Well they can't all be winners, folks. I'm not talking about the movie. The Fantastic Four: First Steps was actually pretty great. It's the second MCU film in a row that we here at Gobbledygeek HQ agree on almost entirely, and you'll hear us say lots of nice things about it. No, the non-winner I'm referring to is this episode, because you'll actually only hear SOME nice things about it. We were plagued by audio and editing issues like they were a troupe of almost-entirely-cut-from-the-final-film Super Apes stealing every third word any of us said.

Anyway, enjoy I guess.

NEXT: a speeding bullet to the box office, or another derailed cinematic locomotive? We'll find out in James Gunn's Superman.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:00  -  Disclaimer

00:02:58  -  Intro

00:18:13  -  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

02:34:34  -  Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "The Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme" by Michael Giacchino, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2025)

• "Let Us Be Devoured (Studio Version)" by Andrea Datzman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2025)

Our second trip to VAL-halla finds Paul, Arlo, and Eric contemplating two very different experiences of Val Kilmer's '80s career: Tony Scott's 1986 pro-war classic Top Gun and the 1988 Tolkien rip Willow, helmed by–of all people–Ron Howard. The twist is that the mega-popular Top Gun is a terrible, empty film that survives on aesthetics alone and the notorious flop Willow is a fun little high fantasy romp. The gang discusses the insidious nature of Top Gun, Val's fleeting scenes as Iceman, the superior role of Madmartigan in Willow, and the ominous James Horner horn riff. Plus, The Sandman season 2 arrives on Netflix and Arlo went to see The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

NEXT: everybody goes to see Fantastic Four!

BREAKDOWN

00:00:26  -  Intro / Banter

00:17:50  -  Top Gun

00:48:42  -  Willow

01:35:25  -  Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, Top Gun (1986)

• "Willow's Last Journey (Madmartigan's Farewell)" by KIMSUNGHOON, Val Kilmer Forever: A Tribute to a Hollywood Legend (2025)

For the first time in a long time, Gobbledygeek dips its beak back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They've done so for a very special film: Jake Schreier's Thunderbolts*, a return to the MCU's past glories with a tale of outcasts looking for something to believe in. Yelena Belova, the Winter Soldier, U.S. Agent, Red Guardian, Ghost, and Taskmaster come together to form a new kind of Avengers team; one formed under the auspices of none other than Elaine Benes. Paul, Arlo, and Eric–our own band of lovable misfits–discuss Florence Pugh's killer performance, the lovable David Harbour, what Thunderbolts* does differently than most recent MCU films, and much, much more.

NEXT: we enter VAL-halla for a second Val Kilmer double feature. This time, it's 1986's Tony Scott pro-war classic Top Gun and 1988's Ron Howard (???) Lord of the Rings rip-off, Willow.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:27  -  Intro / Banter

00:19:43  -  Thunderbolts*

01:59:50  -  Outro / Next

LINKS

• 'Thunderbolts*': Marvel's Allegory of Recovery From Trauma by Jessica Schrader, Psychology Today

• The Dark We Dare Not Speak: Thunderbolts* and the Underworld Within by Jason Batt, Joseph Campbell Foundation

• Thunderbolts and The Lost Souls: On Trauma, Meaning, and The Seduction of Modern Nihilism by Azhar Salleh, Traversing Tradition

MUSIC

• "Pony" by Ginuwine, Ginuwine…the Bachelor (1996)

• "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship, No Protection (1987)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 

• Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate

• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/

• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org

• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 

• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org

• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/

• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://www.unduemedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

The rich tradition of Southern-fried vampires continues with Ryan Coogler's Sinners, a masterful mash-up of Delta blues, Irish folk, and the horrors of cultural appropriation. Paul, Arlo, and Eric rave about Michael B. Jordan's dual performance as twin gangsters Smoke and Stack, Ludwig Göransson's eclectic score, the frankness with which it explores America's long history of racism, and Coogler's audacious style. Plus, Paul finally saw the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake.

NEXT: punches get personal with Thunderbolts*.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:37  -  Intro / Banter

00:21:18  -  Sinners

02:12:22  -  Outro / Next

LINKS

• 'Sinners' Is More Than Enough To Chew On by Adam Nayman, The Ringer

• 'Sinners' Opens Portals Between Blues, Rap, Heaven and Hell by Sheldon Pearce, NPR

• By Refusing To Do a 'Sinners' Sequel, Ryan Coogler Is Protecting Everything We Love About His Horror Masterpiece by Jessica Toomer, Collider

MUSIC

• "I Lied to You" by Miles Caton, Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2025)

• "Will Ye Go, Lassie Go?" by Lola Kirke, Peter Dreams, Brian Dunphy, Daren Holden & Jack O'Connell, Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2025)

Would you like us to tell you the little story of Arlo and Paul? A-R-L-O! It was with this pretentious film buff that a That Was Then episode on Charles Laughton's sole directorial feature, 1955's The Night of the Hunter, was chosen. P-A-U-L! Do you think he's apt to enjoy a cinephile fave? Now listen, and we'll tell you the story of Gobbledygeek. Those co-hosts, dear hearts, is always a-disagreein' and a-bickerin', one agin t'other. Now hear 'em! Ol' Paul, he's a-doubtin' the perverse noir his buddy won't shut up about it, and it looks like Arlo's rec is a goner. But wait a minute! With Robert Mitchum's towering and ridiculous performance as a murderous preacher, Arlo's a-winnin'! Yessirree, it's Arlo's love of Looney Tunes gothic horror that's won, and ol' Paul has found something to admire in one more cinematic classic!

NEXT: it's gonna be a hot time at the Smokestack twins' juke in Ryan Coogler's vampire musical Sinners.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:35  -  Intro / The Year That Was…

00:31:23  -  The Night of the Hunter

01:34:48  -  Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms" by George Beverly Shea, Our Recollections (1996)

• "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms (Guitar)" by Pierre Fablet, The Night of the Hunter Project (2008)

We're going back…to That Was Then! Paul, Arlo, and Eric return to their series of vintage movie discussions to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Robert Zemeckis' 1985 sci-fi comedy blockbuster Back to the Future. It's a classic beloved by many folks of different generations, but we're here to answer that most pressing question: Why? The gang unravels every last nonsensical thread of BTTF, finding plenty to love despite how fuzzy everything is beneath the film's surface. There's admiration for Zemeckis' ability to power through even the dumbest plot convolutions, praise for the dynamite chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, confusion about Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale's attitudes toward race and sex, and so very much more.

NEXT: Gobbledygeek will return.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:38  -  Intro 

00:03:08  -  That Was Then: 1985

00:28:10  -  Back to the Future

01:55:46  -  Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News, Back to the Future: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack (1985)

• "Back In Time" by Huey Lewis & The News, Back to the Future: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack (1985)

For this month's (not that we're on any kind of schedule anymore, hehe) Four-Color Flashback, Paul, Arlo, and Eric are scurrying over to the first three volumes of David Petersen's Mouse Guard. Published from 2006-13 by BOOM! Studios, Petersen's medieval epic takes place in a world devoid of humans, where a civilization of mice attempt to survive harsh weather, even harsher predators, and each other. The gang discusses the many, gloriously illustrated sequences of absolutely brutal animal-on-animal violence; Petersen's awe-inspiring attention to detail, including a number of songs and poems that enrich the culture of his world; and Paul's newfound obsession with the series and its many ancillary offshoots.

NEXT: we're going back…to That Was Then! We're celebrating the 40th anniversary of Robert Zemeckis' classic blockbuster Back to the Future.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:48  -  Intro / Banter

00:28:13  -  Mouse Guard

01:41:54  -  Outro / Next

LINKS

• David Petersen's Mouse Guard "Creator Commentary" videos

MUSIC

• "One Brown Mouse" by Jethro Tull, Heavy Horses (1978)

• "…And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps" by Jethro Tull, Heavy Horses (1978)

We lost one of our legendary screen stars earlier this year, so now we're passing through the gates of VAL-halla to celebrate some of his most notable films. That's right, this is the first in an occasional series of double features focused on the work of none other than the elusive, enigmatic Val Kilmer. To kick things off, Paul, Arlo, and Eric are going back to the very beginning. Kilmer got his big screen start in a Zucker-Abraham-Zucker laff riot, 1984's Top Secret!; with the benefit of hindsight, it's clear that Val wasn't a good fit for the ZAZ machine, and the gang tells us why. Faring much better is Martha Coolidge's 1985 cult college classic Real Genius, which avoids the pitfalls of the era's other slobs v. snobs comedies with real heart and–of course–a terrific lead performance from Kilmer. Where are he (and we) going next? Stay tuned! Plus, Eric sings the praises of synthpop artist Lights' new album A6.

NEXT: Four-Color Flashback gets mice-eval on your heinie with David Petersen's rodent epic Mouse Guard.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:27  -  Intro / Banter

00:21:06  -  Top Secret!

00:55:36  -  Real Genius

01:55:42  -  Outro / Next

LINKS

• Eric's review of A6 by Lights

• Top Secret!'s ridiculous bookstore scene backwards AND forwards

• The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Real Genius by Ashley Burns and Chloe Schildhause, Uproxx

• The Real Real Genius by Phyllis Rostykus, Slate

• Astrophysicist Michael Siegel discusses The Real Genius of Real Genius

MUSIC

• "Val Kilmer" by Bowling For Soup, The Great Burrito Extortion Case (2006)

• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair (1984)

Dear telefriends! Get ready to transcend this earthly plane, as Paul, Arlo, and Eric encounter a universe of concrete birds, homeo-whores, and techno-techno equipment for the latest Four-Color Flashback. The gang gets high (some of them too high) on Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius' sci-fantasy The Incal, a far-out trip to a new state of being. What starts as a noir riff quickly becomes a galaxy-spanning, head-spinning epic. Topics of discussion include the Lee/Kirby-esque dynamic between Jodo and Mœbius, each page's intricate color design, what an asshole Detective John Difool is, whether or not any of this makes any sense (or if it needs to!), and much more.

NEXT: prepare to enter Val-halla. We begin our series of Val Kilmer double features with two of his first films, 1984's Top Secret! and 1985's Real Genius.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:45  -  Intro / Banter

00:30:12  -  The Incal

01:20:51  -  [Paul got too high]

01:41:08  -  Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Because I Got High" by Afroman, Because I Got High (2000)

• "Too High" by Stevie Wonder, The Sounds of Stevie Wonder (1973)

Something passed between them: the faintest hint of a common destiny. Does this describe Paul and Arlo's first meeting, or the first time Farmer Hoggett sets eyes on the piglet known as Babe? What's the difference? For a new That Was Then, the boys are joined by perennial guest Eric Sipple to discuss Chris Noonan's 1995 film Babe. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the unlikely Best Picture nominee set a new standard for animal VFX and influenced a generation of vegetarians and vegans. The gang discusses the film's surprising macabre side, its view of destiny, how it compares to Orwell's Animal Farm, the contentious relationship between Noonan and co-writer/producer/shadow director (?) George Miller, and much more.

NEXT: drop some acid, find your spiritual center, and join us for a Four-Color Flashback exploring the first three volumes of Alejandro Jodorowsky & Mœbius' The Incal.

BREAKDOWN

00:01:22  -  Intro / Banter

00:03:38  -  That Was Then: 1995

00:24:20  -  Babe

01:47:28  -  Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Pigs on the Wing" by Pink Floyd, Animals (1977)

• "Piggies" by the Beatles, The Beatles (1968)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 

• Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate

• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/

• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org

• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 

• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org

• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/

• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://www.unduemedicaldebt.org/ 

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/