David is joined by Nathan Ledbetter, Instructor of Asian History, Department of Humanities, Rider University, and new Lorehounds Community Co-Host, to begin a three part series ahead of Godzilla Minus Zero.

This first installment explores the history and context of Godzilla, from the 1954 original and the nuclear anxieties that shaped it to the legacy that followed, before turning to the morphology of the monster’s body and what its physical design communicates. The conversation is completely spoiler free for Godzilla Minus Zero and for any other movies discussed, so it is safe listening whether or not you have seen the films.

In Part 2, David and Nathan will take a full spoiler discussion of the 1954 film, with some commentary on the 1956 version, and compare it with the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One. Part 3 will be a regular movie review of Godzilla Minus Zero once the film is in wide release.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* Podcast

• Godzilla in 1954: Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare and Sci-Fi Legacy

Lorehounds Blog Post

• The Semiotics of Godzilla: How to Read a Monster’s Body

Nathan Ledbetter’s Academic Page

• https://princeton.academia.edu/NathanLedbetter

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Lorehounds Host David and Lorehounds Community Co-host Stewart (Doove71) are joined by special guest Marilyn R. Pukkila for the first publicly available Eagle Eyes episode, a deep dive into the 2026 film Pressure. The conversation covers the film’s remarkable portrait of the 72 hours before D-Day, centered on Scottish meteorologist Group Captain James Stagg’s pivotal and contested weather forecast to Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower, exploring how the production distills a vast, complex military operation into an intimate and claustrophobic character piece. The trio bring their combined perspectives to the film’s historical accuracy, its origins as a 2014 stage play, the transatlantic tensions mirrored at every level of command, and the quietly essential role of Kay Summersby in navigating the enormous egos in the room.

Further Reading

The General’s Women by Susan Wittig Albert

https://susanalbert.com/the-generals-women/

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: eagleeyes@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Elysia is celebrating Filipino-American History Month with the help of Paulo from The Oscars Death Race Podcast, with a deep dive into Dreamworks' new animated adventure Forgotten Island.

The first half of the episode is dedicated to a spoiler-free intro to Filipino culture and mythology and discussion of the movie production, setting the stage for the film and discussing who this is for and why listeners might want to watch. And then, after the spoiler warning, they discuss how Filipino culture and mythology is woven into the plot of this '90s-tinged magical tale of friendship that transcends time and distance.

Special links:

• The Forgotten Island trailer

• The Oscar's Death Race Podcast (Paulo)

Filipino media recommendations:

• Series: Trese – Netflix animated supernatural detective, 6 eps

• Movie: ZsaZsa Zaturnnah (2026) – Animated gender-bent superhero

• Movie: 10s Across the Borders (2025) – Asian ballroom

• Movie: Moonglow (2026) – Filipino Noir

• Movie: Lingua Franca (2019) – Trans immigrant drama

• Movie: Filipiñana (2026) – This year's Oscar submission from the Philippines

• Movie: First Light (2026) – Australian submission this year, first in Tagalog

• Graphic Novel: Maharlika

• Docuseries: BINI and SB19 (Netflix) 

• Letterboxd list: Recent Filipino / Diaspora Films

• Letterboxd list: Older list of specifically Filipino cinema

Contact Us

lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David, Lisa, and Bryan celebrate the life and career of Catherine O'Hara, who passed away in January 2026. The trio traces her path from waitressing at Toronto's Second City at 19, where she understudied for Gilda Radner, through her Emmy-winning years on SCTV alongside future comedy giants John Candy, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, and Rick Moranis. The conversation moves through her collaborations with Tim Burton on Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, her breakout to household fame in Home Alone, her celebrated improv work in Christopher Guest's mockumentary films, and the career renaissance of Schitt's Creek, where decades of character work culminated in the unforgettable Moira Rose. The hosts reflect on how O'Hara elevated everything she touched, from dramatic turns in The Last of Us and The Studio to her fearless willingness to let the awkward moment sit for one extra beat, before selecting three films for the community vote.

Catherine O'Hara Community Movie Poll

Vote for the film we'll cover in our deep dive episode!

Best in Show (2000) | For Your Consideration (2006) | ACOD (2013)

Vote here: https://strawpoll.com/e6Z2Axlw6gN

Poll closes Saturday, October 4, 2026 at 11:59pm EDT

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: intothewest@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David, Lisa, and Bryan light a candle for two icons lost just 48 hours apart. The first half celebrates Dolly Parton, from her childhood in Appalachian poverty through her breakout on the Porter Wagoner Show and into a career that stretched far beyond country music. The hosts trace her film roles in 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Steel Magnolias, her production company's surprising connection to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a philanthropic legacy that includes the Imagination Library, COVID vaccine research funding, and wraparound services that cut her hometown's school dropout rate in half.

After the break, the trio turns to Tim Curry, whose fearless portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a cultural landmark for self-expression and nonconformity. The hosts explore his eclectic range from Legend and IT to Clue, Muppet Treasure Island, and three Tony-nominated Broadway roles, and reflect on how Rocky Horror created space for generations of nonconformists to gather, play, and express themselves freely. Community voices from the Lorehounds Discord share their own memories throughout, including the inevitable question: which Tim Curry role was your awakening?

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: intothewest@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Jean and Elysia dive into the characters, action, and moments that triggered tears in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the start of a new MCU Spider-Man trilogy that's currently setting box office records. (Comic-book comparisons, of course, included.)

Stick around under after the credits for our reactions to the just-released X-Men casting and other Marvel news from D23!

Marvel at D23: X-Men casting & VisionQuest / Doomsday trailers

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: mcu@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David, Lisa, and Bryan light a candle for Sam Neill, who passed away shortly after announcing he was cancer free following treatment for the blood cancer he was diagnosed with in 2022. In this shorter tribute episode, the trio traces Neill's journey from his Northern Irish birth through a childhood in New Zealand, where a stutter taught him to listen, to a 50-year career spanning 74 credits across film and television. From early breakthroughs in Sleeping Dogs and My Brilliant Career through iconic roles in The Hunt for Red October, Dead Calm, The Piano, and of course Jurassic Park, the hosts celebrate an actor who moved seamlessly from leading man to beloved character actor without ever disappearing. The episode also features reflections from the Lorehounds community, sharing their favorite Neill performances and memories of an actor universally remembered as warm, generous, and endlessly watchable.

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: intothewest@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

With DCU's Supergirl (2026) now available to watch at home, Jean and Elysia dive into the controversial film. After their spoiler-free (more positive than not) fresh takes (00:32:38), they talk through the on-screen action and the lore behind it (00:53:52).

But, before that, they begin by checking in on recent Marvel news (00:02:15) – from a new T’Challa and Ghost Rider to the the Wonder Man heartbreak – plus the DC trailers (00:23:06) for the swiftly approaching Western scifi Noir take on Lanterns and October's body-horror appears-to-be-a-banger Clayface.

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: comicsvs@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David and Elysia work through their own and the community's mixed-but-leaning-positive feelings about Steven Spielberg's new alien-focused movie Disclosure Day (currently in theaters). They get into the greatest cinematic moments, the cast and performance(s) they loved best, and (yes) the lore holes nagging at them after the fact – and why this film is worth seeing in theaters, and even if it engages the heart more than your critical thinking skills.

Contact Us

lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David, Lisa, and Bryan conclude their Gene Hackman coverage with a deep dive into The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 psychological thriller and the film chosen by community vote. The trio explores Gene Hackman's portrayal of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert whose paranoia, guilt, and isolation unravel him as he becomes convinced his latest recording may lead to a murder. The conversation covers the film's remarkable production history as Coppola's decade-long passion project made between the two Godfather films, its uncanny resonance with the Watergate scandal, and the contributions of editor and sound designer Walter Murch and composer David Shire, whose manipulated piano score mirrors Harry's own distorted perception of reality. From the iconic Union Square opening shot to the film's deliberately unresolved ambiguities, the hosts examine how a 50-year-old film about eavesdropping and the power of information remains strikingly relevant in an era of digital surveillance and post-truth uncertainty.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: intothewest@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David and Elysia venture into the Horror Hounds to discuss Backrooms (2026), A24's creepypasta-turned-feature film directed by Kane Parsons and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. They trace the film's remarkable origin — from an anonymous 2019 post on 4chan to Kane Pixels' three-year YouTube web series — and unpack how a 19-year-old first-time director delivered a confident, visually stunning film on a $10M budget with a 14X box office return. The conversation digs into the film's rich thematic layers, including the backrooms as a Jungian mirror of shared anxiety and mental illness, the AI-as-mimicry subtext, the literary connection to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, the psychological character studies of Mary and Clark, and what this film signals about a new generation of internet-native storytellers reshaping the horror genre.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Elysia and John continue the journey of the galaxy's favorite father and son in The Mandalorian and Grogu. They catch up with the New Republic before meeting Hutts of various sizes, watching stop motion and puppetry showcases, and overall having a fun, standalone adventure.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: starwars@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

John, Elysia, and Marilyn follow Ryan Gosling to the far reaches of space to save humankind from destruction. They discuss the impressive puppetry and visuals, the hopepunk core of the film, and the parallels to other sci-fi worlds.

Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com.

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David, Lisa, and Bryan are joined by Tolkien scholar Marilyn R. Pukkila for a special episode exploring the meaning behind the podcast's name and the deep cultural associations between the West and human mortality. The conversation traces how civilizations from the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the Maori, the Celts, and the indigenous Wabanaki have connected the setting sun with death, transition, and what lies beyond. Marilyn draws on John Garth's research into how the phrase "going West" entered the English lexicon through Celtic-speaking soldiers in the trenches of World War I and became a foundational element in Tolkien's myth-making, while the hosts reflect on how art, storytelling, and community create spaces for renewal, shared grief, and the celebration of lives well lived.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: intothewest@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David is joined by Tansy Gardam, host of the acclaimed Going Rogue podcast, and Asher Elbein, journalist and co-creator of the newsletter and website Heat Death, for a deep dive into the Jurassic film franchise — all seven films across 32 years. The conversation spans the paleontological promise of the original Park trilogy, the stagnation and franchise anxiety of the Jurassic World era, and the ways mega-franchise pipeline thinking has constrained the series' creative evolution.

Asher brings his background as a science journalist to examine how Hollywood arrested popular dinosaur science in amber while the real field moved on, and Tansy unpacks the franchise mechanics that kept the series reaching back to the first film rather than forward into new territory — including the quietly radical queerness encoded in the very biology of the dinosaurs themselves.

Check Out Our Guests

Tansy Gardam - Going Rogue Podcast

• https://patreon.com/goingroguepodcast
• https://bsky.app/profile/tansyg.bsky.social

Asher Elbein - Heat Death

• https://heat-death.ghost.io
• https://bsky.app/profile/asherelbein.bsky.social

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Elysia is joined by Lisa to spill all the tea on everything that went down in Kristoffer Borgli's The Drama (2026). After giving their spoiler-free takes and general thoughts on the power of dark humor to unlock uncomfortable discussions, they talk about the film's opening sequence (00:21:14) without spoiling the twist, and then finally launch into a full-spoiler discussion of the rest of the film (00:37:40).

Warning: This film (and thus this podcast episode) will not be for everyone. Heed the (spoiler-free, and then later spoiler-filled) content warnings within.

Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com.

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David and Elysia dive into Shakespeare's Hamlet, opening with a discussion of the play itself and some of the most classic film and stage adaptations, not to mention the whole sub-genre of films loosely adapting and referencing the Bard's longest work.

With that foundation laid, they turn their attention to the new adaptation starring Riz Ahmed, directed by Aneil Karia, that debuted at Telluride last year and is opening in theaters across North America today, April 10. How faithful is this new incarnation of the story, set in London's Asian community in the modern day? And what does and doesn't work when breaking down the source material to create what they call "the boldest adaptation to date"?

Links discussed:

• "The Name of Action" short doc
• This American Life: "Act V"
• Bait TV series: trailer

Hamlet adaptations discussed:

• Hamlet (1948) – Directed by Laurence Olivier, starring Laurence Olivier
• Hamlet (1990) – Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Mel Gibson
• Hamlet (1996) – Directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh
• Hamlet (2009) – Directed by Gregory Doran, starring David Tennant
• Hamlet (2018) – Directed by Rhodri Huw and Robert Icke, starring Andrew Scott
• Hamlet (2024) – Directed by Sean Mathias, starring Ian McKellen
• Hamlet (2025) – Directed by Aneil Karia, starring Riz Ahmed
• Hamlet: National Theatre Live (2026) – Directed by Robert Hastie, starring Hiran Abeysekera

Other films discussed:

• Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) – Directed by Tom Stoppard
• The Lion King (1994) – Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
• In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) – Directed by Kenneth Branagh
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead (2009) – Directed by Jordan Galland
• Ophelia (2018) – Directed by Claire McCarthy
• The Northman (2022) – Directed by Robert Eggers
• Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) – Directed by Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls
• King Hamlet (2025) – Directed by Elvira Lind
• Scarlet (2026) – Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com.

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities

Elysia and Riley kneel at the alter of Ralph Fiennes' Iron Maiden, discuss why Jimmy Crystal is scarier than Sinners' vampire Remmick, and glean hope from this film's not-so-hidden messages of humanity, sacrifice, and teasings of radical forgiveness in the second film in the game-changing 28 Years Later zoombie trilogy.

Previous coverage: 28 Days & Weeks Later (subscribers) & 28 Years Later (2025)

Find Riley online: YouTube – Bluesky

Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com.

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities

David is joined by community members Lisa and Bryan to launch Into the West, a new show on The Lorehounds Network dedicated to celebrating the careers of filmmakers and actors who have passed on. In this inaugural episode, the trio explores the life and legacy of Gene Hackman, from his Depression-era roots and early breakthrough in Bonnie and Clyde through his defining role in the New Hollywood movement with The French Connection and The Conversation to later triumphs like Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning, Unforgiven, and The Royal Tenenbaums. Lisa and Bryan share personal memories of growing up with Hackman's films, discuss his reputation as a fiercely prepared and principled actor, and walk through an essential filmography spanning his remarkable 79-film career before each host picks a film for the community vote.

Vote for which Hackman movie we will watch & review

Poll closes on 17-Apr-26 at 12pm EDT:

https://strawpoll.com/BDyNzq4m4yR

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: intothewest@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David joins Elysia for their now traditional Oscars' season wrap! After talking through the highs and lows of the show itself, they share their own rankings of the Best Picture nominees, and discuss where some other high-profile awards-season snubs and other nominees would fit into that list.

• Ceremony reactions (00:01:43)
• Winner reactions (00:30:19)
• Best Picture rankings (01:00:26) – full spoilers, this section only
• Ranking recap & extra movies (01:38:40) – back to spoiler-free

Links discussed:

Conan O’Brien’s Aunt Gladys opening

It’s a tie! Watch “The Singers” (Netflix) & ”Two People Exchanging Saliva” (YouTube)

Doug Orleans’s Best Picture commentary

Best Picture nominees: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein (our coverage), Hamnet (our coverage [subscribers]), Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another (our coverage:  pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3), Sentimental Value (our coverage [subscribers]), Sinners (our coverage), The Secret Agent, Train Dreams

Other films discussed: No Other Choice, The Blue Trail, Manas, The Smashing Machine, Jay Kelly, Weapons (our coverage), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, It Was Just an Accident, Sirāt, Project Hail Mary (2026, coverage soon), Hoppers (aka Jumpers [EU], 2026), 28 Years Later (our coverage), 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026, coverage next week)

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts 

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, VFX, Editing, Sound

Adapted & Original Screenplay, Director

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings (this episode)

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: 

Hamnet – WhachaWachin (with spoilers)

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTA shorts

BAFTA features

Independent Spirit Awards

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.