Friday Island Podcast

Uhh yeah, the final episode is here!Speed Racer and stuff! Fun chats, a little sentimental, mostly just silly, classic Friday Island Podcast, right to the end!

Oh the weather outside is frightful, and the podcast is surely ending, but since it's not over yet, let's talk about How the Grinch Stole Christmas!Oh, didn't see ya there, you're just in time for the penultimate episode of the podcast! You may have heard that all the makeup and costume stuff Jim Carrey had to wear was uncomfortable, but I'll bet you don't know just how bad it really was (it was basically torture). Do you know where the set of Whoville was built? Or who originally recommended Jim Carrey for the role of the Grinch?Now sit back and relax by the fireplace and enjoy the podcast while it lasts because THE END IS NIGH AND THE BOYS ARE EVACUATING FRIDAY ISLAND SOON.Oh yeah, merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Oh, so glad to see you've made it! This week, the boys would like to give you a warm welcome to The White Lotus, Sicily (season 2)!Here, you'll find accommodations such as, elegant rooms with authentic modern Sicilian decor (deep dives on the visuals of the title sequence), lovely views of the Ionian Sea (jokes and spoiler-filled discussions around behind the scenes trivia), and even death (bad IMDb reviews, or more accurately, the ever-approaching end of the podcast)!Please, make yourself comfortable, enjoy a glass of prosecco sparkling under the Italian sun, take a dip in the pool or the ocean, although we do recommend you steer clear of any yachts, the palazzo owners in the area are a little sus.

Once we colonize planets, is Santa gonna have to fly through space? Will he and his reindeer wear space suits? Maybe the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday special will help, thank goodness that's what the boys are discussing this week!Why is this Holiday Special important for MCU canon? What changes were made for Cosmo the Spacedog and why? What would Neil and Zach have done differently for this? And how did Nebula get Rocket that gift??And please stick around for the second half of the episode for some very important podcast news, because you're our holiday special, and we want to cue you in on the future of Friday Island!

Arg, ya see the waters 'round Friday Island be more treacherous than ever before... the lads must be talkin' bout Pirates of the Caribbean yet again...Ya must be wonderin' bout the trivia fer At World's End, what treacherous conditions did the cast and crew have to work in while filming the maelstrom? What inspired the Brethren Court of Shipwreck Island? And of course, how in this wide world did Germany title this here trilogy?Quick now, hoist the colours or abandon ship to meet a fate worse than death with Davy Jones himself! (that means please listen to the episode, obviously)

After our last MCU episode, everyone was just saying, "Nah, more!" So we figured we had to do more and it just worked out that the antagonist of this film is Namor, true story.Just as the MCU returns to Friday Island, so does ADR specialist and friend of the podcast, Jennie! Do you know which actor wanted their character to be the main antagonist? Or how the costume designer worked with so many underwater scenes? Or who nearly played the role of Shuri in Black Panther (2018)? And where was Daniel Kaluuya?Come on through the invisible wall that makes Friday Island just look like a Wakandan jungle and join us for trivia, talks, and laughs!

Daaa Daaaaa Da-da-da-da-daaa Dun-dun-da-da-da-da-Duuh-Daaaah Dununananaaaah Dun-Dun-Dun-Nah-Nuh-Nah-Nuuuuuuuuh.

Brrr, doesn't that cool autumn wind just make you wanna explore a liminal space between life and death, fall and winter, cute and creepy? Well, the boys sure did! Besides, autumn wouldn't be complete without Over the Garden Wall!Have you seen the elusive short film that inspired this iconic animated mini-series? What major differences are there between the original concept for the mini-series, and the final product? Do you know all the names of Greg's frog off the top of your head? And is that frog the key to unlocking the mysteries of The Unknown?You're welcome to bring along your talking blue bird or your own special frog, just please don't tell Jason Funderberker about it.

Spooky season may be over and the Silent Hill/Dead by Daylight fog has finally lifted, but now there's a big office building with a bunch of goats, awkward people, and cards with instructions on how to fight people, it's like the world's strangest petting zoo... Or the boys are just talking about Severance—yeah that's probably it.Do you know where the show was filmed, or that the street address is a reference to a major real-world company? How much was written for Rickon's lackluster self-help book? Why does the eerie Main Titles theme strike such a chord with you—pun intended. And what even happened in this show? Oh yeah, there are theories in this one, a show like this doesn't have an episode without a whole lot of theorizing; so please, wear your tinfoil hats as you determine which numbers look friendly and which look scary.

The podcast is officially two years old as of this episode, and the guys are just gettin crazy sentimental! But in typical guy fashion, the sentimentality looks less like softly weeping bittersweet tears together, and more like a funny, reflective vibe! Please, join the boys for a nice walk down memory lane over the last year, and play a fun, funny, and year-two-relevant game with them!And of course, thank you so much for another year on Friday Island with us, we can't thank you enough, and we hope you'll continue to enjoy all that we have to come!

Hey, remember that thick fog that settled over Friday Island during our recent Silent Hill episode? It's still here and it's only gotten worse... Also giant spider legs are reaching out of the fog and snatching people out of their homes, so we're just hiding out by the campfire to wrap up this year's spooky season, chatting about Dead By Daylight 'cause it feels pretty appropriate under the circumstances.Speaking of which, do you know how the game was developed and how it's changed over the years? How is this game so unique, and how does it maintain such impressive longevity with new licensed killers and survivors? Or how much it roughly costs to create even an original killer? Oh! Ready up, a round's starting! And the Entity hungers...

AH! WEREWOLVES! AAH!! BIG GREEN LADY!! AAAH!!! ANGRY INTERNET INCELS HATING ON A ROBOT WEARING A HAT!!! It surely is a SCARY episode this week with the boys diving way deep into this vat of Werewolf by Night and She-Hulk! Do you know the origins of the lesser-known characters of Werewolf by Night? How do you feel about the first MCU 'Halloween Special'? And how do you feel about the incredibly divisive She-Hulk? Do you know how the developers worked out all that WILD fourth-wall-breaking content? There's so much to learn and so much to get TERRIFIED by in this one, so buckle up!

Few things go together as well as peanut butter and jelly, there's autumn and apple picking, Batman and Robin, Luigi's Mansion and Until Dawn, the boys just had to cover at least one of these pairings, and spooky season was the deciding factor! How well do you know these topics? Do you know how many ~spooky secret~ ways Luigi's Mansion for the Gamecube messes with the player? Do you know how many games the spooky mansion appears in throughout the Mario Game Universe? Or do you know what horror film easter eggs are hidden in Until Dawn, or even how exhaustive the production process before the game's release? Yeah, basically this is a very spooky and very informative episode, so just look out because you may get an information jumpscare here and there.

A dense fog has settled over Friday Island this spooky season... Strange creatures emerge, and we're beginning to believe they're mannifestations of our subconscious guilts, traumas, and fears... It's a lot like Silent Hill, which is appropriate, since the boys are discussing Silent Hill this week... I'm sure you don't know all the details of the game's creation, or what works of art have inspired the developers over the years, or even where the status of the series lies now... please, grab a flashlight, something for self-defense, and also some snacks please, we're getting hungry over here.

Did ya come in for a pie, Friday Islanders? Do forgive me if me head's a little vague, me ol' noggin's stuck in 19th century London from all this Sweeney Todd talk! Heaven knows the boys tried this week, do ya know about the origins of Mr. Todd? Or perhaps how many meat pies were made for this Hollywood production? And you mustn't yet know about Stephen Sondheim's reaction to Butron's adaptation, but you will soon enough! No denyin' times is hard, so would you tell your friends about the podcast while you're at it? Even harder, they're the worst times in Friday Island, and surely no one wants the Demon Barber of Fleet Street gettin' involved...

Shh, do you hear that clicking? It's either a highly infected clicker, OR it's you listening to this episode! Or both... But this week, the boys are finally discussing one of the greatest video games of all time, The Last of Us! Did you know this game was leaked before it was ever announced, and NO ONE realized it?? What about the science behind the decay of the world, twenty years into the apocalypse? Or the inspiration behind everyone's favorite unseen character, Ish? Prepare to be an expert on all things The Last of Us, seriously, the cordyceps virus is real and IT'S COMING FOR ALL OF US!!!

Do you ever just feel nostalgic for the childhood days of wandering around the forests of Japan and befriending a huge cuddly forest deity? Well the boys sure do, so that's why they're diving into the beloved Studio Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro! Did you know this movie is semi-autobiographical? Do you know which other Ghibli film it was released alongside in theaters? What about all the symbolism packed throughout the movie in sometimes surprising ways? And is Cat Bus cute or terrifying? Doesn't matter, either way, hop into the ol' Cat Bus because it's between this and the flying spinning top, and no offense, but I just don't know if your balance is good enough for that.

Name ONE pair of Pixar movies that are better together than apart, more than Toy Story 1 and 2. You can't, it's no competition, these two belong together, and that's why this week, the boys are covering both in one episode! Which actors turned down huge roles because they didn't believe in Pixar? How did the animators nearly lose all their work on Toy Story 2, and who saved the day? What shade did Pixar sneakily throw at huge companies? And do all toys go to heaven? Do they have souls? They're sentient, I mean something must happen when they die, right??

Yeah you read that title right, and NO, the boys will NOT be saying ANY innuendos in this movie called Dewey Cox, so don't even think about that low-hanging fruit. But which musical artists is Dewey based off of? Why was this cult-classic a flop at the box office? How is John C. Reilly such a good singer? And what in the world is Zach's dad's favorite scene in The Office??? Now please, put your hands together for... Dewey Cox!

What comes to mind when I describe a resort hotel in Hawaii? Beautiful Beaches? A moonlit fireside luau? Delectable fresh pineapple and papaya? WRONG. It's awful rich white people treating the working class like dirt. That also describes The White Lotus! Why is it called the 'White Lotus'? How did Covid impact production? Who do the boys think deserve an Emmy most? And how hyped are you to get more Tanya in season 2? Okay now let's go, we'll be late for our scuba training.

Arg, these seas be filled with pirates these days. And these pirates be filled with sea shenanigans. And these shenanigans be filled with curses and Krakens. What else could the boys be discussing but Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest?! There also be trivia on these waters! Like, what's the history behind the Kraken and Davy Jones? What was the design of the Flying Dutchman based off of? How did they nail the CGI so well for 2006? Climb on into the ol' ship and please, if you happen to find a beating heart in a chest or an inconspicuous jar of dirt, don't touch it or move it or anything, let us know where it is and we'll take care of it. Thank you.

Nintendo has crashed Friday Island yet again, and now it's more appropriate than ever with Super Mario Sunshine! What easter eggs can be found in the F.L.U.D.D.'s intro? How many new allies and foes were introduced in this incredible instillation in the MGU (Mario Game Universe)? What secret locations of Isle Delphino were scrapped during the development process? What characters would the boys F, M, or K in the MGU? And is Princess Peach Bowser Junior's Mama??? If you like Pianta-coladas and getting caught in the icky paint-like goop, then come on and hang out on Gelato Beach with the boys!

Is that a cloud? Or is that a UFO? Or is that a new episode? Bingo! it's a new episode, that's right, this week, the boys are discussing Jordan Peele's newest box office hit, Nope! What inspired Peele to direct this new terrifying film? What inspired the final design of the 'Jean Jacket' UFO? And what role would Jesse Plemons have been casted as? Please for the love of God, someone tell me!!!P.S. Please bring your manual old-timey camera, barbed wire, and giant floaty thing because we seriously need reinforcements right now. Just don't let TMZ know the exact location of Friday Island. Thanks, see you soon.

What's that noise? Do you hear that? It sounds like more MCU content to me! That's right, this week, the boys dig into Taiki Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder and the Disney Plus series, Ms. Marvel! How many of Chris Hemsworth's family members are in Thor 4? How much did he have to eat to get so huge? What comic book references can be found throughout Ms. Marvel? And between the two MCU topics, which did you like more? Whichever your preference is, grab your screaming goats, your magical bengals, and get ready for some good old Marvel content!

Yeah, you read that title right! This is our one-hundredth episode! 100 episodes already, can you believe it? Well we can! In fact, we've prepared a fun celebration by recording a live episode on Instagram and Facebook, joined by returning guest Jennie, and listeners like you (maybe you were even there LIVE) but in case if you weren't, here's the episode, for your listening pleasure!

Ahh the 80s, it feels so good to be back! The demo-bats soar in the red-lightning skies, inexplicable deaths are on the rise, and Vecna has made his evil existence known to all. Things have never been so Strange! Come on over and see how much the boys loved season 4 of Stranger Things, learn about how long it took to put together the Vecna prosthetics, or what Metalica thought of Eddie shredding guitar in the Upside Down, and take a deep dive through a portal into some theories from season 3 and more for the next and FINAL season! Suit up and don't forget your Dungeons and Dragons figurines -unless you're too cool for that now- because Vecna's not messing around, and neither are we!

Do you ever wonder if somewhere beyond the Friday Island Sea, there's a massive underwater 1940s era city in disrepair and anarchy? Or perhaps a giant floating city in the clouds high above Friday Island itself? If it isn't already clear, the lads are talking the beloved video game trilogy, Bioshock! How'd that entrepreneurial Andrew Ryan create the city of Rapture on the ocean floor? What makes the floating city of Columbia float? What were the developers originally planning for Bioshock? When did the concept of Little Sisters come into play? And do you have slugs inside of you yet? Hmm? Do you? Do you have any spare slugs? How bout you give us a share of your slugs, what do you say? Just a slug or two! C'mon, please! Gimme the slugs. Give them to me. GIVE ME THE SLUGS. NOW.

A long time ago, on an island far, far away, the boys watched the Disney Plus Star Wars mini series Obi-Wan Kenobi, and were really, really, really disappointed. What magic did Disney pull off to bring back Darth Vader's original voice? What did the returning actors do to prepare for these roles? Has the Star Wars universe already run its course? Is Disney beating a dead horse to a foul, rotting pulp? Or can Taika Waititi eventually save Star Wars from a fate worse than death? God, we hope so.

Guys, Friday Island has been insane lately, first dinos showed up, then pirates, and now the dinos are back??? How much more deadly can this place get??? That said, the boys are now in the mood for dinosaur movies, all three Jurassic World movies, to be specific! Where'd they film Jurassic World 1? How many dinosaur animatronics were used in Jurassic World 2? And just how passionate was Colin Trevorrow about Jurassic World 3 and its lack of apocalyptic vibes? Come on in, we can't keep these dinosaurs waiting, they are NOT patient.

I don't wanna freak nobody out but the boys may have found a map on the island with an X marking a secret treasure... turns out it was just some old gold skull coin, but the adventure at least inspired them to finally get started on the Pirates of the Caribbean! What actors were considered for the role of Jack Sparrow before Johnny Depp? What does antagonist Barbossa's name come from and what does it mean? And what extra measures did Johnny Depp take to look so cool in that bright Caribbean sun? And honestly, we're probably just gonna give them their gold coin, I mean why keep it to ourselves if them not having it makes them immortal zombie skeletons?

EVERYBODY JUST CALM DOWN, THE LONG AWAITED SEQUEL IS FINALLY HERE AND SO IS SUMMER!!! That's right! The boys are finally digging into the greatest DCOM gem of all time, High School Musical 2! Why does Neil in particular love this movie so much? What wild shirts did Corbin Bleu wear through fan votes? How many people tuned in for the release of this work of art? And how many days did it take to film the hit bop 'Bet On It'? Now pack up, roll out, and warm up those vocal cords, it's time to hit the ol' Country Club!

Friday Island has finally gone too far with science, the guys got a little too big for their britches and may have cloned dinosaurs, it's no big deal though, they're gonna try to monetize off them with a park! A Jurassic Park! What are the guys favorite dinos? What dino animatronic proved to be even more threatening than intended? And what in the world was John Williams thinking when he made that fantastic soundtrack? We sincerely advise you to enjoy this episode safely, away from the island, because it may or may not be overrun with giant, man eating, ancient reptile monsters, but don't worry about it, we've got it under control!

Office building fights, googly eyes, and everything bagels, no this isn't a Dunkin' Donuts, it's Everything Everywhere All at Once! What did the writers originally intend for Evelyn to have in order to access the multiverse? How tiny was their CGI team? What big-name actor nearly had a role in this movie without even reading the script? And what wild (and possibly divisive) questions might Neil have for this widely beloved movie? QUICK, do something weird and access another version of yourself from a different universe, Jamie Lee Curtis is coming, and she's MAD!

WHOA! There's a guy running around and killing people for the Egyptian moon god and another guy fighting off a red witch across the multiverse? Oh this must be another Marvel episode! You KNOW this one's packed with all that Friday Island goodness you know and love! What did Oscar Isaac do to enter the mind of a superhero struggling with mental illness? How do the guys feel about all these Disney+ MCU shows and this new phase of the MCU in general? Oh! And what Sam Raimi movie references snuck into MoM? What about sneaky Disney references? And which MCU character has accurately guessed which universe they're in? Do yourself a favor and grab your nearest America Chavez, and please, please just leave the Darkhold alone! It's not called the Darkhold for no reason, okay?

EMERGENCY, GET OUT OF THE WAY and listen to the boys talk all about Michael Bay's Ambulance! Which actor had always dreamed of being in a Bay film? Which actor rented an ambulance in preparation for their role? And how do the guys feel about the Oscars, and the Oscar-winning Dune after some time has passed? I hope you've got your EMT license, 'cause this is about to get intense!

It's gaming week on Friday Island, and not only are the dudes goin' all in on the iconic zombie apocalypse parkour games, Dying Light 1 and 2, they even temporarily departed from the safe haven that is Friday Island and headed to Boston for PAX East! What easter eggs can be found in the Dying Light games? Where in the world are they supposed to take place? How did the developers create such a massive world for Dying Light 2? And what the heck went down when the boys spent a wild day at PAX East?? You better stretch those limbs for this one cuz parkour is no joke, and neither is walking around a massive Boston convention for a whole day!

Whoa, we're throwin it back to the 90s for this one! You better believe the boys are talkin about Mario 64 AND a couple throwback quizzes for Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings! Is this the first game where we heard Mario's iconic voice? What happens when you collect every star in the game? And how well will YOU do in these quizzes? Button your denim overalls, grab your Mario hat, and hop on into this episode for some good old nostalgic fun!

Alright listen up Friday Islanders, maybe you know the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but how much do you really know about it? What was the worst part of filming for the cast and crew? Which actor was shockingly young for his or her role? What reboots do the boys hate and love the most? Oh yeah, I'll bet you don't know even half the fun facts we've got in store for you with these reboots too! It's grisly, gritty, and gnarly up in here, so follow all the slasher horror cliches and get listening to this episode while you evade a chainsaw-wielding, human-skin-wearing cannibal!

Have you ever noticed how dark that side of the moon is? It's cuz there's some robots up there, they don't teach you that in school, but we do here! And what about the Star Trek references, do you know about those? Or how Michael Bay got Oscar winner Frances McDormand in this? Or how long it took to render that big robot worm? Oh, you're about to learn a lot today, just you wait!

What's big and fluffy and red all over? A magical girl who turns into a giant red panda when she's too overwhelmed, of course! This week, the boys are diving deep into Pixar's latest film, Turning Red! What Pixar easter eggs can be found throughout the film? Did you know that the red panda statues have names? And why do Karens hate this movie so much? Grab your 4*Town tickets and join the boys for this banger of an episode!

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You ever get that awkward episode when one of the mics only picks up half of the audio, and after a laborious editing process, some of the audio is abnormally quiet, but still usable? Well that's this episode, so our apologies right up front (trust me, we aren't happy about it either).But hey, this is still a fun, silly episode about a silly guy who happens to be free! It's Free Guy! What video game references can be seen in this movie? What was Free City based off of, and where'd they film it? And did you know that people from Liverpool are called Liverpudlians? It's true! Find out why in this episode—the answers may shock you! (gasp)

He is vengeance, he is darkness, he is the night, he is... the topic of this episode, The Batman! How did Robert Pattinson land the role? What inspired this eerie depiction of The Riddler? What comic books inspired this iteration of Batman and Gotham? And what Irish moor hag did Colin Farrell have to go to, to morph into a completely different human being? Now get out there and help us catch some mentally unstable birthday-card-loving geniuses!

Ah yes, musical theater, you've got your Andrew Garfield, your 90s nostalgia, and of course, your internal conflict of art vs responsibility-that's right, the boys are diving into tick, tick...BOOM! What references did Lin Manuel Miranda sneak into this movie? How long did Garfield have to train his voice for this role? Was Jonathan Larson irresponsible or inspiring? Or both? The world may never know...

Look out Friday Islanders, there are some giant transforming robots that slipped on banana peels and fallen, and now they're embarrassed and they're lashing out! Which makes it the perfect time for the boys to dissect Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen! What real-life locations were used in this? How much of this movie actually makes sense? Why is the second half so bad? And how the heck does rendering work??? Don't forget your well-trained mini Decepticon, because we're gonna need all we can for this doozy!

CGI robots, murderous AI, self-driving cars, Will Smith! The future is now, people! And so is this episode about all of the previously mentioned futuristic topics wherein the boys discuss I, Robot! How was this adapted from Isaac Asimov's original stories? How did the studio change the director's original vision? And how well does the CGI hold up? Buckle up everyone, it's time for some early 2000s futuristic action!Also, apologies if you hear a slight crackling/popping noise every so often in this episode, the dang robots are at it again!

You hear those wedding bells ringing? No? Well the boys do, because this week the boys are talking all about Bridesmaids! What famous actor was cut from the film? Why don't those Bridesmaids make it to Vegas? And what is the name George Glass a reference to? Get your dresses and tuxes on, Friday Islanders, we've got a wedding to go to!

Vroom vroom! Don't hear that wrong, this isn't Fast and Furious, this is Mario Kart (the superior racing franchise)! How was Mario Kart created? Which character was born from an obscure Mario Kart arcade game? And what are the guys favorite aspects of these games? But wait, that's not all! After the ad break, we've got a full discussion of the 2022 Academy Award nominations! What do the boys love and hate? What do they want to win and what do they expect will win? Hop on into your kart, pull up a list of your favorite movies and performances of 2022, and let the vibes begin!

It's an unusually grim day on Friday Island, the boys are wandering around and discussing The Road while hiding from cannibals, dodging falling trees, and just trying to find some decent food! How do you feel about the directing in this movie? Which actor is actually Australian? Which moments were improvised? Shh, I think someone's coming... You better listen to this episode while we still can *gasp*

You know what time it is, it's time to transform, roll out, and grab some old glasses from a teenager! That's right, this week, the boys are discussing Transformers! Does this movie live up to nostalgia? Does Michael Bay deserve all the hate? How'd they get Scorponok's sand explosion to look so good? And which Transformer is best? Friday Islanders, roll out!

Ooh, it's snowy, it's chilly, the boys are vibing in their iconic research facility, and there's a dog outside! Whoops, that dog is The Thing, just like this episode! How'd the director feel about the marketing for this movie? How did audiences react when this cult classic was first released? And what's the best way to handle the predicament that these dudes are in? Grab your flares, snow jacket, and flamethrower, cuz it's about to get crazy out here!