FOLLOWING FILMS

Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning feels like both an ending and a reflection, a farewell built on adrenaline, guilt, loyalty, and legacy. It’s a film that constantly looks back while trying to propel itself forward at full speed, as if Ethan Hunt and the movie itself are racing against time, history, and perhaps exhaustion. Christopher McQuarrie returns to direct what is being framed as the culmination of Tom Cruise’s nearly thirty-year journey as Hunt. While it delivers the spectacle fans expect, it also stumbles under the weight of its own finality. The story picks up where Dead Reckoning Part One left off. The rogue artificial intelligence known as “the Entity” is still at large, manipulating global systems and sowing chaos through information warfare. Hunt and his IMF team, Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Grace (Hayley Atwell), must locate the device that can control or destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands. Standing in their way is Gabriel (Esai Moral...

My guest today is a true legend in the world of comic art — Bill Morrison. You might know Bill as the co-founder of Bongo Comics, the longtime home of The Simpsons and Futurama in print. He’s also worked as an illustrator for Disney classics, served as Executive Editor for MAD Magazine, and created his own acclaimed series like Roswell: Little Green Man and Dead Vengeance. In our conversation, Bill shares stories from his journey through animation, comics, and publishing — from working alongside Matt Groening to reimagining The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine as a graphic novel. We also discuss the evolution of humor, satire, and storytelling in an era when pop culture is more self-aware than ever.

When Spawn hit theaters in August 1997, it was billed as something different from the comic book adaptations of its day. Hollywood was dabbling in pulp heroes (The Phantom, The Shadow) and neon-soaked camp (Batman Forever, Batman & Robin), but few films had attempted to translate the darker, more extreme energy of the 1990s comics boom. Todd McFarlane’s Spawn seemed like the perfect candidate: a grim, gothic antihero with a cult following, steeped in hellfire, betrayal, and supernatural spectacle. The theatrical cut of Spawn that audiences saw was a strange beast. At just over 90 minutes, it told the story of Al Simmons (Michael Jai White), a government assassin betrayed by his employer Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen), murdered, and resurrected as Spawn, a reluctant soldier in Hell’s army. The premise is brimming with tragic weight: a man torn between vengeance and redemption, cursed with grotesque powers, and manipulated by the demonic clown Violator (John Leguizamo). Unfortunately, the...

There’s something about punk rock and the ocean that just makes sense, both restless, both unpredictable, both louder than they have any right to be. On October 4, Punk in the Park took over Berth 46 at the Port of Los Angeles, turning San Pedro’s waterfront into a two-day celebration of old-school fury, new blood, and everything in between. The smell of beer, sea salt, and sunscreen hung in the air, and from the first chords to the last feedback ring, it felt like Southern California punk had come home. The Briggs , a local favorite who came out swinging like they had something to prove. Opening with  Bored Teenager  and  Mad Men , the band played with the kind of scrappy intensity that defines L.A. punk at its best. Frontman Joey LaRocca worked the crowd like a veteran rabble-rouser, his voice cutting through the afternoon sun as circle pits started to spin.  One Shot Down  and  Back to Higher Ground  got the fists pumping, while their Cock Sparrer c...

When Tenacious D release something under the “Complete Masterworks” banner, there’s always an expectation that it will be more than just a concert video. These collections are designed to serve as historical records, celebrations, and playful artifacts of a band that’s always blurred the line between comedy duo and serious rock act. With The Complete Masterworks Vol. 3, Jack Black and Kyle Gass once again attempt to capture lightning in a bottle, this time presenting their arena-filling modern incarnation alongside the eccentric animated visions that have defined their last creative phase. It’s ambitious, sprawling, and very much a love letter to fans—though not without a few quirks that reveal the challenges of bottling up the “D” experience. At the center of the release is a full concert filmed at London’s O₂ Arena in June 2023, part of their Spicy Meatball Tour. From the opening notes it’s clear the duo have no trouble scaling their act for an arena setting. One of the dangers for T...

  Thank you for listening to the Following Films Podcast. Today I’m joined by  Steven Feinartz, director of the new documentary film ARE WE GOOD The film is an intimate portrait of comedian and podcast pioneer Marc Maron, following the sudden loss of his partner and filmmaker Lynn Shelton. Maron struggles with grief, disillusionment, and a shifting comedy landscape. The film features interviews with comics including Nate Bargatze, John Mulaney, David Cross, W. Kamau Bell, and Laurie Kilmartin.  As well as WTF podcast footage from his interviews with President Barack Obama, Andrew Garfield, Patton Oswalt and many more. The film is in theaters in NY & LA on October 3rd, with nationwide theatrical events on October 5th & 8t! for showtimes go to  https://www.arewegoodmaron.com/

South Korean cinema has earned its reputation for daring storytelling and stylish reinvention, and Kim Jee-woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird might be one of the most vibrant examples. Released in 2008, the film is often described as a homage to Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but it is far more than imitation. Kim takes the skeleton of the spaghetti western and relocates it to 1930s Manchuria, giving the genre a new cultural and historical foundation while retaining the reckless energy of Leone’s classics. The result is a film that feels at once familiar and completely unpredictable. The decision to set the story in Manchuria during the Japanese occupation is as inspired as it is meaningful. This was a turbulent place where colonial powers, outlaws, and opportunists intersected in a landscape that resembled the lawless frontiers of the American West. It gives the film both a mythic and political dimension: deserts and train tracks may echo western iconography, but the...

Some films wear their influences on their sleeve, while others stitch them into something entirely new. MAR.IA, the latest genre entry from VOID SIGNAL, falls squarely in the latter camp. Equal parts cyberpunk nightmare and revenge horror, the film is finally making its way to U.S. audiences on October 14th, courtesy of Alliance Home Entertainment. It will be available on Digital, DVD, and Blu-ray. At its core, MAR.IA is a story about transformation. Maria Black, a celebrated adult film star, vanishes under mysterious circumstances only to reemerge as something far more dangerous: a cybernetic force of vengeance. What follows is a collision of sci-fi futurism and grindhouse ferocity, culminating in a finale soaked in blood and rage. The film has already carved out a reputation on the festival circuit, playing to packed genre crowds across the globe. Over the course of twelve international festival selections, MAR.IA pulled in a handful of top prizes, including Best Director at Cinefant...

Two of Steven Spielberg’s most celebrated early-2000s films are making their long-awaited debut in 4K Ultra HD this holiday season. Alliance Home Entertainment has announced that Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can will be released on December 9 in both standard 4K Ultra HD editions and collectible Limited-Edition SteelBooks, marking the first time either film has been available in the format in the U.S. and Canada. Both titles have undergone new 4K remasters in 2023, with Spielberg personally reviewing and approving the transfers. Each release will feature Dolby Vision and HDR-10, ensuring richer colors, sharper detail, and a more cinematic experience at home. Fans will also receive a Blu-ray disc with legacy bonus features and a digital copy of the film. Minority Report: A Vision of the Future Released in 2002, Minority Report quickly became a touchstone of modern science fiction cinema. Adapted from a story by Philip K. Dick, the film imagines a dystopian future where crimes can...

Good Boy (2025) is a horror film that manages to feel both familiar and startlingly fresh. At its core, it's a haunted-house story, but the choice to tell it almost entirely from the perspective of a dog makes the experience distinctive. Indy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, is not only the central character but also the emotional anchor of the entire film. By grounding the narrative in his view of the world, director Ben Leonberg creates a lens that is at once limited and deeply affecting: we see what Indy sees, we feel what he senses, and we share his frustration when he cannot communicate the danger he perceives. The premise is straightforward yet effective. Todd, played by Shane Jensen, inherits his family’s farmhouse and decides to leave city life behind. The building has stood empty for years, carrying with it the kind of folklore and whispered rumors that every good haunted house should. Todd, curious and somewhat idealistic, is drawn to the idea of reclaiming the prop...