Ep 512: Timeless or Tarnished?

More than five years ago Barry, Dave and Tod walked away from onetime favorite, The Walking Dead. After enduring eight grueling years, from episode 1 to episode 5 of season 9, they vowed to never return. This week the fifth Walking Dead series, Walking Dead: Those who Live, debuted with the premise of reunite Rick and Michonne after five + years in real time, and who knows how long in nearly unreconcilable Walking Dead time. Can the Joes pick up at this point? Will they want to? Queue up this week’s ep to find out. Also, prompted by their recent pondering on which old films hold up and why, the Regular Joe’s re-watched a franchise launching film from 1986 to see whether it was better in their heads vs. now in the cold light of day. There’s also the usual, Random Topics and a round of What’s in the Box. Thanks for listening!

In recent years two auction houses have dominated the competition for prop collector’s attention and dollars. In the coming weeks, both The Prop Store (March 12th - 14th) and Heritage Auctions (March 20 - 24th) are going head to head with large scale multi day prop and entertainment memorabilia auctions. As the Regular Joe’s preview the HUGE respective catalogs for you they find a lot of similar items, as well as some, that are be familiar from other recent auctions. The unique thing about the Heritage Auction is that it includes items from the collection previously displayed at former Planet Hollywood locations. Let’s just say, if you’re big into Stallone, your wallet is gonna take a hit. The Regular Joe’s cover the high points, ID a few favorites, and ponder, the increasing trend of prop replicas being sold, side-by-side with legit screen used props. Even if you’re not in the market, there’s some amazing stuff here that will either never see the light of day again … or pop up in an auction in a few months. And of course there’s the usual Random Topics. Thanks for listening!

This week the Regular Joes, plus subject expert Brian Mix, address the topic of Star Trek uniforms. Note: please don’t call them “costumes.” That’s like calling an action figure a “doll.” With nearly sixty years of Star Trek, eleven series, and thirteen films, which of the dozens of uniforms would make the most sense for doing your day job in space? When would you want a jumpsuit, and when would you not?  Why all the flaps? How is it that certain styles hold up and why other visions of future fashion (Motion Picture PJs?) did not. And what’s with those Cuban heels anyway There’s also the usual Random Topics and a round of What’s in the Box? Thanks for Listening!

This week the Regular Joes are again joined by Tom Spina of Regal Robot and Tom Spina Designs. Barry and Tom recently traveled to Skywalker Ranch to complete research for Regal Robot’s newest limited run offering, a faithful reproduction of the Wampa puppet from The Empire Strikes Back. They dive deep into the painstaking level of effort and detail that goes into reproducing an item like this. Seriously, have you ever tried counting Wampa teeth? They also talk about what’s it’s like to visit the Lucas archive which is pretty much a complex filled with holy grails … including the Holy Grail.  All this plus the usual Random Topics. Thanks for listening!

Prompted by Dave’s recent re-watch of 1971 Oscar winner The French Connection the Regular Joe’s dive into the question, Does it Hold Up? More specifically why do some very successful mainstream films stand the test of time while others don’t. How some films like The Godfather (1973) achieve immortality, while others like Marty (1956) seemingly have the lifespan of a mayfly. Is it about transcending the moment in which they are created? Does being a period piece guarantee ageless. Or do certain styles and motifs just prove more ephemeral than others? All ground they’ve never really covered before. There’s also the usual Random Topics and a round of What’s in the Box? Thanks for Listening?

This week the Regular Joes finally get around to looking at The Marvels, the 33rd and worst performing of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings.  Did it require too much homework upfront? Are Marvel bro’s just not into women? Or is it another harbinger of doom for an overworked franchise? Apple TV+ just keeps cranking out ambitious series. This week ushers in the two episode debut of Masters of the Air. The Spielberg/Hanks produced series is a follow up to Band of Brothers and The Pacific. The US Army Air Corps European theatre bombing campaign was the most successful, and most perilous, in history.  Will this third take on the greatest generation likewise translate to great TV? All this plus the usual Random Topics and a round of What’s  in the Box. Thank for Listening!

Barry is back from his most recent big adventure (more on that soon) and the Regular Joes sit down to talk about the wrap-up of two shows. When Apple TV+ launched in November 2019, it seemed like they were late to the party. And, despite the tech companies long-standing interest in creating the future, no one really imagined that Apple would quickly become the most prolific producer of sci-fi on television. With the recent conclusion of the alternate timeline space program drama For all Mankind, and this year’s, Godzilla cinematic universe tie in, Monarch Legacy of Monsters they continue to demonstrate their commitment to a genre we love. Meanwhile, over on the Disney Channel, there’s Echo, which failed to resonate (you see what I did there?) with critics or viewers. On one hand, there’s a solid minute of Daredevil action, and then there’s the rest of the series. Should you watch? Should you pass? Will it matter one way or another? The hosts weigh in to help you with these questions and more. There’s also a round of What’s in the Box and the usual Random Topics. Thanks for Listening!

As 2023 fades into memory the Regular Joes, along with Irregular Joes Derryl DePriest and Brian Mix, take a look back to the year that was. What were their favorite films, TV shows, events and collectibles? Conversely, what were their least favorites. And while they’re at it, in a year, when many long, anticipated projects failed to find audiences, what did they see as the most overlooked and under appreciated offerings of 2023? The gang also note some of what they are looking forward to in 2024, and bid a fond farewell to several of those who left us last year. Thanks for listening!

Zack Snyder has made some good films. Rebel Moon: Part I. A Child of Fire is not one of them. Described as both the start of a new sci-fi franchise, and the byproduct of a failed Star Wars pitch, what Rebel Moon most resembles is amalgamation of scenes and themes from a long list of other familiar films. You haven’t seen it? Here’s a recap, Gamora, who is estranged from her evil dad, rounds up slightly less than seven samurai, to take on an evil galactic empire before being betrayed by Han Solo. The Regular Joes conduct a postmortem review examining how, with top-notch talent, excellent visual effects and clearly a healthy budget did this project still manage to go so wrong. And, moreover, with part II coming shortly, and a director’s cut no one other than Barry will watch, is there anywhere to go with this franchise? There’s also the usual random topics. Thanks for listening, and Happy New Year!

As 2023 came to a close, the Regular Joes convened at a not so secret location (Dave’s House) to break bread and to prove yet again that with a little thought you can actually buy gifts for people who literally have everything, it’s the annual Regular Joe’s gift exchange where you listen in as we open presents!  Then , as an added bonus, our wives join us to discuss the filmography of everyone’s favorite action hero, Tom Cruise and evaluate which of his films are “unwatchable”, the results may surprise you, or maybe not…but the wives are back on the show, so there you go!  We sincerely thank you all for listening and hope you all have a very safe and Happy New Year.