Zebras In America

By Zebras In AmericaTV & Film

Zebras In America episodes

July 25, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 61 - Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Due to technical difficulties, Popcorn Eschaton had to pivot guests, topics, and even host! But because we try to go with the flow as best we can, and are blessed with wonderful friends, we march on! On this episode, John is joined by friends of Zebras Eschaton, Elana Levin and Frank Smith, as they pay tribute to the legendary metal icon Ozzy Osbourne. They discuss the cultural and musical legacy of Ozzy and Black Sabbath, their blue collar and class consciousness roots in Central England, and their invocation of religious imagery, both hellish and heavenly.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
You can find Elana's excellent podcast, Graphic Policy Radio, here:
https://graphicpolicy.com/radio/
Clip at the end from Ukandanz's cover of "War Pigs" on the album 'Evil Plan (የክፋት እቅድ),' available here:
https://ukandanz.bandcamp.com/album/evil-plan
1 hr
July 10, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 60 - 'Dead Man' and 'Star Trek III The Search for Spock'
What could be more Popcorn Eschaton than pairing Jim Jarmusch with Star Trek? On this episode, Scott and John head west to explore the poetic violence and self-discovery of 1995's 'Dead Man,' then they return to The Final Frontier as they join the Enterprise crew on their resurrection quest in 'The Search for Spock'!
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Clip at the end from "The Round Stones Beneath the Earth..." available on the 'Dead Man' original soundtrack by Neil Young.
59 min
June 27, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 59 - 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' and 'The Room Next Door' (1)
On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John embrace living in liminal spaces as they journey through death and the boundaries between this world and the next. First, they explore Apichatpong Weerasethakul's 2010 spiritual drama 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives,' then they discuss Pedro Almodóvar's 2024 meditation on friendship and choosing how we meet our end, 'The Room Next Door.'
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Clip at the end is Pali Chanting In The Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
1 hr 2 min
June 13, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 58 - 'Excalibur'
Popcorn Eschaton welcomes the brilliant Carmelita Valdez McKoy to discuss medieval mythology and Catholic/Pagan sycheticism! The conversation dives into 'Excalibur,' John Boorman's classic of Arthurian myths, Dark Age Disco costumes, as well as personal and political morality! It's got a cast full of future British acting legends acting out the foundational legends of Britain! Amazing stuff.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Music clip at the end is from "Create Art, Though the World May Perish " by Anaal Nathrakh, available on the album 'Endarkment.'
https://anaalnathrakh.bandcamp.com/album/endarkenment
1 hr 11 min
May 30, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 57 - 'Southland Tales'
On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John tackle one of the most discombobulating, bravura, and labyrinthian science fiction movies ever made: Richard Kelly's 'Southland Tales'! They discuss how the film succeeds and fails in reflecting America in a post-9/11 world and why a strange, unfinished piece of art should be enjoyed on its own terms. Maximalism ahoy!
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Music clip at the end is from "Broken Hearted Savior" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, available on the 'Southland Tales' soundtrack
46 min
May 16, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 56 - 'The Blood of Jesus' and 'The Nun'
Scott and John are joined by the brilliant writer and podcaster Spencer Seams! They discuss the emblematic race film from 1941 'The Blood of Jesus,' as well as Jacques Rivette's harrowing 1966 examination of institutional abuse within the Catholic Church, 'The Nun.' They discuss misogyny, giving voice to unheard voices, and the importance of community.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Spencer's Dark Habits podcast can be found here: https://darkhabitsalmodovarpod.podbean.com/
Music clip at the end is "Generator" by Turnstile, from the 2018 album 'Time & Space,' available from Roadrunner Records.
1 hr 15 min
May 02, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 55 - 'Conclave'
It's CONCLAVE time! It was inevitable that Scott and John would cover this stylish thriller about hermetic power, faith vs. certainty, conservatism vs. generosity, and how utterly terrifying it would be to have Isabella Rossellini disappointed in you. In times of such despondency, it was a privilege to be able to discuss a film that so elegantly addresses how the instruments of power can be changed to become mechanisms for kindness and empathy.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Music clip at the end is "Take Up My Bones" by Arð, from the album of the same name, available here: https://ardnorthumbria.bandcamp.com/album/take-up-my-bones
The visual novel/game mentioned in the podcast is available here: https://sneckoil.itch.io/delectatio-morosa
1 hr 4 min
April 18, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 54 - 'Belladonna of Sadness' with Heather Drain
Scott and John welcome the brilliant Heather Drain to Popcorn Eschaton as they discuss the Japanese cult animated feature 'Belladonna of Sadness!' They explore the difficult subject matter of the film, the wildly stylized and beautiful animation, the exuberant musical score, and how the events of the film presage both Joan of Arc and the French Revolution.
Trigger warnings for sexual assault, mutilaion, religious abuse, warfare
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Music clip at the end is from "Kanashimi no Belladonna" by Mayumi Tachibana and Masahiko Satoh
Heather's Patreon can be found at: https://www.patreon.com/c/mondoheather
1 hr 8 min
April 04, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 53 - 'The Insider' and 'The Big Sick'
On this Popcorn Eschaton, Scott and John dive into the infinite morass that is the American health care system, as seen through cinema. First, they look at how public policy is interwoven with corporate interests, as well as how journalism is supposed to be safeguarding us from those interests, with Michael Mann's brilliant 1999 thriller 'The Insider.' Then, they shift focus and tone to 'The Big Sick,' a comedy co-written by its star, Kumail Nanjiani, along with his wife, Emily Gordon, about how a medical emergency can both upend and forge personal relationships.
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
53 min
March 18, 2025 Popcorn Eschaton 52 - 'The Seventh Seal' (1)
Scott and John are joined by the world's greatest Ingmar Bergman advocate, the brilliant Becky D'Anna, to discuss 1957's 'The Seventh Seal'! They dive into the collision of medieval religious traditions with the cinema of the mid-20th century, the reputation of Bergman vs. the reality of his art, and the multifarious ways we can interpret the imagery of the film.
Becky's writing, Top Ten lists, and podcast appearances can be found at:
https://beckydanna.com/
The Film Baby Film podcast mentioned in this episode can be found here:
https://beckydanna.com/site/media/2023/01/FBF_31_SeventhSeal.mp3
Logo designed by Jesse Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/just.shelve.it/)
Theme music is "Sun Blood" by Oxeneers (https://oxeneers1.bandcamp.com/)
Music sample at the end is a recording of "Dies Irae" from 'Requiem and Funeral Rites,' recorded by the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf choir
1 hr 12 min