May (2002)

Don't call it a comeback! Sam and Jordan return to the Aughtsterion airwaves to discuss their favorite bratty robot teen, the titular M3gan of M3GAN 2.0. Despite underwhelming box office performance, the audience approval ratings for this sequel remain high, and that's because — despite a poor and misleading trailer campaign — this movie is actually a god damn blast that fans of a summer action comedy romp are primed to enjoy. It's just that no one told them so! Fortunately, your Aughts revival crew is here to guide you through the darkness and into the light of laughter and ass kicking action sequences. It's T2. It's Aliens. It's M3GAN 2.0.

It's a very Aughtsterion holiday, as the fifth season of the pod debuts with Eli Roth's latest (and possibly best??) effort: Thanksgiving. Based on the trailer for a fake movie of the same name that rolled in between Grindhouse movies back in 2007, this Thanksgiving, as some anonymous internet commenter described it, like if someone made a 2000s remake of the non-existent 1970s movie the original trailer depicted. In other words, it's basically fantastic. Jordan is boosting it as her favorite Roth of all time, while Sam sees it as a close contender with his top choice, Hostel 2, but no matter where that discussion ends up, it means the audience wins. Roth has a way with depicting horrible people doing horrible things. And while his love of gore has never abated since the torture tourism era, his level of misogynist sleaze thankfully has. (At least... for now!) So, join your co-hosts to celebrate a most rare scary movie gem — the Turkey Day slasher — as well as the maturation of Rick Hoffman on screen, the presence of Addison Rae, and yes, even a musical about Jesus. It will all make sense once you listen, promise! 

As a special nod to the waning hours of PRIDE month, Jordan and Sam have made the time for a very special episode. It's not horror, but it is the second entry in a softcore comedy franchise called Eating Out, and this time you're getting the Sloppy Seconds. From 2006, this sequel reaches for the stars and becomes one of the — now keep an open mind — great ensemble comedies of the 2000s?! Maybe so! In this episodes, your co hosts talk about the subversive importance of boys-in-briefs movies of the aughts, what Sloppy Seconds gets right that even movies of the 2020s don't, and why different does in fact rock. This one's for the bisexuals! Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola and Sam Wineman Music by: Sam Wineman

Is it gonna work out for the dipshit in the mask this time? Sam and Jordan are skeptical!! In part 2 of the Aughts pod special coverage of Scream VI, your co hosts venture into the subway, the kill palace, and Gale's Upper West Side apartment as their friends traverse Manhattan to vanquish a killer. Or! Killers! It's time to celebrate Tara throwing hands, Sam rejoicing in getting to kill again, Chad putting his body on the line, and Kirby taking matters into her own hands. It's scary to think of a Scream VII being able to follow this up, but as long as the Core 4 sticks together, at least we'll all be with our friends.   Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola Music by: Sam Wineman

It's an Aughtsterion Christmas in March. One year after the Scream franchise returned with its 5th installment — which your hosts were full supporters of by the end — chapter 6 has arrived to officially mark the beginning of the Radio Silence era of the franchise. Yes, nü Scream was directed by the duo of Gillette and Bettinelli-Olpin, but the need to merge the original run of the franchise with its new class made it a kind of hybrid between Craven and the new guys. And with the tough work of an origin story out of the way, VI is able to soar exciting heights and, most importantly, really let Sam and Jordan feel like they're back hanging out with their Woodsboro friends again. Jenna Ortega is an irrefutable star. Melissa Barrera is the Sam she was meant to be. The twins are a total joy. Kirby is back, and the Core 4 are officially the new Ghost(face) Busters. This one goes out to you, Gale Weathers!   Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola Music by: Sam Wineman 

Congratulations, graduates! You've made it to the end of Aughtsterion season 4, but before you all fan out to pursue your dreams — and before we reconvene for season 5 — Sam and Jordan have some awards to hand out. Who was the best actress of this class? What was the best picture? Which villain had the best Moment, and does anyone care about the actors at all? Not really! But let's try our best to make something up. Tune into the best of to see which of your faves are getting their flowers, and put on Vitamin C's "Graduation" to celebrate. Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola Music by: Sam Wineman

In the second half of the Baughts team's talk about M3GAN, Sam, Margot and Jordan finally get to the main event of this conversation. Which is: Why is M3gan so... gay?? It's a comprehensive answer, but the Cliff's Notes answer is, well, everything. Your co-hosts also get into the evergreen favorite topic of friendship love stories, why our robot god isn't a toy, what happens to bad little boys, and so very much more. M3GAN INNOCENT! Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola Written by: Margot Carlson and Sam Wineman

The Botcast and Aughtsterion have teamed up for one of 2023's most critical new releases: M3GAN. Sitting dead center in the bullseye of Margot, Jordan and Sam's interests, this Akela Cooper-penned movie about a robot companion who takes her mandate of protection a little too far demands analysis that only two scholars of the 2000s and robot cinema intellectual can provide. There's so much to discuss, including what makes M3GAN gay, where the movie sits in the liberated AI canon, what the titular character's fabulosity signifies, and so much more than it had to be split into two episodes. Dive into part 1 now, and do it with a flourish. Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola Music by: Margot Carlson and Sam Wineman

It is the week of Christmas, and as both a pro-horror and pro-holiday podcast, Aughtsterion has convened to celebrate a new double-genre classic. Sam and Jordan liked the new movie Violent Night so much that they had to record a Seasons Greetings episode about it. From Dead Snow director Tommy Wirkola and the up and coming action factory 87North (springing from the virtuoso stunt collective 87eleven), Violent Night is about is Santa was a jaded drunk despondent over the global diminishing of Christmas spirit among kids. Which of course means the only way he can rekindle those Christmas fires within is to protect one small pure-hearted girl whose family is being sieged by terrorists on Xmas Eve. It's bloody. It's sentimental. It's Beverly D'Angelo saying obscene things. This movie is Aughts approved, and best of all, it even includes a tease of Sam's new original holiday music that you can have if you donate any amount of money to AIDS/LifeCycle. It's the annual charity drive, so get to giving! Hit the link and go! https://giving.aidslifecycle.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=2540 Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola Music by: Sam Wineman 

After a mid-ish season hiatus, Sam and Jordan returned with a most esteemed guest. The film scholar, programmer, journalist, appreciator, and all around all star Anna Bogutskaya joins the Aughts pod to talk about a most special little jewel: Lucky McKee's May. This is the second McKee joint your co-hosts have covered, and he remains an era MVP, providing essential texture amidst the sameness that set in over the reboot/remake/requel etc. season of horror. So, join this hive mind for a discussion of the movie as a "Choose you!" rom-com, a story of self-acceptance, a celebration of weirdos, and of course, a lot more. Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola Music by: Sam Wineman