The Skiffy and Fanty Show

New years, new shiny, and memories, oh my! Shaun Duke , Jen Zink , and Brandon O’Brien join forces for the first podcast of 2021. Together, they take a dive back into the things they enjoyed about 2020 before jumping in time to all the things they’re looking forward to in 2021. Plus, we share new goals for the year, announcements about things to come, and brand new intro music! Thanks...

White bread, thick shins, and it’s Myanmar not Constanti-Burma, oh my! Shaun Duke , Jen Zink , and Paul Weimer fulfill their destiny as pawns to our Patreon supporters in our annual Holiday Special Torture Cinema! Together, they look at The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) and the meaning of characters in the context of a visual spectacle. Does the movie have characters? Is it possible...

Phenomenal costumes, touching stories, and adorable robots, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink bring on the holiday cheer in this special look at David E. Talbert’s Jingle Jangle . They explore the film’s incredible visual design, its approach to story, what makes this such a special movie, Short Circuit , and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: J...

White bread, thick shins, and it’s Myanmar not Constanti-Burma, oh my! Shaun Duke , Alex Acks , and Paul Weimer give our listeners a special present: a totally unexpected Torture Cinema episode on Jiu Jitsu (2020)! Together, they discuss the film’s bonkers plot, it’s characters (or lack thereof), it’s acting, it’s locations, and basically everything else… Thanks...

Empty promises, Irish Magneto, and Gatling gun horses, oh my! Shaun Duke , Alex Acks , and Paul Weimer turn their eyeballs to superhero films in this trip into the confusingly unimaginative world of Jonah Hex (2010! Together, they discuss the film’s treatment of history, how to properly use a John Malkovich, what Irish Magneto was doing here, Catwoman, and so much more! Thanks for listening....

Holes in the wall, grief, and questionable nationalism, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer take a nostalgic trip back to the 90s to examine Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black (1997)! Together, they discuss the film’s place in the rhetoric of the 90s, its approach to comedy, its treatment of the issue of immigration and the politics of its time, what went into the Edgar suit, and so much mo...

Holes in the wall, grief, and questionable nationalism, oh my! Shaun Duke and Alex Acks are back for another movie discussion. This time, they take a look at Remi Weekes’ 2020 horror film,  His House . Together, they discuss the film’s approach to the refugee crisis, what it means for grief and pain to follow you, just what makes some houses so scary, and so much more! Thanks for liste...

Shanty towns chases, angry girlfriends, and sugar glass, oh my! Shaun Duke and David Annandale are back at it with a new Totally Pretentious show about Jackie Chan’s 1985 stomach buster,  Police Story . Together, they discuss their experience with Hong Kong action cinema, Jackie Chan’s influence on kung fu films, where  Police Story fits in Chan’s oeuvre, and so much more! We hop...

Excessive books, murder shows, and flying beds, oh my! Shaun Duke and Alex Acks search for bit of joy in this media-packed episode of the show! Together, they dig their heels into a discussion of all the things they’ve been enjoying in these pandemic times, a discussion that reaches into the bowels of their souls to examine just what all these shows and books and more have done to keep us fr...

Cornspiracies, confused plots, and Nebraska, oh my! Shaun Duke , Alex Acks , and David Annandale regret their life choices in this Halloween Special edition of Torture Cinema on Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1993). Together, they struggle their way through the film’s meandering and totally confused plot, just what it means to be a teenager in Nebraska, the show’s totall...

Deserted islands, shark monsters, and terrible friends, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer tag team to discuss the Blumhouse Productions film  Sweetheart  (dir. J.D. Dillard). Together, they explore the film’s simple premise, Dillard’s approach to cinematography and race, just what it means to be the last girl, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show...

Secret societies, challenged legacies, and creepy shadow monsters, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink tackle Arthurian myths and Carolina legacies in this packed interview with Legendborn author Tracy Deonn! Together, they talk about Tracy’s exploration and challenge of U.S. legacies and secret societies, the personal aspects she infused into the book, the power of grief and racism, and even why...

Unsalted saltines, dick gods, and giant squid turtles, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink put on their totally-educated-about-ancient-Greece hats for a kraken good discussion of the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans . They tackle the confusing enigma that is Sam Worthington, what it’s like to play Voldemort twice, the problem with Greek gods, why Medusa’s the most screwed over character e...

Possessed swords, demonic klans, and mouths all the way down, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink jump through time to talk with P. Djèlí Clark about his latest novella,  Ring Shout . Together, they dive into the novel’s treatment of the early 1900s, the meaning of ring shouts, black history, the brilliant characters of  Ring Shout , and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the e...

Time travel, police brutality, and timey wimey ethics, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink join forces to discuss Stefon Bristol’s teen time travel adventure film,  See You Yesterday . Togethery, they consider the timeliness of the film, how Bristol approaches black lives and contemporary politics concerning police brutality, the performances by the film’s young cast, and even the relations...

Cyberpunk magic, wicked billionaires, and referencing American presidents, oh my! Paul Weimer pulls out his interview pants to talk to Charles Stross about the newest Laundry Files novel, Dead Lies Dreaming . They dig into the long-running Laundry Files series, this new novel’s political intrigue in a world of mansions and curses, and even how Trump fits into the new book. Plus much more! Th...

Snake friends, naturalistic confusion, and human car fuel, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink take a trip to the past to explore the Peter Fonda apocalyptic slow burner,  Idaho Transfer . With a little alcohol in their stomachs, they talk about the film’s odd approach to storytelling, the surprising revelations about the future, just what it means to be a snake in the apocalyptic future, and eve...

Poison sands, narrative maps, and powerful conjure, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink return to their interviewing duties with an incredible discussion with Andrea Hairston, author of Master of Poisons from Tor Books! They discuss the book’s deep roots in African folklore and history, the wondrous influence of music and polyrhythms on the narration, Hairston’s unique take on magic and kin...

Virtual dreams, virtual nightmares, and goddamn Campbell, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink join forces for a post-convention discussion of CoNZealand. They discuss what worked, what didn’t, their personal experiences of attending the first ever virtual Worldcon, that mess with the goddamn Hugo Awards, what it’s like to lose a Hugo three separate times, and much MUCH more! Thanks for list...

Almost immortals, skyscraper tactics, and Charlize Theron, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink are joined by Alasdair Stuart, Marguerite Kenner, and Wendy Browne for a  long  discussion of the Netflix adaptation if  The Old Guard . Together, they discuss the film’s treatment of technical immortality, our fascination with the characters and choreography, and how the film measures up to the comic b...

Razor fins, questionable scientists, and action scuba, oh my! Shaun Duke , Jen Zink , and Alex Acks giggle their way through the Syfy Channel quality shark epic, Ice Sharks . They tackle the bonkers physics of shark fins, the surprising diversity of the cast, what it means to have plot conveniences, and the endless excitement of watching grown humans scuba dive…forever… We hope you enj...

Space travel, the power of love, and eccentric alien friends, oh my! In this episode of At the Movies, Shaun Duke and Jen Zink look for hope and positive vibes in Ava DuVernay’s  A Wrinkle in Time . Together, they look at the film’s treatment of the source material, the impact of overly focusing on visual spectacle, all the feelz , and the surprising casting choices that work shockingl...

Oranges, wild boys, and douen, oh my! In today’s delightful literary discussion, Shaun Duke and Jen Zink take a look at Tracey Baptiste’s incredible middle grade novel,  The Jumbies . Together, they discuss the novel’s treatment of Caribbean folklore, its exploration of family and loss, its treatment of colonization and nature themes, the terrifying-ness of Jumbies, and so much m...

Trek rehashes, Klingons, and shooty spaceships, oh my! It’s another magical day in the Skiffy and Fanty Universe! Today, we share another episode most of you have never heard before because it never released on the main feeds:  our discussion of  Star Trek Into Darkness ! Listen to Shaun Duke , Paul Weimer , and special guest Jay Garmon talk about the film’s approach to Trek-i-ness, it...

Flying mailmen, questionable kicks, and Cleveland aflame, oh my! Shaun Duke , Jen Zink , and special guest, Tonia Ransom, bring the threat of the Triple Dragon (you heard me) to the 90s fascination with wretched video game adaptations. Together, they explore the film’s treatment of Asian culture, the supremely questionable choreography, the strange world of  Double Dragon (the movie), why Cl...