Another Side Bar

Why was so much of 1980s TV for kids built around shirtless, buff men? What exactly are “verticals” in film and what is their future? What happens when a thoughtless teenager insults an entire nation?

What explains the greatness of Golden Girls and why will it live forever in our hearts? What happened to Kirk Cameron and what is the nature of being a “person of faith” in the entertainment industry? Why did Scott bring a 15 foot tall effigy of the Jolly Green Giant to Michael Jackson’s trial?  Only lucky episode 13 of Another Side Bar can answer these questions!

Does being a 4th dimensional being explain how God is able to be God? Is preying on the fears of elderly farmers to get them to turn over their property to a college a good idea? And, what exactly is up with Mr. Callahan in “Mountain of the Lord”?  Only Episode 12 of Another Side Bar can answer these questions!

Scott celebrates the strange, counterculture beauty of Zabriskie Point (1970)—from its dreamy desert landscapes to the surprisingly innocent purity of a hippie orgy in the sand—while Adam goes all in on the decidedly less innocent Midsommar (2019) where idyllic Swedish scenery gives way to ritual horror, psychedelic mayhem, and the unforgettable moment when a sweet old lady’s face explodes.

From there, the guys tackle a bigger question: when it comes to movies, is it better to show us everything, or is what we don’t see even more powerful? Is graphic realism more effective, or does leaving a little to the imagination allow our own minds to create something far more disturbing?

It’s the 10th episode!  Adam relates his recent trip to NYC and shreds the current production of The Great Gadsby to pieces.  Scott and Adam then explore the fundamental differences between acting for the stage and acting for the camera.

The conversation then takes a shocking turn as Adam questions whether or not he really ran into Bob Odenkirk, while Scott counters with his own tale of meeting Mr. T at an IHOP.

Adam and Scott then give their obligatory Odyssey review, comparing Christopher Nolan’s latest interpretation with the 1997 television miniseries.

Minutes before recording, Adam has an unexpectedly awkward celebrity encounter when he literally bumps into Bob Odenkirk in the meat section of the grocery store. Scott counters with his story of having lunch with rapper DMX at the Beverly Center in 1998, proving that strange celebrity encounters aren’t limited to supermarket aisles.

From there, the conversation takes an art historical detour as Adam and Scott discuss why many figures in medieval and Renaissance art are depicted with surprisingly tiny penises—and how, contrary to modern assumptions, the symbolism represented virtue, self-control, humility, and restraint rather than masculinity.

The episode wraps up with a nostalgic discussion about growing up in the Boy Scouts, weighing the good against the bad, before Scott recounts getting seriously ill at scout camp and being treated by the camp’s highly questionable quack “doctor,” whose methods inspired far more skepticism than confidence.

Celebrity run-ins, medieval symbolism, hip-hop memories, wilderness medicine, and one very suspicious scout camp physician. 

Scott and Adam discuss the perils of living in a consumer saturated society, and its current focus on targeting men.  Adam recounts his harrowing experience of being knocked unconscious by the uppercut of a baby Joey kangaroo, and discusses his encounter with a bull penis staff.  Scott does a deep dive into the philosophy of the Diggers in 1960s San Francisco and shares that he owns a coin pouch made from a kangaroo scrotum.  Multiple references to kangaroos and animal genitalia in this one!

What do Latter-day Saints believe is the purpose of suffering? Adam and Scott dive into one of life’s biggest questions, exploring pain, agency, growth, and God’s purposes through the lens of Latter-day Saint theology. The conversation then takes a hard turn into the wonderfully unsettling world of Philip K. Dick’s The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, with Scott explaining why he considers it one of the most profound science fiction novels ever written—and how films like Inception and Interstellar owe far more to Dick than many people realize. As if reality wasn’t unstable enough, the episode is repeatedly interrupted when Adam discovers the limits of blackberry Dr. Pepper consumption. He also recounts the harrowing tale of sustaining a concussion after being struck by… a pillow… while working on a film set. Philosophy, theology, science fiction, soft drinks, and medically questionable workplace injuries. Just another day at the sidebar.

Scott somehow connects a guy named “Peanuts” to the JFK assassination, while Adam wanders Dealey Plaza after acting in a Taylor Sheridan series and slowly becomes way too invested in the conspiracy.

Adam confesses a true life paranormal experience with no logical explanation, and Scott explores the myth of certainty with the 1962 Alcatraz escapes and the JFK assassination.