The Stage Select

Space Monkey Mafia Productions
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  • VIDEO GAMES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to The Stage Select: a video game variety show hosted by Julian Titus and Justin Hamm! We guarantee that we'll talk about video games. Beyond that, you never know what (or who!) to expect each week.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Episode 086: The Year in Review 2025

    And that’s a wrap, folks! Well, after this season finale it is. Listen to us talk about the year in gaming that was 2025, a look towards next gen (whether we want it or not), and get into the nitty gritty about the state of the podcast. We’re off for six weeks but don’t fret; episodes will be releasing every week that we’re gone. See you in 2026, a totally real year that’s about to happen! 00:00 Recording the end of season stuff is wild 03:51 Xbox making every wrong move imaginable in 2025 35:35 Another phenomenal year if you play video games, another terrible year if you make or cover them 53:17 Combating the doomsaying in video games 01:17:35 AI is EVERYWHERE now, and we hate it 01:41:44 Looking towards next gen: what we want vs what we expect 02:07:41 The state of The Stage Select Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com Logo and artwork by John Gholson Announcer: John Gholson Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

    2h 44m

  2. 24/12/2025

    Episode 085: Why Do I Have to Make a Phone Call to a Man?

    Our penultimate episode of the season is a short one but a good one. We recorded this the day before recording the big final Game of the Year episode, so this week is light on games as we were focused on last minute prep and also had other things to record this week. Join us next week for our year in review as we bring season 2 to a close! 00:00 Being a target for Agent 47 15:52 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Silksong 27:08 Unbeatable 40:51 Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection 58:34 Julian’s last-minute game of the year prep (Ghost of Yotei, revisiting Expedition 33) 01:20:10 Justin’s movie roundup (Man Finds Tape, Die Hard, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, The Resident, Die, My Love) 01:42:44 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns) Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com Logo and artwork by John Gholson Announcer: John Gholson Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

    2h 11m

  3. 17/12/2025

    Episode 084: Kojima's a Hack.

    It’s a big week, as we’re joined by Friend of the Show (and star of Man Finds Tape!) John Gholson to talk about his new movie, being a hungry actor, and The Game Awards. Also other things! 00:00 Musical theater 11:08 John talks about the response to Man Finds Tape and the struggle of full-time acting 40:57 Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair 52:45 Catching up with John’s recent gaming, Dispatch 01:09:44 Marvel Cosmic Invasion 01:29:48 Final thoughts on Death Stranding 2 01:49:24 Ghost of Yotei 02:02:55 Blade Runner, becoming a home owner 02:14:33 Recapping The Game Awards 2025 Please support John's next project, Terms and Conditions if you can! https://seedandspark.com/fund/terms-conditions#story Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com Logo and artwork by John Gholson Announcer: John Gholson Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

    3h 7m

  4. 10/12/2025

    Special: Secret Suffering

    It's a secret to everybody!

    1h 2m

  5. 03/12/2025

    Episode 083: Too Many Tone Loc Songs

    As we begin to wind down the second season (and the holidays are upon us) we have fewer games to talk about. But this is still a fun episode, I think. Maybe. I don’t even know anymore. I’m tired, y’all. 00:00 Thanksgiving 14:41 Julian returns to Death Stranding 2 34:50 Justin returns to Cyberpunk 2077, Julian is done with Ball x Pit 01:00:35 Judge My Mix 01:41:44 Julian’s trek for mall Chinese food, Zootopia 2 02:02:08 Lord of the Rings and what it means to Julian 02:11:16 Justin also watched movies (High Tension, The Others, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, The Roses) Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com Logo and artwork by John Gholson Announcer: John Gholson Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

    2h 30m

  6. 26/11/2025

    Episode 082: "To the Degree That I Do Understand, I Don't Care."

    Hello. This is Morgun, the stage manager for The Stage Select. Julian told me to write the show notes for this week’s episode, but I am not allowed on stage during the show, so I am not aware what they discussed. However, I would like to say that I am okay after they landed their spaceship on me. I am not sure how long I was unconscious, but Abramo told me that he didn’t get around to moving the ship until three days after they landed. Which makes me a little sad, but at least it’s better than living in the poison swamps… 00:00 The McRib is BACK 29:28 Julian’s final thoughts on Bloodlines 2, Dispatch 01:11:06 Justin’s final thoughts on Dark Deity II 01:40:54 Justin’s adventures in home searching 01:50:34 The decisions made for Black Ops 7 are the worst possible; Demonschool 02:13:59 Movie roundup (Keeper, Bugonia, Final Destination series, The Usual Suspects) 02:31:26 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns) Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com Logo and artwork by John Gholson Announcer: John Gholson Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

    2h 51m

  7. 19/11/2025

    Episode 081: Sometimes You Gotta Use the Cat's Bathroom

    It’s another one of those weeks where we didn’t do much, but we go deep on Bloodlines 2, get into it about the increasingly terrible user experience of Xbox, AI art in Black Ops 7, and more! 00:00 Going to bed at a decent hour for once, proving your identity 15:06 Bloodlines 2 has sunk its fangs into Julian 54:17 Dark Deity II, Justin’s final thoughts on Dispatch 01:25:51 Justin’s big adult adventure 01:40:01 The enshittification of Xbox continues; Julian’s theory on AI art used in Black Ops 7 02:06:24 Let’s go to space 02:32:13 Justin’s movie roundup (Scream franchise, Final Destination franchise) 02:45:21 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns) See John Gholson as Carl in the play Noise/Complaint on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP1ynRInd34&t=5s Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com Logo and artwork by John Gholson Announcer: John Gholson Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

    3h 11m

  8. 12/11/2025

    Episode 080: Damn You, McDonald's, and Your Branding!

    We’ve been slacking when it comes to addressing your comments, questions, and concerns, so we thought we’d kick this episode off with those. Then we have some closing thoughts on some games, some initial thoughts on some others, and quite a few movies to talk about! 00:00 Doordash advice, what is wrong with Julian? 10:36 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns) 01:05:09 Final thoughts on Keeper, Ball x Pit is a PROBLEM 01:18:07 Justin’s final thoughts on Ghost of Yotei 01:45:49 Justin’s initial thoughts on Dark Deity II 02:13:47 Julian’s tale of woe in The Outer Worlds 2, first thoughts on Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 02:44:27 Julian’s movie roundup (Fuck My Son!, Talk to Me, Prey, Psycho Goreman) 03:04:20 Justin’s movie roundup (finishing off Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, Scream series) Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com Logo and artwork by John Gholson Announcer: John Gholson Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

    3h 28m
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About

Welcome to The Stage Select: a video game variety show hosted by Julian Titus and Justin Hamm! We guarantee that we'll talk about video games. Beyond that, you never know what (or who!) to expect each week.

Information

  • Creator
    Space Monkey Mafia Productions
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Space Monkey Mafia Productions
  • Show Website
    The Stage Select