Thumb War
Thumb War
Bleav, Rachel Selig & Jason Doyle
Thumb War is your weekly showdown over movies, streaming series, and pop culture mayhem. Rachel and JD dive into what’s worth watching (and what deserves jail time), dishing out unfiltered recaps, reviews, and cinematic chaos. Smart-ish, savage-ish, and spoiler-heavy.
Patreon Preview: Movie Recs, Pee-Wee, and the Dave Matthews Poop Boat
New Patreon episode is up, and this one goes fully off the rails. Subscribe to our Patreon account for the full episode!  http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU It’s the July Patreon episode of Thumb War, and Jason and Rachel are laying down their thumbs for movie recommendations, Nolan rankings, celebrity crushes, and general nonsense. This month, we talk The Invite, Motor City, Sheep Detectives, Hazel’s love of Babe, Rachel and Jason’s top Christopher Nolan movies, Paul Reubens/Pee-Wee nostalgia, 90s hot-guy rankings, and the Dave Matthews Band poop-boat disaster. Come for the movie talk. Stay for “sit bat,” wrong shoe sounds, talking sheep, and deeply unnecessary filth. Bonus chaos, extra movie talk, and questionable life advice — now on Patreon. Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU ️ Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Aug 3
1 min
House of the Dragon S3E6 Review: Criston Cole’s Blaze of Glory Gets Kiboshed
SPOILER ALERT Criston Cole wanted a blaze-of-glory death song. Instead, he got arrows and immediate irrelevance. This week on Thumb War, we’re breaking down House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 6: Faceless Man or The Butcher’s Ball?, aka the episode Rachel correctly renames The Hubris and the Humbling. We get into the Butcher’s Ball, Black Aly shutting Criston Cole up, Alicent and Helaena being absolutely terrible at escaping, Rhaenyra trying royal customer service and hating every second of it, Daemon badly hiding his extremely white hair under a helmet, and the mysterious “Faceless Man” who may just be some guy. Plus: Rhaena’s missing Sheepstealer scene, Jeyne Arryn’s Moon Door hobby, Mysaria getting ruthless, Corlys and Alyn’s daddy issues, Aegon asking if he’s a bad man, Tyland joining the world’s funniest grave-digging trio, and Alice Rivers casually revealing five dragon eggs. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 29
1 hr 11 min
House of the Dragon S3E5 Recap: Mommy Issues & Municipal Payroll
SPOILER ALERT Rhaenyra has the throne, but King’s Landing has rats, unpaid guards, murdered gold cloaks, graffiti problems, rogue dragons, and one very tense small council. This week on Thumb War, we’re breaking down House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 5: Unbowed and Unbent, aka the episode where nobody relents, nobody listens, and Daemon being right is somehow the most annoying development of all. We get into Criston Cole’s guerrilla warfare era, Alice Rivers’ Harrenhal magic, the black goat/Vhagar conspiracy, Aemond’s haunted mommy issues, Alicent chugging the lie, Helaena standing up for herself, Larys absolutely roasting Aegon into self-reflection, and Rhaenyra’s deeply chaotic approach to leadership. Also: cats, rats, Baby Bjorns, tap-on delivery, Queen of the Bastards, and municipal payroll crises. Full spoiler recap is up now. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 23
53 min
Matt Damon Tries to Get Home for Three Loud Hours | The Odyssey Review
SPOILER ALERT Christopher Nolan made The Odyssey, and somehow the loudest movie of the year is about a guy who just wants to go home. This week on Thumb War, we’re joined by Dan to break down Nolan’s massive Greek mythology epic: Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Samantha Morton, Elliot Page, Charlize Theron, gods, monsters, boats, gongs, suitors, and one dog scene that nearly destroyed us. We talk about the IMAX spectacle, the punishing Dolby sound mix, the score, the Cyclops, the Sirens, Calypso, Athena, the suitor massacre, Tom Holland’s eternal Spider-Man baby face, Matt Damon’s “smart guy” energy, and whether this is actually top-three Nolan. Jason went in dreading The Odyssey. Rachel saw it twice and would apparently go again. Dan elevated the show, as usual. Full spoiler review is up now. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 21
1 hr 14 min
House of the Dragon S3E4 Recap: Ormond Hightower Takes a Bath and Starts a Holy War
SPOILER WARNING Aegon has gone from the Iron Throne to the latrine. This week on Thumb War, we’re breaking down House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4, where Ormond Hightower takes over Tumbleton from a bathtub, sniffs his perfume ball, flashes the room, and apparently starts setting up a holy war against the Targaryens. Meanwhile, Aegon and Larys stumble upon Sunfire — who may or may not be dead — before Aegon gets assigned the worst job in Westeros: scraping shit out of latrines with a guy named Tangled Tongue. We also get into Rhaenyra’s very tiny council, Allyn’s “what about cats?” promotion, Ulf trying to cash in favors for his drinking buddies, Daemon finding Rhaena and Sheepstealer, Hugh’s family being trapped in Tumbleton, and why Aegon might somehow be the most qualified ruler left. Full spoiler recap is up now. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 16
42 min
The Force Awakens Rewatch : Rey, Finn, Poe & The Rise of Emo Vader
We’re continuing our journey through the Star Wars sequel trilogy with Episode VII: The Force Awakens, aka the movie that made everyone feel like Star Wars was finally back… at least for a little while. In this spoiler-filled Force Awakens rewatch, we revisit the magic of seeing a brand-new Star Wars movie in theaters, the brilliance of that first trailer, the reveal of Kylo Ren’s extremely cool and extremely dangerous crossguard lightsaber, and why this movie still moves like a rocket from the opening crawl to the final shot. We get into Rey’s introduction, the never-ending “Mary Sue” debate, why Finn is such a great character, why Poe Dameron immediately works, why BB-8 won us over, and how Han Solo and Chewbacca’s return delivers the exact kind of fan service this movie needed. We also talk about Kylo Ren as “Emo Darth Vader,” the way he’s basically cosplaying his grandfather, and whether horniness leads to the dark side. Plus: lightsaber safety, Rey and Finn’s chemistry, Maz Kanata’s cantina, Chewie’s conditioner routine, the Rathtars feeling like a different movie, and the weird setup choices that the rest of the sequel trilogy never quite pays off. Subscribe to Thumb War for more Star Wars rewatch episodes, movie reviews, TV recaps, and chaotic pop culture arguments. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 12
1 hr 11 min
Rhaenyra’s Royal Feast HOTD S3E3 Recap: Zero Stars on Yelp
House of the Dragon S3E3 Review: SPOILER ALERT Rhaenyra has King’s Landing… but she might also be losing her mind. This week on Thumb War, we break down House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 3, aka what Rachel calls Rhaenyra’s Unraveling. The Red Keep is haunted, the music is screaming, everyone is starving, Corlys is furious, Daemon wants to burn the world down, and Rhaenyra decides the best way to win over the nobles is to serve them a beautiful feast of rats. Rachel loved the episode’s descent into Targaryen madness. Jason thinks the show keeps cutting away from the exact moments we need to see — especially when dragons are involved. We get into the Ormund Hightower standoff, Alicent and Rhaenyra’s weird little soul connection, whether Team Black is falling apart, and why someone needs to make a Downton Abbey-style House of the Dragon episode set entirely in the Red Keep kitchen. Full spoiler recap is up now. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 9
52 min
Patreon Preview: 90s Celebrity Crushes, Gummies and Rachel’s War on Greeting Cards
New Patreon episode is up, and this one goes fully off the rails. Subscribe to our Patreon account for the full episode!  http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU We start with Jason’s new life as a five-milligram gummy guy, somehow turn rehab into a vacation fantasy, revisit Rachel’s hospital bed-rest era, and then get into a bunch of quick recommendations: Toy Story 5, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Widow’s Bay, The Death of Robin Hood, and the Russell Crowe Robin Hood that might deserve another look. Then it’s Patreon AMA time, featuring 90s celebrity crushes, Angelina Jolie in Hackers, Sporty Spice, Valerie Perrine, a very heated ranking of 90s hotties, and Rachel’s extremely firm stance that greeting cards are basically garbage. Bonus chaos, extra movie talk, and questionable life advice — now on Patreon. Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 6
2 min
Supergirl Review: DC’s Adventures in Babysitting Movie Is a Total Mess
SPOILER WARNING The new Supergirl movie had everything we wanted on paper: Milly Alcock as a more broken, bitter Kara Zor-El, a fresh contrast to Superman’s optimism, Krypto the Superdog, Jason Momoa as Lobo, and a chance to keep the new DC Universe momentum going after James Gunn’s Superman. Unfortunately… we did not love this one. In this spoiler-heavy Supergirl movie review, we break down why the movie felt more like DC’s Babysitters Club than a bold new superhero adventure, why Kara’s “punk rock” attitude never quite lands, why the Ruthie revenge plot feels weirdly underwritten, and why the movie’s feminist ideas feel more like random ingredients thrown into a blender than an actual story. We also get into the Krypto problem, the Jason Momoa/Lobo cameo, the discourse around whether Supergirl is bombing because of misogyny, the bizarre ending, the comparisons to Guardians of the Galaxy, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Superman, and whether this movie hurts our excitement for the future of the DCU. Did Supergirl deserve better? Absolutely. Did this movie deliver? Not for us. Subscribe to Thumb War for more movie reviews, TV recaps, trailer reactions, and chaotic pop culture arguments. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 4
36 min
House of the Dragon S3E2 Review: Snot, Swords and Shakespeare
Spoilers, obviously. Dragons, definitely. Sensible decisions? Not so much. House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 2 gave us grief, dragons, snot, Shakespearean drama, Aemond chaos, Daemon’s terrible management style, and ravens apparently running on 5G. We’re breaking down the whole episode — Rhaenyra’s spiral, Aemond at Harrenhal, Larys and Aegon, Alice Rivers, Corlys’ family mess, and whether the show is pushing Rhaenyra toward full Mad Queen territory. Watch/listen now. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying Thumb War Email us: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jul 1
52 min
Load more