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)

• 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

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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!

• 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 of this podcast on YouTube @TheCosmicCircus

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.

• 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

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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

For more content and to support The Cosmic Circus and this channel please join our Patreon: https://patreon.com/cosmiccircus

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

Host Brian Kitson speaks with cast members from the North American touring production of Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern, RJ Christian and Cassidy Sledge! In this exclusive interview, these two discuss what drew them to the show and how it blends the elements we know and love of the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) into a stage show!

Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern arrives in Detroit at the Fisher Theatre for one day only! So get your tickets for the Saturday, November 1st performances (2 pm and 7:30 pm) from Broadway in Detroit!

Timestamps for Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern Interview:

00:00 - Intro, Cassidy Sledge and RJ Christian on their introduction to Dungeons & Dragons 02:45 - How they are bringing Dungeons & Dragons to the stage with The Twenty-Sided Tavern 06:30 - Playing with the audience as "the 4th player." 09:10 - How they have prepared for a show that requires a lot of improv 11:50 - Talking about guest stars they've had doing the show and making exciting things happen on stage 16:00 - Keeping on your toes during a performance and other skills needed 18:41 - All audiences can enjoy this show, not just D&D fans. 22:50 - Is it more fun to have a successful mission or one that fails during this show? 28:24 - Outro