Another Pass Podcast

Case and Sam are joined by Jesse Fresco to take another pass at Sphere, the 1998 Michael Crichton adaptation starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson. They dig into a killer sci-fi premise, a stacked cast, an undersea mystery, and why the finished movie somehow feels smaller, flatter, and less frightening than all of those ingredients suggest. Another Pass Full Episode Originally aired: September 18, 2026 Music by Vin Macri and Matt Brogan Podcast Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Another Pass - https://www.certainpov.com/another-pass-podcast   ⏱️ Chapters 00:21 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:38 Introducing Sphere 02:07 Why Jesse Chose the Movie 02:46 The Book and Roadside Picnic 04:24 Book vs. Movie Perspective 05:16 Beth in the Book 06:00 Bigger Differences from the Novel 07:03 The Squid 07:36 Where Did the Budget Go? 08:45 Case's First Impression: Boring 09:46 The Michael Crichton Formula 10:50 Why the Performances Feel Flat 12:25 Barry Levinson and the Wrong Material 13:09 Should Sphere Have Been a Miniseries? 13:58 What's Inside the Sphere? 15:31 Why the Sphere Changed Color 16:17 The Ending Doesn't Work 17:22 The Missing Cover-Up 18:14 The Problem with Erasing Their Memories 18:58 Sphere and Roadside Picnic 21:01 Why Jurassic Park Works as an Adaptation 22:03 Sphere Hurts the Source Material 22:46 The Movie Has No Point of View 24:32 Norman and Beth's Added History 25:39 How the Movie Changes Beth 27:14 Harry's Role in the Book 28:51 The Added Comedy 29:12 Stories Where Everyone Forgets 30:19 Legion and Erased Timelines 31:25 Why Give Up the Power? 33:50 Nobody Learns to Control the Sphere 35:26 The Black Hole Problem 37:17 Space Is Really Big 38:04 Underwater Pressure and Hypothermia 38:59 The Helium Atmosphere 40:02 Things We Actually Like 40:34 Peter Coyote and Queen Latifah 41:13 Liev Schreiber 41:59 The Sets and Production Design 43:10 The Most Boring Version of the Events 43:27 Where Is the Giant Squid? 45:19 The Snake Attack 46:18 Sea Snakes and Ocean Nightmares 47:22 Why the Movie Needed More Suspense 49:34 The Deaths Need More Weight 50:45 Harpoon Guns 51:29 Samuel L. Jackson Needed a Harpoon 53:19 Final Thoughts Before Another Pass 54:00 Long Live the Legion Promo 54:44 Another Pass Begins 55:21 Jesse's Found-Footage Pitch 56:38 Intercutting the Survivors and the Tapes 57:53 Europa Report 59:46 Keeping the Ship Intact 01:00:48 Preserving the Time Loop 01:02:05 Why Security Footage Works 01:04:52 The Deleted Scene Fixes the Ending 01:05:48 Final Fixes 01:07:11 Too Much Budget, Not Enough Movie 01:08:25 The Genre Problem 01:10:48 Neither Horror nor Science Fiction 01:12:31 Nostalgia for Sphere 01:13:10 Why This Format Was Wrong 01:15:56 Sphere vs. Congo 01:16:50 The Found-Footage Pitch Wins 01:17:22 Jesse's Plugs 01:21:51 Sam's Plugs 01:22:20 Case's Plugs 01:23:04 Trade School 01:24:33 Patreon Shout-Out 01:25:20 Next Time: Highlander II 01:25:38 Credits

What if a movie about unlocking the full potential of the human brain also unlocked the full potential of being completely ridiculous? Case and Sam are joined by Renaldy Smith to revisit Lucy, the Scarlett Johansson action-thriller/complete misunderstanding of how the human brain works. Another Pass Full Episode Originally aired: August 24, 2026 Music by Vin Macri and Matt Brogan Podcast Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Another Pass - https://www.certainpov.com/another-pass-podcast   ⏱️ Chapters 00:19 Welcome and Guest Intro 03:05 Initial Thoughts on Lucy 06:16 What Works and What Doesn't 11:26 The Plot of Lucy 12:55 The Movie's Worldbuilding Problems 14:38 The 10% Brain Myth 17:00 Lucy Loses Her Humanity 19:06 Lucy's Transformation 22:49 Time Travel and Visual Effects 24:53 Lucy Becomes Too Powerful 27:24 The Movie Takes Itself Too Seriously 30:47 Lucy's Roommate 34:44 The Bechdel Test 36:42 The Movie's Three-Part Structure 38:02 Limitless Comparison 39:39 Superman and Power Levels 42:02 IV Bags and Drug Logic 43:46 The Drug Dealer Problem 46:42 What Does the Drug Actually Do? 50:55 Giving Lucy a Rival 52:50 The Missing Bigger Villain 54:41 The Horror of the Drug 58:23 The Matrix Comparison 01:02:04 The Cab Driver 01:07:04 What Does Lucy Leave Behind? 01:11:38 Bookstore That Burn Promo 01:12:38 Another Pass Begins 01:14:27 Renaldy's Another Pass 01:18:52 Character Work and Pacing 01:20:28 Choi as a Horror Villain 01:24:52 Sam's Another Pass 01:36:09 Making the Action More Dynamic 01:40:59 Fixing the Final Standoff 01:43:32 Clarifying the Villains 01:50:58 Case's Another Pass 01:55:17 Letting Lucy Discover Her Powers 02:01:06 Final Thoughts 02:01:50 Sam's Chores Rating 02:03:23 Renaldy's Plugs 02:04:52 Sam and Case's Plugs 02:06:46 Patreon Shout-Outs 02:07:55 Next Time: Highlander II 02:08:06 Credits

This time on Another Pass, Case and Sam are joined by Cly from Point in Progress to revisit Black Widow. They talk Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, the Red Room, dysfunctional found family, the ghost of the Winter Soldier, the problem with Taskmaster, and how the movie could have done more to reframe Natasha's sacrifice in Endgame. Another Pass Full Episode Originally aired: July 24, 2026 Music by Vin Macri and Matt Brogan Podcast Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Another Pass - https://www.certainpov.com/another-pass-podcast ⏱️ YouTube Chapters 00:30 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:58 Initial Thoughts on Black Widow 03:27 Taskmaster 10:58 The Red Room Problem 12:31 Natasha's Ledger 14:36 Why This Movie Came Too Late 17:25 Yelena and Natasha 21:45 The Midquel Problem 29:25 The Widow Ending 37:09 The Widows as Soldiers 42:19 Red Guardian 47:23 Melina 51:17 The Winter Soldier's Absence 01:01:50 Marvel's Four-Quadrant Problem 01:06:24 The Accents 01:09:34 Fun and Games Promo 01:10:36 Another Pass Begins 01:11:43 Cly's Another Pass 01:17:50 Yelena and the Widows 01:19:42 Replacing Taskmaster 01:21:20 Sam's Another Pass 01:28:56 Natasha as a Leader 01:30:36 Blip and Post-Credits Fixes 01:32:22 Melina, Trauma, and Structure 01:36:48 Final Thoughts 01:41:14 Cly's Plugs 01:45:21 Sam and Case's Plugs 01:47:12 Patreon Shout-Outs 01:48:58 Next Time: Highlander II 01:49:09 Credits

Case and Sam are joined by Jay McKiernan (Long Live the Legion) to discuss one of the strangest studio movies ever made: Hudson Hawk. Bruce Willis's passion project is a wild mix of heist film, slapstick comedy, musical numbers, Vatican conspiracies, and cartoon logic that somehow also feels a little bit like Street Fighter. Is it a misunderstood cult classic, a glorious mess, or both? Join us as we try to make sense of one of the most fascinatingly flawed movies of the 1990s. Another Pass Full Episode Originally aired: June 26, 2026 Music by Vin Macri and Matt Brogan Podcast Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Another Pass - https://www.certainpov.com/another-pass-podcast ⏱️ YouTube Chapters 00:00 – Introduction & Duke Returns 01:45 – Duke's History with Transmetropolitan 03:18 – Who Should Play Spider Jerusalem? 07:00 – Where the Story Stands Before Volume 9 08:02 – Here Comes the Sun: Returning to the Disaster Zone 12:43 – Yelena's Anger & Spider's Investigation Begins 17:38 – Running Through the City Like a Motherfucker 21:22 – Fred Christ's Final Conversation 23:42 – The Truth About the Angels 8 Riot 31:35 – How the Smiler Really Operates 36:49 – Two-Fisted Editor: Royce Takes Action 40:02 – Royce's Investigation & Blackmail Campaign 45:01 – Royce Saves the Case 48:36 – The Cure Begins: A Woman in Hiding 52:24 – Spider Finds the Missing Witness 56:21 – Ambush at the Hotel 01:02:39 – Safe House Interview & The President's Secret 01:10:57 – Martial Law and the Final Push 01:16:35 – "When Was the Last Time You Had Sex with a Transient Prostitute?" 01:17:09 – Volume 9 Discussion & Final Thoughts 01:24:02 – Where to Find Duke 01:25:40 – Where to Find Keith 01:27:41 – Patreon Shout-Outs & Outro

This week on Another Pass, Sam and Case are joined by Katie DeMatteis and Ben MartinMooney to talk KPop Demon Hunters! As part of our "5th Episode" series, we celebrate a movie we genuinely enjoy while digging into the production challenges, creative swings, and behind-the-scenes hurdles that shaped this stylish supernatural spectacle. Another Pass Full Episode Originally aired: May 8, 2026 Music by Vin Macri and Matt Brogan Podcast Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia  Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Another Pass - https://www.certainpov.com/another-pass-podcast ⏱️ YouTube Chapters — Another Pass #185: KPop Demon Hunters 00:00 – Case's Oscar Disclaimer & Recording Time Warp 01:23 – Peppa Pig vs. KPop Demon Hunters 02:21 – Intro & Welcome to Another Pass 03:00 – Why KPop Demon Hunters Rules 04:02 – Halloween Costumes & Cultural Explosion 🎤 Why the Movie Connected 08:15 – The Music Absolutely Slaps 15:42 – Animation Style & Visual Identity 23:35 – Rumi, Selene & Emotional Payoff 25:20 – Sequel Hooks & Expanded Lore 25:50 – Should This Have Been a Miniseries? 👹 Production & Story Discussion 34:18 – Demon Lore & Worldbuilding 42:27 – Themes of Identity & Perfectionism 51:03 – Favorite Songs & Performance Moments 01:03:40 – The Movie's Troubled Production History 01:18:55 – Why This Became a Phenomenon 🧠 Fifth Episode Territory 01:32:10 – What Actually Went Right Here? 01:45:44 – Comparing It to Other Animated Hits 01:56:08 – Final Thoughts & Golden Movie Status 🔚 Wrap-Up 02:04:19 – Patreon Shoutouts & Certain POV Plugs 02:06:39 – Next Episode: Highlander 2: The Quickening