russrev1ews

Hey! Listen! Do you want to feel old? Well, The Legend of Zelda is turning 40 years old this year! That’s right, the greatest game franchise of all time is over the hill, and Nintendo is pulling out all the stops with a year-long celebration. Does this culminate in a brand new game for the Switch 2? Of course not! Rather, we get what we deserve, a reboot of the 1998 classic Ocarina of Time . Despi...

This episode is special. First off, it’s the 40th episode! Yes, the ole podcast is over the hill and has finally entered it’s forties. This episode is also special because I got a chance to have a conversation with a local hero of mine, Ricky Bright. Ricky is the owner and operator of The Upper Bout a guitar shop and repair shop in Champaign, IL. The store opened up in 2013, and it has consistentl...

A lot of people don’t know this, but I LOVE comedy. I got to see Mitch Hedberg before he passed away in high school and it changed my life. Comedy is amazing, and, while I might be funny, I’m no comedian (and trust me…I've tried). Thanks be to God for my friend Mike Heath who is a comedian and has been grinding at the craft for almost 1/2 a decade! Ironically, while we’re discussing comedy (wh...

***Editor’s Note: I recorded this off-site in Chicagoland, and my settings got all out of whack. So the podcast sounds a little weird. I apologize, but I did want to say that the content is great! I hope you’ll soldier through the audio issues and give it a listen. *** If you know anything about the NFL, you know that the Bears and Packers have the oldest rivalry in the league. Their all-time reco...

We did it Joe! That’s right people, me and Caleb managed to sneak in a very timely review of Disney’s latest D23 expo and snuck it in (1:07:46) to what was already a JAM-PACKED review of the latest from Disney Incorporated. We review Mickey cartoons (10:10), we review Legoland (18:09), we review the dismal state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (24:41), we briefly review the ideal length of a crui...

I’m back baby. And during my summer hiatus I realized should just keep copying Bill Simmons and maybe one day I’ll get to have him on as a guest. He got to interview Letterman, so dreams do come true. Speaking of dreams, I’ve always wanted to do a mailbag episode, and I couldn’t think of anyone better than my friend, Hillary Campbell, to answer listener questions with. We also finally make good on...

I’m unfortunately one of those people that has a compulsive need to tell everyone it’s my birthday. I find it annoying when other people do it, but somehow it’s very charming when I do it. Go figure. Anyways, today is my birthday and I wanted an episode I could actually listen to with my fellow Disney Daddy, Caleb Hayworth. So we got together and did an EMERGENCY POD reviewing Disney CEO Josh D’Am...

Nothing says, “summer” like taking a break. And that’s exactly what I’m doing! I’m taking a break and I’ll be on a hiatus from now until early August. In honor of this absence I wanted to try recording an episode by myself. I’m not sure if it’s good, but YOLO right? Bill Burr’s entire podcast is solo and he’s done well for himself? The episode is mainly broken down into two parts. At the top of th...

Oh boy! Me and GetawaysByCaleb.com are back together again for the SEVENTH time – oh thank Heaven! – and we finally make good on our promise to review Magic Kingdom as we share about our time visiting during Disney After Hours (27:38). Before we get into all that I spend some time sharing why Twitter/X is the worst (1:47), we hear an update on Caleb’s travel concierge work (4:11), we convince Jim...

The two-dude bookclub is back for it’s last dance with Victor Hugo’s ineffable classic, Les Misérables . Join me (russ) and Mick as we review the final tome and wrap up our experiences with this amazing piece of literature. No surprises, but we talk about death a lot. Fun! Needless to say, this episode is an emotional roller coaster, and I hope you enjoy it! To find the episodes for volumes, one,...

Aw jeez guys. We did it. 1 year. In the books. Join me and Jim as we celebrate my 1 year anniversary by reviewing what it’s like being a “amateur hobby podcaster.” For this episode I had over the reigns to Jim and he interviews me. It made me uncomfortable but then I remembered how much I love the sound of my own voice ;-) I think I’m allowed to say it’s a GREAT episode. Hope you enjoy!  Many than...

It’s hard to believe that Caleb and I have recorded six episodes now, but it’s true! And I have to say, this one is my favorite so far. It’s a brand new concept™ I’m calling “The Disney Dump” where basically we dump our hearts and our souls and share about all the various Disney happenings we’re excited about. For the inaugural dump, Caleb reviews one of the newest ships in the DCL fleet, the Disn...

So I’m an idiot and thought the baseball season started on April 1st (like a normal person). It does not. It started last week (on NETFLIX™ coool!). Hopefully my tardiness doesn’t dissuade you from listening as me and, the best man from my wedding, Timothy R. Miller, preview the upcoming 2026 Major League Baseball season (11:27). We also spend some time looking at our favorite team, the Chicago Cu...

As the band Muse once said, “M-m-m-m-m-m-m-march mad-madness.” That’s right folks one of the best sporting events across all the land kicks off this Thursday (March 19, 2026) as the NCAA March Madness tournament commences. I am joined once again by my “college” experts Mike S. and Jeanette S. as we look at the madness from a macro and micro perspective. It’s a fun conversation around college baske...

Would you all scream “hooray” for Hollywood’s biggest night and join me for this special episode of russPrev1ews or maybe better yet russpred1cts ?! During the show myself and Evan “The Duke” Jarzynski do our best to predict the Oscars winners for 7 major categories during the upcoming 98th Academy Awards (22:24). Before we dive into our guesses, we spend a little time talking about Evan’s experie...

I gotta be honest. I was sick when we recorded this one, and, thusly, I was kind of in my feelings. And I think uhmandaplz was also in her feelings (or at the very least she didn’t want to provide me with free therapy – which is fine). What’s also fine is this amazing episode where uhmandaplz makes her glorious return to the inter webs! During this emotional episode we review uhmanda’s hiatus from...

The two-dude bookclub is back for it’s fourth excursion into the wondrous depths of Victor Hugo’s timeless epic, Les Misérables . Join me (russ) and Mick as we review a tome which has quite a laborious title which many translators have taken liberties with. I personally would translate it as “the chiiill expository part and the siiick war part.” In our discussion we’ll see how this volume tackles...

There are few things more epic than the ocean. The Rocky Mountains maybe? The band Metallica possibly? Or even potentially Soldier Field during the playoffs? But do you know what is more epic? A two-part podcast about a vessel that sails on the ocean. That’s right people, me and Caleb Hayworth (our Disney expert) are doing a 2-PART DISNEY CRUISE EXTRAVAGANZA as we review the Disney Wish. Caleb rec...

There are few things more epic than the ocean. The Rocky Mountains maybe? The band Metallica possibly? Or even potentially Soldier Field during the playoffs? But do you know what is more epic? A two-part podcast about a vessel that sails on the ocean. That’s right people, me and Caleb Hayworth (our Disney expert) are doing a 2-PART DISNEY CRUISE EXTRAVAGANZA as we review the Disney Wish. Caleb rec...

I’m not sure about you but I love TV. It’s probably a problem to be honest. But man, it’s just so much fun to gather around with friends, family, and loved ones to watch things together. It’s also a nice way to decompress after a long day. And it’s a ton of fun to debate and discuss with friends. Which is what we’ll be doing today, as me and my most loyal listener, Jim B., get together to review o...

There are few things more fun and nostalgic than rooting for your college team. The colors, the chants, the traditions, the losing? It’s all part of the pomp and circumstance of living and dying with your alma mater. It’s with the pagentry of collegiate athletics in mind that I’m joined by Mike S. And Jeanette S. for my very first 3-person podcast where we dive into all the fun and nuance of colle...

Much akin to Jean Valjean, the two-dude book club is back for a third time! Join myself (russ) and Mickey “petit Marius” Mangan as we ruminate and ponder upon the third volume of Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Misérables , which is entitled “Marius.” This tome is action packed yet somehow has, what some have said, the most boring section yet. It’s a real whirlwind of literary intrigue! If you’d...

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a 90s kid, and like most 90s kids, I had a lot of rage in a cage. However, no matter how baggy my JNCO jeans got or how angsty my music was, the best way to express my feelings was always through watching a touch of professional wrestling. And I could only watch a little, because I didn’t have cable. Despite my limits I enjoyed watching the WWE and WCW and EC...

Join me and (recurring guest) Spicy Tim as we cosplay as Bill Simmons and Joe House and give our best effort at making an NBA Season Preview Podcast . Unfortunately, we don't spend 3 hours doing season over/unders, but we do go well over 1 hour waxing philosophical about season storylines (13:37), reviewing Timmy's "Top (Player) Tiers of Twenty Twenty-Five" (41:09), and close the...

The two-dude book club is back! Join myself (russ) and Mickey A. Mangan as we recover our memories (and yours) from a long hiatus and dive deep into the waters of the second volume of Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Misérables . This tome, which is entitled Cosette , has some excellent characters, scenes, and even boat talk – so you are for sure in for (as the French say) un friandise! If you’d l...