The Review Show
The Whatnauts
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a book club style podcast covering a variety of genres and mediums including movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, and even audio fiction. Join your intrepid co-hosts Kyle and Melissa for fun discussions on a wild variety of entertainment you should know!
For All Mankind S3-4
Episode 311. We catch up to the current season of For All Mankind, as the show reaches the 1990s and begins the race for Mars, with a private company launching its own voyage alongside the USA and Russia. We discuss how the show has proven itself adept enough at drama in the early seasons to earn a few wild comedic moments now, having one specific human villain, and spending too much time on setup when we're ready to be introduced to a situation in media res. Kyle demands a sovereign colony on M
For All Mankind S1-2
Episode 310. We watched the first two seasons of For All Mankind, an Apple TV+ drama that looks at an alternate world history where the space race never ended, with each season jumping forward years to see a new era of exploration. We discuss the balance of tense space missions with equally tense interpersonal drama at home, how the show feels sprawling but also limited in only showing us the American or Russian side, breaking narrative rules, surprisingly nuanced supporting characters, and one
Sunshine
Episode 309. We're talking on Sunshine, and don't it feel good! We watched the sci-fi thriller from director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, about a space mission to launch a nuclear bomb that will revive the dying Sun and save Earth from death by ice age. The mission is thrown into chaos when the crew hears a distress signal from the first ship who attempted this mission and failed under mysterious circumstances. We discuss the cast of breakout stars and how the movie feels like it could b
The Bourne Franchise
Episode 308. It's an explosive start to 2025 as we watch all of the Bourne franchise: the trilogy of The Bourne Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum, the not-really-a-reboot The Bourne Legacy, and the attempted return to form with Jason Bourne. These movies follow an amnesiac secret agent as he attempts to uncover the corrupt government program that took his memories in exchange for deadly skills. We discuss the context of action cinema in 2002 and how the series adapted to industry chang
The Whatnauts Grand Prix 09
Kyle and Melissa are here for a chill end-of-year celebration, looking back on our year in podcasting and looking ahead to our 2025 goals. We give out our Review Show awards, play a game of "What the Hell Were We Talking About?", run through our recent cinema experiences, talk about fancy cocktails and fancy mansions, and finally share our thoughts on the weird twist in the otherwise conventional neo-noir show Sugar.Click here to watch a video of this episode.
(00:00) - Intro
(00:03) -
Severance S1
Episode 307. In our final Review Show of the year, we rewatched Severance before season two premieres in January! Employees at a shadowy mega-corporation can choose to undergo a "severance" procedure, where their brain is divided between work memories and personal memories. A group of severed employees who know nothing outside of their office start to wonder what the purpose of their work actually is, what their outside lives are like, and what it'll take for them to escape. We discuss
Escape at Dannemora
Episode 306. We watched the 2018 limited series Escape at Dannemora, from director Ben Stiller. In this drama based on true events, two inmates start affairs with a civilian prison employee, and manipulate her to get them the tools they need to break out. We discuss how everything falls apart after the escape, the diegetic soundtrack of 2015 radio pop hits, tiny doll pants, and how a reference to Happy Gilmore has actual thematic resonance to the story.Click here to watch a video of thi
Contact
Episode 305. They should've sent a poet... instead they got podcasters. We connect with Contact, the 1997 sci-fi drama from director Robert Zemekis, based on a novel from Carl Sagan. Dr. Ellie Arroway has spent her life listening to the stars, and the stars finally have a message for her. Humanity scrambles to decode an alien transmission and determine what to do with this new knowledge, and what it means for their very concept of facts vs. faith. We discuss the story's approachable and
The X Trilogy
Episode 304. We watched Ti West's horror trilogy of X, Pearl, and Maxxxine. These movies take us from a 1970s adult film shoot turned deadly to a farmgirl's suffocating small town life in 1918 to the neon sleeze of 1980s LA. We discuss the sense of history in each of the films, repeated patterns of aging and feeling trapped and becoming the person you swore you wouldn't become, dual roles and special effects makeup, if character actor Toby Huss has become too well known to just be used
Zatanna
Episode 303. We kick off October with a look into DC Comics' dark magic side, reading Paul Dini's run on Zatanna. Our heroine is both a working stage magician and one of the most powerful magical beings in the universe, as she juggles solving supernatural crimes with maintaining her performance schedule. We discuss how Zatanna is more iconic than any actual real world female magicians, the story's sense of place in San Francisco, killer puppets, Brother Night, and the "please, just let
Zodiac
Episode 302. How has Kyle never seen Zodiac? That's the real mystery. Shametember corrects this error as we discuss David Fincher's 2007 true crime thriller. This movie follows the investigation into the Zodiac killer across decades through the perspective of detectives, journalists, and the few survivors of his attacks, all based on real accounts. We discuss the unnerving atmosphere and bizarre side-stories that are just as haunting as the main mystery, the atypical plot structure and
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Episode 301. Shametember kicks off this year with a movie that Melissa has somehow never seen -- 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action, from Joe Dante, the director of the Gremlins films. In this live-action and animation hybrid, Bugs and Daffy join a globe-trotting adventure with an aspiring stuntman who needs to save his action star father from the villainous chairman of Acme. We discuss the frantic plot and non-stop visual gags, celebrity cameos, product placement, Steve Martin's confo
Review Show: The Theme Park
Episode 300! To celebrate our 300th episode, we're breaking our usual episode format to imagine a theme park based on the movies, shows, comics, and audio fiction we've covered in the past 299 episodes. Ideas include: High School Land, a Speed Racer roller coaster, a Mission:Impossible stunt spectacular, a carnival booth that will tell you if you're going to hell or not, a secret chicken restaurant that you can only find if you bribe a newsie, a town of endless parades, and a walkaround
The Prisoner
Episode 299. We are not numbers! We are free podcasters!! Our topic this episode is the 1967 British sci-fi mystery show The Prisoner. After suddenly resigning from his intelligence bureau, a spy known only as Number 6 is kidnapped and imprisoned in the eerily idyllic Village, where he's challenged with bizarre mind games until he gives up whatever terrible secret made him resign. We discuss the rotating cast of actors playing the Village's leader Number 2, the killer bubble, the mod co
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Episode 298. French cinema month concludes with the 1964 musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It's the 1950s in a quaint French town, and young Genvieve is despondent over her boyfriend being sent off to war, and coming to terms with marrying a more sensible man whom she should love but doesn't. We talk about how the movie is sung through in its entirety and defies common musical structure, the vibrant color palette, why Genvieve's mom doesn't just marry the suitor herself if she adores
Titane
Episode 297. In honor of the Paris Olympics, we're covering French cinema this July, starting with Titane. This is a 2021 horror movie about a woman who has sex with a car and becomes pregnant with a car baby. We discuss how strange the movie is beyond just this initial premise, the murder spree, the dance sequences, and a firefighting brigade made entirely of orphan boys.(00:00) - Intro
(00:04) - Welcome and banter
(03:27) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Titane
(09:44) - Housekeeping
(13
The Family Man
Episode 296. We continue our tradition of watching a Nic Cage movie every 4th of July weekend, and it's Christmas in July with the 2000 magic realism holiday rom-com The Family Man. Jack Campbell is a successful businessman living a solo jetsetter lifestyle when he's transported to an alternate world where he stayed with his college sweetheart and settled down in the suburbs. We discuss how the story fails to stand out in the catalogue of Christmas movies, the lack of compromise in the
The Bear s1-2
Episode 295. We donned our aprons to talk about the first two seasons of the culinary dark comedy The Bear, in preparation for season three later this month. When a world class chef has to return home to Chicago and take over his late brother's failing sandwich shop, the whole staff struggles to adapt to their personal loss and new professional goals as they work to revamp the restaurant under a punishing deadline. We discuss the show's mix of dread and coziness, the well-rounded periph
Chew vol. 1-2
Episode 294. We chow down on the first two volumes of Chew, the 2009 comic from John Layman and Rob Guillory. Whenever Tony Chu eats something, he gets a psychic impression of its history. He can see where produce was grown or how meat was slaughtered, or if he bites a dead body, he can see that person's last moments. He uses this power as an agent for the FDA, solving bizarre food-related crimes in a world where where chicken has been outlawed and is now treated as an illicit substance
North by Northwest
Episode 293. We run from a bi-plane right into a discussion on Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 thriller North by Northwest! Roger Thornhill is caught up in a web of espionage and danger after he's mistaken for a secret agent, and this humdrum advertising exec has to play the action hero to get out of this conspiracy alive. We share our experiences going to the Fathom Events theatrical screening for this movie's 65th anniversary, its influence on spy stories, the surprising amount of humor, unco
The Planet of the Apes Trilogy
Episode 292. In preparation for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, we caught up on the trilogy of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). These films act as a prequel to the original 1968 movie, showing how apes gained human intelligence and eventually drove humans out of their civilization. We discuss the sub-genres in each movie, from prison break to political thriller, the impressive mo-cap performances
Slow Horses s1
Episode 291. We conclude Apple April by watching season one of the Apple TV+ espionage drama, Slow Horses. MI5 agents who have notorious failures but who aren't incompetent enough to be fired are demoted to Slough House, an outpost where they do menial tasks under the command of the misanthropic Jackson Lamb. This team of misfits has a chance to prove themselves when they stumble upon a kidnapping conspiracy that may have been orchestrated by one of their own M15 bosses. We discuss how
Hello Tomorrow!
Episode 290. It's Apple April, where we're exploring content from Apple TV+. This week is the first season of Hello Tomorrow!, a 2023 workplace dramedy set in a retro-futuristic world. Jack Billings left his family behind to become a traveling salesman for Brightside, a timeshare development on the moon. When his son unknowingly attends one of his sales seminars, he decides to take the boy under his wing as a new employee, waiting until the right moment to reveal that he's his long-abse
Us
Episode 289. We're discussing Jordan Peele's 2019 horror film Us, about a family whose beach house is invaded by horrifying dopplegangers of themselves, after the mother survived an encounter with one of them when she was younger. We discuss the puzzling origin of these doubles and the unnerving abruptness of the movie's ending, dream logic, liminal spaces, and buff nerds.(00:00) - Intro
(00:04) - Welcome and banter
(01:35) - Non-spoiler thoughts on Us
(13:41) - Housekeeping
(17:21)
Weathering With You
Episode 288. Friend of the show and master of electricity Ignacio Rojas joins us to talk about Weathering With You, a 2019 anime movie from director Makoto Shinkai. 15-year-old Hodaka runs away from home to start a new life in Tokyo, where he meets Hina, another teenager working to support herself and her kid brother. Hina is secretly a "sunshine girl" who can summon the sun and banish clouds, which the two use to earn money during an intensely rainy season, but the power could cost Hin
The Human Target
Episode 287. We read the 12-issue DC limited series The Human Target, from writer Tom King and artist Greg Smallwood. Christopher Chance is the Human Target, a secret operative you can hire to masquerade as you and take the hits from your enemies. He drinks a poison meant for Lex Luthor and has only 12 days left to live. He's determined to use this time to solve who is behind this assassination attempt, and all signs point to a member of the Justice League International. We discuss how much DC k
Moonlighting s1-2
Episode 286. We watched the 1985 detective show Moonlighting, an early "dramedy" and legend in will-they-won't-they romance. After a crooked accountant steals her money, former supermodel Maddie Hayes bets everything on her one remaining business asset, a small detective agency. She teams up with the goofy but effective PI David Addison, and the two bicker and flirt while solving a variety of odd crimes. We discuss the jarring shifts from poignant drama to screwball comedy, the receptio
Blue Eye Samurai
Episode 285. We watched season one of the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai. At the time when baby Mizu was born with blue eyes, all outsiders were banned from Japan and the only white men known to be in the country were heinous criminals. After growing up an outcast, Mizu is now an adult trained in the sword, determined to find and kill those men. We discuss the impressive fight choreography, the surprising amount of blood and sex, horny poetry, and characters with speech impedi
The Ghostbuster Franchise
Episode 284. The Whatnauts answer the call to discuss all four movies under the Ghostbusters banner: the 1984 original, the 1989 sequel, the 2016 soft remake, and the 2021 "rebootquel" Ghostbusters: Afterlife. We discuss how the franchise has always appealed to children even when it wasn't made for them, how anyone can become a ghostbuster, city pride, spooky paintings, when do homages start to feel repetitive, Stephen King vibes, and what we want to see from the new Ghostbusters: Froze
The Whatnauts 8th Annual Grand Prix
Join us for the 8th anniversary retrospective, which we've now declared will be called a Grand Prix! Just try to stop us!! Kyle and Melissa gather for our annual pizza awards banquet for favorite Review Show topics, best performances, biggest surprises, and for the first time ever, a two-time Dream Date winner. We also debut a new structure for the Review Show and Captain's Log starting in 2024! Master of electricity Ignacio joins us for a rousing discussion on southern California theme
Bob's Burgers Holiday Special: The Bleakening (s8e6-7)
Episode 283. Happy holidays! We're ending the year by watching a two-part Christmas special from the animated family sitcom Bob's Burgers: season 8 episodes 6 and 7, titled "The Bleakening." When the family's Christmas tree is stolen from a party at their restaurant, Linda and Bob search for the culprit to get their kids' handmade ornaments back, while the kids suspect an anti-Santa known as the "Bleaken," who will prevent them from getting any presents. We discuss Linda's sincere love
The Mask
Episode 282. Somebody stop us! We're talking about the 1994 living cartoon that is The Mask. Stanley Ipkiss is a hapless pushover who discovers a mask that, according to the original DVD packaging, "brings his innermost desires to wild, screaming life!" We discuss the Looney Tunes antics, impossible pajamas, piles of loose cash, the discovery of Cameron Diaz, and the '90s and early 2000s run of pulp stories harkening back to the '30s and '40s.(00:00) - Intro
(00:04) - Welcome and bante
Hellboy vol. 10-12
Episode 281. We conclude our discussion on the original Hellboy comics, covering volumes 10-12, where Hellboy has to finally face his world-changing destiny and pay the ultimate price to stop others from using him in their malevolent plans. We discuss the one-shot stories bringing Hellboy to luchador matches in Mexico and the haunted woods of Appalachia, what the devil looks like if Hellboy has already taken the classic devil look, and how having your heart ripped from your chest genera
The Velocipastor
Episode 280. We had an A+ time with this B-movie, Brendan Steere's 2017 bad-on-purpose creature feature The VelociPastor. After priest Doug Jones sees his parents die in a car fire, he travels to China to clear his head, and encounters a mystical artifact that turns him into a velociraptor. He decides to use this power for good, ridding his city of drug dealers and ninjas. We discuss the moments of genuinely interesting film technique, calling a man younger than you "son," our admiratio
Under The Silver Lake
Episode 279. We watched the puzzling 2019 neo-noir film Under the Silver Lake, written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. Sam is an aimless slacker who falls for a cute new neighbor, and after he finds her apartment suddenly vacated, he becomes determined to find the missing girl. A series of cryptic clues leads him through LA's hipster party scene all the way to a conspiracy in the shadowy upper echelons of society. We discuss the detailed codes and easter eggs hidden in the film,
Persona
Episode 278. We watched the 1966 Ingmar Bergman film Persona. A young nurse is hired to care for an actress who went mute after a breakdown. The two go to a secluded beach house to recuperate, with the nurse constantly talking in hopes of coaxing her patient out of this psychosomatic state, while the identities of the two women start to blur. We discuss the avant garde imagery, the unnervingly sparse settings, and who that mysterious boy is supposed to represent.
★ Support this podc
Hellboy vol. 7-9
Episode 277. Happy "Helloween" as we continue discussing the adventures of our pal Hellboy, with volumes 7-9 from writer Mike Mignola and new artist Duncan Fegredo. Old foes return to strike at Hellboy, and he learns surprising secrets about the human half of his lineage. We discuss the introduction of mainstream King Arthur mythology into this series based on more obscure folklore, making out with a goat, and crashing on a ghost's couch.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Mindhunter Season 1
Episodes 276. We watched season one of the 2017 Netflix crime thriller Mindhunter, based on true events. In 1977, the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit begins a groundbreaking study into serial killers, traveling the country to interview incarcerated murderers to learn more about their patterns and processes, in the hopes of identifying future killers and stopping them before they start. We discuss the show's own haunting and darkly comedic patterns, making friends with the abyss, and exploding bird
Mindhunter Season 1
Episode 276. We watched season one of the 2017 Netflix crime thriller Mindhunter, based on true events. In 1977, the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit begins a groundbreaking study into serial killers, traveling the country to interview incarcerated murderers to learn more about their patterns and processes, in the hopes of identifying future killers and stopping them before they start. We discuss the show's own haunting and darkly comedic patterns, making friends with the abyss, and explod
The Faculty
Episode 275. We watched the 1998 horror movie The Faculty, from writer Kevin Williamson and director Robert Rodriguez. A mis-matched crew of high school students come together when they suspect their teachers are being taken over by aliens, and they need to use a popular new homebrewed drug to kill the alien queen and save those who have been infected. We discuss the twists on traditional high school archetypes, a very subtle theater kid joke, alluding to sex but not actually seeing it, and stan
The Faculty
Episode 275. We watched the 1998 horror movie The Faculty, from writer Kevin Williamson and director Robert Rodriguez. A mis-matched crew of high school students come together when they suspect their teachers are being taken over by aliens, and they need to use a popular new homebrewed drug to kill the alien queen and save those who have been infected. We discuss the twists on traditional high school archetypes, a very subtle theater kid joke, alluding to sex but not actually seeing it,
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Episode 274. We watched the 2014 black and white Iranian skateboarding vampire romance A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, from writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour. In the lonely town of Bad City, Iran, a young man working to pay off his father's debt to a local drug dealer encounters a mysterious girl who stalks the city at night, preying upon its oppressors. We discuss the mix of genres from spaghetti western to teen coming-of-age romance, how exciting a very slow scene can be, and how we wish the
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Episode 274. We watched the 2014 black and white Iranian skateboarding vampire romance A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, from writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour. In the lonely town of Bad City, Iran, a young man working to pay off his father's debt to a local drug dealer encounters a mysterious girl who stalks the city at night, preying upon its oppressors. We discuss the mix of genres from spaghetti western to teen coming-of-age romance, how exciting a very slow scene can be, and how we
Afterlife with Archie
Episode 273. We're kicking off our annual all-horror October with 2013's Afterlife with Archie comics, from writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla. Jughead's beloved pup Hot Dog has been hit by a car, and when he asks Sabria the Teenage Witch to bring him back to life, he comes back wrong. Hot Dog bites Jughead, starting a zombie apocalypse in Riverdale. Archie, Betty, Veronica, and a crew of other traumatized survivors have to leave their town behind to go look for help.
Afterlife with Archie
Episode 273. We're kicking off our annual all-horror October with 2013's Afterlife with Archie comics, from writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla. Jughead's beloved pup Hot Dog has been hit by a car, and when he asks Sabria the Teenage Witch to bring him back to life, he comes back wrong. Hot Dog bites Jughead, starting a zombie apocalypse in Riverdale. Archie, Betty, Veronica, and a crew of other traumatized survivors have to leave their town behind to go look
Hellboy vol. 4-6
Episode 272. We're continuing our ongoing monthly series reading Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics, talking about volumes 4-6 in this episode. Hellboy continues to deal with arcane magic forces trying to use him to summon an apocalypse, as well as the BPRD treating one of his fellow supernatural beings as a disposable tool instead of a teammate. Fed up with being a pawn in someone else's plans, Hellboy goes off to travel the world on his own, but finds it difficult to escape his past, even at the bo
Hellboy vol. 4-6
Episode 272. We're continuing our ongoing monthly series reading Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics, talking about volumes 4-6 in this episode. Hellboy continues to deal with arcane magic forces trying to use him to summon an apocalypse, as well as the BPRD treating one of his fellow supernatural beings as a disposable tool instead of a teammate. Fed up with being a pawn in someone else's plans, Hellboy goes off to travel the world on his own, but finds it difficult to escape his past, even
Sideways
Episode 271. It's back-to-back Giamatti as we watch 2004's wine nerd movie Sideways! Divorced and depressed Miles takes his buddy Jack on a bachelor's weekend to California wine country. Jack wants to score some action before his wedding, while Miles just wants to lose himself in the pinot noir, struggling to reciprocate the advances of a friendly waitress at a local restaurant he frequents on these trips. As Jack's dalliances bring chaos to their vacation, Miles has to step up to help
Sideways
Episode 271. It's back-to-back Giamatti as we watch 2004's wine nerd movie Sideways! Divorced and depressed Miles takes his buddy Jack on a bachelor's weekend to California wine country. Jack wants to score some action before his wedding, while Miles just wants to lose himself in the pinot noir, struggling to reciprocate the advances of a friendly waitress at a local restaurant he frequents on these trips. As Jack's dalliances bring chaos to their vacation, Miles has to step up to help his frien
Straight Outta Compton
Episode 270. To honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this year, we watched the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton, about the founding of N.W.A. Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, and MC Ren form the prolific rap group against the backdrop of their southern California town stricken by gang violence, hoping to bring catharsis to their community and control their own futures. The group faces censorship threats, police aggression, trickery from their manager, death, disease, and other tr
Straight Outta Compton
Episode 270. To honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this year, we watched the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton, about the founding of N.W.A. Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, and MC Ren form the prolific rap group against the backdrop of their southern California town stricken by gang violence, hoping to bring catharsis to their community and control their own futures. The group faces censorship threats, police aggression, trickery from their manager, death, disease, and other tragedies,
True Detective S1
Episode 269. We watched the self-contained first season of the anthology crime series True Detective from 2014. Detectives Cohle and Hart investigate a seemingly occult killing of a young woman in rural Louisiana in 1995, chasing down myriad leads and eventually taking down the killer -- or so they think. In 2012, after new clues are brought to light and the two retired detectives are grilled by newer members of the force, the strained partnership reunites for a final showdown with the murderer
True Detective S1
Episode 269. We watched the self-contained first season of the anthology crime series True Detective from 2014. Detectives Cohle and Hart investigate a seemingly occult killing of a young woman in rural Louisiana in 1995, chasing down myriad leads and eventually taking down the killer -- or so they think. In 2012, after new clues are brought to light and the two retired detectives are grilled by newer members of the force, the strained partnership reunites for a final showdown with the
Hellboy vol 1-3
Episode 268. Our new monthly ongoing book club is reading Mike Mignola's original Hellboy comics from the 90s, three volumes a month until we've completed the series! Hellboy is a demonic being summoned by Nazi occultists in the 1940s, but adopted as a child into the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. He grew up traveling the world to investigate the supernatural and protect the innocent from the threats whispered about in folktales and ghost stories. As he closes each case, he also deal
Hellboy vol 1-3
Episode 268. Our new monthly ongoing book club is reading Mike Mignola's original Hellboy comics from the 90s, three volumes a month until we've completed the series! Hellboy is a demonic being summoned by Nazi occultists in the 1940s, but adopted as a child into the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. He grew up traveling the world to investigate the supernatural and protect the innocent from the threats whispered about in folktales and ghost stories. As he closes each case, he
Mockery Manor s1
Episode 267. We listened to season one of the audio fiction podcast Mockery Manor, from Long Cat Media. It's 1989 in England, and teenager JJ has a summer job at Mockery Manor theme park. She's joining her twin sister Bette, who's already settled into her job there and has developed her own alliances and romances with the fellow young workers, which doesn't help the tense relationship between these sisters. JJ feels even more isolated when she discovers possible missing persons and murd
Mockery Manor s1
Episode 267. We listened to season one of the audio fiction podcast Mockery Manor, from Long Cat Media. It's 1989 in England, and teenager JJ has a summer job at Mockery Manor theme park. She's joining her twin sister Bette, who's already settled into her job there and has developed her own alliances and romances with the fellow young workers, which doesn't help the tense relationship between these sisters. JJ feels even more isolated when she discovers possible missing persons and murder cases
Newsies: The Broadway Musical
Episode 266. Extra, extra! It's a Review Show first! We're covering a filmed production of a live stage performance with Newsies: The Broadway Musical on Disney+. It's 1899, and gangs of young boys are living on the streets and selling newspapers with the hopes of moving up in the world. When the publisher suddenly raises the prices the boys have to pay to get their papers, and refuses to compensate them for what they can't sell, the kids unionize and strike. With the help of a rebellious girl r
Newsies: The Broadway Musical
Episode 266. Extra, extra! It's a Review Show first! We're covering a filmed production of a live stage performance with Newsies: The Broadway Musical on Disney+. It's 1899, and gangs of young boys are living on the streets and selling newspapers with the hopes of moving up in the world. When the publisher suddenly raises the prices the boys have to pay to get their papers, and refuses to compensate them for what they can't sell, the kids unionize and strike. With the help of a rebellio
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers vol 1-3
Episode 265. It's morphin' time! We read the first three volumes of the 2016 Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers comics from Boom Studios, written by Kyle Higgins and Steve Orlando. After Tommy was brainwashed into becoming Rita Repulsa's fearsome Green Ranger, he defected to the heroic Power Rangers and is still struggling to fit in and shake off these traumatic memories. Rita keeps launching destructive attack plans as the Rangers adapt to a new team member they still barely know, who could take the
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers vol 1-3
Episode 265. It's morphin' time! We read the first three volumes of the 2016 Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers comics from Boom Studios, written by Kyle Higgins and Steve Orlando. After Tommy was brainwashed into becoming Rita Repulsa's fearsome Green Ranger, he defected to the heroic Power Rangers and is still struggling to fit in and shake off these traumatic memories. Rita keeps launching destructive attack plans as the Rangers adapt to a new team member they still barely know, who could
The Good Place S4
Episode 264. We've reached the fourth and final season of The Good Place! The team works on a new experiment to purposefully coach people in another simulation to reach the actual good place, struggling to replicate their own personal journeys in becoming better people. When our friends finally get to spend time in the good place, they realize that it poses its own challenges and that infinite heavenly possibility may be an unsustainable way to live your afterlife, leaving the team to try and im
The Good Place S4
Episode 264. We've reached the fourth and final season of The Good Place! The team works on a new experiment to purposefully coach people in another simulation to reach the actual good place, struggling to replicate their own personal journeys in becoming better people. When our friends finally get to spend time in the good place, they realize that it poses its own challenges and that infinite heavenly possibility may be an unsustainable way to live your afterlife, leaving the team to try and im
Futurama
Episode 263. In honor of the sci-fi animated series Futurama being rebooted on Hulu, we watched seven episodes from across its earlier seasons, giving us a sampler platter of the show's comedy, emotion, mathematics, and multiple kinds of time travel. We discuss Parasites Lost, The Luck of the Fryish, Roswell that Ends Well, The Sting, The Late Phillip J. Fry, The Prisoner of Benda, and the latest series finale, Meanwhile.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:01:56 - Spoiler
Futurama
Episode 263. In honor of the sci-fi animated series Futurama being rebooted on Hulu, we watched seven episodes from across its earlier seasons, giving us a sampler platter of the show's comedy, emotion, mathematics, and multiple kinds of time travel. We discuss Parasites Lost, The Luck of the Fryish, Roswell that Ends Well, The Sting, The Late Phillip J. Fry, The Prisoner of Benda, and the latest series finale, Meanwhile.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:04 - Welcome and banter
00:01:56 - Spoiler free tho
The Brady Bunch Movie
Episode 262. To herald the coming of Barbie, we watched another movie about a candy-colored retro icon forced to contend with the modern world: 1995's loving satire, The Brady Bunch Movie. The Bradys struggle to collect $20,000 to save their home, while their unscrupulous neighbor tries to sabotage them, hoping to sell their land to develop into a mini-mall. As the family faces their own individual conflicts -- like jealousy, tattling, two dates for the school dance, and performing in a
The Brady Bunch Movie
Episode 262. To herald the coming of Barbie, we watched another movie about a candy-colored retro icon forced to contend with the modern world: 1995's loving satire, The Brady Bunch Movie. The Bradys struggle to collect $20,000 to save their home, while their unscrupulous neighbor tries to sabotage them, hoping to sell their land to develop into a mini-mall. As the family faces their own individual conflicts -- like jealousy, tattling, two dates for the school dance, and performing in a big tale
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr
Episode 261. We read the standalone graphic novel from Ram V and Filipe Andrade, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr. When humans become immortal, the goddess of death is out of a job. Her "retirement" is to be reincarnated as a human, and she arranges to live in the same city at the same time as the future inventor of immortality, with plans to kill him and get her old job back. She finds herself in a loop of accidental deaths and reincarnations across the years, encountering the inventor a
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr
Episode 261. We read the standalone graphic novel from Ram V and Filipe Andrade, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr. When humans become immortal, the goddess of death is out of a job. Her "retirement" is to be reincarnated as a human, and she arranges to live in the same city at the same time as the future inventor of immortality, with plans to kill him and get her old job back. She finds herself in a loop of accidental deaths and reincarnations across the years, encountering the inventor at differe
Adaptation.
Episode 260. We celebrated our second annual "National Treasure Weekend" watching another Nicolas Cage movie, 2002's Adaptation. Charlie Kaufman is hired to adapt Susan Orlean's nonfiction book The Orchid Thief into a Hollywood screenplay. As he deals with the book's lack of easy narrative structure, his loneliness and low self confidence, and his identical twin brother Donald pestering him in his own journey to become a screenwriter, Charlie spirals into distraction. The movie is everything the
Adaptation.
Episode 260. We celebrated our second annual "National Treasure Weekend" watching another Nicolas Cage movie, 2002's Adaptation. Charlie Kaufman is hired to adapt Susan Orlean's nonfiction book The Orchid Thief into a Hollywood screenplay. As he deals with the book's lack of easy narrative structure, his loneliness and low self confidence, and his identical twin brother Donald pestering him in his own journey to become a screenwriter, Charlie spirals into distraction. The movie is every
The Good Place S3
Episode 259. We continue our coverage of The Good Place by talking about season three, with the fourth and final season discussion coming next month. Michael has reset the timeline so the humans are alive again on Earth, trying to be better people after their near-death experiences, but he and Janet soon have to reveal themselves after too much meddling. With the realization that every action affects your points total to get into either the good place or bad place, the humans travel the
The Good Place S3
Episode 259. We continue our coverage of The Good Place by talking about season three, with the fourth and final season discussion coming next month. Michael has reset the timeline so the humans are alive again on Earth, trying to be better people after their near-death experiences, but he and Janet soon have to reveal themselves after too much meddling. With the realization that every action affects your points total to get into either the good place or bad place, the humans travel the world, e
The Watermelon Woman
Episode 258. We watched the 1996 movie The Watermelon Woman, the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian. Cheryl is an aspiring filmmaker working in a video store and trying to make a documentary about a Black actress from the 1930s and 40s credited only as "The Watermelon Woman." As she works to uncover this woman's identity, she discovers a queer history that echoes her own personal romantic life.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:04 - Welcome and banter 00:02:11 - Spoiler free thoughts: T
The Watermelon Woman
Episode 258. We watched the 1996 movie The Watermelon Woman, the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian. Cheryl is an aspiring filmmaker working in a video store and trying to make a documentary about a Black actress from the 1930s and 40s credited only as "The Watermelon Woman." As she works to uncover this woman's identity, she discovers a queer history that echoes her own personal romantic life.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:04 - Welcome and banter
00:02:11 - Spoiler free thoughts: The Water
Clone High s1
Episode 257. We watched the original 2002 run of the adult animated show Clone High, which now has a new reboot season streaming on Max! Government scientists have cloned famous historical figures, who are now teenagers trying to navigate high school. Joan of Arc has a crush on Abe Lincoln, who has a crush on Cleopatra, who has an on-again-off-again relationship with JFK, while Ghandi just wants to party. The teens deal with romantic angst, living up to their historical counterparts, a
Clone High s1
Episode 257. We watched the original 2002 run of the adult animated show Clone High, which now has a new reboot season streaming on Max! Government scientists have cloned famous historical figures, who are now teenagers trying to navigate high school. Joan of Arc has a crush on Abe Lincoln, who has a crush on Cleopatra, who has an on-again-off-again relationship with JFK, while Ghandi just wants to party. The teens deal with romantic angst, living up to their historical counterparts, a mad scien
Krull
Episode 256. We watched the 1983 sci-fi fantasy movie Krull! Prince Colwyn and Princess Lyssa are to be married, for both true love and to unite their kingdoms to form a stronger army against the invading Slayers and their mysterious leader known only as The Beast. When the Slayers attack the wedding and kidnap Lyssa, Colwyn has to travel across the land of Krull to rescue her. He obtains the legendary Glaive weapon and a band of seers, sorcerers, and brigands to help him defeat the Beast and st
Krull
Episode 256. We watched the 1983 sci-fi fantasy movie Krull! Prince Colwyn and Princess Lyssa are to be married, for both true love and to unite their kingdoms to form a stronger army against the invading Slayers and their mysterious leader known only as The Beast. When the Slayers attack the wedding and kidnap Lyssa, Colwyn has to travel across the land of Krull to rescue her. He obtains the legendary Glaive weapon and a band of seers, sorcerers, and brigands to help him defeat the Bea
The Good Place s2
Episode 255. We're back to talk about season two of The Good Place, and we'll be watching season three next month. Michael is continuing to reboot his hellish good place simulation, but Eleanor keeps solving the puzzle. He confesses his scheme to the humans this time, and asks that they team up with him to keep the lie going, to avoid punishment from his bosses. In exchange, they insist he join them for ethics lessons. As Michael and Janet both become more human, the humans realize all they've a
The Good Place s2
Episode 255. We're back to talk about season two of The Good Place, and we'll be watching season three next month. Michael is continuing to reboot his hellish good place simulation, but Eleanor keeps solving the puzzle. He confesses his scheme to the humans this time, and asks that they team up with him to keep the lie going, to avoid punishment from his bosses. In exchange, they insist he join them for ethics lessons. As Michael and Janet both become more human, the humans realize all
The Wages of Fear
Episode 254. We're kicking off summer with the sweaty, tense 1953 movie The Wages of Fear. A massive fire strikes an oil field in South America, and the oil company needs to transport nitroglycerin from one base to another, to cause an explosion to extinguish the fire. Four men take the job, desperate to earn the money to leave their small town. The terrain is rough, the nitroglycerin is volatile, and the men have to drive painstakingly slow if they want to finish this job alive.
00:00:00 - Intr
The Wages of Fear
Episode 254. We're kicking off summer with the sweaty, tense 1953 movie The Wages of Fear. A massive fire strikes an oil field in South America, and the oil company needs to transport nitroglycerin from one base to another, to cause an explosion to extinguish the fire. Four men take the job, desperate to earn the money to leave their small town. The terrain is rough, the nitroglycerin is volatile, and the men have to drive painstakingly slow if they want to finish this job alive.00:00:0
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Episode 253. We watched the short-lived 2008 cartoon The Spectacular Spider-Man! A teenage Peter Parker, still new to being a superhero, struggles to balance his crime-fighting with going to high school, taking pictures for the Daily Bugle, being there for Aunt May, spending time with his friends, and dating, or even figuring who to date. Surrounded by a rogues gallery of foes and a wide cast of peers, he tries to keep his loved ones safe and his identity a secret.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Episode 253. We watched the short-lived 2008 cartoon The Spectacular Spider-Man! A teenage Peter Parker, still new to being a superhero, struggles to balance his crime-fighting with going to high school, taking pictures for the Daily Bugle, being there for Aunt May, spending time with his friends, and dating, or even figuring who to date. Surrounded by a rogues gallery of foes and a wide cast of peers, he tries to keep his loved ones safe and his identity a secret.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:06 - We
The Good Place s1
Episode 252. We're starting another ongoing monthly series, talking about season one of the 2016 sitcom The Good Place, and we'll be back to discuss season two next month! Eleanor wakes up to discover that she's dead and has been sent to the "good place," a mysterious heavenly neighborhood where she has the house of her dreams and her true soulmate. This is a reward for all of Eleanor's good deeds on earth -- except this isn't the right Eleanor, she was sent here by mistake, and she's determined
The Good Place s1
Episode 252. We're starting another ongoing monthly series, talking about season one of the 2016 sitcom The Good Place, and we'll be back to discuss season two next month! Eleanor wakes up to discover that she's dead and has been sent to the "good place," a mysterious heavenly neighborhood where she has the house of her dreams and her true soulmate. This is a reward for all of Eleanor's good deeds on earth -- except this isn't the right Eleanor, she was sent here by mistake, and she's d
Napoleon Dynamite
Episode 251. We return to our nostalgic favorite, the 2004 indie movie Napoleon Dynamite, to discuss why it still charms us twenty years later and ask if it has kept its cult classic status. Napoleon is a high-schooler in the small town of Preston, Idaho, trying to impress his peers, get his family to respect him, and find a date to the school dance. He deals with a delusional uncle, petty teen judgement, his best friend's run for class president, a time machine scam, and getting a steak thrown
Napoleon Dynamite
Episode 251. We return to our nostalgic favorite, the 2004 indie movie Napoleon Dynamite, to discuss why it still charms us twenty years later and ask if it has kept its cult classic status. Napoleon is a high-schooler in the small town of Preston, Idaho, trying to impress his peers, get his family to respect him, and find a date to the school dance. He deals with a delusional uncle, petty teen judgement, his best friend's run for class president, a time machine scam, and getting a stea
The Flintstones (2016 comics)
Episode 250. We celebrate the milestone of our 250th episode by reading the silly and satirical 2016 Flintstones comics from Mark Russell and Steve Pugh. The Flintstones are living in a modern take on the same ancient city of Bedrock, dealing with issues like religion, politics, war, and consumerism, trying to be the best people they can as the help forge civilization itself.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:06 - Welcome and banter 00:03:36 - Spoiler free thoughts: The Flintstones (comics 2016) 00
The Flintstones (2016 comics)
Episode 250. We celebrate the milestone of our 250th episode by reading the silly and satirical 2016 Flintstones comics from Mark Russell and Steve Pugh. The Flintstones are living in a modern take on the same ancient city of Bedrock, dealing with issues like religion, politics, war, and consumerism, trying to be the best people they can as the help forge civilization itself.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:06 - Welcome and banter
00:03:36 - Spoiler free thoughts: The Flintstones (comics 2016)
00:19:08 -
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Episode 249. We can't watch the new Mario movie without taking a good hard look at the old one first. We watched the 1993 Super Mario Bros movie, specifically the "Morton-Jankel" directors' cut with unfinished extra footage. Mario Mario and Luigi Mario are brothers, plumbers, New Yorkers. When their new friend Daisy is kidnapped by goons who take her through a mysterious portal at her paleontology dig site, they follow her, armed with nothing but their wits and wrenches. The brothers fi
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Episode 249. We can't watch the new Mario movie without taking a good hard look at the old one first. We watched the 1993 Super Mario Bros movie, specifically the "Morton-Jankel" directors' cut with unfinished extra footage. Mario Mario and Luigi Mario are brothers, plumbers, New Yorkers. When their new friend Daisy is kidnapped by goons who take her through a mysterious portal at her paleontology dig site, they follow her, armed with nothing but their wits and wrenches. The brothers fight to re
Arcane: League of Legends
Episode 248. We watched the first season of the Netflix animated series Arcane, based in the world of League of Legends. Amidst conflict between the high-class metropolis of Piltover and its neglected and crime-ridden undercity of Zaun, sisters Vi and Powder fight to stay alive and make a difference for their community. After a mistake that costs the lives of their friends, the sisters split up and meet again years later, when Powder is now known as the unpredictable terrorist Jinx. As
Arcane: League of Legends
Episode 248. We watched the first season of the Netflix animated series Arcane, based in the world of League of Legends. Amidst conflict between the high-class metropolis of Piltover and its neglected and crime-ridden undercity of Zaun, sisters Vi and Powder fight to stay alive and make a difference for their community. After a mistake that costs the lives of their friends, the sisters split up and meet again years later, when Powder is now known as the unpredictable terrorist Jinx. As Piltover
The Fast and Furious 7-9
Episode 247. We are now full members of the family as we finish all the movies in the Fast Saga: Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and some bonus talk on the spinoff movie Hobbs & Shaw (2019). The family rescues a kidnapped hacker who created an omnipotent software called God's Eye, with Brian enjoying one last action-packed job before he leaves for a quiet life with Mia and their kids, as the series honors the late Paul Walker. Then, the family believes that Dom has t
The Fast and Furious 7-9
Episode 247. We are now full members of the family as we finish all the movies in the Fast Saga: Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and some bonus talk on the spinoff movie Hobbs & Shaw (2019). The family rescues a kidnapped hacker who created an omnipotent software called God's Eye, with Brian enjoying one last action-packed job before he leaves for a quiet life with Mia and their kids, as the series honors the late Paul Walker. Then, the family believes t
Angelyne
Episode 246. We watched Angelyne, a five-episode limited series from Peacock dramatizing true events. A mysterious woman called Angelyne started putting up billboards for herself around Los Angeles in the early 80s, unclear about exactly what she was promoting, just that she wanted to be a star. She became a fixture of the city, driving around in the city selling her own merchandise out of the trunk of her pink Corvette. The city loved her but was puzzled by her, never knowing her real
Angelyne
Episode 246. We watched Angelyne, a five-episode limited series from Peacock dramatizing true events. A mysterious woman called Angelyne started putting up billboards for herself around Los Angeles in the early 80s, unclear about exactly what she was promoting, just that she wanted to be a star. She became a fixture of the city, driving around in the city selling her own merchandise out of the trunk of her pink Corvette. The city loved her but was puzzled by her, never knowing her real identity.
Shazam and the Seven Magic Lands
Episode 245. We read the 2018 comic series Shazam and the Seven Magic Lands by writer Geoff Johns. Billy Batson and his adopted siblings find that whey they transform into their superpowered alter egos and visit the Rock of Eternity, they can travel to other magical lands. While exploring worlds of infinite amusement parks, talking animals, and living video games, they find the citizens aren't welcoming to strangers from other lands. They also have the villainous Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind
Shazam and the Seven Magic Lands
Episode 245. We read the 2018 comic series Shazam and the Seven Magic Lands by writer Geoff Johns. Billy Batson and his adopted siblings find that whey they transform into their superpowered alter egos and visit the Rock of Eternity, they can travel to other magical lands. While exploring worlds of infinite amusement parks, talking animals, and living video games, they find the citizens aren't welcoming to strangers from other lands. They also have the villainous Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind on their
Michael Clayton
Episode 244. We watched the 2007 legal thriller Michael Clayton, written and directed by Tony Gilroy. Michael Clayton is a "fixer" for his law firm, cleaning up messes for their prestigious clients. They're defending the manufacturer of a potentially carcinogenic pesticide when the head lawyer on that case suffers a mental breakdown, and turns against the client. Michael Clayton has to look after his friend's wellness and smooth over relations with the client, while investigating claims
Michael Clayton
Episode 244. We watched the 2007 legal thriller Michael Clayton, written and directed by Tony Gilroy. Michael Clayton is a "fixer" for his law firm, cleaning up messes for their prestigious clients. They're defending the manufacturer of a potentially carcinogenic pesticide when the head lawyer on that case suffers a mental breakdown, and turns against the client. Michael Clayton has to look after his friend's wellness and smooth over relations with the client, while investigating claims of evide
The Fast And The Furious 4-6
Episode 243. We're continuing our ongoing monthly discussion on the Fast saga, covering Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), and Fast & Furious 6 (2013). Brian reunites with the Torettos after Lettie is mysteriously murdered while trying to infiltrate a drug ring. Dom is already on the run from the law, and taking down Lettie's killer could make him a visible target to both criminals and police. Then the family hides out in Brazil, where they call upon all their past friends to help steal a
The Fast And The Furious 4-6
Episode 243. We're continuing our ongoing monthly discussion on the Fast saga, covering Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), and Fast & Furious 6 (2013). Brian reunites with the Torettos after Lettie is mysteriously murdered while trying to infiltrate a drug ring. Dom is already on the run from the law, and taking down Lettie's killer could make him a visible target to both criminals and police. Then the family hides out in Brazil, where they call upon all their past friends
The Handmaiden
Episode 242. We watched The Handmaiden, a 2016 South Korean film by director Park Chan-wook. In this erotic crime thriller, pickpocket Sook-hee takes a job as a handmaiden to the sheltered Lady Hideko, with the secret goal to convince her to marry Count Fujiwara, a fellow criminal who has hatched this plan with Sook-hee to steal the lady's riches. While the two women develop a close relationship, the scheme proceeds and opens up a web of betrayal, deceit, and unforeseen twists.
00:00:00 - Intro
The Handmaiden
Episode 242. We watched The Handmaiden, a 2016 South Korean film by director Park Chan-wook. In this erotic crime thriller, pickpocket Sook-hee takes a job as a handmaiden to the sheltered Lady Hideko, with the secret goal to convince her to marry Count Fujiwara, a fellow criminal who has hatched this plan with Sook-hee to steal the lady's riches. While the two women develop a close relationship, the scheme proceeds and opens up a web of betrayal, deceit, and unforeseen twists.00:00:00
The Left Right Game
Episode 241. We listened to the audio drama The Left Right Game, created and written by Jack Anderson and starring and produced by Tessa Thompson. Alice is a journalist who finds the story of the Left Right Game, an urban legend where you drive your car in a left turn, a right turn, a left, a right, on and on until you pass into another dimension. Alice joins a caravan of cars trying to go farther into this world than anyone has before, led by a friendly but mysterious veteran of the game who ma
The Left Right Game
Episode 241. We listened to the audio drama The Left Right Game, created and written by Jack Anderson and starring and produced by Tessa Thompson. Alice is a journalist who finds the story of the Left Right Game, an urban legend where you drive your car in a left turn, a right turn, a left, a right, on and on until you pass into another dimension. Alice joins a caravan of cars trying to go farther into this world than anyone has before, led by a friendly but mysterious veteran of the ga
Red Sonja (Gail Simone)
Episode 240. We read the complete three volume run of Red Sonja, from writer Gail Simone and artist Walter Geovani. Red Sonja is a legendary hero in her fantasy world, known as the devil with a sword, slaying foes for whoever will pay her in gold, meat, and alcohol. She defends a small plague-ridden town from an old friend who's been driven mad by the shared trauma they both survived, she ferries the six greatest artisans in the land to the farewell party of a dying king, and she fights
Red Sonja (Gail Simone)
Episode 240. We read the complete three volume run of Red Sonja, from writer Gail Simone and artist Walter Geovani. Red Sonja is a legendary hero in her fantasy world, known as the devil with a sword, slaying foes for whoever will pay her in gold, meat, and alcohol. She defends a small plague-ridden town from an old friend who's been driven mad by the shared trauma they both survived, she ferries the six greatest artisans in the land to the farewell party of a dying king, and she fights against
The Fast & The Furious 1-3
Episode 239. Crack open the Coronas for our first monthly ongoing series of the year, covering the Fast & Furious saga! We watched The Fast and The Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), and The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), with the next three movies coming next month. Brian O'Conner is an undercover officer infiltrating the street-racing scene in Los Angeles, trying to stop a group of mysterious drivers from stealing 2001's most precious commodity: DVD players. He bonds with the
The Fast & The Furious 1-3
Episode 239. Crack open the Coronas for our first monthly ongoing series of the year, covering the Fast & Furious saga! We watched The Fast and The Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), and The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), with the next three movies coming next month. Brian O'Conner is an undercover officer infiltrating the street-racing scene in Los Angeles, trying to stop a group of mysterious drivers from stealing 2001's most precious commodity: DVD players. He bo
Swiss Army Man
Episode 238. We watched Swiss Army Man, a 2016 film by the Daniels, the directorial team behind Everything Everywhere All At Once! Hank is shipwrecked on an island, at the end of his rope, when a body washes up on shore. He's able to ride the flatulent corpse back to the mainland, where the body slowly wakes back up sentience. Hank calls his new friend Manny, and teaches him what it means to be alive again, reminding him about love and all of life's tiny joys. Using Manny's whimsical undead powe
Swiss Army Man
Episode 238. We watched Swiss Army Man, a 2016 film by the Daniels, the directorial team behind Everything Everywhere All At Once! Hank is shipwrecked on an island, at the end of his rope, when a body washes up on shore. He's able to ride the flatulent corpse back to the mainland, where the body slowly wakes back up sentience. Hank calls his new friend Manny, and teaches him what it means to be alive again, reminding him about love and all of life's tiny joys. Using Manny's whimsical un
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Episode 237. We watched the 2011 anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a deconstruction of the magical girl genre. Madoka and her friends fantasize about being magical girls, but when they meet a classmate who really has this secret identity, they learn about the dark bargain you have to make to gain that power. A cute alien creature asks you to sign a contract, granting you any wish, in exchange for your services battling evil witches. There's no way out of the contract, and you'll a
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Episode 237. We watched the 2011 anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a deconstruction of the magical girl genre. Madoka and her friends fantasize about being magical girls, but when they meet a classmate who really has this secret identity, they learn about the dark bargain you have to make to gain that power. A cute alien creature asks you to sign a contract, granting you any wish, in exchange for your services battling evil witches. There's no way out of the contract, and you'll almost cer
John Wick 1-3
Episode 236. We're kicking off 2023 with the action-packed John Wick franchise, covering the first three movies in anticipation of the fourth chapter releasing later this year. John Wick is a retired assassin who is reeling from the death of his wife, focusing on caring for his beloved car and the puppy that his wife adopted for him before she died. When his car is stolen and his dog is endangered, John returns to his violent past to take revenge, and everyone in the criminal underground takes n
John Wick 1-3
Episode 236. We're kicking off 2023 with the action-packed John Wick franchise, covering the first three movies in anticipation of the fourth chapter releasing later this year. John Wick is a retired assassin who is reeling from the death of his wife, focusing on caring for his beloved car and the puppy that his wife adopted for him before she died. When his car is stolen and his dog is endangered, John returns to his violent past to take revenge, and everyone in the criminal undergroun
7 Year Anniversary Retrospective
Kyle and Melissa and a surprise appearance by Ignacio are here for our annual year-end celebration! We discuss Avatar: The Way of Water, the antics at the Game Awards, very specific adult coloring books, the trailers for Oppenheimer and Barbie, our favorite podcast episodes this past year, what performed well and what we had the most fun recording, and all the benefits that Fringe brought into our lives.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:02 - Welcome and banter
00:05:26 - John Wick 3 and Avatar: The Way of
7 Year Anniversary Retrospective
Kyle and Melissa and a surprise appearance by Ignacio are here for our annual year-end celebration! We discuss Avatar: The Way of Water, the antics at the Game Awards, very specific adult coloring books, the trailers for Oppenheimer and Barbie, our favorite podcast episodes this past year, what performed well and what we had the most fun recording, and all the benefits that Fringe brought into our lives.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:02 - Welcome and banter 00:05:26 - John Wick 3 and Avatar: Th
Snow Day
Episode 235. We end our year with a blast from the past, watching Snow Day, a Nickelodeon movie from 2000. Snowfall suddenly hits a town plagued by an unusually warm winter, and everyone in the Brandston family wants to live their snow day to the fullest. A teenage boy makes elaborate plans to ask out the girl of his dreams, a father struggles to prove himself as the best news weatherman in town, and a young girl tries to take down the town's dastardly Snow Plow Man to achieve the mythical two s
Snow Day
Episode 235. We end our year with a blast from the past, watching Snow Day, a Nickelodeon movie from 2000. Snowfall suddenly hits a town plagued by an unusually warm winter, and everyone in the Brandston family wants to live their snow day to the fullest. A teenage boy makes elaborate plans to ask out the girl of his dreams, a father struggles to prove himself as the best news weatherman in town, and a young girl tries to take down the town's dastardly Snow Plow Man to achieve the mythi
The Muppets Christmas Carol
Episode 234. To start a festive December, we watched 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine stars as Scrooge, confronted by three fantastical ghosts to help him look back on the lost joys and sorrows of Christmases in his life, and look forward to how he can change and help his community for the better. Gonzo plays Charles Dickens, joined by Rizzo the Rat to follow the action and narrate this heartfelt classic.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:06 - Welcome and banter 00:03:08 - Spoiler f
The Muppets Christmas Carol
Episode 234. To start a festive December, we watched 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine stars as Scrooge, confronted by three fantastical ghosts to help him look back on the lost joys and sorrows of Christmases in his life, and look forward to how he can change and help his community for the better. Gonzo plays Charles Dickens, joined by Rizzo the Rat to follow the action and narrate this heartfelt classic.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:06 - Welcome and banter
00:03:08 - Spoiler free thou
Kaijumax vol. 5-6
Episode 233. We're concluding our discussion on Zander Cannon's comic series Kaijumax, talking about the final two volumes! We expand our view on Kaijumax, visiting the court system, death row, and victim reconciliation programs at the prison. But business as normal grinds to a halt when an alien attack threatens Earth, and the kaiju are encouraged to volunteer for the war effort, in exchange for reduced sentences. On the outside, Electogor is able to reunite with his daughter, and other inmates
Kaijumax vol. 5-6
Episode 233. We're concluding our discussion on Zander Cannon's comic series Kaijumax, talking about the final two volumes! We expand our view on Kaijumax, visiting the court system, death row, and victim reconciliation programs at the prison. But business as normal grinds to a halt when an alien attack threatens Earth, and the kaiju are encouraged to volunteer for the war effort, in exchange for reduced sentences. On the outside, Electogor is able to reunite with his daughter, and othe
Die vol. 1-2
Episode 232. We read the first half of the comic series Die, from Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans. In 1991, a group of teenagers play a tabletop RPG, and find themselves sucked into the dangerous fantasy world. Decades after their escape, they return to try and find the gamemaster who didn't make it out. Time has passed as normal in the world of Die, and these adults have to face the consequences of the desperate choices they made in their youth, especially as they realize this may be a place w
Die vol. 1-2
Episode 232. We read the first half of the comic series Die, from Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans. In 1991, a group of teenagers play a tabletop RPG, and find themselves sucked into the dangerous fantasy world. Decades after their escape, they return to try and find the gamemaster who didn't make it out. Time has passed as normal in the world of Die, and these adults have to face the consequences of the desperate choices they made in their youth, especially as they realize this may be
Megamind
Episode 231. This week we watched Megamind, a 2010 animated film from Dreamworks. Megamind is an alien supervillain who lives to wreak havoc on Metro City and fight the superhero Metro Man. When his plans finally succeed and he destroys his enemy, he feels more empty than victorious. He trains a new superhero so he has someone to fight again, but as the would-be hero turns to the dark side, Megamind has to step up and become the hero his city needs.The Whatnauts present The Review Show,
Megamind
Episode 231. This week we watched Megamind, a 2010 animated film from Dreamworks. Megamind is an alien supervillain who lives to wreak havoc on Metro City and fight the superhero Metro Man. When his plans finally succeed and he destroys his enemy, he feels more empty than victorious. He trains a new superhero so he has someone to fight again, but as the would-be hero turns to the dark side, Megamind has to step up and become the hero his city needs.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekl
Kaijumax vol. 3-4
Episode 230. We're continuing our coverage of Zander Cannon's comic series Kaijumax, talking about volumes 3 and 4 this week, and finishing up the series at the end of the month! Electogor is back in prison, this time accompanied by his young son. To protect himself and his family, he puts a hit out on an old foe -- who turns up dead before any other monsters can get to him. Meanwhile, Electogor's ferocious daughter is in the women's wing of Kaijumax, which sees its own share of threats
Kaijumax vol. 3-4
Episode 230. We're continuing our coverage of Zander Cannon's comic series Kaijumax, talking about volumes 3 and 4 this week, and finishing up the series at the end of the month! Electogor is back in prison, this time accompanied by his young son. To protect himself and his family, he puts a hit out on an old foe -- who turns up dead before any other monsters can get to him. Meanwhile, Electogor's ferocious daughter is in the women's wing of Kaijumax, which sees its own share of threats from the
The Twilight Zone
Episode 229. We finish off the Halloween season this year by discussing a selection of episodes from The Twilight Zone! We cover the mysterious isolation of Where Is Everybody?, the mob panic of The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, the wandering mannequins of The After Hours, the devilish twists of The Howling Man, the threats from beyond in Long Distance Call, and the omnipotent terror of It's a Good Life.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:06 - Welcome and banter
00:04:37 - Spoiler free thoughts: The Twi
The Twilight Zone
Episode 229. We finish off the Halloween season this year by discussing a selection of episodes from The Twilight Zone! We cover the mysterious isolation of Where Is Everybody?, the mob panic of The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, the wandering mannequins of The After Hours, the devilish twists of The Howling Man, the threats from beyond in Long Distance Call, and the omnipotent terror of It's a Good Life.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:06 - Welcome and banter 00:04:37 - Spoiler free thoughts:
Servant s1
Episode 228. We watched season one of the Apple TV+ show Servant, produced by M. Night Shyamalan! After the death of their baby, a family uses a lifelike doll to help the distraught mother out of a catatonic state of grief. She believes this doll to be her real son, and hires a shy young woman as a live-in nanny. The girl keeps up the act, even when the mother isn't around. The husband is suspicious of the girl's origins and motives, and the unusual effects she's having on the household. After a
Servant s1
Episode 228. We watched season one of the Apple TV+ show Servant, produced by M. Night Shyamalan! After the death of their baby, a family uses a lifelike doll to help the distraught mother out of a catatonic state of grief. She believes this doll to be her real son, and hires a shy young woman as a live-in nanny. The girl keeps up the act, even when the mother isn't around. The husband is suspicious of the girl's origins and motives, and the unusual effects she's having on the household
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Episode 227. We watched the 1971 film The Abominable Dr. Phibes, starring horror icon Vincent Price! Everyone believed that Dr. Phibes died in a car accident while rushing to the aid of his wife, who died in surgery. But Dr. Phibes survived, disfigured and set on revenge. He's murdering each of his wife's doctors using schemes inspired by biblical plagues, with the help of his PhD in theology, his stylish assistant, an animatronic band, a vat of brussel sprouts, and other inexplicable d
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Episode 227. We watched the 1971 film The Abominable Dr. Phibes, starring horror icon Vincent Price! Everyone believed that Dr. Phibes died in a car accident while rushing to the aid of his wife, who died in surgery. But Dr. Phibes survived, disfigured and set on revenge. He's murdering each of his wife's doctors using schemes inspired by biblical plagues, with the help of his PhD in theology, his stylish assistant, an animatronic band, a vat of brussel sprouts, and other inexplicable details in
Junji Ito’s Shiver
Episode 226. We read Shiver, an anthology of short stories by the manga master of horror Junji Ito! These nine unconnected stories show us everyday feelings and fears blown up into striking terror. A model taunts her painter, saying he'll never capture even a fraction of her unnatural beauty. A man's dreams start to feel like they're taking years and he barely remembers the previous day when he wakes up. Fans are willing to kill for the rare recording of a song that was sung from beyond
Junji Ito’s Shiver
Episode 226. We read Shiver, an anthology of short stories by the manga master of horror Junji Ito! These nine unconnected stories show us everyday feelings and fears blown up into striking terror. A model taunts her painter, saying he'll never capture even a fraction of her unnatural beauty. A man's dreams start to feel like they're taking years and he barely remembers the previous day when he wakes up. Fans are willing to kill for the rare recording of a song that was sung from beyond the grav
Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U
Episode 225. We're kicking off our spooky month with the horror-comedy films Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019), directed by Christopher Landon. Tree is a college student who already hates dealing with her birthday, and then she's murdered by a mysterious masked figure. She finds herself stuck in a time loop, living this birthday over and over again until she can figure out her killer's identity. In the sequel, just when she's managed to escape, a campus science experiment thro
Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U
Episode 225. We're kicking off our spooky month with the horror-comedy films Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019), directed by Christopher Landon. Tree is a college student who already hates dealing with her birthday, and then she's murdered by a mysterious masked figure. She finds herself stuck in a time loop, living this birthday over and over again until she can figure out her killer's identity. In the sequel, just when she's managed to escape, a campus science experi
Kaijumax vol. 1-2
Episode 224. We're starting a new monthly ongoing series reading the Kaijuxmax comics by writer and artist Zander Cannon! Kaijumax is a remote island prison for huge monsters of all kinds: aliens, robots, nuclear disasters, and creatures from myth. Electrogor is a giant orange bugman and single father just trying to stay under the radar and keep his kids fed. When he's thrown into prison, he has to deal with gangs, prejudice, unscrupulous guards, the uranium drug trade, and the struggle to escap
Kaijumax vol. 1-2
Episode 224. We're starting a new monthly ongoing series reading the Kaijuxmax comics by writer and artist Zander Cannon! Kaijumax is a remote island prison for huge monsters of all kinds: aliens, robots, nuclear disasters, and creatures from myth. Electrogor is a giant orange bugman and single father just trying to stay under the radar and keep his kids fed. When he's thrown into prison, he has to deal with gangs, prejudice, unscrupulous guards, the uranium drug trade, and the struggle
Once & Future vol. 1-2
Episode 223. We read the first two volumes of the comic Once and Future, by Kieron Gillen, with art by Dan Mora and colors by Tamra Bonvillain. Hardened monster-hunter Bridgette has to bring her unsuspecting adult grandson Duncan into the family business when a magical artifact manifests the legendary King Arthur, bent on conquering modern-day Great Britain. In a world where myths can be brought to life, the family has to embody these archetypal characters to gain their power and turn t
Once & Future vol. 1-2
Episode 223. We read the first two volumes of the comic Once and Future, by Kieron Gillen, with art by Dan Mora and colors by Tamra Bonvillain. Hardened monster-hunter Bridgette has to bring her unsuspecting adult grandson Duncan into the family business when a magical artifact manifests the legendary King Arthur, bent on conquering modern-day Great Britain. In a world where myths can be brought to life, the family has to embody these archetypal characters to gain their power and turn the tide o
Titanic
Episode 222. This time in Shametember, we watched the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, a movie Kyle had never seen and Melissa had never finished because she was a child and the sinking scenes were too scary! An elderly woman tells her story to a modern-day diving team exploring the shipwrecked Titanic, immersing the audience in her experience as a passenger on the ship, her realization of its doom, her fight for survival, and the whirlwind romance that helped save her life.
The Whatnauts present The R
Titanic
Episode 222. This time in Shametember, we watched the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, a movie Kyle had never seen and Melissa had never finished because she was a child and the sinking scenes were too scary! An elderly woman tells her story to a modern-day diving team exploring the shipwrecked Titanic, immersing the audience in her experience as a passenger on the ship, her realization of its doom, her fight for survival, and the whirlwind romance that helped save her life.The Whatnauts prese
The Godfather Trilogy
Episode 221. It's Shametember again, when we pick movies from our "list of shame" of influential films we can't believe we've never seen. This week, we watched all three Godfather films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel by Mario Puzo. Spanning the twentieth century, we see the Coroleones struggle to build and keep their place in the organized crime world, turning against each other and abandoning their moral codes as they attempt to protect the family legacy.00:00:00
The Godfather Trilogy
Episode 221. It's Shametember again, when we pick movies from our "list of shame" of influential films we can't believe we've never seen. This week, we watched all three Godfather films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel by Mario Puzo. Spanning the twentieth century, we see the Coroleones struggle to build and keep their place in the organized crime world, turning against each other and abandoning their moral codes as they attempt to protect the family legacy.
00:00:00 - Intro
Fringe Season 5
Episode 220. We conclude our monthly coverage of Fringe by talking about the fifth and final season! Stuck in a dystopian future where the Observers have taken over, the team struggles to stay under their radar and uncover a forgotten plan that Walter created years ago. As they deal with both losses and reunions, the team confronts their greatest fears and how much they're willing to sacrifice to return to the world to what they knew before.00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:06 - Welcome and banter
Fringe Season 5
Episode 220. We conclude our monthly coverage of Fringe by talking about the fifth and final season! Stuck in a dystopian future where the Observers have taken over, the team struggles to stay under their radar and uncover a forgotten plan that Walter created years ago. As they deal with both losses and reunions, the team confronts their greatest fears and how much they're willing to sacrifice to return to the world to what they knew before.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:06 - Welcome and banter
00:04:0
The Afterparty
Episode 219. We watched season one of the Apple TV+ comedy The Afterparty, created by Christopher Miller! Following their 15-year high school reunion, a group of alumni have gone to an afterparty at the home of former student and current pop star Xavier. The night turns to chaos and Xavier is murdered. As a detective interviews the party attendees, they tell their story of the night's events, each seeing the world through the lens of a different film genre.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show,
The Afterparty s1
Episode 219. We watched season one of the Apple TV+ comedy The Afterparty, created by Christopher Miller! Following their 15-year high school reunion, a group of alumni have gone to an afterparty at the home of former student and current pop star Xavier. The night turns to chaos and Xavier is murdered. As a detective interviews the party attendees, they tell their story of the night's events, each seeing the world through the lens of a different film genre.The Whatnauts present The Revi
The Gray Man
Episode 218. We watched the new Netflix action movie from the Russo brothers, The Gray Man! A man code-named only "Six" is a secret assassin for a branch of the CIA. When he learns he's being used to kill enemies of his corrupt boss, he goes rouge, and a cruel mercenary who failed out of the program is brought in to hunt him down. Six tries to stay ahead of death, while also trying to save the kidnapped niece of mentor, the only man in the CIA who believes he can still trust.
The Whatnauts prese
The Gray Man
Episode 218. We watched the new Netflix action movie from the Russo brothers, The Gray Man! A man code-named only "Six" is a secret assassin for a branch of the CIA. When he learns he's being used to kill enemies of his corrupt boss, he goes rouge, and a cruel mercenary who failed out of the program is brought in to hunt him down. Six tries to stay ahead of death, while also trying to save the kidnapped niece of mentor, the only man in the CIA who believes he can still trust.The Whatnau
The Muppet Movie
Episode 217. Melissa is on vacation visiting Kyle for our first episode recorded in person! We're discussing a classic road trip story, 1979's The Muppet Movie. Kermit the Frog leaves behind his swamp with just a banjo and a dream to make it big in Hollywood. He gathers friends along the way, who will help him escape from a frog leg restauranteur who wants to turn him into a new mascot.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture.
The Muppet Movie
Episode 217. Melissa is on vacation visiting Kyle for our first episode recorded in person! We're discussing a classic road trip story, 1979's The Muppet Movie. Kermit the Frog leaves behind his swamp with just a banjo and a dream to make it big in Hollywood. He gathers friends along the way, who will help him escape from a frog leg restauranteur who wants to turn him into a new mascot.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover
Fringe Season 4
Episode 216. We're continuing our monthly discussion on Fringe, talking about the penultimate fourth season! The Observers have erased Peter from the timeline, but that isn't enough to remove Walter and Olivia's subconscious memories of him. Peter finds his way back to existence and struggles with rekindling his relationships with these alternate versions of his loved ones, as the team also faces the return of familiar old threats we thought were defeated.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show,
Fringe Season 4
Episode 216. We're continuing our monthly discussion on Fringe, talking about the penultimate fourth season! The Observers have erased Peter from the timeline, but that isn't enough to remove Walter and Olivia's subconscious memories of him. Peter finds his way back to existence and struggles with rekindling his relationships with these alternate versions of his loved ones, as the team also faces the return of familiar old threats we thought were defeated.The Whatnauts present The Revie
The Billion Dollar Code
Episode 215. We watched a German drama series on Netflix called The Billion Dollar Code, based on true events. In 1990s Berlin, a programmer and a digital media artist create software to virtually fly the user around the world and let them zoom in to see anywhere they want. They think they can make this program a success -- until Google Earth debuts. Years later, the team takes Google to court to prove the massive company infringed on their patent for this revolutionary software.The Wha
The Billion Dollar Code
Episode 215. We watched a German drama series on Netflix called The Billion Dollar Code, based on true events. In 1990s Berlin, a programmer and a digital media artist create software to virtually fly the user around the world and let them zoom in to see anywhere they want. They think they can make this program a success -- until Google Earth debuts. Years later, the team takes Google to court to prove the massive company infringed on their patent for this revolutionary software.
The Whatnauts p
Starfire
Episode 214. We read the 2015 Starfire miniseries from DC Comics, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Starfire is an alien princess, a superhero, and now a citizen of Key West, Florida. She goes to the vacation town to try to live a normal life and better understand human customs and relationships. She's still called into action to fight monsters and save people from hurricanes, while she struggles with everyday problems like flirtatious suitors, job hunts, and grocery shoppin
Starfire
Episode 214. We read the 2015 Starfire miniseries from DC Comics, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Starfire is an alien princess, a superhero, and now a citizen of Key West, Florida. She goes to the vacation town to try to live a normal life and better understand human customs and relationships. She's still called into action to fight monsters and save people from hurricanes, while she struggles with everyday problems like flirtatious suitors, job hunts, and grocery shopping.
The Wh
Destroy All Monsters
Episode 213. We watched the 1968 Japanese kaiju movie Destroy All Monsters! Godzilla and other infamous monsters are living in the protected habitat of Monster Island, until they escape and begin attacking world monuments. The scientists trace this disaster back to mind-controlling aliens who want to distract the world so they can start their takeover in Japan. The scientists may be able to bring the monsters back to their side, but can they also defeat the aliens' secret monster weapon
Destroy All Monsters
Episode 213. We watched the 1968 Japanese kaiju movie Destroy All Monsters! Godzilla and other infamous monsters are living in the protected habitat of Monster Island, until they escape and begin attacking world monuments. The scientists trace this disaster back to mind-controlling aliens who want to distract the world so they can start their takeover in Japan. The scientists may be able to bring the monsters back to their side, but can they also defeat the aliens' secret monster weapon, King Gi
National Treasure 1 & 2
Episode 212. It's 4th of July weekend and we promised ourselves a Nicolas Cage movie at some point this year -- of course we're watching the National Treasure movies. Ben Gates's family has been mocked for generations for their belief in a hidden Freemason treasure trove, and he's determined to solve the clues to bring those treasures to the world, and bring a good name back to his ancestors. He has to face the unthinkable, stealing the Declaration of Independence to access its hidden p
National Treasure 1 & 2
Episode 212. It's 4th of July weekend and we promised ourselves a Nicolas Cage movie at some point this year -- of course we're watching the National Treasure movies. Ben Gates's family has been mocked for generations for their belief in a hidden Freemason treasure trove, and he's determined to solve the clues to bring those treasures to the world, and bring a good name back to his ancestors. He has to face the unthinkable, stealing the Declaration of Independence to access its hidden puzzles, a
Fringe Season 3
Episode 211. We're continuing our discussion on Fringe this month, talking about season three! Olivia fights her way back home from the alternate universe, as "Fauxlivia" secretly takes her place, infiltrating the team and continuing Olivia's blossoming romance with Peter. Walter struggles to keep up with "Walternate" and his plans for revenge, while Peter deals with a mysterious machine that responds only to him and his unique role to play in both of these universes.The Whatnauts prese
Fringe Season 3
Episode 211. We're continuing our discussion on Fringe this month, talking about season three! Olivia fights her way back home from the alternate universe, as "Fauxlivia" secretly takes her place, infiltrating the team and continuing Olivia's blossoming romance with Peter. Walter struggles to keep up with "Walternate" and his plans for revenge, while Peter deals with a mysterious machine that responds only to him and his unique role to play in both of these universes.
The Whatnauts present The R
RRR
Episode 210. This week we watched the 2022 blockbuster action film from India, RRR! In a tumultuous time of colonialism and revolt, two strangers team up to save a community from a freak accident and become instant friends. One is on a secret mission to rescue a young girl who was abducted by the British general, and another is one of the general's top soldiers, sworn to find the man who is rumored to attack the manor. As the two men learn of each other's pasts, they find that their fri
RRR
Episode 210. This week we watched the 2022 blockbuster action film from India, RRR! In a tumultuous time of colonialism and revolt, two strangers team up to save a community from a freak accident and become instant friends. One is on a secret mission to rescue a young girl who was abducted by the British general, and another is one of the general's top soldiers, sworn to find the man who is rumored to attack the manor. As the two men learn of each other's pasts, they find that their friendship m
Angels in America
Episode 209. We watched the 2003 HBO miniseries Angels in America, based off the Broadway play. It's the mid-1980s in New York City, the height of the AIDS crisis. A young man is dealing with his illness and a breakup with his boyfriend when a terrifying ethereal angel comes to him in a vision and proclaims him to be a prophet. As he struggles with his path forward, and how he can even survive to follow that path, his journey intertwines with other New Yorkers experiencing their own illnesses, s
Angels in America
Episode 209. We watched the 2003 HBO miniseries Angels in America, based off the Broadway play. It's the mid-1980s in New York City, the height of the AIDS crisis. A young man is dealing with his illness and a breakup with his boyfriend when a terrifying ethereal angel comes to him in a vision and proclaims him to be a prophet. As he struggles with his path forward, and how he can even survive to follow that path, his journey intertwines with other New Yorkers experiencing their own ill
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime vol. 1-5
Episode 208. We read the first five volumes of the manga That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime by Taiki Kawakami, based on the light novel by Fuse and illustrator Mitz Vah. A bored 37-year-old salaryman dies and finds himself reincarnated as a slime orb in a magical realm. He can absorb creatures to gain their powers, and he soon amasses a library of skills he barely understands. As he adjusts to his new life, he forges friendships and a community of loyal allies who see him as the he
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime vol. 1-5
Episode 208. We read the first five volumes of the manga That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime by Taiki Kawakami, based on the light novel by Fuse and illustrator Mitz Vah. A bored 37-year-old salaryman dies and finds himself reincarnated as a slime orb in a magical realm. He can absorb creatures to gain their powers, and he soon amasses a library of skills he barely understands. As he adjusts to his new life, he forges friendships and a community of loyal allies who see him as the hero he nev
Fringe Season 2
Episode 207. We're continuing the sci-fi drama Fringe with a discussion on season two! As shapeshifters and other threats travel from the alternate dimension to signal the coming war, Peter struggles with his own origin story in that dimension. Walter deals with the long-overdue aftermath of some of his worst decisions as a scientist and a parent. Olivia hones her psychic powers and tries to keep her team together. Also, a musical episode!The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly
Fringe Season 2
Episode 207. We're continuing the sci-fi drama Fringe with a discussion on season two! As shapeshifters and other threats travel from the alternate dimension to signal the coming war, Peter struggles with his own origin story in that dimension. Walter deals with the long-overdue aftermath of some of his worst decisions as a scientist and a parent. Olivia hones her psychic powers and tries to keep her team together. Also, a musical episode!
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book clu
Our Flag Means Death s1
Episode 206. We watched the HBO Max comedy series Our Flag Means Death! Stede Bonnet is an aristocrat who leaves behind his unfulfilling domestic life to become a pirate. He brands himself as the first Gentleman Pirate, dressing in finery, avoiding violence, and encouraging his crew to talk about their feelings. When the fearsome Blackbeard boards his ship, he stays to teach the inexperienced Stede how to fight, and Stede teaches him the more gentle pursuits of life. As they co-captain
Our Flag Means Death s1
Episode 206. We watched the HBO Max comedy series Our Flag Means Death! Stede Bonnet is an aristocrat who leaves behind his unfulfilling domestic life to become a pirate. He brands himself as the first Gentleman Pirate, dressing in finery, avoiding violence, and encouraging his crew to talk about their feelings. When the fearsome Blackbeard boards his ship, he stays to teach the inexperienced Stede how to fight, and Stede teaches him the more gentle pursuits of life. As they co-captain the ship
East of West vol. 1-2
Episode 205. We read the first two volumes of the sci-fi Western comic East of West, from Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. In a futuristic America broken up into different nation-states, three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse collaborate with a secret council of national leaders to enact a prophecy of destruction. The fourth horseman, Death, married and had a son with a human woman, and this child will be the harbinger of doom. Separated from his wife and trying to redeem his r
East of West vol. 1-2
Episode 205. We read the first two volumes of the sci-fi Western comic East of West, from Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. In a futuristic America broken up into different nation-states, three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse collaborate with a secret council of national leaders to enact a prophecy of destruction. The fourth horseman, Death, married and had a son with a human woman, and this child will be the harbinger of doom. Separated from his wife and trying to redeem his reputation
Twister
Episode 204. We celebrate Kyle's move to Oklahoma by watching the 1996 disaster movie Twister! Bill and Jo are two passionate stormchasers in the process of finalizing their divorce. Bill is trying to start a new, quieter life as a TV weatherman when he agrees to join Jo on one last impromptu research trip. They designed a tracking device together that could help develop a more advanced tornado warning system, and today's intense weather looks like the perfect time to experiment. As the
Twister
Episode 204. We celebrate Kyle's move to Oklahoma by watching the 1996 disaster movie Twister! Bill and Jo are two passionate stormchasers in the process of finalizing their divorce. Bill is trying to start a new, quieter life as a TV weatherman when he agrees to join Jo on one last impromptu research trip. They designed a tracking device together that could help develop a more advanced tornado warning system, and today's intense weather looks like the perfect time to experiment. As their ragtag
Deadpool 1 & 2
Episode 203. This week we watched both Deadpool movies and discussed how these R-rated meta action-comedies could find a place in the MCU. Wade Wilson is a skilled mercenary who is diagnosed with cancer, and turns to an experimental medical procedure. This experiment brings out his mutant healing ability, at the cost of terrible physical disfigurement. He hides himself behind a mask and becomes the vigilante Deadpool, hunting down the scientists who put him through this experiment. He t
Deadpool 1 & 2
Episode 203. This week we watched both Deadpool movies and discussed how these R-rated meta action-comedies could find a place in the MCU. Wade Wilson is a skilled mercenary who is diagnosed with cancer, and turns to an experimental medical procedure. This experiment brings out his mutant healing ability, at the cost of terrible physical disfigurement. He hides himself behind a mask and becomes the vigilante Deadpool, hunting down the scientists who put him through this experiment. He teams up w
Fringe Season 1
Episode 202. We watched the first season of the 2008 sci-fi drama Fringe, and we'll be finishing the show over the next several months! Strange psuedo-science mysteries are appearing, and the FBI assembles a "fringe division" to investigate the pattern and larger source to these threats. Agent Olivia Dunham teams up with the eccentric Dr. Walter Bishop and his estranged adult son Peter, determined to follow every lead -- and find secrets buried in their own personal histories.The Whatna
Fringe Season 1
Episode 202. We watched the first season of the 2008 sci-fi drama Fringe, and we'll be finishing the show over the next several months! Strange psuedo-science mysteries are appearing, and the FBI assembles a "fringe division" to investigate the pattern and larger source to these threats. Agent Olivia Dunham teams up with the eccentric Dr. Walter Bishop and his estranged adult son Peter, determined to follow every lead -- and find secrets buried in their own personal histories.
The Whatnauts pres
Thor: Goddess of Thunder
Episode 201. We read the first two volumes of Jason Aaron's Thor comics featuring the Goddess of Thunder! After Thor becomes unworthy of Mjolnir, he bestows his name and heroic legacy to the mysterious masked woman whom the hammer chooses as its next wielder. Our new Thor deals with the threats posed by dark elves and the Roxxon corporation, while trying to hide her identity as Jane Foster. Jane is honored by her new powers, even as they take a terrible toll on her health.The Whatnauts
Thor: Goddess of Thunder
Episode 201. We read the first two volumes of Jason Aaron's Thor comics featuring the Goddess of Thunder! After Thor becomes unworthy of Mjolnir, he bestows his name and heroic legacy to the mysterious masked woman whom the hammer chooses as its next wielder. Our new Thor deals with the threats posed by dark elves and the Roxxon corporation, while trying to hide her identity as Jane Foster. Jane is honored by her new powers, even as they take a terrible toll on her health.
The Whatnauts present
Review
Episode 200. It's our 200th episode! Finally, we really learn about the concept of reviewing things from the 2014 scripted comedy series Review. Forrest MacNeil hosts a show where he reviews life experiences based on audience requests, and he has a sworn duty to embody each assignment to the fullest and provide a rating of 1-5 stars, regardless of the damage this may cause him and his loved ones. Forrest reviews stealing, eating 15 pancakes, getting divorced, eating 30 pancakes, going to space,
Review
Episode 200. It's our 200th episode! Finally, we really learn about the concept of reviewing things from the 2014 scripted comedy series Review. Forrest MacNeil hosts a show where he reviews life experiences based on audience requests, and he has a sworn duty to embody each assignment to the fullest and provide a rating of 1-5 stars, regardless of the damage this may cause him and his loved ones. Forrest reviews stealing, eating 15 pancakes, getting divorced, eating 30 pancakes, going t
Sitcom Special: Community & Arrested Development
Episode 199. We’re doing another sitcom trade, where we make each other watch shows we love that the other person has barely seen. Kyle brings us the pilot of Community and the episodes “Contemporary American Poultry” and “Remedial Chaos Theory.” Melissa brings us the pilot of Arrested Development and the episodes “Staff Infection” and “Good Grief.” We discuss faking your own death, chicken strips, 2003 time capsules, and variations on sitcom structures.The Whatnauts present The Review
Sitcom Special: Community & Arrested Development
Episode 199. We’re doing another sitcom trade, where we make each other watch shows we love that the other person has barely seen. Kyle brings us the pilot of Community and the episodes “Contemporary American Poultry” and “Remedial Chaos Theory.” Melissa brings us the pilot of Arrested Development and the episodes “Staff Infection” and “Good Grief.” We discuss faking your own death, chicken strips, 2003 time capsules, and variations on sitcom structures.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a
Godzilla (1954)
Episode 198. We watched the original Godzilla movie from 1954! When fishing boats are destroyed off the coast of a small Japanese island, the authorities search for answers while the older locals recall legend of a mythical sea beast. An ancient creature now affected by dangerous radiation, Godzilla emerges and begins to attack Tokyo. As the citizens evacuate in a panic, scientists struggle with the moral quandary of killing a truly unique being and if their weapon against him will beco
Godzilla (1954)
Episode 198. We watched the original Godzilla movie from 1954! When fishing boats are destroyed off the coast of a small Japanese island, the authorities search for answers while the older locals recall legend of a mythical sea beast. An ancient creature now affected by dangerous radiation, Godzilla emerges and begins to attack Tokyo. As the citizens evacuate in a panic, scientists struggle with the moral quandary of killing a truly unique being and if their weapon against him will become a weap
Black Swan
Episode 197. We watched Darren Aronofsky's 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan. When ballet dancer Nina is cast in the prestigious role of the swan queen in Swan Lake, she's determined to make this a perfect performance. She begins cracking under the pressure of the rehearsals, her overbearing mother, and confusing attractions and rivalries within her dance troupe. As she struggles with performing the darker half of the role, she starts to see glimpses of her own dark other half.The
Black Swan
Episode 197. We watched Darren Aronofsky's 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan. When ballet dancer Nina is cast in the prestigious role of the swan queen in Swan Lake, she's determined to make this a perfect performance. She begins cracking under the pressure of the rehearsals, her overbearing mother, and confusing attractions and rivalries within her dance troupe. As she struggles with performing the darker half of the role, she starts to see glimpses of her own dark other half.
The Whatnaut
Batman: Cout of Owls
Episode 196. We read the Batman story Court of Owls, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. This was the start of Batman's New 52 storyline, and it's a great place to jump in for new readers! Gotham City has long heard of the Court of Owls, a secret elite council who controls the city through its assassin called Talon, but most people believe it's just a ghost story. Batman himself investigated it and found nothing. But when he's attacked and thrown into a mysterious underground maze, jeered
Batman: Cout of Owls
Episode 196. We read the Batman story Court of Owls, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. This was the start of Batman's New 52 storyline, and it's a great place to jump in for new readers! Gotham City has long heard of the Court of Owls, a secret elite council who controls the city through its assassin called Talon, but most people believe it's just a ghost story. Batman himself investigated it and found nothing. But when he's attacked and thrown into a mysterious underground maze, jeered on by fi
Knights of Sidonia vol. 9-15
Episode 195. This month we finished reading the sci-fi manga series Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei. The scientists of Sidonia are continuing to experiment with human/gauna hybrids, but they're not all as successful as Tsumugi. Tanikaze's domestic life grows with new housemates and new romantic rivalries and tensions. The pilots try to distract themselves from ongoing battles with a popularity contest, but all their bonds are at stake when a member of the Sidonia's immortal crew has
Knights of Sidonia vol. 9-15
Episode 195. This month we finished reading the sci-fi manga series Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei. The scientists of Sidonia are continuing to experiment with human/gauna hybrids, but they're not all as successful as Tsumugi. Tanikaze's domestic life grows with new housemates and new romantic rivalries and tensions. The pilots try to distract themselves from ongoing battles with a popularity contest, but all their bonds are at stake when a member of the Sidonia's immortal crew has a disast
Brimstone Valley Mall s1
Episode194. We listened to season one of the audio drama podcast Brimstone Valley Mall, created by Kristen DiMercurio. It's 1999, and a group of demons are working clandestine jobs at a mundane suburban mall, inspiring shoppers to sin. They also play in a rock band! When their lead singer disappears, the rest of the band scrambles to find him before their big New Years Eve concert, where they need him to summon the intense demonic energy to incite the Y2K apocalypse.
The Whatnauts present The Re
Brimstone Valley Mall s1
Episode194. We listened to season one of the audio drama podcast Brimstone Valley Mall, created by Kristen DiMercurio. It's 1999, and a group of demons are working clandestine jobs at a mundane suburban mall, inspiring shoppers to sin. They also play in a rock band! When their lead singer disappears, the rest of the band scrambles to find him before their big New Years Eve concert, where they need him to summon the intense demonic energy to incite the Y2K apocalypse.The Whatnauts presen
The Incredible Jessica James
Episode193. We watched the 2017 Netflix romcom The Incredible Jessica James. Jessica is a twenty something playwright in New York City, dealing with rejection from theater companies and from her ex-boyfriend. She meets Boone, who's still reeling from his own divorce. A new potential relationship, a reliable friendship, and the bonds she has with the students in her theater workshop help Jessica stay confident in her life's path.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book cl
The Incredible Jessica James
Episode193. We watched the 2017 Netflix romcom The Incredible Jessica James. Jessica is a twenty something playwright in New York City, dealing with rejection from theater companies and from her ex-boyfriend. She meets Boone, who's still reeling from his own divorce. A new potential relationship, a reliable friendship, and the bonds she has with the students in her theater workshop help Jessica stay confident in her life's path.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style pod
In the Mood for Love
Episode 192. We watched In the Mood for Love, a Chinese film from the year 2000. In 1960s Hong Kong, two couples move in next to each other in a crowded apartment building. One husband soon leaves for an extended business trip, and one wife goes to care for a sick mother. The remaining Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chen realize that their spouses have run off to have an affair with each other. As they connect over this grief, they begin to fall in love, but refuse to start their own affair and sink to the l
In the Mood for Love
Episode 192. We watched In the Mood for Love, a Chinese film from the year 2000. In 1960s Hong Kong, two couples move in next to each other in a crowded apartment building. One husband soon leaves for an extended business trip, and one wife goes to care for a sick mother. The remaining Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chen realize that their spouses have run off to have an affair with each other. As they connect over this grief, they begin to fall in love, but refuse to start their own affair and sink
Knights of Sidonia vol. 1-8
Episode 191. For this monthly special, we read volumes 1-8 of the sci-fi manga Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei, and next month we'll conclude the series with volumes 9-15. Nagate Tanikaze has lived his entire life alone in the depths of a massive spaceship, experiencing the world through his grandfather's stories and old training simulators. When he ventures out into the rest of the ship, he's taken into the pilot program, controlling a Garde mech to fight the mysterious shape-shifting alien
Knights of Sidonia vol. 1-8
Episode 191. For this monthly special, we read volumes 1-8 of the sci-fi manga Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei, and next month we'll conclude the series with volumes 9-15. Nagate Tanikaze has lived his entire life alone in the depths of a massive spaceship, experiencing the world through his grandfather's stories and old training simulators. When he ventures out into the rest of the ship, he's taken into the pilot program, controlling a Garde mech to fight the mysterious shape-shift
Landscapers
Episode 190. We watched the new HBO Max miniseries Landscapers, a creative dramatization of a true crime story from England. Fifteen years ago, Susan and Christopher Edwards buried the bodies of Susan's parents in their garden and told everyone they moved away. Now that their secret is out, the couple is separated and put through intense interrogation to determine if this was a murder for money, or a painful act of desperation to escape an abusive past.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a w
Landscapers
Episode 190. We watched the new HBO Max miniseries Landscapers, a creative dramatization of a true crime story from England. Fifteen years ago, Susan and Christopher Edwards buried the bodies of Susan's parents in their garden and told everyone they moved away. Now that their secret is out, the couple is separated and put through intense interrogation to determine if this was a murder for money, or a painful act of desperation to escape an abusive past.The Whatnauts present The Review S
The Power of the Dog
Episode 189. We watched Jane Campion's 2021 drama film The Power of the Dog. In 1920s Montana, a rancher brings home a new wife and her teenage son, much to the annoyance of his curmudgeonly brother. He taunts and intimidates these new additions to the household, until someone goes to extreme lengths to try and stop him.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime,
The Power of the Dog
Episode 189. We watched Jane Campion's 2021 drama film The Power of the Dog. In 1920s Montana, a rancher brings home a new wife and her teenage son, much to the annoyance of his curmudgeonly brother. He taunts and intimidates these new additions to the household, until someone goes to extreme lengths to try and stop him.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics
The Matrix Franchise
Episode 188. It's a new year, it's the future! We watched the entire Matrix series, including the new Resurrections movie, and The Animatrix anthology of short films. A man called Neo leads a dull life, finding excitement through his hacker identity, until he learns that he's been living in a simulation. He can reinvent himself, learn to take advantage of the simulation around him, and become The One, the hero destined to take down the machines that have imprisoned mankind in digital slumber so
The Matrix Franchise
Episode 188. It's a new year, it's the future! We watched the entire Matrix series, including the new Resurrections movie, and The Animatrix anthology of short films. A man called Neo leads a dull life, finding excitement through his hacker identity, until he learns that he's been living in a simulation. He can reinvent himself, learn to take advantage of the simulation around him, and become The One, the hero destined to take down the machines that have imprisoned mankind in digital sl
6 Year Anniversary Retrospective
Kyle, Ignacio, Melissa, and Alan reflect on the movies, shows, and video games of 2021, and what we covered in our podcasts The Review Show, The Captain's Log, The Reactor Corps, and Crossplay this year! It's a night of pizza, statistics, and 2022 goals.
Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well as exclus
6 Year Anniversary Retrospective
Kyle, Ignacio, Melissa, and Alan reflect on the movies, shows, and video games of 2021, and what we covered in our podcasts The Review Show, The Captain's Log, The Reactor Corps, and Crossplay this year! It's a night of pizza, statistics, and 2022 goals.Check out our other podcasts here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If video is more your thing, then check our YouTube channel. And if you like what we do, support us on Patreon to unlock early access to most of our podcasts as well a
The Review Show Recap 2021
This is a special bonus episode looking back on the shows, movies, comics, and more that we covered this year on The Review Show. We discuss recurring narrative themes, favorite performances, dream dates, and give out the prestigious Skinboy Memorial Award for Supporting Players.Listen to Melissa's annual themed playlist here on Spotify!The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies,
The Review Show Recap 2021
This is a special bonus episode looking back on the shows, movies, comics, and more that we covered this year on The Review Show. We discuss recurring narrative themes, favorite performances, dream dates, and give out the prestigious Skinboy Memorial Award for Supporting Players.
Listen to Melissa's annual themed playlist here on Spotify!
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV sho
8-bit Christmas
Episode 187. For our final episode of the year, we watched the new HBO Max holiday movie 8-Bit Christmas! A young girl begs her dad for a cell phone and he tells her the story of the gift he wanted most when he was her age: a Nintendo Entertainment System. The dad narrates flashbacks to 1988 illustrating the antics he and his friends got into trying to obtain an NES for Christmas, and the impact this quest had on his family.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast
8-bit Christmas
Episode 187. For our final episode of the year, we watched the new HBO Max holiday movie 8-Bit Christmas! A young girl begs her dad for a cell phone and he tells her the story of the gift he wanted most when he was her age: a Nintendo Entertainment System. The dad narrates flashbacks to 1988 illustrating the antics he and his friends got into trying to obtain an NES for Christmas, and the impact this quest had on his family.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style
Love Hard
Episode186. We watched the new Netflix holiday-themed romcom Love Hard. Natalie is a blogger who writes about her perpetual bad luck with dating apps. When she starts talking to Josh, the first man she really likes, she flies across the country to surprise him for Christmas. The surprise is on her -- he's been using the photos of a more handsome friend to catfish her. Natlie agrees to act as Josh's girlfriend to impress his family, as long as Josh helps her win a date with the hot guy.
The Whatn
Love Hard
Episode186. We watched the new Netflix holiday-themed romcom Love Hard. Natalie is a blogger who writes about her perpetual bad luck with dating apps. When she starts talking to Josh, the first man she really likes, she flies across the country to surprise him for Christmas. The surprise is on her -- he's been using the photos of a more handsome friend to catfish her. Natlie agrees to act as Josh's girlfriend to impress his family, as long as Josh helps her win a date with the hot guy.T
The Leftovers s3
Episode 185. We've finished all our Leftovers! When season three starts, it's almost the seven year anniversary of The Departure, and many people believe this is a special day that could either bring everyone back, or bring the end of the world. After the bizarre events that Kevin survived in season two, some of his friends and family now believe him to be a god. As Kevin considers his destiny, Nora discovers an experiment that could reunite her with her departed children.The Whatnauts
The Leftovers s3
Episode 185. We've finished all our Leftovers! When season three starts, it's almost the seven year anniversary of The Departure, and many people believe this is a special day that could either bring everyone back, or bring the end of the world. After the bizarre events that Kevin survived in season two, some of his friends and family now believe him to be a god. As Kevin considers his destiny, Nora discovers an experiment that could reunite her with her departed children.
The Whatnauts present
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Episode 184. We watched Hayao Miyazaki's 1989 film Kiki's Delivery Service. Kiki is a witch, and when all witches turn 13, they leave home to live in a new town and practice their particular magical talent for a year. Kiki decides to put her broomstick to use delivering packages, but when a series of setbacks makes her lose confidence in herself, she risks losing the ability to fly too.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Episode 184. We watched Hayao Miyazaki's 1989 film Kiki's Delivery Service. Kiki is a witch, and when all witches turn 13, they leave home to live in a new town and practice their particular magical talent for a year. Kiki decides to put her broomstick to use delivering packages, but when a series of setbacks makes her lose confidence in herself, she risks losing the ability to fly too.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture.
Flashpoint
Episode 183. We read the DC comics event from 2011, Flashpoint, from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. Barry Allen knows the world where he is The Flash, where his mother was murdered, where he has friends in the Justice League. He wakes up one day in a world where his mother is still alive and he never became The Flash, and the familiar faces around him are behaving very differently. He'll have to confront his nemesis to set the world back to the reality it needs, even if it means losing hi
Flashpoint
Episode 183. We read the DC comics event from 2011, Flashpoint, from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. Barry Allen knows the world where he is The Flash, where his mother was murdered, where he has friends in the Justice League. He wakes up one day in a world where his mother is still alive and he never became The Flash, and the familiar faces around him are behaving very differently. He'll have to confront his nemesis to set the world back to the reality it needs, even if it means losing his mom aga
The Leftovers s2
Episode 182. We're continuing our ongoing series on The Leftovers with season two, and look for our discussion on season three at the end of the month! We're introduced to Jarden, TX, the only town in the world where no one was lost to The Departure. Some people believe this place is magical, and flock to it like a holy site, disrupting the lives of its regular citizens. Kevin and his family move there for a fresh start, but when one of his new neighbors disappears, the town worries tha
The Leftovers s2
Episode 182. We're continuing our ongoing series on The Leftovers with season two, and look for our discussion on season three at the end of the month! We're introduced to Jarden, TX, the only town in the world where no one was lost to The Departure. Some people believe this place is magical, and flock to it like a holy site, disrupting the lives of its regular citizens. Kevin and his family move there for a fresh start, but when one of his new neighbors disappears, the town worries that it's an
Suspiria (1977 & 2018)
Episode 181. We watched the 1977 horror movie Suspiria from director Dario Argento, and its 2018 remake from director Luca Guadagnino. Both movies are stylistically and tonally very different but share the same initial plot: a young woman named Susie travels to study at a prestigious ballet academy in Germany, where she begins to suspect that the instructors are engaged in witchcraft and have sinister plans for their students.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club sty
Suspiria (1977 & 2018)
Episode 181. We watched the 1977 horror movie Suspiria from director Dario Argento, and its 2018 remake from director Luca Guadagnino. Both movies are stylistically and tonally very different but share the same initial plot: a young woman named Susie travels to study at a prestigious ballet academy in Germany, where she begins to suspect that the instructors are engaged in witchcraft and have sinister plans for their students.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podca
Something Is Killing the Children vol. 1-2
Episode 180. We read the first two volumes of horror comic Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera. Children have been disappearing from the small town of Archer's Peak, Wisconsin, and those that have been found are reduced to gruesome corpses. Erica Slaughter comes to town because she is a monster killer, it is all she does because it must be done, and she teams up with a bewildered young survivor to try and stop the monster before it kills again.The
Something Is Killing the Children vol. 1-2
Episode 180. We read the first two volumes of horror comic Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera. Children have been disappearing from the small town of Archer's Peak, Wisconsin, and those that have been found are reduced to gruesome corpses. Erica Slaughter comes to town because she is a monster killer, it is all she does because it must be done, and she teams up with a bewildered young survivor to try and stop the monster before it kills again.
The Whatnau
Beetlejuice
Episode179. We're covering a Halloween classic this week with Tim Burton's 1988 movie Beetlejuice. The Maitlands are a young couple living a quiet life in their small New England town, until they die. Then they have to learn the confusing bureaucracy of the afterlife and how to scare off the new owners of the house they still "live" in. They've seen ads for a man named Beetlejuice who promises to exorcise the living out of the homes of the dead, but everyone warns them to stay away from
Beetlejuice
Episode179. We're covering a Halloween classic this week with Tim Burton's 1988 movie Beetlejuice. The Maitlands are a young couple living a quiet life in their small New England town, until they die. Then they have to learn the confusing bureaucracy of the afterlife and how to scare off the new owners of the house they still "live" in. They've seen ads for a man named Beetlejuice who promises to exorcise the living out of the homes of the dead, but everyone warns them to stay away from this ch
Brand New Cherry Flavor
Episode 178. We watched the new Netflix show Brand New Cherry Flavor, a magical revenge thriller set in early 90s Hollywood. Young filmmaker Lisa Nova is trying to get her short film made into a feature-length movie, but when a producing partner takes advantage of her and signs a movie deal without her as the director, she swears to burn his life to the ground. She contacts a mysterious witch to grant her the powers to destroy her enemy, but with serious consequences to Lisa herself.
The Whatnau
Brand New Cherry Flavor
Episode 178. We watched the new Netflix show Brand New Cherry Flavor, a magical revenge thriller set in early 90s Hollywood. Young filmmaker Lisa Nova is trying to get her short film made into a feature-length movie, but when a producing partner takes advantage of her and signs a movie deal without her as the director, she swears to burn his life to the ground. She contacts a mysterious witch to grant her the powers to destroy her enemy, but with serious consequences to Lisa herself.The
Lake Mungo
Episode 177. To kick off the spooky month of October, we watched the 2008 Australian film Lake Mungo. This mockumentary follows the Palmer family coping with the sudden death of teenage daughter Alice, and their investigation when they find photos and videos that seem to show Alice after her death. While they confront the possibility of the supernatural, the family also confronts the secrets Alice kept from them in life.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast fo
Lake Mungo
Episode 177. To kick off the spooky month of October, we watched the 2008 Australian film Lake Mungo. This mockumentary follows the Palmer family coping with the sudden death of teenage daughter Alice, and their investigation when they find photos and videos that seem to show Alice after her death. While they confront the possibility of the supernatural, the family also confronts the secrets Alice kept from them in life. The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style po
The Leftovers s1
Episode176. We're starting another ongoing series covering one show to its conclusion, starting this month with season one of the 2014 HBO drama The Leftovers. Three years ago, there was a sudden unexplained event called "the departure" where 2% of the human population disappeared into thin air. Now, the rest of humanity struggles to find answers, closure, and purpose. We follow sheriff Kevin Garvey as he deals with the dissolution of his family and the rise of a cryptic cult in his sma
The Leftovers s1
Episode176. We're starting another ongoing series covering one show to its conclusion, starting this month with season one of the 2014 HBO drama The Leftovers. Three years ago, there was a sudden unexplained event called "the departure" where 2% of the human population disappeared into thin air. Now, the rest of humanity struggles to find answers, closure, and purpose. We follow sheriff Kevin Garvey as he deals with the dissolution of his family and the rise of a cryptic cult in his small town.
Looper
Episode 175. To conclude our Shametember series, time travel nerd Kyle needed to watch Rian Johnson's 2012 film Looper. Joe works as a "looper," a hitman who only kills bodies sent back to him from criminals thirty years in the future. When his own future self arrives, Old Joe explains that the future has been taken over by a tyrannical genius and he's there to kill the child who will grow up to be this terror. Young Joe has to predict his older self's movements and protect a child who is innoce
Looper
Episode 175. To conclude our Shametember series, time travel nerd Kyle needed to watch Rian Johnson's 2012 film Looper. Joe works as a "looper," a hitman who only kills bodies sent back to him from criminals thirty years in the future. When his own future self arrives, Old Joe explains that the future has been taken over by a tyrannical genius and he's there to kill the child who will grow up to be this terror. Young Joe has to predict his older self's movements and protect a child who
Aliens
Episode 174. Shametember is back! This is the chance for each of us to clear a movie off the "list of shame" of things we should've seen by now. Melissa named famous sequels she hadn't watched yet after seeing the first movies in those franchises, and this week we watched Aliens! This 1986 follow up to Alien sees Ripley awakening from her Nostromo escape pod a staggering 57 years in the future. She learns that Earth has already started a colony on a planet she knows is dangerous, and the xenomor
Aliens
Episode 174. Shametember is back! This is the chance for each of us to clear a movie off the "list of shame" of things we should've seen by now. Melissa named famous sequels she hadn't watched yet after seeing the first movies in those franchises, and this week we watched Aliens! This 1986 follow up to Alien sees Ripley awakening from her Nostromo escape pod a staggering 57 years in the future. She learns that Earth has already started a colony on a planet she knows is dangerous, and th
Digimon: The Movie
Episode 173. Alan and Ignacio are on the show this week to talk about The Digimon Movie. We watched the dubbed American release from the year 2000, and the three original Japanese mini-movies that were edited together to make this American version. We see the digidestined kids throughout their young lives as they encounter their first Digimon egg, try to stop a Digimon virus from destroying the internet and setting off nuclear bombs, and help an American boy whose own Digimon has turned to the
Digimon: The Movie
Episode 173. Alan and Ignacio are on the show this week to talk about The Digimon Movie. We watched the dubbed American release from the year 2000, and the three original Japanese mini-movies that were edited together to make this American version. We see the digidestined kids throughout their young lives as they encounter their first Digimon egg, try to stop a Digimon virus from destroying the internet and setting off nuclear bombs, and help an American boy whose own Digimon has turned
House of Leaves
Episode 172. Join us for a Review Show first, as we read the prose novel House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Photojournalist Will Navidson and his family move into a new house, and soon discover a seemingly unending dark hallway that opens up where there was no door before. Will films every step of his exploration into the house, which is eventually edited into the documentary The Navidson Record. House of Leaves is a book with an interesting structure: academic articles were writte
House of Leaves
Episode 172. Join us for a Review Show first, as we read the prose novel House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Photojournalist Will Navidson and his family move into a new house, and soon discover a seemingly unending dark hallway that opens up where there was no door before. Will films every step of his exploration into the house, which is eventually edited into the documentary The Navidson Record. House of Leaves is a book with an interesting structure: academic articles were written about t
Stowaway
Episode 171. We watched the 2021 Netflix sci-fi drama movie Stowaway. Three astronauts are on a two-year mission to Mars. They've just left Earth hours ago when a stowaway falls out of a compartment in the ship -- a launch engineer who hit his head, fell unconscious, and was accidentally sealed into the ship before takeoff. They can't turn back. A resupply ship can't reach them. It's a race against time for this team to figure out how their limited resources could possibly sustain an ex
Stowaway
Episode 171. We watched the 2021 Netflix sci-fi drama movie Stowaway. Three astronauts are on a two-year mission to Mars. They've just left Earth hours ago when a stowaway falls out of a compartment in the ship -- a launch engineer who hit his head, fell unconscious, and was accidentally sealed into the ship before takeoff. They can't turn back. A resupply ship can't reach them. It's a race against time for this team to figure out how their limited resources could possibly sustain an extra life
Passenger List
Episode 170. We listened to both seasons of the audio drama Passenger List, written and directed by John Scott Dryden and Lauren Shippen, and starring Kelly Marie Tran. It's been six months since Atlantic Flight 702 disappeared when traveling from London to New York City. The airlines declared that the missing plane was brought down by a bird strike, but college student Kaitlin Le refuses to accept this explanation. She knows her twin brother Conor is still alive and suspects that the a
Passenger List
Episode 170. We listened to both seasons of the audio drama Passenger List, written and directed by John Scott Dryden and Lauren Shippen, and starring Kelly Marie Tran. It's been six months since Atlantic Flight 702 disappeared when traveling from London to New York City. The airlines declared that the missing plane was brought down by a bird strike, but college student Kaitlin Le refuses to accept this explanation. She knows her twin brother Conor is still alive and suspects that the airline an
Princess Jellyfish vol. 1-4
Episode 169. Kyle is back on the podcast with Melissa to talk about the romance manga Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura. Tsukimi is a young woman obsessed with jellyfish who lives in an apartment building only for otaku women, with no men allowed. When a friendly girl helps Tsukimi bring her very own jellyfish home from the pet store, she's intimidated by the stranger's beauty and fashion sense -- until she discovers this is a fashion-fanatic boy who loves wearing dresses. Her new
Princess Jellyfish vol. 1-4
Episode 169. Kyle is back on the podcast with Melissa to talk about the romance manga Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura. Tsukimi is a young woman obsessed with jellyfish who lives in an apartment building only for otaku women, with no men allowed. When a friendly girl helps Tsukimi bring her very own jellyfish home from the pet store, she's intimidated by the stranger's beauty and fashion sense -- until she discovers this is a fashion-fanatic boy who loves wearing dresses. Her new friend
Check Please!
Episode 168. Friend of the show and brother of the co-host Jams Wilkinson is here to talk about the webcomic turned graphic novel series Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu. Eric "Bitty" Bittle is a freshman on his university hockey team, looking to show off his figure skating skills, feed these hockey bros some real home-cooked meals, and gain the confidence to come out as gay. He finds a welcoming team, and a special connection with the captain Jack Zimmerman, who is trying to figure out his
Check Please!
Episode 168. Friend of the show and brother of the co-host Jams Wilkinson is here to talk about the webcomic turned graphic novel series Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu. Eric "Bitty" Bittle is a freshman on his university hockey team, looking to show off his figure skating skills, feed these hockey bros some real home-cooked meals, and gain the confidence to come out as gay. He finds a welcoming team, and a special connection with the captain Jack Zimmerman, who is trying to figure out his love li
Maniac
Episode 167. Friend of the show Jacq is back to talk about Maniac, the 2018 Netflix limited series from Cary Joji Fukunaga and Patrick Somerville. Owen and Annie, two lonely New Yorkers with their own unique traumas, enroll in an experimental psychiatric drug trial. They experience hallucinations where they're living wildly different lives but they're always connected to each other, an impossible mental bond that puzzles the scientists running the trial. Can Owen and Annie learn to supp
Maniac
Episode 167. Friend of the show Jacq is back to talk about Maniac, the 2018 Netflix limited series from Cary Joji Fukunaga and Patrick Somerville. Owen and Annie, two lonely New Yorkers with their own unique traumas, enroll in an experimental psychiatric drug trial. They experience hallucinations where they're living wildly different lives but they're always connected to each other, an impossible mental bond that puzzles the scientists running the trial. Can Owen and Annie learn to support each
Folklords
Episode 166. Guest co-captain Audrey Stolze joins Melissa for a discussion on the graphic novel Folklords, from Matt Kindt and Matt Smith. Ansel is a teenage boy living in a medieval fantasy village who sees visions of our modern urban life. He's the only person in town wearing a suit and tie and using a handmade lighter instead of a torch. All kids his age must choose a quest, and Ansel wants to find the mythic Folklords, the forces controlling his world, to learn where his visions com
Folklords
Episode 166. Guest co-captain Audrey Stolze joins Melissa for a discussion on the graphic novel Folklords, from Matt Kindt and Matt Smith. Ansel is a teenage boy living in a medieval fantasy village who sees visions of our modern urban life. He's the only person in town wearing a suit and tie and using a handmade lighter instead of a torch. All kids his age must choose a quest, and Ansel wants to find the mythic Folklords, the forces controlling his world, to learn where his visions come from a
Dark Season 3
Episode 165. We conclude our time in Winden with a discussion on the third and final season of Dark! We see an alternate timeline where Mikkel never vanished, Jonas was never born, and Martha grows to become the Adam of her world, pulling the strings and following her own plan to try to set everything right. As we learn more connections between the generations, we also discover the origin point of the time travel knot for both universes, and it'll take tremendous sacrifice to reset the town and
Dark Season 3
Episode 165. We conclude our time in Winden with a discussion on the third and final season of Dark! We see an alternate timeline where Mikkel never vanished, Jonas was never born, and Martha grows to become the Adam of her world, pulling the strings and following her own plan to try to set everything right. As we learn more connections between the generations, we also discover the origin point of the time travel knot for both universes, and it'll take tremendous sacrifice to reset the
Kantaro the Sweet Tooth Salaryman
Episode 164. We watched a live-action Japanese comedy show on Netflix called Kantaro the Sweet Tooth Salaryman. Kantaro is a sales rep for a publishing company, but his true passion is sweets. He only took this job so that he could sneak away from bookstore sales calls to visit his favorite cafes in the area and blog about the desserts he eats. Can he keep this a secret when his new co-worker reads his anonymous blog and notices the pattern? Only sweet heaven knows!The Whatnauts present
Kantaro the Sweet Tooth Salaryman
Episode 164. We watched a live-action Japanese comedy show on Netflix called Kantaro the Sweet Tooth Salaryman. Kantaro is a sales rep for a publishing company, but his true passion is sweets. He only took this job so that he could sneak away from bookstore sales calls to visit his favorite cafes in the area and blog about the desserts he eats. Can he keep this a secret when his new co-worker reads his anonymous blog and notices the pattern? Only sweet heaven knows!
The Whatnauts present The Rev
Dark season 2
Episode 163. We're continuing our coverage of the German time travel drama Dark, talking about season two. Jonas travels forward another cycle to 2052 Winden, decimated by an accident at the nuclear power plant, and back to 1921 Winden, where the Sic Mundus society is beginning to take hold. He teams up with the older version of himself to try and prevent the cycles from repeating, but they struggle to find the true beginning point that they need to derail, and someone close to them is
Dark season 2
Episode 163. We're continuing our coverage of the German time travel drama Dark, talking about season two. Jonas travels forward another cycle to 2052 Winden, decimated by an accident at the nuclear power plant, and back to 1921 Winden, where the Sic Mundus society is beginning to take hold. He teams up with the older version of himself to try and prevent the cycles from repeating, but they struggle to find the true beginning point that they need to derail, and someone close to them is trying to
Doctor Doom (2019)
Episode 162. We read both volumes of the 2019 Doctor Doom comic from writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Salvador Larroca. Doctor Doom has been framed for the destruction of a moon base designed by Reed Richards, and has no choice but to turn himself in and plead innocence. As he attempts to secure his freedom and keep Latvaria safe from political turmoil and a war at its borders, he's also haunted by visions of a possible future. He sees himself with a healed face, a loving wife and
Doctor Doom (2019)
Episode 162. We read both volumes of the 2019 Doctor Doom comic from writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Salvador Larroca. Doctor Doom has been framed for the destruction of a moon base designed by Reed Richards, and has no choice but to turn himself in and plead innocence. As he attempts to secure his freedom and keep Latvaria safe from political turmoil and a war at its borders, he's also haunted by visions of a possible future. He sees himself with a healed face, a loving wife and children
Dimension 404
Episode 161. We watched the 2017 Hulu original show Dimension 404, a fun sci-fi anthology of stories about technology and how it can affect our lives for better or for worse. The show covers dating apps, 3D movies, video games, surveillance cameras, and more, with protagonists dealing with loneliness, the desperation to win, or just the need to share your favorite 90s cartoon with your friends, but whenever you look up the show you can't find any proof it existed. And yes, Virginia, the
Dimension 404
Episode 161. We watched the 2017 Hulu original show Dimension 404, a fun sci-fi anthology of stories about technology and how it can affect our lives for better or for worse. The show covers dating apps, 3D movies, video games, surveillance cameras, and more, with protagonists dealing with loneliness, the desperation to win, or just the need to share your favorite 90s cartoon with your friends, but whenever you look up the show you can't find any proof it existed. And yes, Virginia, there is a C
The Way of The Househusband
Episode 160. Alan Busbee joins us to talk about the Netflix original anime comedy The Way of the Househusband. Tatsu was known as the "Immortal Dragon" of the yakuza, a top-notch gangster who survived every fight. Now he's left crime behind to marry a busy career woman and devote himself to domestic life, bringing his mob boss mentality to grocery shopping, cooking dinner, and doing the laundry, as his old cohorts and rivals try to reconcile the hitman with the homemaker.The Whatnauts p
The Way of The Househusband
Episode 160. Alan Busbee joins us to talk about the Netflix original anime comedy The Way of the Househusband. Tatsu was known as the "Immortal Dragon" of the yakuza, a top-notch gangster who survived every fight. Now he's left crime behind to marry a busy career woman and devote himself to domestic life, bringing his mob boss mentality to grocery shopping, cooking dinner, and doing the laundry, as his old cohorts and rivals try to reconcile the hitman with the homemaker.
The Whatnauts present T
Dark s1
Episode 159. We're starting another monthly series covering one show through to its conclusion, talking about season one of Netflix's German sci-fi drama Dark! It's 2019 and a small rural town is struggling after the disappearance of a local boy. Tensions rise as more kids disappear, and we see how this has happened before in 1953 and 1986. There is a time travel portal hidden in a cave in the woods, with mysterious forces trying to use it to change the past or maintain it as it was. Ch
Dark s1
Episode 159. We're starting another monthly series covering one show through to its conclusion, talking about season one of Netflix's German sci-fi drama Dark! It's 2019 and a small rural town is struggling after the disappearance of a local boy. Tensions rise as more kids disappear, and we see how this has happened before in 1953 and 1986. There is a time travel portal hidden in a cave in the woods, with mysterious forces trying to use it to change the past or maintain it as it was. Characters'
The Kid Detective
Episode 158. We watched the 2020 movie The Kid Detective, a very dark comedy from writer and director Evan Morgan. Abe Applebaum started a detective business out of his treehouse when he was a kid, and successfully solved over 200 cases… but couldn't solve the disappearance of his secretary, fellow middle-schooler Gracie Gulliver. He's never forgotten about that case, even now as a struggling man in his 30s. The town that once loved him has lost all interest in him and he's hired for only the mo
The Kid Detective
Episode 158. We watched the 2020 movie The Kid Detective, a very dark comedy from writer and director Evan Morgan. Abe Applebaum started a detective business out of his treehouse when he was a kid, and successfully solved over 200 cases… but couldn't solve the disappearance of his secretary, fellow middle-schooler Gracie Gulliver. He's never forgotten about that case, even now as a struggling man in his 30s. The town that once loved him has lost all interest in him and he's hired for on
The Mitchells vs The Machines
Episode 157. We watched the new Netflix original movie The Mitchells vs. The Machines, from some of the creative team that brought you Into the Spider-Verse and Gravity Falls. Katie Mitchell loves her family but has never quite fit in with them, and she's excited to go to film school and be surrounded by people who understand her. The family tries to bond during a road trip across the country bringing Katie to college, but there's one major roadblock: an army of robots programmed by a scorned AI
The Mitchells vs The Machines
Episode 157. We watched the new Netflix original movie The Mitchells vs. The Machines, from some of the creative team that brought you Into the Spider-Verse and Gravity Falls. Katie Mitchell loves her family but has never quite fit in with them, and she's excited to go to film school and be surrounded by people who understand her. The family tries to bond during a road trip across the country bringing Katie to college, but there's one major roadblock: an army of robots programmed by a s
I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
Episode 156. We watch the 2018 anime film I Want To Eat Your Pancreas. It is an emotional tale about a boy who befriends a girl is his class who is dying. The story focuses on the relationship that blossoms between them and the lasting effect it has. This one will make you cry.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a
I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
Episode 156. We watch the 2018 anime film I Want To Eat Your Pancreas. It is an emotional tale about a boy who befriends a girl is his class who is dying. The story focuses on the relationship that blossoms between them and the lasting effect it has. This one will make you cry.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety of genres and mediums — movies, TV shows, comics, anime, manga, audio dramas — picking out a specifi
The Unwritten vol. 1-2
Episode 155. We read the first two volumes of the the comic book The Unwritten by Mike Carey and Peter Gross.The world is obsessed with a book series about boy wizard Tommy Taylor, and this has made a minor celebrity out of Tom Taylor, the author's son and supposed inspiration for the literary hero. He becomes the center of a media storm when he's both accused of being a fraud and announced as the real magical Tommy destined to save everyone. As he looks into his past, he finds clues to
The Unwritten vol. 1-2
Episode 155. We read the first two volumes of the the comic book The Unwritten by Mike Carey and Peter Gross.The world is obsessed with a book series about boy wizard Tommy Taylor, and this has made a minor celebrity out of Tom Taylor, the author's son and supposed inspiration for the literary hero. He becomes the center of a media storm when he's both accused of being a fraud and announced as the real magical Tommy destined to save everyone. As he looks into his past, he finds clues to the real
Halt and Catch Fire s4
Episode 154. We're concluding our monthly series on Halt and Catch Fire with its fourth and final season! It is now 1993 and teenage Haley has inspired Gordon and Joe to create a search engine website that users can make into their home on the internet -- but Donna's investment firm is working on the same idea. Cameron's video game career is faltering and she is trying to find new professional and personal paths as she reconsiders her romance with Joe. When tragedy hits, the group's per
Halt and Catch Fire s4
Episode 154. We're concluding our monthly series on Halt and Catch Fire with its fourth and final season! It is now 1993 and teenage Haley has inspired Gordon and Joe to create a search engine website that users can make into their home on the internet -- but Donna's investment firm is working on the same idea. Cameron's video game career is faltering and she is trying to find new professional and personal paths as she reconsiders her romance with Joe. When tragedy hits, the group's personal rel
Pacific Rim
Episode 153. We watched Guillermo Del Toro's 2013 movie Pacific Rim. Huge monsters are suddenly rising out of the Pacific ocean and wreaking havoc on coastal cities. Humanity bands together and creates equally huge robots known as jaegers to fight against the kaiju, piloted by cybernetically linked partners. A veteran whose brother died while linked to him and the adopted daughter of the jager program's commander, inexperienced but determined to fight, team up and form a bond strong eno
Pacific Rim
Episode 153. We watched Guillermo Del Toro's 2013 movie Pacific Rim. Huge monsters are suddenly rising out of the Pacific ocean and wreaking havoc on coastal cities. Humanity bands together and creates equally huge robots known as jaegers to fight against the kaiju, piloted by cybernetically linked partners. A veteran whose brother died while linked to him and the adopted daughter of the jager program's commander, inexperienced but determined to fight, team up and form a bond strong enough to pi
In Another Room
Episode 152. This week we listened to the audio drama horror story In Another Room, presented by The Violet Hour and adapted from E3W's immersive theater experience. Paranormal investigator Wendy Morrow stays the night in an infamous haunted mansion and becomes trapped there, seeing over 130 years of ghost stories play out in front of her -- and the ghosts can see her too. Each episode focuses on a historical haunting in a different room of the house as Wendy attempts to find the origin
In Another Room
Episode 152. This week we listened to the audio drama horror story In Another Room, presented by The Violet Hour and adapted from E3W's immersive theater experience. Paranormal investigator Wendy Morrow stays the night in an infamous haunted mansion and becomes trapped there, seeing over 130 years of ghost stories play out in front of her -- and the ghosts can see her too. Each episode focuses on a historical haunting in a different room of the house as Wendy attempts to find the origin of this
Pokemon: The First Movie
Episode 151. In honor of our 151st episode, we're revisiting our childhoods this week watching Pokemon: The First Movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back! Mewtwo is a new Pokemon engineered by Team Rocket scientists, cloned from a fossil of the ancient Mew. He awakens to incredible psychic power and an existential crisis -- why was he made? what is his purpose? how does he fit into the world as a clone? He invites several trainers to his fortress, including Ash and friends, and attempts to clone their Pokemo
Pokemon: The First Movie
Episode 151. In honor of our 151st episode, we're revisiting our childhoods this week watching Pokemon: The First Movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back! Mewtwo is a new Pokemon engineered by Team Rocket scientists, cloned from a fossil of the ancient Mew. He awakens to incredible psychic power and an existential crisis -- why was he made? what is his purpose? how does he fit into the world as a clone? He invites several trainers to his fortress, including Ash and friends, and attempts to clone the
Halt and Catch Fire s3
We're back for more relationship drama and crooked business dealings in Halt and Catch Fire season three! Mutiny is growing in San Francisco and Cameron and Donna see conflicting paths for the company, which could derail further progress if they don't find a way to compromise. Joe's new company is launching its own anti-virus software, built on programming that should be credited to Gordon, and he experiences unforeseen challenges in trying to make it free to the public. A young programmer leave
Halt and Catch Fire s3
Episode 150. We're back for more relationship drama and crooked business dealings in Halt and Catch Fire season three! Mutiny is growing in San Francisco and Cameron and Donna see conflicting paths for the company, which could derail further progress if they don't find a way to compromise. Joe's new company is launching its own anti-virus software, built on programming that should be credited to Gordon, and he experiences unforeseen challenges in trying to make it free to the public. A
The Devil All The Time
Episode 149. We watched the Netflix original movie The Devil All the Time, a Southern Gothic tale set across the 1940s to 1960s following several interconnected families. Following the tragic deaths of his parents, young Arvin is sent to live with his grandmother, who has also adopted the orphaned daughter of family friends who died under mysterious circumstances. Arvin grows up protective of his new family, but when he takes violent actions to defend his sister, he opens them up to unforeseen t
The Devil All The Time
Episode 149. We watched the Netflix original movie The Devil All the Time, a Southern Gothic tale set across the 1940s to 1960s following several interconnected families. Following the tragic deaths of his parents, young Arvin is sent to live with his grandmother, who has also adopted the orphaned daughter of family friends who died under mysterious circumstances. Arvin grows up protective of his new family, but when he takes violent actions to defend his sister, he opens them up to unf
My Hero Academia s1
Episode 148. Alan Busbee from Crossplay joins us to discuss season one of the superhero anime My Hero Academia. In a world where 80% of people are born with a "quirk," Izuku Midoriya wasn't. He's dreamed his whole life of being a hero like his idol All Might, and is determined to make it into the hero academy even if he doesn't have any superpowers. When he gets the chance to meet All Might in person, the hero reveals that his mysterious power is one that can be shared, and he wants to grant it
My Hero Academia s1
Episode 148. Alan Busbee from Crossplay joins us to discuss season one of the superhero anime My Hero Academia. In a world where 80% of people are born with a "quirk," Izuku Midoriya wasn't. He's dreamed his whole life of being a hero like his idol All Might, and is determined to make it into the hero academy even if he doesn't have any superpowers. When he gets the chance to meet All Might in person, the hero reveals that his mysterious power is one that can be shared, and he wants to
The Vision
Episode 147. To coincide with Wandavision, we read the 12-issue comic series The Vision from writer Tom King and artist Gabriel Hernandez Walta. The Vision has created a synthezoid family of wife Virginia and twin teenagers Vin and Viv, and they're attempting to settle down in the suburbs of Washington, DC and lead a normal life like the humans around them. But when a foe comes calling and one of the family members goes too far attempting to keep the rest safe, this begins a spiral of destructio
The Vision
Episode 147. To coincide with Wandavision, we read the 12-issue comic series The Vision from writer Tom King and artist Gabriel Hernandez Walta. The Vision has created a synthezoid family of wife Virginia and twin teenagers Vin and Viv, and they're attempting to settle down in the suburbs of Washington, DC and lead a normal life like the humans around them. But when a foe comes calling and one of the family members goes too far attempting to keep the rest safe, this begins a spiral of d
Halt and Catch Fire s2
Episode 146. We're returning to the tech drama Halt and Catch Fire to discuss season two. The Giant has brought Cardiff Electric enough success that they've been bought out by another company, leaving Gordon with a huge paycheck to fund any personal project he can imagine, but he encounters some mental roadblocks to getting any idea off the ground. Donna and Cameron are working around the clock to build Mutiny into a powerhouse for online games and revolutionary community forums. Joe is trying t
Halt and Catch Fire s2
Episode 146. We're returning to the tech drama Halt and Catch Fire to discuss season two. The Giant has brought Cardiff Electric enough success that they've been bought out by another company, leaving Gordon with a huge paycheck to fund any personal project he can imagine, but he encounters some mental roadblocks to getting any idea off the ground. Donna and Cameron are working around the clock to build Mutiny into a powerhouse for online games and revolutionary community forums. Joe is
Livewire vol. 1-3
Epiosde 145. We return to the Valiant comics universe this week to read all three volumes of Livewire from writer Vita Ayala. Amanda McKee is a super powered human known as a "psiot" with the ability to interface with all kinds of technology, giving her the codename Livewire. After the government declared all psiots to be executed, she retaliated with a nationwide blackout, allowing her friends to escape but causing untold damage to other innocent people. Now she's living in the shadows
Livewire vol. 1-3
Epiosde 145. We return to the Valiant comics universe this week to read all three volumes of Livewire from writer Vita Ayala. Amanda McKee is a super powered human known as a "psiot" with the ability to interface with all kinds of technology, giving her the codename Livewire. After the government declared all psiots to be executed, she retaliated with a nationwide blackout, allowing her friends to escape but causing untold damage to other innocent people. Now she's living in the shadows as a wan
Love Alarm s1
Episode 144. For Valentine's Day, we watched season one of the Korean drama series Love Alarm. Jojo's high school is obsessed with a new app called Love Alarm that can read your feelings and "ring the alarm" of your crush whenever you come near them. Jojo doesn't need an app to tell her how she's feeling: she has a crush on the hottest boy in school, literal fashion model Sun-Oh, but may also be interested in Sun-Oh's best friend Hye-Jeong. As we follow these characters over four years, the worl
Love Alarm s1
Episode 144. For Valentine's Day, we watched season one of the Korean drama series Love Alarm. Jojo's high school is obsessed with a new app called Love Alarm that can read your feelings and "ring the alarm" of your crush whenever you come near them. Jojo doesn't need an app to tell her how she's feeling: she has a crush on the hottest boy in school, literal fashion model Sun-Oh, but may also be interested in Sun-Oh's best friend Hye-Jeong. As we follow these characters over four years,
In Bruges
Episode 143. This week we watched the 2008 crime film In Bruges, written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Ken and Ray are two hitmen hiding out in picturesque Bruges, Belgium after a job gone wrong, awaiting further orders from their boss. Ken welcomes the opportunity for sight-seeing while Ray is dying to escape the city and the guilt over innocent blood on his hands. As they await judgement in this form of purgatory, they learn about the proper consequences for their actions.The Whatn
In Bruges
Episode 143. This week we watched the 2008 crime film In Bruges, written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Ken and Ray are two hitmen hiding out in picturesque Bruges, Belgium after a job gone wrong, awaiting further orders from their boss. Ken welcomes the opportunity for sight-seeing while Ray is dying to escape the city and the guilt over innocent blood on his hands. As they await judgement in this form of purgatory, they learn about the proper consequences for their actions.
The Whatnauts pre
Halt and Catch Fire pt. 1
Episode 142. We're starting another monthly series watching one show from beginning to end, discussing season one of the drama series Halt and Catch Fire, created by Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers. It's 1983, the dawn of the home computer age. Salesman Joe MacMillian leaves IBM on bad terms and goes to the small Dallas company Cardiff Electric, determined to make them into the next big player in the PC market. His scheme pulls in an idealistic software designer who wants to push
Halt and Catch Fire pt. 1
Episode 142. We're starting another monthly series watching one show from beginning to end, discussing season one of the drama series Halt and Catch Fire, created by Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers. It's 1983, the dawn of the home computer age. Salesman Joe MacMillian leaves IBM on bad terms and goes to the small Dallas company Cardiff Electric, determined to make them into the next big player in the PC market. His scheme pulls in an idealistic software designer who wants
The Queen’s Gambit
Episode 141. Gino Viteri from Crossplay is joining us this week to talk about the Netflix original drama The Queen's Gambit. After the death of her mother, young Beth Harmon is sent to an orphanage where the kids are given tranquilizer pills to keep them docile. The brightest spark in her life is her chess lessons, and Beth develops prodigious skill at the game. She begins a whirlwind career traveling across 1960s America winning championships, still addicted to pills and confused about normal a
The Queen’s Gambit
Episode 141. Gino Viteri from Crossplay is joining us this week to talk about the Netflix original drama The Queen's Gambit. After the death of her mother, young Beth Harmon is sent to an orphanage where the kids are given tranquilizer pills to keep them docile. The brightest spark in her life is her chess lessons, and Beth develops prodigious skill at the game. She begins a whirlwind career traveling across 1960s America winning championships, still addicted to pills and confused about
The Amelia Project s1
Episode 140. We listened to an audio drama this week, season one of The Amelia Project, created by Philip Thorne and Oystein Brager. The Amelia Project is a secret organization that you can call if you want to fake your own death and start a new life. Each episode is a case file recording between a new client and the unnamed Interviewer, exploring the client's problems, how they want to "die," and where they want to go next. There's also interstitial scenes of the daily lives of the cha
The Amelia Project s1
Episode 140. We listened to an audio drama this week, season one of The Amelia Project, created by Philip Thorne and Oystein Brager. The Amelia Project is a secret organization that you can call if you want to fake your own death and start a new life. Each episode is a case file recording between a new client and the unnamed Interviewer, exploring the client's problems, how they want to "die," and where they want to go next. There's also interstitial scenes of the daily lives of the charming but
Gotham by Gaslight
Episode 139. This week we read the 1989 DC Elseworlds comic Gotham by Gaslight from Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, and we watched the 2018 animated movie adaptation. This is an alternate universe take on Batman where he patrols the streets of Victorian era Gotham City, protecting it from Jack the Ripper. The comic sees more of a focus on Batman as the "world's greatest detective," while the movie adds a burlesque dancer Selena Kyle concerned about the threat to herself and other women as Batma
Gotham by Gaslight
Episode 139. This week we read the 1989 DC Elseworlds comic Gotham by Gaslight from Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, and we watched the 2018 animated movie adaptation. This is an alternate universe take on Batman where he patrols the streets of Victorian era Gotham City, protecting it from Jack the Ripper. The comic sees more of a focus on Batman as the "world's greatest detective," while the movie adds a burlesque dancer Selena Kyle concerned about the threat to herself and other women as Batma
James Bond (Daniel Craig)
Episode 138. We're kicking off 2021 with a bang watching all of Daniel Craig's James Bond movies to date -- Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre -- in anticipation of finally seeing No Time To Die this year. Bond has recently received his 007 status and his license to kill when he enters a high-stakes poker tournament to defeat a terrorist banker and falls for the treacherous treasurer Vesper Lynd. As he goes on to face a water baron, a vengeful agent from MI6's past,
James Bond (Daniel Craig)
Episode 138. We're kicking off 2021 with a bang watching all of Daniel Craig's James Bond movies to date -- Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre -- in anticipation of finally seeing No Time To Die this year. Bond has recently received his 007 status and his license to kill when he enters a high-stakes poker tournament to defeat a terrorist banker and falls for the treacherous treasurer Vesper Lynd. As he goes on to face a water baron, a vengeful agent from MI6's past, and a sec
The Whatnauts 5 Year Anniversary
Happy 5 year anniversary to us here at The Whatnauts. Kyle, Melissa, Ignacio, Gino, and Alan gather for an end-of-the-year party! We eat pizza, play trivia, discuss video games and movies of the year, give out Review Show awards, and tour through the history of The Whatnauts and talk about our podcasting goals for 2021. Thanks for being here and learning and growing with us, we're excited for the future!
Check out Melissa's 2020 Review Show playlist here.
We have multiple podcasts here at The Wh
5 Year Anniversary Retrospective
Happy 5 year anniversary to us here at The Whatnauts. Kyle, Melissa, Ignacio, Gino, and Alan gather for an end-of-the-year party! We eat pizza, play trivia, discuss video games and movies of the year, give out Review Show awards, and tour through the history of The Whatnauts and talk about our podcasting goals for 2021. Thanks for being here and learning and growing with us, we're excited for the future!Check out Melissa's 2020 Review Show playlist here.We have multiple podcasts here at
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Episode 137. For our holiday special and final episode of 2020, we go out on a musical note with the new Netflix movie Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Jeronicus Jangle was once the best toymaker around until his apprentice stole his greatest invention and his book of blueprints. Jeronicus loses his spark for building toys and closes up shop, and becomes estranged from his family. Years later, the granddaughter he's never met comes to visit to try to lift his spirits and find someone
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Episode 137. For our holiday special and final episode of 2020, we go out on a musical note with the new Netflix movie Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Jeronicus Jangle was once the best toymaker around until his apprentice stole his greatest invention and his book of blueprints. Jeronicus loses his spark for building toys and closes up shop, and becomes estranged from his family. Years later, the granddaughter he's never met comes to visit to try to lift his spirits and find someone like her
Scrooged
Episode 136. This week we welcomed the holiday season by watching 1988's Scrooged, a contemporary retelling of A Christmas Carol. Frank Cross is a TV executive planning a massive live broadcast production of A Christmas Carol for Christmas Eve, but big business is the only thing he has going for him. He's estranged from loved ones, and his colleagues regard him as heartless. All day on the 24th, he's struggling to keep the show running as he's being haunted by spirits revealing to him the error
Scrooged
Episode 136. This week we welcomed the holiday season by watching 1988's Scrooged, a contemporary retelling of A Christmas Carol. Frank Cross is a TV executive planning a massive live broadcast production of A Christmas Carol for Christmas Eve, but big business is the only thing he has going for him. He's estranged from loved ones, and his colleagues regard him as heartless. All day on the 24th, he's struggling to keep the show running as he's being haunted by spirits revealing to him t
Great Pretender s1
Episode 135. We watched season one of the Netflix original anime series Great Pretender. Makoto Edamura considers himself the best scam artist in Japan until he's outsmarted by Laurant Thierry, a man who he thought was just a clueless tourist. Fascinated to learn his ways and eager to get his money back, Edamura follows Laurant to Los Angeles and finds himself deep in a false drug-dealing scheme that has more levels of lying that he ever could have guessed. He becomes a reluctant part of Laurant
Great Pretender s1
Episode 135. We watched season one of the Netflix original anime series Great Pretender. Makoto Edamura considers himself the best scam artist in Japan until he's outsmarted by Laurant Thierry, a man who he thought was just a clueless tourist. Fascinated to learn his ways and eager to get his money back, Edamura follows Laurant to Los Angeles and finds himself deep in a false drug-dealing scheme that has more levels of lying that he ever could have guessed. He becomes a reluctant part o
Irredeemable pt. 3
Episode 134. We finished reading all ten volumes of Irredeemable and wow what an ending! Tony is back on Earth, still set on destruction, and the world's few remaining leaders turn to their last hope, a secret weapon that could stop him but doom millions of citizens in exchange. Tony discovers the origin of his powers, finally getting an answer to the question that has plagued him his whole life, "why am I?" As the Paradigm struggles to preserve society, Qubit devises a plan to both save the Ear
Irredeemable pt. 3
Episode 134. We finished reading all ten volumes of Irredeemable and wow what an ending! Tony is back on Earth, still set on destruction, and the world's few remaining leaders turn to their last hope, a secret weapon that could stop him but doom millions of citizens in exchange. Tony discovers the origin of his powers, finally getting an answer to the question that has plagued him his whole life, "why am I?" As the Paradigm struggles to preserve society, Qubit devises a plan to both sav
The Unbreakable Trilogy
Episode 133. We watched M. Night Shyamalan's trilogy of unconventional superhero thrillers, Unbreakable (2000), Split (2017), and Glass (2019). Security guard David Dunn is the sole survivor of a massively fatal train crash who realizes he isn't just lucky, he's invulnerable, and he's always felt a duty to protect the people of Philadelphia. Art curator Elijah Price was born with terribly fragile bones, unsure of why he exists in this world, but sure that comic books have a core of truth to them
The Unbreakable Trilogy
Episode 133. We watched M. Night Shyamalan's trilogy of unconventional superhero thrillers, Unbreakable (2000), Split (2017), and Glass (2019). Security guard David Dunn is the sole survivor of a massively fatal train crash who realizes he isn't just lucky, he's invulnerable, and he's always felt a duty to protect the people of Philadelphia. Art curator Elijah Price was born with terribly fragile bones, unsure of why he exists in this world, but sure that comic books have a core of trut
Knives Out
Episode 132. We watched Rian Johnson's 2019 murder mystery Knives Out. A best-selling author kills himself the night of his 85th birthday party, leaving behind a family more concerned about their inheritance than they are about grieving, a nervous private nurse who may not be telling the whole truth, and a detective with a sense that this isn't just an open-and-shut suicide case. As the nurse tries to avoid the suspicion of the desperate family members, she learns that she was the one the author
Knives Out
Episode 132. We watched Rian Johnson's 2019 murder mystery Knives Out. A best-selling author kills himself the night of his 85th birthday party, leaving behind a family more concerned about their inheritance than they are about grieving, a nervous private nurse who may not be telling the whole truth, and a detective with a sense that this isn't just an open-and-shut suicide case. As the nurse tries to avoid the suspicion of the desperate family members, she learns that she was the one t
The Drops of God vol. 1-4
Episode 131. We read the first four volumes of manga The Drops of God by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto. Shizuku Kanzaki is the son of a famous wine critic who's never drank wine himself. When his father dies, Shizuku finds that he legally adopted his wine critic protege and wants his two sons to compete for their inheritance. In his massive wine collection, he has named "Twelve Apostles," wines that exemplify the art form, and "The Drops of God," the greatest wine he's ever tasted. Whomev
The Drops of God vol. 1-4
Episode 131. We read the first four volumes of manga The Drops of God by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto. Shizuku Kanzaki is the son of a famous wine critic who's never drank wine himself. When his father dies, Shizuku finds that he legally adopted his wine critic protege and wants his two sons to compete for their inheritance. In his massive wine collection, he has named "Twelve Apostles," wines that exemplify the art form, and "The Drops of God," the greatest wine he's ever tasted. Whomever can id
Irredeemable pt. 2
Episode 130. We're continuing our monthly coverage of the comic series Irredeemable, talking about volumes 5-7 this week. Qubit has sabotaged the team's attempt to kill The Plutonian, believing that there's still a way to solve the problem without putting death on their consciences. He knows of a secret force who can capture Tony -- but can anyone keep him locked up for long? We learn Modeus's true intentions in antagonizing Tony, and why he may be trying to help the man more than hurt
Irredeemable pt. 2
Episode 130. We're continuing our monthly coverage of the comic series Irredeemable, talking about volumes 5-7 this week. Qubit has sabotaged the team's attempt to kill The Plutonian, believing that there's still a way to solve the problem without putting death on their consciences. He knows of a secret force who can capture Tony -- but can anyone keep him locked up for long? We learn Modeus's true intentions in antagonizing Tony, and why he may be trying to help the man more than hurt him. In T
Typewriter
Episode 129. For our final Halloween episode this year, we watched a Netflix original show from India, the ghost story Typewriter. An author of horror novels died mysteriously in his mansion decades ago, and the place has remained empty since then, believed to be haunted. The author's family is moving back into the estate and they uncover an abandoned typewriter, which sets off a chain of mysterious deaths and unnerving paranormal experiences. Dark magic took place in this house, and we follow p
Typewriter
Episode 129. For our final Halloween episode this year, we watched a Netflix original show from India, the ghost story Typewriter. An author of horror novels died mysteriously in his mansion decades ago, and the place has remained empty since then, believed to be haunted. The author's family is moving back into the estate and they uncover an abandoned typewriter, which sets off a chain of mysterious deaths and unnerving paranormal experiences. Dark magic took place in this house, and we
The Love Witch
Episode 128. We watched Anna Biller's 2016 film The Love Witch, gorgeously styled after low-budget 1970s Technicolor melodramas. After the destruction of her marriage, a witch named Elaine moves to a new town and sets her sights on finding true love. She brews spells, seduces men, and when they don't turn out to be the love she's looking for, she kills them. She falls for the detective investigating her last murder and believes her romantic fantasies may be coming true, but her magic doesn't alw
The Love Witch
Episode 128. We watched Anna Biller's 2016 film The Love Witch, gorgeously styled after low-budget 1970s Technicolor melodramas. After the destruction of her marriage, a witch named Elaine moves to a new town and sets her sights on finding true love. She brews spells, seduces men, and when they don't turn out to be the love she's looking for, she kills them. She falls for the detective investigating her last murder and believes her romantic fantasies may be coming true, but her magic do
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Episode 127. This week we read the DC comics series Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., with issues written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt. Frankenstein, the big green monster you know and love, works for the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive, a high-tech organization that protects the world from arcane threats. He teams up with his estranged wife, the four-armed Lady Frankenstein, and a group called the Creature Commandos, featuring a vampire, wolfman, mummy, and fish lady scientist
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Episode 127. This week we read the DC comics series Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., with issues written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt. Frankenstein, the big green monster you know and love, works for the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive, a high-tech organization that protects the world from arcane threats. He teams up with his estranged wife, the four-armed Lady Frankenstein, and a group called the Creature Commandos, featuring a vampire, wolfman, mummy, and fish lady scientist. They're
Hannibal s1
Episode 126. To kick off the spooky month of October, we watched season one of the TV show Hannibal. Will Graham is a criminal psychologist who is pulled from his teaching position to work in the field, using his unique empathy abilities to put himself in a serial killer's head. After catching the murderer, Will can't get himself out of that mindset, and he turns to a psychologist colleague to help him cope as he investigates more grisly crimes. But does Dr. Hannibal Lector really have
Hannibal s1
Episode 126. To kick off the spooky month of October, we watched season one of the TV show Hannibal. Will Graham is a criminal psychologist who is pulled from his teaching position to work in the field, using his unique empathy abilities to put himself in a serial killer's head. After catching the murderer, Will can't get himself out of that mindset, and he turns to a psychologist colleague to help him cope as he investigates more grisly crimes. But does Dr. Hannibal Lector really have Will's be
Irredeemable pt. 1
Episode 125. Time for another continuing monthly series! We'll be reading all of the comic book Irredeemable by Mark Waid and Peter Krause, and we started with volumes 1-4. The Plutonian is the greatest superhero the world has ever seen. He's incredibly powerful, kind-hearted, always there to save the day -- until the day he snaps and destroys his entire city. Now the world lives in fear of this rampaging hero turned villain, and his former teammates are realizing they never really knew
Irredeemable pt. 1
Episode 125. Time for another continuing monthly series! We'll be reading all of the comic book Irredeemable by Mark Waid and Peter Krause, and we started with volumes 1-4. The Plutonian is the greatest superhero the world has ever seen. He's incredibly powerful, kind-hearted, always there to save the day -- until the day he snaps and destroys his entire city. Now the world lives in fear of this rampaging hero turned villain, and his former teammates are realizing they never really knew this man
The Fifth Element
Episode 124. Our second half of the Shametember series is a cult classic sci-fi movie that cyberpunk Kyle should have seen by now, Luc Besson's The Fifth Element. Korben Dallas is your average New York guy in the 23rd century, trying to make a living in his flying cab, when a mysterious young woman dives into his vehicle and asks for help escaping from the pursuing authorities. She's the key to an ancient weapon that can destroy a galactic evil, and Korben has to figure out how to protect her, l
The Fifth Element
Episode 124. Our second half of the Shametember series is a cult classic sci-fi movie that cyberpunk Kyle should have seen by now, Luc Besson's The Fifth Element. Korben Dallas is your average New York guy in the 23rd century, trying to make a living in his flying cab, when a mysterious young woman dives into his vehicle and asks for help escaping from the pursuing authorities. She's the key to an ancient weapon that can destroy a galactic evil, and Korben has to figure out how to prote
Dr. No
Episode 123. Welcome to our first "Shame-tember" episode where we talk about a movie one of our co-hosts definitely should have seen before now, but hasn't! This week, Melissa goes back to where James Bond first started with 1962's Dr. No. Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the death of a British agent and work with the CIA to find who is interfering with the NASA missile launches nearby in Florida. He learns of a mysterious scientist who intimidates the locals, and Bond infiltrates
Dr. No
Episode 123. Welcome to our first "Shame-tember" episode where we talk about a movie one of our co-hosts definitely should have seen before now, but hasn't! This week, Melissa goes back to where James Bond first started with 1962's Dr. No. Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the death of a British agent and work with the CIA to find who is interfering with the NASA missile launches nearby in Florida. He learns of a mysterious scientist who intimidates the locals, and Bond infiltrates his lab
Tron Uprising
Episode 122. This week we watched the short-lived Disney cartoon Tron Uprising, set between the events of the original Tron movie and Tron: Legacy. A totalitarian regime is cracking down on The Grid, and a young mechanic named Beck wants to stand up for his fellow programs. The legendary hero Tron has been in hiding, but he reaches out to Beck and offers him the training he needs to be the city's new hero. Beck struggles with Tron's secrecy and his own double-life working at the lightbike garage
Tron Uprising
Episode 122. This week we watched the short-lived Disney cartoon Tron Uprising, set between the events of the original Tron movie and Tron: Legacy. A totalitarian regime is cracking down on The Grid, and a young mechanic named Beck wants to stand up for his fellow programs. The legendary hero Tron has been in hiding, but he reaches out to Beck and offers him the training he needs to be the city's new hero. Beck struggles with Tron's secrecy and his own double-life working at the lightbi
Sitcom Special: Seinfeld & The Simpsons
Episode 121. We're trying a special kind of episode showing each other a sitcom one of us grew up with, but the other person barely knows. Melissa needs to learn about Seinfeld, Kyle needs to learn about The Simpsons. We nominated three episodes from our show to talk about: Kyle picked The Chinese Restaurant, The Contest, and The Rye, Melissa picked Marge vs. The Monorail, Bart Sells His Soul, and The Mysterious Voyage of Homer. Time to find out who's master of their domain, and who's back in Po
Sitcom Special: Seinfeld & The Simpsons
Episode 121. We're trying a special kind of episode showing each other a sitcom one of us grew up with, but the other person barely knows. Melissa needs to learn about Seinfeld, Kyle needs to learn about The Simpsons. We nominated three episodes from our show to talk about: Kyle picked The Chinese Restaurant, The Contest, and The Rye, Melissa picked Marge vs. The Monorail, Bart Sells His Soul, and The Mysterious Voyage of Homer. Time to find out who's master of their domain, and who's b
Midnight Diner
Episode 120. This week we watched the Japanese TV series Midnight Diner, which you can find on Netflix as just Midnight Diner (the original three seasons) and Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (season four onwards, after Netflix acquired it as one of its own productions). Kyle watched season one of the original and Melissa watched season "one" of Tokyo Stories. Whoops. We still had an exciting conversation about this anthology series! The show follows a cozy late night diner where the chef is known
Midnight Diner
Episode 120. This week we watched the Japanese TV series Midnight Diner, which you can find on Netflix as just Midnight Diner (the original three seasons) and Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (season four onwards, after Netflix acquired it as one of its own productions). Kyle watched season one of the original and Melissa watched season "one" of Tokyo Stories. Whoops. We still had an exciting conversation about this anthology series! The show follows a cozy late night diner where the chef
Superman: Rebirth vol. 1-2
Episode 119. This week we read Superman: Rebirth, the first volume of the deluxe edition that collects issues 1-13 from writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason. After the Superman of this universe dies, a Superman lost from another universe decides to stay here and fill his role. Clark "Smith" now lives on a farm with his wife Lois and ten-year-old son Jonathan. He fights any threat that comes his way but is most focused on his family, helping Jon adjust to his growing powers and learn
Superman: Rebirth vol. 1-2
Episode 119. This week we read Superman: Rebirth, the first volume of the deluxe edition that collects issues 1-13 from writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason. After the Superman of this universe dies, a Superman lost from another universe decides to stay here and fill his role. Clark "Smith" now lives on a farm with his wife Lois and ten-year-old son Jonathan. He fights any threat that comes his way but is most focused on his family, helping Jon adjust to his growing powers
Murder on the Orient Express
Episode 118. This week we watched Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic mystery Murder on the Orient Express. Renowned detective Hercule Poirot is determined to take a break from solving crimes to enjoy a leisurely train trip, until one of his fellow passengers is murdered. Everyone traveling in that train car is a suspect. As he sinks deeper into the inescapable mystery surrounding him, Poirot finds that justice may be more complicated than just catching a kill
Murder on the Orient Express
Episode 118. This week we watched Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic mystery Murder on the Orient Express. Renowned detective Hercule Poirot is determined to take a break from solving crimes to enjoy a leisurely train trip, until one of his fellow passengers is murdered. Everyone traveling in that train car is a suspect. As he sinks deeper into the inescapable mystery surrounding him, Poirot finds that justice may be more complicated than just catching a killer.
The W
The Vast of Night
Episode 117. This week we watched the Amazon Prime original movie The Vast of Night. It's the late 1950s in rural Cayuga, New Mexico. The whole town is at the high school basketball game, but Fay and Everett are busy working. While she's transferring phone calls on the switchboard, Fay encounters distressed callers and hears a strange noise interrupt Everett's radio broadcast. Someone calls in believing they have the answer, and it could be a threat from beyond our world, hovering behin
The Vast of Night
Episode 117. This week we watched the Amazon Prime original movie The Vast of Night. It's the late 1950s in rural Cayuga, New Mexico. The whole town is at the high school basketball game, but Fay and Everett are busy working. While she's transferring phone calls on the switchboard, Fay encounters distressed callers and hears a strange noise interrupt Everett's radio broadcast. Someone calls in believing they have the answer, and it could be a threat from beyond our world, hovering behind the clo
Mr. Robot part 4
We say “goodbye, friend” to Mr. Robot as we discuss its fourth and final season! After the Dark Army kills someone close to Elliot, he focuses everything on taking down Whiterose’s mysterious machine and her cabal that has been controlling world affairs and finances. We discover devastating Alderson family secrets, the origin of the Mr. Robot persona, and truths that Elliot has hidden from everyone, including himself. It’s a power struggle for all of society, and for Elliot’s own mind.
Melissa's
Mr. Robot part 4
We say “goodbye, friend” to Mr. Robot as we discuss its fourth and final season! After the Dark Army kills someone close to Elliot, he focuses everything on taking down Whiterose’s mysterious machine and her cabal that has been controlling world affairs and finances. We discover devastating Alderson family secrets, the origin of the Mr. Robot persona, and truths that Elliot has hidden from everyone, including himself. It’s a power struggle for all of society, and for Elliot’s own mind.M
Promare
Episode 115. This week friend of the show Sam joins us to talk about the anime film Promare from Studio Trigger. Thirty years ago, people around the world suddenly developed unstable pyrokinetic powers. They decimated cities, killed millions, and became an ever-growing band of outcasts known as the Burnish. Burning Rescue is a fire-fighting team that works against a Burnish terrorist group in their city, until they find out what happens to these people after they're taken away from the crime sce
Promare
Episode 115. This week friend of the show Sam joins us to talk about the anime film Promare from Studio Trigger. Thirty years ago, people around the world suddenly developed unstable pyrokinetic powers. They decimated cities, killed millions, and became an ever-growing band of outcasts known as the Burnish. Burning Rescue is a fire-fighting team that works against a Burnish terrorist group in their city, until they find out what happens to these people after they're taken away from the
Fairy Tail vol. 1-4
Episode 114. This week we read the first four volumes of Hiro Mashima's shonen manga Fairy Tail. Lucy is a young woman with a talent for working with spirits contained in magical artifacts, and she wants to join one of the hottest wizarding guilds, Fairy Tail. She takes up with another fledgling guild member, the fire-breathing Natsu, and the two form a team to take on whatever odd jobs come their way in need of magical powers. With an ice wizard and a warrior of interdimensional weapon
Fairy Tail vol. 1-4
Episode 114. This week we read the first four volumes of Hiro Mashima's shonen manga Fairy Tail. Lucy is a young woman with a talent for working with spirits contained in magical artifacts, and she wants to join one of the hottest wizarding guilds, Fairy Tail. She takes up with another fledgling guild member, the fire-breathing Natsu, and the two form a team to take on whatever odd jobs come their way in need of magical powers. With an ice wizard and a warrior of interdimensional weapons joining
Lucifer s1
Episode 113. This week we watched season one of the supernatural crime procedural Lucifer, based on a character from the Sandman comics. You know the devil, right? This is him. He got bored of ruling hell and left to run a nightclub in Los Angeles, where he loudly tells everyone that he is the devil. When there's a murder outside his club, Lucifer gets wrapped up in the investigation, and particularly lead detective Chloe Decker. He can magically charm anyone he wants, but his powers do
Lucifer s1
Episode 113. This week we watched season one of the supernatural crime procedural Lucifer, based on a character from the Sandman comics. You know the devil, right? This is him. He got bored of ruling hell and left to run a nightclub in Los Angeles, where he loudly tells everyone that he is the devil. When there's a murder outside his club, Lucifer gets wrapped up in the investigation, and particularly lead detective Chloe Decker. He can magically charm anyone he wants, but his powers don't work
Mr. Robot part 3
Episode 112. Friend of the show Jacq joins us for a discussion on Mr. Robot, season three! Elliot has realized that deleting all of E-Corp’s financial records has worse consequences than he intended, and now he’s working at the company trying to restore that data. He’s lost connection with Mr. Robot, blacking out entirely when his other persona takes control and struggling to puzzle together what Mr. Robot has been planning. Are his two identities working against each other? Is Angela turning on
Mr. Robot part 3
Episode 112. Friend of the show Jacq joins us for a discussion on Mr. Robot, season three! Elliot has realized that deleting all of E-Corp’s financial records has worse consequences than he intended, and now he’s working at the company trying to restore that data. He’s lost connection with Mr. Robot, blacking out entirely when his other persona takes control and struggling to puzzle together what Mr. Robot has been planning. Are his two identities working against each other? Is Angela t
Marvels (audio drama podcast)
Episode 111. This week we listened to the Marvels audio drama, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. The story features some favorite Marvel characters and is produced by audio drama all-stars like Paul Bae, Lauren Shippen, and Misha Stanton! It's 1967 and New York City is already dealing with protests about the war, civil rights, and the rising presence of mutants, when Galactus attacks. The Fantastic Four manage to beat him, and as the city picks itself back
Marvels (audio drama podcast)
Episode 111. This week we listened to the Marvels audio drama, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. The story features some favorite Marvel characters and is produced by audio drama all-stars like Paul Bae, Lauren Shippen, and Misha Stanton! It's 1967 and New York City is already dealing with protests about the war, civil rights, and the rising presence of mutants, when Galactus attacks. The Fantastic Four manage to beat him, and as the city picks it
The Fantastic Four 1-10
Episode 110. We went back to the origin story of the Marvel comics universe and read The Fantastic Four: Masterworks Volume 1, a collection of the first ten issues from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1961. When scientist Reed Richards, pilot Ben Grimm, Reed's girlfriend Sue Storm and her brother Johnny take an experimental flight to space, they return changed. They're developed superpowers! Some of them find this helpful, others find it a curse, but they decide to stick together and use their a
The Fantastic Four 1-10
Episode 110. We went back to the origin story of the Marvel comics universe and read The Fantastic Four: Masterworks Volume 1, a collection of the first ten issues from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1961. When scientist Reed Richards, pilot Ben Grimm, Reed's girlfriend Sue Storm and her brother Johnny take an experimental flight to space, they return changed. They're developed superpowers! Some of them find this helpful, others find it a curse, but they decide to stick together and us
Mr. Robot part 2
Episode 109. We're continuing our monthly series on Mr. Robot and talking about season two! Since their hack to delete E-Corp's financial records, Elliot has decided to lay low and get his head on straight, still trying to find out what happened to Tyrell. Darlene is struggling to lead F Society to further action while avoiding the attention of the FBI. Angela is attempting to play the big business game and rise up the ranks of E-Corp to tear it down from the inside out. As the world is in shamb
Mr. Robot part 2
Episode 109. We're continuing our monthly series on Mr. Robot and talking about season two! Since their hack to delete E-Corp's financial records, Elliot has decided to lay low and get his head on straight, still trying to find out what happened to Tyrell. Darlene is struggling to lead F Society to further action while avoiding the attention of the FBI. Angela is attempting to play the big business game and rise up the ranks of E-Corp to tear it down from the inside out. As the world is
Speed Racer
Episode 108. We watched the 2008 film Speed Racer, the Wachowskis' visually dazzling adaptation of the classic anime. Speed comes from a family of mechanics and wants nothing more than to be a racecar driver, even though a dangerous race killed his older brother when he was a kid. He's rising up the ranks of the sport and attracting big corporate sponsors, but the tempting deals are ruined when he finds out that they're fixing all the races. He teams up with the mysterious Racer X to sabotage th
Speed Racer
Episode 108. We watched the 2008 film Speed Racer, the Wachowskis' visually dazzling adaptation of the classic anime. Speed comes from a family of mechanics and wants nothing more than to be a racecar driver, even though a dangerous race killed his older brother when he was a kid. He's rising up the ranks of the sport and attracting big corporate sponsors, but the tempting deals are ruined when he finds out that they're fixing all the races. He teams up with the mysterious Racer X to sa
Paprika
Episode 107. We watched Satoshi Kon's 2006 mindbending anime film Paprika. A group of scientists have invented a device that allows them to travel inside of dreams and affect how they play out. They intend to use this for therapy but a former colleague is using the device as a weapon, bombarding people with intense fantastical imagery that overloads the dreamer and drives them out of their mind. Dr. Chiba investigates in the waking world while her free-spirited alter ego Paprika tries to fight b
Paprika
Episode 107. We watched Satoshi Kon's 2006 mindbending anime film Paprika. A group of scientists have invented a device that allows them to travel inside of dreams and affect how they play out. They intend to use this for therapy but a former colleague is using the device as a weapon, bombarding people with intense fantastical imagery that overloads the dreamer and drives them out of their mind. Dr. Chiba investigates in the waking world while her free-spirited alter ego Paprika tries t
Black Hammer vol. 1-2
Episode 106. We read the first two volumes of Black Hammer, a comic by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dean Ormston. Ten years ago, Spiral City's greatest superheroes faced off against the Anti-God in a battle to save the world, but they paid a terrible and mysterious cost to defeat their enemy. The heroes were somehow cast away to a farm in a small rural town, trapped by an energy field running along the town's borders. They have no idea where they are, what brought them there, and if Sp
Black Hammer vol. 1-2
Episode 106. We read the first two volumes of Black Hammer, a comic by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dean Ormston. Ten years ago, Spiral City's greatest superheroes faced off against the Anti-God in a battle to save the world, but they paid a terrible and mysterious cost to defeat their enemy. The heroes were somehow cast away to a farm in a small rural town, trapped by an energy field running along the town's borders. They have no idea where they are, what brought them there, and if Spiral City
Paddington 1 & 2
Episode 105. This week we watched the whimsical family adventures Paddington and Paddington 2 from director Paul King, to learn for ourselves why they're some of the most critically acclaimed films of the 2010s. Paddington is an innocent talking bear who travels from his sheltered jungle home to London, a city he only knows through idealized family stories. The city isn't as immediately welcoming as he hoped, but he slowly charms his temporary host family, bringing them all closer to each other
Paddington 1 & 2
Episode 105. This week we watched the whimsical family adventures Paddington and Paddington 2 from director Paul King, to learn for ourselves why they're some of the most critically acclaimed films of the 2010s. Paddington is an innocent talking bear who travels from his sheltered jungle home to London, a city he only knows through idealized family stories. The city isn't as immediately welcoming as he hoped, but he slowly charms his temporary host family, bringing them all closer to ea
Mr. Robot part 1
Episode 104. We're discussing season one of the USA drama Mr. Robot, and join us for another episode next month as we keep watching the show through to its conclusion! Elliot works for a cybersecurity company and deals with his social anxiety by hacking into the private lives of the people around him to get to know their true selves. He earns the attention of a mysterious anarchist called Mr. Robot and his "hacktivist" group, who want to bring down the world's largest conglomerate, dele
Mr. Robot part 1
Episode 104. We're discussing season one of the USA drama Mr. Robot, and join us for another episode next month as we keep watching the show through to its conclusion! Elliot works for a cybersecurity company and deals with his social anxiety by hacking into the private lives of the people around him to get to know their true selves. He earns the attention of a mysterious anarchist called Mr. Robot and his "hacktivist" group, who want to bring down the world's largest conglomerate, deleting thei
The Heroic Legend of Arslan vol. 1-3
Episode 103. This week we read the first three volumes of the manga The Heroic Legend of Arslan, from the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa. Arslan is the young prince of a country at war, trying to learn battle tactics and how to impress his aloof parents while he's beginning to question his country's harsh practices. When he's separated from the rest of the army during a devastating battle, he has to rely on a small band of outcasts to help him travel back to the capital city to h
The Heroic Legend of Arslan vol. 1-3
Episode 103. This week we read the first three volumes of the manga The Heroic Legend of Arslan, from the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa. Arslan is the young prince of a country at war, trying to learn battle tactics and how to impress his aloof parents while he's beginning to question his country's harsh practices. When he's separated from the rest of the army during a devastating battle, he has to rely on a small band of outcasts to help him travel back to the capital
Parasite
Episode 102. This week Melissa's friend Jacq serves as co-captain for a discussion on Parasite, a thriller from South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho that swept the Oscars this year. The Kim family is struggling to find steady work when the opportunity arises for their son to tutor the daughter of the rich Park family. The rest of the Kims lie their way into positions in the household staff, fabricating identities and making the Parks believe they're all strangers to each other. But the Ki
Parasite
Episode 102. This week Melissa's friend Jacq serves as co-captain for a discussion on Parasite, a thriller from South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho that swept the Oscars this year. The Kim family is struggling to find steady work when the opportunity arises for their son to tutor the daughter of the rich Park family. The rest of the Kims lie their way into positions in the household staff, fabricating identities and making the Parks believe they're all strangers to each other. But the Kims soon d
The Venture Bros. pt. 3
Episode 101. We conclude our monthly series on The Venture Bros by discussing seasons 5, 6, and 7, which catches us up with the show! Both generations of the Ventures are dealing with the secrets of their fathers as the family lineage becomes more complicated. The Monarchs and Henchman 21 explore paths outside of their typical villainous roles. Billy and White experience firsthand what it's like to be heroes with their own arch-nemesis. The show shifts its setting and evolves its cast of charact
The Venture Bros. pt. 3
Episode 101. We conclude our monthly series on The Venture Bros by discussing seasons 5, 6, and 7, which catches us up with the show! Both generations of the Ventures are dealing with the secrets of their fathers as the family lineage becomes more complicated. The Monarchs and Henchman 21 explore paths outside of their typical villainous roles. Billy and White experience firsthand what it's like to be heroes with their own arch-nemesis. The show shifts its setting and evolves its cast o
Spider-Man 2 vs. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
It's episode 100! We tried a new and special format for this episode. We challenged ourselves to a debate about one of our favorite story genres and asked, what is the best superhero movie? Kyle's champion: The Russo Brothers' Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Melissa's champion: Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. Two humble New York boys face off! We discuss the strengths and flaws of both movies, how they fit into the larger superhero movie canon, and how they make us feel like we could be heroes. T
Spider-Man 2 vs. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
It's episode 100! We tried a new and special format for this episode. We challenged ourselves to a debate about one of our favorite story genres and asked, what is the best superhero movie? Kyle's champion: The Russo Brothers' Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Melissa's champion: Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. Two humble New York boys face off! We discuss the strengths and flaws of both movies, how they fit into the larger superhero movie canon, and how they make us feel like we could be
Remember The Titans
Episode 99. This week we watched the true sports story Remember the Titans. Melissa had never seen it before, and Kyle had seen it dozens of times, since he's from the location of this story and it mentions his own high school! The year is 1970 and two segregated schools are integrating and forming a new football team. The coach is determined to make this the best season possible, no matter how tough he has to be, and team harmony is his top goal. Boys of all different backgrounds need
Remember The Titans
Episode 99. This week we watched the true sports story Remember the Titans. Melissa had never seen it before, and Kyle had seen it dozens of times, since he's from the location of this story and it mentions his own high school! The year is 1970 and two segregated schools are integrating and forming a new football team. The coach is determined to make this the best season possible, no matter how tough he has to be, and team harmony is his top goal. Boys of all different backgrounds need to come t
X-Men Season One
Episode 98. We're taking our first good look at X-Men this week and reading the 2012 graphic novel X-Men: Season One, from writer Dennis Hopeless and artist Jamie McKelvie. In this contemporary re-telling of the original comics, teenage telekinetic Jean Gray is upset about leaving her normal home and school behind to live at Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She doesn't want to be trained for battle, even if it is to help mankind and show them that mutants can be heroes. It
X-Men Season One
We're taking our first good look at X-Men this week and reading the 2012 graphic novel X-Men: Season One, from writer Dennis Hopeless and artist Jamie McKelvie. In this contemporary re-telling of the original comics, teenage telekinetic Jean Gray is upset about leaving her normal home and school behind to live at Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She doesn't want to be trained for battle, even if it is to help mankind and show them that mutants can be heroes. It's also stressful bei
The Tick s1
Episode 97. We both watched season one of the Amazon Prime comic book comedy The Tick, and Kyle got confused and also watched season two! As a kid, Arthur witnessed a terrible superhero fight that not only claimed the lives of the heroes and villain involved, but also killed his innocent bystander father. As an adult, he's haunted by that trauma and convinced that villain The Terror faked his death and is still secretly controlling the criminal underground. A mysterious but earnest new
The Tick s1
Episode 97. We both watched season one of the Amazon Prime comic book comedy The Tick, and Kyle got confused and also watched season two! As a kid, Arthur witnessed a terrible superhero fight that not only claimed the lives of the heroes and villain involved, but also killed his innocent bystander father. As an adult, he's haunted by that trauma and convinced that villain The Terror faked his death and is still secretly controlling the criminal underground. A mysterious but earnest new superhero
The Venture Bros. pt. 2
Episode 96. We're back with another episode of our ongoing monthly series covering The Venture Bros, now discussing seasons 3 and 4. Newlyweds The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch are learning to be a successful criminal couple as she encourages him to pick a different arch nemesis. The Venture family find themselves under attack from new villains rising to fill the gap The Monarch has left in their lives. Dean is still harboring a crush on Triana, and Hank makes his first normal teenage friend
The Venture Bros. pt. 2
Episode 96. We're back with another episode of our ongoing monthly series covering The Venture Bros, now discussing seasons 3 and 4. Newlyweds The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch are learning to be a successful criminal couple as she encourages him to pick a different arch nemesis. The Venture family find themselves under attack from new villains rising to fill the gap The Monarch has left in their lives. Dean is still harboring a crush on Triana, and Hank makes his first normal teenag
Your Name
Episode 95. This week, Ignacio from Crossplay joins Kyle and Melissa to discuss the 2016 anime film Your Name. Taki and Mitsuha are a teenage boy and girl leading different lives in different parts of Japan, with no idea that the other person exists. They find themselves experiencing vivid dreams of living another life and discover that these dreams are real -- they've been switching bodies at random! The two leave notes to get to know each other and figure out this strange connection t
Your Name
Episode 95. This week, Ignacio from Crossplay joins Kyle and Melissa to discuss the 2016 anime film Your Name. Taki and Mitsuha are a teenage boy and girl leading different lives in different parts of Japan, with no idea that the other person exists. They find themselves experiencing vivid dreams of living another life and discover that these dreams are real -- they've been switching bodies at random! The two leave notes to get to know each other and figure out this strange connection they've es
Moonrise Kingdom
Episode 94. This week we watched Wes Anderson's 2012 feature Moonrise Kingdom. It's 1965 in a small island town off the eastern US coast. Sam and Suzy are two troubled youths who fall in love through pen pal letters and decide to run away together, prepared with little more than Sam's scouting knowledge of the island. But they're being pursued by every adult they know, plus Sam's entire scout troop, armed with the same tracking skills. This island is preparing itself for the storm of the century
Moonrise Kingdom
Episode 94. This week we watched Wes Anderson's 2012 feature Moonrise Kingdom. It's 1965 in a small island town off the eastern US coast. Sam and Suzy are two troubled youths who fall in love through pen pal letters and decide to run away together, prepared with little more than Sam's scouting knowledge of the island. But they're being pursued by every adult they know, plus Sam's entire scout troop, armed with the same tracking skills. This island is preparing itself for the storm of th
Locke & Key vol. 1-2
Episode 93. This week we read the first two volumes of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez's comic Locke & Key, soon to be a Netflix series! After their father is brutally murdered in a home invasion, the Locke kids move across the country back to his childhood home, a sprawling New England mansion known as Keyhouse. They're dealing with loss, fear, reinventing themselves for a new life, and now, magic. Keyhouse is full of mysterious keys that open portals to fantastic abilities, but the kids don't k
Locke & Key vol. 1-2
Episode 93. This week we read the first two volumes of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez's comic Locke & Key, soon to be a Netflix series! After their father is brutally murdered in a home invasion, the Locke kids move across the country back to his childhood home, a sprawling New England mansion known as Keyhouse. They're dealing with loss, fear, reinventing themselves for a new life, and now, magic. Keyhouse is full of mysterious keys that open portals to fantastic abilities, but the
The Venture Bros. Pt. 1
Episode 92. We're starting something new on The Review Show! We're going to watch a longer series through to completion, covering part of it one episode a month. This month, it's seasons one and two of the Adult Swim cartoon The Venture Bros. Dr. Rusty Venture, former boy adventurer, hasn't grown up into the same dazzling super-scientist that his father was. Struggling with upholding the legacy, he drags his sheltered teen twins Hank and Dean around the world in a series of sci-fi misadventures,
The Venture Bros. Pt. 1
Episode 92. We're starting something new on The Review Show! We're going to watch a longer series through to completion, covering part of it one episode a month. This month, it's seasons one and two of the Adult Swim cartoon The Venture Bros. Dr. Rusty Venture, former boy adventurer, hasn't grown up into the same dazzling super-scientist that his father was. Struggling with upholding the legacy, he drags his sheltered teen twins Hank and Dean around the world in a series of sci-fi misad
Ready Or Not
Episode 91. This week we watched the 2019 horror-comedy Ready or Not. Grace is marrying into a board game dynasty, and her new in-laws have a tradition when someone joins the family: on the wedding night, the whole family gathers at the mansion to play a game together. Grace picks the wrong game. She's going to hide, they're going to seek, but she discovers that they plan to kill her once they find her.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts
Ready Or Not
Episode 91. This week we watched the 2019 horror-comedy Ready or Not. Grace is marrying into a board game dynasty, and her new in-laws have a tradition when someone joins the family: on the wedding night, the whole family gathers at the mansion to play a game together. Grace picks the wrong game. She's going to hide, they're going to seek, but she discovers that they plan to kill her once they find her.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop
The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage Vol. 1-2
Episode 90. We read the first two volumes of The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage from Valiant Comics. Shan Fong-Mirage can speak to the dead, but she can't speak to her late husband Hwen. She's desolate and going through the motions of her life as a paranormal investigator, taking whatever jobs will give her the money to keep her and Hwen's home just as it was when he was alive. Her latest gig seems sketchy, but a mysterious spirit hints that she may able to find Hwen if she travels into th
The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage Vol. 1-2
Episode 90. We read the first two volumes of The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage from Valiant Comics. Shan Fong-Mirage can speak to the dead, but she can't speak to her late husband Hwen. She's desolate and going through the motions of her life as a paranormal investigator, taking whatever jobs will give her the money to keep her and Hwen's home just as it was when he was alive. Her latest gig seems sketchy, but a mysterious spirit hints that she may able to find Hwen if she travels into the underwo
Sherlock
Episode 89. We used our winter break to watch the entire BBC series Sherlock, a contemporary take on the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery stories. Dr. John Watson is a returning solider trying to find his footing in London again, unsure if what he really wants is a quiet life or a new kind of exciting battle to wage. Sherlock Holmes is a private investigator and deductive genius who can't sympathize with people as well as he can read them for clues. Together they're roommates, best frien
Sherlock
Episode 89. We used our winter break to watch the entire BBC series Sherlock, a contemporary take on the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery stories. Dr. John Watson is a returning solider trying to find his footing in London again, unsure if what he really wants is a quiet life or a new kind of exciting battle to wage. Sherlock Holmes is a private investigator and deductive genius who can't sympathize with people as well as he can read them for clues. Together they're roommates, best friends, and p
4th Anniversary Retrospective
It's our 4th birthday! Wow. It feels like it's been forever. Whether you have stuck around with us since the beginning, or are a new listener, thank you so much. We could not do any of this without you. Melissa and Kyle have been chugging along, Mick and Ignacio have joined the crew, and we even started a new show, Crossplay. Here's to four more years!
Melissa even made a new spotify playlist based on the episodes of The Review Show we did this year. Check it out here!
Check out our other podcas
4th Anniversary Retrospective
It's our 4th birthday! Wow. It feels like it's been forever. Whether you have stuck around with us since the beginning, or are a new listener, thank you so much. We could not do any of this without you. Melissa and Kyle have been chugging along, Mick and Ignacio have joined the crew, and we even started a new show, Crossplay. Here's to four more years!Melissa even made a new spotify playlist based on the episodes of The Review Show we did this year. Check it out here!Check out our other
The Last Christmas
Episode 88. For our final episode of 2019, we went with the holiday-themed comic The Last Christmas, by Deadpool writers Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan. In a post-apocalyptic world where he hasn't worked in years, Santa has lost faith in himself, but there's still one little kid out there who believes in him. Santa tries to resurrect his giving spirit and stop a band of marauders and zombie mutants from ruining this kid's Christmas. It's an irreverent action movie spoof with plenty of jokes
The Last Christmas
Episode 88. For our final episode of 2019, we went with the holiday-themed comic The Last Christmas, by Deadpool writers Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan. In a post-apocalyptic world where he hasn't worked in years, Santa has lost faith in himself, but there's still one little kid out there who believes in him. Santa tries to resurrect his giving spirit and stop a band of marauders and zombie mutants from ruining this kid's Christmas. It's an irreverent action movie spoof with plenty of jo
Gremlins 1 & 2
Episode 87. We watched Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), from director Joe Dante, writer Chris Columbus, and producer Steven Spielberg. Billy receives a mysterious creature as a Christmas present and is warned to never expose it to bright light, never get it wet, and never feed it after midnight. When the rules are broken, the creature can turn into a destructive and chaotic gremlin! Billy has to save his small town from being destroyed on Christmas Eve, and years later, the
Gremlins 1 & 2
Episode 87. We watched Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), from director Joe Dante, writer Chris Columbus, and producer Steven Spielberg. Billy receives a mysterious creature as a Christmas present and is warned to never expose it to bright light, never get it wet, and never feed it after midnight. When the rules are broken, the creature can turn into a destructive and chaotic gremlin! Billy has to save his small town from being destroyed on Christmas Eve, and years la
The Devil Is A Part-Timer
Episode 86. We watched the 13-episode anime series The Devil is a Part-timer. Satan escapes his dimension of angels and demons through a portal that sends him to modern day Japan, but he's too weak to return home. He has to invent an identity, rent an apartment, and find a job to make a new living here. He's determined to be the most powerful employee that fast food restaurant MgRonald's has ever seen! He's on his way to making shift lead when he learns that his heroic foe has also come
The Devil Is A Part-Timer
Episode 86. We watched the 13-episode anime series The Devil is a Part-timer. Satan escapes his dimension of angels and demons through a portal that sends him to modern day Japan, but he's too weak to return home. He has to invent an identity, rent an apartment, and find a job to make a new living here. He's determined to be the most powerful employee that fast food restaurant MgRonald's has ever seen! He's on his way to making shift lead when he learns that his heroic foe has also come through
Primer
Episode 85. We watched the mind-bending sci-fi movie Primer, a 2004 indie feature from writer/director/star/everything Shane Carruth. Two engineers accidentally invent time travel and start reliving their days over again, learning the limits of this technology as they cheat the stock market for the money they could never get from investors. Each of them has personal goals for this time travel, and personal safeguards they've secretly put in place, and lies between these two partners th
Primer
Episode 85. We watched the mind-bending sci-fi movie Primer, a 2004 indie feature from writer/director/star/everything Shane Carruth. Two engineers accidentally invent time travel and start reliving their days over again, learning the limits of this technology as they cheat the stock market for the money they could never get from investors. Each of them has personal goals for this time travel, and personal safeguards they've secretly put in place, and lies between these two partners threa
Ben 10 s1
Episode 84. We watched season one of Ben 10 a cartoon from 2004 created by Man of Action. Ben Tennyson is a normal boy on the worst summer vacation of his life when an alien device that crash landed on earth attaches itself to his wrist. The watch-like device gives him the power to transform into 10 different aliens, each with unique powers, for a short amount of time. So Ben does what any boy his age would do and tries to become a superhero fighting off alien threats along with his Gra
Ben 10 s1
Episode 84. We watched season one of Ben 10 a cartoon from 2004 created by Man of Action. Ben Tennyson is a normal boy on the worst summer vacation of his life when an alien device that crash landed on earth attaches itself to his wrist. The watch-like device gives him the power to transform into 10 different aliens, each with unique powers, for a short amount of time. So Ben does what any boy his age would do and tries to become a superhero fighting off alien threats along with his Grandpa and
Living With Yourself
Episode 83. We watched the new Netflix original series Living With Yourself, starring Paul Rudd and… Paul Rudd?! Feeling depressed and unsuccessful, Miles tries out a mysterious spa experience that promises to make him into a new man, but he is shocked to find they mean it literally. He's been cloned, replaced by a better version of himself, and he wasn't supposed to live to see it happen. Now there are two Mileses, one house, one wife, one career. How can they share this existence?
The Whatnaut
Living With Yourself
Episode 83. We watched the new Netflix original series Living With Yourself, starring Paul Rudd and… Paul Rudd?! Feeling depressed and unsuccessful, Miles tries out a mysterious spa experience that promises to make him into a new man, but he is shocked to find they mean it literally. He's been cloned, replaced by a better version of himself, and he wasn't supposed to live to see it happen. Now there are two Mileses, one house, one wife, one career. How can they share this existence?The
Happy Valley s1
Episode 82. We watched season one of the British crime show Happy Valley. Catherine is a older policewoman trying to keep drugs out of her small town. She runs into a kidnapping gone wrong and finds that a personal enemy from her past is involved and could threaten her family. This is a violent story, but tight plotting and strong characters made it a rewarding watch for us!
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a variety o
Happy Valley s1
Episode 82. We watched season one of the British crime show Happy Valley. Catherine is a older policewoman trying to keep drugs out of her small town. She runs into a kidnapping gone wrong and finds that a personal enemy from her past is involved and could threaten her family. This is a violent story, but tight plotting and strong characters made it a rewarding watch for us!The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a v
Ghost Stories
Episode 81. To cap off October, we watched the British horror movie Ghost Stories, written and directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, based off their stage play. A paranormal investigator is contacted by his hero to debunk the three cases he could never solve himself. These tales of ghosts and demons make the investigator look into his own past, where nothing is what it seems.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover a varie
Ghost Stories
Episode 81. To cap off October, we watched the British horror movie Ghost Stories, written and directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, based off their stage play. A paranormal investigator is contacted by his hero to debunk the three cases he could never solve himself. These tales of ghosts and demons make the investigator look into his own past, where nothing is what it seems.The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a weekly book club style podcast for all sorts of pop culture. We cover
Harrow County vol. 1-2
Episode 80. We read the first two volumes of horror comic Harrow County by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Tyler Crook. Decades ago, the townsfolk of Harrow killed a witch who threatened to return one day, and it looks like 18-year-old Emmy is her second coming. Emmy is frightened of her new powers but is determined overcome the looming monstrosity inside her. She may be a witch, but she's going to be a witch her way and keep her life as normal as possible. Helping dad on the farm, exploring
Harrow County vol. 1-2
Episode 80. We read the first two volumes of horror comic Harrow County by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Tyler Crook. Decades ago, the townsfolk of Harrow killed a witch who threatened to return one day, and it looks like 18-year-old Emmy is her second coming. Emmy is frightened of her new powers but is determined overcome the looming monstrosity inside her. She may be a witch, but she's going to be a witch her way and keep her life as normal as possible. Helping dad on the farm, explor
Paranorman
Episode 79. We watched Paranorman, the 2012 family feature from the stop-motion animators at Studio Laika. A young boy named Norman can talk to ghosts, an ability that his family and the rest of his small New England town don't understand. But when a witch killed there 300 years ago terrorizes the town and brings the dead back to life, Norman is the only one who can talk to the witch, determined to not just stop her but try to bring her peace.
The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a we
Paranorman
Episode 79. We watched Paranorman, the 2012 family feature from the stop-motion animators at Studio Laika. A young boy named Norman can talk to ghosts, an ability that his family and the rest of his small New England town don't understand. But when a witch killed there 300 years ago terrorizes the town and brings the dead back to life, Norman is the only one who can talk to the witch, determined to not just stop her but try to bring her peace. The Whatnauts present The Review Show, a w
American Vampire vol. 1-2
Episode 78. We read the first two volumes of Scott Synder's American Vampire comics. The outlaw Skinner Sweet is the first vampire made in America, and he possesses a set of powers unknown to the rest of his kind. We follow him through his origins in the Old West, to 1920s Hollywood where he turns a young actress into the second of these incredible new American vampires, and to 1930s Las Vegas where he's a key player in turning that town into "sin city."The Whatnauts Review Show is a we
American Vampire vol. 1-2
Episode 78. We read the first two volumes of Scott Synder's American Vampire comics. The outlaw Skinner Sweet is the first vampire made in America, and he possesses a set of powers unknown to the rest of his kind. We follow him through his origins in the Old West, to 1920s Hollywood where he turns a young actress into the second of these incredible new American vampires, and to 1930s Las Vegas where he's a key player in turning that town into "sin city."
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly boo
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Episode 77. To kick off October, the month of spooks, we watched Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula. In this lavish Gothic tale, Dracula traps young barrister Jonathan Harker in his castle and travels to London to win over Harker's fiance Mina, who he believes is the reincarnation of his dead wife from centuries ago. But when Mina's best friend Lucy falls under his vampiric spell, Dracula's dark activities catch the attention of Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, professional hunter of the super
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Episode 77. To kick off October, the month of spooks, we watched Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula. In this lavish Gothic tale, Dracula traps young barrister Jonathan Harker in his castle and travels to London to win over Harker's fiance Mina, who he believes is the reincarnation of his dead wife from centuries ago. But when Mina's best friend Lucy falls under his vampiric spell, Dracula's dark activities catch the attention of Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, professional hunter of
Stumptown vol. 1-2
Episode 76. We read the first two volumes of Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth's Stumptown comic, ahead of it premiering as a new TV show! Dex Parios is a Portland-based PI with a history of gambling debt, failed relationships with men and women, and a younger brother at home to take care of. She takes cases on a casino owner's missing granddaughter and a rock star's missing guitar as she tries to make ends meet and keep her life and town in order.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club
Stumptown vol. 1-2
Episode 76. We read the first two volumes of Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth's Stumptown comic, ahead of it premiering as a new TV show! Dex Parios is a Portland-based PI with a history of gambling debt, failed relationships with men and women, and a younger brother at home to take care of. She takes cases on a casino owner's missing granddaughter and a rock star's missing guitar as she tries to make ends meet and keep her life and town in order.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly b
Rubber
Episode 75. We watched the truly bizarre 2010 film Rubber, directed by Quentin Dupieux. A tire awakens to sentience and the ability to blow up living creatures with his mind. A group of spectators watch from the hillside with binoculars as he rolls around a small American Southwest desert community, murdering and falling in love. A sheriff struggles to keep control over the tire, the town, and the entire meta-narrative of the movie.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast a
Rubber
Episode 75. We watched the truly bizarre 2010 film Rubber, directed by Quentin Dupieux. A tire awakens to sentience and the ability to blow up living creatures with his mind. A group of spectators watch from the hillside with binoculars as he rolls around a small American Southwest desert community, murdering and falling in love. A sheriff struggles to keep control over the tire, the town, and the entire meta-narrative of the movie.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style p
She-Hulk (2004)
Episode 74. We read the first two volumes of Dan Slott's 2004 run on She-Hulk. The east coat's top law firm for superhuman cases wants Jennifer Walters on their team -- but not She-Hulk. Jennifer struggles to reconcile her straight-laced bookish old self with the bold green powerhouse she's become, as she wages battles in New York courtrooms as well as the wild reaches of space.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books,
She-Hulk (2004)
Episode 74. We read the first two volumes of Dan Slott's 2004 run on She-Hulk. The east coat's top law firm for superhuman cases wants Jennifer Walters on their team -- but not She-Hulk. Jennifer struggles to reconcile her straight-laced bookish old self with the bold green powerhouse she's become, as she wages battles in New York courtrooms as well as the wild reaches of space.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga,
The Terror s1
Episode 73. We watched season one of AMC's historical horror show The Terror. This is an anthology series, so season one is a self-contained story! It's 1845 and two British ships are sailing through arctic Canada, trying to find a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They become frozen into the ice, trapped for over a year, and need to start thinking about survival instead of discovery. There's in-fighting among the crew, food shortages, disease, and a rampaging monster wi
The Terror s1
Episode 73. We watched season one of AMC's historical horror show The Terror. This is an anthology series, so season one is a self-contained story! It's 1845 and two British ships are sailing through arctic Canada, trying to find a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They become frozen into the ice, trapped for over a year, and need to start thinking about survival instead of discovery. There's in-fighting among the crew, food shortages, disease, and a rampaging monster with myster
Hip-Hop Family Tree vol. 1
Episode 72. This week we read volume one of Hip-Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor. It's a non-fiction history lesson on the origins of hip-hop in 1970s New York, from house parties to the first record pressings, through to its introduction to mainstream audiences in the early 1980s. Educate yourselves, and go listen to the "Hip-hop Family Tree vol. 1" Spotify playlist that Kyle complied to accompany the reading!
Check out the playlist here!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style po
Hip-Hop Family Tree vol. 1
Episode 72. This week we read volume one of Hip-Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor. It's a non-fiction history lesson on the origins of hip-hop in 1970s New York, from house parties to the first record pressings, through to its introduction to mainstream audiences in the early 1980s. Educate yourselves, and go listen to the "Hip-hop Family Tree vol. 1" Spotify playlist that Kyle complied to accompany the reading!Check out the playlist here!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style
Annihilation
Episode 71. We watched Annhilation, a 2018 sci-fi/horror film from director Alex Garland. A meteor hits a lighthouse on the coast of Florida and the area around the crash site becomes a growing bubble of stunning and strange mutations, known as the Shimmer. Lena's husband went into the Shimmer on a military mission and wandered out a year later with no memories. Lena, with her own history as a solider and doctor, volunteers to go into this dangerous landscape, where the threat is more personal a
Annihilation
Episode 71. We watched Annhilation, a 2018 sci-fi/horror film from director Alex Garland. A meteor hits a lighthouse on the coast of Florida and the area around the crash site becomes a growing bubble of stunning and strange mutations, known as the Shimmer. Lena's husband went into the Shimmer on a military mission and wandered out a year later with no memories. Lena, with her own history as a solider and doctor, volunteers to go into this dangerous landscape, where the threat is more p
I’m In Love And It’s The End Of The World vol. 1-2
Episode 70. We read the first two volumes of a manga called I'm in Love and It's the End of the World by Taamo. Mahiru Yanase has always lived in the shadow of her more popular twin sister Mayo and is resigned to being "the other Yanase." She believes that she is destined for disappointment and if anything good happens to her, something bad is sure to follow. It's her first day at a new high school and the charming Aoi Satomi takes a liking to her immediately, and as much as Mahiru like
I’m In Love And It’s The End Of The World vol. 1-2
Episode 70. We read the first two volumes of a manga called I'm in Love and It's the End of the World by Taamo. Mahiru Yanase has always lived in the shadow of her more popular twin sister Mayo and is resigned to being "the other Yanase." She believes that she is destined for disappointment and if anything good happens to her, something bad is sure to follow. It's her first day at a new high school and the charming Aoi Satomi takes a liking to her immediately, and as much as Mahiru likes him bac
Sex Criminals vol. 1-2
Episode 69. There was only one choice for Episode 69: we read the first two volumes of the comic Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky. Suzie and Jon can both stop time when they orgasm and believed they were the only one with this power -- until they slept with each other. They're young, they're in love, they believe they're unstoppable, and they're going to rob a bank. But where there are sex criminals there are going to be sex police. Our couple has to confront other people
Sex Criminals vol. 1-2
Episode 69. There was only one choice for Episode 69: we read the first two volumes of the comic Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky. Suzie and Jon can both stop time when they orgasm and believed they were the only one with this power -- until they slept with each other. They're young, they're in love, they believe they're unstoppable, and they're going to rob a bank. But where there are sex criminals there are going to be sex police. Our couple has to confront other people with thi
Titans s1
Episode 68. We watched the first season of the DC Universe exclusive show Titans. Dick Grayson is a detective trying to distance himself from the Robin identity, Rachel Roth is a young girl haunted by a demon spirit, Kory Anders has no memories and is trying to piece together her past and her powers, and Gar Logan can turn into a tiger but he has never bitten anybody. Together they need to fight to stop an otherworldly door from opening here on earth!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekl
Titans
Episode 68. We watched the first season of the DC Universe exclusive show Titans. Dick Grayson is a detective trying to distance himself from the Robin identity, Rachel Roth is a young girl haunted by a demon spirit, Kory Anders has no memories and is trying to piece together her past and her powers, and Gar Logan can turn into a tiger but he has never bitten anybody. Together they need to fight to stop an otherworldly door from opening here on earth!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book c
Sweetness & Lightning
Episode 67. This week on The Review Show we watched Sweetness & Lightning, a 12 episode anime all about good food. Kohei's wife has recently passed away and he isn't much of a cook. He doesn't have much time either being a full time teacher and having to care for his daughter. His daughter, Tsumugi, is in kindergarten and is just starting to tire of frozen and boxed meals. When one of his students offers them a meal at her family restaurant, Kohei ends up learning some of the recipe
Sweetness & Lightning
Episode 67. This week on The Review Show we watched Sweetness & Lightning, a 12 episode anime all about good food. Kohei's wife has recently passed away and he isn't much of a cook. He doesn't have much time either being a full time teacher and having to care for his daughter. His daughter, Tsumugi, is in kindergarten and is just starting to tire of frozen and boxed meals. When one of his students offers them a meal at her family restaurant, Kohei ends up learning some of the recipes and techniq
Metropolis (Anime)
Episode 66. We watched Metropolis, a 2001 anime film based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka, written by Katsuhiro Otomo and directed by Rintaro. Metropolis is a city full of robot workers who are mistrusted by their human neighbors, and the top industrialist has secretly commissioned a highly advanced robot duplicate of his deceased daughter. He plans for her to be a leader of the city, but his adopted human son wants to destroy her, even if the girl has no idea of her true nature of purpose. It's a g
Metropolis (Anime)
Episode 66. We watched Metropolis, a 2001 anime film based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka, written by Katsuhiro Otomo and directed by Rintaro. Metropolis is a city full of robot workers who are mistrusted by their human neighbors, and the top industrialist has secretly commissioned a highly advanced robot duplicate of his deceased daughter. He plans for her to be a leader of the city, but his adopted human son wants to destroy her, even if the girl has no idea of her true nature of purpose.
Hadron Gospel Hour S1
Episode 65. This week we listened to season one of the audio show Hadron Gospel Hour, a combination of sci-fi adventure and sketch comedy, from writer/producers/stars Richard Wentworth and Michael McQuilkin. Mike is a normal IT guy until obsessed scientist Dr. Oppenheimer steals him away to an interdimensional bunker, telling him his timeline is doomed and he needs help. The two of them travel through space and time attempting to heal the multiverse-wide rift caused by Oppenheimer's exp
Hadron Gospel Hour S1
Episode 65. This week we listened to season one of the audio show Hadron Gospel Hour, a combination of sci-fi adventure and sketch comedy, from writer/producers/stars Richard Wentworth and Michael McQuilkin. Mike is a normal IT guy until obsessed scientist Dr. Oppenheimer steals him away to an interdimensional bunker, telling him his timeline is doomed and he needs help. The two of them travel through space and time attempting to heal the multiverse-wide rift caused by Oppenheimer's experiment g
Transformers: The Wreckers Saga
Episode 64. We read The Wreckers Saga, an arc from the Transformers comics by James Roberts and Nick Roche. The Wreckers are a team of Autobots who fight the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines, trying to stay alive and keep their heads together. The war between them and the Decepticons isn't as black and white as it appears and they uncover terrifying secrets about their leaders, each other, and sometimes their own personal pasts. This complex story definitely has more than meet
Transformers: The Wreckers Saga
Episode 64. We read The Wreckers Saga, an arc from the Transformers comics by James Roberts and Nick Roche. The Wreckers are a team of Autobots who fight the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines, trying to stay alive and keep their heads together. The war between them and the Decepticons isn't as black and white as it appears and they uncover terrifying secrets about their leaders, each other, and sometimes their own personal pasts. This complex story definitely has more than meets the eye
Titan A.E.
Episode 63. We watched the 2000 animated sci-fi film Titan AE, from directors Gary Goldman and Don Bluth, with screenplay work from Joss Whedon and Ben Edlund. Earth has been destroyed and the surviving humans live scattered in space among the alien races, missing home and community. Salvage scavenger Cale learns his scientist father was working on a way to resurrect Earth before he died, and now Cale is the only one who can unlock the plans. He joins a ragtag team and sets off in a spa
Titan A.E.
Episode 63. We watched the 2000 animated sci-fi film Titan AE, from directors Gary Goldman and Don Bluth, with screenplay work from Joss Whedon and Ben Edlund. Earth has been destroyed and the surviving humans live scattered in space among the alien races, missing home and community. Salvage scavenger Cale learns his scientist father was working on a way to resurrect Earth before he died, and now Cale is the only one who can unlock the plans. He joins a ragtag team and sets off in a spaceship to
Quantum & Woody vol. 1-2
Episode 62. We read the first two volumes of the Valiant Comics superhero buddy comedy Quantum & Woody. Eric and Woody Henderson are estranged adopted brothers, one straightlaced and one disastrous, who reunite when their scientist father dies. They stumble into an experiment in his lab and come out with unstable connected powers. Can they be a superhero team when they're barely ready to be brothers again?The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts
Quantum & Woody vol. 1-2
Episode 62. We read the first two volumes of the Valiant Comics superhero buddy comedy Quantum & Woody. Eric and Woody Henderson are estranged adopted brothers, one straightlaced and one disastrous, who reunite when their scientist father dies. They stumble into an experiment in his lab and come out with unstable connected powers. Can they be a superhero team when they're barely ready to be brothers again?
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool thin
Serenity (2019)
Episode 61. We watched Serenity, a 2019 film written and directed by Stephen Knight and starring Matthew McConaughey and Ann Hathaway. A fisherman is struggling to keep his business alive as he throws his resources into catching one infamously huge fish. His ex-wife offers him all the money he needs if he takes her new husband out on the boat and pushes him off, saving her and their son from a life of violence. This movie has a wild twist that completely changes the game!
The Whatnauts Review Sh
Serenity (2019)
Episode 61. We watched Serenity, a 2019 film written and directed by Stephen Knight and starring Matthew McConaughey and Ann Hathaway. A fisherman is struggling to keep his business alive as he throws his resources into catching one infamously huge fish. His ex-wife offers him all the money he needs if he takes her new husband out on the boat and pushes him off, saving her and their son from a life of violence. This movie has a wild twist that completely changes the game!The Whatnauts R
Flavors of Youth
Episode 60. We watched Flavors of Youth, an animated anthology movie with three stories set in China, produced by Chinese and Japanese studios. Story one features a man reminiscing on how his favorite noodle dish has changed from restaurant to restaurant but was always there for him throughout his life. Story two follows a fashion model who worries about losing her career as her youth fades and the younger sister who is trying to relate to her and take care of her. Story three starts wi
Flavors of Youth
Episode 60. We watched Flavors of Youth, an animated anthology movie with three stories set in China, produced by Chinese and Japanese studios. Story one features a man reminiscing on how his favorite noodle dish has changed from restaurant to restaurant but was always there for him throughout his life. Story two follows a fashion model who worries about losing her career as her youth fades and the younger sister who is trying to relate to her and take care of her. Story three starts with a man
Gravity Falls s1
Episode 59. We watched the first season of Gravity Falls, a Disney Channel cartoon from 2012. Twin siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines are staying the summer with their great uncle at his sham of a "supernatural museum" in Gravity Falls, Oregon where they find a journal filled with real mysteries and paranormal secrets. Is Gravity Falls more exciting than they thought? It's a funny, heartwarming, and often spooky coming-of-age story.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast abou
Gravity Falls s1
Episode 59. We watched the first season of Gravity Falls, a Disney Channel cartoon from 2012. Twin siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines are staying the summer with their great uncle at his sham of a "supernatural museum" in Gravity Falls, Oregon where they find a journal filled with real mysteries and paranormal secrets. Is Gravity Falls more exciting than they thought? It's a funny, heartwarming, and often spooky coming-of-age story.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podc
Attack the Block
Episode 58. We watched the 2011 sci-fi action adventure film Attack the Block. It's Guy Fawkes Night in South London and a gang of teenage hoodlums kill what they think is a strange animal, but discover it's an alien monster that plummeted to Earth. As the rest of the intergalactic creatures congregate around their apartment tower, the kids have to scrounge for weapons and allies to defend their home.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things fr
Attack the Block
Episode 58. We watched the 2011 sci-fi action adventure film Attack the Block. It's Guy Fawkes Night in South London and a gang of teenage hoodlums kill what they think is a strange animal, but discover it's an alien monster that plummeted to Earth. As the rest of the intergalactic creatures congregate around their apartment tower, the kids have to scrounge for weapons and allies to defend their home.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool t
Brave
Episode 57. We watched Brave, Pixar's 2012 fairy tale film set in a medieval and fantastical Scotland. Merida feels stifled by her life as a princess, and especially by her overbearing mother trying to groom her into perfection. When Merida follows a will o' the wisp into the forest and encounters a witch, she asks for a spell to change her fate by changing her mother, but the magic has disastrous effects that almost tear her family apart.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style p
Brave
Episode 57. We watched Brave, Pixar's 2012 fairy tale film set in a medieval and fantastical Scotland. Merida feels stifled by her life as a princess, and especially by her overbearing mother trying to groom her into perfection. When Merida follows a will o' the wisp into the forest and encounters a witch, she asks for a spell to change her fate by changing her mother, but the magic has disastrous effects that almost tear her family apart. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club
Castle Rock
Episode 56. This week we watched the Hulu original series Castle Rock. It's produced by Stephen King and based on the settings and characters from many of his novels. Lawyer Henry Deaver returns to his troubled hometown of Castle Rock, Maine, but stays longer because he discovers all sorts of mysteries. During his stay he ends up representing a mysterious prisoner from Shawshank Penitentiary. Deaver confronts the secrets of his past. He confronts the prisoner's past and how they may be intertwin
Castle Rock
Episode 56. This week we watched the Hulu original series Castle Rock. It's produced by Stephen King and based on the settings and characters from many of his novels. Lawyer Henry Deaver returns to his troubled hometown of Castle Rock, Maine, but stays longer because he discovers all sorts of mysteries. During his stay he ends up representing a mysterious prisoner from Shawshank Penitentiary. Deaver confronts the secrets of his past. He confronts the prisoner's past and how they may be
The Earth Collective s1-2
Episode 55. We listened to the first two seasons of a sci-fi audio drama called The Earth Collective, from creator Mike Troup. Humans colonized a planet far out in space but find that the darkness is strangely deadly, and the civilization now lives in giant caravans that drive around the planet so they can always stay in the light. Joseph Crane is a mechanic in this society on the move, recording what he knows of history and trying to solve the eerie mysteries behind the only kind of existence t
The Earth Collective s1-2
Episode 55. We listened to the first two seasons of a sci-fi audio drama called The Earth Collective, from creator Mike Troup. Humans colonized a planet far out in space but find that the darkness is strangely deadly, and the civilization now lives in giant caravans that drive around the planet so they can always stay in the light. Joseph Crane is a mechanic in this society on the move, recording what he knows of history and trying to solve the eerie mysteries behind the only kind of ex
Terror In Resonance
Episode 54. We watched an anime by beloved director Shinichirō Watanabe called Terror in Resonance, AKA Terror in Tokyo. Two masked young men calling themselves Sphinx plant bombs across Tokyo and taunt the police with videos full of riddles. We learn who these boys are are, but what do they want, and when will they stop? It's a fascinating crime drama from both sides of the investigation!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic boo
Terror In Resonance
Episode 54. We watched an anime by beloved director Shinichirō Watanabe called Terror in Resonance, AKA Terror in Tokyo. Two masked young men calling themselves Sphinx plant bombs across Tokyo and taunt the police with videos full of riddles. We learn who these boys are are, but what do they want, and when will they stop? It's a fascinating crime drama from both sides of the investigation!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from c
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virture of Ignorance)
Episode 53. We watched Birdman, the Oscar-winning 2014 film by Alejandro Iñárritu. Riggan Thomson is a former superhero movie star trying to be taken seriously as he writes, directs, and stars in a Broadway play. He's haunted by the role that made him big and the lines between Riggan and Birdman start to blur as tensions rise for opening night.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virture of Ignorance)
Episode 53. We watched Birdman, the Oscar-winning 2014 film by Alejandro Iñárritu. Riggan Thomson is a former superhero movie star trying to be taken seriously as he writes, directs, and stars in a Broadway play. He's haunted by the role that made him big and the lines between Riggan and Birdman start to blur as tensions rise for opening night.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. New ep
Spencer & Locke
Episode 52. This week we read a graphic novel called Spencer & Locke. Remember reading Calvin and Hobbes when you were younger? Well what if Calvin and Hobbes grew up to become hard boiled detectives? That is the basic idea behind Spencer & Locke. It's a fast-paced crime story fueled by the nostalgia of beloved characters that you won't want to miss.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more.
Spencer & Locke
Episode 52. This week we read a graphic novel called Spencer & Locke. Remember reading Calvin and Hobbes when you were younger? Well what if Calvin and Hobbes grew up to become hard boiled detectives? That is the basic idea behind Spencer & Locke. It's a fast-paced crime story fueled by the nostalgia of beloved characters that you won't want to miss.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies
Pen15
Episode 51. We watched Pen15, a Hulu original show where comedians Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle play themselves at age 13, growing up in the year 2000. They deal with bullies, crushes, oblivious authority figures, cigarettes, and choosing an AIM username -- all the classic milestones of becoming a young adult.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. New episodes come out every Wednesday whe
Pen15
Episode 51. We watched Pen15, a Hulu original show where comedians Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle play themselves at age 13, growing up in the year 2000. They deal with bullies, crushes, oblivious authority figures, cigarettes, and choosing an AIM username -- all the classic milestones of becoming a young adult.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. New episodes come out every Wedne
Umbrella Academy
Episode 50. This week we watched season one of the Umbrella Academy show on Netflix, based on the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. Eccentric millionaire Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven very special children, honed their superpowers, and raised them to be heroes. Now almost 30 years later, the estranged siblings reunite for their father's funeral and discover a conspiracy to kickstart the apocalypse that will need them to bond together as a family again in hopes of saving the world
Umbrella Academy
Episode 50. This week we watched season one of the Umbrella Academy show on Netflix, based on the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. Eccentric millionaire Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven very special children, honed their superpowers, and raised them to be heroes. Now almost 30 years later, the estranged siblings reunite for their father's funeral and discover a conspiracy to kickstart the apocalypse that will need them to bond together as a family again in hopes of saving the world.
The Wha
Green Lantern The Animated Series
Episode 49. This week we watched Green Lantern: The Animated Series, a 2012 Cartoon Network show produced by Bruce Timm. Hal Jordan and his Green Lantern Corps patrol space for threats from new enemy lantern corps and emerging secrets of their own leaders. It has punching, space adventure, and deep thoughts on the natures of humanity and love, whoa!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and
Green Lantern The Animated Series
Episode 49. This week we watched Green Lantern: The Animated Series, a 2012 Cartoon Network show produced by Bruce Timm. Hal Jordan and his Green Lantern Corps patrol space for threats from new enemy lantern corps and emerging secrets of their own leaders. It has punching, space adventure, and deep thoughts on the natures of humanity and love, whoa!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. N
Captain Marvel vol. 1-2
Episode 48. We read the first two volumes of Captain Marvel, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by David Lopez and Marcio Takara. Carol tries to save a planet ravaged by a mysterious disease, help an alien stowaway on her ship, protect her friends back on Earth from old enemies, take care of her cat, and more in this series full of fun space adventures! The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movie
Captain Marvel vol. 1-2
Episode 48. We read the first two volumes of Captain Marvel, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by David Lopez and Marcio Takara. Carol tries to save a planet ravaged by a mysterious disease, help an alien stowaway on her ship, protect her friends back on Earth from old enemies, take care of her cat, and more in this series full of fun space adventures!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, a
Mob Psycho 100 s1
Episode 47. This week we watched season one of the anime Mob Psycho 100. Mob is a teenager with incredible psychic abilities who tries to keep his emotions contained to avoid them fueling and unleashing his powers. He has an apprenticeship with a con man "master psychic," other real psychic rivals in his fellow high school students, and a strained relationship with his younger brother. With stresses like these, the psychic blasts are gonna fly!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book
Mob Psycho 100 s1
Episode 47. This week we watched season one of the anime Mob Psycho 100. Mob is a teenager with incredible psychic abilities who tries to keep his emotions contained to avoid them fueling and unleashing his powers. He has an apprenticeship with a con man "master psychic," other real psychic rivals in his fellow high school students, and a strained relationship with his younger brother. With stresses like these, the psychic blasts are gonna fly!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club sty
Perfect Blue
Episode 46. We watched Perfect Blue, a 1997 animated film by Satoshi Kon. This is a psychological thriller about a pop singer who leaves that career behind to become an actress. With professional pressures, overbearing fans, and questioning her sense of identity, she's not sure if she's doing the right thing -- or if everything she's seeing is even real. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, T
46 – Perfect Blue
We watched Perfect Blue, a 1997 animated film by Satoshi Kon. This is a psychological thriller about a pop singer who leaves that career behind to become an actress. With professional pressures, overbearing fans, and questioning her sense of identity, she's not sure if she's doing the right thing -- or if everything she's seeing is even real.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. New epi
The Artist
Episode 45. We class our podcast up this week and decided to watch The Artist, a 2011 silent, comedy-drama film that won multiple awards from the Academy Awards to the Golden Globes and more. It follows George Valentin, a decorated silent movie star as his career begins to crumble amidst the rise of Talkies, movies with sound. As his stardom falls, Peppy Miller, a young aspiring actress, takes the stage and sees her career take off as she becomes one of the first big stars of these new
45 – The Artist
We class our podcast up this week and decided to watch The Artist, a 2011 silent, comedy-drama film that won multiple awards from the Academy Awards to the Golden Globes and more. It follows George Valentin, a decorated silent movie star as his career begins to crumble amidst the rise of Talkies, movies with sound. As his stardom falls, Peppy Miller, a young aspiring actress, takes the stage and sees her career take off as she becomes one of the first big stars of these new Talkies. But the two
Spider-Man Blue
Episode 44. We read Spider-Man: Blue, a graphic novel by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale where an adult Peter Parker, now married to Mary Jane, reflects on meeting and losing Gwen Stacy back in college. It's a sweet and thoughtful story of the two loves of Peter's life, perfect for Valentine's Day!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live every Sunday at 12 noon ED
44 – Spider-Man Blue
We read Spider-Man: Blue, a graphic novel by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale where an adult Peter Parker, now married to Mary Jane, reflects on meeting and losing Gwen Stacy back in college. It's a sweet and thoughtful story of the two loves of Peter's life, perfect for Valentine's Day!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live every Sunday at 12 noon EDT on our Twitch chan
Pushing Daisies s1
Episode 43. We watched the first season of Pushing Daisies, a 2007 cult TV show created by Bryan Fuller. Ned has the power to wake the dead with a touch, and kill them again with another touch. He uses this to help a PI solve murders, but when one of the victims is his own childhood sweetheart, he can't stand the thought of losing her again. She's staying alive, even if it means the two of them can never touch. It's a crime show about romance, magic, and pie!The Whatnauts Review Show is
43 – Pushing Daisies s1
We watched the first season of Pushing Daisies, a 2007 cult TV show created by Bryan Fuller. Ned has the power to wake the dead with a touch, and kill them again with another touch. He uses this to help a PI solve murders, but when one of the victims is his own childhood sweetheart, he can't stand the thought of losing her again. She's staying alive, even if it means the two of them can never touch. It's a crime show about romance, magic, and pie!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club
Wayward vol. 1-2
Episode 42. This week we read the first two volumes of Wayward, an ambitious comic series by writer Jim Zub and artist Steve Cummings. After her parents divorce, Rori Lane leaves her lifelong home in Ireland to live with her mother in her native Japan. She has to adjust to a new country, an unfriendly high school, frequent monster attacks, and strange new powers that are suddenly manifesting within her. At least she finds other powered kids to back her up!The Whatnauts Review Show is a
42 – Wayward vol. 1-2
This week we read the first two volumes of Wayward, an ambitious comic series by writer Jim Zub and artist Steve Cummings. After her parents divorce, Rori Lane leaves her lifelong home in Ireland to live with her mother in her native Japan. She has to adjust to a new country, an unfriendly high school, frequent monster attacks, and strange new powers that are suddenly manifesting within her. At least she finds other powered kids to back her up!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club sty
41 – Big Hero 6
This week we watched Big Hero 6, a Disney animated movie that adapts and improves on a 90s Marvel comic. Hiro Hamada, a young genius in San Fransokyo, teams up with a healthcare robot and a colorful pack of tech students to stop a masked villain who's stolen his inventions. It's a fun adventure that will soon debut as a new playable world in Kingdom Hearts 3!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, a
Big Hero 6
Episode 41. This week we watched Big Hero 6, a Disney animated movie that adapts and improves on a 90s Marvel comic. Hiro Hamada, a young genius in San Fransokyo, teams up with a healthcare robot and a colorful pack of tech students to stop a masked villain who's stolen his inventions. It's a fun adventure that will soon debut as a new playable world in Kingdom Hearts 3!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga,
Essex County – The Review Show 40
This week we discuss Essex County, a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire. It's comprised of three short stories all taking place in Essex County. The first follows a young boy obsessed with comics and superheros learning to grow up. The second story follow an older gentleman with Alzheimer's trying to recall his life and everything he has lost. The final story follows the town nurse making house calls to the townsfolk while we also see the story of her ancestor and how she came to live in Essex County.
Essex County
Episode 40. This week we discuss Essex County, a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire. It's comprised of three short stories all taking place in Essex County. The first follows a young boy obsessed with comics and superheros learning to grow up. The second story follow an older gentleman with Alzheimer's trying to recall his life and everything he has lost. The final story follows the town nurse making house calls to the townsfolk while we also see the story of her ancestor and how she came to
39 – Mission Impossible 1-6
We are starting 2019 with a bang! This week we discuss all six Mission Impossible movies (so far), from the 1996 original to the most recent one, Fallout. Tom Cruise plays Agent Ethan Hunt of the Impossible Mission Force. These movies are action blockbusters at its finest. Come listen!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about
all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and
more. We stream new episodes live every Sunday at 12 noon EDT on our T
Mission Impossible 1-6
Episode 39. We are starting 2019 with a bang! This week we discuss all six Mission Impossible movies (so far), from the 1996 original to the most recent one, Fallout. Tom Cruise plays Agent Ethan Hunt of the Impossible Mission Force. These movies are action blockbusters at its finest. Come listen!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live every Sunday at 12
The Whatnauts 3 Year Anniversary Retrospective!
Happy 3 year anniversary to us! The Whatnauts have been around for three whole years, and that's pretty awesome. Paul Kang, one of our co-creators, stepped down, but thankfully some new faces stepped up to help The Whatnauts keep the lights on. Kyle sits down with Jess Bever, Eric Manix, Melissa Wilkenson, and Belinda Garcia to chat about this past year and everything we have done here at The Whatnauts.The Whatnauts does a couple different podcasts, including The Review Show and The Cap
The Whatnauts 3 Year Anniversary Retrospective!
Happy 3 year anniversary to us! The Whatnauts have been around for three whole years, and that's pretty awesome. Paul Kang, one of our co-creators, stepped down, but thankfully some new faces stepped up to help The Whatnauts keep the lights on. Kyle sits down with Jess Bever, Eric Manix, Melissa Wilkenson, and Belinda Garcia to chat about this past year and everything we have done here at The Whatnauts.
The Whatnauts does a couple different podcasts, including The Review Show and The Captain's L
Happy!
Episode 38. Merry Christmas! This week we discuss Happy! And we compare and contrast the comic book and the tv show based off of it. Happy! is about an alcoholic ex-cop turned hitman that has a heart attack. When he wakes up he can see a flying blue unicorn telling him to go save a little girl who was kidnapped by someone dressed as Santa. It is balls to the wall insane.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga,
38 – Happy!
Merry Christmas! This week we discuss Happy! And we compare and contrast the comic book and the tv show based off of it. Happy! is about an alcoholic ex-cop turned hitman that has a heart attack. When he wakes up he can see a flying blue unicorn telling him to go save a little girl who was kidnapped by someone dressed as Santa. It is balls to the wall insane.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, a
Rise of the Guardians
Episode 37. This week we discuss Rise of the Guardians! Melissa pitched Christmas… adjacent films and Rise of the Guardians fits that bill perfectly. It follows Jack Frost as he is chosen to be a new member of The Guardians, a secret group of beings, like Santa and the Easter Bunny, who help protect the joy of the children all around the world. The reason Jack Frost is picked to join their ranks is because a new threat has arisen to destroy the world!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekl
37 – Rise of the Guardians
This week we discuss Rise of the Guardians! Melissa pitched Christmas… adjacent films and Rise of the Guardians fits that bill perfectly. It follows Jack Frost as he is chosen to be a new member of The Guardians, a secret group of beings, like Santa and the Easter Bunny, who help protect the joy of the children all around the world. The reason Jack Frost is picked to join their ranks is because a new threat has arisen to destroy the world!
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style po
Kino’s Journey (2017)
Episode 36. This week we discuss Kino's Journey: A Beautiful World - The Animated Series. Dang that's a mouthful. However, Kino's Journey is an anime that follows a girl, Kino, and her talking motorcycle, Hermes as they travel from country to country discovering new people and cultures while trying to find the beauty in it all. For this episode we watched the version of Kino's Journey from 2017, but there is also an older version from 2003 that is equally worth the watch.The Whatnauts R
Little Shop of Horrors
Episode 35. This week we discuss Little Shop of Horrors! Who doesn't love a little Rick Moranis is their lives? Rick plays an unassuming florist that discovers a new plant that feeds on blood. But the more blood he gives it, the more blood the plant wants. Little Shop of Horrors is a horror comedy musical we are certain you will have fun watching.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and m
The Forest
Episode 34. This week we discuss The Forest, a French Netflix original crime show. It's a short six episode series about a girl who goes missing in the forest after receiving a weird phone call and a woman who can't remember her past.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a po
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku
Episode 33. This week we discuss an anime all about office romance among otaku (That's basically a nerd for you uninitiated folks). Wotakoi: Love is Hard For Otaku follows a young woman who starts a new job but feels like she has to hide that she is an otaku from her other co workers. However she quickly finds that a few other coworkers are otaku as well, her interests are nothing to be ashamed of, and even love.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sor
Plutona
Episode 32. This week we discuss a graphic novel from Image comics called Plutona. It follows a group of young kids who happen to find a dead body in the woods one day after school. Does that remind you of Stand By Me? Well, what if that dead body was of the worlds greatest superhero? Then what if it all just gets worse? That… is Plutona.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We s
An American Werewolf in London
Episode 31. This week we discuss An American Werewolf in London. It's a horror comedy film both written and directed by John Landis of The Blues Brothers fame as well as many other hit movies. The film follow two friends as they are backpacking across the English countryside but get attacked by a werewolf along the way leaving one of them dead and the other doomed to become a werewolf in few weeks time. And goodness gracious the makeup and effects in this movie are amazing. If nothing e
Dororo
Episode 30. This week we discuss King Falls AM, which is a audio drama centered around the weird things happening in the town of King Falls and the crazy cast of characters that inhabit it. There are aliens, ghosts, possibly sea monsters, and more!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtu
King Falls AM ep. 1-25
Episode 29. This week we discuss King Falls AM, which is a audio drama centered around the weird things happening in the town of King Falls and the crazy cast of characters that inhabit it. There are aliens, ghosts, possibly sea monsters, and more!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtu
Venom: Lethal Protector
Episode 28. This week we discuss Venom: Lethal Protector, which was Venom’s first solo comic series. Venom moves to San Fransisco and tries to settle in only to get caught up in a plot that will kill a lot of people. It’s up to Venom to stop it! But Spider-Man still doesn’t trust Venom and decides to lend a hand and keep an eye on the situation.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and mor
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vol. 1
Episode 27. This week we discuss volume one of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina! This is a horror comic about a teenage witch trying to balance the frightening reality of who and what she is with the desire to want to fit in and be normal. It's an awesome, and much more serious take on the Archie characters you might already know. Plus, it's getting it's own Netflix show this month, October 2018!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool thin
The Dragon Prince
Episode 26. This week we discuss the brand new Netflix cartoon, The Dragon Prince. It's a fantasy story revolving around a war between human and elves, but it has dragons, magic, and... glow toads. Plus it's being written by one of the head writers from Avatar the Last Airbender, so you know it has a good pedigree. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live
Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. s1
Episode 25. This week we discuss Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. season one! This is an updated version of our favorite mystery solving dog and his friends with a little more continuity that we are used to. Can Scooby and the gang figure out what happened to the original Mystery Incorporated?The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you m
Godzilla 1-2 (Netflix)
Episode 24. This week we discuss Godzilla: Planets of the Monsters and Godzilla: City On The Edge of Battle. Both are Netflix Original anime movies with a futuristic, sci-fi take on the king of monsters. These are the first two movies in a trilogy, the third of which is due to be released late 2018. Does Netflix's version hold itself up against previous Godzilla stories? Come find out!The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic
Disenchantment s1
Episode 23. This week we discuss Disenchantment season one! Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons and Futurama is back at it again. Disenchantment season one is a ten episode animated series on Netflix. It follows a princess reluctant to fulfull her duties and trying to figure out her place in the world as she is accompanied by a small elf and a demon. Many adventures will be had.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic
Iron: Or, The War After
Episode 22. This week we discuss a beautiful graphic novel called Iron: Or, The War After. It's an anthropomorphic spy-thriller set in a bleak world after a civil war with some fascinating characters. This books packs a hell of a lot in a small amount of space and does so excellently.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you m
Bubble
Episode 21. This week we discuss Bubble, a hilarious audio drama podcast that takes place in... you guessed it... a bubble. In which, the residents of Fairhaven live normal lives working jobs that has them fighting monsters from the Brush, the dangerous terrain outside of the Bubble.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you mi
The Infinite Loop
Episode 20. This week we discuss The Infinite Loop, a sci-fi, time-travel adventure comic about a woman who falls in love with a person she is supposed to destroy. Will she do her job, or run away with the woman of her dreams?The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a
Wet Hot American Summer
Episode 19. This week we discuss Wet Hot American Summer. It's a comedy/spoof on teenage comedies from the 70s/80s and the memories of good old summer camp. It even stars some young up and coming actors like Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as
House of Five Leaves
Episode 18. This week we discuss House of Five Leaves. It's an anime that follows a down-on-his-luck samurai that ends up taking a job as a bodyguard for a local criminal, but begins to question the morality of his decision. It's a slice of life show with a fascinating mystery that builds as it goes on.The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitc
All-Star Superman
Episode 17. This week we discuss All-Star Superman! And for almost two hours. Whoa. It's a graphic novel by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly about what Superman would do if he found out he was dying. It's Morrison's love letter to Superman and filled with layers of metaphor and plenty of symbolism to unpack. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our
Star Wars Rebels s1
Episode 16. This week we discuss the first season of Star Wars Rebels. This was the first Star Wars cartoon that Disney produced after that had bought Lucas Film. Rebels also served as a follow up to the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars which originally aired on Cartoon Network. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss
American Gods s1
Episode 15. This week we discuss American Gods season one, based off of Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when you join our Patreon! Find u
Chow Down Champs vol. 1-4
Episode 14. This week we discuss Chow Down Champs, a manga about one high school's journey to bring their competitive eating club back to its former glory. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and othe
Valerian And The City of A Thousand Planets
Episode 13. This week we discuss Valerian! A fast paced sci-fi film based off of an influential French comic book. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when you join our Patreon! F
Dept. H vol. 1-2
Episode 12. It's a murder mystery 20,000 leagues under the sea! This week we discuss the first two volumes of Matt Kindt's comic, Dept. H. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when
Young Frankenstein
Episode 11. This week we discuss Young Frankenstein! It's Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof on a classic sci-fi horror tale. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when you join our Patreo
FLCL
Episode 10. This week we discuss FLCL, a high speed, in your face, classic anime from the early 2000s that just started its second season in 2018. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool pe
The Fearsome Morning
Episode 9. This week we discuss The Fearsome Morning, an audio drama podcast about a young man landing his dream job as the assistant to the world's 14th sexiest man and host of his favorite morning show. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturda
Strangers in Paradise
Episode 8. This week we discuss Terry Moore's self published comic, and fan favorite, Strangers in Paradise vol. 1-2. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when you join our Patreon
Much Ado About Nothing
Episode 7. This week we discuss Joss Whedon's take on Shakespear's play, Much Ado About Nothing. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when you join our Patreon! Find us on twitter
Kids on the Slope
Episode 6. Kids on the Slope is one of Kyle's favorite animes, and we finally get to discuss it on this weeks episode. It's about a kid who plays classical piano learning to play Jazz and the friends he makes along the way. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a we
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Episode 5. This week we discuss one of the classics, Steven Spielberg's, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial! The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when you join our Patreon! Find us on twit
Infinity Gauntlet
Episode 4. We discuss the Marvel comic, Infinity Gauntlet, this week because we are so hype for Avengers: Infinity War! The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our episodes and other cool perks when you join our Patre
The Castle Of Cagliostro
Episode 3. This week we discuss an incredible adventure film, Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, which was Miyazaki's debut as a director on a feature length film. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on Saturdays. Get early access to all our e
Velvet vol. 1-3
Episode 2. This week we discuss a spy thriller comic book called Velvet, about a spy investigating the recent murder of one of her agencies top agents. However, not only is she an incredible spy herself, but the mystery goes much deeper than murder. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on you
Velvet vol. 1-3 – The Review Show | Ep. 02
This week we discuss a spy thriller comic book called Velvet, about a spy investigating the recent murder of one of her agencies top agents. However, not only is she an incredible spy herself, but the mystery goes much deeper than murder.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcas
The Path s1 – The Review Show | Ep. 01
We have rebranded and relaunched the show! More details to come soon. This Week, I discuss season 1 of The Path, a Hulu original show about a man struggling with his faith after learning the cult he is apart of is lying.
The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podcast a week later on
The Path s1
Episode 1. We have rebranded and relaunched the show! More details to come soon. This Week, I discuss season 1 of The Path, a Hulu original show about a man struggling with his faith after learning the cult he is apart of is lying. The Whatnauts Review Show is a weekly book club style podcast about all sorts of cool things from comic books, manga, anime, movies, TV, and more. We stream new episodes live on our Twitch channel! If you miss the stream, it comes out on youtube and as a podc