What Do Ya Got?

There's a Hungarian song called Gloomy Sunday, but it's better known as The Hungarian Suicide Song. According to some people, this song has led to many deaths over the last near 100 years. Let's do what we do best and turn this story into a horror film that might just leave you on the edge of your seat, shall we? Article in discussion Location Photos

Interviewing a sitting president is a prestigious badge for a journalist to wear, and not an easy gig to acquire; especially in the early ages of the US Presidency. So how did the first female reported to interview a president get it to happen? She held his clothes hostage while he was swimming naked in a river...let's turn this story into a blackmail coverup in a wrestling corporation, shall we? Article in discussion.

During the 17th century, the Puritans were pretty strict about celebration and general happiness...In fact, they basically outlawed Christmas celebration. We take this idea and pitch a modern Grinch storyline around a small department store in St. Louis. Let's see what you think, shall we? Article in discussion.

In 1944, during the height of WWII, America built a brand new Boeing Factory,  but this one was different. On top of the factory roof, they disguised it with a fake neighborhood to throw off any Japanese bombers that may fly by. Not only trees and houses, but cars and actors to pretend to be citizens. We take this idea and turn it into a psychological thriller while trying our hardest to stay away from The Truman Show territory. Article in discussion.

Off the coast of Portugal, there is a small island known as Corvo. When it was discovered, those explorers saw a manmade statue already on the island. Or did they? As the story was passed down from generation to generation it changed so slightly each time. So we made a movie about ancient gods who take vacations on a small island and mingle with the single humans. Enjoy!   Video in discussion.

For those of you youngin's, back in the 1980's there was a pretty successful sitcom named ALF about an alien who lived with a family and tried to eat their cat. The alien was a puppet, and the human cast...well didn't like playing second fiddle to no puppet. We discuss the history of ALF and pitch a movie about a man with a puppeteering passion and a bunch of aliens. That's about right, huh? Give it a listen! Article in discussion.

The American Civil War ended in 1865...or did it? According to one small town in Brazil, the Confederacy never lost, or at least did nothing wrong? This episode we discuss the Brazilian town of Americana where the Confederacy lives on! We're sorry...but we do go into detail about the idiocy of racism, so there's that. Article in discussion.

Albert Einstein passed in 1955. The first thing that happened after his death was...his brain being stolen by the Doctor who performed the autopsy. For 30 years the remains of Einstein's brain was passed around via scientists to be poked and prodded. We decided to do sort of a futuristic, dystopian, Freaky Friday-esque film based on this idea. You should probably check it out.

During Prohibition, America was getting antsy about dealing with people having a good time. So, they did what any government does when they want to shut down a party: they poison the entire group of people there. That's right, the American Government straight up poisoned its citizens to stop them from drinking alcohol. Let's figure out a way to make this a fun con-man style political scandal film, shall we? Article in discussion.

You say you always wanted to be an international spy? Well, back during WWII you could have been one without any prior training or connection to the military. In this episode we discuss the existence of the Simple Sabotage Field Manual created for people looking to help their country win the war with the weirdest possible saboteur skills you could imagine. We take this idea and turn it into an all-around disastrous 90's Office comedy directed by...who else? Mike Judge. Article in discussion

In 1978, 5 men were on their way home from a basketball game when their car suddenly stalled. They were never seen alive again. In this episode of the podcast we'll go into detail on the Yuba County Five and pitch a film based around the idea of missing people with a little WDYG twist on it. Take a listen now! Article in discussion

Back in August of 2018, a woman was shopping at Goodwill when she discovered a kitchy statue she thought would look good in her apartment. Little did she know the statue was actually an Ancient Greek artifact more than 2,000 years old. We take the concept and pitch a wacky mob comedy about a man who just can't stop digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole. This episode's article is brought to you by Megara Hope! Be sure to check out her episode of the podcast in Episode 30: Makeshift. Article in discussion

What Do Ya Got is joined by Scott & Vin from The Trilogy Podcast for our first ever trilogy pitch! While Rob & Nick may know how to brainstorm on pitching a film, Scott & Vin are the experts on trilogy tropes, formulas, and pacing. We utilize their expertise to pitch an animated trilogy about a kid trying to save a wild dog from being put down. Enjoy the milestone Episode 50 of What Do Ya Got, and make sure to head on over to The Trilogy Podcast to check out all their highly researched and hilarious episodes on some of your favorite trilogies made!   Article in discussion

In April of 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to slip the bonds of Earth and journey to outer space. But instead of landing close to the Soviet space center, he touched down on a remote potato farm, surprising a grandmother and young girl who had no idea the trip was even happening. We run with the idea of normal people suddenly being confronted by what, to them, might just be an alien in their midst Article in discussion

In the year 2004, as the Internet started to truly take over the world, the most dangerous computer virus ever was born. MyDoom caused more than thirty-eight billion dollars in damage, and to this day still affects 1.4 billion emails sent daily. We take this concept of the digital age and create an alternate history where digital information is being held captive from the free people.  Article in discussion: https://www.itechpost.com/articles/109638/20220318/viral-flashback-mydoom-virus-why-considered-worst-computer-history.htm

In 2021, David Rush took it upon himself to break a Guinness World Record once every week. That's 52 world records for the year. He used this experiment as a way to inspire younger students towards their dreams and to help research and study STEM development. David Rush did this while the rest of us sat on the couch and binged Netflix...so let's pitch an animated feature about a group of friends trying to inspire their neighborhood into greatness. Article in discussion: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/1076140207/idaho-man-says-he-completed-his-goal-of-breaking-52-world-records-in-a-single-ye

Steven Seagal: acclaimed martial artist, action star, the worlds worst comedian. Join us as we discuss one of the most infamous episodes of Saturday Night Live, spinning Seagal's failure as host into a movie about desperately trying to stay in the limelight.  Article in discussion: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/steven-seagal-saturday-night-live/

Everyone knows the story of the Mary Celeste ghost ship. But what about our film pitch based on it directed by Jordan Peele? Well of course you don't know that one, yet. Listen to episode 45 of What Do Ya Got? now and find out what Rob and Nick were able to come up with on this strange mystery. Article in discussion: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/

In the 1940's and 1950's prestigious MIT and Quaker Oats partnered up for a little science experiment where they fed radioactive chemicals to unknowing children with the promise of gifts and Red Sox Games if they ate all their nuclear breakfast cereal. In the 1990's they settled a 1.84 million dollar lawsuit to the children of the experiment. Rob & Nick turn this bizarre, unethical experiment into a very absurdist style superhero dark comedy. Join us for this week's episode! Article in discussion: http://tech.mit.edu/V117/N65/bfernald.65n.html (Please note the verbiage used in the article represents the time it was written in the 1990's and does not represent current views.)

In the early 1800's Daniel Lambert decided to make money off of his life. He didn't do anything, but he was morbidly obese and decided to become the first person to charge for his presence. We take the idea of someone prospering off of an aspect of their lives and turn it into an absurdist comedy with some psychological ramifications. Article in discussion: https://www.weirdhistorian.com/daniel-lambert/

The Amazing Randi was a magician and skeptic who's career spanned nearly 5 decades. His main draw being the one million dollar prize to anyone who could proof beyond a reasonable doubt the afterlife and paranormal evidence exists. No one ever claimed that prize. Let's put together a political satire under the guise of con man tricking the nation, shall we? Article in discussion: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/magazine/the-unbelievable-skepticism-of-the-amazing-randi.html

In the early 16th century, mainly during the reign of King Henry VIII, the Lord of Misrule was in charge of most Christmas decorations and pageantry, and they took their job quite seriously. So we decided to pitch a period comedy based around King Henry and his lust for the perfect wife...Merry Christmas, we guess? Hope you have a great holiday and enjoy the episode! Article in discussion: https://earlofmanchesters.co.uk/the-twelve-days-of-christmas-no-10-the-reign-of-the-lords-of-misrule/  

We're joined this week by our close friend & special guest: Michael St. Gregory who brought us a story, we surprisingly had never heard of. So what do we do when we learn of a man who just decided to declare himself Emperor of the United States? We flip it into a weird, con man style, alternate history starring some crazy cast members. Enjoy, and make sure to check out Michael's work as well. Article in discussion: https://web.archive.org/web/20180924161446/http://www.emperornorton.net/NortonI-Cowan.html  

Happy Halloween, everyone! To celebrate this year, we've decided to change things up a little bit. Instead of focusing on a true story, we're diving into the history of Jack O' Lanterns and the folk lore of Stingy Jack. We come up with a Halloween themed anthology movie with some really unique stories. Hope you enjoy! Article in discussion: https://www.historicmysteries.com/the-legend-of-stingy-jack/ 

Towards the end of WWII, one of the deadliest ocean disasters ever took place. Why have we never really heard about it? Rob & Nick dissect this interesting piece of history and turn it into a something much more daunting and scientifically implausible. Listen now! Article in discussion: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deadliest-disaster-sea-happened-75-years-ago-yet-its-barely-known-why-180974077/

Jack the Ripper, one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries of all time. To this day, no one knows who the killer truly was. Sure, everyone has theories. In fact, we're going to get into one today. This story is not about The Ripper, per say. This story is about one of the suspects in the case...Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, whom you may know better as Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Let's take this weird suspected theory and turn it into an 1880's murder myster/whodunit, shall we? Article in discussion: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/519291/when-lewis-carroll-was-suspected-being-jack-ripper

Throughout the 2000's and 2010's the company Theranos defrauded hundreds of thousands of people and made millions of dollars. Elizabeth Holmes is about to stand trial for the fraudulent charges. This is a serious story that deserves media attention. But we're going to pitch a movie about it with some vintage 80's feel to it. Article in discussion: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/02/inside-elizabeth-holmess-final-months-at-theranos

Earlier this summer two Cape Town police officers lost an apprehended suspect and did what they thought was best...which was to kidnap a homeless person and pretend they were the suspect all along. What could go wrong? Well Rob & Nick answer that question themselves with this new pitch. Part travel comedy, part corrupt cop, all mayhem. Enjoy! Article in discussion: https://www.sapeople.com/2021/07/22/cape-town-cops-arrested-for-kidnapping-innocent-stranger-to-replace-escapee/

Benito Mussolini, you know the one, the dictator. But did you know he wrote a trashy, dime store, romance novel prior to his rise to power? The critics had some harsh words for it. As do we, because we're going to turn this into a Charlie Chaplin/Inglourious Basterds style alternate history comedy. Because wouldn't you? I mean, come on. Right? Article(s) in discussion: https://newyorkerstateofmind.com/2017/11/07/mussolinis-romance-novel/ https://www.biography.com/news/benito-mussolini-the-cardinals-mistress-novel

In the 1970's Keith Moon, the infamous drummer for The Who, and Steve McQueen, Hollywood's Bad Boy were neighbors. And things did not go well for the two of them during this time. Join us as we transition this neighborly brawl into something far more sinister and grueling. With lots of murders, meta humor, and more; we present you with Killer, Be Killed. Article in discussion: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/keith-moon-steve-mcqueen-neighours-from-hell/ Panda Mask discussed in episode: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Adult-Panda-Costume-Mask/778825726 

In the early 1990's, Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev traveled to the MIR, the then Soviet Union's version of the International Space Station. He never realized that he would basically be stranded up there and upon his return his country would no longer exist. Join us as we put together two different ideas to turn this piece of history into a piece of subtle science fiction of the near future. Article in discussion: https://www.theprimarymarket.com/view/astronaut-stuck-history/

McDonalds, it's a fast food juggernaut, a super chain. What's the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about them? Not the burgers or fries, it's the broken soft serve machine. In this episode we travel deep down the rabbit hole about the history of McDonald's broken soft serve machine, the couple that tried to rectify the problem, and also the existential dread that commands deep seeded questions to be asked in the face of bureaucratic dystopian control. We highly recommend this Wired article written by Andy Greenberg. It is a fascinating read, as you'll hear us say. Article in discussion: https://www.wired.com/story/they-hacked-mcdonalds-ice-cream-makers-started-cold-war/

Way back when in 1908, someone had the idea to host an Auto Race from New York to Paris. One tiny problem with that, there's this thing called an ocean kind of smack dab in the middle. We're joined by our guest host Megara Hope who drops some pretty fun slapstick ideas on us. Be sure to listen to this week's episode and follow Meg's work in cosplay and twitch streaming everywhere @MegaraHope. Article in discussion: https://mashable.com/2016/11/26/new-york-paris-auto-race/

In 2018, two Swedish men decided on a whim to rob a museum in Sweden and steal the crown jewels and other priceless artifacts. They were not criminal masterminds, they were not experienced jewel thieves. They were just two dudes who snatched and grabbed and made every possible mistake along the way. Can we pitch this movie as a political thriller/comedy? You bet your ass we can. Listen now! Article in discussion: https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7jmz3/sweden-royal-jewels-heist-robbery

In the late 70's a man found a secret room in Philadelphia's Veteran's Stadium. He stayed there for a total of three years and no one ever knew about it. He lived out our dream, so we turn it into a film that goes from dark comedy to sentimental inspiration. Happy Opening Day, baseball fans. Article in discussion:https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2021-nfl-two-round-mock-draft-falcons-go-kyle-pitts-at-no-4-overall-broncos-pick-penei-sewell/

In the 1950's, Rock 'n Roll was basically outlawed in Russia. There was no way to listen to the latest and greatest albums. So what did the Russians do? Well obviously they etched records into X-Rays and smuggled them into the cities. So what did we do in response to this? We wrote a dystopian sci-fi about the future where people etch digital coding and information into their bone structure. Makes sense, right? Find out now! Article in discussion: https://www.npr.org/2016/01/09/462289635/bones-and-grooves-weird-secret-history-of-soviet-x-ray-music

1904 was the first time America ever hosted the Olympics. It was also the worst Olympics in world history and almost led to the complete dismantle of the competition. Join us as we discuss what happened during the Olympic Marathon and all those who almost died, were poisoned, or cheated... Article in discussion: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-1904-olympic-marathon-may-have-been-the-strangest-ever-14910747/

In 1932 Australia was overrun by Emus. You know, that bird that no one ever thinks of ever? Well as the birds destroyed all the crops and farmland, the Australian government decided something need to be done. Cue the Great Emu War of 1932, in which the Emus...won. We put together a kind of Jaws/Jurassic Park inspired horror animated film, and I never thought I'd write that sentence. Article(s) & video in discussion: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/in-1932-australia-declared-war-on-emus-and-lost https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpu6tbFCsI&feature=emb_rel_pause

The Wild West, a time of danger and violence. A time of gunslingers and saloons, of poker playing and horseback riding. A time when Palisade, Nevada faked all of it to gain some tourism points among the American East. Join us as we pitch our first ever...wait for it...musical film! Article in discussion: https://expresstonowhere.com/palisade-nevada-the-town-faked-the-wild-west/

During the 1970's Jacques Mesrine robbed more banks than anyone in history. With a 20 year resume of bank robberies, jail breakouts, women, and media coverage; the man became a myth & a legend wrapped in a bundle of disguises. Join Rob & Nick as they pitch a stylized 1970's film around this man...of a Thousand Faces. See what we did there? Article in discussion: https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/22339/1/jacques-mesrine-public-enemy Extra goodies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKjjnVaLwM&feature=youtu.be

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving Special where we dissect 1950's Americana and showcase the abusive marriage that unfolds within a household during Thanksgiving...it sounded better when we pitched it. Stay safe, eat happy, and enjoy this week's episode of What Do Ya Got! Article in discussion: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tray-bon-96872641/

Matt Delhauer, host of Ginger Geek Podcast, joins the pitch this week as our special guest. He'll pitch us the true life story of Lt. John Churchill, a WWII vet with a background in silent films and precision in long bow archery. Let's put this one together. Be sure to check out Ginger Geek Podcast afterwards! Article in discussion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill

November, 1950, in the midst of the Korean War a group of Marines are stranded in the Chosin Reservoir in desperate need of artillery and sustenance. Dozens of boxes are airdropped to them carrying only...Tootsie Rolls. A whole hell of a lot of Tootsie Rolls. Can we make a movie out of it? You bet your dandy ass we can. Article(s) in discussion: https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/how-tootsie-rolls-accidentally-saved-marines-during-war/ & https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/battle-chosin-reservoir/

In July of 1932, just near the end of prohibition, a group of friends in New York got the swell idea to murder a bar patron and collect the insurance money. They just didn't realize how impossibly difficult it would be to kill him, but they soon found out. Join Rob & Nick as they pitch film based on the multiple escapes from death by the "Rasputin of the Bronx", Michael Malloy. Article in discussion: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-wouldnt-die-89417903/

New Orleans is home to some of the spookiest ghost stories and haunts in the country. With cemeteries that feature above ground tombs, mausoleums that yell gothic architecture, and partying frat boys and sorority girls, Nick & Rob task themselves with creating a full feature horror movie for the first time on the show. Check it out...if you dare. Article(s) in discussion: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-04-vw-519-story.html & https://neworleanshistorical.org/items/show/1479 

In 1911, the Wyoming State Penitentiary came up with a bold new idea, force their Death Row Inmates to play baseball...for their lives. It was a wacky couple months and lied to a lot of questionable legal scenarios. Join Rob & Nick as they "pitch" this one as a crazy comedy where basically everyone dies. Article in discussion: https://nypost.com/2014/09/14/the-death-row-inmates-who-were-forced-to-play-baseball-for-their-lives/

Farm-to-Table, Locally Grown, Freshest Ingredients. We've all seen these ideas plastered all over menus when we go out to eat. But what kind of weight do the actually hold? Well, when it comes to Tampa Bay, not much at all. Join Nick & Rob as they craft a fun restaurant thriller based around the idea of lying and forgery.    Article in discussion: https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2016/food/farm-to-fable/restaurants/

When you think of New York, you think of pizza. And when you think of pizza, you think of Ray's Pizza. The most famous pizzeria in New York was built on more than just dough, cheese, and sauce. It was built on Mob money and Heroin deals throughout the 20th century. Rob & Nick come up with their first full on Mafia film pitch. Enjoy!   Article in discussion: https://nypost.com/2013/09/22/secret-mob-history-of-rays-pizza/

On July 2nd, 1776, Thomas Jefferson drafted the final version of the Declaration of Independence. What's interesting, is that the Declaration was not made public until July 4th, 1776, on what we now call Independence Day. Here's our question...what happened on July 3rd? Well, we've done some serious research and come up with what we believe to be the most historically accurate telling of July 3rd, 1776 in history. Just kidding...we made a comedy with some sex, murder, and shenanigans. Welcome back to What Do Ya Got?! Article in discussion: https://www.military.com/july-4th/history-of-independence-day.html

In May of 1910, the entire world flew into mass hysteria when they thought the end of days would be riding on the tail end of Halley's Comet as it approached. Needless to say, that mass hysteria was for not. But, what if it did actually alter the course of the future and the way our reality was shaped? Rob & Nick pitch a film that comes straight out of left field. Join us now. Article in discussion: https://www.wired.com/2015/01/fantastically-wrong-halleys-comet/

Merry Christmas, folks! We hope you have a great holiday. Why not get it started with a pitch for a Christmas movie? We've put together a film involving drunken Chads', Hoboken, cocaine, Mob hits, and Santa Claus. If that doesn't get your attention, I have no freaking clue what will. Enjoy this episode and we'll see you in the new year! Article in "discussion": https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-stabbing-santas-santacon John Oliver clip: https://youtu.be/_TfCgeYHiBE