Obscure Obsessions: A Pop Culture Podcast

Taylor & Nick are joined by their long-lost researcher, Megan, to discuss one of their favorite Disney Channel Original Movies, Phantom of the Megaplex (2000). A series of strange occurrences plague the world premiere of “Midnight Mayhem” at a local megaplex. Is it coincidence or sabotage?! Your hosts obsess over the film, dive into the history of DCOMs, and compare moviegoing in the 90s/00s w...

Celebrate the release of James Gunn’s Superman with the wonderfully atrocious Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). When Superman decides to rid the world of nuclear weapons, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) engineers a super-powered beefcake called Nuclear Man to take down the Man of Steel. Stupendously camp, outrageously cheap, and unbelievably fun, Taylor & Nick have plenty to obsess over this week...

Is there any better way to celebrate July 4th than watching a movie where an old lady is hunted down by swamp critters while catching butterflies? Of course not! At a birthday party down south, the local wildlife starts plucking off the guests. Is it nature or revenge??? Discover the truth as Taylor & Nick obsess over the 1971 “eco-thriller”, Frogs, starring a pre-mustache-wearing Sam Elliott....

Nick & Taylor book themselves into Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, the primary setting of Mel Brooks’ Hitchcockian spoof, High Anxiety (1977). Find out where your hosts rank this movie in the pantheon of Brooks’ career of cinematic hits and misses.  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

Bond fans are split on Moonraker (1979). With its outlandish plot and camp-laden humor, some consider the film a guilty pleasure. Other fans find little-to-no pleasure in this Star Wars knockoff. Listen and discover if Nick & Taylor want to blast off or shut off Moonraker.   __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer, Moon Unit Alpha  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Ed...

On this week’s episode, your hosts revisit The Cable Guy (1996). A socially awkward cable installer (Jim Carrey) becomes obsessed with one of his customers (Matthew Broderick). This dark comedy was not a big hit in its day; however, Taylor and Nick think it features one of Carrey’s best performances. Listen in to find out why!  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zacc...

Your hosts wrap up their Stephen Sommers marathon with a trip to Transylvania in Van Helsing (2004): A secret society within the Vatican sends Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) on a mission to stop Dracula from conquering the world with an army of vampire babies.  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

Full scream ahead!!! When a group of mercenaries try to hijack a cruise ship, they discover something else has already beaten them to it. Nick & Taylor dive even deeper into Stephen Sommers’ filmography with the cult monster-action-heist-contained thriller classic, Deep Rising (1998). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

Taylor & Nick are diving into three films directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy). First up, a movie from early in Sommers’ career, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book (1994). This Indiana Jones/Tarzan-infused adaptation of the classic Kipling story stars Jason Scott Leigh, Carey Elwes, and a favorite of your hosts: Sam Neill. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario...

Just before the Earth explodes, three talking apes from the future travel back in time to 1971 Los Angeles and become celebrities. However, since this is a Planet of the Apes movie, things take a bizarre and shockingly dark turn. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) this week on Obscure Obsessions. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Produ...

Taylor, Nick, and Anthony book a trip to Europe with the Griswolds in the second (and arguably least funny) installment in the Vacation series: National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor Anthony Graziani…Correspondent, EPCOT Historian 

When an evil warlock (with a great tan) threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she hides out in the Catskills, where she meets Casper the Friendly Ghost. Listen in as Nick & Taylor obsess over a very 90s movie: Casper Meets Wendy (1998) __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

Another season of Obscure Obsessions, another Jaws rip-off. Only Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976) isn’t really a Jaws rip-off. Instead, it’s the story of a man and his psychic connection with sharks. When he discovers that a local aquarium is exploiting the sharks, he uses his psychic connection to enact his revenge.  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, D...

Three dinosaurs are taken aboard a time-traveling flying ship, fed a cereal that makes them smart, and then dropped off in 1990s New York City. Though not a hit in its time, We’re Back: A Dinosaur’s Story (1993), has developed a passionate group of fans, including your hosts.  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

After their most excellent adventure, Bill and Ted are killed by their robotic doppelgangers from the future. Trapped in Hell, the duo teams with Death to find a way back home.  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

Taylor & Nick are back for season 5!   After a botanist (Batman’s Michael Gough) vanishes in the African jungle, he returns to London with a chimpanzee and a mysterious growth serum. Can you guess what happens next in Konga (1961)?  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor 

Megan joins in this week, recommending Max Keeble’s Big Move (2001). Then, Nick talks about The Adventures of Tintin (2011), an overlooked Spielberg movie. Finally, Taylor chooses one of his childhood favorites, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)   __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor Megan Zaccario…Researcher

A tough Chicago detective (John Wayne) heads to London to apprehend a crime boss in Taylor's recommendation this week: Brannigan (1975). This Dirty Harry rip-off also stars Animal House’s John Vernon and Jurassic Park’s Sir Richard Attenborough.  John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and other famous faces star in Nick’s choice this week: Identity (2003), directed by James Mangold. Ten strangers are stranded i...

Two movies from two great directors. Nick recommends Guillermo del Toro’s Mimic (1997). In this science fiction horror film, a genetically engineered insect threatens humanity. Afterward, Taylor recommends Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut: Play Misty for Me (1971). An obsessed fan (Jessica Walter) stalks a radio DJ (Eastwood).  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Za...

Two movies your hosts DO NOT RECOMMEND. Taylor watched Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers (1984) and never EVER will again. Meanwhile, Nick has a painful time with College (2008).  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

Nick talks about Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), a parody of musical biopics. John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer star. Then, Taylor chooses John Belushi’s final movie, a satiric and surreal comedy called Neighbors (1981). Dan Aykroyd and Cathy Moriarty co-star.  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer  Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor

This week, Taylor & Nick turn on their televisions to bring you two TV show recommendations. First, Taylor suggests you check out Silver Surfer (1998), an animated series about the Marvel superhero of the same name. Later, Nick recommends an Arnold Schwarzenegger-directed episode of Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996) called “The Switch”.  __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writ...

As another season draws to a close, Taylor & Nick reminisce about all the obscure (and not-so obscure) movies they watched in 2024.  We will return in… Mini Obsessions AND Obscure Obsessions 5! __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor Megan Zaccario…Holiday Trilogy Announcer

Taylor, Anthony, and Nick wrap up their Holiday Trilogy with some perfect movies for Christmas (well, two actual Christmas movies and one that has a Christmas scene in it):  First up, Nick recommends The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), a fictionalized origin story of how Charles Dickens was inspired to write his classic story, A Christmas Carol.  Then, Taylor recommends one of his favorite adap...

Welcome to Part II! This week, Nick, Anthony, and Taylor recommend some American history-themed movies for Thanksgiving:  We kick off the festivities with a trip to D.C. in Wag the Dog (1997). Robert De Niro plays a Washington spin doctor who enlists the help of an eccentric movie producer (Dustin Hoffman) to create a fictional war in order to distract Americans from a presidential scandal. Then i...