Each week, Nick Zaccario and Taylor Zaccario obsess over obscure movies, TV shows and slices of pop culture that you didn’t even know you cared about. They chat, rant and analyze everything from their favorite strange sequels to weird, forgotten Disney films to an episode of network television where Batman and the Joker compete in a surfing contest. If you love off-beat nostalgia and odd pop culture, you don’t want to miss this!
Full scream ahead!!! When a group of mercenaries try to hijack a cruise ship, they discover something else has already beaten them to it. Nick & Taylor dive even deeper into Stephen Sommers' filmography with the cult monster-action-heist-contained thriller classic, Deep Rising (1998). __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor & Nick are diving into three films directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy). First up, a movie from early in Sommers' career, Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994). This Indiana Jones/Tarzan-infused adaptation of the classic Kipling story stars Jason Scott Leigh, Carey Elwes, and a favorite of your hosts: Sam Neill. __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Just before the Earth explodes, three talking apes from the future travel back in time to 1971 Los Angeles and become celebrities. However, since this is a Planet of the Apes movie, things take a bizarre and shockingly dark turn. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) this week on Obscure Obsessions. __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor, Nick, and Anthony book a trip to Europe with the Griswolds in the second (and arguably least funny) installment in the Vacation series: National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985).__________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, EditorAnthony Graziani…Correspondent, EPCOT Historian
When an evil warlock (with a great tan) threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she hides out in the Catskills, where she meets Casper the Friendly Ghost. Listen in as Nick & Taylor obsess over a very 90s movie: Casper Meets Wendy (1998) __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Another season of Obscure Obsessions, another Jaws rip-off. Only Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976) isn't really a Jaws rip-off. Instead, it's the story of a man and his psychic connection with sharks. When he discovers that a local aquarium is exploiting the sharks, he uses his psychic connection to enact his revenge. __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Three dinosaurs are taken aboard a time-traveling flying ship, fed a cereal that makes them smart, and then dropped off in 1990s New York City. Though not a hit in its time, We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story (1993), has developed a passionate group of fans, including your hosts. __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
After their most excellent adventure, Bill and Ted are killed by their robotic doppelgangers from the future. Trapped in Hell, the duo teams with Death to find a way back home. __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor & Nick are back for season 5! After a botanist (Batman's Michael Gough) vanishes in the African jungle, he returns to London with a chimpanzee and a mysterious growth serum. Can you guess what happens next in Konga (1961)? __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Megan joins in this week, recommending Max Keeble's Big Move (2001). Then, Nick talks about The Adventures of Tintin (2011), an overlooked Spielberg movie. Finally, Taylor chooses one of his childhood favorites, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956) __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, EditorMegan Zaccario…Researcher
A tough Chicago detective (John Wayne) heads to London to apprehend a crime boss in Taylor's recommendation this week: Brannigan (1975). This Dirty Harry rip-off also stars Animal House's John Vernon and Jurassic Park's Sir Richard Attenborough. John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and other famous faces star in Nick's choice this week: Identity (2003), directed by James Mangold. Ten strangers are stranded in a desolate Nevada motel. One by one… they start to die. __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Two movies from two great directors. Nick recommends Guillermo del Toro's Mimic (1997). In this science fiction horror film, a genetically engineered insect threatens humanity. Afterward, Taylor recommends Clint Eastwood's directorial debut: Play Misty for Me (1971). An obsessed fan (Jessica Walter) stalks a radio DJ (Eastwood). __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Two movies your hosts DO NOT RECOMMEND. Taylor watched Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984) and never EVER will again. Meanwhile, Nick has a painful time with College (2008). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Nick talks about Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), a parody of musical biopics. John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer star. Then, Taylor chooses John Belushi's final movie, a satiric and surreal comedy called Neighbors (1981). Dan Aykroyd and Cathy Moriarty co-star. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
This week, Taylor & Nick turn on their televisions to bring you two TV show recommendations. First, Taylor suggests you check out Silver Surfer (1998), an animated series about the Marvel superhero of the same name. Later, Nick recommends an Arnold Schwarzenegger-directed episode of Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996) called “The Switch”. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
As another season draws to a close, Taylor & Nick reminisce about all the obscure (and not-so obscure) movies they watched in 2024. We will return in… Mini Obsessions AND Obscure Obsessions 5! __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor Megan Zaccario…Holiday Trilogy Announcer
Taylor, Anthony, and Nick wrap up their Holiday Trilogy with some perfect movies for Christmas (well, two actual Christmas movies and one that has a Christmas scene in it): First up, Nick recommends The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), a fictionalized origin story of how Charles Dickens was inspired to write his classic story, A Christmas Carol. Then, Taylor recommends one of his favorite adaptations of that classic Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol (1999). This TV movie stars Patrick Stewart as Scrooge, Richard E. Grant as Bob Cratchit, and Joel Grey as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Finally, Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) is NOT a Christmas movie (though it was released on Christmas Day 2003). But Anthony insists that he watches it every December to get himself in the Yuletide season. Taylor insists that Anthony chose this movie just to irritate him. You be the judge!Listen in for more on these movies and several bonus recommendations! __________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, WriterNick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor Anthony Graziani…Correspondent Megan Zaccario…Holiday Trilogy Announcer
Welcome to Part II! This week, Nick, Anthony, and Taylor recommend some American history-themed movies for Thanksgiving: We kick off the festivities with a trip to D.C. in Wag the Dog (1997). Robert De Niro plays a Washington spin doctor who enlists the help of an eccentric movie producer (Dustin Hoffman) to create a fictional war in order to distract Americans from a presidential scandal. Then in 1971 students at Stanford University are selected to participate in a psychology study that goes terribly wrong. This true story is told in the independent film The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015). Finally, The Reluctant Dragon (1941) is a truly odd curio found on Disney+. This scripted documentary provides viewers with a behind the scenes look at how Disney animation was created in the 1940s. Listen in for more on these movies and several bonus recommendations! __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor Anthony Graziani…Correspondent Megan Zaccario…Holiday Trilogy Announcer
This year, Taylor & Nick are joined by show correspondent (and their middle cousin) Anthony for some Halloween movie recommendations: First up, The Changeling (1980): a grief-stricken composer moves into a dilapidated mansion. When he comes to believe that the mansion is haunted, he discovers the dark history of the family that once lived there. Then in Australia, a widowed mother and her son confront a spooky manifestation from a children's book in The Babadook (2014). Finally in Haunt (2019), a group of friends spend Halloween in a haunted house attraction that holds real horrors within… Listen in for more on these movies and several bonus recommendations! __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor Anthony Graziani…Correspondent Megan Zaccario…Holiday Trilogy Announcer
To celebrate the Season 4 finale, Taylor & Nick travel to Aurora, Illinois to help Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar put on a concert in Wayne's World 2 (1992) __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Godzilla vs. Kong. Alien vs. Predator. Hercules vs. Aladdin? This week, hear all about “Hercules and the Arabian Night” (1999), the Aladdin crossover episode of Hercules: The Animated Series __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor, Nick, and Sigourney Weaver crash land on a prison planet, where they battle the xenomorph and the meddlesome studio executives who bedeviled the production of Alien 3 (1992). Remembered more for its troubled production than the movie itself, this third installment in the Alien franchise nearly derailed the burgeoning career of its young director, David Fincher. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
To clear his name of a murder he did not commit, a man goes on the run to find the real killers and clear his name. No, not the Fugitive! It's Wrongfully Accused, an outlandish and nonstop parody of man-on-the-run movies. Leslie Nielsen stars in this favorite of your hosts. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Nick & Taylor go west to help the Olsen Twins save a dude ranch from a very villainous Martin Mull in How the West Was Fun (1994). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Did you know that The Dead Pool (1988) is not a superhero movie starring Ryan Reynolds? It's actually the fifth and final Dirty Harry movie, starring Clint Eastwood. Hear all about it on today's episode! __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Join Taylor & Nick as they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the UK release of Supergirl (1984). This spin-off of the Christopher Reeve-Superman series follows the Man of Steel's cousin Kara as she journeys to Earth to retrieve a magic orb from a witch with globe-conquering aspirations (Faye Dunaway). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
For over 20 years, Taylor could not remember the name of this movie about paperboys, guard geese, and Freddy Krueger's Robert Englund. Thanks to Nick's prodigious memory, your hosts look back at this long-forgotten TV movie, The Paper Brigade (1996). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
From the studio that brought you Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan, comes one of the most bizarre movies ever made: Frankenstein Conquers the World, aka Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965). The plot? You ready for this?…. After the Nazis steal the heart of the Frankenstein Monster, they transport it to Hiroshima, where the nuclear bomb mutates the heart into a 65-foot giant, who battles a subterranean dinosaur… __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Nick & Taylor love the films of Kevin Smith. So imagine their excitement when they came across a strange curio from the View Askewniverse. Shortly after the massive success of Smith's classic indie hit Clerks, ABC attempted to turn the raunchy flick into this sanitized and family-friendly sitcom pilot (1995). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
In this spoiler-filled episode, Nick answers Taylor's many questions about Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), the truly weird and bizarre ninth installment in the Star Trek film series. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
When you hear “Rocketman”, you think of Elton John. When Taylor & Nick hear “Rocketman”, they think of the vastly underrated Disney comedy from 1997. Harland Williams stars as an accident-prone computer geek who gets the chance to join the first manned mission to Mars. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Nick & Taylor's flight to a private island crashes into the ocean, trapping all the passengers one hundred feet underwater and air is running out! We're headed to Airport ‘77 (1977) this week, the third installment in the classic disaster movie series. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor & Nick conclude their Joe Dante marathon with one of their favorite underrated movies: Matinee (1993). This love letter to sci-fi/horror B movies stars John Goodman as a flamboyant filmmaker who uses outrageous gimmicks and the Cuban Missile Crisis to promote his new creature feature. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor & Nick continue to celebrate director Joe Dante with The ‘Burbs (1989). Tom Hanks stars in this quirky satire of suburbia as a burnt-out everyman who suspects his new neighbors are up to no good. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor & Nick celebrate Joe Dante with a three-part look at the acclaimed director's films. They begin with Explorers (1985), a science fiction fantasy about three boys, including River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke, who use advanced technology to build a spaceship. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor & Nick traverse the Forbidden Zone in search of Charlton Heston and end up encountering a race of subterranean telepathic mutants in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Despite being enormous fans of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Nick & Taylor long avoided its follow-up, Big Top Pee-wee (1988). Moved by the passing of Paul Reubens, your hosts finally checked out this less-loved sequel. The big adventure this time? Pee-wee, now a farmer, finds himself caught up in a love triangle when the circus comes to town. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
It should come as no surprise that Taylor and Nick are obsessed with the Adam West Batman series and Scooby-Doo, but did you know that there was a two-part crossover special during the mid 1970s? Featuring the Joker, the Penguin, inflatable clown punch-balloons and all sorts of other weirdness, this is one mystery you won't want to miss! __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Just when you thought Theodore Rex was the worst dinosaur movie ever made… you have Adventures in Dinosaur City (1991). With the aid of YouTube to access this long out of print movie, Taylor & Nick are transported to Saur City, where they encounter cavemen gangs, prehistoric political intrigue and a young Omri Katz (Max from Hocus Pocus). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
With camping gear and plaid shirts in tow, Taylor & Nick head off into the forest, encountering Grizzly (1976). In this low-budget Jaws rip-off, a park ranger, a scientist, and a helicopter pilot hunt down a prehistoric monster-bear before it stuffs itself full on campers. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Strap on your rocket-powered rollerskates, folks! We're joining the surreal ongoings at a roller disco in Skatetown, U.S.A (1979). Featuring Scott Baio (Chachi from Happy Days), Maureen McCormick (Marcia from the Brady Bunch), and the screen debut of Patrick Swayze (who hated this movie so much that he bought it and refused to let it be seen.) __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
This week, Taylor & Nick explore a truly wretched sequel: King Kong Lives (1986). In this follow-up to the 1976 remake of the classic story, Kong receives both a heart transplant and a love interest: Lady Kong. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
In which our heroes wrap-up Season 3 and 2023. __________ Taylor Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Editor
In which our heroes celebrate Christmas with a completely forgotten sequel to A Christmas Story, My Summer Story (1994), also known as It Runs in the Family. Follow Ralphie (Succession's Kiernan Culkin) as he goes on summer vacation. Also starring Turkey Hollow's Mary Steenburgen and The Great Muppet Caper's Charles Grodin. __________ Taylor Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Editor Megan Zaccario….Holiday Trilogy Announcer, Not actually in this episode but since it's Christmas, we figured we'd still credit her.
Nick loves musicals. Hear how much he loves Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005), starring Kristen Bell and Alan Cumming. Taylor isn't much of a musical fan. So listen and find out why he's such a fan of The Harvey Girls (1946), starring Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Welcome to our monster movie double feature! Taylor, a kaiju aficionado, champions an overlooked installment in the Godzilla franchise: Godzilla Raids Again (1955). Later, Nick tells us why he thinks The Blob (1988) ranks as one of the great remakes. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
In which our heroes celebrate Thanksgiving with Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow (2015). Two kids search for an elusive creature in this Lifetime Original Movie, starring Mary Steenburgen and narrated by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (yes, that Ludacris). __________ Taylor Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Editor Megan Zaccario….Special Appearance Specialist, Interruption
This week Taylor & Nick have two thrillers for you. First, Nick recommends Christopher Nolan's Insomnia (2002). An LAPD detective (Al Pacino) arrives in a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a local teen. Also starring Hilary Swank and Robin Williams. Afterward, Taylor recommends an Australian movie, a Hitchcock-esque thriller called Roadgames (1981). A truck driver (Stacy Keach) pursues a serial killer on a desolate highway in the Australian Outback. Also starring Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
In which our heroes celebrate Halloween with Munster, Go Home (1966), the first film adaptation of the cult classic sitcom, The Munsters. __________ Taylor Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario….Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor follows Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) through London's criminal underworld in Mona Lisa (1986). Meanwhile, Nick encounters a masked martial artist in Iron Monkey (1993), starring Donnie Yen (Rogue One). __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
Taylor & Nick travel to Tibet and Los Angeles with their movie picks this week. Nick chooses Volcano (1997), a disaster movie about a volcano erupting in L.A. Only Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, and Don Cheadle can divert the lava's deadly path! Then, Taylor revisits a British horror film, The Abominable Snowman (1957). Star Wars's Peter Cushing climbs the Himalayas in search of the elusive Yeti. __________ Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Editor
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