Gobbledygeek

Nostalgia, some say, means pain from an old wound. This week, Paul is nursing pain from a fresh wound: his immense disappointment at the way Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One has turned out. Spielberg’s big-screen reworking of the tale of a young boy immersed in a virtual reality game called the OASIS, using pop culture as currency to find freedom, is loud and overwhelming. For someone like Paul, that doesn’t sit well; Arlo, on the other hand, finds himself in the unusual position of defending one of these big dumb movies. The boys discuss crucial changes the film makes that change the story’s intention; whether or not Spielberg’s CG rendering of the OASIS is impressive; the ethical and metatextual implications of certain scenes; and why the book is unfairly derided. Plus, Arlo continues his journey through Disney animation. Next: it’s that time again. Wesley “Wezzo” Mead stops by to once again discuss Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time, the gang will di

Time, she has been wrinkled. Tesser on over as Paul and Arlo discuss Ava DuVernay’s big screen adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved fantasy classic A Wrinkle in Time. The boys discuss how the film differs from the novel, for both better and worse; what a strong find Storm Reid is in the lead role; how the film is admirable for willing to be absolutely ridiculous; why it’s so important DuVernay is in the director’s chair; and whether or not the film actually manages to be as inspiring as it wants to be. Plus, the boys pay tribute to Stephen Hawking and discuss the current state of Stan Lee; Paul reads comics; and Arlo continues his Disney journey. Next: it’s that time again. Wesley “Wezzo” Mead stops by to once again discuss Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time, the gang will discuss season 8, the last pre-revival season to feature David Duchovny as a (semi-)regular.   THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (00:00 - 33:43) A Wrinkle in Time NON-SPOILER (33:43 - 1:09:05) A Wrinkle in Time SPO

Ahoy and salut! Kicking off a series of occasional musical episodes--as in episodes about musicals; nobody wants to hear our boys sing--inspired by Paul’s love of This Is Me, he and Arlo gear up for a tuneful Geek Challenge. They are both intensely on brand: Arlo challenges Paul to Jacques Demy’s deceptively candy-colored 1967 classic The Young Girls of Rochefort, while Paul forces Arlo to endure Ken Annakin’s inexplicable 1982 swashbuckler The Pirate Movie. They’re surprised to discover that these incredibly different films, besides both being musicals, have some connective tissue: the use of fantasy to escape cruel reality, metatextual references to themselves and other movies, and...well, okay, after that, they’re almost completely different, but come on! Wouldn’t it be cool if Catherine Deneuve danced with a cartoon octopus? Plus, Paul has thoughts on the Star Wars Rebels finale and Arlo has been taking a trip through classic Disney. Next: Kronos must have forgotten to fold his sheets, because there is no

Self-destruction. Division. Separation. Annihilation. These are the frivolous, lighthearted concerns of Alex Garland’s latest film, a mind-expanding sci-fi trip that finds Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, and Tuva Novotny exploring “Area X,” a mutated piece of land encompassed by the full-on-double-rainbow-all-the-way that is the Shimmer. What’s going on here? What’s causing it? Does an answer even matter? Paul and Arlo dig into Annihilation’s writhing, metastasizing guts to discuss the beautiful, macabre work of production designer Matt Digby; the organic/electronic discomfit of Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury’s score; how Garland’s approach intentionally places the viewer at a distance; and that goddamn bear. Plus, Paul watched something called the Olympics; Arlo wants to help The Breadwinner make some dough; and Paul gives Arlo shit, what else is new. Next: the episode we teased last week! For a musical Geek Challenge, Arlo must watch Kenn Anakin’s 1982 “classic” The Pi

First-time guest Phaicia “Fe” McBride joins Paul and Arlo as they take a direct flight to the African utopia of Wakanda, courtesy of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. King T’Challa’s first feature film marks the 18th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; it also marks a long overdue watershed moment for mainstream black culture. The gang discusses why Black Panther is so important and exciting; how the film takes the MCU in exciting new directions, particularly with its nuanced villain; how rare and wonderful it is to see so many female characters with agency, skill, and personality; why Ludwig Goransson’s score (and Kendrick Lamar’s soundtrack, at least according to Arlo) is a true sonic statement; and how some of the fight sequences bring to mind Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. Plus, Arlo’s obsessed with a bizarre lo-fi mobile game called InstLife; and Paul goes full steampunk ahead with Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. Next: despite what they say at the end of the episode, Paul and Arlo are actually getting ready for Ann

Alas, poor Yorick! We knew him, a fellow of infinite wisecracks, of most ridiculous immaturity. We hath borne Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man on our podcast ten times, and now, how abhorred (and a little relieved) in our imagination it is! Our mics rise at it. Here laid those narrative devices about which we kvetched we know not how oft. Where be Guerra’s glorious artwork now? Vaughan’s pithy dialogue? Their penchant for emotional devastation? Their flashes of genius (let’s be honest--they were more than flashes) that here culminate in a tremendous feat of sequential art? We are not ones now to complain after all they’ve accomplished. Quite the opposite. Now get you to iTunes and listen, let us ramble for hours, to this conclusion we must come. Hopefully we will make you laugh, at that. Prithee, Kenn Edwards, let us get to the point. Next: less Shakespearean speech, more Shakespearean drama. We travel to Wakanda for Black Panther.   THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (00:00 - 21:21) Main Topic (2

Come one, come all to The Greatest Showman, Michael Gracey’s musical retelling (or is that reshaping?) of the life of circus impresario P.T. Barnum. Paul and Arlo are joined by first-time guest Nate Curtiss, whose obsession with the film rivals Paul’s well-documented mania. The gang discusses the film’s message of tolerance and inclusion, why it’s a better musical than La La Land, and if it’s a problem that the filmmakers have refashioned Barnum as a beacon of progressivism. Plus, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back (did they ever leave?), which is making some fans unhappy (aren’t they always?); and The Cloverfield Paradox was a surprise post-Super Bowl release on Netflix. Next: last year’s Four-Color Flashback finally comes to a close, as Kenn Edwards joins us to discuss Y: The Last Man - Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores.   THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (00:00 - 24:56) Main Topic NON-SPOILERS (24:56 - 44:24) Main Topic SPOILERS (44:24 - 1:53:50) Outro / Next Week (1:53:50 - 2:01:05)

Come on in; the water’s fine. Sarah Kosheff joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, freshly nominated for 13 Academy Awards. Del Toro’s girl-meets-fish romance is one of last year’s most ravishing, visually sumptuous films, and the gang discusses why exactly that is. (Spoiler: they don’t all quite agree.) Topics of discussion include Sally Hawkins’ and Doug Jones’ tremendous wordless performances; Alexandre Desplat’s beautiful score, and how music is an important mode of communication in the film; the importance of color, specifically green; and how the film is, in del Toro’s own words, about the “beauty of the other.” Plus, Paul has joined MoviePass just in time for it come under intense scrutiny. Next: Paul just wouldn’t shut up about The Greatest Showman, so first-time guest Nathan Curtiss will be joining the boys to discuss the Hugh Jackman-starring musical.   THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (00:00 - 16:42) Main Topic NON-SPOILERS (16:42 - 35:38) Main Topic SPOILERS (35:38 -

No TV show is at its best seven seasons in, as Paul, Arlo, and special British guest Wesley “Wezzo” Mead can attest. The gang has just watched season 7 of Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series The X-Files, and they have questions: Why would anyone think that was a satisfying resolution to the Samantha Mulder storyline? Why is Dana Scully, one of the greatest female characters in all of genre fiction, consistently robbed of agency? Why is Chris Carter the worst writer on his own show? Why didn't the show just end here? In addition to lamenting the season's VR fantasmagorias and double scoops of Kathy Griffin, the gang does find praise for cast members going behind the camera and Vince Gilligan inching ever closer toward Breaking Bad. Plus, Paul continues to visit The Greatest Showman; Wezzo tells us of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Somebody Feed Phil, and Inside No. 9; and gosh, politics are just AWFUL. Next: Paul and Arlo dive into Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water.   THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (0

Ladies and gentlemen, we are through the tweeting glass. First-time guest Sarah Kosheff joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror in general, and the new fourth season in particular. The gang discusses how the series explores the intersection of technology and society, if the “what if phones but too much” line of criticism is reductive, if the idea of a Black Mirror “shared universe” is in any way appealing, and more. Plus, Paul meets The Greatest Showman, Arlo and Sarah marvel at The Shape of Water, and Arlo finally puts Paul in his mouth. Next: famed Briton Wesley “Wezzo” Mead stops by once again to discuss Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time, they’ll discuss season 7. THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (00:00 - 18:24) Main Topic (18:24 - 2:19:14) Outro / Next Week (2:19:14 - 2:25:00)

Yorick's gang (there's gotta be a snappier name, right?) inch closer to destiny in Y: The Last Man - Vol. 9: Motherland, as Paul and Arlo near the end of their Four-Color Flashback discussion of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s beloved comics series. The boys once again rehash their frustrations with putting this series under the occasional monthly microscope, leading Arlo to posit that maybe different books are different kinds of great. Then Paul hashes out the most plausible explanations Vaughan has presented for the manpocalypse, and whether any of them catch the boys’ fancy. Plus, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is more fun than it has any right to be, and it looks like Red Sparrow may be the Black Widow movie Marvel has denied us. Next: the boys go through the looking glass with season 4 of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, joined by first-time guest Sarah Kosheff. THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (00:00 - 21:33) Main Topic (21:33 - 1:34:56) Outro / Next Week (1:34:56 - 1:38:02)

This is not going to go the way you think. Indeed, in a rare occurrence, the stars (and their wars) have aligned to allow Paul, Arlo, and their Avatar Returns co-host Eric Sipple to agree that Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is one of the best blockbusters in years. The gang discusses why that is, including the surprising directions in which writer-director Rian Johnson takes the story, its iconic imagery, another rousing John Williams score, how it strengthens the weaknesses of past Star Wars films, and one hell of a performance from Mark Hamill. And, yes, they tackle the fandom’s baffling response to the film. Next: Gobbledygeek returns in 2018 with a continuation of Paul and Arlo's Four-Color Flashback discussion of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man. This time, they'll tackle the penultimate collection, Vol. 9: The Motherland. THE BREAKDOWN Intro / Banter (00:00 - 04:05) Main Topic (04:05 - 20:55) SPOILERS (20:55 - 2:34:18) Outro / Next Week (2:34:18 - 2:38:51)

That venerated institution, the Geek Challenge, takes to the bright blue sky with a pair of retro ‘90s flicks. First up, Paul challenges Arlo to Joe Johnston’s 1991 Billy Campbell-starring adventure The Rocketeer, a proto-First Avenger that mixes pulp fiction with ‘30s Hollywood. Then, Arlo challenges Paul to Gary Ross’ 1998 directorial debut Pleasantville, which finds Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon zapped inside the black-and-white world of a hunky dory ‘50s sitcom. These films look backward to say something about the present, and while one admittedly has a lot more on its mind than the other, the boys find both to be unsettlingly timely. From populist demagoguery to villains that no longer feel like an historical artifact, Paul and Arlo mine a lot from these goofy, decades-old movies. Plus, Arlo remembers that comics exist. Next: after a week off, the boys return to discuss experimental arthouse feature Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, which will be of interest to only the most devout cineaste.

This week, Paul and Arlo return to their Four-Color Flashback exploration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man with Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons. Joining them for the first time in a while is once and future 90 700 Club host Chance Mazzia. Frustrated by some of the detours this Japanese misadventure takes, the gang gets around to asking the question that’s hung over this entire FCF series: nearly a decade removed from publication, is Y: The Last Man still as great as they thought it was? To find the answer, they discuss Vaughan’s writing style, how each volume reads compared to the whole, and what if anything Y contributed to the evolution of the comics medium. Plus, Justice League arrives in theaters (leading to a breakthrough in Paul and Arlo’s relationship), the Avengers assemble for the Infinity War trailer, and Arlo is delighted by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Next: the Geek Challenge rides again, with a retro kick. Paul will force Arlo to watch Joe Johnston’s 1991 superhero cult classic The Rock

For a return to our regularly scheduled pop culture chatter, Paul and Arlo ride their hammers to the faraway world of Asgard, which is in a spot of trouble. Avenger and heir to the throne Thor Odinson must defend his people from the villainous Hela; along the way, he gets imprisoned by an eccentric weirdo named the Grandmaster and is forced to do battle with the Hulk, his infamous “friend from work.” The boys discuss why Thor: Ragnarok is among the very best the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer, what perspective New Zealander Taika Waititi brings to the franchise, what the film says about immigrants (besides cueing up the perfect Robert Plant wail), and if we’ll ever see Bruce Banner again. Plus, they discuss the pop culture they enjoyed during the show’s hiatus. Next: in two weeks’ time, Paul and Arlo pick up their Four-Color Flashback exploration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man with Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons.

So, what’s new? We miss anything? Gobbledygeek returns with a Very Special Episode wherein Paul and Arlo attempt to explain why the show went away for a couple months and how exactly it’s coming back. They made almost no attempt to prepare for this discussion, so it’s a little awkward, a little uncomfortable, and we’re not gonna lie, there’s some tension between our co-hosts. But the minions are back. And that’s what matters, right? Next: a return to our regularly scheduled programming with a discussion of Thor: Ragnarok.

Six years in, how is The X-Files handling Mulder and Scully’s relentless quest for the truth? To investigate this particular mystery, Paul and Arlo have once again abducted Wesley “Wezzo” Mead from the U.K. The gang discusses how the sixth season of Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series handles the movie's revelations; how the production move from Vancouver to L.A has affected the tone; if this season is a touch goofier than previous years; and what the radical changes to the series’ mythology means for the future, if anything. Plus, they talk politics. Of course they do. And it's depressing. Of course it is.

Come and listen to my story about a guy named Dan; a poor prospector, a self-made man. And then one day, to California he drew, and up from the ground come a-bubblin’ crude. Blood, that is. Capitalist blood. For the third in our Ten Years Later series (we’re in the market for a snappier name), Paul and Arlo turn to Paul Thomas Anderson’s study of American monster/oilman Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood. Joining them is The Debatable Podcast’s Greg Sahadachny, who makes his triumphant return to Gobbledygeek after nearly two years. The boys discuss how the film explores the intersection between religion and capitalism; whether or not Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano give into overacting; if Daniel Plainview could be considered a villain; and how the “I drink your milkshake!” scene holds up after a decade of memeification. Next: we’ve abducted Wesley “Wezzo” Mead once again to discuss Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time, we investigate the L.A.-bound season 6.

Appropriately, this month’s Four-Color Flashback entry is riddled with flashbacks, as Y: The Last Man - Vol. 7: Paper Dolls takes a look at Agent 355 and Ampersand’s pasts to give us a taste of what must be going through their heads in the present. Ensley F. Guffey, co-author of Wanna Cook? The Complete, Unauthorized Guide to Breaking Bad, joins Paul and Arlo to continue their exploration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s acclaimed Vertigo series. The gang discusses how this volume shows society’s evolution post-gendercide, puzzles over Yorick’s motivations (what else is new?), and asks Ensley to be smart for them. Plus, Paul got his ass kicked by Atomic Blonde, and Ensley has a few choice words about Nazi Captain America. Next: Greg Sahadachny of The Debatable Podcast returns to Gobbledygeek to discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood ten years on.

Sun, spray, bullets, and blood: Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk recounts the worst beach trip in history, as 400,000 Allied troops were trapped by the Nazis in Dunkirk, France. The word Paul and Arlo keep coming back to as a descriptor is “relentless.” 107 minutes of third-act intensity, Dunkirk may be the purest expression of Nolan’s watchmaker-precise skill. The boys discuss the film’s three interweaving time strands, the lack of overt character development (except for that moment), Hans Zimmer’s ticking time bomb of a score, and why the movie never names or shows its Nazi enemies. Plus, Arlo is convinced the rest of the world is experiencing a mass delusion regarding Arrested Development season 4; and the boys take a look at the SDCC trailers for Ready Player One, Justice League, Thor: Ragnarok, Stranger Things, and The Defenders. Next: it’s another Four-Color Flashback, as Ensley F. Guffey, co-author of Wanna Cook? The Complete Unauthorized Guide to Breaking Bad, joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Y: The Last Man