Gravel-voiced, genre-defying, and impossible to imitate, Tom Waits stands as one of the most singular artists in American music. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom Gulley explores the life, career, and enduring mystique of a performer who turned beat poetry, jazz, blues, vaudeville, and experimental sound into something entirely his own.

From sitcom superstardom to one of the most influential directors in Hollywood history, Rob Reiner’s career is a masterclass in creative reinvention. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom explores how Reiner went from playing “Meathead” on All in the Family to directing some of the most beloved films ever made.

Why is one film rated PG-13 while another earns an R — and who decides? On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom Gulley dives into the often-misunderstood world of movie ratings, exploring how a system meant to inform parents ended up shaping filmmaking, marketing, and pop culture itself.

Before tablets, before touchscreens, and long before “undo” buttons, there was the Etch A Sketch — a deceptively simple toy that became a cultural icon. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we explore the surprising history, design brilliance, and lasting legacy of one of the most beloved toys of the 20th century.

In this gripping episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom examines one of America’s most haunting unsolved cases—the 1995 disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit, the beloved morning news anchor who vanished from her Mason City, Iowa apartment before dawn. Nearly three decades later, the mystery remains unsolved, the clues still perplex investigators, and the case continues to captivate the nation.

In this powerful episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom examines one of Indiana’s most devastating and historically significant disasters—the 1963 Indiana State Fair Coliseum explosion. What began as a night of family entertainment turned into a scene of chaos, heroism, and heartbreaking loss when a leaking propane tank ignited beneath the packed arena during a Holiday on Ice performance.

In this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we celebrate the remarkable legacy of Roger Corman—the filmmaker who reshaped Hollywood from the outside in. Known as the “King of the B-Movies,” Corman launched legendary careers, reinvented low-budget filmmaking, and proved that creativity, speed, and ingenuity could beat big-studio muscle any day of the week.

On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we plunge into the shadowy world of one of Earth’s most feared creatures—the Sydney funnel-web spider. Known for its lightning-fast strikes, potent venom, and a reputation that borders on myth, this remarkable arachnid is far more complex than the headlines suggest.

In this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom dives deep into the life, career, and unforgettable legacy of Lee Marvin—the gravel-voiced icon who reshaped Hollywood’s understanding of toughness. From his decorated WWII service in the Pacific to his scene-stealing performances in The Dirty Dozen, Point Blank, and Cat Ballou, Marvin forged a screen persona rooted in authenticity, discipline, and raw charisma.

In June 2011, 20-year-old Indiana University student Lauren Spierer vanished after a night out in Bloomington—launching one of the most widely followed and perplexing missing persons cases in America. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom examines the timeline, the key locations, the people involved, and the troubling gaps that have kept this mystery unsolved for more than a decade.