Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

-- thoughts, theories, and literary analysis -- chapter-by-chapter fantasy discussions

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game [Demo] 11/17/2025

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game [Demo] There's so much to love about Terrifier: The ARTcade Game, but after playing through the demo a few times, there's a lot that makes us nervous too. In this episode, we're breaking down all these conflicted reactions. Topics include: signature weapons, enemy variety, hit detection, and the always-important fun factor. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39050835

The Bear: The Many Deaths of Mikey Berzatto 11/14/2025

The Bear: The Many Deaths of Mikey Berzatto The death of Michael Berzatto is The Bear’s inciting incident, but the character remains a regular part of the story through flashbacks and cutaways. What is the narrative effect of these repeated resurrections and deaths? In this episode, we’re continuing our exploration of grief art with a discussion of story structure, repetition, memory, and Carmy’s frighteningly familiar existential spiral. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39011005

Black Phone 2 11/11/2025

Black Phone 2 Black Phone 2 is an exceedingly strange sequel: shuffling up the narrative prominence of all the central characters, switching horror subgenres, and tossing out the first film’s winning formula. These are all admirably big swings for the creative team to take, but the real sticking point for us is the ending, which breaks the cardinal rule of grief art. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38980780

Dragon Age: The Veilguard 11/07/2025

Dragon Age: The Veilguard A year after its debut, we’re taking an in-depth look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Beneath all the good faith (and bad faith) controversies, there’s an interesting, immersive fantasy world here that is worth exploring. Topics include: character customization, combat expression, role playing, conflicting art styles, and the difference between writing good plot and writing good dialogue. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38917235

Interview: Stephen Cognetti [Creator of Hell House LLC] 10/31/2025

Interview: Stephen Cognetti [Creator of Hell House LLC] We’re honored to be joined by Hell House LLC creator Stephen Cognetti for this wide-ranging interview celebrating the release of his final film in the franchise. Topics include: ambiguous endings, creative closure, the sequel business, audience expectations, continuing the franchise in a new medium, and fascinating deep dives into the structure and pacing of a good horror movie. Hell House LLC Lineage is available to stream now on Shudder. Happy Halloween! LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38785325

Frankenstein (2025) 10/28/2025

Frankenstein (2025) For die-hard fans of horror and fantasy like us, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein might just be the perfect film — and it’s also almost certainly the best adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel ever made. In this episode, Cam leads us on a whirlwind tour through the source material’s intimate relationship with Doctor Faustus and some of this rendition’s most thrilling and thoughtful additions to that proud lineage. We also explore the film’s kaleidoscopic structure within the frame of a familiar favorite, analyze Del Toro’s sumptuous directorial style, and take a closer look at his (pun intended) Creature design. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38802815

Halloween (1978) 10/24/2025

Halloween (1978) In this time traveling episode of Second Breakfast, we're finally tackling the godfather of the slasher genre, John Carpenter's Halloween. We start with a simple question: why is this the best slasher movie? The answer involves gestural structure and a paradoxical approach to pacing. We also get into a spirited debate about the mysterious motive of our beloved Michael Myers. Is he supernatural? Are his crimes random? What roles do sexuality and cultural puritanism play in this story? Finally, we revisit some of the best analysis of the film that we've done over the past five (!) years. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38748390

Deathstalker 10/17/2025

Deathstalker This has gotta be the most entertaining film of the year; a bombastic, aggressively old-school high fantasy adventure full of glorious practical effects and tongue in cheek humor. In this episode, we’re exploring the fantasy and horror roots of Deathstalker, the boundless joy of episodic structure, and the delicate balancing act that is required to make a movie this relentlessly entertaining. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38568080

When Evil Lurks 10/10/2025

When Evil Lurks Demián Rugna's “When Evil Lurks” is a relentlessly creative and upsetting indie horror film from Argentina. It’s also one of the very best possession movies ever made. In this episode, we’re using comparisons to Robert Eggers’ “The Witch” and Zach Cregger’s “Weapons” to analyze the film’s folk horror reckoning about children and evil. We also examine the film’s paradoxical reliance on excess and restraint by doing close readings of both the most memorable moments of violence and the unnamed monster’s ever-evolving creature design. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38482070

Destiny: Rising 10/07/2025

Destiny: Rising Destiny: Rising is like a phenomenal cover band of Destiny 2, a spirited revival playing all the hits and reminding you of better times. And with Destiny 2 currently in such a dreadful state, it is genuinely remarkable how well NetEase has curated this game as a greatest hits of everything Bungie has ever done well. Does this spinoff mobile game somehow manage to surpass its namesake? LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38481030

Him 10/03/2025

Him Him is the most underrated and misunderstood horror movie of the year. In this episode, we’re exploring the film’s boundless thematic depth and striking visuals to uncover a fascinating inverse Faust theory and an unexpected but bone-deep Kubrick homage. Comparison titles include: Whiplash, Fight Club, Doctor Faustus, Midsommar, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38459730

Diablo IV: Season of Infernal Chaos 09/29/2025

Diablo IV: Season of Infernal Chaos The live service whiplash continues in Diablo IV’s tenth season as the game craters back down to earth. Somehow, this season is as dreadful, buggy, frustrating, and meaningless as last season was flawless. In this episode, we’re discussing the state of the game, the seasonal campaign, and providing a few class updates — while doing our best to avoid reaching a breaking point with this game. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38378980

How do you end a franchise? 09/26/2025

How do you end a franchise? How do you end a franchise? It’s a question that haunts (and ruins) almost every long-running story that any of us has ever loved, and here’s the thing — it might be a trick question. In this episode, we’re considering three recent ‘finales’ to long-running series (and about a hundred other examples) to see if we can answer this perennial question! LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38315765

The Long Walk: A Faust Fable 09/23/2025

The Long Walk: A Faust Fable Ask and you shall receive! Here’s our analysis of The Long Walk through the evergreen lens of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. This one’s got some fascinating remixes: dozens of Faustuses, a rare foregrounding of the lesser demons, and possibly the most unfair Faustian deal we’ve ever seen put to screen. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38320515

The Long Walk 09/22/2025

The Long Walk This discussion is all about intensity. The Long Walk is the first movie that Cam has ever seriously considered walking out of, and we’re breaking down every element of this film to find out why, from the slasher structure and non-romantic restraint to the empathetic realism and distinctly American contradictions. Comparisons include: The Hunger Games, Mad Max: Fury Road, Inside, The Stranger, Funny Games, It Follows, and Warfare. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38291910

Gears of War: Reloaded 09/19/2025

Gears of War: Reloaded In an era full of tired remakes, what do we make of video game remasters? What is gained or lost when a classic from another time is overhauled to suit modern hardware and sensibilities? In this episode, we’re investigating Gears of War: Reloaded to find out what (if anything) has been lost in translation, and why this game still feels so revolutionary almost twenty years later. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38213945

Somnium 09/12/2025

Somnium Rachel Cain’s ‘Somnium’ is a triumph of indie horror filmmaking and sheer creative willpower, but it’s also the most provocative and fascinating exploration of dreams that we’ve ever seen from the genre. In this episode, we’re deep diving into metaphorical dreams, literal dreams, and all the nightmarish ways in which they interact. We’re talking symbolic monsters, ambiguous endings, and class consciousness — with just a touch of Faustus thrown in for good measure. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38172855

The Conjuring: Last Rites 09/08/2025

The Conjuring: Last Rites The Conjuring: Last Rites is a long goodbye; it presents a medley of curtain calls, family drama, beautiful directing, and uninspired scares. In this episode we examine the final Ed & Lorraine Conjuring movie from three different perspectives: as a character study, as a horror movie, and as the ending of a beloved horror franchise. Our discussion concludes with a reflection on subjectivity, and its centrality to our discussions about art on the show. Plus, Maggie forgets the word “spin-off” about 17 times. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38122800

The Toxic Avenger 09/05/2025

The Toxic Avenger The Toxic Avenger is unrated, unhinged, and full of heart. In this episode, we’re exploring the explosive color work of unrated horror, Toxie’s fantastic creature design that harkens back to the body horror roots of the genre, the restlessness of successful on-screen comedy, and the film’s folkloric catharsis in the face of cartoonish corruption and cruelty. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38060145

Faust Fables: The Hell House LLC Sequels 08/29/2025

Faust Fables: The Hell House LLC Sequels Of all the horror franchises, Hell House LLC might have the boldest and most terrifying sequels. In this episode, we’re discussing them all, while tracking the unique ways in which they complicate and deepen the franchise’s ten-year Faustus meditation. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37940955

Hell House LLC: Lineage 08/25/2025

Hell House LLC: Lineage The fifth and ‘final’ Hell House LLC film is out now in theaters, and causing quite a stir. We both loved this movie, and in this episode we are responding to the four most prominent criticisms that have torn through the fandom. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37940895

The Poughkeepsie Tapes 08/22/2025

The Poughkeepsie Tapes Like most horror movies, The Poughkeepsie Tapes is a mixed bag — in this case, an uneven combination of mockumentary interviews and shaky found footage scares. But Cam’s got a wild theory that this movie is actually one of the most vicious and biting satires ever made of the true crime industrial complex and its relationship with the horror genre. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37802560

Jimmy and Stiggs 08/20/2025

Jimmy and Stiggs is what you get when you throw Evil Dead and Saw in a blender, open the top, splatter it all over a laser tag arena, and then shoot the whole thing into space. This is the most gonzo, full throttle, colorful, and splatter crunch crazy movie we have ever covered on the show. It's an absolutely stunning thrill ride, and a genuinely inspiring monument to indie filmmaking. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37887440

Programming Update 08/19/2025

Programming Update It’s time to do a little check-in about the future of the show. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37837840

"Long Live" The Black Parade 08/15/2025

"Long Live" The Black Parade In a true ‘bucket list’ moment, we got to see My Chemical Romance perform the entirety of their masterpiece “The Black Parade” album live on stage. For this marathon episode, we’re breaking down all new iconography of the band’s “Draag” era, unearthing some provocative connections to The Black Parade, discussing each and every song in the time-traveling setlist, and reflecting on this transcendent, life-affirming artistic experience. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37750435

Eddington 08/12/2025

Eddington Eddington is a bold, fascinating, ambitious satire, but it’s also the film that cements certain patterns within Ari Aster’s way of telling stories. In this episode, we’re creating a list of four ironclad ‘rules’ that appear in each of his movies by revisiting Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid — before finally discussing Eddington. This is a celebration of recurring themes and conceptual escalation across one of the most exciting and restless filmographies of our time. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37604380

The Summer of Hope 08/08/2025

The Summer of Hope It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s — a sudden influx of life-affirming summer blockbusters? In this episode, we’re taking a look at both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, to find out why Cam was holding back tears throughout these movies. Topics include: a dozen pointed similarities between these films, our wildly different perspectives & expectations, a bit of backseat editing, comparisons to past inspiring superhero films, the endless importance of romance in storytelling, and a look towards the future of this new trend. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37614915

The Pitt 08/05/2025

The Pitt The Pitt isn’t just one of the best shows of the last ten years, it is an astonishing work of horror — an urgent, unflinching, life-affirming tapestry of hope, loss, life, and death. In this episode, we’re exploring the story’s central ‘real-time’ conceit from four distinct angles: passing time, compounding time, lost time, and impending time. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37263165

Second Opinion: Diablo IV [Sins of the Horadrim] 08/01/2025

Second Opinion: Diablo IV [Sins of the Horadrim] When Diablo IV is good, it’s really good. We’ve been dungeon-crawling and monster-slaying nonstop for the last month, and thought it was time to take another look at what we’re affectionately calling “Season of the Dungeon”. Maggie has blasted through the whole campaign with a super-powered Rogue, and Cam is deeper into the endgame than either of us have ever gone before. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37567750

Oh, Hi! 07/29/2025

Oh, Hi! "Oh, Hi!" is not really an homage to Stephen King's "Misery" - it's a companion piece, that dives much deeper into the insecurities and obsession of its characters. Pointedly, this film is also a funny, aching exploration of the female psyche that somehow remains grounded amidst multiple felonies and attempts at witchcraft. This isn't a horror movie. This isn't a rip-off. It's a rigorous, open-ended character study that embraces the messiest and most absurd parts of human nature. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/37513445

Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

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