Episode 138 - THE MATRIX RELOADED

The Matrix was quite naturally perfect, a work of art, flawless, sublime. However, it was the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite our sincerest efforts has led us, inexorably, here: Matrix March. Ergo, we begin our journey through the rest of the groundbreaking sci-fi franchise with The Matrix Reloaded.

Concordantly, we have again recruited one of Zion's most loyal sons, Andrew McNally, to help us reflect the varying grotesqueries of our nature through our reactions to this polarizing sequel and its place in an ambitious multimedia narrative. Apropos, we hope you will join us on our quest to find the source, and enjoy the rest of Matrix March.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Written and directed by the Wachowskis
Produced by Joel Silver
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson, Monica Bellucci, Harold Perrineau, Helmut Bakaitis, and Gloria Foster

Follow the white rabbit to our Matrix content:
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Animatrix
The Matrix Revolutions

Episode 137 - The 5th Annual Dubbie Awards!

Still much shorter than the Oscars, it's our year-in-review award extravaganza! We commemorate another year of watching stuff by recognizing our recent favorites, with an emphasis on special achievements in nostalgia. Follow along in your Dubbies pool as we sound off on the things we'll remember from 2018.

This year's program of awards:

• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Film
• Best New Oldie
• Best Comeback
• Most Unnecessary Throwback
• Future WWWW Candidate
• Most Nostalgic Moment
• Best Performance by a Co-Host
• Best Performance by a Guest
• Best WWWW Episode of 2018

Episode 136 - ANNIE (1982)

Leapin' lizards! The lavish screen adaptation of the timeless Broadway smash Annie is a 1930s nostalgia factory, perhaps the rosiest portrait of the Great Depression ever produced. It's also a valentine to American capitalism in its cinematic excess, and in its portrayal of a billionaire grumbling about the system he is all too eager to exploit.

Two Gay Matts co-host (and plucky redhead) Matt Steele helps up keep smiling through this hard knock life. Bet your bottom dollar that you'll love this episode!

(Note: This episode was completed before Albert Finney's passing on February 7, 2019. Consider it a tribute to his portrayal of Daddy Warbucks as an indomitable softie, and his many other memorable roles.)

Annie (1982)
Directed by John Huston
Produced by Ray Stark
Written by Carol Sobieski
Based on the stage musical by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan; and the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray
Starring Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Albert Finney, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, Geoffrey Holder, and Edward Herrmann

More Matt Steele

Febreze commercial - "Super Bowl Party Prep"
Two Gay Matts on YouTube

Episode 135 - UNBREAKABLE

As Hollywood was still casting a wary eye upon superhero films, along came a movie that unapologetically embraced the language of comic books to tell a cinematic story. Unbreakable is still one of the moodiest superhero movies ever: deliberate, somber, and whisper-quiet with a pair of stars playing against type, it stands as perhaps the apotheosis of M. Night Shyamalan's unsettling modern parables.

Sam Stovold and Kev Young join us to ponder the implications of real-life superpowers and an extended Shyamalan-iverse in an episode that ends with a shocking twist! (Or does it...?)

Unbreakable (2000)
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Produced by Barry Mendel, Sam Mercer, and M. Night Shyamalan
Starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright, Spencer Treat Clark, Chance Kelly, and Charlayne Woodard

Episode 134 - MEMORABLE FOOD & DRINK COMMERCIALS

And now, a word from our sponsors...

This mouth-watering medley of memorable food and drink commercials features our biggest, boldest, and most nutritious examination of retro advertising to date! You'll love the flavorful insights on everything from cereal and citrus soda to candy bars and Canadian lager. And this time, we're not just reminiscing about the products being advertised...we're consuming them too!

Satisfy your appetite with this brand-new episode, part of a balanced podcast breakfast.

Ads featured in this episode:
Waffle Crisp
Polaner All-Fruit
Ritz Bits Sandwiches
Surge
Got Milk? ("Oreo Kane" and "Aaron Burr")
Gushers
Sprite
Snickers
Labatt Blue

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)

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