The Cross Cut

💣 Hold onto your hats as The Cross Cut delves into the ticking time bomb of nuclear anxiety with a twist! Join us for a riveting exploration of the invention of the Doomsday Clock and its chilling parallels with Christopher Nolan's film, "Oppenheimer." Brace yourself for a ride through history, science, and existential dread, all wrapped up in a package of humor and insight.

⏰ Step into the world of the Doomsday Clock, where each tick brings humanity closer to the brink of catastrophe. We unpack the origins of this iconic symbol of global peril, tracing its roots to the aftermath of World War II and the chilling specter of nuclear annihilation. We examine the weighty decisions that determine whether the clock moves closer to midnight or inches away from doomsday.

🎬 We the draw parallels between the real-life drama of the Doomsday Clock and Christopher Nolan's film, "Oppenheimer." Set against the backdrop of the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb, the film promises a gripping portrayal of scientific brilliance, moral ambiguity, and the ever-present threat of Armageddon.

😂 We explore how "Oppenheimer" captures the existential angst of living in a world on the brink of destruction, inviting listeners to ponder the profound questions raised by the Doomsday Clock and its fictional counterpart.

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Instagram: @thecrosscutpod

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We watched Barbie, so should you!

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This week! We talk about The Holdovers, the Academy Award nominee for Best Picture that combines two of our favorite things: cold weather and huge jerks. This also gives us the opportunity to talk about the huge jerks in Texas who are poisoning our environment and the massive snow in Alaska that, shocker, is actually due to WARMER weather. That's right friends, prepare to be shocked!

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Instagram: @thecrosscutpod

Newsletter: https://thecrosscut.substack.com/

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This week! Leading up to this year's release of the Mad Max prequel Furiosa, we look at George Miller's 2015 magnum opus, Mad Max: Fury Road. We also take the opportunity to use the film to describe a disturbing trend in American life. Since it's nadir in 2011, fatalities and injuries due to reckless and dangerous driving have skyrocketed.

We look into some of the reasons why, and remind ourselves of one of the last good moments in human history in 2015 before we drove ourselves right into the a worse dystopia than Max himself. At least they had flaming guitars!

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This week! Christmas movie! Toys! Whatever! I'm so tired I'm not going to write anything here.

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Instagram: @thecrosscutpod

Newsletter: https://thecrosscut.substack.com/

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🎬 Dive into the wild world of cinema and politics with the latest episode of The Cross Cut! In this riveting installment, our hosts intertwine the cult classic film, "The Toxic Avenger," with the recent scandal surrounding NYC Mayor Eric Adams, creating a captivating narrative that transcends both the silver screen and real-life politics.

🍿 Join us as we dissect the outrageous and entertaining world of "The Toxic Avenger," exploring its cult status, unique storyline, and impact on the superhero genre. From radioactive transformations to over-the-top action, our hosts unravel the film's layers, shedding light on its enduring legacy in the world of cult cinema.

🗞️ Simultaneously, The Cross Cut team fearlessly delves into the scandal surrounding NYC Mayor Eric Adams, providing an in-depth analysis of the events that sent shockwaves through the political landscape. We explore the controversies, investigate the implications, and present a comprehensive overview that goes beyond the headlines.

🎙️ Throughout the episode, listeners will gain a nuanced understanding of both "The Toxic Avenger" and the Mayor Adams scandal. Our hosts skillfully draw parallels between the fictional chaos of Tromaville and the real-world drama unfolding in the Big Apple, offering a unique perspective on power, corruption, and redemption.

🌐 As always, The Cross Cut Podcast strives to entertain and enlighten, delivering a one-of-a-kind listening experience that seamlessly weaves together film and current affairs. Whether you're a film buff, a news junkie, or simply seeking an engaging conversation, this episode promises to be a rollercoaster ride of entertainment and information.

Tune in to The Cross Cut Podcast for a thought-provoking exploration of "The Toxic Avenger" and the scandal rocking NYC, and discover the unexpected connections between celluloid heroics and the complexities of real-world leadership. Subscribe now and join the conversation that transcends the boundaries of film and news!

#TheCrossCut #ToxicAvenger #EricAdamsScandal #FilmPodcast #NewsPodcast #CultCinema #PoliticalDrama #PodcastDive

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This week! We talk about the persecution of the owner of a Wiccan store in Pennsylvania (a state that I will probably never be allowed in again) and pair that with The Love Witch, a movie that doesn't really have much to say about anything. But at least it looks pretty!

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Instagram: @thecrosscutpod

Newsletter: https://thecrosscut.substack.com/

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This week! The world is worried about men, again. The prevalent concern about masculinity has reared its head again as men are more likely to suffer from mental health issues, poor educational achievement, and gun violence than their female counterparts. We look at some of these outcomes and even take our chances at offering a few reasons this seems to keep being a topic of conversation.

For this topic, we look at David Fincher's 1999 cult classic Fight Club, where Brad Pitt plays the ubermench of Edward Norton's dreams, as well as probably many of the young male viewers of the time. We also offer our workout plan for how to get those amazing Brad Pitt abs (the secret is hallucination!)

Rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Follow us on social at:

Instagram: @thecrosscutpod

Newsletter: https://thecrosscut.substack.com/

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This week! We talk about all the latest science in renewable energy. From cold fusion (as mentioned in our film The Saint) to superconductors to the recent advances in solar and wind, we spend this week trying to give you hope that the world isn't going to end in your lifetime. Will it work? Who knows?!?!?!

This week! We cover testimony in front of the US Congress by several whistleblowers stating they have seen real life proof of alien crafts and actual alien bodies in government hands. We pair that with the classic 1997 hit Men In Black where well dressed aliens try to keep the majority of the population in the dark about alien activity.

This week! We are looking at how the fake life science in the 1997 sleeper cult classic Gattaca is starting to become more real life. Scientists (and maybe cops) are using DNA found in the world to make assumptions about populations of animals and maybe one day populations of murders. This will surely end well!

This week! I'm late getting the episode out so no show notes! Don't trust various oozes and/or green drinks!

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This week! The military reports on AI gone awry and then WHOOPS! decides that it totally, definitely didn't happen you guys. Trust us, would we ever lie to you? cough pentagon papers cough mk ultra cough panama papers cough reality winner leaks cough edward snowden COUGH!

Whenever AI starts to threaten all of humanity, of course we think Terminator 2: Judgement Day. James Cameron threw down on this 1991 hit film, so we dive in to find out exactly how he did it and what it all means in relation to modern AI. Turns out James Cameron was very smart about all this!

This week! We get BLOWN AWAY by some new science news about storm trackers. This of course means we have to cover one of the defining summer blockbusters of 1996, Twister. We talk Helen Hunt's casting, the late Bill Paxton's memorable tribute from real storm chasers, and argue over the true message of the film: love vs. data.

This week! We review (and celebrate!) Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon being fired, while comparing our current news media hellscape to the incomparable film Network. We dive into the collaboration between Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet, as well as how there reticence about the state of the media in the 1970's has more than come to fruition today. Totally chill podcast!

This week! We look into why the Finnish people have been rated the happiest people in the world for the 6th year in a row. Is there some deep dark secret to living most of the year in the deep dark? Or are there flaws in the scoring system itself?

We'll have plenty of time to consider this as we spend ten (or ten thousand?) years stuck in the same day. That's right, we're celebrating Groundhog Day over and over again trying to dissect what happiness is and if it's somehow related to Andie MacDowell.

This week! Donald Trump, the somehow 45th president of these United States, was indicted and arraigned for a crime associated with the hush money payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels. Is there a better sentence for SEO in the whole of the internet? And is the existence of that sentence worth the complete destruction of American Democracy? The answer to both is: No!

We pair this historic event with the completely forgettable Clint Eastwood film Absolute Power. Turns out both Eastwood and Trump could learn a little something about keeping it in their pants. Ah, boomer men!

Where have all of our kitchens gone??? Have they turned into ghosts?!?!

This week! We look into the rise and now fall of ghost kitchens as Uber Eats starts to prune the dead delivery denizens from their app. Who will survive and why are we covering such a lame story? The world is bad, let us just have fun!

We pair this delicious appetizer with the main course, Pixar's Ratatouille. A film about how you should let rats into you home and have them cook for you. That is definitely the lesson here.

I would write more of a description here, but I have a 5 year old whose just had a nightmare about the Big Bad Wolf, so I'm cutting it short. The movie is about the big bank collapse in 2008! There's another bank that just collapsed! You get it.

This week! We take a deep dive into the world of Huggy Wuggy, that cute/terrifying doll that kids are super into these days. Why are there so many teeth? And why are they so sharp? We answer these questions and more with the help of our guest, Iris Smith! Oh yeah, she's also our niece.

If terrifying toys are your thing, then you will love the film we are covering: M3GAN! An AI with a full human child size body, what could go wrong! Turns out, the answer is murder!