Wed, 30 October 2019
Ever have a job so shitty, it haunts you years (or even decades) down the line? Paul and Arlo have, and it’s called Gobbledygeek! Hey-o! In all seriousness (?), Paul recounts a traumatic experience at Shakey’s Pizza and Arlo is filled with regret over his time at the right-wing call center InfoCision. Cue flashbacks to high school football teams ravenous for wings and evil televangelists separating the faithful from what little coin they carry. Speaking of the latter, Arlo laments Kanye West’s evangelical turn on Jesus Is King. Elsewhere, Paul watches TV, including Succession, Primal, Daybreak, Watchmen, and Modern Love; and braves crowds of drunken revelers at shows for Bastille, Joywave, Trampled by Turtles, and The Avett Bros.
Next: TBD.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:39:58 00:00:33 - Intro 00:01:12 - We are NOT sponsored by the Gobble meal delivery service 00:07:30 - Cold pizza and really, really hot wings 00:14:43 - Way too much about InfoCision 00:43:48 - Not nearly enough about some great new TV shows 00:54:08 - More than a little bit about Succession 01:07:20 - Unfortunately, we discuss the new Kanye album 01:15:30 - A Popeye’s chicken sandwich interlude 01:17:15 - Back to Kanye (and controversial comments on Beyonce) 01:24:31 - Lastly, Paul’s been to some concerts 01:37:05 - Outro / Next
THE MUSIC “This Fucking Job” by Drive-By Truckers, The Big To-Do (2010) “Blastoffff” by Joywave, Blastoffff (Single) (2018)
THE LINKS “Charitable donations benefit telemarketers” by David Evans, The Washington Post Gobble meal kit delivery service (who is NOT a sponsor of our show) |
Mon, 28 October 2019
Our favorite thing is Gobbledyween, so to close out this year’s frightening festivities, Paul and Arlo are breaking from the norm to discuss Emil Ferris’ 2017 graphic novel My Favorite Thing Is Monsters. Joining them for this first Gobbledyween/Four-Color Flashback crossover is their The Deli Counter of Justice collaborator Eric Sipple. The gang marvels at Ferris’ stunning art (all done in ballpoint pen!), attempts to process the numerous threads in this first of two planned volumes (sexuality, duality, and reality, oh my!), draws unexpected parallels to Art Spiegelman’s Maus (a FCF entry just this past August!), and so much more (no parenthetical necessary!). We promise there are monsters.
Next: and I’m freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, free Gooooobbliiiiiiin’.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:42:55 00:00:44 - Intro 00:03:20 - My Favorite Thing is Monsters 01:36:51 - Outro / Next
THE MUSIC “Wild Thing” by The Troggs, From Nowhere (1966) “Good Monsters” by Jars of Clay, Good Monsters (2006)
THE LINKS “The Holocaust, Art, Chicago & Sickness: A 3,500-Word Interview with My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Mastermind Emil Ferris” by Hillary Brown, Paste “'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' Is A Dazzling, Graphic Novel Tour-De-Force” by John Powers, NPR “My Favorite Thing Is Monsters - Review” by Andrea Crow, Lambda Literary “Emil Ferris: ‘I didn’t want to be a woman - being a monster was the best solution’” by Sam Thielman, The Guardian “My Favorite Thing Is Monsters - Review” by Paul Tumey, The Comics Journal “When Everyone’s a Monster, No One Is: The Ugly Everyday in My Favorite Thing is Monsters” by Em Nordling, Tor.com “My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is a brilliant, eye-opening graphic novel debut” by Oliver Sava, AV Club “The Bite That Changed My Life” by Elly Fishman, Chicagomag.com |
Sun, 20 October 2019
Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme: the rich have always sucked off the poor, and podcasting icon Greg Sahadachny has always joined Gobbledyween for the most ridiculous and outrageous pick of the season. This time, Paul and Arlo have chosen to torment Greg with Brian Yuzna’s 1989 satire Society, which is a dumb teen sex comedy until--well, until it isn’t. The gang discusses the film’s subtext and/or screaming neon text; Screaming Mad George’s “surrealistic makeup effects”; how the movie surprisingly rewards repeat viewings; and the film’s unlikely parallels to Lynch, Friedkin, Polanski, and a whole buncha other pretentious arthouse weirdos.
Next: Gobbledyween comes to a close as Broken Magic author Eric Sipple joins us to discuss Emil Ferris’ graphic novel My Favorite Thing Is Monsters.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:14:44 00:00:45 - Intro 00:03:42 - Society 01:09:00 - Outro / Next
THE MUSIC “The Eton Boating Song (feat. Helen Moore)” by A.D.E.W., Mark Ryder & Phil Davies, Society (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1989) “Society Is My Friend” by Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for My Halo (2011) |
Sat, 12 October 2019
It finally happened. After three long years of behind-the-scenes turmoil, Near Dark has made its way to Gobbledyween. A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampiric Western, which reimagined the creatures of the night as filthy, lowdown rednecks. The gang discusses the influence Near Dark has had on vampire fiction, the late great Bill Paxton’s immortal performance as Severen, the film’s surprisingly conservative stance on biological family, and how surprisingly difficult it is to get ahold of the movie these days.
Next: Gobbledyween lives in a society. Greg Sahadachny joins us to talk Brian Yuzna’s 1989 satire Society.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:33:05 00:00:45 - Intro 00:03:44 - Near Dark 01:24:22 - Outro / Next
THE MUSIC “Fever” by The Cramps, Songs the Lord Taught Us (1980) “The Cowboy Rides Away” by George Strait, Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1984)
THE LINKS “25 Things We Learned from Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark Commentary” by Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects “Bloodthirsty and Lonely in the Heartland: Kathryn Bigelow’s NEAR DARK” by Jacob Mazer, Bryn Mawr Film Institute “The Deafening Night: Kathryn Bigelow’s NEAR DARK” by Jacob Knight, Birth. Movies. Death. “How Near Dark Explores the Dark Side of Family Structure” by Nat Brehmer, Wicked Horror “Near Dark (1987)” by Roderick Heath, Ferdy on Films “Sunlight Through Bullet Holes” by Tammy Oler, Slate “Near Dark” by John M. Miller, TCM |
Sun, 6 October 2019
Leaves are on the ground, blood is on the screen. It’s time once again for Gobbledyween, that most beloved of Gobbledygeek institutions--and one that has not reared its horrific head in full since 2015! All month long, Paul and Arlo will be discussing horror or horror-adjacent movies, starting with one they actually discussed seven years ago: Drew Goddard’s mega-meta 2011 genre critique The Cabin in the Woods. The boys reveal why they’re revisiting the film (hint: it involves sheer incompetence!), break down Goddard and co-writer/producer Joss Whedon’s refutation of horror stereotypes, compare Cabin’s prevailing sense of nihilism to the pragmatic hope on display in Buffy and Angel, and go nuts trying to name all the monsters we see on screen.
Next: the night, it’s deafening. A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis joins us to discuss--finally--Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampire Western Near Dark.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:43:03 00:00:35 - Intro 00:11:12 - The Cabin in the Woods 01:40:36 - Outro / Next
THE MUSIC “Horror Movies” by Dickie Goodman (1961) “Last” by Nine Inch Nails, Broken (1992)
THE LINKS “‘The Cabin in the Woods’ Spoilers: Drew Goddard Speaks Freely” by Maria Elena Fernandez, The Daily Beast |
Tue, 1 October 2019
For another installment of this year’s non-superhero Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo look at the story of a real-life hero in Green River Killer: A True Detective Story, Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case’s loving tribute to Jeff’s dad, Detective Tom Jensen. Detective Jensen was instrumental in catching Gary Leon Ridgway AKA the Green River Killer, America’s most prolific serial killer. The boys discuss Paul’s connection to (and possible culpability in?!) the case, the comparisons or lack thereof to the father-son dynamic in Maus, Case’s beautiful character acting, and more.
Next: leaves are on the ground, blood is on the screen. It’s time for Gobbledyween. We kick off this year’s festivities with a(nother) discussion of Drew Goddard’s 2011 mega-meta horror film The Cabin in the Woods. This time, Paul and Arlo are joined by Michael Holland, post-production supervisor for American Horror Story.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:15:25 00:00:35 - Intro 00:02:00 - Green River Killer 01:09:47 - Outro / Next
THE MUSIC “Green River” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Green River (1969) “Deep Red Bells” by Neko Case, Blacklisted (2002)
THE LINKS “Writer Jeff Jensen Talks Dark Horse’s Green River Killer: A True Detective Story”, diamondcomics.com |
