Hate Watching with Dan and Tony

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A killer marionette, a sleepy music box, and a town that throws a FazFest for reasons no one can explain—welcome to our breakdown of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, where the lore expands and the logic contracts. We dig into the 1982 prologue that binds Charlotte’s ghost to the puppet, the early-2000s reset that reopens old wounds, and the sequel’s habit of inventing rules only to ignore them when the plot needs a shortcut.

We walk through the set pieces that actually slap: the ghost-hunter incursion at the original location and the eerie boat-ride tunnel lined with tiny puppet figures that swarm like piranhas. The craft shines in these scenes—moody lighting, tactile animatronics, and a sense of place that finally feels dangerous. Then the film pivots back to a perimeter lock that makes little sense, a remote-control marionette that can apparently signal anywhere, and a town-wide FazFest that’s constantly mentioned but never shown. Horror thrives on rules and payoff; this story keeps moving the goalposts.

Characters nearly rescue the chaos. Abby’s robotics arc and the science fair debacle give us a grounded angle that could have centered the movie’s heart. Vanessa’s dream duel with her father hints at an internal battle that deserved more time. And when Mike tricks an animatronic with a faceplate “friendly” scan—a wink to the games—we’re reminded how playful this universe can be. Our biggest plea: honor the music box. It’s the most elegant mechanic in the film, a physical clock for dread, and the climax forgets to keep it wound.

By the end, ghost kids rip apart the villains and ascend, the body count stays oddly low for a sequel, and we’re left convinced there’s a sharper movie beneath the noise—one where children’s belief keeps Freddy’s legend alive while adults try to bury it. If that tension drives part three, there’s still hope for this franchise to feel both scary and coherent. Enjoy the ride, shout along at the plot holes, and tell us what worked for you. If you’re into thoughtful takedowns of messy sequels, hit follow, share with a friend, and drop your hottest FazFest theory in a review.
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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

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A ghost’s-eye horror should feel like slipping between walls, time, and truth. Instead, Presence hands us a floating wide-angle lens that wanders rooms, hides in closets, and forgets why it’s haunting anyone. We dive straight into why the concept is intriguing and how the execution leaves story, character, and suspense on the cutting room floor.

We unpack the core craft problems: a viewpoint with no rules, cuts to black that read like scene avoidance, and power limits that shift for convenience. If the ghost is the brother, anchor that early with behavior, guilt, and visual logic. Give us tether rules, a cost to interference, and a clear cue for time distortion—mirror refractions, low-frequency rumble, corridor stretch—so the audience can navigate the supernatural rather than guess the edit. We also press on performance and plot: a family subplot about money that never matters, grief that doesn’t register, and a villain who monologues without psychology. Horror lives on specificity. Here, vagueness blunts every scare.

Then we build the better movie. We outline how a few smart choices—consistent ghost mechanics, meaningful object work, escalating interventions, and a climax that pays off the setup—could transform the same premise into a tense, character-driven thriller. The final twist still works if it’s earned: a brother bound by guilt who learns to spend himself to save his sister, dissolving only when he breaks the loop he created. Along the way we trade war stories about clumsy props, burrito-ordering sins, and why a single practical effect can sink a tone.

Hit play to hear the full breakdown, our proposed fixes, and a spirited debate about form versus story in modern horror. If this kind of deep-dive makes your movie brain happy, follow the show, share with a friend, and drop your take on whether the ghost rules should be strict or strange—we’ll read our favorites on the next episode.
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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

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A goat gag, a blow dart, and one perfect Norm Macdonald riff walk into a movie. We dive into The Animal with our gloves off and our sense of humor intact, asking a simple question that unlocks the whole watch: can lowbrow comedy land when the lead can’t elevate the bit? One of us relishes the film’s shameless silliness and second-screen charm; the other sees a conveyor belt of half-built jokes that never earn their own punchlines. From the evidence-room meltdown to the press conference “what’s in my butt” moment, we break down why justification is the secret ingredient that turns a smirk into an actual laugh.

We pull on the bigger comedy thread too—what separates Rob Schneider’s neutral energy from Jim Carrey’s bit-running force of nature, and why even a brief cameo can reveal the gulf. Then Norm Macdonald storms in with a mob scene so precisely built—questions, rhythm, escalation—that it becomes a mini masterclass in how to make a premise sing. Around that, we interrogate the movie’s inconsistent “animal science,” the romance logic that never makes sense, and the tonal snapping between mailbox-humping discomfort and a dolphin-style hero save that forgets the seal on the poster.

Beyond the laughs and groans, we branch into what keeps movies in the culture. We celebrate the early-2000s needle drops that still slap, contrast box office muscle with cultural cachet through the Avatar lens, and talk about spectacle that satisfies in the moment but leaves no totems behind. We also swap notes on Under the Silver Lake, where mood can outlast meaning, and wrestle with the Stranger Things finale—how manipulation and catharsis can coexist when the craft is confident. Stick around to the end for our next watch: Steven Soderbergh’s Presence, a ghost’s-eye experiment that promises rules, restraint, and plenty to argue about.

Enjoyed the ride? Follow, rate, and share the show with a friend who knows the difference between a setup and a payoff. Your rec keeps the bits running.

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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

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We had questions the moment Playdate 2025 opened on a joyless car chase and a baffling lacrosse scene—and then Isla Fisher strolled in with the “Mama Mafia” and Alan Ritchson arrived like a golden retriever with black-ops training. That’s the whiplash of this Prime Video action-comedy: when the energy is right, it’s hilarious; when the foundation wobbles, even a decent gag falls flat.

We break down why the first act muddies everything a comedy needs to thrive—clear relationships, clean stakes, and jokes that sit inside structure. The stepdad-stepkid bond veers from clingy devotion to cold indifference, making the “learning to protect” arc impossible to buy. Then the movie’s best ideas surface: coin-sock mayhem at a Chuck E. Cheese knockoff, a killer phone-call bit mid-car-chase, and Stephen Root delivering a masterclass in character POV in under five minutes. We dig into how Ritchson nails a weird tone—sweet, blunt, and physically sharp—while Kevin James never finds the same wavelength.

Yes, we get into the clone twist. On paper, it’s a playful genre swing that could power the back half. In practice, CGI crowds replace practical chaos, the chase geography collapses, and a sharp final brawl is undercut by shaky-cam that hides the good choreography. And then there’s the choice that derails goodwill: the “kaboom” that wipes out a building of clone kids. Dark comedy needs purpose and release; this feels like shock for shock’s sake and breaks the one humane thread the movie earns with CJ.

We don’t just roast—we rebuild. Tighten the stepdad arc, anchor the chase with real geography, keep the coin-sock, bring Mama Mafia back for a third-act save, and swap the finale’s cruelty for a convoy of silver vans whisking kids to safety. With a strategic recast and a structural pass, this could have been a tight, rewatchable romp.

If you enjoy craft talk—comedy structure, tone management, practical vs CGI, and performances that recalibrate scenes—press play. Then tell us: is Playdate 2025 one smart rewrite away from great, or does the ending lose you for good? Subscribe, share with a friend, and drop your fix in a review.
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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT

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A Vespa hums into Bakersfield, a church robe hides bondage gear, and a smooth-talking reverend runs a drug ring between sermons about macaroni. We dive into Honey Don’t with a simple litmus test for any detective story: does the protagonist actually want something concrete? When a PI drifts through clues without being hired, breaking in, or deducing much of anything, style and shock have to work overtime. Sometimes they do—there’s a killer dark-comic exchange where the reverend clarifies which “loose end” needs cutting, and a punchy beatdown where Honey demolishes her niece’s abuser and half the set with a stubborn attempt to break a gun. Those moments pop because desire finally drives action.

Most of the time, though, the movie trades plot for “period interest.” Public intimacy scenes and graphic interludes arrive without chemistry or consequence, the police flirtation thread wanders, and tonal flourishes—freeze-frame credits, a lounge pianist narrator, and a congregation chanting “macaroni”—feel like disconnected curios. We contrast that with great shaggy noirs that still hum on character wants. The Big Lebowski may meander, but everyone wants something, and that magnet pulls you through. Here, the late twist that recasts MG as the true monster doesn’t reframe earlier clues so much as overwrite them, draining suspense and turning the finale into a list of facts instead of a reckoning.

We talk craft throughout: how color and quirky detail should feed a throughline; how stakes escalate when choices collide; why romance needs buildup to matter; and how consequence grounds even the wildest genre swings. Bakersfield looks great. Chris Evans chews scenery like a pro. But without a spine of desire and payoff, Honey Don’t plays like a collage—provocative, occasionally funny, and oddly hollow once the noise fades.

If you’re into smart, spirited takedowns of messy movies, queue this one up, then tell us your spiciest take. Subscribe, drop a review, and let us know: did any of it work for you, or are we right to call it a case with no core?

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Be our friend!

Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT