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

Episode 252 - THE CARTOON NETWORK TOON-AMENT

March Madness returns with a collection of 90s Cartoon Network classics, featuring everything from surreal talk shows and pop culture mash-ups to Dadaist comedy and high-tech adventures. Jake Beal joins us for what may be the toughest bracket in WWWW history, as we crown the winner of the Cartoon Network Toon-ament!

Shows included in the Cartoon Network Toon-ament:

Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Dexter's Laboratory
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Johnny Bravo
Cow & Chicken
The Powerpuff Girls
Ed, Edd n Eddy
Courage the Cowardly Dog

Episode 251 - The Dozenth Annual Dubbie Awards!

Our venerable awards-season tradition continues as we honor the best of then and now, while our Castville friends continue to raise the bar for creative acceptance speeches. For your consideration...it's the Dozenth Dubbie Awards!

This year's program of awards:

• Most Watchable Performances
• Worthiest Watches
• Best Comeback
• Most Unnecessary Throwback
• Future WWWW Candidate
• Most Nostalgic Moment
• Best New Oldie
• Never Too Soon for Nostalgia Award
• Best Performance by a Guest
• Best Performance by a Co-Host
• Best WWWW Episode of 2025

Episode 250 - SMALL SOLDIERS

Small Soldiers, big episode! We're marking our 250th outing by returning to this hidden gem from Joe Dante—and to the very origins of this podcast. There will be no mercy as we discuss an unapologetically savage kids movie brimming with easter eggs for the olds.

War! What is it good for? An absolutely fun-filled WWWW milestone!

Small Soldiers (1998)
Directed by Joe Dante
Written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
Story by Gavin Scott and Adam Rifkin
Starring Gregory Smith, Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Dunn, Phil Hartman, Ann Magnuson, David Cross, Jay Mohr, and Denis Leary, with the voices of Frank Langella and Tommy Lee Jones

Episode 249 - DEMOLITION MAN

Demolition Man delivers an explosive showdown between two massive '90s action stars, but it's the eccentric social satire that steals the spotlight. We deconstruct the movie's super-specific, super-sanitized vision of a not-too-distant future with first-timer (and Cam's bro) Kyle Siemer, and embrace the enduring mystery of the three seashells.

Demolition Man (1993)
Directed by Marco Brambilla
Written by Daniel Waters, Peter Lenkov, and Robert Reneau
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Denis Leary, Rob Schnieder, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Gunton, Glenn Shadix, and Nigel Hawthorne

Episode 248 - BAD SANTA

Finally, a holiday episode for the naughty list. This December we're spending time with a profane, perverted, perpetually pickled Bad Santa. Kev Young joins us to unwrap the raunch, the wrongness, and the surprising soul in this lump of curdled Christmas cheer. Fix yourself some sandwiches and enjoy this deeply inappropriate episode!

Bad Santa (2003)
Directed by Terry Zwigoff
Written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Story by Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac, John Ritter, Lauren Tom, and Cloris Leachman

Episode 247 - PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

Transportation travails are just the tip of the emotional iceberg in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a classic two-hander that reveals new layers to its heroes with each misadventure. Find out how a homecoming fable gives us all the feels--and artfully unloads all its f-bombs--in this heartwarming Thanksgiving episode!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Written and directed by John Hughes
Starring Steve Martin and John Candy

Episode 246 - MR. BOOGEDY / BRIDE OF BOOGEDY

Wacky shenanigans coexist with childhood traumas in a deep-cut double feature of Mr. Boogedy and Bride of Boogedy. Alisha Carderella introduces us to a plethora of happy(ish) haunts, practical jokes, and Puritan horror – all this, plus an epic listener email on our spooky season spectacular!

Mr. Boogedy (aired April 20, 1986)
Directed by Oz Scott
Written by Michael Janover
Starring Richard Masur, Mimi Kennedy, Kristy Swanson, David Faustino, Benjamin Gregory, John Astin, and Howard Witt

Bride of Boogedy (aired April 12, 1987)

Directed by Oz Scott

Written by Michael Janover

Starring Richard Masur, Mimi Kennedy, Tammy Lauren, David Faustino, Joshua Rudoy, Leonard Frey, Howard Witt, Ray Girardin, and Eugene Levy

Episode 245 - A KID IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT

Camelot gets a healthy dose of '90s attitude when there's A Kid in King Arthur's Court, a fast-paced farce with a surprisingly stacked cast of nostalgic faves and future A-listers. Medieval history plays host to baseball, biking, and 'blading – and we're not talking about swordplay – in this episode that's certifiably baaaad (meaning good).

A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995)
Directed by Michael Gottlieb
Written by Michael Part and Robert L. Levy
Based on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Starring Thomas Ian Nicholas, Joss Ackland, Art Malik, Paloma Baeza, and Ron Moody with Daniel Craig and Kate Winslet

Episode 244 - SIGNS

Shyamalan's stripped-down sci-fi shocker closes out the Summer...from Space! with an alien invasion that doubles as family grief counseling. Our buddy Alex Rodriguez helps put a new twist on the Night-as-next-Spielberg narrative as we swing away at the meanings behind the miracles of Signs.

Signs (2002)
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, and M. Night Shyamalan

Episode 243 - MAC AND ME

"Borrowing" liberally from a certain Spielbergian tale of a boy and his alien, Mac and Me has attained its own kind of cinematic immortality thanks to its unique mix of shameless commercialism, saccharine sincerity, and fugly extraterrestrials. 

Sam Stovold brings the Coca-Cola and Skittles to our freewheeling discussion of this cult classic - brought to you by McDonald's!

Released August 12, 1988
Directed by Stewart Raffill
Written by Steve Feke and Stewart Raffill
Starring Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, Tina Caspary, Lauren Stanley, Jade Calegory, and Ronald McDonald as himself

Episode 242 - PREDATOR

For the next few months, WWWW is investigating phenomena of extraterrestrial origin in our newest seasonal series: "Summer...from Space!" We kick things off with Predator, a meat-and-potatoes sci-fi action classic that indulges in '80s movie machismo before transforming into a primal struggle for survival against an alien warrior.

Daniel Borders-Ashe joins us in a manly bicep-flexing handshake as we peer into a jungle of chauvinism to find genre innovation, enduring creature design, and the source of many Arnold soundboard classics.

Run! Go! Get to the podcatcher...and listen to this explosive episode!

Predator (1987)
Directed by John McTiernan
Written by Jim Thomas and John Thomas
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, Shane Black, Elpidia Carilllo, and Kevin Peter Hall

Episode 241 - HEAVYWEIGHTS

An unlikely hotbed of comedic talent, the family-friendly (for the '90s) Heavyweights tickles the funny bone and tugs on the heartstrings as it deliriously subverts live-action Disney tropes.

Are you ready for the best damn podcast of your life? Jake Beal certainly is -- and he's here to help us become skinny winners as we master the Perkis System together.

Heavyweights (1995)
Directed by Steven Brill
Written by Judd Apatow and Steven Brill
Starring Aaron Schwartz, Tom McGowan, Shaun Weiss, Kenan Thompson, Paul Feig, Tom Hodges, Leah Lail, and Ben Stiller

Episode 240 - THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD

We unlock the mysteries of The Indian in the Cupboard, an unusually sensitive kids' movie that's notable for both its visual effects and its verisimilitude. Amy Ambler returns to tell us how it strives to elevate the cultural discourse of the classic children's book series, and what lessons this well-meaning adaptation can still teach.

The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)
Directed by Frank Oz
Written by Melissa Mathison
Based on the book by Lynne Reid Banks
Starring Hal Scardino, Litefoot, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Jenkins, David Keith, and Steve Coogan

Episode 239 - SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Saturday Night Live has created so many historic moments in comedy and television, we couldn't limit ourselves to just one era. We're celebrating 50 years of SNL with our first-ever fantasy draft! Brian Rudloff joins us as we build the show of our dreams from across the decades. It's just three wild and crazy guys paying tribute to our favorite cast members, characters, sketches, and musical guests of all time.

Live! From the internet! It's What Were We Watching!

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Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
Created by Lorne Michaels

Check out our curated SNL playlist of favorite sketches and segments!

Episode 238 - The 11th Annual Dubbie Awards!

Awards season reaches its glorious apex with the Dubbies, as we look back at the best of 2024 while adding our own nostalgic twist. Find out what else we were watching in our annual celebration of pop culture excellence.

This year's program of awards:

• Most Watchable Performances
• Worthiest Watches
• Best Comeback
• Most Unnecessary Throwback
• Future WWWW Candidate
• Most Nostalgic Moment
• Best New Oldie
• Never Too Soon for Nostalgia Award
• Best Performance by a Guest
• Best Performance by a Co-Host
• Best WWWW Episode of 2024