Like the show? Support the show! Three unhoused people try to return a baby on Christmas in Tokyo. No notes. This Satoshi Kon film is just perfect. Strong recommend you watch it however/wherever you can (Tubi, Hoopla, however you can track it down). The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: Todd's shows Amphibia & Wylde Pak Porco Rosso Cruel Intentions/Dangerous Liaisons Next up, Red Dwarf with Stephen Carter! Want to steer this show in some direction? Email us at podcasts@read-weep.com! See you in the new year!
Like the show? Support the show! Aw jeez, I'm real sorry to take up your time. Y'see I'm Lt. Columbo, and I just need to ask you a few questions. It's the early '70s and I'm a detective in Los Angeles. Every week some famous '70s star who you might not recognize, but they look kind of familiar, see, they kill someone, takes 'em about 20 minutes, then for an hour or so they try and get away with it. Great stars, you get Dick van Dyke, Donald Pleasence, Johnny Cash, aw, you're gonna love it. And they always underestimate me, the Grandpa from Princess Bride. But there's a good twist and bam, sooner or later, I crack the case. Maybe it's my rumpled, disarming affect. I'm sorry for wasting your time. And one more thing... if you liked this, you might just take up the case of Columbo." If you liked this, the RIAWgorithm recommends: Alex's Newsletter where I wrote about Mr. Rogers & Zombies Caitlin's Space show in LA, next on 12/3/25 ! Giving Anthony things to plug (podcasts@read-weep.com) New Matlock! Murder She Wrote (will be episode 7.15) Poker Face Brick Only Murders in the Building Midsummer Murders
Like the show? Support the show! Fan favorite Colleen Clancy (@JumpingCeliac, Running & Blogging About It) is back with one of her faves, Fisk! This Aussie workplace comedy bring quirk, warmth, laughs and cultural references you won't exactly get, but will catch on. It's good for what ails you, which great news for Anthony who's battling a cold. The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: Girls5eva The Gutter Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Bluey, especially Cricket The Paper Eastbound and Down Frayed Naps Medicine Next time: Columbo! Anthony's episode recs: S1 E4 Suitable For Framing. Love the ending of this one. S3 E 2 Any Old Port in a Storm. Donald Pleasence loves wine and a little bit of murder. S4 E2 Negative Reaction Dick Van Dyke kills his wife. If you can watch more: S1 E1 Murder by the Book Directed by a 24-year-old Steven Spielberg. S2 E1 Etude in Black John Cassavetes is really good in this one. S3 E7 Swan Song Johnny Cash is gospel singer, pilot and murderer. Good music in this one.
Man, this is a wild one. We're talking Eagle-Eye Cherry's album Desireless EXCEPT for Save Tonight. And also NipGuards. Mostly NipGuards. I don't know who this one's for, but it's the brain-child of Dru Johnston, one of the funniest humans I know. Oh, also, we're doing a Nepo Baby Fantasy Draft. The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: 🏃♂️Dru's Running Substack, I've Got The Runs 🎭 David Ives plays (Polish Joke and All in the Timing) 🎶 The part of Jumper when Third Eye Blind goes "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah" 🎶 Hans Zimmer or a White Noise Machine
Support the show? Things are about to get weird! It's X-Files meets Cops meets a person with a bed sheet over their head. After 2014's What We Do in the Shadows, New Zealand cops Minogue and O'Leary get their documentary crew to lightly investigate near Wellington's most extreme paranormal activity. '70s orgy ghosts, drunk werewolves, blood bag-stealing vampires, spitting cloning plant aliens, and 16 creep clowns are all ignored or gently reprimanded. If you're in the mood for spoopy cozy vibes with occasional projectile fluids, you might just get glamoured by Wellington Paranormal. ----- Caitlin's IG Astronomy tours with Caitlin in Joshua Tree! Space game show with Caitlin in LA! Liked it? The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: 🚓 Reno 911 🧛 What We Do in the Shadows (Movie/Show) Recorded on 8/8/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
We now have a Patreon! Support the show–or don't! I'm probably making it either way! Do you miss Glee? Are you bummed Warm Bodies wasn't a 4-movie franchise--and a musical? Are you all about West Side Story, minus the stabbies? Then you're not just craving brains, you're also hungry for the 2018 DCOM ZOMBIES. We've got sick flips, racism allegories, a song book with a surprising number of bangers, and necrophilia? Maybe! So grab your cauliflower brains and your double vanilla froyo as we take a heapin' bite out of ZOMBIES. Liked it? The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: 👩🎤KPop Demon Hunters ⏰Time Capsules 🧟♂️Zombies 2 & 3 😈Descendants 1-4 🏔️The Sound of Music ⌛️The Lazarus Project 📺Paradise 📘Hyperion 📚All Dune Books Ever 💇♀️Tangled 🧟♂️⌛️28 Years Later Recorded on 8/8/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
An obscure comic book character finally gets the big screen treatment! For many of us who have never heard of him, Bruce Wayne is a rich orphan whose parents were killed. He's uncriming the city gritty dark block by gritty dark block. But no shooties, only punchies. That's his code. And hey, do you like animals? Oh man, we got rats, cats, bats! Ratas aladas, penguins, falcons–you name it, and it's a major plot point. Plus, another masked vigilante is terrifying this city with riddles, cyphers, and a digit-al thumb drive. But are they so different? It's dark, it's punchy, and if you want to know once and for all "who is vengeance?", you just might take flight with... The Batman. Liked it? The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: 🧸 Paddington 3! 🔥 RRR 🏏 Lagaan 😈 Sinners 📺 Harley Quinn Eddington? Also check out: Hunter's other podcasts: Old Gamer's Almanac, SCPT, Romp Bri's Upcoming Stand-Up Special! Recorded on 6/25/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
Alex Falcone is back! And he's brought one of his faves–Only Connect. Do you love the Great British, but could do without the Bake-Off? Is your kink being asked questions that make you wonder "am I stupid, or am I just American?" Do you want to spend 30 minutes with a furrowed brow, mumbling wrong answers to yourself? Then you might just love Only Connect. This British quiz show, hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell has run since 2008 for over 500 episodes. It features Egyptian hieroglyphs, and if you like your British culture with extra British, you are in for a TREAT. Plus we have anglophile Stephen Carter to round out a newly-formed quiz team with Anthony and Ezra. Play along with us! Alex's Only Connect-Style Connections Board Alex's NYT Connections-Style Board Liked it? The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: 📰 Alex's Weekly Newsletter (with some connections boards!) 🎣 No Such Thing as a Fish 🤔 QI💰 For What It's Worth⚽ Liverpool FC 📺 Coupling 🌊 Bidets 🧩 Crossword Puzzles 🤝 Actual Quiz Groups Recorded on 5/30/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
Do you wish the crypt keeper was bangable? Is your CRT desktop overflowing with Riker fan fic? Do you long for a time when fringe ideas didn't incite national chaos? Then you might just love "Beyond Belief: Fact, or Fiction." This '90s anthology lovingly preserved in its native SD, features Jonathan Frakes, dozens of visual metaphors, and acting that makes you say, "Wow. Just wow." Fan-favorite Caitlyn Gill is here for all the puns, faux-spookiness, and wholesome Canadian production vibes. Liked it? The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: 🚀Lower Decks ✍️Murder She Wrote 🌌Caitlyn's Joshua Tree Astronomy Tours! 🎭 Good Bad Movies like Next Recorded on 5/9/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
What do you get when you mix: 🤖A rogue SecUnit who was programmed to kill, but just wants to binge-watch its soaps. 🧑🔬 Team of scientists on an alien planet overcoming their prejudices, surviving, and making bot friends and 👾 An evil survey team here to kill anyone who gets between them and their sweet, sweet alien remnant tech? It's Martha Wells's hit novella, All Systems Red, #1 of the Murderbot Diaries, now a hit Apple TV+ show with infinity more Skarsgård! The book's a fast, shooty romp with our sarcastic murderbot who longs to dip out of reality and watch its shows. Girl, same. Liked it? The RIAWlgorithm also recommends: 🍵 The Monk & Robot books by Becky Chambers (Amanda) 🕹️ NieR: Automata (Anthony) 🥇Golden Girls 🐸Amphibia 🦉The Owl House ✨ The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams. 📞Calling congress, protesting, and helping how you can. Recorded on 4/25/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
Why do we slay all day? Why do we serve? Why is it giving? It's all thanks to drag ballroom culture, and drag's permeation of mainstream is in large part thanks to Paris is Burning (1990). Across the board, we loved this legendary documentary by Jennie Livingston, with its executive realness, vintage 80s b-roll, and giant trophies. Also: 🌳Tree fan Bri Pruett is back and saw another good tree!😪Anthony's suffering through sleep regression. 🦋Hunter's gotta watch out for moths So if you're looking for some podcast realness and the origin for pretty much all of today's slang, you might just love Paris is Burning. Liked it? The RIAWlgorthim says may also enjoy: 👀How Do I Look a Paris is Burning spiritual sequel 👑The Queen (1968) a Paris is Burning spiritual prequel 🌹 Funeral Parade of Roses (Hunter's pick) 🏁RuPaul's Drag Race (Bri's Pick) 👏Pose (Bri's Pick) 📺 I Saw the TV Glow (Anthony's Pick) Other Recs: 🎲Molly House, the board game by Jo Kelly with additional design from Cole Wehrle & Ricky Royal with illustrations by Rachel Ford.(Hunter's pick) 🎲Hunter's hosting a tournament at Guardian Games in Portland 6/27-29 and doing shows! 🤩Bri's in an award-winning short film, " Relationship to Patient" with H. Jon Benjamin! (Bri's Pick) 🤩Also Bri's doing improv and standup in LA! 🌆 Pre-Giuliani, New York (Anthony's) 🛏️Sleep. Always sleep. Recorded on 4/11/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
Feeling like a dive into the ultra-bleak world of politics... in 2003? Welcome to The Thick of It! Before he saved the universe as The Doctor, Peter Capaldi starred as a foul-mouthed fixer in Armando Iannucci's proto-Veep set in the UK. Shaky cams! Old cell phones! Resignations! It's got it all! Also: The Cat in the Hat is no angel. OSHA in the Mushroom Kingdom. So if you like your escapism to be nearly as depressing as reality, you might just find yourself in The Thick of It. Liked it? The RIAWlgorthim says may also enjoy: 📰 The news 💀 Working a dead end job. Other Recs: 😴 Sleep 🏋️🥦 Lifting weights and eating vegetables Recorded on 2/11/25 (in case you're wondering what specific world craziness we were experiencing) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
It's a new season of Read it and Weep! Alex has graciously passed the hosting mic on to Ezra and it's gonna get a little weird. This season, Ezra's trying to break out of his algorithms. He's looking for media that his friends love, but that no one's talking about these days. First up, Sarah Hatheway brings us Gene Kelly's 1951 Technicolor musical, An American in Paris. Dream ballets! Questionable 1950s romantic subplots! And rhythm? Yeah, we've got rhythm. Who could ask for anything more? (Also, the recording date was 1/28/25, thus the timely Oscars talk.) Editing by Zach Hahn Music by @mitrxxx
We're back for our second episode ever and the first one where we actually have a tough time ranking the topic. And this topic is a strong possibility for Best Thing Ever, it's fresh baked bread, featuring a complete history of bread written by Ezra Fox. Is it better than cat videos? Find out! Plus we give advice to Ali on moving in with a partner for the first time. You can get really mixed advice by becoming a Meat Buddy! Watch this episode on YouTube Peruse the Figma as you listen
It's the first episode of our new show! After months of work we're here to launch our brand new podcast investigating all things to find the best one. And our first contestant out of the gate is Cat Videos. Featuring a history of Cat Videos written by Anthony Lopez and and immediate first place ranking. Watch this episode on YouTube Peruse the Figma as you listen
And that's it. We've finished one full year of playing the game we made up, Kevin Bacon's Exquisite Corpse. It's a mixed success, so we spend the episode talking about how we could have improved if we'd thought about it earlier. Plus we re-rank a few movies on our master list to make it a little bit better but still pretty weird. Next up: A VERY COOL THING WE'LL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT SOON
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS! Well maybe it doesn't since weather prevented Hunter from joining us today. But we watched his movie choice anyway, the Tom Cruise orgy movie Eyes Wide Shut and it was a fun chat. Plus in the news, Tom Cruise jumped off a thing. Next up: That's a wrap on season 5! We'll do a post mortem in early January and then talk more about where we go from here.
After much controversy, we travel back to PT Anderson's 1992 epic about chance and fate, Magnolia. It earns a pretty high place on our list of best films of all time. Plus in the news, Alex's video finally worked. Next up: Controversy continues and that ends in the weirdest way possible, and we're traveling through the Cruise Missile and watching Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Our second Batman movie of season 5 is also our third time visiting the 90s Batman series and it's probably our best stop on the bat train. Plus in the news, Alex is performing in Austin, TX next week and Santa is a conspiracy. Next up: After a LOT of rules lawyering, we're watching Magnolia (1999)
Buck Underbrush
Willy Richardson?
Alan Slavens
Read it and Weep is a great podcast about movies, tv, sometimes books from pop culture. They stay on topic, appreciate listeners, talk about things other podcasts don't and, it never gets boring. It's definitely worth listening to if you do anything where you can listen to a podcast.