Ben and Bob talk summer entertainment (blockbuster movies, outdoor concerts) before doing a deep dive into the 1955 noir masterpiece “Kiss Me Deadly”. The film stars Ralph Meeker as private detective, Mike Hammer, investigating a shadowy conspiracy with brute force and the help of a sexy sidekick. Mike learns that both the Feds and some sort of sinister organization are racing to find a mysterious case dubbed “The Great Whatzit”. Since it must be something big, Mike wants a piece of the action but he has no clue what’s in store. Even if you haven’t seen this one, you’ve undoubtedly seen it’s influence in everything from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Pulp Fiction. We invite you to stare into the blinding light with us on this episode of SSOS.

Ben and Bob discuss the 1996 essay “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again” by the late, great David Foster Wallace in which DFW hilariously documents his experience taking a weeklong luxury Caribbean cruise and opines about the implicit fantasies at the heart of these sorts of vacations. Ben explains how he became drawn to DFW and Bob talks about his own experience on a luxury cruise, which maps all too closely to what’s captured in the essay.

Did a 900-mile road trip turn Ben into a fan of the short-lived proto-punk band “The Modern Lovers”? After differentiating between inspiration, iteration, and plagiarism, Ben and Bob discuss The Modern Lovers’ eponymous (and only) album. Released in 1976 — roughly two years after the band broke up — this Velvet Underground-inspired album went on to influence countless punk and new wave bands that followed and also spawned The Cars and The Talking Heads. Check out this episode . . . that is, unless you happen to be a guy from Boston named Hippie Johnny.

Ben and Bob discuss season 1 of the short-lived sitcom “Party Down”, which went largely unwatched when it first aired back in 2009 before achieving cult comedy status years later. It’s a Starz (Starz!?) show about a half-a-dozen struggling Hollywood types supplementing their incomes by working as a catering crew in and around L.A. while they pursue their dreams of stardom. Featuring Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr and sprinkled with cameos by lots of other funny folks, it’s a comedy with hints of both heart and darkness. Available to stream on Starz and Hulu.

Having gone to see Paul Thomas Anderson’s very latest film, “Licorice Pizza”, in theaters, Ben and Bob watch his very first, “Hard Eight”. Starring Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly, who would go on to become PTA regulars, along the very recognizable faces of Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson, it’s a noir-ish tale about regret, making amends, and finding a pseudo family in unconventional circumstances . . . themes that run through PTA’s later work. Does this seem like the product of a then-26-year-old who didn’t make it past the first couple of days in film school? Find out on this episode of SSOS.

Women deserve the lion’s share of the credit for keeping rock music alive. Two singer songwriters leading the charge are Courtney Barnett and Phoebe Bridgers, the Betty White and Sylvia Plath of indie rock, respectively. Ben and Bob discuss their latest albums “Things Take Time, Take Time” and “Punisher” before wrapping up Season 1 of SSOS with 10 vouch-worthy under-the-radar songs, albums, books, TV shows, films, and/or documentaries released in 2021. Season 2 coming in January.

Musician Nick Cave has nourished Bob’s soul for 20+ years. His band, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, has been prolific for 4 decades, but somehow managed to break new ground with a trilogy of albums released in 2013 (Push the Sky Away), 2016 (Skeleton Tree), and 2019 (Ghosteen). The last two albums were cloaked under the weight of blackest grief, after Cave’s son died tragically. After challenging relative Cave newbie, Ben, to all 3 albums, they regroup and do their best to put words to their ineffable experiences.

Riz Ahmed stars as Ruben, a drummer and recovering addict, whose sudden deafness diverts him from an album tour to a rehab facility for the hearing impaired. In the face of traumatic change, Ruben must finally confront his inner demons in this quiet story about aversion, addiction, stillness, and healing. Ben reveals why this film resonates for him, while Bob rants about social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and how noisy the world has become. “Sound of Metal” is available on Amazon Prime Video at no cost to Prime members.

Bob discovered Brian DePalma’s 1981 neo-noir mystery thriller in a film studies class in college and was immediately transfixed. Despite high praise from Quentin Tarantino and familiarity with much of DePalma’s other work, “Blow Out”, was a blind spot for Ben. Does this paranoid political drama starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, and Dennis Franz hold up at 40? Find out on this episode of SSOS.

Ben & Bob discuss two short stories: “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” and “The Tenth of December”. Both come from short story collections of the same name by Ben’s artistic spirit animal, the great George Saunders. Will Bob feel rewarded for his efforts, having returned to fiction for the first time quite in a while? Check out the pod’s first literature episode to find out!