Episode 217 - THE PHANTOM

The Summer of Serials comes to a rousing conclusion with The Phantom, in which a bemused beefcake is surrounded by campy and/or deadpan scene partners gobbling up the exotic scenery. This underrated swashbuckling adventure capped the '90s revival of pulp heroes, and also sowed the seeds of the truly global big-budget superhero productions that were yet to come.

Jake Beal helps us Slam Evil!™ as we unravel the mysteries of the Ghost Who Walks. Hang on to your skintight purple bodysuits, listeners, because this one is un-be-liev-ableeeeee!

The Phantom (1996)
Directed by Simon Wincer
Written by Jeffrey Boam
Based on characters created by Lee Falk
Starring Billy Zane, Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson, James Remar, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Patrick McGoohan

Episode 60 - FREE WILLY

A memorable title and a simple, sincere premise is all it takes to attain pop culture immortality. That's just one of the things we learned from Free Willy, which has endured as a compassionate snapshot of a troubled youth and a blueprint for preteen environmental activism.

Can a captive orca whale still capture your heart? We'll find out as we also discuss lenient foster parents, the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the fashion sense of '90s juvenile delinquents.

Free Willy (1993)
Directed by Simon Wincer
Produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend
Written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman
Starring Jason James Richter, Michael Madsen, Jayne Atkinson, Lori Petty, August Schellenberg, Michael Ironside, Mykelti Williamson, and Keiko the Orca