Off The Break Podcast

Alyssa, Shayla, and Kyle decide to be brave and figure out whether movie theaters should book the Michael Jackson biopic and see just how much of his controversies will be addressed. They also discuss the need for rom-coms to return to cinemas and the changes in a movie's editing and pacing, especially in animated features.

Ken and Kyle discuss that while it's great to see the new Mario movie has performed well to start, it's in company with Project Hail Mary and Hoppers. The two of them also discuss how The Pitt's season finale, coming to Alamo Drafthouses, is adding on to the current trend of television hits playing at cinemas.

Alyssa and Kyle celebrate the massive opening of Project Hail Mary while also prepping movie theaters for the upcoming Mario movie. They gush over what they loved about the movie and give insight into why this is a terrific 4-quadrant movie.

Codi discovers that the major studios changed the rule for how long a theater can stay open, which leaves her spiteful. She, Ken, and Kyle also congratulate AMC Theaters for standing up to AI filmmaking and discuss why popcorn buckets are the new movie memorabilia.

Universal has finally decided to stop the ridiculous short windowing rules and is heading back to longer theatrical windows. Codi, Alyssa, and Kyle celebrate the great news and share their optimism for the industry's future.

Ken has brought back new categories to celebrate 2025 for movie theaters, but do Shayla and Ken agree with the winning results? They also discuss how Pixar and animation are adjusting to stay current for moviegoers, and much more!

In a shocking twist, Netflix decides to back out of a potential purchase of Warner Bros., with Paramount swooping in to take it instead. Shayla, Ken, and Kyle discuss the change of events and Paramount's future.

Shayla, Alyssa & Kyle went to their first secret movie, which wound up being How To Make A Killing! They share what they liked about the movie and what they learned from their first experience walking into a movie blind. They also discuss how the word of mouth with Wuthering Heights relates to its theatrical performance, and debate if an iconic character from The Devil Wears Prada will have dementia in the upcoming sequel.

Shayla, Ken, and Kyle discuss who the new CEO of Disney is, which leads to preparing exhibitors to push back against A.I. They also discuss the growing popularity of video game movies and a stacked Valentine's Day weekend at the movies.

Alyssa, Codi, and Kyle are pleased by the opening of Iron Lung and explain how being an independent distributor is beneficial for theaters and film bookers. They also share updates on some release changes in March, including a change to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's release date, while giving quick insight into Project Hail Mary's potential.

Shayla and Kyle sit down with Adam Howe from GoTab, a company that designs and sells point-of-sales technology. Adam breaks down how their technology works, why it's effective, and how movie theaters can utilize this in their complexes.If you're interested in GoTab, please reach out to Adam ([email protected]) or visit their website.

Codi, Alyssa, and Kyle explain the role of a film booker for movie theaters and why they can be very beneficial for running a cinema. The three of them also bring optimism for the Masters Of The Universe movie and explain why certain horror movies struggle to perform well in January.How A Film Booker Is Beneficial article

Shayla, Ken and Kyle return to discuss which movies in February could be successes. They also break down an IndieWire article that explains how Iron Lung found a distributor.

Shayla, Ken, and Kyle are back from the holidays, and so they play catch-up to see how the movies performed. The three of them also criticize the Oscars for finally enforcing voters to watch all the films, which should've been a rule already.

The whole darn crew, Codi, Ken, Shayla, Alyssa & Kyle all gather for the first episode of 2026! We look through the 2026 release calendar to see what movies theaters everywhere should be aware of, and also discuss their favorite Popcorn Bucket Picks of 2025.

Shayla, Kyle, and Alyssa all celebrate the final day at the office by making last-minute announcements regarding trailers attached to the Avatar movie. They also discuss the importance of discovering new movies for Gen Alpha and how Iron Lung could serve as an example of that. Finally, they create a new guessing game involving film ratings for some iconic and lesser-known movies.

Shayla, Kyle, and Ken don't know a lot about business, but they still take it upon themselves to discuss Paramount's last big attempt to claim Warner Bros from Netflix. They predict Avatar: Fire & Ash's opening weekend, discuss the struggles booking the finale of Stranger Things, and explain (as best as they can) the big deal with the upcoming movie Iron Lung.

Be prepared, because no one of this episode is happy about Netflix buying out Warner Bros. studios. Listen to Codi, Kyle, and Ken discuss why this has happened, and what movie theaters should prepare for as the industry makes another massive change.

Brandon Smith, filmmaker and business partner of Nova Vento Entertainment, stops by the studio to chat with Ken and Kyle about all things related to theatrical distribution. He shares everything from Nova Vento's plans for distributing movies and his upcoming projects, to why movie theaters are special to him and still matter.Visit Nova Vento Here

Codi, Kyle, and Ken explain why streaming services are prohibited from being used by movie theaters, despite some of them being free. They also cover the movies coming out for the holidays, such as Five Nights at Freddy's 2 and The Housemaid. And for the 1,000th time, we find something new that makes us all feel old.

Wicked: For Good is just around the corner! Alyssa explains to Kyle and Shayla what is so different about Act 2 versus Act 1, followed by the three of them gushing over the upcoming spoof movie from Bleecker Street, Fackham Hall. Then, Ken jumps in for Shayla, and everyone talks about watching The Running Man together!

Alyssa, Ken, and Kyle saw Predator: Badlands on opening night, and now share their opinions on it! However, before that, they discuss how December looks for movie theaters and give reassurance that Avatar: Fire & Ash will not be a box office bomb.

Ken and Shayla get festive for Halloween, but Kyle missed the memo. The three of them discuss whether Netflix is inching towards going theatrical due to the latest news. They also discuss why the status quo on early showings shouldn't change, and Kevin Costner's latest crisis.

Shayla, Alyssa, and Kyle gather to discuss their feelings on the state of the film ratings system and give resources to help theaters and parents. They also discuss preparing for Zootopia and Wicked For Good, while also getting excited for A24's Eternity.Film Ratings Blog Available Here.Film Ratings Resources Available Here.

The future may hold a glimmer of hope, as a new study suggests that Gen Alpha is receptive to watching movies in theaters. We break down the study, warn movie theaters about the upcoming Chainsaw Man movie, and more!Full study available here