Episode 259 - DONNIE DARKO

Teen angst, deep thoughts, and apocalyptic visions all add to the eerie atmosphere of Donnie Darko, an underrated spooky season watch about the hell that is high school. It's a very, very mad world when Kev Young joins us to revisit the film's impact on our impressionable young minds, as we find out if we're still head over heels for this cult classic with major Halloween vibes.

Donnie Darko (2001)
Written and directed by Richard Kelly
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Daveigh Chase, Beth Grant, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, Katharine Ross, James Duval, and Drew Barrymore

Episode 258 - MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS

Mr. Holland's Opus examines the career of a reluctant music teacher against the backdrop of social change in an ordinary American suburb, dispensing sentimental life lessons and adding up the impact that one individual can have on many lives. Matt Steele joins us to grade the shaky parenting, questionable career advice, and excellent background acting of this Oscar- and family-friendly drama!

Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Directed by Stephen Herek
Written by Patrick Sheane Duncan
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis, Alicia Witt, Joanna Gleason, Terence Howard, Jean Louisa Kelly, and William H. Macy

Episode 257 - THE MUPPET MOVIE

Our impromptu Jim Henson series is movin' right along with The Muppet Movie, a wry and whimsical origin story driven by road trip hijinks, showbiz satire, memorable music, rapid-fire cameos, and the enduring power of community. Manny Lozano completes our rainbow connection as we discuss our appreciation of the Muppets on a deeper level and celebrate this film as a crowning achievement in Henson's creative legacy.

The Muppet Movie (1979)
Directed by James Frawley
Written by Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns
Starring Charles Durning and Austin Pendleton with Muppet performances by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz, and featuring Dom DeLuise, James Coburn, Madeline Kahn, Telly Savalas, Carol Kane, Milton Berle, Elliot Gould, Edgar Bergen, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, Cloris Leachman, and Orson Welles

Episode 256 - LABYRINTH

Our hot Henson summer continues with Labyrinth, featuring more fantastical fabrications from Jim Henson's Creature Shop in an enchanting allegory filled with toe-tapping tunes by David Bowie.

Nate Tapp reminds us of the babe with the power as we navigate the paths and perils of this coming-of-age classic!

Labyrinth (1986)
Directed by Jim Henson
Written by Terry Jones
Starring David Bowie, Jennifer Connolly, and Toby Froud, with puppeteering by Brian Henson, Ron Mueck, Rob Mills, Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Karen Prell, Kevin Clash, and others; along with the voices of David Shaughnessy, Timothy Bateson, Michael Horden, Denise Bryer, and more

Episode 255 - THE DARK CRYSTAL

The prophecy didn't say anything about this! A rare convergence brings two podcasts together to experience the intoxicating aura of The Dark Crystal. We join Sam Stovold and Brian Rudloff of Marvel Star Wars Explorers on their continuing journey through Jim Henson's world of wonder, magic, and grotesquerie as what was sundered is undone — and two made one!

The Dark Crystal (1982)
Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz
Written by David Odell from a story by Jim Henson
Performed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Kathryn Mullen, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and Louise Gold; featuring the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Barry Dennen, and Seán Barrett

Episode 254 - DIE ANOTHER DAY

Die Another Day marks the end of an era, not just for James Bond but for escapist action flicks in general. John Parton hops in our invisible Aston Martin as we discuss how Pierce Brosnan's swan song as Bond is a hot mess that gets a lot wrong, yet still feels right at home among 007's more over-the-top adventures.

Die Another Day (2002)

Directed by Lee Tamahori

Written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade

Starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Michael Madsen, John Cleese, and Judi Dench

Episode 253 - THE PEANUT BUTTER SOLUTION

There is nothing else quite like The Peanut Butter Solution, a coming-of-age fever dream with legit Lynchian vibes. Jack Stovold helps us recover memories of lost media, brush up on Quebecois culture, and confront the hirsute horrors of our humanity in this absolutely off-the-rails episode.

The Peanut Butter Solution (1985)
Directed by Michael Rubbo
Written by Vojtěch Jasný, Andrée Pelletier, Louise Pelletier, and Michael Rubbo
Starring Mathew Mackay, Siluck Saysanasy, Alison Darcy, Michel Maillot, and Michael Hogan