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PODCAST

Optimism Vaccine

The Optimism Vaccine Network

Optimism Vaccine’s panel of experts and idiots explore the dingy crevices between pop culture and forgotten trash in a never-ending quest to celebrate your guilty pleasures in the world of cinema and beyond.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

02:02:01

Weapons (Horror in 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/11/01

THIS WEEK: The Woman in the Yard (2025), Bring Her Back (2025), Weapons (2025) and 28 Years Later (2025)I mean, the title is just as applicable to this episode of our dumb podcast as it is to Zach Cregger's film, amiright?Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:05:12

The Universal Monsters (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/26

THIS WEEK: Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941) and The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)We're breaking format for the (permanent?) finale of Shawntober, as we take a wide-ranging look at the origins of the American horror film.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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59:10

The Films of Brian Yuzna (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/18

THIS WEEK: Society (1989), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), and The Dentist (1996)Shawn can't stop flapping his gums about The Substance, so we figured it was time to show him some real films of substance.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:04:55

The Films of John Landis (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/11

THIS WEEK: An American Werewolf in London (1981), Innocent Blood (1992), Deer Woman (2005) and Family (2006)This week we really wanted to test Shawn's mettle by exposing him to the twisted mind behind some of the most sickening works of the 20th century: Beverly Hills Cop III and Max Landis.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:13:09

The Films of Andrzej Zulawski (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/04

THIS WEEK: The Devil (1972), Possession (1981) and Under the Silver Globe (1988)For some unholy reason, Steve demanded that we kick off spooky season with the ultimate downer, as we expose Shawn Glinis to the verbose filmography of Polish philosopher king Andrzej Zulawski. You won't find any treats here. Or tricks, really. Just a great many agonized shouts.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:27:16

Simulation Theory Confirmed

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/27

THIS WEEK: Disclosure (1994), Virtuosity (1995) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999)With the end of days imminent, we're jacking back in to look at another trio of bonkers 90s VR films and yearn for the future that wasn't.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:39:45

The Midnight Meat Train to Georgia (The American...

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/20

THIS WEEK: The Midnight Meat Train (2008), No One Lives (2012), Downrange (2017) and The Price We Pay (2022)What happens when a Japanese ADHD-addled wunderkind with zero interest in boring filmmaking minutiae like performance, pacing and screen geography heads to Hollywood? Redbox magic, baby!Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:24:44

I Want to Be Corpse

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/13

THIS WEEK: Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and I Want to Be Neenja! The Movie (2024)Ostensibly, we're still discussing the uncomfortable marriage of Japanese culture and 1990s Hollywood production. In actuality, we have gazed deep into the snarling panther's maw and emerged lesser.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:28:59

The War on Japan

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/06

THIS WEEK: Black Rain (1989), Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990) and Rising Sun (1993)This week, we're revisiting the brief period of time in post-Cold War America when our great nation affixed its racist, paranoid gaze on the shores of Japan. The result was some very strange cinema.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:30:12

Not Quite Hollywood Hogan

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/29

THIS WEEK: Assault on Devil's Island (1997), McCinsey's Island (1998) and The Ultimate Weapon (1998)There's no Hulkamaniacs here! Yet here we are, combing through the Hulkster's brief run as a cable crossover star. Was the big heel turn enough to awaken Terry's latent potential as a leading man? Results vary.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:49:33

Hulkster in Heaven

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/23

THIS WEEK: No Holds Barred (1989), Mr. Nanny (1993) and Thunder in Paradise (1993)With the recent passing of Hulk Hogan, Steve and I felt duty bound as Real Americans to educate Jack on the phenomenon of Hulkamania. I'm not sure if his film career was particularly illustrative.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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51:15

The Future of American Cinema (Baby Geniuses)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/15

THIS WEEK: Baby Geniuses (1999) and Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)Having given the Baby Assassins a deserved spotlight, it seemed only appropriate to discuss Baby Geniuses, the passion project of OV supervillain Steven Paul. In 1999, one man dared to ask the question: What if babies possessed the cognitive capacity to mentally dominate Dom DeLuise?Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:11:35

Tipper Gore Was Right (Baby Assassins)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/09

THIS WEEK: Baby Assassins (2021), Baby Assassins: 2 Babies (2023) and Baby Assassins: Nice Days (2024)Jack already spends 10% of any given episode talking about Baby Assassins, so we thought we'd let him get it out of his system.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:19:16

Asimov's Grandson

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/02

THIS WEEK: Enthiran (2010) and 2.0 (2018)Why settle for Hollywood when Kollywood exists? Join us this week as we're dazzled by Rajinikanth and baffled by 5G conspiracies.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:22:13

XX: Beautiful Leftovers

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/07/25

THIS WEEK: XX: Beautiful Weapon (1993), XX: Beautiful Target (1995) and XX: Beautiful Beast (1995)Like the rest of the internet, we just couldn't get enough Japanese perversion. So this week we've opted to crack open the fridge and dish up a second helping of the V-Cinema franchise XX.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:27:17

Taplas Bar

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/07/19

THIS WEEK: XX: Beautiful Hunter (1994), XX: Beautiful Prey (1996), and XX: Beautiful Killing Machine (1996)Having already covered the adventures of Xander Cage and Ti West's misguided stab at franchise horror, it was inevitable that a sage Patron would point us toward the Japanese film series XX. It promises to be a beautiful time.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:20:14

Schwarzenegger Minus Schwarzenegger

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/07/12

THIS WEEK: Jingle All the Way 2 (2014), Kindergarten Cop 2 (2016), and Eraser: Reborn (2022)It was suggested that this episode was below even us, but once an idiotic idea has been introduced, you can trust that Optimism Vaccine will follow through. So here we are, discussing films had the audacity to attempt the impossible: Replacing Arnold Schwarzenegger.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:22:17

The Crypt Keeper Presents: Cries and Whispers

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/07/04

THIS WEEK: Tales from the Crypt (1972), Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995), Bordello of Blood (1996) and Ritual (2002)We decided that Jack needed more Dennis Miller in his life, which naturally led us to the cinematic world of EC Comics.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:04:18

You Wouldn't Steal a Car

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/06/27

THIS WEEK: The Net (1995) and The Net 2.0 (2006)Lord knows why, but we've decided to discuss the very relevant tech anti-thriller, The Net. And its pitiful DTV sequel.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:09:04

Atlasphere

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/06/21

THIS WEEK: Flexing With Monty: A Domestic Symphonie (2010) and The Evil Within AKA The Storyteller (2017)A generous Patron asked us to look at John Albo's perpetually-in-production feature debut Flexing With Monty. Which we took as a good excuse to check out a meth-addled oil heir's posthumously released horror opus.Apologies for Jack's occasionally choppy audio. Hey, why not request your own episode, and help us buy him a new microphone?Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on

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