Dallas and Lee join Tilda Swinton in returning to a hotel now haunted by its mysterious past, as an artist and her elderly mother confront long-buried secrets in their former family home in 'The Eternal Daughter'.

We’re in the second half of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, covering Calling on Dragons, a book following Morwen. The adventure starts slowly as the wizards are wreaking havoc, but we did call that. Asia and Charles are justifiably annoyed that the wizards were given enough free reign to continue to cause problems. There’s lots of complicated magic, and a little bit of a quest. There is also some girl-boss energy so you definitely don’t want to miss it. Next week we will be reading a new...

Sly Stallone never intended Rocky to go beyond a trilogy but directed him back into the ring for a fight that meant more than a title, but a statement on Cold War tensions, the struggle to see the humanity in our opponents, and forgiveness for past wrongs. Does Rocky IV deserve its revered status, or is it a curio of a bygone era?

The Bad Batch Commentary: Decommissioned. John and Matt give their commentary for The Bad Batch’s sixth episode from season 1, “Decommissioned.” Questions of their place in the galaxy hide behind a straightforward mission to retrieve a tactical droid’s head from the scrap heap, and possible hints about Omega’s potential come to light. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/ Email:...

It’s another week of adventure on Throwback Paperback as we meet the king of the enchanted forest in Searching for Dragons. Mendanbar is trying to answer questions about his kingdom, and Cimorene is looking for Kazul so they team up to get some answers while making new friends along the way. They fight wizards, travel a bunch, and of course just for Asia, fall in love. Join us as we follow the love birds in their dragon-searching quest. Next week we will be reading a new book in one week,...

Missing Frames celebrates the 40th anniversary of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with Ambre Trujillo's first-ever viewing. Ambre has always enjoyed Star Trek, but hasn't seen many of the episodes or any of the films. She and Shawn discuss her first viewing of The Wrath of Khan, the things that work, the things that don't, whether it lives up to its esteemed reputation, and the wonders of Ricardo Montalban's chest. HOSTS Shawn Eastridge Ambre Trujillo

After proving himself with Rocky II, Sylvester Stallone got back in the ring, and the director’s chair, for Rocky III. Launching Mr. T into the stratosphere and making “Eye of the Tiger” a catchphrase for decades ever after, is this pop culture mainstay a true classic or just a nostalgic whirlpool?

Trek Celebrity Autographs/Picture/Etc. If you've been to a Trek/sci-fi convention, you know the options: You can wait in a long line for a quick photo with your favourite actor/director/writer/etc., you can attend a panel, or you can get an autograph, along with a few seconds of interaction. The trio discusses their past encouters with Trek (and other franchise) celebrities in the autograph line. Who would you like to spend a few moments of coversation with, while leaving with a signed piece...

The Bad Batch Commentary: Rampage. Matt and John give their commentary for The Bad Batch’s fifth episode from season 1, “Rampage.” A retrieval mission ties in - possibly - to the original films, and the team learns what it means to have Omega with them on adventures. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/ Email: http://www.thenerdparty.com/contact Subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Dallas and Lee review a double bill of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Bones And All

It’s new series time here at Throwback Paperback! We’re starting a Charles pick: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. And will you believe it, but does Asia like fantasy now? We are definitely in a world of magic: spells, witches, princesses, dragons, and wizards. But we also have excellent and engaging characters, and that’s so fun! Join us in the Enchanted Forest for sassy one-liners and molten wizards, and a stone-prince whose name we don’t know. Next week we will be reading...

The Whale is finally released into cinemas and Dallas and Lee review the acclaimed new film from Darren Aronofsky. A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.

After the hit film and creation of an icon in 1976, Stallone took over the reins as director in 1979 with Rocky II. One major criticism has been that the sequel feels like a redressing of the original. Houselights explores this to find validity or, hopefully, originality.

Dallas and Lee review Causeway the latest A24 and Apple TV+ collaboration. A US soldier suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home in New Orleans. When she meets local mechanic James, the pair begin to forge an unexpected bond.

The Bad Batch Commentary: Cornered. Matt and John give their commentary for The Bad Batch’s fourth episode from season 1, “Cornered.” A supply run leads to parental stress, a kid on the run, and the chronological introduction of the fan-favorite bounty hunter Fennec Shand! Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/ Email: http://www.thenerdparty.com/contact Subscribe in Apple Podcasts

It’s the finale of the Matched trilogy and the plague variant is truly reeking havoc throughout the Rising/Society. The golden trio is tasked with finding a cure, and they also have to figure out who gets to end up with whom. We don’t want to spoil the ending so this might be a brief description, but you will of course get our final thoughts. Maybe this is too much of a spoiler, but we can confirm that both of us liked the ending and the whole series. Next week we will be reading a new book...

Trek Time Travel Star Trek, like most sci-fi franchises, has been known to dip into the well of time travels stories, on occasion. It's almost expected for every television series to travel back to the viewers' "present day" at least once in its life. But, on the whole, how successful have time travel stories been? Do they "make sense"? Do they need to? Does introducing the knowledge of time travel "break" the Star Trek universe? Join the trio as we step into the TARDIS, er, slingshot around...

After taking a break to deliver Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Edgar Wright re-teamed with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in 2013 to try to get audiences to The World’s End. A 6-year gap and successful careers often change the chemistry of artistic teams. Was The World’s End another bull’s-eye for this dynamic trio, or was it trying too hard to recapture the magic?

Dallas and Lee review 'Stars At Noon' directed by Claire Denis. In present-day Nicaragua, a headstrong American journalist and a mysterious English businessman strike up a romance as they become embroiled in a dangerous labyrinth of lies and conspiracies and are forced to try and escape the country.

The Rising is upon us as we cover the first half of Reached. Cassia, Ky, and Xander are placed throughout the society at key points and watch from different angles as the Rising easily takes over the society through a plague that they alone had the cure to heal. Obviously, we have a long discussion on that and its functionality as a plot device. But of course, since the Rising and Society bear many similarities many things are not fixed and this only continues as a variant of the plague comes...

After the success of Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright continued working with collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to deliver 2007’s Hot Fuzz. This genre-bending send-up of buddy cop movies found success at the box office, but is it the same comic gem as Shaun of the Dead, or did it simply enjoy momentum from audience goodwill?

Thanksgungan 2022. Once more the crisp nights and bright days turn our gaze toward all the things for which we’re thankful, with a special focus on our Star Wars fandom. Join Matt and John as they carve through their special recipe for thankfulness as Star Wars fans in 2022 from current shows to future productions to the special bond that brings all fans together. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters Facebook:...

Dallas and Lee review the second A24 film starring Paul Mescal in 2022, God's Creatures. In a windswept fishing village, a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community.

Once reunited, of course there must be trouble in paradise in the second half of Crossed. Ky and Cassia find each other, only to have division sown between them. Cassia and Indy really want to join the rising; Ky really does not. Combine that and the fact that Xander is secretly part of the rising, and you have this week’s reading full of tension. Some of our mysteries continue to linger, and we are still vibing with the central relationship, so we still classify this series as a page-turner,...

Revisiting "Enterprise" Live-action "Star Trek" has been successful in all its incarnations ... except for "Star Trek: Enterprise." Fans do enjoy the series, so it maintains success there - but it is the only Trek series to be cancelled prematurely since The Original Series. During its four season, there were many shows - the exploration and strange, new worlds of seasons one and two, the Xindi War thread of season three, and the celebration of Trek of season four. This series remains a...