Talking SMAC: Superheroes, Movies, Animation & Comics

183. Celebrating 15 Years of Mass Effect 2

Josh is joined by the star of the pod, Matt, along with the Lovely Dan from Casting Views to celebrate 15 years of Mass Effect 2
Greetings, Commander (0:00)
What is Casting Views? (2:52)
How hyped were we for ME2 upon original release? (4:37)
The story of Mass Effect 2 (11:47)
Preferred ME2 classes and play styles (18:55)
The main plot of the game and building your crew (25:33)
Favorite ME2 crew member(s) (28:33)
Mass Effect controversies (39:26)
Bad romance endings? (42:05)
Miranda the white whale? (46:05)
The final mission (51:43)
ME2 DLC (58:10)
Social media plugs (1:11:54)
Please remember to check out the Casting Views podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

182 - Sony’s New Video Game Movie Projects

Josh and Alex discuss Sony's announcements for the Ghost of Tsushima anime, Helldivers and Horizon: Zero Dawn movies, along with trying to figure out how Sony will not understand the assignment, and pitching their own version of what Sony will produce as a final product, along with some casting and directing choices. 
Josh flubs introducing Alex (0:00)
When the regional accent comes out in local commercials (1:44)
How is Josh still healthy and alive?! (8:59)
Josh and Alex share some jokes (11:33)
Josh's favorite joke (12:36)
Sony's new video game movie announcements (14:34)
Ghost of Tsushima anime (17:24)
Helldivers movie (26:26)
Horizon: Zero Dawn movie (41:23)
Social media plugs (1:03:22)
Please remember to check out the 2 Blokes from Blighty podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

181. 2025 Preview

Josh flies solo as Alex is out sick, but we're looking ahead to our most notable movies, TV shows, video games, comics and more heading into 2025.
Intro (0:00)
Super Familiar with the Wilsons promo (0:38)
2025 Comics (1:06)
2025 Video Games (4:18)
TV/Streaming shows (8:43)
2025 Movies (14:24)
Game Club Pod thoughts on A Minecraft Movies (21:13)
2025 Moves cont'd (28:03)
Social media plugs (35:58)
Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

180. 2025 SMACademy Awards (Best of 2024)

Josh and Alex discuss their favorite and most disappointing movies, TV shows, games and performances of 2024 in our annual SMACademy Awards episode! 
Happy New Year! (0:00)
Sugar Coated Murder Promo (3:02)
Best Movie (4:31)
Best Animated Feature (10:25)
Best TV/Streaming Show (15:22)
Best Video Game (19:40)
Favorite Comic (26:08)
Favorite Live-Action Movie Character (29:32)
Favorite Video Game Character (34:34)
Favorite Live-Action TV Character (35:36)
That was this year?! (40:38)
Biggest Disappointment (43:14)
Favorite episode of Talking SMAC (48:08)
Listener Comments (53:51)
Social media plugs (
Please remember to check out the Sugar Coated Murder podcast, and let us know your favorite things from 2024 by joining our Discord and check out our merch store! 

176. Moana 2

Josh took the family to see Disney’s Moana 2, Alex—who hasn’t seen the movie—asks Josh's thoughts on the animation, story, and music.
The ravages of time (1:10)
2 Blokes from Blighty promo (3:49)
The brilliance of Joey & Tim (4:40)
What is time?! (5:31)
Josh's tangents within tangents being! (6:45)
Was the theatrical release the right call? (8:19)
How was the animation? (9:14)
Is Moana 2 a must-see or pass? (11:11)
Spoiler talk: Alex asks the big questions (11:42)
What role do the Kakamora play? (13:03)
What's the plot of Moana 2? (14:03)
Where's Tamatoa?! (16:22)
Where does the movie's story seams break? (16:46)
Are there any good songs in Moana 2? (20:00)
The Rock does 'Hamilton' (21:47)
Is there sequel bait for a Moana 3? (24:49)
How does it compare to Inside Out 2 as an unplanned and unexpected sequel? (26:27)
The biggest spoiler for Moana 2 (27:07)
Moana's parents still got it! (30:18)
Final thoughts (31:13)
Let's plug the socials! (33:10)
Please remember to check out the 2 Blokes from Blighty podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

179. Superman & 28 Years Later trailers

Josh, Alex and Matt discuss all the mysteries of the two biggest trailers of December. Are they hyped for a James Gunn Superman film? Do they like fast zombies? And what does Gremlins 2 have to do with this? Why does Alex bring up Planes, Trains & Automobiles?
Sonic 3 vs Mufasa (1:20)
Matt longs for a good parasocial relationship in his life (join the discord) (2:02)
The Movie Wire Show podcast promo (6:59) 
Ah Christmas. Such as The Star Wars Holiday Special (7:15) 
28 Years Later trailer + props to Boots by Kudyard Kipling as performer by Taylor Holmes (11:26) 
Superman 2025 trailer + what does Superman mean to us (22:07) 
Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho (43:34) 
Superman portrayals in other films and shows and Matt gives us homework (47:57) 
Wrap up (1:04:57)
Please remember to check out the Movie Wire podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

178. Kraven the Hunter & Sony-verse Eulogy

Josh and Alex breakdown their thoughts on Kraven the Hunter, and what was Sony thinking about a Spider-man free movie universe with Venom, Carnage, Morbin' time, Madame Web as their only hope.
(0:22) Alex's Kraven cameo revealed
(2:51) No on 15 promo
(4:17) Kraven: what were they thinking + 28 Years Later trailer
(8:22) What does Avi Arad actually do
(20:20) Has Sony made a good film in the last five years? a breakdown of no, no they have not
(28:03) Apple + is great
(31:35) Morbius and the 90s Spider-Man the Animated Series
(43:25) Not understanding Spider-man's journey or motto
(51:16) Smac-Rating on Kraven the Hunter
(52:25) The unmade Sony Spider-verse movies
(1:01:07) wrap up
Please remember to check out the No On 15! Allcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

177.3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Josh and Alex's journey concludes. The Battle of the Five Armies closes out the Hobbit Trilogy and we will never have to talk about this again, right? Why did we do this to ourselves? 
(1:38) War of the Rohirrim & animation styles
(4:57) Gandalf was in the Desolation of Smaug, oh right.
(7:22) I Hate It, Let's Watch it promo
(8:12) Smaug smaugs the city and the good parts
(9:50) Tonal whiplash, war flicks, and too much horror in The Hobbit
(12:50) Josh hates the word 'Da' 
(18:05) Drunk Galadriel
(27:11) Thorin Oakenshield: Face-heel-face-heel-heel-face turn
(34:00) The Hobbit is more hardcore than Lord of the Rings
(41:04) Thranduil is a bad father
(46:01) The good moments
(54:11) final thoughts
(1:01:00) Josh is proud of himself
(1:04:39) Smac-rating and wrap up
Please remember to check out the I Hate It. Let's Watch It. podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store!