Year 2000 Fix

How can a movie reach the level of being so terrible that you actually like it, instead of attempting to permanently erase it from your memory? Jordan is rejoined by his very good friend, Alyssa, to answer that question and explain how 21st century-era technology, the internet, and modern irony improved the experience of seeing the world’s most laughable cinematic disasters.

WORKS CITED:

Message YEAR 2000 FIX here!

Vox on "Paracinema" 

New Yorker on THE ROOM

How THE ROOM became a surprise hit!

BIRDEMIC IMDB Trivia

San Jose Mercury on BIRDEMIC

Info on James Nguyen 

James Nguyen Interview

VICE on Making of BIRDEMIC

Tommy Wiseau & Greg Sestero BEST F(R)IENDS Q&A from 2018

NY TIMES on Watching Bad Movies. Also, see here.

Jordan and Cody continue their deep look into WONDER BOYS, HIGH FIDELITY, ALMOST FAMOUS, and O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU-the year 2000’s best films.

To cap things off, Jordan’s music journalist/author godfather, Kent, shares his personal connections to all four films. Off that, Jordan and Cody delve into the films' soundtracks and their shared themes.

Listen to Part I here. SPOILER WARNING obviously.

Message YEAR 2000 FIX here!

Additional Links:

Cameron Crowe unboxing ALMOST FAMOUS archive

See archives of the Gavin Report featuring work by Kent and Keith Zimmerman  and Oren Harari

*We bleeped the name and location of the record store mentioned at the 35-minute mark, as not to harm a guy’s small business. There’s nothing wrong with your speakers.*

Jordan is joined by Cody to celebrate the 20-year anniversaries of WONDER BOYS, HIGH FIDELITY, ALMOST FAMOUS, and O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU, and to intensely analyze the films’ legacies. Expect a few SPOILERS here and there.

In Part I, they explore the box office gross and original critical reception of each film, the films’ views on race, gender, and sexuality (both the progressive and regressive views), as well as the general commonalities of all four classics.

Look out for Part II, where Jordan and Cody delve into the films’ very memorable soundtracks and powerful themes.

Message YEAR 2000 FIX here!

WORKS CITED:

1999 was the best year for film ever.

WONDER BOYS’ marketing “mishandling”

Daily Nebraskan WONDER BOYS review and Roger Ebert’s take

HIGH FIDELITY Hollywood Reporter review NY TIMES here.

ALMOST FAMOUS’ box office woes. Also, see here.

Peter Travers ALMOST FAMOUS review. Roger Ebert’s take here.

O BROTHER Hollywood Reporter review.

O BROTHER 20 Year Reunion.

GLAAD’s glossary. 

Oral history of HIGH FIDELITY. 

The real Penny Lane

HIGH FIDELITY’s author on Fresh Air

WONDER BOYS retrospective. Also see hereand here.

John Cusack on co-writing HIGH FIDELITY.

Info on O BROTHER soundtrack here and here.

ALMOST FAMOUS soundtrack facts here.

Picking up from last week, Jordan and co-host, Alyssa, continue their conversation about the most powerful and influential science fiction movie franchise of all time. Discussed are their experience watching the STAR WARS “Special Edition” movies, the STAR WARS “Despecialized” films and Mr. Plinkett reviews, and what they make of all that recently happened with the STAR WARS brand.

By the end of the episode, one will truly understand what it means to be a STAR WARS fan.

Send me a message here!

SHOW NOTES

· This episode is dedicated to Tom Forster – The late Marin County fire chief who was “instrumental to the development of Skywalker Ranch.” God Bless and Rest in Peace.

· Story on George Lucas and the National Film Registry. I wasn’t aware at the time of recording that a cut of the original STAR WARS can be viewed at the Library of Congress. HOWEVER, this version submitted for copyright over forty years ago is gradually fading and Lucas still resisted handing over a proper version for preservation.

· Info on HARMY’S DESPECIALIZED

· Mr. Plinkett’s Phantom Menace Review

· Clip from SOUTH PARK “Free Hat” episode.

· Clip from CLERKS about STAR WARS.

When people accuse the STAR WARS prequel movies of “pandering to little kids”, no one stops to ask, “Who were those kids anyway?”

Well, those kids were Jordan and special guest, Alyssa, who once found themselves brainwashed by Lucasfilm in their childhood.

In order to free themselves from the delusion that the prequels were good (because they were NOT), Jordan and Alyssa recount their first exposure to STAR WARS, why they were attracted to the marketing of Episodes I-III, and how over the years, they came to see the prequels for what they really were. In other words, Jar Jar Binks was never “key” to anything!

Episode Notes:

Star Wars Impact on Economy

Lucasfilm and Hasbro's Licensing Agreement

Episode II Marketing Details

I can’t find the article with the “Kashyyyk Fighter Chewbacca” joke I quote but it was from Cracked.com

DO NOT WANT!

Would Microsoft have become obsolete in the 21st century, had the tech giant NOT taken on Japanese video game heavyweights, Nintendo and Sony? Microsoft seemed to think they would and that’s why in November 2001, America got the Xbox.

Jordan is educated by returning co-host, Grace, on the Xbox’s appeal to mature American gamers, the innovations of Xbox games, and the lore of HALO, the console’s flagship franchise. Find Grace on Twitch: twitch.tv/grac3g

Email [email protected] to share your 21st-century memories!

WORKS CITED:

The Making of the Xbox

Also, see here, and here, and here.

What is the Xbox anyway? Here’s another retrospective.

Original Microsoft Press Release for the Xbox.

CNBC Report on XBOX's lack of intl. appeal. Also, see here.

VICE Untold History of Halo

Microsoft on their future in the 2020 gaming and tech world

An inoffensive, centrist represents the Democratic Party in their fight to take down the worst Republican president in recent memory. Will the Democrat prevail in making the Republican incumbent a one-term leader, or is the Republican’s reelection inevitable? That depends on whether you’re talking about Trump and Biden in the 2020 Election or George W. Bush and John Kerry in the 2004 Election.

Jordan is joined by Cody (from episode #4) to discuss the tail-end of Bush’s first term, the Democratic primaries, John Kerry’s campaign, and why Kerry lost to Bush. They also ponder: what would have happened to the nation had Kerry WON and sign off with VOTE 2020!

Email [email protected] if you’d like to be on the show or share your 21st Century nostalgia memories. Also, VOTE!

WORKS CITED:

Bush Approval Ratings

UVA Miller Center on Bush Presidency Timeline

Bush “No WMDs” joke at 5:21 mark. Hilarious, right?

2004 Election Results

Political Cartoon Cited Here

Howard Dean's 2004 Run and Scream. Also see here. And here.

Presidential Debates and the Mary Cheney moment.

Voter Disenfranchisement Returns in 2004. Or does it?

Kerry’s uphill battle (including Swift Boaters). More here.

Why Kerry Lost – Flip-Flopper! More info is here.

Negative Kerry Ads

What if Kerry had won? Also, see here for 2004’s similarities to 2020.

Electoral College would’ve been abolished had Gore or Kerry won.

PEW and other research studies on Voters

Vote NO on California Proposition 22. That’s the bare bones of this special 2020 election-themed episode. Prop 22's result will set a precedent for worker rights nationwide and will still be relevant, even if you're hearing this podcast in 2030. 

Jordan is joined by longtime friend, Grace, to discuss the importance of California Assembly Bill 5; the 2020 law requiring app-based companies to classify workers as “full-time employees”. They then explain why voters need to vote NO on Prop. 22 (the state measure that would exempt tech companies from AB-5’s regulations) and how the late 2000s/early 2010s created a new form of labor injustice.

Email [email protected] if you’d like to be on the show. YEAR 2000 FIX will return Wednesday, October 28th, following a one week break.

NO ON PROP 22 Website – Complete with news and data reports!

Objective Summary of Prop 22 and CA AB-5

Rise of Gig Economy

Uber’s lifelong worker controversy

ThatVeganBitch Tweet

Debunking Uber and Lyft’s Prop 22 Propaganda

LA TIMES assessment on Prop 22

UC Hasting’s Veena Dubal on the history of the Gig Economy

TUBE CIRCUIT is a good podcast

“Donald J. Trump is New York’s largest real estate developer whose lucrative brand made successful properties, casinos, golf courses, modeling agencies, and shuttles”…is a phrase easily disproven with a Google search. By the early 2000s, Trump had already faced multiple business failures, bankruptcies, sexual assault allegations, labor violation lawsuits, and he already made many abhorrent public statements. Whatta guy!

Despite this, famed reality TV show producer, Mark Burnett had no issue making Trump the host of his new program, THE APPRENTICE. The show premiered on NBC in 2004 and became a rating’s hit for NBC. Overnight, Trump went from “bigoted man who can’t keep a business afloat” to that lovable host who says “Ya fired!”

The big question is, if we had applied a little bit of scrutiny to Trump’s public scandals or at the very least, prevented him from becoming a reality TV show host, would we have been spared a Trump presidency?

Jordan is joined by two-time SURVIVOR contestant, Erik Reichenbach, to discuss Trump’s early career scandals, THE APPRENTICE’s rehabilitating portrayal of Trump, and how  THE APPRENTICE influenced Trump’s 2016 election victory. Also, Erik and Jordan describe their brief encounters with Mark Burnett.

Go to www.dabudoodles.com to see Erik’s phenomenal art and graphic design work.

Email [email protected] if you’d like to be on the show.

WORKS CITED:

It was quite the challenge making the last podcast on THE O.C. enjoyable for those who never had seen the show.  That’s why the episode focused only a little on THE O.C.’s basic premise and plotlines, and more on the show’s pop-culture influence and 21st-century relevancy. A lot of esoteric O.C. references were cut from Jordan and Ariel’s near two hour conversation, as to avoid alienating non-fans.

This time though, Jordan and Ariel hold nothing back! Oliver Trask? Marissa’s tragic downfall? The “where are they now?” of the characters? They go there! Get ready to analyze THE O.C.’s most memorable lines, scenes, and moments, in a way only true fans know how.

Email [email protected] to share your 21st-century memories and if you’d like to be on the show. Our regular scheduled programming will resume very soon!

Mischa Barton and Season 3 Finale Spoilers. Also see here on that.

THE OC BEHIND THE SCENES SECRETS

MORE BEHIND THE SCENES SECRETS

Tate Donovan on THE OC

VH1’s I LOVE THE NEW MILLENNIUM “2003” segment on THE OC

Interview with Josh Schwartz on THE O.C. and GOSSIP GIRL.

Josh Schwartz: THE OC WHERE ARE THEY NOW

PLUG from journalist Tony Ortega! (it’s at the bottom section that says “Your Proprietor on the Airwaves”).

Mad Magazine with THE O.C. Parody