Best Spiked Punch Podcasts (2026)

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Hollywood Movie Catch-Up for 2025 (Pt. 1 - For the Gays and Gals) #171 2:59:49

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3d ago2:59:49

2:59:49

Hello, Hello, Hello! We're back after a month-long hiatus with our podcast episodes -- which will be coming regularly to you from now on, at least until the end of 2025's Awards Season. Rather than doing our annual "Best of" & "Oscar Season Movie Catch-Ups", we've decided to do a series of Year-end Round-ups of some of the most talked about films i…

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One Banger (or Not?) After Another | Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another #170 2:12:50

1M ago2:12:50

2:12:50

We know we're late to the party, but we had to talk about Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" and all of the discourse surrounding it, or at least try to. Dhruv is joined by (much to his dismay) Varun and his "crime-in-partner" Cris in this endeavour as they tackle one wonder after another (sorry, the title is just unendingly pun-able…

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One Paul Thomas Anderson Film Afer Another | Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, The Master, Phantom Thread & Licorice Pizza #169 2:13:35

2M ago2:13:35

2:13:35

We recorded an episode about our favorite Paul Thomas Anderson films before the theatrical release of his new film, "One Battle After Another," but are only now releasing it post its online release as a "pre-game" discussion to our episode on OBAA. We track his auteurist trajectory — from the bombastic and tightly constructed "Magnolia" to a more l…

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BEST of 2025 (SO FAR) - Part 2 | Badass Ravi Kumar & everything else! #168 2:51:55

2M ago2:51:55

2:51:55

We're [now] 4 months late to the BEST OF (SO FAR) party because, well, just. The format we've been using for the past two years is as follows: rather than simply listing our favorite films of the year, we categorize them in the same way [insert any Award show name] categorizes them. Part 2, which was meant to be an hour long but also ended up being…

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WRONG TURN. I should not be out here! ft. Crystal Joi ep.91 1:08:11

3M ago1:08:11

1:08:11

Send us a text BASED OFF A TRUE STORY: So our hosts decides a weekend getaway is much needed. With long work weeks, demanding schedule, flights and deadlines. Quiet time in nature would be welcomed. Boy did this take a wrong turn and what went from beautiful nature the world famous Lake Tahoe park quickly turned into a wrong turn and lost. To where…

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Bittersweet Bond: Timothy Dalton days #167 2:14:53

2M ago2:14:53

2:14:53

Hello Hello Hello! Bond fan(atics) - Varun, Amartya and Sanjeet get together to discuss Timothy Dalton's interpretation of James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989). Timothy Dalton has often been noted for bringing a darker, more serious, and gritty portrayal of the character that emphasized the realism from Ian Fleming's…

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David Lynch's Lost Highway | The Strange Story (Part 5) #166 1:19:27

3M ago1:19:27

1:19:27

Dhruv and Cris meet Devarsi again outside the industrial hellscape of "Eraserhead" -- this time travelling alongside two new (hopefully recurring!) podcast guests, Rushnan and Vani -- on Lynch's "Lost Highway" to psychosexual hell. Listen to the full episode to hear us not only discuss Lynch's film in detail but also explore the myriad of seemingly…

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Indie Indian Cinema Round-Up | Homebound, Sabar Bonda, Humans in the Loop & Jugnuma #165 2:19:08

3M ago2:19:08

2:19:08

August and September were the lucky months for some Indian cinephiles who crave an alternate form of cinema (i.e., indie) to the mainstream one they have to endure for the rest of the time in cinemas. In this episode, Sanjeet, Amartya, Cris & Dhruv (in a not-so-special appearance) catch up to 4 of these films that released in limited cinemas betwee…

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BEST of 2025 (SO FAR) - Part 1 | Badass Ravi Kumar & everything else! #164 3:22:31

3M ago3:22:31

3:22:31

We're 3 months late to the BEST OF (SO FAR) party because, well, just. The format we've been using for the past two years is as follows: rather than simply listing our favorite films of the year, we categorize them in the same way [insert any Award show name] categorizes them. Because we like to ramble a lot, Part 1 of the Best of 2025 (So Far) foc…

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The Highs and Lows of Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest #163 1:44:36

4M ago1:44:36

1:44:36

Amartya and Dhruv had been desperately waiting for Spike Lee's latest film to release, only because they wanted an excuse to go back and revisit Akira Kurosawa's incredibly influential 1963 classic, "High and Low." This episode -- promoted as an extended deep dive into Spike Lee's exasperatingly absurd (mostly in an amusingly bad way) "Highest 2 Lo…

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WORST of 2025 (SO FAR) | Badass Ravi Kumar & 5 more! #162 59:20

4M ago59:20

59:20

Long gone are the days when Dhruv and Sanjeet talked about QID not being a platform for ranting about films we hate. What was supposed to merely be a (fun) category addition to our Best of 2025 (So Far) List took about an hour of discussion, which made our already super-sized episode even more (probably unbearably) long. So Cris -- who proudly clai…

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Taiwanese New Wave & The Value of Slow Cinema | Taipei Story | Vive L'Amour | Millennium Mambo #161 1:58:17

4M ago1:58:17

1:58:17

In this very special episode, Dhruv welcomes back Prakhar Patidar (previously appeared on the "All We Imagine as Light" ep!) to discuss the Taiwanese New Wave of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s because, well, they both love its particularly sad, introspective, and -- yes, that dreaded word -- SLOW -- depiction of loneliness that engulfs every fabric …

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Ari Aster's Eddington - THE Neo-Classical Western FOR this Decade #160 2:01:51

5M ago2:01:51

2:01:51

It's another Ari Aster movie discussion -- something we didn't think we would do after our "Beau Is Afraid" experience. BUT -- "Eddington" is something different for Aster, even though it does (justifiably for some, not for others) devolve into something of a "Beau Is Afraid"-style paranoid nightmare. It's his brand of absurdly cruel personal neuro…

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Coolie (2025) - Who is at fault? | Also, Exorcism of War 2 #159 1:30:47

5M ago1:30:47

1:30:47

Hello, Hello, Hello! In this new episode, Amartya, Sanjeet, and Cris discuss the new Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial starring Super Star Rajinikanth. They talk about the discourse surrounding the film and ask - is the hype around the film to blame for the film's failure, or is it more to do with generic writing? Listen to them also briefly discuss (re…

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David Lynch's Wild At Heart | The Strange Story (Part 4) #158 1:18:30

5M ago1:18:30

1:18:30

Dhruv and Cris follow Laura Dern's Sandy (from "Blue Velvet") out of her cheerfully dreamy Lumberton suburbia into the -- at first, hellishly garish, then, coldly desolate wilderness -- of the American West, trying to make sense of how Sandy (now called Lula) tries to keep her passionate romance with Sailor (played by Nicolas Cage) alive as the rea…

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28 Years Later - A Molotov Cocktail of Formal Experimentation and Narrative Subversion #157 1:55:24

5M ago1:55:24

1:55:24

Hello, Hello, Hello In the latest episode of QID, Dhruv invites the creator, Arjun Sivakumar, and regular guest-cum-host of the "Cinematic Liberties Podcast", Ashwin Dev, to discuss one of the great filmic oddities of this year -- Danny Boyle's "28 Years Later" (now available to rent/buy on digital platforms). Before talking about the film, the thr…

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James Gunn's Superman - The Comic Bookiest Comic Book Movie Ever Made (for better & much worse) #156 1:08:16

6M ago1:08:16

1:08:16

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! No - It's (a new) QID Episode! Hello, Hello, Hello! In this new episode, Amartya & Sanjeet discuss James Gunn’s ‘Superman,’ currently playing in theatres. They compare his "sunny" interpretation of the superhero to Snyder’s grittier take (that both of them liked!), contemplating what (if anything) the DCU may have in stor…

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SPIKED PUNCH (Diddy Did It) ft. Banana Boat Ed & MR.V 44:40

6M ago44:40

44:40

Send us a text So either youve been under a rock or just completely not caring or n hearing all the Diddy Trial stuff as of late. Everybody has an opinion. Did he do it?, yes he did it..he aint the only one and the list could go on! Well here at the "Say it aint So" we decided to chime in too! Support the show https://www.instagram.com/edutainmente…

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Materialists, Past Lives & The Celine Song Debate #155 1:38:24

7M ago1:38:24

1:38:24

Hello, Hello, Hello, In this episode, "Past Lives" skeptics Cris (taking Dhruv's place) and Aryan invite "Past Lives" lover-for-life Tuhin Das (@tuhin221b on Twitter) to discuss and check the math(s), as it were, on director Celine Song's latest theatrical release, "Materialists." Listen to the full episode to hear where they agree—and largely disa…

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David Lynch's Blue Velvet | The Strange Story (Part 3) #154 1:47:52

7M ago1:47:52

1:47:52

After stumbling through the industrial hellscapes of Pennsylvania and Victorian-era England, Dhruv, Cris, and Arijit find themselves -- somewhat miraculously -- in the town of Lynchian Lumberton. Here, there is no darkness - it's colorful and cheery in the way that only the most gorgeous of Technicolor dreams can be. Is it an illusion, genuine, or …

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Mission Impossible VII & VIII: or, How We Learnt to Start Reckoning with the Super Seriousness of Mr. Scientology #153 2:39:40

7M ago2:39:40

2:39:40

Hello, Hello, Hello, This is -- arguably -- the only sane discussion we have had on the "MI" franchise, courtesy -- the presence of Adithiyan and the special appearance of Mr. (Raj) Aryan -- but most of all the absence of "MI: I, 2 & III" moderator, Varun Bhakay. Dhruv, Cris & a surprisingly sober, sensible (and somewhat salty) Hemant are also ther…

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Mission Impossible IV, 5 & VI: or, How we Learnt to Start Worrying for Mr. Scientology (via Benji & Ilsa) #152 2:01:11

8M ago2:01:11

2:01:11

Hello, Hello, Hello, Dhruv returns -- more out of necessity than choice -- to try and bring some semblance back to the "MI" ep discussions. He succeeds -- for about 40 minutes. Enter Amartya. Cue Varun losing his marbles (again). Cue Cris losing his marbles when trying to edit whatever happened after an in-depth discussion on the greatness of "Miss…

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Mission Impossible I, 2 & III: or, How We Learnt to Stop Worrying & Love Mr. Scientology #151 1:44:41

8M ago1:44:41

1:44:41

Hello, Hello, Hello, A more than usually embittered Varun Bhakay "moderates" this episode in which everything from his recent inability to acquire a visa to visit Paris, his unconditional "love" for Canadians & Americans, and his even more obsessive love for absent host Dhruv Krishna Goyal are discussed as fellow vampire Hemant Ganti participates, …

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David Lynch's The Elephant Man | The Strange Story (Part 2) #150 1:27:43

9M ago1:27:43

1:27:43

Dhruv and Cris take a minor detour from the endlessly mysterious world(s) of David Lynch to a somewhat more familiar one in their second (of they don't know how many) eps on David Lynch. And joining them is a returning guest, Arijit Paul, who is thankful to Lynch (especially his work in "Eraserhead") for not only inspiring him to pursue a career in…

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Ooo…you FREAKY (YOU WILD!) FT. KASEY KAKEZ. EP. 89 13:18

9M ago13:18

13:18

Send us a text Random side conversions with featured guest. You be surprised on the things you hear on and off the mic!! Support the show https://www.instagram.com/edutainmentelitegroup/By Drop Knowledge ft. Kasey Kakez

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David Lynch's Eraserhead | The Strange Story (Part I) #149 1:50:47

9M ago1:50:47

1:50:47

Dhruv and Cris are entering the endlessly mysterious world(s) of David Lynch for the first time (of many!) this year. And joining them, in his very first (QID) outing, is Devarsi Ghosh (@devarsighosh), a film journalist doubling as their Lynch guide for this trip to Lynch's nightmarish evocation of Philadelphia in his feature-length debut film, "Er…

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Bollywood's Artless Trash vs. Artful Trash | Nadaaniyan | Badass Ravikumar | Loveyapa #148 2:31:07

10M ago2:31:07

2:31:07

It's here (again) - The type of episode we don't necessarily like to produce but really had to, just to convert the time wasted watching Dharmatic Entertainment's "Nadaaniyan" into something (hopefully) productive and cathartic! Cris, Dhruv, and Amartya try to make sense of Bollywood's sheer incompetence today and find (at least Cris does) a potent…

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Best International Films of 2024! | The Substance, Anora, Nickel Boys, Queer, I Saw the TV Glow, & many more! | #147 3:30:55

10M ago3:30:55

3:30:55

In this episode, Dhruv, Aryan, and Cris discuss their favorite Non-Indian (English & Foreign Language!) Films of The Year in the same format in which they discussed their Best Indian Films of 2024! Each of them selects not only their favorite film but also their favorite director, cinematographer, composer/sound designer, scriptwriter, editor, supp…

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Anora & The Humanist Cinema of Sean Baker | The Burden of Representation Cont... #146 2:10:34

11M ago2:10:34

2:10:34

In what can be described as an episode exclusively inspired by the success of (and the subsequent backlash to) Sean Baker's "Anora" at this year's Academy Awards, Baker-fan Dhruv moderates also-Baker-fan Hemant and new-to-Baker's-films Cris' discussion about his latest film and the reception to it. Listen to the full episode to hear Hemant and Dhru…

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Luca Guadagnino's Queer & Call Me By Your Name | The Burden of (Queer) Representation #145 2:14:22

11M ago2:14:22

2:14:22

In what can be described as an episode exclusively inspired as a response to the exclusion of "Queer" and "Challengers" in this year's Academy Awards, Luca Guadagnino-devotee Cris invites spoilsport Dhruv to talk about the director's latest release "Queer" and how wonderfully it complements the director's wonderful "Call Me By Your Name." Listen to…

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LOVER'S LAND (SOO Much to SAY) 41:51

11M ago41:51

41:51

Send us a text I know its been a minute but we back at it and you know we had to say something for the wannabe lovers out there! ..lol This episode is for the fans fans. Support the show https://www.instagram.com/edutainmentelitegroup/By Drop Knowledge

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Best Indian Films of 2024! | Vaazhai, Kottukkaali, Kishkindha Kaandam, Merry Christmas & many more! #144 3:33:57

11M ago3:33:57

3:33:57

In this episode, Dhruv and Amartya invite Devi (@film.trance) and Adithiyan (@curioseradithiyan) to discuss their favorite Indian films of the year in the same format in which they discussed their Best of 2024 (So Far)! Each of them selects not only their favorite Indian film but also their favorite director, cinematographer, composer/sound designe…

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Black Warrant (2025) - A Great Indian Netflix Show in This Economy?! #143 1:02:14

12M ago1:02:14

1:02:14

Hello, Hello, Hello, In this bite-sized episode (relative to the episodes we have already released and will release in the coming month), Amartya and Varun discuss Vikramaditya Motwane's latest Netflix series, "Black Warrant," and why you should not only watch it but "savor it." Spoilers Galore! Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/quee…

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Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu: Forever in the Shadow of F. W. Murnau and Werner Herzog's Nosferatwos #142 1:56:40

12M ago1:56:40

1:56:40

Hello, Hello, Hello, This is the second part of the discussion we had on Robert Eggers! Here, Dhruv – joined by the brain-melting and blood-sucking vampire, Varun, and his “spirited animal” friend, Hemant – tries to talk about Eggers’ latest horror film, “Nosferatu,” in relation to F. W. Murnau’s 1922 German Expressionist classic, and Werner Herzog…

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Robert Eggers & His Acutely Authentic Brand of Nightmarish Cinema #141 2:04:02

1y ago2:04:02

2:04:02

Hello, Hello, Hello! In what is another one of our director retrospective episodes, Dhruv, Amartya, and Aryan (from America) talk about the 3 feature films directed by much-revered horror director Robert Eggers, whose latest film, “Nosferatu," just recently released this week in India! (We have a whole “Nosferatu" themed ep planned to be recorded a…

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The Most Disappointing Films of 2024 | Disclaimer, Emilia Pérez, Agra & 3 more! #140 2:48:29

1y ago2:48:29

2:48:29

Hello, Hello, Hello Dhruv and Amartya’s first foray into this type of episode – that we have consciously avoided up until now – comes courtesy of our new QID member and admin of our Twitter page (https://x.com/qidpodcast) – Cris (https://x.com/limjaeseven). Rather than simply bash films released this year that we unanimously hated, however, we’ve t…

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Talk the Talk - Discussing Meiyazhagan & I Want to Talk | Shoojit Sircar | C Prem Kumar #139 1:52:51

1y ago1:52:51

1:52:51

Hello, Hello, Hello! In this new (but considerably delayed) episode, we talk about two films that approach the subject of talking differently -- "I Want to Talk" and "Meiyazhagan." 'I Want to Talk,' directed by Shoojit Sircar and starring Abhishek Bachchan, continues the director's trend to push his films to the brink of becoming anti-dramas. C Pre…

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All We Imagine as Light & The Gently Surreal Cinema of Payal Kapadia #138 1:50:32

1y ago1:50:32

1:50:32

Hello, Hello, Hello! In this very special, if slightly delayed episode, Dhruv & Amartya are joined by returning guest Cris (now "not the token queer representation for QID"), reincarnated host-cum-guest Aryan (from America), and first-time-but-hopefully-recurring-guest Prakhar Patidar, to talk about the film every Indie Awards Circuit talk show and…

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Is Gladiator 2 any good? | What is up with FFC's Megalopolis? #137 1:44:53

1y ago1:44:53

1:44:53

Hello Hello Hello! In this new episode, we discuss two films -- "Gladiator 2" and "Megalopolis" -- directed by two stalwarts of Hollywood cinema -- Ridley Scott and Francis Ford Coppola -- that embody two different filmmaking ethos. Gladiator 2 is the quintessential Hollywood sequel to the 2000 film "Gladiator," winner of the "Best Picture" Academy…

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Stanley Kubrick's The Shining - The Horrors of Everything (including Book-to-Screen Adaptation) #136 1:49:53

1y ago1:49:53

1:49:53

It's no longer Halloween Month because we're one day late in uploading this, but regardless, here's our penultimate ep on Kubrick (one more for Noirvember!) and the final episode for Spooky Season! Hemant and Amartya have ditched Dhruv on his much-anticipated trip to the Overlook Hotel, but he's joined by two returning guests -- the perpetually dis…

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Hammer Horror Films 101 | Dracula (1958) | Rasputin - The Mad Monk (1966) #135 1:24:48

1y ago1:24:48

1:24:48

In our third Halloween-themed episode this month, Varun (playing podcast host) and Dhruv discuss a sub-genre of British horror films best characterized as a cross between classy and exploitation horror. (Think, as Varun says, "somewhere between the B-movie camp classics made by the Ramsay Brothers and Edgar Wright's "Last Night in Soho"). Treating …

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Horror Movie Catch-Up for 2024! ft. The Substance, Longlegs, Oddity, Strange Darling & many more! #134 2:26:20

1y ago2:26:20

2:26:20

In our second Halloween-themed episode this month, Dhruv and Amartya are joined by returning guest Arijit (last heard in our “Elevated” Horror film discussion!) to talk about a LOT of 2024 horror films that have already been released and are available to watch online. We first go through a lot of titles we have already discussed in other episodes, …

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Kinds of Kindness & Waves of (Greek) Weirdness | The Absurd Cinema of Yorgos Lanthimos #133 1:21:24

1+ y ago1:21:24

1:21:24

In the first (of four!) episodes planned for Halloweenmonth, we're entering not the King-sized American genre worlds populated by slasher killers, raging alcoholics, and traumatized ghosts but a distinctly Greek one. This, as our guest, Panos Liakos (NYU graduate; freelance writer forThe New Herald), tells us, is the "Yorgos Cosmos" -- built onexpl…

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Sexy Situationship or Sticky Situations? 1:07:24

1+ y ago1:07:24

1:07:24

Send us a text Bringing back the popular series of Sex, love and situationships. Here we have featured guest and Influencer KMa to talk on different crazy scenarios where just because feels good to you does it necessarily mean that its right for you? Have you ever hooked up with a friends ex? Dated younger.Find yourself in a same situation as you'v…

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Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey - The Dawn of Everything | A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) #132 2:45:22

1+ y ago2:45:22

2:45:22

It's no longer Kubrick Month because we're late recording and uploading this and P4, but regardless, we're here to complete our Kubrickian Odysseys! Dhruv, Amartya, and Hemant have spent the entirety of July (and will now spend the last week of August and the first week of September) revisiting and discussing 10 (of 13) Kubrick-directed films (the …

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Stanley Kubrick's Ultra-Violent & Erotic Odysseys | Lolita | A Clockwork Orange | Eyes Wide Shut #131 2:28:16

1+ y ago2:28:16

2:28:16

It's no longer Kubrick Month because we're late recordingand uploading this and P4, but regardless, we're here to complete our Kubrickian Odysseys! Dhruv, Amartya, and Hemant have spent the entirety of July(and will now spend the last week of August and the first week of September) revisiting and discussing 10 (of 13) Kubrick-directed films (the Ho…

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BEST OF 2024 (SO FAR) #130 2:50:35

1+ y ago2:50:35

2:50:35

In this episode, Dhruv and Amartya invite Devi (@film.trance) and Adithiyan (@curioseradithiyan) to discuss their favorite films of the year (up to and including July) in a new format! Each of them selects not only their favorite film but also their favorite direction, cinematography, score, screenplay, editing, and performance of the year (so far)…

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Wow what a weirdo!! Ep.86 26:54

1+ y ago26:54

26:54

Send us a text We all been there before were you may come across a person or a group of people that are just odd ,move weird or differently sometimes at the point where it don’t make sense to you. You try to meet them where they at or get a better understanding on their “why”? Then sometimes it’s just simply put YO YOU’RE A WEIRDO! Support the show…

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Stanley Kubrick's Historical Odysseys | Barry Lyndon | Spartacus #129 2:15:36

1+ y ago2:15:36

2:15:36

Tis' Kubrick Month! Dhruv, Amartya, and Hemant will spend the entirety of July revisiting and discussing 10 (of 13) Kubrick-directed films (the Horror and Noir films will be discussed in October and November, respectively!) plus 1 conceptualized and obsessed over by him but eventually directed by his dear friend, Steven Spielberg. In Part 2 (of 4),…

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Stanley Kubrick's (Anti)War Odysseys | Fear and Desire | Paths of Glory | Dr. Strangelove | Full Metal Jacket #128 2:33:04

1+ y ago2:33:04

2:33:04

Tis' Kubrick Month! Dhruv, Amartya, and Hemant will spend the entirety of July revisiting and discussing 10 (of 13) Kubrick-directed films (the Horror and Noir films will be discussed in October and November, respectively!) plus 1 conceptualized and obsessed over by him but eventually directed by his dear friend, Steven Spielberg. In Part 1 (of 4),…