Officially Medial

The incredible HBO show, The Outsider, just wrapped up it's first season so the boys are back once again to talk about this Stephen King adaptation! We all know that King oftentimes struggles with satisfying endings to his stories so what did Ben and Erik think of how everything wrapped up? Tune in to find out! Afterwards Ben talks about one of his favorite singer-songwriters and Erik talks about one of his favorite composers in Music Time before wrapping things up by recommending a couple of Netflix shows! It's a good one so don't miss it! Intro/Outro Music: "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions/comments? Email us at officiallymedial@gmail.com If you like the show then please rate and review it five stars! It helps others find us and means a lot! Thanks!

We saw Sonic the Hedgehog. That's it. That's the episode description. Who even are we anymore? What has our show become?! Intro/Outro Music: 'The Long Hike' by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions or comments? Email us! officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review us 5 stars! It means a ton and helps other people find the show!

Happy Valentine's Day and welcome to Officially Medial 2.0! Ben bought some new mics and our show sounds better and what better way is there to celebrate the upgrade than by talking about DC's new movie, Birds of Prey! The boys saw it and (spoiler alert!) really liked it! Tune in to hear why. And after that they talk about beautiful and youthful tunes before recommending an incredible film and a spooky new tv show. Don't miss it! Intro/Outro song - "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions or comments? Email us! officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show five stars wherever you listen to your podcasts! It helps others find us and means a lot!

It's Oscars time, and the Officially Medial boys are here to break down the big categories! Tune in as we talk about the nominees and who we think will win vs. who we want to win and, in some cases, who should have been nominated! 2019 was a terrific movie year and these categories largely reflect that but there's always room for improvement, right? So listen to two dorks try to do just that. Afterwards, Erik talks about a cover he's enjoying and Ben brings back an old favorite for Music Time before they dive into reality tv and a new Netflix docuseries. Don't miss it! Intro/Outro Music: 'The Long Hike' by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions/Comments? Email us at officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show 5 stars! It not only helps others find the show but it means a lot to us personally! Thanks!

It's 2020 and the boys are back! Specifically, to rank their Top 5 favorite movies and TV shows of 2019! How similar or dissimilar are their lists? What tough cuts had to be made? Were they completely on brand and ranked Fleabag very high? Tune in to find out! And stick around for a short and sweet Music Time before they dive into recommendations that include more movies and a reality show! Intro/Outro music: "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions or Comments? Email us at officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show 5 stars! It helps others find the show and it means a lot to us personally. Thank you!

It's the last episode of Officially Medial for 2019! And we're late to the game but we're finally weighing in on the critically acclaimed HBO show, Watchmen. And spoiler alert: we love it! How did Damon Lindelof and crew turn this 30 year old comic property into one of the most important seasons of tv regarding race we've ever seen? How is Regina King so amazing in everything she's in? How did they turn Dr. Manhattan into an emotionally compelling character? These are some of the questions we grapple with in our conversation. And stick around afterward to hear us chat about music, of course, and two streaming shows we both liked more then The Rise of Skywalker! Intro/Outro music: 'The Long Hike' by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show! It means a ton to us and helps others find us!

For the momentous 50th episode of Officially Medial, Ben and Erik count down their own personal Top 10 Movies of the decade because everyone else is doing it and they wanted to too, okay? God! Let them live! Then they talk about some new tunes they're digging before ending the show by recommending a cool new video game and a stand out episode of TV. It's so much fun! Tune in why don't cha! Intro/outro music: 'The Long Hike' by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions or comments? Email us! officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. It means so much and helps other find the show!

A new era for the X-Men is here and, if comics Twitter is to be believed, literally every ingle person on the planet Earth is talking about it. So of course we had to get in on it too! That's right. We're talking House of X and Powers of X this month! And we couldn't even begin to have a conversation about the earth shattering repercussions without bringing in writer and fellow X-fan, Matt Mair Lowery! So you'll definitely want to listen in as we geek out hardcore on a series that all three of us enjoyed immensely. Then, for Music Time and The Second Part: indie bands, pop-punk, international films, and sci-fi novels. It's a good time. Don't miss it! Intro/Outro music: 'The Long Hike' by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions of Comments? Send them to us at officiallymedial@gmail.com Please remember to rate and review us on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to the show. It helps us out a ton and we will love you forever for it!

It's our Halloween episode and what could be scarier than talking about a movie with (spoiler alert) mermaids and tentacles in it??? That's right, intrepid listener, this month the Officially Medial boys are tackling The Lighthouse. Tune in to hear if they liked it or if it caused them to lose their minds! (It didn't. Don't worry) And stick around to hear then talk about indie bands and covers in Music Time before digging into a really good sci-fi tv show and a comic book that ended its run this week. It's a very good and spOoOoOoOoky time! Intro/Outro music: 'The Long Hike' by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions/Comments: officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review us (Five stars!) on Apple Podcasts. It really helps!

This one is short and sweet, y'all! The boys just spend the episode recommending some October/Halloween/fall movies and events and other things to get you into that cozy and sometimes spooky autumn mood. Enjoy! Intro/Outro Music: 'The Long Hike' by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions/comments: officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show wherever you listen to podcasts! It helps others find us. Thank you!

Did y'all know that Jennifer Lopez is back? Like she's really back and doing interesting work? Did you know?? Well you should! Join the boys as they dig into her new buzz worthy film, Hustlers and whether or not she should be nominated for an Oscar (Spoiler alert: she most definitely should be). And stick around to hear them talk about some slightly older music for Music Time before recommending old tv! A lot of new and a lot of old in this one! It's good! Intro/Outro song: "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong Find more of Louie's music at louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions and comments can be sent to officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts! It means a ton and helps others discover us. Thank you!

Hi and welcome to September with what might end up being the biggest horror movie of the year, It Chapter 2. What does that mean exactly? Well, mostly just that Ben and Erik saw the heck out of it and really want to talk about it! So they did! Does it hold up to the first one? Are the scares better or worse? How do the adult actors compare to their counterparts? All these questions and more will be answered! Then the boys briefly talk about Lana del Rey's new record and one of Ben's favorite bands making a comeback before heading into recommendations where they discuss another new horror movie and a spooky video game. It's fun! Intro/Outro music: The Long Hike by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions or comments? Send them to us at officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show on your podcast platform of choice. It helps others find us!

Summer is winding down and with it comes the release of the second season of one of the best Netflix shows out there, Mindhunter. Listen as Ben and Erik, along with their guest Anna Buchanan, dive into what makes the show so compelling and why they can't wait to get their hands on more. Then they break out the summer tunes and talk about country artists, 80s jams, and a some pop perfection before closing the show by recommending another David Fincher work, a fun Portland show, and possibly the most heartwarming movie of the year so far. Tune in! Intro/outro music: The Long Hike by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Question or comment? Email us at officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! It helps more people find us! Thank you!

August is in full swing and so are the crazy kids in HBO's newest television show, Euphoria. Join Ben and Erik as they break down the season and what ultimately made the characters so compelling and watchable. Then they dive into what they're currently listening to and the songs are sad and lovely. You know, the usual for these guys. Finally, the boys wrap up the show by talking about what they're enjoying in the worlds of video games and comic books! It's fun for the whole family! Intro/Outro music: The Long Hike by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions or comments can be sent to officiallymedial@gmail.com Please take a moment to rate and review the show! It helps a ton. Thank you!

Welcome back to Officially Medial - the podcast where Ben and Erik talk about movies from 2005! Specifically CONSTANTINE starring Keanu Reeves! Is it good?Is it bad? Why talk about this movie now at all??? All of these questions will be answered. And after that, stick around to hear them talk about happy country-ish music and incredible reimagining of old songs before recommending a newer movie and a board game. It's a fun episode. Don't miss out! Intro/Outro music: "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions, comments, or concerns can be directed to officiallymedial@gmail.com Please be sure to rate and review the show! It helps us out a ton!

The official end of Marvel's Infinity Saga is upon us in the form of Spider-Man: Far From Home. We're back to more character focused tales after the sprawling universe-defining Avengers: Endgame. Does it work? Will people still care about a smaller story? Why did Jake Gyllenhaal agree to do this movie??? Join Ben and Erik as they ask those very questions and do their best to answer them. Then they highlight a couple of songs that make bus rides feel magical and really bring out the summer spirit. And stick around to hear Erik recommend a spooky story before Ben talks about a tv show that's arguably the most popular thing right now! Intro/outro music: "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Question or comment? Send them to us at officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to the show. It helps a ton!

Hello and welcome to a very special Pride Month episode of Officially Medial! To celebrate, the boys are talking about Tillie Walden's incredible queer romance/sci-fi tale, "On A Sunbeam". Listen as the boys talk about love, war, and fox spirits! Then, during Music Time, Erik talks about a movie score he has been loving lately and Ben brings a comedy track that reminds him of his high school days. And stay tuned 'til the end when a heart-warming animated show and rhythm based video game get recommended. It's such a good episode, y'all. Don't miss it! Intro/outro music provided by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com E-mail us: officiallymedial@gmail.com Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. It helps us out a ton!

Game of Thrones just ended and boy do Erik and Ben have some opinions about it. Tune in to listen to them talk about the highs and lows of the last season while also examining the show as a whole and trying to figure out where it will land in the annals of television history. And then keep listening to hear a Pride-related music pick and a pop-star returning to form. The boys close out the episode by recommending two more tv shows that have, in some regard, helped wash out the bad taste that season eight left in their mouths. Intro/outro music: "The Long Hike" provided by Louie Zong Purchase it and a bunch of Louie's other music at louiezong.bandcamp.com Questions, comments, and concerns can be directed to officiallymedial@gmail.com Rate and review us on Apple podcasts or wherever you download your podcasts. It helps us out so much! Thanks!

Have you heard about Detective Pikachu? You know, the movie where Ryan Reynolds voices the titular Pikachu and he solves a mystery? Well guess what? It is somehow pretty great. So great, in fact, that we needed to call in our friends Mike and Michele (from the fantastic podcast Killer Tofu!) to help us talk about it. It's a fantastically good time. And stick around to hear us talk about indie music, prominent Tik Tok tracks, and Norwegian pop stars before recommending recently ended tv shows, podcasts, reality dating shows, and THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION BABY! Tune in! Make sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Send all your questions and comments to officiallymedial@gmail.com Intro/Outro music provided by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com

After 10+ years and 22 movies, the Infinity Saga comes to a close with Avengers: Endgame. It's a doozy of a movie and that deserves a doozy of a podcast breakdown and Ben and Erik, uh, kind of deliver. Join them as they break down what worked, what didn't, and what made them stoked out of their damn minds! Then, during Music Time, they talk about two female artists who are blowing up right now before ending with a movie and tv comedy recommendation. Don't miss a second or they'll call your mom! Intro/Outro music provided by Louie Song louiezong.bandcamp.com Email questions and comments to officiallymedial@gmail.com P.S. Sorry for the audio this episode! Not sure why it sounds muffled like it does. Hopefully that doesn't take away from your enjoyment of the episode too much.

It's time for the thrilling conclusion of Officially Medial's MCU Month! And we're going out in style with the first movie that brought all of these characters together, The Avengers. Does it hold up? Does it still feel as innovative today as it did back in 2012? Tune in to find out! Then we talk about some brilliant pop tunes in Music Time before finishing up with a Netflix recommendation and *another* Marvel movie??? Wow. Intro/Outro music: The Long Hike by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Email us at officiallymedial@gmail.com

Welcome to April, friends! Avengers: Endgame will quickly be upon us so Ben and Erik decided to spend this month looking back at a couple of movies that were very formative to what the MCU would ultimately become. They kick it off with Iron Man! Listen to see if it still holds up in the eyes of our hosts! Then they spend some time talking about love songs and pop jams before finishing up recommending a deep diving podcast and a hilarious tv show. Get into it! Intro and outro music: "The Long Hike" provided by Louie Zong. louiezong.bandcamp.com

Jordan Peele just released a new horror movie called Us so you know that Ben and Erik were going to go check it out. Is it good? Could it possibly live up to the hype surrounding it following Peele's first movie, Get Out? Tune in to listen to the boys as they share their thoughts. Afterwards, Erik shares a new song from his favorite folk duo and Ben recommends something a little punky for Music Time. Then they talk about a returning tv show and an author to close out the show. You don't want to miss it! Send questions, comments, and concerns to officiallymedial@gmail.com We'd love it if you considered rating and reviewing us on the Apple podcasts app! It helps more people find the show! Intro and outro music - "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com

It's March so you know what that means! It's blockbuster season baby! Join Erik and Ben as they talk about the movie kicking it off - Captain Marvel. And stay tuned to hear Ben talk about an indie rock song he loves and Erik discuss a movie soundtrack that moved him quite a bit. Then they finish up by recommending another space movie and a brand new streaming tv show! You don't want to miss it! Intro/Outro music courtesy of Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Thank you!

Ben and Erik have been wanting to do a question and answer episode of their podcast for ages so they're finally just going to do it, okay? Listen to them talk about childhood tv crushes, how they met, what they think about streaming platforms, and many many other things - arguably too many things actually. Like this is a much longer episode than normal because they answered so many. This may have been a mistake. Oh well!

The Academy Awards are in ten days and the boys are getting a liiiiittle nervous about who the Academy might be giving Oscars to. Tune in to hear them break down the "big" categories and talk about who is likely to win versus who they want to win. Then, after talking about some new music for Music Time, hear Ben talk about a show he's been catching up on before Erik recommends a sequel of sorts to a previous recommendation. This episode really has it all, huh? Into and outro music: "The Long Hike" by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com Email your questions and comments to officiallymedial@gmail.com

Did you know that HBO is about to release a show based loosely on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal work, Watchmen? Did you also know that there was already an adaptation made by Zack Snyder back in 2009? You did? Wow, maybe *you* should be hosting this podcast! Well, Ben and Erik decided to revisit the latter in anticipation of the former and, boy, is it...something. Tune in to find out just how much something it was. Then they talk about scores they've been enjoying for Music Time and finish up by recommending an epic cartoon and a docuseries about funny people. Oh and there's a very special announcement at the end of the episode so please stick around for that! Intro and outro music provided by Louie Zong https://louiezong.bandcamp.com Send questions and comments to officiallymedial@gmail.com

It's finally 2019 and what better way is there to start the year than looking at the one we just left? So Ben and Erik did what they do best and ranked the best of just about everything they consumed in 2018. Come along and see what they liked and *really* liked. Sounds fun, right? RIGHT?! Intro and outro music: The Long Hike by Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com

We're back with our final episode of 2018 and boy is it a doozy! First off, Ben and Erik talk about their experiences growing up Evangelical as it relates to Joel Edgerton's terrific and heartbreaking new movie, Boy Erased. Then they talk about subversive pop songs and cozy winter favorites for Music Time before finishing strong with another movie that Erik loved and a video game that is taking Ben back to his roots. Go listen! Support Louie Zong: louiezong.bandcamp.com

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This week we have a very special almost-entirely-Christmas themed episode! We talk about our favorite holiday songs and our favorite holiday media. But before that, we dive deep into the amazing documentary, Mind the Gap. Nothing goes together better than evergreen trees, snow, presents, Santa Claus, and SKATEBOARDING. You won't want to miss it! Intro music provided by Louie Zong. Find more of his music at louiezong.bandcamp.com

Paul Dano has directed one of the best films of the year and this week we talk all about it. Wildlife is about a marriage and a family falling apart in real time. We both have some experience in this department so it should come as no surprise that this episode is one of our most personal to date. Then, to lighten the mood, Erik talks about one of his favorite fall artists and a documentary he loved and Ben brings a shiny new super group to the table along with a comic he enjoyed!

Happy November everyone! We're back with another banging episode of Officially Medial! This week we talk about the hot new Netflix show, The Haunting of Hill House. Then we bring our favorite pop singer and a brand-new UK artist to Music Time. Finally, Ben recommends his favorite video game based party game and Erik brings a book that has moved him deeply. It's pretty good! Give it a listen, won't you? Opening and closing heme music provided by Louie Zong -https://louiezong.bandcamp.com

We're back just like we promised! See? We're totally trustworthy. This week we're talking about the newly released sequel to Halloween called, uh, Halloween. That can't be right. Let me check my papers. Huh. No, that's right. Well anyway, join Erik and Ben as they break down what they loved about the movie and how it cleverly subverts and builds on the original source material. Then stick around for some Music Time before the boys talk about a new video game and a funny tv show! Wow! This podcast really has it all. You can find Louie Zong's music here: https://louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/more-beats

Welcome to Spooky Month where Erik and Ben will be your guides! This time we're talking about John Carpenter's classic slasher flick, Halloween. Does it still hold up? Is it scary? Did it give Ben nightmares since he's such a weenie? Listen to find out! And stick around for the debut of a new segment before we recommend the latest and greatest new Netflix show along with a great read. You won't want to miss it! "The Long Hike" provided by Louie Zong https://louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/more-beats

Aaaaaaaaand we're back! After a month away we're here to talk about the truly insane new Nicholas Cage movie, Mandy. Listen as we struggle to put into words what exactly the experience was like! Then we take some time to recommend a new Netflix show and a video game. Make sure to stick around to the end for an exciting (we think) announcement!

In anticipation of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the boys talk about the previous movie in the series - Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. Then they talk about a new show on FX that Erik is enjoying and a movie about middle school that Ben just saw! Don't miss it!

It's summer time baby and you know what that means??? Summer movies! And just movies in general if you really think about it. Ben and Erik are joined by their good friend Mike Bennett (@mikebennettart) to talk about their own Top 5 movies of 2018 so far. Then they get into video games and a couple of tv shows you should be watching! Check it out!

This month Ben and Erik talk about Solo: A Star Wars Story! It hasn't done well at the box office but (spoiler alert) we quite liked it! Listen to us talk about why. And stick around to hear Erik talk about a horse movie that somehow isn't War Horse (???) and Ben recommend new music again! We are nothing if not predictable! Intro/Outro music provided by Louie Zong. Check him out at louiezong.bandcamp.com

In this very very late episode of the podcast, Ben and Erik talk all about Infinity War! Has Marvel done it again? Is this movie worth seeing? I mean, yeah, probably. Erik also talks about an author he's enjoying and Ben breaks the rules and recommends three musicians he's digging at the moment. Don't miss it! And, as always, thanks to Louie Kong for the use of our theme song, "The Long Hike".

This month Erik and Ben do a very deep dive into Daniel Warren Johnson's incredible comic, Extremity. We arguably talk about it too long but it's just so dang good, you guys. We also recommend the completely transfixing new sci-fi movie, Annihilation, and the new Netflix original series, On My Block! Check it out!

This month we're diving deep into the movie that has quickly become a cultural movement, Marvel's Black Panther. And stay tuned for some more discussion about Brandi Carlile's new album and the new Netflix reboot of Queer Eye!

We list off our top five movies, TV shows, albums, and books/comics of last year!

We talk about THE LAST JEDI, Ben recommends a podcast, and Erik recommends a graphic novel.

We both have representation on our brains as we talk about Coco (a movie that is deeply personal for Ben) and God's Own Country (a movie that is deeply personal for Erik). We also manage to squeeze in some time to talk about a superhero show because it is basically part of the fabric of our lives these days. Listen. Discuss. Rate us 5 stars on iTunes PLEASE.

In honor of October, we discuss a seasonally appropriate scary movie, and recommend some good music and science fiction to keep you company when the darkness starts closing in!

We talk about the giant, beautiful LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD, the new movie MOTHER!, and a comic called EXTREMITY.

We're back after a brief hiatus talking about the movies we've loved this summer, many of which don't conform with what we typically think of as "summer movies."

OM 9 - BB Driver by Officially Medial

This month we talk about ALIEN: COVENANT, Paramore's AFTER LAUGHTER, and Jane Campion's TOP OF THE LAKE.

Have you ever been a preteen? We sure hope so! OTherwise you're a cool little kid listening to this podcast for adults! What's up, hip kids? We also talk about the Tamaki's THAT ONE SUMMER with special guest Cecilia Wolfe!!!!!!!!!! (It's about preteens and (spoiler alert) it's v good)

If you loved the hour plus length of our last episode then you are in for some bad news, friend. We're back to our normal shorter length format! And this month we're talking about FX's wild and trippy Legion. Will we lose our minds??? Assuming we don't, we also dive into Netflix's Grace and Frankie and a podcast about DnD called The Adventure Zone! Give it a listen!