Kickers of Elves

Everybody is watching or has watched The Pitt except Hugh. It's a messy hang, but that's what we're up to over here. Elvin?  Is it time to remind everyone of The Cosby Show? It's hard out there for actors, for everyone really,  except popular 90s musicians.   check out more over at the Patreon where we get even more personal (but no not like that). https://patreonl.com/kickersofelves (we talk vaca...

You like Predator movies, right? So do we/ How does Predator Badlands work if you only view it as a stand alone move vs a movie setting up a whole trilogy or series?  Wade and Hugh have different opinions.   Plus, hey Wings of Desire is on Criterion maybe check it out.   For more thoughts on criticism and politics, plus... religion? hold on.  Check out the patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/145...

While KoE works on an upcoming project; Wade, James, and Hugh talk about the state of criticism, the state of media literacy, and how that relates to Culture, past and present.  Why don't certain people even pretend to read books anymore?   After this the discussion switches over to recent politics.  Which you can access on the patreon if that's your thing: https://patreon.com/kickersofelves  

We talk about One Battle After Another, but then get caught up in what others might think of his tenth movie *cough* Quentin, where's your last movie? *cough* What directors are in text streams together? Just how humane a filmmaker is Paul Thomas Anderson and how does he compare to Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, Ari Aster, Guillermo Del Toro, Martin Scorcese, and -of course- the Coen Brothers?

We go back to the old ways:  Three of us having disagreements about a science fiction television show. We talk a while about Noah Hawley as craftsman and artist, and what we think about the first four episodes of Alien: Earth on FX. Find more of us talking over at Patreon! patreon.com/kickersofelves  

Why is Wade crying all the time?  What a wimp. Was Superman good?  How does Superman, a movie we all watched, compare with Fantastic Four, a movie only Hugh saw?  Is Supes anti-Israel?  Does it have first act problems? Are we as a nation ready to walk away from super hero movies? What would Benjamin Sisko have to say about the retro futurism of the Fantastic Four? In Kickers of Elves fashion, we l...

We're living in a transitional moment for American history.  So lets talk about the Western in cinema and American identity.   Was this simply a tense movie about how we all lost our minds during Covid, or an evil inverse of the John Ford Western? We all saw Ari Aster's Eddington.  You should too because we spoil it pretty thoroughly in this in depth discussion.   If you want that Star Trek Strang...

We talk a bit about Ryan Coogler's excellent vampire movie Sinners, then we talk some other movies and such, but then hey don't worry the conversation swings back to Sinners at the end... by way of Greek philosophy and Epicurious. Yeah, that's right. Hear more from Kickers of Elves over at Patreon! https://patreon.com/kickersofelves  

We watched Pee Wee: Himself.  As kids of the 90s I think we're required to.   For more after the explosion, try out the patreon https://patreon.com/kickersofelves  

Wait no! Star Wars! For a podcast that started in "the Golden Age of Television,"  we talk about one of the best shows we can remember here on the other side, past "Peak Tv," and sliding down the post-streaming decline.  How does Andor compare to The Sopranos, for instance? You've had time to watch it.  Here we finally talk about it. Tony Gilroy made a Star Wars show for grown ups. How bout that? ...

Listen to hear how we would punch up Reacher, stay to hear how we'd cast Bones for Strange New Worlds. James is trying to stomach Disco. Will he try to Picard? Audience capture and being trapped in Ryan's World. Wade reflects on what he got out of watching Discovery.   Check out the patreon for more on Mickey 17, the docuseries The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek, TNG, and details on James' Tre...

James is back on Star Trek. So we talked about it. Listen in while James workshops his pitch for a new Star Trek show that will never get made BUT ONE THAT WOULD BE GOOD! On the Patreon you can hear us go on about that new Captain America movie.  It's ok if you didn't see it. Only Hugh did. https://patreon.com/kickersofelves  

Well, we watched the new Streaming Star Trek Movie... Section 31. Don't you love it!? We also talk about a movie we liked, the excellent Northern Irish movie Kneecap. About Kneecap Hope you're doing well out there.  https://patreon.com/kickersofelves Wade also talked about the same dang thing with the scabs over at Star Trek Resignation

What is this?  We, the three people who actually watched Megalopolis have something to say about our different experiences with this messy movie.   Perhaps there's spoilers? But perhaps it doesn't matter.   On the patreon you'll find more from election thoughts, to things you might actually be interested in, like Batman. https://patreon.com/kickersofelves  

You probably found this podcast feed because you're a fan of Star Trek.   And if what our anecdotal evidence suggests is true, then you're not a fan of Star Trek Discovery.  That's ok.  Remember when James and Hugh got mad and bailed on that other podcast?  Well it continued, and this is where A Discovery Home Companion ended up.  Maybe you'll like it.  Look for "Star Trek Resignation" in all your...

Not even about a TV show, but we all read a book.  You like books, don't you? Sure, maybe you haven't read Charles Portis's Masters of Atlantis.  This will not ruin that process for you, we promise.   Let us know if you like this sort of thing, or check out the Kickers of Elves Patreon for more content maybe you'll like as well [or better].   https://patreon.com/kickersofelves

Update:  Hey, this file is longer than 30 seconds this time. *** Here we talk about the TV show we've been the most excited for in a while.  Specifically, the finale. The statute of limitations is over.  So yeah, spoilers for that.  No space stuff, sorry.     NOT from the patreon! But check it out. There's plenty over there. For instance: Ever read Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy? We did. www.pa...

What about those Rules of Acquisition?  It's back to Deep Space 9!  What you haven't watched the most recent episode? "Hear All, Trust Nothing" is more or less an episode of DS9, so we had to cover it. If you haven't caught up on Star Trek: Lower Decks don't worry, neither have James or Hugh. What is goin on post Dominion War?  Just when does this take place? How do Kira and Quark work as cartoons...

Know nothing about D&D or tabletop role playing games?  Hugh talks to an expert* to figure out just what the deal is.  How much is the past time growing?  What is the history of D&D?   Just how the hell do you play a game where you pretend to be an elf? Then a look at the Star Trek Adventures role playing game.     *It's Wade. He talks to Wade. Surprise surprise. No James in this one.    Yep, this...

On the patreon: Hugh and James have opinions on Strange New Worlds!  Wade Hasn't even seen it yet?!   Here is a preamble to that discussion.  More can be found at the patreon. https://patreon.com/kickersofelves  

James and Hugh watched the Peter Jackson Beatles documentary on Disney + and there's a discussion on making art.  Didn't watch it? That's ok, Wade didn't either.  You like the Beatles, right? You guessed it: Patreon content! https://patreon.com/kickersofelves    

Here's more from what we talk about at https://patreon.com/kickersofelves Matrix and Tenet, compared. And Spider-Man. And convoluted metaphors about art. And The View? A little culture talk. James has a delightful conspiracy theory. Who’s coming for the auteurs? Does culture need to decentralize? Can subcultures sustain us? The re-Lolapaloozing of Gen X. Spoilers I guess.

Miss the regular updates?  Yes, I'm here reminding you again we update the patreon feed regularly.  Wade has only seen one episode of Succession, so James and Hugh tread lightly to talk about what they like on the show every person seems to be talking about.   Check out the patreon where we go into a longer discussion on current tv including: Joe Pera, Misconceptions about Ronald D. Moore's apple...

Stick around til the end when Hugh revisits what we knew and didn't know about Terry Ferrel.   Initiate Arjin visits DS9 to whine! A baby universe. Voles! Jadzia gets an intern, or a trill up for joining who is surprised by the unorthodox Dax. Finally the "Is Jadzia Kurzon?" question is settled. Wade makes the argument this episode can serve as a meta-commentary on the character herself. OH, and t...

It's another Remix of The ROA.  Stick around til the end when Hugh talks bout Bolians. Welcome to Space Mayberry! It's NOT a next generation rewrite? Go figure. Odo and Dax land on a planet that is NOT a TNG script. Quark is running shenanigans while Odo is gone. Will Kira get her swerve on? Yes she will. We love this writer, we... well, this ain't a bad episode.