Cosmic Circus Podcasts

Uday, Vin and John talk about the hit new film from Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey. The three debate whether anyone but Nolan could have pulled off this epic film, the trouble with the sound design, their feelings about the casting choices, and some of the more controversial aspects of the film. They also discuss what Christopher Nolan might do next after this epic smash hit. The Odyssey (2026) Directed & Written by Christopher Nolan Based on The Odyssey by Homer Starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway Cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema Edited by Jennifer Lame Music by Ludwig Göransson Production design by Ruth De Jong Costume design by Ellen Mirojnick Find Vin's video review on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRF1xeMKxsA&t=8s John's written review of The Odyssey is available here: https://thecosmiccircus.com/the-odyssey-movie-review/

Vic and Vin reassemble to discuss the new DC Studios film Supergirl as compared to the comic 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.' The Superboys also deliberate how the film impacts 'Man of Tomorrow' and the future of James Gunn's DC Universe. (Spoiler warning for those who have not watched the film or read the comic!) Supergirl (2026) - Directed by Craig Gillespie - Written by Ana Nogueira - Starring Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2021) #1-8 - Written by Tom King - Art by Bilquis Evely - Colors by Mat Lopes Timestamps  00:00 - Intro 01:50 - the 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow' comic and a few thoughts on how it compares to the film 05:50 - the pacing in the film 08:55 - comparing the new Superman/Supergirl films with Guardians of the Galaxy 11:00 - Critical response to the film and the fact that the film is not as bad as it could have been in comparison to other comic book movies in recent years 13:00 - David Corenswet's version of Superman 18:34 - Discussing the visuals in the Woman of Tomorrow comic 20:45 - Jason Momoa as Lobo 22:50 - Krem in the film vs. the comics 25:00 - Changes to ending from comic (spoilers) 27:28 - Other Supergirl live action depictions 31:30 - Legion of Superheroes 33:30 - Potential for the future of DCU 36:42 - Outro Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube @thecosmiccircus For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com

John and Vin are back talking about the films Obsession and The Furious, both of which John was able to see at the Dallas International Film Festival earlier this year. Vin also chats about films he saw at the Timeless Film Festival Warsaw, and lastly they talk briefly about revisiting the Back to the Future films after a movie marathon.   For John's written reviews of Obsession and the Furious (viewed at the Dallas International Film Festival), visit the links below. https://thecosmiccircus.com/obsession-movie-review-diff-2026/ https://thecosmiccircus.com/the-furious-movie-review-diff-2026/   Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube @thecosmiccircus For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com

John & Vin discuss Project Hail Mary, the blockbuster new book-to-film adaptation from Amazon/MGM Studios! Project Hail Mary (2026) - Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller - Written by Drew Goddard (The Martian movie) - Based on the book by Andy Weir (The Martian book) - Starring Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz, Sandra Hüller - Cinematography by Greig Fraser (Dune, Batman) - Music by Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Verse) Timestamps for Project Hail Mary review 00:00 - Intro 02:13 - The story 04:20 - The Martian or Project Hail Mary, which one did we like better? 06:54 - General thoughts on Project Hail Mary 09:00 - Pacing issues 10:30 - Rocky is where the movie comes to life 11:55 - Issues with the film 13:30 - Practical Rocky, special effects, visuals, and music 15:24 - Comments from friends who have read the book by Andy Weir 17:30 - References to other sci-fi films 18:15 - The relationship between Ryland and Rocky, and humor. Ryan Gosling's Tom Hanks moment 21:37 - The flashbacks and pacing 24:20 - Overall positive about the film 25:45 - John saw an Odyssey prologue preview before the film 26:00 - IMAX news John heard about regarding upgrades before The Odyssey and the addition of 5 locations on the way. 27:30 - Final thoughts on Project Hail Mary 28:30 - Outro     Find the video version of this discussion and much more on YouTube @TheCosmicCircus For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit TheCosmicCircus.com

In this exclusive interview, Tiger Wizard talks about how a game like TAVERS comes into existence. Beginning with a deep dive into the larger world of Meow Wolf, Tiger Wizard explores what makes this world so interesting and how it has influenced the development of TAVERS as a game. He discussed what stood out about this world and how he wanted to translate the colorful and playful nature of the original concept. Tiger Wizard also discusses bringing this TTRPG game to Kickstarter and the response it has gotten from others! Listen to the interview here or on our YouTube channel @TheCosmicCircus For more information about TAVERS: A Meow Wolf Roleplay Game, such as game mechanics and where to back it, visit Exalted Funeral's website! Timestamps for our interview with Tiger Wizard about TAVERS: A Meow Wolf Roleplay 00:00 - Intro to Meow Wolf and TAVERS, and immersive TTRPG storytelling game 02:39 - The game design process 04:46 - Designing different "TAVER flavors" (different archetype designs) 07:00 - Flexibility and customization within TAVERS 08:40 - Cool art and aesthetics in the game 10:38 - Game mechanics 13:30 - Favorite aspects of creating this game, playing and collaboration 18:00 -  Kickstarter success and benefits for supporters 21:00 - What you need to play TAVERS 22:30 - Why use crowdsourcing for this? 24:35 - Personal reflections on this game's appeal 26:04 - Outro

John tells Vin about Nine Inch Nails' critically-acclaimed Peel It Back Tour (June 2025 to March 2026).   Nine Inch Nails Main members: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Touring members: Robin Finck, Alessandro Cortini/Stu Brooks, & Ilan Rubin/Josh Freese Opening act: Boys Noize Timestamps 00:00 - Intro and John's history with Nine Inch Nails 02:30 - One of the best concerts he's ever been to... 05:43 - Is there many new songs or a mix of old and new? 06:15 - the ending song of the concert, "Hurt" 07:00 - a visually cinematic concert 08:38 - "The Perfect Drug", the drums 10:25 - Outro    Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube @thecosmiccircus For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit https://www.thecosmiccircus.com

John and Vin are back at it again, this time with a discussion about The Bride! starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. The film was directed and written by Maggie Gyllenhaal and based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, with cinematography by Lawrence Sher, edited by Dylan Tichenor and music by Hildur Guðnadóttir. The Bride! (2026) discussion timestamps 00:00 - Intro and story concept for The Bride! 02:30 - Jessie Buckley's performance(s) in the film 04:00 - A confusing story and geography 07:30 - Jessie Buckley's "heavy lifting" with a bad script and inconsistent themes 09:00 - Christian Bale as Frankenstein 10:00 - What is the point? Too much is left out or confusing to make much sense of the story 15:00 - Easter eggs and Julianne Hough of Dancing with the Stars 15:40 - A multiversal story? 17:07 - The potential that was missed in The Bride! 19:40 - Joker 2 parallels 20:30 - Could Jessie Buckley's Oscar chances for Hamnet be hurt by The Bride!? 22:45 - A weird mix and mess of inconsistent themes 24:00 - Other 2026 films so far... 26:00 - Outro 27:25 - Outtakes Find the video version of this discussion and much more on YouTube @TheCosmicCircus For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit TheCosmicCircus.com

Vin & Drew breakdown the first season of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" from the Game of Thrones universe. They also discuss the state of the franchise overall and what other media adaptations can learn from the success of the show. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro and spoiler warning 01:36 - Drew and Vin's histories with the Game of Thrones universe 05:15 - Initial impressions of A Knight of Seven Kingdoms in comparison with previous Game of Thrones series and House of the Dragon 08:38 - How would you pitch A Knight of Seven Kingdoms to someone who is not into GOT 10:00 - Excellent character work and writing, including great side characters 17:25 - This is a show that makes them excited about Game of Thrones again, after some of the negative discourse about previous series. 18:10 - Negatives about A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, and the challenge of keeping viewers engaged in what amounts to an anthology series. 21:00 - Still a lot of story to tell about Dunk and Egg for season 2 and beyond. 24:30 - What can House of the Dragon and other GOT spinoffs learn from this new series? 27:00 - A great foundation to work from for future seasons 28:50 - Lessons learned about good book adaptations 31:45 - What can other franchise media (Marvel, DC, Star Wars) take away from what this series did? 33:50 - Final thoughts and rating for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 34:35 - Outro   Find the video version of this discussion and much more on YouTube @TheCosmicCircus For more nerdy pop culture coverage, including movie and TV news, reviews, and interviews by The Cosmic Circus contributors, visit TheCosmicCircus.com

In our interview with Stephen Murphy, he discusses his personal journey into the art of cinematography and his distinct vision for the film. Through shadows, darkness, vivid colors, and specific angles and shots, this cinematographer discusses how he shaped key scenes in the film to elicit specific emotions from the audience and what classic horror films influenced some of his work. Primate (2026) is currently available to rent or buy on digital, with a Blu-ray/DVD release scheduled for April 21, 2026.   Timestamps for our interview with Stephen Murphy about Primate 00:00 - Intro. What is the role of a Director of Photography in films and shows? 02:16 - What is his personal journey into cinematography? 05:30 - What was the overall visual philosophy used in Primate? 07:30 - On homages to past films in the genre in this film. 08:30 - Using light to create suspense instead of "jump scares." 10:50 - The process of setting up the scenes and collaborating with different directors 13:05 - On working on Heart Eyes (2025). 14:00 - The use of color in the visuals in Primate. (such as the pool scenes) 16:15 - Achieving a claustrophobic feel in the film using the lenses and environment.  19:15 - A shot that he's particularly proud of in the film. 19:40- Filming inside the closet 21:50 - What do you hope audiences take away from your work as cinematographer in Primate?

Hosts Vin and John break down Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein, assessing its faithfulness to Mary Shelley’s novel, standout performances (especially Jacob Elordi), and striking production design. They praise the costumes, music, and Elordi’s soulful turn, but criticize the film’s slow first hour, digital look, uneven pacing, and an ending that doesn’t fully land. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 01:15 - Intro to Frankenstein, talking about Mary Shelley's novel and what the story is about, as well as other film versions of this classic tale. 06:00 - Frankenstein (2025) film discussion with mild spoilers 08:40 - Jacob Elordi's performance 09:30 - Comparing the book to the 2025 film 11:35 - Positives and negatives about the film, and "the Netflix effect" 16:20 - The Monster's design, costumes and production design 20:30 - The ending and other overall thoughts 25:00 - Outro