Thursday, November 27, 2025

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

Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray art for Cyber Vengeance

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)'

Promotional still for "Red Lips"

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.

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