SUBURBAKNIGHT: Act Two

Walter Knope has finally discovered the one thing worse than suspecting your new neighbor is a sex demon.

Being right.

Inside Richard's immaculate house, Walter gets the confirmation he was looking for. The Maitlands are dead. Richard isn't human. And he isn't just interested in Samantha.

He wants everything Walter has.

Walter tries to warn Sam. It goes badly.

What starts as an argument about Richard quickly becomes an argument about money, sex, failure, jealousy and every other thing a married couple has been politely not saying out loud. Sam packs a bag. Walter, terrified Richard will get to her, practically helps her leave.

Written by Nick Bannister, SUBURBAKNIGHT is a wicked suburban horror-comedy about marriage, masculinity and what happens when your midlife crisis actually grows horns.

Walter needs someone who understands monsters.

Enter Bobby Joe Williams.

Local horror host. Full-time drunk. Part-time monster expert. Possibly the least reassuring person you could want standing between your family and eternal damnation.

Bobby Joe confirms the bad news. Richard is an incubus. He feeds on souls, controls his victims through desire and, unfortunately, appears to be immortal.

Meanwhile, Richard has already started remaking the neighborhood.

Walter goes looking for Andy and instead finds him dead in the bathtub, his wife Alli transformed into something considerably less neighborly. Walter barely escapes with his life.

Then Samantha comes home.

Richard is waiting.

This time, Sam sees him too.

When Richard finally drops the charm and shows them what he really is, he offers Walter everything he ever wanted. Money. Freedom. A fresh start.

All he wants in return is Samantha.

Walter says no.

Then Mia introduces Richard's face to a medieval mace.

For a moment, it feels like the Knopes may actually have this thing under control.

Then Richard takes their daughter.

Now Walter and Sam are done running. They need Mia back. They need help.

Unfortunately, the closest thing they have to a professional is Bobby Joe Williams in boxer shorts drinking margarita straight from a blender pitcher.

So they do what any responsible parents would do.

They raid the failed antique business.

Crossbow. Mace. Axe. Sword. Armor.

Walter's junk has finally found a purpose.

And across the street, Richard is waiting.

Starring Darin Toonder, Jim O'Heir, Jade Tailor, Jack Daniel, Rob Fitzgerald, Logan Laurel, Emily Brolin, Ashley Platz, and Zeke Alton.

Produced by Table Read Podcast and Manifest Media Productions, LLC.

Executive Produced by Jack Levy, Shaan Sharma, and Mark Knell.

Find The Show: Table Read Podcast

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Rico Gagliano (MUBI Podcast) joins Adam and Josh for the Top 5 Needle Drops, a conversation so robust we split it in half. Plus, the new It Ends earns a Golden Brick nomination, and listeners tell us the best third feature since 2020.

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.

(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:02:37)

Rico Gagliano Welcome / Top 5 Intro (00:02:38-00:24:52)

Top 5 Needle Drops (#5-4) (00:24:53-01:02:51)

Filmspotting Family (01:02:52-01:07:33)

Golden Brickspotting: It Ends (01:07:34-01:18:20)

Polls (01:18:21-01:33:27)

Credits / Releases (01:33:28-1:37:57)

Feedback:

-Email us at [email protected]⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠-⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.

Support:

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http://filmspottingfamily.com

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David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street drops an ordinary family into extraordinary circumstances, forcing them to focus all their energy on surviving— and maybe, just maybe, learning to understand each other along the way. That structure, combined with Oak Street’s Spielbergian spectacle, pointed us toward 2005’s War of the Worlds, which fuses H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel to images and emotions that draw on the attacks of 9/11. How that approach holds up a quarter-century removed from the events that inspired it is up for discussion this week, along with where War of the Worlds falls on the Steven Spielberg Alien-Encounter Continuum, and just how close that sentimental ending comes to ruining the movie entirely. Then in Feedback, a listener, with an assist from Orson Welles, invites us to get galaxy-brained on the nature of homage as it relates to cinema generally and this podcast specifically. 

Please share your thoughts about War of the Worlds, The End of Oak Street, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

This episode is presented by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023, Adam and Josh took another look at 1988's Midnight Run for its 35th anniversary. The Robert De Niro/Charles Grodin action comedy was an early and somewhat controversial inductee in the Filmspotting Pantheon, a decision they use their conversation to defend.  

Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠. Promo code: summer for 20% off through Aug. 31.

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Happy Madison Productions is now cranking out movies starring two generations of Sandlers: paterfamilias Adam and daughters Sadie and Sunny. Earlier this year, Sadie starred in Netflix’s college-set Roommates, and now it’s Sunny’s turn in Don’t Say Good Luck, a tear-jerker that pairs family drama with high school musical drama. And it’s a pairing that Matt and Jordan agree works pretty well, thanks to the director Julia Hart (Fast Color, I’m Your Woman), solid work from Sandler, and a great performance by Melanie Lynskey as Sunny’s mom. Plus, a “Nepo Baby” streaming rec from Matt, and one from Jordan for a forgotten Oscar-winning Canadian film from the early 2000s. And Matt hosts another round of Portmanteau-to-Toe.  

Intro (00:00:00–00:03:16)

Don’t Say Good Luck (00:03:17–00:24:27)

Rec Seg! Nepo Babies and Canadian Oscar-winners (00:24:28–00:39:07)

Game: Portmanteau-to-Toe (00:39:08–00:58:57)

Mailbag / New to Streaming / Credits (00:58:58–01:11:25)

Show Notes

Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive⁠ https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/⁠

Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th):⁠ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/⁠

Feedback: Email us at [email protected]

Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social

Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social

Follow the Show:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu⁠

Follow the Show:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu⁠

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Film music historian and journalist ⁠Tim Greiving⁠, author of John Williams: A Composer's Life, joins Michael Phillips to explore one of the foundational dilemmas of movie music, courtesy of legendary composer Max Steiner: "The hardest thing in scoring is to know when to start and when to stop." From King Kong and The Adventures of Robin Hood to Jaws and Star Wars, Michael and Tim trace the history of film scoring through competing philosophies: wall-to-wall music versus strategic restraint, foreground versus background, spectacle versus psychology. And yes, even The Odyssey enters the conversation They discuss Williams's lasting influence, memorable director-composer partnerships, and whether the best movie music tells us what we're seeing or reveals what the characters themselves cannot say. Join the conversation by emailing ⁠[email protected]⁠.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is The End of Oak Street the best Spielberg movie of 2026? Or is one of your hosts committing movie heresy? Adam and Josh review David Robert Mitchell's dinosaur-filled family adventure and consider whether there's more on its mind than blockbuster thrills. Plus: thoughts on the Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony, Willem Dafoe in Late Fame, and Adam's conversation with the creators of the Table Read podcast.

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. ⁠Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.⁠

(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:02:23)

The End of Oak Street (00:02:24-00:49:09)

Spoiler Talk: The End of Oak Street (00:49:09-01:10:34)

Filmspotting Family (01:10:35-01:17:04)

Tony (01:17:05-01:22:22)

Late Fame (01:22:23-01:41:26)

MLB at Field of Dreams on Netflix (01:41:27-01:45:52)

Introducing: Table Read Podcast (01:45:53-01:59:42)

Massacre Theatre (01:59:43-02:08:57)

Credits / Releases (02:08:58-2:11:44)

Notes:

-Myth of the American Sleepover Review | Ann Arbor Observer

⁠https://annarborobserver.com/myth-of-the-american-sleepover/⁠

Feedback:

-Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠-⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.

Support:

-Use code "summer" for 20% off a Filmspotting Family membership

⁠http://filmspottingfamily.com⁠

-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.

⁠⁠https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow:

-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:

⁠⁠https://youtube.com/filmspotting⁠⁠

-Adam/Filmspotting:

⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠

-Josh/LarsenOnFilm:

⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kristen Stewart is back in theaters with The Wrong Girls, which is an excuse to share our Top 5 KStew Scenes from 2017. 

Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠. Promo code: summer for 20% off through Aug. 31.

"Personal Shopper and the Movies That Haunt Us"

Scott, Morris - Great Performances of 2016

Stewart: Hiding In Plain Sight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s all fine and good to be sealed up in a house with Wagner Moura and Greta Lee, but the longer Netflix’s new The Last House keeps us there, the more time Matt and Jordan have for questions about the why and the how and… is that broccoli you’re growing in the floorboards, Greta? Matt and Jordan also discuss Netflix’s curious fascination with apocalyptic tales. Then, some Last House-inspired streaming recommendations (Universal Monsters! H.P. Lovecraft!) and a listener streaming request inspires recommendations for a forgotten Emma Thompson movie from the early 90s and a literary adaptation from Roger Corman. And Jordan hosts this week’s game: The Gaul of These People!

Welcome/Intro (00:00:00–00:2:54)

The Last House (00:2:55–00:27:17)

H.P. Lovecraft and Universal Monsters (Rec Seg!) (00:27:18–00:44:30)

Emma Thompson, Roger Corman, and Vincent Price (Listener Request Seg!) (00:44:31–01:03:16)

MLB's Field of Dreams Game on Netflix  (01:03:17–01:09:26)

Game: The Gaul of these People! (01:09:27–01:26:10)

New to Streaming / Credits (01:26:11–01:31:04)

Show Notes

Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive⁠ https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/⁠

Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th):⁠ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/⁠

Feedback: Email us at [email protected]

Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social

Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social

Follow the Show:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu⁠

Follow the Show:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu⁠

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Johnson’s new biopic Tony sidesteps the infamous Walk Hard trap by narrowing its scope to a single summer that would end up shaping the rest of Anthony Bourdain’s life, but not necessarily defining it. Whether that approach is ultimately satisfying to fans of the late celebrity chef and author is up for debate this week, as we’re once again joined by Vulture critic Roxana Hadadi to discuss how Tony plays into and against our expectations of a Bourdain narrative. Then we bring Ratatouille back in for Connections, to compare how these two films introduce us to kitchen culture through the eyes of a newbie. Then for Your Next Picture Show, we recommend two more recent films to fill out a Matt Johnson triple feature.

Please share your thoughts about Ratatouille, Tony, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Next Pairing: David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street and Steven Spielberg’s The War of the Worlds

This episode is presented by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screenwriter and producer David Kajganich (Suspiria, Bones and All) joins Michael Phillips to test a provocative rule of adaptation from filmmaker Whit Stillman: "You owe everything to the movie and nothing to the original [source]."

But what about the opposite approach? As the Coen brothers once joked about adapting Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men: "One of us types into the computer while the other holds the spine of the book flat." Between those two extremes lies the art of adaptation.

Drawing on more than two decades of adapting novels, memoirs, plays, and films, Kajganich explores when fidelity serves a movie, when it becomes a trap, and why great adaptations sometimes have to break the bones of the original work. As you'd expect, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey enters the conversation, along with Howards End, The Shining, The Zone of Interest, and Where the Wild Things Are.

Is the best adaptation the one that faithfully recreates its source? Or the one that expresses something new? Join the conversation: email [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.