The Obsessive Viewer

OV489 – The Smashing Machine (2025) & The Strangers: Chapter 2 (2025) – Guest: Sam Watermeier – The Obsessive Viewer – Movie Review Podcast

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This week, Sam Watermeier joins me to review the new Benny Safdie movie, The Smashing Machine in a feature review and then, in this week’s secondary review, we talk about Renny Harlin’s, The Strangers: Chapter 2. We also discuss recent movie and TV news, screenings around Indianapolis, Heartland Film Festival, Robert Redford, Heat 2, and more.

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Mic Info

• Matt: ElectroVoice RE20 into RØDEcaster Pro II (Firmware: 1.6.6)
• Sam: Samson Q2U via USB in Google Meet

Timestamps

• Show Start – 01:29
• Introducing Sam – 04:31
• Screening in Indy – 10:49
• News Before the Reviews – 17:54

Feature Review

• The Smashing Machine (2025) – 23:51
• Spoiler – 1:06:57

Secondary Review

• The Strangers: Chapter 2 (2025) – 1:36:17

• Closing the Ep – 2:03:00
• Patreon Clip – 2:05:13

Related Links

• Heartland Film Festival
• The Tenderness Tour Documentary at HIFF34
• My Voice Work on The Endless Elsewhere Podcast
• My Guest Spot on Short Bites: A Stephen King Podcast
• OV429 – I Saw the TV Glow (2024) & The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024) – Guest: Sam Watermeier
• Robert Redford, ‘Butch Cassidy’ and ‘All the President’s Men’ Icon, Dies at 89
• ‘Heat 2’ Moves From Warner Bros. to Amazon MGM as Michael Mann’s Sequel Gains Traction

• Sam’s Letterboxd
• Sam’s Writing on Midwest Film Journal
• Sam’s Review of Arrow’s Spawn 4K UHD Release
• Sam’s Review of Are We Good?
• Sam’s Review of The Strangers: Chapter 2
• Sam’s Quick Takes Reviews of Twinless and Lurker

• My 2025 Podcast and Writing Archive
• Book Reaction – The Long Walk by Stephen King – Chapters 1-2 – Sept 18, 2025
• Book Reaction – The Long Walk by Stephen King – Chapters 3-5 – Sept 21, 2025
• Book Reaction – The Long Walk by Stephen King – Chapters 6-7 – Sept 28, 2025
• Book Reaction – The Long Walk by Stephen King – Chapters 8-10 – Oct 4, 2025
• Patreon Special – Yojimbo (1961) at the Kan-Kan – Aug 27, 2025
• Patreon Special – High and Low (1963) at the Kan-Kan – Aug 24, 2025
• Immediate Reaction – Together (2025) – Jul 23, 2025
• Patreon Companion Episodes Collection

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• Support Us on Patreon for Exclusive Content
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Podcasts Presented by ObsessiveViewer.com

• Obsessive Viewer Presents: Anthology
• Obsessive Viewer Presents: Tower Junkies

Indianapolis Theaters

• Alamo Drafthouse Indy
• Kan-Kan 
• Living Room Theaters
• Keystone Art 
• Flix Brewhouse

Next Week on the Podcast

• OV490 – Roofman (2025) & Bone Lake (2025)