Wherein we chat about our new book - The Postman by David Brin, the movie, principally by Kevin Costner, and we also talk about: which government functions we might restart after the apocalypse, Other Chris' ad algorithm, what kind of vibes we can expect from the book, the movie completely bombing, and the absolutely stacked film year that was 1997.
Wherein we talk about the first half of The Postman by David Brin and we also talk about: Patreon rewards (that no one wants), Predictions of the Future from the Past, reactions to the book, Deceased postmen as ultimate wingmen, Gordon constantly rolling for deception checks, Vague advice from powerful computers, and what might happen next.
Wherein we talk about the second half of The Postman and we also talk about: Olympic foley artists, if theSociety of Cincinnatus was a real thing, emperor naming conventions, women in STEM roles, conmen and the Big Lie, and what to do with super soldiers after the war.
Wherein we talk about the movie version of The Postman and we also talk about: restarting social media after the apocalypse, Kevin Costner and the female gaze, just rolling all the women into one character, Tom Petty as himself, Bill the pony - master swordsman, Giovanni Ribisi as himself, getting a statue made of you for the wrong thing, and Danielle saying her famous catch phrase.
Wherein we talk about the fourth year of our little podcast and the best things we read and watched and also evaluate last year's goals and set some new ones.
Wherein we talk about Paul's Return to Arrakis as he grapples with survival and embracing or rejecting revenge for his family and we also talk about: banning TikTok, European holidays, performance enhancement for darts, designing a messiah, infamous popcorn buckets and our own terrible purpose.
Wherein we talk about one of the most banned books in America - the classic coming of age tale, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume and we also talk about: The benefits of being a regular at McDonald's, 50 years of Hip Hop, first experiences with periods, the death penalty, how Judy Blume is cool AF, Jewish sleep away camp, trying out churches, and make our parties.
Wherein we talk about THE Christmas Adaptation - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and we also talk about: where our ghosts of Christmas past would take us, other Hallmark Movies Danielle watched, shifting the idea of how to celebrate Christmas, why was Scrooge such a dick anyway?, how hard is it to make pudding?, and the various movie versions that we've enjoyed.
Wherein we talk about not one, but two John Carpenter movies - The Thing and They Live, based on Who Goes There by John Campbell Jr and Eight o'Clock in the Morning by Ray Nelson, respectively and we also discuss: if Impossible Burgers are Kosher, selling out your species for money, the best fight scene in cinema history, dunking on 2001 yet again, box office success via scheduling, hating on aliens for being ugly, and some other movies to check out if you liked these.
Wherein we talk about Kenneth Branagh's latest Hercule Poirot movie - A Haunting in Venice, the Agatha Christie book it was mostly based on - Hallowe'en Party and we also discuss: options for Shofar horns, what Travis can remember from the book, mustaches and Dutch angles, Historic quarantine techniques, comfort shows, and potential business ventures in Venice.
Wherein we introduce our new book, Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, and we also discuss: microchip bit compatibility, Old Man moments at the post office, thoughts on bugs, kids toys for R Rated movies, was Robert Heinlein a fascist?, filming in recognizable cities where the story doesn't actually take place, and how Danielle might react to the movie.
Wherein we talk about the first 9 chapters of Starship Troopers and we also discuss: earning citizenship via military service, a modern vision of the military from the 1960s, using force to discourage using force, biblical advice not to follow, and saying 'thank you' as incentive to do jobs we don't want to.
Wherein we talk about the second half of Starship Troopers and we also discuss: how the government in this book was established, Parallels between bug and military brains, Fighting like a gentleman in the shower, how many lives justify a war, and the Dark Forest theory of alien contact.
Wherein we talk about the movie version ofStarship Troopers and we also discuss: medical treatment biases, Danielle's thoughts on bugs, Football in the future, Neil Patrick Harris' evolving wardrobe, ineffectual training videos, and some bugs we did like.
Wherein we talk about our new book, Kindred by Octavia Butler and we also discuss: Go Karts, Alumni benefits, movies we watched over break, our prior engagement with Octavia Butler and her works, her life/background and the inspiration for this book.
Wherein we talk about the first section of Kindred and we also discuss: bygone bookstores and the death of memory, Reactions to the book, Casual brutality in a casually brutal time, Time travel pranks, Biblical names as plot hints, and the cunning use of not-yet-ancient coins.
Wherein we talk about the second section of Kindred and we also discuss: Marvel Fatigue, things that lasted longer than the Confederacy, condescending doctors, the miracle of the ballpoint pen, abusive behavior patterns, when it all just becomes too much (for Dana), and a surprise cameo.
Wherein we talk about the doomed Hulu adaptation of Kindred and we also discuss: Ancestry, Bluey, linguistic surveys, major changes in the show, TV accents, practical reminders about searches and warrants, if the show pulled its punches, and what we might've seen in a season 2.
Wherein we talk about the books we read and movies we watched in our third year, we give ourselves a performance review, and we announce a special giveaway.
Wherein we unwrap our early Xmas / Mid-Hannukah gift, The Noel Diary By Richard Paul Evans and we also discuss: Age gap issues, Other Chris's notes, who are these books even for, Filler Food, if this is even a Christmas book, Road trip as seduction technique, Air BnB'ing your movie sets and connections to Dexter.
Wherein we talk about our new book, Dracula by Bram Stoker and we also discuss: St Louis claims to fame, why vampires are so interesting, the 125th anniversary of the book, who is Dracula based on anyway?, the billion adaptations of the book, and the 30th anniversary of this particular adaptation.
Wherein we talk about the first third of Dracula by Bram Stoker and we also discuss: approaches to learning math, already knowing about vampires as a spoiler, extensive contemporaneous note taking and letter writing, and MLM schemes for eating flies.
Wherein we talk about the middle third of Dracula by Bram Stoker and we also discuss: alternate costumes for Ren Faires, taking your sweet time in telling very important news to people, mourning techniques for men, decapitation as kindness, and creative uses for communion bread.
Wherein we talk about the final third of Dracula by Bram Stoker and we also discuss: Origins of Trick or Treating, other ways they could've organized the story, heavenly fair treatment for non-consenting vampires, Book-to-book connections, exciting slang from the Americas, and where Dracula messed up his escape plan.
Wherein we talk about the movie, Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula and we also discuss: wedding talk, abandoned malls, favorite movie vampires, failed dark universe, the movie being all sexed up, cool costumes, getting married for real for a movie scene, and a more Dracula-y ending.
Wherein we chat about this seasons book (RTFB's first comic book), the long-running French comic classic Valerian and Laureline, which was later adapted into the movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and we also discuss: testing the validity of religions via Highlander combat, Zambian Heroes Day, Boy Scout camps, and some of our other favorite cult classics.
Wherein we chat about the first four story arcs of the comic Valerian and Laureline and we also discuss: recent travels and new kittens, the original format of the comic and how we would've coped having to read it weekly, time travel rules in this universe, specific reasons why Laureline is the best, presidential orbital escape plans, French kissing standards and things that happen off screen, and various Star Trek maneuvers.
Wherein we chat about the movie Valerian and and the City of A Thousand Planets and we also discuss: Everwood and other CW/WB shows getting shafted during mergers, hygiene implications of animal-based duplication, the lead actors & shifting character traits, Space Bono & Jell-o Rihanna and what's in a name anyway?
Wherein we review Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile and Kenneth Branagh's recent movie adaptation and we also discuss: The life and times of Agatha Christie (and Dr Who), movie making as a vacation package, reactions to the Egyptian sets from someone who's actually been there, sharing an "intimate" dance with your brand new boss, if stalking is actually a crime, and why viking river cruises are just the best.
Wherein we introduce our new book - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and we also discuss: Nordic Noir, crazy tattoos we might or not might get, some details about the book and movies, and general expectations.
Wherein we talk about the first ten chapters of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and we also discuss: Kidz Bop, Reactions to the reading section, needing to draw ourselves a map, the Good Way to write a whodunit. Luxury jails in Scandinavia, open relationships with your married coworkers, sexual harassment from government appointed custodians, and the health of the different relationships between men and women in the book so far.
Wherein we talk about the middle section of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and we also discuss: Achieving girmdark, solidifying our mental maps of this place, more modern technology, household revenge methods, different ways tattoos can be momentos, the vital importance of newspaper archives, and breaking a cold case via bible study.
Wherein we talk about the rest of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and we also discuss: Murder as a family past time, Quitting while you're ahead, Walking, just, straight into a dungeon, what DID happen to Harriet?, nonsense hacking, and a goodnight kiss of suffering.
Wherein we talk about the 2011 US movie version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and we also discuss: How to know when you have strep throat, tattoo chat, knowing 'whodunnit' based on the cast of actors, 'quitting' smoking, other book clubs, horrifying coffee mugs, and 'good' hacking scenes in movies.
Wherein we talk about our favorite moments from the show's sophomore year, we give ourselves a performance review on last years goals, and set new ones for year 3.
Wherein we enjoy a holiday ham of a movie / book - this year: The Christmas Contest by Scarlet Wilson. We also discuss: Gen Z jean trends, whether anyone edited this book, what a Rita award is, Thirst in small town Vermont, what a COO even does all day, upgrades and downgrades in the movie version, and some other holiday movies we actually enjoyed this year.
Wherein we discuss the Dune franchise, including the books by Frank Herbert, the recently released version of the movie as well as the David Lynch film. We also discuss: LEDs and infant mortality rate, some details on Mr Herbert, using Zandaya to keep people interested, scary mom voice, expectations for future entries in the new movie series, "False" prophesies and "saviors", making your anti-hero too cool for your message, the insanity in Lynch's version, and some other things to check out if you liked this movie / book.
Wherein we introduce our new book - The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy and we also discuss: Living on a submarine, SeaQuest and talking dolphins, the Origins of Chris, Jack Ryan as a character and our expectations for the book.
Wherein we discuss the first 7 chapters of The Hunt for Red October and we also discuss: Former denominations of British coins, laws regarding guinea pigs, quote wearing dolphins unquote, and what even IS a Hollywood Shower?
Wherein we discuss the middle section of The Hunt for Red October (chapters 8 thru 13) and we also discuss: multiple secret plans being executed at once, brinksmanship with missiles and radar, mixing oxygen tanks and cigarettes, souvenirs that Chris may or may not have brought back from Egypt, and Other Chris explains some basics of espionage.
Wherein we discuss the last section of The Hunt for Red October and we also discuss: spooky movies, John Wick coins, quality of 1980s Russian porn, using bacon to influence people, real life strategies for defusing bombs, and learning about American teens via E.T.
Wherein we discuss the movie version of The Hunt for Red October and we also discuss: good cuts from the book, whether Danielle could live on a submarine, ageless (and misused) celebrities, behind the scenes details Other Chris learned from the DVD extras, Mullets and Mustaches, and why this movie wouldn't be made today.
Wherein we introduce our new book - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick, the book that became the movie Blade Runner, and we also discuss: Jokes that transcend national borders; high school mascots; how to prove you aren't an android; Phillip K Dick's life and career; universal knowledge imparted by pink beams of light; the many versions of the movie; and general expectations for the book.
Wherein we review the first half of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick, the book that became the movie Blade Runner, and we also discuss: robot vacuums, electronic mood manipulation to win arguments, pets as a religion, social scenarios that robots aren't sure how to react to, models of laser tubes, and wild speculation over what is really going on in this book.
Wherein we review the second half of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and we also discuss: impermanence of physical media, empathy via googley eyes, demand for sci-fi books in the android community, reverse Chekhov's guns, and messianic figures with realistic self-assessments.
Wherein we review Blade Runner - the Final Cut version and we also discuss: genre-defining environmental city scapes, roguish scamps and noodle eating, past due promises of flying cars, potentially purposeful differences from the book, using garbage piles for sympathy, creepy human furbies, expert portrayals of being crazy pants, and vampire shows that inevitably go off the rails.
Wherein we introduce our new book - The Duke and I by Julia Quinn and we also discuss: our preferred place in the peerage, naming you children via word puzzle, the other books that led Danielle to fall in love with this series, our familiarity with Shondaland, and our expectations for nudity in the Netflix show.
Wherein we review the first half of The Duke and I and we also discuss: the efficacy of pretending to date someone to avoid having to date someone, good romance novels versus just porn, judging your child's IQ at 2 years old, having to be officially licensed to dance, regency era TMZ, and random guesses as to the true identity of Lady Whistledown.
Wherein we review the second half of The Duke and I and we also discuss: childhood roller skating injuries, old school contraceptive techniques and products, shooting people to defend your sister's honor, complications of marriage and drunkenness on consent, and un-scandalous scandal magazines.
Wherein we review the first four episodes of Bridgerton on Netflix and we also discuss: vaccination progress, B plot from future books, carnality on a schedule, the diamond of the season (how to be), historical smoking, chamber music covers of popular music, and of course, GME stock movements.
Wherein we review the last four episodes of Bridgerton on Netflix and we also discuss: general reactions to the first season, nudity and misunderstandings driving the plot, keeping up appearances with the staff while spatting, social faux pas vis-a-vis swine, reconciliation via rain storm, the premature revelation of Lady Whistledown's identity, and what to read next.
Wherein we indulge in our favorite holiday tradition: complaining about a romance novel turned in Hallmark movie - in this case, A Timeless Christmas by Alexis Stanton. We also discuss: romance novels we'd rather see, the viability of reheating fish at work, marriages of convenience, the pure love of delivery pizza, alternate endings to the movie and, of course, (not so) ancient coins.
Wherein we introduce our new book for the Halloween season - The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty and we also discuss: Rec League Soccer, Other scary (or not so scary) movies, Dungeons and Dragons as a gateway to satanic ritual, and the Exorcist's cursed film set.
Wherein we review Part 1 of The Exorcist and we also discuss: Sesame Street and Jewish holidays, delicious cream soda, Demons who get a bad rap, Ouija boards as a gateway to demonic mischief, and the relative ease of moving to Panama.
Wherein we review Part 2 of The Exorcist and we also discuss: the Rock's kissing preferences, Religious Slash-fiction, Hygienic implications of Black Mass, what language demons spoke before Latin, and the only event, thus far, that was so shocking we couldn't even say it on mic.
Hey - are you scrolling around the site looking for a give away code word? That's rather smart of you. This is the episode you're looking for
Wherein we review the rest of the book version of The Exorcist - covering Parts 3 and 4 and we also discuss: animal sightings, everyday mind reading, ghost priests, demonic possessions as a remedy for crises of faith, what actually is a cossack, and Chris makes and then defends one of the most insane statements we can recall.
Wherein Danielle joins us to discuss the movie version of The Exorcist and we also cover: cat Halloween costumes, other movies that scared Danielle, real-life dangers in scary movies, terrifying medical procedures, film projection techniques, and Danielle's family history with a specific copy of the Exorcist book.
Wherein we kick off Season 5 and introduce our next book, Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, we discuss pop culture blind spots, college sports apathy, confusing IP rights, and of course, ancient coins.
Wherein we review the first half of Casino Royale, we rejoice in the incredibly mundane, discuss random kickstarter campaigns, try to understand gambling strategies, and discuss what a cool MFer James Bond is.
Wherein we review the rest of Casino Royale, we discuss asynchronous and online temple attendance, missed opportunities for spy slash pics, torturing men on easy mode, old timey phone lingo, and get some insider info on the 2020 census.
Wherein we conclude Season 5 with a review of the movie version of Casino Royale and we discuss: how to use bar soap, films on airplanes, what is Tiktok, Austin Powers as an influence on James Bond, how expensive tuxedoes are, and potential new Bonds.
Wherein we think back over our first year and some of our favorite, funniest, or most surprising moments.
Wherein we open up Season 4 by discussing our next book, Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle, Chris tells us why it was a favorite of his growing up, we talk about things that people might not expect us to be quite so interested in, we weigh the virtues of YooHoo plus vodka, and Travis makes a few personal reading recommendations for our current times.
Wherein we discuss the first 20 chapters of Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle, the wrong way to play Animal Crossing, Sci Fi handwaving, the hotness of footprints, ape fashion sense, and how to intelligently eat a sugar cube.
Wherein we discuss the rest of the book Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle, the sugary cereal mash that all humans love, toilet paper companies giving it their all, lab animal relations, and the dangers of keeping a house gorilla.
Wherein we discuss the 1968 Planet of the Apes movie, a shocking revelation from Danielle, Space smoking, the proper gender ratio to repopulate a planet, ape kissing, and the relationship of My Little Pony to archeology.
Wherein go off script and discuss the 2011 movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes (and the rest of that trilogy as well), Simian Disease as a parallel for COVID, the plight of good people playing on-screen bad guys, the ease of space travel, lack of ape kissin, Caesar as every religious parallel, and new streaming apps - all while our celebrity enemies list grows.
Wherein we kick off season 3 by discussing the our next book - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson, times we got ourselves into trouble while traveling and movies we watched over the break.
Wherein we discuss part 1 of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, lucid descriptions of non-lucid events, the purchasing power of your drug dollar in 1971, doubling down when you get yourself in trouble, and, of course, ancient coins
Wherein we discuss part 2 of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, hanging around with loose cannons, how to pronounce Pineal, and how we are staying sane in the early stages of the COVID quarantine.
Wherein we discuss the movie version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Danielles favorite story about Other Chris, recognizing famous people in cameo roles, how we continue to try to keep busy during quarantine, and someone maybe lets the next book slip.
Wherein we celebrate the holiday season by discussing a Hallmark movie and its corresponding novel, The Mistletoe Secret by Richard Paul Evans.
Wherein we discuss the recent movie adaptation of Dr Sleep, the book, and its predecessor, The Shining, discrepancies between the different versions, fan theories, other things that are keeping us entertained, and, of course, Tub Lady
Wherein we kick off season 2 which will feature Thomas Harris' Silence of the Lambs, we wax nostalgic about 1991, and consider relaxation methods in the workplace.
Wherein we walk through the first 18 chapters of Silence of the Lambs and we also chat about Chris''s world travels, making assumptions about cars, and the dangers of being helpful to random strangers
Wherein we discuss chapters 19 through 37 of Silence of the Lambs, the etiquette of face biting, birth certificate typos, the smell of schizophrenia, the proper footwear for murder, and the importance of following prisoner transfer protocol.
Wherein we discuss the remaining chapters of Silence of the Lambs, vegan shofars, solipsism via a vis Fallout 4, sensuality as an escape method, using chemical formulas to insult people, and egg whites.
Wherein we discuss the movie version of Silence of the Lambs, other movies from 1991, credit placement, tasteful exchange of bodily fluids, seat belt safety, fashion sense and utility while doing police work, and cake printing technology.
Wherein we discuss the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series and recent movie adaptation. Including the power of really creepy illustrations, horror movie logic, and period specific smoking.
Wherein we introduce the podcast and the book for season one - the Arthur C Clarke slash Stanley Kubrick collaboration, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Wherein we discuss the first two parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Including the Killer Ape theory, Spinning toilets, and other things that are entertaining us.
Wherein we discuss the middle two parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Including hypergolic substances, pharmaceutical replacements for human interaction, mental breakdowns in heuristic programs, and other things that are entertaining us.
Wherein we discuss the last two parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Including keeping Shomer Shabbos, the proper way to feed your new pet human, and bullshit jobs
Wherein we welcome a special guest to help discuss the film version of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Including using a film soundtrack as a weapon, art film techniques to show abstract and fantastical events, and the importance of nudity in sci fi.
