December 22, 2018

Episode 133 - WINTER WONDER-THON 2018


Before we enter holiday hibernation, we're gifting our listeners another stockpile of seasonal delights in our third annual Winter Wonder-Thon, including six scratch-off cards, five lumps of clay, four ninja teens, three father figures, two chocolate morsels, and a singing turd on your TV.  And this time, we're snowed in with that manifestation of merriment himself, Nate Tapp.  (You all must have been extra good this year!)

Come celebrate the season with this collection of clips, commercials, sitcoms, and specials all liberally sprinkled with holiday cheer.  We'll be back again in 2019!


Featured in this episode:

Clips and Shorts
Gumby Adventures - "Humbug" (aired 2/20/1988)
Pennsylvania Lottery commercial - "Snowfall" (1992, 2012)
M&M's commercial - "Faint" (1996, 2017)

TV Episodes and Specials
Full House - "A Very Tanner Christmas" (aired 12/15/1992)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: We Wish You A Turtle Christmas (1994)
South Park - "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" (aired 12/1/1999)

December 14, 2018

Episode 132 - HOME ALONE / HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK


The first two Home Alone movies didn't just give us ideas for inflicting pain and suffering upon hapless burglars. They affirmed the importance of familial bonds, turned Macaulay Culkin into a prepubescent celebrity icon, and sold kids a dream of heroic self-sufficiency via jury-rigged deathtraps and handheld voice changers. More than just a slapstick romp, Home Alone has blossomed into an essential holiday tradition.

Join us for a yuletide double feature as we thoroughly unpack the McAllister mythos, from its homespun John Hughes-ian roots to its emergence as an unstoppable--and unchanging--comedic force. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals! (And a happy new year!)


Home Alone (1990)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Written and produced by John Hughes
Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, and John Candy

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Written and produced by John Hughes
Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Tim Curry, Dana Ivey, Rob Schneider, Eddie Bracken, and Brenda Fricker

November 30, 2018

Episode 131 - MRS. DOUBTFIRE


Robin Williams spends the bulk of Mrs. Doubtfire demonstrating the many acting talents from his own résumé as his character vies to retain custody of his children in the guise of an elderly female housekeeper. The perfect vehicle for a beloved entertainer with a deep well of voices and slapstick chops, this poignant divorce dramedy sees the comedian don matronly movie makeup to prove his paternal prowess and remind us why he felt like a filmic father figure to a generation.

In keeping with the theme of family, we welcome our first guest appearance from a sibling! Eric's sister, Amy Ambler, joins us to bring the fourth and final round of our Robin Round Robin full circle with another Williams classic. He's the true champion in the eyes of these nostalgic podcasters, but we invite dissenting opinions! If Mrs. Doubtfire teaches us anything, it's that people can have their differences and keep their distance... and that's okay.


Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Produced by Marsha Garces Williams, Robin Williams, and Mark Radcliffe
Written by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon
Based on Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
Starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, Robert Prosky, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, and Mara Wilson

November 22, 2018

Episode 130 - ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES


To modern eyes, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is not unlike a superhero movie. In this retelling, the titular hero resembles Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark--a rich, handsome adventurer driven to vigilantism when he experiences injustice firsthand. There's also a scene-stealing villain in Alan Rickman's delectably evil Sheriff of Nottingham, and even an eleventh-hour cameo that functions as a kind of easter egg.

Still, this Robin Hood is a very '90s affair. It's an earnest attempt to appeal to modern audiences without alienating the traditionalists, and features Kevin Costner at the peak of his laconic powers. So crank up the Bryan Adams for round three of the Robin Round Robin, as we celebrate a pioneering wealth redistributor in this special Thanksgiving episode!


Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Directed by Kevin Reynolds
Produced by Pen Densham, John Watson, and Richard Barton Lewis
Written by Pen Densham and John Watson
Starring Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, Michael Wincott, Geraldine McEwan, Nick Brimble, Mike McShane, and Sean Connery

November 16, 2018

Episode 129 - BATMAN & ROBIN


Forever frozen in time as an aggressive expression of comic book camp, Batman & Robin had a chilling effect on the entire superhero genre: its icy reception did much to precipitate our current cinematic reality. And while our culture has buried the movie in an avalanche of snark, consider this podcast our modest attempt to bring it in from the cold.

That chill dude, Gensho Tasaka, joins us once again as the Robin Round Robin enters round two with the toyetic tour de force that is Batman & Robin. 


Batman & Robin (1997)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Produced by Peter MacGregor-Scott
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Elle Macpherson, and Robert "Jeep" Swenson

Check out all current episodes in our Batman series:
Batman
Batman Returns
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman Forever
Batman & Robin

November 3, 2018

POLL: Choose WWWW's Next Christmas Movie


Calling all Christmas creeps! Help us decide our holiday screening! Vote for one of these four festive favorites featuring incredulous faces. The film with the most votes will be discussed on a future episode.

*If you're having trouble voting below on a mobile device, CLICK HERE to access the poll and cast your ballot!


Create your own user feedback survey

November 2, 2018

Episode 128 - HOOK


Welcome back to Neverland, Pan the Man! Long considered a black sheep in Steven Spielberg's filmography, Hook is a touchstone for countless '90s kids who dreamed of living in an awesome treehouse and hanging out with Robin Williams. It's an all-out smorgasbord for the juvenile ego, full of insult battles, mincing pirates, and food-based weaponry.

It's also the perfect place to launch our latest themed month: the Robin Round Robin! In round one, Mr. Williams awakens the inner child in all of us, while special guest Brian Rudloff helps us recover some of our earliest movie-going memories. Bangarang!


Hook (1991)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Gerald R. Molen
Written by Jim V. Hart and Malia Scotch Marmo
Based on Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hoskins, Julia Roberts, Charlie Korsmo, Amber Scott, Caroline Goodall, Dante Basco, and Maggie Smith

October 26, 2018

Episode 127 - 'WEEN-A-THON 2018 feat. SHAQ


Shaq-tober concludes with an alley-oop to our annual Halloween tradition, as Shaq himself appears among the macabre morsels we've scared up for Ween-A-Thon!  Enjoy this witches' brew of Hallow-themed entertainment, from gross commercials to silly sitcoms to traumatizing educational aids.  Don't listen to it alone!


Featured in this episode:

Clips and Shorts
Shaquille O'Neal feat. Method Man and RZA - "No Hook" (1994)
Harold Dexter Hoopes' filmstrip of Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns (early 1960s)
Doctor Dreadful commercials - Food Lab, Drink Lab, and Squeem Lab (1994)

TV Episodes
Animaniacs - "Scare Happy Slappy/Witch One/Macbeth" (aired May 3, 1994)
Big Bad Beetleborgs - "Beetle Rock, Part II" (aired September 7, 1996)
Family Matters - "Stevil" (aired October 25, 1996)
Celebrity Deathmatch - "Haunted Halloween of Horror" (aired October 28, 1999)

October 19, 2018

Episode 126 - STEEL


Our Shaq-tober celebration continues with Steel, a movie featuring a Superman-adjacent hero who tries desperately to imitate Batman. The concept of a 7-foot African-American vigilante patrolling downtown Los Angeles in a high-tech metal suit seems both ahead of its time and a product of its time. Namely, the brief window where a newly-minted Laker and Superman superfan's media ambitions dovetailed with DC Comics' cinematic supremacy.

Slip into your Shaq-branded sneakers and get ready for some crime fighting on a budget as we watch Shaq try to turn Supes' sixth man into an MVP-worthy star as Steel!


Steel (1997)
Written and directed by Kenneth Johnson
Produced by Quincy Jones, David Salzman, and Joel Simon
Based on characters created by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove
Starring Shaquille O'Neal, Annabeth Gish, Judd Nelson, Ray J, Irma P. Hall, Hill Harper, and Richard Roundtree

October 5, 2018

Episode 125 - KAZAAM



It’s Shaq-Fu, Diesel, the Big Aristotle
About time you let me out the bottle
To spit like the colossal genie apostle
And a five thousand-year-old role model

Your deadbeat criminal dad’s a disgrace
I like to invade his airspace with my bass
Make it rain burgers after winning a bike race
And slam your momma’s French toast into your face

Pay attention even if you ain’t superstitious
I’m about to grant these three podcast wishes:
An episode so vicious, delicious, and auspicious
I’m true djinn, boy, my style’s never repetitious

Get ready for the original Shaq-tober jam
Courtesy my best friends Eric and Cam
Shout it over the air and across the land
I am…Kazaam!


Kazaam (1996)
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser
Produced by Bob Engelman, Scott Kroopf, and Paul Michael Glaser
Written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer
Starring Shaquille O'Neal, Francis Capra, Ally Walker, James Acheson, Marshall Manesh, and John Costelloe

September 21, 2018

Episode 124 - SISTER ACT 2: BACK IN THE HABIT


Comedy sequels rarely enjoy the longevity, let alone the renown, of their predecessors. Not so in the case of Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, an inspired follow-up that turns a fish-out-of-water tale into an underdog story with a funky fresh twist. Whoopi Goldberg puts on her inspirational teacher hat for the movie that courageously celebrates the true heroes of America's failing education system: show choirs.

Blythe Rudloff joins our mighty chorus to rap about the awesome power of musical performance. So if you want to be somebody and want to go somewhere, you gotta wake up and pay attention to this divine episode!


Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Directed by Bill Duke
Produced by Scott Rudin and Dawn Steel
Written by James Orr & Jim Cruickshank and Judi Ann Mason
Based on characters created by Paul Rudnick
Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkenna, Mary Wickes, Lauryn Hill, Ryan Toby, Alanna Ubach, Barnard Hughes, Michael Jeter, Maggie Smith, and James Coburn

September 7, 2018

Episode 123 - LAST ACTION HERO


Last Action Hero had the misfortune of releasing a mere week after the hottest movie of 1993: “Big mistake!” As Jurassic Park signaled the dawn of a new age of special effects-driven spectacle, audiences understandably approached this uneven send-up of tired tropes with caution. When the trifecta of '80s action legends Arnold Schwarzenegger, Shane Black, and John McTiernan struggles to pump up your enthusiasm, you know it’s truly the end of an era.

So how does the film stand up today? Will it be remembered as a prescient example of the meta deconstruction that now permeates pop culture? Does it succeed as a pastiche of Arnie's on-screen persona? Grab your magical movie ticket and step into this episode with us to find out!



Last Action Hero (1993)
Directed by John McTiernan
Produced by John McTiernan and Steve Roth
Written by Shane Black and David Arnott
Story by Zak Penn and Adam Leff
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austin O'Brien, Charles Dance, Robert Prosky, Tom Noonan, Bridgette Wilson, F. Murray Abraham, Anthony Quinn, Mercedes Ruehl, Frank McRae, and Art Carney

August 27, 2018

Episode 122 - SAVED BY THE BELL


Saved by the Bell was a high school sitcom that was never really intended for high schoolers. Each episode was a candy-coated PSA asking tweens to imagine that their teenage years would be full of wholesome hijinks, mild predicaments, and overly attentive principals. Today, it's a rich document for cultural archaeologists curious about the style, slang, and sexism of the American teenager circa 1990.

Kristal Bailey and Kevin Taylor join our clique for a reunion at Bayside High, as we examine some of the show's most indelible--and infamous--moments. Go Tigers!


Saved by the Bell (1989-1993)
Created by Sam Bobrick
Produced by Peter Engel
Starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Dustin Diamond, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkeley, Lark Voorhies, Leanna Creel, Ed Alonzo, and Dennis Haskins

Episodes featured in this podcast:
"The Mamas and the Papas" (aired 11/11/1989)
"Save the Max" (aired 9/22/1990)
"Jessie's Song" (aired 11/3/1990)
"Pipe Dreams" (aired 11/26/1991)
"Day of Detention" (aired 10/3/1992)

August 13, 2018

Episode 121 - THE SECRET GARDEN


A beloved children's story approaches something mystical in the 1993 film adaptation of The Secret Garden. The practice of horticulture heals a sickly boy, comforts a melancholy widower, and introduces a quarrelsome girl to the love of friends and family. Stunted emotions and somber realities slowly bloom into a lush, blissful statement on the powers of intuition.

Special guest Lindsay Marie Mead brings her green thumb and uncanny insights to this totally "wick" episode, which has blossomed just in time for the movie's 25th anniversary!


The Secret Garden (1993)
Directed by Agnieszka Holland
Produced by Fred Fuchs, Tom Luddy, Fred Roos, and Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Caroline Thompson
Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Starring Kate Maberly, Heydon Prowse, Andrew Knott, Laura Crossley, John Lynch, Walter Sparrow, Irene Jacob, and Maggie Smith

July 27, 2018

Episode 120 - MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE


From its stylized audiovisual design to its embrace of digital espionage, Mission: Impossible is more than Tom Cruise's overwhelmingly successful play for summer blockbuster job security. It's also an edgy departure from the TV series on which it was based, and a moody outlier in the bombastic, adrenaline-junkie franchise it spawned.

As the latest installment of the M:I series hits theaters, we gather intel on the film that started it all, realizing the most impossible thing about these missions is that no two of them are exactly alike.


Mission: Impossible (1996)
Directed by Brian De Palma
Produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner
Written by David Koepp and Robert Towne
Based on the TV series Mission: Impossible created by Bruce Geller
Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Vanessa Redgrave, Ving Rhames, Jean Reno, Henry Czerny, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Emilio Estevez

July 13, 2018

Episode 119 - CON AIR


The high concept of Con Air plays like a perfect card of Bruckheimer bingo: an unassailable tragic hero, oodles of massive explosions, and a preternaturally calm Nicolas Cage. But there's a lot more going on in this orchestrated mayhem, thanks to a deep bench of character actors and an infinitely quotable script that's dripping with sarcasm.

Jake Beal makes a garrulous WWWW debut that touches on everything from sound design to criminal psychology to dueling country music sirens. Don't miss this episode, because we're going to show you that God does exist.

Be sure to check out more of Jake's cinematic deep dives on his blog, The Mentaculus!


Con Air (1997)
Directed by Simon West
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Written by Scott Rosenberg
Starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Ving Rhames, Colm Meaney, Danny Trejo, M.C. Gainey, Dave Chappelle, Mykelti Williamson, Rachel Ticotin, Monica Potter, and Steve Buscemi

June 29, 2018

Episode 118 - THE LAND BEFORE TIME


In the 1980s, the partnership of famed animator Don Bluth and cinema wunderkind Steven Spielberg signaled an evolutionary change in the cartoon business. The Land Before Time was perhaps their most moving collaboration, presenting compassion and friendship as the best antidote to bleakness and despair.

Eric Wheeler of Text Before Calling joins us to recount the film's cataclysmic impact on his young mind and its memorable framing of the Darwinian struggle for survival. Whether you're a longneck, a threehorn, or a bigmouth, it's the perfect way to conclude our Jurassic June series, yep yep yep!

*Fun Fact: This episode is just about the exact length of the actual movie! Theoretically, one could press play on both simultaneously for some sort of weird commentary experience... We haven't tested it ourselves, but perhaps a dedicated listener can report back with the results!


The Land Before Time (1988)
Directed by Don Bluth
Produced by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas
Written by Stu Krieger
Starring Gabriel Damon, Candace Huston, Judith Barsi, Will Ryan, Helen Shaver, and Pat Hingle

June 25, 2018

BONUS - SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY


You might want to buckle up, baby... Our two best star-friends Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold welcome us into their tribe (or should we say family?) for an extra special episode of Marvel Star Wars Explorers! Podcast pals Sean Davis and Kev Young round out the crew for a roundtable debate over the latest anthology film from our favorite franchise, Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The discussion boasts more range than a DL-44 blaster, covering everything from the symbolism of Han’s dice to toxic fanboy villains to whether or not the Imperial March should remain non-diegetic. We’ve also officially reached the point where our Star Wars chats can no longer be contained in single installments, so be sure to check out BOTH parts of this summa-verminoth-sized episode! If you listen to this podcast, you’re in this life for good.




Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, and Simon Emanuel
Written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jonathan Kasdan
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany

Check out the rest of our series on the Star Wars saga:
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars Holiday Special
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

June 15, 2018

Episode 117 - JURASSIC PARK


Even before you saw Jurassic Park, you felt its impact. Steven Spielberg's hyper-intuitive knowledge of movie audiences hatched a phenomenon that transcended pop culture, inspiring an evolutionary leap in filmmaking technology while revitalizing the field of paleontology for years to come.

Life found a way to bring Jack Stovold back to the 'cast, and together we share our memories and (chaos) theories regarding this cinematic milestone. Hold on to your butts for more Mesozoic musings as Jurassic June continues!

Part 1

 

Part 2


Jurassic Park (1993)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen
Written by Michael Crichton and David Koepp
Based on the novel by Michael Crichton
Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, and Samuel L. Jackson

June 1, 2018

Episode 116 - THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK


Calling all dino-lovers and chaos theory adherents! This month we're examining cinematic prehistory, and what better place to start than with a T-Rex rampage through San Diego? The Lost World: Jurassic Park works hard to one-up its predecessor in terms of sheer spectacle, and experiments with an action hero who doubles as a consistent and thorough naysayer.

Also in this episode, Nate Tapp returns to warn us of the horrific consequences of resurrecting unpredictable primordial beasts. Welcome...to Jurassic June!


The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Gerald R. Molen, and Colin Wilson
Written by David Koepp
Based on The Lost World by Michael Crichton
Starring Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, Richard Schiff, Arliss Howard, Vanessa Lee Chester, Peter Stormare, Richard Attenborough, and Pete Postlethwaite

May 25, 2018

Episode 115 - WILLOW


As Solo: A Star Wars Story swaggers into theaters, we turn our attention to the O.G. collaboration between Ron Howard and Lucasfilm: the epic fantasy Willow, a movie that leans hard into genre traditions while attempting to make children simultaneously giggle with delight and soil their pants in terror. Just your garden-variety '80s family film operating within a far more permissive ratings board culture.

Sean Davis, co-host of the After the Credits podcast, was there to experience the magic at the beginning, and shares his memories with us during the glorious conclusion of Not Quite Star Wars Month. Listen in to learn how Willow blends practical wizardry and cutting-edge technology, and how it serves a story that is by turns emotionally resonant, staunchly conventional, and wildly silly.


Willow (1988)
Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by George Lucas, Nigel Wooll, and Joe Johnston
Written by Bob Dolman
Story by George Lucas
Starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes, Kevin Pollak, Rick Overton, Gavan O'Herlihy, Pat Roach, and Billy Barty

May 18, 2018

Episode 114 - LOST IN SPACE


Not Quite Star Wars Month rolls on with Lost In Space, a confused jumble of galactic adventure, toxic masculinity, familial angst, and iffy CGI. Following the blueprint of so many kitschy TV-to-film adaptations, it inflates a very basic premise with an abundance of attitude, and we have trouble agreeing whether it's escapist fun or just a fresh coat of paint on a clunker.

Lieography podcast co-host John Parton joins our crew to chat about everything from Matt LeBlanc action figures to Looney Tunes-inspired distress signals. Danger, Will Robinson: it's another smashing WWWW debut!


Lost In Space (1998)
Directed by Stephen Hopkins
Produced by Carla Fry, Akiva Goldsman, Stephen Hopkins, and Mark Koch
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Based on Lost In Space created by Irwin Allen
Starring John Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Matt LeBlanc, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert, Jack Johnson, Dick Tufeld, Jared Harris, and Gary Oldman

May 4, 2018

Episode 113 - SPACEBALLS


To celebrate May the Fourth (as well as the impending debut of a film about the solo adventures of a certain space rogue) your intrepid podcast hosts are proud to present Not Quite Star Wars Month! We get things rolling with Spaceballs, Mel Brooks's quotable spoof of sci-fi sagas. Kristal Bailey and Kevin Taylor drop by to share their thoughts on our favorite Rick Moranis performances, Lone Starr's "glow up," and the conspicuous amount of profanity in this PG-rated film.

Prepare your earbuds for ludicrous speed, and may the Force...er, may the Schwartz be with you!


Spaceballs (1987)
Directed and produced by Mel Brooks
Written by Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan, and Ronny Graham
Starring Rick Moranis, John Candy, Joan Rivers, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, George Wyner, Dick Van Patten, and Mel Brooks

April 27, 2018

Episode 112 - TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE BOOZE


A beloved childhood film meets a favorite adult pastime as we celebrate Cam's birthday with a very special commentary track/drinking game hybrid episode. Dust off your copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, as we offer two ways to enjoy it with us: listen along to our real-time observations about the movie and the Turtles phenomenon, and/or go ninja go ninja go hard with our original TMNT II drinking game. It's a bodacious birthday bacchanal!

Drinking Game Rules
Take a drink when...
  • someone eats pizza
  • "ooze" is seen or heard
  • the Turtles demonstrate their personalities: Leonardo leads, Donatello "does machines" (acts like a nerd), Raphael is rude, Michelangelo is a party dude
  • someone makes a pop culture reference
Chug your drink when...
  • Vanilla Ice appears


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Directed by Michael Pressman
Produced by Thomas K. Gray, Kim Dawson, and David Chan
Written by Todd W. Langen
Based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Starring David Warner, Paige Turco, Ernie Reyes Jr., Francois Chau, Toshishiro Obata, Kevin Nash, Adam Carl, Laurie Faso, Robbie Rist, Brian Tochi, Kevin Clash, Frank Welker, and Vanilla Ice

Cowabunga! Check out more of our TMNT tributes:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Raph Punk

April 20, 2018

Episode 111 - DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?


The stoner-friendly antics of Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott hit a definitive high when they combined forces in Dude, Where's My Car?, a meandering ode to a new generation of laid-back slacker bros. And much like the actual adventures of unambitious twenty-somethings, the movie combines a zest for frivolous fun with comedic instincts that, shall we say, lean toward the questionable.

Join us as we blaze through this totally dank episode--released entirely by coincidence on April 20--to answer two very nuanced questions: "Dude, what were we watching?" and "What were we watching, dude?"


Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)
Directed by Danny Leiner
Produced by Gil Netter, Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, and Wayne Rice
Written by Philip Stark
Starring Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, Jennifer Garner, Marla Sokoloff, Kristy Swanson, Charlie O'Connell, David Herman, Hal Sparks, Brent Spiner, and Andy Dick

April 5, 2018

Episode 110 - STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT


It is futile to resist Star Trek: First Contact, one of the most crowd-pleasing adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Though we may still be 45 years away from our fictional date of first contact, the time is ripe to examine the movie's impact on the Star Trek franchise, and its continuing ripple effect on the legacy of the TNG crew.

It turns out we're not alone in this podcast universe, as we assimilate the hosts of Reopening the Wormhole--Sam Stovold, Jack Stovold, and Kev Young--to synthesize a new life form capable of unparalleled Trekspertise and whimsical sci-fi mashups.  Sweet Jesus, it's a massive crossover event!


Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Produced by Rick Berman
Written by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Alice Krige, Alfre Woodard, and James Cromwell

"The Resistance is futile."
-Snokutus of Borg