FOLLOWING FILMS - Podcast, Movies, Music, and More

Catch Me If You Can is one of those rare films that manages to be breezy and exuberant while quietly sneaking up on you with emotional weight. Directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 2002, it tells the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a teenage con artist who successfully impersonates a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer while cashing millions of dollars in fraudulent checks. On the surface, that premise sounds like the setup for a slick caper. But the true pleasure of the film lies not just in its clever scams and period style; it’s in how Spielberg turns a crime story into something more tender—an exploration of identity, loneliness, and the longing to belong. Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as Frank Abagnale Jr. is the film’s emotional engine. He plays Frank not as a mastermind from the outset, but as a frightened, reactive kid with razor-sharp instincts. This nuance matters. The film doesn’t lionize fraud; instead, it roots Frank’s actions in disruption—his parents’ divorce, fin...

Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) is a sleek, propulsive science-fiction thriller that stands out not only for its imaginative vision of the future but also for the philosophical questions it raises about free will, justice, and the ethics of surveillance. Adapted loosely from a short story by Philip K. Dick, the film combines Spielberg’s instinct for spectacle with a darker, more paranoid tone, resulting in one of the most intellectually engaging mainstream sci-fi films of the early 2000s. Set in Washington, D.C. in the year 2054, Minority Report imagines a society in which murder has been virtually eliminated thanks to the “PreCrime” division of law enforcement. PreCrime relies on three psychic “precogs” who can foresee murders before they happen. When the system predicts a killing, police intervene and arrest the future murderer moments before the act occurs. The premise is both elegant and unsettling: if a crime is prevented, can it still be considered a crime? And if the f...

After years of anticipation, fan speculation, and internet mythology, Hazbin Hotel finally arrived as a full-fledged television series, and against long odds, it mostly lives up to the hype. Season 1 is loud, chaotic, profane, emotionally sincere, and unapologetically weird. It is also surprisingly thoughtful beneath the neon filth and musical mayhem. Creator Vivienne Medrano’s vision, once confined to a viral pilot and spin-off shorts, expands into a fully realized version of Hell that feels both satirical and strangely heartfelt. At its core, Hazbin Hotel is about redemption, an idea that sounds almost quaint until you place it in a setting where redemption is considered laughable at best and heretical at worst. Charlie Morningstar, Hell’s relentlessly optimistic princess, believes damned souls deserve a chance to rehabilitate themselves rather than face eternal extermination. This belief places her in direct conflict with Hell’s entrenched systems of power, violence, and apathy. Wha...

Sequels often arrive with an unspoken promise: more of what worked last time, just louder. The Black Phone 2 takes a different, riskier path. Rather than attempting to recreate the suffocating simplicity of the original film, director Scott Derrickson expands the world, the themes, and the emotional burden placed on its characters. The result is a sequel that is darker, messier, and more ambitious, a film less interested in pure terror than in what happens after terror has already done its damage. The first Black Phone was defined by confinement. Its power came from a single basement, a single monster, and a child forced to grow up far too quickly. The sequel opens that space dramatically, both physically and psychologically. Finney and Gwen Shaw are no longer trapped children; they are survivors carrying the invisible weight of what they endured. This shift alone signals that The Black Phone 2 is not trying to be a repeat experience. It wants to examine the long shadow of trauma rathe...

I'm excited to share the trailer for Untitled Home Invasion Romance, a darkly comedic thriller headlined by Jason Biggs, Meaghan Rath, Anna Konkle, Justin H. Min, and Arturo Castro. The film will be available on digital platforms beginning January 27, 2026. Best known for his on-screen comedy work, Jason Biggs steps behind the camera for his feature directorial debut, while also starring in the film’s lead role. Untitled Home Invasion Romance blends elements of comedy, thriller, action, and crime into an 85-minute, R-rated ride that twists romantic desperation into something far more dangerous. A Romance Gone Very Wrong The film centers on Kevin (Biggs), a man whose marriage is quietly unraveling. In a last-ditch effort to reignite the spark, he plans what he believes is a foolproof romantic gesture: a weekend getaway capped off by a staged home invasion that will allow him to swoop in as the hero for his wife, Suzie (Meaghan Rath). Unsurprisingly, the plan goes off the rails. When...

Dracula (2026) Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Plot Details Vertical has officially announced that DRACULA (2026), the latest reimagining of the iconic vampire myth, will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide on February 6, 2026. Written, directed, and produced by visionary filmmaker Luc Besson, the film promises a dark, operatic take on one of cinema’s most enduring legends. Dracula (2026) Cast and Creative Team Besson’s Dracula (2026) stars Caleb Landry Jones in the title role, joined by an impressive ensemble that includes Christoph Waltz, Zoë Bleu, Guillaume de Tonquedec, Matilda De Angelis, Ewens Abid, and Raphael Luce. The film is executive produced by Mark Canton, Dorothy Canton, Ryan Winterstern, and Philippe Corrot, further cementing the project as a major cinematic event. Dracula (2026) Plot Synopsis Set against the brutal backdrop of the 15th century, Dracula (2026) begins with profound personal tragedy. After witnessing the savage murder of his beloved wife (Zoë B...

What if the greatest question in human history was suddenly answered—and the answer belonged to everyone? This summer, audiences around the world will confront that possibility in Disclosure Day, a new original event film from Universal Pictures, created and directed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Framed as a high-stakes thriller, the film explores the emotional, political, and existential shockwaves that follow proof that humanity is not alone in the universe. Set against the backdrop of a global reckoning, Disclosure Day asks a chillingly simple question: If someone showed you undeniable proof that we weren’t alone, would that truth comfort you—or terrify you? The film positions that revelation not as a distant science-fiction concept, but as an immediate and deeply human crisis, shared by all seven billion people on Earth. Spielberg has assembled a formidable ensemble to bring this story to life. The film stars SAG Award winner and Oscar nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A...

Actor Jon Heder joins host Chris Maynard for a wide-ranging conversation about his new film Tapawingo. Best known for his iconic role in the cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, Heder talks about choosing meaningful projects, the creative process behind Tapawingo, and where he’s at in his career today. The episode also looks back at his collaboration with Billy Zane in Waltzing With Brando, with behind-the-scenes stories and reflections on independent filmmaking. Tapawingo is available on Blu-ray starting today, December 16th. A great listen for movie lovers, film fans, and anyone interested in the art of acting.

Apple TV+ launched The Morning Show as a prestige provocation: a glossy workplace drama that uses the rhythms of live television to interrogate power, gender, and the stories institutions tell to survive scandal. Across its first two seasons, the series oscillates between sharp satire and earnest melodrama, sometimes wobbling under the weight of its ambitions, but often landing with bracing emotional clarity. What emerges is a study of performance—on camera and off—and the price of being visible in systems designed to protect themselves. Season One arrives fueled by the shock of a sexual misconduct allegation against beloved anchor Mitch Kessler. Season Two pivots toward reckoning and aftermath, widening its lens to include accountability, public apology, and a world destabilized by crisis. Together, they form a diptych about complicity and courage, anchored by committed performances and an unusually tactile sense of workplace pressure. Season One: The Shattering of a Perfect Picture E...

Prime Video has dropped the much-anticipated trailer for Beast Games Season 2, and with it comes a twist no one saw coming: a full-scale crossover with CBS’s Survivor, complete with an appearance from the legendary Jeff Probst. Premiering January 7, 2026 with a three-episode launch, the new season promises not only higher stakes and bigger challenges, but also a landmark collaboration that fuses two of the world’s most dominant forces in reality competition. Filmed on location in Fiji—the longtime home of Survivor—the crossover marks the first time the Emmy-winning franchise has stepped into another show’s arena. Rather than a cameo or branding nod, the episode weaves Survivor’s signature DNA directly into the Beast Games format. Contestants will face a hybrid course that marries MrBeast-sized spectacle with the cutthroat mechanics that defined the genre: mid-challenge bribes, strategic curveballs, and the kind of punishing obstacles that have tested castaways for decades. It’s a rare ...