Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense
A Podcast from Another Universe
Hosted by Greg Dyro and Tom Burka, the show explores movies and streaming series—both real and imagined—with insight, industry perspective, and a bit of offbeat humor.
They also occasionally speak with creators behind some of your favorite entertainment.
Have a guest idea, or a favorite film or show? They’d like to hear about it.
Step into the conversation.
Our latest episode
Sugar Season 2 — Science Fiction, Noir, or Both?
Greg Dyro and Tom Burka return to the strange, stylish world of Apple TV’s Sugar for a look at Season 2 and one of the most unusual detective shows on television.
At first glance, Sugar has all the ingredients of classic Los Angeles noir: a private detective, missing people, wealthy families with secrets, dangerous characters, shadowy motives, vintage movies, cool cars, and a city where almost everyone seems to be hiding something. But Sugar has never been quite what it appears to be.
So what exactly are we watching in Season 2?
Is Sugar fundamentally a science-fiction series wrapped inside a noir detective story? Or, now that the show’s biggest secret is out, is it really a traditional detective drama with a science-fiction element operating quietly in the background?
Greg and Tom dig into that question while discussing Colin Farrell’s John Sugar, the season’s mysteries, characters, twists, visual style, and the show’s continuing fascination with classic Hollywood and detective movies. We look at what works, what doesn’t, and whether the unusual combination of genres makes Sugar more compelling—or occasionally gets in the way of a perfectly good mystery.
We also ponder some bigger questions raised by the series: What makes John Sugar different from the detectives who inspired him? How important is the science fiction to understanding the character? And after two seasons, what kind of television show has Sugar actually become?
It’s part review, part genre debate, part Hollywood discussion—and, inevitably, a healthy dose of serious nonsense.
Join Greg and Tom as they try to decide whether Sugar Season 2 is science fiction, neo-noir, a detective story, or something that refuses to fit neatly into any of those categories.
Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense — with Greg Dyro and Tom Burka
Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense is a King Dyro Production ©2026
Podcast music:
Intro music Kamihamiha! – Alien Warfare Stems by Kamihamiha (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/Kamihamiha/60882
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What the heck are they talking about.
We tend to ramble a bit but eventually we get to the second act and even sometimes take it all the way to the final third act. Our thoughts are always relevant but at times maybe a bit like fog used to add a little bit of texture to the interior scene in a film. We invite you to join us in this alternate world of cinema.
The last 6 episodes
Sugar Season 2 — Science Fiction, Noir, or Both?
Send us Fan Mail Greg Dyro and Tom Burka return to the strange, stylish world of Apple TV’s Sugar for a look at Season 2 and one of the most unusual detective shows on television. At first glance, Sugar has all the ingredients of classic Los Angeles noir: a private detective, missing people, wealthy families with secrets, dangerous characters,
The Truth Is Out There…According to Spielberg
On this episode of Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense, Greg and Tom take a deep dive into Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day. As lifelong Spielberg fans, they explore where this newest entry fits within the legendary director’s remarkable career and discuss whether it captures the same sense of wonder, suspense, and imagination that made
The Sheep Detectives, The Mandalorian and Grogu, and This Month’s Box Office Obsessions
The Sheep Detectives, The Mandalorian and Grogu, and This Month’s Box Office Obsessions In this episode of Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense, Greg Dyro and Tom Burka head back into the theater to take a closer look at two of the season’s most talked-about releases: The Sheep Detectives and The Mandalorian and Grogu. Warning: This
AI – Hollywood and the State of the Industry
On this episode of Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense, hosts Greg Dyro and Tom Burka take a deep dive into the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence and its growing impact on Hollywood, filmmaking, and the entertainment industry as a whole. From AI-generated imagery and visual effects to synthetic voices, digital performers, and machine-assisted storytelling, Greg
Project Hail Mary
In this episode of Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense, Greg Dyro and Tom Burka dive deep into the highly anticipated film adaptation of Project Hail Mary, based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir—the same mind behind The Martian. Directed with a sharp balance of science, humor, and heart, and starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, the film brings one of
Fallout Season 2 discussion
Greg Dyro and Tom Burka return to the mic for another episode of Movie Reviews and Serious Nonsense, where movies, television, and pop culture are explored with equal parts insight, humor, and spirited debate. In this episode, Greg and Tom dive into Season 2 of Fallout on Amazon Prime, continuing their ongoing discussion of one
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Meet Your Hosts
Educated in the the sometimes Dark Art of photo chemical light responsive materials in Maine. Greg has been working in Hollywood for the last 29 years.
Greg started his association with Motion Pictures in the 7th grade in New England followed by 18 months in Cuba making Super-8mm films 3 minutes at a time. He only recently got involved in Podcasting with his movie making pal from the 1970’s Tom Burka.
Greg is the former Director of the Warner Bros. Studio Facilities Photo Lab and now lives with his wife in the foothills of the Tortolito Mountains in Southern Arizona.
In an alternate universe, Tom Burka was the chief architect behind America’s move to the metric system. In this one, he built a career grounded in sharp analysis, wit, and real-world experience — including his work as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, where he honed the observational skills and storytelling instincts he brings to every conversation.
Tom also reportedly consulted during the rollout of the European Euro, though he insisted on being paid in Bitcoin long before it was fashionable — proof that he’s either ahead of his time or slightly out of sync with it.
History will always remember him as “An Extraordinary Gentleman.”
Ask Greg & Tom a Question
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