But Why Tho?

If you've listened to any of the 144 other episodes of But Why Tho? the podcast, then you know we always mention special effects when talking about a long-lasting and impactful film or franchise. After realizing just how many times Industrial Light & Magic has come up, we decided the iconic special effects house created by George Lucas was worthy of its own episode. Here, we discuss the history of...

2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the ending of the  Fullmetal Alchemist  manga, and to celebrate we're talking about why  Fullmetal Alchemist  matters. From the best selling manga to the TWO anime series and the controversy around them both to the creator, Hiromu Arakawa herself we dive into it all with the help of LaNeysha from the podcasts, Did You Have To? and So Here's What Happened. This ep...

It's the 45th anniversary of JAWS  this week and to celebrate we're diving into the deep end and breaking down exactly why JAWS matters. We talk about the mishaps on set, the fact that someone wanted to train a real shark, it's status as the very first Summer blockbuster , and even get into the dark side of the film by detailing its detrimental effects on ocean ecosystems and certain sharks nearin...

This week we're checking diving deep into Alfred Hitchcock's classic  Psycho .  With the help of our frequent guest Alex, from Frightday.com, we explain the history of this black and white horror masterpiece just in time for its 60th anniversary and explore all the reasons why  Psycho  matters. If you haven't seen  Psycho,  here is your spoiler warning because we spoil the film right off the bat. ...

Serial Box delivers premium audio and reading entertainment for an on-the-go audience that loves immersive storytelling and has recently expanded their titles in partnership with Marvel, featuring Marvel’s Thor: Metal Gods and Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood.  Now, the platform is bringing Jessica Jones to audiences with Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire, a 16-episode story narrated by Fry...

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Seinfeld (well, depending what date you choose) and to celebrate, we're taking a look at how this 90s series came to define television sitcoms and archetypes for years to come. In this episode we get into all the reasons Seinfeld matters. We walk you through the production history of the show, it's financial success, and of course its tenure in syndication....

This week we're talking all about the Predator matters. From comics to films and the lore that its steeped in - yes, even AVP - we dig into why this film that began with Jean-Claude Van Damme in a read monster suit jumping over logs became one of the cornerstones of action and science fiction in the 1980s, 90s, and today. Adrian leads us through the history of the franchise, its technical effects...

Friday the 13th   turned 40 this year and now, we're going into why one of the founding fathers of slashers matters to horror and beyond. With the help of Mattshotcha , Lead Community Developer for Gun, we take through the history of the franchise, detail the genius of the first movie, and how sparked critic rage only to become a classic and maintain the status as the highest-grossing horror franc...

Serial Box has been a leader in creating original content that offers subscribers the ability to listen to programs. Last month, the platform finished their first Marvel collaboration, Marvel's Thor: Metal Gods,   and now this month they've begun a season of a new one: Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood. This story is 14 episodes long and comes from an all-female writing team led by Lindsay Smith (Se...

This week, we're celebrating a master horror: Junji Ito. In this episode, we dive into why Junji Ito matters to the horror genre, manga, and beyond. We go into a history of how he started as a mangaka, who he was inspired by, why he sees himself as an inheritor of horror and not an innovator, and of course how his journey into horror uses common fears. Plus, we do it all with booktuber, writer , a...

Red Heaven, an official SXSW 2020 selection, is a  documentary film from filmmakers Lauren DeFilippo and Katherine Gorringe . the documentary follows six people who live for a year on "Mars," a secluded NASA experiment in Hawai'i made to simulate the isolation, terrain, and life that would be expected from a human on Mars . The goal of the experiment? To see what happens to humans when they are is...

Vida  is entering its third and final season this weekend. The hit STARZ series focuses on two Mexican-American siblings from East Los Angeles who return home after the death of their mother. While their relationship is the focal point of the show, there is another pair of siblings that showcase different familial and cultural dynamics and are just as vital: Johny and Mari. Played by Carlos Mirand...

It's the long-awaited episode about the one system that gets brought almost every episode: The Dreamcast. As Sega's last console, the Dreamcast had to dig the company out of the financial hole the Sega Saturn had put it in and it aimed to do so with the latest technology and incorporating the internet. As the first console of the sixth generation. In this episode, we talk about why this all matter...

This week, we're heading to Hyrule to talk all about why The Legend of Zelda matters. For more than 30 years, The Legend of Zelda has over 30 different games, selling over 75 million copies, and has become a pop culture staple. You may not have played the game, but we can bet you know what the triforce symbol is, or you've used a meme like "It's dangerous to go alone." In this episode we break dow...

Published by Cerberus Interactive ,  Atlas Empires  is a location-based multi-player strategy game that takes Augmented Reality (AR) gaming to the next level by fusing the classic strategy experience with location-based technology. Inspired by classics like  Civilization,  Atlas Empires  expands on the beloved empire-building genre by carefully layering AR components. I got the chance to speak wit...

This week, we celebrate the release fo the Final Fantasy VII Remake by covering one of the most beloved RPG franchises in history: Final Fantasy. We break down how the original Final Fantasy VII shaped how we think about distribution, talk about best girls, and some of us make the claim that FF XIV is the best of the series. And we do it all with the help of Grant from Gilmore Ball Z.

In honor of the CBS All Access wrapping its first season of  Star Trek: Picard,   we decided to devote an entire episode to why Jean-Luc Picard matters. In this episode, Kate brings us through the creation of the character and all the red tape and stereotypes that went with it. We break down how the bald British classically trained actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, went from the person likely to play Da...

"Doom Matters" is sponsored by Podcorn* This week, we're celebrating the launch of  Doom Eternal  with a deep dive into the Doom Slayer, the franchise, the movies, and answer why Doom Matters all these years later. We discuss how id Software' s Doom  paved the way for 3D shooters, inspired a wave of Doom-clones, and has succeeded with multiple relaunches of the series across time.  *Want to sign u...

The Dead Lands  is the Shudder Original co-production between the AMC genre streaming service and New Zealand's TVNZ. The series is an immersive fantasy grounded in Maori belief and culture. From traditional martial arts to rituals, The Dead Lands  blends the horror, fantasy, and adventure genres by building this traditional hero narrative and Maori traditions. In this interview, I got the chance...

Most of the time an interview only has one host asking questions, but for this special occasion all of the But Why Tho? crew joined the conversation. After covering Guildhall Studios'  Sea of Legends  at PAX South 2020 , Kate, Adrian, and Matt couldn't wait to speak with the creative director of the studio, Ryan Schapals. If you're unfamiliar,  Seas of Legends  is a narrative-driven sandbox table-...

In honor of Valve's VR game Half-Life: Alyx  continuing the groundbreaking and iconic series, we're covering Half-Life . Find out why it matters, how it was developed, and how it came to define Valve as a company.  Episode 132: Half-Life Matters...But Why Tho? is sponsored by Podcorn  

IFC Film's Swallow  hits limited theaters and VoD on March 6th. We got the chance to speak with the film's writer-director Carlo Maribella-Davis about the film.  Maribella-Davis breaks down how he created the provocative and squirm-inducing psychological thriller , explaining his connection to the story and how he went about constructing an intimate story of a woman unraveling as she struggles to...

This episode is sponsored by Podcorn* My Hero Academia  has exploded quickly over the last four years. From the pages of Shonen Jump to the English translation from Viz Media and the distribution of simuldub episodes on FUNimation, this superhero manga and anime has taken over weeb hearts everywhere. In this episode, in honor of its second feature film  My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising   releasing...

Dead End Kids , was one of the breakout indie hits of 2019 with the first issue alone when one to sell more than 7000 copies over two printings. From writer, Frank Gogol, the series was a coming-of-age story that resonated with many readers. Now, with his second miniseries,  No Heroine,  Gogol is exploring deep themes of addiction, responsibility, and ultimately the everyday struggles of recovery....

Eddie Martinez stars as Vic Soto in USA Network’s series, "The Sinner," as a former Marine and rising star detective who works alongside Ambrose (Bill Pullman) at the Dorchester Police Department.   Martinez was originally born and raised in Colombia, but his family relocated to the United States when was nine years old and grew up in New York City. In this interview, Martinez talks about his bega...