KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#129: BioShock 2 Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

Whether in television, movies, books, or games, it's always hard to follow-up a smash-hit with a worthy sequel. But publisher 2K endeavored to do just that when it launched BioShock 2 in 2010, doing so -- mind you -- without the series' creative visionary Ken Levine, whose team was off working on what would become 2013's BioShock Infinite. The result was divisive at the time, though most people liked returning to Rapture and getting more of that wonderfully-realized world. But over time, it appears the game has become even more appreciated and adored, and for good reason: It's pretty damn good, even in the shadow of the vaunted BioShock. So let's take a trip back under the Atlantic Ocean, Subject Delta. There are more Little Sisters to protect, this time in a collectivist (instead of libertarian) nightmare.

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#128: Back to School Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

For nearly five decades, Rodney Dangerfield was an American comedy legend. But it was in the 1980s that he rose to mainstream prominence not through his stand-up act as popularized on late-night TV in the '60s and '70s, but because of films like Caddyshack and Easy Money. Come 1986, however, Dangerfield would star in perhaps his strangest movie yet, a zany romp all about a wealthy businessman heading to college just so he can hang out with his son: Back to School. Like many '80s comedies, Back to School doesn't take itself all that seriously, which is perfect, because such loose parameters allow this flick to shine using Dangerfield's classic one-liners and zingers. Indeed, it's one of the most quotable films of the decade. It also happens to co-star some interesting and random actors, from a young Robert Downey Jr. to a typecast William Zabka to a nascent Sam Kinison. More than anything, though, it's a truly funny 90-something minute piece of nostalgia, and we couldn't help but dedicate an episode of KnockBack to it.

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#127: The Witch Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

Robert Eggers' 2015 debut film The Witch isn't exactly old, but its subject matter certainly is. Taking place in the early 1630s in New England -- a full 60 years before the Salem Witch Trials -- The Witch tells the story of a banished family of devout Puritans who go into the Massachusetts woods to live alone. And... well... you may be able to guess what happens next. Written entirely in period English and lit only by natural light and candles, The Witch may be one of the most thoroughly colonial movies ever made. It also happens to be a masterpiece of pacing, tension, and acting. So let's delve into this spectacular and spooky period piece, as a tight-knit religious family slowly comes undone.

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#126: The Things We Wish We Knew as Kids Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

Ignorance is bliss, or so the saying goes. But when we're kids, ignorance is also a way of life. In our tiny worlds, everything was magnified or understated: The glorious ups, our mundane everyday lives, and especially the seemingly-tragic downs. Little did we know then what we would learn later: That a lot of what we cared so deeply about didn't matter very much, that the stuff we should have paid more attention to we barely worried about, and that many of the people we looked to for guidance were flying blind, too. So instead of focusing on a movie, video game, TV show (or the like) this week, we thought we'd take the time to hone-in on the wisdom and knowledge we didn't even know existed as kids but take for granted as adults, and how a little tweak here or there in our past could have taken us in entirely different directions. If only we knew better.

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#125. St. Elmo's Fire Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

We recently lost American filmmaker Joel Schumacher to cancer at the age of 80. With a diverse filmography dating back to the '70s and running through to just a few years ago, it's hard to put Schumacher in a box, but it seems a lot of people wanted to memorialize him by focusing on his two maligned Batman movies instead of the great work he did. To pay him tribute, we decided to go back to his 1985 Brat Pack film St. Elmo's Fire, which he wrote and directed, and which still holds a place with '80s movie fans everywhere. So let's head to Washington DC and catch up with seven recent graduates of Georgetown University, young 20-somethings who are having a difficult time transitioning to adulthood, and an even more difficult time understanding how the dynamics between them have changed after college.

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#124: Mass Effect Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

When Mass Effect launched on Xbox 360 in 2007, it promised to be not only one of the most ambitious RPGs of all time, but the entry point to one of the most ambitious gaming trilogies ever. Designed as three games from the get-go, the original Mass Effect propelled Commander Shepard and his team into the galactic intrigue that would engulf the games-long story, but it also ended up doing something even crazier: Allowing subsequent iterations to read your previous games' saves, essentially crafting an agency-driven IP that still hasn't been replicated with any equivalent success. But this episode of KnockBack is dedicated to the very first game -- Mass Effect itself -- BioWare's influential and memorable foray into the world of third-person shooter RPGs. So hone your biotics, gather your Element Zero, and jump through the nearest Mass Relay. We'll see you on the other side.

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#123: Django Unchained Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

Writer and director Quentin Tarantino has long been a divisive and controversial filmmaker, primarily because of his seeming, unapologetic glorification of gore. But something deeper typically rests beneath his portrayal of human brutality. This is perhaps most true in his 2012 picture Django Unchained, a movie that takes place in the Southern United States on the brink of the Civil War. And while it's not a piece of history per se, it dedicates a lot of time delving into much of what made that Confederacy Eve era tick: Slavery, greed, and inhumanity. With multiple Oscar-worthy performances -- including from Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz -- a riveting story, and a redemptive arc, it could easily be argued that Django Unchained is Tarantino's strongest work. Whether you agree with that proclamation or not, however, there's no denying that it's given us a lot to talk about.

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#122: Do the Right Thing Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

There are times when an older movie feels like it could have been made yesterday. 1989's Do the Right Thing -- one of Spike Lee's very first films -- is just such an offering. Based in the racially-mixed Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn during one hot summer day and night, Do the Right Thing is ostensibly about a group of black people (children, teens, and adults) and their daily experiences, particularly through the lens of a white-owned pizzeria that sticks out like a sore thumb in an era of simmering racial tensions. But underneath the surface, this Spike Lee Joint is about so much more than just that. It's about police brutality, gentrification, crime, differing generational views, work and joblessness, and on and on. Yes, this movie was made in '89... but for better or for worse, it feels like it could have been crafted specifically for right this very minute. So let's talk about it.

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#121: Our Childhood Friends Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

We've been recording KnockBack week-in and week-out for more than two years, and while we tell lots of stories about our time with video games, TV shows, movies, toys, and much more, we also include mentions of some very important people: Our childhood friends. These folks aren't just random characters from our past; they're people who helped shape who we were then, and still are today. To celebrate some of the individuals most important to us in our youth, we thought we'd dedicate an episode of KnockBack specifically to them, telling tales of how we met, the times we spent together, and how they molded us. Dedicated listeners of the show have definitely heard these names before, but never in this much detail and with this much love. As always, we hope you enjoy.

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#120: EarthBound Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

Nintendo is undoubtedly best-known for its long-running, ubiquitous franchises: Mario, Zelda, and the like. But sprinkled in the mega-selling mixture are games that sold far less, but have earned their own level of reverence. EarthBound -- launched in 1994 in Japan and 1995 in the US -- is one such adventure. Known as Mother 2 in Japan (the original Mother was a Famicom game that didn't see western release for more than two decades), EarthBound is a truly peculiar, truly charming title, one that pits four children against a dangerous, world-consuming foe. It's a JRPG based heavily on conventions introduced by Dragon Quest, but its quirky style, colorful graphics, and humorous dialogue are all its own. It also didn't sell very well, either in Japan or outside of it, and has many divisive features. So let's chat about all of it -- the whole tapestry that makes EarthBound... well... EarthBound... -- and sort out whether Ness' journey has earned its place in the annals of gaming history.

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