Movie Gumshoes

In this thrilling episode of Movie Gumshoes, the detectives crack the case file to investigate Prey, the explosive 2022 science-fiction action horror film directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison. Set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719, the film serves as a gripping prequel to Predator and follows Naru, a fierce young Comanche played by Amber Midthunder, as she hunts a deadly alien wandering the great plains. The Gumshoes are fired up from the jump, geeking out over the rich Comanche history, the brutal survival action, and the return of one of their favorite franchises. As they dig deeper into the case, the detectives can’t contain their excitement watching two elite warriors, one human, one extraterrestrial, collide in an intense showdown packed with suspense, heart, and savage combat.

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, Jared and his overeager rookie partner Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno crack open the case file on The Black Phone, which Jonathan insists isn’t just a movie, but “evidence hiding in plain sight.” As they investigate the film, Jared lays out the facts: it’s a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, co-written with C. Robert Cargill, and based on a short story by Joe Hill. The story follows Finney (Mason Thames), a kidnapped teen trapped by a masked child killer known as “the Grabber” (Ethan Hawke), who uses a mysterious disconnected phone to communicate with the killer’s past victims. Jonathan, of course, latches onto this immediately, convinced the Grabber’s patterns, psychological tactics, and even the idea of victims “reaching back” could connect to their real-life hunt for the Panty Face Killer back in Apache Junction. As Jared tries to keep things grounded by noting the film’s Blumhouse Productions backing and distribution by Universal Pictures, Jonathan is already building a conspiracy board linking fictional murders to real ones. By the end, Jared is forced to admit one unsettling truth: even if the ghosts aren’t real, the patterns might be, and that’s enough to keep their investigation dangerously alive.

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, Jared and Jonathan investigate Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves starring Chris Pine, zeroing in on Edgin’s tragic mistake of stealing cursed gold from the Red Wizards, a decision that ultimately cost him his family. As they dig deeper, they’re sidetracked by the bizarre late-added cameo from Bradley Cooper, filmed after production wrapped, which Jared treats like a “patch job” not unlike the excuses cops make when they bend the rules. That spirals into a moral dilemma back at the precinct, where loose cash from drug busts tempts Jonathan to justify skimming a little off the top, only for Jared to draw a hard parallel: cursed gold or dirty money, it all carries consequences, and once you take it, it takes something from you in return.

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, tensions flare when veteran detective Jared grows increasingly irritated with his rookie partner, Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno, who is more focused on perfecting his tap dancing routine for the precinct talent show than on their cases. The constant clatter of tap shoes echoing through the station pushes Jared to his limit, sparking a plan to regain Jonathan’s attention.Determined to pull his partner back into detective work, Jared fabricates a case involving mysterious underground seismic activity, framing it as a real-life version of Tremors. He spins an elaborate theory that the so-called “monster movie” may actually be based on true events, hoping Jonathan’s curiosity, and sense of duty will outweigh his passion for dance.As Jared builds the case, he backs it up with suspiciously accurate “evidence,” referencing real facts from the 1990 film: how it was directed by Ron Underwood, starred Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, and featured underground creatures, later dubbed “Graboids” that hunt by sensing vibrations through the ground. He even points out that the movie was filmed in the desert town of Lone Pine, using practical effects and puppetry to bring the creatures to life details that make his fabricated case feel just believable enough to hook Jonathan.As Jonathan begins to take the bait, the line between fiction and reality blurs in classic Movie Gumshoes fashion, blending absurd investigative work with cinematic analysis. Meanwhile, Jared’s scheme risks spiraling out of control as the fake case gains momentum, especially as Jonathan starts applying real detective logic to the “Graboids,” all while still trying to squeeze in rehearsal time. In the end, the duo must decide what matters more: cracking a case that may not exist, or nailing a tap routine that definitely does.

Jared and Jonathan are settling in for a quiet night at the precinct when the phone rings. On the other end is a calm but unsettling voice belonging to a man who calls himself Mobius. The caller gives them a strange demand: watch the 1997 film Lost Highway, directed by David Lynch.The gumshoes initially brush the call off as a prank from some late-night movie crank. But before hanging up, Möbius casually mentions several secrets from the detectives’ past details no stranger should possibly know. Uneasy but intrigued, the gumshoes decide to humor the mysterious caller and begin examining the film.As they discuss the movie’s surreal plot and fractured identity themes, strange things begin happening inside the precinct. Phones ring before they’re dialed. The same hallway conversations repeat. Files they just read return to the top of the stack.Before long, Jared and Jonathan realize the terrifying truth: they’re trapped in a time loop inside their own precinct, reliving the same moments over and over. And the only clue to escaping the loop may lie hidden within the bizarre logic of Lost Highway itself.Now the gumshoes must do the impossible solve a mystery where time refuses to move forward, and the only guide is a cryptic voice who seems to exist everywhere and nowhere at once.

Veteran movie detective Jared “Ballistic" Jackson and overeager rookie Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno uncover a bizarre cinematic case involving the chaotic cult project Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. What begins as a simple investigation quickly spirals into a tangled reality involving multiple timelines and failed ambitions.Jonathan becomes convinced the film is less a movie and more about two delusional musicians attempting to achieve fame through increasingly reckless schemes. Meanwhile, Jared suspects something deeper: a pattern of self-sabotage, and possibly intentional anti-success behavior that suggests the band may be trapped in a perpetual loop of almost-making-it, which causes the Gumshoes to sift through their own multiple timelines to discover their true destiny.

The Gumshoes roll into the Feed Bag Diner just after midnight, neon buzzing, grill still hot, and the air thick with secrets and grease. They’re supposed to be laying low, but trouble finds them fast when a panicked short-order cook reports a noise coming from the walk-in freezer.Inside, they find Dirty Deborah, shivering, while locked in the deep freeze alongside a suspiciously untouched meat delivery. She swears she didn’t lock herself in… and that’s when the case gets cold.As the Gumshoes size up the crime scene, frostbitten padlock, missing time, televisions still looping the movie trailer for Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die! The movie’s twisted take on digital paranoia, and systems designed to trap you starts to feel uncomfortably familiar.By the time a man who claims to be from the future surprises the gumshoes, the mystery is solved… or is it? Just like Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die!, the diner incident wasn’t about one mystery, it was about a structure designed to freeze people out and pretend it was an accident.The Gumshoes leave the Feed Bag with answers, heartburn, and one more case reminding them: sometimes the scariest traps don’t look like traps at all.

The night the Gumshoes planned to clock out early and celebrate Jonathan's birthday was the morning the precinct locked them in. Rookie detective Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno, chasing what he swore was “just a cultural research link,” accidentally downloaded a rogue virus from an Estonian mail-order bride website, corrupting Clippy, the precinct’s overworked AI computer. Within seconds, the windows sealed, the doors magnetized, and Clippy’s cheerful paper-clip smile twisted into something far more sinister. The precinct computer announced a ninety-minute countdown: review Mercy (2026) and determine whether its AI justice system was guilty or innocent or the building would initiate “permanent shutdown procedures.” Trapped with nothing but stale coffee, flickering monitors, and a movie that hit way too close to home, the Gumshoes had one chance to crack the case before the algorithm decided they were officially obsolete.

When the precinct is suddenly “restructured” and every desk, badge, and filing cabinet is handed over to chimpanzees, veteran gumshoe and his overeager partner Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno find themselves fighting for their jobs in a department that has gone completely bananas. At first, it seems like just another ill-advised pilot program, until the chimps begin contracting rabies and the station descends into chaos.Drawing inspiration from Johannes Roberts’ survival thriller Primate (2026), where a tropical homecoming turns deadly after a beloved chimp becomes rabid, the Gumshoes treat the movie as a case study. As the detectives break down the film’s core mystery (how a trusted companion becomes the ultimate threat), they uncover eerie parallels to their own predicament.Part parody, part survival story, this episode pits man against monkey, bureaucracy against instinct, and loyalty against fear, proving once again that in the world of Movie Gumshoes, every film is a crime scene… and sometimes your best witness has rabies.

In this week’s case file, the Movie Gumshoes investigate Bullet Train (2023), a slick, neon-splattered hit job starring Brad Pitt as a world-weary assassin who just wants a quiet shift. Detective Ballistic slams the brakes early, arguing Pitt, Hollywood royalty with an Oscar on the mantle has been reduced to punching tickets on a hyper-stylized popcorn express, a flashy cash-grab racing on charm instead of substance. Detective Sourdough, however, sees intent where Ballistic sees waste, insisting the movie knows exactly what it is: a fast, funny, self-aware genre riff that lets Pitt weaponize his charisma, comic timing, and battered-cool persona. As the train hurtles from station to station, the Gumshoes debate whether Bullet Train is evidence of creative derailment or proof that even a “fun” movie can earn a star’s badge, leaving the verdict somewhere between first-class entertainment and cinematic misdemeanor.

In this week’s case file, Jared and rookie detective Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno investigate Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, a movie so cursed it’s still trapped in an active crime scene. What starts as a routine reboot quickly turns into a legal nightmare involving an ongoing lawsuit between Myriad Pictures and Infinity Films over who actually owns the franchise, with both sides arguing over rights, contracts, and whether removing Victor Salva magically erased prior agreements. While the precinct’s top detective Santiago was officially assigned the case, Jared couldn’t resist swiping the file and claiming he cracked it first, forcing Jonathan to confront the real horror of Hollywood: intellectual property law that refuses to stay buried.

The precinct is quiet, too quiet, until Captain storms into the bullpen holding a Blu-ray copy of Evil Dead Rise like it’s Exhibit A in a homicide trial. Turns out there’s a special event tonight: a father–daughter movie night. His kid wants to watch Evil Dead Rise (2023)… and the Captain, proud but deeply concerned, wants to know if the film is child appropriate.The Captain, never one to read a parental guide, slams the case onto Jared’s desk. And just like that, the Movie Gumshoes are dragged into one of their grisliest cases yet.Jared “Ballistic” Jackson already knows the score: Evil Dead Rise isn’t exactly a bedtime story. Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno, meanwhile, approaches the investigation with the wide-eyed optimism of a rookie who genuinely believes maybe a film with flesh-possessing demons could still be PG-13 if everyone behaves themselves.The detectives break down the cinematic crime scene:A reunion between two estranged sisters goes bloodily sideways, when flesh-possessing demons show up uninvited.Primal battles for survival, complete with the kind of gore that makes even jaded detectives look away from the bodycam footage.A nightmarish twist on family drama, where the deadites give “problem siblings” an entirely new meaning.Directed by Lee Cronin, running a lean, mean 1 hour 37 minutes, and earning that R rating with absolute enthusiasm.As Jared and Jonathan comb through the evidence, MPAA notes, scene breakdowns, forensic gore analysis, they prepare their briefing for the Captain. Jonathan tries, valiantly, to find even one child-friendly takeaway. He fails. Spectacularly.By the end, the Gumshoes must deliver the uncomfortable truth: this movie is many things, intense, inventive, stylishly brutal, but it is absolutely not appropriate for a child unless that child is secretly a 300-year-old demon.Case closed. For now.Because in the world of Movie Gumshoes, even movie night can turn into a full-blown investigation.

Chaos hits the precinct when the Captain finally takes his first vacation in twelve years, leaving behind an empty office, an unwatered ficus, and a mountain of overdue paperwork. But before the Gumshoes can enjoy a rare moment of peace, something far more sinister slinks out of the shadows: Dirty Deborah.Deborah the precinct archivist breaks into the captain’s office, swipes his entire wardrobe (including three identical short-sleeve dress shirts), and steals his badge. By the time the detectives discover her, she’s already strutting around the bullpen in Hardcastle’s clothes, barking orders, and claiming the captain personally put her “100% in charge, no take-backs.”She gathers the Movie Gumshoes, Detective Jared “Ballistic” Jackson and his overeager rookie partner Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno, and issues their new assignment: “Review Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny… or you’re all suspended!”Convinced the film holds “clues” about Hardcastle’s whereabouts (it does not), Deborah forces the detectives to dive into Indy’s final adventure. While Jared tries to keep the investigation grounded, Sourdough becomes obsessed with uncovering whether time travel is admissible in court, and Deborah keeps interrupting with questions like, “Can Harrison Ford legally punch Nazis without a permit?”As the Gumshoes break down the plot, dissect the action sequences, and debate whether the de-aging tech should be charged with impersonating a younger man, they begin to suspect Deborah’s real plan: distract them long enough for her to pawn the captain’s badge.In the end, the precinct is restored, order (mostly) returns, and Dirty Deborah flees out a bathroom window, leaving behind only a trail of sunflower seeds and a forged memo appointing her “Deputy Queen of Cinematic Operations.”

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, Jonathan storms into the precinct with breaking news: the owner of The Skin Job—Tortilla Flats’ most questionable strip club—has allegedly landed on the Epstein list, and the FBI needs them to detain him. Jared, sensing immediate danger, complications, and probably glitter, decides they need a training refresher on how to apprehend a high-profile suspect without getting sued, shot, or slimed by alien goo.Naturally, there’s only one cinematic case study that fits: Bugonia (2025), Yorgos Lanthimos’s dark, deranged black comedy remake of the Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet!.Jared assembles a full case file:The film’s two amateur abductors who are very sure their CEO target is a world-ending alienEmma Stone as the possibly extraterrestrial tech mogulJesse Plemons absolutely committing to “kidnapping with conviction”And a reminder that “proper suspect apprehension” and “Yorgos Lanthimos movie” rarely overlapAs they break down the film for tactical (and questionable) guidance, Jared and Jonathan attempt to extract real-world lessons on handling powerful people, reading red flags, and not accidentally starting a hostage crisis.By the time they finish, one thing is clear: They are absolutely not ready to detain a strip-club owner under federal suspicion. But they’re going to try anyway… and hijinks are inevitable.

In this episode of Movie Gumshoes, the detectives dive into the neon world of Tron: Ares, which is the third film where Jared Leto stars as Ares, a program sent from the digital realm into the human world, directed by Joachim Rønning and filmed under the codename “Dust Bunny” in Vancouver. But while they investigate, Jonathan quietly battles his own crisis: his AI girlfriend, Synthia.exe, has left him, and he must accept that—like Ares, some things have to step into reality. As they discuss lightcycles, the legacy of Tron: Legacy, and the film’s themes of programs becoming human, Jared urges Jonathan to do the same: let go of digital love and try dating someone with a pulse. In a bittersweet moment, Jonathan deletes Ari-Elle, wiping their “shared memory,” and admits it’s time to leave the Grid behind. The case concludes not just with movie facts, but with Jonathan taking his first step back into the real world.

The precinct is in chaos. Detective Santiago the precinct's top detective, legendary for solving three cold cases before his morning coffee, has vanished without a trace. The Captain calls in the only dimwitted duo reckless enough for the job: Detectives Jared “Ballistic” and Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno.The Captain delivers the bad news: Santiago has been spotted in the Junk wearing a velvet robe and chanting under the stars with the secretive Cthulhu sex cult known only as The Knight Stars in area. Word is he’s been completely brainwashed, body present, mind somewhere in the tentacles of madness.Knowing they’re out of their depth in eldritch erotica and ancient sea gods, the Captain orders the Gumshoes to do what they do best: movies. Specifically, every piece of pop culture featuring Cthulhu, cults, or detectives who smoked too much and saw things man wasn’t meant to see.Their first assignment? HBO’s forgotten gem “Cast a Deadly Spell” (1991). Private detective Harry Philip Lovecraft, (Fred Ward). The strange but affluent Amos Hacksaw (David Warner) trusts Lovecraft because of his distaste for magic, and he recruits the private eye to track down an ancient text. Harry's seemingly straightforward task becomes complicated when he realizes that the object of his mission contains curses that Hacksaw hopes to use for world domination.— it’s practically a training video for this case.

When a battered Atari cartridge turns up at the precinct labeled “Top Secret — Project Cloak & Dagger,” veteran detective Jared “Ballistic” Jackson and partner Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno are called in to decode it. What starts as a simple nostalgia trip soon spirals into a full-blown Cold-War mystery — complete with imaginary operatives, vanishing fathers, and a kid convinced he’s living inside a spy movie.As they dissect Cloak & Dagger’s strange blend of childhood fantasy and government paranoia, Jared suspects the film is really an allegory about the Reagan-era arms race and latchkey loneliness. Sourdough, however, is convinced it’s about trust — between father and son, agent and double agent, gamer and game. Their investigation leads from a dusty VHS rental case to a shadowy arcade in San Antonio, where they interrogate the ghost of Dabney Coleman’s dual roles like he’s their missing witness.Between analyzing the film’s heartfelt delusion and its surprisingly brutal finale, the detectives debate whether Cloak & Dagger was warning us about spycraft, screen time, or the blurred line between imagination and evidence.In the end, the case file reads: “Suspect: Reality itself. Motive: Escapism.” And as the closing reel spins, Jared mutters, “Maybe the real top-secret project was learning how to grow up.”

A string of bizarre restaurant robberies leaves staff tied up like Sunday roast, Detectives Jared “Ballistic” Jackson and Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno stake out the Feedbag Restaurant to catch the elusive Tangler — a criminal with a flair for knots and perfect timing.But when Dirty Deborah joins the operation with her case files (and questionable expertise in ropework), tensions rise faster than fryer grease. After Jared realizes the case mirrors Roofman (2025), the trio decide to “take a quick break” for research — only to return and find the Tangler’s struck again, leaving nothing but rope burns and an empty safe.Now the Gumshoes must scramble to explain to their Captain why their big bust turned into a night at the movies. Is this the most tangled case yet… or just another knot they can’t untie?

When the Movie Gumshoes set out to investigate Ben Leonberg’s haunted-house dog flick Good Boy (2025), things go sideways before the opening credits roll. Rookie Jonathan shows up with what he proudly claims is a new K-9 recruit named Ballistic—Jared’s old nickname from his wilder days. Trouble is, the “dog” turns out to be a rabid coyote swiped from behind the Feed Bag dumpster. Within minutes, Ballistic bolts, tears through downtown Junk, and bites a stripper outside the Skin Job.With chaos spreading and animal control nowhere in sight, Jared decides the best way to keep the rookie’s spirits up is to get back to the real case: dissecting Good Boy down at the Dinoplex. The two detectives hunker into sticky theater seats, joined by their favorite local informant, Dirty Deborah, who’s furious that the bar inside the theater didn’t even bother to card her.Between sips of flat gin and the distant sirens chasing the escaped coyote, the trio comb through Good Boy’s evidence—its dog’s-eye cinematography, its tragic loyalty, and the lingering question of what makes a “good boy” when the world goes bad. By the end of the night, they’ve got theories, a few laughs, and a live-animal warrant waiting for them back at HQ.

In this hard-hitting case of Movie Gumshoes, Jared and rookie detective Jonathan lace up their boots to investigate The Long Walk (2025), Stephen King’s chilling dystopian tale brought to the screen by Francis Lawrence. The precinct archivist Dirty Deborah joins the case file, adding her broken moral compass to the mix. Together, the trio dissect the film’s oppressive atmosphere, Cooper Hoffman’s standout performance, and the devastating psychological toll of a contest where stopping means death. While Jared and Jonathan debate the pacing and adaptation choices, Deborah zeroes in on the fleeting humanity between the Walkers and the uneasy ethics of watching suffering for sport. Brutal, relentless, and thought-provoking, this episode asks: how far would you go when survival is the only prize?

Back at the precinct, Jonathan can’t help but strike up a conversation with the Captain. He explains that he sees himself and Jared like Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett in Hollywood Homicide—two detectives with double lives. “They’ve got homicide,” Jonathan says, “we’ve got movies. We clock out of real cases and moonlight as movie investigators. Same thing, just cooler jackets.”The Captain humors him, but Jared isn’t buying the comparison. To prove a point, Jared dives into the history of Hollywood Homicide. What he finds makes the precinct corkboard creak under the weight of red string: the film was loosely inspired by the wave of high-profile hip hop murders in the 1990s. Jared lays it out in grim detail—Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, and a string of unsolved killings that defined a generation of rap. The glitzy buddy-cop comedy suddenly looks like a tone-deaf cash-in on real tragedies.Jonathan still insists the movie has charm (“I mean, c’mon, Ford chases a suspect while on a cell phone call about real estate—classic!”), but Jared hates it. To him, it’s another Hollywood example of turning genuine pain into popcorn entertainment. The precinct is split: is Hollywood Homicide just harmless buddy-cop fluff, or a tasteless exploitation of unsolved murder cases?As the detectives argue, one thing is clear—the Gumshoes can’t even investigate a movie without digging into the real crimes hiding underneath.

Jonathan and Jared hit the Dinoplex theater to catch the pint-sized Toxic Avenger reboot. But before the mop-wielding mutant can even clean house on-screen, a disgruntled patron stands up mid-show. He tells the whole crowd they’re “better than this movie” and urges everyone to walk out, claiming it’s nothing but a waste of time. Now back in their office, the Movie Gumshoes sift through the fallout. Between the walkout drama, the questionable legacy of the Toxic Avenger, and the tangled history of its production hell, Jared and Jonathan have to decide: is this radioactive reboot worth avenging… or was the loudmouth patron right all along?

The precinct is in chaos after a bizarre night at the movies. Detectives Jared Jackson and rookie Jonathan “Sourdough” Manno were assigned to investigate the latest cinematic crime scene: Zach Cregger’s Weapons. But their field operation was sabotaged by none other than precinct archivist Dirty Deborah, who, instead of quietly enjoying the screening, orchestrated an impromptu orgy in Row G.Amid spilled popcorn, shrieks, and audience members fleeing like extras in a B-horror flick, Jared and Jonathan struggled to keep their eyes on the screen and their notepads coherent. Every meaningful glance in Cregger’s labyrinthine film was punctuated by Deborah’s “side investigation.”Now back in the precinct’s flickering-light interrogation room, the three unlikely collaborators debrief the case. Jared, insists the movie is a coded warning about America’s obsession with violence. Jonathan, ever eager and overeager, suspects it’s really a puzzle box about Josh Brolin's tight vest. And Deborah, between sips of contraband boxed wine, swears the movie is about desire, repression, and the blurred lines between love and annihilation.As they sift through the evidence, scene by scene, line by line, the Gumshoes begin to realize that Weapons itself may be just a piece of a bigger cinematic conspiracy. Cregger’s film might not only be a horror anthology in disguise, but also a mirror to the chaos they just survived in the theater.By the end of the night, popcorn butter stains the case file, the chalkboard is covered in arrows and red string, and Deborah has made herself far too comfortable in the precinct. But the detectives agree on one thing: whatever Zach Cregger is aiming at, his movie hits hard.

This week on Movie Gumshoes, Jackson drags a skeptical Jonathan out of the precinct and into the theater to investigate Memory (2022), where Liam Neeson plays an aging assassin losing his grip, and not just on his targets. But the real mystery? Why would Martin Campbell, once the master behind GoldenEye, Casino Royale, and The Mask of Zorro, take the shot on what looks like a dollar-bin action flick?As the detectives unravel the film’s tangled plot and Campbell’s curious career choices, they question whether Memory is just another throwaway thriller or a cryptic message from a once-great director slipping into cinematic obscurity.

This week, the Movie Gumshoes go airborne, and off the rails, as they investigate John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). It all begins with a seductive helicopter drop-off by Dirty Deborah, whose flight credentials are as questionable as her metaphors.After landing on the fog-choked summit of Superstition Mountain, Jonathan and Jared stumble upon a long-lost contact: Jason Stackman of Interpol, who may or may not be who he says he is. Together, they probe the film’s chilling themes, paranoia, isolation, and shape-shifting identity, while trying not to get assimilated by the mountain’s secrets (or Stackman’s weird energy).With flamethrowers, film theory, and suspicious goo underfoot, the case spirals into something far stranger than fiction.Trust no one. Not even the helicopter.

When the DA’s office hauls Jared and Jonathan into the hot seat for "misconduct involving poor taste and highly questionable movie selections," the Gumshoes are given one last shot to redeem themselves. Their assignment? Investigate the bizarre 2019 thriller-comedy Butt Boy a film where a mild-mannered IT man develops a highly unusual addiction: making objects (and eventually people) disappear… where the sun don’t shine.As the Gumshoes sift through this absurdly deadpan noir, they’ll follow the trail of missing persons, shrinking objects, and increasingly uncomfortable metaphors. Is Butt Boy an oddly brilliant satire on addiction and compulsion, or just a film that shouldn’t exist? With their careers on the line and the DA breathing down their necks, Jared and Jonathan dive into the abyss (so to speak), determined to crack the case… and maybe their own dignity.

The spotlight’s hot and the cuffs are cold. This week, Jonathan "Sourdough" Manno finds himself in the interrogation room, not for a movie review, but as the lead suspect in a scandal the District Attorney calls “gross misconduct of the cinematic variety.” While the DA grills Sourdough under flickering lights, Jared “Ballistic” Jackson pulls a fast one: launching into a full review of Bryan Singer’s The Usual Suspects in an effort to stall, distract, and disarm.As Ballistic spins theories about myth, manipulation, and Kaiser Soze, Dirty Deborah slinks in with a plan of her own—one laced with perfume, legwork, and morally questionable motives to seduce the DA and buy the boys some time.Will the case be cracked? Will the suspects become usual again? Or will this be the first time the Movie Gumshoes are too clever for their own alibi?Lock the door, dim the lights, and cue the smoky saxophone, because this case file isn’t just cinematic... it’s suspicious.

The Movie Gumshoes are back on the beat! Jared and Jonathan dive face-first into the cornstalks to uncover the twisted secrets of Clown in a Cornfield (2025), the teen slasher that’s equal parts satire, scream-fest, and social commentary.Was this a case of killer clowns or just a town desperate to stay relevant? Why do the adults hate their kids so much? And did Eli Craig just pull off one of the wildest YA horror adaptations of the decade?With exploding floats, suspicious popcorn, and one deeply committed Interpol agent, this investigation gets weird, in the best way.

The Movie Gumshoes and Dirty Deborah dive into The Surfer, where masculine waves and Cage-fueled chaos await. Jonathan goes deep undercover with the surfer gang, but somewhere between method acting and heatstroke, he can’t shake his Australian accent... or his new macho swagger. We investigate director Lorcan Finnegan’s sun-scorched vision and Nicolas Cage’s latest existential meltdown. Plus: Jonathan gets a branding-iron tattoo (because of course he does), and spoiler, it’s more infected than his fake Aussie slang.

The Movie Gumshoes and their permanently perverted archivist, Dirty Deborah are racing against the clock (and basic HR policies) to crack their next case: Until Dawn. The catch? If they don’t solve it before sunrise, Captain’s gonna finally fire them for shady expense reports, improper evidence handling, and “multiple violations of cinematic integrity.”Now trapped in a relentless time loop (probably Dirty Deb’s fault), the team must relive the same busted investigation over and over, interrogating familiar jump scares, filing charges against lazy tropes, and trying not to fall asleep during Gary "Mr. Tire Troupe" Dauberman’s adaptation.Will they survive the night? Will they ever learn what actually happened? Or will Déjà Boring claim their badges, and their sanity, for good?Tune in as the Movie Gumshoes tackle butterfly effects, body horror, and budget cuts... before time (and patience) runs out.

This week, the Movie Gumshoes take on a barely believable case: a 500-pound apex predator who snorts an ungodly amount of cocaine and goes full Scarface in the woods. The bear’s high, the stakes are higher, and our judgment? Completely obliterated.Early in the investigation, we "accidentally" had the key to the evidence locker... and one thing led to another. and, well, let’s just say we got real method with our investigation. Did we watch the movie? No. Did we become the movie? Emotionally, yes.Filed under: Cocaine Bear, Temporary Amnesia, and a Lawsuit from the Park Service.

In this week’s episode, the Gumshoes crack open the digital dossier on Drop (2025), Christopher Landon’s latest thriller that proves romance is dead, and possibly holding your family hostage.Our investigation begins with Violet, a grieving widow looking for love, who ends up on a date from hell when she starts receiving anonymous threats through an app called “DigiDrop.” Someone's got her kid, her sister, and apparently a master’s degree in psychological warfare. As the tension mounts and entrées go cold, Violet’s phone becomes a ticking time bomb, and our interest? Officially piqued.To help us sort through the cinematic chaos, we descend into the dank, over-lubricated depths of the precinct archive to consult our most scandalously seasoned resource: Dirty Deborah. With one hand on a case file and the other probably somewhere it shouldn’t be, Deborah dishes the dirt on Drop.

The Movie Gumshoes had their expectations thoroughly ambushed when they discovered that Death of a Unicorn wasn’t just a bizarre title, it was a full-blown fever dream seemingly inspired by Rian Johnson’s creative hubris. This week on The Movie Gumshoes, we’re investigating the most bizarre cinematic crime yet, Death of a Unicorn. Paul Rudd. Jenna Ortega. One magical creature. One very unfortunate collision. Was it an accident... or a mythical murder? We’re diving deep into the glittery wreckage to uncover the truth behind-the-scenes.

This week, the Movie Gumshoes crack open a cold case, literally. We’re diving into Warner Brothers and Bong Joon Ho’s sci-fi snow globe starring Robert Pattinson, Mickey 17, where a disposable employee is sent to colonize the frozen wasteland of Niflheim. He dies. He respawns. He keeps dying. Rinse, regenerate, repeat. But with each reboot, the real mystery grows: why does this movie feel like it should’ve been tossed in the incinerator with the rest of 2025’s cinematic clones?

The Movie Gumshoes are on the case, trying to solve Hollywood’s latest head-scratcher: why would an Oscar-winning director sign on for what smells suspiciously like a Mark Wahlberg vanity project? A film where Wahlberg struts in, aiming to channel the sinister charm of Nicholson, the chaos of Malkovich, and the gravitas of Hollywood’s great villains... but lands somewhere between annoyed and constipated. We’re digging through the evidence to find out who greenlit this, and why no one called for a coroner, yet.

This week, the Movie Gumshoes cuff a suspect with a lot of hair and even more nostalgia, a werewolf caught howling over Teen Wolf (1985), the Michael J. Fox flick that rode the coattails of his Back to the Future fame faster than a DeLorean on nitro. It’s less about full moons and more about full marketing strategy. Was it a charming underdog story, or just a quick cash-in with extra fur? Let’s investigate.

While the Movie Gumshoes were hard at work launching their totally legitimate, not-at-all-illegal side hustle, BoxOfficeBetsDotCom, they stumbled onto a psychological thriller that had “bad vibes” written all over it. In Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ latest flick, two young missionaries knock on the wrong door and wind up in a theological cage match with the sinister Mr. Reed, played by none other than Hugh Grant, apparently auditioning for the role of “British Devil.”Trapped in his home, with nowhere to run and no prayers left unanswered, they’ll need more than scripture to survive. Also starring Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, this one’s a holy house of horrors, and the odds are not in their favor.

The Movie Gumshoes have cracked the case on Knock at the Cabin, and the biggest twist? There isn’t one. That’s right, M. Night Shyamalan, the king of the third-act rug pull, leaves the twist card on the table. Instead, the film plays it straight, exploring sacrifice, faith, and the cruel roulette of life’s disasters.Is it a bold narrative choice... or just the cinematic equivalent of showing up to a magic show and getting a TED Talk on morality? Either way, we’re digging through the emotional wreckage and asking the real question: was it faith... or just fate with better PR?

This week, the Movie Gumshoes go deep undercover into one of the most important crime scenes in cinematic history, a place where live action rubbed elbows with animation, and Hollywood’s biggest studios called an uneasy truce. That’s right, we’re investigating the wild, ambitious, ink-splattered masterpiece that rewrote the rules of filmmaking. We’re digging into the cast, the chaos, and the creative magic behind the scenes. Because when humans and toons collide... someone’s bound to drop a piano.

The Movie Gumshoes are diving into a cult case file from 1975, originally known as The Jezebels, but later resurrected by Quentin Tarantino under a sharper name: Switchblade Sisters. What we uncovered? A gritty, gutsy, gloriously chaotic slice of cinema, courtesy of exploitation legend Jack Hill.It’s got girl gangs, eye patches, switchblades, and a whole lotta attitude. Turns out, before Hollywood figured out what “female empowerment” meant, Hill had already loaded it into a switchblade and let it rip. This one isn’t just a cult classic, it’s a cinematic turf war, and the sisters don’t play nice.

After collaring the elusive Trinity Twins in a sting operation, the Movie Gumshoes return to the precinct as heroes. In a rare show of gratitude, the Captain rewards Jared’s bravery and Sourdough’s relentless sarcasm, by letting them take the afternoon off to watch 8MM instead of chasing down another perp.Written by Andrew Kevin Walker, yes, the twisted mind behind Se7en and 8MM was a $125 million bet by Columbia Pictures that lightning could strike twice. But this time, instead of Gwyneth’s head in a box... we get Nic Cage, underground snuff rings, and a whole lotta heavy breathing. Was it a gritty masterpiece, or just a reel of film noir gone off the rails? Let’s investigate.

The Movie Gumshoes were hot on the trail of the Panty Face Killer, a menace haunting their sleepy little town with questionable fashion choices, when a cold case from 1979 landed on their desk. That case? The Warriors, a cult classic from the legendary Walter Hill.With the streets of New York crawling with color-coded gangs and a war council gone sideways, The Warriors is less a movie, more a neon-soaked fever dream of fists, fury, and flawless leather vests. Can you dig it? We sure did, and now we’re breaking down the chaos, the craftsmanship, and why this film still rules the underground.

While prowling the neon-lit alleys of the Junk on a sting operation to catch the elusive Panty Face Killer, the Movie Gumshoes find themselves sidetracked by another menace entirely—Hobo with a Shotgun (2011). Starring Rutger Hauer as a vengeance-fueled drifter with a heart full of justice and a pump-action attitude, this grindhouse fever dream doesn’t just cross the line—it runs it over in a flaming school bus.Blood-soaked, bathed in sleaze, and proudly unhinged, Hobo with a Shotgun isn’t for the faint of heart—or anyone who respects subtlety. But for the Gumshoes, it’s just another day in the cinematic gutter. And somewhere out there, Panty Face is watching...

This week, the Movie Gumshoes dig into the ashes of yet another reanimated cinematic corpseThe Crow (2024). This time, it stars Hollywood’s latest Skarsgård export, Bill, brooding, bloodied, and contractually obligated to wear eyeliner.Behind the camera? Rupert Sanders, the director who somehow keeps getting handed iconic properties only to return them dead on arrival. After Ghost in the Shell and Snow White and the Huntsman, we figured he'd already punched his “grim reboot” card. But no, he’s back, proving once again that the most dramatic thing he’s ever directed... was his off-screen affair with a certain bland lead from the Twilight Saga.Is this new Crow a resurrection worth watching or just another bird with broken wings? Let’s investigate.*

This week, the Movie Gumshoes investigate the legendary 1984 cult classic Ghostbusters movie, but things get... supernatural. While decoding proton packs and spiritual bureaucracy, they’re forced to confront an ancient, horn-playing menace: Kokopelli, the mischievous sex god accidentally conjured by the local cult known only as the Knight Stars, operating out of the Junk beneath Superstition Mountain.Joined by a well-dressed English special agent from Interpol, who swears the ghost blowjob scene was mysteriously missing from his UK VHS the Gumshoes race against time. Because if they can’t solve Ghostbusters fast enough, their town may fall to the rampaging Ballistic-Centaur and the erotic wrath of Kokopelli himself.Will they banish the ancient spirit and still make it back in time for slimer's at the local pub? Tune in, true believers. Things are about to get spooky... and deeply inappropriate.

The Movie Gumshoes make an unannounced visit to the District Attorney’s estate, fueled by a hunch and two lukewarm cups of vending machine coffee. They suspect he’s the mastermind behind their recent entrapment in Dirty Deborah’s safe house, where they were chained to a radiator and forced to review Saw (2004). No popcorn. No bathroom breaks. Just pure Jigsaw torture.But during the interrogation, the plot thickens. Turns out, the D.A. wasn’t just watching movies he was preparing a case. The Fugitive (1993) was more than research; it was a blueprint. He’s launching a full-blown manhunt for the Movie Gumshoes, accusing them of cinematic misconduct, podcasting without a permit, and excessive snark in a public forum.Now fugitives in their own town, the Gumshoes must clear their name, dodge legal traps, and somehow review The Fugitive without being caught. One thing’s for sure: they didn’t kill their wives, but they’re about to kill this episode.

After one too many botched busts and an incident involving zero warrants, the captain lays down the law: the Movie Gumshoes are being benched forced to sit through Hardcore (1979), Paul Schrader’s descent into the sleazy underworld of 1970s California.The film follows a desperate father played by George C. Scott, who dives headfirst into the porn industry’s shadowy depths to find his missing daughter. And while the film gets grim, the Gumshoes know it’s more than just a punishment... it’s prep.Because back in the Junk, the notorious Trinity Twins are at it again cranking out snuff films and vanishing into the neon mist. To stop them, the Gumshoes must navigate peep show parlors, sleazy motels, and more emotional damage than an unlicensed therapist can handle.It’s a race against the reel. And in this case, justice isn’t blind, it’s wearing aviators and a polyester suit.

The Movie Gumshoes are trapped again. This time, it’s not in a warehouse or a back alley... it’s inside Dirty Deborah’s fortified safe, and the only way out is through a movie review. An ominous voice crackles through the speakers, offering no mercy and even less popcorn."Hello, Gumshoes. I want to play a game..."Their assignment? James Wan’s Saw (2004) a twisted little debut that hacked its way into the cultural bloodstream, spawning nine sequels and a billion-dollar empire of blood, puzzles, and questionable moral lessons. As the walls close in and the clock ticks down, the Gumshoes must unravel the legacy of Jigsaw’s deadly games, dissect the origins of torture porn cinema, and figure out how to pick a lock with a VHS copy of Spiral.Will they escape with their limbs and sanity intact? Or is this the case that finally cuts too deep?

Framed for the disappearance of the city’s most legendary detective, Jared “Ballistic” Jackson is on the run. With the precinct turning against him and the evidence stacked higher than Sourdough’s tab at the local pub, Jared has no choice but to enlist help from the unlikeliest of allies: an informant, the Panty Face Killer, or maybe... Sourdough’s rival from their sexual conquests (it’s complicated).As the walls close in, there's only one clue left behind the final film the missing detective saw before vanishing: Tango & Cash. That’s right. Stallone. Russell. Muscles. Explosions. More one-liners than an 80's action movie.Now, as Jared pieces together the mystery one VHS tape at a time, he and his new partner must uncover the truth behind the disappearance, survive a city crawling with crooked cops, and somehow review an 80s action movie so loud it might just blow their cover.Will Ballistic clear his name... or go down in a blaze of synth and slow-motion justice? Tune in.

The Movie Gumshoes thought they were getting a break.Their captain has other plans, specifically, a deep dive into cinema’s darkest alley: the snuff film genre. First up: Mute Witness (1995), a chilling tale about a mute makeup artist who accidentally stumbles upon a murder caught on camera… or was it?But this isn’t just for kicks. It’s part of a larger sting operation to bring down the Trinity Twins local underground filmmakers with a fondness for fake deaths, real depravity, and zero permits. To catch them, the Gumshoes have to know their material. That means watching every blood-stained frame, dissecting every sleazy second, and hoping the nightmares come with a pause button.Three films. One investigation. No refunds. Can the Gumshoes stomach the celluloid horrors long enough to bring the Trinity Twins to justice? Or will they become the stars of the next underground hit?