Today is National Podcast Day, an annual celebration started in 2013 in honor of the true Wild West Frontier of Media. Podcasting has been around for roughly ten years and has grown by leaps and bounds in that time. Podcasts can be found on any subject, and in just about any format, and the best thing about is that anyone with access to the Internet can do it.
Why not celebrate today by finding out more and listening to a podcast? It doesn’t even have to be ours.
This week, Ash and Michael talk about Twin Peaks, David Bowie, counterculture music, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, emotional milestones, The Strain, the zombie genre, The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, Key & Peele, Mike Myers, socially relevant media, international media, Hyperlapse, Russian dashcams, reptilian biology, American vs. British TV documentaries, the biology of reading, Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, The Lord of the Rings, Occult themes in music, American fear culture, and Bloom County.
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are back and as funny as ever. Season Four of the Comedy Central series Key & Peele premiered September 24 and did not disappoint. This season features a new titles open a la Sons of Anarchy with a country/classic rock twist on Reggie Watts’ theme song. Also, they clearly have a bigger budget for locations and special effects, and they’ve ditched the sketch introduction audience segments for conversational interstitials in a car driving across country.
Right out of the gate, they’re swinging for the fences with their racially charged satire and social commentary. Sketches about weeding out alien imposters, explaining ‘gay’ weddings to the uninitiated, President Obama keeping it real, and atypical rednecks provided several laugh-out-loud moments and much delight. One episode in, it’s a win.
I will definitely keep watching.
New episodes of Key & Peele air at 7:30pm Eastern Time Wednesdays on Comedy Central.
This week, Ash and Michael sit down with podcasters Matt Blackwood and Mandy Di to talk about work schedules, British vs. American sitcoms, Jerry Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, TV vs. Movies, movie reviews, YouTube, comedians on comedy, standup, screenwriting, podcasting, foul language in media, premium cable TV series, canceled Fox series, fan fiction and slash fiction, contextual language, the nature of offense, personal privacy, female superheroes, The Over/Under, Tim Burton, M. Knight Shyamalan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Batman, Zack Snyder, Dredd, and DC vs. Marvel movies.
@mattblackwood
@mandydirito
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Terry Gilliam… He’s on my top 5 list for best directors of all time, and with good reason (explained below).
As an audience member watching one of his sci-fi films, how can you not sit there completely transposed as you bare witness to the carefully crafted, dystopian world that unfolds in front of you? He’s mesmerized us over the years with worlds full of surrealism and color, bordering on the absurd, yet always incredibly rich and granular. The man is a master of the medium, clearly an accomplished auteur, and need I say, a national treasure. Yet despite all these facts, it appears as though some people don’t care for his unique sci-fi filmmaking style as much as they used to, because this film isn’t getting great reviews. Now, if I’m being honest, truth is I find myself disagreeing with a lot of film reviews anyway, so this kind of thing doesn’t surprise me. I also openly welcome you to disagree with what I have to say on the matter. Ultimately, one would hope people are willing to take a chance on something they deem interesting and upon doing so, be able to formulate their own analysis on the piece as a whole, independent to whatever the popular consensus is. The fact that it got subpar reviews for the most part kind of irked me, because I’m of the opinion that the Gilliam-magic is still very much present in this last offering! Let’s dig a little deeper…
We live in a “chatter-box” type of world. I mean, we just do. Even if you live in the boonies you are more than likely subjected to this.
Allow me to elaborate.
It’s becoming increasingly harder and harder for folk to pay attention to things of “real importance” in life, like for example: The Kardashians! I mean… Wait, what were we talking about again? Oh yeah, forget my forgetfulness, meant to say something more along the lines of moral duty and what’s the meaning of life but the telescreen inexplicably hovered in front of my face, forcing me to consume 15 seconds of MTV programming… Teen mom 2 is on… Wait, seriously… What were we talking about!? I kid. MTV died and went to TV hell ages ago. Moving along (I’m keeping my day job don’t worry), I’m sure we can all agree that media can be a problem. On top of having to compete with all these groups that constantly and aggressively demand our attention, we also have to deal with invalid/hard to validate information coming from every source that’s supposed to feed us valid information. And all this while juggling the good ‘ol 8-5. So, how are we supposed to figure out who we are? I don’t have time, and that Netflix queue ain’t gonna take care of itself. The Zero Theorem candidly incorporates these themes into its story. In a fun, Gilliamesque way of course.
The film opens with (don’t worry I’m not spoiling the film) Qohen Leth (Christoph Waltz), who finds himself in a stupor of despair as it’s immediately established that he’s playing slave to the master that is his oppressive environment. As soon as he walks out the door every day, he’s rushed into what seems like an inescapable barrage of violations against his self in the form of extreme advertisements, and in every other case, fellow human beings. The man is not to be bothered as he somehow remains impervious amidst this vast sea of artificiality. This man is also very much damaged; a self-loathing misanthrope if you will. Yet another thing that happens immediately is: subversion. We the audience are instantly thrown into a twisted, hyper-real version of present day western world, and in unapologetic, sometimes hilarious ways, subjected to its predatory/ridiculous aspects.
From here on out we’re quickly introduced to the main character’s through line as we start to learn about the rules of this world, the things our main character has to endure, and the people that surround him. Among many cool characters we meet along the journey, the are a few we should pay close attention to: the people pleasing Joby (David Thewlis), the stoic and mysterious Management (Matt Damon), and the raw but playful Bainsley (Melanie Thierry). Our main character’s life begins to change as he gets assigned to a special project, basically being tasked to prove something called the Zero Theorem by manipulating so called entities through the use of a computer interface that reminded me of Ian Softley’s classic “too cool for school” film Hackers. (Yes, it is a classic)
The film expands and contracts throughout the second act rather fluidly and character arching is handled well. Pacing and overall tone remained consistent and thoroughly enjoyable. The film has good humor as well as some sobering moments, and it’s packed with amazing visuals (it’s a Terry Gilliam film in every way). Sound design and cinematography were also delightful. The performances were great, and directing, well… Masterful as always. I really have nothing negative to say about the film whatsoever. The themes of the film are universal and could be interpreted as philosophical at times. It does hit you over the head with certain topics, but that’s a thing Gilliam is known for doing, so no fault there. The satire might feel despondent to some but to me, it felt like it came from a place of deep creativity. For the most part, it’s a quite inspiring piece of work. In a weird way. Effective, bizarre and poetic.
At the end of the film, I walked away with a recognizable feeling. I felt the same way I felt after watching every other Terry Gilliam sci-fi film: extremely satisfied and with an excited imagination. I’d say the film delivered greatness! At its core, The Zero Theorem is a dystopian film about loss in a world that substitutes real value with fake value, or rather stealth detriment. We watch a broken man perform the impossible task of trying to achieve fulfillment inside an invariable bubble of confusion, failing at every turn, grasping the dangling carrot at times. His actions are futile because what he’s solving towards is pointless to begin with. Or is it? And… Isn’t that something we can all relate to on some level!? Well, perhaps not. Perhaps so. Still a fascinating film, and I recommend you go watch it in a theater near you! Out on limited release in a theater far from you, actually. Oops!
My wife and I–especially she–love the zombie genre: movies, tv, books, comics, etc. Long before we met, I had seen many of the classic zombie films like White Zombie, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, and she was reading The Walking Dead, Day by Day Armageddon, The Rising, Monster Planet, and World War Z. Once we met, and discovered each other’s love for all things creepy, we started to consume things together, and I’ve gotten her zombie-themed Xmas gifts every year, like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a The Walking Dead bathrobe, and The Walking Dead compendiums 1 and 2.
So bearing all this zombiphilia in mind, when my co-caster Ash Jones told me that his friend Jonathan London had co-produced Alexander O. Phillippe’s definitive zombie documentary, Doc of the Dead, and that it was not only worth a look, but also on Netflix streaming, I decided Dani and I had to watch it. We were not disappointed. DotD spans the genre from its roots in African and Haitian folklore, all the way to modern day conventions, fun runs, and cosplay. It’s got everything: the stories, the gore, the undead vs. viral debate, and even touches on the porn parodies. It’s also chocked full of interviews with genre masters like George A. Romero, Bruce Campbell, Greg Nicotero, Robert Kirkman, Simon Pegg, Max Brooks, and Tom Savini.
This week, our guest is comic book artist and graphic designer, Meaghan O’Keefe. We talk about freelance artistry, the film industry, comic book art, the artistic process, horror films, As Above So Below, special effects prosthetics, Rick Baker, the haunted attraction industry, The Hunger, Star Wars, Key & Peele, Meltdown Comics, amateur theatre, Paul F. Tompkins, The Killers, early punk rock, Clive Barker, and Doctor Who.
The Something Something Experience Podcast feed was approved by iTunes, giving us Y.E.T.A.N.O.T.H.E.R. way for people to listen. You can find us by searching Something2XP in the iTunes Store. Please come listen and tell your friends. Pretty please?
Announced today, a brand new compilation from God Himself, David Bowie, will feature two new tracks in addition to a multitude of tracks spanning his 50-year career, the first of which were released in 1964. From the US press release:
“It is with much pleasure that we can exclusively announce a career-spanning collection of Bowie’s music covering fifty years of recorded works from his 1964 debut, Liza Jane, through to a brand new recording made this year.” See more of the release at the link below. The release comes in multiple formats and versions, including a 3CD/Digital Deluxe Edition, a 2CD/Digital Edition, and double vinyl for the hipsters.
New Bowie is always cause for eager anticipation, especially when accompanied by such an expansive compilation. Nothing Has Changed will be released on November 17, 2014.
Note: the artwork on this article is not the compilation artwork.
Our first official podcast guest is Los Angeles Artist, Kitty Brown. Kitty, Ash, and Michael sit down to discuss Tom Cruise, Paul F. Thompkins, goth club art shows, blue jeans, French cinema, European media, Karl Jung, cartoons, goth and horror culture, strong female characters, anime, Prince, and video games, as well as political topics like racism, classism, sexism in nerd culture, and the post-racial myth.
The Something Something Experience 