Best Screen Smash Podcasts (2025)

1
Sam Stein: This Is the Country They Want 52:44

3d ago52:44

52:44

Republicans are creating, and celebrating, an immigration police state financed by their megabill. Our cities will be militarized, we'll have prison camps, more masked agents, and more dehumanization—like their sicko alligator hats. And the motivation all seems to be so Trump has a win and the Dems don't. But this is Stephen Miller's administration…

1
Galen Druke: Americans Do Not Like Trump's Deportations 1:05:22

4d ago1:05:22

1:05:22

Trump has moved public opinion against his own immigration policy platform by sending masked agents out to nab people off the street. So, Democrats should skip the last war, and instead push for laws requiring ICE agents to show their faces and wear their names on their badge. And another no-brainer for the midterms, in light of the Big Ugly Bill: …

1
E. Jean Carroll and Sarah Longwell: Such a Bad Man 1:26:16

4d ago1:26:16

1:26:16

Ever the journalist, E. Jean took assiduous notes about her two civil suits against Donald Trump, the only occasions he has been held liable for his lies since he became president. And while the origin story of her cases is situated in an infamous department store dressing room, she managed to find a high comedy in the courtroom—her description of …

1
Bill Kristol: Limp Opposition 55:12

6d ago55:12

55:12

Thom Tillis finally showed some backbone and opposed Trump—because of the giant Medicaid cuts in the Big Fugly Bill—but now he has to self-deport from the Senate. Meanwhile, the bill funds a giant internal police force for Trump, and gives a handout to the Dr. Strangeloves of Silicon Valley who don't want AI regulated. It would also cripple wind an…

1
The Making of Final Destination: Bloodlines with Directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky + Movie Review: 28 Years Later + Trailer Park: Deliver Me from Nowhere 52:55

7d ago52:55

52:55

Mike talks to Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky who directed Final Destination Bloodlines. They share stories behind the coolest deaths, how veteran stuntwoman Yvette Ferguson came out of retirement to become the oldest person ever set on fire on camera, the films that inspired them to become directors, and the episode of Goosebumps that Zach starred in…

1
Nicholas Kristof: Gratuitous Cruelty 1:13:16

7d ago1:13:16

1:13:16

A miracle food paste that fights malnutrition in children, that taxpayers have already paid for, is collecting dust in warehouses. Donated drugs for parasitic infections remain undistributed and are nearing their expiration dates. American-purchased ambulances sit idle because they have no gas. USAID was shut down in the name of government efficien…

1
Michael Weiss and Jonathan Cohn: Animal House at the Pentagon 1:12:24

9d ago1:12:24

1:12:24

Trump was so awestruck by Israel's intel infiltration and air supremacy over Iran that he just had to give himself an executive producer credit. And he's casting his appointees to help create a Hollywood ending—including using his Val Kilmer-esque SecDef to spike the success of the long-teased, "secret" military operation. At the same time, Trump i…

1
Derek Thompson: Winning Without Anger 1:04:32

11d ago1:04:32

1:04:32

A DSA candidate winning a Democratic primary in New York City is not an ideal laboratory for other Dems to draw lessons from, but Mamdani sounded authentic, he successfully juggled our fragmented media environment, and he had the right message for this cost-of-living moment—as well as the proper amount of party heresy for this anti-establishment ag…

1
Nicolle Wallace: The Silence of Republicans Is the Bigger Threat 55:53

11d ago55:53

55:53

While Trump and his administration are the ones politicizing the rule of the law, ignoring due process, and annihilating democratic norms, it's Republicans leaders saying and doing nothing in response that poses a bigger threat to our country and democracy. Meanwhile, when it comes to the Middle East, we don't know who Trump is talking to—or listen…

1
Bill Kristol: Trump Is Not the Right Man for a Crisis 51:18

13d ago51:18

51:18

Tim and Bill may have different takes on the wisdom of the U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear sites—and on potential regime change—but they see eye-to-eye on the risks of Trump's ego and his incapable advisers in a dangerous situation. And where is the missing enriched uranium? Meanwhile, Stephen Miller's masked goons violently assaulted an immigrant l…

1
The Best and Worst Live-Action Remakes of Animated Movies + Movie Review: Did Materialists Bring Rom-Coms Back? + Trailer Park: Eddington - Why Is Pedro Pascal So Popular? 54:31

14d ago54:31

54:31

Mike loves animation but not always when studios decide that the movies we love need a live-action remake. He shares what he thinks are the Top 5 Best, Worst and ones that actually need a live-action adaptation that haven’t been made. In the Movie Review, Mike talks about Materialists starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. It’s abou…

1
Mark Cuban: Character Is Destiny 57:08

16d ago57:08

57:08

What if it had been a Harris-Cuban ticket in 2024? Well, it turns out the billionaire entrepreneur had been seriously considered for the VP slot—and we can all dream of a potentially different outcome in the election. Meanwhile, the current guy in the Oval Office is failing spectacularly at the number one job of a president: to reduce the stress of…

1
Mark McKinnon and Dan Shapiro: Mid-Wreckage 55:31

16d ago55:31

55:31

Because half the country so desperately wanted Trump back, we may now be on the verge of attacking Iran because the fake peacenik president wants some credit for Israel's military accomplishments against Tehran. Meanwhile, decent, hard-working people are being swept up by his anti-American deportation policy, consumers—and home buyers— are continui…

1
Ben Rhodes: The World We Made 59:54

18d ago59:54

59:54

Iran is in a vulnerable spot for a variety of reasons, and Israel sees this as a stars-aligning moment to decapitate the Iranian state. But if the U.S. helps out, we'll face the same questions we did with Iraq and Afghanistan: Who will run the place? As Tucker had to embarrassingly school Ted Cruz, Iran is a giant country. And it could descend into…

1
Zohran Mamdani: FYPod Crossover 1:23:27

18d ago1:23:27

1:23:27

NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani joins Tim and Cam for a special edition of the daily pod to discuss making the city more affordable, building more housing, and ending food deserts—as well as antisemitism and Islamophobia. Plus, the murky picture on Iran with a lunatic in the White House, and New York magazine's Kerry Howley on the paranoia and…

1
Bill Kristol and Terry Moran: True American Spirit 1:26:32

21d ago1:26:32

1:26:32

In contrast to the saddest military junta parade in history, millions of patriotic people took to the streets on Saturday to defend American values and principles against Trump. But the deflated birthday boy now wants to ramp up the militarization of our largest cities on a completely partisan basis to achieve his mass deportation. Meanwhile, folks…

1
Top 5 Debut Films of Mike’s Favorite Directors + Movie Review: The Phoenician Scheme and Is Wes Anderson Still Cool? + Trailer Park: Mike and Kelsey on Going to Broadway and Wicked: For Good 49:31

21d ago49:31

49:31

Mike was recently inspired by the Paul Reubens’ documentary after learning about Pee Wee’s Big Adventure being such an important first film for Tim Burton. He shared what directors he believes made the biggest splashes with their debut studio films, why he thinks the Oscars are wrong about animation and what new directors are just heating up. In th…

1
Tom Nichols: Remember the Split Screen 1:04:45

24d ago1:04:45

1:04:45

On Saturday, Trump would like nothing more than images from Los Angeles of tear gas and balaclava-clad anarchists throwing bottles at Marines to complement video of himself in the stands at his military parade, saluting the troops amid a field of flags. That's part of the reason why he chose LA to federalize the Guard—home to numerous adversaries w…

1
Andrew Weissmann: Outlandish and Outrageous 57:38

25d ago57:38

57:38

Trump is outright fabricating a justification for sending Guard troops into Los Angeles, and his directive is not limited only to LA. So, if someone acts violent during a 'No Kings' protest on Saturday somewhere in America, would he deploy the National Guard there too? The potential chilling effect on our First Amendment rights to protest is enormo…

1
Mark Hertling: Contrary to American Values 46:11

26d ago46:11

46:11

Trump keeps wrapping himself in the American flag while while behaving in a very anti-American way—like threatening to shut down protests at his $45 million birthday parade or giving a highly partisan speech in front of soldiers in violation of military policy. And as the haphazardly deployed Marines join federalized Guard troops in LA, Trump seems…

1
Bill Kristol: People Should Be Mad 56:00

27d ago56:00

56:00

Where is Obama? Where is George W. Bush? A Marine battalion and the National Guard have been deployed in response to a spark Trump set off by sweeping up people who aren't doing anything illegal besides being present here. And the administration may ramp up the tension if it uses the military for domestic law enforcement purposes. At least Gavin is…

1
S2 Ep1060: Ta-Nehisi Coates: A Natural Human Reaction 1:21:09

28d ago1:21:09

1:21:09

Trump and Stephen Miller wanted a backlash against the immigration raids, because even they know that humans will respond when the federal government is snatching people off the street. But the tenor of modern protests is not going to be like the Civil Rights Movement, because activists back then were trained to suppress their natural inclination t…

1
Which Dead Actor Would You Bring Back for One Final Movie? + Movie Review: Bring Her Back + 3 Red Flags About Happy Gilmore 2 43:19

28d ago43:19

43:19

The theme of this episode is Death and creepy rituals. Mike shares the top 5 actors he would bring back from the dead and what 1 movie he would want them to star in. In the Movie Review, Mike talks about A24’s Bring Her Back. It’s about a brother and sister who witness a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. Mike gives …

1
S2 Ep1059: Sam Stein: The Divorce 58:43

1M ago58:43

58:43

Elon went nuclear, accusing Trump of being a pedo, taking credit for his election victory, and calling for his impeachment. Trump in return may try to destroy Musk's businesses, or worse. While the public feud is entertaining—Thursday was one of the best days for Twitter and Steve Bannon—their meltdown is also frightening. It shows that we are at t…

1
S2 Ep1058: Matt Yglesias: Elon's Smash and Grab 1:07:23

1M ago1:07:23

1:07:23

Trump's and Musk's very public breakup may be amusing, but don't lose sight of the fact that DOGE was a failure—despite what the manosphere says. Elon's ego trip found no fraud and cut only a minor amount of spending. But those cuts are meaningfully hurting the global poor as well as scientific research at home. And now, Republicans are trying the …

1
S2 Ep1057: Rahm Emanuel: Trump Is a Chump 1:08:31

1M ago1:08:31

1:08:31

The lovelorn TACO trader has been hanging by the phone at 2am hoping China's Xi will call him to make a tariff deal. But that call is not coming without America paying a very high price— because world leaders know that Trump is a feckless, desperate negotiator. Meanwhile, Republicans are blowing off Elon's take-down of the reconciliation bill and p…

1
S2 Ep1056: Catherine Rampell: Slow Burn 53:21

1M ago53:21

53:21

Jamie Dimon is spooked about the bond market, business uncertainty about tariffs is dragging the economy, and it seems like no politician will get serious about our nation's debt until it's too late. Meanwhile, Republicans don't even like their own spending bill since they only lie about it—it's just in service of making Trump happy. Plus, Stephen …

1
S2 Ep1055: Bill Kristol: The Grotesqueness of It All 55:42

1M ago55:42

55:42

Mike Johnson and Russ Vought outright lied on camera about the proposed Medicaid cuts and the impact they would have on millions of Americans. Marco Rubio lied about the children who are dying because of USAID cuts. And Joni Ernst is reimagining Christianity to be about Jesus teaching his followers not to care about the sick and the poor because th…

1
Movie Experience with In-Laws, Kelsey Questions Mike’s Google History, Underrated Movie Snack + Movie Review: Why ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Fell Short + Trailer Park: Keanu Reeves Is ... 54:23

1M ago54:23

54:23

Mike and Kelsey share their best and worst movies for the month of June. They talk about the best and worst places to sit in the theater, an underrated movie snack, and Mike feeling embarrassed for liking Stitch so much. In the Movie Review, Mike talks about Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. He shares why he thinks the finale…

1
S2 Ep1054: Adam Serwer, Lauren Egan, and Justin Jones: The Attack on Knowledge 1:00:58

1M ago1:00:58

1:00:58

The Trump administration is trying to exert ideological control over every knowledge-producing institution in the country. And the assault on colleges is not only about having fewer highly-educated voters, but also depriving Americans of trusted sources of information—much in the way Trump in 2020 wanted to stop counting Covid cases so it looked li…

1
S2 Ep1053: Live from Chicago 43:56

1M ago43:56

43:56

Adam Kinzinger joined Tim on stage in the Windy City Wednesday night to dis Chicken Trump, who's made bitcoin bros, private prisons, his family and friends—and himself—the main winners in his 'TACO' trade economy. Meanwhile, Obama's nuclear deal with Iran may be getting resurrected, and Trump finally seems to realize that Putin is a warmonger. Plus…

1
S2 Ep1052: George Packer: JD, Hollow Man 1:17:19

1M ago1:17:19

1:17:19

Our VP used to think his path to power was through the ruling class at Yale Law School. But after 2016, he saw that his route was through Trump, so he swapped one set of elites for another. And now as a lord among the MAGA ruling class, he's embracing his true cruel, lying self—and railing against the globalists who nitpick about this silly due pro…

1
S2 Ep1051: Pete Buttigieg: Dream Bigger, Talk More Boldly 1:04:16

1M ago1:04:16

1:04:16

Democrats need vastly more imagination to confront the enormous challenges the country faces politically, economically, and on climate. The party can't just focus on stopping what is happening in Washington. Meanwhile, Trump can't stop insulting the intelligence of the American people, every part of the political spectrum has something to hate abou…

1
S2 Ep1050: Bill Kristol: Something Worth Fighting For 32:05

1M ago32:05

32:05

Despite our missteps in some of our more recent wars, we were fighting to bring freedom, democracy, and self-governance to others. Now, Trump's mercantilist agenda is showing us what it looks like to not have an American-led world order. And even after Russia's largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began, he still won't threaten Putin—onl…

1
Controversial Scenes So Bad They Were Pulled From Movies + Did Disney Ruin ‘Lilo and Stitch’ for Mike? + Trailer Park: F1 and Why Brad Pitt Will Never Play a Grandpa 53:53

1M ago53:53

53:53

Mike talks about movie scenes that were considered to be too inappropriate and were removed from the final cuts from films such as The Program, Toy Story 2 and Lilo and Stitch. Mike shares what made the scenes controversial that audiences ended up finding offensive, disrespectful or some that even posed a threat to the public. In the Movie Review, …

1
S2 Ep1049: James Comey: Uncomfortably Numb 52:59

1M ago52:59

52:59

Public corruption used to be a congressman hiding $90,000 in his freezer. Now, we have a president taking "me time" to rake in $40 million from a Chinese crypto billionaire who was facing fraud charges under POTUS 46. And that's just a drop in the bucket of some of Trump's recent haul. Of course, today's FBI will do nothing about it, and his buddie…

1
S2 Ep1048: Jonathan Chait: House GOP Doesn't Care How Bad the Bill Is 1:02:01

2M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Republicans moved at such lightning speed that even they don't know how many people would lose health insurance— or how much they'd be spiking the deficit with their highly risky and big, ugly turd of a bill. And they don't care because they're cosmically committed to stopping the government from making rich people pay for healthcare for people who…

1
S2 Ep1047: Susan Glasser: American in Name Only 51:14

2M ago51:14

51:14

On deportations and on foreign policy, the Trump administration is swapping out American values and violating everything the U.S. has stood for in exchange for kleptocracy and transactionalism with the world's worst tyrants. But at the same time, Trump can't even seem to grasp that Putin has been waging war for decades to accomplish his goals and i…

1
S2 Ep1046: David French: Schizo-in-Chief 1:08:26

2M ago1:08:26

1:08:26

One day Trump sounds like Bernie promising the government will provide for everything. Then the next, he's like Paul Ryan the belt-tightener, prepping for austerity. And Code Pink was the order of the day when Mr. Tough Guy was in Saudi Arabia—attacking the foreign policy of the United States in the land of the 9/11 hijackers. Plus, Trump's SCOTUS …

1
S2 Ep1045: Bill Kristol: A New Gilded Age 50:56

2M ago50:56

50:56

No, the Trump administration is not focused on the forgotten man or bringing industrial jobs back. Instead, the real estate developer is handing out threats left and right—fresh off his Middle East trip, where he scored numerous deals with Islamofascists for himself, his family, and his cronies. And no matter what he says, the 'Palace in the Sky' i…

1
How An Indie Doc About ‘A Goofy Movie’ Made It to Disney+ with ‘Not Just a Goof’ Filmmakers + Movie Review: Final Destination Bloodlines + Trailer Park: The Long Walk 55:33

2M ago55:33

55:33

Mike talks to the filmmakers behind ‘Not Just A Goof’ the documentary that uncovers the untold story of A Goofy Movie. Mike talks to directors Christopher Ninness and Eric Kimelton along with producer Scott Seibold. They share their 5 year journey to get the movie released on Disney+, the coolest things that discovered about A Goofy Movie during fi…

1
S2 Ep1044: Peter Hamby: All in Service of Kissing Trump's Ass 1:26:38

2M ago1:26:38

1:26:38

MAGA is having a performative tantrum calling for James Comey to be jailed over a seashell meme because the daily job of Trump's supporters and Cabinet members is to try to warm his heart—that includes Kristi Noem changing her face and Tulsi firing top intel officials because they told the White House the truth it doesn't want to hear. Meanwhile, f…

1
S2 Ep1043: Michael Weiss: All Bribes Accepted 48:00

2M ago48:00

48:00

American taxpayers may have flown Donald Trump to the Middle East, but he's not there to negotiate on behalf of our strategic or national interests—he's on the prowl for goodies, and happy to make policy changes in return. Like, the new Syrian president offering a Trump Tower in Damascus: Zap, sanctions on Syria are over. Or the jumbo jet-giving Qa…

1
#23 - Rom-Comfident? 39:54

2M ago39:54

39:54

Hey P2G crew! This week, we're diving headfirst into the world of Rom-Coms with a brand new trivia game! We're testing our knowledge with categories like "Perfect Pair," "Who Said That?," and "In One Word." Will our love for chick flicks translate into trivia triumph? We also switch gears for a rapid-fire movie title game that's sure to get your br…

1
S2 Ep1042: Leah Litman and Andrew Egger: Grievance All the Way Down 1:05:39

2M ago1:05:39

1:05:39

The five men on the Supreme Court are so easily triggered and seem to be making law based on their emotional needs. Meanwhile, they also see discrimination in some of the best things about America—like equality or the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. And at the White House, the press office got totally bored with the worshipful questions fro…

1
S2 Ep1041: Justin Wolfers: Trump's Centrally Planned Economy 53:53

2M ago53:53

53:53

China sounds downright Reaganesque and is acting like a more stable, attractive trading partner than the country that launched a trade war. And even though Trump loves play-acting businessman, and calling CEOs by their first name, no one on Wall Street and no one who studies economics likes his continuing tariffs—they know they hurt American compan…

1
S2 Ep1040: Bill Kristol: A Golden 747 from Hamas's Sugar Daddy 51:02

2M ago51:02

51:02

Trump can't abide flying around in crusty, old Air Force One. Qatar—funder of both Hamas and the leading U.S. college Gaza protest group—just happens to have a spare, pimped-out 747 lying around, which they'd like to gift to Trump so he can use that instead. Pay no attention to the complete hypocrisy of an administration that says that students pro…

1
Robert Schwartzman on The Princess Diaries, his uncle Francis Ford Coppola and new ‘The Zombies’ Documentary + Movie Review: Thunderbolts* aka The New Avengers + Trailer Park: Will The Rock Win An Oscar ... 54:12

2M ago54:12

54:12

Mike talks to Robert Schwartzman (director, actor, musician) about his new documentary Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary in theaters now. Robert talks about growing up in a musical household, his band Rooney getting featured on The O.C., auditioning for The Princess Diaries with Anne Hathaway, his brother Jason Schwartzman and what he lea…

1
S2 Ep1039: Amanda Carpenter: MAGA's Bad Week 59:29

2M ago59:29

59:29

First, the Vatican chose a Bulwark pope, not an AR-15 loving, immigrant-hating pope. Then, in a major blow to Steve Bannon, Trump pulled his nominee for U.S. attorney in D.C.—forcing the avid TV watcher in the Oval Office to turn to Fox News for the 23rd time to help fill his administration—this time with Jeanine Pirro. And in the North Carolina Su…

1
S2 Ep1038: Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin: The Power of 'No' 48:54

2M ago48:54

48:54

Protest is the new brunch again. We're witnessing historic levels of pro-democracy grassroots engagement across a broad-based movement of everyday people. The leaders of Indivisible join Tim to discuss how the movement needs to stay focused on what it agrees on— no kings—and to save ideological disputes for another day. Plus, it also needs to get m…

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