Pop Culture Basement

For most of us, MEL BROOKS has always been around. He's our Crazy Uncle Mel, the one who makes sure your parents don't find out when he tells you a dirty joke or shows you a naughty picture. Uncle Mel helped to shape the humor and outlook of MULTIPLE generations, especially Gen-X, who were plopped down in front of a TV at an all too young age and watched YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, BLAZING SADDLES...

In the age we live in, where every IP is mined for nostalgia to make a quick billion, it's hard to imagine a time when a movie based on a BOARD GAME was an anomaly that quickly faded from theaters...only to rise again as a generation spanning cult classic. BILL BERE from THE BATPOD returns to the basement to solve the mystery that is CLUE: How this children's time waster turned holiday flick attra...

The LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy is epic and iconic filmmaking, some of the BEST fantasy content put on screen. The HOBBIT Trilogy...eh, not so much. Did we REALLY need a trio of 3 hour films to depict J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tale? In 1977, Rankin/Bass emphatically proved that NO, we did not! HENRY BERNSTEIN joins me down in the basement once again to sift through my childhood nightmare fuel and...

From the ashes of a failed toy line, there cometh....AN EVENT COMIC SERIES! Or was it the other way around? Long before comic companies scheduled annual universe altering events, Marvel & Mattel teamed up to unleash a multimedia onslaught on their common audience....KIDS! While the toy line that served as the inspiration for the limited series was far from a success, the SECRET WARS comics proved...

When it comes to a property like THE PRINCESS BRIDE, a film beloved & admired the world over, it's INCONCEIVABLE to assume you can just release a normal podcast episode. With that in mind, I've called in my own personal BRUTE SQUAD to help me celebrate this iconic classic. Joining me down in the basement are Bellacissa, Bill Dunn, Brad Reiter and Anthony (with a SPECIAL GUEST), sharing...

Before chat rooms, before fan forums, before the internet....there was STARLOG! For Sci Fi, comic & horror fans, STARLOG was THE information source to learn about all of our favorite pop culture properties. Movies in production, upcoming television shows, new comic creative teams, STARLOG covered it ALL! Author and former STARLOG Managing Editor (and later freelancer) DAN DICKHOLTZ joins Mike...

SHERLOCK HOLMES has endured as one of the most popular and recognizable fictional characters for over 100 years. His adventures have been chronicled in print, as well as on stage, screen, television, video games and even podcasts! There's no way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who famously wearied of his creation so much that he killed him off, could have fathomed the lasting legacy and fervent fandom...

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is a show both of it's time, and timeless. In the vast landscape of television history, few programs have left a mark as indelible as Buffy. This iconic series not only redefined the horror genre but also paved the way for complex character development and meaningful storytelling in popular media. BTVS broke the mold, introducing a strong female lead who not only battl...

You can't tell the story of rock and roll without Rush! This band isn't just a favorite; they're the favorite of your favorite bands. Ever felt like a band demands your full attention? Rush is that band! They aren’t just music; they're an experience. Their sound is a journey that deserves every second you give it. Ross Lennon from THE HISTORY ON FILM podcast joins me in the basemen...

They’re the world’s most fearsome fighting team. They’re heroes in a half shell. And they’re green. They’re also going on almost 45 years of sustained awareness in the pop culture landscape, one generation after another learning to kick shell, eat disgusting pizza and scream COWABUNGA! TIM ROONEY joins me down in the basement once again to discuss how the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE franchise has...

Remember when movies taught us that it’s okay to hate Nazis? On our season 3 premier episode, Mike welcomes ETHAN & ANTHONY from the BEST CARE ANYWHERE podcast as we explore the outrageous world of the BLUES BROTHERS and its cultural significance. Growing up watching Jake & Elwood shaped our views on friendship and rebellion, so of course we reminisce about our childhood experiences revolving arou...

Season 3 Coming early 2026!!!!! Please LISTEN, RATE, SHARE and REVIEW this show on: Apple: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-basement/id1796270822⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6v6QCWVQwlm9SIQ6OsrGbK?si=fe20277043d74955⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBHVrpf0cV77cMxgyTb4Ql2_pd...

Here in the Basement, I’m gearing up for season 3, but before unleashing the awesomeness I have planned, a little housekeeping is in order. I’m always pleading for listener interaction, so why not read the amazing comments I’ve gotten from fans over the past year? Enjoy this trip down memory lane and please, remember to comment on ALL social media platforms! We’d love to hear from you! We’ll be ba...

PART 2 It's a new year, a time to look forward, a time to look back...so what better TIME to talk about DOCTOR WHO?! New era Doctor Who, to be precise, as super fan MELISSA NICHOLSON ventures down into the basement once again (it's NOT bigger on the inside!) & shares thoughts & memories not only on the show itself, but the impact it's had on her life in the past & present....

PART 1 It's a new year, a time to look forward, a time to look back...so what better TIME to talk about DOCTOR WHO?! New era Doctor Who, to be precise, as super fan MELISSA NICHOLSON ventures down into the basement once again (it's NOT bigger on the inside!) & shares thoughts & memories not only on the show itself, but the impact it's had on her life in the past & present....

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Fellow Gen X'er Leigh Anne (aka Bellacissa) joins me once again down in the basement with all of our favorite Muppets as we journey back to the 70's to celebrate CHRISTMAS EVE ON SESAME STREET! Will Big Bird figure out how Santa fits down the chimney? Will Burt & Ernie only find disappointment under the Christmas Tree? Is Cookie Monster eating healthy?...

It’s the Holiday season & you all know what that means! TOYS! Well, if you’re our regular audience it means bills, party planning & crushing depression, but when you were a kid, the holidays meant toys & toys meant TRANSFORMERS! Even competing against GI Joe, He-Man & Go-Bots, the Transformers toy line always stood on top, and over 40 years later, the franchise shows no signs of sl...

It’s the time of giving and since we’re in the holiday spirit, we’re dropping a special EARLY FESTIVUS miracle of a BONUS episode! Listen to (eventually) 3 old men bitch and moan about an arbitrary list of the 50 Greatest Rock Bands of All Time. What did they get right (not much!), what did they get wrong (a lot!), what the hell were we thinking, jumping on a podcast half drunk and with opinions?!...

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, food, puppets in space with talking turtles...wait, WHAT NOW?!?! For our 1st annual Unconventional Thanksgiving episode I welcome author, podcaster, animation aficionado and all around nice guy MICHAEL LYONS down the basement to discuss the animated oddity PINOCCHIO IN OUTER SPACE. We share stories of Thanksgivings past, UHF deep dives and celebrate this...

1989 was the year of sequels, so why not have a sequel to our 1989: Pop Culture Awakening episode?!? I'm joined once again by Anthony (Tin Foil Consortium) to wade through not only the TV, movies and music of 1989, but the far reaching influence and the past influences that are connected to the pop culture we love from that magical year. There's SO MUCH to love about 1989, we had to get ba...

I'm a big wuss, this is no secret. I'm not really into horror movies, even though I came of age during the 80's, arguably the greatest decade for horror cinema ever. But I always had an affinity for vampires, and THE LOST BOYS was the kind of horror/comedy hybrid that was right up my alley. I welcome BRAD REITER (Big Beard Booty Daddy) back down into the basement for my HALLOWEEN episo...

Super Friends introduced me to the world of DC super heroes, but it also introduced me to the concept of abject terror. For over 40 years, the episode UNIVERSE OF EVIL has nestled in my subconscious, a source of dread and fear that is never far from the surface. I welcome my partner in sleaze Andrew Gross back down into the basement to kick off SPOOKY SEASON & discuss this classic episode, it&...

When a documentary makes you ugly cry nonstop, you know damn well you need to talk about it immediately! Luckily, special guest MELISSA NICHOLSON abided my madness and joined me down in the basement to talk about the new Amazon documentary JOHN CANDY - I LIKE ME. Grab some Kleenex and listen in as Melissa and I talk about not only the film, but the legacy of laughter, kindness and decency John Can...

Sitting down in the 1980's and turning on HBO, or your local cable equivalent, was an adventure like no other. What would we see, what would we discover, what would we grow to love? John Carpenter's BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA may very well be the greatest cult movie ever made, imprinted on the minds of impressionable 80's kids by catching it piece by piece on cable for what felt like forever. Joi...

What the hell is up with that title? Listen here, skippy! Podcast veteran TIM ROONEY visits the basement to sing the praises of the classic Batman collection STRANGE APPARITIONS while also sharing stories of comic book store experiences new and old. Along the way we somehow veer off into discussing the contents of the top drawer of my Dad's bedside table, piss off Snyderverse stalwarts and admire...