Hedge Clippings

The third in a series comparing various interpretations of The Phantom of the Opera. Travis is not shy about expressing his opinion on this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad movie. Some would say this review demonstrates that he has become “unhinged”, but we leave that for you to decide.

The documentary Miss Americana claims to show Taylor Swift in a new and unfiltered light. Does it? Travis ponders the riddle of Taylor Swift and addresses why he made two movies about her even though he’s unsure whether or not to call himself a fan.

Travis reviews the first non-fiction sports book he has ever read. It has been said that running is a mental sport and this book claims to demonstrate how the brain can overcome some perceived limitations of the body. Travis shares his experience reading this book in preparation for running his first marathon and encourages anyone with an interest in the human brain to give it read.

Journalist and writer Allison Chopin joins Travis for a more-serious-than-it-needs-to-be discussion of 80s cartoon Rainbow Brite. Does Rainbow lead a socialist utopia or is she the figurehead of a diabolical color cult? Other topics of discussion include the rebooting of cartoons and the creepiness of 80s classics.

Travis defends the 2007 film Golden Compass, manages to compliment an actor he hates, and makes a recommendation of who should watch.

Growing up, Nance Hixon knew he wanted to do one of two things: open a comic book shop or be a pastor. Having chose the latter, Travis asks him to provide proof of God’s existence, why bad things happen to good people, did Jesus die to save aliens too, and how does he live with cracks in his faith.

Travis resists the urge to make too many key puns, outs an author’s secret identity, and locks down what target demographics he should be in.

Episode 18: Nerd’s Nerd Phil Sevin joins the show for the inconceivable task of ranking the Star Wars films. Phil shares fashion tips from his youth, gets candid about his fiancee’s first time with the original threesome of films, and muses with Travis about what could have fixed the movies that went wrong. Trigger warnings for: extreme geekery, Last Jedi discussion, midichlorians, and space teets.

The second in a series comparing various interpretations of The Phantom of the Opera. This one comes with a heavy dose of cinema history as Travis discusses on set feuds, painful makeup, the multiple versions of the film, and which scenes make this version the one that remains most faithful to the original novel.

Travis uses his time in quarantine to provide you with a reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death, which includes tips on interior design, the importance of booking a band during a plague, and commentary on social distancing.

Rats! Travis’s review of Asobo’s horror/stealth video game includes the Leroy Jenkins maneuver, bright puns, and badly pronounced French names.

Travis reflects on his two years of running and answers questions from listeners about why he did it, how he did it, and what it has taught him. No, he isn’t being chased.

Board Gamer Ronald Coats joins Travis to cough up some memories about their adventures in playing Pandemic Legacy Seasons 1 and 2 as part of the crew from I Heart Board Games. They also discuss what makes a good legacy game, the impact these games had on the industry, and memories from making movies based on the games. Trigger warning for the ghost of Alan Rickman.

Did this game bring Travis to heights of cosmic bliss hitherto undreamt of or did it drive him to rage-quit inducing insanity?

Travis reviews this magical tale of puppet on puppet genocide.

How do you create art or a business that lasts through the ages? This book claims to have the answer. Travis shares his thoughts.

Though he has never seen a single episode of any show in the Arrowverse, Travis geeks out on the infinite cameos and determines whether or not this epic five part crossover event was a hit or miss.

The first in a series of in-depth looks at the various versions of the tale of the Phantom of the Opera. Here Travis sings the praises of the original production of the Webber musical, rages against Raoul, and pulls at the logic of that one random scene.

Keir Hansen, Communications Director for Random Tuesday, Inc. sits down for a chat with Travis about how this non-profit has harnessed the power of fandom to raise millions of dollars for charitable causes through virtual running events. They’ll also discuss spotting wizards in the wild, the joys of being a Ravenclaw, building a supportive community, and that episode of Doctor Who where they meet Vincent Van Gogh.

Travis shares a list of some of his favorite romantical movies, argues to put a pop culture debate to rest, says “incredible” a lot, and offers his future therapists plenty of material to make a diagnosis.

Trigger warnings for those who don’t like contact lenses, fantasy shows, or multiple timelines. However, Travis loves all those things.

Are there spirits haunting the Southern United States? Can they be detected? David Laville of the New Orleans Ghost Hunters brings some audio evidence to the show that raises some interesting questions. Meanwhile, Ben Langlinais of the Louisiana Ghostbusters shares the story of turning his fandom into a force for charity so powerful it's scary.

Travis sits down with poets Dylan Krieger and Emily Jean McCollister to discuss the surprising places poetry pops up, a poet’s process, inspiration, and poetry’s place in the modern world.

Andre Dubroc has been a professional circus clown, best-selling author, and a Hallmark greeting card writer. In this interview he shares stories about his time in school with Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz, getting comedy advice from animator Chuck Jones, what his world travels have taught him about success, and which of his many jobs has been the most rewarding.

The short story, “A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune”, and the film which it inspired have had a staying power which has often surprised the artists behind the works. In this episode, author Chris Crutcher discusses his inspiration for the character, censorship, and the impact the AIDS epidemic had on his writing. Actor Charlie Talbert, who played Angus in the movie, joins the show to talk about being a teenage newbie in Hollywood, pranking James Van Der Beek, and the recent work he has been doing in New Orleans.