Gobbledygeek

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/

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, it's time for another nautical That Was Then. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year is none other than Steven Spielberg's Jaws, a landmark moment in American film that permanently changed the shape of the industry, for better or for worse. It can be tough to view such a classic as a piece of craft unto its own, but Paul, Arlo, and super-duper special guest Eric Sipple do their best. The gang recounts the film's storied production, examines a young Spielberg's filmmaking technique, discusses Jaws' place in the Spielberg canon (particularly in light of The Fabelmans), and much more.

NEXT: That Was Then…this is sow. Paul, Arlo, and Eric head on down to the farm for a look at Chris Noonan's 1995 Best Picture nominee Babe.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:43 - Intro / Banter

00:19:02 - That Was Then: 1975

00:32:00 - Jaws

01:55:00 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Jaws (Main Title)" by John Williams, Jaws (1975)

• "Nightswimming" by R.E.M., Automatic For The People (1992)

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

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.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/

Pop open a can of spinach and set sail for the far-off year of 1980, when noted auteur Robert Altman had his crew build an entire functioning town so they could shoot a Popeye movie. This unassuming comic strip adaptation represents the collision of the New Hollywood movement and the old studio system, both in their waning days; neither would survive "Stalag Altman," as star Robin Williams coined it. Paul and Arlo are delighted by the end result, an improvisational-seeming ensemble picture in the Altman vein that also features cartoon gags, characters bursting into songs penned by Harry Nilsson, and a giant octopus. The boys discuss why the movie is so much better than its reputation suggests, Robin Williams' and Shelly Duvall's underappreciated performances, the surprisingly moving throughline of fatherhood, and so much more. Plus, a whole bunch of trailers for Marvel's Thunderbolts*, the new season of animated sci-fi anthology Love Death + Robots, the animated Predator movie Killer of Killers, and Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme; Paul stuns Arlo by singing the praises of the new Amazing Spider-Man #1; and Arlo is still reading old school Fantastic Four.

NEXT: just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, it's another That Was Then, as Paul, Arlo, and Eric Sipple take a bite out of Steven Spielberg's Jaws on the eve of its 50th anniversary.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:46 - Intro / Even MORE Banter!

00:48:43 - Popeye

01:59:28 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Thunderbolts*

• Love Death + Robots, Volume 4

• Predator: Killer of Killers

• The Phoenician Scheme

• Popeye Is the Best Movie Robin Williams Ever Made by Eric Spitznagel, Vanity Fair

MUSIC

• "I Yam What I Yam" by Robin Williams, Popeye (1980)

• "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" by Robin Williams, Popeye (1980)

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

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.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/

Here we go, here we go, here we go again: another Spider-Man adaptation? Don't get your webs in a tizzy, True Believers, because this one is really worth it. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the new animated series created by Jeff Trammell, imagines a branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe where Peter Parker was never supposed to be bitten by that genetically altered spider–until he was. Cue wacky high school shenanigans, as a number of key changes from the comics and other shows/movies cause that butterfly effect to start flappin' its wings. Paul, Arlo, and forever guest Eric Sipple discuss how Trammell and company capture the spirit of the early Ditko/Lee comics, praise the vibrant animation, consider whether these iterations of the Osbornes are definitive, and much more. Plus, the gang pays tribute to Val Kilmer, there are new teasers for Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld and Superman, Arlo's been reading some more of the Kirby/Lee Fantastic Four, and Jonathan Hickman's Ultimate Spider-Man is the best Spidey book on the stands.

NEXT: we yare what we yare, and what we yare is discussing Robert Altman's 1980 take on Popeye for a new That Was Then.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:35 - Intro / WAY TOO MUCH BANTER!!!

00:50:38 - Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

02:04:30 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Neighbor Like Me" by The Math Club

• "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack, Across 110th Street (1973)

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

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.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/

It's a reunion at the end of the world as Eric Sipple joins Paul and Arlo for the latest Four-Color Flashback. Paul has invited everyone to The Nice House on the Lake, James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno's 2021-22 DC Black Label series about a group of old friends who have been sequestered from the apocalypse by their alien BFF. The gang discusses the way Tynion captures the feeling of being that friend who only has one other friend in the group, how Bueno uses his naturalistic and painterly style to evoke real horror, what the book says about what it takes to keep a group of adult humans from destroying each other, and much more. Plus, a whole bunch of casting announcements for Avengers: Doomsday and a trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another.

NEXT: Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can, like starring in the new Disney Plus animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:44 - Intro / Guest

00:26:51 - The Nice House on the Lake

02:11:10 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Drops in the Lake" by Lord Huron, Long Lost (2021)

• "Friends" by Whodini, Escape (1984)

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

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.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/

We're seeing triple on a new Geek Challenge featuring a duet of trios: first we've got John Landis' notorious flop Three Amigos from 1986, then Robert Altman's dreamy art film 3 Women from 1977. Paul and Arlo debate whether or not Three Amigos deserves its reputation, puzzle over the inscrutability of 3 Women, and compare the two films' respective turns into surrealism. Plus, Arlo's back in the Cage with a series of '90s action classics.

NEXT: three, two, one…who knows?

BREAKDOWN

00:00:30 - Intro

00:21:43 - Three Amigos!

00:48:39 - 3 Women

01:29:44 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• 'Three Amigos' Revisited: Still Charming and Singularly Strange at 30" by Vince Mancini, Uproxx

• "Altman Had a Dream…" by Roger Ebert, rogerebert.com

MUSIC

• "Three Is A Magic Number" by Bob Dorough, Schoolhouse Rock (1973)

• "The Magic Number" by De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)

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

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.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/

With How to Train Your Dragon, Chris Sanders taught us about human-dragon friendship. And now, with The Wild Robot, he shows us what happens when technology becomes stranded in the wilderness: a robot named Rozz learns to have a mother's love for a gosling named Brightbill. Paul, Arlo, and forever-guest Eric Sipple discuss how the film merges its natural and sci-fi elements, Sanders' evolution as a filmmaker, the stunning voice performance of Lupita Nyong'o, and what the movie says about parenthood. Plus, Paul gets Born Again with Daredevil and all the celebrities are dying.

NEXT: three is the magic number in a Geek Challenge featuring John Landis' 1986 flop Three Amigos and Robert Altman's obscure 1977 head trip 3 Women.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:39 - Intro / Guest

00:35:00 - The Wild Robot

02:01:00 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Wild Wild Life" by Talking Heads, True Stories (1986)

• "Mr. Roboto" by Styx, Kilroy Was Here (1983)

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

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.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/

Does a bear kill in the woods? That's the question Patrick Horvath sets out to answer in his "Richard Scarry meets Dexter" opus Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, the subject of this year's very first Four-Color Flashback. The 2024 IDW series takes place in an idyllic world of anthropomorphic animals where not all is as it seems–the local hardware store owner, Samantha Strong, has a nasty habit of heading out to the city and slaughtering random passersby. That is, until another serial killer comes to her small town of Woodbrook, threatening the life she has carefully maintained for decades. Paul, Arlo, and Special Guest™ Eric Sipple discuss Horvath's deceptively simple cartooning, his brilliant use of panel layouts, the limits of the book's suburban satire, Hassane Otsmane-Elhaou's visionary lettering, and so much more. Plus, Arlo raves about Best Picture nominee Nickel Boys.

NEXT: we'll be back, someway, somehow.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:28 - Intro / Guest

00:02:48 - Banter and generally wasting time

00:08:44 - Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees

01:35:47 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• "Exclusive Interview: Patrick Horvath on BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES" by Christian Angeles, The Beat

MUSIC

• "Teddy Bear's Picnic" by Henry Hall, The Best Children's Songs & Stories (2014)

• "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" by Lead Belly, The Tradition Masters (2002)

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

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.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/