Nostalgium Arcanum

3... 2... 1... Go!!! By 1992 Mario had conquered koopas, rescued the princess (again and again), played tennis, practiced medicine, and more, but that year launched a new venture, Super Mario Kart. Buoyed by the Mode 7 chip, a new racing genre was born as beloved Nintendo characters zipped around tracks, blasting each other with shells, lightning bolts and more. Guest comedian Rich Baker (@richbak...

Deeply personal, darkly profound, the late Rob Reiner's masterpiece "Stand By Me" is the film he said he most wanted to be remembered for. The film lays bare the pain in growing pains in the seemingly simple tale of four children trudging to see a dead body, but which explores the complex emotions on the precipice of adulthood, the traumas that shape us, in perhaps the finest coming-of-age film ev...

It wouldn't be Christmas without Yuletide stealing, so we've got one more episode that's very revealing. The kids drop by the pod, to discuss who's Who, and give How The Grinch Stole Christmas a proper review. Be sure to also check out our monthy musical podcast, "Playing By Ear" ( https://playingbyear.fireside.fm ) and our limited-run Jim Henson Series, "Still Muppeting" (patreon.com/stillloading...

God bless us, every one! It's a special cross-over podcast as we bring an episode of Still Muppetting to Nostalgium Arcanum. Co-host Josh Covel (Still Loading) and comedian Eileen Mayse (@i_lean) revisit Muppets past and Michael Caine's turn breaking good as Ebeneezer Scrooge in "The Muppet Christmas Carol". And it was always said of them, that they knew how to keep Muppets well, if anyone alive p...

Our holiday coverage continues as we recall the most famous reindeer of all. Rankin-Bass' stop-motion retelling of Rudolph's super-mutant origins remains the most beloved version of the holiday mainstay. Guest podcaster and misfit toy Case Aiken (Another Pass, Men of Steel) joins us to sing the praises (and carols) of this Christmas classic. You can support Case and his network, CertainPOV, at pat...

On this episode you'll shoot your eye out as we join Ralphie, his family, and the world's sexiest lamp to revisit A Christmas Story. We drink our ovaltine with our friends from from the Media / Lit Podcast, Kris Ingersoll and Randy Allain and use our tongues for discussing a holiday classic instead of sticking them to frozen poles. Be sure to also check out our monthy musical podcast, "Playing By...

It's time to pass the torch, knowwhatImean? We're returning to the weird world of Ernest P. Worrell as Jim Varney's blue-collar rubber face works a double shift to ensure the magic of Christmas is passed to a new generation. Guest comedian Rich Baker (@richbakeractor) and filmmaker Tarik Davis (@tarikrdavis, tarikrdavis.com) join us to celebrate a comedy that knows when to step on the gas and when...

We're glad to be with you, here at the end of all things. Frodovember closes with our look back at Peter Jackson's incredible capstone to his adaptation of The Lord of The Rings, which collected a record-tying 11 coveted gold Oscar statuettes in exchange for the destruction of one pesky gold ring. Jacob Price of the Pre-Order Bonus podcast joins us to celebrate a film that can only be described as...

The stakes continue to rise as the last hope for Middle Earth faces the looming of The Two Towers. We're joined by wicked, tricksy hobbitses from the Media / Lit Podcast, Kris Ingersoll and Randy Allain to revisit the middle chapter in Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece. From its landmark special effects, to one of the greatest battles ever filmed, The Two Towers remains as...

Frodovember continues as we begin the quest to destroy the One Ring with guest Dave Jackson (the "Tales from the Backlog" podcast). Released to massive critical and financial sucess in 2001, the first film of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy masterfully condenses and adapts the first third of Tolkien's seminal work with winning performances from an all-star cast, and all the powerful emot...

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead, as Frodovember begins with the 1977 Rankin Bass adaptation of The Hobbit. We go there and back again with guest podcaster Case Aiken (Another Pass, Men of Steel) to enjoy our mutual first experences with Middle Earth and the works of J.R.R. Tolkein. You can support Case and his network, CertainPOV, at patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Be sure to also check out...

Be careful what you wish for this Halloween. On this special it's a family affair as the Other Doug and the Other Ami welcome their children Celeste and Ben into the other world of 2009's Coraline. This stop-motion masterpiece spins a web and puts a button or two on a modern Grimm fairy tale about how the grass seems greener on the other side of a tiny mysterious door. Be sure to also check out ou...

For this year's Halloween bonus reading, we're going down to Nahum's farm and taking a gander at "The Colour Out Of Space", cosmic horror master H.P. Lovecraft's unsettling tale of a chromatic contagion from beyond the stars. Be sure to also check out our monthy musical podcast, Playing By Ear! - https://playingbyear.fireside.fm If you have feedback, find us on the socials here: Facebook: https://...

Hi-Diddly-Ho, neighborino! When Jerry Dandridge moves in next door, young Charlie Brewster's worst fears are confirmed, leading to a one-of-a-kind horror comedy that, unlike Jerry, does not suck. Guest comedian and filmmaker Tarik Davis (@tarikrdavis, tarikrdavis.com) joins us to stake out this meta Halloween tale that we're happy to invite into our homes. You can find Tarik on NBC's The Amber Ruf...

There's only one word to describe Evil Dead 2 - Groovy! On this episode we're joined by deadite Dan Oster (MadTV, A Podcast, But Evil) to accidentally read from the Necronomicon and summon Sam Raimi's wild ride of horror, gore, and comedy that literally takes a chainsaw to just about everything. Headlined by human cartoon Bruce Campbell, the film remains a rollicking great blood geyser of Hallowee...

Be afraid... be very afraid. For a bonus episode this year we're returning to the subejct of our fourth podcast for a more in-depth look at David Cronenberg's profound and deeply upsetting remake of The Fly. Filmmaker Alex Sosin gets into the teleporter with us for the grossest love story ever made. Check out the teaser for The Canyon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFFWbNbdtKA Be sure to al...

9... 10... we can sleep again because, at long last, Freddy's Dead. For real this time. We mean it. This episode we nod off with Rick Firestone of the Pixel Project Radio podcast to eulogize the undisputed roastmaster of horror, Freddy Krueger. This entry is one of the most unweildy in the franchise, but it still carries the series' flare for wild, imaginative dream sequences, and the most one-lin...

Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens? 1982's "The Thing" was a critical and commercial failure, until its insidious genius began an infection that has spread to its complete takeover as a horror landmark. Comedian Rich Baker (@richbakercoaching) joins us to examine this brilliant, grotesque, and paranoia-inducing film. Be sure to also check out our monthy musical podcas...

We give our full-throated endorsement to Mariah Carey, an artist of immense talent, superhuman vocal ability, and hit after hit after hit after hit. Friend-of-the-pod Ryan Merlo, podcaster Ami Lief (Playing By Ear), and comedian Eileen Mayse (@i_lean) roudntable their favorite tracks from Mimi's illustrious career. Be sure to also check out our monthy musical podcast, Playing By Ear! - https://pla...

Anything goes in Indiana Jones' second (but technically first) outing. The film is flawed, but relentlessly entertaining, buoyed by engaging performances from future Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan and villain expert Amrish Puri. We make a meal out of this classic with filmmaker Alex Sosin (The Canyon) and fondly reminisce about a movie that has its heart in the right place - Mola Ram's fist. Check out t...

For over five decades Bruce Springsteen has been The Boss. Combining profound but accessible, empathetic, and comforting lyrics buoyed by anthemic melodies that can electrify stadiums, Bruce and his collaborators in the E-Street Band embody the spirit within all of us that yearns to be moved, and to be free. Tramps like our guests, improviser Dan Oster (MadTV, "A Podcast, But Evil") and comedian /...

35 years later Super Mario World remains a high watermark in video games. The venerable plumber and new pal Yoshi the dinosaur's adventure features pixel perfect platforming, satisfying secret scouring, and whimsical wonder. Guests podcaster Matt Storm a.k.a. Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite) and comedian Rich Baker (richbakercoaching.com) hit the Star Road to celebrate a classic that is st...

It's time to start running! Cheesy, gratuitous, and satirically biting, The Running Man showcases everything that makes 80s movies great, and why no one can anchor a film and deliver one, two, and three-liners like Arnold Schwarzenegger. We're joined by a full panel to stalk this classic including comedian Rich Baker (@ricbakercoaching), filmmaker Alex Sosin ("The Canyon"), and podcaster Jala Pren...

Welcome to paradise! Green Day exploded in the '90s, matured into a political force in the '00s, and continues to blend pop, punk, and power to this day. We're joined by comedian Rich Baker (@richbakercoaching) musician and podcaster Kyle Lieberman (Playing By Ear) and his daughter Ali to celebrate the legacy of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Drrnt, and Tre Cool. Be sure to also check out our new mont...

Tango & Cash typifies 1980s action excess and buddy-cop odd-couple comedy as Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell play the titular loose cannons with a complete disregard for police procedure and the laws of physics. We're joined by guest podcasters Josh Covel (Still Loading) and Dan Oster (A Podcast, But Evil) to settle scores and spew one-liners. Be sure to also check out our monthy musical p...