The Skiffy and Fanty Show

Slices of life, tamarind, and unexpected familiar guests, oh my! Shaun Duke and David Annandale wander to another part of the world to talk about Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010; Loong Boonmee raleuk chat ). Together, they explore the film’s themes of death and life, what it’s like to be a water buffalo getting its freedom, the direct...

Swiss cheese brain, questionable histories, and Al’s escapades, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Paul Weimer join forces w/ special guest Marshall Ryan Maresca for an in-depth discussion of the first season of Quantum Leap , a true classic of science fiction television. Together, they explore Scott Bakula’s star power, the show’s approach to history and relationshi...

Tom Selleck, missile guns, and delayed gratification robots, oh my! Shaun Duke and Becca Evans join forces to tackle Runaway (1984), a film selected based on a poll put together by longtime listener, Jeff Xilon. Thanks a lot, Jeff… Together, Shaun and Becca tackles the film’s strange production history, why Gene Simmons is so weird, how the film treats family and the future of robots,...

Tethered souls, murderous Santa Cruz, and fire!!!, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Paul Weimer join forces to Jordan Peele’s Us (2019). Together, they explore the film’s historical references, its treatment of class politics and horror tropes, what it’s like to be a crawdaddy, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send...

Deathly fungi, questionable parents, and confused demons, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien join forces to discuss Netflix’s new German film, Das Privileg Die Auserwählten ( The Privilege) . Together, they explore the film’s exploration of themes of teen life, demon possession, and more, its treatment of teen sexuality, what it means to be infected with evil fungi that makes...

Mammary aliens, incomprehensible plots, and assassassinauts, oh my! Shaun Duke and Alex Acks are forced to bring back Jen Zink for a listener-selected episode of Torture Cinema. Thanks to Kathryn, we watched Assassinaut (2019). Together, our intrepid crew tries to make sense of the film’s plot, explores what it means to have many layers of aliens, odd directorial choices, and so much more! T...

Flying whales, cyberstalking, and the metaverse, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Iori Kusano team up to discuss 2021’s Belle ( Ryû to sobakasu no hime) , a new film by Mamoru Hosoda. Together, they explore the film’s treatment of Internet culture, visual metaphors both topical and literary, Hosoda’s narrative choices, and so much more. TW: discussions of child abu...

Librarian spies, meet cutes, and train Nazis, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by the incredible heist magician Michi Trota for a live discussion at Capricon 42 on Leverage: Redemption (especially the second half of the season). Together, they talk about the season’s treatment of social issues, what it means to be redeemed, the power of friendship and doing the right th...

Worries, needs, and the future, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Paul Weimer get honest about the state of the show in 2022. How are we feeling about where we’re at and where we’d like to go? What do we still hope to do? What barriers are keeping us from our dreams? And what can you do to help us get there? This and more makes up the bulk of this honest, sometimes-funny...

Great experiences, bonkers good literature, and media wonders, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , Iori Kusano , and Paul Weimer open up 2022 with a look back at what brought us joy in 2021 and a look forward to the things we’re excited about in 2022. Plus, we give a quick look into what to expect for the show this year. Make sure to tune in! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy t...

Tin cans, quirky locals, and goblins, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Iori Kusano turn their attention to the high paranormal documentary, Hellier , with absolutely no promises about there being goblins in the episode. Together, they consider Hellier ‘s production and approach to narrative, the limitations and power of personal narratives in paranormal investigations, goblins...

Confused Cage, adorable kids, and Don Cheadle, oh my! Shaun Duke , Alex Acks , and Becca Evans collect themselves for the final Torture Cinema episode of the year — the annual holiday special! This time, our Patreon supporters chose The Family Man . Together, our crew explore the bizarre timeline, what it means to be bashed with heteronormativity, dogs, and much more! Thanks for listening. W...

Terrible fathers, mecha trauma, and the anti-universe, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Iori Kusano take a deep dive into the definitely last ever piece of Evangelion film! Together, they discussion 3.0+1.0 ‘s treatment of trauma and parenthood, its impact on the franchise as a whole, the legacy of Evangelion , and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the epis...

Killer bops, Michael Caine, and Muppets, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Mike Underwood bring on some holiday cheer with a joyful conversation about a classic: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). Together, they explore the film’s themes of redemption and wealth, what it’s like to live in a world of puppets, some apocryphal Muppet stories, and so much more! Thanks for lis...

Manipulated memory, cults, and monstrous friends, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien join forces for a brand new interview with Cadwell Turnbull! Together, they explore Cadwell’s approach to the monstrous, the inspiration for the novel’s major events, the meaning of cultural memory, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your...

Human facemasks, turkey sex, and charming sheriffs, oh my! Shaun Duke and Alex Acks join forces to discuss our first ever Thanksgiving-related movie, ThanksKilling ! Together, they try to understand the film’s approach to horror comedy, reflect on what it’s like to wear a human facemask, analyze the meaning of a killer turkey, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy t...

Butt flaps, spider sphincters, and Ron Jeremy’s dad, oh my! Shaun Duke and Tonia Ransom join forces to make sense of the 1975 monster bonanza, The Giant Spider Invasion ! Together, they talk about the film’s confusing family dynamic, how blood splatter actually works, the objectification of actresses, and even Ron Jeremy’s theoretical dad! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy...

80s politics, weird story choices, and Wolverines!!!, oh my! Shaun Duke , Alex Acks , and Paul Weimer join forces to discuss 1984’s most memorable jingoistic nuclear war film, Red Dawn . Together, they discuss the film’s history and impact, just what it takes to be a Wolverine, what the 80s were like, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Se...

Dark secrets, weird Nazi parties, and confusing everything, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien try to make sense of Netflix’s latest horror film, There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021). Together, they discuss the movie’s plot, its treatment of identity, what we’re supposed to get from this killer, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the epis...

Questionable teachers, fascist ideologies, and male pests, oh my! Shaun Duke and David Annandale turn their attentions to The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)! Together, they work to make sense of the film’s treatment of fascist ideology, its intentionally horrific portrayal of education, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments...

Magic weapons, kicks to the face, and Chinatown, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by the incredible heist magician Michi Trota for another in-depth conversation about a totally different television show: CW’s 2021 adaptation of Kung Fu . Together, our crew explores the show’s treatment of its Chinese-centered narrative, its perspectives on romance, migration and r...

Extra breasts, sunburnt nips, and bad choreography, oh my! Shaun Duke and Alex Acks are joined by long time friend of the show, Mike Martinez, for a Torture Cinema festival for the ages! Together, they tackle the 1984 stinker, The Warrior and the Sorceress while trying to answer the question: What the hell did we just watch? Prepare to laugh your nips off. All four of them! Thanks for listening. W...

Streaming services, really awesome toys, and new shows, oh my! Brandon O’Brien and Iori Kusano strap in for a wide-reaching conversation about the state of Kamen Rider in 2021! Together, they talk about new announcements from Toei, the struggles of being an international fan, fansubs and conflict, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your...

Card games, strange airducts, and questionable lawyers, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by the incredible heist magician Michi Trota for an in-depth conversation about Leverage: Redemption . Together, our crew explores the season’s themes and new characters, its approach to political and social concerns, what it means to be redeemed, and so much more! Thanks for listen...

Editorial decisions, poetic greatness, and pro wrestling, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien join forces for an in-depth interview with Lynne M. Thomas and Chimedum Ohaegbu about the 8th year Kickstarter for the multi-Hugo winning Uncanny Magazine . Together, they discuss the editing process, what it’s like to run a magazine for 8 years, the wonders of pro wrestling, poetry, and so...