Radio vs. the Martians!

We sit down with the notoriously Trek- skeptical Sam Mulvey to give our first reactions to the first episode of Star Trek: Picard. Is it what we wanted, and have modern iterations of Trek changed so much — or have become so rigid — that they’re just not for us anymore? We talk about fake click-bait pop culture new sites, the trend that the lead-ups to movie releases are now even...

When he said I do, he never said what he did. This month, we’re joined by Rebecca Friedman of Ask an Atheist to revisit the always thrilling and often problematic action-spy comedy that reunited Arnold with director James Cameron, True Lies ! To his wife Helen and their young daughter, Harry Tasker is a boring computer salesman, always away on one of his dull business trips. But Tasker has b...

In an episode calling back to us from the near past, we get a little nervous, excited and curious about the then-upcoming Star Trek: Picard. We dig a bit into Trek ‘s enduring franchise, both its evolutions and how after almost two decades, is finally moving its timeline forward. We try to figure out how Wonder Woman and Star Trek Beyond could have gone from very good to great, with the same...

“That’s Jonah Hex, his own damn self. He’s killed more men than Hell has souls.” After a long absence, we return with our fourth episode! This time, Mike and Casey claw our way through Jonah Hex’s 1993 Vertigo makeover as a weird western horror character in the five issue mini-series Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo by writer Joe R. Lansdale and artist Timothy Truman! After be...

In a discussion recorded back in November, we try to decide in real-time if Terminator: Dark Fate warrants being covered on Podcasta la Vista, Baby! or not. We talk a bit about our coming post-Arnold future and drop a couple hints at a replacement series. And we mention at least one shelved podcast series idea that we decided to not do. Is it time for Star Wars, among other franchises, to go away...

In our new Christmas Eve episode, we get both deadly serious and a little bit frivolous. First, we glance at a brief history of famous pieces of shit who’ve done awful things –  from Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby, to Harvey Weinstein and George Zimmerman – and the people who refuse to believe their accusers. Then, we delve into what the James Bond franchise loosely calls “...

In our new nearly two hour episode, we’re answering your questions in our first Ask Us Anything episode! We start by sharing three facts about ourselves that you might not know, then we tackle your questions! We talk about our musical obsessions, past political activism, strange retail job stories, how we met, our adventures with conspiracy theorists on public access television, our respecti...

We chat a bit with Tobiah Panshin about that great intangible that gets people’s ire up: Fan Service! What is it? Why is it used as a pejorative? Is it ever a welcome thing? Why does it both delight and frustrate? Amuse and Annoy? We delve into the wherefores and whyfores and try to figure it all out. Note: This episode was recorded before our last Fun Size episode in October, and we hadn&#8...

Two Dads, One Toy, No Prisoners. Put that cookie down! Now! Because, this month, Christmas is coming early! We’re getting into the holiday spirit with librarian Kit Laika , to unwrap Arnold’s holiday comedy Jingle All the Way ! Workaholic salesman Howard Langston hasn’t been the world’s greatest dad. Habitually breaking his promises to spend time with his young son, he vows...

We sit down some more with Patrick Johnson to share our mixed feelings about Todd Phillips’ bleak and controversial Joker film. We dig a bit into the film’s strong lead performance by Joaquin Phoenix and its very on-its-sleeve cinematic inspirations from films like Taxi Driver , Death Wish and the King of Comedy , and try to figure out whether it actually works or not. Does it transcen...

Where shopping can cost you an arm and a leg. In this month’s Halloween-themed Single Serving Selection , we hunker down in the mall with Patrick Johnson to hack into the 1986 cult favorite slasher movie by actual creep director, Jim Wynorski, Chopping Mall (aka Killbots )! A group of young employees plan an after-hours booze and sex party in a mall furniture store. But when the mall is stru...

We sit down again with Tobiah Panshin to open up a bit about medical scares and Mike’s recent testicular cancer diagnosis and treatment. We dig into the heavy emotional weight that comes with getting scary news from a doctor. We also look at how the fictional depiction of cancer in popular media really doesn’t prepare you for the reality of even a highly treatable cancer. Plus, we chat...

A woman and a warrior that became a legend. This month, we’re back in the Hyborean Age to battle wizards and monsters with Tobiah Panshin of the House of Jack and Stan to test our mettle against the third and most poorly-received of Arnold’s fantasy epics: Red Sonja ! When her family is murdered and her body defiled by soldiers of the mad Queen Gedren, a vengeful Red Sonja is gifted wi...

In the aftermath of our Deep Space Nine panel, we rejoin Michael Warbington and Siskoid to talk a little about the stuff we wish we had gotten a chance to mention. We talk holographic club owner, Vic Fontaine. Is he the greatest creation of artificial intelligence in the Trek universe, topping even Data? How did the show tackle thorny topics like racism? And has the show been excluded from the rec...

In our new episode, we talking about endings! We chat a bit about Henry Cavill taking on the lead role in a Netflix Witcher series, and why Disney should make one less live-action remake and do some good in the world! And finally, we look at recent pop culture endings — Game of Thrones , Avengers: Endgame , Deadwood , the Walking Dead comic book, and the Fox X-Men franchise — and look...

At the edge of the Final Frontier, the Universe’s greatest mystery is about to unfold! This month, we’re strolling the promenade and enjoying a hasperat with camp director for Camp Quest NorthWest , Michael Warbington , and Michel “Siskoid” Albert of the Gimme That Star Trek podcast to delve into the beloved franchise spin-off, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ! Widowed Starfleet...

In the month of December, Mike and Casey will participate in the first Ask Us Anything episode of Radio vs. the Martians! , exclusive to Patreon! We will answer (nearly) anything you ask us about any topic, even stuff that we don’t normally tackle on the show — about ourselves, the things we believe, opinions (pop culture or otherwise) and anything you’d like to know about us! Ev...

We sit back down with Sam Mulvey to learn that Keanu Reeves is now in a video game, and that he remains the best human. And we ponder… Are there places on the internet, and in online gaming, where people are actually nice to each other? Are we doomed to transform into digital sociopaths when we’re given both anonymity and the means to kill strangers with lasers — and no consequen...

“Just one more thing…” In this month’s Single Serving Selection , we join Ask an Atheist ‘s Sam Mulvey to snoop around the first episode of the beloved inverted-mystery series, starring Peter Falk’s rumbled detective: 1971’s Columbo: Murder By the Book . When one half of an award-winning mystery writing team learns that his more-talented partner is leaving...

In our new episode, Greg Hatcher rejoins us for a free range conversation. We chat a bit about Trek , the character of Captain Kirk and why it can be a gift when fictional characters age along with their actors. We try to navigate the labyrinth of public domain laws to fruitlessly try to figure out what you can and cannot do with with new adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, the Lone Ranger and the Lan...

We continue our chat with Joe Preti , as things get a little bit loud. In a discussion of recent adaptations, sequels and reboots, we look a bit at the then-impending end of HBO’s Game of Thrones , its prose origins and how it all seems to be heading towards a conclusion that can’t help but disappoint. How should we interface with crossmedia adaptations of stuff we love? How upset shou...

Leave no loose ends. This month, we get scorpion neck tattoos and stock up on Axe body spray with returning guest Joe Preti of the House of Jack and Stan , to work through the needlessly ugly and mean-spirited crime ensemble: Sabotage John “Breacher” Wharton is the commander of a hard-drinking, corrupt DEA strike force, who after a bloody shootout, decides to steal 10 million dollars f...

In our latest fun-sized chat with Tobiah Panshin , we dig into the topics that really matter to working people, like the media depiction of Clowns, and how it’s affected their public perception. Is the happy clown character now a totally dead concept? We briefly dive into the phenomenon of the Simpsons , and how what was once a controversial program has survived long enough to see an entire...

“Spins a web, any size. Catches thieves, just like flies.” This month, we’re web-slinging through New York with the Fire and Water Network ‘s Ryan Daly and Tobiah Panshin of the House of Jack and Stan podcast. We’re climbing the wall over Marvel’s revolutionary and relatable comic book hero: the Amazing Spider-Man! From his beginnings in a cancelled anthology comic by Stan Lee an...

In our new episode, there’s some more stuff to clean out the basement. Casey loves science fiction, but has grown tired of the ubiquity of sci-fi that treats dystopia, calamity and apocalypse as inevitability.  What happened to looking for positive alternatives and aspirational worlds in our genre media? Is it a symptom of our inability to imagine that we can overcome the things that make th...