Episode 169 - NICKELODEON GAMESHOW SHOWDOWN

Kiddie competitions clash in our Nickelodeon Gameshow Showdown! We're serving up a bracket of eight iconic TV contests full of elaborate sets, screaming studio audiences, and lots of slime. Only one game show can be the final champion, as we put our own competitive twist on Nick's most memorable efforts to expand the possibilities of playtime.

Our grand prize guest, Brian Rudloff, has the guts to take on this (physical) challenge, and makes a legendary mark on this wild and crazy episode!

Episodes included in this podcast:

Global GUTS - "Angel vs. Alexey vs. Ana" (1995)
Get the Picture - "Nick & Amy vs. Jason & Kelli" (1991)

Family Double Dare - "Texas Twisters vs. Virginia Dares" (1992)
Nick Arcade - "Gina & Derek vs. Quincey & Robert" (1992)

What Would You Do? - "Making Sound Effects" (1993)
Wild & Crazy Kids - "Wild Rivers Water Show" (1990)

Figure It Out - "11 Pounds of Watermelon/Sour Milk Signal" (1997)
Legends of the Hidden Temple - "The Metal Beard of the Egyptian Queen" (1995)

Episode 168 - INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

In our ongoing quest to seek meaning in cultural artifacts, few escapist fantasies have seized our hearts like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. From its nightmare-inducing imagery to its wince-inducing colonialism, it's a movie that sticks with us for an entire spectrum of reasons. But beyond its complex reputation as the darkest chapter of the Indiana Jones saga, the film is a trove of moments and milestones that deepen our connection to an iconic character.

Manny Lozano makes his long-awaited return to WWWW as we join our old pals George and Steven in a whip-crackin', stereotypin', globetrottin' adventure!

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Robert Watts
Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz
Story by George Lucas
Starring Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Roshan Seth, and Amrish Puri

Episode 167 - SUPER MARIO BROS.

Everyone's favorite Italian plumbers trade the colorful fantasia of the Mushroom Kingdom for a grim cyberpunk dystopia in Super Mario Bros., the very first movie to be adapted from a video game. The film employs plenty of wild imagination in connecting the dots of Mario and Luigi's bare-bones backstory, and conjures up an inter-dimensional tale of dinosaurs, dictatorship, and de-evolution that certainly didn't feature in any Nintendo marketing materials.

Matt Schley joins us for some multiplayer fun, and helps us understand the movie's bizarre and undeniable legacy in his WWWW debut. Ready, player one? Let's-a go!

Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel
Produced by Jake Eberts and Roland Joffé
Written by Parker Bennett, Terry Runté, and Ed Solomon
Starring Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Samantha Mathis, Fisher Stevens, Richard Edson, Fiona Shaw, and Dennis Hopper

Episode 166 - THE ROCKETEER

"The Rocka-Who?" So said initial audiences of The Rocketeer, a film with blockbuster-sized expectations that struggled to stay aloft in an atmosphere thick with more familiar pulpy comic book franchises. But over the years, that anonymity may have given rise to something more important: relatability. The movie certainly ignited our imaginations, thanks to a winning combination of art deco sleekness, high flying thrills, and old school optimism.

Eric Wheeler drops in like a bolt from the blue to give us his perspective on how the film takes inspiration from Hollywood's Golden Age, and helps us get to the bottom of The Rocketeer's appeal as a blueprint for the makings of a true hero. Go get 'em, kid!

The Rocketeer (1991)
Directed by Joe Johnston
Produced by Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon, and Lloyd Levin
Screenplay by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo
Based on The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens
Starring Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino, Terry O'Quinn, and Timothy Dalton

Episode 165 - ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN

Arriving to mixed reception upon release and with stiff competition from a juggernaut of the Disney canon, All Dogs Go to Heaven is a film whose dark sensibilities nonetheless left an indelible mark on young minds of a certain age. But you can't keep these good dogs down, as further examination unearths the occasional moments of haunting beauty contained in this uneven exploration of life, death and resurrection.

Does an intersection between the strong creative voice of Don Bluth and comedic stylings of Burt Reynolds and Dom De Luise make any kind of sense on screen? What exactly are the religious implications of Charlie's ascent to, and rejection of, heaven? And why in the world is there a singing alligator in this movie? Guest hosts Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold make music together in tackling these questions and more in a very special episode that could only release on April 1st! Treasure it now, because after this you can never come baaaaack.

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Directed by Don Bluth
Produced by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and John Pomeroy
Written by David N. Weiss
Starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Judith Barsi, Vic Tayback, Loni Anderson, Ken Page, and Charles Nelson Reilly

Episode 164 - TITANIC

Tragedy meets triumph in the twisted Venn diagram of Titanic, a movie that stands not only as a memorial to its namesake, but also as a monument to Hollywood spectacle. Both disturbingly realistic and cleverly dramatized, James Cameron's leviathan combines forbidden romance, disaster action, historical reenactment, and groundbreaking film-craft in one seamless package.

But that's just the tip of the conversational iceberg as Blythe Rudloff comes aboard to discuss stupid teenage love, all-consuming cultural obsessions, and the most memorable White Star Line employees on this colossal episode. We're the kings and queen of the podcast world!

Titanic (1997)
Written and directed by James Cameron
Produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart, Billy Zane, Frances Fisher, Kathy Bates, Bernard Hill, Victor Garber, Jonathan Hyde, David Warner, and Bill Paxton

Episode 163 - DUNSTON CHECKS IN

No monkey business is too silly for Dunston Checks In, a film that takes pride in the commitment and craft of its slapstick hijinks. It feels as familiar as any movie pairing kids with mischievous animal pals—in this case, a trained orangutan forced to help his handler rob the guests of a luxury hotel. Yet it also remains a quasi-parody of said formula, blowing raspberries at the more wholesome conventions of its genre.

We extend our hospitality to Ryan Kasmiskie, co-host of No One Can Know About This, who makes his WWWW debut to express his appreciation of the film's many unique amenities. Join the orangu-gang and enjoy this five-star episode!

Dunston Checks In (1996)
Directed by Ken Kwapis
Produced by Todd Black and Joe Wizan
Written by John Hopkins and Bruce Graham
Starring Jason Alexander, Rupert Everett, Paul Reubens, Eric Lloyd, Graham Sack, Glenn Shadix, Nathan Davis, and Faye Dunaway