Is This Pinball?

HEY THERE, KIDDOS. We're back! For our un-regular, chaos schedule for these un-regular chaos times. This week, we discuss eating one food group at a time, if the book in the living room is yours, Christian rock opera versions of popular IPs, the return to universal subjectivism, and our quickly unraveling psyches. AND IT ALL MAY OR MAY NOT BE PINBALL. GOOD LUCK. Oh, and stick around to the end for a very special surprise.

We can't avoid the discourse! We're talking about what everyone else is! And that thing is Elden Ring! That's right, we're diving into the saddest monsters, the deep lore, and George RR Martin's tiny lil' hat.

Did you know that three Pinocchio movies coming out this year? There are. There are three. That sounds, like us, like three too many. In addition, we ask what the best century is, what exactly are sports, and should someone watch all 13 X-Men movies? All good questions, we think. Oh, and how pinball they all are, obviously.

Hey friends! Your favorite intermittently-released podcast is back!  We start of with the tried-and-true Discussion of Ol' Dusty Tomes with Dylan Waite and, uh, things kind of veer off-course from there. I mean, what did you expect? That's kind of what we do.

Willie says "it's objectively an episode!" And an episode it is! Tune in to listen to us lose our minds over ska jazz cover art, berate Dylan his old dusty tomes, some obligatory Sondheim opinions, and other super accessible and broad topics that are sure to appeal to everyone and everything. Oh, and we figure out if it's pinball. Obviously.

Did you think we left?? Did you??? You dummy, did you think we'd leave YOU???? Never. We'd never. That's right: we're back and committing to being entirely uncommitted to any sort of schedule. But here we are: letting you know what's pinball and what isn't. And we missed you. This week, we discuss the dark carnival, Dylan disappointing children, Malignant, Willie's conquest of Pokemon Go, an ultra-smooth Grand Theft Auto, Cowboy Bebop, and how to get that good stink.

WE'RE BACK BAYBEEEEEEE. That's right: your three hosts are fresh off summer vacation and are back to talk about... wax museums. Yes, that's right: Dylan spent some time in Salem, MA, which is positively overflowing with wax facsimiles. Come for the wax chat, stay for word history, witch talk, and if wizards could have stopped global catastrophes.... and how pinball it all is (or isn't). We missed you, bbs. 

Hey fronds! "Is This Pinball" is going on summer break! As you may have noticed the past couple of weeks, we've been wrestling with our own personal life schedules in this era of reopening. So, we're going to take the summer to get our feet back under us. Until then: Stay safe! H.A.G.S.!

This week, Dylan brings in some French literature with a priest who can't help but love the ladies, Amy loses her mind over Speed, and Willie remains haunted by Resident Evil. Tune in for the allegorical truth of pinball, Point Break, Gary Bussy, a confusion of Jeffs, and some actual real thoughtful discussion of game design (WHO WOULDA GUESSED?) 

Last week, Willie (for reasons known only to him) decided to watch all the Resident Evil movies. Did you know that there are a lot of them? Like, a LOT of them? I didn't. But there are. And now Willie is gonna tell us about them, because otherwise they'll haunt him forever. How pinball is Milla Jovovich? We may be the only ones brave enough to find out.

OK, sure: Amy might have recorded this hunched over her computer in her parents' den. And, yeah, Dylan's audio is haunted by his ever-rumbling air conditioning. BUT YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR THE SOUND QUALITY (probably), you're here for the GOOD GOOD GOOFS. And this episode sure has a lot of those good goofs you crave. Whether we're DUNKING on Donald Rumsfeld, marveling at Hitachi's range of products, or trying to figure out what Korn actually is, it's a good time (if we do say so ourselves)

Uh oh Amy has gone to Connecticut to do New England type things and left the boys all alone! They sat in the dark for a long time and then Sam Trillo (a.k.a. Poochy) walked in and turned the lights on to chat about music and comedy and just how pinball singing pee pee poo poo quietly to yourself is!

We have a whole smorgasbord for you this week! Wanna know what Dylan thought about In the Heights? (The answer might surprise you!) Wanna know about what fantasy series Willie knows a lot about? (The answer might surprise you!) Wanna know if a game called New World is possibly a minefield of BAD CHOICES? (The answer absolutely will not surprise you!) WE GOT IT ALL, BAYBEEE.

Willie starts the pod by saying that we "might not have that many things" to say about the movie we all watched, Zach Snyder's Army of the Dead. Turns out we have LOTS of things to say about it: why something that sounds good on paper could be so boring, why it might not actually sound good on paper, The Hot Rock, why even zombie ladies can't catch a break from being fridged, superimposed Tig Notaro, and a million other things. AND we actually remember to talk about how pinball it all is. And it is pinball. Trust us.

With Willie and Dylan returning to work, and Amy on some theatre panel or another, scheduling got away from us this week. BUT don't worry, we'll be back next week AND, in the meantime, we have a new song from Dylan and Willie's band, The Pile! Amy thinks it's a jam! (And maybe you will too.)

This week, we're talking about video games that allow your characters to *~*do the nasty*~* Awwww yeah, baybeeee. Where do they success? Where do they fail? Why do they usually fail much more often than they succeed? WE'RE HERE TO FIND OUT. Tune in for discussion of GTA: San Andreas, Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect, The Sims, The Last of Us Part II, those free to play games that tell us there's no way we're going to last five minutes, and more!

It's been too long since we've really tried to figure out what pinball is, but we're here to rectify that today, through the use of Dylan's dictionary on symbols. Can we finally get to the true essence of pinball, looking at the meaning behind orbs, silver, and ramps? And what does it have to do with Egyptian mythology around pure silver god bones? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT. Oh, and we also talk about Community, for some reason. 

In this episode, we return to Resident Evil, just in time for the release of Resident Evil Village: Giant Lady Dating Sim. We're here to discuss why this is Dylan's favorite (ever) Resident Evil, the internet's unending horniness, why Capcom hates hands, and also why Capcom seems to be one of the last goofy-fun AAA developers.

Hey! We got a lovely, meaty email in the inbox, courtesy of listener Sam. Sam asks us some questions. And we give them some answers. This is why you should write us. Think of us as your crotchety grandparents, and we just wanna hear how you're doing. SO WRITE US, OK? (psst: isthispinball@gmail.com)   Also. Listen. We thought we were done talking Pokemon, but just when we're out, New Pokemon Snap pulls us back in and launches us into a discussion of if humans are Pokemon, the ability to catch God, and why this baby game for babies is such a ripe field for lore discussions.

With the new Mortal Kombat movie out, we're here to talk about the game that scared your grandma and has birthed at least three live-action movies. Tune in to hear a discussion of the best things about the 1995 and 2021 movies, and the worst of both, and how if we could only just smash them together, it might make a good movie. Oh, and did you know that there's a lot of background lore in Mortal Kombat? 'Cause there really is. And if you don't know a thing about Mortal Kombat, don't worry. Amy doesn't either.

It's been a year! A full year of this! Whatever this is! Thanks for being here. We may not have figured out what pinball is just yet, but, honestly, who has? In this episode, we discuss Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, dentists, and whether or not this is the very last episode of Is This Pinball? Is it? Is it the end? Listen and find out, fronds! 

This week we talk about the most pinball thing of all time (yes? yes.): Theatre! Our special guest Justin Keim recently directed one of Dylan's plays for radio, and we're here to discuss theater in the era of closed stages, Millennials, the transcendent nature of brisket, and the Sisyphean task of audio production. Find Savannah at https://lanescovenpresents.buzzsprout.com, or search any podcast platform for Lanes Coven Presents. We could not recommend it more highly.

This week, we're talking about the best movies of the decade. But we're not talking about the best movies of the past decade, but the best movies of the next decade. We have our eyes firmly locked on our movie-prediction crystal ball and, believe it or not, saw a Na'vi multipurpose psychic cloaca staring back. What else do we see? ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT, BABY.

Willie said he had a topic for us this week, and that topic is "places." What does that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, WILLIE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN????? Turns out, it's mostly a chance to talk about New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, places we have opinions about (unfounded, particular, *hot takes*) and also the glory of the Denver airport. Also, we finally settle who a New Yorker is. We solved it. We solved that riddle and there is nothing wrong with our reasoning.

Our brains are broken. Dylan is wondering if anyone should have opinions about anything, Willie is out here practicing the Way of Nonchalance, and Amy tried to watch Zack Snyder's "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" and has lots of questions about why owls need to wear armor. Join us, won't you?

Two things: #SnyderCut #SnyderCut #SnyderCut Dylan has an opinion and we are all SURPRISED by what it is What's with out current cultural superhero zeitgeist? Is WandaVision worth it? Will Amy be able to explain what Mob Psycho 100 is ("No. I won't"- Amy)? Why is there so much dust? How pinball is it all? TUNE IN AND FIND OUT, FRONDS.

After being (let's be honest) ASTOUNDINGLY on-topic re: video games and pinball the past couple of weeks, we return to the freewheeling conversation you know (yes) and love (maybe?).  This week, we talk about the following: the perfect pinball, how Dylan hits his vowels, Linger Longer with Langer, Being Human, "egg," Ernest Hemingway & his masculinity and way with words, the short stories of Lydia Davis and Joy Williams, On-Gaku: Our Sound, and Willie's adventures with country music. ANYWAY, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF. LISTEN IN, YA DOOFS.

This week, your hosts tackle that eternal series of making little animals fight each other for your amusement & edification. That's right: we're talking Pokémon! Tune in to hear us talk about our histories with the game, unnecessarily deep Pokémon lore, getting the opportunity to punch a Pokémon, which Pokémon make good eatin', and the horrible implications of ghost type Pokémon. 

Can it be? TWO actual pinball-related episodes in a row?? I can't believe it. You can't believe it. WE can't believe it. This week, we dive further in to what makes pinball pinball, centered around a game called "Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons."  Though, to be fair, we also discuss tort law, bean cars, Robert Downey Jr.'s weird facial hair, how we can NEVER KNOW what James Taylor looks like, Hannibal, and our very own ideas of what would make fun pinball cabinets. (Dylan and Willie make really fun suggestions! Amy is also there!)

HEYA PINBALL HEADS. As our divine contract with the pinball gods demands, we're literally talking about pinball this week! Tune in to hear guest host Shaina Wagner grill Amy, Willie, and Dylan about pinball history, slang, and ramps. We also have a whole interlude about whether or not Humpty Dumpty is actually an egg, so tune in for that too, I suppose!

After weeks of dancing around it, we're doing it: a deep dive into one of Willie's favorite video game series, Fire Emblem. Whether you're only familiar with these blue-haired teens from Smash Bros. (like Amy) or are a tried and true min-maxing turn-based battlefield genius, we've got you covered. Tune in for a discussion of role-playing game mechanics, immersion vs. math, and, of course, our Fire Emblem waifus of choice.  We also never said how pinball it was. Email us at isthispinball@gmail.com with how pinball you think it is. Do our work for us, why don't you?

This week, we welcome back guest host Bea Miranda for a discussion on Puerto Rico centered around her experience growing up on the island and as a Puerto Rican artist working in the States. Listen in to hear about the work of Rita Moreno, our collective love of Raul Julia, why it might be a better idea to just stop with the West Side Story revivals, the obvious deficiencies of State-side social studies curriculae, and what role we should expect biographic documentaries to plays in activism (if any). Also we goof on Lin Manuel Miranda a bunch. That too.

To say we had a good time recording this week's episode would be an understatement. Listen in to hear us lose our minds over the stonk market, plan for our new art movement based around 80-year-olds, talk about the giant vampire woman from the Resident Evil VIII trailer, argue about angles, and hear Amy reminisce about her brief time working in finance (ah, the life that could have been). How pinball is it all? HOW PINBALL ISN'T IT?

We're back to basics this week, and by "basics" I mean BOOKS. Not only are we talking about some classic lit (and how pinball it is or is not) but we're also diving into the cursed world of Latin Duolingo, the importance of egg consumption in art-making, the wrong Last Samurai, and the beauty and horror of the work in bad translation.

After recording this episode of Is This Pinball?, Dylan posted the following to Twitter: "On this week's show, due to an error in interpreting IMDB, I incorrectly identify who sucks and how and when and why. But it should be enough to know that someone does in fact suck in the ways enumerated and that their sucking is indicative of broader trends." That's probably the best context for this week's show you could ask for (but in case you want more, we talk a whole bunch about Doctor Who, rule on Peter Capaldi's sex appeal, eulogize GameStop, almost forget to do an intro, come up with the religion/workout crossover the world has been waiting for, watch Dylan unravel about the state of the world.) 

NOTE: this episode has content advisories. See below the description for time stamps. We've got the whole kit and caboodle for you this week, wherein both the kit and the caboodle are largely about *~*the theatre*~* That's right: tune in for discussions about Angels in America, how much Amy and Dylan hate Stoppard, a revisiting of CATS the movie the musical, theatre trying to be TV (and why it isn't and shouldn't), Falsettos, Dylan's failed foray into trying to teach Shakespeare to eighth graders, and, uh.... how Old Testament God is basically a teenage magician. Oh, of course: we also figure out how pinball it all is. -------- Content advisory time stamps: Discussion of medieval torture: 24:00 - 27:40 Brief mention of childhood sexual assault: 35:15-35:20

Remember when we said we didn't have an episode this week? Well, Dylan recovered his audio and we're BACK, baby! And this time we actually remember to rate things on how pinball they are. Tune in this week to hear a deep dive into Mega Man X. That's right: we're talkin' robot morality, robot mortality, goofy robot names, unending cycles of robot violence, and also how Mortal Kombat is actually just the WWE for indoor kids. Also discussed: which controller is the best controller (and Willie goes full chaos in suggesting that the answer might be the Wiimote) and a preview of our looming Fire Emblem adventure. WHEW.

We're taking the week off to build up our screamin' juices for 2021 (read: we recorded an episode but had some, uh, audio trouble), but we wouldn't leave you high & dry! Enjoy this New Year's mixtape, featuring music by friends of the show. Track list: Dance Like Kids - Poochy Losin’ Myself - Judith Horn  S-W-I-M-M-I-N-G - The Pile Bar In Ky - Pontac Yer Dooks - Mondus Mondus

Content advisory: brief discussion of suicide from 2:30 to 3:25 This week, your hosts dive into a topic in which no one has ever had any opinions at any point: Star Wars. That's right: we're talking all things related to that good ol' space western. And, uh, if you've thought you'd heard us yell about things before, wooooo boy, strap in buds because we're at Bea-checking-in-to-make-sure-Dylan-didn't-hurt-himself levels of feelings. But, like, in a fun way. Today, we discuss: how Star Wars broke the brains of an entire generation, our favorite corporate oligarchies, the case for fanfiction, why won't Willie stop talking about that MOVIE TRAIN??, and, of course, The Mandalorian.

As you cozy up with a cup of nog and deck yourself out in twinkle lights, we have just the music to keep you company, featuring music by friends of the show. Songs featured: Rockin' Around The Christmas Herb - Poochy Jingle Bell Rock - Poochy Christmas is Coming - Corsick/Pontac

This week, join your regular hosts and special guest Hannah Keihl as they discuss their 2020 games of the year. In true Is This Pinball fashion, the games of the year might not be from this year (nor might they actually be games) BUT they are our favorites, and they are some level of pinball. Tune in to hear us talk about Chibi Robo, Donkey Kong Country 1-3, TikTok (and Blaseball), Zen Pinball, AND ALSO: the hole left by Blockbuster game rentals, "how pinball is Conrad?", Dylan's dad got the best vanity license plate of all time (not even a joke), and our best friend (Wikipedia).

Oh my god can it be true? Are we actually talking about video games again? HELL YEAH WE ARE. Who would have thought?? No Greek philosophers this week, buddies. We're talking about those pixels and how they make us feel. Specifically: we're talking about reality in video games. But actually, this just serves as a launching pad for a broader discussion about Triple-A video game design, video games that want to be movies, why every big-name game is a billion hours long, and how "realism" is often code for "endless tasks" and "inventory management." Join us as we discuss Red Dead Redemption (1 & 2), Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Final Fantasy VII, Demon Souls, Dark Souls, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Fortnite, Red Faction, Nier: Automata ("Aw-taw-mah-tah"? "Au-toh-mahta"?), The Sims, ALL THE FIRE EMBLEMS, and, uh, Sonic Adventures 2.

In the week after Thanksgiving, Dylan and Bea watched nineteen (NINETEEN) horror movies, and now Dylan is here to talk about them. What happens next is a discussion of horror movies, sure, but also: what ghost would win in a ghost fight, haunted house hunters, Wes Anderson, Dark Goop Energy, whether or not all movies from the 80s are objectively bad, Will Ferrell mom opinions, and (natch) how pinball this whole mess is. Dylan's nineteen horror movies: Dark Water (2002) Shutter (2004) Ringu The Tag-Along The Two Sisters Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum Sadako vs. Kayako The Descent 28 Days Later Scrooged Terrified Ugetsu The Host The Dead Don't Die Night of the Living Dead Dawn of the Dead Day of the Dead Land of the Dead Under the Shadow The four Christmas movies Dylan actually likes: The Nightmare Before Christmas Elf Eyes Wide Shut Tokyo Godfathers Other movies referenced: The Hobbit Lake Placid In Bruges Teen Wolf Rushmore The Fantastic Mr. Fox Isle of Dogs Kill Bill Babes in Toyland

Comedian and raconteur extraordinaire Myq Kaplan joins the crew this week to tackle our most ambitious (or at least, most meta) topic to date: how pinball is the concept of pinball. Tune in for a discussion of how much ayahuasca is too much ayahuasca (and if it brings us closer to our True Pinball Selves), what is the comedy version of a multiball, RAMPS, and how pinball is a pinball rating for pinball. See and hear more of Myq's work at myqkaplan.com

This week, we have special guest Teddy Hulsker on to discuss that favorite bogeyman of 70s pearl-clutchers: Dungeons & Dragons! All three of your hosts are, believe it or not, nerds and theater kids and so have definite opinions about the classic tabletop role-playing game. So grab your bag of holding, fellow adventurers, and prepare for a discussion of D&D as therapy, why first-time players gravitate toward becoming murder hobos, door puzzles, and ape encounters as teaching tools.

Every night, we get stared down by that goddamn great silver pinball in the sky and WE HAVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT IT (apparently). Take a journey with us as Dylan starts the show with a throwaway bit that becomes the Whole Thing, and strap in for a discussion of how pinball the literal moon, Moon Knight, mooning, Moon over My Hammy, and Paper Moon are (or are not). Oh, and we may have also come up with the best movie idea ever. Do any of y'all happen to have Josh Gad's number? Because we need it STAT.

BonjourHi, my dudes. This episode, we have special guest Jon Robin on to talk about what we've been dancing around for weeks: music from the Great White North. Specifically, we're talking about all the indie music from Canada that we can't get out of our heads. There's a whole bunch of music referenced this episode, and we even put together some listening playlists for you: Listen to Amy's aughts Canadian indie playlist Listen to Dylan's Carey Mercer playlist Listen to Dylan's Destroyer playlist Listen to Willie's definitive Canada playlist Read the full list of songs in this episode

That's right, chickadees: everyone else WON'T SHUT UP ABOUT IT, so here's our election special! And by "election special," we mean that we talk about how pinball the candidates (spoilers: very) are for like ten minutes, and then spend the rest of the time screaming about Catholicism, d*ck measuring, mantis shrimp, and Canadian rock bands from the aughts. So, you know, the usual. Take care of yourselves today, babes, and we'll see you on the other side.

After last week's show, Willie went to use the bathroom while Amy and Dylan kept chatting (and Amy ate a bunch of clementines directly into the mic). Tune in for some ramble-y fun-time discussions of our burgeoning ASMR careers, the downsides of keeping television shows running forever, the difficulty of satire, and the benefit of the Eternal Archetype. Content warning: brief mention of domestic violence plotlines in "I Love Lucy" at 10:30

This week, we've got it all for you: actual real pinball news and reviews, film hot takes, and (of course) the final week of *~*dark carnival*~* celebrations! So, put on your gear-hat and tune in, my ghouls. Topics discussed this week include: Dr. Dude Pinball Machine, Blue Velvet vs. Showgirls, we're just Nancy Pelosi's idiot children, the Paul Verhoeven appreciation wagon, They Live, My Winnipeg, Guy Maddin Football

In this week's episode, we continue our month-long dive into spoopy-dom, starting with a *~body switch~* wherein Willie and Amy scream about things that annoyed them while Dylan actually wholeheartedly likes a thing! Topics include: The Haunting of Bly Manor take 2, Emily in Paris is a pile of sexy rocks, Call My Agent!, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, reading Wikipedia articles on scary movies, ghost exposition, Sarah Kane's Blasted, and Dylan's continued efforts to sneak in some Bong Joon-Ho jabs.