The Popcorn Isn't Real: Fan Theory Podcast


Fan-theories to make you see the movies you love in a whole new way!




Do you love fan theories? We do. We love them so much that we called up the creators of your favorite movies to get the inside-story, and confirm or deny the greatest fan theories out there! Our guests include legendary writers and directors like Jack Epps Jr (TOP GUN, TURNER AND HOOCH), Mark Pellington (THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES, ARLINGTON ROAD), Joseph Kosinski (TOP GUN: MAVERICK, OBLIVION, TRON: LEGACY), Michael Miner (ROBOCOP), Adam Green (HATCHET, FROZEN), Hans Bauer (ANACONDA, TITAN A.E.), Jim Fall (THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE) and more. We take deep-dive looks at these films, examine fan theories, explore alternate readings, collect facts and trivia, interview the writers and directors, and finally we present our podcast to you! So have a listen and learn the secrets of the movies you love!

We're two brothers. A Hollywood writer and a cybersecurity professional. We aspire to craft, dissect, and analyze the best and most entertaining film and Hollywood fan-theories for your listening pleasure. Our first-hand insider industry knowledge, unique analytical skills and investigative mindset give us the perfect tools to question everything, and make your head spin while we tear your beloved movies apart!

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Episode 77 - BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE: How Beetlejuice got his head unshrunk

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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??


Rent or buy Beetlejuice and follow along with us!

Episode 77 - ALIEN: The Cat Did It

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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


Rent or buy Alien, and catch the Microsoft Security Insights podcast and follow along with us!

Episode 76 - ORPHAN BLACK, GINGER SNAPS and ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY: With directors John Fawcett and Damon Santostefano

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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!


Rent or buy Ginger Snaps and follow along with us!

Episode 75 - THREE TO TANGO: A love DIE-angle!

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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.


Rent or buy Three to Tango and follow along with us!

Episode 74 - THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT: How Dave Filoni ruined a legend

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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!


Rent or buy The Book of Boba Fett and follow along with us!

Episode 73 - THE MANDALORIAN: Disney Recycled a cancelled Boba Fett movie

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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??


Rent or buy The Mandalorian and follow along with us!

Episode 72 - SEINFELD - THE PIE: Audrey the Nazi poisoned Jerry's pie

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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!


Rent or buy Seinfeld and follow along with us!

Episode 71 - DR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS: This didn't happen

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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!


Rent or buy Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and follow along with us!

Episode 70 - TREMORS and FOOTLOOSE with writer S.S. Wilson: They woke the worms with their dancing!

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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!


Rent or buy Tremors and follow along with us!

Episode 69 - A CHRISTMAS CAROL: They conned Ebenezer Scrooge out of his fortune

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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!


Rent or buy A Christmas Carol and follow along with us!

Episode 68 - PLANES TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The Hughes Cut

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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.


Rent or buy Planes, Trains and Automobiles - 4K edition with the lost and recovered footage and follow along with us!

Episode 67 - PANDORUM with director/writer Christian Alvart: They never made it to Tanis

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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?


Rent or buy Pandorum and follow along with us!

Episode 66 - TURNING RED: Disney Does Dallas

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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.


Rent or buy Turning Red and follow along with us!

Episode 65 - KINGDOM HEARTS: The Thirteen Ansems

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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!


Rent or buy Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 Remix and follow along with us!

Episode 64 - RESIDENT EVIL 4: Ada and Hunnigan are the same person??

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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!


Rent or buy Resident Evil 4 and follow along with us!

Episode 63 - ENCINO MAN: Link was not a caveman

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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!


Rent or buy Encino Man and follow along with us!

Episode 62 - FALL: Aka 47 Meters Up with Writer/Director Scott Mann

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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!!


Rent or buy Fall and follow along with us!

Episode 61 - NON-STOP: Liam Neeson was the terrorist

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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!


Rent or buy Non-Stop and follow along with us!

Episode 60 - LIFE OF PI and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: Richard Parker the tiger was Peter Parker's dad!

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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!


Rent or buy Life of Pi and follow along with us!

Episode 59 - CATWOMAN with screenwriter Michael Ferris: Into the Catwoman-Verse!

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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!


Rent or buy Catwoman and follow along with us!

Episode 58 - MARY POPPINS: Super Spy!

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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...


Rent or buy Mary Poppins and follow along with us!

Episode 57 - THE SANTA CLAUSE Series: Scott Calvin's concussion induced nightmare

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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!


Rent or buy The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and The Santa Clauses and follow along with us!

Episode 56 - ATLANTIS: The old man was a murderer

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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??


Rent or buy Atlantis: The Lost Empire and follow along with us!

Episode 55 - HUBIE HALLOWEEN: Adam Sandler's revenge!

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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!


Rent or buy Hubie Halloween on Netflix and follow along with us!

Episode 54 - TERMINATOR 3, SALVATION, GENYSIS, and DARK FATE: We ask Terminator screenwriter Michael Ferris, is Skynet the good guy?

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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.


Rent or buy Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation and follow along with us!

Episode 53 - TERMINATOR 2: Skynet was the good guy?

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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!


Rent or buy Terminator 2 and follow along with us!

Episode 52 - THE TERMINATOR: The Terminator was the good guy?

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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!


Rent or buy The Terminator and follow along with us!

Episode 51 - ROBOCOP 2: A parody of itself (With RoboCop creator Michael Miner)

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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!


Rent or buy RoboCop 2 and watch the YouTube video essay, and follow along with us!

Episode 50 - LUCA: Alberto's dad was Bruno from Encanto?

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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.


Rent or buy Luca and follow along with us!

Episode 49 - THE MATRIX SERIES: Agent Smith was The One, Neo was working with the machines

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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.


Rent or buy The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions, and follow along with us!

Episode 48 - PASSENGERS: Sleeping Beauty in Space

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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!


Rent or buy Passengers and follow along with us!

Episode 47 - ENCANTO: Mirabel was not a Madrigal

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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.


Rent or buy Encanto and follow along with us!

Episode 46 - HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 and 2: Snape was Harry's father!

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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!


Rent or buy Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2 and follow along with us!

Episode 45 - HAUNTING GROUND: Was a prototype for Resident Evil 4

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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.


Rent or buy Haunting Ground and follow along with us!

Episode 44 - TOP GUN MAVERICK and OBLIVION with Director Joseph Kosinski: Maverick fought an alien invasion!

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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!


Rent or buy Oblivion and watch Top Gun Maverick in theaters, and check out this article by The Atlantic which talks about our interview with Joseph Kosinski, and follow along with us!

Episode 43 - HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE: Ron cast the Imperius Curse on Hermione!

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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!


Rent or buy Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and follow along with us!

Episode 42 - HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX: Dumbledore raised a dark army!

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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!


Rent or buy Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and follow along with us!

Episode 41 - SINGLE WHITE FEMALE: She had multiple personalities

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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.


Rent or buy Single White Female and follow along with us!

Episode 40 - ANASTASIA: Anastasia died, Dimitri conned EVERYONE!

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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!


Rent or buy Anastasia and follow along with us!

Episode 39 - HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE: Ron cast imperius on Hermione! Hagrid and Dumbledore evil!

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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!


Rent or buy Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and follow along with us!

Episode 38 - HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN: Ron and Hagrid are dark wizards! Snape's Harry's father! Dumbledore is evil!

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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!


Rent or buy Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and follow along with us!

Episode 37 - HOME ALONE and PLANES TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: Gus/Del (John Candy) was the Devil! (Christmas Special)

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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.


Rent or buy Home Alone and Planes Trains and Automobiles and follow along with us!

Episode 36 - THE MATRIX and TOTAL RECALL: Quaid (Schwarzenegger) was in the Matrix!

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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?


Rent or buy The Matrix and Total Recall and follow along with us!

Episode 35 - HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: Dumbledore is evil! Ron and Hagrid are dark wizards! Snape's Harry's father!

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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!


Rent or buy Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and follow along with us!

Episode 34 - HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE: Hagrid is a Death Eater! Snape's Harry's father! Dumbledore and Ron are dark wizards!

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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!


Rent or buy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and follow along with us!

Episode 33 - HALLOWEEN Part 2: Michael Myers was brainwashed by his psychiatrist, Dr Loomis! (Halloween Special)

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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.


Rent or buy Halloween (2018) and follow along with us!

Episode 32 - HALLOWEEN Part 1: Michael Myers was brainwashed by his psychiatrist, Dr Loomis! (Halloween Special)

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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!


Rent or buy Halloween and follow along with us!

Episode 31 - TOP GUN with Writer Jack Epps Jr: Was Maverick gay?

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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!


Rent or buy Top Gun, listen to Quentin Tarantino's theory, and buy Jack Epps Jr's book Screenwriting is Rewriting, and follow along with us!

Episode 30 - PREDATORS and THE PREDATOR: Edwin (Topher Grace) was really a genetic-hybrid predator!

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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.


Rent or buy Predators and The Predator, and follow along with us!

Episode 29 - TRON LEGACY with Director Joseph Kosinski: Flynn killed hundreds and Quorra is his daughter

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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...


Rent or buy TRON: Legacy, and follow along with us!

Episode 28 - WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: Wonka the murderer, a horror movie for kids

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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.


Rent or buy Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and follow along with us!

Episode 27 - ANACONDA and HOLES with Writers Jack Epps Jr and Hans Bauer: Demon Snake and Shared Universe

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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!


Rent or buy Anaconda and Holes, and follow along with us!

Episode 26 - THE BROTHERS GRIMM: They got away with murder

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy The Brothers Grimm and follow along with us!

Episode 25 - DEADLY WEAPON with Writer/Director Michael Miner: Kid with a Ray Gun

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy Deadly Weapon and follow along with us!

Episode 24 - CINDERELLA: She's out of her mind!

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy Cinderella and follow along with us!

Episode 23 - ROBOCOP with Co-Creator/Writer Michael Miner: American Jesus

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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?


Rent or buy RoboCop and follow along with us!

Episode 22 - MORTAL KOMBAT: Scorpion was Johnny Cage's Greatest Fan

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Mortal Kombat and follow along with us!

Episode 21 - THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE with Director Jim Fall: Paolo Never Lied

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy The Lizzie McGuire Movie and follow along with us!

Episode 20 - JEEPERS CREEPERS Trilogy: The police were in on it

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Jeepers Creepers and follow along with us!

Episode 19 - FROZEN with Writer/Director Adam Green: It was all a prank

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy Frozen and follow along with us!

Episode 18 - FREDDY VS JASON with actor David Kopp (Blake): A New Killer

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Freddy vs Jason and follow along with us!

Episode 17 - AMERICAN PSYCHO: Bateman Imagined Everything

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy American Psycho and follow along with us!

Episode 16 - THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES with Director Mark Pellington: We know who the Mothman is

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy The Mothman Prophecies and follow along with us!

Episode 15 - FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR: Trapped in my Mind

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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?


Rent or buy Flight of the Navigator and follow along with us!

Episode 14 - HELLRAISER and EVENT HORIZON: Shared Universe, Levent Configurizon

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy Hellraiser and Event Horizon, and follow along with us!

Episode 13 - SPACE CAMP: Friends... Forever with a murderous robot

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy Space Camp, and follow along with us!

Episode 12 - PREDATOR: Punishing Toxic Masculinity

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Predator, and follow along with us!

Episode 11 - STAR TREK: The Best Captain (Road Trip)

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Star Trek: The Original Series, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and follow along with us!

Episode 10 - DIE HARD: Gruber's Mole at Nakatomi (Christmas Special)

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy Die Hard, and follow along with us!

Episode 9 - THOMAS AND FRIENDS: Rise of the Machines

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Thomas and Friends, and follow along with us!

Episode 8 - MOANA: Well. She's dead.

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy Moana, and follow along with us!

Episode 7 - CANDYMAN: Helen was the Real Killer

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Candyman, and follow along with us!

Episode 6 - THEY LIVE: Subliminal Messages are Controlling Your Life!

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy They Live, watch the National Anthem sign-off video with subliminal messages, and follow along with us!

Episode 5 - PHANTASM: A Delusion of a Disordered Mind

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Phantasm, Phantasm II, Phantasm III, and Phantasm IV, and follow along with us!

Episode 4 - DEADPOOL: Ajax Loves Deadpool

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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?


Rent or buy Deadpool and follow along with us!

Episode 3 - IDIOCRACY: A Blueprint for the Perfect President

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Idiocracy and follow along with us!

Episode 2 - SUICIDE CLUB: The Pied Piper of Tokyo

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Suicide Club and follow along with us!

Episode 1 - RETURN TO OZ: The Girl who Drowned

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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!


Rent or buy Return to Oz and follow along with us!

Episode 0 - Welcome

The Popcorn Isn't Real


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.


Rent or buy The Popcorn Isn't Real and follow along with us!