what did we miss

50 episodes and two years later seems like a good time to look back on the first 49 episodes and to talk about the beginnings of the show, where we've been, and where we hope to go. Join Tony and Matt as they talk about what they learned from the first few episodes of the show, each list their five favorite discoveries from the first two years of episodes, and preview some ideas from the coming year.

Seven years, five acts, and one podcast later, Matt and Tony finally explore the sad, dreamy world of Cardboard Computer's critically acclaimed Kentucky Route Zero. The game, which has rolled out episodically over the better part of the last decade and is now finally complete, is deceptively simple: a contemporary take on the narrative-focused point-and-click adventure game about a delivery man making what very well might be his employer's last shippment. Things get strange right away when his destination doesn't appear on any maps, and the only way to get there is by finding the titular and extra-dimensional(?) Route Zero. What follows is a ten-hour meditation on financial ruin, substance abuse, death, being a wage slave, crippling debt, memory, our relationship to media and technology, and more. Given its fanbase and critical reputation as one of the games of the decade, Kentucky Route Zero is the perfect topic for WDWM? - a game that lots of people have had lots to say about for a lot of years. Do Matt and Tony think it lives up to the hype? Go counter-clockwise until you come to the statue of David Lynch made out of moldy 8-track tapes, then turn around and make three clockwise loops and stop at the Emotional Sewage Treatment Plant to find out!

This week, in honor of the release of Bill and Ted Face the Music, Matt and Tony are talking about Freaked, the 1993 cult deep cut directed and co-written by Bill himself, Alex Winter. Freaked is one of those early '90s cable staples, the kind of movie that a lot of kids caught by accident (and probably when their parents weren't paying attention). Abandoned by the studio only to die quietly to empty theaters, Freaked is the quintessential cult film - lots to love and criminally overlooked. Winter plays a smug, Hollywood It Boy who gets roped into a plot involving an evil conglomerate, a carnival sideshow, and a group of grotesque mutants. It's all an excuse for gag-a-minute comedy, gloriously gross-out practical effects, and the sweet sounds of the Butthole Surfers. It is, in short, a hilarious and gnarly time capsule of whatever was in the air in the early '90s.

"What's Up, Doc?", Peter Bogdanovich's 1972 screwball classic, may be an atypical Barbra Streisand movie, but it was Matt's introduction to the singer, actress, and filmmaker. While maybe not the perfect intro to Streisand, it's still a personal favorite of Matt's, so it felt right to share with newcomers Brian and Christina of the Old Roommates podcast. They discuss the enigma that is Barbra Streisand, the many films that inspired Peter Bogdanovich, the greatness of Madeleine Kahn how, how screwball comedies had fallen out of fashion by the '70s, and just how much character development you need to make a wacky comedy like "What's Up, Doc?" work. Brian Masefield and Christina Walsh host Old Roommates (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/old-roommates/id1475619122), the only weekly podcast that revisits pop culture through a middle-aged lens. Find them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/oldroommates/ (https://www.instagram.com/oldroommates/)

For part three of our run of horror episodes, we take their first steps into the New England Gothic world of Shirley Jackson. Jackson, whose The Haunting of Hill House was adapted by Netflix last year, has had a lasting influence on horror. For this episode, we're beginning at the end, with a deep dive into Jackson's final novel, the chilling, 1962 tale of two sisters and a house: We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Joining us this week is Emma Sarconi, Reference Professional for Special Collections at Princeton University's Firestone Library. Emma offers some insight into the world of special collections, including the sorts of artifacts and stories that personally make her work so special, as well as a background of Jackson's life and family to provide some additional context to this eerie tale of otherness and mystery set in small-town Vermont.

This week we're joined by Matthew Ferrara and Tony Pacitti for a conversation about beauty and connection in art, the paradox of choice in media overwhelm, debunking preconceived notions, and deep dives into pop culture. Tony is a writer and improviser, Matt is a photographer and artist, and together they form What Did We Miss - a podcast about resolving pop culture blindspots, one episode at a time. Topics include art as an experience, becoming more open-minded, pop culture echo chambers, going beyond your comfort zone and the aspiration to love everything. Show Notes Engaging with pop culture as an active experience Leaning into cultural blindspots Art as an intimidating word The paradox of choice Netflix and the streaming boom Learning empathy by digging into preconceived notions JP and Steve's pop blindspots Go listen to What Did We Miss! Matt and Tony can make you appreciate just about anything Links Follow What Did We Miss on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/whatdidwemiss/) Follow them on Twitter (https://twitter.com/whatdidwemiss) Like them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WhatDidWeMiss/) Check out their website (https://whatdidwemiss.fireside.fm) for more in-depth podcast notes Follow Tony on Twitter (https://twitter.com/tonypacitti) Follow Matt on Twitter (https://twitter.com/matthewferrara) Check out Matt's photography business (http://www.sugarysweetmachines.com/)! Big thanks to NGHTSWM (https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/nghtswm/1316607579) for the use of their song, Fiji (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fiji-single/1436041716), on this show.

This week, the guys talk through the dense, reference-filled mythology of Adult Swim's The Venture Bros. For Tony this was a chance to revisit a longtime favorite, while Matt is realizing on his first watch-through that its everything he could have wanted from a TV show. They get into the obsessive level of detail, love letters to pop culture, surprising amount of heart, brilliant musical score, and questionable creative choices that have made The Venture Bros. stand out among Adult Swim's line up of talking fast food and late night stoner favorites.

This week, Matt and Tony explore the early, gritty works of director Penelope Spheeris, focusing specifically on her 1983 punk drama, Suburbia. They talk about her breakthrough punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization, her experiences chronicling the LA music scene over two decades, the success of Wayne's World, and the unfortunate and all too familiar career struggles she faced as a woman making movies in Hollywood. They also talk about objectivity in filmmaking, making more compelling heroes and villains through empathy, and how of all things, Suburbia probably made her the perfect choice for directing the cast of kids in The Little Rascals.

It's a special bonus episode! Tony is joined by the hosts of The Chuck and Brad Podcast, Chuck Staton and Brad Rohrer, to follow up last week's Fantastic Four conversation with a deep dive into the never-released 1994 movie adaptation. They discuss the charms and obvious flaws of low-budget cheese, why we think filmmakers have struggled to make FF work on screen, and Chuck and Brad share some details on their upcoming live comedy show, "Spider-Man: Bradley Drawn" at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater in Hartford, CT (June 27) and The Comedy Connection in East Providence, RI (June 30). Get more info at www.chuckandbradpodcast.com

It's clobberin' time! This week Matt schools Tony on vintage Fantastic Four as they discuss Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's dysfunctional super hero family. With more than five decades of stories, plenty of time and reality hopping adventures, and a few poorly received big screen adaptations under their belts, there's a whole lot of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing to choose from, so the guys mainly focus on 1966's Galactus Trilogy - a perfect example of Space Age adventure, Silver Age comics, and the weird wide world of the Fantastic Four!

Tony dusts off his PlayStation because somebody's never played Metal Gear Solid. The guys take it back to 1998's critically-acclaimed slice of stealth espionage action, which is full of sneaking around, wild boss battles, and lots and lots and lots of talking. Matt and Tony talk a bit about the games they've been playing recently and some of the games they liked when they were younger, Tony fills in Matt about why Metal Gear was such a special game when it came out and how some of its crazier gameplay elements blew his teenage mind, and they both share what they look for in games now.