THE FIXATE & BINGE PODCAST, with Host, Joe Curdy: Deep dives into cinema and storytelling with voices who create it

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I ranked the 21 greatest living actors AND actresses in two pyramids, posted them on TikTok, and watched the debate explode. More than 11,600 views later, the verdict was in: some of my choices were inspired, others were questionable, and a few omissions were downright unforgivable.

So, did I get it wrong?

In this episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, I'm revisiting my controversial rankings, responding to your comments, admitting where I missed the mark, and doubling down on the choices I'm absolutely prepared to defend.

Did Leonardo DiCaprio deserve a higher ranking? How on earth did Russell Crowe and Christian Bale miss the cut? Does Denzel Washington really just play himself? And has Tom Cruise earned his place among the greatest living actors?

On the actresses' side, I'm reconsidering the conspicuous absences of Helen Mirren and Toni Collette, while defending some of my more contentious selections, including Viola Davis.

From Oscar-winning legends to overlooked contemporary talents, this is a spirited, occasionally contentious celebration of great acting, passionate film fandom, and the wonderfully subjective nature of ranking artistic greatness.

I made the lists. You challenged them. Now it's my turn to respond.

And the debate is far from over.

Who would YOU add, remove, or move to the top of the pyramid?
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Can movies be a form of self-therapy?
We all have those films we return to when life gets difficult. Not necessarily the happiest movies or the ones with the most uplifting endings, but the stories that speak to us personally, offer a little perspective, or remind us that there's still plenty worth celebrating in life.
In this personal and hopeful episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, host Joe Curdy explores the restorative power of cinema, sharing five films he turns to for comfort, encouragement, and inspiration when life feels particularly overwhelming.
From LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and 3:10 TO YUMA to FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, DEAD POETS SOCIETY, and GOOD WILL HUNTING, Joe reflects on how certain movies can lift our spirits, challenge our perspectives, and help us reconnect with what matters most.
The episode also touches on the importance of caring for our mental health, including a meaningful message from the late RJ Mitte about paying attention to our emotional well-being.
Plus, Joe shares his impressions of HBO's inspiring new film THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH and offers two bonus television recommendations for horror fans: CRYSTAL LAKE on Peacock and CARRIE on Prime Video.
And Joe leaves listeners with a question worth considering:
What movies do YOU turn to when life gets difficult?
Because while movies aren't a substitute for professional mental health care, sometimes the right film at the right moment can offer exactly the comfort, perspective, or encouragement we need.
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Two friends. Ten years apart. A 330-mile journey through the breathtaking Scottish Highlands.
On this episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, we're joined by writer/director Bart Schrijver and stars Bart Harder and Carles Pulido for a fascinating conversation about their extraordinary new film, THE NORTH (2025) — a beautifully understated, deeply immersive, and profoundly moving exploration of friendship, reconnection, and the healing power of nature.
Set against some of the most spectacular landscapes ever captured on film, THE NORTH follows Chris (Harder) and Lluis (Pulido), two longtime friends who reunite after a decade apart to embark on an ambitious 330-mile trek along Scotland's legendary West Highland Way and Cape Wrath Trail.
Drawing from Schrijver's own experiences as a long-distance hiker, the film takes audiences on a remarkable journey through the rugged Scottish wilderness, where breathtaking scenery, unpredictable weather, quiet reflection, and the physical demands of the trail become the backdrop for something far more intimate: two friends rediscovering their connection, confronting the passage of time, and perhaps learning something about themselves along the way.
In our conversation, Schrijver shares the inspiration behind his deeply personal film and the extraordinary challenges of shooting on location with a remarkably small cast and crew. Meanwhile, Harder and Pulido reflect on their experiences bringing Chris and Lluis to life, including the genuine friendship that developed between them during production — a beautiful parallel to the relationship at the heart of the film.
The result is an engaging, thoughtful, and often heartwarming discussion about independent filmmaking, the power of authentic storytelling, and the ways nature can help us reconnect with ourselves and one another.
Join us as we venture behind the scenes of a remarkable film that reminds us that sometimes the greatest discoveries aren't found at the end of the trail, but in the people who walk beside us.
🎬 THE NORTH (2025)
🎙️ Featuring: Writer/Director Bart Schrijver and actors Bart Harder and Carles Pulido
🎧 The Fixate & Binge Podcast — Celebrating the films, filmmakers, and stories worth discovering.
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Filmmaker, actress and provocateur Kansas Bowling joins The Fixate & Binge Podcast to revisit her audacious film CUDDLY TOYS, now returning to audiences with a striking new 35mm print.
Originally shot on Super 16mm, CUDDLY TOYS adopts the deceptively innocent language of 1960s and ’70s educational films to present a surreal, unsettling series of vignettes featuring a cast of 100 actresses. The result is a film that can be funny, shocking, disturbing and deliberately difficult to pin down.
Kansas joins Joe to discuss the film’s unusual production, its distinctive visual language, working with such an enormous ensemble, and what it means to see CUDDLY TOYS given a new life on 35mm.
But what does CUDDLY TOYS actually mean?
Bowling isn’t particularly interested in answering that question for us.
In a conversation about authorship, interpretation and the sometimes dangerous temptation to explain art, Kansas discusses why she prefers to leave CUDDLY TOYS in the hands of the audience — allowing viewers to wrestle with its images, provocations and contradictions and ultimately decide for themselves what they’ve just experienced.
🎙️ Kansas Bowling joins The Fixate & Binge Podcast to discuss CUDDLY TOYS — and why sometimes the filmmaker’s final word is letting the audience have theirs.
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Can we actually learn to be happier? And if we want a more peaceful world, does that change have to begin within ourselves?
This week on The Fixate & Binge Podcast, Joe welcomes acclaimed filmmaker Barbara Miller, producer and co-director of WISDOM OF HAPPINESS — the extraordinary new documentary offering audiences an intimate encounter with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his deeply human message of compassion, inner peace, and our shared responsibility for one another.
Barbara takes us behind the making of the film and her remarkable experience working with His Holiness, while exploring the ideas at the heart of WISDOM OF HAPPINESS: Why do we struggle to find happiness? How much of our suffering begins within our own minds? And can changing ourselves ultimately change the world around us?
What follows is an illuminating conversation about filmmaking, compassion, self-reflection, and the difficult—but hopeful—journey toward inner peace.
In a world increasingly defined by division, anxiety, anger, and uncertainty, WISDOM OF HAPPINESS offers something remarkably simple:
Perhaps peace in the world begins with finding peace within ourselves.
Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below!

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