This week, we're stepping into the hidden world inside our closets for Disney/Pixar's 2001 classic MONSTERS, INC.! This madcap comedy is one of the animation powerhouse's lighter and funnier works, but it's every bit as worthy as some of the studio's more prestigious tearjerkers. Starring Billy Crystal and secret CinemArcade MVP John Goodman, the movie is a delightful romp that spawned surprisingly few video games, despite having a premise that lends itself perfectly. We're checking out a few of those games, including a platformer based on the film, an APE ESCAPE-inspired side story, and... a dodgeball game? 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) 

Paul Newman shines in the heartbreaking and beautiful drama THE HUSTLER, a stunning examination of addiction, obsession and self-hatred, and one of the least likely movies to ever be covered on our show! The road to arriving as a video game 30 years later is a long and fascinating story, but luckily we have film buff and THIRTY TWENTY TEN host Diana Goodman on board to help us navigate it! Check out our discussion on the film and the bizarre pseudo-adaptation MINNESOTA FATS: POOL LEGEND for Sega Saturn! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Monsters, Inc. 

At long last, the epic saga comes to a conclusion. And then another one. And then another one. And then another one. 

Jokes aside, RETURN OF THE KING is an incredibly accomplished, satisfying conclusion that was absolutely worthy of it's insane Oscar streak. We're talking all about this final entry in the beloved saga before switching the game adaptation from EA, which truly realizes the potential of THE TWO TOWERS. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: The Hustler 

We've come to the central chapter of Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS saga, and for many fans, it doesn't get better than this. THE TWO TOWERS is free of the burden of establishing or concluding the story, and so we get to really live in the world of Middle Earth, getting better acquainted with our core characters while introducing some precious new ones into the fray. Plus, we get a proper game adaptation this time: EA's slick, blockbuster beat-em-up that arguably adapts the first film more than the second, but it's hard to quibble when you're having so much fun. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 

YOU SHALL NOT PASS... up this opportunity to talk about the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy! One of the most acclaimed and accomplished pieces of modern pop culture, Peter Jackson's masterful adaptation of JRR Tolkein's daunting series not only stuck the landing, it established a new cinematic language for capturing fantasy fiction. We're kicking off a miniseries on the complete trilogy, which presents us with one snag: this film does not have a direct game adaptation. But since it's insanity to only talk about the second two films in the series, we're dusting off the forgotten FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING game, which is based on the book and not the film. Expect a lot of Tom Bombadil talk. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Last week, we covered INDEPENDANCE DAY, the film that made Will Smith's film career. This week, we're talking about the film that nearly ended it. WILD WILD WEST, the 1999 disaster from director Barry Sonnenfeld, tried to adapt the 1960's TV spot of it's namesake into a hugely expenseive spectacle, but the entire project landed with a thud. We're looking into exactly what went wrong before unearthing the long-forgotten game adaptation, WILD WILD WEST: STEEL ASSASSIN. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Welcome to earth! To commemorate the holiday, we're talking about INDEPENDENCE DAY, the film that reinvented the action blockbuster for the 90s, tilting the trend towards bombast, spectacle, and a whole lot of explosions. The 1996 Roland Emmerich classic helped launch the leading man career of Will Smith and featured cutting-edge special effects that showed that no monument is safe. We're digging into the flick before booting up the PS1 aerial combat game! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Wild Wild West

With CHICKEN RUN, Aardman Entertainment made the leap from scene-stealing short films to feature animation, and they made the leap in style. This fast, funny, endlessly inventive charmer parodies prisoner of war movies like THE GREAT ESCAPE, only with a lot more feathers and a distinctive British charm. We're checking out the film, plus spinning up our first Sega Dreamcast game with the adaptation that apes METAL GEAR SOLID, only with a lot more feathers. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Independence Day

That'll do, pig. That'll do. Because this week we're talking about 1995's BABE, the heartwarming family classic about a kind-hearted talking pig, from the minds who brought you... MAD MAX? Ailish Collins returns to the show to talk about one of her all-time favorite films, before we check out BABE AND FRIENDS for Game Boy Color, a sheep-herding simulator that, like it's film, is a lot darker and meaner than it seems. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Chicken Run 

This week is all about 1979's cult gem THE WARRIORS; can you dig it? We're talking all about Walter Hill's stylish, violent, controversial hit, as well as it's long and ever-evolving afterlife. We're joined by Chris Antista of "Thirty Twenty Ten" and "Vidjagame Apocalypse," who chimes in on his favorite movie as well as it's 2005 game adaptation from Rockstar Games!

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Babe