparently John Hammond was originally intended to sing a song explaining how Jurassic Park works? Instead they did the Mr. DNA thing, but we would love to hear that song. Who knows... maybe we will. Please check out the great In Love With Horror podcast on Apple Podcast (, Spotify (), or YouTube (), and support them on Patreon (). Watch this episode in full: Time stamps: 00:09:41 — Our histories with Jurassic Park 00:30:05 — History segment: Career overview of Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton; overview of Spielberg’s career since 1982; and a brief overview of the production of the movie 00:48:16 — In-depth movie discussion 01:13:14 — John Hammond's deleted musical number 01:54:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Spielberg” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - “Summer of Spielberg” theme song credits: Words and music written by Matt Stokes Performed by Wade Hymel (drums/guitar), Laci Roth (vocals), and Matt Stokes (vocals/guitar/bass) Produced by TJ Barends, Wade Hymel, and Matt Stokes Engineered and mixed by TJ Barends at Bare Sounds Studio in Ponchatoula, Louisiana Sources: Steven Spielberg: A Biography by Joseph McBride - “'Jurassic Park' screenwriter David Koepp reveals the origin of the film's most quoted line” - by Tom Butler | Yahoo! Entertainment (2019) -
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Jurassic Park Franchise Rankings + Godzilla (2014)
07/04/2025
Jurassic Park Franchise Rankings + Godzilla (2014)
Hey folks, we're off this week, but we'll be back next week with our Fast Five episode, as the Summer of Rock rolls on! In the meantime, enjoy some samplings from the additional bonus material available on our YouTube channel (). Time stamps: 1:30 — Top-Five Jurassic Park Movies (excluding Jurassic Park) 9:06 — Revisiting Gareth Edwards's Godzilla (2014)
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164. Tooth Fairy (Summer of Rock)
06/27/2025
164. Tooth Fairy (Summer of Rock)
Well, a movie finally broke us. Horror and mortal terror have a face. In the absolutely dreadful “family film” Tooth Fairy (2010)—quite possibly the worst movie our podcast has ever covered—Dwayne Johnson plays Derek Thompson, a hockey player who specializes in knocking out opponents’ teeth. He has a lot on his plate: He’s dating Ashley Judd, who has two kids: An adorable little girl who loves him and a punk teenage boy who thinks he’s full of crap (Because he is.). At the same time, Derek has some hotshot new competition in the form of Mick “The Stick” Donnelly, a hot-shot new prospect who is described in the span of 25 seconds by the team’s coach as both “the future face of this (minor league) franchise” and “only here for a cup of coffee before he makes the NHL.” Then he becomes the Tooth Fairy. Hilarity ensues. Next week: We're off! We return on July 11 for an episode about Fast Five (2011). The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Bonus video: Matt explains how director Paul Verhoeven could predict how the future would feel, through examining three of his movies: RoboCop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers. Watch it on YouTube: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:09:30 — History segment: The Rock’s wrestling career winds down in 2003 and 2004 as he turns heel and embraces his “Hollywood Rock” persona; his acting career sputters as he tries a number of lead roles that don’t work out; he pivots to family films, where he becomes much more successful; genesis of Tooth Fairy under writer Jim Piddock and director Michael Lemdeck 00:36:15 — In-depth movie discussion 01:59:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “Interview with THE TOOTH FAIRY's Jim Piddock” by Clint Morris | Geek Week (2010) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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163. The Rundown (Summer of Rock)
06/20/2025
163. The Rundown (Summer of Rock)
Dwayne Johnson followed up his debut lead performance in The Scorpion King with The Rundown. Released as Welcome to the Jungle outside America, The Rundown might be his very best movie. Along with Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson, and a deliciously hammy Christopher Walken, The Rock is firing on all cylinders as both a physical and emotional actor. He can be funny when called to be, but leaves most of the humor to Scott and Walken, and he really shines as a stoic badass. It's no mistake that Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a cameo at the beginning of this movie, passing by The Rock and telling him to "have fun." It was his world now. As The Scorpion King was The Rock's version of Conan the Barbarian, The Rundown was his version of Commando. Unfortunately, the world had changed since the 1980s, and the public appetite for throwback action-adventure movies was waning. We were robbed of a world where he made a movie of this quality every year. But we’re also robbed of a world where dozens of movies like this get made every year. We had it all, we just didn’t know it. The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Bonus video: The Rundown should’ve had a sequel! The Rock and Seann William Scott have excellent chemistry, and their partnership could easily have fit into all kinds of different sequel scenarios. Really, there should have been 10 Rundowns. We name a few other movies we think should’ve gotten sequels as well: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:04:40 — Our personal histories with The Rundown 00:14:00 — History segment: The Rock’s wrestling career in 2002 and 2003, including his feud with Hulk Hogan and the fans turning against him; brief history of the production of The Rundown under director Peter Berg 00:32:20 — In-depth movie discussion 01:20:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “Man of Action! ** Former Bethlehem resident The Rock is on a roll with ‘The Rundown’” by Amy Longsdorf | The Morning Call (2003) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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162. The Scorpion King (Summer of Rock)
06/13/2025
162. The Scorpion King (Summer of Rock)
The Summer of Rock begins as Laci and Matt dive into the movie career of Dwayne Johnson with his first leading role in The Scorpion King (2002). The Rock first graced the big screen a year earlier in The Mummy Returns, in a brief prologue in which he plays a character who seemingly has nothing to do with the sturdy nice fellow he plays in Scorpion King. And now he gets to lead a picture. And what a picture. An old-fashioned picture, you might say. One refreshingly free of irony, self-awareness, or any of the oppressive trappings of modernity. This movie’s kinda great, actually. And so is The Rock. Is it possible his career peaked with his first feature? We shall find out in the weeks and months ahead. The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long! Bonus video: Matt explains why all movie studio CEOs are basically the exact same guy and why they all make the exact same decisions. Watch it on YouTube: Next week: The Rundown (2003) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:11:28 — Our personal histories with The Scorpion King 00:28:20 — History segment: Brief career overview of Dwayne Johnson; development and production of The Scorpion King and the surprisingly long direct-to-video franchise it spawned 00:47:45 — In-depth movie discussion 01:32:00 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage by Nick de Semlyen (2023) - “Hiding Out with Dwayne Johnson: The GQ Video Cover Story” by Zach Baron | GQ (2024) - Review of “The Scorpion King” by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (2002) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass Follow Wade on Instagram: Follow TJ on Instagram: Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
06/06/2025
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
We're off this week, preparing for the Summer of Rock, which starts next week with an episode about The Scorpion King (2002). In fact, here is our schedule for the rest of the month: June 13 - The Scorpion King (2002) June 20 - The Rundown (2003) June 27 - Tooth Fairy (2010) In the meantime, please enjoy Matt's semi-spoiler-y review of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. And please follow us on YouTube to get all kinds of bonus content:
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161. I Love You, Man (with Wade Hymel)
05/30/2025
161. I Love You, Man (with Wade Hymel)
Friend of the Show Wade Hymel makes his triumphant return to the podcast, and he’s brought with him I Love You, Man (2009). So what’s up with men, huh? With their man caves, and their jam seshes, and their pizza pies. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t help but love ‘em, am I right? And how do adults make friends anyway? It’s pretty weird. Somebody should make a movie about it. Oh, that’s what this movie is. Hear Wade's amazing album WHO SAID THAT? on Apple Music (), Spotify (), or wherever else music is streamed. Or you can purchase the album from Bandcamp (. Bonus video: Matt unpacks the story of The Black Cauldron, Disney’s biggest ever flop. Watch it on YouTube: Next week: We’re off. Our Summer of (redacted) miniseries begins the following Friday (June 13) with an episode about (redacted… listen to the episode to learn what it is!). Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:01:45 — Our MAJOR summer miniseries announcement 00:06:08 — Summer miniseries theme song debut 00:10:15 — Our personal histories with I Love You, Man 00:18:20 — History segment: The Male Loneliness epidemic — why is it so hard for men to make friends? We definitively answer the question. Then we talk about the origins of this movie under original screenwriter Larry Levin in the 1990s, and how it was finally brought to life by director John Hamburg in 2009 00:32:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:59:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Younger Men in the U.S. Among the Loneliest in West” by Benedict Vigers | Gallup (2025) - “John Hamburg Says I Love You, Man” by Edward Douglas | (2009) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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160. Wayne’s World
05/23/2025
160. Wayne’s World
Join us at Stan Mikita’s for crullers, dear listener, as we go through one of the very best comedies of the 1990s: It’s Wayne’s World. Excellent. But is it truly Wayne’s world? How much control does Wayne really have? What does he want? What does he stand for? And will he ever transcend the limitations of his corporeal space? We definitively answer these and so much more, as we cover both the making of the movie (including what sounds like a very difficult experience for director Penelope Spheeris in having to work with Mike Myers) and the movie itself, reading very closely to divine its message. Bonus video: Matt tells you about the ONLY Disney Animated Feature that you won’t find on Disney Plus, and why that is. Watch it on YouTube: Next week: I Love You Man (2009) with special guest Wade Hyel Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:03:00 — Our personal histories with Wayne’s World 00:14:45 — History segment: Mike Myers & the origins of Wayne Campbell on 1980s Canadian television; “Wayne’s World” debuts on SNL with Myers and Dana Carvey; production of Wayne’s World led by director Penelope Spheeris 00:37:57 — In-depth movie discussion 01:52:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: "Comedy in the ’90s, Part 1: ‘Wayne’s World’ Starts the Party" by Alan Siegel | The Ringer (2019) - “Gentle Reminder: ‘Wayne’s World’ Was, and Will Always Be, a Totally Canadian Thing” by Greg Hudson | Sharp (2017) - “Mike Myers: Man of Mystery” by Josh Rottenberg | Entertainment Weekly (2008) - https://bit.ly/43BD5lD Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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159. Final Destination
05/16/2025
159. Final Destination
Laci and Matt are broadcasting to you from a cabin in the woods, where they're eating canned cat food with oven mitts, trying to dodge that pesky Grim Reaper. But the rats need their cheese, so here’s a new episode about Final Destination (2000). (You’re the rat, I guess.) It’s the movie that launched one of the great horror franchises. A franchise that Matt posits is Friday the 13th for the decade of the 2000s. This series has it all: Primitive cell phones! Internet research on big ole computers! And nu-metal, nu-metal, nu-metal. And it all started here, with this movie that began life as an X-Files spec script and, even in its final form, has forgotten to take the X-Files out. That’s not a bad thing. Next week: Wayne’s World (1992) Bonus Video: We suggest scenarios we’d like to see in future FInal Destination sequels. Check it out on , , , and . Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:01:28 — Our personal histories with the FInal Destination franchise 00:13:00 — History segment: How Final Destination began as an X-Files spec script by Jeffrey Reddick, and instead was turned into a feature film helmed by X-Files writers James Wong and Glen Morgan 00:28:52 — In-depth movie discussion 01:28:25 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Final Destination: the definitive oral history by the people who made it” by Ian Sandwell | Digital Spy (2022) - “How Final Destination Went From Real-Life Premonition to Horror Phenomenon” by Jack Beresford | Den of Geek (2021) - Final Destination press kit (2000) - “Devon Sawa: ‘I had to smoke pot in movies and be in a hip-hop video to get away from Casper’” by Rachel Brodsky | The Independent (2022) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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Thunderbolts* Review + MCU Roundtable
05/12/2025
Thunderbolts* Review + MCU Roundtable
Matt's declaration that he was forever finished with the Marvel Cinematic Universe lasted all of one movie, once Thunderbolts* started getting good reviews. So he went out and saw it, and thought it was..... okay. But to go through it, he needed to bring on two big-time fans of the movie, so Neophyte Reviews and Screen Time Kota join the show for a discussion of Thunderbolts* and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. This CLIP features the first 35 minutes of the discussion. You can get the rest of the discussion by subscribing to LOAD BEARING BEAMS: COLLECTOR'S EDITION on Patreon: https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Follow Neophyte Reviews: TikTok - Instagram - YouTube - Follow Screen Time Kota: TikTok - Instagram - YouTube -
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158. Death Proof (with Cinema Chris)
05/09/2025
158. Death Proof (with Cinema Chris)
Please note: Like how Death Proof uses fake film grain to make it seem like it’s an older movie, only to stop doing it halfway through, Laci and Matt’s audio improves halfway through this episode. You might not even notice the audio isn't great in the first half... but if you do, just know it gets better eventually. Friend of the Show Cinema Chris joins Laci and Matt to talk about Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof (2007). Originally a 90-minute movie presented as part of a double feature alongside Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, Death Proof now stands on its own (in an expanded edition) as one of the more fascinating entries in Tarantino’s filmography. We discuss the beautiful animal that is Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan’s captivating pronunciation of “chocolate milk,” and how much joy there is to be had in a car going vroom-vroom real fast. Follow Chris on TikTok (), Instagram (), and Letterboxd (). Next week: Final Destination (2000) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:02:40 — Our personal histories with Death Proof 00:13:00 — History segment: The history of grindhouse; the history of Grindhouse 00:31:21 — In-depth movie discussion 01:30:00 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “House Party: Girls! Zombies! Serial killers! Step inside Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's down 'n' dirty double feature, 'Grindhouse’” by Mike Cotton| Wizard Universe (2007) - “Online Exclusive: Horror Film Directors Dish About 'Grindhouse' Trailers” by Gavin Edwards | Rolling Stone (2007) - “Hungry zombies! A psychopath in a killer car! It's ‘'Grindhouse’!” by Chris Nashawaty | Entertainment Weekly (2007) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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The Royal Tenenbaums
05/02/2025
The Royal Tenenbaums
Hey folks, we had to make a programming change this week because one of our bodies did a medical oopsie and we ended up in the emergency room. Everything's fine... but wait till the bill comes, am I right?? Anyway, we had to push back our Death Proof episode, so now, we have unlocked our Royal Tenenbaums episode from behind the Patreon paywall. See you in a week! Love you goodbyeeee.
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157. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (with Jen Walks N2 Walls)
04/25/2025
157. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (with Jen Walks N2 Walls)
Friend of the Show Jen ( on TikTok) joins us to cover Sister Act 2. We once again follow the misadventures of Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg), a Las Vegas headliner who selfishly abandons the backup dancers, crew members, and support staff who rely on her show to make their living, all so she can go be a substitute teacher at a Catholic school for some reason. Seriously, is she paying all these people out of her pocket while her show is on hiatus? Or is she like Jimmy Fallon during the 2023 strikes, sending them each a $20 gift card and best wishes? Anyway. This movie’s a lot of fun, but it is all over the place. Looking into the production history, we see it’s a hastily produced sequel that seems almost as if it started as an original, unrelated script about a high school choir competition and then had the Sister Act nuns awkwardly grafted onto it. Still, Whoopi Goldberg is her usual delightful self, but she’s outshined by these delightful kids, including a just-about-to-be-a-superstar Lauryn Hill as Rita, a high schooler whose mom hates choirs more than anything else. Next week: Death Proof (2007) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get extra episodes! In April, we’re covering the pilot episode of the American Office, Matt has thoughts on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and we’re reviewing M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening. Subscribe at Time stamps: 00:06:42 — Our personal histories with Sister Act 2 00:21:45 — History segment: Production of Sister Act 2 under director Bill Duke and its lasting legacy 00:39:30 — In-depth movie discussion 01:30:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Bill Duke on ‘Deep Cover,’ ‘Sister Act 2,’ and Reshaping What Black Movies Could Be in the ’90s” by Robert Daniels | IndieWire (2022) - “How did ‘Sister Act 2’ become a classic musical?” by David Dennis Jr. | Andscape (2019) - “Sister Act 2 Cast Reunites to Sing 'Joyful, Joyful' and 'Oh Happy Day,' 30 Years After Film — Watch” by Dave Quinn | People Magazine (2024) - “A Fresh Take on Black America: On ‘Sister Act 2’” by Brandon Tensley | Los Angeles Review of Books (2023) - “‘Sister Act 2’ Set the Gold Standard for Bad Sequels” by Caspar Salmon | Vice (2018) - “Whoopi Goldberg looks back on Sister Act” by Mary Sellosi | Entertainment Weekly (2017) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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The Office (U.S.) - "Pilot" (Patreon Preview!)
04/21/2025
The Office (U.S.) - "Pilot" (Patreon Preview!)
Enjoy nine free minutes from our Patreon-exclusive episode about the pilot of the American Office. Hear the full thing by subscribing at for $5/month. Matt and Wade go through the pilot episode of the American Office. They compare their personal fandoms of the show and how deep their knowledge runs, and then briefly discuss how the show was adapted from the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, its rocky first season and slow ascent into a megahit, and its lasting cultural legacy. And as for the pilot itself, which is generally not well regarded, Matt is surprised at how solid it is, how good a job it does at setting up the series, and how fully formed the main characters already are. The Office was created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, and developed by Greg Daniels. It stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer The pilot is directed by Ken Kwapis & written by Greg Daniels (adapted from a teleplay by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant) Original air date: March 24, 2005 Source: The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene (2020) - Hear Wade's incredible album WHO SAID THAT? on , , or wherever else music is streamed. Or you can purchase the album from . Follow Wade on Instagram: Music credit: "Never Trust a Bat" by Rural Route Nine. Listen on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube ( Live cover of The Office theme song by Better By Design, one of Wade's bands. Watch it in full:
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UNLOCKED: The Truman Show
04/18/2025
UNLOCKED: The Truman Show
Hoppy Easter. We're taking the week off but don't want to leave you hopping. So here's our eggsipode about The Truman Show, in its entirety, previously available only to our Patreon subscribers. We'll be back next week with an all-new episode about Sister Act 2.
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156. American Psycho (with Red Rose Film Club)
04/11/2025
156. American Psycho (with Red Rose Film Club)
We welcome Hal ( on Letterboxd) and Craig ( on Letterboxd) from the Red Rose Film Club podcast to cover American Psycho (2000), the Wall Street horror/comedy starring Christian Bale as Patrick "Jason" Bateman. This movie’s got a lot going on, folks. And we get to it all—we determine who has the best business card, we explain why you wouldn’t want Christian Bale as your co-worker at Whataburger, we try to figure out what’s going on with Justin Theroux’s hair, and we marvel at Patrick Bateman’s chainsaw math. Also, is American Psycho Jared Leto’s villain origin story? But more than anything, we're trying to identify what exactly Patrick Bateman represents. Is he the embodiment of toxic masculinity? A victim of America’s addiction to competition and consumption above all else? A misunderstood baby boy? An iconic slasher villain? What if our answer was…. Yes? Next week: We are the nation’s top fun-havers, so we’re taking the week off for Spring Break. We'll unlock our The Truman Show episode from our Patreon archive, and we’ll be back on April 25, 2025 with a brand-new episode about Sister Act 2 (1993) with our friend Jen Walks N2 Walls. Subscribe to Red Rose Film Club: Apple Podcast: Spotify: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:08:00 — Our personal histories with American Psycho 00:16:30 — History segment: Bret Easton Ellis and his American Psycho novel; development of the film under director Mary Harron; star Christian Bale 00:41:45 — In-depth movie discussion 02:02:39 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “American Psycho: An Oral History, 20 Years After Its Divisive Debut” by Tim Molloy | Movie Maker, 2020 - “Blood, Boycott, and Body Bags: An Oral History of ‘American Psycho’” by Tatiana Tenreyro | Vice, 2020 - “Snuff This Book! Will Bret Easton Ellis Get Away With Murder?” by Roger Rosenblatt | The New York Times, 1991 - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social
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155. Superman (1978)
04/04/2025
155. Superman (1978)
We bid a tearful farewell to our favorite actor, Gene Hackman, by discussing his hilarious evil Lex Luthor in Superman (1978). Richard Donner started the whole superhero movie idea with this film, but we won’t hold that against him. How electric are Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder? How great does this movie look? And why are so many children getting smacked by their mothers? Bonus video: We each give our most contrarian film opinion. Watch it on our , , , or . Next week: American Psycho (2000) with the Red Rose Film Club podcast Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:01:16 — Our personal histories with Superman 00:09:40 — History segment: A very brief history of Superman (the character); development of Superman (the movie); career overview of director Richard Donner; career overview of star Christopher Reeve 00:31:50 — In-depth movie discussion 01:33:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “‘Superman,’ The Inside Story: Director Richard Donner Remembers Meeting Stallone to Play the Lead, Working With Brando, and a Near-Fatal Knife Attack” by Stephen Galloway | The Hollywood Reporter (2016) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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The Royal Tenenbaums (Patreon Preview)
04/01/2025
The Royal Tenenbaums (Patreon Preview)
Enjoy 12 minutes from our Patreon-only bonus episode about The Royal Tenenbaums! Subscribe to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5/month at
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154. Heartbreakers (2001)
03/28/2025
154. Heartbreakers (2001)
Laci and Matt head to Palm Beach, Florida, to con some rich geriatrics out of their money with their best pals, Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt. That’s right, it’s the perfectly cromulent 2001 crime-comedy Heartbreakers, brought to you by director David Mirkin (showrunner of seasons 5 and 6 of The Simpsons, and director of previous episode Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion). Bonus video: Most awkward experience seeing a movie with a parent. Watch it on our or on our . Next week: Superman (1978) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:05:56 — Our personal histories with Heartbreakers 00:09:27 — History segment: Brief overviews of director David Mirkin and stars Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt; Laci and Matt listen to Jennifer Love Hewitt’s highest charting single to determine if they’ve ever heard it 00:21:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:36:41 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Interview with David Mirkin” by Steve Head | IGN (2001) - “Jennifer Love Hewitt Answers Every Question We Have About Heartbreakers” by Ilana Kaplan | Vulture (2021) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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