Episode 234 - Spiderhead

We have a theory here at the show: NEVER read the source material of any movie adaptation before you see the film itself. Otherwise, you’ll just be disappointed. Spoiler: Brian broke his own rule and proved the thesis. So what happens when Netflix makes a slick, big-budget movie based on a renowned post-modernist short story by a celebrated author (George Saunders) no one outside the literary community has likely heard of before? Why, Spiderhead, of course, you big dummy. Chris Hemsworth leads a cast that includes Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett, in something about a cushy white-collar prison in the middle of nowhere testing pharmaceuticals on its volunteer inmates before things get really weird and violent. Oh, and it is directed by Joseph Kosinski, who just did Top Gun: Maverick, so he can do whatever he wants now. But definitely don’t read the book first, whatever you do. | 0:00 - Intros | 4:15 - Bullet Train (2022) | 11:10 - Download: The Rise and Fall of Harry Knowles and Aint It Cool News (podcast) | 17:05 - The Old Man (Hulu) | 24:10 - The Umbrella Academy (Season 3, Netflix) | 27:37 - The Sandman (Netflix) | 35:10 - Spiderhead (2022)