“THIS… IS… EPISODE 300!”
Join Ian, Liam, Megs & Kev as we hit a huge milestone with our 300th episode by reviewing Zack Snyder’s visually explosive, slow-motion-soaked epic 300 (2006). Four hosts, six-packs optional, and absolutely no capes required — though Kev may or may not have shown up in one.
This week we discuss:
300 episodes strong — how did we get here, and who yelled the loudest doing it?
How 300 redefined the look of early-2000s cinema and became the blueprint for a decade of digital epics.
Is 300 the natural endpoint of a cinematic obsession with masculinity that began with Braveheart and Gladiator?
Just exactly how much does this movie borrow from these films and which elements does it outright steal
How the film balances mythic masculinity with questionable historical accuracy — and does it matter?
Megs is here to give us some historically accurate statements on the battle of Thermopylae
We've got a classic BFE taste test of a product you won't believe
Several people reach out to congratulate us and some familiar voices show up to toast with us
Which one of us would make the best Spartan, and which one would be sent to tell the story?
The surprising cultural impact of “This is Sparta!” — and which line from the movie we’ve all been yelling at each other for days.
Ian breaks down the film’s visual language and pacing — why Snyder’s comic-book literalism both elevates and limits the story.
And finally, whether 300 is the Best Film Ever—or just the most gloriously sweaty milestone we could’ve picked.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Paul Komoroski
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/
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3:50:25
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3:50:25
Episode 299 - To Die For
You're not anyone unless you're on a podcast - It’s a full house this week as Ian, Liam, Megs & Kev are all actually in studio together for our 299th episode, sinking our teeth into Gus Van Sant’s razor-sharp media satire To Die For (1995). That’s right—no Zoom delays; no apologies, best wishes or excuses, just four podcasters, four microphones, and an unhealthy fascination with fame. We're skating on thin ice in our 299th episode as we discuss:
We learn the name under which Joaquin Phoenix’s early films were classified—and why it might surprise you.
There’s a lot of talk about what day of the week the podcast actually comes out on (and whether any of us even know).
We all want to enter the alternate casting universe to see who the producers wanted to play Suzanne—and whether that version of the film would’ve worked at all.
Is Suzanne Stone one of Nicole Kidman’s greatest performances—or is she just too good at being awful?
How the film predicted the age of reality TV and social media fame years before they existed.
What’s the line between ambition and sociopathy—and where does Suzanne fall on that spectrum?
How Van Sant uses tone to walk the line between dark comedy and true crime tragedy.
Why To Die For feels both 1990s and frighteningly current in 2025.
Which scene left us most uncomfortable—and which line still gets a nervous laugh.
And finally, whether To Die For is the Best Film Ever—or just the most chillingly relevant film you’ve never revisited.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Paul Komoroski
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/
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3:10:42
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3:10:42
Episode 298 - The Social Network
“You don’t get to nearly 300 episodes without making a few enemies.”
Join Ian, Liam & Kev for our 298th episode as we log on, code furiously, and sue each other over The Social Network (2010). Megs? She’s not with us this week—she’s in “Facebook jail” for excessive poking (it was bound to happen). We're carrying around a chicken for a week in our 298th episode as we discuss:
Our best day for downloads ever—and it’s not even close.
Our trip to an award show (well… kind of).
A new Patreon joins the fold—proof we’re building our very own social network.
Just how much credit should the money man get vs the idea man?
What is it that makes Aaron Sorkin’s writing so great—and why does this film feel like it moves at the speed of thought?
What’s the one part we think the film gets wrong?
Does the absence of errors make a film a masterpiece—or does it need a few rough edges to feel human?
Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg: sympathetic genius or socially awkward supervillain?
Fincher’s precision—how much of the film’s impact comes from direction versus dialogue?
And finally, whether The Social Network is the Best Film Ever—or just the sharpest film of the 2010s.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Paul Komoroski
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/
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3:16:47
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3:16:47
Episode 297 - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
“It’s just a jump to the left…”
Join Ian, Megs & Liam for our 297th episode as we put on our fishnets, grab some toast, and throw rice in the aisles for a dive into the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Kev? He makes a very late entrance—literally busting through the door in gold hotpants shouting “Don’t dream it, be it!” in our 297th episode as we discuss:
Is this the greatest cult film of all time—or just the weirdest date night ever committed to celluloid?
Do we forgive this film for its lack of consent based on the overall themes of inclusivity… when maybe we really shouldn’t?
How Tim Curry turned Frank-N-Furter into one of cinema’s most iconic characters—and why no one else could’ve pulled it off.
Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as “the straights”—and why they’re the perfect foils for absolute chaos.
We’ve got some thoughts on free speech and what’s happening with Jimmy Kimmel—because much like Rocky Horror, controversy loves a stage.
Why the soundtrack still slaps nearly 50 years later—and which numbers we still belt out.
How the midnight screening culture kept this film alive—and whether fan participation is more fun than the movie itself.
Which jokes land, which ones haven’t aged well, and why the film still divides audiences.
Is Rocky Horror satire, celebration, or just… unexplainable?
And finally, whether The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the Best Film Ever—or just the best excuse to dress up and sing badly in public.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.
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3:58:06
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3:58:06
See It Or Skip It? - Happy Gilmore 2
FIRST 35:45: Spoiler-Free Review with our See It/Skip It Verdict
AFTER 35:45: Full Spoiler Review
It’s another edition of See It or Skip It, and this time Ian is back with Liam as they dust off the clubs, lace up the skates, suddenly wish they'd stopped for Subway, and tee off for Happy Gilmore 2—the long-awaited sequel to Adam Sandler’s golf-comedy classic.
But does Happy Gilmore 2 sink the putt, or does it slice straight into the water hazard? Ian and Liam dive into Sandler’s return as Happy, looking at whether this decades-later sequel is a hole-in-one of nostalgia or just another gimmicky mulligan.
Does the comedy still connect? Is this cast a fresh foursome that elevates the material, or just a cart-full of familiar faces wheeled back for one more round? The lads explore whether Happy Gilmore 2 captures the heart, silliness, and sheer ridiculous charm of the original—or if it’s just hacking its way through the rough.
How do you make a sequel to a cult sports comedy that already wrapped its story with a bow? Is this the long-awaited victory lap—or a movie that should’ve been left on the driving range?
All this and more in this week’s See It or Skip It review of Happy Gilmore 2—and of course, Ian and Liam will let you know if you should SEE IT or SKIP IT.