CatBusRuss in the Quad Cities 2026: QC Fright Con & Planet Funk Con 2026 - Day 2 & Ninety For Chill in East Moline

I Dig Crazy Flicks with @CatBusRuss

Episode 276 - QC Fright Con & Planet Funk Con 2026 vs. Scanner Cop 2

⁠CatBusRuss is worn out. He thought it was going to be a chore attending the panel-lacking ⁠Planet Funk Con⁠ & ⁠QC Fright Con⁠ for Sunday, but he has to put in the time to promote "⁠I Dig Crazy Flicks⁠", even if he has to wake up at 4:10 am to impress at his new full-time job for the next couple of weeks. Attending the last day allowed him to get his steps in and check out a ⁠James Pax⁠ panel. If only they had turned up the mics loud enough for him to get the attention OG Raiden deserved over the crowd wandering the primary convention.

As for Saturday, the only thing hurting was the wallet. But he was able to get an autographed Funko Pop! from ⁠Brian O'Halloran⁠ and some fun face-to-face time with ⁠Brad "Cinema Snob" Jones⁠ and ⁠Sam "Flash Gordon" Jones⁠. If he felt any shame when talking to the "Saviour of the Universe", its that he did not smoke as much pot as ⁠Seth MacFarlane⁠ did growing up and watching the IP George Lucas could not obtain. Not being just like the "⁠Ted⁠" creator may have cost him a potential podcast guest.

⁠Russ⁠ may have tried to make up for his lack of debauchery by attending all the after hours event at the con. Friday was checking out video game music cover band ⁠Big Head Mode⁠. Saturday was the ⁠Nerds in Heat Nerdlesque⁠ show and visiting his first after hours ⁠Moonlight Maid Cafe⁠".

If you are wondering why this episode was released a day late, CatBus has been exhausted since coming back to Chambana. On top of that, his New Year's Resolution was to watch 15 movies a month. Monday and Tuesday were dedicated to maintaining that trend.

Tuesday's feature was the sequel to "⁠Scanner Cop⁠", "⁠Scanner Cop 2: Volkin's Revenge⁠". This scanner vs. scanner affair was not a winner, but how could it be after he watched ⁠James Gunn's "Superman"⁠ the night prior. If only had a date to catch "⁠Supergirl⁠" instead, he would feel like a winner on so many levels.

A sure was to feel like a winner is to try a flavor from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Doich! Snacking Dough. It is cookie dough with more protein, less sugar, and none of the eight major allergens. Our host is not a cookie fan, but this stuff taste great and leaves you feeling full quickly. Follow the link below to save 20% on your order and give Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake, or WTFudge Brownie dough a try.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 276 - QCCC: Ninety for Chill versus Kirkwood Community College Anime Club

For the first time in nearly two years, ⁠CatBusRuss⁠ & ⁠ThePoeticCritic⁠ present the concept of ⁠Ninety For Chill⁠ to a comic convention. They opened up the fan panels at the first ⁠Quad Cities Comic Con⁠. ⁠Russ⁠ has found that being the first panel of a convention usually guarantees an audience. This was the case, but were they prepared to amuse the ⁠Kirkwood Community College Anime Club⁠?

These kids and chauffeurs had the same drive time from Cedar Rapids and the two sibling had from Peoria. ⁠Dubby Energy (use promo code CatBusRuss at checkout for 10% off your order)⁠ and punch & pie at least made the audience comfortable, but what were they going to bring to the conversation? How were they going to react when our podcast host suggests, "Does Hayao Miyazaki really need two hours to tell his tales?"

CatBus was game for a fight. Would ThePoeticCritic succeed as a referee in providing counter arguments? Surely explaining box office motivations and the art of writing screenplays will assure that everyone will walk away happy.

Speaking of confrontation, this panel inspired Russ to finally watch "⁠The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim⁠". This anime spinoff and means for Newline Cinema's to retain the theatrical rights to the franchise clocks in at 2 hours 14 minutes. The film is not a Tolkien tale, just inspired by his Appendices. Should it have been over 100 minutes in runtime? Was any of it worth it?

If your looking for something worthwhile, try a flavor from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Doich! Snacking Dough. It is cookie dough with more protein, less sugar, and none of the eight major allergens. Our host is not a cookie fan, but this stuff taste great and leaves you feeling full quickly. Follow the link below to save 20% on your order and give Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake, or WTFudge Brownie dough a try.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

 

Follow me on Bluesky @catbusruss. If you want to be on the show, contact me on Twitter or send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com. All we need is a theme, movie, director, or actor and a focus on sub 100-minute material. As long as the credits start before the 1:39:59 mark on the runtime bar, the movie qualifies.

Fan Expo Chicago 2025: John Cena Audio, Rocking Out to Star Wars, and Vinegar Syndrome

  

I Dig Crazy Flicks with @CatBusRuss

Bonus Episode: 'Cyber Vengeance (1995)', Guardians of the Galaxy, and John Cena - Fan Expo Chicago 2025 - Day 2

Is it a good thing when a comic convention encourages one to sleep in? As long as the best content is available to a rested podcaster (at the price of $40), ⁠CatBusRuss⁠ shan't complain.

Our host did not watch "Suits", so he may not have been the best audience member for only knowing ⁠Rick Hoffman⁠ from "Hostel" and "The Condemned", so his primary goal was to capture the "⁠Hooked on a Feeling with the Cast of Guardians of the Galaxy: Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, and Michale Rooker⁠" panel. He was kind of let down that they kept the Rook confined to a chair, but how could you not have fun with such talent?

After a blah visit to the show floor, ⁠CatBus⁠ patiently waited an extra 35 minutes in the query queue for John Cena. He may have been the only one to ask the 17-time world champion an acting question. Thus, he will count that as a W.

And he needed a W as ⁠Bootleg Safari ⁠topped wicked "Simpsons" masks with the terror of ⁠Bruno Mattei⁠'s "⁠Terminator 2⁠". Fun was had. Knowledge of the Canadian tax shelter was gained. But reliving any element of that nightmare may have been too much for our host.

So, CatBus fondly remembers his experience watching "⁠Cyber Vengeance⁠", to get over the Italian trauma.

Episode 233 - The Nicest Question John Cena Was Ever Asked, Jedi Double Feature, Fan Expo Chicago...and 'Red Lips (1995)'

CatBusRuss⁠ may still be recovering from ⁠Fan Expo Chicago 2025⁠. At 45 years-old, jumping into foam-sword combat for 45 minutes was too much since its been six years since his brief indoor soccer return, but not getting to contribute to the convention still pains him as well. Then again, you get to hear the nicest question ⁠John Cena⁠ has ever been asked in this episode, so he may have still won the weekend.

Our host could not have much to do on the final day at the convention. He had to handle all the hotel terms and baggage for the stays he and ⁠ThePoeticCritic⁠ had, so he was not going to make the early panels. Shopping was something he did not want to do for the majority of the day, but fortunately, there are holidays, nieces, and nephew to look forward to pleasing. Was too much money spent? Of course, but that is the price of being the cool uncle. He cannot wait to provide them with ⁠Geek Punk Store⁠ apparel to make sure they are the coolest kids in a small, conservative town with 37 churches.

Fortunately, rocking out to ⁠Galactic Empire⁠ the night prior and ⁠Ewan McGregor⁠ and ⁠Hayden Christensen⁠ being super cool made up for ⁠Russ⁠ not getting to take part as a panelist...mostly. It is still tough for him to shake the feeling that Fan Expo cares more about the commercialism than the fans' experience with each other.

If you are a like minded fan, CatBus provides you a break from his convention ranting with a review for "⁠Red Lips⁠", a 1995 lesbian-vampire movie that may have been a mockbuster to ⁠Abel Ferrara⁠'s "⁠The Addiction⁠". After that watch, our host is ready for the next ⁠Vinegar Syndrome⁠ sale.

 

Follow me on Bluesky @catbusruss. If you want to be on the show, contact me on Twitter or send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com. All we need is a theme, movie, director, or actor and a focus on sub 100-minute material. As long as the credits start before the 1:39:59 mark on the runtime bar, the movie qualifies.

God Bless America (Via Bobcat Goldthwait), Fan Expo Chicago, and Torso (1973)

  

I Dig Crazy Flicks with @CatBusRuss

Episode 232: 'God Bless America (2011)' & Fan Expo Chicago 2022 - Sympathy for the Cannon Group

It is a #TossBackTuesday for "⁠I Dig Crazy Flicks⁠" as ⁠CatBusRuss⁠ gets himself in the mindset to just hang out at ⁠Fan Expo Chicago⁠ by revisiting the first Fan Expo Chicagoland ever hosted.

⁠Russ⁠ is a little bit in the dumps since this is the first time that Fan Expo has rejected his panel suggestions, but he looks to have a fun time seeing the likes of Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, John Cena, etc. Of course, once you here about 2022's event, you may appreciate the irony of attaching a review to ⁠Bobcat Goldthwait⁠'s satire "⁠God Bless America⁠" to this rewind rendition of "⁠Ninety For Chill - The Podcast⁠".

⁠CatBusRuss⁠ was able to binge "Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi" in 48-hours to prepare for Fan Expo in Rosemont, IL. Did he have the energy to thoroughly enjoy the reskin of Wizard World (and Chicago Comic Con before that)? There was Carl Weathers, Ron Perlman, Boyd Holbrook, and a bunch of Hobbits, but since there is only one "Return" (and it is not "of the King"), ⁠Russ⁠ was dedicated to the Kevin Smith content. Was he willing to put up with the challenges and lack of encouragement to get his Bluntman and Chronic Funko Pop! 2-Pack autographed? Here is his story.

Bonus Episode - 'Torso (1973)' & Johnnie Walker Redpool at Fan Expo Chicago 2025 - Day 1

When ⁠CatBusRuss⁠ is at a comic convention where he is not serving as a panelist, the experience can be about remembering the sweet is never as sweet without the sour. (Anyone want to Zoom about "⁠Vanilla Sky⁠"?) This trip is virtually all inclusive (sans alcohol), so can there really be much to be sour about? Then came the journey of finding a Funko Pop! for an actor who was a last minute scratch from the ⁠Fan Expo Chicago⁠ line up (after he did the same at ATL Comic Convention).

Fortunately, the cosplay was great for the first day of a con (an anomaly), the visitors and exhibitors were friendly, the booze was easy to find, and ⁠CatBus⁠ got to end the night wailing on millennials and gen Z kids with foam swords and shields for 45 minutes. Aside from chasing Darkseid, it was a grand time.

There was no tattoo alley at this Fan Expo Chicago (a first), so maybe he will use the extra funds to get that ⁠Ewan McGregor⁠ autograph.

Hopefully the next day's panels will be as fun as "The Voices of Your Childhood: ⁠Bob West⁠, ⁠Phillip Glasser⁠, and ⁠Kate Micucci⁠" and "Bursting into the Scene with the Cast of ⁠Aliens⁠". They better be because its costing Russ's sponsors $40 to see one of them.

For those who cannot be sold on spending a grand for hotel and merch, our host has included a review for a giallo classic, "⁠Torso⁠". As these Fan Expo episodes drop, the films will only get weirder.

 

Follow me on Bluesky @catbusruss. If you want to be on the show, contact me on Twitter or send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com. All we need is a theme, movie, director, or actor and a focus on sub 100-minute material. As long as the credits start before the 1:39:59 mark on the runtime bar, the movie qualifies.