6 Oct 2026
Podcast: Deceased Dogs and Jewish Mice
The episode title refers to one of Verity's odder moments, but you’ll have to listen to figure out what it means.
Speaking of “what it all means,” we do eventually get into spoilers for Digger around the 40-minute mark (with a literal countdown), and we eventually discuss (at roughly 75 minutes in and as broadly as possible) why we all found Verity so damn vexing, so “spoiler warning” if you’re so inclined.
Luke Y. Thompson returns to discuss the shattering of the “Tom Cruise is the biggest and last movie star left in Hollywood” myth. That includes Jeremy Fuster explaining why Days of Thunder 2 isn’t anywhere near as safe a bet as Top Gun: Maverick, or even F1: The Movie.
Sidenote, I’m half-tempted to start a semi-regular “Jeremy explains to Scott what’s actually going on right now in the wide world of sports” spin-off, but I digress.
Among the subjects of impassioned and righteous anger…
* Everyone offers their pick for the most “underrated” Warner Bros. movie
* Scott runs down the top grossers, with the usual contextual digressions and on-the-fly analysis, while Lisa and Jeremy make sure he doesn’t forget about the indie flicks.
* Coyote Vs. Acme is now an uncontested domestic theatrical success.
* Beware Boiúna continues an annoying trend: wide-release, major-studio movies now get showtimes all day.
* Avengers: Endgame knocks Avatar, for the second time in seven years, down to second place to become the biggest global grosser of all time.
* Mazel tov to Naza with an $86k Wed-Sun gross in one theater.
* Luke discusses finally catching up with The Odyssey.
* The many hows and many more whys of Digger’s monumental box office failure
* The hows and whys of Verity’s chart-topping domestic debut
* An unexpected update in our semi-regular Beaver-watch!
* And much more!!
Recommended Reading/Listening…
* Scott Mendelson goes way too long on the cruel circumstances of Skydance, a production company with a flop-filled track record and Paramount, a studio that has mostly struggled for the last decade, now taking over Warner Bros., a studio that has thrived amid unprecedented challenges and has consistently helped theaters survive over the past decade.
* Jeremy Fuster discusses a study that finds Hollywood studios currently spend more than half of their production budgets (http://Hollywood Spends More Than Half of Its Film Budgets Outside the US,) outside the United States.
* Lisa Laman offers her picks for the five most important Warner Bros. movies (https://www.looper.com/2276460/warner-bros-most-important-movies-ranked/)
* Ryan Scott discusses a PG-rated cut of (https://www.fangoria.com/cannibal-holocaust-grindhouse-releasing-pg/)Cannibal Holocaust (https://www.fangoria.com/cannibal-holocaust-grindhouse-releasing-pg/) that, if you’re even remotely aware of the 1980 Italian horror film’s infamous history, will at least spark your morbid curiosity.
* Max Deering interviewed Linus Larsson and Mattias Snygg (https://www.fangoria.com/silver-pines-interview/) about Wych Elm’s upcoming 90s-horror-influenced video game, Silver Pines
* Luke Y. Thompson discussed “finally” seeing (https://lytrules.substack.com/p/how-obsession-gives-me-some-faith)Obsession (https://lytrules.substack.com/p/how-obsession-gives-me-some-faith)after the hype “finally” died down and offered a “correct” way to adapt (https://lytrules.substack.com/p/how-narnia-should-be-adapted-correctly) Chronicles of Narnia.
If you like what you hear…
Please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. To reach out, offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com.
* Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop (https://scottmendelson.substack.com/) and Puck News (https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/)
* Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap (https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/)
* Lisa Laman (https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio) - Land of the Nerds (https://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/), Dallas Observer (https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543), Pajiba (https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php), Looper (https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/), Autostraddle (https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/)
* Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm (https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/), Fangoria (https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/) and Inverse (https://www.inverse.com/profile/ryan-scott-111725388)
* Max Deering - Fangoria (https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/) and Action For Everyone (https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL)
* Luke Y. Thompson - Mortal Cinema (https://lytrules.substack.com/), TV Line (https://www.tvline.com/author/lukethompson/) and SlashFilm (https://www.slashfilm.com/author/lukethompson/)
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