KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#209 | Battlestar Galactica (Season 4) Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

The culmination of Sci-Fi's reimagined Battlestar Galactica series is exceptional. Airing between 2008 and 2009 and interrupted by the Writer's Strike, its final season may be one of the greatest runs of programming in television history. Religious, spiritual, scientific, and above all else human, BSG wraps up with a satisfying conclusion that forces us to confront difficult questions about our heroes, villains, and perhaps most of all about ourselves. Humanity versus Cylon is a distraction. It's all about sentience. Choice. And breaking the cycle that, if anything, provides nothing but predictable outcomes. And that, in and of itself, may be unchangeable.

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

#208: Rushmore Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

Wes Anderson's filmography is pocked with remarkable films, and 1998's Rushmore is undoubtedly one of them. Starring Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray, Rushmore is -- in our estimation -- a movie all about dealing with pain: The pain of growing up, the pain of loss, the pain of emptiness. But, in traditional Anderson form, Rushmore's melancholy is accompanied by copious wit and humor that balances everything out, delivering something perhaps far greater than the sum of its individual parts. So take dead aim at the rich boys, friends. But not before you listen.

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

#207 | Halo: Combat Evolved Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

There's just no denying it: The gaming series Halo and the Xbox console are intrinsically linked, and will be forever. Indeed, Microsoft went and bought Halo mid-development to become its maiden console's killer app, and... well... it worked... because Xbox was unlikely to survive without it. Two decades-plus later, Halo remains one of the most important console franchises in the world, and yet, it all began innocuously enough with a 2001 product subtitled Combat Evolved. While far from the first FPS on console, there's no doubt that Halo -- through control, story, LAN, and more -- set the precedent for the next more-than 20 years of console-based shooting, which, as we well know, is now big, big business. We may just have the esteemed Halo to thank for that, and so, we welcome a conversation all about it here on KnockBack.

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

#206: Childhood Vacations Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

So many of our remembrances are centered on our 'home territory' of Long Island, and the places where we would later call home, from Boston to Philadelphia to California. But what about the times we left, specifically for vacation with our family or friends? This week's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to those leisure-filled days and weeks of yore, when we had nothing to do and no expectations, but lots of funny and ridiculous stories to tell. We hope you enjoy.

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

#205: Aliens Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

Back in the late '70s, Ridley Scott and Dan O'Bannon released the seminal sci-fi horror movie Alien. It took more than half a decade to get a sequel off the ground, however, this time manned by none other than auteur James Cameron. It's with Aliens, with an S, that the quiet horror franchise-to-be became an action franchise with horror elements, and while it was a somewhat divisive move, there's no doubt that Aliens -- finally launched in 1986 -- is one of the best-regarded and most influential sci-fi and action movies ever made. So let's head back to LV-426, friends. The Xenomorphs aren't nearly done with humanity yet, and there's so much to discuss en route.

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

#204: Shovel Knight Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

You may not be familiar with the concept of Shovelry, but veterans of 2014's smash-hit indie darling Shovel Knight will know all about it. Kickstarted nearly a decade ago by a new team called Yacht Club Games and launched to massive commercial and critical success, Shovel Knight is an ode to the NES era, taking liberal amounts of inspiration from the likes of DuckTales, Mega Man, Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, Faxanadu, Zelda II, Super Mario Bros. 3, and more. Yet, it's also a adventure that can act as an excellent gateway for younger players into the days of yore. Shovel Knight is one of the greatest old-school-style romps ever crafted, full stop, and we're thrilled to talk about it on KnockBack.

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

#203: 10 Songs That Remind Us When... Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

We love music, and we don't focus on it enough here on KnockBack. We're endeavoring to change that, starting now. Music is tied up so intimately with nostalgia that it barely merits further explanation. Yet, for all of us, songs and time, songs and people, songs and a moment or an event, these are the connections we simply cannot escape. Here are 10 songs we love that also remind us of happiness or pain from times gone. Indeed, they may represent the only tangible connection we have to some of the topics we discuss.

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

#202 | Razor (Battlestar Galactica film) Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

In between seasons three of four of Sci-Fi's reimagined Battlestar Galactica series came a standalone movie. It's called Razor, and -- as the name suggests -- it focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Battlestar Pegasus, which we were introduced to in season two. Pegasus is commanded by an icy officer named Cain, who does whatever's necessary to survive. But Razor shows us a different side of Cain, and gives us insight into how she and her ship lived through the Cylon assault on their home colonies. We're also introduced to Cain's protégé, Kendra Shaw, who -- much like Starbuck and Adama -- acts as Cain's surrogate daughter. And so we spool up our FTL drives once more, this time to go just ever-so-slightly into the past, which will hopefully illustrate some of what's yet to come with our journey through BSG.

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

#201: The Star Wars Christmas Special Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

Back in 1978, something truly horrifying happened. Following the worldwide, blockbuster success of the original Star Wars in 1977 (which we now lovingly refer to as A New Hope), audiences waited for what was next. And while The Empire Strikes Back arrived in 1980 and set the world ablaze, there were a few stops along the way, and one of them was almost impossibly ill-advised, in hindsight. The Star Wars Christmas Special aired only one time that holiday season, and it's widely-considered to be the single worst piece of Star Wars anything, ever. (Colin contends it's arguably the worst piece of entertainment ever created.) Not even the original movie's cast and some timely guest stars could save this coke-addled variety show. It's no wonder -- apart from its Boba Fett cartoon -- that it's been completely disowned and disavowed. And yet, we couldn't help ourselves. Enjoy.

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

#200 | Avatar: The Last Airbender (Season 1) Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

Surprise! For our 200th episode, we decided to cover one of the most-requested topics from our audience since we began KnockBack some four years ago. Avatar: The Last Airbender came to Nickelodeon in 2005, and its first season immediately raised the bar of what could be expected from a 21st century Nick that helped define the previous 20 years of children and teen television content. Full of heart and soul, beautifully animated, and charming to the max, Avatar is undeniably appealing and worth your attention. We're very pleased to finally talk about it here on KnockBack, and we hope you enjoy.

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