Wed, 22 December 2021
It’s only one more Gobbledygeek ‘til Christmas! This year, instead of discussing the weird or cynical sides of the holidays, Paul and Arlo are embracing sincerity with a look at 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol. The first Muppets feature film following the death of Jim Henson is a faithful adaptation of the classic novella, with Gonzo as Charles Dickens himself and none other than Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge. The boys discuss why Caine’s decision to play things straight is key to the film’s success, the film’s technical wizardry, the beautiful songs by Paul Williams, and why it’s the greatest Christmas film of them all. Plus, Paul and Arlo recount a very strange year and get honest about the difficulties of the holiday season.
NEXT: have a safe and merry holiday, regardless of what you celebrate, and a happy new year. We’ll be back in 2022 with the long-awaited discussion of The Americans season 4 featuring Wesley Mead.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:50 - Intro 00:14:00 - The Muppet Christmas Carol 01:42:05 - Outro / Next
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Wed, 15 December 2021
What if…you listened to a podcast about What If…? In a universe of infinite possibilities, Michael Holland (currently post-production supervisor on The Peripheral for Amazon) finds himself once again teaming up with Paul and Arlo for a discussion of MCUTV. This time, it’s the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first animated series, the multiversal What If…? Ostensibly an anthology series, the show ponders the ways in which our heroes’ lives could have gone very, very differently. For their part, the gang ponders the series’ relationship to the classic comic book of the same name, how the 2.5D animation allows for greater freedom than live-action, how voice acting is not the same thing as physical acting, and how–of course–everything is connected.
NEXT: we bid farewell to 2021 with the comfy, cozy The Muppet Christmas Carol.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:30 - Intro / Guest 00:04:06 - What if…there was a comic book series called What If…? 00:20:04 - What If…? (the show!) 02:19:40 - Outro / Next
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Mon, 6 December 2021
“And cast ye the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” So says Matthew 25:30, and in John Layman and Afu Chan’s Outer Darkness, there is plenty of weeping–and so, so much gnashing of teeth. For their last Four-Color Flashback of the year, Paul and Arlo discuss Layman and Chan’s 2018-19 Image/Skybound series, which imagines a far-flung future where spaceships need exorcists onboard and the dead can be resurrected so long as you cast a net wide enough to catch their souls. The boys discuss the book’s ingenious mash-up of space opera and supernatural horror, how Layman & Chan expertly juggle a number of timelines, why the visceral splorches of Chan’s art are so satisfying, and the depressing realities behind the series’ cancellation.
NEXT: what if…we did another MCUTV episode with Hollywood’s own Michael Holland? We’ll be discussing, you guessed it, the animated Marvel series What If…?
BREAKDOWN 00:00:57 - Intro 00:04:39 - Outer Darkness 01:37:00 - Outro / Next
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Fri, 26 November 2021
The best show on TV is on FX--well, FX on Hulu, that is. It’s called Reservation Dogs, it was created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, and it is about four Indigenous kids from Oklahoma dreaming of escape to California. To discuss this funny, heartbreaking show, Paul and Arlo are joined by pop culture writer extraordinaire Nikki Stafford. The gang discusses the show’s subtle storytelling, its incredible cast, the way Harjo and his team thread the needle between tragedy and comedy, and how this series breaks ground for mainstream Native representation in America. Plus, Arlo almost killed Paul.
NEXT: second time’s the charm; hopefully, we’ll actually do a Four-Color Flashback on John Layman and Afu Chan’s Outer Darkness.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:42 - Intro / Guest 00:10:45 - Reservation Dogs 01:25:45 - Outro / Next
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Sat, 30 October 2021
Gobbledyween has come to a close for another year--and we’re going out with a fang! To round out our month of frightening films, we’ve chosen a movie most people have probably never heard of: Rockula, a vampiric musical from 1990 starring Dean Cameron as the bloodsucking Ralph, cursed to try and win back the love of his immortal life every 22 years. We have also chosen to torture none other than Mimesis author Eric Sipple, who has been forced to endure this film with Paul and Arlo. The gang discusses mirror selves, farting bats, resentful stars, and of course, Bo Diddley.
NEXT: enough inner darkness, how about some Outer Darkness? For our next Four-Color Flashback, we explore the interstellar terror of John Layman and Afu Chan’s 2018-19 Image series.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:40 - Intro / Guest 00:09:36 - Rockula 01:29:46 - The Box Office Game! 01:52:26 - Outro / Next
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Mon, 25 October 2021
Have you ever heard of insect podcasts? Neither have we. Paul and Arlo continue Gobbledyween 2021 with a deep penetrating dive into the plasma pool, as Alex Jonestown Massacre guitarist Kenn Edwards teleports on over to discuss David Cronenberg’s 1986 classic The Fly. The gang places the film in the context of the AIDS epidemic, marvels at just how charming it is, raves about Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis’ chemistry, and declares makeup effects artist Chris Walas to be one of the unsung heroes of ‘80s cinema. Plus, Kenn gives us a breakdown of the 20 (!) live events he’s been to post-vaccine.
NEXT: all things must come to an end, and so Gobbledyween returns to the grave after one final performance. Mimesis author Eric Sipple helps us lift the coffin lid on Luca Bercovici’s 1990 masterpiece Rockula.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:20 - Intro / Guest 00:05:42 - The Fly 00:11:18 - Oh wait, it’s Ted Lasso tangents and concert reviews… 00:47:35 - Okay, back to The Fly, for real this time 01:26:46 - Kenn blindsides us with his House of the Devil thoughts 01:30:00 - Aaaaaand the finale of our The Fly discussion 02:01:20 - The Box Office Game! 02:26:28 - Outro / Next
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Sun, 17 October 2021
Listen to them, the children of the night. What movies they make! For the second installment of Gobbledyween 2021, A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis joins Paul and Arlo for a discussion of Clive Barker’s 1990 film Nightbreed. Butchered by the studio on initial release and restored to its full grotesquerie decades later, Nightbreed is a bizarre fusion of epic fantasy, slasher, and supernatural horror. The gang discusses why that mix is so fascinating, why it’s important that the monsters are the good guys, auteur David Cronenberg’s turn as the evil Dr. Dekker, and the queer framework that gives the film extra resonance. Plus, as promised, Joe has some thoughts on The House of the Devil.
NEXT: speaking of that Cronenberg guy, Alex Jonestown Massacre guitarist Kenn Edwards helps us continue Gobbledyween with a discussion of 1986’s The Fly.
BREAKDOWN 00:01:00 - Intro / Joe’s thoughts on The House of the Devil 00:24:30 - Nightbreed 01:43:53 - Closing shenanigans (The Box-Office Game?) 02:00:18 - Outro / Next
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Thu, 7 October 2021
Leaves are on the ground. Blood is on the screen. It’s time for Gobbledyween. Our beloved, bloody tradition returns for another fiendish film fest featuring only the finest (?) of the horror genre. Greg Sahadachny, once and future host of The Debatable Podcast, helps Paul and Arlo kick off Gobbledyween 2021 by giving them a ride to The House of the Devil. Ti West’s 2009 breakthrough was a seminal moment in the indie horror boom of the last decade-plus. The question now, so many years removed, is if that moment was worth having. The gang discusses how this film’s slow burn played in the context of the torture porn era; its expert aping of the ‘80s aesthetic so near and dear to Paul’s heart; the strong performances from Joceline Donahue, Greta Gerwig, and Tom Noonan; and whether West’s loving homage is anything more than a reminder of better films.
NEXT: we’re checking out of this house, as we hitch a ride with A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis through the mind of Clive Barker. We’ll be discussing the director’s cut of his 1990 cult classic Nightbreed.
BREAKDOWN 00:01:06 - Intro / Guest 00:08:44 - The House of the Devil 01:36:00 - Outro / Next
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Thu, 30 September 2021
For their latest Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo are exploring the world of Si Spurrier and Jeff Stokely’s 2015 mini-series The Spire. Our location is a massive, tiered city surrounded by a desolate wasteland; our cast of characters include privileged aristocrats and the undesired “Sculpted,” hybridized from human and animal DNA; and our story is one of noir sleuthing, extreme violence, racial intolerance, and classism. The boys discuss Spurrier and Stokely’s deceptively simple storytelling; the “soft edges” around their world-building; Stokely’s manga-influenced art; and just how in-spire-ing it all is. Plus, a number of previous FCF selections are hitting the small screen, including Y: The Last Man, The Sandman, and most unbelievably of all, Grendel.
NEXT: what’s that? It’s October? Time for Gobbledyween 2021. Our annual horror-fest kicks off with a discussion of Ti West’s 2009 indie phenom The House of the Devil, featuring our old pal Greg Sahadachny.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:51 - Intro / Comics on TV banter 00:22:11 - The Spire 01:34:42 - Outro / Next
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Tue, 14 September 2021
To paraphrase Philip and Elizabeth Jennings’ new/old handler Gabriel, “Podcasting and timeliness in many ways are antithetical.” After a series of delays, Paul and Arlo are back with guest of honor Wesley “Wezzo” Mead to continue their discussion of Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields’ modern classic spy drama The Americans. This time, they’re taking a look at season 3, a masterclass in thematic cohesion. Everything, more or less, comes back to the challenge of parenthood: on a micro level, how the Jennings plan on guiding Paige into the world of spycraft; on a macro level, how they can act as individuals under the forceful hand of the Centre. The gang talks self-actualization, bone-crunching, necklacing, and Frank motherfucking Langella. Plus, a detour into the “wholesomeness discourse” raging around Ted Lasso.
NEXT: John Cusack and Paul Dano take on John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer in a Geek Challenge. It’s the very real music biopic Love & Mercy versus the parody music biopic Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:44 - Intro / Guest 00:05:37 - Some words about Ted Lasso 00:25:48 - The Americans: Season 3 02:22:37 - Outro / Next
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Tue, 7 September 2021
What happens when a regularly scheduled episode gets regularly postponed? A freestyle, that’s what! In lieu of talking about The Americans season 3, Paul and Arlo talk about...well, whatever the fuck they want to talk about. Paul’s angry, Arlo’s drunk, it’s an angry drunken ramble! “Topics” of “discussion” include dumb reality shows like Clash of Cones, the intrinsic value (or lack thereof) in a star rating system, how disappointing the new Lorde album is, and whether or not the boys are actually going to see each other in person this year.
NEXT: The Americans season 3 with Wesley Mead? Maybe?
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Mon, 30 August 2021
That Sipple you like is going to come back in style. It’s been a long while--we’re talking pre-pandemic here--but Eric Sipple is finally making their return to this humble little podcast. Author of Broken Magic and one-third of the Deli Counter of Justice braintrust, Eric tells Paul and Arlo all about their new YA fantasy novel Mimesis--including the loaded, sometimes confusing connotations inferred by the term “YA.” The gang discusses the gorgeous cover art by Demetrio Kring, what inspired Mimesis, and Eric’s upcoming gig at the MileHiCon in Denver, CO. Plus, assorted and often tangential thoughts on the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer.
NEXT: TBD.
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Sun, 22 August 2021
You can’t go home again. But you can return to the creator-owned post-apocalyptic fantasy saga that captivated comics readers for 40 twisted, beautiful issues. That’s exactly what Jeff Lemire did last year with Sweet Tooth: The Return, a sequel miniseries that takes place three whole centuries after the original Vertigo series’ ending. Considering that ending was perfect, does The Return need to exist? Paul and Arlo aren’t so sure. They discuss what The Return adds (or subtracts) from the greater narrative, the book’s alleged Twin Peaks influence, the story’s many “It’s like poetry, it rhymes” moments, and why you shouldn’t fuck around with elephants. Plus, they start things off by chatting about why Netflix’s Sweet Tooth is a great adaptation.
NEXT: Eric...Sipple? Does anyone know who this is? Why is he talking to us? Oh god.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:50 - Intro 00:03:24 - Netflix Sweet Tooth adaptation 00:15:50 - Sweet Tooth: The Return 01:17:13 - Outro / Next
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Tue, 17 August 2021
After a two-year absence--thanks, global pandemic!--the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes its return to the big screen with the long-awaited Black Widow. And we do mean long-awaited: it’s been 11 years since Scarlett Johansson made her debut as Natasha Romanoff, and only now, after we’ve seen Nat die in Avengers: Endgame, does Black Widow get a solo movie. Paul and Arlo are joined by pop culture fan and academic Tanya Cochran to discuss whether or not Cate Shortland’s film was worth the wait. There’s talk of trauma, family dramedy, falling debris, and how much Arlo absolutely loves David Harbour as Red Guardian.
NEXT: Sweet Tooth returns, again, in Sweet Tooth: The Return for our next Four-Color Flashback.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:50 - Intro / Guest 00:05:50 - Black Widow 00:26:48 - SPOILERS 02:04:47 - Outro / Next
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Tue, 10 August 2021
Gobbledygeek’s very own MCU TV brain trust reconvenes somewhere in the multiverse, as post-production supervisor to the stars Michael Holland joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Michael Waldron and Kate Herron’s Loki. The gang untangles the kooky timeline shenanigans, falls in love with the incestuous narcissism at the heart of the Loki/Sylvie relationship, find themselves wowed by Owen Wilson, and ponders where the show’s timey-wimey finale leaves the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, Arlo likes Blade Runner now, and there’s some Space Jam: A New Legacy trash talk.
NEXT: the MCU returns to the big screen with Cate Shortland’s Black Widow.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:42 - Intro / Guest 00:17:50 - Main Topic 01:56:30 - Outro / Next
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Mon, 2 August 2021
Nature is healing. For this month’s Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo conclude the post-apocalyptic journeys of The Boy and the Big Man with Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth: Deluxe Edition - Books Two and Three. The remnants of humanity fight tooth and nail for survival against the paws and claws of the human/animal hybrid children, who only seem to be increasing in number. Which begs the question, Whose apocalypse is this, exactly? The boys discuss the obvious influence of Lost on the book, whether or not Lemire should have thrown back a certain Fish, the series’ beautiful finale, and how horses are just really tough to draw.
NEXT: could be Loki, could be low-key.
CORRECTION Paul and Arlo rave about Jeff Lemire’s use of watercolors throughout Sweet Tooth. That praise should actually be reserved for brilliant colorist José Villarrubia. Sorry, José!
BREAKDOWN 00:00:55 - Intro / Guest 00:04:40 - Main Topic 01:47:23 - Outro / Next
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Sat, 24 July 2021
For Norma Desmond, the pictures got small when words stole her mystique; for Alan Swann, it was when his drunken antics got him downgraded to the boob tube. They’re both stand-ins for larger-than-life stars past their prime, Norma in Billy Wilder’s scathing Sunset Blvd. (1950) and Alan in Richard Benjamin’s cozy My Favorite Year (1982). In our latest Geek Challenge, Paul and Arlo discuss these fallen idols and how their respective movies take much different approaches to a mentor/mentee relationship. The boys break down the ways in which both films echo real-life Hollywood legends; praise Gloria Swanson’s arch turn as Norma and Peter O’Toole’s thinly veiled take on Errol Flynn; pine for dead monkey funerals; and wonder what things would be like if Jessica Harper ruled the mob.
NEXT: on this month’s Four-Color Flashback, we conclude the post-apocalyptic adventures of Gus and Jeppard in Deluxe Editions 2 and 3 of Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:40 - Intro / Guest 00:06:28 - Sunset Blvd. 00:52:15 - My Favorite Year 01:28:56 - Outro / Next
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Sun, 11 July 2021
You know what they say: Parenting is hard, especially when you’re undercover KGB operatives masquerading as a suburban American couple. As Paul, Arlo, and special guest Wesley “Wezzo” Mead dive into season 2 of Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields’ modern classic The Americans, they discover all the ways child-rearing is difficult for Philip and Elizabeth Jennings. This includes concealing your secret identity; setting up a decoy aunt; keeping your kids out of the church; and shielding them from the dreaded “spurtsposition.” Plus, Paul and Wezzo rock out to the new Fratellis album and share some nice words about Ted Lasso.
NEXT: it’s My Favorite Year to take a stroll down Sunset Blvd. on a new Geek Challenge.
BREAKDOWN 00:01:16 - Intro / Guest 00:14:17 - Main Topic 01:51:00 - Outro / Next
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Sat, 19 June 2021
Imagine a world where a global pandemic killed millions and changed society forever. Spooky stuff, huh? Well, take a break from reality with this month’s Four-Color Flashback: Sweet Tooth: The Deluxe Edition - Book One, comprising the first 12 issues of Jeff Lemire’s offbeat breakthrough about a little deer boy and the post-apocalyptic hell that awaits him in the wilds of Nebraska. Along the way, he meets a Frank Miller-style tough guy named Jepperd, who seems to be the grizzled protector to Gus’ naive innocent. It’s a little more complicated than that, of course. Paul and Arlo discuss Lemire’s weird, idiosyncratic artwork; the way he uses the faces and especially the eyes of his laconic characters to convey so much; and how the new Netflix adaptation is radically different.
NEXT: dust off that mail robot, it’s time for The Americans season 2 with British secret agent Wesley “Wezzo” Mead.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:47 - Intro / Banter 00:19:38 - Sweet Tooth: The Deluxe Edition - Book One 01:37:00 - Outro / Next
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Fri, 11 June 2021
On a new freestyle episode, Paul and Arlo spend the whole podcast telling you about other podcasts you should be listening to instead (and one you should not). You see, Paul has descended into true crime madness, his paranoia reaching heretofore unseen levels as he falls asleep to the sounds of violence. There are also serial killers following him. Elsewhere, Arlo’s vestigial nose twin stalks the night, plotting his revenge. Oh, and Arlo provides a really detailed recap of an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for some reason.
NEXT: everybody gets a sweet tooth now and then. We’ll have 12 of them as we discuss the first two volumes of Jeff Lemire’s Vertigo series Sweet Tooth for this month’s Four-Color Flashback.
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Mon, 7 June 2021
The Four-Color Flashback, that most venerated non-Gobbledyween tradition, has been around in some form for nearly all of this podcast’s 11 years. And yet--we’ve never discussed manga, the world’s most popular comics format. Paul and Arlo have decided to rectify that with the first volume of Inio Asano’s Goodnight Punpun, the surreal exploration of one young boy’s troubled adolescence. Punpun Punyama has a crush on the new girl at school, stays with his hipster uncle because of his abusive dad, hears the voice of God, and is beginning to familiarize himself with the art of self-pleasure. Oh, he and his whole family are also rendered as simple little cartoon bird and/or ghost people, while the world around them is drawn in gorgeous detail by Asano. The boys share their limited experience with manga, Arlo enjoys weird vagina monsters, and Paul has an epiphany.
Next: free(style) as a bird(boy).
BREAKDOWN 00:00:55 - Intro / Guest 00:04:58 - Main Topic 01:16:40 - Outro / Next
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Thu, 27 May 2021
Paul, Arlo, and returning guest Michael Holland aren’t in Westview anymore. For its second TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe returns to more conventional superheroics. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the Captain America sequel we’ve been waiting for, filled with stellar action sequences, resonant character work, and a twisty-turny plot. The gang debates how well that last element works, but one thing they can all agree on: director Kari Skogland and head writer Malcolm Spellman do their cast justice, bringing depths to Sam and Bucky we haven’t gotten to see on the big screen. Other topics of discussion include just how relatable the Flag Smashers are, Madripoor’s splashy MCU debut, Sharon Carter’s heel turn, and how Wyatt Russell makes an insufferable character sufferable.
NEXT: he’s not exactly a falcon, but he is a weird little bird-boy. For the first Four-Color Flashback discussing manga, Paul and Arlo take a look at Inio Asano’s Goodnight Punpun: Vol. 1.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:44 - Intro / Guest 00:05:05 - Main Topic 02:05:00 - Outro / Next
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Tue, 4 May 2021
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 - Intro / Guest 00:03:45 - Main Topic 01:50:05 - Outro / Next
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Tue, 27 April 2021
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
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Mon, 19 April 2021
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.
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Wed, 14 April 2021
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
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Sun, 11 April 2021
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.
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Tue, 30 March 2021
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-channel.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:50 - Intro / Guest 00:05:53 - WandaVision 01:51:39 - Outro / Next
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Mon, 15 March 2021
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, WandaVision.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:50 - Intro 00:07:14 - American Vampire 01:34:36 - Outro / Next
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Sun, 7 March 2021
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 list” (We’re sorry.) 01:52:54 - Outro / Next
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Sat, 27 February 2021
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 dialogue from Prince of Cats) 01:55:08 - Outro / Next
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Tue, 23 February 2021
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
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Sun, 7 February 2021
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 / Next
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Mon, 1 February 2021
‘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 - Intro / Guest 00:03:40 - Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions 00:16:47 - Evermore 02:36:36 - Outro / Next
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Sun, 24 January 2021
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 / Next
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