The Countdown

Countdown #517   Since three is apparently the magic number, the boys for this Episode decided to honour the very best third films in any franchise ever.   Well, Paul did. Wayne, meanwhile, is off in his own fairy land where multiple Star Wars films get a look in at this topic. Which, of course, results in more of the good-natured banter that defines the show.    So pull up a comfy chair or settle into your drive/run/workout and let's get ready to make fun of Wayne's choices. As The Countdown does indeed continue ...   Want more? Find heaps of Countdowns - all the way back to Episode 40! - on our Podbean site.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with Paul and Wayne and the great listeners of the show.   While you're at it, check out Wayne's YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning!

With thanks to Sony Pictures Australia for the advanced screening, the lads are this time confronting their own demons (amid the fact they actively promote the use of Facebook for this show!) as they review The Social Reckoning.   Can Sorkin taking on directing as well as writing duties match the god-tier love for Fincher's The Social Network? Or is this a case of the law of diminishing returns? And is there anything more to see here than the typical Sorkin dialogue?   Find out as The Countdown continues ...   Time Stamps: The Social Reckoning NON-SPOILER Review: 0:00 - 12:38 The Social Reckoning SPOILER-FILLED Discussion: 12:38 - 19:42 Final Scores and Thoughts Including Potential Spoilers: 19:42 - 22:30   If you want more Countdowns and reviews - all the way back to Episode 40! - hit up our Podbean site.   There's more of Wayne over at his YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook (they said through a grimace) so you can interact more directly with other listeners of the show (as well as the lads themselves!).

With thanks to Universal Pictures Australia and Warner Brothers, the boys were fortunate enough to see Digger at a special critics screening in Perth, and boy, are they glad they did so!   Want to find out why? Listen in, but be warned, do not go past the spoiler warning on this episode until you have seen the film. Don't ask why! Just listen and thank us later.   And you can check out Digger in cinemas from Oct 1st in Australia, and decide for yourself whether Tom Cruise is going to win the next Best Actor Oscar ...   Time Stamps: Digger NON-SPOILER Review: 0:00 - 10:49 Digger SPOILER-FILLED Discussion: 10:49 - 23:45 Final Scores and Thoughts Including Potential Spoilers: 23:45 - 24:28   If you want more Countdowns and reviews - all the way back to Episode 40! - hit up our Podbean site.   There's more of Wayne over at his YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with other listeners of the show (as well as the lads themselves!).

Countdown #516   Guess who's back? Back again? Wayney's back, with his friend...   Yes, it's been too long, and the lads have missed pontificating about highs and lows of films they've recently seen. Which means it's time for another Top 10 Last 10 episode - with thanks to the geniuses at the CineReelists podcast.   This is the only episode (so far) where you can find out what Paul and Wayne think about Christoper Nolan's The Odyssey. You'll also catch Paul's take on the newest entry in a beloved horror franchise. Not to mention some other 16 films mini-reviewed as the boys rank their recent watches from worst to best, telling you when they cross the line from avoid to recommend. What better way to set yourself up for your next movie night?   Want more? Find heaps of Countdowns - all the way back to Episode 40! - on our Podbean site.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with Paul and Wayne and the great listeners of the show.   While you're at it, check out Wayne's YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning!   And don't forget Wayne's guest appearance on the fantastic We Watched a Thing podcast.

Spider-Man swings back into theatres, and of course, the boys are front and centre to give you the skinny on whether he sticks the landing...   Will Wayne come to appreciate Zendaya for the actor she is? Can Paul get past that this is not a Miles Morales Spider-Verse movie? And how incensed will Wayne become when Paul goes to town with The Soundboard?   Find out as The Countdown continues ...     Time Stamps: SM: BND NON-SPOILER Review: 0:00 - 13:53 SM: BND SPOILER-FILLED Discussion: 13:53 - 26:47 Final Scores and Thoughts Including Potential Spoilers: 26:47 - 27:27   If you want more Countdowns and reviews - all the way back to Episode 40! - hit up our Podbean site.   There's more of Wayne over at his YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with other listeners of the show (as well as the lads themselves!).

Countdown #515   What's been setting the 2026 box office on fire? And are those actually the best films of the year so far? Paul and Wayne certainly have their opinions, and since they have a podcast, they're going to tell you about them.   Recorded on July 5th, the boys talk through their favourite ten films 2026 has so far served up, and it's fair to say, there's more than a bit of controversy - especially with Wayne's list (shock horror). So join in the conversation and maybe find a film or three to check out, as The Countdown continues its mid-year resurgence ...   Want more? Find heaps more Countdowns - all the way back to Episode 40! - on our Podbean site.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with Paul and Wayne and the great listeners of the show.   While you're at it, check out Wayne's YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning!   Check out Wayne's guest appearance on the fantastic We Watched a Thing podcast.   And don't forget Paul's guest appearance on the Stew World Order podcast.

The DCU has been re-formatted like a hard drive sporting Windows 95, and two films deep, the question is now being asked: Is it working?   The boys are back with their take on that question, as they consider the merits of a punk-metal version of Supergirl versus her 80s predecessor and consider whether James Gunn and Peter Safran have their finger on the pulse of fans the world over. Is it time to panic that the DCU is going the way of the DCEU before it, or should everyone just take a chill-pill and enjoy Supergirl for what it is?   Find out as The Countdown continues ...     Time Stamps: Supergirl NON-SPOILER Review: 0:00 - 14:32 Supergirl SPOILER-FILLED Discussion: 14:32 - 23:20 Final Scores and Thoughts Including Potential Spoilers: 23:20 - 26:23   If you want more Countdowns and reviews - all the way back to Episode 40! - hit up our Podbean site.   There's more of Wayne over at his YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with other listeners of the show (as well as the lads themselves!).

Countdown #514   These days, the small screen delivers just as much epic content as the theatre does, and Paul and Wayne are happy to be your canaries in cages when it comes to sampling some of what TV-Land has to offer.   From Marvel one-offs to prestige spy shows, the lads are ordering much of what they've watched in order of awesomeness (or, if you prefer, from worst to best) so you don't have to! It is, after all, what The Countdown is all about. Along with the not-so-witty banter and The Soundboard adding its two cents every now and then...   So tune in to find out what 2026 has so far served up when it comes to television, as The Countdown continues its mid-year resurgence ...   Want more? Find heaps more Countdowns - all the way back to Episode 40! - on our Podbean site.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with Paul and Wayne and the great listeners of the show.   While you're at it, check out Wayne's YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning!

Wayne and Paul channel their childhoods playing with figurines (not a euphemism) and watching cartoons before school as they this week take on the brand new version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe!   Among the many important questions answered (or at least asked): Does the film get the tone right for a modern re-boot of a 40 year old property that came from a simpler timer? Does Evil Lyn look good with that headpiece and has she always been blonde? And what happens to Adam's manhood when he turns into He-Man?   I mean, with that in mind, why wouldn't you listen? As The Countdown continues ...   Time Stamps: MotY NON-SPOILER Review: 0:00 - 14:49 MotU SPOILER-FILLED Discussion: 14:49 - 20:30 Final Scores and Thoughts Including Potential Spoilers: 20:30 - 21:48   If you want more Countdowns and reviews - all the way back to Episode 40! - hit up our Podbean site.   There's more of Wayne over at his YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with other listeners of the show (as well as the lads themselves!).

Countdown #513   In an epic labour of love that stretched across three recording sessions, multiple hardware failures (and one act of dumb-assery), the lads are finally back with a full Countdown episode, and how could it be anything other than a Top 10 Last 10?     Join Wayne and Paul as they mini-review 10 of their most recent watches, ranking them from worst to best, to aid you in deciding what next to spend your precious time viewing.   Of course, there are disagreements along the way, but also a couple of moments of surprising consensus, just to keep you on your toes. Find out what they are as The Countdown resumes ...   Want more? Find heaps more Countdowns - all the way back to Episode 40! - on our Podbean site.   Join The Countdown Podcast Listener Community on Facebook so you can interact more directly with Paul and Wayne and the great listeners of the show.   While you're at it, check out Wayne's new YouTube channel, Waxing & Wayning!