Episode 324 - The King of Comedy
Welcome back to Not A Bomb, the podcast where we resurrect cinema’s most infamous box office disasters and ask the burning question: is it a bomb? This week, Troy and Brad grab their autograph books, practice their monologues, and desperately try to get booked on late-night television as they dive into Martin Scorsese’s painfully uncomfortable 1982 dark comedy, The King of Comedy. Joining the guys for the first time is Dylan, creator of the Cinova Movie and TV ranking app!
Troy, Brad, and Dylan dig into a film that might be even more uncomfortable today than it was when it was released. The King of Comedy takes celebrity obsession, fame, parasocial relationships, and the desperate desire to be noticed and turns them into a comedy where you're never quite sure if you should be laughing or slowly backing away from Rupert.
And that's what makes The King of Comedy so fascinating. This is a movie about fame made decades before social media gave everyone a camera, an audience, and the ability to chase attention 24 hours a day. Rupert Pupkin desperately wants people to know his name, and he doesn't particularly care how that happens.
So practice your monologue, ignore every restraining order placed in your path, and remember Rupert Pupkin's philosophy: better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.
Troy, Brad, and Dylan are stepping into the spotlight with The King of Comedy.
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!
Check out the trailer for The 80s: A Motion Picture Special
Cinova - The future of Movie and TV
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.
Guest: Dylan
Welcome back to Not A Bomb, the podcast where we resurrect cinema’s most infamous box office disasters and ask the burning question: is it a bomb? This week, Troy and Brad grab their autograph books, practice their monologues, and desperately try to get booked on late-night television as they dive into Martin Scorsese’s painfully uncomfortable 1982 dark comedy, The King of Comedy. Joining the guys for the first time is Dylan, creator of the Cinova Movie and TV ranking app!
Troy, Brad, and Dylan dig into a film that might be even more uncomfortable today than it was when it was released. The King of Comedy takes celebrity obsession, fame, parasocial relationships, and the desperate desire to be noticed and turns them into a comedy where you're never quite sure if you should be laughing or slowly backing away from Rupert.
And that's what makes The King of Comedy so fascinating. This is a movie about fame made decades before social media gave everyone a camera, an audience, and the ability to chase attention 24 hours a day. Rupert Pupkin desperately wants people to know his name, and he doesn't particularly care how that happens.
So practice your monologue, ignore every restraining order placed in your path, and remember Rupert Pupkin's philosophy: better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.
Troy, Brad, and Dylan are stepping into the spotlight with The King of Comedy.
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!
Check out the trailer for The 80s: A Motion Picture Special
Cinova - The future of Movie and TV
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.
Guest: Dylan
Episode 300 - Heat
For our 300th episode, Not A Bomb takes a moment to look back on nearly six years of exploring overlooked and misunderstood films. Brad and Troy reflect on the evolution of the show, the community that has grown around it, and the conversations that have shaped its identity.
To mark the milestone, the episode revisits Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) — a film that has long been part of the podcast’s internal history. Though never a “bomb,” Heat is a work whose reputation has deepened over time, making it a fitting choice for this moment. The discussion examines the film’s legacy, performances, craftsmanship, and themes, drawing on ideas explored in past blog posts while offering new perspective.
Episode 300 serves as both a celebration and a reaffirmation of the show’s purpose: to give films the thoughtful attention they deserve and to continue discovering the stories behind them.
Heat is directed by Michael Mann and stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Tom Sizemore, Diane Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Jon Voight, and Val Kilmer
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.
For our 300th episode, Not A Bomb takes a moment to look back on nearly six years of exploring overlooked and misunderstood films. Brad and Troy reflect on the evolution of the show, the community that has grown around it, and the conversations that have shaped its identity.
To mark the milestone, the episode revisits Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) — a film that has long been part of the podcast’s internal history. Though never a “bomb,” Heat is a work whose reputation has deepened over time, making it a fitting choice for this moment. The discussion examines the film’s legacy, performances, craftsmanship, and themes, drawing on ideas explored in past blog posts while offering new perspective.
Episode 300 serves as both a celebration and a reaffirmation of the show’s purpose: to give films the thoughtful attention they deserve and to continue discovering the stories behind them.
Heat is directed by Michael Mann and stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Tom Sizemore, Diane Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Jon Voight, and Val Kilmer
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.
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.