Nick welcomes movie critics Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy back to the podcast to recap the Chicago Critics Film Festival, including their thoughts on Power Ballad and Tuner. They also review several new releases, including Keke Palmer’s comedy I Love Boosters, the horror film Saccharine, and the latest Star Wars adventure, The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick for a conversation about some truly bad celebrity excuses before they test their knowledge of early 2000s comedy classics with a fun quiz. And if you know the name of Ron Burgundy’s dog, the title of this episode may already have given you a hint. [Ep 457]

Nick welcomes music journalist Jim Ryan from Forbes.com back to the podcast to talk about recent concerts, including Soul Asylum at SPACE in Evanston, Little Feat at the Arcada, Flea at Thalia Hall, and Zakk Wylde at Hollywood Casino. Jim also discusses a recent interview he did with Jack Johnson about an upcoming documentary, and he and Nick have some fun revisiting the movies Perfect and Over the Edge.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick to talk about her upcoming appearance at the next live edition of You, Me, Them, Everybody. From there, they dive into some truly bizarre and very real celebrity stories. [Ep 456]

Nick welcomes Monica Eng from Axios Chicago to talk about some of the stories she’s been covering lately, including problems with Cook County electronic monitoring, an update on how kids are doing in CPS, the best spots around town to see and smell lilacs, the history of her great-grandfather’s jazz club, the PopUp Bagels versus New York-style bagel debate, and more.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick to celebrate a few historic moments tied to May 15th, including the founding of Las Vegas, the debut of Mickey Mouse, and the birth of McDonald’s, along with its original mascot, Speedee. [Ep 455]

Chief TV critic Dan Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter joins Nick for another deep dive into television. Dan reviews Peacock’s new thriller M.I.A., Netflix’s latest adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the new Martin Short documentary, and the series finale of Lisa Kudrow’s The Comeback. He and Nick also catch up on Top Chef and break down the newest episodes of SNL.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick to talk about British TV shows that inspired American remakes before diving back into pop culture moments from the 90s and 00s. They revisit trendy but terrible haircuts, massive car stereos, oversized jeans, and plenty more questionable choices from that era. [Ep 454]

Nick welcomes Dr. Keith Lipinski from AAW Pro Wrestling back to the podcast for a full wrestling conversation, including a recap of WrestleMania, a preview of Backlash, and plenty of WWE talk. They also get into AEW, MJF’s championship run, and their thoughts on Darby Allin as the current title holder. Keith shares what went down at the latest AAW show in Berwyn and what fans can expect next.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick to catch up on weekend plans before the conversation turns to movies filmed in Chicago, especially scenes shot at the Field Museum. They talk about films like The Relic, Damien: Omen II, Flatliners, and more. [Ep 453]

Nick brings back The Consumerman Herb Weisbaum for a “For The People” edition, covering everything from how to avoid vacation rental nightmares to the impact of the war in Iran on summer travel, and even how to choose the right tree care service. They also talk about Herb’s role as National Quizmaster at the Lifesmarts Championship, and he puts Nick to the test with a few sample questions.

Later, Car Guy Tom Appel from Consumer Guide Automotive joins Nick to talk about the possible end of Chrysler and Dodge, the story behind Rolling Coal, the appeal of the 1983 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, and the easiest way to charge your EV. As always, there are rounds of #Starspotter and #MysteryShow along the way. [Ep 452]

Tom Hush, Executive Producer at WLS-AM 890, joins Nick for another round of Tom’s Theater of Trash. This time he celebrates The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the infamous 2003 box office flop based on the Alan Moore graphic novel and starring Sean Connery. Tom breaks down why he loves it, why it failed, why it maybe didn’t deserve to, and how so many of Moore’s other works have ended up as rough movie adaptations.

Then, with May just getting started, Nick puts Esmeralda Leon through a themed quiz all about the month. They cover everything from May Day traditions and the official flowers of May to Amelia Earhart and more. It’s gonna be May. [Ep 451]

Nick welcomes Hollywood Reporter TV critic Dan Fienberg back to talk about the latest SNL UK episodes and catch up on Top Chef. Dan also shares his thoughts on several new shows, including the Netflix docuseries Hulk Hogan: Real American, the intense drama Half Man from Richard Gadd, the new season of Beef, and they revisit the documentary Lorne.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick to talk about finally seeing The Drama and loving every dark minute of it. From there, they circle back to some pop culture moments from the 90s and 00s that probably should have stayed in the past, including Oreo Barbie, Beanie Babies, and the phrase “going postal.” [Ep 450]

Nick welcomes film critics Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy back to the podcast to review the latest releases, including Michael, the new biopic about the King of Pop, which does not exactly impress, the strange music fantasy Mother Mary with Anne Hathaway, the black comedy Over Your Dead Body, and the drama I Swear, about a man living with Tourette Syndrome. They also preview the movies and events coming to the 13th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre this May.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick for another round of Pop Culture Trivia as they go head to head with British bon vivant and game show host Slap Slapply. It’s always a blast when Slap shows up. [Ep 449]

Nick welcomes music journalist Jim Ryan from Forbes.com back to the podcast to talk about some of the concerts he’s been to and the artists he’s interviewed. They get into shows from Brigitte Calls Me Baby at Thalia Hall, Throwing Muses at SPACE in Evanston, Billy Ocean at Rivers Casino, and Rick Springfield at the Genesee Theatre. They also share their thoughts on the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and they definitely have opinions.

Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick to catch up before delivering her full report on Coachella, which she experienced from her couch, also known as Couchella. She shares her thoughts on performances from Sabrina Carpenter, who brought out some unexpected guests, Fatboy Slim, and more. [Ep 448]