Ever wondered how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Saw trap? Of course not, that's a ridiculous thing to wonder! Russ and Jared are wrapping up Saw IV (2007), starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Lyriq Bent, Athena Karkanis, Justin Louis, Donnie Wahlberg, and Angus Macfadyen. They've even gotten into a …

Russ and Jared are back to burst through the rib cage of Saw IV (2007), starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Lyriq Bent, Athena Karkanis, Justin Louis, Donnie Wahlberg, and Angus Macfadyen. You're in for a great episode, lots of Fast Facts, some excellent Hollywood Pitches, and plenty of trap ratings and shenanigans…

Have you ever made a mistake that kept you up at night? Or maybe you set an expectation that you couldn't quite meet? In this episode, Russ and Tim explore their own writing mistakes and expectations, how they recovered from them (if they did), and how they adjusted to maintain writing productivity.Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Spooky season resumes with a fan-favorite franchise as Russ and Jared get into the trailer for Saw IV (2007), starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Lyriq Bent, Athena Karkanis, Justin Louis, Donnie Wahlberg, and Angus Macfadyen. The guys are loving this short, blender trailer and have some good predictions for how th…

Russ and Jared are back to wrap up Tarot (2024), starring Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Jacob Batalon, Avantika, Humberly González, Wolfgang Novogratz, Larsen Thompson, and Olwen Fouéré. When we last left the guys, they were talking about the road trip to find Astrology Alma, and how you should totally show up to strangers' houses unannounced. Don…

What's in the cards for this episode? Russ and Jared are back to conjure up some thrills as they dive into Tarot (2024), starring Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Jacob Batalon, Avantika, Humberly González, Wolfgang Novogratz, Larsen Thompson, and Olwen Fouéré. Spooky season continues with part 2 on Thursday, stay tuned!…

Spooky season is finally here! Russ and Jared have 2 horror movie specials for you this October. And the guys are kicking it off with Tarot (2024), starring Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Jacob Batalon, Avantika, Humberly González, Wolfgang Novogratz, Larsen Thompson, and Olwen Fouéré. Tune in to find out what's in the cards for this flick, and sta…

Who or what influences you and your writing? Influences can come from anywhere and are important in shaping the stories we tell. This episode Russ and Tim get into the authors, movies, art, music, and even family, that influenced their stories.Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

When we left Russ and Jared, they were talking about how our main characters were just about do go on their big murder-date! That's right, stay out of the sun and listen to the fellas wrap up Midnight Sun (2018), starring Bella Thorne, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Rob Riggle, Quinn Shephard, Nicholas Coombe, Ken Tremblett, and Suleka Mathew. Stay tuned …

Russ and Jared are back with a medical mystery! No, it doesn't have to do with Jared's alleged face blindness; the guys put that one to bed dozens of episodes ago. It's the mystery of why years of staying out of the sun can be undone in ~10 minutes. We're talking about Midnight Sun (2018), starring Bella Thorne, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Rob Riggle, …

Have you ever wondered what Twilight would be like if it didn't have vampires, but instead had more montages like The Kissing Booth? You're in luck! It seems like that's going to be case here as Russ and Jared dive into the trailer for Midnight Sun (2018), starring Bella Thorne, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Rob Riggle, Quinn Shephard, Nicholas Coombe, K…

We're not fans of novels getting censored, but what happens when you're the one doing the censoring? There is a fine line between being true to the vision of your story and being shocking or sultry just for the sake of it. In this episode, Russ and Tim talk about how they self-censored their own work based on genre, reader expectations, and what th…

When we last left Russ and Jared, they were talking about how Medivh was burning Magic Boy's research and things were starting to look suspicious. The guys are back to charge through to the end of Warcraft (2016), starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Clancy Brown, Daniel Wu,…

Leeroy Jenkins! This movie would have been a whole lot better if it took itself less seriously. Russ and Jared are here to break down Warcraft (2016), starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Clancy Brown, Daniel Wu, Anna Galvin, and Burkely Duffield. Stay tuned for part 2 on Th…

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Title your book wrong, and you may lose out on potential readers. Is your title intriguing enough? Is it too similar to others? Does it fit within your genre? In this episode, Russ and Tim tackle these questions and explain why they named their first novels and what they did.…

Time for Russ and Jared to tackle another terrible video game adaptation! The guys are here to trash the trailer for Warcraft (2016), starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Clancy Brown, Daniel Wu, Anna Galvin, and Burkely Duffield. If you like sloppy CGI and the plot of every…

When we last left the guys, Russ and Jared were talking about Zara making things happen in her world, forcing the breakup of mom and lover, becoming associate producer, etc. It's time to wrap up A Family Affair (2024), starring Zac Efron, Joey King, as well as Nicole Kidman, Kathy Bates, Liza Koshy, and Sherry Cola. Plenty more accent work and age-…

So many friends and enemies of the pod in this one, we love to see it! Russ and Jared are finding life after love for A Family Affair (2024), starring Zac Efron, Joey King, as well as Nicole Kidman, Kathy Bates, Liza Koshy, and Sherry Cola. Plenty of accent work, heavy film analysis, cool names, and jokes abound in this one. Stay tuned for part 2 o…

Yada yada something about can't pick your family, but you can pick your nose. We let "yada" do a lot of the heavy lifting around here! Russ and Jared are reminding you all that when you're here at ITMT, you're family, as they get into the trailer for A Family Affair (2024), starring best-friends-of-the-pod, Zac Efron and Joey King, as well as Nicol…

Pop culture references are a fun way to build on a character, setting, and world within your story. Yet too many references can ruin your reader's suspension of disbelief. So, where's the line? How much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim reflect on how they used pop culture references in their first works and the lessons they've learned.…

Russ and Jared are generally on good terms with the devil, but this movie is really putting that to the test! The guys are spelunking to the deepest depths of cinema trash to finish The Devil Below (2021), starring Alicia Sanz, Adan Canto, Will Patton, Zach Avery, Chinaza Uche, Jonathan Sadowski, Jesse LaTourette, and William Mark McCullough. Stay …

They say the devil you know is better than the devil you don't... but what they don't tell you is that The Devil Below is much worse than either of those other devils! Russ and Jared are sinking to a new low with The Devil Below (2021), starring Alicia Sanz, Adan Canto, Will Patton, Zach Avery, Chinaza Uche, Jonathan Sadowski, Jesse LaTourette, and…

No, your phone screen hasn't been mysteriously reversed, don't worry! We just flipped the title around a little, same great Trailer Trash as always. And speaking of "same great Trailer Trash," Russ and Jared are back in their wheelhouse with a terrible horror flick, The Devil Below (2021), starring Alicia Sanz, Adan Canto, Will Patton, Zach Avery, …

What's in a name? Character names can allow readers to peer into and gather insight into what makes them tick. Does your protagonist need an epic name? How about your villains or secondary characters? Russ and Tim get into naming characters in this episode and dive into their own naming experiences and missteps in early drafts.…

Well this is embarrassing... Darren, The Episode Management Intern, seems to have forgotten to post the most important episode in ITMT history... Episode 300! 🥳🍻✨🎊 Russ and Jared have a firm "no apologies" policy, so instead of apologizing they want you to know that Darren has been formally banished to the ITMT Character VOID, from whence none have…

299 let's gooooo! Russ and Jared are rising up to bring you the scene-by-scene breakdown of 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro, Jack O'Connell, Andrew Tiernan, and Igal Naor. This CGI slow-mo fest waits for no one, enjoy it and stay tuned fo…

Symbolism is yet another tool in the author's toolkit for enhancing a story. Whether it be big-picture themes, character behaviors, or a setting, symbolism is a great way to enrich a reader's experience. In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how they applied symbolism to their stories and lessons learned.…

This! Is! A podcast!!! Russ and Jared are firing up a very special movie to usher in their 300th episode! The guys are talking about 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro, Jack O'Connell, Andrew Tiernan, and Igal Naor. Did you ever wonder what …

We've got a 415-3 in progress! Despite Russ and Jared's best efforts to tone down their rhetoric, they're getting a little too fired up about 211 (2018), starring Nicolas Cage, his son, Weston Cage, Dwayne Cameron, Sophie Skelton, Michael Rainey Jr., Cory Hardrict, Ori Pfeffer, and Alexandra Dinu. Stay tuned next week for an all new Trailer Trash a…

What's better than a heist movie? You tell us, we're not your supervisor! Russ and Jared are breaking down 211 (2018), starring Nicolas Cage, his son, Weston Cage, Dwayne Cameron, Sophie Skelton, Michael Rainey Jr., Cory Hardrict, Ori Pfeffer, and Alexandra Dinu. There's a lot of setup in the first half of this movie and the guys are having a field…

Everybody's favorite best-friend-of-the-pod, Nic Cage, is back with a vengeance! The guys are breaking down the trailer for his recent flop, 211 (2018), starring the aforementioned Nicolas Cage, his son, Weston Cage, Dwayne Cameron, Sophie Skelton, Michael Rainey Jr., Cory Hardrict, Ori Pfeffer, and Alexandra Dinu. You won't want to miss this Trail…

Backstory is essential to establishing who your characters are and the decisions they'll make in your story, but how much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss backstory, how they approached it for their first novels, and how they plan on using it in their new works.Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

What's not to love about a part 2 full of laughs and random torture facts that are also somewhat love-themed? What a bizarre sentence. Anyway, here's the finale of Love Again (2023), starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion (yes, really), Sofia Barclay, Russell Tovey, Lydia West, and Nick Jonas. Stay tuned for an all-new Trailer Tra…

Why love once when you can love, actually? Wait, wrong episode. The guys are loving again (there we go) with Love Again (2023), starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion (yes, really), Sofia Barclay, Russell Tovey, Lydia West, and Nick Jonas. Stay tuned for part 2 on Thursday!Russ Capasso and Jared DeLuca

Love love love love love! Russ and Jared can't get enough of the stuff! That's why they're heading back to the land of rom coms to bring you Love Again (2023), starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion (yes, really), Sofia Barclay, Russell Tovey, Lydia West, and Nick Jonas (for two minutes). Is this movie going to be exactly like P.S…

Writing your first novel is hard, but is writing a second novel any easier? In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how to plan a new project, when to stop researching and start writing, and why their approaches have changed since completing their first works.Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

The zomboys are back, baby! Russ and Jared are careening through part 2 now that the movie has ditched horror in favor of pure comedy. The guys are finishing up Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017), starring Sophie Skelton, Jeff Gum, Johnathon Schaech, Marcus Vanco, Lillian Blankenship, Ulyana Chan, Mark Rhino Smith, and Shari Watson. Half of this epi…

Grrraaahhh... Braaaains! This week, Russ and Jared are feasting on Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017), starring Sophie Skelton, Jeff Gum, Johnathon Schaech, Marcus Vanco, Lillian Blankenship, Ulyana Chan, Mark Rhino Smith, and Shari Watson. Groooan... So much gnarly guts and mindless mayhem. The guys gnash their teeth over plot holes, eat up the ter…

If you've been craving a classic ITMT double colon title (it's been a few weeks), you're in luck! Russ and Jared are getting back to the gore with this cursed George Romero remake, Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017), starring Sophie Skelton, Jeff Gum, Johnathon Schaech, Marcus Vanco, Lillian Blankenship, Ulyana Chan, Mark Rhino Smith, Shari Watson, …

Knock, knock... no, we won't do that to you. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss writing with humor, how they approach it in their works, the different types of humor authors can use, and when to use it.Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

We last left Russ and Jared discussing the walk-and-talk in the rain with our hero and the lady from The Facts of Life and things were getting serious. The guys are wrapping up A Nice Girl Like You (2020), starring Lucy Hale, Leonidas Gulaptis, Mindy Cohn, Adhir Kalyan, Jackie Cruz, and Stephen Friedrich. Tune in for random violin facts and lots of…

What's a nice person like you doing with a podcast like this? Listening to Russ and Jared break down terrible movies every week, no doubt! The guys are playing not-so-nice with A Nice Girl Like You (2020), starring Lucy Hale, Leonidas Gulaptis, Mindy Cohn, Adhir Kalyan, Jackie Cruz, and Stephen Friedrich. Tune in for Hollywood Pitches, Fast Facts, …

In this episode, Russ and Tim are joined by Michael Bahler, a New Jersey-based writer whose short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Glimmer Train, Nerve, and many others, including the Brooklyn Rail. He joins us to chat about the publishing industry, writing short stories, and his jump from short to long-form writing.…

Russ and Jared are back with a new trailer and right at home in romantic comedy territory! The guys are talking about A Nice Girl Like You (2020), starring Lucy Hale, Leonidas Gulaptis, Mindy Cohn, Adhir Kalyan, Jackie Cruz, and Stephen Friedrich. Tune in for a sexy good time (you'll see), and stay tuned for the full, scene-by-scene breakdown next …

When we left Russ and Jared, they were discussing the "laundry list" of tools that our hero needs in order to do surgery on John (drill). Time for the guys to conclude Saw III (2006), starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Leigh Whannell, and Mpho Koaho. Tune in for plenty more torture facts…

Open up the Book of Saw and it turns out there's a lot of subpar stories to share. Russ and Jared are diving headfirst into a pit of needles with this listener request for Saw III (2006), starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Leigh Whannell, and Mpho Koaho. The guys are ranking traps, shari…

Have you ever read a book and thought the end wasn't particularly satisfying? Well, you're not alone! In this episode, Russ and Tim explore common Act III pitfalls, why they can make your final act fall flat, and how to avoid them.Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Never say we've never done anything for you, our beloved listeners! Russ and Jared are back this week with a VERY SPECIAL FAN REQUEST! Big shout out to Ciara for making us do Saw III (2006), starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Leigh Whannell, and Mpho Koaho. Are the boys going to be a cou…

Part 2 plus part 2 equals 4. Divide by 2 again to get to 2 happy podcasters! Russ and Jared aren't happy about the movie really, but rather the joy of talking about what enemy-of-the-pod, Zack Snyder, should have done differently. The guys are wrapping up Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024), starring Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Michiel …

Come for the wildly long and unclearly punctuated titles, stay for the buddy banter you can't just find on any other dozens of podcasts! Russ and Jared are rebelling against logic and watching the sequel to one of their most-hated movies from last year. It's time for Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024), starring Sofia Boutella, Djimon Houns…