Deep Cut Nerd

Deep Cut Nerd

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J. Holtham and Larry Pontius tackle perhaps the least important issues in speculative fiction (from movies, TV, comics and books). They will chat, they will ponder, and they will question.

J Holtham and Larry Pontius


    • Jan 4, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 38m AVG DURATION
    • 38 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Deep Cut Nerd

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 38: Death Traps!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2018 28:06


    This might be the last Deep Cut Nerd EVER, as J and Larry possibly get consumed by lava, they discuss death traps in speculative fiction. Thanks to Heidi for putting this podcast together.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 37: Cool

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2017 33:00


    Things have changed for J and Larry, this might be the last podcast ever! As the air leaks out of the airlock, J and Larry take on Cool in speculative fiction.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 36: Shame

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2017 44:27


    We are BACK! After discovering a co-worker has never seen Star Trek, J and Larry discuss their secret sci-fi shames and why shaming is wrong.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 35: Jewelry

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2017 43:09


    J and Larry take bling. Magical bling. Important bling. Pretty bling. Bling that is important to a story. Or just our favorite. We talk about it because no one else will. Thanks to Heidi Handlesman!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 34: Wealth

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2017 37:43


    We are back, nerds! J and Larry tackle wealth in speculative fiction!

    Deep Cut Nerd ep. 33: The End of Times!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2016 45:41


    J and Larry tackle the end of times, the apocalypse in speculative fiction. What's the worst? Or do we mean best? I don't know... it's the end of the world and mostly likely you WON'T feel fine. Thanks again to Heidi Handelsman!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 32: Monsters

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2016 50:20


    JUST in time for Halloween, J and Larry talk monsters. Big, small, good and bad... What makes a monster? Thanks to Heidi for making us monsters sound good.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 31 The horror... the horror!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2016 42:57


    J and Larry tackle horror this go around. Chills. Fears. Things that go bump in the night! Thanks again to Heidi for making us sound good!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 30: Sports!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2016 34:06


    J and Larry welcome Wren back for another important episode: the sports one. That's right sports in speculative fiction. There's the special baseball episode of Deep Space Nine, and then, of course, there's Quidditch. This one is sure to please no one. Thanks again to Heidi for making us sound great!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 29: Minor Characters

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2016 27:58


    This time around J, Larry and special guest Wren talk about the most important characters of all: the minor ones. What happens to them? Are their lives better or worse having encountered the main characters? Thanks again to Heidi!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 28: The Villain Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2016 61:48


    J and Larry talk bad guys. Not the henchmen, but the real bad guys. It starts off with disagreement: Is Q a villain? And then... Darth Vader, is all that? Plus: KHAAAAAAAAAAN!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 27: The Comedy One...

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2016 55:13


    After some time and space following a tragic accident at work, Larry and J talk about comedy in speculative fiction! Young Frankenstein! Ice Pirates! That one episode with the tribbles!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 26: Wait, we're going to talk about AGING?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2016 46:48


    J and Larry talk about... Well, at J's work, an accident resulted in everything skipping a head a month. We're one month older. And Larry wants to talk about that scene in Star Trek 2: Everyone has birthdays, why are we treating yours like a funeral. So, I guess it's about time, aging, mortality. Thanks again to Heidi!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 25: Food, glorious, food

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2016 39:43


    Larry explains where he has been for the past few weeks, launching him and J into a discussion about food in speculative fiction. Larry is stunned by J's choice of favorite food in fantasy, and Heidi makes her appearance to set some records straight.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 24: Fictional Fiction!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2016 53:46


    J and Larry tackle the ouroboros of Fictional Fiction. You know, that work of fiction inside another work of fiction... How does it affect the story, how does it affect the understanding of the story? They totally talk about Saga and Watchmen, and they totally forget to talk about the Pirate comic in Watchmen. Thanks again to Heidi Handelsman!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 23: WARFARE!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2016 48:00


    After a really bad week at work, J and Larry talk about what's on everyone's mind in speculative fiction: warfare. Tactics! Pew, pew, pew! And, of course, Game of Thrones!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep 22: Retcon!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2016 44:25


    After a break, J and Larry are back, or have they always been here? This week: Retcon, what is it, what are the favorites... You thought you knew the whole story, and you did, until now. Retcon!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 21: Technobabble!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2016 46:47


    J and Larry work on reversing the polarity of the neutron flow as the plasma manifolds collapse because we didn't modulate the shield frequency 38%. That's right: it's the technobabble episode. Thanks to Heidi Handelsman!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 20: The Sex Episode...

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2016 45:11


    J and Larry tackle sex in this episode. It wasn't such an icky conversation (maybe we weren't doing it right.) How does Star Trek handle sex? Is there sex in Star Wars? And then, of course, Game of Thrones. It all goes well until some technical issues... but then Heidi makes it all better.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 19: Women's Fashion in Speculative Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2016 48:35


    Part Two of our special look at fashion in science fiction, comics and fantasy. This time, women's fashion. J and Larry have a special guest: Wren, a make up artist. She's there to make sure they don't make idiots of themselves. Thanks again to Heidi Handelsman!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 18: Men's fashion

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2016 36:26


    After a week away because of... well, we'll let J explain, Deep Cut Nerd is back with the question: Just who is the best dressed in speculative fiction? A two part exploration, first up: the men. Special thanks to Heidi Handelsman for making us sound awesome.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 17: The Law and Legal Systems

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2016 32:53


    J and Larry try to fight the law, but, the law is gonna win. How do different speculative fictions take on the legal system? Are there lawyers in the DC universe? What's up with Vulcan's killing each other every 7 years and THAT'S ok with the Federation?

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 16: Engineers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2016 37:13


    We ain't talkin no Scotty, no Kaylee, no Miles O'Brien, we are talking the brains behind the operation, the Engineers who built the Enterprise or the Wall in Song of Ice and Fire. Stuff like that... Larry causes some problems when he claims it was Bob the Builder that built the Wall of Ice...

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep 15: Addiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2016 36:15


    J and Larry talk addiction in speculative fiction. They don't have a problem, no, they don't, they, seriously, no, we don't have a problem.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 14: Going Rogue

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2016 31:32


    J and Larry talk about the Rogue. Who are they, what do they want and why we love them. Of course, Han Solo, the gold standard is talked about. All goes well, until we get busted.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 13: The Batman

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2016 47:22


    J Holtham and Larry have been pretty harsh on the Batman. And there are good reasons, BUT, in this week's episode, The Batman gets a hero, Louie Pearlman stops by. Larry and Louie talk Batman, who might not be so bad after all.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 12: Doctors...

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2016 41:04


    J and Larry talk doctors and healers in speculative fiction. Why are healers in fantasy so bad at their jobs they don't even rate being characters? Why do Phd's have more to do in a story than MDs? Why is Dr. Richards called MR. Fantastic?

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 11--Evil Organizations, How Do They Work?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2016 24:16


    LIVE from WONDERCON, J and Larry ponder: Evil Orgainizations... how do they work? It isn't easy running an evil organization, there's a lot of logistics to think about...

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 10: The Worst Job in Speculative Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2016 32:42


    J and Larry have been having a hard time at work lately. So, in order to cheer themselves up, they talk about the worst job in all of speculative fiction, from Fantasy to Science Fiction what is #TheWorstJob

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 9: Who has the Greatest Rogues Gallery?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2016 44:45


    Sorry, Batman, you lose again, as J and Larry tackle the important issue, who has the Greatest Rogues Gallery? J goes with Spider-Man's the Sinister Six, while Larry champions The Flash's Rogues Gallery. Who's right?

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 8: Alternative Universes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2016 34:41


    J and Larry take on a common aspect of speculative fiction: the Alternative Universe. DC, Marvel, even the Next Generation explore What If? with their characters... What works? Why does J want to go there? Let's find out...

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep: 7 Why is Batman not such a great hero

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2016 27:51


    J and Larry take on The Batman in this episode of Deep Cut Nerd. The only thing J and Larry agree on: Batman's not so great. And that's where the agreement ends.

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 6 People of Color in Speculative Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2016 31:54


    J and Larry decide to just go for it, and now, talk about People of Color in speculative fiction. The good, the bad, and the "Woah, that's like, not cool." From Star Trek to Game of Thrones... And there are some book recommendations: How to Live Safety in a Science Fiction Universe by Charles Yu and The Lives of Tao Trilogy by Wesley Chu. Special thanks to Heidi Handelsman!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 5-- Women in Speculative Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2016 38:27


    J and Larry meet up at the bar again to talk about Women in comics, movies and books. Set back and listen to two straight guys talk about women. Ripley! Rey! Leia! Tank Girl! Agent Carter!

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep 4- Artificial Life Forms

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2016 28:21


    Because of events at work, J and Larry tackle Artificial life forms: should they be paid? Who DOES pay them? We talk about C3PO, Data, Roy Batty, and, of course, Thomas The Tank Engine. Also we reference this blog article: http://bit.ly/1TLdfPh FINALLY, Larry totally talks about Zuckuss (http://bit.ly/1S1d70I) but, he totally meant 4-Lom (http://bit.ly/1PSPpxa)

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep 3: Facial Hair in Speculative Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2016 25:47


    J and Larry keep tackling the important issues. This week: facial hair in speculative fiction (sci fi, fantasy, comics, etc.) What does facial hair signify? Who has the greatest facial hair? Follow us on Twitter @DeepCutNerdPod

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep. 2: Anthropomorphism and Zoomorphism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2016 26:34


    J and Larry chat about characters from Ovid's... No... No, they talk about comic book characters this week. Anthropomorphic animals and Zoomorphic Humans... Who is the greatest Anthropomorphic character? Is Batman Zoomorphic?

    Deep Cut Nerd Ep 1: Co-Pilots

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2016 22:32


    Deep Cut Nerd--J Holtham and Larry Pontius take on the issues in speculative fiction that no one else is talking about. In this episode: Co-Pilots. Who are the Co-pilots in speculative fiction and what exactly do they do?

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