KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#159 | Rewriting Star Wars: Episode VII Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

We're pretty hard on Star Wars here on KnockBack. But it's only because we care so damn much! Yet, we're rarely (if ever) asked to put up or shut up when it comes to the topic... until now. As voted on by our listeners, this episode is the first of three that will be dedicated to the new Star Wars trilogy, but through a simple lens: If given free reign, what would our new trilogy look like, one that takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi and includes as much or as little of established lore as possible? Well, today, we open our respective trilogies with our Episode VIIs. Dagan sets up a tale of familial redemption through haunting spectres of Darth Vader's past. Colin writes about an out-of-control corporation commanded by a religious prophet intent on showing the lies of the Force. They are very different stories from each other, and certainly different from canon. Naturally, we hope you enjoy both.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#158: BioShock Infinite Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

High above the clouds is a city in the sky. It's called Columbia, and it was once a part of the United States, a floating testament to American Exceptionalism and the sacred religion of The Founders. This is all true in BioShock Infinite, anyway, an adventure set in an alternate version of 1912. As Booker DeWitt, your charge is clear: Rescue an unusual girl named Elizabeth from the grasp of Columbia's deified leader and get out of dodge. But, as with Ken Levine's original BioShock, Infinite is about much, much more than meets the eye, a clever, well-written title that challenges the very essence of what makes games... well... games! Racism, nationalism, militarism, industrialism. These aren't exactly common thematic elements of the fare we usually play. But here, they're central to the story. So press play, my friends. It's time to wipe away the debt.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#157: Board Games Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

Through a modern lens, board games seem... well... quaint. After all, why would a child play with plastic toys when they can hold an iPad, are we right? Thus, it's incumbent on us to explore the Old Ways, and in reality, those Old Ways are still quite new, indeed. Board gaming, as it turns out, is in a boomtime as we speak. But enough of the contemporary. Let's instead explore the borderline-antiquated, from the capitalistic madness of Monopoly and the frantic Game of Life to the ever-pugnacious Battleship and everyone's first bout with murder: Clue. Oh, and there's plenty more in there, too, from your checkers and chess to your Risk and Axis & Allies. So let's roll the dice to see who goes first, and don't even think about cheating. We're watching closely.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#156: The Godfather Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

This week's episode of KnockBack makes you an offer you can't refuse, as we open up the floor to a discussion all about the classic 1972 film The Godfather, a movie some consider to be the very best that American cinema has ever had to offer. Is it true? Well, that's subjective, but what we do know is this: The Godfather is an amazing flick, and sets such an important template for all of the wonderful Mafia media that would come after it. Character, story, dialogue... it has it all. But the major question is: Is it the most influential movie ever made? We dive deep into this notion, because when you consider just how many quotes, scenes, and iconic imagery are pulled from this picture to this day, it becomes clear that it may indeed hold that level of exceptional influence. So, click play. Because today we take care of all family business.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#155: Long Island Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Long Island, New York is the nautical homeland of The Moriarty Boys, and it comes up on KnockBack constantly. Almost every one of our childhood and teenage stories, memories, and events happened there, and -- at the request of the audience -- we thought we'd take the opportunity to do a non-IP-driven episode of our show all about that peculiar strip of land in New York City's shadow. For without it, there would be no Colin and Dagan as you know us today, and in its absence, our lives would have been radically different. Why does this place matter so much to us? What do we miss the most about living there? Will we ever go back? Let's breakdown the sacred setting of Moriarty Lore.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#154: John Wick Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

The term 'action movie' is sometimes used as a pejorative in order to hand-wave away bombastic and violent films that don't have some sort of deeper meaning. Yet, 2014's John Wick -- starring the seemingly-affable Keanu Reeves -- may just have redefined the term for a modern era. The titular Wick's head-first dive into the underworld seems almost unimaginably absurd at first. And maybe it is. But it's the texture underneath that truly gleams here: The shadowy characters, the thoughtful world-building, the unrivaled stuntwork. So let's take a step into the Continental, friends. Just mind the rules.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#153: The Royal Tenenbaums Jan 18, 2021

Show notes

In the late '90s and early '00s, writer and director Wes Anderson came out swinging with his beloved comedies Bottle Rocket and Rushmore. His third film, however -- 2001's The Royal Tenenbaums -- is perhaps his most beloved project, a movie all about an equally talented and troubled family of two estranged parents, three peculiar adult children, and a small group of outsiders that make up their wider clan. The Royal Tenenbaums is a hysterical flick, but it's also deep, moody, and meaningful. Let's discuss.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#152: Band of Brothers Jan 14, 2021

Show notes

World War II raged from 1939 to 1945, and as its name aptly suggests, there was fighting pretty much everywhere: the Pacific, North Africa, the Middle East, the Soviet Union, France and the UK, and on and on. However, HBO's 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers --

released in 2001 -- explores one piece of one of the theaters of war through the eyes of the United States' much-celebrated Easy Company Airborne Regiment, one of the fiercest group of fighting men America has ever assembled. Band of Brothers tells their story

from training camp all the way through the Nazi surrender, with stops at Normandy, Carentan, and Eindhoven, to Bastogne, Landsberg, and Berchtesgaden. It's a wonderful, much-watch series, and we're thrilled to talk about it here on KnockBack. Band of Brothers

is a history lesson, yes. But it's also a story about brotherhood, valor, fear, and doing what's necessary for God and Country. Naturally, there's much to discuss.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#151: Clerks Jan 06, 2021

Show notes

Every one of us have had a "we're not even supposed to be here today" moment, whether at work, school, or just about anywhere else. For Dante Hicks, though -- a young, 20-something worker at a local convenience store -- being where he wasn't supposed to be ends up netting him one of the most memorable (and also unfortunate) days he could possibly remember. Clerks is Kevin Smith's very first film, and it's an absolute doozy, showing us Jay and Silent Bob for the first time, giving us a glimpse into early-'90s New Jersey slacker culture, and providing a plethora of (largely inappropriate) laughs along the way. So come celebrate a great American comedy with us, and yes, we assure you: We're open!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#150: A Milestone Celebration Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

Our retro and nostalgia podcast KnockBack is a bit of an enigma. On one hand, it's a relatively straight-forward, passion-driven project -- heavily directed by our wonderful audience -- but there's a catch: The nature of our show means it's hard to go back and talk about already-trodden topics again. Since we've reached this 150 episode milestone, however, we figured we'd try to change that, if not just for a brief flicker of time. That's because this episode gives you -- that aforementioned lovely audience! -- the ability to pick our brains further about already-visited topics, as well as discuss the past, present, and future of KnockBack. And yes: The future is indeed bright. So let's chat about all of it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected