For the month of February, Not A Bomb is shining a spotlight on some of the greatest Black directors in cinematic history. This week, Troy and Brad dive into their first film from legendary music‑video visionary Hype Williams with his 1998 crime drama Belly, a film that’s as visually bold as it is culturally influential.
Anchored by performances from DMX and Nas, the film brings Willams’ unmistakable aesthetic to every frame — surreal lighting, striking color palettes, and kinetic camera work, creating a dreamlike, hypnotic atmosphere that feels ripped straight from the golden era of hip‑hop. It’s a world where every shot looks like an album cover and every moment feels charged with style and attitude. While critics were divided on its narrative, Belly has endured as a cult classic, influencing filmmakers, musicians, and visual artists for decades. It’s messy, ambitious, and unlike anything else released in its era, which makes it perfect for the Not A Bomb treatment. The guys are also happy to bring friend of the show, Zo from Back Look Cinema Podcast back to the show! Be sure you go support his show!
Belly is directed by Hype Williams and stars DMX, Nas, Taral Hicks, Method Man, Tionne “T‑Boz” Watkins, and Hassan Johnson.
Support the Show
Want to help support the show? Head over to the Not A Bomb Tee Public store and check our merchandise. Special thanks to Ted Blair for the amazing designs!
We're committed to hearing your feedback and suggestions. If there's a cinematic flop you'd like us to delve into, please reach out to us at NotABombPod@gmail.com or through our contact page. Your reviews and feedback are what drive us. If you enjoy our content, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
Special Guest: Zo
Love is in the air… which means it’s time for a group of so-called friends to emotionally waterboard their buddy with terrible cinema.
This week’s experiment: the glitter-soaked fever dream starring Paris Hilton — The Hottie and the Nottie. A romantic comedy that bravely asks, “Can true love conquer all?” …and then immediately tests that theory against a script that absolutely cannot.
We would break down the plot, but that would imply there’s structure. Instead, imagine a loose collection of baffling decisions, early-2000s fashion choices, and jokes that feel like they were rescued from a rejected middle school notebook — all stitched together with lip gloss and desperation.
It’s a movie that doesn’t just challenge beauty standards and rom-com tropes… it challenges friendships. And on this episode, we find out whether love is patient, love is kind — and whether Brad can survive 90 minutes of this without filing a formal complaint.
Happy Valentine’s Day. Bring chocolate. And emotional support.
Be sure to subscribe to the Gentlemen’s Guide to Midnite Cinema to hear more of Sammy. Also, check out Jose’s podcast - Watch/Skip+ • A podcast on Anchor. Both are highly recommended.
If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at NotABombPod@gmail.com or Contact Us - here. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.
For the month of February, Not A Bomb is shining a spotlight on some of the greatest Black directors in cinematic history. This week, Troy and Brad shift gears from grounded crime dramas to full‑throttle grindhouse fantasy as they explore their first film from RZA — the Wu‑Tang Clan legend turned filmmaker — with his 2012 martial‑arts epic The Man with the Iron Fists.
Set in the chaotic, neon‑splashed world of Jungle Village, the film follows a humble blacksmith who becomes entangled in a violent power struggle between assassins, warriors, mercenaries, and one extremely committed Russell Crowe. Drawing inspiration from Shaw Brothers classics, spaghetti westerns, and old‑school kung fu cinema, RZA blends genre homage with his own hip‑hop sensibilities to create something loud, stylish, and completely unrestrained.
With bone‑crunching fight scenes, outrageous characters, and a world that feels ripped straight from a fever‑dream comic book, The Man with the Iron Fists asks a simple question: can pure passion and love for martial‑arts cinema overcome a chaotic script and some questionable acting choices? Troy and Brad dig into RZA’s directorial vision, the film’s wild production energy, and why this gonzo kung‑fu mashup has earned a cult following.
Sharpen your blades — this one gets rowdy.
The Man with the Iron Fists is directed by RZA and stars Russell Crowe, Cung Lee, Lucy Liu, Bryon Mann, RZA, Rick Yune, David Bautista, and Jamie Chung
Want to help support the show? Head over to the Not A Bomb Tee Public store and check our merchandise. Special thanks to Ted Blair for the amazing designs!
We're committed to hearing your feedback and suggestions. If there's a cinematic flop you'd like us to delve into, please reach out to us at NotABombPod@gmail.com or through our contact page. Your reviews and feedback are what drive us. If you enjoy our content, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
Welcome back to Not A Bomb!—the podcast where we resurrect cinema’s most infamous box office disasters and ask the burning question: was it really that bad? We’re celebrating five years of cinematic redemption.
For the month of February, Not A Bomb is shining a spotlight on some of the greatest Black directors in cinematic history. This week, Troy and Brad take on their very first Spike Lee joint with his 1995 crime drama Clockers — a film that blends gritty realism, moral complexity, and Lee’s unmistakable visual style.
Set in a Brooklyn housing project, Clockers allows Spike Lee to use his sharp eye for cultural tension, systemic injustice, and the lived realities of urban America, the film becomes more than a crime story — it’s a layered portrait of community, policing, and the cycles that trap people in impossible choices.
Is Clockers one of Spike Lee’s most underrated films? And how does it fit into the larger conversation about ’90s crime cinema and Black storytelling on screen? Troy and Brad dig into all of it.
Clockers is directed by Spike Lee and stars Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo, Mikhi Phifer, Isaiah Washington, and Ketih David.
Want to help support the show? Head over to the Not A Bomb Tee Public store and check our merchandise. Special thanks to Ted Blair for the amazing designs!
We're committed to hearing your feedback and suggestions. If there's a cinematic flop you'd like us to delve into, please reach out to us at NotABombPod@gmail.com or through our contact page. Your reviews and feedback are what drive us. If you enjoy our content, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
For the entire month of March, the guys at Not A Bomb are throwing it back to their old Movie Matchup format—pitting notorious box office bombs against each other in a battle for redemption. Two flops enter… only one survives. There can only be one!
Crank up the amps, listeners, because this week we’re going full volume with a double feature of rock‑and‑roll misfits: Airheads and The Rocker. That’s right, Troy and Brad are diving into two cult‑leaning comedies about musicians who refuse to let obscurity, bad decisions, or basic common sense get in their way.
Airheads (1994)
Directed by Michael Lehmann and starring Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Michael McKean, Ernie Hudson, Judd Nelson, and Joe Mantegna, this ‘90s cult favorite asks the truly important questions: What happens when your band can’t get airplay and your best plan is… taking a radio station hostage? How did one movie manage to pack in this many iconic comedic faces? And why, despite all the chaos, does it still feel painfully relatable to every band that’s ever played a half-empty club while their drummer argues about artistic integrity?
The Rocker (2008)
Directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Josh Gad, Emma Stone, Teddy Geiger, Jeff Garlin, and Jane Lynch, this one brings the arena‑rock energy with a side of midlife crisis.
The Matchup
From hostage‑taking metalheads to a washed‑up drummer chasing redemption, the guys break down which film hits the right notes, which one bombs, and which earns the coveted weekly crown. It’s an episode packed with laughs, nostalgia, big hair, bigger egos, and enough rock‑movie absurdity to fill a stadium.
For the entire month of March, the guys at Not A Bomb are throwing it back to their old Movie Matchup format—pitting notorious box office bombs against each other in a battle for redemption. Two flops enter… only one survives. There can only be one!
Crank up the amps, listeners, because this week we’re going full volume with a double feature of rock‑and‑roll misfits: Airheads and The Rocker. That’s right, Troy and Brad are diving into two cult‑leaning comedies about musicians who refuse to let obscurity, bad decisions, or basic common sense get in their way.
Airheads (1994)
Directed by Michael Lehmann and starring Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Michael McKean, Ernie Hudson, Judd Nelson, and Joe Mantegna, this ‘90s cult favorite asks the truly important questions: What happens when your band can’t get airplay and your best plan is… taking a radio station hostage? How did one movie manage to pack in this many iconic comedic faces? And why, despite all the chaos, does it still feel painfully relatable to every band that’s ever played a half-empty club while their drummer argues about artistic integrity?
The Rocker (2008)
Directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Josh Gad, Emma Stone, Teddy Geiger, Jeff Garlin, and Jane Lynch, this one brings the arena‑rock energy with a side of midlife crisis.
The Matchup
From hostage‑taking metalheads to a washed‑up drummer chasing redemption, the guys break down which film hits the right notes, which one bombs, and which earns the coveted weekly crown. It’s an episode packed with laughs, nostalgia, big hair, bigger egos, and enough rock‑movie absurdity to fill a stadium.
We Want to Hear From You
Got a cinematic flop you want us to tackle? Drop us a line at NotABombPod@gmail.com or reach out through our contact page. Reviews on Apple Podcasts or Spotify help us grow and keep the chaos coming.
Cast: Brad, Troy
Got a cinematic flop you want us to tackle? Drop us a line at NotABombPod@gmail.com or reach out through our contact page. Reviews on Apple Podcasts or Spotify help us grow and keep the chaos coming.
Cast: Brad, Troy