Randy and Kris welcome LOST superfan Jo Garfein for a very special hype episode ahead of the global digital release of the Getting LOST documentary that she had a hand in organizing and developing alongside director Taylor Morden (The Last Blockbuster) and her fellow producers. Following an L.A. premiere on the 20th anniversary of the LOST pilot episode this past September, Getting LOST has been screening at special events across the globe and will make its global digital premiere on Saturday, December 7, 2024. In addition to screening the documentary, the digital event includes a live Q&A with members of the crew, series star Jorge Garcia, celebrity superfan Bobby Moynihan, and other special guests. Get hyped, and get your tickets here! 

Jo Garfein played a special role in getting the production off the ground. She has been a staple of the LOST fandom community since her early blogging days, and continues to bring fans together through her work as the co-founder and director of the nonprofit Cancer Gets LOST, which raises money to support organizations that conduct cancer research and support cancer patients by auctioning off signed props and memorabilia from a host of television, film, and music properties.

In this hype episode of Media/Lit, we dive deep with Jo Garfein to explore our experiences with this delightful documentary, uncover the roots of Jo’s fandom, and learn about all of the great work her organization has done to help pop culture fans support an important cause. Along the way, we theorize about a twenty-year-old show, discuss the finer points of developing a healthy fandom, and of course, celebrate Dr. Juliet Burke as portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell. 

Please enjoy this episode and then offer your support to the fan community on social media!

Getting LOST: @gettinglostdocumentary 

Cancer Gets LOST: @cancergetslost (Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads)

Jo Garfein: @jopinionated (Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads)

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Bluesky: @media-lit.bsky.social, and Twitter:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

In this episode, Randy and Kris are joined by editor-in-chief of the ⁠Pop Break⁠ digital pop culture magazine, ⁠Bill Bodkin⁠, not only to watch Rian Johnson’s Knives Out (2019), but also to engage in a full “whodunit” experience! In addition to bringing their thinking caps, the panelists also bring their finest autumnal sweaters in honor of Chris Evans perfect “Fall in New England” vibes.

Randy is here to talk about why this is one of his favorite films of all time, but Kris and Bill are here as first-time viewers who agreed to be good sports and try to suss out the killer prior to watching the film. In addition to unraveling the mystery at the heart of this film, the panel engages in a full Media/Lit deep dive as they explore the writing, acting, filmmaking, and relationships that make this movie so special.

Additionally, the panelists look ahead to the Knives Out sequel: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and the upcoming third installment in the series: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Bill vows to continue sleuthing alongside his fellow investigators, and the trio of gumshoes share their hopes and predictions.

After our pod, don’t forget to join Bill Bodkin on the flagship podcast of The Pop Break, Socially Distanced, and on the ⁠Pop Break podcast feed⁠ as co-host of the Bill vs. The MCU and TV Break podcasts.

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Randy and Kris are joined by Kris’s long-time buddy (and Randy’s new friend) Owen Amsler to discuss Saving Silverman (2001). Before they dig into the episode, the panelists brainstorm their own hypothetical cover bands to rival the “Diamonds in the Rough” from the film. Additionally, the crew gets vulnerable and digs into some of the best and worst things they learned from popular media as young men.

Then, the crew takes a deep dive and explores the merits of the film: from its most sophomoric humor to its most subtle and nuanced gags. Of course, they don’t stop at comedy. They unpack the trauma of the film’s protagonists and even find the Shakespearean roots of the story’s structure and power dynamics. 

Ultimately, they cover it all... because, if the nachos are stuck together - that’s one nacho. 

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠⁠ and Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

This Media/Lit sound bite brings you recommendations for both Matt Reeves' The Batman and The Penguin.

In this brief sound bite that was cut for time, Randy's son interrupts the "Tell-Tale Heart" recording and accidentally prompts a Batman conversation.

Please enjoy this sound bite and consider catching up on The Penguin before the finale this weekend!

Want to get in touch? Visit our⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Welcome to the very first installment of MediALIVE!

In this very special series, we offer performances and readings of great literature, poetry, and other forms of media!

To kick things off, Kris performs "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe. Enjoy!

Want to get in touch? Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter: ⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠ and Instagram: ⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, PODLINGS!

You’ve heard of a romance. You’ve heard of a bromance…but have you ever heard of a POEmance?

Randy and Kris are joined by English teacher Jonathan Corte-Real to discuss Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” They discuss bromances, Poe’s unique appeal, and their favorite artistic choices …but first, Kris hits the others with a Buzzfeed quiz to determine their Halloween identities. 

In the end, the quiz mostly determines that Buzzfeed quizzes are useless, but it still allows the panel to embrace the fun trappings of the spooky season. We hope this episode captures the true spirit of Halloween!

Want to get in touch? Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter: ⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠ and Instagram: ⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of "Bat Chat" - Media/Lit's ongoing series of Batman content with a special focus on Batman: The Animated Series.

Randy and Kris respond to the Bat-Signal with teacher & writer Timm Freitas, the creator of the Garden of English YouTube channel. You see, despite Gotham’s recent heat wave, the city has been experiencing a series of suspiciously icy crimes. Luckily, the Media/Lit crew is on the case. They are here to discuss “Heart of Ice” - one of the most famous episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.

Timm and Kris discuss their lifelong relationships with the television series as a whole and explore their love for problematic fav Victor Fries (That’s Mister Freeze, to you!). Randy chimes in to share how this children’s television programming still packs a powerful punch for viewers coming to the series later in life. 

From there, the crew dives deep into this monumental creative effort. They cover everything from the art design and writing to the layered themes that make this episode such an enduring classic. Finally, the team shares their thoughts on the most recent entry into the world of Batman animated content: Batman: Caped Crusader.

It’s an incredible conversation with a talented and accomplished guest. After you follow the Garden of English on YouTube, be sure to check out Timm’s website for all sorts of incredible AP teaching materials and some sick merch! You can also follow GOE on Instagram!

Want to get in touch? Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter: ⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠ and Instagram: ⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Randy and Kris are here for ANOTHER minisode about minisodes: specifically, the seven Bluey minisodes that dropped in October 2024! These two dads work together to rank the episodes and explore how they reflect what the Media/Lit crew values in their Bluey content.

The hosts share their excitement for the latest dose of Bluey content, discuss which new games they are most likely to play with their children, and then rank the seven episodes. Along the way, they share their childhood memories, parentings victories (and failures), and complex thoughts on parent/grandparent dynamics.

Whether or not you think we got the rankings right, the Media/Lit hosts want to hear from you! Please reach out tell us which episode was your favorite!

Want to get in touch? Visit our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter: ⁠@MediaLitPod⁠ and Instagram: ⁠@media.lit.pod⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Randy and Kris are joined by Bill George, the creator of Should I Go See It? - a fun, useful, and unpretentious film review Instagram account and podcast, to discuss Michael Mann’s seminal classic: Heat (1995).

Bill explores his lifelong love of film and tracks his history with Heat from his first VHS viewing to his ongoing quest to convince his podcast cohosts to watch one of the most important crime thrillers of all time. 

Then, the gang bemoans one of the biggest Academy Award snubs of all time, celebrates their favorite character actors, and unlocks all of the movie magic that makes this story so special. They even explore the subtle implementation of heat as a motif and play a round of “Do You Ship It?” in an attempt to figure out which relationships in this film deserve another chance.

This crew is good.

Want to get in touch? Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter: ⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠ and Instagram: ⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.

Randy and Kris are joined once again by some of their favorite voices from the LOST fandom to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the LOST pilot with part two of Media/Lit’s very first “Draft & Pitch” event.

In this PITCH episode, the assembled podcasters each present their pitch for a fun, but unnecessary, legacy sequel for LOST using the characters they drafted in part one. Please understand that we are pitching our ideas as a fun ode to LOST and as a light sendup of the legacy sequel trend. This is all about having a good time.

Before we share our pitches, we also celebrate the podlings and share Maria’s… eldritch response to the podling pitch challenge! 

So, grab a blue tarp, build a shelter, and kick back for a fun hang with our very special guests: 

Leah Marilla Thomas (@leahmarilla Letterboxd and Twitter), an entertainment writer and commentator who is also a top-tier social media follow!

Shruti Marathe (@micromarathe: Letterboxd, Instagram, and Twitter) and James Princivalle (@PrinceSqueak: Letterboxd) of the phenomenal Chaos on the Set podcast, who recently finished podding their way through a full LOST rewatch!

John Aspler, PhD (@LostCadence: Twitter and Instagram), our resident LOST scholar who you may remember from our “White Rabbit” and X-Men ‘97 episodes.

Want to get in touch? Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow us on Twitter: ⁠⁠@MediaLitPod⁠⁠ and Instagram: ⁠⁠@media.lit.pod⁠⁠! Also, hit us with your questions, comments, and episode requests at [email protected].

Also, it's always a great time to thank Loyalty Freak Music and other creators who make quality music available in the public domain.