So Many Sequels: A Movie Podcast

Part two of our Spielberg in Space series leading up to Disclosure Day — this week it's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.We dig into E.T.'s insane box office run (28 straight weeks in the top 5, nearly a year in theaters, $2.2 billion worldwide adjusted for inflation — second only to Jaws in Spielberg's career), then connect it back to Close Encounters of the Third Kind as a kind of spiritual sequel. We talk about how Spielberg shot the film almost entirely from a child's-eye view, why his parents' divorce shaped both Elliot's story and the absent adults in this movie, and why this whole thing might be the secret blueprint for Stranger Things.Also covered: the Reese's Pieces vs. M&M's candy debate nobody asked for, the Star Wars/Coors/Coca-Cola product placement, John Williams' score, and our final star ratings — including a Letterboxd community score that genuinely shocked all three of us.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram @somanysequelspod.

Summer movie season is officially kicking off, and the box office is already throwing curveballs. This week, we dive into the numbers for The Mandalorian & Grogu, which defied early tracking worries to pull in a solid $81.9 million over the weekend. But the real story might be the horror-thriller Obsession, which pulled off a rare 30% weekend-to-weekend jump thanks to an intense viral billboard campaign and massive word-of-mouth.Before the box office breakdown, we catch up on everything we've been watching on screens big and small. Josh and Garrett check in on the brutal fatalities and Karl Urban's washed-up Johnny Cage performance in Mortal Kombat 2. Meanwhile, David checks out the streaming survival-thriller Send Help starring Rachel McAdams, and gets surprisingly emotional over the Netflix book adaptation Remarkably Bright Creatures, featuring Alfred Molina as a brilliant, human-helping octopus.Go check that out at somanysequels.com to subscribe, and let us know what you're watching on Instagram at @somanysequelspod.

By His Hand is a cult thriller road movie shot in Utah on a bootstrapped budget by three brothers who grew up in the LDS faith — and left it. Josh and David sat down with director Taylor Paur, co-writer Ethan Paur, and producer Connor Paur to talk about how the movie got made and what it's actually about. They get into why Fowler — the film's cult leader — is most dangerous when he's making people feel loved, the Mad Max: Fury Road obsession that quietly shaped the film's structure and maybe even its title, what four seasons on Yellowstone taught Taylor about filmmaking, and why the brothers hope young men especially find this one.By His Hand is available to rent or buy on Amazon now and hits Tubi free on May 29. Let us know what you think at somanysequels.com and @somanysequelspod on Instagram.

The Odd Couple debuted in 1968, making $44 million on a tiny $1.2 million budget and eventually spawning a five-season TV show. But watching it today, the most shocking part might be the opening scene: our introduction to a comedy about mismatched roommates is Felix wandering the streets, genuinely trying to figure out how to kill himself.Kicking off our "Golden Oldies" month with pre-1970s films on So Many Sequels, David, Josh, and Garrett break down the undeniable chemistry between Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. We discuss how the movie's theatrical blocking and long takes make modern comedies feel disconnected, analyze the excruciatingly funny Pigeon sisters double date, and realize that Felix is actually a deeply manipulative person to live with.Let us know what you think. Would you rather live with Oscar the slob, or Felix the neat freak? Go check that out at somanysequels.com, and follow us on Instagram at @SoManySequelsPod.somanysequels.com

Welcome to Season Nine of So Many Sequels! We are kicking off the new year—and "Rob Reiner Month"—with a look at one of the most beloved films of all time: The Princess Bride (1987).In this episode, we admit where we were wrong ("I was dumb") and break down why this movie’s initial box office struggle didn't stop it from becoming a cult phenomenon. Join us as we analyze Rob Reiner’s authentic direction, the "perfect" sword fight between Westley and Inigo Montoya, and how the film’s framing device changes the entire narrative.In this episode:Why the box office numbers lied about this movie's quality.The genius of casting Andre the Giant and Wallace Shawn.How the "fairy tale" genre was reinvented with humor.Our final ratings on the "Timeless" scale.

We wrap up So Many Santas on So Many Sequels with Miracle on 34th Street (1947), the Christmas classic that starts out as a department store comedy and somehow turns into a straight-up courtroom drama. We talk Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) getting put on the stand, the movie’s surprisingly spicy take on Christmas commercialism, and how everyone around him goes from “aww, cute Santa guy” to “call the authorities” in record time.By the end, it’s less “Ho ho ho” and more “Your Honor, I’d like to call the U.S. Postal Service.” So what’s your verdict—are you buying the magic, or do you need the paperwork to believe? Drop your take in the comments, and subscribe & leave us a review.

This week on So Many Santas, the So Many Sequels crew revisits one of the most ’90s Christmas movies ever made: I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998) starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel. It’s a chaotic, cross-country holiday romp filled with pranks, desert towns, stolen cars, questionable ethics, and one very committed Santa suit.Josh, David, and Garrett break down the film’s wild energy, its strange blend of teen comedy and heartfelt family messaging, and why it somehow still works as a cozy December rewatch. We dig into the movie’s surprisingly good pacing, its very 1998 worldview, the charm of JTT at peak teen-idol fame, and the moments that absolutely do not age well. (Looking at you, the entire college subplot.)From sand-dune sledding to the legendary Santa 5K showdown, we revisit all the movie’s biggest moments and discuss whether it deserves a place in the annual Christmas rotation—or if it should stay tucked away with your old Tiger Beat magazines.🎅 Subscribe, leave a review, and let us know your favorite chaotic Christmas road-trip movie!