Objectively Intelligent

With Groundhog Day just a few days away, it's time to get your booties on, get out in the cold, and relive Groundhog Day over and over and over and over. Zach and Germ discuss the classic Bill Murray comedy and how it connects to various philosophies and spiritual thought. In addition, math is involved (apologies), as the duo discuss just how many Groundhog Days it's belived Phil Connors experienc...

It's time to party--again--like it's 1999, with a look back at The Mummy and the franchise it spawned. While spending some time on the movie itself, the coversation turns to a love fest for Brendan Fraser and his underrated list of films, his range in Bedazzled , and his powerful performance in The Whale , which deservedly earned him an Oscar in 2023. Also, Zach rails on Tom Cruise, leading to a d...

Zach and Germ head back to 1997 to discuss the sci-fi cult classic, The Fifth Element. Chris Tucker's performace as Ruby Rhod steals a good portion of the opening, but the duo work through the amazing cast, disagree on the idea of a remake (and the remake of Aladdin), and reference another dozen or so movies (and a moon landing) along the way. The Fifth Element was a fantastic film. This episode i...

Following up on their recent episode on Gladiator, Zach and Germ discuss Gladiator II and offer their takes on the film. In addition they cover the flawed marketing campaign, Denzel has Germ saying "My man!" a dozen times or so, the battle of the soundtracks, the near disaster of a potential sequel, and a breakdown of the film's historical inacuracies leads to a conversation on the "dream of Rome,...

While you enjoy the marathon of A Christmas Story this Christmas Eve, Germ and Zach discuss the classic tale of Ralphie, his quest for a Red Ryder Carbine Action BB gun, and his overactive imagination (lookin' at you, Bad Bart). As always, there are detours, including stories of bb guns, hunting carpenter bees and Star Wars figures, and how HBO gave an entire generation of boys an easier way to se...

With Christmas only days away, Germ and Zach dial back the clock to discuss the classic holiday, Miracle on 34th Street. Beginning with the questionable marketing choice to hide that it was a Christmas film, the chatty movie lovers discuss young Natalie Wood's belief in Edmund Gwenn's portrayal of Kris Kringle, throw a shout out to the postal service for always being true to themselves in life and...

As the month of Christmas Faves continues, the cotton-headed ninny muggins duo of Germ and Zach take on the Will Ferrell classic, Elf. The discussion ranges from Jon Favreau's influence on the Rankin-Bass look and feel of the film, a lesson in forced perspective, the cameo role for a Christmas icon as Ming Ming the Elf, Zach's memorable encounter with Amy Sedaris, celebrating the greatness of Bob...

The parade of Christmas favorites continues with It's a Wonderful Life. Germ and Zach visit George Bailey and his exploits in Bedford Falls. Along the way, they cover the invention of "snow", how a clerical error made the film a classic, its rumored ties to Sesame Street, Zach's unpopular opinion (at least the one related to the film, there isn't time for all of them), and the duo talk about the h...

It's that time of year again! To open the celebration of the yuletide, Germ and Zach discuss Die Hard, the genre-bending action flick starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. The duo talk about the studio plan for the role of John MacLane and why Bruce Willis was ultimately the controversial choice, the subtle forms of humor used througout, the odd dubbing choice for the iconic Yippie-ki-yay line,...

With Gladiator II on the horizon (and now out!), Germ and Zach head back to the original to discuss casting, the incredible Hans Zimmer soundtrack (featuring Lisa Gerrard's haunting vocals), the epic opening battle sequence and how it became a lightning rod for protest, the great Richard Harris in one of his final performances, delve into the history of Rome, and debate human nature vs. hope for h...

Germ and Zach take on a Coen brothers classic, O'Brother Where Art Thou ? In addition to casting stories, they discuss the award-winning soundtrack, who in the cast sang and who didn't, the ties to The Odyssey , their favorite lines, and the handful of characters and places taken from history.

Zach and Germ drop into the MCU timeline, with the underrated gem, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 1. There's almost too much to cover. Touching on the chart-topping soundtrack, Howard the Duck and his inevitable trip to the Void, the introduction of the infinity stones, the incredible cast (with some unexpected Vin Diesel love), what made Dave Bautista cry, and the unforgettable exchanges between Ro...

Ummmm...yeahhhh.... Germ and Zach celebrate 25 years of TPS reports with the cult classic, Office Space, complete with favorite lines, casting stories, the satirical take on corporate life versus the reality of it, what to do with the Bobs, Lumburghs, and Drews of the world, and what it is about the movie that resonates with its audience.

Germ and Zach close out a month of Tim Burton films with the return of the ghost with the most in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Along the way, the duo discuss the reasoning behind the absences of Jeffrey Jones (yikes), Alec Baldwin, and Geena Davis, the connections to the first film, the focus on the three generations of the Deetz women, and Willem Dafoe's role of a lifetime (or death time, in this cas...

As the month of Tim Burton winds to a close, the rambling duo of Germ and Zach discuss Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton's first self-professed horror film. Covering another all-star cast that would appeal to any fan of Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings, Germ and Zach break down casting, art design, drop in some Christopher Walken love, and do their best to ensure that Ray Park gets his due. O...

Is it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? The month of Burton continues, as Zach and Germ discuss The Nightmare Before Christmas, the one and only Tim Burton film that he did not direct (job well done, Henry Selick!). Along the way, the wandering duo talk about favorite horror films, Burton's tenure in the Disney Art Studios, Danny Elfman's fantastic score--as well as his vocals for Jack Skell...

After a Helene-induced power/internet outage delay, Zach and Germ return to continue their month of Tim Burton films with Edward Scissorhands. The duo discss the casting choices, Johnny Depp making you want to jump jump, the beauty in Burton's portrayal of a lonely and isolated character, Edward's connection to a dog and Charlie Chaplin, and Zach tries without success to say the word 'subtly'. Jus...

In this first episode in a month-long series on films by Tim Burton, Germ and Zach discuss Mars Attacks! , the dynamic cast, the lunacy and satire of humans under attack, how this film influenced Burton's attempted Superman film (which unlocks up some Nic Cage appreciation, because ... Nic Cage), the 1962 Topps-issued card series and Burton's love for old school sci-fi movies that inspired the fil...

Germ and Zach dig into Back to the Future , a classic and favorite, covering the controversial hire of Eric Stoltz as Marty, the muddled science behind the flux capacitor and alternate timelines, the odd choice for the original time machine, the difficulties the Bobs had landing a deal for the movie, and where they would go in time if they had a DeLorean to take them there.

Germ and Zach offer their take on Deadpool and Wolverine, why the TVA is out to cancel your favorite characters into the Void (especially if they are a Deadpool variant), the pageant and heart-winning Dogpool, and why violating the 4th wall splits Germ into two opposing people. Plus the duo offers a preview of their upcoming October slate of episodes during Tim Burton month.

Germ and Zach apparate into the magical world of Harry Potter, reliving favorite moments, differences between the books and movie, stories of casting, the price the rush job of finishing the first movie cost in effects, and the vast universe of stories expanding from the original material, including the upcoming Max series.

Germ and Zach take on the collosus, Jurassic Park , digging into its impact on the industry in both visual and sound, the history of the first discovery of dinosaur bones, Sam Neil's surprisingly light list of notable films (sorry Neil!), and the many ways in which Stephen Spielberg made this a classic.

We're going down the rabbit hole! So, make your choice: red pill or blue pill? Germ and Zach dig into the Matrix universe, influences on philosophy and the perception of reality, determinism vs. choice, the war between the Architect and the Analyst, and get a bit tangent happy (not an uncommon occurance!).

It's time to talk Star Wars! Specifically, the original trilogy, but Zach and Germ cast a wide net to discuss how George Lucas convinced a skeptical Fox Studios to back his film, the evolution of lightsaber duels, John Williams' brilliant scores, and ramble into philosophy without somehow losing the point. If you're a fan of the series (or even a hesitant fan because we know you're out there), the...

Zach and his not-so-disguised co-host Germ kick off the initial episode with an introduction to Objectively Intelligent, introduce their EVR system of movie ratings, break down the new movie Twisters, and get generally distracted by dumb things they did in their twenties.