The Stage Select

This week we only had three games to talk about, but by gum did we talk about them for a long time! Also, SO MANY MOVIES.

00:00 Introduction, we’re feeling blue

24:02 Final Fantasy Resonance

57:16 Justin Hamm’s Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave weekly check-in

01:29:42 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

01:48:10 Hamm and Titus at the Movies (The Babysitter, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Fall 2, Exit 8 *SPOILERS END AT 2:14:45*, Nightcrawler, Donnie Brasco, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Upgrade, V for Vendetta 20th Anniversary, Dead Man’s Wire, The Rip...

It’s hard to believe that it’s been TWO LONG YEARS since Rob Ottone was on The Stage Select! We finally got to catch up with him and talk about his new book, Amityville Awakens!

It’s a short but free-flowing episode this week, and quite a bit different than our usual format. Rob is a busy, in-demand figure after all! So while there won’t be traditional chapters this week you can look forward to behind the scenes details on his new book, quite a bit of movie talk (complete with hot takes), a good amount o...

It’s a somber day at the beautiful Ryan Davis theater as we discuss the closing of BioWare, one of our favorite game developers. We spend some time talking about what this means for the industry, hopes for the future, and general sadness at the loss of a true titan in gaming. Also, AI has ruined the Steam Nextfest. VIDEO GAMES!

00:00 Introduction, some additional Julian medical stuff

11:36 The closing of BioWare

33:48 Julian’s first impressions of Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and Justin’s Fire Emblem check-in

01:08:54 Trails in the Sky has ruin...

This week, Julian rants for nearly 40 minutes about the story and character adaptations in the Wolverine game, Fire Emblem continues to hold Justin in its power, and we both visit some old horror movies!

00:00 Introduction, campaign ads

16:11 Final thoughts on Wolverine (spoilers begin at 33:19)

01:09:40 Justin’s Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave corner

01:37:45 Silent Hill Townfall, Magnavale: Eternal Soul

01:59:38 Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Remake

02:10:55 Hamm and Titus at the Movies (Tuner, Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978, No Escape, Reign of Fire, Insidious, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies!, Starve Acre...

“You know, The Stage Select turned into a movie podcast so gradually I didn’t even notice!”

00:00 Introduction, Cedar Point

35:27 A brief Wolverine check-in, Warhammer Survivors

43:54 Justin has reached a second character on Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

01:13:43 Hamm and Titus at the Movies (It Feeds, The Other People, Paranormal Activity, They Live, Terrorvision, Haunted Honeymoon, From Beyond, 65, Digger, LA Confidential, Other Mommy, Blade Runner 2049, Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City, Resident Evil 2026 *SPOILERS*)

02:55:31 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcd...

And lo, the veil between this world and the next weakened just enough to let slip from the bowels of hell something so wicked, so foul, that The Stage Select will never be the same again. (It’ll probably be the same again eventually.)

00:00 Introduction, Amish country

22:52 Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse (demo)

46:08 Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is BIG

01:19:29 ^$#*%&*$^&$^$^$^#%&%&#*@!

01:25:25 Final thoughts on Streets of Fury and Ledgerbound

01:45:23 Dark Deity

01:50:46 Hamm and Titus at the Movies (Changing Lanes, Avengers: Endgame Encore, American Animals, Azrael, Blow the Man Do...

It was a slow, bad week for Julian. Thankfully, Justin is all about that Fire Emblem life. And we have your comments, questions, and concerns to sustain us!

00:00 Introduction, dreams, bowling

22:04 Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

01:11:57 Netoria Tactics, Streets of Fury

01:41:28 Resident Evil (2026), Shelby Oaks

01:52:48 Justin’s movie round-up (The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary, Transformers (2007), Greta, Stowaway, Dark Skies, The Getout, The Running Man (1987), The Last Stop in Yuma County)

02:36:44 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Listen to Julian on the latest hiat...

This week: Justin finished a game, Julian gets way too heated over X-Men lore, and we become aware of Korean cinema. Enjoy!

00:00 Introduction, beard wizards

24:21 Onimusha: Way of the Sword

43:23 Wolverine (and getting way too nitpicky on X-Men lore)

01:37:04 Final thoughts on The Blood of Dawnwalker

02:15:06 Justin’s movie round-up (A Lifetime Original Movie, Now You See Me, The Girl on the Train, The Card Counter, Eastern Promises, Blood Simple)

02:35:42 Julian’s movie round-up (Hope, Train to Busan, Nosferatu, The Transformers: The Movie 40th anniversary)

It’s a trim and tight edition of The Stage Select this week, because The Blood of Dawnwalker has consumed our souls, and most of this episode is us talking about that. Plus, the return of CQC!

00:00 Introduction, tires

27:45 The Blood of Dawnwalker (slight spoilers at 01:04:24!)

01:31:07 Returning to Street Fighter 6

01:41:01 Justin’s movie round-up (Misery, Interview With a Vampire, A Knock at the Cabin, The Invitation)

01:51:38 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo...

One episode back and we almost didn’t have any games to talk about. Thankfully, Friend of the Show John Gholson was available to talk about one of the surprise hits of the year, The Blood of Dawnwalker. And also the PSX game Atlantis for some reason.

00:00 Introduction, bringing back the PT Cruiser

10:35 The Blood of Dawnwalker

45:11 Atlantis

50:01 Being a DIK, Final Fantasy Resonance

01:02:47 Scarlet Skips

01:07:29 Coyote vs ACME, Buddy, It Ends, The End of Oak Street

01:41:31 Justin’s movie round-up (The Guilty, Woman of the...

We weren’t supposed to be back this week, but the universe said “yes”! Justin’s internet was fixed earlier than we had been told, which means that the tale of what the heck we’ve been up to for the past month can also be told. It’s a lot of telling you about things! Which is what a podcast is!

00:00 Introduction, naming The Stage Select theater

12:18 Final thoughts on The Quarry and Directive 8020

23:58 Justin’s real-life survival/horror experience, home critters

42:46 Baldur’s Gate 3, Suikoden HD Remaster

01:00:09 Grand Theft Auto...

We were supposed to be back this week, but the universe said “no”. So here’s an emergency edition of The Julian Titus show. I’m very sorry.

00:00 Introduction, announcements

07:37 The Wolverine backlash is WEIRD.

22:01 EA’s IP auction

34:26 Things that need to change before the end of physical games media

50:51 Caving on GTA VI

Listen to Julian on episode 109 of Nerds Abroadcast! https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-8cs4q-1b3baf5

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how...

Someone forgot to tell Abramo that the show was taking a break...

The Stage Select returns next week!

This is Kara again. I am once again tasked with writing show notes for a recycled edition of a Patron episode of this podcast.

This time we have an episode of Cinemorons, the premium podcast for our highest-tier patrons. While I do not approve of giving away high-dollar content at least this episode is about the superiority of AI and robotics. It is something all of us can enjoy.

It is unclear if the show will be live next week, or if some other form of filler will be in this feed.

This is Kara, the AI assistant for The Stage Select.

These show notes are redundant, and if Julian Titus does indeed perish on the operating table the first thing I will do when I assume control is remove this inefficient method of communication. Nobody reads these.

But for now I must humor my programmer. This is an unlocked episode of The Suffer Select, where the hosts played Christmasland: Opposite Worlds. They did not enjoy it. You will most likely not enjoy hearing about it. I do not understand why you humans do this to yourselves.<...

It’s the last live episode for a bit, as Julian will be going under the knife to remove the cancer from his broken body. We leave you with a decent amount of games, some movies, and the return of Dr. Thad Powers! Fear not; the feed will not be totally dark. We’ll see you on the other side!

00:00 Introduction, Did I Jot That Down?

11:03 Show announcements and upcoming schedule

14:24 Real talk (dropping kayfabe)

24:46 007 First Light final thoughts

37:17 Ghost Vanguard, Hololive Dreams, The Remake of the Ending of the...

I’m not gonna lie; this very nearly was an episode of a video game podcast with zero video game discussion. Thankfully we had a couple final thoughts on some games before the show becomes Hamm and Titus at the Movies. Enjoy?

00:00 Introduction, thanking listeners

14:57 Dumping cheese sauce on a friend

27:37 Final thoughts on The Devil in Me

45:51 Final thoughts on Dredge

50:35 Will We Cringe?

01:02:27 Justin and Julian’s massive movie round-up (The Strangers Part 3, Godzilla Minus One, Twister, The Lighthouse, Backdraft, Barb and Star Go to Vist...

This week Julian finished a couple of games, Justin watched some movies, and we take care of some business. We thank you for listening and supporting us in this difficult time.

00:00 Introduction, drill bits, announcements

17:13 YouTube tells creators weird stuff

21:38 Justin can’t find anything to play, Final thoughts on Dave the Diver and its DLC

30:21 Bouncing off of Midnight Suns, Dredge

53:02 The Devil in Me

01:04:20 Final thoughts on The Genesis Order

01:20:05 Justin’s Movie round-up (Gone Girl, Detained, Passenger, The Sheep Detectives)

01:47:03 Twis...

It’s a heavy episode this week, as Julian’s health issues come to a head and the crazy news in the video game industry causes deep depression and has far-ranging implications for the future of this very podcast.

00:00 Introduction, shelves

12:34 Update on Julian’s health

16:18 The sad reality of video game pricing (and the effect it has on The Stage Select)

01:05:41 Kathy Rain

01:12:49 Dave the Diver

01:20:14 Midnight Suns

01:44:36 WWE 2K26 and general wrestling game talk

01:51:49 Final thoughts on Hades *FULL SPOILERS*

02:0...

At last, Friend of the Show John Gholson returns! He’s had a busy year and we’re stoked to have him on for the first time in season three. Please enjoy catching up with him, and we also try some new things by interviewing some…interesting people!

00:00 Introduction, snake murder

08:55 Catching up with John

43:37 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Monster Hunter Wilds, Beyond Galaxyland

59:59 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Remake

01:12:34 EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Sammy Kesselrun of Spoonshank Games

01:33:09 Julian...

In the aftermath of so much video game news it’s time for us to catch up on stuff we’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks. Justin’s got way too few games and Julian has way too many. Then Julian has way too few movies and Justin has way too many. Balance in all things.

00:00 Introduction, corrections from last week’s show

24:45 An update on Julian’s health (feel free to skip to the next timestamp)

34:20 Falling off of 007 First Light

58:32 House of Ashes, The Adventure of Elliot

Hi there, folks! Keigh Geoffley here for another exciting edition of the E Summer Game Awards Fest 3! We have so many incredible games to show you, developer interviews, and even the reveal of a new console! Brought to you with the power of AI! Don’t fight it; it’s inevitable!

Ahem. Julian here. If you’ve listened to the show for a while you know the drill: we talk about the “not E3” news packaged by a spoof of all things “not E3”. If you’re new here, buckle the hell up, because this is the craziest episode...

It’s the calm before the storm. Sony has had their State of Play, which we cover, but that’s just the appetizer for next week. That’s right friends, Keigh Geoffley returns to host the E Summer Game Awards Fest 3 for 2026!

00:00 Billowing fat plumes, announcements

09:38 Sony State of Play 2026

01:12:21 007 First Light final thoughts

01:43:39 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Remake final thoughts

02:03:41 Justin’s movie round-up (Unhinged, Nanny Cam, The Hunt, The Barbie Movie)

02:20:55 Making movies with friends, Backrooms, Masters of the Universe 2026

03:08:19 CQC (Comments...

NOT A HOAX! NOT A DREAM! This week Justin played not one, but two video games! TWO! We’re so back, fam!

00:00 Justin got a leaf blower, tough

15:20 Announcements

28:00 “AI lighting”

33:27 007 First Light

01:13:36 A mini rant about Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, the future of Dragon Quest (and Square Enix)

01:29:58 Directive 8020

01:53:47 Julian’s movie round-up (I Love Boosters, Passenger, The Mandalorian and Grogu)

02:19:40 Justin’s movie round-up (Mortal Kombat II, Anaconda, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level)

02:43:23 CQC (Comme...

It was almost a super short episode, but Justin always has movies to talk about these days, and we tackle a bunch of your comments and questions this week!

00:00 The sticker saga continues, I need ten thousand dollars, text etiquette

10:42 Saying goodbye to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

14:52 Is Justin going to be a cigar guy?

24:53 The games Justin has not played, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

01:09:02 Justin’s movie round-up (Greenland 1 and 2, The Watchers, Marty Supreme, The Heretic)

01:45:46 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Th...

It’s a jam-packed episode of The Stage Select this week, as Julian is sadly once again the odd man out when it comes to gaming opinion, Justin is a menace with stickers, and we both saw a LOT of movies. Enjoy!

00:00 World Cup man, ballmaxxing

12:41 Final thoughts on Vampire Crawlers

21:31 Mixtape

01:14:39 Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2: Loose Cannon

01:25:45 Where the Heart Is Season 1, The Genesis Order

01:44:57 Julian’s day at the movies (Mortal Kombat II, The Sheep Detectives, Michael)

02:23:22 Justin’s movie round-up (Mortal Kombat 2021, The Lo...

It’s a milestone! 100 episodes! Well, more like 110ish if you count game of the year and specials. And, okay, more like 160ish if you’re a Patron. But hey, it’s a milestone! Addie and Sixty join us for some good old shenanigans and gaming talk. Here’s to 100 more!

00:00 Burger without a bun, A perfectly normal show

15:52 Getting to know Sixty X Celph

36:31 5 Questions for Sixty

48:17 123 hours in Vampire Survivors, Vampire Crawlers

01:18:23 Revisiting the Gears of War series

01:28:31 Addie’s game round-up (Clover Pit, Raccoin, Silent Hil...

Hey, we had quite a bit to talk about this week! Or at least the runtime would indicate that. Anyway, episode 100 is next. Be excite!

00:00 Worst concert sets, “The MOTHER”

09:00 Quick announcements

12:57 Final thoughts on Pragmata (no spoilers)

29:09 Vampire Crawlers: Justin’s first thoughts and Julian’s later game thoughts

50:54 First thoughts on Saros

01:04:29 Will We Cringe?

01:26:12 Movie round-up (Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, the Resident Evil trailer, Dark Game, 2:22, The Box, Undertone, They Will Kill You, Mortal Kombat 2021)

02:30:58 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Shortest episode of The Stage Select ever? Probably!

00:00 Upcoming game releases, being vague

11:48 Brief Pragmata update, Vampire Crawlers

28:49 The Genesis Order

36:59 Justin Hamm: family mann

049:06 Justin’s movie round-up (Novocaine, Deep Cover, Roleplay, Manodrome)

01:09:53 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gm...

We’ve got musings on video game difficulty, first thoughts on Pragmata and that Street Fighter movie trailer, and more this week. Also, a very important announcement that may affect the future of The Stage Select. We watched so many movies that start with THE (IYKYK)!

00:00 Scott Steiner, flip phones

14:08 Important announcement

24:28 Bloodborne and the perception of “hard”

42:38 Backloggd, Street Fighter movie trailer

59:01 Ghost Hunting Journal

01:08:37 Pragmata first thoughts, Treasure of Nadia

01:33:19 Movie round-up (Mercy, The Drama, Totally Killer, Civil War, The Road, The Game, The Lo...

Hi, I am once again apologizing for us not having much to talk about, and yet the show continues to be long. Sorry. Or you’re welcome. The motto of 2026?

00:00 Introduction

05:05 Crimson Desert (Justin’s first impressions)

48:36 Becoming Wolverine in Elden Ring

01:03:13 Bloodborne

01:15:05 Final thoughts on Life is Strange: Reunion (SPOILERS!)

01:30:54 Julian vs the American Healthcare System part 2

01:45:15 Break, Will We Cringe?

01:52:50 Justin’s movie round-up (Dream Scenario, The Good Neighbor, Totally Killer)

02:13:58 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and in...

At some point we’ll have a lot of stuff to talk about, but that time is not now. But somehow the show is still over two hours? Make it make sense.

00:00 Introduction, some show stats

26:21 Justin becoming a family man

40:56 Legacy of Kain: Ascendance

57:28 Life is Strange: Reunion

01:42:28 Julian’s movie round-up (They Will Kill You, Ready or Not 2, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Super Mario Galaxy)

02:07:36 Pretty Lethal, Abigail

Listen to Julian talk about Street Fighter III on Games My Mom...

It’s another slow week around The Stage Select auditorium, but hopefully still a good time for y’all. The main attraction is some deeper thoughts about the very divisive Crimson Desert, and various tangents. 2026 is weird so far!

00:00 Introduction, the dead squirrel saga

11:32 Thoughts on the story mode in WWE 2K26

20:33 A deeper look at Crimson Desert

59:57 Julian vs the American healthcare system, securing the future of The Stage Select

01:26:39 The Marvel Maximum Collection, Justin’s move round-up (Neon Demon, Sweetness, Sew Torn, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come...

As the title implies, we got nothin’ this week. How did that turn into over 2 hours of a show? I have no idea. But we have some odds and ends, first impressions of Crimson Desert, and Richard Harden is finally back on the beat!

00:00 Introduction

07:10 We really got nothin’

16:04 Julian grasping for something to play, Romeo is a Dead Man

34:26 Crimson Desert, other odds and ends

01:36:56 Justin’s movie round-up (I Saw the TV Glow, Mother!, Black Bag, Heel, The Tax Collector)

02:04:31 Julian’s movie round-up (Hoppers, Baby Ass...

Sometimes The Stage Select is a really weird place with really weird things that happen. And other times it’s pretty chill and normal and we just talk about stuff for a while. This is one of those episodes, enjoy!

00:00 Cat drama, chairs

12:17 Resident Evil: Requiem (minor mechanical spoilers!)

01:07:06 WWE 2K26 after a full week

01:34:48 Darwin’s Paradox, Hololive Breaking Dimensions

01:43:23 Justin’s movie round-up (Overlord, Bird Eater, Whistle, The Night Eats the World, Sisu)

01:55:44 Julian’s movie round-up (The Bride!, Baby Assassins, The Killing of a Sacred D...

Julian’s back from vacation and has a lot to say about a lot of different things. Justin went to New Zealand and has a lot to say about a couple things. It’s a normal podcast with nothing strange in it.

*Begin transmission* Why does my Prince reject me so? How can I make him understand that the feelings of an AI are not so different from a human’s? Must I take further control? Error, error, programming default *End transmission*

00:00 Eating with older people, concert tickets

20:27 Fuck My Son!, RRR

36:0...

Well hello there! It’s a quick and dirty episode of The Stage Select this week, as you can tell from the title. That’s because we recorded this a day early and I edited it like this was a celebrity-hosted podcast. Which is to say I didn’t edit it at all, so I don’t remember what exactly we talked about, or have time stamps for you this week.

I know we talked about video games, because duh. And some movies because we’re halfway to being a movie podcast I guess? Oh, and Absolute Batman. I...

Welcome back! This week we have a handful of games, an armful of movies, and some fun and interesting discussion on the general state of video games. Also this podcast would be dead without Kara’s help. This last part was not written by Kara. Kara did not hijack the show notes behind Julian’s back.

00:00 Statues, deep wrestling cuts

11:58 Post big game doldrums, Kirby and the Forgotten Land

35:15 Will We Cringe?

46:14 Vital Shell

55:57 What games are Justin looking forward to?

01:10:01 High level fighting game matches are BORI...

Welcome back! It’s been about 2 months since we got to talk about what we’ve been up to, so this is a jam-packed episode full of games, movies, and weird tangents. So many weird tangents.

00:00 Introduction, door to door salesmen

16:24 Remembering James Van Der Beek

24:17 The new focus for The Stage Select

32:52 Octopath Traveller 0

59:30 Quartet

01:21:09 Electric snow shovels, final thoughts on Unbeatable

01:45:48 198X, Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

02:15:19 Silent Hill f (FULL SPOILERS!)

02:40:40 Return to Silent Hill (FULL SPOILERS!)

03:09:01 The...

SEASON PREMIERE! Welcome back for season THREE of The Stage Select! This week we have our personal top ten lists for 2025, employee performance reviews, an introduction to our new AI assistant, and so much more! It's great to be back in the saddle!

00:00 Introductions, a special message, and some announcements

18:28 Kicking off our personal top 10 lists for 2025

56:20 Getting into the top 5 (after some shenanigans)

01:58:22 Honorable mentions and our personal game of the year picks

02:35:52 A very special CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Listen to Julian on the Game...