Check the Vending Machines: A Weekly Pop Culture Discussion Podcast

Episode 305 Zach and Jason chat about Street Fighter 6, Slow Horses, and discuss the greatest fast food toys of all time.

Episode 304: Zach and Jason chat about Summer Games Fest 2025, the recent State of Play, what upcoming games look interesting, and list off their 5 Favorite Anime of All Time. Thanks!MUSIC: King of Kong, MVC2

Episode 303: Zach and Jason chat about Dawson's Creek, Stellar Blade, and kids television programming blocks. Thanks for listening!Music: King of Kong; MVC2

EP 302Zach and Jason chat about NASCAR's Coca Cola 600, Paddington and Paddington 2, and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. MUSIC: King of Kong; MVC2

Zach and Jason chat about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 some more, A Minecraft Movie, and list their favorite blockbusters of all time. Music: KING OF KONG; MVC2

Episode 300 Zach and Jason steal an idea from F THIS MOVIE and various other independent theaters across the country... the CTVM Movie Marathon! 5 movies back-to-back, leading directly into the 300th episode.

Episode 299 Jason and Zach chat about The Thunderbolts.

Episode 298: Zach and Jason chat about the latest RPG sensation, CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33, Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL, SINNERS, and the latest flick from action master Gareth Evans, HAVOC. OP: King of Kong, MVC2

Ep. 297 Jason and Zach chat about Marriage Toxin, The Girl the Dragon Tattoo, U.S. Marshals, The Last Boy Scout, and favorite discontinued sodas. OP: King of Kong; MvC2

Episode 296: Jason and Zach chat about Solo Leveling, South of Midnight, Severance Season 2, and more! Thanks for listening. Music: King of Kong, MvC2

Zach and Jason chat about the latest Devil May Cry animated series. Plus: Independence Day, Jurassic Park and World, CinemaCon 2025, Atomfall, and more! Thanks for listening. Music: King of Kong; MvC 2

Episode 294: Zach and Jason chat about the 2019 b-action flick, GUNS AKIMBO. Music: King of Kong; Viewtiful Joe OST

Episode 293Zach and Jason chat about Afro Samurai, true crime docs, and shitty sex comedies. Thanks!

Episode 292 Jason and Zach chat about the 2022 Korean Action-Comedy flick, THE ROUNDUP.

Episode #291Zach and Jason chat about REACHER Season 3, fighting game music, and DEMON CITY (2025)!Thanks for listening!OPENING: MARVEL VS CAPCOM 2; KING OF KONG

Episode #290Zach and Jason chat HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS!Thanks for listening!OPENING: Toonami OST

Jason and Zach chat about Captain America: Brave New World, The Marshall King, LSD documentaries, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Music: TOONAMI OST

Episode 288Zach and Jason chat about what they've been checking out before chatting about HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.

Episode #287 Zach and Jason chat THE LAST DANCE, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!, and HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005)! Thanks for listening! OPENING: CANON FILMS INTRO; POLICENAUTS OPENING

Episode #286:  Zach and Jason chat about HARRY POTTER AND GOBLET OF FIRE! Thanks for listening! OPENING: CANON FILMS INTRO; POLICENAUTS OPENING

Episode #285:  Zach and Jason chat about HARRY POTTER AND CHAMBER OF SECRETS!  Thanks for listening! OPENING: CANON FILMS INTRO; POLICENAUTS OPENING

Episode #284:  Zach and Jason chat about HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE.  *Internet connection issues within the first 20 or so minutes* Thanks for listening! OPENING: CANON FILMS INTRO; POLICENAUTS OPENING

Episode #283:  The year is over. Zach and Jason list their personal 50 Favorite Films of All Time. Also: Jason is sick - please forgive the audio at times.  Thanks for listening! OPENING: Viewtiful Joe OST Theme

Episode #282:  Zach and Jason chat about their favorite holiday episodes from the world of television.  Thanks for listening! MUSIC: KING OF FIGHTERS THEME

Episode #281:  Zach and Jason chat about the anime movie/OVA, LOOK BACK (2024)! Thanks for listening! OPENING: Viewtiful Joe OST Theme

Episode 280: Zach and Jason saw WICKED (2024). The pod is slowly becoming all about musical theatre. Music: VIEWTIFUL JOE OP

Episode #279 Zach and Jason return to the pod with some beer chat, some musical chat, some manga chat, all before chatting about the latest tactical RPG - METAL SLUG TACTICS!  Thanks for listening! OPENING: Fatal Fury Theme; Pepsiman Theme; Viewtiful Joe OST Theme

Episode #278 Zach and Jason chat about their 5 Favorite PlayStation 2 Games! Plus: Centuria (manga), Deranged Detective (manga), The Quarry (PS5), Metaphor: ReFantazio's difficulty, and MORE! Thanks for listening! OPENING: PS2 Boot Screen; Viewtiful Joe OST Theme

Episode #277 Halloween 2024 is DEAD & BURIED. SIX FEET DEEP. REST. IN. PEACE. Zach and Jason gather around the fireside to chat about CREEPSHOW (1982).  Thanks for listening! OPENING: CANNON FILMS; Scooby Doo's Hex Girls

Episode #276 Zach and Jason come together to chat about the renowned J-Horror classic PULSE (2001)! Plus: Space Marine 2, Terrifier, Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Hush (2016), The Strangers (2008), and more! Thanks for listening! OPENING: CANNON FILMS; STERN'S GHOSTBUSTERS PINBALL

Episode #275 The boyz continue their HALLOWEEN 2024 with HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982). Plus: Centuria, Fear Street, Control and Alan Wake II, In a Violent Nature, and more! Thanks for listening! OPENING: Men in Black, The Animated Series; Cannon Films

Episode 274: *For some reason this didn't post last week and I'm just now noticing* The boyz continue their HALLOWEEN 2024 with RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 1985 Thanks for listening! OPENING: Ed, Edd and Eddy Halloween

Episode #273 Zach and Jason dive further into the depths of HALLOWEEN 2024 with TALK TO ME (2022)!!!  Thanks for listening! OPENING: Canon Films; Hex Girls (Scooby Doo)

Episode 272 Zach, Jason, and special guest/best bud Shaquille get together to continue HALLOWEEN 2024! This week... RE-ANIMATOR!!!

Episode #271 HALLOWEEN BEGINS NOW! WITH THE MOST SCARY AND HORRIFYING FLICK OF THE 1990S… CHECK THE VENDING MACHINES HALLOWEEN SEASON STARTS THIS WEEK! But, before that, Zach and Jason chat about Playstation 5 platforming games, the latest Nicole Kidman Netflix series, House of 1000 Corpses, Netflix's Malice at the Palace, Friday the 13th 2009, The Blob 1988, and more!  Thanks for listening! OPENING: Canon Films; Hex Girls (Scooby Doo)

Episode #270 Zach and Jason get together to chat about Phantom of the Opera, Black Myth Wu Kong, and The Crow! Thanks for listening!

Episode #269 Zach and Jason return to chat about Zach's experience seeing The Lion King musical, musicals in general, the official CTVM Quentin Tarantino movie ranking, and chat about ALIEN: ROMULUS.  Thanks for listening! MUSIC: Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes - The Heist

Episode #268 Zach and Jason return to chat about Three Days of the Condor! Plus: new Shonen Jump+ manga, musicals and theater class, MaXXXine, and more! Thanks for listening!

Episode #267 Zach and Jason chat about the Olympics, Denzel Washington, E.T., Oshi no Ko Season 2, Warren Oates, and a ton more… before reviewing the latest M. Night flick, TRAP.   Thanks for listening!

Episode #266 Zach and Jason chat Night of the Demons, The Sure Thing, musicals, San Diego Comic Con 2024, movie theater collectibles, and so much more before reviewing SEA FEVER (2019)! Thanks for listening! Music: TOONAMI BEATS: HEAVY

Episode #265 Zach and Jason are back on a Sunday morning to chat about TWISTERS! But, before that… Magic Kingdom and roller coasters, the Hagrid motorcycle ride at Universal, Robert Altman movies, Donald Sutherland, pickleball, and much, much more! Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA; TOONAMI BEATS: HEAVY

Episode #264 Zach and Jason make their triumphant return to the empty landscape that is pop culture-movie centric podcasting with Episode 264 of Check the Vending Machines. This week: Zach has a new gatcha game to obsess over, Jason watched Twister and John Wick 1 and 2, and Zach finally finished Jim Butcher's ‘Changes' (Dresden Files)... then the boys chat about the hottest “horror” film around town, LONGLEGS.  Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA; TOONAMI BEATS: HEAVY

Episode #263 Zach and Jason chat about some anime, some manga, Resident Evil Village, and then end the pod with THE SADNESS (2021). Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA; TOONAMI BEATS: HEAVY

Episode #262 Zach and Jason chat about THE BEASTMASTER, Resident Evil 4 Remake, new game trailers, Street Fighter 6 x King of Fighters, King of Kong, and more!  Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA; TOONAMI BEATS: HEAVY

Episode #261 The boyz are back after a week off to chat about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Dave the Diver, Resident Evil 2 Remake, 3 Remake, and 4 Remake, and a ton of other stuff! Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA; TOONAMI BEATS: HEAVY

Episode #260 CTVM arrives. Zach has beat FF7 Rebirth, Jason has checked out Godzilla X Kong: A New Empire and they both watched a late 90s Nic Cage flick to chat about for the episode.  Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA; TOONAMI BEATS: HEAVY

Episode #259 CTVM returns for another week! This week: Zach is finally FINALLY almost ALMOST finished with the latest Final Fantasy 7; Jason chats about some 80s anime OVA and the latest issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland; and then the boyz chat about KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.  Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA

Episode #258 Zach and Jason get together to chat about open-world game fatigue, Errol Morris' The Thin Blue Line, the anime adaptation of The Fable, and the 1997 pre-J-Horror thriller, CURE (1997). Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA

Episode #257 CTVM is back once again! This episode is full of stupid activity talk. Swim team. Bowling leagues. Billiards. All of that stuff. Then the boyz finish their PLANET OF THE APES original franchise review with BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES.  Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA

Episode #256 CTVM is back once again! Zach and Jason spend 50 minutes chatting about Gameboy Color and other classic nostalgic video game memories, with a big SSX TRICKY convo! Then, the boys review CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA

Episode #255 Zach and Jason chat about manga, manga, manga, and the next sequel in our PLANET OF THE APES watch-through. Thanks for listening! Music: TMNT + FRANCO MICALIZZA