Media Ghouls

Ian, Justin, and Phil are proud to present the Media Ghouls Retrospective on Rare and Nintendo's Donkey Kong Country Trilogy. It's no secret that these are some of the defining games of our childhood, with a lot '90s nostalgia baked in. However, our job here is to look back within the context of today to discover if these classic games truly do hold up. With insight into the incredible amount of work it took to produce the graphical magic trick of the games' presentation and in depth discussions on level design and the music of each title, we do our best to leave no stone unturned and bring you the most comprehensive look at some of the best video games of the Super Nintendo era.

For the first time in what seems like a long time, Ian and Justin take a look at a recent release with their review of 2018's A Quiet Place. John Krasinski's directorial breakthrough is a unique horror film with excellent pacing and brilliant sound design. However, despite critical acclaim and commercial success, Justin somehow missed out on this film at release. Did he like it or will he go all Stardust on it as Justin sometimes does with movies most people enjoy? You'll have to listen to find out!

The Pixar Renaissance continues as the Media Ghouls gladly review The Incredibles! It's no secret that this is a fantastic film, but with all of the Ghouls now well into adulthood, how does an older perspective affect their view of the movie? It's definitely different now that marriage and raising children is a part of our lives. Approaching these subjects in a mature way is what makes Brad Bird's first Pixar film truly great for audiences of all ages. That and it's just an overall awesome take on a superhero universe. Check out this episode for all of this and more with your favorite podcast crew!

The first of our previously Patreon exclusive episodes is now available for your listening pleasure! This one was part of the 2019 Halloween Spooktacular spotlighting the Frankenstein films! In this episode, we take a look at Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This film is infamous but the Ghouls find plenty to enjoy about it. The pacing and editing was not one of those things. The film is unintentionally hilarious...we think? There's a mishmash of poor filmmaking and impressive acting here making for a truly peculiar adaptation of horror's most famous monster. Let us know what you think about this film that history is currently trying to forget!

In the 4th annual St. Patrick’s Day special, Ian and Justin are transported to a galaxy (presumably) far, far away. In this distant place we find an alien princess...and a leprechaun. That’s right, Warwick Davis is back for Leprechaun 4: In Space. This very cheap Aliens ripoff is, unsurprisingly, a mess, but how does it rate on the Leprechaun scale? Grab a beer and celebrate this holiday the right way with our review!

It's time to review the modern Disney film that nobody remembers. That's right, the one with the cows. Home on the Range is an enigma for the Media Ghouls and probably for many of you. What could this oft-forgotten story of Roseanne Cow and Judi Dench Cow have in store for Disney fans? According to the Ghouls, not much to get excited about. Despite music by Alan Menken and some occasionally funny jokes, Home on the Range looks and sounds more like a c-grade studio animated film than a Disney production. Join us as we explore all of the reasons why.

Better late than never! Much like this year's Golden Globes, the annual Media Ghouls Awards show is a bit behind schedule, but Ian and Justin have much to talk about! The state of television and movies in 2020 was tumultuous at best with many of the years biggest draws being delayed indefinitely. The Ghouls struggled to find series and films they actually enjoyed in 2020, but their choices are (mostly) illustrious nevertheless. Video games, on the other hand, had a fantastic year and the boys spend the latter half of the episode recapping their top 5 games of the year.

The Ghouls return to Disney this week with their review of Brother Bear. Justin, Ian, and Emelynn aren't sure what to say about this animated film. Things get bizarre when Justin points out how much Michael Eisner intended this to be "the next Lion King." It definitely isn't. With baffling choices, a paper thin plot, and forgettable characters, it's understandable how this film is largely forgotten. Ian experiences Bongo PTSD and Emelynn struggles to recall a single note from Mr. Collins's triumphant return.

The Gamer Ghouls are back for another Final Fantasy retrospective. This time, Ian, Justin, Nando, and Phil join Tidus on HIS journey through the mystical world of Spira in Final Fantasy X. At the time, this game was one of the most anticipated and well received rpgs ever made. Two decades later, the cracks are definitely beginning to show. Join us as we discuss the characters, plot, development, music, and systems that make up this acclaimed entry in the series. Some of our opinions (Justin's) may surprise you...

It's the first horror week of 2021 on Media Ghouls! Ian and Justin are excited to kick off this year's frights with a review of the horror comedy, The Cabin in the Woods. This satirical look at horror tropes and the people who enjoy them has a lot of great ideas, but Ian doesn't find them as effective as they were in 2011. Justin does his best to defend the film before the Ghouls gush over the utter madness of the film's final act and try to identify as many horror references as they can.