The Projection Booth

Special Report: Mortal Kombat II (2026)

Finish him. Or at least finish the plot. Mortal Kombat II arrives with the promise of the full tournament, a new roster of fighters, and the long-awaited arrival of Johnny Cage — played by Karl Urban — as the wisecracking Earthrealm champion fans have been demanding since 2021.Mike White and Chris Stachiw of The Kulturecast take on Simon McQuoid's sequel to the 2021 reboot, written by Jeremy Slater. The film pits Earthrealm's champions against Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) and the forces of Outworld, with Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Lewis Tan, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada all returning, and Adeline Rudolph and Tati Gabrielle joining the fight as Kitana and Jade. Mike and Chris weigh in on whether the sequel improves on its predecessor or lands with all the dramatic weight of a finishing move on easy mode.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

Special Report: We Are Guardians (2023)

Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, indigenous forest guardians risk their lives to defend ancestral lands from illegal loggers — and the fate of the entire rainforest hangs in the balance. We Are Guardians follows indigenous guardian Marçal Guajajara and indigenous leader Puyr Tembé as they stand at the frontlines of this fight, while on the other side, illegal logger Valdir struggles to survive and sees no other way forward than continuing to cut. Mike talks with co-directors Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman about the making of this award-winning documentary. Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Greene, and Grobman, and produced by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens with Leonardo DiCaprio serving as executive producer, We Are Guardians has earned accolades including Best Documentary at the Raindance Film Festival, the International Green Film Award at Cinema for Peace, and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Mostra São Paulo International Film Festival. Greene and Grobman join Mike to discuss how they brought this urgent story to the screen, the challenges of filming in a contested and dangerous environment, and what they hope audiences will carry with them. Follow the film on Instagram and TikTok at @weareguardiansfilm.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

Special Report: Supergirl (2026)

She's not her cousin. Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) arrived on screen in Supergirl with a chip on her shoulder and a body count on her conscience — a cosmic revenge story light-years removed from the sunnier mythology of Superman. Whether the DCU's second theatrical outing delivered on that premise is another question entirely.Mike White and Chris Stachiw of The Kulturecast dig into Craig Gillespie's Supergirl, written by Ana Nogueira and adapted from Tom King and Bilquis Evely's acclaimed comic miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The film stars Alcock alongside Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll, Matthias Schoenaerts as the villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, Jason Momoa as Lobo, and David Corenswet reprising his role as Superman. Mike and Chris take stock of what works, what doesn't, and what Alcock's performance promises for the character's future in the DCU — box office results notwithstanding.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

Special Report: King Kong - The History of a Movie Icon

From his 1933 debut as a tragic fairy-tale monster to his current reign over an ever-expanding Monsterverse, King Kong has spent more than ninety years proving that beauty isn't the only thing capable of killing the beast — time certainly hasn't.Mike talks with film historian and self-described Kongophile Ray Morton about the revised and updated edition of his book King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon (Bloomsbury Academic). First published in 2005 as the definitive account of the King Kong phenomenon, Morton has extensively revised and expanded his original tome to cover decades of new material — from Kong's animated incarnations and stage productions to the Kong variants, spoofs, and projects that never made it to the screen. The updated edition concludes with the most recent films placing the great ape within an ever-expanding "Monsterverse," and is packed with photographs and based on extensive new research and exclusive interviews. Morton and Mike dig into the creation of the Kong character by Merian C. Cooper, the making of the 1933 original, and what it is about this particular giant ape that has kept audiences captivated across every era of cinema.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

Special Report: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

This is the Way — but is it the right way to bring the galaxy's most beloved odd couple to the big screen? After three seasons on Disney+, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu trade the small screen for an IMAX-sized adventure, with the stakes raised and the runtime expanded accordingly.Mike White and Chris Stachiw of The Kulturecast discuss Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor. Set in the aftermath of the Empire's fall, the film finds Din Djarin and his apprentice recruited by the New Republic — represented by Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) — to take on the remnants of Imperial warlords, with Jeremy Allen White joining the cast as Rotta the Hutt. Mike and Chris break down whether the franchise's leap to theaters was a triumph or a stumble, and what it means for the future of Star Wars.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth