Just The Thing
Joel Jessup and Chris Regan
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Writers Joel Jessup and Chris Regan reimagine cult and classic movies by adding John Carpenter's The Thing into the story. Not even the two hosts understand why they are doing this but they'll figure it out, one movie at a time.
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Top 10 Just The Thing Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Just The Thing episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Just The Thing for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Just The Thing episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Conan the Barbarian
Just The Thing
10/11/22 • 81 min
Joel and Chris discuss what would happen if The Thing was in Conan and ask all the important Conan-related questions, like did right-wing politics used to be more palatable? And what exactly is a snake cult? This episode also includes a rare deep dive into the actual plot of the film so if you haven't seen Conan the Barbarian you would be well-advised to rectify this before listening.
Music - Solitude by Karl Casey
https://karlcasey.bandcamp.com/
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
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Batman Returns with Matt O'Dwyer and Peter Regan
Just The Thing
12/18/24 • 82 min
In the Just The Thing 2024 Christmas Special, Joel and Chris are joined by Matt O'Dwyer and Peter Regan as they attempt to unwrap Tim Burton's Batman Returns and imagine what might happen if the shapeshifting creature from John Carpenter's The Thing crashed Gotham's most chaotic Christmas party.
Join us as we revisit this wildly dark "kids' movie" from the '90s, marvel at Danny DeVito's grotesque and tragic Penguin, and applaud Michelle Pfeiffer's iconic transformation into Catwoman. We also explore how Batman himself gets overshadowed in his own movie by the film's incredible villains. Did we mention that Christopher Walken is also in this movie?
Stay tuned for a Batman-themed Christmas quiz towards the end of the episode!
Music by Myuu
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
The Invitation (2015)
Just The Thing
04/22/25 • 67 min
In this bonus episode of Just The Thing, Joel Jessup and Chris Regan dive deep into Karyn Kusama’s slow-burn psychological horror The Invitation. Join us for a lively chat about super fun subjects like grief, cults, and social discomfort. We ask the question, when would you leave the death cult party? And does the film’s quiet dread and social awkwardness make it more terrifying than The Thing itself?
We also explore what happens when John Carpenter’s The Thing crashes the dinner party, comparing thematic overlaps and wondering whether Logan Marshall-Green’s Will is a low-key MacReady cosplay.
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Bad Boys for Life
Just The Thing
06/21/22 • 53 min
In this episode Joel and Chris reimagine the third film in the Bad Boys trilogy if it had been invaded by John Carpenter's The Thing. What sounds like the most unlikely pairing in the series so far may be the first to actually work! Come with us as we discover a world in which Will Smith and Martin Lawrence team up to take on a shape-shifting alien. S**t just got real.
Disclaimer: This episode was recorded prior to the 2022 Oscars, so at the time of recording Will Smith is still a very nice man and we are blissfully unaware of him slapping anyone.
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Haunted Mansion
Just The Thing
08/06/24 • 72 min
Season 4 of Just The Thing begins, and Joel and Chris try to fix the 2023 Haunted Mansion by putting John Carpenter's The Thing into it!
The Haunted Mansion is a well-loved theme park ride, but why is it so difficult to turn into a movie? The answer may shock you! Or seem blindingly obvious. We talk about haunted houses, ghost logic, and how best to use a Danny DeVito in your film.
PLUS: Chris questions the ability of a very famous well-regarded actor and then Joel pitches the worst sitcom idea ever.
Please subscribe to our show and talk about it to your friends and any passing ghosts.
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Season 4 Prologue
Just The Thing
07/27/24 • 3 min
A quick catch-up episode to let you know that Just The Thing will be returning for Season 4 on Tuesday 6th August.
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
First Blood
Just The Thing
02/14/23 • 66 min
1982 season continues as Joel and Chris put John Carpenter's The Thing into First Blood!
It's the second part of our Stallone mini-mini-series as we look at the surprisingly low-key first Rambo film and ask the question: masculinity?
Chris is terrified by Australia, Joel does much less Stallone impressions than last time, and we start to put together our pitch for a 'The Thing' cinematic universe. Thingiverse?
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Mystery Men
Just The Thing
07/05/22 • 60 min
In this episode Joel and Chris examine the 1999 superhero comedy, Mystery Men, and look at how it manages to parody superhero tropes that barely existed at the time. They also consider the short-lived career of director Kinka Usher, ponder the real life origin of Michael Bay and compare the cast of characters to real life creative types they may or may not know in real life. For the main event, our two intrepid writers consider not only how John Carpenter's The Thing might alter a film like Mystery Men but how it could provide the basis for a potential sequel.
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
10/15/24 • 76 min
Joel and Chris are joined by Geraint D'Arcy, Associate Professor and Head of Media at UEA, where the three originally met as students in the late 90s. Geraint was also the star of Chris and Joel's short film, Bad Day, often referenced on the podcast. Together, they try to understand the 1989 sci-fi film, Slipstream, starring Bob Peck, Mark Hamill and Bill Paxton. Slipstream was a prestigious and much-hyped project, from the producer of Star Wars, Gary Kurtz, and the director of Tron, Steven Lisberger. With so much talent behind and in front of the camera, why is the film so incoherent? Help is at hand via a special appearance from actor Paul Reynolds, who shares his recollection of what it was like to actually work on Slipstream. Finally, Joel, Chris and Geraint attempt to answer the ultimate question - would Slipstream be better with The Thing in it?
Geraint D'Arcy on Instagram
Pages from Geraint's Slipstream Comic
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Conclave
Just The Thing
05/13/25 • 63 min
In the last of our bonus episodes before we get stuck into a whole new season, Joel and Chris imagine what happens when a shape-shifting alien crashes the most secretive election in the world. That’s right—we’re putting The Thing into Conclave, the tense political thriller about the inner workings of a Vatican papal election.
As Ralph Fiennes navigates political intrigue and whispered secrets in the Sistine Chapel, we ask: what if one of the cardinals wasn’t just hiding a scandal—but a parasitic alien alter-ego?
Join us for theological musings, ecclesiastical paranoia, and perfectly respectful Pope vs Thing chat.
Disclaimer: In case it seems weird that we don't mentioned it, we recorded this on 2nd April, before the death of Pope Francis and the subsequent actual conclave.
Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
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FAQ
How many episodes does Just The Thing have?
Just The Thing currently has 42 episodes available.
What topics does Just The Thing cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts and Tv & Film.
What is the most popular episode on Just The Thing?
The episode title 'Conan the Barbarian' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Just The Thing?
The average episode length on Just The Thing is 67 minutes.
How often are episodes of Just The Thing released?
Episodes of Just The Thing are typically released every 14 days, 8 hours.
When was the first episode of Just The Thing?
The first episode of Just The Thing was released on May 23, 2022.
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