We got our first look at the Halo remake, and it might officially mark the end of the console wars (RIP to arguments from 2003). Then we dive into our weekly recommendations:
🎥 Ready or Not (2019) – a horror-comedy full of blood, laughs, and rich-people comeuppance
🎤 Kneecap (2024) – the anarchic, fourth-wall-breaking biopic of the Irish rap trio you didn’t know you needed
New episodes every week!
Have a recommendation or hot take? Email us: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
Theme music by Brother Bill – check them out at brotherbill.bandcamp.com
We talk about trying to get kids into video games, the robbery at the Louvre (we’re on the robbers’ side). This week’s recs: the horror-comedy Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project and the YouTube doc The Piss Saga by Derek Milton.
📬 Email us: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme song by Brother Bill
Derek Milton "The Piss Saga" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5_uaLKpoRQ
Jake pitches a neon-soaked, action film based on Hotline Miami that, we dive back into The Ghost of Yotei, which continues to unfold like a gorgeous, bloody puzzle box.
Recs of the week:
🎤 Thief of Joy — Gianmarco Soresi’s latest stand-up special is sharp, fast, and full of millennial dread (now streaming free on his YouTube channel).
🎬 Friendship — Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd star in one of the strangest buddy comedies in recent memory. Available now on HBO Max.
📬 Email us: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme song by Brother Bill
This week on Up Your Alley:
We kick things off with The Ghost of Yotei, a game we’re already calling one of the best of the year. Then we talk about our current front-runner for Best Picture: One Battle After Another — an emotional war epic that’s got everything.
Then it’s onto our official recs of the week:
🎶 Satis Factory by Mattiel
🎥 Fantastic Four: First Steps
📬 Email us: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme song by Brother Bill
This week on Up Your Alley:
We kick things off with our first impressions of the early access launch of Skate before diving into the 10-year anniversary announcements from Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions (hint: he’s still the 🐐). Then we talk Drive-Away Dolls, the new solo film from Ethan Coen (yes, without Joel), and the Amazon Original Deep Cover.
🎮🎥🎬 As always, we spiral into tangents, conspiracy theories, and dumb jokes. It’s what we do.
Theme music by Brother Bill
📬 Email us at: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
This week we’re asking the same thing everyone else is: what the hell is going on at Nintendo?Then it’s onto our weekly recommendations — including the Australian game show So You Wanna Win a Pen15 Pump? (yes, really) from the Grouse House YouTube Channel and it's round three of Podro Castal when we talk about Gladiator II
🎮 Nintendo Direct reactions
🇦🇺 Wild Aussie game shows
🏺 Pedro Pascal vs. The Colosseum
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Theme music by Brother Bill🎸 https://brotherbill.bandcamp.com
📧 Email us: UpYourAlleyPod@gmail.com
This week on Up Your Alley, we’re sneaking through pop culture with:
🎮 A look at the Metal Gear Solid Delta remake — does Snake still hold up in 2025?
🤑 The trend of liberal content creators “getting the bag” — is the pivot to brand deals just selling out, or smart survival?
🇺🇸 Wild rumors that the President died over the weekend — we’re not saying it’s true, we’re just saying people are talking.
🎧 Then for our weekly recs:
— The posthumous 2011 album Spiritual State by Nujabes, the legendary producer often called the godfather of lo-fi hip-hop
— The new Ari Aster film Eddington, a surreal pandemic-set drama about fear, and faith in lockdown New Mexico
—
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🎵 Theme by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
In Episode 132 of Up Your Alley, we’re diving into entertainment across every medium — from sci-fi theology to sword-swinging samurai and the collapse of console exclusivity.
🎥 We talk Materialists, a surreal new film that blends capitalism, identity, and sci-fi in bizarre but compelling ways
🚗 Then it’s Twisted Metal Season 2 on Peacock — does it keep the momentum going? Is it still good dumb fun or just dumb?
🍿 Jake hit up Alamo Drafthouse’s Ghost of Yotei’s Samurai Cinema Festival and watched Lone Wolf and Cub, one of the most influential and stylish samurai films of all time
🎮 Finally, we talk about the gaming bombshell: Helldivers 2 and Gears of War are crossing platforms, effectively ending the console wars as we know them.
Are we in the post-war era of gaming? Can you just… play what you want, where you want? (Kinda.)
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#Materialists #TwistedMetalSeason2 #SamuraiCinema #LoneWolfAndCub #GhostOfYotei #AlamoDrafthouse #Helldivers2 #GearsofWar #CrossPlatformGaming #ConsoleWars #MoviePodcast #GamingPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast
🎬 First up: War of the Worlds (2025) starring Ice Cube — a bold take that’s getting absolutely scorched by critics
⚔️ Then we rewind to 13 Assassins (2010), the Takashi Miike samurai epic that still holds up as one of the best of its kind
🎮 Quick reviews of:
The Battlefield 6 open beta — smoother? glitchier? better?
Weapons (2025), the new horror film from Zach Cregger (Barbarian)
The Naked Gun reboot — is it actually funny or just trying really hard?
🎤 And finally, Taylor Swift announced her new album — and every insane fan theory and easter egg finally came true. The Swifties were right all along. We break it down.
From swords to shooters to Swift-level sleuthing — it’s another Up Your Alley classic.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#WarOfTheWorlds2025 #IceCube #13Assassins #TakashiMiike #Battlefield6 #WeaponsMovie #ZachCregger #NakedGunReboot #TaylorSwiftAlbum #SwiftieTheories #MoviePodcast #GamingPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #TaylorSwiftEasterEggs
This week: dangerous animals (the movie), cult YouTube cinema, beaver-themed tourism, and the state of Vegas.
🎬 First up, we review Dangerous Animals (2025), a tightly wound thriller that doesn’t pull punches
📺 Then we dig into You’re Point Girl, a strange, sharp, and very online YouTube film that might be one of the most interesting things we’ve watched all year
⛽ Taylor went to Buc-ee’s for the first time and returns changed
🦸♂️ Also: quick thoughts on Fantastic Four (2025) and whether it’s worth the hype
🎰 And Jake returns from Las Vegas to confirm or deny whether the Strip is as dead as the clickbait makes it sound
Road snacks, DIY cinema, and existential gambling — it’s all here on Up Your Alley.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#DangerousAnimals #YourePointGirl #FantasticFour2025 #Bucees #LasVegasStrip #MoviePodcast #YouTubeFilm #GamingPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #GasStationCulture #ThrillerMovies
In Episode 129 of Up Your Alley, we’re talking prestige drama, British absurdist music comedy, and one Switch 2 game that’s splitting bananas.
🎬 First: we dig into Sinners (2025), a heavy new film full of biblical themes, existential dread, and some truly stacked performances
🎺 Then we get weird with The Horne Section, a BBC musical comedy series from Taskmaster’s Alex Horne that’s equal parts awkward and brilliant
🍌 And we round it out with a quick dive into the reception to Donkey Kong Bonanza on the Switch 2, followed by a look at other titles IGN has given a 10/10 — what’s justified, what’s not, and what even is a 10?
Drama, horns, and digital bananas — classic Up Your Alley energy.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#Sinners2025 #TheHorneSection #AlexHorne #Taskmaster #BBCComedy #DonkeyKongBonanza #Switch2 #IGN10 #GamingPodcast #MoviePodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #NintendoSwitch2
This week, we’re going from awards season takes to animated sword fights to ambient cassette vibes — a full sweep of the culture spectrum.
🏆 First up: we react to the 2025 Emmy nominations — what got snubbed, what got overhyped, and which categories are actually worth watching
🦇 Then we get into Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, a new animated movie that goes full chaos mode with samurai Batman and anime Joker energy
📼 And we close things out with Watering a Flower by Haruomi Hosono, a lo-fi cassette reissue from the ‘80s that’s as dreamy as it is weirdly soothing
TV, anime, ambient loops — it’s all happening on Up Your Alley.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Music by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#Emmys2025 #BatmanNinja #YakuzaLeague #HaruomiHosono #WateringAFlower #MoviePodcast #MusicPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #AmbientMusic #EmmyNominations #CassetteCulture #AnimatedBatman
This week, we’re comparing streaming platforms, unpacking action comedies, and ending the episode with a parking lot review of Superman — because we’re nothing if not efficient.
🎧 First up: we test out Deezer, the streaming app gunning for Spotify’s spot — how does it compare in real use?
🎬 Then we break down Heads of State, the new Amazon Original film starring Idris Elba and John Cena — a political action-comedy with globe-trotting chaos
🛑 We also dive into the Stop Killing Games controversy, digital game preservation, and what developers owe players
🦸♂️ And to close things out, a fresh-from-the-parking-lot review of Superman (2025) — no notes, no filters, just vibes and popcorn crumbs
App debates, buddy comedies, online outrage, and cape stuff — classic Up Your Alley energy.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Theme by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#Deezer #SpotifyVsDeezer #HeadsOfState #AmazonOriginals #Superman2025 #StopKillingGames #GamePreservation #IdrisElba #JohnCena #MoviePodcast #GamingPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast
This week: cowboys, dinosaurs, romance, and… a cruise you definitely don’t want to be on.
🎮 First up: we review the new Red Dead Redemption 2 DLC — is it worth saddling up again, or just a dusty side quest?
🦖 Then Taylor saw Jurassic World: Rebirth and has thoughts
🎬 Our weekly recommendations:
Past Lives (2023), the critically-acclaimed slow-burn that hits way too hard
Train Wreck: Poop Cruise, a documentary about a Carnival cruise disaster that lives up to its nickname
From high art to actual biohazards — it’s all happening on Up Your Alley.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Music by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#RedDeadRedemption2 #JurassicWorldRebirth #PastLives #PoopCruise #TrainWreckDoc #MoviePodcast #GamingPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #RDR2DLC #DocumentaryPodcast
This week, we’re going full genre whiplash — crooners, covert ops, co-op shooters, and ska puns. You’ve been warned.
🎙️ First up: we break down Seth MacFarlane’s appearance on Switched on Pop, and talk about his surprisingly earnest new big band album Lush Life
🎮 Jake brings the heat with FBC: Firebreak, a brand-new multiplayer game that’s tactical, weird, and kind of great
🎬 Also: Denis Villeneuve istaking over James Bond, and we’ve got feelings
🎷 And yes, we talk about ska music and make way too many puns about it
Suits, shootouts, and skanking — it’s all happening on Up Your Alley.
📧 Email the show: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Music by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#SethMacFarlane #LushLife #SwitchedOnPop #FBCFirebreak #DenisVilleneuve #JamesBond #007 #SkaPuns #MoviePodcast #GamingPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #MultiplayerGames #BigBandMusic
This week’s episode is a little sci-fi, a little documentary, and a lot of whatever the hell is going on with Alvin and the Chipmunks.
🎬 First up: we watched War of the Worlds: The Next Century (1981), a surreal Polish sci-fi film that’s part alien invasion, part Orwellian fever dream
📺 Then we break down Pee-wee Himself, the new documentary about Paul Reubens, his legacy, and why Pee-wee Herman still matters
🎞️ Plus: reactions to a wave of new trailers, Taylor gets fixated on slow lorises, and we try to figure out what the deal is with the Chipmunks cinematic timeline
You already know what this is. Let’s go.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Music by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#WarOfTheWorldsNextCentury #PeeWeeHimself #PaulReubens #SlowLoris #AlvinAndTheChipmunks #SciFiPodcast #MoviePodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #DocumentaryPodcast #CultMovies
This week, we’re diving into the latest gaming announcements, cinematic experiences, and standout comedy specials.
🎮 First up: we break down the recent Sony State of Play, discussing the most exciting PS5 game reveals and what they mean for the future of gaming.
🎬 Then we explore Mountainhead, the new HBO original film that’s generating buzz for its unique storytelling and compelling visuals.
🎤 We also delve into Public Relations, the innovative stand-up special from Brent Weinbach, available on his YouTube channel, offering a fresh take on comedy.
🩸 Plus, Jake shares his thoughts on Bloodspawn, a locally-shot indie horror film that pays homage to classic ’80s creature features with practical effects and a retro aesthetic.
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎵 Music by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#StateOfPlay #PS5 #Mountainhead #HBOOriginal #BrentWeinbach #PublicRelations #Bloodspawn #IndieHorror #GamingPodcast #MoviePodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast
This week, we’re diving into big concepts and bigger laughs.
📖 We’re reading The Power Fantasy, a new comic series loaded with Cold War allegory, weird superpowers, and some deeply questionable moral compasses
📺 Then we get into Game Changer, the Dropout game show where the rules change every episode — and ask the real question:
Is this the American Taskmaster we’ve been waiting for?
Comics, chaos, and competitive bits — it’s all here on Up Your Alley.
📧 Email the show: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎶 Theme by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#ThePowerFantasy #GameChanger #DropoutTV #Taskmaster #ComicPodcast #TVPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #NewComics #GameShows
This week, we’re covering documentaries, upcoming films, and the usual blend of chaos and complaints.
🎥 First up: we watched Project Grizzly, the incredible ‘90s doc about Troy Hurtubise, the man, the myth, the guy who built a mech suit to fight bears
🐒 Then we talk The Monkey (2025), the new horror film based on Stephen King’s short story
🛸 Star Wars: Battlefront is back online, and people are losing it
🎮 Jake’s playing Monster Train 2 and getting very into deckbuilding hell
🎬 And we still can’t find a single showing of Friendship in theaters around us. Why is this so hard?
📧 Email: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎶 Music by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#ProjectGrizzly #TroyHurtubise #TheMonkey #StephenKing #StarWarsBattlefront #FriendshipMovie #MonsterTrain2 #MoviePodcast #GamingPodcast #UpYourAlleyPodcast #DeckbuilderGames
This week, we’re coming in a little looser, a little weirder, and fully ready to derail.
🎮 We’re playing StarVaders, the chaotic indie deckbuilder that’s melting our brains in the best way
🎬 We watched Black Bag, a tense new thriller that’s got us asking a lot of questions — and not all of them are about the plot
📺 Plus: catching up on the TV shows and games we’ve been into lately
🐊 And yes… we talk about the recent passing of Hollywood’s favorite working alligator
Pop culture, chaos, and creature tributes — it’s a classic Up Your Alley kind of week.
📧 Email the show: upyouralleypod@gmail.com
🎶 Music by Brother Bill: brotherbill.bandcamp.com
#StarVaders #BlackBag #IndieGames #MoviePodcast #GamingPodcast #HollywoodAlligator #UpYourAlleyPodcast #DeckbuilderGames #ThrillerMovies