“Do you feel lucky, punk?”
Join Ian, Megs & Liam for our 296th episode as we prowl the streets of San Francisco, badge in one hand and .44 Magnum in the other, for a look at Clint Eastwood’s career-defining role in Dirty Harry (1971). A killer on the loose, a cop who won’t play by the rules, and a city hanging in the balance—this episode asks all the right questions, even if Harry never bothers to. It’s cops, criminals, and constitutional crises in our 296th episode as we ask:
Yes, Dirty Harry is cool—but do women actually like this film?
What’s with all the nudity, and how much of it serves the story?
Why does Scorpio do anything he does—and why does his logic (or lack thereof) drive us mad?
How has Harry never learned what actually invalidates evidence or a confession? Law 101, Callahan!
Why does the mayor keep calling him like he’s on speed dial for bad PR?
How deaf is the kid doing the fishing? And how long would it take for him to notice what’s going on behind him?
Why is Scorpio so disparate in his understanding of the value of hostages—demanding one thing one moment, then undercutting himself the next?
Why doesn’t the SFPD sit Harry home when he’s framed on regional television?
What exactly does the ending mean—resignation, rebellion, or just Eastwood being Eastwood?
Which line from the film is one of the most misquoted in television history?
We share some thoughts on the Charlie Kirk shooting and the public’s reaction to it - are we losing our humanity?
And finally: when exactly does DNA evidence become a thing—and how would it have changed the whole movie?
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.
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3:42:43
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3:42:43
Episode 295 - Jackie Brown (w/ BFF of the BFE: Shai Bergerfroind)
“This gun says you live, this gun says you die.” Join Ian & Liam for our 295th episode as we step into Tarantino’s world of money drops, double-crosses, and smooth soul soundtracks with Jackie Brown (1997). Kev? He’s running a cash pickup at the mall but got distracted by an Orange Julius. Megs? She’s busy cutting a deal with Ordell Robbie that may or may not involve a new handbag.
But don’t worry—we’re not flying solo. We’re joined by BFF of the BFE: Shai Bergerfroind, who slipped us a cassette tape of Delfonics tunes and insisted this was the Tarantino film to talk about.
This week we discuss:
How Jackie Brown might be Tarantino’s most mature film—and why it doesn’t get the same love as Pulp Fiction.
Pam Grier’s powerhouse performance: is this one of the greatest star comebacks in cinema history?
Robert De Niro as the quietest ex-con ever—and how a single scene changes everything.
Samuel L. Jackson’s Ordell: terrifying or hilarious, or both at once?
Is this the most “realistic” Tarantino film? And does that make it better or just slower?
Ian and Liam debate whether this film is about survival, romance, or just getting by.
Shai drops in to explain why the soundtrack is the real star of the film (and why he’s been humming Delfonics all week).
Which scenes had us holding our breath—and which ones could’ve been trimmed.
Why Max Cherry might be Tarantino’s most underrated character—and how Robert Forster’s quiet dignity steals the show.
And finally, whether Jackie Brown is the Best Film Ever—or just the coolest hangout movie you forgot you loved.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.
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3:32:22
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3:32:22
Fantasy Football Draft (2025) - THe BFE Patreon League
Are you ready for some (fantasy) football? We're back with our Patrons once again and invited a returning special guest to join us to fill out the field We've got your BFE favourites - Ian, Liam, KevDog, Georgia and Megs drafting live. We're also joined live by some of the BFE Patreon personalities, adding to the merriment.
It's a peak behind the curtain as you catch the BFE group just kicking it as we pretend we know what we're doing with Fantasy Football. In between bites of Pizza and Chicken Nuggets we provide commentary on the picks by our absent drafters (Rev Bruce, Duane Smith, Kevin from The Podcast That Wouldn't Die, Stew from the SWO, Ryan Kuketz, Nate the Great, Juleen, Ensign Ian Davies, and Dirk - whether they're drafting remotely or letting the computer do the heavy lifting)
There's pizza, banter, and a behind-the-scenes perspective that might help you know your BFE peeps a little bit better.
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1:34:22
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1:34:22
Episode 294 - Out of the Furnace (w/ BFF of the BFE: Hermes Auslander)
“Sometimes your battles choose you.”
Join Ian, Liam & Kevdog, alongside BFF of the BFE: Hermes Auslander, for our 294th episode as we head into the Rust Belt for gritty drama, family duty, and some Woody Harrelson menace with Out of the Furnace (2013). Megs? She’s away this week on a last-minute trip to Sweden after answering a classified ad for ABBA’s long-lost fifth member—working title: Mamma Mia 3: Megs Strikes Again.
This week we discuss:
It’s a Hermes pick, so you know what that means—another therapy session on the pod.
Find out when each of us stopped supporting Woody Harrelson (and for one of us, it’s much later than you’d think).
What’s the difference between simply stating your opinion and actively trying to sway someone else’s opinion?
Someone forgets how time zones work in this one (and no, it’s not just Hermes).
What’s the real measure of being a man: flashy success or the daily grind of quietly providing for your family?
Is Zoe Saldana a much better actress than we gave her credit for—and is this her most underrated performance?
Which scene impressed Ian the most with its cinematography—even though it was one of the hardest to watch.
What exactly was going on with Willem Dafoe’s character—and why can none of us pronounce the name correctly?
What is the definition of working a double shift, and why do we all seem to have different answers?
And finally, whether Out of the Furnace is the Best Film Ever—or just a quietly powerful entry in the blue-collar tragedy canon.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.
Catch so much more of Hermes Auslander on The Scuttlebutt Podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-scuttlebutt-podcast/id1503504933 (Apple) or https://open.spotify.com/show/2n9CNB9X6QXnmvn78HBEoJ?si=1bf26c4a13cd4234 (Spotify)
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.
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3:54:58
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3:54:58
Episode 293 - X-Men (2000)
“The future is coming.” Join your favourite TransAtlantic podcasting trio – Ian, Liam & Megs – for our 293rd episode as we pop our claws, don our leather suits, and revisit the film that redefined the superhero genre for the new millennium: X-Men (2000). Kev and Georgia? They’re cage fighting in Northern Alberta—because of course they are.
This week we discuss:
Ian and Liam get into a dust-up about what constitutes a gang—whose side are you on?
What's with all the wavering accents in this film?
How on earth did Magneto know that Rogue had her powers when Rogue, Wolverine, and even Professor X didn’t?
Ian delights in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo by a Canadian Prime Minister (true patriot love).
We reflect on Auschwitz as a tourist destination and Ian shares a story about a fashion faux pas that might have landed him on the wrong tour.
Was Anna Paquin actually the biggest star attached to the film at the time of its release?
You won’t guess what Bryan Singer banned from the set—and no, it wasn’t claws.
Our favourite ghostwriter pops up once again—this time with a surprising link to X-Men.
Alternate casting choices: the Wolverine that makes us laugh out loud, and a Professor X that would’ve been a disaster… but we still want to see it, even if the studio told him to “beat it” (not like that).
How do superheroes actually get their names? That’s the class we wanted to see at Xavier’s.
What exactly are the rules of Mystique’s powers again—and why is Toad weirdly overpowered?
Which character has the worst trash talk despite having the perfect set-up? (Spoiler: lightning shouldn’t strike twice.)
We talk about meeting up with two Friends of the Podcast this week and drinking pints no matter the occasion.
One cast member opens up about a wardrobe malfunction that made mutant fashion even harder to pull off.
And finally, whether X-Men (2000) is the Best Film Ever—or just the first stepping stone on the path to superhero dominance.
Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.
We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:
Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
Hermes Auslander
James DeGuzman
Synthia
Shai Bergerfroind
Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
Andy Dickson
Chris Pedersen
Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
Randal Silva
Nate The Great
Rev Bruce
Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
Richard
Ryan Kuketz
Dirk Diggler
Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
NorfolkDomus
John Humphrey's Right Foot
Timmy Tim Tim
Aashrey
Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.
Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.