In this episode, Stevenson and I trace the rise and fall of the stores that once defined American life. What starts as a conversation about how we got into podcasting turns into a nostalgic (and occasionally half-assed) business breakdown of defunct retailers like Blockbuster, Big Lots, and Toys R Us. We revisit golden ages, personal memories, and the moments when everything started to go wrong.

From mall culture and bookstore vibes at Borders to corporate missteps involving Kmart, the dot-com bubble, and uneasy partnerships with Amazon, we break down how shifting consumer habits and leadership decisions reshaped retail forever. Along the way, we touch on physical media, a brief Star Wars tangent, why buffets fell out of favor post-COVID, and how companies like Party City flirted with both success and collapse.

It’s a mix of nostalgia, cultural history, questionable analysis, and genuine curiosity about what happens when the places we grew up with quietly flip the sign to closed.

Note: Some of the research I did was in part due to the videos I watched of Bright Sun Films. If you liked this episode's topic, you should definitely check out more of his work.

Please also check out Stevenson's podcast That's Effin Weird on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro, What Got Us Into Podcasting 

4:16 - Defunct Stores, Blockbuster Discussion 

9:13 - Big Lots, Personal Connection 

11:03 - Why Big Lots Went Out of Business 

15:41 - Filing of Bankruptcy, Potential Revival

16:56 - Toys R Us Origins and Golden Age

18:13 - Toys R Us Memories

21:06 - Competition from Big Box and Online Retailers 

21:24 - Half-Assed Business Analysis

22:45 - Toys R Us files for Bankruptcy, Shutdown

24:01 - John Stamos, Disneyland Sign

24:37 - E-Commerce, Ever-Changing World

26:41 - Mall Culture 

27:22 - Why Malls Are Closing

30:17 - Repurposing Malls

31:30 - Borders, Origins 

32:39 - Bookstore Culture 

33:17 - Kmart Acquisition and Separation, Global Expansion 

34:06 - Missteps

34:31 - Dot Com Bubble, Stock Market Crash

35:17 - Amazon Partnership and Later Years

41:01 - Physical Media, Star Wars Tangent 

44:09 - Why Buffets are Falling in Popularity 

46:47 - Covid and Buffets 

50:34 - Best Products Company, Origins

51:30 - SITE, Best Architecture 

53:05 - Management Style, Peak

53:44 - Fall, Bankruptcy, and Best Stores Closure

55:58 - Party City, Why They Were Successful, Brush With Failure 

57:11 - Leveraged Buyout

57:39 - How Party City Fell Apart

1:00:44 - Staples Story

1:01:42 - Outro 

Crystal Bernardo joins the show to take a winding (and very on-brand) journey through mysteries, modern IP, and the career arc of Rian Johnson. From meeting through Titan TV to debating recognizable franchises versus original ideas, the conversation quickly turns into a full-blown exploration of the whodunnit — past, present, and future. We dig into the golden age of mystery stories, detective TV, true crime, and prestige films like Clue, before zeroing in on how Knives Out reinvigorated the genre.

Along the way, we unpack Johnson’s controversial time with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, his creative resurgence, and how Knives Out embodies a modern twist on classic mystery storytelling inspired by Hitchcock’s famous table philosophy. The conversation branches into escapism, mid-budget R-rated hits, all-star casts, the future of movie theaters, and what upcoming films like Wake Up Dead Man signal about audience appetite for smarter, more complex stories. It’s a wide-ranging, passionate discussion about why mysteries endure and why, somehow, Rian Johnson keeps coming back stronger.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

2:50 - Titan TV, Meeting Each Other 

7:11 - Funny Segway, Recognizable IP, and Original Ideas

8:20 - Knives Out 

11:20 - Golden Age of Whodunnit Mysteries

12:51 - Detectives on Television, True Crime

14:25 - Clue (1985), Prestige Mystery Movies 

16:17 - Law and Order and the Many Other Cop Procedurals

21:02 - Recent Mystery Movies and Subversions to the Crime Procedural, Rian Johnson 

23:56 - Dark Knight Rises Tangent 

25:00 - Rian Johnson’s Career

26:17 - Rian Johnson and Star Wars

28:00 - Rian’s Resurgence, Screen Life Movies

30:58 - How Knives Out Subverts the Whodunnit, Hitchcock Table Philosophy, Benoit Blanc

38:55 - Escapism and Current Events

41:43 - Mid-Budget R-Rated Hits

43:44 - All-Star Casting

46:03 - The War With Grandpa 

49:07 - 2025 Movies

49:27 - Final Destination 

51:29 - Future of Movie Theaters 

52:26 - Wake Up, Dead Man, Complexity in Storytelling 

56:43 - Knives Out 4 Idea

57:54 - Rian and Joseph

58:47 - Crystal’s Plug and Outro

Happy New Year! Julio returns to the pod for a full-on rewind through media history: the invention of recorded TV, the cultural impact of preserving media, the format wars between VHS, Betamax, and LaserDisc, and the golden age of video rental stores. Along the way, we explore how cult films found second lives on tape, how watching movies on your time changed everything, and why owning physical media once felt revolutionary.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

0:49 - Julio Confusing The Topic

2:18 - Origins of Recording TV, Kinetoscope, Junking Video

3:22 - I Love Lucy

3:55 - Introduction of VHS, Betamax, and Laserdisc 

6:10 - Julio Realizes What The Episode Is About 

7:00 - Rob Dyrdek and Old Tech Tangent

9:23 - The Rise of Video Rental Stores

11:53 - Cult Films Getting a Second Life, Direct to Video Market

13:56 - Watching Movies on Your Own Time

15:39 - VHS and The Rise of DVD, Netflix Launches

17:37 - Blockbuster Problems Persist, Owning Instead of Renting

19:48 - Blockbuster Video on Demand, Redbox Launches

21:30 - Failed Netflix/Blockbuster Deal

23:34 - Redbox Ownership History 

25:00 - Blockbuster Begins Decline, Netflix Launches Streaming Platform 

25:53 - Start of Netflix Originals, Streaming Packages 

28:16 - Blockbuster Shuts Down, Redbox Shuts Down

29:27 - Home Video on Life Support, Defunct Stores

33:20 - Video Store Memories

36:58 - Outro

Yet another Disney episode. Skyler Bimat joins the show to unpack the complex and fascinating era of Disney following Walt Disney's death. We delve into the creative lows of the 1970s and 1980s, leadership shake-ups, and how the company narrowly avoided a corporate takeover. From there, we track Disney’s massive comeback in the ’90s, only to watch history repeat itself with another downturn in the following decade. It’s a candid look at how Disney survives its worst moments, reinvents its identity, and somehow keeps the magic alive even when everything behind the curtain is falling apart.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro, Voice Acting 

3:59 - Walt Disney

5:47 - Aftermath of Walt’s Death

6:56 - Changes in Animation 

8:36 - Company Culture Divide, 70s Outputs

9:23 - Don Bluth, Cutting Corners on Animation, Chanticleer

13:50 Bluth vs Disney

15:16 - Parks Stagnation, Ron Miller Era

16:11 - Founding Touchstone

16:44 - Who Censored Roger Rabbit

19:42 - Creating Disney Channel, Early Struggles, Changes

21:08 - Disney Pop Star Making Factory

22:05 - Ron Miller Regret, Attempted Corporate Takeover, Miller Ousted

24:21 - Dream Team Arrives

26:03 - The Black Cauldron, Remaking Bad Movies, Stuart Little 

31:15 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bill Murray

33:00 - The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King

35:16 - Frank Wells Death and Aftermath, Change in Quality

36:00 - Pocahontas, Hunchback, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan

38:50 - Downfall of Eisner

40:02 - Euro Disney, Hong Kong Disney

40:37 - Acquiring ABC, Iger, Save Disney, Eisner Forced Out 

44:00 - Iger Era

46:24 - Turning Red

47:12 - History May Repeat, State of Affairs 

49:04 - Disney Abu Dhabi

49:50 - Outro 

Annabelle Soto joins the show to explore some of the most dramatic actor recastings in film history. From Eric Stoltz being replaced midway through Back to the Future to the last-minute decision to reshoot Kevin Spacey’s scenes in All the Money in the World, we break down what goes wrong, what it costs, and how these changes reshape movies behind the scenes. It’s a fascinating look at the risks, controversies, and creative pivots that happen when Hollywood has no choice but to start over.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro 

1:22 - What Got Annabelle Into Film

2:39 - La La Land, Lucie Arnaz Stories

4:40 - Forest Gump 2

6:30 - Eric Stoltz, Back to the Future 

7:18 - Burning DVDs

8:04 - Story Behind BTF

12:32 - Thomas F. Wilson

13:56 - Recasting Stoltz

14:49 - The Michael J. Fox Show

15:49 - The Crazy Ones, Appointment Television 

17:40 - MJF on Filming Back to the Future 

18:36 - Jennifer Recast

19:48 - Crispin Glover Prosthetic

20:29 - Bruce Lee in Game of Death

21:12 - Chris Farley in Shrek 

22:50 - Mike Myers, Janeane Garofalo Recast

25:02 - Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World, House of Cards, YouTube videos

28:34 - Samantha Morton in Her

29:46 - Collin Firth in Paddington

31:49 - Nicole Kidman in Paddington

34:01 - Favorite Casting Choices, Oscar Wins, McConaughey 

37:12 - Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson

38:06 - Florence Pugh’s Performance in Little Women

39:14 - Michael B. Jordan

40:00 - Friday Night Lights, DCOMs, Disney Vault

42:00 - Robin Williams in Aladdin

43:23 - Opinions on Live-Action Disney Adaptations 

44:19 - Jesus Painting Restoration 

46:35 - Outro

Gabriela Machuca joins me for a deep dive into our shared love of acting and the world of award shows. We trace the origins of the Oscars and how they’ve evolved over the decades. Along the way, we explore the craft of performance, the moments that first made us fall in love with movies, and the unforgettable wins, upsets, speeches, and surprises that have defined award shows across eras.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro, Our History with Acting

10:11 - Meeting the Mother of Leon Thomas III, Acting Roles

14:56 - Hannah Montana, Curb Your Enthusiasm 

16:08 - The Oscars, Origins

18:12 - Oscar Namesake

19:07 - Snow White Oscar

19:28 - Defunct Awards and Other Oscar Fun Facts

20:36 - Parasite 

24:16 - Bad Oscar Speeches, Joe Pesci

26:03 - Everything Everywhere All At Once, Jamie Lee Curtis

27:21 - Oscar Snubs, Angela Bassett, Denzel Washington

28:42 - The Honeymooners 

29:31 - Marlon Brando, The Godfather, George C. Scott

31:11 - 2025 Oscars, Anora

33:38 - The Substance 

34:40 - Timothee Chalamet, Adam Sandler

35:55 - Movie Idea

37:35 - Why I Took a Break from the Oscars 

39:09 - Gabriela’s Thoughts on Anora

41:47 - Comparing Anora to the Substance 

44:51 - Nikki Glaser, Ricky Gervais, SAG Awards

46:19 - Singing in the Rain

46:58 - Halloweentown, Recasting Controversy 

48:02 - Beauty and the Beast, Quibi

49:47 - Shrek, Shrek 5 Teaser, Decline of Donkey’s Character 

52:46 - 2001 Best Animated Feature, Disney 

55:05 - Buried

56:08 - Outro

We're switching things up this episode. Carissa Harris joins the show to test her movie knowledge. I give short, cryptic descriptions of popular films, and she has to figure out the title.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

2:30 - Start the Game Show

2:41 - Question 1 (Shrek)

3:50 - Question 2 (Finding Nemo)

4:14 - Question 3 (Hercules), Hercules Tangent, Percy Jackson

7:27 - Question 4 (Harry Potter)

8:19 - Question 5 (Spirited Away), Spirited Away Tangent

10:38 - Question 6 (Princess and the Frog), Turning Red, Wendy Wu

12:50 - Lost, Why Netflix Fell Off

14:09 - Question 7 (Lord of the Rings), Explaining LOTR, GOT

17:32 - Question 8 (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Eat Pray Love, Pretty Woman

21:59 - Question 9 (Star Wars), Star Wars, Catina Music

26:33 - Question 10 (Jurassic Park)

27:27 - Question 11 (Twilight)

27:59 - Question 12 (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl)

29:01 - Question 13 (The Matrix), Red Pill

30:08 - Question 14 (2001: A Space Odyssey), Monkeys in Space, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey

32:18 - Interlude

33:04 - Pinky Dinky Doo, Charlie and Lola, Rolie Polie Olie

34:54 - Question 15 (The Shining), Johnny Carson

40:55 - Outro

From rough sketches to blockbuster moments, Peytin Cronin joins the show to explore how animated movies evolve as they head to the screen. We talk scrapped storylines, surprising changes, and the creative chaos that makes animation so magical.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro 

1:36 - Toy Story 

2:32 - Steve Jobs Tangent

3:30 - Pixar’s Origins

5:16 - Black Friday, Jeffrey Katzenberg

7:55 - My Strange Addiction Tangent 

8:51 - Sid Theory

10:18 - Shrek’s Origins, Chris Farley

14:35 - Pocahontas, The Lion King

16:36 - Kingdom of the Sun, Eartha Kitt, Batman ’60s

19:16 - Live Action Superhero Shows, Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman, She’s All That

21:12 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

23:30 - Who Censored Roger Rabbit 

25:51 - Alternate Casting 

27:33 - Disney Adaptations, Remakes

31:00 - Anora, Spider-Verse, Shameik Moore

34:03 - Frozen Horror Movie Tangent

36:03 - Development of Disney’s Frozen

42:19 - The Incredibles

44:10 - First Animated Feature Film, Warner Bros, and their disrespect of animation, Gremlins

47:46 - The Sweatbox

50:48 - Moana 2, Hamilton 

55:55 - Atlantis 2, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan 2

56:59 - Shark Tale

58:04 - Outro, Peyton’s Podcast, Piracy

Remember when YouTube was just cat videos and viral memes? We do. This week, I’m joined by Kim Escobar to look back at YouTube’s wild rise, from its scrappy beginnings to the internet giant it is today. We share our first YouTube memories, talk about how it shaped our generation, and wonder what the platform’s future might hold.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

0:55 - The Wayback Machine, Dial-Up

2:32 - YouTube’s Origin as a Dating Site, 2004 Super Bowl Incident 

5:53 - Shift to Focus on a Video Sharing Platform, The Impact it Had on the Internet 

9:06 - First YouTube Video 

10:39 - Google Buys YouTube, iPhone app

13:38 - Vintage Channels, Smosh, Pewdiepie

14:53 - Shoes, Chocolate Rain

15:38 - LonelyGirl15

17:20 - Geriatric1927

18:58 - Viral Videos, Charlie Bit My Finger, Evolution of Dance

20:00 - Fred, Annoying Orange

21:35 - Michelle Phan

22:54 - How YouTube Content Has Changed 

23:47 - Ryan Higa

24:14 - How Our YouTube Tastes Have Changed 

27:10 - Nic Cage Superman Tangent, Matt Damon

29:21 - Actors Trying to Become YouTubers

30:46 - TikTok Hospital Show, Awesomeness TV

33:14 - Shane Dawson, The Chair

37:51 - Vlogging, 8 Passengers, Smosh

40:08 - Adpocalypse

42:18 - Social Experiment/Pranks, YouTuber Breakups 

44:56 - YouTube Prank Gone Wrong, Hawk Tuah

47:11 - Opinions on the Future of YouTube 

48:46 - Outro

Noah Secades returns to the show to talk all things Disney in the 21st century, from the game-changing acquisitions of Marvel and Lucasfilm to the “Neo Renaissance” of the 2010s. We dive into the creative highs and lows, and why the live-action remakes have everyone talking.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro, Recap of Episode 8

4:41 - Superstar Limo

6:15 - Decline of the Parks

7:42 - Eisner Steps Down, Iger Takes Over 

8:46 - Katzenberg, A-list Voice Actors, Shrek

10:45 - Best Animated Feature at the Oscars

11:44 - DisneyToon Studios, Pixar

14:55 - Dumbo 2, Dopey Prequel, Stupid Origins

17:53 - Lasseter Made Head of Disney Animation, End of DisneyToon Studios 

20:11 - Disney Acquires Pixar, Pixar Renaissance 

22:52 - Live Action Films, Saving Mr. Banks

24:06 - The Lone Ranger, John Carter

25:16 - Prince of Persia, Tron Legacy 

26:26 - McFarland USA, Kevin Costner is the Ultimate White Savior 

27:39 - Tomorrowland

28:30 - Oz the Great and Powerful

29:57 - Brad Bird, Star Wars, JJ Abrams, Disney Star Wars 

33:18 - The Failure of Finn’s Storyline 

36:34 - The Success and Revitalization of Marvel, Rise of Cinematic Universes

38:33 - Star Wars vs Marvel, Duel of the Fates

40:18 - George Lucas

41:55 - Expanded Universe 

43:25 - Live Action Disney Remakes, 101 Dalmatians

44:33 - Maleficent, Cruella 

45:24 - Cinderella

47:19 - Snow White, Little Mermaid 

51:05 - Bob Chapek, Iger Returns

55:55 - Hardships in the 2020s

56:33 - Outro