Description

He’s back! Todd Mack is here to tilt at windmills, as we finally try to say everything there is to say about one of his favorite characters and novels! We’re talking about Don Quixote from the classic novel by Miguel Cervantes. Topics include the modernity of this very old text, the different interpretations of the themes, and the complexity of the characters.

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Show Notes

Don Quixote – Wikipedia

Miguel Cervantes – Wikipedia

Description

Returning guest Kate Darowski joins Joe to discuss Diane Chambers from Cheers. They talk about the brilliance of the writing in the pilot, Shelley Long’s underrated comedic acting, and the quality of the set design.

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• Patreon

Show Notes

• Cheers – Wikipedia
• Shelley Long – Wikipedia
• Frasier: A Cultural History – Amazon

Description

First up, Todd is back to wrap up our Fantasy Box Office 2018. The winner is revealed, and we chat about what movies we’ve seen this year. Then, Joseph and Producer Andrew make their picks for Fantasy Box Office 2019! Reminder: they get the box office total multiplied by the Rotten Tomatoes score of every film they pick. At the end of the year, the one with the highest total wins. What new films are there to look forward to? Listen to find out.

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Description

Producer Andrew joins Joe to discuss Rapunzel’s Revenge, a graphic novel written by Shannon and Dean Hale with art by Nathan Hale. They talk what makes this adaptation stand out, the strengths of the graphic novel form that are on display, and how narrative expectations are subverted.

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• Patreon

Show Notes

• Rapunzel’s Revenge – Amazon
• squeetus.com – Shannon Hale’s blog
• Shannon Hale – Wikipedia
• Nathan Hale website – nathanhaleauthor.com

Description

Henry Darowski is back to join Joe in talking about Kanji Watanabe from the film Ikiru. This classic film directed by Akira Kurosawa tells the story of a man who searches for meaning in his life when he learns he is dying from cancer. Henry and Joe discuss Kurosawa’s brilliant directing, Takashi Shimura’s great performance as Kanji, and the truths about human nature explored in the film.

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• Patreon

Show Notes

• Ikiru – IMDB
• Akira Kurosawa – WIkipedia
• Takashi Shimura – Wikipedia

Description

Todd Mack is back with Joe to discuss the classic Christmas poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by C. Clement Moore. In this shorter, special Christmas episode, Todd and Joe talk about the cultural significance of the piece, the poetic skill of Moore, and dive into an authorship controversy.

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• Patreon

Show Notes

• A Visit from St. Nicholas – Wikipedia
• The cartoon that haunted Joe’s Christmas past:

Description

Todd Mack is back for our Christmas Special 2018. Producer Andrew selected seven titles of Christmas movies that neither Todd nor Joe have ever seen, and they both wrote a summary. After Andrew tells them what the real plot was, he selects what he’d most want to watch. The scoring gets heated right around A Gingerbread Romance.

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–Patreon

Show Notes

• A Gingerbread Romance – IMDB
• Poinsettias for Christmas – IMDB
• A Shoe Addict’s Christmas – IMDB
• Santa’s Boots – IMDB
• No Sleep ‘Til Christmas – IMDB
• It’s Christmas, Eve – IMDB
• Mingle All the Way – IMDB

Description

Returning guest Branden Ushio (from The Fandom Podcast) joins Joe to talk about a Christmas-themed episode of the Justice League cartoon series. They talk about the flirtatious Green Lantern and Hawkgirl storyline, the emotional Superman and Martian Manhunter storyline, and the nostalgic Flash and Ultra-Humanite storyline. 

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-Patreon

Show Notes

• Justice League – Wikipedia
• “Comfort and Joy” – IMDB
• The Fandom Podcast

Description

Returning guest Henry Darowski joins Joe to talk about Jack Skellington and Sally the Ragdoll in The Nightmare Before Christmas. They talk about what a mess properly crediting who did what in this film is, discover Joe may have been misreading a key part of this film since childhood, and explore the best way to read Jack’s attempted takeover and Christmas.

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Show Notes

Description

Special Guest Sara Santana joins Joe Darowski to talk about Harry Potter and friends in the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. They discuss some plot questions that end up not concerning them too much, then move on to discuss the structure of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the amazing Yule Ball sequence.

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Show Notes