Through the Lens

Episode 80 | The Finale: Kingdom of Heaven and Children of Men

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 12 May 2023 13:51:26 -0500

After three years on the air, we say our goodbyes to our listeners and to this podcast. No guests, just a finale with the two of us each discussing a personal favorite, Alex's Kingdom of Heaven and Davis' Children of Men. It would not be the end without a news segment and this one, while limited, features the WGA strike, Dune Part II news and of course the trailer for Gran Turismo. Then, we delve into what makes Kingdom of Heaven a truly underrated epic, how historians reacted to the film's release, and what went wrong with the theatrical cut. As for Children of Men, it is one of the best films of all time, Davis can cry just thinking about it, there are great moments characters and sequences throughout. All will be discussed in the finale of WEGL's premiere movie podcast.

Episode 79 | Pitch Perfect with Ainsley and Braden

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 01 May 2023 12:02:02 -0500

We're still going Pitches. With exams on the horizon and graduation right around the corner, we are talking about a franchise that may have gone too far in a few places, the Pitch Perfect films. Ainsley and Braden join for one last time as we talk about some of the best songs, jokes and moments from a trilogy that maybe should've stuck with just one film.

Episode 78 | WEGL Day Inception with Braden

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0500

For the second year in a row, we are participating in WEGL Day and to celebrate, we are talking about one of Nolan's greatest and most confusing films, Inception. A tasteful amount of news and lollygagging precedes an in-depth look at one of the biggest films in recent memory, from its A-list cast and stunning visual effects, to the emotional story at it's confusing center, we discuss it all right here on WEGL's premiere movie podcast.

(00:08) - Intro
(06:09) - Trivia
(07:50) - The News Begins
(08:21) - The Last of Us getting multiple seasons
(12:11) - Fast X Trailer
(13:59) - Twilight series in the works?
(15:08) - Amazon AI audio
(16:23) - WGA Strike
(18:06) - Inception
(25:59) - JP Calls in
(29:45) - Leonardo DiCaprio helps script
(38:52) - Plot Holes of Inception
(46:11) - Trivia before We Go
(46:35) - What have we been watching
(47:38) - Intro

Episode 77 | The Fast and the Furious with Emily and Sutton

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 15:48:25 -0500

Street racing experts Emily Calagaz and Sutton Sylvester join the show to help us through the Fast and Furious franchise. What was once a promising solo action flick filled with early 2000s cliches and color grading has since evolved into one of the most bloated and overexposed franchises in recent memory. We are only doing the first five films in the series, but there is still plenty to discuss including the disappearance of Vin Diesel's charisma, his feud with the Rock, where the franchise went wrong, our favorite car crash stories and so much more.

(01:42) - Trivia
(02:14) - News Summary
(02:36) - Disney Star Wars News: Ashoka and Dave Filoni getting a blank check
(10:17) - The Marvels teaser
(19:41) - HBO Max is now just…..max
(26:04) - The Fast and the Furious
(40:02) - 2 Fast 2 Furious
(54:37) - Tokyo Drift
(01:04:22) - Fast and Furious
(01:11:15) - Car Crash Story detour
(01:19:11) - Fast and Furious again
(01:30:26) - Fast Five
(01:50:39) - What have we been watching and the wrap up

Episode 76 | The Lord of the Rings with Anna Ryan

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Another week and another surprise guest joining the show. Anna steps in as our official Lord of the Rings expert for an in-depth look at one of the greatest trilogies of all time. The show opens with news segment with a few great trailers, some first looks and news about a Moana remake and Harry Potter remake before the trio delve into the Fellowship of the Ring. The perfect cast, stunning visuals, shaky direction from Peter Jackson, Andy Serkis deserving an Oscar and more are discussed in the latest episode of Through the Lens.

(00:00) - Intro
(04:32) - News Summary
(06:13) - News Begins
(35:23) - LOTR Fellowship Discussion Begins
(01:00:44) - Ratings for Fellowship
(01:01:14) - Two Towers Discussion begins
(01:19:25) - Ratings for Two Towers
(01:19:51) - Return of the King
(01:46:40) - What have we been watching

Episode 75 | DreamWorks Sequels with Megan and Sutton

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 12:33:50 -0500

With two surprise guests, we work our way through the peak of DreamWorks animation, when every film became a franchise. Megan makes her triumphant return while Sutton makes his first appearance in another long episode. With analysis of Shrek 2, why the Penguins are the best part of Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, how Kung Fu Panda 2 took Po to the next level, the ways that How to Train Your Dragon 2 expanded the franchise and why Puss in Boots: The Last Wish might be the best in the bunch.
0:00 Start
6:40 Beginning of News

27:09 End of News/Beginning of Shrek 2

48:38 Madagascar Escape to Africa

1:01:36 Kung Fu Panda 2

1:15:08 How to Train Your Dragon 2

1:29:05 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

1:49:52 What have we been watching later

Episode 74 | Welcome to Jurassic Park, featuring Anna Ryan

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 14:52:37 -0500

The end of the road continues with another longtime listener joining the show as Anna Ryan steps onto the set to explore some of her favorite movies, the Jurassic Park series. The original blockbuster film, we explore where the first film went right, and why the two sequels missed the mark completely. The greatest year one director has ever experienced, more magic from John Williams, visual effects that have stood the test of time and so much more is discussed in this special episode.
And no, there will be no watching the Jurassic World series.

Episode 73 | The Hunger Games Series w/ Braden and Sydney

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Braden and Sydney are back on the set to watch one of the best book-to-film adaptations in recent history, the Hunger Games series. We explore several avenues including the excellent worldbuilding from Suzanne Collins, specifics on why James Newton Howard's score elevates the series, why we are supposed to hate Gale, starting the President Snow fan club and so much more. The in-depth look at four films is preceded by an erratic news segment that jumps between several topics, including another Last of Us discussion.

Episode 72 | MCU Phase 4 with Jacob Hillman

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Some would say, these movies aren't worth discussing, and Davis might agree with that, but with hosting a podcast comes the great responsibility to talk about the biggest film series of all time, and no matter how difficult it was, we have completed our quest of reviewing every film of the MCU. Jacob Hillman makes his triumphant return as we make our way through over 50 hours of content, every show and movie from the biggest phase yet.

Episode 71 | The Planet of the Apes Trilogy with Josie Jalkh

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0600

Longtime listener and first-time caller Josie Jalkh joins the show for a special episode looking at one of the greatest reboots of all-time, the Andy Serkis-led Planet of the Apes trilogy. The stunning visual effects, performance from Serkis, the strength of gorillas, and more is discussed on this final episode before Spring Break.

Episode 70 | Space the Final Frontier

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0600

70 episodes down, and only a few more to go. On this episode, we venture into the great unknown, one of the most popular settings in film, space, and how films exploring the setting have changed and evolved since 1968. No guests today as we delve into 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apollo 13, First Man, Moon, The Martian and Ad Astra. We talk about how each film explores a different aspect of space travel and how it affects the characters within the stories, as well as looking at how 2001 set the standard.

Episode 69 | Deep Impact and Armageddon featuring Megan DeVoe and Braden

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:02:42 -0600

It's the end of the world as we know it, but that will not stop WEGL's premiere movie podcast. On this newest episode, resuming our normal schedule, we tackle two disaster movies released in the same year, Deep Impact and Armageddon. The similarities, the differences, wondering what they were doing with a gun in space, how the missiles failed and so much more. Braden is back on the show as her plan for TTL domination continues while the maker of bucket hats and stickers alike, Megan DeVoe, joins the show for the first time ever.

Episode 68 | The Social Network and Steve Jobs, featuring Ainsley and Cameron

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0600

Two more guests step onto the set for the third episode in 7 days as we discuss two of writer Aaron Sorkin's very best, The Social Network and Steve Jobs. Cameron and Ainsley join the show for an in-depth look at how those films mirror each other, what sets them apart, the performances and more in another episode of WEGL's premiere movie podcast.

Episode 67 | Lady Bird & Little Women w/ Cameron and Sydney

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0600

Returning guests Cameron and Sydney join the show once again as we tackle the successful start to Greta Gerwig's career as a solo-director with Lady Bird and Little Women. The two films offer a glimpse into Gerwig's own upbringing(Lady Bird) as well as the gender norms and stereotypes that women faced long ago and even today and we discuss it all in this very long but detailed episode. Our news includes debates on DC's future, how nothing is sacred with a White Men Can't Jump reboot in the works and if the Flash will really be an an all-time great.

Episode 66 | Knives Out & Glass Onion with Findlay Maier

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0600

The much-anticipated debut of Findlay Maier as we kick off the first of three episodes in 7 days. WIth Findlay on the set, it is time to cover the Knives Out series, including the strengths of the first film, weaknesses of the second, the brilliant acting and what comes next for Rian Johnson. Opening with a news segment that features discussions of Virgin River and coming-of-age films, the episode is bookended by a retelling of Ben Shaprio's hard-hitting review of Glass Onion, an Oscar debate and more.

Episode 65 | Avatar(Blue People Edition) with Adrian Rushing

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0600

Adrian Rushing steps onto the set for the king of the box office, the Avatar films directed by James Cameron. The latest episode begins news segment filled with in-depth breakdowns of the Last of Us show, what has gone wrong with movie posters and a return to the world of Star Wars. Adrian brings his expert analysis on the film series as we discuss why they are so successful, the technical brilliance of the visual effects, how the Way of the Water proved us wrong and what comes next for the iconic series.

Episode 64 | MCU Phase 3 featuring Braden Haynes

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0600

Dread it, run from it, the MCU episodes arrive all the same. After one month off we are back in the studio with special guest Braden Haynes to break down the MCU. A classic open from Davis, an abridged news segment, breakdowns of all 11 films in Marvels' Phase 3 and more in this special episode.

Episode 63 | Whiplash and La La Land with Josh Wilber and Logan Hurston

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 12:45:47 -0600

An episode many years in the making with two guest joining the show, we tackle two of the best movies of the last decade, Whiplash and La La Land. A packed news segment full of trailers and Davis' favorite subject, sequels, is followed by an in-depth look at two great films from director Damien Chazelle. The performance of a lifetime from J.K. Simmons, what led to these films being made, the "controversial" ending of La La Land and much more on the last show of 2022.

Episode 62 | Harry Potter Part 2 featuring Braden Haynes

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:40:43 -0600

It all ends here...only for a few weeks of course. In one of the final episodes before winter break, we welcome station manager of Eagle Eye TV Braden Haynes into the studio for Part 2 of our series on the Harry Potter films. What went right with Deathly Hallows Part 2, what went wrong with the Half-Blood Prince and everything in between on this 2 hour episode!!! News filled with trailers, mindless sequels that bore us along side the sequels tat we are excited for and most importantly Cocaine Bear, all is discussed on this episode.

Episode 61 | Harry Potter Part 1 featuring Sydney Babb

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 13:12:02 -0600

Welcome to the Wizarding World as we break down one of the most popular film series of all time with special guest Sydney Babb. A depressing news segment filled with remakes and reboots but some wholesome Brendan Fraser news precedes the dive into the world of Harry Potter. We calmly ask if Harry really did put his name in the Goblet of Fire and Davis questions the rules of the magical world in this jam packed episode.

Episode 60 | The Jordan Peele Trilogy

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 12:00:00 -0600

After some delays, and Alex getting the flu, we are back on set to wrap up Spooky Season 3™ with the Jordan Peele trilogy. No guests this week in a packed show filled with stories from a Davis fever dream, a call from Grandma Davis, so many sad sequels and questionable choices from the Russos. The trilogy is full of details, themes and brilliant characters as we discuss it all, looking at Get Out's impact and why Nope might be the year's surprise.

Episode 59 | Alien, Aliens, and more Aliens

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 10:49:26 -0500

3 times the laughs, 3 times the podcast and 3 times the Davis. As Spooky Season 3™ is nearly over, we saved some of the best for last as we review the Alien films. 1-3 and that random sequel at the end, the Alien series has a lot to unpack and we do our best during this podcast as we cover the significance of the first film, how the sequel changed the series, and where everything went wrong after that.

Episode 58 | The Mummy Featuring Jack Hart

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Our journey through a third spooky season on Through the Lens takes us to Ancient Egypt as we watched the Mummy and The Mummy Returns, before jumping suddenly to Chine for "The Mummy": Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Jack Hart joins the studio once again for a light news segment covering mostly NFTs and the Creed films before we jump right into the action-adventure trilogy that defined many people's childhoods.

Episode 57 | The MCU Phase 2 featuring Logan Hurston

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:17:23 -0500

Logan Hurston joins us on the set for the scariest episode of spooky season three, Phase 2 of the MCU. A news segment filled with remakes, reboots and other things that make Davis sad, the episode is jammed with debates discussions and more about what went right with Phase 2, like Winter Soldier, and what went wrong. The show is capped off with a ministry of truth segment that you will not want to miss.

Episode 56 | Movies where the Villain wins

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 12:04:30 -0500

And that story here is today, movies where the bad guys win here on Through The Lens. So buckle up and get ready to deride, ridicule and hate these endings but first, you'll have to deride, ridicule and hate something else, the news. We dissect three classic in The Usual Suspects, Primal Fear and Gone Girl while Davis spends most of the news segment angry over the Last of Us trailer.

Episode 55 | The Ocean's Trilogy featuring Maddie Powers

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:36:32 -0500

This week Maddie Powers steps onto the set to discuss Davis' favorite heist movie and heist trilogy of all time, the Ocean's Trilogy. We have a lighter news segment than usual, with mostly things we don't want to see or don't want to happen. Then we dive into the cast, comedy and creativity of Steve Soderbergh's Ocean's Trilogy.

Episode 54 | Who shot JFK

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 12:00:00 -0500

For one time only, we are not only the hosts of a movie podcast but also investigative reporters looking to unravel the absurd take by Oliver Stone on the JFK assassination in the appropriately titled JFK film from 1991. The film follows district attorney Jim Garrison on his quest to prove JFK's murder was really a conspiracy and we decide to pick apart Garrison's own ideas as well as Stone's "creative choices" in this mess of a film. We also go over the major announcements from D23 as well as the reaction to the Little Mermaid trailer.

Episode 53 | National Treasure: Episode of Secrets

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 12:00:00 -0500

We're gonna steal the Declaration of Independence. *eyebrow raise* BUT FIRST, we have to study the two greatest, and possibly only, American history heist films starring the one and only Nic Cage, the National Treasure films. Laughter is contagious on this episode with an absurd news segment covering the Don't Worry Darling debacle, Brendan Fraser and more Venice Film Festival news.

Episode 52 | The MCU Phase 1

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 12:00:00 -0500

So it begins. We are finally tackling one of the biggest, longest and most successful franchises in the history of Hollywood, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Florence Pugh news, John Carpenter's career and Brendan Fraser's comeback are just a few of the big things discussed during the news segment before we take on the first six films of the MCU, from the first Iron Man to the first Avengers film.

Episode 51 | Everything Everywhere All At Once

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Time Stamps Below Season 3 of Through the Lens has begun and Cameron Kasprzak visits the set to watch the most talked about movie of the summer, Everything Everywhere All At Once. The news segment is massive once again as the trio discusses everything from the premiere of House of the Dragon to the trailer for The Last of Us series and the importance of physical media. For one of the first times in the show's history, everyone agrees. Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of the best movies of all time, and the show divulges into what makes the films so different from anything seen before it and how the genre mashup is executed so perfectly. 0:00 start 0:37: Davis Intro 2:50 Trivia 3:33: House of Dragon News 6:45 Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power 10:02 the Boys and Evil Superman storylines 13:30 Obi Wan Kenobi Documentary 18:35 Showrunner for Andor and Star Wars Debate 26:20: The Last of Us debacle 32: 18 The Bleep 36:24 Spider Man: No Way Home: The More Fun Stuff Version 43:48 oceans 11 prequel 46:00 Warner Bros-Discovery Out of Money, Buy Physical Media 50:45 Everything Everywhere All at Once 1:35:20 Ministry Of Truth for the MCU: Harriet Edition 1:38:30 What have we been reading?

Episode 50 | Stranger Things: A Special Summer Episode

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0500

(Time Stamps Below) Alex and Davis return to the studio for a special summer edition of Through The Lens, and this time they are tackling the cultural phenomenon of Stranger Things. Tune in to hear Alex and David discuss some of the biggest movies of the summer, including Elvis and Thor: Love and Thunder, before they break down Stranger Things 4. What did they like from season 4, what did they wish was different, where can the show go from here and more all on this special 50th episode of WEGL's No. 1 movie podcast. 00:00 The Start 2:50 Trivia Question and Bottle Shock 5:10: What have we been watching/recap of the summer 6:08 Elvis Tangent 15:35 What has Alex been watching/reading? 19:20 The News Segment begins with James Caan’s passing 20:25 James Cameron attacks his critics 26:55 Riverdale Update 28:40 MCU/Thor Discussion 45:30 Stranger things 01:44:45: Emmy Nominations

Episode 49 | Shaft: A WEGL Day Special Event with Grayson Moyer

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:14:11 -0500

WEGL is celebrating its 51st anniversary and Through the Lens is joining the party for the season final of WEGL's premiere movie podcast. Station Manager Grayson Moyer steps onto the set as the team jumps in a time machine and goes back to April of 1971 to discuss the original Shaft. They look back at the 43rd Oscars, other pop culture news and how Shaft changed the filming industry. The Blaxploitation genre, director Gordan Parks' creative decisions and more on this latest episode.

Episode 48 | No Country for Old Men and Wind River: The Modern Western

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Alex and Davis welcome host of the Woodstock Hour AND WEGL Program Director JP Williams onto the set to discuss No Country for Old Men and Wind River, two quintessential films of the Neo-Western genre. In the world of news, Gilbert Gottfried passed away at age 67, the trailer for Stranger Things season 4 was released and Adam Sandler and the Safdie Brothers are collaborating again. Would you see Spider-Man No Way Home 292 times? Why? The trio breaks down the key elements of the Neo-Western as well as how No Country for Old Men and Wind River fit the genre and how the casts and cinematography of each film stands out. All of this and more on the latest episode of Through the Lens.

Episode 47 | Morbius Madness

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0500

After much anticipation, we are finally talking about the film that is "sweeping" the nation: Morbius. We open the show with a big time news segment, as Davis questions why so many franchises are still going on, as well as the Academy's 10 year suspension of Will Smith. Then we get into Morbius, the film that has been delayed for years and go into what led to the delays, how the film fits into Sony's plans and the interesting post credit scenes. We'll talk about Jared Leto's method acting, the deception from the trailers, horrible dialogue and confusing action sequences all on this brand new episode of Through the Lens.

Episode 46 | Back to the Future Trilogy with Jack Hart

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0500

On this new episode will be talking about the classic movie trilogy made by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd, that being Back to the Future. Friend of the show and time traveling fan Jack Hart joins the show as we discuss a wide range of movie news from Bruce Willis' diagnosis to the Kenobi series Top Gun and more. After the news, the trio breaks down the Back to the Future trilogy, including what makes the first film so iconic, the small details that some fans might've missed and how the third film compares to the original.

Episode 45 | The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile with Will Root

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:45:07 -0500

On this episode, Will Root joins the show as we get busy livin or get busy dyin and watch some tricks performed by Mr. Jingles. You could call it the Frank Darabont episode, the prison episode, the Stephen King adaptation episode or what have you, but today we will be talking about The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. But before we get into the two classics, we talk about Will Smith's actions at the Oscars, the awards show overall, a new deleted scene from The Batman and a trailer for A24's latest thriller, Men.

Episode 44 | Ranking Every Live-Action Batman Film

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Today on Through the Lens we will ask “WHERE ARE THEY” in reference to the many batman movies that have come about. We will look to rehydrate your interest in the many adaptations, from the Adam West Batman of the 60s, to the infamously horrible Batman and Robin to the most recent The Batman. We will find out who is “VENGEANCE,” who is allowed to use the Bat credit card and who will be delegated to not being able to move their neck in a costume right here on Through the Lens.

Episode 43 | The Batman

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0500

On this episode of Through the Lens Alex and Davis discuss and give their reviews on the newest Batman movie, The Batman. The Batman stars Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, and Paul Dano and is the newest film from Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves. Whatg makes this film different from the other Batman films we've seen before? Find out on this episode of Through the Lens.

Episode 42 | Welcome to Jackass

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0600

Alex and Davis here and welcome to Through the Lens: Jackass Edition. The duo are back in the studio to cover the absurd, ridiculous and crude Jackass film series, from the first movie in 2002 to the fourth and seemingly final installment, Jackass Forever. They opened the show with the longest news segment in the shows history, covering everything from John Williams' return to trailers for Elvis and Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers. They then jump right into the Jackass series, covering why these films were so successful, what makes them different from other imitations and some of their favorite, and least favorite stunts.

Episode 41 | The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy with Special Guest Jack Hart

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 16:21:57 -0600

Alex and Davis welcomed Jack Hart back into the studio for a special episode on the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. The trio opened the show with a packed news segment due to a number of trailers premiering during the Super Bowl including Jordan Peele's Nope, the new Lord of the Rings TV series and Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. They then talk about the first three films in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, including what made the first film so unique, how the music stands out and how Jack Sparrow changes after the first film.

Episode 40 | A Valentine's Day Special

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0600

Alex and Davis celebrate their 40th episode of Through the Lens with a Valentine's Day special that features three "classic" Rom-Coms: The Wedding Planner, Love Actually and About Time. It was another light news week with a rumors of a Madame Web film in the works, the next A24 film "After Yang" releasing a trailer and the Kenobi tv series getting a premiere date on Disney+. They then jump right into the rom-com genre, critiquing The Wedding Planner at every turn, discussing if Love Actually truly deserves its place in pop culture and how About Time is more than just a rom-com.

Episode 39 | X-Men Timeline Explained?

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 12:31:16 -0600

This week, Alex and Davis tackle the X-Men timeline, trying to follow it from the first X-Men film all the way to Dark Phoenix. They open the show with some of the biggest news from the week, including the controversial trailer for the Halo tv series, Sam Raimi's thoughts on No Way Home and what The Rock's next video game film will be. The news is followed with an in-depth run through of the X-Men timeline, with every contradiction, confusing scene and plot twist highlighted.

Episode 38 | Spider-Man: The Home Trilogy

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 12:31:06 -0600

Alex and Davis are back in the studio to talk about the third series of Spider-Man films, the Tom Holland-led Home Trilogy. They open the show with a packed news segment that features info on the trailer for Moon Knight, a discussion of the length and rating of Robert Pattison's The Batman and the announcement trailer for the new Lord of the Rings T.V. show on Amazon. The news segment is followed by nearly an hour of reviewing and discussing the MCU's take on Spider-Man, including the flaws of Homecoming, the comedy in Far From Home, as well as the theater experience of No Way Home and where Spider-Man goes from here. Check out the show's Instagram page @through_the_lens_wegl.

Episode 37 | Ranking Our Favorite War Movies with Chris DiBias

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 15:54:17 -0600

Alex and Davis close out the fall semester with special guest Chris DiBias returning to the show for a war movies discussion, as the trio each rank their Top-10 favorite war films of all time. They open with a light news segment, including discussions about the new Spider-Man Across the Multiverse trailer, the new trailer for Matrix:Resurrections and Kevin Feige's comments on Daredevil possibly joining the MCU. The rankings segment features a variety of war movies, with films such as Saving Private Ryan, The Outpost, We Were Soldiers and Apocalypse Now making an appearance. The show ends with a debate over whether war movies are inherently pro-war and what exactly the message of these films might be.

Episode 36 | Die Hard=Christmas Movie?

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 11:58:00 -0600

Alex and Davis are back after Thanksgiving break to celebrate the holiday season with a Christmas episode as Davis watched Die Hard for the first time. The show begins with one of the longest news segments ever as they discuss the new No Way Home trailer, teaser trailers for Halo, the Book of Boba Fett and Elvis, as well as the cast and trailer film Don't Look Up. Then they dive right into reviewing Die Hard, including Alan Rickman's performance as Hans Gruber, what makes this film different from the "dumb action movies" that Davis has not liked in the past and a little bit about Die Hard 2. They wrap up the show with a Christmas movie discussion and whether Die Hard and Die Hard 2 fit into the genre.

Episode 35 | The Amazing Spider-Man Films

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0600

This week Alex and Davis reviewed the Amazing Spider-Man series as they prepare for the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. They opened the show with a packed weekly news segment, including the trailers for She-Hulk and Moon Knight as well as Ridley Scott's thoughts on superhero films and Tom Holland denying more No Way Home rumors. They then jump right into the Amazing Spider-Man films, starting with some background on how these films were made following the cancellation of Sam Raimi's fourth Spider-Man film, how these films compare to the Raimi trilogy and why the series ending after the second film.

Episode 34 | Interstellar with Josh Wilber

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 11:57:53 -0600

Alex and Davis welcome friend of the show Josh Wilber back in the studio to discuss Interstellar, one of the hosts' all-time favorite films. This week there is a lot of news to talk about with the trio going through some casting news for Oppenheimer, trailers for Morbius and Power of the Dog and Chris Pratt taking over as the voice of Garfield. The Interstellar review begins shortly after with a discussion of the science behind some of the film, such as the black hole, whether this is Hans Zimmer's best score yet, where this ranks among Nolan's other films and what Josh thinks of the film after seeing it for the first time.

Episode 33 | Dune(1984) and Dune(2021) with Special Guest Josh Wilber

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 12:51:40 -0500

Alex and Davis welcome friend of the show Josh Wilber into the studio to discuss the recent space epic from Denis Villeneuve, Dune, as well as the original 1984 film from David Lynch and how the book by Frank Herbert compares to both. With two movies to discuss, the news segment to open the show is very light with brief discussions about the trailers for Lightyear and the Book of Boba Fett as well as the potential John Wick spinoff starring Ana De Armas. After wrapping up the weekly news the trio dives right into Dune(1984) and the discussion takes a mostly negative turn as they find little that they enjoy from the film, including a few absurd style choices that were not present in the original novel and horrible exposition to open the film. The review of Dune(2021) is more positive, focusing on the film's A-list cast, stunning visual effects and well executed exposition. They wrap up the show with a discussion of potential casting choices for Dune Part 2, set to release in 2023.

Episode 32 | John Carpenter's Halloween and The Thing

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:44:16 -0500

Alex and Davis wrap up scary movie season in this episode as they, with the help of Cheetah Print host Chris Dibias, review John Carpenter's Halloween and the Thing. Alex and Davis open the show on their own as they discuss a host of movie trailers including a look at the Uncharted film, Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos and Ambulance. They move onto Halloween, Carpenter's first horro film, and discuss how the film has influenced the slasher genre and what makes it different from modern day horror films. Once they finish Halloween, Chris Dibias joins the show to discuss the Thing, how it was a remake, who was in fact "The Thing" and the prequel released in 2011.

Episode 31 | Scooby Doo: Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, Alien Invaders and Cyber Chase

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Alex and Davis are back with another Scooby Doo themed episode, but this time they tackle the four classic Scooby Doo animated films that were produced from 1998-2001. They open the show with a lot of news and trailers from DC Fandome, including the Batman trailer and a sneak peek at The Flash. Then they go through the four Scooby Doo films, Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, Alien Invaders and Cyber Chase, breaking down what makes these films stand out from traditionally Scooby Doo shows and how each film is different.

Episode 30 | Hereditary and Midsommar

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:07:27 -0500

Alex and Davis welcome friend of the show Chris Dibias into the studio this week to discuss director Ari Aster's two horror films, Hereditary and Midsommar. The show opens with another light news segment, including the Scream 5 release date being announcing, a "That 70s' Show" sequel and Chris' opinion on Dune. They then break down both Hereditary and Midsommar, discussing some of the films' biggest plot points, plot twists, possible theories and how the two films are different.

Episode 29 | Screams 1 and 4

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Scary Movie Season has begun and Alex and Davis start off the month with a review of two iconic "slasher" films, Scream 1 and Scream 4. This episode begins with a short news segment that includes a House of the Dragon discussion and a review of last year's scary movie episodes. They then dive right into the original Scream, discussing the state of the horror film genre at the time and how the film works as a satire of the genre and the biggest tropes from other slasher films. The review of Scream 4 follows a similar path as both films mirror each other. They wrap up with final thoughts and they will be back next week to watch Hereditary and Midsommar.

Episode 28 | Indiana Jones Trilogy, Plus the 4th One

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0500

For the final episode before scary movie season begins, Alex and Davis bring in friend of the show and host of Compact Discourse, Jack Hart. Before they get into the famous series they have to first go over some movie news from earlier in the week. They talk about Daniel Craig's criticisms of James Bond and his thoughts on creating new characters, new movie trailers and finish up with the announcement of the Mario animated movie cast. After the news they talk about their thoughts on the first three acclaimed Indiana Jones movies and rank them, and then move on to talk about the un-acclaimed movie Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and discuss why it is all of their least favorite.

Episode 27 | Tenet

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0500

This week's episode sees Alex and Davis break down Christopher Nolan's latest mind-bending film, Tenet. The show opens with an intro provided by Davis and a packed news segment. They discuss a number of Warner Brothers projects, including the Lost Boys remake, Denis Villeneuve's comments on the MCU and Christopher Nolan's departure from WB. The Tenet debate is less a debate and more an explanation as Alex and Davis share theories and try to answer the biggest questions from Nolan's latest film, with a short discussion on the music as always.

Episode 26 | The Raimi/Maguire Spider-Man Trilogy

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0500

In the newest installment of Through the Lens, Alex and Davis tackle the daunting task of reviewing the iconic Spider-Man trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire. They begin the show by discussing a number of trailers released in the past week, including the Matrix: Resurrections, Hawkeye, and West Side Story. They follow that up with a more serious tribute to the passing of legendary entertainers Michael K. Williams and Norm Macdonald. After the news, they get right into talking about the legendary and sometimes contentious Raimi trilogy. They go over what they like and dislike about each movie, and if the trilogy stands up to the test of time.

Episode 25 | Parasite: Foreign Film Expedition Part 3

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0500

Alex and Davis are back on their foreign film expedition as they discuss Best Picture winner Parasite and much more. The show opens with a discussion on the passing of Ed Asner(Carl in Up), CinemaCon news and what makes foreign films so good. Then they break down Parasite, talking about what makes this film standout, from its cast and story to its symbolism and commentary on society. You can follow the show on instagram @through_the_lens_wegl and contact Alex and Davis for any movies you would like them to review.

Episode 24 | Some Kind of Movie Podcast: The Suicide Squads

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 12:04:22 -0500

Alex and Davis tackle the Suicide Squad films(2016 and 2021) in their first episode since May. They opened the show with a news discussion, including the theories and implications from the new Spider-Man trailer. Then they dive right into Suicide Squad 2016, discussing where the movie went wrong, from the incredible hype and marketing to the disjointed mess that hit theaters. The segment on The Suicide Squad 2021 saw more positivity from the duo, including praise for Gunn's unique style and the stellar cast.

Episode 23 | New Top Choices (feat. Less Tom Cruise)

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 10:02:00 -0500

For the final episode of the school year, Alex and Davis revise their Top 10 movie list from their inaugural episode. They made some serious changes, including fifteen movies instead of ten. They start the show as usual with some movie news, including a debate on what went wrong with the Oscars this past Sunday. They start off their lists with honorable mentions before going one-by-one listing their (current) favorite movies of all time.

Episode 22 | Oscars Episode 4: Best Picture

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:51:38 -0500

And the Academy Award for Best Picture goes to.... tune in this week to find out which movies should win Best Picture this Sunday at the 93rd annual Oscars. The movies nominated are Trial of the Chicago Seven, Judas and the Black Messiah, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Mank, Minari, Sound of Metal, and The Father. Prior to that discussion Alex and Davis got into yet another discussion about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its perceived lack of variety. You can follow along for updates about the show @Through_the_Lens_wegl on Instagram.

Episode 21 | Oscars Episode 3: Best Actress Category

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 19:25:22 -0500

The Academy Award for Best Actress goes to........ tune in this week to find out who Alex and Davis are picking to win Best Actress this year. The nominees for this year are Andra Day in The US vs. Billie Holiday, Viola Davis in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Frances McDormand in Nomadland, Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman and Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman. They also start the show off with an impromptu debate about the best comic book movies to date, and where Spider-Man 2 fits onto that list.

Episode 20 | Oscars Episode 2: Best Actor Category

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 20:09:59 -0500

On this episode of Through the Lens Alex and Davis tackle the five films with best actor nominations at this year's Oscars. First they talk about the latest in movie news including the Black Widow and Loki trailers as well as the Soviet-Era version of Lord of the Rings. They break down the best actor category by going performance by performance in this order: Gary Oldman in Mank, Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Steven Yeun in Minari, Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal, and Anthony Hopkins in The Father.

Episode 19 | Biggest Oscar Snubs

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 19:53:14 -0500

For the first episode of this special Oscar themed month, Alex and Davis talk about some of the biggest snubs in the Academy's history. The start out the show talking about some of the biggest news, including the planned Knives Out sequels from Netflix, the Black Adam movie, and David Ayer's Suicide Squad "Ayer cut." They followed the news with some of the more famous Oscar snubs in recent history before getting into their personal picks for biggest Oscar snubs.

Episode 18 | Foreign Film Expedition Part 2: Roma and Pain and Glory

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 19:57:25 -0500

On this special Spanish movies episode, Alex and Davis talk about critically-acclaimed movies, Roma and Pain and Glory. They start the show by going through some of the latest movie news, including more on the Snyder Cut, along with the topic of strong female characters in movies. They then get into discussing what they liked about each movie and if they got snubbed for Oscars. They end the show by giving their reasons for loving foreign movies.

Episode 17 | Zack Snyder's Justice League

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 20:37:34 -0500

On this week's episode of Through the Lens, Alex and Davis talk about about the highly anticipated Snyder Cut and determine if Zack Snyder's Justice League lived up to the hype. They start off with some movie news, mostly related to the Snyder Cut, including the removed John Stewart Green Lantern cameo. Then they talk about what they liked and disliked from the film, and what the new edition changed. Follow the show @through_the_lens_wegl for episode updates as well as other movie related content.

Episode 16 | The DC Extended Universe

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 20:00:16 -0600

On this heated episode of Through the Lens Alex and Davis talk about the entire DC Extended Universe so far. They open up the episode discussing the hottest pop culture news including Bethesda games becoming Xbox exclusives and MCU fatigue. After that they get right into discussing how the DCEU has been organized and how they felt about each film. The show ends with a very lively discussion about if the Justice League is enjoyable.

Episode 15 | Foreign Film Expedition Day 1: Train To Busan & La Haine

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 19:20:30 -0600

This week Alex and Davis begin a foreign language film journey that will continue every few weeks, with Train to Busan and La Haine. Before getting into those two films, the two go a bit off the rails talking about the latest and greatest in movie news, specifically Davis' hatred of Russel Brand and his "acting." Then they finally get into Train to Busan and La Haine, talking about some of their favorite scenes, and what makes each of these movies stand out.

Episode 14 | Black History Month Special

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 11:30:56 -0600

On this special episode of Through the Lens, Alex and Davis along with special guest Damia Scott talk about some of the most recent influential movies concerning Black History. First they go through some of the biggest movie news, including the rumored Superman movie, Blue Beetle, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3. They then get right into it discussing three movies: 12 Years a Slave, Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing. They talk about the movies themselves, as well as their significance and some of the questions they might pose.

Episode 13 | Now This is Podcasting: The Finale

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 21:16:28 -0600

Alex and Davis, along with Chris and Jack are ready for the final episode of the Now this is Podcasting series. The group begins with the latest in pop culture, including the trailers for Mortal Kombat and the SnyderCut. Then they discuss the other two Disney films, Solo and Rogue One before definitively ranking all 11 Star Wars films, which features some surprising choices,

Episode 12 | Now This is Podcasting: The Sequel Trilogy ft. Jack Hart & Chris DiBias

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 20:27:57 -0600

Alex and Davis are back for the most divisive trilogy in the Star Wars saga. To begin they break down the latest in movie news including the upcoming Snyder Cut trailer, and the Gina Carano controversy. They then jump right into The Force Awakens and the show picks up quickly with all of the guys getting into a number of heated discussions. Davis fights a one on three battle defending The Last Jedi before they come together in their disdain for The Rise of Skywalker.

Episode 11 | Now This is Podcasting: Star Wars The Original Trilogy

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:19:31 -0600

After a week off, Alex and Davis are back with their friends Jack and Jacob to break down the Star Wars Original Trilogy. They begin talking about the latest news, including some spoilers for Wandavision and debating Godzilla vs. Kong. They then jump right into it, going movie by movie, listing their favorite moments, scenes, fun facts and more.

Episode 10 | Now This is Podcasting: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (feat. Jacob Hillman)

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 20:27:18 -0600

Alex and Davis with special guest Jacob Hillman, co-host of The Scoreboard, begin their four episode Star Wars saga. First they break down some important movie news, then jump straight into it with The Phantom Menace. The trio goes through each film listing some of their favorite moments and characters ending with Jacob and Davis on the high ground defending Anakin's turn to the dark side with Alex opposing Jacob's hate of Mace Windu. From Anakin's upbringing on Tattooine to Ki-Adi-Mundi slander, they discuss it all, Through the Lens.

Episode 9 | The Best of the Break

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 18:38:47 -0600

Following an extended Christmas break, Alex and Davis are back with a ton of new video game, television and movie news. They then go on to list some of their favorite (and in Alex's case, least favorite) movies that they watched while they were away.

Episode 8 | Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 19:34:09 -0600

Alex and Davis decide to take a deep dive into the Cornetto Trilogy, a series of comedy films from Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. They open the show like always with a breakdown of the world of pop culture including some brand new trailers for upcoming movies. Then they get into the Cornetto trilogy and move along chronologically, from Shaun of the Dead to Hot Fuzz and finally The World's End, picking out some cool scenes, fun facts and funny moments along the way.

Episode 7 | Tribute to Sean Connery

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:17:12 -0600

On this tribute episode of Through the Lens, Alex and Davis talk about some of the greatest performances of Sir Sean Connery. To begin they look at some of the biggest things in the world of pop culture including a discussion of one of George Lucas's planned sequel trilogies, and a possible Sharkboy and Lavagirl spinoff. Then they finally dig into the career of Sir Sean Connery, looking at some of his most iconic roles including James Bond in Goldfinger, Henry Jones in The Last Crusade, James Malone in The Untouchables and more.

Episode 6 | The Best and Worst Movies for Halloween

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 20:30:21 -0500

On the final episode of Spooky season, Alex and Davis discuss some of their favorite, and least favorite movies to watch around Halloween. They begin the show by talking about some of the biggest stories in pop culture including a movie about NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and potential controversy involving Joss Whedon and Ray Fisher. Then they debate what exactly qualifies as a "Halloween" movie, before talking about some all-time classics, underrated gems, and downright bad movies to watch on Halloween.

Episode 5 | Sickos and Psychos in Cinema

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 20:42:16 -0500

In this third episode of the "Spooky Season" Alex and Davis dissect some of the creepiest, and most psychotic characters ever put on the silver screen. However, they first breakdown what is happening in the world of cinema; including Snyder cut news, the Uncharted movie and a potential "edgy" Barney the Dinosaur movie. They then jump right into breaking down the psyches of the twisted minds on their list, including such characters as Norman Bates, Hannibal Lecter and many more.

Episode 4 | Scooby-One and Scooby-Two

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 20:41:00 -0500

Scooby Dooby Doo? Alex and Davis open the show with a discussion of the biggest pop culture news including Mel Gibson as psycho Santa and the potential of multiple comic book multiverses. They then continue their theme of "Spooky Season" movies with the live-action Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). They break down both movies, detailing the crazy original plans of writer James Gunn before getting into the meat of the films. They recite some quotes, make some jokes and do some impressions.

Episode 3 | Se7en vs. Zodiac, Fiction vs. Reality

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:14:02 -0500

In this episode of Through the Lens, Alex and Davis take a look at the world of pop culture once again, specifically the potential of a multiverse within the MCU. Following a look at potential multiverse characters they jump right into their first movie of the show, Se7en. After discussing the shocking conclusion to this crime-drama they look at another Fincher classic, Zodiac. The two take differing sides and debate which is the superior film.

Episode 2 | Disney's Lost Treasure.... Planet?

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 20:28:59 -0500

Alex and Davis open with the biggest headlines in the world of pop culture. They talk about the Disney remake situation, and how they feel about them. They then make the case for Disney remaking the 2002 cult classic Treasure Planet, and break down the film including their favorite moments, quotes and scenes.

Episode 1 | Thomas Cruise and Top Choices

Alex Husting, Davis Carroll — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 17:17:09 -0500

In this inaugural episode of Through the Lens, Alex and Davis discuss their all-time favorite actors, actresses, directors and movies. From Matt Damon to Pirates of the Caribbean, their lists include it all.