If your sub is calibrated and well placed; if the source material has bass information at the correct frequency, you should get the kick in the bass feeling. If you are not getting it, something is not right. Even subsonic bass notes will give you that kick. In my unusual configured HT room, I am using 4 subs...and I get pounded with waves of bass (even from regular tv broadcast).
In the mentioned pod scene, you should be getting the kick in the chest. Try black hawk down with one of the chopper scenes, you should be pounded senseless. If only your floors creak and nothing else, something is amiss.
I don't know if I can handle anything higher than 125db. I'd watched "The Haunting" about 2 months ago. My 15" Tempest was putting out 119db at -5db below RL on the "coming mother" scene, and I thought my apartment was going to collapse Amazingly my neighbor did not complain I was definitely have this "kick in the chest" feeling... The Darla scene is loaded w/ low end basses as well... I can definitely feel/hear the bass... Something is off in your system Quinn... I say go try that crawling for sub method, where you put your sub at your listenning position and crawling around for the best SPL output then place your sub at that spot see if any improvement on that... Good luck...