KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#59: PlayStation 2 Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

What can you say about the best-selling home video game console of all-time? PlayStation 2 -- launched in 2000 -- completely morphed the way we looked at gaming machines. The fact that PSone could even play audio CDs was a revolution; now we were looking at a machine that could play game discs and DVDs alike, opening up even more entertainment possibilities. More than 150 million units sold later, PlayStation 2 is a staggering 50 million units ahead of the second place console on the vaunted Best-Selling Home Consoles of All-Time list. Let that sink in. Think about how incredible that is. And then listen to our 2+ hour reminiscence of Sony's beloved second foray into gaming, the wonderful experiences that it brought with it, and the memories it left with us all.

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#58 | The Office (US version) Mar 28, 2019

Show notes

If there's one true reason why the American adaptation of The Office resonates so much with people, it's because it feels hauntingly real. Lots of us know a Michael Scott or a Dwight Schrute, a Pam Beesly or a Jim Halpert. And lots of us understand, in one fashion or another, the 9-to-5 grind, and all that comes along with working in seemingly soul-sucking corporate environments. While The Office first premiered as a British show starring Ricky Gervais back in 2001, its 2005 to 2013 run starring Steve Carell is widely considered to be one of the greatest television comedies ever made, and today's episode of KnockBack -- the longest in our podcast's run so far -- we take the time necessary to show this monumental cringefest the love and respect it deserves. So let's travel to Scranton, Pennsylvania, the home of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, and get to know some folks. If you're good, we can stop by Schrute Farms on the way home.

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#57: First Dates and "Girlfriends" Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

Do you remember your first "girlfriend" or "boyfriend?" Your first date? Your first kiss? Today's episode of KnockBack -- as voted on by the show's Patreon supporters -- is dedicated to just such topics. As adults, matters of the heart are often incredibly complicated and high stakes. That's why it's so important to occasionally reminisce about our far more innocent, far more straight-forward days, when we were just figuring everything out. When we were discovering who we were, and who we are.

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#56: Our Favorite Concerts Mar 14, 2019

Show notes

We don't often talk about music on KnockBack, which is strange, considering it's a massive part of Moriarty Life. So for only the second time in our show's run, we're dedicating an episode entirely to music, particularly live music. What have been our very favorite concert experiences? What were our first concerts, our most memorable concerts, and the worst concerts we've been to? How has live music inspired us and driven us? Which acts have we seen the most, which acts do we long to see, and which acts -- because of time and place -- we'll simply never get to see? We discuss it all, and give you a little glimpse into the sonic accompaniment that helped (and still helps) define our lives.

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#55: BioShock Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

Video games have unrivaled narrative potential, and 2007's BioShock is possibly the single greatest example of how gaming and storytelling can expertly intertwine. BioShock is the story of an underwater libertarian utopia run by a brilliant business magnate, and how the weight of his own stringent ideology leads to his dream's rapid undoing. But in reality, it's about far more than that. It's a master class in gameplay, in environment, in design, in voice acting, in writing, in combat, in pacing, and much more. So let's celebrate Ken Levine's most famous game -- one of the greatest ever made -- and dodge the men in Washington, the Vatican, and Moscow, who may just seek to rob you of all you've rightly earned.

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#54: The Karate Kid Trilogy Feb 28, 2019

Show notes

'80s movies are a goldmine for a nostalgia and retro podcast like this one, but few films of the era are held in as high esteem as 1984's Karate Kid. The story of Daniel LaRusso and his trials and tribulations as "The New Kid" -- a new kid who just happens to learn lethal karate from an old, unassuming man -- is an undeniable classic. So let's chat about Daniel-San, his sensei Mr. Miyagi, his nemesis (or is it victim?) Johnny, the bizarre Kreese, and more. And let's also delve into Karate Kid's two questionable sequels, and try to make sense of it all, because no Karate Kid conversation is complete with Parts II and III, too. So let's strike first and strike hard, shall we? No mercy.

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#53: A Retrospective's Retrospective Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

When we launched KnockBack, we didn't know what to expect. We had this idea to do a nostalgic, retro-driven podcast, but nothing was set in stone, and Dagan had never co-hosted a show before, so we had no idea how it'd turn out, or if anyone would like it. The end result, though, has been extraordinary. KnockBack is a passion project for us -- the Brothers Moriarty -- and convening every couple of months to record a handful of episodes is a highlight for both of us on our respective calendars. But, more than that, it has become thousands of people's favorite CLS show, with a hardcore, thoughtful, and connected community. Watching as more and more people find their way to our podcast (last month was its biggest month ever!) is the definition of gratifying. So as we move into Year Two, we first thought we'd reflect a bit on Year One, and reminisce about our own journey tapping into our memories like we never have before.

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#52: Growing Up in the '50s and '60s Feb 14, 2019

Show notes

Today's episode of KnockBack is very special, because it stars our mother, Betty Ann Moriarty. Our mom was born in Brooklyn in 1950, and grew up in the shadow of New York City -- on our beloved Long Island -- during a storied era of American history. Our (too) brief discussion centers around her childhood and teen years, reminiscing about days long gone. Brought up in an Italian household with an Irish twist, our mom lived through a great deal, including the seminal Vietnam War years that engulfed her generation and saw her real life friends sent to war. Some even died. Yet, this was also an era of great music, of "peace and love," and of Leave It to Beaver-style sensibilities that have long since gone extinct. C'mon: What's more retro than chatting about the days before Dagan and Colin were even born?

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#51: Malls in the '80s and '90s Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

The 21st century has brought with it the slow-but-steady demise of malls across the United States (and elsewhere, of course). But in the post-World War II era, when families started sprouting up in the suburbs in huge numbers, malls weren't only centers of commerce, but centers of pre-Internet socializing, too. So today, let's chat about the mall during the latter end of its triumphant era, in the '80s and '90s. The stores we loved and hated. The people we met. The food courts. And, of course, the toy stores, game shops, and all of the other nerdy things we relied upon a great deal before the advent of Always Online.

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#50: Childhood Pets Jan 31, 2019

Show notes

For many children, one of growing up's great traditions is having a pet or two. (Or maybe even five or 10.) This episode of KnockBack revolves around our memories of the pets we grew up with, our many cats, our rabbits, and even a scorpion named Wellington. We also solicited a ton of entries from the audience, and go through your pet stories, too. What did these animals mean to all of us? How did they shape our adolescent and teen years? And what kind of funny, sad and meaningful stories about these creatures have we carried through to today?

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