Episode 214 - JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS

Underneath its bubbly pop-punk tunes and girl power trappings, Josie and the Pussycats is a sly satire of conformity and commercialism that zips along with fun, campy energy. It also marks an inflection point in pop culture: a crowning burst of late '90s/Y2K frivolity with winking humor and a kickass soundtrack.

DuJour means friendship on this totally jerkin' episode, as we rock out retro-style with Kristal Bailey and celebrate an endearingly clever and creative adaptation.

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Written and Directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan
Based on the comic and the TV series Josie and the Pussycats created by Dan DeCarlo
Starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson, Tara Reid, Alan Cumming, Parker Posey, Gabriel Mann, Missy Pyle, Paulo Costanzo, and Carson Daly

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)

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

Episode 69 - HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

School is most assuredly in session during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a film tasked with translating a massive publishing phenomenon to the screen while conveying the franchise's emphasis on fantastical world-building and staunchly humanist themes. It's a whirlwind of new information that only scratches the surface of what's to come.

Professed Potter-head Kristal Bailey joins us to describe the thrill of seeing Hogwarts for the first time, and helps us determine if repeat viewings of this exposition-heavy introduction feel more like remedial education.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Produced by David Heyman
Written by Steve Kloves
Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart, and Richard Harris

Episode 61 - HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS

It's not too much of a stretch to look at Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and see a sly portrait of the American nuclear family in crisis, fractured by the stresses of work, technology, and the pursuit of a mythical suburban ideal. In this light, the concept of a fantastical shrinking ray is a clever way to illustrate how the movie's young protagonists gain a different perspective on the importance of accepting others and getting along--a lesson in maturity that's earned without ever leaving the backyard.

We welcome Screen Invasion editor-in-chief Kristal Bailey to help us discuss how the film's micro-adventures inspired our own imaginations, as well as a couple of beloved theme park attractions. Plus: sympathy for aging dads, insect phobias, and a sidebar on paternity issues in Ghostbusters II. It's all part of this big episode about tiny people!

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Directed by Joe Johnston
Produced by Penney Finkelman Cox
Written by Ed Naha and Tom Schulman
Starring Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, Amy O'Neill, Robert Oliveri, Thomas Wilson Brown, and Jared Rushton