Samuel Dedert Podcasts

Today we’re talking about the video game worlds we inhabit, all the levels and maps and cities and fields and event a planet or two. We discuss our favorite level design techniques, what we like to see in more open-world style games, and Henry gets put on a list for enjoying murder. Also, why we hate phone shopping. (Recorded May 2nd, 2022.)…

This week we’re reviewing Taika Waititi’s darling little coming of age comedy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. We discuss bad eggs, the overall b-tier quality applied to almost every single part of this movie, and haikus. Also, why we hate pre-ordering in a pandemic. (Recorded April 25th, 2022.)

Today we’re talking about some of the most interesting characters ever portrayed in film. These are characters we wanted to see more of, or we thought were fascinating, or there was just something incredibly authentic about them. Join us as we discuss oil men, psychopathic teenagers, French New Wave singers, Vietnam soldiers, hotel managers, music …

This week we’re talking about Everything Everywhere All at Once, the latest film from Daniels and the highest rated film on Letterboxd. We discuss the maximalist style of the film, the core themes that resonated with the both of us, and the terrific performances from the entire cast. Also, why we hate the lack of scrubs in our modern culture. (Reco…

Today it’s all about the journey, not the destination. We’re talking about all manner of travel, discussing everything from train travel, plane rides, cruise ships, and some of our favorite road trips. (We also go on lots of different tangents cause this topic idea was honestly pretty loose.) Also, why we hate the curiosity of cats. (Recorded April…

This week we’re reviewing the Academy Award-winning film The Power of the Dog. We discuss the masterful directing by Jane Campion, the wonderful acting from our four leads, and do our best to try and answer some of the many questions the film left us with. Also, why we hate the Oscars. (Recorded March 28th, 2022.)…

Today we’re ranking out personal top five favorite video game soundtracks. Join us as we go to outer space, the depths of hell, a big blue ocean, a haunted mansion, and many more! Also, why we hate radio station genres. (Recorded March 21st, 2022.)

This week we’re talking about The Batman, the latest big-screen adaptation of the Caped Crusader. We discuss Robert Pattinson’s performance, the questionable mystery elements, and admire just how downright silly some parts of this film are. Also, why we hate movie ratings. (Recorded March 15th, 2022.)…

Today we’re wrapping up our series on Denis Villeneuve by going through and ranking his movies. We each come to the table with our own list of ten, and discuss the director’s filmography as a whole. Also, why we hate shower heads. (Recorded March 10th, 2022.)

This week we’re reviewing Arrival, the final Denis Villeneuve we have yet to talk about. We discuss our experiences watching this the first time, get into the philosophical questions this movie raises, and also spoil everything almost immediately, so maybe make sure to watch it first in this case. Also, why we hate Nintendo not being inclusive with…

Today we’re looking back on eight of the most significant years of their lives, our time on a FIRST Robotics team. We go over our 4 years of FLL, 4 years of FTC, some of the high and lows, and shocking revelations are made about how we first met. Also, why we hate enthusiastic marketing. (Recorded February 21st, 2022.)…

This week we are reviewing Sicario, the 2015 film about drug cartels, government agencies, and a hitman at the center of both. We discuss the fantastic style, the marvelous tension, and go over some of our problems with the ultimate takeaways form this movie. Also, why we hate getting Coronavirus. (Recorded February 19th, 2021.)…

Today we are looking to the future and each predicting six things that will definitely happen in the next year. Join us as we discuss everything from the royal family, cat games, GPUs, Coronavirus, Disney sequels, and blue people movies. Also, why we hate consolidation in the video game space. (Recorded January 31st, 2022.)…

(CW: This episode contains brief mentions of sexual assault throughout.) This week we’re covering Incendies, which is somehow Denis’ darkest movie so far. We cover the dual past/present narrative of the film, the brilliant use of themes, and also theorize a secret global society of notaries. Also, why we hate western-facing windows. (Recorded Janua…

Today we’re looking back on 2021 in the most positive way we can, by shouting out some of our favorite art that came out that year, Join us as we discuss football plays, fantasy movies, true crime podcast TV shows, hitting men, cookbooks, DLC for the greatest game ever made, and so much more. Also, why we hate 2021’s supply chain shortages. (Record…

(CW: This episode contains discussions of school shootings and gun violence throughout.) This week we’re tackling 2009’s Polytechnique, and it’s one of the most difficult things we’ve had to review on this show. We discuss the style of the film, the things that were changed from the real life tragedy, and wonder what the benefit is in making a movi…

Today we’re finally getting around to reviewing Arcane, the popular League of Legends TV show on Netflix. We discuss how all the champions were portrayed, some of our favorite stylistic choices, and also make an obvious comparison to the Pixar movie Ratatouille. Also, why we hate dry hands. (Recorded January 3rd, 2022.)…

This week we’re checking out Denis’ sophomore film, Maelström. We try to unpack what’s going on with that fish, what’s going on with that woman, and also try to figure out what you’re supposed to do if you’re in a car in the water. Also, why we hate gloves. (Recorded December 30th, 2021.)

It’s Episode 300! And we’ve got something very special to celebrate. Join Henry and Samuel as we listen through the very first episode of this podcast. We cringe along at the things that’ve changed and the ways we’ve grown, but also cringe at the things that’ve stayed the same. Also there’s some soundboard shenanigans! Also, why we hate gift wrappi…

This week we’re going all the way back to Denis Villeneuve’s first movie, August 32nd on Earth. We discuss what the unique title means to us, the interesting shot composition, and our complete shock at some parts of the ending. Also, why we hate the smoke in Kansas City. (Recorded December 15th, 2021.)…

Today we’re reviewing the second season of Barry on HBO. We discuss how the characters have changed between seasons, how the comedy feels more tight and quotable, and we discuss what season three could potentially hold. Also, a follow-up on posteriors on pastries. (Recorded December 6th, 2021.)

This week we’re continuing our series on Denis Villeneuve’s films with Enemy, where Jake Gyllenhaal plays two men that look exactly like each other. We talk about the color of the movie (yellow), the feel of the movie (sick), and get to the bottom of what the heck those spiders are all about. Also, why we hate assertive birds. (Recorded November 29…

Today we’re talking about season 1 of Barry, the HBO show about a hitman who just wants to be an actor. We discuss the crazy cast of characters, the sharp balance of comedy and drama, and also wonder why those reporters had so many questions about Kurosawa. Also, why we hate the “War on Thanksgiving” crowd. (Recorded November 22nd, 2021.)…

This week we’re reviewing the 2013 film Prisoners, and it’s… a lot. We discuss the brilliant performances from our two leads, the unique themes and undertones, and also all of the very strange plot holes because… we have a lot of questions. Also, why we hate Fight Club Syndrome. (Recorded November 15th, 2021.)…

Today we conclude our ranking of the ten greatest films of the 2010s. We debate over what makes it into the top ten, where we rank some of our personal favorites, and come to a pretty clean consensus on the top three or so. Henry also gets the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break some crucial casting news to Samuel. Also, why we hate feature fil…

This week we’re traveling to the desert planet of Arrakis to cover Denis Villeneuve’s latest sci-fi epic, Dune. We talk about everything we loved about this movie, and how a lot of the things it changed from the book made sense for movie format. We also probably get a ton of lore stuff wrong, so that’s fun! Also, why we hate the mediocre success of…

Today on the podcast, we’re creating a list of the ten greatest films of the past decade. Join us as we go through a list of thirtyish potentials, and decide what has truly impacted the both of us, and what needs to unfortunately be left behind. Also, Henry’s experience carving a pumpkin this year. (Recorded October 25th, 2021.)…

This week we’re reviewing Logan, the much-revered superhero film that everyone seems to have forgotten about. We discuss some of this movie’s obvious inspirations, the pretty good performances, and our feelings on this film having seen (practically) no X-Men movies. Also, why we hate unusual power supply shapes. (Recorded October 18th, 2021.)…

Today we’re talking about puzzles, the classic challenges that tickle your brain and make you go “ah-ha!”. Join us as we discuss everything from crosswords, Rubik’s Cubes, and the classic story of five pirates that don’t know how to split up treasure. Also, why we hate rain delays. (Recorded October 11th, 2021.)…

This week we’re talking about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the latest and (in Samuel’s opinion) greatest Marvel movie. We discuss the dynamic action throughout, the fantastic main antagonist, and complain about all the stuff that drags it down (hint: it’s all the normal Marvel stuff). Also, why we hate new TVs. (Recorded October 4th, …

Today we’re concluding out lists of top ten TV episodes, by each rattling off our top five. Join us as we talk through ski lodge hi-jinks, devil robot’s hands, German contractors, a singing moose played by Art Garfunkel, and of course, horse funerals. Also, why we hate that our younger siblings are better at chess than us. (Recorded September 20th,…

This week we’re talking about Sonic Mania, sometimes regarded as the greatest Sonic game in this century. We discuss the Sonic series as a whole, the questionable gameplay in this game, and posit the age-old question: is Sonic actually good? Also, why we hate the undefinable genre of Sonic. (Recorded September 20th, 2021.)…

Today we’ve each prepared a list of our top ten favorite episodes of television! Join us in this first part as we go through science fiction gates, annoying flies, hospitals that look like sitcoms, depressing stop-motion animation, and, inevitably, anime. Also, our thoughts on The Matrix Resurrections trailer. (Recorded September 13th, 2021.)…

This week we review the newest addition into Netflix’s Witcher universe, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. We discuss the unoriginal art style, the surprisingly intricate ideas and philosophies within this story, and inevitably get several facts about the Witcher lore incredibly wrong. Don’t write us. Also, why we hate creativity-free jokes. (Rec…

Today we are talking all about cars, the 2006 movi—wait, sorry, we’re actually just talking about cars as a subject. Join us as we discuss our favorite kinds of cars, what we like to drive, and we recount some of our own terrifying stories of car accidents and ownership. Also, why we hate Samuel’s “utter incompetence.” (Recorded August 30th, 2021.)…

This week we’re back recording in the same room together! And on top of that, we’re reviewing one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, The Green Knight. We talk about the strange and surreal plot, Samuel’s love of the sound design, and Henry’s fascination with a certain set of characters that appear. Also, why we hate semi-moving. (Rec…

Today we’re talking all about writing, covering everything from our writing habits to how and where we honed our writing skills. We discuss writing in academic settings, writing just for fun, and Samuel reveals the strange thing he does with the letter O. Also, why we hate eating melty ice cream. (Recorded August 2nd, 2021.)…

This week we’re reviewing the critically acclaimed Netflix movie Marriage Story. We go through the movie and discuss the excellent acting, the deep and varied characters, and ponder why the son is named after one of our hosts. Also, why we hate the IMDb page for Marriage Story (and IMDb in general). (Recorded July 26th, 2021.)…

Today is the culmination of all of our Bong Joon-ho reviews! Now that we’ve seen each of his films, we go through and rank order them from worst to best, covering everything we liked and disliked about this terrific director’s filmography. Also, why we hate when you're washing your hands and you bring your hands together too quickly so the foamy so…

This week we finish off our Bong Joon-ho review with his 2003 film Memories of Murder. We discuss the nuanced portrayal and development of our two main characters, the dark and existential themes at play, and ponder why this one continues to be one of Bong Joon-ho’s finest. Also, why we hate the Vin Diesel meme. (Recorded July 13th, 2021.)…

Today we discuss the art of collecting, a necessary component of any good hobby. Join us as we cover everything from Samuel’s miniatures, Henry’s un-opened Blu-Rays, the wide world of board games, and some of the more gruesome details of the Deltora series. Also, why we hate the new Switch model and Covid supply chain problems. (Recorded July 12th,…

This week we’re reviewing Okja, Bong Joon-ho’s 2017 film for Netflix about a girl and her super-pig. Between the two of us we have some mixed feelings about this movie, so listen on as we discuss the themes, the characters, our own stances on animal rights, and the dubious portrayal of ALF in this film. Also, why we hate the Dune headlines. (Record…

Today we’re back with our fifth, semi-annual Rant Day, born from the ashes of last week’s lost episode. We rant about tragically losing Samuel’s recording, training, generations, knives, parking, sports stars with guns, and a whole lot more. (Recorded June 21st, 2021.)

This week we’re back on the Bong Joon-ho review-a-thon, this time talking about his 2009 film Mother. We discuss the stunning cinematography, the captivating whodunit elements, and why we ended up feeling so mixed on this movie’s main characters. Also, why we hate our massive Steam libraries. (Recorded May 31st, 2021.)…

(CW: there are brief mentions of sexual abuse during the discussion of Sonnie’s Edge and Good Hunting.) Today we’re reviewing the first “volume” of one of Netflix’s oddest cult favorites, Love, Death & Robots. We go episode by episode and discuss some of the show’s themes, which ones were our favorites, and also this show’s portrayal of women at ti…

This week we’re covering one of the most unique freeware games out there, Cosmo D’s Off-Peak. We discuss everything that makes this 20-minute game special, including the story, the cast of characters, and the trippy vibe throughout the experience. Also, why we hate road rage. (Recorded May 18th, 2021.)…

Today we’re discussing the end of the pandemic, and specifically what activities we’d like to return to now that Henry and Samuel are both fully vaccinated. Topics include lazy Saturdays, movies theaters, eating at restaurants (and desks?), and some nerdy convention in Chicago. Also, why we hate the current state of mask wearing. (Recorded May 10th…

This week we’re reviewing what is often regarded as the greatest Batman movie ever made, The Dark Knight. We go over the plot and discuss why some moments are still impactful 13 years later, while also dissecting each character and performance to figure out what this movie is ultimately trying to say. Also, why we hate The Dark Knight trilogy’s nam…

Today we’re discussing our home office setups, and the little improvements we’ve made to make our office spaces just that much more comfortable. We discuss everything from our chairs to our monitors, to our keyboards and mice, and Samuel reveals the terrifying place he keeps his PC. Also, why we hate the Oscars. (Recorded April 26th, 2021.) Links t…

This week the Bong Joon-ho movie we’re reviewing is The Host, his 2006 monster movie hit. We talk about some of our mixed feelings on the movie, compare it to other action and monster films, and Henry has to try and defend a terrible CGI fish creature. Also, why we’re happy Discord isn’t being bought. (Recorded April 20th, 2021.)…