Tank Riot

Post-Apocalypse Cinema! The tank crew discusses their favorite post-apocalypse films including: La Jetee, Mad Max, A Boy and his Dog, Soylent Green, On the Beach, Last Man on Earth, The Quiet Earth, Omega Man, Six String Samurai, Day of the Triffids, Escape from New York and many, many more! But first, the NRA is on line 1...

Walt Disney! We discuss the life, works, controversies and urban legends of the animator everyone thinks they know. From Mickey Mouse in Plane Crazy to Donald Duck and Pluto, we discuss the animators like Ubbe Iwerks and the voice actors like Clarence "Ducky" Nash and Pinto Colvig that made the myths possible. Also: Where the Wild Things Are, Zombieland, Paranormal Activity, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox, Big Man Japan and more!

Charles Fort! We discuss the life and works of one of the earliest investigators of the paranormal. He specialized in recording reports of strange, unexplained events, and wrote dense novels (The Book of the Damned, New Lands, Lo!, Wild Talents) that challenged the scientific thoughts of his day. He also inspired a Fortean Society based on his works. But first we recap our trip to Lambeau Field and Fighting Bob Fest 2009, including our thoughts on our discussion with the 911 Truthers at the event. Also, Daily Show vs. Stephen Colbert, Green Hornet, Mall Cops, Little Children, a Tank Riot contest, the mailbag and more.

Ayn Rand! We discuss the life and works of Ayn Rand, whose novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead are the foundation base of Objectivism. The followers of Objectivism are called Objectivist and often have a faith based religious belief in free market capitalism. This belief leads them to support political and economic solutions that are less than ideal. All this and discussions of Sunshine Cleaning, Inglorious Basterds and bear attacks!

Rachel Carson! We discuss the life and works of Rachel Carson, whose novel Silent Spring in 1962 brought the inappropriate use of DDT to the attention of the American public. We talk about her previous novels and works and the attacks against her for pointing out the truth. All this and discussions of Ponyo, Fast Freddy Markham, Rollerball, Brett Favre, Barney Frank, Obama, Jim Doyle, Ethanol and more.

Beer! The Tank Crew discuss their favorite beer, breweries, beer movies, and home brew. They look at how Sconnie Nation has contributed to the craft. Plus the Tank Riot rips through mini-reviews of Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, Fasterer and Furiouserer, Sin City and more...

Conspiracies, Part 5! The crew take on Holocaust denial and the recent developments on Facebook concerning free speech. They look at the different denial groups and their motivations. Plus they discuss the extensive list of Nazi atrocities and what General Eisenhower and others did to ensure the world knew of the Nazi crimes. Also brief discussions of Bruno, Public Enemies, John Dillinger, Michael Jackson, Robert Strange McNamara and more!

Time Travel! The team discusses some of the realities of time travel and their favorite appearances of time travel in science fiction including The Time Machine, Star Trek, Primer, Dr. Who, Back to the Future, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Timecrimes, Gateway, Hyperion, Terminator, Quantum Leap, Donnie Darko and many, many more. And of course a big time review of the great new movie Land of the Lost! Also in this show a brief discussion on the loss of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon and Kodachrome.

Emma Goldman! The team discusses the intriguing life of the controversial "Red Emma", an anarchist, free-speech advocate, social activist, and spokesperson for women's freedom and birth control rights. We look at her connections to the Haymarket Affair, the Russian and Spanish Revolutions, Alexander Berkman and the publication of "Mother Earth", Johann Most and her involvement in fighting for worker's rights. Also a brief discussion of Pixar's Up, Sam Raimi's return to horror with Drag Me to Hell, Persepolis and more. Music is by Sweetjuice (Adam East and Kris Deelane).

Pirates! The team discusses the history of piracy and some of their favorite pirates including: Blackbeard (Edward Teach), Bartholomew Roberts, Henry Every, Thomas Tew, William Kidd, Emanuel Wynn, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Calico Jack Rackham, Jean Lafitte and more. Also, a brief rant on modern (digital) piracy and modern copyright. Issues discussed range from the DMCA, RIAA, MPAA and the book "Free Culture" by Lawrence Lessig. Music is provided by the talented Madison band The Pints.

Zombies! The team discusses their favorite Zombie films, directors and writers, and has a special review of Dead Snow. Directors and writers discussed include George Romero, Stuart Gordon, Dan O'Bannon, Ed Wood, Robert Rodriguez, Tommy Wirkola, Zack Snyder, Danny Boyle, Peter Jackson, Lucio Fulci and others. Films include Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, White Zombie, Return of the Living Dead, Zombi 2, Dead Alive, Night of the Comet, Plan 9 From Outer Space, 28 Days Later, I Walked with a Zombie, Fido, Shaun of the Dead, Wild Zero, Versus, Re-Animator, Evil Dead and more. Featuring music from Roky Erickson and the Zombeatles. Also in this show: Swine Flu, Arlen Specter and more!

Jim Henson! The Tank Crew enters the world of muppets and Jim Henson's history of creating fantastic characters and shows for young and old. Including: Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movies, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Dinosaurs, Rowlf, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Swedish Chef, Ernie and Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover, Gonzo, Big Bird, Fozzie Bear, Gobo, Mokey, Red, Wembley, Boober, Yoda, and so many, many more! Also in this episode a discussion of Paul Winchell, Tony Sarg, Bil Baird, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Timecrimes, The Grand Illusion, Gun Shows, Teabagging and more. Music by Tom Smith.

Urban Legends! In this show, the Tank Crew look at the phenomenon of urban legends. We discuss our favorites and get sidetracked by Battlestar Galactica, Indiana Jones, Leprechaun in the Hood, Wisconsin Rapids and more!

Nietzsche and Watchmen! We discuss Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and his contribution to modern philosophy and look into how he is commonly misunderstood. We also analyze Zack Snyder's brilliant adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen.

Richard Feynman! The team discusses the life and works of the legendary physicist (and bongo player) who won the Nobel Prize, worked on the Manhattan Project, predicted nanotechnology, cracked safes, inspired others through teaching and more!

Mister Rogers! The team takes a look at the much maligned, but very important and wonderful children's television personality. We discuss his Supreme Court appearance, his contribution to TV and the VCR, his great guests (Bruce Haack) and his neighborhood friends (Chuck Aber, Robert Trow, Betty Aberlin, Don Brockett, John Costa, Keith David, David Newell, Joe Negri) and more!

Worst Presidents Ever! In this show, we discuss the topical issue of presidential ranking including our favorite lamentable presidents: James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, Ulysses Grant and more. We also discuss the Film Heckler and the Oscar Nominations.

2008 Great Music Round-up featuring music by Bon Iver, David Byrne/Brian Eno, Delta Spirit, Kimya Dawson, Silver Jews, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Paleface! We also discuss Operation Valkyrie, Protein Folding, SETI@home, Houdini and more!

Christmas! The team discusses Christmas, Saturnalia, Solstice and more with some discussion of traditional origins and our favorite recent holiday films and TV shows. We also take a look at the war on Christmas and the separation of church and state.

Quantum of Awesome! The team discusses the latest James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace" and all things Bond. Also, a review of "My Name is Bruce" including a Q&A session with film legend Bruce Campbell. All this and more!