On Now We Know, Kevin Werkheiser and Chris Tognotti return to resonant, haunting, farcical, or otherwise impactful entertainment obsessions of their youths, through the jaundiced eyes of adulthood.
Follow us on Twitter at @NowWeKnowPod!
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On Now We Know, Kevin Werkheiser and Chris Tognotti return to resonant, haunting, farcical, or otherwise impactful entertainment obsessions of their youths, through the jaundiced eyes of adulthood.
Follow us on Twitter at @NowWeKnowPod!
Christmastime, christmastime, christmastime is here! And with it comes Kevin and Chris finally tackling one of the foundational works of the American Christmas canon, that which famously aired in 24 hour broadcast TV blocks on the big day it—A Christmas Story, the 1983 Bob Clark film based on the work of legendary radio humorist Jean Shepherd. This movie is very much not niche, and there's a great chance you know its ins and outs better than almost any other subject we've covered. But, the eternal question: is it any good?
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Kevin and Chris are back in the seasonal spirit with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, the third Peanuts holiday special, released in 1973. Is it yet another stone cold classic like A Charlie Brown Christmas, or It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown? Not exactly, but it still boasts that Vince Guaraldi magic, and would bring home Emmy gold the following year. So, join us this Thanksgiving, as we join Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franklin, Snoopy, and Woodstock for some heaping helpings of buttered toast, popcorn... pretzel sticks... and jelly beans. (Also features Lucy in a particular cruel football-themed cold open, although she apparently had better things to do than spend Thanksgiving proper with the gang.)
Episode 120 is finally here, and it's just another bread and butter Now We Know classic. This time around, your humble hosts Chris and Rachel look back at equal parts cynical and controversial 1994 kids flick Blank Check, featuring such luminaries as Miguel Ferrer, Karen Duffy, Michael Lerner, Tone Loc, and James Rebhorn. Come for the nostaglia, stay for Rachel's infamous buttermilk story!
Happy Halloween, everyone! On this dim, sanguinary Night of Fright, in the year of our gored 2022, Chris does the unthinkable and voluntarily hosts a vampire movie episode. But this isn't just any vampire movie—in fact, according to Wikipedia, it's "currently the latest film" directed by 96-year-old comedy icon Mel Brooks! That's right, it's Leslie Nielsen vehicle Dracula: Dead and Loving It, co-starring Peter MacNicol, Amy Yasbeck, Steven Weber, and Mel himself. Prepare yourselves, folks, because few things are as spooooooky as an unfunny comedy!
The Halloween season is upon us, and so Kevin has once again foisted his trademark vampire nonsense on poor, unsuspecting, saintly Chris. This time it's the early 90's Dracula TV show, in which some radical kids and their uncle (could he be... Van Helsing?) take on an 80's businessman Drac, and Kindred: The Embraced, a sexy, thick-with-passion blend of vampires and the mob set in the milieu of 90's San Francisco. Scary stuff ahead!
The boys are back with the fifth installment of their populist darling series, Commercials of the 80s and 90s. From rappin' Flintstones, to the sttely commands of the Bop-It!, to the unholy union of Michael Jordan and McDonald's, Kevin and Chris pour over 18 more memorable commercials from the annals of their youths.
(Programming note: If you're confused — "Volume 5!? Where's Volume 4?" you ask, hands shaking, sweat pouring down your face, feet rapidly turning cold as ice — that episode, released earlier this year, is on our subscriber feed! Check it out today, as well as all our other bonus content, at patreon.com/nowweknow)
There can be only two! Two hosts, that is! Also, two Highlander movies as of the year 1991. Departing boldly from the plot and canon of the original film, yet nonetheless featuring returning co-stars Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery, Highlander 2 sends our beloved sword-wielding boys from Earth, to the Planet Zeist, and back again! Remember your home... another galaxy!
As fast as a streaking comet—its majestic tail slowly fading into a dark, night sky—baseball season is already very nearly over. As such, Chris decided to trot out the last remaining baseball movie of his youth for Kevin to behold: 1994's Little Big League, starring Luke Edwards, a.k.a the wizard from The Wizard. Also featuring Timothy Busfield, Jason Robards, Dennis Farina, Chris "deux deux deuxs" Berman, and a particularly odious turn by Jonathan Silverman.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: This is NOT the movie where a kid pitches in the major leagues! That's 1993's Rookie Of The Year. In this one, the kid's the manager.
In remembrance of its recently deceased director, Wolfgang Petersen, Kevin and Chris revisit a towering classic of 80's childrens' cinema: The NeverEnding Story. The boys are joined by professor, podcaster, and bon vivant Dr. Ian Werkheiser to talk Bux, Atreyu, Artax, Bux's dad (and whether he should have been played by John Cleese), and a cast of thousands!
Callooh, callay, it's Felix The Cat day! Deep from the recesses of Chris' memory comes this late 80's theatrical revival of the beloved children's cartoon classic. Our favorite magic bag-wielding cat had been on hiatus for a while prior to this release—29 years, to be exact—so you can rest assured they put every ounce of their blood, sweat, and talent into this thing. Feat. Princess Oriana, The Duke of Zill, and Wack Lizardi.