Movie Bread Club, Slept On Cinema; The Deep Blue Sea; Dissect That Film; When Scary Met Stabby; Still Here Hollywood; Reel Beans
This Week’s Indie Star: Em McGowan, creator/host of Verbal Diorama, began the show in February 2019. In addition to being a brilliant podcaster, Em and Emma Turner have created the Independent Podcast Awards. Launched in 2023 by whynow Media and the Verbal Diorama podcast team, this awards program specifically spotlights independent, self-funded, and grassroots UK podcasters who create shows outside of major corporate or network backing. The 2026 edition marks the fourth year of the competition and highlights independent talent across various indie-focused audio categories.
Movie Bread Club
What’s This Podcast About: Movie Bread Club is a UK-based spoiler-free film review podcast hosted by three friends who met through a WhatsApp group. The three co-hosts review movies with a cheekiness that makes the experience fun, and you learn about the movies. The Movie Bread Club podcast got its name because it grew directly out of a community WhatsApp group.
Who Will Enjoy This Podcast: Movie fans, anyone who sees first-run movies as soon as they come out. The podcast also reviews retro classics.
Creator/Host: Anit ‘On’ Bashar brings a film studies background and a focus on story structure; Lee Casey is a lifelong film fan and horror enthusiast; Jenn Jones is a cinema enthusiast catching up on classic films with instinctive reactions. The three co-hosts have great chemistry, and their interests and expertise balance each other well.
What I love about the show: The show blends lighthearted banter with a keen eye and ear for movie excellence and incompetence. I like the mailbag questions that encourage listener participation, and the overall movie news is a nice feature. Finally, the bread-themed puns are cute and, best of all, gluten-free!
Recommended Episode to start listening with: Try the August 31st show reviewing The End of Oak Street movie with Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor. The three co-hosts manage to explain at least some of this puzzling movie, and have fun doing it.
Slept On Cinema
What’s This Podcast About: Slept On Cinema is a movie review podcast that celebrates and defends critically and commercially dismissed films. Through its two co-hosts, the podcast reviews only movies that scored below 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The co-hosts urge: “On this show, we celebrate misjudged movie gems. Each episode, we discuss and praise movies that score below 50% on both the Tomatometer and Audience Score. We encourage you to listen to the first half, watch the movie that’s being discussed, then enjoy the 2nd half of the podcast with us! It’s easy to tear down movies, but it’s way more FUN to ENJOY movies! Come enjoy movies together with us!”
Who Will Enjoy This Podcast: movie fans, especially fans who discovered the film after it did poorly in its theatrical run.
Creator/Host: The show is hosted by Bobby Morong (known online as GrobeStreet) and Matt Doeringer (known as Stan Steamer). In an interview with Voyage LA magazine, co-host Bobby Morong said: “We specialize in celebrating these ‘slept-on’ gems, bringing a positive and fun perspective to movies often dismissed by critics. Each episode is filled with humor, fun discussions, and a genuine appreciation for the films we cover.”
Morong added: “Another surprising tidbit is that we record many of our episodes late at night after our kids are asleep. Balancing family life with podcasting can be challenging, but it’s also what makes this project so special to us. It’s our way of unwinding and having a bit of creative fun amidst our busy schedules.”
What I love about the show: The concept is innovative and unique enough to separate the show from the thousands of other movie review podcasts. On this show, the co-hosts celebrate misjudged movie gems. I love proving professional movie critics wrong, and so do the co-hosts on Slept On Cinema. The co-hosts encourage the audience to listen to the first half of the podcast, watch the movie being discussed, then enjoy the second half with them. Inspired!
Recommended Episode to start listening with: The March 7th episode dived deep into the gloriously chaotic 1995 adventure classic Congo. Like the co-hosts, I loved this film. Critics called it clunky. Audiences somehow scored it even lower.
Here’s what the co-hosts asked: “How can a movie with killer gorillas, diamond lasers, Tim Curry chewing scenery, and one perfectly timed martini possibly be bad?”
Based on the Michael Crichton novel and packed with an absurdly stacked cast (Laura Linney, Tim Curry, Ernie Hudson, Bruce Campbell, Delroy Lindo, and more), Congo is a wild genre mash-up of jungle adventure, creature feature, treasure hunt, and pure 90s blockbuster energy.
My favorite movie line: “Stop eating my sesame cake.” Also, I agree with the co-hosts: Is the diamond gun one of the greatest movie weapons ever?
The Deep Blue Sea Podcast
What’s This Podcast About: Deep Blue Sea — The Podcast is a film-history and comedy podcast hosted by Mark Hofmeyer and Jay Cluitt that celebrates the 1999 sci-fi horror film Deep Blue Sea and related creature features. To celebrate this beautiful film, Mark Hofmeyer and Jay Cluitt dedicated the first 33 episodes of the podcast to discussing the 33 chapters on the Deep Blue Sea DVD. After that, the show reviews other “creature” movies and has just passed the 300-episode mark.
Who Will Enjoy This Podcast: Obviously, fans of the film Deep Blue Sea and fans of monster/creature films.
Creator/Host: Mark Hofmeyer and Jay Cluitt co-host seamlessly. It’s much harder than people think. Mark Hofmeyer is a writer from Movies, Films and Flix, who helps lead the chapter-by-chapter and creature-feature discussions. Jay Cluitt is the co-host from Life Vs Film, who co-created and hosts the show alongside Mark Hofmeyer.
What I love about the show: It's been around since July 2020. That’s quite an achievement for an independent podcast. I enjoyed how the co-hosts began the show with a hook—reviewing the DVD version of Deep Blue Sea —then transitioned seamlessly into reviewing movies in a similar genre.
Recommended Episode to start listening with: Episode 108 (The Modern Monster Movie Draft). To celebrate their favorite modern monster movies, the co-hosts drafted the most enjoyable creature features released since 2010. In this episode, they talk about Crawl, Attack the Block, Trollhunter, Willy’s Wonderland, and Colossal. This is an inspired idea
Dissect That Film
What’s This Podcast About: Dissect That Film is a movie and television discussion podcast hosted by Brett Parker alongside co-hosts Dan, Angela, and Mikey Ward. The show turns casual, off-the-wall living room movie talks into full-length audio and video breakdowns. The hosts walk through films from beginning to end — covering the good, the bad, and the ugly with humor and behind-the-scenes facts.
Who Will Enjoy This Podcast: Movie fans; Monster movie fans
Creator/Host: The co-hosts have their expertise: Brett Parker is the main host who leads the film and TV breakdowns. Dan provides couch commentary and plot analysis, while Angela shares film perspectives and reactions. Finally, Mikey Ward specializes in monster movies on The Monster Zone, which are always my favorite episodes.
What I love about the show: Episodes often stream live on YouTube with guest creators and interactive community chat. The Monster Zone episodes that pop up every other show are superb. The show recently hit its 400th episode. Typically, too many co-hosts mean sonic chaos on an audio podcast. The co-hosts make it work. Moreover, the episodes are Joe Rogan-esque in length and could use some editing.
Recommended Episode to start listening with: Episode #242: Jumanji (1996) — The hosts wisely chose this underrated movie, where viewers get a rare, subdued performance from Robin Williams. The episode is nearly two and a half hours long, so bring snacks.
When Scary Met Stabby
What’s This Podcast About: When Scary Met Stabby is a horror and pop-culture podcast where hosts sit down to discuss favorite scary and horror movies, often mixed with real-life spooky or true-crime stories.
- Format: Deep-dive discussions on classic and cult horror/thriller films (such as Se7en and The Frighteners) paired with tangential chats on true crime, urban legends, and pop culture.
Who Will Enjoy This Podcast: Horror movie fans rejoice! Horror movies you know and many you don’t!
Creator/Host: Christopher G. Brown and Scott Kurland (along with recurring guests like filmmaker Jonathan Kesselman).
What I love about the show: The title ticks all the right boxes for a podcast title—descriptive, fun, attention-getting, and weird. I like that the show reviews scary movies I’ve never heard of. The show traditionally operates around October (Schlocktoberfest) and returns for new themed seasons, such as Season 6, dubbed Yuks and YUCKS for horror-comedies, which kicked off in October 2026.
Recommended Episode to start listening with: The Thing — John Carpenter’s classic 1982 remake with Kurt Russell. The co-hosts, Christopher and Scott, are joined by Jonathan Sasor (Melt, Rampikes, Ease Into the Noise) as they discuss John Carpenter’s 1982 classic, The Thing, with a focus on Kurt Russell’s incredible Antarctic sombrero and what the co-hosts laughingly describe as “the undeniable sexual energy of actor Wilford Brimley.”
Still Here Hollywood
What’s This Podcast About: Still Here In Hollywood features weekly interviews with film and television icons, classic TV stars, and notable figures from the entertainment industry. Kmetko interviews TV stars from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, more recent TV actors, and movie stars.
Who Will Enjoy This Podcast: This is Boomer heaven! Here are just a few guests: Denise Nicholas from Room 222; Anson Williams from Happy Days; and Heather Thomas from The Fall Guy. It’s like reliving the '60s, '70s, and '80s.
Creator/Host: Steve Kmetko is a former E! News Daily co-anchor and veteran entertainment reporter who returned to the microphone after stepping away from Hollywood for roughly 20 years. Mr. Kmetko has not lost his interviewing mojo. He’s still superb at it. He’s like a more animated, funnier version of James Lipton on The Actor’s Studio.
What I love about the show: Steve Kmetko has that resonant radio voice that forces you to pay attention. His interviewing style is probing yet respectful. No TMZ crap here.
Recommended Episode to start listening with: I loved the episode with actor Eric Braeden, who has been on the daytime soap, The Young And The Restless for over 46 years. That’s a record.
Reel Beans Podcast
What’s This Podcast About: Reel Beans is a film and coffee podcast hosted by Ben Schneider that pairs classic and indie movies with specialty craft roasts. Each episode explores cinema history, themes, symbols, and craft coffee pairings that match the movie's mood.
Who Will Enjoy This Podcast: If you like movies and coffee, this show is for you.
Creator/Host: Ben Schneider told Bold Journey magazine, “My skills in theater and voiceover have prepared me for performing in my podcast, as well as being able to write scripts and ask questions that lift the podcast above others. I’ve been into coffee ever since I was five, when my grandmother gave me a sip of her coffee. Since then, I have learned more about the world of coffee and how to make a more flavorful cup than your average cup of joe. My minor in college was media studies/new technologies, where my love for movies grew, and doors opened into a world I never knew existed.”
What I love about the show: So many things! First, there are thousands of movie podcasts. Mr. Schneider added distinctiveness by pairing each episode with a coffee. Second, this podcast is much more esoteric and in-depth than many of the movie review podcasts. Clearly, Mr. Schneider knows what he is talking about. He has a Master’s degree in Arts Administration. Third, he brings on guests who can add value to the discussion. Fourth, he picks excellent movies to discuss. Not the most obvious ones, but films with a narrative and thematic thread to unravel.
Recommended Episode to start listening with: The Screwball Masterpiece That Mocked the Ultra-Rich | My Man Godfrey. What happens when a spoiled heiress finds a “forgotten man” at the city dump and hires him as the family butler? In 1936, it made for one of the sharpest, funniest, and most quietly radical comedies of the Depression era. Classic film expert Josh Rozett joins the host to dig into MY MAN GODFREY (1936), Gregory La Cava’s screwball classic starring William Powell as the mysterious Godfrey and Carole Lombard, the reigning queen of screwball, as the madcap Irene who can’t stop meddling in his life. The host and guest get into what makes the film tick, why it still stings as class satire nearly a century later, and how a movie this funny smuggled in such a pointed message about wealth and inequality.
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This week’s Forbes article
These Political Podcasts Attempt A Delicate Balancing Act — Presenting All Sides
If you want to know what’s happening in podcasting, check out Martin Quibell’s Podbites on Substack.
Check out books by Frank Racioppi. Everything from novels and nonfiction to podcasting books and essays.
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