Pitch Hunt

From the very earliest days of American cinema to the present, nothing has captured the imagination of city-slickers and country folk alike quite like a story set in a romanticized version of the Old West. From gold prospecting to cattle rustling, train robberies to the systematic destruction of the lives and societies of indigenous peoples, Westerns are about as quintessentially American as it gets. On this week’s Pitch Hunt, the sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of Wests old and new will fill your ears, and just maybe, your hearts.

Human vs. Nature. Nature vs. Human. Human vs. Human??? However you slice it, the struggle to survive – pitting humanity against the many forces of the world – has both captured the mind and caused untold strife throughout history. Accordingly, stories about that struggle have long been mainstays of the silver screen. After all, what is being human but the eternal and essential urge to fight back against the inexorable forces of nature and time? Tune into this week’s Pitch Hunt for a measured and provocative existential discussion about the true nature of what makes life so goshdarn tricky.

Is the Loch Ness Monster real? Do herds of jackalope roam the plains of the American west? Can you meet the wily chupacabra? The answer to all of these questions is, of course, a resounding yes. What do all these things have in common? It’s obvious to many, but for those fools not in the know, they are all popular examples of Cryptids, animals that are claimed to be real but whose whereabobuts have never been precisely ascertained. This week on Pitch Hunt, star guest Ted is back to weave a tale unlike any told before. Come along for the ride as we explore a world of thrills. mystery, and so much more.

If you’re like much of humanity, video games have played a major role in maintaining your sanity over the last 3 months or so. Probably longer. There are many ways to experience these games, and many directions you can go with them. You might be looking for an adventure. Maybe you want to challenge yourself from the safety of your living room. Or perhaps you just need to let out some pent-up aggression and rage. Whatever the case may be, there is almost certainly a video game that will meet your needs. Tragically, though, the many attempts to bring beloved video games to the silver screen have resulted in grotesque mockeries of the very fabric of reality. That changes today, as our dedicated pitchers, with the help of longtime soulmate Jordan Tyler, flip the script on video game adaptations and pitch a trio of late-night triumphs.

Moles are defined by Webster’s Dictionary as one of three things:

* A small burrowing insectivorous mammal with dark velvety fur, a long muzzle, and very small eyes.* A small, often slightly raised blemish on the skin made dark by a high concentration of melanin.* A spy who achieves over a long period an important position within the security defenses of a country.

Our special guest on this episode of Pitch Hunt doesn’t neatly fit under any one of those categories. He is, in fact, a human person. Frank Meyer, to be specific. Longtime friend of the show, and longer time friend of the hosts, Frank has patiently waited for well over a year for an opportunity to join the podcast as a special guest after being promised a spot by a host who will remain nameless. Surprising absolutely nobody, his pitch elevated the podcast to new heights, and it is with our deepest pleasure that we share the experience with everyone in listener land.

Food, glorious food. Without food, there would be no films. Without films, there would be no Pitch Hunt. By the transitive property, all of the good things in life can be traced back to humble grub. Moreover, Hollywood’s love affair with tasty fare can be traced all the way back to its humble beginnings. From the eggs in Cool Hand Luke to the mashed taters in Close Encounters, from the steamy spaghetti smooch in Lady and the Tramp to the food fight in Animal House, food deserves as much credit as the writers and actors that fill the annals of cinema history. This week on Pitch Hunt, our hungry hungry hosts will get your tummies rumbling as they caress your earholes, pitching hot, fresh films where food takes the center stage.

The 1980’s were a banner age for comedy, so much so that the decade is widely considered to be the “golden age of comedy”. From Caddyshack to Ghostbusters to The Goonies, each year churned out more classic funfests than perhaps any other time in cinema history. Though many directors were in their heyday during these goofy times, there was a trio that utilized a consistently effective formula of rapid-fire jokes, slapstick setpieces, and satirically deadpan protagonists to craft several of the funniest pure comedies ever made. Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker were the team that created Airplane!, Top Secret!, and The Naked Gun – along with their respective sequels. And for some reason Ghost. Their style has been frequently mimicked but never truly equaled. The Pitch Hunt boys were eager to take that challenge, however, and the results of that challenge will be laid bare for you zany Pitch Hunters to enjoy.

In your wildest, most perverse and sadomasochistic dreams, what could you imagine that would be better than 3 new installments of America’s favorite BDSM franchise? How about 50? Go ahead, pinch yourself. You’re not snoozing. Our sick, sultry cohosts actually done did it, throwing the script out the window and embarking on their most ambitious and erotic episode ever by a factor of many. Turn up the slow jams, shut the drapes, and get ready to be transported into a sensual world of thrilling eroticism the likes of which may never be equaled.

In the quarter of a century since the release of their debut feature Toy Story, Pixar has created an astonishing number classic family films: Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, The Good Dinosaur — just to name a few. Though a large part of what makes those films timeless is the beautiful animation style that brings their vibrant characters to life, the stories are almost without exception both profound and deeply intimate. Our animated cohosts clearly had a tough task coming up with the next great Pixar film, but what came out of their imagineering was beautiful in its own way.

Tom Cruise. Incredible danger. Breathtaking set pieces. A rotating yet consistently intrepid team of sidekicks. The M:I cinematic universe has been consistently thrilling and delighting fans for over two decades, yet has the distinction of being perhaps the only action franchise in which each successive movie has not only escalated the stakes but genuinely improved in quality. In pitching a followup to perhaps the greatest action/adventure film ever made, our undercover cohosts have a seemingly impossible mission, should they choose to accept it.