Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast

Pull down the cardboard boxes of tinsel and get ready to increase your electric bill because it is time to decorate! This week the TechoRetro Dads take a look at the history of holiday decorating and what we do on this festively glowing episode of Enjoy Stuff.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, strings of lights, and all the gaudy accoutrement you can find. Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to decorate for the holidays. But how long have people been celebrating by going over the top? Jay and Shua take a look at the very, very long history of holiday design. 

News

-We rundown a bunch of the cool things that have come out in the last couple weeks from movies to TV

-Ridley Scott says he’s working on a Blade Runner TV series

-”Oh Noooooooooo!” You may want to get rid of that Kool-Aid

What we’re Enjoying

Jay watched the mind bending Edgar Wright film Last Night in Soho. It’s a fun thriller/horror film with some pretty cool effects. And there’s a fun twist at the end that may surprise you. Shua has been playing a new game that combines the technology of today’s phone apps and yesterday’s 8-bit football, with Retro Bowl. 

Enjoy Life

It’s time to deck the stuff with all you can find. But do you realize that people have been decorating for holidays for seven centuries? 

First we take a look at the history of some of the most iconic decorations throughout history, such as the Christmas tree and Christmas lights. Where did they start and how have they changed?

Next, we talk about movies where decorating was an important part of the story. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has been inspiring crazy dads to blow fuses for many years. How much would something like that cost you?

Danny DeVito took decorating to unheard of levels in the movie Deck the Halls, also starring Matthew Broderick. Do you have enough lights to be seen from space?

Other films have been using decorating for plot devices too. Edward Scissorhands, Christmas with the Kranks, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and more.

Do you decorate for the holidays? Are you the envy of the neighborhood? Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

Celebrate Thanksgiving with the TechnoRetro Dads as they think about all of the wonderful things in their life that they are thankful for and what makes them happy. There's never been a better time to find the fun in everything.  

Life can be pretty rough for everyone.  But we bet you have some things or people in your life that help to make it a little bit better place.  During this Thanksgiving week we hang out and remember the things we can appreciate even in the toughest times, and have some laughs along the way. 

News

-Let’s meet the cast of the new Disney+ Willow series! 

-A Buckaroo Banzai sequel novel is now available to catch up with what the rock n roll surgeon has been up to

-Ready for a TechnoRetro Christmas movie? Check out 8-Bit Christmas, releasing on November 24 

-Rest in peace, Al. Quantum Leap’s Dean Stockwell passes away.

What we’re Enjoying

Shua can’t get enough of the eccentric positivity of Jeff Goldblum on his documentary series The World According to Jeff Goldblum. Check it out on Disney+. Jay has been getting the Led out as he revisits Led Zeppelin IV 50th Anniversary. Plus, he found a really cool graphic novel, illustrating a great genre; The History of Science Fiction: A Graphic Novel

Enjoy Life

This week, in America, people will be celebrating Thanksgiving. We love this time of year because it helps us to remember the great things in our life. Come join us as we thank the friends and family that have made a positive difference in our lives.  

Plus, we have some fun with some classic movies and tv shows that we love revisiting this time of year.

We hope you have the opportunity to have a pleasant Thanksgiving, no matter where you live or who you can be with.  And if you want to hang out with us and other Earbuds, come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

There's no better time to celebrate a day of peace and harmony. November 17 is Life Day. Jay and Josh celebrate the silliest Star Wars creation with the silliest Enjoy Stuff ever. Let's find ways to have fun with the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special on Enjoy Stuff!

Come with us back in time as we find the fun in everything, even the Star Wars Holiday Special! On this year’s Life Day, we remember some of the crazy scenes and situations we experienced on November 17, 1978 and have a little fun with them. With characters, situations, and sounds from the special, and a few parodies thrown in for good measure. Plus, the iconic Happy Life day song from High Adventure. This is the Enjoy Stuff: Star Wars Holiday Special Special!

Take a journey through time, and the wild mind of Terry Gilliam in Time Bandits! 40 years ago, this film captured imaginations and created a fantasy time travel tale like nothing you've ever seen. Let's search for the most fabulous object in the world as we Enjoy Stuff!

Grab the map before the Supreme Being catches up with us! We are off on the original time heist with Kevin, the unsuspecting kid that gets swept up in the excitement of history while trying to talk some sense into God’s wayward assistants. This is Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits. 

News

-Boston Dynamics Teaches Spot to Dance like Mick Jagger 

-Golden Grahams Creamer? Absolutely

-Arthur Fonzerelli’s Jacket, from Happy Days, is up for Auction 

-If you haven’t checked out the trailer for Lightyear, do it!  It’s awesome!

What we’re Enjoying

Prithee, have thou heardst of Ian Doesher’s book, Get Thee Back to the Future? It’s another in the Shakespearian series of pop culture presented in the language of the Bard. Shua has been enjoying the full casted audio presentation of the classic story of Marty, Doc, and the Delorean. Jay’s classic earworm has been working overtime as he has been enjoying listening to the iconic Fleetwood Mac album Rumours. It’s great music, but it’s also amazingly deep. 

Enjoy Movies

In 1981 Terry Gilliam directed his third film. Penned by Monty Python partner Michael Palin, the idea was to present a story told from the point of view of a kid. Literally. A low-angle point of view. But Gilliam believed a child couldn’t hold the movie alone, so he cast a troupe of little people to be the greedy bandits. 

They were certainly no slouches either. David Rappaport (Randall), Malcolm Dixon (Strutter), Mike Edmunds (Og), Jack Purvis (Wally), R2-D2’s Kenny Baker (Fidgit), and more! Many were alumni of the Star Wars movies, and all had fun personalities for this crazy ride.

Plus, the historical figures were talented actors in their own right. Ian Holme plays Napolean at the end of the French Revolution. Michael Palin and Shelly Duvall play star crossed lovers across time periods. John Cleese plays Robin Hood, the leader of Merry Men you would’t expect. And the legendary Sean Connery plays King Agamemnon. 

In an appropriate bit of casting, the very British Ralph Richardson reveals himself as God. And TRON’s nasty villain Sark, played by David Warner, gets to antagonize all of them as the Evil Genius.   

With a strong cast, you already have a foundation for a great performance, but the story was so original and fun as well. It’s really more of an interesting coming-of-age story more than a time travel one. And with a surprisingly dark and mysterious ending, it will keep you thinking too. 

Have you experienced Time Bandits? Talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

Stuff. Enjoy Stuff. Join Jay and Shua as they look back on the long, action-packed history of your favorite British secret agent, James Bond. You'll be in double-o heaven as we Enjoy Stuff!

What’s a Bond movie that you can Enjoy? We like “Dr. No Time to Live and Let Die Another Daylights” Whether you’re into the fifties, manly-standard Connery fan, or prefer the gritty realism of Craig, there’s something for many tastes in the Bond universe. Jay and Shua remain shaken, but not stirred on Enjoy Stuff

News

-The World of Jeff Goldblum returns to Disney+ for a second season next week. 

-A copy of Dragon Magazine has recently been uncovered showing D&D stats for cartoon characters. 

What we’re Enjoying

Jay thought the new Denis Villaneuve film Dune is a great interpretation of the book, and a visually stunning movie. Have you seen it? What did you think? Shua has been obsessed with old Monkees TV episodes on YouTube.  They’re always good for a laugh. 

Enjoy Movies

The first James Bond movie came out in 1962. While it certainly wasn’t the first time Bond had come to life, it inserted the character into the mainstream for everyone to experience. 

Sean Connery’s Bond in Dr. No began some of the classic Bond expectations, and then built on in the next few movies. We saw gadgets, his Astin Martin, and of course his favorite drink, a martini, shaken, not stirred (because we’re not cavemen!).

After a few movies Sir Sean was getting a little bored of the part and was replaced with George Lazenby, everyone’s favorite Bond. ….Just kidding. It was definitely a departure that wasn’t as well received, so Connery returned for Diamonds are Forever. 

But he was really, really finished after that. He would NEVER, absolutely NEVER play Bond again. (At least that’s what we say) Roger Moore became the Bond a lot of people grew up with and he made it his own. He made more Bond movies than any other actors, still to this day. 

Of course, Connery would return one more time in 1983, in the Never Say Never Again, the same year Moore’s Octopussy came out. But both of them were favoring prune juice to martinis by then, and Timothy Dalton took over for a couple films. 

At the time, some didn’t care for his portrayal, but they have grown a following over time. But eventually, a fan-favorite choice named Pierce Brosnan took over for four films. While the films may have lacked a few things people expected from Bond,  he definitely made his mark until a Bond for the 21st century took over.

Daniel Craig rebooted the whole universe with Casino Royale in 2006. His grittier, more realistic Bond really connected with a lot of fans and he ended up with 5 films, all closely connected up to this year’s release of No Time to Die.  

Are you a fan of 007? Who could take over in the future? Could it be someone that is different than what we’ve seen before? Talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

What are the scariest movies you've seen? Zombies, haunted houses, werewolves....what is it that gets your heart pumping? Jay and Shua crossover with 31 Days of Horror to talk about what keeps them up at night on Enjoy Stuff.

Jay and Shua compile a list of the movies that keep them up at night but are still fun. This week’s Enjoy Stuff looks at all sub-genres of horror and which films rise (backside up) to the top. 

News

-Mel Brooks’s History of the World part 2 will finally show us more of what we imagine real history to be

-Toy catalogs may be a little different, but Amazon sent one this year that remind us of all the nostalgic fun of making your holiday list. 

-Speaking of toys, the Fisher Price Chatter Telephone can now make real phone calls.

What we’re Enjoying

Shua learned a lot about an actor he’s always admired in Val. It’s an emotional no-holds-barred documentary about Val Kilmer put together from hundreds of hours and years of personal video footage. Jay has tried to cleanse his horror film binge watching by revisiting two classics: Chinatown and The Two Jakes with Jack Nicholson. 

Enjoy Movies

Some movies are memorable because of the intense screaming we experience when watching them. Jay and Shua compile a list of their favorite scare fests. 

An American Werewolf in London has made a big impression on both the guys. And it’s created some scary moments during their childhood. (Plus a few nightmares)

Jay likes the suspense and drama of movies like The Shining and Phantasm. Shua gets his scary kicks from more modern day films like The Sixth Sense and Get Out.

Another couple movies that define Jay’s taste include some outer space aspects such as Alien, or John Carpenter’s classic The Thing. Shua prefers the humor in the horror remake/spoof Young Frankenstein. 

No matter what your taste is, sometimes you can have fun with a little adrenaline. Scary movies can bring us together and create a few laughs, along with the shouts. 

What are your scariest movies? Do you like haunted houses or aliens? Talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

Halloween costumes are one of the favorite activities for Halloween, but where did the tradition come from? Jay and Shua look at the history of costumes and look back at some of their favorites. Join us for the Halloween season as we Enjoy Stuff!

Let’s look at the rich and creepy history of Halloween costumes. From the early days when goat heads were trending to this year’s favorite from Squid Game we snap on the rubber band and get prepared to sweat all night on our face. Get dressed up with us and Enjoy Stuff!

News

-The Movies That Made Us Season 3 is now showing on Netflix with some great movie choices

-William Shatner has successfully completed a brief trip to space, making him the oldest person in space ever!

-The Beatles: Get Back premieres on Disney+ on November 25

-The TRON Machine has officially been announced and will be available for pre-order Tuesday October 19

What we’re Enjoying

Jay really enjoyed the Muppets Haunted Mansion Halloween special on Disney+. It had some great Muppet humor along with some great references to the Disney ride and some fun celebrity appearances. Shua revisited a book he bought in 2010 called Earth (The Book) A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race by Jon Stewart and his crew at the Daily Show. It’s a planet sized parody of life as we know it. 

Enjoy Halloween!

Halloween costumes have been around for longer than you may realize. Since the days of the Samhain Celtic festival people have been pretending to be something else for reasons ranging from warding off evil spirits to scamming people out of candy. 

As humans continued to pretend to become smarter and wiser, the tradition of costuming also continued. But it evolved into terrifying acts of pranking from young boys and ultimately a commercially successful tradition starting in the 50’s when parents fought back the violence with bribery.  

Once adults realized they could keep kids from digging up corpses for fun, the costume rage grew exponentially. Each decade brought new costume trends. Clowns turned into pop culture icons and spooky legends like witches, vampires, and Hulk Hogan continued to be timeless favorites.  

Jay and Shua reminisce about some of their most memorable costumes from the past. Werewolves, buccaneers, and Star Wars of course left a lasting memory on the guys. 

What is the wildest costume you’ve come up with? Which one made the biggest impression? What’s a costume you’ve seen that you’d love to be able to try? Talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

Classic horror movies were the foundation of a scream inducing movie genre. This week Jay and Shua discuss movies from the 31 Days of Horror articles and how they defined what was to come. Join us as we Enjoy horror movies

Since cinema was invented, filmmakers have been trying to make their audiences scream. The Horror genre is still going strong today, but where did all the ideas come from. This week we look at some of the classics that defined the genre and how it has evolved to what it is today. 

News

-Check out these Kellogg’s action figures from Plastic Meatball

-William Shatner is heading to space for real!

-The latest cereal to be inspired by other food is Wendy’s Frosty Breakfast Cereal

-This amazing Ghostbuster projection display will make you want to trick-or-treat at this house in California

What we’re Enjoying

Shua finally got around to watching the Disney live action remake Cruella. He liked it fine, but what really stood out to him was the soundtrack. The eclectic mix of punk, rock, covers, and new songs are a fun playlist to listen to this autumn. Jay read some cool comic biographies, The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television and Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula both by Koren Shadmi and published by Life Drawn. It’s a new, fun way to learn about a couple of important men in Hollywood. 

Enjoy Movies

Filmmakers in the early days of Hollywood recognized that audiences love to be scared. And the idea quickly evolved into movies that have defined the genre even today. 1931’s Dracula with Bella Lugosi created some important characteristics of vampires that might just save your life today, (if you happen to run into a vampire). The movie’s popularity quickly spawned another story when the cinematic version of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, giving us a Boris Karloff monster that has inspired hundreds of future stories.

Universal kept riding the wave with the Mummy (1932) and The Wolf Man (1941). It wasn’t too long before master filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock were honing the craft of the scare. Psycho is not only one of the best scary movies, but one of the best overall movies of all time. 

But many of the ones on our list were likely never intended to be classics, or inspirations. Nevertheless, we began to see branches of horror movies about zombies, possession, haunted houses, and psycho killers. (Qu'est-ce que c'est?) Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Friday the 13th are just a few. 

Do you like classic horror movies? What are some of your favorites? Turn on a classic and join us on Enjoy Stuff

Be sure to check out Jay’s articles, “31 Days of Horror” on RetroZap.com. Talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

Zoinks! It's a g-g-ghost! Oh, nope, it's Scooby Doo and the gang. For more than 50 years these eternally young teenagers have been solving mysteries and catching bad guys. Jay and Shua take a look at the history of one of the most legendary cartoons ever on Enjoy Stuff. 

Hey Scoob, is that a Spooky Space Kook or is it a Ghost Clown? Whatever the villain, Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma are sure to catch them. Scooby Doo has been a staple for generations. What has kept them going? Who were the best bad guys? And where are the Scooby snacks?

News

-What did you think of the new Stranger Things trailer?

-Muppet Haunted Mansion is coming to Disney+ this week!

-The new Cobra Kai Season 4 reveals a release date of December 31!

-We have a new high scorer for the arcade game Pole Position

-AMC Theaters are hosting surprise horror movies in October

-Would you like a Babylon 5 reboot? It’s coming from original series creator J. Michael Straczynski

What we’re Enjoying

Jay is digging the Hulu series Y the Last Man, based on the comic books. Do you think you could survive a world with only one dude? Just in case it might happen, you may want to watch this series. Shua has been revisiting an art book he got a few years ago. Cartoon Modern by Amid Amidi discusses the modernist 50s animation that was so popular in that decade. It’s a collection of beautiful, abstract cartooning. 

Enjoy Cartoons

In 1969 Joe Ruby and Ken Spears came up with a premise for a show that was inspired by Abbot and Costello scary movies. The cartoon wasn’t all that original, but it was well done and it sure was fun!

Scooby Doo, Where Are You? Was the first series, but it spawned dozens of follow ups. Still, those originals are beloved by generations. Even the clunky animation and repetitive plot structure didn’t deter us from tuning in for years and years. 

The New Scooby Doo movies brought in famous characters and actors into the world of Scooby. These longer episodes crossed over into other worlds and sometimes introduced us to people we may not have known, like Mama Cass Elliot or Don Knotts. Batman and Robin stopped by and even the Harlem Globetrotters.

Sometimes Shaggy and Scooby set off on their own, and occasionally had to drag Scrappy along. These series may not have been as memorable, but it kept Scooby on people’s TV. 

Sometimes the gang were depicted as young kids, sometimes more intricately animated, and sometimes they became post-apocalyptic zombie hunters. Eventually, their iconic status brought them to the live action movie screen. 

These meddling kids continue to drive around in their Mystery Machine and solve mysteries, and we’re confident they’ll be entertaining us for years to come.

What’s your favorite version of Scooby Doo? Let us know in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]

Think more about a sustainable way to approach life and share some of our tips to take some of the stress out of your life. This week we talk about mindfulness in the things we enjoy. Come on a fun journey with Jay and Shua as we Enjoy Stuff! 

Come with us, leave yesterday behind and take a giant step outside your mind. Jay and Shua look into mindfulness this week. 

News

-Turkey Dinner and other new candy corn varieties are here for Halloween

-Build-A-Bear Workshop Launches Online-Exclusive Beetlejuice Plush

-‘The Thing’ Board Game back in Stock at Mondo

-‘Flight Of The Navigator’ Reboot In The Works At Disney With Bryce Dallas Howard Directing & Producing

-Ikea has some cool, TRON-like gaming furniture

-Is the TRON Arcade1Up cabinet coming October 20?

-General Mills Releasing New Apple Pie Toast Crunch Cereal For the Holidays

What we’re Enjoying

Shua took his own advice and started a rewatch of the classic sci-fi series Buck Rogers. It’s exactly what he didn’t know he needed right now. Jay revisited a retro Jackie Chan movie called ‘Wheels on Meals’. Sounds like they’re in the mood for some action and cheesy humor.  

Enjoy Life

Are you grateful for the things in your life? Do you experience your day with mindfulness? How have movies made a difference with the way you see the world? Jay and Shua examine what helps them. 

Jay shares a recent Eddie Murphy movie called A Thousand Words. Murphy’s character learns how his words and the way he views the world can really make a difference in people’s lives. Hopefully none of us has to be spiritually connected to a tree to learn about ourselves. 

Bill Murray showed us that it takes a lot of work to get things right. And even then, it may come down to how you view the world. Have you found yourself in a destructive pattern?

The Truman Show helped us understand that we can learn things from watching other people. They’re triumphs and tragedies can teach us valuable lessons. Question your place in everything and you may just find yourself, even if it is a little scary. 

And the classic Tom Hanks existential trip Joe Vs The Volcano reminds us to see the world as a big and wonderful place, and not as something that’s holding us down. These movies and so many more have helped to shape and influence us throughout our life. 

What entertainment has made a positive difference in your life? Let us know in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]