Pop Culture Basement

No one reads anymore, that’s all I ever hear. Well I do, and my daughter does. And we're here to talk about our love of reading! Not only that, we're here to talk about the classic young adult novel BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, a book that not only touched me profoundly as a child, but one that I got to share with my daughter all these years later. Just a warning, there MAY be tears shed during the episo...

We all have that year, that one year where it fell into place and you became....you. Mine was 1989, the year of sequels, of music new and old, of comics maturing along with me, of TV shows that spoke to me...and yes, the year of Batman. Join me and my guest Tin Foil Consortium as we go over the pop culture landscape that changed our perspective on life and opened our eyes to the wider world around...

Maestro. Master. Genius. John Williams goes by many titles, but the simplest may be the Dream Weaver. He's provided the soundtrack for our hopes, fears, fantasies and nightmares while making us believe a man can fly and that adventures happen in a galaxy far, far away. Join returning guest KRISTINA DOWLER and I as we use our favorite John Williams tracks as a jumping off point to discuss his c...

It's the premiere episode of season 2, so I had to come up with something big, something SPECIAL and start things off with a bang. So of course, I couldn't even settle on the NAME and actual SUBJECT MANNER of the episode! But I did bring in a SPECIAL GUEST, as ZAKI HASAN joins me in the basement to discuss geek parenting, growing up geeky, and the way the pop culture landscape has changed...

From Dark Avenger of the Night to smiling Caped Crusader, the Batman we saw on our movie screens from 1989 to 1997 swung wildly in tone, content and quality. Join Mike as he welcomes Brad Reiter, aka Big Beard Booty Daddy, down into the Basement to look back at the cinematic journey of Batman during the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher years, an era that saw both directors stamp their influences and...

Living Legends...not many can use that mantle and actually embody it for over 60 years and counting, especially when some of the legends ain't living anymore. Summer's here and the time is right for fightin' in the street, boys....so join me in welcoming Bill Dunn down in the Basement as we go through the past darkly and midnight ramble our way from Beggars Banquet to Black and Blue, with pitstops...

How do we become sports fans? After we become sports fans, how do we watch our favorite teams? Gather with family and friends? Shun all others and obsess alone? And do we pass these traditions onto our children, as they may have been passed to us? Join Mike as he welcomes his bitter rival Scott, otherwise known as ChiefsMASHforever, down into the POP CULTURE BASEMENT to discuss the origins of spor...

It's no exaggeration when I say that this TV special has lived inside my subconscious for over 40 years, trying to claw its way to the surface. When you're dealing with material like this, you bring in the big guns, which is why SPECIAL GUEST Henry Bernstein is here to help me sift through my childhood angst and break down 1978's PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON! We start with Puff and end up at...

HEY HEY HEY! Come back with us now to the days when you came home from school, grabbed a snack, turned on the TV and learned about the evils of concert bootlegging! Join Mike and his guest (and SLEAZE BAG CINEMA co-host) Andrew Gross as they delight in one of the more unique VERY SPECIAL EPISODES ever produced, while also reminiscing about the joy that was local syndication and reruns....and Rerun...

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to talk about the MUPPETS on the new episode of POP CULTURE BASEMENT! Mike is joined by the marvelous MELODI to revel in the laughs, the insanity and the brilliance that are The Muppets. The movies, the television show, the amusement rides...we cover it all, including the history and lasting legacy that Jim Henson and company cr...

An icon who played icons. Jim Morrison. Elvis. Batman. Iceman. Moses. Doc Holliday. All embodied by the recently departed Val Kilmer. Join Mike as he welcomes LEIGH ANNE ( @thebellacissa ) to the basement for this special retrospective episode on the career of a true Hollywood legend. You're a daisy if you do. Please LISTEN, RATE, SHARE and REVIEW this show on: Apple: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/...

This podcast could save your life!* GUY MILKS of GET TO DA PODCAST! joins Mike down in the POP CULTURE BASEMENT to talk about 90's GRUNGE! The bands, the albums, the angst! Relive the good times, when the economy was booming, war was an afterthought, and all of us were miserable and depressed! Mike even gets to vent about hating KISS! Come as you are, for a perfect 10 out of Ten episode! And s...

From humble 8-bit beginnings to a worldwide sensation, Pokémon has made it's mark in a myriad of pop culture media around the globe for almost 30 years. But can the humble host of this podcast, oblivious to the Pokémon experience, learn why this property has survived, and thrived, for so long? Luckily, he's called in TOP MEN, as Mike is joined by Ross & Ryan from the HISTORY ON FILM po...

Another podcast episode about Star Wars?!? HELL YES ! For the first official episode of POP CULTURE BASEMENT , I welcome KRISTINA DOWLER , as we discuss the PREQUEL TRILOGY. We delve into the backstory of our fandom origins, the way different generations discover and react to STAR WARS , and share our memories on seeing each prequel and how they affected us. If you're gonna start a new podcast...

Listen to Mike blather on for 20 minutes as he introduces listeners to the show and kinda/sorta lays out a mission statement for the POP CULTURE BASEMENT podcast. Oh, he also talks about his cat! How could you NOT listen? Look for Mike, and updates on the podcast, at: Twitter: @thislightsaberkillsfacists Bluesky: @mikejamison.bsky.social

What are the movies, books, music, TV shows and other pop culture ephemera that helped to shape who you are? Where and how did you consume this content, and why does it still hold a special place in your heart and mind to this day? Join Mike Jamison and his guests as they relive and try to recapture the magic of their youth, down in the POP CULTURE BASEMENT. Coming soon to Apple Podcasts, Spotify...