Nostalgium Arcanum

Go get a witch's shawl on, a broomstick you can crawl on. We're gonna pay a call on The Addams Family. Helping kick off a run of film adaptations of Nick-At-Nite sitcoms, the 1991 version of Charles Addams' venerable creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky characters soared on pitch perfect performances and Halloween fun for all ages. We're joined by Amanda Rivas and Bill Bodkin ( www.thepopbreak.co...

Hail to the king, baby! After battling deadites in his own time, Ash Williams is thrown back to 1300 A.D. to get literally medieval in this wildly comic horror sequel. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell take a chainsaw to convention and a lot of spectacular prosthetics in this truly one-of-a-kind film. We're joined by podcaster Matt Storm aka Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite - www.djstormageddon....

We're puttin' on the ritz revisiting another of Mel Brooks' timeless comedies, "Young Frankenstein". This abby normal send-up of James Whale's "Frankenstein" and the Universal horror classics is a pitch-perfect masterclass, as Brooks, Gene Wilder, and the rest of the stellar cast put on a comedy clinic that, like the film's subject, achieved immortality. We're joined by comedian Tarik Davis ( http...

This podcast releases on Mondays - the least favorite day of one tubby beloved feline named Garfield. As his popularity began to take off in the early 1980s creator Jim Davis took a page from his comics colleage Charles Schultz and created a Halloween special to showcase, Garfield, Odie, Jon, and the smooth vocals of Lou Rawls. We're joined by comedian Rich Baker ( www.daretofailimprov.com ) and w...

True Lies is the quintessential 90s action movie. Equal parts comedy and high-stakes stunts, James Cameron teams up once again with Arnold Schwarzenegger and composer Brad Fiedel to deliver thrills and chills as Harry Tasker tries to keep his espionage career secret from frustrated spouse Helen, played to the hilt in a Golden Globe winning performance from Jamie Lee Curtis. But since it takes two...

In 1964 the British invaded, Motown got moving, and music would never be the same again. On this episode we want to hold hands with a year that truly revolutionized rock and roll, R&B, and folk, as the times they were a-changin'. We're joined by comedian Rich Baker ( www.daretofailimprov.com ) and our cohosts from "Playing By Ear", Ami Lief and Kyle Lieberman, to take a bow like The Beatles on...

Like one of its subjects, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is a high powered mutant of some kind, never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die. Terry Gilliam's adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's drug-fueled gonzo odyssey takes Johnny Depp beyond the boundaries of reality (at least as far as psychotropics will allow) to create an experience that truly is far out...

Cartoons from Warner Bros. in the 90s were a little looney, totally insane-ey, and a chance for the creative forces behind them to Freak Out! Guest comedian/filmmaker Tarik Davis ( www.tarikrdavis.com ) and I are joined by special guest Paul Rugg, credited writer on 76 episodes of Animaniacs, 24 of Freakazoid, and the voices of numerous characters on both shows including Freakazoid himself, for an...

Quack! Quack! Quack! We send a flying V to revisit Disney's "The Mighty Ducks" which put the Bad News Bears' format on ice, with a classic sports Cinderella story. We're joined by Keith Lehtinen from the "We Have Issues" and "World of Tomorrow" podcasts to celebrate this endearing story of kids with a frozen chip on their shoulder. Support us, join the discussion, and get bonus content at www.patr...

Boom shakalaka! In 1993 NBA Jam abandoned videogame basketball verisimilitude in favor of wild 2-on-2 arcade action and like its playable athletes, caught fire. Comedian and improviser Rich Baker ( www.daretofailimprov.com ) is ON FIRE! He joins us to revisit this classic game, its impressive (and sometimes even presidential) roster of all-stars, and the phenomenon that ensued when hoops gave way...

Final Fantasy X dives deep into complex themes of religion and race, love and sacrifice. From the opening strains of its memorable score, the game immediately grabs its audience with its narrative ambition, and unique aesthetic beauty. We recruit game critic Luis Aguasvivas (NPR) and podcaster Dave Jackson (Tales From The Backlog, https://talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/ ) to join our pilgrimage t...

From the moment you pop in a quarter or press start, video games have used music to enthrall, entice, and plumb even more complex emotions, far more than one might expect from the push of a button. On this podcast we celebrate the composers who have wrestled microchips, midi, and mp3s into the rich sonic (and sometimes Sonic) tapestries that elevate simple zeroes and ones into powerful musical exp...

"Shadow of the Colossus" truly casts a colossal shadow. When the question arises as to whether video games are art, this game is always Exhibit A in favor. Haunting, simultaneously minimalist and maximalist, Fumito Ueda's masterpiece challenged gameplay design in order to perfectly meld play with emotion. We're joined by guests Professors Funky and Aria from the Tabletop Hot Takes podcast ( https:...

Thwip! Our summer of Sam Raimi continues as we revisit Spider-Man's first outing with Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Willem DaFoe bringing the storied web-slinger to high-flying death-defying action. Borrowing lessons learned from Darkman, Sam Raimi's vision for Peter Parker took Marvel's premiere teen crime fighter out of development hell and into franchise heaven. We're joined by...

Who is Darkman? That question, posed by the film's marketing, is answered with a laundry list including creator Sam Raimi, actor Liam Neeson, and a slough of influences from The Shadow, to The Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Batman, and many more. A true Frankenstein of a film lurching wildly from comic book action, to horror, to tragedy, to manic comedy, the movie walks a hard-...

In 2005 "Robots" rolled off the assembly line from Blue Sky Studios, and it surprisingly remains greater than the sum of its nuts, bolts, and other assorted parts. Celebrating the aspects of capitalism that reward ingenuity and innovation, and satirizing the aspects of capitalism that incentivise profit at any cost, the film features wildly inventive production design and winning performance from...

After Nevermind permanently altered the musical landscape in 1991, the following year continued music's fractured attempt to catch up with rapidly changing styles. We wish-a-you joy and happiness in revisiting our personal favorites from 1992's jukebox with guest creeps and weirdos comedian Rich Baker, and our co-hosts from "Playing By Ear", Ami Lief and Kyle Lieberman. If you want to take an onli...

Though dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, on this episode we celebrate 40 years of the babe with the power, as Jennifer Connelly braves her way through Jim Henson's "Labyrinth". Full of astounding designs, puppetry, humor, and iconic songs from a mesmerising David Bowie, while Labyrinth was not an immediate financial success, the film's undeniable awesomeness has proven it still has power ov...

For the 35th anniversary of The Rocketeer, we don a jetpack and blast off for derring-do with test pilot-turned-hero Cliff Secord. The film's patriotic spirit, beautiful art deco design, and sparkling performances from leads Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino, and Timothy Dalton take what could have been an ordinary movie into the stratosphere. Guest Tarik Davis (@tarikrda...

Much like its subject, when "The Manhattan Project" premiered 40 years ago it did not go off with a bang, but this film remains a hidden gem of classic '80s kids-can-do cold war paranoia. When teenage genius Paul Stephens sets out to build his own nuclear bomb, his weird science quickly turns into some war games with spreading fallout. Returning guest B.T. Moorer joins us for a look back at a wond...

For our 200th podcast, we're covering "The Simpsons", a superlative satirical juggernaut that, for over 35 years, has held a yellow mirror up to our absurd world. Filled with endlessly quotable moments, pitch-perfect vocal performances, and expertly incisive comedy, Matt Groening's brainchild may arguably be the single greatest television show ever made, and easily one of the most important artist...

We're going back to Back to the Future, or more accurately, going to the future and back. The second chapter of Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's time-travelling comedy trilogy finds Doc and Marty battling causality and the horrors that might ensue were power to fall into the wrong hands. Returning guest improviser and lifelong BTTF fan Darren Lanning ( www.darrenlanning.com ) hops into the time mach...

When Nirvana ended, music held its breath wondering what would come next. Dave Grohl answered that question with Foo Fighters' resounding birth cry. Combinig winning pop melodies with thunderous screams and guitars that left no uncertainty as to why this band learned to live again. Guest podcasters Matt Storm a.k.a. Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite - djstormageddon.com) and Dave Jackson (Ta...

Far from, leaving us flat, Paper Mario injected whimsy and dimensionally creative play into the standard turn-based RPG formula for an unforgettable romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. We're joined by Emily Merritt (@aspecificegg) of the No Small Games podcast ( https://nosmallgames.com/ ) to unfold why this highly unusual game is so special. Be sure to also check out our monthy musical podcast, "P...

Steve Martin revolutionized comedy, not with vitriol, but with a seemingly impossible blend of banjos, balloon animals, dad jokes, tapdancing, and philosophy. From stand-up, to movies, to TV, and more, few performers have challenged and delighted audiences with such hilarious precision. We're joined by comedian Rich Baker ( www.daretofailimprov.com ) for a retrospective on Steve Martin's lifetime...