March 24, 2017

Episode 81 - MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE MOVIE


In a case of striking before the iron begins to rapidly cool off, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie appeared in theaters during the summer of 1995, benefitting from nearly two years of groundwork laid by the television series. The movie's immediately apparent increase in production value, as well as the refreshing change of pace offered by its one-off villain with endless Borscht Belt-approved wisecracks, presented a stark contrast from the relatively dinky TV show. Not that this mattered in the long run, as one of the film's major plot points would be undermined in just a matter of months by a multi-episode arc presenting an alternate version of events.

The Power Rangers would soldier on--and they continue to endure in one form or another--but Mighty Morphin March must come to an end. Text Before Calling's Eric Wheeler teleports in to assist in our final salute to these variegated karate warriors and their robotic spirit animals.


Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
Directed by Bryan Spicer
Produced by Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, and Suzanne Todd
Written by Arne Olsen
Based on the TV series "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"
Starring Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Jason Narvy, Paul Schrier, Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, and Paul Freeman

Catch up on all Mighty Morphin March episodes:
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Part 1)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Part 2)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

March 17, 2017

Episode 80 - MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (Part 2)


Mighty Morphin March rolls on with the second half of our massive MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS discussion, as we react to replacement Rangers, a melange of monsters, and the unholy nuptials of the show's most iconic villains.

It's a journey to the end of franchise viability, and we follow it all the way through confusing zord swaps and aquatic aliens, culminating in an explosive conclusion to a morphenominal era.


Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993-1995)
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers (1996)
Created by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy
Based on multiple seasons of the Super Sentai series created by Toei
Starring Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Johnny Yong Bosch, Karan Ashley, Steven Cardenas, Catherine Sutherland, Paul Schrier, Jason Narvy, and Jason David Frank

Episodes featured in this podcast:
"The Power Transfer, Part 2" (11/9/94)
"The Wedding, Part 3" (2/15/95)
"Ninja Quest, Part 3" (9/13/95)
"Hogday Afternoon, Part 2" (2/17/96)

Catch up on all Mighty Morphin March episodes:
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Part 1)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Part 2)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

March 10, 2017

Episode 79 - MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (Part 1)


Mighty Morphin March kicks off with a karate-kicking, robot-fighting, footage-recycling extravaganza that simply could not be contained to a single episode!

The first half of our deep dive into the convoluted mythos of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers covers the initial year of the phenomenon, as the re-purposed adventures of a long-running Japanese superhero squad saturated American airwaves and store shelves in response to an immediate, white-hot demand.

We talk costumes, characters, weapons, and zords while mining our personal experiences to illustrate the show's highly effective strategy for captivating young hearts and minds. Get your finest monochromatic outfit ready... it's morphin' time!


Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993-1995)
Created by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy
Based on Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger created by Toei
Starring Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, Walter Jones, Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Paul Schrier, Jason Narvy, and Jason David Frank

Episodes featured in this podcast:
"Day of the Dumpster" (aired 8/28/93)
"Green with Evil, Part 5" (aired 10/9/93)
"The Mutiny, Part 3" (8/5/94)
"White Light, Part 2" (10/18/94)

Catch up on all Mighty Morphin March episodes:
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Part 1)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Part 2)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie