Pop Banzai

In part two of the “Fandom Set” the Banzai Boys view Adam Rifkin’s 1999 KISS tribute teen comedy Detroit Rock City. What will the band of fictional rock misfits teach us about fan culture?

To kick off their fandom set, the Banzai Boys read the memoir “Searching for John Hughes: Or Everything I Thought I Needed to Know about Life I Learned from Watching ’80s Movies” by Jason Diamond, a writer and a John Hughes fan who sets out to write the biography of John Hughes but through his… Continue reading Fandom: Part 1 “Searching for John Hughes”

The Banzai Boys say a terror-tear-filled-goodbye to a set about an author who they were really digging, but before they do, they compiled their very own Stephen King playlist with songs from everything they took away from the horror master!

You can’t talk about Stephen King without discuss all the storytellers he has inspired…or in this case…sired. That’s right! The Banzai Boys are reading “Basketful of Heads” a product of King’s kin, his son, Joe Hill. What elements of King are passed done to his son?

In the second episode of their Stephen King set, the Banzai Boys read and discuss King’s 1985 collection of short stories “Skeleton Crew”. With so many stories to discuss, this episode is packed with tons of King discoveries.

On the first episode of their Stephen King set, the Banzai Boys make a wish on a Monkey’s Paw and travel back to the 1970’s to take a bite out of the TV mini series movie based on the Stephen King novel Salem’s Lot. The boys explore the tenants of a King story in their… Continue reading Stephen King: Part 1 “Salem’s Lot” 1979 Film

The Banzai Boys wrap up their four part beach series by creating a playlist the encapsulates all they have learned about the beach. This one is a real musical rollercoaster of gene. Check out the full playlist on Spotify.

In 1996, Alex Garland wrote what would become a cult novel for backpackers called “The Beach”. In 2021, the Banzai Boys add the novel to their summer “Beach Set” in hopes of discovering what makes a beach such an enduring setting in pop culture. Jay and Travis discuss the novel’s protagonist, Richard’s drive for adventure… Continue reading Beach Set Part 3: “The Beach” by Alex Garland

Skates up on this 2001 Stacy Peralta documentary on the legendary skate/surf crew “Z-Boys”. The Banzai Boys discuss how time and place define a scene in the second part of their summer “Beach Set”.

In the first episode of the “Beach Set”, the Banzai Boys dip their toes into beach culture with a viewing of the 1991 film “Point Break”. What does the character of Bohdi mean to surf culture? Why is this the film still so charming and enduring? Tune in to find out.