Dalton Deschain & Dylan Roth
Writers Dalton Deschain and Dylan Roth first joined together to create Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe? a podcast in which they pitched new installments of the canceled Dark Universe of monster movies. After completing their 30-part saga, they’ve set out to do something new - an all-original cinematic universe of imaginary movies, written, workshopped, and performed on all podcatchers and YouTube. To listen from the beginning of Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe, start with THE MUMMY from October 2022. To jump onboard for The Pod Universe, start with WELCOME TO THE POD UNIVERSE, from September 2025.
5d ago
Months ago, Emmy-winning writer and author Daniel Kibblesmith was driving through Burbank, California when he made an astounding realization - The Grinch is a Universal Monster. Therefore, he is eligible for inclusion in the Dark Universe, the sprawling film franchise that was launched in 2017, immediately scrapped, and then continued by Dylan & Dalton on the previous incarnation of their podcast! What are Daniel's plans for the green meanie with a penchant for devilry and a hatred of Christmas? Let's find out... SPONSORS You can search for the Frankencast wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out TOWNIE(S), a TTRPG by Jellyfishlines, at https://jellyfishlines.carrd.co/ And you can find Spooky Aurora's White City at retrofit-games-company.itch.io And as always you can join our Patreon - Patreon.com/DylanAndDalton CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:25 - Our guest, Daniel Kibblesmith! 00:06:56 - Some Grinch history 00:31:10 - Sponsors: The Frankencast & TOWNIE(S) 00:32:29 - Casting the Grinch 00:35:19 - Daniel's pitch 00:52:46 - Workshopping the pitch 01:25:26 - Sponsor: The White City 01:26:40 - What's coming up on the pod?
Dec 1
Welcome to The Pod Universe with Dylan and Dalton , the only podcast that's creating a shared universe of original sci-fi movies, one script at a time. Dive into our saga of produced table reads of new screenplays, each accompanied by a discussion and workshop session. Check out movie pitches from exciting guests like filmmaker Vera Drew or Emmy-winning writer Josh Gondelman, each pitching their own spin on a Hollywood favorite. Plus, there's our deep library of stories from our previous project, Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe? in which we completed a 30-part saga of imaginary films based on the abandoned Universal Classic Monsters crossover that began and ended with 2017's The Mummy .
Nov 30
Filmmaker Vera Drew (The People's Joker) joins Dylan & Dalton to pitch her own wild reboot to one of Hollywood's most gargantuan film franchises: Jurassic Park! How will this outsider artist interpret Universal's king-sized cash cow? How did Spielberg's popcorn classic influence her own award-winning feature film? And what the hell does Russ Meyer have to do with all of this? Tune in to find out! LINKS & SPONSORS Find out where to watch Vera's feature film at https://thepeoplesjoker.com Check out Spooky Aurora's The White City at https://retrofit-games-company.itch.io/spooky-auroras-white-city Listen to VI Degrees of Star Wars at https://6dosw.buzzsprout.com/ And use the link rpgzine.club/ZineUniverse to check out RPG Zine Club and make sure to know we sent you! As always, you can support our show at Patreon.com/DylanAndDalton or buy our merchandise at shop.thepoduniverse.com CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Introducing Vera Drew 00:10:55 - Why Jurassic Park? 00:22:01 - The Disappointing Sequels 00:48:30 - Sponsors - Spooky Aurora's The White City, VI Degrees of Star Wars 00:50:56 - Vera's Pitch 01:32:49 - Sponsor - RPG Zine Club 01:34:31 - Previews and Acknowledgements
Nov 16
Dalton's cerebral Cold War time travel thriller heats up! Is atomic spy Adrien Barnier truly doomed? Can his accomplice and lover truly be trusted? And how will this story set in the 1940s tie into our larger Pod Universe saga? This episode is brought to you by... VI Degrees of Star Wars, a movie podcast by Sam Marchiony - https://6dosw.buzzsprout.com/ RPG Zine Club from PlusOneExp.com - rpgzine.club/zineuniverse and Ritual Deck TTRPG by J Evan Parks Support us via Patreon.com/DylanAndDalton and unlock hours of bonus episodes and a community of lovely creative folks, or buy our merch at shop.thepoduniverse.com CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Start 00:07:16 - Act Two Part Two 00:24:34 - Discussion 00:33:38 - Act Two Part Two Continued 00:37:37 - Ad Break - VI Degrees of Star Wars 00:39:10 - Discussion 00:50:41 - Ad Break - RPG Zine Club 00:52:35 - Act Three 01:21:34 - Ad Break - Ritual Deck TTRPG 01:22:24 - Mid-Credits Scene 01:24:27 - Post-Credits Scene 01:25:21 - Discussion
Nov 9
In 1944, scientists in the employ of the United States Military were on the cusp of the most consequential discoveries in history. Fearing that the US might use their invention — an atomic fusion bomb — to hold the world hostage, a few of its creators attempted to leak its specifications to the Soviet Union. One tried to stop its construction altogether. This is his story — but in our Pod Universe, nothing is quite so simple as a spy drama, is it? It's Dalton's first solo pitch of the Pod Universe, and like Dylan's space opera, it's a big swing! Will this historical sci-fi thriller capture the interest of the Pod Universe faithful? Has Dalton stepped too far out of their monster movie wheelhouse? Only one way to find out. OUR SPONSORS: Ritual Deck RPG: plusoneexp.com The Frankencast Return to Blacktail Harbor: roguecentaur.itch.io/blacktail OUR PATREON: patreon.com/dylananddalton OUT SHOP: shop.thepoduniverse.com CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Cold Open 00:04:21 - Predictions and Expectations 00:21:30 - Act One 00:45:17 - Sponsor: Ritual Deck RPG 00:46:05 - Discussion 01:02:13 - Act Two (part one) 01:26:29 - Sponsors: The Frankencast & Return to Blacktail Harbor 01:29:04 - Discussion 01:40:32 - Previews & Acknolwedgments
Nov 2
Fan favorite guest Branson Reese (Swan Boy, Rude Tales of Magic) returns for another insane new take on a classic film property. This time his sights are set on one of pop culture's most radioactive franchises, GHOSTBUSTERS, which no one has ever made a fool of themselves trying to relaunch before! How does Branson suggest recapturing the magic of the original while avoiding the pitfalls of the underwhelming 1989 followup, the disproportionately hated 2016 remake, or the creatively bankrupt legacy sequels of the 2020s? PLUS: The trailer for Dalton's upcoming scripted pitch, LOS ALAMOS! Our sponsors this week: Return to Blacktail Harbor by Rogue Centaur: Roguecentaur.Itch.Io/Blacktail Ritual Deck RPG: PlusOneExp.com Dim Stars: DimStarsBook.com And as always you can check out our store at shop.thepoduniverse.com or support us on Patreon at Patreon.com/DylanAndDalton. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:26 - Let's Talk Ghostbusters 00:23:01 - The Leprechaun Bit 00:27:13 - Back to Ghostbusters 00:41:28 - SPONSORS: Return to Blacktail Harbor & Ritual Deck 00:44:31 - Branson's Pitch for Ghostbusters 01:33:11 - SPONSOR: Dim Stars by Brian P. Rubin 01:36:01 - Los Alamos trailer 01:39:11 - Acknowledgements and Coming Attractions
Oct 19
It's the (hopefully) thrilling conclusion of Dylan's space sci-fi drama, Last Flight of the Stone Hammer! Will the Ley-to and Eridai find a way to survive this cosmic calamity? And what will this mean for our Pod Universe going forward? PLUS: Check out Dalton's newest single, a refreshed and rearranged "Some Dark Magik," at the end of this episode. THIS WEEK'S SPONSORS: Vampirocene by merritt k. - When viral pop star Janie Mack "comes out" as a vampire, most people think it's just a play for attention. But when she launches a new movement to stop climate change, people start listening... - merrittk.itch.io/vampirocene Return to Blacktail Harbor by Rogue Centaur - A single-player murder mystery journaling game, where you play as a guest investigating the mysterious events surrounding the wedding and try to stay alive. - Roguecentaur.Itch.Io/Blacktail The Frankencast by Mad Scientist Anthony Bowman - If you’re missing Frankenstein after the conclusion of the Dark Universe, the Frankencast has been watching a discussing Frankenstein movies for over 200 episodes. And as always you can check out our merch on shop.thepoduniverse.com or support us directly on Patreon. https://Patreon.com/DylanAndDalton CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Discussion 00:09:56 - Previously On 00:14:37 - Act Two Part Two 00:25:09 - Ad Break 1 00:26:02 - Ad Break 2 00:27:13 - Discussion 00:38:34 - Act Three 01:00:05 - Ad Break 3 01:00:44 - Mid-Credits Scene 01:02:41 - Discussion 01:22:59 - “Some Dark Magik”
Oct 12
In the far reaches of space, two civilizations are locked in an endless conflict. The Eridai’s reckless industry cost the Ley-to their homeworld. The Ley-to’s quest for vengeance has consumed their entire culture, and there’s no end in sight. But when a twist of fate brings their starships to a halt, two opposing crews will have to bring their long conflict to a conclusion — one way or another. It’s Dylan’s first solo pitch for The Pod Universe, and he’s jumping directly into his favorite sci-fi subgenre: the Space Opera! It’s Battlestar Galactica meets Pirates of the Caribbean, but is that going to mean anything to Dalton — who, improbably, has no interest in either? Tune in to find out! OUR SPONSORS The DC3cast, a weekly podcast about DC Comics that recently celebrated its 500th episode! dc3cast.com Dim Stars: A Novel of Outer-Space Shenanigans by Brian P. Rubin - dimstarsbook.com RPG Zine Club, a subscription service for artisan tabletop games - rpgzine.club/zineuniverse Check out our new MERCH STORE, shop.thepoduniverse.com And as always you can join our Patreon at Patreon.com/DylanAndDalton TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 - Cold Open 00:09:59 - Discussion 00:15:24 - Fan Predictions 00:26:40 - Lore Recap 00:32:04 - Act One 01:01:11 - Discussion 01:12:47 - Act Two Part One 01:32:39 - Discussion