The Popcorn Isn't Real

Cases 090-099

• No. 093 WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT Roger's creator Gary K. Wolf takes the stand!

  

  The popcorn courtroom is back in session. Last week we proved Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the lost third film of the Chinatown trilogy. This week the defense calls its star witness: Gary K. Wolf, the man who wrote Who Censored Roger Rabbit and invented the very word Toon. He rules on our theory (denied!), endorses a few others (Doom shot Bambi's mother, confirmed), spills the secret history of the six-frame gags Disney hunted down and destroyed, promises justice for the Red Shoe, and tells the story of the blue cow Spielberg hid in Toontown just for him. Court is adjourned. The jury is you.

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Who Framed Roger Rabbit

• No. 092 THE CHINATOWN TRILOGY Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the lost third film

  

  Roman Polanski wrote Chinatown as a trilogy, then fled the country before he could finish it. Jack Nicholson salvaged The Two Jakes, but the third script, titled Cloverleaf after the land-grabbing company at its heart, supposedly vanished. It didn't. It hit theaters in 1988 wearing a toon suit. Same detective setup, same mid-case beatdown, same loyal femme fatale, same wrong-culprit twist, and a plot that secretly hinges on red trolley cars and a freeway land grab. Grab your magnifying glass as we prove Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the lost finale of the Chinatown trilogy.

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy The Chinatown Trilogy

• No. 091 THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU It's secretly the cancelled Book of Boba Fett Season 2

  

  They did it again, and we've got proof. The Mandalorian and Grogu isn't a Mandalorian story at all. It's the cancelled Book of Boba Fett Season 2 Mando's face glued to it! A Hutt succession war, the return of the Twins, a gladiator pit lifted straight out of a Boba Fett comic, and a flimsy New Republic badge taped over Boba Fett's name to hide the swap. That's twice now that Disney has handed Boba Fett's story to the Mandalorian. Strap in as we dive in and prove once and for all whose movie this really is.

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy The Mandalorian And Grogu

• No. 090 STAR WARS HEIR TO THE EMPIRE With special guest Timothy Zahn!

  

  Today we have the pleasure of discussing the true sequels to the Original Star Wars films with the writer himself, Timothy Zahn! That's right, we're talking about the legendary Heir to the Empire trilogy. And not just that, but we're asking Zahn to confirm a few highly contested Star Wars theories! Find out if Thrawn is really just Sherlock Holmes in Space, and was the old Luke Skywalker we saw in the sequels actually just a clone named Luuke?!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Star Wars Heir To The Empire

Cases 080-089

• No. 089 DARK STAR The Beachball was a Xenomorph

  

  Did you know that the first Alien movie was actually made by John Carpenter in 1974, years before the Alien franchise began? You didn't?? Well then we've got a treat for you! Let's talk about DARK STAR and ALIEN as we prove that a strange beachball-alien is actually the very first Xenomorph on film.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Dark Star

• No. 088 JEREMIAH JOHNSON Was he killing crows just to eat their livers?

  

  Have you ever seen the all-time classic American mountainman film, Jeremiah Johnson starring the great Robert Redford? Or was his name actually Liver-Eatin Johnson? Was Jeremiah's vengeance enacted on the Crow tribe actually all a ploy just to get more livers to eat? We find out once and for all today!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Jeremiah Johnson

• No. 087 KPOP DEMON HUNTERS Rumi was working for the demons all along

  

  Did Rumi secretly fall under Gwi-Ma's power and permanently corrupt the honmoon? Was Jinu controlling all the other Saja boys like puppets? And did Netflix totally underestimate how massive this series would become? Tune in as we break down the twists, the lore, and the fantheories around the smash hit K-Pop Demon Hunters!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Kpop Demon Hunters

• No. 086 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA The hidden torment of Mavis Dracula-Loughran

  

  Listen to the tragic tale of abuse in the Hotel Transylvania series. Was poor Mavis really being controlled, confined and gaslighted by her racist father Dracula for 100 years, and then finally escape her imprisonment through marriage with a human, only to continue to be abused by her husband Jonathan? Get ready for our edgiest theory yet. Previously banned from release, we re-recorded our most infamous episode just in time for Halloween!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Hotel Transylvania

• No. 085 THE LAST JEDI The parking ticket that killed Luke Skywalker

  

  Did Luke Skywalker really die because of the world's most avoidable parking ticket? Was Anakin the good guy all along? Was Poe Dameron really a traitor? And what was the true greatest romance in the Star Wars sequel trilogy?

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Last Jedi

• No. 084 I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE part 2 Sloppy Popcorn at Truffoni's

  

  You can't change the podcast just because you don't like how we're doing it. Can we or can we not talk about I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson? Today we cover a whole bunch of mini theories around the insane sketches in the incomprehensible TV show! Enjoy part two of our breakdown of I Think You Should Leave.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy I Think You Should Leave Part 2

• No. 083 I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE Popcorn Dubbed Over

  

  You can't change the podcast just because you don't like how we're doing it. Can we or can we not talk about I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson? Today we cover a whole bunch of mini theories around the insane sketches in the incomprehensible TV show!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy I Think You Should Leave

• No. 082 STAR WARS SKELETON CREW Just a rip off of Treasure Island

  

  Today we're talking about the amazing new Star Wars show, Skeleton Crew! But did you know it's just a rip off of the most classic adventure ever written, Treasure Island? So engage your hyperdrive circuits, because we're going with cabin boy Wim Hawkins and Captain Long Jod Silvo on a trip together to a little planet called At Attin, otherwise known as Treasure Planet!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Star Wars Skeleton Crew

• No. 081 THE SHINING Dissecting every theory from Room 237

  

  For the new year we tackle the mother of all fan theory films, The Shining. Join us as we take on all the strange interpretations that have popped up around this film, including the theories offered in the documentary Room 237. We talk about The Shining being an allegory for the eradication of Native Americans, the idea that it's actually about sex demons, the quirks of director Stanley Kubrick and we even discuss whether or not he helped fake the moon landing. We also prove once and for all that it's not just Danny who shines, his entire family does! And make sure to stick around to the end to hear our brand new theme song.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Shining

• No. 080 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE It's a wonderful scam

  

  As Jimmy Stewart learned, it certainly is a wonderful life! Or is it actually a wonderful con? Did the richest man in town create an intricate farce to trick the poor, downtrodden George Bailey and steal all the townspeople's money? Listen and find out in this merry Christmas episode!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy It'S A Wonderful Life

Cases 070-079

• No. 079 EVITA Che Guevara the time travelling maniac

  

  HAPPY THANKSGIVING! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Don't cry for us, our dear listeners. Because we're covering one of the greatest musicals of all time, Evita! What does the revolutionary Che Guevara have to do with the Argentinian First Lady Eva Peron? And did he own a time-traveling motorcycle? Find out the answers to all of this and more as we reveal the secret timeline-hopping life of Che Guevara and all of his exploits with Argentinian dictator Evita Peron! Votes? Where we're going, we don't need votes!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Evita

• No. 078 BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE How Beetlejuice got his head unshrunk

  

  HAPPY HALLOWEEN! And nothing says Halloween more than BEETLEJUICE and the sequel BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE. Oh no! Did we just say it three times? Today we're going to answer the question on everyone's mind, how did Beetlejuice's head get unshrunk after the first movie? And was his ex-wife Delores in the original as well??

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

• No. 077 ALIEN The Cat Did It

  

  Who really killed the crew of the Nostromo? Spoiler alert: The Cat did it. Jonesy the cat secretly worked together with the Xenomorphs to arrange the deaths of the entire crew of the Nostromo, and then jetted back home to Earth with Ripley none the wiser! How and why did he do it? Have a listen and find out! Also this week, our co-host Torvald had the opportunity to be invited on the Microsoft Security Insights podcast and demonstrate his bleeding-edge AI security techniques with Copilot! Be sure to check it out https://www.youtube.com/live/1MpKdp7R12s

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Alien

• No. 076 ORPHAN BLACK, GINGER SNAPS and ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY With directors John Fawcett and Damon Santostefano

  

  We're joined by two legendary filmmakers, JOHN FAWCETT creator of ORPHAN BLACK and GINGER SNAPS, and DAMON SANTOSTEFANO director of ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY! Today we're going to prove for once and for all that these films are in a shared universe, and that through a web of intrigue and espionage, 'Cinderella' clones are being deployed with a special mission to infiltrate and control the elite class of the world!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Orphan Black, Ginger Snaps And Another Cinderella Story

• No. 075 THREE TO TANGO A love DIE-angle!

  

  Happy Pride Month! Today we talk the unforgettable 90's LGBTQ-themed rom-com - Three to Tango. And we have the pleasure of being joined by none other than the director himself, Damon Santostefano! Turns out, this may actually be a horror film and scream queen Neve Campbell's character was secretly a serial killer with deadly intentions.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Three To Tango

• No. 074 THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT How Dave Filoni ruined a legend

  

  Have you heard the story of a fallen Star Wars villain who died in the films, only to return from the dead in a TV series to become a crime-lord, taking down the syndicates in his way to rise from the ashes? You may have guessed, this is of course the story of none other than Darth Maul. Wait, you thought I was talking about Boba Fett? Well in that case, listen and learn how Dave Filoni may have ripped off Darth Maul's story from The Clone Wars to phone in a sloppy and baffling season of The Book of Boba Fett! So sit back, have a happy Star Wars day, and May the Fourth be with you!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Book Of Boba Fett

• No. 073 THE MANDALORIAN Disney Recycled a cancelled Boba Fett movie

  

  Did you know that Disney greenlit, began production on, and then suddenly scrapped a feature-length Boba Fett film? And directly after that, they started work on a new TV show about a very familiar-looking armor-clad bounty hunter making his way in a galaxy far far away, they called it The Mandalorian. Or... was it The Bobalorian? Today we embark on an epic quest to figure out what Disney has done to Boba Fett and why they have done it. And along the way we'll learn about everyone's favorite silent background-characters, Dengar Roth and Rothgar Deng! Or are they in fact one and the same??

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Mandalorian

• No. 072 SEINFELD - THE PIE Audrey the Nazi poisoned Jerry's pie

  

  Happy Pi Day! To honor this special occasion, we're going to answer the biggest mystery in all of Seinfeld. Why wouldn't Audrey eat the pie? Was it because she was really a Nazi named Eva? Was she trying to murder Jerry all along? So sit down, enjoy some pie, and have a great Pi Day and always remember, the pie is real!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Seinfeld - The Pie

• No. 071 DR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS This didn't happen

  

  What if Dr. Strange didn't actually travel through the multiverse at all? What if there were no incursions, no Illuminati, no superheroes dead at the hands of Wanda Maximoff? It was all a horrible dream, a nightmare of madness and desperation, carefully crafted and placed into the head of Dr. Strange by none other than The Scarlet Witch herself. All for the sake of vengeance against the man who took everything from her. So dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with us, as we take on Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Dr Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness

• No. 070 TREMORS and FOOTLOOSE with writer S.S. Wilson They woke the worms with their dancing!

  

  We need to talk about a small town named Bomont where music is outlawed, and dancing is forbidden. Why, you might ask, would any city make dancing an arrestable offense? Maybe because if they dance, the vibrations will awaken the beasts underground, and gigantic sandworms will burst out and eat everyone! We're absolutely delighted to be joined by S.S. Wilson (creator of Tremors, father of all Graboids) who will help us expose the hidden connection between Footloose and Tremors!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Tremors And Footloose With Writer S.S. Wilson

Cases 060-069

• No. 069 A CHRISTMAS CAROL They conned Ebenezer Scrooge out of his fortune

  

  Merry Christmas, one and all! Have you ever actually read the most classic Christmas novel of all time, A Christmas Carol? There's more to it than meets the eye. We don't believe in ghosts, but we do believe in nefarious scammers, who were out to take ol Ebenezer Scrooge for all he was worth! Listen as we prove that the 4 ghosts that visted Scrooge that night were in fact mortal men, actors under the employ of his Nephew Fred, in a plot to scare Scrooge out of his mind and steal his fortune!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy A Christmas Carol

• No. 068 PLANES TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES The Hughes Cut

  

  It's finally happened. The long-believed to be lost 'Hughes Cut' of Planes, Trains and Automobiles has been recovered! Or rather, the pieces of the original cut have been recovered and released. Now, we already covered this movie a year ago, but we like to leave no stone unturned. So we have returned, recompiled The Hughes Cut, and combed through the added hour plus of footage for groundbreaking new evidence on the 'Del was a Devil' Theory! So sit down with some turkey, have a Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy our return to an all-time favorite road comedy.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Planes Trains And Automobiles

• No. 067 PANDORUM with director/writer Christian Alvart They never made it to Tanis

  

  Today we have the pleasure of talking to Christian Alvart, co-writer and director of 2009 sci-fi horror Pandorum! Let's see if we can prove to him that his existential horror about the vastness of space and the cliff separating us between sanity and oblivion was actually much darker than even he intended! Did everyone die in the end due to the main character Bower succumbing to the mental sickness of Pandorum, and ejecting the entire crew into the void?

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Pandorum With Director/Writer Christian Alvart

• No. 066 TURNING RED Disney Does Dallas

  

  We attempt to extract the message and meaning from Disney/Pixar's film TURNING RED. Was it a remake of the 1970's porno Debbie Does Dallas, for kids? Join us as we take on this metaphorical mess, trying to figure out what -- if anything -- the filmmakers were thinking.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Turning Red

• No. 065 KINGDOM HEARTS The Thirteen Ansems

  

  I've been having these weird thoughts lately, like is any of this popcorn real or not? Join us as we decipher the tangled lore of Kingdom Hearts and reveal to you not one, not two, but all THIRTEEN separate people named 'Ansem' in the series! Here's a hint: It's not the members of Organization XIII... Or The Real Organization XIII... So grab a Paopu Fruit and shove it in your favorite person's mouth, put on a blindfold to keep yourself from lying to yourself, and everyone get ready to have a lot of finny fun with today's fan theory!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Kingdom Hearts

• No. 064 RESIDENT EVIL 4 Ada and Hunnigan are the same person??

  

  Resident Evil 4. One of the most influential games of the past two decades. But, did you know that the mysterious anti-hero Ada Wong and CIA agent Ingrid Hunnigan are actually the same person? You don't believe us? Well, we're about to prove it to you!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Resident Evil 4

• No. 063 ENCINO MAN Link was not a caveman

  

  Wheeze the fan theory! Today we dissect the Paulie Shore / Brendan Fraser cult classic ENCINO MAN. Contrary to what you may remember, there is no Caveman in this movie! It was just a harmless (depending on how you look at it) prank on Sean Astin's character Dave, all to get Stoney and Link a pad to chill in, grindage to wheeze, and all the nugs they can gnaw on! So just sit back, grease the 'do back buddy, and wheeze on the buff-fest!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Encino Man

• No. 062 FALL Aka 47 Meters Up with Writer/Director Scott Mann

  

  Feeling peckish? We've got Scott Mann, the director/writer of FALL (2022) and Founder and CEO of Flawless A.I. on today's podcast! We talk to him about his dizzying thriller, pitch our own unbelievable fan theory that Hunter somehow survived, and he even lets us in on the secret true story of how his revolutionary A.I. saved the movie Fall!!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Fall

• No. 061 NON-STOP Liam Neeson was the terrorist

  

  Our theories were always nerve-wracking, but now they're NON-STOP! Today we examine Liam Neesan's airplane-thriller Non-stop. We're pretty sure Liam Neesan was secretly the hijacker, who's demanding money and killing someone every 20 minutes, all while fooling the crew, passengers, and audience into thinking he's an upstanding air-marshal!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Non-Stop

• No. 060 LIFE OF PI and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Richard Parker the tiger was Peter Parker's dad!

  

  Happy Pi Day! To celebrate, we're examining the metaphorical masterpiece, Life of Pi. With so many possible interpretations, we've decided to crack open the theory you've all been waiting for: the Tiger was really Spider-Man's dad. That's right! Richard Parker was THAT Richard Parker! Join us as we learn how Peter Parker's dad, a young and tenacious geneticist, committed atrocious experiments on a family in India, spliced his own DNA with that of a Bengal Tiger, helped a young castaway named Pi to survive being lost at sea, and then went on to start a genetics lab with Pi and turn his own son into a human-spider hybrid in The Amazing Spider-Man!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Life Of Pi And Amazing Spider-Man

Cases 050-059

• No. 059 CATWOMAN with screenwriter Michael Ferris Into the Catwoman-Verse!

  

  It's the moment you've been waiting for! We're discussing CATWOMAN!!! The 2004 oft-maligned anti-masterpiece. We believe Catwoman fits into the larger Tim Burton Batman universe, including Batman Returns. And to top it all off, we've got the Screenwriter Michael Ferris as our guest!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Catwoman With Screenwriter Michael Ferris

• No. 058 MARY POPPINS Super Spy!

  

  TOP SECRET. This message is for your ears only. The recording you're about to hear reveals that the beloved nanny known as Mary Poppins was actually a secret agent and an assassin. Your mission is to learn how Mary and her partner in crime Bert expertly collaborated to infiltrate the Banks family, blackmail the father, and hijack the British economy! This message will self destruct in 5... 4... 3... 2...

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Mary Poppins

• No. 057 THE SANTA CLAUSE Series Scott Calvin's concussion induced nightmare

  

  Merry Christmas Episode! Today we're taking a hard look at at Scott Calvin, a man who believes he is Santa due to head trauma. We're digging through The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, and even the Disney+ show The Santa Clauses in our search for evidence!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Santa Clause Series

• No. 056 ATLANTIS The old man was a murderer

  

  We're uncovering the secret of Atlantis: The Lost Empire! Let's put Disney's 2001 cult classic under the microscope. You may remember Mr. Preston B. Whitmore as an eccentric billionaire, but we will prove that he was an evil, genocidal murderer who killed Milo's grandpa. And is it true that Disney actually plagiarized a popular Japanese anime, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water when making Atlantis??

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Atlantis

• No. 055 HUBIE HALLOWEEN Adam Sandler's revenge!

  

  Hubie Halloween, everyone! Today we're discussing what was supposedly Adam Sandler's intentional worst movie, created to punish an ungrateful public after getting snubbed by the Oscars. We're also discussing the Sandlerverse, which is the interconnected universe of all Adam Sandler's films (and its crazy ramifications), and the theory that Wayne the Werewolf from Hotel Transylvania is actually a main character in Hubie Halloween! He's Walter Lambert, Hubie's next door neighbor!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Hubie Halloween

• No. 054 TERMINATOR 3, SALVATION, GENYSIS, and DARK FATE We ask Terminator screenwriter Michael Ferris, is Skynet the good guy?

  

  We've reached the final episode of our Terminator series breakdown. For this thrilling conclusion we're so excited to have Michael Ferris, the writer of Terminator 3 and Salvation, on the podcast to offer his thoughts on the theory: Skynet had humanity's best interest at heart all along.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Terminator 3, Salvation, Genysis, And Dark Fate

• No. 053 TERMINATOR 2 Skynet was the good guy?

  

  Terminator is the story of a benevolent AI that sends a heroic cyborg back through time to save humanity, only to be thwarted by a pair of evil humans. Wait, that's not how you remember it? We're breaking down the craziest fan theories about the Terminator series, continuing in this episode with the second movie of the series. We believe Skynet is the good guy!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Terminator 2

• No. 052 THE TERMINATOR The Terminator was the good guy?

  

  Terminator is the story of a benevolent AI that sends a heroic cyborg back through time to save humanity, only to be thwarted by a pair of evil humans. Wait, that's not how you remember it? We're breaking down the craziest fan theories about the Terminator series, starting with the first movie. We believe Skynet is the good guy, that Sarah Connor was not John's mom, Kyle Reese was not John's father, that the other Sarah Connor who Terminator killed was his actual target, and more!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Terminator

• No. 051 ROBOCOP 2 A parody of itself (With RoboCop creator Michael Miner)

  

  RoboCop 2 is actually an ingenious parody of itself. We look at the infamous sequel to a classic satire and prove that it is itself a satire of how the over-the-top gory action franchise destroyed itself, as it began to be targeted at kids. Special guest, RoboCop creator Michael Miner even offers his two cents!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Robocop 2

• No. 050 LUCA Alberto's dad was Bruno from Encanto?

  

  We know who Alberto's father is! Bruno from Encanto had a sea monster child halfway around the world from the Encanto Valley, and his name is Alberto! We also discuss the clear romantic feelings Luca and Alberto had for each other and how this movie deals with LGBTQIA+ issues like self affirmation and defying the societal norm.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Luca

Cases 040-049

• No. 049 THE MATRIX SERIES Agent Smith was The One, Neo was working with the machines

  

  What if I told you that Agent Smith is the One and Neo was working for the machines all along? Take the blue pill and this story ends, you wake up in your bed having never heard of this podcast. You take the red pill, and you'll join us as we unpack the complex plot and world of the Matrix films, and we'll show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Matrix Series

• No. 048 PASSENGERS Sleeping Beauty in Space

  

  Did you know 2016's film PASSENGERS is actually a sci-fi retelling of of the classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty? Also Chris Pratt's character Jim was a murderer, who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. Listen along as we do our very best to ruin this movie for you!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Passengers

• No. 047 ENCANTO Mirabel was not a Madrigal

  

  Encanto is a modern classic, but it left so many questions unanswered. Why didn't Mirabel get a gift? Was their house (Casita) really posessed by grandpa Pablo's ghost? Why was the candle going out, the house breaking, and everyone losing their powers? We're here to reveal exactly why Mirabel did not get a gift, whose spirit is possessing this house and who the REAL villain of this movie is! Listen along to find out all of Abuela's and the Family Madrigal's dirty secrets.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Encanto

• No. 046 HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 and 2 Snape was Harry's father!

  

  We've finally reached the end of our 7-part Harry Potter miniseries. Today we conclude our epic 20 year anniversary celebration of Harry Potter with the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2. Was Snape really Harry's father? Did Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione? Was Hagrid a malicious death eater? Was Dumbledore a misguided Dark Wizard? This is part 7, the final episode of our Harry Potter 20 year anniversary special, where we're covering the craziest fan-theories surrounding the Wizarding World! We've gone through every main Harry Potter film over the past few months, so make sure to check out the other Harry Potter episodes if you missed them!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Harry Potter And Deathly Hallows Part 1 And 2

• No. 045 HAUNTING GROUND Was a prototype for Resident Evil 4

  

  Hey, it's that dog! In our first video game theory, we examine Capcom's cult classic Haunting Ground -- a game about a young woman chased by monsters with only a dog to protect her. Did Fiona eat her own mother? Was Daniella a human or a homunculus? Did Haunting Ground start out as an early version of the far more successful Resident Evil 4? Listen along, precious Hewies.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Haunting Ground

• No. 044 TOP GUN MAVERICK and OBLIVION with Director Joseph Kosinski Maverick fought an alien invasion!

  

  We did not even see this one coming! Director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Oblivion) joins us to confirm exclusively on our podcast, the fan theory that upcoming Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Oblivion (2013) are in a shared universe! Did Maverick go on to fight off an alien invasion later in his life? Listen to our podcast to find out!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Top Gun Maverick And Oblivion With Director Joseph Kosinski

• No. 043 HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione!

  

  We continue our epic 20 year anniversary celebration of the Harry Potter series with the Order of the Phoenix. Did Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione? Was Hagrid a death eater? Is Dumbledore a Dark Wizard, raising an army to overthrow the Minister of Magic? Was Snape Harry's father? This is part 6 of our Harry Potter 20 year anniversary special, where we're covering the craziest fan-theories surrounding the Wizarding World! We'll be going through every main Harry Potter film over the next few months, so make sure to follow along!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince

• No. 042 HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX Dumbledore raised a dark army!

  

  We continue our epic 20 year anniversary celebration of the Harry Potter series with the Order of the Phoenix. Is Dumbledore a Dark Wizard, raising an army to overthrow the Minister of Magic? Did Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione? Was Hagrid a death eater? Was Snape Harry's father? This is part 5 of our Harry Potter 20 year anniversary special, where we're covering the craziest fan-theories surrounding the Wizarding World! We'll be going through every main Harry Potter film over the next few months, so make sure to follow along!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

• No. 041 SINGLE WHITE FEMALE She had multiple personalities

  

  She is a single, white female, with multiple personalities. Today we discuss the 90s thriller SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, adding a Fight Club-esque twist. Not only do we posit that the two main characters are the same person, but also no one actually died in this blood-soaked thriller.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Single White Female

• No. 040 ANASTASIA Anastasia died, Dimitri conned EVERYONE!

  

  Is Anastasia the story of a Romanov princess being reunited with her grandmother? Or of the cold, cunning con-man Dimitri who exploited a poor clueless orphan girl to get his hands on Anastasia's inherited fortune at any cost?? Join us as we dive into Don Bluth's classic 1997 film Anastasia, and reveal that Dimitri pulled the wool over ALL of our eyes!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Anastasia

Cases 030-039

• No. 039 HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE Ron cast imperius on Hermione! Hagrid and Dumbledore evil!

  

  We continue our epic 20 year anniversary celebration of the Harry Potter series with the Goblet of Fire. Did Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione? Was Hagrid a death eater? Is Dumbledore a Dark Wizard? Was Snape Harry's father? This is part 4 of our Harry Potter 20 year anniversary special, where we're covering the craziest fan-theories surrounding the Wizarding World! We'll be going through every main Harry Potter film over the next few months, so make sure to follow along!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

• No. 038 HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN Ron and Hagrid are dark wizards! Snape's Harry's father! Dumbledore is evil!

  

  We continue our epic 20 year anniversary celebration of the Harry Potter series with the Prisoner of Azkaban. Was Hagrid a death eater? Is Dumbledore a Dark Wizard? Did Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione? Was Snape Harry's father? This is part 3 of our Harry Potter 20 year anniversary special, where we're covering the craziest fan-theories surrounding the Wizarding World! We're going through every main Harry Potter film over the next few months, so make sure to follow along!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

• No. 037 HOME ALONE and PLANES TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES Gus/Del (John Candy) was the Devil! (Christmas Special)

  

  Happy Christmas! Have we got a present for you! Home Alone and Planes, Trains and Automobiles are in a shared universe, connected by a soul-stealing, traveling Devil played by John Candy.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Home Alone And Planes Trains And Automobiles

• No. 036 THE MATRIX and TOTAL RECALL Quaid (Schwarzenegger) was in the Matrix!

  

  A revolutionary action film about a man stuck in a dream, pursued by agents, who must take a red pill to return to reality. Yes, we're talking the 1990 film TOTAL RECALL! Wait, what? Was Total Recall in the Matrix universe all along?

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Matrix And Total Recall

• No. 035 HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS Dumbledore is evil! Ron and Hagrid are dark wizards! Snape's Harry's father!

  

  We continue our epic 20 year anniversary celebration of the Harry Potter series with the Chamber of Secrets. Was Hagrid a death eater? Is Dumbledore a Dark Wizard? Did Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione? Was Snape Harry's father? This is just part 2 of our month-long celebration of Harry Potter and the crazy fan-theories surrounding it! We're going to cover every main Harry Potter film over the next few months, so make sure to follow along!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

• No. 034 HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE Hagrid is a Death Eater! Snape's Harry's father! Dumbledore and Ron are dark wizards!

  

  We're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first HARRY POTTER film!! Was Hagrid a death eater? Is Dumbledore a Dark Wizard? Did Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione? Was Snape Harry's father? This is just part 1 of our month-long celebration of Harry Potter and the crazy fan-theories surrounding it! We're going to cover every main Harry Potter film over the next few weeks, so make sure to follow along!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Harry Potter And The Sorcerer'S Stone

• No. 033 HALLOWEEN Part 2 Michael Myers was brainwashed by his psychiatrist, Dr Loomis! (Halloween Special)

  

  We're back with part 2 of our Halloween special! Everyone knows Michael Myers is the big bad of the Halloween series, and possibly the most iconic slasher ever. But few people know that his psychiatrist Dr. Loomis was the TRUE villain! Learn the rest of the story as we discuss all the rest of the films in the Halloween series.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Halloween Part 2

• No. 032 HALLOWEEN Part 1 Michael Myers was brainwashed by his psychiatrist, Dr Loomis! (Halloween Special)

  

  Halloween special Part 1! Everyone knows Michael Myers is the big bad of the Halloween series, and possibly the most iconic slasher ever. But few people know that his psychiatrist Dr. Loomis was the TRUE villain! Listen as we discuss HALLOWEEN (1978). Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will continue this theory and discuss the rest of the HALLOWEEN films!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Halloween Part 1

• No. 031 TOP GUN with Writer Jack Epps Jr Was Maverick gay?

  

  Today we interview Jack Epps Jr, co-writer of TOP GUN! We ask him the burning questions on everyone's mind: Is Quentin Tarantino right, and the film is all a metaphor for Maverick's closeted homosexuality? And who really caused Goose's death, Maverick or Iceman? We also explore the idea that Top Gun started a cultural phenomena pervading Japanese animation and culminating in Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim! And finally, we even get Jack Epps's reaction to the beloved parody film HOT SHOTS!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Top Gun With Writer Jack Epps Jr

• No. 030 PREDATORS and THE PREDATOR Edwin (Topher Grace) was really a genetic-hybrid predator!

  

  This week we talk PREDATORS! We believe Topher Grace's character, Edwin the doctor/serial killer, is actually a human-predator genetic hybrid who was trained like a dog by the Predators and placed among the humans as a decoy, to purposefully lead them to their doom.

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Predators And The Predator

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• No. 029 TRON LEGACY with Director Joseph Kosinski Flynn killed hundreds and Quorra is his daughter

  

  We're joined by Joseph Kosinski (Director of Top Gun: Maverick and Oblivion) to talk about his film TRON: Legacy. We believe the ISOs were really humans, Kevin Flynn was responsible for killing over a hundred people, and Quorra is his actual human daughter. Let's see if Kosinski agrees...

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Tron Legacy With Director Joseph Kosinski

• No. 028 WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Wonka the murderer, a horror movie for kids

  

  Today's fan theories: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a horror film?! Wonka murdered five kids and turned them into candy? Violet Beauregarde deserved to win more than Charlie did? Even if you can't believe that, at least we can all agree, Grandpa Joe was a terrible, horrible person who deserves our hate.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

• No. 027 ANACONDA and HOLES with Writers Jack Epps Jr and Hans Bauer Demon Snake and Shared Universe

  

  Buckle in, because this is a big one. The snake in ANACONDA is a demon-god, worshipped by an evil priest who just wants to feel its warm embrace. And even more shocking, ANACONDA is in a shared universe with Disney's HOLES. Join us and legendary screenwriter, professor Jack Epps Jr. (TOP GUN, ANACONDA) as we unpack this crazy monster film!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Anaconda And Holes With Writers Jack Epps Jr And Hans Bauer

• No. 026 THE BROTHERS GRIMM They got away with murder

  

  Today we discuss Terry Gilliam's 2005 film THE BROTHERS GRIMM. You probably remember this as a strange dark fantasy, but there is no magic in this film. It is actually the story of one of the greatest political assassinations of all time!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Brothers Grimm

• No. 025 DEADLY WEAPON with Writer/Director Michael Miner Kid with a Ray Gun

  

  This podcast takes place during the hours between midnight on Wednesday and dawn on Friday in the mind of a fifteen year old boy. We're joined by writer/director MICHAEL MINER (Robocop) to discuss his amazing 1989 cult classic DEADLY WEAPON.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Deadly Weapon With Writer/Director Michael Miner

• No. 024 CINDERELLA She's out of her mind!

  

  Today we discuss the story of a poor, mentally unstable woman who dresses up animals, hallucinates fairy godmothers and believes that she falls in love with a prince she's never spoken to. That's right we're discussing the Disney classic, CINDERELLA.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Cinderella

• No. 023 ROBOCOP with Co-Creator/Writer Michael Miner American Jesus

  

  We chat with the co-creator/screenwriter of ROBOCOP, Michael Miner, and ask him that age-old question: Was this hyper-violent film about a robotic policeman actually an allegory for Jesus Christ?

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Robocop With Co-Creator/Writer Michael Miner

• No. 022 MORTAL KOMBAT Scorpion was Johnny Cage's Greatest Fan

  

  Today we talk about the greatest video game adaptation ever made: The 1995 film Mortal Kombat. Was Scorpion actually Johnny Cage's adoring fanboy? And was Mortal Kombat just a ripoff of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon? FIGHT!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Mortal Kombat

• No. 021 THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE with Director Jim Fall Paolo Never Lied

  

  Sing to me, Paolo. Director Jim Fall joins us to discuss his film: THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE. We try to convince him that the villainous, lip-syncing Paolo was NOT the bad guy! He actually never told a lie, and Isabella was the REAL villain all along! This is what dreams are made of!

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy The Lizzie Mcguire Movie With Director Jim Fall

• No. 020 JEEPERS CREEPERS Trilogy The police were in on it

  

  The Jeepers Creepers trilogy: A horror series about a demon terrorizing a rural community, right? Wrong! This community worships the Creeper and sacrifices outsiders to appease it, unaware of the fact that the Creeper is actually an extra-terrestrial!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Jeepers Creepers Trilogy

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• No. 019 FROZEN with Writer/Director Adam Green It was all a prank

  

  No one died in FROZEN. This episode we are joined by legendary writer/director/producer and host of The Movie Crypt podcast Adam Green! Listen as we try to convince him that every character actually survived his 2010 survival thriller FROZEN, and it was all just a horrible prank gone wrong.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Frozen With Writer/Director Adam Green

• No. 018 FREDDY VS JASON with actor David Kopp (Blake) A New Killer

  

  Every horror fan recognizes the iconic showdown of Freddy vs Jason. But did you know there was a third killer in that movie? We bring David Kopp who played Blake onto the podcast to discuss his characters secret murderous rampage!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Freddy Vs Jason With Actor David Kopp (Blake)

• No. 017 AMERICAN PSYCHO Bateman Imagined Everything

  

  The age old question: Was he really a psycho or was he just boring? Join us as we analyze the extremely dull yet utterly bizarre man known as Patrick Bateman.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy American Psycho

• No. 016 THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES with Director Mark Pellington We know who the Mothman is

  

  We've solved it. We know what the Mothman really is. At least in the 2002 film THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES. Listen to the end as we are joined by the director himself, Mark Pellington, who gives us his reaction to our crazy theory.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy The Mothman Prophecies With Director Mark Pellington

• No. 015 FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR Trapped in my Mind

  

  Is Flight of the Navigator just a fun 80s sci-fi for kids? Or is it the fever dream of a comatose boy with head trauma who is now trapped in his own mind?

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Flight Of The Navigator

• No. 014 HELLRAISER and EVENT HORIZON Shared Universe, Levent Configurizon

  

  We watched 10 movies to bring you our most epic theory yet. We definitively link the universe of the infamous Hellraiser series to Event Horizon. Is Event Horizon one of the best sequels in the Hellraiser series? Is the whole ship a puzzle-box? And was there a cut of Event Horizon so cursed it had to be buried in a Transylvanian salt mine? We have such sights to show you.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Hellraiser And Event Horizon

• No. 013 SPACE CAMP Friends... Forever with a murderous robot

  

  SPACE CAMP, a fun 80s family film about kids trapped in space, trying to get back home, right? WRONG! This is actually a film about a malfunctioning robot and its plot to kill 5 kids and their teacher in an ill-fated attempt to remain FRIENDS FOREVER.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Space Camp

• No. 012 PREDATOR Punishing Toxic Masculinity

  

  In today's testosterone-fueled episode, Torvald has a theory about the manly Predator and the men that it hunts. Get ready, we're about to turn this high-T horror on its head!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Predator

• No. 011 STAR TREK The Best Captain (Road Trip)

  

  In this special road trip episode we hold a savage debate, comparing personalities, feats, and skills to determine Star Trek's greatest captain of all time!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Star Trek

• No. 010 DIE HARD Gruber's Mole at Nakatomi (Christmas Special)

  

  Happy holidays! Now we have a Christmas episode. Ho. Ho. Ho. Today's theory features the greatest Christmas movie of all time: DIE HARD. Did Hans Gruber have a mole at Nakatomi? And was he planning on sacrificing most of his crew to escape? Find out in this very merry episode of The Popcorn Isn't Real.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Die Hard

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• No. 009 THOMAS AND FRIENDS Rise of the Machines

  

  A beloved children's show? Or the chronicles of a heartless businessman, creating advanced artificial intelligence robots to take over the world? Join us as we explore the deep learning neural network in THOMAS AND FRIENDS!

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Thomas And Friends

• No. 008 MOANA Well. She's dead.

  

  Could Disney's MOANA have a dark secret? Was the ocean really Moana's friend, or a sadistic entity bent on ending her life? Join us with special guest: Britta, archeologist extraordinaire! She'll help us dig deep to uncover the hidden truth of this movie.

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Moana

• No. 007 CANDYMAN Helen was the Real Killer

  

  Candyman. Candyman. Candyman. Candyman. Who was the real killer in the 1992 cult classic CANDYMAN? Join Leif Eric and Torvald as they find the definitive answer. Just don't say CANDYMAN a fifth time!

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Candyman

• No. 006 THEY LIVE Subliminal Messages are Controlling Your Life!

  

  Put on your tin foil hats everyone, today's theory is turning into a full-blown conspiracy! Torvald thinks that John Carpenter's THEY LIVE was actually a wake-up call, warning that the government has filled our media with subliminal messages! OBEY! SUBMIT! CONSUME! They're everywhere, even hidden within TV sign-off sequences!

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy They Live

• No. 005 PHANTASM A Delusion of a Disordered Mind

  

  Today we'll be analysing an entire series, starting with the 1979 horror film Phantasm. Leif Eric has a theory that the strange and bloody reality of this series may have an even deeper and darker meaning than you ever imagined!

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Phantasm

• No. 004 DEADPOOL Ajax Loves Deadpool

  

  Well, hello gorgeous. Some of the best love stories start with a murder. And that's exactly what this is, a love story. But not the love story you think. Torvald's going to prove that Deadpool is all about a man who can't feel anything, falling for a man who can survive anything. Now before we begin, I just have one question for you. What's my name?

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Deadpool

• No. 003 IDIOCRACY A Blueprint for the Perfect President

  

  Do you know what makes a good leader? Because Torvald wants to help you cast your vote. And he's ready to prove that, hidden deep within the insightful and hilarious socio-political satire of Idiocracy, is the blueprint for the perfect President of the United States of America!

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Idiocracy

• No. 002 SUICIDE CLUB The Pied Piper of Tokyo

  

  In today's episode we delve into the dark, twisted depths of Suicide Club, the 2002 psychological horror. Leif Eric believes the film's true inspiration and origins may stem from a very unlikely source, a well-known legend all the way back from the Middle Ages!

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Suicide Club

• No. 001 RETURN TO OZ The Girl who Drowned

  

  Leif Eric and Torvald kick-off The Popcorn Isn't Real with a dark theory surrounding the 1985 children's fantasy film, Return to Oz. Eric is determined to prove that there was no happy ending, and not everyone survived Dorothy's final trip to Oz!

  Read the theory board → · Rent or buy Return To Oz

• No. 000 Welcome

  

  Are you ready to explore the darkest secrets of your favorite movies and media? Join Leif Eric and Torvald, as we investigate the greatest fan theories out there! This episode will give you an overview of what we do, and what to expect from us.

  Open the full case file → · Rent or buy Welcome