Yeah I Remember That...

Another 2-parter. What is this.. an episode where Picard gets abducted by the Cardassians or the Borg? (that was a Star Trek joke) No.. but seriously.. we get long winded (again) talking about Nimoy, Spock, and the Star Trek franchise in general. 

We're joined by Pierre's brother-in-law David Valadez who swears he's not a Trekkie, he just happens to know more Star Trek trivia than http://en.memory-alpha.org/

We focus on Nimoy's influence on the franchise in Pt 1, Pt. 2 will focus on the movies and sci-fi in general. 

Musical Interludes: "Theme from Strar Trek" by Alexander Courage, "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" by Leonard Nimoy

Movies based on video games.. what a great idea! In theory, at least. The ones we examine in this episode.. not so much. Except Pierre really likes the Double Dragon movie, for some reason. I don't know.. ask him.

Personally, I would have preferred the Double Dribble movie.

Which come to think of it, is a weird name for a basketball video game. It would be like calling a football game "False Start" or "Illegal use of hands." But no matter, where else are you gonna get slow-motion cut animation of gray men in short shorts reverse dunking?

Anyway, Pierre and I then tackle the Citizen Kane of terrible video game movies.. yea.. you know the one..

Musical Interludes: "Super Mario Brothers Theme" by Koji Kondo, "Super Mario Brothers Movie Trailer" from the movie, "Super Mario theme goes metal 2012" by Charlie Parra del Riego

This may come as a shock to you, but Pierre and I did play quite a lot of video games growing up. While Pierre never quite grew out of it, Travis grew to discover some other things, like women and sunshine. 

All kidding aside, in this two part episode (since we couldn't shut up about the topic) we start here in Pt. I with the basics, from the old-school arcade to current consoles. And we also get a bit into "Gamergate," and the completely psychotic people who made that a thing. 

Tune in to Pt. II, where we discuss what sounded like a good idea at the time, but more often than not really, really wasn't... that is turning video games into feature films. 

Musical Interlude: "Video Game Song" by Nightcore

Who better to tell the story of the incredible rise of hip-hop and Miami bass music than 3 middle class private school kids that never spent much time on "the streets?" (mostly because our moms wouldn't let us near those parts of town..)

Our good friend Ruben joins us as we talk about our very sheltered recollections of the music and culture that rose around us and engulfed the country soon thereafter. 

Ruben adds an anecdote about how a friendly neighborhood record store owner broadened his horizons by defying the law and selling him a banned cassette. I guess former Florida sheriff Nick Navarro thought things needed to be more Ayatollah Khomeini Iran-like in 1989 USA. 

Musical Interludes: "Welcome to the Planet of Bass" by Maggotron, "Get it Girl" By 2 Live Crew, "Beat Street Breakdown" by Grandmaster Melle Mel

For further info, check out Pierre's movie suggestion about the rise and creation of the famous 80s bass sound: The Bass that ate Miami

Like many other things, Pierre and I share fond memories of professional wrestling from our childhood. Specifically, The WWF (World Wrestling Federation, not the World Wildlife Fund) from the mid to late 80s. What many term "The Golden Age," this era offered a rare collection of talent and personalities. A far cry from today's generic wrestling that's more about sideshow, flashy intros, and out of the ring soap operas.

It just doesn't get better than this: 

So reminisce with us as we take a fond look back at a time where giant steroid pumped, oiled-up men in speedos and boots smashed their bodies into each other for wholesome family entertainment. And Pierre introduces a new segment to see how many wrestlers from the 80s Travis thinks are dead. 

Musical Interludes: "Land of 1000 Dances" by the WWF Wrestlers, "Captain Lou's History of Music/Captain Lou" by Captain Lou Albano, "Cara Mia" by Nikolai Volkoff.  

Growing up as kid in the 80s had a unique undercurrent of knowing that at any moment nuclear Armageddon could be at hand, and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it. By the time Pierre and I were in school they'd given up on the bogus "Duck and Cover" morale movies fom the 50s and 60s and pretty much everyone agreed that if shit goes down, we're all fucked, and if you're lucky you'll die instantly. Have a nice day.

To reinforce this fear and paranoia, two fantastic movies came out around the same time. One, an NRA-member's wet dream about armed-to-the-hilt rural high school kids completely fucking up the Commies' plans to take over 'Merica, and the other, intorudcing us to the internet, hacking, and the possibility that WWIII could start via computer glitch. Oops. Have a nice day!

Musical Interludes: "Hang me up to dry" by Cold War Kids, "Red Dawn Theme" from the movie, "History Lesson" by The Beepers, "Cold War" by Janelle Monáe

Just a few weeks ago Pierre and I reminisced about the 80s and Nancy Reagan's Say No To Drugs movement aimed at middle class 8 year olds watching He-Man and Thundercats.

One of the main things we noted was that the onslaught of PSAs and weird, awkward anti-drug propaganda has seemingly dried up, or become much more subtle in today's media climate.

Well, last night during the Super Bowl, the SNTD movement came back with a vengance, slapping America upside the head with an uncomfortable, awkward anti-heroin spot. It caught everybody off-gaurd, and is the talk of social media and email chains everywhere today. 

In that sense, it was profoundly effective... I guess? You be the judge

Click: That's how you got addicted to heroin! =D

In contrast to popular rumors, no, those two characters in the title are not one in the same. The super cool and talented Ms. Bellinger joins us from glitzy L.A. as our first ever YIRTS guest.

We kick back and have some silly laughs about fun stuff like sexual harassment, cyber-bullying, sexism in showbiz, and the 1993 Waco Tragedy. Good times and lulz all around! =D

Then we get dead serious and discuss acclaimed docudrama My Demon Lover, which was a guiding force in Gillian's young life and development. We also get her to dish on working with Red Letter Media and her lead role in Feeding Frenzy.

Finally, we try to find out why native Texans are so damn proud to be from Texas and Pierre pretends to relate. He's such a nice guy. 

Check out everything Gillian is up to:

GillianBellinger.com

Gillian on Twitter

Musical Interludes: "All my exes live in Texas" (which is more or less accurate for Travis) by George Strait, "Our Love is in Love" by Jack Packard, "My Demon Lover Trailer" from the movie, "Let Go" by Intimate Strangers (which is actually starting to grow on me - I need help)

What's more terrifying than witnessing carnivorous pigs eating human bodies to cover up a serial killer's horrible deeds? How about not ever actually seeing that happen, but being told that things like that may be going on in town? If that sounds incomprehensibly stupid, then congratulations, you are not one of the producers of 1972's Pigs. (although in a newly edited version, there are a few pigs to be seen briefly... yay?) Director Marc Lawrence casts his own daughter in a role where she's raped by and murders her own father.. not sure even Freud could unravel those family dynamics.

Travis uses the term "creepy" about 487 times while describing this movie and that amount doesn't do it justice. 

Meanwhile, giant radioactive mosquitoes are a minor inconvenience for a desert town of 10 or so uninteresting people. But there is that toymaker guy from Blade Runner (and former Oscar Nominee Michael J Pollard).. so that's something. 

Musical Interludes: "Somebody's Waitin' For you" by Charles Bernstein, "Skeeter on my Peter" by John Valby, "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" by Pink Floyd

Yea Chad, we feel you. Re-watching all these old PSAs and horrific drug scare movies gave us a hangover too. And unlike you, we may have had more than a guilty sip of lite beer to get in good with the fat kid and the asian girl at the video store. 

Take a trip with us (so to speak) as Pierre and I venture back to the days when drug pushers were just outside every elementary school, Kaybee Toys, and playground jungle gym just waiting to get sub-10 year old suburban white kids hooked on hardcore drugs. Or at least, that's what Nancy Reagan and every cartoon, sitcom, kids show, and anything for little kids ever assumed was happening throughout the 1980s. 

This is a long one, but worth it. Also, Pierre swapped out the tin can and string for an actual semi-decent microphone, so enjoy his sultry voice, much in the way Chad Allen enjoyed Louis Gossett Jr's in the Fate Elevator™

Oh and I was wrong, he's totally still alive. My bad. 

Musical Interludes: "Right to say No" or "Be an Original" (need to know who performed this, please), "Because I Got High" by Afroman, "Fate Elevator" by Louis Gossett Jr and whatever deranged people wrote it. 

Little kids just love a horribly misguided cash-grab movie off a popular trading card. And like most movies for 9 year olds it features: Uncomforable sexual tension, attempted murder by torture and drowning, a creepy middle aged guy hand-bathing a barely-teenage boy, umm.. a look into the competitve world of independent fashion design(?) and of course, nightmare-inducing life-sized puppets. Also.. Peter Dinklage cameo!

Oh man, this one's got it all. A movie so wrong on so many levels it's almost... well.... right. Almost. 

Before that we wax nostalgic about the cards themselves, which are much more appealing and appropriate for kids than the movie. 

Musical Interludes: "You can be a Garbage Pail Kid" by Jimmy Scarlett and The Dimensions, "Working With Each Other" by the Garbage Pail Kids (robbed at the '87 grammys, IMO), "We Care A Lot" by Faith No More

Witness the work of auteurs who bring together David Naughton, Michael (J) Fox, and Pee Wee Herman in a role that will surprise you. No, I'm not just naming random 80s actors, these 3 and more appear in a true classic of retro absurdity called Midnight Madness. Brought to you by the same people who produced Cinderella, Snow White, and Star Wars Eps. VII-IX, enjoy a wacky comedic romp filled with mute nameless actors, racism, sexism, constant shameless fat jokes, and the greatest line in movie history. Pierre and I have decided this is the most in-depth, comprehensive examination of this movie ever, so yea.. Enjoy as we dissect this film like the rare specimen it is. 

Also, if you somehow haven't seen this movie, from the 40:00 mark on are major spoilers, so you're warned. 

Musical interludes: "Midnight Madness Theme" from the movie (duh), "Midnight Madness" by The Chemical Brothers