The Substance

This took a liiiiiitle bit longer to publish than we had intended but we are excited to share our Panic Fest 2026 coverage with you all! It was a highlight of the year and we met so many incredible people (wish we could have talked with everyone!). Many of these films are hitting the festival circuit or starting to come our on VOD (and we just saw that the Loner Blu-ray is now available), and they are all worth checking out!List of Movies We DiscussFollow Our Filmmakers:Katherine DudasCodey S. WilsonJanine HoganAmber RossiGuillermo de la RosaScout Taylor-ComptonPhysical Media Corner:The Slime People (Double Feature)Gutter Auteur: The Lost Legacy of Andy MilliganRecent Guest Spot Episodes:Screamboat on Laurie Strode Trap HouseThe Unwatched Pile #36TV & Us Sopranos Season 2 FinaleFollow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip's Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Your Questions/Suggestions/Feedback With Us:Email: [email protected] on InstagramSupport Us: Support the show with an individual donation on CashApp to $TheSubstancePod or become a monthly Patreon supporter at patreon.com/TheSubstancePod

Panic Fest 2026 is almost upon us! Last year, Panic Fest was one of the highlights of our year. We had an incredible time taking in new features and shorts as well as getting to know and spend time with some wonderful people (Listen to our Recap Episode rom last year for more)!Hope to see you there, if you're in the neighborhood!Panic Fest:WebsiteInstagramJoe & Becca:YouTubeInstagramGreg D:Nightmare Junkhead PodcastBlueSkyFollow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip's Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Your Questions/Suggestions/Feedback With Us:Email: [email protected] on InstagramSupport Us: Support the show with an individual donation on CashApp to $TheSubstancePod or become a monthly Patreon supporter at patreon.com/TheSubstancePod

Happy Don't Believe Anything You Read On The Internet Day, everyone!Today we continue our April Fool's Day tradition of covering a silly movie (and then realizing that it's got more substance than audiences may think at first). 20 years ago Trey Parker and Matt Stone were pissed off at how America was recklessly engaging in conflicts around the world and decided to express their frustrations with puppets and some incredible action set pieces. If only that was relevant now...Joining us this episode is Justin LaLiberty of Vinegar Syndrome, OCN Distribution, and Cinématographe. He's been in and around the film industry for decades and has been a fan of the South Park guys since the beginning so he was the perfect guest for this!In this episode we discuss:Justin's background in filmHis first time seeing the South Park movie at summer camp (at the drive in with American Pie as the double bill)How Team America is one of the last big studio action spectacles of its eraThe difference between comedy that's offensive and juvenile vs. meanArt as activismPuppet sex and pukeMeeting David Byrne and MORE!Substantive Cinema Episode ListShoutouts:Badge 373 (Letterboxd)Office Killer (Letterboxd) Follow Justin:InstagramLetterboxdVinegar SyndromeNew ReleasesPhysical Media Corner:The BirthdayPeking Opera BluesFollow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip's Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Your Questions/Suggestions/Feedback With Us:Email: [email protected] on InstagramSupport Us: Support the show with an individual donation on CashApp to $TheSubstancePod or become a monthly Patreon supporter at patreon.com/TheSubstancePod

On this episode we reflect on the reality that we must die, and in order to live we also must love. And it's a discussion on (ostensibly) a zombie movie that a 20+ year later legacy sequel! When the teaser trailer for 28 Years Later dropped, it seemed clear that the film wouldn't be a safe, mindless retread of previous material looking to cash in on fan nostalgia. It was visually striking, poetic, foreboding, and promised a dark, brutal world that not only has experienced a viral outbreak, but has evolved to, as much as people collectively can, live with it. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland were cooking up something special and we couldn't wait! The result was not only a commercial success but a beautifully touching coming of age story that hits on several substantive themes.Joining us for this episode is film journalist Brandon Streussnig. Brandon has written for outlets like Vulture, The Ringer, GQ, Inverse, Men's & Women's Health, Letterboxd Journal, The AV Club, The Playlist, Polygon, Fangoria, Paste, The Film Stage, In Review Online, AwardsWatch, and others. He's also contributed to physical media releases from folks like Vinegar Syndrome, Radiance, Umbrella, IFC, Kino, and Arrow Video. In this episode we cover things likeBrandon's journey into being a full time film journalistHis experience seeing the film early in order to interview the directorThe incredible soundtrack from Young FathersAnthony Dod Mantle's gorgeous cinematographyBrandon's real time consideration of the follow up, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple The way cinema invites us to spiritual considerations regardless of personal beliefsFilm Twitter's Miami Vice ordeal from a few years ago (that culminated in a screening a listener attended and emailed about!)and MORE!Letterboxd List of Substantive Cinema EpisodesBrandon's interview with Danny BoyleShoutout:Sophy Romvari's Blue HeronFollow Brandon:InstagramLetterboxdInterview with Undertone director Ian TuasonThe Stunt ManThe CatPhysical Media Corner:She Shoots Straight (88 Films)Song of the Miraculous Hind (Deaf Crocodile)Follow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip's Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Your Questions/Suggestions/Feedback With Us:Email: [email protected] on InstagramSupport Us: Support the show with an individual donation on CashApp to $TheSubstancePod or become a monthly Patreon supporter at patreon.com/TheSubstancePod

We are creeping up on Episode 200 so we sat down with (former) Editor Dave to talk about the State of The Substance as well as doing a bit of a spiritual check in as we look back on the road that has lead us here and look forward to where we are headed post #200!Shoutouts:Wake Up Dead ManThe Wild RobotProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirThe Weight by Melissa Mendes28 Years Later: The Bone TempleLaurie Strode Trap House podcastFollow Dave:InstagramSubstackFollow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip's Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NEXT EPISODE: 28 Years Later featuring Brandon Streussnig Watch along and use tag "substantive cinema" when logging on Letterboxd and we may read your review on the show!Share Your Questions/Suggestions/Feedback With Us:Email: [email protected] on InstagramSupport Us: Support the show with an individual donation on CashApp to $TheSubstancePod