2 Fast 2 Forever: The Fast and Furious Podcast
Joey Lewandowski and Joe Two are devoted fans of the Fast and Furious movie franchise, and they've dedicated a podcast to watching and discussing the films on repeat. Fueled by a love for high-octane action and plenty of Corona, the hosts bring an enthusiastic and humorous take on the series. Listeners are invited to join them in the passenger seat for endless conversations about the movies, with opportunities to share feedback by email. The show captures the fun and obsession of two friends geeking out over a beloved film saga.
Episodes
Starship Troopers (1997)
Starship Troopers is our first pit stop in the war lap, and we're joined by Leesa Charlotte to talk all about it! After Joey talks about the overabundance of IMDb trivia for this movie (which is almost all about the shower scene), we take a stand: war is bad! We hear about an interesting wrinkle on our war (no pun intended) on adaptations, discuss Starship Troopers' ties to Titanic (including bein
and to those, who aren’t even born yet… | Life in the Fast Lane #80
Our first Life in the Fast Lane from Lap 17 will be a gift to the world... and to those, who aren’t even born yet...
Anyway, we open with a Tokyo Drift Minute filled with models (and not much else) before uncovering a slow week to Run the VIN - however! - that we deduce what that may actually mean. We let the free feed in on a Patreon-exclusive podcast perk, read one good (and one bad) Apple Po
The Fast and the Furious (Lap 17)
We're kicking off Lap 17 with The Fast and the Furious, and we're joined for tuna, no crust, by Aaron Neuwrith! Aaron shares memories from seeing this movie in theaters in 2001, as well as the Hollywood premiere for the re-release this past summer! We kick off our new segment ("Where the women at?"), talk about whether or not this movie seems "orange," and discuss the screen presence of Dom vs. Br
Director… Hmmm… | Life in the Fast Lane #79
We’re closing out Lap 16 with the lap’s final Life in the Fast Lane, and we’ve got a big idea: Director… Hmmm…
We begin with the Tokyo Drift Minute where we see Justin Lin’s filmmaking flair on full display, as well as Han’s flowy coolness and his mob-esque “meet and greet” behavior.
Then, we Run the VIN to see that Vin’s thinking about directing, but don’t worry: we solve the mystery of what he
Lap 16 Tune-Up (Relap/Recap)
We’re closing out our Classic Car Movies #2 lap (aka Kickin’ It Old School) and welcoming in Lap 17 in our mechanic-prescribed Lap 16 Tune-Up. After reflecting on the movies we covered this past lap (where in Joey asks Joe to give quick takes on all the movies we watched), we talk about Intermission, a French short film from 2020 that has fun ties to the Fast franchise. (Thanks again, Austin,
love you... | Life in the Fast Lane #78
It's another installment of Life in the Fast Lane! We've only gone thing to say, really: that we... just... love you... We kick off with a really good Tokyo Drift Minute, featuring lots of fun stuff, including our first (only?) NOS in Tokyo Drift! (How much does it cost? We find out.) Then, we Run the VIN to sadly find AI text slop, but also... perhaps the greatest post ever made on Instagram. Aft
Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby (1999)
Austin Wolf-Sothern returns to the show to close out the series and talk about Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby! First, we have questions, including: What is a trickbaby? What is the Hansel and Gretel story?
After Joey offers a podcast-wide disclaimer, we compare this movie to the first Freeway, talk about this film's problematic elements (including Vincent Gallo), and wonder how much of
A Toretto Summer... | Life in the Fast Lane #77
It’s a Toretto Summer… and you know what that means… it’s time for Life in the Fast Lane! We kick off with a Tokyo Drift Minute wherein Joe has nothing to do, although it is our first reference to Uncle Kamata, so we talk about him for a while. Is Joey’s urge for Vin Diesel Instagram media literacy finally spreading? Probably not, but we Run the VIN anyway, and wonder: how old are some of these ph
Fast X (Lap 16)
We’re heading to another cliffhanger as we talk about Fast X with Dr. Dan Hassler-Forest, author of Fast and Furious Franchising: How the Serialized Blockbuster Remade Hollywood! Joey starts things out by asking a tough question: does Dan like these movies? After getting confirmation (yes, yes he does), Dan explains how he could like them even more, why he wrote his book, and what he wan
I am still crying... | Life in the Fast Lane #76
It’s time for an installment of Life in the Fast Lane that is jam-packed with news about the Fastiverse, and I am still crying… well, I guess we are. Anyway, we kick off with the Tokyo Drift Minute (#41), which features our first real conversation between Sean and Neela. Then, we start Running the VIN, where Vin Diesel “officially confirms” a new project he’s working on and is “underwhel
Freeway (1996)
Austin Wolf-Sothern returns to the show after a (very) long absence to talk about Freeway starring Reese Witherspoon! After reminding us of the role he played in establishing one of the main bits of our podcast lore, we talk about his (very apt!) first viewing of this movie. We run through director Matthew Bright's fascinating filmography, discuss the Little Red Riding Hood framework, and try to m
Who taught ya how to love, baby? | Life in the Fast Lane #75
It's time for Life in the Fast Lane, and we've got a big Kojak-inspired question: Who taught ya how to love, baby? We begin with a Tokyo Drift Minute wherein DK enrages Joe for hitting a little too close to home, and we receive a question for Minute 15. Then: we have thirteen (!) VINs to run, and he’s "hiding in plain sight." Joe continues down his rabbit hole of belief that Vin is listening to us
F9 (Lap 16)
"Fan favorite" Garrett Smith returns to the podcast to talk about F9 and to answer a question: is "fan favorite" akin to a title belt that we can take away?
After we get his updated rankings and his screentime guess for The Rock in Fast Forever, Joe comes up with a new thing to track for our next lap. We talk about how Gisele's return cheapens Han's arc in F9, whether the extended cuts in Fast
"You don't plan a life that rhymes like that." | Life in the Fast Lane #74
It’s time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and we’re here to share a piece of advice: “You don’t plan a life that rhymes like that.” We enter the backrooms in the Tokyo Drift Minute (#39) to find some Initial D connections, and to wonder what Japanese words Sean has picked up so far as well as what he thinks Morimoto says.
We then Run the VIN, which features a couple of very long post
Motorama (1991)
We're headed to the surreal post-apocalyptic (?) wasteland of Motorama, and Joey has assembled his co-host Avengers, Mike Manzi and Bob (aka Shreds), for help! After Bob talks about how he discovered this movie -- and the (maybe) genius behind it -- we talk about who the movie is for (unclear) and what it's trying to say about the American Dream (also unclear). We discuss its Twin Peaks vibes and
"because tonight, I am six years old again." | Life in the Fast Lane #73
It’s time for Life in the Fast Lane and a trip down memory lane, “because tonight, I am six years old again.” (We all are, in a sense.) We begin with a Tokyo Drift Minute in transition (where are we?) wherein Joe explains the rules (and the “rules”) of pachinko, we discuss a pop culture reference that still holds up today (and which leads to a trivia question), and we take a trip down nostalgia la
Hobbs & Shaw (Lap 16)
We're heading to Samoa again with Scott K, host of The Church of Tarantino and Men of Action podcasts, to talk about Hobbs & Shaw! After talking about why Scott claimed Hobbs & Shaw months ago, we hear his (sort of unusual) rankings. We wind up comparing the franchise (and its characters) to Batman and Robin, Halloween III, and Charles Manson -- each of which inspires exciting possibilities for al
Fastivus Special 2026
Happy Fastivus! We celebrate this holiday (named by @ReactionRocket) each year on June 22, which marks the anniversary of the original movie's release to theaters. This year is a monumental Fastivus, given that it's the 25th anniversary! We talk about the future of the franchise, which is brighter than it has been in years, with Fast Forever on the calendar, new TV series in the works, and maybe e
Slow is Fine | Life in the Fast Lane #72
It's Life in the Fast Lane -- or is it the Slow Lane? -- because "slow is fine" after all, according to Vin Diesel. Anyway...
We kick things off with the Tokyo Drift Minute, where we learn all about Paw Man and wonder why Sean isn't thrown out of the bath house in his towel. We then Run the VIN and get the first classic Vin post in more than two months, where we get a big update: "Several work
Stagecoach (1939)
We’re headed back to a very early “car” movie to talk about John Ford’s stagecoach with the help of Tobin Addington! After Joey bullies Joe into voting for the 2 Fast 2 Forever Hall of Fame (and you can, too!), we discuss the historical context of Stagecoach: it’s the movie that legitimized the Western genre and inspired filmmakers for decades to come, and also the movie that turned both John Wayn
“in my mind, you, Vin, were born in Cannes.” – Thierry Frémaux – Vin Diesel | Life in the Fast Lane #71
We’ve got a jam-packed Life in the Fast Lane today, including an all-time quote: “in my mind, you, Vin, were born in Cannes.” – Thierry Frémaux – Vin Diesel. First, we start with a Tokyo Drift Minute that could have been filled with so much detail! But, alas. Still, we find some good stuff, Joe gives us a Japanese history lesson, and Joey talks about Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days. A reminder: vot
The Fate of the Furious (Lap 16)
Jordan Polan-Clarke returns to the show to talk about The Fate of the Furious… and the future of the franchise! After we acknowledge the vast shift in the F&F landscape since we last recorded – and remind you that voting is still open for the 2 Fast 2 Forever Hall of Fame – we turn our focus to the Fate of the Furious (and Jordan’s journey through the franchise).
Is this the least Fast and Furiou
We Rock Lavalavas, We Rock Skirts | Life in the Fast Lane #70
It’s time for another Life in the Fast Lane, and while the Vinstagram may be quiet, don’t worry: The Rock is here to tell us that We Rock Lavalavas, We Rock Skirts. We start, as always, with the Tokyo Drift minute, which features a very cinematic schoolday from Justin Lin and a question about the timeline of Tokyo Drift: when are we saying it happened? A PSA: voting for the 2 Fast 2 Forever Hall o
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
We're headed back to the wasteland for Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior! Our first order of business: making sense of the title variants. After discussing where this fits into the Mad Max chronology, we talk about the many things that Fast and Furious lifted from this movie (including a look back at past Fast & Furious Minute documents!). We explore the lore and fan theories that Mad Max 2 created, adm
Update: No Need for a Wellness Check | Life in the Fast Lane #69
It’s time for Life in the Fast Lane, and we come bearing a good news update: there’s no need for a wellness check. First, though, we see Sean square off against Major Boswell in a sparse Tokyo Drift minute that reminds us of how we watched (and tracked) these minutes when we first started. Then, we talk about some new movie announcements in our orbit, as there’s no real Fast & Furious news. We als
Furious 7 (Lap 16)
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 lo
Groot's First Steps (2022)
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 document
"Heeeeeere’s Seanny!" | Life in the Fast Lane #68
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 so
Mad Max (1979)
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 tale
So let me tell you about Cuba. | Life in the Fast Lane #67
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
The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift (Lap 16)
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 ra
A Cinematic Way to Describe the Impact of This Toy | Life in the Fast Lane #66
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.
Death Race 2000 (1975)
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
The Arbor King… | Life in the Fast Lane #65
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 f
Fast & Furious 6 (Lap 16)
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.
Why did Roman become the "big head" butt of the joke in this movie, ou
The Gold Zone, Hosted by Scott Hanson | Life in the Fast Lane #64
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! W
Sorcerer (1977)
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
And a legacy… lasts Forever. | Life in the Fast Lane #63
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 wil
Fast Five (Lap 16)
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
Happy Birthday, America... | Life in the Fast Lane #62
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 c
Duel (1971)
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 ta
Make-Up Oscars | Life in the Fast Lane #61
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 a
Fast & Furious (Lap 16)
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 ro
I can see something beautiful, cinematic. | Life in the Fast Lane #60
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
Dashing Through the Snow (2023)
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 bef
The French Connection (1971)
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 ke
Speaking of hall of fame… | Life in the Fast Lane #59
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
2 Fast 2 Furious (Lap 16)
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 h
Dom state of mind... | Life in the Fast Lane #58
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, whi
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
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 mu
The cars are the stars... ain’t that the truth... | Life in the Fast Lane #57
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/f
The Fast and the Furious (Lap 16)
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
Heart Eyes (2025)
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
Fast & Furious 6: #2F2F Commentary
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 wa
Fast Five: #2F2F Commentary
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 queu
Fast & Furious: #2F2F Commentary
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’l
Lap 15 Tune-Up (Recap/Relap)
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.
With no lap-long guest this lap (or next lap), and no Patreon sponsor of either lap, our tune-up is quicker than normal -- that's probably good news for a car, right? -- as we look back at the lap that was and announce next lap's theme.
Email us: family@c
One of My Favorite Brothers in the World | Life in the Fast Lane #56
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 wh
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
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 c
Effort, is on you… Xander (Xandar?) | Life in the Fast Lane #55
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 wh
Fast X (Lap 15)
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 po
Are You My First? | Life in the Fast Lane #54
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
Bullet to the Head (2012)
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
Europe in the Summer. What a Beautiful Place. | Life in the Fast Lane #53
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.
Then, in a shocking turn of events, we re-order the Fast Lane agenda (again) to move right into Running the VIN as we enter every gym Vin Diesel has visited over the past two
F9 (Lap 15)
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 tal
Family Vacations with My Brother, The GOAT, Michael Jordan | Life in the Fast Lane #52
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 F
Southland Tales (2006)
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 movi
Fast & The Shirtless: my thespian father just loves the chemistry | Life in the Fast Lane #51
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 Apr
Hobbs & Shaw (Lap 15)
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 reac
Three-Time Undisputed Optimistic Theatrical Experience Champion | Life in the Fast Lane #50
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
Fastivus Special 2025
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
Striking Distance (1993)
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’
... Great Value Theatrical Experience ... | Life in the Fast Lane #49
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
The Fate of the Furious (Lap 15)
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 Do
Megalopolis (2024)
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 -- a
You Sign Your Mother's Day Painting with That Name? | Life in the Fast Lane #48
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 b
D.E.B.S. (2004)
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..
Please... #FuelFest | Life in the Fast Lane #47
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 tr
Furious 7 (Lap 15)
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 an
ha ha ha... how do i turn this thing off | Life in the Fast Lane #46
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.
