Immediately after recording the first episode of 2026, I went into the editing, because honestly, it's one of my favorite year starter episodes to date. This episode was born out of the fact that my guest, Snarky Faith's Stuart Delony, has a book coming out, and it's subject is a satirical look at the theological idea of the Rapture that has taken ahold in some sects of Evangelical Christianity. It only made sense for us to discuss three cinematic depictions of the Rapture. Join us as we talk about faith, religious escapism, and 1972's "A Thief in the Night", 2000's "Left Behind", and 2013's "Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End". We do have some audio issues at times but it's worth listening for the discussion we have. I hope you enjoy!

Check out Stuart's book, The Tribulation Survival Guide: How to Stay Alive When Everything Else is Dead, when it comes out on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. You can order it here.

We've looked at resistance to fascism. The police state. Faith peddlers. And journalists holding power accountable. The first few episodes in this series have looked at serious topics when dealing with encroaching authoritarianism. For the fifth and final episode of the series for 2025, it's time to have a little bit of fun. While cinematic propaganda has been around for pretty much the entirety of the medium's existence, when it comes to American propaganda, there was something about the politics of the 1980s that found its way into a lot of action cinema. Joining me is Phil Fasso, and here we discuss "Rambo: First Blood - Part II" and "Rambo III", "Invasion U.S.A." and "The Sum of All Fears". I hope you enjoy!

When it comes to authoritarian regimes- or those aspiring to be- a free and independent press can be its worst enemy. Fake news, Lugenpresse. "Liberal bias." Those are just some of the ways they can be discredited by leaders with a fetish for dictatorships. In this episode in our "Fascism in Cinema" episode, listen as myself and the Editor in Chief at In Their Own League, Joan Amenn, discuss what a free press means, and why it matters now more than ever. We bring up more films than these, but our discussion focuses on Alan J. Pakula's "All the President's Men", George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck", and Tom McCarthy's "Spotlight". I hope you enjoy!