Now We Know

With spooky season 2023 in the rear view mirror, Kevin and Chris turn their weary eyes to We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, the ignoble, ill-fated Spielberg produced—though not directed—dino toon flick. Starring John Goodman, Walter Kronkite, Julie Kavner, and Jay Leno among others, this movie lays bare the fact that, while a Picasso scribble on a cocktail napkin may be worth millions, a tossed off Spielberg idea without the man himself at the helm is not.

Wooo wooo wooo wooo wooo wooooooooooo dun de da dun de dah (this is supposed to be the X-files theme)

Fan favorite Miranda returns to the pod to dish on the classic 1990's sci-fi paranoia series! We look back at a pair of episodes: "Squeeze," and "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose."

The month of October is upon us, and so too are all the attendant ghosts, goblins, ambulatory skeletons—you know the drill. But here at Now We Know studios, a different sort of ghoul shambles out to center stage: Torgo, along with the Master, Michael, Margaret, little Debbie, and Manos (not pictured in this film). That's right, it's "Manos" The Hands of Fate, the basement-budget reviled cult horror flick made famous by those jokers at Mystery Science Theater 3000. We aren't here for laughs, however—we're here to tell you, when you strip away the wisecracking robots, and watch as writer/director/star Hal Warren intended, just how bad is Manos really?

Like a brilliant smoggy sunset against the skyline of 1990's Los Angeles, your loyal hosts are joined by returning guest Dr. Ian Werkheiser (PhD) to awe and delight you. This time we look back at L.A. Story, starring Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant, Richard E. Grant, and a cast of thousands! And don't worry—no showbiz phonies allowed.

Who's ready for a little outback adventure? Kevin and Chris revisit The Rescuers Down Under, the oft-forgotten Disney movie which sits snugly between The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, in the early days of Disney's animation renaissance. With Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor returning as those selfsame Rescuer mice Bernard and Bianca one last time (barring a new Bernard-only sequel—RIP Eva, but happy 94th Bob!), you hardly ever hear about this one, possibly because unlike its contemporaries, it's not a musical. Is its relative obscurity deserved? Or is this an under-heralded gem?

Kevin and Chris traipse back to the mid-90's, of PBS "Mystery!" vintage, to revisit one of Kevin's favorite childhood detective characters—Poirot, Agatha Christie's indefatigable, razor-sharp Belgian dandy investigator, complete with his trademark immovable mustache. Kevin presents two episodes of the classic series, featuring David Suchet as the titular detective.

Kevin and Chris are joined by treasured returning guest Miranda to discuss FernGully: The Last Rainforest, a film which Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg attempted to pressure Robin Williams out of doing, on the grounds that his turn as the genie in Aladdin (which came out after this movie) would be crowded if he also portrayed the inimitable Batty Koda. Williams refused, however, joining Samantha Mathis, Tim Curry, Jonathan Ward, Grace Zabriskie, Tone Loc, and those daring young troubadours Cheech and Chong to lead an all-star cast. But of course, the vital question: was it any good?

In honor of the upcoming release of Perpetual Teenager Seth Rogen's take on Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and the rest, Kevin brings Chris the former #1 turtle movie to reassess. Is it totally tubular or a major bummer? And which of our heroes has more Cowabunga Attitude? Peel the shell open and see!

Crash, boom, bang, it's time again! For summer fun, holed up in your shabbily carpeted living room, peering into the searing, unrelenting glare of a CRT television! For ten minutes apiece, Kevin straps in to experience eight classic [citation needed] games from Chris' youth: The Little Mermaid, Ducktales, Prince of Persia, the ignoble Mario is Missing, and more.

With the hitherto disastrous release of THE FLASH (2023) still ongoing, and the Batman '89 topical content well already run dry here at Now We Know, Kevin looks back at the feature-length TV pilot for the 1990 The Flash series, starring John Wesley Shipp as the titular speedster. So how will it stack up, not against not just its contemporary edition, but also the early-90's Captain America? All your answers lie within.