Episode 301 - Gladiator (1992) vs Diggstown (Movie Matchup March)
There’s something special about early ‘90s boxing movies. They live in that sweet spot between grit and charm—before everything became overly polished, but after the genre had already gone a few rounds with audiences. For Episode 301 of Not A Bomb, we step into the ring with two films that don’t always get a title shot: Gladiator (1992) and Diggstown (1992).
Here is the tale of the tape:
Gladiator (1992)
Gladiator comes out swinging with raw, underground energy. It’s a coming-of-age story that doesn’t pull its punches, following a young fighter caught in a world where every decision feels like going toe-to-toe with disaster.
This movie fights in close quarters, dirty, aggressive, and personal. There’s no dancing around the ring here. Every hit lands, and you feel it. It’s the kind of film that wins on sheer grit… even if it occasionally looks like it forgot the game plan between rounds.
Gladiator Rowdy Herrington and stars Cuba Gooding Jr., James Marshall, Robert Loggia, Ossie Davis, and Brain Dennehy.
Diggstown (1992)
Diggstown, meanwhile, is light on its feet and heavy on charm. It’s less about haymakers and more about the long con—built around a bet that feels like the cinematic equivalent of calling your shot before the fight even starts.
This film shadowboxes with expectations. It jabs, it dodges, and every now and then it lands a clever uppercut of a twist. It may not hit as hard as Gladiator, but it definitely knows how to score points with the judges (and the audience).
Diggstown is directed by Michael Ritchie and stars James Woods, Louis Gossett Jr., Oliver Platt, Heather Graham, Bruce Dern
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
There’s something special about early ‘90s boxing movies. They live in that sweet spot between grit and charm—before everything became overly polished, but after the genre had already gone a few rounds with audiences. For Episode 301 of Not A Bomb, we step into the ring with two films that don’t always get a title shot: Gladiator (1992) and Diggstown (1992).
Here is the tale of the tape:
Gladiator (1992)
Gladiator comes out swinging with raw, underground energy. It’s a coming-of-age story that doesn’t pull its punches, following a young fighter caught in a world where every decision feels like going toe-to-toe with disaster.
This movie fights in close quarters, dirty, aggressive, and personal. There’s no dancing around the ring here. Every hit lands, and you feel it. It’s the kind of film that wins on sheer grit… even if it occasionally looks like it forgot the game plan between rounds.
Gladiator Rowdy Herrington and stars Cuba Gooding Jr., James Marshall, Robert Loggia, Ossie Davis, and Brain Dennehy.
Diggstown (1992)
Diggstown, meanwhile, is light on its feet and heavy on charm. It’s less about haymakers and more about the long con—built around a bet that feels like the cinematic equivalent of calling your shot before the fight even starts.
This film shadowboxes with expectations. It jabs, it dodges, and every now and then it lands a clever uppercut of a twist. It may not hit as hard as Gladiator, but it definitely knows how to score points with the judges (and the audience).
Diggstown is directed by Michael Ritchie and stars James Woods, Louis Gossett Jr., Oliver Platt, Heather Graham, Bruce Dern
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
Episode 283 - Black Bag
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.
On this week’s episode of Not A Bomb! - the guys continue examining some of the biggest bombs of 2025 and for this episode they jump into Steven Soderbergh’s 36th directorial film - Black Bag. This spy thriller finds Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett putting their marriage to the test to see just how far they would go to find a traitor. A critical darling, Black Bag failed to find commercial success but has all the markings of a cult classic. Listen as Troy and Brad deep drive into this super-sexy spy thriller.
Black Bag is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Rege-Jean Page and Pierce Brosnan
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.
On this week’s episode of Not A Bomb! - the guys continue examining some of the biggest bombs of 2025 and for this episode they jump into Steven Soderbergh’s 36th directorial film - Black Bag. This spy thriller finds Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett putting their marriage to the test to see just how far they would go to find a traitor. A critical darling, Black Bag failed to find commercial success but has all the markings of a cult classic. Listen as Troy and Brad deep drive into this super-sexy spy thriller.
Black Bag is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Rege-Jean Page and Pierce Brosnan
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 280 - Trick or Treat (with Leilani Kilgore)
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, and our Spooktacular series continues with a deep dive into one of the internet’s earliest horror nightmares.
As Spooktober comes to a close, the Not A Bomb crew is going out with a bang—and a scream. In this special episode, Troy and Brad dive into the cult classic Trick or Treat (1986), a supernatural slasher that blends heavy metal mayhem with ghostly vengeance. The film follows a teenager nicknamed Ragman, who finds himself haunted by the spirit of his favorite rockstar. It’s loud, it’s weird, and it’s the perfect way to wrap up a month of horror.
To keep the rockstar energy alive, the guys welcome a true guitar powerhouse to the show — Nashville’s own Leilani Kilgore. A fiery singer-songwriter with licks sharp enough to melt steel, Leilani joins the crew to dive into Trick or Treat, a cult favorite that blends heavy metal and horror in all the best ways. Along the way, she opens up about life in the modern rock scene, the grind of independent artistry, and what it’s like to share the stage with modern legends like Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Equal parts charm and shred, Leilani’s passion for music and her no-nonsense take on the industry make this episode as electrifying as her live performances.
🎶 Bonus: Leilani gives us a behind-the-scenes insights into her latest album TELL YOUR GHOST—a raw, soulful journey through highs, lows, and everything in between. If you haven’t heard it yet, now’s the time.
And don’t miss the part where she reveals how you can score some killer swag. Trust us, you’ll want in!
Trick or Treat is directed by Charles Martin Smith and stars Marc Price, Tony Fields, Gene Simmons, and Ozzy Osbourne.
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. 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, and our Spooktacular series continues with a deep dive into one of the internet’s earliest horror nightmares.
As Spooktober comes to a close, the Not A Bomb crew is going out with a bang—and a scream. In this special episode, Troy and Brad dive into the cult classic Trick or Treat (1986), a supernatural slasher that blends heavy metal mayhem with ghostly vengeance. The film follows a teenager nicknamed Ragman, who finds himself haunted by the spirit of his favorite rockstar. It’s loud, it’s weird, and it’s the perfect way to wrap up a month of horror.
To keep the rockstar energy alive, the guys welcome a true guitar powerhouse to the show — Nashville’s own Leilani Kilgore. A fiery singer-songwriter with licks sharp enough to melt steel, Leilani joins the crew to dive into Trick or Treat, a cult favorite that blends heavy metal and horror in all the best ways. Along the way, she opens up about life in the modern rock scene, the grind of independent artistry, and what it’s like to share the stage with modern legends like Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Equal parts charm and shred, Leilani’s passion for music and her no-nonsense take on the industry make this episode as electrifying as her live performances.
🎶 Bonus: Leilani gives us a behind-the-scenes insights into her latest album TELL YOUR GHOST—a raw, soulful journey through highs, lows, and everything in between. If you haven’t heard it yet, now’s the time.
And don’t miss the part where she reveals how you can score some killer swag. Trust us, you’ll want in!
Trick or Treat is directed by Charles Martin Smith and stars Marc Price, Tony Fields, Gene Simmons, and Ozzy Osbourne.
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. 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.