Fairly Harmless: Take a Break from Being Smart

It’s Halloween, and the dress code was simple. Not everyone followed it. Some of us came dressed for the occasion, some of us came with excuses, and one of us wore a bedsheet with two eyeholes and expected a costume contest trophy.

What follows is a strange trip through the movies that ruined us, the ones we’re still too scared to finish, and a few strong opinions nobody asked for. Along the way, there are old fears, new obsessions, and at least one tangent that goes somewhere it really shouldn’t. Some topics are scary. Some are just uncomfortable. Some are a little of both. All of it is a little spooky, a little unhinged, and fairly harmless.

Take a break from being smart. Lock the doors. Press play.

Apex NC Tour of Frights

Five friends tackle heist movies and immediately agree on one thing: Mission Impossible is terrible. Beyond that, it's chaos. They defend Jackie Brown's brilliance, debate whether Snatch is just a Guy Ritchie movie remake, and James drops some knowledge about his take on Las Vegas.

Somewhere between roasting Tom Cruise's height, arguing Julia Roberts vs. Sandra Bullock, and spiraling into stories about Oregon Trail, they might actually make a compelling case for what makes a heist movie work, or they might just make you laugh too hard to care.

Andrew and James bring in Billy and Fast Eddy for a full lineup of sports movie talk, and things go sideways almost immediately. What starts as a debate over Kingpin and Foxcatcher turns into an Oakland A's history lesson, a Tony Gwynn stat that will break your brain, and a surprisingly deep dive into a censored line in Major League that never worked.

Moneyball gets picked apart, Jerry Maguire quotes fly around the room, and somewhere in there the guys land on what has happened to the NBA with load management and tanking. Then it turns into a real conversation about sports betting, in game odds, and how fast that habit can sneak up on you.

This show still doesn't have a point, but at least this week you'll learn some trivia.

Andrew and James are back with a comedy podcast episode that covers a suspicious dad, a Christopher Nolan movie that somehow will be even longer, giant robots with unresolved personal issues, and a government infrastructure project that appears to have been invented on a coffee break.

This is what happens when two people have access to a microphone and no adult supervision. Funny, weird, and completely off the rails, just the way we like it.

Andrew and James dig into 1970s American television. The golden age of shows that had no business being as good as they were, and plenty that had no business existing at all.

This comedy podcast episode is a loving, slightly unhinged tribute to the decade that gave us wood paneling, questionable fashion, and TV writing that somehow still holds up.

If you grew up glued to the set or just want to understand what people mean when they talk about 70s TV, this funny conversation is for you.

Will we have an early spring or six more weeks of Winter?

It's Groundhog Day, and Andrew and James have questions, mostly about why we let a rodent run our meteorological lives.

In this comedy podcast episode, the guys break down the strange, wonderful tradition of Punxsutawney Phil, shadow-based forecasting, and whether any of this actually predicts the weather (spoiler: it does not).

Funny, absurd, and weirdly informative, this is the Groundhog Day discussion nobody asked for but absolutely needed.

Andrew and James take on travel; the good, the bad, and the deeply unnecessary.

In this comedy podcast episode, the guys debate the best and worst ways to get from Point A to Point B, including a deep dive into road trips, questionable transportation decisions, and why bicycles are either the greatest invention in human history or a death wish on wheels.

A funny, rambling conversation about getting around that goes everywhere except on schedule.

Andrew and James review the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie.

Hollywood's most gloriously unhinged attempt to turn a beloved video game into a gritty action film nobody asked for. In this comedy podcast episode, the guys try to make sense of Bob Hoskins as Mario, Dennis Hopper as a lizard king, and a script that appears to have been written by someone who had only heard Super Mario Bros. described secondhand.

Funny, baffling, and oddly affectionate, this is the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie review you didn't know you needed.

Andrew and James take a comedy podcast detour through Kansas, the state that is either America's most underrated road trip destination or proof that the universe has a sense of humor.

The guys discuss driving across the flattest place in the continental US, the strange peace that comes from zero visual distractions, and the thoughts a person has when there is literally nothing else to look at.

Funny, philosophical, and oddly therapeutic, no mountains required.

Andrew and James welcome Velvet Aquarium to the comedy podcast for a conversation that gets strange fast. This funny, freewheeling episode covers the phenomenon of remembering things that haven't happened yet, surreal personal stories, and the kind of confessions that only come out when the recording light is on.

Equal parts humor podcast and fever dream, and somehow both at the same time. If you've ever felt like you've been somewhere before you've been there, this one's for you.

Andrew and James bring in special guest Pearse for a comedy podcast episode dedicated to the most important things in life: biscuits, burgers, hotdogs, and ice cream.

This funny food episode celebrates local comfort food, the kind of eating that requires no apology, and the deeply held belief that lard is a perfectly acceptable cooking medium. If you love food podcasts, funny conversation, and the unapologetic joy of eating well, this is your episode.

Andrew and James deliver their full Andor retrospective. A comedy podcast deep dive into the best Star Wars show Disney has produced in years.

This funny, genuinely enthusiastic episode covers what makes Andor so different from everything else in the Star Wars universe, why it works, and why two grown men are still thinking about it months later.

If you loved Andor, or want to understand why everyone won't stop talking about it, this is the Star Wars podcast episode for you.

Andrew and James turn their comedy podcast toward the cosmos. Space, the universe, astronomy, astrology, and the eternal human question of what is actually out there.

This funny episode pits science against vibes in a cosmic showdown where nobody is qualified and everyone has opinions. Whether you're into space facts, star signs, or just enjoy watching two people argue about things too big to fully comprehend, this humor podcast episode is your kind of galaxy-brained conversation.

Andrew and James dive into the weird, wonderful world of puppets in this comedy podcast episode; the handmade, felt-covered, googly-eyed kind.

From Muppet nostalgia to the surprisingly deep science of what makes a puppet funny, this is a funny conversation that goes places no felt creature should ever go.

If you've ever wondered why puppets are either delightful or deeply unsettling, this humor podcast episode has your answer. No strings attached.

Andrew and James get philosophical in this comedy podcast episode, exploring what happens when people shuffle off this mortal coil and how we as a culture process it.

It's a funny, surprisingly thoughtful conversation about death, legacy, and the ridiculous rituals humans invent to make sense of it all.

A humor podcast that somehow makes the cosmic bucket seem less daunting and more absurd, which is really the best we can hope for.

Andrew and James wade into the deep end of spiritual wellness culture in this comedy podcast episode; crystals, manifestation, cosmic energy, and all the things that are definitely not science but somehow very popular at brunch.

A funny, irreverent look at new age spirituality, wellness trends, and the eternal human desire to feel like the universe has a plan.

This humor podcast doesn't judge the woo. It just asks a lot of questions about it.

Andrew and James tackle the holiday season in this comedy podcast episode; the traditions, the chaos, the Christmas trees that seemed smaller at the lot, and the annual question of whether you actually have enough gas to make this road trip work.

A funny, relatable conversation about holiday rituals, family obligations, and the logistical nightmare that is December.

If you love Christmas humor and can relate to holiday stress, this is your comedy podcast episode.

Andrew and James mash up Thanksgiving and Halloween in this comedy podcast episode, covering fall holidays, questionable seasonal decor choices, and the strange intersection of gratitude and horror.

A funny conversation about the two biggest holidays that somehow always end up colliding in the calendar and in the grocery store.

This is the Thanksgiving humor podcast episode you didn't know you needed, now with 100% more Halloween energy.

Andrew and James celebrate Halloween in this comedy podcast episode with pumpkin carving disasters, costume debacles, and genuinely chilling stories told with questionable dramatic effect.

A funny, festive conversation about the best holiday of the year, the one where adults have a socially acceptable reason to eat candy and dress like idiots.

If you love Halloween humor, scary story podcasts, and pumpkin content, this is the comedy episode for you.

Andrew and James get into a deeply funny conversation about maple syrup; where it comes from, what it really is, and why the process of tapping a tree for its amber liquid is both miraculous and slightly unsettling.

This comedy podcast episode also covers personal reinvention and the kind of massive food moments that change a person.

A funny food and nature podcast episode that asks: is it tree blood, or is it breakfast?