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Pod Meets World

Can of Worms

26 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?

0.031 - 16.481 Will Friedle

This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it.

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16.541 - 33.261 Sabrina

We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know. Tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

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33.713 - 56.565 Unknown

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy? Not quite. On Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group? The worst?

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56.545 - 77.575 Unknown

yeah me is there anything to the idea that because you're from harvard uh you only got in because your parents made a huge donation to the group the yard birds right that's the name the harvard yard but they're open do you have a name suggestion we're open since you guys are middle-aged uh one erection

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80.002 - 94.946 Unknown

Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny. Last night, a blown call changed the game.

95.246 - 109.844 Sabrina

This morning, the internet lost its mind. and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports, and giving you the real story behind the headlines.

109.864 - 117.472 Sabrina

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear.

117.632 - 137.609 Unknown

Listen to Sports Slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow TimboSlicelife12 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman.

138.17 - 143.595 Sabrina

Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud.

Chapter 2: What themes are introduced regarding the film 'Can of Worms'?

856.685 - 861.771 Caitlin

Didn't love the movie. Yeah, I get that. Parts of it was funny, but that I just just not my thing.

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862.032 - 876.789 Sabrina

It's not. I get it. Now, here's the thing, which is surprising after what Sabrina said, because I don't wholly disagree with her in any way, shape or form. So we haven't talked about the best lists in a minute. But Can of Worms did find itself on some of those prestigious articles.

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876.909 - 897.222 Sabrina

Entertainment Weekly had it number 25 on their top 30 and Collider placed it at number 38, which I that's amazing to me, frankly. And this was, for a long time, a quote-unquote unseen DCOM. It was shelled for years at the Disney Channel. Finally resurrected in 2006 for their Haunt-tober-fest programming.

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898.583 - 919.049 Sabrina

Say that five times fast. I can't even say fast. Five times fast. You know what, people? Let's just go to the ratings. What did you give Can of Worms? Oh, God. And then it was used pretty consistently in October through 2016 when it also appeared in the 100 DCOM celebrations. So they played it there as well. Did you know this movie existed before we did it? No. No, me neither.

919.51 - 937.286 Sabrina

Well, you, and by you, I mean the royal you, pointing right at you people, can watch the movie right now thanks to its return on Disney+, where it will always be available to stream. I suggest you watch it while completely submerged in water. No scuba gear either, you cheater. I know this will complicate your breathing. I get it. But I do trust you. Put your safety first. Good luck.

937.307 - 959.355 Sabrina

We're all counting on you. Now hold your breath. Let's not waste any more time. It's time to open the portal to the synopsis. Mike, a lonely teenager, sends a message into space hoping aliens will rescue him from his miserable life. But instead, he accidentally summons bizarre intergalactic problem solvers that unleash chaos on his town. So we know what you thought. Here's what I think. Yes.

959.375 - 970.026 Sabrina

It was okay. It wasn't my favorite DCOM. It wasn't my least favorite DCOM. It's a brilliant idea. Like, I'd really like to read this book. The idea that a kid feels like an alien...

970.006 - 985.747 Sabrina

that he doesn't feel like he belongs and sends just in a moment of anger, sends a message into space that is then intercepted by a whole bunch of weird aliens that come to either rescue him or sign him as an agent or that. Really clever. Yes.

Chapter 3: What are the main characters' thoughts on aliens?

985.787 - 996.722 Sabrina

Very clever idea. The execution at times wasn't the best, but I sat there going like, this is a great idea for a children's book. I mean, just a great idea for a children's.

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996.922 - 1017.442 Caitlin

And too, we've got to think too, we're back in 1999, right? So it felt very aged as we were watching it in general. So then in that sense for me, I don't, that doesn't take marks away from the movie with me. It gives it marks a little bit more. Like I'm thinking of like, honey, I shrunk the kids.

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1017.542 - 1026.279 Caitlin

And like that, when we were looking at those like anatomics and things like that, like it wasn't great, but then also it's very clever and it works for that time.

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1026.559 - 1046.85 Sabrina

So. Uh, Canada worms was directed by Paul Schneider. We've dealt with Paul before on the DCOM podcast here with no lucky dog daddy. He's not a DCOM daddy. He's not the DCOM daddy, Paul. There's one Paul DCOM daddy. We bow before only one Paul on this show. And as much as we like Schneider, it is not Paul Schneider. He did You Lucky Dog, which we didn't like.

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1047.371 - 1065.538 Sabrina

And the wonderful world of Disney Orphan Picture, The Leftovers, which we did like. But Schneider was mostly a TV director for shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch, and L.A. Law, and a ton of TV movies like the unauthorized biography of Roseanne Barr and the 1989 cult favorite, Baby cakes. His last credit was in the early aughts.

1065.805 - 1085.851 Sabrina

And the star of Can of Worms is a recognizable face to most of my generation, even if they think it's somebody else's face. That's actress Erica Christensen. She plays Caitlin Sandman. Erica was in the award-winning film Traffic. She's brilliant. And also starred in movies like Swimfan, The Perfect Score, and Disney's 2022's Cheaper by the Dozen, but has done most of her work on TV.

1085.991 - 1109.526 Sabrina

She played Julia on Parenthood, and most recently was one of the stars of the show Will Trent. And yes, she looks a lot like Julia Stiles. And she does, but two different people. Michael Schumann is Mike Pillsbury. Schumann was a young child star in Broadway's Les Mis and Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. And I have to say that showed. I just I'm not bashing anybody's performance.

1109.546 - 1126.687 Sabrina

He was great, but he was very big in this. And when I then learned that he's a Broadway and stage actor, it made perfect sense to Yeah. Because you're always playing to the back of the house in Broadway. And on film, sometimes that reads as very big. And I thought a lot of his choices were very big. Not bad, but big.

1127.809 - 1144.501 Sabrina

Yes, but he also won a Daytime Emmy for his role in the 1996 TV movie Someone Had to Be Benny. Going to say that again because it's a great title. Someone Had to Be Benny. No idea what that is, but oh my God, do I want to watch it. He also appeared on Party of Five, Law and Order, and the movie Little Man Tate. Great movie. But his last credit was back in 2013.

Chapter 4: How does the conversation shift to the movie's plot?

2044.896 - 2049.407 Caitlin

Go play football. But I watch you playing football. Where there's a million kids that are trying to be pro football stars.

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2049.427 - 2068.937 Sabrina

Yeah, it doesn't make any sense. But... We're in a computer class, and this is where Schreibner from the football team bullies Mike by hitting him over the head with a pen, and the cute cheerleader from the game, Caitlin, walks into class. Schreibner offers her the seat next to him, but she says no and instead sits next to a shocked Mike. And I was like, oh, we might have a cool girl here. Yeah.

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2069.238 - 2079.814 Sabrina

Schreibner looks angry by this chain of events and slides a disc into his computer. By the way, kids, discs were a thing you would put into your computer that held a lot of information. Sometimes they were floppy. Sometimes they were a little harder like that, but they were discs, my friend.

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2080.735 - 2097.242 Sabrina

So he puts it in his computer and makes Mike's screen read, I've got your brain, but I'll give it back. And this is not how computers work in any way, shape or form, but still decent bullying on his part. Schreibner sends a second virus. It's an overflowing trash can that says, don't let a good mind go to waste.

2097.509 - 2113.628 Sabrina

For revenge, Mike puts a disc in his computer and we hear, you've got mail, which I still hear every time I turn on my computer because I'm AOL, ride or die, I always will be. Thank you very much. It's just me and my mom. It's the easiest way to find us. So yeah, he puts it in his computer and we hear, you've got mail, but from the teacher's desk.

2113.608 - 2128.61 Sabrina

She opens the email that reads, I think of you day and night. Come see me, your principal, Mr. Haynes. P.S. You can call me Doug. She's shocked but intrigued. She tells the class she must attend to something in the office and excuses herself. And my favorite part of the storyline. We've got a floozy teacher, everybody.

2128.63 - 2133.617 Sabrina

She's a floozy teacher, but then how they bring this back throughout the entire movie to where she, nope, never hear about this again.

2133.637 - 2134.078 Caitlin

No, never again.

Chapter 5: What happens when Mike encounters the alien named Bomb?

2879.172 - 2895.654 Sabrina

Mike runs back into the house as Barnabas tells him to trust only him and be ready to leave the next time they meet. Mike is now completely freaking out. He thinks he's totally delirious or maybe just hungry. He checks to see if he has a fever. He runs off to his bedroom, now much calmer, reading a book and holding a plate of food.

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2895.995 - 2909.331 Sabrina

He sits and turns on his computer just as globs of green slime fall from the ceiling and land onto his plate without him noticing. He reaches for his burger and just before taking a bite, notices the smelly goo. He looks up to see a huge pipe on his ceiling with an open portal leaking green slime.

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2909.871 - 2917.3 Sabrina

A blob covered in slime with eyes, nose, and human teeth pops out his head and says, I am Bomb, your new best friend. Again, cut.

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2917.28 - 2941.583 Caitlin

kind of scary very gross they're gross it's kind of the best puppetry we've had in a decom though especially for this time it's like if you're gonna have these kind of slimer-esque puppets this this did take me back i'm not nostalgic about it but it does just remind me of like the kinds of shows that were on the air during like the 90s and the the late 90s of these kinds of puppetry so it it

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2941.563 - 2947.394 Caitlin

It made sense. It just was not in my lane. I went, oh, this is what I was afraid of. Here we go.

Chapter 6: How does Mike's phone call with Caitlin go?

2948.136 - 2950.02 Caitlin

Right. The goop, the gross.

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2950.36 - 2959.859 Sabrina

Oh, this isn't the same as getting slimed on Nickelodeon. This is just like disgusting slime. I know it's it's very interesting. But the but the puppetry is not bad.

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2960.159 - 2963.065 Unknown

No, it's actually pretty like it's actually pretty good.

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2963.045 - 2992.815 Sabrina

yep I agree bomb tells Mike he's arrived to handle his case and he can get him millions in galactic credits and Mike's phone rings it's Caitlin she apologizes for everything what happened wasn't his fault and she thinks maybe someone sabotaged him oh that's coming back nope never again said and while Mike's on the phone bomb steals Mike's burger and disgustingly scarfs it down though distracted Caitlin tells Mike he's a great guy and wants to get past this to try again then perfectly timed bomb lets out a loud burp and releases a stinky fart again kids movie

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2993.065 - 3002.081 Sabrina

Caitlin wonders what's going on and Mike blames it on the plumber. He lies and says that the bathroom's all backed up. She says gross, but admits that she misses him and hopes there's some other way they can be friends again.

3002.561 - 3018.795 Sabrina

But just when you think things have calmed down, Bob is now eating a corn in the cob and turns it into popcorn, distracting Mike with the snacks firing at him from every direction, sensing something's wrong. Caitlin doesn't feel like he's even paying attention to her and says, forget it. Just forget I called and hangs up the phone. Mike is furious.

Chapter 7: What is revealed about Mike's situation with the aliens?

3018.815 - 3037.129 Sabrina

The alien wrecked the phone call, but Bob doesn't care. He's actually a lawyer. He reveals that Mike has an open and shut lawsuit. He can sue the pants off planet Earth. And again, this is one of those typical movie TV tropes that the lawyer is obviously slimy. And as the son of two very talented and amazing lawyers who just wanted to help people, I hate these things. But that's just me.

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3037.109 - 3039.552 Sabrina

Yes, it is just what it is.

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3039.572 - 3039.932 Caitlin

Triggered.

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3040.433 - 3055.85 Sabrina

Triggered. He can sue the pants off of planet Earth. Mike doesn't want to sue anyone. He apologizes. He never thought the aliens would actually come. Bomb warns him if he thinks he's sorry now, wait till he sues Mike for wasting his time. Then he disappears back into the pipe portal. Then Nick enters, shocked at what he sees. The room is a mess.

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3056.29 - 3063.337 Sabrina

Mike tries to explain the portal and the pipe and the blob, but Nick assumes he's making up a story to cover for barfing everywhere. course.

Chapter 8: What conclusion do the hosts draw about the movie's message?

3063.878 - 3072.793 Sabrina

Mike promises he's telling the truth, but now Nick is worried that his friend can't tell the difference between real and imagination. We're now outside. A little bit later, Mike is walking in the neighborhood when he sees Caitlin across the street.

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3073.114 - 3088.68 Sabrina

She says goodbye to some friends, and when she looks up, she sees Mike hiding behind a tree, which isn't creepy at all, but she just turns and walks away. Before Mike can even pout about it, Barnabas appears. He informs Mike that they really need to go. Mike says he can't just leave for a distant planet. He couldn't even make it to the sleepaway camp.

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3089.221 - 3102.583 Sabrina

Barnabas begs him to understand, but Mike has seen too much. Between a talking dog and a slime bucket alien lawyer, he has no idea how this happened. Barnabas tells Mike that he has opened a can of worms. It's the movie title, people.

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3102.603 - 3103.144 Caitlin

There we go.

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3103.124 - 3118.346 Sabrina

Barnabas explains that when Mike sent out his SOS, it signaled to the universe that his planet has advanced to a new technological level. This development means Earth no longer falls under the intergalactic protection for primitive life. Mike swears this whole thing was just an accident. He doesn't even know how it really worked.

3118.766 - 3138.514 Sabrina

Barnabas assures Mike that he can take him to a planet where he can be himself and be by himself. And again, this is where I was like, this isn't my favorite movie, but the premise is great. And it really, really is great. Mike does actually like the sound of that, but he just wants to say goodbye to somebody before they leave. His mom? His dad? His sister? No. The girl he finally talked to once.

3139.016 - 3155.092 Sabrina

So Barnabas says he'll return soon, and Mike runs off. Over at Caitlin's house now, Mike calls for her at her bedroom window, and luckily she's just pacing back and forth in front of it like you do. She says she tried to make this right, but he was rude and disgusting on the phone. Mike says he's sorry, he just wants a second chance.

3155.813 - 3172.242 Sabrina

She says fine, she'll come downstairs, but this is his last chance. So as Mike approaches her front steps, something is right behind him. It's a new alien with periscope eyes who eventually rushes off to the brush, undetected. So as Mike patiently waits for his crush at the door, the alien zaps him with gold glitter, which forces him to the ground.

3172.702 - 3190.357 Sabrina

The alien, who has a bright orange body and is covered in blue stripes, comes out of hiding. He has an almost tropical or poisonous creature look. His body is short, but he has very long eyes with a large permanent smile with, again, large human-like teeth like I, again, thought of Slimer. He's also wearing socks and loafers, and it is really another great puppet.

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