I'm the Host

Undead. They’re all the same. They’re pushy and whiny and they're all only after ONE thing… Or at least that’s the case with this week’s movies: 2001’s Kairo (Pulse) and 1985’s Return of the Living Dead! Coming in late due to a brief bout with morbidity, host Blake takes us on a roller coaster of emotions, from depressive dread to freewheeling terror, as we compare two movies about two groups of young adults coming to terms with death, life, and everything in between. Grab your duct tape and an pickaxe: we've got some choppin' to do! EPISODE LINKSYouTube - Kairo [Pulse] (2001) trailerYouTube - Pulse (2006) trailer IMDb - Kiyoshi KurosawaYouTube - Cure trailerYouTube - Tokyo Sonata (2008) trailerYouTube - Kairo - OST Track 1NowIKnow.com - Nuclear ShadowsRiverfront Times - “UMSL's Short-Sighted Plan to Demolish a St. Louis Landmark: Incarnate Word Convent”YouTube - Eraserhead (1977) (industrial setting)YouTube - It Follows (2014) trailerWikipedia - HikikomoriWikipedia - Eden of the EastWikipedia - Serial Experiments LainWikipedia - Stray Dog (1949) YouTube - Return of the Living Dead (1985) trailerYouTube - RedLetterMedia - Return of the Living Dead re:View YouTube - Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988) trailerYouTube - 45 Grave - Party TimeYouTube - Francis Haines - Trioxin themeWikipedia - The Crying of Lot 49IMDb - The Return of the Living Dead (1985) trivia Wikipedia - Agent OrangeScience History Institute - Distillations - A Brief History of Chemical WarNational Center for Biotechnology Information - THE CONTAGION OF SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR by Madelyn S. Gould, Ph.D. and Alison M. Lake, M.A.Gaki Archives - 2001 Batsu Matsumoto Haunted HotelYouTube - Was tun, wenn's brennt? [What To Do In Case of Fire?] (2002) trailerYouTube - Jonathan Coulton - Re: Your BrainsDailymotion - Red Dwarf S1 E2 - Future EchoesYouTube - Tarman zombie (Return)YouTube - first ghost (Kairo)YouTube - The Simpsons - Nuke the Whales

Welcome back class. This week your homework assignment was Arthur (1981) and Weekend at Bernie's (1989), where we'll be discussing what methods make your characters more sympathetic, or less. One film takes what should be a group of unlikable leads and makes us empathize with them, while the other left Ally cheering for the quasi-villain.We'll also be looking at strong women, bad unnecessary sequels, and still more adventures in late capitalism.  EPISODE LINKSYouTube - Arthur (1981) trailerYouTube - Weekend at Bernie’s trailer YouTube - Weekend at Bernie’s 2 trailerYouTube - Arthur (2011) trailer YouTube - Arthur 2: On The Rocks (1988) trailer  Wikipedia - You Can’t Take It With You (1938 film) Dailymotion - Fawlty Towers - Kipper and the CorpseYouTube - Office Space (1999) trailer YouTube - Clerks (1994) trailer YouTube - Dead Alive (1992) trailer YouTube - Suburban Commando (1991) trailer YouTube - The Mask (1994) trailer  I’m The Host - True Lies (ep. 54) The Film Reroll Podcast - Weekend at Bernie’s (part 1)Yarn - Seinfeld - “Bernie is dead you morons!” IMDb - Liza Minnelli YouTube - The Happening - “What? No!” 

Woop Woop! That's the sound of the police! Don't sweat it; as long we all tell the same story, no one's doing time. Just like in The Usual Suspects and Inside Man! With Robin Hoods and charming devils alike on the corkboard, Ally has our forensics team dusting themes of trust, truth, and lies, and the thin, thin lines between them. Here in N.W.A. court, we'll also be discussing the jurisprudence of "no face, no case," "if nobody talks then everybody walks," and other sayings that are likely true because they rhyme. Links for this episode:Bloomberg.com - "Storm Gia Strikes Midwest as Airlines Cancel, Waive Fees"Thrillist - 100 Greatest Movie PropsWikipedia - Knights and KnavesYoutube - John Mulaney The One Thing You Can Never Replace  YouTube - Fight Fight Fight Kiss Kiss KissKate Mara wig contrast pic from Fantastic Four

So, basically... Blake screwed up. My bad. In lieu of a stand-and-deliver episode on cinematic theory (which, evidently, I was unable to stand up and deliver), I'm democratizing the process and giving you all the uncommented-upon side-topics and media that we DID try to discuss before I went and made a mess of things. There's some really interesting stuff in here so please do give it a go: 1) ViolenceMike Rugnetta - PBS Idea Channel - ViolenceSlavoj Žižek - ViolenceLaura Tanner - Intimate ViolenceWikipedia - Scopophobia 2) Anarchy & PowerOliver Thorn - Philosophy Tube - "Intro To Anarchy: Power and Violence"Slavoj Žižek - The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (The Dark Knight)Greg Scorzo - One+One - "Manners and Guilt: Audience Horror in Michael Haneke’s Funny Games remake" 3) MetafictionEric Taxxon - Unveiling Fiction: Funny GamesDaniel Podgorski - The Gemsbok - "Unfamiliar Slasher: How Michael Haneke’s Funny Games Wonderfully Accomplishes the Opposite of Haneke’s Goal" 4) CodaOliver Thorn - Philosophy Tube - "When Will Security Go Back to Normal?"

This week on I’m The Host, chef Blake is behind the stove with sous chefs Ally and Kurt, and we’re going to show YOU how to cook with some REAL bad eggs we just had shipped in from The Dark Knight (2008) and Funny Games (2007). For a firm omelette, beat three main characters--a father, a mother, and a child--until blended. Stir in firearms, explosives, and bludgeoning instruments. Once your protagonists are thoroughly abused, you can add a dash of comeuppance for a classic omelette, or simply throw into the pan with a dash of metafiction for a quick and dirty meal that practically makes itself! Now we’re going to take a short commercial break, but when we come back, we’ll be discussing the pros and cons of different cooking techniques and what to watch out for so that your breaking bread doesn’t end up breaking BAD! Don’t go away! We’ll be right back! THIS SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! Bats vs. Clowns! Bats vs. Knives! Biscuits vs. Breadrolls! BE THERE! BE THERE! BE THERE! EPISODE LINKS - PART 1Wikipedia - The Dark Knight YouTube - The Dark Knight trailerWikipedia - Funny Games (2007) YouTube - Funny Games (2007) trailer IndieWire - ‘The Dark Knight’: Patton Oswalt Shares His Personal Origin Story Theory For Heath Ledger’s Joker YouTube - The Flashpoint Paradox trailer YouTube - American Psycho trailer YouTube - The Killing of a Sacred Deer trailer YouTube - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse trailer YouTube - Giant Bomb Animated - Bat vs. Knife YouTube - Rooster Teeth Animated Adventures - Biscuits vs. Breadsticks YouTube - Heat (30 seconds) YouTube - The Departed (f’in short version)

As you may have noticed, your feeds are one episode short of a full week. Our bad. We WILL return; it just may not be as soon as we had previously hoped. Work, life, and flooring installer schedules have all conspired to keep us from being able to hit our release window. As the holidays come to a close, however, we anticipate things going back to something resembling normalcy. Until then, enjoy Blake's dulcet garglings and the following articles and podcasts as a substitute for the top-tier media analysis you'd normally find in this slot:   EPISODE LINKS:The Atlantic - "They Shall Not Grow Old Is a Stunning World War I Documentary"YouTube - Sideways - "Why Home Alone is the Best Christmas Soundtrack Ever"Buzzfeed - "Why I’ve Had Trouble Buying Hollywood’s Version Of Girl Power"YouTube - Philosophy Tube - "YouTube: Art or Reality?"Twitter - @terrycavinagh's thread on revenue sharing by Itch.io (100%) vs. Epic (88%) vs. Steam (66%)Fuds On Film Dead Ringers Scriptnotes

Could the secret sauce of good work be...respect for and investment in your employees? Weighing in on this bizarre take, Kurt has us watch one of the worst cases of employee neglect: 2018's Upgrade. Mustaches will unfurl and monocles will pop as we discuss the business model that enabled Leigh Whannell's sci-fi beat-em-up to exist, along with other related topics: algorithmic screenplays, horror franchises, celebrity look-alikes, and the newest action cinematography sensation that's sweeping the nation! Get your weekly recommended ultraviolence here, on I'm The Host!   Links for this Episode:Wikipedia - List of Blumhouse Productions projects Wikipedia - Jason BlumWikipedia - Blumhouse Productions Wikipedia - Homecoming (TV Series) Wikipedia - Binders Full of WomenFast Company - Jason Blum isn't hiring White Dudes for his Amazon Movies. Comicbook.com - Jason Blum Booed at Israel Film Festival BlumHouse Partners with Amazon on 8 thrillers Consequence of Sound - Jason Blum’s Female directors comments Fastcompany.com - How Blumhouse is making a killing at the box office Giphy - WAKE UP FIGHTING GIF BY UPGRADE [good example of the arrested camerawork] Collider.com - “Cary Fukunaga, ‘Maniac,’ and How Netflix’s Algorithm Is Becoming Entertainment’s Skynet” Cheezburger.com - Michael Cera + Andy Samberg Totally Looks Like Jesse EisenbergYouTube - Nick Clegg “We’re Sorry” overlaid w/South Park StudentEdge.com - “Here’s How They Filmed Those Crazy Fight Scenes in ‘Upgrade’"YouTube - Adam Neely - Whiplash (as reviewed by a jazz musician) Box Office Mojo - Blumhouse projects by the numbers   

Howdy, y'all! It seems our little podcast got washed out this week, and due to the technical snafu Blake sat down and recorded a little filler episode, holding forth on what movies he's seen recently. Hopefully we'll be back next time with our previously-scheduled episode on Blumhouse--see you soon!

"Unnnnnnnhhhhh…. Uuuuhhhhhh! Brrrrraiiiiiiiinnssssss…" Yeah, that's what you’d LIKE to hear, isn't it? Well too bad! This week Ally, our understudy of the undead, is exhuming the zombie genre as we talk Train to Busan (2016) and The Girl With All The Gifts (2016). We'll find out where all the bodies are buried in the history of zombie lore, from its Afro-Haitian origins, to its dark fusion with Romero's ghouls, to its chaotic re-imagining for a hilarious/horrifying present. We'll also sink our chompers into more practical concerns, such as tube-cream manufacturing, our classic "girl-in-a-box" problem, and whether one dead deer will spell the end of humanity. EPISODE LINKSYouTube - White Zombie (1932) trailer**YouTube - Night of the Living Dead (1968) FULL MOVIE!**YouTube - Dawn of the Dead (1978) trailerYouTube - Return of the Living Dead (1985) trailer YouTube - Day of the Dead (1985) trailerYouTube - Night of the Living Dead (1990 remake) trailerYouTube - Dead Alive/Braindead (1992) trailerYouTube - My Boyfriend’s Back (1993) TV teaser YouTube - 28 Days Later (2002) trailer YouTube - Shaun of the Dead (2004) trailerYouTube - Dawn of the Dead (2004 remake) trailerYouTube - Land of the Dead (2005) trailer YouTube - Fido (2006) trailer YouTube - The Signal (2007) trailer YouTube - Diary of the Dead (2007) trailer YouTube - The Crazies (2010 remake) trailer YouTube - The Walking Dead (2010) trailer YouTube - Santa Clarita Diet (2017) season one trailer YouTube - Kairo (Pulse) - basement ghost scene Wikipedia - Childhood's End (novel) Wikipedia - Cell (novel) Wikipedia - The Last of Us (video game) Wikipedia - Zombie Wikipedia - Uncanny ValleyWikipedia - Aloha Oe The Josef K. Stories - "Up"Atlas Obscura - "How Haitian Slave Culture Gave Life to Zombies"Den of Geek - George A. Romero and the Meaning of his Zombies ExtraLife Team!

A videotape lands on your doorstep... An estranged friend emails you out of the blue... You may be tempted to respond, to reach out to a familiar hand...but what if it doesn't let go? This week, Blake inaugurates spooky season with two movies about movies in movies that are actually kind of one movie? We're sitting down with creative duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's breakout film, Resolution (2012), and its break-out sequel, The Endless (2017). We'll talk about strained siblings, toxic relationships, invisible narrators, artistry vs. amusement, social media bubbles, and ultimately learn that you can never step into the same home twice...or, something. We'll also blindly wander into how to defeat cosmic horrors through boredom, effective serial killer deterrents, and various cabins in various woods. EPISODE LINKSDead Ringers - Episode 4 - The Cabin in the Woods + ResolutionYouTube - “James Cameron Almost Couldn't Make 'Aliens' Because of Tea (British Tea Breaks)” (time-skip to 11m, 5s for clip of Alien costume walking in full light) YouTube - In The Mouth of Madness (1994) (trailer)YouTube - Castle Rock (2018) (teaser trailer)YouTube - Funny Games (2007) (trailer)YouTube - Memories of Murder (2013) (trailer)Wikipedia - Koyaanisqatsi (1982)Wikipedia - The Turin Horse (2011)Wikipedia - Richard ChaseWikipedia - Dramatic Structure (Aristotle’s analysis) Kotaku - “A Frightening Look Inside Japan's Newest Resident Evil Attraction”

Get your trigger fingers ready and fire up the random seed generator; it's time for that great American pasttime--SPORT! This week, Kurt gets the ball rolling, using the rising popularity of eSports to pitch an old sticky wicket: what makes a sport different from a game?(We Monday-morning quarterbacks may not have a slam-dunk answer, but we keep it in the ballpark at least.) Before we hit the home stretch, we'll also talk horse-based athleticism, unmotivated ursines, and the most dangerous game of all: DEER WITH GUNS.   EPISODE LINKSYouTube - PinkKittyRose vs ALG Andy. SEMI-FINALS Game [1] ALTTPR Tournament Spring 2018 [media for episode]YouTube - George Carlin - Sports vs GamesYouTube - "Growing Pains: A History of esports' worst, most infamous and game changing scandals"CNN - "Jacksonville shooting suspect specifically targeted fellow Madden gamers"  [CONTENT WARNING: auto-load video starts with an audio clip of the shooting]Polygon - "Ninja responds to criticism of his refusal to stream with women"GlobalNews - "ESports inches closer to the Olympics at Asian Games" Forbes - "The U.S. Now Recognizes eSports Players As Professional Athletes"Loading Artist - "Waste of Time"Wikipedia - Parrondo’s ParadoxYouTube - Giant Bomb - The Zelda ScrambleBuzzfeed - I Helped Create Insider Political Journalism. Now It's Time For It To Go Away YouTube - hbomberguy - "Bloodborne is Genius, and Here’s Why"YouTube - hbomberguy - "Speedrunning Is Awesome, and Here's Why"Youtube - Kobayashi vs Giant BearYoutube - Speedwalker vs SamuraiESPN.com - Hax's Retirement (Smash Bros controller controversy)Global News - ESports inches closer to the Olympics at Asian Games. Zelda Randomizer Spring 2018 tournament bracketZelda Randomizer updates (Custom sprites for the game)

We're finishing our mystery mini arc with the original kid dectives, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. While we look at the first book in each series--The Secret of the Old Clock (1930) for Nancy Dew and The Tower Treasure (1927) for the Hardy Boys--we'll chat about laissez-faire parenting, a girl changed by rewrites, one man's obsession with names, and the shadowy publishing organization behind it all.  Episode Links: Married to the Sea - first strip - “Shakespeare got to get paid, son.” Wikipedia - Edward Stratemeyer [creator of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew] Wikipedia - Harriet Adams Stratemeyer Wikipedia - The Stratemeyer Syndicate Wikipedia - The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories Wikipedia - The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories    

Three little hosts sat down to have funWith Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None". Two little hosts dissected some tropesWith bad tricks and herring and Red Dwarf jokes(One little host, editing the podcastHe finished it late, but here it is at last.)   EPISODE LINKS(Blake's mock map of the island based on descriptions in book.)((Blake's...interpretation of the characters, for the Roll20 map.))Internet Archive - Agatha Christie - And Then There Were NoneYouTube - Throw Mama from the Train - "Dive! Dive! Yelled the captain through the thing..." KnowYourMeme.com - THEN WHO WAS PHONE? YouTube - Castle - "Enhance!"DailyMotion - Red Dwarf - "Super Enhance"Wikipedia - Extreme points of Earth - Other places considered the most remote YouTube - And Then There Were None (2015) trailerYouTube - Soshite daremo inakunatta promo 

Today's episode is brought to you by shots, shots, and more shots. (Of the alcohol, gun and camera varieties). We're looking at The Thin Man (1934) and talking about how a few years' difference can really change a setting for a movie, as well as prohibition, dogs, and relationship goals.  We also talk witty quips, classic drink recipes, and when a mystery isn't a mystery at all. Links for this episode: The Thin Man - Archive.orgProhibition - Netflix.comClassic Movie Cocktails - Liquor.comMovie Bob (G.E.M.s) The Thin Man - youtube.com

In this episode we're taking a book club look at They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. In a world where you recieve a 24-hour warning before the day of your death, what does this do to society, or an individual's day-to-day life? The hosts also discuss what they'd do on their last day, characterization vs representation, and the age for driving and/or drinking.  EPISODE LINKSThey Both Die at the End (Blue Cover)They Both Die at the End (Orange Cover)Sieze the Day - Out Cold 

Initializing… running ‘Im_The_Host_60.exe’ for every “HOST”:  {run: intro.subroutine}  {run: theme_song.subroutine}; else:  {end} print: “This week on” val(PODCAST.NAME) “your three //definitely human// hosts will be discussing Alex Garland’s 2014 film, Ex Machina, and the things it has to say about our” val(MACHINE_OVERLORDS) “that most of our fellow humans don’t want to acknowledge. We’ll also be discussing other“ val(WEAK_MEAT_BEING) “subjects, such as the recent upheavals in the world of soccer, the joys of a good stabbing, and one of Ally’s favorite films of all time. Enjoy!” [ERROR! ERROR! Data overflow detected! SHUTTING DOWN] dump stack_overflow; EPISODE LINKS: The Atlantic - How the Enlightenment Ends by Henry Kissinger     (“Yes, THAT Henry Kissinger”)The New Yorker - How Frightened Should We Be of AI? by Tad FriendWikipedia - Adam SmithWikipedia - Machiavellian Intelligence YouTube - Parenthood (1989) - “Licenses”YouTube - “Flexible Muscle-Based Locomotion for Bipedal Creatures” by Thomas Geijtenbeek et. al.YouTube - Ex Machina - “Tear Up the F@cking Dance Floor” YouTube - Jurassic Park - Could vs. Should YouTube - #MMM3000 - Robotic Arm MK II Prototype  YouTube - The Good Place - Janet Begs For Her Life (spoilers)  Mashable.com - “Artist finds brilliant way to mess with facial recognition technology” Futurism - “This New Tech Can Copy Anyone’s Voice Using Just a Minute of Audio” The Royal Society Publishing - “Sleep macrostructure is modulated by positive and negative social experience in adult pet dogs” Wired Magazine - “Snopes and the Search for Facts in a Post-Fact World” Archive.org - The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt MIT Press - “Resisting Reduction: Designing our Complex Future with Machines” by Catherine Ahearn, Chia Evers, Natalie Saltiel, and Andre UhlNPR.org - “Lobbyists, Campaign Cash And Think Tanks: How Silicon Valley Tackled Politics” by Peter Overby BBC News - “Chinese man caught by facial recognition at pop concert” https://twitter.com/its_soup/status/1001147322162696193?s=19 NPR.org - “More States Opting To 'Robo-Grade' Student Essays By Computer” by Tovia Smith Science Alert - “Insane Clown Makeup Can Help You Dodge Facial Recognition Systems” Radiolab - Breaking News Discover Magazine - “Justice is served, but more so after lunch: how food-breaks sway the decisions of judges”  (EDITOR'S NOTE: Apologies for the delay on this one's release; I started editing it a bit late in the week and was hindered by some technical hiccups and an episode that ended up a LOT messier than I remembered (also my fault). Sorry.)

Good evening, boys and ghouls! This episode we're looking at shows that were once dead and have clawed their way back out of the grave (for better or worse). We'll be reviewing television shows that jumped to new channels, programs that come back after extended hiatuses, and big-screen reimaginings. We also find time to talk about toxic twitter people, the Neilson ratings, and whatever happened to Aunt Viv. EPISODE LINKSCancelled TV Shows that Returned - TVline.comRevivial (Television) - wikipedia.orgEverything Old is New Again - TVinsider.comRoseanne Barr sings the National Anthem - youtube.comThe Two Aunt Viv's - So Fresh So Prince Podcast2017 Doctor Who Special Analysis by hbomberguy - youtube.comSherlock is Garbage and Here's Why by hbomberguy - youtube.comThe Muppet Babies theme song - youtube.com

It's all fun and games until someone gets shot.  We're looking for Chekov's Gun and talking about splitting the party so we can search for a murderer. Ally has us looking at tropes in movies with Clue (1985) and Game Night (2018). We look at who is the blonde airhead, did the butler really do it, and was it really all part of the plan?  But aside from that we talk about the Devil, the Joker, and a Robot named Prime.  Links for this epsiode: TV Tropes - Clue TV Tropes - Game Night Clue - IMDB Trivia  Game Night - IMDB Trivia  Rowan Atkinson Live - youtube.com Fallout 3: Liberty Prime - youtube.com Clue on Blu-Ray - amazon.com Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale - youtube.com 21 Jump Street - Explotions - youtube.com Joker and Red Skull Gravity Falls Episode 1 cypher Burn After Reading (What did we learn from all this?) - youtube.com

Alright, settle down, class. Settle down... This is Bowie 102 covering the last thirty-seven years of David Bowie's career: early 80's rise to popularity, late 80's decline, 90's revival, and death. If you came here looking for "Classical Knives of America, 1830 to Present" you are in the wrong room--that's down the hall in 118 with instructor Sharp yes that IS her real name... Alright, for the five of you who are left, thank you for coming back for another semester. If you haven't already ordered your course materials yet don't bother--just look the songs up on YouTube, read summaries on Wikipedia, and guess. That's what I do... Episode links:  YouTube - David Bowie OfficialSteam - Omikron: The Nomad SoulSaturday Night Live - Napster lawsuit sketch (part 1--couldn't find a good copy of the Petshop Boys bit)A Knight's Tale - "Golden Years"The Killers (Brandon Flowers) - Just Another GirlDavid Bowie's 1983 interview on MTV, holding them to the flames for not showing black artistsArlo Guthrie - Alice's RestrauntBlur - Boys And Girls Donald Glover - The Worst Time to Be Alive (Classic Rap)

Welcome to your first day of Bowie 101! This introductory course covers thirty-two years of David Bowie, from 1947 to 1979, spanning his vaudville, pop rock, glam rock, heavy metal, and funk/soul periods, as well as the Berlin trilogy.  Our full two-part course will also span such topics as suing Napster, musical numbers from A Knight's Tale, bad haircuts, the roadways of West Berlin, and raps about hats. If you have any questions, your instructor Blake or your classmates Ally and Kurt will be happy to fill you in on the details. Take notes--there will be a test at the end. Enjoy! Episode links:  YouTube - David Bowie OfficialSteam - Omikron: The Nomad SoulSaturday Night Live - Napster lawsuit sketch (part 1--couldn't find a good copy of the Petshop Boys bit)A Knight's Tale - "Golden Years"The Killers (Brandon Flowers) - Just Another GirlDavid Bowie's 1983 interview on MTV, holding them to the flames for not showing black artistsArlo Guthrie - Alice's RestrauntBlur - Boys And Girls Donald Glover - The Worst Time to Be Alive (Classic Rap)

He is the sworn protector of the city. The wild blue yonder. He is The Tick. But which Tick are we talking about? All of them, we're looking at the Fox kids cartoon show (1994), the Fox live-action sit-com (2001) and the Amazon streaming live-action version (2016), and even some talk about the comic is involved. We talk about what the changes in the small screen versions of the Tick shows about our society, why side characters change from version to version of the show, and how the themes of the show hold up over time. We also talk about absurdist humor, secret identities, and hating your siblings favorite shows. Links for this episode: Geekvolution - youtube.com

With Infinity War out and Deadpool set to return soon. Ally has us look at Logan and talk about superhero movies and what these movies say about society. Focus revolves around Logan, the MCU, and Deadpool. We also talk about Thelma and Louise, Seven Samurai, and Unforgiven Note:This episode contains no Infintity War spoilers because Kurt and Ally hadn't seen it at time of recording. Links for this episode:Logan “Hurt” trailer - youtube.comDeadpool trailer - youtube.comNerdwriter - Logan: Superhero Movies get old - youtube.comAnthony Mackie and Tom Holland - youtube.comPatrick Stewart and Ginger - youtube.com  

As our jobs all got in the way of our recording schedule this week, we sat down for a short [read: long], off-the-cuff episode. We get into the recent events surrounding the Simpsons'/Apu debacle since recording  that episode, and then spend the rest of our time gushing about all the great media we have watched/played/read/listened to lately. (Due to the large volume of links/things mentioned in this discussion, I'm posting all of them as a pdf here: Links to all the media - hosted locally)

One of us always tells lies...one of us always tells the truth...but what IS the truth, really? We're digging deep this week with the films Rashomon and Life of Pi, discussing absolutes, equivocations, and whether a single noble lie can balance out a thousand false promises. We'll also discuss Satre's concepts of "bad faith" and "the look" (na na na na!), the soap opera Dallas, and getting called poindexter at a comedy show. (It makes sense in context, I promise.) Links for this episode: The Atlantic - “Life's Stories” The Invention of Lying (trailer) True Detective - pessimism: religion and fairy tales The Hogfather - ‘Belief’ as according to Death The Dark Knight - Joker’s speech and  ending scene KURT - BIT FROM DALLAS  “IT WAS ALL A DREAM”? The Look (Anime version) - Okami-san The Look (Midi version) - download link Brian Thomas Smith (aka the commedian who called Kurt "Poindexter") Blake's notes for this episode - hosted locally

Strange things are afoot at the Kwik-E-Mart this week as we look into the documentary The Problem With Apu and three classic Apu-centric episodes of The Simpsons to see if these charges are warrented, and if the writers ever got better at writing Indian characters. We also take time to talk about James Woods' career (or lack thereof), Indian covers of Western pop songs, and airlines treating people like cattle. Links for this episode: Tumblr - Hari Kondabolu - My career goal is to make people say my name. Deadpool 2 trailer Washington Post - “A beloved restaurant owner was deported; a community was in uproar, then it moved on” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - Civics Practice Test  This American Life: Our Town (Part One)  This American Life: Our Town (Part Two) Psychology Today - “Why Are So Many Indian Arranged Marriages Successful?”  Buzzfeed - “15 Times Indians Slayed With Their Covers Of Some Of Your Favourite Songs”  The Simpsons - Lisa the Vegetarian clip

It's rare for an artist to remake a work from their early career. With Spike Lee's remake of She's Gotta Have It, we're looking at the differences between the film (1986) and the web-series (2017) with a big helping hand from our guest Samantha from Rocket Punch Radio. With art, music, sexuality, and civil unrest on the table, we also found time (in this long episode) to talk about the Spin Doctors, Celtics fans, and eminent domain. Links for this episode:CBS This Morning - Spike Lee on Rebooting the iconic and timely “She’s Gotta Have It”YouTube - Lindsay Ellis - RENT - “Look Pretty and Do As Little as Possible: A Video Essay” Goodreads.com - Dossie Easton, Janet W. Hardy's "The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationship & Other Adventures"UrbanDictionary.com - “Gold Star Lesbian”The Magicians - The Wit and Wisdom of EliotWikipedia - 25th HourWikipedia - Audre LordePleasantville - "What’s Going to Happen Now?"Mars Blackmon in Nike commercials Shoutouts:Samantha's TwitterThe Kave Podcast/Hot 365 Radio

We interupt this podcast to bring you a quick episode about Black Panther...only there was so much to say that it turned into a full episode anyway. And despite all three hosts enjoying themselves, it didn't keep them from picking all manner of nits from this excellent film.  We also talk about racial politics, familial conections, and the etymology of a particular type of footwear. Editor's Note: Ally wasn't feeling her best while recording this episode and ended up misspeaking a few times. She made a comment on African American incarceration and worried that it came out wrong; she was trying to say that African Americans are jailed at a higher rate over smaller crimes than whites. I would have cut it out, but it made the conversation flow weird. Thanks for listening, hope you enjoy.  Links:Splinter News - “How the U.S. Government Locked Black Americans Out of Attaining the American Dream”Boston Review - “‘Black Panther’ Is Not the Movie We Deserve”Twitter - @diasporicblues - Black Panther costuming tribes/cultures threadCinemablend - Why Chadwick Boseman Feels Like Tchalla is the Enemy in Black PantherWikipedia.org - The Moscow Rules - aka Once is a accident, twice is an coincidence, three times is an enemy action. 

It's time to sharpen your teeth on the bones of your "father"! We're looking at Good Will Hunting and Whiplash and talking about surpasing your father(s), the genesis of genius, and how to steal your father's prized possesions (be it an orchestra or just a really good line). We also talk Saint's Row, super saiyans, and Nietzsche's dog.  Links for this episode: Cecil B. Demented (trailer) Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season James Brown- Roundhouse - “Please Please Please” Weird Al - "Living With a Hernia" Slavoj Zizek - “The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology” - Travis Bickle and Breivik Ira Glass on CreativityWhiplash - Caravan Finale - Part 1 Whiplash - Caravan Finale - Part 2 The Muppet Show - Animal vs. Buddy Rich drum solo  Dragon Ball Z: The Abridged Series - Krillin vs. Yamcha Dragon Ball Z: The Abridged Series - DODGE! Nietzche's DogSaints Row 4: FillabusterSunk Cost FallacyEidetic MemoryThose Who Can't Do Teach - School of Rock 

A short episode dealing with nostalgia, Nintendo and the many applications of cardboard.   Links for this episode: Nintendo Labo debut - youtube.com Movie Bob's Alternative Nintendo Labo debut - youtube.com How to pronounce Nintendo Labo - nintendosoup.com

Kurt takes us into the world of the mafia and the FBI with the 1990 movie "My Blue Heaven". This not-at-all-accurate glimpse into their world is all in service of the question: "Is this movie good, or is Kurt just nostalgic?"  All three hosts come to agreement pretty quickly, so they spend sometime talking about caricature versus character, why the U.S. Marshals felt so aggrieved by factual innacuracies, and the difficulties of treading between two genres instead. (Other episode topics include the difficulties of finding Italian food in the 80s/90s, Mr. Noodle, and the prefix "pseudo-".) Links for this episode: Hannah Stubbs has a very Lyncian breakdown (audio only) - hosted locally Hans Molemann productions presents "Man Getting Hit by Football" - youtube.com Paul and Storm Olive Garden jingle - youtube.com Seasame Street: Mr. Noodle washes his hands - youtube.com  

In our 49th episode, Ally has us look at 2008's Speed Racer--a movie that in her opinion never got the recognition it deserved. We have a discussion on the movie's merits (and demerits) and Blake and Kurt follow up with other works they felt fell into the same pit of underappreciation. We also talk about movies we'd love to see made, the importance of correctly labeling cities, and what movies fall into the genre of "Guillermo del Toro-esque".   Links for this episode: 50 Movies that Critics Hate but People Love - Business Insider In Media Res - Wikipedia Volkswagen Ad - Speed Racer (1996) - Youtube Speed Racer Geico Commercial (2005) - Youtube You Say Run Goes With Everything - Speed Racer Final Race - Youtube  

Blake puts the final stab on our holiday episodes, with the holiday movie about another character who sees you when your sleeping, who knows when your awake, and who may make overbroad presumptions about your guilt and/or innocence. We're watching the 1974 movie Black Christmas, and talking about societial changes, horror tropes, and just how conservative the horror genre has to be to be scary. We'll also chat about the missing link, the connection between Black Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life, and mechanical systems (engineering and otherwise). Links for this episode: Scream - “The Rules” The Slasher (card game)

Just in time for the holidays we decided to watch Frank Capra's perennial holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life. But why was this the movie that became one of the great Christmas classics? And why is so little of this movie set at Christmas time? And does this movie have anything to do with holiday depression? (And is it really such a wonderful life after all?) We also talk about sci-fi vs fantasy, inflation, pixelation, and goats; All this, plus constant Jimmy Stewart impersonations from Kurt and Blake.    Links for this episode: Roseanne - It’s A Wonderful Life bit The Simpsons - Bart starts a run on the bank Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne  MST3K Intro Seasons 5-6  Mr. Deeds Goes to Town trailer   Etymonline - “pixelated” Vertigo trailer Rear Window trailer  Jim Gaffigan - Mr. Universe “Four Kids”  IMDb It’s a Wonderful Life (trivia)  Splinter - “How the U.S. Government Locked Black Americans Out of Attaining the American Dream” When a Quirk of Copywrite Creates a Christmas Classic - copyrighttrademarkmatters.com Inflation Calculator - in2013dollars.com 

Ally kicks off our Christmas season with A Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and Elf (2003). With these movies in hand, she's questioning the true meaning of Christmas, why it is that there have been so few memorable Christmas movies in recent years, and how well the classics really hold up. More broadly, we discuss consumerism, capitialism, cardiomegaly, diabetes, and how Kris Kringle is a filthy red communist.    Links for this episode: Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus Elf trivia IMDB Miracle on 34th St. trivia IMDB

It's the Wrath of Lacan as Blake has us watch Slavoj Zizek's The Pervert's Guide to Cinema in a backdoor attempt at explaining Lacanian psychology. This episode is full of phallic symbols, and the fatherly figure you must overcome. Come and decide for yourself which of us is the id, ego, and superego.  We also discuss musicals in the key of authoritarian, the Boy Scouts of the U.S.S.R., and which celebrities Slavoj Zizek most closely resembles.  Harvey Danger - Carlotta ValdezHuey Lewis - I Want a New Drug  Death Wish trailerSoap - Ventriloquist arguing Comrade Detective trailer  Zlad! - Elektronik Supersonik  

Kurt brings Lego Batman to the show for a wonder at what life after grimdark looks like. We also take some time to talk about Batman as myth rather than comics media, as well as Nietzche, Billy D. Williams, and Bojack Horseman (three people who have never been in Kurt and Ally's kitchen).   Links for this episode: Death of the Family - Wiki The Real Marvel Agenda - Movie Bob Breaking Macho - Comics Alliance Batman name of my pain - youtube.com Music Meister - youtube.com Shout outs: Dead Ringers Podcast  Batman and Psychology

"Its!" Pennywise (the dancing clown) is here to take us all down to Killer Clown College: we're looking at both the 1990 and the 2017 adaptations of Stephen King's It. (Ally loves clowns so much she subjected us all to five hours of them.) While comparing these two films, we'll also offer tactical advice on fighting groups of children, a discussion on how a physical bad guy can ruin a chance at supernatural scares, and the argument that professional clowns need to clean house rather than protest movies. Thats right, we're coming for you, big Top!    Links for this episode: The Matrix Revolutions - Agent Smith Laughs Seinfeld - “The Foundation” - Kramer and Karate The Mummy Returns - The Scorpion King Returns Rubber trailer Boogerman playthrough Kamina vs Viral Swordfight - Gurren Lagaan How Many 5 Year Olds Can You Realistically Take in a Fight

Blake is excited for Guillerrmo Del Toro's The Shape of Water, but it's not out yet. So we're looking at Let Me In instead and the problems that plague monster-human relationships with it. Also discussed: What makes a monster? Do Beauty and the Beast need a good counselor? Can a monster ever be a part of society? And--most importantly of all--would you love a monsterman? Links for this episode: Pool Scene - Let The Right One In Pool Scene - Let Me In Beauty and the Beast fanart - "Change Back"

It's Octobereen for I'm The Host, that special time of year where we open the dark carnival of horror again. This year we're kicking off with Tucker and Dale vs Evil and the broader trend of meta-horror movies. What is meta-horror? How is meta-horror? Why is meta-horror!? Kurt's Notes: Our next episode will be using Let Me In (the American adaptation of Let the Right One In).  Links for this episode: Sock Puppets - youtube.com Tucker and Dale vs Evil trailer - youtube.com Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon trailer - youtube.comCabin in the Woods trailer - youtube.comScream trailer - youtube.comShaun of the Dead trailer - youtube.com

Ally has us checking out the first season of My Hero Academia (/Boku No Hero Academia). She asking questions about heroism and what makes a hero, what traits are necessary for one to go from zero to hero?  Kurt's Notes: Ally's track was echo-y but I don't think it's too bad, our recording situation has changed and I'm working on trying to get it back to how it used to sound. Thanks for bearing with me.  Also I know in our outro we say the next episode is Lego:Batman, but we looked at a calender and realized my next episode will be out on October 1st, which starts our Halloween Month. So we'll do that later and instead will be looking at Meta-horror, with Tucker and Dale vs Evil.  Links for this episode: YouTube - Bojack tells it like it is: military style YouTube - The Simpsons - Kid in a Well YouTube - All-Might's Laughter (English-Japanese Comparison)

This week we looked at David Lynch's Mulholland Drive to try and piece together what is going on and what went on and what all the goings on really mean. We also discover which is the worst Budweiser product and give name to a new sex act.  Links:  Silencio! No Hay Conectar! There are no links!

It's Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman, as Kurt has us watch the Rumble in the Jungle and then duke it out with much bigger questions about society versus publicity.  We also get into major events of the 60s and 70s, why this match was held at 4 A.M., and how George Foreman's dog was a bad ambassador. Come watch as three people who know virtually nothing about boxing try unravel the story around one of the biggest brawls of all time.  Links for this episode: Rumble in the Jungle - Youtube.com Kurt's notes "I'll Show You How Great I Am" - Youtube.com The Robe and Crown photo Clay vs United States - Wikipedia.org (I found this after we recorded and I though it important to include how fragile his victory in the Supreme Court actually was - Kurt)  Other Media used by Kurt (supplied by Sean Dale) When We Were Kings - amazon.com Facing Ali - amazon.com Charity Link  Kurt and Ally's Extra Life page

Ally has us take a look at the book A Monster Calls, while we chat about grief and mourning: it's not not just for kids anymore! We also explored some of the differences between the book and it's movie adaptation, e.g. the relative merits of Jason Isaacs vs Liam Neeson. Kurt's notes: We changed the way we recorded again. And it sounds great...except for my audio track, because I had my microphone set to omnidirectional instead of personal, so I'm echo-y but that will be fixed by next episdoe. Sorry.  Links for this episode Ally's notes for this episode Grieving in the Classroom - NPR.org GrievingStudents.org  Sesame Street in Communities Coping with Grief - SNNLA.org

Blake has us watch Troll 2 and the companion documentary Best Worst Movie because he hates us and also himself. Also, so that we can talk about enjoyable bad movies what characteristics they have. Can you make a good-bad movie on purpose? Why do people find them enjoyable? Is Blake actually the only troll in this episode? Find out this week on I'm the Host!   Movies mentioned in this episode Good-Bad movies YouTube: trailer - Plan 9 From Outer Space YouTube: trailer - Hudson Hawk  YouTube: - The Room Funniest Scenes  YouTube: trailer - Six-String Samurai  YouTube: MST3K: Space Mutiny - Why We Love It  YouTube: MST3K: The Movie trailer  YouTube Troll 2 trailer  Bad-Bad movies YouTube: trailer - Gigli  YouTube: trailer - Highlander II: The Quickening  YouTube: trailer - Manos: the Hands of Fate  YouTube: trailer - Re-Cycle YouTube: trailer - The Island of Dr. Moreau Other Links Scriptnotes - a podcast The Conspirators - a podcast YouTube: Best Worst Movie trailer  The Angry Video Game Nerd - “Episode 15: Chronologically Confused about Sequel Titles” - The Zombie series (starts at 8:55) YouTube: trailer - The Rocky Horror Picture Show  YouTube: trailer - What’s up, Tiger Lily?  YouTube: trailer - Kung Pow! Enter the Fist  #2podsaday - a blog about introducing you to independent podcasts Hellbound Lyrics - genius.com   Kurt's notes: It didn't come up in the episode but Troll 2: Part 2 that is mentioned in Best Worst Movie is stuck in production hell because no one wants to fund the movie. And Dr. George Hardy will reprise his role in the German film Goblin 2 where there will be no goblins and only trolls (I swear to you guys I'm not making this up).

With the Guardians of the Galaxy and Big Hero 6 getting surprisingly big-budget movies for less-well-known comics, we ask what comics would be great to pull for developing a new series or cinematic release? Kurt brings in Marvel's Exiles and Image's Invincible as examples, but with suggestions from Ally, Blake, and the Grown-Ass Geeks, you'll have plenty of new books to check out. Which ones will work? Which ones won't? And why? Tune in, true believers!  Links for this episode *deep breath*: ExilesInvincibleThe AuthorityRunawaysRed SunLumberjanesPrinceless Courtney CrumrinGotham CentralLocke and KeyTop 10Tales From the CryptTales From the Crypt theme songPride of BaghdadRat QueensThe SandmanUmbrella AcademyShaderunnersThe HitmanX-FactorSavage DragonGoon6th GunIDW’s Ghostbusters Wanted movie posterMovie Bob - Fantastic Four

Ally takes us to the theater for our first recent release, Wonder Woman (2017). There are spoilers galore, but we also talk about blind casting, feminism, and the female gaze. (Is that even a thing yet?) And because this is a super-long episode, we'll also get into the troubles of casting a historical figure as a villain, the horrors of World War I, and how best to accessorize your sword and shield when visiting another culture. Links for this episode: Wikipedia - General Erich Ludendorff YouTube - Wonder Woman Theme Box Office Mojo - Wonder Woman Box Office Figures  

From another dimension (another dimension (another dimension)), a soundtrack for a movie that this world had never seen (Sunset Blood by Starcadian) fell into our hands! We peer into this artifact with our ear-eyes and try and decipher the plot to the missing movie. Who is Ronnie? What is a Pompey Pirate? What is the significance of the floppy disk? The game is afoot! Links for this episode: Now You See It - “How Film Scores Play with Our Brains” Sideways - “How Pixar uses Music to make you Cry” YouTube - Interview with Starcadian Extra Credit: Sideways - “The Song that Changed my Life” Extra Credit 2: Sideways - “How Robin Hood Transformed” (goes into Lietmoteifs and thematic transformations) Amazon.com - J. Patrick Allen's Dead West (paid advertisement)  

In this episode about how to make a good remake, we're looking at westernized anime Voltron in two incarnations: Defender of the Universe (1984) and Legendary Defender (2016). We also poke fun at the sillier parts of Voltron and talk about good remakes of past, present, and (we hope) future. Dept. of Corrections: Kerberos is an actual moon of Pluto that was descovered in 2011. Kurt was unaware of it's name.  Links for this episode:Voltron Defender of the Universe Intro Voltron Legendary Defender Intro  World Events Productions' Wiki page Thundercats (1985) Intro Note: Thundercats (2011) has only a title card and no intro, so a link is not provided here. Patton Oswald expalins My Little Pony TMNT (2006) Intro Ducktales (2017) Trailer Lasertime's Disney Afternoon episode MC Frontalot - "I'll Form the Head"  

The battle for animation supremacy rages on. In the meantime we're looking at RWBY and Soul Eater to see how culture defines the heroes, villains, gender norms, teamwork, and badass weapons therein, and what--if anything--this tells us about eastern and western cultures. We also look at how to give souls to inanimate objects, the origins of all evil, and whether it's safe to use pure evil as a power source. Media for this episode: Rwby Volume 1 Soul Eater Episodes 1-7 World of Remnant: The Four Maidens  Extra Credits: The Myth of the Gun Rwby Vol. 4 Ch 8: A Much Needed Talk - Creation myth for Grimm and humanity @ 4:35 - 8:15  World of Remnant Series - short videos that explain some parts of Rwby’s world in a deeper light.  Links for this episode: Seinfeld - “The Junior Mints” Buzzfeed - “How The Comics Code Killed the Golden Age of Comics” Thundercats Outtakes Deptartment of Corections:Blake’s “Wrong Fact” (trademark pending) of the episode was indeed about the definition of “akatsuki”: in English “akatsuki” directly translates to “dawn” or “daybreak”; what Blake was likely thinking of was that, if written phonetically using different kanji, “aka[i]” means “red” and “ “tsuki” means “moon”. Not to be outdone, Kurt combined the technobabble terms "dynotherms" and "mega-thrusters" into dynothrusters. Whoops. 

Coming soon (as soon as you download it)--a podcast which is sick of misleading trailers will try to figure out the secrets to spotting bad movies with good trailers and debate whether movies would be better if we ignored trailers altogether. We also give a quick history survey, and talk about how these movie ads have changed over time. Plus stick around for a trailer of the I'm the Host movie, coming summer of twenty-neverteen. Links for this episode (trailers, in descending chronological order): Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) The Maltese Falcon (1941)  Casablanca (1942) Psycho (1960) Dr. Strangelove (1964)  The Shining (1980)  Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)  The Abyss (1989)  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)  Godzilla (1998)  Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Hancock (2008)  9 (2009)  Watchmen (2009)  Inception (2010) [teaser]  Jack and Jill (2011)  Suicide Squad (2016)  In A World trailer  (not trailers) Freakazoid knows how to handle creeps  Every Frame A Painting - “The Marvel Symphonic Universe”  Nerdwriter - “Batman v Superman: The Fundamental Flaw”

As a follow up to Blake's copyright episode, we look at the first volumes of RWBY and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for ways the public domain can be used by creators to make original works. We also dig into some of the weird issues around the public domain and copyright, such as... Why a letter from 1755 is still not in the public domain, how a president's letters to his mistress are now fair game for smutty fiction, how an affidavit of a liar is a brilliant move, just how prevalent remixed public domain works are, and why the public should stand up to get the mouse out of the house. Editor's Note: We had some microphone problems in this episode, so this recording may sound rough. Sorry. I've tried to clean it up as best as I can. Just know that if this is your first episode they usually sound better than this. Thanks.  Companion episode: Copywrong: the Twin Blakes The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society Eddie Izzard - "Hannibal on Skis" Vicious promo The Guardian - "Deadmau5 and Walt Disney settle mouse ears legal dispute" Art Law Journal - "How Mickey Mouse Keeps Changing Copyright Law" The Cut - "You're Not Old Enough to Read This Steamy Erotica Written by an American President"  Baron Von Munchausen's preface/affidavit Myths & Legends podcast: Thor episodes TV Tropes - "Captain Ersatz"