Episode 286 - The Phoenician Scheme
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.
Not A Bomb! continues with the bombs of 2025, this time examining the black comedy film - The Phoenician Scheme. Troy and Brad use this opportunity to reflect on the cinematic career of Wes Anderson. Everyone knows Wes has a unique visual, but has he grown as a filmmaker? Is he just doing the Wes Anderson thing?
The hosts find themselves battling with their initial thoughts and The Phoenician Scheme provided plenty for them to chew on. But hey, most importantly the guys are able to talk about Richard Ayoade AKA Dean Learner from Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace so maybe The Phoenician Scheme is the greatest film ever made for that simply fact.
The Phoenician Scheme is directed by Wes Anderson and stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Rix Ahmed, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amairic, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Rupert Friend
Additionally, Troy and Brad discuss Kill Bill: The Whole Affair as a bonus.
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.
Not A Bomb! rolls on with another cinematic misfire from 2025—this time diving into the black comedy The Phoenician Scheme. Troy and Brad use the occasion to take a hard look at the career of Wes Anderson. Sure, everyone recognizes his unmistakable visual style—but has he truly evolved as a filmmaker, or is he simply perfecting the “Wes Anderson thing” over and over?
As the hosts wrestle with their first impressions, The Phoenician Scheme gives them plenty to debate. And honestly, any film that lets Troy and Brad gush about Richard Ayoade—yes, Dean Learner himself from Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace—might automatically qualify as a masterpiece for that reason alone.
The Phoenician Scheme is directed by Wes Anderson and stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Rix Ahmed, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amairic, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Rupert Friend
Additionally, Troy and Brad discuss Kill Bill: The Whole Affair as a bonus.
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.
Episode 285 - The Alto Knights (with Michael Neel)
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.
Not A Bomb! rolls into month two of dissecting the biggest cinematic disasters of 2025. This week, the crew tackles a film that dares to ask: what if Robert De Niro played not one, but two mobsters? That’s right—double the De Niro, half the payoff—in The Alto Knights.
Do you love watching Sopranos alums remix their old tricks with barely a fresh idea in sight? Want to behold some of the most baffling lighting choices ever burned onto a screen? Or maybe you’re in the mood for two full hours of nonstop rambling with virtually no action to show for it? Then strap in—this cinematic “bomb” has your name scrawled on it in giant, flaming letters.
To sweeten the deal, we’re celebrating the 15th anniversary of the cult web-series Infinite Santa 8000 by welcoming back director Michael Neel. His sharp, technical perspective offers a refreshing counterpoint to the chaos, that is Troy and Brad.
The Alto Knights is directed by Barry Levinson and stars Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Katherine Narducci, and Michael Rispoli
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.
Not A Bomb! rolls into month two of dissecting the biggest cinematic disasters of 2025. This week, the crew tackles a film that dares to ask: what if Robert De Niro played not one, but two mobsters? That’s right—double the De Niro, half the payoff—in The Alto Knights.
Do you love watching Sopranos alums remix their old tricks with barely a fresh idea in sight? Want to behold some of the most baffling lighting choices ever burned onto a screen? Or maybe you’re in the mood for two full hours of nonstop rambling with virtually no action to show for it? Then strap in—this cinematic “bomb” has your name scrawled on it in giant, flaming letters.
To sweeten the deal, we’re celebrating the 15th anniversary of the cult web-series Infinite Santa 8000 by welcoming back director Michael Neel. His sharp, technical perspective offers a refreshing counterpoint to the chaos, that is Troy and Brad.
The Alto Knights is directed by Barry Levinson and stars Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Katherine Narducci, and Michael Rispoli
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.
Episode 282 - From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
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.
The “celebration” of 2025’s biggest cinematic misfires rolls on, and this week, Troy and Brad pirouette into the bullet-riddled ballet that is Ballerina. Set in the ever-expanding World of John Wick, this spin-off tries desperately to remind you that, yes, the John Wick franchise is still very cool, very successful, and very much alive—even if this particular entry feels like it’s limping to the finish line in high heels.
Ballerina stars Ana de Armas as Eve, a vengeance-fueled assassin with a tragic backstory and a penchant for pirouettes and pistol-whipping. The film’s marketing promised a sleek, stylish detour into Wick’s world, but what audiences got was a muddled mix of lore-dumping, recycled set pieces, and storytelling that felt like it was choreographed by committee.
Troy and Brad dive deep into the film’s long and winding production history, including the last-minute call to bring in franchise godfather Chad Stahelski to punch up the action. Is Ballerina a misunderstood gem or just a misstep in an otherwise bulletproof franchise? Tune in as they dissect the good, the bad, and the ballet of it all—and decide whether Ballerina deserves a second dance or a swift exit stage left.
From the world of John Wick: Ballerina is directed by Len Wiseman and stars Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves.
To celebrate the last 25 years of film, the Not A Bomb podcast is compiling a Top 25 list from the Not A Bomb community. If you would like to submit your own list, please use this form to enter your 25 choices. For a film to be eligible, it must have been released between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2025. Those are the only rules. Hurry, this is the last week to submit your list! Thank you for being a part of the community! Stay tuned for a special episode revealing the results in December. Head over to Not A Bomb 25 in 25 to fill out the form!
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.
The “celebration” of 2025’s biggest cinematic misfires rolls on, and this week, Troy and Brad pirouette into the bullet-riddled ballet that is Ballerina. Set in the ever-expanding World of John Wick, this spin-off tries desperately to remind you that, yes, the John Wick franchise is still very cool, very successful, and very much alive—even if this particular entry feels like it’s limping to the finish line in high heels.
Ballerina stars Ana de Armas as Eve, a vengeance-fueled assassin with a tragic backstory and a penchant for pirouettes and pistol-whipping. The film’s marketing promised a sleek, stylish detour into Wick’s world, but what audiences got was a muddled mix of lore-dumping, recycled set pieces, and storytelling that felt like it was choreographed by committee.
Troy and Brad dive deep into the film’s long and winding production history, including the last-minute call to bring in franchise godfather Chad Stahelski to punch up the action. Is Ballerina a misunderstood gem or just a misstep in an otherwise bulletproof franchise? Tune in as they dissect the good, the bad, and the ballet of it all—and decide whether Ballerina deserves a second dance or a swift exit stage left.
From the world of John Wick: Ballerina is directed by Len Wiseman and stars Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves.
To celebrate the last 25 years of film, the Not A Bomb podcast is compiling a Top 25 list from the Not A Bomb community. If you would like to submit your own list, please use this form to enter your 25 choices. For a film to be eligible, it must have been released between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2025. Those are the only rules. Hurry, this is the last week to submit your list! Thank you for being a part of the community! Stay tuned for a special episode revealing the results in December. Head over to Not A Bomb 25 in 25 to fill out the form!
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.