Too Much Information

Jordan and Alex explore the creation of everyone’s favorite coming-of-age psycho-horror New Wave time-travel flick — with rabbits. Listen to learn all the ways rookie director Richard Kelly beat the hellish odds to make his incredibly ambitious feature film debut, why Jason Schwartzman was very nearly the title character, and how this movie quite literally couldn’t have happened without Drew Barrymore, the true MVP of the production. You’ll also find out what song was supposed to be used for the Sparkle Motion dance sequence, why Gary Jules’ haunting “Mad World” cover was a last-minute addition, and why Donnie Darko is real-life neighbors with Ferris Bueller. Plus, the TMI Boys make a valiant effort to parse apart the many theories about the true meaning of this unexplainable movie.

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Jordan and Alex are discussing perhaps the most twisted example of the ‘90s teen movie boom — a film about deception, seduction, borderline incest and cocaine stuffed in a crucifix. Listen and learn about how Ryan Phillipe threw up on the set, how they got Reese Witherspoon drunk to get her to sign on, and why Katie Holmes got the boot from the cast. You’ll also hear how a pornographic actress created a stir on the set, how Selma Blair prepped for that famous kissing scene with Sarah Michell Gellar, and why Ross Gellar from ‘Friends’ is partially responsible for making this all happen. Plus, they’ll talk about all of the ill-fated attempts to bring the story to television, and why the fake cocaine on the set gave SMG an allergic reaction.

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Alex and Jordan kick off TMI’s Halloween Spooktacular month with a look back at the Nickelodeon show that taught a generation of kids how to fear. They’ll discuss the roster of pre-fame child actors who populated the show, creator D.J. MacHale's burning hatred of both the Midnight Society, Nickelodeon AND Canadian television, and the classic literature that helped inspire some of the plots. They’ll also delve into the show’s groundbreaking representation and diversity, the complex psychology of the scares, and what exactly was in that magic dust they’d throw into the campfire. 

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Alex and Jordan explore the psychotic lengths Donald Fagan and Walter Becker went to create their ’77 yacht rock classic — including the time they burned through nearly a dozen of LA’s best studio guitarists in search of a single guitar solo, the time they spent more than six hours trying to nail a two-word phrase, or the time they persuaded a legendary session drummer to play garbage can lids. They’ll also explain the origin of the album’s title, the Hollywood tragedy that supposedly inspired “Peg,” the tour with jazz-royalty they scrapped at the last minute, and the mystery of the missing master tapes. Plus, they'll delve into the rap beef they inadvertently started, and luxuriate in every glorious second of Michael McDonald’s pillowy vocal harmonies. 

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What's better? Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Jordan and Alex go head-to-head in a bittersweet (eh? EH? C'mon!) grudge match presided over by celebrity chef Richard Blais (Top Chef, MasterChef, etc.) Which confection will come out on top and will our intrepid semi-sweet morsels of minutiae still be friends when the wrappers settle? Listen in and find out!

Food Court with Richard Blais is a production of iHeart Radio, just like yours truly! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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Today on a special prehistoric episode of "Too Much Rock-formation" (sorry), Jordan and Alex throw it back to the genesis of the first animated sitcom. They'll discuss all the famous firsts on The Flintstones (including a weirdly sexual one), some of the surprisingly dark plotlines and non-kid-friendly jokes that crop up throughout series, the time the voice of Barney was near death and recorded his parts from a body cast in a hospital bad, the surprising way that Beethoven inspired the theme tune, and the controversies that drew threats of lawsuits from Jackie Gleason and Hulk Hogan. Plus, as if that's not enough, Jordan delivers a brief history of toilets on television! 

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Alex and Jordan delve into all the inter-band drama, personal traumas and prank calls that went into the political pop-punk concept record. They'll explore the painting that inspired "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," the heartbreaking meaning of "Wake Me Up When September Ends," and the mystery of the missing album Green Day were recording before they tackled American Idiot. You'll also learn about the hilariously debauched recording sessions — during which a studio caught fire — the time the band locked a famous drummer in his room, plus the album's bizarre second life as a Broadway musical. 

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Jordan and Alex close out their Olivia Newton-John tribute week with a special expanded episode delving into all the behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the making of the record-breaking musical. You’ll hear all about the surprisingly gritty stage play and early versions of the film: including a proposed X-rated cartoon, another that starred Fonzie and Princess Leia in the leads, and still another that featured a tragic Romeo & Juliet ending! You’ll also learn the multiple tragedies hidden in the “Greased Lightening” scene, why the theme song caused a standoff between the director and The Bee Gees, the occasionally tense moments between John Travolta and Jeff Conaway, and why the production reeked of pork. Plus, the TMI guys helpfully point out the surprisingly dirty references and jokes that definitely went over your head as a kid, and the bizarre fan theories that have sprung up on Reddit. You’ll also discover all the hilariously homemade ways they tried to age down these 30-year-old playing high schoolers, and the misery that resulted when Olivia Newton-John had to be sewn into her skin-tight “Bad Sandy” pants for the film’s finale — and the lost ending to this cherished classic. 

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Jordan and Alex kick off their Olivia Newton John tribute week by exploring one of the biggest, splashiest, most notorious films in Hollywood history. It may have been a box office bomb, but it’s also the only movie that combined disco, Greek mythology, Gene Kelly, roller skating, an abandoned LA landmark, bargain basement special effects, and our beloved ONJ. Learn about how this bizarre project came to be and hear all the crazy behind-the-scenes stories — including the time Olivia Newton-John literally busted her butt on skates, producer Joel Silver (reportedly) locked a screenwriter in a room for days, and Gene Kelly had a hilarious beef with the director. You’ll also learn why Electric Light Orchestra front man Jeff Lynne blamed the movie for his band’s nosedive in the charts and find out why John Lennon had a soft spot for the soundtrack.  

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Alex and Jordan explore one of the greatest left-turns in music history, a stripped-down solo album that finds The Boss grappling with the fallout of fame and the political sea change of Reagan's America. They'll discuss the late-night drives and complicated family dynamics that helped inspire the emotion of the record, as well as the surprising literary, musical and historical influences that crop up, as well. You'll also learn about Springsteen's stubborn insistence on releasing his rough demo cassette (which he'd carried around in the pocket of his jeans jacket for weeks) and the long-lost "Electric Nebraska" recorded with the E Street band. 

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