Gobbledygeek

For the next installment in our That Was Then series, Paul and Arlo cast their minds back to 1964–a year that predates both of them, though the era's Beatlemania might as well be Arlo's spiritual birthplace. This time, they're popping paisley parasols for Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a sung-through opera told in the style of a Hollywood musical with some of the most stunning colors you'll ever see. Hollywood extraordinaire and From Out of the Past host Michael Holland is on hand to help the boys discuss how the film defies romantic conventions while adhering to them, the magic of Jean Rabier's camerawork, the way Demy uses color to convey feeling, and why the film deserves to be mentioned alongside classics of the French New Wave.

NEXT: it's a mystery, gang!

BREAKDOWN

00:00:33 - Intro / Guest / The Year 1964

00:21:00 - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

01:28:00 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• From Out of the Past Podcast

• Holland_Imaginarium

MUSIC

• "Le Parapluies De Cherbourg" by Michel Legrand

• "Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z)" by Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)

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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Who ya gonna call? Gobbledygeek! For the first installment of our That Was Then series, taking a look back at movies celebrating anniversaries in 2024, Paul and Arlo take residence at Spook Central for 1984's Ghostbusters. Turning a frightful 40 this year, Ivan Reitman's classic comedy began as a high-concept riff on the "slobs v. snobs" template made popular by Animal House before becoming an inescapable pop cultural juggernaut. The boys discuss the thoughtfulness of Reitman's direction in tandem with the great László Kovács' photography, the perfectly structured script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, how much of Pete Venkman is just Bill Murray, and why the right-wing backlash to the 2016 remake is ironic in light of the original's sketchy politics.

NEXT: a little of this, a little of that.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:48 - Intro / The Year That Was 1984

00:18:19 - Ghostbusters (1984)

01:36:29 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr., Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1984)

• "Cleanin' Up the Town" by The Busboys, Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's the Gobbledygeek season 15 premiere! Breaking from vaguely defined tradition, Paul and Arlo are kicking off the season with a Four-Color Flashback, and their pal Eric Sipple is on hand to help turn the pages. Arlo has chosen to subject Paul and Eric to the classic Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale collab Superman for All Seasons, which may prove a tough sell to a couple of Super-skeptics. The gang discusses the book's Rockwell-influenced aesthetic, the simplicity (or flatness, depending on taste) of the cast, how Sale's big dopey Superman conveys Clark Kent's decency, and the surprising love triangle at the book's core. Plus, Arlo explains the very personal reasons he chose this book to start the season. You'll believe a man can cry.

NEXT: introducing our That Was Then series, wherein Paul and Arlo will be taking a look at various movies that are celebrating anniversaries in 2024. First up is perennial Gobbledy-fave Ghostbusters, which is turning a frightful 40.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:43 - Intro / Guest

00:13:05 - Superman For All Seasons

02:02:28 - Arlo kills the conversation (TW: dead dads)

02:21:30 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Making the Scene podcast

MUSIC

• "Time of the Season" by The Zombies, Odessey and Oracle (1968)

• "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds (1965)

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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

You'll slash your eye out, Kidder! To close out our truncated season, it's a Twisted Christmas double feature, as Paul and Arlo explore both of Canadian auteur Bob Clark's yuletide classics: 1974's proto-slasher Black Christmas and the 1983 staple A Christmas Story. The boys separately find each of these movies to be deeply annoying…but who couldn't stand which one?! Just kidding, Paul's not that into the horror movie and Arlo can't stand the cutesy nostalgic one. We have a brand, and we're sticking to it. Plus, our favorite movies and TV shows of 2023.

NEXT: Merry Christmas and happy New Year! We'll potentially be back in January potentially with a guest and potentially discussing a movie. So much potential for 2024, can't wait to squander all of it!

BREAKDOWN

00:00:49 - Intro

00:09:03 - Black Christmas

00:57:31 - A Christmas Story

01:49:06 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Call Me" by Blondie, American Gigolo (1980)

• "BB Gun" by Roger Alan Wade, All Likkered Up (2005)

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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

What is there for a young, mixed-race woman to do in feudal Japan? Reject all traces of her femininity, assume the masculine identity of a ronin, and seek revenge on any of the four white men in the whole country who could potentially be her father. Is Mizu a demonic half-breed, an enlightened warrior, or something else altogether? Created by Michael Green and Amber Noizumi, Blue Eye Samurai charts Mizu's journey of self-discovery and bloodlust, and Paul and Arlo are along for the ride. The boys discuss the show's brilliant fight choreography, each character's attempt to break free of their constraints, the tremendous voice performances of Maya Erskine and Brenda Song, and that Metallica cover. Plus, Arlo pays homage to big bald daddy Godzilla.

NEXT: ho ho no! It's a Bob Clark double feature on the finale of our truncated season 14, as Twisted Christmas rears its festive face once more. Black Christmas and A Christmas Story are basically the same movie, right?

BREAKDOWN

00:00:55 - Intro / Guest

00:30:10 - Blue Eye Samurai

02:00:12 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Blue Eye Samurai is one of the smartest Netflix shows in years by Aja Romano, Vox

• Blue Eye Samurai creator wanted to tell a different type of mixed-race story by Petrana Radulovic, Polygon

• Blue Eye Samurai is the best thing Netflix has done in years by Petrana Radulovic, Polygon

• 'Blue Eye Samurai' Is a Gory and Gorgeous Animated Series From Netflix by Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

• How 'Blue Eye Samurai's' Exploration of Mixed Race Identity Helps It "Break All of the Boxes" in Animated Storytelling by Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter

MUSIC

• "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Emi Meyer, Blue Eye Samurai (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) (2023)

• "Pale Blue Eyes" by The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground (1969)

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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

We're crash-landing back into regular podcasting with the Max original animated series Scavengers Reign. Created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner, the seeds of Scavengers Reign were planted in an Adult Swim short before blossoming into a brilliant sci-fi series teeming with surrealist detours and bits of body horror. Paul and Arlo rave about the show's Cronenberg-meets-Miyazaki vibe, laud the series' refusal to provide easy answers, and hope against hope that this beautiful, otherworldly thing will continue to thrive in a second season. Plus, Arlo is the worst.

NEXT: more Western adult animation with heavy influence from the East, as the boys confront Netflix's Blue Eye Samurai.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:45 - Intro / Arlo is the worst!

00:27:55 - Scavengers Reign

01:53:45 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Scavengers Reign's Writers on Creating a Beautifully Hostile Sci-Fi Show by Justin Carter, Gizmodo

• One With Nature, Stranded in Outer Space by Kambole Campbell, Variety

• The Sonic Ecosystem of Scavengers Reign by Marc Weidenbaum, Disquiet

• Max's Scavengers Reign captures the beauty and terror of a truly alien world by Andrew Webster, The Verge

• The sci-fi adventure Scavengers Reign is an anomalous alien wonder by Toussaint Egan, Polygon

• Scavengers Reign Might Be the Most Underrated Show of the Year by Zach Kram, The Ringer

MUSIC

• "Interstellar Outer Space" by Anderson East, Maybe We Never Die (2021)

• "Slime Creatures from Outer Space" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, Dare to Be Stupid (1985)

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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

500 episodes! Can you believe it? What incredibly special way will we choose to commemorate this event??? By, well, just having a regular episode discussing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse with our good friend Eric Sipple. At one point this past summer, we weren't sure another episode was ever going to happen, so this seems like a fitting celebration. The boys rave about Across the Spider-Verse's layered meanings, innovative animation, strong emotion, and how much more fun and exciting the movie is than the comics are these days.

NEXT: who even knows, man.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:55 - Intro / Guest

00:07:05 - Shout out to Levi Williams!

00:13:28 - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

02:29:18 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Superheroes, Miles Morales, and the Fallacy of Hard Choices by Eric Sipple

• The Life of Reilly: In-Depth Analysis of the Spider-Man Clone Saga by Andrew Goletz

MUSIC

• "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers, Sunshine On Leith (1988)

• "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom (1995)

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/

• US (877) 565-8860

• Canada (877) 330-6366

• 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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

You have to believe Gobbledygeek is magic. Or at the very least, that Paul and Arlo will revel in cinematic magic on the latest Geek Challenge. Robert Greenwald's infamous 1980 flop Xanadu is paired with David Lynch's acclaimed 2001 masterpiece Mulholland Drive for a fantastical discussion of filmic fantasy. The boys argue that Xanadu should not be seen as a failure, interpret Mulholland Drive's many cryptic symbols, bask in the radiance of Olivia Newton-John, and laud Naomi Watts' raw emotion. Plus, our bodies continue to deteriorate.

NEXT: five hundo.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:39 - Intro

00:15:49 - Xanadu

01:04:15 - Mulholland Drive

01:57:26 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John, Xanadu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1980)

• "Llorando" by Rebekah Del Rio, All My Life - Toda Me Vida (2003)

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/

• US (877) 565-8860

• Canada (877) 330-6366

• 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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

In brightest day, in blackest night, no listener shall escape the Four-Color Flashback's might! In an unusual turn of events, Paul has selected a DC book–but, of course, it's an unusual one. Published under DC's Young Animal imprint, curated by My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way, Far Sector is a Green Lantern murder mystery written by N.K. Jemisin (in her first comics work) with art by Jamal Campbell. Sojourner "Jo" Mullein is the newest Lantern in the universe, and she's been kicked way out into the far reaches of space to solve the City Enduring's first murder in half-a-millennia. That murder, though, is only a thread–and when Jo starts pulling, the whole city begins to unravel. The boys discuss Jemisin's timely social commentary, Campbell's gorgeous art, why Jo Mullein overcomes our hosts' Green Lantern skepticism, and the freaking @At. Plus, Paul and Arlo binge some TV, including the final seasons of Succession, Barry, and Ted Lasso; the new season of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson; and the very first season of American Born Chinese.

NEXT: it's Xanadu vs. Mulholland Drive in a Geek Challenge for the ages.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:35 - Intro / Oh Lawd, it's comin'!

00:08:00 - Recent TV season / series finales

00:38:06 - Far Sector

01:46:55 - Outro / Next

MUSIC

• "Space Cop" by Sam Guydude, Space Cop - Single (2023)

• "Many Moons" by Janelle Monae, Metropolis: The Chase Suite (2008)

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/

• • US (877) 565-8860

  • Canada (877) 330-6366

• 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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Are you feeling "Homesick"? Are you all "Tangled Up in Blue"? Dogged by a "Simple Twist of Fate" or, perhaps, sippin' on gin and "Orange Juice"? Then boy, do we have the Geek Challenge for you! Dipping their toes in musical waters for the first time in a while, our boys are listening to one of each other's favorite albums. Paul has challenged Arlo to Noah Kahan's 2022 singer-songwriter album Stick Season, and Arlo has in turn challenged Paul to Bob Dylan's extremely singer-songwriter classic, 1975's Blood on the Tracks. They grapple with each artist's distinctive vocal stylings, compare the albums' sense of mourning for loves lost, and are generally perplexed by what music the other is drawn to.

NEXT: Drop a sick beat, we're gonna freestyle.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:55 - Intro / Guest

00:05:30 - Stick Season by Noah Kahan

01:19:28 - Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan

02:27:31 - Outro / Next

LINKS

• Noah Kahan's 'Stick Season' beautifully captures the complexities of homesickness by Elle Muller, The Dartmouth

• Famous in a Small Town: Noah Kahan, 'Stick Season' and the Art of Looking Forward and Backward All At Once by Hannah Dailey, Billboard

• Pitchfork Review: Blood on the Tracks by Jesse Jarnow, Pitchfork

MUSIC

• "Stick Season" by Noah Kahan, Stick Season (2022)

• "Meet Me in the Morning" by Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks (1975)

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/

• • US (877) 565-8860

  • Canada (877) 330-6366

• 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://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/