2 fast 2 forever: the fast and furious podcast by Joey Lewandowski and Joe Two

We’re headed to Abu Dhabi to talk about Furious 7, this time with Derek Lawrence: journalist and author of the upcoming book, A Quarter-Mile at a Time: The Oral History of the Fast & Furious Franchise! After learning about his new book (its format, release date, and what he learned from his interviews), we share a mutual admiration of Vin Diesel’s Instagram and talk about what Fast Forever will look like (as well as what fans actually want). Derek remembers a time when his friends splintered over Tokyo Drift vs. Cars, talks about his love for Fast and Furious and Hitch, and shares his favorite Fast interviews.

Happy Arbor King Day! As we do every year on Arbor Day, we're celebrating by watching one of the Arbor King's shorts. This year, we're watching Groot's First Steps, which is available to stream in the "I Am Groot" TV series on Disney+. After talking about how we're going to spend our Arbor Day, and how much we love trees, we talk about the similarities between this web series and the 2020 documentary I Am Greta. We also talk about the many questions that Groot's First Steps cause us to ask, like: is Baby Groot a cannibal? What's that green sap? Is Groot the Han of the Guardians?

We're breaking down the doors (metaphorically) in the new Life in the Fast Lane, and we've got a message for you: "Heeeeeere’s Seanny!" In a very quiet (or, in Joe's words: "least available to us") installment of the Tokyo Drift Minute, we find ourselves face to face with a reference to classic horror. Then, Vin Diesel lets us down as our Running of the VIN yields no new Instagram posts. We get some more (bold!) guesses about the amount of screentime for Hobbs in Fast Forever. Joey disappoints Joe re: new movies, but follows it up with a recap of a great theater experience. We then talk about other things we've watched (and making guesses about upcoming seasons of The Pitt) before talking about sports frustrations and fast food recommendations.

We're headed down under this week to watch the original Mad Max and learn things, like: Max is a cop?! After sharing our histories with Mad Max (and how this movie is most likely new to both of us), we compare it to Fury Road and discuss how we watched Mad Max as a prequel. Joey shares research on the emergency room and gas shortage origins for this story, we talk about how the creativity and talent overcame the miniscule budget, and we discuss George Miller's aims: to create a silent movie with sound, car action meets horror, and "a Western in new clothes." We look up the Mad Max timeline to make sense of when and where we are. Joey shares a thing that unsettled him; Joe praises some "redneck ingenuity." For a change, we give credit to the people who make the Fast & Furious movies. Also: did Saw steal from this movie?!

It's time for Life in the Fast Lane, for Vin Diesel to tell us about Cuba. First, though, is the Tokyo Drift Minute, which once again shows we have no grasp of how long these races take. (Also: how long will the world's longest runway scene take for us to cover?) Then, Vin has been busy on Instagram, including penning some LONG posts - and accidentally tapping into a new feature. Are we 1 year, 11 months away from... an extinction-level event? Ludacris has us worried. (Also: Get your guesses in for The Rock's screentime in Fast Forever! Time is running out.) Vin teases a story about him and Charlize from the 90s (we need to know more!), and he continues to test the audience appetite for returning characters. We explore the credits of Michael Lesslie, the new screenwriter for Fast Forever, which also leads us to a new theory for @ReactionRocket's identity. Joe talks about the Broadway adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon, we briefly talk about Ready or Not 2 and Project Hail Mary, and Joey talks about fantasy baseball and real baseball

The “mad scientist” behind 2 Fast 2 Gekido, Michael Krukar, joins us to hit the streets of Japan for The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift! After hearing about Michael’s history with the franchise (and his thoughts about its future), he floors us by answering the Hobbs screentime question in a brand new way. We then share new thoughts on Tokyo Drift, like whether Han is the Dom of this particular racing scene, a new vision of the Family’s happy ending, and our “Twinkie turnaround.” Michael injects a bit of anime into the Fastiverse, which ties into an observation by Joey and Wes’s automancer theory. We talk about the tasteful inclusion of the Karate Kid, the film’s many father figures, and which franchise would be best-suited to a Fast and Furious crossover (including many horror options). Michael pitches a Logan-like movie called Toretto.

It's time for Life in the Fast Lane, which features a cinematic way to describe the impact of this toy. First, though, it's the Tokyo Drift Minute, which features another full minute of the drift race and a mystery snack in Han's hands. We then Run the VIN to return to Bear Country with the Arbor King in tow, and where we read a bit of the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots script from Vin Diesel's screen. Hector is back?! Joe buys a prize for the "Hobbs Screentime" guessing game, another intrepid explorer writes in about starting the 2F2F journey, and we talk about the Oscars (and the Chalamet of it all). Joey talks about some how to win the lottery podcast stuff. We talk about Kyler Murray, Opening Day, and Konnor Griffin.

After talking about Roger Corman's filmography throughout the podcast, we're finally covering one he produced: Death Race 2000! After Joey shares his way of making movies (both good and bad) and his star-making lineage, we talk about the lack of specifics found in Death Race 2000's dystopian landscape, and ask: what's the right balance between backstory and movie? We have more questions, too, like: How does the scoring system work? And: Why would you ever leave your home? We talk about the Frankenstein vs. Mr. President showdown, a Looney Tunes-esque fake tunnel (!), and our favorite kills. We wonder: is there any chance that the Jason Statham / Tyrese remake is any good?

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane and a discussion about The Arbor King... Groot... Doomsday. We kick off with Minute 30 from Tokyo Drift, featuring cutting-edge flip phone technology! (Can we buy those phones?) We then make a triumphant return to Run the VIN, with nine (!) posts! Vin is in (nearly) full-blown Fast Forever mode, but we also learn things like: he's a twin and his dad is from Oakland? In the news roundup, Vin's daughter joins him on the red carpet. We talk about cars we've owned, get some more alternate titles for Fast Forever, and hear about and a new way to air Dos Bandoleros. We talk (spoiler free) about Matt Johnson's filmography, Scream 7, The Pitt, and DTF St. Louis.

Dr. Alicia Kozma returns to the podcast to talk about her favorite film in the franchise: Fast & Furious 6! She shares her thoughts on (and expectations for) Fast Forever. We launch a new game -- how much screentime will The Rock get in Fast Forever? -- and also a new segment, which features controversy from the very onset.

We're back with another installment of Life in the Fast Lane, this one featured in The Gold Zone, Hosted by Scott Hanson. First up is the Tokyo Drift Minute (#29), which introduces us to Exceedingly Handsome Guy and two Cowgirls. (Any real racer knows EHG is on our Mount Rushmore of the most important Tokyo Drift characters.) Do we need a wellness check for Vin? He's made no posts on VINstagram! We cover lots of Fast-adjacent news: Rousey vs. Carano, Tyrese x Armie Hammer?, and Jason Statham Stole My Bike! Have we Vin-pilled our listeners' brains? How could Dos Bandoleros could be made? Where could it live? We look at Universal's slate and see what makes sense. We also talk about the Super Bowl and the Olympics, Jury Duty and a new reality show that Joe likes, as well as Charli XCX's The Moment and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.

Fan favorite Garrett Smith returns to the podcast to make us a three-man team, trekking across the jungle, and talking about Sorcerer! After sharing the crazy backstory behind this movie (and admiring the equally crazy filmmaking of William Friedkin), we talk about how stressful Sorcerer is -- even if you've seen it before. We talk about the story of four doomed men, the incredible Tangerine Dream score, and an era of guys filming crazy things in movies that have never been seen before and will never be seen again. Joey tells the tale of Marvin the Torch. We talk about the immediacy of the tragedy in the film, as well as its ties to both Fast & Furious and Fast Five -- and a theory for Fast Forever. "Where am I going?"

Welcome to the FAST FOREVER era! Always remember the immortal words of Vin Diesel: “And a legacy… lasts Forever.” After discussing what a “Forever” lap could look like, we then move to the Tokyo Drift Minute to discuss the knowledge gap in Twinkie’s mind between art and cars. We then Run the VIN to get some Fast Forever promo and to discuss the rise of “Vin Fake News” among our listeners. When will Bad Bunny join the Fast Family? We discuss. We also share some sad news. The Fast & Furious personality quiz is now online! You can take that here. We source some alternate titles to Fast Forever, hear a pitch for Fast Forever that features no Vin Diesel, and discuss Skyscraper Live, Send Help, 28 Years Later/The Bone Temple, and The Testament of Ann Lee.

We're joined by Ben Fritz of the Wall Street Journal to talk all about Fast Five and the future of the franchise! After talking about his beat at the WSJ, what he covers, and how he started writing about entertainment, we ask what he thinks the future will hold for the Fast franchise. We discuss the creative and financial imperatives at stake, how much money a movie needs to make to be "successful," and how the business plan for Fast Five got him invested in the franchise in the first place. Will the next Fast movie try for anything other than wrapping up a story? Will we see canonical Fast shows on Peacock? We sure hope so! We talk about the reality of how the Family has never heisted more than $100 million (in this economy?), how Fast Five outsmarts the "average action film" in exceptional ways, and how Ben would spend $200 million on Fast 11.

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and Vin Diesel has one message for you: Happy Birthday, America... Before we figure out what that's all about, we tackle the Tokyo Drift Minute, which features some of the film's most iconic lines as well as a new showdown: Morimoto vs. Neela? We Run the VIN for another light session... but calendars and time are subjective to Vin Diesel, so does this cadence even matter? Tyrese enters the Criterion Collection! We celebrate. We hear of a new Fast-esque TTRPG. What are the most memorable kisses in the Fast and Furious movies? Joe tries to guess. We do some Fast & Furious trivia that Barry Hertz put together (the sheet is in our Discord, and we don't spoil any answers starting at 38:50). We talk briefly about The Pitt and 28 Years Later.

We're hitting the road to talk about Duel, Steven Spielberg's first film, and we're joined by Mark Hofmeyer! After learning more Mark lore, we talk about the evolution of Duel from TV movie to full-length feature, the history of rye bread, and how impressive the filmmaking is in this film (on every level). Which Fast and Furious character would do the best in this situation? Mark quizzes us. We talk about how the whole film feels very Fast & Furious (2009) coded, when the movie feels the most like the Twilight Zone, and whether or not people were rooting for the trucker to win. We also talk about our favorite Spielberg chase scenes, cross this film over with Ridley Scott's The Last Duel, and pick Mark's brain for movies to watch in other laps.

It's time for Life in the Fast Lane (about Make-Up Oscars?) and a bit of a twist on our normal episode format. We start, as usual, in the Tokyo Drift Minute to explore new nicknames, including perhaps more implied racism? (Or: maybe not.) We then Run the VIN to find only one image, but in keeping up with historical precedent, Vin is once again in full-on campaign mode (and also again not looking at the right camera). Could Vin Diesel take a digital detox in 2026? What other cars could be immortalized in LEGO? We discuss. Then, we deep dive (featuring spoilers) into Marty Supreme. We lament that both this movie and One Battle After Another came out this year. Joe talks about seeing a charming Short King on screen, and we praise the casting from top to bottom. We then discuss Joshua Oppenheim's upcoming film Primetime (as well as the other new Robert Pattinson movie, The Drama) before we talk about make-up Oscar (and make-up NFL MVP) wins, as well as Hollywood's latest way of grabbing audience attention.

We're joined by Jeanette Ward to talk about Fast & Furious! And, as a bit of a bonus, about Los Bandoleros as well! After we find out what Jeanette likes to see in her big-budget action films (and what she dislikes), we talk about this movie as the first "true" sequel to the original and her thoughts on Los Bandoleros. She shares her rankings (and a new take on No Knees Denise). Who were people rooting for when this movie came out: Dom or Brian? We discuss. We also talk about if Fast & Furious is the first movie where Vin figures out who Dom is, whether Dom can use chopsticks, and whether Brian is good at pool. Jeanette shares what she would like to see in the future of the franchise and then takes the character quiz.

It's time for our final episode of the year, and our final Life in the Fast Lane! Don't worry: "I can see something beautiful, cinematic." After covering a Tokyo Drift minute that features a deep dive into the career of Brian Tee (and a new nickname for DK?), we head over to Instagram to Run the VIN, where we notice a series of photos where he's looking at a different camera than the one that took the photo he posted. We then ask: what's going on with Cristiano Ronaldo? Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots? The next Fast film? Ark 2? (We have very few answers.) Does Tyrese care whether or not he's posting AI photos? (Probably not!) We talk about new TV, the latest in sports (outdated when you hear this, naturally!), and Radiohead in Copenhagen.

Merry Christmas! We've set a very low bar with holiday movies on this podcast, but Ludacris is here to save the day with Dashing Through the Snow! Well, to be fair, he doesn't seem like he wants to be in this movie, but at least Lil Rel Howery does. After Joey details the true lack of background and trivia, we talk about the unique angles (both in terms of story and lore) that this movie takes before talking about a Christmas movie and belief conundrum. We write the sequel to this movie, explore the world of streaming finances, and imagine streamers' big boards of "content to create." Joey points out what Joe imagines "people who like Christmas" look like. We talk about "movies to wrap presents to," whether a dog is far too big of a gift for Santa to give, and other Christmas movies we could watch. Is Joe... becoming less of a Grinch? We explore.

We're making up for a long-time oversight on the podcast by finally watching The French Connection, starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider! After exploring the historical context of 1971 films (and which Best Picture winners we've covered on the podcast), we turn our appreciation toward a thing that influenced so many on-screen car chases, cop movies, and The Wire. We talk about how our podcast keeps crossing over with fast food restaurants, how The French Connection captures the griminess of 1970s Brooklyn and subways and real locations (and real bars), and how William Friedkin seems hellbent on showing actual illicit activities on-screen. Joe admires chemistry glass Joey breaks down *the* on-screen car chase. We talk about how the film is like Fast Five.

Speaking of hall of fame... it's time for another Life in the Fast Lane! There is so much we have to cover. First up, the Tokyo Drift Minute, which sets up a techno-divide and allows us the opportunity to take a dive deep into Nathalie Kelley's life. (She loves fungi!) We Run the VIN again to see another near hostage situation, a new title for the next Fast film, an ode to Dwayne (or is it?), and a massively edited love letter to Paul on the anniversary of his death. We recover some YouTube and Spotify comments before exploring the asexuality of Hobbs and the Vin-fueled history of Riddick: Furya. We get new rankings and a new order in which to watch the movies, based on hospitals. Joe plugs Turbos for Tots.

We're headed back to Miami, bruh, to talk about 2 Fast 2 Furious with Sax Boy Billy! After talking about how Sax Boy Billy wound up on the podcast, we talk about his history with the Fastiverse, what kinds of movies he likes the most, and how he expected to see Vin Diesel in 2 Fast 2 Furious -- and got Tyrese instead. We talk about Vin Diesel's appearances in video games, how Tej Parker pays for his seemingly extravagant Miami lifestyle, and how feasible the use of NOS is, in reality. Joey wishes for an alternate timeline of movies starring Brian and Bilkins, while Joe asks: is this the most "classic car" Fast? Will Dom have to defeat a Waymo? We discuss. We also talk about whether newer/modern Roman would give up the money at the end of this movie.

We've got that Dom state of mind... on today's Life in the Fast Lane as we cover our first Tokyo Drift Minute in quite a while! We ask: does Neela have a song, and who are the "Tea Hair" characters? Then, we Run the VIN and find an entire monologue he edited out of a post. What do Tom Cruise and Vin Diesel think of one another? Do they take each other's calls? Wes writes in a couple of emails, which leads us to discuss why Jason Statham's popularity has persisted, as well as the odds the Fast Finale is the best Fast film so far. We talk about Stephen King adaptations, Pluribus, and other things we're watching.

We're covering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in this lap's first pit stop, and finally taking care of some much overdo business, such as: making Rachel happy by finally watching and talking about this movie. After discussing the (many) connections this movie has to James Bond (and the production's goal to simply make another Mary Poppins and to "out-Disney Disney"), Joe shares what he thought of this musical. We ask: does this story make any sense (and does it matter if not?)? (Also: why do we start with so many Grand Prix races?) We talk about movie characters who can think they can fly (and also movies with quicksand in them), how much we appreciate Dick Van Dyke, and kids' ways of selectively watching movies. We talk about how (surprisingly!) F&F-coded Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is, the movie's hard pivot (The Wizard of Oz style) into becoming a fantasy story, and the nightmare fuel of the Child Catcher.

It's our first Life in the Fast Lane in a while, but one thing remains the same: The cars are the stars... ain’t that the truth... After skipping the Tokyo Drift Minute (because there is so much else to talk about!), we cover a record-breaking 26 posts by Vin Diesel's VINstagram. In doing so, we notice that another movie has entered Vin's promo rotation and he's begun embellishing in a new style/format, but one thing remains the same: integrity. We read through Ben Fritz's article in the WSJ about the murky future of the franchise and learn that we sell pins. All throughout, Joey shares more details from Barry Hertz's book. We talk about sports and new release movies. Joey got married.

We’re back and kicking off Lap 16 with Barry Hertz (author of Welcome to the Family: The Explosive Story Behind Fast & Furious, the Blockbusters that Supercharged the World) to talk about The Fast and the Furious! (We cannot stress this enough: buy Barry’s book!) We ask Barry if writing the book changed his thoughts about the franchise before we share our latest theories and thoughts with him and ask about our long-held theories. We discuss the future state of the franchise, the “worst-case scenario” he could have encountered while writing, and where he wants to see the franchise go next. Will Brian come back? Should he come back? Does anyone want him back? We discuss. Barry shares alternate endings to Fast X (which are far more exciting than what we got). We talk about why a lower budget is not a bad thing.

Happy Halloween! We're finally, officially, closing out Lap 15 with another movie we should have covered already: Heart Eyes! After Joe recounts his unforgettable theater experience when he saw Heart Eyes for the first time, Joey shares a bit of information about the horror pedigree behind the scenes. We talk about the reasons this movie works well as both a horror and a rom-com, as well as how it plays with trappings from both genres. We celebrate a filmmaker finally giving Jordana Brewster things to do, talk about the film's major Fastnection, and praise its inventive set pieces and slasher-style kills. We also commend it on its restraint to not end with a way to set this up for an easy sequel before playing our end-of-episode games.

It's wedding season, so we're taking a three-week #2F2F Commentary interlude. After recording commentaries for the first three movies way back in Lap 11, we're continuing our journey through the franchise with the next three installments. Our final commentary, for now: Fast & Furious 6! Even though we've covered this movie fifteen times already before, there's still plenty to talk about. If you want to watch along, we'll queue you in at the top of the movie, so load up Fast & Furious 6 (in whatever form you can watch it), sync up when and where we say, then sit back and enjoy the ride! Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠family@cageclub.me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/2fast2forever⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Show your support at the 2 Fast 2 Forever shop⁠⁠⁠⁠!Extra special shout-out to Alex Elonen, Brian Rodriguez (High School Slumber Party), Michael McGahon, Lane Middleton, Jason Rainey, Wes Hampton, Josh Buckley (Whole Lotta Wolves), Michael Moser, Christian Larson, Terra New One, Aaron Woloszyn, and Randy Carter for joining at the “Interpol’s Most Wanted” level or above!Intro music by Nico Vasilo. Interlude and outro music by Wes Hampton.

It's wedding season, so we're taking a three-week #2F2F Commentary interlude. After recording commentaries for the first three movies way back in Lap 11, we're continuing our journey through the franchise with the next three installments. Next up: Fast Five! Even though we've covered this movie fifteen times already before, there's still plenty to talk about. If you want to watch along, we'll queue you in at the top of the movie, so load up Fast Five (in whatever form you can watch it), sync up when and where we say, then sit back and enjoy the ride!

It’s wedding season, so we’re taking a three-week #2F2F Commentary interlude. After recording commentaries for the first three movies way back in Lap 11, we’re continuing our journey through the franchise with the next three installments. First up: Fast & Furious! Even though we’ve covered this movie fifteen times already before, there’s still plenty to talk about. If you want to watch along, we’ll queue you in at the top of the movie, so load up Fast & Furious (in whatever form you can watch it), sync up when and where we say, then sit back and enjoy the ride!

We're closing out our "Oops, We Should Have Covered This Already!" lap and welcoming in Lap 16 in our mechanic-prescribed Lap 15 Tune-Up.

We're back with our final Life in the Fast Lane for Lap 15, and it features one of my favorite brothers in the world! We kick off, as usual, with the Tokyo Drift Minute (#22), which is the type of minute we've been "fearing" (but it turns out okay!) and wherein Joey explores who Toshi is. We Run the VIN, where we find that Vin's Fast family is also hyping things up in his Instagram comments and where a screenshot Joey took uncovers a vastly different birthday post to Paul Walker. (How many Vinstagrams will we return to in the next Fast Lane? We worry.)

We welcome back our in-house MCU experts, Nico Vasilo and Kevo Risse, to talk about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! Will it hold up in an era of superhero burnout? Will Nico and Kevo like it more than they did when they covered it for mcu.html? We find out! After Nico takes James Gunn down a peg, we compare this Guardians film to Superman (2025), talk about the issues with Yondu redemption, and compare the Fast Family to the Guardians with regards to how they approach working together (and being a found family). We ask for insights about Planet X. Nico compares this movie to Final Fantasy VIII. Kevo explains the problem with Adam Warlock. There's lots of Fleetwood Mac talk, for some reason. Nico points out the vehicality of this film. Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠family@cageclub.me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/2fast2forever⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Show your support at the 2 Fast 2 Forever shop⁠⁠⁠⁠!Extra special shout-out to Alex Elonen, Brian Rodriguez (High School Slumber Party), Michael McGahon, Lane Middleton, Jason Rainey, Wes Hampton, Josh Buckley (Whole Lotta Wolves), Michael Moser, Christian Larson, Terra New One, Aaron Woloszyn, and Randy Carter for joining at the “Interpol’s Most Wanted” level or above!Intro music by Nico Vasilo. Interlude and outro music by Wes Hampton.

It's time for Life in the Fast Lane, Tokyo Drift Minute 21, and a deep dive into Bow Wow... and Frankie Muniz? After reviewing a surprisingly low amount of Vinstagrams -- Effort, is on you... -- we uncover a wild fact about Planet X that shakes us to our cores. We discuss the reception to The Smashing Machine in Venice, what hours Cha Cha Cha is open, and the most troubling scene in Tokyo Drift when you factor in in the franchise's retcon. In Extracurricular Activities, we talk about reality TV, Barbarian (and other horror movies), and Silksong. Joe imagines what it would be like to talk to Vin Diesel.

We are welcoming Emily Slade to the show to chat about Fast X. Important to note: she's never seen a single Fast & Furious... until now! After finding out why she hadn't seen any before joining us to cover Fast X, we get her initial thoughts and whether or not she enjoyed being thrown into the deep end. She talks about her surprise that this movie passes the Bechdel test and her worry about the potential damage of Momoa's portrayal of Dante in this film. How much longer do we have with this current cast? We discuss. Emily shares her brush with Fast & Furious in the Universal backlot. We talk about whether the streets of Los Angeles want the Fast and Furious back, whether Dante kill Baby B in the finale, and who she'd like to see (outside of the franchise) in the next Fast film.

It's Life in the Fast Lane Time, and we're kicking things off with Tokyo Drift Minute 20 and a newfound respect for Twinkie. After talking about the wares he has for sale, Joe takes a Hostess snack cake quiz. We then check in on Vin Diesel's Instagram and find that he has cooled (way) off since our last check-in. Are we going to be in Sung Kang's next movie? Maybe! (Probably not.) We review the F9 goofs, where quality control is becoming an issue (but no one seems to care about 1989 vs. 1999 like we do). We talk (briefly, spoiler-free) about Zach Cregger's new film Weapons, try to break down the casting Venn diagram of the new dating show "Are You My First?", and talk about the new seasons of Hard Knocks and Quarterback.

Fan favorite Garrett Smith returns to the podcast to talk about Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, and Jason Momoa in Walter Hill's Bullet to the Head! After talking about "hard" Stallone vs. "soft" Stallone, Garrett lends some much-needed Walter Hill-related context. We try to make sense of the tone of this movie and what it's trying to do, before asking: is Bullet to the Head funny? Is it racist? Is it the racism that's supposed to be funny? Is it actually anti-racist? We explore the not very New Orleans vibes, the near-total lack of surprise in plot and reveals, and whether or not masquerade parties actually look like this. Joe revives a long-dormant 2F2F question.

We're back for another Life in the Fast Lane, and what could be better? Europe in the Summer. What a Beautiful Place. We kick things off with the Tokyo Drift Minute, wherein Joe explains Japanese high school lunch service.

We’re heading to Montequinto and Edinburgh (and a few places in between) to talk about F9 with Dr. Alicia Kozma! After Alicia tells us about her academic approach to F&F (and how she uses it in her teaching and programming work), we learn about her introduction to the Fast and the Furious, and we get a new style/form of rankings. Joey teases a series of upcoming laps we may (or may not) do, we talk about F9’s confusing title, and reminisce about why it holds a special place in each of our hearts (as well as why it makes far more sense as a 2021 release than a 2020 release).

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and we're talking about Family Vacations with My Brother, The GOAT, Michael Jordan! First, though: a Tokyo Drift Minute with a transition to Sean at school (and a new actress whose filmography we can explore). While there's no real news, Vin continues to post through it. As we Run the VIN (happy birthday, Vin, btw!), we have our big question from last Fast Lane answered, we discover a new name for Dos Bandoleros (we're getting closer!), and we learn that we've lost a crucial resource for this segment. Does Vin Diesel know how to read Instagram comments? We debate. What's clear, though: he's still in Kojak and Riddick mode.

We're finally talking about Southland Tales, the first-ever Dwayne Johnson (not "The Rock") movie, and we're joined by Resident Historian Mike Manzi! After trying to parse the dense and complicated narrative in this movie, we talk about the critical reaction to the film as well as why this doesn't feel like a bomb/spectacular failure. Mike talks about the graphic novel accompaniments for this movie, we all explore the prescience of this movie, and Joey shares the wild backstory of Freddie Prinze, Jr. (and his ties to this movie). What kind of filmmaker could make a movie like this? We discuss. We also heap praise on Sarah Michelle Gellar and wonder: does Francis Ford Coppola love this movie?

It's Life in the Fast Lane! Welcome to the Fast & The Shirtless: my thespian father just loves the chemistry. (It'll all make sense in time, or not.) In our Tokyo Drift Minute, we finally get to Noodle Grandma -- but leave with mysteries and AI hallucinations. We cover lots of news, including the biggest Fast and Furious news in months: Vin Diesel's three conditions to release Fast X Part 2 in April 2027, which (in a roundabout way) leads Joey to seed the idea for a very ambitious F&F editing project.

We’re returning to the Fastiverse’s side story, Hobbs & Shaw, and we’re bringing Ross Benes (1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times) along to talk about it! We ask how he defines “low culture” in his book, then ask the hard-hitting question: is Fast and Furious low culture? Ross shares his abbreviated history with the franchise. Joe asks: what would the reaction to Hobbs & Shaw have been if it weren’t tied to the franchise? Ross unknowingly relates this movie to TV shows near and dear to both of our hearts. We talk about how the movie does a really good job of opening with action tied to the plot and finally land on a good idea of why Hobbs may be into Hattie. Ross tells us about a truly wild store in New York: Mystery Bins.

It’s time for another Life in the Fast Lane, featuring the Three-Time Undisputed Optimistic Theatrical Experience Champion! After a very uneventful Tokyo Drift minute, we work our way through lots of news, which is mostly tangential to the franchise, including: some cool YouTube videos, upcoming movies starring the Family, and a weird takedown by Collider. Did we scare Vin Diesel off from posting on Instagram? We examine the possibility. Joe pitches a new idea for the Letty-led spinoff movie. Speaking of Letty, we discuss whether we should put her into our Hall of Fame as a legacy option as well as whether or not we’ll get a Race Wars scene in Fast 11. Wes writes in a classic Wes email that teases Patreon content (via a conversation in front of the paywall, gasp!), hypothesizes a legendary Fast & Furious Blu-ray box set, and pitches the ultimate Vin Diesel crossover film. Joe talks about going to the Montreal Grand Prix for his birthday. Joey pitches a trash TV show to Joe (for perhaps the first and last time) and offers some under-the-radar summertime horror movie recommendations.

Happy Fastivus! For the third year in a row, we celebrate the date that marks the release of the original The Fast and the Furious. Shoutout to Reaction Rocket for creating the holiday -- and for getting retweeted by Ludacris! After quick recapping the rules for the Fast and Furious Hall of Fame ballot and voting process, we recap the enshrined inductees before revealing this year's results. Joey pitches an idea for a new category for next year's voting and Joe predicts where we'll be next Fastivus.

Shout-out to the 412 — we’re covering Striking Distance this week in honor of Pittsburgh. After finally explaining the pick and why we’re covering it now, Joe reviews the movie’s Pittsburgh bona fides. We discuss Bruce Willis as Tom Hardy, Sarah Jessica Parker as “a baddie,” and Tom Sizemore as the film’s most egregious red herring. We break down the elements here that work (and the ones that don’t), the tumultuous making of this movie, and the killer’s illogical frame job on Bruce Willis. We try to make sense of the silly twists and turns in its final act and the film’s many red herrings and misdirects. Joe laments something we’ve lost in modern action movies. Joey notices a reckless disregard for the toxic nature of Pittsburgh river water. We watch the misleading trailer for Striking Distance and stumble across a really bad movie. Who’s the best cop now? (Don’t forget to vote for the 2 Fast 2 Furious Hall of Fame at cageclub.me/vote!)

It's time for a ... Great Value Theatrical Experience ... in Life in the Fast Lane #49! We start off by discussing Tokyo Drift's fifteenth minute, with a deep dive into "Woman at Boswell's Apartment," played by Yoko Maki. We then move on to the news, including: is Fast X Part 2 actually about to start filming? The Rock is teaming up with A24 once again; who gets more from this partnership? We talk about some early reactions to Joseph Kosinski's F1, then Run the Vin to ask: did Vin steal some of Nico's verbiage? What does Vin Diesel think *we* think about Fast & Furious vs. Mission: Impossible? Is there a Vin Diesel "panic button" at the security gate at Universal Studios? Joe sets betting odds on the next F&F movie that will be released, but if it's Dos Bandoleros... where will we be able to see it? We review the IMDb goofs for The Fate of the Furious, which is perhaps our nerdiest batch yet. Who's on the submarine with Gisele? We get rankings -- and a brand new take on No Knees Denise! -- from a new listener. We talk (spoiler-free) about The Rehearsal's second season, BBQs, and movies in theaters.

We welcome Alex Steed (You Are Good: A Feelings Podcast About Movies) to the show to talk about The Fate of the Furious! We learn about Alex's history (from afar) with the Fastiverse, which leads to an immediate question: where'd that baby come from? We talk about how the movies exist in a time and place where driving is still a centerpiece of culture. We ask: as a more casual Fast fan, how did Dom against the family work for him? (Also, really, whose baby is that?) Alex talks about why action movies don't work for him, but also why he likes the Fast and Furious and Mission: Impossible movies. We compare F&F to M:I and pitch F&F as a courtroom drama. (Who are the lawyers? Are they prosecution or defense?) Has Taylor Swift seen this movie? Did Letty and Cipher do Cuban Pilates together? We recommend more F&F movies for Alex to check out, including one to help him learn where baby from.

We pledge allegiance to our human family, and to all the species that we protect, and to Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis! Joining us is Mark Hofmeyer (Movies, Films & Flix). First, we must begin by apologizing how hard this is to find and watch -- we explain why. We work our way through the twisted history of Megalopolis and Coppola's history of bankrupting himself for his artistic visions -- and what was different this time around. Mark asks: is this a weekend philosopher film? We don't really talk about the plot, and instead ask: which Fast and Furious character would have a bow? Which character would we try to stop time for? Joe talks about how this was a a "no mom" production. We gush about Nathalie Emmanuel as the standout -- and not just because she plays Ramsey. Mark shares a thought on the line "concrete and steel are safe."

It’s time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and at long last, we’ve made it: today is the seventh. It’s Tokyo Drift Minute #14, and it’s time to explore who Major Boswell (Brian Goodman) is. Also: Joe has a new thought on the seventh debate. Also: the 2 Fast 2 Forever Hall of Fame voting is now open! Vote here. We Run the VIN and discover that he’s made ten new posts in the past two weeks… he’s back, baby! We ask: how does Vin text with his friends? What name does he make his mother call him? Joe makes bold guesses about upcoming Fast films. We ask: will we get a Han and Gisele wedding scene in the next film? Can you still buy Surge? You sign your Mother’s Day painting with that name? Joe talks about seeing an illusionist, while Joey talks about The Pitt, Balatro, and the Final Destination movies.

Leesa Charlotte (Sweetbitter Podcast) returns to the show to talk about Jordana Brewster and Devon Aoki in D.E.B.S.! After Lisa gives us a brief history of gay cinema, Joey talks about Holland Taylor in Bosom Buddies. We admire Jordana Brewster as the villainous Lucy Diamond (especially her lip syncing scene) in a role that finally lets her have fun, and we equally admire Devon Aoki's ability to... be French and smoke cigarettes.

It's time for another Fast Lane, and this one comes with potentially lore-changing implications. Please... We kick things off as Joey messes up -- and catches himself -- and then messes up again -- and doesn't notice until he edited the episode. Joe tells a story about accidental Pittsburgh pride in Tokyo. We confirm a long-suspected mystery about Tokyo Drift and talk about The Smashing Machine trailer. Then, we get to the big thing: did Vin Diesel's Instagram posts finally get him in trouble? We reflect on BDWHAPFY and the IMDb goofs from Furious 7 and talk about whether Deckard run nitro meth. Joe lets us know what kind of cat he is. We talk about The Pitt (only vague light spoilers), the trips we took recently, and the NFL Draft.

Jordan Polan-Clarke returns to the show to talk about Furious 7 (and the narrative complexity added to the franchise by this movie)! After talking about how a Star Wars-esque scroll could work to abbreviate this film's opening, we look this film up on RunPee and wonder what Deckard has against hospitals and emergency wards. Jordan shares her favorite frame in this movie and her favorite shot in any movie. We ask: are we qualified to judge a Vin Diesel lookalike contest? Does an open road help you think? Where is Mando? We lament the women in this franchise, wonder who rebuilt 1327, and think about how Deckard gets from scene to scene. We discuss who would be the worst boss in this movie, how Furious 7 shows off an unusual Letty/Brian pairing, and how many characters in this film got concussions. Is Vin Diesel TOO comfortable as Dom in this movie? We try to count.

It's time for another Fast Lane, and, you're not gonna believe this, but ha ha ha... how do i turn this thing off. We kick things off with Tokyo Drift's twelfth minute, including (possibly, unlikely) a new debate. It was a quiet couple of weeks for news, but we had plenty of VIN to Run, including: calculating Vin's payment-per-word for Groot as well as tracking his ongoing push for Dos Bandoleros. We come up with ways to get Randy Carter hired for Fast XI (or at least to get a P.G.A. credit on Dos Bandoleros). Will we ever see Mama Toretto? We get a new theory about the head of Eteon. Are we so out of touch? Or is it the kids who are wrong, at movie theaters? We receive some photos from Universal Studios that possibly offer a hint into cars in upcoming F&F films.

It's time to cover another Paul Walker movie we missed, this time with the help of Brian Rodriguez (Twilight Slumber Party): Timeline -- featuring Brian O'Conner in the middle ages! After discussing the adaptation debacle of Michael Crichton's novel, we talk about the Fastnections (Brian Tyler and... John Cena?) before diving into our frustrations with the film's plot. Namely: why are you sending seven idiots through a wormhole to rescue a single person? Brian compares this movie to Saving Private Ryan. We try to understand the rules of the wormhole. We lament a cool idea they touch on but don't explore and that Paul Walker basically always plays Brian. Could the Family survive in the 1300s? Brian promotes his new podcast.

It's an exciting time on 2 Fast 2 Forever, as Vin Diesel has teased a new short film, directed by him, which our community (shoutout Randy Carter) has dubbed Dos Bandoleros. Before we talk about what we think and hope that film will contain, we talk about the eleventh minute of Tokyo Drift, which brings past guest of the show Lynda Boyd into our minute-by-minute breakdown! We then pivot to Running the VIN, with a whopping ELEVEN Vins to run, including his pivot to a new focus. We review the (underwhelming) goofs from Tokyo Drift, talk about a big shakeup in our merch shop, and get reminded of who the Mayan Queen is. We talk about (with light to medium spoilers) Baby Invasion (55:30), The White Lotus s3 (58:30), and Severance s2 (1:02:50).

We’re joined by Cody Brown (Studiohouse Designs) to talk about The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift — and how it pushed him toward cars! In talking about Cody’s history with the franchise, we all share memories of bringing grandparents to movies they otherwise had no interest in. Cody explains why Suki is his favorite character and talks about what Tokyo Drift brought to the franchise that the first two films didn’t. We talk about the biggest Oops! in the movie (including a disgusting detail we never noticed before), whether this movie holds the franchise’s “family” pivot, and whether these movies are becoming more or less self-aware (or both at the same time, somehow?). Cody shares deep insights about the cars featured in the movie. We talk about conformity vs. non-conformity.

We're back with another Life in the Fast Lane, and this one is all about the Mayan Queen and Scarlett (whoever they may be). After a Tokyo Drift minute that teaches us a new word, we parse some likely false rumors for Fast 11 and look at the goofs from Fast & Furious 6, which includes an IMDb user bringing proof and facts to the world's longest runway. We wonder if we'll get a trailer for Fast 11 this lap, we open a great mailbag, and we get clarity on Samantha Vincent, p.g.a. Is Vin Diesel into crystals? We fill in Tej's backstory a bit and discussion a potential new time travel theory.

Brian Rodriguez returns to the podcast to talk about Knockaround Guys -- and to tell the backstory behind one of our podcast network's great untold sagas. (This time, he's in front of the paywall -- and has to bite his tongue accordingly.) We talk about how Knockaround Guys exists within a very specific era of mobsters, mob movies, and public fascination. Brian debuts a new segment -- "the Barry Pepper Moment" -- before we talk about Vin Diesel's Multi-Facial and our frustrations by the tropes in this film. We ask: who, exactly, are the knockaround guys in this movie?

We're here for another Life in the Fast Lane as we track Vin Diesel's evolution through the ages across art, film, and revolution. First, though, we discuss a minute from Tokyo Drift that is exciting to watch but difficult to research and look at a preview for Universal's new F&F rollercoaster. We then luxuriate in nine new Run the VIN posts (in just 14 days!). We talk about Vin Diesel crossing his franchise characters over into other franchises, his D&D prowess, and if he's trying to manifest a Groot movie. Wait, Vin is *directing* Kojak? And, more importantly, where is OUR Vin Diesel thank you post? Joey live-designs merch on-air. (You REALLY need to go to Vin's Instagram to see these posts.)

We welcome back Aaron Neuwirth (2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla) to talk about his new podcast, Fast & Furious 6, and the future of the Fast franchise! We ask: which Godzilla movie is the most Fast & Furious? How is Fast & Furious 6 is like Avengers: Age of Ultron (complimentary)? Who gets the “with” and “and” credits in these movies? Does a California resident feel like Los Angeles needs F&F? We make our picks for the biggest oops moment of the film, discuss the cargo on Shaw’s plane, and suss out the “real villain” in these movies (and many action movies). Joey comes up with an idea to seamlessly weave time travel into the end of Fast X.

We return to Bear Country with another Life in the Fast Lane and another minute driving through Shangri-La in Tokyo Drift, where Joe talks about Victorville, Calif. and Arizona oil. We watch (twice, accidentally) the Haagen-Dazs Super Bowl commercial and talk about a live Fast & Furious-related event in NYC. We Run the VIN and continue to learn who Vin Diesel is -- and what he most cares about. We reflect more on the future of BDWHAPFY, hear Jerry's recap of 2 Fast 2 Furious, and talk about Heart Eyes and more Best Picture nominees.

We welcome Jordan Polan-Clarke back onto the show to talk about Paul Walker's ascent into stardom in Pleasantville! (This movie is a real bummer to watch right now.) We talk about the history of toilets in movies and try to parse what color represents in this movie (spoilers: we don't know because this movie doesn't know, either). We talk about Pleasantville's attempts to make a point and why it's doing something different than it thinks it is, as well as ways this movie could have been more interesting or dynamic. Joe finally finds an ally in his set dating rumors. Shoutout to Jenny Lewis.

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and we're taking a Blended family trip to Africa. Kind of. A little bit. First, though, we continue to race through Shangri-La in the Tokyo Drift Minute, where we get splashed by toilet water from three (?!) separate Port-o-Potty companies. We preview the Fast & Furious x Super Bowl ice cream commercial, then Run the VIN, where Vin doubles down on how much Los Angeles needs Fast and Furious. Then triples down on it. Then quadruples down. We sort through Fast Five's goofs, which includes a few of our best ones yet, then pivot over to the mailbag to talk about Brian and Mia saving the day and how Gisele survives. Joe shares his thoughts on some Best Picture nominees.

We're joined by Brittany Friesner (@midwesttisbest) to talk about Fast Five and how she's bringing Fast & Furious to IU Cinema! She shares her rankings with a couple of unusual placements -- and a nice addition -- before recommending that we watch one of Joey's favorite movies. We talk about how good Dom is at geometry, whether this version of Hobbs has sex, and Brian's final himbo moment. We run into more "baby math" issues, the family as terrorists, and a mini IMDb mystery. We ask: what's more of a bummer: a lack of sexiness or a lack of danger? Has Dom been in a coma since the end of the fourth movie? Could Fast & Furious crossover with Jurassic World? Could The Rock become President? Should we have been doing the "biggest oops of the movie" all lap long?

It's time for another installment of Life in the Fast Lane, and babe wake up, Vin Diesel just posted. We kick things off with the sixth minute of Tokyo Drift, which gets some car racing action! (And also creepy sexualization.) We try to make sense of Andy Tudor's intriguing posts on X, Vin's sly "Dwayne" at the Golden Globes, and the mystery behind some recent "Fast and Furious footage." We Run the Vin to find many posts, including one that shows how Vin is giving Los Angeles what it needs the most right now: Fast & Furious. We discuss Gen Z stars in the Fastiverse, the best "carty" in the franchise, and Jerry's interesting idea about Rob Cohen as Pizza Boy. Joe recaps his trip to LA and visiting Cosm, while Joey talks about CES 2025 and Grand Theft Hamlet.

It turns out that Annapolis, directed by Justin Lin, is basically the same movie as The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. It's perfect for the Oops! lap. We talk about how it feels like every movie you've ever seen, Tyrese... with hair?, and how Brian Goodman essentially plays Sean's Dad in this movie (but also the exact opposite?). We break down the movie's racism (toward all people), Jordana Brewster as an "escort," and Snickers sandwiches. We try to determine how old James Franco's character is supposed to be -- and whether or not he could have played Sean in Tokyo Drift. Joe airs a scheduling grievance with Joey, wonders how much naval prep Tyrese and Franco did for this movie, and shares the surprising plot twist that delighted him. We try to parse the trailer and why it doesn't seem to reflect the film we watched.

We're back with "An Hour and a Half of BS?" on this all-new Life in the Fast Lane. In the Tokyo Drift Minute, we get the debut of baseball (and, perhaps, a legendary musician). We find Vin grooving to Christmas music, we revisit the Interquel question, and we raise the BDWHAPFY stakes (in a confusing way). We run through boring goofs from Fast & Furious (but, in the process, we learn about helicopters), we bring back an old game, and we look ahead to likely Oscar Best Picture nominees.

We're headed back to Mexico for the fifteenth time as we're joined by Matthew Anderson to talk about Fast & Furious! After learning about Matthew's history with the franchise, his favorite character, and his franchise power rankings, we discuss if Fast & Furious is the most fitting "oops!" movie in the franchise. Joe uncovers what Dom Toretto and Kendrick Lamar have in common. We wonder if Dwight (Mueller) is REALLY that young. At long last, we make a plea: won't someone think of the drug dealers?

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and we're coming to you live from Up Here in Bear Country with All His New York Thespians. After sharing our tips and tricks for New Year's Eve TV watching, we dive into Tokyo Drift's fourth minute to get our first dialogue of the movie and learn about Nikki Griffin's (Cindy) career. We talk about The Fast and the Furious: Continental Drift, Larenz Tate in Fast 11 (?), and the sales numbers for our George Pickens t-shirt. We open the mailbag to get some new rankings and possibly learn why Dom's son is called "Little B" and not "Brian" as well as potential confirmation on the meaning of "food all over the place."

Merry Christmas! Our holiday movie this year is Red One, starring The Rock and written by Chris Morgan. Does it feel Fast & Furious? We debate. Also, we know it's ironic to whine about what's essentially a F&F movie, but... we wonder if they could have leaned more into the Christmas creativity, whether or not we should be rooting against Kiernan Shipka's Thanos-esque goals, and why (seriously, why?) Krampus runs a fight club. We talk about impressive and majestic reindeer, the complicated (and urine-soaked) production schedule of this movie, and being a grunt who gets stuck with "cookie baking duty." We ask: Why Ant-Man technology? What Naughty List tier is Joe?

Mark Hofmeyer joins us to help us clean up another loose end by covering one of our overlooked '80s action sports movies: Thrashin'! After Mark rails against the city of Jacksonville, we try to find things of interest in the black hole of information that is the history of this movie. Joe talks about earrings that are important to him, Mark talks about the impracticality of the in-movie joust game, and Joey wonders if David Lynch loves Thrashin'. We talk about how there isn't enough uphill chasing in movies, who from the F&F would we want to see in an air instrument band, and how to sneak alcohol into clubs. Mark takes care of business in the Letterboxd game.

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane and we're telling our arch rival high school: NOT IN OUR POND. GO DUCKS! After covering another minute of Tokyo Drift that brings us closer to the actual movie, we review the 2 Fast 2 Furious goofs (including an all-time great one, which makes us investigate... a sound?). We Run the VIN to explore his Thanksgiving sadness (and FastX2), explore how the Interquel meter has shifted, and debate if the horny is still in this franchise, after all. Joe reviews Mike Skin Illustrations. We kick off Turbos for Tots season.

It’s another all-timer tonight as we are joined by Leesa Charlotte (who met Paul Walker!) to talk about 2 Fast 2 Furious. We get her rankings of the Fast and Furious movies (which caused great emotional turmoil) and her unusual picks for favorite character in the franchise before we discuss the ads at the start of the 2 Fast 2 Furious DVD (and the disc’s custom menus). We try to suss out motivation from the first race (both for the racers and the organizers), talk about why 2 Fast feels like a pre-9/11 movie (even though it’s not), and debate which is the franchise’s best secret gay love story. We re-examine the rat bucket scene. We talk about a way to bring Suki back into the franchise. Leesa takes the character quiz.

We find ourselves in MARCUS ZONE AREA #1 on today's Life in the Fast Lane, as we cover another Tokyo Drift minute where the only sound is music to ask: is Sean in remedial math? Are they currently shooting Fast 11? We investigate. We also brace ourselves for our Christmas episode alternatives as we pore through a lot of news (and "news") about Dwayne Johnson on the Red One press tour. How would Vin Diesel act in the Criterion Closet? We leaf through The Official Fast & Furious Cookbook. Is Vin Diesel going to co-direct a movie with Steven Spielberg?

Our first pit stop this lap is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which lent heavy inspiration for Chris Morgan's screenplay for Fast Five. We talk about whether or not "The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy" has bad mouth feel, whether Paul Newman and Robert Redford are more evocative of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker or George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and why so much time in this movie is spent watching Newman do tricks on a bicycle. Joe explains why he was underwhelmed by this movie. Joey talks about what dictates the success or failure of this movie. We find a new way, sort of, to play the Letterboxd game.

We’re kicking off the Tokyo Drift Minute (and catching up on so much life) in this episode of Life in the Fast Lane! We have a very important question — does this girl look like she eats sushi in Oro Valley? — and we explore the life of Lucas York Black. We do a roundup of semi-Fast news, decode clues to uncover that Ryan Gosling is joining the Fastiverse, and wonder if Jordana Brewster wants Fast 11’s writers to fully subvert the history of the franchise. We run the VIN (featuring no edited posts, but lots of David Twohy). We try to suss out whether or not Tom Brady is a good dad. We check in on BDWHAPFY scoring, dig a bit deeper into Johnny Tran’s backstory, and finally get Joe’s “Most 80s” franchise rankings. Joey tries to parse a heated email exchange. Joe goes to Greece as Joey goes to England and France. Joey talks about a terrible customer service experience.

We're kicking off Lap 15 with a momentous occasion: Brian Rodriguez (2 Fast 2 Forever: After Dark) is completing his out-of-order lap by joining us for The Fast and the Furious! We begin with our new conversation starter question (and an explanation of how we're mixing things up a bit this lap) and discuss what this movie would be like if it came out today. Brian shares his dark history of being in "glasses denial," which makes us wonder: can you watch The Fast and the Furious... blurry?

Happy Halloween! Before we start Lap 15, we're taking a quick detour to cover Sung Kang's directorial debut: Shaky Shivers! We talk about the complicated backstory of this movie's release, the stunning lack of background info on this movie, and why Sung Kang chose THIS movie to make. Joe makes a pitch to re-frame this story in a better way and Joey talks about things this movie does that he hates. We talk about the titular Shaky Shiver, Sung Kang's cameo, and how they both reflect his sense of humor. We also discuss ways Shaky Shivers pads out its 82-minute runtime, our Most 80s Moments, and our favorite parts of the movie. Joe decides he wants to develop a new personality for himself. We share early computer memories. Wes writes in about Shaky Shivers.

We’re closing out our 80s Cult Movies lap and welcoming in Lap 15 in our mechanic-prescribed Lap 14 Tune-Up.

We are finally buttoning up 2 Fast 2 Furious and looking ahead to Tokyo Drift in the new Life in the Fast Lane, which is filled with Talismans of Rubbish 🗑️. We discuss why there haven't been any Kardashians in a Fast movie and whether Vin Diesel is implying that Brian returns in Fast XI. We analyze a strange Vinstagram video, read some more great YouTube comments, and debate whether or not Vin Diesel is A-list. We further explore why people may hate F&F, ask if Marvel is scared of Vin Diesel, and wonder if trains = sadness in the Fastiverse. Joe talks about horror prequels and Joey talks about Megalopolis.

After much anticipation and excitement, we finally watched "The Randy Cut," a chronological re-editing of The Fast Saga. Randy Carter, the madman behind this endeavor (and patron of 2 Fast 2 Forever), joined the show to talk all about it and to answer our questions. We talk about how much time Randy spent on it, his goals in the edit, and thinking about the franchise's timeline in a way that creators likely haven't. We learn what Randy chose to throw out, how he distinguished between different types of flashbacks, and where Hobbs & Shaw could fit in a future version. Randy takes the character quiz and discusses his revised rankings.

Our final 80s Cult Movie lap pit stop is Willow (1988), which seems to be the crown jewel of a genre we have discovered this lap! After learning what Joe knows about the Willow-verse, we encounter a shocking turn of events for Crazy Credits and then explore the cinematic and story trends that have surfaced this lap. We talk about dogs in costumes and horny pigs, Val Kilmer's charm (both in the film and in real life) and his improvisation on set, and how Chris Claremont (yes, that Chris Claremont) ruined this franchise for many fans. We talk about Willow being, essentially, Snow White x Moses. We see the hero's journey on full display. We talk about the Wilhelm Scream.

Fast X is our final Fast & Furious movie this lap and our final episode (at least for now) with Walt Hickey and Kim Bhasin! Also joining us is Brian Rodriguez (Coastal Grand Bros), who is pulling double duty as both guest and our unofficial producer.

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane, which has some wondering: WHAT IS THIS IRRITATING DECEPTION? First, though, we have an important live event announcement! Then, we cover the final 2F2F deleted scene, which is very violent! Joe pitches the idea for Severance, but in real life. We debunk a Vinstagram conspiracy and use technology to decipher Vin's t-shirt logo (kind of). We open a great mailbag filled with YouTube comments of various qualities, episode feedback, and more great emails. We wonder: is there an "upstate" California? We position the Fastiverse in the LA28 Olympics and talk about the family's favorite Olympic games. We share updates in Extracurricular Activities, including new movie and trash TV recommendations.

We welcome Heather Antos back to the show to help us take our first foray into Star Wars -- a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away -- with the logical starting point: Ewoks: The Battle for Endor!

Walt Hickey and Kim Bhasin join us once again to talk about F9 with a big ask: stop giving us details! ("If they're explaining, they're losing.") After years of watching this movie, Joey is finally happy that the flashbacks are set in 1989 (as it nicely fits into our 80s Cult Movies lap). Joe shares the name for this movie in Japan and Kim shares a train fact. We talk about the two separate timelines, whether it works to give Dom a brother this late into the franchise, and why people seem to hate the Fast and Furious. We get Kim and Walt's picks for the most wrestling and D&D moments and discuss how they watch these movies. Would you rather take a Pontiac Fiero or a Boeing Starliner to space? Is it Project Ares or Project Aries? Walt talks about history being made in F9. We look ahead to "The Randy Cut" and the complications this movie brings that endeavor. Walt suggests a new way to watch the Fast and Furious movies. Kim wonders: why are prisons in this universe so poorly guarded?

We've collected our very own Hobbs & Shaw -- Walt Hickey and Kim Bhasin -- to talk about their titular film with "the worst title ever"? (If you agree with Walt and think this title is bad, just wait for Joey's idea for a sequel title.) We get a long overdue train fact before learning how Walt and Kim view Hobbs & Shaw with regards to the rest of the franchise. We talk about the film as a form of "brand activation" and discuss the career of Dwayne Johnson, Movie Star, including how he compares to Arnold Schwarzenegger and where he goes from here. We discuss the Most 80s Moment in a movie that feels like it was written in that decade. Kim swerves on his Most Wrestling Moment and delineates between garages and hideouts. Walt picks his Most D&D Moment and wonders about the ultimate moral of the franchise. We wonder: why do movies encourage people to take on unbeatable opponents?

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane as we cover yet another action-packed (just kidding) extended scene from 2 Fast 2 Furious, this one staring TyB Island as Roman Pearce. We realize how long it will take to cover Tokyo Drift in our current Minute format and then take a brief detour to talk about the Olympics, Raygun, and the sports that the U.S. should dominate in international play. We Run the VIN to ask if Suki is returning and to discover even more fake/new names for Fast and Furious movies. We share an update on Randy's ambitious edit project and talk about deep-fried PB&Js and the Mystery Spot. Joe talks about traveling around America. Joey compares Trap to Old.

The saying goes, “There can only be one.” There will only be one Highlander movie we cover, and Aaron Neuwirth is here to help! There’s so much Highlander out there — five movies and six seasons of a TV show, plus a rumored reboot — and we all share what little we know of the franchise.

It’s time again for Life in the Fast Lane, but first, we’ve got to take our Night run, with glasses. Haha. Even before that, though, we cover a truly nothing of a deleted scene, but Joe finds a way to make it interesting (even though, in doing so, it would make 2 Fast 2 Furious a completely different movie). We discuss the end of the Paul Walter Hauser/Vin Diesel beef (although whether Vin Diesel even knew about it is unclear) before moving into the most prolific Running the VIN segment yet (by far) (with an interesting Suki-related post getting relegated to the next installment). A new Vin persona enters the chat. We come up with a new idea for the release of Fast X. We get an all-time great You freaking tube comment, an exciting fan project update, and some really good long emails. We spend a long time talking about the MCU, at which point we implore you to listen to X is for Podcast.

The "unnicknamed" Walt Hickey and Kim Bhasin return to the podcast as we hack and fly our way through The Fate of the Furious! It's been four weeks since our last train fact, so we scratch that itch before discussing how this movie begins to show the cracks behind the scenes. We wonder where F. Gary Gray is in this movie and our two New York resident guests weigh in on the NYC geography in The Fate of the Furious. Joey has a question about sex appeal in the franchise. Walt breaks down Hobbs's soccer strategies. Joe asks about the "Tay Tay" situation. Kim shares the most wrestling moment and Walt shares the most D&D moment. We miss an opportunity to call out Dom for "daddy jacking" the movie. Does Cipher have long-term plans for Dom? Why are we seeing so much technology and hacking in movies today? What's the Most 80s Moment? Could you live in Elena's prison nook? Is Dom... not fully human?

Our 80s Cult Movies lap continues with one of three big movies about dance from the decade, and in this one, dance is banned! (It's Footloose.) We're joined by Brian "Late Night" Rodriguez (making a rare [?] "in front of the paywall" appearance), who bares his soul about High School Slumber Party and share's his self-proclaimed "sordid history" with this movie. We talk about Michael Cimino's idea for the film (before he was fired), compare this to Dirty Dancing and Flashdance, and talk about how Footloose is reminiscent of both Tokyo Drift and a Keanu Reeves hidden gem. We discuss what, exactly, is banned in this town, the wildest scene in the movie, and the best car-to-car transitions in the Fastiverse. Brian casts us as Sex and the City characters, for some reason. We wonder: does Tom Cruise go to weddings?

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and this one goes out to the Happy Creative... While discussing a deleted scene that was easily cut (and weirdly paced), Joe shares a very complex way to answer a reasonably easy-to-answer question posed in the deleted scene. We talk about the feud (?!) between Paul Walter Hauser and Vin Diesel before we Run the VIN to find another two edited posts (as we also find weirdness in his comments and find another new way he refers to the next movie). We read an email that makes us think about Better Luck Tomorrow in a deep way, we wonder if Slap Jack is secretly wealthy, and we find that Spy Racers has infected another victim's mind. Joey talks about Swan Lake. We look ahead to Episode #757 of this show.

It's Christmas in July in the 80s Cult Movie Lap, so it's time to talk about Scrooged, starring Bill Murray! We talk about the tone deaf response from Paramount executives about working on Christmas, get Joe's thoughts on this movie (given that he is famously anti-Christmas), and wonder if this in-movie TV special would re-air every Christmas... or never again. We admire the casting, create a sliding scale to determine how "Christmas-y" this movie is, and debate which F&F family members love Christmas. We ask: would you want to watch your life like this? Our Scrooge hates on Friends, Netflix, and Christmas before Joey makes him name three good things about Christmas.

Walt Hickey and Kim Bhasin return to the podcast to talk about Furious 7, and why it means so much to each of them. First, though, we must talk about our return to Race Wars and Walt's plan to monetize and televise it. We make our pick for Most 80s Moment (of which they are many!), talk about the seeming obviousness of the film's tax incentives, and (of course) No Knees Denise. Kim shares the Most Wrestling Moment (it isn't what you think!) and Walt talks about how the Most D&D Moment shows an intentionality. Do the streets always win? If so, what does that mean? Does Deckard have friends? Which other older women would we cast in the franchise? We talk about what it's like to live at 1325 and 1329, how to properly grip a beer, and the Kuleshov Effect.

It's time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and since we're at the Demolition Derby, you better Fast X Your Belts! After breaking down a deleted/extended scene from 2 Fast 2 Furious, we run through a very light news day On the Streets, but find ourselves knee-deep in another (edited) installment of Running the Vin. We go overboard with audio drops and face an angry mob in our YouTube comments. Joe talks about going to Canada; Joey talks about going to the movie theater. We get breaking news on-air and talk about what to order at Shake Shack.

Happy Fastivus! On this day in 2001, The Fast and the Furious was released to theaters. We celebrate its release every year. This year, though, is a bit different -- it's the most unsure the franchise has been in a long time -- and we explore what that means and what next year's Fastivus episode could look like, given that uncertainty. We also unveil the newest 2 Fast 2 Forever Hall of Fame inductee class and wonder: did people sour on some movies?

The train owners are back in town: Kim Bhasin and Walt Hickey return to talk about The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift! Kim explains why Tokyo Drift is the rare coming of age story that he can relate to, we get new thoughts (and a brand new take) on the "Sean's dad dilemma," and we question an element of Sean Boswell's wardrobe. We talk about how "the wrong kid died," what this movie does that's rare in the franchise, and a pop culture reference that still works today. We cover all the usual segments (Train fact! Most 80s moment! Most wrestling moment! Most D&D moment), talk about "machete order" in franchises, and wonder if Tokyo Drift was a gateway drug to turn car boys into weebs. We lay out potential universal/F&F crossovers. Walt pitches a F&F Broadway musical.