I Just Don't See The Big Deal

Sooner than was originally expected, the boys decided to stage a reunion in which they discuss the Flat Earth phenomenon thanks to the phenomenal documentary on Netflix, Behind the Curve. Some thoughts on 2018 as a year for film are shared, Burgess takes a dump on Bohemian Rhapsody's revisionism, and both he and von Sternberg collectively cringe at the biggest friendzone ever captured on film (while pretentiously pontificating about the West's loss of faith in everything from experts to god himself, as always).Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, and "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod.

The hiatus probably wasn't worth it, but the boys wanted to make sure they closed out 2018 with a bang by covering what was probably 2018's most disturbing film, Lars Von Trier's The House That Jack Built. There's a little reconoitering involving a shared favorite film of 2018 and a few digressions involving Milton's Paradise Lost, but in the end, they just wanted to make sure you all could share in the revelry. Get into it and enjoy the discussion!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, and "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod.

After a many-month hiatus thanks to von Sternberg's all-consuming obsession with the Balkans and other parts of disturbing World War II history, the boys took a bit to return to fine form discussing another member of the found footage sub-sub-genre of disturbing films. And when it came down to it, neither had high hopes for it until Last Podcast on the Left referenced it. But they get into it, along with Burgess opening the podcast with the edgiest of edgelord film criticism takes and von Sternberg being unable to shut up about warm blankets.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, and "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod.

Many delays, cross-country trips, and lifestyle changes later, I Just Don't See the Big Deal is back! To kick off the next round of episodes, the boys decided to do an epic discussion involving the best and their favorite films of 2017. There's an inevitable conversation about the nature of Hollywood given how great von Sternberg thought Annihilation--the first big flop of the year--was for sci-fi cinema and even cinema itself. Burgess covers the Oscars and the boys hee and haw about the wins and snubs. There's a good conversation to be had here.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, and "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod.

In the follow-up to their discussion on Raw, the boys finally take the dive into a discussion on, as Burgess calls it, the Grand Puba of the disturbing film canon, Cannibal Holocaust, which, along with Burgess' praise of the semi-recent It remake, neatly book-ends a discussion on the greatest gay love story ever told on film, Call Me By Your Name (and probably one of von Sternberg's favorite films of 2017). Come for the discussion, stay for Burgess' consistent use of eating puns. The discussion on the mockumentary aesthetic will also provide listeners with a fine preview of what is to come in the coming episodes of I Just Don't See the Big Deal.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

After a busy holiday and month-long break, the boys are back, this time getting down and dirty with films devoted to CANNIBALISM. The ultimate taboo! And the best way to make von Sternberg sick to his stomach! Burgess takes a moment to sing high praises of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, they discuss cannibalism in general, and then they take a dive down the French-Belgian cannibalistic rabbit hole of 2017's Raw. Look at this first part as the appetizer to the main course that is the follow-up, Cannibal Holocaust!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the second part of the boys' war criminals duology, they discuss the other half of their assignment, the 1988 Chinese exploitation--er, war drama classic, The Men Behind the Sun. Burgess needed a sidebar to yell at von Sternberg for a little while about why Andy Kaufman and thus Jim Carrey were (and are) geniuses, but after that, they dive right back into the muck of humanity. Give it a listen and stay tuned! Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

After a break for the Thanksgiving holidays and recuperation from von Sternberg's trip back to the frigid tundra that is Minnesota, the boys release their next in their quest to disturb themselves silly with the heavy hitters none of you want to watch. This time around they tackle war crimes--specifically those of World War II's Axis Powers--because what else could feel worse after tackling the darkness that is religion? This first segment, after revisiting the Weinstein Affair and its subsequent fallout, they go for the horrors of the Holocaust with Tim Blake Nelson's underseen 2002 drama, The Grey Zone. As Burgess said from the outset, "It was a tough watch." Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the second part of their religiously-charged pair of heavy hitting films, the boys give Darren Aronofsky's mother! the old college try (and that's not nearly as disgusting as it sounds). They give a lengthy but fun synopsis, since strangely that's required for the most obvious film of the year, and dive into the themes of environmental preservation, the nature of god, and Jennifer Lawrence's first great performance post-Winter's Bone. You know. The important stuff.Thanks againto Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this newest episode of the podcast, the fellas are beginning a rebranding process yet again as they pursue yet another pair of heavy hitters, one from eight years previous and the other from only a few months. This time religion, misogyny, misanthropy, and pure despair are on the table, so it shouldn't be a shock that the first part covers a film by misanthrope-extraordinaire Lars Von Trier, with his art-house horror masterpiece Antichrist! Burgess had experienced this, well, experience years ago and von Sternberg had made it a point to avoid it. How does it fare in their eyes in 2017? Is it really that big a deal? Start listening to find out! Thanks againto Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the second part of the boys' next major-slugger coverage, they cover Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, a notorious film from the mid-80s. Notorious why, though? It's really not that bad by TODAY'S post-Serbian Film standards, right? Well, we'll see! Burgess didn't have to do as much convincing to von Sternberg to watch this film as he did with the last travesty from Serbia they watched, mostly because Henry is pretty well-regarded. Before that, though, von Sternberg had to get something off his chest: how much he hated season 7 of Game of Thrones. Burgess has thoughts on the matter too and they're equally un-pretty. They even manage to have a discussion about the meaning of music in film.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

The boys return to their own pale imitation of heavy hitters (major sluggers? Still working on it...) to follow up their Serbian Podcast with a two-parter. In this first part, after much ballyhoo about Burgess' new obsession with the hilarity that is MGTOWs and the at-first-legit-but-eventually-insufferable criticisms of Joss Whedon, they tackle James Franco's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's necrophiliac masterpiece, Child of God starring Scott Haze, loosely based on the deeds of several of our favorite serial killers. Next week, they'll be discussing another portrait of a serial killer, Henry........Portrait of a Serial Killer. Enjoy! Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the second part of the Social Justice Blockbusters special episode, the boys went after the Cinematic Feminist Achievement of the 21st Century Don't You Dare Criticize It Or You're Part Of The Problem, Wonder Woman. It's not all negative, but it manages to cultivate controversy, corporate conspiracy theories, and rampant insults to Suicide Squad. The boys manage to avoid distraction for the most part, but as always there are fun tangents to be had and howls of von Sternberg laughter in response to Burgess' dry wit. Enjoy!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the newest episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal Podcast, the boys land another two-parter on the two apparently "woke" or Social Justice Blockbusters of 2017, Get Out and Wonder Woman. This week, it's Jordan Peele's debut, Get Out, which of course is going to lead to a couple of pretentious white guys talking about racism (as if that delegitimizes it somehow?). The conversation is as eloquent as Jordan Peele's commentary on continental breakfasts and many laughs  and rants are had. Get into it! Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the second part of the newest saga of reviewing documentaries, the boys take on The Keepers, the Netflix pop-u-mentary series about the rape and abuse of students, the murder of two nuns, and the apparently settled case of recovered memory (despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but let's not let that get in the way of a successful documentary's narrative!). It's mostly a lot of ranting against the filmmaker by von Sternberg and attempts to make the analogy great again by Burgess (which is now the podcast's first catchphrase, apart from Serbian Film references), but it's an enjoyable lark! Give it a listen and remember to share and subscribe!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this first part of the yet-again revamped podcast, von Sternberg takes a moment to describe the new format as having no intro (creating what his girlfriend affectionately and confusingly called an "Inceptro" and forced him to use in the title), the boys discuss the new PBS documentary Oklahoma City, as well as Timothy McVeigh and the nature of extremism and how its coursed its way through 20th century history. It's definitely a tangent episode, but that's just the way these guys are. Sit back and relax and enjoy the boys' two-part deep dive into two of the most popular political documentaries of the moment!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

It's been a month, but the boys are back with a bit of a palate-cleanser in the wake of the Serbian Podcast, in which they speak of their two "guilty pleasures" of recent years, Emilio Estevez's The Way and K-PAX starring pre-Underwood Kevin Spacey and post-Dude Jeff Bridges, as well as an in-depth discussion of one of von Sternberg's favorite 2016 films, Don't Think Twice (which apparently made Burgess weep like a small child) that leads them down the rabbit hole of discussion about the future of employment and the human species itself (yeah, a film about improv made by Mike Birbiglia can do that). Sit back and relax for what has now become known as "The Way-Pax!"Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra. 

It's been a long road, but the boys have finally reached the inevitable conclusion (and beginning): they have a discussion about A Serbian Film, now that Burgess has forced von Sternberg into watching it. There is not much else to say, but this is the beginning of the Major Sluggers (name subject to change) series of reviews of most disturbing films of all time. Get the dish on "newborn porn" and other awfulness this piece of garbage had in store. Was there merit? Possibly. Maybe. The boys discuss. Enjoy.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra. 

After taking a nice month-long break (from posting, not recording), the boys return for their newest episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal, in which they first tackle Marvel's pseudo-recent anti-corporate-minded diversity announcement of a return to just making regular money and then spend a good time covering Shane Black's The Nice Guys and Tom Ford's (semi?) triumphant return to the silver screen Nocturnal Animals. Burgess also opens with coverage of more recent events about a French parliament or something. In short, Burgess spends just over 10 minutes saluting a bunch of snooty, cheese-eating surrender monkeys who say "chowder" all funny-like.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra. 

In the second part of Burgess and von Sternberg's recent filmic escapades, the boys dive into grimdark nastiness of The Mist and the portrayal of homosexuality in the black community in Moonlight (because what ELSE was it about?). Not much could go wrong, right? Actually very little. Give their takes a listen and prepare yourself for likely disagreeing with at least one of them. Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra. 

In another multi-part extravaganza that begins with an uncharacteristically positive vibes-laden monologue and discussion, the boys took some extra time to discuss the masterpiece that was Logan, its relation to The Last of Us, and how it shows that if Marvel gave a shit and followed its example, they might stop producing crap that's meant for children and dorks. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week in which the boys wrap up their conversation by doing a deep dive with Frank Darabont's The Mist and Barry Jenkins' Moonlight.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" and "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra. Extra special thanks to the additional track provided by Michael Hart with "Brutal Heart (Instrumental)."

In the finale of the Oscar megapod trilogy of 2017, the boys wrap up their discussion on 2016 while managing to shit on franchises and what that really means to be in a franchise (von Sternberg even claims that franchise films aren't actually films) and they finally get to the matter at hand: reviewing Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge and Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation. Burgess overanalyzes and von Sternberg dismisses and many laughs are had culminating in some phenomenal racism. Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra. 

In Part 2 of the now-long-running Oscars-related episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal, the boys break down their personal favorite films of the year with very little debate this time around except for von Sternberg's insistence on Denzel Washington's superiority over Casey Affleck and Burgess' insistence otherwise. Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

Because it's March, it's Oscar Recap Month for I Just Don't See The Big Deal! This is the first of a two (or three) part series covering the Oscars, their films, the boy's favorite films, and eventually the bifurcated review of two of the heavy-hitters (or one of the heavy-hitters and one of the biggest foul balls in recent film history). In Part 1, the boys focus on the show itself, debate the measures of greatness of some of the nominees and how films get remembered, and manage to spin one of their grandest conspiracy theories yet. Stay tuned for Part 2 (and possibly Part 3) in which the boys actually discuss THEIR favorite films and performances of 2016, followed by a discussion about Hacksaw Ridge and The Birth of a Nation, reviving an old debate/prediction the boys had back in June of 2016.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

After a two-month hiatus, the boys realized that they were getting too old for this shit, this shit being the 18 month process of watching Donald Trump run and win an election to the highest office in the land. So they went back to the drawing board, produced an idea for a rebooted franchise, and started anew with the next season of I Just Don't See The Big Deal by focusing on what they know how to do best: overanalyzing the shit out of movies. But it's no longer free-form. A format has been established and will be explained to you, dear listeners, all in good time.So in this new and improved episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal, Burgess skewers the Grammys in the only way he knows how (by using overwrought academic hipster logic), von Sternberg vents about a Facebook slight because that's just how insecure he is, and the boys discuss two  of their favorite films that both have been avoiding for years now. Strap in and get ready to understand why Room and/or The Counselor just ain't that big a deal.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the first post-Trump episode of I Just Don't See the Big Deal, the boys decide to tackle the possibility that leaks--as in transparency--might not be the greatest thing, at least when it comes to a pederast dork (allegedly) like Julian Assange. Fun is had talking video games and music and somehow it's all related! Opening with von Sternberg's usual call for rationality and ending with his increasingly usual call for mass suicide, this one is a treat!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

The official 20th (20th!) episode of I Just Don't See the Big Deal couldn't have come at a more appropriate time: Donald Trump has become president of these United States and Burgess and von Sternberg are here to unpack that for you and call you all morons (you know, the usual). It's their most epic episode yet, but these are epic times that require epic deconstructions and epic expressions of contrarianism. Epic.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

The long-awaited and teased conspiracies episode is here! Burgess and von Sternberg were lucky enough to be joined by the incorrigible Milo Weil for this episode, an old partner in crime of theirs when they were first dipping their toes into the podcasting waters. The guys cover almost every conspiracy theory imaginable all while trying to decipher why they might have thought or not thought the big deal was with these stories and the people that spread them. It's an epic, sprawling podcast, but manages to be entertaining throughout, despite von Sternberg's best efforts to derail it during his excoriation of online activism during the opening monologue. Enjoy!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music:"Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

After a month of some significant changes, the boys have a brand-spankin' new episode of the podcast, the first of two recorded during von Sternberg's sojourn back to the Twin Cities. During their first recording jaunt (which took three attempts overall), von Sternberg tries to exorcise his racist demons by excoriating the mass-beloved Neil deGrasse Tyson and his push for bare enthusiasm for science without any of the follow-through. Burgess just wants to blow Tyson or something (but manages to sneak in a good counterpoint or five). The debate was heated! Laughs were had! Enjoy the decent audio quality!p.s. You might also notice the new theme song and outro piece. That's right, the guys have finally ditched exploiting licensed music! Thanks to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music:"Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this special episode (and 20th!) of I Just Don't See The Big Deal, the boys decided to turn one of Burgess' intro rants into a discussion on the recent fiasco of Colin Kaepernick deciding to keep his ass warm. More importantly, Burgess got von Sternberg to talk about sports for almost an hour.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of this fine artist for allowing the use of their music: "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this newest episode of I Just Don't See the Big Deal, Burgess does his damnedest in convincing von Sternberg that music festivals are a legitimate way to consume music. The boys also wax poetic on the pitfalls of preorders in a post-No Man's Sky world, and even manage to get a little racist when they talk about the double standard at play with the handling of Nate Parker--the writer/director/star/producer/line cook/animal handler of the upcoming Birth of a Nation--and his rape allegations.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this overdue episode of the podcast, the boys tackle what metal music means to them, somehow getting there from yammering on and on about Game of Thrones' season finale. This episode was recorded over a month ago, but remains prescient thanks to Burgess' hot takes on Trump and how veterans are getting the shaft from both the left and the right. Any regrets? As Lemmy Kilmeister says, "Regrets are pointless."Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

Are you feeling like the world is collapsing around you? You've probably been listening to Donald Trump's RNC speech again. But you're also not alone. Burgess and von Sternberg are here to break it down for you in the only way they know how: ranting, raving, and calling out people who can't hear them. This beast of an episode was a long-time coming. After a brief hiatus, Burgess and von Sternberg reunite in the midst of July to break down what the hell has been going on to make 2016 feel, shall we say, DIFFERENT. Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this episode of I Just Don't See the Big Deal, Burgess and von Sternberg thought it was a good idea to talk about rape and racism. Burgess prickles at von Sternberg's suggestion that a hug is nice, but not sufficient for helping victims and von Sternberg prickles at Burgess' notion that the Stanford rapist got off light because of his race. So...really, what could go wrong?!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal, the boys tackle the (possibly fake?) enigma of Radiohead and their fan-base. This one was a long time coming, possibly the longest--the origin of not seeing the big deal in things, even. When they're not making enemies of the gay community with their eye-rolling at Beyonce, Burgess and von Sternberg are also dissecting what could be the greatest episode of Game of Thrones and the pain that comes from holding the door.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In this special episode of the I Just Don't See The Big Deal podcast, the boys deal with another current event. Burgess' gears got ground into anger and von Sternberg needed to step in to pick up the pieces. They can be called even now, after the clusterfuck that was Brussels. What begins as a discussion of the recent North Carolina legislation of bigotry against transgendered people (and Mississippi's legislation against cohabitating non-married straight couples), segues into a discussion on the infighting on the modern left and the discovery of the hateful dad joke. It's chaos as usual; get into it.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of this fine artist for allowing the use of their music: "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the month-late 12th (real) episode of the I Just Don't See The Big Deal podcast, Burgess and von Sternberg tackled something that really was a long time coming: Bernie Sanders. Burgess had been warning us of this day for a long time, so it shouldn't come as much of a shock that something happened to tick the guys off enough to pretty much lose all faith in future President Larry Sanders. Less of a shock at least than the death of Minneapolis' favored son, Prince Rogers Nelson, who Burgess mourns a little less than the narcissism of the so-called mourners that gathered to honor the dead with their selfie-sticks. Come for the witticisms, stay for the pessimism! It's I Just Don't See The Big Deal!Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the 11th episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal, the boys rally around Hulk Hogan's patented courtroom body slam deposited upon Nick Denton and his media empire. But before that, they dive into one of their favorite rhetorical pass-times: discussing why hippies and stoners are too stupid to talk about simulation theory (because, frankly, obviously takes one to know one). Warning: there ARE some forced references to A Serbian Film. As per usual.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra. 

In a break from what's becoming a biweekly tradition, the boys decided to throw in an extra episode because von Sternberg just couldn't keep his bigoted Islamophobic mouth shut and Burgess needed to calm him down, and they figured documentation was in order. The liberal/conservative response is discussed, as are the double standards of the aforementioned "liberal" response, and some good old dissections of fear and narcissism are thrown in for good measure. Check out the only important (or real) post-Brussels conversation you're going to find two liberals having on the entire internet.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of this fine artist for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek.

In the 10th (the 10th!) episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal, Burgess and von Sternberg sit down (separated by half a continent this time, sadly) to discuss a point of minor contention that goes back to the first episode of the podcast about Game of Thrones: is grimdark valid? The boys manage to shit on Crash again while praising the Serial podcast, and then the episode quickly devolves into the classic clash of civilizations debate about the validity of comic book films (specifically Marvel), but stick around; von Sternberg might have finally won a debate with Burgess for once.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.Post-Script Note from von Sternberg: In the process of explaining why the "Roger Ebert" method of criticism matters, I neglected to explain myself further than "what I like and why I like it." I meant to emphasize the "I" part of that "why"--obviously criticism is about the "why" but I meant that explaining why I, PERSONALLY, find something good or bad is important. In other words, what about me AS A PERSON, makes me feel the way I do about this film/song/whatever? Hope that clears any confusion up. I sure as hell was during the editing process...

The guys were in the same room! How did they pull this off?! Well...a plane ticket and an excuse for Burgess to visit sunny California, obviously. And it was perfect, since they probably needed to be together to settle one of their longest standing debates. It's especially timely since we are today celebrating (or bemoaning) the 10-year anniversary of one of the more contentious Oscar wins in recent memory--the 2006 Paul Haggis joint, Crash. Burgess has always maintained hatred for this. Von Sternberg always defended it. They watched it again and discuss how minds were changed or stayed the same. Come for Burgess' sensual description of steam baths, stay for von Sternberg going down a probably racist rabbit hole and calling Burgess a motherfucker.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the eighth episode of the podcast, von Sternberg examines his smug assholery, Burgess puts on a tinfoil hat and rages about the 9/11 documents he has, and the boys both question the happiness they derive by always being online. Oh yes, and they discuss Making a Murderer (while Burgess manages to disparage yet another Midwestern state's entire population), The Central Park Five and their boi Ken Burns, as well as the ethics of lying to serve a possibly noble narrative.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the seventh episode of the I Just Don't See The Big Deal Podcast, Burgess and von Sternberg dove headfirst into the fetid kiddie pool that is the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, got at the core of von Sternberg's conformist love of Leo DiCaprio's Annual Oscar Bid...I mean, The Revenant, and probed Burgess' feelings on Quentin Tarantino's eighth public masturbation in the town square (i.e. The Hateful Eight). A lot of ground was covered but in less than an hour-fifteen! Included is a potential spoiler for a future special episode of I Just Don't See The Big Deal and a return to Burgess' patented references to A Serbian Film.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

Burgess and von Sternberg came close to long-distance blows in this episode of the "I Just Don't See The Big Deal" podcast. Well, not really. But Burgess truly was the "goddamn queer" to von Sternberg's "crypto-Nazi," in the parlance of the great Vidal/Buckley debate of 1968, as they went for each others' throats over the vastly misunderstood/overrated, masterpiece/C-average show Jessica Jones. Is this show a matured version of superhero tropes that shatters the shackles of rape culture? Or did it just pretending to be? Cue the pretentious references to old political debates with a surprising lack of "A Serbian Film" references for once.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

After some frank discussion on Aziz Ansari's new show "Master of None" and just general millennial Buzzfeed Culture, Burgess and von Sternberg revisited one of their major points of contention: the effectiveness of the "White Bear" episode of Charlie Brooker's sublime series "Black Mirror." Burgess had been championing this episode as truly great for over a year and von Sternberg never really got why. Upon re-watching it, was there a change of heart? How do Burgess and von Sternberg differ on satire? Listen to find out.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the fourth episode of "I Just Don't See The Big Deal", the guys take on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The ironic twist? It's still one of their favorite games of the year. As usual though, von Sternberg lambastes victim-worshiping and Burgess makes his fourth reference to A Serbian Film. Come for the Bernie Sanders tirade and stay for the pretentious analysis of a game about attaching balloons to sheep. And nuclear proliferation and child soldiers or something.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

Burgess got it. Von Sternberg did not. Why did everyone hate the last season of True Detective so much? This and more were discussed in the triquel to the inaugural episode of the I Just Don't See The Big Deal Podcast. This one was a bit of a beast, but the boys got into it. Are there True Detective spoilers? Uh...I don't know, maybe? I guess you'll see.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the sequel to the inaugural episode of the I Just Don't See The Big Deal Podcast, von Sternberg opened by shitting on every summer blockbuster except Mad Max: Fury Road for, I guess, being blockbusters. Then he and Burgess, lucky enough to be in the same city for recording, discussed the upcoming PS4/PC exclusive, No Man's Sky. Burgess didn't get it, von Sternberg tried to explain. Intoxicated hilarity ensued in which Burgess disparaged an entire state's population and pretty much gamers as a whole.Thanks again to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.

In the inaugural episode of the I Just Don't See The Big Deal Podcast, Burgess tried to explain his earlier "meh" feelings on what many consider to be the greatest show on television. Von Sternberg counted himself among that many. Burgess also got wrangled into a conversation at a bar-b-que he attended that took an unsettling turn.Thanks to Creative Commons and the talents of these fine artists for allowing the use of their music: "Tainted Cloth" by Oelek, "The Cannery" by Kevin MacLeod, "Wagon Wheel" by Kevin MacLeod, and "The Troll of the Mountain Swing" by Underscore Orkestra.