Gobbledygeek

Deception is as American as apple pie. Elizabeth and Philip Jennings are well aware of this--they’re Russian spies under deep cover as a suburban couple in the U.S., after all. Their new next door neighbor, FBI Agent Stan Beeman, threatens to throw a wrench into their long con. Over the course of The Americans season 1, there are plenty of twists, turns, betrayals, and confessions. Wesley “Wezzo” Mead has infiltrated the podcast to join Paul and Arlo as they begin a retrospective on Joe Weisberg’s critically acclaimed but criminally underseen FX series. The gang discusses the tremendous work by leads Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys; how the show is a little pulpier and fast-moving than they remembered; the characters’ vacillating beliefs in each other and the systems they move within; and, of course, all those wigs.   NEXT: Hollywood post-production supervisor Michael Holland flies in for a look at The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Take note, Jennings--Soviet agents can be reformed!     BREAKDOWN 00:00:51  - 

We've all been isolated, to some degree, for the last year. Austin Allan James' debut feature Who's With Me?, available for free on YouTube, perfectly captures the sense of loneliness and paranoia to which many of us have become accustomed. His film was also almost entirely finished pre-pandemic. Paul and Arlo talk with Austin about his clairvoyant powers, working on a shoestring budget, the inspiration he draws from filmmakers such as David Lynch and Joel Potrykus, how much of a fee turtles can demand, and what it all means, man.   NEXT: at long last, we go undercover with Wesley "Wezzo" Mead for a discussion of The Americans season 1.     BREAKDOWN 00:00:52  -  Intro / Guest 00:04:40  -  Main Topic 01:08:25  -  Outro / Next     LINKS   Who’s With Me? - Full Feature (2021 Sci-Fi, Drama, Horror) [YouTube]     MUSIC “Locked Inside” by Reef, Rides (1999)     GOBBLEDYCARES Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate Support the AAPI Ci

This is a freestyle episode, so you better believe Paul and Arlo talk about all manner of goofy shit, but--there’s also kind of a topic too? Look, we make this stuff up as we go along, get that look off your face. Arlo watched John Carpenter’s 1981 cult classic Escape from New York for the very first time, and he absolutely loved it. He and Paul rave about the movie, its highly relatable cynicism, and its amazing music...which leads Arlo to proffer a shocking apology. The stick up his ass, it’s gotten a little shorter over the years. Plus, an in-depth breakdown of This Is Us’ timeline and an exploration of why roasts suck. Sponsored by the adult toy purveyor of your choice!   NEXT: indie filmmaker Austin Allan James joins us to discuss his debut feature, Who’s With Me.      MUSIC “Escape from New York (Main Title)” by John Carpenter, Escape from New York (Original Film Soundtrack) (1981) “Bandstand Boogie” by Les Elgart (1954)     GOBBLEDYCARES Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: ht

We’re all about lending a hand here at Gobbledygeek, so for this month’s Four-Color Flashback, we’re slicing and dicing our way through Daniel Warren Johnson’s Extremity. The ultra-violent 12-issue series follows Thea, an artist who lost a core piece of her identity when a rival clan chopped off her drawing hand. As her father leads their clan on a bloodthirsty quest for revenge, she and her brother Rollo must question whether they will perpetuate this endless cycle of violence. Paul and Arlo discuss the series’ surprising commitment to pacifism, Johnson’s insanely detailed artwork, why the book’s violence isn’t at odds with its intent, and some quirky sound effects.   NEXT: tune in to find out.     BREAKDOWN 00:00:28  -  Intro / Guest 00:01:46  -  Main Topic 01:29:55  -  Outro / Next     MUSIC “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles (1970) “The Winner Takes It All” by ABBA, Super Trouper (1980)     GOBBLEDYCARES Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.c

When we’re not contracting coronavirus, we’re contracting people to work on our houses. And sometimes those people, too, can be a plague. Paul and Arlo commiserate over uncomfortable contractor experiences, uncomfortable evangelicalism, and the uncomfortable intersection of those two very uncomfortable things. In other news, baby-faced Paul got his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and had to deal with some folks getting way too up in his personal space. Are we ready for a return to normal? No. No, we are not. Plus, we remember to talk pop culture and chat about the Oscar nominations.   NEXT: Paul decides on air during this very episode that next week will be this month’s Four-Color Flashback, discussing Vols. 1 & 2 of Daniel Warren Johnson’s Extremity.     MUSIC “Comfort Eagle” by Cake, Comfort Eagle (2001) “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues (1982)     GOBBLEDYCARES Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ Help teacher

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming. After two long years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe desert, since Avengers: Endgame and its postscript Spider-Man: Far from Home, Marvel’s mightiest are back on the air. For the first MCU series on Disney Plus, we have WandaVision, a TV show that is very much about TV shows and what the medium means to us. The comfy-cozy sitcom rhythm of the show, as Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s Vision make-believe they’re on the sets of The Dick Van Dyke Show or Family Ties, is interrupted by unsettling reminders of where we left these characters. Wanda was grieving--because Vision was dead. What’s going on here? Don’t change that channel, because Paul, Arlo, and special guest Michael Holland--currently post-production supervisor on The Afterparty--discuss how showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman channel grief, capture the nostalgic spirit of old TV, weaponize fan expectations, and more.   NEXT: we’ll be back, same Bat-time, same Bat-c

What’s more American than ruthless bastards sucking dry the poor, hardworking souls that make this country what it is--all in the name of progress? We’re not just talking about capitalism here, we’re also talking about the bloodthirsty monsters at the heart of Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque’s American Vampire. For this month’s Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo sink their fangs into the first two volumes of Snyder and Albuquerque’s (with an assist from Stephen King) decades-spanning Vertigo series. The boys discuss how Snyder charts the path of American history through three distinct time periods; the seriously cool vampire taxonomy; Albuquerque’s ghastly, gorgeous art; the way King cusses; and, yes, what the book says about capitalist conquest. Plus, Paul chills with three very different Netflix projects: Moxie, Ginny & Georgia, and Behind Her Eyes.   NEXT: Michael Holland, post-production supervisor on American Horror Story and ABC’s For Life, joins us to discuss Disney+’s first MCU series, WandaV

In honor of the late Christopher Plummer, Paul and Arlo host a Geek Challenge with two films featuring one of Canada’s greatest. First, Paul has Arlo watch Mike Nichols’ 1994 horror (?) film Wolf, starring Jack Nicholson as a middle-aged book editor who finds the beast inside courtesy of a wolf bite (with a five-minute cameo from a scenery-chewing Plummer). Then, Arlo makes Paul watch Michael Mann’s 1999 ripped-from-the-headlines thriller The Insider, with Russell Crowe as a scientist taking on Big Tobacco, Al Pacino as the journalist trying to tell his story, and Plummer doing one hell of a job as Mike Wallace. Plus, Paul tries to get Arlo to watch Craig McCracken’s new animated series Kid Cosmic.   NEXT: the boys sharpen their fangs on a Four-Color Flashback discussion of the first two volumes of Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque’s American Vampire.     BREAKDOWN 00:00:55  -  Intro / Kid Cosmic 00:10:29  -  Wolf 00:55:45  -  The Insider 01:49:45  -  Pointless tangent about the term “bucket

Two hosts, unalike in dignity, in fair Gobbledygeek, where we set our podcast. For this month’s Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo pull out a boombox blasting Romeo and Juliet side B. In Prince of Cats, Ronald Wimberly passes the mic to Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, a sideways entry point into the events that lead to and inform the soapy classic. Oh, and did we mention this version stars a Black cast living in an ‘80s NYC where everybody participates in an underground samurai swordfighting ring? The boys discuss Wimberly’s ingenious distortion of Shakespearean language; his manga-influenced art; how the book enriches (perhaps even improves upon?) the play; and what it means to tell this story from a race-conscious perspective.   NEXT: oh hey, it’s that Christopher Plummer Geek Challenge we promised. Mike Nichols’ Wolf and Michael Mann’s The Insider go head-to-head. BREAKDOWN 00:00:48  -  Intro / Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet 00:23:00  -  Prince of Cats 01:03:45  -  (Interlude: Paul reads NSFW Shakespearean dialo

I am a podcast. This week, Paul and Arlo are joined by Wesley Mead to unravel the mystery of Derek DelGaudio's stage show In & Of Itself, now available on Hulu in a filmed version directed by none other than Frank Oz. Truth be told, if truth is a concept you believe in, the gang doesn't do much unraveling. No, that would be beyond the point. Instead, they discuss how the show makes them feel and what it reveals about the relationship between one human being and another. Magic, wolves, self-identity, and the communal experience all make an appearance. Plus, Wezzo tells us how the UK is faring with lockdown, and Arlo raves about Merawi Gerima's stunning feature debut Residue.   NEXT: I'll meet you in another life, when we are both cats. This month's Four-Color Flashback is all about Ronald Wimberly’s take on Romeo and Juliet, 2012's Prince of Cats. BREAKDOWN 00:00:55  -  Intro / Guest 00:23:37  -  Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself 01:52:12  -  Outro / Next LINKS   How Derek DelGaudio Pulled Off the

Ah, merry old England. A land of many fine tales as well as some pretty crummy ones. This week, Paul and Arlo explore both sides of English mythmaking in a Geek Challenge that hearkens back to the Middle Ages; i.e., the 1930s and 1980s. First up is a movie Paul has been trying to get Arlo to watch literally as long as they've been podcasting: Terry Marcel's 1980 sword-and-sorcery epic (?) Hawk the Slayer, featuring John Terry and Jack Palance as improbable brothers warring over the power of the Mind Sword. In return, Arlo has Paul watch Michael Curtiz's 1938 classic The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn as the screen's most iconic Robin. The boys discuss Hawk as Paul's Rosetta stone; Robin Hood as one of those movies you just sort of absorb by osmosis; gloriously cheesy synth scores; Daffy Duck becoming a friar; and more. Plus, Jonathan Hickman's X-Men!   NEXT: TBD. BREAKDOWN 00:00:30  -  Fade In / Intro 00:06:34  -  Hawk the Slayer 00:52:10  -  The Adventures of Robin Hood 01:24:37  -  Outro /

‘Tis the damn season. Last summer, we convened the Three Heathens--Paul, Arlo, and A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis--to discuss Taylor Swift’s first surprise album of 2020, Folklore. It was surprising not only for the nature of its release but for the folk pop/singer-songwriter shift it marked, becoming the finest achievement of Swift’s career. On her second surprise album of 2020, Evermore, she may have equaled that achievement. The Heathens are back to discuss the progression of Swift’s Joni Mitchell phase, as her lyrics become more reflective and complex. They’re strengthened by producer/co-writer Aaron Dessner’s sonic palette, introducing new sounds to Swift’s oeuvre. It’s true, the boys go a little off the rails into Lynch references, but one thing is undeniable: the more we say, the less you know. Plus, a discussion of the Disney+ making-of/concert film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions.   NEXT: it’s Hawk the Slayer vs. The Adventures of Robin Hood in a Geek Challenge. BREAKDOWN 00:00:37  -  Int

First comes a podcast, then comes 423 more podcasts, then comes a baby who is doomed to think having a podcast host for a dad is normal. On the Gobbledygeek season 12 premiere, Arlo is revealed to be a babydaddy--and the kid isn’t Paul’s! Scandal! Arlo discusses life as the father of a newborn, which involves a good deal of poop. Paul has also had to deal with a good deal of poop, even though his isn’t issuing forth from a screaming, squealing bundle of joy. In between all the poop talk, the boys squeeze out some pop culture talk: Arlo catches up with the new seasons of Ramy and PEN15; Paul gets TikTok’d; Arlo watches (and reads) You; and the boys commiserate about the bizarre, disappointing Wonder Woman 1984.   NEXT: ‘tis the damn season. A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis returns to the show for another round of Swiftie analysis with a deep-dive into Evermore. BREAKDOWN 00:01:07  -  Intro 01:24:30  -  Spoilers for Netflix’s You (and the novels it’s based on) 01:29:20  -  End spoilers 01:55:05  -  Outro / Ne

Because our mascot is a turkey, and because we generally frown upon genocide, Paul and Arlo are spending Thanksgiving weekend discussing films with ties to Native American culture. For this Geek Challenge, Paul urges Arlo to watch Michael Apted's 1992 conspiracy thriller Thunderheart, starring Val Kilmer as an FBI agent who grows to embrace his Sioux heritage. In turn, Arlo makes Paul watch Jim Jarmusch's 1995 psychedelic Western Dead Man, wherein Johnny Depp's iteration of William Blake takes an offbeat journey to the next life. The boys address the major caveat of both films starring white men, as well as their own lily whiteness; determine that Graham Greene and Gary Farmer walk away with their respective movies; and discuss how both films explore spiritual death and rebirth. With a bonus discussion of Apted's documentary Incident at Oglala!   NEXT: Arlo's having a baby. We're going on hiatus with hopes of returning in mid-to-late January. We wish everyone a happy and, more importantly, safe holiday season

For the penultimate Gobbledygeek of the year, Paul and Arlo return to an institution they dropped like a bad habit at the start of the pandemic: the Four-Color Flashback! Vickie Willis Navarra, board member of the Comics and Popular Arts Conference at DragonCon, joins the boys to discuss Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book One. Matt Wagner’s resurrection of DC’s Golden Age hero Wesley Dodds, with art by Guy Davis, John Watkiss, R.G. Taylor, and David Hornung, explores the dark dreams of 1938 New York. The gang discusses the art’s sketchy, shadowy noir qualities; Vickie interrupts her praise of Dian Belmont long enough to wonder if Dian falls into the “exceptional female” trope; Paul and Arlo ponder the series’ connection to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman; and more.   NEXT: season 11 comes to a close with a Geek Challenge featuring Thunderheart and Dead Man. BREAKDOWN 00:00:35  -  Intro / Guest 00:11:50  -  Main Topic 01:54:34  -  Outro / Next     LINKS V.E.W. Navarra: Writing All The Things   Reading Joss Whedon, edit

We’re still here. The world spins on, at least for a time. In the aftermath of Election Day 2020, there are many variables. Will that loser leave the White House? Will the GOP’s slow-rolling coup pay off? Will a Trumpian shadow militia form, leading to an actual Civil War II? As is the norm, Paul and Arlo have no answers, but they ponder these questions and many others. The boys recount their Election Night spirals; Arlo gets tested for COVID; Paul goes to the severe county of Sevier County; and they discuss some pop culture too, like why the kitchen-sink melodrama of This Is Us works, why Baby Yoda being a monster on The Mandalorian is cool and good, and why Paul hates The Simpsons.   NEXT: for the penultimate episode before our pregnancy-induced hiatus, Vickie Willis Navarra joins us for a Four-Color Flashback discussing Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book One by Matt Wagner, Guy Davis, John Watkiss, and R.G. Taylor. MUSIC “FDT (feat. Nipsey Hustle)” by YG, Still Brazy (2016) “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley

Hello, kiddies. Are you ready for your deadtime story? Gobbledyween 2020 comes to a close as A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis joins Paul and Arlo in the Cryptkeeper's lair to discuss Ernest R. Dickerson's 1995 frightfest Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. These hodunk, podunk, well-then-there motherfuckers discuss the insane cast, including William Sadler, Billy Zane, Dick Miller, and CCH Pounder; the importance of Jada Pinkett Smith's heroine Jeryline; Dickerson's use of light and color; and why this is the perfect mid-'90s time capsule.   NEXT: VOTE.     BREAKDOWN 00:00:50  -  Intro / Guest 00:09:08  -  Demon Knight 01:47:19  -  Outro / VOTE!!! / Next     LINKS “From Script to the Big Scream: Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight Turns 25!” by Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting   “A Celebration of Demon Knight’s Unlikely Hero Jeryline” by Tai Gooden, Nerdist  "Joel Silver Wanted Cameron Diaz to Star in ‘Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight’" by Brad Miska, Bloody Disgusting       MUSIC “Tales from the C

This week, we want all our garmonbozia. Gobbledyween 2020 emerges from the Black Lodge as Brett Easton Hell Yes host Katie L. Wright joins Paul and Arlo to discuss David Lynch’s divisive Twin Peaks prequel/sequel, 1992’s Fire Walk With Me. The gang discusses the film’s polarizing reception at Cannes (Tarantino hated it!), the surprising empathy Lynch and co-writer Robert Engels show toward both victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse, how Fire Walk With Me is the lynchpin (get it?) of the Twin Peaks universe, and of course, Sheryl Lee’s incredible performance as Laura Palmer.   NEXT: Gobbledyween comes to a close as original Gobbler Joseph Lewis hams it up with the Cryptkeeper for Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. BREAKDOWN 00:01:07  -  Intro / Guest 00:03:10  -  Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me 01:40:05  -  Outro / Next LINKS   “The Maligned Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Is Better—and More Important—Than You Know” by Julie Muncy, Wired “Watch ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’ and You’ll Know What the S

Perfection, NV, pop. 14, is adding three more country bumpkins to its census: Paul, Arlo, and Jason Tabrys, writer for Uproxx and Den of Geek, who is returning to the show after a stunning two-year absence. The gang is here to continue the month-long horror celebration Gobbledyween by discussing Ron Underwood’s 1990 creature feature Tremors. There is discussion of Kevin Bacon’s small head, Burt Gummer’s voting record, the simple efficacy of S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock’s script, why the Graboids are great movie monsters, and more. Long-time listeners will know that when Jason Tabrys is involved, more means more.   NEXT: we want all our garmonbozia. Jessica Shipp joins us to discuss Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. BREAKDOWN 00:00:28  -  Intro / Guest 00:06:00  -  Tremors 01:33:40  -  Outro / Next LINKS   Failed Astronaut: A Jason Tabrys Catch-All   “Tremors: Making Perfection” (Documentary) “Tremors turns 30, the most perfect B movie creature feature ever made” by Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica M

Leaves are on the ground. Blood is on the screen. It’s time for Gobbledyween.   Take a break from the horror of the real world to join Paul and Arlo for that most venerated of Gobbledygeek traditions, the month-long horror movie marathon known as Gobbledyween. To kick things off for 2020, our pal Greg Sahadachny takes a break from the usual goofy stuff we stick him with (like the very goofy The Stuff) to go legit with his own personal selection: André Øvredal’s 2016 procedural chiller The Autopsy of Jane Doe. The gang takes a scalpel to the film, discussing how Øvredal gets the most out of his “bottle episode” morgue setting; Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch’s strong performances as a father-son coroner duo; how the film avoids fetishizing Olwen Kelly’s nude body; and why nihilism in horror films can feel so satisfying.   NEXT: grab(oid) onto your butts, Uproxx editor Jason Tabrys joins us to talk Tremors. BREAKDOWN 00:00:50  -  Intro / Guest 00:08:00  -  The Autopsy of Jane Doe 01:26:06  -  Outro / Next LINKS