<p>&#8220;The Kick&#8221; is a theme-obsessed movie podcast where new releases are the ultimate excuse to fill blindspots and let that completist flag fly.</p>
<p>Part of the <a href="https://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/">Now Playing Network</a>, the show runs in multi-episode arcs—or <em>kicks</em>—that explore a particular sub-genre or filmography, and then culminate in a relevant new film. As in, “I’m on a sports-romance kick, and it won’t be over until I see <em>Challengers.</em>&#8221;</p>
<p>Every week, host Chance Solem-Pfeifer is joined by a fellow writer, filmmaker, or movie appreciator. You can contact him at <span class="il">chancesolempfeifer [at] gmail [dot] com</span> and <a href="https://www.wweek.com/search/chance%20solem-pfeifer/">read his film writings in the Willamette Week</a>.</p>


About “The Kick”

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5893 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/o-brother.jpeg" alt="George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson in O Brother Where Art Thou?" width="675" height="453" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/o-brother.jpeg 675w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/o-brother-300x201.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px" /></p>
<p>In true &#8220;Odyssey&#8221; fashion, we&#8217;re adding a few more stops to this Homeric kick. Today, it&#8217;s the Coen Brothers&#8217; 2000 adaptation of &#8220;The Odyssey&#8221; — a banjo-picking romp full of scoundrels, sirens, and Depression-era commentary on the battle between newness and nostalgia. My sister <strong>Grace</strong> is here to discuss why &#8220;<strong>O Brother, Where Art Thou?</strong>&#8221; was one of our childhood touchstones, flex some translation knowledge, and play a disturbing album sales game.</p>
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‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ with Grace Solem-Pfeifer

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5888 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Odyssey.jpg" alt="Benny Safdie and Matt Damon in The Odyssey" width="768" height="432" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Odyssey.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Odyssey-300x169.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></p>
<p>They said I’d never make it back, but they were wrong. Chance ends an extended paternity leave to explore the biggest movie in the world — Christopher Nolan’s “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Odyssey</strong>.” We’ve got <strong>Ben Campbell Ferguson</strong> (<a href="https://foolswhodreammovies.com/">Fools Who Dream</a>) with us to answer some pressing questions.</p>
<p>Is this Nolan’s “Spielberg in 1982” moment? How does the movie’s anti-twist work? Is it rushed? Does it matter?</p>


‘The Odyssey’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5884 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lostboyscrew-copy.jpg" alt="The Lost Boys vampire crew" width="1200" height="681" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lostboyscrew-copy.jpg 1200w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lostboyscrew-copy-300x170.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lostboyscrew-copy-1024x581.jpg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lostboyscrew-copy-768x436.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p>Our “Vampires of America” kick has one last burning question—what if vampires were teen fashion icons? &#8220;<strong>The Lost Boys</strong>&#8221; (1987) gives us a vampire corruption tale that mixes post-hippie paranoia with a dash of &#8220;The Goonies,&#8221; Peter Pan, music video sheen, and the costume-conscious filmmaker who later bravely put nipples on the Batman suit.</p>
<p><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/rebel-ridge-with-noah-ballard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Noah Ballard</strong></a> (Verve) is here to close out this series in style. We cover best performances, dangly earrings, and the life story of Sexy Sax Guy. Let&#8217;s get to it.</p>
<p>That does it for this kick! If you missed the climactic <a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/sinners-with-bennett-campbell-ferguson" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Sinners </em>episode, listen here.</a> I&#8217;m going on paternity leave this summer, but I plan to return in the second half of 2025. Thank you kindly for listening, as always.</p>


‘The Lost Boys’ with Noah Ballard

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5880 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sinners2.webp" alt="Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton in &quot;Sinners&quot;" width="1296" height="730" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sinners2.webp 1296w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sinners2-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sinners2-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sinners2-768x433.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /></p>
<p>I’ll put it this way — “<strong>Sinners</strong>” has everything you could want as the centerpiece of a “Vampires of America” podcast series. Tommy guns, blues guitars, two Michael B. Jordans, vampires as jig-dancing cult leaders, and visually entrancing commentary on folk art and oppression. <strong>Bennett Campbell Ferguson</strong> (Fools Who Dream) is back for a deep dive into Ryan Coogler’s strikingly original horror musical.</p>
<p>If you missed our &#8220;<a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/blacula-with-odie-henderson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blacula</a>&#8221; or &#8220;<a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/ganja-hess-with-lea-anderson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ganja &amp; Hess</a>&#8221; episodes, those Black vampire films carry particular weight in parallel with &#8220;Sinners.&#8221;</p>
<p>Follow Ben&#8217;s work <a href="https://foolswhodreammovies.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. And you could find him in several previous <a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/sometimes-i-think-about-dying-with-bennett-campbell-ferguson" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Kick </em>episodes. </a></p>
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‘Sinners’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5877 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NearDark.jpg" alt="Bill Paxton as Severin in Near Dark" width="1600" height="900" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NearDark.jpg 1600w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NearDark-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NearDark-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NearDark-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NearDark-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NearDark-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<p>Brimming with vicious bloodletting, neon beer signs, and Bill Paxton hootin’ and hollerin’, “<strong>Near</strong> <strong>Dark</strong>” might be the high watermark for vampire Westerns. I’m elated to have film critic and author <strong>Sarah Welch-Larson</strong> (Bright Wall/Dark Room) on the pod this week. She’s a “Near Dark” turbofan, with as many deep thoughts on what the film suggests about Manifest Destiny as she has musings on whether these Oklahoma vampires have ever tried roadkill. Let’s ride!</p>
<p>Read Sarah’s “Near Dark” essay here:<br />
<a title="https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2022/08/03/youre-gonna-give-me-back-my-spur/" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightwalldarkroom.com%2F2022%2F08%2F03%2Fyoure-gonna-give-me-back-my-spur%2F&amp;token=ae7554-1-1745465589689" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2022/08/03/…ck-my-spur/</a></p>
<p>Keep up with all her writing here:<br />
<a title="https://www.dodgyboffin.com/" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dodgyboffin.com%2F&amp;token=fca4ec-1-1745465589689" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">www.dodgyboffin.com/</a></p>


‘Near Dark’ with Sarah Welch-Larson

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5871 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ganja.jpeg" alt="Ganja &amp; Hess, starring Marlene Clark" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ganja.jpeg 1280w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ganja-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ganja-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ganja-768x432.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></p>
<p>Forget the vampire tropes this week; let’s hallucinate and appreciate.</p>
<p>Horror scholar <strong>Lea</strong> <strong>Anderson</strong> (Fangoria, Shudder) is here to look deep into 1973’s &#8220;<strong>Ganja &amp; Hess</strong>&#8221; (and honestly, help me understand it). This beguiling Black vampire story stars Marlene Clark and Duane Jones as a pair of cursed, blood-craving immortals reckoning with the beauty and horror of forever togetherness. In this episode, we break down ‘70s movie blood, this film&#8217;s complex take on theology, and why Marlene Clark’s performance “is everything” to Lea.</p>
<p>Catch up with some of Lea&#8217;s writing <a href="https://www.fangoria.com/authors/lea-anderson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. And if you missed our <a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/blacula-with-odie-henderson" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Blacula </em>podcast with Odie Henderson</a> last week &#8230; well, don&#8217;t!</p>
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‘Ganja & Hess’ with Lea Anderson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5867 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/blacula4.jpg" alt="Blacula movie starring William Marshall" width="1567" height="840" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/blacula4.jpg 1567w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/blacula4-300x161.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/blacula4-1024x549.jpg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/blacula4-768x412.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/blacula4-1536x823.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1567px) 100vw, 1567px" /></p>
<p>Today, this “Vampires of America” kick lifts the coffin lid on the Blaxploitation era. It was a watershed time for iconoclastic, ridiculous, and politically charged Black horror films—the first major example being 1972’s &#8220;<strong>Blacula</strong>.&#8221; I’m thrilled to be joined by <strong>Odie</strong> <strong>Henderson</strong>, author of “Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras” and film critic for The Boston Globe.</p>
<p>On this episode, we analyze William Marshall’s Shakespearean performance as Blacula, speculate on the vampire&#8217;s powerful backhand, and explore all the film history around “Dracula’s soul brother.”</p>
<p>I strongly recommend both Odie’s book and his criticism:<br />
<a href="https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/black-caesars-and-foxy-cleopatras">Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras</a></p>
<p>“Ganja &amp; Hess” (1973) next week! And if you missed last week&#8217;s <a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/fright-night-with-susan-tomorrow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Fright Night&#8221; (1985) episode</a>, listen here.</p>


‘Blacula’ with Odie Henderson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5864 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChrisFright.webp" alt="Chris Sarandon in Fright Night" width="2016" height="1042" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChrisFright.webp 2016w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChrisFright-300x155.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChrisFright-1024x529.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChrisFright-768x397.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChrisFright-1536x794.webp 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChrisFright-1568x810.webp 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2016px) 100vw, 2016px" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;m not breaking news by saying that seduction factors heavily into vampire cinema. But has it ever been done better than by Chris Sarandon in &#8220;<strong>Fright Night</strong>&#8221; (1985)? This horror-comedy toys with suburban paranoia by casting the vampire as the debonair stranger next door and drinking in his charisma &#8220;from toe to tip,&#8221; as <a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/house-ii-the-second-story-superior-sequels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returning champion Susan Tomorrow</a> puts it.</p>
<p>So happy to have Susan, a programmer at Portland&#8217;s <strong>Clinton Street Theater</strong>, back on the show to talk Roddy McDowall, how &#8220;Fright Night&#8221; effectively references older vampire films, and, oh yeah, Chris Sarandon&#8217;s neckline.</p>
<p>Follow Susan at @<a href="https://soundcloud.com/kingvidiot">kingvidiot</a> on Instagram and pick your next night out at Clinton Street here: <a title="https://cstpdx.com/" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcstpdx.com%2F&amp;token=bc3ee6-1-1743053571344" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">cstpdx.com/</a></p>


‘Fright Night’ with Susan Tomorrow

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5861 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dusk.jpeg" alt="From Dusk Till Dawn" width="1777" height="999" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dusk.jpeg 1777w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dusk-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dusk-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dusk-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dusk-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dusk-1568x882.jpeg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px" /></p>
<p>Awaken, my friends. We’re on a stateside vampirism kick—no Transylvanian castles allowed. This run begins south of the border with “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996) a horror-action romp that begs the question, what if pistol-toting outlaws stumbled into a biker bar run by the undead? Matthew Jackson (host of “The Scares That Shaped Us” podcast) kicks off this series. He’s here to talk about George Clooney’s first starring role, anoint the hottest on-screen vampire of all time, and reflect on just how seismic it was when Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joined forces in 1996.</p>
<p>Listen to Matthew’s podcast here:<br />
<a title="https://thescaresthatshapedus.com/" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthescaresthatshapedus.com%2F&amp;token=28689c-1-1743033813685" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">thescaresthatshapedus.com/</a></p>


‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ with Matthew Jackson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5857 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/furiosa.jpg" alt="Anya Taylor Joy as Furiosa" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/furiosa.jpg 1920w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/furiosa-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/furiosa-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/furiosa-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/furiosa-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/furiosa-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></p>
<p>We close out Year 1 of this podcast with my favorite movie of 2024. Luckily, <strong>Ian</strong> <strong>Berry</strong> (artist, programmer, trivia host, and all-around Astoria film hero) is even more into &#8220;<strong>Furiosa</strong>&#8221; than I am. We talk about what it means to have Chris Hemsworth&#8217;s villain almost steal the show, why the Mad Max movies are like the Gospels, and break down the difference between George Miller&#8217;s myth-making and Hollywood&#8217;s usual world-building.</p>
<p>Thank you all very kindly for spending any amount of time with The Kick during its inaugural year. See you in 2025!</p>
<p>And if I may! Here are my top 10 films of the year.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/rebel-ridge-with-noah-ballard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10. Rebel Ridge</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wweek.com/arts/movies/2024/08/06/confessions-of-a-good-samaritan-filmmaker-penny-lane-is-unflinchingly-honest-about-donating-her-kidney-to-a-stranger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9. Confessions of a Good Samaritan</a></li>
<li><a href="https://letterboxd.com/chance_s_p/film/the-brutalist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8. The Brutalist</a></li>
<li><a href="https://letterboxd.com/chance_s_p/film/red-rooms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7. Red Rooms</a></li>
<li><a href="https://letterboxd.com/chance_s_p/film/i-saw-the-tv-glow/1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6. I Saw The TV Glow</a></li>
<li><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/my-old-ass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5. My Old Ass</a></li>
<li><a href="https://letterboxd.com/chance_s_p/film/nosferatu-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4. Nosferatu</a></li>
<li><a href="https://letterboxd.com/chance_s_p/film/nickel-boys/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3. Nickel Boys</a></li>
<li><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/challengers-with-alex-barr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2. Challengers</a></li>
<li>1. Furiosa</li>
</ul>


‘Furiosa’ with Ian Berry

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5854 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/substance.webp" alt="Demi Moore in The Substance, part of our best-of-2024 series with Alex Barr" width="1200" height="633" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/substance.webp 1200w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/substance-300x158.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/substance-1024x540.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/substance-768x405.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p>You can&#8217;t tell the story of a movie year without the indie shockwave. In 2024, that breakout hit was &#8220;The Substance&#8221;—the body horror firehose that drowned audiences in gooey viscera and provocations about &#8220;chasing the dragon of youth.&#8221; That&#8217;s how my guest Alex Barr puts it. She&#8217;s here to talk makeup effects, Demi Moore, and the eerie feeling that no one can accurately remember their younger selves. For my part, this rewatch of &#8220;The Substance&#8221; unlocked new ways of viewing the movie&#8217;s absurdly disjointed backdrop.</p>
<p>You can listen to Alex&#8217;s prior appearance on <em>The Kick</em> <a href="https://bereelpodcast.com/episodes/challengers-with-alex-barr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>


‘The Substance’ with Alex Barr

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5848 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/oldass.jpg" alt="Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in My Old Ass, one of the best movies of 2024" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/oldass.jpg 1920w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/oldass-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/oldass-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/oldass-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/oldass-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/oldass-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></p>
<p>Today&#8217;s episode proved the point of this whole &#8220;2024 Passion Projects&#8221; exercise. <a href="https://bereelpodcast.com/episodes/rumble-fish-with-ray-gill-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ray Gill Jr.</a> (Portland Mercury, Willamette Week) nominated a movie I was maybe going get to? And it ended up a favorite of the year.</p>
<p>In &#8220;<strong>My Old Ass</strong>,&#8221; Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza play the same character at different ages, connected in time by a mushroom trip. Ray and I dig into how director Megan Park plays with our allegiances, champions youth, and turns a possibly sappy premise into a deeply affecting call for self-reflection.</p>


‘My Old Ass’ with Ray Gill Jr.

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5844 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rebelridge.webp" alt="Don Johnson and Aaron Pierre in Rebel Ridge" width="1296" height="730" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rebelridge.webp 1296w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rebelridge-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rebelridge-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rebelridge-768x433.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /></p>
<p>A strong contender for the year’s best action movie, &#8220;Rebel Ridge&#8221; is currently Noah Ballard’s favorite of 2024—bar none. On this episode of our year-end series, we dive into Aaron Pierre’s otherworldly calm, Don Johnson’s shit-eating grin, Jeremy Saulnier’s penchant for stomach-dropping bursts of violence, and a movie that Noah calls a mix between Rambo and The Pelican Brief.</p>


‘Rebel Ridge’ with Noah Ballard

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone  wp-image-5841" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sometimes-I-Think-About-Dying-Still-300x169.webp" alt="Daisy Ridley in 'Sometimes I Think About Dying'" width="886" height="499" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sometimes-I-Think-About-Dying-Still-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sometimes-I-Think-About-Dying-Still-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sometimes-I-Think-About-Dying-Still-768x433.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sometimes-I-Think-About-Dying-Still.webp 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px" /></p>
<p>We’re closing Year 1 of The Kick by asking guests to nominate a film from 2024 that they couldn’t stop thinking about. This first choice is right over the plate for me. <strong>Ben Campbell Ferguson</strong> returns to discuss “Sometimes I Think About Dying,” a sweet yet crushing character study set right here in Astoria, Oregon.</p>
<p>Daisy Ridley stars as Fran, an introverted young office worker preoccupied by vibrant visions of her own death. Ben argues &#8220;Dying&#8221; has much to say about dating, Oregon filmmaking, and the fascinating state of Daisy Ridley’s post-Star Wars career. Let&#8217;s begin the year-end festivities!</p>
<p>Keep up with Ben&#8217;s work here:<br />
<a title="https://foolswhodreammovies.com/" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffoolswhodreammovies.com%2F&amp;token=234be5-1-1733597284063" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">foolswhodreammovies.com/</a></p>


‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5833 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/eyes.jpg" alt="Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut" width="1400" height="794" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/eyes.jpg 1400w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/eyes-300x170.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/eyes-1024x581.jpg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/eyes-768x436.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px" /></p>
<p>You can&#8217;t end a career with more enduring mystery than <strong>Stanley Kubrick&#8217;s &#8220;Eyes Wide Shut.&#8221;</strong> John DiLillo returns to explore how the film still reverberates (perhaps too conspiratorially) in the culture, the volumes it suggests about Tom Cruise, and why it&#8217;s a movie about learning the hard way to deal with marital complexity.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll add that this is the conclusion of Kick <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tags/4">#4</a>, but we&#8217;ll close out the year with a series on the best (or rather, most beloved) films of 2024.</p>
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‘Eyes Wide Shut’ with John DiLillo

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5829 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Vardabeach.jpeg" alt="Varda by Agnes final films" width="1600" height="900" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Vardabeach.jpeg 1600w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Vardabeach-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Vardabeach-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Vardabeach-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Vardabeach-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Vardabeach-1568x882.jpeg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<p>&#8220;If all great filmmakers would make a documentary about their lives right before they died, wouldn&#8217;t that be so handy?&#8221;</p>
<p>Couldn&#8217;t put it better than Jennifer Jones does in this episode. She and Laura Glazer are the co-founders of the <strong>Agnès Varda Forever project</strong>, and they&#8217;re here to talk about &#8220;<strong>Varda by Agnès</strong>&#8221; (2019), the final film from world cinema icon Agnes Varda. We dig into Varda&#8217;s one-of-a-kind career, suggest starting points for newcomers, and assess what sets Varda&#8217;s final film apart of the towering epics that seem to typify this series.</p>
<p>Check out the Agnès Varda Forever website for free posters, cool merch, info on a forthcoming postcard project, and news of their return to Clinton Street Theater in March: AgnesVardaForever.com</p>


‘Varda by Agnès’ with Jennifer Jones and Laura Glazer

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5826 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1.webp" alt="" width="2560" height="1279" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1.webp 2560w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1-300x150.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1-1024x512.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1-768x384.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1-1536x767.webp 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1-2048x1023.webp 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brody-Megalopolis-1-1568x783.webp 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p>
<p>What is &#8220;<strong>Megalopolis</strong>&#8221; about? The 40-year dream of Francis Ford Coppola to make his opus? A reclusive inventor who holds the key to utopia? Deviant capitalism? Cyclical violence? Aubrey Plaza giving *the* comedic performance of 2024? <strong>Bennett Campbell Ferguson</strong> is here to talk about the vast contradictions, bravura setpieces, and wild swings of &#8220;Megalopolis&#8221;—aka, this series&#8217; inspiration.</p>
<p>Check out Ben&#8217;s new film writing site Fools Who Dream:<br />
<a title="https://foolswhodreammovies.com/" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffoolswhodreammovies.com%2F&amp;token=949534-1-1729788708425" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">foolswhodreammovies.com/</a></p>


‘Megalopolis’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5822 size-full" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/julieandjulia.jpeg" alt="Julia and Julia podcast" width="1200" height="797" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/julieandjulia.jpeg 1200w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/julieandjulia-300x199.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/julieandjulia-1024x680.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/julieandjulia-768x510.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p>Arguably the most influential rom-com voice in movie history,<strong> Nora Ephron</strong> ended her reign in 2009 with an ode to marriage, butter, and idealizing Paris. &#8220;<strong>Julie &amp; Julia</strong>&#8221; is this week&#8217;s career finale, and author <strong>Erin Carlson</strong> is here with anecdotes from both her Meryl Streep and Nora Ephron books, plus tales from the set, theories on why Julie&#8217;s plotline is so stressful, and her experience cooking Ephron&#8217;s rice pudding recipe.</p>
<p>Subscribe to the &#8220;You&#8217;ve Got Mail&#8221; substack to read Erin&#8217;s terrific reporting and criticism:<br />
<a title="https://erincarlson.substack.com/" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ferincarlson.substack.com%2F&amp;token=c01f39-1-1729788089798" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">erincarlson.substack.com/</a></p>


‘Julie & Julia’ with Erin Carlson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5817" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/horizon13-300x187.jpg" alt="Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1" width="820" height="511" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/horizon13-300x187.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/horizon13-768x480.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/horizon13.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></p>
<p>In honor of &#8220;Megalopolis,&#8221; we begin a new series on great filmmakers&#8217; last big swings. Today, it&#8217;s Kevin Costner&#8217;s all-in bet on himself, as he rewrites the frontier myth once again. Noah Ballard (Verve) is here to talk <strong>&#8220;Horizon: An American Saga &#8211; Chapter 1</strong>,&#8221; its baffling number of plot lines, questionable portrayal of the Apache, and impossible infatuation with the &#8220;real West.&#8221;</p>
<p>Listen at the link below or via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.</p>


‘Horizon’ with Noah Ballard

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5807" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bikeriders-300x200.webp" alt="" width="854" height="569" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bikeriders-300x200.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bikeriders-1024x683.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bikeriders-768x512.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bikeriders-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bikeriders-2048x1366.webp 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bikeriders-1568x1046.webp 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px" /></p>
<p>End of the road for this kick, gang. And fittingly enough “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Bikeriders</strong>” (2024) is all about how no good hangout can last.</p>
<p>But it’s also about a lot of actors—Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Michael Shannon, and 15 more—bringing wildly different performance styles to the table in this requiem for a Chicagoland biker gang.</p>
<p>Film critic <a href="https://x.com/bcfonfilm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bennett Campbell Ferguson</strong></a> is back to discuss whether “The Bikeriders” is cosplay or something deeper.</p>
<p>Listen below, or check out any of the other episodes in this biker series:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/the-wild-one-with-burt-kearns" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Wild One</em></a> (1953) with <strong>Burt Kearns</strong></li>
<li><em><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/easy-rider-with-the-bear-j-peter-thoeming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Easy Rider</a> </em>(1969) with <strong>J. Peter Thoeming</strong></li>
<li><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/rumble-fish-with-ray-gill-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Rumble Fish</em> </a>(1983) with <strong>Ray Gill Jr.</strong></li>
<li><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/ghost-rider-with-noah-ballard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Ghost Rider</em></a> (2007) with <strong>Noah Ballard</strong></li>
</ul>


‘The Bikeriders’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5800" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ghostrider-300x150.jpeg" alt="" width="644" height="322" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ghostrider-300x150.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ghostrider-1024x512.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ghostrider-768x384.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ghostrider.jpeg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px" /></p>
<p>Nic Cage brings the boys back together for a weekend of Ghost Rider. In search of the motorcycle rebel&#8217;s most demonic representation, we watched “<strong>Ghost Rider</strong>” (2007) and “<strong>Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance</strong>” (2011). What did we find? Floating skulls, hot chains, performances stuck between a Cage and a hard place, and two movies that just need a *little* more time to explain what a Ghost Rider is.</p>
<p>Verve talent agent Noah Ballard is back on the show, bless his soul.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone  wp-image-5802" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.24.58-AM-300x213.png" alt="" width="645" height="458" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.24.58-AM-300x213.png 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.24.58-AM-1024x727.png 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.24.58-AM-768x545.png 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.24.58-AM-1536x1090.png 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.24.58-AM-2048x1454.png 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.24.58-AM-1568x1113.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone  wp-image-5803" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.25.16-AM-300x223.png" alt="" width="644" height="479" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.25.16-AM-300x223.png 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.25.16-AM-1024x760.png 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.25.16-AM-768x570.png 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.25.16-AM-1536x1139.png 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.25.16-AM-2048x1519.png 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-22-at-11.25.16-AM-1568x1163.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px" /></p>
<p>Listen to the episode here:</p>


‘Ghost Rider’ with Noah Ballard

<figure id="attachment_5795" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-5795" style="width: 730px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-5795" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rumblefish2-300x169.png" alt="" width="730" height="411" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rumblefish2-300x169.png 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rumblefish2-1024x576.png 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rumblefish2-768x432.png 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rumblefish2-1536x864.png 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rumblefish2-1568x882.png 1568w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rumblefish2.png 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-5795" class="wp-caption-text">Try as he might, Rusty-James (Matt Dillon) just doesn&#8217;t get his older brother, The Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke).</figcaption></figure>
<p>“The Motorcycle Boy Reigns” as our kick arrives at <em><strong>Rumble Fish</strong></em> (1983). It’s not set on the highway, but perhaps no movie in this series uses the idea of the motorcycle rebel to such cool, elusive effect as Francis Ford Coppola’s dreamlike crime drama, starring a young Mickey Rourke.</p>
<p><strong>Ray Gill, Jr</strong>. (<a href="https://www.portlandmercury.com/authors/36470225/ray-gill-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland Mercury</a>, <a href="https://www.wweek.com/arts/movies/2023/02/21/why-jim-jarmuschs-ghost-dog-the-way-of-the-samurai-endures-as-an-unlikely-classic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Willamette Week</a>) is here to explain why <em>Rumble Fish</em> is his favorite film, why Matt Dillon used to scare him, and why insanity is intoxicating, plus primo tales of growing up in a video store.</p>


‘Rumble Fish’ with Ray Gill Jr.

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone  wp-image-5791" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/easyrider-300x169.webp" alt="" width="694" height="391" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/easyrider-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/easyrider-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/easyrider-768x433.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/easyrider.webp 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 694px) 100vw, 694px" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve said from the beginning that this podcast represents the freedom of the individual &#8230; specifically my freedom to beg far-flung thinkers to talk about movies.</p>
<p>This week, our Motorcycle Rebel kick arrives at &#8220;<strong>Easy Rider</strong>&#8221; (1969), and motorcycle bard/journalist <strong>J. Peter Thoeming</strong>, aka <strong>THE BEAR</strong>, is on the show. Relying on The Bear&#8217;s half-century of riding motorcycles and exploring the world, we dig into the countercultural touchstone that is <em>Easy Rider </em>and how it relates to Faust, road safety, backaches, and the endless search for America.</p>
<p>Keep up with The Bear&#8217;s writing <a href="http://www.advrider.com/author/thebear/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>; check out his book <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/around-the-world-on-a-small-motorcycle-j-peter-thoeming/1143401013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> (I read it; it&#8217;s very enjoyable!); and here&#8217;s his <em>Easy Rider</em> <a href="https://www.advrider.com/looking-for-wyatt-and-billy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essay</a>.</p>


‘Easy Rider’ with The Bear (J. Peter Thoeming)

<p dir="ltr" data-test-bidi=""><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5787" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/brandobike-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="675" height="380" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/brandobike-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/brandobike-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/brandobike-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/brandobike-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/brandobike-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/brandobike-1568x882.jpeg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px" /></p>
<p dir="ltr" data-test-bidi="">Let&#8217;s start the engines on a new kick! Now through the end of June (when &#8220;<a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/the-bikeriders-with-bennett-campbell-ferguson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Bikeriders</a>&#8221; hit theaters), we&#8217;re tracing the archetype of the motorcycle rebel.</p>
<p dir="ltr" data-test-bidi="">Most historians agree the first biker picture was &#8220;<strong>The Wild One</strong>&#8221; (1953) starring an iconically moody and leather-clad Marlon Brando. Today, author <strong>Burt Kearns</strong> joins the show to share how &#8220;The Wild One&#8221; became a flashpoint for censorship, anti-hero adulation, and Hollywood iconography. Kearns&#8217; new book <em><a href="https://www.marlonbrandobook.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel</a></em> is out now.</p>
<p dir="ltr" data-test-bidi="">Listen to the episode below and check out the rest of the series:</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/easy-rider-with-the-bear-j-peter-thoeming" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Easy Rider </em>with J. Peter Thoeming</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/rumble-fish-with-ray-gill-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Rumble Fish </em>with Ray Gill Jr. </a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://thekickcast.com/episodes/ghost-rider-with-noah-ballard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Ghost Rider</em> with Noah Ballard</a></li>
</ul>
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‘The Wild One’ with Burt Kearns

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone  wp-image-5783" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/chalkiss-300x150.webp" alt="" width="570" height="285" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/chalkiss-300x150.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/chalkiss-1024x512.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/chalkiss-768x384.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/chalkiss-1536x768.webp 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/chalkiss-1568x784.webp 1568w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/chalkiss.webp 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px" /></p>
<p>It&#8217;s match point of our sports-romance kick and hooooo, baby. &#8220;<strong>Challengers</strong>&#8221; is here, and we&#8217;ve got writer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-barr-creative/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Barr</a> on the program to discuss this year’s sweatiest, hungriest, horniest movie. We talk tennis as sex, sex as tennis, the movie&#8217;s use of food, unexplained bruises, a different side of Zendaya, bafflingly inventive cinematography, and so much more.</p>
<p>This marks the capstone of our Sports Romance kick, but there might be a bonus episode? We shall see!</p>


‘Challengers’ with Alex Barr

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5777" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/point-break-dive-300x200.webp" alt="" width="696" height="464" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/point-break-dive-300x200.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/point-break-dive-1024x683.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/point-break-dive-768x512.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/point-break-dive-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/point-break-dive-2048x1365.webp 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/point-break-dive-1568x1045.webp 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" /></p>
<p>A cop and robber touch souls on the penultimate episode of our sports-romance kick. It&#8217;s &#8220;<strong>Point</strong> <strong>Break</strong>&#8221; week, baby. <a href="https://twitter.com/bcfonfilm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bennett</strong> <strong>Campbell</strong> <strong>Ferguson</strong></a> is here to dig into everyone&#8217;s favorite surfing-skydiving-beach football spectacular. We break down good vs. goofy Keanu, assess how Kathryn Bigelow&#8217;s first big hit epitomized her directing style, and try to figure out what to call Swayze&#8217;s take on the femme fatale.</p>
<p>By the way, as of this episode&#8217;s publishing, our friend Ben has moved on from Willamette Week, where he rose from intern to arts editor over the course of 8 years. I&#8217;m damn happy for that guy and very grateful he was my immediate editor for two years. At the end of the episode, BCF mentions his favorite piece he ever wrote for the paper was <a href="https://www.wweek.com/arts/movies/2022/07/19/how-tom-shone-wrote-the-book-literally-on-christopher-nolans-dark-knight-trilogy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this feature</a> with Chris Nolan biography Tom Shone. Nobody knows Nolan like Ben (and Tom Shone). Give it a read.</p>
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‘Point Break’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone  wp-image-5773" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bendit-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="642" height="362" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bendit-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bendit-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bendit-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bendit.jpeg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px" /></p>
<p>This week, dreams of soccer stardom clash with a host of familial and cultural expectations. Writer <strong>Jessie</strong> <strong>Tu</strong> (<a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/author/jessie-tu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women’s Agenda</a>, “<a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Jessie-Tu-Honeyeater-9781761470745" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Honeyeater</a>”) is here to break down how &#8220;<strong>Bend It Like Beckham</strong>&#8221; (2002) changed the culture, showcased heartfelt father-daughter relationships, and everything happening in that one dizzying nightclub scene.</p>
<p>Plus, is this another movie where the romance is not between the obvious athletes? Just sayin&#8217;.</p>
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‘Bend It Like Beckham’ with Jessie Tu

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5765" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bluecrush-300x169.webp" alt="Blue Crush sports romance movies" width="740" height="417" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bluecrush-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bluecrush-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bluecrush-768x432.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bluecrush.webp 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /></p>
<p>Tie the boards to the ‘61 Chevy, and let&#8217;s take this sports-romance series into the waves! Writer <strong>Emma Specter</strong> (Vogue) is here to discuss why &#8220;<strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Crush</strong>&#8221; is the ultimate women’s sports &#8220;sleepover movie.&#8221;</p>
<p>We also get into the power of Michelle Rodriguez on a jet ski, a healthy fear of the ocean, and whether the romance in “Blue Crush” is between the right characters.</p>
<p>Emma&#8217;s debut memoir &#8220;More, Please&#8221; is out July 9! Preorder here:<br />
<a title="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/more-please-emma-specter?variant=41074415042594" href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harpercollins.com%2Fproducts%2Fmore-please-emma-specter%3Fvariant%3D41074415042594&amp;token=7ac57-1-1712882964100" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">www.harpercollins.com/products/more-…41074415042594</a></p>


‘Blue Crush’ with Emma Specter

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5761" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/love-basketball-1024x719-1-300x211.jpeg" alt="" width="616" height="433" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/love-basketball-1024x719-1-300x211.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/love-basketball-1024x719-1-768x539.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/love-basketball-1024x719-1.jpeg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" /></p>
<p>Four quarters, two players, one game for your heart. No movie in this sports-romance series creates team chemistry between the &#8220;sports&#8221; and &#8220;romance&#8221; genres quite like <strong>LOVE &amp; BASKETBALL</strong>.</p>
<p>Podcaster, sports journalist, and former college hooper <strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanligons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jordan Robinson</a></strong> joins the program to discuss the movie&#8217;s on-court realism, athlete couples, the enormous pressures on college basketball players, and the LOVE &amp; BASKETBALL character she finally feels bad for two decades later.</p>
<p>Listen to Jordan&#8217;s WNBA podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/queens-of-the-court/id1681606343" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Queens of the Court</em></a>, with basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes.</p>
<p>Read her <a href="http://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/4/21…year-anniversary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 remembrance of Love &amp; Basketball</a>, featuring countless great interviews.</p>


‘Love & Basketball’ with Jordan Robinson

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5755" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/wimbledon-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="664" height="374" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/wimbledon-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/wimbledon-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/wimbledon-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/wimbledon-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpeg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px" /></p>
<p>What if a washed-up tennis journeyman (Paul Bettany) and a rising phenom (Kirsten Dunst) made a pact to hook up before every round of Wimbledon?</p>
<p>That&#8217;s a big swing from this 2004 rom-com, but how&#8217;s its follow-through? <strong>Noah Ballard</strong> (Verve) joins our sports-romance kick to analyze the darker movie at the core of &#8220;<strong>Wimbledon</strong>,&#8221; savor the film&#8217;s giant cast, and regale us with racquet-sports anecdotes from his own life.</p>
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‘Wimbledon’ with Noah Ballard

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5747" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cuttingedgelarg-300x169.webp" alt="" width="636" height="358" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cuttingedgelarg-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cuttingedgelarg-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cuttingedgelarg-768x433.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cuttingedgelarg.webp 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px" /></p>
<p>She&#8217;s a pairs figure skater who keeps rejecting partners; he&#8217;s a washed-up hockey player. Can they win gold by falling in love and performing an unthinkable maneuver? With a setup like that, &#8220;<strong>The Cutting Edge</strong>&#8221; (1992) is the perfect launchpad for our Sports Romances kick.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.emilylnewman.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Emily L. Newman</strong></a> (Texas A&amp;M Unversity-Commerce) is here to break down the banter, the costumes, the battle of the sexes, and the Pamchenko Twist as a symbol of impossible love. You can catch up with Emily&#8217;s wonderful writing on <em>The Cutting Edge </em>right <a href="https://avidly.lareviewofbooks.org/2023/12/14/most-illogical-display-of-love-the-cutting-edge-1992/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
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‘The Cutting Edge’ with Emily L. Newman

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5732" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dune2-300x169.webp" alt="" width="641" height="361" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dune2-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dune2-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dune2-768x433.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dune2.webp 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px" /></p>
<p>At last, we&#8217;ve arrived at our first kick&#8217;s climactic question: Is &#8220;<strong>Dune: Part Two</strong>&#8221; a superior sequel?</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/thobennett" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bennett Campbell Ferguson</strong></a> (Willamette Week) is here to answer emphatically. We talk sandworm setpieces, Chalamet&#8217;s gravitas or lack thereof, and this sequel&#8217;s complex relationship to fate and character development.</p>
<p>Many, many thanks to you, listeners, and the <a href="https://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Now Playing Network</a> for supporting this new show! Kick No. 2 is mere weeks away.</p>


Bennett Campbell Ferguson

‘Dune: Part Two’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5714" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dannydoor-300x154.jpg" alt="" width="727" height="373" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dannydoor-300x154.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dannydoor-1024x526.jpg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dannydoor-768x395.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dannydoor-1536x790.jpg 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dannydoor-2048x1053.jpg 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dannydoor-1568x806.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px" /></p>
<p>Heeeeere&#8217;s Danny! On the penultimate episode of our &#8220;Superior Sequels&#8221; kick, horror writer <a href="https://thebloggingbanshee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Molly Henery</strong></a> nominates &#8220;<strong>Doctor</strong> <strong>Sleep</strong>,&#8221; the 2019 sequel to &#8220;The Shining.&#8221;</p>
<p>A bold take? Perhaps! But Stephen King certainly agrees, and Molly goes deep on the film&#8217;s sweeping character development as now-adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) faces down a vampire cult and the specter of the Overlook Hotel. We also dive into director Mike Flanagan&#8217;s adaptation skills, speculate about 300-year-old tophats, and expand a moon-landing conspiracy theory.</p>
<p>Steam or shine, The Kick continues. Listen here. Oh, and don&#8217;t miss the latest installments of Molly&#8217;s <a href="https://certifiedforgotten.com/author/thebloggingbanshee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uterus Horror column</a>.</p>
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Molly Henery 

‘Doctor Sleep’ with Molly Henery

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5705" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/caterpuppy-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="468" height="264" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/caterpuppy-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/caterpuppy-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/caterpuppy-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/caterpuppy.jpeg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></p>
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<p>“Like a kids’ movie for adults,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kingvidiot/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_mid=XSySCgABAAGt4PKD3jdG_fGIgoWh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Susan Tomorrow</a> describes the joyful anarchy of &#8220;<em><strong>House II: The Second Story</strong></em>.&#8221; For her Superior Sequel, the <a href="https://cstpdx.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clinton Street Theater</a> programmer and co-owner nominates this 1987 horror-comedy where any dimension, genre, or plot U-turn is possible in the next room over. Zombie grandpas, crystal skulls, pterodactyls, Bill Maher—there truly is no telling where this one will go.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="House II: The Second Story Original Trailer (Ethan Wiley, 1987)" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uF70pbMatKc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
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‘House II: The Second Story’ with Susan Tomorrow

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5698" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bournesup-300x169.webp" alt="" width="584" height="329" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bournesup-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bournesup-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bournesup-768x433.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bournesup.webp 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px" /></p>
<p>Sometimes, &#8220;superior sequel&#8221; status is declared right in the movie&#8217;s title. This week, <a href="https://www.wweek.com/author/bennett-campbell-ferguson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bennett Campbell Ferguson</a> is here to nominate &#8220;The Bourne Supremacy&#8221; (2004) for its frenetic action, underrated love story, and Matt Damon&#8217;s cargo shorts. We also break down Greengrass vs. Liman, sing the Bourne theme almost immediately, and get *this close* to remembering our real names.</p>
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‘The Bourne Supremacy’ with Bennett Campbell Ferguson

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5692" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/home_alone_2-300x169.webp" alt="" width="573" height="323" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/home_alone_2-300x169.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/home_alone_2-1024x577.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/home_alone_2-768x433.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/home_alone_2.webp 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 573px) 100vw, 573px" /></p>
<p>To some folks, &#8220;Home Alone 2&#8221; is just the same movie again (and they&#8217;re right). But to others, it&#8217;s an &#8220;obscene artifact&#8221;—and a superior sequel at that. On today&#8217;s show, old podcast pal and literary agent extraordinaire Noah Ballard makes his case for why Kevin McCallister&#8217;s Christmas déjà vu succeeds in going darker, showcasing unforgettable audio technology, and presaging the ills of the next American century.</p>
<p>Everybody say, &#8220;Hiya, pal!&#8221;</p>


‘Home Alone 2: Lost In New York’ with Noah Ballard

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5683" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/avatar-visual-effects-lede-300x158.webp" alt="" width="704" height="371" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/avatar-visual-effects-lede-300x158.webp 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/avatar-visual-effects-lede-1024x540.webp 1024w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/avatar-visual-effects-lede-768x405.webp 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/avatar-visual-effects-lede-1536x810.webp 1536w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/avatar-visual-effects-lede-2048x1080.webp 2048w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/avatar-visual-effects-lede-1568x827.webp 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px" /></p>
<p>You hear that? &#8230; Is it Eywa&#8217;s heartbeat? Or the birth of a new podcast, maybe?</p>
<p>Let it be both. Today, we start our first &#8220;kick&#8221; with <em>Avatar: The Way of Water </em>(2022)—a sequel with twice the cast, twice the mo-cap, and twice the reasons for Jim Cameron to believe in himself. Joining us is the fantastic writer (and &#8220;Avatar guy&#8221;) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnDiLillo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John DiLillo</a> to unpack <em>Way of Water</em>&#8216;s &#8220;refinement&#8221; of the 2009 original, go beyond the spectacle, and act as the guinea pig for a segment called &#8220;Truth or Trivia.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The  Kick&#8221; is proudly part of the <a href="https://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Now Playing Network</a>.</p>


‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ with John DiLillo

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-5670" src="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2401_THE-KICK_graphic-100-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="632" height="632" srcset="https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2401_THE-KICK_graphic-100-300x300.jpg 300w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2401_THE-KICK_graphic-100-150x150.jpg 150w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2401_THE-KICK_graphic-100-768x768.jpg 768w, https://bereelpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2401_THE-KICK_graphic-100.jpg 1001w" sizes="(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px" /></p>
<p>Still missing &#8220;Be Reel&#8221;? Well, Chance is launching a new movie pod to fill that hole in your weekly listening diet. &#8220;The Kick&#8221; will debut on Jan. 31 and unfold in themed miniseries—the first of which is &#8220;Superior Sequels.&#8221; Every guest is bringing a sequel they consider better than its original film and breaking down why they love and prefer that sequel. There will be games, big questions, sequel philosophy, and much more.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the schedule for Kick #1.</p>
<ul>
<li class="p1"><strong>Jan. 31</strong> &#8211; Avatar: The Way of Water</li>
<li class="p1"><strong>Feb. 7</strong> &#8211; Home Alone 2: Lost in New York</li>
<li class="p1"><strong>Feb. 14</strong> &#8211; The Bourne Supremacy</li>
<li class="p1"><strong>Feb. 21</strong> &#8211; House II: The Second Story</li>
<li class="p1"><strong>Feb. 28</strong> &#8211; Doctor Sleep</li>
<li class="p1"><strong>March 6</strong> &#8211; Dune: Part Two</li>
</ul>
<p>You can subscribe to <em>The Kick</em> wherever you get your podcasts. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kick/id983292375" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple is here</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1UrDNTSBQr5KgUBUXS7anF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify is here</a>. Certainly appreciate a kind rating!</p>
<p>Should be a fun ride. Keep it tuned.</p>
