The Flop House

Elliott had to dip out for an episode, so... how do you replace a troublemaking little scamp? How about: with the comforting, easy presence of Linda Holmes? We deserve a vacation too, y'know? And in this episode, we make good on a promise from Linda's last appearance -- to have her back to discuss that hearty slice of Christmas "content," Red One. Back then, Linda sounded surprisingly fond of it. Is she still? Will the two extant Peaches agree? Tickets for Flop TV Season 3 are ON SALE! It's our once a month (Sept-Feb) video livestream -- like a TV version of our show, but more so! This year the theme is FLOPSTERPIECE THEATER, and we’ll be discussing one significant bad movie per decade from the 2000s back to the 1950s! Dip your toe in with a single-show ticket, or get a discount with a full season pass! Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets! Wikipedia page for Red One Recommended in this episode: Dan: Superman (2025), Extra Ordinary (2019) Stu: M3GAN 2.0 (2025) Linda: Shattered Glass (2003) Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

We all know movies where "it's like the city is another character," and we understand what that means when a location has a big personality like New York, Tokyo, or Paris... but what about the more unknown cities out there? Elliott helps us brainstorm some filmic personalities for less-heralded locations Tickets for Flop TV Season 3 are ON SALE STARTING TODAY! Watch our once a month (Sept-Feb) video livestream show where we discuss a movie, do an "informative" presentation, answer questions from the chat, and toss in a few pre-produced video surprises! It's like a TV version of our show, but more so! This year the theme is FLOPSTERPIECE THEATER, and we'll be discussing one significant bad movie per decade from the 2000s back to the 1950s! Dip your toe in with a single-show ticket, or get a discount with a full season pass! Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets!

It's a testament to how generally good (or at least passable) the MCU films have been, that there have been 36 of them released, but this is only the second one we've covered. What makes Captain America: Brave New World so (anti-) special? You'll have to listen to find out! Wikipedia page for Captain America: Brave New World Recommended in this episode: Dan: Jaws (1975) Stu: Hider in the House (1989) Elliott: Roman Holiday (1953) Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

On this mini Stuart tricked us into watching some kind of Warhammer 40k bullshit and made us talk about it. Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets!

No, it's not a biopic about Jim Poolman, former insurance commissioner of North Dakota. It's a comic sunshine noir about an actual pool-maintaining Poolman, played (and written/directed) by fave Chris (Pine), who finds himself tangled in a criminal conspiracy... or maybe he's just whacked-out and paranoid? We're joined in this pool party by one of our most beloved returning guests, Mr. Josh Gondelman -- check out his new stand-up special, available for free, right now! Wikipedia page for Poolman Recommended in this episode: Dan: I Like Movies (2022) Stu: 28 Years Later (2025) Elliott: Nightcrawler (2014), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Mulholland Drive (2001) Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Dan confuses Elliott by combining his beloved comic books with his hated fruit pies, in a discussion of Hostess's superhero-based comics ads. Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets!

Ah, here he comes, that son of a gun, that cat, that Garfield, that gigantic thing -- except... There's something different about him. It's weird. He just doesn't seem very... Garfield-y? Anyway, in honor of the birthday of one of our great Americans, Garfield the cat, and also maybe one other guy, we take on 2024's The Garfield Movie. Wikipedia page for The Garfield Movie Recommended in this episode: Dan: The Thief and the Cobbler "Recobbled Cut" (1993) Stu: Jack's Back (1988) Elliott: An Actor's Revenge (1963) Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

With The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming to theaters soon, listener Andrew asked the question "Galactus and The Silver Surfer -- what's their deal, man?" and Elliott gladly stepped up to answer. Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets! Aura has a great deal for Father’s Day. For a limited time, listeners can save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $30 off on their best-selling Carver Mat frame. Promo code FLOP. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout! Terms and conditions apply. Get started at factormeals.com/flop50off and use code flop50off to get 50% off plus FREE shipping on your first box.

Love DOES hurt. For instance, we love and only want the best for Everything Everywhere All at Once comeback king Ke Huy Quan, but then we have to witness him struggle through a movie like Love Hurts. Fortunately he comes off all right. The movie itself? Not so much. But hey, looks like he's got Zootopia 2 and a movie from the guy who made Rare Exports coming up. Maybe those will be good! Wikipedia page for Love Hurts Recommended in this episode: Dan: Summer of 69 (2025) Stu: The Order (2024) Elliott: Pee-wee as Himself (2025)

There have been a lot of animals in movies, but which are the BEST animals? Stuart Wellington leads a highly-scientific investigation. Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets!

The Flop House is headed to Summer Camp! A few weeks of sun, swimming, hiking, crafts -- we're gonna make each other SO MANY FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS that our circulation is gonna cut off! We're gonna have so much fu-- what? It's just a movie? But... it stars Diane Keaton, Alfre Woodard, and Kathy Bates, so with those actors it's gotta be at least a little fun, righ-- it's not? Oh, poop. Wikipedia page for Summer Camp Recommended in this episode: Dan: Final Destination: Bloodlines (2024) Stu: Bull Durham (1988) Elliott: Little Murders (1971) Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Hallie joins the Flop House gang once more, to discuss random topics selected by YOU, the listeners! Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets! Go to factormeals.com/flop50off and use code flop50off to get 50% off, plus FREE shipping on your first box.

Robbie Williams is a chimp. That's not an insult, just an accurate description of Better Man, from the director of past Flop House subject, The Greatest Showman. This one's the rare FH movie that was a critical success while being a financial flop -- will we agree with the critics? Oh, and we buried the lede: HALLIE'S BACK! Wikipedia page for Better Man Recommended in this episode: Dan: Ninja 3: The Domination (1984) Stu: Sinners (2025) Elliott: They Cloned Tyrone (2023) Hallie: Dangerous Beauty (1998) Aura has a great deal for Mother’s Day. For a limited time, listeners can visit AuraFrames.com to get $35-off plus free shipping on their best-selling Carver Mat frame, with promo code FLOP. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout! Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

We're joined by longtime friend of the show (but first time on mic!) Alejandro Arbona, a 20-year veteran of comics editing and a comics writer himself, to discuss everyone's favorite extravagantly-perverse Italian thriller genre -- GIALLO. We discuss what defines a giallo and differentiates it from other sub-genres (and the slasher films it helped inspire), and then Alejandro runs us through a little giallo title quiz. It's so jam-packed with info we didn't have room for Elliott (jk, he had scheduling issues, that li'l scamp will be back next time!). If you'd like to support Alejandro's Kickstarter for Lake Yellowwood Slaughter, here's a link to the pre-launch signup, ya dirty slasher freaks! Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets!”

We flashback to discuss a movie that was much-requested when it was first released, but just didn't fit into our schedule -- Jerry Seinfeld's baffling paean to the Pop Tart, Unfrosted, a film that throws an astounding cavalcade of comedy talent at ideas that seem (apologies) a bit undercooked. Also, we were blessed by the rare in-studio presence of our beloved producer, Alex Smith, who hadn't actually seen the movie, which made explaining the madness of the "plot" all the more enjoyable. Wikipedia page for Unfrosted Recommended in this episode: Dan: The In-Laws (1979) Stu: Sexy Beast (2000) Elliott: Dark Days (2000) Alex: Gridlock (1996) Aura has a great deal for Mother’s Day. For a limited time, listeners can visit AuraFrames.com to get $35-off plus free shipping on their best-selling Carver Mat frame, with promo code FLOP. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout! Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

While we were all fortunate enough to record in-person, Stuart filled Dan and Elliott with booze and forced them to do celebrity "impressions." It's either our most fun episode or our most embarrassing! Or both! Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets!”

What's the deal with Netflix's The Electric State? Well, for one thing we know that IT'S ELECTRIC... boogie woogie woogie. But also, it's a movie arguing for the primacy of real-life connection that feels utterly algorithmically designed, what with its Chris Pratts and Millies Bobby Brown and cute robot pals, and it cost... $320 million?? That can't be right. There must be a smudge on these accounting sheets. Anyway, we talk about it! Wikipedia page for The Electric State Recommended in this episode: Dan: The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) Stu: Morvern Callar (2002) Elliott: The Clock (2010) Head to squarespace.com/FLOP for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use OFFER CODE: FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Elliott puts on his greasy overalls to look under the filmic hood, as we figure out what makes a good "robot movie," ask why Heartbeeps was a bad one, and see if we can pull out the robot defibrillator to restore its cinematic heartbeep. Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, “Flop Secrets!” Go to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to www.squarespace.com/FLOP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

We tie a bow around Max Fun Drive 2025 and our “Movies Without Spider-Man” series with (?) Paul Schrader's (?) magnum opus, Heartbeeps. It's the classic tale of a guy robot and a girl robot in love and also there's a bad stand-up comic robot and a mean cop robot and a baby robot and Andy Kaufman does one of the world's most irritating voices and what the fuck is this thing? Wikipedia page for Heartbeeps Recommended in this episode: Dan: Black Bag (2025) Stu: Rap World (2024) Elliott: The Comic (1969) MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

“Movies Without Spider-Man” Max Fun drive continues (please consider supporting our show!) with the thrilling (?) conclusion (??) of the Venom saga -- Venom: The Last Dance, the touching story of a boy and the black sentient goo he wears on his body that sometimes eats people's heads. There's one more week of Max Fun Drive — check out our event calendar! Wikipedia page for Venom: The Last Dance Recommended in this episode: Dan: Windy Day (1967) Stuart: One of Them Days (2025) Elliott: The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987) MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.