KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#29 | The Batman: Dark Knight Trilogy Sep 06, 2018

Show notes

The three movies in the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy are widely considered to be the best superhero movies ever made, particularly within the nearly decade-long time they were produced and released. Rife with exceptional acting talent -- from Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, and Heath Ledger to Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and beyond -- Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight flicks feel realistic, grounded, and gritty, and have earned and retained legions of fans around the world. Today's discussion revolves around those three films: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. From the production and the writing to the performances and the reception, there's much to discuss, and even more to show respect and admiration for.

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#28: Saturday Mornings Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

In the Analog Days, nothing was more important to a kid than Saturday morning, for it was there that a week's worth of pent up creative, athletic, and outright childlike energy could be expended. Fueled by sugary cereal, Saturday mornings typically began with cartoons, but it was what these mornings in front of the TV could lead to that's perhaps most tantalizing. Playing sports. Going to the movies or arcade. Goofing around outside with friends. Remaining glued to a screen to play video games. Today's episode of KnockBack revolves around these memories, and the serious nostalgia they inevitably invoke in all of us.

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#27: Mad Men Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

The 1960's in the United States was a turbulent time of upheaval and reform, and Mad Men -- which ran on AMC from 2007 to 2015 -- gave viewers a glimpse into that world from an unusual perch: Madison Avenue. Widely considered one of the greatest television shows of all-time, Mad Men introduces audiences to a wide-ranging cast of characters all revolving around one man: Don Draper, the Creative Director of a New York City advertising agency. With so much to talk about, we structured our two hour-plus conversation by talking about the characters. Not only Don, but Betty, Peggy, Roger, Pete, Joan, and many others. So grab yourself an old-fashioned, sit back, relax, and travel back in time.

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#26: Nintendo GameCube Aug 16, 2018

Show notes

In 2001, Nintendo followed up the poor-selling Nintendo 64 with a console that would barely do 60% of N64's total sales. It was called the GameCube, and when compared to its contemporary PlayStation 2, it was largely looked at as a children's toy, and an unpopular one at that. But for those who ignored the haters and delved into its rich catalog, Nintendo's GameCube arguably offered the best pure gaming experiences of its generation, and left a surprisingly positive legacy in the wake of its weak retail performance. So let's take 90 minutes to talk about the box-shaped console with the inexplicable handle, and why it still resonates with us today.

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#25: The Lion King and the Animation Revival Aug 09, 2018

Show notes

Few animated films are more important than The Lion King, released in 1994 towards the height of the Disney Renaissance. An unlikely hit, the movie was animated by what was at the time considered a b-team, with the so-called "Top Talent" toiling away on 1995's Pocahontas. Turns out both movies are awesome, but The Lion King is considered the better product. Go figure. Today's episode of KnockBack is framed around The Lion King, but really, the podcast doubles as a comprehensive look back at the dark times that preceded the Disney boom of the late '80s and into the '90s, with lots of animation history and anecdotes from a man who happens to know a thing or two about the field.

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#24: The Early Internet Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

The Internet began as an academic and military experiment in the post-World War II United States, and decades later, the World Wide Web built on top of it changed the world forever. In the mid-'90s, the Brothers Moriarty gained Internet access at very different moments in their lives. So let's explore what made those dial up days so special, and what it was like being on the Internet during the moments when people realized what it could be, and what it would become. Looking around the Internet today, things sure were quaint in the not too distant past. You'll see.

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#23: The Video Store Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

In the late 1970s, something amazing happened: People didn't have to go to the movie theater anymore to watch films. Crazier yet, they didn't have to be home at specific times to watch TV. The same device made both revolutions possible: The VCR. But the VCR didn't reach its full potential until the advent of the video store in the early '80s, and it's here that we begin our tale, reminiscing over stories about our shops. What did we rent? What kind of people worked there? What was it like watching the whole industry shrivel up and die? Let's chat about the analog days, where you had to leave your house to find something to watch.

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#22: Transformers Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

Between GI Joe and Star Wars -- not to mention all of the other competing toy lines of the time -- the early '80s were a busy era for little boys across the west. But then, 1984 rolled around and brought with it a revolutionary new toy line: Transformers. Transformers' three-pronged approach -- action figures, cartoons, and comics -- saturated the landscape for several years, years Dagan remembers fondly. So sit back, relax, and allow us (well, him) to regale you of stories of toys past, toys that, it turned out, were far more than meets the eye.

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#21: Mega Man 1, 2, & 3 Jul 12, 2018

Show notes

In 1987, upstart Japanese publisher-slash-developer Capcom changed the game when it released Mega Man (known as Rockman in Japan), a silky smooth, beautiful, and dynamic non-linear side scrolling shooter. By 1990, Capcom had followed up the original Mega Man with two fantastic sequels, cementing the franchise in old-school Nintendo lore. Today, on the longest episode of KnockBack to date, we dissect our love of the Blue Bomber, and discuss at length the special bond we developed over the series.

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#20: Skateboarding in the '80s Jul 05, 2018

Show notes

Skateboarding as we know it today became a true phenomenon on the west coast in the late '70s and into the '80s, and it just so happens that skating has been one of Dagan's biggest passions for more than 30 consecutive years. So we dedicated today's episode of KnockBack to those neon days, when skating was niche, looked down upon, and truly rough around the edges. It's always a pleasure when Dagan goes into storytelling mode, so... without further ado: Here's what it was like to skate when no one else was.

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