Best Peter Johansen Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 116: The Knowledge Machine 2:17:28

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36m ago2:17:28

2:17:28

This week Bruce take a deep critical rationalist dive into Michael Strevens’s book, The Knowledge Machine: How Irrationality Created Modern Science, which is an attempt to describe how science is a self-correcting system designed to create knowledge based on explanation. The book is somewhat critical of Popperian falsification, though the reading o…

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376 - Weapons & The Toxic Avenger 1:24:11

5h ago1:24:11

1:24:11

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss what they have been doing for the past month and big actors who have been in Troma films. They talk about the new trailers for Marvel Zombies, Good Boy, Dust Bunny, and 28 Year Later The Bone Temple. Plus, the news of James Gunn's Superman sequel and Eli Roth and Snoop Dogg making a mov…

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Episode 115: Is Falsification Falsifiable? 1:55:30

7d ago1:55:30

1:55:30

This week we consider: Is falsification falsifiable? Was Popper a “naive falsificationist”? Why do so many people think he was? (Including at least one of his own students!) Is falsification itself a philosophical theory that makes it immune from falsification? Does the Duhem-Quine problem, or the assertion that theory exist in an interwoven web of…

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Episode 114: Campbell's Evolutionary Epistemology 2:10:58

21d ago2:10:58

2:10:58

Starting in the 1950s, Popperian Donald Campbell developed a theory of "evolutionary epistemology" (coining that term in the process) that expanded Karl Popper’s ideas about scientific knowledge and learning into the natural world. Campbell intended a universal theory of how 'all increases in fit of system to environment' work based on a meta-algor…

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Episode 113: Evolution, Collective Minds, and Static Societies 1:30:41

1M ago1:30:41

1:30:41

This week Bruce takes a deep dive into anthropologist Joseph Henrich’s book: The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter. Bruce outlines Henrich's hypothesis that human evolution occurs at the level of culture as much as genes and that this collective mind may be far superior t…

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375 - Happy Gilmore 2 & Until Dawn 1:29:37

1M ago1:29:37

1:29:37

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss what movies they want to replace all but one actor with Muppets. New trailers for Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Silent Night, Deadly Night, and Primitive War. The news of The Naked Gun, X-Men plans, and remembering Hulk Hogan. Movies reviewed are Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) and the video game a…

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374 - Superman 1:35:49

2M ago1:35:49

1:35:49

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan recount their time at Fan Expo Denver 2025. The review the high flying new film, Superman (2025)! Plus, discussion on new trailers for The Running Man and Mortal Kombat II. With some new news on Universal Studios Horror Nights and Legend of Zelda casting. Enjoy!…

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Episode 112: Words vs Concepts: Does 'Randomness' Exist? 1:12:05

2M ago1:12:05

1:12:05

Bruce first explains the difference between arguing over concepts vs arguing over words. Then Bruce examines assertions about probability and randomness in the critical rationalist community. Why does David Deutsch insist that there is no such thing as 'randomness'? What does the many worlds interpretation really say about this? Is all 'randomness'…

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Episode 111: Static vs Dynamic Societies 1:30:49

2M ago1:30:49

1:30:49

What precisely is a static vs dynamic society? It is possible to take this down to the level of machine learning? Could this distinction turn into a testable theory? What are the alternatives to what Deutsch proposes? Is Deutsch's theory of static societies testable? What exactly is a culture or criticism and how is this intertwined with the Enligh…

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373 - Friendship & Heretic 1:11:30

2M ago1:11:30

1:11:30

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss the best movie villains of all time. New trailers for Weapons, ICK, and The Toxic Avengers. New news of The Mummy, a new fairy tale horror film, Alan Ritchson's new reality show, and a new attack of the killer tomatoes movie. Movies reviewed are Friendship (2025) and Heretic (2024). Enj…

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Episode 110: Brave New World vs. 1984 (round table discussion) 1:52:20

3M ago1:52:20

1:52:20

We once again get together some of the smartest people we know for a discussion that gets into foundational issues, this time in the form of the classic battle between the dystopian novels 1984 and Brave New World. But it was really much less of a debate than a discussion in line with Popper’s defining principle of critical rationalism: “I may be w…

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371 - final destination, bloodlines and heart eyes 1:14:39

3M ago1:14:39

1:14:39

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan as they discuss their favorite movies with a pro wrestler. Plus, new trailers and news. Movies reviewed our final destination, bloodlines, and heart eyes. Enjoy!

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Episode 109: Genes, Emergence, and Platonism (round table with Sadia and Ivan) 3:24:46

3M ago3:24:46

3:24:46

In this round table discussion with Ivan Phillips and Sadia Naeem, we begin by discussing differing viewpoints on “third way evolution,” or a gene-centric viewpoint vs a more holistic view of natural selection. The discussion evolves into a deep dive into emergence and reductionism and many interwoven ideas.Ivan Phillips is author of Textbook Ratio…

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370 - The Accountant 2 1:19:08

4M ago1:19:08

1:19:08

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss the hottest actors of 2025 because we are not sexist. New trailers for Nobody 2, The Old Guard 2, Peacemaker S2, and Jurassic World: Rebirth. The news of Gremlins 3, a John Wick spinoff, and Norm. Movies reviewed are The Accountant 2 (2025) and Peter finished Ma (2019). Enjoy!…

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Episode 108: AI and Obedience (with Dan Gish) 1:52:04

4M ago1:52:04

1:52:04

This week we are joined by fellow traveler Dan Gish to discuss LLMs and AGI. Does it really, truly make sense to think that OpenAI or DeepMind are not at least an important stepping stone towards the creation of human-level creativity? What does it mean when CritRats assert that these AI algorithms are the opposite of human intelligence because the…

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369 - Thunderbolts* and Ma 1:23:37

4M ago1:23:37

1:23:37

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan the hottest actors in 2025. New trailers for Weapons, The Long Walk, and Honey Don't. The news of a killer whale movie, thirteen ghosts series, and a new pope. Movies reviewed are Thunderbolts* (2025) and for mother's day, Ma (2019). Enjoy!

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Episode 107: Was Popper a Fideist? 1:48:23

4M ago1:48:23

1:48:23

Here we discuss fidesim and critical rationalism. Fideism has many definitions, but at least how we are thinking of it, it is the idea that something like faith has validity in the process of moving closer to truth through reason. Our starting point is a paper written by prominent Popperian Joseph Agassi about how William Bartley, another critical …

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368 - Sinners & Death of a Unicorn 1:09:51

4M ago1:09:51

1:09:51

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss which video games they want to see as live-action films. The new trailers for Predator: Badlands, Heads of State, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, and The Smashing Machine. The news of the sequels to Ready or Not and Sisu, plus the Stranger Things animated series. Movies reviewed are Sinn…

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Episode 106: Karl Popper and God 1:25:05

5M ago1:25:05

1:25:05

This week we discuss a short interview with Karl Popper from 1969 where he discusses God and religion. Specifically, he makes a case for agnosticism, asserts that all men are religious, and discusses the problem of evil. We use this as a starting point to consider if we live in an inherently meaningful universe or one ruled by something like entrop…

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367 - The Minecraft Movie & The Amateur 1:32:45

5M ago1:32:45

1:32:45

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss films we like that most people hate. The new trailers for Predator: Killer of Killers, Tron: Ares, and The Naked Gun. The news of a Killer Klowns from Outer Space remake, Until Dawn, Godzilla x Kong 3, and a bunch of Warner Bros. sequels. Movies reviewed are The Minecraft Movie (2025) a…

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366 - The Electric State 2:02:26

5M ago2:02:26

2:02:26

In this extra long episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss the new look of Toxie from The Toxic Avenger. Plus, the news of Avengers: Doomsday, Val Kilmer, and more. The movie reviewed is The Electric State (2025). Enjoy!

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Episode 105: Michael Levin's Unseen World of Cell Cognition 1:51:55

5M ago1:51:55

1:51:55

This week Bruce speaks about the work or Michael Levin, who is a biologist know for his work on cell cognition and collective intelligence or the idea that electrical signals between cells influence the formation of biological systems. His work has potentially massive implications in cancer research and other fields. Though rarely identified with 3…

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365 - Back in Action & The Gray Man 1:16:49

6M ago1:16:49

1:16:49

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss gender and race-swapping in movies. The new trailers for Ftoys and Stan Lee: The Final Chapter. The news of disc rot, Spider-Man 4 casting, and Captain America is a flop. Movies reviewed are Back in Action (2024) and The Gray Man (2022). Enjoy!…

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Episode 104: 3rd Way Evolution vs the Critics 1:57:37

6M ago1:57:37

1:57:37

How well do the collection of assertions called “3rd way evolution” stand up to criticism? Here, in our second of at least 3 episodes on this topic, Bruce considers the criticisms of Denis Noble and James Shapiro by YouTuber and evolutionary biologist Zach Hancock in his epic video on the subject. Perhaps the role of epigenetics is overstated, Lama…

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364 - The Net & Demolition Man 1:13:15

6M ago1:13:15

1:13:15

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss what movies are secretly connected. New trailers for Nicolas Cage of The Surfer and Gunslingers, Clown in a Cornfield, Popeye: The Slayer Man, and Popeye's Revenge. Remembering Gene Hackman and Michelle Trachtenberg. The movies reviewed are Sandy B in The Net (1995) and Demolition Man (…

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Episode 103: Neo-Darwinism vs Post-Darwinism 1:53:36

7M ago1:53:36

1:53:36

This week we discuss neo-Darwinism vs post-Darwinism. Neo-Darwinism meaning a gene centric view of evolution, which is also called the great synthesis since it unifies natural selection with genetics and paleontology and perhaps even human psychology. Post-Darwinism is a view that emphasizes factors outside random mutation, like epigenetics or the …

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363 - You're Cordially Invited & Blink Twice 1:20:34

7M ago1:20:34

1:20:34

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss some big trailers like The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Jurassic World Rebirth, and Final Destination Bloodlines. The news of why Ivan Reitman never made a Ghostbusters 3, Gears of War, and Matthew Lillard casting. Movies reviewed are You're Cordially Invited (2025) and Blink Twice (202…

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362 - Smile 2 & Den of Thieves 2 Pantera 1:21:21

8M ago1:21:21

1:21:21

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss the Superbowl. Trailers for Riff Raff, Dark Match, and The Calendar Killer. Plus a quick review of David Howard Thornton as the Joker in the short film Jokers Wild. The news of Flight Risk being a flop and Terrifier 4. Reviews for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025) and Smile 2 (2024). Enj…

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Episode 102: Is IQ a Bit Scientifically Valid? 1:25:51

8M ago1:25:51

1:25:51

This time we discuss Nassim Nicholas Taleb's article "IQ is Largely a Pseudoscientific Swindle" -- a title whose compliment is that he's claiming IQ is a bit scientifically valid. But which bits does he claim are valid? We use this article as a springboard to consider: Do the numbers produced by an IQ test say something meaningful or useful about h…

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361 - Rebel Ridge & Subservience 1:10:18

8M ago1:10:18

1:10:18

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss what movies they are excited to see in 2024 and their favorite cruise ship movies. New trailers for Daredevil Reborn Drop, In The Lost Lands, and Until Dawn. New news of the Toxic Avenger release, The Accountant 2, Sonic 4 release date, and a new Labyrinth. Movies reviewed are Rebel Rid…

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360 - Sonic 3, Carry-On, & Mufasa 1:42:24

8M ago1:42:24

1:42:24

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss their favorite movies of 2024. New trailers for Superman Legacy, Karate Kid Legacy, and Death of a Unicorn. The news of a Sonic 4 and DC castings. Movies reviewed are Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), Carry-On (2024), and Mufasa (2024). Enjoy!…

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Episode 101: Wolfram, Rucker, and the Computational Nature of Reality 2:16:27

8M ago2:16:27

2:16:27

Bruce takes a deep dive into Stephen Wolfram’s ideas regarding computational universality, which may go further than the Church-Turing-Deutsch thesis in that Wolfram’s theories imply that all of nature could be simulated even by relatively simple systems, so even nature itself may be computational rather than something that can just be simulated on…

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359 - Venom The Last Dance & On the Line 1:31:19

9M ago1:31:19

1:31:19

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss streaming. The new trailers for Heart Eyes and 28 Years Later. The news of the Kraven The Hunter reviews , American Psycho remake, Sonic 3 reactions, and Chris Evans joining Doomsday cast. Movies reviewed are Venom The Last Dance (2024) and On the Line (2022). Enjoy!…

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Episode 100: Interview with David Deutsch 2:27:25

9M ago2:27:25

2:27:25

Our Christmas gift to you this year is episode 100: an interview with The Man (TM) himself! Bruce stumbles over himself fan-boying as he asks all his burning (but geeky) questions about cosmology, the omega point, and probability. How do Deutsch and Tipler differ on optimistic end-time cosmology? Is the Omega point refuted by observation (Deutsch) …

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Episode 99: Critical Rationalism and Solipsism 1:31:31

9M ago1:31:31

1:31:31

AKA "David Deutsch DESTORYS the Simulation Hypothesis" Bruce take a deep dive into solipsism in the form of the brain in a vat thought experiment, Nick Bostrom’s simulation hypothesis, and related ideas. Does the Church-Turing-Deutsch thesis suggest we could live in a simulation? What does critical rationalism say about these theories? Support us o…

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Episode 98: Objectively Beautiful Flowers? 1:58:05

10M ago1:58:05

1:58:05

This week we discuss the chapter “Why are Flowers Beautiful?” from the book Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch. Through our discussion we consider: Does relativism make any sense? Is preferring Mozart to a child banging on a piano really just an arbitrary preference? If progress in art is real, will human minds ever stop increasing the level of…

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358 - The Substance & Demon House 1:12:44

10M ago1:12:44

1:12:44

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss what franchise studios need to stop rebooting/recreating/recasting. The news of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, James Bond, and Denzel Washington possibly joining the MCU. New trailers for Dear Santa, Thunderbolt*, and Captain America: Brave New World. Movies reviewed are The Substance (2024) and…

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Episode 97: Karl Popper On Conservatism in Music (w/Chris Johansen) 1:31:41

10M ago1:31:41

1:31:41

We take a deep dive into Karl Popper’s philosophical ideas about music that he outlines in four chapters in this intellectual autobiography Unended Quest: “Music,” Speculations about the Rise of Polyphonic Music,” “Two Kinds of Music,” and “Progressivism in Art, Especially in Music.” We are joined by Peter’s brother, Chris Johansen, who is a straig…

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Episode 96: Kenneth Stanley on the Pursuit of What’s Interesting 1:28:33

11M ago1:28:33

1:28:33

Here we interview AI researcher Kenneth Stanley, who makes the case that in complex systems, pursing specific objectives can actually be counterproductive. Instead, whether in machine learning, business, science, education, or art, we should pursue what is interesting. It is in this search for novelty—fueled by curiosity—where innovation and open-e…

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357 - Terrifier 3 & Tarot 1:11:42

11M ago1:11:42

1:11:42

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss which film series could use a book to bridge the gap between films. Trailers for The Monkey, Mickey 17, and Carry-On. Plus the news of Terrifier 3 making a killing at the box office, Krypto, and a new Batman book. The terrifying movies reviewed are Terrifier 3 (2024) and Tarot (2024). E…

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356 - Jonah Hex 1:13:15

11M ago1:13:15

1:13:15

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss what factors lead to a movie flop. The news of Joker 2 failing at the box office and the immergence of a new clown prince. Trailers for Thunderbolts*, Ballerina, Gremlins: The Wild Batch, and The Last of Us season 2. They review the terrible Jonah Hex (2010), DC's attempt at a western. …

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Episode 95: On Morality, Moralizing, and Elephant Jockeys (Round Table) 2:48:50

11M ago2:48:50

2:48:50

This time we invited some of the coolest and smartest people we know to have a freewheeling discussion on morality loosely centered on Jonathan Haidt's “rider and the elephant” metaphor. We take a deep dive into this idea that moral reasoning is a slave to our passions. Guests: • Lulie Tanett (https://open.spotify.com/show/6OPFnEt6uTOTGeSpnZ1YDp?si…

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Episode 94: Stephen Hicks on Critical Rationalism vs Objectivism 1:01:44

12M ago1:01:44

1:01:44

This episode we interview Professor of Philosophy Stephen Hicks. In his excellent books Explaining Postmodernism and Nietzsche and the Nazis it becomes clear that the history of bad and good ideas—which he sees through the lens of Enlightenment and counter-Enlightenment philosophers—is more than an academic issue but something with monumental impor…

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355 - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice & Twisters 1:25:49

12M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss what franchise they want to have a vehicle wrap of. Plus, trailers for Venom: The Last Dance and Spin the Bottle. The news of John Cena in a Matchbox Car movie and remembering James Earl Jones. Movies reviewed are Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) and Twisters (2024). Enjoy!…

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Episode 93: Philosophical Theories vs Bad Explanations 2:07:05

1y ago2:07:05

2:07:05

Can philosophical theories be refuted? What is a bad explanation? Can all theories be made more empirical? In search of an answer to these questions, Bruce takes a deep dive into what he believes is the correct way to apply “Popper’s ratchet” to metaphysical or philosophical theories. Along the way, Bruce puts forward a generalization of testabilit…

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354-Alien Romulus & Knights of the Zodiac 1:33:27

1y ago1:33:27

1:33:27

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss streaming services we want see developed. New trailers for Y2K, Frankie Freake, and The Red. The news of pictures of George Miller's Justice League development, banning real guns on The Crow reboot, and Nicolas Cage's new role. Movies reviewed are Alien Romulus (2024) and Knights of the…

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Episode 92: Popper on Philosophical Theories 1:55:50

1y ago1:55:50

1:55:50

Continuing from episode 91, we continue our deep dive into Popper's Conjectures and Refutations Chapter 8 where Popper explains how to use his epistemology on philosophical theories that (by definition) can't be 'refuted'. Despite agreeing with most of Popper's specific arguments, we offer some considerable criticisms to Popper's approach to critic…

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Episode 91: The Critical Rationalist Case For Induction!? 1:45:46

1y ago1:45:46

1:45:46

Forgive the clickbait title. The episode should probably actually be called "The (Lack of) Problem of Induction" because we primarily cover Popper's refutation of induction in C&R Chapter 8. This episode starts our deep dive into answering the question "What is the difference between a good philosophical explanation and a bad explanation?" To answe…

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353-Upgrade & Boogeyman 57:11

1y ago57:11

57:11

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss if it is ok for studios to spoil their own movies, plus a spoiler free review of Deadpool and Wolverine. The news and trailers from San Diego Comic-Con like Creature Commandos, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, the unveiling of Doctor Doom, and so much more! Movies reviewed are Upgrade (2018) a…

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352-Green Lantern 1:28:28

1y ago1:28:28

1:28:28

In this episode of B Movies and Beyond, Peter and Ryan discuss when trailers spoil a movie. Plus, the new trailer for Terrifier 3, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Joker Folie A Deux. They talk about the Spawn movie update. Lastly, in honor of Deadpool and Wolverine, they review one of the early attempts of Ryan Reynolds being a huge superhero for DC i…