Zebras In America
“Dude, you can get past a dog. Nobody f's with a lion.” - Grandma's Boy “You notice things if you pay attention.” - In The Mood For Love Marcus Pinn likes movies. Scott Thorough likes movies. Marcus writes about movies (Pinnland Empire, The Pink Smoke), and Scott sometimes scores movies (Newlyweeds, Manos Sucias). They both have a background in hyper underground rap music, and enjoy sandwiches. Through a deep love of rap music, wrestling, and dissecting low and high brow cinema, Marcus and Scott developed an interesting kinship. After a bar conversation about movies where a stranger interrupted to tell them how much they enjoyed listening, they decided, “hey let's see if other people want to listen to our zany thoughts about film”. “Zebras In America” is a stream of consciousness rap on film and anywhere it may take a conversation. "Zebras In America Opening Theme" music by Scott, scratches by Marcus. Logo created by DJ SNAFU
Episodes
July 24, 2025 • 59 mins
Due to technical difficulties, Popcorn Eschaton had to pivot guests, topics, and even host! But because we try to go with the flow as best we can, and are blessed with wonderful friends, we march on! On this episode, John is joined by friends of Zebras Eschaton, Elana Levin and Frank Smith, as they pay tribute to the legendary metal icon Ozzy Osbourne. They discuss the cultural and musical legacy of Ozzy and Black Sabbath, their bl...
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July 10, 2025 • 58 mins
What could be more Popcorn Eschaton than pairing Jim Jarmusch with Star Trek? On this episode, Scott and John head west to explore the poetic violence and self-discovery of 1995's 'Dead Man,' then they return to The Final Frontier as they join the Enterprise crew on their resurrection quest in 'The Search for Spock'!
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers ...
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On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John embrace living in liminal spaces as they journey through death and the boundaries between this world and the next. First, they explore Apichatpong Weerasethakul's 2010 spiritual drama 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives,' then they discuss Pedro Almodóvar's 2024 meditation on friendship and choosing how we meet our end, 'The Room Next Door.'
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://w...
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June 12, 2025 • 70 mins
Popcorn Eschaton welcomes the brilliant Carmelita Valdez McKoy to discuss medieval mythology and Catholic/Pagan sycheticism! The conversation dives into 'Excalibur,' John Boorman's classic of Arthurian myths, Dark Age Disco costumes, as well as personal and political morality! It's got a cast full of future British acting legends acting out the foundational legends of Britain! Amazing stuff.
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May 29, 2025 • 45 mins
On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John tackle one of the most discombobulating, bravura, and labyrinthian science fiction movies ever made: Richard Kelly's 'Southland Tales'! They discuss how the film succeeds and fails in reflecting America in a post-9/11 world and why a strange, unfinished piece of art should be enjoyed on its own terms. Maximalism ahoy!
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/...
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May 15, 2025 • 74 mins
Scott and John are joined by the brilliant writer and podcaster Spencer Seams! They discuss the emblematic race film from 1941 'The Blood of Jesus,' as well as Jacques Rivette's harrowing 1966 examination of institutional abuse within the Catholic Church, 'The Nun.' They discuss misogyny, giving voice to unheard voices, and the importance of community.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Them...
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May 1, 2025 • 63 mins
It's CONCLAVE time! It was inevitable that Scott and John would cover this stylish thriller about hermetic power, faith vs. certainty, conservatism vs. generosity, and how utterly terrifying it would be to have Isabella Rossellini disappointed in you. In times of such despondency, it was a privilege to be able to discuss a film that so elegantly addresses how the instruments of power can be changed to become mechanisms for kindness...
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April 18, 2025 • 67 mins
Scott and John welcome the brilliant Heather Drain to Popcorn Eschaton as they discuss the Japanese cult animated feature 'Belladonna of Sadness!' They explore the difficult subject matter of the film, the wildly stylized and beautiful animation, the exuberant musical score, and how the events of the film presage both Joan of Arc and the French Revolution.
Trigger warnings for sexual assault, mutilaion, religious abuse, warfare
...
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April 3, 2025 • 52 mins
On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John dive into the infinite morass that is the American health care system, as seen through cinema. First, they look at how public policy is interwoven with corporate interests, as well as how journalism is supposed to be safeguarding us from those interests, with Michael Mann's brilliant 1999 thriller 'The Insider.' Then, they shift focus and tone to 'The Big Sick,' a comedy co-written by its st...
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March 17, 2025 • 71 mins
Scott and John are joined by the world's greatest Ingmar Bergman advocate, the brilliant Becky D'Anna, to discuss 1957's 'The Seventh Seal'! They dive into the collision of medieval religious traditions with the cinema of the mid-20th century, the reputation of Bergman vs. the reality of his art, and the multifarious ways we can interpret the imagery of the film.
Becky's writing, Top Ten lists, and podcast appearances can be foun...
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March 5, 2025 • 51 mins
"This Land is Your Land" is an anthem to community and the rights all humans have to the earth they walk on, but what truths are there for us in the life of the song's composer, the legendary Woody Guthrie? On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John continue on the Hal Ashby train as they explore the 1976 sprawling biopic (of a kind), 'Bound for Glory'!
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
The...
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February 19, 2025 • 64 mins
It's the 50th Popcorn Eschaton! For this special occasion, Scott and John pick their respective favorite movies and reflect on how they came to start this spiritually cinematic journey. John's pick for his favorite is 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,' and they discuss how fun it is to see Nazis getting punched and how wholesome it is to watch a father and son embrace each other with love. Scott's pick is Hal Ashby's "Being Ther...
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February 5, 2025 • 83 mins
Because we at Popcorn Eschaton love the immortal spirit of David Lynch so very much, we just wanted to talk about him some more! Let us journey to a small town out of time, the liminal suburbia that is the Lumberton of 'Blue Velvet'! We are joined by the brilliant Elana Levin (of Graphic Policy) to discuss voyeurism, Roy Orbison, and how the film intersects with both feminine archetypes and feminism!
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold...
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January 22, 2025 • 73 mins
With the passing of the one-and-only David Lynch, Scott, John, and Marcus wanted to explore two of the director's films that are least discussed in cinema circles: 'Dune' and 'The Straight Story.' One extravagent, overstuffed, and finished outside of Lynch's control, the other deeply personal, human, and compassionate. They explore how the films reflect what they love about Lynch's work, what they engage with in these films specifi...
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January 7, 2025 • 65 mins
Scott and John are joined once again by the brilliant Marcus Pinn as they discuss one of Marcus's favorite filmmakers: Bruno Dumont! They focus on Dumont's pair of musicals about 15th Century saint and martyr Joan of Arc, the anachronistic music choices, and what Joan's tribulations have to say about religious and governmental hypocrisy throughout history.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
...
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December 11, 2024 • 48 mins
It's priests taking on authoritarianism on Popcorn Eschaton! Scott and John take a look at two different perspectives of Catholic priests having their faith tested by unjust persecution and how those priests respond to that repression. First, they discuss the Jean-Pierre Melville classic 'Léon Morin, Priest' and what it has to say about faith, as well as our shared responsibility to those in need. Then they focus on the 1955 adapti...
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November 21, 2024 • 62 mins
It's a Francis Ford Coppola double feature on Popcorn Eschaton! Scott and John each discuss their respective personal favorite Coppola movies, 'Rumble Fish' and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'! They talk about why these atypical picks are important to their cinematic development, how these films appeal to their respective tastes, and how they address both class and spirituality.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/ju...
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November 6, 2024 • 77 mins
On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John are joined by prison reform professional Noah Barth. to discuss the modern classic 'The Shawshank Redemption.' They examine the film's take on the prison system as an institution, hope, and the relationship between platonic soulmates. Noah brought a great deal of wisdom and insight to the discussion and helped us use the film as a springboard to talk about one of the most difficult topics in...
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October 25, 2024 • 45 mins
It's time for Scott and John to take a dive into M. Night Shyamalan's 2006 fantasy 'Lady in the Water,' the much-maligned fairytale of community and redemption. They discuss how the film has its heart in the right place but is also extremely messy, how Shyamalan could benefit from more active collaborators in his filmmaking, and the parallels the film has with Bantu Kongo cosmology. Also: John is introduced to a hip-hop classic fro...
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October 11, 2024 • 47 mins
It's spooky season, so Scott and John are diving into John Carpenter's underappreciated, philosophical, theological, and science-obsessed horror movie, 'Prince of Darkness'! They discuss Carpenter's brilliant music, the big questions the movie asks, and opening the box of quantum mechanics to get at Schrödinger's Cat, even if it means we also open a jar of Evil Goo!
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.sh...
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